Officers in the Court Freemen in Cities and Corporate Towns Masters and Fellows of Colledges in the Universities c. are required at their Admission into their several respective places to give Oaths for well and truly performing their several respective Duties their liableness to punishment in case of Non-performance accordingly notwithstanding Neither doth it seem reasonable that such Persons as have themselves with great severity prescribed and exacted antecedent Conditions of their Communion not warranted by Law should be exempted from the tye of such Oaths and Subscriptions as the Laws require § 17. 4. We agree that the Bishops and all Ecclesiastical Governours ought to exercise their Government not Arbitrarily but according to Law 5. And for Security against such Arbitrary Government and Innovations the Laws are and from time to time will be sufficient provision Concerning Liturgy § 18. A Liturgy or Form of Publick Worship being not only by them acknowledged lawful but by us also for the preservation of Unity and Uniformity deemed necessary we esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer and by Law established to be such a one as is by them desired according to the Qualifications here mentioned 〈◊〉 1. For Matter agreeable to the Word of God which we 〈◊〉 all other lawful Ministers within the Church of England have or by the Laws ought to have attested by our Personal Subscription 2. Fitly suited to the Nature of the several Ordinances and the Necessities of the Church 3. Nor too tedious in the whole It 's well known that some Mens Prayers before and after Sermon have been usually not much shorter and sometimes much longer than the whole Church Service 4. Nor the Prayers too short The Wisdom of the Church both in ancient and latter times hath thought it a fitter means for relieving the Infirmities of the meaner sort of People which are the major part of most Congregations to contrive several Petitions into sundry shorter Collects or Prayers than to comprehend them altogether in a continued stile or without interruption 5. Nor the Repetitions unmeet There are Examples of the like Repetition frequent in the Psalms and other parts of Scripture Not to mention the unhandsome Tautologies that oftentimes happen and can scarce be avoided in the Extemporary and undigested Prayers that are made especially by Persons of meaner Gifts 6. Nor the Responsals Which if impartially considered are pious Ejaculations fit to stir up Devotion and good Symbols of Conformity betwixt the Minister and the People and have been of very ancient practise and continuance in the Church 7. Nor too dissonant from the Liturgies of other Reformed Churches The nearer both their Forms and ours come to the Liturgy of the Ancient Greek and Latin Churches the less are they liable to the Objections of the Common Enemy To which Liturgies if the Form used in our Church be more agreeable than those of other Reformed Churches and that it were at all needful to make a Change in either it seemeth to be much more reasonable that their Form should be endeavoured to be brought to a nearer Conformity with ours than ours with theirs Especially the Form of our Liturgy having been so signally approved by sundry of the most Learned Divines of the Reformed Churches abroad as by very many Testimonies in their Writings may appear And some of the Compilers thereof have Sealed the Protestant Religion with their Blood and have been by the most Eminent Persons of those Churches esteemed as Martyrs for the same § 19. As for that which followeth Neither can we think that too rigorously imposed which is imposed by Law and that with no more rigour than is necessary to make the Imposition effectual otherwise it could be of no use but to beget and nourish factions Nor are Ministers denied the use and exercise of their Gifts in praying before and after Sermon Although such praying be but the continuance of a Custom of no great Antiquity and grown into Common use by Sufferance only without any other Foundation in the Laws or Canons and ought therefore to be used by all sober and godly Men with the greatest inoffensiveness and moderation possible § 20. If any thing in the Established Liturgy shall be made appear to be justly offensive to sober Persons we are not at all unwilling that the same should be changed The discontinuance thereof we are sure was not our Fault But we find by experience that the use of it is very much desired where it is not and the People generally are very well satisfied with it where it is used which we believe to be a great Conservatory of the chief Heads of Christian Religion and of Piety Charity and Loyalty in the Hearts of the People We believe that the difuse thereof for sundry late years hath been one of the great Causes of the sad Divisions in the Church and that the restoring the same will be by by God's blessing a special means of making up the Breach There being as we have great cause to believe many Thousands more in the Nation that desire it than dislike it Nevertheless we are not against revising of the Liturgy by such discreet Persons as his Majesty shall think fit to imploy therein Of Ceremonies § 21. We conceived there needs no more to be said for justifying the Imposition of the Ceremonies by Law established then what is contained in the beginning of this Section which giveth a full and satisfactory Answer to all that is alledged or objected in the following Discourse which is for the most part rather Rhetorical than Argumentative Inasmuch as lawful Authority hath already determined the Ceremonies in question to be decent and orderly and to serve to Edification and consequently to be agreeable to the General Rules of the Word We acknowledge the Worship of God to be in it self perfect in regard of Essentials which hindereth not but that it may be capable of being improved to us by addition of Circumstantials in order to Decency and Edification As the Lord hath declared himself Jealous in Matters concerning the Substance of his Worship so hath he left the Church at liberty for Circumstantials to determine concerning Particulars according to Prudence as occasion shall require so as the foresaid General Rules be still observed And therefore the imposing and using indifferent Ceremonies is not varying from the Will of God nor is there made thereby any addition to or detraction from the holy Duties of God's Worship Nor doth the same any way hinder the Communication of God's Grace or Comfort in the performance of such Duties § 22. The Ceremonies were never esteemed Sacraments or imposed as such nor was ever any Moral efficacy ascribed to them nor doth the significancy without which they could not serve to Edification import or infer any such thing § 23. Ceremonies have been retained by most of the Protestant Churches abroad which have rejected Popery and have been approved by the
Presence and with the Advice and Assistance of his aforesaid Presbytery at the four set Times and Seasons appointed by the Church for that purpose 5. We will take care that Confirmation be rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the Advice of the Minister of the Place and as great diligence used for the Instruction and Reformation of notorious and scandalous Offenders as is possible towards which the Rubrick before the Communion hath prescribed very wholesom Rules 6. No Bishop shall Exercise any Arbitrary Power or do or impose any thing upon the Clergy or the People but what is according to the known Laws of the Land 7. We are very glad to find that all with whom we have conferred do in their Judgments approve a Liturgy or Set-Form of Publick Worship to be lawful which in our Judgment for the preservation of Unity and Uniformity we conceive to be very necessary And though we do esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer and by Law established to be the best we have seen and we believe that we have seen all that are extant and used in this part of the World and well know what Reverence most of the Reformed Churches or at least the most Learned Men in those Churches have for it Yet since we find some Exceptions made to many absolete words and other Expressions used therein which upon the Reformation and Improvement of the English Language may-well be altered we will appoint some Learned Divines of different Perswasions to review the same and to make such Alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some such Additional Prayers as shall be thought fit for emergent Occasions and the improvement of Devotion the using of which may be left to the Discretion of the Ministers In the mean time and till this be done we do heartily wish and desire that the Ministers in their several Churches because they dislike some Clauses and Expressions would not totally lay aside the use of the Book of Common Prayer but read those Parts against which there can be no Exception which would be the best Instance of declining those Marks of Distinction which we so much labour and desire to remove 8. Lastly Concerning Ceremoniesâ— which have administred so much Matter of Difference and Contention and which have been introduced by the Wisdom and Authority of the Church for Edification and the Improvement of Piety we shall say no more but that we have the more Esteem of all and Reverence for many of them by having been present in many of those Churches where they are most abolished or discountenanced and where we have observed so great and scandalous Indecency and to our Understanding so much absence of Devotion that we heartily wish that those pious Men who think the Church of England overburthened with Ceremonies had some little Experience and made some Observation in those Churches abroad which are most without them And we cannot but observe That those Pious and Learned Men with whom we have conferred upon this Argument and who are most solicitous for Indulgence of this kind are earnest for the same out of Compassion to the Weakness and Tenderness of the Conscience of their Brethren not that themselves who are very zealous for Order and Decency do in their Judgments believe the Practice of those particular Ceremonies which they except against to be in it self unlawful and it cannot be doubted but that as the Universal Church cannot introduce one Ceremony in the Worship of God that is contrary to God's Word expressed in the Scripture so every National Church with the approbation and consent of the Soveraign Power may and hath always introduced such particular Ceremonies as in that Conjuncture of Time are thought most proper for Edification and the necessary improvement of Piety and Devotion in the People though the necessary Practice thereof cannot be deduced from Scripture and that which before was and in it self is indifferent ceases to be indifferent after it is once established by Law And therefore our present Consideration and Work is to gratifie the private Consciences of those that are grieved with the use of some Ceremonies by indulging to and dispensing with their omitting those Ceremonies not utterly to abolish any which are established by Law if any are practised contrary to Law the same shall cease which would be unjust and of ill Example and to impose upon the Conscience of some and we believe much Superiour in Number and Quality for the Satisfaction of the Conscience of others which is otherwise provided for as it would not be reasonable that Men should expect that we should our self decline or enjoyn others to do so to receive the Blessed Sacrament upon our Knees which in our Conscience is the most humble most devout and most agreeable Posture for the holy Duty because some other Men upon Reasons best if not only known to themselves choose rather to do it Sitting or Standing We shall leave all Decisions and Determinations of that kind if they shall be thought necessary for a perfect and entire Unity and Uniformity throughout the Nation to the Advice of a National Synod which shall be duly called after a little time and a mutual Conversation between Persons of different Perswasions hath mollified those Distempers abated those Sharpnesses and extinguished those Jealousies which make Men unfit for those Consultations and upon such Advice we shall use our best endeavour that such Laws might be established as may best provide for the Peace of the Church and State 1. In the mean time out of Compassion and Compliance towards those who would forbear the Cross in Baptism we are content that no Man shall be compelled to use the same or suffer for not doing it But if any Parent desire to have his Child Christned according to the Form used and the Minister will not use the Sign it shall be lawful for the Parent to procure another â—Minister to do it And if the proper Minister shall refuse to omit that Ceremony of the Cross it shall be lawful for the Parent who would not have his Child so Baptized to procure another Minister to do it who will do it according to his Desire 2. No Man shall be compelled to bow at the Name of Jesus or suffer in any degree for not doing it without reproaching those who out of their Devotion continue that Ancient Ceremony of the Church 3. For the use of the Surplice which hath for so many Ages been thought a most decent Ornament for the Clergy in the Administration of Divine Service and is in truth of a different fashion in the Church of England from what is used in the Church of Rome we are contented that Men be left to their Liberty to do as they shall think sit without suffering in the least degree for the wearing or not wearing it provided that this Liberty do not extend to our own Chappel Cathedral or Collegiate
are increased We do humbly conceive it therefore a Work worthy of those Wonders of Salvation which God hath wrought for his Majesty now on the Throne and for the whole Kingdom and exceedingly becoming the Ministers of the Gospel of Peace with all holy Moderation and Tenderness to endeavour the removal of every thing out of the Worship of God which may justly offend or grieve the Spirits of sober and godly People The Things themselves that are desired to be removed not being of the Foundation of Religion nor the Essentials of Publick Worship nor the Removal of them any way tending to the prejudice of the Church or State Therefore their Continuance and rigorous Imposition can no ways be able to countervail the laying aside of so many pious and able Ministers and the unconceivable grief that will arise to multitudes of his Majesty's most Loyal and Peaceable Subjects who upon all occasions are ready to serve him with their Prayers Estates and Lives For the preventing of which Evils we humbly desire that these Particulars following may be taken into serious and tender Consideration Concerning Morning and Evening Prayer Rubrick Exception THat Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in the accustomed place of the Church Chancel or Chappel except it be otherwise determined by the Ordinary of the place and the Chancel shall remain as in times past WE desire that the words of the first Rubrick may be expressed as in the Book established by Authority of Parliament 5 6 Edw. 6. Thus the Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in such place of the Church Chappel or Chancel and the Minister shall so turn him at the People may best hear and if there be any Controversie therein the matter shall be referred to the Ordinary Rubrick Exception And here is to be noted that the Minister at the time of the Communion and at other times in his Ministration shall use such Ornaments in the Church as were in use by Authority of Parliament in the Second year of the Reign of Edward the Sixth according to the Act of Parliament Forasmuch as this Rubrick seemeth to bring back the Cope Albe c. and other Vestments forbidden by the Common Prayer Book 5 and 6 Edw. 6. and and so our Reasons alledged against Ceremonies under our Eighteenth general Exception we desire it may be wholly left out Rubrick Exception The Lords Prayer after the Absolution ends thus Deliver us from Evil. We desire that these words For thiâ—â— is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen May be always added unto the Lord's Prayer and that this Prayer may not be enjoyned to be so often used in Morning and Evening Service Rubrick Exception And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year and likewise in the end of Benedictus Benedicite Magnificat Nunc Dimitis shall be repeated Glory to the Father c. By this Rubrick and other places in the Common Prayer Books the Glâ—riâ— Patri is appointed to be said six times ordinarily in every Morning and Evening Service frequently eight times in a Morning sometimes ten which we think carries with it at least an appearance of that vain repetition which Christ forbids for the avoiding of which appearance of evil we desire it may be used but once in the Morning and once in the Evening Rubrick Exception In such places where they do sing there shall the Lessons be sung in a plain Tune and likewise the Epistle and Gospel The Lessons and the Epistles and Gospels being for the most part neither Psalms nor Hymns we know no warrant why they should be sung in any place and conceive that the distinct Reading of them with an audible voice tends more to the Edification of the Church Rubrick Exception Or this Canticle Benedicite omnia opera We desire that some Psalm or Scripture Hymn may be appointed instead of that Apocryphal In the Letany Rubrick Exception FRom all Fornication and all other deadly sin IN regard that the wages of sin is death we desire that this Clause may be thus altered From Fornication and all other heinous or grievous sins Rubrick Exception From Battel and Murther and sudden Death Because this Expression of sudden death hath been so often excepted against we desire if it be thought fit it may be thus read From battel and murther and from dying suddenly and unprepared Rubrick Exception That it may please thee to preserve all that travel by land or by water all women labouring with child all sick persons and young children and to shew thy pity upon all prisoners and captives We desire the term All may be advised upon as seeming liable to just Exceptions and that it may be considered whether it may not better be put indefinitely those that travel c. rather than universally The Collect on Christmas Day Rubrick Exception ALmighty God which hast given us thy only begotten Son to take â—â—r Nature upon him and this day to be born of a pure Uirgin c. WE desire that in both Collects the word This day may be left out it being according to vulgar acceptation a Contradiction Rubrick  Then shall follow the Collect of the Nativity which shall be said continually unto New-years-day  The Collect for Whitsunday Rubrick  GOd which upon this day c.  Rubrick  The same Collect to be read on Monday and Tuesday in Whitson-week  Rubrick Exception The two Collects for St. John's day and Innocents the Collects for the first day in Lent for the fourth Sunday after Easter for Trinity Sunday for the sixth and twelfth Sunday after Trinity for St. Luke's day and Michaelmas day We desire that these Collects may be further considered and debated as having in them divers things that we judge fit to be altered The Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper Rubrick Exception SO many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion shall signifie their Names to the Curate over-night or else in the Morning before the beginning of Morning Prayer or immediately after THe time here assigned for notice to be given to the Minister is not sufficient Rubrick Exception And if any of these be a notorious evil liver the Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertize him in any wise not to presume to the Lord's Table We desire the Ministers power both to admit and keep from the Lord's Table may be according to his Majesty's Declaration 25 Octob. 1660. in these words The Minister shall admit none to the Lord's Supper till they have made a credible Profession of their Faith and promised Obedience to the Will of God according as is expressed in the Considerations of the Rubrick before the Catechism and that all possible diligence be used for the Instruction and Reformation of Scandalous Offenders whom the Minister shall not suffer to partake of the Lord's Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their
lawfully do we may swear to do § 291. 5. The fifth Controversie is about Re-ordination of such as were not Ordained by Diocesans but by the Presbyteries which then were at home or abroad And here they are also of two minds among themselves The one sort say That Ordination without Diocesans is a Nullity and those that are so Ordained are no Ministers but Laymen and therefore their Churches no true Churches in sensu politico And therefore that such must needs be Re-ordained The other sort say That their Ordination was valid before in foro spirituali but not in foro cioili and that the repeating of it is but an afoertaining or a confirming Act as publick Marrying again would be after one is privately married in case the Law would bastardize or disinherit his Children else § 292. 6. The sixth Controversie is about the lawfulness of the Assent and Consent to be declared which is to all contained in the Book of Articles the Book of Ordination and the Book of Common Prayer These comprehend abundance of Particulars some Doctrinal some about the Offices and Discipline of the Church and some about the Matter the Order and Manner and Ceremonies of Worship Here they are also divided among themselves some few of them take the words plainly and properly viz. the willing Conformists and think that indeed there is nothing in these Books which is not to be assented and consented to And indeed all the Convocation must needs be of that mind or the Major part and also the Parliament because they had the Books before them to be perused and did examine the Liturgy and Book of Ordination and make great Alterations in them and therefore if they had thought there had been any thing not to be assented and consented to they would have altered it by correction before they had imposed it on the Church But for all that the other Party is now so numerous that I could yet never speak with any of them but went that way viz. with the Latitudinarians to expound the words all things contained in the Books which they assent and consent to All things which they are to use and their Assent and Consent they limit only to the use q. d. I do dissent that there is nothing in these Books which may not lawfully be used and I do consent to the use of so much as belongeth to me Though yet they think or will not deny but that there may be something that may be ill framed and ill imposed The reason of this Exposition they fetch from the word use which is found after in the Act of Uniformity though it be not in the words of the Delaration And for the Books they say It is lawful to use the common-Common-Prayer and the Ceremonies Cross Surplice Copes and Kneeling at the Sacrament and all that is in that or the other Books to be used and therefore to declared so much § 293. More particularly 1. Concerning the Kalendar imposing the use of so many Apocryphal Lessons they say that they are read but upon Week-days and that not as Scripture but as edifying Lessons as the Homilies are and as many Churches have long used them And that the Church sufficiently avoideth the Scandal by calling them Apocryphâ—◠§ 294. And 2. for the parcelling and ordering of the Prayers and Responses as they are some of them say that it is the best Form and Order and it 's only Fancy and 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 them Others say that they are disorderly indeed but that is not the Sin of the Users when they are imposed but of the Framers and 〈◊〉 § 295. And 3. as for the Doctrine of the Salvation of Baptized Infants in the Rubrick of Baptism and all the rest in that Book and in the Nine and thirty Arâ—â—â—â—â— some of them say that they are all found viz. the willing Conformists but the unwilling Conformists say that these are not things to be used by themâ— and therefore not within the Compass of the declared Assent or Consent in the Act. § 296. And 4. as to the Charitable Applications excepted against in Baptism Confirmation the Lord's Supper Absolution of the Sick and Burial they say they are but such as according to the Judgment of Charity we may use And if there be any fault it is not in the Common Prayer Book which useth but such words as are fit to be used by the Members of the Church but it is in the Canons and Discipline of the Church which suffereth unfit Persons to be Church-Members § 297. And 5. as for the Ceremonies they say 1. That Kneeling is freed from all suspicion of Idolatry by the annexing of the Rubrick out of King Edward the Sixth's Common Prayer Book which though the Convocation refused yet the Parliament annexed and they are the Imposers and it is their sence that we must stand to And as it is lawful to Kneel in accepting a sealed Pardon from the King by his Messenger so is it in accepting a sealed Pardon from God with the Investiture of our Priviledges § 298. And 2. they say that the Surplice is as lawful as a Gown it being not imposed primarily because significant but because decent and secondarily as significant say some Or as others say It is the better and fitter to be imposed because it is significant and that God hath no where forbidden such Ceremonies § 299. And 3. for the Cross in Baptism they say that it is no part of the Sacrament of Baptism but an appendant Ceremony that it is the better for being significant that it is but a transient Image and not a fixed much less a graven Image and is not adored that it is but a professing sign as words are or as standing up or holding up the hand and not any Seal of God's part of the Covenant and though it be called in the Canons a Dedicating Sign it is but as it signifieth the Action of the Person or the Church and not as it signifieth the Action of God receiving the dedicated Person And some say That it cannot be de denied but that according to the old and common use of the word Sacrament as a Military Engagement it is a Sacrament yet it is not pretended to be a Divine but a Humane Sacrament and such are lawful it being in our definition of a Church Sacrament that it is Ordained by Christ himself And though Man may not invent New Sacraments as God's sealing or investing Signs and so pretend that to be Divine which is not yet man may invent New Human Sacraments which go no further than the signifying of their own Minds and Actions And they say That if such mystical Signs as these had been unlawful it is a thing incredible that the Universal Church should use such as far as can be found from the Apostles days even the Milk and Honey and Chrysm and White Garment at Baptism and the Station on the Lord's Days and the oft use of the Cross and
Lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all Opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever And that we are not able our selves to suppress or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many Sins and Provocations against God and his Son Iesus Christ as is too manifest by our present Distresses and Dangers the Fruits thereof We profess and declare before God and the World our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our own Sins and for the Sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the Causes of other Sins and Transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all Duties we owe to God and Man to amend our Lives and each one to go before another in the Example of a real Reformation That the Lord may turn away his Wrath and heavy Indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in Truth and Peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great Day when the Secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for this end and to bless our Desires and Proceedings with such Success as may be Deliverance and Safety to his People and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the Yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to ioyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the Glory of God the Inlargement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and the Peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths The Oath and Declaration imposed upon the Lay-Conformists in the Corporation Act the Vestry Act c. are as followeth The Oath to be taken I. A. B. do declare and believe That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissioned by him So help me God The Declaration to be Subscribed I. A. B. do declare That I hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any ot her Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom All Vestry Men to make and Subscribe the Declaration following I. A. B. do declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissioned by him And that I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare That I do hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to indeavour any Change or Alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom The Declaration thus Prefaced in the Act of Uniformity Every Minister after such reading thereof shall openly and publickly before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I. A. B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book Instituted The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the Forms or Manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons The Declaration to be Subscribed I. A. B. d◠declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I abhor that Trayterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lyes no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any Change or Alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self a◠unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom The Oath of Canonical Obedience EGo A. B. Iuro quod praestabo Veram Canonicam Obedientiam Episcopo Londinens◠ejusque Successoribus in omnibus licitis honestis § 302. II. The Nonconformists who take not this Declaration Oath Subscription c. are of divers sorts some being further distant from Conformity than others some thinking that some of the forementioned things are lawful and some that none of them are lawful and all have not the same Reasons for their dissent But all are agreed that it is not lawful to do all that is required and therefore they are all cast out of the Exercise of the Sacred Ministry and forbidden to preach the Word of God § 303. The Reasons commonly given by them are either 1. Against the Imposing of the things forementioned or 2. Against the Using of them being imposed Those of the former sort were given into the King and Bishops before the Passing of the Act of Uniformity and are laid down in the beginning of this Book and the Opportunity being now past the Nonconformists now meddle not with that part of the Cause it having seemed good to their Superiours to go against their Reasons But this is worthy the noting by the way that all that I can speak with of the Conforming Party do now justifie only the Using and Obeying and not the Imposing of these things with the Penalty by which they are Imposed From whence it is evident that most of their own Party do now justifie our Cause which we maintained at the Savoy which was against this Imposition whilst it might have been prevented and for which such an intemperate Fury hath
promoting serious Godliness and the Sword or Force used only by the Magistrate Dissent will turn to Love and Concord But if they may Suspend Silence or Excommunicate Arbitrarily or according to their present Canons which Excommunicate ipso facto all Men Magistrates Ministers and People who do but affirm that the Book of Common Prayer containeth any thing repugnant to the Scriptures or that there is any thing unlawful to be Subscribed in the Thirty nine Articles or Ceremonies or that there is any thing repugnant to the Word of God in the Church Government by Archbishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE IN THE SAME without excepting so much as Lay-Chancellor's use of the Keys And if Men Excommunicate must as continuing such be undone and laid in Prison we must be content with our Peace with God and Conscience and good Men and that we did our best for more and mourn under the calamitous Effects of the Publick Enemies of Peace whom the God of Peace will shortly judge To the Right Worshipful Sir E. H. SIR THE Healing of Christians endangered as we are by our own Diseases is one of the greatest Works in this World and therefore not to be marred by haste or for want of due Consultation and Advice Three ways are now pleaded for among us Of which two are Extreams and much of our Disease I. One is by the forcing Prelates who would have all forced to full Conformity to their Canons and other Impositions and none endured be they never so wise or godly or peaceable who think any thing in them to be sinful This way was long tried heretofore and these last Twenty years it hath shewed us what it will effect The Shepherds have been smitten and the Flocks scattered about Two thousand godly Ministers Silenced adjudged to lye in Jail with Rogues and to utter Ruine by paying Twenty and Forty pound a Sermon c. The People hereby imbittered against the Prelates and alienated from their Party as malignant Persecutors and as Gnelphes and Gibelines all in discontent and dangerous contention and on both sides growing worse and worse And is this the only healing way II. The other Extream is those that are too far alienated into unlawful Separations whose talk is earnest against that which is called a Comprehension that is such a Reformation of the Parish Churches as may there unite the main Body of the faithful Ministers And they had rather the things which we cannot there consent to were continued unreformed that so the best People might be still alinated from them and driven all into their Tolerated Churches Concerning this way I offer to your Consideration 1. Is it the part of good Men thus to be guilty of that which themselves account intolerable Sin and that in many Hundred thousands desiring it might not be reformed and this on pretence of promoting Godliness when once their Leaders drew it up as a Fundamental That he that alloweth others in known sin cannot be saved 2. It is certain that there is no way so orderly and advantageous to the common Interest of Christianity as Reformed Parish Churches 3. The most of the People that most need the Ministry will come to the Parish Churches and will grow worse and worse if they have not faithful Teachers and we shall please a few good People till they are worn out and for want of a serious believing converting Ministry a Generation of ignorant Malignants will succeed them And we shall come short of the main end of the Ministry 4. So many good and scrupulous People will leave the Parish Churches as will set the Nation or rather London in an even balance and increase the envy of the other part and one side will talk more contemptuously of the Parish Churches and the Parish Pulpits will daily ring with Reproach against them so that the Common People who will be in the Parish Churches will increase their hatred against the Tolerated and they will live in a mutual and wordy War 5. The violent Prelatists will by this have their ends and will triumph over them in these Confusions and say Did not we tell you what would be the Effect of Alteration and Toleration 6. When it is intended that this be but the Introduction of a better Settlement the next Attempt will by this be disabled and they will say You see that they are never satisfied but are still changing and know not where to rest 7. The next Parliament having Experience of these Confusions will recall and and abrogate all their Tolerations These things are easily foreseen And you that were One of the Eleven excluded Members know what such Hands have formerly done III. The middle true way therefore is Parochial Reformation This is necessary in it self This is consistent with the Interest of those that justly desire Toleration In a well constituted Christian Nation tolerated Churches should be but as Houses of Charity Zenodochia Hospitals for the Aged Weak Lame Blind and Sick It is consistent with the just Episcopal Interest and indeed is its most necessary support for want of which a Succession of godly Adversaries will be against it to the end Let us have Christ's true Doctrine Worship and Church-Communion and let General Bishops over us keep their Baronies Lordships Wealth and Honour And we will be responsible to them or any Rulers for our Mal-Administration But let them have no Power as Bishops but of the Church-Keys Et valeat quantumvalere perest Let them teach and reprove us and if they do injuriously pronounce us Excommunicate we will bear it But keep the Sword only in the hand of Magistrates and be not the Lictors of Anathematizers and Horners by your Writs de Excommunicato capiendo The Truth is Civil and Church Government will be well done if we knew how to get still good Men to use it And the chief Point of Political Wisdom is to secure a Succession of such Men. Give us but such Diocesans as Grindal Iewel Usher c. and let them be but Pastors and not armed with the Sword and who will expect that they should hurt us If Kings that choose Bishops and Patrons that choose Incumbents should be always certainly wise and holy Men and lovers of all such they would choose us such But if they be not and Christ tells you how hardly the Rich are saved they will mostly choose such as are of their mind or as Favourites obtrude and bad Bishops and Priests are the mortal Disease of the Church And if I tell King and Patrons that the Clergy and Communicants should have a Consenting or Dissenting Vote and so the Door should have three Locks the Consent of the Ordainers Communicants and Magistrates I cannot hope that they should regard me But I will repeat what Mr. Thorndike saith a Man as far as most from the Nonconformists Treatise of Forbearance It is to no purpose to talk of Reformation in the Church unto Regular Government without
of his publick Ministry in London p. 301. His going to the Archbishop to beg a License p. 302. His Majesty's Commission for the Savoy Conference p. 303. an Account of what past at the Conference p. 305. Exceptions that Mr. Baxter drew up against the Common Prayer at that time p. 308. the Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer that were deliver'd in to the Commissioners p. 316 c. Of the choice of the Convocation and of Mr. Calamy and Mr. Baxter for London p. 333. a further account of the Conference p. 334 c. a Paper then offer'd by Dr. Cosins about a way to terminate the differences with an Answer to it p. 341 c. An Account of the Dispute manag'd in Writing at that time between Dr. Pierson Dr. Gunning Dr. Sparrow and Dr. Pierce and Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb and Mr. Baxter who were deputed for that purpose p. 346 c. A Reply to the Bishops Disputants which was not answer'd p. 350. a Continuation of the Conference p. 356. a Copy of the Part of the Bishops Divines in the Disputation p. 358. A Censure of this Conference and Account of the Managers of it p. 363. of the Ministers going up to the King after the Conference p. 365. the Petition they presented to his Majesty on that occasion p. 366. to which by reason of their Affinity is annexed a Copy of the Concessions that were made by Bishop Usher Bishop Williams Bishop Moreton Bishop Holdsworth and many others in a Committee at Westminster 1641. p. 369. Books written against Mr. Baxter by Mr. Nanfen Dr. Tompkins and others p. 373. He goes to Kidderminster to try if he might be permitted to preach there p. 374. Bishop Morley and his Dean endeavour to set the people there against him p. 375 376. Bp. Morley and Dr. Boreman write against him p. 377. Mr. Bagthaw writes against the Bishop p. 378. Of the surreptitious publication of the Savoy Conference p. 379. other assaults that Mr. Baxter met with p. 380. a false report rau'd of him by Dr. Earls p. 381. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to him on that occasion with his answer to it p. 382. Divers Ministers imprison'd particularly in Worcestershire on occasion of a pretended Conspiracy p. 383. Of BLACK BARTHOLOMEW DAY 1662. wherein so many Ministers were silenc'd p. 384. of the sad consequences of that day p. 385. Mr. Calamy's imprisonment for preaching occasionally after the silencing p. 386. the state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at that time p. 336. the sum of their several Causes and the Reasons of their several ways p. 387 c. Of the King's Declaration Dec. 26. 1662. p. 430. Old Mr. Ashes Death and Character ibid Mr. James Nalton's Death and Character p. 431. How Mr. Baxter and Dr. Bates had like to have been apprehended for going to pray with a sick person p. 431. of the imprisonment of divers Ministers about the Country p. 432. Strange Iudgments of God about this time turn'd by the Devil to his own advantage ibid. Much talk about an Indulgence or a Comprehension in 1663. p. 433. An Answer sent in a Letter to an honourable Person at that time to this Question Whether the way of Comprehension or Indulgence be more desirable p. 434. But the Parliament that then sate considerably added to former rigour p. 435. Mr. Baxter and others go to the Assemblies of the Church of England p. 436. His Answer to the Objections against this practice and Reasons for it p. 438. He retires to Acton p. 440. A Letter to Mr. Baxter from Monsieur Amyraut another from Monsieur Sollicoffer a Switzer which by reason of the Iealousies he was under he thought not fit to answer p. 442. He debates with some ejected Ministers the Case about Communicating sometimes with the Parish Churches in the Sacraments p. 444. A Letter from my Lord Ashley with a special Case about the lawfulness of a Protestant Lady's marrying a Papist in hope of his Conversion with Mr. Baxter's reply p. 445. PART III. Written for the most part in the year 1670. OF the Plague in the year 1665 p. 1. during the Sickness some of the ejected Ministers preach in the City Churches p. 2. at the same time the Five-mile Act was fram'd at Oxford ibid a Censure of the Act p. 3. the reasons of mens refusal to take the Oath imposed by that Act p. 5. Queries upon the Oxford Oath p. 7. further Reflections on it p. 10. Twenty Nonconforming Ministers take this Oath p. 13. a Letter from Dr. Baâ—es to Mr. Baxter about that affair p. 14. of the Dutch War p. 16. of the Fire of London ibid. of the Instruments of the Fire p. 18. The Nonconformists set up seperate publick Meetings p. 19. of the burning of our Ships at Chatham by the Dutch p. 20. the disgrace and banishment of my Lord Chancellour Hide ibid. Sir Orlando Bridgman made Lord Keeper p. 22. the Nonconformists conniv'd at in their Meetings ib. Mr. Baxter sent for to the Lord Keeper about a Toleration and Comprehension p. 23. Proposals then offer'd by Mr. Baxter and others p. 24. the Lord Keeper's Proposals p. 25. Alterations made by Mr. Baxter and his Associates in his Proposals p. 27. falsly pag'd 35. Reasons of these Alterations p. 28. falsly pag'd 36. Alterations of the Liturgy c. then offer'd p. 31. falsly pag'd 39. two new Proposals added and accepted with alterations p. 34. an Address of some Presbyterian Ministers to the King with a Letter of Dr. Manton's to Mr. Baxter about it p. 36. great talk of Liberty at this time but none ensued p. 38. Of the Book call'd A Friendly Debate p. 39. of Parker's Ecclesiastical Policy p. 41. of Dr. Owen's Answer and Parker's Reply p. 42. An Apologue or two familiarly representing the Heats and Feuds of those times p. 43 c. Mr. Baxter's further account of himself while he remain'd at Acton p. 46. of his acquaintance with worthy Sir Matth. Hale p. 47. of the disturbance he receiv'd at Acton p. 48. he is sent to New Prison p. 49. a Narrative of his Case at that time p. 51. the Errours of his Mittimus with an Explication of the Oxford Act p. 56. His Reflections during his imprisonment p. 58. His Release and perplexity thereupon p. 60. His Benefactours while in prison ibid. His bodily weakness ibid. An Account of his Writings since 1665. p. 61. on Account of a Treaty between him and Dr. Owen about an Agreement between the Presbyterians and the Independants p. 61. a Letter of Dr. Owen's to Mr. Baxter about that matter p. 63. Mr. Baxter's Reply to it p. 64. how it was dropp'd p. 69. of his Methodus Theologiae ibid. and some other Writings p. 70. the heat of some of his old people at Kidderminster p. 73. the renewal of the Act against Conventicles p. 74. Dr. Manton's imprisonment ibid. Great offers made to Mr. Baxter by the Earl of Lauderdail if he would go
strict against an Oath or Gaming or Plays or Drinking nor troubled themselves so much about the Matters of God and the World to come and the Ministers and People that were for the King's Book for Dancing and Recreations on the Lord's Days and those that made not so great a matter of every Sin but went to Church and heard Common Prayer and were glad to hear a Sermon which lasht the Puritans and which ordinarily spoke against this strictness and preciseness in Religion and this strict Observation of the Lord's Day and following Sermons and praying Ex tempore and talking so much of Scripture and the Matters of Salvation and those that hated and derided them that take these Courses the main Body of these were against the Parliament Not but that some such for Money or a Landlord's Pleasure served them as some few of the stricter sort were against them or not for them being Neuters but I speak of the notable Division through the Land If you ask how this came to pass it requireth a longer Answer than I think fit here to give But briefly Actions spring from natural Dispositions and Interest There is somewhat in the Nature of all worldly Men which maketh them earnestly defirous of Riches and Honours in the World and they that value them most will seek them and they that seck them are more like to find them than those that despise them and he that taketh the World and Preferment for his Interest will estimate and choose all means accordingly and where the World is predominant Gain goeth for Godliness and serious Religion which would mortifie their Sin is their greatest Enemy Yet Conscience must be quieted and Reputation preserved which can neither of them be done without some Religion Therefore such a Religion is necessary to such as is consistent with a worldly Mind which Outside-formality Lip-service and Hypocrisie is but Seriousness Sincerity and Spirituality is not On the other side there is that in the new Nature of a spiritual Believer which inclineth him to things above and causeth him to look at worldly Grandeur and Riches as things more dangerous than desirable and he is dead to the World and the World to him by the Cross of Christ no wonder therefore if few such attain great Matters in the World or ever come to Preferment or Greatness upon Earth And there is somewhat in them which maketh them more fearful of displeasing God than all the World and will not give them leave to stretch their Consciences or turn aside when the Interest or Will of Man requireth it And the Laws of Christ to which they are so devoted are of such a stream as cannot suit with carnal Interest There is an universal and radicated Enraity between the Carnal and the Spiritual the Serpent's and the Woman's Seed the fleshly Mind and the spiritual Law of God through all the World in all Generations Gen. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 6 7 8. Thus Enmity is found in England as well as in other Countries between the Godly and the Worldly Minds as he that was born after the Flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit even so was it here The vulgar Rabble of the carnal and prophane the Fornicators Drunkards Swearers c. did every where hate them that reproved their Sin and condemned them by a holy Life This Difference was universal and their Enmity implacable farther than common Grace abated it or special Grace cured it So that every where serious godly People that would not run with others to excess of Rvot were spoken against and derided by the Names of Precisians Zealot Over-strict the holy Brethren and other Terms of Scorn These things being supposed it unhappily fell out that in the Days of Queen Mary that we may fetch the matter ab origine our Reformers being Fugitives at Frankford fell into a Division One part of them were for Diocesans and the English Liturgy and Ceremonies that they might no more than needs depart from the Papists nor seem unconstant by departing from what King Edward had begun The other were for Calvin's Discipline and way of Worship for the setting up of a Parochial Discipline instead of a Diocesan and to have a Government in every particular Church and not only One over a Thousand or many Hundred Churches and for a plain and serious way of Worship suited as near as possible to God's Word When these two Parties returned into England the Diocesan Party got Queen Elizabeth's Countenance and were preferred and their way set up The other Party petitioned and hoped and waited but were discountenanced rebuked and by Law suppressed This lamentable Breach was never healed The discountenanced Party were servent Preachers of holy Lives and so were many of the Bishops also in those days But if those that succeeded them had been as holy and as diligent Preachers they had kept up their Honour and Places without such Assaults as they have undergone But when Iewel Pelkington Grindal and such like were dead many succeeded them whom the People took to be other kind of Men. And the silenced Disciplinarians as then they were called did by their Writings their secret Conference and Preaching and their Godly Lives work much upon such as were religiously addicted And moreover besides what they received from such Teachers there is I know not perfectly whence among the most of the Religious serious People of these Countreys a suspicion of all that is Ceremonious in God's Service and of all which they find not warrant for in Scripture and a greater inclination to a rational convincing earnest way of Preaching and Prayers than to the written Forms of Words which are to be read in Churches And they are greatly taken with a Preacher that speaketh to them in a familiar natural Language and exhorteth them as if it were for their Lives when another that readeth or faith a few composed Words in a reading Tone they hear almost as a Boy that is saying his Lesson And they are much perswaded that a just Parochial Discipline would greatly reform the Church and that Diocesans by excluding it cherish Vice Now upon the Difference between the Diocesans and the Disciplinarians the Diocesans found that their very Places and Power and Lands and Lordships were assaulted by the contrary Opinion and therefore they thought it necessary to suppress the Promoters of it And so putting Episcopacy Liturgy Ceremonies and all into the Subscriptions which they imposed on all that would be Ministers or Schoolmasters they kept and cast out very many worthy Men For some that were for Liturgy and Ceremonies were not for Diocesans but for Parish Discipline and some that were for Bishops were not for the Ceremonies and some that were for the rest yet scrupled some one and he that could not Subscribe to all was forbidden to preach the Gospel whereas in the mean time many Bishops preached very seldom and abundance of Places had ignorant Readers that could nor preach
reason of his distaste to the Earl of Lauderdaile who prest him but to read one of the Books over which he did and so read them all as I have seen many of them marked with his hand and was drawn to over-value them more than the Earl of Lauderdaile Hereupon his Lady reading them also and being a Woman of very strong Love and Friendship with extraordinary Entireness swallowed up in her Husband's Love for the Books sake and her Husband's sake she became a most affectionate Friend to me before she ever saw me While she was in France being zealous for the King's Restoration for whose Cause her Husband had pawned and ruined his Estate by the Earl of Lauderdaile's direction she with Sir Robert Murray got divers Letters from the Pastors and others there to bear witness of the King's sincerity in the Protestant Religion among which there is one to me from Mr. Gaches Her great Wisdom Modesty Piety and Sincerity made her accounted the Saint at the Court. When she came over with the King her extraordinary Respects obliged me to be so often with her as gave me Acquaintance with her Eminency in all the foresaid Vertues She is of solid Understanding in Religion for her Sex and of Prudence much more than ordinary and of great Integrity and Constancy in her Religion and a great Hater of Hypocrisie and faithful to Christ in an unfaithful World and she is somewhat over-much affectionate to her Friend which hath cost her a great deal of Sorrow in the loss of her Husband and since of other special Friends and may cost her more when the rest forsake her as many in Prosperity use to do those that will not forsake their Fidelity to Christ. Her eldest Son the young Earl of Balcarres a very hopeful Youth died of a strange Disease two Stones being found in his Heart of which one was very great Being my constant Auditor and over-respectful Friend I had occasion for the just Praises and Acknowledgments which I have given her which the occasioning of these Books hath caused me to mention § 208. 51. After our Dispute at the Savoy somebody printed our Papers most of them given in to them in that Treaty of which the Petition for Peace the Reformed Liturgy except the Prayer for the King which Dr. W. wrote the large Reply to their Answer of our Exceptions and the two last Addresses were my writing But in the first Proposals and the Exceptions against the Liturgy I had less to do than some others § 209. 52. When the grievous Plague began at London I printed a half-sheet to stick on a Wall for the use of the Ignorant and Ungodly who were sick or in danger of the Sickness for the Godly I thought had less need and would read those large Books which are plentifully among us And I the rather did it because many well-winded People that are about the Sick that are ignorant and unprepared and know not what to say to them may not only read so short a Paper to them but see there in what method such Persons are to be dealt with in such a Case of Extremity that they may themselves enlarge as they see Cause § 210. 53. At that time one Mr. Nathaniel Lane wrote to me to intreat me to write one sheet or two for the use of poor Families who will not buy or read any bigger Books Though I knew that brevity would unavoidably cause me to leave out much necessary matter or else to write in a Stile so concise and close as will be little moving to any but close judicious Readers yet I yielded to his perswasions and thought it might be better than nothing and might be read by many that would read no larger and so I wrote two Sheets for poor Families The first containing the method and motives for the Conversion of the Ungodly The second containing the Description or Character of a true Christian or the necessary Parts of Christian Duty for the direction of Beginners in a Godly Life These three last Sheets were printed by the favour of the Archbishop's Chaplain when the Bishop of London's Chaplain had put me out of hope of printing any more With all these Writings I have troubled the World already and these are all except Epistles to other mens Works as one before Mr. Swinnock's Books of Regeneration one before Mr. Hopkin's Book one before Mr. Eedes one before Mr. Matthew Pool's Model for Advancing Learning one before Mr. Benjamin Baxter's Book one before Mr. Ionathan Hanmer's Exercitation of Confirmation one before Mr. Lawrence of Sickness two before two of Mr. Tombe's Books and some others of which there are two that I must give some account of The Bookseller being to print the Assembly's Works with the Texts cited at length desired me by an Epistle to recommend it to Families I thought it a thing arrogant and unfit for a single Person who was none of the Synod to put an Epistle before their Works But when he made me know that it was the desire of some Reverend Ministers I wrote an Epistle but required him to put it into other mens hands to publish or suppress according to their Judgment but to be sure that they printed all or none The Bookseller gets Dr. Manton to put an Epistle before the Book who inserted mine in a differing Character in his own as mine but not naming me But he leaveth out a part which it seems was not pleasing to all When I had commended the Catechisms for the use of Families I added That I hoped the Assembly intended not all in that long Confession and those Catechisms to be imposed as a Test of Christian Communion nor to disown all that scrupled any word in it If they had I could not have commended it for any such use though it be useful for the instruction of Families c. All this is left out which I thought meet to open lest I be there misunderstood Also take notice that the Poem prefixed to Mr. Vines's Book of the Sacrament was not printed by any order of mine Having received the Printed Book from the Stationer as Gift it renewed my Sorrow for the Author's Death which provoked me to write that Poem the same Night in the Exercise of my Sorrow and gave it the Donor for his Book and he printed it without my knowledge § 211. Manuscripts that are yet unprinted which lye by me are these following 1. A Treatise in Folio called A Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Divinity In four Tomes The first called Christian Ethicks The second Christian Ecclesiasticks The third Christian Oeconomicks The fourth Christian Polisticks It containeth bare Directions for the practice of our Duties in all these respects as Christians as Church-Members as Members of the Family and as Members of the Commonwealth But there is a sufficient Explication of the Subject usually premised and the Directions themselves are the Answers of most useful Cases of Conscience
Presbyterians and Episcopal Men had but before come to some Agreement they would the more unanimously join against the Fanaticks But since the War the Diocesane Party by Dr. Hammond's means was gone to a greater Distance and grown higher than before and denyed the very being of the Reformed Churches and Ministry and avoided all ways of Agreement with them but by an absolute Submission to their Power as the Papists do by the Protestants and that there is a wonderous difference between the Cause of the one Party and the other For though they are born equally capable of Government or Subjection yet all that the Presbyterians for the most part of them desire is but to have leave to worship God and guide their Flocks in ways of Piety and Concord without being persecuted for it And the Prelatical Mens Cause is that they may be the Governors of all and that no Man have leave to serve God but as they prescribe to him nor to rule his Flock but as ruled by them Yea as soon as a Man doth but side with the Men of that Opinion he presently carryeth it as if by his Opinion he had acquired a right to be the Governor of others But especially I told him that the Number of the Ignorant and Scandalous was so great which the Diocesane Party would restore and set up and the Number of the godly learned able Ministers so great which they would cast out and silence that we look'd on it as the ruine of the Church that we had not any Animosity against them that we desired no Man should be hindred in his Ministry for any thing he had done in the Wars against the Parliament But we desired that the People might have faithful Pastors and not drunken ignorant Readers as he knew in this Country they had had And that every ceremonial Difference might not again be thought a sufficient Reason to cast out hundreds of the ablest Men and put in such insufficient Persons in their steads Persecution and the Ruine of the Ministry and Churches were expected by most if Prelacie got up again and if such leading Men as Dr. Hammond would but before-hand come to Terms of some Moderation and promise to endeavour faithfully to bring things to that pass as now should be thought indifferent it would greatly facilitate Mens Conjunction against the turbulent Sectaries and Souldiers I told him he had long lived here among us and saw the worst of us he saw that our private Meetings were only in due Subordination to the Publick and that they were only spent in such Actions as every Christian might do to repeat a Sermon and Pray and propose his Doubts to his Pastor and sing Psalms and not to any Faction or Sedition and that we had not a Sectary in the Town but were all of a Mind and walked in Humility and Blamelesness and Charity toward all all which he did freely acknowledge and I asked him then whether he thought we were fit to be endured or to be supprest And whether it were not hard that Men who had prevailed in Arms as the Parliaments past had done should beg but for Liberty to live quietly by them or those that were now kept under and not obtain it But we cared little for this as it is our own Interest so that the Souls of Men even Thousands in all Countries might not be injured and undone by an ignorant vitious persecuting Ministry To this he confidently affirmed that he being most throughly acquainted with Dr. Hammond who received Letters from Dr. Morley then with the King could assure me that all Moderation was intended and that any Episcopacy how loâ—â—soever would serve the turn and be accepted And a bare Presidency in Synods such as Bishop Usher in his Reduction did require was all that was intended Yea Bishop Hall's way of Moderation would suffice that there should be no Lord Bishops nor so large Diocesses or great Revenues much less any persecuting Power but that the Essentials of Episcopacy was all that was expected that no godly able Minister should be displaced much less silenced nor unworthy Men any more set up that there should be no Thoughts of Revenge for any thing past but all be equal In Conclusion we agreed that I should make some Proposals to Dr. Hammond containing the Terms of our Agreement and he would bring them to him for he lived but seven Miles from us and procure me an Answer Whereupon I drew up a few Proposals and Sir Ralph Clare shortly brought me back an Answer to them by which I saw that there was no Agreement that way to be made For Dr. Hammond cast all the Alterations or Abatements upon the King and Parliament when as the thing that I desired of him was but to promise his best Endeavours to accomplish it by persuading both the Clergy and the Civil Governors to do their Parts Yet I must say I took the Death of Dr. Hammond who died just when the King came in before he saw him or received his intended Advancement for a very great loss for his Piety and Wisdom would sure have hindred much of the Violence which after followed I wrote him a Reply but never sent it because the Tumults presently interrupted us The Papers on both sides were these following R. Baxter's Proposals sent by Sir R. Clare to Dr. Hammond HAving premised the Terms on which the Episcopal Presbyterian and Independant c. may maintain a Brotherly Agreement in case the Magistrate gives Liberty to them all I shall add some Propositions containing those things that we desire the Brethren of the Episcopal way will grant us as necessary to the Peace of these Churches and the avoiding of Persecution to the hindrance of the Gospel in case the Magistrate should establish their way 1. We desire that private Christians may not be hindered from praying in their Families according to the sense of their Necessities without imposed Forms nor from reading Scripture and good Books catechising and instructing their Families and restraining them from dancing and other Vanities which would withdraw them from holy Exercises on the Lord's Day And that Neighbours be not hindred from meeting at convenient times in each others Houses to edifie themselves by Godly Conference Reading repeating Sermons Prayer singing Psalms so be it they refuse not the oversight of their faithful Pastors in the management hereof nor set up these Meetings in Opposition to the publick Assemblies but in due Subordination to them and be responsible to Governors for all Miscarriages 2. We desire that the ungodly sort of People may not be suffered to make the serious practice of Godliness an open Scorn or to deride the Practice of such holy Duties as by God and our Governors we are allowed to perform 3. That the most able Godly faithful Men be Pastors of the Flocks and the insufficient ungodly negligent scandalous and Heretical be kept and cast out the Welfare of the Church consisting so much in
Liturgy and Ceremonies we most humbly represent unto your Majesty 1. First For Church-Government that although upon just Reasons we do dissent from that Ecclesiastical Hierarchy or Prelacy disclaimed in the Covenant as it was stated and exercised in these Kingdoms yet we do not nor ever did renounce the true Ancient and Primitive Presidency as it was ballanced and managed by a due Commixtion of Presbyters therewith as a fit means to avoid Corruptions Partiality Tyranny and other Evils which may be incident to the Administration of one single Person Which kind of attempered Pesidency if it shall be your Majesty's grave Wisdom and gracious Moderation be in such a manner constituted as that the forementioned and other like Evils may be certainly prevented we shall humbly submit thereunto And in Order to an happy Accommodation in this weighty Business we desire humbly to offer unto your Majesty some of the Particulars which we conceive were amiss in the Episcopal Government as it was practised before the Year 1640. 1. The great Extent of the Bishops Diocess which was much too large for his own personal Inspection wherein he undertook a Pastoral Charge over the Souls of all those within his Bishoprick which must needs be granted to be too heavy a Burthen for any one Man's Shoulders The Pastoral Office being a Work of Personal Ministration and Trust and that of the highest Concernment to the Souls of the People for which they are to give an Account to Christ. 2. That by Reason of this Disability to discharge their Duty and Trust personally the Bishops did depute the Administration of much of their Trust even in matters of spiritual Cognizance to Commissaries Chancellors and Officials whereof some were Secular Persons and could not administer that Power which originally appertaineth to the Pastors of the Church 3. That those Bishops who affirm the Episcopal Office to be a distinct Order by Divine Right from that of the Presbyter did assume the sole Power of Ordination and Jurisdiction to themselves 4. That some of the Bishops exercised an Arbitrary Power as by sending forth their Books of Articles in their Visitations and therein unwarrantably enquiring into several things and swearing the Church-Wardens to present accordingly So also by many Innovations and Ceremonies imposed upon Ministers and People not required by Law and by suspending Ministers at their Pleasure For reforming of which Evils we humbly crave leave to offer unto your Majesty 1. The late most Reverend Primate of Ireland his Reduction of Episcopacy unto the Form of Synodical Government received in the ancient Church as a Ground-work towards an Accommodation and fraternal Agreement in this Point of Ecclesiastical Government Which we rather do not only in regard of his eminent Piety and singular Ability as in all other Parts of Learning so in that especially of the Antiquities of the Church but also because therein Expedienâ— are offered for healing these Grievances And in order to the same end we further humbly desire that the Suffragans or Corepiscopi mentioned in the Primate's Reduction may be chosen by the respective Synods and by that Election be sufficiently authorized to discharge their Trust. That the Associations may not be so large as to make the Discipline impossible or to take off the Ministers from the rest of their necessary Imployments That no Oaths or Promises of Obedience to the Bishops nor any unnecessary Subscriptions or Engagements be made necessary to Ordination Institution Induction Ministration Communion or Immunities of Ministers they being responsible for any Transgression of the Law And that no Bishops nor any Ecclesiastical Governors may at any time exercise their Government by their own private Will or Pleasure but only by such Rules Canons and Constitutions as shall be hereafter by Act of Parliament ratified and established and that sufficient Provision be made to secure both Ministers and People against the Evils of Arbitrary Government in the Church 2. Concerning the Liturgy 1. We are satisfied in our Judgments concerning the Lawfulness of a Liturgy or Form of publick Worship provided that it be for the matter agreeable unto the Word of God and fitly suited to the Nature of the several Ordinances and the necessity of the Church nether too tedious in the whole nor composed of too short Prayers unmeet Repetitions or Responsals nor too dissonant from the Liturgies of other Reformed Churches nor too rigorously imposed nor the Minister so confined thereunto but that he may also make use of those Gifts for Prayer and Exhortation which Christ hath given him for the Service and Edification of the Church 2. That inasmuch as the Book of Common Prayer hath in it many things that are justly offensive and need amendment hath been long discontinued and very many both Ministers and People Persons of Pious Loyal and Peaceable Minds are therein greatly dissatisfied whereupon if it be again imposed will inevitably follow sad Divisions and widening of the Breaches which your Majesty is now endeavouring to heal We do most humbly offer to your Majesty's Wisdom that for preventing so great Evil and for setling the Church in Unity and Peace some Learned Godly and Moderate Divines of both Perswasions indifferently chosen may be imployed to Compile such a Form as is before described as much as may be in Scripture words or at least to Revise and effectually Reform the old together with an Addition or Insertion of some other varying Forms in Scripture phrase to be used at the Minister's Choice of which Variety and Liberty there be Instances in the Book of Common Prayer 3. Concerning Ceremonies We humbly represent that we hold our selves obliged in every part of Divine Worship to do all things decently in order and to Edification and are willing therein to be determined by Authority in such things as being meerly Circumstantial are common to Humane Actions and Societies and are to be ordered by the Light of Nature and Christian Prudence according to the General Rules of the Word which are always to be observed And as to divers Ceremonies formerly retained in the Church of England We do in all Humility offer unto your Majesty these ensuing Considerations That the Worship of God is in it self perfect without having such Ceremonies affixed thereto That the Lord hath declared himself in the Matters that concern his Worship to be a Iealous God and this Worship of his is certainly then most pure and most agreeable to the Simplicity of the Gospel and to his holy and jealous Eyes when it hath least of Humane Admixtures in things of themselves confessedly unnecessary adjoyned and appropriated thereunto upon which account many faithful Servants of the Lord knowing his Word to be the perfect Rule of Faith and Worship by which they must judge of his Acceptance of their Services and must be themselves judged have been exceeding fearful of varying from his Will and of the danger of displeasing him by Additions or Detractions in such Duties wherein they must
effectual with none but wicked Men and Hypocrites who dare Sin against their Consciences for fear of Men And is it worth so much ado to bring the Children of the Devil into your Church The third way of Efficacy is but to kill or banish all the Children of God that are not of your Opinion for it is they that dare not Sin against Conscience whatever they suffer And this is but such an Efficacy as the Spanish Inquisition and Queen Mary's Bonfires had to send those to God whom the World is not worthy of You know every Man that is true to his God and his Conscience will never do that which he taketh to be Sin till his Judgment is changed and therefore with such it can be no lower than Blood or Banishment or Imprisonment at least that is the Efficacy which you desire And if no such rigour be too much its pity the French that murthered 30000 or 40000 at their Bartholoâ—â—ew days or as Dr. Peter Moulin saith 100000 within a few Weeks and the Irish that murthered 200000 had not had a better Cause For they took the most effectual way of rigour But when God maketh Inquisition for the Blood of his Servants he will convince Men that such rigour was too much and that their Wrath did not fulfil his Righteousness You shew your Kindness to Men's praying in the Pulple without your Book Make good what you say that such Praying is of no great Antiquity and we will never contradict you more Or if we prove it not the Ancientest way of Praying in the Christian Church we will give you free leave to hang or banish us for not Subscribing to the Common Prayer Book which the Apostles used and which was imposed on the Church for some hundred years But it seems you think that we are beholden to meer Sufferance without Law or Canon for conceived Prayers How long then it will be suffered we know not if we must live by your Patience § 20. It seemeth that our Converse and yours much differ The most that we know or meet with had rather be without the Liturgy and you say That the People generally are well satisfied with it By this time they are of another Mind If it were so we take it for no great honour to it considering what the greater Number are in most places and of what Lives those Persons are of our Parishes and Acquaintance generally or for the most part who are for it Or what those are that are against it and whom for itsâ— sake you desire your effectual rigour may be exercised against The Lord prepare them to undergo it innocently § 21. Doth there need no more to be said for the Ceremonies How little will satisfie some Men's Consciences Lawful Authority hath in other Countreys cast out the same Bishops and Ceremonies which are here received Doth it follow that they are good in one Country and disorderly and undecent in another Or that our Authority only is infallible in judging of them Is not God's Worship perfect without our Ceremonies in its Integrals as well as its Essentials As for Circumstantials when you saw us allow of them you need not plead for them as against us But the Question is whether our Additions be not more then Circumstances § 22. We suppose that you give all to the Cross in Baptism which is necessary to a Humane Sacrament And this we are ready to try be just Dispute When you say that never was Moral Efficacy ascribed to them you seem to give up all your Cause for by denying this ascribed Efficacy you seem to grant them unlawful if it be so And if it be not so let us bear the blame of wronging them The informing and exciting the dull mind of Man in its duty to God is a Moral Effect from Moral Efficacy But the informing and exciting the dull Mind of Man in its Duty to God is an Effect ascribed to our Ceremonies Ergo a Moral Effect from Moral Efficacy is ascribed to our Ceremonies The major cannot be denied by any Man that knoweth what a Moral Effect and Efficacy is that which worketh not per modum Naturae in genere Causae efficientis naturalis only but per modum objecti vel in genere causae finalis upon the Mind of Man doth work morally but so do our Ceremonies Ergo sure the Arminians that deny all proper Physical Operations of God's Spirit as well as his Word and reduce all to Moral Efficacy will not say that Ceremonies have such a Physical Efficacy more than Moral And if not so the good Effects here mentioned can be from no lower Efficacy than Moral And the minor which must be denied is in the words of the Preface to the Common Prayer Book and therefore undeniable The Word of God it self worketh but moraliter proponendo objectum and so do our Ceremonies § 23. There is a great difference between Sacramental Ceremonies and meer Circumstances which the Reformed Churches keep These we confound not and could have wished you would not Our Cross in Baptism is A dedicating sign saith the Canon or transient Image made in token that this Child shall not be ashamed of Christ crucified but manly fight under his Banner against the Flesh the World and the Devil and continue Christ's faithful Servant and Soldier to his Lives end So that 1. It is a Dedicating Sign performed by the Minister and not by the Person himself as a bare Professing Sign is 2. It engageth the Party in a Relation to Christ as his Soldier and Servant 3. And in the Duties of this Relation against all our Enemies as the Sacramentum Militare doth a Soldier to his General and that in plainer and fuller words than are annexed to Baptism 4. And it is no other than the Covenant of Grace or of Christianity it self which this Sacrament of the Cross doth enter us into as Baptism also doth It is not made a part of Baptism nor called a Sacrament but as far as we can judge made essentially a Humane Sacrament adjoyned to Baptism The Reformed Churches which use the Cross we mean the Lutherans yet use it not in this manner § 24. This is but your unproved Assertion That the Fault was not in the Ceremonies but in the Contenders we are ready to prove the contrary but if it had been true how far are you from Paul's mind expressed Rom. 14. 15. and 1 Cor. 8. You will let your weak Brother perish and spare not so you can but charge the Fault on himself and lay Stumbling-blocks before him and then save him by your effectual rigour by Imprisonment or Punishment § 25. Those seem a few to you that seem many to us Had it been but one hundred such as Cartwright Amesius Bradshaw Parker Hildersham Dod Nicolls Langley Paget Hering Baynes Bates Davenport Hooker Wilson Cotton Norton Shephard Cobbet Word c. they had been enough to have grieved the Souls of many Thousand godly
It is the very Nature and Substance of the Office of a Presbyter to have the Power of the Keys for binding and losing retaining or remitting Sin which therefore together or apart as there is occasion they are bound to Exercise And this being the Institution of Jesus Christ cannot be altered by Man In their Ordination according to the established Order in England it is said Whose sins thou dost remit they are remitted whose sins thou dost retain they are retained And they are commanded to Minister the Doctrine Sacraments and Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same as expresly as the Bishops are And as the late Primate of Ireland observeth in his Reduction That they may the better understand what the Lord hath commanded the Exhortation of St. Paul to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus is appointed to be read to them at the time of their Ordination Take â—eed to your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed or rule the Congregation of God which he hath purchased with his blood And it is apparent in this Acts 20. 17 18 28. and 15. 23 25. and 16. 4. 1. Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim 3. 4 5. and 5. 17. Heb. 13. 7 17 24. and other places that it is the Office of a Presbyter to Oversee Rule and Guide the Flock which the Ministerial Rule which consisteth in the Exercise of the Keys or Management and Personal Application of God's Word to the Consciences and Cases of particular Persons for their Salvation and the Order of the Church the Coercive Power belonging to the Magistrate And this was the Practice in the Ancient Church as appeareth undeniably in Ignatius Tertullian Cyprian Hierom Chrysostom c. Concil Carthag 4. Can. 22 23 29 32 34 35 36 37. as is confessed by the chiefest Defenders of Episcopacy 2. If all Presentments and Appeals be made to the Bishop and his Consistory alone it will take from us the Parish Discipline which is granted us and cast almost all Discipline out of the Church As is most apparent to them that by experience are acquainted with the quality of our Flocks and with the true Nature of the Pastoral Work Considering 1. How many hundred Churches are in a Diocess 2. How many thousand Persons are in very many Parishes and of those what a number are obstinate in wilful gross Ignorance or Scandal refusing to be instructed or admonished by their Pastors 3. How long and earnestly and tenderly Sinners must be dealth with before they are cut off by Solemn Excommunication 4. How unsatisfactory it must be to the Conscience of a Bishop or Synod to cut off a Man as impenitent upon the bare report of a Minister before by full Admonition they have proved him impenitent themselves especially when too many Ministers are to say nothing of Passion that might cause partial Accusations unable so to manage a Reproof and Exhortation as is necessary to work on the Consciences of the People and to convict Resisters of flat Impenitency 5. What abundance of Work the Bishop will have besides Constant preaching will require time for preparation Visiting the several Churches Confirming all the Souls in so many hundred Parishes which alone is more than any one Man can do aright if he had nothing else to do Ordaining Instituting and Examining the Persons so far as to satisfie a tender Conscience that takes not all on trust from others and is but the Executor of their Judgments These and much more with the care of Church-buildings Lands and his own Affairs and Family and Sicknesses and necessary absence sometimes will make this great additional Work which must be constantly performed for so many hundred Parishes to be impossible 6. Reproofs and Suspension would so exasperate the Scandalous that they would vex the Pastors with numerous Appeals 7. The Pastors will be undone by travelling and waiting and maintaining such a multitude of Witnesses as is necessary for the prosecuting of Presentments and answering so many Appeals 8. The Business will be so odious chargeable and troublesom that Witnesses will not come in 9. The Minister by these Prosecutions and Attendances will be taken off the rest of his Ministerial Work 10. Bishops being but Men will be tempted by this intolerable Burden to be weary of the Work and slubber it over and cast it upon others and to discountenance the most conscionable Ministers that most trouble them with Presentments which when the Offenders perceive they will the more insult and vex us with Appeals So that the Discouragements of Ministers and the utter Incapacity of the Bishops to perform a quarter of this Work will nullifie Discipline as leaving it impossible Experience hath told us this too long And then when our Communion is thus polluted with all that are most incapable through utter Ignorance Scandal and Contempt of Piety 1. Ministers will be deterred from their Administrations to Subjects so uncapable 2. Bishops that are tender Conscienced will be deâ—erred from undertaking so impossible a Work and of so ill Success 3. And Men that have least tenderness of Conscience and Care of Souls and Fear of God's Displeasure will seek for and intrude into both places 4. And the tender conscienced People will be tempted to speak hardly of such undisciplined Churches and of the Officers and to withdraw from them 5. And hereby they will fall under the Displeasure of Superiours and the Scorn of the Vulgar that have no Religion but what is subservient to their Flesh. 6. And so while the most pious are brought under Discountenance and Reproach and the most impious get the Reputation of being most Regular and obedient to their Rulers Piety it self will grow into disesteem and Impiety escape its due disgrace And this hath been the Cause of our Calamities 3. As to the Liturgy it is Matter of great Joy and Thankfulness to us that we have heard your Majesty more than once so resolutely promising That none shall suffer for not using the Common Prayer and Ceremonies but you would secure them from the Penalties in the Act for Uniformity as that which your Declaration at Breda intended and to find here so much of your Majesty's Clemency in your gracious Concessions for a future Emendation But we humbly crave leave to acquaint your Majesty 1. That it grieveth us after all to hear that yet it is given in Charge by the Judges at the Assizes to indict Men upon that Act for not using the Common Prayer 2. That it is not only Some absolete words and other expressions that are offensive 3. That many scruple using some part of the Book as it is lest they be guilty of countenancing the whole who yet would use it when reformed Therefore we humbly crave that your Majesty will here declare That it is your Majesty's pleasure that none be punished or troubled for not using the Book of Common Prayer
the Minister of that Place Who shall admit none to the Lord's Supper till they have made a credible Profession of their Faith and promised Obedience to the Will of God according as is expressed in the Consideration of the Rubrick before the Catechism and that all possible Diligence be used for the Instruction and Reformation of scandalous Offenders whom the Ministers shall not suffer to partake of the Lord's Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former naughty Lives as is partly expressed in the Rubrick and more fully in the Canons Provided there be place for due Appeals to superior Powers 6. No Bishops c. 7. We are very glad to find that all with whom we have conferred do in their Judgments approve a Liturgy or a set Form of publick Worship to be lawful which in our Judgments for the Preservation of Unity and Uniformity we conceive to be very necessary And although we do esteem the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of common-Common-Prayer and by Law established to be the best that we have seen and we believe that we have seen all that are extant and used in this part of the World and we know what Reverence most of the reformed Churches or at least the most learned Men in those Churches have for it yet since we find some Exceptions made against several things therein We will appoint an equal Number of learned Divines of both Persuasions to review the same and to make such Alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in Scripture Phrase as near as may be suited unto the Nature of the several Ordinances and that it be left to the Minister's choice to use one or the other at his Discretion In the mean time and till this be done although we do heartily wish and desire that the Ministers in their several Churches because they dislike some Clauses and Expressions would not totally lay aside the use of the Book of Common Prayer but read those Parts against which there can be no Exception which would be the best Instance of declining those Marks of Distinction which we so much labour and desire to remove Yet in compassion to divers of our good Subjects who scruple the use of it as now it is our Will and Pleasure is that none be punished or troubled for not using it until it be reviewed and effectually reformed as aforesaid In the Preface concerning Ceremonies we desire that at least these Words be left out Not that themselves do in their Iudgments believe the Practice of these particular Ceremonies which they except against to be in it self unlawful As concerning Ceremonies our Will and Pleasure is 1. That none shall be required to kneel in the act of receiving the Lord's Supper but left at Liberty therein 2. That the religious Observation of Holyâ—days of human Institution be left indifferent and that none be troubled for not observing of them 3. That no Man shall be compell'd to use the Cross in Baptism or suffer for not using it 4. That no Man shall be compelled to bow at the Name of Jesus 5. For the use of the Surplice we are contented that all Men be left to their Liberty to do as they shall think fit without suffering in the least Degree for wearing or not wearing it And because some Men otherwise pious and learned say they cannot conform unto the Subscription required by the Canons nor take the Oath of Canonical Obedience we are content and it is our Will and Pleasure so they take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy that they shall receive Ordination Institution and Induction and shall be permitted to exercise their Function and to enjoy the Profits of their Livings without the said Subscription or Oath of Canonical Obedience And moreover that no Persons in the Universities shall for the want of such Subscription be hindred in taking their Degrees Lastly That such as have been ordained by Presbyters be not required to renounce their Ordination or to be re-ordained or denied Institution and Induction for want of Ordination by Bishops And moreover that none be judged to forfeit their Presentation or Benefice or be deprived of it for not reading of those of the 39 Articles that contain the controverted Points of Church-Government and Ceremonies § 108. After all this a Day was appointed for his Majesty to peruse the Declaration as it was drawn up by the Lord Chancellor and to allow what he liked and alter the rest upon the hearing of what both sides should say Accordingly he came to the Lord Chancellor's House and with him the Duke of Albermarle and Duke of Ormond as I remember the Earl of Manchester the Earl of Anglesey the Lord Hollis c. and Dr. Sheldon then Bishop of London Dr. Morley then Bishop of Worcester Dr. Hinchman then Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Cosins Bishop of Durham Dr. Gauden after bishop of Exeter and Worcester Dr. Barwick after Dean of Paule Dr. Hacket Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield with divers others among whom Dr. Gunning was most notable On the other part stood Dr. Reignolds Mr. Calamy Mr. Ash Dr. Wallis Dr. Manton Dr. Spurstow my self and who else I remember not The Business of the Day was not to dispute but as the Lord Chancellor read over Declaration each Party was to speak to what they disliked and the King to determine how it should be as liked himself While the Lord Chancellor read over the Preface there was no Interruption only he thought it best himself to blot out those Words about the Declaration in Scotland for the Covenant That we did from the Moment it passed our Hand ask God Forgiveness for our Part in it The great matter which we stopt at was the Word Consent where the Bishop is to confirm by the Consent of the Pastor of that Church and the King would by no means pass the Word Consent either there or in the Point of Ordination or Censures because it gave the Ministers a negative Voice We urged him hard with a Passage in his Father's Book of Meditations where he expresly granteth this Consent of the Presbyters but it would not prevail The most that I insisted on was from the end of our Endeavours that we came not hither for a Personal Agreement only with our Brethren of the other way but to procure such gracious Concessions from his Majesty as would unite all the soberest People of the Land And we knew that on lower Terms it would not be done Though Consent be but a little Word it was necessary to a very desirable end if it were purposed that the Parties and Divisions should rather continue unhealed then we had no more to say there being no Remedy But we were sure that Union would not be attained if no Consent were allowed Ministers in any part of the Government of their Flocks and so they should be only Teachers without any Participation and
was done to my knowledge in Sixteen years of that kind was but this that when the Scots fled from Worcester as all the Country sought in covetousness to catch some of them for their Horses so two idle Rogues of Kedderminster that never communicated with me any more than he did had drawn two or three of their Neighbours with them in the Night as the Scots fled to catch their Horses And I never heard of three that they catcht And I appealed to the Bishop and his Conscience whether he that being urged could name no more but this did ingenuously Accuse the Corporation Magistrates and People to have appeared on all occasion in Arms for Cromwell And when they had no more to say I told them by this we saw what measures to expect from Strangers of his mind when he that is our Neighbour and noted for eminent Civility never sticketh to speak such things even of a People among whom he hath still lived § 159. About the same time about Twenty or Two and twenty furious Fanaticks called Fifth-Monarchy-men one Venner a Wine-Cooper and his Church that he preached unto being transported with Enthusiastick Pride did rise up in Arms and fought in the Streets like Mad-men against all that stood in their way till they were some kill'd and the rest taken judged and executed I wrote a Letter at this time to my Mother-in-law containing nothing but our usual matter even Encouragements to her in her Age and Weakness fetcht from the nearness of her Rest together with the Report of this News and some sharp and vehement words against the Rebels By the means of Sir Iohn Packington or his Soldiers the Post was searched and my Letter intercepted opened and revised and by Sir Iohn sent up to London to the Bishop and the Lord Chancellour so that it was a wonder that having read it they were not ashamed to send it up But joyful would they have been could they but have found a word in it which could possibly have been distorted to an evil sence that Malice might have had its Prey I went to the Lord Chancellour and complained of this usage and that I had not the common liberty of a Subject to converse by Letters with my own Family He disowned it and blamed Mens rashness but excused it from the Distempers of the Times and he and the Bishops confessed they had seen the Letter and there was nothing in it but what was good and pious And two days after came the Lord Windsor Lord Lieutenant of the Country and Governour of Iamaica with Sir Charles Littleton the King's Cup bearer to bring me my Letter again to my Lodgings and the Lord Windsor told me The Lord Chancellour appointed him to do it After some expression of my sense of the Abuse I thanked him for his great Civility and Favour But I saw how far that sort of Men were to be trusted § 160. And here I will interpose a short Account of my Publick Ministry in London Being removed from my ancient Flock in Worcestershire and yet being uncertain whether I might return to them or not I refused to take any other Charge but preached up and down London for nothing according as I was invited When I had done thus above a year I thought a fixed place was better and so I joyned with Dr. Bates at St. Dunstan's in the West in Fleâ—tstreet and preached once a week for which the People allowed me some Maintenance Before this time I scarce ever preached a Sermon in the City but I had News from Westminster that I had preached seditiously or against the Government when I had neither a thought nor a word of any such tendency Sometimes I preached purposely against Faction Schism Sedition and Rebellion and those Sermons also were reported to be Factious and Seditious Some Sermons 〈◊〉 Covent Garden were so much accused that I was fain to print them the Book is called The Formal Hypocrite detected c But when the Sermons were printed I had not a word more against them The Accusations were all general of Sedition and Faction and against the Church but not one Syllable charged in particular § 161. The Congregations being crowded was that which provoked Envy to accuse me And one day the Crowd did drive me from my place It fell out that at Dunstan's Church in the midst of Sermon a little Lime and Dust and perhaps a piece of a Brick or two fell down in the Steeple or Belfray near the Boys which put the whole Congregation into sudden Melancholy so that they thought that â—he Steeple and Church were falling which put them all into so confused a haste to get away that indeed the Noise of the Feet in the Galleries sounded like the falling of the Stories so that the People crowded out of Doors the Women left some of them a Skarf and some a Shoe behind them and some in the Galleries cast themselves down upon those below because they could not get down the Stairs I sate still down in the Pulpit seeing and pitying their vain Distemper and assoon as I could be heard I intreated their Silence and went on The People were no sooner quieted and got in again and the Auditory composed but some that stood upon a Wainscot-Bench near the Communion Table brake the Bench with their weight so that the Noise renewed the Fear again and they were worse disordered than before so that one old Woman was heard at the Church Door asking forgiveness of God for not taking the first warning and promising if God would deliver her this once she would take heed of coming thither again When they were again quieted I went on But the Church having before an ill name as very old and rotten and dangerous this put the Parish upon a Resolution to pull down all the Roof and build it better which they have done with so great Reparation of the Walls and Steeple that it is now like a new Church and much more commodious for the Hearers § 162. While I was here also the daily Clamours of Accusers even wearied me No one ever questioned me nor instanced in any culpable words but in general all was against the Church and Government Upon which and the request of the Countess of Balcaries one of my Hearers a Person of exemplary worth I was fain to publish many of my Sermons verbatim on 2 Cor. 13. 5. in a Book called The Mischiefs of Self-ignorance and Benefits of Self-acquaintance And when the Book was printed without alteration then I heard no more of any Fault § 163. Upon this Reparation of Dunstan's Church I preached out my Quarter at Brides Church in the other end of Fleetstreet where the Common Prayer being used by the Curate before Sermon I occasioned abundance to be at Common Prayer which before avoided it And yet my Accusations still continued § 164. On the Week days Mr. Ashurst with about Twenty more Citizens desired me to preach a Lecture in
Antbony Tuckny Dr. in Divinity Iohn Conant Dr. in Divinity William Spurstow Dr. in Divinity Iohn Wallis Dr. in Divinity Thomas Manton Dr. in Divinity Edmund Calamy Batchelour in Divinity Richard Baxter Clerk Arthur Iackson Clerk Thomas Case Samuel Clark Matthew Newcomen Clerks and to our trusâ—y and well-beloved Dr. Earles Dean of Westminster Peter Heylin Dr. in Divinity Iohn Hacket Dr. in Divinity Iohn Barwick Dr. in Divinity Peter Guâ—â—ing Dr. in Divinity Iohn Pierson Dr. in Divinity Thomas Pierce Dr. in Divinity Anthony Sparrow Dr. in Divinity Herbert Thorndike Batchelour in Divinity Thomas Horton Dr. in Divinity Thomas Iacomb Dr. in Divinity William Bates Iohn Rawlinson Clerk William Cooper Clerk Dr. Iohn Lightfoot Dr. Iohn Collins Dr. Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake Clerk Greeting Whereas by our Declaration of the Five and twentieth of October last concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs we did amongst other things express an esteem of the Liturgy of the Church of England contained in the Book of Common Prayer and yet since we find some Exceptions made against several things therein we did by our said Declaration declare we would appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the same and to make such Alterations therein as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in the Scripture phrase as near as might be suited to the nature of the several Parts of Worship we therefore in accomplishment of our said Will and Intent and of our continued and constant Care and Study for the Peace and Unity of the Churches within our Dominions and for the removal of all Exceptions and Differences and Occasions of Differences and Exceptions from amongst our good Subjects for or concerning the said Book of Common Prayer or any thing therein contained do by these our Letters Patents require authorize constitute and appoint you the said accepted Archbishop of York Gilbert Bishop of London Iohn Bishop of Durham Iohn Bishop of Rochester Henry Bishop of Chichester Humphrey Bishop of Sarum George Bishop of Worcester Robert Bishop of Lincoln Benjamin Bishop of Peterburgh Bryan Bishop of Chester Richard Bishop of Carlisle Iohn Bishop of Exeter Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas manton Edmund Calamy Richard Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clark and Matthew Newcomen to advise upon and review the said Book of Common Prayer comparing the same with the most ancient Liturgies which have been used in the Church in the primitive and purest Times And to that end to assemble and meet together from time to time and at such times within the space of four Kalender Months now next ensuing in the Masters Lodgings in the Savoy in the Strand in the County of Middlesex or in such other place or places as to you shall be thought fit and convenient to take into your serious and grave Considerations the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and Things in the said Book of Common Prayer contained and to advise and consult upon and about the same and the several Objections and Exceptions which shall now be raised against the fame And if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as by and between you and the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons hereby required and authorized to meet and advise as aforesaid shall be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the giving Satisfaction unto tender Consciences and the restoring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches under our Protection and Government But avoiding as much as may be all unnecessary Alterations of the Forms and Liturgy wherewith the People are already acquainted and have so long received in the Church of England And our will and pleasure is that when you the said Archbishop Bishops Doctors and Persons authorized and appointed by these our Letters Patents to meet advise and consult upon about the Premises aforesaid shall have drawn your Consultations to any Resolution and Determination which you shall agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing â—r enlarging the said Book of Common Prayer or any part thereof that then you forthwith certifie and present unto us in Writing under your several Hands the Matters and Things whereupon you shall so determine for our Approbation And to the end the same or so much thereof as shall be approved by us may be established And forasmuch as the said Archbishop and Bishops having several great Charges to attend which we would not dispense with or that the same should be neglected upon any great occasion whatsoever and some of them being of great Age and Infirmities may not be able constantly to attend the Execution of the Service and Authority hereby given and required by us in the Meetings and Consultations aforesaid We Will therefore and do hereby require and authorize you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pierce and Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike to supply the place or places of such of the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich as shall by Age Sickness Infirmity or other occasion be hindred from attending the said Meeting or Consultations That is to say that one of you the said Dr. Earles Peter Heylin Iohn Hacket Iohn Barwick Peter Gunning Iohn Pearson Thomas Pearce Anthony Sparrow and Herbert Thorndike shall from time to time supply the Place of each one of them the said Archbishop and Bishops other than the said Edward Bishop of Norwich which shall happen to be hindred or to be absent from the said Meeting or Consultations and shall and may advise and consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the Power and Authority before mentioned in and about the Premises as fully and absolutely as such Archbishop or Bishops which shall so happen to be absent should or might do by Vertue of these our Letters Patents or any thing therein contained in case he or they were personally present And whereas in regard of the Distance of some the Infirmities of others the multitude of constant Imployments and other incidental Impediments some of you the said Edward Bishop of Norwich Anthony Tuckney Iohn Conant William Spurstow Iohn Wallis Thomas Manton Edmund Calamy Rich. Baxter Arthur Iackson Thomas Case Samuel Clarke and Matthew Newcomen may be hindred from the constant Attendance in the Execution of the Service aforesaid We therefore will and do hereby require and authorize you the said Tho. Horton Thomas Iacomb William Bates Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Iohn Lightfoot Iohn Collins Benjamin Woodbridge and William Drake to supply the Place or Places of such the Commissioners last above mentioned as shall by the means aforesaid or any other Occasion be hindred from the said Meeting and Consultations that is to say that one of you the said Thomas Horton Thomas Iacomb William Butes Iohn Rawlinson William Cooper Dr.
Lightfoot Dr. Collins Mr. Woodbridge and Mr. Drake shall from time to time supply the Place of each one of the said Commissioners last mentioned which shall happen to be hindred or be absent from the Meetings and Consultations and shall and may advise consult and determine and also certifie and execute all and singular the Powers and Authorities before mentioned in and about the Premises as fully and absolutely as such of the said last mentioned Commissioners which shall so happen to be absent should or might do by vertue of these Our Letters Patents or any thing therein contained in case he or they were personally present In Witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents Witness Our self at Westminster the five and twentieth Day of March in the Thirteenth Year of Our Reign Per ipsum Regem Boocker Note that Dr. Roger Drake's Name being miswritten William Drake he there fore went not publickly with us § 171. A Meeting was appointed and the Savey the Bishop of London's Lodgings named by them for the Place There met us Dr. Frewen Archbishop of York Dr. Sheldon Bishop of London Dr. Morley Bishop of Worcester Dr. Saunderson Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Cosins Bishop of Durham Dr. Hinchman Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Walton Bishop of Chester Dr. Lany Bishop of Peterborough Dr. King Bishop of Rochester Dr. Sterne Bishop of Carlisle but the constaniest Man after was Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter On the other side there met Dr. Reignolds Bishop of Norwich Mr. Clerk Dr. Spurstow Dr. Lightfoot Dr. Wallis Dr. Manton Dr. Bates Dr. Iacomb Mr. Cooper Mr. Rawlinson Mr. Case and my self The Commission being read the Archbishop of York a peaceable Man spake first and told us that he knew nothing of the Business but perhaps the Bishop of London knew more of the King's Mind in it and therefore was fitter to speak in it than he The Bishop of London told us that it was not they but we that had been the Seekers of this Conference and that desired Alterations in the Liturgy and therefore they had nothing to say or do till we brought in all that we had to say against it in Writing and all the additional Forms and Alterations which we desired Our Brethren were very much against this Motion and urged the King's Commission which requireth us to meet together advise and consult They told him that by Conference we might perceive as we went what each would yield to and might more speedily dispatch and probably attain our End whereas Writing would be a tedious endless Business and we should not have that Familiarity and Acquaintance with each others Minds which might facilitate our Concord But the Bishop of London resolutely insisted on it not to do any thing till we brought in all our Exceptions Alterations and Additions at once In this I confess above all things else I was wholly of his Mind and prevailed with my Brethren to consent but I conjecture upon contrary Reasons For I suppose he thought that we should either be altogether by the Ears and be of several Minds among our selves at least in our new Forms or that when our Proposals and Forms came to be scanned by them they should find as much Matter of Exception against ours as we did against theirs or that the People of our Persuasion would be dissatisfied or divided about it And indeed our Brethren themselves thought either all or much of this would come to pass and our Disadvantage would be exceeding great But I told them the Reasons of my Opinion 1. That we should quickly agree on our Exceptions or offer none but what we were agreed on 2. That we were engaged to offer them new Forms which was the Expedient which from the Beginning I had aimed at and brought in as the only way of Accommodation considering that they should be in Scripture Words and that Ministers should choose which Forms they would 3. That verbal Disputes would be managed with much more Contention 4. But above all that else our Cause would never be well understood by our People or Foreigners or Posterity but our Conference and Cause would be misreported and published as the Conference at Hampton-Court was to our Prejudice and none durst contradict it And that what we said for our Cause would this way come fully and truly to the Knowledge of England and of other Nations and that if we refused this Opportunity of leaving upon Record our Testimony against Corruptions for a just and moderate Reformation we were never like to have the like in hast again And upon these Reasons I told the Bishops that we accepted of the Task which they imposed on us yet so as to bring all our Exceptions at one time and all our Additions at another time which they granted § 172. When we were withdrawn it pleased our Brethren presently to divide the undertaken Work The drawing up of Exceptions against the Common-Prayer they undertook themselves and were to meet from day to day for that end The drawing up of the Additions or new Forms they imposed upon me alone because I had been guilty of that Design from the beginning and of engaging them in that piece of Service and some of them thought it would prove odious to the Independents and others who are against a Liturgy as such Hereupon I departed from them and came among them no more till I had finished my Task which was a Fortnight's time My leisure was too short for the doing of it with that Accurateness which a Business of that Nature doth require or for the consulting with Men or Authors I could not have time to make use of any Book save the Bible and my Concordance comparing all with the Assemblies Directory and the Book of common-Common-Prayer and Hammond L'Estrange And at the Fortnight's end I brought it to the other Commissioners § 173. And here for the better understanding of this Work I must give the Reader these few Advertisements 1. That one of my chief Reasons for the doing of this Work was that if really the Declaration were in force and executed our Brethren that scrupled the use of the Common Prayer might have the Liberty of using such Forms taken out of the Word of God which they need not Scruple 2. And another was That the Nation might see that in our Desires of reforming the Liturgy we were not for none or for a worse 3. That it might be a standing Witness to Posterity both against the Sectarians who would have all Reformers run into Extreams and against our Slanderrers who would make the World believe that we do run into Extreams and are against all Liturgies and a Record that once such a thing was proposed which we could our selves agreee in 4. I made it an intire Liturgy but might not call it so because our Commission required us to call it Additions to or Alterations of the Book of Common Prayer 5. I put in the Directive Part called Rubricks that
the rest might not be unintelligible and the whole defective 6. I put in the Forms and Order of Discipline partly because else we should never have had Opportunity therein to express our Minds and partly because indeed it belongeth to the Integrity of the Work and to shew the difference between their kind of Discipline in Chancellors Courts and ours by Pastors in Christian Congregations 7. Note that the method of the Litany and general Prayers is according to the Direction of the Lord's Prayer of which and the Ten Commandments it is a Commentary The first Commandment falleth in with the Preface and the three first Petitions of the Lord's Prayer All the other Commandments with the Evangelical Precepts come in under the third Petition Thy Will be done and then I proceeded to the other three Petitions and the Conclusion Doubtless the Lord's Prayer is the most perfect method for universal Prayer or holy Desires that can be possibly invented § 174. When I brought my Draught to the Brethren I found them but entring on their Work of Exceptions against the Common-Prayer and so I was fain to lay by mine above a Fortnight longer till their work was done In which divers of them took their Parts The chief Actors in that part were Dr. Reignolds Dr. Wallis Mr. Calamy Mr. Newcomen Dr. Bates Mr. Clarke Dr. Iacomb c. Dr. Horton never came among us at all nor Dr. Tuckney alledging his backwardness to speak though he had been the Doctor of the Chair in Cambridge nor Dr. Lightfoot but once or twice nor Mr. Woodbridge but twice or thrice dwelling far off Mr. Clarke brought in that large Enumeration of Corruptions in the Liturgy recited in the Abridgment of the Lincolnshire Ministers but it was refused because we would be as little querulous as possible lest it should offend and hinder our desired Accommodation and what Passages soever seemed to make the Common-Prayer-Book odious or savour of Spleen and Passion they did reject whoever offered them My principal Business was to keep out such Accusations as would not bear weight and to repress the Opinions of one of the Brethren who came from far and so came not till late among us who was absolutely against all parts of the Common-Prayer because they had been used by Papists to Idolatry And I drew up such Faults as in perusing the Common-Prayer-Book it self did occur to me and which were they which I most disliked in the Forms being not so much offended with some other things as some others were But the Brethren reduced it to a few brief Exceptions in general and would not by so particular an Enumeration of Faults provoke those that we had to do with which I misliked not But from the begining I told them that I was not of their Mind who charged the Common-Prayer with false Doctrine or Idolatry or false Worship in the Matter or Substance nor that took it to be a Worship which a Christian might not lawfully join in when he had not Liberty and Ability for better And that I always took the Faults of the Common Prayer to be chiefly Disorder and Defectiveness and so that it was a true Worship though imperfect and Imperfection was the Charge that we had against it considered as distinct from the Ceremonies and Discipline I looked at it as at the Prayers of many a weak Christian that I have heard who prayed with Disorder and Repetitions and unfit Expressions I would not prefer such a weak Christian in Prayer before a better but yet if I separated from such an one or thought it unlawful to join with him I should be sinfully Curious and Uncharitable And I think this was the Mind of all our Brethren save one as well as mine And old Mr. Ash hath often told us that this was the Mind of the old Nonconformists and that he hath often heard some weak Ministers so disorderly in Prayer especially in Baptism and the Lord's Supper that he could have wish'd that they would rather use the Common-Prayer Yet when we desired the Reformation of it especially at a time when the Peoples Hearts were so much set against it I thought it best to open the true Disorders that they might be reformed The Paper which I offered and we laid by lest it should offend them was this following The Exceptions against the Common-Prayer which I offered the Brethren when they were drawing up theirs The common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book is guilty of great Defectiveness Disorder and vain Repetitions and therefore unfit to be the common imposed Frame of Worship to the God of Order without Amendment when we may do it 1. ORDER requireth that we begin with Reverent Prayer to God for his Assistance and Acceptance which is not done 2. That the Creed and Decalogue containing the Faith in which we profess to assemble for God's Worship and the Law which we have broken by our Sins should go before the Confession and Absolution or at least before the Praises of the Church which they do not 3. The Confession omitteth not only Original Sin but all actual Sin as specified by the particular Commandments violated and almost all the Aggravatious of those Sins and instead thereof it containeth only the repeated Confession that we have erred and strayed from God's ways That we have followed the Devises and Desires of our Hearts That we have offended against his Laws That we have left undone those things that we ought to have done c. which is but to say We have sinned by Omission and Commission Whereas Confession being the Expression of Repentance should be more particular as Repentance it self should be 4. When we have craved help for God's Prayers before we come to them we abruptly put in the Petition for speedy Deliverance O God make speed to save us O Lord make haste to help us without any Intimation of the Danger that we desire deliverance from and without any other Petition conjoined 5. It is disorderly in the Manner to sing the Scripture in a plain Tune after the manner of reading 6. The Lord be with you And with thy Spirit being Petitions for Divine Assistance come in abruptly in the midst or near the end of Morning Prayer And Let us Pray is adjoined when we were before in Prayer 7. Lord have Mercy upon us Christ have Mercy upon us Lord have Mercy upon us seemeth an affected Tautologie without any special Cause or Order here And the Lord's Prayer is annexed that was before recited And yet the next Words are again but a Repetition of the foresaid oft repeated General O Lord shew they Mercy upon us 8. The Prayer for the King O Lord save the King is without any Order put between the foresaid Petition and another General Request only for Audience And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee 9. The second Collect is intitled for Peace and hath not a Word in it of Petition for Peace but only for Defence in Assaults of Enemies and
Believers that the Covenant of God is made and not that we can find to all that that have such believing Sureties who are neither Parents nor Prâ—parents of the Child Ans. Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the Promises of God c.  20 Quest. Why then are Infants baptized when by reason of ther tender Age they cannot perform them  Ans. Yes they do perform by their Sureties who promise and vow them both in their Names  In the general we observe That the Doctrine of the Sacraments which was added upon the Conference at Hampton-Court is much more fully and particularly delivered than the other parts of the Catechism in short Answers fitted to the memories of Children and thereupon we offer it to be considered First Whether there should not be a more distinct and full Explication of the Creed the Commandments and the Lord's Prayer Secondly Whether it were no convenient to add what seems to be wanting somewhat particularly concerning the Nature of Faith of Repentance the two Covenants of Justification Sanctification Adoption and Regeneration Of Confirmation The last Rubrick before the Catechism  ANd that no Man shall think that any detriment shall come to Children by deferring of their Confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certain by God's Word that Children being baptized have all things necessary for their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved ALthough we charitably suppose the meaning of these words was only to exclude the necessity of any other Sacraments to baptized Infants yet these words are dangerous as to the misleading of the Vulgar and therefore we desire they may be expunged Rubrick after the Catechism  So soon as the Children can say in their Mother-tongue the Articles of the Faith the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments and can answer such other Questions of this short Catechism c. then shall they be brought to the Bishop c. and the Bishop shall Confirm them We conceive that it is not a sufficient qualification for Confirmation that Children be able memoriter to the repeat the Articles of the Faith commonly called the Apostles Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments and to answer to some Questions of this short Catechism for it is often found that Children are able to do all this at four or five years old 2dly It crosses what is said in the third Reason of the first Rubrick before Confirmation concerning the usage of the Church in times past ordaining that Confirmation should be ministred unto them that were of perfect Age that they being instructed in the Christian Religion should openly profess their own Faith and promise to be obedient to the Will of God And therefore 3dly we desire that none may be Confirmed but according to his Majesty's Declaration viz. That Confirmation be rightly and solemnly performed by the Information and with the Consent of the Minister of the place Rubrick after the Catechirm  Then shall they be brought to the Bishop by one that shall be his Godfather or Godmother This seems to bring in another sort of Godfathers and Godmothers besides those made use of in Baptism and we see no need either of the one or the other The Prayer before the Imposition of Hands  Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy Servants by Water and the Holy Ghost and hast given unto them the forgiveness of all their sins This supposeth that all the Children who are brought to be confirmed have the Spirit of Christ and the forgiveness of all their sins Whereas a great number of Children at that Age having committed many sins since their Baptism do shew no Evidence of serious Repentance or of any special Saving Grace And therefore this Confirmation if administred to such would be a perillous and gross Abuse Rubrick before the Imposition of Hands  Then the Bishop shall lay his hand on every Child severally This seems to put a higher value upon Confirmation then upon Baptism or the Lord's Supper for according to the Rubrick and Order in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book every Deacon may Baptize and every Minister may consecrate and administer the Lord's Supper but the Bishop only may Confirm The Prayer after Imposition of Hands  We make our humble Supplications unto thee for these Children upon whom after the Example of thy Holy Apostles we have laid our Hands to certifie them by this Sign of thy Favour and gracious Goodness towards them We desire that the Practice of the Apostles may not be alledged as a ground of this Imposition of Hands for the Confirmation of Children both because the Apostles did never use it in that Case as also because the Articles of the Church of England declare it to be a corrupt imitation of the Apostles practice Acts 25. We desire that Imposition of Hands may not be made as here it is a Sign to certifie Children of God's Grace and Favour towards them because this seems to speak it a Sacrament and is contrary to that fore-mentioned 25th Article which saith That Confirmation hath no visible Sign appointed by God The last Rubrick after Confirmation We desire that Confirmation may not be made so necessary to the Holy Communion as that none should be admitted to it unless they be confirmed None shall be admitted to the holy Communion until such time as he can say the Catechism and be confirmed  Of the Form of Solemnization of Matrimony THe Man shall give the Woman a Ring c. shall surely perform and keep the Uow and Covenant betwixt them made whereof this Ring given and received is a Token and Pledge c. SEeing this Ceremony of the Ring in Marriage is made necessary to it and a significant Sign of the Vow and Covenant betwixt the Parties and Romish Ritualists give such Reasons for the Use and Institution of the Ring as are either frivolous or superstitious It is desired that this Ceremony of the Ring in Marriage may be left indifferent to be used or forborn The Man shall say With my Body I thee worship This word worship being much altered in the Use of it since this Form was first drawn up We desire some other word may be used instead of it In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost These words being only used in Baptism and herein the Solemnization of Matrimony and in the Absolution of the Sick We desire it may be considered whether they should not be here omitted least they should seem to favour those who count Matrimony a Sacraâ—â—â— Till Death us depart This word depart is here improperly used Rubrick Exception Then the Minister or Clerk going to the Lords Table shall say or sing this Psalm We conceive this Change of Place and Posture mentioned in these two Rubricks is needless and therefore desire it may be omitted Next Rubrick  The Psalm ended and the Man and the Woman kneeling before the Lord's Table the Priest
standing at the Table and turning his face c. Collect. Exception Consecrated the state of Matrimony to such an excellent Mystery Seeing the Institution of Marriage was before the Fall and so before the Promise of Christ as also for that the said Passage in this Collect seems to countenance the Opinion of making Matrimony a Sacrament we desire that Clause may be altered or omitted Rubrick Exception Then shall begin the Communion and after the Gospel shall be said a Sermon c. This Rubrick doth either enforce all such as are unfit for the Sacrament to forbear Marriage contrary to Scripture which approves the Marriage of all Men or else compels all that marry to come to the Lord's Table though never so unprepared And therefore we desire it may be omitted the rather because that Marriage Festivals are too often accompanied with such Divertisements as are unsuitable to those Christian Duties which ought to be before and follow after the receiving of that Holy Sacrament Last Rubrick  The new married Persons the same day of their Marriage must receive the Holy Communion  Of the Order for the Visitation of the Sick Rubrick before Absolution Exception HEre shall the sick Person make a special Confession c. after which Confession the Priest shall absolve him after this sort Our Lord Jesus Christ c. and by his Authority committed to me I absolve thee FOrasmuch as the Conditions of sick Persons be very various and different the Minister may not only in the Exhortation but in the Prayer also be directed to apply himself to the particular Condition of the Person as he shall find most suitable to the present occasion with due regard had both to his Spiritual Condition and Bodily Weakness and that the Absolution may only be recommended to the Minister to be used or omitted as he shall see occasion That the Form of Absolution be Declarative and Conditional as I pronounce the◠absolved instead of I absolve thee if thou doest truly repent and believe Of the Communion of the Sick Rubrick  BUt if the sick Person be not able to come to Church yet is desirous to receive the Communion in his House then he must give knowledge over-night or else early in the Morning to the Curate and having a convenient place in the sick Man's House he shall there administer the Holy Communion COnsider that many sick persons either by their ignorance or vicious Life without any evident manifestation of Repentance or by the Nature of the Disease disturbing their Intellectuals be unfit for receiving the Sacrament It is proposed that the Minister be not enjoyned to administer the Sacrament to every sick Person that shall desire it but only as he shall judge expedient Of the Order for the Burial of the Dead WE desire it may be expressed in a Rubrick that the Prayers and Exhortations here used are not for the benefit of the Dead but only for the Instruction and Comfort of the Living First Rubrick  The Priest meeting the Corps at the Church-Stile shall say or else the Priest and Clerk shall sing c. We desire that Ministers may be left to use their Discretion in these Circumstances and to perform the whole Service in the Church if they think fit for the preventing of these Inconveniences which many times both Ministers and People are exposed unto by standing in the open Air. The second Rubrick  When they come to the Grave the Priest shall say c.  Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take unto himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed We therefore commit his Body to the Ground in sure and certain hope of Resurrection to Eternal Life These words cannot in Truth be said of Persons living and dying in open and notorious sins The first Prayer  We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful world c. These words may harden the wicked and are inconsistent with the largest rational Charity That we with this our Brother and all other departed in the true Faith of thy Holy Name may have our perfect Confirmation and Bliss  The last Prayer These words cannot be used with respect to those Persons who have not by their actual Repentance given any ground for the hope of their Blessed Estate That when we depart this Life we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth  Of the Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth commonly called Churching of Women THe Woman shall come unto the Church and there shall kneel down in some convenient place nigh unto the place where the Table stands and the Priest standing by her shall say c. In regard that the Womens kneeling near the Table is in many Churches inconvenient we desire that these words may be left out and that the Minister may perform that service either in the Desk or Pulpit Rubrick Exception Then the Priest shall say this Psalm 121. This Psalm seems not to be so pertinent as some other viz. as Psalm 113. and Psal. 128. O Lord save this Woman thy Servant It may fall out that a woman may come to give thanks for a Child born in Adultery or Fornication and therefore we desire that something may be required of her by way of Profession of her Humiliation as well as of her Thanksgiving Ans. Which putteth her trust in thee  Last Rubrick  The Woman that comes to give Thanks must offer the accustomed Offerings This may seem too like a Jewish Purification rather than a Christian Thanksgiving The same Rubrick  And if there be a Communion it is convenient that she receive the Holy Communion We desire this may be interpreted of the duly qualified for a scandalous Sinner may come to make this Thanksgiving Thus have we in all humble pursuance of his Majesty's most gracious Endeavours for the publick weal of this Church drawn up our Thoughts and Desires in this weighty Affair which we humbly offer to his Majesty's Commissioners for their serious and grave Consideration wherein we have not the least thought of depraving or reproaching the Book of Common Prayer but a sincere desire to contribute our Endeavours towards the Healing the Distempers and as soon as may be reconciling the Minds of Brethren And inasmuch as his Majesty hath in his gracious Declaration and Commission mentioned new Forms to be made and suted to the several Parts of Worship We have made a considerable progress therein and shall by God's assistance offer them to the Reverend Commissioners with all convenient speed And if the Lord shall graciously please to give a Blessing to these our Endeavours we doubt not but the Peace of the Church will be thereby setled the Hearts of Ministers and People comforted and composed and the great Mercy of Unity and Stability to the immortal Honour of our most dear Soveraign bestowed
Men are about to do § 213. You have had the Substance of our wandering Discourses you are next to have our as unprofitable Disputes In which all was to be managed in Writing ex tempore by Dr. Pierson Dr. Gunning and Dr. Sparrow with Dr. Pierce on one side and Dr. Bates Dr. Iacomb and my self on the other side we withdrawing into the next Room and leaving the Bishops and them together while we wrote our part And we began with the Imposition of Kneeling upon two Accounts though I took the Gesture it self as lawful 1. Because I knew I had the fullest Evidence and the greatest Authority of Antiquity or Church-Law and Custom against them 2. Because the Penalty is so immediate and great to put all that kneel not from the Communion And it was only the Penalty and to the Imposition on that Penalty which we disputed against § 214. Oppon Arg. 1. To enjoin all Ministers to deny the Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament on the Lord's days is sinful But the Common-Prayer-Book and Canons enjoin all Ministers to deny the Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament on the Lord's Days Ergo the Common-Prayer-Book and Canons do or contain that which is sinful Resp. Not granting nor denying the Major in the first place prove the Minor Oppon We prove both 1. Prob. Major To enjoin Ministers to deny the Communion to Men because they dare not go against the Practice of the Apostles and the universal Church for many hundred Years after them and the Canons of the most venerable Councils is sinful But to enjoin Ministers to deny Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament on the Lord's Days is to enjoin them to deny Communion to them because they dare not go against the Practice of the Apostles and the universal Church for many hundred Years after them and the Canons of the most venerable Councils Ergo. To enjoin all Ministers to deny Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament on the Lord's Day is sinful Prob. Minor The Words of the Common-Prayer-Book and Canons prove it Resp. The Minor viz. as to the Common-Prayer-Book of which the Proof must proceed is not yet proved But the Major which we had not then spoke to but now do clearly denying that Major also of the first Syllogisin you prove by the Syllogism brought in which we deny the Minor § 215. Here we told them That for the Proof of both Propositions denyed the Presence of the Book is necessary which we desired them to procure us but they were not fatcht And first we had a large Debate about the Words of the common-Common-Prayer He shall deliver it them kneeling on their knees Dr. Pierson confessed that the Canons did reject them that kneel not from the Communion but these Words of the Common-Prayer-Book do not But they only include Kneelers but exclude not others We answered them that either the Common-Prayer-Book doth exclude them that kneel not or it doth not If it doth the Proposition is true If it do not then we shall willingly let fall this Argument against it and proceed to another Therefore I desired them but to tell us openly their own judgment of the Sense of the Book for we professed to argue against it only on Supposition of the exclusive Sense § 216. Hereupon unavoidably they fell into Discord among themselves Dr. Pierson who was to defend the Book told us his judgment was that the Sense was not exclusive Bishop Morley who was to offend the Nonconformists gave his judgment for the exclusive Sense viz. That the Minister is to give it to Kneelers and no others So that we professed to them That we could not go any further till they agreed among themselves of their Sense § 217. And for the other Minor denied though the Books were not present I alledged the 20th Canon Concil Nicaen Concil Trull and Tertullian oft and Epiphanius with the common Consent of ancient Writers who tell us it was the Tradition and Custom of the universal Church not to adore by Genuflexion on any Lord's Day or on any Day between Easter and Whitsuntide Ergo not so to adore in taking the Sacrament § 218. Bishop Morley answered That this was the Custom but only between Easter and Whitsuntide and therefore it being otherwise the rest of the Year was more against us I answered him that he mistook where a multitude of Evidences might rectifie him it was on every Lord's Day through the Year that this Adoration by Genuflexion was forbidden though on other Week-days it was only between Easter and Whitsuntide § 219. Next he and the rest insisted on it that these Canons and Customs extended only to Prayer To which I answered That 1. The plain words are against them where some speak of all Adoration and others more largely of the publick Worship and offered to bring them full Proof from the Books as soon as they would give me time 2. And if it were only in Prayer it is all one to our Case For the Liturgy giveth the Sacrament with Words of Prayer and it is the common Argument brought for kneeling that it 's suitable to the conjunct Prayer And I told them over and over that Antiquity was so clear in the point that I desired all might be laid on that and I might have time to bring them in my Testimonies But thus that Argument was turned off and the Evening broke off that part of the Dispute The next Days Argument § 220. Oppon To enjoin Ministers to deny the Communion to such as the Holy Ghost hath required us to receive to the Communion is sinful But to enjoin Ministers to deny the Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament is to enjoin them to deny the Communion to such as the holy Ghost hath required us to receive to the Communion Ergo. to enjoin Ministers to deny the Communion to all that dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament is a Sin Resp. We deny the Minor Oppon The Holy Ghost hath required us to receive to the Communion even all the weak in the Faith who are charged with no greater Fault than erroneously refusing things lawful as unlawful But many of those who dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament are at the worst but weak in the Faith and charged with no greater Fault than erroneously refusing things lawful as unlawful Ergo To enjoin Ministers to deny the Communion to all who dare not kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament is to enjoin them to deny the Communion to such as the Holy Ghost hath required us to receive to the Communion Resp. We say This is no true but a fallacious Syllogism of no due Form For this Reason That whereas both Subject and Predicate of the Conclusion ought to be somewhere
Motions for Accommodation in these Points of Discipline and Worship in which we were disagreed and your professed Resolutions to draw us together by Mutual Approaches and publishing your Healing Declaration which was received with the Thanks of your House of Commons and the Applause of the People and the special Joy of those that longed for Concord and Tranquility in the Church In which your Majesty declareth so much Satisfaction in the Foundations of Agreement already laid as that you should think your self very unfortunate and suspect that you are defective in the Administration of Government if any Superstructures should shake these Foundations and contract or lessen the blessed Gift of Charity which is a Vital part of Christian Religion And as in the said gracious Declaration your Majesty resolved to appoint an equal number of Learned Divines of both Perswasions to review the Liturgy and to make such Alterations as shall be thought most necessary and some additional Forms in the Scripture Phrase as near as may be suited unto the nature of the several parts of Worship and that it be left to the Minister's choice to use one or other at his Discretion so in Accomplishment thereof your Majesty among others directed your Commission unto us for the review of the several Directions Rules and Forms of Prayer and things in the said Book of Common Prayer contained and if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as by and between us shall be agreed upon to be needful or expedient for the giving of Satisfaction to tender Consciences and the restoring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches under your Protection and Government and what we agree upon as needful or expedient to be done for the altering diminishing or enlarging the said Book of Common Prayer or any part thereof forthwith to certifie and present it in Writing to your Majesty In Obedience to this your Majesty's Commission we met with the Right Reverend Bishops who required of us that before any Personal Debates we should bring in Writing all our Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer and all the Additional Forms which we desired Both which we performed and received from them an Answer to the first and returned them our full Reply The last Week of our time being designed to Personal Conference was at the Will of the Right Reverend Bishops spent in a particular Dispute by three of each part about the sinfulness of one of the Injunctions from which we desired to be free and in some other Conference on the by And though the Account which we are forced to give your Majesty of the Issue of our Consultations is that No Agreements are Subscribed by us to be offered your Majesty according to your Expectation and though it be nono of our intent to cast the least unmeet Reflections upon the Right Reverend Bishops and Learned Brethren who think not meet to yield to any considerable Alterations to the Ends expressed in your Majesty's Commission yet we must say that it is some quiet to our Minds that we have not been guilty of your Majesty's and your Subjects disappointments and that we account not your Majesty's gracious Commission nor our Labour lost having Peace of Conscience in the discharge of our Duties to God and you that we have been the Seekers and Followers of Peace and have earnestly pleaded and humbly petitioned for it and offered for it any price below the offence of God Almighty and the wounding or hazard of our own or of the Peoples souls and that we have in season born our testimony against those Extreams which at last will appear to those that do not now discern it to have proceeded from uncharitable mistake and tended to the division and trouble of the Church that whatever shall become of Charity Unity and Concord our Life our Beauty and our Bands our Conserences tell us we have not deserted them nor left any probable means unattempted which we could discern within our power And we humbly beseech your Majesty to believe that we own no Principles of Faction or Disobedience nor Patronize the Errours or Obstinacy of any It is granted us by all that nothing should be commanded us by Man which is contrary to the Word of God that if it be and we know it we are bound not to perform it God being the Absolute Universal Soveraign that we must use all just means to discern the Will of God and whether the Commands of Man be contrary to it that if the Command be sinful and any through the neglect of sufficient search shall judge it lawful his culpable Errour excuseth not his doing of it from being sin and therefore as a reasonable Creature must needs have a Judgment of discerning that he may rationally obey so is he with the greatest care and diligence to exercise it in the greatest things even the obeying of God and the saving of our Souls and that where a strong probability of great sin and danger lyeth before us we must not rashly run on without search and that to go against Conscience even where it is mistaken is sin and danger to him that erreth And on the other side we are agreed that in things no way against the Laws of God the Commands of our Governours must be obeyed that if they command what God forbids we must patiently submit to Suffering and every Soul must be subject to the higher Powers for Conscience sake and not resist that Publick Judgment Civil or Ecclesiastical belongeth only to publick Persons and not to any private Man that no Man must be causelesly and pragmatically inquisitive into the Reasons of his Superiours Commands nor by Pride and Self-conceitedness exalt his own Understanding above its worth and office but all to be modestly and humbly self-suspicious that none must erroneously pretend God's Law against the just Command of his Superiour nor pretend the doing of his Duty to be sin that he who suspecteth his Superiours Commands to be against God's Laws must use all means for full Information before he lettle in a course of disobeying them and that he who indeed discovereth any thing commanded to be sin though he must not do it must manage his Opinion with very great tenderness and care of the Publick Peace and the Honour of his Governours These are our Principles If we are otherwise represented to your Majesty we are misrepresented If we are accused of contradicting them we humbly crave that we may never be condemned till we are heard It is the desire of our Souls to contribute our Parts and Interests to the utmost for the promoting of Holiness Charity Unity and Obedience to Rulers in all lawful Things But if we should sin against God because we are commanded who shall answer for us or save us from his Justice And we humbly crave that it may he no unjust grievance of our Dissent that thereby we suppose Superiours to err
Works are concauses with faith in the act of Iustification Dr. Dove also hath given Scandal in that point 3. Some have preached the Works of Penance are satisfactory before God 4. Some have preached that private Consession by particular Enumeration of Sins is necessary to Salvation necessitate medii both those Errours have been questioned at the Consistory at Cambridge 5. Some have maintained that the Absolution which the Priest pronounceth is more than Declaratory 6. Some have published That there is a proper Sacrifice in the Lord's Supper to exhibit Christ's Death in the Postfact as there was a Sacrifice to prefigure in the Old Law in the Antefact and therefore that we have a true Altar and therefore not only metaphorically so called so Dr. Heylin and others in the last Summers Convocation where also some defended that the Oblation of the Elements might hold the Nature of the true Sacrifice others the Consumption of the Elements 7. Some have introduced Prayer for the Dead as Mr. Brown in his printed Sermon and some have coloured the use of it with Questions in Cambridge and disputed that Precespro Defunct is now supponunt Purgatoriuâ— 8. Divers have oppugned the certitude of Salvation 9. Some have maintained the lawfulness of Monastical Vows 10. Some have maintained that the Lord's Day is kept meerly by Ecclesiastical Constitution and that the Day is changeable 11. Some have taught as new and dangerous Doctrine that the Subjects are to pay any Sums of Money imposed upon them though without Law nay contrary to the Laws of the Realm as Dr. Sybthorp and Dr. Manwaring Bishop of St. Davids in their printed Sermons whom many have followed of late years 12. Some have put Scorns upon the two Books of Homilies calling them either Popular Discourses or a Doctrine useful for those Times wherein they were set forth 13. Some have defended the whole gross Substance of Arminianism that Electio eft ex fide praevisa That the Act of Conversion depends upon the Concurrence of Man's Freewill That the justified Man may fall finally and totally from Grace 14. Some have defended Universal Grace as imparted as much to Reprobates as to the Elect and have proceeded usque ad salutem Ethnicorum which the Church of England hath Anathematized 15. Some have absolutely denied Original Sin and so evacuated the Cross of Christ as in a Disputation at Oxon. 16. Some have given excessive Cause of Scandal to the Church as being suspected of Socinianism 17. Some have defended that Concupiscence is no sin either in the habit or first motion 18. Some have broacht out of Socinus a most uncomfortable and desperate Doctrine That late Repentance that is upon the last Bed of Sickness is unfruitful at least to reconcile the Penitent to God Add unto these some dangerous and most reproveable Books 1. The Reconciliation of Sancta Clara to knit the Romish and Protestant in one Memorand That he be caused to produce Bishop Watson's Book of the like Reconciliation which he speaks of 2. A Book called Brevis Disquisitio printed as it is thought in London and vulgarly to be had which impugneth the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the verity of Christ's Body which he took of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven and the verity of our Resurrection 3. A Book called Timotheus Philalethes de Pace Ecclesiae which holds that every Religion will save a Man if he holds the Covenant Innovations in Discipline 1. The turning of the holy Table Altar-wise and most commonly calling it an Altar 2. Bowing towards it or towards the East many times with three Congees but usually in every motion access or recess in the Church 3. Advancing Candlesticks in many Churches upon the Altar so called 4. In making Canopies over the Altar so called with Traverses and Curtains on each side and before it 5. In compelling all Communicants to come up before the Rails and there to Receive 6. In advancing Crucifixes and Images upon the Parafront or Altar-cloth so called 7. In reading some part of the Morning Prayer at the Holy Table when there is no Communion celebrated 8. By the Minister's turning his back to the West and his face to the East when he pronounceth the Creed or reads Prayers 9. By reading the Litany in the midst of the Body of the Church in many of the Parochial Churches 10. By pretending for their Innovations the Injunctions and Advertisements of Queen Elizabeth which are not in force but by way of Commentary and Imposition and by putting to the Liturgy printed secundo tertio Edwardi sexti which the Parliament hath Reformed and laid aside 11. By offering of Bread and Wine by the hand of the Churchwardens or others before the Consecration of the Elements 12. By having a Credentia or Side-Table besides the Lord's Table for divers uses in the Lord's Supper 13. By introducing an Offertory before the Communion distant from the giving of Alms to the Poor 14. By prohibiting the Ministers to expound the Catechism at large to their Parishioners 15. By suppressing of Lectures partly on Sundays in the Afternoon partly on Week-days performed as well by Combination as some one Man 16. By prohibiting a direct Prayer before Sermon and bidding or Prayer 17. By singing the Te Deum in Prose after a Cathedral Church way in divers Parochial Churches where the People have no skill in such Musick 18. By introducing Latin-Service in the Communion of late in Oxford and into some Colledges in Cambridge at Morning and Evening Prayer so that some young Students and the Servants of the Colledge do not understand their Prayers 19. By standing up at the Hymns in the Church and always at Gloria Patri 20. By carrying Children from the Baptism to the Altar so called there to offer them up to God 21. By taking down Galleries in Churches or restraining the Building of such Galleries where the Parishes are very populous Memorandum 1. That in all the Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two Sermons be preached every Sunday by the Dean and Prebendaries or by their procurement and likewise every Holy-day and one Lecture at the least to be preached on Working-days every Week all the Year long 2. That the Musick used in God's Holy Service in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches be framed with less Curiosity that it may be more edifying and more intelligible and that no Hymns or Anthems be used where Ditties are framed by private Men but such as are contained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures or in our Liturgy of Prayers or have publick allowance 3. That the Reading-Desk be placed in the Church where Divine Service may beâ—t be heard of all the People Considerations upon the Book of Common Prayer 1. Whether the Names of some departed Saints and others should not be quire expunged in the Kalender 2. Whether the reading of Psalms Sentences of Scripture concurring in divers places in the Hymns Epistles and Gospel should not be set out in the New Translation 3. Whether
Action I was commonly censured by them as one that had granted them too much and wronged my Brethren by entring into this Treaty oâ—t of too earnest a desire of Concord with them Thus were Men on both extreams offended with me and I found what Enmity Charity and Peace are like to meet with in the 〈◊〉 But when these Papers were printed the Independents confess that we had dealt faithfully and satisfactorily And indifferent men said that Reason had once whelmed the Cause of the Dioâ—esans and that we had offered them so much a test them utterly without Excuse And the moderate Episcopal Men said the same But the engaged Prelatist were vehemently displeased that these Papers should 〈◊〉 câ—me abroad Though many of them here published were never before printed because none had Copies of them but my self § 264. Bishop Morley told me when he Silenced me that our Papers would be answered 〈◊〉 long But no Man to this day that ever we could hear of hath answered them which were unanswered Either our Reasons for Peace or our Litugy or our large Reply or our Answers to Dr. Pierson's Argument c. only Roger L'Estrange the writer of the News Book hath raised out a great many words against some of them And a nameless Author thought to be Dr. Wommock hath answered one part of one Subject in our Reply which is about excluding all Prayers from the Pulpit besides Common Prayer and in very plausible Language he saith as much as can be said for so bad a Cause viz. for the prohibiting all Extemporary Prayer in the Church And when he cometh to the chief strength of our Reasons he passeth it by and faith that in answering so much as he did the Answer to the rest may be gathered And to all the rest of the Subjects he faith nothing much less to all our other Papers § 265. Also another nameless Author commonly said to be Sir Henry Yelverton wrote a Book for Bishop Morley against me But neither he nor Boreman nor Wommâ—â—k ever saw me for ought I know and I am sure he is as strange to the Cause as to me For he taketh it out of Bishop Morley's Book and supposing what he hath written to be true he findeth some words of Censorious Application to make a Book of § 266. And about the same time Sir Robert Holt a Knight of Warwickshire near Brâ—â—â—â—châ—m spake in the Parliament House against Mr. Calamy and me by name as preaching or praying seditiously but not one syllable named that we said And another time he named me for my Holy Commonwealth § 267. And about that time Bishop Morley having preferred a young Man named Mr. S Orator of the University of Oxford a fluent witty Satyrist and one that was sometime motioned to me to be my Curate at Kidderminster this Man being Houshold Chaplain to the Lord Chancellour was appointed to preach before the King where the Crowd had high Expectations of some vehement Satyr But when he had preached a quarter of an hour he was utterly at a loss and so unable to recollect himself that he could go no further but cryed The Lord be merciful to our Infirmities and so came down But about a Month after they were resolved yet that Mr. S should preach the same Sermon before the King and not lose his expected Applause And preach it he did little more than half an hour with no admiration at all of the Hearers And for his Encouragement the Sermon was printed And when it was printed many desired to see what words they were that he was stopped at the first time And they found in the printed Copy all that he had said first and one of the next Passages which he was to have delivered was against me for my Holy Common-wealth § 268. And so vehement was the Endeavour in Court City and Country to make me contemptible and odious as if the Authours had thought that the Safety either of Church or State did lye upon it and all would have been safe if I were but vilified and hated Insomuch that Durell the French Minister that turned to them and wrote for them had a senseless snatch at me in his Book and Mr. Stoope the Pastor of the French Church was banished or forbidden this Land as Fame said for carrying over our Debates into France So that any Stranger that had but heard and seen all this would have asked What Monster of Villany is this Man and what is the Wickedness that he is guilty of Yet was I never questioned to this day before a Magistrate Nor do my Adversaries charge me with any personal wrong to them nor did they ever Accuse me of any Heresie nor much contemn my Judgment nor ever accuse my Life but for preaching where another had been Sequestred that was an insufficient Reader and for preaching to the Soldiers of the Parliament though none of them knew my Business there nor the Service that I did them These are all the Crimes besides my Writings that I ever knew they charged my Life with But Envy and Carnal Interest was so destitute of a Mask that they every where openly confessed the Cause for which they endeavoured my Defamation and Destruction especially the Bishops that set all on work 1. As one Cause was their own over-valuing of my Parts which they made account I would employ against them 2. Another was that they thought the Reputation of my blameless Life would add to my ability to deserve them 3. Another was that they thought my Interest in the People to be far greater than indeed it was 4. But the principal of all was my Conference before the King and at the Savoy in both which it fell out that Bishop Morley and I were the bassest Talkers except Dr. Gunning and that it was my lot to contradict him who was not so able either to bear or seem to bear it as I thought at least his Honour would have instructed him to be 5. And my refusing a Bishoprick increased the indignation And Colonel Birth that first came to offer it me told me that they would ruine us if we refused it Yet did I purposely forbear ever mentioning it on all occasions 6. And it was not the least Cause that my being for Primitive Episcopacy and not for Presbytery and being not so far from them in some other Points of Doctrine and Worship as many Nonconformists are they thought I was the abler to undermine them 7. And another Cause was that they judged of the rest of my Talk and Life by my Conference at the Savoy not knowing that I took that to be my present Duty which Fidelity to the King and Church commanded me faithfully to do whoever was displeased by it and that when that time was over I took it to be my Duty to live as peaceably as any Subject in the Land and not to use mâ— Tongue or Pen against the Government which the King was pleased to appoint
Name of Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Government And so by the Name they seduce Mens minds to think that this is indeed the use of the Keys which God hath put into the Churches Hands 3. Hereby they greatly encourage the Usurpation of the Pope and his Clergy who set up such Courts for probate of Wills and Causes of Matrimony and rule the Church in a Secular manner though many of them confess that directly the Church hath no forcing Power And this they call the Churches Power and Spiritual Government and Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction and say that it belongeth not to Kings and that no King can in Conscience restrain them of it but must protect them in it And so they set up Imperium in Imperio and as Bishop Bedle said of Ireland The Pope hath a Kingdom there in the Kingdom greater than the Kings Against which Ludov. Molinaeus hath written at large in two or three Treatises So that when the Papal Power in England was cast down and their Courts subjected to the King and the Oath of Supremacy formed it was under the Name of Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Power that it was acknowledged to be in the King who yet claimeth no proper Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Power so greatly were these Terms abused and so are they still as applied to our Bishops Courts so that the King is said by us to be Chief Governour in all Causes Ecclesiastical because Coercive Power in Church Matters which is proper to the Magistrate was possessed and claimed by the Clergy And in all Popish Kingdoms the Kings are but half Kings through these Usurpations of the Clergy And for us to Exercise the same kind of Power mixt with the Exercise of the Keys and that by the same Name is greatly to countenance the Usurpers § 352. If it be said That the Church claimeth no Coercive Power but as granted them by the King or that it is the Magistrate that annexeth Mulcts and Penalties and not the Church I answer 1. They perswade the Magistrate that he ought to do so 2. Force is not a meer Accident but confessed by them to be the very Life of their Government It is that which bringeth People to their Courts and enforceth all their Precepts and causeth Obedience to them so that it is part of the very Constitution of their Government And as to Fees and Commutation of Penance Pecuniary Mulcts are thus imposed by themselves 3. Their very Courts and Officers are of a Secular Form 4. The Magistrate is but the Executioner of their Sentence He must grant out a Writ and imprison a Man quatenus excommunicate without sitting in Judgment upon the Cause himself and trying the Person according to his Accusation And what a dishonour do these Men put on Magistrates that make them their Executioners to imprison those whom they condemn inuudita causa at a venture be it right or wrong So much of the Nonconformists Charges against the English Prelacy § 353. By this you may see what they Answer to the Reasons of the Conformists As 1. To the willing Conformists who plead a Iur Divinum they say That if all that Gersom Bucer Didoclavius Blondell Salmasius Parker Baines c. have said against Episcopacy it self were certainly confuted yet it is quite another thing that is called Episcopacy by them that plead it Iure Divino If 1. Bishops of single Churches with a Presbytery under them 2. and General Bishops over these Bishops were both proved Iure Divine yet our Diocesans are proved to be contra jus Divinum 2. To the Latitudinarians and involuntary Conformists who plead that no Church-Government as to the form is of Divine Institution they answer 1. This is to condemn themselves and say Because no Form is of God's Institution therefore I will declare that the Episcopal Form is of Divine Institution for this is part of their Subscription or Declaration when they Profess Assent and Confent to all things in the Book of Common Prayer and Ordination And one thing in it is in these words with which the Book beginneth It is evident to all Men diligently reading holy Scripture and ancient Authors that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church Bishops Priests and Deacons which Offices were evermore had in such reverend estimation c. So that here they declare that Bishops and Priests are not only distinct Degrees but distinct Orders and Offices and that since the Apostles time as evident by Scripture c. when yet many of the very Papists Schoolmen do deny it And the Collect in the Ordering of Priests runs thus Almighty God giver of all good things who by the holy Spirit hath appointed divers Orders of Ministers in the Church So that in plain English they declare That Episcopacy even as a distinct Order Office and Function for all these words are there is appointed by the Spirit of God because they believe that no Form is so appointed 2. That which Mr. Stillingfleet calleth A Form is none of the Substance of the Government it self nor the Offices in the Church He granteth that 1. Worshipping Assemblies are of Divine appointment 2. That every one of these must have one or more Pastors who have power in their Order to teach them and go before them in Worship and spiritually guide or govern them But 1. Whether a Church shall have one Pastor or more 2. Whether one of them shall be in some things subject to another 3. Whether constant Synods shall be held for concord of Associated Churches 4. Whether in these Synods one shall be Moderator and how long and with what Authority not unreasonable these he thinks are left undetermined And I am of his mind supposing General Rules to guide them by as he doth But the Matter and Manner of Church-Discipline being of God's appointment and the Nature and Ends of a particular Church and the Office of Pastors as well as the Form of the Church Universal it is past doubt that nothing which subverteth any of these is lawful And indeed if properly no Form of Government be instituted by God then no Form of a Church neither for the Form of Government is the Form of a Church considered in sensu politico and not as a meer Community And then the Church of England is not of God's making Quest. Who then made it Either another Church made this Church and then what was that Church and who made its Form and so ad Originem or no Church made it If no Church made the Church of England quo jure or what is its Authority and Honour If the King made it was he a Member of a Church or not If yea 1. There was then a Church-Form before the Church of England And who made that Church usque ad Originem If the King that made it was no Member of a Church then he that is no Member of a Church may institute a Church Form but quo jure and with what
all their Exceptions against the New Common Prayer Book in the Points wherein it is much worse than the old § 405. And for the Latitudinarians and Unwilling Conformists their Plea is That the use of the Forms and Ceremonies is lawful and that is all that they are required to subscribe to because the Act saith they shall declare their Assent and Consent to the use of all things c. They do not subscribe their Consent to the thing in it self but to so much as is to be used by them and so far only as that they will use it But this is so gross that the Non-conformists cannot stretch so far For 1. What Man can doubt whether all things in the Book were intended for some use or other though not each part to the same use Did the Convocation and Parliament contrive and impose things which they themselves did judge to be of no use Is not the Kalendar and Direction for reading Scripture of use to tell you what Days to keep and what Chapters to read Is not the Rubrick of use to direct you in the several Offices Is not the Doctrinal Determination about the Saving of Baptized Infants and other such like of use to tell us its Doctrine is taken to be true Doubtless every part hath its intended usefulness 2. The words are as express to exclude such stretching as could well be devised For 1. It is Assent as well as Consent which is declared 2. It is to all and every thing which includeth every word 3. It is to every thing contained in it as well as to every thing prescribed by it And the Doctrinals as of three Orders Iure Divino c. are contained in it 3. To put all out of doubt since this Act the Parliament made another Act to which while Proviso's were offered the whole House of Lords sent it back to the Commons with this Proviso That those that declared Assent and Consent to all and every thing c. should be obliged to understand it only as to the use of what was required of them and not as to the things in themselves considered The Commons refused this Proviso and the Houses had a meeting about it in which the Commons delivered their Reasons against that Exposition of the Declaration And in the end the Lords did acquiesce in their Reasons and consented to cast out the Proviso so that now the Parliament hath expounded their own words and there is no more pretence left for the Latitudinarian Equivocation § 406. But if it were otherwise is the use of all things contained there lawful 1. To what they say about the Apocrypha it is answered That it is not lawful to read publickly in the Church on any days so many above One hundred in two Months of the Apocryphal Chapters in the same manner time and title of Lessons with the holy Scripture with no fuller distinction When 1. Experience telleth us That many of the People who understand not the Greek word Apocrypha are thereby drawn to take them for Canonical Scripture being also bound up with it in the Books 2. And when Tobit Susanna Bell and the Dragon Iudith are ordinarily by Protestants taken for Fables or Untruths and therefore not so much as pious Instructions § 407. 2. And for the disorder and defects of the Common Prayer before proved they seem but ill matter for such an unfeigned Assent and Consent § 408. 3. And for the new Clause of the Salvation of Baptized Infants as certain by the Word of God the Scruple were the less if it were confined to the Infants of true Believers But our Church admitteth of all Infants even of Infidels and Heathens without distinction if they have but Godfathers and Godmothers and the Canon enforceth Ministers to Baptize them all without exception And when in our Publick Debate with the Bishops I instanced in one of my Parishioners that was a professed Infidel and yet said he would come and make the common Profession for his Child for Custom sake even Dr. Sanderson the Bishop of Lincoln answered me That if there were Godfathers it had a sufficient Title which Bishop Morley and others of them confirmed Now these Godfathers being not Adopters nor Owners we cannot see it certain in God's Word That all those are saved whom they present to Baptism no nor whom ungodly and hypocritical Christians present for how can the Convenant save the Child as the Child of a Believer which saveth not the Parent as a Believer himself So that while unmeet Subjects are Baptized we cannot Subscribe to this Assertion § 409. And it is strange that when Infant-Baptism it self and commonly said by these Men to be a Tradition and not commanded or found in Scripture that yet they find it certain by the Word of God that Baptized Infants are saved § 410. But some say That it is certain that all Infants so dying are saved and therefore all Baptized Infants But 1. They never shewed us any Word of God from whence that certainty may appear to us nor have they answered what is said against it 2. And what jesting with holy Things is this to speak that of the Baptized only which they mean of all As if they would perswade People that it is some effect of Baptism and priviledge of the Children of the Church which they think belongeth to all the Children of Heathens § 411. Some say that the word All Children is not in and of some its true Answ. The Indefinite here according to common Speech is equivalent to an Universal Children baptized dying before actual sin is equal to all children baptized your Consciences must tell you that if you limit it to some only you cross the sence of the Compilers of the Liturgy I am sure Dr. Gunning who brought it in hath publickly exprest his sence for the Salvation of all such Infants § 412. 4. As to the Practice of Baptizing all Children that can have Godfathers and of Confirming Administring the Lord's Supper Absolving Burying c. with unjust Application to Persons unfit for the Sacraments or Titles given them we know not how to Assent and Consent to the Imposition or Form of as long as we know that the same Church which commandeth us to use those words doth command us to apply them to unworthy Persons And how it may harden the Wicked to Perdition is easily conjectured § 413. 5. And for the Ceremonies they are so largely written about on both sides that I need not stay here to recite the Arguments For my own part as I would receive the Lord's Supper kneeling rather then not at all so I have no Censure for those that wear the Surplice though I never wore it But that Man may adjoyn such a Human Sacrament as the Cross in Baptism to God's Sacrament I am not satisfied in And cannot Assent or Consent to it that such a solemn dedicating Sign should be stated in God's Publick Worship by Man 1.
could be And their Arguments as many though I thought not so good Many Books came out against hearing Common Prayer and against hearing any of the present Parish Ministers One said to be by Mr. Iohn Godwin and another by one Mr. Brown of Worcestershire a fervent injudicious honest Fifth-Monarchy-man and many more that made the Common Prayer to be no less than Idolatry Because it was not prescribed by the Scripture they said it is false Worship and false Worship they said was one Species of Idolatry by which arguing they would have made every fault in any of our Prayers or other Worship to be Idolutry For Scripture prescribeth not any disorder or other fault in Prayer but forbiddeth it and so they may on the same account call it false Worship and Idolatry But many honest People were led to depart too far from the Parish Assemblies and from Charity and Unity it self by such weak reasonings as these Yea many turned Quakers because the Quakers kept their Meetings openly and went to Prison for it cheerfully and because they would not joyn with the late imposed Ministry and Worship which was so bad in their esteem that their hearts rose against any Debate in which we would but question it When I hear men cry out against us as dangerous Schismaticks even when we deny not Communion with the conformable Parish Ministers meerly because we cease not preaching when the Magistrates and Prelates command us so to do notwithstanding the notorious necessity of the People it bringeth to my thoughts two remarkable Passages there met with The first of the Eastern Churches Alexandria Antiâ—ch Câ—sares c. which stuck to their old Pastors in private Meetings and refused the new obtruded Bishops suspected of Arrianism notwithstanding the Emperour Valens his Prohibition and his contrary Commands and his personal violent Impedition The like was done in Constantine's time The second is of many Bishops in Africa who by Gensericâ—â— were forbid to preach and when they obeyed him not their Tongues were cut out And God by a Miracle justified their Disobedience to the King and they spake as well as when they had their Tongues Among many Historians who report this I remember two credible ones who profess that they saw and heard the men speak themselves after the cutting out of their Tongues One is Victor Uticensis and as I remember the other is Aenaem Gazem § 434. I confess some of those that were for Separation from the Parish Churches spake so plausibly that it was no wonder that most of the Religious sort followed them They said that 1. We have but lately sworn in the Covenant against Superstition and for a Reformation and shall we all so soon return to Liturgies and Ceremonies c. at the Will of Man 2. As Conformity so Separation is now another thing than it was when the old Non-conformists wrote against the Brownists the Churches being far more polluted 3. We are commanded to avoid them that walk disorderly and not to bid them good speed that bring false Doctrine and not to eat with them c. And Cyprian saith That it belongeth to the People to avoid a bad Pastor and that if they do it not they must not think themselves innocent though Synods cast them not out And what sin say they can be more heinous than to break their Vows with God so solemnly and in such dreadful Expressions made and to Subscribe under their Hands That neither Prince nor People in Three Kingdoms ought to reform such a corrupted undisciplin'd Church no not though they have Sworn to endeavour it and not only to be Perjured themselves but to justifie Three Kingdoms in the Guilt of Perjury to dishonour our Nation before all the World and teach them to name it Insula Perfidorum the Perjured Island To declare openly for the absolute Slavery of the Kingdoms whose Liberty their Ancestors preferred before their Lives declaring that it is not lawful by Arms to save my Purse or Throat from Thieves if they say they have the King's Commission for it â—or shew it To Assent and Consent unfeignedly to all the Corruptions imposed on them To make all this a Ministerial Sin by Publishing or Reading it before all the Congregation To turn to all this unfaithfully without ever Debating the Case with the ablest that differed from them or else going on when they were Silenced in Conference and had nothing to say Are these men for us to hold Communion with 4. God will be worshipped with the best and curseth them that offer him the blind and lame when they have better in their Flocks 5. The Churches are not only undisciplined but the Pastors by Subscription justifie it and compel by cruel Persecution all Men to Communicate with them thrice a year both the Good against their Consciences and the Bad against the Word of God to their Condemnation And shall we Communicate with such § 435. To these sad and heavy Accusations we answered 1. The Covenant bound us to our best to reform but did not bind us to sin that is to forsake all Christian Churches among us and all Publick Worship when we cannot reform as we desire As I am bound to amend all the Disorders and Faults of my own Prayers but not to give over praying till I can amend them Nay the Covenant bindeth us to come to the Assemblies in that it bindeth us against Schism Prophaneness and whatsoever is against sound Doctrine and Godliness 2. I confess that Conformity is not the same thing as it was in the Brownists time But yet the Difference is not so great as to make Separation lawful now which was unlawful then In one great Point the Case of the Church was worse then than it is now in that the multitude of the People being new turned from Popery by the bare Will of the Queen and Parliament were far more ignorant than now they are when the Gospel hath made the People much more understanding and reformed insomuch that in some few great Towns and Parishes a considerable part of the People are zealous Professors of Religion that daily worship God in their Families 3. There is a great deal of Difference between God's Commands to a Church to cast out and avoid particular Sinners by way of Disciplinary Reformation and a particular Person 's avoiding whole Churches and that before the Neighbouring Churches have in any Synod declared them unfit for our Communion The former may be found but any Command for the latter you will hardly find in Scripture but contrarily it was the practice of Schismaticks and Hereticks For how can you proceed in Christ's method of Admonition with such whole Churches At least till they are notoriously Heretical or intolerably corrupt and obstinate therein you cannot avoid them The Churches of Corinth Galatia Ephesus Sardis Laodicea Thiatyra c. had foul Corruptions and are commanded to execute Discipline on the Members but no Members commanded to forsake the Churches
it Of which in that Book he saith so much to the pity rather than satisfaction of the Judicious his Book being otherwise the soundest and most abounding with Light of any one that I have seen But the very necessity of explaining the Three Articles of Baptism and the Three Summaries of Religion the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue hath led all the common Catechisms that go that way of which Vrsine Corrected by Paraeus is the chief into a truer Method than any of our exactest Dichotomizers have hit on not excepting Treleatius Solinius or Amesius which are the best § 147. The Nature of things convinced me That as Physicks are presupposed in Ethicks and that Morality is but the ordering of the Rational Nature and its Actions so that part of Physicks and Metaphysicks which opened the Nature of Man and of God which are the Parties contracting and the great Subjects of Theology and Morality is more neerly pertinent to a Method of Theology and should have a larger place in it than is commonly thought and given to it Yet I knew how Uncouth it would seem to put so much of these Doctrines into a Body of Divinity But the three first Chapters of Genesis assured me That it was the Scripture-Method And when I had drawn up one Scheme of the Creation and sent it the Lord Chief Baron because of our often Communication on such Subjects and being now banished from his Neighbourhood and the County where he lived he received it with so great Approbation and importuned me so by Letters to go on with that work and not to fear being too much on Philosophy as added somewhat to my Inclinations and Resolutions And through the great Mercy of God in my Retirement at Totteridge in a troublesome poor smoaky suffocating Room in the midst of daily pains of the Sciatica and many worse I set upon and finished all the Schemes and half the Elucidations in the end of the Year 1669. and the beginning of 1670. which cost me harder Studies than any thing that ever I had before attempted § 148. In the same time and place I also wrote a large Apology for the Nonconformists Partly to prove it their Duty to Exercise their Ministry as they can when they are Silenced and partly to open the State of the Prelacy the Subscriptions Declarations c. which they refuse for the furious Revilings of Men did so increase and their Provocations and Accusations and Insultings were so many and great that it drove me to this work as it were against my will But when I had done it I saw that the Publication of it would by Imprisonment or Banishment put an end to my other Labours which made me lay it by for I thought that the finishing of my Methodus Theologiae was a far greater work But if that had been done I think I should have published it whatever it had cost me § 149. This Year 1670 my forementioned Cure of Church Divisions came out which had been before cast by which occasioned a storm of Obloquy among almost all the separating Party of Professors and filled the City and Country with matters of Discourse which fell out to be as followeth I had long made use of two Booksellers Mr. Tyton and Mr. Simmons the former lived in London and the later in Kiderminster But the latter removing to London they envyed each other in a meer desire of gain one thinking that the other got more than he was willing should go besides himself Mr. Tyton first refused an equal Co-partnership with the other Whereupon it fell to the others share to Print my Life of Faith and Cure of Church Divisions after my Directions to weak Christians together Which occasioned Mr. Tyton to tell several that came to his Shop that the Book as he heard was against private Meetings at least at the time of Publick and made those Schimaticks that used them Mr. Simmons met with a credible Citizen that gave it him under his Hand that Mr. Tyton said that he might have had the Printing of the Book but would not because it spake against those things which he had seen me Practise c. which were all gross Untruths for the Book was never offered him nor had he never seen a word of it or ever spoken with any one that had seen it and told him what was in it Mr. Tyton being a Member of an Independent Church this sort of People the eaâ—ilier believed this and so it was carried among them from one to one first that I wrote against private Meetings and then that I accused them all of Schism and then that I wrote for Conformity and lastly that I conformed so that before a Line of my Book was known this was grown the common Fame of the City and thence of all the Land and sent as certain into Scotland and Ireland yea they named the Text that I preached my Recantation Sermon on before the King as stirring him up to Cruelty against the Nonconformists So common was the Sin of Back-biting and Slandering among the Separating Party so it were but done at the second hand and they that thought themselves too good to joyn with the Conformists or use their Liturgy or Communion yet never stuck at the common carrying of all these Falshoods because they could say a good Man told it me So that Thousands made no bones of this that would not have defiled themselves with a Ceremony or an imposed Form of Prayer by any means Yea the Streets rang with Reproaches against me for it without any more proof Some said that I took part with the Enemies of Godliness and countenanced their Church-Tyranny and some said that I sought to reconcile my self to them for fear of further Suffering And thus the Christians that were most tenderly afraid of the Liturgy and Ceremonies were so little tender of receiving and vending the most disingenuous Falshoods as if they had been no matter of Scruple So easie is a sinful Zeal and so hardly is true Christian Zeal maintained § 150. At the same time there fell out a Case which tended to promote the Calumny The old Reading Vicar of Kiderminster dyed about the Day of the Date of the Act against Conventicles Sir Ralph Clare his chief Friend and my Applauder but Remover being dead a little before the old Patron Collonel Iohn Bridges Sold the Patronage to Mr. Thomas Foley with a condition that he should present me next if I were capable which he promised as also that he would Present no other but by my consent Because I had done so much before to have continued in that place and had desired to Preach there but as a Curate under the Reading Vicar when I resused a Bishoprick and the Vicaridge was now come to be worth 200 l. per Ann. and this falling void at the same time when the Independents had filled the Land with the Report that I was Writing against them for Conformity hereupon the Bishops
admitted to answer as Godfather for his own Child nor any Godfather or Godmother shall be suffered to make any other Answer or Speech than by the Book of Common Prayer is prescribed in that behalf The Answering forbidden is the Covenanting in the Child's Name This is expresly forbidden the Parent whole and part and lest it should be thought that he is one Agent with the Sureties as he is not to speak so not to be urged to be present Yet he is not forbidden to be present but he is forbidden to speak any Covenanting Promise or Word And this was it that I mentioned in stead of which you say he may Present the Child Whatever you call Presenting I know not but I talkt only of Covenanting 2. And why say you it is In case the Parents die or neglect their Duty when the Parents are forbidden though they have Sureties with them so much as to promise it as any of their Duty or to speak as Promising-Parties in it 3. Whether this use be an Vncharitable and scandalous Insinuation is all a Case about Matter of Fact And the Question is whether the Author or I be the truer Historian My Narrative which I stand to is this 1. God's Law and Man's requires Parents to offer Children to be Baptized and the Rubrick before Private Baptisme forbids deferring it longer than the first or second Sunday 2. They may not be Baptized without Godfathers as aforesaid 3. No Parent can force any to be a Godfather against his Will 4. Multitudes take it for a sin to be Sureties on the Terms of the Liturgy and therefore will and do refuse it 5. Many Thousands know not what Christianity or the Baptismal Covenant is as we know by Personal Conference with our Flocks and others where we have lived So common is gross Ignorance among the Vulgar 6. Many of the Learned sort dispute with us frequently that indeed Baptism is not to Contain any Covenant or Vow at all 7. So rare is it for Sureties to take the Child for their own or intend to do all in his Education which they are to promise that to my best knowledge I never knew one in all my life that ever seriously signified to the Parents such an Intent But they usually think that they are but Witnesses and are at most but to give the Parents Counsel to do what they promise to do themselves 8. Were but all People told that they must take the Child for their own as far as this Animadverter mentioneth and solemnly before God to undertake to do all that themselves for the Child which they Promise by the Book I seriously profess that I cannot say that ever I knew one Surety that feared God that I had cause to believe had undertaken it unless those that indeed took home the Child of dead Parents or an exposed one as their own The Rich never intend to give away their Children nor that the Sureties Educate them And few would be Sureties for the Children of the Poor if they must take them so for their own because of the Charge of keeping them So that I am fully perswaded that were the Vow and Undertaking thus understood not one of Forty where-ever I have lived could have any Godfathers for their Children unless they will take such as know not what they do or make no Conscience of it and of whom the Parents cannot reasonably believe that they intend any such thing And de jure its plain that it is not lawful to draw any Many in so great and holy a Work to do that which he understandeth not at all and to Promise and Undertake that before God and the Church which our Consciences tell us he never intendeth to perform nor do the Parents intend to cast it on him I pass by the Difficulty of three several persons Educating the same Child And now consider whether it be a Scandalous Insinuation for a Man to beseech the Bishop that his Child may not be refused and be Unbaptized and so denyed Christian burial if he die and worse than that according to the Liturgy and himself punished because he brings not Sureties if the Man will there profess that he could procure no Sureties who understood what they are to do and express to them any Serious Purpose to perform it Is this an Odious or Scandalous Request 4. Prop. n. 4. Of the Image of the Cross as used in Baptisme Strict m If any think the Sign of the Cross in or rather after Baptism to be a Sacramental Sign they may as well think so of the same Sign in flags or ships or banners for we ascribe no more efficacy to one than to the other whereas it is the formalis ratio of a Sacrament to be a Means not only to signifie but to confer Grace non ponentibus obiâ—em which our Church doth not ascribe to this or any other Ceremony of Humane Institution Or that the Sign of the Cross is any Sacramental but a Teaching Sign only as the Surplice is And such Teaching Signs Mr. Baxter grants may be lawfully appointed by the Magistrate and made use of in the Service of God though not as an Essential part thereof Ans. 1. You will say after Baptism For you make it not part of Baptism but a third Sacrament as I think 2. As to your Description of a Sacrament the Church taketh the word from the old Common use where as Maâ—câ—nius 〈◊〉 Sacramentum was an Oath or Covenant Quod eo Sacratuâ— homo ad rem certaâ— ut ad Militiam ut Fest. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is bound by a Sacrament Qui Sacratur fide interposita ac tum Sacramento dicitur interrogari quidâ—m See the Military Sacrament there described And the Soldiers had their Stigmata which our Cross doth imitate though transiently Without this Sacrament they were no Soldiers and might not fight against the Enemy And Tertullian disswadeth Ne humanum Sacramentum Divino Superâ—nducant opening the Analogie of one to the other In the laxer and more borrowed Senses it concerneth us not as Sacramentum is ipsares Sacrata vel ipse Miles 〈◊〉 personâ— nor as it is Quodvis juramentum or Sancta oâ—iigatio nor yet in the largest Ecclesiastical Sense as it is the Translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifieth a Sacred Mysterious Doctrine or Action But in the Special Church-use it signifieth either more largely a Solemn Signal Investiture in any Sacred Relation and so we may grant the Romanists that Ordination is a Sacrament and Matrimony as Sanctified c. Or most strictly for the Sacramental Solemnizing of the Covenant of God which is our present Sense And to this it is necessary That 1. it be a sign used for the solemn signification of Mutual Consent that is of Man's professed Consent as dedicated to Christ and of Christ's acceptance and Collation of the Covenâ—m-benefits 2. And that hereupon it be the Tessera or â—ymbol of our Christianity But that it
dare not desert it lest we shortly appear before our Judge in the guilt of sacriledge perfidiousness against Christ and the people's Souls But we are forbiden to exercise it unless we will do that which we profess as Men that are passing to our final Doom we would readily do were it not for fear of God's displeasure and our Damnation Deprivation of all Ministerial maintenance with heavy Mulcts on such as have not money to pay and long Imprisonments in the Common Goals with Malefactors and banishment to those that shall survive them and that into remote parts of the World were the penalties appointed for us by your Laws Voluminous reproaches are published against us in which our Superiours and the World are told that we hold that things indifferent are made unlawful by the Commands of lawful Governours and that we are guilty of Doctrines inconsistent with the Peace and Safety of Societies and that we are moved by Pride and Covetousness as if we were proud of Men's Scorn and covetous of sordid Want and Beggery and ambitious of a Gaol and that we are Unpeaceable Disloyal Odious and Intolerable Persons Lest we should seem over-querulous and our Petitions themselves should prove offensive we have been silent under Twelve years sufferings by which divers Learned and holy Divines have been hastened home to Glory hoping that Experience would have effectually spoken for us when we may not Speak for our selves And did we believe that our own pressures were the greatest consequent Evil and that the People's knowledge and piety and the allowed Ministers Number sufficiency and Diligence were such as made our Labours needless and that the History of our Silence and Sufferings would be the future Honour of this Age and the future Comfort of your Souls and theirs that instigate you against us before our Common Judge we would joyfully be silent and accept of a Dismission But being certain of the contrary we do this once adventure humbly to tender to Your Majesty and Your Parliament these following Requests 1. Because God saith That he that hateth his Brother is a Murderer and hath not Eternal Life We humbly crave leave once to Print and Publish the true State and Reasons of our Nonconformity to the World to save Mens Souls from the guilt of unjust Hatred and Calumny And if we err we may be helped to Repentance by a Confutation and the Notoriety of our shame 2. That in the mean time this Honourable House will appoint a Committee to consider of the best means for the Healing our Calamitous Divisions before whom we may have leave at last to speak for our selves 3. That these annexed Professions of our Religion and Loyalty may be received as from Men that better know their own Minds than their Accusers do and who if they durst deliberately Lie should be no Nonconformists 4. That if yet we must suffer as Malefactors we may be punished but as Drunkards and Fornicators are with some Penalty which will consist with our Preaching Christ's Gospel and that shall not reach to the hurt or danger of many Thousand Innocent People's Souls till the Re-building of the Burnt-Churches the lessening of great Parishes where one of very many cannot hear and worship God and till the quality and number of the Conformable Ministers and the knowledge piety and sobriety of the people have truly made our Labours needless and then we shall gladly obey your Silencing Commands And whereas there are commonly reckoned to be in the Parishes without the Walls above Two hundred thousand persons more than can come within the Parish Churches they may not be compelled in a Christian Land to live as Atheists and worse than Infidels and Heathens who in their manner publickly worship God The Profession of our Religion I A. B. Do willingly profess my continued resolved consent to the Covenant of Christianity which I made in my Baptism with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost forsaking the Devil the World and the sinful Lusts of the Flesh And I profess my Belief of the Ancient Christian Creeds called The Apostles The Nicene and The Constantinopolitane and the Doctrine of the Blessed Trinity fullier opened in that ascribed to Athanasius And my Consent to The Lord's Prayer as the Summary of Holy Desires and to The Decalogue with Christ's Institutions as the Summary Rule of Christian Practice And to all the Holy Canonical Scriptures as the Word of God And to the Doctrine of the Church of England professed in the 39 Articles of Religion as in sence agreeable to the Word of God And I renounce all Heresies or Errours contrary to any of these And I do hold that the Book of Common Prayer and of Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth in it nothing so disagreeable to the Word of God as maketh it unlawful to live in the Peaceable Communion of the Church that useth it The Profession of our Loyalty and Obedience I do willingly and without Equivocation and Deceit take the Oaths of Allegiance and the King's Supremacy and hold my self obliged to perform them I detest all Doctrines and Practices of Rebellion and Sedition I hold it unlawful for any of His Majesty's Subjects upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King His Person Authority Dignity or Rights or against any Authorized by his Laws or Commissions And that there is no Obligation on me or any other of his Subjects from the Oath Commonly called The Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change of the present Government of these His Majesty's Kingdoms nor to endeavour any Reformation of the Church by Rebellion Sedition or any other unlawful means The Overplus as a remedy against Suspicion We believe and willingly embrace all that is written in the Holy Scriptures for the power of Kings and the Obedience of their Subjects and the sinfulness of Rebellion and Resistance And concerning the same we consent to as much as is found in any General Council or in the Confession of any Christian Church on Earth not respecting Obedience to the Pope which ever yet came to our knowledg or as is owned by the Consent of the Greater part of Divines Politicians Lawyers or Historians in the Christain World as far as our Reading hath acquainted us therewith II. To the King 's most Excellent Majesty The Humble Petition of some Citizens of London on the behalf of this City and the Adjoyning Parishes Sheweth THat the Calamitous Fire 1666 with our Houses and Goods Burnt down near 90 Churches few of which are yet Re-edifyed And divers Parishes whose Churches yet stand are so great that it is but a small part of the Inhabitants that can there hear whereby great Numbers are left in ignorance and as a prey to Papists and other Seducers and which is worse to Atheism Infidelity and Irreligiousness And if many of their ancient ejected silenced Pastors who for refusing certain Subscriptions Declarations Promises Oaths and Practices are called Nonconformists had not through
for I consider'd that my Father's Exercise of Reading the Scripture was better than theirs and would surely be better thought on by all men at the last and I considered what it was for that he and others were thus derided When I heard them speak scornfully of others as Puritans whom I never knew I was at first apt to believe all the Lies and Slanders wherewith they loaded them But when I heard my own Father so reproached and perceived the Drunkards were the forwardest in the reproach I perceived that it was mere Malice For my Father never scrupled Common-Prayer or Ceremonies nor spake against Bishops nor ever so much as prayed but by a Book or Form being not ever acquainted then with any that did otherwise But only for reading Scripture when the rest were Dancing on the Lord's Day and for praying by a Form out of the end of the common-Common-Prayer Book in his House and for reproving Drunkards and Swearers and for talking sometimes a few words of Scripture and the Life to come he was reviled commonly by the Name of Puritan Precision and Hypocrite and so were the Godly Conformable Ministers that lived any where in the Country near us not only by our Neighbours but by the common talk of the Vulgar Rabble of all about us By this Experience I was fully convinc'd that Godly People were the best and those that despised them and lived in Sin and Pleasure were a malignant unhappy sort of People and this kept me out of their Company except now and then when the Love of Sports and Play enticed me § 2. The chiefest help that I had for all my Learning in the Country Schools was with Mr. Iohn Owen School-master at the Free-School at Wroxeter to whom I went next who lived in Sir Richard Newport's House afterward Lord Newport at Eyton and taught School at that ancient Uriconium where the Ruins and old Coin confirm those Histories which make it an ancient City in the Romans Times The present Lord Newport and his Brother were then my School-fellows in a lower Form and Dr. Richard Allestree now Dr. of the Chair in Oxford Canon of Christ's Church and Provost of Eaton-Colledge of whom I remember that when my Master set him up into the lower end of the highest Form where I had long been Chief I took it so ill that I talkt of leaving the School whereupon my Master gravely but very tenderly rebuked my pride and gave me for my Theme Ne sutor ultra crepidam § 3. About that time it pleased God of his wonderful Mercy to open my Eyes with a clearer insight into the Concerns and Case of my own Soul and to touch my heart with a livelier feeling of things◠Spiritual than ever I had sound before And it was by the means and in the order following stirring up my Conscience more against me by robbing an Orchard or two with rude Boys than it was before And being under some more Conviction for my Sin a poor Day-Labourer in the Town he that I before-mentioned that was wont to read in the Church for the old Parson had an old torn Book which he lent my Father which was called Bunny's Resolution being written by Parson's the Jesuit and corrected by Edm. Bunny I had before heard some Sermons and read a good Book or two which made me more love and honour Godliness in the General but I had never felt any other change by them on my heart Whether it were that till now I came not to that maturity of Nature which made me capable of discerning or whether it were that this was God's appointed time or both together I had no lively sight and sense of what I read till now And in the reading of this Book when I was about Fifteen years of Age it pleased God to awaken my Soul and shew me the folly of Sinning and the misery of the Wicked and the unexpressible weight of things Eternal and the necessity of resolving on a Holy Life more than I was ever acquainted with before The same things which I knew before came now in another manner with Light and Sense and Seriousness to my Heart This cast me first into fears of my Condition and those drove me to Sorrow and Confession and Prayer and so to some resolution for another kind of Life And many a-day I went with a throbbing Conscience and saw that I had other Matters to mind and another Work to do in the World than ever I had minded well before Yet whether sincere Conversion began now or before or after I was never able to this day to know for I had before had some Love to the Things and People which were good and a restraint from other Sins except those forementioned and so much from those that I seldom committed most of them and when I did it was with great reluctancy And both now and formerly I knew that Christ was the only Mediator by whom we must have Pardon Justification and Life But even at that time I had little lively sense of the Love of God in Christ to the World or me nor of my special need of him for Parsons and all Papists almost are too short upon this Subject And about that time it pleased God that a poor Pedlar came to the Door that had Ballads and some good Books And my Father bought of him Dr. Sibb's bruised Reed This also I read and found it suited to my state and seasonably sent me which opened more the Love of God to me and gave me a livelier apprehension of the Mystery of Redemption and how much I was beholden to Jesus Christ. All this while neither my Father nor I had any Acquaintance or Familiarity with any that had any Understanding in Matters of Religion nor ever heard any pray ex tempore But my Prayers were the Confession in the Common-Prayer Book and sometime one of Mr. Bradford's Prayers in a Book called his Prayers and Meditations and sometime a Prayer out of another Prayer-Book which we had After this we had a Servant that had a little Piece of Mr. Perkins's Works of Repentance and the right Art of Living and Dying well and the Government of the Tongue And the reading of that did further inform me and confirm me And thus without any means but Books was God pleased to resolve me for himself § 4. When I was ready for the University my Master drew me into another way which kept me thence where were my vehement desires He had a Friend at Ludlow Chaplain to the Council there called Mr. Richard Wickstead whose Place having allowance from the King who maintaineth the House for one to attend him he told my Master that he was purposed to have a Scholar fit for the University and having but one would be better to him than any Tutor in the University could be whereupon my Master perswaded me to accept the offer and told me it would be better than the University to me I believed
indeed I had such clear Convictions my self of the madness of secure presâ—mptuous Sinners and the unquestionable Reasons which should induce men to a holy Life and of the unspeakable greatness of that Work which in this hasty Inch of Time we have all to do that I thought that Man that could be ungodly if he did but hear these things was fitter for Bedlam than for the Reputation of a sober rational Man And I was so foolish as to think that I had so much to say and of such Convincing Evidence for a Godly Life that Men were scarce able to withstand it not considering what a blind and sensless Rock the Heart of an obdurate Sinner is and that old Adam is too strong for young Luther as he said But these Apprehensions determined my choice § 17. Till this time I was satisfied in the Matter of Conformity Whilst I was young I had never been acquainted with any that were against it or that questioned it I had joyned with the Common-Prayer with as hearty â—ervency as afterward I did with other Prayers As long as I had no Prejudice against it I had no stop in my Devotions from any of its Imperfections At last at about 20 years of Age I became acquainted with Mr. Simmonds Mr. Cradock and other very zealous godly Nonconformists in Shrewsbury and the adjoyning parts whose fervent Prayers and savoury Conference and holy Lives did profit me much And when I understood that they were People prosecuted by the Bishops I found much prejudice arise in my heart against those that persecuted them and thought those that silenced and troubled such Men could not be the genuine Followers of the Lord of Love But yet I resolved that I would study the Point as well as I was able before I would be confident on either side And it prejudiced me against the Nonconformists because we had but one of them near us one Mr. Barnel of Uppington who though he was a very honest blameless Man yet was reputed to be but a mean Scholar when Mr. Garbet and some other Conformists were more Learned Men And withal the Books of the Nonconformists were then so scarce and hard to be got because of the danger that I could not come to know their reasons Whereas on the contrary side Mr. Garbet and Mr. Samuel Smith did send me Downham Sprint Dr. Burges and others of the strongest that had wrote against the Nonconformists upon the reading of which I could not see but the Cause of the Conformists was very justifiable and the reasoning of the Nonconformists weak Hereupon when I thought of Ordination I had no Scruple at all against Subscription And yet so precipitant and rash was I that I had never once read over the Book of Ordination which was one to which I was to Subscribe nor half read over the Book of Homilies nor exactly weighed the Book of common-Common-Prayer nor was I of sufficient Understanding to determine confidently in some Controverted Points in the 39 Articles But my Teachers and my Books having caused me in general to think the Conformists had the better Cause I kept out all particular Scruples by that Opinion § 18. At that time old Mr. Richard Foley of Stourbridge in Worcestershire had recovered some alienated Lands at Dudley which had been lest to Charitable Uses and added something of his own and built a convenient new School-House and was to choose his first School-Master and Usher By the means of Iames Berry who lived in the House with me and had lived with him he desired me to accept it I thought it not an inconvenient Condition for my Entrance because I might also Preach up and down in Places that were most ignorant before I presumed to take a Pastoral Charge to which I had no inclination So to Dudley I went and Mr. Foley and Iames Berry going with me to Worcester at the Time of Ordination I was Ordained by the Bishop and had a Licence to teach School for which being Examined I Subscribed § 19. Being settled with an Usher in the new School at Dudley and living in the House of Mr. Richard Foley Junior I there preached my first Publick Sermon in the upper Parish Church and afterwards Preached in the Villages about and there had occasion to fall afresh upon the study of Conformity For there were many private Christians thereabouts that were Nonconformists and one in the House with me And that excellent Man Mr. William Fenner had lately lived two miles off at Sedgeley who by defending Conformity and honouring it by a wonderfully powerful and successful way of Preaching Conference and holy Living had stirred up the Nonconformists the more to a vehement pleading of their Cause And though they were there generally godly honest People yet smartly censorious and made Conformity no small fault And they lent me Manuscripts and Books which I never saw before whereupon I thought it my Duty to set upon a serious impartial Trial of the whole Cause The Cause of Episcopacy Bishop Downham had much satisfied me in before and I had not then a sufficient Understanding of the difference betwixt the Arguments for an Episcopacy in general and for our English Diocesans in particular The Cause of Kneeling at the Sacrament I studied next and Mr. Paybody fully satisfied me for Conformity in that I turned over Cartwright and Whitgift and others but having lately procured Dr. Ames fresh suit I thought it my best way to study throughly Dr. Burges his Father-in-law and him as the likeliest means to avoid distraction among a multitude of Writers and not to lose the Truth in crowds of Words seeing these two were reputed the strongest on each side So I borrowed Amesius his Fresh Suit c. and because I could not keep it I transcribed the strength of it the broad Margin of Dr. Burges his Rejoynder over against each Paragraph which he replied to And I spent a considerable time in the strictest Examination of both which I could perform And the result of all my Studies was as followeth Kneeling I thought lawful and all meer Circumstances determined by the Magistrate which God in Nature or Scripture hath determined of only in the General The Surplice I more doubted of but more inclined to think it lawful And though I purposed while I doubted to forbear it till necessity lay upon me yet could I not have justified the forsaking of my Ministry for it though I never wore it to this day The Ring in Marriage I made no Scruple about The Cross in Baptism I thought Dr. Ames proved unlawful and though I was not without some doubting in the Point yet because I most inclined to judge it unlawful never once used it to this day A Form of Prayer and Liturgy I judged to be lawful and in some Cases lawfully imposed Our Liturgy in particular I judged to have much disorder and defectiveness in it but nothing which should make the use of it in the ordinary Publick
Rest and coming in it to answer the Question How in Matth. 25. the reward is adjudged to men on the account of their good works The chief Propositions of that Book did suddenly offer themselves to me in order to that Resolution But I was prepared with much disputing against Antinomianism in the Army At Sir Thomas Rous's House in my weakness I wrote most of that Book and finished it when I came to Kidderminster I directed it to Mr. Vines and Mr. Burgess out of my high esteem of them though my personal acquaintance with them was but small Mr. Vines wrote to me applaudingly of it Mr. Burgess thought his Name engaged him to write against it Two Faults I now find in the Book 1. It is defective and hath some Propositions that need Correction being not cautelously enough expressed 2. I medled too forwardly with Dr. Owen and one or two more that had written some Passages too near to Antinomianism For I was young and a stranger to mens tempers and I thought others could have born a Confutation as easily as I could do my self and I thought that I was bound to do my best publickly to save the World from the hurt of published Errours not understanding how it would provoke men more passionately to insist on what they once have said But I have now learned to contradict Errours and not to meddle with the Persons that maintain them But indeed I was then too raw to be a Writer This Book was over-much valued by some and over-much blamed by others both contrary to my own esteem of it It cost me more than any other that I have written not only by mens offence but especially by putting me upon long and tedious Writings Some that publickly wrote against it I publickly answered And because of the general noise about it I desired those that would have me of their mind to send me their Animadversions which proved so many that took me up too much of my time to answer them But it was a great help to my Understanding For the Animadverters were of several minds and what one approved another confuted being further from each other than any of them from me The first that I craved Animadversions from was Mr. Burgess and with much ad extorted only two or three Letters against Justification by Works as he called it which with my Answers were afterward published when he had proceeded to print against me what he would not give me in writing The next and full Animadversions which I received were from Mr. Iohn Warren an honest acute ingenious man to whom I answered in freer Expressions than to others because he was my Junior and familiar Friend being a School-Boy at Bridgenorth when I was Preacher there and his Father being my Neighbour Next his I had Animadversions from Dr. Iohn Wallis very judicious and moderate to which I began to write a Reply but broke it off in the middle because he little differed from me The next I had was from Mr. Christopher Cartwright of York who defended the King against the Marquess of Worcester he was a man of good reading as to our later Divines and was very well verst in the Common Road very like Mr. Burgess a very good Hebrician and a very honest worthy Person His Animadversions were most against my distinction of Righteousness into Legal and Evangelical according to the two Covenants His Answer was full of Citations out of Amesius Whittaker Davenant c. I wrote him a full Reply and he wrote me a Rejoynder to which my time not allowing me to write a full Confutation I took up all the Points of Difference between him and me and handled them briefly confirming my Reasons for the ease of the Reader and my self The next Animadverter was Mr. George Lawson the ablest Man of them all or of almost any I know in England especially by the Advantage of his Age and very hard Studies and methodical Head but above all by his great skill in Politicks wherein he is most exact and which contributeth not a little to the understanding of Divinity Though he was himself near the Arminians differing from them in the Point of Perseverance as to the Confirmed and some little matters more and so went farther than I did from the Antinomians yet being conversant with Men of another Mind to redeem himself from their Offence he set himself against some Passages of mine which others marvelled that he of all Men should oppose especially about the Object of Faith and Iustification And afterwards he published an excellent Summ of Divinity called Theopolitica in which he insisteth on those two Points to make good what he had said in his M. S. against me though the Reader that knoweth not what past between him and me will not understand how these Passages there fell in and some Divines have told me how excellent a Book it had been if he had not been led aside in those Particulars not knowing how it came to pass the ablest Men being sometimes most hardly drawn to desert any thing which they have once affirmed He hath written also Animadversions on Hobbes and a piece of Ecclesiastical and Civil Policy according to the Method of Politicks an excellent Book were it not that he seemeth to justify the Kings Death and meddle too boldly with the Political Controversies of the times though he be a Conformist Also I have seen some ingenuous Manuscripts of his for the taking of the Engagement to be true to the Commonwealth as established without a King and House of Lords his Opinion being much for submitting to the present Possessor though a Usurper But I thought those Papers easily answerable His Animadversions on my Papers were large in which he frequently took occasion to be copious and distinct in laying down his own Judgment which pleased me very well I returned him a full Answer and received from him a large Reply instead of a Rejoinder to which I summ'd up our Differences and spoke to them briefly and distinctly and not verbatim to the Words of his Book I must thankfully acknowledge that I learnt more from Mr. Lawson than from any Divine that gave me Animadversions or that ever I conversed with For two or three Passages in my first Reply to him he convinced me were Mistakes and I found up and down in him those hints of Truths which had a great deal of Light in them and were very apt for good Improvement Especially his instigating me to the Study of Politicks in which he much lamented the Ignorance of Divines did prove a singular Benefit to me I confess it is long of my own Uncapableness that I have received no more good from others But yet I must be so grateful as to confess that my Understanding hath made a better Improvement for the sudden sensible increase of my Knowledge of Grotius de Satisfactione Christi and of Mr. Lawson's Manuscripts than of any thing else that ever I read and they
convinced me how unfit we are to write about Christ's Government and Law and Iudgment c. while we understand not the true Nature of Government Laws and Iudgment in the general and that he that is ignorant of Politicks and of the Law of Nature will be ignorant and erroneous in Divinity and the sacred Scriptures § 157. 2. The Second Book which I wrote and the first which I began was that called The Saints everlasting Rest Whilst I was in Health I had not the least thought of writing Books or of serving God in any more publick way than Preaching But when I was weakened with great bleeding and left solitary in my Chamber at Sir Iohn Cook 's in Derbyshire without any Acquaintance but my Servant about me and was sentenced to Death by the Physician I began to contemplate more seriously on the Everlasting Rest which I apprehended my self to be just on the Borders of And that my Thoughts might not too much scatter in my Meditation I began to write something on that Subject intending but the Quantity of a Sermon or two which is the cause that the Beginning is in brevity and Style disproportionable to the rest but being continued long in Weakness where I had no Books nor no better Employment I followed it on till it was enlarged to the bulk in which it is published The first Three Weeks I spent in it was at Mr. Nowel's House at Kirkby-Mallory in Leicestershire a quarter of a Year more at the Seasons which so great Weakness would allow I bestowed on it at Sir Tho Rous's House at Rous-Lench in Worcestershire and I finished it shortly after at Kidderminster The first and last Parts were first done being all that I intended for my own use and the second and third Parts came afterwards in besides my first Intention This Book it pleased God so far to bless to the Profit of many that it encouraged me to be guilty of all those Scripts which after followed The Marginal Citations I put in after I came home to my Books but almost all the Book it self was written when I had no Book but a Bible and a Concordance And I found that the Transcript of the Heart hath the greatest force on the Hearts of others For the Good that I have heard that Multitudes have received by that Writing and the Benefit which I have again received by their Prayers I here humbly return my Thanks to him that compelled me to write it § 159. 3. The Third Book which I published was that which is entituled Plain Scripture Proof for Infants Church-Membership and Baptism being the Arguments used in the Dispute with Mr. Tombes and an Answer to a Sermon of his afterward preached c. This Book God blessed with unexpected Success to stop abundance from turning Anabaptists and reclaming many both in City and Country and some of the Officers of the Irish and English Forces and it gave a considerable Check to their Proceedings Concerning it I shall only tell the Reader 1. That there are towards the latter part of it many enigmatical Reflections upon the Anabaptists for their horried Scandals which the Reader that lived not in those times will hardly understand But the cutting off the King and rebelling against him and the Parliament and the Invading Scotland and the approving of these with the Ranters and other Sects that sprang out of them were the Crimes there intended which were not then to be more plainly spoken of when their Strength and Fury was so high 2. Note that after the writing of that Book I wrote a Postscript against that Doctrine of Dr. Burges and Mr. Tho. Bedford which I supposed to go on the other Extream and therein I answered part of a Treatise of Dr. Sam. Warks's which Mr. Bedford published and it proved to be Mr. Thomas Gataker whom I defended who is Dr. Ward 's Censor But I knew it not till Mr. Gataker after told me But after these Writings I was greatly in doubt whether it be not certain that all the Infants of true Believers are justified and saved if they dye before actual Sin My Reason was because it is the same justifying saving Covenant of Grace which their Parents and they are in And as real Faith and Repentance is that Condition on the Parents part which giveth them their right to actual Remission and Adoption So to be the Children of such is all the Condition which is required in Infants in order to the same Benefits And without asserting this the Advantage of the Anabaptists is greater than every one doth imagine But I never thought with Dr. Ward that all Baptised Children had this Benefit and Qualitative Sanctification also nor with Dr. Burgess and Mr. Bedford that all converted at Age had inherent seminal Grace in Baptism certainly given them nor with Bishop Davenant that all justly baptised had relative Grace of Justification and Adoption But only that all the Infants of true Believers who have right to the Covenant and Baptism in foro Coeli as well as in foro Ecclesiae have also thereby Right to the Pardon of Original Sin and to Adoption and to Heaven which Right is by Baptism to be sealed and delivered to them This I wrote of to Mr. Gataker who returned me a kind and candid Answer but such as did not remove my Scruple and this occasioned him to print Bishop Davenants Disputations with his Answer My Opinion which I most incline to is the same which the Synod of Dort expresseth and that which I conjecture Dr. Davenant meant or I am sure came next to Here note also that Mr. Tombes sollicited me yet after all this to write him down my Proofs of Infants Church-membership out of the circumcised Church which I did at large as from the Creation downward as far as Proof could be expected in Proportion to the other Histories of those Times Instead of sending me an Answer to my Papers he printed some of them with an insufficient Answer in his last Book These Papers with a Reply to him I have since Printed § 159. 4. The Fourth Book which I published is a small one called The right Method for Peace of Conscience and spiritual comfort in thirty two Directions The Occasion of it was this Mrs. Bridgis the Wife of Col. Iohn Bridgis being one of my Flock was often weeping out her Doubts to me about her long and great Uncertainty of her true Sanctification and Salvation I told her that a few hasty Words were not Direction enough for the satisfactory resolving of so great a Case and therefore I would write her down a few of those necessary Directions which she should read and study and get well imprinted in her Mind As soon as I had begun I found 1. that it would not be well done in the Brevity which I expected 2. And that when it was done it would be as useful to many others of my Flock as to her and therefore I bestowed more time
the several Articles which I did in a small Book called Christian Concord In which I gave the reasons why the Episcopal Presbyterians and Independants might and should unite on such Terms without any change of any of their Principles But I confess that the new Episcopal Party that follow Grotius too far and deny the very being of all the Ministers and Churches that have not Diocesan Bishops are not capable of Union with the rest upon such Terms And hereby I gave notice to the Gentry and others of the Royalists in England of the great danger they were in of changing their Ecclesiastical Cause by following new Leaders that were for Grotianism But this Admonition did greatly offend the Guilty who now began to get the Reins though the old Episcopal Protestants confessed it to be all true There is nothing bringeth greater hatred and sufferings on a Man than to foreknow the mischief that Men in power are doing and intend and to warn the World of it For while they are resolutely going on with it they will proclain him a Slanderer that revealeth it and use him accordingly and never be ashamed when they have done it and thereby declared all which he foretold to be true § 170. 15. Having in the Postscript of my True Catholick given a short touch against a bitter Book of Mr. Thomas Pierce's against the Puritans and me it pleased him to write another Volume against Mr. Hickman and me just like the Man full of malignant bitterness against Godly men that were not of his Opinion and breathing out blood-thirsty malice in a very Rhetorical fluent style Abundance of Lies also are in it against the old Puritans as well as against me and in particular in charging Hacket's Villany upon Cartwright as a Confederate which I instance in because I have out of old Mr. Ash's Library a Manuscript of Mr. Cartwright's containing his full Vindication against that Calumny which some would fain have fastened on him in his time But Mr. Pierce's principal business was to defend Grotius In answer to which I wrote a little Treatise called The Grotian Religion discovered at the Invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce In which I cited his own words especially out of his Discussio Apologetici Rivetaini wherein he openeth his Terms of Reconciliation with Rome viz. That it be acknowledged the Mistress Church and the Pope have his Supream Government but not Arbitrary but only according to the Canons To which end he defendeth the Council of Trent it self Pope Pius's Oath and all the Councils which is no other than the French sort of Popery I had not then heard of the Book written in France called Grotius Papizans nor of Sarravius's Epistles in which he witnesseth it from his own mouth But the very words which I cited contain an open Profession of Popery This Book the Printer abused printing every Section so distant to fill up Paper as if they had been several Chapters And in a Preface before it I vindicated the Synod of Dort where the Divines of England were chief Members from the abusive virulent Accusations of one that called himself Tilenus junior Hereupon Pierce wrote a much more railing malicious Volume than the former the liveliest Express of Satan's Image malignity bloody malice and falshood covered in handsome railing Rhetorick that ever I have seen from any that called himself a Protestant And the Preface was answered just in the same manner by one that stiled himself Philo-Tilenus Three such Men as this Tilenus junior Pierce and Gunning I have not heard of besides in England Of the Jesuites Opinion in Doctrinals and of the old Dominican Complexion the ablest Men that their Party hath in all the Land of great diligence in study and reading of excellent Oratory especially Tilenus junior and Pierce of temperate Lives but all their Parts so sharpened with furious persecuting Zeal against those that dislike Arminianism high Prelacy or full Conformity that they are like the Briars and Thorns which are not to be handled but by a fenced hand and breathe out Tereatnings against God's Servants better than themselves and seem unsatisfied with blood and ruines and still cry Give Give bidding as lowd defiance to Christian Charity as ever Arrius or any Heretick did to Faith This Book of mine of the Grotian Religion greatly offended many others but none of them could speak any Sence against it the Citations for Matter of Fact being unanswerable And it was only the Matter of Fact which I undertook viz. To prove that Grotius profest himself a moderate Papist But for his fault in so doing I little medled with it § 171. 16. Mr. Blake having replye to some things in my Apology especially about Right to Sacraments or the just subject of Baptism and the Lord's Supper I wrote five Disputations on those Points proving that it is not the reality of a Dogmatical or Justifying Faith nor yet the Profession of bare Assent called a Dogmatical Faith by many but only the Profession of a Saving Faith which is the Condition of Mens title to Church-Communion Coram Ecclèsiâ and that Hypocrites are but Analogically or Equivocally called Christians and Believers and Saints c. with much more to decide the most troublesome Controversie of that Time which was about the Necessary Qualification and Title of Church-Members and Communicants Many men have been perplexed about that Point and that Book Some think it cometh too near the Independants and some that it is too far from them and many think it very hard that A Credible Profession of True Faith and Repentance should be made the stated Qualification because they think it incredible that all the Jewish Members were such But I have sifted this Point more exactly and diligently in my thoughts than almost any Controversie whatsoever And fain I would have found some other Qualification to take up with 1. Either the Profession of some lower Faith than that which hath the Promise of Salvation 2. Or at least such a Profession of Saving Faith as needeth not to be credible at all c. But the Evidence of Truth hath forced me from all other ways and suffered me to rest no where but here That Profession should be made necessary without any respect at all to Credibility and consequently to the verity of the Faith professed is incredible and a Contradiction and the very word Profession signifieth more And I was forced to observe that those that in Charity would belive another Profession to be the title to Church-Communion do greatly cross their own design of Charity And while they would not be bound to believe men to be what they profess for fear of excluding many whom they cannot believe they do leave themselves and all others as not obliged to love any Church-Member as such with the love which is due to a True Christian but only with such a Love as they owe to the Members of the Devil and so deny them the Kernel of Charity by giving
the Shell to a few more than else they would do Whereas upon my deepest search I am satisfied that a Credible Profession of true Christianity is it that denominateth the Adult visible Christians And that this must contain Assent and Consent even all that is in the Baptismal Covenant and no more and therefore Baptism is called our Christning But withal that the Independants bring in Tyranny and Confusion whilst they will take no Profession as Credible which hath not more to make it credible than God and Charity require And that indeed every man's word is to be taken as the Credible Profession of his own mind unless he forfeit the Credit of his word by gross ignorance of the Matter professed or by a Contrary Profession or by an inconsistent Life And therefore a Profession is credible as such of it self till he that questioneth it doth disprove it Else the Rules of Humane Converse will be overthrown for who knoweth the Heart of another so well as he himself And God who will save or damn men not for other mens Actions but their own will have mens own choosing or refusing to be their inlet or exclusion both as to Saving Mercy and to a Church state And if they be Hypocrites in a false Profession the sin and loss will be their own But I confess mens Credibility herein hath very various degrees But though my fears are never so great that a man dissembleth and is not sincere yet if I be not able to bring in that Evidence to invalidate his Profession which in foro Ecclesiae shall prove it to be incredible I ought to receive him as a credible Professor though but by a Humane and perhaps most debile Belief § 172. 17. After that I published four Disputations of Justification clearing up further those Points in which some Reverend Brethren blamed my Judgment and answering Reverend Mr. Burgess who would needs write somewhat against me in his Treatise of Imputed Righteousness and also answering a Treatise of Mr. Warner's of the Office and Object of Iustifying Faith The Fallacies that abuse many about those Points are there fully opened If the Reader would have the Sum of my Judgment about Justification in brief he may find it very plainly in a Sermon on that Subject among the Morning Exercises at St. Giles's in the Fields preached by my worthy Friend Mr. Gibbons of Block-Fryars in whose Church I ended my Publick Ministry a Learned Judicious Man now with God And it is as fully opened in a Latin Disputation of Monsieur le Blanc's of Sedan and Placaeus in Thes. Salmur Vol. 1. de Iustif. hath much to the same purpose § 173. 18. Near the same time I published a Treatise of Conversion being some plain Sermons on that Subject which Mr. Baldwin an honest young Minister that had lived in my House and learnt my proper Characters or short-hand in which I wrote my Sermon Notes had transcribed out of my Notes And though I had no leisure for this or other Writings to take much care of the stile nor to add any Ornaments or Citations of Authors I thought it might better pass as it was than not at all and that if the Author mist of the Applause of the Learned yet the Book might be profitable to the Ignorant as it proved through the great Mercy of God § 174. 19. Also I published a shorter Treatise on the same Subject entituled A Call to the Unconverted c. The Occasion of this was my Converse with Bishop Usher while I was at London who much appoving my Method or Directions for Peace of Conscience was importunate with me to write Directions suited to the various States of Christians and also against particular Sins I reverenced the Man but disregarded these Persuasions supposing I could do nothing but what is done as well or better already But when he was dead his Words went deeper to my Mind and I purposed to obey his Counsel yet so as that to the first sort of Men the Ungodly I thought vehement Persuasions meeter than Directions only And so for such I published this little Book which God hath blessed with unexpected Success beyond all the rest that I have written except The Saints Rest In a little more than a Year there were about twenty thousand of them printed by my own Consent and about ten thousand since besides many thousands by stollen Impressions which poor Men stole for Lucre sake Through God's Mercy I have had Informations almost whole Housholds converted by this small Book which I set so light by And as if all this in England Scotland and Ireland were not Mercy enough to me God since I was silenced hath sent it over on his Message to many beyond the Seas for when Mr. Elliot had printed all the Bible in the Indians Language he next translated this my Call to the Unconverted as he wrote to us here And though it was here thought prudent to begin with the Practice of Piety because of the envy and distaste of the times against me he had finished it before that Advice came to him And yet God would make some farther use of it for Mr. Stoop the Pastor of the French Church in London being driven hence by the displeasure of Superiors was pleased to translate it into elegant French and print it in a very curious Letter and I hope it will not be unprofitable there nor in Germany where it is printed in Dutch § 175. 20. After this I thought according to Bishop Usher's Method the next sort that I should write for is those that are under the work of Conversion because by Half-Conversion Multitudes prove deceived Hypocrites Therefore I published a small Book entituled Directions and persuasions to a sound Conversion which though I thought more apt to move than the former yet through the Fault of the covetous Booksellers and because it was held at too high a Price which hindred many other of my Writings there were not past two or three Impressions of them sold. § 176. 21. About that time being apprehensive how great a part of our Work lay in catechising the Aged who were Ignorant as well as Children and especially in serious Conference with them about the Matters of their Salvation I thought it best to draw in all the Ministers of the Country with me that the Benefit might extend the farther and that each one might have the less Opposition Which having procured at their desire I wrote a Catechism and the Articles of our Agreement and before them an earnest Exhortation to our Ignorant People to submit to this way for we were afraid lest they would not have submitted to it And this was then published The Catechism was also a brief Confession of Faith being the Enlargement of a Confession which I had before printed in an open Sheet when we set up Church Discipline § 177. 22. When we set upon this great Work it was thought best to begin with a Day of Fasting and
Prayer by all the Ministers at Worcester where they desired me to preach But Weakness and other things hindered me from that Day but to compensate that I enlarged and published the Sermon which I had prepared for them and entitled the Treatise Gildas Salvianus because I imitated Gildas and Salvianus in my Liberty of Speech to the Pastors of the Churches or The reformed Pastor I have very great Cause to be thankful to God for the Success of that Book as hoping many thousand Souls are the better for it in that it prevailed with many Ministers to set upon that Work which I there exhort them to Even from beyond the Seas I have had Letters of Request to direct them how they might bring on that Work according as that Book had convinced them that it was their Duty If God would but reform the Ministry and set them on their Duties zealously and faithfully the People would certainly be reformed All Churches either rise or fall as the Ministry doth rise or fall not in Riches and worldly Grandure but in Knowledge Zeal and Ability for their Work But since Bishops were restored this Book is useless and that Work not medled with § 178. 23. When the part of the Parliament called the Rump or Common-wealth was sitting the Anabaptists Seekers c. flew so high against Tythes and Ministry that it was much feared lest they would have prevailed at last Wherefore I drew up a Petition for the Ministry which is printed under the Name of the Worcestershire Petition which being presented by Coll. Iohn Bridges and Mr. Thomas Foley was accepted with Thanks and seemed to have a considerable tendency to some good Resolutions § 179. But the Sectaries greatly regard against that Petition and one wrote a vehement Invective against it which I answered in a Paper called The Defence of the Worcestershire Petition which by an Over-sight is mained by the want of the Answer to one of the Accusers Queries I knew not what kind of Person he was that I wrote against but it proved to be a Quaker they being just now rising and this being the first of their Books as far as I can remember that I had ever-seen § 180. 24. Presently upon this the Quakers began to make a great Stirr among us and acted the Parts of Men in Raptures and spake in the manner of Men inspired and every where railed against Tythes and Ministers They sent many Papers of Queries to divers Ministers about us And to one of the chief of them I wrote an Answer and gave them as many more Questions to answer entiâ—uling it The Quakers Catechism These Pamphlets being but one or two Days Work were no great Interruption to my better Labours and as they were of small Worth so also of small Cost The same Ministers of our Country that are now silenced are they that the Quakers most vehemently opposed medling little with the rest The marvellous concurrence of Instruments telleth us that one principal Agent doth act them all I have oft asked the Quakers lately why they chose the same Ministers to revile whom all the Drunkards and Swearers rail against And why they cryed out in our Assemblies Come down thou Deceiver thou Hireling thou Dog and now never meddle with the Pastors or Congregations And they answer 1. That these Men sin in the open Light and need none to discover them 2. That the Spirit hath his times both of Severity and of Lenity But the Truth is they knew then they might be bold without any Fear of Suffering by it And now it is time for them to save their Skins they suffer enough for their own Assemblies 181. 25. The great Advancement of the Popish Interest by their secret agency among the Sectaries Seekers Quakers Behmenists c. did make me think it necessary to do something directly against Popery and so I published three Disputations against them one to prove our Religion safe and another to prove their Religion unsafe and a third to shew that they overthrew the Faith by the ill Resolution of their Faith This Book I entituled The safe Religion § 182. 26. About the same time I fell into troublesom Acquaintance with one Clement Writer of Worcester an ancient Man that had long seemed a forward Professor of Religiousness and of a good Conversation but was now perverted to I know not what A Seeker he profest to be but I easily perceived that he was either a jugling Papist or an Infidel but I more suspected the latter He had written a scornful Book against the Ministry called Ius Divinum Presbyterii and after two more against the Scripture and against me one called Fides Divina the other 's Title I remember not His Assertion to me was that no Man is bound to believe in Christ that doth not see confirming Miracles himself with his own Eyes By the Provocations of this Apostate I wrote a Book called The unreasanableness of Infidelity consisting of four Parts The first of the extrinsick Witness of the Spirit by Miracles c. to which I annexed a Disputation against Clement Writer to prove that the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles oblige us to believe that did not see them The Second part was of the intrinsick Witness of the Spirit to Christ and Scripture The Third was of the Sin or Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And the Fourth was to repress the Arrogancy of reasoning against Divine Revelations All this was intended but as a Supplement to the Second Part of The Saints Rest where I had pleaded for the Truth of Scripture But this Subject I have since more fully handled in my Reasons of the Christian Religion At the time Mr. Gilbert a learned Minister in Shropshire wrote a Small concise Tractate in Latin as against a Book of Dr. Owen's though his intimate Friend to prove that Christ's Death was not necessary absolutely but of Divine Free Choice and in answer to that Book I wrote a brief Premonition to my Treatise against Infidelity to decide that Controversy § 183. 27. Mr. Tho. Foley being High Sheriff desired me to preach before the Judges which I did on Gal. 6. 16. and enlarged it to a Treatise entituled The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ for Mortification and put an Epistle somewhat large before it to provoke rich Men to good Works § 184. 28. Some Men about this time persuaded me that if I would write a few single Sheets on several Subjects though the Style were not very moving yet it would do more good than larger Volumes because most people will buy and read them who will neither buy nor read the larger Whereupon I wrote first One Sheet against the Quakers containing those Reasons which should satisfie all Sober Men against their way § 185. 29. The Second Sheet I called A Winding Sheet for Popery containing a Summary of Moderate and Effectual Reasons against Popery which single sheet no Papist hitherto hath answered §
and the tolerated Churches and that they keep the Peace between these Churches and settle their several priviledges by a Law 2. That the Churches be accounted Tolerable who profess all that is in the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue in Particular and generally all that they shall find to be revealed in the Word of God and hold Communion in Teaching Prayer Praises and the two Sacraments not obstinately preaching any Heresie contrary to the particular Articles which they profess nor seditiously disturbing the Publick Peace And that such Heretical Preaching and such Seditious unpeaceableness or notorious Wickedness of Life do forfeit their Toleration 3. And that those that are further Orthodox in those Particulars which Rulers think fit to impose upon their Subjects have their publick Maintenance and greater Encouragement Yea and this much is become neccessary but upon supposition that Men will still be so self-conceited and uncharitable as not to forbear their unnecessary Impositions Otherwise there would be found but very few who are Tolerable that are not also in their measure to be approved maintained and encouraged And if the Primitive Simplicity in Doctrine Government and Worship might serve turn for the Terms of the Churches Union and Communion all would be well without any more ado supposing that where Christian Magistrates are they keep the Peace and repress the Offenders and exercise all the Coercive Government And hereticks who will subscribe to the Christian Faith must not be punished because they will subscribe to no more but because they are proved to preach or promote Heresie contrary to the Faith which they profess 28. I am farther than ever I was from expecting great matters of Unity Splendor or Prosperity to the Church on Earth or that Saints should dream of a Kingdom of this World or slatter themselves with the Hopes of a Golden Age or reigning over the Ungodly till there be a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness And on the contrary I am more apprehensive that Sufferings must be the Churches most ordinary Lot and Christians indeed must be self-denying Cross-bearers even where there are none but formal nominal Christians to be the Cross-makers And though ordnarily God would have Vicissitudes of Summer and Winter Day and Night that the Church may grow extensively in the Summer of Prosperity and intensively and radicatedly in the Winter of Adversity yet usually their Night is longer than their Day and that Dâ—y its self hath its Storms and Tempests For the Prognosticks are evident in their Causes 1. The Church will be still Imperfect and Sinful and will have those Diseases which need this bitter Remedy 2. Rich Men will be the Rulers of the World and Rich Men will be generally so far from true Godliness that they must come to Heaven as by Human Impossibilities as a Camel through a Needles Eye 3. The Ungodly will ever have an Enmity against the Image of God and he that is born of the Flesh will persecute him that was born after the Spirit and Brotherhood will not keep a Cain from killing an Abel who offereth a more acceptable Sacrifice than himself And the Guilty will still hate the Light and make a Prey to their Pride and Malice of a Conscionable Reprover 4. The Pastors will be still troubling the Church with their Pride and Avarice and Contentions and the worst will be seeking to be the Greatest and they that seek it are likest to attain it 5. He that is highest will be still imposing his Conceits upon those under him and Lording it over God's Heritage and with Diâ—trephes casting out the Brethren and ruling them by constraint and not as Volunteers 6. Those that are truly judicious will still comparatively be few and consequently the Troublers and Dividers will be the Multitude and a judicious Peace-maker and Reconciler will be neglected slighted or hated by both Extreams 7. The Tenour of the Gospel Predictions Precepts Promises and Threatnings are fitted to a People in a suffering State 8. And the Graces of God in a Believer are mostly sured to a State of Suffering 9. Christians must imitate Christ and suffer with him before they reign with him and his Kingdom was not of this World 10. The Observation of God's dealing hitherto with the Church in every Age confirmeth me and his befooling them that have dreamed of glorious Times It was such Dreams that transported the Munster Anabaptists and the Followers of David George in the Low Countries and Campanella and the Illuminati among the Papists and our English Anabaptists and other Fanaticks here both in the Army and the City and Country When they think the Golden Age is come they shew their Dreams in their extravagant Actions And as our Fifth Monarchy Men they are presently upon some unquiet rebellious Attempt to set up Christ in his Kingdom whether he will or not I remember how Abraham Scultetus in Curriculo Vitae suae confesseth the common Vanity of himself and other Protestants in Germany who seeing the Princes in England France Bohemia and many other Countrys to be all at once both Great and Wise and Friends to Reformation did presently expect the Golden Age But within one year either Death or Ruines of War or Back-slidings had exposed all their Expectations to Scorn and laid them lower than before 29. I do not lay so great a Stress upon the external Modes and Formes of Worship as many young Professors do I have suspected my self as perhaps the Reader may do that this is from a cooling and declining from my former Zeal though the truth is I never much complyed with Men of the Mind But I find that Iudgment and Charity are the Causes of it as for as I am able to discover I cannot be so narrow in my Principles of Church-Communion as many are that are so much for a Liturgy or so much against it so much for Ceremonies or so much against them that they can hold Communion with no Church that is not of their Mind and Way If I were among the Greeks the Lutherans the Independants yea the Anabaptists that own no Herisy nor set themselves against Charity and Peace I would hold sometimes occasional Communion with them as Christians if they will give me leave without forcing me to any sinful Subscription or Action Though my most usual Communion should be with that Society which I thought most agreeable to the Word of God if I were free to chuse I cannot be of their Opinion that think God will not accept him that prayeth by the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book and that such Forms are a self-invented Worship which God rejecteth Nor yet can I be of their Mind that say the like of extemporary Prayers 30. I am much less regardful of the Approbation of Man and set much lighter by Contempt or Applause than I did long ago I am oft suspicious that this is not only from the increase of Self-denial and Humility but partly from my being glutted and
Peace on these Terms how easily and safely might you grant them without any wrong to your Consciences or the Church Yea to its exceeding benefit How lowd do our Miseries cry for such a Cure How long hath it been neglected If there be any more than what is here granted by us that you think necessary for us to yield to on our parts we shall gladly revive your Demands and yield for Peace as far as is possible without forsaking our Consciences And what shall be agreed on we shall promise faithfully to endeavour in our places that the Magistrate may consent to it The inclosing Paper signified a readiness to yield to an Agreement on the primitive Simplicity of Doctrine Discipline and Worship as Dr. Heylin also doth We are agreed and yet never the nearer an Agreement O that you would stand to this in the Particulars We crave no more Q. 1. Did the â—â—imitive Church require Subscription to all in our 39 Articles or to any more than the words of Scripture and the Ancient Creeds in order to Mens Church-Communion and Liberty Were such Volumes as our Homiliâ—s then to be subscribed to Q. 2. Were any required as necessary to their Ministry in the Primitive Times to Subscribe to the Divine Right of Diocesan Prelacy and promise or swear Obedience to such Or to Subscribe to all that is contained in our Book of Ordination Q. 3. Were all most or any Bishops of the first Age of the lowest rank now distinguished from Archbishopâ— the fixed Pastors of many particular Churches or of more Souls than one of our ordinary or greater Parishes Much less of so many as are in a Diocess Let us but have no more Souls or Congregations under the lowest rank of Bishops now than were in the first Age or second either ordinarily and we shall soon agree I think in all the Substance of Government Q. 4. Was our Common Prayer used and necessary to a Pastor's Liberty in the first or second Age Or all that is in it Or will you leave out all that you cannot prove to have been then used and that as necessary as now it is supposed Q. 5. Were the Cross Surplice and Restriction to kneeling in receiving the Eâ—charist enjoyned by Peter or Paul or any in the first Age or second either or many after If you say that some Form of Prayer was used though not ours I answer 1. Prove it used and imposed as necessary to the Exercise of the Ministry and that any was enjoyned to Subscribe to it and use it on pain of Deprivation or Excommunication 2. If the first supposed Book of Prayers was necessary in Specie for continuance we must have it and cast away this thatâ—s pleaded for If it were not then why may you not as well dispense with this and change it seeing you cannot plead it more immutable than the supposed Apostolical or Primitive Prayer Book 3. When Forms of Liturgy came up had they not divers in the same Empire and also changed them in particular Churches as the Controversie between Basil and the Church of Neocaesarea shews c. And why then may not as much be granted now in England at least to procure Unity and Peace in other things after so long uncharitable Alienations and doleful Effects of them in the Church and State N. B. That the foresaid Exceptions against imposing the Subscription of the 39 Articles are urged ad hominem because though the Doctrinal Part of those Articles be such as the generality of the Presbyterians would Subscribe to yet I see not how the Reverend Brethren on the other side can possibly Subscribe them as reconcileable to the Principles published by many of them § 67. Shortly after this when Sir George Booth's Rising failed Major General Monk in Scotland with his Army grew so sensible of the Infolencies of Vane and Lambert and the Fanaticks in England and Ireland who set up and pull'd down Governments as boldly as if they were making a Lord of a Maygame and were grasping all the Power into their own Hands so that he presently secured the Anabaptists of his Army and agreed with the rest to resist these Usurpers who would have England the Scorn of all the World At first when he drew near to England he declared for a Free Commonwealth When he came in Lambert marched against him but his Soldiers forsaking him and Sir Arthur Haselrigge getting Portsmouth and Col. Morley strengthning him and Major General Berry's Regiment which went to block it up revolting to them the Clouds rose every where at once and Lambert could make no resistance but instead of fighting they were fain to treat And while Monk held them Treating his Reputation increased and theirs abated and their Hearts failed them and their Soldiers fell off and General Monk consulted with his Friends what to do Many Countreys sent Letters of Thanks and Encouragement to him Mr. Tho. Bampfield was sent by the Gentlemen of the West and other Countreys did the like so that Monk came on but still declared for a Commonwealth against Monarchy Till at last when he saw all ripened thereto he declared for the King The chief Men as far as I can learn that turned his Resolution to bring in the King were Mr. Clarges and Sir William Morrice his Kinsman and the Petitions and Affections of the City of London principally moved by Mr. Calamy and Mr. Ash two ancient leading able Ministers with Dr. Bates Dr. Manten Dr. Iacomb and other Ministers of London who concurred And these were encouraged by the Earl of Manchester the Lord Hollis the late Earl of Anglesey and many of the then Council of State And the Members of the Old Parliament that had been formerly ejected being recalled did Dissolve themselves and appoint the Calling of a Parliament which might Re-call the King When General Monk first came into England most Men rejected in hope to be delivered from the Usurpation of the Fanaticks Anabaptists Seekers c. And I was myâ—self so much affected with the strange Providence of God that I procured the Ministers to agree upon a Publick Thanksgiving to God And I think all the Victories which that Army obtained were not more wonderful than their Fall was when Pride and Errour had prepared them for it It seemed wonderful to me that an Army that had got so many great and marvellous Victories and thought themselves unconquerable and talkt of nothing but Dominion at home and marching up to the Walls of Rome should all be broken and brought into Subjection and finally Disbanded without one blow stricken or one drop of Blood shed and that by so small a power as Monk's Army in the â—â—â—ginning was So Eminent was the Hand of God in all this Change § 68. Yet were there many prudent pious Men that feared greatly the return of the Prelates an exasperated Party that had been before subdued and as they saw that the Fanaticks would bring all to Confusion under
that it is unlike the primitive Episcopacy But if that which must convince you must be brought nearer your Eyes by God's help we 〈◊〉 to do that fully whenever we are called to it 8. The Words which you here except against with Admiration of the Corruptions Partialities Tyranny which Church-Government by a single Person is lyable to was taken by us out of the Book commonly ascribed to King Charles himself called Icon. Basil. but we purposely supprest his Name to try whether you would not be as bitter against his Words as against ours and did not esteem Fidem per personas non personas per fidem And further we reply it is one thing for a Bishop to rule alone when there are no Presbyters or to rule the Presbyters themselves alone and another thing when he hath Presbyters yet to rule all the Flock alone for by this means he quoad Exercitium at least degradeth all the rest or changeth their Office which is to guide as well as to teach As if the General of an Army or the Collonel of a Regiment should rule all the Souldiers alone doth he not then depose all his Captains Lieutenants Cornets Corporals Serjeants c. But especially it is one thing for Ignatius his Bishop of one Church that had but one Altar to rule it alone though yet he commandeth the People to obey their Presbyters and another thing for an English Diocesan to rule a Thousand such Churches alone And when all is done do they rule alone indeed Or doth not a Lay-Chancellor exercise the Keys so far as is necessary to suppress private Meetings for Fasting and Prayer c. and to force all to the Sacrament and enforce the Ceremonies and some such things and for the great Discipline it is almost altogether left undone We are sorry that you should be able to be ignorant of this or if you know it that such Camels stick not with you but go down so easily Instances of things amiss § 9. 1. That which you cannot grant that the Diocesses are to great you would quickly grant if you had ever conscionably tryed the task which Dr. Hammond describeth as the Bishops Work yea but for one Parish or had ever believed Ignatius and other ancient Descriptions of a Bishop's Church But is it faithful dealing with your Brethren or your Consciences pardon our Freedom in so weighty a Case to dispute as though you made a Bishop but an Archbishop to see by a general Inspection of the Parish-Pastors that they do their Office and as if they only ruled the Rulers of the particular Flocks which you know we never strove against when as no knowing English Man can be ignorant that our Bishops have the sole Government of Pastors and People having taken all Jurisdiction or proper Government or next all from the particular Pastors of the Parishes to themselves alone Is not the Question rather as whether the King can rule all the Kingdom by the Chancellor or a few such Officers without all the Justices and Mayors or whether one Schoolmaster shall only rule a thousand Schools and all the other Schoolmasters only teach them You know that the depriving of all the Parish Pastors of the Keys of Government is the matter of our greatest Controversies Not as it is any hurt to them but to the Church and a certain Exclusion of all true Discipline And whether the Office of the Bishops of particular Churches infimi Ordinis velâ— gradus be not for Personal Inspection and Ministration as well as the Office of a Shoolmaster or Physician you will better know when you come to try it faithfully or answer fearfully for Unfaithfulness We know that the knowing Lord Bacon in his Considerations saith so as well as we And for what you say of Suffragâ—â—s you know there are none such § 10. 2. We are glad that in so great a matter as Lay-Chancellors Exercise of the Keys in Excommunications and Absolutions you are forced plainly and without any Excuse to confess the Errors of the way of Government And let this stand on Record before the World to Justify us when we shall be silenced and reproached as Schismaticks for desiring the Reformation of such Abuses and for not swearing Canonical Obedience to such a Government § 11. 3. And you have almost as little to say in this Case Mark Reader that we must all be silenced and cast out of our Offices if we subscribe not to the Book of Ordination ex Animo as having nothing contrary to the Word of God And the very Preface of that beginneth with the Affirmation of this Distinction of Orders Offices Functions from the Apostles Days and one of the Prayers ascribeth it to the Spirit of God and yet now it is here said that whether a Bishop be a distinct Order from a Presbyter or not is none of the Question That must be none of the Question when the King calleth them to treat for a Reconciliation or Unity which will be out of Question against us when we are called to subscribe or are to be forbidden to preach the Gospel And let what is here confessed for Presbyters Assistance in Ordination stand on Record against them when it is neglected or made an insignificant Ceremony § 12. 4. In the last also you give up your Cause and yet it 's well if you will amend it Whether the Canons be Laws let the Lawyers judge And whether all the Bishops Books of Articles as against making Scripture our Table-talk and many such others be either Laws or according to Law let the World judge The Remedies offered for reforming these Evils § 13. 1. Whereas to avoid all Exception or frustrating Contentions or Delays we offered only Bishop Usher's Platform subscribed also by Dr. Holdsworth that the World might see that it is Episcopacy it self that we plead for you tell us that it was formed many Years before his Death and is not consistent with two other of his Discourses In which either you would intimate that he contradicteth himself and could not speak consistently or that he afterward retracted this Reduction For the first We must believe that many Men can reconcile their own Writings when some Readers cannot as better understanding themselves than others do And that this reverend Bishop was no such raw Novice as not to know when he contradicted himself in so publick and practical a Case as a Frame of Church-Government Nor was he such an Hypocrite as to play fast and loose in the things of God But upon Debate we undertake to vindicate his Writings from this Aspersion of Inconsistency only you must not take him to mean that all was well done which as an Historian he saith was done And as to any Retraction one of us my self is ready to witness that he owned it not long before his Death as a Collection of fit Terms to reconcile the Moderate in these Points and told him that he offered it the late King And
that we may not fear their Power And the Prefaces In knowledge of whom standeth our eternal Life and whose Service is perfect Freedom have no more evident respect to a Petition for Peace than to any other And the Prayer it self comes in disorderly while many Prayers or Petitions are omitted which according both to the method of the Lord's Prayer and the Nature of the things should go before 10. The third Collect intituled for Grace is disorderly in that it followeth that for Peace which belongs to the last Petition of the Lord's Prayer and in that in the Conclusion of Morning Prayer we begin to beg the Mercies for the Day And it is defective in that it is but a General Request for defence from Sin and Danger And thus the main parts of Prayer according to the Rule of the Lord's Prayer and our common Necessities are omitted as may be seen by comparing our Forms with these 11. Most of our Necessities are passed over in the like defective Generals also in the Evening Prayer 12. The Latany which should contain all the ordinary Petitions of the Church omitteth very many particulars as may appear in our offered Forms compared with it It were tedious to number the half of its omissions And it is exceeding disorderly following no just Rules of method Having begged pardon of our sins and deprecated vengeance it proceedeth to Evil in general and some few Sins in particular and thence to a more particular enumeration of Iudgments and thence to the recitation of the parts of that Work of our Redemption and thence to the deprecation of Iudgments again and thence to Prayers for the King and Magistrates and then for all Nations and then for Love and Obedience and then for several states of men and then for all men and for Enemies and then for the Fruits of the Earth and then for Repentance Forgiveness and Grace again and then turneth to Repetitions of the same Petitions for Pardon and Mercy and after the Lord's Prayer returneth to the same request again Next this in the midst of Prayer it repeateth Let us pray Next is a Prayer against Adversity and Persecutions which was done before and both here and through the rest of the Prayers the deprecation of bodily suffering hath very much too large a proportion while spirituals are too generally and briefly touched which is unbeseeming the Church of Christ which mindeth not the things of the flesh but of the spirit Rom. 8. 5 6 7. Next followeth a reduplicate Petition that God would arise and help us and deliver us with an interposed Argument from his Ancient Works which comes in without any reason or order and is the same that was before petitioned and seems to be fitted to some special distress or danger of the Church and yet mentioneth not that distress or danger and is to be used equally in the prosperity of the Church Next this followeth the Doxology as if we were concluding and then we go on to the same Requests so oft before repeated for deliverance from afflictions and sorrows though perhaps it be not a time of Affliction with us but of Joy and so it proceeds to ask forgiveness so often asked and then four time repears the Petition for Audience when we draw near an end and twice repeats the general Petition for Mercy Next this while we are praying we agains say Let us pray And then again pray against deserved Evils and for Holiness in general all out of any order and oft repeated while abundance of most weighty Particulars are never mentioned Next this the Prayer for the King and the Royal Family is again repeated which went before If that were the due place why should not our Petitions have been there put in together for them but the minds of the Church are thus tossed up and down like the Waves of the Sea from one thing to another and then to the first again without any regard to order in the presence of the God of Order Next this the Bishops and Curates are prayed for without the Parish Incumbent Presbyters or else it 's intimated that they are but the Bishops Curates or else they are called Bishops themselves and no Man can tell certainly which of these is the sence And the Preface would intimate to the People that it is some special great marvel for Bishops and Curates to have Grace And after all this there are no particular petitions for them according to the nature and necessity of their Work or of their Congregation but only this one General Request that they may have God's Grace and Blessing to please him Lastly before the Blessing is Chrystsostom's Prayer meerly for the granting of our Requests with two Petitions one for Knowledge the other for Life Eternal The following Prayers and Thanksgivings on particular extraordinary Occasions are with the Confession the Prayers for the King and the Church Militant the best composed of all the daily Common Prayers But that these Prayers and Thanksgivings are all placed after the Benediction is disorderly And though it 's most probable that yet it was intended they should go before it in use there is no such thing expressed in the Book And thus we see how unlike the Litany is to the Lord's Prayer and how far from all just Order which is a deformity that such Holy Works should not be guilty of 13. The like defectiveness and disorder is in the Communion Collects for the Day That for the first Sunday in Advent hath no Petition for any thing in this Life but the Generals To cast away the Works of Darkness and put on the Armour of Light That for the second Sunday in Advent is a very good Prayer viz. to learn and obey the Scripture but there is no more reason why it should be appropriate to that day than another or rather be a common Petition for all days The same is true of that for the third Sunday in Advent which begs no more but hearing our prayers and lightning our darkness As little reason is there for the appropriating that for the fourth Sunday in Advent to that day which is a General Request that God would come among us and succeur us and speedily deliver us who through our sin and wickedness are sore let and hindered without acquainting us what the wickedness or the lett is which is meant The Prayer on Christmas-day determineth that Christ was born as on that day when the world of learned Men are not agreed of the Month or Year much less the Day And the same Prayer is appointed for divers days after so that if by day is meant any other space of time than a Natural Day then it is no fitter for Christmas day than another If it mean a Natural Day then it is an untruth on the following days in the sence of the Imposers The Collect on St. Stephen's day hath but one Petition That on St. Iohn's day hath nothing in it proper to him
but in general that what we ask may be granted the four and twentieth for forgiveness the five and twentieth for Good works all which are without any special reason both appropriated to the several days and placed where they stand in the order of our Requests The Petition on St. Thomas's day for so perfect a Faith as shall never be reproved in the sight of God is of doubtful conveniency because contrary to the Scripture prediction of the event In the Collect on St. Iohn Baptist's day the preaching of Penance is a word of a more misleading tendency as now used than the preaching of Repentance 14. The Lord's Prayer is a third time to be recited before the Communion when yet as it is a Rule of Prayer as to order it is forsaken through the Book The next Prayer for loving and magnifying God's Name is most necessary but there out of order The Commandments come in also out of order without any special reason of connexion to what goeth before and followeth So do the following Prayers for the King which yet in themselves are very good And the Epistle and Gospel and Creed The Churchwardens are not directed to an orderly collection for the Poor In the Sentences exciting to remember the Poor the Scriptures and Apochryphal Passages of Tobit are confounded without any note of sufficient distinction as if we would have the People believe that Tobit is Canonical Scripture The Prayer for the Church Militant one of the best is very defective having no Petition for the Church but those for Truth Unity Love and Concord The Exhortation biddeth all and intreateth them for the Lord Jesus sake even the worst and most unprepared that be present to come to the Lord's Table as invited thereto by God himself which is a great wrong to him and them And it misinterpreteth the Parable Matth. 22. to which it seemeth plainly to allude which speaketh not of our coming to the Sacrament but of our coming to Christ and into his Church Though indeed the Exhortation is very good if it were made at a sufficient distance before the Sacrament that they might have time of Preparation The next Admonition against unworthy Receiving is very good but impertinent and unseasonable while it perswadeth them to come to the Minister for Advice in order to the Sacrament which is perfectly to be administred It is a disorder for one of the Communicants to be invited to be the Mouth of the rest in Confession of Prayer If the People may pro tempore make a Minister why not for continuance and so the Common Prayer Book is for the Principles of Popular Separatists The proper Prefaces for Christmas-day and Whitsunday repeat the word at this day which is either a falshood or impertinent and non-intelligible to the most It is a disorder in the next words to begin in a Prayer and end in a Narrative It is disorderly for the Minister to receive the Sacrament in both kinds himself before the other Ministers or People do receive it in either There is no sufficient Explication of the Nature and Use of the Sacrament premised which is the greater defect where the Sacrament is allowed to be administred without a Sermon and where so many of the People never learned the Catechism or understood what a Sacrament is The Exhortation is too defective for the exciting the Faith and other Graces of the Communicants which yet we can bear with if the Minister may be allowed himself to speak such other quickening Words of Exhortation as he findeth suitable to the temper of the Communicants The Confession of Sin before the Communion is too general and defective The Consecration Commemoration and Delivery and Participation are not distinctly enough performed Sometime the Minister is to kneel at Prayer and sometime to stand up without any special reason given for it It were more orderly to make the Delivery distinct in Scripture words and not to confound Prayer and the Delivery together It is more suitable to Christ's Example that the Words of Delivery be ordinarily in the Plural Number and to the Church or to many at once Take ye Eat ye Drink ye than in the Singular Number recited to each one It is disorderly for the People to repeat every Petition of the following Prayers after the Minister That the Hymn be sung in Prose seemeth disorderly The Collects appointed to be said after the Offertory have no reason of order or connexion with what went before or followeth after The first of them beggs Assistance in these our Supplications and Prayers which should rather be towards the beginning than when we are concluding And it beggs but the oft repeated benefit of Defence against the Changes and as it is inconveniently called the Chances of this Life And another of them again asketh those things which we dare not ask But it is the greatest disorder of all that every Parishioner shall Communicate at least thrice in the year whether he be fit or unfit and be forced to it In Baptism it is the greatest disorder that Ministers must be forced though against their Consciences to baptize all Children without Exception the Children of Atheists Infidels Hereticks unbaptized Persons Excommunicate Persons or Impenitent Fornicators or such like It is disorderly that the Parents are neither of them required ordinarily to be present and present their Child to Baptism but it is left to Godfathers and Godmothers that have no power to consent for them or enter them into the Covenant unless it be in the Parents name or they be Pro-parents taking the Child as their own And it frustrateth due Enquiry and Assistance when the Parents may choose whether they will come before to the Minister to be instructed about the Nature and Use of Baptism and may choose whether they will let him know of it till the Night or Morning before The Exhortation before Baptism is very defective omitting many weighty Points So are the two Prayers before it where also it is inconveniently said That God by Christ's Baptism did sanctifie the Flood Jordan and all other Waters to the mystical washing away of Sin The ascribing of the Gift of the Holy Ghost to Infants by their Baptism as its ordinary Effect and necessary to their Regeneration is to bring an undetermined uncertain Opinion into our Liturgy The Arguments for Infant-Baptism are so defectively exprest as have tempted many into Anabaptism The third Prayer saith very little but what was said in one of those foregoing Sureties that have not the Parents power are unjustly required to promise in the Infant 's Name or the Infant by them And so it is a doubt whether many Infants have ever indeed been entred into the Covenant of God when they cannot be said to Promise or Covenant by Persons whom neither Nature or Scripture or any sufficient Authority hath enabled to that Office The Sureties are unjustly and irregularly required to profess present Actual Faith in the Infant 's name
when it is a thing not requiâ—ed of the Infant but only that he be the Child of a Believer and by the Parent dedicated to God in Baptism and there engaged in his Covenant to Believe and Obey when he is capable Of the Cross in Baptism we have said more in due place but here only add that it is a very great disorder besides the other faults to express the Terms of the Covenant as signified by the Cross more fully than as signified by baptizing viz. We sign him with the sign of the Cross in tâ—ken that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sin the World and the Devil and to continue Christ's faithful Soldier and Servant unto his lives end Amen The Conclusion that the Child is Regenerate and the Thanksgiving for Regenerating it by the Spirit are doubly faulty First in concluding that all Children baptized are Regenerate when we admit those before mentioned whose Interest in the Covenant which Baptism sealeth cannot be proved that is such whose Parents can lay no just claim to the Grace of the Covenant At least here is a private Opinion thrust into our Liturgy Secondly in concluding all Infants regenerate by the Holy Ghost when so many Learned Divines think that it is but a Relative Regeneration that is ascertained them and the Controversie is yet undecided The Exhortation to the Godfathers and Godmothers imposeth on them the Duty of the Parents to see to the holy Education which ordinarily they cannot do nor are to be required to do nor is it ordinarily done and yet we go on in the abuse The concluding Rubrick hasteneth Children too soon to Confirmation contrary to some Clauses in the Rubrick for Confirmation Divers Defects besides these expressed will appear by comparing this part of the Common Prayer with the Forms which we offer In the Private Baptism it is disorderly to make the Godfathers and Godmothers renew solemnly the Covenant-Ingagement of the Child when before we are to certifie them that all is well done and according to due order and the solemnizing of the Covenant is the principal use of Baptism so that its doubtful whether the repeating of so great a part of Baptism be not a great part of Anbaptism And it is not orderly that twice we must say to the Godfathers and Godmothers Dost thou in the Name of this Child as if we spoke but to one of them and the third time we say Do you in his Name Also the Prayer of giving the Spirit to the Infant that he being born again seems to import the Effects of Baptism on Christ's part as understood by the Common Prayer Book to be not given by the Private Baptism In the Rubrick for Confirmation the Order that Children shall be Confirmed when they can say the Creed Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments and answer the Questions of the Catechism seems contrary to the first and third Reasons which require that Solemn Renewal or owning of their Covenant which ordinarily they are not ripe for of many years after they can say the Catechism And though we suppose the meaning was only to exclude the Necessity of any other Sacrament to baptized Infants yet these Words are dangerous as to mislead the Vulgar He shall know for a Truth that it is certain by God's Word that Children being baptized have all things necessary for their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved The meaning is ex parte Ecclesiae but it hath mislead many to think it is absolute and comprehendeth all things necessary in every respect In a Catechism where so many necessary Points are passed over it 's disorderly to put two such frivolous Questions in the beginning as What is your Name and Who gave you this Name In the Catechism there is omitted some of the Essential Attributes of God without which he cannot be rightly known There is also omitted the Doctrine of the Law made to Adam and of Man's Fall and the Doctrine of our Misery is insufficiently touched The Person Office and Properties of the Redeemer are so insufficiently opened as that we should think the Essentials of Christianity are omitted were it not that they are generally at least expressed in the Creed it self which is more full than the Explication of it There is no mention of the Holy Scriptures in it and the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace is very defectively expressed and so is the Doctrine of Sanctification and other parts of the Work of the Holy Ghost and the whole Doctrine of God's Judgment and Execution and that of Man's Duty and even the Nature and Use of the Sacraments in which it is fullest as will appear by a true comparing it with what we offer The Prayers and Administration of Confirmation suppose all the Children brought to be Confirmed to have the Spirit of Christ and the forgiveness of all their Sins whereas a great number of Children at that Age that we say not the far greater part do live a carnal careless Life and shew no Love to God above all no prevalent Self-denial Mortification nor Faith in Christ and Heavenly-mindedness nor serious Repentance for the Life of Sin which they continue in after Baptism Therefore to these Children Confirmation is not to be Administred till besides the saying of the Catechism they make a credible Profession of Faith Repentance and Obedience And to them that do not thus Confirmation is a gross and perillous Abuse In the concluding Rubrick there is no care taken for the multitude that being past Childhood understand not what it is to be a Christian who also have need of Catechizing In Matrimony these Words For be ye well assured that so many as be coupled together otherwise than God's Word doth allow are not joined together by God neither is their Matrimony Lawful do dangerously speak that of Irregularities in General which is true only of some greater Faults that are contrary to the Essentials of Matrimony For in many Cases quod fieri non debet factum valet The Ring should not be forced on those that scruple it The obsolete Phrases With my Body I thee Worship c. should be changed The Prayers at the Table are disorderly Repetitions not delivering that in many Words which may be exprest in few It is unfit to keep all Persons unmarried that are unmeet for the Communion being Infidels and unbaptized and prophane Persons may marry and it is unmeet to force such to receive the Communion the same Day that they Marry If it were requisite to put the private Work of visiting the Sick into the publick Liturgy of the Church yet the Variety of the Cases of the Sick is such that these Forms are not suitable to all In the Communion of the Sick the ancient Custom of the Church was where time and place allowed it to send the Deacon to the Sick at the time of the Celebration with a Portion of the
Consecrated Bread and Wine which is here omitted The Minister is causelesly tied to meet the Corps just at the Church Style and to use the oft-repeated Lord have Mercy upon us Christ have Mercy upon us Lord have Mercy upon us And it is a Confusion perilous to the living that we are to presume that all we bury be of one sort viz. Elect and Saved when contrarily we see multitudes die without any such Signs of Repentance as rational Charity can judge sincere It is disorder that Women be not at all required beforehand to desire any publick Prayers for their safe Deliverance and yet when they are delivered that a Thanksgiving on the Lord's Days such as is for other great Deliverances will not serve the turn without a special Office which if performed on the Lord's Day will be an Impediment or Disturbance to the publick Worship And while an inconvenient Psalms and Repetitions and Responds be used the Prayer is defective as will appear by comparing it with what we offer It is a perilous Disorder that Penance as it is called be used by notorious Sinners at a stated time the beginning of Lent which should be used rightly to restore the Person whenever he is fallen And this is not to be wished in this Disorder to be restored again no more than that Physick be given only at Lent in acute Diseases which must be medicated out of Hand In the repeating of the Curses the People should be better taught to know the difference of the Law and Gospel and then that excellent dehortation may be well used But this pertaineth to the ordinary preaching of the Word Of the Responds and the doubtful Phrase thou hatest nothing tâ—at thou hast made we have spoke before Other Omissions and Disorders appear by comparing it with what we offer We only add upon the whole these further general Remarks 1. It is a great Disorder that we have so many Prayers instead of many Petitions in one Prayer The Gravity and Seriousness requisite in our Prayers to God and the Examples left on Record in Scripture do persuade us when we have many Petitions at once to put up to God which all have a Connexion in Nature and Necessity that there should be such a Connexion of our Desires and Requests and many of them should constitute one Prayer whereas the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book in its numerous Collects doth make oft times as many Prayers as Petitions and we undecently begin with a solemn Preface and as Solemnly conclude and then begin again as if before every Petition of the Lord's Prayer we should repeat Our Father which art in Heaven and after every Petition For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory Yet we deny not that when we have but some one Particular Request to put up without Connexion with others we may then make a Prayer of that alone 2. Hence it comes to pass that the holy and reverend Name of God is made the matter of unnecessary Tautologies while half the Prayer is made up of his Attributes and Addresses to him and with Conclusions containing the Mention of his Name and Kingdom and the Merits of his Son even in holy Worship we should fear using God's Name unreverently and in vain 3. And it is a great Disorder that so much of the publick Prayers should be uttered by the People as in the Responds and that they only should put up the petitioning part while the Minister doth but suggest to them or recite the Matter of the Petitions as in the Litany seeing the Minister is by Office to be the Mouth of the People and God and Scripture intimateth that ordinarily their Part was but to say Amen and it seemeth to many sober People who are much offended at it to be a very confused and unseeâ—â— Murmur that is caused in most Congregations by the Peoples speaking Especially when in reading the Psalms the People say every second Verse which cannot be heard and understood by such as cannot read or have no Books and then the other Verse which the Minister saith is not understood because we hear not the annexed Verse which containeth part of the Sense And so the whole reading Psalms are almost as in Latin to them that cannot read themselves And that all this is really Disorder and contrary to Edification appeareth both in the Reason of the thing and in that the Prayers mentioned in Scripture are of another Order and in that they are not according to the Method of the Lord's Prayer which is the perfect Rule of Prayer in all universal Prayers which consists not of occasional Particulars and in that the most sensible experienced praying Christians find it by Experience to hinder their Edification and their Testimony should be preferred before that of ignorant unexperienced partial or ungodly Men or at least a Course taken which is agreeable to both sorts and hindereth the Edification of neither And lastly those very Men that will not reform any of this Disorder in the Liturgy do nauseate and condemn the Prayers of a weak Minister or private Christian if they have but the fourth part of the very like Disorders Repetitions Tautologies or Defects as the Liturgy hath For these Reasons a proportionable Reformation is desired Besides all forementioned there is in two months space no less than one hundred and nine Chapters of the Apocrypha appointed to be read as Lessons just in the time manner and Title as the Chapter of the holy Scriptures be even the Stories of Tobit and Iudith being part and also of Bel and the Dragon and Susanna which Protestants hold to be but Fables But those Exceptions which we actually offered to the Bishops were as follows The Exceptions against the Book of common-Common-Prayer ACknowledging with all humility and thankfulness his Majesty's most Princely Condescention and Indulgence to very many of his Loyal Subjects as well in his Majesty's most gracious Declaration as particularly in this present Commission issued forth in pursuance thereof we doubt not but the right Reverend Bishops and all the rest of his Majesty's Commissioners intrusted in this Work will in imitation of his Majesty's most prudent and Christian Moderation and Clemency judge it their Duty what we find to be the Apostles own Practice in a special manner to be tender of the Churches Peace to bear with the Infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves nor to measure the Consciences of other Men by the Light and Latitude of their own but seriously and readily to consider and advise of such Expedients as may most conduce to the healing of our Breaches and uniting those that differ And albeit we have an high and honourable esteem of those godly and learned Bishops and others who were the first Compilers of the publick Liturgy and do look upon it as an excellent and worthy Work for that time when the Church of England made her first step out of such a Mist of Popish Ignorance and Superstition wherein
it formerly was involved Yet considering that all human Works do gradually arrive at their Maturity and Perfection and this in particular being a Work of that Nature hath already admitted several Emendations since the first compiling thereof It cannot be thought any Disparagement or Derogation either to the Work it self or to the Compilers of it or to those who have hitherto used it if after more than an hundred Years since its first composure such further Emendations be now made therein as may be judged necessary for satisfying the Scruples of a multitude of sober Persons who cannot at all or very hardly comply with the use of it as now it is and may best sute with the present times after so long an Enjoyment of the glorious light of the Gospel and so happy a Reformation Especially considering that many Godly and learned Men have from the beginning all along earnestly desired the Alteration of many things therein and very many of his Majesty's pious peaceable and loyal Subjects after so long a discontinuance of it are more averse from it than heretofâ—â—â— The satisfying of whom as far as may be will very much conduce to that Pâ—â—ce and Unity which is so much desired by all good Men and so much endeavoured by his most excellent Majesty And therefore in pursuance of this his Majesty's most gracious Commission for the satisfaction of tender Consciences and the procuring of Peace and Unity amongst our selves we judge meet to propose First That all the Prayers and other Materials of the Liturgy may consist of nothing doubtful or questioned amongst pious learned and orthodox Persons inasmuch as the professed end of composing them is for the declaring of the Unity and Consent of all who join in the publick Worship it being too evident that the limiting of Church-Communion to things of doubtful Disputation hath been in all Ages the ground of Schism and Separation according to the saying of a learned Person To load our publick Forms with the private Fancies upon which we differ is the most soveraign way to perpetuate Schism to the World's End Prayer Confession Thanksgiving reading of the Scriptures and administration of the Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church-pomp of Garments or prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many Superfluities which creep into the Church under the Name of Order and Decency did interpose it self To charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all Superstition and when Scruple of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schism began to break in If the special Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbering Churches with Superfluities or not over-rigid either in reviving obsolete Customs or imposing new there would be far less Cause of Schism or Superstition and all the Inconvenience were likely to ensue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecillity of their Inferiors a thing which St. Paul would never have refused to do Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of Church-Liturgy he that separates is not the Schismatick for it is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected Falshood as to put in practice unlawful or suspected Action 2. Further we humbly desire that it may be seriously considered that as our first Reformers out of their great Wisdom did at that time so compose the Liturgy as to win upon the Papists and to draw them into their Church-Communion by varying as little as they well could from the Romish Forms before in use so whether in the present Constitution and State of Things amongst us we should not according to the same Rule of Prudence and Charity have our Liturgy so composed as to gain upon the Judgments and Affection of all those who in the Substantials of the Protestant Religion are of the same Persuasions with our selves Inasmuch as a more firm Union and Consent of all such as well in Worship as in Doctrine would greatly strengthen the Protestant Interest against all those Dangers and Temptations which our intestine Divisions and Animosities do expose us unto from the common Adversary 3. That the Repetitions and Responsals of the Clerk and People and the alternate reading of the Psalms and Hymns which cause a confused Murmur in the Congregation whereby what is read is less intelligible and therefore unedifying may be omitted The Minister being appointed for the People in all publick Services appertaining unto God and the Holy Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament intimating the Peoples Part in publick Prayer to be only with Silence and Reverence to attend thereunto and to declare their Consent in the Close by saying Amen 4. That in regard the Litany though otherwise containing in it many holy Petitions is so framed that the Petitions for a great part are uttered only by the People which we think not to be so consonant to Scripture which makes the Minister the Mouth of the People to God in Prayer the Particulars thereof may be composed into one solemn Prayer to be offered by the Minister unto God for the People 5. That there be nothing in the Liturgy which may seem to countenance the Observation of Lent as a Religious Fast the Example of Christ's fasting Forty Days and Nights being no more imitable nor intended for the Imitation of a Christian than any other of his Miraculous Works were or than Moses his forty Days Fast was for the Jews And the Act of Parliament 5 Eliz. forbidding abstinence from Flesh to be observed upon any other than a Politick Consideration and punishing all those who by Preaching Teaching Writing or open Speeches shall notifie that the forbearing of Flesh is of any necessity for the saving of the Soul or that it is the Service of God otherwise than as other politick Laws are 6. That the religious Observation of Saints-days appointed to be kept as Holy-days and the Vigils thereof without any Foundation as we conceive in Scripture may be omitted That if any be retained they may be called Festivals and not Holy-days nor made equal with the Lord's-day nor have any peculiar service appointed for them nor the People be upon such Days forced wholly to abstain from Work and that the Names of all others now inserted in the Calender which are not in the first and second Books of Edward the sixth may be left out 7. That the Gift of Prayer being one special Qualification for the Work of the Ministry bestowed by Christ in order to the Edification of his Church and to be exercised for the profit and benefit thereof according to its various and emergent necessity It is desired that there may be no such imposition of the Liturgy as that the exercise of that gift be thereby totally excluded in any part of Publick
former naughty lives as is partly expressed in the Rubrick and more fully in the Canons Rubrick Exception Then shall the Priest rehearse distinctly all the ten Commandments and the People kneeling shall after every Commandment ask God's mercy for transgressing the same We desire 1. That the Preface prefixed by God himself to the ten Commandments may be restored 2. That the fourth Commandment may be read as in Exod. 20. Deut. 5. He blessed the Sabbath day 3. That neither Minister nor People may be enjoyned to kneel more at the reading of this than of other parts of Scriptures the rather because many ignorant Persons are thereby induced to use the Ten Commandments as a Prayer 4. That instead of those short Prayers of the People intermixed with the several Commandments the Minister after the reading of all may conclude with a suitable Prayer Rubrick Exception After the Creed if there be no Sermon shall follow one of the Homâ—â—â—es already set forth or hereafter to be set forth by common Authority We desire that the Preaching of the Word may be strictly enjoined and not left so indifferent at the Administration of the Sacraments as also that Ministers may not be bound to those things which are are as yet but future and not in being After such Sermon Homily or Exhortation the Curate shall declare c. and earnestly exhort them to remember the Poor saying one or more of these sentences following Two of the Sentences here cited are Apocryphal and four of them more proper to draw out the Peoples Bounty to their Ministers than their Charity to the Poor Then shall the Church-wardens or some other by them appointed gather the Devotion of the People Collection for the Poor may be better made at or a little before the departing of the Communicants Exhortation  We be come together at this time to feed at the Lords Supper unto the which in Gods behalf I bid you all that be here present and beseech you for the Lord Iesus Christ sake that ye will not refuse to come c. If it be intended that these Exhortations should be read at the Communion they seem to us to be unseasonable The way and means thereto is first to examine your Lives and Conversations and if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as be not only against God but also against your Neighbours then ye shall reconcile your seâ—ves unto them and be ready to make Restitution and Satisfaction And because it is requisite that no man should come to the holy Communion but with a full trust in Gods mercy and with a quiet Conscience We fear this may discourage many from coming to the Sacrament who lye under a doubting and troubled Conscience Before the Confession  Then shall this general Confession be made in the name of all those that are minded to receive the holy Communion either by one of them or else by one of the Ministers or by the Priest himself We desire it may be made by the Minister only Before the Confession Exception Then shall the Priest or the Bishop being present stand up and turning himself to the people say thus The Minister turning himself to the People is most convenient throughout the whole Ministration Before the Preface on Christmas day and 7 days after  Because thou didst give Iesus Christ thine only Son to be born as this Day for us c. First We cannot peremptorily fix the Nativity of our Saviour to this or that day particularly Secondly it seems incongruous to affirm the Birth of Christ Upon Whitsunday and six days after and the descending of the Holy Ghost to be on this day for seven or eight days together According to whose most true promise the Holy Ghost came down this day from Heaven  Prayer before that which is at the Consecration  Grant us that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body and our Souls washed through his most precious blood We desire that whereas these Words seem to give a greater efficacy to the Blood than to the Body of Christ they may be altered thus That our sinful souls and bodies may be cleansed through his precious Body and Blood Prayer at the Consecration We conceive that the manner of the consecrating of the Elements is not here explicite and distinct enough and the Ministers breaking of the Bread is not so much as mentioned Hear us O merciful Father c. who in the same night that he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and gave to his Disciples saying Take eat c.  Rubrick  Then shall the Minister first receive the Communion in both kinds c. and after deliver it to the people in their hands kneeling and when he delivereth the bread he shall say The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting Life and take and eat this in Remembrance c. We desire that at the Distribution of the Bread and Wine to the Communicants we may use the Words of our Saviour as near as may be and that the Minister be not required to deliver the Bread and Wine into every particular Communicants hand and to repeat the words to each one in the singular number but that it may suffice to speak them to divers jointly according to our Saviours Example  We also desire that the Kneeling at the Sacrament it being not that Gesture which the Apostles used though Christ was personally present amongst them nor that which was used in the purest and primitive times of the Church may be left free as it was 1. and 2. EDW. As touching Kneeling c. they may be used or left as every Mans Devotion serveth without blame Rubrick Exception And note that every Parishioner shall Communicate at the least three times in the year of which Easter to be one and shall also receive the Sacraments and other Rites according to the Orders in this Book appointed Forasmuch as every Parishioner is not duly qualified for the Lord's Supper and those habitually prepared are not at all times actually disposed but many may be hindered by the Providence of God and some by the Distemper of their own Spirits we desire this Rubrick may be either wholly omitted or thus altered  Every Minister shall be bound to administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at least thrice a Year provided there be a due number of Communicants manifesting their Desires to receive And we desire that the following Rubrick in the Common-Prayer-Book in 5 and 8 Edw. established by Law as much as any other part of the Common-Prayer-Book may be restored for the vindicating of our Church in the matter of Kneeling at the Sacrament although the Gesture be left indifferent Although no order can be so perfectly devised but it may be of some either for their Ignorance and Infirmity or else of Malice and Obstinacy misconstrued depraved and
for my fear that he symbolized with the Papists was abated now I perceived that he knew not what they held And Dr. Gunning answered against him and said that the Papists do so use the Word I went on and told him That I also granted that a Man for a certainspace might he without any Act of Sin end as I was proceeding here Bishop Morley interrupted me according to his manner with vehemency crying out what can any Man be for any time without Sin And he founded out his Aggravations of this Doctrine and then cryed to Dr. Bates what say you Dr. Bates is this your Opinion Saith Dr. Bates I believe that we are all Sinners but I pray my Lord give him leave to speak I began to go on to the rest of my Sentence where I lest to shew the Sense and Truth of my Words and the Bishop whether in Passion or Design I know not interrupted me again and mouthed out the odiousness of my Doctrine again and again I attempted to speak and still he interrupted me in the same manner Upon that I sat down and told him that this was neither agreeable to our Commission nor the common Laws of Disputation nor the Civil Usage of Men in common Converse and that if he prohibited me to speak I desired him to do it plainly and I would â—â—sist and not by that way of interruption He told me I had speaking enough if that were good for I spake more than any one in the Company And thus he kept me so long from uttering the rest of my Sentence that I sat down and gave over and told him I took it for his Prohibition At last I let him talk and spake to those nearer me which would hear me and told them that this was it that I was going to say That I granted Bishop Lany that it was possible to be free from acting Sin for a certain time that so he might have no matter of Objection against me and that the Instances of my Concession were these 1. In the time of absolute Infancy 2. In the time of total Fatuity or Madness as natural Ideots that never had the use of Reason 3. In the time of a Lethargy Carus or Apoplexy or Epilepsie 4. In the time of lawful sleep when a Man doth not so much as dream amiss And whether any other Instances might be given I determined not But as I talked thus Bishop Morley went on talking louder than I and would neither hear me nor willingly have had me to have been heard Behind me at the lower end of the Table stood Dr. Crowther and he would consute me and I defended Dr. Lany in that Ieroboam made Israel to Sin What gather you thence quoth I that they had no Sin but that or never sumed before He answered yes and with a little Nonsence would defend it that Israel sinned not till then When I had proved the contrary to him in the general Acceptation of the Word Sin I told him that if he took the Word Figuratively the Genus for a Species I granted him that they sinned not that Species of Sin which Ieroboam taught them which is in the Text emphatically called Sin If he meant that they sinned no Sin of Idolatry or no National Sin till then It was not true and if it were it was nothing to our Question which was about Sin in the General or indefinitely He told me they Sinned no National Sin till then I asked him whether the Idolatry the Unbelief the Murmuring c. by which all the Nation save Caleb and Ioshua fell in the Wilderness and the Idolatry for which in the time of the Judges the Nation was conquered and captivated were none of them National Sins I give the Reader the Instance if this Odious kind of Talk to shew him what kind of Men we talkt with and what a kind of Task we had § 196. And a little further touch of it I shall give you When I beg'd their Compassion on the Souls of their Brethren and that they would not unnecessarily cast so many out of the Ministry and their Communion Bishop Cosins told me that we threatned them with Numbers and for his part he thought the King should do well to make us name them all A charitable and wise Motion To name all the Thousands of England that dissented from them and that had sworn the Covenant and whom they would after Persecute § 197. When I read in the Preface to our Exceptions against the Liturgy That after twenty years Calamity they would not yield to that which several Bishops voluntarily offered twenty Years before meaning the Corrections of the Liturgy offered by Archbishop Usher Archbishop Williams Bishop Morton Dr. Prideaux and many others Bishop Cosins answered me That we threatned them with a new War and it was time for the King to look to us I had no shelter from the Fury of the Bishop but to name Dr. Hammond and tell him that I remembred Dr. Hammond insisted on the same Argument that twenty Years Calamity should have taught Men more Charity and brought them to repentance and Brotherly Love and that it is an Aggravation of their Sin to be unmerciful after so long and heavy Warnings from God's Hand He told me if that were our meaning it was all well And these were the most logical Discourses of that Bishop § 198. Among all the Bishops there was none who had so promising a Face as Dr. Sterne the Bishop of Carlisle He look'd so honestly and gravely and soberly that I scarce thought such a Face could have deceived me and when I was intreating them not to cast out so many of their Brethren through the Nation as scrupeled a Ceremony which they confess'd indifferent he turn'd to the rest of the Reverend Bishops and noted me for saying in the Nation He will not say in the Kingdom saith he lest he own a King This was all that ever I heard that worthy Prelate say But with grief I told him that half the Charity which became so grave a Bishop might have sufficed to have helpt him to a better Exposition of the Word Nation from the Mouths of such who have to lately taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and sworn Fidelity to the King as his Chaplains and had such Testimonies from him as we have had and that our case was sad if we could plead by the King's Commission for Accommodation upon no no better Terms than to be noted as Traytors every time we used such a Word as the Nation which all monarchical Writers use § 199. Bishop Morley earnestly pleaded my own Book with me my fifth Disput. as he had done before the King And I still told him I went not from any thing in it He vehemently aggravated the mischiefs of Conceived Prayer in the Church and when I told him that all the Action of Men would be imperfect while Men were imperfect and that the other side also had its
denied the Means of their Salvation and so perish because a Minister differeth from the State in some lesser things 4. Considering also that there are not competent Men enough to do the Work of the Gospel without them Nay there will be much want when all are employed 5. It is desirable that his Majesty have Power to indulge the Peaceable and abate Penalties as in his Wisdom he shall see most conducible to the Peace of Church and State and not to be too much tied up by an indispensable Establishment These Reasons and many more are considerable for the way of Indulgence 2. The way of Indulgence alone is not sufficient but first the Law should be made more Comprehensive 1. Because indeed the present Impositions and Restrictions of the Law considering also the direful Penalty are such especially the Declaration and Subscription required as the Age that is further from the heels of Truth will so describe and denominate as will make our Posterity wish too late that the good of Souls the welfare of the Church and the Honour of our Nation had been better provided for 2. Because it is exceeding desirable that as much strength and unity as may be may be found in the established Body of the Clergy which will be the glory of the Church the advantage of the Gospel the prevention of many sins of Uncharitablness and the great safety and ease of his Majesty and the Realm When as meer Indulgence if frustrated by Restrictions will be unsatisfactory and not attain its ends but if any thing large and full will drain almost all the established Churches of a more considerable part of the People than I will now mention and will keep much disunion among the Ministers 3. If there be no way but that of Indulgence it will load his Majesty with too much of theâ—â—ffence and murmur of the People If he indulge but few those that expected it 〈◊〉 lay all the blame on him If he indulge all or most that are meet for it he will much offend the Parliament and Prelates who will think the Law is vain But a power of indulging a small Number when the most are embodied by a Comprehension will be serviceable to God and the King and the Common Peace and justly offensive unto none 4. The Indulgence will be hardly attained by so many as need it and are meet for it most being distant many friendless and moneyless and too many misrepresented by their Adversaries as unworthy 5. If the Indulgence be for private Meetings only it will occasion such Jealousies that they preach Sedition c. as will not permit them long to enjoy it in peace These and many more Reasons are against the way of Indulgence alone It is therefore most evident that the way desirable is first a Comprehension of as many fit Persons as may be taken in by Law and then a power in his Majesty to indulge the Remnant so far as conduceth to the Peace and Benefit of Church and State Your second Question is What abatement is desirable for Comprehension I answer Suppose there is no hope of the Terms of Primitive Simplicity and Catholicism but that we speak only of what might now be hoped for 1. It is most needful that the old and new Subscriptions and Professions of Assent and Consent to all things in the Book of Ordination Liturgy and the two Articles concerning them be abated 2. That the Declaration be abated especially as to the disobliging all other Persons in the Three Kingdoms from the endeavouring in their places any lawful Alterations of the Government of the Church And that the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy be the Test of Mens subjection 3. That the Minister be not bound to use the Cross and Surplice and read the Liturgy himself if another by whomsoever be procured to do it So be it he preach not against them 4. That according to Pope Leo III. determination in such a Case the Bishops do by a general Confirmation in which each Man approveable to have his part upon due trial confirm the Ordination formerly made by lawful Pastors without Diocesans without reordaining them 5. That what the Courts will do about Kneeling at the Receiving of the Lord's Supper may be done by others and not the Minister forced to refuse Men meerly on that account 6. It is very desirable that Oaths of Obedience to the Diocesan be forborn as long as Men may be punished for Disobedience 7. It is exceeding desirable that Reformation of Church Government by Suffragans and the Rural Deanries c. be made according to his Majesty's Will expressed in his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs To your third question Of the Extent and Terms of the Indulgence it being to be left to his Majesty's Wisdom I shall not presume to give you my Answer § 428. Instead of Indulgence and Comprehension on the last day of Iune 1663. the Act against Private Meetings for Religious Exercises past the House of Commons and shortly after was made a Law The Sum of it was That every Person above sixteen years old who is present at any Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England where there are five Persons more than that Household shall for the first Offence by a Iustice of Peace be Recorded and sent to Iail three Months till he pay five pound and for the second Offence six Months till he pay ten pound and the third time being convicted by a Iuly shall be banished to same of the American Plantations excepting New-England or Virginia The Calamity of the Act besides the main Matter was 1. That it was made so ambiguous that no man that ever I met with could tell what was a violation of it and what not not knowing what was allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church of England in Families because the Liturgy medleth not with Families and among the diversity of Family Practice no man knoweth what to call the Practice of the Church 2. Because so much Power was given to the Justices of Peace to record a man an Offender without a Jury and if he did it causelesly we are without any remedy seeing he was made a Judge According to the plain words of the Act if a man did but preach and pray or read some licensed Book and sing Psalms he might have more than four present because these are allowed by the practice of the Church in the Church and the Act seemeth to grant an Indulgence for 〈◊〉 and number so be it the quality of the Exercise be allowed by the Church which must be meant publickly because it medleth with no private Exercise But when it cometh to the trial these Pleas with the Justice are vain and life men do but 〈◊〉 it is taken for granted that it is 〈◊〉 Exercise not allowed by the Church of England and to Jail they go §
which still more destroy it as any thing of long time hath been published It is true that in many things they were real weaknesses which he detected and that he knew more himself than most of those whom he exposed to scorn And it is true that many of them by their censoriousness of the Conformists did too much instigate such Men But it is as true that while Christ's Flock consisteth of weak ones in their Earthly State of Imperfection and while his Church is an Hospital and he the Physician of Souls it ill becometh a Preacher of the Gospel to teach the Enemies of Christ and Holiness to cast all the reproach of the Diseases upon the nature of Health or on the Physician or to expose Christ's Family to scorn for that weakness which he pittieth them for and is about to cure if he had first told us where we we might find a better sort of Men than these faulty Christians or could prove them better who meddle with God and Heaven and Holiness but formally and complimentally on the by he had done something And it is certain that nothing scarce hardened the faulty persons more in their Way and weaknesses than his way of reprehending them For my part I speak not out of partiality for he was pleased to single me out for his Commendations and to exempt me from the Accusations But it made my Heart to grieve to perceive how the Devil only was the gainer whilst Truth and Godliness was not only pretended by both parties but really intended § 89. Yea it would have grieved the heart of any sober Christian to observe how dangerously each party of the Extremes did tempt the other to impenitenitency and further Sin Even when the Land was all on a Flame and we were all in apparent danger of our ruin by our Sins and Enmities the unhappy prelates began the Game and cruelly cast out 1800 Ministers and the people thâ—â—eupon esteeming them Wolves and malignant prosecutors fled from them â—s the Sheep will do from Wolves not considering that notwithstanding their Personal Sin they still outwardly professed the same Protestant Religion and when any Prelatist told the Sectaries of their former Sin Rebellions or Divisions they heard it as the words of an Enemy and were more hardened in it against Repentance than before yea were ready to take that for a Vertue which such Men reproached them for when as before they had begun from Experience to repent And on the other side when the Prelatists saw what Crimes the Army-party of the Sectaries had before committed which they aggravated from their own Interest they noted also all the weaknesses of Judgment and Expression in Prayer which they met with not only in the weaker sort of Ministers but of the very Women and unlearned People also and turned all this not only to the reproach of all the Sectaries but as their Passion Interest and Faction led them of all the Non-conformists also of whom the far greatest part were much more innocent than themselves § 90. And so subtil is Satan in using his Instruments that by their wicked folly crying out maliciously for repentance he hindered almost all open Confession and Profession of repentance on both â—ides For these self Exalters did make their own interest and Opinions to pass with them for the sure Expositor of the Law of God and Man And they that never truly understood the old Difference between the King and Parliament did state the Crime according to their own shallow passionate conceits and then in every book cryed out Repent Repent Repent of all your Rebellions from first to last you Presbyterians began the War and brought the King's head to the 〈…〉 cut it off And as they put in Lies among some truths so the people thought they put in their Duties among their sins when they called them to repent And if a man had professed repentance for the one without the other and had not mentioned all that they expected and made his Confessions according to their prescripts they would have cryed out Traytors Traytors and have pressed every word to be the Proclamation of another War So that all their calling for repentance was but an Ambuscade and Snare and most effectually prohibited all open repentance because it would have been Treason if it had not come up to their most unjust measures And all men thought silence safer with such men than Confession of fin And the sectaries were the more persuaded that their sin was no sin And this occasioned the greater obduration of their Enemies who cryed out None of them all repenteth and therefore they are ready to do the same again And so they justifyed themselves in all the Silencings Conâ—inings Imprisonments c. Which they inflicted on them and all the odious representations of them § 91. But that great Lie that the Presbyterians in the English Parliament began the War is such as doth as much tempt men that know it to question all the History that ever was written in the World as any thing that ever I heard spoken Reader I will tell it thee to thy admiration When the War was first raised there was but one Presbyterian known in all the Parliament There was not one Presbyterian known among all the Lord Lieutenants whom the Parliament Committed the Militia to There was not one Presbyterian known among all the General Officers of the Earl of Essex Army nor one among all the English Colonels Majors or Captains that ever I could hear of There were two or three swearing Scots of whom Vrrey turned to the King What their opinion was I know not nor is it considerable The truth is Presbytery was not then known in England except among a few studious Scholars nor well by them But it was the moderate Conformists and Episcopal Protestants who had been long in Parliaments crying out of Innovations Arminianism Popery but specially of Monopolies illegal taxes and the danger of Arbitrary Government who now raised the War against the rest whom they took to be guilty of all these things And a few Independents were among them but no considerable Number And yet these Conformists never cry out Repent ye Episcopal Conformists for it was you that began the War Much less Repent ye Arminian Grotian innoveling prelates who were reducing us so near Rome as Heylin in the Life of Laud describeth for it was you that kindled the Fire and that set your own party thus against you and made them wish for an Episcopacy doubly reformed 1 with better Bishops 2 with less secular power and smaller Diocesses § 92. Some moderate worthy men did excellently well answer this Book of Dr. Patrick's so as would have stated matters rightly but the danger of the Times made them suppress them and so they were never printed But Mr. Rowles late Minister at Thistleworth printed an Answer which sufficiently opened the faultiness of what he wrote against but wanting the Masculine strength and cautelousness
I so far defie any Accuser who will question my Loyalty that as I have taken the Oaths of Supremacy and of Allegiance and a special Oath of Fidelity when I was Sworn I know not why as His Majesty's Servant so I am ready to give a much fulle◠signification of my Loyalty than that Oath if I had taken it would be And to own all that is said for the Power of Kings and of the Subject's Obedience and Non-resistance by any or all the Councils and Confessions of any Christian Churches upon Earth whether Greeks or Romans Reformed Episcopal Presbyterian or any that are fit to be owned as Christians that ever came to my notice besides what is contained in the Laws of our own Land And if this will not serve I shall patiently wait in my Appeal to the Un-erring Universal Judgment § 123. 2. In other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England At which Conventicle Meeting or Assembly there should be Five Persons or more Assembled over and above those of the Houshold Pos. 1. To Preach or Teach in a House not Consecrated for a Temple is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England Arg. 1. That which the Scripture expresly alloweth is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England But to Preach and Teach even Multitudes in Houses and other places not so Consecrated the Scripture expresly alloweth Ergo. The Major is proved 1. Because the Book of Ordination requireth that all that are Ordained shall promise to Instruct the People out of the Holy Scripture being persuaded that they contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of Necessity to Salvation and to teach no other And with all Faithful Diligence to banish all Doctrines contrary to God's Word And to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations as well to the Sick as to the whole as need shall require and occasion shall be given 2 The same Sufficiency of the Scripture is asserted in the 6th Article of the Church And Article 20. bindeth us to hold That it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to God's written Word So Art 21. more 3. The said Scriptures are appointed by the Rubrick to be read as the Word of God himself 4. The Law of the Land declareth That nothing shall be taken for Law which is contrary to the Word of God 5. The First and Second Homily shew the sufficiency of it and necessity to all Men. The Minor is proved 1. from Acts 20. 20. 7 8 28. last 8. 4 25 35. 10. 34. 12. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Mat. 5. 1 2. Mark 2. 13. 10. 1. Luke 5. 3. 13. 26. 2. From those Texts which command Christ's Ministers to Preach and not forbear Therefore if they be forbidden to Preach in the Temples they must do it elsewhere Iohn 21. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 9. 16. Acts 4. 18 19 20. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Luke 9. 62. 3. From the Expository Practice of the Church in all Ages 4. From the Expository Practice of the Universal Church of England who Preached in Houses in the time of their late Restraint by Cromwel Arg. 2. The Church of England bindeth Ministers to Teach both publickly and privately in their Ordination as afore recited 2. In the Liturgy for the Visitation and Communion of the Sick it alloweth private Exhortation Prayer and Sacraments 3. The 13 Canon requireth that the Lord's Day and other Holy-Days be spent in publick and private Prayers And the very Canon 71. which most restraineth us from Preaching and Administring the Sacrament in private Houses doth expresly except Times of necessity when any is so impotent as he cannot go to Church or dangerously sick c. 4. The instructing of our Families and Praying with them is not disallowed by the Church And I my self have a Family and Persons impotent therein who cannot go to Church to Teach Arg. 3. The 76 Can. condemneth every Minister who voluntarily relinquisheth his Ministry and liveth as a Lay-Man Ergo We must forbear no more of the Ministerial Work than is forbidden us Pos. 2. The number of Persons present above Four cannot be meant by this Act as that which maketh the Religious Exercise to be in other manner than allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church Arg. 1. Because the manner of the Exercise and the number of Persons are most expresly distinguished And the restraint of the number is expresly affixed only to them who shall use such unallowed manner of Religious Exercises not medling at all with others The Words at which Conventicle c. do shew the Meeting to be before described by the manner of Exercise Otherwise the Words would be worse than Non-sense 2. Because if the Words be not so interpreted then they must condemn all our Church Meetings for having above four As if they had said where Five are met it is contrary to the Liturgy of the Church which cannot be If it be said That for above Four to meet in a House is not allowed by the Church I Answer 1. That is a Matter which this Act meddleth not with as is proved by the foresaid distinguishing the manner of Exercise from the number of Persons 2. Nor doth the Act speak of private Houses or put any difference between them and Churches but equally restraineth Meetings in Churches which are for disallowed Exercises of Religion 3. Nor is it true in it self that the Church disalloweth the number of Five in private Houses as is proved before But it contrarily requireth that at private Communions there shall be Neighbours got to Communicate and not fewer than three or two And at private Baptisms and other occasions the number is not limited by the Church at all 3. Because the Act is directed only against seditious Sectaries and their Conventicles 4. Because the Words of the Act shew that the Law-makers concur with the sence of the Church of England which is no where so strict against Nonconformity as in the Canons And in these Canons viz. 73 and 11. A Conventicle is purposely and plainly descibed to be such other Meetings Assemblies or Congregations than are by the Laws held and allowed which challenge to themselves the Name of true and lawful Churches Or else secret Meetings of Priests or Ministers to consult upon any matter or course to be taken by them or upon their motion or direction by any other which may any way tend to the impeachment or depriving of the Doctrine of the Church of England or the book of common-Common-Prayer or of any part of the Government and Discipline of the Church So that where there is no such Consultation of Ministers nor no Assemblies that challenge to themselves the Name of true and Lawful Churches distinct from the allowed Assemblies there are no Conventicles in the sence of the Canons of the Church of England which this Act professeth to
are various degrees of Guilt If you made a Canon that all the present Conformists should take the Pope with Bishop Bramhall to be Patriarch of the West and Principium Vnitatis to the Universal Church or should own the Church of Rome the Council of Trent and the rest as far as Grotius did or should subscribe that the Septuagint is to be preferred before the Hebrew Text Or if it were but these and not those of all the various Readings are the right or that there is not a word faulty in our Old Translation or New or in any Book that ever the Convocation approved of as well as the Liturgy c. If all this should prove lawful as it never will and they should turn Nonconformists to your Canon and hereupon they should all be silenced and Popery thereupon come in Who were guilty of all this They with that degree of guilt which all Men have in that they are imperfect Or you with that more heinous Guilt which is incomparably greater If you said All Ministers shall be Silenced and People Excommunicated that have any Error and Sin Their Error and Sin is some Culpable Cause of the Consequent ruin of the Church but nothing in comparison of Yours who are the Grand Cause Strict And for this if they refuse to stand to the Judgment of Foreign Churches I refer them to Mr. Baxter one of the most Eminent Divines of their own party who in the 2d Chapter of the last of his 5 Disputations having enumerated the Controverted Ceremonies viz. the Surplice Kneeling at the Lord's Supper the Rails and the Cross in Baptism though he finds fault with the imposing of them which the Governours are to answer for yet that they may be obeyed without sin which are all that Subjects are concerned in he concludes of all but the Cross in Baptism only which he would not have excepted neither if it were used as we say it is as a Teaching or a Professing Sign only and not as a Sacramental as he mistaketh it to be for we do not use it as a means to confer Grace which is the formalis ratio of a Sacramental-Sign but to signifie and put us in mind of Grace only The like he concludes concerning the use of the Liturgy And as for the Government the Proposer doth not propose the Alteration of it and consequently implyeth it may be submitted to as it is without sin Ans. 1. You speak all this against your self to tell the World how narrow your Church and how strait your Charity is whilst he that you say is so much of your Mind is judged unworthy to be permitted to Preach the Gospel of Christ and worthier to lye in a Common Gaol among Thieves and Rogues yea that it is better for any Congregation to have no Minister than such All this Complyance with you is as good as none to procure him but leave to Preach Repentance For he offered you to Preach only on the Creed and Catechism and could not prevail though responsible for any thing said amiss And he challengeth you to name any one of all the Complying Principles of that Book which he hath ever receded from or contradicted 2. They refuse not to stand to the Judgment of other Protestant Churches that shall hear themselves speak for themselves 3. Did Mr. Baxter in that Book or any where else say That it is Lawful to Subscribe according to the Canon as ex Animo that there is nothing in your Liturgy or Book of Ordination contrary to the Word of God Or that the English Diocesan Frame may be Sworn to for Obedience Or that King or Parliament have not power to make or Endeavour any alteration of your Church-Government if they had sworn it no nor a Lay-Chancellor's Spiritual Power 〈◊〉 any subiect to Petition or any way endeavour the same if he had sworn it 〈◊〉 Did he ever say that it was lawful to Excommunicate as many of Christ's faithâ—â—â— Members either by Pronunciation or Rejecting them from Communion aâ— the Bishops or Chancellor will command him Or to deny Baptism to the Children of all that Scruple Crossing them or that insist on their duty of Covenanting in their Children's Name themselves Did he ever say that your New Subscription Declaration Oath or Re-ordination are Lawful I think not 4. He that can submit to your Government that is peaceably obey you without sin cannot threfore Subscribe that you stand by a Divine Right or that all is faultless and nothing alterable in your Government He would have lived peaceably in Israel when the Priesthood was Corrupted and the High-Places not taken down or in the Greek Church where are many faults or among the â—â—menians or Abassâ—nes but he would have lain in Gaol rather than make a Covenant Contrary to part of his Baptismal Vow never to obey God in endeavouring any reformation of these in his place and Calling telling all others that none of them are bound to do it no not if they had Vowed it Or rather than he would have Subscribed his Approbation and Consent to all and Covenanted to live and die impenitently herein He taketh not these for things indifferent But we find that you will not let men live under you quietly on Terms of patient submission unless they be fully of your mind You say the Proposer proposeth not the alteration of the Government Therefore it may be submitted to without sin He proposeth it not because he knoweth you would not consent Bishop Vsher's Primitive Episcopacy was the Government desired in vain for our Healing 1660. But again I say All thâ—â— may be submitted to may not by Subscriptions Covenants or Oaths be justified and approved 5. Lastly As to the Cross he then thought and thinks still that it is forbidden by the Second Commandment and that as an Image and Symbol of Christianity and a New Humane Sacrament of which before If possibly Light may have any Acceptance I will adjoyn these Questions for the Opponent whosoever Qu. 1. Do you not believe in your Conscience that Agreement would be more easie and common on our Terms of Meer Christianity and Things Necessary than on Yours by adding many things doubted of and needless Will not more agree in the Creed than in Aquinas's Sums if it were all true Q. 2. Doth not the knowledge of Humane Darkness and Variety of Educations Tempers Interests Converse c. and the Paucity of very knowing Men convince you that Concord must be in few and great and evident things Q. 3. Doth not the Experience of all Ages prove it past doubt Q. 4. Doth not the Conscience of your own Frailty and imperfect Knowledge moderate you Dare you say That you are not ignorant of plainer and greater things than we suffer about Q. 5. Do you not hold That God must be first obeyed and none against him And should not a desire to obey God first be cherished And do you cherish it by saying to us Though you
the 1 st 1662 nor ever since had any nor the offer of any And therefore the Law imposeth not on me the Declaration or the Assent or Consent no more than on Lawyers or Judges 2. I have the Bishop of London's License to Preach in his Diocess which supposeth me no Nonconformist in Law-sence And I have the Judgment of Lawyers even of the present Lord Chief Justice and Mr. Pollexfen that by that License I may Preach occasional Sermons 3. I have Episcopal Ordination and judge it gross Sacriledge to forsake my Calling 4. I am justified against suspicion of Rebellious Doctrine many ways 1. By my publick Retractation of any old accused words or writings 2. I was chosen alone to Preach the Publick Thanksgiving at St. Paul's for General Monk's success 3. The Commons in Parliament chose me to Preach to them at their Publick Fast for the King's Restoration and call'd him home the next day 4. I was Sworn Chaplain in Ordinary to the King 5. I was offered a Bishoprick 6. The Lord Chancellor who offered it attested under his hand His Majesty's Sense of my Defert and His Acceptance 7. I am justifyed in the King's Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs among the rest there mention'd 8. When I Preached before the King he commanded the Printing of my Sermon 9. To which may be added the Act of Oblivion 10. And having published above an Hundred Books I was never yet convict of any ill Doctrine since any of the said Acts of King Parliament and others for my Discharge and Justification 5. I have oft Printed my judgment for Communion with the Parish Churches and exhorted others to it And having built a Chappel delivered it for Parish use 6. I was never lawfully Convict of Preaching in an unlawful Assembly for I was not once summon'd by the Justices that granted out the Five Warrants against me to answer for my self nor ever told who was my Accuser or who Witnessed against me And I have it under the hand of the present Lord Chief Justice that a Lawful Conviction supposeth Summons And the Lord Chief Justice Vaughan with Judge Tyrrel Archer and Wild did long ago discharge me upon their declaring that even the Warrant of my Commitment was illegal because no Accuser or Witness was named and so I was left remediless in case of false Accusation 7. As far as I understand it I never did Preach in any unlawful Assembly which was on pretence of any Exercise of Religion contrary to Law I Preached in Parish Churches where the Liturgy was Read as oft as I had leave and invitation And when I could not have that leave I never took any Pastoral Charge nor Preached for any Stipend but not daring perfidiously to desert the Calling which I was Ordained and Vowed to I Preacht occasional Sermons in other Men's Houses where was nothing done that I know of contrary to Law There was nothing done but Reading the Psalms and Chapters and the Creed Commandments and Lord's Prayer and Singing Psalms and Preaying and Praching and none of this is forbidden by Law The Omission of the rest of the Liturgy is no Act but a not-acting and therefore is no pretended Worship according to Law But were it otherwise the Law doth not impose the Liturgy on Families but only on Churches and a Family is not forbidden to have more than four Neighbours at saying Grace or Prayer nor is bound to give over Family-worship when-ever more than Four come in The Act alloweth Four to be present at Unlawful Worship but forbids not more to be present at Lawful Worship And House-worship without the Liturgy is lawful worship And yet if this were not so as the Curate's Omission of the Prayers makes not the Preacher and Assembly guilty suppose it were an Assize-Sermon that for hast omitted the Liturgy so the owner of the House by omitting the Liturgy maketh not him guilty that was not bound to use it nor the Meeting unlawful to any but himself Charity and Loyalty bind us to believe that our King and Parliament who allow more than many Four's to meet at a Play-house Tavern or Feast never meant to forbid more than Four to bâ—â—ogether in a House to sing a Psalm or Pray or Read a Licensed Book or edifie each other by Godly Conference while no Crime is found by any Man in the Matter of their Doctrine or Prayer and no Law imposeth the Liturgy on any but Church-Meetings If after many years Reproach once Imprisonment and the late Distress and Sale of all my Books and Goods and those that were none of mine but another's and this by five or six Warrants for present Execution without any Summons or Notice of Accusers or Witnesses I could yet have leave to die in peace and had not been again persecuted with new Inditements I had not presumed thus to plead or open my own Cause I Pray God that my Prosecutors and Judges may be so prepared for their near Account that they may have no greater sin laid to their Charge than keeping my Ordination-Vow is and not Sacrilegiously forsaking my Calling who have had so good a Master so good a Word so good Success and so much Attestation from King Parliament City and Bishops as I have haâ— If they ask why I Conform not I say I do as far as any Law bindeth me If they ask why I take not this Oath I say Because I neither understand it nor can prevail with Rulers to Explain it And if have a good sence I have not only subscribed to it but to much more in a Book called The second Plea for Peace page 60 61 62. Where also I have professed my Loyalty much further than this Oath extendeth But if it have a bad sence I will not take it And I find the Conformists utterly disagreed of the Sence and most that I hear of renouncing that sence which the words signifie in their common use And knowing that Perjury is a mortal Enemy to the Life and Safety of Kings and the Peace of Kingdoms and to Converse and to Man's Salvation I will not dally with such a dangerous Crime Nor will I deceive my Rulers by Stretches and Equivocations nor do I believe Lying lawful after all that Grotius de Iure Belli and Bishop Taylor Duct Dub. have said for it I think Oaths imposed are to be taken in the ordinary sense of the words if the Imposers put not another on them And I dare not Swear that a Commission under the Broad-Seal is no Commission till I that am no Lawyer know it to be Legal Nor yet that the Lord Keeper may Depose the King without resistance by Sealing Commissions to Traytors to seize on his Forts Navy Militia or Treasure Nor can I consent to make all the present Church-Government as unalterable as the Monarchy especially when the Seventh Canon extendeth it to an caetèra to Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Arch-deacons and the rest that bear Office in the same not
sinful Omission of the People that will not first privately and then before witness and then to the Church or Pastor admonish the Offenders this is the Sin of Pastors and People but nullifieth not the Church or Office 12. Through God's great Mercy the Doctrine professed by the Church of England and usually preached in many thousand Parish Churches is sound and as well preached as in any other known Kingdom on Earth though Ministers have had their Sins which we still smart for and by 13. There is nothing in the Liturgy-worship which the Laity in the Congregation are ordinarily to perform or joyn in which they may not lawfully do or joyn in or be present at most that needeth Reformation being in Rubricks and By-Offices Baptizing Confirmation Excommunications Absolutions Burials and in the Ministers part 14. The Ministers have all the three parts that can be accounted by any party necessary to an outward Call 1. They have the Magistrates Consent by his Law who is Judge whom he will maintain and tolerate 2. They have the Ordainers Consent and Mission Bishops and Presbyters who are Judges whom to Ordain 3. They have the Communicants Consent expressed in their constant Attendance and Communicating who are the discerning Judges to whom to commit the Pastoral Care and Conduct of their own Souls And though more be desirable no more is of necessity 15. The Confederate Parish-Churches of England that have able godly Pastors want nothing which CHRIST or his APOSTLES or the UNIVERSAL CHURCH of Christ for Six hundred years yea or to this day did ever make or judge necessary to the being of Ministers or Church Nor have the said Churches any Errour or Sin in Doctrine Worship or Government which either Christ or his Apostles or the Universal Church for Six hundred years after Christ did judge inconsistent with the being of a valid Minister and true visible Churches The large proof of these Fifteen Propositions I offer though too long now to perform which though they will not justifie such Ministerial Conformity as I have been urged to yet you may easily see by them 1. What Church-Frame is most agreeable to Scripture 2. And what to judge of the false Accusers of the Church 3. How far Separation is sinful Division and contrary to Christian Love and Union I know the Dividers say 1. That I am turned Conformist 2. And why do I not Conform if I think so well of the Parish Churches and Liturgy And 3. Why have I lost above Twenty thousand pounds in Five and twenty years by refusing a Bishoprick and other Preferments To whom I answer If our printed Proposals Disputes and Petitions for Peace in 1661. and my first second and third Plea for Peace and many more such Writings and my Cure of Church Divisions and my Book for the true and only way of Church Concord and my Confutation of many that made me a Separatist while I Communicated in my Parish Church and never gathered a Church meerly because I forsook not my Ministry but gratis preached a Lecture and my Book against Sacrilegious Desertion of the Ministry I say if all these Books will not silence these ignorant Objectors nor restrain them from speaking evil of that which they understand not I owe them no more nor can hope to cure their quarrelsome Ignorance should I say or write never so much more They have contemned so many excellent Rulers and Pastors single and Assemblies far wiser than I and so censoriously condemn almost all the Body or Church of Christ on Earth that I am not so vain as to expect to escape their Censure Even in New-England not only Mr. Wilson Mr. Norton and such other single Independent Ministers lived and died in lamented Separation and warning the Land against it as their danger but their Synods have been at much trouble thereby and left their Healing Determinations and Testimony against that Dividing Spirit and Way They that would see more may read a small Book of Mr. Philip Nye for Hearing the Parish Preachers and a bigger Book of Mr. Iohn Tombes the greatest and most learned Writer against Infant-Baptism vindicating the Lawfulness and Duty of joyning in ordinary Communion in Word Prayer and Sacrament with the Parish-Churches Dr. Thomas Goodwin on Ephes. 1. Serm. 36. pag. 488. explaining some Words in the foregoing Sermon IT was understood as if I said That all Parish Churches and Ministers generally were Churches and Ministers of Christ such as with whom Communion might be held I said not so I was wary in my Expressions I will only say this to you about it There is no Man that desireth Reformation in this Kingdom as the generality of all godly People do but will acknowledge and say That multitudes of Parishes where Ignorance and Prophaneness overwhelmeth the Generality Scandalousness and Simony the Ministers themselves that these are not Churches and Ministers fit to be held Communion with Only this The Ordinances that have been administred by them so far we must acknowledge them that they are not to be recalled or repeated again But here lyeth the Question my Brethren and my meaning Whereas now in some Parishes in this Kingdom there are many godly Men that do constantly give themselves up to the Worship of God in publick and meet together in one place to that end in a constant way under a godly Minister whom they themselves have chosen to cleave to though they did not choose him at first These notwithstanding their mixture and want of Discipline I never thought for my part but that they were true Churches of Christ and Sister-Churches and so ought to be acknowledged And the contrary was the Errour that I spake against Secondly For holding Communion with them I say as Sister-Churches occasionally as Strangers Men might hold Communion with them And it is acknowledged by all Divines that there is not that Obligation lying upon a Stranger that is not a Member of a Sister-Church to find fault in that Church or in a Member of it as doth on the Church it self to which one belongeth I will give you my Reasons that moved me to speak so much It was not simply to vent my own Judgment or simply to clear my self from that Errour but the Reasons or rather the Motives and Considerations that stirred me in it were these First If we should not acknowledge these Churches thus stated to be true Churches of Christ and their Ministers true Ministers and their Order such and hold Communion with them too in the Sence spoken of we must acknowledge No Church in all the Reformed Churches None of all the Churches in Scotland nor in Holland nor in Germany for they are All as full of mixture as ours And to deny that to our own Churches which we do not to the Churches abroad nothing can be more absurd And it will be very hard to think that there hath been no Church since the Reformation Secondly I know nothing tendeth more to the
against him 3. Lest they encourage Usurpers in these insolent Novelties and Corruptions which the ancient Churches never knew and came not into the Church till the Roman Papacy grew to some degree of Impudency in their Usurpations § 398. Yet these two things the Non-conformists are contented readily to do 1. To obey the Bishops Chancellors c. by meer Submission without an Oath in all things lawful To appear at their Courts and answer them with due reverence For they think that Subjection and Submission towards Usurpers greatly differ and that as in the late Cromwellian Usurpation in England many submitted as they would have done to a Robber whom they could not resist who yet would not swear Subjection nor do any thing which seemed to justifie his Usurpation or Title So here though they dare not state themselves by an Oath in the relation of Subjects to the Prelates yet they can obey them materially in lawful things 2. And they are willing to swear Obedience to them as they are the King's Officers commissioned by him to exercise such Coercive Power as belongeth to the Magistrate about Church Matters But not as they exercise the Power of the Keys in Absolving Excommunicating c. § 399. Object 1. It is but in licitis honestis that you swear to obey them And who will refuse things lawful and honest Answ. 1. But it is in the relation of our lawful Ordinaries that we are required to swear this Obedience to them It may be lawful and honest to do the things commanded when it is neither lawful nor honest to subject my self to the Commander as his Subject The most just Authority that is can command us nothing but licita honesta And if Cromwell or the Engaging piece of the Parliament had required me to swear Obedience to them in licitis honestis I think to have done it had been a subjecting my self to them as my Governours which had neither been licitum nor honestum If a Rebel now should usurp Authority against the King's will for the Government of Ireland or Scotland he that would go swear Obedience to him in licitis honestis I think would be disloyal 2. And it is Obedience according to the Canon which is their in licitis honestis And this is to Lay-Chancellors Exercise of the Keys and many other things which are supposed licita honesta but not yet proved to be so § 400. Object 2. What a Man may do he may swear to do But licita honesta a Man may do Ergo Answ. 1. I deny the Major as universally taken There is many a thing that may be done which may not be sworn Else you might swear to speak every word before you speak it and to do every trivial Action that you do 2. Some time the Oath reacheth further than the Act to be done even to the Relation in which it is done and the reason for which and this is the Case here So that here is a feigning of a false state of the Question which is not Whether we may swear to do licita honesta but whether we may swear to obey them as our lawful Ordinaries in licitis honestis 3. The Conclusion therefore might be granted without any Decision of the Controversie For the Question is not Whether we may swear to do such things but whether we may swear to obey those Men in that relation and to do those things sub formali ratione obedientiae Which their Loyalty to Christ their King they think prohibiteth What if you lived in a Popish Country would you swear to obey the Pope in licitis honestis If not you may see our Reasons while you give your own § 401. Object 3. The Scripture commandeth all Men to subject themselves one to another Answ. There is an Equivocation in the word subject The Text speaketh only of private submission and yielding to others voluntarily carrying our selves with that lowliness as Subjects do to their Rulers But this is nothing to publick relative stated subjection of which the Controversie is He would be but an ill Subject to the King or an ill Member of the Church who would make every man his King or his Pastor on this pretence that we must all subject our selves to each other § 402. Object 4. You are to swear Obedience to them only as Church-Magistrates appointed by the King Answ. That cannot be true because it is as our Ordinaries who have the power of Ordination Excommunication and Absolution and in the exercise of this power But the power of the Keys is not Magistratical § 403. V. The fifth Controversie is about Re-ordination Now in this the Nonconformists are the more shie 1. Because in our most Publick Meetings before the King and the Lords and the Bishops some of them as Dr. Gunning oft have openly declared that the Ordination which hath been in England without Bishops is null and those that were so Ordained without them are no Ministers but Lay-men And his Majesty himself hath signified openly his own Judgment accordingly that he would no more take the Sacrament from such then from Lay-men So that it being thus openly declared to be their sence and no one of their Bishops or Doctors contradicting it we have reason to think that by submitting to be Re-ordained Men do interpretatively confess the nullity of their former Ordination 2. And it is a new thing contrary to the Judgment and Practice of all the Reformed Churches 3. And there is a Canon among those called the Apostles which is express against it commanding the Deposition of the Ordainers and Ordained 4. I have fully proved in my Disputation of Church Government That the said Ordination without Diocesans is valid and better than the Prelates and was performed by such Bishops as were in Ignatius's days viz. City-Pastors who had Presbyters under them And no Man hath attempted to answer what I have there said 5. And at best to be Re-ordained seemeth but a taking of God's Name in vain and a solemn praying to God for that which they have already and a pretending de novo to receive that Authority which they had before And to come as upon a Stage thus ludicrously to play with holy Things to fulfil the Humours and confirm the claim of Usurpers is somewhat hard § 404. VI. The sixth Controversie is about the first Declaration I do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entituled c. Here the Non-conformists have to do with two sorts the willing and the unwilling Conformists The first say that this Declaration may be lawfully made in its proper sence The Non-conformists refer you for the Answer of this to all their foregoing Exceptions against the Book besides what they have said against our Order of Diocesans and so against the Book of Ordination which asserteth three Orders as of Divine Institution And besides