Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A07475
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An examination of certaine motives to recusancie. By W. Bedell
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Bedell, William, 1571-1642.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 1786; ESTC S113798
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20,794
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67
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Confession of sinnes in the â—…acrament of Penance Thus Pope Benedict the eleventh teacheth the whole Church out of the Chaire of Saint Peter in a Decretall Epistle Extravag com l. v. de privileg c. inter cunctas And this ridiculous interpretation the Author of these Collections if ever he have professed his faith by the rule of Pope Pius the fourth hath sworne to admit But sith profession of faith is so necessary why doe they withdraw Catholicks from this duty which is performed twice every day in the Common-prayers of the Church of England in a tongue understood in the very forme wherin it was professed in their names at their Baptisme And every Sunday and Holy day in the Creed of the Romane Church thirteen times in the yeare in Athanasius Creed the conclusion whereof hath these words This is the Catholick Faith which except a man beleeve faithfully he cannot be saved I think this Author could not have chosen a fitter text to diswade from Recusancy then this is which sheweth the necessity of making profession of our faith if wee will be saved The truth is these men have no respect to the glory of God or the salvation of soules but onely to the maintaining of their owne faction To make shew to be of the Church of an heretick is to deny Christ before men He that is not with me is against me He that gathereth not with me scattereth Matth. 12. 30. IT is marvell he could not remember another speech of our Saviours in the Gospell He that is not against us is for us So much the more because the occasion thereof was a case very like unto ours One cast out Devils in Christs name and the Apostles forbad him because he followed not with them Forbid him not saith our Lord for he thâ—…t is not against us is for us Luk. 9. 49. What then Is he contrary to himselfe No doubtlesse But in the one he teacheth us to admit and receive all that prosesse his Name into our society yea and if they will be singular yet to rejoyce that his Name is preached with Saint Paul Phil. 1. 18. In the other when it is slandered and blasphemed as it was by those which said He cast out devils by Belâ—…ebub not to be neutrall but to undertake the defence of truth and innocency against malice and falshood for in that case not to confesse him is to deny him Now since the reformed Churches doe not onely speak nothing amisse of our Saviour but are ready with S. Paul to die for his Name what rage is this of the Court of Rome to cast them out to forbid them to preach or others to heare them or pray with them to persecute them with sire and sword as if they were worse then infidels and misbeleevers Thus the Scriptures are plaine that men of divers religions may not communicate one with another in the act of their religion And this is observed by the Lutherans the Calvenists the Anabaptists and all other sects in other Countries onely England admitteth to their society Lutherans Calvenists Puritanes Brownists and Catholicks whereas the generall Councels of Nice of Sardick of Chalcedon of Constantinople of Ephesus whensoever they condemned the Arrians and other hereticks they forbid the Catholicks to frequent their company This meanes God ordained that we may know which was the faith which was first taught by the Apostles which could not have been discovered from heresies if all the former hereticks had equally been as in shew of the same Church bearing the name of Christians no lesse then the Catholicks THe Scriptures proove no more then hath before been admitted Men of a false religion may communicate with those of a true men of the same true religion for the substance with those that in circumstance doe differ from them Latines with Greeks Aethiopians Russians Where he saith the contrary is observed in other countries I am verily perswaded this is utterly untrue there is never a one of these and joyne the Romists to them which if not for reason of conscience esteeming themselves to have the truth and rejoycing that another enclines to embrace it yet out of desire to encrease their owne partie is difficult to any that resorts to their assemblies as desirous to joyne with them That which he addeth touching the Councels besides that after the Scriptures it is as vaine a labour as to light a candle in the Sunne it is a meer crack of names to proove that which no man denies that Catholicks may not frequent the companies of blasphemous hereticks yet he sets not downe any one Canon of all these for the purpose and he mentions that of Sardick for a generall Councell where it was but a particular and that which wee now have not that which was anciently in Saint Augustines times But none of all these forbad the hereticks to be admitted to heare Sermons or to be present at the praiers of Catholicks yea the fourth of Carthage expresly enacts that they should not be forbidden And the Councell of Nâ—…ce receives the Novatians without difficultie yet promising they would communicate with these that had married the second time and such as had fallen in persecution The latter of which two being the oâ—…ly thâ—…ng for which the Donatists refused society with the Catholicks they were not onely invited but by the terrour of Lawes â—…ged thereto no lesse then Recusants are with us A plaine argument that then it was holden That where the Catholick faith is rightly confessed society in Gods worship is to be maintained Where he addeth that God ordained this meanes that we may know which was the faith first taught by the Apostles I doe not thinke he understands himselfe what meanes could this be to discerne which was the faith first taught when as the Apostles tould before that of themselves should arise men speaking perverse things which would not faile to challenge to themselves the names of Christians and separate from their opposites And it is a speech unworthy of a man of any ordinary capacity that the faith could not be discerned from heresies but by names Christ pretending to convert the Pagans ordained this separation in externall acts of religion that they might know to which Church to repaire without danger of errour in embracing Christianity THat which must be a mark to discerne two things one from the other must not be common to them both A Pagan therefore that desired to imbrace Christianity without errour how should he know by separation whither to repaire if Arrians doe no lesse separate from the orthodoxall Christians then they from the Arrians And at this day if as he said right now Lutherans and Calvenists doe as well separate from others as others from them how can this be a note to discerne without errour where true Christianity is to be found In our daies the Lutherans and the Calvinists undertook to convert the Infidels in New France both
AN EXAMINATION OF CERTAINE MOTIVES TO RECVSANSIE By W. BEDELL Printed by the Printers to the Vniversitie of CAMBRIDGE And are to be sold at London by R. Daniel at the signe of the Angell in Lumbard-street 1628. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull my very good Friend Sir THOMAS BARKER SIR I Send you here an Answer to that Paper I received from you containing a collection of certaine Reasons conveyed into the hands of some devout Gentlewomen your friends with purpose to divert them from society with Protestants and specially in Gods service established among us Vpon the first view of them I marvelled at the Authors strange drawing and misapplying Scriptures to his purpose at the opinions which he imputed to ancient Hereticks whereof to my remembrance I had never read nor heard before But when I came to examine the places more particularly in his owne Authors I found cause even to be astonished at the boldnesse of the man that taking advantage of the credulity of such good people durst put such a packet of lies into their hands And I could not but pitty their case who being fallen into the net of errour are by such a cunning but ungodly practise in danger to be inwraped and snarled by this perswasion of separation so as if Gods mercy be not the more there is no meanes for them to come ever even to understand this falshood wherby their simplicity is abused There is not a more approoved remedie against the stinging of a Scorpion then the Scorpion it selfe bruised in oyle and applyed I have here endeavoured to bray this Scorpion it shall be your part to apply it And if this Collector can and will justifie under his name his Doctrine of Separation and his Catalogue of Heresies and his Charge of Protestants to renew them he shall proove himselfe an honest man if he cannot and will yeeld to the truth at least a good Christian. If he doe not one of the two request your friends as our old Proverbe hath it to let him continue in their Pater noster but cast him his additions to the Catholick faith for ever out of their Creed Concluding I desire God to give you and them a right understanding in all things and to follow the truth in Charity and rest Yours in Christ Iesu W. BEDELL AN EXAMINATION of certaine Motives to RECVSANCIE ¶ Society with those of contrary Religion hath alwaies been pernicious and unlawfull THis Assertion is very confusedly set downe As it stands without limitation it is utterly untrue and besides nothing to the purpose For society of such as are of a false religion with those of the true Religion hath been often very profitable to them alwaies lawfull And the Religion of the reformed Churches is not a contrary religion to that of the Romane obedience but onely different as pure and corrupt reformed and deformed For the discovery of the truth the words and termes are to bee opened This terme Religion is not alwaies used in the same meaning Sometime it is put for the perswasion of the minde and judgement touching some divine nature and the devotion of the heart toward the same as the Iewish religion Aâ—… 26. 5. So religion of Angels Col. 2. 18. sometimes it is put for some more speciall observance and ceremony as the Religion of the Paschall Lambe Exod. 12. 26 43. According to which sense the rules of Saint Benedict Saint Basill and others have been called religions although they had not a divers faith or perswasion touching God nor yet a different worship in the substance but onely in circumstances as apparell formes and houres of praier and such like Contrary Religions therefore are such as have a contrary faith touching the God they worship as Iacob and Laban Gen. 31. Or a contrary manner of worshipping him in matter of substance Circumstances and differences in opinions government and ceremonies doe not make a diverse much lesse a contrary religion as appeares in the religion before and after the Law written before and after Christ. These were different as an infant a childe and a man of yeares yet the same person As for the terme Society it is likewise of divers sorts one in the duties of religion another in common life Wherein againe some is necessary and not at our choice and discretion as the society of parents and children servants and masters subjects and princes citizens neighbours kinsfolkes passengers in the same ship guests at the same table yea every man with another in that hee is a man Some againe is voluntary and at pleasure as of contracting marriage friendship familiarity choosing our habitation and company with whom we will consort our selves These explications premised I answer in these five propositions First society in the worship of God with true beleevers professing pure religion is lawfull and necessary and when it may be had cannot long bee omitted without sin Psal. 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me let us goe into the house of the Lord Psal. 133. 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Act. 2. 42 44. The Christians of the primitive Church are said to have continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in praiers and were together and Vers. 46. And they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eate their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart Heb. 10. 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is Secondly society with men that worship the true God though in some points ignorant or misbeleevers may be holden so long as they are not obstinate and God is not dishonoured Act. 19. 9. Paul resorted to the Synagogue of the Iewes till they were hardned and blasphemed the way of the Lord then hee separated the Disciples See also 1. King 8. 41. where Solomon praieth for the stranger that was not of Gods people Israel but came out of a farre countrey and should come and pray towards the Temple that God would heare and doe according to his request that all the people of the earth might know his Name to feare him as Israel did Thirdly society with men that worship a false God or the true God with a false and Idolatrous worship in the exercise of their religion is utterly unlawfull Deut. 12. 30. Take heed to thy selfe that thou bee not snared by following them after that they be destroyed from before thee saying how did these nations serve their gods even so will I doe likewise Thou shalt not doe so unto the Lord thy God How neer so ever they be Deut. 13. 6 7. If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or thy daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule c. So Exod. 32. 27. The Levites are bidden by Moses from the Lord to slay