they must fulfill the Ministrey to them committed 3. These men are Sir of Age sufficient to speak for themselves and do complain they have spoken and are Answered by Rigour without Reason we shall therefore leave them to themselves and being singled out by you we shall adventure to speak for our selves because for our sake it is you have been pleased to take so great pains 4. Sir we take it for granted you conceive the Declarations required from us to be Tantamount to an Oath they are to be Solemnly made in the Congregation by Ministers qua Ministers of the Gospel in which virbum sacerdotis is the Sacred Rivet of that Obligation which resulteth from such Declaration to our Conscience in the sight of God and his Church 5. On this Consideration we presume you will have Charitable table apprehensions of our present Haesistancie as to the Subscribing and publishing such Declarations for it is a Snare to devoure holy things and after Vows to make enquiry and we shall in unbiassed Judgements weigh your grounds on which you determine this Case affirmatively moving in our Observation according to the Method of your Argumentation The Declarations are these two by you truely Transcribed The First is this J. A. B. DO here declrae my unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in Pa. 2.3 and by the Book Entituled The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Cerimonies of the the Church according to the use of the Church of England to gether with the Psalter or Psalmes of David pointed as they are to be Sung or said in Churches and the forme or manner of making Ordaining or Consecrating of Bishops Preists or Decons The Second is this J. A. B. DO Declare that it is not lawful upon pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Armes by his Authority against his person or against those Commissioned by him and that I will conforme to the Liturgie of the Church of England as it is now Established by Law and I do declare that I do hold there lies 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 its self an unlawful Oath and imposed on the Subjects of this Realme against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdome Theseare the Declarations which you affirme may be subscribed and made as is required your reasons for this your Judgement you produce in the particular following Cases which we shall consider Case the First Whether it be Lawful to declare in the words of the First Declaration THe first of the Declarations you distribute into two parts Pa. 4. that which concerneth the Liturgie and that which concerneth the Book of Ordination 2. You first determine concerning the latter of these viz. The forme and manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons Pa 45 and determine it Lawful thus to declare in this part of the Declaration which you thus enforce Most that have Livings have subscribed this already at their Ordination and read their allowance of it openly to their several Congregations upon their Induction besides had not this been required in the Act who knows not that no Conformity without subscribing and reading the nine and thirty Articles could legally suffice To this Sir we say 3. Our question is not what could legally suffice but what may be Conscientiously done for this must not be violated unto the satisfaction of that 4. Your Argument is an Argument of fact which if admitted true will not conclude your Resolution for you well know a facto ad jus will not follow most have done it therefore all may lawfully do it is Logick which the fear of God favoureth not Yet Sir 5. We presume to gainsay your confident Assertion That the most who had Livings had at the writing your book subscribed the forme and manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons required by this Act cannot but conceive strangely of it we do not know the most who then had Livings and therefore cannot ask them the question but we think they must be most of them Reordained according to the new Forme Presbyterial Ordination had sure been very Active and Extensive and Presbyters were easie Wheelers who had well learned Tempora mu tantur nos mutamur ab illis 6. Sir give us leave to tell you we had good Livings until the 24th of August 1662. and yet we were not of the Number of those who subscribed this Book Forme and manner at our Ordination and we believe most who were then in Livings and Episcopally Ordained were in the same common Capacity with us and subscribed the Book which we subscribed and sure this Book was not then born if conceived in our Bishops brain it was not brought into the World many days before this Book of yours which giveth it suck 7. We must indeed confess we have been informed that the most of the Ministers in Cheshire and it may be some other Diocess in zeale or love to their Livings more manifest then Conscience or discretion did by a Monstrous implicite faith subscribe this Book before the 24th of August These may evince something of your Argument a facto and yet we must tell you they were not all then Ordained and if this will conclude ad jus we must tell you these men did at the same time subscribe the Book of Common Prayer and both these Declarations and all this they did in obedience to the Act for Uniformity before their eyes saw either of these Books Ergo all may lawfully so do 8. Moreover Sir we must presume to acquaint you that we know the Reading so many of thirty nine Articles Which contain only the Doctrine of Faith or of the Sacraments with an omission of that which concerned the book of Consecration would Legally suffice we are confident you will make no more of this forme and manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons save a Political though Ecclesiastical order and that neither Doctrine of Faith nor Sacraments and an Assent to such Articles as contain Those and Only those is required by the Law The Statute which dictateth Legal sufficiency 9. We expect Sir you should reply to us that the Book of Consecration Established by King Edward the Sixth and enforced by Queen Elizabeth is much what the same with this and therefore in subscribing that we have subscribed this 10. Good Sir excuse us sinaile nonest idem there are in this book some Additions and alterations which were not in that and this may barr our subscription to this Moreover Sir the forme of subscription required by this Law is such as was never required before by any law nor given by us to any
A SHORT SURVEIGH OF THE Grand Case of the present MINISTRY WHETHER They may Lawfully Subscribe and Declare as by the late Act of Uniformity is required AND The several Cases thence arising especially about the COVENANT By Some Conformable Non-Conformists 1 Pet. 4.19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the Will of God commit the keeping of their Soules to him in well doing as to a Faithful Creator Printed in the Year 1663. Courteous Reader OUr Condition is sad and the more sad by reason of those Severe Censures which Sober and Learned men pass upon us as if peevishness and groundless Scrupulosity were the only cause of our present Cross Do we need to Appeal to God that we love our selves We conceive Natural Men should beleive us without it And if we may be beleived therein can it be supposed we would not willingly receive satisfaction to our Doubts Let us tell thee we have read what hath been written to offer us satisfaction but we find none The Grand Case of the present Ministry hath made the fairest proffer as professedly written for our sake to help the pinch of our Case but yet it hath also failed our expectations and left us on the Rack of our doubts or rather Shipwrack of our Resolutions Least we should by a sinful Silence justify the severe Censures which pass upon us We have adventured to digest our dissatisfactions in the ensuing Tract that our haesitancie in the conformity expected from us may be visible and if possible removed But now we have stated our doubts we are in doubt of some severe moderation by the Interposition of Authority yet why do we doubt did ever the English Protestant Genius determine a Crime in a sober Disputation We affirme nothing only urge what sticketh with us as the Remora to that Negation which is expected from us In the following Tract it might be expected we should have said somthing to the Case of Reordination but we are not therein concerned and our Reverend Casuist saith nothing but turneth us over to Mr. Humphry whose sad experience of the Fact he retracts and yet defends doth add no little to the real weakness of his Argumentation on that point we could tell thee we have seen two several Answers to his last piece on this Subject which are smothered least their appearance should break their bruised Reed and add Affliction to him whom God hath grieved Unto this Treatise with which we deal is added some considerations about admitting some inexpediencies for the necessity of our Ministry unto this which we think sufficiently obnoxious to exception we have said nothing because we have admitted and could admit many inexpediencies for the Liberty of our Ministry and our Conscience doth conceive formal positive and special sin in what is required from us So that until the Act be acquitted from Sin the Case of Necessity and expediency cannot take place in our Souls Through the whole we wish it may be observed we may appear as Apologists for our non-complyance with what is required rather then as Antagonists to what is affirmed We have therefore propounded our own dissatisfactions rather then disputed against what is urged by the Reverend Author of the Grand Case of the present Ministry to whom our doubts are directed A SHOHT SVRVEIGH OF THE GRAND CASE OF THE Present Ministry VVhether they may Declare and Subscribe as is required in the Act for Uniformity in an Epistle to the Author of the Grand Case The Preface Reverend Sir VVE some of your Brethren in compassion to whom you have been pleased to compose and publish your Candid and elaborate Tract Entituled the Grand Case of the present Ministry Having seriously considered the same as being therein concerned after some silence have assumed the boldness of addressing these Lines unto you thankfully to acknowledge your Zeal Sobriety and Charity therein expressed and modestly to signify to you it hath not made on us that Impression nor produced that effect you might rationally promise to your self and our selves cannot but observe it hath effected in many others Yet Sir 2. We must and do acknowledge your Grave and serious Preface most truly stating the Case of self-created Sufferings and the sinfulness thereof hath seized on our Spirits with no mean force 3. Truly Sir we are not a little troubled to apprehend men yea wise and learned men reprehend us as felones de se we have esteemed life sweet and are pressed to persue the preservation thereof not only in reference to our selves but also in reference to our Wives and Children some of them can make our hearts ake crying for the bread of our late lost Benefices and so keep us from any proud profuse contempt of the comfortable livelyhoods we did enjoy 4. The thoughts of being fures de se do much terrifie us we are convinced we are not our own our Persons our Parts our Ministry are Gods his Churches and the Kings from whence we may not withhold the same for a moment unless superseded by some sin which we dare not commit and break through for the greatest good 5. You make our hearts tremble when Boanerges like you pronounce us Proditors de se and that in the great concernments of our Ministry dearer to us then all our lives as committed to us for the salvation of pretious Souls many more then our own or those of our own households 6. The consideration of these things have constrained us to press upon you and to present to you our dissatisfaction and the grounds thereof in your serious explications of and expostulations with us in the matters which appear to you the Grand Cause of our present case to which we beg your leave to pass with all plainness and brevity that if you can convincingly reply to it we may bless God for you as our Redeemer out of our present dark and comfortless condition The Grand Case VVhether it be Lawful to declare as is required in the late Act Intituled an Act for Uniformity of Publick Prayers SIR Pa. 1st your book doth profess to deal with such Who could Conform but could not declare and subscribe what is required in and by the Act of Uniformity but you wholly pass by those men who are against the use of the Common Prayer Book We Sir must needs confess our selves to be Ministers of the Ranck with whom you deale yet we must profess we should rejoyce to see some Satisfactory discourse directed to the latter many of whom we know to be men of Learning and sobriety faithful Subjects to the King and profitable Ministers in and to the Church of God 2. These men we do discerne to stumble at a Liturgie generally throughout all Acts in Ministration of Gods Ordinances and Exclusively so that men must be tyed to those forms and none other Imposed because they conceive the Modifying Gods Ordinances in and to the Church by personal Ministerial Gifts is the formal Act in and by which
form or manner of Ordination and Consecration This requiring our unfeigned Assent and consent which we unfeignedly profess we cannot give 11. But Sir You have hit the white in your conjecture that the first part of this Declaration is that which sticketh with us Pa. 5 viz. that which concerneth the Book of Common Prayer Sect 5. and is thus expressed I. A. B. Do declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and everything contained and prescribed in and by the Book Entituled The Book of common-Common-Prayer c. For Sir although we could have conformed we could not Pag 6 nor considering what you have said can we yet make and subscribe this Declaration Sect 7 though we are not like Children affrighted with a long Title we are not in judgement satisfied to declare concerning the Book what is required 12. We Sir embrace your Suada and will not set an edge on the wordes to wound our selves yet we must say your gloss doth not so much as dull the edge your self hath put upon the words you tell us the Object of our Assent and Consent is not the words but things there are several expressions which though we could safely read yet we do not so heartily approvē them as we seem to be required not every thing as there expressed but every thing contained in the expressions must have our Assent 13. Sir We must be bold to tell you our Controversie is about Wordy things a Liturgy a Rubrick a Forme of Prayer and the like The question is whether these be right words to be pronounced and a fit form to be used that in our Ministry we may be bound couse these and none other and as such Sir your things are words and matters expressed is the Mode of expression to which our Consent and Assent must be yielded the Assent to a Creed may have the matter expressed for its object but Assent and Consent to a Common Prayer Book hath no adaequate object but the Mode Words Expressions Forms to be used and pronounced though Sir we could Minister in and by some such Expressions we must be well advised before we declare an unfeigned Assent and Consent thereunto The Nonconformaists geneally allow the matter of Doctrine or Petition in the Common Prayer expressed and contained and have ever quarrelled the Mode as not a full and fit wordy Direction or determination of the ministration directed in and by it 14. But Sir admitting your gloss some things contained in such expressions signified by such words are such to which we cannot Assent nor consent For Instance in the Absolution a word is altered which we conceive hath altered the thing Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true Repentance c. In the old Book is a formal Prayer but let us Beseech him in the new book seemeth to alter it into an authoritative Sacerdotal absolution which we are not convinced to be a standing peice of solemn Worship in every approach to God or into a Ministerial exhortation of the people and then not to stick at the impertinent Amen of the people thereto subjoyned we are to be convinced that the words of the Lords Prayer are the necessary and only lawful Petition for pardon of sin in every approach to God yet that is constantly subjoyned 15. Again Sir Answer in the Rubrick is a word but the direction of popular responds the Invitation Accompany me with an humble voice Analeps Analepth Pa. 58. and say after me the different Characters in the Petitionary part of the Letany and Decalogue are directions for popular Conclamations all which be not offended if we tell you in Mr. Croftons Dialect is so directly repugnant to the Apostles rule Let all things be done decently and in order who in the case of extraordinary immediate Elolitions of the spirit allowed the people no more save an audible Amen That we dare not assent nor consent to things contained in these words 16 Again Sir Holy is an adjunct to Table frequent in this book and signifieth a Thing which we cannot admit we know no holiness o◠places or Instruments under the Gospel yet will contend that such be handsome Sir Mr. Crofton whom you specially assault hath to our knowledge opposed the Prophane neglect contempt and abuse of the Churches Irreverend unmannerly usage of the Table reserved for the Ministration of the Lords Supper and the Consecration of Churches holiness of Table◠with an equal vigor 17. Again Sir The corrupt Translation of the Psalter or Psalmes of David pointed unto manifest non-sence to be sung or said in Churches varying the Text from the Original yea from the truth it self rendring it contrary thereunto in those several particulars excepted against by the Non-conformists whose loud and long clamour would have engaged the correction of errors so gross and obvious yet even these things are retained and returned as things contained in and prescribed by this Common Prayer book and to which we must declare our unfeigned assent and consent To this Sir we may and must add the corrupt Translation of the fourth Commandement wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it contrary to the Original Text the Bible Translation and the prudent correction thereof made in the book prepared for and sent into Scotland by our late Prelates Though Sir we could submissively beare these things our Reformation not being at the first perfect yet before we declare our unfeigned assent and consent to such words speaking things so falsely we must have a better Argument then this you are not concerned in the Expressions which expressions are manifest directions and significations wilfully retayned and severely imposed after and against undeniable exceptions and earnest Petitions for Reformation 18. Give us leave to add one more viz. those words in Baptisme It is certain by Gods word that Children being Baptized dying before they commit actual sin are undoubtedly saved 19. Sir it is true these are but words and an expression but these words contain in them a Position and Doctrine asserted with the certainty of an Article of Faith to which we cannot consent we can Christianly beleive the Regenerating Nature Use and efficacy of Baptisme and charitably hope the salvation of such who die subjected thereunto but that the undoubted salvation of all baptized Infants dying before they commit actual sin is ortain by the Scriptures We confess we cannot see nor do we beleive we do beleive Gods Soveraign Election and Reprobation of persons The Scripture doth declare God loved Jacob and hated Esau the Children being not yet born much less Baptized nor having done good or evil that the purpose of God might stand according to Election not of works that all who pass under the administration of a saving Saving Ordinance are Undoubtedly saved is not cleare from Scripture but rather the contrary things that are revealed belong unto us and to our Children 19. We cannot but hope you will in a second
review of these and the like expressions finde our assent and consent is required to those Words which Without forming an edge to wound our selves do contain and prescribe things to which no rational man in his right minde can declare the same 20. We now proceed to consider another Objection which you slate and resolve in this Case viz. Though we could Use the things Pa. 7. Objection 2 it is only for peace sake and in obedience to Authority and not that we would chuse or can absolutely approve of these things indifferent To this Sir you tell us we may not approve Absolutely but Comparatively The first you say in Charity to our Governours we conceive to be required in the Declaration Pag 8 because it is impossible all men should in so many perticulars and various Circumstances be of one minde But Sir 21. We humbly conceive we do not break Charity to our Governors if we conclude that they knowing all men could not in so many perticulars and various circumstances be of one minde and believing Unanimity to be the bond of Uniformity did determine to knock off from publique Ministration in the Church all who were not of the same minde and who would not Declare the same in such words as were by them prescribed 22. Truly Sir we see very little cause to believe the Act will allow such a Comparitive approbation of the Common Prayer book as you do expiers It might somthing satisfy us if we had our assurance from our Legislators that such a Comparative approbation would satisfy the Law but they are herein silent and the Law giveth not sufficient Reason on which we may conclude it 23. You say the Grounds of this Assent and consent are not specified in in the Act if by the Grounds you mean the Reasons inducing the Legislators to require such an assent and consent we must be bold to deny what you â—ff mâ—…nd intreate you to let us know what you make there words in the Act Now in regard that nothing conduceth to the setling to peace in this Nation which is desired by all good men not to the honour of our Religion and the propagation thereof then an Universal agreement in the publick worship of Almighty God and to the end Uniformity may be effected it is enacted c. Sir we know not how to understand an Engglish Law if Universal Agreement and Uniformity to be effected be not declared Grounds for enjoying such a Declaration of Assent and Consent 24. Such a Comparitive Assent and Consent Pa. 9 10 as you assert will not well pass as unfeigned avoiding a severe Penalty securing a good Living and a Legal opportunity of serving the Church not shewing our selves cross to Authority and delivering our Family from ruine are bad enducements to an unfeigned Assent and Consent all men will understand them Temptations to a Faint unfeigned Assent and Consent let what will be required if this comparison may bear weight it shall not pass without an unfeigned Assent and Consent 25. Sir we see with little cause you have to quarrel Pa. 10. that it is reported the Assent and Consent declared must be Free For Sir this Freedome is necessary and Essential to unfeigned An Act Extorted will never be judged unfeigned but suspected of Hypocrisie if any report it to be expressed in the Declaration let them beare their blame but truely we think it is unavoidably implyed 26. Sir To remove all scruples from us for ever Pa. 11. you offer us the Act for the interpretation of it self It would to some of us be worth some hundreds by the year if you could lend us your understanding also we grant to you that the words immediately forgoing the Declaration are these Every Minister shall declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said book contained and prescribed in these words and none other But what then 27. We agree with you we must declare our unfeigned Assent and Consent but to what To all things with respect to their use and that in these words and no other But Sir that this refereth our Assent and Consent to the using Act and That only we cannot see these Acts have for their Object All things contained prescribed in and by the Book of Common Prayer c. And the use thereof is the End of this Assent and Consent so that the Act puts this plain Interpretation on the required Declaration Every Minister shall Uniformely use the book but unanimity being the spur and bond of Uniformity they shall declare an Unfeigned Assent and Consent to all things contained and prescribed in and by the book So that we must Use the Book with a Minde perswaded of the Truth and Goodness of the things to be used 28. This Sense of the Law we are induced to receive because 1. This Declaration Respecteth the use of the Comomon Prayer and is the Security of Unfeignedness in that Act the use of it without a Minde fully Assenting to the things contained and Freely consenting to the things prescribed in and by this Book would be but formal forced and feigned we are confident our Legislators intended to obviate all haltings in Conformity and this is only done by requiring an unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use upon an unfeigned Assent and consent to all and every thing therein contained and prescribed 2. The Use of the book is not once mentioned in the Declarations as the Object of the Assent and consent but the Things therein contained and prescribed are ever expressed in the Declaration and the Use of it is exptessed in the Law only as the End secured by the Declaration 3. Universal agreement in the publick Worship of Almighty God is declared to be the ground of this Law and Uniformity is the end thereof both which can be only effected by the unanimity of the Administrators in the things to be by them uniformely used 4. The using Act is provided for promised and secured by the next following Declaration in these tearms I do declare that I will Conforme to the Liturgie of the Church of England as it is now Established by Law Conforme what is that to a Minister But that I will Use it and the the things contained and prescribed in and by it This is Sir your own sense of Conformity and sure Sir you will not say this second Declaration doth Actum agere do over what was done in the first Declaration these two must differ each from other That Declareth Assent and Consent to the Matter and Things This to the Act and Use thereof Sir until your sense of the Declaration be cleared from these exceptions or declared by the Legislators give us leave to tell you We could do some things directed in the Rubrick but cannot Assent or Consent to the direction We could at the Communion commend the poor to the Charity of the people but we understand not their other Devotions to