K. CHARLES I. ΕΙΚ. ΒΑΣΙΛ 27. To the Prince of Wales BEware of exasperating any Factions by the Crossness and Asperity of some Mens Passions Humours and private Opinions imployed by you grounded only upon Differences in lesser Matters which are but the Skirts and Suburbs of Religion Wherein a charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength whom rougher Opposition fortifies 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 Lord Bishop of Cork's Protestant Peace-maker Pag. 128. To these who ask What need of more Vnion I return What need of more Holiness What need of Godliness Charity Justice Are these Christian Duties and is not Vnion and Peace as much so I am and must be in the mind that the Strength of the Protestant Cause both here at home and throughout Christendom lies in the Vnion of Protestants and the Glory Purity and Fower of Christianity in this World stands or falls with Protestantism LONDON Printed by J. D. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXII A PREFACE to the Christian and Peaceable Reader that seeks the things that be of Christ A Zeal for Peace and Vnion hath overcome all Discouragements arising from many Causes and inspired me to a Boldness prevailing against much Fear even to publish the secret Workings of my Heart As long as the Church dare shew her Face my Notions are not afraid of the Light they can receive no Luster from my Name let them go forth in that Light and Power which the Father of Lights and the God of Peace hath given and shall give unto them and if they may but give any Light to discover the way of Peace let me not only ly in Obscurity which I love because fittest for me but be disgraced by them who speak all manner of Evil of me If I have not forsaken and betrayed the Truth I have not forsaken nor betrayed the Church and when you come to see the Weapons which I handle and the Leaders and Authorities which I follow in the following Treatise as well as the Cause for which I plead I hope you will be convinced that as far as I have pleaded for the Nonconformist Brethren I have not run from my Colours There is common Truth a large and spacious ground to take them in and to build up one and the same Fabrick upon it comfortable to all true Christians receptive of all the Family of God and impregnable against all their and our Enemies It is some Relief and Comfort to see many lift up their Feet i. e. come and view the Desolations of the Church of Christ among us to be affected with them and some in whom is an excellent Spirit are contriving to bring the separate Apartments under one Roof and within one Line and Wall And these do stand upon the Rock of Evangelical Principles when not supported by the Arm of Flesh But no sooner do Arbitrators move for a Reconciliation but others do all they can to thrust them from them without respect to their Persons or due Reverence to Truth and Reason He that interposeth in this Difference doth at the Peril of Opposition The R. Rev. Author of the first Naked Truth hath found this true though his Quality and Person were more than guest at yet the Episcopal Staff could not bear off the Lashes of several Junior Writers from the Back of Naked Truth But Truth be it never so naked can bear Blows and Lashes as it hath always born the Violence of Storms and Times Truth cannot long be confined within Doors but will appear in open view whatever its Entertainment be whether Scorns Contradictions Laughter and Mockery Abuses and Scourgings or Approbation and Honour The Appearance of such a Book as that Naked Truth at such a time was like a Comet it drew the Eyes of all that could to look upon it it was a Divine Manifestation of a Primitive Christian-Spirit of Love And certainly as that pious Endeavour hath encreased his Comforts so he hath not lost all his Labour for since that we have had more Overtures of Peace than we heard of in the many Years of Discord and Troubles from the Learned in the Church of England The Nonconformists have born all the Blame and Scorn and Sufferings of our Divisions and have offered as much towards Peace and Accommodation as was possible for them to offer But partly their Writings and the doleful State of Religion have drawn out some Wishes and Concessions from some Men of Eminency in the Church towards Peace and Accommodation And tho these as yet seem too little yet there is much to be gathered from them first as to their Propensity to Peace 2. The Influence which their Concessions may have upon austerer Tempers 3. Because they being satisfied in the Point of Conformity as to their own Practice do yet for a greater Good and Peace incline to a Comprimise The Learned Dean of St. Paul's hath with submission to Authority made some Proposals and I hope would yield to more if the Composure were put into his hand Even Dr. Sherlock who is currantly thought to have writen the Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet Pag. 103. doth wish with all his Heart that some Expressions were altered to prevent any Scandal to the scrupulous or to the profane this he writes only for the Office of Burial of the Dead which he calls an excellent Office supposing the due Exercise of Church-Discipline to cast all notorious Sinners and Schismaticks out of the Communion of the Church which the Church supposeth to be done I am of his Mind Pag. 102. concerning the Excellency of that Office It is most comfortable to the Minister and most Comfort to all true Christians when we can use it upon good Evidences concerning the Dead But as the visiting of the Sick hath been too often to me the most uncomfortable Office of my Ministry so it hath been a great Addition of Sorrow to commit those Bodies to the Earth concerning whom I had no hope of their resting in Christ O what dejecting Stories could I write of too many but I forbear If he be so sensible of the ill use which may be made of that excellent Office and do so heartily wish that some Expressions were altered to prevent Scandal to the scrupulous and prophane methinks for the same Reasons he might wish more Alterations might be made in other things and Offices Most frank and generous are those Expressions of the Right Reverend and Pious Bishop of Cork Protestan-Peacemaker p. 29. We are ready to sacrifice all we can otherwise i.e. without Schism to the publick Peace and Safety what most of the Dissenters would be at no Liturgy no Episcopacy no Vniformity may not be cannot be without
Perswasions bearing date March 25 in the thirteenth Year of his Reign We in the Accomplishment of our said Will and Intent do authorize you to advise upon and review the said Book of Common-Prayer comparing it with the most ancient Liturgies of the purest Times to take to your serious Consideration the several Directions Rules Forms of Prayer and things in the Book of Common-Prayer contained to advise consult upon and about the same and the several Objections and Exceptions which shall now be raised against the same and if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as shall be agreed upon to be needful and expedient for the giving Satisfaction to tender Consciences c. The Bishops c. answer On the contrary we judg That if the Liturgy should be altered as is there required not only a Multitude but the Generality of the soberest and most Loyal Children of the Church of England would justly be offended since such an Alteration would be a virtual Concession that this Liturgy was an intolerable Burthen to tender Consciences a direct Cause of Schism a superstitious Usage upon which Pretences it is here desired to be altered which would at once justify all those who have obstinately separated from it as the only pious tender-conscienced Men and condemn all those that have adhered to it in conscience of their Duty and Loyalty with the loss and hazards of their Estates and Fortunes as Men superstitious schismatical and void of Religion and Conscience For these Reasons and those that follow we cannot consent to such an Alteration as is desired till these Pretences be proved And now it might easily appear to them what afterwards came to pass but let us observe 1. There is no doubt but some of them knew what his Majesties Proposal was for the Propagation of the Protestant Religion being his Chaplains and chief Ministers about him and some of them if I am not mis-informed made some Alterations and Amendments in the King's Declaration 2. They do manifest an Opinion of the Reforming Divines inconsistent with the Character which his Majesty gave of them as grave and learned Ministers and proceed with them according to a mean and uncharitable Opinion 3. If they saw no necessity of any Alterations 1. They dissented from the Judgment of as eminent Divines of the Church See First Plea p. 22 c. p. 32. as any in it 2. They do not agree among themselves for Mr. Thorndike one of them thought a Reformation was necessary to Union 3. They made some Alterations such as were pleasing to them though not satisfactory to others 4. They destroy the King's Supposition and the reason of his Proposal for the Propagation of the Protestant Religion Peace of the Church satisfying tender Consciences c. 4. If they were commissioned to advise c. then had it not been a great Satisfaction to the whole Church and an effectual way to silence the cavilling Opponents if they were but Cavillers 1. To have answered their Reply 2. to have petitioned his Majesty for a longer time to have heard them out but when eight Points were to be disputed they had only time for one of them being the last day of their Commission If I am mistaken in any of these things as I believe I am not I shall be glad to be corrected by a trie History of those Passages It was about giving the Sacrament to Persons that scruple kneeling about which there was a Division among themselves Some of them held that we are not to refuse to give it to them that kneel not but to give it to them that kneel the words of the Rubrick being The Minister shall take in both kinds himself and deliver it into the hands of the People kneeling as if the sense were we are to give the Sacrament into the hands of the People kneeling but are not forbid to give it to them that do not kneel Dr. G. Dr. P. and Dr. S. were for this lax Interpretation Now Lord Bishops of Ely Chester Norwich other Dr. M. now Bishop of Winchester was for the rigid sense that the People must kneel or we must not give it And Dr. P. now Dean of Salisbury offered to maintain against Mr. Baxter See Mr. B's Defence against Mr. Cheney pag. 38. that it was an Act of Mercy to those that scruple and refused to receive the Sacrament kneeling to deny them the Communion of the Church therein but the Commissioners of his own side restrained him 4. How little did some of them care for the King 's conjuring them to acquiesce in and submit to his Declaration Or tho his Majesty thought himself competent to propose a Remedy they thought him not or else they would have advised a little further having so great a charge from him giving him hopes of their Compliance and seeing the Peace and Settlement of the Church so much concerned in it and the House of Commons approving of it to whom they owned an Acknowledgment for their Service done for them they might have made their Memorial blessed to all Generations as Healers and Peace-makers And now it is plain that those who ruled most in those Councils exercised a kind of Soveraignty over the Reason of all others and waited for a Parliament and Convocation that should at once silence Objections and answer Petitions Since those Transactions the reforming Divines never had but one or two Opportunities of treating and composing our doleful Differences the Composers agreed but the House of Commons hearing of it voted against bringing in a Bill of Compreehension and the Reverend Dr. Burnet in the Life of the Great Sir Matthew Hale gives us the Reasons that prevailed at that time against it And if I may not be too tedious I will crave leave totranscribe his Lines Pag. 70 71 72 73. But two Parties appeared vigorously against this Design of Comprehension by Law the one was of some zealous Clergy-Men who thought it below the Dignity of the Church to alter Laws and change Settlements for the sake of some whom they esteemed Schismaticks they also believed it was better to keep them out of the Church than bring them into it since a Faction upon that would arise in the Church which they thought might be more dangerous than the Schism it self was Besides they said if some things were now to be changed in compliance with the Humor of a Party as soon as that was done another Party might demand other Concessions and there might be as good Reasons invented for these as for those many such Concessions might also shake those of our own Communion and tempt them to for sake us and go over to the Church of Rome pretending that we changed so often that they were thereby inclined to be of a Church that was constant and true to her self and these Reasons wrought on the far greater part of the House of Commons There were others
confirming their Prayers and Thanks with saying Amen and other Divine Service than this they had none Pag. 636. We do not think that Basil or Chrysostom would take upon them to make a new Form of Church-Service if St. James the Apostle had done it before them From this Testimony it is clear that if Uniformity in one Form of Worship or Common-Prayer and Ceremonies be necessary for Church-Union then there was no Church-Union or Catholick-Communion in the Apostolical-Churches because there was no Form or Order of Divine Service set and prescribed But there was the most Christian and Catholick Communion in that Diversity therefore Catholick Union and Communion without one prescribed and set Form And hence the Dissenting Brethren have the Countenance of an ancient venerable Bishop of Winchester for them and to convince their Troublers for using a Worship different from the Liturgy of the Church of England Prophe-ying praying praising God are parts of God's Worship tho in differing Words and Method they are the same Divine Worship And who act nearest the Primitive Pattern of the Apostles and purest times they who worship God in Christ by the Spirit or they who will not suffer them Object But the Apostles and Teachers had the Guidance of the Spirit Answ They had but that Assistance which they had for performing the Worship of God was not extraordinary or peculiar to their Times because Gospel-Worship was to be performed in all After-ages of the Church Qâ—o in loco scil Jo. 20. ostendiâ— eum solum â—osse baptizare temissionem peccatorum dare qui habeat Spiâ—itum Sanctum Cyprian ad magnum and by Consequence the Assistance of the Spirit was to continue to all Ministers in succeeding Ages without whose Assistance we can do nothing And the Holy Spirit doth continue to give Gifts and Graces to his Ministers and People and if one Form were absolutely necessary for all Ages it is a wonder that the Apostles did not leave us one Form is but a mode and to be used or not used as is most for Edisication and they that use it not should not condemn them that use it and they who use it should not as I conceive judg them as Schismaticks that use it not but joyn one with another Object But it is a Disorder in the same Church and Government and not to be born it looks like a different Religion Answ The Romanists have often charged the Church of England with permitting different Religionsin the Nation But let the same learned Bishop answer for me In England the People Pag. 15. both strange and liege worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth according to the Gospel of his Son agreeing together in the Substance of one Faith and the right Order of Christ's Sacraments Only Strangers are suffered in their Churches to use their own Tongue and retain their own Ceremonies as be neither against Faith nor adverse to good Manners and therefore by St. Augustine's Judgment may go for indifferent and may be born in Christian Vnity without Offence or Confusion Oh! if this Doctrine were believed in our days the People of God might be said to rest at Noon And he was not singular In Doctrinâ Fidei Orthodoxae Professione discordia inter nos nulla saith the learned Crakenthorp of the Puritans Hac integrâ in Ritibus Defensione Eccles Angl. contra Spalat c. 43. p. 254. Disciplinsi discrimen ferendum utrique scimus Difference in Ceremonies and Discipline was tolerable in their Opinion but now intolerable The Champions of the Church of England in former days against the Papists were moderate when we know there was a different way of Discipline and Decency secretly practised If Doctrine be the direction of Practice to be moderate in Doctrine but severe in Practice and Execution is to put out the Candle and kindle a Fire to preach Charity but to shew no Mercy To draw towards a Conclusion Let us but truly judg of the elder Nonconformists with righteous Judgment 1. Before his Majestie 's wonderful Restauration in all Countries and Places where they lived and preached who did rebuke reprove exhort and fulfil all parts of Minsters more than they Who maintained Protestant Doctrines preached for Conviction Conversion Holiness and Righteouness more than they Who vindicated all Ordinances from some that pretended to live above them Others that denied the necessity and use of them and from the Profanation of sacred Things And who did more forwardly assist and concur to settle the Government upon ancient Foundations and in the Inheritor of the Royal Throne Who were more hated by impious Sects or that laboured more to convince and reduce them than they 2. At that time and since how highly were they placed in the King 's good Opinion as is fully expressed in his Royal Declaration 3. They did shew a Forwardness and Zeal to settle the Church denying their own private Opinions to lay down solid Foundations for a Comprehensive Church 4. When they quietly submitted to the Law of their Ejectment did they did any of them sow Sedition or ill Principles of Faction was their Exhortation of deceit or guile to incense their loving Auditors or oblige and conjure them to any thing inconsistent with the Gospel or unlike Men as going from the Pulpit to God's Tribunal to give him an Account of their Doctrine Faith manner of Life see any of their broken Notes and Farewell-Sermons printed much to their Disadvantage Testify against them who can 5. Except they had renounced their sacred Calling and silenced themselves who could have imployed their Labours with more inoffensiveness to Authority more Toil to themselves and more Profit to precious Souls and less Opposition to the publick than they did as will appear in Instances An honourable Member Sir H. C. Anno 1670 71 in full Parliament took notice of it that there were no Conventicles yes they took pains to preach when others were at rest in great Privacies and Solitudes And let 's be just who hath made any Observation of People and Assairs that will not say for one Schismatick we had had many had it not been for their great Industry and who for all that are Schismaticks but they See Mr. Allen Say to Archippus p. 23. scil your not p eaching will occasion Separation indeed c. It is not Thanks-worthy to keep poor weak Souls in the Faith and Truth except they turn Lay-men and all come up even to the Rails i. e. to the heighth 6. God and the King made their Assemblies so numerous and publick God by a tremendous course of Judgments yet remembring Mercy The King after 12 Years Experience of fruitless Severity sent out his Declaration of Indulgence Some of themselves have published the Providence of God but it is not worth the noting and they that are resolved on their way will not be hindred by making Observation even of the Works of God When God sent a dreadful Plague
People of such a rank as have an Interest in the Land I have heard some doubt whether that House of Commons were so truly their Representatives because many of them were obtruded upon the People and many indirect and unlawful ways were taken to sort them together But 2. waving that succeeding Parliaments have marked out these Laws to give them an Expiration and were it not for Fomentations and high Drops used by some to keep them in Life and Vigor they had been buried in neglect by this time 3. But granting they are in as full force as ever yet Laws are compared to the Grape which being too much pressed yieldeth an hard and unwholsome Wine as the wise Lord Chancellor ‖ Wise and moderate Discourse concerning Church-Affairs p. 37. Bacon said To press out such a Wine and force an exhausted party to pay dearly for it is not the way to nourish good Blood in such a diseased Body as ours is But having spoken of this in the Second Plea I shall add no more here but reserve something for a Postscript concerning what I said in that 3. The last Prejudice against them is that they are Men uncalled to preach Answer All of the Seniors of them had Episcopal Ordination others have another kind and most if not all I plead for have the internal and I dare say would chearfully answer all the Interrogatories in the Examnation in the ordering of Priests except a part of the last But my Answer is that when the calling of Ministers hath been doubted of or questioned as the calling of our Bishops and Ministry hath been by the Papists Our most Reverend Fathers have insisted upon one certain Rule of Trial of true Ministers and Pastors Hear what our famous and blessed Bishop Jewel preached By this therefore Sermon on 1 Cor. 4.1 2. fol. 223. my Brethren shall you soon try whether they are the true Servants of God for if they shall only disclose unto you the Will of God if they shall preach unto you the Secrets of God's Gospel and the Glory of his holy Name then are they true Servants then are they Christ's Ministers and faithful Dispensers of God's Secrets c. In these our days the Ministers of God and Preachers of his Gospel are evil spoken of among all Men some say they are unlearned they are Crafts-men Some say they preach they cannot tell what they speak against Prayer Faiting Alms-deeds and all other good Works Unto all this I say it is sufficient for us to be found the Servants of God and faithful Dispensers of God's Secrets When Paul came from Berea to Thessalonica and began to preach the Gospel there the People ran to their Books searched the Scriptures and when they found in all Points they agreed therewith then they believed Paul Even so let us do good Brethron let us examine and try their Doctrine with the Touchstone of God's Word and confer their Teaching their Discipline with the Scriptures of the Holy Ghost and then be you Judges then if you see that we teach you nothing but the Mysteries of God Folio 225 226. So Dr. Benefield de Sacerdotio Evangelico §. 43 besides Bilson c. above quoted that we disclose to you the Will of God if you see we preach unto you no other thing than the Secrets of God's Gospel esteem us to be the Servants of God the Ministers of Christ c. There are some other popular Prejudices instilled into many and dispersed to no other effect but to foment ill Nature Passion and a Spirit of Faction such is that of a late Writer who writes Defence of Dr. Stilling pag. 70. They set up Schismatical Conventicles and preach People into Scruples and Factions How knows he that by his own hearing or by hear-say How many hath he cured that resorted unto him for Satisfaction It is no wonder that People are abused into a Suspicion that their Nonconformity is but a Pretence a conscientious Disguise to cover Rebellious Principles that they began the War which was as impossible as it is historically untrue That they preach in Barns and other places out of dislike of Churches I suppose if they were offered Churches they would not refuse them But as Conventicles are counted as places of Disgrace so it 's an Unhappiness they have no better and a greater that they may not have them His Gospel who was laid in a Manger may be preached in a Barn if there be no room for his Preachers in better places The Primitive Christians were glad of any places The Waldenses preached in Barns who were glorious Confessors of the Christian Verity And to avoid both Danger and Offence some of our Nonconformists have preached in Caves and Pits to whose Honour or Dishonour be it spoken These Prejudices cast out of the way it were easy to out match these Prejudices but I will not use a hand to record what is not to be heard without Trouble but it is not unfit to take notice of so much as belongs to the Question in hand and no more than will serve to prepare Mens Minds to believe there are Complaints which should affect and move the Hearts of our Rulers to hearken to the Motions of the Reconcilers and Peace-makers And that I may handle a tender Point with as much Tenderness and Modesty even towards them that make the Hearts of Christians groan and mourn I 'll proceed by Questions 1. What had the Parishes and Congregations of England done to provoke the few but potent Managers of our Ecclesiastical Affairs to deprive them of some of the most painful vigilant successful exemplary Pastors that ever any Church enjoyed The most learned Lord Chancellour Bâcon said of the Bishops As for their easy silencing of them in such great scarcity of Preachers it is to punish the People and not them Wise and moderate Discourse p. 35. It must be confessed we all had sinned but most notoriously two sorts of People first those that could not endure sound Doctrine nor Reproofs and hate to be reformed and others who knew not the time of the Visitation were too sleepy and luke-warm and could too easily part with those who laboured to win them and bring them to God by Repentance Faith and Love Could they put in better in their rooms Was there too many and could hundreds be spared then why had some one Man many Livings Was it because there were too many or why might not many that seldom or never well could preach be rather maintained and eased Was this to do as our Saviour commanded Pray ye to the Lord of the Harvest to send Labourers into his Harvest See Bishop Jewel's Sermon on that Text. 2. What had the Preachers done to merit silencing I could fill up my Page with Queries but I will keep close to the general Point If they will not subscribe declare and swear such prescribed Forms they are judged by the Law to be mute The
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