as to what belongs to our Salvation yet it is no ways derogatory from its fullness and sufficiency to say that we cannot make use of this Rule without the Light of our Reason and also that in Civil things we may with a Christian Liberty do many things that we find not in Scripture by the meer use of Reason alone and that very Lawfully and without Sin so those things be not contradictory to the Word of God If then our Governors have a Power given them that they may Ordain and Constitute divers Ceremonies in the Church though not mentioned and found in Scripture then ought Inferiors to submit to such Laws and Rules and are in Duty bound to observe them when they are injoyned by a Lawful Authority Do but consider with your selves that whilst you so strictly Demand Scripture to be shown for the use of Ceremonies and other things made use of in the Church of England may not others with the like Liberty bid you to show what Example or Command you have in Scripture for your Lay Presbyters your Classes your stone Churches your Tythes your Infant Sprinklings your Singing Psalms your Weekly Sabbath all these things you know have been Objected against you to which you led the Way and opened the Gap by such your unreasonable Demands If Man hath not a Liberty given him to make use of his Reason in Ordering the Affairs of the Church or in altering many things and adding others as may be Convenient to the temper and constitution of Times but must have a Precedent or Command for it expresly in Scripture how did David err when he thought to build a Temple at Jerusalem 2 Sam. 1.2 3 1 King 8.5 2 Chron. 7.6 7.30.23 Which the Prophet approved of Or Solomon for keeping a Feast of seven days for the Dedication of the Altar Or Hezekiah for continuing the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days longer than the time appointed by the Law Or Mordecai for making an Ordinance for the Yearly observation of the Feast of Purim Esth 9.27 The building of Synagogues wearing of Sackcloth and Ashes in sign of Humiliation their Fasts more then were Commanded immediately by God Zach. 8.19 were all of Humane Institution and without doubt Lawful Times alter and what at one Time may be thought Fitting and Harmless at another would be accounted Scandalous and Unfitting as that Osculum Charitatis used in the Times of the Apostles and approved of by them Rom. 16.16 2 Cor. 13.12 would now give Cause of offence and those Agapae or Love Feasts used by the Primitive Christians at first Innocent enough but soon grew to be worthy of Reproof by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. There is Milk for Babes and Meat for stronger Men. There is a difference between the Church in its Infancy and after the growth of so many Years It has been Corrupted and grown four on its Lees and it hath been again Purged and Refined therefore there must of necessity have been several Laws Rules Canons and Institutions framed for its several Dispensations most agreeable to the temper of the Ages and the Times in which they were made And the Orders of the Times of the Apostles themselves are not in all things now to be urged as of absolute necessity I cannot but wonder since that these Ceremonies and Rites of the Church are by you accounted of but as Mint and Cummin nay by some Condemned as Toys Trifles and Follies that you should stand so stifly against them but those of the Church of England thinking not so meanly of them have therefore the more Reason to stand for their Continuance They say there ought to be a bowing of the Knee as well as of the Heart That by outward Actions the Mind is stirred up with greater fervency to Attention and Devotion That Solemnities have been in all Ages both in Religious and Divine matters as well as Civil That these things are necessary and of use as Garments to the Body That without them Religion would appear Naked and Uncomly That they are also Edifying and Significant That they move the Heart and the Affections and that they are of great use and force That they have been Instituted not without great Care and Deliberation by Holy Pious and Learned Men That they have been long Confirmed in the Minds of Men That to alter or abolish them would be Dangerous and Scandalous That they are Harmless and Innocent of themselves That they give not the Offence but that it is taken Unjustly against them That under the Use of them the Land hath long flourished with Peace and Prosperity till our late distracted Times That since God hath again Restored them almost Miraculously when they were thought to be Dead and for ever Extinguished These things Considered and that they appear not such Trifles to them as you account them they have more Reason not to Depart from them and you less to Insist upon their Abolishment But alas 't is not only Ceremony that you would take way but the Root and Branch as you are wont to say of Episcopacy the Bishops it seems are also Popery they must not stand but is not Self all the while at the Bottom Is it not that you may Reign in their stead with your Lay Elders And what is this Episcopacy so much Cry'd out against by you and others of your Dissenting stamp I 'll tell you in the Learned Mr. Chillingworth's Words Episcopacy in the Essentiality of it is an appointment of one Man of eminent Sanctity and Sufficiency to have a Care of all the Churches within a certain Precinct or Diocess furnished with Authority not Absolute or Arbitrary but Regulated by Laws to the intent that all the Churches under him may be provided of Good and Able Pastors or Presbyters This is the Government you are so scandaliz'd at and which you would take away being the Institution of Christ himself who made his Apostles Bishops or Overseers of his Church for Matthias was chosen to an Episcopal Office 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And St. Act. 1. Cyp. l. 3. Ep. 9 Cyprian calls all the Apostles by the same Name Episcopos And although they had a large Commission from Christ Go Baptize all Nations and seem Indefinite yet we find some of them Bishops by Restraint as St. James at Jerusalem St. Paul took to himself the Care of the Gentiles and St. Peter of the Jews St. John took Charge of Asia the Less where were afterwards seven Churches governed by so many Bishops termed by St. John Angels Rev. 2. And the Apostles themselves appointed others as Titus and Timothy at first Agents only in their stead and afterwards with Apostolical power of their own And if there be any Credit to be given to History and to Antiquity it self we find that Linus was made Bishop of Rome by the Apostles Iren. l. 3. c. 3 Polycarpus of Smyrna Evodius of Antioch and Titus of Creet Erecting Churches
common Life whatsoever whether Natural or Civil it is altogether false and indefensible I shall not go about to confute this Opinion 't is not my Business or Intention to enter into Disputes of the Merits of the Cause it has been sufficiently done by more skilful Hands and learned Pens But this Weapon is so made that it may be turned against your own selves it offends as much as defends you and cuts both ways like a two edged Sword for by that Rule you can no more defend the wearing your short Cloaks and little Bands than the other party their Gowns and Rochetts and it will be as difficult to prove from Scripture your Institutions and Formalities as the other their Ceremonies and Customs The Holy Word of God is a perfect and most absolute and sufficient direction as to all things concerning our Salvation and as to that point we need not the help of Traditions but certainly in things indifferent and in things about the common Actions of Life we need not seek any farther than the Light of Reason and the common Rules of Discretion and not expect particular Warrants only from the Scripture for every action of humane Life All that we are to take care of is that our Actions be regulated as near as may be to those Rules laid down in the Holy Scriptures for us to walk by at least that they be no ways contradictory and then it will be sufficient to maintain their Legality whilst they are established by the Law of Nature or that of Reason without seeking to deduce Authority for them out of the Holy Scriptures These are the chief things that at present occur to my Memory which lye in the way that leads to Peace and Unity and which if removed will render the way more plain and eaven These are not things of Indifferency you will not own them nor plead for them and I question not when you have lay'd aside your imbittered Passions and rigid Dispositions against your Adversaries you will be willing to put to your Hands that all these Stones of offence may be done away and which should not have been mentioned but for that end But I would not have you think that I am Partial and that this Call ought not also to be heard on the other side and that I would not incite those also of the Church of England to do their part in every thing that may be justly required of them And here I cannot but justifie them from any aspersion of that Nature in that in all their Writings they have held out to you the right Hand of fellowship they have invited you to come in to them they have Called to Unity they have desired your Fellowship and that there may be no longer this Distance and Separation they have at all times exhibited a willingness to have this breach made up they would receive you into their Churches they would Communicate with you as Brothers they would provide for you as Sons they would take care of you as Fathers if you would own them as such What then makes this breach What is it continues this Separation What makes you so stiff in things of small moment Why should not they yeild Say you why should not you obey Say they One would think the weight of Authority should in this Case cast the ballance but sure you have put something more into the scales than what appears to the World that neither the kindness shown you by your Opposers the Indulgence of Princes nor the commands of Authority are able to move up your heavy scale But I would also have this Call reach to the Ears of those of the Church of England to whom with Reverence and Submission be it spoken that you are also desired to continue to use all means that this Unity may be effected and that you would on your parts endeavour to remove all Obstacles thereto You must then endeavour to forget all that is past you must not remember our late Troubles Wars Confusions Devastations as the effects of an unholy War for Religion you must not tell them any more of their unsanctified and bloody Covenant you must not say they are a stiff-necked Generation and people of a perverse Mind and Heart you must not mention their proud and arrogant Tryers nor fright them with the Hobgoblin Smectymnnus you must now forget all that 's past and continue that kindness and moderation that most of you have still on all occasions shown them that the distance that is yet between you may be overcome and that you may meet as Brothers and be united in Heart and Spirit These Rubs being presupposed to be removed what is it now that you Contend for Things as you your selves say of small moment trifles Ceremonies c. 'T is true they are not Essentials matters of Faith things of absolute necessity to Salvation things of indifferency yet not trifles and of no weight or value If they be as you say why stand you so stiff against them Why all this bustle and do about nothing But you have a refuge Conscience They plead the same for retaining them and also have Antiquity and Authority to back them Common Prayer will not down with you no set Form it stints the Spirit with other small and frivolous objections against some parts of the Liturgie For shame leave off at last those needless Cavils of which some of your selves have been ashamed You know that Forms of Prayer have been in all Ages both in the Greek and Latin Churches and are not only of a primitive Institution in the very Infancy of the Church when there was a double measure of the Spirit poured down upon its Bishops and Pastors but our Lord Jesus Christ himself thought good to leave a Set and prescribed Form of Prayer and also the like Forms were used of old in the Jewish Church and Service they were not left to their own Inventions I will not go about to argue the Case with you but if it be Lawful to Pray in a set Form as I suppose none of you will gainsay it is then expedient because Commanded by Authority But have you not a Christian Liberty left you to exercise your Gifts and to shew your Eloquence and Parts in Prayer Ex tempore before your Sermons And that the Spirit may not be quenched as you say may you not enlarge your selves And is it not an usual practice in our Churches Why then should you scruple so much at our Liturgie Would you have none But all the Gifted and Ungifted left to their own Inventions In your time had you not a Directory What was it but a Form of Worship after your Mode And what Church is there abroad even Geneva it self without some Forms both of Worship and of Prayer That our Book of Common Prayer was taken out of the Mass Book and that it was the Mass in English as many of the ignorant have been Taught to cast the greater Odium
in all these places where the Gospel of Jesus Christ was Received all having the same Faith the same Sacraments and the same Form of Government so as they seemed but one Body and in a perfect Unity one with another that every thing might be done with Decency and in Order Socrates and Euschius have given us whole Catalogues of Bishops successively to their Times and we find them nominated in many Histories and Writings of Old and from their beginning deduced down to our Times This is the Regiment you would have pull'd down this is one Form you oppose a Government of Divine Institution by that of the Holy Ghost conferred on the Apostles and by them on others and so successively in the Church in all Ages and thorow all times by Ordination and Laying on of Hands so that there can hardly be manifested a more plain and evident Truth I am not Ignorant that you admit of the Name of Bishops and of Presbyters but would make them of equal Authority you would indeed be all Bishops or Popes rather Subjection and Obedience are things that have seem'd very scandalous to you But there is nothing more plain than that Bishops had not only the preheminency of Order but of Rule also And as there were in the Jewish Church the High Priest the Inferior Priest and the Levites who were not only different in Order and Superiority but there was a distinction so that the one might do what the other might not do the Levites might not Intrench on the Office of the Priests and the Priests could not enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum So in the Church of Christ the Bishops the Presbyters and the Deacons were distinct in Order and Office the Deacons were subservient to the Presbyters and they to the Bishop to whom the Power of Rule and Ordination was only given and the Presbyters again received theirs of Administring the Sacraments Dispensing the Word c. from them being by them Ordained thereto The Bishops are the Fathers the other the Children they Command not as Lords and Arbitrarily these obey not as Slaves but as Sons they Rule and these obey according to the Word of God and according to that Primitive Institution which made that excellent Harmony all things being done for the Glory of God I know the many long and tedious Cavils and Disputes which some of the most Subtle of you have entred into about this thing and what dust you have raised about this Jurisdiction But it has been all laid and none that have Eyes but can see clearly into the matter that Christ gave Power to his Apostles to Rule and Govern his Church and that the same Power was by them Conferred to others Mar. 16.15 Matt. 10.24 Matt. 28.19 20. and so shall continue to the end of the World according to Christs Commission But if you cannot find in Scripture that you ought to submit to Bishops as your Fathers I hope you will believe Mr. Calvin and for his sake have at least a better Opinion of them who says Calvin Epist ad Card. Sandolet Nullo non anathemate dignos Arbitror qui se Episcopis libentissime non submittunt I think them worthy of a Curse who do not willingly submit themselves to Bishops Open then your Eyes at last and look not so asquint on this Form of Government and more particularly as it is here Establish'd in the Church of England which certainly is the most like and comes nearest to the Primitive Institution of the Apostles and the next Ages of any Church in the World both for the Purity of its Doctrine and the Order of its Government its Ceremonies being both Few and Decent and its Power regulated by Just Laws And as one says Vindication of the Conforming Clergy p. 50. The Church of England is a body of so firm a Constitution and so excellently Temper'd and so well Shap'd and of so clear a Strength and Vigor in all its Limbs that no outward Force is able to Injure it nothing but some inward Corruption and decay in the Vital parts that can possibly bring it to the Ground Indeed you had trip'd up its Heels and lay'd it along but it was but a Foil you see how soon it arose again and in that little Interspace or Interregnum as I may term it what horrid Confusions were amongst us With all your Arts you could not hinder others from invading your Province Instead of Surplices you beheld Scarlet Cloaks Wigs and Swords as Ornaments to those who Preached in your Pulpits nay the very Women invading the Chair and challenging a Liberty though expresly contrary to the Rule of the Apostle You saw what ill Steers-men you were and how the Ship of the Common-wealth thrived under your Government in what danger of Drowning or of being Split upon the Rocks or Perishing in the Quicksands Methinks this little Tryal might Convince you of the Weakness and Imbecillity of the one and the Firmness and excellent Temper of the other Government by which this Land has so long Flourished and which is so fitted not only to Monarchy making that Maxim good as we by Experience saw no Bishop no King but also to the Temper and Constitution of the People of England that there can be no better Government ever thought on which shall be here so well Approved and Received It is not only my Opinion but of many more the most Eminent and Learned of the Nation and those not of small Repute and who have been Able to give sufficient Proof to maintain their good Opinion of the Excellency of our present Form of Church Government and among the rest the Learned Mr. Hooker has these Words Pref. Sect. 1. which he sets down as his full Perswasion Surely the present Form of Church Government which the Laws of this Land have Established is such as no Law of God nor Reason of Man hath hitherto been alledged of force sufficient to prove they do ill who to the uttermost of their power withstand the alteration thereof And contrarywise The other which instead of it we are required to accept is only by Error and Misconceit named the Ordinanee of Jesus Christ no one proof as yet brought forth whereby it may clearly appear to be so in very deed And these two Assertions he hath so fully and unanswerably Maintained in his excellent Book of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity that methinks you should lay your Finger on your Mouths and no longer speak against this Form of Church Government nor remain at this Distance and in this state of Separation till you have found out better Arguments for to Justifie your so doing than those you have yet made known to the World However low and mean Opinion you have of this Form of Church Government as it is now Establish'd in England 't is otherwise respected abroad By others 't is look'd upon with Envy and Admiration The beauty of the Church of England is not so
Evil and your Opinion that you may Separate and not Conform can never make it Good to you notwithstanding your scruples nor can any ways Justifie your Actions because Disobedience is of it self a great Evil. Now our Governors or those in Authority over us have Commanded those things to be done about which you scruple and that by the Authority of the Scripture 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in Order which gives them a Power to make such Constitutions therefore all your scruples of Conscience cannot take off the greater Obligation of Obedience which you are expresly bound to in Conscience by Gods Command and you are no longer sui juris where a Superior Power has determined your Liberty If you scruple to play at Cards and Dice or any other indifferent thing of which you have Power to determine to do or not to do if you do it against your Conscience you sin because you are sui juris in that Case there being no Obligation upon you to the Contrary but if you scruple coming to Church because of the Ceremonies being both a good Action and Commanded by Authority not to do it must certainly be a great Sin notwithstanding your scruples to the contrary for you are not at your own choice but under Obedience and thereby bound in Conscience as if God had Commanded them himself for he hath given you his strict Command to obey the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 and to submit to their Ordinances neither will it avail you to plead your scruples of Conscience Rom. 13.5 since you are Commanded to obey for Conscience sake and since what is Commanded is no Sin For if the Magistrate should Command us to take Gods Name in vain or to Commit Fornication we may with a safe Conscience disobey because we have an higher Obligation upon us for that God has Commanded the Contrary and we are bound to obey God before Man Be at last Convinced and stand no longer upon these niceties and scruples about things of lesser weight when greater Dangers are impending and much trouble is ready to arise by reason of this Separation and Disunion between you Salust have a care that by your discord you do not ruin your selves Discordia maximae Res dilabuntur it is able to overthrow Kingdoms give the Hag no longer entertainment among you let her be banished from our Churches as well as from our Kingdom that at last we may meet with oneness of Heart and singleness of Mind as becometh Brethren 1 Pet. 1.22.3.8 Love one another with a pure Heart fervently Be ye all of one Mind having Compassion one of another Love as Brethren Whatsoever the pretences of many are yet we find that Interest sways more with them than Religion very few do refrain purely for Conscience sake Many do it because they have been bred so and will not or care not to be better inform'd most remain Nonconformists without being able to shew any tolerable Reason why they are so besides those Idle Opinions they have of the Impurity of the Church of England Methinks these sort of People who shun the Church out of a certain squeamishness of her nearness as they falsly think to Popery should be afraid of those visible advantages their Separation gives to those of that Religion to contrive its setting up again in this Land and that this fear should let them see that it is their Common interest to Unite with and strengthen the Hands of their Brethren Certainly though you intend no such thing yet you are a means of the great increase of Popery in this Land by your Divisions How would that Party rejoyce could they see Episcopacy as it is now Established in this Land pulled down they would not much care what Form you would set up for they believe and not amiss that Confusions and Distractions would soon follow on which they ground their not improbable Hopes of Raising up their own Church upon our broken Pillars You cry out continually with no little noise of the growth and increase of Popery or of People perverted to Popery in this Land but look not on your selves as the Means and Cause by your Separation giving them the same pretence for that plea of yours Liberty of Conscience and that they ought not to be compelled any more than your selves Luc. 6.31 Do as you would be done unto If you would not be compelled why should they Prout vultis ut faciant vobis homines vos etiam facite eis similiter What reason have you to lay any force upon others when you will not have any laid upon your selves The Common Interest could make Herod and Pilate though Enemies to become Friends for fear of a Common Enemy the King of the Jews See I beseech you now if it be not your Interest to close with those of the Church of England against your Common Enemy of Rome and if it be not now most seasonable to effect it This Union would be the best means in the World to frustrate all their Plots and Designs against us It would put them quite out of Heart and dash all their Hopes They would then lose their sheet Anchor their last Refuge It would take away all their Advantages and put them past all their shifts It is the only way to bring Peace and Happiness to the Nation We need to fear no Enemies abroad if we were thus United at home we should be like the bundle of Arrows not to be broken together but being parted asunder into Factions easily broke into pieces Union is the Life and Blood of Government both in the Church as well as in the State A Doeg or Achitophel at home is worse than the Philistines or Moabites abroad Our mischief is from our selves Eras Apoth Patriae periclitantis potius habenda est ratio quam privatae incolumitatis We should rather regard the safety of our Country than of our selves Cicero said their was a select place of Happiness and Eternal felicity reserved in Heaven for those who preserved helpt and brought good to their Country Som. Scip. And I am of the Opinion that by your Conformity you will merit more than by all your scruples of Separation By your submission you will deserve the Reward of Victors you shall have the Garland of Praise to adorn your Brows the Palm of Conquest shall be put into your Hands and the Olive Branch of Peace shall be placed on your Trophies your Country shall applaud you your King shall cherish you and your Brethren shall rejoyce with you you shall have the right hand of fellowship given to you and there shall be no longer any difference in our Israel Cic. Off. l. 1. Pro patria quis bonus dubitet mortem oppetere What good Man doubts to meet Death for his Countries sake says Cicero The task is not so difficult that is required of you you are desired to Live for your
Ceremonies in Ours Would you be rather Content with the Bloody Court of the Inquisition than with that of the Bishops Think yet of the Blood they have Spilt in this Kingdom in the time of their Raign let the horror thereof a little move you and let the fear of the like possess you with some thoughts of preventing it by your Unanimity and closing with your Brethren Think a little of their Persecutions and Slaughters of the Waldenses and Albigenses in France of the Hussites in Bohemia of the Protestants in Germany Hungary and the Low-Countries of the cruel Massacre in Paris the horrid Destruction and Cruelties of late years in Piedmont the Bonfires of Martyrs in the days of Queen Mary the Gunpowder Plot and our late Wars begun and fomented by them and their Agents abroad and at home They are still the same Sedulous promoters of their own Cause they are no Changelings Are your Eyes still shut Have you not seen your dear City consumed to Ashes by their Fire Balls And do not you now behold new Plots and Contrivances by the same Persons to ruine the Church the State and the Kingdom Have we not seen a Minister of Justice Murthered by their Hands Are not we daily threatned with farther Mischief And if not prevented by the over-ruling hand of Divine Providence and by the Care of our Prince and his Faithful Counsellors are we not still in danger What gives them this Advantage against us but your Separation What makes their hopes Flourish but your Division At last therefore harken I beseech you to the Call of your Brethren who still invite you to Unity and Conformity that the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah may come together and seek their Lord their God Jer. 50.4 5. That they may joyn themselves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten That you may become as one People and that your Breaches may be made up Amen If you are not Men of a perverse Nature if you have not Hearts of Adamant that cannot be pierced if you will not Consider the Good of the Kingdom nor your own Danger yet if you have any Souls or any spark of Generosity or good Nature in your Breasts methinks the Kindness Mercy and Indulgence of the King shown towards you should draw you to a Compliance Hearts that neither Tortures nor Racks could overcome Souls irresistible to Force not to be Conquered by Power have yet melted before the Fire of Love have been overcome with Kindness have acknowledged and submitted to Generosity Flints are easily broken on beds of Down Adamants are made soft by the blood of Goats And is there no way to penetrate your rocky Hearts Will not Indulgence move you Nor Kindness draw you Nor Mercy allure you Nor Favor cause you Nor Good-Will invite you to Conform Will neither fair means nor foul work upon you Could you ever have hop'd for or expected the great Favor and Indulgence that hath been shown you by your Prince one that is justly styl'd the Merciful after all those Evils that you had brought upon this Nation by your Separation from and Opposition to the Church Has he not moderated the Laws made against you Has he not hindred all Force to be used towards you Has he not suffered you to injoy your darling private Meetings in Contempt of the Church and in the Face of the whole Nation Are you Molested and Disturbed Would you have granted the same Toleration had you had the Power in your Hand We Know and Remember the time that you would not and we yet are in doubt of your good will in that Case had you the Reins in your Hands You say you acknowledg it you own the Mercy and great Favor and Indulgence therefore you Pray for the King and wish Life to his Majesty for your own Ends but still Disobey him and his Laws by your stubborn resisting all the kind Invitations given you to Unity and Conformity Let at last the great Mercy that is shown you be a Motive to bring you to this desired and happy Unity Let Love draw you resist no longer meet with kindness and submission the Benevolence and tender Heartedness of so Gracious a Prince towards you Return like the lost Prodigal Son to the Father of your Country and into the Bosom of your Mother that the fatted Calf may be killed and that there may be a general rejoycing and Jubilee throughout the Land Then shall we say Sing O ye Heavens Isa 44.23 for the Lord hath done it shout ye lower parts of the Earth break forth into Singing ye Mountains O Forrest and every Tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Israel Though I have already mentioned your Duty to the Magistrate that you ought to submit to and obey your Prince and your Governors that your just Obedience to Authority is Required and Commanded by Scripture and against which you can have no lawful Defence I cannot but again remind you of this necessary Duty how will you Answer this before God After what manner can you evade such positive Commands The Infidelity of Princes could not excuse this Law How then can you Answer your Contempt of the Laws and Commands not only of a Christian but a Protestant Prince One that Commands nothing but Lawful things It is not enough that you think otherwise of them and that you pretend scruples of Conscience there is no such exception in the Rule laid down by the Apostle 1 Sam. 15.22 23 Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Submit to every Ordinance of Man Hath the Lord as great delight in Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord To obey is better than Sacrifice and to harken than the fat of Rams Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft and Stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry Certainly obedience to your Prince and to his Lawful Commands would be more acceptable than all your long Prayers and frequent Preaching which is become your Idol and which you set up in the room of the Crosses you have pull'd down Speak out and tell us whether an Act for Uniformity and Conformity made by the three States of the Land be a Legal Act or no if it be why do you not obey Why do you trouble the Waters with your needless Scruples of little weight and value and about trifles only as you Call them Is not the Word truly dispensed in the Publick Churches Are not the Sacraments rightly Administred Are not their Prayers free from Scandal or Irreverence Are not their Doctrines clear of Error or Falsity Why then do you deny to Hear Receive and Communicate together But in spite as I may say both of the Commands of God and Man Separate your selves and run into Disobedience I verily believe those of the Church of England would never run into that Contempt of the King and his Laws I am perswaded that
for Conscience sake they would submit should the King and Parliament by their Authority take away those Ceremonies about which you Contend They have learnt better than to Rebel and the Doctrine of of their Church hath imbued them with sounder and better Principles But God forbid that to gratifie those who can show no sound Reason for what they would have no lawful or weighty plea for what they do and can pretend nothing but a stubborn Will and refractory Conscience that the decent Garments of the Church should be curtail'd or taken from her or that she should lose the least shred thereof But have you forgot already how vehemently you pressed Obedience from your Pulpits And these very Texts now shown you were in all your Mouths when you would have set up your own Sanctified Form to bring the People to your Lure and to submit to your Rule If they were then the Commands of God and ought to be obeyed how comes it that they are not so still Or do the Bishops Command worse things than Goodwyn Manton or Nye Is submission to these Lawful to those not Does not the fifth Commandment Honor your Father reach to your King the Father of his Country Icon Bas p. 285. Or to the Bishops the Fathers of the Church The Royal Martyr observes that you had not Loyalty enough to say Amen to those Petitions for his Majesty which are in the Common Prayer and that he believed it was one of the greatest faults some Men could find in it What signifies it to Command if there be no Obedience There ought to be an Harmony betwixt Commanding and Obeying they should go Hand in Hand they are both Arts or rather make up but one Science for one cannot be well without the other King cannot be well without Subjects nor Subjects without one to Command Eras Imperare parere imperio Ars emnium pulcherrima quae duae res a Civibus excludunt seditiones tuentur Concordiam They are Correlatives and make up but one fair Art but 't is these two that maintain Concord Amity and Peace and shut out Seditions and Rebellions For your Kings sake for the sake of the Laws and for your Countries sake Amor Patriae ratione valentior omni Ovid. de Pont. which should be of more Power to perswade you than any Argument I could bring Harken at last to good Counsel and be longer Obstinate do not provoke Clemency it self to Anger and Mercy to Justice Frangendum est Mo. Viat quod nulla Caput Clementia Mollit If nothing will mollifie you may you not expect to be broken Outlying Deer are to be frightned within the Pale for their own security Psal 95.8 5. Harden not your Hearts to day if you will hear his Voice let it be instantly accept of the proffered kindness defer it no longer put it not off till to morrow Prov. 27.1 For you know not what a day may bring forth And now after all this what should I say more to urge and perswade you to Conformity I have already told you the danger we are in by these Distractions caused by your Disunion and the Evil that seems to hang over our Heads threatning us with the stormy cloud of Popery Fire and Fagot seem to be enkindling in our Streets by your dissertion new Plots to embroyl a Nation are incouraged by your Nonconformity and a great Gap is made whereby our present Adversaries are ready to enter and to overturn the Fabrick of our Church by your Breach Behold all this I beseech you with an Eye of Pity and Commiseration and stand no longer on Scruples and Niceties Be not affrighted at Mormoes of your own making yield at last to necessity and involve not all in ruin by your obstinacy Leave all By-respects and Self-interest examine your Consciences and deal nakedly with your own Souls and tell us truly if you do not think an Unity betwixt you and your Brethren would not be an happiness to this Nation You cannot but Know it and Confess it secretly Lay aside then your Terms stand not so stifly upon Capitulations acknowledge that 't is as Lawful for Bishops to Rule as for the Superintendents in the Lutheran Churches or leading Presbyters in Geneva Boggle no longer at Words startle not at Titles Lords Masters Fathers are Scriptural phrases and given to good and holy Men. They are Terms not unfitting and avowable But are these things to be stood upon now Are they of value to Continue the Breach betwixt you Ought there to be this difference about Indifferent things Is it not better to take St. Rom. 14.3 Paul's Counsel to the Romans Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth He tells them this that although there were some private difference among them in indifferent matters yet that they should Continue in their Unity and not make any Separation betwixt each other but labour in the Edification and Instruction of each other v. 1. though one be weak and the other be strong though some have scruples of small weight and others know better things Rom. 15.1 and not by breaking the band of their Unity and Community seek to ruine each other Let not those that Conform despise the weakness of those who do Not nor let those who do not Conform judge the Liberty of those that Do. They that break this Rule want Charity and this ought to be exercised on both sides where Indifferent things are not determined and made otherways by Authority That alters the Case for though they are still the same in their Natures that is Indifferent yet they are not so in their use because enjoyned Those of the Church of England do not despise you for your scruples for they would receive you and they intrude not her Constitutions as the Laws of God but as the Laws of Men not of Divine necessity but of humane Institution for the more orderly Worship of God and that there might be a general Uniformity in the Church Shew therefore by your Conformity since you are thereto Lawfully required that you do not judge your Brother as he doth not despise you but that you will live in Charity and Unity as you ought to do Be not any longer so Scrupulous nay I may say Superstitious Sand. Serm. ad Clerum 4 Sect. 11. for as Bishop Sanderson says The taking away of Indifferency from Indifferent things is in Truth Superstition either by requiring them as Necessary or forbidding them as Vnlawful Let the lesser obligation give way to the greater For if Opinion may make a good thing Evil to him that doubts or thinks it Evil Rom. 14.23 for what is not of Faith is Sin it cannot however make a thing Evil in it self to become either good in it self or so to him that thinks so To disobey the Commands of Authority is of it self a very great