THE Naked Truth OR THE TRUE STATE OF THE Primitive Church BY AN Humble Moderator Zach. 8. 19. Love the Truth and Peace Gal. 4. 16. Am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth Printed in the Year 1675. An Humble Petition to the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament MY Lords and noble Gentlemen You have fully expressed your Zeal to God and his Church in making Laws for Unity in Faith and Uniformity in Discipline for as our Saviour said A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand so the same may certainly be said of a Church the reason being the same for both And I call the Searcher of all hearts the God of life and death to witness that I would most readily yea most joyfully sacrifice all I have in this world my life and all that all Non-Conformists were reduced to our Church But it falls out most sadly that your Laws have not the desired effect our Church is more and more divided such is the perverse nature of man Niti in Vetitum obstinately to oppose Authority especially when they can pretend the colour of Religion and Conscience this carries so great an applause among the Vulgar still envious at Superiors that it is as it were Nuts to an Ape sweeter to them than any other thing this world affords for the enjoyment of this they will endure any thing imprisonment loss of goods yea sometime of life also And this is it which mainly nourishes our Divisions gives great advantage to the growth of Popery and threatens the total ruine of our Church Many who were formerly very zealous for our Church seeing these our sad divisions and not seeing those of the Roman-Church nor their gross Superstitions which their Priests conceal till they have got men fast are easily seduced by their pretended Unity and daily fall from us This makes my heart to bleed and my soul with anguish ready to expire rather than live to see that dismal day of relapse into their manifold Idolatries Wherefore I humbled my Soul before God in fasting and prayer begging dayly the assistance of his holy Spirit to direct me to some healing Salve for these our bleeding Wounds and therefore I have some reason to believe that what is contained in these following Papers comes from the great goodness of God who never fails those who seek him in humility and sincerity both which I am confident I have done and this I am sure of that no Worldly designs have moved me to this but have often tempted me to give it over I am also sure that there is nothing contained therein which is contrary to the known Laws of the Land in this only I confess I have transgressed in putting it forth without licence and for this I beg of God and you as Naaman did of Elisha In this thing the Lord and you pardon your Servant and I hope you will say unto me as Elisha did unto Naaman Go in peace and I farther hope this shall not cast such a prejudice upon it as to make you cast it by or read it with disgust I do not expect you should approve any thing upon the account of my seeking God in this but upon my Reasons alledged nor do I expect that upon my Reasons you should approve all yet I beseech you seriously consider all and God of his infinite goodness direct you to that which may make for the Unity of our Church by yielding to weak ones if not wilful Ones also as far as your Reason and Conscience will permit sure you cannot so loath all condescention as not to loath more and detest Papal confusion which certainly comes on apace by our division and of two evils both Reason and Religion require us to chuse the less now doubtless you cannot think condescention if evil at all sure not so evil as Papal Idolatry and that Papistry is Idolatry is so clearly proved by our Learned Dr. Stilling fleet as it were lost labour to say more of it Condescention may seem in some respects imprudent but whether in this conjuncture of affairs imprudent I beseech you again consider well The Wisest men have changed their Counsels and Resolves upon second thoughts much more upon experience and approaching evils not at first discovered It is a common thing with Princes when they find their main enemies power encrease much to make peace with lesser enemies on conditions never before to be endured Self-preservation being the prime principle in all Creatures rational and irrational springing from Nature it self it should in nature and reason over-ballance any other consideration and whatever is done to this end if not sinfully done must needs be wisely done I most humbly beseech the All-wise God and sole giver of wisdom to pour down his Holy and Wise Spirit upon you Amen To the READER CHristian Reader so I term you hoping you have in some measure the Spirit of Christ and desire it more the spirit of meekness humility charity not to censure my errors and enveigh against them but to pity and endeavour to rectifie them if you find any and I assure you in the word of a Christian I shall be far more ready to recant than to vent an error If you be not thus Christianly disposed I earnestly beseech you read no furtner for I am sure you will be displeas'd with it and can you think it wisdom to run your self into displeasure enjoy your present quiet and let me rest But if you be so Christianly disposed as I mentioned then I as earnestly heg of you to proceed to discover my errors and amend them But perchance you will ask who I am why did I not tell you by putting my name to this Pamphlet I will ingenuously confess the cause I am a weak man of great Passions not able to bear Commendations or Reproach my small ability puts me out of danger of the first but in great fear of the later Why then was I so forward to publish my weakness to have it cured yet truly I have not been very forward for it is now above two years since I had these thoughts in which time I have read and conferred all I could to discover if I were in an error but for all I yet could meet with do not find it so but hope all I say is truth and that it may he useful to the Publique in this present conjuncture of affairs Therefore I proceed and in the next place most humbly beseech all that read this to lay aside all bias of interest or education both are very great I am sure I found it so very long before I could master them and that of education most difficult were it not so there could not be that difference of opinion in Christian Religion all allowing the Bible for the Rule of Faith the Papists themselves do not reject it but add to it the authority of the Church I verily believe there are thousands of Papists Lutherans Calvinists both Learned and Religious who would lay down their lives for the truth they profess and
the Schooles by Syllogismes If then our Reason understands not what is declared How can we by Reason make any deduction by way of Argument from that which we understand not As for Example Some hold That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son some that he proceeds from the Father by the Son I pray Doth any man understand how the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father from the Son or by the Son no certainly how then can he affirm or believe a tittle more of the Holy Ghost than the Holy Ghost hath declared Seeing as I said He understands not at all what is declared Discourse must be of things intelligible though Faith believes things not intelligible Can any man prove that rotation and circulation are all one who understands not what rotation or circulation is the like may be said of procession or mission of the Holy Ghost The Scripture plainly tells That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and that he is sent by the Father that he is sent also by the Son but whether he proceeds from the Son or by the Son the Scripture is silent and I am therefore ignorant having no knowledge at all of any Divine Mysteries but from the Scriptures I grant That by rational deductions and humane way of argumenting 't is probable that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son as from the Father but if in divine matters we once give way to humane deductions a cunning Sophister may soon lead a weak Disputant into many Errours By humane deduction you may infer that the Son is inferiour to the Father as begotten by him the Holy Ghost inferiour to both being sent by both with us the less is sent by the greater by humane deduction from three distinct persons you may prove three distinct substances I hope you will make no such inferences in the Divine Persons Again What a business have the School-Men made about these words of our Saviour This is my Body with their praedicatum and subjectum and copula and individuum vagum in the pronoun This. Innumerable are their intricate Impertinencies in this matter and in their conclusions The Papists hold Christ to be present in the Sacrament Transubstantialiter the Lutherans Consubstantialiter the Calvinists Sacramentaliter and yet all confess they understand none of these ways as St. Paul saith Desiring to be Teachers they understand not what they say neither whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1. 7. Had the Scripture affirmed any of these wayes we ought to have submitted our Reason in things above Reason though we understand them not and 't is reasonable so to do but to go about to prove by reason what is above reason is wonderful and to discourse of what we understand not is doubtless a spice of madness and the conclusions we draw from such discourses must needs be very dangerous we following the ignem fatuum the uncertain light of humane reason in Divine matters so totally beyond our reach Wherefore we have no other safe way to speak of Divine matters but in Scripture Language ipsissimis verbis with the very same words according to that 2 Tim. 1. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in Faith Mark Hold fast not onely the matter of Faith but the form of sound words these are safe humane words in Divine and high Mysteries are dangerous Man can no more set them forth in humane words than express the Divine substance by humane painting 't is the sole work of the Holy Ghost who is also Divine There hath not been a greater plague to Christian Religion than School-Divinity where men take upon them the liberty to propose new Questions make nice distinctions and rash conclusions of Divine matters tossing them up and down with their Tongues like Tennis Balls and from hence proceed all the dangerous Heresies and cruel Bickerings about them falling from words to blows The first Divinity School we read of was set up at Alexandria by Pantaenus and from thence soon after sprang forth that damnable Haeresie of the Arrians which over ran all Christendome and was the cause of destruction to many Millions of Christians both Body and Soul The Haeresies before this were so gross and sensual that none took them up but dissolute or frantick people and soon vanish't but after this School subtile way of arguing was brought into Christianity Haeresie grew more refined and so subtill that the plain and Pious Fathers of the Church knew not how to lay hold of it and repress it the School distinctions and evasions quite baffled them and these Sophisters proud of their conquest triumphed and carried away a specious appearance of Truth as well as Learning or rather cunning insomuch that many godly persons were also deluded and fell in unto them and many of their Haeresies continue unto this day This great bane of the Church took it's rise from hence Many of the Primitive Doctors and Fathers being converted from Heathenisme and having by long and great Industry acquired much knowledge in natural Philosophy Antiquity History and subtil Logick or Sophistry were very unwilling to abandon quite these their long studied and dearly belov'd Sciences falsly so called and therefore translated them into Christianity applying their School terms distinctions Syllogismes c. to Divine matters intending perchance through indiscreet zeal to illustrate and imbellish Christian knowledge with such artificial forms and figures but rather defaced and spoyled it which the wisdome of St. Paul well foresaw and therefore fore-warned us of it Col. 2. 8. Beware lest any man spoyl you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the Rudiments of the World and not after Christ. I humbly conceive it nad been far better for them and all Christendome had they determined with St. Paul To know nothing but Christ and him Crucified and not to intermingle mans Wisdome and excellency of speech with Divine Knowledge and Scripture Doctrine which is to be taught by the demonstration of the Spirit and of power as is set forth 1 Cor. 2. not with Logical Syllogisms and Sophistical Enthymems for as the wisdome of God was foolishness to the Greeks and Gentiles so the wisdome of the Greeks and Gentiles was foolishness to God and destruction to his Church who by the foolishness of preaching had overcome all their wisdome and captivated their understandings in obedience to the Faith But when the Christian Doctors left this plain and simple way of preaching and sell to cunning disputing introducing new forms of speech and nice expressions of their own coyning some approving some opposing them great Discords Warrs and Confusions soon followed Had that most Prudent and most Pious Constantine the first and best of Christian Emperours had he pursued his own intentions to suppress all disputes and all new questions of God the Son both Homoousian and Homoiousion and commanded all to acquiesce in the very Scripture expressions without any addition
heretical Profession though not their Opinion who conscious to themselves of their own dissimulation and desirous to get favour with St. Austin a Person of great Veneration and Authority with all related unto him this specious Story which St. Austin's great Charity was apt to believe as St. Paul saith believeth all things and from hence concludeth that it might be lawfull to use the Power of the Civil Sword to reduce Hereticks to the Church But unless it can be evidenced that these Donatists Hearts were changed as well as their Profession a thing impossible to prove all this proves nothing Thirdly Put the Case their Hearts were really changed as to matter of Belief 't is evident their Hearts were very worldly still groveling on the Earth not one step nearer Heaven our Saviour saith An evil Tree can't bring forth good Fruit and sure their Heart was evil which was far more moved for the quiet enjoyment of this Worlds good than for the blessed enjoyment of Christ. Fourthly Though we farther grant that the pruning of the Magistrates Sword did really correct the vitiousness of the Tree and made it bring forth some good Fruit yet shall we do evill that good may come of it God forbid saith St. Paul Put the case Malchus had been converted by St. Peters cutting off his Ear this would not have excused St. Peters act which our Saviour so sharply reproved and threatned with perishing by the Sword and gave him the reason why he ought not to use the Sword in his cause Thinkest thou that I cannot pray unto my Father and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels Canst thou do any thing more prejudicial to the honour of my God-head than to think I want the help of Man to defend me And according to this may our Saviour say Thinkest thou that I cannot pray unto my Father and he shall give me more than twelve millions of Souls to worship my Name or canst thou do any thing to eclipse more the power and glory of the Gospel which I have ordained to be set up by weakness and foolishness of Preaching and thereby to subdue both the wisdom of the Greeks and the power of the Gentiles As I my self have conquered all Enemies by preaching and suffering so must my Disciples tread in my steps And just so we find that the Gospel was most miraculously advanced over all the World by preaching and suffering for it not by compelling others to it 'T is evident that upon preaching of the Gospel as many as were ordained by God to Eternal Life believed and surely those who are not ordained by God to Eternal Life can never be brought thither by the ordinance or power of Man Wherefore when the Ministers have preached and prayed they have performed all they can do the rest must be left to the Justice or Mercy of God who hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he hardeneth so that the sharpest Sword in this world shall enter their hard heart no more than an Adamant All this I say in reference to compelling Men to believe or conform still reserving to the Magistrate power according to Scripture To punish evill doers not evill believers not who think but do publish or do practice something to subvert the Fundamentals of Religion or disturb the Peace of the State or injure their Neighbour God the only searcher of hearts reserves unto himself the punishment of evil thoughts of evil belief which Man can never have a right cognizance of for the greatest Professor may be the greatest Atheist But the Magistrate shall conceive he hath sufficient warrant to punish also evil believers and shall proceed to execution or on that pretence shall punish true believers the Scripture is most clear that the Subject is bound to submit and bear it with all Christian patience to the loss of Goods Liberty or Life not only patiently to bear it but to rejoyce in it and I am sure if he hath any true Religion any right understanding in him he will rejoyce on his own behalf because his reward is exceeding great Therefore whoever under pretence of Religion raises any Tumult or takes up Armes against the Magistrate to preserve himself from persecution absolutely declares himself either a stark Fool or a stark Atheist either he believes there is no such reward or is mad to reject the opportunity of gaining it and so at the best is fit for Bedlam at the worst for the Gallowes now let him choose An Appendix to the former Subject BEfore I leave this matter of imposing new Articles of Faith I desire to speak a word or two concerning the authority of Councels and Fathers in relation to it When the Superstitions and the Abuses of the Popish Church especially in the matter of Indulgences grew so very gross as not longer to be endured Luther Melancthon Oecolompadius Bucer divers others opposed them and coming to dispute with their Adversaries about these things the Popish Doctors having no Scripture for their Errors quoted several Fathers and Councils to give countenance unto them The Evangelical Doctors so called because they chiefly urged Evangelium the Gospel for the defence of their Doctrine were most of them bred up from their Infancy in the Popish Church and therein taught even to adore all Councils and Fathers and education being of great force to command and awe both the Wil's and Judgments of Men made them very shie and timorous to reject that authority which they had long reverenced in modesty therefore some of the Evangelical Doctors were content to admit the authority of Fathers and Councils for three or four of the first Centuries some admitted five or six whereby they were reduced some times to great streights in their Disputations for though neither all nor half the Popish Errors can be found in the Councils and Fathers of these Centuries yet some of them were crept very early into the Church This Superstition of the Cross and Chrysme were in use in the second Century The Milenary Error got footing about that time the necessity of Infants receiving the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper came in soon after About the fourth Century there was some touches in Oratory Sermons by way of Rhetorical Ejaculations like praying to Saints but long after came to be formally used as now in Churches and so Superstitions came in some at one time and some at another The Papists themselves do not receive all these Errors but reject some as that of the Millenaries and the necessity of Infants receiving the Lords Supper Now I ask first the Papists by what rule they retain some of these things and reject others Secondly I ask the Evangelical by what rule they submit to the authority of some Centuries and refuse others Both will answer me Because they believe some to be erroneus some to be Orthodox Whereby 't is evident that neither submit to the Fathers authority as comanding
they come in sincerity of heart reject not those whom God accepts I might go on thus to handle other Ceremonies as the Cross in Baptisme the Ring in Marriage c. But I conceive it needless the same reasons being applicable to all and he that is once brought to be indifferent and unconcerned in one will soon be so disposed to all Wherefore I conclude this point of Ceremonies with St. Paul He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it he that eateth eateth to the Lord for he giveth God thanks and he that eateth not to the Lord he eateth not and giveth god thanks so he that kneeleth kneeleth to the Lord and he that kneeleth not to the Lord he kneeleth not And I desire you farther to observe this circumstance in St. Paul's words how he calls the zealous observer of Ceremonial matters the weak Brother and commands the strong not to despise him it being really a despicable weakness and a childish or effeminate kind of Devotion to be zealous in any ceremonial observance which masculine spirits are apt to despise but in Christian charity ought rather to pity and bear the infirmities of others Wherefore let us be men of understanding men in devotion be zealous and hold fast the substantial parts of Religion Piety Justice Temperance Chastity Truth Sincerity stand fast for these not recede one hairs breadth from these keep but our ground and fight it out like men to death against all Powers and Principalities on earth or under the earth and let us leave it to women and Children to contend about Ceremonies let it be indifferent to us whether this or that or no Ceremony whether kneel or not kneel bow or not bow Surplice or not Surplice Cross or no Cross Ring or not Ring let us give glory to God in all and no offence to our Brethren in any thing Now if any man would be so curious as to ask why St. Paul did not determine this point whether they should eat herbs only or other meats also whether regard a day or not and so establish Uniformity among them I cannot imagine any other reason but meerly to teach us this charitable complyance with one another as necessary a practice as any other Man is a very ticklish Animal to Govern he will not alwayes be guided by reason and authority man hath a will as well as reason and will have his own will in many things even the godly very few are found so entirely pious as wholly to deny themselves 't is so high and sharp a point of Religion as you may break the heart strings of many in winding them up so high and thus crack all their Religion perchance you would find it so your selves had the Nonconformists the screwing you up as you them Wherefore consider your selves least ye also be tempted be charitable to the weak proceed not so severely against them in your Courts of Judicature but remember what St. Paul saith Colos. 2. Let no manjudge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ will you then in respect of an Holy-day Cross in Baptisme standing at the Creed kneeling at the Sacrament and the like will you in respect of such shadows judge excommunicate sentence to everlasting flames a Soul that holds of the body of Christ believes all his holy Ghospel accords with you in one Faith one Baptisme who acknowledges the only true God Creator of Heaven and Earth and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent to be the Redeemer of Mankind which our Saviour affirms To be Eternal Life will you condemn such an one to Eternal Death God forbid My Reverend Fathers and Judges of the Church I with St. Paul Col. 3. beseech you Put on fatherly bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long suffering towards your poor weak Children and so long as they hold fast the body Christ be not so rigorous with them for shadows if they submit to you in substance have patience though they do not submit in Ceremonies and give me leave to tell you my poor Opinion This violent pressing of Ceremonies hath I humbly conceive been a great hindrance from embracing them men fearing your intentions therein to be far worse then really they are and therefore abhor them Have you never observed a flock of Sheep forcibly driven over a narrow Bridge the poor Sheep fearing they are going into some Pen for Slaughter choose rather to leap into the River then go forwards but drive them on gently and patiently they will of themselves take the way you desire Uniformity in Ceremony is a good and desirable thing therefore endeavour it but unity in Faith and Charity is better and therefore if you cannot obtain that be sure to preserve this this is the one thing necessary choose this better part if you cannot have both for this fierce urging Uniformity in worship hath caused great division in Faith as well as Charity for had you by abolishing some Ceremonies taken the weak brethren into your Church they had not wandred about after seducing Teachers nor fallen into so many gross Opinions of their own but being dayly catechised and instructed by your Orthodox and sound Preaching they would have followed you like good Sheep whereas now they wander about into a hundred by paths of error many whereof lead beadlong to Hell Now I beseech you in the fear of God set before your eyes the dreadful day of Judgment when Christ on his Tribunal of Justice shall require an account of every word and deed and shall thus question you Here are several Souls who taking offence at your Ceremonies have forsaken my Church have forsaken the Faith have run into Hell the Souls for which I shed my precious Blood Why have you suffered this nay why have you occasioned this will you answer it was to preserve your Ceremonies will not Christ return unto you Are your Ceremonies more dear unto you then the Souls for which I dyed who hath required these things at your hands will you for Ceremonies which you your selves confess to be indifferent no way necessary unto Salvation suffer your weak Brethren to perish for whom I dyed Have not I shewed you how David and his Souldiers were guiltless in eating the Shew-bread which was not lawful but only for the Priests to eat If David dispenced with a Ceremony commanded by God to satisfie the hunger of his People will not you dispense with your own Ceremonies to satisfie the Souls of my people who are called by my Name and profess my Name though in weakness Or will you tell Christ they ought to suffer for their own wilfulness and perverseness who will not submit to the Laws of the Church as they ought will not Christ return Shall they perish