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 |
|
A64557
|
The Presbyterians unmask'd, or, Animadversions upon a nonconformist book, called The interest of England in the matter of religion
|
S. T. (Samuel Thomas), 1627-1693.
|
1676
(1676)
|
Wing T973; ESTC R2499
|
102,965
|
210
|
day and constant in Family-Prayer 10. They abstain from Oaths yea petty Oaths and the irreverent usage of Gods name in common discourse 11. They are sober just and circumspect in their whole conversation Such says he is the temper and constitution of this Party which in its full latitude lies in the middle between those that affect a ceremonial worship and the height of Hierarchical Government on the one hand and those that reject an ordained ministery and settled Church-Order and regular Vnity on the other hand Now either the man would have all these particularly look'd upon as truly discriminating characters of the Presbyterians from the Prelatical party or he would not if he would not to what end does he here mention them and that as middle Principles in reference to the two extremes viz. Prelatists and rejecters of an Ordain'd ministery and settled Church-order and regular unity if he would with what face justice or honesty does he imply that the Prelatists magnify not the holy Scriptures as the absolute perfect rule of Faith and life that they deny the study and knowledge of the Scriptures to be the duty and priviledge of all Christians or the teaching of the Spirit to be necessary to the saving knowledge of Christ that they exalt not divine ordinances that they worship not God in the spirit according to the simplicity of Gospel Institutions that they affirm not constantly good works towards God and men necessary to salvation c. Let him evince if he can that the Prelatists are thus culpable if he cannot he deserves to be reckon'd not in the number of such Presbyterians as are just and circumspect in their whole behaviour but of such as practically deny justice and charity towards men to be necessary to salvation And if he can with truth affirm as I suppose he may that the Presbyterian party believe S. James his Epistle and the second chapter of it to be Canonical Scripture and that according to his doctrine verse 10. he that offends in one point of the Law of liberty is guilty of all they are little beholding to him for exhibiting such a Character of them to the world wherein so very few of those excellent vertues taught by our Saviour in his Sermon on the mount and inculcated as Essential to Christianity and absolutely necessary to salvation are mentioned as practised by that Party I am sure Prelatists have great reason to complain of his fraudulent disingenuous dealing in endeavouring to cheat the world with such an imperfect pourtraicture of the Presbyterian party wherein his behaviour is no more commendable than his would be who had either ignorance or confidence enough to give this as an adequate description of the Sect of the Pharisees viz. They were persons that disdain'd not to hear John the Baptist's Sermons and to come to his Baptism Matth. 3. 5 7. They gathered together also to hear Christ himself Luk. 5. 17. Mark 2. 6. They kept him company at Feasts as appears from Mark 2. 16. and abroad Matth. 12. 2. One of them invited him to his house to Dinner Luk. 7. 36. They made long Prayers Matth. 23. 14. They gave Alms Matth. 6. 2. They fasted twice a week and gave Tythes of all they had Luk. 18. 12. They outwardly appear'd righteous Matth. 23. 27 28. They avoided the Society of such as were reputed sinners and offensive in their lives and therefore accused Christ though wrongfully for eating with them Matth. 9. 11. They were the most exact and strictest Sect of the Jewish Religion their Doctrine was say some least corrupt of which Sect Paul was Act. 26. 5. Their Disciples as well as S. John's were exercised in fasting and prayer Luk. 5. 33. Would our Author account it candid and sincere dealing if one of the Pharisees friends should present him with such a partial character of them would he not look upon it as too grosly parasitical and scandalously favourable especially if exhibited in order to the reâ—olution of such a question as this Whether the Pharisaical Party ought in Justice to be rejected and depressed or protected and encouraged by our Saviour or whether they ought to be called Hypocrites Serpents and a Generation of Vipers and to have Woe denounced against them eight times in one Sermon would he think it fairly done to conceal their devouring widows houses their straining at Gnats and swallowing Camels their covetousness their neglecting the weightier matters of the Law Judgment mercy and Fidelity Or suppose the question were put Whether in justice or reason of State the Jesuits should be rejected and depressed or protected and encouraged here in England Would he in order to the decision of this question rest content with this character of that Society viz. they believe all the books of the Old and New Testament which the English Protestants own to be the word of God They assent to all the Articles of the Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed They acknowledge the necessity of a standing Gospel-ministry They allow the natural expressions of reverence and devotion and those circumstances of decency and order the omission whereof would make the Service of God either undecent or less decent They affirm works of piety towards God and of charity towards men to be necessary to salvation I say would this man judge this character of that Society so entire and comprehensive as that a more full and impartial decyphering of them would be needless in reference to a right determination of that question I trow not Would he not judge this also fit to be considered viz. whether they deny that Faith is to be kept with Protestants Whether they own the Kings Supremacy in all matters over all persons Ecclesiastical and Civil within his own Dominions Whether they will take the Oath of Allegiance and fidelity to Him his Heirs and Successors Whether they approve Subjects taking up Arms against their Soveraign whether they are persons resolved to yield all due obedience to the Laws of the Land and constitutions of our lawful Governours both Ecclesiastical and Civil supreme and subordinate Surely Reason of State if by that be meant State-Policy in order to self-preservation will prompt all Kings and Princes diligently and deliberately to enquire and consider whether those who would be protected and encouraged by them deserve to have such a black character affixt upon them or no and consequently they might justly treat that Writer with severity who should dare to move Kings to protect and encourage such persons by giving in a list of a few wholsome opinions of theirs and trecherously or rather traiterously concealing their damnable and pernicious tenents That this mans Character of the English Presbyterians is of this nature may be evident to any person that reflects upon and seriously considers their solemn League and Covenant fram'd and imposed in the time of the Long Parliament in the first Article whereof they swear that they will sincerely and constantly endeavour in their
danger rashly and unnecessarily at first nor afterwards by unlawful means preserved themselves from a legal Trial and the stroke of Justice for those misdemeanors But when resisting evil and those that offer it can be reconciled with not resisting it or them and with the suffering of real and much more pretended injuries When raising War against our Royal Soveraign and continuing it for several years can justly be interpreted making peace When the applying Curse ye Meroz yea curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof Judg. 5. 23. to those that came not forth to fight against the King and his loyal subjects can consist with blessing and praying for those that are supposed despitefully to use and persecute us when Dove-like harmlesness and Wolfish cruelty cease to be contradictories when to wrest the power of the Militia out of the Kings hands and to deny him his Negative voice is to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's when Covenanting against Prelacy and our Church-Discipline and Orders is all one with the observing and doing what our lawful Governours require when putting up our swords into their sheaths and loving doing good to and forgiving our enemies is compatible with reproaching their persons with ruining themselves and their Families with turning them out of their legal possessions with plundering their Goods sheathing swords into their bowels and spilling their innocent and loyal bloud then and not till then will Presbyterian practises be reconcileable with Christ's precepts and agreeable to that Religion which he taught the world and which as this Author well observes is not variable according to the will of man but indispensably binds every Soul and is grounded upon an unchangeable eternal Truth which if the English Independent J. Goodwin or Bucanan the Scotch Presbyterian had believed heretofore they had not made such an ugly Fanatick Apology as they did for subjects taking up Arms against and murdering their Soveraign De jure Regni P. 50 55. and if the Presbyterian professors of this Religion and of their own true knowledge and sense of the Nature of it had acted suitably to such a profession they had never thought it expedient to reduce his late Majesty to such dismal straits at the Isle of Wight where they constrained him to grant them so much liberty as miserably enfeebled the Monarchical and Legal power of the Kings of England whereby whatsoever he cants in the following lines of a King 's ruling over a free people Presbyterians have sufficiently taught us that they take more delight in making good Kings their slaves than in manifesting themselves to be good subjects To be a powerful Monarch says he p. 48. ever a free people is the freedom and glory of our Soveraign Lord above all the Potentates of the Earth The more disloyal creatures were those presbyterians who in that fatal Isle treated with such a Soveraign Lord and once powerful Monarch to such bad purposes as to despoil him of his Royal Freedom and Glory and by their imperious demands to dwindle this potent and glorious Monarchy into a slavish ignoble titular Kingship whence we may conjecture what a licentious treasonable liberty it is that such Free-born subjects breath after and how insolently they 'l again exercise it over our Soveraign Lord the King if by his Majesties connivence and indulgence they meet with the like opportune advantages of winding themselves by degrees into the like power From which premises I conclude that notwithstanding any thing produced here by this Author to the contrary this second Charge against the Presbyterians that they are Anti-Monarchical is a true accusation not a calumny The third Calumny as he calls it with which Presbyterians are loaded is the charge of Disobedience and Rebellion and this says our Author were a crying sin indeed But yet he thinks it necessary to speak something Apologetical at least to mitigate the business and remove prejudice and therefore p. 49. he tells us The Presbyterian party in England never engaged under a less Authority than that of both Houses of Parliament A. The word engaged is of dubious signification 1. Did they never engage that is subscribe the Engagement to be faithful to the Commonwealth as establisht without King or House of Lords under a less Authority than that of both Houses of Parliament 2. Did they never engage that is raise and foment jealousies against the King reproaches against the Bishops or preach Division Sedition and Schism instead of Union Loyalty and Obedience under a less Authority than that of both Houses of Parliament Nay 3. Did they never engage in fighting against the King under a less Authority than that of both Houses of Parliament Is he ignorant that two thirds and more of the Lords deserted that house because of those frequent Tumults which drave the King from London and that the major part of the House of Commons left that House also for the same reasons and that new men See Judge Jenkins his Lex Terrae p. 35. were chosen in their places against Law by the pretended warrant of a counterfeit Seal Is he Ignorant that his late Majesty in a Declaration 1642. occasioned by the Ordinance of the Lords and Commons for the assessing men a 20th part of their Estates hath these words Our good Subjects will no longer look upon these and the like results as upon the Counsels and Conclusions of both our houses of Parliament though all the world knows even that authority can never justify things unwarrantable by Law They well know how few of the persons trusted by them are present at their Consulations of above 500 not 80 and of the House of Peers not a fifth part that they who are present enjoy not the Priviledge and Freedome of Parliament but are besieged by an Army and awed by the same Tumults which drave us and their Fellow-members from thence to consent to what some few seditious schismatical persons among them do propose Is to fight under the banner of such a minor part of both Houses or of the superinduced major part illegally chosen to engage under no less Authority than that of both Houses of Parliament nay not only illegally but treasonably chosen for to counterfeit the great Seal and by such a Seal they were chosen is Treason by the 25 of Edw. 3. 4. Suppose they had engaged that is fought against the King under the Authority of both Houses legally called sitting in their full number and remaining free yet even then they had fought against their Soveraign upon no higher Authority than Subjects could give them which was none at all to that end for the two Houses though consisting of all three Estates Lords Spiritual Temporal and Commons are no more than Subjects whatsoever this Author insinuates to the contrary in the following Lines I have read says he that the Parliament of England hath several capacities and among the rest these two 1. That it represents the people as subjects and so it