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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	book_n	church_n	rome_n	3,625	5	7.0618	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45163	Union pursued, in a letter to Mr. Baxter, concerning his late book of national churches published for a fuller disquisition about this subject, by the sober and composed of all sides, in order to comprehension which hath been forming, and a larger constitution of the church to be formed, when that Day of Concord comes, which the gentle aspect of Heaven in God's appointment (and the King's) of so many choice moderate bishops together at this time does presage to the nation, that the Presbyterians and Independants, that have united within themselves, may both be united also with the Church of England / by a lover of Him, and follower of peace.	Humfrey, John, 1621-1719.	1691 (1691)	Wing H3716; ESTC R15748	28,717	40

then confirm this by the proving that it was at his Resurrection he was inaugurated into his Universal Kingdom or make King over the Gentiles or all Nations as Heir of the World That is was then that God said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and Christ askt of his Father and he gave him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost ends of the Earth for his possession compare Acts 13.33 with Psal 2.7 8. That it was then and not before then that he received all power in Heaven and Earth as he tells his Disciples Mat. 28.18 and by vertue of that Power commissioned the Apostles to go and disciple all Nations If any can distinguish thus There was a Kingdom Christ was Born to Mat. 22. Joh. 18.37 which is the Jewish Kingdom as being of the Line of David And there is a Kingdom which is Given him as the Son of Man Dan. 7.14 and which was Purchased by the Merits of his Life and Death Luk. 24.26 Phil. 2.8 and consequently there must be a time when it was Received and that must be after his Death and Resurrection upon that Account I say now if any stand upon this and it be Truth which whether it be or no I must still ask you then is there the Access of some Light and Strength to your Notion But that Christ Instituted a National Church Form and that Judaea under Constantine was such a Church in the Execution which are Two Chapters of your Book I do not apprehend the Proof so convincing but that they need both of them your second Thoughts and farther Improvement That which affects me in these Papers more especially is this one thing that you shew so much candour and condescention toward the present Church but without fawning I must confess and with no less serious Frame of Spirit if I can judge than Augustine wrote his Retractations I do not know whether our Church-men who are good will refuse you any thing you offer as pious as prudent or as necessary to Communion And I think you have offered and conceded enough to the laying a Ground for both Parties when GOD and a Parliament shall see it good to come to an Accommodation I will give an Example of what I say to my Reader out of the Fourteenth Chap. of your Book where you have these words The National Church of England is rightly Constituted under one supream Royal Government as the Vnifying Head It is duely Constituted of professed Baptized Christians and Churches as the Subject Matter It hath National Laws which profess their Subserviency to the Law of Christ and the Nullity of all that is against it It maketh none Magistrates but professed Christians no nor Burgesses and Choosers of Magistrates It hath Diocesans that are general Overseers of many particular Churches as successors to the Apostles and Evangelists in the Ordinary parts of their Office It justly maketh Bishops Members of Parliament it being unfit to make Laws for Religion without the Pastors notice and advice It justly giveth large maintenance and honours to the Superior Clergy that they may be a protection to the Inferior and a relief to the poor and keep up Religion from the contempt and scorn of Wordly Men. The King is the just Donor of such Honours and Revenues The Parish Ministers according to the true Legal Reformed Church of England are acknowledged true Pastors as to all the Essentials of the Pastoral Office Word Sacraments Keys Discipline and Ordinations The Inferior Ministers in Tythes and Glebe have a laudable maintenance All Parishes are to distinguish Communicating Members from Non communicating Inhabitants and to refuse the scandalous and unconfirmed not ready or desiring Confirmation And the Offices of Absolution and Burial are fitted to the faithful were Discipline executed Yet our Law for Dissenters Assemblies acknowledgeth them all true Members of the Church of England who agree in the Essentials notwithstanding their dissent in lesser things We use one and the same Translation of Scripture and we all renounce all Humane Vniversal Forreign Jurisdiction These things and all these you approve as commendable and when you concede so much to the Bishops what is it you require of them Why nothing but that Reformation in effect only of some things which they themselves as to the main do seek also and what Ingenuity more than this could be expected from any It is Peace I perceive you would have but Holiness more and when the world lyes in wickedness if you have peace you must be content with so much holiness as can be had You must not expect that National Churches though you will have them Jure Divino should be as Holy as the select people of your Gathered Congregations Sir I am sensible what need we have of Discourses that are bending to one another while such Divisions are got within our bowels as are like to eat our Religion quite out One would wonder to see sometimes two friends that agree so well otherwise as both to go to Church both are for the same Liturgy both are for the present King and ready rather to dye than admit of Popery and yet being rankt into a diverse sort of Companions under the names of Whig and Tory there is a secret Animosity and Unkindness grows within if no open fire of contention break out as if they were born enemies Do but ask one or the other what is the matter between you or what is the meaning of these names Guelph and Gibeline that divide you they can say nothing but themselves are astonished There is nothing but that the Tares are sown in mens hearts by the Evil one while they are not aware is the cause of it And there is nothing but the love of God and our Neighbour which is the effect of Gods spirit with an Act of Parliament for Vnion which must begin that work like to be the cure of it It was one of the deepest fetches of the Popish Plot through Liberty to destroy Agreement And to come to Agree now and preserve Indulgence is the only way to be even with them As the design therefore of your Papers which is National Concord is according to my heart desire and I should be glad to farther it to my utmost so must I take notice more particularly of one Concession of yours to wit of the Divine right of Bishops which others of your brethren will by no means grant There is the Episcopus gregis the Ordinary Overseer of the flock The Episcopus Praeses where there are several Prebyters in one Congregation And besides these you are for a Superiour sort of successors to the Apostles and Evangelists of Divine institution Such Diocesans that put not down Particular fixed Pastors or such Diocesses as Unchurch not our Parishes are not impugned by you I am perswaded now that the most of our present Bishops will allow you that their Diocesses are not Churches infimae specici but that every

he judges in his Conscience to have been Their Meaning and if he can subscribe them in that Sence he is to do it if he cannot he is to forbear This being so hard a Chapter it is fit the Church should put in and declare that that Sence whereof a man can hardly be sure even so far as to act in Faith is not the Sence she imposes but that any other may suffice which in a literal Construction can be made good whether of the Subscriber's own or of any Judicious Expositor Doctrinal not the Authentick Interpretation Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind I mention these 4 or 5 things instead of many to be the Canonical Matter of such Impositions as may be found fit to be laid some on all some on some Persons not needful for others and it is Time and the Trial and Experience which must be the Mother to bring them forth and cultivate them after to their best advantage To the making such Canons we humbly motion a third Clerk for the Convocation to be added to the two in every Diocess and chose out of the Dissenters with indifferent respect to all sorts of them that mutual Satisfaction and Concord may thereby be prosecuted with Unanimity of Heart and Good-will through all the Churches And the two Provinces of Canterbury and York should unite in this Convocation for the making them one National Church and not two Provincial ones in a diverse Assembly The continuance of two Provinces with a separate Government in either is inconsistent with one National Political Society and keeps the Saddle on both for the French Popery at least if not the Pope of Rome to get up again upon us If a temporary Vicar-General were made by the King every Convocation by whose Authority delegated to him over both Provinces to that purpose the Members of both were to be convened and if when any business of moment were on the Anvil no man but one herein truly noble as excelling others in Learning and Virtue such a one as Mr. Boyle might be chosen by whose Conduct and Moderation things might be carried better than they have sometimes been Who does not see but this might be for advantage to the Affairs of Religion The Council of Nice had not done so well as it did had not Constantine supervised them Government consists in Legislation and Judgment The Supreme Power of this Kingdom as to the exercise hereof lies not We know in the King alone but in the King and his Parliament The whole Body of the Nation are to be accounted in their Representatives to meet the Head and the Laws to be made by the Whole whereby our Birthright of being a Free State or Free People is maintained The Absolute Supreme Power therefore of this Kingdom of England must lye in King Lords and Commons as unified in a Corporation and the House of Lords as virtually so unified is the Highest Judicatory As for the Supreme Power then of the Church of England the Power of making Canons and of judging in Ecclesiastical Causes as to the last Appeal it does in like manner not lye in the Bishops only but in the King thus incorporated and a Convocation Every Parish-Church in the Land is to be accounted by its Pastor to chuse its Representative in this Convocation Every particular Church which is tolerated or shall be tolerated by Law is thereby made part of the National and must therefore have the same Right with the Parochial Congregations Let thus much be declared and upon this Foundation whereof of First-stone was laid before will this great Union which we do go about to build be reared and irrefragably upheld For if the Persons that represent their Churches are united in one Assembly then must those Churches that are represented be supposed as united in one Body It is as Members of one National Society that they chuse their Representatives for the making up this Convocation which is the Church of England in Representation If we look into our Antiquaries and old Historians we shall find That before the Conquest at least under the Saxons our Parliaments and Clergy were still one Assembly and no Canons made but by both together Which ancient usage manifestly powers the nature of a Parliament to be the measure of a Convocation Let me add as to this Supreme Power of the Keys mentioned That the Subject thereof is the whole Church as we shall find it proved by our Divines such as Bishop Andrews against the Papists from that only place for the Institution of Discipline Other Texts speak say they of the Keys of Doctrin Tell the Church that is a Particular Church which a National Church unless distinguished is for the Vniversal Church cannot be told Now the King being one and the chief one in the Church as National and the Power lying in the whole He he in his Vicar together with the Convocation representing the whole must have this Power residing in him with them Although as the Legislative Power of the Kingdom lies in the Lords and Commons with the King yet the Executive Power lies in him only so the Legislative Power of the Church lies in him with the Convocation yet the Executive in the Bishops only No Church-Execution by the Sword-bearer but they Key-bearer and no Penalty by Canon but Rebuke and Excommunication To return By this means shall one Organ more be added to this great Political Society for deriving an Influence from the Head to these Parts of the Body as well as others which now seem neglected and to have no care taken of them The grand and more especial Business of such an equally-modell'd Convocation should be the revising the Book of Canons for the reversing the main Body of them having been fitted to that narrow Scantling which is unworthy the Church of England and for the leaving only those and making new as we have exemplified in some for instance-sake before which do or will be made to suit to that larger Constitution thereof intended by this Paper And having said now thus much for Explanation of this Design we must say some little also in favour of it The Design of such a National Accommodation as this shall advance not lessen the outward Power and Honour of the Bishop extending it over those who before had no conscientious Regard for their Function while yet it would case them of the tremendous Burthen of such a Cura animarum they take on them otherwise as must be of impossible performance This Design which is supposed to find us in our Divisions and not to make any shall by little and little with God's Blessing on it cool Animosities and enkindle Charity and Holiness among all Parties which now is so much wanting while those that are Catholicks and those that are Protestants and much more those that are Conformists and those that are Nonconformists do agree in the Substance of one Christianity having the same Scriptures the same

Articles of Faith in the three Creeds and the same Rule of Manners in the Decalogue There is one Body one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism They cannot indeed have all Communion in the same External Worship but they can have it in the Internal Adoration of the same Blessed Trinity and in one Hope of our calling unto Eternal Life through Christ Jesus They must separate into several Congregations but there shall be no Schism in the Body by this means for all that For as while the Supreme Power allowed only Parochial Meetings as established by Law it hath been accounted Schism to go to separate Assemblies So the Scene being altered and these separate Congregations also made Legal this Schism or Mens being called Schismaticks in that Fegard must vanish and be at an end Indeed these diverse Congregations will accuse one another as guilty of Sin and Schism before God for each separating from the others Communion and threaten His Judgment But so long as there is no separating from the Church whereof the King is Head while he tolerates the Meetings of both and makes them Parts of it as National there shall be no Prosecution of Law against any but all quiet as Fellow-Members upon that account Only as to the Catholicks as they call themselves we must consider there are many of them that have received such Principles as that they cannot swear to the Supremacy of the King and so are uncapable of this National Order with others it being an inconsistent thing to disown the Head and yet be of the Body and these are to be accounted therefore as without that is out of the Church who yet as the Jews do may live in the Land And there are many it is like that can swear to the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy it being rational to think they may do that now which in Henry the Eight's Reign they one did and will submit too to every thing else required to the rendring them tolerable and these are to be dealt with as within who yet are not to imagin for all that that a Protestant King and Parliament should allow of their Mafs in Publick as they do the Service-Book This were not to tolerate the Papists but to set up Popery whereas the determining what is to be permitted to one Party and what to another so as no Detriment may be brought to the Church or State and no Sin or Guilt upon the Nation by that Permission is a nicer thing and requires the weighty Debate of a Convocation if not more than one before it be handed to a Parliament There is one Motion farther should be added and that is for another Bill also to be brought in for the preventing and taking away two things which are the Pests of the Conforming Clergy the one is Simony and to be done effectually by the imposing only the Simoniacal Oath on the Patrons of all Benefices as well as on the Incumbents The other is Pluralities we mean both of Livings and Dignities impartially to this end that the King may have wherewithal to engage those he receives into the Church thus enlarged and consequently restores to their Labours by this Accommodation for that is a thing will make the Favour indeed significant to such persons We will conclude with one Argument for what we have proposed There is no Power given upon Earth for any man to command that which he in his Conscience does judge to be Sin Non datur potest as ad malum But to Conform in all things to the present Church according to Law is Sin in the Judgment of Dissenters Catholicks and others and the late King was a Dissenter of one sort himself The King therefore that was so lately could not really put the Roman Catholicks upon Conformity and if he would appear equal to all People he could not put any other Dissenters on it neither for the same cause That which the Law requires was both in his Conscience and in theirs a thing prohibited of God He could not therefore put the Laws in execution being against God And if he could not do it acting only but as an honest man that abides by his Principles we have no reason to apprehend that the King and Queen we have now should be ever brought to do it maugre all the Enticements of the Church of England or Frowns of the Church of Rome FINIS