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Show An Addrefs to 'Protrjlants; 'VoL. ·i 1679. But though thi~ be very unhappy, that fo excellent a Reformation, found· ~ .ed upon the freeft Principles of lnquiry, common to all that had Souls Pan 11. to fave, fhould 10 miferably degenerate into Formality and Ignoum..e, Jm-1 Sea. 5· plicit F11ith and blind Obedience; yet that Part of our Hiftory ia moU Ia· mentable w me, where we find lhe Noble Brream, the diligent Inquirers, :People that defire to prove aU Tbmgr, that they mJy bold 141 that wbich is good; fuch as would fee with their own Eyes, and that dare not transfer the Right of Examination of Poinrs that fo nearly concern their lmmor· tal Souls to any monal Man; but who defire to make their Faith and Religion, the Faith and Religion of their Confci~nce and Judgment th3t on which they dare depend and reft their Eternal Happinefs in th~ Day of Judgment: That rhefe, I fil.y, fhould inftead of being cherifht, be thete· fore expofed 10 the Difpltafur:n{ the Clergy, {b~ Scorn of Jbe R11Je Afultitude, an_d rbe Proftcuti~n of the civil M~giftrne, has fon:e thing in it, I confefs, ts harfh and anxtous to remember, and I only do It for this Pur· pofe, that it m:ty put us in mind of our great Declenlion from Primitive Prottflancy, ~md how much Humane Authority has crept into the .1\ftairs of Religion fince that Time of the Day, when we made it a prime Ani~ cle of our Prorejlam Creed to rejefi and renounce it. And that you may yet fee your felves fhon of your own Pretences if not contrary to your exprefs Principles, and how much you have narro:V•ct your felves from the ufe of your Firft Principle; let us fnppofe a Tttrk is convinced, rhat Chriit is that, which he believed Mahomet to be, the Greatejl of all Prophets, That Mahomet was an Impoitor, That ]e/lls is the only S.1viour and Mediator, but being Catechiftically taught the Two Na· tures in one Perfon, the HypofltJtical Union, in fine, the iitbannfiltn Cteed and other Articles of Faith, or Rites of your Church, not fo dearly ex· prefs'd in Scripture, nor eafily apprehended or :tffenred to, will not this poor Creature be looked upon either as Infidel or Heretuk, and renounced all fhare in Chrift and Chriftian Fellowfhip, becaufe his Weaknefs or Under· ftanding will not allow him to come up to the full Inventory of Articles believed and impofed by you> Certainly you muft either be partial, and give him th.1t Liberty you deny to Perfons of equal Tendernefs, or eire you muft, after your prefenr Scre.ightnefs, conclude him Infidel or lieretick, tho' he believe one God, Chrift to be the only Mediator, the Gift of the Spirit, the Neceffity of HolinefS, Communion and Charity. Bur I would befeech you th3C we may confider if this bears any Proportion with the Wifdom an.i Love of God, in fending Chrift i~~o the World to f3\'e you and me? The Apoftle became all unto all, to ~mfomC; bur this is becoming aU unto none, to force all: he thereby recommends the utmoff ConJifcenfion th3t can be lawful; but this Ufe of Humane Authority feems to make it unlawful to condefcend: As if Faith per Force were better than Love; and Omfor· miry, however it be come at, than Chriftian Condtfcenfion: The blelfed Apoftle h3d his Eye to the GOQd Inttnrion and Sobtr Lift of the V{eak ; and ufed an holy Sort of Guile to catch them: He feems as if he diffembled. the Knowledge of thofe aver(e Opinion.r which they held, or the Neceffity of their embracing rbofe Doarines, which as yet they might not believe. He fell not to debate and canvafs Points iri Difference between them, which, inftead of Unioc, would have enfbm'd the Difference and rais'd Contention: No, no, be bec6me all umo all, that is, he ftooped to all Capacitit.r, and humbled himfelfto thofe Degre_es of Knowledge that Men had, :1nd valoed that which was good in all; and with this Sweemefs he praO:ifed upon them to their farther Proficiency in the School of Chrii1. Thefe Allurements were all his Injun8:ions? Nay, in this Cafe he makes Phil. l·l$· it an Jnjun8ion t~ ufe no ot~e!: Let u~ therefore (jayt be) tU many a/ be ptrflO, be tbu~ mmded; and z{ !"'"!Y Thmg ye be orherwife minded, Godfhal/. r~veal t?~ntlns unto you. _Whtch 18 to fay, you fhall not be impofed upon, ihgmauzd or excommumcated for Want of fu11 Satisfaaion, or becaufe you do not confent before Convi8:ion ; for God foaU rtveal it to you; you !hall fee and know what you do, and to God you !hall owe your Knowledge and VoL. l. An Addte[J. to 'Protefiants and Conformity, and not ro Human Auth . ' . '777 fhall nor_ be implicit, nor your Obedience b~~t~ an~ Impo~tion: Your Faith i 67 flull be m you. 10 • t e H.eaion of your Hope ~ Pray let us compare this with the Lan ua e . · ~ Part It becaufe People cannot come up to the p f· .g . of our own T1mes Whi!re Seft > Liberty of Diffem, though with ne,•er }~ cnpuons o~ Men, bur pt'ead the . .hciS of Confcien_ce, they are upbraided aft~u~t S~rlety and true Tender.;. t!Mn yoJtr Superzors? Were our Fore·fath I.S/' bnner: Are ;·ou wiftr /mow the Truth 'till you came ? Are y z;r ou; OJ t e Way l Did no body 1ho.ps, and your Mother the Church /e,.,~ er ·' 'Jon aU our Minifiers and Hi~ he!uv~s ? J.r not this Pride and Prefam t~or '! conunt you to believe a:s ihe bead SeEls_a~d Parties~ with the like E~t on ~n you, a Dejign to make am{ Now this Js that which you our fel ertatnment: .A.nce~ors, have fiiled Popery . y yea p:es, ~r leafi tn the Pcrfons of yotir ctt Faul? and Blin1 Obedience.·' Iff~, rl'::~am lhi A~ftraEl; to wit, flnpli· Pope? m ProtePam Guife, for that Pope ¥ i·ke{ us alfo have l C:ue of thlt ts leafi fu(peaed. I beg you b th/{ 15 1 e Y to do u~ molt InjurY you would lay a fure Foundatio~ of Pea ove of God and Truth, and as y~:mr own Souls, that you would confid ce here, and eternal Cotnlorr to VIOlently over-ruling the Di!fent of Coerfir.he Tendency of upbraiding and For if you will rob me once of the Libe~t;le~lOUS cr)d_ Peaceable People: ~ndetftanding, the DillinUion of m Jud o my hot~e! the Ufe of my Jndeed it leads to no Religion It :a~ thgg~n~, no feltglOn comes amifs. then P_rince of Wa!e.r and o~r cefent Ke_ a!tng o the Old. ~ing to th; EducattOIItbe Religion of your ]ll~gmenr . In~.' hMake t~e Re!tgzon of your a_n _Appeal from his Educ:ttion to his Jud. w IC bto me IS of the Narure of ltgiOn that he was Educated in. And rh gmen~ ~ ouc t~e Truth of his Re~ ~ exa,mined is unfound : Prov; all Thin ast ReligiOn whtch Is roo_ tender to Ires as an Impeachment ag:~inft Impofif. ' 011l 1~old ftiflthar wh1(h is good Apofile Hml in the Name of the H \ 10dh fttveq upon Record by rh~ tha~ commended the Bertanr of Old oflr o . w_a~ the fame Apofile Scrtf!!uru, whether thofe Things ddliver'Jh:c t:eyAdzbgent!y fearcbed the Meffiab, were true. ' Y t e poitles concerning the Nay Chri!l himfelf, to whom all p . . E~rrh, fubmined himfelf ro the Tefi . ~wer. was gtven. Jn Heaven· and in him, becaufe he would be believ'd·~ h~ ~ dJd hnot requue them to believe bore to him: If I bear Witnif.r of ;,y }e~/rs t r~,'!l to th_e Wirnefs that God ~~o~n~ha~hoe?hi:0 n~tar~~~ntd~;~~~~~~ ~[i3;yth:rrt:,:t ~f £js11~uc~:ri~~ ~~~~~:3r•l1J n:or~.r which none other ..Mmt did. And .fi ~11 h4ld rror done OJhOIT£ thtJfllhe Cho' IS• 24- ,htm ~u~ of one Sin: Which of YOII convinc~~l/ ~:~ en~es/hem ~o convince Trutk, w~y do ye nor believe me? He offers t .{ Sft ·. and if 1fa y the Ch. 8. 4cS-: fubmn hlmfelf to the Judgment of Truth do lelahon t~e Matter, and Truth tt felf. • an w.e c mtght, who was Bu.t an Impofin& Church be3rs Witnefs ofh f<lf • and Judge: She requires Alfent without Evider e ' ~n~ Will be both Party therefore f~l~e : ~hriftian Religion ought t~ncb~ ~n 1 aall Without Proof, Way, by ~htch It was introduced which wasP. arr ed on only by that be 1111 PifC!ple, let him take up his Crof.r and fi.D er[wa.(ion; If ~n:t Alan will ry of It, that it does not deftroy, bur fairly co ow mt h AUnd. this lS the Glo~ I am riot unacqua·inted with the Prerenc onquer t e . nderfianding. to a Mortified and S\::It:denying Life and I e~ of fRoiamP.r to Abnegation, ~eft~mh~r of the Germdn Tbeology Tauleru.t !jh ree Y K:kno~ledge, that Y 1cks 1n that Communion h<tv~ written£ OJIJtU" empH, and other ther'e is fi:arcely any Thing of tltis Violc:nt Po xceiJ~nt PraEtical Things, but contrary, the very NJture a·nd Tendenc ofptry ~~ rho_fe Tra~ : On the fite to rhe' compulfory Spirit 3nd· C tB _rhem IS Dlamecncdly Oppo4 others that pta-frife Impofition • Rl· t!Utlon of that Church, and a)l .tldeP. ln e 1g10n, whatever n:~me they walk 5 & |