Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26073
|
A seasonable discourse against toleration with a preface wherein the nature of persecution in general and the unjust complaints of the dissenting parties concerning it in particular are distinctly considered.
|
Assheton, William, 1641-1711.
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing A4041; ESTC R23636
|
62,270
|
115
|
Subscriptions and Declarations to give the Magistrate assurance that he is Orthodox and Peaceable m Mr. Newcomen Serm. at Pauls Feb. 8. 1646. p. 40. Possibly they will all say They are of the same Opinion with the Reformed Churches in Fundamentals as well as we and their differences are but in minutioribus Now supposing this to be true as it may be in some of them why do they then transgress the Apostles Rule why do they not if it be in matters of lesser moment wherein they differ from us why do not they keep their Opinions private and have their Faith unto themselves before God why do they upon so small Differences if the Differences be so small withdraw from Communion with us and the rest of the Churches and gather themselves into distinct and separate Churches n Vt supra p. 21. Had all that Profess the Gospel in England made Conscience to be of the same mind and the same Judgment with their Brethren and the rest of the Churches of Christ as far as possibly and where they cannot where there is a necessity of differing had they made Conscience to keep their Differences from appearing in Publick to have their private Opinions and Faith to themselves and not intangle the weak with their doubtful Disputations forbearing to judge or despise those that are not of their Opinion loving them still as Brethren not censuring them as Prophane Antichristian Fighters against God men that will wilfully shut their eyes against the Light had these things I say been attended to on all hands our Breaches had never been so great as now they are nor should the lovers of Truth and Peace have had so much cause to lament them But o Mr. Baxters Cure of Church divisions pag. 254. O the deceitfulness of the heart of man Little do many real Separists who cry out against the spirit of Persecution suspect that the same spirit is in them whence is Persecution but from thinking ill of others and abhorring them or not loving them And do not you do so by those whom you causelesly separate from p Mr. Newcomen ut supra p. 40. Who are they that brand their Brethren with the Title Proud Time-servers Prelatical Tyrannical Antichristian And what is this less then Persecution q Rom. 2. 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for in that thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things r Matth. 7. 3. 4. 5. And why beholdest thou the More that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the Beam that is in thine own eye Or how wilt thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the Mote out of thine eye and behold a Beam is in thine own eye Thou Hypocrite first cast out the Beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the Moat out of thy Brothers eye I have a fair occasion could I allow my self the liberty of its improvement to return my Brethrens Argument upon their own heads by assuring them and I beseech God to give them grace to consider and bewaile it that the Persecution so much complained of lyes at their own Doors they being not innocent Sufferers but injurious Aggressors These I know are very harsh and unpleasing words but the Truth of them will appear when we shall have remembred that there are more sorts of Persecution then one of which St. ſ Lib. de Vnit Eccles contr Peril Epist cap. 17. Augustine thus informes Gravius persequitur filius Patrem male vivendo quam Pater filium castigando Et gravius ancilla Saram persecuta est per iniquam Superbiam quam eam Sara per debitam Disciplinam Et gravius Dominum persequebantur propter quos dictum est zelus domus tuae comedit me quam eos ipse cum eorum mensas evertit eos flagello de templo expulit There is you see Persecution of the Tongue and of an irregular Life as well as of the Hand and if my Brethren are not at present guilty of this latter whether through restraint or their own good nature I shall not determine I am sure the former is their constant Practice For to insist only upon that 't is even amazeing to mention what bitter Taunts rude Sarcasmes unmannerly Jeers fabulous Stories scandalous Reproaches are their daily exercise whereby they vex the Righteous Souls weaken the Hands discourage the Endeavours of their honest Orthodox Conforming Brethren Are not all Places all Companies all Occasions sufficient witnesses of this Truth Really 't is very sad and to be lamented with Tear That the great work of Religion the Preaching of the Gospell and the Salvation of Souls should be thus obstructed by these unfortunate practises But I hope no faithfull Son of the Church will be discourag'd at these Things or in the least neglect his Duty though all the World should be offended at him The Rule is fixt We must obey God rather them Man 'T is our Dear Lords case in whom there was no Sin neither was Guile found in his mouth and yet he was accus'd for a Wine bibber a Glutton and that he had a Devill t Math. 10. 24. c. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord if they have call'd the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his Houshold Fear them not therefore Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell I cannot now stay to expostulate with my Brethren otherwise I should tell them there is such a thing as Scandal and that Christ hath little ones the meanest of whom if they offend hinder from their Duty and stop them in their way to Heaven by speaking Evil of the Ways of God it were better a Milstone were hanged about their necks and they cast into the midst of the Sea But I shall only desire them to consider that of Saint James If any man among you seem to be Religious and u James 1. 26. bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans Religion is vain w Mr. Baxter ut supra p. 245. And yet how contrary is the practise of no small number of the Religious In all Companies how forward are they to talke of the sins of Princes and Parliaments of Courtiers of Nobility and Gentry especially of Ministers And not onely of the scandalous that are guilty indeed but of the Innocent that are not of their way whose faults they rather x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make than find I have done and must intreat the Readers Charity in pardoning those excesses of my Pen which whilst I was intent upon the matter may possibly have
fall'n from mee God he knows it and t is my comfort when the world condemnes mee I have no designe to exasperate any man but to reforme him If this do not satisfy for some men are very hard to please take this farther Apology in the words of that Reverend Person now mentiond whose Piety and Moderation I wish his Brethren would imitate y Mr. Baxter ut supra p. 251. 253. Woe to the Land and People that can multiply Sin and cannot Repent And woe to them that pretend Repentance and love to be flatter'd in their Sin and cannot endure to be admonish'd but take all the discoverys of their Sin to be injurious reproach Among the Prophane wee take this to bee a deadly sign of Impenitency And is it so bad in them and good in us It is part of my Office to cry with holy Bradford REPENT O ENGLAND and to say after Christ Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise Perish And can I call men to Repent when I must not dare to tell them of what nor to mention the Sin which is most to be repented of I use all this Preface because I know that Guilt and Impenitency are touchy and tender and galled and querulous and such will bestow the time in backbiting their Monitor which they should bestow in lamenting their sin But shall I therefore forbear and betray their Souls and betray the Land through cowardly Silence Must I shew that I hate Professours by not admonishing them Lev. 19. 17. when I must shew that I love the looser sort by my sharp reproofs Must I not fear them that can kill the Body and must I fear to displease a professed Christian calling him to repentance in a time of Judgements Read on now with these Memento's in your eye And if after so plain a Premonition you will venture to charge mee with that which I disclaime do it at your own perill I stand or fall to the Judgement of God and look for a better reward then the Hypocrites which is To have the good Opinion of men be they Professours of Piety or Profane And with me by Gods grace it shall hereafter be accounted a small Thing to the hindering of my Fidelity to Christ and mens souls to be judged of men 1 Cor. 4. 3. And if there should be any Pastors of the Churches who instead of concurring to heal the Flocks of these dividing Principles shall rather joyne with Backbiters and encourage them in their misreports and slanders because it tendeth to the supposed interest of their Party or themselves let them prepare to answer such unfaithfulness to their Consciences which will shortly be awakned and to the great Shepherd of the Flock who is at the door and who told even the Devills Agents that a House or Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand but is brought to nought Matt. 12. If alas alas experience hath not yet not yet not yet done enough to teach them this TOLERATION Disapprov'd and Condemn'd c. Humbly presented to the serious Consideration of all Dissenting Parties My Brethren THE Lord Jesus who knows all our Hearts and before whose great Tribunal both you and and I must one day appeare is my witness that the cheif designe of my present undertaking is the Peace and welfare of the Church the continuance of the Gospel and the eternal Salvation of pretious and immortal Souls I do therefore much hope though we are all naturally impatient of opposition that you will favourably receive and seriously consider these plaine yet well meaning lines which have no other patronage then the charity of the Author and the candor and piety of those persons to whom they are directed The solemnity of this Preface as it may raise your expectations so it may possibly invite your riosity to inquire who or what manner of person I am that have taken the confidence of so important an Address And though the knowledge of my name would signifie little I being not so considerable as that it should add any weight to my performance yet that I may in some sort gratify such obliging Readers as I hope to find you I shall farther acquaint you that though I am not a person very ambitious to be known yet upon occasion I shall either publickly own and vindicate or if duely convinc'd as publickly recant my present opinion and in short to secure you and Apologize for my selfe since concealed names are ever suspitious I do solemnly protest that I am no scoffer at Religion nor railer at true Piety that I love an honest religious good man that endeavours to save his soul and come to heaven under what profession soever I find him that I will pitty and according to my poor ability rectify but never make sport with his errours and mistakes and herein I doe readily subscribe to the learned L a Advertisements touching the Church of England in his Refuse â— 165. Verulam That to turne Religion into a Comedy or Satyr to search and rip up wounds with a laughing countenance to intermix Scripture scurrility sometimes in one sentence is a thing very far from the devout reverence of a christian and scant beseeming the honest regard of a sober man Two principal causes saith this honourable person have I ever known of Atheisme curious Controversies and prophane scoffing And no less do I admire what I hope you will grant I have endeavoured to transcribe that incomparable saying of the judicious b The Preface to hiâ— Eccl Pol Sect. 2. Hooker There will come a time when three words uttered with Charity and meekness shall receive a far more blessed Reward then three thousand volumns written with disdainful sharpness of Wit But if an irregular heat which I will yet endeavour to suppress should some little display it selfe it being very difficult to contend coldly and without Affection about things which we hold dear and pretious and certainly the Peace of the Church is eminently such if Passion and Interest should obtrude themselves under the notion of Zeale which God knows is no less common then fatal mistake in the management of our Controversies I do then humbly beg of you that you would seriously consider the following Words of the fore-cited good man that the manner of mens writings must not alienate our hearts from the Truth if it appear they have the Truth Having now as far as 't is judged convenient given you an account of the Author t' will in all likelihood be next demanded since this Subject hath been of late so fully and as some think unanswerably discust what convincing Reasons I have to trouble either my Brethren to read or my self to write so common and whilest proposalls are on foot so unwelcome a discourse Really my Brethren did I nor fear that such frequent protestations might seem too affected or that Conscience and Reality might be mistaken for humour and designe I would once more call the searcher of all Hearts to witness