Selected quad for the lemma: father_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A53575
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Ratiocinium vernaculum, or, A reply to Ataxiae obstaculum being a pretended answer to certain queries dispersed in some parts of Gloucester-shire.
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Overbury, Thomas, Sir, d. 1684.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing O612; ESTC R24104
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94,328
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197
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Christian duties which God requires of them Query XXIII Whether are they who separate or they who give the cause of separation the Schismaticks Reply to the Answer to this Query WE have here a full and satisfactory Answerâ—r In that it is acknowledg'd That not they who separate but they who give just cause of separation are the Schismaticks But then he tells us St. Paul hath as clearly and fully determin'd this Query as if it had been proposed in his days Though you will find him here as well as elsewhere to handle the word of God deceitfully For St. Paul in that place speaks only of the duty of Servants exhorting those who are under the Yoke to count their Masters though Infidels worthy of all honour and not to depise their believing Masters because they are Brethren but rather do them service because they are Faithful and beloved and these things he directs Timothy to Teach and Exhort and then sâ—bjoyns If any man teach otherwise c. He is proud c. Where observe how instead of Master he foists in Superiour a word of a more extensive signification for though every Master be a Superiour every Superiour is not a Master and yet we do not say that obedience may be withdrawn from Superiours of any kind Christianity laying the greatest obligation immaginable upon its Professors to be obedient to their Superiours But as the Authority of Superiours is not despotical or absolute so neither ought the obedience of Inferiours to be blind or Brutish both the one and the other being regulated by a Supream Power For where Superiours have no Right to command there lyes no obligation on Inferiours to obey So that whether Conformists in commanding or Non-conformists in not obeying are the Schismaticks depends on the formers having right and Authority to require what the latter judges sinful or unlawful to observe which being beyond the present Question we shall not meddle with But he tells us If the Church of England had forsaken the common Faith it had been no Schism to forsake the Church of England and if she did so and so then that command in the Revelation Come out of her my people c. had been applicable to our Dissenters Bâ—t this is still but pretended being against his principle of blind obedience and mens resigning up themselves to the Fathers of the Church without leaving them so much as a Power to Examine what is commanded for where that is there must likewise be allowed a dissent in all things they judge evil or unlawful And though he tells us A good Christian ought as much to dread the imposing upon his Judgement an Assent to known errors and upon his Practice the acting of known Sins as the suffering the very pains of Hell it self he does we doubt but equivocate alallowing none to be known errors or known sins but such as Superiours shall judge so for if he allow Inferiours to judge thereof and act accordingly there is no difference between us But having told us what the Church of England does not he now tells us what many of our Dissenters do And first he says They Question not only the Power of Bishop to Govern the Church but that of Kings to make Laws for the Security of their own Crown and Government as well as the common Christianity If such there are I am sure no sober or Rational man will justifie or excuse them in it That they make the people Judges of their own Pastors c. That they may have reason for how else can they beware of false Prophets and try the spirits as they are commanded or distinguish between the Ministers of Christ and the Ministers of Antichrist But no sober man sure will allow any to withdraw their obedience from those who are lawfully Ordain'd and ought to superintend over them That they forsake their old guides c. This is but the old Popish objection new vampt nor is such forsaking Criminal but where causeless And who are they that renounce in their Assemblies as he says the ancient Creeds which were in all Ages esteemed the Badges of Christianity And wherein lyes the Crime of not reading the Scriptures to the people without expounding them But sure they make it not indifferent to be of any Communion who are so great sufferers because they cannot be so And if as he says they gather Churches not only without but against all Aâ—thority Let him not be thereat troubled since every Plant which our Heavenly Father hath not Planted shall be rootâ—d up Which is due or undue ordination will hardly be determin'd till we have an affirmative Answer to the sixth Query But 't were happy for the Church of God if none who are not gifted and qualified for the work of the Ministry were empower'd to read Sermons in the Pulpit Prophane the Sacraments c. But who are they that as he says Evacuate one main Article of the Christian Creed Faith in one Catholick Church besides himself and the Papists All others believe their is one Catholick Church but do not believe in one Catholick Church we are taught to believe only in God not in the Church but he it seems hath resign'd up his Faith to the Fathers of the Church believing only as the Church believes No wonder therefore he should talk of a Yearly Monthly and Daily Faith which his Principles lead him to if he chance so oft to change his Fathers or they their Faith Who they are that go out of their Callings and Stations to Usurp the Office of Bishops as well as of the Inferiour Clergy will hardly be determin'd here Yet I shall tell him what a Reverend and Learned Prelate of the Church of England once answer'd to the like objection So long said he as they taught the same Doctrine which the Apostles did they had the same Power and Authority to Preach which they had biding them to keep their competent Jurisdictions Judicial Cognitions and legal Decisions to themselves For that as he truly told them The Son of God first founded and still gathereth his Church by the mouths of Preachers not by the Summons of consistories and he that is sent to Preach may not hold his Tongue and tarry till my Lord the Pope and his Miter'd Fathers can intend to meet and list to consent to the ruine as they think of their Dignities and Liberties But to return to our Answerer How do they as he says break the bonds of Vnity and Line of Apostolical Succession who adhere to the Universal and Uniform Law of the Gospel or do not they rather break both who make their own or other mens wills the Rule of the Churches and found their Ordination on uncertain tradition I know of no Dissenters that obtrude Oaths and Covenants as he says on their Proselites though it be no Crime for Christians to Covenant to serve God as God wil be serv'd Every man hath a Judgement of discretion Which is the
his blessed Will to us in his holy word What us does he mean For we cannot but think it all mens duty with the Psalmist still to pray That God would open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of his Law There being an Illumination of the Spirit of God necessary for the right understanding of those things that are revealed in the word of God which is it seems a revelation this Answerer is yet unacquainted with for though the Gospel be written the saving Truths thereof are hid to those whom the God of this world hath blinded This Query therefore grounded on tâ—e Apostles advice to the Philippians intends only the Revelation there mentioned which we hope is no Enthusiasm By saying In doubts relating to Religion men would do better to resign up themselves to the Fathers of the Church and seek satisfaction from the Prists lips then attend to the Dictates of their own dark minds He plainly enough tells what he would be at and that 't is blind obedience he would bring us to But before we thus resign up our selves both Soul and Body unto any let him tell us who amongst the many pretenders are those Fathers of the Church to whom he would have us thus to resign up ourselves our Blessed Saviour himself having commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Holy Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God By which 't is evident there belongs by Divine Right unto all Christians notwithstanding their dark minds a private discretive and self-directive Judgement by vertue whereof they not only ought to prove all things recommended to them by their Teachers but even to judge of their Teachers themselves between the true and the false between the Messengers of Christ and the Messengers of Antichrist so far is it from the mind of God that any should pin their Faith upon their Teachers sleeves Captivate their Judgements unto theirs and believe and do whatever they shall think meet It were indeed happy if men could receive satisfaction from the Priests lips as those which should keep knowledge But it may be said to too many of them in our days as the Prophet said to them of old Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant nant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People according as ye have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law Query XVIII Whether in these duties whereon Eternity depends it be not the highest absurdity to force any against their own light to be guided by others who are not infallible Reply to the Answer to this Query 'T Is no very pleasing imployment to have to do with those who either do not or will not understand the Questions they take upon them to answer But 't is that we must be content with in this Contest What this Answerer finds in this Query inferring a necessity of Infallibility in all Guides and Governours whether Sacred or Civil we are yet to seek there being as we conceive some difference between being guided in duties of Religion by those that are fallible which we never thought unreasonable and being forced to follow them therein against a mans own light and knowledge which is the thing here question'd It being an implicit Faith and blind obedience only and even the worst of these a mans acting against his own light and Conscience and only in the concerns of Eternity that this Query opposeth And where hath this been as he tells us before answer'd Or to what purpose doth he here tell us It is no higher absurdity in these days of the Gospel for men in matters of Religion to be guided by a Learned and Pious Minister and much more by all the Governours of a National Church then it was under the Mosaick Oeconomy to seek the Law at the Priests mouth who was the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts since we never denyed either but say that blind obedience was never to be yielded unto any much less that any ought to be forc't in any Religious duties against their own light The Priests lips indeed should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth but as hath been before said they departed out of the way they caused many to stumble at the Law and corrupted the Covenant of Levi So that a Judgement of discretion was then as well as now to be exercised by the people and they were not always to hearken unto the words of the Prophets that Prophesied unto them their directions and instructions therefore with this Answerers good leave might sometimes be rejected And since our Blessed Saviour hath himself commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God it is undoubtedly the duty of all Christians to examine the Authority and Mission of their Teachers and to Query who are the true and who the false who the Messengers of Christ who of Antichrist that so they may receive the one and reject the other with all their Doctrines and Instructions if upon trial they square not with the Rule by which they are commanded to prove them Yet does not this render as he says the Ministry of the Christian Church much less all Offices and Dignities of the Commonwealth void and useless It only cautions Christians not to esteem of them above what is meet in yielding that blind obedience the Gospel Prohibits and which is unbecoming the nature and being of a Rational Creature to give when therefore God commands the people to obey those that have the Rule over them and to submit to them as they that watch for their Souls It is to be understood so far forth only as they Teach according to the Rule of his word their Authority as we have before told you from the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet Being only directive and declarative and in matters of duty can bind no farther then Reason and Evidence brought from Scripture by them doth But he goes on with his Infallibility and says the Argument holds as much against any Judge or Magistrate in the civil concerns of Humane life as against the Ministry of the Church But he may be therein mistaken for 't is all mens Interest to acquiesce in the Determinations of civil Judicatories in the concerns of Humane life how Erronious or unjust soever they may apprehend them to be for the preservation of a greater good publick peace and quiet but that will never make it reasonable in the concerns of Eternity which admit of no compensation for a man to put out his own eyes to be guided by others who perhaps see no better it may be not so well as himself For we do not say it is absurd for a man to be