A censure upon certain passages contained in the History of the Royal Society [by Thomas Sprat] as being destructive to the established religion and Church of England / [Henry Stubbe].

Stubbe, Henry, 1632-1676.

Date:: 1671

Credit: A censure upon certain passages contained in the History of the Royal Society [by Thomas Sprat] as being destructive to the established religion and Church of England / [Henry Stubbe]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$vindication of our Church for departing from the Romith Cmmunimi and our Lam, together with other Ecckfiajhcal confistulions are fo pofithe and fevere againft all fuch Communion, that I need not mfift hereon further : but leave it to the Confideration of my Super tours, and of thofe that are skilled in the Lam of the Land, How confo- nant thu pafage of our Hifiorian is thereunto, how pernicious towards the fubverfion of the ejlabliphed Religion , and how far puniflableit being a notorious endeavour to withdraw the King's MajeJHes fublMs from the RELIGION ESTABLISHED to the Romtjb Religion. Hiflor. R S. pag. 349. . - • “ J TO i-'1 v v •’ jus 1 \ - 1 • • ■ > v ‘He £ the Natural and Experimental Philofopher ] will be led ‘ to admire the wonderful contrivance of the Creation, and c fo to apply and diredl his praifes aright: which no doubt, when ‘ they are offer'd up to Heaven from the mouth of one that hath ‘ well ftudied what he commends, will be more SUITABLE to ‘ the 'Divine Nature, than the BLIND Applaufes of the Ignorant. ‘ This was the firft fervice that A dam perform'd to his Creator, ‘ when he obeyed him in mufiering, and naming, and looking ’ ‘ into the nature of all Creatures. THIS HAD BEEN THE < ONELY RELIGION , if men had continued innocent ia iV ‘ radife, and had not wanted a Redemption. . - '■ tr H E former part of this paflage is contrary to the Analogy of Faith *■ and Scripture, in that it makes the ACCEPTABLENES OF MENS PRAISES ( which word includes prayers ) TO DEPEND MORE OR LESS ON THE STUDY OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. Whereas the Apofile fufpendsthe accepfabtenes of all Prayers unto God, in being made unto him in the ndme , and for the mediation of Chrijl jefus, applied by faith : Hebr. 10. 19. 20.21.22. Having there fore, Brethren, boldneffe to enter into the boliefl by the bloud of Jefus, By a new and living way , which he bath conjecrated for us, through thevaile, that is to. fay hit fiefi-, and. having an High Priefi over the* houfeof God, let us draw} user with a true heart, in full ajfurance of faith , having our hearts ff tinkled from an evill confctepee , and our bodies wafhed with pure water. Here is not any mention how that EXPERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHIE doth render any prayers or praifes more SUITABLE TOGO D, than thofe of the leffe curious: this knowledge is no where in. the new or old Tefiament fofar recommended unto us , as that without this qualification the Saints fhould be faid'to offer up the BLIND APPLAUSES ,OF s IGNORANT PERSONS. Particularly , t do not find this, ciuumfiance endeared .unto us. by rthat of the Apop* file , 1. Cor. 13. 2. Though 1 have the gift of Prophefy , and underfiand all My fierier, and ALL KNQWLEDG y and though I have all faith, fo that J could remove HlouMains, and HAVE NO CHARITY , 1 am nothing$