Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A45429
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Of superstition
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Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing H566; ESTC R9307
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19,990
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27
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fourth of the particular Church each of which ought to have their authority with us though that in different degrees all this while I offend not because the holinesse which I place in them is still proportioned to the ground of it the authority of him that thus separated them And so againe if my voluntary oblation I performe as a voluntary oblation and only expect that God that hath promised to accept such will if it be as it ought accept this and in case of resolution and vow add that respect in my performance which is due to such all this while I am not blame-worthy But if I straine either of these any degree above its ranke elevate an Ecclesiasticall or humane Constitution into a divine Praecept c. then I shall acknowledge this a fault and that fault perhaps capable of the title of Superstition which yet must not be extended thus farre that the giving of the like obedience to one as the other is this fault for obedience being due to both Divine and Humane lawes keeping their termes of subordination I am alike bound by Christ to obey both and I must not make any difference in that Obedience but do both for Conscience sake but that the confounding the grounds or foundations of my obedience which ought to be distinguished is in it selfe an error and that which may prove of ill importance by making me equall them when perhaps they come in competition with and so thwart one another in which case the inferiour ought to give place to the superiour If to this it be replyed that though I doe not elevate this above its pitch do not thus attribute more holynesse to this or that then it deserves yet Papists or other Superstitious persons have done so and therefore the thing is become Superstitious and consequently must be forborne by me also To this I answere First That the ill use of any will not corrupt a thing in it selfe either commanded or but laudable or only innocent before and consequently though the Papists be superstitious yet will not every thing from them be sufficiently proved to be superstitious unlesse it have some other crime beside their using it for otherwise not only the Creede and Pater-noster but even the Scripture it selfe must be superstitious also This inconsequence being acknowledged I ad Secondly that there is nothing which can obliege me to abstein froÌ„ that which they have used superstitiously unlesse either the danger that I be thought to doe so too to be as Superstitious as they or the possibility that others following me in doing it may follow them in doing it superstitiously and either of these dangers being supposed will not yet come home to prove it Superstitious which is the only thing we have now to consider the most that they can doe is to make it scandalous and beside that this belongs to another matter and is abundantly handled in another Discourse on that Subject I shall add one thing more that this consideration of the danger or possibility is not so much a religious as a prudentiall one for an act of prudence it is to weigh and ponder whether this be a probable danger or no and so belongs to the higher powers to consider of not to every private man who if they thinke fit by lawe to forbid it I must not then venter on it if non obstante this appearance of danger to command it though 't is possible they may doe amisse in so doing yet I having nothing to doe in that act of theirs unlesse I am of Counsell advised with in it may be innocent enough in so obeying and if they have thought fit neither to command nor forbid then am I left free in my owne particular and may doe either so I doe it with those cautions that in the tract of Scandall are set downe To which if it be replyed that though this bee true in thesi yet in hypothesi 't will not be pertinent in this kingdome The lawes of this kingdome have taken away all Ceremonies used in the Roman Church save those that are named in those Lawes and so have left no man any such liberty I answere They have taken away the obliegingnesse but not lawfulnesse of them unlesse of those which eyther our Church or some higher principle hath pronounced unlawfull my meaning is that whatsoever laudable performance was taken up by the Papists and by them commanded now though that command be taken away and so we free from the obliegingnesse or burthen of it yet 't is not therfore made unlawfull or prohibited to us for that were to restraine our liberty also and only to exchange one burthen for another or if it were I should then thinke my selfe oblieged to absteine also The Conclusion from all this discourse will be that if some men as they will abide no Rites so they would avow no quarrels but what Scripture will give them particular directions or commands for and consequently if they would not judge or damn their brethren when neither Christ and his writ nor the authority of the primitive universall Church nor the orders of the particular within which they live nor the indecency of the thing it selfe of which yet every private man must not bee alowed a competent judge condemns them it might be hoped that truth and peace and justice and charity that have taken their joynt flight from this earth together might together returne to it againe which till it be done it must be still expected that they who have learn't one of the Divels attributes that of Satan Adversary or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} enemy Man will also advance to another that of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} calumniator and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} accuser as of the brethren i. e. true beleevers soe of every christian or innocent action of theirs and that if there bee no known playne sinne to be charged on them with any probability then some unknowne obscure misunderstood name shall supply that place and as once Aerodius observed that there was a Lawe made that no crime should bee capitall but treason but then every the least misbehaviour or even innocent harmlesse action in such whom they had a minde to punish was brought in under the title of Treason and so every thing became capitall by that meanes so now it being by some men resolved if the testimony of the rest of their lives may be beleeved that there is no capitall damning sinne worth heeding or abstaining from but Superstition every rite or gesture or motion in them whom they please to quarrell with shall be accused and arraigned and sentenced under that title It were to be wish't that the paines that is taken in defaming all bodily worship under the morma of Superstition were more profitably employed either in finding out meanes to encrease our inward attention and fervor in performing that great duty of prayer to which purpose I am confident fasting and humility of bodily gestures those two maine branches of the moderne Superstition will not bee found unprofitable or else in the search of that spirituall pride and uncharitablenesse and contention that filthinesse of the Spirit which is apt to steale into and defile the best mens hearts and if it may please of one reall blasting damning and yet as if out-dated little considered sinne you may take your option eyther that of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Sacriledge Ro. 2. 22. or that other of irreverence and prophanenesse Take heede that no man deceive you with vaine words FINIS ERRATA PAg 2. lin. 35. read {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p 3. l. 35. r Rom. 1. 25. p. 4. in marg. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p. 5. in marg. Char. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p 5. l. 15. p. 5. l. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p 7. l. 3 for men we r. many so p. 9 l. 3. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} l. 9. r. â—ome beyond l. 11. for soules r. Gaules l. 13. r. There lies saith he in their Temples â— l. 22. r. not touching p. 12. l. 37. r Superstitiosus p 15. l. 36. r. since that others p. 21. l. 4r have placed p. 22. l. 36. for them r. thence 1. 2. 3. 4. De ver. Relig. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. a Pausan. in Atticis p. 15. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p. 22 Philostratus if Apollonius l. 4. c. 6. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Strabo {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} c. Max. Tyr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Strom. p. 377. 12. 13. Char. cap. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} In Alex §. 14. Cic. l. 2. Academ. Quaest Sic ille deum opere magno liberat me timore Quis enim potest cum existimet a Deo se curari non numendivinum horrere c. Cic. Ib. Intelligitur a beatâe immortalique naturâ iram gratiam segregari qut quibus remotis nullos a superis impendere metus Cic. l. 1. de nat. de L. de fin Imposuistis in cervicibus nostris sempiternum Deminum quem dies noctes timeremus Quis enim non Timeas omnis providentem curiosum plenum negotij Deum Hinc {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Hinc {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} qui tanta imbueremur superstitione si vos audire vellemus at c. His terro ibus ab Epicuro saluti non metuimus eos quos intelligimus nec sibi fingere ullam molestiam nec alteri quaerere c. Cic. l. 1. de Nat. De §. 15. §. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. * {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58.