Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A31450
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A calm answer to a bitter invective called A letter to the late author of The preparation for martyrdom by that author.
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Cawdrey, Zachary, 1616-1684.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing C1644; ESTC R24126
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4,580
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10
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A CALM ANSWER To a Bitter INVECTIVE CALLED A LETTER to the late Author of The Preparation for Martyrdom By that Author 2 Cor. 6.8 In all things approving your selves as the ministers of God by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true 1 Pet. 3.9 Render not evil for evil nor railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing LONDON Printed for Joseph Pool 1683. A Calm ANSWER to a Bitter INVECTIVE c. SIR I Lately met with your Invective stiled A Letter which was published by you for some Weeks if not Months through the Nation before it came to my knowledge I suppose you designed it should do me all the mischief it could before I heard of it I have attempted a calm and general Reply by a just and true Representation of my self and that Discourse without entring upon Particulars in your Invective lest I should raise my own Spirit in any degree to that ferment of Rage under which it appears that you was when you penned it I have also speeded this away before I know what Person it is who hath thus studiously exposed me to the Rage and Scorn of common Persons and as far as he can influence hath stirred up the Magistrate to take away my Life lest knowing you I should have been tempted to answer you in your kind which I shall avoid for I have not so learned Christ Sir In the late times of Rebellion I being Fellow of a Colledge in one of the Universities was active to serve my Soveraign the glorious Martyr King Charles the First and afterwards our present gracious Soveraign in the University in the Royal Garisons and otherwhere to the best of my power I refused with detestation and never took either Covenant Ingagement or other Oath imposed by the Usurpers For this I suffered ejection out of my University-preferments and after out of my Benefice in the Countrey being sequestred and all my Goods my Money my Books yea Wearing-apparel save what was on my Back being seized Upon the happy Return of his Sacred Majesty I had amongst other Sufferers liberty to return to my Benefice to which my Generous and Loyal Patron had freely and without my seeking presented me to which also the Lord Bishop of the Diocess had granted me legal Institution and Induction but within less than six Months after Induction before I had received any Profits I was sequestred I never in my whole Life sollicited any person for any Ecclesiastical Preferment either Dignity or Benefice I have indeed had several Benefices offered me much better than that I have but I refused them being well contented with the Rectory I have which yet is scarce one of the Third-rate Benefices in the Kingdom at least as I make of it who live peaceably with my Neighbours When I returned to my Living I found several Dissenters in my Parish I indeavoured to bring them to conform and did prevail with many With those few who yet dissent for Sir there are but few whatsoever you suggest to the contrary who demeaned themselves peaceably and modestly I declined not the Exchange of any friendly and neighbourly Kindness yet still I declared publickly and to them privately my readiness to give them the best Satisfaction I could to bring them in to the Church I have both by oral Discourses and Letters maintained the lawfulness of Conformity in all the Parts of it against such eminent Dissenters in the Country as my Neighbours thought bâ—st able to defend the Cause of Nonconformity I still persist from time to time to declare my readiness to give all the Satisfaction I can to their Scruples but in the mean time I leave them to stand and fall to the Law and I my self conform to the utmost injoined by Law Nor can you or any other prove that I abate so much as a Ceremony and I thank God I conform with a well-satisfied Conscience not condemning my self in that which I allow But still I judge There are 〈◊〉 amongst the Non-Con's both loyal humble and conscientious persons nor do either your Arguments against my Charity or your Taunts perswade me to abate of it As for my Fellow-sufferers the old Cavaliers I do believe that as we ingaged and suffered for the best of Kings whose most horrid Murder like a prodigious Eclipse of the Sun astonished the World So most of the Nobility Gentry and Clergy and many of the Commonalty were of eminent Virtues and sincere Piety Nor can you without gross abusing Truth and Me instance in an Expression that is of other importance But that many of us alas too many of us were not so regular as we should have been is too sad a Truth to he denied And I pray you Sir instruct me if you can which way I might bring more Glory to God and vindicate the Honour of our blessed Soveraign the Royal Martyr and the Credit of a good Cause than by owning That it was for our Sins the Sins of us Subject that we suffered from a righteous GOD and lost a gracious Soveraign the good Josiah and for which we were given over to the will of our Enemies I am confident no pious Royalist will be angry with me for charging it there I further declare That I judge those who have Abby-Lands are as rightfully possest of them as of any part of their Estates And I know many who have part of their Estates of that Tenure to be as Pious Loyal and Generous Persons as any the Nation knows and to some of them I thankfully own my self personally obliged for their Respects and I do reciprocally love and honour them and I am confident they think so notwithstanding your perverting my words Pag. 6. as your manner is which were level'd only against drunken Atheists and Hobbists As I formerly acted and suffered for my Soveraign so I still bear him all Faith and Allegiance I constantly and heartily pray for his Sacred Majesty for his Royal Consort our gracious Queen for the Illustrious Prince his Royal Highness the Duke of York and for all the Royal Family I have oft with abhorrence declared against it as a traiterous Position and rank Popery That a Subject may on the account of Religion oppose the Rights of Princes And I make it the first warranted Cause of Martyrdom To suffer for persisting to fear God and the King and not to meddle with those who are given to change and that if we suffer because in conscience towards God we retain our Loyalty towards our Soveraign we suffer for righteousness sake Page 10 I do honour the most Reverend the Archbishopâ— and Bishops and amongst them my own most pious and learned Diocesan as the Fathers and Governours of the Church and have been instrumental to convince some who were otherwise minded That in all the Primitive Churches the Bishop was over the Presbyters and in all my Writings about