Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A95946
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A vindication of the antapologist, against the defence of the Dean of St. Paul's Apology.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing V494A; ESTC R202771
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8,760
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16
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Paper did nor do I now expose this Temper as a Mean to qualifie Men for Church-Preferments but only for Communion Ant. p. 51 52. God deliver us from the Tongues and Pens of false and wicked Misrepresenters 'T is not disingenuous to know the true Meaning and lay open the just Consequences of any Saying but 't is abusive to put a false Construction on Words to mutilate a Sentence to make it look worse than it is I agree with the Defender that there are Men of perverse Minds and weak Heads I am sure some are blinded with Spite Def. p. 36. and infatuated by Prejudice As to our Authors Latitude of Faith and negative Belief and as to the Title of Melancholy Stander-by which the Defender makes himself with Dulness enough so often merry with let him but take the Account given in the Antapology with a Candid Mind and a Christian Temper and I believe they will shift well enough for themselves however he may find reason to be a little more serious in his Behaviour about such matters We meet with a mighty Bustle made about p. 31. Def. p. 30 31 32 33 c. of Ant. a great deal is spent upon the Words of it And yet upon a most strict and impartial Examination I profess I do not find any Occasion given for this Heap of ill Sayings they are not expresly nor by Consequence to be found there They are these That the Fundamental Articles of Christian Faith are revealed in such ambiguous Terms Def. p. 31. that we cannot understand the true Sense of them or at least few can That God meant no Senfe but intended that every Man should believe them in what Sense he pleased That he charges all the Heresies and Infidelity in the World on God Almighty by his Latitude of Faith by the different Degrees and Measures of Faith which God gives c. That the Church must not require an open Profession of the true Faith That nothing will uphold his Cause Def. p. 32. but such an Indifferency as will not allow the Church to concern her self what Men believe nor her Members to defend the true Faith Lusts and Prejudices hinder me from discerning the clear Evidence of the Truth Def. p. 32. and so long I cannot believe and therefore I hope I shall be excused Nor is there any Reason for these Questions to be put Does the Church desire no Man to believe the Creeds and Doctrine of the Trinity Def. p. 33. Is it to no purpose to teach Men the Truth Or to require them to profess their Minds sincerely And to these let me add that whether there be not some Christian Truths Def. p. 27. which ought to be expresly believed by all Christians My designed Brevity will not allow me to transcribe the whole I refer the Reader to the Book and I am very well satisfied he will wonder at the Defender's bold Strokes 'T is easie to abuse by Questions or to make Sayings against another but I challenge him to prove that these things necessarily follow from any Words there When all is done we do subscribe in a large Sense that must be admited to save the Charity of our Church from denouncing Damnation against the Greek Church for want of the Word Filiog He is not the best Friend to the Establishment who takes the Sentence so strictly as to damn every body that believes not every Word in the Athanasian Creed It is certainly enough to believe the Substance of our Christian Faith touching the Trinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God I take that to be believing faithfully Dr. Falkner owns That the Athanasian Creed gives some Explications which are not so necessary to be understood and believed Lib. Ecc. p. 146. And Dr. Stillingfleet now Bishop of Worcester in his Vindication of his Answer to the King's Papers pleads in behalf of the Eastern Churches p. 23. in these Words Is it not a very hard Case these should be excluded the Catholick Church and consequently from Salvation for not rightly understanding the Subtilties of the Distinction betwixt Nature and Person c. And our Articles were never designed as Declarations of Truths necessary to be believed only in one Sense but as Articles of Peace which no Subscriber should Oppose or Preach against But I find our two Authors can by no means agree in their Politicks Ant. is for Alterations and an Union of Protestants if it can be compassed by reasonable Methods And doubtless he thinks his Way most likely rebus sic stantibus to preserve the Church The Defender has another sort of Hopes and Belief Def. p. 63. I confess sincerely I am not a fit Judge of such matters I shall therefore leave it to God's Providence and the Wisdom of my Superiours praying heartily that God will vouchsafe to continue our Liturgy in Use Honour and Veneration The Ant. is against Scholastick Terms in our Prayers He names Forbesius's Exceptions and he would have some one answer them more satisfactorily than he can contrive to do Now our Defender had done well if he had here inserted an Answer to these his Undertaking required it but he did not think fit to meddle but only tells you fleeringly Def. p. 21. He hopes there are some others in the Church that can Answer so as he would have it Answered Can he do nothing but call Names and infer bad Consequences But as long as the Ant. asserts in the midst of all this that the things excepted against may be used without Sin p. 21. we know what may be done without Sin must be done when Authority commands he does not give any Allowance to an Opposite Separation This all together would have been construed well enough by a Man not given to Bitterness Wrath and Disputing But however make the worst of it 't will not amount to the Defender's Charge or near it viz. That this Writing is directly against the received Doctrine of the Trinity and Established Worship Def. p. 21 22. that the Ant. is a perfect Adversary to the Church The Def. Def. p. 62. charges the Ant. for giving up the Convocation but he will not follow him here he says for good Reasons Def. p. 18. I suppose the same as when he says He has more Wit than to follow him through his Reading and the School-men An ingenuous Excuse I can assure you he is not a Man to be followed by every Body as he has come very near the Character given of the Nicene Fathers excepting their miraculous Gifts so I can say it without Vanity or Flattery his Reading and Learning is more than common and ordinary though the Def. says many little things of him which provoked me to this One Reason he names the Ant. Def. p. 62. is on the securer side Our Champion is like to make a brave Defender of our Faith and our Church's Authority who will not scratch his Hands when his