Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A67622
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The reasoning apostate, or, Modern latitude-man consider'd, as he opposeth the authority of the King and Church occasioned by several late treatises / by John Warly ...
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Warly, John, d. 1679.
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1677
(1677)
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Wing W877; ESTC R11108
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25,929
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127
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THE Reasoning Apostate Or MODERN LATITUDE-MAN CONSIDER'D As he opposeth the Authority OF THE KING and CHURCH OCCASION'D By several late TREATISES By John Warly B. D. late Fellow of Clare-Hall in Cambridg LONDON Printed for T. Basset at the George in Fleet-street 1677. IMPRIMATUR 7 March 1677. Geo. Hooper R mo D no. D. Gilb. Cant. Arch. Ã Sacris Domesticis THE PREFACE WHen I saw the Church and Religion defended only by Reason I lookt on its condition as Deplorable as a forlorn Hope FOr rational Assertors of Religion who scorn the Auxiliaries of the Church though they appear as stout Souldiers yet they are ill Disciplin'd and as Goliah set up with a natural Fortitude and prodigious Bulk more fit for a Spectacle than a Fight more fit for Inquisitive Speculation than Practical Religion And that which renders Reason thus uncapable of putting an end to Disputes is this because there are some Doctrines in obscure places of Scripture which are like Garrisons on such a Rock which bids Defiance to Reason to Storm it or Art to surprize it Arcana which God alone by the Mediation of the Church will most fully reveal and deliver to Man It is well known that some obscure Texts of Scripture as Christ the Author appear as Incognito till the Church makes the discovery I am not bound to believe that our Saviour gave such Commands to his Apostles as a Philosopher did to his Scholars who wrapt up his knowledg in obscure Methods as a dark Shop to commend the Wares Yet 't is certain that some places of Scripture are so hard to be understood that they deserve to be call'd Oracles for their Obscurity as much as Truth Now who shall make discovery of it but those to whom these Oracles of God are committed and they are the Church I need not trouble the Reader with the Contents of these Papers but shall only say that I have endeavor'd to give Religion as well as Reason its due to rob Man of the one is unnatural Injustice to steal from the other the worst Sacriledg This made me endeavour to assert the Authority of the Church especially in this Age in which it seems to be exposed to contempt and some factious persons looking on it as in a helpless and weak condition not able to defend it self much less to protect or assist others turn the Divine Command into a Scoff and Jeer whilst in Derision they say Go tell the Church Names of some Treatises more Obscurely mentioned in the following Considerations N.F. The natural Fanatick Milton of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes page 24. The Judgment of Non-conformists of the interest of Reason in matters of Religion p. 26. The Advocate of Conscience-Liberty p. 42. The Author of Smyrk p. 43. A Jesuit against one of the Sorbonists p. 74. The Advocate for Conscience-Liberty p. 92. Consideration 1. Of the Defence of the Church of England by some Orthodox-men in a Method or Style which seems to some too familiar biting and severe THough the admirable Defence of the Church of England by some of the Laity which Name may be fastened on Nobles as well as Peasants though a late Author hath undertaken by Chorah's Model to assert each person a Priest as it was objected to Luther by a great French Historian deserved as much Commendation as that ancient practice of drawing the Sword when Christians stood on their guard whilst they made confession of their Faith and that without imputation of Ambition or Vain glory have supported the tottering Ark by their rational discourses and seem as men from Macedonia at St. Paul's Summons to assist the Church yet some of these endeavouring to take off from the estimation of the authority of the Church they seem to me to be as Cassianus says of the secular order of Men in the Roman Church Sacerdoturientes a new kind of Gray Fryers in the reform'd Religion Neither do other men seem less fatal to the Church who are as Mendicants at least in their language endeavouring to win their designs by a cringing Supplication I beseech you my Fathers which they could not obtain by Arguments These men professing a plainess of Speech and Integrity seem as much suspicious as the Gibeonites to make Leagues with clouted Shoos whilst Poverty pleads their cause Neither are those altogether excusable who dispute against their Adversaries in a rational way without pressing the Authority of some ancient Fathers seeing it is possible to shew that the most valuable Arguments which are made use of as a Battery against Atheists are not the meer products of their own inventions but of others whose names are conceal'd by them I know not for what reason except this is it that they thought Authority would prejudice the humoursome Age and that Books would be better esteem'd as Anonymous or a New Cabala to the reformed Religion or because it seems policy in Church as well as Srate Arcana Ecclesiae as much as Imperii to conceal the Authors from whom they had their Intelligence or Imformation This Method makes men start at the citations of ancient Fathers as the Disciples did at Christ's person walking on the Waters supposing them as evil Spirits to seduce them But I pass from this to the other branch of this Consideration which makes me astonished to think how some Orthodox persons have been cavilled with for defending the Church in too severe and bitter Methods and a charge laid on Prelates as if they design'd the defence of the Church as St. Mallos is guarded with snarling Currs and those who assert their Authority esteem'd as Cock Hectors who win Battels more by Carlick than Strength whilst a stinking Breath defeats the Combatant These need not my Vindication they have done it themselves but suppose some Excursions not so commendable let it be consider'd that it is as impossible for a man to modelize his language so when he disputes with an Adversity as shall not offend him as it is for a man who fights a Duel to keep up to all those rules which he prescrib'd to himself before the engagement Polemical Arguments are like a Bolt or Shot which contracts Heat by flying Laws in such cases cannot be observ'd and the Disputant cannot be so accurate in his Language as Hortensius in his Cown as well as Oration such a one deserves to be call'd Smyrk or the Divine in mode to be in a set accurate form without a wrinkle He who disputes with Suarez must make use of his language Metaphysical Notions which are necessarily mix'd in Divine Dispute cannot be so plainly controverted by Scripture Phrase which in some cases cannot confute the Adversary any otherwise than the Idiot did Bellarmine by giving him the Lye To say all Adversaries must be disputed with by their own weapons St. Paul warrants it who draws an Argument from a Poet when he might have cited the sense out of the first Chapter of Genesis But this perhaps may not seem so pertinent to
discovers that troop of small Stars from which it borrows its Lustre The case is the same between Scripture and the Church I mean obscure places of it the one gives an ambiguous Twilight prospect the other shews it more distinctly Thus I have endeavoured to commend the Churches Authority as a necessary Supplement to the Apostles Creed or in order to maintain Charity amongst members of particular Churches for I do not design in this Paper to answer all Objections that the former discourse may be lyable to I now pass to the other branch of the Consideration In what sense short professions of Faith so much insisted on by the Reformers and commended to the Parliament can be said to be the full matter of Christian Faith and in what circumstances they must be in to whom they are sufficient And whether such curtilizing Creeds do not again introduce that implicit Faith which this Church complaineth of whilst under Papal impositions For further demonstration of the necessity of the extent of the Apostles Creed by Explanation it seems convenient that I suggest that usual distinction of Fundamentals in respect of their matter and the persons to whom they are offered as objects of Belief To the first 't is enough that I say one Assertion may be a Fundamental though not primarily so which in respect of another is but as a corrollary or branch of it as it is easie to instance in the Apostles Creed To the second it will be sufficient to say that all Doctrines are not pressed on all persons with the same necessity or upon peril of Salvation which will plainly appear from the consideration of the Requisites necessary to make such necessity The first of which is this viz. A conviction of the mind that what is proposed as matter of Faith must be commended to Man by God for there is no humane dictator can command any matter of Belief to Man merely as Humane Thus the Apostles themselves doubted of the Resurrection or at least were not sufficiently convinced of it till matter of fact convinced them of their Masters being God as well as Man Another Requisite is that there must be a sufficient proposal of matters of Faith otherwise it is insignificant to a man for what is Revelation to him to whom it is proposed for matter of Faith is like Objects which are in their own nature visible yet the Eye doth not always actually see them neither can it in some cases till more conveniently situated or impediments removed Thus Apollos ignorance and imperfect Creed excusable till he was more fully instructed of Saint Paul for the Doctrines of which he doubted before although as the Sun they always shin'd yet as the one cannot be seen till above the Horizon though it is obvious to other eyes so the ot her not assented unto till sufficiently explained If this seem not opposite take an Instance more Divine As none could see the City of Samaria though it was naturally as visible to other persons but the Prophet so none discern Divine Truth till Grace makes the discovery The last is a disposition of mens minds fit to receive such Divine impressions thus Mad men and Fooles are not to be expected Converts to Religion who are Aliens and Strangers to their own Reason and in this sense that applauded conclusion of the vanity of holding a Candle and attempt to make one see whom nature designed for darkness and to this head the citations out of St. Chrisostom afterward to be consider'd and others must be reduced leaving such Idiots to the censure of God himself This being promis'd I hope I may more fairly conclude against those conclusions which factious heads have drawn from thence for all that can be inferred from such charitable censures is only the modest censure of the Church whilst it respects God's Judicatute so that those persons who have so formally made address to Authority for tolleration of short Creeds must plead their cause in the same circumstances they thus indulg'd were which is impossible except they can Antidate time and be as the Apostles were then or men now who are uncapable of Divine Mysteries wherefore I may ask those men this Question whether they speak for themselves as of the Clergy or for other persons if for others which I presume they will be ready to own as officious Advocates they bring in the Doctrine of the Author of Humane Reason the Reasoner supposing it to a sufficient assent to Christian Doctrine if Scripture is commented on by a private invention This part of the consideration if I design to be tedious would lead me to examination of the several cavils against Councils as to the quality of persons c. and to answer an Objection of Nazianzen who saith he never saw a happy event of a Council which words concording to all I have met with condemns not Councils but rather is a complaint of the want of free and general Councils as is obvious to any who considers that Author's drift and design But I pass from this and other curious cavils by considering that such niceties in Religion are like questions about the Stars whose Nature and Influence we are sensible of and can probably demonstrate their Natures but not in such a way as can answer questions that a roving brain can start and can shew greater probability that they are such than the extravagant invention can they are not but I shall not continue this Digression rather return to the former case This being granted it must be considered that these persons with their slender stock of Faith are admitted into the Church as men into an Hospital and charity rather than Reason concludes them in a safe state of Salvation Now is it not unreasonable to propose that as a Model or measure of Faith to all which is only indulged to Mad men and Fools or at least men of weak capacities and that on no better ground than that tender one of extensive charity suitable to which are the accounts of the Church given by the Ancients whilst it is thus described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain number of the Elect in which may be babes in Christ foolish as well as wise and compared to the Ark when there was a universal reception of Creatures which were clean If these Zealous Petitioners speak for themselves then that small measure of Faith and narrow capacity will be an argument against them in the opinion of their own party But if it is alleadged that Rahab had but a small measure of Faith and yet Sainted by St. Paul at least in the catalogue of eminent Believers and the Centurion with his slender knowledg of Christ had no less commendation from Christ himself Let it be considered that this is not applicable to Pastors of the Church What a medley and ill favoured being of a Church would that be in which a Rahab or Convert-Harlot 2 Centurion or Souldier should assume a Clerical power The Records