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A52997 A new survey of the book of common prayer humbly proposed to this present parliament, in order to the obtaining a new act of uniformity / by a minister of the Church of England. Minister of the Church of England. 1690 (1690) Wing N779; ESTC R10713 58,268 82

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convenient and fit for continuance or alteration accordingly Fourth Answer The present terms of Conformity will be the same as to their Lawfulness or Unlawfulness whether there be any condescensions for Dissenters or none at all As I am a Conformist both in judgment and practice so I could offer Arguments in defence of my present Conformity as well as for Concessions to the Nonconformists Yet the Learned Bishop Cosins declared in his last Testament that it was the great duty of us all to Unite and I am sure it is so and that it is no duty of any at all to censure or condemn the present terms of Conformity as Unlawful upon the account of any concessions or recessions from them for so good an end as an happy Re-union and Comprehension I need not remind you in how many Precepts this Duty is enjoyned how tenderly and compassionately the Apostles of our Lord dealt with weak ones how earnestly they charged us to receive them to bear with them to become all things to them to gain the weak to please them to their edification c. Arguments enough to convince us that it is our duty whatever the World say or think of us to yield somewhat to the weakness of our Brethren and to relax as the Author of the Serious and Compassionate Enquiry has it p. 102. Making the terms of Communion more free and easie this is highly recommended by some good men as the most proper expedient for a Protestant Church in our condition Another Objection It would be a dishonour say some to our first Reformers to take away those things which they Established To which I Answer as True state of the Primitive Church The Fathers of this Church when they Reformed this Nation from Popery were desirous to fetch off as many as they could retaining for this cause all the Ceremonies c. Certainly we cannot do our Fore-Fathers a greater honour than to observe their Rule of Reason to conform to the times and therefore they are grosly mistaken who think it a dishonour to them for us to take away what they have Established when we keep close to the reason wherefore they did Establish it Iren. p. 225. This Temper was used by our Reformers in composing our Liturgy in reference to the Papists to whom they had then an especial eye as being the only party then appearing whom they desired to draw into their Communion by coming as near them as they well and safely could I say the same reason which at that time made them yield so far to them would now have perswaded them to alter and lay aside those things which yield matter of offence to any of the same perswasion with themselves For surely none will be so uncharitable towards those of his own Profession as to think there is not as much reason to yield in compliance with them as with the Papists Further Lloyds State Worthies in Quarto p. 998. in the Life of Archbishop Laud he brings in that Bishop disliking Mr. Calvins words of Censure Tolerabiles ineptias who knew not said the Bishop the temper of the Nation requiring then not what was absolutely best but most conveniently good And thus our Reformers did what was best in their days or most conveniently good Even as Aristotles Organon might be best in the days of old but now the case is altered and the reading Lectures out of that Book is commonly with less profit than other Logicks would be the case may be applicable to some things at least in the Common-Prayers if not the Worship it self as not done so much to edifying c. And the Reformers reason for their Imposition ceaseth which was the enlargement of the Church by gaining and winning as many as could be to our Communion The Papists came to this Worship till the 10th or 12th year of Queen Elizabeths Reign But now it hinders and shuts some of our Reformed Protestant Brethren out of our Church and so the reason which made at first for the imposition maketh as much now for the abrogation of some things therein I say again not a dishonour to our first Reformers because a due acknowledgment may be made of their worth and the work of Reformation in their days that it was the best the fittest or at least praise-worthy Our Forefathers who knew what Popery and a Mass-book was by sad Experience rejoyced that they had Prayers sound for the substance and purged from the Corruptions of the Mass book and looked upon it as a wonderful Blessing from Heaven and were thankful And if somewhat be inconvenient and less suitable to the genius of the people in these days not sinful and unlawful or unmeet for good Christians to joyn in I presume no dishonour will be done to our first Reformers who as several are apt to imagine if they had lived in these days would have taken at least some few things away for the enlargement of our Communion Thirdly Gods Honour is greater than that of our first Reformers but God is highly dishonoured by this Worship as it is at present performed carelesly negligently under contempt by many and by most I am afraid little regarded as to the devout use of it And the Question must end in this whether God will be more Honoured by the continuance of the Common-Prayers as at present or whether with Submission to the Wisdom of our Governours it may not admit of an alteration in some things for the better Whether it is like to do most good to Souls and best attain the ends of Worship in its present use or any Amendments or Concessions for a Comprehension So be it Gods Worship be done to edifying by the greater part of our Congregations in the City and Country both God will have the Glory and all good Christians will be satisfied Another Objection What need of a Comprehension Are we not as well without it What shall we be the better for it To which I Answer There are no doubt a Thousand Blessings of Heaven and Earth accompanying that Church state which like the Heavenly Society is at Unity in it self If there were any Community here upon Earth that enjoyed a perfection of Love and Peace how ambitious would Mortals be to enter into that Peaceful Society But the nearest approach that we can make unto it is by a Philadelphian state An Heavenly thing is Unity as Nazianzen well observed Pugnas dissidia nescire Deum Angelos No broyls no jars in Heaven nothing but Peace there and it is a kind of Heaven upon Earth when Brethren dwell together in Unity Psal 133.1 Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is c. Pleasant to behold a lovely sight to see an Army marching in an exact order and as amiable and acceptable to hear people of the same Parish Town City and Kingdom pouring out their joint requests with one Mouth and one Heart praying for the Peace and Prosperity of Zion O the Benefits of Union are
unspeakably great I profess my self to stand admiring the vanity of this contentious World that values such a state no more Hear what men of the most serene temper men that aspired after it if it were possible to attain to some good degree of it or somewhat like it by living Peaceably with all men and by being Peacemakers Benefits of Peace and Vnity LOrd Bacons Essays p. 13. Speaking of Peace in the Church It containeth infinite Blessings it establisheth Faith it kindleth Charity and it turneth the Labours of Writing and Reading of Controversies into Treatises of Mortification and Devotion Bishop Andrews Sermons p. 672. The Spirit dwells not but where Unity and Love is Think of this seriously and set it down that at Salem is his Tabernacle and Salem is Peace and so the Fathers read it in pace factus est locus ejus make that place for him and he will say here is my Rest here will I dwell for I have a delight therein Mr. Vertues Plea for Peace Christ hath said Blessed are the Peace-makers they shall be called the Children of God Matth. 5.9 As we would share in this Blessedness let it be our study Item p. 51. Would we see good and enjoy long days would we be sure that we have that Wisdom which is from above be peaceable wrangle not for trifles contend not about uncertainties Dr. Goods Firmianus Dubitantius p 165. It is not to be doubted but that Peace and Unity and Love among our selves would much dishearten those restless enemies of our Church and State c. and cause Religion and Primitive Christianity to flourish in our miserable divided Nation while that time which is now spent in vain Wranglings and unchristian Contentions would be better employed in devout Prayer Holy Meditation and Mortification of our Corruptions in Duties of Piety towards Almighty God and of Love Mercy and Charity one towards another Mr. Jekyls Sermons on Jer. 5.29 p. 30. Next to Peace with God without which all other security will prove deceitful Unity amongst our selves is certainly the most effectual thing to the making of us an happy people and till that be attained we may possibly be quiet but we shall never be safe I shall conclude this with an excellent Speech of that Pious and Peaceable Prelate Dr. Reynolds in his Sermon of Self-denyal towards the end It were worth not only our Fasting and Prayer but our Studying our Sweating our Bleeding our Dying to recover Peace to the Church and Unity amongst Brethren again I could argue also from the mischievous effects and consequences of our Divisions that the case of our Church must be very sad and deplorable while our Divisions and Confusions in matters of Religion continue Malorum ilias a multitude of evils throng in upon a Church through its unchristian Divisions A divided state is an unhappy state it is a state of Separation from God as well as from their Brethren Bishop Andrews Sermons p. 672. And what is there would sooner grieve him the Holy Spirit and make him to quit us than discord or disunion Among divided men or minds he will not dwell not but where Unity and Love is They may talk of the Spirit without these in vain To say Truth who would be hired to dwell in Mesheck Psal 120.5 where nothing is but continual jars and jangles Such places such men are even as Torida Zona not habitable by the Spirit by this Spirit But for the Spirit of Division ut habitet inter eos Daemon a fit place for the Devil to dwell among such And surely he that hath an heart affected with any sense of the miserable case of our divided Church though blessed be God not in so lamentable a case now as in former years he that hath any concern for it must needs be convinced that we are not well cannot be well in our multiplicity of Divisions The Lord Chancellor Hides Speech to the Parliament 1660 He calls it a sad Consideration that must make every Religious Heart to bleed to see Religion which should be the strongest of Obligations and cement of Affection and Brotherly kindness and Compassion made by the perverse wranglings of passionate and froward Men the Ground of all Animosity Hatred Malice and Revenge My Lords and Gentlemen saith he this Disquisition hath cost the King many a sigh many a sad hour when he hath considered the almost irreparable Reproach the Protestant Religion hath undergone from the Divisions and Distractions which have been so notorious in this Kingdom Bishop Saunderson 's Sermons ad Aulam Serm. 9. Sect. 30 Odious to God and grievous to every Godly Man it is when such Voices as these are heard in the Church I am of Paul and I am of Cephas and I of Apollo Mr. Baxter in the Life of Sir Matthew Hale saith that he much lamented that so many Ministers were silenced the Church weakned Papists strengthned the cause of Love and Piety greatly wronged and hindred by the present differences about Conformity Doctor Good 's Firmianus Dubitantius c. p. 152 'T is indeed much to be lamented that we should quarrel about Mint and Cummin to the prejudice of the more weighty and material duties and scandal of our Religion Causes of the decay of Christian Piety p. 424. Amidst all our importunate pretences to Piety if there be indeed any such thing amongst us methinks it should give us some relentings make us sadly consider what a deplorable Condition we have brought that very Religion into by our Divisions Bishop of Salisbury 's Exhortation to Peace and Vnity p. 30. There have arisen among us such heats so much bitterness so violent an aversion to one another that it must needs beget great Grief and sad Apprehensions in all that look on and judge impartially Principles and Practices of some Mod. c. p. 4. It pains me to the Heart when I consider to what a prodigious heighth about matters in Religion our feuds are grown and how utterly averse the too many Sects and Parties we are crumbled into are to entertain thoughts of Peace and Accommodation Vnity of the Catholick Church p. 1. Whosoever with an Impartial Eye and a truly Religious concern for the Honour of God the Credit of the Gospel and the Salvation of Men looks into the State of Christendom he will scarce find any greater cause of sorrowful Reflections than from the many Divisions and Animosities which have distracted and separated its Parts Mr. Wakes Serm. on Rom. 15.5 6 7. I do not believe there is any good Christian so little affected with those unhappy Divisions under which the Church at this day labours as not both heartily to deplore them and to think that nothing could be too much that might innocently be done on all hands for the redressing of them And to show that these Worthy Men had cause to complain and bewail our Divisions I shall Exemplifie the Evils The Mischief of our Divisions THE First Mischief