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A51289
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A brief reply to a late answer to Dr. Henry More his Antidote against idolatry Shewing that there is nothing in the said answer that does any ways weaken his proofs of idolatry against the Church of Rome, and therefore all are bound to take heed how they enter into, or continue in the communion of that church as they tender their own salvation.
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More, Henry, 1614-1687.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing M2645; ESTC R217965
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188,285
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386
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for all the Nonsense in the world that ever was is or can be writ or spoken But men can no more make what figures they please in Rhetorick then they can make what Moods they please in the three figures in Logick But all must be measured by the end of each Art Bene disserere in the one and Bene dicere in the other what is not consentaneous to the former can be no Precept in Logick and what not to the latter none in Rhetorick And if there be the pretence of the use of any figure acknowledged in Rhetorick which is not consentaneous to that end the figure thus pretended to be used cannot be used but the words will at the peril of the speaker remain in their proper sense As if some wretched extravagant fellow should venture to begin his Prayer thus O infinitely weak unwise and unholy Lord God and pretend it is an Irony and that he speaks by contraries would this excuse him from horrid blasphemy Surely no. For the use of the Figure in this place is not consentaneous to the general End of Rhetorick which is Ars bene dicendi which no loathsom disharmonious and absurd speech can agree with Wherefore if a figure cannot be admitted here where there is one to which it is so obvious to refer the speech how can the pretence of a figure excuse that speech which it will puzzle any man to find a figure to refer it to As for Example if one should pray thus to St. Francis O holy St. Francis give me the spirit of Grace in this life and eternal Glory in the life to come Upon which one crying out Down right Idolatry if he that addressed this absurd and Idolatrous Prayer should say he meant figuratively intending no more then thus O holy St. Francis pray to God to give me the spirit of Grace c. this speech also being so loathsom harsh and scandalous can be no figurative speech but is necessarily shut up in the proper sense of the words and as the other was horrid blasphemy so this is down right Idolatry as Dr. Thorndike speaks This is clear demonstration to any one that considers the case impartially whence it is plain that this sourth Antithesis betwixt Dr. Thorndike and my self is quite broke a pieces and that we are agreed in this That to separate from the Church of Rome upon the account of Idolatry is not Schism before God For as much as to pray to the Saints for those things which God alone can give as all Papists do is in the proper sense of the words doâ—n right Idolatry And I have plainly demonstrated there is no changing the sense of the words by a figure for as much as there is no figure to refer the speech to or if there were there is no legitimate use of any such figure because it would be no ornament or perfection of speech but a loathsom blemish thereof and therefore no more a figure than a piece of dung hung at the Ear in a string is an Ear-Jewel Wherefore as I said Dr. Thorndike coming so readily off of himself in this fourth and last Antithesis which indeed is founded in a breach also upon the third Antithesis he so plainly declaring such an Invocation of Saints to be down right Idolatry which yet all Papists use for all they cannot but remember the Saints to be Gods Creatures and therefore commit Idolatry with them though they remember them to be Gods Creatures Which enervates also the second Antithesis he indeavouring to prove that the honouring the Images of the Saints would be no Idolatry so long as we remember them to be Gods Creatures I cannot but hope if he had lived and perused this carefull and distinct Disceptation he would have come off in all For how could he stick in the first Anâ—ithesis at the acknowledging their Idolatry in the worshipping the Host Whenas though they think the Bread is not there yet they conceiving the individual matter of the Bread transubstantiated into the Body of Christ and so Hypostatically united with the Divinity and upon that account pursue it with their devotion and Divine Adoration hit upon the said Individual matter untransubstantiated and remaining Bread still and so do plainly give Divine Adoration to Bread as much as the Persians to the Sun who take it for the Supreme Intellectual Deity But take him agreed no further then he actually was before he dyed which is so far as to declare all the Church of Rome down right Idolaters he does thereby freely acknowledge the Church of England and other Protestant Churches to be no Schismaticks either before God or before men Nay says he Weights and Measures Chap. 1. if the Papists be Idolaters we are tâ— own the separation for our own Act and to glory in it For it is done by Gods express Command Come out of her my people c. Apoc. 18. 4. But for the Papists being Idolaters whatever the declarations of Dr. Thorndike are my demonstrations in my Antidote and what occurs in my Reply do evidently and irrefragably evince it in all Points they are charged with And thereupon you see what an agreeable Conclusion comes from us both It is Gods express Command to come out of her And if this be not Agreement enough conconsidering Dr. Thorndike has now laid down that load of â—arth that depresses the mind and is as we in Charity hope among the blessed I question not but he clearly discerns his mistakes in all four Antitheses betwixt us So that it is very credible that the two Doctors are agreed fully in these Points though I pronounce it with some peril of bringing my Antagonist upon me again who craves respite for his pen onely so long as till the two Doctors be fully agreed but then Dr. More says he shall hear more from me if he desire it But we being thus fully agreed yet I confess I shall desire to hear no more from you unless you will imitate your fellow-Combatant and wear no Mask but do as I do speak verily as you think and bring no Arguments but such as you in your own Conscience think true and concluding and then I dare say the Game will soon be at an end But there may be made a show of Confutation in infinitum to amuse or quiet those of your own Party that have not the leasure or capacity of reading and understanding what is Written But if you think to make any Rejoinder if I find you bring any thing material more than what you have suggested already I will God willing take the pains to Answer but if not I shall neither give you nor my self any further trouble but leave the world to judge And so Fellow-Combatant I bid you heartily farewell And that you may be the better assured I part with you in Charity and that I may appear to you clear of that Imputation of Uncharitableness which you labour so in this last Section to cast
framed his frigid flaccid and insipid Dissuasive which he would father upon me but upon the Church of Romes false boasts of her self whereby to tempt ours to her Idolatries I put in their mouths what the Spirit of God says touching her in the Apocalypse and other places of Scripture Whereby is understood plainly how the Mystery of Iniquity is with them and how when they make a specious show and boast of being one thing the Spirit of God judges them the quite Contrary But further he adds That this Exhortation of mine is an ill-grounded and Schismatical Discourse Dr. Thorndike himself being Vmpire in the Case Repl. As for Dr. Thorndike I shall consider him at tâ—e close In the mean time it is apparent that my Exhortation is very well grounded it being grounded upon sound and clear Reason and the Holy Scriptures of God than which there is no â—uâ—eâ— ground in the world And certainly no genuine Sons what ever the ingenuous Sons of the Church of England may do will ever say that it is Schismatical whenas the main end of it is to keep the members of our Church â—rom making any Schism or separation from us and from betaking themselves to the Church of Rome who has separated herself from the purity of the Gospel But after this most inhumanely and injuriously he parallels this faithfull and unexceptionable Exhortation of mine made to the people to keep them from the deceits and inticements of the Church of Rome that they may not separate from the Church of England and Apostatize to her to the bitter and rebellious Trumpeters of war in the late distempered times who loudly out of the Pulper thundred into the peoples ears Curse ye Meroz yea curse ye bitterly c. And there are not wanting in this Nation says he those who can find Rome in England to make Meroz of it when they please Repl. Then they are those chiefly that are of your Emissaries gendring and fomenting But it is well known to all the world that it has been precisely and particularly my care and labour to distinguish what is truly Antichristan from what is not that the Church of England might be cleared from such Imputations and the saddle set on the right Horse As you may see Preface to my Idea of Antichristianism Sect. 8. and in the two last Chapters of Synopsis Proâ—hetica For my own part I dare say there is none that know me either personally or by my writings that will not readily acknowledge that nothing can be more removed from bitterness persecution tumult and rebellion then that Spirit that I am of No could I in those very times of rebellion and tumult forbear to testifie in publick my disgust thereof in these mean Rymes but of sound and good sense Immortality of the Soul Book 2. Cant. 3. stanz â— Can wars and jars and fierce Contention Swoln Hatred and consuming Envy spring Fâ—om Piety No 'T is Opinion That makes the riven Heavens with trumpets ring And thundring Engins mundrous balls out-sling And send mens groaning Ghosts to lower shade Of horrid Hell This the wide world doth bring To divastation makes mankind to sade Such direfull things doth false Religion pers wade But true Religion sprung from God above Is like her fountain full of charity Embraceing all things with a tender love Full of good will and meek expectancy Full of true justice and sure verity In heart and voice c. It is not our telling you plainly and apertly according to Truth and Scripture what is hainously amiss in you that can be any prejudice to our own Church but it is the excusing you and dissembling your great crimes by extenuating termes and your aggravating every little Ceremony of ours such as kneeling at the Communion and the like to make us odious to the ignorant people that makes us suspected of Romanism But this is one of your Arts amongst many others to make those that are the most hearty well-willers to the Church of England the most suspected by them But Truth and Innocency bids defiance to all your devices But in the mean time where is the charge made good of being so little concerned whether I speak true or false in this Exhortation of mine Why at last it is this That I so peremptorily aver that no Protestants allow them a possibility of Salvation but onely in case of such a Repentance as implies an absolute renunctation of their Religion and its Idolatrous doctrines and practises by disoâ—ning of and dismembring themselves from the Roman Church Which says he will scarce appear pardonable in the eyes of his fellow Doctors Repl. This is a charge founded upon the eighth Paragraph of this tenth Chapter I desire the Reader to peruse the Paragraph and compare it with his charge where after disowning and dismembring themselves from the Roman Church he omits a special â—lause which immediately follows viz. As much as it is in their power so to do Which is quite another tâ—ing from actually renouncing of their Church while they have not the opportunity of discovering her gross Errors but that their general Repentance is so hearty and unfeigned that it would descend to this particular upon the detection to them of the foul errors of that Church And this I hope will not onely be pardonable but acceptable to those eminent men of our Church Arch-bishop Laud Bishop Abbot and the rest he names out of Bishop Laud Relation Sect. 35. who examined to the bottom will appear of the same mind with my self And for that of Mr. Hooker in his Discourse of Iustification Sect. 17. where he saâ—s For my part I dare not deny possibility of their Salvation who have been the chiefest Instruments of ours Which Quotation which my Adversary so much glories in it is evident is nâ—thing at all to the purpose For as much as he speaks not here of those of the Church of Rome since the Reformation but beâ—ore when the state of the Church was the VVoman in the VVilderness as is manifest both from the sentence it self quoted and the Context But if Mr. Hookers Authority be of any weight with you do but look into the foregoing Section and he will tell you the Church of Rome hath plaid the Harlot worse then ever did Israel And now I demand for a Christian who is part of the Body of Christ to adjoâ—n himself to the Church of Rome what is it but to make a member of Christ the member of an Harlot as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 6. 15. And is that I pray the next way to the Capacity of Salvation But this by the by After this he brings in Dr. Potter and Dr. Hammond glorying much of the charitable principles of the Church of England and Objecting want of charity to them for maintaining that Protestancy unrepented destroyes Salvation Now if the Objectors should retaliate and say that Popery unrepented destroyes Salvation I would willingly be instructed saith he by Dr. More wherein