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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26356	The care of the peace of the church, the duty of every Christian in a discourse upon Psalm 122, 6, wherein the main pleas, for separation are examined and the true causes thereof shewed ... / by Tho. Adderley ... ; to which is annexed a letter, briefly shewing the great danger and sinfulness of popery, written to a young gentleman (a Roman Catholick) in Warwick-shire.	Adderley, Thomas, b. 1648 or 9.	1679 (1679)	Wing A509; ESTC R20224	39,054	53

The CARE of the PEACE OF THE CHURCH The DUTY of Every Christian In a Discourse upon Psalm 122.6 Wherein the Main Pleas for Separation are Examined and the true Causes thereof Shewed Being very seasonable for these Times and seriously recommended to all especially to the Non-Conforming Preachers By Tho. Adderley A. B. sometimes of St. Johns Coll. Oxon. To which is annexed a Letter Briefly shewing the great danger and sinfulness of Popery Written to a Young Gentleman a Roman Catholick in Warwick-shire LONDON Printed by J. R. for John Williams at the sign of the Crown in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1679. To the Right worshipful Sir Edward Boughton Baronet one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace and a Deputy-Lievtenant for the County of Warwick and now a member of the honorable house of Commons Honored Sir THis small thing that is now venturing abroad into the world doth in a more especial manner belong unto you It was born under your roof and that little strength it hath since gathered was in the same place But alas it is still weak and I fear may not meet with that kindness and tenderness of compassion which an innocent Infant might in reason expect The parent of it doth therefore humbly crave your patronage and protection and he doth the less scruple a grant of it the request being made to a person that hath been ever hospitable and charitable And for this Sir you are so eminent in your own Country that when through the importunity of the whole Gentry of the County of VVarwick you did at length appear in the field as a competitor for a Knight of the Shire I my self heard divers say that it was pitty that a Gentleman of so much Charity to the Poor should be taken out of the Country Nay some did say that they would give their votes against you meerly upon this score to keep a Gentleman of such liberality to the poor and hospitality to all others still amongst them Now Sir the God of mercy and compassion reward you for it by continuing his temporal blessings to you here and with a Crown of glory hereafter And this shall be the constant prayer of Your Worships móst humble and most obliged Servant Tho. Adderley To the Charitable Christian and peaceably disposed Reader A Preface which at first I looked upon as useless upon second thoughts seemed little less then necessary Not so much to importune favor as equity and justice from the Reader I am not ignorant that most things of the same nature with the ensuing tract though written with never so good intentions and meaning are apt enough to be misconstrued by some ill disposed persons and the Authors of them though earnestly industrious for peace and unity are sure to be branded for the only disturbers Those that go about to lay open the sin and folly of some men shall be sure to find censurers enough and if they cannot find any thing more to say yet this they will be sure to insinuate that we write not so much out of zeal to the truth or love to dissenters as out of design of advancing our selves and of Eclipsing the repute and fame of others This I know hath been the common reward of persons who for their excellent parts and pains have merited better things of them And therefore I cannot much expect any other return If they have called the Master of the Family Beelzebub how much more will they call the Servant so But I protest that my main design in publishing these papers was meerly to mind our dissenters of the folly and sinfulness of keeping up a Schism in the Church and widening it's breaches since it is apparent that it makes way for the entrance of the common Enemy And if any one doth yet question the truth of this let him but seriously peruse Doctor Oates his Narrative of the horrid Plot and Conspiracy of the Popish party and that will plainly evince it and shew that these persons are but the Instruments of the Papists to bring about their designs What dangers we have been in at least if we are not so still of the Romans coming and taking away our place and Nation surely they cannot but see But would to God that their eyes were once opened to discern that their persistance in their separation from us makes their passage to it the more easie Sure enough our differences and dissentions are more then a little pleasing to our adversaries of Rome who very much delight to look on and see our scuffles and clap their hands at the sport saying Aha so would we have it The very manner of relating the contention betwixt Abraham's and Lot's Servants is very observeable Gen. 13.7 And there was a strife between Abraham's Herdsmen and the Herdsmen of Lot's Cattel and the Canaanite and Perizzite then dwelled in the Land Which surely was inserted by the Spirit of God as no small aggravation of the unseasonableness of the strife But it is much to be thought that the Canaanite and the Perizzite or that which is as bad the Fryar and the Jesuit are not meerly lookers on but they have a very near interest in our strifes by strong and secret influences causing and fomenting differences and contentions and kindling sparks into a flame Surely the hand of Joab is in this matter This then being so apparent what Christian much more what Protestant Minister could forbear a little sharpness against our blind or that which is worse obstinate dissenters who are the undoubted promoters of their own and of the Church's ruin I am not to be told that the least tartness against our Non-Conforming Teachers is enough to give any man the name of a well-wisher to the Romanists if not of a down-right Papist amongst their favorers and followers And therefore here I w uld crave so much Charity from my Reader as not to fauster any such thoughts of me and if for no other reason yet for the sake of the Letter annexed to the ensuing discourse And let me tell him this that had it not been for the prevention of that calumny I had not published it and that because I could not think it any ways worthy of the Press Having thus craved so much Charity of the Reader I shall readily admit his perusal of the ensuing pages of this Book and by that let him judge whether or no I may deserve it Psalm 122. Verse 6. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem THat the Psalms of David were Pen'd at several times and designed for several occasions is most unquestionably true And let the condition of Christians either in their publick or private capacities be almost what it will they may easily find out some Psalm very proper and seasonable for their relief and comfort and suitable enough to that their present condition As men infested with several Diseases and Distempers of Body may find some Drugs and Medicines in the Apothecarys Shop to Purge out those different humors that

many of them God knows are like to continue so for their Rabbi's and Teachers will never instruct them in it for that would utterly spoil their trade and they will not learn it of others And therefore could we but once press them to a reception of that superexcellent and truely-gospel grace charity how much would it tend to the abating at least if not to the utter eradicating all hard conceits either of our Church or of the Governors of it out of their minds St. Paul the Apostle in the 13. Chap. of his 1. Epistle to the Cor. gives us a very larg description and a very high Encomium of charity and amongst divers others tells us that these are its properties to suffer long and to be kind not to behave it's self unseemly not to be overhasty to think any evil to bear all things to believe all things to hope all things and to endure all things And were it not I say for want of this they would not thus despise Government and speak evil of those things which they so little understand The forenamed Apostle hath taken all the care imaginable to prevent any such thing He hath strictly commanded us Heb. 13.17 To obey them that have the rule over us and to submit our selves And as if he had foreseen that men would be ready to withhold their obedience to the commands of their Governors under a pretence that the things they command are not plain and clear to them and therefore for ought they know may be unlawful As if he had foreseen I say this pretence he hath annexed a very strong reason to enforce their obedience to all things of this nature which is this for they watch for your Souls says he as they that must give account Which is as much as if he had said more at large thus If your Superiors do command and enjoyn any thing that is lawful nay suppose that it be in some measure doubtful whether it be lawful or no yet in all things of this nature you must be obedient It is not a bare conceit and fancy that the thing commanded may be unlawful that will excuse your disobedience for there is nothing less then a plain command of God to the contrary that can supersede the commands of your Governors And because many of you may be apt to be overmistrustful of the wisdom of the sincerity and integrity of your Governors and so may be as apt to suspend your obedience to them till you your selves shall see a very good reason for the thing commanded do but consider that your Governors are placed over you by God himself that they watch for your Souls their main business is to see that you lead your lives in all godliness and honesty Nay consider further that they must all give an account unto God at the great and general audit when the secrets of all hearts shall be revealed how they have acquitted themselves in such offices and employments And therefore you may not without the plainest reason suspect their good intentions whatsoever they define and lay down they define not only for you but for themselves too they do not only teach others but themselves also And therefore if you had but common Christian charity for your Governors you would never thus deny obedience to their commands nor withdraw your selves from the communion of our Church in which there is nothing at all enjoyned or commanded but what is altogether agreeable with or at least no ways contrary to the word of God Again Thirdly ult Another cause or reason of those persons dislike of our Church and consequently of their separation from it is if I may so express it for want of a due use of their Christian liberty This perhaps may seem a little strange to some persons at first because this is one of their great pleas for their not yielding obedience to their Governors in things indifferent viz that their commanding and enjoyning such things doth too much intrench upon their Christian liberty and would again entangle them in the yoke of Bondage But yet I question not but to make it good And if they would but impartially consult the true meaning of that Text which they so commonly have recourse to Gall. 5.1 They would find that the liberty which the Apostle there speaks of is not that liberty which they challenge to themselves That freedom which our Saviour Christ purchas'd for us is a freedom from sin freedom from the curse of the law freedom from the ceremonial Law of Moses as Circumcision and Sacrifices and the like and not in the least any freedom from paying our obedience to the commands of our Governors in all lawful and indifferent things And it is a wonder to me that any man should be so much besides himself as to think that the least drop of Christs Blood was so vainly spent as to purchase freedom for us in things absolutely indifferent i. e. in such things as were in their own nature indifferent concerning which there was no command For these were free before and therefore free to be performed before and after they are commanded only the command is necessarily to be obeyed Their great scrupulosity and timerousness as to the use of such indifferent and harmless ceremonies and which God hath no where forbidden will rank them amongst those nice Jewish Christians of which the Apostle St. Paul speaks Colos 2.21 Who cry'd out touch not tast not handle not and that too upon the same account after the Doctrines and Commandments of men For God I say hath no where prohibited the use of them and they have no other reason for their not using them but because those teachers which they have heaped up unto themselves do tell them that they must not use them And therefore we may apply that saying of our Saviour to the Jews John 5.43 unto these people and say though your Governors come to you in the name of God who hath entrusted them with the care of these things and therefore they may very lawfully enjoyn them yet these you will not hear but if another come in his own name and tells you without any reason at all that you may not use them him you will receive and hear Thus they can suffer fools gladly if another man bring them into bondage they can suffer it patiently enough but if their Governors command no more then what they may safely comply with then they kick and fling and will by no means endure it then they cry out of a restraint of their Christian liberty whilst alas they are the greatest slaves to the Doctrines and commandments of other men And thus I say it is for want of a due use of their Christian liberty that makes them out of conceit with our Church and consequently to separate and divide from it And now I have done with my Text and shew'd you which was the main point of it that it is a duty highly concerning and

themselves for not obeying the same Let us when ever opportunity serves put the case thus unto them Suppose that you that are masters of families should command your children and houshold to appear before you at such a time and at such a place and there to joyn with you to worship God in such a posture and by the use of such a prayer which you have composed in consideration of their weakness and that they might all speak the same things This you have given sufficient notice of and none can pretend ignorance of it Suppose now that some of them should come and tell you that you exceed your bounds that you take too much upon you in restraining them thus of their liberty and in tying them up so strictly to the use of such things as God has no where commanded but hath left them altogether free Suppose one that is a little more sawcy and confident than the rest should venture to tell you that if you intend to have his company at your prayers they shall then be at such an hour and not at that time which you have appointed A second encourag'd by the example of the other tells you that your Prayers shall be in such a Room and not where you have ordered Another comes and asks you what you have to do to appoint the posture or the habit in which their Prayers shall be performed he is resolv'd to come in what dress he pleases and there either to sit or stand or loll at his pleasure not so much for his ease as meerly to cross you and to shew that he will not do as you order and prescribe What I pray would you now think of these people What would you their Masters and Governors do to such servants Would you think that you your selves had done any thing amiss herein or that you had done more then you could justifie and so beg their pardon or would you not rather look upon them as a company of unmannerly servants would you not handle them a little ruffly for such sauciness and put them out of your houses as persons unfit to live in any civilised families sure enough they would And then we may presently come upon them with a ye are the men you are these very sawcy refractory servants For a kingdom is but a larger family over which the Prince is the Governor and master And therefore when he hath by his Laws enjoyned such and such ceremonies as are no ways contrary to the commands of God you that disobey your Prince in these things do justifie your own children and servants in their disobedience to your selves But come and let us reason together a little further why may not Christian Kings use the same authority as the Kings of Israel and Judah did Produce your cause bring forth your strongest reasons Shew us when and where and how they lost such authority This seems to be no less a right then what is founded in nature and approved of by God himself Abraham shall become a great and mighty Nation says God and then it follows I know that he will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.18.19 There is nothing more plain then that the Governors and Princes of Judah did exercise such power and that it did of right belong unto them And this is a thing that hath been often proved beyond all contradiction especially in a late piece called the modern pleas for comprehension toleration c. To which I shall refer my reader Thus you see that this objection against our Church of enjoyning some ceremonies which are no where particularly and precisely commanded by God is of no validity at all And that in regard the worship of God cannot be performed without some ceremonie and who so fit in order to the avoiding of confusion to determine in this case as our Governors to whom God hath enjoyned obedience and told us that we must submit to every ordinance of man for his sake In regard the Church doth no more then what every Master of a family doth expect from his children and servants And in regard too that it is no more then what hath been done by Kings and Princes in the Old Testament And I am sure that they can never prove that they have been divested of this power in the new And that we may not pass the least part of the objection unanswered I shall in a few words shew you that this is not that will-worship which is condemned by St. Paul and therefore they cannot have the least shadow of reason to separate from our Church upon this account and so disturb the peace of our Jerusalem If you look into the 2. Chap. of St. Pauls Epistle to the Colos you will find verse 18. That the Apostle forbids the worshipping of Angels as a bold invention of men for which there was no revelation From thence he proceeds to speak against such superstitious people as did forbid marriage and the eating of some sorts of meat as in themselves utterly unlawful And those that were of this humor he directly charges verse 23 with will-worship So that it is very plain that those persons whom he charges with will-worship are such as do enjoyn or command any thing to be done or not done as if it were the will and command of God he should be so served when it is but a meer constitution of the will of man and enjoyned for some prudent considerations Now all the world must needs acquit our Church from this when she hath plainly declared as it is in the preface to the Common Prayer-Book that none of these ceremonies are imposed under the notion of necessary or religious but are of an indifferent nature and only used as decent and comely in the judgment of the present Governors who may alter these things and constitute others in their stead when they see fit which they could not do did they look upon them as things in themselves necessary And thus have we fully answered the main objections which are commonly made against our Church and shewed that it hath no affiance at all with the Church of Rome in any thing that is sinful And that the enjoyning some ceremonies which God hath not particularly and precisely commanded is not that will-worship which is condemned by the Apostle and therefore we may reassume what we did at first lay down and say that to separate and divide from this Church upon such accounts is highly blameable in any nay Extreamly sinful But what if after all this we should undertake to shew that these are but meer pretences and that the great maintainers of a separation from our Church have not really any such thoughts of her but yet least the people should suspect their separation from her to be causeless they are willing that they should think so of her Alas how commonly hath the world been deluded by specious pretences When Mary anointed

our Saviours feet with a pound of Spikenard which says the Text was very costly Judas cryes out of a wast tells them that the Ointment might have been sold for an hundred pence and given to the poor Here indeed was a fair pretence viz charity to the Poor But St. John the Evangelist tells us that this was but a meer out-side a meer pretence and that covetousness was the true cause of his muttering against it for this he said says St. John not that he cared for the poor but because he was a Thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein John 12.6 And so too we have a great deal of reason to think that the real causes of the separation from our Church and of the clamor that is made against it are quite otherwise then what is commonly pretended It will be worth a while therefore to search a little into the true causes of our divisions because we shall thereby discover the true images of things through those dark mists which cunning but ungodly men have endeavored to cast before the eyes of the vulgar we shall hereby discern how sadly the ignorant but well-meaning vulgar are deluded with meer pretences and that while their teachers cry conscience conscience it is meerly their own lusts that promote and carry on divisions in the Church But because those that separate and divide from our Church are commonly distinguished into a two-fold rank and order the teaching and leading men and the silly and deluded vulgar we shall therefore reckon up the causes under a two-fold head and shew that some of them are to be appropriated to the one and some to the other And least those leading men who think themselves some body in their own conceit should take it in great dudgen if they should be put off to the last and that we may not offend them in this we shall therefore speak to them in the first place 1. First then the first cause or reason of these persons separating from the Church and consequently disturbing the peace and unity of it may be an ambitious and aspiring spirit There is no question to be made but that there have been and are still many such men in the world who viewing themselves in a false glass do Pigmalion like fall in love with their own parts and from an overweening conceit of them they will not only adore them themselves but expect that all the world should adore them too and those that do not see as much in them as they do in themselves they conclude that all such are blinded by emulation and envy From this over-weaning conceit of themselves comes a fancy that none are so worthily deserving of the more honorable places in the Church as they And when they come to make suit and claim for such places if they happen to be put by and others perhaps more deserving to be preferred before them This very thing shall presently put them into a rage they will forthwith bethink themselves of a revenge they will hereupon study how to make themselves considerable at the cost of those who they judged did consider them too little And hereupon they will contrive some fair pretence to draw a party after them and make a faction Thus we are told how that Arrius missing of a prelation to the order and dignity of a Bishop Alexander being preferr'd before him he broatch'd and troubled the Church with an heretical opinion whereby he denyed the Divinity of our Saviour Christ And some conceive that the occasion of Tertullian's defection from the true Faith and of his fall to Montanism was because that after the death of Agrippinus he sufferr'd a repulse and was put by the Bishoprick of Carthage I could produce divers instances of the like kind were it at all needful But it is much to be thought that our present age will afford too many that it would turn us out too many persons who have chose to set up a party against the Church and to be leaders of a faction meerly because they might not be Governors of it and could not satisfie or content themselves with what their Governors thought them deserving But what a sad thing is it and how unchristian too for men who pretend to be holyer and more conscientious then others to abuse and delude the world so grosly as to pretend that their separating from the Church is upon the account of conscience when it is meerly from an over-weaning conceit of their abilities that they are wiser and better then others and will therefore disturb the peace of the Church if they are not preferred before others Is this humor in the least answerable to our Saviours Command of Learning of him who was lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Or doth it any ways answer his Apostles charge that in lowliness of mind we esteem others better then our selves Phillip 2.3 Certainly had they not quite laid aside and forgotten some of the weightier precepts of the Gospel they would quickly lay aside that vain fondness they have for themselves they would cast an eye upon their deformities as well as upon their excellencies and then they would begin a little to contract their plumes and think others as good if not better then themselves and no longer disturb the peace of the Church upon this account because they have not those honorable places in it which they vainly and groundlesly think they do deserve Secondly a second cause or reason of these persons separating from the Church and consequently disturbing the peace and unity of it is interest or the desire of gaining riches and money what sin is there indeed that the charming force of these will not perswade some men to Judas betrayed his Master for Thirty Pieces of Silver and the Husbandmen in the parable instigate and prompt each other to murder and to kill the heir to get the inheritance to themselves The love of money says the Apostle is the root of all evil 1. Tim. 6.10 And therefore why may it not be supposed to be the root of this evil we are now speaking of viz of the disturbance of the peace of the Church Nay he that reads but the next words following in the Text forenamed will find that the Apostle hath asserted as much himself The love of money says he is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the Faith And the same Apostle St. Paul hath left an instance of it upon record 2. Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world There is no question but that some of those Doctrines which make the partition wall betwixt us and the Church of Rome somewhat higher and which they are so zealous to maintain are oweing meerly to interest and to the profit they get by them As I could instance in their Doctrines about purgatory about pardons and indulgences their Praying for the Dead and such like which would certainly fall to