of Oxford the Masters and Fellows there were not Ejected for the Refusal of the Covenant but upon another score namely Non-submission to the Visitation Let me add to the Premises on this Consideration that the two Houses by Ordinance of Parliament granted a fifth part for the maintenance of Ministers Wives and Children Yea that the Junto after the Parliament was Garbled made an Act as they call'd it April 5th 1660. inabling and requiring their Trullees for Bishops Deans and Chapters Lands to dispose thereof for and towards the relief maintenance and support of such Bishops Deans Prebendaries Singing men Choristers and other Members Officers and persons destitute of Maintenance distributing and apportioning the same adcording to the wants and necessities of such persons to whom the said disposition shall be made as aforesaid and according to further ditections as they shall receive from the Parllament or Authority derived from it And further may it be considered that in King Josiah his Reformation although the Priests of the High places were put from the Service yet they were still permitted to eat of the portion belonging to the Priests viz of the Unleavened bread amongst their Brethren 2 Kings 23 9. they had some provision for their maintenance As also what we read in our own Story viz. That in the dayes of King Henry the 8th liberal Pensions were allowed by the King to Abbots Priors and Monks c. at the dissolution of Abbies and Monasteries 10. Consid It is declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England in the 34 Article of our Religion That every particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by mans Authority so that all things be done to Edification 'T is the observation of a Learned Gentleman deceafect late a Member of the Present Parliament in an Epistle Dediâ—â—â—â—ry to His Majesty That the Popes of Rome alb it they hold themselves infallible in their Chair and their Counsels inerrable Yet they all accord that their publick Missals and Liturgies though made and confirmed by their Joine advice with greatest care and diligence are amendable alterable upon just occasions He instanceth in several amendments and alterations by Pope Pins the 5th And he observes that the same Pope did think fit to reform several things in the new Missal as to the Kingdom of Spain and to alter and dispense with it in no less than 21 particulars notwithstanding his former Bulls and Prohibitions And after that Pope Gregory the 13th his Imthediate Successor granted several other Dispensations and Amendments of this Missal in sundry particulars comprised in his Bull. And that which ought to be of more Authority with us in England is what I shall subjoyn to our Doctrine declared in a branch of the 34th Article of Religion formerly cited the agreement of our Bishops and Doctors convened at the Dean of Westminsters Lodgings in the beginning of the Parliament 1640. the Persons were the Bishops of Lincoln Armagh Durham Exeter Doctor Samuel Ward Dr. Prideaux Dr. Twisse Dr. Siunderson Dr. Featly Dr. Brownrig Dr. Holdsworth Dr. Hacket and others The advice they gave amongst many other things was that the Vestments required by the first Liturgy of King Edward the 6th should not be required and the Rubrick in that case to be altered That the Cross in Baptism be either explained or quite disused That a Rubrick be inserted to declare that kneeling at the Communion is required only in Relation to the Prayer of distribution Preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlastling life See Dr. Heylin his Cyp. Angl. p. 444 445. And now my hearty desire is that the Prudence Moderation and Condescension of these great Scholars and good Men for the Peace of the Church might turn the hearts of all in Place and Power to incline them to Moderation and Indulgence at such a time as this 11. Consid That if the new Impositions were removed and that partition wall of Ceremonies pull'd down and this veil rent away by Legal Authority from the face of the Church or reserved only for the case of the Mother Churches I mean the Cathedrals Many Thousands who now separate from our publick Assemblies would with one heart and voice joyn with us We Protestants justly blame the Bishop of Rome for that having the Keys of Purgatory at his Girdle notwithstanding suffers so many Thousand Souls to lye in Flames some Hundreds of years where he can so easily grant a Goal-delivery and set them at liberty And if Sin and particularly the Sin of Schism be worse than Hell it self as indeed all Sin is then I would humbly recommend to the Father of our Countrey to the Fathers of our Church to our worthy Patriots in the Parliament the removal of those By-matters that so they may thereby prevent so many Thousands from incurring either the fault the blot or the punishment of Schismaticks 12. Consid That the use of force or violent courses for By-matters in Religion ought by all lawful wayes and means to be shunned and avoided Dr. Heywood in his Answer to Doleman the personated Papist Chap. 9. concerning violent courses in matters of Religion writes thus hereupon such cruel Calamities have ensued in most parts of Europe and especially in Germany and France with so little furtherance to that cause for whose supportance force was offered that all the chief Writers of our Age are now reduced to the former opinion affirming with Arnobius that Religion is of Power sufficient for it self with Tertullian also Lactantius Cassiodorus Josephus St. Bernard and others that it must be perswaded and not inforced See Mr. Joh. Good Answ to the Antapol p. 233 and 234. Conformable to which Doctrine was the Practice of Bishop Bramhal in Ireland See his Replication to the Bishop of Chalcedon p. 152 153. where he saith That the Earl of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland did commit much to my hands the Political Regiment of that Church for the space of eight years In all that time let him name but one Roman Catholick that suffer'd either Death or Imprisonment or so much as a Pecuniary Mulct of Twelve-pence for his Religion upon any penal Statute if he cannot as I am sure he cannot c. I read that when the Spaniards drove the Indians to Baptism as we do Sheep to washing when the white Linnen they gave them to be Baptized in was foul the Baptized Indians would streight renounce their Christianity except they might have new white Garments given them This instance may mind us that Methods of force and compulsion are not the way to make good Christians but Time-servers and Hypocrites rather than real Converts The Premises consider'd and that by our Breaches way be not made for Popery to enter 'T is heartily desired of Dissenters that they would be earnest in their Prayers to God and their Petitions to men that there may a healing of our breaches And to this end that none of them do any thing or leave any thing undone through humour crosseness or peevishness that none of them this matter or in reference to the Church be like the Lawyers in reference to the Kingdom of Heaven of whom 't is said that they would not enter in themselves and hindred those that were ready to enter Luk. 11.52 Of the Fathers of the Church 't is humbly beg'd that they would in relation to Dissenters imitate the Father of the Prodigal who when his Son was yet afar off ran to meet him fell on his neck and kissed him Of His most excellent Majesty and the Two Houses of Parliament 't is most humbly Prayed that they would please to remember That there is as much Power exercised or exerted in abrogating a Law at the Humble desires of Subjects as in making a Law at their Requests A POSTSCRIPT to Conformist and Non-Conformist Ministers LEt all things be done with Charity And often think of the Answer of pious Mr. Greenham to Secretary Cecil when he asked him on which side the blame lay in the great Rent 'twixt the Bishops and Non-Conformists The Fault said Mr. Greenham is on both sides and on neither side for said he the Godly wise on both sides bear with each other and concenter in the Main but then there be selsish peevish Spirits on both sides some and these make the quarrel FINIS
CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS Tending to promote PEACE AND GOOD WILL Amongst PROTESTANTS Very useful for the present Times LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1674. Considerations tending to promote Peace 1 Cons THat some of the most considerable ranks and orders of men from the Reformation of Religion amongst us have manifested a desire to have some Favour and Indulgence shew'd to Dissenters in point of Ceremonies c. 2. That Dissenters or Non-conformists have often been misrepresented to the World 3. The late Civil Wars in England were not begun for the extirpation of Episcopacy and Liturgy or to settle the Presbyterian Government here 4. That the Modern English Presbyterians as they are call'd cannot be charged with divers of the Principles imputed to those called Presbyterians in England in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth or to the Presbyterians in Scotland 5. That there have been since the first Reformation in England men of Parts Piety and Learning and of good esteem in the Church of God who have boggled or scrupled at something in Subscription or the Conformity injoyned or practised 6. That divers Dissenters in former times have found favour with the Bishops 7. That the Parliamentarians in the beginning of our Troubles declare to abhor and detest all designs of Deposing or Murthering His late Sacred Majesty 8. That the Non-conforming Presbyterians had both their hearts and hands in the Restauration of His present Majesty to His Royal Throne 9. Many Bishops Clergy-men and Scholars though Non-conformists to the late times then enjoyed Places of Profit notwithstanding 10. That it is the declared Doctrine of the Church of England in her 34th Article of Religion That every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by mans Authority so that all things be done to Edification 11. That if the New Impositions and the Ceremonies should happen to be legally taken away many Thousands who now stand aloof off would Joyn with our Church-Assemblies 12. That the use of force or violent coursos for by Matters in Religion ought by all lawful wayes and means to be shunned and avoided Certain Considerations tending to promote Peace and Good will amongst Protestants useful for the present Times INstead of Preface and to prepare the minds of men for such Considerations as follow I desire the Reader to read certain excellent sayings of the Reverend Dean of the Chappel now Primate and Metropolitan of all England in a Sermon of his Preached before the King June 28th 1660. and after Printed viz. I hat 's the best the most Christian Memorie which as Caesar forgets nothing but Injuries Again Let 's all seriously and sadly look back consider and bemoan one another for what we have mutually done and suffer'd from each other let 's all be sorry for it and all mend perfectly forgiving what 's past and returning to as great a kindness as ever and a greater then ever that so by all mutual good Offices we may make amends for former animosities Shall God saith he so great so glorious after so high so many Provocations descend to be at peace with us and shall we poor worms be at enmity among our selves for tristes and that to the hazard of all the comforts of this life and hopes of a better And further shall we retain the memory of former unkindnesses and make a publick Act of Oblivion which we expect a Publick Lye without either fear of God or shame of the world This is not to have peace or enjoy it but with great ingratitude to throw it at him again it is but to change one War into another the open into secret hostility into treachery and by pretending peace and kindness to smooth the way to supplantation and injury the most base Serpentine and unmanly thing in the world These Golden sayings premised I humbly offer these Considerations 1 Consid That some of the most considerable Ranks and Orders of men since the Reformation of Religion amongst us have manifested a desire to have some favour or Indulgence shewed to Dissenters in point of Ceremonies c. King Edward the 6th wrote a Letter to Archbishop Cranmer in behalf of Mr. Hooper elected Bishop of Gleucester RIght Reverend Father and Right trusty and Well-beloved Whereas We by the advice of our Council have called and chosen Our right Well-beloved and well worthy Mr. John Hooper to be Our Bishop of Gloucester as well for his great Learning due Judgment and long study both in the Scriptures and other profound Learning as also for his good discretion ready utterance and honest life for that kind of Vocation c. from Consecrating of whom We understand you do stay because he would have you omit certain Rites and Ceremonies offensive to his Conscience whereby ye think you should fall in Praemunire of Lawes We have thought good by advice aforesaid to dispense and discharge you of all manner of dangers penalties and forfeitures you should run into and be in any manner of way by omitting any of the same And these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge therefore Aug. 5th Given under Our Signet at Our Castle of Windsor the fourth year of Our Reign King James also wrote two Letters to Queen Elizabeth in favour of Non-conformists one whereof you may read in D. Fuller's History of the Church Book the 9th Page 203. After these King Charles the First of blessed Memory in His Answer to the Remonstrance of the House of Commons presented to Him at Hampton Court December the first 1641. saith as follows In differences amongst Our selves for matters indifferent in their own Nature concerning Religion we shall in tenderness to any number of our Loving Subjects very willingly comply with the Advice of Our Parliament that some Law may be made for the exemption of tender Consciences from punishment or prosecution for such Ceremonies and in such Cases which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent and of some to be absolutely unlawful And again in his Message of the 20th of Jan. 1641. His Majesty proposeth to both Houses of Parliament the security of the true Religion now professed in the Church of England and the setling of Ceremonies in such a manner as may take away all just offence In His Message of the 14th of February following His Majesty more fully expresseth himself viz in these words Because His Majesty observeth great and difficult troubles to arise in the hearts of his People concerning the Government and Liturgy of the Church His Majesty is willing to declare that he will refer that whole Consideration to the Wisdom of His Parliament which he desires them to enter into speedily that the present Distempers about the same may be composed Since His most Gracious Majesty that now is and long and long may he continue our Soveraign Lord and
I do not justifie their doings therein yet surely their Service would be missed at such time us need shall require them to give the right hand of fellowship one to another and go arm in arm against the Common Adversary that so there might be vis Unita fortior in which case want of their joint labours with ours there might arise cause of some such doleful complaint as fell out upon an accident of another nature in the Book of Judges Chapter the 5.15 where it is said that for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart Also remember that the Benjamites though for their desert in maintaining a bad cause were all destroyed saving Six hundred and the men of Israel swear in their fury that none of them would give his Daughter to Wife to the Benjamites yet when their hot blood was over they lamented and said there is one Tribe cut off from Israel this day and they used all their wits to the uttermost of their policy to restore that Tribe again In like sort if those our Brethren aforesaid should be deprived of their places for the matters premised I think we should find cause to bend our wits to the uttermost extent of our Skill to provide some Cure of Souls for them where they may exercise their Talents Besides this forasmuch as in the life-time of the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury these things were not so extreamly urged but that many Learned Preachers injoyed their Liberty herein conditionally that they did not by word or deed openly disturb or disgrace the State established ☞ I would know a Reason why it should now be so general and exceeding strictly called upon especially seeing that these men are now the men necessary by so much we see the greater increase of Papists to be of late then were before To conclude I wish I wish that if by Petition made to the Kings Majesty there cannot be obtained a juite removall of the Premises which seem so grievous to divers nor yet a toleration for them which be of the more stay'd and temperate carriage yet at least there might be procured a mitigation of the penalty if they cannot be drawn by other Reasons to a conformity with us See B. of F. L. p. 205. And now to this Bishops excellent Speech let me subjoyn what I find in Print by a Son of the Church I may say by a great Champion and Pillar of the Protestant Church in his Preface to the Reader before his Irenicum What Charter saith he hath Christ given the Church to bind men up to more then himself hath done or to exclude those from Society who may be admitted into Heaven It is not whether the things commanded and required be lawful or no it is not how Christians are bound to submit to a restraint of their Christian Liberty which I now inquire after of these things in the Treatise it self but whether they do consult for the Churches peace and unity who suspend it upon such things how far either the example of our Saviour or his Apostles do warrant such rigorous Impositions We never read of the Apostles making Laws but of things supposed necessary It was not enough with them that the things would be necessary when they had required them but they looked on an Antecedent necessity either absolute or for the presint State which was the only ground of imposing those commands upon the Gentile Christians would there ever be the less unity in a Church if a diversity was allowed as to practises supposed Indifferent yea there would be so much the more as there was a mutual forbearance and condescention as to such things And a little after speaking of the Primitive Church he adds It was never thought worth the while to make any standing Law for Rites and Customs that had no other Original but Tradition Much less to suspend men her Communion for not observing them The first who broke this Order in the Church were the Arrians Donatists and Circumcellians whil'st the true Church was still known by its pristine Moderation and sweetness of deportment towards all its Members The same we hope may remain and the most infallible evidence of the Conformity of our Church of England to the Primitive not so much in using the same Rites as were in use then as in not imposing them but leaving men to be won by the observing the true decency and order of Churches whereby those who act upon a Principle of Christian Ingenuity may be sooner drawn to a compliance in all lawful things than by force and rigorous Impositions which made men suspect the weight of the thing it self when such force is used to make it enter In the mean time what cause have we to rejoyce that Almighty God hath been pleased to restore us a Prince of that Excellent Prudence and Moderation who hath so lately given assurance to the world of his great Indulgence towards all that have any pretence from Conscience to differ from their brethren From the Premises it appears abundantly that Dissenters and Scruplers in by-matters have had some Friends as well as many Enemies and the Reason they have had no more Friends has certainly been a Mis-representation of them to the world as Seditious and Turbulent persons Enemies to Caesar and all good Government and Order in Church and State And this ushers in our second Consideration namely That Dissenters or Non-conformists have been frequently falsly represented to the world Of old the Jews not worshipping the same Gods that the Ægyptians and other Nations did were accused to worship an Asses head and once a year to Sacrifice a Graecian according to their Rites and Ceremonies and to taste and cat of his entrails and in the Sacrificing of the Grecian to Swear to be Enemies to the Greeks v. losephus in his Second Book against Apion Our blessed Saviour himself was accused to be an Enemy to Caesar the Holy Apostles were charged to turn the world upside down The Primitive Christians were Judged to be Atheists because they would not worship the Gods of the Heathens on them was laid the blame of all the Plagues and Droughts and Famines and Wars and what ever else was hurtful to Mankind as you may read in Arnobius his first Book adversus Gentes Of later times the Papists have charged the Protestants as the Authors of Rebellion and Sedition Mr. Gattaker had a Book which was given a Neighbor of his when taken and carried to Dunkirk to make him a good Catholick the Title was Monarcho Machia or Jerusalem and Babel wherein the Author labours to maintain that the Protestant Religion and the Presbyterian Discipline were in all parts introduced and upheld by Sedition and Rebellion To make this good he chargeth Calvin with such Seditious Doctrine as the Protestant Leaders built their Rebellion upon To prove that Calvin by his Doctrine dischargeth men of Oaths made to their Soveraigns he alledgeth his Fourth Book Chap. 13. 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quarrel was and is the Militia for which so much blood hath been spent and treasure 'T is observable that the two Houses just before the breaking out of the War viz. April 9th 1642. published a Declaration wherein are these words The Lords and Commons do declare that they intend a due and Necessary Reformation of the Government and Liturgy of the Church and to take away nothing in the one or the other but what shall be civil or justly offensive or at least unnecessary and burdensom This Declaration of the Lords and Commons was Printed and Ordered to be published by the Sheriffs in several Counties in all the Market Towns within the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales Moreover in the 8th of the 19 Propositions sent by the Parliament to His Majesty June 2. 1642. The Lords and Commons desire that His Majesty would be pleased that such a Reformation be made of the Church Government and Liturgy as both Houses of Parliament shall advise wherein they intend to have Consultation with Divines And His Majesty in his Answer to the 19 Propositions takes speciall notice that they seem in their 8th Proposition to desire but a Reformation and not a destruction of the present Discipline and Liturgy Hitherto then viz. June 2. 1642. the two Houses of Parliament were for a Reformation only and not for the abolition of Episcopacy and Liturgy 'T is acknowledged that afterwards there was a League and Covenant for the extirpation of Prelacy But yet they who took the Covenant were bound only to endeavour it in their places and Callings and so far as lawfully they might and men were told in those dayes from the Press and Pulpit that they might take the Covenant in a sense not exclusive of or destructive to a Primitive Episcopacy After this when the four Bills were sent to His Majesty to the Isle of Wight upon signing whereof the Parliament offer'd to treat for all the rest in difference The Bill for the Abolition of Arch-Bishops and Bishops was none of the four In the year 1648. the House of Commons voted His Majesties Concessions a Ground of Peace notwithstanding His Majesty had not consented to the extirpation of Episcopacy only it was 't is said agreed betwixt the King and the Commissioners that Bishops should be laid aside for three years till the King and the Parliament should agree upon some setled Order for the Church and upon a free debate had with the Assembly of Divines then sitting and twenty more of His Majesties nomination they might 'tis said have admitted of Episcopacy if they found that Government most agreeable to the Word of God and best Reformed Churches Lastly as to this Consideration His Majesty that now is and long and long may he continue to Reign over us hath declared that the Presbyterian Ministers he had discoursed withall could submit to a Primitive Episcopacy and a Reformed Liturgy 4. Consid That the Modern English Presbytcrians as they are call'd cannot be charged with divers of the Principles imputed to those called Presbyterians in England in the days of Q Elizabeth And that the Presbytery where it was voted by the Houses of Parliament to be setled was far different from the Scottish Presbytery Doctor P. Heylin tells us that Mr. T. C. and others formerly renounced the Orders they had from the hands of the Bishops and look a new Vocation from the Presbyters beyond Seas that the Presbyterians in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth crected their Discipline in England without Authority from the Civil Magistrate that they held the calling of Bishops unlawful that 't is not lawful to be ordained by them that 't is not lawful to appear in a Bishops Court but with a Protestation of their unlawfulness These are not the Principles and Practices of the present Presbyterian Non-conformists amongst us they do not renounce their Episcopal Orders Some of them have been ordained by Bishops since 1660. Yea are willing to submit to the Government of the Church by Bishops and to use the Liturgy Only they bumbly desire that the new Impositions by the Act of Vniformity 1662. may be taken away and some of them that they may be dispensed withall for the three Ceremonies which are of their own Nature Indifferent even in the Judgment of the Imposers And which we are told were offer'd to have been abated in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth if that would have given satisfaction And as for the late Presbiterian Assembly at Westminster if you will have it called so they differed much from the Assemblies of the Church of Scotland They at Westminster attribute power saith Dr. P. Heylin to the civil Magistrate not only of calling Synods and Church-Assemblies but also of being present at them and to provide that whatsoever is therein concluded be done agreeably to the mind and will of God As to the matter of Church Government the divine right of their Presbyteries the setting up of Christ upon his Throne the Parity or Imparity of Ministers in the Church of Christ not a word delivered And a little after he adds It is to be observed that in the setling of the Presbyterian Government in England as the Presbyteries were to be subordinate to the Classical Provincial and National Assemblies of the Church so were they all to be subordinate to the power of the Parliament as appears plainly by the Ordinance of the 14th of March which makes it quite another thing from the Scottish Presbiteries and other Assemblies of that Kirk which hold themselves to be Supream and unaccountable in their actings without respect to the King the Parliament and the Courts of Justice So the Historian pag. 475. of his History of the Presbyterians And as for those of the Congregational way here they do not pretend to exemption from all judgement or censure from the civil Magistrate or neighbouring Churches if we may believe the Apologists in their Apologitical narration p. 21. where they tell us that at a time when they had least dependency on this Kingdom or so much as hopes ever to abide therein in peace it was openly and publickly professed That it was the most to be abhorred Maxim that any Religion hath ever made profession of and therefore of all other the most contradictory and dishonourable to that of Christianity that a singular and particular society of men professing the name of Christ and pretending to be endued with a power from Christ to Judge them who are of the same body and society within themselves should further arrogate unto themselves an exemption from giving an account or being censurable by any other either Christian Magistrate above them or neighbour Churches about them 5. Consid That there have been since the first Reformation men of parts Piety Learning and of good esteem in the Church of God who have yet boggled or scrupled at something in subscription or the conformity injoined or practised In King Edward the 6th his Reign there were Bishop