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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	time_n	2,893	5	3.6141	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58923	A seasonable discourse against comprehension. Occasioned by a late pamphlet intituled The peaceable design, being a modest account of the non-conformists meetings, with some of their reasons for non-conformity: and the way of accomodation in the matter of religion. Humbly proposed to publick consideration by some ministers of London, against the sitting of Parliament, in the year, 1675.	Hickes, George, 1642-1715. Letter sent from beyond the seas to one of the chief ministers of the Non-conforming party. aut	1676 (1676)	Wing S2227; ESTC R214757	10,075	36

A SEASONABLE DISCOURSE AGAINST COMPREHENSION Occasioned by a late PAMPHLET Intituled The Peaceable Design Being a Modest Account of the Non-Conformists Meetings with some of their Reasons for Non-conformity And the way of Accommodation in the Matter of Religion Humbly proposed to Publick Consideration by some Ministers of London against the Sitting of Parliament in the Year 1675. Titus 1.13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the Faith LONDON Printed in the Year 1676. A Discourse against Comprehension 'T IS an amazing Reflection but that nothing seems strange in these last and worst of Days that Persons otherwise of undoubted Loyalty should so far be a Contradiction to themselves and their former Actions as out of a vain compliance with some People and thereby to obtain the Title of Moderate Men to be encouragers of those Designs which if duely prosecuted according to some Mens intentions are inevitably destructive both to Church and State That there should be Ambitious Covetous Discontented Persons who having flourished under the late Rebellion do endeavour to repeat it is no wonder But that any of those Loyal Sufferers who have sufficiently smarted under the late Troubles that those should so tamely contribute to their own and the Churche's ruine is not so easily understood That the N. C. have formerly found Friends and Favourites amongst some Privy-Counsellors and others of the Nobility Pag. 2. is easily granted And therefore the Author of Good-Will amongst Protestants who so boastingly urgeth this Topick might if he pleas'd have kept his Quotations in his Common-Place-Book The generous disposition of those noble Spirits naturally Compassionate towards all suffering Parties and the great comparative Meekness and Innocency that appear'd in those first Dissenters are a ready Apology for the Indulgence that was then shewed them But now since by their Fruits we do know them Since their Principles are explain'd into such dismal Practices of which it were a happy thing if the sad experience of these Kingdoms would suffer us to be ignorant the Loyal Nobility and Gentry much less the Clergy have little cause to be fond of these People who are still disturbing Authority with their impertinent I pray God they do not prove destructive Clamours That this may not be rejected as the melancholy reflexion of a discontented Brain I shall consider the intended Relaxation with all imaginable strictness The Matter of Fact is this The Non Conformists have mov'd that two Declarations in the Act of Uniformity may be dispensed with They are these I A. B. do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book Intituled The Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalmes of David pointed as they are to be Sung or Said in Churches and the form or manner of Making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons I A. B. do declare that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by him and that I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now by Law established And I do declare that I do hold there lies no Obligation upon me or any other Person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any Change or Alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and impoposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom What Private designs are hereby promoting we must leave to Almighty God and the Event of things But as to the Publick there can be no warrantable Reason for such Dispensation but either the unlawfulness or inexpediency of these Declarations The unlawfulness of them will never be pretended by any true Son of the Church of England For this were in short to give up the whole Cause and to lay the charge of Schism at our own Doors Because that Church which requires any thing unlawful as a condition of her Communion is doubtless Schismatical But since those Laws and Constitutions which were at first Legally establish'd may by the alteration of Circumstances be very burdensome to the Subject and as such ought to be Repealed let us consider the justness of their pretences herein And if upon inquiry it do appear that the continuance of these Declarations is as necessary for the preservation both of Church and State as their first enforcement I do then humbly petition Authority to consider the excellent words of this present * Votes of the House of Commons Feb. 5. 1662. against Indulgence Parliament It will no way become the Gravity or Wisdom of a Parliament to pass a Law at one Session for Uniformity and at the next Session the Reasons of Uniformity continuing still the same to pass another Law to frustrate or weaken the Execution of it It will expose your Majesly to the restless importunity of every Sect or Opinion and of every single Person also who shall presume to dissent from the Church of England As to these Declarations the Assent and Consent in the former and the Renunciation of the Covenant in the later are thus rationally grounded The end and design of Government is Salus Publica it is to take care Ne quid detrimenti capiat communitas Or in the Apostles phrase That we may live a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesly For the obtaining of which happy end his Sacred Majesly who is Cuslos utriusque tabulae out of a due care of his People by the advice of his Council hath Enacted That no Man be admitted into any Office Sacred or Secular who when his Place requires it ref●seth by Oaths Subscriptions or Declarations to give assurance to the Publick that he is Orthodox and Peaceable Now since different Opinions and Practices in matters of Religion especially when cherished and indulg'd do naturally improve into contentious Disputes and those Disputes if not restrain'd break out into Civil Wars For * Mr. Newcomes Serm. before Parl. Sept. 12.1644 pag. 36. Men will at last take up Swords and Spears instead of Pens and defend by Arms what they cannot do by Arguments Since things are thus 'T is at least Prudence if not Duty in the Supreme Power to remove the occasion of this Ruine by enjoyning the Publick practice of these Duties in one Uniform way that all his Subjects may speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions amongst them persectly joyn'd together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment And therefore the Act for Uniformity most prudently enjoyneth That no Man be permitted the publick Exercise of his Ministry till in this

first Declaration he hath given his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all and every thing in the said Book contained and prescribed I say unfeigned Hypocrisie being hateful both to God and Man and destructive to humane Society As to the other Declaration in brief thus It being notoriously known with what design the Covenant was first Imposed even the ruine of that Covernment which the Kings of England in their Goronation-Oath do swear to Maintain And the sad Effects being as Obvious to which that League was in a great measure Instrumental Authority could do no less without being wanting to its own Preservation than to require an assurance from all Persons to be admitted into the Ministry that there lies no Obligation from this Oath to endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State In which words whoever refuseth to declare doth in effect assure us That though at present restrained yet he is still obliged when occasion shall offer it self in his Place and Calling to root out Popery Prelacy i. c. Government by Arch Bishops Bishops Deans Chapters c. If it be replied That there is no Alteration of Government intended by these moderate Dissenters whose Comprehension is desir'd but that it is another Clause in the Declaration which justisieth their refusal viz. There lies no Obligation on me or any other Person c. Which say they cannot safely be declar'd because though they do not approve the whole Oath yet there are several indispensable Duties contained in it which can never be renounced To this I Answer The Alcoran Romish Breviary or Missal may by any one that hath subscrib'd them be lawfully renounced and yet doubtless there are in them several Duties of Morality whereto he was obliged before and to which he was further obliged by his own Personal act in subscribing as being a part thereof Yet may he renounce In hac forma And so it is with the Covenant which may in like manner be renounc'd notwithstanding those good things that are contained in it The reason is Because Subscription was to the Totum complexum i. c. to the whole Frame of the Covenant as such and therefore the Abrenunciation of it must be to the whole as such The Obligation whereof being renounc'd must reach to every Branch and Clause therein so as no Man standeth obliged to the performance of any one Branch thereof though otherwise not only lawful but even necessary upon some other account as it is a Branch of the Covenant As to that trifling Scruple That though they themselves are not obliged by it yet it is too much considence to declare There lies no Obligation on any other This I say scarce deserves Confutation For since Nemo t●netur ad impossibile and Juramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis if it be in it self an unlawsul Oath as hath upon occasion been sufficiently prov'd it can neither oblige them nor any other whatsoever to any thing but Repentance But the most plausible Pretence in behalf of these Dissenters and which it seems hath influene'd some loyal Noble Breasts is this The Union of Protestants in his Majesties Kingdom 's is a very bleassed and desirable Work and accordingly it is the Duty of every good Subject in his Place and Calling faithfully to promote it This being the most effectual Method to suppress the common Enemy the Papists who are doubtless more encourag'd by our Divisions than any other Motives or Endeavours of their own Party And therefore were there but some little Relaxation granted whereby the most eminent Presbyterians might be receiv'd into the Church What a consternation would this strike into the Papal Faction What signal Service might the Church of England receive from these famous Champions whose Zeal and Learning are so notorious to the World This is their Plea The weakness of which may thus easily appear The Union of Protestants Reformation of abuses of Religion with such like specious Names being the usual Vizards wherewith Men of insatiable Avarice or Ambition disguise their base unworthy Intentions that the ugliness thereof may not appear to vulgar Eyes It concerns Authority to be very deliberate in their Councels and not be too forward upon every slight pretence to innovate good Laws for the sad consequents of which Change they can never be answerable to Church and State Few are of so weak Capacity but publick evils they easily espie fewer so patient as not to complain when the grievous inconveniences thereof work sensible Smart saith judicious Mr. Hooker Hence it is that the very name of Reformation carrieth with it a great deal of outward Glory and Lustre silling the Hearts of Men with expectation of much Happiness to ensue and in that Hope is evermore entertain'd with general Applause especially of the Vulgar sort And therefore Covetous Ambitious Disconted Persons have always improv'd this Inclination to their own advantage So that seldome hath any Sacrilegious or Seditious attempt appear'd abroad in the World and been countenanced either by the Great ones or the Many which hath not been uther'd in by this piece of Hypocrisie although upon the Post-fact we have sadly experienc'd that the pretence of a thorough Reformation serveth as a Foil to set off the blackest Crimes that ever the Christian World was guilty of This general Consideration first premised and 't is no unseasonable Reslection to the present Proposal I thus Answer That the Union of Protestants is indeed a very blessed and destreable Work as being the most effectual Method to suppress the common Enemy the Papist and accordingly that it is the Duty of every good Subject in his Place and Calling faithfully to promote it Thus far is easily granted But then whether this Comprehension be so suitable a method to promote that blessed Work or wether these Presbyterians would be so considerable a support to the Protestant Cause were the Walls of the Church like those of Troy pull'd down to receive them may best be judg'd by their own Confession For now they begin to speak plain The Mask of Hypocrisie by long wearing is grown so thin and useless that it is fit for nothing but to be thrown by That which so falsly and invidiously hath been objected against the Prelates is too sadly true of these Presbyterians They have a Pope in Their Belly This you 'll say is a very harsh and uncharitable Reslection And I do acknowledg the Charge were I not able thus to prove it In this very Pamphlet call'd the The Peaceable Design p. 71 I sind these words Such a Toleration only is desir'd as is consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation But what shall we say then to the Papists which is the Objection hit still in their Teeth that plead for Moderation Why we will not baulk the delivery of our Opinion There are two part we profess of that favour or condescention we seek from the higher Powers The

one consisting of a Composition with those whose Principles are fit and capable of it And the other consisting of Forbearance towards those whose Principles will allow them no more The Papist in our account is but one sort of Recusants and the conscientious and peaceable among than must be hold in the same Predicament with those among our selves that likewise refuse to come to Common Prayer And a little after But as for the Common Papist who lives innocently in his way he is to us as other Separatists and so comes under the like Toleration From whence I thus Argue Those who affirm Popery to be consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Goverment of the Nation these are no faithful Friends to the Protestant Cause But these Presbyterians who desire this Comprehension they affirm Popery to be consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation Therefore these Presbyterians who desire this Comprehension they are no faithful Friends to the Protestant Cause The Major I think cannot be deny'd For the Articles of our Faith being designedly Establish'd by our first Reformers in opposition to Popery most of the Popish Tenets being condemn'd therein those who affirm Popery to be consistent with them are Betrayers of the Reformation The Minor is thus proved Those who admit a Toleration of Popery and yet at the same time-profess That such a Toleration only is desir'd as is consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation those affirm Popery to be consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation But these Presbyterians who desire this Comprehension they admit a Toleration of Popery And yet at the same time profess that such a Toleration only is desir'd as is consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nations Therefore these Presbyterians who desire this Comprehension they affirm Popery to be consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation The Major is clear and imquestionable as likewise the Minor which is thus prov'd from their own words That they admit of a Toleration of Popery is plain from the fore-cited Expressions viz. Peaceable Design pag. 72. * As for the common Papist who lives innocently in his way he is to us as other Separatists and so comes under the like Toleration That such a Toleration only is desired as is consistent with the Articles of Faith a good Life and the Government of the Nation the latter part of the Minor these are the very words of the Pamphlet This acknowledg'd agreement betwixt Popery and Presbytery doth deservedly require some further Reflexions which I shall give my Reader in the words of a most Learned and if I am not misinform'd Right Honourable Person by transcribing part of his Letter the Title of which is as followeth A LETTER Sent from beyond the SEAS To one of the CHIEF MINISTERS OF THE Non-Conforming PARTY By way of Reply to many Particulars which he sent to the Author in a Letter of News Useful for these Distempered Times By a Lover of the Establish'd Government both of Church and State Anno. Dom. M.DC.LXXIV a Toleration as that was knowing that it must needs tend to the ruine of the Church of England which is the principal Butt of all their Envy and Malice as being the main Support and Credit of the Reformed Religion every where and the only Hedg against Popery it self in our unfortunate British Isles We meet with not a few Priests of several Orders that have the confidence in our most familiar Conferences to tell us that by the just Judgment of God upon our Church the time of her Ruine is at hand The Nation it self being over-spread with Schism and Atheism and the Hearts of the Faithful being disposed by the Spirit and Providence of God to reembrace the holy Catholick Truth And therefore they freely confess that this time of Distraction is their Harvest and withal express their Intentions and Zeal to transport themselves into England at the Critical time of Toleration that they may be Fellow-Labourers with your selves in that Harvest They seem to Lament as much and Complain as fast of the prodigious increase of Schism and Atheism among us as you are wont to do of the daily growth of Atheism and Popery And whilst you both complain alike and in the formality of your complaints both alike reflect upon the Church of England it is She only that is the Sufferer and She only that truly laments the Growth and at the same time sets up Banks to hinder the perfect Inundation of all the three among us As for Schism among Protestants you were the first Fathers and continue the chief Fautors thereof all the inferior Sects having sprung from you and dividing both from you and one another under pretence of the same Reasons for which you profess to divide from the Church And 't is from you that even the Quakering Sect it self the Dregs of Schism have learn'd to talk of Illumination and the Spirit And therefore if you be not Schismaticks then make themselves Popular and Powerful that they may afterwards act with good Colour whatsoever their Interest shall suggest And furthermore to consider That the great pretenders of the Spirit and power of the Christian Religion which with respect to Magistrates teacheth nothing but to Obey or Suffer should notwithstanding Preach up Rebellion against their Lawful Prince Fight him from Field to Field remove him from Prison to Prison and at last most Barbarously put him to Death is such an absurdity against the Principles of right Reason so repugnant to the Laws of our own Nation and so inconsistent with the Peaceable Doctrine of the Gospel that besides the Atheists it hath made it hath and ever will constrain Men of honest Principles and just Resentments to Persecute you with Satyrs and Exclamations to the end of the World I am consident I do not unjustly charge you in any particular especially with the Murther of the King For there were no Accessaries in the Marther of that sacred Person neither was it the last stroke only that fell'd the Royal Oak but you and the Independants like the two Sacrilegious Priests of Jupiter are equally g●ilty of the Crime the one for binding the direful Victim and the other for putting the Knife to his Throat But to be short where I am so unacceptable I 'le conclude my Argument with a Fable A principal Ship which for many years had been Sovereign of the Seas was at last Attaqued by a Tempestuous Wind which the Devil raised and notwithstanding all the help that could be made to save her was driven by the force of that malignant Wind and split upon a Rock The very same instant she dashed upon the Rock the Wind ceased and being afterwards cursed by the Sea-Men for the Wrack of the Royal