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A53667 A brief and impartial account of the nature of the Protestant religion its present state in the world, its strength and weakness, with the wayes and indications of the ruine or continuance of its publick national profession / by a Protestant. Owen, John, 1616-1683. 1682 (1682) Wing O716; ESTC R11764 23,846 42

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A Brief and Impartial ACCOUNT OF THE NATURE OF THE Protestant Religion IT S PRESENT STATE IN THE WORLD ITS STRENGTH and WEAKNESS WITH THE Wayes and Indications of the Ruine or Continuance of its Publick National Profession By a Protestant LONDON Printed by J. A. and are to be Sold by Benjamin Alsop at the Angel and Bible in the Poultrey 1682. THE STATE and FATE OF THE Protestant Religion THE World is at this day filled with discourses about the Protestant Religion and the Profession of it and that not without cause The publick Opposition that is made unto it the Designs that are managed with Policy and Power for it's utter Extirpation and the Confidence of many that they will take Effect must needs fill the minds of them whose Principal Interest and concerns lye in it with many Thoughts about the Event Never was there a greater Cause brought on the Stage for a Tryal A Cause wherein the Glory of God is concerned above any thing at this day in the World A Cause wherein the most Eminent prevailing Powers of the Earth are visibly ingaged as unto its Ruine and whereunto all the Diabolical Arts of men are employed A cause wherein those who embrace that Religion do judge that not only their Lives but the Eternal welfare of them and their Posterity is inevitably concerned This cannot but fill the minds of all men with various conjectures about the Issue of these things according as their Interest works in them by Hopes and Fears Some of them therefore do Endeavour by their Counsels and other wayes for the Preservation and Continuance of this Protestant Religion amongst our selves according as they have an Accession unto publick Affairs And some whose Lot is cast into a private capacity do engage Faith and Prayer unto the same purpose The Enemies of it in the mean time are powerful active and restless many amongst us being uncertain in their minds as not resolved where to fix their Interest and a greater multitude like Gallio care for none of these things This being a matter therefore wherein all men who have any sence of Religion are so deeply concerned it may not be unseasonable Briefly to enquire what is this Protestant Religion which is so contended about what is it's present State in the World What it 's Strength and Weakness as unto it's publick Profession and what is like to be the Issue of the present contest This is that which the ensuing Leaves are designed unto and it is hoped they may be of use unto some to extricate their minds from involved fruitless Thoughts to direct them in their Duty and to bring them unto an acquiescency in the Will of God The Protestant Religion may be considered either as it is Religion in General that is Christan Religion or as it is distinct from and opposite unto another pretended Profession of the same Religion whereon it is called Protestant In the first sence of it it derives it's Original from Christ and his Apostles What they taught to be believed what they commanded to be observed in the Worship of God All of it and nothing but that is the Protestant Religion Nothing else belongs unto it in nothing else is it concerned These therefore are the Principles of the Religion of Protestants whereinto their Faith and Obedience are resolved 1. What was revealed unto the Church by the Lord Christ and his Apostles is the whole of that Religion which God will and doth accept 2. So far as is needful unto the Faith Obedience and Eternal Salvation of the Church what they taught revealed and commanded is contained in the Scriptures of the New Testament witnessed unto and confirmed by those of the Old 3. All that is required of us that we may please God be accepted with him and come to the Eternal Enjoyment of him is that we truely believe what is so revealed and taught yielding sincere Obedience unto what is commanded in the Scriptures Upon these Principles Protestants confidently propose their Religion unto the Tryal of all mankind If in any thing it be found to deviate from them if it exceeds in any Instance what is so revealed taught and commanded If it be defective in the Faith or Practice of any thing that is so revealed or commanded they are ready to renounce it Here they live and dye from this Foundation they will not depart This is their Religion And if these Principles will not secure us as unto our present acceptance with God in Religion and the Eternal Enjoyment of him he hath left all Mankind at an utter uncertainty to make a blind venture for an invisible World which is altogether inconsistent with his Infinite Wisdom Goodness and Benignity Being in possession of these Principles of Truth and Security from Christ and his Apostles it belongs unto the Protestant Religion not to change or forgo them and to repose our confidence in the Infallibility or Authority of the Pope of Rome or of the Church whereof he is the Head For these Principles of Assurance are such as every way become the Wisdom and Goodness of God and such as that our Nature is not capable in this life of those which are higher or of a more illustrious Evidence Let the contrary unto either of these be demonstrated and we will renounce the Protestant Religion To forgo them for such as are irreconcilable unto Divine Wisdom and Goodness as also to the common Reason of Mankind is an effect of the highest Folly and of strong Delusion For that all Mankind should be obliged to place all their Confidence and Assurance of pleasing God of living unto him and coming unto the Enjoyment of him for Eternity on the Pope of Rome and his Infallibility however qualified and circumstantiated considering what these Popes are and have been is Eternally irreconcilable unto the Greatness Wisdom Love and Kindness of God as also unto the whole Revelation made of himself by Jesus Christ. The Principles of Protestant Religion before mentioned do every way become are highly suited unto the Nature and Goodness of God No man living shall ever be able to instance in one Tittle of them that is not correspondent with Divine Goodness and Wisdom But on the first naming of this other way no man who knows any thing what the Pope is and what is his Church if he be not blinded with Prejudice and Interest will be able to Satisfie himself that it is consistent with Infinite Goodness and Wisdom to commit the Salvation of Mankind which he values above all things unto such a Security Neither hath this latter way any better consistency with Humane Wisdom or the common Reason of Mankind namely that those who are known many of them to be better and wiser men than those Popes should resolve their Religion and therein their whole Assurance of pleasing God with all their hopes of a blessed Eternity into the Authority and Infallibility of the Pope and his Church Seeing many of them