Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A59823
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Humble and modest proposals tender'd to the consideration of both houses of Parliament, for uniting the Protestant interest in the nation for the present age, and preventing our divisions for future
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Sherlock, William, 1641?-1707.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing S3294A; ESTC R37545
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5,942
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11
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Humble and Modest PROPOSALS Tender'd to the Consideration of Both Houses of PARLIAMENT FOR UNITING THE Protestant Interest IN THIS NATION For the Present Age And preventing our DIVISIONS for Future LONDON Printed for C. P. and are to be sold in the Strand 1680. Humble and Modest PROPOSALS For Uniting the PROTESTANT INTEREST IN THIS NATION I Doubt not but every pious and sober Protestant of this Nation is now in great grief and anguish of heart to observe the passionate Differences and unchristian Dissentions which dayly increase amongst Christians united in one and the same Doctrine of their Religion and reformed from the Errours and Superstition of the Church of Rome which cannot but oblige every serious man who wisheth Peace and Prosperity to the Kingdom he lives in to consider what should be the occasion of those unhappy and ruinous Divisions we have so long suffered under and to offer probable means for the composing of them As to their first rise I doubt not but they owe their Original to the different manner of the Reformation and the establishing of the Orders which each Church did think fit and convenient for it self as the Reverend and Pious Mr. Hooker acquaints us which were so peremptorily established under that high commanding Form which rendered them to the People as things everlastingly required by the Law of that Lord of Lords against whose Statutes there is no exception to be taken by which means it came to pass that one Church could not but accuse and condemn another of disobedience to the Will of Christ in those things where manifest difference was between them Whereas the self-same Orders allowed but yet established in more wary and suspense manner as being to stand in force till God should give the opportunity of some general Conference what might be best for them afterwards to do This I say had both prevented all occasion of just dislike which others might take and reserved a greater liberty unto the Authors themselves of entering into farther consultation afterwards which though never so necessary they could not easily now admit without some fear of derogation from their Credit And therefore that which once they had done they became for ever after resolute to maintain Now if we consider the shortness of that time wherein our first Reformation continued under Edward the Sixth and the necessity of many learned and pious Ministers of the Church of England to flee into foreign Countries as Strasburgh Geneva c. in Queen Mary's Reign for the preservation of their lives where they frequently conversed with those eminent Divines who were the great Reformers there 't is no wonder that some of them should return better pleased with their Discipline than their own especially considering that several of them had intimate Acquaintance and Conversation with one of the Reformers whom the Reverend Mr. Hooker thought incomparably the wisest man that ever the French Church did enjoy since the hour it enjoyed him In Queen Elizabeth's King Iames and our late Soveraign's Reigns 't is well known how our Differences still increased until that unhappy War broke out by which the Non-conforming Interest prevailed so that the Presbyterian Discipline was endeavoured to be fixed as the established Form of Government in this Nation our Universities Preachers Writings Education c. were generally modelled thereto by which means the greatest number of the Trading part of the Kingdom many of the Gentry and some few of the Nobility observing the Precepts and Practices Lifes and Deaths of most of that Clergy to be pious and exemplary joyned with men of this or the like Perswasion Since which time it pleased God to restore our present Soveraign to his Throne and the Wisdom of the Nation thought it convenient to establish the same Discipline which our first Reformers judged prudential not abating or leaving indifferent those Ceremonies which unhappily have occasioned those hither-to-irreconcilable Differences between the Church of England and the Dissenters in it and have been matter of dispute between the Reformers even from the first Reformation from Popery Upon which account many of the Non-conforming Divines laid down their Livings and the old Disputes began afresh to be revived and so are like to be continued until we be either ruined by Popery or healed by Moderation which is the onely Salve to cure the Churches wounds and that admirable Weapon-Salve formerly proposed to the wisdom of Superiours by the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet who having highly commended the prudence and temper of the French Churches in composing their publick Forms of Prayer that they were so far from inserting any thing controversial into them that Papists themselves would use them And saith he The same temper was used by our Reformers in the composing our Liturgie in reference to the Papists to whom they had an especial eye as being the onely Party then appearing whom they desired to draw into their Communion by coming as near them as they well and safely could And certainly those holy men who did seek by any means to draw in others at such a distance from their Principles as the Papists were did never intend by what they did for that end to exclude any truly tender Consciences from their Communion That which they had laid as a Bait for them was never intended by them as a Hook for those of their own Prefession but the same or greater Reason which made them at that time yield so far to them then would now have perswaded them to alter and lay aside those things which yield matter of offence to any of the same Profession with themselves now For surely none will be so uncharitable toward those of his own Profession as not to think there is as much reason to yield in compliance with them as with the Papists And it cannot but be looked upon as a Token of God's severe displeasure against us if any though unreasonable Proposals of Peace between us and the Papists should meet with such entertainment among many and yet any fair offers of Vnion and Accommodation among our selves be so coldly embraced and entertained Thus far our Reverend and Learned Dean of Pauls Upon these and some other like Considerations I should humbly propose to the Wisdom of this present Parliament some probable means to put an end to our present Differences and to Unite us for the future that so we may become a flourishing Nation free from the Factions and Divisions of former Ages For the First 1. I Humbly propose That the Ceremonies at present enjoyned by Law might be left to the liberty of the Clergy to use or lay aside and that because the Dissenters on the one hand do declare that their conformity to them would be sinful and the Church of England on the other hand hath not onely declared upon our first Reformation in the account she hath given of Ceremonies why some be abolished and some retained That as those Ceremonies were taken away which were most abused and
did burden mens Consciences without any cause so the other that remain are retained for a Discipline and Order which upon just cause may be altered and changed But since his Majesties Restauration the Church of England hath again declared in her Preface to the Common-Prayer That the particular Forms of Divine Worship and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used being things in their own nature indifferent and alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various exigency of times and occasions such changes should be made therein as to those that are in place of Authority should from time to time seem either necessary or expedient Accordingly we finde that in the Reigns of several Princes of blessed memory since the Reformation the Church upon just and weighty consideration her thereunto moving hath yielded to make such Alterations in some particulars as in their respective times were thought convenient Thus far the Church of England And of late I finde that a very eminent Member thereof the Reverend Dean of Canterbury hath acquainted us in a publick Sermon preached by him at the York-shire Feast That though it was not for private persons to undertake in matters of publick concernment yet he thought he had no cause to doubt but the Governours of our Church notwithstanding all the advantages of Authority and Reason too as they thought on their side were persons of that Piety and Prudence that for Peace sake and in order to a firm Vnion amongst Protestants they would be content if that would do it not to insist upon little things but to yield them up whether to the infirmity or importunity or perhaps in some very few things to the plausible exceptions of those that differed from them Now seeing the Church of England hath once and again declared her excellent temper and moderation for the preservation of Peace and Unity in the Church the great end and designe of all Church-government we have little reason to question her readiness at such a time as this is to comply with so modest a Proposal as a liberty of using or refusing those Ceremonies which she saith In their own nature are indifferent and alterable and upon weighty and important considerations may be changed c. especially considering that by this condescention of hers she will certainly bring into her Communion a great number of the pious moderate and more considerative Non-conformists Which will not onely adde strength to her self but give a great joy and content to all those who have wish'd well to the Peace Unity and Prosperity of this our Church and Nation and have long made it the subject of their Prayers that they might live to see those days in England wherein Iudah might not vex Ephraim nor Ephraim envy Iudah 2. I would likewise humbly propose That the rest of the Protestant Dissenters from the Church of England might be indulged by Act of Parliament provided they neither Preach'd Wrote nor discours'd against the Doctrine or Government of the Church as by Law established and that because Charity which is kinde and thinks no evil would oblige a sober and indifferent person to believe that the reason of their Separation from our Church did onely proceed from a tenderness of Conscience impressed upon them by the force of their Education Study Conversation c. lest in complying with the present established Form of Worship they should sin against God and wound the peace of their own Souls for otherwise their own present quiet and interest must necessarily have obliged them to a different Practice they having been under a continual danger and hazard of the execution of the Laws at present established against them whereby they have been not onely deprived of that Maintenance which by the countenance of Authority they might otherwise have expected and publickly enjoyed but exposed to many wants difficulties and sufferings As to the Vniting of us for the future I humbly propose to the wisdom of this present Parliament That an Act might be passed whereby every person after a limited term of years intending to take holy Orders should be incapacitated for any Church-preferment or for a License to preach in private Congregations who could not give a satisfactory account of his proficiency and ability in Church-History and Primitive Learning whereby he might be able to give a clear and plain account of what Discipline and Order were used in the Church of God nearest our Saviour's and the Apostles days when Differences and Errours in Doctrine or Church-government began first to spring up with the Authors occasion and effects thereof The Advantages which must necessarily attend the making of such a Law would be very great both to our interest in Church and State amongst which I beg leave to name the following 1. We might hereby for the future more assuredly hope for and expect Peace and Union amongst our Ecclesiasticks they having been all well acquainted with Primitive practice and therein with the rise and growth of all Heresies Schisms and Divisions in the Church and with the fatal consequences that have attended them whereby in all probability they would not more rationally than unanimously make choice of one and the same Form of Worship and Discipline but most heartily unite in their affections to one another endeavouring with all their united strength to maintain the Church in Peace and Purity 2. By this means we might be assured to enjoy the most Learned Clergy that ever this Nation brought forth who would not onely prove a greater Bulwark against Popery on the one hand but Schism and Faction on the other and being so well accomplished for the Ministerial Function before they enter into it might much more assuredly engage the affection and hearts of their people by spending in private the greatest part of the Week in instructing them in the Principles and encouraging them in the Practice of the Christian Religion a Duty alas too much neglected in our days 3. By this means we might be sure of Preferments to answer every mans merit especially if the Parliament should think it prudential to raise a sum of Money for the purchasing all Impropriations and Advowsons the latter of which to be annexed to the several Colledges in both Universities one of the principal reasons we can give at present why we have more Clergy-men than Livings being this That a great number of ordinary Country-men and Trades-men out of an ambitious designe to make their Children Gentlemen do send them to the Universities though they be not able to maintain them above three or four years Whereas were there such a Law as I proposed once established they would be willing to bring them up to honest Professions and Trades much more suitable for them and persons of better Estate and Quality would be encouraged to bring up their Children in the Universities and continue them there until they were arrived to that pitch of Learning which would not onely render them honourable to foreign Nations and highly serviceable to their own but would capacitate them for the enjoyment of a Preferment suitable to their Parents charge and their own pains and industry In short I heartily wish that we might often and seriously remember our blessed Saviours Prediction that a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand and likewise consider that fate which attended the Faction and Division of the Iews which grew to that height that they could not forbear destroying each other even when their declared Enemies the Romans were coming to besiege their City From which good Lord deliver us POSTSCRIPT UPon some Considerations I thought it would not be unacceptable to print the Speech of that wise and great General and Emperor Vespasian to his Roman Officers who seeing the Iews at great variance and civil discord amongst themselves pressed Vespasian their General not to lose this opportunity affirming that it was Gods providence who fought for them that the Iews should be at civil discord among themselves and that therefore he should not over-slip so good an occasion lest the Iews should quickly be friends again one with another either by the weariness of Civil Wars or else repenting themselves of that which they had done To whom Vespasian thus answered That they were ignorant what was to be done and desirous rather as it were in a Theatre to shew their forces and strength than with him to consider what was profitable and expedient For said he if we presently assault them our coming will make concord amongst our Enemies and so we shall bring upon our selves their forces yet firm and strong but by expecting a little while we shall have less ado to conquer them their chiefest forces being destroyed by their own Civil War God is more our Friend than you are aware of who without any labour and pain will deliver the Jews into our hands and will give us the Victory without endangering our Army Wherefore it is rather our part to be beholders of the Tragedy than to fight against men desirous of death and troubled with the greatest evil possible to wit Domestical Sedition and Civil War And if any think that the Victory is not so glorious because gotten without fight let him know and consider the uncertain events of War and that it is better if it be possible to get a Victory without bloodshed than therewith to hazard a Defeat For they who by counsel and advice do any act deserve no less praise than they who by force of Arms atchieve a Victory Moreover in the mean time that the Enemies destroy one another our Souldiers may take rest and so be stronger and better able to fight when need shall require Besides it seems not that there is much haste required to get the Victory for the Jews neither prepare Arms nor Engines of War nor levie any Forces nor seek for Aid and so by delay no damage can ensue but they will plague one another more by Civil War than our Army by attacquing their City And therefore whether we consider Prudence or Glory we have nothing to do but let them ruine themselves for in case we should even at this present make our selves Masters of that great City so it would be justly said that the Victory was not to be imputed to us but to their Discord Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum FINIS