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A42476 Charis kai eirēnē, or, Some considerations upon the Act of uniformity with an expedient for the satisfaction of the clergy within the province of Canterbury / by a servant of the God of peace. Gauden, John, 1605-1662. 1662 (1662) Wing G347; ESTC R26763 28,892 52

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〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR SOME CONSIDERATIONS UPON THE Act of Uniformity WITH AN Expedient for the Satisfaction of the CLERGY within the Province of CANTERBURY By a Servant of the God of Peace London Printed for Edward Thomas and Henry Marsh 1662. Some Serious CONSIDERATIONS UPON THE Act of VNIFORMITIE WITH AN Expedient for the Satisfaction of the CLERGY within the Province of CANTERBURY K. CHARLES I. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 161. Neither do I desire any man should be further subject to me then all of us may be subject to God SECT I. ALthough fraile nature below Heavenly grace above and the common float of all things round about me the lively Emblems of Mortality summoned me to dye dayly the misery of late time giving leisure enough their injustice allowing occasion more then enough to those Contemplations of Mortality which are never unseasonable because this is alwaies uncertain Death being an Eclipse which often happeneth as well in a clear as in a cloudy day Although the common burden of Mortality that lyeth upon me as a man the clear apprehensions of another world that I am indued with as a Christian and the serious observation of the successive Revolutions of nature that I am capable of as an inhabitant of the world have put me most of the dayes of my appointed time to wait when my change should come when I should say I shall not see the Lord even the Lord in the land of the living I shall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world the keepers of the house trembling the strong men bowing themselves the grinders ceasing because they are few and those that look out at the Windows being darkened this dust of mine expected that it should return to the dust from whence it came and this spirit of mine should return to God that gave it I was willing that God should hide me in the Grave and that he should keep me secret untill his wrath and our calamity was overpast Although I was thus willing to retire to another world while that darknesse covered the face of this Yet when by a wonderfull Revolution of Providence managed by nothing lesse then an Omnipotence that perplexed Chaos of affairs and confused heap was admirably disposed to a sweet order and beauty and a new frame of another world viz. a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousnesse I was in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better neverthelesse to abide in the flesh I thought might be more needfull for the Church whose sad breaches I hoped should now be carefully repaired whose sacred order peace honour unity and happinesse I hoped should now be recovered to a glory becoming so antient so holy so true so venerable so divine a Religion as ours in its nature author end center and circumference so one so deserving to be most united and uniform in the Catholick truth which is according to holinesse justice order and charity after the Primitive pattern and constant practice of all true Churches Preachers and Professors founded upon Verity fortified with Charity edified in Unity Reverend for Antiquity permanent in their Constancy according to the particular Constitutions of every Church which still kept the great and Catholick Communion as to the main every Christian Catechumene Penitent Communicant Deacon and Presbyter keeping the peculiar place wherein God Nature and the Church hath set them every Member keeping to its Congregation every Congregation to their lawfull Minister set over them to watch over their Souls every Minister to his own Bishop obeying them that have the rule over them and submitting themselves every Bishop to his Metropolitan upon whom is the care of all the Churches and the Metropolitan to his Soveraign as Supreme and he to God over all blessed for ever The Faith delivered to the Saints I thought might have been solemnly established the worship in spirit and truth decent and in order legally settled the Primitive Discipline orderly restored and our antient Church recovered to that beauty order glory and majesty for which it was spoken of throughout the Reformed world that rejoyced to behold our Faith and Order and therefore I was contented if it stood with the good pleasure and will of God to be absent a while from that Church which Christ presented to himself that glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing that it should be holy and without blemish that City of the living God that Heavenly Jerusalem from an innumerable company of Angels from the generall Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and from God the Judge of all and from the spirits of just men made perfect which I well hoped to enjoy that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Heaven upon Earth the Church in rest and peace round about with the beauty of holinesse without as well as all-glorious within in its Doctrine Apostolical in its Government Primitive in its Order Venerable in its Members Holy and Devout in its Worship Heavenly in its Laws Exact and Prudent which preserved every Christian every Family every City every Country every Province not only in a Church way Communion and Correspondence as to their particular bounds and nearer Relations in every Parish Congregation City or Country but as to that generall bond of charity that Catholick unity of an universal spirit in a bond of peace which binds all Christians in one fellowship of one body whose head is Christ to whom every true believer and visible professor in the whole Latitude of the Church being by the word of God and spirit of Christ fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part doth both edifie and increase it self and others in truth and love 1. Instead of the immediate presence of God whom blessed are the eyes who see which I hope to enjoy with these eyes face to face One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple for I have loved the habitation of his house and the place where his honour dwelleth ever since I have gone with the multitude ever since I have gone with them into the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept Holy day How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord God of Hosts my soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God blessed are they that dwell in thine house for they will be still praising thee 2. Instead of that perfection of Soul Nature Faculty Gifts and Graces which I hope for I am contented to stay here a while growing in grace and in the knowledge of God perfecting