Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A26060
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A defence of the country parsons admonition against the exceptions of the plain-man's answer.
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Assheton, William, 1641-1711.
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1687
(1687)
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Wing A4028; ESTC R219342
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4,820
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24
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HolyScriptures and do find some place which is too difficult for you do not then pretend to interpret it your selves But beg the Direction of your Spiritual Guide and desire him to shew you how it is to be understood It seems thisGentleman is resolved to shew his skill other-wise this Expedient for a Reason that he knows might have pass'd without his Censure 'T is very surprizing that a Romish Priest who expects such blind obedience to his Dictates should yet be thus offended at this honest Advice Byt the Reason is evident For whilst the good Protestants of England are so kind to Vs and so careful of themselves as to own their Clergy as Blessed be God they do notwithstanding all the Arts of Rome to withdraw them from us I say whist they stick to their Clergy through Gods Blessing they are certainly safe As to the slavery of such submission which this Author suggests with respect to the Church of England 't is an invidious Reflection We do indeed desire you to take our Advice Not for that we have Dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith ye stand 2 Cor. 1. 24. Now the Scripture is the only Rule of our Faith and as such to use his own expression we will stand and fall by it Plain-man's Answer p. 4. And therefore as he well reminds you you must search diligently and soberly into it your selves lb. p. 4. Imitate those noble Bereans who received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Acts 17. 11. But to what purpose thinks this Author do you read the Scriptures which neither you nor your Clergy can pretend to interpret And why not Cannot the Divines of the Church of England interpret Scripture as well as the Priests of the Church of Rome No saith he because they are not infallible and thus he upbraids us at least ten times in this very Answer But what strange impertinence is this That those men should be thus concern'd for the want of infallibility in others who have so little of it themselves For is there any thing more fallible and contradicting then those vast Volums of Popish Commentators that even make our shelves to crack And yet all these fallible as they are owned and published with the usual Approbations and permissu Superiorum Now had I leasure to expostulate I would desire this Missioner who writes to me in your name to resolve me That since it would be very profitable for all Christians that the Scriptures should be infallibly interpreted why doth the Church of Rome employ particular Doctors to Interpret them fallibly Why are such different and contradictory Expositions published by her Authority Why doth she not rather Petition his Holiness or whoever else is best able to do it to explain them Infallibly Why doth she hide her Candle under a Bushel and keep her Talent of interpreting Scripture infallibly wrapt up in a Napkin How such unfaithfulness can be answer'd to her Lord and Master Jesus Christ I leave him sadly to consider To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin James 4. 17. 3. I did direct you As far as possible to avoid all Disputes about Religion And thus far he allows you to follow my Advice For he hates contentions heats and animosities And indeed so do I as being fully convinced that it is much more profitable both for me and my Parish to spend my time in Devotion and practical Discourses then in these unpleasing Disputes And I have great reason to affirm That the rest of my Brethren of the Church of England are likewise of the same mind But since the importunity of others in seducing our People hath forced us to it we dare not now be silent and think our selves obliged as good Shepherds not only to feed our Flocks but also to keep them from wandring into by-paths and to defend them from those that would lead them astray To his Exceptions against my Fourth Expedient I do thus Reply That it will be time enough to enquire after the Priviledges of the Roman Church when you are first convinced That it is your Duty to leave the Communion of the Church of England Now whoever would perswade you to such a Separation I told you if he will proceed rationally and to the purpose he must first convince you That the Church of England is no sound Member of the Church Catholick But that her Doctrine is either Defective or False If he pretends that it is Defective he must then shew that there are some Truths necessarily to be believed as Articles of Faith which the Church of England doth not receive as such And also that there are some necessary Duties or Parts of Worship which the Church of England either wholly omits or else doth not require under any such necessity But if he affirms Secondly That the Doctrine of the Church of England is False he must then prove That the Church of England doth require some unlawful Condition of her Communion and that either in Faith or Worship Plainly thus He must make it appear That her Faith is Erroneous and contrary to the written word of God The Faith once deliver'd to the Saints Or else that her Worship is unlawful Superstitious or Idolatrous All this indeed he thought very reasonable And because he hath no leasure for long enquiries p. 7. I will not be so rude as to press him beyond his Measures However I must be so obliging as to assure him That when he hath found his Arguments I shall be ready to attend him And now my good Parishioners having dispatcht this Answer let me thus briefly enforce my former Admonition 'T IS a serious thing to change your Religion Eternity depends upon it And therefore 't is an unpardonable Error to be guilty of rashness in so weighty a concern Be not perswaded out of your Senses with confidence and noise Nor do you presently conclude that some men are in the Right because they say it is impossible they should be in the Wrong If they think to frighten you into their way by telling you that you are other-wise Damned Regard such threatnings no more then you would the Ravings of a Quaker For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord Commendeth 2 Cor. 10. 18. Be not discouraged nor suspect the truth of your Faith because at first hearing you cannot Answer a Sophistical Objection Thinking men who expect solid Arguments may possibly be surpriz'd on the suddain with such slender Stuff For even a Child may puzzle a States-man at Riddle my Riddle But these kind of Tricks when a little examined how trifling do they appear and signify nothing but the Confidence of those who urge them Remember this and shew your selves men FINIS
A DEFENCE OF THE Country Parsons ADMONITION Against the EXCEPTIONS OF THE Plain-man's Answer LONDON Printed and are to be sold by R. Taylor near Stationers-Hall 1687. Imprimatur Guil. Needham April 4. 1687. A DEFENCE OF THE Country Parson's ADMONITION THere is a Paper called The Plain Man's Answer c. Which hath made some Reflections upon The Country Parson's Admonition But how justly and with what success being directed to make short work on 't I do thus briefly examine The exceptions against that little Tract are 1. General 2. Special 1. His general exception is against the Person who gives you this Advice Who as he pretends is not duly qualified to write Admonitions because he is not Infallible For thus he expostulates with me Sir You do not pretend to such Infallibility and therefore if I must rely upon the Ministerial Function I ought in case it can be found to seek out such a one as is unerring Plain Man's Answer p. 3. And again But what must I stand to the Direction of the Ministerial Function Can it secure me that the Reverend Divines of the Church of England have hit upon the right sence of Scripture But I see they pretend not to such an Infallibility And therefore Sir I must needs tell you that as when I make choice of a Physitian or Lawyer I love to chuse the best So if I must make choice of a Director I must and will make choice of him that can give me security that he neither can nor will lead me astray for I do not love to rely upon any thing that can deceive me p. 5. The sum of which charge when resolved into plain English is this These Divines of the Church of England are so modest they dare not pretend to be Infallible for they know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 12. and therefore they are not fit to be trusted with the care of Souls Do not hearken to them nor regard their Admonitions But the Priests of the Church of Rome if we could but make you believe it they are Infallible i. e. they neither can nor will deceive you But are these Missioners in earnest whilst they insinuate such Things Do they really believe themselves when they talk at this rate To put them to the Test Ask this very Missioner whether He or any other private Priest in the Church of Rome is Infallible And let him not think to satisfy your doubts by declaring That he doth not find any other but those called Roman Catholicks that offer to challenge it pag. 2. What 's this to the purpose We need not be told that they challenge to be infallible We do not suspect their confidence but expect their proof But now if this Missioner shall acknowledge that neither he nor any other private Priest is infallible and I know he dares not pretend the contrary you are then to be admonished from his own Principles that such fallible and erring Guides are not fit to be trusted You have lately been reminded not to pin your faith upon anothers sleeve unless you could be sure that such a one on whom you rely could not nor would not deceive you p. 3. And therefore my good Parishioners since some body must direct you pray do you consider whether it is not more prudent to trust your own Parson then a fallible pretending Priest If this Missioner shall then further propose that though he is not infallible himself yet he can bring you to an Infallible Church and that 's as good To this you may Answer That though your Parson is not infallible yet he can bring you to infallible Scriptures and that 's better And 't is pertinent to observe that the Romanists themselves as well as we do acknowledg these Holy Scriptures to be infallible But we Protestants do declare That the Church of Rome is not infallible And therefore since in all doubtful Cases the safest part is to be chosen and that 's safest say the Priests wherein both sides are agreed do you stick to the Scriptures and let them take their Church I shall not now enter upon the Merits of the Cause by examining the nature of this pretended Infallibility Neither at present shall I take notice of those Reasons which are here produced by this Missioner to support it These God willing shall be considered in their proper place viz. in my Reflections upon the Missioners Answer to the Plain-man's Reply Which I hope in due time to publish So much for his General Exception His Exceptions in Special are against those Directions which by way of expedient I desired you to observe 1. He is not well pleased that I send you to your Prayers To Pray unto God to give you his Grace to hold fast the Profession of your Faith without wavering Heb. 10. 23. But this is to correct St. Paul and not the Country-Parson Who thinks it very proper since we are to pray in Faith to turn an Apostolick Precept into a Prayer And being admonished by the Apostle to hold fast our Profession in an humble dependance upon the divine Grace we pray unto God to enable us to do it However at last he gives you leave to say your Prayers But then he tells you it must be in this Form If I be not in the right c. And If I be in the right c. But will this Missioner allow his new Converts to pray with these If 's and And 's If he grants them such liberty let me then desire them daily to repeat this Prayer If the Church of Rome of which I have now professed my self a Member is not a sound Catholick Church but in any instance is erroneous Superstitions and Idolatrous Lord pardon my Errors and lead me into the way of Truth And if the Reformation of the Church of England is just and warantable and agreeable to thy Holy Word Lord open mine Eyes that I may acknowledge my mistake and return into her Communion Amen If here it shall be further urged That this conditional way of praying is indeed very fit for Protestants who are not infallibly secure that their Faith is true being various and uncertain p. 3. But these kind of Prayer are never to be used by Roman Catholicks who are certain that their Faith is true and that they are in the right as being Members of an Infallible Church Tell him This is only to talk big and to be Judge in his own Cause For 1. A man may be certain and sure that he is in the right without being Infallible 2. There is greater uncertainty more Divisions and diversity of Opinions and that in matters of Faith in the Chruch of Rome then there are in the Church of England If he startles at the Charge and thinks himself affronted desire him for his satisfaction to return an Answer to the Learned Dr. Stilling fleet upon that Subject The 2. Direction with which likewise he is pleased to find fault was this When you read the