A letter vvritten by a learned and reverent divine, to William Laud, now L. Bishop of Canterbury: concerning his inclination to popery, perswading him not to halt betweene two opinions, but to be stedfast to the Protestant religion.

A letter vvritten by a learned and reverent divine, to William Laud, now L. Bishop of Canterbury: concerning his inclination to popery, perswading him not to halt betweene two opinions, but to be stedfast to the Protestant religion.

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Title page

Expostulating the cause of his unsetlednesse in Religion, which is pleaded to be our dissensions: shewing the insufficiencie of that motiue, and comparing the state of our Church herein, with the Romish.

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Expostulating the cause of his unsetlednesse in Religion, which is pleaded to be our dissensions: shewing the insufficiencie of that motiue, and comparing the state of our Church herein, with the Romish.

I Would J knew where to find you: then I could tel how to take a direct aime, wheras now I must rove and conjecture. To day you are in the tents of the Romanists; to morrow in ours; the next day between both; against both. Our aduersaries think you ours, we theirs; your conscience finds you with both, and nether. I flatter you not: this of yours is the worst of all tempers: heat and could haue there vses; lukewarmnesse is good for nothing but to trouble the stomack. Those that are spiritually hot, find acceptation; those that are starke cold, have a lesser reckoning; the meane between both, is so much worse, as it comes neerer to good, and attaines it not. How long will you halt in this indifferencie? Resolve one way, and know at last what you doe hold; what you should. Cast of either your wings [Page] or your teeth; and loathing this Bat-like nature, be either a bird or a beast. To die wavering and vncertaine, your selfe will grant fearfull. If I must settle, when begin you? If you must beginne why not now? It is dangerous deferring that, whose want is deadly, whose oportunity is doubtfull. God cryeth with Iehu, who is on my side, who? Looke at last out of your window to him, & in a resolute courage cast downe this Iezabel that hath bewitched you. Is there any impediment, which delay will a bate? is there any which a just answer cannot remove? If you had rather waver, who can settle you? But if yor love not inconstancy, tell us why you stagger. Be plaine or else you will neuer be firme: What hinders you. Is it our divisions: I see you shake your head at this, and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste: would God I cold either deny this with truth or amend it with teares: But I grant it, with no lesse sorrow, then you with offence. This earth hath nothing more [Page] lamentable, then the civill jarres of one faith. What then? must you defie your mother; because you see your brethren fighting? Their dessension is her griefe: Must shee lose some sonnes, because some others qua [...]rell? Do not so wrong your self in affecting her. Will you love Christ the lesse, because his coat is divided? yea let me boldly say; the hemme is torne a lettle, the garment is whole; or rather it is fretted a little, not torne; or rather the fringe, not the hemme. Behold, here is one Christ, one Creed, one Baptisme, one heaven, one way to it, in summe, one religion, one foundation, and (take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous Latherans) one heart: Our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas not those of Peter and Magus if they be some, it is well they are no more; if many, they are not capitall. Shew mee that Church, that hath not complained of distraction: yea that familie, yea thàt fraternity, yea that man that alwayes agrees with himselfe. See if the Spouse of Christ, in the heavenly marriage [Page] song, doe not call him, a young Hart in the mountaines of division. Tell mee then, whither will you goe for truth, if you will allow no truth, but where there is no diuision? To Rome perhaps, famous for unity, famous for peace. See now how happily you have chosen, how well you have sped: Lo, Card. Bellarmine himself, a witnesse above exception, under his own hand acknowledgeth to the world and reckons up 237. contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Divins. What need we more evidence? O the perfect accordance of Peters See! worthy to be accorded for a badge of truth. Let now all our Adversaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions among us, as they confesse amongst themselves, and be you theirs. No, they are not more peaceable, but more subtill; they have not lesse dissension, but more smothered. They fight closely within doors, without noise; all our frays are in the field; would God wee had as much of their cunning, as they want of our peace, and no more of their policie, [Page] than they want of our truth. Our strife is in Ceremonies, theirs substance; ours in one or two points, theirs in all. Take it boldly from him that dares avouch it, there is not one point in all Divinitie (except those wherein wee accord with them) wherein they all speake the same. If our Church displease you for differences, theirs much more; unlesse you will be either wilfully incredulous, or wilfully partiall: unlesse you dislike a mischiefe the lesse for the secrecy. What will you do then? Will you be a Church alone? Alas, how full are you of contradictions to your self! how ful of contrary purposes! how oft do you chide with your selfe! how oft do you fight with your self! I appeale to that bosome which is privy to those secret combates: beleeve me not, if ever you find perfect unity any where but above: either go thither and seek it amongst those that triumph, or be content with what estate you find in this warfairing number. Truth is in differences, as Gold is in drosse, Wheat in chaffe; will you cast away the best metall, [Page] the best grain, because it is mingled with this Offall? Will you rather be poor and hungry, then bestow labour on the Fan or Furnance? Is there nothing worth your respect but Peace? I have heard that the interlacing of Discords graces the best Musick; and I know not whether the very evil spirits agree n [...]t with themselves. If the body be sound, what though the coat be torn? or if the garment be whole, what if the lace be unript? Take you Peace; let me have Truth, I cannot have both. To conclude: Embrace those Truths that we all hold, and it greatly matters not what you hold in those wherein we differ: and if you love your safetie, seek rather grounds whereon to rest, then excuses for your unrest. If ever you look to gain by the Truth, you must chuse it, and cleave to it. Meere resolution is not enough; except you will rather lose your self then it.

FINIS.

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[Page] A LETTER WRITTEN By A LEARNED AND REVERENT DIVINE, TO WILLIAM LAUD, NOW L. BISHOP OF CANTERBURY: CONCERNING HIS INCLINAtion to Popery, perswading him not to halt betweene two Opinions, but to be stedfast to the Protestant Religion.

Printed in the year of Gods great and merciful deliverance from sundry Romish and Jesuiticall plots against this State and Kingdome.

Information about this book

Title statement

A letter vvritten by a learned and reverent divine, to William Laud, now L. Bishop of Canterbury: concerning his inclination to popery, perswading him not to halt betweene two opinions, but to be stedfast to the Protestant religion.

Learned and reverend divine.

Edition statement

1643

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A88049

ID [STC]

Wing L1761

ID [STC]

Thomason E106_4

ID [STC]

ESTC R19026

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99860547

ID [PROQUEST]

99860547

ID [VID]

112669

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Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A88049)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 112669)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 19:E106[4])

Source

— A letter vvritten by a learned and reverent divine, to William Laud, now L. Bishop of Canterbury: concerning his inclination to popery, perswading him not to halt betweene two opinions, but to be stedfast to the Protestant religion., Learned and reverend divine..

Extent

[8] p.

s.n.],. [London :: Printed in the year of Gods great and merciful deliverance from sundry Romish and Jesuiticall plots against this state and kingdome. [1643]. (Place of publication from Wing.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "June 14th 1643".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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