Third Article, How God is to be Worshipped.
As to the Third Article: Tho divers Rites, Mysteries, and Sa∣cra's, (as the Romans call them)▪
Religio laici written in a letter to John Dryden, Esq.
About this Item
- Title
- Religio laici written in a letter to John Dryden, Esq.
- Author
- Blount, Charles, 1654-1693.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for R. Bentley and S. Magnes ...,
- 1683.
- Rights/Permissions
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- Link to this Item
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A28445.0001.001
- Cite this Item
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"Religio laici written in a letter to John Dryden, Esq." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A28445.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.
Pages
Page 53
were introduced to the Worship of the Supreme God; yet that there is no Universal Consent or Agreement concerning them, but that a pure and untainted Mind, (as being conscious in it self of no Unworthiness) toge∣ther with a Virtuous and Pious Life, (testified by the Expressi∣ons of Goodness and Charity to all Men) and accompanied with Love, Faith, and Hope in God, were undoubted ways of Ser∣ving him: sit pura mente colen∣dus. The Ancient Jews and Modern Christians have many Rites and Ceremonies common with the Gentiles; which is more than vulgar Divines do ima∣gine. Most of the Jewish Laws and Rites were practised indif∣ferently among the Heathens, or at least did not much vary
Page 54
from them, as the diligent Sear∣chers into Antiquity well know. The Gentiles, as well as the Jews, held the most substantial Parts of Moses his Doctrine, without differing in much more than certain particular Laws, more proper for that Country than any other; as, their not eating Swines Flesh, and making Adul∣tery Death. If it be said, That that Precept in the Decalogue (against Graven Images) was par∣ticular to the Jews; It will be found a Mistake: for that the Persians, and otheir neighbour∣ing Nations, concurred therein, as well as the Jews; as also in most of their other Command∣ments: Thus Feriari Deo is ac∣counted a kind of keeping a Sabboth, &c. amongst the Hea∣thens: And St. Austin (lib. 20.
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ch. 19. against Faustus) saith, That the Gentiles were not so grievously lapsed into the Wor∣ship of False Gods, but that they retained the Opinion of One True God, from whom every Nature whatsoever is derived. Finally, Whatsoever tends to Mans Perfection, is eminently and primarily in God: But the Notions of Providence, Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, Love, &c. tend to his Perfection; Ergo, Hence the Gentiles took their Rise from themselves, as believing that they were Gods Children, and made after his Image.