Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A63163
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The Trial and determination of truth, in answer to The best choice for religion and government
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1697
(1697)
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Wing T2166; ESTC R10526
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46,640
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49
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People with stronger Meat than with which the Church has fed her Children To preach the Doctrine of God's Secret Decrees To make the People Believe that the Lord has no more to lay to the Charge of an Elect Person yet in the height of Iniquity and Excess of Riot committing all the Abominations that can be committed than he has to lay to the Charge of a Saint Triumphant in Glory That God permits Sin that there may be room enough in the Play for Pardoning-Grace And many other such Doctrines as tend more to the Edification of the People than you can meet with in the Church of England Ch. Advoc. 'T is strange that Men should glory in their Shame value themselves for such wild Notions as never before obtain'd in the Church of God! Herein you excell the Church in Fancy in Errours but not in Truth Our Doctrines are Faith Hope Charity Humility Peace Meekness Justice Patience Obedience and Perseverance to the End Our Ministers teach the same Truths that our Dear Saviour and his Apostles taught Sound and Orthodox The Words of Eternal Life tending truly to Edification to build Men up in the Unity of the Church To grow in Grace in Knowledge and in all Vertue I would to God the Dissenters might be in Love with such Edifying Doctrines as these are But alas This talk of higher Notions of greater Edification is many times mere Wantonness and Instability of Humour and too often rather Fancy than Effect Men conceit that they are better edified not when they are more fully instructed in any weighty Point of Faith or more perfectly inform'd in some necessary Duty or more efficaciously mov'd to the Practice of what they know but when they are more gratified and pleas'd at the hearing of a Sermon or the like Those that are troubled with these itching Ears instead of being edified are commonly the most ignorant of all Men they often make an unwise choice in their Teacher and provoke God to leave them to the Vanity of their own Minds when they depend rather on the suppos'd Abilities of a Man than the Blessed Influences of the Holy Spirit and look more at Paul that plants and Apollos that waters than at God that gives the increase For it is the Blessing of God alone and not any Man's Skill in dispensing them that make the Word and Ordinances any way beneficial to us with the help of his Grace those Means of Instruction which we sometimes the most undervalue may be profitable to our Salvation without it our Ears or Fancies may be entertain'd But we cannot be edified by the most fluent and popular Tongue nor the most melting and pathetical Expressions in the World but much less by such Doctrines as were taught by the Dissenters when the Church was down I tremble to name them That the Scriptures cannot be said to be the Word of God and are no more to be credited than the Writings of Men being not a Divine but Humane Tradition That God has a hand in and is the Author of the Sinfulness of his People not of the Actions only but of the very Pravity which is in them That all Lies come out of his Mouth That the Prince of the Air that rules in the Children of Disobedience is God That in the Unity of the Godhead there is not a Trinity of Persons but that 't is a Popish Tradition That the Doctrine of Repentance is a Soul-destroying Doctrine That Children are not bound to obey their Parents at all if they be ungodly That the Soul of Man is mortal as the Soul of a Beast That there is no Resurrection on at all of the Bodies of Men nor Heaven nor Hell after this Life These are only a Taste not all nor the hundredth part nor the worst of those Doctrines taught by Dissenters in the late unhappy times when the wholsome Food of the Soul and the Dispensers of it were quite laid aside So much for Doctrine Diss Advoc. I protest Brother you have been too hard for me in this but Gentlemen of the Jury Truth may be on our side next time If we don't excell the Church in Doctrine let 's try for Worship Do you think that our Spiritual way of Worship is not better than the Forms of the Church That a Liturgy though made and review'd with that Prudence and Moderation Care and Circumspection Wisdom and Piety as any thing extant in that kind can be so good as the sudden indigested extempore Effusions of our Gifted Men Do you imagine that Inspir'd Men can be guilty of any undecent incoherent irreverent Expressions as some will complain of 'em for Or that a Form of Prayer can be so prevalent with the God of Order as a saying just what the Spirit hints What say you to that Ch. Advoc. I am sorry you should so far undervalue the Prayers of our Church and your own Judgment in comparing any performances of Prayer in your way to the most excellent Liturgy of the Church of England I durst put it upon this Expedient Let any Prayer made occasionally and extempore by the ablest and most cautious of those that magnifie the Conventicle way and despise ours be taken exactly in Writing and publish'd to the World I am very well assur'd that one Man without any great pains may find more things exceptionable in that single Prayer in a short time than the several Parties of Dissenters with all the Diligence they have hitherto used have been able to discover in the whole Service of the Church in more than a hundred Years Our Prayers as to the Substance are what Christ and his Apostles us'd in a Language understood by all those that are concern'd in them to which we may all safely say Amen But for sudden Prayers though they may happen to be good yet for the greatest part they are dangerous something of Heresie in every Sentence some Indecencies and Absurdities may be in every Word Reflect upon the Dissenters in that time when this Liturgy was out of use and every one left to his own Liberty 'T is scarce possible to believe what wild and prodigious Extravagancies were upon all occasions used in Holy things especially in Prayer the most immediate Act of Worship and Address to God 'T is an Affront to the Majesty of Religion that there shou'd be any thing in it Childish and Trivial Absurd and Frivolous that its Sacred Mysteries shou'd be expos'd to Contempt and Scandal by that Levity and Distraction that Heat and Boldness those Weaknesses and Indiscretions those loose raw and incongruous Effusions which in most Congregations of those times did too commonly attend it How can there be that Sobriety that Sense and true Devotion in an Extempore Prayer where the Mind is employ'd to find out Words and looks more like studying or making of a Prayer than Praying as in those Publick Forms which are consider'd and fixt where the Spirit or Soul has no more to
THE Trial and Determination OF TRUTH In ANSWER to The Best Choice for Religion and Government Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 John 4. 1. That thou may'st know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the Living God the Ground and Pillar of the Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. LONDON Printed in the Year 16 THE PREFACE TO THE READER GENTLE or SIMPLE WE are fallen into a most ill-natur'd and censorious Age apt to interpret every thing spoken or acted design'd or written in the worst sense 'T is rare to find a Man who will not take with the Left-hand what is offer'd with the Right Yet being a Friend to Truth which was in danger to suffer by the Mistakes and Errours of a late Book Entituled The Best Choice c. I have here ventur'd to make an Apology such as it is and to say all I honestly could in the Vindication of the Saints therein mention'd who out of an unusual Modesty or for some other Reasons best known to themselves have for divers Months conceal'd their Talent talk'd only of an Answer but publish'd none This Trial of Truth was calculated and chiefly design'd for the Meridian of SCYDROMEDIA but may indifferently serve any County or Corporation in England as a fair Intimation to all Freemen and Free-holders to distinguish betwixt Church and Conventicle Truth and Falshood and on that Side which is safest from Deceits There to fix there to vote in all Elections of Future Parliaments If there should be amongst the Electors Men disturb'd in their Understandings by the Heat of Enthusiasm or whose Wisdom is altogether sensual and worldly who presumptuously make Heaven stoop to Earth hiding their private and secular Designs under the Venerable Name of Saints or the Sober Party I don't once concern my self with them in this Endeavour to advance Truth The former cannot and the latter will not be convinc'd There 's no Ear so deaf as that which Interest has stopp'd and none so miserably blind as those that resolvedly shut their Eyes against the plainest Demonstrations of Truth The Words of an old Author are at this day verified of the English What they like not they never understand JEOF CHAVCER Yet Truth ought not to be quite run down for want of an Advocate nor shall Sir A. and my good Friends be aâ—â—â—'d whilst 't is in my power to make a tolerable Defence for ' em And truly Friends I have a hard Task on 't The grievous Immoralities of Life the Blemishes of Humane Nature the many Designs of this wicked World appear so plainly at the bottom of our Zeal and Stifness for our several Opinions that 't is more ingenuous and adviseable to own some things to be sordid and base in our Proceedings than by an over strict Justification of our Doings we put the Church up on Enquiries lest after an impartial Search we should stand condemn'd by all Good Men. 'T is but a folly to deny what we cannot hide That secular Ends are very apt to mix with and shelter themselves under the shadow of Religion This has been the Old Artifice for Mischief in all Ages we should be wiser than venture our Stake upon a Game so well known that every Child in Vnderstanding can now perceive the Cheat. Far be it from me to write one Syllable in Dishonour to True Religion That must needs be a Right Noble and worthy Thing in it self and very powerful with Mankind when the bare Shew of it can serve to carry on those Designs which neither Wit nor Force can effect All I ask of the Whole Body of Dissenters is if possible To be Honest to aim at nothing but what 's good and warrantable to prosecute all their Affairs by lawful Means Do no irregular unworthy or base Act but with Purity of Soul bear a principal regard to the Rules of their Duty and the Dictates of a well-inform'd Conscience Build their Practice not upon treacherous Quagmires bold and impious Opinions but upon solid safe approv'd and well-try'd Principles which tend to the Vpholding of Virtue Government and Humane Society So that they can be content to have their Thoughts sounded their Actions sifted to the bottom could even wish that their Breasts had Windows that their Hearts were transparent that all the World might see through them because the more curiously the Ways of an Honest Man are mark'd the more exactly his Dealings are scann'd the more throughly his Intentions are penetrated and known the greater Approbation he is sure to receive from Good and Wise Men. But Men made up of Deceit and Treachery desire to keep on the Vizor are fearful to be laid open to have the Varnish wip'd off their Intrigues unravell'd and their Intentions quite stript of the Veils that now enfold them All agree in this even by the Light of Nature That Honesty is the best Policy and the most infallible Method of Safety and Security in all the Transactions of this World Yet it would puzzle a good Philosopher to find so much of it here in the Sunshine of the Gospel as is apparent among Turks and Indians in their darkest Night of Ignorance and Infidelity I conclude this in the Words of Salvian written as a Monition to all Christians How much is Religion concern'd in this that without comparison we should be better than Heathens But how much with Grief and Horrour I bewail it does it tend to the Prejudice of Christian Life and Action if we are worse than Heathens This is to be worse when we are more guilty You may be offended perhaps that read this and at the same time condemn it I refuse not thy Censure Si mentiar condemna condemna si non probavero If I prove not what I say by good Authority then let me bear the blame Judge as you see Cause Farewel THE Trial and Determination of TRUTH In ANSWER to The Best Choice for Religion and Government Or The Vindication of the SAINTS in SCYDROMEDIA THIS Ancient BURROUGH known formerly by other Titles goes at present under a strange Disguise an odd Name will best correspond with some late Transactions there a Place and People so much chang'd for the worse that if the Old Catieuchlani who had it before the Romans were now alive they wou'd fancy themselves unhappily cast upon some wild new-found Land inhabited by the Family of Errour and her Daughters of which none were alike unless in this That all are Deform'd If Saint Augustine the Monk and Venerable Bede whom we account Favourers of the worst that is the Romish Religion shou'd once more visit our divided Scydromedia and consider the irreligious state of it at this time they wou'd presently cross themselves and get out of it with all speed to avoid Dangers If those many Christian Bishops who here held a Conference and Consultation in