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A44093 A short examination of A Discourse concerning edification, by Dr. Hascard where it is inquired, how well the author of the said discourse hath proved that it is not lawful for a man to go from his parish church to meetings, that he might be better edifie [sic] / in a letter to a friend. Hody, Humphrey, 1659-1707. 1700 (1700) Wing H2345; ESTC R29483 16,353 30

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us to keep to a piece of Civil Order than to look after the Salvation of our own Souls and if this were true an easie exchange might be made for a Soul In his 14 15 16 17 18 he hints us of three Mistakes Men may have as to Edification 1 When they take nice and speculative Notions for great edifying Truths Such as conjectural Notions about the Situation of Paradise of old or Hell now or about the Length of the Sword that guarded Paradise or how the Spirits above spend their time of Behemo● Wranglings of the Schools c. To make this Business short Sir Go to your Parish-Church a-while and to the next Meeting as long and let this be the Test conclude that where you hear most of these Discourses there your Soul is least edified What this Author saith here is a great Truth where there is most of these Disquisitions there is least Edification 2. A second Mistake he thinks is When Men take the Opinions of Parties for undoubted Truths essential to Salvation What here the Author means I cannot imagine Certainly there is no Truth necessary to Salvation but what is the Opinion of some Party or other If no Truth be necessary to Salvation but what is agreed by all Parties I am afraid we shall find nothing at all necessary or very little Possibly the Doctrine of the Trinity if we shut out the Socinians from the number of Christians hardly any thing else But Sir to make this Business also short our Author saith p. 16. That the Notion or Explication of Faith and Spirit Church and Grace Justification Regeneration Conversion Adoption and other things of like nature are generally deficient in our Church from those of the Separation And indeed he saith true that these are the Doctrines wherein Ministers that preach at Meetings differ from many of those that preach in Parish-Churches yet not from all but the most of them but not from the Church of England Sir again make your Ears your Judges read over distinctly the 39 Articles and the Irish Articles and our Homilies particularly those about Justification and Good Works and Images then hear Minsters on both sides and conclude that those are to be preferred as to Edification that most truly and faithfully preach according to those Articles and Homilies we will abide by that Test. His last Mistake is 3. In taking sudden Heats and Warmths for Edification As to that let them answer that are concerned p. 18. that whole Page is but reflexive and upon so false a Foundation as I am not willing to trouble my self with considering it or to foul my Fingers with such a Dunghill of meere words In his 19th Page he comes to what he calls a third Argument to prove it unlawful for Persons to leave their parish-Parish-Churches for better Edification Because as he pretends it will cause endless Divisions Here Sir we must examine 1. The Truth of the thing 2. The proper Cause of the Effect 〈…〉 uch an Effect will certainly follow Admit Sir that in the same Family several Persons should find it better for the Improvements of their Souls in Knowledge Faith Love Obedience holy Zeal to go to several Parishes to hear their Ministers or to several Meetings what division is here It is this Day done in a thousand Families all the Members of which yet live in a perfect Unity one with another the Wife dearly loves the Husband and he again his Wife the Children truly honour the Parents and the Parents as truly love their Children the Servants honour and obey their Masters they are as tender of their Servants I pray Sir as to this point let your Eyes again here be your Judges See what Families are more decently united than those in which you will observe this different Motion when they go to hear And Sir there is obvious Reason for it it speaks Men to use some Conscience and Reason of their own when they cannot be guided by the meer Dictates and Examples of others and it is most certain that those who live most up to the Rule of Scripture and Square of Reason make the best Correlates in any Relation and those the worst who are led by Humour or the meer Dictates and Wills of others But admit Sir Division be the consequent of Persons in the same Parish going to hear in several places for better Edification as we see it is will this prove it unlawful for People to go Just as much as it argueth Christ's coming into the World necessary for the Salvation of Mankind unlawful because himself tells us Mat. 20. 34 35. That he came not to send Peace but a Sword For I am come to set a Man at variance against his Father and the Daughter against her Mother and the Daughter-in-Law against her Mother-in-Law Suppose a few particular Persons in a Parish who tho' themselves blind yet will undertake to judge of Colours through their Peevishness or Ill-Nature or their Pride and Ignorance will have all Men to be of their Last and to do as they do or they will quarrel with them nick-name them pursue them in all Courts of Judicature never let them be quiet c. doth this conclude that those who are thus hunted do any sinful thing It will rather be a presumption of the contrary Division is no necessary Consequent of Peoples not going to their Parish-Church What hath my Neighbour to do with my Soul further than to admonish me if he seeth Sin upon me Must every Man cut his Hair or Beard in the same Fashion because else his Neighbour will call him Prick-ear or Roundhead and strike him over the Face Or if he doth not must he sin I am not to be charged with a sinful Effect of my Action or Consequent rather which floweth from the Malice and Corruption of another's Heart upon my doing what I believe to be my Duty I cannot Sir but I must observe to you that strange passage of his p. 20. where he calls it a fatal Day when Liberty should be given to every Man to choose his Pastor A thing he knows so evident in Scripture so plain in all the Practice of the Primitive Church and so consonant to all Reason and Religion as nothing can be more It is an Argument that Men and Women are debauched into a lamentable Opinion of their Souls that can possibly think that they ought not to have as much Liberty to chuse Pastors for themselves as they will challenge for a Shooe-maker to fit their Feet with Shooes or for a Taylor to fit their Bodies with a Suit of Cloaths 4. Sir The Author's last Argument is fetched from the Discouragement this would give to an honest truly Christian Minister This Sir supposeth that all who inhabit within such a Parish are properly that Ministers Flock who preacheth in that Parish-Church How is that proved Nor can it be true 'till the Right of another be proved to choose a Pastor for my Soul But