TRUTHS In a true LIGHT OR A Pastoral LETTER to the Reformed Protestants IN BARBADOS Vindicating the Non-Conformists from the Misrepresentations commonly made of them in that Island and in other places AND Demonstrating That they are indeed the truest and soundest part of the Church of ENGLAND From Francis Mackemie Minister of the Gospel 2 Pet. 3.17 Beloved Seeing ye know these things before beware Lest ye fall from your own stedfastness EDINBVRGH Printed by the Successors of Andrew Anderson 1699. Truths in a true Light An Epistle To the Reformed PROTESTANTS of Barbados Gentlemen IT has been too notorious what Diabolical Designs and base Plots the Emissaries of Rome have contrived promoted and attempted to over throw that Glorious work and cause of Reformation or to lead or cajole us back into our antichristian Slavery Idolatry and Supersttion and for Effectuating thereof they have not been wanting neither have stuck at any thing to widen our breaches augment our Differences hinder our mutual Condescentions and our endeavoured Accommodations raising implacable heats and keeping us asunder by Distinguishing Characters and Discriminating Names setting up contrary Interests and often raising violent Storms of bitter Persecutions instigating the Ascendent Party still to trample upon the Non-Con's and by all means to render them black and odious and all this and much more to ruin Protestants and weaken the Protestant Interest And it deserves to be bewailed that in all their Jesuitical Intrigues and evil designs they soon found too many Protestant Tools unadvisedly to concur with such sworn Enemies of the Reformation too much whereof appeared in the late Reigns I wish there may not be found among us still too many Incendiaries to raise Dissentions and stir up unchristian Heats among Reformed Protestants that we may become a prey still to the Common Enemy But blessed be God for our seasonable and happy Revolution that has in a great measure broke the deep projects of that Jesuitical Party and by an Established Liberty to all Dissenting Protestants has bound the Hands of former Persecutors I wish the Persecuting Spirit and Inclination were gone too and that many unawares were not promoting and encouraging again the old Malice and grand Designs of the common Enemy by their Tongues in railing reproaching and decrying a great part of the purest Reformation under the Discriminating names of Presbyterian Puritan Fanatick Calvinist and what not And how many are simply led away by a hot violent party and suffer themselves to be imposed upon who know not the matters of our lesser Differences and say little against Intolerable Popery and the most dangerous Haereticks but all their Industrious Venom is spewed out and levelled against their Protestant Brethren of the same Reformation and of the same Kingdom and yet seem to be in Charity with the same particular Profession in other parts of the World All who study Histories of the Protestant Reformation may be assured that the Reformed Church of England consisted all along of two sorts of men first many Sober Moderate Sound and Tender men who never were for Persecution of Protestants and would willingly have parted with many unscriptural Ceremonies for the Churches Peace and gaining Dissenters and the Seed or Root of these have been from the Original of the Reformation and abounded in the Reigns of Q. Eliz. and K J I. of England and were Anti-arminian and faithful to the first Doctrine and Protestant Articles of the Church of England and continued the prevailing party until the Reign of Ch. the I. There was also another hot and Violent party who were ready to brand the Sober and Serious of their own Church as Puritans Precisians and Fanaticks betrayed their own Articles embraced Arminianism and grew more zealouâ— for Rites and Ceremonies than for the Essentials and Substantials of Religion crying up Vniformity and Conformity more than true Christianity acting Supra-Canon and instead of coming farther from Rome by a further Reformation which our first Reformers designed and the moderate party desired they both in Doctrine Practice and Ceremonies made several advances towards Rome as Dr. Du Moulin sometimes History-Professor of Oxford relates in his Short History thereof which advances gave Popes and Papists no small hopes of Englands return to Rome as a Jesuit affirms shewing the changes in the Church of England and its affinity to Rome for he saith The Doctrine is altered in many things The Pope is no longer Anti christ Images are tollerated Praedestination on fore seen works Vniversal Grace Inherent Righteousness are all granted Free-Will is Preached up they have given to the 39. Articles a Catholick sence they acknowledge the Authority of the Church in deciding Controversies about matters of Faith and interpretation of Scripture they make frequent use of the more venerable Names of Priests and Altars and to be a Calvinist in England is to be a Traitor and a Heretick or worse to which may be added bowing to the East and Altar and setting up unlighted Candles in Churches which Dr Warmestry one of their own spoke against and said That they were a fit Emblem of our Ignorant and unprofitable Clergy which filled up the Candlesticks of the Churches but gave no Light And this party was Rampant in Lauds time who had a party of Monstrous tools as Montague Heilin Pocâ—…nton Dow Couzins Shelford Beel Stafford Watts and Fedder of no small figures with many more who under their own hands Publish'd Arminian and down-right Popish Doctrines and Tyrannical and enslaving Maxims of State and were so countenanced and protected by the King and some of the Court that they carried all before them and it was no small Crime for any to speak against their Romish Innovations and Intollerable Vsurpations both in Church and State as in the Cruel unchristian and Illegal punishments inflicted on some of their own Communion until their Designs were seasonably opposed checked by such of their Church who were sincere and uncorrupted when backt by Lords and Commons Assâ—mbled in Parliament in the year 1640 complaining in bold speeches of those that went after the Romish Way and though Laud had justly meted to him what he measured out to others which gave a considerable blow to his party and by that Revolution of Affairs greatly frustrated the hopes of Rome who were filled with great Expectations of Changes by their Agents and Deputies in England and though many suffer of almost Twenty years abducation from the Pulpits during the Civil Wars yet it is to be feared the Seed and Spawn of this faction has been growing since in the Church and so prevailing a party as were able to obstruct that Union accommodation and Comprehension designed between the Church of England and Dissenters first by a Commission from our most Gracious KING and late Gracious QUEEN and next by a Convocation who had but very small regard to their Majesties Supremacy in Ecclesiasticks and who so vigorously opposed what they had so lately addressed their Majesties
for I should gladly embrace an opportunity to inform such of you as have never been in Europe what Presbyterians and Dissenters are who suffer your selves to be strangely imposed on know little more of them but misrepresentations calumnies thrown upon them by malitious Ignorant and ill-minded men as if they were Monsters and most insufferable in Church and State though they are a considerable part of the Protestant Reformation agreeing in all points of Faith and Divine Ordinances or parts of Worship with the Establisht Church of England and the likest to them of any Protestants differing only in Ceremonies Government and Discipline of which I shall hint a little in this Epistle Therefore in Scotland they were the first Reformers of that Kingdom from Popery though originally by mean and inconsiderable men and in opposition to a strong Court party and not only without but against the Authority of the State which demonstrated the more of the hand of Divine Providence therein And notwithstanding all their strugglings with Popery and Praelacy which in the late Reigns have been obtruded upon them contrary to Oaths Laws and repeated Establishments of that Kingdom yet they went a greater length in Reformation than their Neighbours in England who upon prudential Considerations retained some Ceremonies least it should be dangerous to Reform all at once as Scotland did And in that Kingdom Presbyterians are now the Established Church and those of the Church of England there are the Dissenters and have far less Reason for it than we in England As to those of England they were from the beginning a part of the English Reformation for the best Histories inform us those who chiefly had the first managment of the Reformation were divided into two Classes much what equal in number and quality of Interest Some of them as Bishop Hooper Coverdale John Fox John Rogers and Peter Martyr appeared vigorously for an absolute and thorough Reformation according to the Model Calvin had given of it and so it would have been a Presbyterian Reformation but others as Cranmer Ridley Cox and others were peremptorily of the Judgment that a Reformation in all points at first would be of dangerous consequence and that at once to reform all would be to reform none at all and though the Judgment of the latter prevailed yet all approved of the former as best tho' some approved not the juncture as seasonable until the People who were almost all Papists were better instructed and disposed to receive the impressions of this intire and perfect Reformation therefore they were left not without hopes of a further Reformation from their Posterity and Successors which we were assured of by a sentence in the Preface to old Common Prayer Books but left out of the new And so it was for that time agreed on that for the better gaining of Papists some Ceremonies and a great part of the Roman Service were to be kept Thus both parties concurred and united in hopes of a further Reformation until the bloody Marian Persecution under which some of both Classes fell and dyed Martyrs others became Refugees abroad and upon their return instead of a further Reformation Vniformity Acts were promoted and passed in the first of Eliz. Yet during the Lives of some good Bishops and for several years no Subscription nor use of all the Common Prayer nor an exact observance of the Ceremonies was urged until Whitgift ascended the Chair whose zeal for Ceremonies was boldly impugned by Learned Cartwright And now Subscription and Conformity was required under penalty of Suspension and Deprivation and John Fex the Martyrologer required to Subscribe who refused pulling out of his Pocket his Greek Testament and told the Arch-Bishop He would subscribe nothing but That Yet his gravity and good Service to the Church protected him that he dyed quietly in a low Station in the Church But when he perceived the retaining the Ceremonies did not attain the first Design of the Reformers in gaining Papists and saw the mischief the imposing of them on Protestants was like to do he afterwards said of them God take them from us or us from them Harder things were soon contrived and imposed to the casting out of many able and godly Ministers followed by multitudes of People and these being cast out and kept out to this day are Non conformists and Dissenters and the most considerable part Presbyterians and those of Ireland are partly from England partly from Scotland who since the Conquest joyned with others in Settling that Kingdom And as to the Protestant and forreign Churches they are either Calvinists or Lutherans But all the Calvinist Churches as lately of France Geneva Holland Piedmont and many other places of high and low Germany are Presbyterians The Lutherans differ from us both in many things and indeed are much degenerated from Luthers primitive though imperfect Reformation So that by all computation Presbyterians and Calvinists with such as are in full Communion with them are the greater part and from the Judgment of our first Reformers are the better part of the Reformation the Church of England not excepted whose Reformation is not yet intire and perfect as you may learn from the Preface to the Common Prayer and from the K. and Qs. Commission for a further Reformation But that you may more fully and distinctly know them and not suffer your selves for the future to be imposed upon I shall as one of the meanest of them shew what at this day they believe do or wherein they agree and are the same with the Established Church of England and next what they dissent from and neither will nor dare do without Sin and all this only for your Information without the least design or intention of raising any new debate on beginning any Controversy on those differences sufficiently Controverted by many hands on both sides And first I shall inform you what they believe and do in Vnity with the Church of England whereby every serious and intelligent Reader may readily perceive two things 1. That we are Protestant Brethren and in Vnity with them in the main great and Substantial points of the Christian and Protestant Religion and therefore deserve not to be treated as many Ignorantly do and particularly in this Island 2. That of all Protestants that differ from them we differ in the least and smallest matters Therefore 1. They receive and believe the Bible the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God from the immediate inspiration of Heaven and in its original and its Orthodox Translations they universally embrace it as the compleat and full Rule of their Faith and Manners and the only Directory in all matters of Religion 2. They believe and receive as agreeable to their Confession of Faith the 39 Articles in all the Doctrinal Articles except such as relate to Ceremonies and Government which the Establishment of that Kingdom obliges them not to Subscribe receiving the 3d Article in a Ptotestant sense and
Diocess whereby an Episcopal Charge and care can no more be performed or Discharged in the sight of God As over the Diocess of London and all English Plantations while so much Time is spent at Court and in secular affairs than the Italian Bishop can be Metropolitan of the Christian World 6 Though they have Forms prescribed for many things yet no Forms nor Directions for tryal and examination of Candidates or Expectants for Ordination to the Ministry For turning one of the 39 Articles into Latin and proving it from Scripture is already done to their hands so that any Grammarian or School Boy may do it IV Lastly We dissâ—nt from the Discipline and Censures of the Church of England and though they are without all Church Discipline and Censure in every Plantation of America yet as it is managed in England many of your own Sons dislike it as well as we especially in these particulars 1. It s absoluteness being exercised by a sole Authority in the breast of a particular Diocesan acting all in his own name without Commission or Warrant from any other and Sir Francis Bacon who was highly for the Church of England tells us the Bishop gives orders alone excommunicates alone and affirms it to be without Example in all good Government for Kings and Monarchs have their Councellours the Courts of Kings bench Common Pleas and Exchequer have many Judges and the Chancellor hath the assistance of 12 Masters of Chauncery And I am assured the Scripture warrant is directed to a number Dic Ecclesiae tell the Church 2. The Authority Power of Discipline is generally managed by Delegation or Deputation of Lay Persons as Chauncellours Officials Registers Sumners Canonists c. choosing such as helps in Government rather than the Clergy which the Lord Verulam affirms to be contrary to all rules of good Government for Offices of confidence and skill cannot be exercised by Deputies the confidence and trust being Personal and Inhaerent cannot be transposed to an ignorant and unqualifyed Lay-Person more than such can be deputed to Preach the Word and Administer the Sacraments 3. The English Church-Discipline is turned into a meer Money matter and the use of Christs Keyes is made Mercenary punishing the Purses and not afflicting the Consciences of the Delinquents as a great man of the Church in a Sermon Preached at one of the Vniversities told them Claves Christi pulsant crumenas non verberant Conscientias And Hickringale assures us from his certain knowledge that Guinea's will procure Absolutions from Drs Commons without any Confession or shew of Repentance yea without a sight of the guilty party a more bare-faced practice than of the Romish Churches who always use Confession and Pennance for a Cloak I hope these things will engage you to be more favourable and charitable to Dissenters until you more rationally weigh and confider the grounds and reasons of their Dissent for they may sometimes and in some cases be the purer better part of a Nation as the Church of Israel in Egypt and in all their other Captivities were Dissenters The three worthies in Daniel were Dissenters in Babylon and Daniel under Darius was a Dissenter Our Saviour all his Disciples and Apostles with their Christian followers were Dissenters until Constantines Reign and all Christians in Mahometan Dominions and Pagan Countries all Protestants in Popish Countries and your selves in Scotland and all forreign parts are Dissenters and it were hard and uncharitable to condemn all these as Traytors and Schismaticks In favour of some Dissenters I shall only lay down one saying from your Hale of Schism All pious assemblies in times of persecution and corruption are the only lawful Congregations and the publick Assemblies though according to form of Law are indeed nothing but Riots and Conventicles if stained with Corruption and Superstition Therefore let us still value and esteem unity in Doctrine and Worship and the greater and more weighty matters preferring it before an exact and accurate Vniformity in every Punctilio of Circumstance and Ceremony which no Nation hath hitherto attained the Church of England not excepted for what uniformity is between your Cathedral and Parochial Worship between such Churches as have Organs and those that want them between such as Sing or Chant the Service and such as do not between such as read the whole Service and others that Mince it and read but a part between those that begin with a free Prayer and such as do not And in the same Congregations what Uniformity is between such as use Responses and such as do not between such as Bow to the East or the Altar and such as do not between such as bow the knee and those that only bow the head at the Name or Word Jesus What uniformity between such as Sing Psalms and most that do not And I find many of the Sons of the Church break uniformity and Canons as well as their Neighbours what uniformity-act or Common Prayer allows any to begin with a Prayer of their own as the greatest and best have done though others call it a Geneva trick What uniformity-act enjoins Organs and Singing Boyes and where is bowing to the East and Altar with all other Church Honours commanded What warrants the use of the publick Form for private Baptism why is the burial Service read over any Dissenters that are all excommunicated by your Canons Let me humbly and earnestly with all Submission address the conformable Clergy in this Island to instruct their People that they and we profess the same Christian and Protestant Religion only with some alterations in external Ceremonies and circumstances that we may unite in affection and strength against the common Enemy of our Reformation and concur in the great work of the Gospel for the manifestation of Gods Glory and the Conviction Conversion and Salvation of Souls in this Island instructing such as are Ignorant in the principal great things of Religion promoting vertue and true holiness and Preaching down and reproving all Atheism irreligion and profanity sealing and confirming all by an universal Copy pattern and example of a holy and Ministerial Life and Conversation I have often done it and I continue to Pray for the zealous concurrence of the Secular power and Civil Magistrate to whom the Sword of Justice is committed for the terrour of the Evil doers and praise of those that do well that for promoting a visible Reformation in this Island from the Evils that have long exposed us to the heavy Judgments of a Righteous God they would first reform their own Lives and impartially execute these Good Laws according to their Oaths against all Blaspheming Cursing Swearing Whoredom Sabbath breaking all Prophanity Impiety and Irreligion that our Land may be exalted by Righteousness and Sin may no longer be our Reproach Candid Reader They frequently charge Dissenters that when others are the Ascendent they cry out against Persecution and for Moderation but when they are