The Principle of Protestant Truth and Peace, Table of contents 1 – Treatise 1
The Contents.
THE Introduction, Explaining the Text, and ſhewing the merciful Deſign of Chriſtianity againſt contrary appearances. The always preſent way of determining Doubts in Religion, 1. to 8.
Of Natural Religion, as ſure, as our Faculties, and the Examination of Things by it, 10. to 26.
Of Natural-Religion, united by Chriſtian Religion to, and with it ſelf, as the only Aſſurance and Teſt of Revealed Religion, and of the little value of Ceremonies in Religion either Natural or Chriſtian, 27. to 45.
Of Natural Religion, the only ſtandard of Humane Paenal Laws in Religion, 45. to 79.
Of the great uſe of Natural Religion, in compoſing, and deciding Differences in Chriſtian Religion, applied to ſome of the greateſt Controverſies in it, 80, 82.
Of the firſt Principle of Peace in Chriſtianity it ſelf; The important Honourable Buſineſs, given as one Rule to walk by, wherein it engages all its Diſciples; ſeveral ways producing peace, 88, to 94.
Of the grand Principles of the Ʋnion of Chriſtians into one Body, on which love and peace are infallibly to enſue, 95, to 99.
Of Hereſie, and the nature of it, cutting off from that Ʋnion, exemplified in Popery, and whether the Roman Society be a True Church. Of Schiſm, and its nature, as it cuts off from the Body of Chriſt, 99, to 110.
Of the Laws for Chriſtians, being imbodied in a Catholick Church; in particular Congregations or Churches; and the Order of Both to National Chriſtian Conſtitutions. Of the great value the word of God gives to Publick National Religion, requiring our utmoſt attemperation of our ſelves to it conſiſtently with conſcience. Of the Peace of Chriſtianity in relation to the Miniſterial preſidency of it; in relation to Magiſtracy, to Ʋniverſal Goodneſs, 121, to 127.
A Lamentation over the World's unhappineſs in relation to ſo excellent a thing as Religion, and Chriſtian Religion, 127.
An Offerture for the Amicable Return of all Proteſtants one to another within our Engliſh Nation, and the Methods of it, 136.
ERRATA.
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ISA. XI. 6, 7, 8, 9.
The wolf alſo ſhall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard ſhall lie down with the kid, and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child ſhall lead them. And the cow and the bear ſhall feed, their young ones ſhall lie down together: and the lion ſhall eat ſtraw like the ox. And the ſucking child ſhall play on the hole of the aſp, and the weaned child ſhall put his hand on the cockatrice den. They ſhall not hurt, nor deſtroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth ſhall be full of the knowledg of the Lord, as the waters cover the ſea.
THIS Context is a high and eloquent Declaration of the excellent, peaceable, and benign Temper that Chriſtianity introduces into the world, under the emblem of a general pacification between the mighty and the weak, the armed and unarmed, the noxious and innocent, the oppreſſive and oppreſſed parts of the Creation.
And whether we look upon it as a deſcription riſing out of the Rules and Principles, whoſe natural and genuine effect where ever they take, will be ſuch as is here drawn out; or whether it be alſo a Prophecy of what ſhall in ſome time at leaſt come univerſally to paſs, that there ſhall be ſuch a noble experiment of true Chriſtianity in the world, as we have great reaſon to believe there ſhall: And ſo whether the effect ſhall be throughout to converſion, and the truly Chriſtian change; or whether it ſhall only ſmooth and poliſh many men who have not the true Grace of God within, but ſhall be aſham'd in ſuch a land of light to deal Iſa. 26. 10.perverſly, and not to behold the majeſty of the Lord, in that tranſcendent Goodneſs and Grace he appears in, both in the Commands and great Exemplar of; yet ſo that there ſhall be a multitude of ſincere Converts to that ſtate.
However we expound either of theſe, they are both alike to the diſcourſe intended; it being undoubted that Chriſtanity alwaies lays the grounds and reaſons, gives the commands, and urges the precepts, inſpires the temper here deſcrib'd, and doth moſt effectively in all times upon many, (though few comparatively) and in all reaſonable hope ſhall upon the generality in ſome time ſo prevail in the world, that all that Belluine, Ferocious, and Salvage Temper of men ſhall be put off, and proſcribed the world; the hearts of men being either truly chang'd by the Grace of God, or univerſally ſo far convinced by high conſiderations and over comming light (for the knowledg of the Lord ſhall cover the earth, as waters do the ſea); that at leaſt they will not diſcover that Leonine, and Wolviſh Temper; that cruelty and venome ſo natural to mens hearts in this ſinful and degenerate ſtate.
And this extends not only to the ſuperſeding the cruelty of action, oppreſſion, ſpoyling of goods, impriſonment, Maſſacres, martyrdoms, and all ſort of Tortures; but to the taking away that poyſon of Aſps that is in mens lips, the Lyon-like teeth of ſlanders, and invective, the ſwords and knives of cruel mockings and Revilings men offer one to another in the management of Religious Controverſies.
For theſe things the Prophet ſpeaks of, are eſpecially to be underſtood with reſpect to Religion, as men are upon their hatred to true Religion, or the mutual differences in it, become Lions, Leopards, and Tygers in their executions; Cockatrices, Aſpes, and Scorpions in their bitter words and Anathema's. All which according to the influences of Chriſtianity upon mens minds declared in this Prophecy, ſhall be taken out of the world; except upon the account of thoſe things alone, which will be cauſes of mens eternal damnation at the Tribunal of God and Chriſt, if the infliction be Spiritual; or ſuch iniquities as God hath indeed commanded to be puniſhed by a Judg in this world, if the ſentence be temporal. Of ſuch a change as is here ſet out, the Apoſtle Paul was a great and remarkable inſtance, whoſe converſion as it hath been thought a prophetic Pattern of the calling of the Jews, ſo (it may be as well thought) of this happy tranſmutation of the world, moſt probably concurrent with it, if either be univerſal, as we have reaſon to hope; for he was taken in the very manner of a fierce and wild beaſt breathing out threatnings, and ſlaughter againſt the Diſciples of the Lord, and immediately Acts 9. 1.turned into a meek, merciful, tender, and compaſſionate Lamb, over whom at his converſion there ſhone a light round about him, in reſemblance of this knowledg of the Lord that ſhall cover the earth; at the brightneſs of which they that journeyed with him, ſtood ſpeechleſs, which might allegorize the making tame even thoſe in ſuch a day of Divine Appearance that are no true Converts.
Now this Apoſtle (as we know) ever after breath'd nothing but the Love, Meekneſs, and gentleneſs of Chriſt, in himſelf; and offers in all his writings to inſpire it into others, as we ſhall have abundant occaſion in the progreſs of this diſcourſe to obſerve; ſevere in nothing, but what was irreconcilable with this excellent Chriſtian ſpirit.