Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A47903
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The Presbyterian sham, or, A commentary upon the new old answer of the Assembly of divines to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon
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L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing L1286; ESTC R22008
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4,898
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8
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THE Presbyterian Sham OR A COMMENTARY Upon the New Old Answer Of the Assembly of DIVINES TO Dr. STILLINGFLEET'S SERMON Dolus an Virtus LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXX THE Presbyterian SHAM c. I Perceive Shamming the World in Print is become not only a modish but venerable Accomplishment For otherwise in the name of wonder how comes it to pass that some Nonconformists should unequally yoke themselves with the Sham Letter of the Black Box Verily Sirs this does not become the Heads of the Sober Party to write as if they were drunk or mad An Answer to a Sermon Preach'd by Dr. Stillingfleet Sure said I these are very nimble Gentlemen to be so quick upon the Doctor to knock him down to rights like Lightning Well fair and softly may go far quoth I but a quick dispatch is the grace of the business 't is well if it prove so but this is not all here 's Miracle upon Wonder here 's a Sermon kill'd five Years before it was born an Answer by the way of Prophesie an Answer which will serve against all that ever was or will be or may be or shall be or can be said against Nonconformists Well my Masters you are great Thaumatergicks but I hope a Scruple of Conscience may be admitted to kiss the Toe of your Infallibilities and to offer a few Scraps and Shreads of Nonconformity to your consideration petimus damusque vicissim and therefore first for the Front of the Book I must take the liberty to tell you that you do not say either solum verum or totum veritatis and you know what that is in English Are they Ministers of Christ so are we Now say I neither so nor so for they are Ministers of Christ Episcopally ordained so are not you You are Ministers of that profligate Wretch Hugh Peters's ordaining who for any thing I know was not a Presbyter so are not they Now Ordination having gone through the hands of Bishops for 1500 Years and upwards nemine contradicente they who can have it but will not but despise and hate Bishops Root and Branch are not so the Ministers of Christ as they who submit to those whom God hath set over them But that I may pull off the Vizard from those Bugbears which these Iack-straws and Watt Tylers have made to fright people into Nonconformity I will come yet a little closer to them We are say they to seek Unity and preach the Gospel but the second being the greater Duty must give place to the first See the acurate Nicety of this little Assembly of Divines and how logically they contra-distinguish these things making two of vvhat God has made but one for is not preaching one God one Faith one Baptism one Christ over all one Fold and one Shepherd preaching Unity is not one Article of the Faith I believe the Communion of Saints and is not all this preaching the Gospel If your Morals Gentlemen and your Divinity be no better than your Logick e'en go your vvays for Church-men But the men have reason for vvhat they say I vvarrant you Is there not now a Cause Yes I assure you several the Good Old Cause and several Suckers The Eternal welfare of thousands of Souls depends upon their Preaching Yes though it be Dis-union Nonconformity and Toleration Suppose novv all these painful Labourers dead and gone vvhat must all the World be damn'd for vvant of their Preaching Durus Sermo But pray tell us do not the Episcopal-men preach the Gospel And may not Salvation be had in Communion of our Church If it may then there is no such danger but in mens neglect of the means if it cannot then do they Unchurch all our Parochial Churches which is a Crime they say they could not ansvver before God nor ever intended So that if these honest Conventicles as they call them and the vvhole Tribe of Nonconformists vvere laid aside there vvould be no such danger to mens Bodies Souls or Estates but a great deal of safety For under the shadow of the Elders there grows a sort of Factious People call'd Republicans who are for fighting plundring sequestring and all that But this is further supported by a Second-ly That it is not in contempt of Authority that they preach and the People hear Sure they take us for Gudgeons that will swallow a Hook without a Bait The next turn will be they do it in obodience it is a way of arguing peculiar to the Party they never fought against the King they never did any hurt alas poor Souls they are as innocent as obedient but pray what difference between breaking Laws and contempt of them you can split a hair I know and for once shew us your Skill and now for an Excuse for the People for greater Edification Comparisons are odious among all People but Non-Cons who live by ill Neighbours and have a great Talent at praising themselves though a wiser man tells them Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth Well but the good people hear them to witness they are not accessory to their Ejection Sure it is ill halting before Cripples What are there none that can remember beyond the sad St. Bartholomew Are the Thumbs and Toes the Heads and Hands that Adonibezeck cut off quite forgotten Ah! the poor innocent Nonconformists they never ejected the Bishops and Conformists the Clergy and Laity out of their Estates they never sequestred beheaded hang'd starved banished or imprisoned any body for Conscience not they Come for shame be as honest as this same Canaanitish King Iudges 1. 7. As I have done so God hath requited me But there is another Lion in the way unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing Why what is the matter my Masters that you cannot do this Oh Sirs it is first something they cannot tell what an aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Secondly something they do know First they cannot believe the Kalendar Do you understand it Gentlemen Or how to mend it Astronomically If you do not why do you make a Scruple of what you cannot mend And if you do let us see your Skill and till then give leave to use this till a more correct Kalendar is compiled Secondly they cannot believe the Athanasian Creed why this does no more condemn the Greek Church than the Nicene which say I believe in the Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Son which in your account of English Presbytery pag. 12. you say In all matters of Faith Presbyterians believe whatsoever is in the Apostles and Nicene Creed However I am glad you have some Charity for Socrates Plato and Seneca I am sure it is more than is expected from those who pag. 15. dare not believe so well of their own Children when Baptized Thirdly in the Service of Gunpowder-Treason 't is said There are three Estates besides the King and this they do not that is they will not know Well would you know the