Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A46813
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Beaufrons, or, A new-discovery of treason under the fair-face and mask of religion, and of liberty and conscience : in an answer to the Protestant reconciler ... / by one of His Majestie's chaplains.
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Jenner, David, d. 1691.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing J657; ESTC R32980
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46,367
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116
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BEAVFRONS OR A New-DISCOVERY of TREASON UNDER The FAIR-FACE and MASK OF RELIGION AND OF LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE In an ANSWER to the Protestant Reconciler In which is PROVED That the Protestant-Reconciler Encouraged the New Discovered Plot by his giving out unto the People That the King and Governours were and are the Betrayers of their Liberties And therefore Deserve Death By One of HIS MAJESTIE' 's Chaplains LONDON Printed for Charles Morden Bookseller in Cambridge MDCLXXXIII REVERENDO Admodum in Christo Patri Doctissimóque Antistiti ac DOMINO D. SETHO EPISCOPO SARISBVRIENSI Nec-non NOBILISSIMI ORDINIS à Periscelide Dicti Cancellario Tractatum Hunc In Summae Observantiae Symbolum Humillimè Dicat Dedicátque Ecclesiae verè Anglicanae Filius Observantissimus TO THE READER COURTEOUS SIR IT is humbly conceived that this TREATISE small in its Bulk but great in its Weight will be Acceptable unto all who Love their King and Church Because it so Seasonably Discovers the Plots and Designs of the Enemies to Both. And although the Authour was fully Satisfied That the Dissenters Principles were Treasonable and inconsistent with the Safety of our English Monarchy and of our Churches Welfare Yet he little thought They would so soon have given the World a Proof thereof as they have done in their NEW PLOT against the King's Most Sacred Person and against His Royal Highness the Duke of York which by Divine Providence is so happily discovered and we hope Totally Prevented Stephen Colledge's and their Treason detected fully Answers the Reconciler and proves sufficiently That no Condescention can safely be Granted unto the Dissenting Brethren untill they have openly Renounced their Traiterous Principles and have given some Better Signs of their Loyalty For as this TREATISE Foretold so now their New Treason Discovered has proved it to be a Truth that they are and will be as Dangerous if not more than the Papists And this Plot together with the Popish Plot does clearly evidence farther this Truth also That our King and Governours have no true Friends to trust unto but onely the True Episcopal-Church-Men of England For the Principles of all other Parties lead them into Faction and Rebellion from which Good Lord Deliver Vs July 2d 1683. THE Contents CHAP. I. THE True Notion of a Protestant p. 1. CHAP. II. The Presbyterians no Protestants p. 8. CHAP. III. The Independents no Protestants p. 17. CHAP. IV. The Ànabaptists no Protestants p. 29. CHAP. V. The Quakers no Protestants p. 36. CHAP. VI. The Reconciler's Design as pretended proved to be Impossible p. 40. CHAP. VII The Reconciler's Design proved to be as Managed Malitious and Treasonable towards the King and Governours both of Church and State p. 60. SECT I. The Reconciler gives out to the People That our King and Governours are the Authours of our Present Schisms and Factions p. 61. SECT II. According to the Reconciler Our King and Governours are Proud Men and The Plagues of the Earth For Imposing things Indifferent p. 67. SECT III. According to the Reconciler Our King and Governours Deserve Death For Imposing on the People things Indifferent p. 68. SECT IV. The King and Governours according to the Reconciler are Traytours to the Common-wealth and Betrayers of the Peoples Liberties for Imposing upon them things Indifferent And that therefore the People ought not to yield to their Impositions But ought to Rebell and vindicate their Christian Liberty p. 70. SECT V. The Reconciler scandalously affirms That the King and Governours want Piety and Prudence And that therefore it is they Impose upon the People Things Indifferent p. 74. SECT VI. According to the Reconciler The King and Governours are the Destroyers of the Work of God and are the Murtherers of Myriads of Souls for Imposing things Indifferent p. 77. SECT VII According to the Reconciler The King Commands Men to Sin when he Commands their Obedience as to things Indifferent p. 79. SECT VIII The Reconciler's Rule for the King and Governours to observe in case any Evil Consequents should happen through the Dissenters Disobedience after a Condescention granted to them to wit To leave the Event to God p. 81. CHAP. VIII The Reconciler's Proposition to wit That considering the Circumstances our Church and State at present are in Things Indifferent ought not to be Imposed by the Legislators as Conditions of Church-Communion This Proposition if taken absolutely and simply in it self is proved to be false p. 84. Secondly It is proved to be false and unseasonably Propounded if taken Relatively in Reference to the Circumstances our Church and State are in at present p. 96. CHAP. I. The true Notion of a PROTESTANT NEver was the Christian World more abus'd with any Word under the Pretence of Religion than with this of Protestant And especially in this Our Factious and Disloyal Age and Country In which this Word has been and still is made odious and a very Covert for all Religious-Male-Contents in Church and State For All Parties and Sects that would not be deemed Papists have Christened and Styled themselves Protestants Although they have been and still are the most erroneous vitious and dissolute Persons in the World both as to Principles and Practices And for as much as a Late Authour Entitles himself and his Book THE PROTESTANT RECONCILER But has not told his Reader Who are the Persons he understands by Protestants We therefore entreat the said Reconciler to inform the World What he means by A Protestant For if by Protestants the Reconciler understands All those men who disown and Protest against the Name of Papist Then in truth the Turks and Jews may as deservedly be called Protestants But if he says that by Protestants he means All Christians who Renounce Popery Then he would doe well 1. To define what is Popery 2. To let us know who are the Persons that renounce Popery so defined For by Popery the Church of Rome means the Pope's Supremacy and whoever denies that is no Papist at Rome Let his other Opinions be never so Canonical And by Protestantism the Church of England understands the Pious Doctrine of the King's Supremacy in Opposition unto that of the Pope's And whoever denyes the King's Supremacy is no Protestant in England Let his other Tenets be never so Orthodox Wherefore Once again We request the Reconciler not to amuse the World with any Bug-Bear Words But in plain English to Unridle Who and What are the Persons he discriminates from all others by the Specious Title of Protestants For if the Reconciler be a genuine Son of the Church of England as now established which we very much doubt He cannot but know That our Church and State own and acknowledge None to be Protestants in England but onely such who in their Consciences and Principles allow of and Protest for The King's Supremacy And by the King's Supremacy we mean Full. Ch. Hist l. 9. p. 53. A Power in the King given to him by Almighty God to Restore Religion when
these Holy-Days of the Macchabees appointment But he also confirmed the lawfull use and Imposition of them by his working of Miracles on those very Holy-Days And farther That Christ might set a perfect Example of Obedience unto all Subjects as to things Indifferent when by Lawfull Authority imposed Christ himself did therefore observe all the Minuter Rites and Ceremonies of the Law and of the Passover which none ever did or was able to doe before him And lest Christ should give any offence to the Superiours then in power he observed the Impositions and Ceremonies of the very Pharisees which they by their own Laws had injoyned upon the People as Terms and Conditions of their Church-Communion And particularly Christ observed the Pharisees Religious Orders of Washing the Feet at Feasts and at the Passover which was onely an Ordinance of Humane Invention St. Luk. 7.44 And Christ did publickly blame the Pharisee for not giving him Water to Wash withall according to the Pharisees Orders and Impositions St. Peter positively determines against the Reconciler's Proposition not onely Categorically but also Vniversally commanding Submission and Obedience unto every Ordinance of the King and Governours which is not against the written word of Cod 1 St. Pet. 2.13.18 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him Eras Grot. in Loc. that is sent by God and the King such as are Magistrates in the State and Bishops in the Church all sent and set over the People by God and the King And in v. 18. of that Chapter St. Peter adds as the Whole Duty of Man this Injunction Fear God Honour the King Thereby plainly intimating unto us this excellent Truth scil That if we will not peaceably submit to every Ordinance of the King as to Things Indifferent but will become Mutinous and Rebellious and make a Schism and Faction in the Church and State by our Disobedience then notwithstanding our high Profession of Religion we neither Fear God nor Honour the King Secondly The Practice of the Primitive times of Christianity sufficiently Declares the Reconciler's Proposition as taken absolutely and simply in it self to be false In the First place if we consider the Authour of our Christian Religion Jesus Christ and his Practice we shall find That although Christ Instituted the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and commanded Bread and Wine to be used in the Celebration thereof Yet He even Christ left it to the prudence of the Governours of the Church to determine the things Indifferent in that Holy Sacrament As for instance He left it wholly to the Governours of the Church to determine what kind of Bread whether Barley Oaten or Wheaten whether fine or course whether as among the Jews at the Passover onely unleavened or leavened Bread As also what kind of Wine Red or White whether Wine onely or Wine mixed with Water as is the use of many Churches in Remembrance of Water and Bloud that issued out of Jesus his side on the Cross In like manner Christ determined nothing as to the Priests and Ministers Garments nor as to the Peoples Posture and Gesture whether Sitting Kneeling or Standing or Lying along at the Receiving of the Sacrament But he left these indifferent things wholly to the Determination of the Governours of every National Church And as Christ determined nothing in these particulars So neither did the Apostles nor does any part of the Canonical Scriptures Determine what Form and Liturgy what kind of Garments what Posture and Gesture the Priests and People shall use and observe in Divine Worship and in Receiving the Lord's Supper But leaves all such circumstances and things of Indifferency unto the Prudence of the Supreme Governours And therefore Counterm c. 4. p. 41. it is judiciously noted by the Countermine That although the Sacred Scriptures are a perfect Rule for Faith and Doctrine yet they do not lay down particular Rules for particular Discipline and Modes of Worship Nor do they determine that in such a particular Garment Posture or Way and in no other All Nations shall in the Sacrament or in Divine Worship serve God For God in his infinite Wisedom has left the Particular Rules of Discipline and Modes of Worship unto the Care Wisedom and Prudence of the Supreme Magistrate to determine Onely the Scriptures lay down certain General Rules which the Supreme Magistrate and all Imposers of Laws whether Civil or Ecclesiastick are bound in Conscience to observe such as 1. To enact and doe all things to the Glory of God 2. To doe all things with Decency and Order 3. To be Moderate towards all Men that is not to be bitter and wrathfull but meek and mild towards all men as far as Law and Reason will permit * Vid. Mr. Evans Excellent Discourse on the True Notion of Moderation Preached before the Lord Mayor of London with all Resolution and Firmness of Mind to hold fast the Form of sound words of Good Order and Discipline it being inconsistent with the Honour Trust and Dignity of the Superiours and Governours to be tost to and fro with every wind of Doctrine or Popular Persuasion This is the Moderation and these are the General Rules which the Scriptures injoyn the Legislatours to observe in their Impositions of things indifferent As for the Ancient Councils and Fathers they declare by their practice the Lawfulness and sometimes the Necessity of Imposing things Indifferent as Conditions of Church-Communion Take for instance The First Christian Council that ever was to wit that at Jerusalem where St. James Bishop of Jerusalem presided In which Abstention from the use of things Indifferent in themselves was Imposed Such as the Abstaining from Pollutions of Idols i.e. from Meats and Drinks offered to Idols and from things strangled and from bloud These things in themselves were good for every creature of God is good and nothing is to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer 1 Tim. 4.4 And yet the Apostolical Council Imposed the Abstaining from the use of these things Good in themselves as necessary conditions of Church-Communion Act. 15.20 28 29. It is confessed That the Reconciler makes mention of this Apostolical Council at Jerusalem But in his Notes upon it he gives himself a shrewd Box on the Ear Prot. Recon c. 8. p. 302. p. 302. for his words are The things imposed by the Apostles were in their nature things Vnnecessary But yet for preservation of the Churches Peace and Union and for prevention of Scandal to the Believing Jews they were necessary to be Imposed as Conditions of Church-Communion c. Now from the Reconciler's words we thus argue scil That if the Apostles did Impose things Vnnecessary and Indifferent when they saw it necessary for the Good i. e. for the Peace and Union of