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A47911
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Remarks on the growth and progress of non-conformity
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L'Estrange, Roger, Sir, 1616-1704.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing L1296; ESTC R7094
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33,007
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58
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their froward hearts and 't is the Rod of Correction must fetch it out The Non-conformity-Faction being always observed to have this Hydropical humour of increasing by being indulg'd which makes them just as fit to be indulg'd as a desperate Dropsie which is exasperated by mitigations But the unreasonableness of Non-conformists Plea for Toleration and complaints of Sufferings in being restrained will sufficiently appear by considering distinctly the Persons suffering and the Things suffered The Persons suffering are 1. Such who at the same time revile the Government reproach and expose their Governours managing their pretence of Conscience in such an invective way as makes their complaints and clamours more like matter of superiority than of scruple 2. They are such as have kept days of Prayer and Thanksgiving for Victories over the King have preached the People into Rebellion against him have preached from him his Arms and Money Laws and Credit Liberty and Life and in the most solemn manner have Justified all when they have done and after this endeavoured all they could to keep this present King out of his Throne That Mr. Baxter's Holy Commonwealth was wrote to that very end and purpose will appear to any that compares the time of his publishing it which his Book was wrote as he says 〈◊〉 to satisfie the demands and doubts of which was the Year 1659. when the grand point in doubt was whether the King should be restored or no. He that compares this with those three Theseses 145 146 147. where he hints that the King was justly dispossessed as by a lawful War that being conquered by the People they were not obliged to restore him nay though he had been dispossessed unjustly yet it was not the duty of Subjects to seek his restitution I say these things compared with that vital circumstance viz. the time of writing it make it evident that the design of it was only this to keep out the King But 2. The Unreasonableness of Non-conformists Plea for Toleration and complaint of Sufferings will further appear by considering the things suffered Consider it in the Comparison and in it self 1. In comparison of what the Conforming Clergy suffered under them Their sufferings in the Usurpation times will appear to be little less than those of the Spanish Inquisition or the Marian Persecution to any that reads but 1. the Bill of Mortality of the Clergy of London wherein we have account of 115 turned out of their Livings Plundered of their Goods their Wives and Children sent a begging whereof above 40 were Doctors in Divinity 20 imprisoned in London and the Ships 25 fled to escape imprisonment 22 died with grief in Prisons and remote places The Protestants Remonstrance recounts many more alike sufferers in the Country both which together shew that there were more suffered by Ejecting Sequestring and barbarous plundering by the Presbyterians in three Years time then did by the Papists in all Queen Maries Reign But 2. Consider what their suffering is in it self and it will appear to be little else but a self-silencing meerly because they cannot get priviledge above the peaceable and loyal Sons of the Church I call it a self-silencing because all that the Law doth is to hold forth one common rule indifferently to all every man hath the conditions of his Freedom tendered him which are such as themselves have for the most part acquitted from all intrinsick turpitude or sin and he that will not comply with these conditions siilences himself beside 't is not the Man that is silenced neither but onely this or that irregular Practice or Opinion which the Magistrate seeing insuperable necessity for hath authority from God to regulate and restrain Moreover their Plea in this matter is no more than what Dissenters of all sorts may use so that if Rulers may be judge they are to be suppressed if the People must be judge then Papists Quakers c. must be tolerated also And such Liberty saith Mr. Baxter in matters of Worship and Faith is the way to set up Popery in the Land But let Non-Conformists Scruples be what they will if it seem good to our Rulers to put the restraint upon them I humbly recommend to them that good advice of Mr. Baxter See to this my Brethren saith he that none of you suffer as an evil-doer or as a busie-body in other mens matters as a resister of the commands of lawful Authority as ungrateful to those that have been instruments of our good as evil speakers against dignities as opposers of the discipline and ordinances of Christ as scornful revilers of your Christian Brethren as reproachers of a laborious and judicious Ministry Saints Rest. p. 131. examining well whether the grounds and reasons of their sufferings be not the same as that of Popish Priests and Jesuites viz. not their religious Principle but their seditious Practice encouraging People to tumultuate and rebel by rendering the Government and Governours odious by teaching as Mr. Baxter doth in his Plea for Peace that 't is not in the power of Princes to forbid Ministers preaching as much as to say 't is lawful to resist the King's Authority in defence of the Conventicle 2. Grindallizing A second thing that promotes the interest and increase of Separation is Grindallizing By Grindallizers I mean the Conforming Non-conformists or rather such as are Conformists in their Profession Half-Conformists in their practice Non-conformists in their judgment like the old Gnostick-Separatists which the Apostle calls double minded men or like the Sinner in Eccl. 2. 13. that looks two manner of ways or like the Haven in Creet Acts 27. 12. that bows and bends to the South and to the North to the Church of England and to the Kirk of Scotland as interest and opportunity shall incline These are they which down with all Oaths and Subscriptions required though what they swallow whole in their Subscriptions they mince and mangle in their practice they conform to all seemingly but hypocritically mangle the Common-Prayer handle the Surplice gently plow socunningly with their Ox and Ass together carry it so cunningly that they can scarce be known but per modum opinionis by their open compliances with the Enemies of the Church by their Gallionism in defending the Orders and Ceremonies of the Church and other matters of Conformity which require their proportion of Zeal and Resolution by their hearing with patience and unconcernedness the interest honour and peace of the Church run down by swaggering Sectaries by their talking Conformity and Nonconformity with such compassionate and serious innuendo's as may sufficiently signifie their favourable opinion of if not good will to their Cause by their defending the popular Election of Bishops by ambiguously representing the separation as if it were no Schism by their writing fraudulent Pleas for the Non-conformists by endeavouring to acquit the Presbyterians and Independents of the King's Murder and in statu quo by their Votes in chusing ParlJam nts
considering these two things I. That their correspondency of Principles and Practices with the Church of Rome so far as they are erroneous and dangerous is so very apparent to any that understand Popery Ex. gr 1. Both equally deny the King's Supremacy The Papist saith not the King but the Pope is Supream the Presbyter saith not the King but the ParlJam nt Prove saith Mr. Baxter that the King is the higher Power and I 'le offer my head to Justice as a Rebel And Calvin in his Comment upon Amos cap. 7. v. 13. calls them inconsiderate men that had conferred the Supremacy on King Henry VIII 2. The Pope saith an Heretical i. e. a Protestant King is to be deposed The Presbyterian says 't is lawful and commendable to fight against the King for Religion to depose him says Baxter And Martin Mar-Prelate in his second Book advises the ParlJam nt to put down the Bishops whether the Queen would or no. 3. Papists say Heretical i. e. Protestant Kings may be not onely deposed but killed by their Subjects Presbyterians say the same Ministers may excommunicate Princes and after a King is by Excommunication cast into Hell he is unworthy to live upon Earth says Buchanan Guignard the Jesuit hath it France is sick and they must cut the basilick vein to heal her The Presbyter hath the same words concerning King Charles the First Wound that Hazael under the fifth rib you must strike the basilick vein none but it can heal the Plurisie of State And Mr. Love O that our State Physicians would imitate God in cutting off from the Land those that have distempered it meaning the King as his next words shew praestat unus pereat quam unitas And accordingly they have practised as will be shewn in its proper place 4. They both proceed in the same method The Pope first Excommunicates then Deposes then Murders The Presbyter first Deposes the King then Murders Charles Stuart 5. They agree in so much as time The Jesuit i. e. the bloudy Papist and the Presbyter are both of an age the year 1535. is remarkable for the Geneva Discipline and the spawning of the Jesuits Order 6. Papists teach That Truce is not to be kept with Hereticks i. e. Protestants Presbyterians teach That Promise is not to be kept when the preaching of the truth i. e. Presbytery is hindered See their Marg. Not. on Matth. 2. 12. 7. Both will reproach and slander plunder and sequester kill and slay for the Churches good though the Apostle says We must not do evil that good may come thereby 8. Both agree in that Principle that Dominion is founded in Grace 9. 'T is the business of them both in Protestant Kingdoms by ill interpreting their Princes actions by slandering libelling and the like means to draw Subjects from their Allegiance 10. The Jesuits call themselves the Saintly Brotherhood the Church of Rome the onely true Church and all Hereticks beside themselves The Presbyterians call'd themselves formerly the Godly Party and all others Malignants Now the People of God the Zealous Protestants and all others Carnal Superstitious Formalists Popishly affected c. 11. The Papists formerly Plot Rebell and Massacre by entering into a Covenant called the Holy League as in the Massacre at Paris and Rebellion against King Henry the Third The Presbyterian did the same by entering into a Covenant called the Solemn League as in England and Scotland against King Charles the First 12. Papists warring against King Henry the Third of France in performance of their Holy League have frequent Fastings doubled devotions to persuade weak Consciences that they aimed at nothing but the setting up of Christ's Kingdom and to instruct them to cut their Kings throat as for the love of God and the gaining of Paradise Presbyters in warring against King Charles in performance of their Solemn League had frequent days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving for success in fighting against the King The Papists Holy League and the Presbyters Solemn League were both entered upon a groundless jealousie of the King's Religion In both there is a League with Strangers and Armies raised in the Kingdom against their natural Sovereign who gave them no occasion of the War but the too much gentleness and condescensions of them both In both the Fire of Civil War was blown about by seditious Preachers 13. Papists and Presbyterians both in their distinct Parties do still combine against the Government 14. Both for many years have been the great disturbers of the Peace of all Christendom Tell me says a late Gentile Writer of any Massacre or bloudy Wars or Stratagems against the Magistrate of any Treason or Rebellion whatever within the memory of man but what was carried on by one of these two Parties Papists or Presbyterians and I 'le be content to undergo the bloudy Inquisition of the one and the fate of the two Archbishops Canterbury and St. Andrews murdered by the other Now if they will go no further from the Church of Rome than she hath gone from the Truth let them shew if they can half so many parallels between the Church of England and of Rome 'T is true indeed the Churches of England retain some things that are in use in the Church of Rome but must we disbelieve and difuse every thing as Popish that the Papists believe and use then must we not believe that Christ is the Messias then must we renounce the Word Sacraments and Prayer because the Papists believe and use them But if we will depart no further from the Church in Reformation than she departs from the Truth in Corruption let the Non-conformists shew if they can wherein the Church of England agrees with that of Rome in half so many erroneous Principles and dangerous Practices as the Non-conformist doth What reason then have they so to curse a Church which the Lord hath blessed Her Sisters the Reformed Churches all calling her blessed and joying to behold her order and stedfastness in Christ so to stigmatize with the brand of Popish all that are not peevish and turbulent like themselves II. What Reason have they for it considering what great things the Episcopal Divines have done and suffered above them all along from the beginning of the Reformation to this day in detestation of Popery and attestation of the Reformed Religion as now professed in the Church of England some laying down their lives to testifie against Popery as Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. others standing in the Gap upon all occasions to oppose the return of it with most eminent abilities and greatest zeal above what Non-conformists can pretend to In the beginning of the Reformation when Calvin sent to Cranmer and after that to the Protector Seymour to offer his assistance they rejected him utterly so that neither he nor any of the Consistorian Principle had any hand in the first Reformation in England or have any of them ever since done any