Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A02549
|
An humble remonstrance to the High Court of Parliament, by a dutifull sonne of the Church
|
Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.
|
1641
(1641)
|
STC 12675; ESTC R210029
|
12,040
|
46
|
offence beare their own sin But oh forbid to have it told in Gath or published in the streets of Ascalon Your wisedomes well see under what malignant eyes we are of opposite Spectators What a death it is to think of the sport and advantage these watchfull enemies will be sure to make of our sins and shame What exprobrations what triumphs of theirs will hence ensue These and all other our cares are now securely cast upon your exquisite prudence and goodnesse The very mention of our feares whiles ye sit had need to crave pardon of presumption But withall to take down the insolence of those envious Insulters it may please you to give me leave to tell them that however in so numerous a multitude there be found some foully vicious as there is no Pomegranate wherein some grains are not rotten and even in twelve there is one Iudas yet upon a just survay it will be found that no one Clergy in the whole Christian world yeelds so many eminent Scholars learned Preachers grave holy and accomplished Divines as this Church of England doth at this day And long and ever may it thus flourish as it surely shall through Gods blessing whiles the bountifull incouragements of Learning and ingenuous education are happily continued to it And the more when those luxuriant boughes of disorder and debauchednesse are through just censures seasonably lopped off But stay Where are we or what is this we speak of or to whom Whiles I mention the Church of England as thinking it your honour and my own to be the professed sons of such a Mother I am now taught a new Divinity and bidden to ask Which Church we mean My simplicity never thought of any more Churches of England but one Now this very dayeswiser discovery tels us of more There is a Prelaticall Church they say for one and which is the other Surely it is so young that as yet it hath no name except we shall call it indefinitely as the Jews were wont to style the creature they could not abide to mention That other thing And what thing shal that be think we Let it be called if you please the Church Antiprelaticall but leave England out of the style Let it take a larger denomination and extend to our friends at Amsterdam and elsewhere and not be confined to our England Withall let them be put in mind that they must yet think of another subdivision of this division some there are they know which can be content to admit of an orderly subordination of severall Parishes to Presbyteries those again to Synods others are all for a Parochiall absolutenesse and independence Yea and of these there will be a division in semper divisibilia till they come to very Atomes for to which of those scores of separated Congregations knowne to be within and about these walls will they be joyned and how long without a further scissure Oh God where doe men stay when they are once past the true bounds But if it be so that the Prelaticall part must needs make up one divident member of this English Church tell me brethren I beseech you what are the bounders of this Church what the distinction of the Professors and Religion and if the clients of the Prelacy and their adherents whose severall thousands are punctually calculated be they who make up this Prelaticall Church what grounds of faith what new Creed doe they hold different from their neighbours what Scriptures what Baptisme what Eucharist what Christ what heaven what meanes of salvation other then the rest Alas my brethren whiles we doe fully agree in all these and all other Doctrinall and Practicall points of religion why will ye be so uncharitable as by these frivolous and causlesse divisions to rend the seamlesse coat of Christ Is it a Title or a Retinue or a Ceremony a garment or a colour or an Organ-pipe that can make us a different Church whiles we preach and professe the same saving Truth whiles we desire as you professe to doe to walk conscionably with our God according to that one rule of the Royall Law of our Maker whiles we oppose one and the same common enemy whiles we unfainedly indeavour to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Oh consider I beseech you in the feare of God consider whether these be the thoughts of the sons of peace and such as are sutable to the charge and legacy of our deare Saviour and think seriously from what spirit they proceed For us we make no difference at all in the right and interest of the Church betwixt Clergy and Laity betwixt the Clergy and Laity of one part and another we are all your true brethren we are one with you both in heart and brain and hope to meet you in the same heaven but if yee will needs bee otherwise minded we can but bewaile the Churches misery and your sin and shall beseech God to be mercifull to your willing and uncharitable separation Howsoever I have freed my soule before my God in the conscience of this just expostulation and faithfull advise What remains but that I poure out my heart in my fervent and dayly prayers to the Father of all mercies that it would please him to inspire this Great Counsell with all wisedome from above and crown this great meeting with the blessing of all happy successe so as it may produce much glory to his own name much complacency and contentment to his deare Anointed comfort to all good hearts terror to his enemies seasonable restraint to all insolence and faction prevention of all Innovations and lastly a firm peace and settlement to this Church and Common-wealth and to all other his Majesties Dominions Which God grant for the sake of the Son of his love Jesus Christ the righteous Amen Amen FINIS Jacobus Lectius Preâ—er Theol. l â— vide Episc. by Divine Right fol. ult. Obversatur mihi crebro grata ista Ecclesiarum vestrarum facies ista in publicis pietatis exercitiis reverentia c. Et quamvis omnia illa regna abundent praesulibus eruditissimis Theologis summis c. Sive prolixi nostri erga ecclesias omnes Britanicas affectus quarum praesules amplissimos Pastores fidos greges florentes in Domino suspicimus amplexamur c. Quo Deo sua semper apud vos constet gloria Serenissimo Regi vestro suum jus praesulibus sua authoritas pastoribus suus honor Ecclesâ—is vestris omnibus sua sanctitas sua tranquillitas c. Epist. Dedic. 3. Part is Dub. Euang. Anno 1638. Et nostris pinguescunt monstra ruinis Jos. Isc