Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A02520
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Christian moderation In two books. By Jos: Exon.
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Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 12648B; ESTC S103629
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96,446
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388
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drove the Macedonian hereticks not out of the Citty onely but out of the Country too I cannot blame Gratianus the Emperour that hee interdicted all assemblies to the Manichees Photinians Eunomians And if he had extended his Banne against those other forenamed hereticks it had beene yet better for the Church Hierom's word is a good one It is not cruelty that wee thus doe for Gods cause but Piety But if there be any who with full consent embrace all the Articles of Christian Beleeâ—e and yet erre not contumaciously in some such dangerous consequences as doe in mine understanding though not their owne threaten ruine to the foundation by them yeelded as I dare not exclude them from the Church of God so I dare not professe to abhorre their Communion God forbid wee should shut up Christian brother-hood in so narrow a compasse as to barre all misbeleevers of this kind out of the family of God Doe but turne over that charitable and irrefragable discourse of Christianography Let your eyes but walke over those ample territories and large regions which in most of the parts of the habitable world but especially in Europe Africa and Asia professe the blessed name of God our Redeemer and looke to be saved by his blood and then aske your heart if you dare entertaine so uncharitable a thought as to exclude so many millions of weake but true beleevers out of the Church below or out of heaven above you shall there see Grecians Russians Georgians Armenians Iacobites Abassines and many other sects serving the same God acknowledging the same Scriptures beleeving in the same Saviour professing the same faith in all fundamentall points aspiring to the same Heaven and like Bees though flying severall wayes and working upon severall meadowes or gardens yet in the evening meeting together in the same hive Now if I liv'd in the community of any of these diverse sects of Christians I should hold it my duty to comply with them in all not unlawfull things and if any of them should live in the community of our Church I should labour by all good meanes to reclaime him from his erroneous opinion or superstitious practice when I had wrought upon him my utmost rather then let goe my hopes and interest in him I would goe as farre to meet him without any angariation save that of charity as the line of a good conscience would permit me herein following the sure patterne of our blessed Apostle whose profession it is Though I be free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant unto all that I might gaine the more unto the Iewes I became as a Iew that I might gaine the Iewes And to them under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law To them that are without Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gaine them that are without Law To the weake I became weake that I might gaine the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some I doe much feare the Church of Rome hath a hard answere to make one day in this particular Who imperiously and unjustly challenging unto it selfe the title of the Church Catholike shutteth all other Christian professions out of doores refusing all Communion with them and so neglecting them as if they had no soules or those soules cost nothing Amongst the rest I shall give but two instances The great Prince of the Abassine Christians having heard of the fame of the Europaean Churches sends some of his nation of whom he had a great opinion to Rome to be informed of the substance and rites of Religion there professed Zago Zaba was one of the number they with great labour and hazard arrived there made knowne their great errand but were so farre slighted that they were not so much as admitted to Christian society and after many yeares vayne hope were turn'd home disregardfully not much wiser then they came without any other newes save of the scorne and insolence of those who should have instructed them A carriage much sutable to that which they still beare to the Greeke Church a Church which as for extent it may compare with theirs so for purity of doctrine I dare say if that be her voyce which her last Patriarch Cirill of Constantinople hath acquainted the world with all as I was also confidently assured by the late learned Bishop of Saribaris as far exceeding the Roman Church as the Roman doth the Russian or Ethiopick which it most contemneth Let any the most curious eye traveâ—l over that learned confession of faith which after all devises and illusions is proved sufficiently to be the genuine act of that worthy Patriarch and by him published in the name of the whole Greeke Church and let him tell me what one blemish or mole hee can finde in that faire body save onely that one clause concerning the third person of the blessed Trinity The holy Spirit proceeding from the Father by the Sonne wherein there can be no danger whiles he addes in the next words Being of the same substance with the Father and the Sonne and concludes These three Persons in one Essence we call the most holy Trinity ever to be blessed glorified and adored of every creature This errour of his Greek Church as it is now minced is rather a Problem of Scholasticall Divinity then an heresie in the Christian faith In all the rest shew me any the most able and sincere Divine in the whole Christian world that can make a more cleare and absolute declaration of his faith then that Greeke Church hath done by the hand of her worthy and renouned Prelate yet how uncharitably is she barred out of doores by her unkinde sister of Rome How unjustly branded with heresie in so much as it is absolutely forbidden to the Grecian Priests to celebrate their Masses and divine Services in the Roman fashion Neither may the Romans officiate in the Grecian manner under the payne of perpetuall suspension And if a woman of the Latine Church be given in marriage to a Greeke shee may not be suffered to live after the Grecian fashion A solaecisme much like to that of the Russian Churches who admit none to their Communion be hee nver so good a Christian if he doe not submit himselfe to their matriculation by a new Baptisme Sure those Christians that thus carry themselves towards their deare brethren dearer perhaps to God then they have either no bowels or no braynes and shall once finde by the difference of the smart whether ignorance or hard-heartednesse were guilty of this injurious measure Next to the persons the limits of this approach or remotenesse are considerable which must be proportioned according to the condition of them with whom we have to deale If they be professed enemies to the Christian name Beware of dogs beware of the
and since I neither am nor will be so I will endeavour to use the matter so as that I may not be thought to be one The course is preposterous and unnaturall that is taken up by quarrelsome spirits fâ—rst they pitch their conclusion and then hunt about for premises to make it good this method is for men that seeke for victory not for truth for men that seeke not God but themselves whereas the well-disposed heart being first upon sure grounds convinced of the truth which it must necessarily hold cares only in essentiall verities to guard it selfe against erronious suggestions and in the rest is ready to yeeld unto better reason Hee is not fit to be a gamester that cannot be equally content to lose and winne and in vaine shall hee professe morality that cannot with Socrates set the same face upon all events whether good or evill In all besides necessary truthes give me the man that can as well yeeld as fight in matters of this nature I cannot like the spirits of those Lacedemonian Dames which gave the shields to their sonnes with the peremptory condition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely hee is better accepted of God that in these frayes of indifferency doth peaceably lay downe the Bucklers then hee that layes about him with the greatest ostentation of skill and valour In things of this kinde meeknesse may doe God more service then courage They say milke quenches wild-fire better then any other liquor and wee finde in all experience that the pores are better opened with a gentle heat then with a violent The great Apostle was content to become all things to all that hee might winne some How was hee all to all if hee did not sometimes remit of his right to some He that resisteth Peter the Prime Apostle to his face in the case of a perillous temporizing yet gave way to Iames and the other brethren to purifie himselfe with the foure votaries in the Temple shortly then as he is a wise man that knowes when it is time to yeeld so is hee a peaceable sonne of the Church that yeelds when hee sees it time and by this meanes provides for his owne comfortable discharge and the publique tranquillity that can be in necessaries truthes an Oake and a Reed in truthes indifferent §. IX Remissenesse in matter of Censure IN matters of this nature whereof wee treat true moderation requires the peaceable Christian to be not more yeelding in his Opinion then favourable in his Censures of the contrary-minded for it is a fearefull violation both of Charitie and justice to brand an adversarie in matter of slight Opinions with the odious note of Sect or Heresie and no lesse Presumption to shut that man out of Heaven whom God hath enrolled in the Booke of Life In all other things sayth the Chancelour of Paris besides those which are meerely matters of Faith the Church may either deceive or be deceived and yet hold Charitie still And as it is a good rule that is given to Visitors that they should be sparing in making Decrees lest the multitude of them should bring them into contempt so it is a rule no lesse profitable to spirituall Governours which Erasmus relates out of Gerson that they should not rashly throw about the thunder-bolts of their Censures We cannot be too severe in the maine matters of Religion though not without that wise Item of Cicero that nothing that is cruell can be profitable the remissenesse wherein may be no other then an injurious mercie but in things of slighter condition we must be wiser then to draw a Sword to kill Flyes neither is it for us to call for Scorpions where a Rod is too much It is remarkable that of Galienus who when his Wife had complained to him of a Cheater that had sold Glasse-pearles to her for true made as if hee would have cast him to the Lions the Offender looking for those fierce beasts was onely turn'd loose to a Cock In some cases shame and scorne may be a fitter punishment then extreme violence Wee may not make the Tent too bigge for the Wound nor the Playster too broad for the Sore It was grave counsell that S. Austin gave to his Alipius that heed must be taken lest whiles wee goe about to amend a doubtfull complaint wee make the breach wider And that rule was too good for the Authour Iohn 22. that in a case uncertaine wee should rather determine within the bounds then exceede them Even in plaine convictions violence must be the last remedie as in outward bodily extremities by Hippocrates his prescription Ignis and Ferrum must be last tryed for generous spirits as Erasmus well desire to be taught abide not to be forced it is for Tyrants to compell for Asses to be compelled and as Seneca observes a good natur'd Horse will be govern'd by the shadow of the Wand whereas a sullen restie Iade will not be ordered by the Spurre S. Paul puts it to the choyse of his Corinthians Will ye that I come to you with a Rod or with the spirit of meekenesse as loth to use the Rod unlesse he were constrained by their wilfull disobedience Much have they therefore to answer for before the Tribunall of Heaven who are apt to damne Christians better then themselves sending all the Clyents of the North-westerne Grecian Russian Armenian Ethiopick Churches downe to Hell without redemption for varying from them in those Opinions which onely themselves have made fundamentall And herein are wee happy that wee suffer for our Charitie rather chusing to incurre the danger of a false Censure from uncharitable men then to passe a bloudie and presumptuous Censure upon those who how faultily soever professe the deare name of our common Saviour Let them if they please affect the glory of a Turkish Iustice in killing two Innocents rather then sparing one Guiltie let us rather chuse to answer for Mercie and sooner take then offer an unjust or doubtfull Violence §. X. The sixt rule of Moderation Not to beleeve an opposite in the state of a Tenet or person SIxtly to a man of Peace nothing is more requisite then a charitable distrust viz. That wee should not take an adversaries word for the state of his opposite They were amongst the rest two necessarie charges that Erasmus gave to his Goclenius To be sober and incredulous For as there is nothing that rayses so deadly hostilitie as Religion so no Criminations are either so rife or so haynous as those which are mutually cast upon the abettors of contrarie opinions Wee need not goe farre to seeke for lamentable instances Let a man beleeve Andrew Iurgivicius hee will thinke the Protestants hold no one Article of the Apostles Creed Let him beleeve Campian hee shall thinke wee hold God to be the Authour of Sinne That the Mediator betweene God and man JESUS dyed the second death That all sinnes