swallow a Steeple either with the Spire downward lest it should prick their Conscience nor with the Tower lest the Weather Cock should appear at top and shew how the wind blows as I think the Story is fasten'd on A. B. Yet shall make no scruple of swallowing Church and Church Land nay if they are not belied have already divided the spoil and taken into their possession the houses of God not considering that as the Psalmist expresses it Ps 83.13 God hath already once made them like a wheel and as the stubble before the wind that they are not yet so sure of the time but that the wheel that lifts them up may bring them down If I say the contrary things to what I wish they were not guilty of be our unpardonable crimes we must we cannot but own and glory in our Infirmities But that I may not any longer detain your Ladyship from a particular Reply to the Letter which I profess to dedicate to you as the Minister doth his leaving it to your impartial judgment to determine of the Reasons he offers for his Non-Conformity which he grounds upon as he calls them Three grand Declarations requir'd to be made by all those who will conform the first concerning the Book of Common Prayer the second concerning taking up Arms against the King the third concerning the Solemn League and Covenant with reference to all which saith he especially the first and last I have had hitherto insuperable Objections against the making any such Declaration And in all these I shall follow him step by step in what he objects and argues against them Onely I cannot but observe the Pomp in which he dresses his Scruples and that though one of them be against the very Fundamentals not onely of ours but all Government I mean that of Taking up Arms against the King which in truth is to make good the Lawfulness of the Solemn League and Covenant 't is necessary he should assert The Covenant in its nature and design and as 't was applied and made use of by the first Contrivers of it having a direct tendency to Rebellion and for them that inbottom upon Rebellion in the State to profess and defend Schism in the Church is but suitable to the Synod's Principle of Disobedience from whom both proceed This being observ'd I now go on to trace him in the distinct Paragraphs of his Letter in the third of which he sets forth that the first Declaration concerning the Book of Common Prayer is to be made in these very words viz. I A. B. do declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entituled The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons Madam here is required assent and consent yea unfeigned assent and consent and that it may be is one of his chief Scruples that he may not prevaricate with Authority were there allow'd but a little Equivocation in the case and the Dissenter permitted to give an assent and consent which were not unfeigned the Task had not been so intolerable but to require such an assent and consent as thus searches men to the bottom and beats the Hypocrite out of all his Subterfuges who can bear it And that not onely in this Book of Common Prayer but in the Book of God it self for so he argues in the fourth Paragraph telling us That he questions whether many a sober man would not scruple to declare so much concerning any copy of the Bible now extant in the world in any language whatever even the Originals themselves not excepted which by transcribing may have their faults and therefore every thing contained in them not to be unfeignedly assented and consented unto But to see then on how weak a foundation his Argument stands viz. 1. That to assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by this Book c. is to assent and consent to any Errata or faults that may escape in the transcribing the true copy 'T is I confess a new way of reasoning and such as I think a man of understanding cannot be in the least guided by for by that means there 's nothing in the world the most undoubted Articles of our Faith and unquestion'd Fundamentals of Religion I need give no other Instance than himself doth in the Bible which contains these that ought to be assented and consented to but 't is trivial to insist on such a Cavil and therefore I shall leave this to every man to consider with himself whether in matters of another nature and of the most weight concern in this World such as our Lives and Fortunes we do not think we may safely assent and consent to the contents of any writings that pass an Estate confirm our Liberties and Properties unless we likewise subscribe to the Errata which in the frequent copying out and transcribing the Records or Enrolled Deeds may happen 't is absurd to call those Errata the contents of such writings and if they were so yet neither would such a scruple affect us here because to what is contain'd is added likewise what is prescrib'd in and by the Book and unless A. B. can shew that the Errata are likewise prescrib'd in and by the Book that there is some Rubric to confirm them his Argument I am asham'd to give it that name will be altogether Captious and Nugatory Again 2. He insinuates that for any persons to require assent and consent in this manner is to suppose themselves Infallible this is the sum of his 5th Paragraph But how odious an inference is this and how destructive of the Reason of all Laws Must not by this Argument every Lawgiver be suppos'd to be infallible the end of all whose injunctions are to be assented and consented to and if Men refuse to yield the obedience requir'd they know and are to abide by the Punishment or Sanction of the Law and yet never any yet urged that against their Laws And is it any more that is done here we require not this assent and consent from all that will be Christians the Declaration reaches not Men in their private capacity but only such as shall desire to come into any public charge in the Church and if it be necessary there should be a Rule for Uniformity they thought so I am sure who devis'd and impos'd their Directory 't is necessary that Men subscribe to it subscribe to it not as an absolute Rule of Conscience but as a Rule of Peace and Order and this is all the Church requires that they so far submit their Will and Vnderstanding to their Governors as for these ends
indeed who besides himself ever so understood it Did the Ancient Fathers plead so much for it in any other sence than Christ commanded his Disciples to take up their Cross and follow him Are they to imitate their Master in doing this in the whole course of their life and may they not so much as use a Sign to express it to others or to bring them in mind of their Duty themselves Was not the Cross the name and reproach of it that which deterr'd so many from the early profession of Christ's Religion and is it now an improper Symbol whereby to confess themselves not ashamed of it Or are Signs less lawful than words to imprint the same 'T is frivolous to say 't is too like a Sacrament upon a Sacrament thus to add the sign of the Cross to Baptism because the Church of England never so explained it no she is at pains to explain it otherwise and give the just Reasons for retaining it in the 30th Canon first publish'd Anno 1604. However this will not excuse A. B's expression in the beginning of Par. 12. where he says That the baptizing the Person ipso facto exhibits a Virtue and Power to every worthy partaker of it to fight against Sin the World and the Devil this I say will not excuse his expression from looking too like the Sacrament's conferring Grace ex opere operato which had any but a zealous Non-conformist said He would not have escaped the imputation of Popery What is continued Par. 13. That though Christians in the Primitive times might use the Cross yet the very same Reasons which might put them upon that use with a reference to the Heathens should now move them wholly to disuse it with a reference to the Papists because what professors then did was to distinguish them from Pagans who scorned the Cross with every Token and Sign of it it seems the word Token is not such a meer Riddle but A. B. can understand and use it and by Parity of Reason we should now forbear so doing to distinguish our selves from the Idolatrous Papists who superstitiously adore the Cross foolishly fondly and wickedly signing themselves with it upon every Occasion But if they abuse what the Primitive Christians so Religiously used why should not we rather restore it to its right use Or if their Abuses must abolish the thing then why don 't we part with our Baptism too because 't is the Ceremony with which they admit into the Church and do so much corrupt the use of it III. His third exception Against Order used in the Ministration of Baptism is because of what is annexed to the end of the Sacrament viz. It is certain by God's word that Children which are baptized dying before they commit actual Sin are undoubtedly saved Par. 14. I would saith A. B. they had quoted the place for I confess mine own ignorance that I know no such word in Scripture But what then may not that be certain by God's word that is not there in terminis Is there no such thing as the Analogy of Faith as the collecting and inferring any thing from Scripture and that which is so is certain by God's word which is not laid down there in Proposition May it not be according to the Tenour of God's Word because 't is not found there in so many Syllables that Children which are baptized dying before they commit actual Sins are undoubtedly saved What think we of St. Peter's telling us 1 Epist 3.20 21. Where speaking of those that were saved in Noah's Ark by Water he subjoins the like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us and Mark 1.4 is not Baptism said to be for the Remission of Sins such it is in it self such it cannot but be to those that rightly partake of it and if Children do this if by this they are actually brought into the Covenant of Grace whil'st they break no Law as 't is only by Actual Transgression they can do this is it any question that they are undoubtedly saved that is put at least into a Salvable condition I shall not need to add that Christ saith of such i. e. of little Children that come to him and 't is by Baptism only that they can come is the Kingdom of Heaven What he fills his 15 Par. with concerning the Children of wicked Parents who are yet baptized and many of them dye immediately after baptism is a most unreasonable and uncharitable inference because to put the Child in Covenant 't is not necessary the Parent be any more than an Outward Professor of the true Religion 't was so with the Jews it must be so with the Christians And as for what he infers from the second Commandment which saith he gives some scruple to his Faith viz. of God's punishing the Iniquity of the Fathers upon their Children to the third and fourth Generation hath been always interpreted upon Supposition of their continuing in the Sins of their Fathers and 't was upon the Jews erring in this point which their Proverb of the Father's eating the sower Grapes and the Children's Teeth being set on edge that God himself is at pains to rectifie the mistake and lay it down as an Eternal Truth That the Soul that Sins shall dye that the Child shall not bear the Iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18. His Supposition of a Christian King 's conquering a Country of Pagans Mahometans and Jews and compelling all their Infants forthwith to be baptized and some of them expiring before they have committed actual Sin Par. 17. is wholly remote from the Question the Church of England supposing such only as are the proper Subjects of Baptism And for his merciful Butchering Infants as he continues his Supposition Par. 18 before they have committed actual Sin that so without any father hazard they might have the Possession of Eternal life 't is impious to suggest and blasphemous from hence to argue the Power of any mortal wight over Souls because he can be the Instrument to Baptize and then to kill the poor Infant because should this be admitted 't is not he that Baptizes but God that gives the Title by his Baptism to Heaven and it s not to be doubted but many a wicked Villain hath been the Instrument to send a Martyr to Glory I am sure the Church hath always thought most charitably of those Innocents Pilate murdered and 't is to be doubted those who are so keen and bitter against them would not argue as they do had they but some of the Meekness and Humility of Children His 18th Par. falls under the Answer we gave to his 16th Par. To conclude this head therefore What is or is not in the power of man is not the Question but rather what is the End and design of the Sacrament what the Use for which 't is prescrib'd what the sence God himself hath put upon it That Odium he would load the Minister with That shall deny to Administer
according to their best discretion they have chosen out such parts of Scripture to be read in the Congregation which are most intelligible if they omitted others such as many Chapters of the Chronicles and Revelation are which they thought would not be for the Edification of a vulgar Auditory And if they have mixed some of the Apocrypha they are withall such parts of it as may be of wholsom Instruction and for their equailing these with the holy Scripture properly so called 't is sufficient that 't is in our Articles declared what Books we look upon as Canonical what as Apocryphal and that we neither disguise nor recommend either but under their proper Names And whether this be a Reason to break Communion with a Church let any man Judge especially since 't is no new thing to recommend Books that are not Scripture to be kept and exposed in the Church to public use such as Erasmus his Paraphrase Foxe's Martyrology c. and yet these are not scrupled at His next Scruple is Secondly Against the Order appointed for the Ministration of Baptism and that upon these three accounts 1. Because of Godfathers and Godmathers 2. Because of the Cross 3. Because of what is annexed to the end of the Sacrament I. He doth not approve of the strict requiring of Godfathers and Godmathers to stand as Sureties and Vndertakers for the Child to be baptized viz. That he shall renounce the Devil and all his Works and constantly believe God's holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments But whether A. B. approve them or no I can shew him those that did approve them very early in the Church and that the common Consent of the whole Church both Eastern and Western hath ever since run along with that Practice But to weigh his Reasons and those of such moment that they are sufficient with him as I just now observ'd to justifie his deserting the Communion of the Church for 1. Because it is unscriptural 2. Because in the interim the Father of the Child is left out 3. Because Godfathers and Godmothers are generally brought to the Font to avouch a great untruth and make themselves obnoxious of lying and perjury in the Face of God and the Church To the first that t is Vnscriptural 1. 'T is not necessary it should be mentioned in Scripture 't is sufficient if the Practice of the Church confirm it and it be not against the Rule or Analogy of Scripture Besides 2. It cannot be suppos'd it should be prescribed in Scripture the receiving of Persons by Baptism there being upon their own actual Faith and before there was any constituted national Church wherein this Order could be observ'd and 't was sufficient that the Children were admitted then to Baptism as they were into the Covenant that is by the Faith of the Parents which is the Reason why they are now capable of the Ordinance and were the taking in of Godfathers only abundans cautela 't is the first time that any deserted a Church because it took the best Care it could of its Members Nor is it reasonable in the second place 2. To Object That in the interim the Father of the Child is left out when the receiving the Child suppose the Father concern'd in it because 't is through his Faith he is in the Covenant and as to his particular ingaging for the Child's Education he must be worse than an Infidel if he do not take care for those of his own House 3. Much less can it bear any weight with considering men that he insinuates The Godfathers and Godmothers being generally brought to the Font to avouch a great untruth and make themselves obnoxious of lying and perjury in the Face of God and the Church Because if they are guilty of this this is their abuse of what is well intended and that can no more make against the having Godfathers and Godmothers for the Child because t is possible they may neglect their Duty than it doth against Baptizing the Child at all because he may not answer the intents and purposes of that Solemn Vow or of admitting the Father himself to be a Sponsor in this case because he may be careless in the matter Besides not to admit Godfathers and Godmothers might in some cases be totally to debar the Child of Baptism because it may so fall out that the Father may be dead before the Child is born and then how shall he be offered to Baptism And as for A. B's Supposition that A Parent should tax his Gossips with their neglect and the great mischief accruing to the Child upon that very account doth he not much more tax himself who shall make such an Argument against this practice which can signifie nothing if he do but discharge his own Duty How fallacious a conclusion is it because men neglect their Duty therefore they are not to be engaged in it II. And then as to his Reasoning against the Cross Par. 13. 't is so trifling that I wonder with what Face any can urge it viz. Because whereas 't is said We receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's Flock and do sign him with the sign of the Cross in Token hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified c. Now saith he this word In token is to him a meer Riddle 't is much it should be so there being no word of a more vulgar use and implies as much as a sign of Remembrance which is the very sence to which 't is here applied Only he hath a sence to wrest it to in which he knows the Church of England never took it and therein he gives a mighty Proof of his Charity that he cannot joyn in Communion with the Church of England lest some other of less understanding than himself should mistake the sence of one word in the Liturgy 't is I confess an extraordinary sort of Zeal to make anothers want of Judgment the measure of my Religion But there 's a farther design in that than every one observes put a false gloss upon the Text and then condemn it of Heresie misinterpret the words and impeach the Church of the ill consequences But what then is it we must spell out of this mighty Niceness I am saith he apt to believe the generality may much mistake it mistake it then it seems they must before they can misjudge it as if when it is said in Token it had been said In Virtue and Power of this Sign another man it may be would be apt to believe that they could not thus mistake it it being altogether Foreign from the use of the word so to understand it But 't is all one put the rub in the way that you may be sure not to lose your pains in proving 't is necessary it should be removed For my part I cannot tell how any thing but an industrious love of mistaking could have given him that sence of the word and
Baptism to them who come not according to the Rule of the Church or to question whether it would be Baptism or no to pronounce the Form over the Child of an unbelieving Parent are besides our Argument 't is sufficient that he hath no Title so to do it that he is more serious in his Function than to be knowingly unjust either to the Trust the Church or God himself as I may say hath repos'd in him Thirdly The last scruple with which he shuts up his Paper is with reference to the Order for the Burial of the Dead particularly that Passage of it For as much as it hath pleased God of his great mercy to take unto himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed we therefore commit his Body to the Earth c. I have only this to say that 't is in the Judgment of Charity we pronounce this of all That some there are of whom we may say it in great assurance of their happy Translation that 't is not necessary the words in great mercy should refer to the persons taken away for it may be mercy and great mercy to them who suffer'd by their Injury or ill Examples supposing them to be such in which no shew of Godness did appear Besides I do not think that when I give my Assent and Consent it is necessary it should reach the sence of the words any otherwise than they relate to their proper subjects some there are of whom this may and ought to be said and 't is a poor Cavil against the Communion of a Church that her Offices are framed to suit those who are her real Members Nor have I ever thought the Person officiating obliged to use this Form of Burials intirely in all Cases nor that it had been however either necessary or Christian to prescribe another indeed it had been a Contradiction because 't is suppos'd to be Christian Burial we give by it and however this be generally us'd yet 't is well known there are those to whom she denies her Office of Burial and something I conceive may even in lower Cases be left to the discretion of the Priest especially with the Advice of his Ordinary In a word the Church provides for those that ought to have Christian Burial and those to whom it doth not belong are not the suppos'd Subjects of this Office What he concludes all with of our adding in the Collect that when we shall depart this life we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth is what hath no insuperable Objection in it there being none so bad but for whom we ought to hope the best The Thief upon the Cross we know found mercy and what may be the dealings of God with the most profane wretch in the last minute What may be the Temptations he hath had to encounter What his Tryals we know not We see the Fall but cannot tell what his Wrestlings were And therefore which is the surest the most Christian way that the Church chalks out and I am sure we have reason to rejoyce that we are of a Church whose Charity is extensive and I pray God our dissenters never give us Occasion to forfeit that Character that if they have the tenderness they boast they would exercise some of it as towards those who in all their contradictions cannot but pray for and pity them so towards those poor Souls they have hitherto seduced and cannot but know that whatever their pretences are why themselves do not conform yet they can never answer it to Almighty God that they so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men as neither to go in themselves nor to suffer them that are entering to go in Matth. 23.13 To whom amidst all their long Prayers their Zeal to compass Sea and Land to make Proselytes their Nice distinguishing of the lawfulness of an Oath whil'st themselves live in the avow'd defence of Perjury For such is their solemn League and Covenant taken and persisted in against that Oath of Allegiance which they have or ought to take to their lawful Prince and urged as a reason why they cannot conform Their exactness in paying as I may say Tythe of Mint Anise and Cumin in being precise in lesser things whilst they omit the weightier Matter of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith Obedience to their just Superiours Charity to those that live in greater strictness of Life than themselves their making clean the outside of the Cup and Platter with the likeness they too much bear to whited Sepulchers I shall only leave them to consider how far what is so often denounced by Christ Matth. 23. may concern them viz. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites And now Madam I cannot but conclude with this short Caution to you and all others whom A. B. and his Brethren are the Occasion either by their Words or Example of with-holding from Conformity That you would seriously consider what 't is to live in Disobedience to your lawful Governours especially in those things which A. B. himself tells you he can say nothing against Par. 7. consider who 't is hath told you 1 Sam. 15.23 that Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft and Stubborness is as Iniquity and Idolatry There 's nothing so opposite to the Rules of Morality and Religion to the Worship and acknowledgment of a God and his Providence for all this is implied in Witchcraft Iniquity and Idolatry as Rebellion and Disobedience to lawful Governours in their lawful Commands and God knows like Idolatry and Witchcraft nothing with which foolish Men are so much bewitch'd no Idol equal to that of their own Brain the Inventions and Imaginations they set up to themselves God in his Mercy to this tottering Nation forgive and prevent the mischievous Designs of those Sons of Belial who are now carrying on both in Church and State and open the Eyes of all the truly conscientious to see the things belonging to their Peace even in this their day There seems still to be a day and a price put into our hand if we have the heart to make use of them God forbid we should be such Fools to neglect the opportunity I am sure if we be no Apology we can make will clear us from being of the Plot against our Religion and Country if we must fall I speak it to all good Subjects all good Christians and amongst them I conjure A. B. and his Brethren as they will answer it at the day of Judgment when the secrets of all Hearts shall be laid open yet let not our selves contribute to it let not that be the fatal Complaint Thy destruction was of thy self O England Madam this is what so few hours leisure as I have had to peruse A. B's Letter and return a Reply to it would allow me to rejoyn to his Objections against the first Declaration concerning the Book of Common Prayer and as he goes on with his Scruples against the second and third Declaration viz. concerning Taking up Arms against the King and the Solemn League and Covenant I shall endeavour through God's Blessing to find time to resolve them if not with much hopes of doing good on their Leaders alas men that act with design and are fond of setting up themselves against Authority are not so easily converted yet of reducing some of those honest well-meaning Souls whom they have led astray nor do I ask God's Blessing upon my Labours any farther than he who knows all Hearts knows that what I write is out of an intire Love of his Religion and Truth in which I am Your real and faithful Servant c. Printed for JOHN BLYTHE at Mr. Playford's Shop in the Temple