Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n
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A41509
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The epistle and preface to the book against the blasphemous Socinian heresie vindicated, and the charge therein against Socinianism, made good in answer to two letters / by J. Gailhard ...
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Gailhard, J. (Jean)
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1698
(1698)
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Wing G121; ESTC R40436
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75,155
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92
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Mr. Toland and his Book him he calls the Learned and Ingenious Author and of the Book he saith I do not perceive to speak truly but that Book still stands in its full strength and not only so but if we believe him it hath also acquired a farther reputation by what hath been written against it which that great Master of Learning doth despisingly call an unsuccessful nibling at it But this kind of comparison between two so highly different Persons is odious for it carries along with it a great disparagement to one of them against whom is given the preference and is an invincible proof of want of judgment in such Men as pretend to make it but the commendation or discommendation of that sort of People being so misapply'd are insignificant and it would be no Credit rather the contrary for an Orthodox Person to be commended by them But to carry on their Confidence to the utmost they challenge the Lord Bishop to answer the Reasons in their own Books against the Trinity Yet for all this and after their great Commendation of Mr. T 's Book those wise and cautious Men being afraid of any thing that smells of the Fire as that Book doth they declare about it in which and for which we are not in the least concern'd But I think they were for one which somewhile ago was burnt whilst many more of theirs which now are abroad deserve the same Fate But as we must not expect they will follow the Example of those who brought in their Books among which we may well think were no worse than some of the Socinians are and burnt them which these will not themselves do of theirs for indeed 't is the proper work of the common Executioner far from it they set them out and commend as much as they can nay they are so bold as to let the World know there were such Books of theirs abroad and we find it many times witness Mr. T 's Apology among the Advertisements in the Post-Boy and such printed Papers and this in defiance of Laws and Parliaments whose Authority in Matters of Religion as observed before they deny So that it were but fit that on this occasion that Illustrious Body would be pleased to assert and vindicate their Right For that sort of Men if they had Power would in the denial of this Authority soon pass from Religious to Civil Matters wherefore 't is the Interest of Church and State to support one another for they are like the Twain Children born and bred together between which was such a sympathy that when one was Well Sick or Strong the other was so too and as they were born so they died together He who but a little before said that the Socinians will agree to the disputed Article if they may explain it meant after their own way is such a stranger to Scripture that if it be not the Printer's fault I am apt to believe because in the Margin I quoted not the place he knew not whom I meant when to Socinians I apply'd the Character which Scripture gives of Ishmael whose hand was against every man and every man's hand against him for instead of Ishmaels the word Infidels is in Tho' I do not mind the nauseous stuff wherewith he hath fill'd up the rest of that Page and the following yet I well know and take notice how he is not satisfied to misrepresent me to the Lords Bishops but most maliciously would traduce me as one who makes impudent Reflections on the King and Parliament thereby to make me obnoxious To be Impudent were an invasion upon his Property which I never was nor shall be guilty of Here I might claim the Law of Retaliation he cannot defend his Cause therefore he would throw his Venom upon me Si non marte tamen arte Now this Calumny of his he doth ground upon these words of mine That to the Toleration of those two transcendent Wickednesses Blasphemy and Idolatry we may chiefly attribute the cause of the Chastisements which make the Nation uneasie I hope none will deny that Sins bring God's Judgements upon Nations and when we feel them 't is our duty to speak the Truth our Sins are the cause of this Afflictions do not arise out of the Dust but if we must believe Scripture Chastisements or Punishments of Nations Families and Persons come from the hand of God for as he is most Just so leaves nothing unrewarded if in the World there was any Person free from Sin that very same should also be free from all manner of Pains but Punishment is tyed to the tail of Sin and when we feel God's Chastisements and we know they are inflicted for Sin then the most notorious the greatest and most frequent Sins are obvious to our Eyes as the two in question must needs be and thereupon we should say Lord we have sinned against Heaven and against thee About this Point I shall out of Scripture bring a Precedent of what must be done in such Cases The Israelites are smitten at Ai whereupon Joshua rent his Cloths and fell upon his Face and God said unto him Israel hath sinned I will be no more with you except ye destroy the accursed from among you the Accursed both Person and Thing at that time were destroyed and now if not the Persons at least the Thing should be if we will have God among us and what things in the World more accursed than Blasphemy and Idolatry wherefore I then did and now do conclude that all Christian and prudent care ought to be used to remove Blasphemy and Idolatry out of the Kingdom but how to effect it 't is to be left to those whom it belongs to but still the thing ought to be done Now I ask Is this to make an impudent Reflection against King and Parliament But they make a real one for under the notion that he is no Persecutor they would proclaim his Majesty and the Parliament to favour and protect Blasphemy and Heresie that is Socinianism But this Gentleman according to the Spirit which they all are originally acted by would profanely ridicule the dispensations of God's special Providence and divest that infinite Majesty of his being the just Judge of the World who doth execute Justice and Judgment After this rate the Old World was Drowned by Chance tho' the Flood had been foretold 120 Years before Thus Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by Accident and without God's special Appointment tho' he out of Heaven rained Fire and Brimstone So by Hazard Nadah and Abihu were consumed tho' Scripture saith There went out Fire from the Lord and devoured them Likewise without a special Providence the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram tho' it was a special Judgment of God as was that of the 14700 Men who for their murmuring against Moses and Aaron as we read in the same Chapter died of the Plague In the like manner after their
Principles the Famine in David's days of three Years Year after Year came meerly according to a general course of Nature without a particular Cause and special Providence certainly when David inquired about it the Lord assigned the particul Cause and answered It is for Saul and his bloody House because he slew the Gibeonites The Sin with the Punishment and by whom inflicted were all named and expressed yet against all Right and Reason they would not have this Case to be a special Providence for they say there is no such thing in the World But why should I bring a Candle to light the Sun and in a thing which God's Word doth so plainly and fully demonstrate how to punish National Family and Personal Sins God sends the Plague Famine the Sword venomous Beasts the Locust the Canker-Worm the Catterpillar and the Palmer-Worm which the Lord calls his great Army which I sent among you Did the Plagues of Egypt come at a venture or were they inflicted by God to punish that Nation for their Sins God threatned the Children of Israel for their Disobedience to send upon them Cursing Vexation and Rebuke the Pestilence a Consumption a Fever an Inflamation an extreme Burning the Sword Blasting Mildew the both of Egypt the Emerods with Scabs and Itch Madness Blindness Astonishment of heart c. as expressed in Deut. 28. Are not all these Judgments of God upon Men for their Sins Have I then spoken any harm that you should Cavil at what I say that to the Toleration of Blasphemy and Idolatry we may chiefly attribute the cause of the Chastisments which make the Nation uneasie through losses by Sea by Land by Fire or any other way you named or can name Blasphemy and Idolatry 't is a sad truth do abound in the Land and a flood of all Evil in Doctrine and Practise hath overflowed it and tho' it be against Gospel and Law yet no visible effectual care is taken to suppress it Can we be unconcerned when we hear God by his Prophet speaking thus Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not I be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5. 29. With such a Warrant in my hand I am neither ashamed nor afraid openly to declare that winking at Blasphemy and Idolatry we may well reckon among the chief Causes which have drawn God's Rod upon the back of the Nation and the more because the Sins which there move God to speak by his Prophet are against Men but these we now complain against are directly against God And if God be angry for their not judging for Men will he not be so if Men neglect to Judge for him Do but read the last Verse of the same Chapter where mention is made of Distempers if not exactly the same in relation to Persons yet in Nature much like ours and take notice of God's Expostulation there What will ye do in the end thereof Now the Misdemeanour they would wrongfully charge me with I may justly retort upon them With all due Respect I addressed to both Houses and humbly represented things as 't is usual in points of Grievances whereof some are of a Spiritual as others of a Temporal nature I then said and now say it again that according to Divine and Humane Laws Blasphemy should be rooted out and Blasphemers punished To ask for Justice is not to prescribe the Judges any thing what they ought to do and there is nothing like this in my whole Epistle as these words of mine which the Author of the Letter hath taken notice of do evidence Thus having laid open the Disease I leave it for your Piety and Christian Wisdom to find out and apply the true and proper Remedy We know 't is for the Supreme Judges to do Justice in what manner and degree they please no Man of sense will deny it to be in the power of and to belong to the Magistrates Office to punish Delinquents against God as well as those against Men of the first as well as of the second Table Blasphemers Idolaters Profaners of God's Holy Name as well as Murtherers Adulterers and Thieves S. Paul was no sanguinary Man yet in one place after an enumeration of several things whereof some are less grievous than Blasphemy concludeth That they which commit such things are worthy of death For my part I neither in my Epistle nor in the Preface have said or designed to say so yet if I had without being a Sanguinary Man I here have a Warrant for it But having spoken of my self I now must come to you and say Ye both have been much wanting in your due respect for that Illustrious Assembly of Parliament For one humbly to Address or Petition the Supreme Judges to redress things which are amiss is no disrespect but to pretend to be their Apologist and make use of their Name in an Ironical way as ye I may say saucily have done in the Title of your Pamphlet is certainly to want a due respect and to deserve Punishment To call a Libel against the Doctrine of the Religion by Law established by the name of An Apology for the Parliament most humbly representing c. is a great Abuse and a piece of high Impudence in you which hangs together with your whole Carriage for contrary to the known Laws of the Land and in defiance of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions you do print publish and most insolently go about to Vindicate your Heretical and Blasphemous Opinions in opposition to and the disturbance of the Church by Law established And when ye are not able to defend your bad Cause to give the thing a wrong side the Superior Power to be your drudges must by you be brought in but 't is in you a high presumption to think you can impose upon them Now for my part I must tell you that when I am engaged in any Controversie I stick to the Point beg for no Foreign help and Answer not with Injuries but with good Arguments ye do the contrary But over and above what I have said to shew how with humbly Addressing my self to the Parliament to ask Justice against you and towards preventing the growth of Socinianism I did nothing but what is according to Law I here lay down an undeniable proof of it with a Copy of the Presentment of the Grand Jury of Middlesex on the last day of the last Easter Term 1697 and this according to directions given by the Judges who must know the Law The Names of the worthy Persons that were of it do for their Piety and Zeal deserve to be recorded in Letters of Gold and 't is hoped this may be a Precedent for others to do the like in other parts of the Kingdom A Copy of the Presentment of the Grand Jury of Middlesex the last day of the Term at Westminster viz. WE the Jurors sworn to enquire on the behalf of our Sovereign Lord the King