Selected quad for the lemma: word_n
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A50917
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Of true religion, hæresie, schism, toleration, and what best means may be us'd against the growth of popery the author J.M.
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Milton, John, 1608-1674.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing M2135; ESTC R8629
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8,610
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18
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deny nothing but what the Scripture denies them The Arian and Socinian are charg'd to dispute against the Trinity they affirm to believe the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to Scripture and the Apostolic Creed as for terms of Trinity Triniunity Coessentiality Tripersonality and the like they reject them as Scholastic Notions not to be found in Scripture which by a general Protestant Maxim is plain and perspicuous abundantly to explain its own meaning in the properest words belonging to so high a Matter and so necessary to be known a mystery indeed in their Sophistic Subtilties but in Scripture a plain Doctrin Their other Opinions are of less Moment They dispute the satisfaction of Christ or rather the word Satisfaction as not Scriptural but they acknowledge him both God and their Saviour The Arminian lastly is condemn'd for setting up free will against free grace but that Imputation he disclaims in all his writings and grounds himself largly upon Scripture only It cannot be deny'd that the Authors or late Revivers of all these Sects or Opinions were Learned Worthy Zealous and Religious Men as appears by their lives written and the same of their many Eminent and Learned followers perfect and powerful in the Scriptures holy and unblameable in their lives and it cannot be imagin'd that God would desert such painful and zealous labourers in his Church and oft-times great sufferers for their Conscience to damnable Errors a Reprobate sense who had so often implor'd the assistance of his Spirit but rather having made no man Infallible that he hath pardon'd their errors and accepts their Pious endeavours sincerely searching all things according to the rule of Scripture with such guidance and direction as they can obtain of God by Prayer What Protestant then who himself maintains the same Principles and disavowes all implicit Faith would persecute and not rather charitably tolerate such men as these unless he mean to abjure the Principles of his own Religion If it be askt how far they should be tolerated I answer doubtless equally as being all Protestants that is on all occasions to give account of their Faith either by Arguing Preaching in their several Assemblies Publick writing and the freedom of Printing For if the French and Polonian Protestants injoy all this liberty among Papists much more may a Protestant justly expect it among Protestants and yet some times here among us the one persecutes the other upon every slight Pretence But he is wont to say he enjoyns only things indifferent Let them be so still who gave him authority to change their nature by injoyning them If by his own Principles as is prov'd he ought to tolerate controverted points of Doctrine not slightly grounded on Scripture much more ought he not impose things indifferent without Scripture In Religion nothing is indifferent but if it come once to be Impos'd is either a command or a Prohibition and so consequently an addition to the word of God which he professes to disallow Besides how unequal how uncharitable must it needs be to Impose that which his conscience cannot urge him to impose upon him whose conscience forbids him to obey What can it be but love of contention for things not necessary to be done to molest the conscience of his Brother who holds them necessary to be not done To conclude let such a one but call to mind his own Principles above mention'd and he must necessarily grant that neither he can impose nor the other believe or obey ought in Religion but from the Word of God only More amply to understand this may be read the 14th and 15th Chapters to the Romans and the Contents of the 14th set forth no doubt but with full authority of the Church of England the Gloss is this Men may not contemn or condemn one the other for things indifferent And in the 6th Article above mentioned Whatsoever is not read in Holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man as an article of Faith or necessary to salvation And certainly what is not so is not to be required at all as being an addition to the Word of God expressly forbidden Thus this long and hot Contest whether Protestants ought to tolerate one another if men will be but Rational and not Partial may be ended without need of more words to compose it Let us now enquire whether Popery be tolerable or no. Popery is a double thing to deal with and claims a twofold Power Ecclesiastical and Political both usurpt and the one supporting the other But Ecclesiastical is ever pretended to Political The Pope by this mixt faculty pretends right to Kingdoms and States and especially to this of England Thrones and Unthrones Kings and absolves the people from their obedience to them sometimes interdicts to whole Nations the Publick worship of God shutting up their Churches and was wont to dreign away greatest part of the wealth of this then miserable Land as part of his Patrimony to maintain the Pride and Luxury of his Court and Prelates and now since through the infinite mercy and favour of God we have shaken off his Babylonish Yoke hath not ceas'd by his Spyes and Agents Bulls and Emissaries once to destroy both King and Parliament perpetually to seduce corrupt and pervert as many as they can of the People Whether therefore it be fit or reasonable to tolerate men thus principl'd in Religion towards the State I submit it to the consideration of all Magistrates who are best able to provide for their own and the publick safety As for tolerating the exercise of their Religion supposing their State activities not to be dangerous I answer that Toleration is either public or private and the exercise of their Religion as far as it is Idolatrous can be tolerated neither way not publicly without grievous and unsufferable scandal giv'n to all consciencious Beholders not privately without great offence to God declar'd against all kind of Idolatry though secret Ezekiel 8. 7 8. And he brought me to the door of the Court and when I looked behold a hole in the Wall Then said he unto me Son of Man digg now in the wall and when I had digged behold a Door and he said unto me go in and behold the wicked Abominations that they do here And verse 12. Then said he unto me Son of Man hast thou seen what the Antients of the house of Israel do in the dark c. And it appears by the whole Chapter that God was no less offended with these secret Idolatries then with those in public and no less provokt then to bring on and hasten his Judgements on the whole Land for these also Having shown thus that Popery as being Idolatrous is not to be tolerated either in Public or in Private it must be now thought how to remove it and hinder the growth thereof I mean in our Natives and not Forreigners Privileg'd by the Law of Nations Are we to punish them