Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A53528
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Sound advice to Roman Catholics, especially the residue of poor, seduced and deluded Papists in England who obstinately shut both eyes and ears against the clearest light of the Gospel of Christ and surest evidences of Scripture and reason to which is added a Word to the people called Quakers / by T.O.
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Oates, Titus, 1649-1705.
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1689
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Wing O56; ESTC R15543
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17,650
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be understood how shall it be known what is spoken for ye shall speak unto the Air Yea in this same Chapter vers 23. he compareth those who are guilty of this foolery to Barbarians and Mad-men and telleth that tongues are for a sign to them that believe not but Nonsense to them that believe Moreover to be spoke to with stammering lips and Men of another tongue was a Curse from God upon Israel as it is now on the obstinate Romans this day Isa 28.11 My twelfth and last Objection shall be against their Doctrine of Adultery or their Clergies single life wherein they condemn their Sacrament of Marriage as an unholy thing and a stumbling-block in the way to Heaven God appointed it from the beginning Christ countenanc'd it and the Apostle recommended it as honourable to all Men. What then are they who give the lye both to God and Man terming it unholy and unclean whilst God hath affirmed the contrary in as direct and plain terms as any man yea beyond what the Wisest Orator can express But since this is so plain an absurdity in it self I shall not spend Pen and Ink in proving that which no rational man will deny only suffer me at last now to treat or rather surfeit your Eyes and Ears with one abominable Story which is this Hudericus Bishop of Augusta in an Epistle Writeth to Pope Nicholas I. that Gregory the Great bound the Clergy to a single Life but on a certain time a Woman catching small fishes which this superstitious Monk thought only lawful to be eaten found 6000 Heads of Infants which had been therein drowned which Monk Gregory perceiving to be the effect of the Clergies single Life with sighing and sorrowing he revoked the Canon Yea it is reported by the foresaid Bishop that the Clergy did so burn in Lust that they not only kept Company with Married Women and their own Kindred but with Mankind and the very Beasts in the Field Another Story the Parallel whereof you may read in several Popish Historians is this Leander and Tritemius report that about the year of our Lord 1470 Alanus de Rupe a Dominican after he had seen several Visions contrived his Work called Rosarium out of our Ladies Psalter and Preach'd it instead of the Gospel which Pope Sixtus IV. confirmed with Bulls and Indulgences Whereupon a certain Book was published in the beginning whereof is Written that the B. Virgin came into the Cell of the said Alan it being shut and made him a Ring of her own Hair and betrothed her self to the Monk kissing him and giving him leave to handle her Breasts and finally to be as intimate as Man and Wife This is he from whom sprang the Order of Alanites and whose Miracles the Popish Clergy so zealously defend I thought to have spoken something of several other Popish Opinions especially of Pennance Pardons and Indulgences but lest I weary you I shall only refer you to a little Pamphlet sold by the Booksellers of London Intituled Sodom Fair which discovereth the Nakedness and Abominations of the Romish Harlot to the Life or rather Death from which I pray God may deliver us all I resolved once as I have said to have given you a taste of all the poysonous and counterfeit Merchandize that is expos'd in the Market of the Man of Sin and a touch of all his Hocus Tricks and Popish Pranks But he who readeth with an Impartial Eye considereth with an Unprejudic'd Understanding and receiveth what I have here written in an honest Heart will be ready to turn his back on Babilon and his face Zion ward and enquire after the good old way which is set before us in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament Therefore it is my humble and hearty Advice that all people be terrified at the Name of Popery and that all Roman Catholicks open their obstinate Eyes and Ears to see and hear the Word of Truth and with the Noble Bereans search the Scriptures the Writings of the Fathers yea and their own Legends and Historians to see whether what the Christian Protestant Churches affirm be conform to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles or not Then if Baal be God follow him if the Pope or his Creature the Hoste his imaginary Deity be God follow him But if there be no God but one allsufficient eternal invisible and incomprehensible follow him according to his own Will and the Rule which he hath in his Word prescribed to us but if you will neither hear nor believe the Word of God and Scriptures of Truth nor the Writings of the Fathers and of your own Historians then if one should come from the Dead you will neither hear nor believe him For they that shut both Eyes and Ears and resolve to be filthy will be filthy still And none can do more but with the Prophet Jer. 51.8 Wail over you and cry out We would have healed Babilon but she is not healed But remember what the Lord saith by the Prophet Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a Fire that compass your selves about with sparks Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled This shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow A WORD To the People called QUAKERS Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth I Intended to have spoken of your Opinions and Principles but considering that you all pretend to an Inspiration of the Infalllble Spirit of Truth and need no outward teachers I shall only humbly advise you to square your profession and try your Spirits by the Scriptures of Truth for the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets And if you walk not after that Rule which God hath set down in his Written Word and holy Will it is because there is no light in you Next I cordially request you to consider that all ages since our Saviour's days did repute them Hereticks who denied the sanctified use and benefit of the Sacraments which God in Christ hath appointed as Seals of the New Covenant to be an Evidence before the World that as we really believe in our hearts before God we are not ashamed before men to own him for a Redeemer whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for the Remission of our Sins and Salvation of our Souls And tho you repute them foolish and ridiculous God by the foolishness of Sacraments yea of Baby-sprinkling Bread-eating and Wine-drinking hath oft-times conveyed Grace Comfort and Strength to weary fainting Souls Neither can you wipe off what I affirm by saying they were but beggarly Rudiments for young beginners to endure but for a short season For our Saviour in his last Will recommended them to his Apostles as a Christian performance to endure till the end of the World. Baptism he did Matth. 28.19 Teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World. Now since Baptism is one among these all things which Christ hath commanded to the peformance of which he hath promised his assisting presence to the Worlds end it cannot be a transient Necessarium secundum quid a thing that may be done or flighted and that but for a short space for the Words are baptizing them viz. all Nations Now when there are no Nations there will be no Baptism but as long as there is any Nation or one Man of a Nation Baptism will never be an useless Rudiment of humane Institution or that which may be thrown away as a ridiculous Tradition And as for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper our Saviour said Matth. 23.19 This do in Remembrance of me Now if the time be expired wherein we should not remember our Redeemer and the time come wherein we should forget him then may we lawfully lay by his Sacrament Sed falsum prius ergo c. The next advice that I would give Quakers is negative concerning matters of Fact and that is that they neither lye cheat nor covet For he that saith that he is Religious taught and led by the Spirit of Truth and doth such things his show of Religion is vain he is yet blind and not purged from the Old Man Love not the World then neither the things that are in the World. If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him The Prophet Micah adviseth us to a good Religion Chap 6.8 To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God. Which if all would study before they fall by the ears in controversie for the tithes of Mint and Rue there would be more sincere knowledge in Religion more inward Peace and outward Content and greater practice of true piety For the Lord saith by his prophet David Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. Now to this God only Wise be ascribed all Glory Honour and Praise with Dominion Majesty and Might World without end Amen FINIS