of the Morning and become a Child of Light I mean till it becomes a second time ingrafted into the true Vine being made an actual Partaker of the Benefits of the new Covenant having the Understanding Will and Affections renewed and sanctified by the Spirit The same Stone of stumbling we find in the Prayer before Confirmation where it is thus exprest Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy Servants by Water and the Holy Ghost and hast given unto them Forgiveness of all their Sins c. Must our Charity like the Rain from Heaven fall upon all sorts of Persons good and bad I have with these Eyes beheld many grown up to Man's Estate come to be Confirmed of whom it was hard promiscuously to affirm That they were in a regenerate Estate and all their Sins pardoned Obj. But these Words relate to the Benefits received at Baptism Res All Persons baptized may not be within the Compass of the Covenant which is only made to the Faithful and their Seed how then can we affirm that the Children of Atheists Infidels or Hereticks being baptized receive the Benefits of that Covenant which they by Virtue of any Promise can have no pretence to But I conceive these Words intend the Pardon of Sin after Baptism for the Forgiveness of all their Sins must suppose a Pardon of actual Transgressions too whereas original Sin is forgiven only in Infant-baptism Unless by Regeneration is meant no more in this place than a bare Inrolment in the Church-Register and being reckoned among Christians or being listed among those who are Souldiers or Members of the Church Militant who have engaged to fight the good Fight of Faith under him that is the Captain of our Salvation If by Regeneration and being received for God's own Child by Adoption is meant no more than being put into a salvable Estate and being rendred a Subject capable to receive the Benefits of the new Covenant We might have expected somewhere an Explication of the Church's Sense as we have to prevent scruple in some other Cases or else have found in Scripture which would have given greater satisfaction that the Notion of Regeneration is sometimes capable of no higher Sense But missing of both especially the latter we would earnestly desire that things of doubtful Disputation might rather have their Seat in the Schools than in the Congregation of Christ's Flock That we may pray in Faith and not be obliged to return thanks for that of which we have no certain knowledge But that upon the Administration of Baptism we may give thanks for the Persons admission into the external Communion of the Saints and Fellowship of the Christian Religion beseeching the Almighty so far to concur with and to give a Blessing to his own Institution that all the Purposes for which it was designed may be effectually attained Concerning the Office of Burial of the Dead NOR does our Charity hang upon a more easie tenter whilst we are obliged to celebrate the Office for burying the Dead 'T is true its Charity to hope all things to believe all things * Is all the Congregation Holy every one of them 16 Numb 3. But must we make no separation of the Precious from the Vile Must we hope against hope nay contrary to it And those express Revelations of the Will of God against wicked and sinful Men. 3 Isa 11. Woe to the wicked it shall go ill with him for the reward of his Hands shall be given him 11 Prov. 7. When the wicked Man dieth his expectation shall perish Can we believe without a Promise nay contrary to the Plain meaning of Scripture Why then is this charitable part of our Liturgy calculated for every Meridian and made like the Sun in the Firmament to shine upon the good and the bad or as the Rain and Snow which come down from Heaven that fall upon the just and unjust 9 Eccles 2. As if all things came alike to all Men or as if the same event was to the righteous and to the wicked to him that is clean and to him that is unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not to the good and to the sinner to him that sweareth as to him that feareth an Oath As to natural Death and temporary Rewards and Punishments all things may happen alike to all Men though the promise of this Life as well as that which is to come is sometimes fulfilled unto Godliness yet these temporary Blessings are no Characteristical Notes of the Favour of God 'T is an hard Matter to know Love or Hatred by the things of this Life But as to the Blessings of eternal Life they are Pearls of too great value to be hung upon those Swines Snouts whose delight is to wallow in the Mire 'T is an easie matter to know what becomes of the hope of the Hypocrite when God takes away his Soul How then can we extend the same Charity to Persons of all sorts and sizes Will a Shooe made upon one Last fit every Foot Altogether as well as to bless God for all Mens departure out of this Life as a deliverance out of the Miseries of this sinful World whereas perhaps the light Afflictions which here they suffer are but for a moment and not to be named or compared with that exceeding that eternal weight of Punishment which will be revealed against those who by the hardness of their Hearts and impenitency of their Lifes have treasured up to themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath and the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Why should we then be thought unreasonable if we scruple to declare that the Person who hath lived a dissolute and prophane Life departing hence without any demonstration or evidence of his Faith in Christ and Repentance to Salvation To declare I say that we have a sure and certain hope that such an one should be raised unto eternal Life There being far greater Reasons to fear that the Resurrection will be to damnation according to what St. John saith 5 Joh. 29. They that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and those that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation Obj. But here it is alledged that the Church hath appointed Censures for the cutting off from her Communion such as by a sinful and impenitent Life do disturb and trouble her and for such as are so censured and excommunicate the Office of Burial is forbidden to be used Res Hold your peace we know it very well but if by reason of the Laxness of Discipline they escape the Punishments from Men do they give us a sure and certain hope that they are reconciled to God and that they shall escape his righteous Judgments They will scarce find how ever they may come off as to Church-Censures and descend into the Grave with its favourable Opinion and Character that if they have done ill that they will come forth unto the Resurrection of Life And though a
Grace Of Confirmation by the Bishop BUT these are not the last Tears of our complaint whilst that excellent Rite of Confirmation labours or languishes under such apparent disadvantages And though I see no reason to sublime it into a Sacrament So is there as little to put the Administration of it under such hatches of restraint that there 's scarce one of five but for want of conveniencies is necessitated to live and die without it This Office being so narrowly circumscribed hâ—at (a) And that meerly in honorem ordinis But is not the Honour of God and good of Souls to be preferred to that one single Person in a Diocess only must be allowed to administer it to whom many either through Poverty or Infirmity are not able to travel for it which if it were thought fit might be brought nigher even to the Door for why should such Ministers as have the care of Souls committed to them be deprived of any expedient by which they might build them up in their most holy Faith or the People deprived of any means which may conduce to their Spiritual nourishment and * In confirmatione augmentum praestat scil sp 3tus ad gratiam in baptismâ— ablâ—imur post â—aptisâ—â—m roboramur inquit Papa Mâ—lâ—biades growth in Grace The Office cannot be pretended to be above those Ministers or they beneath it to whom is committed the Dispensation of the Oracles of God and holy Sacraments And though Bellarmine saith that the Grace which is initiated in Baptism is perfected in Confirmation and so ought to be dispensed by the chief Ministers of the Church yet allows that Presbyters may be Licensed to dispense it According to the daily Practice of our own Church which gives Licenses to Deacons to administer the Sacrament of Baptism Gregory granted Licenses for this purpose which Aquinas mentions and approves of 3. q. 72. viz. of Presbyters executing the Office of Confirmation Yea Richardus Armochanus though a Romish Catholick confesseth That the Office of Confirmation belongs to the Presbyters as well as Bishops This Bonaventure Durandus and Adrianus do deny but that they may do it by Dispensation all agree * Lib de Sacrament 2. Cap. 12. Bellarmine acknowledgeth it to be not only the Opinion of Aquinas but of all his Disciples and many other Divines as Richardus Paludanus Marsilins and others (a) The Waldenses in their Confession of Faith own that this Rite may be performed either by the Bishop or by the Presbyter Talis ad Episcopum aut sacerdotem duci statuique debet qui interrogatus de fidei veritatibus c. Manus postremo impositione ad firmanda Promissa dei Profess fidei fratr Waldens in Artic. de Confirmatione together with all the Canonists And shall we be so stanch and reserved as to confine the execution of this Office to the Person of the Bishop who by reason of the extent of the Diocess In which many times the Cure of more than a thousand Parishes is incumbent upon him as also Avocations by secular Concernments is incompetent to discharge And this done too for no other end than to aggrandize the Order of Episcopacy which will scarce refund or answer for the Omission of so useful a Rite and Ordinance in the Church For would it not very much conduce to the Honour of god Edification and building up of the People in their most holy Faith if every Person baptized into the Christian Faith should be obliged when he comes to Years of discretion to appear in the Publick Congregation there to make a Confession of his Faith to recognize his Primitive Engagement to avow that in his own Person which was done for him by proxy And that the Minister of the Congregation should by imposition of Hands where it is not scrupuled recommend the Person to the Grace of God that he might be strengthned setled stablished in the Christian Faith That he might persevere in the stedfast Profession and Practice of it and continue his for ever And let the Honour of the Bishop give a yieldance to the Honour of God and good of the People although it will be hard to prove that 't is a more honourable act of the Ministry to confirm than to baptize Yet the Cardinal of Aâ—les owns it as due to Presbyters His words are At sâ—â—â—â—râ—sbyteri debent Ecciesiaâ—â— in comâ—uni regere satis notâ—m est quod ad eos quoque decide e â—es spectat Ecclesie dubias And that they have a governing Power he proves from St. Austine and he from Scripture Aen. Sylv. de gâ—st Con. Basil p. 25. or administer the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper though St. Jerom saith that for this Cause viz. The Honour of the Priesthood Bishops were only to lay on Hands but the Law did not injoin it Hieronimus in dialogâ— contra Luciferianos dicit ob honorem Sacerdotii fieri ut soli Episcopi manus imponant non oblegis necessitatem which our Church is not so stanch in the Bishop having always the Concurrence of Presbyters who lay on hands with him in conferring the Orders of Priesthood Concerning Ecclesiastical Discipline AS to the Matter of Discipline and Jurisdiction I shall say little lest it should be interpreted an itching desire after Rule and share of the Government of the Church Sir Edward Dering that great and learned Man in the first long Parliament where he laboured much to prevent the Extirpation of Episcopacy (a) Sir Edw. Der. Collect Speeches p. 32. did declare that they could never be able absolutely and utterly to root out Popery unless they took away the Soleship of Episcopacy I believe good Reasons might be given why the Minister of the Parish should be impowred to assist the Bishop when any of his Flock are called or convented as Criminals Forbs the Bishop of Edinburgh concludes against the Power of the keys being solely in the Bishop Post institutos Episcopos iâ—ud Preshyterium quod habet Episcopum Jurisdictionem non exerceat sine Episcopo suo neque Episcopo eam potestatem exercere fas est seorsim absque Presbyterio Bishop Hall saith that 't is universally agreed upon by all Antiquity that in the Primitive Government all things were ordered and transacted by the Consent of the Presbytery moderated by one constant President thereof The Primary and perpetual (b) Peace-maker pag. 48 49. Hanc formam commendâtunt patres observavit antiquissima Ecclesia iâ—o quod est totius rei caput instituisse videtur ipse Christus per Apostolos Theol. Gall. de Discipl Eccles Anno. 1622. Cap. de Episcop St. Austine upon these words of St. Matt. Tibi dabo claves saith that Jurisdiction was given to Presbyters as well as Bishops Dicit per illa verba datam esse Judiciariam potestatem toti Ecclesiam Episcopis Presbyteris Practice whereof no Man can doubt of that hath but seen the Writings of Clemens and Ignatius St. Ignatius in his
By which Judgment the King's Title was condemned and the Crown translated from the House of Lancaster to York in which Line it continued till (a) The best Title saith my Lord Cooke of Hen. 7. to the Crown was by Elizabeth his Wife eldest Daughter of Edw. 4 yet before his Marriage the Crown was by Act of Parliament intailed to Hen. 7 and to the Heirs of his Body the Right of the Crown then being in the said Elizabeth eldest Daughter of Edw. 4. Instit 4. Part pag. 37. Hen. 7. who marrying the Heir of that House the Families were united and that fatal Controversie effectually ended But all this may perhaps be thought not only too great a Dâ—scent and Deviation from our first Undertaking but also too unâ—haritable a Reflection upon a Person who it may be not only acted sincerely and according to the Dictates of his Conscience in refusing but likewise hath observed the same Measures in submitting to swear Allegiance to K. William As to the first I know that Church and State are like the Body and the Soul very distinct and different in the Nature of them yet do very much affect and influence the Affairs and Concerns of each other That an absolute and illimited Power in the State have been planted and watered by the Principles and Practices of our great Sticklers for Hyper-conformity and Innovations in Religion hath been already proved by what they have transmitted to the World from the Press and Pulpit For whilst the Wind of Law hath been too scant for them to maintain their course in Ecclesiastical Matters they have endeavoured to tide it up by the Fluxes of Prerogative giving the same Advice that was once the Opinion of the Flatterers of Cyrus That though what he did was not justifiable by Law yet the Kings of Persia might to what they pleased As for the latter I thank God I was never troubled with the overflowing of the Gall It being a thing always contrary to my Inclination to have any Man exposed to the Censure of the Civil or Ecclesiastical Magistrate when any other Measures can be taken to prevent the Mischief of his Error And if our Consciences do not accuse us then may we have confidence towards God and towards Man too Though I could have wisht the Author's Justification had been maintained from some other Medium than that its lawful to swear Allegiance or Fidelity to a King de facto though he may want a civil Right to the Establishment of his Throne And for such who out of meer Conscience to their former Oath cannot do so much I wish them Salvo juri regni as much Indulgence as I could desire for those whose Consciences are gauled though the Cases be vastly different by the Yoak of Conformity in Matters of Religion To perswade which I can urge no better Arguments than what Charles II. alledges to this purpose and with which I shall conclude viz. We do conjùre all our loving Subjects to acquiesce and submit to this our Declaration concerning those Differences which have so much disquieted the Nation at home and have given so much offence to the Protestant Churches abroad and brought so much Reproach upon the Protestant Religion in general from the Enemies thereof Which are very great Truths witness the Complaints that have been made by those of the Reformed Churches without us viz. Of Calvin Zanchy c. And the Judgment of the Divines of Transilvania who have concluded concerning things of this nature thus viz. That if the Observation of indifferent Ceremonies cannot be maintained without the loss of Christian Charity those Ceremonies rather should be laid aside than Charity violated by maintaining them Nor have the Mischiess which have been occasioned by Differences about these Rites at home been a less Evidence of the Truth averred in that Royal Declaration I mean the Ruine of many poor Families Disgrace Poverty Enmity and irreconcilable Hatred which have been bred and brought forth by the late vigorous Prosecution of Dissenters for Conscience sake stretching the Laws straining nay perverting the Design and Intent of them that they might be the better furnished with Weapons of despite A Spirit which hath long since been complain'd of to actuate malicious and ill-disposed Men as may appear by a Letter which I have seen as copied out of the Register written by the Lords of the Council in the Reign of Q. Eliz. upon the like Subject in these Words AFter our hearty Commendations Whereas we are informed that heretofore at your Assizes in your Circuits divers good Preachers and others Godly disposed have been indicted by colour of Law for things not so much against the Matter and Meaning of the Law as in some shew swerving from the Letter thereof namely for not using the Surplice resorting to Sermons in other places for want at home leaving out same Collects on Days of Preaching for using private Parâ—er in their Houses and such like all which we suppose came to pass by the Practice of some Informers not so well disposed in Religion as also Men returned upon the great Inquest Many times such as be still in Ignorance cannot brooke the Gospel and being in â—eve with the License of former times cannot so well endure the present plain Teachers who by laying open their Faults would draw to a more precise and Gospel-like Life These are therefore to require you and heartily to pray you that in every sitting of your Circuit you sift and examine the Affection of such Informers touching Religion and thereafter give ear to them As also to have a special regard that the Inquest at large may be Religious wise and honest And if notwithstanding our diligence in such behalf such Jurors nevertheless creep in as by like Information molest good Men that yet your Speech and whole Proceedings against them at Bar or elsewhere before you may be according to their Quality not * Matching rather watching them at Bar or in the Indictment with Rogues Felons or Papists but rather giving apparent Note in the Face of the Country what difference you hold betwixt Papists dissenting from us in the Substance of Faith to God and Loyalty to our Prince and these other Men which making some Conscience of these Ceremonies do yet diligently and soundly Preach true Religion and Obedience to her Majesty maintaining the common Peace in themselves and their Auditory so shall the Country thereby learn at the Assizes better to reverence the Gospel and love the Ministers and Professors thereof Thus promising our selves thus much at your Hands we bid you heartily farewel From c. To prevent such Mischiefs or rather effectually to cure such Distempers for the time to come I know no better Remedy then what hath been prescribed by that Physician of very great value I mean the Project or Proposition of that incomparable and pious Man Sir Matthew Hale Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench viz. An Act of Comprehension to enlarge
Deo Ecclesiae Conscientiae Ergo OR A PLEA For Abatement in Matters of CONFORMITY To several Injunctions and Orders of the Church of England To which are added some Considerations of the Hypothesis of a King de Jure and de facto proving that King WILLIAM is King of England c. as well of Right as Fact and not by a bare Actual Possession of the Throne By IRÆNEVS Junior a Conforming Member of the Church of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 15.20 Scripsi deo teste quod verum esse existimavi non gratiam hominum vel utilitatem propriam sed Dei gloriam Ecclesiae commodum respiciens Bell. Recog LONDON Printed for Richard Baldwin near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane 1693. THE CONTENTS OF the Surplice and Habits Page 11 Of the Cross in Baptism Page 13 Of Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Page 15 Of the Liturgy or Church-service Page 18 Of the Lords Prayer and Doxology Page 26 Of Christ's descent into Hell Page 28 Of the Athanasian Creed Page 31 Of Regeneration by the Spirit Page 34 Of the Office of Burial of the Dead Page 36 Of the Collects for the King c. Page 39 Of Confirmation by the Bishop Page 40 Of Ecclesiastical Discipline Page 42 By whom the Seeds of Arbitrary Government have been sown Page 62 Of the Reformation of Manners Page 80 Advice to Dissenters Page 92 These Papers having for sometime been laid aside their publication being perhaps in a more proper-season accidentally prevented are yet at last come to light and born though out of due time By reason of which some few passages may occurr more pertinent to the time of their conception than of their birth which the Reader is desired to observe and allow for as also with his Pen to correct the following ERRATA IN the Preface page 6. in the last line for facis read facile p. 7. l. 41. r. shack p. 11. l. 10. add malum before the last est p. 9 l. 20. r. far 37. r. Governours p. 10. l. 33. for led r. misled p. 11. l. 29. r. Lictors l. 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 16. l. 39. r. your tranquillity P. 1. l. 23. before evil add a greater p. 4. l. 33. r. suddenly p. 5. l. 27. before gain blot out the p. 6. l. 24. r. very p. 11. l. 18. r. nusance l. 24. r. string p. 12. l. 13. r. nusances p. 14. l. 34. blot out Cer and add it in the beginning of line 36. p. 16. last line r transubstantiation p. 17. l. 1. r. Hooker l. 10. r. Protest p. 20. margin r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 21. l. 2. r. organs l. 27. add was after up p. 23. r. scta in the margin p. 26. l. 19. r. Wire 24. r. offices p. 28. l. 22. r. tertium p. 31. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 32. add 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 32. l. 8. r. convinced l. 32. r. Wire p. 33. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 30. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 38. l. 26. r. paradise p. 40. l. 33. r. that p. 42. marg r. ecclesiae p. 46. l. 24. r. valorous p. 47. l. 38. r. Tiping p. 49. l. 1. r. Nusance l. 31. r. balance l. 40. r. Counsel p. 53. l. 14. r. lopping l. 25. r. another p. 59. l. 7. r. Wire p. 67. l. 6. r. sense p. 68. the Citation out of Aene Sylv must be read at the bottom of the 67. page after 1684 p. 69. l. 26. after digression adâ— inâ—â— p. 71. marg r. asserit p. 79. l. 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 80. l. 3. r. Nusancâ— l. 31. r. Cummin p. 81. at the end of the 28. l. add And p. 90. l. 4. r. Paradise p. 88. last l. r. Pretensed p. 93. l. 31. r. Opining p. 9â— l. 22. r. loth p. 95. l. 24. r. Anicetus l. 27. blot out it p. 96. l. 6. r. Counsel Some few other Escapes there are but not so material as to take any other notice of them THE PREFACE AS Truth is a most pleasing Object and grateful to the Understanding of Man so he must have a vitiated and depraved Palate who cannot taste and see how good the Churches peace is nor relish those means and measures which are conducive to so great and eminent an end For the attainment of which we may be encouraged to believe the ensuing Plea to be no unfit expedient upon the consideration of those Powers and Faculties which since the Late Revolution His present Majesty whom God preserve hath granted to so many Wise and Worthy Members of our Church to revise its Liturgy to inspect our Ecclesiastical Polity and to report such Alterations and Amendments as they should judge necessary for the Healing of our Breaches and uniting of Dissenting Protestants A project becoming the forecast of so Wise and Great a Prince who had so much good-will towards Men as to design Settlement and Peace of Earth But we have winkt too hard to see the things which concern them yea many there be of that intemperate Zeal and fiery Indignation wherewith they would devour their Adversaries as to tell us That tho our pretences be faced with Conscience yet they are lined with Schism and Sedition as true and yet deceivers these say they are such who set up for Peace whilst they mediate and forecast War in their Hearts talking of Union whilst they themselves break the Bond of Peace dissolve the Unity of the Spirit and deface the Uniformity of the Church Could these Men have procured Fire from Heaven the World by this time had been in a Flame Nor could our Doom have been any thing better than that to which the angry Disciples would have sentenced the Samaritanes yea executed upon them had not our Saviour restrained their Zeal and rebuked their Passion As to our secret Reservations or Hypocrisie we only desire our liberty till they can disprove our sincerity and to condemn us before is an hard Censure The advice St. Paul gives I think is worth the taking 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge nothing before the time till the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God As for the usual Raillery wherewith those who were weary and heavy laden have been treated we refer to him who will judge the false and slanderous Tongue That Ignorance and Malice are the Spirits by which our Wheels are acted is the frequent charge of Uncharitable and Conceited men who take their Tongues to be their own using both them and others with them at their pleasure But what are we better than our Father who met with no less despite nor ought we to make any worse returns than they We are fools for Christ saith St. Paul but ye are wise in Christ we are weak but ye are strong ye are honourable but we are despised
secured them from those scorching Beams which lay too hot too heavy upon them They answered their desires kindly and spake good words to them by which they have obliged them to be their * On the conâ—rary the â—rench Proâ—erb proves â—ften true viz. â—ubant d'eniâ—is que dâ—sâ—aves as if â—nmity were â—e certain â—roduct of â—lavery Votaries and Friends for ever They have taken care that there be no decay not leading into Captivity no complaining in our Streets nor oppression in our Gates for Conscience sake †Isa 21.6 8 9. Now the Wolf may dwell with the Lamb the Leopard may lye down with the Kid c. the sucking Child may play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall no more burt nor destroy in all our holy mountain But yet we cannot go to the House of God in Company not there take sweet Counsel together How happy were it if the Partition-wall were broken down or so wide a Door made in it that we might go in and out and find rest to our Souls that every thing were cut off which troubles the Church and which are as Goads in the Side and Thorns in the Eye of Conscience Obj. 'T is not Conscience but Ignorance and that wilful too when after the plain and plentiful Informations we have received we continue pertinacious refusing instruction and hating knowledge by which we are justly fore-closed both as to pardon and pity Qui vult decipi decipiatur Res A wilful obstinacy is a sin of a Scarlet Dye and Crimson Tincture If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth Heb. 10.26 there remains no more Sacrifice or Atonement for sin the highest Resentments both of God and Man are very just Retributions for so unpardonable a guilt But as the stain is deep so as to the nature of it 't is so recluse and (e) Crimes which make a Man an Heretick in questions not simply Fundamental are Actions so Internal and Spiritual that cognizance can seldom be taken of them Lib. of Prophe 286. p. cryptical that many times God only knows whether those we accuse be guilty or not And to condemn a Man for that which is scarce to be understood but by the Confession of the Party upon some slight or presumptive Evidence is to conclude more than the premises will prove which is both Illegal and Illogical Besides Arguments may in themselves be convincing and powerful yet through the weakness of our Faculties we may not discover the Evidence they carry along with them Shall we blame the Person for his mistake who tells us That he sees Men walk like Trees because the Object is in a due position the medium well disposed and fully inlightned when the indisposition of the Organs and weakness of the visive Faculty is the true cause of the misrepresentation This is a Parable but the design of it lies so fleet that we need not dive for to understand it Perhaps some will say In this thou reproachest us also But I hope I have said nothing to give offence to any just or good Man and for others jacta mihi est alea. But if any thing have dropt from my Pen in any part of this Discourse which had better have been forborn I shall not despise a Reproof Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness an excellent Oyl which shall not break my head In the mean time I can satisfy my self with the integrity of my aim as having spoke what I esteem to be Truth intending nothing but forbearance of those who are weak binding up the Broken-hearted promoting the Peace Union and Interest of the Church of Christ I beseech you forgive me these wrongs Quest But were it not then the wisest and safest Course for such as are not so quick-sighted to be led by those who can see further and discern better than themselves Res 'T is great wisdom for men to observe the Conduct of our Spiritual Guides to obey those that have the rule over them in the Lord and submit St. Cyprian (f) Quod sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur Cyp. Epist CorFor Faeli And in the ensuing Tract you 'll find with what Zeal St. Ignatius presseth the people to be obedient to their Bishops and Presbyters ascribes the Schisms of the Church to a disrespect of their Governments We have been too ready to say to those whom God hath set over us who have curam regimen Ecclesiae ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them Yet Man is not like a Bruit Beast which hath no understanding I am not of (g) Quand il S'agit de la religion que la seule regle infallible â— laquelle on doit S attacher est P autorité de P Eglise pour laquelle on doit une obeysance aveugle sans restriction his Mind who saith That the only infallible Rule to which we must adhere is the Authority of the Church to which we ought to pay a blind Obedience without reserve but if we wink so hard and shut our Eyes so close it will be hard to see or know how to chuse a Guide or when we have chosen him to follow him Must we give up the Care and Conduct of our Souls to we know not who Né disputer jamais de mysteres poincts de la religion mais simplement croire recevoir observer ceque l' Eglise enseigne ordonne Char. de Sagesse We must no dispute the Mysteries and â—oints of Religion but must simply believe receive and observe that which the Church Declares and Ordains or may we look before we leap If so then we must first examine the Doctrine which is taught us before we can own or follow the guidance of that Church or the Ministers of it tho they pretend to have a rule and dominion over us St. Paul commended the Bareans for examining the Doctrines taught by him and Silas and for seeing whether they were so or not And counselled none to follow him any further than he follow'd Christ and that if be or an Angel from heaven taught any other Doctrine than what they had received they should be accursed Should we take every thing for granted which they who pretend to be the only true and Catholick Church and to have the greatest Power and Authority upon Earth have delivered to the Saints as matter of Faith there must be some other Gospel than what we have received somewhere immured or shut up in some Wall in some secret place like the Law in Josiah's time not yet come to light In the mean time let us follow the light of that Gospel we have received and by a judgment of discretion try whatever is injoyn'd us For as many as walk by this Rule Peace shall be upon them A Man 's own private Reason and Judgment is that
Warranty nor any other wise Man Whatever so long as he is able to judge whether God or Man is first to be obeyed It would be a very weak Plea for a Subject to plead the Command of an Inferior Officer in the Commonwealth in excuse of a Treasonable or Seditious Action before the Supreme Magistrate in bar of his Sentence and shall we give that to the King of Heaven which we think unreasonable to offer to our Prince and venture to make more bold with God than Man Obj. But we are leavened with Prejudice which we suckt in with our Milk and were tainted with from our Cradles our Palates are vitiated and pre-occupied so that we cannot taste nor see the Beauty Excellency and Decency which are the real Properties of the Rites and Ceremonies c. commanded by our Church Res This is to beg the Question and to condemn without proof But suppose it to be Truth yet a kind and indulgent Parent will not oblige a willing and obedient Child to feed upon a Dish tho it be both wholesome and toothsome too if his Palate cannot relish it nor Stomach digest it But would rather leave it to the choice of such as come to Table to take or refuse it Were but the same Charity used now which St. Paul recommended to the Brethren nay which our own Church hath propounded to be observed in some parts of Conformity our Work were ended and the ensuing Plea rendred useless and superseded I mean that of the Convocation held in the Year 1640. speaking of the Custom of Bowing in Token of Reverence of God * The like Liberty is left as to Bowing at the Name of Jesus when we come in the Place of Publick Worship saith thus In the practice or admission of this Rite we desire that the Rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be observed which is that they who use this Rite despise not those who use it not and they who use it not condemn not them who use it And I cannot understand why the same Latitude or Charity might not be granted in the other scrupled parts of Conformity Let 's hear what that Excellent and Learned Man Mr. Chillingworth hath spoken to our purpose viz. Thanksgiving reading of Scriptures Prayer Confession in the plainest and simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a Lyturgy though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp Garments or prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of Matter concerning the Dead of many Superfluities which creep into the Church under the Name of Order and Decency did interpose it self Now tho we should admit that many may be over-born by too great prejudices against things of this nature yet I wish it might by our Superiours be considered how far notwithstanding they may be indulged and favoured whilst they own the Doctrine of the Church and are very unwilling to make a breach in its Communion In all the Controversies of Protestants saith the last-named Author there is a seeming Conflict of Reason with Reason Scripture with Scripture Authority with Authority which how it can consist with a manifest revealing of the Truth of either side I cannot well understand Besides tho we grant that Scripture Reason and Authority were all on one side and the appearances on the other side all answerable yet if we consider the strange power that Education and Prejudices instilled by it have over excellent Understandings we may well imagine that many Truths which in themselves are revealed plain enough are yet to such or such a Man prepossest with contrary Opinions not revealed plainly Neither doubt I but God who knows whereof we are made and what Passions we are subject to will Compassionate such Infirmities and not enter into Judgment with us for those things which all things considered are unavoidable May our Mother the Church imitate our Father which is in Heaven in the like Charitable Consideration and Allowance I thank God I never had any Addiction or Inclination to the Romish Faith or Religion yet have had so much Charity for the Professors of it as not to think they have generally sinned wilfully against their Knowledge and Belief of the Truth Yet 't is hardly possible to have plainer Scripture or clearer Reason than are pleadable against many Propositions and Parts of it For instance how contrary to Divine Institution on which the Sacraments are founded practice of the Apostles and usage of the Primitive Church is their half Communion and denial of the Cup to the Laity Our Saviour giving command to the Disciples not only to eat but to drink also of the Cup of Blessing Obj. But they were Ministers of the Church and so not to be accounted as Lay-men Res If they were yet they were ministri non conficientes and so according to their own practice were not to have received the Communion but in one kind for were here never so many of the Clergy present at that Sacrament he only that Consecrates receives in both kinds all the rest but in one What need I instance in St. Paul's Celebration of it in the Church of Corinth who delivering of the same according as he had received it from our Saviour advised them not only to eat of that Bread but also to drink of that Cup. Otherwise the unworthy Receivers tho they might have eat yet could not have drunk Damnation to themselves which he cautions them against What need I instance in their Celebration of the Publick Service in a Tongue the People don't understand a thing beyond the compass of the Churches Authority and Power which is only given them for Edification and not for Destruction Whether it was revealed to the Apostle what Errors would creep into the Church in the succeeding Ages of it I know not yet I am sure if they were he could not have spoke * 1 Cor. 14. more pertinently argued more closely or disputed more rationally against that unaccountable practice and rule of their Church And yet so strong and strange are those prepossessions and prejudices with which their early and constant Education in that Communion hath tinctured them that they know not how to receive the plain meaning and unavoidable sence as we would think of that Divine portion of Scripture But how vastly different is their Case and ours Since the Scene of our Dispute lyes only in the Suburbs or Outworks of Religion The Question not being concerning the Ark or the Altar the Tabernacle or the Temple but rather whether the Snuffers and the Snuffing-dishes the Forks and the Spoons be of pure Gold or not Which not only renders our mistakes if they be such in themselves more venial but with our Superiors more pardonable yet notwithstanding we are obliged to observance in the smallest things under the greatest and most severe penalties the Church can inflict viz. Suspension Deprivation Excommunication interdicting the Fellowship and Communion of the Saints and denying the Evangelical Passover
to all that esteem the Herbs soure which are appointed to be eaten with it In which case we may use the words of the Poet. Nimium seritatis in illo est Est aliud levius fulmen c. St. Austin thought it an unworthy thing to Censure or Condemn one another for those things which no way recommend us to God Indignum est ut propter ea quae nos Deo neque digniores neque indigniores possunt facere alii alios vel condemnemus vel judicemus 'T is very well observed by a Conforming Member of our Church That our Differences are not so great as to exclude the opposite Parties from being made Members of one (l) Dr. Potter asserts that no Man who believes the Creed and all the evident consequences of it sincerely and heartily cannot possibly if he also believes the Scripture be in any Error of simple Belief which is offensive to God nor therefore deserves to be deprived of his Life or to be cuâ— off from the Churches Communion or Hope of Salvation Church Militant and Joint-heirs of Glory in the Church Triumphant Obj. But the Crime is Contumacy against the Commands of our Rulers than which there can be no greater Sin and for which there ought to be assigned no less Punishment Res Is an awful regard of the Supreme Lawgiver a Contempt to Humane Power and Magistracy to which we give all just respect and deference where we suppose we may without intrenching upon the Divine authority which is Paramount to any Dominion upon Earth Were it a pure despight to authority it would appear in other things as well as these Ceremonies of Religion we give Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Tribute to whom Tribute is due nor can there be any occasion found against us unless it be concerning the Law of our God and if we do not pay an actual obedience to some of those Injunctions which we fear are Intrenching upon the Divine Sanctions we are not guilty of Contumacy or Disobedience to Magistracy unless by accident it being a thing which is neither designed nor without injury to weak Consciences to be avoided whilst we continue in the Communion of the Church not daring to make any Schism in it or separation from it As to the design of this undertaking I shall add nothing more but stand to the Mercy of every Man's Opinion To be sure it could not be Interest or Secular Advantage for I believe too many will think if it be (m) Pro laborum meorum proemio vix impetravi veâ—iam pardoned 't will be beyond its desert rewarded Tho the Church I am of Opinion may thank her Preferments for the extreme Zeal of many of her Votaries in the Case of Conformity The Roman Clergy had never stickled so earnestly to have advanced their Bishop above the Council if the latter could have given Dignities as well as the former The Whore of Babylon ne're wanted Pledgers whenever she drank to them out of her Golden Cup whatever Abominations 't was filled with But I am afraid I have transgressed the Rules of proportion in framing so wide a Gate to so straight a Fabrick spinning the Preface too much beyond the Staple Yea perhaps may have forestalled the Reader and in some things anticipated the ensuing Argument Yet cannot conclude till I have recommended it to those in Authority that they would consider such as are still pressed down under the same Burthens and forc'd to draw In an uneasie Yoke That they would put the Tears of their Complaint into their bottles and that they may be no longer like Water spilt upon the ground nor always driven to eat our Passover with bitter Herbs God delights not in grieving the Children of Men but makes his ways pleasantness and his paths peace Let us beseech you who have wisdom to judge of and power to redress our grievances by the Mercies of God in general and our late unparallel'd Deliverance in particular by which he hath saved us out of the hands of our Enemies that we might serve him without fear That you would imitate the Divine Providence in breaking every Yoke loosing every Burthen and letting the oppressed go free Permit me to speak with the words of the Prophet in his advice to the King Dan. 4.27 Wherefore let my counsel be acceptable to you break off your sins by repentance and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthning out of the tranquility which is my Heart's Desire and Prayer to God both for Church and State A PLEA for Abatement in Matters of Conformity to several Injunctions and Orders of the Church of ENGLAND c. IF the many earnest and repeated Promises of Persons in extremity can lay an Obligation of Performance upon them to pay their Vows whenever they become solvend How many are there of no small Figure and Interest in our Church under no mean tie to find out an expedient and temper to heal those Breaches cement those Schisms which several bandied and controverted Rites and Ceremonies of the Church have unhappily occasioned How many Families in this Quarrel have been ruined How many Garments rolled in Blood not excepting his who sate upon the Throne What Blood and Treasure have been spilt and spent in their defence can be easier lamented than counted Nor is the Nature of them grown less prolifick or productive of Distractions amongst us they being almost the only bones which makes us snarle at yea bite and devour one another So zealous are we to maintain the Fence that is made about them that we neglect the main Bank which keeps out the most raging Waves of the Sea of Rome I mean Popery and Arbitrary Power the Cup we so lately drank of which at this time swells high and bears hard against us not only from Foreign Inundations of open Enemies but private overflowings of the Gall of some over-jealous Men amongst us As if it were evil to unite Dissenting protestants upon those just equitable and safe Principles which many Wise and Pious Bishops and other Conforming Members of the Church of England have propounded as fit Terms and Expedients for Union and Peace than to cause the Reformed Religion to run a most dangerous Risque and Adventure Suppose some of our Tackling should be rent and Sprucery sullied yet it were a Misfortune no way comparable to that of dashing the Ship against the rock And what Shipwrack the Storms which some Zealots among us are ever upon the least alteration of that Rigging though upon the justest Reasons raising may occasion God only knows if he that stills the Raging of the Sea does not quiet the Madness of the People Suppose the Decency and Order of our most exact and innocent Rituals to be ten times more than what really they are yet they can never commute for the hundredth part of that Blood and Treasure which have been expended in their Quarrel But shall we not
at least in this our day see the things that concern the Peace and Welfare of our Church and State 'T is not possible for any who is a true living Member or either Body to be so past feeling as to find no regret or simpathy when he sees either of them reel and stagger to and fro like a drunken Man What Member of the Bâ—dy can be in health when the whole Head is sick and Heart faint But thanks be to God we have made one step in order to a Cure that we can see the Rock of Offence from whence these Distempers are hewen and the Hole of the Pit from whence they are digged We can tell what those Bryars and Thorns are and who hath planted them which have not only rent our Garments but rolled them in Blood too And that for no other cause than that they were not all of a colâ—ur But is there no Balm in our Gilead Is there no Physician of that value there that can bind up our Wounds and mollifie them with Ointment 22 Rev. 2. Undoubtedly we have viz. a Prince who hath made Propositions like to the Leaves of the Tree of Life which are for the healing of the Nations Who that he might compleat our deliverance having saved us from the Hand of our Enemies that we might serve God without fear is designing to reconcile us to our selves that having abolisht the Enmity 2 Eph. 15. even the Law of Commandments contained in Ecclesiastical Ordinances we might have Peace We have Bishops now not like those Egyptian Task-masters that when the People cryed to them for ease were sent back with a Reproach viz. Te are idle ye are idle away to your Burthens But such as are kind and compassionate Fathers and Pastors of the Flock who considering its weakness will not over drive it Yea like the wisdom from above they are gentle and easie to be intreated to lose every Burthen and to let the oppressed go free Binding up the broken-hearted knocking off those Shackles which have so long gauled the Consciences Declaration from Breda Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Another in the 1 Year 1672. c. and hold Captive the Souls of Men. For which purposes how often have Promises been made Tempers found Projects offered and proposed which by the prevailing Interest of Men highly addicted to the Form of our Worship have been stifled and supprest And who are always in so high a stickle and stifle to disappoint and cassate all the fairest Purposes and Propositions whenever they are made in order to a firm Settlement and lasting Peace Nor will consent to part with one Hair though the whole Head be sick c. and though we should admit it to be true that nothing hath been injoined in the Worship of God but what might be lawfully submitted to yet it hath been a very unruly Truth and which we have found so hard to manage that like a restiffe Jade it hath cast the Riders and dangerously struck them when they were out of the Saddle It was a Reverend Bishop's Opinion in this case That better is a quiet Error Bishop Hall's Peace-maker than an unruly Truth And Erasmus was so great a Lover of Peace that he could not fancy a troublesome and tumultuous Truth Mihi saith he adeo invisa est discordia ut veritas etiam displiceat seditiosa Which may admit a more favourable Construction when it respects only the Outworks of Religion Our Controversies saith Dr. Potter are none of them in the Substance of Faith but only in disputable opinions not clearly defined in Scripture Charity mistaken p 185. Why then should such things be made Terms of Communion and mere Circumstances of Divine Worship which may or may not be observed and yet the Ordinances of God duly administred For instance in the case of Private Baptism the Child may be I think I may say according to the Rubrick ought to be baptized without Sponsors and not to be signed with the sign of the Cross and yet the Child is declared by the Rubrick to be sufficiently baptized without either and requires none to make any doubt of it And therefore King James's Project which he sent to Cardinal Perroon might highly conduce to an accommodation were we but so happy as to apply it viz. That we should sever (a) Istam distinctionem serenissimus Rex tanti putat esse momenti adminuendas Controversiâ—is que hodie Ecclesiam dei tantopere Exercent necessary from unnecessary things That as to the first which he saith are not many we should agree and leave the rest to liberty In non necessariis libertati Christianae detur locus This he thought was the shortest (b) Nullam breviorem ad incundam concordiam viam fore c. cut to Peace as may be seen more at large in the Epistle wrote by Causabon to the Cardinal at the King's Command upon this Subject Yet so great and mistaken too hath the Zeal of Men been concerning the Rites of Religion that we have herd that whole Churches have bandied at and censured one and other for things of no great moment such were the Saturday-Fast and Celebration of Easter Erasmus in his Epistle before Irenaeus his works commends that Father for his earnest Desire and Love of Peace and for blaming the Bishop of Rome for his (c) Non de catholico dogmate sid de ritu vel ritus potius tempore Not for any Catholick Doctrine but for Ceremony c. So Petavius cutting off many Churches from his Communion because they did not agree with the Western Church in the Celebration of Easter and Observation of Fasts Ecclesiasticae Concordiae tam fuit studiosus ut cum Victor Romanus Pontifex multas Ecclesias amputasset à Communione quod in Celebratione diei Paschalis in Observatione jejuniorum morem obtinerent à Romanâ consuetudine diversum Magna libertate Victorem reprehenderit Now that things of this nature are the Scene in which our present Disputes lie there 's no Man ignorant To moderate which his Majesty hath interposed his Wisdom and Authority But though he hath charmed wisely yet our Adders have too much Sting and too little Ear to listen to those things which concern the Peace and Welfare of our Church From whence have sprung our great Zeal and Stickle in Parliamentary Elections to pick up Men of those tenacious Principles that would sooner part with an Article out of their Creed Eras Epiâ— od â—ernbard Trid. Episâ— than the least Rite or Ceremony out of the Rubrick The Answer which the Arch-bishop with the rest of the Bishops presented to the late King was That it was no want of Tenderness to Dissenters that they could not comply with the Declaration for Liberty but that they only waited till it should be considered in Parliament and Convocation The first hath very kindly and with Justice to former Promises granted them their Liberty To the
would be unreasonable for any Persons to ask so neither could it be thought in common Prudence fit for Superiors to grant especially in our case unless they can dispense with a new Revolution of our former Miseries But in the mean time why might not the Yoak of Conformity be lined and that Burthen eased which hath so long gauled the Necks and grieved the Consciences of many in the Communion of the Church Who like Issachar have rather chewed the Cud than divided the Hoof bit the Bridle rather than snarled at the Governours of it Obj. This is some factious and false Brother who being crept into the Church seeks to undermine and betray it Such there be who cry Peace Peace but their aim is Destruction Nor have there been any greater Troublers of our Israel than these Quietists whose Malice and Mistakes have produced the greatest Miseries and Misfortunes that have befallen us Aut fabrum forceps aut ars ignara fefellit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluit cudere cudit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There 's some mistake for Bread they give a Knife Who hammering of Peace do fashion Strife Res When I undertook this Matter I sate not down to consider upon how many Tongues I should be tost for as I ran I read with what Fists of Wickedness I should be buffetted Nor do I expect fewer Lashes than * Aris interdicent avari sacerdotes pulpito lacessent larvati cuculliones contumeliosique hypocritae Peccata reservabunt aeternis ignibus plenipotentes pontifices Gallicam Scabiems commina buntur salaces meretriculae Praes ad vani scien Facile tamen hos insultus evadendi spes est Si modo veritatis patiens posito livâ—re candido animo adhaec legenda accesseris Habeo praeterea verbum dei pro clypeo c. Ibid. Cornelius Agrippa complains of or reckons upon when he wrote his Book de Vanitaâ—e Scientiarum Yet I can I dare say I am no more a false Brother than I take the Church of England to be a false Mother who rather chose to have the Infant butchered than her revengeful Humour left ungratified We only beg an Indulgence in those things which are no way essential to its Constitution but like accidents to natural Bodies Possunt ad esse ab esse sine Subjecti interitu And that in things of this nature the Strings may not be screwed up by an Arbitrary Power to that pitch as will strain and stretch the tender Consciences of her willing and obedient Children till all be disjointed and especially considering that the Voice of God in his late and stupendious Providences is to loose every Burthen and to let the oppressed go free We had a Prince who to expedite his way and facilitate his Restauration to the Throne gave all assurances his Royal Word could afford that no Man should suffer for his Conscience in Matters of Religion Witness the Declaration from Breda who should not disturb the Government and Peace of the Nation And that he might satisfie or gratifie rather the Presbyterians whose effectual fervent Endeavours availed much towards his restitution to all things he was very liberal in his Promises 1660. and the better to water those hopes which he had so planted issues his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs in which he recognizes that from Breda wherein he laid down that Project by which he had wisely forecasted the Peace and Settlement both of Church and State as is not obscurely hinted in its Preface And indeed many to this day think that the Leaves of that Plant might have conduced much to the healing of the Nation in both respects had our Royal Physician applied his Prescription But instead thereof that Corrosive was provided which envenomed but never healed the hurt of the Daughter of our People instead of binding up their Wounds and mollifying them with Ointment there was that Vinegar and Gall poured into them which inraged and rancled them beyond a Cure His Majesty soon after this interim or gracious Proposition which was but like Lightning before a Thunder-bolt enacted a Law which deprived above 2000 of the Dissenting Clergy as hath been computed of their Benefices and Offices leaving them the Benevolence of their own Party and Charity of their Friends to provide Bread for themselves and ruined Families By which act was required a Subscription to the Book of Common Prayer and to give an unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained in it which was Revised and Reprinted with divers Alterations and to be done too by such a day upon pain of Deprivation Which time was so limited that the new Copies could not be distributed or what was to be subscribed to consulted which hath often caused some to think that the Persons then evicted by that Law were not legally ejected for 't is impossible for me to give an unfeigned assent and consent to the Truth of a Proposition which I know not and the Ignorance in that case was invincible the Copies not being to be procured in time so that the several Alterations could not be considered or compared with the Rule of Scripture which all concerned were obliged to acknowledge they did not contradict To assent to a thing I know not is impossible and to know a thing where the necessary Medium of Knowledge is denied is no way practicable How then a Man can be disseized of his Freehold for not doing a thing which is impossible and impracticable I leave to Men of Law and Reason to determine But I shall return to the former modest and earnest Request made to our Superiors of such a Latitude or Relaxation in point of Conformity as might render the Churches Yoak easie and burthen-light as to those that are in it giving so fair Invitations and Proposals to those that are without that though they be not compelled by force they may be a kind and generous Condescention be constrain'd to come in Whilst the former Methods of reducing the People of this Nation to an uniform Practise in the Modes of Worship have proved as unsuccessful as they were uncharitable and rather in many cases the Effects of Spleen than Discipline To prevent these Mischiefs How happy were it if the Bones which have made us snarle at yea bite and devour one and other might be taken out of the way 1st The first Net to which we may sacrifice for those Factions and Divisions which are amongst us or which we rather may wish were sacrificed and offered up by our Superiours to the Peace and Welfare of that Church of which God hath made them Overseers are those Ceremonies which have pestered the Communion of it masked and intangled the Consciencies of many worthy whatever they have been accounted Members of its Fellowship First The first of these is the Surplice and Habits whose whiteness is simbolically significant of that Purity and spotless Innocency which ought to be inseparable Proprieties of those who wait upon the
who despised a Crucified Saviour and in a literal Sense were Enemies to the Cross of Christ in opposition to which Gainsayers they by the frequent use of it let them see that they were not ashamed of the Gospel and that God forbad that they should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ But this Practice did not long preserve it self from a Superstitious Taint the Primitive Christians thinking nothing well done without it such was their Opinion of it yea into a direct Idolatry did this Superstition degenerate that in succeeding Generations it came to be adored and worshipped Prayers being by the Church directed to it as to God himself which Aquinas alledges * cantat enim Ecclesia O crux ave spes unica c. 3. q. 25.4 in Justification of the Conclusion he makes concerning its Adoration in the highest degree Crux Christi saith he in qua Christus Crucifixus est tum propter representationem tum propter Christi Contactum latriâ adoranda est Crucis vero Effigies in aliâ quavis materiâ priori tantum ratione adoranda est That is the Cross of Christ upon which he was crucified in respect of its Representation as also because it (a) And might not the Lips of Judas by the same reason be adored with Divine Honour toucht the Body of Christ is to be worshipped by the highest Worship But the Effigies or Figure of the Cross of what Matter or Mettal soever it is made of in the first respect only viz. its Representation is in the same manner to be worshipped Nor is this the Freak or Fancy of this single Doctor only but the stated Judgment of the Roman Church otherwise she would never allow it to be solemnly prayed to in her publick Offices In domiâ—ica de passione domini in hymn Cantat enim Ecclesia O crux ave spes unica hoc passionis tempore â—â—ge piis justitiam reisque dona veniam That is hail holy Cross our only hope in this time of Passion give an increase of Righteousness to holy Men and to the guilty Pardon of Sin Can those Churches be blamed which already have or ours if now it should lay aside such Rites as have been and yet are so unreasonably abused to Superstition and Idolatry The Conclusion which the Canon Law hath made in the like Case seems very rational viz. Supposing our Ancestors have done some things which might at that time be blameless Dist 6. Cap. 3. Quia and afterward be turned to Superstition and Error we are taught by Hezekiah's breaking the brazen Serpent that Posterity may destroy them without any delay and with great Authority And that which makes us hope that our Lawgivers may in due time give ear to the Requests so often made both by those which are within and without the Communion of the church of England and fulfil the repeated Promises which have been made of taking away the Occasions or Causes of its Schism is that our Church it self lays no great * As we have had more than once occasion to take notice of stress upon this Rite For in the Rubrick of private Baptism it allows that Sacrament to be compleat and sufficiently administred without it where the essential parts viz. the Matter and Form as by Christ prescribed be observed though this Humane addition should be omitted Seeing then our Forefathers have had so moderate an Opinion concerning it Besides the modesty of our Desires which are not to have the Breast-plate of Righteousness or Holiness to the Lord in the least defaced or expunged but only that a Bell may be taken off the Ephod which hath rung Awk in the Ears of many weak yet very true Sons of the Church We hope therefore c. Obj. But though the Rubrick injoins not the Sign of the Cross to be used in the private Administration of Baptism yet it binds the Parents to bring the Child into the publick Congregation and all the * Which are the Words of B. Sparrow in his Rationale if I mistake not for I have not the Book to consult and I have not lately read it Pomp and Ceremony is to be observed as in publick Baptism Res That the Rubrick recommends it I grant that it binds or commands I deny The Words in the Common Prayer are these viz. Yet nevertheless if the Child which after this sort is baptized doth afterward live it is expedient that it be brought into the Church to the intent that if the Minister cerof the same Parish did himself baptize that Child the Congregation may be tified of the true Form of Baptism by him privately before used And nothing more than a bare Certificate according to the Rule is needful where Baptism hath been administred by the Minister of the Parish Whatever the Author of the Rationale hath affirmed to the contrary But suppose it baptized by a Stranger 't is not in that case positively commanded that the Child be brought into the Congregation But the Judgment of the Church declared that it is a thing expedient or fit Seeing then it is not a Ceremony of that use now as it was among the Primitive Christians who too soon caused it to degenerate into Superstition besides that many of our Brethren are by it driven from our Assemblies suffering their Children to die unbaptized as of mine own knowledge I can testifie or at best forc'd into separate Communions to avoid that Rite by which means the Breach is widened and the Schism made more inveterate And seeing our Church hath that moderate Opinion of it that the Omission of it is no prejudice either to the Sufficiency or Lawfulness of the Act. Why should it be thought by any unreasonable for us to intreat our Superiors for an * The Rubrick of the first Book of Edw. the Sixth commands that the Child be signed by the Minister on the Breast as well as on the Forehead Now seeing this is omitted Why may not that on the Forehead be left indifferent Abatement in this respect Of Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper III. A Third thing which hath caused several to stumble and fall from us is the Posture of Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper We all agree in this that the utmost Humility Reverence and Thankfulness that we can pay to the Almighty for his ineffable Love to Mankind commemorated in that holy Office is not the half that is due the way of payment is only questioned The Tribute of Honour is not denied though it be doubted by such as dissent from us whether the Coin we are prescribed to pay it in be current If we agree the substantial part of our Duty is it an insuperable difficulty to find a Temper by which we might accord no greater difference Is it not a spot which will scarce ever be taken out of the Ancient Church that the different Calculation of Easter should breed such irreconcilable Feuds
proportioned to their Strength and their Work to their Wages But our hope is that our Task-masters are neither of the Egyptian Race nor Temper but will either lessen our tale of Brick or allow so much Straw such additional Augmentations to those Churches which lack that assistants may be procured and paid for the Support and Aid of such as labour in the Word and Doctrine or else that such liberty may be granted them on whom necessity is laid to Preach the Gospel that they may not like Issachar be prest above measure and be forced to sink down under two heavy Burthens of the Desk and Pulpit Such Indulgence will make the Yoak of the Church like that of the Gospel easie and its burthen light The Commands of God are not grievous shall not the Churches be so too If not we may be a willing but scarce in all points can we be an obedient People in the day of our Humane weakness This would tend to stop those Mouths which have been opened wide with Reflections upon the Imposers charging them with a Design by this means to supersede and discharge the other part of Divine Worship if it will be allowed to be a part viz. Preaching the Gospel Spinning the Thread of the Common Prayer to that length as must necessitate the cutting very short or wholly cutting off the Thread of their other Discourses which they conceive as due to the Command of God and just expectation of the People Enlarging the Desk to such dimensions as either wholly to justle the Pulpit out of doors or else croud it up into so narrow a corner as if it were a needless Utensil in the House of God and piece of Lumber that might very well be spared as the warm Discourses of some hot-headed Men have too plainly intimated which hath caused many to flee from our Tents and do desert our Communion as too much resembling the Church of Rome who would possess the People that a great deal of Mass is too little and a little Preaching too much for Edification Such unhappy Wedges have some high-flown Men been to split and divide us though we have been always apt to Sacrifice to other Nets for our Schisms being very quick to discover the Motes in our Brethrens Eyes but very slow of Heart to believe or discern the Beam in our own Common Prudence and ordinary Kindness are sufficient Arguments to induce and oblige our Rulers to proportion the Work to the Ability and Strength of the Workman otherwise he must sink under the Weight and languish under the Fatigue of his Imployment A good Man is merciful to his Beast he will not set too long Stages nor over drive his Flock lest it dies And whether the Metaphor be proper in the Case I 'll appeal no further than the Wisdom and Consideration of our Superiors Let them judge whether the first and second Service in the Morning the Evening Office and Catechising besides twice Preaching and Praying in the Pulpit for he that hath a double cure can't do less though we should not insist upon the frequent Additionals of one or sometimes several other Offices viz. the Administration of both the Sacraments Burial of the Dead Thanksgiving after Child-bearing Letters directed from the King Orders from the Bishops several Canons and Statute-Laws c. appointed and which must be read Whether all these considered as they be enumerated be a reasonable Task for a single and meer Man whose Strength is not the strength of Stones nor Flesh of Brass If any part of the Liturgy as the case stands be omitted the Law is violated the Penalty incurred our Superiors offended and the Person rendred obnoxious to the Malice or Mercy that is cruelty of every Informer But we hope better things of you our most Reverend Fathers and Brethren and such as do accompany a Spirit of Moderation and Compassion towards those who have hitherto laboured as in an Iron Furnace prest down out of measure and sinking under an intollerable Burthen Our humble and earnest address therefore is that though our Forefathers made our Yoak grievous yet now you will make the grievous Service of our Fathers and their Yoak which they put upon us lighter If you will answer us 1 Kings 12.4 7. and speak good Words to us we will be your Servants for ever Of the Lord's Prayer and Doxology BUT if whilst we are pleading to have the Common Prayers shortned we do not Wyar-draw our own beyond the Staple and spin them to too great a length I would in the next place descend to Particulars The first thing which I would In the fourth Council of Tolet Can. 9. It is but once a day that the Lord's Prayer is injoined against them that used it on the Lord's Day only and by the 17th Can. It appears it was used but once that day Grand debate p. 121. if I might not give offence instance in is the Lord's Prayer to which I may join the Doxology which are so often at the same time repeated as if we thought to be accepted for our much speaking and that the Effect and Vertue of those parts of our Liturgy like the Papists Rosary do depend upon the tale and number of our Repetitions The Doxology in the constant Office every Sunday Morning as the Psalms happen to be read is according to the Rubrick to be repeated eight or ten times The Gloria Patri is appointed to be said six times ordinarily in every Morning and Evening Services frequently eight times in a Morning sometimes ten Grand debate p. 13. besides the use of it in Additional Offices And the Lord's Prayer in the Forenoon four times in the Desk and once in the Pulpit besides the additional use of it in other Officers which frequently occur So that whilst Titius blames Sempronius for his Tautologies Sempronius reflects upon Titius for his Pharisaical and Vain Repetitions 'T is true our Service in this respect is of the same shape into which our first Reformers lickt it Obj. so that to find fault with our Liturgy upon these accounts is to cast the blemish upon them and to trample upon the Ashes of many holy Martyrs who Sealed the Reformation with their Blood Res Pudet haec opprobia I know no wise Man that can pretend to blame them for doing no more but rather rise up and bless them or rather God for them who enabled them to do so much They stopt the Ferment of Popery in the highest Ebullition of it but by reason of the short Reign of King Edward they wanted time not will to perfect the Cure as may appear by the ingenuous Confessions of Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury and divers other Doctors and Fathers of the Church that many superfluous things remained yet to be taken away which they earnestly desired and long'd for Multi graves viri inter alios Cranmerus fatebantur ingenue multa detracta oportere superflua ardentibus votu cupiebant ea in
melius correcta fuitque hoc Cranmeri votum ad Calvinum scribentis c. Epist ad Verd. They had abolisht the Mass changed the Service or Celebration of it in an unknown Tongue they had extinguisht Purgatory the Doctrine of Supererrogation Praying to Saints Adoration of Images and many other things they had to say but the People could not bear them then But now God invites the King next under God our Redeemer from an almost Irrecoverable Relapse into Popery invites many of the faithful Fathers and Ministers of the Church invite and plead to perfect our Reformation and to unite the Protestant Interest We have now a Price put into our Hands and have we yet no Heart to improve it Shall we still sell our selves to work Iniquity and to sow the Seeds of Strife those Tares in the Field of our Church Shall we never see the things which concern our Peace Shall we still sacrifice our Interests to our Revenge and reck our Malice upon one another Why should we any longer strive and do wrong to each other for we are Brethren And though perhaps this may be but a techy Argument to treat upon provoking Men to say or think at least that we grutch or envy the Glory that is paid to God or undervalue that absolute Form of Prayer which Christ taught his Disciples which is so far from may design my Conscience bearing me witness if I mistake not my self that I think it needless to spend the least either of my time or Ink to wipe off the Imputation The main Reason why an alteration in this respect is desired being that the Form of our Publick Worship might be so modelled that we may all unanimously and without offence concur in the Celebration of it Concerning Christ's descent into Hell THat the Articles of Faith and subject Matter of Prayer should be clear and perspicuous sure no Man question When they are dark and disputable it will be impossible or very difficult to observe St. Paul's Rule 1 Tim. 2.8 of lifting up clean hands without wrath and doubting Now that Christ descended into Hell is not only daily to be confest and generally owned by the Congregation as an undoubted Article of their Faith 3 Art but particularly subscribed by every Minister of the Church before his admission to any publick Imployment in the Church as one of the Articles of Religion In these words As Christ died and was buried so also it is to be believed that he went down into Hell A Subject very much controverted and hath afforded Matter of great dispute the terms of the Proposition being variously interpreted and taken in a different Sense some expounding descent for a Personal some for a vertual going down into Hell acting as the Sun doth in inferiora per calorem influxum Some will have it for continuing in the (a) Hic mortis status non locus aliquis infernalis aperte intelligitur Sic Euseb Caesare c. Vid. Sanford Lib. de descensâ— ad inferos tertiam State of the Dead Mr. Broughten hath a peculiar Notion of the Phrase viz. That Christ's descending into Hell signifies his going into a Place of Happiness which his Soul took possession of so soon as it was parted from his Body which I may have occasion further to take notice of hereafter As to the place of Descent some think it to be the Grave others the place of the Damned if the former then dead and buried is the same with the ensuing Phrase He descended into Hell for as Ruffinus observes this Article was left out of the more ancient (b) Consule Sanford à Parkero continual lib. 4. de descensu ad inferos pag. 38. Copies of the Creed Vis tamen Verbi eadem videtur esse quod sepultus dicitur This was made an Article of Religion in the time of Edward the Sixth and required to be subscribed to but then they explained the Sense of it and the manner how our Saviour descended viz. That the Body of Christ laid in the Grave till the Resurrection but his Spirit which he gave up was with the Spirits which were detained in Prison or in Hell and preacht to them But since that the Article is continued and in a Synod held in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth is recognized but simply without any Explication In the ancient Creeds this Article is not to be found so Ruffinus observes in Expositione Symboli Sciendum est saith he in Ecclesiae Romanae Symbolo non habetur additum Descendit ad inferna Sed neque in Orientis Ecclesiis habetur hic sermo In the ancient Copies of Creeds delivered to the Church of Jerusalem both larger and lesser there is no mention of this Article the Words being thus expressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is being Crucified and Buried he rose again from the Dead In that of Alexandria and presented to Constantine by (c) Feigning himself at that time Orthodox Arrius Presbyter of that Church we read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Sozom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is he came was made Flesh suffered and rose again In a Copy drawn up and delivered to the Nicene Fathers thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He dwelt among us suffered and the third day rose again In another Copy received by Constantine and all the Arrian Fathers drawn up as Bishop Vsher observes for a more clear Condemnation of the Arrian Heresie it runs thus viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was made Man suffered and rose again In another larger Copy of the Creed mentioned by Epiphanius as the same Bishop observes The Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is he was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate suffered and was buried and rose again the Third day c. In the larger Symbol of Anathasius we find it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is he was buried he rose again and was received up into Heaven In an ancient Copy written in a Welch Character which the aforesaid Bishop found in the Library at Oxford this Article is not mentioned but only crucified dead and buried be rose again the third day But about four hundred Years after Christ it was brought into the Roman Creed who received it from Aquileia * But what need we retail this truth when as Mr. Perkins observes that in above threescore Creeds of the most ancient Councils and Fathers these words of his descent into Hell are not to be found some think they crept in by negligence Erasmus saith Nâ—c in Symbolo Orientalium Ecclâ—siarum nec in Romano hanc particulam Scil. Descendisse ad inferos â—uisse additam testis Cyprianus nec recensetur apud Tertullianum vetustissimum Scriptorum Colloq Inquis de fide Sciendum sane est quod in Ecclâ—siae Romanae Symbolo non habetur additum Descendit ad inferna sed neque in Orientis Ecclesiis habetur hic sermo vis tamen
Flesh and Incarnation of our Saviour viz. That Christ is one not by Conversion of the Codhead into Flesh but by taking the Manhood into God one altogether not by confusion of Substance It ought to be considered concerning Athanasius's Creed how many People understand it not Lib. of Proph. p. 54. I confess saith that Author I cannot see the moderate Sentence and gentleness of Charity in this Preface and Conclusion as then was in the Nicene Creed nothing there but damnation and perishing everlastingly unless the Article of the Trinity be believed as it is there with Curiosity and minute Particulars explained Ibid. pag. 54. but by unity of Person And that this c. is the Catholick Faith which except a Man believe he cannot be saved Which Propositions should they be repeated to many a simple and yet sincere Christian they would seem little less to them than Sampson's Ridle and shall we deny Salvation to those who have not an explicite Faith of those things they understand not If Water ascends higher than the Fountain from whence it springs the Motion must be ascribed to force If Faith should ascend beyond Knowledge if such may be called Faith 't is no better than force or fancy to compel that to be confessed with the Mouth which is not believed with the Heart because it never entred into the Head Doth it not therefore concern the Fathers of the Church to consider now that they have a Price put into their Hands whether this be not to make the Gate of Heaven narrower than God hath made it which is already so streight that alas there be too few that find it Of Regeneration by the Spirit ANother thing which might justly deserve the Notice of our Reverend Brethren and Fathers of the Church is the Doctrine of Regeneration by the Spirit which I take to be an act of Grace upon the Heart (a) Unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God c. Acts 26.17 renewing that Image which was drawn in Righteousness and true Holiness But alas How have we effac'd it and sought out many Inventions in the Croud of which we lost our Integrity God had at first imbarkt our Innocency in a Vessel sufficiently built to have secured the Cargo and finally to have brought the Soul safe to its desirable Port I mean Heaven he having put on board with it that which might with due watchfulness and care have secured it viz. A posse non peccandi But hapning where two Seas met I mean Satan's Policy and Man's Frailty or facile Disposition being too gentle and easie to be intreated by his Temptations he suffered Shipwrack of a good Conscience losing that which the whole World was not competent to redeem For alas What can be given in exchange for the Soul But God would not suffer the Sea to swallow such a Prize and therefore when he saw Man labouring for Life in the midst of those mighty Waves those Waters of Iniquity he cast out a Plank Post naufragium tabulam by which he came safe to Land he set up this Bankrupt again with a fresh Stock putting him into a Capacity and State of Salvation by a redeemer but upon such Terms and Conditions as he thought fit to appoint and prescribe viz. That unless we believe we should not be saved except we be regenerate and born again we should not enter into the Kingdom of God But as the Wind blows where it listeth so the Spirit works these Graces when and where it pleaseth observing the Rule and Method he hath pleased to prescribe to himself viz. As he hath chosen us in Christ Jesus And therefore we cannot affirm that wherever the Means is used that the End ex opere operato is certainly attained especially in such subjects as are altogether incapable of it as I take Infants to be of Regeneration upon the Administration of Baptism 3 Q. 71.2 Unless it be said of Regeneration as Aquinas saith concerning the Infant 's being Catechiz'd before it be Baptiz'd Accommodat eis Ecclesia aliorum cor ut credant aliorum aures ut audiant intellectum ut per alios instruantur But he that is regenerated by a Proxy will be saved so too But suppose they be renew'd yet this Operation or Work of the Spirit is much in the dark there are no visible Footsteps or Impressions left behind it by which we can trace the Goings of the Almighty no more than that of a Serpent upon a Rock a Bird in the Air or Ship in the Sea if there be any Work of God upon the Soul of the Infant 't is very cryptical 't is hid from our Eyes We may say as the Lord said to Job He hath made a Cloud the garment of it 38 Job 9. and thick darkness a swadling Band for it If any shall say that though the Child in such tender Age be not a capable subject of the Act yet it may be of the Habit Thus it is accounted a Rational Creature though it cannot for the present exert and shew forth the Faculties which are potentially in it But no sooner doth the Child grow up towards Years of Maturity but those Seminal and Radical Powers of their own accord pullulate and spring up into Act the Rose which seminally or potentially laid dormant in the Root of the Plant of its own accord buds and blossoms upon the approaching Heat and Influence of the Sun If the Habit of Regeneration were sown in Baptism would it not in the Spring of Youth begin to bud and blossom and bring forth Almonds I mean Acts sutable to the Nature of it Whereas we experimentally find no more averseness or reprobacy to that which is good in an unbaptized Person who never was baptismally regenerated nor received for God's own Child by Adoption than in one baptized according to the Ordinance of God and Appointment of the Church But supposing the Subject capable of this Divine Impression yet we do not see that God doth let his Seal or that they are sealed up to the Day of Redemption ex opere operato or actual Administration of Baptism For wherever the Work of Regeneration is wrought the Soul is renewed in all its Faculties such were some of you But ye are washed but ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God But all that are Baptismally washed are not sanctified and regenerate for we find in adult Persons that those who were filthy before continue to be so still Nay as to those very Persons who in the Judgment of Charity do not ponere obicem yet we cannot see any immediate Cause to return Thanks for its actual Regeneration by the Holy Spirit till we find some Demonstration or Evidence more than the bare opus operatum or Administration of the Baptismal Rite that the Person is entred into the Womb
Person may rest in the Bosom or external Communion of the Church yet too too often we have little or rather no hope that when he is departed hence he rests in Christ And therefore in our solemn Applications unto God to tell him we have a sure and certain hope of his rest in him and that he shall be raised unto eternal Life when we have no such hope or any tolerable Ground or probable Argument to believe it is to cause our Faith to act contrary to its own nature and to ascend higher than the Fountain of Scripture or Reason from whence it originally flows putting our Charity upon the rack and Conscience upon too great a stretch Besides Incouragement to the bad how many from hence flatter themselves into a Fool 's Paradice where they expect to eat of the Tree of Life though they have sed never so foul upon forbidden Fruit Crying Peace Peace though they have walkt according to the imagination of their own Hearts adding drunkenness to thirst For let a Person live in the Communion of the Church though he be as bad as ever was Caesar Borgia yet he shall have the same Charity extended towards him as if he had walkt before God in Truth and with a perfect Heart giving God thanks for his deliverance out of the Miseries of this Life as if he went immediately to Paradice to make an addition to the Spirits of just Men made perfect begging that God would accomplish the number of his Elect and hasten his Kingdom All which pro subjectâ materiâ are applicable to the Person of the defunct May it not be a just discouragement to Holiness of Life whilst the same Expectancies and Hopes by the publick Judgment of the church are declared concerning the worst Discouragement to the good as well as the best of Men Who from hence might infer and say What is the Almighty that we should serve him or what profit should we have if we pray unto him 21 Job 15. For the same end is to them both to the Good and to the Sinner so that I have cleansed my self in vain and washt mine Hands in Innocency when he that wallows in the Mire and that hath defiled his Garments shall yet sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven which is but consequential or the same to a rest in Christ and a Resurrection to eternal Life seeing then the same Office is to be applied to Persons of all sorts and circumstances we earnestly desire it may be so far reformed and modelled that the bad be not flattered the good offended nor the Consciences of such as minister justly scandalized And seeing that Mercy is a most acceptable Sacrifice to the Almighty why might not this whole Office excepting some decent Expression upon committing the Body to the Ground be performed within the Church where the Minister and People are secured from the Wind and Wet and other extremities of Weather to which they especially who are to attend bare headed are exposed whilst they continue sub Dio and remain in the Open Air. Obj. But the sight of the Grave for the Eye affects the Heart is apt to stamp deeper Impresses and produce an higher Sense of Mortality in the Minds of Men and therefore an alteration upon this account would be for the worse Res 1st And is not the dead Corps a Spectacle within doors as powerful and convincing as that without 2dly If the Priest's Lips will not preserve the Knowledge and maintain the Sense of our Estate and Circumstances 't will be in vain to seek it at the Grave's Mouth We have Moses and the Prophets if we will not hear them neither will we be convinced though one should arise out of the Grave from the Dead so that the reason of our request yet remains unshaken Of the Collects for the King the those in Authority NOR is our flattering of the living in the next place any whit a less Stone of stumbling or rock of offence than our fawning upon the Dead To prevent which how necessary is it for the Reverend Father of our Church into whose Hands the King hath now put a Fan throughly to purge our Floor I mean those Prayers and Collects appointed to be used for the King and those in Authority by the which be a Prince never so debaucht and profligate prophane and dissolute abandoning himself to all the Vices of the Age sublimating Evil to the highest pitch violating all the Laws of God and casting those Cords behind him yet as if the Majesty of his Person were an Elixir which turns all into God changing the nature of Vice into Vertue we are bound to acknowledge him that is greatest to be the best too nay as if the most idolatrous and false Religion could by the touch of a Scepter be legitimated or changed into an Evangelical Worship and reasonable Service We are bound as the Case stands whatever Religion the Prince professes be it roman or Mahometan yet to pray that God would keep and strengthen him in the true way of worshipping him when at that very time we believe and are perswaded it is false A Staff which â—n the late Reign was made use of to bastinado those that prayed by the Liturgy Our Enemies urging that either their way of worship was true or else our Service false and hypocritical If Princes were like Miâ—as changing the Nature of every thing they touch or had the same Power which Bellarmine avers to be in the Pope viz. of making Vertue to be Vice and Vice Vertue Evil to be Good and Darkness to be Light than we might account Slavery to be Liberty and that tender Mercy which is Cruelty We need not scruple to call him Gracious and most Religious Sovereign though he hath abandoned the Sense and Practice of Religion and Vertue nor scruple to call him Rex Christianissimus who is vix Christianus But till these Paradoxes can be proved and justified it is desired by such as be true Sons of the Church that the Liturgy may in this respect be altered and such of its Collects as oblige us to give flattering Titles unto Man may be so revised and amended that if we lived under a Julian or Domitian they might not upon the least account be scrupled nor can we ever expect a fitter Juncture to work this Reformation in than when we are under the Conduct of such Sovereign Princes who are not only willing to condescend to all things which can with any colour of Reason and Conscience be desired of them but also no pretence or conciousness of guilt that is upon them or scruple in us do in the least enforce or influence our request of having such Expressions taken out of our Liturgy as should hinder us in lifting up our Hands without wrath or doubting such as should render us Sychophants towards Men or Hypocrites towards God in our most divine and solemn Approaches unto the Throne of
have all Preferments when time was turned For could the Church and State but lay their Foundation here they concluded their Nest to be built upon a Rock But if Grace be not writ upon the Walls of it the Beam out of its own Timber the Stone out of its own Wall will cry down with it down with it even to the Ground without this we shall but daub with untempered Mortar and may cry Peace Peace when Destruction is at hand St. Austine observed that the Romans built their Temple of Concord where the Seditions of the Gracchi had been acted Tiberius and Caius Which Temple afterwards was so far from restraining Decivitate deâ— lib. 3. cap. 25. that it became a Promoter of the highest and most bloody Outrages For Formality-sake we may carry the Ark into the Camp of our Church but the Glory will depart from us so long as the Sins of the young Men be great but their Reproofs small so that hitherto we have mistaken our Enemies and like the Andabaâ—ae have fought with our Eyes shut contending de lanâ Caprinâ we scarce know what we have fallen out for or with whom Alas it hath been our Brethren of the same Faith and Religion whereas our Contests should have been with Spiritual wickednesses in high places yea such have been the Policy and Envy of those who rejoiced in our Divisions hoping to make their own Market of them as first to perswade that they were no Friends to Caesar and then to engage the Civil Magistrate to treat them as Enemies making them â—riples and then beating them with their Crutches who to get the Staff into their Hand would frequently suggest to the Prince whose Ear they could command that there was a People whose Laws were contrary to the King's Laws and therefore desired him to write that they might be destroyed which contrary to often and open Promises of an undisturbed and free Exercise of their Religion he was frequently prevailed with to do Signing divers Acts for their Prosecution Which by a ravenous sort of Informers were so managed as by Bonds and imprisonments Confiscations and Banishments the protestant Dissenters were ravaged and ruined But such have been the Wisdom of our late Senates to see and discover by whom and for what ends they were thus pusht on and acted The Tide of our Councils seems very much turned SERMON preacht at â—ublin before the Lord's Justices of Ireland by the Dean of St. Patricks Printed 1691. since we have with more chearfulness levied such considerable Sums of Money to reimburse our Neighbours the Charge of our deliverance than what was unaccountably raised and expendedâ— Vt delenda esset Carthago It certainly argued saith the Deaâ— of St. Patricks a very passive and submissive Temper in them to give Money so liberally and to fight so fiercely as they did to destroy themselves and their fellow Protestants to make sport for their common Adversaries and to serve the Interest of their most dangerous Enemies This was saith he part of the Project laid down at large in a Paper found in the Earl of Tyrâ—onnel's House then Colonel Talboâ—â— dated July 1671. supposed to be drawn up by his Brother then Titular Arch-bishop of Dublin viz. in these Words That the Toleration of the Roman Catholick Religion in England be granted and the Insolency of the Hollanders be taken down a Confederacy with France Dean of St. Patrick's Sermon c. the Ashes of Amboina must be raked for Embers to put us in a Flame against them and the Affront urged that was given us when their Fleet refused to make Obeysance and strike Sail to the King 's Yatcht sent among them The first of which some thought was not always to be remembred nor the latter a sufficient Ansa for a National Quarrel or which might have been attoned at a far less rate than it stood this unhappy Nation in both of Blood and Treasure But how then should the great design of extirpating the Northern Heresie which was then the Catholick Project have been managed which many Protestants were inconsiderately easily and with too much Zeal engaged in being great Enemies to their Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Constitutions taking all Suggestions of the fear of Popery to be nothing but the old Puritanical Cant revived and ungrounded Scandal cast upon the King as if he had other designs than to maintain the Honour and Grandeur of the Nation which made many of our own Religion very zealous and valourous in carrying on the War against them But the Parliament taking Scent of this deep-laid Project addrest the King to proceed to a Treaty of a speedy Peace as I remember the Words were esteeming a further Prosecution of the War nothing less than a pulling down those Banks and Barriers which were erected against the See of Rome though too many were too great Infidels to believe it till they felt themselves wet-shod in Holy-water and that Tiber so powerfully brake in upon us that the whole Land lookt bright with Popery When alas all the Remedy the Non-resistance Men could afford us was Who a Devil could have thought it but we hope such care will be taken that there shall be no occasion for them to make us such a second amends or be so far heeded that they should again involve us in the same Circumstances and once more give us another flap with their Tails Non licet his peccare Indeed 't is believed they 'll never boil Prerogative to its former height the all Charters must be arbitrary Officers of State but Judges especially ad placitum the only way to sell Justice and to buy the needy for a Pair of Shooes Then Non-Resistance and Passive-Obedience very true and wholesome Doctrines if rightly stated were the universal Cry and squeezed till the Blood came But the Mischief was when they had nurst the Prerogative till it had stung some of them and hill as all the rest they presently let the World see they never brewed this Doctrine for their own drinking Let a coâ—â—â—â—ed Child be but once sâ—ibbed and it flâ—es in the Face of the most indulgent Parent They ne'er expected that non-Resistance would ever have fallen to their share unless when Preferments and Dignities were offered to their acceptance But when they came to experiment with Perillus the Bull they had framed for others What Out-cries did they make Then they acknowledged we indeed suffer justly But what have our Brethren done whom we pursued with such Revenge and Rage Then they confest that they sacrificed the Interest of the Church to their Malice But if the Dissenters would forbear to comply with the common Enemy they would do great things for them whenever they came again into their Kingdom But alas there 's too too much reason as to such kind of promises to apply that of the poet viz. Ægrotat daemon monaobus tune esse volebaâ— Convaluit daemon daemon ut ante suit In stress of
Ballance then what may now be put into it Will not the desire and design of our Prince to loose every Burthen and break every Yoak from the Neck of Mens Consciences move Will not the pious Zeal for Unity and Peace together with a just Regard and Compassion towards tender Consciences of the best and greatest of all I think I may say the Prelates and Governours of the Church move Will not the most desirable Compliance and Harmony with our Brethren of the Reformed Churches abroad an happy Concord and Communion with our Brethren at home move That we may be no longer at strife one with another that we may take sweet Council together and go to the House of God in company that all Bitterness and Wrath being laid aside the Lion may eat Straw with the Ox and lie down with the Lamb That it may be said of us owning the Christian Faith and Doctrine of the Church who were not a People in time past 1 Pet. 2.20 but now are become a People which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained Mercy this would enlarge the Borders of the Church And why should we not admit those whom God doth not reject Who doth not make such small things as we suspend and deprive for terms of (o) Why should Men be more rigid than God Why should any Error exclude any Man from the Church's Communion which will not deprive him of eternal Salvation When I say in one Communion I mean in a common Profession of those Articles of Faith wherein all consent Chilling the Relig. of Protest p. 210. Communion with himself and yet in the mean time can without scruple hold Communion with Persons of vicious Habits and prophane Lifes If a Man dissent from us as to the Form of Religion we account it scandalous to converse with him whereas the Apostle's Rule is If a Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Coveteous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an one no not to eat We cannot wholly abstain from converse with such Persons for then we must go out of the World but whether I should shun the Company of an honest and good Man tho' a Dissenter or of a wicked and prophane Person Epist dedic to the Liberty of Prophesying though a strict Conformist to the Rites of the Church he that is of least esteem may be able enough to judge I would fain know saith a late * Taylor Bishop why a vicious Habit is not as bad or worse than a false Opinion Why are we so zealous against those we call Hereticks and yet great Friends with Drunkards Fornicators and Swearers intemperate and idle Persons Besides as that worthy Person speaks Drunkenness saith he I am certain is a most damnable Sin c. But Sects are made and Opinions are called Heresies upon Interest Why should we then strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel If a Man swears by the Temple 't is nothing but if he swears by the Gold of the Temple he is a Doctor If a Man commits Fornication or Adultery 't is nothing we can hear pray with hug and converse with such an one though he defiles the Temple of the Lord But if he conforms not to the Ceremonial part of Divine Worship he dinges the Gold of the Temple he is a Debtor to the Law and he shall pay for it To these we say stand by for I am more holy that is more conformable than you boasting as St. Paul once did that they have profited in their Religion above their Equals in their own Nation 1 Gal. 14. being exceedingly zealous of the Tradition of their Fathers And thus whilst we plant our Canon rifle our Arsenals to beat down a shaken Leaf we make little or no assaults upon the strong holds of Sin These things we should have done and if we leave the other undone the Church will be further extended better seâ—led and our Zeal more profitably imploy'd And will not these things move us In our Reformation many things were retained by the Wisdom of our Reformers that offence might not be given to the Roman Church We retained the three Creeds many of their Feasts Fasts several of their Rites and Ceremonies Cross Surplice Kneeling at the Sacrament Form of their Worship insomuch that Edward the Sixth told his rebellious Subjects That the difference of their Service was that before it was performed in an unknown Tongue but now in a Language they understood Had the outward manner of Celebration been much different from the former the King would never have used such an Argument to appease them it would indeed have been to little purpose And what good hath all this Compliance wrought to what end hath all this waste of Charity been It hath hardned them in their Superstition and given them hopes that those who so far complied and symbolized with them might be prevailed with in time to return seeing they dressed still their Service with some of the Garlick and Onions they brought from thence Whatsoever then we have retained not to scandalize them let us now part with to gratifie our Protestant Dissenting Brethren which will not only oblige them and render their Separation indefensible but will justifie us before all the World and will prove an excellent Balm to cure the hurt of the Daughter of our People substantially And will not this move us I cannot forbear to mention what a late Author no Non-conformist hath pertinently alledged to this purpose his Words are these Becoming a Papist to the Papists that by all means they might gain some of the Papists For this reason in her Liturgy she hath kept her best Collects whatever was justifiable in her Litany and all their Creeds in her Rubrick many of her Feasts most of their Fasts and some other of their Ceremonies But since that time viz. the Bull from Rome we have gained none lost some whose narrower Souls could not swallow such things Now more than an hundred Years experience calleth upon the same Charity to tack about and steera contrary course It s a general Rule and practised by all good Physicians to observe whether their Prescriptions do more good or hurt nor could he be faithful either to his Patient or Profession that should obstinately stick to his first Orders in contradiction to Experience It hath pleased our gracious King to Authorize the Prelates and Representatives of our Church to practice the same Charity towards our distempered Church and State Would to God this Author had never wrote any thing more disagreeable to sound Doctrine and the things which belong to the Church's Peace than he hath in this But were your Souls in my Soul's stead I could heap up many more Arguments But all that I shall add is an earnest Reinforcement of our Request to you that have Power committed to you to heal the Breaches and redress the Grievances of the Church that
the Flames which have been so industriously blown up may now be blown out and for ever extinguished that virulent and peevish Men may never be intrusted either in Church or State But that a Spirit of Meekness and Moderation may act our Wheels yea the Wheels within the Wheels viz. The Privy-Councils and most secret Transactions that a Spirit of Peace and Love may preside in all our Civil Assemblies And as the Philosophers fancied the Angels were to the Heavens be the great Intelligence to move them As for him whom the King of Heaven and Earth hath by his miraculous Providence set over us and raised up to rescue us from all those Miseries that were come and coming upon us May all the Blessings which ever made Princes good Hic vir non invidet mihi gratiam and great light upon him and as for the ease which his Protestant Subjects injoy in the free Exercise of their Religion we are so far from envying it that we bless God the King and Parliament for it Might but an act of Comprehension be joined to that of Indulgence might the Church Doors be set so wide that all True and Orthodox Ministers and People too might go in and out and find rest to their Souls might but that Project and Platform of Accommodation which his Predecessor Charles II. in his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs formerly published and propounded be once enacted and setled as a Law we might live to see Schism baned Truth and Peace setled It hath pleased God to deliver us out of the Hands of our Enemies to serve him without fear might there but be a Temper to appease our angry Friends and why should we fall out for we are Brethren we might sing our Conclamatum est the Work of God would be finisht But when all is said we recommend this great Work to the Providence of God and Wisdom of our Prince Pleading as the Estates of Germany did with Ferdinand in much the same case Te quidem summum à deo nobis datum Magistrum agnoscimus libentissime quidem ac nihil est omnium rerum quod non possis aut debeas à nobis expectare sed in hâc unâ re propitium te nobis esse flagitemus That is we freely acknowledge you to be our Supreme Lord and given to us by God himself nor is there any thing of what we possess which you cannot or may not justly expect from us In this thing only which was Liberty in Matters of Religion we most earnestly intreat your Majesty to be kind and propitious to us Obj. 1st But if this be admitted the Church can never appoint any thing but upon pretence of Scandal to tender Consciences it must be presently cassated and rescinded so that there can be no Establishments of the Church made or Order maintain'd Res 1st These Establishments and Orders have cost the Church dear it once sunk in the Defence of them and with it one of the best of Kings that ever ascended the Throne since the Reformation This was foretold long since by a true Prophet I mean the Learned Zanchy in a Letter to Queen Elizabeth 1571. Your Majesty saith he being perswaded by some otherwise great Men and carried with a Zeal but not according to Knowledge to retain Unity in Religion hath now more than ever resolved and decreed yea doth Will and Command that all Bishops and Ministers of Churches shall in Divine Service put on the white Linnen Garments which the Popish Priests use now in Popery yea it is to be feared that the Fire is so kindled and cast its Flames so far and wide that all the Churches of that most large and mighty Kingdom to the perpetual Disgrace of your most renowned Majesty will be set on a flaming Fire And are there not many yet alive to justifie the fulfilling of that fatal Prophesie Had it not been better then if the Church had not been so tenacious of these Rites to have dispensed with some of its pretended Beauty and Uniformity to have cast something of its Ceremonial Cargo overboard and to have somewhat lightned the Vessel than to have endangered the bottom and suffered as it did Shipwrack of the whole When the Disease grew inveterate and Humors of the Populacy into an extreme ferment our Physicians could have been content to have applied the Remedy but it was too late Sero Medicina paratur Cum mala sinceras penetrat gangrena medullas Time was when the loping off some Luxuriances might have saved the whole but no Temper could be found nor Expedient listned to to prevent a Rupture till at last nothing but Root and Branch Branch and Rush as in one day could satisfie the Victors 2dly If this Objection be admitted are not all the Designs of indulging tender Consciences superseded St. Paul the Apostle directs those which are strong to bear the Infirmities of the Weak To become all things to all Men that we might gain some not to cause our Brother to offend That there be some who prefer one day before another others esteem every day alike some believe they may eat all things another who is weak eateth Herbs What 's to be done in this case We must not despise one and other but forbear one and other in Love not giving any Scandal to our Brethren for he that offends his Brother sins against Christ Which Rules of forbearance are as obliging to the Church in general as to private Christians in particular But if this Objection carry any force with it it might be replied how can this yieldance be for then no sooner shall the Church have appointed by its Decree any thing to be observed but upon the pretence that some nice and scrupulous Conscience is offended all must be given up 3dly Notwithstanding this Objection wise and worthy Men have judged a Latitude and Liberty fit to be used and practiced in these things The Reply of King James to Cardinal Perroon returned him by Causabon was to this purpose That the Church should do well to sever necessary things which are not many from unnecessary and that the latter be left to Christian Liberty This was that which the Council of Jerusalem had regard to when they declared that it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them to lay nothing upon them but what was necessary viz. to abstain from Fornication from things strangled and from Blood Doctor Potter observes that as the ancient Worthies and Fathers of the Church were most zealous to defend even with their Blood to the least Jot or Title the Rule of Faith or Creed of Christians or as the Scripture calls it the form of sound Words the Principles of the Oracles of God so again they were most charitable to allow in other things a great Latitude and Liberty Would to God the Fathers and Worthies of our Church would do so and our Work were done 4thly Decency and Order may be had and maintained though
these scrupled Rites should be omitted unless we condemn all our Brethren of the Reformed Churches who have thought fit to lay aside the Practice of those Ceremonies which among us have ever since the Reformation been a Stone of stumbling and Rock of offence and that not only to some of our weaker Brethren but also to many of the greatest Bishops and Prelates of the Church as I have already hinted Insomuch that Zanchy in his aforesaid Epistle told the Queen that most part of the Bishops Men greatly renouned for all kind of Learning and Godliness had rather leave their Office and place in the Church than against their own Consciences admit of such Garments which are at the least signs of Idolatry and Popish Superstition and so defile themselves with them and give offence to the Weak by their Example 5thly An Abolition of these Rites does not oblige the Church to be subject to every querulous and teachy Complainant suppose a Prince grants the Petition of a Criminal and gives him his Life for a Prey will it therefore follow that he shall never know when he hath done and that Justice shall never be executed because it hath upon some earnest Applications given place to Mercy and yielded to Clemency The King hath thought fit to annul the Act for Chimney-money will it therefore follow no branch of his Revenue must stand unrepealed Suppose the Church should repeal and cassate the Laws for the Ceremonies for the Reasons that have been alledged will it therefore follow that nothing must ever be setled for the maintaining of Order and Decency For though it may grant some things with Reason will it follow therefore it must yield up every thing without Reason 6thly If nothing must be granted by way of Relaxation in point of Conformity upon the Reason objected then the Church's Peace can never be secured For more than an hundred Years viz. over since the Reformation the Church hath had and suffered many a bitter Pang for the sake of these offensive Rites and Ceremonies she hath had a constant struggle in her Womb by reason of them They once fretted out her Bowels and they are again and have been ever since their Restoration with Charles II. as Moths fretting her Garments They have been the constant Troublers of our Israel And I am afraid if with Jonas they be not cast overboard they will at one time or another sink our Ship Though I earnestly wish whatever be the event of this Essay there may never be any occasion to lament the fulfilling of this Prophesie among us as with bitter cries we have lived to bewail the Fate of Zanchy's And shall we ever retain that Leven that is so apt to sowre the whole lump shall it never be purged out Oh that it might once be Augustus Caesar caused all the Glasses to be broken lest the use of them should occasion Blame and Terror to the Servants and create Strife in the Family the thing applies it self c. 'T is true we are Brethren we have the same Father the same Faith the same Baptism the same Religion as to all the Substantial parts of it Why should we have a Partition-wall built betwixt us Whilst we are two Flocks differences will be apt to arise and cause the Herds-men to fall out and what Flames such Sparks may kindle among us our former Ashes and Experience are sufficient to make us dread the Incendiaries and Boutefeus Let us then no longer shut our Eyes that we should not see the things which concern our Peace Let us now be one Sheepfold under one Shepherd An Act of Comprehension would effect this Were the Declaration of Charles II. concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs cast into the Form of a Law I believe our Schism would in a great measure presently in process of time be totally extinguished And the hurt of the Daughter of our People by the Balm which distils from it effectually cured Which was formerly the Opinion of an excellent and reverend Divine of our Church I shall give it you in his own Words If ever saith he a Divine Sentence was in the Mouth of a King and his Mouth erred not in judgment I verily believe it was thus with our present Majesty when he composed that admirable Declaration which next to Holy Scripture I adore and think that the united Judgment of the whole Nation cannot frame a better or a more unexceptionable Expedient for a firm and lasting Concord of these distracted Churches Solomon saith a Man of Understanding is of an excellent Spirit and the worst wish I have for our Mother the Church is that all her Sons were of no worse Temper Then we should have our wish viz. one Sheepfold nay what 's better the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Sir Matthew Hale Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench Sir Matthew Hale was of Opinion That the only means to heal us was a new Act of Uniformity which should neither leave all at liberty not impose any thing but necessary In the mean time it were to be wisht that publick Authority for Peace and Union sake would strictly prohibit and restrain the Pulpit from uttering Invectives against our Dissenting Brethren and that the Mouths of such as speak high-swelling Words against them may be stopt This would be a very good Preludium to Union and Peace if this Rallery might be curbed and such as cause Divisions in the Church might be markt Obj. 2. Is it reasonable to indulge those who dissent from the Orders and Constitutions of the Church granting to them a Liberty of Conscience when our reverend Fathers and Brethren cannot be dispensed with viz. The deprived Bishops and Clergy who for Conscience sake dare not submit to swear Allegiance to our present Sovereigns And are not their Consciences as tender to them as other Or do not they who when time was stood against the pressing Inundations of Popery and extravagant Exercise of Royal Power as much deserve Indulgence as those that on this account desire it Res 1st To put a Curb into the Chap of Tyranny or Hook into the Nostrils of Popery are Actions becoming true English Men and Protestants Nor is the Defence which was made against both by the censured Prelates ever to be forgot and how they Jeoparded themselves in the high Places in the Defence of our Christian and Civil Liberties â— Ezek. 20. But if a righteous Man shall forsake his Righteousness and do that which is evil all the Righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembred 2dly Supposing their refusal to comply is Matter of Conscience I most heartily wish and in my Place and Station would so far as I am able make it my endeavour as I desire Liberty for my self and others that they may be treated with all the Indulgence and Compassion which the Powers in being can extend towards them and that they may never meet with such measure as have been meeted out to
our Dissenting Brethren from the fatal Bartholomew till the first or second Year of the late King James But methinks whilst I am engaged in this Argument I am furnished with a new one to plead with our Reverend Fathers and Brethren to a just and charitable Condescension and Consideration of our Complaint viz. That there is no such infallibility or fixedness of any Condition here that will supersede that charitable Resolve of doing as we would be done by An Argument urged by a Reverend Bishop to the same purpose If there be variety saith he in humane Affairs if the event of things be not setled in a durable Consistance but is changeable every one of us all may have need of it Dr. Taylor 's Preface to the Liberty of Prophesying There was a time when our Reverend Fathers being upon the very Pinacle of Preferment and Power I believe little expected that the Indulgence to tender Consciences which they would by no means for several Years lissen to should now be the great thing they want and desire God is my witness whom I serve in my Spirit that I speak not to insult over them in their Affliction or grate upon the Misfortunes of others I thank God that I have not so learned Christ But only that they would but consider whether their inexorableness towards others may not have been a just Provocation unto the Almighty to deal with them as they have dealt with their Brethren in Matters of Conscience and whether their case be altogether unlike that of Joseph's Brethren 42 Gen. 21. And they said one to another we verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us Let me then plead with you most Reverend Fathers to engage your Interest and Endeavours with the Members of the Convocation or any other who shall have Opportunity or Power to give ease to such Consciences which are weary and heavy laden by reason of a Conformity to all and every thing comprised in the Liturgy Put on Bowels of Mercy towards those that want it It may be a means and way for your selves to find it Why should not our Church imitate our Saviour in making her Yoak easie and Burthen light Especially to such who in regard to the Peace and Unity of the Church and to avoid Schism thought it their Duty to submit to things of doubtful disputation till it pleased God to find out fit and proper Expedients to redress our Grievances 3dly But suppose the worst that the Dissenting Clergy who refuse to swear Allegiance should not meet with such dispensations and allowance as they desire yet it can be no colourable Argument to reject our present Plea there being a vast Gulf betwixt their Case and ours For as the Sovereign Powers never promised any Toleration or Indulgence in the Affairs of the Church but to such as should plight their Faith to be good Subjects to the State so neither had they ever the Brow to expect it or Face to ask it upon any other terms whatever Obj. 3. But who is this which darkens Wisdom with Words condemning himself in the thing which he allows and so strenuously pleading against his own Practice But this is like some others of the same Profession who take the Oath of Allegiance to the present King and then declaim against it and the Magistrate for imposing it Res To swear Allegiance to one Prince when we believe our selves the natural Subjects and bound by a preceding Oath to another is a Matter directly unlawful and renders us at the same time to be guilty at least in foro Conscientiae both of Perjury and Treason which the greatest Good nor Evil can never be sufficient Arguments to oblige us to commit But thâ—se things very much out-do the Matter in hand Did we believe our Conformity unlawful and contrary to the Divine Law we then have a plain Rule to direct us to obey God rather than Man But yet they have been accounted as inexpedient by several Reformed Churches and therefore they thought fit to reject them They have been always scrupled and often offensive to Persons of great Wisdom and Abilities a Yoak which gauled the Neck of many good Mens Consciences who yet rather than * It would be our Sin to uâ— it of choice viz. the Liturgy while we may prefer a more convenient way whatever we ought tâ— do in case of necessity when we must worship God inconveniently or not at all Grand Debate at tâ—â— Savoy p. 35. desert their Stations or lay down their Offices to which they were called have unwillingly submitted (a) As we have observ'd already As Horne Bishop of Winchester who scrupled to accept his Bishoprick unless he might be dispensed with as to the Habits and wrote to Bullinger on that subject who rather advised him to submit than refuse to serve God in that Station Hooper Bishop Elect of Worcester refused to be consecrated till the King granted him a Dispensation in point of the Habits Yet such was the Zeal of some about the King for those Rites that when he was to preach before him he was fore'd to put on that Attire which that good Man and Martyr I believe would not have done had he judged the thing unlawful and yet no little disturbance to him its like if we consider how earnest he was to be dispensed with by the King which was granted him before he was admitted to his Bishoprick What case of shame saith Mr. Fox The strangeness hereof was that day to that good Preacher every Man may easily judge But this private Contumely and Reproach in respect of the publick Profit of the Church which he only sought he bare and suffer'd patiently And I would to God in like manner they which took upon them the other part of that Tragedy had yielded their private Cause whatever it was to the publick Concord and edifying of the Church Acts and Monuments 3 Vol. 1 Col. p. 121. And so do I in this and the like cases now and to which I hope all the true Sons of the Church and Enemies to Schism will say Amen Obj. 4. But why should we pretend Conscience against Conformity when the Church commands nothing contrary to any Divine Precept and then we may safely obey Res A thing may be forbidden directly or consequentially Suppose I be not directly forbidden to wear the Attire of a Priest prescribed to him in the publick Ministration yet I am forbidden to offend my weak Brother for whom Christ died and so the Attire may be consequentially forbidden But does this Rule admit of no restriction For sometimes Matters commanded by the Church Praeter legem as well as those which are injoyn'd Contra legem may be questioned Though from hence Forbs Bishop of Edinburgh concludes That the Church may command us to pray for the Dead because there 's no
an hot Iron As appears by the Epistle to the King from the Arch bishop of Cant. on whom all their Severities were fathered I shall rather saith he magnifie your Clemency that proceeded with those Offenders Burton Bastwick and Prin in a Court of Mercy as well as Justice It being the Opinion of some of their Judges that their Lives might have been exacted for their Offences And the Reason the Arch-bishop gave was because their malignant Principles were introductive of a Parity in the Church and State Heylin also would be thought to make it appear that they deserved Death Moderat Answ p. 187. which is agreeable to a Passage I have met with in a nameless Author or Tract though revised and published by publick Authority in Scotland Sundry of our prime Lords and Earls did present a Supplication to our King after his Coronation in Scotland I suppose wherein the Matter of the greatest Complaint was so far as ever we heard their challenging the Bishops with what they had done or were likely to do The Copy of this privy Supplication being privily conveyed by an unfriend some two or three Years after out of my Lord of Balmarinoch's Study or Chamber was a Ditty for which he was condemned to die for an Example to all other Noblemen to beware of the like rashness especially his fellow Supplicants who are all declared to have deserved by that fault the same Sentence of Death And the Sense the King had of it is expressed in the King 's large Declarat p. 13. viz. We were graciously pleased that the Fear and Example might teach all by the Punishment only of one of them to pass by many who undoubtedly had been included and involved by our Laws in the same Sentence if we had proceeded against them Large Declarat p. 13. Such was the Power and Influence they had with a Prince who was so great a Votary to the Innovators in Religion as to venture his Crown yea and lose it too in their quarrel But Death had been a favour to some of those Punishments which were inflicted upon this score as may be seen in the Relation of one single Instance among others of which Mr. Huntly in his Breviat gives us an account if true viz. Of a poor Devonshire Minister Mr. John Heyden who in a Sermon preacht at Norwich let fall some Passages against setting up of Images and bowing at the Name of Jesus was apprehended like a Traytor with the Constables Bills and Halberts and brought before Dr. Harsnet then Bishop manacled like a Felon and committed by him close Prisoner to the common Goal above thirteen Weeks where he was like to starve the Bishop having taken from him his Horse Papers c. from whence by a Pursuivant he was convey'd to London and kept two full Terms At last by the high Commission he was deprived of his Orders Thereafter the high Commissioners imprisoned him in the Gate-house common Dungeon and Canterbury sent him to be whipt in the common Bridewel and then kept him all the long extream cold Winter in a dark cold Dungeon without Fire or Candle chained to a Post in the midst of the Room with heavy Irons on his Hands and Feet allowing him only Bread and Water with a Pad of Straw to lie upon and since on his relief hath caused him to take an Oath and give Bond to Preach no more and to depart the Kingdom in three Weeks without returning which latter part of his Punishment being for Preaching after his first deprivation though no exception was taken at his Doctrine If these things be true as they stand related in a Book Revised and Published by an Ordinance of a general Assembly in Scotland It is high time to break off our past Sins by a speedy Repentance and to redeem our former Severities by acts of Kindness and Compassion towards our opprest and complaining Brethren By whom the Seeds of Arbitrary Government have been sown NOR hath the Zeal and Bigottry for the controverted Ceremonies been only a Nuisance in the Church and pestred the Consciences of Men but have also occasioned very great Mischiefs and Distractions in the State For when Men of this Stamp had once gained the Prince on their side and to espouse their Interest they have endeavoured to requite him by ascribing to him an absolute Power and illimited Authority over the Subject Though in the late Reign none winched sooner nor kickt higher at it when they themselves began to feel the dint of it overthrowing our Politick Constitution and best tempered Government under Heaven that they might erect the Throne to an immensurable height Hence it was that the Original of Sovereign Dominion was taught not to be ex Pacto but jure Divino That Non Resistance and Passive-Obedience were the only Orthodox and Catholick Doctrines so long as they imagined it would never come to their own turn to practice them Singâ—lis adempta est adversus principem quae naturalis dicitur juris defensio seu injuriae dipulsio Johan Wemius p. 21. That the very Law of Nature and of Self-preservation is a Crime in that case (a) Dr. Sherlock in his Case of Resistance of the Supreme Powers c. Determines thus That as well Inferior Magistrates as others imploy'd by a Popish or Tyrannical Prince in the most illegal and outragious Acts of Violence such as cutting Throats or the like are as irresistable as the Prince himself supposing they act by his Authority and must be submitted to under pain of eternal Damnation c. But perhaps as one lately was convinc'd by the sight of Bishop Overal's Book so they might be by Bilson's of subjection p. 520. His Words are these Neither will I rashly pronounce all that resist to be Rebels Cases may fall out even in Christian Kingdoms where People may plead their Right against the Prince and not be charged with Rebellion As for Example If a Prince should go about to subject his Kingdom to a Foreign Realm or change the Form of the Commonwealth from Impery to Tyranny or neglect the Laws establisht by common Consent of Prince and People to execute his own Pleasure in those and other Cases which might be named if the Nobles and Commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed Liberty Regiment and Laws they may not well be accounted Rebels Ibid. By Supreme Powers ordained of God we do not mean the Prince's private Will against his Laws but his Precepts derived from his Laws and agreeing with his Laws which though it be wicked yet may not be resisted by any Subject with Violence armed But when Princes offer no Justice to their Subjects but violence and despise all Laws to practice their Lusts not any private Man may take the Sword to redress the Prince but if the Laws of the Land appoint the Nobles as next to the King to assist him in doing right and with-hold him from doing wrong then be they Licensed by
is certain that there was a time when the People had no Kings but afterwards when Lands Possessions came to be divided there were Kings ordained for no other case but only to exercise Justice c. Not only the People but also the King to be subject to the Laws c. If a King contemn and despise the Laws violently rob and spoil his Subjects deflower Virgins dishonest Matrons and do all things licentiously and temerariously do not the Nobles of the Kingdom assemble together deposing him from his Kingdom set up another in his place which shall swear to govern uprightly and be obedient to the Laws Fox Acts and Monuments p. 762. Ed. 1684. The Substance of which is that he who hath Sovereign Power or Authority but limited by certain Rules or Conditions which he hath sworn to observe If such an one shall become a Tyrant it is in the Power of the States and Peers of the Realm to restrain him for saith he the Office of the Subject is twofold ordinary in respect to Time Place and Imployment they have in the Common-wealth the other extraordinary which is to be exercised according to the Circumstances of Affairs which can be bound by no certain Rule except that of the publick Safety which must ever be consulted for and which * Lib. de repub Quo fit ut leges non solum populum sed reges etiam obligare sciamus at si regem contemnere leges Raperebona subditorum violare Virgines stuprare matronas omniaque suae libidini temeritati committere vidiamus numquid Congregatis regni proceribus illo summot◠alius sublimabitur qui bene gubernare juret legibus obtemperare Aen. Sylv. de gestis Con. Basili Bodin calls Suprema lex But if Monarchy be absolute and under no Restrictions we must then patiently suffer the most unjust Exercise of Power there being no other appeal but only to the Divine Tribunal Thus Daniel paid Allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and our Saviour to the Roman Emperor Pareus de potestate civili Propos Primâ saith Episcopi pastores magistratibus suis impiis aut injustis possunt ac debent resistere non vi ant gladio sed verbo dei That is Bishops and Pastors must not resist evil Magistrates by force or by the Sword but by the Word in which he speaks honestly for the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but spiritual In his second Proposition he saith Subditi non privati sed in magistratu inferiori constituti adversus Superiorem magistratum se rempub Ecclesiam seu veram Religionem etiam armis defendere jure possunt c. That is not private Subjects but such as are placed in an inferior Order of Magistracy may by force of Arms defend themselves and the Common-wealth the Church or the true Religion without the Breach of any Law Supposing the Supreme Magistrate be degenerated into a Tyrant an Idolater and is become highly oppressing of the People provided they act sincerely and for the publick good because he saith Princes are bound by their own Laws Imperator testatur incodice se contra jus nolle ut sua decreta injudiciis locum habeant sed debere Irrita fieri si fortasse cognoscantur à justitiâ discedere c. Lib. 4. Cod. de leg Prin. Adeo digna est vox Majestate regnantis legibus alligatum se Principem profiteri That all his Commands contrary to Law were void and that it was a Saying becoming the Majesty of a Governour that a Prince is bound by Law Trajan was commended by Dion who giving the Sword to the Praetor used these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is take this Sword if I rule well use it for me if ill against me But as to private Persons he saith Moriendum potius quam resistendum Yet for several Reasons I cannot take his Words in the Sence which that excellent and learned Person D. Fabritius would put upon them restraining his Meaning to the Princes of the Empire who are Sovereign Princes and invested with Royal Power It never being a question whether such had Authority for the Preservation of their Rights and redress of Injuries to levy War against another Prince though in some respects greater than themselves But if in no case the Nobility and Commonalty of a Nation may interpose to prevent the imminent Ruine of the Church and State it would be very difficult to vindicate the late Revolution as is already hinted from those severe Imputations by such as have very little good will to our Sion cast upon it I shall not in so great a case interpose mine own Judgment it being easie to prick our Fingers in such a Thorny question Yet I may say if any for the breaking of their Yoak have ascribed too much to the (b) Though the Bishop of Burgen to prove the Church above the Pope argued from an unexpected Topick endeavouring to prove the Body of the Kingdom to be above the King To which Tho. Corsellis agreed Adductoque intestem summo omnium Philosophorum Aristotele dicebat in omni regno bene instituto illud in primis desiderari ut plus regnum posset quam rex Si contra reperiretur id non regnum sed tyrannidem dici debere Aen. Sylv. degest Con. Basil People granting them too great a Liberty of contesting their Rights with their Sovereigns others in hopes to espouse Princes to their Interest in grieving and oppressing their Dissenting Brethren have beyond measure fawned upon and flattered them till they nurst up the best tempered Monarchy upon Earth into an intollerable and tyrannick Exercise of Regal Power But this is a digression which by pursuing the Extravagancies of some Mens Opinions I have been led In which if I proceed a little further being once out of the way I must beg the Readers Patience and Pardon For having perused the Case of Allegiance due to Sovereign Princes by W. S. I could not but with very much regret observe that in the whole drift of that Discourse we can find little or none other Argument to enforce our Allegiance to King William c. than what would bespeak it for the greatest Usurper and Intruder who hath had the good Fortune to gain an actual Possession of the Crown which looks to say no worse very ungratefully upon him whom the Lords Spiritual and Temporal invited over and who by the universal Consent and applause of the People declared by their Representatives in Parliament was invested with the Royal Government and to whom we owe next to the Divine Providence all that is dear to us To reflect then so unworthily upon him as if he were no better than one who usurps the Government and that hath no further Right to the Kingdom then what Power Possession and Success can convey to him seems no way reconcilable to Duty or good Manners This Author in his Preface tells us that he never did any thing to cause the World
the Communion of the Church and make Conformity easie to those that are or shall come into it with a limited and meet Indulgence to those without it which thing he much laboured to effect in concurrence with that worthy and honourable Person Sir Orlando Bridgman Lord-keeper of the Great Seal Which he put into the Form of a Bill to be presented to the Parliament containing a Comprehension of the moderate Dissenters and a limited Indulgence towards such as could not be brought within the compass of it The one is done we 'd hope the other shall not be left undone sharper Medicines may rake the Patient seldom cure the Distemper The Ancient Fathers thought nothing more against Religion than to force it Violence is no good Argument to beget Faith and is therefore fit for nothing but to breed Form without and Atheism within saith Mr. Chilling He that bunts his Brother with a Net as the Prophet speaks may catch him but ne're convince him Obj. What Reason is there to gratifie factious Men that would divide and destroy our Church Res None at all but the greatest imaginable to have a regard to such as are of peaceable Principles and tender Consciences and 't is very difficult for any one who cannot search the Heart to convict them of the contrary which Charity will not admit without Proof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charity is not easily provoked thinketh no evil beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.5 7. Of the Reformation of Manners BUT this is not the only Scene our Reformers have to act in whilst the * Oportet sacerdotes Ministros qui altari sacrificiis deserviunt integros atque immaculatos esse Cypr. Epist Manners of the Clergy call for a strict Inspection being by far the greatest Nuisance in the Church 'T is true our earnest wish is that the Grievances of Conformity might be redrest that many whose desire it is to worship God in Spirit and in Truth may with greater chearfulness Labour in his Vineyard Nor can we with less importunity plead that the grand Mischief of Debauchery especially in the Clergy may be provided against We may clamber high to pluck off some withered Branches but if a Root of Bitterness yet remains our Church will be accounted but a degenerate Plant. There 's Nitre enough in our Discipline were it duly executed to cleanse our Garments and to take out the Spots in our Feasts The Church stands in need of sweeping and its Floor of a through purging 14 Levit. 39 41. but the Walls most eminently want scraping too to free it from that fretting Leprosie which as it hath been the blemish so it will if not effectually cured prove the bane of it To prevent which I believe a strict Reformation of the Universities might do much for the Sin of those young Men is great And had we no better Argument than that of supplanting the Design and Project of our Romish Enemies who thought upon this Anvile to hammer out our Ruine it were strong enough to recommend the Prescription were Salt cast into those Fountains they would send forth more wholesome Streams and such as would make glad the City of our God giving less trouble to our Governours to correct the Errors of the first Concoction for 't is hard to take out a Fust which a Vessel hath contracted from so early a Taint If these Grafts get a Surfeit in the Nursery they seldom thrive when they are planted out into the Church or bring forth any Fruit unto Holiness These Societies have been very circumspect as to the Mint and Communion of Religion minute and nice in the Form of their Devotion the Men of Athens being in all things very Ceremonious whilst their Discipline hath been too lax and loose in punishing Debauchery or promoting the Practice of Sobriety and Power of Religion But will that Coin be current from the exactness of the Stamp which is made of embased Mettal and reprobate Silver How far this Infection hath spread and from this though not only quarter crept into the Church especially the Leaders of it our daily Experience is an Argument which supersedes all other Proofs to the Scandal of our Communion the maintaining of our Schism opening the Mouths wide of those which gape for advantage against us And though too many of the Dissenters have been unjustly clamorous and turned their Backs upon us where they might have communicated with us yet I am confident but Immoralities have been the great drag to which we may Sacrifice for our Schism for had we separated the Precious from the Vile our Mouth would have been as the Lord's Mouth to them nor would so many have separated from us had we divided from them Who to attone their Extravagancies stickled high for Conformity and zealously stifled against all that dissented fulfilling the Words of the Prophet 7 Mich. 2 3. viz. They bunt every Man his Brother with a Net that they may do Evil with both Hands earnestly It is time then for Judgment to begin at the House of God as St. Peter saith for then where shall the Wicked and Vngodly appear Which Words struck so deeply that excellent Man * Qua non sicut caeteras partes epistolae in transcursu pervolavi sed lectionis impetu aliquantulum remorato concussam horrore quodam quasi repentè suborto mentem in his meam harare coegi atque in se altius verba illa tenaciusque defigere c. Eccl. Pont. Spec. Nicholas Clemangis by his occasional reading them that he forthwith took the hint and wrote his Book De Corrupto Ecclesiae statu May they so far affect our Superiors that they effectually set upon its Reformation For let may Right-hand forget its Cunning if I wish not Prosperity to the Church of England My Heart's Desire and Prayer to God for it is that it may be saved from those unreasonable Men on the one hand whose Designs and Principles are destructive to Order and Decency As also from those on the other who clamour high for the Form whilst they deny the Practice and Power of Godliness who can defile the Altar think they commute by an Adoration of the Gold of it May Learning and Religion flourish in the Clergy Holiness in the Laity and Reformation from that Formality Atheism and Debauchery wherein it is so dangerously and deeply sunk May those Rites be laid aside which are in themselves disputable and doubtful offensive to the Weak indifferent to the Strong so mischievous and pernicious to the Church as to be the Hole of the Pit from whence its Ruine and Destruction were formerly digged How bitterly from this Quarter it hath been assailed in the most august and National Assemblies of England a Cloud of Instances might be induced to prove Sir Edward (a) Collection of Speeches Dering in the first long Parliament made use of this Argument against it His Words
were these The Character of a Cathedral Corporation is still the same it was viz. A School for Compliments in Religion but a Scourge upon the Life and Practice of it They have been the Asylum of Superstition but Scalae gemoniae for true Piety c. This was a very smart Reflection upon those Societies but I hope our Superiors will so far take this into their Consideration as to render these Orders of Men such as they may become more servicâ—able to the Church less scandalous and offensive to those who seek occasion to cast Reproach upon them for the future and that the Glory of our Church may not shine forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with outward Pomp and Ostentation Multa Ostentatione but in a modest decent but especially devout Celebration of Divine Worship But this is too reachy and nice an Argument to insist much upon lest in the Prosecution of it I incur the Censure of being an Enemy to those regular Foundations Though I am perswaded there can be no surer way to ascertain their Funds than a Reformation of their pompous Service into a more Simple and Evangelical Form of Religion As also by subliming them to higher purposes and improving them to a far better account than they ever yet turned to in the Church It being hard to take off the ancient Grudge against them whilst so deep Revenues run waste whose Streams might refresh the City of God nor can I rationally fall under the Displeasure of any other of the Brethren seeing the design of this Plea is only to smooth the ways of Conformity and to make those Paths streight that the Church's Yoak may become more easie and burthen-light And can truly protest in the Words of a great Person Bellar recog as to the whole of this Discourse viz. Scripsi deo teste quod verum esse existimavi non gratiam hominum vel propriam utilitatem sed dei gloriam ecclesiae commodum respiciens That is I call God to witness that what I have wrote I account to be truth not respecting the Favour of Man or mine own Advantage but the Glory of God and Benefit of the Church But if after all I must receive Evil for Good I shall not think any new thing hath befallen me nor will my Case differ from that courteous Man's who helping his lame Dog over the Stile was for his kindness bit by the Fingers But from what Quarter can we expect the Reformation of a wicked and sinful World This no more than Promotion comes from the East nor from the West nor from the South it is God that pulls down one with his proud and high Looks and sets up or exalts the humble and meek 'T is he that puts a Bridle into the Mouth an Hook into the Nostrils of the greatest Leviathans and bores their Jaws through with a Thorne Nay he can change the most ungovernable Tempers and unruly Dispositions of Men. He it is that maketh the Lion to lie down with the Lamb eat Straw like the Ox He can say to the most proud and rampant Waves of Wickedness hitherto shall ye go and no further But why then doth not Righteousness cover the Land as the Waters cover the Sea Righteous art thou Oh Lord saith the Prophet yet let me argue with thee concerning thy Judgments Why doth the way of the Wicked prosper Were it not more for God's Honour to have Religion flourish over the Face of the whole Earth and prophaneness to have no place to flee to or fix the Sole of its Foot upon This indeed is a thing too deep for us a Phaenomenon we scarce know how to solve Were it not better that the false and lying Tongue were destroy'd and Perjury pluckt up by the Roots by which Justice and Truth have been perverted guiltless Persons murthered and innocent Blood spilt like Water upon the Ground Is it not strange to observe in the Reformation of Religion there should be so great a Sally out of Darkness into marvellous Light upon the first dwaning of that day and that notwithstanding the Prayers and Tears of such as have oppressed tender Consciences the utmost Endeavours of many wise and learned Fathers of the Church it could not for more than this hundred Years be carried on one step further towards Perfection This hath been the Lord's doing we know and 't is marvellous in our Eyes His Ways are unsearchable and his Paths are past finding out Not that we design to prescribe Methods to the Providence of God or Rules and Measures to his Wisdom in the Government of the Church yet we may pray that all things may be disposed so as they may best conduce to his own Glory the Purity Peace and Union of that Communion That having recovered its Light when it was so nigh a total and perpetual Eclipse it may shine forth with greater Glory and display brighter Beams of Light and Love than ever We may pray that God would bless his Majesty with perfect Victory and Success that he may set his Foot upon the Necks of his Enemies abroad as well as at home And that when he is settled with Peace round about he may then think of God's House how he may heal the Breaches and repair the Decays which Sin and Schism have made in the midst of it That he would please to renew the Powers and Faculties to such reverend Fathers of the Church if expired as are best qualified to sew up the rent in the Spouses Vail and so promote the Peace and Glory of our Church That he would please so far to interpose his Authority as in a legal way to procure such Ease and Liberty in the scrupled part of Conformity that the weary within the Church may be at rest As also so wide a Door to those who are without that if they will not enter it may be truly said that their exclusion is of themselves Obj. But why do we make so great a noise about little things Do we not know that small Alterations in Matters of Religion make great Distractions and occasion high Convulsions in the Church We pretend to desire and aim at the Peace and Welfare of our Jerusalem Why do we not then endeavour to promote it by a quiet Submission to its Orders and Decrees Res 1st They are indeed little things comparative to the Power and Authority of the Church to redress the Grievances of those who are weary and heavy laden 2dly Admit they be small yet 't is a very great Flame those little Sparks have kindled in the Breasts and Minds of many Pious and Conscientious Men A Mote is but a little thing 't is true but if got into the Eye of Conscience it causeth Rivers of Tears to run down by reason of it nor can the Apple of it ever cease As to our Duty of preventing Disturbance and preserving Peace and Union in the Church May our Indulgence be measured by our constant Endeavours to avoid the
one and maintain the other We have with Patience submitted not for Wrath but Conscience sake to the Commands of our Superiors We have bowed the Neck to an uneasie Yoak earnestly supplicating the Divine Majesty to send a Moses to deliver us from those Burthens which we have received so many Solemn and Royal Promises should never oppress nor grieve us whilst we behaved our selves peaceably under the Civil Government and Constitutions of the Land But here I thought to have made a stand and have eased both the Reader and my self of any further trouble and fatigue in the Prosecution and Pursuit of this unpleasing Argument were I not prest with the Reason of another most just Plea for a Relaxation and Abatement in the Matters aforesaid which I had thought to have omitted lest it should appear too invidious as to others and too opiniative of our selves I mean our Fidelity to the Interest and Constancy in the Communion of the Church in the late Times of Defection and Apostacy when both by Threatnings and Flatteries we were so strongly tempted to make a Breach in it When the Declaration for Indulgence was commanded to be publisht by us in our Churches we did not we durst not submit though we thereby forfeited the Favour and eminently incurred the Displeasure of a Potent Monarch bigotted to the Romish Religion in whose Hands we were and to be used by him at his Pleasure We could have very much rejoiced in a due Enlargement but we rather kept within our Inclosure than brake the Hedges and lay the Fences waste to obtain it I mean a general Violation of the Canons and Rubricks of the Church the enacted Laws and Statutes of the Common-wealth Relying in the mean time upon the Goodness and Providence of God wholly submitting our selves to his Will hoping that he would so far move the Hearts of our Rulers in due time and in a regular way to hear our Complaints and redress our Grievances And that which puts weight into this Ballance is that too many of those who clamoured high and made (a) Who were fierce Despisers of those that were good heady high minded Traytors having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power of it 2 Tim. 3.3.5 a great noise for Conformity to the Rituals of the Church baiting and bantring any whom they supposed guilty of the least defect and omission of their Duty in that respect accounting themselves the white Boys and only Sons of the Church yet were the first that turn'd colour and became Red-letter'd Men divers of which both of the Clergy and Laity I could name but I spare them and are at this day living and looking for a day to retrieve their lost Cause They still retaining those Spots and Crimson Tincture they received from the Scarlet whore which they resolve no Nirre either of Scripture or Reason shall ever take out Whilst such as they accounted and traduced as Betrayers of our Church stuck close maintain'd their Posts and in the day of Tryal proved faithful and true to its Interest We continued constant in the Exercise of our Ministry fortifying our People committed to our Care using the best Arguments we could joined with our own Examples to continue in the Communion of our Church and to stand fast in the open and zealous Professions and Defence of the Faith once delivered to the Saints comforting and to the best of our skill building them up in it notwithstanding the Threats and Menaces we met with from the profest and rampant Enemies of our Church and Religion But lest this should look like boasting I shall say no more but leave the Argument to be considered by our Superiors according to the Merits of it As for those who in the Day of Temptation went out from us because they were not of us we heartily pitty and pray for them and for their reduction to the Communion from whence they departed that they would be zealous and repent considering from whence they are fallen and return For which Reason we should be willing to use all the Weapons of our Spiritual Warfare And they are so happy as to fall into an Age and Hands which design no other we being sufficiently convinc'd that a Club may sooner dash a Man's Brains out than beat Understanding into his Head Only first give me leave to enquire who were the best Sons of the Church of England and deserve most at her hands Whether those who when time was were great Sticklers for Conformity in the strictest manner to all and every of its Rites Great Amorists and much in love with our Church and Religion whilst it lookt plump and fair to the Eye But when the Hand of the Lord had toucht it and was become black by reason of Affliction shrunk and shrievell'd upon the account of its Sorrow forsook their first Love Then their Language was What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved What 's the Church of England more than that of Rome Whether I say were these better Sons of the Church than those who though perhaps not so exactly satisfied with all and every thing that 's injoined yet brake not the Communion of it But buckling on the Helmet and being girt about with Truth were steddy and valiant in her most dangerous Conflict The other are fit to be Members of that Church whereof outward Prosperity is the Mark and Character who so long as ours was triumphant it had no greater pretended Votaries and Zealots than themselves But these Dive-dopping Plant-Animals dropping from the Tree upon which they grew and falling into the Waters of Tiber or Sea of Rome presently set up for Solon-geese mightily gagling for their espoused Religion Who having learnt the Romish Cant from their new Dictators we are ridiculed and lampooned by them in every Tavern and Coffee-house the bottom of whose Dishes and Glasses they better understood than the Reason of their Change and new-fashioned Religion Then they had the Face and Brow to tell us that the Church they once so much clamored for was till an Age or two past a Duck under water By whom the first and trite question we were usually interrogated upon was Where was your Religion before Luther To which we have answered a thousand times and can truly say again that the Platform of it is contained in the Holy Scriptures which is the only Rule of Faith and tried Foundation upon which our Religion is built 'T was instituted by Christ practiced in the Primitive Church though Tares grew up in the Field I mean Corruptions in the Bosom of it and what could not be amended or endured were necessary to be avoided For we can find whatever these Antiquaries may boast of no Foundation for Purgatory Prayers for the Dead or in a Tongue the People understand not no Warrant to direct them to Saints as the Object no Exemption of the Blessed Virgin from original Sin or Communion celebrated by halfs or in one kind c. in all
that which must be the Rule of our Faith and Worship From the beginning these things were not so Now if our Religion agree with the Primitive Rule of Faith and Practice of the most ancient Church 't is I am sure before theirs which hath been often made appear by the best records of Antiquity and Evidences of Scripture So that we are at no loss to tell them where our Church was before Luther and Religion we profess though it was sometimes Subterranea and fore'd to hide it self in the Clefts of the Rocks our Duck if they will have it so was sometimes fain to dive being often hunted and pursued by the Romish Spaniels those insatiable Blood-hounds We can very well tell where our Religion was of old which is that which Christ planted and delivered to the Saints But alas like the Spouse fallen into ill hands which wounded her and took her Vail from her yea deflowred and defiled her But it hath pleased God to deliver her and save her and us too out of the hands of our Enemies that we might serve him more purely In short Christ was both the Author and Finisher of our Faith not Luther not Calvin though we are very much obliged to them for putting us in a way to cleanse the Vessels of our Sanctuary and scowre off the Rust they had contracted But if Antiquity be necessary to legitimate the Doctrine of Faith what was the Romish Faith I mean their new framed Articles in their first Edition Particularly that main Point of it viz. The Pope's Supremacy which the (a) Later Coun. Sess 11. Dat. Rom. 1516. 14 Cal. Jan. cum de necessitate salutis existat omnes Christi fideles Romano Pontifici subesse Scult Ann. 1516. Council of Lateran first cast and moulded into an Article of Faith making the Belief of it necessary to Salvation This was decreed in the very same Year that Luther began to assault Rome as Scultetus observes I chose to instance in this though divers other of their Doctrines have no great Plea to Antiquity because several of our late Converts have when time was laught us to scorn and thought us extreamly at their Mercy if they did not hiss us out of our place for placing a Supremacy in the Chief Magistrate What say they Must the Son be Head of the Mother the Child Superintendant to the Parent According to this Divinity they make the Blessed Virgin to have a Command over her Son As thou art a * Jure matris impera redemptori Mother command thy Son But this is a piece of Popery which seems destructive of it self for Christ to be sure was the undoubted Head of the Church and to have one higher than the highest and Power to command him is neither good Sense nor Divinity But I never designed to have entred upon any thing of this nature if the Clamours of such as turned Renegado's to our Church the Pinacles of whose Temples they were once over-zealous for had not occasioned it whom I am apt to believe could they have foreseen that their Temptations to have deserted the Church of England would have been so great and that their Reign after their Conversion to Rome would have proved so short would not have been such Zealots against those who in some things dissented from the first nor so dogmatical and pert in asserting the Supremacy of the latter Which Gregory the Great though Bishop of that See was so far from pretending to that he declared it was a Sign of Antichrist for any other to claim it When Boniface Sozimus and Celestine sent to the Council of (*) At which Synod St. Austine was present and subscribed with his own hand Carthage to make challenge of it alledging the Sixth Canon of the general Council of Nice the Fathers of that Synod sent him word that they having only a Latin Copy by them in which they found no such Canon took the pains to send to Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople to procure and consult the Greek Copies But found nothing in the least favouring their demands and therefore wrote to Celestine that seeing no such thing was to be found in the Acts of Nice they desired him for the time to come to acquiesce denouncing to him that they would not suffer any cause either great or small to be carried out of their Country by way of (a) The Milevitan Synod decreed the same thing appeal for which they had better Authority from the Council of Nice than the Bishops of Rome for their Supremacy which defined that all Matters should be determinable in the Province and decreed the Patriarchs should be chief within their Precincts viz. The Bishop of Antioch in the East the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt and the Bishop of Rome about Rome He that reads the Epistles of Cyprian will find him no way favouring the Supremacy or universal Superintendency of the Roman Bishop nay in that ad Quintinum he argues expresly against it His Words are Nam nec Petrus quem primum dominus elegit super quem aedificavit Ecclesiam suam cum secum Paulus de circumcisione post modum discepsi aret vendicavit sebi aliquid insolenter aut arrogantèr assumpsit ut diceret se Primatum tenere obtemperari à novellis posteris sibi potius opportere Cypr. ad Quint. St. Peter did not saith he defend himself against St. Paul when he contended with him by alledging his Supremacy and that all succeeding Bishops were to bow before him and obey him (b) St. Austine and St. Jerome affirmed that the Rock of the Church was Christ or St. Peter's Confession But Stapleton saith they were mistaken Ferus the Monk did not think so who saith that fides Christiana veritas Evangelica firma in concussa est petra illa In Matth. Cardinal Cusanus makes all the Apostles equal in Power and Dignity But what need we any further Proof or Witnesses against our Adversaries whilst they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and may be condemned out of their own Mouths Fatentes habemus reos Did not Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester forswear and deny with an Oath the Supremacy of Rome and declare ex animo or ex mero motu freely and frankly that that Bishop had no Jurisdiction nor Power over the Church and Realm of England In pursuance and proof whereof he wrote his Book de Verâ Obedientiâ in which he defended the Supreme Power of Kings and his own Practice instancing in Solomon who according to his Father's appointment ordained the Offices of the Priests in their Ministries and Levites in their Orders To this he adds the Example of Hezekias 2 Chron. 29.5 6 c. Aron he saith obey'd Moses and Solomon gave Sentence against Abiathar the High Priest To this Book Edm. Bonner Bishop of London wrote an Epistle recommending the Work to the perusal of all that loved the Truth where he calls the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome
Powers and Commissions to many wise and worthy Members of it to review our Liturgy to inspect our Ecclesiastical Polity to remove the Stumbling-blocks and to take away the Rocks of offence to the uniting both in the same Communion and common Interest which 't is highly probable it might in time effect and may he never give over till he hath perfected the Work and cut it short in Righteousness How then can we but love him yea and most earnestly pray for him that God would bless him at home and abroad by Sea and Land in Peace and War that his Head may be covered in the Day of Battel that no Weapon form'd against him may prosper that he may put an Hook into the Nostrils and Bridle into the Mouth of that great Oppressor who would lay House to House Field to Field till there be no room left upon the Earth That he may return home with triumph when he shall have restored Liberty and procured Right to be done to the distressed Princes and States of Europe as he hath already done for the People of England to which all honest Men and true English Men will say Amen ADVICE TO THE DISSENTERS BUT before I lay my Pen down may I assume the liberty a little to argue and expostulate with you our Dissenting Brethren and Friends I bear you record you have a Zeal of God which I wish may never want the just Measures of Sincerity Truth and Knowledge But when I observe in you a total Separation and universal Departure from our Communion and yet not only to allow our Communion but further it in others yea in Matters of greatest scruple in some urgent cases practice it your selves it is a thing too hard for me I have known some who have suffered themselves to be deprived both of their Offices and Benefices by the Bartholomew Act yet have sent their Children to our Universities where the strictest Conformity is used and injoin'd the Members of those Societies yea have afterwards put them into the Priest's Office which for Conscience sake they could not submit to execute themselves Many have been elected into places of Magistracy and other Imployments and how stanch soever they have been before and after Yet to avoid the Dint and Penalty of the Law have given a yieldance to the Commands and Authority of the Church submitting to those Rites which at other times they scruple yea renounce But why do you condemn your selves in the things you can upon occasion admit Can you dispense with your Consciences to serve a turn Doth not this justifie the Practice of our Romish Adversaries who can license themselves to take Oaths to hold a Conformity with the Church or dissemble a Compliance to cheat their Rulers and avoid the Dint and Penalty of the Law If you can conform and hold Communion with the Church in Praying Heating and Receiving the Holy Sacrament c. for the Preservation of your selves Why not then for the Preservation of Peace and Unity in the Church I need not tell you how mischievous a thing Schism is or how deep a Stain and guilt it leaves behind it upon the Conscience Is it not a positive and plain Command to be subject to the higher Powers to submit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Vir bonus est quis Qui consulta patrum qui leges juraque servat Obj. So we do and will where we can do it with a good Conscience But would you have us offend God and rouse the sleeping Lion in our own Breasts which will tear us in pieces when there 's none can deliver us Res By no means but is it a Sin to do it at one time and none at another Does the Case alter with your Convenience and change with the Persons Is it lawful for the Children to obey where it is a Sin for the Parents to comply Brethren I beseech you judge righteous Judgment Why should you open the Mouths of your Adversaries and justifie their Reproaches viz. That your dissent is nothing but Faction and Humor a Spirit of Disobedience and Contradiction but nothing of Conscience whatever may be pretended as is by you sufficiently proved when you come to the pinch I do not speak this to reflect upon you but as my beloved Friends to warn you if God be God then follow him if Baal be God follow him The Case of Conscience and Matter before us will not turn colour with the Circumstances of your Condition Your Streights and Extremities do not make that lawful which your Liberty and Freedom make sinful I do not take the Case in hand to alter with our State or like a Dove's Neck to change colour according to its Site and Position The various Reflexion of Light may cause different Colours but Truth never varies its hue 't is ubique eadem and is it not an inexcusable thing to commit a deliberate sinful act meerly to secure our Stake and to preserve our worldly Interest We may hereby perhaps avoid Punishment from Men but how shall we escape God's righteous Judgments Obj. Would you then that we should never upon any occasion conform nor hold Communion with the Church Res I would never have you sin to avoid suffering and to act against the Judgment and Dictates though but of an opening Conscience is no less But perhaps I have driven this Nail too far and may become your Enemy for pressing this unpleasing Truth But if I have spoken ill bear witness against me and convince me of it let the Righteous smite me and it shall be a kindness If well Why should you be offended Ought you not to be consistant to your selves and Principles But I find some to have put a more favourable Gloss and Sense upon your occasional Conformity viz. that you do it not in opposition to your Judgments nor Dictates of your Consciences thereby to indemnifie your selves from the Penalty of the Law but that you could hold a more frequent perhaps constant Communion with the Church in her Holy Offices had you not an eminent Addiction to one sort and Aversness to aâ—â—ther sort or party of Men which seems to have as great an antipathy 〈◊〉 each other as Naturalists tells us there is in the Blood of a Bat and Swallow which will not mix tho' they be put into the same Vessel together were the inveterate Spleen and Animosities upon all accounts vented against Persons allaid I am confident there would be such Abatements on the one side and Compliances on the other that the Protestant Communion and Interest would be all of a piece and Schism no longer find a room to fix the Sole of her Foot upon But for this we must earnestly direct our Prayers to him who hath the hearts of all Men in his Hand and that turns them like the Rivers of Water to him that makes Men to be of one mind in an House It was the Observation of the Protestant Reconciler that it was
the great Sin of the Conformists that they did not do what they might have done when they had a Power for Composing the Differences amongst us And is it not the Sin of such as dissent not to do what they may and have done occasionally pro hic nunc to serve themselves and secure their Interest for the attaining an higher End and more eminent Purposes viz. healing the Breaches and curing that inveterate Distemper I mean the Schism which hath so often disturbed the Peace and raised Confusions in the Church Obj. How can we comply and correspond with such as hate us Can we walk together with those that never will agree with us 'T is true we are upbraided for standing out when at the same time they are glad and loath we should come in When it was complained of to a great Bishop in Charles the Il's time that it was to be feared that the Act of Uniformity would be drawn up so strict that not many of the Presbyterians would conform his answer was He was afraid they would Besides the Treatment of those who have submitted to it have been such as affords little invitation to others to come over into the Tents of the Church of England whilst they have been accounted and used by the Conformists as false Brethren who came in meerly to spy out their Liberty and betray their Church upon which account they are disrespected and slited nay many times despitefully used they watching for their halting and glad when they stumble that they may fall into their hands and be used by them at their pleasure But not one Hair from their Heads would they part with to render the Yoak of Conformity easie or gratifie those that have been tender of the Peace and Unity of the Church Res Do they hate you then observe the Royal Law and Rule of our Saviour love those that hate you Don't they love you Let me ask you Is there any Love lost on either side Is not the distance of Affection the same on both sides I am afraid 't is as far from Athens to Thebes as 't is from Thebes to Athens If we love only those that love us what reward have we Let us heap Coals of Fire upon their Heads 't is the onlâ— way to melt them and force them to say as Saul to David You are more Righteous than we As for such who for Conscience sake have made no breach but have held Communion with the Church and yet have notwithstanding been lookt a squint upon that ought not to discourage you nor turn away their Faces or make them to despair of some reasonable Relaxation in Matters of Comformity For the righteous Lord loves Righteousness his Countenance does behold the upright But perhaps the appointed time of our Vision is not yet come and therefore we will wait for it for it will come and not tarry In the mean time le ts go on and build God's House with as much care and diligence as we can whatever Discouragements we may meet with from the Tobiases and Sanballats that may rise up against us Let us bear the Indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him for he will plead our Cause and execute Judgment for us Let us pray that he would turn the Faces of our Brethren towards us that we may live in Peace and Love together and the God of Love and Peace shall be with us But this is a Lamentation 19 Ezek. 14. and must be for a Lamentation that Fire is gone out of our Branches that we still quarrel and fall out by the way for Matters of no higher value and greater figure in Religion than some appendant Rites and retained Ceremonies of Worship nor can we without regret observe how wide a Cleft those smaller Wedges have occasioned when they have been fiercely driven in the Beams of our own Timber The Dispute and Conference which was betwixt Arcicetus Bishop of Rome and Polycarpe concerning divers Usages and Customs of their Churches particularly that great-make Bate the time of celebrating Easter it was so managed as not to make any distance betwixt them But though it was concluded each Church should retain and practice their own Rites and observe their own Customs yet they did not break off their Fellowship but received the Sacrament together and held a friendly Communion one with the other Whilst Pope Victor as Irenaeus relates more stifly insisting on and urging the Practices of the Roman See upon other Churches they became as remote and distant from each other as the East is from the West in affection as well as Situation There was also in Cyprian's time a great Question which much exercised the Primitive Church viz. Whether Hereticks ought to be rebaptized before they were admitted to Church-Fellowship to determine which St. Cyprian calls a Council at Carthage who together with the rest of his (a) Sententiae Episcoporum de haereticis baptizandis Opera Cypr. 339. Impress Basil 1521. Brethren gave their Opinions that they ought not to be admitted into the Church without being rebaptized yet with so much indulgence and allowance to others as not to judge or censure them but to hold Communion with such as were otherwise minded Super est ut de hâc re quid singuli sentiamus proferamus nemirem judicantes aut â jure Communionis aliquem si diversum senserit amovenâ—es And could we but once come to be guilty of that Error which the Primitive Christians were charged with viz. of loving one and other (b) Minutius Felix's Dialogue betwixt Octavius and Cecilius too well we might yet maintain an holy Correspondence and Fellowship each with other taking sweet Council together and going to 〈◊〉 House of God in Company notwithstanding any Religious Rites in debate amongst us FINIS
latter it being propounded to consider how the Partition-wall might be broken down the Bones of Contention which have made us so often snarle at one and other thrown out of the way every thing became so Sacred and Apostolical that they can part with nothing The Forks and the Shovels the Snuffers and the Snuffing-Dishes were all of pure Gold 'T is true in the height of the Storm they promised a Candle as tall as their Main-mast but that being allay'd one burnt into the Socket is too costly a Sacrifice to offer up for the Peace and Unity of the Church Oh! If they would not joyn issue with their Enemies against them how deliciously should they fare every day But now they can't spare a Crum for those scabby Lazarus's under the Table When they were in trouble and the Hand of god was upon them when they were spoken roughly to and no Apology or Plea they could alledge in their defence would be heard or admitted then like Joseph 's Brethren methinks we hard them complain to each other and say verily we are guilty concerning our Brethren In that we saw the Anguish of their Souls when they besought us but we would not bear them therefore is this distress come upon us Did we not speak unto you saying Sin ot against them for they are our Brethren but ye would not bear therefore is their Blood required as our Hands But no sooner did our Moses deliver them from their Task-Masters and brought them again into their Kingdom but like Pharaoh's chief-Butler they did not remember them but (a) Gen. 40.23 Obj. forgot them But to this it will be replied Are not those Promises fulfilled Hath not the last and this present Parliament setled that Liberty by a Law which the two last Princes straining their Prerogative gave by Proclamation Res 'T is very great Truth and for which Act the present yea the Generations to come will rise up and bless God the King and Parliament for that Justice Prudence and Pity which they have shown to a poor harassed and ravaged People who else would have been as certainly though not so sudden ruined as our poor distressed Brethren in France Tho' the departure of the greatest part of Dissenting Protestants here was far less from the Church of England than theirs from the Church of Rome But why might not things be so tempered that this Partition-wall might become less needful And the Church of England by hearkning to some Terms of Accommodation and making a Rebatement of disputable Things and all along offensive Rites and Ceremonies become more enlarged and setled upon a firmer Basis and more tried Foundation For though the late Indulgence hath prevented Ephraim from vexing Judah yet 't is scarce provided for that Judah should not envy Ephraim Although I have some good reason to know and believe and therefore do I speak that many of our Dissenting Brethren be of Mephibosheth's Mind that if the Protestant Religion may be secured against our restless and implacable Enemies of Rome the King and Kingdom setled in Peace poor Ireland saved out of the Hands of those whose tender Mercies are Cruelty they are contented the Ziba's should take all they grudge not at their Preferments and Dignities being satisfied with a slender Fare and Provision And of the Mind with that contented Man described by the Poet Vivitur parvo bene cui paternum Splendet in mensâ tenui Salinum Nec leves Somnos timor aut Cupido Sordidus aufert Esteeming the Liberty of Conscience and mean Diet a continual Feast But why should we envy our Brethrens sitting at the same Table when we have all the same Faith the same Father the same Baptism the same Hope of our Calling Obj. But suppose we should propound a Temper it will not satisfie nor will they comply unless all the Rules of Decency and Order be rescinded and totally destroyed Res 1st We hope better things of them and such as accompany the Peace and Union of the Church 2dly Suppose it should gain but a few yet that 's Ground enough for our Argument an Enforcement of our Plea Would our Governours please to imitate St. Paul they would become all things to all Men that they might gain some though not all Dissenters 1 Cor. 9.19 For though I be free from all Men yet have I made my self a Servant c. 20. To the Jews I became a Jew that I might the gain the Jews c. 22. To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all Men that I might gain some That St. Paul might not offend the Jews he condescended and circumcised Timothy The Pharisees were very strict for Circumcision 16 Acts 3. and though it needful to observe the Law 15 Acts 5. But the Apostles assembled at Jerusalem thought not fit to trouble the Conversed Gentiles which were turned to God with those Rites which the Converted Jews were zealous for Why might not the same Rule be observed among us He that is ambitious to have his Child signed with the Sign of the Cross in Baptism let him have the Liberty to procure his Child to be so baptized He that desires to be excused the Ceremony of the Surplice in his publick Ministration may he be left to his own freedom and so on the contrary being obliged oâ—ly to those things which are necessary especially where such Indulgence may gain some Pious and Conscientious Ministers into the Communion of our church and give ease to such who are actually engaged in its Ministry and pressed down with such Burthens Which is the second Reply to the Objection and Plea for Abatement 3dly Suppose our Concessions should not call many over into our Tents at present yet it might prevent those who are not yet admitted into our Communion from fleeing to separate Congregations for ease and refuge as to their Consciences who if some rough places were made plain would never think of departing from our Assemblies Would we Cedere à jure and rebate those things which are Goads in the Sides and Thorns in the Eyes of many good and Tender-conscienced Men whose Necks have been gauled with the Ceremonial Yoak It would happen to the Church from so benevolent an Aspect as it doth to the Earth from the happy Conjunctions and Configurations of the Stars whose effects though they be not immediately felt yet cast a future kind and benign influence upon it And is it not more than probable that Persons who hereafter shall be at liberty of their choice of two several Communions will choose that which they judge safest and in which their Consciences may be most at ease If in one of these the Word is soundly preacht as it is in the Assemblies of many of the Dissenters for they have owned and subscribed the Articles of our Religion so far as they respect the Doctrine of the Church where also the Sacraments according to Divine
Institution are duly administred pure and separate from those Rites and Ceremonies which are by them accounted to be at best of doubtful Disputation and have been the Causes accidentally at least of â—very great Contest and Confusions amongst us For this Reason good Mr. (a) Acts and Monuments Vol. 3. Fox prayed that God would ease us of them viz. because they have been the Cause saith he of much Blindness and Strife In the other Men of Scruple know they cannot injoy God's Ordinances of hearing the Word Praying Communicating in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper nor their Children baptized but these Divine Institutions must be levened with those Ceremonies which to them are doubtful they fear unlawful which makes them abstain from celebrating the Evangelical Passeover because these sowre Herbs must be its Sawce Which though it be affirmed by the Imposers to be insipid and to have no taste either good or bad but of an indifferent nature yet when they taste they see and according to the best of their Understandings find the contrary they feel a Flavour of Superstition upon their Palats and the more intently they look the greater Eye of Red they espy in them And upon the closest Application of their Judgments find a Fust of Popery or else they mistake They like the Meat well but the Cookery is too much of the Garlick strain Is it not then likely that the best and wisest Men will choose that part which hath least of hazard Now according to the Opinions on boâ—h sides the controverted Rites may be omitted and yet the Sacraments duly administred otherwise surely the Bishops and Clergy in Scotland would not have received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper sitting as their Practice was before the late Abolition of Episcopacy Nor would our Rubrick declare that in private Baptism where it is to be administred without Godfathers and Sign of the Cross the Child is sufficiently baptized forbidding any to question it Whence we may conclude that the most wary Men will be apt to forsake the Communion of the Church of England as the most unsafe of the two Which by the Expedient propounded might be easily prevented for the future and seems no faint Argument for an act of Comprehension though it should not bring over those who are actually engaged as Pastors and Ministers of indulged Congregations So that the Act of Indulgence seems by a necessary Consequence to draw after it another of Comprehension as large and powerful as the Inveteracy of our Schism shall require and Wisdom of our Lawgivers shall think fit to grant least those Riots which the former Act hath suffered to grow up should so far exhaust the Sap that the Tree of the Church should shrink and dwindle into a degenerate Plant. But if it would submit to have some of its Luxuriances which have been esteemed as Right-hands to be cut off it might become a more thriving yea and pleasanter Plant than ever So far superseding the Act of Indulgence as to take away the subject Matter of it that in process of time it might become useless there remaining few or none that would flee to it for succor yea and all the Penal Laws too whilst all could chearfully submit to its equitable Orders and inoffensive Rules and Canons For when the Controverted things are once removed the rest of her Commands would not be grievous 4thly Suppose the Dissenters should not be gaâ—n'd Yet is there not regard to be had to the tender Consciences of Conformists who rather than violate the Peace or break the Unity of the Church have a long time laboured under an heavy Burthen Suppose these make their Wants known and Desires open Is there no Mercy no Pity to be extended to them nor Consideration to be had of them Must their Jaws be ever bored through with these Thorns and their Faces ground without any remorse Thanks be to God we have a Prince now whose design and endeavour is to lose every Burthen and to let the oppressed to free Nay the Fathers of the Church have put on Bowels of Compassion too If any be inexorable they are our Brethren with whom such Complainants have been accounted no better than Traytors to the State betrayers of the Church and if they perish in the Pit become Slaves and Vassals to the Caldaeans nay whatever becomes of them it moves them not Pray God this Sin be not laid to their charge which can be esteemed no less if we may take the Judgment of one dignified among them Who thus expresseth himself I am perswaded this is one of the provoking Sins of the Conformists That they have been so backward of doing what they were convinced they * See the Preface to the Common-Prayer c. 34 Article of Religion Every particular or national Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church might have done with a good Conscience when they were earnestly prest to it by their Dissenting Brethren and had Authority to do it but they refused it They have the same Price now put into their Hands The King invites them the necessity of uniting Protestants against the common and implacable Enemy cries aloud to them the Groans of burthened and oppressed Consciences of their Brethren plead with them But I am afraid they do but surdis canere We may seek them earnestly but they will not be found of us Nay I wish there may not be the same reason to believe now what a Reverend Doctor and Dignitary of the Church hath some years since declared to the World viz. That they seem rather resolved to break all in pieces and hazard our Religion and let these sad Effects our Divisions still continue than to abate their Rigour in imposing what they may lawfully alter or abolish Nay that which puts so keen an edge upon our Complaints as to cut every good Man to the Heart is That this Judgment which hath laid so heavy upon us hath begun at the Church Those whom God designed to be Fishers of Men have spent their time and pains in gathering up these Shells and Pebbles upon the Shore and as one well observes have wrangled about them too But such is the present and remarkable Providence of god that many of the Bishops and Clergy are pleading for that now as to themselves they too much slighted and decry'd as Humour and Faction in others Now they plead Conscience and urge it in excuse for not swearing Allegiance and Fidelity to the Government to whom I wish as large Dispensations as be consistent with the Nature of Government and present Constitution of the Kingdom But we ever understood those things which are destructive to the State to be out of the Question and beyond the Bounds of it yea and Modesty too It might be said as it was in another case If they ask this let them ask the Kingdom also For as it hath been ever thought that a Liberty in such things
and Factions as to proceed with the greatest Censures and Severities one against another For which St. Irenaeus went up to Rome and sharply rebuked Victor for the Rigor of his Proceedings against the Eastern Churches as is already observed And how sharp a Thorn this retained Ceremony hath been among the rest the Tears and Complaints of our Brethren which have been poured out as a Flood have been sufficient Proofs And tho' t is true the Mercy and compassion of the King and two succeeding Parliaments have wip'd those Eyes dry which for many Years together scarce ever ceased Yet it cannot but press hard upon the Hearts and Consciences of many faithful Ministers of the Church upon the highest Pains and Penalties it can inflict to be forc'd to deny Children their Bread to expel and drive them away from the Lord's Table be their Conversations never so much agreeable to the Gospel merely for their Non-conformity to a Rite which Imposers themselves abstracted from their Authority allow to be indifferent Besides is there no regard to be had to many Conscientious Members in its Communion who being loath to make a rent in it have submitted to an uneasie Yoak And will you not gratifie your obedient Children who have lived uneasie to themselves rather than disoblige or disobey you whom God hath set over them Hark how a Beam out of our Timber and Stone out of our own Wall Councel us Have Patience with your weak Brother require no more of him than Christ required of his Disciples surely Christ would not have allowed any unfitting Posture condemned not that which Christ allowed Admit we be weak Naked Truth pâ—g 19. yet we are not wilful when you command us to go we go But why should our way be paved any longer with Thorns which is in your Power to strew with Roses Suppose we be weak yet you that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the Weak and not to offend those by your Authoritative Power for whom Christ died Was it not truly alledged in the second Paper presented to King Charles II. by the Divines then authorized to review and amend the Liturgy that kneeling in any Adoration at all in any Worship on any Lord's Day in the Year or on any Week-day between Easter and Penticost was not only disused but forbidden by General Councils Con. Nicen. 1. Can. 20. Con. Trull c. Why should you our Fathers provoke your willing Children to wrath Violating the Rules of Charity by your Decrees for Conformity We are weak 't is true but many strong I mean wise and learned Men are of the same Mind and Meaning with us Nay several of the Reformed Churches have abolish'd this Rite for that they thought it did Olere Papismum smelling too rank of their Idolatrous Worship And least this Flye should affect or infect their whole Box of Ointment have cast it out Besides though in process of time this Ceremony hath been admitted yet from the beginning it was not so Christ and his Apostles used not this Posture but that which was usual at their common Meals and yet no doubt he gave this Holy Sacrament and they received it in a most reverend and decent way 'T is not probable that the Church of Corinth and other * Socrates observes that the Egyptians adjoyning to Alexandria and Inhabitants of Thebais after they had banqueted and filled themselves with sundry Delicacies in the Evening after Service did use to Communicate Primitive Christians who celebrated this Sacrament together with their Love-Feasts did alter their Posture no more than our Saviour and his Apostles who while they did eat took Bread Didoclavius in his Altare Damascenum Pag. 784. maintains that no Testimony can be produced to prove that Kneeling was before the time of Honorius 3d. And some others have observed that bowing the Knees before the Host came not into the Church before Transubstantation (a) Bish Hall tells us of a dispute he had with a Sorbonist who took occasion by our kneeling at the Receipt of the Eucharist to perswade the Company that we owned Transubstantiation Mr. Hopper (b) I may be allowed to say of Mr. Hooker as Mr. Chillingworth speaks of him viz. Though he was an excellent Man yet he was but a Man p. 309. The Religion of Botest in his Ecclesiastical Polity speaks little upon this Argument and yet that little is by some thought too much as too much reflecting upon our Saviour's Administration of the Holy Sacrament to his Disciples not in a kneeling Posture This Bellarmine acknowledges in his Answer to Calvin's Objection Lib. de Eucharist 4to Cap. 30. Non poterant semper prostraticum Christo agere praesertim in Caenâ domini quando recumbere cum illis necesse erat Stella saith also Distribuit panem discumbentibus mundi Salvator If I mistake the Author of the Ecclesiastical Polity let the Reader judge His Word are these If we did there present our selves to make some shew or dumb resemblance of a Spiritual Feast it may be that sitting were the better Ceremony Our Saviour did not nor his Apostles present themselves only to make some shew or dumb resemblance of a Spiritual Feast yet undoubtedly they adjudged the Posture they used at Meals the fittest and not kneeling for sure they chose that they judged to be most decent and fit Our Lord saith the same Author did that which custom and long usage had made fit We that which fitness and great decency had made usual I should have thought our Saviour's Practice might have as well prescribed to fitness and great decency as to custom and long usage especially considering it was an Ordinance not so old as yesterday but at that very time instituted But to let all this pass kneeling was a Rite dispensed with by the Interim of Charles II. who for the Establishing of the Churches Peace and composing the Minds of Men gave a Determination of several Matters in difference this Ceremony being one among the rest Which Dispensation though stiled an Interim might have continued for ever had me King pleased that is till such a time as he in his Declaration mentions viz. Vntil such a Synod be called as might without Passion or Prejudice give a further Assistance towards a perfect Union of Affections as well as Submission to Authority Providing that none be denied the Sacrament for not using the Posture of Kneeling To desire then what hath been so largely promised by the Supreme Magistrate with great Advice and for wise Ends argues us neither sturdy Beggars nor unreasonable in our Requests And though I have and do without scruple submit to the Order of our Church in this respect yet for the sake of those that cannot I heartily wish an Indulgence might be granted or Temper found to extinguish those Flames which so small a Spark hath enkindled causing the Daughter of our Sion so often to be clad in Sack-cloth and to sit in Ashes In