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A41707 The primitive Christian justified and Jack Presbyter reproved, or, A scripture demonstration, that to be innocent and persecuted is more eligible than to be prosperously wicked delivered in a sermon in the Abby-Church of Bath by William Goulde. Gould, William, d. 1686. 1682 (1682) Wing G1441; ESTC R9434 18,041 33

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THE Primitive Christian JUSTIFIED AND Jack Presbyter REPROVED OR A Scripture Demonstration That to be Innocent and Persecuted is more Eligible than to be Prosperously Wicked Delivered in a SERMON IN THE Abby-Church of BATH By WILLIAM GOVLDE No Flames of Civil Dissentions are more Dangerous than those which make Religious Pretentions Grounds of Factions K. CHARLES the First LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to the King 's Most Sacred MAJESTY 1682. TO THE READER THIS Discourse following had never seen the light if Jack Presbyter would have permitted the Author to be quiet the Principle here defended is a plain Truth justified by our Saviour's life That an Afflicted is more Eligible than a Sinful state which I presume was sound Primitive Doctrine and will be always so esteemed by the Regular Protestant Notwithstanding it gave great Distast to the Presbyterian Brotherhood One Gentleman would have had me Whipt for saying it was Irrational and Irreligious to commit a Sin that Good might come thereof Another told me I forgot to Preach Jesus Christ and him Crucified and yet if I mistake not he was a man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief yet knew no sin niether was guile found in his mouth A third Zeal-drunk Monseur Complimented me in the Queens Bath that Mr. Topham a Serjeant at Arms I think was my very good Friend and desired a Copy of what I delivered and that if I had any Service to him he would effectually present it my Answer was very sharp and being publickly known abroad needs not now be repeated Hang the Rascal said a fourth He Preached for a Cardinals Cap at the coming in of the Pope by which you may guess what will become of William Goulde if these Gentlemen once give Law to the Church and State But I have however printed it to shew I dare be honest and will not be huft out of my Integrity by Noise and Tumult for I have learned to fear him who can cast body and soul into Eternal torment more than a Speaker or a Pope or the Reprimand of either or both In this Discourse I affirm and will prove it that by the Laws of God by the Principles of the true Protestant Religion publiquely Professed in the Church of England the Bill against the Duke of York is not to be Justified and my Reason is grounded in the Text It is not lawful to chuse Sin to avoid being Persecuted and that Bill which renders a man dead in Law for want of Grace will bring more Confusion unto a State than it pretends to avoid and approaches too near the Doctrine of the Conclave of the Popes power in disposing the Kingdoms of an Heretique I declare my self as free from Popery as any Zealot of the Kirk and in two great Points the Regall and Episcopal Government I have a greater Value for these than any Presbyterian or Independent either Rigid or Moderate He that shall consider how the Jesuitical Party in the Conventicle of Trent undermined the Power of King and Bishop to give the Jurisdiction of both to their Lord God the Pope and compare it with the practices of the Covenanting Presbyter against Prince and Bishop to make them both Truckle under the Lay-Elder-Government will think it unreasonable to excuse these later whilst the others are subject to the Penalties of the Act of the 35th of Queen Elizabeth If Jack-Presbyter think any Injury done him I hope the two following Arguments will clear me from his Charge in all moderate Mens Judgment First The Votes of Non-Addresses to or receiving any Messages from the late Martyr'd Monarch was certainly Cozen-German if not more nearly related to the Bull of Pope Pius against Queen Elizabeth be it remembred that those Votes were never recalled till the King was under the Armed Power of the Independent Secondly The Bill against Bishops root and branch solemnly attending upon the League and Covenant was as much prejudicial to the Episcopal Government of the Church of England as any thing said or Acted against that Ancient order by any Jesuit Papists in the Council aforesaid Of these two Arguments if the Reader dares be Honest and Candid he is left to be the Judge between the Presbyterian Brotherhood and William Goulde JOB xxxvi 21. Verse Regard not Iniquity for this thou hast Chosen rather than Affliction TO have the favour to receive Commands and the Meekness to obey them is the satisfaction of Angels and it is hence concluded by Gerson the late learned Chancellor of Paris that if an Angel were to set out himself in lustre and triumph in a Magnificat it would be rather in the blessed Virgins stile as a servant of God than a Prince of so many Myriads of Subjects would the Scripture allow me that kind of Idolatry the binding my Faith or obedience to any one infallible earthly Judge or Prince were it reconcileable to my Creed it would be certainly with my interest to get into that posture of Obedience yet we find Subjection so hard a lesson to the Sons of men that neither Wrath nor Conscience can prevail with us to obey God or for his sake to submit to our lawful Superiours This is so well understood by wise Princes and States that they have invented new ways to entertain busie and active Spirits to keep them from tampering with their publique Laws and Constitutions The body of a Flea or an Ant will afford a Vertuoso many choice Observations demonstrating Problems solving Phaenomena's and drawing Schemes and Diagrams may divert your busie Mercurial Witts from making new Ideas and Platforms for Churches and Kingdoms the ground of which Aversness is the want of a right understanding of that great principle of our Christian Religion the going the high-way of the Cross to the Kingdom of heaven and hence it comes that Christianity is scandalized by Recusants Popish and Puritan who prefer Rebellion before Martyrdom and so are lyable to Elihu's reprehension for chusing iniquity rather than affliction I shall summ up the substance of the whole Text into one plain and Genuine Observation That Sin is neither eligible in its self nor to be chosen to avoid the suffering of Persecution Sin I say cannot properly taken be the object of a rational mans or true Christians choice First if considered in its self or Consequences Secondly if we look on Sin as opposite to Gods Essence and Attributes Thirdly if we consider it as the transgression of Gods Laws Fourthly as destructive to our own Souls Fifthly as the Original of all the distempers of our Bodies and Sixthly as the occasion of Death in all kinds Temporal Spiritual and Eternal as Divines distinguish according to the Scriptures Lastly which includes the second branch of the Thesis it cannot be the object of a rational choice as put in the ballance with the greatest Pressures Afflictions and Difficulties None can deny considering the present juncture of Affairs but that I have pitched on a seasonable Subject of Discourse