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Show 794 t679· v;;;;n s.a. 5· An Addrefs to ProteftaniS. VoL. I. found in~ all Senfe and Difiin£\ion betwixt Good ond Evil, and refolving all into an Implicit Fttitb and blind ObeJienct unto the Commands of a VJ}iblc Guide and Judf.t, is falfe, it cannot be otherwife. For to admire what Men don't know, and to make ita Principle not to inquire, is the lalt Mark of FtJilY in the Believer, and of bwpoflure in the Impofer. 'l'o be fhort, a Cbri/lian impl-ies a Man, aod a Man implies ~nfcience and Underjlan,1ing; but he that has no Confcicnce nor Undaf!andzr.~, as he has nor, that has deli ver'd them up to the Will of another Man, 15 no lUan, and therefore no CbIn jdlioa nbe. feechyo11 Prottflattu of a11 _S orts~ to confider of the Danger of this Principle, wich Refpea to Rebg1on. Of Old. •rwd:' r~e Foolrbat j11irl in bU Hurt there Uno GoJ? But now, upon thlS Pnnctple, Men muft be made Foois in Order to believe there is one. ShJ.11 FoUy, which is the Shame, if not the Curfe of Man, be the PerfeCl:ion of a Cbri~ian ? Chriil: in6ecd has ad vi fed U!l to become as liule Children, but never to become fuch l'Ools; for as the Proverb i.s, this is to be led by the Nnfc, and not by our Wirs. YouknowthatGodhares theSacrifi&es ofFool.r: Eccle. 5· r.IwilJ prr~y witb the Spirit and with Vnderftaniling alfo, faith the Apoftle. 1 Cor. 14. Let us commend that Teftimony, which we believe to be true, to the Confciences ofMen, and Let them have the Gofpel Ptivilege of Ex111nina· tion : Error only Lofes upon Tryal :. lf this had been the Way to Chrijlia· nity, with Reverence be itfpoken, God hJd not mJde our Condition bet· ter, but worfe; for this ttanfines our FJ.ith and Dependence upon God, to Man; and the Poffibilhy, if not Probability of Mans cuing~ expofes us to a greater lnfecuri.ty than before: For w1J&re 1 neva tr11ped, I ttever could be deceived: But if I muft abJndon my own Senfe aod J udgmenr, and yield my felf up to the Faith and Authority of another (to fay no more of the Blindnefs and Lamenefs of fuch Belief and Devotion) what Sec11rity can 1 have, that tbc Man or J11en u·bom 1 truft, may not err, and decetve me? And that Deceit is irreparable. Again, fince Man is a reafonable Creature, and that the more reafonable he is in his Religion, the nearer to bU own being be cornu, and to the Wifdom and Truth of his Creator, that did fa make him: A Religion without Reafon, impofed by an unaccounnble Authority, ag:~inft Reafon, Senfe and Convit\ion, cannot be the Religion of the God of Truth and Reafon : For it is not to be thought that he requires any Thing that carries any Vi· olence upon the Nature of his Creature, or that gives the Lye to that Reafan or Senfe with which he firft endowed him. In (barr, either convince my Underftanding by the Light of Truth and Power of Rea{on, or bear down my Infidelity with the Force of Miracles: For not to give me Under· ftanding or Faith, and to prefs a Submiffion that requires both, is moil unreafonable. ' - Buf if there were no other .Argument than this, it goes a great Way with me. that as to fuch as have their Untlerftanding at Liberty, if they are miftaken there may he Hopes of reclaiming them, by informing rbem; but where the Underftanding and Confcience are en!laved to Authority, and where Men ~ke it a Principal Do8:rine, to fufpeft their own Senfe, and Strive againit their own Cond8:ions; to move only by other Men's BreJth and fall down to their Conclufions; nothing fecmr to be !efr for 1 he fount! eft ~rg11ments, and dear?ft Truths, to v:ork upo,t. They had almolt need to be Re-Created in Order ro be convened ; for who can reafonably endel· vour to make him a Cbriftinn, that is not a Man ; which he cannot be rru· ly faid to be, who has no Underftanding, .or refolves not to ufe h, but re· jeft.it, wh.ich .is yet worfe: For he that has no UnderftandiRg, has no Pre· JUdtce agatnft Jt, but he thar purpofely denies anQ.. abufes it, is fo much worfe. as that he turns Enemy to him that has and ufes his Undetfbnding. He therefore can never be con~in_ced of ~is Error, who is prej Jtdiced aga~nf! tb~ nece.ffnr! A;f~an_r of Gmvzflzop, wbiCb U the Uje of his Cnduftandurg, Without whtch ns tmpoffible he fbould ever be convinced. To concludet 1 have refetved, till laft, one Argument, which is ad H~ minen Voi. f. A'it .AildrefJ t.; 'P .a mmem, wnanrwerable b rote,.ants. we cannot be confi1ten/ ~ts Proteflanrs, and WLtb . . i9~ what we would have oth'elr~h dour felves, or be tho~u~lt Yieldrng to which, r6 iJf tbc Scrtrturc was the~»' fi Into us, and that I; th'to ~unto others ~ thur tnojlfo/emn Appeal 1l u Work of our AncejllS: 'heTranjl,u10~ P:m II Rome '" tbe /JIIjintjJ of~£: t :JS People, againfi the Pop on; /T.d th ts I call Sect . tk.e dtvme Authonry of rhi~ e~nrauon. F""or when rhe ';!:.,_a.raJuwns of , >• flu~ of the Roman Cbn b or r e other Practice in 'Q'Qlfon arofe of therefore made rhem /fp~a&r~en~~~ they recurred rotl~hDSft~me or Wot• bhe People. This appet!l to tb: 'P"'' thl at. they might WL~ne~r~rures, and y makmg them Judges of p eop e In DeiCnoe of . s or them to to the Teftimony ot the J.i'o~fr S roCteding againft tlie ~%:ttl Separation, ~tern_. &tJnb the Scnptn e y fl cnpu";' puts every Ma ~"p,' accordmg Jet if wbat we fa a a •'I r s, ay the nrft. Prorefi n In o.ffrJ]ion of C~if~ any :bitficufry~ldJ:l :ie Pope and Ch~tr~h of Roa~rs[, prove aO Tb,ngJ; dtvtne Aid of hisS irit rt e, thef exhoned an to wa~ enottrne; and in not impofe upon th~ o;hto tltumtnate their Underfiandi~ upo~ God, for the PatrCllt, Lmg-Suffer er, ut commend them to Ggs, t :none lhculd 'Tcn~ernc/s 10 the J{;';~~:'dy to h~lp the fve(rk, tll[orm ~~ :1 Be BrorCerly, Obftm,ate. In lhort, Prote)n~nd With Rea.fo"ll and Modera:,/horant,, fhevt oflnqliiL(lndCbow:: And t cy,,Hflrl!jJollngt() every M nh to gam the greater ,l\,hhood of lindmg To lths Honour be .it ever fpo'k u Jufl Rtght than where iris denyed to II n;,t ' where all have Libercy enfi there is a fighted as their jtc,ghbou a H Ut a few Grandees and th rrc eek after ir, !'Ot departed irom this S~b ut now let us ProuO,~ts exam? e rofo as tbort ~that we who have been f~ery, this Chrifttdn Temperancel~eHl we have reUow-Serv,11111 wb rgtven much, have our ii 1 ow comes ~eafonable Cho,;e? Ja~:t ~;e us nhothing > Have not ~ev~/aNedn upon ou_r cray confi~er hav not t rear ned buren d . u e them th 1s ted a TVor}b,p', andfi,o~t"ot '!''ldf Crecdr, ?rarnedFai~hs ~~r~oned them f Ctvil Ppwer upon p '· 'J8{Joyn d all Men's Obedience, b~r'he and re.gt~/a .. Pupon ,.piJ/tn~ers; th~L:gh. t~~eyat hSuffenb'ngs, .which bav~ tn~t~~~ ~t the roteuers wtth yo . ft ave een, m comm R D PJrtd Land Rtourns Hea:~na~a~fi l thfelvpe and' Ch~trcb of R~~c efounce~s and Tdagive u; the Smprxr!, •:nd 'k an~ all is out of due c;urftor thl! the !~"J<rf/::~t.;::J ~t,~';. ':y i:~d the~7 .;"/ J:;ffo~f/o:~:dirhe~: To our Neigh Dour, IS very unreafonahle tee cntt, both With refpett t~o({'dC tdo we could fee the Mlfchief we upon our P1 otejla111 Ptmcl 1 ° a_n ur,on our Caufe; for the Pn 'dr~w upon our felves, and whfch'·; I wr(h f.~;.~~e~e ~g:i'h~~o~ Princl~, ~~~~c~ ~~~~ ',~J.!~c~hd~ng to hi,' p~~~~~ der H fertat~y ~e fh:na~ ~e.alfo are more condemnable a If we pro.~efs the t;~.~~~~,c~~!c~~~~~hth£Y:~~~';."~~ t~~c~~{~J;i~~l,!~;,cr~.u~}~::i; :~ere Is the Dlffer,ence, fince I amcr~~~u~~l would have us 'believe. at~~ t~l~:!~~~:J£~;{:r:~r:;;;h~~rer~~~~~~ ~~:~i~F/~dit;~~~~~ ~~~~~Y~,.If,c; my felf i~ :~u't~~s~ a:hff f!{;d'j]i' t the C~~rcb~r:frt';.':; onl J; OJ c Jcvmg tU rbe ChNrcb he/rever A at own wrch the old Do-- ~i[ R~~:k.h~h~~~~ ~t:~;~;; 1:£:~~"~r~~~ ~~."t.:~p;r.~.~~~t~rr~.r'lo:.e:~ en wca and unadvifed \ but be~ufi ~ nterpufe of our Fathers had afd thac the Tranfl:tticmof the Scri t e nothtng lefs was intended by them o rhofe Protejlanr Ancefiors. for p ure was both the .Appett! and Lt ac ~ conclnde 'NC are much de ene;:ued the Reafo.ns ~f?re·mentioned, I ~uft ~a";{' .and need to be ad~onif'hed G¥~~ ~e ~flmtJctty of Primitive Prate· Po .m'ghty Gcd, that he would uickr ac I mgs : And l heartily pray rovtdenccs to return to our firft L q en us Or_ h1s repeated Mercies ancl eve, 5 r} t!e Llght and Spirit of his Son, t~at |