the Church of England for a Constancy but hold the separate Congregations to be Lawful Churches and think themselves obliged in Conscience sometimes to Communicate with them tho' I had rather call such Occasional Dissenters and such as prefer the Worship of Dissenters for a Constancy but hold the Worship of the Church of England to be Lawful and think themselves obliged to testifie their Charity by Communicating sometimes with it who are properly Occasional Conformists I take leave also to inform you That both these sorts of Occasional Conformists do believe the Apostle's Creed and particularly the Holy Catholick Church or as the Nicene Creed has it They believe One Catholick and Apostolick Church They acknowledge the 19th Article of the Church of England That the Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithful Men in which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same That neither sort of these Occasional Conformists find any such Article in any Creed as this I believe the High Church-Party of the Church of England And thus believing they thus Reason He that believes the Holy Catholick Church takes himself to be a Member of that Church and consequently believes it his Duty to refuse Communion with no Party of Christians whose Communion does not necessitate him to Sin and no Communion of Christians who are a Visible Church of Christ within the said Description given by the said 19th Article do necessitate him to Sin They make a great difference between the Use of a Ceremony or any indifferent thing about Religion and the Imposition thereof as necessary to Communion in the Ordinances of Christ and again another difference between the Imposition thereof by any particular Church or Division of Christians on those that Communicate with them and the Separation of that Division of Christians by such Ceremony or indifferent Thing from the rest of the Catholick Church The Use therefore of a certain Ceremony is what they do not scruple as wearing a Gown or Surplice Standing at the Creed Kneeling or Standing or Sitting at the Sacrament according to the Usage of that Party of Christians with whom they Communicate Again They don't scruple the like Ceremony tho' they be imposed by the Government on any National Church or Party of Christians so as they be not made Parties to the Imposition or compelled to declare their Approbation thereof by Word or Practise It is their Judgment That all Religion is Natural or Revealed That there is no Revealed Religion nor any part of it which is not found in the Word of God That nothing ought to be imposed amongst Christians as a Term of Communion which has not its Warrant from thence according to the Sense of the Primitive Church and the whole Protestant Church at the first Reformation And they think it absurd to talk of Unrevealed Parts of Revealed Religion It is therefore their Opinion that if any Party of Christians make a Law That whoever communicates with them must use such or such an Unscriptural Posture or Ceremony and must not have Communion with any other Christians who use not the same altho ' true Churches according to the said 19th Article of the Church of England and this under the Penalty of being starved or any other severe Penalty they take that Party of Christians to be such as the Psalmist speaks of Psal 94.21 who frame Mischief by a Law They think that such Party of Christians do thereby set up an unaccountable Schism in the Catholick Church and separate themselves from it by setting up their Posts by God's and their own Thresholds by his and their making a Wall between him and them so that the Schism lies at their Door and not at theirs who in Contradiction to such a Law continue Members of the Catholick Church They are of Opinion that the Roman Catholicks are justly charged with the greatest Schism that ever was in the Christian World because they separate themselves from the Catholick Church by their new Articles of Faith and Notorious Idolatries which they impose as Terms of Communion but they pretending that the things which they impose are necessary and to be comply'd with on Peril of Damnation are not therefore so Self-condemned as that Party would be who should by such a Law concerning things indifferent separate themselves from all the rest of the Catholick Church The Occasional Conformist therefore by his Communicating with the Church of England declares That he takes it to be a sound Part of the Catholick Church and his Communion with it is Communion with the Catholick Church and not with a Party He Communicates with it because he Agrees with it in all the Essentials of Christianity tho' he Approves not of its Impositions And his Communion with other Protestants is Communion with the Catholick Church of which he takes them also to be a sound Part. By the first he declares himself an Enemy to Separation by the second to unnecessary Impositions by both a Catholick Christian And he is the more confirmed in this Practice because of the plain Tendency of the Unscriptural Terms of Communion which the High Church-Party would establish to a Re-union with Popery as is obvious to any Person who shall seriously consider them And for satisfaction therein I would refer you to avoid Repetition to the Preface of a little Discourse entituled Catholocism without Popery where this Matter is particularly Considered And the Notions therein advanc'd have been effectually Justified by the Oracle of your Party the Author of the Case of the Regale Pontisicat a Book written directly against her Majesty's Supremacy and which has received a Second Edition which asserts That the Dissenter will neither take nor give quarter will neither propose nor accept any Terms of Reconciliation Page 255. and cannot for that unless only for that Reason be angry at the High-Party's seeking or offering Reconciliation with others who may be better disposed and that the whole and only difference between that Party and the Church of Rome Page 244. and which hinders Communion is the Extents of the Pope's Supremacy which the Galliean Church have thrown off as well as they But that all the difference between the Popish French Church and the Church of England are so far Reconcilable as not to hinder Communion And proposes in the First Edition a Treaty between our Convocation and the General Assembly of the Galliean Bishops and Clergy and complains in the Margin of the Second Edition pag. 263. That the English Convocation not being suffered to sit while that of France lasted rendered any Treaty betwixt them impracticable And pag. 179. proposes it plainly as a means to this blessed End that a Bill should pass to render all those that go to Meetings uncapable of any Place of Trust or Profit in the Government And that this must be the
of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion Thirdly Whether the Administration of Publick Astairs may not be in the Hands of Persons who are not of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion nay of Men of opposite Principles without Confusion or tearing the Government in pieces between them and whether they may not notwithstanding draw together the same way for the Publick Good Fourthly Whether it is sit that the Corporation and Test Acts should be enfore'd or Repealed Fifthly Whether upon the whole Matter the Occasional Conformist may not be admitted into Publick Offices and Employments relating to the Government consistently with the Safety of the Established Government both in Church and State with the Wisdom of the English Nation and with the Practice of some wise Governments in the World And as to the first I answer that the Occasional Conformist is a sincere Member of the National Church who heartily approves of the Laws of the Land and chearfully pays Obedience to them and he and the Church-men are not of opposite Principles but of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion If the Church-man whom you suppose the only Person fit for an Office be one that troubles not himself about Religion but believes as the Church believes and does as he sees others do I neither can judge of his Principles nor his Perswasion in Matters of Religion but if he have espoused the Religion of the Church of England with consideration and can give a Reason of the Faith or Hope that is in him he knows that the Religion of this National Church is all to be found in the Bible He is taught by the sixth Article of that Church that Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believ'd as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation The Reason given by the 8th Article why the three Creeds ought throughly to be received and believed is for that they may be proved by most certain Warrants of Holy Scripture And as to Creeds so as to Councils we are taught by the 21st Article that things Ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority only as it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture Now the Occasional Conformists are herein intirely of the same mind they agree intirely in the Creeds the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments as contained in the Decalogue and as explained by our Saviour In the two Sacraments and every Part and Article that any Protestant can have any Colour to call a part of Christianity But I have not Inclination nor can it be expected that I should particularize every Head and Point of Religion wherein they agree but should be glad to be informed by you of any Article of Religion or Point of Doctrine wherein they differ for no Man ever called Rites and Ceremonies of humane Institution Principles or Matters of Religion I must own that they are not fully satisfied in the large Sense of that Passage in the 20th Article That the Church hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies nor that as the 34th Article expresses it it is sufficient as to the Ceremonies that nothing be Ordained against God's Word if the Opposition of God's Word be intended a particular express Opposition but they are of opinion that to make any Rites or Ceremonies of Humane Institution necessary to Communion especially as is aforesaid to make them Terms of Separation from the rest of the Catholick Church is against God's Word but they are extricated out of this Difficulty by the last Clause of the 34th Article it being plain by long and pungent Experience that the Ordaining of such Rites and Ceremonies is not among the Things that have been done so edifying or if this should fail yet your said Oracle is express that the 39 Articles are required from no Layman a Licence for which no Occasional Conformist will thank him The Romanists by such Ordinance have indeed edified their Babel and from things not contrary have proceeded to ordain things destructive to Christianity and so in some Measure are all such Ordinances which differ as much from Religion as Christianity does from Priestcraft But to bring this Matter a little closer I hope to make it plain that not only the Occasional Conformist but the Presbyterian and the Independent are of the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion with the Church-man and not of opposite Principles and that nothing but gross Ignorance or a wilful blind Prejudice has kept Men of either Party from being convinc'd of this Truth And to make this evident I take leave to acquaint you with plain Matter of Fact You well know that in the late times the Assembly of Divines at Westminster as also the Kirk of Scotland agreed in a Catechism called the Assemblies shorter Catechism And this Catechism was also agreed to by the Synod of the Independent Divines met at the Savoy Now after the Restauration of King Charles the 2d and particularly some time before the Popish Plot a mighty Zeal appeared against that Catechism in the Men of your Party and if I mistake not this Catechism was publickly burnt at Oxford But it happened that one Mr. Thomas Adams formerly fellow of Brazen-Nose-Colledge in Oxford being convinc'd of the Truth of what I am endeavouring to prove he in the Year 1675 wrote a Discourse Entituled The Main Principles of Christian Religion in 107 short Articles or Aphorisms generally received as being proved from Scripture now further cleared and confirmed by the Consonant Doctrine Recorded in the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England under 4 Heads Of things to be Explained 1. Believed comprehended in the Creed 2. Done in the Ten Commandments 3. Practiced in the Gospel particularly two Sacraments 4. Prayed for in the Lord's Prayer Which Discourse was Licensed Sold well and received a Second Edition in 1677 which I have but alass it was at last discovered that the 107 Articles were the Answers to the 107 Questions of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism and that hated Book was thus disper'd under the Patronage of the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England And if you will please to peruse this Book I suppose you will need no other Proof that the Occasional Conformist Presbyterian Independent and the Church-man are not of opposite Principles but of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion and the Acceptation which that Discourse met with puts me in mind of a like Passage relating to the Sorbon to whom your Oracle above-mention'd desires that the Church of England may be united for when Abbas le Roy Publish'd a Discourse in France without naming the Author being a most Elegant and Pious Oration or Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ for obtaining the Grace of a perfect Conversion the
Reason of the Zeal of a certain Party therein and nor a Consciencious Regard to the Act of Uniformity is further Evident because Bowing at the Name of Jesus and toward the Altar tho' contrary to the Act of Uniformity but signifying an inclination towards Popery are as much practised and defended by that Party as any Ceremonies establish'd by that Law The Occasional Conformist therefore thinks himself bound in Conscience to make a Remarkable Difference in his Practise between the regard he shews to the Commandments of God and to the Inventions of Men especially when those Inventions are manifestly defended with the utmost Vigor to keep a Correspondence with France and Rome I might here name many Things which may be amended in the Church of England But I had rather Convince you that you are in a great Mistake when you affirm That there is no way to heal Divisions but by such a Bill as that against Occasional Conformity And because Her most Sacred and most Excellent Majesty is I trust raised up by Almighty God to perfect that Reformation both at Home and Abroad which was so much advanc'd by Her Predecessor Queen Elizabeth of Blessed Memory and because I take Her Reign to be a more proper Season for such a Work than that of the late King William tho' of Glorious Memory for Reasons easily Occurring to Men of Thought and some of which shall be hereafter mentioned I will venture to propose another Means to put an End to Faction to secure the Publick Peace in Church and State to remove the Causes of all our Fears and of all our Divisions which is worth Ten Thousand such Bills as that against Occasional Conformity and which the Promoters of that Bill cannot refuse to approve of if they be hearty Lovers of her Majesty and the Church of England It were easie to prove what has been before mentioned that the Primitive Rule of Reformation and the Rule universally used at the Reformation was That the Terms of Christian Communion ought to be only such as are found in the Scripture And perhaps in another Discourse the World may see a full Evidence That all the Mischiefs that have happen'd to the Christian Church have been occasioned by departing from that Principle and an account may be given of the gradual Growth of Priestcraft from the days of Diotrephes to the time of Cardinal Woolsey at least But before I mention the said Means of putting an End to Faction I will only observe that notwithstanding by Stat. 31. H. 8. c. 14. Transubstantiation Communion in one Kind Prohibition of Marriage to the Clergy Monkish Vows Private Masses and Auricular Confession are also Establish'd by Act of Parliament yet some time before viz. 25 H. 8. cap. 21. the King and Parliament did declare That they did not intend to decline or vary from the Congregation of Christ's Church in any thing concerning the very Articles of the Faith of Christendom or in any other things declared by Holy Scripture and the Word of God necâ—ssary for their Salvation and that this continued to be the Opinion even of the Popish Church of England appears from Stat. 1. Mar. Ses 2. c. 1. Wherein the Marriage of Queen Katherin to Henry the 8th is declared Lawful and all Sentences of Divorce between them Repealed And lest the Queen and Parliament should seem to enact any thing herein contrary to the aforesaid Principle It is thereby Enacted That the said Marriage had and solemnized between the Queen 's most Noble Father King Henry and her most Noble Mother Queen Katherine should be definitively clearly and absolutely declared deemed and adjudged to be and stand with God's Law and his most Holy Word So sensible were the Parliament in those times that God's Law and his most Holy Word ought to be the Rule of all things relating to Christian Religion And tho' an Act of Parliament will not make that stand with God's Law and his most Holy Word which does not stand therewith yet the Wisdom of the Nation at that time and the Wisdom of all Nations and of all Pretenders to Establish a Revealed Religion such as Numa Mahomet and others have thought it necessary to pretend Divine Authority for all Matters relating to Revealed Religion And had that seemed Good to the Governors of Church and State in Christian Countries which seemed Good to the Holy Ghost and the Apostles Elders or Presbyters and Brethren met in the first Council of the Christian Church at Jerusalem viz. To impose nothing but necessary things Had they taken the Prophet's Advice Isai 55.14 Take up the stumbling Block out of the Way of my People instead of forcing them to use it Popery had never risen but the Church had continued Pure to the Worlds end But this being premised I desire you to remember that when the Supremacy of the Pope was thrown off by the Church of England and the Crown restored to its Ancient Rights it was by Stat. 25. H. 8. c. 19. Enacted That the Convocation should be Assembled by the King's Writs and should not Enact any Constitutions or Ordinances without the King's Assent And it was further Enacted as follows And for as much as such Canons Constitutions and Ordinances as heretofore have been made by the Clergy of this Realm cannot now at the Session of this present Parliament by reason of shortness of Time be viewed examined and determined by the King's Highness and Thirty Two Persons to be chosen and appointed according to the Petition of the said Clergy in form above rehearsed Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority abovesaid That the King's Highness shall have Power and Authority to nominate and assign at his pleasure the said Two and Thirty Persons of his Subject whereof Sixteen to be of the Clergy and Sixteen to be of the Temporalty of the Upper and Nether House of the Parliament And if any of the said Two and Thirty Persons so chosen shall happen to die before their full Determination then His Highness to nominate other from time to time of the said Two Houses of the Parliament to supply the Number of the said Two and Thirty and that the same Two and Thirty by his Highness so to be named shall have Power and Authority to view search and examine the said Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial and Synodal heretofore made And such of them as the King's Highness and the said Two and Thirty or the more part of them shall deem an adjudge worthy to be continued kept obeyed and executed within this Realm so that the King 's most Royal Assent be first had to the same And the residue of the said Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial which the said King's Highness and the said Two and Thirty Persons or the more part of them shall not approve or deem and adjudge worthy to be abolish'd abrogate and made frustrate shall from thenceforth be void and of none effect and never be put in Execution within
the true Interest of their Native Countrey nor any Duty or Gratitude to Her Majesty I must beg further time for Consideration I must also take time for further Thought or desire further Information what those Truths are which in your Preface you say you do with Deference and Respect to the House of Lords and in a decent and respectful manner endeavour to Establish for as to your two main Pillars other Hands have sufficiently shewed that they are far from being Pillars of Truth I am also with great Submission much surprized to be told Page 6. that the same Arguments were made use of against this Bill which were formerly insisted on for Repealing all the Test-Laws whatsoever for many of the Great and Wise Men in the Kingdom and more especially in Shropshire Herefordshire and thereabouts do well remember that the way to Peace at Home was with much Eloquence declared to be by Repealing those Laws when to Repeal them was manifestly to serve a Popish Interest and with no less Assurance when the late Bill was promoted when the same End would have been served tho' by quite contrary Means so that one at least of those Arguments would have been very acceptable to me who have always thought that the Reasons for Repealing those Laws in a Popish Reign were of the same Size with those that are urged for rendring those Laws more strict and severe in the Reign of a Protestant Queen Concerning this Matter therefore Preface to Peace at Home there are some Mistakes and Misapprehensions I doubt that do still prevail with some Persons and seem to call for a further Explanation of it And perhaps that the same Arguments were used for both these Purposes would be as considerable a Truth if it were made out as any other of the Truths endeavoured to be establish'd by your Discourse But tho' I was against Repealing the Test in a Popish Reign I Publish'd some Reasons for Repealing some part of it in a Protestant Reign which I have added to this Letter No. 1. for your Consideration That the Bill affected only those particular Dissenters who thought fit to Conform for an Office but would not Conform for the Unity of the Church is another of your Truths which needs to be establish'd because on the contrary it seems to affect my Occasional Conformist or rather Occasional Dissenter nay to be principally levell'd at him who conforms meerly for the Unity of the Church and not for an Office who endeavours to preserve the Unity of the Catholick Church from being rent as often as a Whimsey shall take any Sett of Men to be adding their own Inventions to Christianity and then to call themselves the Church to make a parcel of Ceremonies Articles of Communion whereas the 39 Articles of the Church are not so if you believe your Oracle One Truth indeed you have taught us out of the Preamble of the intended Bill against Occasional Conformity viz. That nothing is more contrary to the Profession of the Christian Religion and particularly to the Doctrine of the Church of England than Persecution for Conscience sake only It was therefore it seems to be Enacted to this effect That whosoever being in a Publick Office would not join himself to the High Church Party so as never more to Communicate with any other part of the Christian World altho' he believed the Holy Catholick Churah and endeavoured to shew his Faith by his Works should forfeit his Office and a Fine of 100 l. to the Prosecutor c. Now if the Man did Communicate with other good Christians out of Conscience as is abovesaid would not this be Persecution for Conscience only And pray Sir was not the danger of Establishing the aforesaid Truth the true Reason why that Truth was left out of the Preamble in the Second Edition of that Bill And this Question I ask you with the greater Freedom tho' with great Submission because this Truth being once in the Preamble of that Bill is used by you as an Answer to the Objection That they who think the being present at a Meeting to be so high a Crime can hardly think that Toleration of such Meetings ought to continue which by Reason of the said Truth being in the said Preamble you argue to be an hard not to say unwarrantable and uncharitable Censure on the Representatives of the People I don't say Sir That going to a Meeting is now by the Toleration Act Establish'd or made part of our Constitution thereby But I say that if the Creed be part of our Constitution if the Articles of the Church be another part and the Meeting be within the Description of the said 19th Article going to it is Established both by Law and Gospel But I apply to your Questions which I am willing to take as the chief Points and to expect a good Issue not from the Weakness but Strength of the Reader 's Judgment First Whether it be consistent with the Safety of the Established Government either in Church or State with the Wisdom of the English Nation with the Practice of any Wise Government in the World or with the true Intent and Meaning of the Corporation and Test Acts to admit any Person whatsoever into Publick Offices and Imployments relating to the Government either in Countries or Corporations who are not sincere Members of the National Church and who do not heartily approve of the Laws of the Land and chearfully pay Obedience to them Secondly And whether it is better to have the Administration of Publick Affairs in the Hands of Persons of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion or to have a mixture and confusion of Men of opposite Principles in one and the same Administration or in other words whether it is better to have all the Publick Officers draw together the same way for the Publick Good or to have some drawing one way and some another and thereby tearing the Government between them in pieces That is in short and in effect whether it is fit that the Corporation and Test Acts should be Enforced or Repealed Now that I may keep to the Subject Matter of the Debate I must take leave to divide these Questions into several Heads because they seem to me too perplex'd as they are stated and therefore seeing the Subject Matter is Occasional Conformity or Occasional Nonconformity First Let us consider whether the Occasional Conformist or rather the Occasional Dissenter be not a sincere Member of the National Church who heartily approves of the Laws of the Land and chearfully pays Obedience to them and whether he and the Churchman be of opposite Principles or of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion Secondly Whether if the Occasional Bill had passed it had secured the Government from such who are not sincere Members of the National Church nor heartily approve of the Laws of the Land nor chearfully pay Obedience to them but are of opposite Principles and not
fulsom word Schism If they did not gather separate Congregations and set them up in Opposition to the Church they would be no Dissenters notwithstanding their different Sentiments as to the Points before mention'd for there are those in the Communion of the Church who may differ in Opinion about those things and may Reason and Argue them over with one another without any Breach of Charity or of the Unity of the Church which requires not that all Men should be exactly of the same Opinion in Matters of Discipline nor nof Faith but of one Communion this preserves the Unity of the Church Well said Wolf when you speak of the Church do but mean the Church in your Creed and fare-wel the Occasional Conformist for he does none of those ill things you complain of but is Sir Humphrey your very humble Servant and very fit for an Office Page 80. Occasional Conformity has no ill Consequence and is far from inferring of no Church and no Religion at all I acknowledge with that Author that setling the true Notion of the Church and the Priesthood as Instituted by Christ is really of Consequence and therefore in that little Discourse Entituled Catholocism without Popery I did earnestly request that it might be done for the Reasons therein mentioned Page 4.5 6. And there is the more Reason to desire it because else 't is hard to judge who are of opposite Principles and not of one and the same Perswasion in Matters of Religion especially since the aforesaid Oracle alias High Church Wolf tells us that the 39 Articles are not so much as Articles of Communion Page 16. far less of Faith He tells us that they are required from no Lay-men or any other but the Clergy who are in Office That there may be an Uniformity in the Doctrine publickly Preach'd So then Uniformity in Matters that are neither Matters of Faith nor Communion Constitutes the Church or is the Church-man then the Hypocrite instead of the Occasional Conformist being obliged to Subscribe and Preach a Doctrine in the Name of God which he does not believe and are the Ceremonies and Humane Additions more considerable in the Constitution of the Church than the 39 Articles But in truth this Matter ought to be search'd to the bottom and I am led to it by the same Author who in the beginning of that Discourse observes that there is a Mistake about the word Moderation for that it appears by the Context Page 1. the Original Word means a Patient and chearful Suffering of Afflictions So that instead of 4. Phil. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men being a Text against Persecution it seems 't is a Text that supposes Persecution I must say that I never met with any Body that argued Indifferency as to Religion from that Text but surely 't is violently screw'd to make it favour Persecution Page 1. But 't is observed that this word is found but once in all our Bible and the word Clergy is found no oftner Page 2. and yet what work have we about that Word Laymen are not obliged to the Articles of the Church but only the Clergy who are in Office but how if the Laymen be the Clergy that is I mean God's Clergy or Inheritance for the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at least in that Sense is found no where in the Bible but 1 Pet. 5.3 where St. Peter having styl'd himself a fellow Presbyter exhorts the Presbyters to their Duty to feed the Flock of God which was among them as Bishops thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Clergy which we read Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock Now this Epistle being Written about the Year of our Lord 64 't is remarkable that he who was an Apostle and a Partaker of the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost above 30 Years before calls himself a fellow Presbyter which for some Reason or other our Translation reads an Elder and Exhorts the Presbyters which we read Elders to Episcopize which we read taking the over-sight But the thing which I would here observe is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the late Learned Scholiast Gregory reads it out of Oecumenius is not the Priests but the People however the Priests afterwards came to engross the Name One thing I would therefore desire of the Priests that they would let us in again for a Share at least and not believe that they only are God's Clergy or Inheritance I wou'd also intreat them that they would not be the Church because tho' that word is used in the New Testament about one hundred times yet it is not once used for the Ministers without the People I know 't is pretended that the Gospel of St. Matthew where the word is twice found but no where else in any of the four Evangelists it must signifie the Ministers but not to enter now into that Controversie 't is strange that in the other 99 Places it should signifie no such thing and therefore since the People are 99 parts at least of the Church I would not have the Priests pass for the Church and if these two things be granted me I fancy we shall by and by come into a fair way of delivering the World from that Controversie about Episcopal and Presbyterian Government But I can't here omit to give you a short hint of what may perhahs be more fully discours'd elsewhere The Apostle Paul 2 Thes 2.3 Tells us that the Day of Judgment should not come till there had been an Apostacy or falling away and that Man of Sin be revealed and so goes on describing the Papacy most accurately But I must own that till I read Irenaeus that best piece of Primitive Christianity I never understood the meaning of that Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that Primitive Father acquaints us that the Primitive Hereticks of whom Simon Magus was the Father Lib. 1. Cap. 30. invented a new sort of God's called Aeons of whom they imagin'd originally but four Lib. 1. Cap. 1. but were still adding new ones Lib. 2. Cap. 22. till they came to be 4380 according to the number of the hours of the Days of the Year and to carry on this Generation they began betimes to couple their Aeons as Man and Wife and one of the first couple wore Anthropos and Ecclesia Lib 1. Cap. 34. Vera Sanct Ecclesia so they called this same Goddess the Wife of Anthropos And his Anthropos they held to be above God Irenaeus Page 54 which exactly agrees with the Anthropus mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the aforecited Place And hence also we may gather who that Whore is that we read of in the Revelations even this same Wife of Anthropos which seems to me to be the Reason why in that whole Book after the third Chapter you never meet with
the word Church till after the end of the Prophecy and this perhaps is also the Reason why the Reformed Christian Church of the latter Days is called the Bride the Lamb's Wife A Bride in opposition to the Whore and the Bride the Lamb's Wife in opposition to the Wife of Anthropos But this by the way only observe that Simon Magus the Father of these Aeons was if you believe Baronius fetch'd down out of the Air by St. Peter's Prayers at Rome Anno 45 about 4 Years before St. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Thessalonians And take notice also that Irenaeus in his 33 d. Chapter of his first Book observes that Ignorance and Impudence False Zeal Fury Envy and Lust were said to be born about the same time with this same blessed couple Now Sir you must excuse me if I have no kindness for any of the Off-spring of these Folk and if I find any thing put upon me as part of Revealed Religion which appears to be begot by Anthropos on Ecclesia and if you or the Men of your Party Write as many Books as would fill the Tower of Babel in behalf of such things I shall still remember such Texts as these to the Law and to the Testimony If they speak not according to this Rule 't is because there is no Light in them 8 Is 20. Thus it is written c. I must always say of the Christianity contained in the Writings of the Sacred Penman as Josephus says of the Writings of Moses Every thing that they wrote is yet extant and we must take it as they left it Joseph Page 92. without any room for Ornament or Variation And it was by this Principle which runs throughout his whole Work that Irenaeus routed all the Hereticks and all their Army of Aeons except this couple who have plagued do plague and will plague the World till the total downfal of Antichrist for as your aforesaid Oracle in his New Association Page 2. Page 17. observes when once we leave the Institutions of God there is no stop and our Imagination is our only Rule Magna est veritas prevalebi◠But 't is high time Sir to stop least after all you should think that I here condemn the Church of England as by Law Establish'd against which I don't say one word the late designed Act not being past For I do declare I take no Church to be a Whore unless she be guilty of Idolatry for that is Spiritual Adultery in Scripture Language I could wish that none but the Great Whore were concerned with Anthropos but some Churches that are not Whores are a little guilty of Jilting now and then and are too apt to Paint and to take some parts of the Attire of an Harlot tho' they are not so and therefore I wish all honest Churches would consider what it is that will be done when it shall be said that the Marriage of the Lamb is come 19 Rev. 7. and his Wife hath made her self ready The Case of the Regale makes the only considerable Matter in Controversie between the Church and Dissenters to be Episcopacy all other Matters being easily accommodated that Episcopacy was the Heir which they said come let us kill him that the Inheritance may be ours Page 248 that he takes Episcopacy to be no indifferent thing but Instituted by Christ and confirmed by the constant Practice of the Vniversal Church of Christ in all Ages Page 254. And yet in the Shape of a Wolf Page 27. He falls very fiercely upon his Brother Wolf of Rome and calls the Pope the Grand Schismatick and why e'en because Catholick Communion is broke by the Church of Rome in the Usurpation of her Bishops over all the rest of his Fellow Bishops and confining the Catholick Church to his own Communion then it seems that is Schism in the Pope which would have been Establishing Peace and Unity and Setling our Constitution upon a sure and lasting Foundation if done by the Occasional Bill Peace at Home Page 12. But if the Pope be in the wrong what is this Episcopacy that is of Divine Right And what is a Diocess and what Texts are there that prove an Equality among Bishops which do not also prove Presbyters to be Bishops St. Peter we just now read was a Fellow Presbyter and would never have Exhorted Presbyters to act the Bishop if he had known that Presbyters and Bishops differed in Order Jure Divino Nor would St. John who Wrote his Gospel about the Year 98 about 65 Years after he had received the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost and after he came out of the boyling Oil have omitted so necessary a Matter nor would he in his 2 d. and 3 d. Epistles just before his Death have misled the Church by calling himself the Presbyter which is the first word in both those Epistles especially in his Third Epistle in which he complains of Diotrephes who lov'd the Preheminence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of Prelacy for not receiving him and for casting the Brethren out of the Church He would have been careful to have used the Stile of a Higher Order nay 't is plain he did not think it a Disparagement to the surviving Apostle of Jesus Christ to be styled a Presbyter but hitherto the Church of Christ remained a pure Virgin Hegesippus in Eus l. 3. c. 32. and Anthropos had not prevailed to introduce his Spouse in her stead This Parity appears from divers Places in Irenaeus in the second Century and the well known Place in St. Hierom the Confession of Binius in 1 Can. Apost is remarkable that the Names of Bishop and Presbyter were promiscuously used and not distinguish'd for above 200 Years I will add the words of the Learned Hales in his Discourse of Schism They deceive themselves and others who would perswade us that Bishops by the Institution of Christ have any Superiority above other Men except that which requires Reverence or That a Bishop is Superior by any other Law than Positivo and by the common Consent of Christians Do I then Sir Humphrey say any thing against the Constition of the Church of England not at all Jure Positivo The Priests and People are Governed by the Queen the Laws are made by Queen Lords and Commons there are as many Lord Lieutenants as Counties and Bishops as Diocesses and Archbishops as Provinces there are among the People Dukes Marquesses c. and among the Ministers Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends c. But for God's sake what Texts do you quote for the Jus Divinum either of the Monarchy limitted by our Laws and all the Subordinate Officers in the English Form of Government tho' the best in the World or for the Hierarchy of the Church of England with all its Subordinate Officers as described by Dr. Cousius in his Ecclesiae Anglicanae Politica Reprint that Book and let us have the Scriptures proving the Constitution Jure Divino in the next Edition
Publick church-Church-Communion since we can read the Gospel at home for I am really a Friend to the Apostle's Creed and believe the Communion of Saints which is an Article founded on express Scripture as well as the other Articles of that Creed and which must be had by joining to some Church or Congregation such as is described in the 19th Article of the Church of England But indeed if you speak of National or Provincial Churches which distinguish themselves by their own or other Mens Inventions I am of the Mind of Diogenes who would not be a Citizen of Athens because they required some separating Ceremonies whereas He took himself to be a Citizen of the World A Passage which the Pious and Ingenious Mr. Burscough in his late Discourse of Schism has Cited but whether to this Purpose let the World Judge I will not for the same Reason confine my Communion to any such Party because I am a Member of the catholick-Catholick-Church But for Ordinary Communion certainly every Christian ought to be a Member of some Congregation if he can so be and that which Consists of his Neighbours is most Agreeable to the Ends of Christian Communion And then as to Church Officers the Bible is Plain the Epistles of the Apostles Paul are full of Evidence for Bishops Presbyters and Deacons He left Tinus in Creet to Ordain Presbyters in every City Tit. 5. and 4.4 Eph. 11. He tells us that our Saviour gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints c. The Words are all Masculine and no Place Mentions a she Apostle or Evangelist But here let the Clergy observe the Consequence of pretending to Unscriptural Rights jure Divino which drives Men to Question whether they have any at all But let that Author and all Men know that the Ministers of the Gospel are Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presidents Persons that Preside or as it is rendred are over the Church in the Lord 1 Thess 5.1.2 We read 1 Tim. 5.17 of Elders that Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' Presiding Presbyters a Passage one would think inconsistent with the Presbyterian Government as Opposed by the Episcopal For I know no better Description of a Bishop then a Presiding Presbyter and yet a Passage that hath been tortured to Prove Lay-Elders and to make that Government Jure Divino Indeed I know no Text so much relyed on except perhaps that 1 Tim. 4. 14. Timothy's Gift was given Him by laying on of the Hands of the Presbyters which Place the Learned Calvin himself quits as proving no such Matter Besides 't is Plain that St. Paul's Hands were laid on him too 2 Tim. 1.6 And I cannot but Observe that this Passage in this Second Epistle which was Written about Eleven Years after the First seems to fall from that inspired Writer to prevent the Mistake that Men might be led into by that other Text in the first Epistle and at the same time Insinuate that in Ordination the Bishop and Presbyters where a Church has both do best together so the same Apostle in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians Explains some Passages in his first as also some Things in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians that occasioned Mistakes are set right in the Second On the other Side 't is strange to see the Jus Divinum of Prelatical Government is founded by some on Passages that make most Strongly against it of which I shall Content my self at Present with one Instane Acts 20. 17. St. Paul from Miletus sent to Ephesius and called the Presbyters of the Church who v. 28. He says were made Bishops by the Holy Ghost this is a Place much relied on against the Difference of Order But Mr. Maurice in his Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy endeavouring to Enervate Mr. Clarkson's Argument from that Passage Quotes Ireneus L. 3. Cap. 14. Who he says being Born in the End of the First Century might have Notices from Tradition of more of St. Paul's Visitation than is Recorded by St. Luke and tells us that St. Paul having called together the Bishops and Presbyters of Ephesus and the other Neighbouring Cities c. The Text is the Presbyters Irenaeus says Bishops and Presbyters and Paul tells them that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops Now let the Reason of Mankind Judge whether this Passage of Irenaeus be not much Stronger against Diocesan Episcopacy as it Imports a Difference of Order than the Text it self for some Prelates have endeavour'd to avoid the force of that Text by affirming that those Presbyters were all Bishops But if Irenaeus be in the right both the Bishops and Presbyters were Bishops of the Holy Ghosts making i. e. Jure Divino It seems the Apostles Rule 1 Pet. 5.5 was observed then which was about Twelve Years before that Epistle was Written viz. The Younger Presbyters did submit themselves unto the Elder tho' at the same time they were all Subject one to another and were cloathed with Humility And that this Ancient Father knew no other Difference will appear to the Impartial Reader who will consult these Passages Lib. 4. Cap. 43. Cap. 44. Cap. 52. Cap. 63. Lib. 5. Pag. 299. 322. Surely Mr. Maurice had as good let that Father alone and have wholly slid away from the Objection as he does in another Place for Mr. Clarkson making it his great Argument against Diocesan Episcopacy that it was wholly Impracticable supposing the Bishop the sole Pastor of the Diocess consisting of many Churches Pag. 226. and proving it irrefragably from Reason and the Testimony of Chrysostom and others and having mentioned Gregory Orat. 20. who Applauds the Multiplying of Bishopricks as an Excellent Art Souls being hereby better lookt after he Observes that others would have this less regarded and the Bishops Honour more Now what does Mr. Maurice say to all this why in Truth just nothing at all St. Chrysostom says that a Bishop at the Peril of his Soul is to take exact Notice of the Spiritual State of all under his Charge and constantly to perform all Pastoral Duties to the whole Flock he had need of many Thousand Eyes to look into the State of every Soul under him which of them can Digest bitter Remedies and who for want of them grow Careless Tho' he Order his own Life well if he does not exactly take Care of thee and of all that are under him to Hell he goes with the Wicked And in another Place it is very Burdensom to have the Charge of 150 Souls Now what is to be done These Matters are Plain If a Bishop be the sole Pastor of 500000 and some of them live 3000 Miles from the Bishops Pallace as for the Purpose the distance of the West-Indies from Fulham how is Chrysostom to be answered Why even by denying what he says Bishops says Mr.
Catholicism WITHOUT POPERY AN ESSAY To Render the Church of ENGLAND A Means and a Pattern of UNION TO THE Christian World LONDON Printed for I. Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry 1699. Advertisement THE Reader is desired to take Notice of Two Things 1. That this Discourse is not Written by the Direction Assistance or Advice of any Person or Party whatsoever nor with the Privity of any in Authority but is the meer and only Result of the Author 's own Thoughts who makes it his Request that the Reader wou'd forget that it has an Author and take it as if it were produc'd by the casual falling together of the Letters of the Alphabet it being too common a thing for Men to slight Truth if they approve not of him that utters it and to indulge Error if recommended by the Author's Name And yet at the same time let the Reader be assur'd that the Author is not afraid that the World should know what he earnestly desires may be conceal'd for the Reason aforesaid 2. That for the same Reason divers Passages are made use of therein without referring to the Books whence they are taken there being in so learned an Age no great danger of Plagearism and in so divided and contentious an Age too much danger of the abovesaid Inconvenience THE PREFACE Christian Reader THE Substance of the following Discourse was Written above eight Years since and Presented in Manuscript to Her Late Majesty of ever Blessed Memory But Wars abroad made it unseasonable to attempt Peace in the Churches while the States of Europe were so hotly engag'd and had the Church of England render'd it self a Pattern of Peace yet the Nations about us were not at leisure to observe that Pattern The Divine Power Wisdom and Goodness assisting the Best of Kings hath Restor'd Peace to the Nations of Christendom among themselves And why may not Peace among the Churches of Christendom be expected by the same Means And because the Design of the following Discourse is to attempt it first at Home yet with an Eye to the Peace of the Christian World I will look back on the Past Age and consider the Cause of our Divisions both in Church and State Two Controversies have miserably divided this Nation for more than one Century I mean the Controversie between the Prerogative of the King and the Liberty of the Subject and the Controversie between a Strict Vniformity in Matters of Religion and a Lawless Liberty of Conscience And our Enemies of the Roman Communion have ever since the Reformation industriously kept alive both these Controversies in order to reduce us to our former Bondage to Rome They took the side of Prerogative and Strict Conformity till they had set these Kingdoms in a flame and broke in pieces the English Government both in Church and State They us'd the Pretence of Loyalty to Murder the Poor Protestants of Ireland and of Vniformity to drive many excellent Men out of the Church And when they had ruin'd Prerogative and the English Church by appearing for them They then fell in for Anarchy in the State and an extravagant Liberty of Conscience in the Church and broke us into Numberless Parties and Sects And while their Emissaries wrought diligently to build a sort of Babel among us they cast the Reproach thereof on the Protestant Religion Again when the Nation grew weary of Anarchy of changing Governments every Moon and springing new Churches almost as often and found a necessity of Restoring the English Constitution they returned to their old Methods of straining the Prerogative and destroying both our Civil and Religious Liberties by Arbitrary Power and on that side of the Controversie they continued till the late Happy Revolution They knew though we were forbid to say that both the late Kings were in their Interest and that the Prerogative would be certainly on their side that the Dispensing Power render'd all Laws already made against them useless and would consequently restore Popery by our Celebrated Magna Charta They knew that Modelling Corporations wou'd destroy Legislation for the time to come by making Parliaments like those in France Tools and Vassals to the Crown as the Council of Trent was to the Pope Thus Humane Wisdom seem'd to Promise them all Imaginable Success for the Church-Party being secur'd by the Doctrines of Passive-Obedience and Non-Resistance misunderstood the Dissenters Caress'd with an Illegal Toleration and the Papists among us Vnited to destroy us we were like Isaac bound and laid on the Altar had not our good Angel in the very Act of Sacrificing staid the Knife I do but touch these things as being Foreign to the Design of the Following Discourse yet I can't pass them without observing that Solid and Lasting Settlement both of Religion and Civil Liberty which we owe to His Majesty Two things the Nation had learn'd by sad Experience 1. By the Confusions and Distractions of the late Times they learn'd that a Common-Wealth would never do in England for though for a season that Government made a Figure in the World it soon dwindled into a single Person under another Name and at his Death consum'd away in Anarchy 2. By the late Reigns the Nation had learn'd that Arbitrary Power would never do in England though affected and attempted with all possible Application in both those Reigns What then could Humane Wisdom think fit to be done upon the Late Revolution but to settle and establish the English Government on its Ancient and Solid Foundations The most Renowned Politician observes That those Kingdoms and Governments stand longest that are oft renewed and brought back to their first Beginnings And though in the last Age we could not attain it we are now blest with the Old English Constitution The English Government exceeds all others in the World being a just Mixture of the Three Forms of Government Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy Monarchy justly boasts its Vnion Aristocracy its Grandeur and Democracy its Liberty Now the English Government has all the Advantages of these Governments without the Disadvantages of any it has Monarchy without Arbitrary Power Aristocracy without Faction and Democracy without Anarchy and hence we are blest with King Lords and Commons The Just Prerogative is Establish d the Invaded Liberties of the Kingdom are restor'd and the Incroachments of the Late Reigns condemn'd by Act of Parliament So that there is an end of the Controversie between the Prerogative of the King and the Liberty of the Subject and nothing but the most incurable Infidelity can be Proof against that Evidence of His Majesty's Love to the English Liberty which He hath given by permitting an Election for Parliament during his Absence and passing the Bill for Disbanding the Army The Controversie between a strict Settlement and a Boundless Liberty in Matters of Religion is also in some good measure compromised we have now no Spanish Inquisition to force Mens Faith and Consciences into the same Mould which is
Heads and to make it obnoxious to the Romanists for its Invisibility And hence upon the Happy Revolution it was a Question between a very Eminent and Learned Prelate Vox Cleri P. 68. and the Prolocutor of the late Convocation What it was that distinguish'd the Church of England from other Protestant Churches The Bishop rightly affirming That the Church of England is an Equivocal Expression and was not distinguished from other Protestant Churches but by its Hierarchy and Revenues And the Prolocutor asserting That the Church of England was distinguished by its Doctrine as it stands in the Articles Liturgy and Homilies as well as by its Hierarchy And although since His Majestys happy Accession to the Throne His Pious and Princely Care of the Church hath fill'd the Archi-Episcopal and Episcopal Seats with Men of Consummate Piety Learning and Moderation whereby and by giving the Royal Assent to the Act for Indulgence He hath been our Deliverer from Tyranny in the Church as well as in the State yet it cannot be forgotten how during the Prevalency of the High Church Party in the late Reigns not Kneeling at the Sacrament not Baptizing with the Cross Hearing in Congregations which are Churches of Christ within the Definition given by the Articles of the Church were Prosecuted with the greatest Violence and Men cast out of the Church for those Reasons while Men of the most Profligate Lives Swore D n them they were for the Church of England and were admitted to the Sacrament without reserve That great Numbers of the sober Serious Subjects of England were kept out from that which was called the Church for Conscience sake and all the Prophane and Vicious let in that were willing to enter That those things that would make a Man Holy on Earth and prepare for Heaven yet would not let him into the Church and that he might be a beloved Member thereof who was not fit to live on the Earth and made most visible haste to the Devil These and the like considerations made me wonder that no Man had concerned himself to tell us plainly What the Church of England is And since the Cant of that Party is still The Church the Church I will like an Honest Lay-Christian that is not any way infected with Priest-Craft return a short Answer to the Question which may be at least of use to put some Body upon explaining it better The Articles of the Church to which all the Clergy have Subscribed and to most of which since His Majesty's happy Accession to the Throne the Dissenting Ministers have also subscrib'd expresly Teach us That the Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithful Men Article XIX in which the Pure Word of God is Preached and the Sacraments be duly Ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same Now whether this Description be meant of the Universal Church or of a single Congregation 't is thence an easie Conclusion That the Church of England is that Part of the Universal Church which is Compos'd of all the Congregations of Faithful Men in England in which the Pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly Ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And if this Description be allowed 't is impossible to exclude the Presbyterian Independant and Antipaedobaptist Churches from being Part of the Church of England Of the Antipaedobaptist may be the greatest doubt because they deny Infants to be capable Subjects of Baptism but nevertheless that Error excludes them not out of this Description for to the Subjects they allow to be capable and of which their whole Communion consists the Sacraments are duly Administred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same It is therefore a wonderful thing to hear Men on one side loudly declare in the Presence of God and the Congregation That they Believe the Holy Catholick Church and yet calling their Brethren that go under those several Denominations Phanaticks Hypocrites and other odious Names and Excommunicating them out of the Church And it is no less wonderful on the other side to hear some under those several Denominations accusing those that conform to the Establisht Ceremonies with Antichristianism and denying the Church of England to be a True Church when they themselves have Subscribed to that very Article and Five or Six and Thirty more of their Thirty Nine and are really Part of the same Church And this one Consideration Justifies the Practice of those who condemn the Imposition of unnecessary things by Communicating with the Moderate Dissenters and condemn the Separating Censorious and Schismatical Humour wherever sound amongst the Dissenters by Communicating with the Conformable Part of the Church And indeed it seems to be little considered by the Generality of Protestants how great the Agreement is between all the said Parties They have the same Rules of Faith Manners and Devotion for they own the same Scripture to be of Divine Authority and a perfect Rule of Faith and Life the same Creeds are Profest by them all the same Ten Commandments are acknowledged by them all as the Divine Law and they agree to our Saviours Exposition thereof and to all the Precepts and the Ordinances and Sacraments of the Christian Religion they have the same Object of Worship the same Mediator the Inspiration of the same Holy Spirit they have the same Objects of their Hopes and Fears they fly from the same Wrath and expect the same Glory Again these several Parties do condemn the Twelve new Articles of the Roman Faith all the Idolatries of the Mass Image-Worship Praying to Saints and Angels and for the Dead Monkery 1 Tim. 4.1 2. with all the Doctrines of Demons invented by the Hypocrisy of those Lyars nor do any of them retain any thing substantial in Doctrine or Practice introduc'd by the Apostacy of the Latter Times The Disagreement among them lies only about Imposing and Refusing Circumstances of Worship Observation of Days the Use of Habits and Gestures of Forms and Ceremonies and Unscriptural Forms of Church-Government and about Subscriptions and Oaths and Laws made to enforce Mens own Inventions All which I shall briefly touch when I have in the following Propositions endeavour'd to shew what are the true Terms of Union for the whole Christian World and how all the above-mention'd Parties may enjoy this their Unity in the Church of England When our Saviour condemn'd the Jewish Divorce he grounded his Sentence upon this Foundation From the Beginning it was not so and to discover the true Terms of Christian Unity we must look back to the Rise of Christian Religion CHRISTIANITY came into this World Pure and Free without the Jewish Yoak of beggarly Elements without the Heathen Niceties of painful Rights and Ceremonies It taught to Worship God in Spirit and Truth bound Men to no
Lay-Chancellor according to the good Example of Sylvanus of old who would find fault And the Legislators would soon think of giving their Courts a Civil Process instead of their horridly abused Spiritual Weapon Excommunication Were the Presbyter restor'd to his Just Right we might soon see some good Effect of Discipline which can never be exercised to any purpose till Parish-Communion be made more pure and the Pastor's Power be restor'd One Physician may as well take the Charge of all the Bodies in London as one Bishop of their Souls and the Congregations that are gather'd from the several parts of great Cities cann't have the personal Inspection nor ready Access to the Pastoral Help nor enjoy the Advantage of that Article of the Creed Communion of Saints which ought to be provided for in a well Disciplin'd Church And this is what my Soul longs for and not without hope For he that will impartially consider the late Writings for Episcopacy particularly those of Doctor Maurice and Doctor Scot and the Writings against it particularly of Mr. Baxter and Mr. Clerk son will as I conceive find these things true First That the Roman and English Prelacy as now Exercised are wholly dropt in the Scuffle and no Foundation found for either in Scripture or Primitive Antiquity Secondly That Independency if it be meant only of the Relation between a Pastor and his Flock and his Independent Right of Exercising the Power of the Keys over them it is plainly Jure Divino but if taken in a Sense excluding National Churches taking away all the common ordinary Means of Communion among Christian Congregations and leaving the Power of Ordination and Admission to the Lord's Supper in the People hath as little Foundation in Scripture or Antiquity Thirdly That Councils are for Advice not Legislation for Concord not Domination and have no Power to make Laws for the Universal Church They can no more Alter or add to the Laws of Christ than the Jewish Priests could Add to or Alter the Laws of Moses And as there never was so there never can be a General Council and that a Visible Head of the Universal Church on Earth Monarchical or Aristocratical is a meer Chinera never design'd by GOD nor of Use to Men. Fourthly That the Episcopacy which within a certain compass of Ground provides a Person chosen by the Presbytery to a Superintendency to preside in Conventions of the Clergy within his Precinct or Diocess to be consulted and principally join in the Ordination and Confirmation of Persons who desire to be admitted to the Lord's Supper to be advised with by every Presbyter within his Precinct where any Difficulties arise concerning the Exercise of the Keys but which destroy not the Power of the Presbyter nor the Primitive Church Species has good warrant in Scripture Antiquity Reason and the Nature of the thing I say chosen by the Presbytery For even Mr. Dodwel that unaccountable Bigot to Prelacy acknowledges that Bishops were first made by Election Fifthly Episcopacy thus stated is Jure Divino as all things aagreeable to right Reason are Jure Divino that is to say Reason teaches such Things without Revelation and if Reason had not been sufficient to this End he that spent Fourty Days on Earth after his Resurrection instructing his Apostles in the Things concerning the Kingdom of God would not have Omitted to direct them herein He that was faithful only as a servant gave Rules for every Pin in the Tabernacle Hebr. 3.5 and the very Colour of the Ribbons used by the Priests And our Lord who was Faithful as a Son over his own House would not have Omitted a Matter of such Importance So when Christ had Instituted the Office of Presbyters or Bishops and the Apostle given an Account of and Instructions for their Office there was no need to Institute the Method of their Concord which right Reason taught Men of all sorts of Learning as Philosophers Physicians c. Again Presbytery if it mean only an Equality of Gospel Ministers by the Institution of Christ it is Jure Divino as plain as Words can make it if it be meant the Form of Government so diversify'd as is usually meant by that Word it is not Jure Divino having no Reveal'd Institution And Reason taught all the Christian Church to appoint a President Bishop for Life and nothing but the Rise of Popish Prelacy could make the other Method seem Reasonable and Calvin himself as I take it fell into it out of Necessity and not out of Choice But surely this Part of Church Government is no more determin'd by Revelation than the Form of Civil Government Sixthly While under the Notion of CHVRCH GOVERNMENT the Clergy encroach on the Prerogative of the Civil Power whether it be in an Episcopal or Presbyterian Form neither God nor His Majesty will have the Obedience paid them which is due and the only way to support both Civil and Ecclesiastical Government is to keep them entirely distinct and unconfounded to give to Caesar the Things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods To own the Divine as the Vicegerent of Christ in his Prophetical and Priestly and the Civil Magistrate as his Vicegerent in his Kingly Office Particularly the Civil Power is to appoint the Bounds of Bishopricks and so is the Twelfth Theses of that clear headed and accurately Learn'd Dr. Isaac Barrow By the Laws of God and according to Ancient Practice Princes may Model the Bounds of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Erect Bishopricks Enlarge Diminish or Transfer them as they please Thus he where by Princes he necessarily intends the Legislative Power where-ever 't is placed by the Respective Constitution of Christian Kingdoms Seventhly Were these things well consider'd the Controversie between the Episcopal and Presbyterian would be certainly reconcil'd and even the Independent and Antipoedobaptist would probably be folded if the Terms of Union which the Church prescribes did not keep them out Which will come next to be consider'd after I have premised the few following short Propositions First Proposition When God bringing his First-begotten into the World commanded all his Angels to Worship him Hebr. 1.6 Luke 2.14 their Song was Glory to God on High on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men But while Christians have join'd with the Heavenly Host in the First Clause of that Song they have neglected the two other Parts thereof and for want of Peace on Earth the former and latter Clauses have made us yet but little Harmony Second Proposition The Eternal Father hath called himself The God of Peace Rom. 15.33 the Blessed Jesus is The Prince of Peace Rom. 16.20 the great Legacy which he left behind Him Isai 9.6 was His Peace and The Gospel of Peace John 14.27 is the great Instrument of Erecting that Kingdom of which Peace is one of the greatest Glories Till God give his People the Blessing of Peace we can't expect that Happy Time
delivered to Pope Julius with the Exposition of the Apostles Creed written by the Latine Doctors The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds were further Explications of this Creed in Opposition to Arrius who struck at the very Foundation even the Godhead of Christ And the Second Councill of Constantinople enlarged the Nicene Creed in the Article that concern'd the Holy Ghost in Opposition to Macedonius who denied the Godhead and Personality of the Holy Ghost and in the Articles concerning the Catholick Church and the Privileges belonging thereunto and when the Roman Church after the Days of Charles the Great had added the Article of the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son in Opposition to the Greek Church the Council of Trent it self hath recommended it to us Council Tredend Ses 3. As that Principle in which all that Profess the Faith of Christ do necessarily agree and the firm and only Foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail Thus out of their own Mouths may we judge those pretended Servants of our Saviour His Blessed Promise hath been perform'd to a Tittle his Church hath been preserved in spight of the Gates of Hell and the Rock hath been like the Foundations of the Earth unshaken by all Assaults of Hell of all that are there already and all that are hastning thither And it is to me a most Important Observation which is made by that Prophet and Apostle of this Latter Age Archbishop Vsher Usher's Sermon June 20. 1624. pag. 27. That whatsoever the Father of Lyes either hath Attempted or shall Attempt yet hath he neither hitherto Effected nor shall ever bring to pass hereafter that this Catholick Doctrine ratified by the common Assent of Christians always and every where should be Abolish'd but that in the thickest Mist rather of the most perplexing Troubles it still obtained Victory both in the Minds and in the open Confession of all Christians no ways overturn'd in the Foundation thereof and that in this Verity that one Church of CHRIST was preserv'd in the midst of the Tempest of the most cruel Winter or in the thickest Darkness of her Wainings And he further adds that if at this Day we should take a Survey of the several Professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any Part of the World as of the Religion of the Roman and of the Reform'd Churches in our Quarters of the Ethiopians and Egyptians in the South of the Grecians and other Christians in the Eastern Parts and should put by the Points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one Body the rest of the Articles wherein they all agree we should find that in those Propositions which without all Controversy are Universally received in the whole Christian World so much Truth is contain'd as being join'd with Holy Obedience may be sufficient to bring a Man to everlasting Salvation neither have we cause to doubt but that as many as do walk according to this Rule neither overthrowing that which they have builded by super inducing any Damnable Heresies thereupon nor otherwise Viciating their holy Faith with a lewd and wicked Conversation Peace shall be upon them and Mercy and upon the Israel of GOD. This is a Consideration of the greatest Weight and discovers the Foundation of Christian Vnity and of the Peace of the Universal Church And even J. W. in his Contest with the Right Reverend and Learned Doctor Stilling fleet Stilling Answ to sev Treatises 68.70 now Lord Bishop of Worcester proves the Vnity of the Roman Church by this Argument All those who Assent unto the Ancient Creeds are Undivided in Matters of Faith But all Roman Catholicks Assent unto the Ancient Creeds Ergo all Roman Catholicks are Undivided in Matters of Faith These says the Doctor are the most Healing Principles that have yet been thought of Fye for shame why should we and they of the Church of Rome quarrel thus long We are well agreed in all Matters of Faith which saith he I shall demonstratively prove from the Argument of J. W. drawn from his two last Propositions All who Assent to the Ancient Creeds are Undivided in Matters of Faith But both Papists and Protestants do Assent unto the Ancient Creeds Ergo They are Undivided in Matters of Faith and though this way of Arguing was only Ad hominem it is great Pity that the Major Proposition of the last Syllogism was not pronounced out of the Infallible Chair But certain it is That the Papists notwithstanding their great Boast of Vnity are much more Divided within themselves than any Protestants from each other for the Rent goes through the main Foundation of their Faith Their Church's INFALLIBILITY For where to place it they can by no means agree but as among that Party which calls it self the Church of England though some are Socinians Note If that Notion be true viz. That the Vaudois and Albigeois are the Two Witnesses 't is Demonstration that Hierarchy and Liturgy are no proper Terms of Union For although they have been pure Churches ever since the Apostles Days they have always been without both some Calvinists c. yet all agree in the Hierarchy and Common-Prayer So there are two things in which all Papists do agree viz. the Hierarchy under the Bishop of Rome and the Sacrifice of the Mass Upon these two Poles the Antichristian World stands firm though almost all others are controverted Fas est ab hoste doceri And therefore why may not the Governours of the Church of England fix upon those Terms of VNION wherein all Christians in the World are agreed which are few and plain and restore them to their Primitive Right of being the Foundation of the Peace and Unity of Christians Terms of Divine Institution will as certainly Unite the Christian World as Terms of Humane Institution have done the Antichristian And since it is not a Matter at present practicable to bring all sorts of Christians together to agree on those Terms it will be the Glory of the Church of England to set an Example which will be follow'd by all the Christian World There are in a Word some Truths which are the First Principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 and these are the Truths which ought to be the Terms of Union But I would not be misunderstood as if I thought no other Truths necessary for a Growing Christian There are the Principles of the Doctrine of CHRIST or as the Original the Word of the beginning of CHRIST which are necessary to Unite a Man to the Christian Church Heb. 6.1 and which are suited to the Unlearned as well as the Learned and ought to admit him into its Communion But there is also a going on to Perfection which becomes all Men that live in that Communion the degrees of which are various and the highest degrees most desirable but yet he that hath but two Talents ought not to be cast out of the Church
deny'd by the Church to their Clergy and is used by many of them before their Sermons And how far the Spirit of GOD may influence the Heart and Tongue of the Ambassadors of our Saviour by immediate Assistances Rom. 8.15 26 27. I refer to the Texts in the Margent for satisfaction Joh. 14.17 For should I use the Language of Scripture otherwise than by referring to the Texts themselves many pretended Protestant Readers would unwarily or from a worse Principle call it Cant and yet after all the Prejudices and Arguments against a Form they who attend constantly in the Congregations of the Dissenters do know that many of the Teachers in those Congregations come very near to a Form in their Prayers though called Extempore and if the Minister should vary every Word in every Prayer yet 't is still a Form to the Congregation Of the Habits of the Clergy II. If the Habits of the Clergy were only used for Distinction and Decency and not made Sacramental viz. To be an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual Grace I do not think any Man wou'd be frighted out of the Church by seeing a Reader in White and the conveniency of a Gown wou'd certainly carry it for a Gown against a Cloak though we have an account of Paul's Cloak 2 Tim. 4.18 but not of his Gown if it were once declared That there is no more Holiness in a Clergy Man's Gown than in an Alderman's And I do not believe that St. Paul us'd to Preach in his Cloak For if he did being so constant a Preacher he would not have left it behind him at Troas Of Presentations III. As for Presentations and Patronages it must be acknowledged That in the Primitive Times the People did choose their own Pastors and it seems most reasonable that they should have a Negative Voice For why should I have a Pastor put on my Soul any more than a Physician upon my Body or a Lawyer upon my Estate But in Truth there being no positive Divine Command in this Matter it is convenient in a depraved Age that Patrons Nominate the Persons that the People chuse and the Bishop Approve for I doubt that in many Parishes the Majority would not of themselves chuse the most pious Divine and the People are not so well qualified for an Election as they were in the Primitive Times The Cross in Baptism IV. No Man can give me any Reason for continuing the Cross at Baptism if the Practice was Ancient yet from the beginning it was not so and if Custom without Reason make any Person fond thereof it may be left Indifferent Kneeling at the Sacrament V. The same may be said of Kneeling at the Lord's Supper that it was not used in the First Ages is most evident for Kneeling on the Lord's Days was forbidden and to this Day remains Condemn'd by the Twentieth Canon of the Council of Nice and consequently Kneeling at the Sacrament Our Saviour Represents the State of Glory by an Allusion to this Sacrament that his Apostles should Eat and Drink at his Table in his Kingdom and sit on Thrones That Posture which is the Eating and Drinking Posture by the respective Customs of Nations is the proper Posture for this Ordinance but were no Posture imposed there would be no Quarrelling about this matter and it is probable that the Posture of Sitting when we Sing came from the Posture used in the Eucharist As to the Matter of the Test perhaps it may be used by the Divine Providence to be a great Means of Reformation for if Discipline were Restored till which Time only the Curses on Ash-Wednesdays are to be used as the Rubrick informs us and were Posture left Indifferent and no Man admitted to the Lord's Supper who could not give a good Account of the Fundamentals of Christian Religion viz. those Articles which shall be the Terms of Union and who shall not also give Satisfactory Evidence to the Pastor of the Congregation establish'd or allow'd with whom he desires to Communicate that he is not tainted with Vice of any kind no serious Man would wish the Test Abolish'd Religion and Vertue would be promoted thereby and the Kingdom would soon enjoy a Pious Magistracy But as it is I have heard it call'd an Outragious Press of the Devils Servants to the most inward Rites of Christianity and many believe that to make the Sacrament a Test for Civil Offices where the Church is without Church-Discipline is unsuitable to the Institution Nature and Ends of the Sacrament dangerous to the Government and to the Souls of Men grounded on no solid Reason insufficient to secure against Popery of Use only to Exclude good Subjects and Destructive to the true Interest of any Protestant Kingdom Of God-Fathers and God-Mothers VI. God-Fathers and God-Mothers were an useful sort of People in Times of Persecution and would be so now if not made necessary to Baptism but used as they were at their first Invention But if instead of the Undertaking for the Religious Education of the Child in case of the Parents Neglect or Death they must Exclude the Parent from his proper Office and never more take care of the Child which is the Case of most of the Church-Children now in England Pudet haec Opprobria nobis sure no Man can desire to continue it as it is Of Holy-Days VII He that can find me out a Christian Holy-Day in the New Testament besides the Lord's-Day or any mention made of them except in such Texts as Condemn them shall have my Thanks and I will not be wanting to acknowledge the Favour to him who shall discover any other Original of them than is before-mentioned in this Discourse And if Men would be contented to give God the first Day of the Week being one in seven I 'm apt to believe the laying aside all other Anniversary Holy-Days for the whole Church would neither displease God nor good Men and we need them not to oblige either Jews or Gentiles Indeed were they declared as they are of Humane Institution and only convenient for Relaxation from Labour the Ease of Servants and such prudent Purposes the great Objections against them would be Answer'd and a Law concerning them like that of 5 Eliz. Cap. 5. concerning Lent would do the Business and no Man would object against beginning such Days of Diversion with Solemn seeking the Divine Blessing in Publick Assemblies And yet if any Men or Church desire to continue them as they are without Imposition the Fourteenth of the Romans perhaps hath made them a Toleration though it must be acknowledged That the Days there intended had originally a Divine Institution As to occasional Days appointed by Authority for Fasting and Praying or Feasting and Thanksgiving whether pro hac vice only or Annual with Respect to some National Deliverance they are not scrupled by any English Protestant and are Authorised by Presidents in the Jewish Church Of Ordination VIII We read of
any such matter The Text quoted must be understood only of the Doctrine of Moses taught by the Scribes and Pharisees for our Saviour elsewhere bids them beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees 16 Matt. 12. 8 Mark 15. and explains his meaning to be their Doctrine And all the Ceremonies commanded by Moses himself were such as the Lord commanded Moses 'T is therefore for these Reasons false that those that submit not to human Inventions do not abide in Christ or that they do not walk as he walk'd and the contrary appears by multitudes of Texts and the Apostle was afraid of those that observed Days and Months and Times and Years 4 Gal. 10.11 least he had bestowed on them Labour in vain 2. 'T is of Popish Original for tho' it is not the first time that I have met with this wise Observation from that Party yet I believe it will be first found in the Exposition of the Popish Seminary of Rheems upon that Place who on the word Dedication say This is the Feast of the Dedication Instituted by Judas Maccabeus Christ vouchsafed to honour and keep that Feast Instituted by him And our Hereticks vouchsafe not to pray and sacrifice for the dead used and approved by him The Dedication also of Christian Churches is warranted thereby with the Annual Memories thereof and proveth that such things may be instituted without any express Commandment in Scripture Now I won't be so uncharitable as to say that Mr. Duke took his Notion from this Passage yet I must own that I do believe it has been derived down to Mr. Duke in a true Succession from this Rhemish Seminary It is observ'd by another of the Party who proposes a Re-union with Rome Case of the Regale Page 257.259 262. that if the Terms of Communion were once so modelled as to heal our Separations the Disputes about the particular Points would soon dwindle when there was no Interest to be served by them Now the particular Points to which he refers are Purgatory Invocation of Saints half Communion Prayers in an unknown Tongue Images Transubstantiation Adoration of the Host and the Pope's Supremacy but notwithstanding these things opening our Communion to one another may be procured he says without any Crime at all Alass good Reader and will not these disputes hinder Communion But the Papists must be allowed Occasional Conformity and must Disputes about Ceremonies exclude Christians whose Religion is all in the Bible from being in Christ These things are Popish all over 3. 'T is irrational for can any Man in his Wits that is not strangely infected with Priestcraft believe that one great end of our Saviour's coming was to take away the Ceremonial part of the Law of Moses which was Instituted by God himself even so particularly that the Colour of the Lace the Tingling of the Bells 28 Ex. 28. 28 Ex. 35. 26 Ex. 5.6 the number of the Loops and Taches of the Tabernacle were determined and that he yet should leave it to any Mortal Man or Men to Institute another Ceremonial Law and make Obedience to it necessary to Christian Communion Suppose the Jewish Church in our Saviour's Time had made a Canon that Circumcision should not admit into the Church but that after the Child was Circumcised he must be received into the Church by Printing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil on his Forehead can any Man believe that our Saviour would have allowed such an Addition to the Divine Institution Besides suppose that it were clear that our Saviour did observe the Feast of the Dedication there is no reason for any such Conclusion from such Premisses as this Author draws from them if the Dissenters scrupled to observe the 5th of November the Cases might be something paralled it being an Anniversary appointed by the State to commemorate a National Deliverance above 1500 Years after the Establishment of the Christian Religion But suppose the Jewish Church had besides the Sabbath appointed one Day to remember the Creation of the Light another Feast to Commemorate the making of the Firmament a third to bless God for making the Sun and Moon and a fourth for the Creation of Man and a fifth for the Creation of Eve a sixth to remember Abraham's going out of Ur a seventh for Noah's going into the Ark and so forth what can we think our Saviour would have said to such Institutions Again whereas at the Institution of the Passover 12 Ex. 11. the People were to eat it with their Loins girt their Shoes on their Feet and their Staffs in their Hands suppose the Jewish Church had made a Canon that all should kneel when they eat the Passover can we imagine that our Saviour would have approved of such a Canon altho' it doth not appear that he took the Posture to be any necessary part of the Institution 4. Surely I need not use many words to shew that this Censure is Vncharitable when the Papists in the Irish Rebellion had made the Protestants turn Papists they knock'd them on the head while as they said they were in a good Mood that they might send them to Heaven but this Author turns Men out of Christ and consequently sends them to the Devil tho' they comply with the Gospel in every thing to be found from the beginning of St. Matthew to the end of the Revelations This is no part of the Imitation of Christ I think it an exceeding strange effect of Priestcraft that ingenious Men should be thus grosly mistaken but that when they have made whip Syllabub nothing will serve them but to present it to the Queen this is rude and ridiculous I believe in my Conscience that Her Majesty understands and practices true Christianity and imitates our Saviour acceptably to God and much better than any one of Mr. Duke's Party and I do not believe that she is in any danger of being misled by such Guides But Her Subjects are not so wise and it may make People Surfeit of a Dish when they are told that it was at the Queens Table especially when every thing but the Sauce is really excellent I am abundantly satisfied that the true Reason that Christianity has lost ground in the World is the Priests pretending to be wiser their the Scriptures would make them All the Books of Irenaeus written in the 2d Century are one continued Proof hereof He charges those against whom he wrote that they pretended to observe more then was commanded which he Animadverts upon as preferring their own Diligence to God himself 'T is with him a concluding Argument that such things are not in Scriptures and therefore no part of Revealed Religion Acoording to their Doctrine says he Peter was imperfect and so were the other Apostles and it behoves them to rise again and become these Men's Disciples but this adds he is ridiculous And says St. Hierom Omnia ea quae absque Testimonio Scripturarum
quasi tradita ab Apostolis asseruntur percutiuntur Gladio Dei Hier. in Agg. long after the 4th Century All those things which are asserted as delivered by the Apostles without the Testimony of the Scriptures are smitten with the Sword of God For it seems when Irenaeus and the other ancient Fathers had exposed all Vnrevealed Parts of Revealed Religion the Lovers of Priest-craft would have introduced some things as Revealed tho' not written but conveyed down by Tradition But I must not enlarge at least at this time on this Subject only having some Reason to know the Original of the Charter granted by the late Glorious King Willian Establishing a Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge I earnestly intreat the Reader to consider the Consequence of these Additions to Christianity with respect to that Design If I were now to apply my self to an Indian to instruct him in the Christian Religion I would appeal to his Experirience that Nature is corrupted and shew him the History thereof in the Scriplures 3 Gen. 5 Rom. 12.18 I would appeal to his Reason that Sin deserves Punishment and that Justice must be a Divine Attribute and shew him the same things in Scripture 34 Ex. 7. 45 Is 21. 3 Rom. 26. I would appeal to his Reason and shew him in Scripture what a loss Mankind was at to find out an Atonement that thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl would not suffice 6 Mic. 6.7 8. not the First-born the Fruit of the Body for the Sin of the Soul But that notwithstanding all that Man could do 49. Ps 7.8 the Redemption of the Soul was so precious that it must have ceas'd for ever Then I would shew him only by Revelation out of the Word of God That faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners and so proceed to Preach the Gospel to him and to instruct him out of the New Testament The suitableness of such a Propitiation for our Sins sufficient to satisfie Divine Justice and the Cravings of a wounded Spirit seeking Means to make Satisfaction thereto was in my Opinion the true Reason of the Progress of Christianity in the first Ages of the Church and will be so when rightly enforced to the yet Vuchristianiz'd Part of the World And the Man by this time would be very willing to believe those Scriptures to be the Word of God And the Proof thereof would be very agreeable to him Account of the Proceedings of the Society by Mr. Stubbs or as an Indian King lately exprest himself that there was a Saviour born for Mankind But when he had rejoyc'd in Christ Jesus and hugged his Bible and read in the end of it and elsewhere Deut. 4.2 22 Rev. 18.19 Prov. 30.6 the Curses pronounc'd against those that diminish from it or add to it and desired to be Baptized with what Face could I tell him that he must not be admitted to have any benefit thereby unless he will constantly submit to divers things not to be found there and that unless he did so he was both for God and Baal Wou'd he think it a decent thing to add to the Institutions of such a Redeemer But I will not enter into Particulars if the Design of the following Discourse do prevail these Matters will be considered by wiser Heads but by none who wish more the Glory of the Christian Church and particularly of that part of it in England than Your Christian Friend J. HOOKE CATHOLICISM WITHOUT POPERY SIR IN your Preface to your late Discourse Entituled Peace at Home you have rightly observed That the Controversie which is the Subject Matter of that Discourse ought not to be carried on with Heat and Passion but fairly debated with Reason and Moderation not by unknown Persons who may be Jesuits or Deists but by such as dare own their Principles and will endeavour to Reconcile our Differences and not inflame them I hope that an Acquaintance of some Years hath sufficiently convinc'd you that I am neither Jesuit nor Deist And I dare appeal to your Conscience whether I have not given you undeniable Evidence of an Affection to the Church of England and a desire not to keep up but to reconcile our Differences not to promote Parties and Factions but Peace and Unity not for the sake of any private End or Interest whatsoever but for the sake of Truth and for the general Good Thus far therefore I conceive my self to be such a Person as you wish your Answerer should be But because you and the Writers of your Party have taken the liberty to accuse Men of my Principles as Hypocrites as unfit to be Guardians of Children or Executors of Wills as dispensing with our Principles for the sake of an Office as setting up an Arbitrary Dispensing Power in our own Consciences as acting contrary to our Original Principles as if Occasional Conformity were such an Offence as in inconsistent with the Publick Safety and Occasional Conformists Persons sit to be rank'd with Papists Deists and Socinians I have thought it my Duty thus to acquaint you that I have also that other Qualification to become your Answerer That I dare own my Principles But alass to what End were your Applications made to Her Majesty on Occasion of the late Bill since by your own Confession the Fears and Jealousies of those who are Members of the Church of England and of those who dissent from it And the Matters in Controversie arising from those Fears seem in a fair way to be determined to the Satisfaction of all Parties by Her Majesties Gracious Speeches from the Throne That Her Majesty will always make it Her particular Care to encourage and maintain the Church as by Law Established and to maintain the Act of Toleration for the ease of Dissenters Give me leave to add alass to what end did you erect a Pompous Frontispiece before an Epistle Dedicatory a Preface a Discourse and a Postscript and all these on a Subject of which you seem to know no more than if you had lived in Turky or under the Great Mogul I mean the Principles of the Occasional Conformists for I had rather impute your unaccountable Mistakes concerning them to Ignorance than Insincerity And unless they be understood your Discourse in behalf of the Establish'd Government in Church and State of Uniformity Establish'd Religion and Establish'd Constitutions seems Calculated and may indifferently serve for the Meridian of Edenburg Geneva Paris Rome or Constantinople and with a small Variation of Names may be publish'd in behalf of the Constitutions in Church and State in all those places I take leave therefore to inform you That the Description of the Occasional Comformists is true which is given by the Author of a Letter to a Clergy-man concerning the Votes of the Bishops in the last Sessions who divides them into two sorts such as prefer the Worship of
Sorbon condemned it because they believed it to be written by a Jansenist but some Years after a Spanish Bishop having Translated it into the Spanish Tongue and Publish'd it with the Approbation of the Doctor 's of the Holy Inquisition Pesonius â— Hayer turned it into French Dedicated it to the Queen Publish'd it with the Royal Priviledge and the Approbation of the Doctors of the Sorbon And thus have I known a fierce Scotch Presbyterian sit with Reverence and Attention for a long time while one of my Acquaintance rend diverse parts of the Common Prayer but as soon as it was discovered how the Person was entertained my Friend who was a tall Man was glad to make the best use of his long Legs And here I will mention an Observation which I have frequently made That if you hear a Man declaring that no Man can be serious in the use of the Common Prayer nor worship God thereby with Fervency and Affection 't is forty to one that the Man never tried On the other hand if you hear a Person exclaiming against Extempore Prayer calling it Cant and Nonsense 't is as many to one that he never heard an Extempore Prayer in his Life but now there is one Occasional Conformist to my knowledge and I believe some thousands that have joined in worshipping God by the Common-Prayer a thousand times and have also joined in Worshipping Him as often with those that use no invariable Form who can testifie with great Assurance that both those sorts of People are wretchedly mistaken who can tell you that they know no reason why Christians should not agree in a Form as to the Matter of Prayer as well as of Belief or why those who make no scruple to sing the Psalms in Metre by Sternhold and Hopkins which is for the most part but a wretched Form of the Matter of Praise should scruple the Common Prayer which is much nearer Scripture Language than the aforesaid Version of the Psalms That it is a very agreeable Consideration that many Thousands of Pious Souls are at the same time joining in Adoring God in the same words as well as Desires without Idolatry and without any of the Additions made by the Papacy to the Christian Religion and in the best Liturgy in the World Especially when they consider that the 4 living Creatures improperly call'd Beasts in our Translation and the 24 Presbyters or Elders which represent the Christian Church are represented as constantly using the same Form of Thanksgiving and the like Forms are found 5 Rev. 9 12 13. 7 Rev. 10 12. 11 Rev. 17 18. 15 Rev. 3. 19 Rev. 1 2 6 7. And the same Persons can at the same time assure you that they never heard Cant or Nonsence among those who pray without a Form but for the most part the Expressions taken out of the Scripture the Prayers generally Premeditated Methodical Reverend and fervent accommodated to the various Circumstances of the Interests of Religion in the World both at home and abroad and the various Dangers or Judgments under which the Nation may be and to the Blessings of Heaven received They that so pray are never hindred from giving Thanks for Victories because 't is Lent nor from Humiliation under Judgments because 't is Christmass They usually have respect to the Subject Matter of the following Discourse which is a very good Preparation for Attention and a Means of obâ—aining a Blessing on the Sermon They can ingeniously and suitably accomodate their Devotion to the Circumstances of Families or Persons in Matter of Prayer or Thanksgiving for which it is impossible that any or all the Liturgies in the World can suffice Again these Occasional Conformists sinding that the blessed Spirit as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication is to convert the Jews Zach. 12.10 that in the 8 Rom. 26. The Assistance of the Spirit in Prayer is exprest by a word alluding to a Person who being to lift at a Beam has one that helps him to lift both at the end of which he has hold and at the other end too or signifying such a help as when one that is strong taketh up a Burden over-against another who is too weak and also sets his Shoulders against the other to lift up the Burden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from these and other places of Sacred Scripture they are apt to gather that the Assistance of the Spirit in Prayer ought not to be confined I say confined to an invariable set Form of Humane Composure or only to enable the Minister to read a Prayer Audibly and Reverently nor are they willing to understand the Act of Uniformity in such a Sense as this That from and after the 24th Day of August 1662 neither the Parts nor Learning of any Minister of the Gospel nor the Gift of Prayer nor the Assistance of the Spirit in the Matter of Prayer should be of any further use in the Publick Worship of God They think it possible that Men may make an Idol of Words as well as of Wood or Stone and they are afraid that where the Spirit is rejected as a Spirit of Supplication he oft refuses to act as a Spirit of Grace And herein on Consideration I do verily believe that the good Church-man and the Occasional Conformist are of the same Mind But further as to all the Matters in Controversie between the Church-man and the Presbyterian and Independent as well as between Him and the Occasional Conformist which concern Matters of Ceremonies and Humane Additions such as the Sign of the Cross at Baptism the Posture of Kneeling at the Sacrament and the Surplice your Oracle above-mention'd has agreed That it is lawful for the Church to dispense with their Rites and Ceremonies and if lawful then necessary to heal the Schism of the Dissenters Page 247 That if they would all agree which of the indifferent things would purchase their Reconciliation the Church would readily grant it for so good an End Page 254. Indeed in another Form viz. As a Wolf strip'd of his Shepherds Cloathing he has been howling about the Streets for some time against the Dissenters and Occasional Conformists Protestants Jesuits Hellish Doctrines Diabolical Seed Fruit of Blood Massacre and all Wickedness Wild Enthusiasm Laodicean Latitude which God abhors Evil Beasts always Lyars Hideous Blasphemy Furious Phanaticks Impudence and Blasphemy Grin of a Lion Asses-ears Cloven-foot Thus in the compass of a few railing Pages beginning with the Jesuit and ending with the Devil and after all Page 59 complains of it as a heavy Charge against his Party That they do not treat the Dissenters in the Spirit of Meekness yet he tells us in that very Treatise Page 3. That the High Church should have little Quarrel with the Dissenters about all the Objections they make as to Habits Ceremonies Liturgy and even the Grand Point of Ordination by Presbyters in case of Necessity and where a Bishop could not be had if it were not for that