of honest Principles and Sentiments in their Doctrine and had the same mind and design to purge the then present Church of its Idolatry Superstitions and gross Errors and to bring in the same pure Doctrine that was professed by Calvin and the Reformed Churches in France and which hath been and is still retained by the Nonconformists in England 2. That the said first Reformers being divided in their Opinions about retaining that which was good and taking away whatsoever was amiss in the Romish Church as to the outward Government the Opinion that the Reformation could not be thoroughly done for matter of Government and externals as it was possible for matter of Doctrine prevailed so far with Bishop Hooper Rogers and others that wisht it had been otherwise as to make them forbear any further urging of a compleat Reformation in hopes that when the people that were instructed in the true saving Doctrine should be more numerous the opposition to a thorough Reformation in all points would be less 3. That this rude draught of Reformation suitable to that time had very bad success because the Conformable Party prevailed to have it a standing law which was neither to be repealed nor altered and which drew along with it Non-Residency Plurality of Livings and entward Pomp and Grandeur as best suiting a worldly interest whilst another Party who were then called Puritans and now Nonconformists retained and still do to our days a desire and longing after a thorough Reformation and they have endeavoured by Conferences Remonstrances and Writings to have it introduced 4. That yet the Conformists were not all of one mind there being still a party among them very peaceable and orthodox and at less distance from the Non-Conformists especially among the Gentry that were no Courtiers and in great Towns Cities and Corporations whilest the other Party made up of Conformists grew corrupt and so far from hearkening to a further Reformation that they made nearer advances towards Rome 5. That Jealousies and apprehensions daily encreasing and fears of inclining to Popery and the Troubles in Scotland intervening in the Years 38 and 39 and the Discontents rising up in England the King was forced to call a Parliament which began in 1640. 6. That that Parliament both Lords and Commons was most if not all composed of such peaceable Orthodox Church of England men I have but now mentioned and all conforming to the Rites Ceremonies of Episcopacy and Hierarchy but yet greatly averse to Popery Tyranny and the Corrupt party of the Church of England that inclined to wards Rome Witness the many Speeches in Parliament they made as of the Lord Faulckland Sir Benjamin Rudyer Digby and others with whom Good and Honest Bishops joyned 7. That the Ground and Rise of the Civil War in 1640 and 43 was in opposition to such as Bishop Land and other bad instruments 8. That the Lords and Commons in 1642 and 43 were all in perfect Conformity to the Church of England so was the Army too that they raised for the General the main Body of the Army the Officers and Captains both by Land and Sea were all conformable to the Church of England and none of them Puritans Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Sectaries or Conventiclers 9. That likewise the Assembly of Divines in Westminister chosen by the Parliament were all Conformists and none of them Silenced Ministers except 8. or 9 and 4 Scots 10. That the first Intentions of the Parliament was so far from subverting the Government of Church and State established by Law and from taking away the House of Lords and Bishops root and branch that it was only to reform the abuses of both and to settle such a Model of Church Government as was recommended by the Pious and learned Bishops Vsher and Hall and which did not much differ from that which our Gracious Soveraign that now is recommended to his parliament in his Declaration 1660. about Ecclesiastical Affairs 11. That the parliament had no thoughts of bringing in the Covenant into England had not the necessity of their Affairs forced them to joyn with the Scots 12. That no man was obliged by it to take away Bishops but only as they are in Conjunction with the English Hierarchy 13. Neither was it the Intention of the Lords and Commons at first to take away Deans and Chapters but to make them more serviceable and useful to take away Pluralities Non-residencies and to settle a more proportionable Maintenance for Ministers 14. That the Change or Subversion of Government the taking away the Lords House and with them the Bishops and excluding the greatest part of the House of Commons and last of all the taking away the King and all the Confusions and Disorders that happened thereupon did arise from a third Party viz. The Army that was neither for the King nor parliament Neither for Conformists nor for Non-Conformists but was an Enemy to them all and sought their absolute ruine and destruction 15. That the Non-Conformists who usually no go by the name of Presbyterians Fanaticks Independents Rebels Sons of Belial c. by the corrupt Church-party that have been always making advances towards Popery were so far from being the first in Arms in opposition to the King our late blessed Martyr and being contrivers of his Death and of taking away Monarchy that on the contrary it was the only party while the others of the King's Friends sate still that appeared before and since 48 in his behalf to the hazard of their Lives witness Mr. love and that in 1660 had a chief hand in restoring our gracious Soveraign Charles the II. to his Throne for which never enough to be valued Benefit and kindness although it was but duty no Party has been more severely persecuted by the Corrupt-party of the Church of England But of this more anon 16. That the Declaration of the King mentioned in the Tenth Consideration was a confirmation of another former Declaration 17. That whereas when the King came over from the Hague there was a great expectation that his Printed Declaration for Ecclesiastical Affairs would be sufficient to compose all differences and heats and unite all Parties by taking away the stumbling block of subscribing to those Ceremonies that were not warranted by the Word of God but just on the contrary the Clamours of the Corrupt Party of the Church of England at length prevail'd for restoring of those Ceremonies All which good Bishop Brownrig foretold a little before his Death in saying That there would continue the same Confusions and Animosities that were before and with them the same spirit of Persecution which the Corrupt Church-Party before 1640 was the cause of 18. That the Zeal and Fervour of the prevailing Corrupt Church-Party in England at this present juncture of time in writing so many Books against the Papists and standing up so stoutly against the Horid Attempt upon the King 's most Sacred Life and introducing of Popery and hearkening to some
terms of Reconciliation with the Non-Conformists to make the opposition the stronger against Papists does no way seem to be the effect of a Christian Moderation but a meer worldly Interest like the zeal of Jehu the union of Aristides and Themistocles two Mortal Foes against the Common Enemy Or like that of Augustus Brutus and Cassius against Antony 'T is the goodness of a stubborn Boy just so long as the Rod is over his Back for had another spirit moved the corrupt party of the Church of England than a Worldly one it would have appeared above these 10 Years when alas no such attempts were made by the Papists against their Lives and Livings when a Hundred Remonstrances were made to them with Prayers and Tears for the removing of the offending Rites and Ceremonies and of the great inclination they had for Popery in depopulating England by driving men away to Colonies abroad but could never be heard 21. Things being thus stated one may rationally and strongly conclude That it is a most horrid untruth and calumnie to make the Presbyterians and Conventiclers or Non-Conformists not only the first authors and abettors of the Civil Wars and of the first taking up of Arms in opposition to the Evil Counsellors about the King in 42 and 43 but also the Murtherers of King Charles the First when as they have been and still are the great preservers of the King's Person Life Honours Dignities and Prerogatives the best Christians the best Reformed and the best Subjects of the King 22. And the false and unworthy stiling of these Restorers of the King Rebels Fanaticks Sons of Belial c. doth carry along with it the same devillish Malice which makes it now become a common Proverb in the Mouths of this corrupt Church of England-Party That they had rather be papists than Presbyterians and that were there a Turn of State as God forbid they would sooner turn papists than presbyterians 23. besides the idle foolish senceless but also malicious mistake to make the holiest of the Non-Conformists to pass for presbyterians who though they love their persons and the holiness of their Doctrine and Lives yet either they are wholly avense to the Presbyterian Government or else they do not very well know what it means Since the Well-affected follow their Preaching and imitate their Lives but yet by no means upon any account of their Government 24. That the worst thing in the carriage of the Conformists towards the Non-Conformists is their rash uncharitable and unchristian judging of the hearts and Insides of men which are only known to god Almighty who is the Searcher of hearts as if they were made up of Deceit and Hipocrisie and alike construing their unblameable behaviour and carriage as if it were but formal and extrinsecal and of the pure Orthodox Doctrine of their Sermons and Writings though never so much summed up in Scripture phrases as if all was but Cant and Tone and taking of God's Name in vain when they make a quite different Judgment of the Conformists both of their Lives and Doctrines and when they make use of the same Scripture terms as the others do for in their esteem they are looked upon as true sincere and holy Christians though their out ward deportment do somewhat differ from that of the other this I intend by God's assistance to make dear to you in a larger Discourse from the testimony of Dr. patrick who doubtless cannot in handling of the Nature of Justification by Faith but agree with the Non-Conformists in making use of the same Scripture-Expressions and commend such as Bishop Davenant Donnam Usher Hall and Hooker all Conformists for doing the like and who will tell us that this Justification by Faith is a Recumbency of a poor Sinner upon the Lord Jesus Christ a casting of our selves upon him relying on his Merits laying hold on him closing with him going to him and shrowding our selves under the Robes of his Righteousness Most of which are Scripture phrases But yet for all this the very same Expressions being uttered by such Non-Conformists as mr Baxter Dr. Owen Manton Annesly Jacomb Bates Mr. Jenkins Alsoph Cradock Silvester Watson and others for the better setting out the nature of Justification by Faith are looked upon by Dr. patrick as meer Imposters Charms Incantations artificial Jugglings Terms of Modist and Courtly Faith by which this Doctor makes good the saying of pliny the younger Epist. 21. multum interest quid à quoque fiat Eadem enim facta claritate aut obscuritate facientium aut tolluntur altissime aut humillime deprimuntur That such a prejudice against the Generation of God's Children that make it their grand design to get an assurance of Heaven and of Eternity as are not only many of the Peaceable and Moderate Conformists but such as they miscall and nick-name puritans Presbyterians Independents Rebels Sons of Belial and worse than papists That such a prejudice I say is the great distemper of that corrupt-party of the Church of England who have for these 100 years been making their advances towards Popery I shall insist very particularly upon some very considerable Inferences and Conclusions which I shall draw from some Hypotheses that I have already taken notice of but which cannot be too often inculcated the truth of which is known sufficiently by those that are most Eminent in Piety and Holiness of Living and in Learning of the Church of England by the Bishops Hooper Smith Rudd Carleton Grindall the two Abbots Usher hall and by other Doctors that were as Conformable as those Bishops 1. That though the first Reformation in the time of Edward the 6th was wxtremely pure as to its Doctrine it was notwithstanding very defective and imperfect as to the exterior Government because it was adjusted to that present time where the papists were twenty for One that was reformed in England 2. That the first Reformers imagined that when the People converted to the true Faith should be more Numerous and more disposed to receive a more perfect Reformation The Successors of the first Reformers would apply themselves to it with more Earnestness and Zeal 3. But it never came into their thoughts that their Successors would be guilty of so great a fault as to act the quite contrary to such a good Project and Design in persuading both Princes and Parliaments to bring the first Rude Draught of Reformation into a standing Law but only to have it established for a certain time untill they themselves should see they were able to effect a more perfect Reformation 4. That the Practice of these Successors of the first Reformers hath been unreasonable wicked impious and cruel in the Imposition of several things which they themselves have owned not to be necessary and at best but indifferent under pain of deprivation ab officio beneficio although all the Conformists have not been equally guilty for some among them have approved of these measures they have taken
towards the Non-Conformists but yet have connived at them either by their submission or their silence and have not vigorously enough set themselves against the Corruption that so much prevailed From all these Hypotheses I gather these Conclusions which naturally follow the aforesaid Premises 1. That several Bishops and Doctors of the Church of England as Dr. Floyd Dr. Tillotson Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Patrick that are acknowledged by the Non-Conformists to be Persons of great Learning Worth and Piety but who are Extreme Admirers of the Episcopacy of England and all its Consequences and who have also preferred its Government to all other Establishments in Europe have by an unlucky accident contributed more towards the Reputation of the English Hierarchie and its Practises and towards the perpetuating the Feuds and Quarrels between the Conformists and Non-Conformists than it has been possible for any other Corrupted Party to do by all their Irregularities and advances towards Rome 2. That it may be said of these good Bishops and Doctors before mentioned what the Politique Sages have observed of Anselme Bernard Thomas Aquinas John of Salisbury and Gerson That by their great repute of Piety and Learning they have contributed more to the strengthening of the Pope's Tyranny and Religion in the Minds of the People than a hundred such as Gregory the VII and Boniface the VIII were able to effect by their Tyranny and the wickedness and impurity of their Lives for the discrediting of the Pope and his Religion 3. That it is not to be believed how much the Non-Conformists of England suffer in the Esteem of our Great Men of the Protestant Party in Europe who hearing people talk of the Learning and Piety of so many English Bishops and Doctors all Conformists and who resemble those four Doctors I have just before named say aloud that the Non-Conformists must needs be very unreasonable and of a very nice and fantastical Piety for refusing to Conform to the Church of England after the Example of those four Doctors 4. That how good soever the Intentions of some of the Bishops and Doctors of the Church of England may be that are of the same temper of spirit with these four Doctors and what kindness soever they may have for the Non-Conformists it is impossible They should ever come over to them and consent to terms of Reconciliation and Moderation so long as they remain in this Judgment and Opinion That of all the Established Ecclesiastical Governments in Europe that of the Church of England is the most excellent and the most Apostolical and that there is nothing of defect in it and so long as the multitude of their Benefices and the great honour they are in in the World blinds their Judgment there being no likelihood nor hopes that those who are raised so high and that live in honour and abundance richly and fatly unless they will imitate good Dr. Floyd who bestowes most of his Church-Revenues on the Poor will diminish any thing of their greatness both as to their Retinue or their Kitchin and will descend from high to low and that a Bishop who now goes before the Barons will quit his Place to be only a poor simple Moderator and Watchman over a small company of Priests such as were St. Cyprian and St. Austin For this Eminence of Fortune and Dignity does absolutely shut up the door to all the Overtures of Reformation which we learn from Mounsieur Claude in his Defence of the Reformation of the Churches of France where he tells us That the Cardinal du Prat for this very reason was the most violent of all men and the most inraged against Luther's Reformation because he was provided of Five Bishopricks and I know not how many other good and fat Benefices That for these Reasons Methinks it might be expected from these good Bishops and Doctors that by a Christian condescention they would endeavour to incline their Brethren the Non-Conformists to abate something of their heat and vigorousness against the Non-Conformists but so long as they themselves are neither sensible of any error or defect in their Church it is not to be expected or hoped for from them that they should go about the doing of any such good work how great and eminent soever they be no more than it ought to be expected from the Romish Doctors so long as they do look upon and verily believe their Church to be infallible And therefore it cannot be considerately imagined that the perfect day of hope of the Church of England's Reformation and of the Reconciliation of the Conformists to the Non-Conformists should break forth from these good Bishops and Doctors nor from any of the Clergy but from KINGS and the Princes of the People whose hearts are in God's hands and who holds them as the Rivers of Waters 25. As for the Odium that is cast upon the Congregational Way and those who are called Independents as being the more immediate anthors and abettors of the King's Murther and of taking away Monarchy it can be easily wiped off and made out That Oliver Cromwell's Army like that of King David's in the Wilderness was a Medley or a Collection of all Parties that were discontented as some Courtiers some Episcoparians few of any Sect but most of none or else of the Religion of Thomas Hobbes and Dr. Scarborough not mentioning the Papists who had the greatest hand in the Death of King Charles the First the success of which made them so daring and impious as to contrive another most Damnable and Hellish Plot to cut off the Life of his Sacred Majesty that now is how Royal Son and our most Gracious Soveraign 26. That since the Non-Conformists were a generation of men either of the first date as it is most likely or at least that rose in England at the same time as the Conformists did and since they were for number and quality as great or rather greater and more considerate than the other and who in their Judgment came nearer as to the outward Government and Purity of Worship not only to the first Reformers Zuinglius Luther and Calvin but also to the Apostolical Practice and who indeed were the TRUE PROTESTANTS most Conformable to that Party in Germany who so stiled themselves Protestants in opposition to the Imperial Edicts of Worms and Spire it must needs be a great wickedness and cruelty too in the Conformists because they had all the while the Countenance of Princes and the longest Sword to persecute the Non-Conformists and to deprive them of the liberty of setting up Purer Ordinances in Conventicles and of sharing in the Publick Maintenance for the Ministers 27. That it is a most barbarous improper uncharitable and unchristian language in the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England to stile themselves the only true and properly so called PROTESTANTS and to discard all others in Europe from the right to that name for want of such Episcopal Ordinations as are in England as if that 500 men possessing the three parts of the Church-Revenues in England should better deserve to be called Protestants than the first so called in Germany whereas what ever Bishop Bilson Andrews Dr. Floyd Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Stillingfleet could say in the behalf of the Government of the Church of England as being the most Apostolical and Primitive there is none more opposite not only to that of the first Protestants but also to Scripture Reason and Antiquity 28. These being the Material Heads or a Summary Idea of the whole to be more largely and particularly handled hereafter if God giveth Life and Time to the Author I shall excerpt much from the Scrinia of the Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. Richard Baxter but yet so as to take the liberty to follow my own Method and Genius as to the menage of it 29. So then the main design of the Subsequent Book whereof this is a brief but full Specimen shall be to shew prove and make clear to You the unreasonableness unconscionableness and consequently the ungodliness of retaining urging and pressing the things in debate between the Conformists and the Non-Conformists and of persecuting those that refuse to submit to them or at least to approve of them 30. That Dissenters could not cannot ought not neither in reason nor in Conscience to submit to them at least for the assenting and consenting to them and the approving of them 31. That those Conformists whom I call Peaceable and Orthodox men such as were the Members of the Parliament of 1640 and those of Westminster assembled and their Predecessors and all others however otherwise most upright sincere Orthodox holy and well-minded persons since the first Reformation in King Edward the Sixth's dayes and Lovers of the Non-Conformists that have hitherto been Conformists were all guilty of prevarication and of a sinful yielding complying assenting and subscribing to a Church-way which doubtless is sinful 32. And therefore that the Non-Conformists who ever since King Edward's dayes in Conformity to the true Doctrine of those of the best sort of Conformists kept gathered Churches and Meetings out of the Parishes had right Reason and Scripture on their side and walked with a purer Conscience were the best reformed from Popery and those that preserved the true Apostolical Doctrine Worship and Government and conveyed it to Posterity 33. The Author may Incidently speak of the nature of the Church Synods Associations and Fraternities by a confederate discipline but cannot by any means hear of a National Church-Tribunal independant on the Magistrate to whom only he allows the setting up of a National Worship by Persuasion and Commendation but not in the least by forcing men to it by penal Lawes except they be Papists or disturbers of the Publick Peace FINIS