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
their Judgments but receive their Opinions as agreeing with their Judgments this is evidently true and clearly rational and fully agrees with the Rules given by some of the Fathers as St. Cyprian and St. Austin two as generally and as deservedly reverenced as any in the Christian Church St. Cyprian tells us that the very Praepositus which we call Bishop is to be guided by his own reason and conscience and is responsible only to God for his Doctrine St. Austin tells us that he submits to no Doctor of the Church ever so learned ever so holy any further than he proves his doctrine by Scripture or reason and desires none should do otherwise by him this is plain and rational dealing had the Evangelical Doctors taken this course in the beginning they had saved themselves from many intricate troubles which their in-bred over-revence to antiquity entangled them in But sure they needed not have been so scrupulous in this matter seeing there is scarce any one Father whose authority the Papists themselves do not in some particular or other reject though other whiles when he speaks for them they try it up to that height as if it were even a matter of damnation not to submit unto it I say not this as if I would have antiquity wholly rejected by no means but to consult the Fathers with great regard as Expositors of Scriptures and attentively observe what they shew us from thence I am not of those who admire the great knowledge in divine matters revealed in this later Age of the world I do not think there are any now so likely to discover the truth of Gospel mysteries as those of antient dayes As for that saying A Pigme set on a Giants shoulder may see more than the Giant pardon me if I call it a shallow and silly fancy nothing to our purpose for our question is not of seeing more but of the clear discerning and judging those things we all see but are in doubt what they mean if a Pigme and a Giant see a Beast at a miles distance and are in dispute whether it be a Horse or an Oxe the Pigme set on the Giant shoulder is never the nearer discerning what it is which depends on the sharpness of sight not the height of his shoulders Now that the antient and holy Fathers of the Church were more spiritual and consequently sharper sighted in spiritual things than we carnal creatures of this later age is evident by their Spiritual holy Lives The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. And how natural how carnal how purblind we are is too too visible Besides a purblind man near the object will discern it better than a much sharper sight at greater distance as we are For if you ask those lofty conceited Pigmes why they give more credit to the Fathers of the second and third Century than to those of the sixth or seventh they answer Because those that lived nearer the dayes of Christ and his Apostles are like lyer to know their minds better than those of remoter and corrupted Ages the reason is good but mightily confounds those who live at the very foot of the Hill in the valley of darkness and all Iniquity and therefore not so likely to discern the truth of the doctrine of Christ preach't on the top of Mount Sion as those who lived in higher ascents Wherefore I shall alwayes hearken with due reverence unto what those Primitive Holy Fathers deliver and the more holy and more antient doubtless more to be regarded And yet seeing that Irenaeus and before him Papiâ—â— held to be a Disciple of St. Iohn the Apostle taught the error of the Millenaries rejected now by all the Church why might not others do so as well as they and therefore there can be no certainty of their Doctrine farther than they shew us clearly from Scripture which ought to be our only Rule of Faith as I shewed before But in any point of Religion either of Faith or Discipline if after diligent and humble search of Scripture the matter be doubtful then certainly I would so much reverence antiquity as to embrace what I found approved of by the greater number of antient Fathers and what I found generally approved by them though my own judgement did much incline to the contrary yet I would receive it unless it appeared to me flatly opposite to Scripture which we believe to be the Word of God then it were damnation in me to forsake that and hearken to the words of Fathers on earth or Angels coming from Heaven till they could make me understand their word agreed with Gods Word I must be saved by Faith in God and Christ and not by faith in Men or Angels And now I shall be bold to make this assertion That the Man who reads Scripture humbly and attentively fasts and prayes to God earnestly consults his Pastors and Teachers carefully and modestly and yet after all continues in some error by blind ignorance and mistake of Scripture if such a thing was or ever will be suffered by the infinite goodness of God that Man shall sooner be saved than he who receives a true opinion from the authority of Men which he soberly conceives to be contrary to Scripture for 't is all one to him as if it were really so all things are unclean to him that believes them unclean so all things are damnable to him that believes them damnable as he must do who believes them flatly contrary to Scripture Let no Man count me a libertine in faith because I would neither compel nor be compelled to submit to the Doctrines of Men. I trust in God no Man shall out-go me in zealous contending for the Faith once delivered to the Saints once for all never to receive any new Doctrine any other Gospel than that preached by Christ and his Apostles herein I am no Libertine by God's gracious assistance neither Men nor Angels shall make me recede from one tittle of this nor to embrace with divine faith one tittle more than this for doubtless it is far greater Idolatry to believe in Man than to sacrifice to Man more to give him my heart than my hand And yet notwithstanding all this no Man is forwarder than my self to receive from others humane doctrine as humane that is I believe it is not only possible but probable also that another may have more natural understanding more acquired learning than my self and so may find out that in Scripture or from Scripture or by reason which I cannot do my self but yet I can have no possible assurance that the Doctrine he delivers to me is absolutely true because I have assurance that 't is possible for him to erre and then I can have no assurance but that he may erre in that very Doctrine he now delivers me There is no Man I ever yet heard or read of to
by the bold assertion of the Papists telling us without warrant how God will preserve their Councils from error as if they had been of his Privy Council We are not to search into Gods secret Counsels for what he will permit or why he permits this or that I search only into his declared Promises and with all the search I can possiby make I can't find any such promise to General Councils as not to erre no only that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church to destroy it which he hath hitherto made good and I am sure will to the end of the World but beyond his promise I am not sure of any thing though it seems ever so rational God will not endure to be fettered with Sophistical Sophisms and humane consequences and therefore I am afraid to wander from his wise and holy Word and trust to the Doctrine of Men seeming ever so wise ever so holy I reverence their Persons but can't believe in their Doctrine I am taught to believe only in God not in the Church much less in any member or Congregation or Council but to believe the Holy Catholick Church that is that God hath had now hath and will have to the Worlds end a select company of Faithful ones confessing and serving him To whom be honour and glory for ever Amen Concerning Ceremonies and Church Service FIrst as to Ceremonies I wonder Men of any tolerable discretion should be so eager either for or against them our salvation no way depending on them but much hazarded by our contention about them breaking Peace the principal thing recommended to us by the Gospel of Peace sure both are very sinful For my part I think all Subjects are bound in conscience to conform to the established Ceremonies of that Church whereof they are Members unless there be any thing flatly against the Word of God for to disobey our Superiours is directly against the Word of God 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake And therefore he that doth not submit had need have as clear an evidence out of Scripture that the thing he rejects is directly contrary to the Word of God otherwise he breaks an evident Commandement to satisfy himself in a doubtful thing which without doubt is damnable St. Paul requires one Brother to yield unto another in things indifferent much more Children to Parents Subjects to Governours But no Man that knows this World can expect all Children all Subjects will be dutiful and obedient and therefore as Children are to obey their Parents so Parents ought not to provoke their Children to disobedience by imposing unnecessary things and very offensive Yet if they do impose such things the Children are bound to obey unless the things imposed be offensive to God also then they are acquitted not otherwise But still Parents must remember they are to give accompt to God of their commands as Children are for their obedience And setting this aside Nature alone should prompt Parents to seek the love of their Children especially spiritual Parents styl'd the Ministers of God who is love Should not they desire rather to lead the People into the House of God by love than whip them in by fear to have their Churches full rather than empty to put on such a habit as would invite them in and not such as will fright them out What wise and loving Father would put on a winding sheet on his head to fright his weak and simple Child I say this to the chief Rulers of the Church not to inferior Ministers who must observe the Constitutions of the Chief and the Chief ought to consider the disposition of inferiours what will be most edifying for them As the Apostles in the beginning of Christianity continued to observe the not eating of blood and things strangled to comply with the Iews so the Surplice with other things was wisely and piously retained by the Reformers from Popery when probably many long nourished up in those Ceremonies would not have come in to the Church had all those been cast out but now to be zealous for them when the People are so passionate against them savours more of passion likewise in Governours than Religion as if they had rather shew their Authority than their Charity If they answer That many of their Flock are as zealous for these things as others against them and they had rather gratifie the Obedient Conformers than the Disobedient Gain-sayers I reply First This is no Obedience to conform to such Ordinances of their Superiors as they have a passion fox the Superiors in this conform rathâ—r to them than they to their Superiors Try their Obedience if they will submit to the taking of these things away and then you may have more reason to gratify them yet you know you are rather to bear with the infirmities of the weak than please the strong Love your Friends most value the Obedient most but love your Enemies also endeavour to gain the disobedient also The first are your dutiful Sons abide alwayes with you all that you have is theirs but yet when the Prodigal the stray returns rejoyce and kill the fatted Calf yea if he will not return leave the ninety and nine and go seek that one that is lost But you have no hopes of gaining him you believe 't is not Conscience but Faction and wilful perverseness keeps him off Oh do not despair believe better of him Charity hopeth all things believeth all things But you know it is so with him then pity him the more going headlong into Hell yield the more to save his Soul from Hell overcome evil with good fetter him bind him fast with chains of love what is stronger then love it will overcome Schism Faction Sedition any thing it will overcome God himself and even force God to withhold him by his merciful and powerful hand and thus converting this perverse sinner from the error of his way you will save his Soul alive and cover the multitude of your sins a blessed and joyful work whereat the Angels of Heaven will rejoyce and sing Alleluja Amen Oh my Fathers my Fathers that should Preach and Practice the Gospel of Peace and Love to your Children vouchsafe at my humble request to read Rom. 14. See what great liberty that great Grand-father of the Church allows his Children and observe in the general how he became all things to all men to gain some and will not you in some things comply to gain all will you restrain the liberty of the Gospel to the rigidity of your Discipline to lose some to lose many and perchance in the end to loose all your selves and all Be pious be charitable be prudent build your Church on a Rock that will endure stormes and not on the sand of Ceremonies that will both raise stormes and probably overturn your Church e're long But you will say If you yield to some dissenters in this you
for transgressing your humane Laws which they ignorantly conclude erroneous and shall not you perish for transgressing my Divine Laws which you know to be good and holy had I mercy on you and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servants with the same measure you meeted it shall be measured to you again I tremble to go farther but most humlby beseech you for Christs sake endeavour to regain these stray sheep for whom he shed his precious blood and think it as great an advantage as great an honour to you as it was to St. Paul to become all things to all men that you may gain some as doubtless you will many though not all and the few standers off will become the more convinced and at long running wearied out and gained also Thus having reduced all into one fold in true faith and Christian charity the present generation will much forget the succeeding generation will be wholly ignorant of these erronious fancies and all animosities being quite exinguished wholsome edifying Ceremonies may be easily introduc't again with comfort to all which are now irksome and grievous to many And so I pass on to the second matter The Church Service contained in the Book of Common Prayer whereof briefly because what I said before may be applyed to this also Concerning Church Service I will not here enter into the dispute whether it be lawful for a Church to have a set form of Prayer supposing that there are none but either highly fanatick or higly factious that affirm it unlawful and with such I have no reason to expect that reasonable Arguments should prevail for enough hath beeen already printed to this purpose I may also suppose that there is nothing contained in our Book of Common Prayer that is directly contrary to the Word of God for had there been any such thing we should have heard of it long since which I never yet did from any sober man And truly I might in the third place suppose that a Book of Common Prayer being no way contrary to the Word of God the use of it is far more conducing to Piety then to suffer extemporary prayer to be used generally in Churches experience hath fully declared it in our late confused times when a man should have heard in many Churches such extravagant such wild such rash such blasphemous expressions as would drive any sober conscientious person out of their Churches Can you with reason expect it otherwise when half the Churches in this Nation have not a tolerable maintenance to support men of parts and discretion fit to perform so solemn and holy an Office Had we the holiness the zeal the charity the humility of the Primitive times when men forsook all the World daily sacrificed their lives for the Service of God we might hope that God would graciously pour down upon us as he did on them the special gifts of praying and prophecying but now when most serve God for gain and would neither open nor shut the Church doors for nought as Malachi saith we must not expect those gifts and graces And therefore I conceive it absolutely necessary to have some form prescribed to be used by all for were there liberty left to the more able and discreet most would suppose themselves to be such few discovering their own weakness and were it left to the Bishop to licence as he saw fit it would prove a very great cause of our heart-burning among his Clergie and hatred towards himself yea and rebellion against him and the laws But now in Christ I humbly beseech the Governours of the Church calmly to consider Were it not better to have such a form of Service as would satisfie most The Fathers of our Church as I said before when they reformed this Nation from Popery were desirous to fetch off as many as they could retaining for this cause all the Ceremonies and Forms of prayer they could with a good rectisied conscience and therefore they prescribed that form of second service to be said at the Altar as carrying some resemblance to the Mass then the peoples delight which being now become the peoples hate should for the same resemblance according to the same rule of reason be now taken away We commend our Forefathers for doing piously and wisely and yet we will not imitate them they endeavoured to please and gain the people we will needs displease and lose them Certainly we cannot do our Forefathers a greater honour then to observe their rule of reason to confirm to the Times and therefore they are grossly mistaken who think it a dishonour to them 〈◊〉 us to take away what they have established when we keep close to the reason wherefore they did establish it Wise Physitians by the same rule of reason prescribe things clean contrary according to the temper of their Patients hot or cold Some other things I could mention in the Book of Common Prayer though no way ill in themselves yet fit to be altered and would obviously appear so to every wise man once resolved to compose such a form as would take in most of this Nation which I humbly conceive Governors should in conscience endeavour becoming all things to all men to gain some though not all yet happily gain all in process of time for the reason before specified But though I desire such a form of Service such Ceremonies also to be established as may give most general satisfaction yet I desire what is established may be generally observed and not a liberty left as some do propose to add or detract Ceremonies or Prayers according to the various opinions and humours of men for certainly this would cause great faction and division those that are for Ceremonies would run from their own Church to others where they were used others to some fine fancied Prayers of such as they approve of and thus some Churches would be thronged others deserted and no account could be taken by the Pastor of this Congregation Atheists also and Papists under pretence of frequenting other Churches would abandon all This course say you would bring but few into the Church and perchance drive some out who having been long bred up to such and such Ceremonies would have small devotion to frequent the Church if all or many were abolished To this I answer That certainly his Religion is vain that would abandon the Substance for want of the Ceremonies which he acknowledgeth to be no way necessary but only more satisfaction to his mind Surely a very ignorant mind who hath not learnt That obedience is better then sacrifice and whole burnt offerings And surely a very uncharitable mind who would not leave ninety and nine unnecessary Ceremonies to bring one sinful strayed Sheep into the Congregation and convert him from the error of his non-conforming way I profess I am amazed to see how many men of a very good sence in most things so zealously erroneous in this business of Religion seeing the