been endangered by the cruelties and furious persecutions of the Devil and his Hellish Agents Since the Murther of the Divine Author of this Excellent Religion there is no Age nor Kingdom but hath seen multitudes of his sincere Followers sent after their Good Master How furiously did the Pharisees rage against the Apostles how barbarously did they handle the first Christians how many Consultations and Attempts to stifle this Religion in its Infancy in the Rivers and Torrents of the Blood of its Professors And when by S. Paul's Preaching the Truth was generally known and embraced all over the Roman Empire how many Massacres and Tragedies have been acted upon Christians As it is not possible to describe the inhumanities of Nero Domitian Dioclesian and other Caesars it is impossible to declare the number of Christ's Disciples murdered in all parts of their Dominions in every Town and Hamlet and in every Province fire and sword misery and torments were the portions of all that were so bold as to own this sacred Name Afterwards when by the goodness of God the Roman Emperors began to open their Eyes and perceive the Divinity of this Faith when they began to draw the whole World by their Religious Examples to worship a Crucified Saviour the Devil whose Empire was thereby overthrown took other measures and an other course to destroy Christianity and hinder its progress amongst men Instead of opposing the whole Body of it which had gained an invincible credit in the World he resolved to pick quarrels with some of its Doctrines and to poyson the Hypocritical Professors with such pernicious persuasions as might spread to the forming of a Party for himself No sooner did the Primitive Christians come out of the Heathenish Persecutions but this grand Enemy of all Truth and Piety advanced amongst them the Heresies of Arius Apollinarius Nestorius Novatus Pelagius and others of his Champions who either by subtilty or cruelty assaulted again Christ's Church afresh and raised persecutions against her in her very bowels But Satan's Malice was never so remarkable nor the Sufferings of the Church never so many nor the Plots and Combinations against her never so frequent under the Governments of the Jews and Romans as they have been since the Apostacy of the Roman Church from Christs true Faith and its reception of the antient Heresies The Devils Throne established in the Old Capitol seems to be now transferred to the infamous Vatican of Rome the antient abode of the Whores and the now Seat of the Great Whore of Babylon Corn. Tacit. lib. 2. in fine Vitel. Imperij for from this place it is impossible to number the Decrees and Commissions that have been sent to murder destroy burn and overthrow Christ's true Church on Earth How many Wars have been kindled how many Massacres acted how many Plots set on foot how many Cruelties and Tragedies have proceeded from the Resolutions and Orders of the Vatican In all Ages and Kingdoms of our Northern-World the Roman Party was never wanting in any bloudy Scene to destroy Christ's Disciples It is observable that for above seven hundred years there hath scarce been a War in Europe but the Pope of Rome hath been the first Contriver and greatest Promoter of it chiefly when Christ's Church and People were concerned For it hath always been the Policy of the Roman Court when the Princes of Europe were grown so Rich or Great as to give them a Jealousie to stir them up by their Nuncios to some chargeable and dangerous War or to raise against them their discontented Neighbours And since the Reformation hath separated from them a part of Europe all the Protestant Blood that hath been spilt may be charged upon the Pope and his Agents How many millions in France Germany Spain and other parts of Europe have been slain by the Papists How many private Massacres and publick Wars have been begun and encouraged by them I dare assert and offer my self to prove from a certain knowledge of the Histories of former Ages that in this Northern World since the first Reformation the Pope and his Papists have been so great Enemies of the Peace of Christendom that there hath been no War kindled nor scarce any Bloody Scene acted by any Authority nor any noted Wickedness performed but the Pope had there a hand and was concerned as one of the chief Actors This unreconcileable hatred which he bears to Christ's Church and his Gospel inrages him and all his restless Agents against this flourishing and happy Kingdom Since the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign how many hundred Plots and Conspiracies have been set on foot by the Papists against the Lives of our Kings and Princes and the Peace of this Nation This Land seems to have been the chiefest Theater of their Cruelty and private Conspiracies As soon as by the Goodness of God one Plot is disappointed another is immediately begun and advanced to trouble this Kingdom I shall not mention here the former Discoveries that have been made of the Popes designs against us of our danger in Eighty Eight of the Gunpowder-Plot of our late Civil Wars of our Royal Martyrs Murder of the Noble Blood that hath been privately spilt and of our unreconcileable differences in Religion known to be fomented by the Pope and Papists and many other of their contrivances within these few years tending to disquiet and disturb Christ's Church amongst us I shall in this short Tract give an Account only of the present designs of the Papists against the Protestant Religion in Europe from certain and well grounded Intelligence that I have had with worthy men of the Popish Religion and the Acquaintance that I have desired to get in the Affairs of Europe within these twenty years I shall here give a prospect of a private Consultation and a crafty Contrivance which hath caused already much Christian Blood to be spilt in all parts of Europe and God knows how much more the carrying on of these designs will cost God knows what miseries and afflictions it will bring upon us For the prevention of the mischiefs intended against us in this Land and our Protestant Religion I here offer this Discovery to the Publick or as much as is necessary to be known I pray God that our Brethren of the same Religion would seriously consider it so as to reunite again with us in the sincere profession of the Truth and Worship of our God that our Enemies may not advantage themselves by our divisions for this purpose I shall shew what this Popish Design is by whom commenced and who are chiefly concerned Alexander the Seventh of the Family of Chigi was looked upon as one of the greatest Politicians of his days As soon as he was setled in his Papacy he sent his Nuncios into France Germany and Spain to reconcile the Popish Princes and to conclude between them such a League as that they might be able to suppress the Calvinists at home and oppose
course speedily to discover to us our error and chastise us for such unreasonable dissensions in such matters as we may easily comply with one another I know your common Objection against us is that in regard such Observances Customs and Ceremonies that breed a difference between us are but trivial in themselves they should not be imposed upon you with that strictness In Answer to this I intreat thee my Brother to consider three things first that a Conformity to one way one rule and manner in this Church is absolutely necessary for how unbeseeming a thing it is that one Congregation should practise one thing another act in another manner one Minister wear green another yellow another black another gray another white If in one place were all singing in another all preaching in another all praying How ridiculous would our Church appear to all the foreign Nations if these things were allowed by Authority It is therefore most certain that one way and one worshipping our God is absolutely needful and becoming the wisdom of our Nation Secondly consider that the way and method established by the Governours in Church and State is not to be referred to the humor of every fancy or of every dissatisfied and private person and that it is very reasonable in such cases as all acknowledge indifferent in themselves when one way is to be chosen and others rejected to take that which the publick Authority approves of and agrees with their Judgment and Piety whom God hath established over us and whose office it is to appoint such things for us to observe and obey Thirdly consider that trivial and indifferent things when stamped by the Authority of the Nation cease to be so and become necessary to be observed That which is indifferent in it self and but a trifle is a greater invitation to you to practise it and renders your stifness more inexcusable but in regard it is commanded by Authority I am bound to obey The indifferency ceaseth and I should think it a crime and a breach of Gods Law Of Obeying the Magistrate for Conscience sake If in things indifferent I preferred mine own partial humor to the Commands of my Prince and Governors And wonder not if they require so strictly thine obedience and mine to these orders because in this licentious Age men of corrupt designs take any liberty to dispute against Authority and contemn its injunctions under the pretence of Religion and Conscience And because this way and method seems to them the wisest whom God hath appointed over us to prescribe it in the worshiping of God and most agreeable with Gods Glory and the Nations Honor Credit and Advantage Therefore there can be no Superstition in them to require our exact obedience to all the Rules which they judge to be just and best befitting our Piety and in us to yield it in things indifferent in themselves as some foolishly imagin In all other matters which give you a distast I know none but may be comprehended under this notion and be looked upon as trivial and indifferent in themselves The designed compendiousness of this Seasonable Advice suffers me not to examin them all nor to weigh all the objections that you are wont to make in justification of your Non-Conformity But for those that relate to our Prayers and publick Liturgy I refer you my Christian Brethren to a small treatise now in the Press called the Christians Devotions and Directory in these dangerous times wherein I have laboured to clear and blow away all those mists that hide the truth from your discovery and to give you satisfying reasons for our practice and for your benefit with directions how you shall be able to prevail upon your averseness and bring your selves to receive a real and an inward comfort from our way of worshipping Unto the perusal of that Treatise I refer all those that would receive better satisfaction in matters disputed amongst us Conformity according to the Laws of the Land is plainly required from every person To set up therefore Meeting Places in opposition to Authority and the Established Service of God is an apparent breach of these Laws To haunt and frequent them under a pretence of receiving many Soul-comforts from the Learned and Godly Sermons and Exercises of Piety in those prohibited Assemblies is not warrantable in the Minister nor his Auditory according to the Laws of the Nation To withdraw from the Service of God under Episcopacy and to leave off the Assembling with our Neighbours in our ordinary Churches To forbear from Prayers the Sermons of our Common Teachers and the receiving of the Lords Supper and the other Acts of Non-Conformity are likewise breaches of these Laws of men established by the Lawful Authority of the Nation by the King and Parliament and are so well known to be so that I shall not offer to prove it The greatest Question is Whether these proceedings of the Non-Conformists be against Gods known Laws I doubt not but they will all acknowledge that the false Accusations the wicked Surmises the slanderous Reports and the pretended Crimes of Superstition Idolatry and their other uncharitable Censures of us and our Worship by which we are discredited Gods Holy Name abused and the sincerity and integrity of our Christian Governours and practices misrepresented are contrary to Gods Law Thou shalt not hear false witness against thy Neighbour Exod. xx Psal xxxiv 13. 140. 11. Psal x. 18. It is a great injustice for them in hopes of advancing the interest of their Sects to misconstrue our actions to fasten upon us Crimes to endeavour to discredit us and our Profession for besides the wrong done to us their brethren they blind the eyes and lead into error and mistakes many poor ignorant and well meaning Souls whereby true Religion is slighted and Faction and Schism kept up to the destruction of many persons and the dishonour of our Reformation and Church But their other practices though never so well coloured in the eyes of men with pious pretences are contrary to Gods Laws as well as mans Decrees That this may better appear to you consider these following and undeniable Truths gathered out of Holy Scripture I. That it is the duty of every Christian to seek as well as to pray for the Peace of Gods Church Psalm cxxii 6. To endeavor to be at peace with all that profess Christianity in Truth 1 Thess v. 13. That peace is a precious Jewel which we ought carefully to seek and to preserve 1 Pet. iii. 11. That we should abstain from all those practices that disturb our Brethrens Peace Mark v. 50. That we should follow after the things that make for Peace Rom. xiv 19. That it is the property of heavenly wisdom to be peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie James iii. 17. And many other passages call us to mind in all our actions the peace and publick quiet of
is the safety of the whole to keep it from the attempts of all Enemies and dangers That this may cause a variety in Kingdoms and Nations agreeable to the Government in the State to the nature and inclinations of the people and several other circumstances which are to be weighed in this Case That a Government established in a Nation by the publick Authority if not contrary to Gods Word and Will ought not to be resisted by Christian Subjects That every individual Believer must not presume to censure and murmur against the appointed Order in Church or State or meddle with the Princes Office and Power That the Government in the Church belongs to the Sovereign Prince under God as well as in the State and that it is a dangerous presumption for every private person to venture to contradict the Laws which such Lawful Princes think convenient in their wisdom to settle in a Church in these and such like truths I suppose most of our Non-Conforming Brethren will agree with us But nevertheless the Presbyterian will be governed by his Presbytery and Lay-Elders in a subordination to Assemblies and Synods The Independent will acknowledge no Orders in the Church but what are appointed in his Congregation and both refuse Obedience to Episcopal Authority though suitable to the former Rules and Maxims Episcopacy recommends to us in Gods Church a Monarchical Authority Presbytery would have an Aristocratical mixed with Democracy the Independent pleads for a Democratical To what purpose is this adoe about Government it concerns not our Salvation in case we behave our selves justly righteously and soberly in this present world in case we can but lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty As this is the chief duty of every individual Christian it should be our endeavour and purpose in all our actions The Presbyterian forsook Episcopacy and thought to mend his condition under that Government he gave an Example to the Independent to forsake Presbytery with hopes of living with more ease in a new Government never heard of in the Primitive Church unless it be amongst Hereticks and Enemies of Gods Truth for the establishing of this strange Order in this Church they lay down most dangerous Doctrines contrary to Gods Word and all Reason for instance That every Christian upon the account of being so a real Christian a good man and a Believer may be no member of Christs visible Church and is not bound to joyn in external Communion with it where it may be had Separation no Schism in opposition to an excellent Sermon of that Worthy Divine Mr. Sharp That a suspicion or a bare persuasion of sin in the publick practices commanded by Authority is sufficient to free both Minister and People from their Obedience and License them to Act contrary to the same That Christians are not subject to Ecclesiastical Laws unless they be contained in the Holy Scripture That men may be Christians without any subjection to Authority or dependency upon Christs Church And such like Doctrines directly contrary to Christs great design in mans Redemption which S. Paul tells us was Union Ephesians ii 16. That he might reconcile all unto God in one Body by the Cross I would have these my Brethren know that as man was created in respect to a Society he is also redeemed with the same relation for we cannot think that this good Saviour hath freed him from sin and the Devils power to live by himself for ever as a wild Anchoret in the Desart and Mountains he hath enlightned his followers with that spirit and given them those principles that tend to Union and Communion Therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. xiv 33. That God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints What means the Apostle by Peace is it that every individual Christian should be scattered upon the face of the Earth and upon the least suspicion or ill grounded prejudice abominate all correspondency in the Publick Worship of God that he should look upon his brethren redeemed by the same bloud governed by the same spirit and animated with the same hopes with a supercilious countenance and fly from them as from a Wolf or a Devil Yet these are the consequences of some of the Independent principles But I suppose it no difficult matter to reclaim most of them from such pernicious opinions which have proved as destructive to their private Congregations as they have to the Church of England for they tend to encourage disorder and to license men to cast off all respects to all Governours and Government of what sort soever But methinks if we had that honour for our Nation as becomes us and as other people have for theirs we should not be more fond of the new modes in Government and Gods Worship recommended to us by our Neighbours and imposed upon us by a Scotch Frolick than of the antient and wise method and Government established amongst us by our Forefathers Why must the new fangles and fashions of strangers affect us more than the discreet constructions of our own Christian Rulers Though the people of our Nation alter often their habits methinks in so serious a business as Religion Government and Gods Worship we should not be so changeable as we are in our apparel I know the rigid Independents are accused for denying the appointed maintenance to Ministers Tythes the encouragement of Learning and Gods Service they are accused for not allowing any set forms of Prayer not so much as the Lords Prayer for not admitting any to the Ordinances but such as are of their own fraternity for denying the Magistrates Power over the Godly for allowing the killing of all opposers See Mr. Baily's Dissuasive from the Errors of the times But these wicked Doctrines I suppose are not maintained by the most moderate Independents who differ from us chiefly in the Government of the Church in all other things it is likely that they may be brought to comply with us though at present they give themselves the liberty to abuse and carp at many other innocent circumstances of the Religion and Worship of the Church of England I find my self engaged in this place to give a Reply to a grand Objection against this Advice and call to Conformity which seems to be allowed by St. Paul in his Fourteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans and which is commonly pleaded as an excuse by our Non Conforming Brethren That they extreamly suspect our practices and worship to be sinful and therefore they are not bound to act against a doubting Conscience by joyning with us in that which they conceive to be unlawful Agreeable to S. Paul's words in another occasion and case He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin This passage is but a weak Plea for Non-Conformity in England for the Romans case and ours
and to incourage the one in his stifness by buzing in the ears of the simpler sort the danger of unity the corruption in the Church the glory of Constancy in Religion and their ingagements for the Covenant and by upbraiding the more knowing party with the Peoples discourses of the Ministers bad Lives unfaithfulness unconstancy and the danger their Souls were in if by their too hasty compliance to that which their former Interest obliged them to exclaim against they gave them a slender Opinion and an Atheistical impression of Religion it self To these they represented Conformity as the most intolerable burthen and the heaviest yoke could be imposed upon them by Authority and our Religion of the Church of England the nearest in affinity to Popery full of Superstition if not of Idolatry They accused all our zealous endeavours to bring the People to Unity to be Persecutions of the good Servants of God and every step that we made was slandered and discredited by these men who had a design to advantage themselves by our Divisions To the Governours in the Church and State they would exclaim against the wickedness and danger of Conventicles and Non-Conformity They represented all the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas as incouragers of our dissensions by their Examples and Government without Bishops Calvin and all his Calvinists were Traitors Schismaticks Hereticks Enemies of the Publick Peace promoters of Rebellion insufferable in a Common-Wealth dangerous Conspirators against the Kings Person and Government and what not With these and such like Notions they infected the minds of many of our Clergy with an unjust prejudice against all the Religious Churches of God beyond the Seas and had not a very worthy Divine Dr. Durel cleared their innocency by representing to the publick their disallowance of our frivolous discords and their acknowledgment of us for their Brethren and our Liturgy and Government to be altogether agreeable with Gods Word and Will we should have proceeded to a publick Excommunication However these impressions given to the Rulers in Church and State cast oyl into the fire angred the minds of our zealous Governours and drew from them those severe resolutions which have increased our discords and caused many to imagin more in Non-Conformity than really there is for as some sort of Wounds putrifie and increase the more they are handled so the Divisions of our Church about quid dities Indifferencies Trifles and Vanities would have vanished by degrees the less we had minded them But as we had our Enemies on both sides acquainted with our temper and interests they would not suffer the one to conform nor the others to admit them upon more moderate terms than a strict compliance with all the inconsiderable punctilio's which the Publick Peace and Gods Glory might easily dispense with as well as Religion Government and Conformity it self In all the publick Disputations too much Gall proceeded from the Jesuits hatred of us both and their apprehension of our sensibleness of our own Interest and of an union between those that differed for the most part but in shadows However they laboured to raise such a mist between us and our Brethren that we could not see to joyn together in one body and worship All this while they advanced some of their own disguised fellows into Offices and Places of Trust and when they saw any person able to serve their turn they would befriend him with their assistance in his promotion and discourage all other persons When I lived near London a Jesuit an ingenious and a good Linguist knowing my Skill in that and other sorts of Learning and how much I had been neglected in the Church though I had done good Service both at home and abroad was sent purposely to search into the Principles of my Religion whether I would favour Popery could I have dissembled with him I might have had a considerable preferment by the Jesuits means but I chose rather to abide in a mean condition and to be confined to the remotest wilderness of the Land to a small Vicarage of about sixty pounds per annum there to bury my Talents than to employ them in the Service of the Devil and the Pope But all these indeavours at home tended to the promotion encouragement and increase of the Popish Religion but amongst a few and such as dared not to discover what they were And though it had got so much credit that many ingenious and good Protestants could not endure to hear the Pope or Papists spoken against or blamed for superstition or any of their practices This could not bring to pass the grand Design without a more powerful endeavour and stronger assistances for that purpose as soon as the Court of Rome was perfectly reconciled with the French King and that he had consented to gratifie them to have the Monument of their Disgrace taken away and all remembrances of his Ambassadors affront and their weaknesses pulled down in Rome they resolved to make use of his Assistance and to govern all Europe if not all the World by a Triumvirat I shall not trouble my Reader with any part of this Plot relating to Foreign Affairs only as it looks upon us and concerns us here in England It is sufficiently known that the Court of Rome pretends to an Universal Monarchy and to hold by the Power of the Keys what the same City governed heretofore by the Sword The Jesuits likewise have the same aim but with a pretended subordination to the Pope and his Authority a meer pretence covered over with the Oath of blind Obedience for this crafty and devilish Society if it once get a Head will as easily forget their Allegiance to the Pope as they do now that to their most lawful Princes under God But neither the Jesuits nor the Pope of Rome now that all their Cheats have been discovered to the World in these latter Ages through the Preaching of the Gospel can carry on or compass so great a Design without other assistance therefore they resolved together to employ the old Policy of the antient Romans in Conquering Kingdoms which was to subdue them with their Weapons and by the Courage of their own Inhabitants Of all the Monarchs subject to the Roman See in the end of Alexander's Papacy none seemed so powerful in men and money as the French A young Prince Lord of a flourishing Kingdom and of a great Continent but of an Aspiring mind that would readily entertain the first proposals of larger Dominions and other Empires Therefore the Jesuits and the Pope agreed to tempt him with the Glories of the World and to make him the Universal Monarch if he would encourage the Popish Religion and declare himself an Enemy to the Protestant Profession in and out of his Kingdom This same Proposal had been made to Philip the Second of Spain when that Kingdom was in its Grandeur and in order to its accomplishment he gratified the Pope with the Expulsion and Banishment of the