A26927:18
Fair-warning, or, XXV reasons against toleration and indulgence of popery with the Arch-bishop of…
Fair-warning, or, XXV reasons against toleration and indulgence of popery with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's letter to the King and all the bishops of Ireland's protestation to the Parliament to the same purpose : with an answer to the Roman-Catholics reasons for indulgence : also the excellent reasons of the Honourable House of Commons against indulgence, with historical observations thereupon.Fair-warning, or, XXV reasons against toleration and indulgence of popery with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's letter to the King and all the bishops of Irelands protestation to the Parliament to the same purpose : with an answer to the Roman-Catholicks reasons for indulgence : also the excellent reasons of the Honourable House of Commons against indulgence, with historical observations thereupon.
London: printed for S.U.N.T.F.S., 1663
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Twenty five Reasons Against Toleration of Popery › Reason 2: Reason 2.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Reason 2.
That way that persuades men to believe and live by the traditions of men, and to make the word of God of none effect is not to be tolerated, how can a King (who must give an account of himself to God) answer for his connivance at that profession which teacheth men to live, not by the will of God that made them, but by the will of men like themselves. How can Kings answer it if they suffer men to live by the Law of men, and not of God, will God endure that the world should be governed by the Creature and not by the Creator? But Popery takes men off from the will of God: they say we have no Scripture but what the Pope ⟨p. 3⟩allow do not they teach (and that among Christians too) that we must think the Scripture the word of God no longer than the Church saith it is so? do not they write (and that among us that wait upon God to hear the Scripture weekly and daily,) that their customs and opinions are to be the Rule and foundation of our faith as well as the Scripture do not they equal the Popes decrees to Gods word, and say their Church may impose new Articles of faith upon poor Souls every day preferring the judgement of the Church before the counsel of God? that say the authority of the Church in its Laws is above the authority of God in the Scripture, and yet the authority of the Pope in his decrees is above the authority of the Church in her Laws: that say God in his word did not say enough to save men, did not speak clearly enough to instruct them in the knowledge of the truth. Be wise O ye Kings, be instructed O ye Judges of the Earth? to what end hath he set up you, but to see that men should walk according to his will? to what end hath God advanced you but to see that men lived according to his Law hath God raised you up? and will you suffer Anti-Christ to advance himself above every thing that is called God? doth not God see this? doth not he observe it?