Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A85375
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Bishop Goodman his proposition in discharge of his own dutie and conscience both to God and man.
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Goodman, Godfrey, 1583-1656.
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1650
(1650)
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Wing G1099E; ESTC R177532
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11,800
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20
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no man is bound to beleeve but wholly left to God and his own Conscience that when he finds better reasons to perswade him he may alter and change his opinion Thus as there are temporall Courts to determine controversies concerning the right of Inheritance and other differences between men so there may be a little power left in the Spirituall Court onely to satisfie the doubts and seruples made in Religion and such a course God willing I doe propose to my self to undertake towards the end of May I give long warning before-hand that if I should be forbidden I might desist The Order which I shall observe is this That he who presents the doubts must present them in Writing and the Writing not to exceed half a sheet of Paper Writen on both sides he must present them in modesty giving every man that due respect and honour which belongs to his place and calling he must subscribe his name his age the condition and course of his life the place of his dwelling and it were to be wished that some others would testifie their knowledge of him His doubts shall then be publikely read and in due time they shall be answered I doe not herein presume on mine own weakness but upon Gods great mercy and goodnesse who never will be wanting in his own cause and in defence of the truth neither will I neglect the means under God but I will advise and hold correspondency with the best learned men in England and I doubt not but God will assist I am now past the age of man and consequently past as the joyes and hopes of this world so past the fears and terrours of this world and so let God be mercifull unto my soul at the last day as I shall deliver nothing but what I conceive to be Gods truth the World hath been now long deluded and abused with controversies of Religion in so much that there is little Religion left amongst us I hope to discover some secrefies and to make it appear who are and were the great Impostere And here I doe make this profer and challenge Let any man bring me the body or system of his Religion together with all the severall members and branches thereof and if I shall not make it plainly appear that his Religion is a self-homicide destroying it selfe i. admits contradictories in it self I will be of that Religion 2. If any man shall bring me a Religion which shall subsist with humane learning which in effect is onely reason improved I will be of that Religion How wonderfully are we bound unto God for that great certainty of our Religion which is not onely grounded upon the divine testimony revealed confirmed by miracles and wonders far above all naturall power written in our hearts by Gods sanctifying Spirit together with the infusion of grace whereby we beleeve Misteries above our naturall capacity but likewise that our Faith and Religion should have those speciall properties of truth that it should cohaerere sibi agree with it self like a well governed City or a well compacted body paeem habens ad invicem and as it agrees with it self so it should subsist with all humane learning which serves onely to adorn Religion Now for the method which I shall observe in giving satisfaction to all doubts and scruples proposed though I doe much commend the School method which is first to make the strongest objections then laying open the naked truth and fortifying it with sound demonstrations and reasons those former objections which at first did seem invincible alasse they fall of themselves and come to nothing and so are soon routed easily dissolved and this course I conceive doth best represent Nature as in digging for Mines the Earth Stones and scurfe we dig up and lay aside and so at length we come to the pure Oare this we refine and use the earth and scurfe to scour it Though I commend this method yet I will forbear to use it as being not so fitted to every mans capacity I will therefore use mine now method which is a little more easie First I will use two or three quotations out of Scripture and no more 2. I will shew the analogy or correspondency which it with other Texts of Scriptute and other Articles of our Faith 3. I will shew how it was implyed in the state of Nature before the giving of the Law 4. How it was shadowed forth in the types figures and ceremonies of the Mosaicall Law 5 How it received ripeness and perfection in the state of the Gospel 6. How it hath been continued in the Church in the Primitive age and in all succeeding times and this to appear especially by the ancient Liturgies not by stragling words taken out of Fathers which being spoken upon severall occasions might be variously interpreted 7. The great inconveniences and absurdities which would undoubtedly follow if any other Doctrine should be admitted I doe the rather acquaint you with this my method that such as shall have any doubts or arguments to propose they may doe it according to this method if they please When I have answered Objections then I will reduce all to the Church of England as it is setled by the Fundamentall Laws by the Statute Laws by many Acts of State and generally by Publick Authority to this end I have read all the Statutes all the Parliament Rolls many Acts of State Articles Injuctions yea I made a hard shift I cannot now doe the like to understand some of their Reports in Law onely such as did concern Religion I never did regard any particular Opinions for all my time the Professors in Cambridge did differ in their Opinions the first difference began between Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Barow then in their Successors Dr. Overall and Dr. Playford and then in Dr. Richardson and Dr. Davenant Heretofore I took some pains to know how far the Imperiall and Civill Laws together with the Roman Histories did give testimony to Christian Religion even before such time as the Emperors became Christians and how far they did touch upon some controversies now agitated in the Church since I took the like pains in our Common Laws but my Notes are burnt and plundered and with sorrow and grief my wits and memory are likewise plundered and my age gives me assurance that I shall recover neither the one nor the other yet still I have a will to doe good though I doe foresee that this my project will fayl and come to nothing yet my honest intents will appear and that I have done my uttermost indeavour and if any one shall blame me for indiscretion truely it hath ever bin my course and practice to desire God in all my actions so to direct me that I might rather seem to the world to want wit and discretion then to neglect my duty to God and my charity and conscience to man and my fault easily deserves pardon because I am now