Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n
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B20784
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An essay for the conversion of the Irish shewing that 'tis their duty and interest to become Protestants : in a letter to themselves.
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Cox, Richard, Sir, 1650-1733.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing C6721
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30,538
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48
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the Statutes of Provisors and Premunire manifested that they were not such Bigots to the Papacy as you are They Enacted the Oath of Supremacy and took it and generally went to Church and were called Church-Papists until the Prospect of some hopeful Rebellion in favour of Rome made them Recusants Sect 110. But what if your Forefathers wer Papists would you therefore Prefer your Extraction before the Truth Or were not their Ancestors Heathens and as it would be ill in your Forefathers to remain Heathens because their Ancestors were so it is as ill in you to remain in Error Ignorance and Superstition because your Forefathers were in that condition In short This was the Argument of the Iews against their Conversion if it did sound Ill in their Mouths 't will not sound Well in yours Sect 111. As to the Sixth That there is but One Faith and One Church 't is true but that is the Christian Faith and Christian Church and tho' the several sorts of Christians as Papists Protestants Greeks Armenians c. may be said to be of different Communions Parties or Sects yet they are all Parts of the Catholcik Church and are all of that One Christian Church faith and Religion mention'd in the Gospel and therefore the Baptism of each of these Churches is allowed by the rest and the Papists dare not Re-baptize those that were Christned by Protestants which proves that they admit the Protestant to be a True Christian Church And they know well enough That difference in Opinion does not always make one of a different Religion else the Fathers were not Catholicks for there were very few of them but differ'd in some Point or other many of them were Millienaries and some had Notions more Hetrodox Nay Separate Communions do many times rather infer several Factions than different Religions as appears between the Episcoparians Presbyterians and Independants whose Creed is the same and consequently their Religion So that it is a Palpable Artifice to apply those Texts of the Gospel relating to One Church One Faith c. to any Particular Sect Party Faction or Communion within the Catholick or Christian Church Sect 112. It must be understood that the word Catholick signifies Vniversal and so 't is in the Apostles Creed in French L' Esglise Universelle The Universal Church which is what I said before The Christian Church throughout the World Now with what Front can the Particular Church of Rome call it self The Vniversal Church Certainly it would never have past if the People had not been blinded with the Term Catholick which they thought signified no more than Orthodox But say the Papists We do not mean the Particular Diocess of Rome only but also all other parts of the World that are in Communion with her and this we call The Vniversal Church But this won't mend the Blunder because all those Churches in Communion with Rome do make but a part much greater indeed than before of the Vniversal Church whilst there are any other Christian Churches out of its Communion For the Vniversal Church must comprehend All Assemblies of Christians over all the World So that if there were 1000 Christian Churches or Congregations in the World and 900 of them vvere of the Popish Communion as one Third of them are not yet vvere not she the Catholick or Vniversal Church properly speaking or in any other sense but as Professing the Faith and Doctrine vvhich our Saviour Published to the Universal World And it is the Point in Question vvhether she does that or no. And 't is to be noted that the vvord Catholick is inserted in the Creed in opposition to Iudaism vvhich vvas in effect appropriated to a Few vvhereas the Christian Religion is Catholick and Universally offered to The Whole World and all the Nations thereof Sect 113. To the Seventh I ansvver That Popery is not the safer Religion but on the contrary is by reason of its Idolatry and Superstition the most dangerous of all Christian Religions 'T is true We dare not Limit the Infinite Mercy of God nor determine hovv far Invincible Ignorance may excuse Idolaters Papists or even Turks and Heathens Does it follovv that any Man should choose to be an Idolater or a Papist or a Turk rather then to be a Good Christian because this last is Modest and vvill not Pronounce any Man Damn'd without warrant and the former are Rash and Uncharitable in Censures they have no Ground for Suppose two Ships Sayling together one Stanch and the other Leaky the Crew of the latter swear the stanch Vessel will Perish the others perceive no danger to themselves but think 't is 1000 to one if the Leaky Vessel reaches the Shore Yet allow that 't is possible she may Which of these two would a Wise Man choose to go in or has he any thing to do but to examine which is the Leaky Vessel and which is the Stanch one Moreover if We Examine this Popular Argument by like cases that have happened in the Church we shall find it but a Pittiful piece of Sophistry The Donatists denyed the Baptism of the Catholicks whilst the Church allowed the Baptism of the Donatists yet would not S. Augustin be Re-baptiz'd St. Paul owns a Possibility of Salvation to the Iudaizing Christians who built with Straw and Stubble on Foundations of Christianity Which They denyed to The Orthodox So that if this Popish Argument were Good All the Orthodox should have Iudaiz'd since both sides Allowed They might be saved But St. Paul and the Primitive Christians were wiser then to leave a certain way of Salvation for a meer Possibility of being Saved Besides The Protestant Religion is the safer because it Enjoyns you to believe no more then you do already and only Obliges you to Reject some New Whimsies which may safely be omitted whether the Doctrine be true or false for Example tho' the Doctrine of Merit were True Yet 't is more safe to depend upon the Merits of Our Saviour than upon our Own If there be a Purgatory Yet 't is safer to make our Calling and Election sure by Piety and Repentance in this Life then to Rely upon future Purgations If the Saints do hear yet 't is more Safe and Profitable to make our Prayers and Addresses to God And even if Transubstantiation it self were True Yet it would be safe to approach the Altar with that Preparation and Reverence our Church enjoyns but if it be not True 't is very Unsafe and Plain Idolatry to Adore corruptible Bread for the Ever living and Incorruptible GOD. Sect 114. And as to the Eighth and last Objection I Answer That nothing is more Ingenuous and Praise-worthy than to Confess and Forsake ones Errors And nothing more Dishonourable than to be Obstinate in a Bad Cause If it had been a Principle that were Justifiable That one never ought to change ones Sentiment our Saviours Preaching had been in vain since there could be neither Conversion nor Reformation