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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32852	Mr. Chillingworth's judgment of the religion of Protestants of Scripture the only rule, of differences among Protestants, of using force in matters of religion &c. : with a preface to the reader giving the reason of publishing these passages.; Religion of Protestants a safe way to salvation. Selections	Chillingworth, William, 1602-1644.	1680 (1680)	Wing C3886; ESTC R29216	10,359	12

of Opinion And notwithstanding any other differences that are or could be Unity of Communion and Charity and mutual Toleration by which means all Schism and Heresie would be banished the world and those wretched contentions which now rend and tear in pieces not the Coat but the members and bowels of Christ with mutual Pride and Tyranny and Cursing Killing and Damning would fain make mortal should speedily receive a most blessed Catastrophe But of this hereafter when we shall come to the Question of Schism wherein I perswade my self that I shall plainly shew that the most vehement Accusers are the greatest Offenders and that they are indeed at this time the greatest Schismaticks who make the way to Heaven narrower the Yoke of Christ heavier the differences of Faith greater the conditions of Ecclesiastical Government harder and stricter than they were made at the beginning by Christ and his Apostles they who talk of Unity and aim at Tyranny and will have peace with none but with their Slaves and Vassals Pref. N. 30. For what one Conclusion is there in the whole Fabrick of my Discourse that is not naturally deducible out of this one Principle That all things necessary to Salvation are evidently contained in the Scriptures Or what one Conclusion almost of importance is there in your Book which is not by this one clearly confutable Grant this and it will presently follow in opposition to your first Conclusion and the Argument of your first Chapter That amongst men of different Opinions touching the obscure and controverted Questions of Religion such as may with probability be disputed on both sides and such are the disputes of Protestants good men and Lovers of Truth of all sides may be saved because all necessary things being supposed evident concerning them with men so qualified there will be no difference there being no more certain sign that a point is not evident than that honest and understanding and indifferent men and such as give themselves liberty of Judgment after a mature consideration of the matter differ about it Of Disagreeing Protestants Ans to Pref. N. 26. 1. The most disagreeing Protestants that are yet thus far agree that these Books of Scripture which were never doubted of in the Church are the undoubted Word of God and a perfect Rule of Faith 2. That the sense of them which God intended whatsoever it is is certainly true so that they believe implicitly even those very truths against which they err and why an implicit faith in Christ and his Word should not suffice as well as an implicit faith in your Church I have desired to be resolved by many of your side but never could 3. That they are to use their best endeavours to believe the Scripture in true sense and to live according to it This if they perform as I hope many on all sides do truly and sincerely it is impossible but that they should believe aright in all things necessary to Salvation that is in all those things that pertain to the Covenant between God and Man in Christ for so much is not only plainly but frequently contained in Scripture and believing aright the Covenant if they for their parts perform the condition required of them which is sincere obedience why should they not expect that God will perform his promise and give them Salvation For as for other things which lye without the Covenant and are therefore less necessary if by reason of the seeming Conflict which is oftentimes between Scripture Reason and Authority on the one side and Scripture Reason and Authority on the other if by reason of the variety of Tempers Abilities Educations and unavoidable Prejudices whereby mens Understandings are variously formed and fashioned they do embrace several opinions whereof some must be erroneous to say that God will damn them for such errors who are Lovers of him and Lovers of Truth is to rob man of his Comfort and God of his Goodness it is to make man desperate and God a Tyrant Ib. N. 27. That it is sufficient for any mans Salvation that he believe the Scripture that he endeavour to believe it in the true sence of it as far as concerns his duty and that he conform his life unto it either by Obedience or Repentance He that does so and all Protestants according to the Dictamen of their Religion should do so may be secured that he cannot err fundamentally so that notwithstanding their differences and your presumption the same Haven may receive them all Ib. N. 29. Who can find fault with him De potter for saying If through want of means of Instruction Incapacity invincible or probable Ignorance a man dye in error he may be saved But if he be negligent in seeking truth unwilling to find it either doth or will not see it or might see it and will not that his case is dangerous and without repentance desperate Ch. 1. N. 11. Methinks with much more reason and much more charity you must suppose that many of these Controversies which are now disputed among Christians all which profess themselves Lovers of Christ and truly desirous to know his will and do it are either not decidable by that means which God hath provided and so not necessary to be decided or if they be yet not so plainly and evidently as to oblige men to hold one way Or lastly if decidable and evidently decided yet you may hope that the erring part by reason of some Veil before their eyes some excusable ignorance or unavoidable prejudice does not see the question to be decided against him and so opposes not that which he doth know to be the word of God but only that which you know to be so and which he might know were he void of prejudice which is a fault I confess but a fault which is incident even to good and honest Men very often and not of such a Gigantick Disposition as you make it to flie directly upon God Almighty and to give him the Lye to his Face Of the Necessity of a Visible Judge in Controversies of Religion as well as in Civil Matters Ch. 1. N. 17. In Civil Controversies we are obliged only to external passive obedience and not to an internal and active We are bound to obey the sentence of the Judge or not to resist it but not always to believe it just But in matters of Religion such a Judge is required whom we should be obliged to believe to have judged right so that in Civil Controversies every honest and understanding Man is fit to be a Judge but in Religion none but he that is infallible 5. In Civil Causes there is means and power when the Judge has decreed to compel men to obey his Sentence otherwise I believe Laws alone would be to as much purpose for the ending of Differences as Laws and Judges both But all the power in the World is neither fit to convince nor able to compel a Man's Conscience to consent to any thing

Mr. Chillingvvorth's Judgment OF THE RELIGION OF PROTESTANTS OF SCRIPTURE THE Only Rule OF DIFFERENCES AMONG PROTESTANTS OF USING FORCE IN Matters of Religion c. WITH A Preface to the Reader giving the Reason of Publishing these Passages LONDON Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1680 TO THE READER HE that is arrived at such a degree of wickedness that his Principles will allow him to equivocate in the most solemn Asseverations and to put on any person or shape for the carrying on his Designs has thereby a great advantage over the common people who being more honest and simple can scarce think it possible that men professing God and Religion should admit of principles and practices so diametrically contrary and men that are prepossessed with prejudices of envy ill-will or the like against their Neighbours do readily embrace those mens suggestions against these how false and groundless soever they be Hence it is that our Popish Enemies having no other way to save themselves from the Demerits of their Hellish Plots do very industriously by Pamphlets and otherwise labour to beget and encrease enmity among dissenting Protestants And they so far prevail that notwithstanding the destructin designed by them against Protestants yet some have greater enmity and bitterness towards those that differ from them either in lesser points of Religion or in sentiments about civil Matters than against the Papists themselves Which may be perceived not only in common converse but even in the Pulpit it self whence I must confess I have sometimes heard though not in my own Parish discourses so full of rancor and bitterness against dissenting Protestants that I could not but greatly bewail the ill tendencies thereof and at the same time was glad my Children and Servants were not there that they might not learn by such Rhetorical Invectives to malign their Neighbours instead of loving their Enemies as Christ has commanded These men pretending great zeal for the Government and Church of England as those Members of the last long Parliament also did who were expelled thence for being Papists will difficulty allow any other but such as themselves to be at all Protestants Wherefore I thought it would be of service to Protestantism or Reformed Christianity to mind my Country-men of the Judgment of the Learned and Judicious Mr. Chillingworth concerning the Religion of Protestants the Differences among them the use of Force and Compulsion in Religion private judgment of Conscience in dissent from publick and some other matters controverted between Protestants and Papists which I have collected out of his Book Intituled The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation and which I hope will be of the greater prevalency with some not only for the great strength of reason and judgment found therein but moreover for that Mr. Chillingworth had himself been once of the Roman Church and had therefore experience as well as judgment to guide him in these matters He wrote also in the year 1637 which was before the following unnatural War He was not only of the Church of England himself which he defended against the Papists but his Book had the approbation of the then Vice-Chancellor and both the Kings and Margret Professor's of Divinity in the University of Oxon. the very chief men in Office there Their Approbation take in their own words Englished for the sake of those that know not Latine Let this Book be committed to the Press the Title whereof is The Religion of Protestants ● a safe way to Salvation In which there is nothing contrary to good manners to the Doctrine and Discipline asserted in the Church of England Rich. Bayley Vice-Canc Oxon. I have read over this Book the Title of which is The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation In which I find nothing contrary to the Doctrine and Discipline of the English Church but very many things which notably illustrate the Orthodox Faith and do acutely clearly and modestly dissipate the contrary Glosses Jo. Prideaux S. T. P. Regius Oxon. I Samuel Fell publick Professor of Theology in the University of Oxford and Ordinary Lecturer of Lady Margaret Gountess of Richmond have read over the Book the Title of which is The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation In which I find nothing contrary to the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England or to good manners but many things strongly and modestly discussed against the adversaries of our Church and the Catholick Truth which he happily defends Dated Oct. 14. anno 1637. Samuel Fell. This Book was Dedicated by Mr. Will. Chillingworth to his Majesty Charles I. and is generally approved by Learned Protestants as the ablest Defence of the Protestants Cause against the Papists that is any where extant There was another Edition of this Book Licensed by G. Stradling ann 1663 Chaplain to the then Arch-Bishop of Cant. in these words Englished I have read over this Book the Title of which The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation also nine Sermons lately added In all which I find nothing contrary to the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England but that it may be Printed with the greatest profit of all men I have transcribed these testimonies for the sake of those that crack The Church of England The Church of England They are the only Protestants c. By which it appears that they do not understand the Religion of Protestants or else for sinister ends conceal their knowledge I am perswaded that these Collections may give occasion to some that have not to read the Book and to others to be more moderate in their Censures of Dissenting Protestants It would be very happy for us all if we put in practice faithfully his advice which tends so much to love and peace that it would contribute much both to our present weal and eternal happiness Mr. Chillingvvorth's Judgment OF THE RELIGION OF Protestants etc. Of the Religion of Protestants CHap. 6. Nom. 56. Know then Sir that when I say the Religion of Protestants is in prudence to be preferred before yours as on the other side I do not understand by your Religion the Doctrine of Bellarmine or Baronius or any other private man amongst you nor the Doctrine of the Sorbon or of the Jesuits or of the Dominicans or of any other particular Company amongst you but that wherein you all agree or profess to agree The Doctrine of the Council of Trent so accordingly on the other side by The Religion of Protestants I do not understand the Doctrine of Luther or Calvin or Melanchton nor the Confession of Augusta or Geneva nor the Catechism of Heidelburg nor the Articles of the Church of England no nor the Harmony of Protestant Confessions but that wherein they all agree and which they all subscribe with a greater Harmony as a perfect Rule of their Faith and Actions that is the BIBLE the BIBLE I say the