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A90526 A perswasive to all dissenters to unity in religion, as it is establish'd in the Church of England 1684 (1684) Wing P1671; ESTC R230755 6,952 11

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A Perswasive TO ALL DISSENTERS TO Unity in Religion As it is Establish'd in the Church of England THe wisest of Kings hath told us That there is a time and a season for all things a time to keep silence and a time to speak and certainly now if ever the last time is not only convenient but absolutely necessary And should man hold his Peace and neglect this Duty even the Stone should cry out of the Wall and the Beam of the Timber shall answer it I direct this my Discourse and Perswasive to Unity in Religion to all in general But more particularly to those who are Dissenters from the Church of England and who seem to make a breach in the Conformity and happy Unity of the Church and over-nice Scruples cause a Schism and rent in its seamless Garment 'T is to You that I now speak as a Friend as a Brother for so we ought to be one to another and not as Wolves and Dogs snarling and snapping one at the other but with gentleness and freedom admonish one another with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in Love 'T is the command of Christ who is Love it self That we Love one another by It we are known to be his true Disciples and followers of him And there can be no greater sign of his Love than friendly to admonish one another of Errors and straying from the Truth and to assist the weak to raise up those that fall to call to Unity and Concord and to stir up to Peace and Amity That we may be all of one mind having compassion one of another loving as Brethren being pitiful being courteous not rendring evil for evil and railing for railing 1 Pet. 3.8 9. Since Separation and Division among Brethren proceeds from the cunning and malice of Satan why should it continue any longer in our Israel why should not every man put to his helping hand to build up the walls of Unity Are we not Brethren Have we not one Father God One Head Jesus Christ Is he not our common Shepherd Have we not one Faith Salvation by Christ Do we not believe him come in the Flesh Do not we confess his Name Are we not all Christians And indeed are we not also of one Mother the Church Why then this Separation This Division This drawing several ways Why cannot or why do not you Unite as you ought to do And that this may be effected and that our happy Unity may be lasting and perpetual You must leave off to interpret the whole scope of Scripture as if framed to maintain your own form of Government presenting your followers with false Glosses whereby they read only as you would have them and pervert Scripture to maintain the false Ideas of sickly Imaginations and thus every Sect makes the Scripture to speak in favour of their way and false Opinions to maintain their Schism and Separation calling all Samaria and Babylon that are not of themselves and their own Congregations Sion and Jerusalem You must also leave off those Names of Separation and distinguishment calling your selves the Godly the Brethren the Good People Gods Children the Sanctified Others the Vngodly Reprobates Wordlings Time servers Men-pleasers Moralists and Latitudinarians Arminians and the like You must also cease to cry out against Magistrates and Rulers Kings and Governours as Severe Cruel and Tyrannical upon the least restraint of your Liberties as if you were thereby become Martyrs for the Cause of Christ Also you must not speak contemptibly of Bishops as some too frequently do giving them scurrillous Names as Vsurpers Spiritual Tyrants Lordly Bishops c. And-calling the Ministers of the Gospel in contempt Priests nay Baal's Priests Time-servers State Divines Dumb Dogs Vain Bablers with such like Language Those whom the Scriptures Dignifie and Honour with the Titles of Christs Embassadors Gods Stewards and the like Open then your Eyes at last and look not so a squint on this Form of Government and more particularly as it is here Establish'd in the Church of England which certainly is the most like and comes nearest to the Primitive Institution of the Apostles and the next Ages of any Church in the World both for the Purity of its Doctrine and the Order of its Government its Ceremonies being both few and Decent and its Power regulated by Iust Laws And as one says The Church of England is a Body of so firm a Constitution and so excellently Temper'd and so well Shap'd Vind. of the Conforming Clergy p. 50. and of so clear a strength and vigour in all its Limbs that no outward force is able to injure it nothing but some inward Corruption and decay in the Vital parts that can possibly bring it to the ground Indeed some had trip'd up its Heels and lay'd it all along but it was but a Foil you see how soon it arose again and in that little Interspace or Inter-regnum as I may term it what horrid Confusions were amongst us Methinks this little Tryal might convince you of the weakness and Imbecility of the one and the Firmness and excellent Temper of the other Government by which this Land has so long flourished and which is so fitted not only to Monarchy making that Maxime good as we by experience saw No Bishop No King and among the rest the Learned Mr. Hooker in his Pref. Sect. 1. has these words which he sets down as his full perswasion Surely the present Form of Church Government which the Laws of this Land have Established is such as no Law of God nor Reason of Man hath hitherto been alledged of force sufficient to prove they do ill who to the uttermost of their power withstand the alteration thereof And contrarywise the other which instead of It we are requir'd to accept is only by Error and Misconceit named the Ordinance of Jesus Christ no one proof as yet brought forth whereby it may clearly appear to be in very deed And those two Assertions he hath so fully and unanswerably maintained in his excellent Book of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity that methinks you should lay your Finger on your Mouths and no longer speak against this Form of Church Government nor remain at this distance and in this state of Separation till you have found out better Arguments for to justify your so doing than those you have yet made known to the World Therefore as the Form of Divine Service contain'd in the Book of Common Prayer which is now used in the Church of England conduceth so much to the Edifying those that use it and it agrees exactly with the Rules of the Apostles and is performed in English the Vulgar and common Language of the Nation which every one understands But in the Church of Rome the common People are made uncapable of being Edify'd by the Prayers of the Church in that they are all made in Latine a Language which they do not all understand So that when they
Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers Submit to every Ordinance of Man c. Rebellion is as the sin of Witcheraft and Stubborness is as Iniquity and Idolatry Let us consider that Caesar is our King Caesar is the Lords Anointed Caesar is our Nursing Father Caesar is the Breath of our Nostrils Caesar is the Son of such a Caesar who was a Martyr who laid down his Life to preserve us from Slavery Our Caesar hath been Miraculously Preserv'd and Miraculously Restor'd nothing can be too Much nothing can be too Dear for such a Caesar Certainly Obedience to such a Prince and to his Lawful Commands would be more acceptable than all your long Prayers and frequent Preaching which is become your Idol and which you set up in the room of the Crosses you have pull'd down Speak out and tell us whether an Act for Vniformity and Conformity made by the three States of the Land be a Legal Act or no If it be why do you not Obey Why do you trouble the Waters with your needless Scruples of little weight and value and about Trifles only as you call them Is not the Word truly dispensed in our Publick Churches Are not the Sacraments rightly Administred Are not our Prayers free from Scandal and Irreverence Are not our Doctrines clear of Errour and Falsity Why then do you deny to Hear Receive and Communicate together But in spite as I may say both of the Commands of God and Man separate your selves and run into Disobedience I verily believe those of the Church of England would never run into that contempt of the King and his Laws I am perswaded that for Conscience sake they would submit should the King and Parliament by their Authority take away those Ceremonies about which you contend they have learn'd better than to Rebel and the Doctrine of our Church hath endued us with sounder and better Principles O that I could but make you senfible of the Blessing of this Unity How much Glory it would add to the Nation How much Scandal it would take from Religion How much Security it would give to three Kingdoms How much Content and Satisfaction to your Prince and how much Joy and Gladness to the Hearts of all your Brethren what Peace should we enjoy at Home What Esteem and Awe should we purchase Abroad What Love would be begotten between one another And what Happiness and Prosperity would it bring to all You would then see again those Happy days of Queen Elizabeth our Armies to Prosper our Citizens to Flourish Conquest Abroad and Peace at Home Charity to increase and Contention to cease Love to abound and Strife to wax less The Golden Age would seem to be return'd again and Righteousness would run down like a stream there would then be a general rejoycing in our Streets and we should all cry out This is the Lords doing it is marvelous in our Eyes At last therefore endeavour to satisfy your Consciences go about it in earnest lay aside all Stubbornness of Heart all Spiritual Pride all Self-Interest Let the Case be stated truly betwixt you There are those that will not think much to convince you if Scripture and Reason will do it But you must then come with willing minds you must not be so stiff as you have hitherto been rather than comply o●e jot you will Break you cannot Bow you will not yield in what you may in those things that you cannot Condemn you will not so much as Read the Chapters appointed for the Day because Commanded you will not repeat the Creed and the Ten Commandments you will but rarely admit of the Lords Trayer because by us so often used a Prayer composed by Wisdom it self and therefore it must needs be the most perfect and Divine Prayer that was ever made And those who have thus far comply'd and set you a good Example have been reproach'd for it and have been look'd upon as Backsliders But this is not the way to Unity and Peace you must bring willing and yielding Hearts with you you must not be Obstinate and Opiniative you must not be Resolved before-hand you must have Desires and Longings for Unity you must hear without Passion and interest and with a desire not of Disputing and shewing your Parts but of satisfying your Minds and Consciences and then no doubt but your Scruples may be all resolved and you may Conform with satisfaction Lay these things seriously to your Heart pass them not slightly over think not these words only a little vain Air God may call you by a weak instrument by a small Voice Resist not the Spirit Harden not your Hearts This God that Calls he would have you return remember the Womb wherein you were Born and the Paps that gave you Suck Think of the Peace and Unity of Israel be Dutifull as Children Love as Brethren Obey the King Submit to Ordinances be Subject to Rulers Honour the Magistrate Yield to Governours be United in Mind be of one Heart Worship together Separate no longer and God will build you up Then God will be known in Judah and his Name will be great in Israel You shall then be United like Israel and Judah you shall have but one King you shall be no more two Nations What Nation will there be so Great who hath God so nigh unto them Then you shall be his People and he will be your God he will give you one Heart and one Way that you may Fear him for ever for the good of you and your Children after you Then will ye with one Mind and one Voice glorify God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Printed and Sold by N. Thompson at the Entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross 1684.