Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A94210
|
Malignancy un-masked. With a plea for the publique fayth. Briefely and promiscuously disputed, by J. S. Gent. Qui monet, amat, ave, cave, vale.
|
J. S., gent.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing S72; Thomason E86_10; ESTC R11283
|
7,086
|
16
|
The vulgar presuppose some invisible power in a Kingdome to preserve it selfe and t were more tolerable if it were in them an act of faith but being otherwise how doe they injure themselves the weale publique and succeeding ages by their shuffelings and it were well if the practise of greater persons did not savour of these or more ridiculous tenets The worke is framed the instruments appointed and the wheele of reformation is now rouling about and will you deny Oyle to refresh the decayed sinews thereof And although it be the opinion of every Christian quod non pecuniam sed militum ducumque virtutem belli imperii nervum esse that it is not money but the good cause and vertuous Captaines that are the chiefe causes of victory yet in concurrent and second causes we may urge the saying of Demosthenes Opus sunt opes sine iis nihil fiet quod opus There is need of riches and without them nought can be done that is needfull Thucyd. saith Bellum non est in armis sed in expensis sumptibus per quos efficacia arma utilia siunt warre consists more in expence then Armes And as the Oracle said to the father of Alexander Hastis pugna argentatis atque omnia vinces Fight with gilded Speâ—res 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and be confident of the conquest Much use may be made of such morall sentences Gods usuall way of working is by meanes and where such a way is offered it is a great sinne in man to neglect it a supernaturall potency is not limited to naturall but naturall to it we tempt our maker in losing our opportunities in all contrivances there are the principles and instrumentals it is a grosse omission not to improve things for their proper ends Evangelum non tollit politias fides non destruit naturam The Gospell takes not away policy nor doth faith destroy nature spirituall things doe not exclude temporall but regulate them Our trust in our divine Captaine forbids not the use of helpes but declares them subordinate Oh let not the practice of men publish them guilty of such unreasonable opinions nor let them conceale themselves lest judgement finde them out he that gives the Talent will demand an account and shall thy brethren perish whiles thou hast meanes to prevent it It is an unnaturall and ingratefull part to accompany designers to a hazard and there to leave them to assist the initiations of a good worke and to relinquish the same unfinished manifests an ill qualified mind for such variation is inconsistent with the life of a Christian Doe you dispute the security of moneys lent out you may rather doubt of the safety of what you retaine what greater ingagement can be expected or being expected can be given then the body representative of a Kingdome they are intrusted in the whole and shall they be distrusted in regard of part can any knowing man conjecture that they have not consciences interests and expectations equall to any other shall your election give them and your diffidence divest them of your confidences they are agitating your affairs will you not allow their disbursements For your satisfaction they have exceeded the presidents of any of their predecessors and are become your particular accountants and doe you still repine we never read of any denials of supply when demanded by former Parliaments but how the people have unboweld themselves in such a case is obvious to every Historian will you be the first that ever deserted take heed you bewaile not being destitute of such a Councell Is it probable they will so dilacerate the authoritys of future Parliaments as not to dis-ingage themselves Not to give credence to a private friend is inhumanity not to a Parliament is morall infidelity When that serene day shall appeare wherein these troubles shall admit of a tranquillity you may be confident to receive your owne with advantage in the interim they are sharers with you in your sufferings He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord necessity denominates poverty and what so great as that which is publique if times thus continue the rich will be made a prey and will rejoyce to preserve any part of their estates To be involved in a condition equall to the most miserable is a thing we feare not but are like to taste of When His Majesties forces were at Branford many of the malignants sent necessaries to the Army against him what they did against their seeming selves because of feare shall not we doe much more for conscience sake so stupid are the hearts of men that no arguments have any inforcement unlesse tipt with extant danger and those onely referring to their personall losses perils meerely imminent to what ever object they relate leave a sleight impression but I pray such may escape a too late repentance What I here importune refers onely to those who see a necessity of reformation and who either have not afforded some supplies or if they have intend no addition Alas our miseries grow the enemies forces are like Caterpillers in the land we have Moses prayers but want Aarons rod nature cals upon you to be tender of thousands who carry their lives in their hands for your sake religion dictates this way to prevent the powers of the prelates c. who have long tyrannized over the truth your own safety may inform you what sadnesse will seize upon you when you must survive your liberties The Question is not whether religion or no religion lawes or no lawes but whether both in their purity and vigor shall take place As for those who delight in these distractions who gaine by the peoples groanings or who are such persons formerly intimated or their adherents I invoke the omnipotent for their conviction and that in the meane time their hands may not bring to passe their owne enterprizes And here sorrow supersedes expressions Labeo omnis morbus est habitus contra naturam every disease being a habite against nature the disease and cure of this Region do much deject me warre is the physick and must we not expect a doubtfull combat betwixt the spirits and the humors The animadversion of His Majesties past and present condition doth dissolve my thoughts into teares even in this that the Defender of the Faith should per accidens aut aliter become an offence to the faithfull But we hope the principles of Law and Religion have still residence in His Royall brest will appeare when the obstructions occasioned by evill Counsellors shall be made perspicuous and that in the close of differences the hearts of the people shall have cause to make inward acclamations for their Soveraignes safety their Parliaments fidellity their owne liberty their religions settlement and posterities approaching happinesse which sweet saeson heavens hasten to this Kingdomes comfort FINIS
MALIGNANCY UN-MASKED WITH A PLEA FOR THE Publique Fayth BRIEFELY AND PROMISCUOUSLY DISPUTED By J. S. Gent. Qui monet amat ave cave vale LONDON Printed for Iohn Wright January 26. 1642. To the Reader I Had not arrogated the priviledge of the Presse but that I considered the distempers of this Nation have proceeded from various influences and so must the cures The qualifications of mens minds are as different as the dispositions of their bodies and therfore my notions may aptly meet with some capacities The judicious may retract my mistakes the ignorant may rectifie their owne sublime straines over-reach mude expressions reach not a common judgement my faculties fit with the meane If my Treatise want matter or method art or argument humanity may impute it to want of time and yeers I desire the generall good but expect not a generall approbation A servant to the Republique J. S. MALIGNANCY UN-MASKED WITH A Plea for the Publique Faith IT is a principle in reason aswell as policy to support great designes with firme resolutions and endeavours equall to both wisdome which is the object of the intellect speakes no lesse and common prudence which acts in the will directs what it is to decline the accomplishment of an expedient once attempted Many justifie publique folly and deny publique faith they approve of safety but dislike the meanes they affect the appearance and reject the essence of truth they seeme to obey the King and yet repugne the Lawes they honour the Parliament and sleight its power they are ambidexters and yet neuters for they looke one way and swim another If you demand a reason passion shall step in and plead tradition and if you make a further progression they will be ready to swallow you up with your duty of Submission to higher powers they urge a personall and connive at a nationall good if they be learned they speake and write obscurely if ignorant it is sufficient they have the learned though malefactours for their presidents private relations so charme them that they seem to be asleep and happy were this Kingdome if they might not be awaked till reformation may receive a deepe rooting the discipline or circumstantiall part of religion they dote upon but which of them have appeared in defence of any doctrinals which have been wounded by Arminians and others or have supprest superstition or the graduals of Idolatry It is a facile matter to make lubricke professions and reserved oathes but how doe they checke such semblances by the expresse opposition of the generall good But they say they have a Protestant King who will defend the Religion of Queene Elizabeths time they have known Lawes still in force and with whom or for what should they contest In answer to which my subject will admit of variety of matter as a necessary introduction to my conclusion therefore let it not offend the Reader that a method is propounded to so short a worke Quest 1 First I demand Whether at the Queens time there were not reliques of superstition fit to be abolished Quest 2 Secondly Whether since that time the same have not multiplied Quest 3 Thirdly Whether if the same be urged they may not be denied Quest 4 Fourthly if innovations of law or religion be inforced by power they may not be forceably resisted Answ 1 For the first It is notorious whose immediate successour Queen Elizabeth was and how active in reformation but as in nature a habit is not without great perill deserted so in policy a suddaine change causeth a Catastrophe undoubtedly had that good Queene had the command of time or that the threed of her life had been prolonged she would have prevented the plea of the present opposers Sed non reluctandum est cum Deo Answ 2 For the second who can be ingnorant what Commissions for composition with Recusants have beene since authorized and what growth such toleration hath occasioned what indempnities appeales and connivences have been fostered what incouragements they have implicitely and expressely received and how in many places they have trampled upon our most refined Protestants they began to overlooke the power provided for their suppression and under the Armes of their papall protectors to undermine authority but I hope I may speake to them as Seneca in another case Non in re sed opinione laborasti your endeavours have not been pertinent but opinionate Answ 3 For the third if I justifie not the dissenting from I doe ipso facto tolerate the assenting to an impious imposition power is no further extensive then it hath subordination from and reference to the divine prescripts duo contradictoria non possunt simul esse vera contrary powers cannot be at once effectuall and I am confident this subject would not be insisted upon but that Casus plerumque ridiculus multos elevavit a ridiculous matter will blow up some disputations Answ 4 For the fourth question it is as undeniable as any of the former for if it be examined whence this high strain of resistance is derived it is answered from Majesty and there it is patronized and though I approve not what Keckâ—rm cites in his question qualiter judicandum est de resistentiâ Principis posse Principem eodem ordine jure Regno dejici quo admissus est si eas leges pacta vâ—olet sub quibus admissus est yet I say with Augustine Regna sine justitia magna potius lâ— trocinâ—a sunt quà m imperia A government without justice is rather a robbery then a Royall authority When the Apostle saith Submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake it must be intended they are such Ordinances which the Lord will favour and these words for the Lords sake are a limit Rom. 13.1 and not a motive to obedience And for the words of submission to the higher powers it is denied that they referre to the Kings personall command His Majesty in His owne Declaration acknowledgeth His government to be a mixt Monarchy and that mixture presupposeth somewhat at least of an equall power to Majesty and what can that be but the lawes Divine and Humane Obj. But say some of all difficulties none equalizeth this that profound judgements proficients in Law and policy act this Tragedy on either part and who shall presume to be a moderator humane reason steps back divine precepts seem ambiguous and who shall further explaine Ans It is a maxime in experiment that an united strength is most prevalent in nature all things move towards their first element singularity is an enemy to good for that the entity of good is mutuall and diffuseth it selfe into reciprocals All the sences of man may have their deceptions though not all at once and as the object of sight is better discerned one eye being shut when they are both open because that sence is more contracted to the object so when a whole Kingdom acts by its representative there is the most cleare conveyance of