Selected quad for the lemma: life_n
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A58493
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Remarks on The life of Mr. Milton, as publish'd by J.T. with a character of the author and his party : in a letter to a member of Parliament.
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R. E.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing R933; ESTC R13741
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33,766
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88
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never beliâ—…v'd nor intended and don't care what Methods they make use of provided they can thereby subvert the Doctrine of the Trinity and Christ's Satisfaction This Charge is made plain upon the Italian Combination formerly mention'd by Wissowatius in his Narrat Compend Biblioth Antitrin and Lubienescius's Hist. Reform Polon Calvin in his Theological Tracts c. and is as plainly prov'd against our English Socinians by their Book of the Athanâ—…sian Creed not requir'd by the Church of England wherâ—…in they say the Thirty Nine Articles are not Articles of Faith but Peace tho' in the Title it is declared that those Articles were agreed upon for the avoiding diversity of Opinions and for the establishing of Consent touching true Religion And the Charge given by his Majesty is that no Man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof and shall nâ—…t put his own Sense or Comment to be the Meaning of the Article but shall take it in the Literal or Grammatical Sense By which it is plain that a Socinian cannot subscribe the First Article where 't is asserted that in the Unity of the Godhead there be Three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost without the groslest Hypocrisie and Dissimulation Then as to the Sacraments according to the Principles they have laid down in the Trinitarian Scheme considered they can joyn in them with Papists Lutherans Church-of England-Men Presbyterians Independants or Anabaptists for say they p. 28. They don't place Religion in Worshipping God by themselves or after a particular Form or Manner but in right Faith and a Just and Charitable Conversation So that if they can but perswade themselves that their Faith is Right and their Conversation Just and Charitable they can with the same Liberty go to the Turkish Mosque the Popish Maâ—…s House and the Meetings of Protestants of all Denominations they don't think themselves oblig'd to have any regard whether the Administration be according to the Word and Institution of God or not The Mahometans and Papists have a Right Faith they believe Jesus to be the Messiah which according to them is the only Characteristick that distinguishes a Believer from an Unbeliever therefore they can frequent their Assemblies And as to the Sacraments they tell us in that same Book that he that is baptiz'd is only to resolve a Newness of Life which by the way destroys Insant-Baptism and declares their falling in with the Anabaptists And in the Lord's Supper they say they are only to commemorate the shedding of his Blood and breaking of his Body So that let it be a meer Layman or a Minister duely ordain'd that Administers or let it be a Consecrated Wafâ—…r or Bread and Wine it is all one to them What a vast deal of Blood and Treasure might this have sav'd to this Nation and to the French and other Protestants had they been so happy as to be thus principled What Millions of Men and Money might Christendome have sav'd had the Gentlemen of this Latitude been of an earlier Rise ' Its all one to them whether the Cross or the Crescent be predominant nay it is much better that the latter should carry it for as we have heard already Mahomet intended only the Restitution of the true Intent of the Christian Religion Nay I have read it somewhere that the Learned Socinians ascribe the Propagation of Mahometism to their Denial of the Trinity and not to the Sword Then let any Christian judge what can be too vile or base for Men of such Principles to attempt or act so they can but attain their Ends of overturning the chief Principles of Christianity that so they may be at Liberty to take a full swinge in pursuing the Lusts of the Flesh and other Impurities in which the Mahometans do so much delight There 's little reason to doubt but J. T. and others of his Kidney how much soever they may be against a Comprehension amonst Protestants in this Nation which they know would strengthen the Reformed Interest throughout Europe would soon come to a Comprehension with the Mahometans as to the point of the Bottle which seems to be the only material Point in difference betwixt them except it be that the Turks as Nicholaus Cardinal de Cusa in his Cribâ—…atio Alcorani informs us have more respect for the New Testament than J. T. for they prefer the Gospel to their own Law whereas J. T. when a Student at one of the Scotch Universities threw away his Greek New Testament because he could not understand the Language as some of his Coâ—…rades have told the Story and in a great Rage cried Damn the Galatians which was the Place where he was then reading and I am informed he now brags that he hath banish'd all Divinity out of his Closet whence 't is to be suppos'd that it was always a Stranger in his Heart yet this is the mighty Man of so great knowledge and Light to whom there is nothing Mysterious in Christianity Another Instance of their Dissimulation is That they good Men have a mighty Esteem for the Church of England they approve of known Forms of Prayers and Praises as also in administring Baptism the Lord's Supper Marriage and the other Religious Offices they like well of the Discipline of the Church by Bishops and Parochial Ministers they communicate with the Church as far as they can and contribute their Interâ—…st to favour her against all others who would take the Chair as they tell us in their Trinitarian Scheme Considered p. 28. yet in the 24th Page of that same Book as I have already hinted they ridicule the Sacraments thus Let a Man say they in black sprinkle you with some of the Churches Water or give you a bit of Bread or sup of Wine over which he hath pronounced the Wonder-working Words prescribed in Mother Churches Ritual and yet they pretend to approve of the Church of England's Form in the Administration of the Lord's Supper tho' by Nature continue they you are aâ—… bad as the Devil you shall presently be inclin'd to as much Good as will save you from Hell and qualifie you for Heaven and this no less certainly if you are one of the Elect for else the Churches Incantation produces only a momentary Effect and a false Appearance of Good No less certainly I say than by tying the Norman Knot you may gain the Love of the Person you desire or by other Devices recorded in the Learned Books so Fools esteem them of Magick you may cause Hatred raise Winds and do a thousand other Feats which have no more Natural or Real Agreement with those Causes that are said to produce them than Faith and Obedience have with a bit of Bread or with a sprinkling of Water Therefore when St. Augustine defin'd a Sacrament to be the Outward Visible Sign of an Inward Invisible
scarely thank him for this Vindication of the â—…resbyterians That the Fact of cutting of King Charles I. was not Theirs Nor will it be very easie for him to reconcile those two Positions That the Presbyterians were the King 's mortal Enemies and yet angry at his Death They that know the History of those Times are not ignorant that the Presbyterians whilst they had any Interest in the Parliament or Army always expressed themselves with Honour of the King's Person and that they Voted his last Concessions a sufficient Ground to Treat with Him and were altogether against his Trial and Death as having taken Arms for the Defence of their Liberties and Religion and not the Destruction of their Prince But J. T 's Friends the Independents and Anabaptists had other Designs in view nothing less than his Blood could pave the Way to their projected Anarchy in Church and State And therefore as J. T. says himself in the History of Standing Armies which he is proud to have thought his Oliver who was the Head of the Faction came into the Parliament-House with an armed Force behaved himself like a mad Man turn'd them out of Doors and modell'd the House according to his own Mind or to this Effect Page 77. He discovers the Plot and the Reason of aâ—…l this invenom'd Malice against the Presbyterians viz. Because they warmly joined with others the last Parliament to promote Penal Laws against the Socinians and therefore says he finds few People will believe that those in England differ from their Brethren in Scotland about Persecution nor that their own sufferings of late have made them more tender to the Consciences of others This naturally leads Men to think that they have not repented of their Rigour in the Civil Wars and that should the Dissenters once more get the Secular Sword into their Hands they would press Uniformity of Sentiments in Religion as far as any other Protestants or Papists ever yet have done witness their inhumane Treatment of Daniel Williams a sober Man and judicious Divine for no Cause that I can discern but that he made Christianity plainer than some of his Collegues in the Ministry This is Bogtrotters Sense and Gratitude twisted together This is J. T 's Reward to the Presbyterians for maintaining him at his Studies beyond Sea and as profound Sense as ever was spoke in Teagueland Every Body knows that 't was the Independents that treated Mr Williams in that barbarous manner and that it was the Presbyterians who did then and do still espouse Mr. William's Cause And therefore to argue from this Passage That the Dissenters in General or Presbyterians in Particular are of a Persecuting Spirit is like the Admirable Wisdom of J. T 's Country-man who ask'd his Fellow Lackey By my Shoul dear Joy do ye think I shall overtake my Master's Coach before I come at it Such another proof of J. T 's Wit and Ingenuity we have Page 60. where he falls foul upon the Presbyterians because Mr. â—…aryl an Independent gave his Imprimatur to an Answer to Mr. Milton's Book about Divorce Yet this is the mighty Man that sets up for Reformer General of Church and State tho' some are of Opinion that he is fitter to teach his Country-men to gut Oysters VVe must follow him a little too beyond Tweed but shall first take Notice of another Bogtrotting Trip Page 75. He tells us That he hopes the Bulk of those now called Presbyterians in England some few leading Men excepted are no such Enemies to a Toleration and that they understand no more of the Consisâ—…rian Clâ—…ssical or Synodical Judicatories than they allow of the Inquisition or Hierarchy Well first to admit thâ—…t the Bulk are no Enemies to a Toleration and then to except some few is a very good Irish Distinction But then again Page 78. He tells us That few will believe that the English Presbyterians differ from their Brethren in Scotland about Persecution so that here 's both Nonsense and Contradictions But we must pardon him his Passion was in a ferment upon the Remembrance that Aikenhead one of his Brethren in Blasphemy was hang'd by the Presbyterians in Scotland some time ago and therefore he Vows Revenge upon the whole Bulk of those of that Name in both Nations That you may the better judge whether the Scotch Presbyterians deserve the Character of Persecutors or not for hanging that Fellow I shall give you an Account of what was prov'd upon him at his Trial as follows viz. That he denied the Existence of a Deity maintaining that God Nature and the World were the same thing that Divinity and the Doctrine of Christianity was a Rhapsodie of fansied and ill-invented Nonsense patch'd up partly of the Moral Doctrines of Philosophers and Poetical Fictions and Extravagant Chimera's He call'd the Old Testament Ezra's Fables saying That Ezra was the Inventer thereof He affirmed the New Testament to be the History of the Impostor Jesus Christ who he said had learn'd Magick in Egypt by which he made the Ignorant believe he wrought Miracles He also cursed our Holy Saviour and did affirm That the Doctrine of Redemption by Jesus Christ was a proud and presumptuous Device and that the Inventers thereof are damned if after this Life there be either Reward or Punishment He likewise affirmed That if ever there was such a Man as Moses he was a Magician and Impostor also and preferred him and Mahomet as having more Skill in their Arts as he termed it than the blessed Jesus He said That he hoped to see Christianity much weakned and that he was consident in a short time it would be utterly extirpated Now let any Man judge whether such a Monster of Blasphemy deserved to live and what sort of a Man J. T. is who is so angry at the Scots Presbyterians for hanging that Wretch and at the English Presbyterians for concurring last Sessions of Parliament to have Penal Laws enacted against Socinians whose Doctrine overturns the very Foundation of Christianity This gives me ground to suspect That J. T has indeed more than ordinary Reason to be concerned at the Fate of that Scotch Blasphemer for if he durst freely speak out his Mind P. 91. He seems to Ballance mightily towards Aikenhead's Opinion That the New Testament is a Forgery for there he tells us from the Instance of Eicon Basilicé That he ceases to wonder any longer how many supposititious Pieces under the Name of Christ his Apostles and other great Persons should be publish'd and approv'd in those Primitive Times I confess my self to be but slenderly Vers'd in Antiquity and therefore the discovery of my Ignorance in that Point is the more pardonable but at the same time I must needs say That I don't remember of any supposititious Piece alledg'd upon our Saviour his Answer to Abgarus's Letter excepted I know that the Divine Authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews of the Revelations and others have been objected against by some