Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A23647
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Insulae fortunatae A discourse shewing the happiness of these nations under our present governours & government, or, How they may be happy if they will themselves : delivered for substance in a sermon on a late solemn day appointed by authority for imploring the blessing of God upon his Majesty and the present Parliament / by R.A., pastor of the church at Henfield.
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R. A. (Richard Allen)
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1675
(1675)
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Wing A1044; ESTC R5033
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9,715
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26
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Faithful Patriots in maintaining the Church of England and the true Protestant Religion against the Encroachments of Popery and the Church of Rome and that for divers weighty Reasons concerning both our Temporal and Spiritual State First Because the Church of Rome sets up a Power over Soveraign Princes to control them in their own Dominions to the great disturbance of Publick Peace Pope Gregory the Third Excommunicated the Emperour Leo called Iconomachus which caused such a mischievous breach in the Empire that proved the Ruine of Christendom But the Church of England teacheth Obedience to Princes according to the Word of God and we are bound by our Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance to withstand the Papal Power because it cannot stand with the Peace and Safety of the Nation Secondly Popery is stained with much Blood and charged with Treachery and Cruelty whereof our Fifth of November is a Perpetual Memorial and the World a Witness The Church of England teacheth us to love one another and pray for our Enemies Thirdly Popery is an Heavy Burden without benefit in a long Train of unnecessary people who at once robbed the Church of her Patrimony and devoured the riches of the Land Insomuch that a Noble King of this Nation used to say Monks have too much and Princes too little Hereupon they began to fear him and conspired against him but were prevented by a very strange Providence The Ministers of the Church at this day live most upon their leavings and Starve themselves to Feed you Fourthly Because the Church of Rome is such an hard Mother to her Children in locking up from them the Bread of Life and true Food of their Souls which their Heavenly Father so freely gives them and instead thereof feeding them with Trash Fabulous Legends Dreams Visions Revelations c. teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men and making the Word of God of no effect through their Traditions But the Church of England lays open before you the Holy Scriptures of Truth sets before you the Bread of Life and feeds you with sincere Milk of the Word drawn from the Breasts of the Old and New Testament Fifthly Popery polluteth the House of God with Idols and the Land with Idolatry in their Image-worship Adoration of Saints and their Reliques c. Pope Boniface the Fourth who begged the Pantheon of Phocas the Emperour in place of the Heathen Gods and Goddesses set up the Images of the Virgin Mary and all Saints changeing the Names of the Idols but not the Nature of the Idolatry For 1 The Heathen had Tutelar Gods and Goddesses for Countries Cities Hills Dales c. so now there be Titular Saints for all places and purposes Vigilius the Tutelar Saint of the Valley of Trent c. 2 The Heathen acknowledged one Supreme God accounting all the rest as Mediators of Intercession examples whereof may be seen in their Poets The Saints are now put in that Office Prayer was made in the Council of Trent for Divine Assistance by the Intercession of Vigilius 3 The Heathen were not so bruitish to take Idols of Wood and Stone for Gods able to help them but in the Idol or Image worshipped some Deity represented thereby Our Adversaries at this day make no other Excuse Some wiser Heathens disliked Images for a two-fold Reason 1 Because they drew men from the true Worship And 2 From the true knowledge of God For this Reason the Pagan-Romans at first had no Images accounting it Sacriledge c. Plutarch in Numa The Council of Trent hath made some provision against the superstitious abuse of Images Reliques c. but to no purpose For we are exhorted 1 Joh. 5.21 to keep our selves from Idols not from Idolatry but from Idols For the holy Apostle knew well the corrupt Nature of Man is such that if Idols be in sight Idolatry will certainly follow For this cause not only the Adoring but the very Making of Images is expresly forbidden by the Law of God Now the Church of England as a careful Mother cast out the Worship of Saints their Images Reliques c. to keep her Children from the great peril of Idolatry a Sin so heinous that it provokes the fierce Wrath of God against a Nation and excludes for ever out of Heaven Sixthly The Church of Rome is very unreasonable in requiring us to believe things that they scarce believe themselves to receive for Truth that which the Word of God saith expresly is false to agree with them who could never yet agree among themselves They are angry with us because we will not take their bare word without proof nor grant that which they could never yet shew us any certain ground for for Councils have erred Popes have been deceived and divided in thirty Schisms have Condemned one another Decreed one contrary to another and used one another very uncharitably to speak the best Their last Council laid a Foundation of Religion that cannot possibly hold or stand together A Learned Carmelite warned them of it and opposed it with such solid Reasons that the Council could not answer but thought fit to stop his mouth with a Check And how can any man rest satisfied in the Judgment and Decision of men that understand not the matters in question For in the Debate between Soto and Catharinus about two most important Articles of Faith some of the Prelates confessed openly that they understood not the differences Hist Coun. Trent But the Church of England builds her Doctrine upon sure grounds even the Foundations of the Apostles and Prophets upon the pure Word of God contained in holy Scripture What shall we do now with Roman Catholicks Labour to out-shine them in Holy Life and out-do them in Good Works the best way either to win them or put them to silence or force them to confess that of a truth God is amongst us There would soon be less Controversie if more Conscience were made of those things that be without Controversie And now our Religion is secured and safe what is there else that any man can murmure at Is it Monarchy that is asserted by its worst Enemies who after they had marched thorough all forms of Government at last saw a necessity of retiring back to a Single Person who wanted nothing of a King but Right and Title Do any distaste our Liturgy that is allowed for sound and good in the Doctrinal part at least by Learned and Pious Adversaries Do our Laws dislike any they are justified by our late Reformers themselves who after long Consultation could find nothing to amend save only in the practise and that they made much worse and so judged by a Learned Lawyer and Commissioner of the Seal who refused to act upon their new Rules Is Trade decayed that 's the complaint raised or made use of by some to bring a scandal upon the Government whereof I could give you a notable instance But it may be real and true and then whatever other causes may
INSVLAE FORTVNATAE A DISCOURSE Shewing the Happiness of these NATIONS Under our Present GOVERNOURS GOVERNMENT OR How they may be happy if they will themselves Delivered for Substance in a SERMON On a late Solemn Day appointed by Authority for Imploring the Blessing of God upon his MAJESTY AND The Present PARLIAMENT By R. A. Pastor of the Church at Henfield O Fortunatos Nimiùm bona si sua Nôrint Anglicolas London Printed by J. C. for the Author 1675. To the Honourable Sir John Pelham Sir Cecil Bishop Sir John Fagg Baronets Henry Goring Edward Blaker and Richard Bridger of Combs Esquires and to the rest of the Honourable Members of Parliament and Justices of Peace for the County of Sussex Honourable Patriots THe unthankful Murmures and Complaints of unreasonable men wherewith they much obscure the Great Merits of our Pious King and Religious Parliament gave occasion to this Discourse wherein I have endeavoured to prove that they have no just cause of complaint but only in themselves For his Majesty like a Skilful Pilot hath Steered a right and straight Course to the safe Harbour of Peace and Tranquillity as appears clearly in his many Pious Motions Orders and Proclamations and if we are not yet arrived our General Disobedience is the greatest Remora The Honourable Parliament have done great things for the good of the Nation specially in securing our Religion against the Intrusions of Popery whereof our Forefathers were quite weary as appears by that Prayer in the Old Letany From the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome Good Lord deliver us And if their Pious Intentions have not attained the Desired End our general unthankfulness is the undoubted cause of it Our Distempers are high still the Lord direct you to fit and proper Remedies My humble Petition to his Majesty and the Honourable Parliament is for the Church of England She hath been terribly shaken with late Storms and the Enemy cries out still Down with her down with her even to the ground We desire not the Life of our Enemies nor the trouble of any that are Peaceable conceiving it none of the best ways to settle Peace and Truth But after all these Storms if the Church were well setled upon her own Foundations or Principles her Breaches repaired with her own Materials and good Discipline restored She would be the Glory of the Nation the Honour of his Majesties Reign the Joy and Comfort of all good Subjects and a most hopeful means of composing most of our greatest Differences The Church lies in the Bowels of the Common-wealth and if the Church be disquieted the Commonwealth cannot be at rest And I humbly beseech your Honours to remember the Ministers of the Church to deliver them out of the many Oppressions which they are under and that they may enjoy the small remainder of their Ancient Patrimony with more Peace to the Church and less Scandal to Religion The whole Land is overwhelmed with Impiety and Licentiousness all manner of Debauchery and Profaneness Drunkenness Lying Swearing Oppression c. insomuch that we have just cause to fear that God hath a Controversie with the Land the issue whereof may be some Fearful Judgment Good Laws are trodden under foot Dignities reviled Authority out-faced with the Insolence of unreasonable and wicked men the Word of God despised and the Word of the King in his Pious Proclamations not at all regarded The Nurseries of all Vice and Corrupters of Youth thoroughout the Nation Taverns and Tipling-Houses encrease beyond number to the dishonour of God and disquiet of the Realm being great occasions of profaning the Lords Day and of many other disorders against the Peace of the Nation A Cardinal Archbishop of Saltzburg said once That he knew there was need of Reformation but that a poor Monk should do it was not to be endured I meddle not with it but leave that to your Honours Wisdoms Humbly conceiving that a well-setled Ministry would be no small help to it Your Honours humble Servant RIC. ALLEN Feb. 15. 1674. TO THE READER IN Athens every Citizen took an Oath to maintain the Professed Religion after this manner Pugnabo pro Sacris solus simul cum aliis If Pagans were so zealous for their Idolatrous Religion how much more ought we to be for the Gospel of Christ the Power of God unto Salvation especially they that are called to the Ministery of it I have no spirit of bitterness I use no bitterness of speech against Recusants but deal with them as friendly as Truth will give me leave But if angry Fellows among them will never be quiet but provoke us daily revile our Church slander her Doctrine vilifie her Famous Doctors abuse and seduce her People with Old thred-bare Stories no man can justly blame us for standing up in our own Defence A Learned Benedictine at this day once one of us would fain divide our Church and to that purpose reports falsly of her Doctrine If ever he understood it he may be ashamed if he never did yet sure he will be sorry if he be so ingenuous as he professeth But if they are so uncharitable one to another as a Famous Fryar P. W. of the Order of S. Francis at this day makes sad complaint we must look for no better For this present undertaking I thought my self obliged unto it in a threefold respect First as a Christian to maintain the truth of the Gospel Secondly as a Minister to maintain the Doctrine of our Church Thirdly as a Subject to maintain the Honour and Dignity of our Gracious Soveraign and to let his People see some Reasons to bless God for him who deserves better of the Nation than every one takes notice of Our good King and Parliament have applied several Remedies to heal our Breaches but if we will neither receive Instruction nor endure Correction our condition may be worse than we commonly fear For as Philotimus in Plutarch told his Patient Non est de Reduviis negotium c. Now if any think it much that I prefix so many Great Names to so small a Book let them take notice that the Piety and Zeal those Honourable Persons have for the true Protestant Religion imboldened me and that brevity for some Reasons was the greatest part of my Study If any mistake my honest meaning or slight my little Book as I know some will and I know their reasons without asking let them know that I can solace my self with the Conscience of my own good intentions and bid them heartily FAREWEL ERRATA PAge 2. line 18. for then read him Page 14. line 17. for need read cause Insulae Fortunatae c. EZRA 7.27 Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings Heart to Beautifie the House of the Lord which is in Jerusalem THe House of the Lord was then the Temple at Jerusalem but now every place set apart and Consecrated to the Worship and