62 11 DISPLAY Of rather marred, accordingto every one's fancy : Thane popular feat, it is the iffueof the people's brain. (a) Origen is fuppofed, to have brought him firft into the church : but among thofe many fincere worfhippersof divine grace, this fetter forth of newDaman, found but little entertainment : it was looked upon, but like theRump of Dagan, with his head and hands laid down before the ark of God ; without whofe help he could neither know, nor do that which is good in any kind ; frill accounted but mauves ficulaou, inutile {gnum: a fig-tree logg, an unprofitable piece of wood; incerti pa-. tree framnum facerenrne. The fathers of the fucceeding ages had much debate, to what ufe they lhouldput it : and though force exalted it a degree or two above its merits, yet the mollconcluded to keep it a block í1i11: until at length, therearofe a (b) pout champion, challenging on his behalf the whole church ofGod, and like a knight errant wandered from the well to the oft, to grapple with any, thatMould op- pofe his idol : who though he might with (r) divers adverfaries, (d) one efpecially, who in the behalf of the grace of God, continually foiled him and call him to the ground, and that in the judgment, (e) ofall the lawful judges, affembled iu councils, and (f) in theopinion of molt of thechriftian by-Randers: yet by his cunning infi. nuation, he planted fuch an opinionof his idol's deity andfelf-fuiliciency in the hearts of divers, that to this day it could never be rooted out. Now after the deceafe of hisPelagian worfhippers, force of the corrupter fchool- men feeing of him thus from hisbirth expofed without Shelter to wind andweather, to all affaults ; out of meer charity, and felf=love, built him a temple, and adorned it with natural lights, merits, uncontrouled, independent operations, with many other gay attendances. But in thebeginningof the reformation, that fatal time for idolatry and fuperftition, together with abbies, and monafteries, the zeal and learning of our forefathers, with the help of God's word, demolilhed this temple, and brake this buildingdown to theground : in the rubbilh whereof we well hoped the idol himfelf had been fodeeply buried, as that hishead fhould never more have been exalted to the trouble of the church ofGod: until not long frnce, force curious wits, whofe weak ftomonhs were clogged withManna, and loathed the fmcere milk of the word, raking all dunghils for novelties, lighted unhappily upon this idol ; and prefently, withno lets joy than did the mathematician at thedifcovety ofa new geometrical proportion, exclaim, Wehave foundit, we have found it ! and without more ado, up theyer'e£t- ed a Shrine, and until this day continueoffering ófpraifeand thanksfor all the good they do to this work of their own hands. And that the Idol may be freefrom ruine, to which in himfelf they have found by experience that he is fubjet; they have matcht him tocontingency, a new goddefs of their own creation; who having proved very fruitful in monftrous births, upon their conjun£tions, they nothing doubt they(hall ever want one to fit on the throne, and make prefident of all human a&ions: fo that after he hath with various fuccefs, at leaf[ twelve hundred years, contended with the providence and grace of God, he boafteth now, as if he had obtaineda total vi£tory. But yet all his prevailing is to be attributed to thediligence, and varnifh of his new abetters, with (to our flame be it fpoken) the negligence ofhis adverfaries ; in him, and his caufe, there is no more real worth thanwas, when by the ancient Fathers he was exploded, and curled out of the Church. So that they, who can attain through the many winding labyrinths ofcu- rious diftin£tions, to look upon the thing it fel f !hall find that they have bren like Egyptian novices, brought through many Stately frontifpieces and goodly fabricks, with much flew ofzeal and devotion, to the image ofan ugly ape. (a) Rieron. adRuff. (b) Pelagius. Dogma quadpeftifero vomuit coluber fermoneBritannus, Profper. de iPrat. cap. T. (c) Adfuit, exhortante Deo provifa per orbem, fan&orum piacura patrum. Peftemfubeuntem prima recidiy fades Roma Petri. z. Non fegnior inde orientis redo- rum cura emicuit, Synod. Pales. 3. Hieronymus libris valde excellenribushoftemdillcuit. 4. Atticus ConRantinopp. 5. DamSynodi Affricane, Profper. de ingrate (d) Conciliamcui dux Aurelius ingeni- umq; Augufilnus eras. Quem Chrifti grata cornu uberiore rigans, noltro lumendedilevo, Profp ibid. (e) Dixit Pelagius, Quis elk miniAugufinus? UniverS acclamabant blafphemantem in epifcopum, ex cujus ore, dominos untverleAfrica, unitats indulferit felicitatem, non (alum a convemu illo, fedab omni ec lefty pellendem, Orof Apologet. fol. Oat. de Synod. Pale,[. Pre omnibus Radium gerite libros S. Augult. quos ad Profp. &Miler. kripft, memoratis fratribus legendosin g erere: &c. Ep;JI. Synod. Ryzac. (f) Imo noveeunt, non folum Romanam ghicanamq; ecclelíam, fedper omnes mundi parses, univerfe promillonis filios, cum dofrina hujus viii, tacut in tots fide, ila in grade condone congruere, Prof;, ad Ruffin. Auguftinnm ratite retardations :Arum pro vim fez, &meritis, in null. communione temper habuimus, nee unquam hune finiltre fufpicionis (altem rumor fufpexit, Cole. EpJt. adGal. Epißap. Thefe I have cited to thewwhat a heavy prejudice the Arminian caufe lies under. being pro(fetfedlyoppofite to the do@rineof St. Amin, and they continually lightingofhis authority. Yet
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=