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A48863 The harmony between the old and present non-conformists principles in relation to the terms of conformity, with respect both to the clergie, and the people : wherein a short history of the original of the English liturgy, and some reasons why several truly conscientious Christians cannot joyn with the church in it : humbly presented to publick consideration in order to the obtaining some necessary relaxation and indulgence : to which are added some letters that pass'd between the Lord Cecil, and Arch-bishop Whitgift. Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.; Whitgift, John, 1530?-1604.; Burghley, William Cecil, Baron, 1520-1598. 1682 (1682) Wing L2726; ESTC R23045 77,527 105

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at the time of Communion and at all other times in his Ministration shall use such Ornaments in the Church as were in use by Authority of Parliament in the second year of the Reign of King Edward the 6th But Queen Elizabeth was not the only cause of driving back the Reformation but the Clergy themselves had an hand in it which was sufficiently discover'd when they perceiv'd that her Majesties Council began to entertain more favourable thoughts of Protestant Dissenters who continued their cries for a further Reformation Cambden assures us that about the year 1583 The Queen who held it for a maxime that she ought not to be more remiss in Ecclesiastical Affaires advancing Whitgift from the Sea of Worcester to that of Canterbury above all commanded him to re-establish the Discipline of the Church of England that as then lay dismembred by the connivency of Prelates the obstinacy of Innovators and by the power of some great ones whilst some Ministers using to their own fantasie new Rites of Services in their private Houses utterly condemning the Liturgy and the appointed manner of Administring the Sacrament as being in many things contrary to the Scriptures and therefore many refus'd to go to Church To abolish which things and to reduce 'em in Unity Whitgift propounded Three Articles to the Ministers by them to be subscribed But adds Cambden 't is incredible what controversies and disputations arose upon this What troubles and injuries Whitgift suffer'd of certain noble men So far Cambden But whoever might be so happy as to be throughly acquainted with a just impartial and particular History of those times would suddenly see that the true cause of all Whitgifts troubles was his intemperate persecuting Godly and Conscientious men who rather like a Spanish Inquisitor propos'd a multitude of Articles to ensnare than as a good Pastor to reduce his erring Brethren to the truth For even when he was most violent in letting out his rage on the Conscientious Dissenter even then the wicked the ungodly and prophane Priests knew not what it was to be prosecuted for their debaucheries Neither can it be truly said that the Earl of Leicester was the only great person that resented the ill proceedings of this Bishop but even the Lord Treasurer Cecill and her Majesties Councill 'T is sad to consider with what severity Whitgift treated the Couscientious Dissenter and with what mildness the drunkard glutton c. The which was so palpable that some zealous Conformists since that time have judg'd it necessary to essay the putting some colour on it as Isaac Walton in the life of Hooker most Satyrically represents the Nonconformist to be much more vile than the drunkard or glutton even when he could not impeach 'em as being guilty of any such enormities But that somewhat might be said to expose the Dissenter and defend the Bishops an encroachment is made on the divine prerogative and vain man who cannot but with much difficulty look into his own heart pretends to see into the secrets of the Dissenter where he finds so many Spiritual wickednesses that lye hid to lodge that he must be warm in discovering his abhorrence to such Villanies judging not according to the outward appearance but like unto the all-knowing God according to the heart I 'll give you Mr. Walton's own words who speaking of the Nonconformists sayes Of this party there were many that were possest with an high degree of Spiritual wickedness I mean with an innate restless radical pride and malice I mean not those lesser sins that are more visible and more properly Carnal and sins against a mans self as gluttony and drunkenness and the like from which good Lord deliver us but sins of an higher nature because more unlike to the nature of God which is Love and Mercy and Peace and more like the Devil who is not a glutton nor can be drunk and yet is a Devil those wickednesses of malice and revenge and opposition and a complacence in making and beholding confusions Men whom Pride and Self-conceit had made to over-value their own Wisdom and become pertinacious and to hold foolish and unmannerly disputes against those men which they ought to reverence and those Lawes which they ought to obey As if disputing freely with the Bishop and not giving him the desir'd respects by rendring obedience to his commands even when they could not without sinning against God had been the Overt Act of that Pride Malice c. which makes men more vile than Gluttony and Drunkenness But 't is no part of my present province to comment on this notion but only from it to inferr that as the dignified Clergy did consider the Non-Conformity of the Dissenter to be a sin most odious much more high and great than that of gluttony even so 't is easie to conclude that what is affirm'd in History concerning the Bishops treating the drunkard with more candor than the Conscientious Dissenter is very true For which no stronger reason can be assign'd than that the debauchees wickedness not being so great an impediment to the accommodating the difference between the Church of England and of Rome as the Non-Conformity of the Dissenter the wickedness of the former might be tolerated even when the Dissent of the latter would not be born That this is so namely that the Arch-bishops and Bishops in the respects they shew'd the ignorant and scandalous among the Ministry and the letting out their wrath on the intractible Dissenter as they term'd it was a plain evincement that they thereby aimed at the gratifying the Papist will appear with conviction to such as will be so just to themselves as to weigh impartially the import of those Letters are added to the end of this Treatise where he will not only see into the reason why the Episcopal would by all means hide 'em from the Light but moreover perceive the matter of fact I have suggested to be very true That these Letters are nor spurious nor feigned but copies from an Anthentick Original is well known to some zealous Sons of the Church who it may be will be surpriz'd to see that appear in face of the World which doth so plainly discover what they desire might be conceal'd In these Letters 't is apparent that when the prosecution was most brisk against Protestant Dissenters several among the dignified Clergy were very covetous and scandalous in their Conversations Numb 1. Even those who antecedently to their preferment were well affected when they came to the Cathedral Churches did so strangely degenerate that the Lord Treasurer Cecil Numb 2. did fear the places did alter the men whence 't is that her Majesties Councill in their Letter to the Bishop of London and Canterbury Numb 3. did observe from the many complaints brought unto them that the worst of men met with no trouble when Conscientious and Learned Ministers were greatly molested for their Non-Conformity But that which doth most fully discover the temper