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conscience_n liberty_n papist_n protestant_n 1,212 5 9.6046 5 false
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A60131 An exhortation to repentance, and union among Protestants, or, A discourse upon the burden of Dumah Shower, John, 1657-1715. 1688 (1688) Wing S3663; ESTC R38911 54,488 64

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the Learning of the Jesuites their strength hath of late been tried to their irreparable shame if they are capable of any and as much to the Honour of the learned Divines of the Church of England Their Converting-books and Pamphlets have been so weak and the Answers to them so strong and so many that they are not like to prevail much that way neither if English Protestants would but bear with one another and not seek Revenge which the juncture of Time doth dissuade from as unseasonable as well as our Common Christianity doth forbid as unlawful which will appear if we consider Seventhly Whether it be not Improbable that the Leading men of the Church of England should hereafter commit the same Error again to molest and Persecute their Brethren for the Differences between us and them All the world now sees at what door a great part of the severity against Protestant Dissenters ought to be laid so far as it was the sin of others I hope God will let them see it and give 'em Repentance And there are very many Parish Ministers in England who are pious and peaceable who preach and live holily and never did consent to the Persecution of their Brethren but endeavor'd to hinder it I only wish they had been more If it be said they are by consequence Partakers of such a guilt it hath been and must again be replied that if God should Charge undiscerned Consequences upon them and us none of us would be meet either for Church Communion now or for Heaven hereafter The past faults and miscarriages of some should not make us injurious to others Far be it from us to imagin that there are no Faithful Ministers of Christ in England but such as are of our principles and particular persuasion Let us not refuse to love those that are Good because many of their Church or Opinion are bad Is there any Kingdom or Country upon Earth where the greatest part are not bad Is there any place where the Religion countenanc't and encouraged by the Government hath not many who comply with it for secular Interest The Author of the late Apology for the Church of England as to the spirit of Persecution hath said many things to this purpose it will be good news to hear that the greatest part of his Brethren are of his mind that all Prot. Dissenters might believe that the wisest and most leading men of that Church do see their Error their sin too might be added if it be an essential Right of Humane nature as Dr. B. saith for every man to Worship God according to his conviction And we have great Reason to hope that they will not again use severity to their Brethren if it should ever be in Their Power but come to a Temper in the matters of Conformity as the seven Bishops have under their hands declared their disposition to do And in the mean time one of the Articles which the A. Bishop of Cantcrbury hath recommended to the Bishops under his Jurisdiction is a Tender Regard to their Brethren the Protestant Dissenters At the same time assuring us and all the World that they are really and sincerely Irreconcileable Enemies to the Errors Superstitions Idolatries and Tyrannies of the Church of Rome and that all the unkind Jealousies to the Countrary have been altogether groundless Let us not therefore be over sensible of past Injuries to the Hindrance of Concord for the common Good lest we wrong the Church of Christ and neglect the security of the Reformed Religion and the wellfare of the Nation and of Posterity because others have wronged us For however the Jesuites may now plead for Liberty of Conscience no Protestant Brittish or Irish especially but must needs know that of all Religions in the World the Romish by their avowed Principles is obliged to be the most Cruel Assoon as our divisions have made us weak enough we have but too much reason to expect it which God Prevent Lastly Consider that we Agree with the Church of England in great and many things and those things wherein we differ are comparatively few and small and therefore mutual forbearance and Concord is possible as well as desireable Yea those things for which they are Hated and struck at by the Church of Rome are not such Doctrines or modes of Worship wherein we differ from them but 't is for the sake of those things wherein we agree with the Church of England and therefore in prudence we are obliged to espouse their cause as our own The Reader may easily perceive that all that I have said relates to the Union of Protestants among themselves who tho of different Persuasions in some External and Circumstantial things do hold the Head 2 Coloss 19. and agree in the main and Essential Doctrines of Faith But as to the Church of Rome which perverts the Christian Faith maintains and practiseth Idolatry and false Worship and the declared Enemy to all Protestants and by her Constitutions doth oblige all her Members under an Anathema to root out and to destroy them as Hereticks how far those of her Communion may be tolerated in a Protestant Country without sin or Danger is a matter too large at present to dilate upon It would seem very strange and Irrational for any Party of Protestants to strengthen the Papists and contribute to their being set up in Power and Authority especially in the Legislative power in opposition to those of the Church of England as fearing that these will not establish and allow them Liberty of Conscience and imagining that the Papists will who depend upon a forreign Power and are not masters of their own Consciences but have subjected them to another whom they suppose Infallible Surely from the Members of the Church of England we ought the rather to believe and hope this because they have of late deserved so very well of all Protestants by a vigorous and learned opposition to Popery in a great number of select Discourses upon all the Considerable points in Controversie between us and the Church of Rome And having done so much to keep out Popery as to the Doctrine let us hope and pray and charitably believe that they will also do their utmost hereafter to prevent Persecution which is one of the worst parts of Popery in Practice I conclude with the pathetical Exhortation of the Devout Bishop Hall O Lord Passion Sermon p. 390 391. how long shall thy poor Church see the dear sons of her womb bleeding about these Apples of Strife The Enemy is at the gates of Syracuse How long shall we suffer our selves to be taken up with Circles and Angles in the dust ye Men Brethren and Fathers Help for God's sake put to your hands for the quenching of this Common flame the one side by Humility the other by Compassion both by Prayers and Tears Let me beg for Peace as for Life by your filial Piety and duty to the Church of God whose Ruins follow upon our Divisions by your love of God's Truth by the Graces of that one Blessed spirit whereby we are all informed and quickn'd by the precious ●lood of the son of God shed for our Redemption be inclined to Peace and Love. Tho our Brains be different yet let our Hearts be one Let us have Peace with our selves and War with none but Hell and Rome Amen THE END