Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
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A54098
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An address to Protestants upon the present conjuncture in II parts / by a Protestant, William Penn.
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Penn, William, 1644-1718.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing P1248; ESTC R15359
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141,914
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254
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new Religion neither suffer so ill an use to be made of such Dissents as to carry them beyond their true bounds for the meaning of those Arts of ill men is to set the People further off from one another then they really are and to aggrevate Differences in Judgment to Contrariety in affection and when they have once inflam'd them to Variance and Strife nothing can hinder Persecution but want of Power which being never wanted by the strongest side the weakest though truest is opprest not by Argument but Worldly Weapons The seventh and last Cause I shall now assign for Persecution is this That Holy living is become no test among us unless against the liver The Tree was once known by its Fruits 't is not so now the better Liver the more dangerous if not a Conformist this has made way for Persecution There was a time when Virtue was Venerable and good Men admired that 's derided and Opinion carries it He that can perswade his Conscience to comply with the times be he Vitious Knavish Cowardly any thing he is protected perhaps preferr'd A Man of Wisdom Sobriety and Ability to serve his King and Country if a Dissenter must be blown upon for a Phanatick a man of Faction of disloyal Principles and what not Rewards and Punishments are the Magistrates duty and the Governments interest and support Rewards are due to Virtue Punishments to Vice Let us not mistake nor miscall things let Virtue be what it al. wayes was in Government good Manners sober Living and Vice ill Manners and ill Living Reduce all to this let such good Men have the â—miles and Rewards and such ill Men the Frowns and Punishments of the Government this ends Persecution and lays Opinion to sleep Ill men will make no more advantages by such Conformity nor good men no more suffer for want of it In short As that Religious Society deserves not the Protection of the Civil which is inconsistent with the Safety of it so those Societies of Christians that are not only not Destructive of the Civil Government but Lovers of it ought by the Civil Government to be secured from Ruin God Almighty open our Understandings pour out the Spirit of thorow Reformation upon us that we may be all Conscientiously Dispos'd to seek and pursue those things which make for Love Peace and Godliness that it may be well with us both here and forever For yet a little while and the Wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be but the Meek shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in abundance of Peace The Wicked PLOTTETH against the Just and â—nasheth upon him with his Teeth the Lord shall laugh at him for he seeth that his Day is coming Psal 37. 10 11 12 13. The Judgment of King James King Charles the first about Persecution for Religion VVE find it asserted by King James in his Speech to the Parliament in the year 1609. who said That it is a pure Rule in Divinity That God never loves to plant his Church with Violence and Blood and furthermore said It was usually the Condition of Christians to be Persecuted but not to Persecute And we find the same things in substance asserted again by his Son King Charles the first in his Book known by the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 printed for R. Royston as followeth Pag. 67. In his Prayer to God he said Thou seest how much Cruelty amongst Christians is acted under the colour of Religion as if we could not be Christians unless we Crucifie one another Pag. 28. Make them at length seriously to consider that nothing Violent and Injurious can be Religion Pag. 70. Nor is it so proper to hâ—w out Religious Reformations by the Sword as to pollish them by fair and equal Disputations among those that are most concerned in the Differences whom not Force but Reason ought to convince Sure in Matters of Religion those Truths gain most upon â—eâ—s Judgments and Consciences which are least urged with secular Violence which weakens Truth with Prejudices Pag. 115. It being an Office not only of Humanity rather to use Reason than Force but also of Christianity to seek Peace and ensue it Some Words of Advice from King Charles the first to the then Prince of Wales now King of England c. Pag. 165. My Counsel and Charge to you is That you seriously consider the former Real or Objected Miscarriages which might occasion my Troubles that you may avoid them c. Beware of Exasperating any Faction by the Crosness and Asperity of some mens Passions Humours and private Opinions imployed by you grounded only upon Differences in lesser matters which are but the Skirts and Suburbs of Religion wherein a charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength when rougher Opposition fortifies and puts the Despised and Oppressed Party into such Combinations as may most enable them to get a full Revenge on those they count their Persecutors Pag. 166. Take heed that Outward Circumstances and Formalities of Religion devour not all Difficulties in printing have occasion'd some Faults which pray Excuse and Amend Page 8. line 18. after Quality add in saying p. 14 l. 10. was r. is p. 16. l. 5. these r those l. 27. Law r. Laws p 27. l 5 with r of p 29 l 31 of dele p. 33 l 1 hath r have p 39 l 10 r Salamin p 32 l 9 r who p 56 l 11 this r thy p 63 l 22 the dele l 31 and r if not p 78 l 20 r of your p 79 l 1 as dele l 26 r discord all c. p 82 l 3 whom r which p 83 l 1 r mutable state p 105 l 24 in r on p 11 1 l 1 r believeth p 118 l 2 preaching r packing p 120 l. 32 their r your p 132 l 8 r that impossible p 133 l 24 r Ages stood p 134 l 32 r have been p 137 l 6 they r she p 138 l 27 â—r the. p 139 l 9 r therefore l 16 read imbecil l 23 r Perfection p 140 l 28 r reject p 143 l 14 r for peace p 153 l 32 ciâ—il 1 personal p 156 l 13 ever r over l 30 r hurt p 178 l 7 Poper Judge p 183. l 11 the dale l 28 r and is it p 184 l 26 r let us p 185 l 14 those r three p 〈◊〉 l 22 intruded r intended p 202 l 4. r concerned p 208 l 17 r Proâ—… 16 r is it reasonable p 219 l 25 r undoing p 225 l 18 recerâ—… 〈◊〉 p 227 l 26 we r true p 229 l 29 r laid p 231 l 25â— and dele p 235 l 10 r Governments l 13 this r the. p 241 l 11 his r their l 22 refuse 〈◊〉 refuse p 244 l 3 r imprudent p 245 l 4 enslave r encrease THE END Isa 28. 1 3 7. Prov. 23. ver 29 30 31 32 33. Exod. 20. v. 4. Lev. 20 10.
the Hypostatical Union in fine the Athanasian Creed and other Articles of Faith or Rites of your Church not so clearly express'd in Scriptures and not easie to be apprehended or assented to will not this poor Creature be look'd upon either as Infidel or Heretick renounced all share in Christ and Christian Fellowship because his Weakness or Understanding will not allow him to come up to the full Inventory of Articles believed and imposed by you Certainly you must either be partial and give him that Liberty you deny to Persons of equâ—l Tenderness or else you mustafter your present streightness conclude him Infidel or Heretick But I would beseech you that we may consider if this bears any Proportion with the Wisdom and Love of God in sending Christ into the World to save you and me The Apostle became All unto all to win some but this is becoming All unto none to force all he thereby recommends the Utmost Condescention that can be lawful but this use of Humane Authority about Faith seems to make it unlawful to Condescend As if Force were better than Love and Conformity how ever it become at it than Christian Condescention The Blessed Apostle had his Eye to the Good Intention and Sober Life of the Weak and used an holy sort of Guile to catch them he seems as if he â—…ssembled the Knowledge of those Averse Opinions which they held or the necessity of their embracing those Doctrines which as yet they might not believe He fell not to Debate and Canvass Points in Difference between them which instead of Union would have enflam'd the Difference and rais'd Contention No no He became all unto all that is He stoop'd to all Capacities and humbled himself to those Degrees of Knowledge that men had and valued that which was good in all and with this Sweetness he practised upon them to their further proficiency in the School of Christ These Allurements were all his Injunctions nay in this Case he makes it an Injunction to use no other Let us therefore says he as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be OTHERWISE minded God shall reveal even this unto you You shall not be impos'd upon stigmatiz'd or excommunicated for Want of Full Satisfaction or because you do not Consent before Conviction for God shall REVEAL it to you you shall see and know what you do and to God you shall owe your Knowledge and Conformity and not to Humane Authority and Imposition your Faith shall not be implicit nor your Obedience blind the Reason of your Hope shall be in you Pray let us compare this with the Language of our own Times where People cannot come up to the Prescriptions of men but plead the Liberty of Dissent though with never so much Sobriety and true Tenderness of Conscience they are upbraided after this manner Are you Wiser than your Superiours Were our Fore-Fathers out of the Way Did no body know the Truth till you came Are you Wiser than all our Ministers and Bishops and your Mother the Church Can't it content you to believe as she believes Is not this Pride and Presumption in you a Design to make and head Sects and Parties with the like Entertainment Now this is that which you your selves at least in the Persons of your Ancestors have stiled POPERY yea POPERY in the abstract the Sum-Total of that Mystery its great Master piece to wit IMPLICIT FAITH and BLIND OBEDIENCE If so then say I let us also have a care of Popâ—ry in Protestant guise for that Popery is likely to do us most Injury that is least suspected I beg you by the Love of God and Truth and as you would lay a sure Foundation Piece here and eternal Comfort to your own Souls that you would consider the Tendency of upbraiding and violently over ruling the Dissent of Conscientious and Peaceable People For if you will Rob me once of the Liberty of my Choice the Use of my Understanding the Distinction of my Judgment no Religion comes amiss indeâ—d it leads to No Religion 'T was the Saying of the Old King to the then Prince of Wales and our present King Make the Religion of your Education the Religion of your Judgment which to me is of the Nature of an Appeal from his Education to his Judgment about the Truth of his Religion And that Religion which is too tender to be examin'd is unsound Prove all things and hold fast that which is good lies an Impeachment against Imposition deliver'd upon Record by the Apostle Paul in the Name of the Holy Ghâ—st 'T was the same Apostle that commended the Bereans of Old for that they diligently searched the Scriptures whethâ—r those things delivered by the Apostles concerning the Messiah were true Nay Christ himself to whom all power was given in Heaven and in Earth submitted himself to the Test he did not require them to believe him because he would be believed he refers them to the Witness that God bore to him If I bear Witness of my self my Witness is not true He also sends them to the Scriptures pleads the Truth of his Authority from that of his Doctrine and Miracles If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did And finally challenges them to convince him but of one Sin Which of you convinceth me of Sin and if I say the Truth why do ye not believe me He offers to reason the Matter and submit himself to Truth and well he might who was Truth it self But an IMPOSING CHURCH bears Witness of her self and will be both Party and Judge it requires Assent without Evidence and Faith without Proof therefore false Christian Religion ought to be carried on only by that way by which it was introduced which was PERSWASâ—ON If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me and this is the Glory of it that it does not destroy but fairly conquer the Understanding I am not unacquainted with the Pretences of Romanists to Abâ—egation to a Mortified and Self denying Life and I do freely acknowledge that the Author of the German Theology Taulerus and Thomas a Kempis and others of that sort of Men in their Communion have written Excellent Practical Things but there is scarcely any thing of this Violent Popery in those Tracts On the contrary the very Nature and Tendency of them is Diametrically Opposit to the present Constitution of that Church and all others that practise Imposition in Religion And as it is one great Mark of the False Church to pervert the right End of True Doctrine so hath she excelled in the Abuse of that Excellent Word SELF-DENYAL For she hath translated it from Life to Understanding from Morals to Faith Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to subject the Understanding to the Obedience of Faith is the perpetual Burden of their Song and Conclusion of their Conferences But what is this Faith that