Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A62125
|
A defence of the peaceable and friendly address to the non-conformists against the ansvver lately given to it. In which the obligation to conform to the constitutions of the established church is maintained and vindicated. The answerers objections solv'd; and his calumnies refuted.
|
Synge, Edward, 1659-1741.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing S6377; ESTC R221946
|
57,215
|
64
|
God in it self imperfect or defective then and not till then he may truly lay it to her charge that she requires these Ceremonies as a part of God's Worship But the Liturgy says he is a paâ—t of the Worship of God and these Ceremonies are a part of the Liturgy therefore c. I answer that the substance and purport of our Liturgy viz. Consession Prayer Thanksgiving c. are indeed parts of the Worship of God for without any one of them the Worship would be imperfect But the particular words in which these Devotions are there exprest and the concomitant Ceremonies which are prescribed to be used are not nor ever were by our Church esteemed as parts of Worship but only as the Modes Regulations and Method of it alterable in themselves by humane authority and variable in divers particular Churches without making thereby any alteration or variation in the substance of the Worship Altho' therefore our Author's proofs as he has managed them are but very lame yet because the thing is true I freelâ— grant that to require any thing as a part of God's Worship which he himself has not commanded is utterly unlawful But then it is most evident from what I have said that our Liturgy or Ceremonies are no way concerned herein Well but if they are not to be esteemed as parts yet he will prove that they are required as means of the Worship of God which is altogether as bad Let us therefore enquire into the sense and signification of this word also To explain this word means he adds p. 102 the word ways to it and tells us that our Liturgy and Ceremonies are reputed ways and means of the Worship of God Now the way of doing a thing always denotes not directly the action it self but the method and manner of performing it one and the same action for substance being often capable of being performed after divers ways or manners I agree with him therefore that our Liturgy and Ceremonies are to us as the Directory to him the way means or method of our publick Worship of God But yet the premisses out of which he infers this conclusion are so crude and confused that they are by no means to be admitted into discourse much less granted as truth until their meaning be distinctly cleared viz. because says he no solemn publick Worship can be performed nor Sacraments administred without them By which if he means that our Church has such an opinion of her Liturgy and Ceremonies as to think it impossible in it self rightly to Worship God or administer the Sacraments without them it is notoriously false But if he means no more than this namely that we judge that every man who is subject to the authority of the law of the Land is bound in Conscience always to perform the publick Worship of God and Celebration of the Sacraments according to that manner prescribed in our Liturgy this obligation arising not from the nature of the particular Forms and Ceremonies there enjoyned nor from any particular command of God appointing them but only from the general Law of God which requires Obedience to be paid to our lawful Superiors and from the Laws of the Land consequent thereto and therefore lasting no longer than such Laws of the Land shall remain in force If this I say be all he means we grant it and are ready to justifie our Judgment in this matter But here he presses me with a great absurdity as he thinks If all Ministers says he should refuse to say Common-Prayer or administer the Sacraments with all these Ceremonies then according to the Act of Vniformity it would be unlawful to Woship God publickly in this Kingdom Now if he would infer from hence that therefore our Liturgy ought to be abolished by the same reason it will follow that no Law whatsoever must any where be made for the Regulating the Worship of God or administration oâ— thâ— Saâ—raments For if â—ll Ministers should refuse to celebrate the publick Worship and administer the Sacraments according to that Law then according to that Law it would be unlawful to Worship God publickly in that Kingdom or Common-wealth where any such Law should be Enacted A consequence fit only for such wild Sectaries as would reject all rules of order and decency and follow their own extravagant fancies only in maettrs of Religion and the Worship of God But let us for once put this mad supposition with him that all Ministers should refuse to officiate according to our Liturgy What would be the consequence or what must be done in such a case I answer if such a refusal should proceed from wilfulness it would be a great sin in the Ministers that refused but if from want of information or due apprehension it would only be a sin of Ignorance and therefore more easily pardonable before God But in such an extraordinary case the necessity of things would probably put the Government upon some speedy Resolution either of providing other Ministers if all those lately in office should on a suddain lose their Wits or else of altering their Ecclesiastical Laws in condescension to the infirmity of their Ministers rather than the publick Worship of God and administration of the Sacraments should cease among them But because I call the Ceremonies prescribed by our Liturgy circumstances in the worship of God which he will not allow that they are it will not be amiss to explain what is meant by the word circumstance Whatsoever then is a means or concomitant of any action but no part of the action it self that I call and so I thing do all People a circumstance of it Thus for example To travel from Dublâ—n to Drogâ—eda is an action but to go either on foot or on horseback or in a coach to wear a cloak and bâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 wear them and the like are only circumstances of this Journey for a 〈◊〉 is said never the more or the less to travel whatever convenienciâ—s he 〈◊〉 have or want for the performance of his Journey Thus also to Worship God is an action but to perform this Service either by a Printed Form of Words or by no set Form at all to wear a black or a white garment to kneel or to stand at the time of doing it and such like things are no more but circumstances of this Worship because a man may truly and acceptably Worship God in any of these ways if the substance of his Worship be right and his heart be rightly disposed altho' for decency sake it is very sit that in a Congregation there should be some settled Uniformity in these things and an aggregate of these circumstances taken together is what is usually called the way of doing a thing Thus if it be asked which way I do not mean by what road but in what manner did such a man travel to Drogheda It may properly be answered he went on foot with a coat to keep him from the rain and cold
less groundless than odious Insinuations against those of the Established Church which seem to lye couched in this Paragraph But when we consider how prevalent passion and ill nature are in some Men of all Persuasions I think we cannot be too carefull to avoid such Expressions as may any way serve to administer false pretences to them But supposing this account which he has given of the Nonconformists to be no more than what in justice belongs to every sincere and well meaning Man among them Yet may not even such Men as these be mistaken in some things And since I have only endeavoured faiâ—ly to lay their mistakes before them without designing in any other thing in the least to detract from them and that in such soft and gentle Language that even this Author allows that there is a studied Temper and Calmness in my words pag. 96. I will appeal to the Coâ—â—cience of every sober and peaceable Christian whether what I have done does any way deserve such severe and bitter Resentments as this Answer carries in it against me In the third and last Paragraph of his Preface he briefly sets forth the Modesty as he supposes oâ— what the Nonconformists desire In the former part whereof I for my part do and always did fully agree with him I would indeed iâ— it lay in my power persuade them all to Comform themselves to the Worship and Discipline of the Established Church because I am of opinion that they are bound in Conscience so to do for which I have briefly suggested my reasons in my late Address to them But since all that has been said and written in this Controversy does not convince them I think it is very sit that they should be left to sland or fall to their own Master And that a full and free Liberty should be granted them to serve God according to those Principles which he mentions with a relieâ— from all Penal Laws whatsoever As long as they are ready to give the Civil Government the same assurance that other Subjects do of their Loyal and Peaceable demeanor And this Author does me very much wrong in endeavouring to make the World believe that I have said or suggested any thing to the contrary as we shall more fully see hereafter But as to the other Clause of their Petition viz. That no new ones be forged to their prejudice He has left the meaning of it so doubtful having set it down only in those general terms that it is not to be answered until the sense of it be first determined It then his meaning be that no new penal Laws be forged against the Non-conformists they need not at this time make that their request because they know very well that the contrary is not so much as thought of or in the least proposed by any one But if it be that no new Laws whatsoever be forged or contrived any way to their prejudice which seems to be the literal purport of his words no not to cut them short in any thing but that they should to all intents and purposes enjoy all manner of Priviledges and be equally quallified with those of the Legal Church for all places and employments whatsoever Episcopal Grandeur Jurisdiction and Revenue for their Ministers being all that he has excepted If this I say be the thing they would have they may perhaps think their demands to be but just because they apprehend themselves to be in the right But it seems strange that they should give this out for so modest a Petition as this Author would insinuate as if herein they asked less than what in reason they might And if this be their modest Petition what more with they or their successors in the next Generation proceed to demand if ever they should venture to assume a little Confidence Having thus done with the Preface I pass by the second part of his Book as I said and address my self to the third And here the Doctor as in contempt he is pleased to call me for I never took the degree or passed by that Title in the entrance is taxed of downright Disingenuity as having under the Title of a Peaceable and Friendly Address to the Non-Conformists published a Libel against them and under a studied Temper and calmness of Words design'd a windy Storm and Tempest with good Words and fair Speeches lying in wait to deceive Having war in his heart while his words are smoother than butter which tho' they were softer than Oyl yet are as drawn Swords while by them he is stirring up those who bear not the Sword in vain to imploy it against his Nonconforming Brethren as he calls them pag. 95. 96. But since he does not so much as offer the least shew of proof to make good this heavy Charge I cannot think that any sober man will have the worse opinion of me for all this that he has alledged against me God who is the only searcher of hearts knows that in my heart there is no war against the Non-conformists Except I must therefore become their Enemy because I tell them the Truth Nor have I the least design to deceive them But on the contrary to make them truly sensible of what I am perswaded is their Duty There is not one railing or scurrilous Expression in all my Address to them and therefore why it should be called a Libel I cannot see As for the Stormy wind and Tempest he talks of I know not where it is except in his own imagination and if my words be as drawn Swords it can be nothing but the Evidence of Truth which touches his Conscience that makes them seem so to him for I am sure there is no manner of sharpness in the Style or Language But whereas he accuses me of stirring up the Magistracy to employ the Sword against them I desire him to produce but one single passage or expression in my Address which does but look that way and I promise him that I will publickly retract it But if he cannot do this as it is most evident he cannot I leave it to his conscience whether he ought not to beg Gods pardon for inventing so soul a slander against me for which I bless God I never gave the least occasion For to persecute or punish men that are peaceable and obedient to the Civil Government on account of their mistakes in matters of Religion or the Worship of God is what I have never failed to declare against whenever there was any occasion for it And God is my witness that I had not the least thought or design tending that way when I writ or published my address to the Nonconformists Nor can I imagine how any man who impartially considers what I have therein offered can from thence pretend to lay the contrary to my charge Having formerly had the honour of being a Servant to my Lord Primate I thought it might not be improper when I put forth that small piece to make