Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A85375
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Bishop Goodman his proposition in discharge of his own dutie and conscience both to God and man.
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Goodman, Godfrey, 1583-1656.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing G1099E; ESTC R177532
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11,800
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20
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no man is bound to beleeve but wholly left to God and his own Conscience that when he finds better reasons to perswade him he may alter and change his opinion Thus as there are temporall Courts to determine controversies concerning the right of Inheritance and other differences between men so there may be a little power left in the Spirituall Court onely to satisfie the doubts and seruples made in Religion and such a course God willing I doe propose to my self to undertake towards the end of May I give long warning before-hand that if I should be forbidden I might desist The Order which I shall observe is this That he who presents the doubts must present them in Writing and the Writing not to exceed half a sheet of Paper Writen on both sides he must present them in modesty giving every man that due respect and honour which belongs to his place and calling he must subscribe his name his age the condition and course of his life the place of his dwelling and it were to be wished that some others would testifie their knowledge of him His doubts shall then be publikely read and in due time they shall be answered I doe not herein presume on mine own weakness but upon Gods great mercy and goodnesse who never will be wanting in his own cause and in defence of the truth neither will I neglect the means under God but I will advise and hold correspondency with the best learned men in England and I doubt not but God will assist I am now past the age of man and consequently past as the joyes and hopes of this world so past the fears and terrours of this world and so let God be mercifull unto my soul at the last day as I shall deliver nothing but what I conceive to be Gods truth the World hath been now long deluded and abused with controversies of Religion in so much that there is little Religion left amongst us I hope to discover some secrefies and to make it appear who are and were the great Impostere And here I doe make this profer and challenge Let any man bring me the body or system of his Religion together with all the severall members and branches thereof and if I shall not make it plainly appear that his Religion is a self-homicide destroying it selfe i. admits contradictories in it self I will be of that Religion 2. If any man shall bring me a Religion which shall subsist with humane learning which in effect is onely reason improved I will be of that Religion How wonderfully are we bound unto God for that great certainty of our Religion which is not onely grounded upon the divine testimony revealed confirmed by miracles and wonders far above all naturall power written in our hearts by Gods sanctifying Spirit together with the infusion of grace whereby we beleeve Misteries above our naturall capacity but likewise that our Faith and Religion should have those speciall properties of truth that it should cohaerere sibi agree with it self like a well governed City or a well compacted body paeem habens ad invicem and as it agrees with it self so it should subsist with all humane learning which serves onely to adorn Religion Now for the method which I shall observe in giving satisfaction to all doubts and scruples proposed though I doe much commend the School method which is first to make the strongest objections then laying open the naked truth and fortifying it with sound demonstrations and reasons those former objections which at first did seem invincible alasse they fall of themselves and come to nothing and so are soon routed easily dissolved and this course I conceive doth best represent Nature as in digging for Mines the Earth Stones and scurfe we dig up and lay aside and so at length we come to the pure Oare this we refine and use the earth and scurfe to scour it Though I commend this method yet I will forbear to use it as being not so fitted to every mans capacity I will therefore use mine now method which is a little more easie First I will use two or three quotations out of Scripture and no more 2. I will shew the analogy or correspondency which it with other Texts of Scriptute and other Articles of our Faith 3. I will shew how it was implyed in the state of Nature before the giving of the Law 4. How it was shadowed forth in the types figures and ceremonies of the Mosaicall Law 5 How it received ripeness and perfection in the state of the Gospel 6. How it hath been continued in the Church in the Primitive age and in all succeeding times and this to appear especially by the ancient Liturgies not by stragling words taken out of Fathers which being spoken upon severall occasions might be variously interpreted 7. The great inconveniences and absurdities which would undoubtedly follow if any other Doctrine should be admitted I doe the rather acquaint you with this my method that such as shall have any doubts or arguments to propose they may doe it according to this method if they please When I have answered Objections then I will reduce all to the Church of England as it is setled by the Fundamentall Laws by the Statute Laws by many Acts of State and generally by Publick Authority to this end I have read all the Statutes all the Parliament Rolls many Acts of State Articles Injuctions yea I made a hard shift I cannot now doe the like to understand some of their Reports in Law onely such as did concern Religion I never did regard any particular Opinions for all my time the Professors in Cambridge did differ in their Opinions the first difference began between Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Barow then in their Successors Dr. Overall and Dr. Playford and then in Dr. Richardson and Dr. Davenant Heretofore I took some pains to know how far the Imperiall and Civill Laws together with the Roman Histories did give testimony to Christian Religion even before such time as the Emperors became Christians and how far they did touch upon some controversies now agitated in the Church since I took the like pains in our Common Laws but my Notes are burnt and plundered and with sorrow and grief my wits and memory are likewise plundered and my age gives me assurance that I shall recover neither the one nor the other yet still I have a will to doe good though I doe foresee that this my project will fayl and come to nothing yet my honest intents will appear and that I have done my uttermost indeavour and if any one shall blame me for indiscretion truely it hath ever bin my course and practice to desire God in all my actions so to direct me that I might rather seem to the world to want wit and discretion then to neglect my duty to God and my charity and conscience to man and my fault easily deserves pardon because I am now
come to those great years which may claim a priviledge to doat Tying my self to Religion as it is setled by Laws under favour be it spoken I doe not think the temporall Judges of our Common-Laws so fit to interpret them but rather the Spirituall Judges the Church men themselves especially such who were the Law-makers and knew their own intents best and as it may be supposed had a speciall influence in those Laws while the Temporall Judges were onely assistants and not permitted to speak but when they were demanded besides the honour of Priest-hood which is not to be incroached upon within the compasse of his own sphere thus I shall reduce all Opions to the Church of England as it is settled by Laws For the name of Protestant Religion that I may confess my own weakness I never yet understood what was meant by it yet I have read Sleydon and Florimond both very wise and excellent Authors though different in their Opinions Factions and in all their wayes and courses yet they agree in the name of Protestant for 1529. there was a Diet held in Germany where many Princes Free States and others did enter a solemn Protestation 1. Against the Pope and his Power 2. Against the Emperour and the Power which he claimed 3. For an absolute liberty and freedom of Conscience that every man might profess what Religion he pleased and none to be molested therein There were then at least 14. severall Religions which did enter this one Protestation and if the Jews the Turks and the Heathen had bin present no doubt but they would have joyned in the Protestation and so become Protestants and yet not converted from their own Religion much lesse made Christians how this word Protestant should signifie and point out any one proper Religion it is beyond my understanding the Roman Catholicks protest against all Religions but their own and therein they become Protestants The Laws of England and the Acts of State finding this inconvenience doe usually add this one word and call it the true Protestant Religion which doth very much qualifie the business Now when I say that I will reduce all to the Church of England as it is setled by Laws I must here crave leave to take some further advice concerning the Ordinances of Parliament which were made without the Kings consent while the Kings Power was acknowledged how far they doe oblige out of Parliament and how far they differ from Acts of Parliament for herein I am not yet so fully satisfied Now that the Church hath lost all her Temporalties the Revenues are gone the Jurisdiction is gone the Honour and Esteem is gone and nothing left for further or future Sacriledge it may please God to use this as a means that our Eyes may be opened and without any temporall obstacles we may discern the naked truth and so agree in one Faith while the controversie-moungers who were the Incendiaries in the nature of Buffoones most contemptible in themselves they must find out some other trade to thrive by for their Patrones and Supporters have now their own ends and swallowed up their morsell and have no further use of them and now they must fall to sedition and matters of State between the Presbyterian and Independent men whose wit learning honesty and Religion carry an even and equall proportion while all of them running themselves out of breath and finding how one error hath begotten an other they will at length return home and seek shelter under the Apron of their Mother Church and by Gods assistance I will doe my best endeavour to hasten their return I cannot ferve God in any other kind for my strength will not serve me to Preach and though no man doth honour Preaching more then my self yet I doe not think it alwayes a like necessary where Religion is once Planted and that men are sufficiently satisfied in the truth of Religion that there they should be still learning and that the practice of Religion should onely consist in the precept this I doe not commend multiloquium parit contemptum there may be Satietas in sacris it is not frequent and long Preaching but painfull and profitable Preaching which works upon the minds and affections of men It cannot be denied but many Sects and Sectaries have risen from rash and unadvised Preaching men must fill up the houre somtimes with impertinencies somtimes with seditious discourses but alwayes with needless repetitions as the Directory commends extemporary Prayer so following that example for the reason is alike in both some men will Preach ex tempore and while they sweat in the Pulpit and fill up the houre with weak stuff the judicious hearer presently concludes that this man breaks the fourth Commandement Six dayes shalt thou labour and take pains and the seventh day thou shalt rest but here he hath bin idle and not followed his Studies the whole week and now he labours and sweats on the Sabbath and truely to little purpose for as it is in Husbandry according to the pains of the Husbandman together with Gods mercy the Earth brings forth her increase so according to the pains of the Preacher he must expect that the People shall edifie for if he be careless and negligent and regard not his own Preaching he cannot in justice expect that others should greatly regard it Thus far the judicious hearer but the Sermon consisting of weak stuff the weak hearer suppose Tradesmen Artificers if they have but a volubility of speech they will adventure to make such a Sermon Thus you have preachers of all Trades and Professions thus some Ministers desiring to be reputed zealous and painfull in their Calling with their tedious and frequent Preaching they have prostituted the very honour of Preaching and made it contemptible Some Preachers there are whom of all others I doe most commend I confess I received more benefit from them then from others and these are Silenced Sequestred Plundered and utterly supprest for it is an Errour to think that all Preaching should come from the Pulpit Men Preach in their lives in their actions in their examples The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work one Day telleth another and one Night certifieth another here is excellent Preaching indeed not an impertinent word Thus the Church in all her Orders and Ceremonies did Preach the building of great Cathedralls set forth the Majesty and Magnificency of God and that he was to be served like a God Thus we consider Solomons Temple where the very snuffers were of beaten Go'd they did likewise assure us that God had his dwelling and habitation amongst men which was an argument that God was once Incarnate and visibly conversant with men And whereás the Jews expect a Temporall Messias I doe acknowledge that in all the Old Testament there is not one word to the contrary and therefore I beleeve that Christ was not