Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

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christian_n	call_v	church_n	society_n	1,435	5	9.0715	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44658	A twofold vindication of the late Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and of the author of The history of religion the first part defending the said author against the defamations of Mr. Atterbury's sermon and ... : the charge of Socinianism against Dr. Tillotson consider'd ... : the second containing remarks on the said sermon ... : and a word in defence of the ... Bishop of Sakisbury, by another hand.	Howard, Robert, Sir, 1626-1698.	1696 (1696)	Wing H3006; ESTC R9361	74,122	190

describ'd in the New Testament and as far as it is there describ'd it may be understood and as far as it is understood it is no Mystery the Methods of fitting us for Heaven are also describ'd in the New Testament fully describ'd and may be perfectly understood by any Person of ordinary Capacity that honestly applies his Mind to the Consideration of the same and if he pursues the Methods there set down they will certainly convey him to Heaven for Heaven is plainly promis'd to so doing 3. Tho the Author of the History of Religion thought it a matter of Astonishment that the Humour and Affectation of Mystery should continue when Religion and Faith were by our Saviour's coming alter'd from their former Darkness yet to me the Reason is obvious and manifest Crafty Priests pretend that Heaven and the way to it is very mysterious that so honest and plain People may be mov'd to take them for their Guides Indeed a Man would be glad of a good Guide when the way that leads to the place where his Interest lies is very mysterious dark and hard to be found but how should a Priest know it better than another Man whose natural Endowments and industrious Improvements are as great as his perhaps greater so it often happens I am sure 't were a hard case that a Man of Honour and Honesty Experience and Learning should be led by the Nose by a Priest who confesses that Himself understands but little of the Doctrine which he preaches It was a just Complaint which Cario mov'd against Chremylus in Aristophanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. in English thus it founds He has his Eyes in his Head and follows the Steps of a blind Man one that had Brains as well as Eyes would not do it I have known a Dog that could see lend his Eyes to the blind but this odd Master of mine santers with his Eyes open after a blind Stroler and because I am his Man I must have no more Wit than to bear him company 4. But if a Man valued his eternal Interest no more than to trust the Libeller with directing him the Methods of going to Heaven what Methods would that Master of Mystery direct him why he has set them down p. 28 29. I will put his Methods in method for him and give them mostly in his very words exactly according to his sense 1. The Man that would go to Heaven and take the Libeller for his Guide must have a great care that he avoid the Scandal of good Morality for which tho Sir R. H. has a high Esteem and cannot forbear his strain'd Encomiums on that late moral Preacher Arch-bishop Tillotson yet it will never carry a Man to Heaven any more than his own natural Strength can lift him up to the Skies for Morality is not Religion nothing is Religion but that which is reveal'd Morality is nothing but believing according to the Light of Nature the Adversaries of Priest-craft may suppose it to consist in living up to that Light tho they do not live up to it neither nor indeed is there any thing to be got by it 2. The Man that will be conducted to Heaven by the Libeller must be content to put himself under the Discipline of Religion reveal'd Religion for reveal'd Religion which is a Complex of the Methods of conveying him thither differs infinitely from moral Religion which is falsly so call'd because nothing is Religion but that which is reveal'd as was above noted for moral Religion to allow the Phrase a while teaches only to believe according to the Light of Nature at most but to practise according to that Light whereas reveal'd Religion puts Men under Discipline and that manag'd by others and those others are Priests and none but Priests for without Priests there can be no Religion and to cry out against Priests who have the Administration of Religion is the same thing as to decry Religion it self 3. The Candidate of Heaven must take notice according to the Libeller that a belief of those things which Religion teaches is sufficient to entitle a Man to a Sect to be an Epicurean or a Stoick but there goes more to make a good Christian than so What more good moral Practice no no 't is no matter for that But when a Man believes the Mysteries which Religion teaches the next thing he has to do is to enter himself into a Society or Corporation which is called the Church for Morality having no Promise entitles Men to no Privileges but what they have by Nature but unconceiveable Privileges and Promises are annex'd to the Society or Corporation of the Church 4. That the Candidate of Heaven may not mistake and enter into a wrong Society or Corporation which would be a damnable Mistake he must be sure to take notice that the right Corporation is govern'd by Episcopal Officers who have power to expel out and admit into their Society according to the Rules of their Charter and the Sentences which they pronounce they say Christ has given his infallible Promise to ratify in Heaven 5. That the Candidate of Heaven may not be tempted to dislike and scruple the Methods above-mention'd the Libeller assures him that if he does not submit to these Methods he sets himself out of all hopes of future Happiness and there 's an end of him The Sum and Substance of all in plain English comes to this A Man need never trouble himself about leading a good Life let him but believe as his Priest would have him and submit himself to the Discipline of the Spiritual Corporation and he need never fear going to Heaven So then more Athanasiano Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he makes use of the Methods above-said Father Poza a Jesuit is reported to assert that an ill Interpretation may be made of those words I believe in God the Father Almighty but I defy the wittiest Jesuit breathing to make out a good Interpretation nay to make out an Interpretation not scandalous of these the Libeller's Methods But after all one thing I will say for him viz. that I have reason to believe that the Methods which he commends to others he himself religiously follows I am almost asham'd to argue seriously against this ignorant and scandalous Libeller but that none may say he is only ridicul'd and misrepresented not answer'd and refuted I will reason with him on the chief Topick of all this wild Stuff of which he speaks in general Terms so extravagantly and falsly That chief Topick is his distinction between Morality and Reveal'd Religion by the means of which he takes occasion to blaspheme God and good Men and tempts the weaker sort of People to have low Thoughts of true Piety and Vertue and build their hopes of Happiness on their Assent to they know not what mysterious Propositions Now I will show that Morality and Reveal'd Religion are much the same that they are divers Names

A Twofold Vindication OF THE Late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury And of the Author of The History of Religion The first Part defending the said Author against the Defamations of Mr. Fr. Atterbury's Sermon and both those eminent Persons against a Traiterous Libel titled The Charge of Socinianism against Dr. Tillotson consider'd In two Letters to the Honourable Sir R. H. The second containing Remarks on the said Sermon and a Reply to the same Libel Wherein some Right is done to that great and good Man Dr. Tillotson in the Points of the Original of Sacrifices the Sacrifice of Christ Future Punishments c. And a word in Defence of the Eminent Bishop of Salisbury By another Hand London Printed in the Year 1696. SIR I Have receiv'd by your favour some Papers written by two very Learned Persons which you say are ready for the Press occasion'd by two extraordinary angry Men Mr. Atterbury and Mr. Monroe who have express'd their Displeasure against my History of Religion I dare not give my Opinion of their Writings I am too much an oblig'd Party besides their own Abilities will much better shew it than I can express it but I fancy that if Mr. Atterbury and Mr. Monroe had imagin'd they should have rais'd such a Strength against them they would hardly have muster'd up their own weak Forces For Mr. Atterbury I know him not but he has made himself known by chusing a very improper place the Pulpit to vent a Passion unsutable to Christianity or common Morality for such must an injurious Violence be esteem'd that has no Reason pretended to excuse or at least to extenuate the Passion From that place we expect to be taught by Perswasion not by Railing yet he seems to have a Christian Consideration that hinders him from writing some Body's Life if he means mine I will free him from his tender Christianity and own that I writ the History of Religion and if he pleases to use the freedom I give him I assure him I shall not be displeased at any Truth that he can write but if his usual Passion guides him other-ways I shall attend him with such Answers and make him such sutable Returns as will be proper for the occasion and consider his Calling with as little respect as he did the sacred Place where he chose to rail For Mr. Monroe he is angry at every thing he sputters at the Government and will not allow that most excellent Man Dr. Tillotson late Archbishop of Canterbury either to have a Title to that or any Parts or Abilities but at a venture among many other Errors charges him to be a Socinian and at the same time discovers he does not know what a Socinian is then falls upon the Bishop of Salisbury and then with an obliging Anger ranks me with those great Men but his furious Wildness is sufficiently laid open by these two Learned Men. When I writ the History of Religion I was very much pleas'd to see the Church of England which I have fought for and shall ever defend so free from all those Heathenish Rites and Superstitions retain'd by the Priest-Craft of the Church of Rome and could not but admire to see any that profest to be a Minister of the Church of England offended at it nor can I imagine any Reason for such a Concern unless they would have the very Name of Priest of what Perswasion so ever so sacred that it should not be irreverently handled if this should be the cause I dare venture to assure them they will find no return for could any write with such a Disadvantage to the Ministers of the Church of England the Popish Priests would not shew any Displeasure to see them condemn'd here that they pretend to believe will be damn'd hereafter But Mr. Monroe seems to grumble something about Sacrifices as if I had writ concerning the Original of them I could not be so dull as not to know the beginning of them was as early as Abel I only trac'd the use of them with the Rites and superstitious Ceremonies taught and enlarged from time to time by the Heathen Priests and how they were still continued and imitated by the Priest-Craft of the Church of Rome which I thought I had made evident by Matter of Fact A Friend of mine of Quality and Learning told me he ask'd a Minister why he was displeas'd at the History of Religion he answer'd that they were whipt upon the Backs of the Romish Priests I could not but wonder how they got up there to receive the Lashes of the others I believe that there are some so in love with Power that they were displeased I inveigh'd against Persecution by which they exercise it if that offend any I shall always persist in receiving their Displeasure for I presume I have clearly shew'd that it is contrary to the teaching of the Gospel we are there taught to love our Neighbours as our selves and certainly they would hardly seem such Neighbours that would be Executioners they would not seem to love others as themselves unless they were equally desirous to be their own Hangmen But Mr. Monroe is yet more severe and will be the Judg of what I mean for being displeased as it seems that I writ against Transubstantiation he says I meant it against the Trinity though I had not a thought nor writ a word that could give him the least cause to pronounce so rash a Sentence I remember a Justice of Peace in a Play that bid his Clerk make the Mittimus while he examin'd the Party but of all Men living I would not have him my Arbitrary Judg for he that makes himself worse than others would probably condemn me to be worse than I am But I leave these two angry Men to the Correction of those two Learned Persons to whom as in Gratitude I ought I shall ever acknowledg great Obligations by whose Strength my Weakness is sufficiently supported I shall only add that I have read of a wise Philosopher that would not trust himself while he was in Passion but these revers'd Philosophers raise all their Confidence from their Passions I have seen an angry Cur bite at a Wheel because it moved from him and I presume that dark keeping is the cause of such a causeless Fierceness At the latter end of one of these Learned Mens Writings I find a very charitable Answer for me to Dr. Sherlock who in his Defence of that excellent Man Dr. Tillotson late Archbishop of Canterbury in answer to The Charge of Socinianism against Dr. Tillotson considered is pleased unprovok'd by any Cause to call my History of Religion an execrable Pamphlet and me an Atheist or Deist which it seems is all one to him for he says it matters not which and that my Design is to ridicule Christian Religion If these heavy Charges be true I readily confess 't is an execrable Pamphlet indeed but he is not pleas'd to give the least reason to excuse or justify so