First Though a Man cannot at the same time wholly Assent and Dissent yet there are means for the rectifying of a false persuasion and he may upon good Ground change his Mind Secondly No Man's Mind can be forced for it is beyond the reach of Humane Power Thirdly Good Governours do not use Severity to force Men to dissemble their Minds and to make them Hypocrites but to move them after a Tryal of fair means to greater consideration I am not concerned in the Emblem of the Persian Dervi who whilst they go about their Office of teaching the Law to the People carry a great Club in their hand But neither do I think that the best way to remove pernitious error from Men is never to give them any disturbance in it I have two things only to recommend first to the consideration and then to the practice of such as Dissent First This is a time of Prosecution and a time of Adversity is a proper time for Consideration and Consideration is a means to make us hold fast that which is good and reject that which is evil I beseech you make such advantage of this Juncture Sit down and think once more of the Nature of this Church Confer with the Guides of the National Religion read without prejudice the Books commended by them to you Peruse seriously the Books which Authority hath set forth Some who have spoken against them have by their own confession never read them Examine and Judge Many of your Scruples have arisen from what you have heard and read they would not have otherwise been ingendred in your Minds Hear and Read for your Information as well as your entanglement Secondly Do as much as you can do Do as much as the Dissenters who are most eminent for Learning Piety Preaching Writing Experience and Fame sometimes actually do They have owned our Communion to be lawful They have received the Communion kneeling They have bred up Children to the Ministry of this Church They have joyned in the Liturgy They have been Married according to the Form of it Nay one who assisted in making the Directory would have his own Daughter in those times be Married in the way of the Book of Common-Prayer Do as the antient Non-conformists did who would not separate though they feared to Subscribe Who wrote with such Zeal against those of the Separation that Mr. Hildersham was called The Maul of the Brownists Do more for the Peace of God's Church then for a Vote or Office or Fear of Legal Penalty Come as Christians to the Sacrament and not as Politicians Those who have so done yet break the unity of the Church are said to use the Arts of Jesuites and to be without all excuse by a Dissenter who writes with commendable temper Do constantly what you do upon occasion No Preaching or Praying which is better liked can ballance the evil of Separation from a Church which imposeth no terms of Communion which are sinful For Peace sake let that be more constant in which your Conscience alloweth occasional exercise A Member who joyns himself to any established Church and also to any Churches which are set up not as legal Supplements of it but as Forts against it seems to be a kind of Wooden Legg if I may represent so grave a matter by so light a Similitude He is tyed on and taken off at pleasure he is not as by natural Ligaments and Nerves knit to such Ecclesiastical Bodies If all would do constantly what they can in Conscience do sometimes they would create a better Opinion of themselves in the Governours and move them to all due favour and hinder all the destructive breaches amongst us For the remain of other Dissenters would be so inconsiderable as to abide in the Body of the Nation as ill humors thrown off to the extream parts from which there may arise some little pain but no mortal danger Now the God of Peace grant Peace to us always by all fit means The END The Introduction The Argument it self It s Partition and Method The Ends of the Dissenters * Melvil's Memoirs p. 2. The first Branch of the first End of the Dissenters viz. Union in a National Church * July 17. 1640. Whitlock's Memorials p. 45. * A. 1644. Id. ibid. p. 117. * In Sept. 15. 1646. Diurnal p. 1313. Whitlock's Memoirs p. 187. * Id. ib. p. 116. A. 44. Ib. A. 45. p. 189. * Harm Consent p. 20. * Mr. S. Symp. in Serm. of Reform A 1643. p. 29. * D Iohn Arr. in Ser. call'd The Great Wonder c. before the Commons A. 1646. p. 36. * Testim to Truth of Jesus Christ subsiribed Dec. 14. 1647. p. 31. ‖ See Hist. of Indep 2 part p 168. * In Myst. of Godlin c. Anno. 1649. Wynst in Saints Paradise C. 5. p. 54. c. * Whid Memoirs A. 1649. p. 430. * Id. ibid. * Salmon's Rout. in Pref. and p. 10 11 c. * On Sund. after East day Ann. 1649. H. of Indep part 2. p. 153. ‖ See View of the late Troubles p. 366. †E. M. L C. * Whitl Memoirs A. 1654. p. 592. * See their Declar. in A. 1655. in Whitl Me. p. 606. ‖ See Ed. Burroughs Trumpet of the Lord sounded p. 2. A. 56. †Whitl Memoirs p. 624. * Testim to the Truth of I. Chr. p. 30. * Mr. Hâ—â—l c. ‖ The Title of Mr. Edwards's book 1647. See Testim of Min. p. 20. * Oliver's Speech in the Painted Chamber Ian. 22. 54 at the Dissolv of the Parl. p. 29. 33. * Mr. Caryl in Ep. Ded. bef Ser. called the Arraign of Unbelief A. 45. The sâ—cond Branch of the 1st End of the Dissenters viz. Union by mutual forbearance * A 1647. Act of Assemb p. 2. * Harmon Consent A. 1648. p. 12. ‖ Protect Speech Ian. 22. 54 p. 28. * Petil. ap S. Aug. cont Petil. l. 2. Absit Absit à nostra conscientia â—t ad nostram fidem aliquem comp Ilamus c. ‖ Mr. Calâ—my in Ser. called The great danger of Covenant refusing A. 46. p. 3. * Lord Bacon's Pref. to Adv. of Learn ‖ Whitlock's Memories p. 276. * Episc. Exam. Thes. Cap. Op. vol. 1. par 2. p. 185. ‖ See Lettres Sinceres Trois partie Sixieme Lettre p. 111. Ruarl Epist. par 1. p. 415 416. * See Spirit of the Hatt p. 12 13 c. ‖ p. 27. †p. 41. The Principal End of the Dissenters the first part of it * Florentissima Anglia Ocellus ille Ecclesiarum Peculium Christi singulare c. * Coll. of Lett. p. 8. c. * See L. de Moulin's Advances c. p. 26. * De Confess Advers H. Hammond c. 1. p. 97 98. * See Rational Discourse of Prayer chiefly of Mystic Contemplation chap. 14. pag. 74. * A Bright Star centring in Christ our perfection Printed for H. Overton in Popes-Head Alley 1646. * Ch. 18. p. 189. * Picchia 〈◊〉 S. R. C. Posth p. 125. * Hist. des troubles dela grand Bret. a Paris 1661. liv 3. p 165 See short view of the late Troubl p. 564. ‖ Arbitr Government p. 28. †See Whitl Memoirs p. 279 280 282. * Exact Coll. p 647. * Id. ibid. p. 405. * Gangrena p. 16 par 2. * Narr sent up to the Lords from the Bishop of Hereford p. 7. ‖ Prot. Declaration Octob. 31. 1655. * In the Life of Bish. Fisher. p. 260 261. †V. Elench Mot. par 2. p. 341. ‖ H. Indep part 2. p. 245 c. * See Mr. Cotton's Lr. Exam. A. 44. p 4 5. Simplicit defence A. 1646. p. 22. Min. of Prov. of Lond. Testim p. 18. †Gee 's Foot out of the Snare p. 58 59. A. 1621. * Campan Disc. of Span. Mon. c. 25. p157 * Contâ— Polit. l. 2. chap. 18. Sect 9. * Journal des Scavans de l' Ann. 1665. p. 140. ‖ Iourn c. de l' An. 1666. p. 230 233. c. †V. Polit. of France * Moyens Surs c. pour la conversion de tous les Heretiques The second part of the second or more Principal End of the Dissenters * L. Bac. H. 7. p 164. * Ser. 6. on Nov. 5. 1614. * D. J. L. on Psal. 4. 4. Feb. 24. A. 1647. * Melvil's Mem. p 33. ‖ Whitl Memoirs p. 363. * Speech at the Dissol of the House Ian. 22. 1654. p. 22. * Id. ibid. p. 529. * Hill's Seâ— called Temple work A. 1644. †D. Crisp in Ser. called Our sins are already laid on Christ. p 274 275. ‖ H. of Indep part 2. p 152 153. ** Mert. Brit. N 13. Nov. A. 43. p. 97. * Die Jovis Febr. 4. 1646. ‖‖ Testlm to Truth of I. Chr. p. 31. * G. Fox in J. Perrot 's Hidden things brought to light p. 11. * Hist. of the World l. 2. 1. part c. 5. p. 249. * Mr. S. Sympson In A. 1643. Reform Preservat pl 26 27. * Ruth on Dan. 6. 26. p. 8. A. 1643. bes the Commons * Prayers at the end of Farewell Sermons Mr. U's Prayer bef Serm. p. 31. * Edwara's Gangrena part 1 Error 112. p. 25. * See Edw. Grangr 2. part p. 13. ‖ Directory for publick Worship p. 27. * Tavern Pers. Trav. l. 4. c. 6. p. 155 156. * See Lawf of hearing the publick Ministry c. by Mr. Nye Mr. Robinson c. and Mr. Corbet's Non-Conformists Plea for Lay-Communion * Mr. Marshall in Hist. of Indep 1 part p. 80. ‖ See Dr. Willit's Epistle Dedicatory before his Harm on 1 Sam. Schismaticorum Qul vulgò Brownistae malleum * Vox 〈…〉 6. p. 49 50 c.
the State-Party For All of them to expect to be united in one Uniform Body is to hope not only against the Grounds of Hope but of Possibility For the Parties are very many and very differing or rather very contrary and they cannot frame amongst them any common Scheme in which their Assents can be united What Communion for Example sake can the Presbyterians have with Arians Socinians Anabaptists Fifth-Monarchy-Men Sensual Millenaries Behmenists Familists Seekers Antinomians Ranters Sabbatarians Quakers Muggletonians Sweet-Singers These may associate in a Caravan but cannot joyn in the Communion of a Church Such a Church would be like the Family of Errour and her Daughters described in Mr. Spencer's Fairy-Queen of which none were alike unless in this that they were all deform'd And how shall the Christians of this present Church be disposed of to their just satisfaction They will never Incorporate with such a Medly of Religion and they are such both for their Quality and their number as not to be beneath a very serious Consideration For the Prevalent Party there seemeth to be both Reason and Experience against their hopes of Establishing themselves as a National Church These Reasons amongst others have moved me to entertain this Persuasive concerning them First Such a Party not maintaining Episcopal Government which hath obtained here from the Times of the Britaine 's who in the Apostolical Age received the Christian Religion and which is so agreeable to the Scheme of the Monarchy It is not probable that they shall easily procure an exchange of it for a newer Model by the general consent of Church or State I may add the Body of the People of England whose Genius renders them tenacious of their Antient Customs Again All the Parties amongst us have of late declared for Mutual Forbearance They cannot therefore be consistent with themselves if they frame such a National Constitution by which any Man who Dissents from it shall be otherwise dealt with then by personal Conference which also he must have liberty not to admit if he be persuaded it is not fit or safe for him And such a Body without any other nerves for its strength and motion for the Encouragement of those who are Members of it and the Discouragement of those who refuse its Communion will not long hold together Nor hath it means in it sufficient for the Ends to which it is designed And indeed by this means the Spiritual Power of Excommunication will be rendred of none Effect For what Punishment what Shame what Check will it be to Cross and Perverse Men if being shut out of the National Church they may with open Arms and with Applause due to real Converts be received into this or the other particular Congregation as it best suiteth with their good likeing Furthermore It is commonly said that since the Presbyterians have gathered Churches out of Churches there are not many true and proper Disciplinarians in England If it be so then Independency is amongst Dissenters the prevalent side and I know not how a National Church can be made up of Separate Independent Churches for each Congregation is a Church by it self and hath besides the general Covenant of Baptism a particular Church-Covenant and therefore it is difficult to imagine how all of them can be by any Coherence of the Parts united into one intire Society But be it supposed that the Disciplinarians are of all Parties the most numerous and prevalent yet Experience sheweth how hard a Work it is for all of them to form themselves into a Church of England In the late times of Publick disquiet they had great Power they had in humane appearance fair and promising Opportunities and yet there grew up at their Roots another Party which in Conclusion over-dropped them and brought their Interest into a sensible decay it being the nature of every Faction upon Victory obtain'd over their Common Adversary to subdivide In the Year 1640 The Commons had a debate about a new form of Ecclesiastical Iurisdiction And they agreed that every Shire should be a several Diocess That there should be constituted in each Shire a Presbytery of Twelve Divines with a President as a Bishop over them That this President with the Assistance of some of the Presbyters should Ordain Suspend Deprive Degrade Excommunicate That there should be a Diocesan Synod once a Year and each third Year a National Synod A while after it was voted by them that to have a Presbytery in the Church was according to the Word of God Many other Steps were made in favour of the Discipline The common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book was removed an Assembly of Divines was Established Their Directory was introduced they were united in the Bond of a solemn League and Covenant There was sent up from the County of Lancaster a Petition signed with 12000 Hands for the settling of Classes in those parts A Petition of the like importance was framed by divers of the Common-Council of London They seemed nigh the gaining of their Point yet they widely missed of it There was in the Assembly it self a ferment of Dissension Mr. Sympson and some others favoured an Independent Mr. Selden and some of his Admirers an Erastian Interest There was a Party in the Nation who were then called Dissenting Brethren and to these the Directory was as offensive as the Canons and Liturgy had been to those of the Discipline They drew up Reasons against the Directory of Church Government by Presbyters They afterwards Printed an open Remonstrance against Presbytery of which the Assembly complain'd to the House as of a Scandalous Libel And there were those who Reproach'd the Presbyterians in the same Phrases in which they had given vent to their displeasure against the Liturgy of the Church of England The Ministers of Lancashire complain'd concerning them That they had compared the Covenant to the Alcoran of the Turks and Mass of the Papists and service-Service-book of the Prelates As likewise that they said it was a Brazen-Serpent fit to be broken in pieces and ground to Powder rather then that Men should fall down and Worship it Amongst the Disciplinarians some were confident of Success One of them for he was not then gone over to the Part of the Independents expressed his assurance in these most unbecoming Words before the Commons It will said he bring such a Blot on God as He shall never wipe out if your poor Prayers should be turn'd into your own bosomes that Prayer for Reformation A Speech not fit to have been repeated if it were not necessary to learn Sobriety of Wisdom from the Remembrances of Extravagance in former Times Others acknowledg'd their hopes but did not dissemble their Fears Six years ago said a person eminent amongst them after this Parliament had sate a while it was generally believ'd that the Woman the Church was fallen into her Travel but she continues still in pain Insomuch as they begin to think she hath
the World that they were not so Popish and Earthly-minded as popular clamour had represented them Also their learned Books and Conferences reduced some and establish'd many and we owe a part of the stability of Men in those times to God's blessing on the Writings of Arch-bishop Land Mr. Chillingworth Dr. Bromhall Dr. Cosins Dr. Hammond and others Last of all It is the Opinion of the Papists themselves that their Cause is promoted by our Dissensions and according to these measures of Judgment they govern their Councils This was the Opinion of the Iesuite Companella in his Discourse touching the Spanish Monarchy written about the Year 1600 and in 54 publish'd at London in our Language Concerning the weakning of the English says that Jesuit there can no better way possibly be found out then by causing Divisions and Dissentions among themselves And as for their Religion it cannot be so easily extinguished and rooted out here unless there were some certain Schools set up in Flanders by means of which there should be scattered abroad the Seeds of Schism c. And whether these kinds of Seeds have not come from hence to us as well as those better ones of the Brabant-Husbandry remaineth not now any longer a question It was the Advice of the Iesuit Contzens To make as much use of the Divisions of Enemies as of the agreement of Friends After this manner it is that they manage themselves they endeavour to widen the Breach in order to the introducing of Popery into a divided Nation They will have hopes as long as we have Divisions They will believe whilst they see the humours are in conflict that the Body will be at last dissolved If they will hope for Resettlement as they declare they do upon such inconsiderable grounds as the Printing of a Monasticon or the Provincial of Lynwood amongst us though in the Quality of History rather then of Title or Law what will they not expect from our un-christian Distempers and from our forbearing of Communion with the establish'd Church as if it were the Synagogue of Satan By this Artifice it is that they gain Proselytes They expose the Protestants as a dis-united People They demand of injudicious Men how they can in Prudence joyn with those who are at variance among themselves Though at this time in the Church of England it self there is much more agreement then in the Church of Rome in which they say there are great numbers of more private Deists and Socinians and some we are certain who publish it to the World that the Primacy is Antichristian in which there are Solemn and Publick Assemblies who declare openly against one another in the great point of the Papal Supremacy and shew by so doing that in their Opinion their common head cannot certainly tell the nature of his Head-ship There remaineth to be considered the second more principal End the advancing Christian Religion in these Kingdoms to greater Purity and Perfection But neither in this is their expectation likely to be answer'd For First The means towards the settling of themselves is the Dissettlement of that which is well fixed And this is the way not to a greater purity in Religion but to the corruption of it For it removeth Charity which is the Spirit of the Christian Religion It letteth loose great numbers who cannot govern themselves it moveth Unbelievers Atheists and Idolaters to pour Contempt upon the Church of Christ and confirmeth them in their evil course It exposeth the Church as a Prey to the Common Enemy Thus the Divisions in Africa gave encouragement to the Arms of the barbarous Nations and those in the Aegyptian Churches made way for the Saracens And the Proposal of the maintenance of Charity and pure Religion by the overthrow of a tolerable Ecclesiastical Constitution is as improbable a Project as that of Flammock who in Henry the 7th's time prosed a Rebellion without a breach of the Peace And it is here to be considered that those who dissent from a National Church do generally make use of such Junctures as are apter to debase then refine Religion They often move for Alterations in the Church when there is a great heat and ferment in the State And in such Seasons the Form of a Church may be pulled in sunder but there is not temper enough and coolness of unbyass'd consideration to set it together to advantage Such times are the Junctures of State Dissenters and amongst them Revolutions generally begin though without the pretence of reforming Religion they are not carried on amongst the People For it will not serve their purpose to say plainly they are against the Government because the Government is against their Interests Now when well meaning Dissenters are in the hands of such worldly Power they will not be able to establish what they think is purest but that which pleaseth their secular Leaders A change in the Church naturally produceth some change in the State and in such changes who can secure the Event for the better The words of Bishop Andrews about the midst of the Reign of K Iames touch this Point and they doubtless are worth our observation When said he they have made the State present naught no Remedy we must have a better for it and so a change needs What Change Why Religion or the Church-Government or somewhat they know not what well stand a while ye shall change your Religion said they of this day the Gun-powder-Traytors and have one for it wherein to your comfort you shall not understand a word not you of the People what you either sing or pray and for variety you shall change a whole Communion for an half Now a blessed exchange were it not What say some others You shall change for a fine new Church-Government a Presbytery would do this better for you than an Hierarchy and perhaps not long after a Government of States then a Monarchy Meddle not with these Changers Now when a State is either disturb'd or dissolv'd men cannot foresee all the ill Consequences of it When the Vessel is stirr'd the Lees come up which lay before undiscerned in the Mass of the Liquor And so it is in Religion it is not fined but rather render'd less pure by motions in the Body Spiritual or Civil Then Politicians use conscientious Instruments no further then they serve a present purpose and for new Purposes they find new Instruments One of the Assembly of Divines discoursed on this manner at a publick Fast. Have not these Trumpets and these poor Pitchers had their share and a good share too in bringing down the Walls of Jericho and the Camp of Midian and have not they like the Story in Ezekiel if I may so express it Prophesy'd you up an Army The Witness of these things is in the whole Kingdom and a Witness of them is in your own Bosomes Yet the Preacher was very sensible at the same time that