Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A45861
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Indulgence not to be refused comprehension humbly desired : the Churche's peace earnestly endeavoured / by Philatheseirenes [sic].
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Philaletheseirenes.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing I154; ESTC R28943
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15,879
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28
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Discipline Uniformity and Ceremonies yet because all men have not the command of their own understandings it hath not fallen out accordingly And the King 's Sacred Majesty well declares it That He hath found little fruit of these ways of Coertim for these twelve years past So that it hath not only pleased some Worthy Persons to move for a Comprehension in several Sessions of Parliament in order to the cure of our Divisions which have hitherto been obstructed or laid aside But it hath pleased the Kings Majesty to give out His own Gracious Declaration for Indulgence which whether it ought now to be accepted by the Presbyterians as the Case or as their Principles lie is the Question It cannot be denied but that all the Presbyterians wishes and desires are to enjoy their Liberties in publick places and to be restored to the exercise of their Ministry again by the same Full and Legal Authority which thought fit to lay them aside that they may not seem to abet or espouse any unwarrantable Separation or be entangled in any real or reputed Schisme or offensive distance or distinction either in place or practice from the Church of England to whom be all peace and prosperity Nor would they seem to neglect the discharge of their duty when called to it nor slight His Majesties Kindness so freely and graciously offered especially when He in deep reason of State thinks it may be an Expedient to procure that Unity and Reconciliation which all other forcible course could not hitherto effect Some think this the way for unity others that it tends to Schism and Faction Whose Judgments should be followed If we proceed we offend our Fathers and Brethren if we refuse we give occasion to our Soveraign to think us a company of sowr and ungovernable men whom neither kindness nor severity will soften when as God Almighty who knows our hearts sees and knows otherwise and that we are ready as far as we can to obey and where we cannot to suffer in all humble silence and submission Now the Question as I said before is Whether the Presbyterians may not according to their Principles accept of His Majesties Indulgence without offence or self-contradiction CHAP. III. THe Affirmative I prove thus 1. From the Nature of this Acceptance which is a thankful Acceptance of His Majesties Grace and Favour and an inward willingness signified in this outward acceptance of His Majesties Kindness to be at the employment which they are appointed and ordained to Now inward thankfulness and sense of duty and outward preaching of the Gospel with an earnest endeavour to promote Gods Glory the Kings Honour the Kingdomes Happiness the Churches Peace and to discharge their own duty in the several capacities and relations which the Providence of God and the Prudence of a Christian and Protestant Prince shall cast us into is not simply evil which seems to be their Case and to have no intrinsecal or formal evil in it For Consequences which may fall out or Offences which may be taken accidentally or invidious reflections while a man is doing his duty these are things incident and adherent to the most warrantable and just actions and are not to be taken any cognizance of where the agent is right in his intentions and the action in its substantial ingredients as it is abstracted from the Agent 's infirmities and indiscretions and the by-standers active and passive miss-representations and ill constructions 2. Such an Acceptance of a Favour from their Prince is not contrary to the principles and practices of Presbyterians quatenas Presbyterians for the Notion and Principle that denominateth them such is that a Bishop is not an higher Order or Degree of Ministry in the Church than the Priesthood in other things they agree with the established Doctrine and Faith of the Church of England and are willing to submit to the Discipline thereof as it is by Law established And how such a point should make all this great difference or be inconsistent with the acceptance of a kindness offered them by His Majesty is a thing not to be conceived it may be as well said if the King should offer them a Living with their liberty or publick places to preach in or a maintenance for themselves and their Families it is against their principles to take it But for my part I neither take them to be such a company of fools as to do so nor do I believe doth the Debater think so nor do I believe would he himself do so if he had their Sentiments or were in their Circumstances Nor is it against the Presbyterians practices for they all along together with their Episcopal Brethren accepted of the Liberty then offered and indulged to them in the late times of Usurpation and why they should not do it now in the Reign and from the Hands of their most Rightful Soveraign I see not The Primitive Christians fell to their work and bless'd God when they had any respite from the Tyranny and Oppression of Heathenish and cruel Princes And why they should either with scorn or fullenness reject any kindness from a Christian Protestant and Gracious Prince is not to be apprehended Withal considering that there are as severe resolved Presbyterians in France and other places as we have here in England and no body upbraids them that I can hear of for going against their Principles and Consciences in accepting and improving the Liberty therein granted to the Honour of God and the peace of the Church Obj. But in France they have another Religion uppermost and they are bound to preach the Gospel as it lies in their way in opposition to it Here there is the same Religion which the Presbyterians profess and the same Church which they are Members and Ministers of and they ought not to set up Altar against Altar Answ This is no setting up Altar against Altar nor any undermining of the Doctrine or Church of England on the Presbyterians part but a subservient Duty tending to the Unity and Peace thereof in such a capacity as His Majesty hath thought fit to place them Some are appointed to rule as Bishops others to assist in Rule and Government as Deans and Chapters others to preach the Gospel in publick Churches and Chappels And if His Majesty give way to such as you call Presbyters to pursue the same ends in publick Halls or private Houses who can think much since the work goes on in the lowest as well as the highest Officers and places Obj. But the Presbyterians in former times preached and wrote against Toleration and Indulgence and if they do now fall in with it they contradict themselves Answ Some did and some did not but however in those dayes when Errors and Heresies first appeared there was greater need and reason of a severe declaring against them and a toleration of them than afterwards when they had so generally spread themselves all the Kingdom over that if it had been
verily thought it had never been objected in earnest but to have more of scorn and disdain in it to make the Presbyterians ridiculous than of strength and reason to keep them as they are Yet since this Objection obtains some belief and moves some well-tempered men that are ready to do them a kindness when it lies in their way I answer That it is well known by their Principles and Papers what they would have and they are so far from being ill to please that what the Bishops have offered themselves before or upon the Kings Restauration would please them or His Gracious Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical affairs in the year 1661. Yea and I might almost further add what the Reverend Bishops think fit to grant if they intend a kindness to them whose Principles they themselves understand or to the Church it self in this great decay of Piety and mighty overflow of Atheism Heresie and all manner of Debauchery for want of Preachers would be very thankfully acknowleded accepted Obj. If it be said what will please one party will not content another Answ There are two principal Reasons and Ends for making abatements in some things which are now imposed First to keep the Ministers and Members of the Church of England that differ in smaller matters together united against the common Enemies Errors Heresies and Schismes that threaten either to invade or undermine the Church it self and this may be done by a Comprehension Secondly To prevent Sedition and keep us in peace and this may be secured by such a Toleration as the wisdom of the Parliament shall think fit they being best able to give such Antidotes as may preserve the Churches Vitals and to cure and cherish such Members as are weak or corrupted without amputation Comprehension is for strengthening the Churches Interest and Toleration if our Rulers think fit to grant it of such things as are tolerable this is for the Kingdomes peace Now the things which the Presbyterians desire to be comprehended in are not many nor great nor in the least entrenching upon the Essentials of the Church her Doctrine or Discipline But some Circumstantials which our Church before they be commanded acknowledge indifferent and some other Imposiâ—ions temporary which in a few years according to the Act for Uniformity do expire these things we humbly desire Dispensation for are such as are dispensed with in other Churches and may be I trust in our own without any hazard to her Doctrine Discipline or Glory And as for the Toleration before mentioned those that are called Presbyterians humbly account that it is no more a part of the Comprehension which they desire for themselves and would be content with than Separation and Faction which this should cure is part of their principles or practices or the persons that hope for it are Presbyterians or the Doctrines they hold the Doctrines of the Church of England and therefore should be no more put together with them by right than the Church of England with whom the Papists do as indistinctly joyn them as our Episcopal Brethren do with the Presbyterians from whom they have been pleas ' to make a secession as well as from themselves Yet notwithstanding some even of them that are accounted of the Separation acknowledge the Being Ordinances and Officers of the Church of England and are very grave pious and learned men who have done and may yet further do Her and Religion great Service by their Pens and Parts whose Cases and Liberties the wisdom of the Parliament no doubt but will take care of when these things come into consideration according to the quality of their persons and the modesty of their Principles as well as others In the mean time If I were to Petition I should humbly beg it upon my knees that it would please our Gracious Soveraign together with His Two Houses in Parliament in whose hands the relaxation and making of Laws are that according to the Loyalty and Integrity of their Hearts Principles and Actions and no otherwise that they would grant those who are reputed Presbyterians a liberty to preach the Gospel with such Encouragements in their Ministry by an Act for Comprehension or otherwise as they in their grave Wisdom shall think most convenient that so all heats and animosities on all sides may be quieted and quenched and they that have been dead in Law for these ten years past may be revived which may possibly also give decayed Piety Peace and Charity an happy resurrection Which God of his great Mercy grant for Jesus Christ sake Amen FINIS