swallow a Steeple either with the Spire downward lest it should prick their Conscience nor with the Tower lest the Weather Cock should appear at top and shew how the wind blows as I think the Story is fasten'd on A. B. Yet shall make no scruple of swallowing Church and Church Land nay if they are not belied have already divided the spoil and taken into their possession the houses of God not considering that as the Psalmist expresses it Ps 83.13 God hath already once made them like a wheel and as the stubble before the wind that they are not yet so sure of the time but that the wheel that lifts them up may bring them down If I say the contrary things to what I wish they were not guilty of be our unpardonable crimes we must we cannot but own and glory in our Infirmities But that I may not any longer detain your Ladyship from a particular Reply to the Letter which I profess to dedicate to you as the Minister doth his leaving it to your impartial judgment to determine of the Reasons he offers for his Non-Conformity which he grounds upon as he calls them Three grand Declarations requir'd to be made by all those who will conform the first concerning the Book of Common Prayer the second concerning taking up Arms against the King the third concerning the Solemn League and Covenant with reference to all which saith he especially the first and last I have had hitherto insuperable Objections against the making any such Declaration And in all these I shall follow him step by step in what he objects and argues against them Onely I cannot but observe the Pomp in which he dresses his Scruples and that though one of them be against the very Fundamentals not onely of ours but all Government I mean that of Taking up Arms against the King which in truth is to make good the Lawfulness of the Solemn League and Covenant 't is necessary he should assert The Covenant in its nature and design and as 't was applied and made use of by the first Contrivers of it having a direct tendency to Rebellion and for them that inbottom upon Rebellion in the State to profess and defend Schism in the Church is but suitable to the Synod's Principle of Disobedience from whom both proceed This being observ'd I now go on to trace him in the distinct Paragraphs of his Letter in the third of which he sets forth that the first Declaration concerning the Book of Common Prayer is to be made in these very words viz. I A. B. do declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entituled 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 form or manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons Madam here is required assent and consent yea unfeigned assent and consent and that it may be is one of his chief Scruples that he may not prevaricate with Authority were there allow'd but a little Equivocation in the case and the Dissenter permitted to give an assent and consent which were not unfeigned the Task had not been so intolerable but to require such an assent and consent as thus searches men to the bottom and beats the Hypocrite out of all his Subterfuges who can bear it And that not onely in this Book of Common Prayer but in the Book of God it self for so he argues in the fourth Paragraph telling us That he questions whether many a sober man would not scruple to declare so much concerning any copy of the Bible now extant in the world in any language whatever even the Originals themselves not excepted which by transcribing may have their faults and therefore every thing contained in them not to be unfeignedly assented and consented unto But to see then on how weak a foundation his Argument stands viz. 1. That to assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by this Book c. is to assent and consent to any Errata or faults that may escape in the transcribing the true copy 'T is I confess a new way of reasoning and such as I think a man of understanding cannot be in the least guided by for by that means there 's nothing in the world the most undoubted Articles of our Faith and unquestion'd Fundamentals of Religion I need give no other Instance than himself doth in the Bible which contains these that ought to be assented and consented to but 't is trivial to insist on such a Cavil and therefore I shall leave this to every man to consider with himself whether in matters of another nature and of the most weight concern in this World such as our Lives and Fortunes we do not think we may safely assent and consent to the contents of any writings that pass an Estate confirm our Liberties and Properties unless we likewise subscribe to the Errata which in the frequent copying out and transcribing the Records or Enrolled Deeds may happen 't is absurd to call those Errata the contents of such writings and if they were so yet neither would such a scruple affect us here because to what is contain'd is added likewise what is prescrib'd in and by the Book and unless A. B. can shew that the Errata are likewise prescrib'd in and by the Book that there is some Rubric to confirm them his Argument I am asham'd to give it that name will be altogether Captious and Nugatory Again 2. He insinuates that for any persons to require assent and consent in this manner is to suppose themselves Infallible this is the sum of his 5th Paragraph But how odious an inference is this and how destructive of the Reason of all Laws Must not by this Argument every Lawgiver be suppos'd to be infallible the end of all whose injunctions are to be assented and consented to and if Men refuse to yield the obedience requir'd they know and are to abide by the Punishment or Sanction of the Law and yet never any yet urged that against their Laws And is it any more that is done here we require not this assent and consent from all that will be Christians the Declaration reaches not Men in their private capacity but only such as shall desire to come into any public charge in the Church and if it be necessary there should be a Rule for Uniformity they thought so I am sure who devis'd and impos'd their Directory 't is necessary that Men subscribe to it subscribe to it not as an absolute Rule of Conscience but as a Rule of Peace and Order and this is all the Church requires that they so far submit their Will and Vnderstanding to their Governors as for these ends
Reward of prosperous Mischief yet will it not be bitterness in the end and can those men that hold out the Argument persons most of them who were actually engaged in the last Troubles and most of them men of Years think that should they escape the Violence they stir up it cannot be long e're Nature would call upon them to give an account how comfortable an account let them consider to say no worse I would speak as charitably as I can of their mistaken Zeal But 't is our Zeal too they are offended at that beyond what our preceding Governours did with reference to this Book of Common Prayer we thus strictly enjoyn that Ministers do declare their unfeigned assent and consent All that they required being That it should be read and used and the Rites and Ceremonies of it to be duly observ'd And was that all they requir'd and yet could they then find in their hearts to rise up against such Meekness and Lenity Or is not the Case very different from what it then was Are not the Men we have to deal with those who were gone off from all Obedience to Church or State and is it not reason we take some Pledge of them for their future Integrity Is any man found guilty of a much less heinous Indictment and yet discharged without giving Sureties for his Behaviour If there were nothing else 't is necessary men should shew their actual repentance in what they have actually offended Shall men who have broken through Oaths of Allegiance to their Prince and of Canonical Obedience to their Diocesans men who have subscribed the Canons and Articles of the Church and have prevaricated in both men that gave the early Test of what they were driving at as we are not without Instances of this nature before the breaking out of the last Civil War to require when called to it in order to their Degrees in the Vniversities that they might Subscribe in their own Sence Shall I say such men be displeas'd if we cannot take the Viper into our breast without pulling out the Sting that we dare not admit men of these Principles and Practises to come into the Church without giving such Caution of their being in good earnest as may justifie those in admitting them who have the care of the public and should be very bad Pastors of Christ's Flock should they knowingly receive Wolves instead of Sheep intot he Fold Although when all the Care is taken that can be I doubt not some such there will be some such whom these men teach to be Hypocrites in so serious a Profession as that of a Minister those I mean whom they pity in their Conformity as doing what they would not do if they were not forced to it Alas good men 't is the restraint that is upon them makes them do what they do and therefore as a Shiboleth to their party how do they Curtail the Prayers With what Negligence and Oscitency do they read what they do not curtail forgetting that whatever they may think God will not be mocked 't is his Name is called upon his Spirit is present and cannot but judge the falshood of such a Heart However these are the men that do their work these are they whom they countenance among us and these whom we cannot but be ashamed of and compassion the poor misguided people who are taught to look upon those as Holy and Godly Men who thus professedly offer the Sacrifice of Fools But to follow A. B. in his Argument he proceeds Parag. 8. to explain what is meant by Assent and Consent Which saith he with reference to the party assenting relates to his understanding and with reference to the thing assented to relates to the truth and rightfulness of it And with reference to the party consenting relates to his will and with reference to the thing consented to relates to the goodness expediency and behoofulness of it According to which Action saith he when I declare my unfeigned assent to all and every thing contained in and prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer 't is as to what is true and right and not to the least error in it from top to bottom not in any Rite or Ceremony not in the form and manner of making ordaining and conscrating Bishops Priests or Deacons no not so much as in pointing the Psalms or in any other tittle or circumstance So again when I declare my unfeigned consent c. it is as if I had declared That I heartily and cordially close in and chuse every thing mention'd and prescrib'd in the said Book as good and expedient as most eligible and behooful to be done practised and observ'd And this is the reason he adds why he dares as well eat hot fire coals as declare his unfeigned assent and consent c. because many things are therein contain'd and prescrib'd which he deems scarce right and true however right and true he doth deem them much less good and expedient to be done and embrac'd To which in summe I answer as above that 't is not necessary to the assent and consent here requir'd that every particular person should take upon him expresly to determine in all these Points 't is sufficient that nothing is sinful much less doth it become his Humility to oppose the Opinion he hath of a thing 's being good and expedient to the Sense and Reason of his Governours 't is matter of Obedience belongs to him and it little avails whether he thinks it expedient as long as those to whose Judgments he hath as much reason to incline as to his own especially in a thing that himself dares not say is sinful though he think it so But to weigh what the things are which he scruples and pitches onely upon two or three viz. 1. The Order of reading the holy Scripture Parag. 9. 2. The Order of Ministration of Baptism 3. The Order of the Burial of the Dead And with these he concludes his Paper Parag. 19. Now to examine how far these are real and just Scruples of Non-Conformity First As to the Order of reading the holy Scripture Parag. 9. the Exception is because many Books of the Apocrypha are commanded to be read and some Books of the sacred Canon are wholly left out some of them but part to be read some of them curtail'd and mutilated as to the several Chapters contained in them Where I cannot but observe a very different Zeal in A. B. Paragr 4. he had said That he questions whether many a sober man would not scruple to declare his Assent and Consent concerning any Copy of the Bible now extant in the World in any Language whatsoever even the Orginals themselves not excepted because by transcribing it may have faults I am very glad to find him now so concern'd for the holy Scripture and there 's no honest Church of England-man who will not joyn with him in it Only we desire that our Governours be not blamed if
according to their best discretion they have chosen out such parts of Scripture to be read in the Congregation which are most intelligible if they omitted others such as many Chapters of the Chronicles and Revelation are which they thought would not be for the Edification of a vulgar Auditory And if they have mixed some of the Apocrypha they are withall such parts of it as may be of wholsom Instruction and for their equailing these with the holy Scripture properly so called 't is sufficient that 't is in our Articles declared what Books we look upon as Canonical what as Apocryphal and that we neither disguise nor recommend either but under their proper Names And whether this be a Reason to break Communion with a Church let any man Judge especially since 't is no new thing to recommend Books that are not Scripture to be kept and exposed in the Church to public use such as Erasmus his Paraphrase Foxe's Martyrology c. and yet these are not scrupled at His next Scruple is Secondly Against the Order appointed for the Ministration of Baptism and that upon these three accounts 1. Because of Godfathers and Godmathers 2. Because of the Cross 3. Because of what is annexed to the end of the Sacrament I. He doth not approve of the strict requiring of Godfathers and Godmathers to stand as Sureties and Vndertakers for the Child to be baptized viz. That he shall renounce the Devil and all his Works and constantly believe God's holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments But whether A. B. approve them or no I can shew him those that did approve them very early in the Church and that the common Consent of the whole Church both Eastern and Western hath ever since run along with that Practice But to weigh his Reasons and those of such moment that they are sufficient with him as I just now observ'd to justifie his deserting the Communion of the Church for 1. Because it is unscriptural 2. Because in the interim the Father of the Child is left out 3. Because Godfathers and Godmothers are generally brought to the Font to avouch a great untruth and make themselves obnoxious of lying and perjury in the Face of God and the Church To the first that t is Vnscriptural 1. 'T is not necessary it should be mentioned in Scripture 't is sufficient if the Practice of the Church confirm it and it be not against the Rule or Analogy of Scripture Besides 2. It cannot be suppos'd it should be prescribed in Scripture the receiving of Persons by Baptism there being upon their own actual Faith and before there was any constituted national Church wherein this Order could be observ'd and 't was sufficient that the Children were admitted then to Baptism as they were into the Covenant that is by the Faith of the Parents which is the Reason why they are now capable of the Ordinance and were the taking in of Godfathers only abundans cautela 't is the first time that any deserted a Church because it took the best Care it could of its Members Nor is it reasonable in the second place 2. To Object That in the interim the Father of the Child is left out when the receiving the Child suppose the Father concern'd in it because 't is through his Faith he is in the Covenant and as to his particular ingaging for the Child's Education he must be worse than an Infidel if he do not take care for those of his own House 3. Much less can it bear any weight with considering men that he insinuates The Godfathers and Godmothers being generally brought to the Font to avouch a great untruth and make themselves obnoxious of lying and perjury in the Face of God and the Church Because if they are guilty of this this is their abuse of what is well intended and that can no more make against the having Godfathers and Godmothers for the Child because t is possible they may neglect their Duty than it doth against Baptizing the Child at all because he may not answer the intents and purposes of that Solemn Vow or of admitting the Father himself to be a Sponsor in this case because he may be careless in the matter Besides not to admit Godfathers and Godmothers might in some cases be totally to debar the Child of Baptism because it may so fall out that the Father may be dead before the Child is born and then how shall he be offered to Baptism And as for A. B's Supposition that A Parent should tax his Gossips with their neglect and the great mischief accruing to the Child upon that very account doth he not much more tax himself who shall make such an Argument against this practice which can signifie nothing if he do but discharge his own Duty How fallacious a conclusion is it because men neglect their Duty therefore they are not to be engaged in it II. And then as to his Reasoning against the Cross Par. 13. 't is so trifling that I wonder with what Face any can urge it viz. Because whereas 't is said We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's Flock and do sign him with the sign of the Cross in Token hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified c. Now saith he this word In token is to him a meer Riddle 't is much it should be so there being no word of a more vulgar use and implies as much as a sign of Remembrance which is the very sence to which 't is here applied Only he hath a sence to wrest it to in which he knows the Church of England never took it and therein he gives a mighty Proof of his Charity that he cannot joyn in Communion with the Church of England lest some other of less understanding than himself should mistake the sence of one word in the Liturgy 't is I confess an extraordinary sort of Zeal to make anothers want of Judgment the measure of my Religion But there 's a farther design in that than every one observes put a false gloss upon the Text and then condemn it of Heresie misinterpret the words and impeach the Church of the ill consequences But what then is it we must spell out of this mighty Niceness I am saith he apt to believe the generality may much mistake it mistake it then it seems they must before they can misjudge it as if when it is said in Token it had been said In Virtue and Power of this Sign another man it may be would be apt to believe that they could not thus mistake it it being altogether Foreign from the use of the word so to understand it But 't is all one put the rub in the way that you may be sure not to lose your pains in proving 't is necessary it should be removed For my part I cannot tell how any thing but an industrious love of mistaking could have given him that sence of the word and