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A58493
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Remarks on The life of Mr. Milton, as publish'd by J.T. with a character of the author and his party : in a letter to a member of Parliament.
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R. E.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing R933; ESTC R13741
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33,766
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88
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never beliâ—…v'd nor intended and don't care what Methods they make use of provided they can thereby subvert the Doctrine of the Trinity and Christ's Satisfaction This Charge is made plain upon the Italian Combination formerly mention'd by Wissowatius in his Narrat Compend Biblioth Antitrin and Lubienescius's Hist. Reform Polon Calvin in his Theological Tracts c. and is as plainly prov'd against our English Socinians by their Book of the Athanâ—…sian Creed not requir'd by the Church of England wherâ—…in they say the Thirty Nine Articles are not Articles of Faith but Peace tho' in the Title it is declared that those Articles were agreed upon for the avoiding diversity of Opinions and for the establishing of Consent touching true Religion And the Charge given by his Majesty is that no Man shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof and shall nâ—…t put his own Sense or Comment to be the Meaning of the Article but shall take it in the Literal or Grammatical Sense By which it is plain that a Socinian cannot subscribe the First Article where 't is asserted that in the Unity of the Godhead there be Three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost without the groslest Hypocrisie and Dissimulation Then as to the Sacraments according to the Principles they have laid down in the Trinitarian Scheme considered they can joyn in them with Papists Lutherans Church-of England-Men Presbyterians Independants or Anabaptists for say they p. 28. They don't place Religion in Worshipping God by themselves or after a particular Form or Manner but in right Faith and a Just and Charitable Conversation So that if they can but perswade themselves that their Faith is Right and their Conversation Just and Charitable they can with the same Liberty go to the Turkish Mosque the Popish Maâ—…s House and the Meetings of Protestants of all Denominations they don't think themselves oblig'd to have any regard whether the Administration be according to the Word and Institution of God or not The Mahometans and Papists have a Right Faith they believe Jesus to be the Messiah which according to them is the only Characteristick that distinguishes a Believer from an Unbeliever therefore they can frequent their Assemblies And as to the Sacraments they tell us in that same Book that he that is baptiz'd is only to resolve a Newness of Life which by the way destroys Insant-Baptism and declares their falling in with the Anabaptists And in the Lord's Supper they say they are only to commemorate the shedding of his Blood and breaking of his Body So that let it be a meer Layman or a Minister duely ordain'd that Administers or let it be a Consecrated Wafâ—…r or Bread and Wine it is all one to them What a vast deal of Blood and Treasure might this have sav'd to this Nation and to the French and other Protestants had they been so happy as to be thus principled What Millions of Men and Money might Christendome have sav'd had the Gentlemen of this Latitude been of an earlier Rise ' Its all one to them whether the Cross or the Crescent be predominant nay it is much better that the latter should carry it for as we have heard already Mahomet intended only the Restitution of the true Intent of the Christian Religion Nay I have read it somewhere that the Learned Socinians ascribe the Propagation of Mahometism to their Denial of the Trinity and not to the Sword Then let any Christian judge what can be too vile or base for Men of such Principles to attempt or act so they can but attain their Ends of overturning the chief Principles of Christianity that so they may be at Liberty to take a full swinge in pursuing the Lusts of the Flesh and other Impurities in which the Mahometans do so much delight There 's little reason to doubt but J. T. and others of his Kidney how much soever they may be against a Comprehension amonst Protestants in this Nation which they know would strengthen the Reformed Interest throughout Europe would soon come to a Comprehension with the Mahometans as to the point of the Bottle which seems to be the only material Point in difference betwixt them except it be that the Turks as Nicholaus Cardinal de Cusa in his Cribâ—…atio Alcorani informs us have more respect for the New Testament than J. T. for they prefer the Gospel to their own Law whereas J. T. when a Student at one of the Scotch Universities threw away his Greek New Testament because he could not understand the Language as some of his Coâ—…rades have told the Story and in a great Rage cried Damn the Galatians which was the Place where he was then reading and I am informed he now brags that he hath banish'd all Divinity out of his Closet whence 't is to be suppos'd that it was always a Stranger in his Heart yet this is the mighty Man of so great knowledge and Light to whom there is nothing Mysterious in Christianity Another Instance of their Dissimulation is That they good Men have a mighty Esteem for the Church of England they approve of known Forms of Prayers and Praises as also in administring Baptism the Lord's Supper Marriage and the other Religious Offices they like well of the Discipline of the Church by Bishops and Parochial Ministers they communicate with the Church as far as they can and contribute their Interâ—…st to favour her against all others who would take the Chair as they tell us in their Trinitarian Scheme Considered p. 28. yet in the 24th Page of that same Book as I have already hinted they ridicule the Sacraments thus Let a Man say they in black sprinkle you with some of the Churches Water or give you a bit of Bread or sup of Wine over which he hath pronounced the Wonder-working Words prescribed in Mother Churches Ritual and yet they pretend to approve of the Church of England's Form in the Administration of the Lord's Supper tho' by Nature continue they you are aâ—… bad as the Devil you shall presently be inclin'd to as much Good as will save you from Hell and qualifie you for Heaven and this no less certainly if you are one of the Elect for else the Churches Incantation produces only a momentary Effect and a false Appearance of Good No less certainly I say than by tying the Norman Knot you may gain the Love of the Person you desire or by other Devices recorded in the Learned Books so Fools esteem them of Magick you may cause Hatred raise Winds and do a thousand other Feats which have no more Natural or Real Agreement with those Causes that are said to produce them than Faith and Obedience have with a bit of Bread or with a sprinkling of Water Therefore when St. Augustine defin'd a Sacrament to be the Outward Visible Sign of an Inward Invisible
sorts must be the Preliminaries It 's very reasonable to think that it will be a long while ere a People zealous for the Christian Religion express'd in the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England can think of coming to a Treaty with those who are for a Common-wealth It 's pleasant to find those who have so well and so justly baffled the Doctrine of the Jure Divino-ship of Kingly Government exclusive of all others fall into the same dotage themselves as to a Commonwealth And thus J. T brings in Mr. Milton p. 120 saying That Christ forbad his Disciples to admit of any such Heathenish Government as that of Kings from that Scripture The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but you shall not do so This Text hath been often and properly urg'd against Lording it over the Faith of Christians and domineering over God's Heritage which the Apostles themselves disclaim 2 Cor. 1. 24. but there seems no reason with deference to Mr. Milton's Judgment to apply it against Kingly Government any more than against that by States for whereas Luke calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings Matthew calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies any other Princes or Rulers Mark calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those who are accounted to Rule and great ones so that at this rate of arguing no sort of Magistrate must be allowed at all not so much as a Mayor in a Country Corporation who in respect of the Inferiour Burgers and Townsmen may well be accounted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then let J. T. see to it how he will be able to defend any Commonwealth that ever was or haâ—… now a Being in the World against this Anarchical Interpretation or how he can justifie any sort of Magistracy amongst Christians which alone shews the Principle to be absurd destructive of Human Society and Introducive of Confusion whereas God is a God of Order Besides it is ridiculous to call Kingly Government Heathenish when it was the Government of the Jews and approved of by God himself who gave a Law to direct their Kings in their Administration Deut. 17. v. 14. Our Saviour commanded Tribute to be paid to Gaesar and did not disown but plainly confess his Right to be King of the Jews himself tho' he declared that his Kingdom was not of this World And the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. commands submission to every Ordinance of Man whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours without any surmise or hint that when Nations became Christian they should reject Kingly Government On the contrary it is a plain and Authoritative Injunction to Christians to behave themselves peaceably under whatever Form of Government Providence should cast their Lot not to use their Liberty for a Cloak of Licentiousness but to Fear God and Honour the King than which there can be nothing that more directly condemns the Practice of J. T. and those of this Kidney who speak and write reproachfully of all Kings witness their Healths that the Thrones of Kings may be upon their own Heads and their Crowns under the Peoples Feet and their sly and malicious Inclinations in their Pamphlets about Standing Armies and others against His present Majesty's Person and Administration tho' the best King that ever England had It 's scarcely to be supposed That one of J. T 's changeable Temper is capable of good Advice but it were to be wish'd that those who think a Commonwealth the best Form of Government would consider that the time wherein Mr. Milton liv'd and ours is different the Constitution was then dissolv'd the King beheaded his Issue banish'd the Bishops and their Form of Church Government pull'd down so that the People had then a fair Opportunity to form themselves into a Commonwealth without any further Bloodshed or Trouble and therefore Mr. Milton and other Men might less scruple to do all that in them lay to erect that sort of Government here but the Case is now altered our Kingly Government is administred by the greatest Prince of the Universe the Champion and Restorer of our Religion and Laws both of which have their free Course every Man may sit under his own Figg-Tree secur'd in his Property the Bench is filled with upright and learned Judges â—…ost of the Episcopal Sees are adorn'd with Persons of Learning and Probity and Dissenters have their Liberty to worship God as their own Consciences direct So that to disturb such a Government as this by endeavouring to set up another Form must unavoidably throw us into an Intestine War which would quickly prove more fatal to us than the tedious War which we are just now come out of If the Commonwealth Party had been able to have effected any thing their Season was when the late King run away and before the present Government was establish'd by the Convention but to offer to disturb a Government settled upon so good a Foundation and with which the People are so well satisfied is certainly contrary to all Laws Humane and Divine Another Reason J. T. had to promote the publishing Mr. Milton's Life was his pleading for Liberty to Lutherans Calvinists Anabaptists Arians Socinians and Arminians And his disapproving the Terms of Trinity Trinunity Coessentially Tripersonality and the like as the Notions of Scholasticks who make a Mystery of that in their Sophistick Subtleties which is in Scripture a plain Doctrine P. 144 145. A little lower he brings him in commending the Authors and late Revivers of all these Sects or Opinions as Learned Worthy Zealous and Religious Men. This pleases J. T. so much that he is in a perfect Extasie and says He never met with any Person who spoke with so much disinterestedness and impartiality of our various Sects except Thomas Firmin Tho' at the same time Mr. Firmin as I am informed was so much dissatisfied with him that he refus'd to give him any Countenance But J. T. thinks this stroke of his Pen necessary to conciliate a Respect to himself and his Books among those to whom Mr. Firmin's great Charity rendred his Name Savory He is however so just as to quote Mr. Milton's Restriction too viz. That the best Method to prevent the increasing of Popery in this Nation is by the Toleration of all kinds of Protestants or any others whose Principles do not necessarily lead them to Sedition or Vice But what will J. T. say if it be proved that his Principles and those of his Party do necessarily lead them to Sedition and Vice I am afraid they will scarcely be able to evince the contrary from their Practices We have heard already what loose Principles as to the dissolving of Marriage J. T. has endeavour'd to propagate Nor do I see what good Morals we are to expect from such as deny the Godhead of Jesus Christ by which they make him a Lyar who