Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A56811
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The conformist's third plea for the nonconformists argued from the king's declaration concerning ecclesiastical affairs : grounded upon the approved doctrine and confirmed by the authorities of many eminent fathers and writers of the Church of England / by the author of the two former pleas.
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Pearse, Edward, 1631-1694.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing P981; ESTC R11263
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89,227
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94
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ought to receive and obey the Truth and to believe no more than what Christ hath commanded to be believed and to worship God according to the Will of Christ Shall we say the Protestants in France do not hold the Faith nor worship God according to the Gospel then what are they who say so If they profess and believe the Truth they ought to be permitted that 's plain for the Truth 's sake and for the Lord's sake Doth Christian Love and Compassion prompt us to wish our persecuted Brethren in France enjoyed the Liberty of the true Religion there and if they should enjoy a Freedom there shall we deny a Liberty to Protestant Brethren here I can see no way to avoid a Justification of the barbarous Usage of Protestants there by them that prosecute Protestants here for far lesser Differences from our Establishments than theirs from the Papists Suppose an Embassador was sent to treat with the French King at this time of Prosecution of our Native Protestants for a Cessation of that cruel Persecution how readily might an Answer be made Why may not I suppress Hereticks when in England you suppress Protestants 4. A Diversity of Order and Manner of Discipline and Worship may be as well permitted without breach of Church-Unity in the same Nation as in divers Nations without breach of Christian and Catholick Unity If different Forms of Belief are allowed the matter being divine and the one more large and explicit than others why may not different Modes and Order of Discipline and Worship be allowed and permitted Our Worship is according to our Faith as we believe so we worship Notwithstanding our use of three Forms of Profession of our Faith we agree in one Faith so in different Forms of Worship we agree in one Evangelical Worship And our Reformers might with as great Reason have pitched upon one of the three Creeds and for Uniformity sake required Assent to that and the use of that and no other as our Modern Fathers pitch upon one Form of Worship and require our Assent and Use of that and no other For Uniformity in Faith is more necessary than Uniformity in Orders and Rites We use the Creed called the Apostles Athanasian and Nicen Creed Bishop Jewel hath written a larger Form in his Apology for the Church of England agreeing in Words with neither and in his Reply to Harding reckons up eight Forms composed by several Authors and Fathers Apol. 2d part 1. c. Divis 1. Diversity of Creeds fol. 38. Harding cavilling against his Declaration of our Faith as many in our days exclaim a-against Dissenters said In our Fathers days Christian People lived in perfect Vnity c. before Luther 's New Gospel But let us learn from our Reverend Father Jewel that Unity of Faith may agree with Diversity of Forms of Faith and by Consequence with Diversity of Forms of Worship Object But the Administration of God's Worship ought to be uniform in one Nation and variety of Rites in one National Church would Cause Division of Judgment and by Consequence Division of Affection and to tolerate divers ways of Administrations would be to tolerate matter of perpetual Discord and Schism Answ Besides what the learned and acute Sir Thomas Overbury answers to a part of the matter of this Objection pag. 106. and the Commissioners in the Savoy Account of Proceedings p. 8 9. I 'll return my Answer in two things 1. Without Controversy our Lord Jesus took care for the Preservation of Unity such a Unity as is necessary among his Disciples and yet took no such Course as these Men build all Unity upon 2. The Church of Corinth was doubtless a particular Church and according to the Sense of the Reverend Bishop Bilson quoted before there was no Form of Liturgy prescribed p. 619 620. To be short Multitudes of learned and able Men living in one Kingdom have diversity of Apprehensions and Notions of things as well as in divers Nations and except Uniformity of Words might produce an inward Uniformity of Conceptions it hath not that Influence upon Unity as some Men think by their too violent urging of it 3. I am for Uniformity according to General Rules not excluding Prudence which must judg what 's necessary what 's expedient what 's edifying or what not for to exclude Prudence is to limit Divine Providence to particular Rules Divine Providence proceeds from Soveraignty Prudence observes it and Conscience must obey it Saving the Dominion of Providence and the Exercise of Ministerial Prudence let 's be as uniform as we can This prudential Latitude is allowed to every Curate in the choice of Homilies in dividing them leaving a part for the After-noon and changing of Lessons reading one for another as shall be most for Edification in the Admonition to all Ecclesiastical Ministers before the second part of the Homily To conclude this Question I desire the violent and active and the violent and oppressive Disputants of these times to answer Whether they think that our Protestant-Dissenting-Brethren that preach the Faith and labour to convert and build up precious Souls are unworthy to enjoy Liberty to preach the Gospel or to enjoy their Estates or to live in any part of the World If not what ground have they for their ill Opinion What Christian Charity have they How do they conspire with Bloody Inquisitors and French Persecutors yea Irish Rebels and Inhuman Rooters out of Heresy But if not worthy to live among us retaining their Liberty of Conscience and Religion Whither shall they go Where are they like to sind more natural Affection than among their Native Country-men and Acquaintance Where shall they be more wel-come among the Papists among Infidels where Satan bears so much Rule or among Protestants abroad Alas where who can entertain them Would you banish them to Scotland Ireland there are too many already Whither would you have them go for they are bid begon if they 'll not conform by some where they may do good there 's work enough for them where ever they are Why may they not do good here among us To be short they who turn them out of their Hearts and Charity upon the same reason banish them out of the Land if not out of the World And what if they should say as their Ejectors do We had better live or be in any Land or Nation even among the Papists or Insidels than live among such as these Would it not sound worse than all that yet they have said And what a Division or Schism at the very root would that be if it grew to it Which it hath not done and I wish never may But we may see that Violence is a Wedg to make the most ghastly Schism that ever was seen in a Christian Church But rather than be guilty of so unpeaceable and uncharitable a Thought or Carriage capable of such a Construction which all Christians should as ill endure to lodg within them as the
of them in one day The want of Maintenance is very great in all Parts of the Kingdom but the want of Ministers of sound convincing plain edifying faithful Ministers is exceeding great and far greater I cannot but pity and speak of what I know by good report such hath been the hunger and want of Spiritual Bread in large Places that poor Souls that go constantly to Common-Prayer have crouded into the Prayers and charitable Preaching or Exhortations of a Nonconformist O how painfully have I seen poor Souls travel on foot several Miles to hear a profitable Sermon from some Conformist Nonconformity and Conformity is a Mystery to poor Souls they can wave the Distinction for their Profit and Edification Good Preaching is as scarce as Gold in many poor Countries and more precious Poor Souls are never the better for some Ministers and a great deal the worse for others some have not and care not for the Study of the great Gift of Preaching to Gonversion and Salvation some may do better than they do but will not tho they may and many others that can and would may not O what 's the State of millions of precious Souls in the mean time I know London and other great Places have plenty of that as of other Rarities but if the Scarcity of Countries were but known and laid to heart methinks we should not stand so strictly upon Terms and I am certain should send out all we can find into the Harvest rather than silence and keep out one or what is much worse than send the Servants of God his Stewards to dig and beg to set the veriest Catch-Poles upon Earth the Lions the absurd and unreasonable Men that have not so much Faith as Devils have to watch for them to arrest them first leisurely to undo them and afterwards to apprehend them and cast them into Prison To stop the Mouths of able and faithful Preachers and to imprison them for their Labours is to let Hell loose in a Nation and to stop the way to Heaven against many Souls O Jerusalem Jerusalem O England England Behold I send you Prophets and wise Men and Scribes some of them you shall persecute from City to City A Breach in a human mutable Conformity will be found more tolerable than a Breach upon a Protestant Church upon a Kingdom 's Peace and Prosperity Latimer followed Ridley to the Stake but now if Latimer go first it shall not be long before Ridley follow To prevent the apprchendea Desolation and Land-Flood where the Channel is too strait and narrow let all that have the Royalty of the River open the Channel wider that the Ship may have room to turn her in and the Violence of the Stream abate by enlarging the Banks and let there be an Harbour and a Fort built for the shatter'd Ships And let me be excused for my good Will if not thanked for my Invention I see other wise Contrivances laid by and some amended let mine be so too I do humbly conceive that the Reverend Mr. Baxter hath given great Evidences of a vare Head and Spirit in the second Part of the Way of Concord and deserves great Thanks Mr. Corbet hath written like a wise and excellent Man Reverend Mr. Humphrey's Peaceable Design is much observed and respected and his Defects supplied by the most worthy Gentleman the Samaritan and Exceptions made against him with Amendments but with great respect by the Excellent and Good Bishop of Cork In comparison of these Men I am but as a poor Fellow that plies his Bucket to quench the Fire while the more skilful ply their invented Engines or as one that brings Earth in a Basket or a Barrow while others draw the Lines and lay the Plat-form Here I conceive two things must come into Consideration 1. What 's to be done 2. What are the Terms of Admittance and Continuance in the holy Ministry to be allowed and established by Law 1. In the first there are two things comprehended 1. Substance and Worship 2. Ceremony and Form The Debates are principally for and against Forms and Ceremonies For both I make bold to say 1. There is great Reason why a singular regard ought to be bad and given to the King's Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs for the Wisdom Moderation and Comprehensiveness of it and because if ever such a thing may come to be offered we may hope for the Royal Approbation of what may be offered out of it of which he seem'd so fond when he promised it 2. It is clear that Cathedrals must not be touched neither Revenues nor Ceremonies let them enjoy both and allow unto others a Liberty in another kind while they may enjoy theirs without mutual and uncharitable Censures and Contentions 3. It is clear there must be a Liturgy and very many even to Dr. Sherlock mention some Alterations in the several Parts of it as desirable and advisable without any positive Arrogance in a Matter of this Nature I do offer my Observation Some that expect much Profit by Preaching do think first and second Service too long and tiresome Others that care less for Preaching are very busy in the Interlocutory Parts of the Service grow careless and too often prate and stare about and whisper in the Lessons and sleep under our Sermons both are too long for them also And in some Congregations there are I believe as many if not more Service-Books than Bibles which under Correction is too little honour for the Bible All that I will suggest in this last Case is 1. That the second Service or Communion-Service may be then only read when there is a Communion or when there is no Sermon Except the reading the Commandments be frequently enjoined or that it may be left at liberty to reade either first or second or what parts of both may best suit with particular Occasions and Assemblies 2. That only one of the three Creeds be used at one time in the same Scrvice 3. The so oftenrepetition of the Lord's Prayer in the same Service may he limited All cannot most do not keep Curats the work of Reading the ordinary first and second Service besides incidental Offices as Baptisms Churchings c. make it very expensive to most Mens strength and spirits and wearisom to the People and the constant necessary work of Preaching and Catechising is hardly endured by the young and healthful but impossible to be performed by the infirm and aged It is true indeed if a Man's Conscience will bear it and the People have no more need a Minister may be both short and seldom in the Pulpit but then it is with two great Hazzards First of losing his Auditory or of his Auditories great loss to their Souls If we did consider the Copiousness of our Work the frequent Repetitions Ingeminations and Enforcements of many great and necessary Arguments the Succession and Growth of young Ones and all these of several Capacities if Preaching be at all necessary