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A29074
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A vindication of the remarks on the Bishop of Derry's discourse about human inventions from what is objected against them in the admonition annext to the second edition of that discourse by the author of the remarks.
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Boyse, J. (Joseph), 1660-1728.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing B4080; ESTC R1985
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67,590
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105
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said enough to shew him that our Practice needs no Reformation but rather his unreasonable prejudices against this part of Divine Worship common both to them and us 3. The Bishop need take no pains to prove That my demands about the Reformation of the Discipline of the establisht Church are not Arguments against all occasional Communion with ' em For they were never propo'd for that end but then I must tell him That where there are in a Kingdom two Parties or Bodies of Protestants in one of whom both the Worship and Discipline of Christ is more fully restor'd to its primitive simplicity and purity in the other there are some defects and corruptions left in their Worship and Discipline almost entirely neglected or perverted and abus'd I think every considerate Christian should prefer the stated Communion of that Party in which necessary Reformation has made a happier progress and those better Reformed Churches have no reason to subject themselves to those corruptions they have rejected And moderate and wise men will separate from the Churches of neither Party as if they were no true Churches and no part of the Church Catholick but will rather to shew their regard to Truth more statedly communicate with those on whose side it lies in the Matters in Difference and yet to express their Charity maintain occasional Communion with the other so far as they can do it without Practising what themselves think unlawful 4. Whereas the Bishop is so much displeased with those Requests that I have offer'd to the Conforming Clergy relating to those Practices wherein we chiefly desire some Reformation of their present Discipline and thinks me very unreasonable in proposing 'em and cannot see to what good purpose they can serve I shall to give him all the satisfaction I can acquaint him with the true Reasons of my offering ' em 1. I take the Abuses of which some Reformation is there requested to be the chief Obstacles to that happy Union among us which has been so long the earnest desire of all good men and I hope I can most sincerely say my own So that I think none who have that end in their Eye can be reasonably blamed for humbly proposing to Publick Consideration so proper and effectual means to attain it from which I thought his Lordship's Discourse had some tendency to divert the minds of men by amusing 'em with a new Dispute of Human Inventions And therefore I thought this a very sutable occasion to lay open the main grounds of our unhappy Differences that if any charitable Persons should think of any attempts to compose them they might by a true view of the Disease judge of the Remedy proper to heal it And truly 'till these Corruptions be reform'd I see as yet little reason to hope for any concord in our practice tho' I would hope to see much greater in our mutual Affections 2. I take these to be abuses which the generality of the most judicious and learned as well as sober and charitable of the Conforming Clergy and Laity are sensible of and would readily concur in their desires and endeavours to reform if they had a fair opportunity for it so that I did not believe these Requests would be any matter of just offence to them nor do I yet find that they are And for the offence of any that would perpetuate our Divisions by keeping up those Corruptions that are the chief Engine of 'em because they are serviceable to their Secular Interest I think not my self much oblig'd to regard it The Glory of God and Concord of Christians are so much more valuable an Interest that we may justly pursue it tho' it should clash with the Humours the Ambition or Avarice of Men to which too many even of the Clergy have too long Sacrific'd the more precious Concernments both of the Churches Purity and Peace There are two things indeed which the Bishop Accuses those Requests of which I am concern'd to consider 1. That some of 'em are founded on most unjust Representations of their Practices and Principles which if truly Represented needs no Reformation as may appear saith he from his adding to Admon p. 171. and taking from our third and fourth Canons p. 179. And may farther appear in the 2d 3d 4th 7th 8th 11th 12th and 13th Requests Now I have review'd all these and can see no such unjuct Representations in ' em So that I think his Lordship had been more just if he had either never advanc'd this Charge against me or had taken the pains to prove it Particularly I cannot imagine wherein I have added to these two Canons in what I have cited of 'em or why I must be said to take from 'em because I only cite that part of 'em which my Discourse there led me to take notice of 2. He is pleas'd to insinuate That I give ill Language in those Requests and to that purpose faith That I expose the Kingdom and Protestant Inhabitants of it as again overspread with Swearing Profanation of the Lord's-Day Vncleanness Pride Luxury c. An Imputation saith he which I can by no means allow to be general there being I am perswaded by the goodness of God a manifest abatement of these in this Diocese Answ I should be glad to hear of such an Abatement of these Sins in his Diocese and doubt not if true that the Dissenting Ministers have been no way negligent to contribute towards it But if the Bishop deny the Truth of this Complaint concerning the generality of the Protestants of this Kingdom as 't is there deliver'd he sees with other eyes than any sober Person I have yet convers'd with For Swearing and Profanation of the Lord's-Day no good Man can converse in any part of the Kingdom without being a sorrowful Ear and Eye-witness of it Nor does there appear any considerable abatement of those other Crimes from what was before besides what the diminution of mens Estates have necessitated them to So that I cannot imagine what ill Language it should be to mention and lament the revival of these Vices and request all Ministers to concur in their endeavours to preserve or reclaim those under their care from ' em And I fear that the generality of Protestants among us need the loudest call we can give 'em to Repentance instead of such an undeserved Commendation as tends to perswade 'em there is not so great and general a necessity of it The common guilt is too great and too deeply aggravated to be either conceal'd or extenuated and deserves a fuller Description and a severer Reproof then I had then occasion for III. The third Allegation which the Bishop saith I use to take off the force of his Book is That he hath omitted to handle that part of the Worship of the establisht Church Admon p. 54. against which the Dissenters have the greatest Exception and particularly what refers to Baptism Answ I felt no such force in his Book
think to perswade us that in all these Matters of Fact he has justly accus'd us and we have no reason to complain of being Misrepresented and Abus'd Does he think his bare word sufficient to bear down the Reputation of so considerable a Body of Protestants Or would he have us silently bear the odium of so many grievous Reflections cast upon us which we are sure of the injustice of as we are that we know our own Opinions or Practices His Lordship must therefore give us leave to be free with him on this occasion and to demand once more That he either make good his Charge against us in these Particulars or honestly confess his being mistaken or misinform'd about ' em Which if he would once do he will find us very ready not only to forgive the wrong done us but to entertain more favourable thoughts of his veracity and charity than 't is almost possible for us to do while these mistakes in his Book and in his Admonition stand unretracted There are but Two things more which I think my self oblig'd to take notice of before I come to consider the Exceptions he produces against some particular passages in the Remarks The first is That the Bishop tells me I have nothing to do with him and the Dissenters of his Diocese and blames me for interposing my self without any Call or Reason as well as Writing upon little or no Information Admon p. 158. To which I shall only offer a few Things in my own defence 1. I have already had occasion to shew That the Bishop's Discourse was in all just construction levell'd against the Dissenters in general Nay he usually falls upon the Directory which is a Book the generality of Dissenters have a great and just value for the Compilers of it having us'd great modesty and tenderness in its Composure without following the imposing temper of those that requir'd so peremptory a Declaration of Assent and Consent to all things contain'd in and prescrib'd by the Book of Common Prayer and the Form of Ordaining Bishops Priests and Deacons So that since his Discourse is directed against what himself supposes to be the common Opinions and Practices of Dissenters every Man among 'em had a just right to defend the Common Cause and the Bishop has no just ground to complain of any ones interposing in it Nay 2. I had a very just Call to it and that from the Dissenting Ministers of his own Diocese who urg'd this Reason for it That as the Bishop's Discourse might possess those that were strangers to the Dissenters with ill apprehensions of 'em if his Mistakes were not discover'd so few would read an Answer to it if it came not out while the Matter was fresh in their minds and they had less of leisure for such an undertaking at that time And as I did not interpose without their desire so neither did I write without particular Informations from 'em to which I have exactly adher'd and from which I have yet seen no reason to recede 3. I had yet a more particular concern in the Bishop's Book for tho' he would not vouchsafe an Answer to some former Papers of mine shewing the unreasonableness of his excluding us from the Catholick Church yet he took the liberty to misrepresent the Principles laid down in 'em and charg'd em as inconsistent with the Vnity and Peace of the Church So that I lay under a particular obligation to vindicate my Self as well as under a common one to justifie the common Opinions and Practices of Dissenters which the Bishop had either misrepresented or argued against upon weak and insufficient grounds The second the Bishop complains of is That I give him hard words and speak hard things of him Admon p. 141 142 145 c. Answ I may I think in this Matter appeal to any equal Judges of things Whether the Dissenters have not juster reason to complain of him for saying so many hard and reproachful things of them without any just ground than he to complain of me only for telling him how greatly he has wrong'd us and how little regard he has had to Truth in such a multitude of Particulars wherein he has unreasonably accused us And indeed some of those Accusations tended so apparently to defame and render us odious that it would have look'd like a tacit confession of Guilt to have expres'd no distast at such disingenuous Treament Nor do I understand that the Bishop had any great reason to expect the same deference to be paid to him that would have been due to any other of his character that had given any evidence of his Moderation and Charity 'T is true indeed both his Discourse and Admonition bating the many severe but groundless Aspersions in 'em have an air of mildness and temper in the style of 'em and we often meet with friendly Appellations in ' em But I take mens declared Opinions and especially their Actions to be a surer Indication of their Temper than the common Civilities that occur in their way of writing Joab had very obliging Language towards Amasa in his mouth Art thou in health my Brother but he carried a sharp Tool in his hand and he had no friendly design We can lay little stress on any seeming expressions of a man's charity who will not recall that virtual Sentence of Damnation he has publickly past upon us by denying us to be a part of the Catholick Church We like not the gentle language of Writs de Excom Cap. And we can perceive no extraordinary mildness and friendship in such Covenants inserted in Leases as the following one And the said A. B. his Executors c. does by these Presents covenant to and with the said William Lord Bishop of Derry and his Successors c. for the time being that neither he the said A. B. his Executors c. nor any of 'em c. shall or will Set Let or Demise the Premises or any part thereof to any Mass or Popish Priest c. or to any Minister or Teacher dissenting from the Church of Ireland Neither shall wittingly or willingly suffer 'em to dwell or reside on any part parcel or member thereof but him or them shall endeavour to expel and keep from the same so far as by the Laws of this Realm they shall be enabled So that if the Bishop have been reprov'd somewhat sharply for his unfair Dealing in this new Dispute he has but furnish'd us with too just an Apology for it And yet I know of no words given him so hard how deserved soever as those he has given the whole Body of Dissenters which have been wholly undeserved And I am sure he will not find in the Remarks any such uncharitable Sentiments exprest concerning the establisht Church as occur frequently in his Discourse concerning the Dissenters And for what Touches himself only he seems to have little reason of complaint unless he can clear himself a little better in Matters