upon it is an Imposture enough discover'd and unmask'd Speak out is there any thing Sinful or Unlawful in the Liturgie Or that is not agreeable to Gods Word Prove but that and then you do something for the Church holds in her Articles of Religion That it is not Lawful for her to ordain any thing that is contrary or besides the Word of God Besides have not your requests been gratified in many things in altering several passages in the Liturgie as in the Offices of Marriage Churching of Women and Burials what is it you would then have all or none Cannot you be pleased without it be wholly cast aside Will no Concessions else serve your turn O that you would make some weighty exceptions and not use such a frivolous and vain Cavilling against it not worth the Answering or that you would shew the World one of your own that were better before you take away this that would be reasonable and worthy your undertaking And since some of you have allowed of a Liturgie and for peace sake of many inconvenient Circumstances in Gods Worship Baxt. Disp p. 487. Safe way p. 198. and acknowledg also that the Governors of the Church have a decisive power in things undetermined in Scripture why should you not yield to accept of this equitable Proposition to accept of and Conform to this Form of Prayer and these Rites of the Church till better be Instituted or Ordained As to the Cross in Baptism a Moral Hiroglyphick only of our Saviours Death and Crucifixion Godfathers and Godmothers Confirmation Kneeling at the Sacrament Bowing at the Name of Jesus Standing up at Reading the Creed and other things of the like Nature are these things worthy to cause an Eternal Separation betwixt you Are they of so great moment as to make so wide and long a breach in a Nation Are they of worth and value to make you run into Contempt and Rebellion Let us know your Minds if any of these should be yeilded to your tender Consciences and disused to please you would you then Conform in all the rest Would not your Answer be as formerly to Queen Elizabeth That you would not leave a Hoof behind All the Ceremonies of the Church must be laid aside you would have a naked Religion without Cloaths which is not seemly Ceremonies are but the Garments and decencies of Religion not part of it but somewhat that it cannot well be seen without they are like our Cloaths that may be altered that may be cut to the mode and size of the Times without altering the form of our Body There have been Laws made for prohibiting the use of some Garments and that have injoyned the wearing of others though before it was at the choice of the People to wear or not wear them after such Laws made they were no longer indifferent It is even so of our Ceremonies they are indifferent things of themselves but being injoyned by Authority they are now no longer so Obedience is no indifferent thing that is absolutely injoyned by the Word of God 't is obedience to Ecclesiastical Laws that is required This obedience is either justly due to these Laws or it is not If it is why then do you disobey If you say it is not 1 Pet. 2.13 you contradict the Scriptures Submit to every Ordinance of Man whether it be unto the King as Supream or unto Governors c. Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers However it is the safest way to obey should they Command things doubtful let the blame lie upon them you will be excused God requires not impossibilities But certainly God has given to the Governors of the Church a Power of making Laws and Canons Let all things be done decently and according to order 1 Cor. 14.40 And according to this Rule of the Apostle the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are as few decent comly and fitting as in any Church of the Christian World and all Exceptions against them that I ever could yet see empty and of no substance Manton on Jude Some of you have told us there are but two Lawful Causes of Separation from the Church Persecution and a general corruption of Doctrine for both these Causes and no other have we Separated from the Church of Rome and if you can prove these two marks of Separation to be inherent to the Church of England you will have sufficient to ground your Separation as Lawful and have some plea for what you do but till then I beseech you set your face towards the Temple of Obedience and be refractory no longer and since these things which make this Breach between you are not of any great Moment are but Ceremonies and the outward Garments and Garnatures of Religion leave off that obstinacy and submit your selves to the Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake The great Cry that you have made against these Rites and Ceremonies of the English Church hath been that they were Popery and of Popish extraction borrowed from the Church of Rome but all this while you tell us not what Popery is neither can you disown or dissent from all that is held or practised by the Church of Rome Certainly our Forefathers to whom we owe these things our Reformation from the Romish Church and the Purity of our Religion would not have laid down their Lives and have been Martyr'd by the Church of Rome if it had then been thought either by themselves or by the others that what they had done as to the Reforming the Ceremonies of the Church or towards the maintaining the Doctrines they Held or that the Orders and Discipline they had Constituted had been Popery or rather not opposite in some measure thereto As by Dissenting she shewed the Church of Rome that she had no dependency upon her and that she so far disowned her as she had disowned God by laying aside all those gross Corruptions for which our Church Separated from her so on the other side by retaining some of her harmless and innocent Ceremonies they shew'd her they did not do any thing by the Spirit of Opposition only whereby they might take offence without having a just ground and cause for it But Bishop Sanderson in his Preface to his Sermons tells you what in Truth Popery is Sand. Pref. Sect. 15. That it is those Doctrines which are contrary to the Word of God or but superadded thereunto as necessary Points of Faith to be of all Christians Believed under pain of Damnation and all those Superstitions used in the Worship of God which either are Vnlawful as being contrary to the Word of God or being not contrary and therefore Arbitrary or Indifferent are made Essentials and imposed as necessary parts of Worship From all which the Church of England hath been sufficiently Vindicated and Cleared and you cannot but know in your own Consciences that she disowns the shaddow of all those things and you
termed Porridg your unseasonable jests and jears against so Religious an exercise composed by the most Learned and Holy Men of this Nation and sealed to with their Blood and Lives And you must utterly disclaim and remove out of the way the very thoughts of that Principle that have been owned by you and is a a very Mountain in the gap of Separation that in the Cause of Religion it is Lawful to take up Arms against your King and Soveraign You must also lay aside that evil Eye which you have against the Riches and Revenues of the Bishops which you would gladly share among your selves and account it no Sacriledge The Bishops Lands stick in your Stomachs because they have slipt from between your Fingers but be not your Eye evil because that of your Ancestors has been good because Pious Princes and Religious Nobles have bestowed so much means on the Church They rob you not 't is not the effect of your Labour nor proceeds from the sweat of your Brows a Poor Clergy would be soon Vile and Contemptible And though it be no fault to have a steady and unchanged Mind and Opinion upon well grounded Principles yet I think all these stumbling blocks of Offences will not be accounted by your selves any found Principles or Foundations to build upon but are Stones and Rocks against which you dash your Feet and which divert you from the path that leads to Peace and Unity therefore be not over stiff in your own Opinions and think it no disgrace or undervaluing to your Cause or Reputation to give way and at last see the great Benefit that will accrue not only to the whole Nation but your Selves by putting to your own Hands to the removing all these forementioned Obstacles I am not Ignorant that against this my Advice you have Objected the tenderness of your Consciences that has enfeebled your Hands and kept you back from performing what is required of you But have a care you delude not your selves in this Point and pretend Conscience when there is something else in the way There is no Sect no Libertine the very Levellers and Ranters themselves but have the same Plea and fly away from their Duties to this starting hole Conscience hath been the general pretence for all those who had no mind to obey 'T is the common Shield and Buckler of Defence but I think there can be no Plea for Conscience when a lawful Authority requires only lawful things such as are not Derogatory to the Honor of God nor hurtful to the common Society of Men. I know also that you will tell me Rom. 14.33.14 that what is not of Faith is Sin and that though there is nothing unclean of it self yet to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean But have a care that your Conscience that is so tender does not strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel stumble at a Straw and leap over a Block I would not have you to do any thing against Conscience but then you must rectifie your Conscience by the Rule of Gods Word otherwise it is no Conscience for there can be no pretence of Conscience in doing Evil or Unlawful things it must be only in indifferent things where it hangs in aequilibrio as it were that it can admit of Doubts and Scruples Known Good and known Evil does not admit of that pretence The Apostle Paul commandeth thee to obey for Conscience sake but you pretend Conscience for Disobedience and Rebellion He commands you to be subject for Conscience sake you pretend to be free for Conscience sake these are Contradictions and are repugnant one to another These are not doubful Cases the Rule is too plain here to admit of Scruples That the way to Peace may be plain you must not through Ignorance Prejudice or Precipitancy call those things Popery and Superstition which are not nor perswade your Followers with so much Imbitterness against them be not so loud against them decry them not only with Noyse and Bawling bring them to the Test and let all things be weigh'd by the Balances of the Sanctuary and then it will be easily seen what is really Popery and Superstition and what so pretended Religion is for the most part taken up upon Trust Custom and Education rather than Choice frame it for us and we follow therein our Parents and our Nurses They call every thing Popery that is not made use of by themselves Every one that pleads for Ceremonies though never so decent is esteemed Popishly affected and generally among the common People of your Perswasion Episcopacy is thought no better of than Popery and Prelates and Ministers of the Church of England than of Cardinals and Priests But my Masters 't is a hard Case that those very Persons who were the chief Instruments of breaking the Tyrannical Yoke of Rome in this Nation and for which many of them were Martyred should be they who fram'd those very Constitutions which you call Popish and for which they lost their Lives by Popish Adversaries And also that they should be esteemed Popish Abettors because of their approving of these Ceremonies who have so strenuously wrot against the Tenets of Rome and who like worthy Champions have stood in the Gap and defended the true Protestant Cause against all gainsayers That these very Persons who have Converted many from the Popish Religion have Establish'd many that were Wavering have Recover'd others that were Lapsed and that have Confirmed several that were Doubting that these I say should be Branded by you with the Ignominious mark of Popery is strange and hardly Parallel'd And lastly that this desired Unity may be brought about you are desired to use so much Charity as not rashly to damn another for every Difference and so much Ingenuity as not to render the Opinions of your Adversaries more black and odious to the World than you in your Consciences know them to be Since the Church of England has Justified her self by some of the unanswerable Writings of her worthy Sons from all Imputations of Heresie and Schism from all novelty and false Doctrine and Answered all Objections whatsoever against her Ceremonies and Discipline There is yet one other Stone of offence which I had almost forgot and which will help to Unity if it be may be roll'd away for many other lesser gravelly adherences will be avoided with it and this is an Opinion That it is unlawful and sinful to do any thing without direction from the Scripture or the Word of God whereby you think by that means to overthrow the Cerimonies of the Church of England But I will say in the Learned Dr. Sandersons own words Sand. ad clerum Ser. 4. p. 62. That if you will understand this only of the Substantials of Gods Worship and of the exercises of Spiritual and Supernatural Graces the assertion is true and sound but if you extend it as you do to all the actions of
Evil and your Opinion that you may Separate and not Conform can never make it Good to you notwithstanding your scruples nor can any ways Justifie your Actions because Disobedience is of it self a great Evil. Now our Governors or those in Authority over us have Commanded those things to be done about which you scruple and that by the Authority of the Scripture 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in Order which gives them a Power to make such Constitutions therefore all your scruples of Conscience cannot take off the greater Obligation of Obedience which you are expresly bound to in Conscience by Gods Command and you are no longer sui juris where a Superior Power has determined your Liberty If you scruple to play at Cards and Dice or any other indifferent thing of which you have Power to determine to do or not to do if you do it against your Conscience you sin because you are sui juris in that Case there being no Obligation upon you to the Contrary but if you scruple coming to Church because of the Ceremonies being both a good Action and Commanded by Authority not to do it must certainly be a great Sin notwithstanding your scruples to the contrary for you are not at your own choice but under Obedience and thereby bound in Conscience as if God had Commanded them himself for he hath given you his strict Command to obey the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 and to submit to their Ordinances neither will it avail you to plead your scruples of Conscience Rom. 13.5 since you are Commanded to obey for Conscience sake and since what is Commanded is no Sin For if the Magistrate should Command us to take Gods Name in vain or to Commit Fornication we may with a safe Conscience disobey because we have an higher Obligation upon us for that God has Commanded the Contrary and we are bound to obey God before Man Be at last Convinced and stand no longer upon these niceties and scruples about things of lesser weight when greater Dangers are impending and much trouble is ready to arise by reason of this Separation and Disunion between you Salust have a care that by your discord you do not ruin your selves Discordia maximae Res dilabuntur it is able to overthrow Kingdoms give the Hag no longer entertainment among you let her be banished from our Churches as well as from our Kingdom that at last we may meet with oneness of Heart and singleness of Mind as becometh Brethren 1 Pet. 1.22.3.8 Love one another with a pure Heart fervently Be ye all of one Mind having Compassion one of another Love as Brethren Whatsoever the pretences of many are yet we find that Interest sways more with them than Religion very few do refrain purely for Conscience sake Many do it because they have been bred so and will not or care not to be better inform'd most remain Nonconformists without being able to shew any tolerable Reason why they are so besides those Idle Opinions they have of the Impurity of the Church of England Methinks these sort of People who shun the Church out of a certain squeamishness of her nearness as they falsly think to Popery should be afraid of those visible advantages their Separation gives to those of that Religion to contrive its setting up again in this Land and that this fear should let them see that it is their Common interest to Unite with and strengthen the Hands of their Brethren Certainly though you intend no such thing yet you are a means of the great increase of Popery in this Land by your Divisions How would that Party rejoyce could they see Episcopacy as it is now Established in this Land pulled down they would not much care what Form you would set up for they believe and not amiss that Confusions and Distractions would soon follow on which they ground their not improbable Hopes of Raising up their own Church upon our broken Pillars You cry out continually with no little noise of the growth and increase of Popery or of People perverted to Popery in this Land but look not on your selves as the Means and Cause by your Separation giving them the same pretence for that plea of yours Liberty of Conscience and that they ought not to be compelled any more than your selves Luc. 6.31 Do as you would be done unto If you would not be compelled why should they Prout vultis ut faciant vobis homines vos etiam facite eis similiter What reason have you to lay any force upon others when you will not have any laid upon your selves The Common Interest could make Herod and Pilate though Enemies to become Friends for fear of a Common Enemy the King of the Jews See I beseech you now if it be not your Interest to close with those of the Church of England against your Common Enemy of Rome and if it be not now most seasonable to effect it This Union would be the best means in the World to frustrate all their Plots and Designs against us It would put them quite out of Heart and dash all their Hopes They would then lose their sheet Anchor their last Refuge It would take away all their Advantages and put them past all their shifts It is the only way to bring Peace and Happiness to the Nation We need to fear no Enemies abroad if we were thus United at home we should be like the bundle of Arrows not to be broken together but being parted asunder into Factions easily broke into pieces Union is the Life and Blood of Government both in the Church as well as in the State A Doeg or Achitophel at home is worse than the Philistines or Moabites abroad Our mischief is from our selves Eras Apoth Patriae periclitantis potius habenda est ratio quam privatae incolumitatis We should rather regard the safety of our Country than of our selves Cicero said their was a select place of Happiness and Eternal felicity reserved in Heaven for those who preserved helpt and brought good to their Country Som. Scip. And I am of the Opinion that by your Conformity you will merit more than by all your scruples of Separation By your submission you will deserve the Reward of Victors you shall have the Garland of Praise to adorn your Brows the Palm of Conquest shall be put into your Hands and the Olive Branch of Peace shall be placed on your Trophies your Country shall applaud you your King shall cherish you and your Brethren shall rejoyce with you you shall have the right hand of fellowship given to you and there shall be no longer any difference in our Israel Cic. Off. l. 1. Pro patria quis bonus dubitet mortem oppetere What good Man doubts to meet Death for his Countries sake says Cicero The task is not so difficult that is required of you you are desired to Live for your
Countries sake to Live in Union and Love with your Friends and to joyn together against your Common Foes It is not enough that you say you will joyn your Purses and your Arms with your Brethren and that you are ready to assist them with your Lives and Fortunes for where there is not a Unity of Hearts and Religion there can be no true Concord and Amity There will still remain jealousies and suspicions among you There can be no perfect Confidence and trust between you There will be a thousand fears and doubts of each other distrusts and surmises will still arise till you are United in Heart and in Mind and remain no longer two but one O that I could but make you sensible of the Blessing of this Unity how much Glory it would add to the Nation How much scandal it would take from Religion How much security it would give to three Kingdoms How much content and satisfaction to your Prince and how much joy and gladness to the Hearts of all your Brethren what Peace should we injoy at home What esteem and aw should we purchase abroad What Love would be begotten between one another And what happiness and prosperity would it bring to all You would then see again those Happy days of Queen Elizabeth our Armies to Prosper our Citizens to Flourish Conquest abroad and Peace at home Charity to increase and Contention to cease Love to abound and Strife to wax less redeunt Saturnia Regna Virg. The golden Age would seem to be returned again and Righteousness would run down like a stream There would then be a general rejoycing in our Streets Psal 118.23 and we should all Cry out This is the Lords doing it is marvellous in our Eyes If I thought I were able to prevail with you I could be willing to spend my Breath in Calling but how often have you been Call'd unto and ye will not hear How often have you been Cry'd upon and you are still Deaf The King has Call'd you the Laws have Call'd you your Fathers and your Brethren have Call'd you and Cry'd aloud unto you and yet you will not hear you will not Answer as you ought you will and do still contend and still stand out you do submit you say to the Laws you are peaceable and quiet you disturb not the Church you Assemble your selves only to hear the Word and to satisfie your Conscience you Pray for the King you Preach and Hear sound Doctrine Why then should we disturb you by these frequent Callings 'T is true you do Obey the Laws but 't is by halves 't is a passive obedience only you step not one step forward you stand still and suffer as as you think you thereby judge your selves no less than Martyrs and Sufferers for your Cause and for your Conscience you resist not because your Hands are bound but you still Watch and Wait and Pray for a day of Deliverance you Hope still to have your turn and you are still Righteous in your own Eyes you Pray for the King 't is your Duty and he hath deserv'd it by his Indulgence you Preach sound Doctrine that is also to be heard in our Pulpits but Obedience is better than all this Unity and Conformity would be of more advantage to you and doubt not more acceptable to God than all your Prayers than all your Preaching joyned with Disobedience At last therefore indeavour to satisfie your Consciences go about it in earnest lay aside all stubbornness of Heart all Spiritual Pride all Self-interest Let the Case be stated truly betwixt you There are those that will not think much to convince you if Scripture and Reason will do it But you must then Come with willing Minds you must not be so stiff as you have hitherto been rather than comply one jot you will break you cannot bow you will not yield in what you may in those things that you cannot Condemn you will not so much as Read the Chapters appointed for the Day because Commanded you will not repeat the Creed and the ten Commandments you will but rarely admit of the Lords Prayer because by us so often used and those who have thus far Complied and set you a good Example have been reproach'd for it and have been look'd upon as backsliders But this is not the way to Unity and Peace you must bring willing and yielding Hearts with you you must not be Obstinate and Opiniative you must not be Resolved before Hand you must have desires and longings for Unity you must hear without Passion and Interest and with a desire not of Disputing and shewing your Parts but of satisfying your Minds and Consciences and then no doubt but your scruples may be all Resolved and you may Conform with satisfaction Lay these things seriously to your Heart pass them not slightly over think not these words only a little vain Air God may Call you by a weak Instrument by a small Voice Resist not the Spirit Harden not your Hearts 'T is God that Calls he would have you return Remember the Womb wherein you were born and the Paps that gave you suck Think of the Peace and Unity of Israel Be Dutiful as Children Love as Brethren Obey the King Submit to Ordinances Be Subject to Rulers Honour the Magistrate Yield to Governors Be United in Mind Be of one Heart Worship together Separate no longer and God will build you up Psal 76.1 2. Then God will be known in Judah and his Name will be great in Israel In Salem shall be his Tabernacle and his Name shall be great in Zion You shall then be Vnited like Israel and Judah you shall have but one King you shall be no more two Nations Eze. 37.22 neither shall you be divided into two Kingdoms any more at all Then what Nation will there be so Great who hath God so nigh unto them Then you shall be his People Deut. 4.7 and He will be your God He will give you one Heart and one Way that you may fear him for ever Jer. 32.38 39 Rom. 15.6 for the good of you and your Children after you Then will ye with one Mind and one Voice glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ For ye were as Sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls 1 Pet. 2.25 Then there shall be but one Shepherd and one Fold and they shall hear his Voice together Then shall ye all be glad in the Lord John 10.16 the Righteous shall rejoyce Psal 32.11 and the Vpright in Heart shall shout for Joy Then shall you have Beauty for Ashes the Oil of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Praise for Heaviness and the Lord shall be Glorified Isa 61.3 Therefore Remember from whence you are fallen and Repent Return into the Bosom of your Mother Rev. 2.5 Phil. 2.2 That your Joy may be compleat in the Lord and that there may be seen throughout the Land all to be like Minded having one and the same Love being of one accord and of one Mind Amen Inobedientia est ex duritia mentis obstinatae Tullius cui debeas imperanti nolle obtemperare Tres sunt species obstinatorum Hug. de 12. abusi Prima eorum qui Correctione non Proficiunt Secunda eorum qui ex Commonitione deteriores fiunt Tertia eorum qui emendationem promittunt sed non faciunt Plenissima Peccatorum obtinetur ablutio Leo Papa Serm. quando totius Ecclesiae una est Oratio una Confessio Si enim duorum vel trium Sanctiorum pio Consensui omnia quae poposcerint Dominus praestanda promittit quid negabitur multorum millium Plebi unam observantiam pariter exequenti per unum Spiritum concorditer supplicanti Cujus aures Clausi Veritati sunt Tul. de amic ut ab amico verum audire nequeat hujus salus desperanda est FINIS