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A51062
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The moderate Independent proposing a word in season to the gathered churches, the Episcopal and Presbyterian parties tending to their humiliation for what is past, to be reconciled to each other for the time to come, and joyntly to acquiesse in the determinations of this present Parliament, as to the government of church & state / by Salem Philalathes ...
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Philalathes, Salem.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing M2325; ESTC R16471
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30,990
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34
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conscientious and pious men to be offended at the persecutions of the Prelates and their superstitious injunctions and innovations and consequently what need there was of a Reformation in Church Government Sir Edward Deering my Lord Digby and others of their own party have declared by the former quotations But how this blessed work hath miserably miscarried in all our hands hinc illae lachrimae I know the Presbyterian party are apt to say if we Independents had not interposed this work of Reformation had gon on with speed their Government had been setled in the Nation not considering that the progresse that they had made therein by the sword would like the Commonwealth we have been raising all this while require the continuance of the same to support and bear it up at vast charges The Government aforesaid being not only dissatisfactory and displeasing to our late King but to the greatest part of the Nobility Gentry and Commons of the Land besides our selves especially as universal conformity thereunto by the Covenant was intended Now to avoid these extreams into which we saw both others run before us even of a violent absolute and universal compulsion of conformity that nothing in Matters of Religion might be urged that might go against our Consciences and that according to our Principle that particular Congregations are Independent and subject to no Censure from any other Church but that of non-communion We have given a boundless lawless toleration to all corrupt and erroneous Opinions from the Anti-Trinitarian to the Quaker wherein though we have run into much Confusion and Disorder yet have we therein come nearer to the Judgment of Mr. Hales before quoted than either the Presbyterian or Episcopal Party themselves who in his Discourse about dealing with erring Christians doth neither approve of the High Commission Court or of a Covenant to swear down the Extirpation of Errour Heresie and Schisme * Or any other way of severity For saith he P. 55. Severity against and separation from Heretical companies took its Beginning from the Hereticks themselves and if we search the Stories we shall find that the Church did not at the first arising thrust them from her themselves went out And as for severity that which the Donatists sometimes spake in their own defence Illam esse veram Eccclesiam quae persecutionem patitur non quaefacit She was the true Church not which raised but which suffered persecution was de facto true for a great space For when Heresies and Schismes first arose in the Church all kinds of violence were used by the erring Factions but the Church seemed not for a long time to have known any use of a sword but only of a Buckler and when she began to use the Sword some of her best and chiefest Captains much disliked it The first Law that ever was made in this kind was enacted by Theodosius against the Donatists but with this restraint that it should extend against none but such as were tumutuous and till that time they were not so much as toucht with any mulct though but pecuniary til that shameful outrage committed against Bishop Maximian whom they beat down with Bats and Clubs even as he stood at the Altar so that not so much the Errour of the Donatists as their Riots and Mutinies were by Imperial Lawes restrained Thus sar Learned Pious and Moderate Mr. Hales of whose Judgment had the Episcopal Party been in the time of their Government these troubles in the Church had never been raised nor had these miseries come upon the King and Kingdom And were but what he hath written seriously pondered by considering Christians of all Parties it would pluck up the cause of all our Divisions by the roots As I shall therefore commend to you all * Who shall be called to advise about matters of Religion his Works set forth by Mr. Pearson aforesaid so this one particular Passage more amongst the rest It is not saith he p. 54. It is not the variety of Opinions but our own perverse wills who think it meet that all should be conceited as our selves are which hath so inconvenienced the Church Were we not so ready to anathematize each other where we concur not in opinion we might in hearts be united though in our tongues we were divided and that with singular profit to all sides It is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace and not Identity of Conceit which the Holy Ghost requireth at the hands of Christians This short Quotation giveth us a true account of the Cause and Cure of all our Church Dissentions and Divisions Now that these Rents and Schisms may not grow wider but be healed up and I hope therein offer the sense of very many Church-Members I say I shall humbly propound this expedient Let but the Episcopal and Presbyterian Parties abandon and renounce their Principle of universal Conformity and compulsion and we of the Gathered Churches ours of a universal toleration and liberty for Conscience They exercising no other compulsive power over tender Consciences than what they are furnished with from the Word of God and we expecting and requiring no other liberty from them than what the Word of God allowes us And no doubt but we shall find the Son of Righteousness arising upon us with healing under his wings and give us all that unity of Spirit which is the Bond of Peace though we have not Identity of Conceits and Apprehensions and will make us all to be of one Heart though we are not all of one mind By what way of Government this may be best effected I leave to the Advice of an Assembly of Religious and Learned Ministers of all Parties whom no doubt the Parliament will speedily summon and to the Result and determinations of the Parliament thereupon in reference to Church-matters I hope all sober and moderate Independents if not very weak in judgment or strongly possest with prejudice and many other corruptions therein will humbly submit to acquiesce therein And not only so but also to the judgment of that great Council in reference to what they have voted not only of the way of Government by Monarchy but also to the Government of his Majesty Whose Gratious Declaration of a free and general pardon to all his Subjects how faulty soever excepting only such as shall be here after excepted by Parliament which cannot now be many considering the chiefest are gone down into the dust And also of Liberty to tender Consciences and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of Opinion in matters of Religion that do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom I say these Offers of Grace and Mercy from his Majesty whom many of our Consciences tell us we have so much offended and exposed to such great afflictions and Sufferings should now melt our hearts through great contrition and penitential remorse for what is past and work us to Resolutions of all due Loyalty and Subjection to his Government for the time to come and that not for fear but for Conscience sake Methinks God having as we ought to judge in Charity by his Gracious expressions turned his Royal heart towards us how should it turn our hearts to be Loyal towards Him and make us now to make good what I now believe 〈…〉 by his Royal Father in the Advice he gave to him before 〈…〉 when Prince In his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Wales saith he None will be more Loyal and Faithful to you and me than those Subjects who sensible of their Errours and great Injuries shall feel in their own Soules most vehement Motives to Repentance and earnest desires to make some reparation for their former defects Nay this Confidence his Late Majesty had of his most offending Subjects that he further saith in the said Advice For those that repent of any defect in their Duty to me I believe ye shall find them truly zealous to repay with Interest that Loyalty and Love to You that was due to Me. Surely by what I have so largely insisted upon in all this Discourse we of the Gathered Churches cannot be so stupid but needs must be brought to a sense of this that we have been exceeding defective in our Duty to the Late King The Presbyterian Party in England and Scotland about the Late Kings Death and since have Some of them suffering death and banishment c. testified their Repentance for their Defects in their Duty to the Late King by their Loyalty to his Majesty Methinks we should no longer lie under the same reproof as they did 2 Sam. 19. 12. Wherefore are ye the last in bringing back the King Well nunquam sera est ad bonosmores via Let us therefore though we have set out after others yet let us overtake them in the speedy and vigorous expressions of our Repentance for the Defects of our Duty to the Late King by our Love and Loyalty to our present Soveraign Let our Contentions now be turned into this Christian emulation which Party of us shall be most pious towards God most Loyal toward the King and most loving to one another And then no doubt if our waies please the Lord he will make not only our enemies to be at peace with us but us to be at peace amity with all dissenting brethren they with us will give us favour in the eyes of the Authority of the Nation the King and Parliament AMEN FINIS In the Integrity of my heart have I done this Gen. 20. 5. Salem Philalathes and a Church-member
grievance of Church-Government than my self nor whose affections are more keen to the clipping of those wings of the Prelates whereby they have mounted to such Insolency nor whose zeal is more ardent to the searing of them that they may never spring again I suppose you are so eaten up with the sense of your own sufferings that you have forgotten the occasion you gave to many of Gods people to cry out to God against you their hard Taskmasters Let my Lord Digby be your Remembrancer p. 70. Me thinks the vengeance of the Prelates hath been so laid as if it were meant no Generation no degree no complexion of mankind should escape it Was there a man of a nice and tender Conscience him they afflicted with scandal in adiaphoris imposing on him those things as necessary which he thinks unlawful and they themselves know to be but indifferent Was there a man that made the Establishment by Law the measure of his Religion him have they netled with innovations with fresh introductions to Popery Was there a man of a meek and humble Spirit him have they trampled to dirt in their pride Was there a man that durst mutter against their Insolencies he may enquire for his Lugs they have been within the Bishops Visitation As if they would not only derive their Brandishment of the Spiritual Sword from Saint Peter but of the material one too and the right to cut off Ears Now as it was thus with the Governours of the Church who usually did exercise their Severity in all their Visitations upon such as could not upon Conscientious Grounds conform to their superstitious Ceremonies c. as my Lord Digby witnesseth against them So the subordinate Clergy for the most part were of ambitious and superstitious spirits and of such vicious lives and conversations that like the prophane Sons of Eli they made many to adhor the Offerings of the Lord. And in stead of pressing upon the people the necessity of regeneration and holiness without which no enterance into the Kingdom of Heaven to that holy Singularity and preciseness which the Word of God requires the most of their zeal vented it self in close Sarcasmes at Purity in the Pulpit though it was their Common Prayer in their Desks that the rest of our lives hereafter might be pure and holy To all which do but call to mind that general Prophaneness that had overrun the Kingdom in Court City and Country and you will find that you have no great cause to look upon your selves as innocent Martyrs in what you have suffered from God and man Surely that Flood of Prophaneness that now again begins to arise and that extream violent Spirit that appeareth still among many of you doth evidence that though God hath humbled you and brought you low that yet you have not humbled your selves under the Almighty Hand of God nor have yet repented to give him Glory Be wise therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges and Rulers of the Earth Kiss the Son lest his anger which he hath made to smoak against you be further incensed to your Ruine And you of the Episcopal Clergy If you have no zeal for the Honour of your Master Christ Jesus whose Ambassadors you pretend to be or pitty to the precious Souls of men yet if there be in you any real respect to the restoring of your Soveraign to the Government of the Land and his prosperous and peaceable Government preach down that horrid prophaness that still appears in the most of those that espouse his * I mean the prophane Phanatick who in this juncture of time that they have but a litle hope of peace fall to such revelling roaring drinking and other waies of wickedness that we may justly fear may provoke the Lord to repent of the Good he hath begun amongst us Dr. Jackson hath drawn the Character of our present condition in the City of London and other places to the life Fol. 3660. Comparing us to the City of Trireres one of the most flourishing Cities amongst the Gilles who were so intemperatly set upō their wonted delights that after the City had been sacked 4 times and did not retain so much as the likeness of with it had been yet they were still the same No sooner was this storm of Blood War broken up and the Beams of Peace restored again but they erected their Stages even in the fresh sent of deadly Vapours from their murdered Citizens buried in their City Ashes Interest press them to follow as much after Holiness as they do Peace without which they shall never see God Exhort them to Repentance for their present incorrigibleness under Gods Hand Urge them to a Spirit of Love and Moderation And be ye exemplary to them in all these things And do not still discover your pride and obstinacy by a violent pursuit of a restoration and return to your former worldly Pomp and Greatness your Domineering Dominion as to Government your former splendid superstitious and ceremonious Service of God Why should either Clergy or Laitie imagine that what pleaseth their own carnal Fancies in Gods Worship and Service is pleasing to him who is a Spirit and will be worshipt in Spirit and Truth Our Blessed Saviour is of another mind and tels us Luke 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God And so also is one of your Judgment Learned Mr. John Hales in his Works set forth by Mr. John Pierson Page 172. Saith he Quid juvat hoc nostres Templis admittere mores Why measure we God by our selves and because we are led with gay shews and goodly things think it is so with God Seneca reports that a Pantomimus a Puppet-Player and Dancer in Rome because that he pleased the people well was wont to go up every day into the Capitol and practised his Art and danced before Jupiter and thought he did the god a great Pleasure Beloved In many things we are like this Puppet Player and do much measure God by the People by the world Because that your gay and guilded Churches your golden Copes and Organs your square Caps Rochets Lawn Sleeves and Sirplices your Cringing and Bowing your Dopping and Ducking to the High Altar your Dancing up and down from place to place to read the first and second Service with many frivolous superfluous and Superstitious Ceremonies pleased your selves and the ignorant People therefore you thought God was pleased therewith also But if you consult with Mr. Hales he tels you P. 170. That to add to the Church outward Stateliness and Pomp is nothing else but to make a Centaure marry and joyn the Kingdom of Christ with the Kingdom of the world a thing which I do the rather note saith he because the long continuance of some Ceremonies in the Church having occasioned many especially of the Church of Rome to think that there is no Religion no Service without these Ceremonies c. How far