the Communion of the Church as now established and his former and late Declarations to favour and protect it for which the Convocation have addressed their Thanks and doubt not of it 4. The House of Lords have given us their Sense of it in the Bill of Vnion Ans We must expect their Sense nothing being as yet determined by them as to new Alterations and the Act for Uniformity stands unrepealed by them 5. Toleration is already granted by Statute Ans That is a greater favour than was granted to the Church-party in the late Wars for almost Twenty years together when Dissenters were in Power and that should suffice them which they accounted too much for others 2. It is well known at whose instance and for whose sake Tolerations were formerly granted viz. of such as were professed Papists and that under a false pretence That the pressing of Uniformity had not procured the desired success but the true Reason was that it was too successful 3. The Reasons given by a very Religious and Loyal Parliament against Toleration are irrefragable which were passed Nemine contradicente in the Parliament 1662 and may be seen in several Printed Tracts This Parliament in the Act for Uniformity did as much as was possible to perpetuate the Liturgy then Established to future Generations ordering all Deans and Chapters to procure Copies of it under the Great Seal and perfect Copies of the Act of Uniformity and the like were to be kept in the Courts of Westminster and in the Tower of London that by them any Error committed by the Printer might be rectified 4. The Eyes of the World are upon us and all the Reformed Churches are in expectation of something to be done which may make for Vnion and Peace Answ The Eyes of the Christian World admire as well the Holiness of our Doctrine as the Beauty of our Worship and Administration as also the great things that God hath done for our Church to preserve it as hitherto blessed be his Name he hath graciously done against all the violent Attempts of Popish Fury and Fanatick Zeal And as for the great Numbers of Irish and French Protestants which are now among us if we consult them they will all acknowledge the great Goodness of God in preserving our Church to be a Sanctuary unto them from the Rage of their Persecutors and heartily joyn with us in all our Ordinances without any scruple against either our Doctrine or Ceremonies And this gives us much ease under our domestick Troubles and hopes that it will be a benefit to us if well considered by them that are otherwise minded No Man can be wise too late saith our Author pag. 24. But it 's too late to shut the Stable-door when the Steed is stollen Principiis obsta is a wise Rule Page 25. After the Year 1661 though there were Writs issued out for a Convocation yet no Warrant could be procured for the Support and Incouragement of the Church during the Reigns of Charles the Second and James the Second Answ The reason was because the Dissenters of all sorts seared what would be done in the Case of Toleration and Indulgence as now they do in the Case of Comprehension and therefore the Meeting was delayed And he thinks it no good Advice of them that say Do nothing now or as little as may be when little or much is not the business but as much as is fit he should have said Vpon great and important Reasons He adds If one Opportunity be neglected it may discourage the Powers that offer it from vouchsafing another Answ We have heard indeed That if the intended Alterations be not made by the Convocation it may be done without them in time If so it will be their comfort that they did not put their Hands to the pulling down the Church upon their own Heads In the mean time we of the Country are much amused to hear of your tedious Adjournments and know not what to guess at as the occasion of those delays unless it be to give the Dissenters time to spread abroad scandalous Reports of such of the Convocation that carried the Election of Dr. Jane to be Prolocutor against those who Voted for Dean Tillotson who as we have heard claimed it as his Right belonging to that Deanary though we have been since informed that there belongs to that Deanary only Jus dirigendi Electionem which implies That the Convocation had the Power and Right of Election and that Dr. Tillotson was not then confirmed in that Deanary but that the Election was carried only by three or four Voices and given up by Dr. Tillotson's Party to prevent any disturbance But you have assured us that it was otherwise there being Two to One who Voted for Dr. Jane And now that we see Letter after Letter sent abroad to cast an Odium on such as shall not Vote for Alterations though they see not any sufficient cause so to do but great and important Reasons for the contrary we think that we see the reason of your Adjournments which have given a Month's time to others to prepare and disperse such Pamphlets as may tend to your prejudice and prepossess the People that you are the Enemies of Peace and Reconciliation and to this end he complains First as the usual Practice is of those Church-men who by means of any Letters or Pamphlets containing uncharitable Misrepresentations of the Commissioners or the Work under their hands are prejudiced against them for he condemns such as Enemies to Peace and as having a Zeal not according to Knowledge but neither this Author nor any other since the first meeting of the Convocation have taken any care to prevent the prejudices that some have endeavoured to raise against the far greatest part of them for chusing Dr. Jane rather than Dean Tillotson and whereas we have not yet seen one Pamphlet or Printed Letter to perswade us that there is no necessity of Alterations we have very many that not without great Zeal would incline us to think them necessary And this Work being done by way of preparation our hope is that the Convocation will meet with no more Adjournments but closely apply themselves to what shall be proposed by their Majesties and give the Nation the Result of their Consultations and the Reasons of them And so I joyn with the Author earnestly beseeching the People not to give too open an Ear to any such Censures of Things which they do not yet fully understand and which for ought they know may prove a great Blessing to them The next Paper whereof I shall give you my thoughts is A Letter from a Minister in the Country to a Member of the Convocation The Author needed not have told us that he was a Country-Minister for though there be in the Country many Ministers who for their Learning may be without disparagement compared with most of the City-Ministers yet the Matter of his Letter as it is penned shews that he
very shame the Convocation thought it necessary to make them But our Author finding all his arguings to be lost as in p 28. he betakes himself to a sham-plot against those that are not for Alterations as if because they said or rather he for them That they were not seasonable they had said the Parliament was illegal the Government precarious and the Laws no Laws it becomes not a Country-Minister to be a Minister of Satan in falsly accusing his Brethren who have all owned the present Authority and Laws and he that blames the want of Connexion in our Collects should have been more cautious then first to raise an Objection of his own and then infer from it such impertinent conclusions as may be mischievous to others But what think you says he if this Government sink I think our causless dissentions will be one of the greatest causes Who sunk the Government under the Royal Martyr Who had well nigh sunk it a second time under the late King to whom such multitude of Dissenters addressed Thanks for Suspending the Laws and promised to obey him without reserve we have had experience enough who they were that could after all their Pleas for Liberty part with their Consciences to save their Lives though with the loss of their Religion Laws and Liberty so as their Brethren might perish a little before them When therefore he would perswade us that we may have a new Law for the intended Establishment I think no Man will be perswaded to run such a risque for having many good Laws already for our Established Worship we may conclude that as to certainty the old are better Having thus treated the Members of the Convocation he takes his Farewel of them leaving them to their Couch and Consideration intimating that they are all become mighty Politicians or Tools for them that are so Who have been made and used as Tools by the late unhappy Politicians is as evident as any matter of fact can be and I wish I could leave this Country-Minister well in his Wits to consider whether he be not used as a Tool to destroy the Established Church by some who think themselves mighty Politicians Some REMARKS on a LETTER from a Member of the Convocation NO sooner had I finished my Remarks on the Letter of the Country Minister to a Member of the Convocation but I were encounter'd with another from a Member of the Convocation to his Friend in which I feared my Opinion would have been oppugned not only by a greater Authority but by sharper Arguments than any I had yet met with But having viewed his Weapons I found that they were flourished and glittered with a Rhetorical style yet they wanted that Logical strength that might enforce them This encouraged me to take my Pen in hand again and to enter the List against this Master of the Assembly for I considered that though his Weapons were keen yet the Arm that wielded them was but weak and it was no great danger to wrest them out of his hands and imploy them against himself His great flourish was A Necessity an absolute Necessity of yielding to many Alterations in our Established Worship This I thought might prove durum telum for Necessity hath no Law especially when it is Absolute then like the Absolute power it bears down all before it This lookt somewhat formidably for I considered that Necessity had destroyed many great and good Men. It was said of that great Hero the Earl of Strafford Illum non tulit Lex verum necessitas non habens Legem And of a greater than he we have a Law viz. of the Jews making and by that Law Oportet mori to dye and dye he did because it was expedient also for the People But that there was an Absolute necessity that Judas should betray his Master I can no more believe than that there is a Necessity That he who is a Member of the Church of Christ and hath familiarly eaten of her Bread and born the Bag too should lift up his heels and kick at her I considered therefore what kind of Necessity this might be for our Opponent grants there is no necessity in respect of the Church her self that she should make Alterations Because saith he p. 1. nothing is more dangerous to Religion than frequently to make Alterations 2. Because an unsteadiness though in Circumstantials only which are always alterable may become an Argument against the whole the Multitude not being able to judge what is Circumstantial and what is Essential in our Worship what is in the Power of the Church to alter and what is not and are apt to call every Alteration though in things indifferent and by variation of times made totally insignificant to be a change of Religion it self and so concluding that we have no firm bottom become Apostates from us to Popery or Atheism And therefore he thinks the Church of England may be justified that it hath not been forward on every demand of the Dissenters to unhinge those of her Communion but hath to the utmost resisted all Alterations hoping by other less dangerous Methods to heal the Divisions that are among us By this I perceived the Absolute necessity would not much affect the Church yet I considered farther whether there were an Absolute necessity from any Precept that did oblige the Church to make Alterations in the external Parts or Rites of Worship and I found she had a Power by Precept to see that all things be done decently and according to her Order and Appointment and another Precept That the People should Obey those that had the Rule over them And accordingly the most Primitive Church of which we read Acts 2.45 Continued daily with one accord in the Temple and in the Apostle's Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayer Nor would St. Paul endure any Contention about Circumstantials contrary to the Custom of the Church 1 Cor. 11.16 Nor can I see this Absolute necessity in the things that are to be altered because they are confessed to be in their own nature indifferent and when they fall under a Precept of those whose proper work it is to injoyn them we cannot without Disobedience to our lawful Governors reject them Neither can this Necessity affect the Persons for whose sake the Alterations are desired because if there be nothing sinful in our Communion it is sinful to separate from it besides the Dissenters would take it ill of any Man that should say they cannot be saved in that way of Worship which they have chosen for themselves and then there is no Absolute necessity for the Church to alter her Constitutions to gain them to her Communion In a Church where Salvation is to be had we ought to abide notwithstanding some inconvenient circumstances whose Amendment is desirable Though there were great Disputes in the Primitive Church about the Place of Worship Circumcision and Meats and Days yet was there no Separation And
Jane had the Majority of Voices yet great endeavours were used to prefer the Dean whose Party having argued much for it but saw themselves overcome did at last yeild to the Election of Dr. Jane the Votes for him being double to the others The first thing that was done in the Convocation after the chusing the Prolocutor was Decemb. 4th when the Commission from the King was read there being present twelve Bishops the Commission was as follows WIlliam and Mary by the Grace of GOD King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas in and by one Act of Parliament made at Westminster in the 25th Year of the Reign of King Henry the 8th Reciting That whereas the King 's Humble and Obedient Subjects the Clergy of this Realm of England had not only acknowledged according to the Truth that the Convocation of the same Clergy were always had been and ought to be Assembled only by the King 's Writ but also submitting themselves to the King's Majesty had promised in Verbo Sacerdotis that they would never from thenceforth presume to Attempt Alledge Claim or put in Ure or Enact Promulge or Execute any new Canons Constitutions Ordinances Provincial or others or by whatsoever other Name they should be called in the Convocation unless the said King's most Royal Assent and License might to them be had to Make Promulge and Execute the same and that the said King did give his Royal Assent and Authority in that behalf It was therefore Enacted by the Authority of the said Parliament according to the said Submission and Petition of the said Clergy among other things That they nor any of them from thenceforth should Enact Promulge or Execute any such Canons Constitutions or Ordinances Provincial by whatsoever Name they might be called in their Convocations in time coming which always should be Assembled by Authority of the King 's Writ unless the same Clergy might have the King 's most Royal Assent and License to Make Promulge and Execute such Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial or Synodal upon Pain of every one of the said Clergy doing contrary to the said Act and being thereof Convict to suffer Imprisonment and make Fines at the King 's Will. And further by the said Act it is Provided That no Canons Constitutions or Ordinances should be Made or put in Execution within this Realm by Authority of the Convocations of the Clergy which should be contrariant or repugnant to the King's Prerogative Royal or the Customs Laws or Statutes of this Realm any thing contained in the said Act to the contrary thereof notwithstanding And lastly It is also Provided by the said Act That such Canons Constitutions Ordinances and Synodals Provincial which then were already made and which then were not contrariant or repugnant to the Laws Statutes and Customs of this Realm nor to the Damage or Hurt of the King's Prerogative Royal should then still be Used and Executed as they were before the making of the said Act until such time as they should be Viewed Searched or otherwise Ordered and Determin'd by the Persons mentioned in the said Act or the most part of them according to the Tenor Form and Effect of the said Act as by the said Act among divers other things more fully and at large it doth and may appear And whereas the particular Forms of Divine Worship and Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein being Things of their own Nature Indifferent and Alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various Exigency of Times and Occasions such Changes and Alterations should be made therein as to those that are in Place and Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient And whereas the Book of Canons is fit to be Reviewed and made more suitable to the State of the Church And whereas there are divers Defects and Abuses in the Ecclesiastical Courts and Jurisdictions and particularly there is not sufficient Provision made for the removing of Scandalous Ministers and for the Reformation of Manners either in Ministers or People And whereas it is most fit that there should be a strict Method prescribed for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders both as to their Learning and Manners Know ye That We for divers urgent and weighty Causes and Considerations Us thereunto moving of Our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion have by Vertue of Our Prerogative Royal and Supream Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Given and Granted and by these Presents do give and grant full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority into the Right Reverend Father in GOD Henry Lord Bishop of London President of this Present Convocation for the Province of Canterbury upon the Suspension of the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury during this present Parliament now Assembled and in his Absence to such other Bishops as shall be appointed President thereof and to the rest of the Bishops of the same Province and to all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the Bishops and other the said Clergy of this present Convocation within the said Province of Canterbury or the greatest number of them whereof the President of the said Convocation to be always one shall and may from time to time during this present Parliament Confer Treat Debate Consider Consult and Agree of and upon such Points Matters Causes and Things as We from time to time shall Propose or cause to be proposed by the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation comercing Alterations and Amendments of the Liturgy and Canons and Orders Ordinances and Constitutions for the Reformation of Ecclesiastical Courts for the Removing of Scandalous Ministers for the Reformation of Manners either in Ministers or People and for the Examination of such Persons as desire to be admitted into Holy Orders and all such other Points Causes and Matters as We shall think Necessary and Expedient for advancing the Honour and Service of Almighty GOD the Good and Quiet of the Church and the better Government thereof And we do also by these Presents Give and Grant unto the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Covocation and to the rest of the Bishops of the said Province of Canterbury and unto all Deans of Cathedral Churches Arch-Deacons Chapters and Colledges and the whole Clergy of every several Diocess within the said Province full free and lawful Liberty License Power and Authority That they the said Lord Bishop of London or other President of the said Convocation and the rest of the said Bishops and other the Clergy of the same
VOX CLERI OR THE Sense of the Clergy Concerning the Making of ALTERATIONS IN THE ESTABLISHED LITVRGY WITH REMARKS on the Discourse concerning the Ecclesiastical COMMISSION and several Letters for ALTERATIONS To which is Added An Historical ACCOUNT OF THE Whole PROCEEDINGS OF THE Present Convocation My Son fear thou the LORD and the King and meddle not with them that are given to Change Prov. xxiv xxi Ipsa mutatio consuetudinis etiam quae adjuvat utilitate novitate perturbat August ad Januarium Epist 118. Cap. 5. Licensed and Entred according to Order London Printed and are to be sold by R. Taylor near Stationers-hall 1690. THE AUTHOR'S PROTESTATION TO cure the Prejudices with which too many are already prepossessed and to prevent the growth and mischievous effects which they may produce I have thought it necessary for the security of my self and Brethren to declare what our Perswasions are as to the Present Government both in Church and State And first we have by our Oaths promised to bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King and Queens Majesties And the whole Clergy have renewed their Allegiance to their Majesties and their adherence to the Church as Established in their late Address of Thanks c. in these words Whereby we doubt not but the Interest of the Protestant Religion in all other Protestant Churches which is dear to us will be better secured c. So that whoever do represent them as enemies either to the Church or State or any Protestant Churches do falsly and maliciously reproach them or interpret that to be their sin which is their bounden duty and care and if these be our faults I hope there is no sort of people who joyn with us in living in obedience to the Laws of the Land and in the Communion of the Church will entertain those Prejudices and hard thoughts of us which some that are enemies to both have from the Press and from their Pulpits scandalously suggested against us to draw an Odium on the Consultations of the whole Clergy in Convocation and to incense the people against them as enemies to peace and reconciliation I only crave this kindness from those that are influenced with these reports 1. To consider what our Adversaries report of us And 2ly what may be the reason of such reports The Author of the second Letter reflected on in the following Discourse relating to the Convocation hath these expressions concerning such as are not for Alterations Pag. 6. I expect no less than that they become abhorred of the whole Nation and as the common enemies of its peace be treated accordingly in every Parish where we live among them P. 5. That we have maintained Trifles with unreasonable Rigor And P. 6. we have already lost our reputation with the people by insisting too rigorously on those things P. 9. That there is an obligation upon us of coming to a change not to be resisted without guilt P. 20. That we are a base and false sort of men that can promise in adversity and forget all when that is over P. 22. That we shall lose the people of the Land and give our Adversaries advantage over us to our utter ruin P. 15. That the People are overthrown by Excommunications for a penny or two-penny cause That we shall totally extinguish all Convocations for the future and therefore he desires them to consider whether the Church of England is now met together only to be Felo's de se and not to mention all his vile insinuations that in P. 25. contains as much spite and venom as he could hold without breaking such saith he as are most perversely bent against reason and conscience to do all the wickedness they can to gratifie a peevish humour With these things he asperseth the whole Clergy in general cloathing them as the Persecutors of old did the Christians in Bears and Lions Skins and so exposed them to be devoured by such creatures But this Author comes to Particulars And P. 25. says of the suspended Bishops whom he acknowledgeth as their greatest enemies must that they are excellent men yet says if they should not consent to Alterations The resentment of the State will be heavy on them as enemies to them and us so as they will be immediately crush'd and fall to nothing And more particularly he thus reflects on our worthy Prolocutor as a man worthy of the death of the greatest Criminal For thus he saith of him We have no reason to thank him for his Speech or his Motto the last of which I suppose pleased him best because it carried a double stab with it the one against the Church the other against his greatest Benefactor to promote him in it Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum But 2ly What is the cause of all this bitter zeal and inveterate malice it is only because he fancieth they will not consent to such Alterations as shall be proposed to them but first it may well be supposed that neither he nor they do yet know what Alterations will be for none have been as yet proposed to them and therefore to hang and draw before any crime be alledged against them is a most barbarous practice especially for one that is of the same Communion with them and upon those whom he acknowledgeth to be such excellent men his Fathers and his Brethren But thus did his Predecessors heretofore destroy the Church by such malicious insinuations from groundless fears and jealousies as the Jews did Crucifie our Saviour Venient Romani They will bring in Popery But when the Church hath defeated that Engine and made it wholly useless by rooting up the very foundations of Popery such men must have recourse to other inventions And the noise of Persecution is raised against them that they have been and would be again if they had power as great Persecutors as the Heathen Emperors were but this clamor the present Bishop of Salisbury with some others have silenced proving undeniably that the Church of England had neither the temper nor the power to be of a Persecuting spirit And now the Cry is That she is of a peevish and obstinate humour that against Reason and Conscience hinders peace and reconciliation and in sum saith our Author That she is afraid of losing her Church power and Church-promotions though all the Nation knows with what general unanimity and Christian resolution the Clergy hazarded all their Promotions by refusing to publish the late Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience and suspending the Penal Laws which now their enemies plead for in compliance with the present juncture of Affairs and is as evident as any matter of fact can be and little less evident is it who they are that gape for the Preferments which other men have signally deserved and are legally possessed of if this be not enough wholly to cure the prejudices which have been insinuated into the Minds of over-credulous and inconsiderate Men yet I hope that which follows