Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n
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A56280
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A full and clear exposition of the Protestant rule of faith with an excellent dialogue laying forth the large extent of true Protestant charity against the uncharitable papists.
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Pulton, A. (Andrew), 1654-1710.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing P4205; ESTC R7815
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18,771
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21
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possible in reading of Scripture grounding himself on your Assertion of the last Ten Ages having produc'd nothing but Impostors and considering that all the Arguments you bring against Miracles in the Roman Church may equally be alledg'd against those of Moses and our Saviour should remain convinc'd that the Creation of the World the Wonders of Exodus and all the other surprizing Stories related in Holy Writ are meer Fables and consequently that Religion is only a pure invention of States-men Politickly devised to keep Mankind in aw and in fine question the very Being of a Deity Phil. Sir I have often told you Iudge no Man. Eu. So that Heretieal Blasphemous Anti-christian Diabolical Turkish Iewish Heathenish Atheistical Doctrines undergo no censure from a true Protestant than the which what can be granted more destructive to Christianity Unheard of PARADOXES following from the Protestant Rule of Faith. 1 Paradox WHen Luther's Conscience checkt him in the terms he expresseth a Lut. to Ger. fol. 9 to 2. Wittem 1562. alibi How often did my trembling heart beat within me and reprehending me object against me that most strong Argument art thou only wife Do so many Worlds Err Were so many Ages Ignorant What if thou Errest and drawest so many into Errour with thee to be damn'd Eternally And again b Luth. to 5. Wittem in Galat. fol. 290. in Coll. Mensal fol 273. Dost thou O sole Man and of no account take upon thee so great matters What if thou being but one offendest If God permit such so many and all to Err why may he not permit thee to Err. c Luth. to 7. Wittem an 1558. to 6. Ger. fol. 26. aliis in Locis Hitherto appertain those strong Arguments the Church the Fathers the Concils the Customs the Multitudes and Greatness of Wise Men who have taught the opposite Doctrine to mine d In col mensal 158. in prof in to Ger. f. 9. That I had never begun this business e That my Writings were burnt and bury'd in Eternal Oblivion A true Protestant believes that Luther did Prudently and Piously stifle all these remorses of his Conscience and that he was endu'd with the Spirit of God when he said f Tom. 5. Wittem an 1554. fol. 290. in Ep. ad Gal. c. Be it that the Church Austin and other Doctors also Peter and Paul yea that an Angel from Heaven teach otherwise yet is my Doctrine such as setteth forth God's only Glory Peter the chief of the Apostles did live and teach besides the word of God. Now dear Christian what Judgment can be more rash injurious and contrary to Christian Charity than to assert that so many Holy and Learned Doctors as have been and are confessed Papists and even the whole visible Church for the space of at least a thousand years could either ignorantly mistake or would wilfully forsake the true sense of God's word so clearly shining in Scripture as every petty Protestant doth pretend what so repugnant to Christian modesty and simplicity as for a Man to prefer his own private Opinion to the Decissions of General Councils Torrents of Fathers Clouds of Witnesses and the Universal Tradition of so many Ages 2 Paradox A true Protestant believes that Almighty God having a Loc. com Class 4. pag. 50. a design to Reform his Church made use of Luther haunted by the Devil from a Child to avoid whose molestations he became Religious and was quiet till he threw off his Habit and held Sacrilegious commerse with a Nun when again the Devil return'd really not imaginarily to him Of Calvin b Sclussel Hier. Bols an 1577. Defence of the censur fol. 81. 8. who besides the keeping a Gentleman of La-anna's Wife was sentenc'd at Noyon in France to be publickly branded in the Shoulder for sins not to be named as was Registred by Mr. Bertilier Secretary of the Council of Geneva under a sworn Notaries hand c Ibid. fol. 86. 87 c. Of Beza who liv'd in wickedness with Andebertus a Boy with Candida a Harlot who ran away with a Taylors Wife that dwelt in Calenderstreet in Paris and kept another Woman called Claudia whose Child he kill'd to cover the sin Of d See the Stat. an 28. Henic 7. 1536. Cranmer who two several times at least Marry'd King Henry the Eighth and as often declared the said Marriage Null e Dr. Heyl. Fox c. Besides his own marrying against his Oath when a Fellow at Cambridge and afterwards f Schi Angl. p. 216. when Bishop carried his Wench along with him in his Episcopal Visitations Of Poynet who went to Law with a Butcher for his Wife having then another Wife living Of g Bale of hemself Cent. 5. 245. Bale who was inspir'd to take a sweet-heart called Doll All of them men without Mission either Ordinary as not being sent by any Lawful Power upon Earth or Extraordinary that is particularly Delegated from Heaven as not having all of them together as Erasmus well objected power of Miracles even so far as to cure a Lame Horse And that they had neither command over Devils Gift of Tongues Spirit of Prophesy or any Supernatural Grace whatever Yet these men are believed by a true Protestant to have been Vessels of Election chosen by Almighty God to Reform the World men endu'd with a Divine Spirit and that Austin Apostle of our Countrey Boniface sent hence with Twelve Companions to the Conversion of Germany Willebrord sent with as many to the Conversion of Brabant Freez-land Izeland c. Monks of exquisite Learning Irreproachable Behaviour Unspotted Innocency Saint-like Conversation Gifted from above with all supernatural Graces Power of Miracles and most of which sealed their irreprehensible lives with a Glorious Martyrdom were Impostors or at least imposed upon Deceivers or deceived to have believ'd and taught a Doctrine to be Reformed by Martin Luther Calvin c. that Bucer Peter Martin c. having sacreligiously broken their tripple Vow made to God and coming into England with their debauched Nuns brought along with them the purity of the Primitive Church And that their Contemporary Xaverius leaving all his great Pretentions in Europe and sailing into the remotest parts of the East to Preach the Faith Gifted from Heaven with Power of curing all Diseases raising the dead casting out Devils endued with a high spirit of Prophesy Gift of Tongues and whom God prospered so far that he Converted from Paganism 12 Kingdoms by his Preaching and still savours by preserving his Innocent Unspotted and Chaste Body uncorrupt at Goa A true Protestant I say believes Bucer sent by God Xaverius by the spirit of Falshood If so let Protestants object no more that Catholicks require we deny our senses since they exact that we lay aside our Reason 3 Paradox A true Protestant believes that that Government would be the best Constituted in the World as being a perfect model of the
A Full and Clear EXPOSITION OF THE PROTESTANT Rule of Faith With An Excellent DIALOGUE Laying forth the large Extent of True Protestant Charity against the Uncharitable Papists I Having made it a prime part of my Study these several years to seek into the Principles of Religion and upon account that I judged the saving of my Soul the greatest concern I had to deal in this World I was resolved maugre all the Principles of Education Interest or Passion there to fix where I truly was convinced between God and my own Soul that the surest footing was and securest way to Salvation Which to my unspeakable comfort being satisfy'd that I have found I can't conceal the desire I have of directing others to endeavour the same that they may partake of the like happiness which I my self enjoy To accomplish this the more compendiously I conceive nothing more efficacious than to search as I have done into the different grounds of each Church The Roman Catholicks tho' they allow any sober Person may read with leave the Holy Scriptures yet they permit none to interpret the same in points of Faith unless they take along with them the Judgment of the whole Church either diffusive or assembled by her Representatives in a General Council Lawfully call'd under their chief head his Holiness of Rome and to such Definitions alone do they believe themselves bound to subscribe Now our Protestant Churches deal more liberally and allow every sound Member a power of reading Holy Scripture and judging of Controversies in Faith according to the measure of light imparted so that no body is Bound to submit either to Fathers or Councils unless he judge they speak conformably to his private sense of Scripture Now having lately touched upon this point in my Answer to Dr. Tennison's Remarks and having fram'd an argument of no small force to invalidate the Protestant Rule of Faith as by him delivered to which the Dr. in his fifteen Sheets has not returned one Syllable I thought it might prove very beneficial to the Publick if that point were throughly handled the whole weight of all Controversy turning upon this Hinge viz. whether there be any Power upon Earth to which all Men are bound to submit in matters of Faith as the Catholicks teach or whether every sound Man be left free to judge for himself as the Protestants assert Methinks I see the Protestant Reader in a Zealous fret for having bought the Paper of an Author against whom he has conceived a notable prejudice borrowed from the Writings of Dr. Tennison which he has been pleased to inter-line with many very Injurious and Scandalous reflections upon Me and My Religion nothing provoked thereto as appears from the modest account I gave of the Conference nor do my Remarks contain any more than a Vindication void of Passion to which Truth and Justice did oblige me And although the Dr. continue in his fifteen Sheets called Pulton Considered his Reviling Defaming and Bantering Stile yet ever willing to yield to the Dr. in this the Answer I will shorly publish thereto as it shall be very short so it shall contain nothing that may disedify the Reader The Dr. having assign'd the Holy Scriptures as understood by every sound Iudgment for the Rule of Faith and consequently having given to every such Person authority to Judge of Controversies in Faith at least as far as concerns his own salvation I fram'd the following Discourse the Dr. has not been pleased to return an Answer tho' it was the chief Querie put to him We must allow if to any a soundness of Judgement to Luther Calvin Carolostadius Zwinglius Beza Castalio c. who were the principal Heads of the Reformed Churches and consequently receiv'd more of the Divine Influence us'd more industry in acquiring Authentick Copies comparing of Texts Imploring the Divine Assistance than any of their Followers To begin therefore with Luther Zwinglius says of him That he was a foul Corrupter and horrible Falsifier of God's Word One who followed the Marcionists and Arians that raz'd out such places of Holy Writ as were against him Thou dost says he to Luther corrupt the word of God Thou art seen to be a manifest and common Corrupter and Perverter of the Holy Scriptures How much are we asham'd of thee who have hitherto esteem'd thee With how great reason Zwinglius objected this to him those are Judges who have noted above a thousand places chang'd by him in the New Testament alone Vide Bell. Ser. de Pentec and that he set forth the Gospels seven times every Edition very much differing from the precedent Now I desire to know whether and when Martin Luther had the assistance of the H. Ghost Luther on the other side affirms of the Zwinglian Translators That they are Fools Asses Anti-christs Deceivers and of an Ass-like understanding Beza says of the Basilian Translation That it is in many places Wicked and altogether differing from the mind of the Holy Ghost Of Beza's Translation Castalio observes That to note all his Errours would require a great Volume Beza again pronounces of Gastalio's Edition that It is False Foolish Unskillful Bold Blasphemous Vitious Ridiculous Cursed Erronious Wicked Perverse In the first English Bible set forth in the Reign of Henry VIII by Tindal the chief Apostle of the pretended Reformation Bishop Tunstal has noted no less than two thousand Corruptions in the Translation of the New Testament alone Give me leave here to argue as follows I have a Soul to save which is the Concern of Concerns and which being once lost is irrecoverably lost and for all Eternity never to be redeem'd from an Abyss of inexplicable Wo. For the saving of this most precious Soul I ask of our pretended Reformers What I am to do Take this Scripture say the Zwinglians and here you shall find the word of Life Hearken not to them says Luther they are Fools Anti-christs Deceivers I turn to Luther Take heed says Zwinglius He is a Marcionist an Arian a manifest and common Corruper and Perverter of the Holy Scriptures I leave them both and go to Beza He offers me a Volume which he calls the Word of GOD when Castalio crying out bids me beware and tells me 't is a Volume of Errours Beza defends himself by defaming Castalio as False Bold Blasphemous Cursed Erronious Allarm'd at the clashing of this Cadmean Race of Reformers I leave Germany and come into England a Wise and Polite Nation which having consider'd at a distance these mutual Dissentions of our Heavenly gifted Gospellers takes doubtless better measures Tindal her prime Apostle offers me the Book of Life when Tunstal warns me of two thousand Corruptions in the lesser half of it I hang in suspence The Parliament declares it to be a Crafty False and Relig. Gover. p. 306. 318. untrue Translation Yet Cranmer is allowed to present me it again little chang'd besides the Marginal Notes and Preface