Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A64560
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An apology for the Church of England in point of separation from it by ... William Lord Bishop of St. Davids.
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Thomas, William, 1613-1689.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing T975; ESTC R33829
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87,104
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244
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in the marg r. notatam p. 157. l. 10. dele or p. 167. l. 24. r. concurrent p. 174. l. 2. r. add is ib. in the marg r. Sodomam p. 179. l. ult r. bursts p. 181. The account of Causabon touching Hesychius misplaced in the marg p. 187. l. 21. r. reins p. 291. l. 10. r. paint ib. l. 19. r. solution p. 192. l. 27. add a p. 193. in the margin 〈◊〉 p. 201. l. 13. r. add I p. 203. l. 16. r. moderator p. 209. l. 23. r. Nyssen ◠〈◊〉 l. 10. add of p. 217. 11. r. the p. 223. l. 2. r. your ib. l. 12. r. too p. 〈◊〉 11. r. conjure p. 225. in the marg r. nolint p. 227. l. 13. dele that ib l. â—â— r. earth p. 229. l. 6. r. sit p. ib. in the marg dele Aug. SIR SIr Henry Wootton who had studied Men and Books versed in numerous Cities and various Manners like Ulysses desired to be celebrated to posterity only in being the Author of this sage Observation The Itch of disputing becomes the Scab of the Church This Scab is almost improved to a Leprosie Differences not only started in points of Indifferency Controversies touching Circumstances Ceremonies shadows of Religion but the Body the Substance is unsinewed by disputes established Doctrines being bandied Queries the Principles of Belief being entertained for Problems of Debate whereby both the Staves of Zachary are broken and the Splinters of those Staves have pierced to Wounds and Gashes the Church being become like S. Epiphanius Bed of Snakes The sad apprehensions hereof inclined me to mourn for these Divisions rather than to stickle in them for to cure Contention by Devotion accounting my Prayers and my Tears my best Weapons that I might contribute my assistance to quench not forment the Flame But recollecting that the Grecians enacted severe Sanctions against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as rejected quitted their Shields and Targets though they tolerated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as abandoned their Swords and Spears Pondering also that Apostolical Precept to be ready always to give an answer an apology to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear dreading lest my silence should confirm that errour I disprove not lest it should be interpreted consent by man and charged for guilt by God having withal received an assurance in our last discourse of a candid Reception I vanquished my own resolution of waving any Reply assaying a particular Answer to each part of your civil Letter in point of Separation Wherein I pray God grant us discerning solid Judgments with humble upright hearts a prudence tempered with innocence that truth and peace may sincerely be promoted The LETTER That reverend opinion and Christian perswasion which I have of your Learning and Piety together with your moderate and sober Disposition which I lately perceived towards those that differ from you in some Circumstantials of Religion invites me to write to you The ANSWER Your undeserved Character puts me to the mixture of a Blush and Anguish who own nothing but Defects and Infirmities As for Literature I dare pretend no claim but that of the Greek Orator of Affection to it not of the least Perfection in it As to Piety my sole interest is a deep sense of my Impiety a constant acknowledgment of a constant Guilt with the Prophet David My sin is ever before me That of Tertullian is my Motto Born to drive on no design to expedite no task but repentance As to a moderate temper I hope I shall not frustrate your expectation Religion needs not our Passion to bolster it The Hearts of Christians may be cemented when their Brains are not Non eadem sentire bonos de rebus iisdem Incolumi licuit semper amicitia It is S. Paul's Lecture Bear one anothers Burdens It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Tenets of others are irksome disgusting to us if different so are ours to them so that a mutual moderation discarding rancour and animosity is a debt reciprocally to be discharged and disburst Even in substantial Differences when I condemn any erroneous Opinion I shall commiserate the person who asserts it though it were not his Infirmity but his Obstinacy For even this state of spiritual desertion is most to be condoled As to you I shall not dip my Pen in Gall or Oil to revile or flatter expect not a Satyrist or a Parasite As God's Minister I shall not dare not mince nor shuffle in Religion as I hinted to you in my last Conference but shall search the Wound of Separation with the tenderness yet with the faithfulness of a spiritual Chirurgion The LETTER Wherein I have declared my present Light of which I am convinced to be a truth according to the Word of God and therefore walk therein yet I hope a heart ready to embrace further what God shall by any means from the Law and the Testimonies reveal The ANSWER This present Light is but a new Light I pray beware lest it prove the delusion of the old Serpent The Spirit of Darkness can transform himself into an Angel of Light Conviction may in this case tend to Condemnation The Jews plead that they are convinced that their confident Tenets are evident truths by the Light of the Prophets yet the dismal fatal Veil is over their Hearts May the enlightning sanctifying Spirit cleanse our Consciences clear and rectifie our Apprehensions our Opinions that neither yours nor mine may be dimmed depraved Whilst you are thus convinced to walk by this Conduct I blame you not For an erroneous Conscience is in a sort obligatory though Conscience ought to be sifted that it be not erroneous Gentilis the Heretick pretended Conscience for his Blasphemy against the Trinity S. Paul vindicates himself I have in all good conscience served God until this day not only when he was a Pilot to steer the Church but when he was a Pyrate to rifle it when he was Paul the Apostle and when he was Saul the Persecutor in all good conscience though for a time errante with an erring yet not repugnante vel dubitante with a clashing or scrupling Conscience Your profession of a prompt cordial submission to the Law and the Testimonies is pious and commendable Though Scripture be the purest the exactest test for decision yet not without some cautions Satan like Hannibal can lay an ambush in the smoothest Field The Apostle decyphers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the word of Truth a passport for Falshood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that deal with Scriptures as Hucksters do with Wares to corrupt or as Vintners do with Wine to sophisticate them that make earthly Merchandise of Heavenly Oracles The Hereticks of all Ages have cited the Scriptures as Patrons of their Errours The Tempter the Grand Patriarch of Hereticks in his conflict with our Redeemer
draws his Arrows out of this sacred Quiver He obtruded Scripture to our Saviour but wrested curtled it It is the Orthodox Maxim of Tertullian Truth is no less obstructed by adulterating depraving the sense than corrupting perverting the Letter It is not the Shell but the Kernel is the delicious word of life Some Expedients are requisite for attaining the Kernel The Expedients are inward and outward The first inward Expedient is Interpretation which is promoted by examining Translations consulting with Originals The second inward Expedient is Comparation by a survey of the Context to pick the sense out of the coherence or else by Analogy of Texts for as one Taper kindles so one portion of Scripture illustrates another There are also external Expedients the outward helps of the Arts especially Logick for apprehending the force and importance of the Proofs in Scripture Rhetorick for discovering the Flourishes the Ornaments of its Tropes and Figures of Witnesses wherein though the Modern are not to be excluded the Primitive are to be preferred The most ancient are of best repute being least tainted and biassed Moses and Bildad Jeremiah and Solomon recommend the Inquiry of Antiquities it is Christ's prescription against Pharisaical Heretical Novelties From the beginning it was not se. Though the Fathers are not to be idolized with the Papal Gloss yet are they not peremptorily to be contemned or condemned in their opinions and expositions Though the Romanists are Veteratores saith Joseph Scaliger corrupters of Antiquity yet the Reformed are no rejecters of it not Novatores nor introducers of Novelties unanimous Ecclesiastical Antiquity cheeques not with Purity It is the Golden Rule of Vincentius Lyrineusis That which is asserted in all Christian Churches in all Ages is truly Catholick and Venerable All these Expedients being united are to be improved by a fervent penitent Devotion Scripture is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private interpretation that every one hath liberty to impose his own fancy but there ought to be sensus innatus pursued as the Hugonot Champion Chamier distinguisheth not illatus Though the Holy Ghost only can truly expound what himself dictates yet to pretend his Comment on his own Text with a neglect of all subservient helps were not a holy confidence but a haughty arrogance I presume your Modesty and Ingenuity will not permit you to split on this Rock that you will not profess with Abulardus to run counter with all the Fathers of the Church nor with Faustus Infaustus Socinus explode the track of primitive Piety for Guidance I have dilated this Point because it is the Lydius Lapis the Touch-stone of the Controversie Having premised these Cautions I joyn issue with you in S. Bernard's Close To the Gospel you have appealed to the Gospel you shall go I may here review S. Austin's challenge Produce one voice of Scripture in the behalf of Donatus The LETTER For the Searcher of all hearts can bear me witness that it was not inconsiderately or for any by-end that I changed my former thoughts and practice The ANSWER I cannot be so uncharitable as to boggle at that you ratifie with so sacred and solemn a seal Though your changes have been the impressions of your heart yet be pleased to consider there is no such pernicious Sophister as the heart of Man It is deceitful above all things A Supplanter according to the Original deep beyond our fathoming wily beyond our kenning Your spiritual change still suiting with your temporal advantages your own retired thoughts may admit a severe reflection on your integrity so far as to examine it though I shall not blast nor scruple it The Enemy sowed his Tares in the choicest Grain the Wheat like Agrippina that distilled her poison into Claudius's delicacies Satan may insert rivet an advantageous separation into a pious intention whereby the Serpent may insensibly swallow up the Dove like Julian who caused the Images of the Heathen Gods in the engraving to be intermingled with the Images of the Emperour that so the Christians in affording a civil reverence to the one might exhibit an idolatrous to the other though unwittingly Ecclesiastical Histories are ample Records of Gracious Men ungraciously swayed by secular interests to desert the best Tenets The most Orthodox Venerable Fathers under Constantine the Emperour were swayed by the potent violent stream of the Age under Constantius to embrace the Arrian Confession This Torrent bore away the grave devout Osius centenario major saith the Historian being above an hundred years old as if more crazed and decrepit in Soul than Body he renounced the sacred Sanctions of the Nicene Council which himself compiled and established How rigid and dismal a Doom did Ecebolius pronounce against himself who having still moulded his Religion to the season shifted Sail with every propitious Gale at last he cast himself prostrate in the Church with this expression of perplexity and horrour Trample on me as unsavory Salt I relate it not virulently with the least design of Application but affectionately hint it for caution The LETTER As my Creed taught me there is a Communion of Saints so my desire was to find such a company whereby I may comfortably partake of the things of God according to his revealed Will. The ANSWER I am glad you own that renowned Christian Badge of Piety and Antiquity whereto this Age affords not publick recital scarce private repute The Foundation you lay will not support the Fabrick you erect thereon The Communion of Saints will not prove a Division a Fraction of Separatists 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it unsoders the Church untwists the Article This allows not society with good Men in evil Actions it debars not society with evil men in good Actions S. Paul enforceth his Admonition of endeavouring the preservation of the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace by a Paraphrase of this Communion One God one Faith one Baptism This Communion relates to the Head or Members The Communion of the Head with the Members consists in our partaking of Christ's Merits by Adoption by Justification in his partaking of our indignities by Interpretation of our iniquities by Imputation Satisfaction The Communion of the Saints deceased with the living consists in their general prayers for us in our general and particular praises for them The former in the judgment of Reformed Divines consists with the excellency of their Charity The latter suits with the practice of the Primitive Church The Communion of the Saints living consists in affection by sympathy of joy or grief in edification exercising our Graces to the benefit of others in distribution of outward Talents This bottom of Communion of Saints being thus unravelled will not countenance or present the least thread of your separation If you aver a Communion with