to them and if he cannot exercife his Ministry after he is called unto it what doth it profit him to be a Minister or what is the Church the better for his Office If one acknowledged to be a Minister of the Universal Church may not administer in a particular Church then is it not because that particular Church requires some Conditions which are not so large as the Rules and Conditions of the Universal Church This may put us to search whether different Rules stricter Laws prescribed as Conditions of Entrance and Continuance in the Ministry and Church-Communion be not the Cause or Occasion of Schisms in particular Churches These Catholick Rules and Conditions are to be taken and received from the Apostles who went into all the World to gather and to found Christian Churches They gave us Laws enow to govern any particular Church who were sent into all the World And no Decrees of General Councils are of equal Observation with the Scriptures not only because of their Sanctity but because of their Universality and the very Errors and Mistakes of them in some Particulars are tolerable that do what they can to find out and follow the Will of God in Scripture And this Diversity can be no Inconvenience to any Church because of the plain Injunctions and Commands of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace of loving and forbearing one another in Love But to return What shall we say Are they but Lay-men or but quasi Lay-men that were once ordained by Diocesans or what it others can prove by the Holy Scriptures and the Catholick Rules of Faith that they are called of God and make proof of their Gifts which make there serviceable to the Souls of poor Sinners and only scruple some late implicating perplexing Terms what shall they do in this case They would enter into the Service according to the uncontroverted general Rules of Christ the Soveraign Law-giver of his Church but that will not serve the turn they must do more They have received Gifts from the Spirit of the same nature with other Ministers they 'l submit their Gifts to the Trial to free them from the Fanaticism imputed to them These Gifts are for some use they are their Talents and they must give an account of them to the Giver of them at his appearing Whither can any of them go and not be serviceable Is there any City Town Parish or noble Family in England in which there is not need or where such as they may not be exceeding profitable but in some Places there is a crying need O how few few Labourers are there in very large Fields yea as offensive as the presence of the Brethren are in many places there is not an useless Man among them nor one place hardly where is not need if not extream need What shall they do conform to the Church as Lay-men only What if the Bottle be so full that its ready to burst what if the Fire of Zeal true Zeal kindle must they not speak with their Tongue What if the Breast be full and they who were begorten in Christ Jesus by their Ministry cry cry to them O give us of the sincere Milk of the Word shall they say No my Breast is full but I must not draw it out What if they have Bread enough and can divide it and see a Company of poor Souls ready to starve and pine for Want and yet they must not give them a piece of Bread City Ministers are most quarelsome and contentious with them but if from their high Places they saw and knew but what I know instead of charging them with Separation and Schism they would beg of Authority that they would send them into many places of the Land which are more like a Wilderness than the Garden of the Lord but instead of doing this some have written to prepare a prejudiced People to entertain them with Stones or beseech them to depart out of their Coasts and not to open their Doors to entertain them or their Ears to hear them Oh! how are many of the Servants of God true Subjects able Preacers at this day forced to hide and many are as shy and close to entertain them as if they were Traitors and the Hue and Cry were out against them But what if these Men cannot think themselves discharged of their Work when their Hire is stopt they cannot but pity those that have no Shepherds or not enow they cannot stop their Ears against the Cry of the poor what if Conscience cry Wo to me if I preach not the Gospel O there are too many that never heard that Preaching in their Bosom Some have pleaded that Wo concerned none but the Apostle what shall they do between two Woes Wo from Christ if I preach not and Wo from Men if I preach Object They must obey the Laws obey Authority Answ So they must and as far they can they do Object But they say they must obey God rather than Men. Answ So did the Apostles who taught Obedience to Governours Neither may any godly Prince take it as any Dishonour to his Estate to see God obeyed before him Defence of the Apology part 1. p. 20. of my Edit for he is not God but the Minister of God saith our Venerable Father Bishop Jewel Object But our King and Magistrates and Laws are not such as They were neither are our Conventiclers Apostles Answ True I cast no Reflections upon the King but acknowledge his Life and Protestancy to be singular Mercies and Priviledges But if the first Christian Churches were planted and the Faith preached where the Rulers were Unbelievers disaffected to it and Persecuters of it then Preachers that preach the Doctrine of the Apostles and live according to the Gospel may humbly expect if not lay some Claim to a Priviledge of preaching and worshipping God as near as they can discern according to his mind The Case of the Brethren is so clear in it self The Canon Law calls their divers Orders Religion but to Christians and Protestants there is but one Religion that some in Power have no other colour for proceeding against them than as Men that exercise another Religion as I can produce which clearly intimates that it is unreasonable to proceed to Confiscations and Banishment against Men that profess the same Religion And whereas Godliness and Honesty may claim Protection they represent them as wicked and dishonest in the highest Degree that is seditious and withdrawing the King's Subjects from their Allegiance c. But this is the old Language Apolog. c. 2. Divis 7. p. 21. as the most Reverend Bishop Jewel writes as objected against them that we be fallen from the Catholick Church and by a wicked Schism have shaken the whole World and troubled the common Peace and universal Quiet of the Church and that as Dathan and Abiram conspired in times past against Moses and Aaron even so we this day have
K. CHARLES I. ΕΙΚ. ΒΑΣΙΛ 27. To the Prince of Wales BEware of exasperating any Factions by the Crossness and Asperity of some Mens Passions Humours and private Opinions imployed by you grounded only upon Differences in lesser Matters which are but the Skirts and Suburbs of Religion Wherein a charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength whom rougher Opposition fortifies THE Conformist's Third Plea FOR THE Nonconformists Argued from the King's Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Grounded upon the approved Doctrine AND Confirmed by the Authorities of many Eminent Fathers and Writers of the Church of England By the Author of the two former PLEAS Lord Bishop of Cork's Protestant Peace-maker Pag. 128. To these who ask What need of more Vnion I return What need of more Holiness What need of Godliness Charity Justice Are these Christian Duties and is not Vnion and Peace as much so I am and must be in the mind that the Strength of the Protestant Cause both here at home and throughout Christendom lies in the Vnion of Protestants and the Glory Purity and Fower of Christianity in this World stands or falls with Protestantism LONDON Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXII A PREFACE to the Christian and Peaceable Reader that seeks the things that be of Christ A Zeal for Peace and Vnion hath overcome all Discouragements arising from many Causes and inspired me to a Boldness prevailing against much Fear even to publish the secret Workings of my Heart As long as the Church dare shew her Face my Notions are not afraid of the Light they can receive no Luster from my Name let them go forth in that Light and Power which the Father of Lights and the God of Peace hath given and shall give unto them and if they may but give any Light to discover the way of Peace let me not only ly in Obscurity which I love because fittest for me but be disgraced by them who speak all manner of Evil of me If I have not forsaken and betrayed the Truth I have not forsaken nor betrayed the Church and when you come to see the Weapons which I handle and the Leaders and Authorities which I follow in the following Treatise as well as the Cause for which I plead I hope you will be convinced that as far as I have pleaded for the Nonconformist Brethren I have not run from my Colours There is common Truth a large and spacious ground to take them in and to build up one and the same Fabrick upon it comfortable to all true Christians receptive of all the Family of God and impregnable against all their and our Enemies It is some Relief and Comfort to see many lift up their Feet i. e. come and view the Desolations of the Church of Christ among us to be affected with them and some in whom is an excellent Spirit are contriving to bring the separate Apartments under one Roof and within one Line and Wall And these do stand upon the Rock of Evangelical Principles when not supported by the Arm of Flesh But no sooner do Arbitrators move for a Reconciliation but others do all they can to thrust them from them without respect to their Persons or due Reverence to Truth and Reason He that interposeth in this Difference doth at the Peril of Opposition The R. Rev. Author of the first Naked Truth hath found this true though his Quality and Person were more than guest at yet the Episcopal Staff could not bear off the Lashes of several Junior Writers from the Back of Naked Truth But Truth be it never so naked can bear Blows and Lashes as it hath always born the Violence of Storms and Times Truth cannot long be confined within Doors but will appear in open view whatever its Entertainment be whether Scorns Contradictions Laughter and Mockery Abuses and Scourgings or Approbation and Honour The Appearance of such a Book as that Naked Truth at such a time was like a Comet it drew the Eyes of all that could to look upon it it was a Divine Manifestation of a Primitive Christian-Spirit of Love And certainly as that pious Endeavour hath encreased his Comforts so he hath not lost all his Labour for since that we have had more Overtures of Peace than we heard of in the many Years of Discord and Troubles from the Learned in the Church of England The Nonconformists have born all the Blame and Scorn and Sufferings of our Divisions and have offered as much towards Peace and Accommodation as was possible for them to offer But partly their Writings and the doleful State of Religion have drawn out some Wishes and Concessions from some Men of Eminency in the Church towards Peace and Accommodation And tho these as yet seem too little yet there is much to be gathered from them first as to their Propensity to Peace 2. The Influence which their Concessions may have upon austerer Tempers 3. Because they being satisfied in the Point of Conformity as to their own Practice do yet for a greater Good and Peace incline to a Comprimise The Learned Dean of St. Paul's hath with submission to Authority made some Proposals and I hope would yield to more if the Composure were put into his hand Even Dr. Sherlock who is currantly thought to have writen the Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet Pag. 103. doth wish with all his Heart that some Expressions were altered to prevent any Scandal to the scrupulous or to the profane this he writes only for the Office of Burial of the Dead which he calls an excellent Office supposing the due Exercise of Church-Discipline to cast all notorious Sinners and Schismaticks out of the Communion of the Church which the Church supposeth to be done I am of his Mind Pag. 102. concerning the Excellency of that Office It is most comfortable to the Minister and most Comfort to all true Christians when we can use it upon good Evidences concerning the Dead But as the visiting of the Sick hath been too often to me the most uncomfortable Office of my Ministry so it hath been a great Addition of Sorrow to commit those Bodies to the Earth concerning whom I had no hope of their resting in Christ O what dejecting Stories could I write of too many but I forbear If he be so sensible of the ill use which may be made of that excellent Office and do so heartily wish that some Expressions were altered to prevent Scandal to the scrupulous and prophane methinks for the same Reasons he might wish more Alterations might be made in other things and Offices Most frank and generous are those Expressions of the Right Reverend and Pious Bishop of Cork Protestan-Peacemaker p. 29. We are ready to sacrifice all we can otherwise i.e. without Schism to the publick Peace and Safety what most of the Dissenters would be at no Liturgy no Episcopacy no Vniformity may not be cannot be without
substantial Piety by which they hope to be saved themselves Duresce duresce Peace upon Israel The Conformist's fourth Plea for the Non-Conformists containing chiesly Relations of the Sufferings of many Non-Conformists in several Parts of England will be shortly published The Case and Cure of Persons excommunicated according to the present Law of England With some friendly Advice to persons pursued in inferior Ecclesiastical Courts by malicious promoters both in order to their avoiding Excommunication or delivering themselves from prisons if imprisoned because they have stood excommunicated four by Days Mr. Jekyl's Sermon intituled Religion makes the best Loyalty which was prepared for that great Assembly of Protestant Lords Gentlemen and Citizens that was to meet at St. Michael's Corn-hill on 21 April last to give God thanks for the Preservation of his Majestie 's Person the Protestant Religion and Protestant Subjects from the Popish Plot and many Sham-plots c. is now published Sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard THE Conformist's Third Plea FOR THE NON-CONFORMISTS WE may think a Suspension of Severity and a powerful Interposition between the Threatning and the Execution would be proper and seasonable of great Service and Advantage but the infinitely wise God Saviour and King of his Church whose Thoughts are deep and unsearchable may think it sufficient that they that love him have his Promise that all things shall work together for good to them Let them that are instructed to know his Will do it and that know his Promises believe him and that have renounced the World freely part with their small share in it But to me the state of things appears dark confused and disconsolate and being engaged further than I thought at first the same Motives that prevailed with me before prevail'd with me to go on not from a private or factious Discontent but to prevent as much as I can the horrid Sins of some and the greivous Sufferings of others and to discharge mine own Duty which will bring the greatest Peace to my now grieved broken and afflicted Spirit But to come to some special matter give me favour to run over these four things I. To represent the State of our Times II. The Sufferings of the Protestant Dissenters III. For what IV. By whom they suffer I. We are a most sinful and sinfully divided Generation so broken that none but God can keep us from falling to pieces like a Pot-sheard broken like a broken earthen Vessel in which there is no pleasure Our Reason cannot propose nor consult Expedients to make us whole and happy because Interests worldly Policy and a contemptible Art or private Cunning to get or save the things that perish in their use and by their Abuse undo and ruine the Owners doth stir up Sedition in our Passions against our Reasons The Gospel hath been so generally despised that it hath not begotten in us a Faith and Love that unites to Christ and to one another We have not Faith enough to purify our Hearts to overcome the World to act as for a Crown of Glory and a Kingdom that cannot be moved If we believed a World to come how little should we strive for this If we had Love enough to cover a multitude of Sins to forgive one another to love as Brethren and our Neighbour as our selves we should not be so jealous and suspicious nor contentious nor selfish as we are One great thing is wanting which is the Wisdom from above described by St. James Chap. 3.17 Which is first pure then peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality without Hypocrisy There is a great Reproach cast upon the Church and the greatest of all cast upon the Dissenters as Dividers but it is an ignorant or malicious Reproach for there is nothing whole but the Church and Body of Christ They are united to Christ the Prince of Peace by one Spirit Faith and Love and to one another by the same Bonds and Principle Schism and Faction are from the Flesh and Devil No sooner do Joseph and his Brethren know one another to be Brethren but they fall upon one anothers Necks and kiss and weep and repent of all their Unkindnesses and express the dearest Love Paul and Barnabas dissent and part but both agree to promote the Kingdom of Christ They that are not and will not be reconciled to God are the great Dividers and Breakers of the Peace they are made up of Lusts of the Flesh which divide and draw several ways for their Satisfaction Whence come Wars and Fightings come they not hence even of your Lusts which war in your Members There is Dissention in the Mind and in the Passions between the Law in the Mind and Heart and the Lusts of the Mind and Flesh till the Conscience comes to be past feeling and the Sinner falls under a reprobate Mind and then what Confusion follows when they call Good Evil and Evil Good put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness what open Defiance is bid to God and Christ what dissenting from and Nonconformity to the sacred Baptismal Covenant the holy Rules of a Gospel-Conversation There is a Law of Faith of Love of Repentance and the Penalty is heavy upon them that do not obey it there is a Law of Righteousness of following Peace and Holiness without which no Man can see the Lord Who transgress these Laws and multitudes more Yea who is the Man that is guilty of all And what Sin so great now a days and in all times as Nonconformity Who rob by the High-ways who kill and steal who curse and damn who have Wo who have Sorrow who have Contentions who have Bablings who have Wounds without cause Who have Redness of Eyes Nonconformists Who make the greatest Trouble to Justices and Magistrates Nonconformists Who fill Prisons and breake them Who take leave of the World at Tyburn and other Places Nonconformists Who draw Swords send Challenges fight Duels and murder one another first with Wine and Drink and then kill their dear Companions Nonconformists and Dissenters But now there is a Distinction to be made some Dissenters are tolerable and some intolerable the drunken Nonconformist is tolerable he hath not only taken the Oaths but swears the other is a sober Nonconformist and taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy will not acquit him and he is intolerable The Nonconformists that assemble to worship God are intolerable and thousands that worship him not at all are too commonly let alone But are not Malefactors punished yes they are but their Crimes are against Civil Peace or Righteousness and not immediately for Irreligion But the Nonconformist Dissenters from arbitrary and variable Impositions are punished heavily and smartly for religious assembling and no other Cause as is proved in the second Plea and is cleared hereafter And upon this the Kingdom is extreamly divided and troubled There is a mighty Party in the Land that
Sacrament using his own Words and so it be delivered in four Forms who will doubt but he holds Communion sufficient to the Ends of the holy Sacrament And the Uniformity lies in Blessing and giving Thanks in taking Bread breaking it giving and taking it as a Token of the Body of Christ to the appointed End and so also the Cup as a Token of his Blood drinking it to the appointed End Uniformity of Words is not necessary to Church-Communion neither in Articles of Faith nor in Preaching nor in Prayer nor in Sacraments and yet Church-Communion is as necessary a Duty as associating of Churches and Assemblies it being truly the End of such Association and Assembling And yet no Man of sense will deny the great Advantages of Consent Agreement Similitude and Uniformity in all our Administrations as near as we can frame our Minds thereunto which will never come nearer than according to general Rules without Debates and Disputes as many if not more and of as great an Influence upon Peace as can arise from the Application and Construction of General Rules II. Let us remove and take away the Causes of Disunion and Division as much as possibly we can And first Those that are within us which may be reduced to Flesh and Self For whereas there is among you Envying Strife and Divisions are ye not carnal and walk as Men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 4. Self is the Schismatick within us till we are converted from it we are separate from Christ and by Consequence are disunited from his Body and do not consent to the Terms of his Covenant and Salvation Self-conceit Pride and Loftiness Self-will Self-seeking and Self-love are the Springs of our bitter Waters of Strife and Separation that run into divers Channels or rather break the Banks and over-flow the Church 2. The outward Causes are besides the Co-operation of the World and Devil the rigorous exacting and enforcing of particular Conditions of Church-Liberty and Communion with such Forfeitures and Penalties as hinder the Progress of the Word of Life and the Salvation of Souls All our Wars have been before the Gates of the City since many have been turned out we say they shall not come in except they will subscribe to Terms and they say they cannot except they are taken away Both Sides must sound a Parlee and our Governours have the greatest and most imitable prevailing Example of the King of his Church Homily of Fasting â—â—st part p. 172 173. Edit Lond. 1673. and his Apostles Hear our Homily God's Church ought not neither may it be so tied to that or any other Order now made or hereafter to be made and devised by the Authority of Man but that it may lawfully for just Causes alter change or mittigate those Ecclesiastical Decrees and Orders yea recede wholly from them and break them when they tend either to Superstition or to Impiety when they draw People from God rather than work any Edisication in them and not in these Cases alone as you shall hear afterwards This Authority Christ used for the Order and Decree made by the Elders for washing oft-times tending to Superstition our Saviour changed into the Sacrament of Regeneration This Authority To mittigate Laws and Decrees Ecclesiastical the Apostles practised Acts 15. signifying they would not lay any other Burden upon them but these Necessaries Thus ye have heard that Christian Subjects are bound to obey even in Conscience sincere Laws which are not repugnant to the Laws God Ye have heard that Christ's Church is not so bound to observe any Order Law or Decree made by Man To prescribe a Form in Religion but that the Church hath full Power and Authority from God to change and alter the same when need shall require c. Was there ever greater need than now Love of Union Peace and Growth of Godliness Sence of imminent Danger and that Danger no less than Destruction hath moved the Right Reverend Bishop of Cork to print those pressing Divine Sermons and take his Testimony as carrying greater Authority than of private Men's of the necessity of Union speaking of the Protestants in Ireland We must unite or be destroyed First Serm. p. 29. And how far is Ireland from England Can the Protestant Church in Ireland be destroyed and England be safe Yea how much further is the Destruction from England than from Ireland may not England be destroyed first It is most likely for if England be destroyed Ireland cannot escape if Ireland be destroyed England will be endangered but may better withstand it than Ireland can The same discerning and sensible Bishop cannot conceive any Possibility of an Union of all honest-minded Men of different Persuasions amongst us that call themselves Protestants but by the coming of such several Dissenters into the establish'd Church Hence the Inference is not far to be fetched Second Serm. p. 61. That this Union can never be but by taking away the Bars and the Chains that keep the Dissenters from entering in Upon what Terms saith that Right Reverend and Excellent Person must we of the Establish'd Church come over to you that dissent or you come over to us We declare we cannot without Schism and then adds a most generous Expression of a large and catholick Spirit But are ready to sacrifice all we can otherwise to the Publick Peace and Safety Pag. 29 O that all were thus frank in their biddings for Peace and Union But Right Reverend Father Dissenting-Protestants and Independents will never press you so far as to come to them that is to be Presbyterians and Independents If you will do what you may without Schism and they do what ever can be done with a good Conscience the deadly Wound is in a hopeful way of cure Find out first what Unity is necessary for this imperfect State 2. Observe what Rules Christ gave by his Spirit and the Holy Apostles practised for Unity against Schism for Truth and Faith against Heresy for Government against Confusion for Order against Disorder for Decency against Indecency for Worship against Idolatry and Irreligion for Discipline against decay of Piety and for the soundness of its Members in a word for Admission into Communion and Priviledges for Edification Peace and Comfort And what more can be necessary for Unity and Peace of Christians in one Nation than what was sufficient for Christians in all Nations And then there will be neither Schism on one hand nor Dissent on the other That one Rule of the Apostle as far as we have attained let us walk by the same Rule would unite and heal us and do us more Service than all the Volumns of Canons besides And who can walk by the same Rule further than he hath attained The Means to be used for Union are 1. A sincere Observation of and consciencious Consent unto the Terms of our Christianity and
renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and