you are by this time convinced that somewhat more may be said against the use of Organs in Sacris than what is to be found in our Authors Sermon Thus I have done with the Argumentative part of his Sermon There are a few passages towards the conclusion of it which I would crave leave to make a few Remarks upon e're I put an end to this Letter He having finished the Argumentative part of his Discourse proceeds to entertain his Reader with a Panegyrick upon the Church and its Service and I will assure you a pretty lofty one too Take the whole Constitution of our Church Ser. p. 37. saith he as it stands the Envy of our Neighbours the great Bulwark against the Inundations of Heresie and Schisme the Hatred and Fear of the Church of Rome and I hope the Rock of Ages and there is no comparison between this and any other Establishment in the Christian World And presently upon this he presents you with a Prayer not to be found in the English Liturgy Against which let neither the Malice of Devils nor the Policy of Rome nor the Craft of Geneva be ever able to prevaile either to overthrow its Strength thro' a fatal Division among her Members or to rifle its Beauty thro' a Deluge of Vice or to undermine her Foundation by a treacherous Comprehension 1. He saith he hopes this Church is the Rock of Ages The Supream Governour of the Church is so Stiled Isa 26.4 But I never before read any Church on Earth so called and methinks it is a little too lofty for the best Ecclesiastical Society on Earth 2. What does he mean by the whole Constitution as it stands What! Does he intend the Arch-Bishops and Bishops Courts with the many Lay-Officers appertaining to them Does he intend the Singing-Men and Singing Boys Does he intend the Un-scriptural Rites and Ceremonies the use of which are enjoyned by the Church such as kneeling at the Reception of the Elements at the Lord's Supper the Cross in Baptism the Surplice c Does he intend the Common-Prayer-Book imposed upon all Ministers as to the use of it Does he intend Deans Arch-Deacons Canons a sort of Officers utter Strangers to the Primo-Primitive Christians Does he intend Pluralities and Non-residence And the reading some part of the Apocrypha for Lessons to the excluding some part of the Scriptures from being read in Churches And does he intend the use of Organs in Churches too Are these any part of the Constitution as it stands And if they are are these such mighty Bulwarks against Heresie and Schism Are these the Hatred and the Fear of the Church of Rome No those things in the Church of England which are the Hatred and Fear of the Church of Rome are the Doctrines and Worship and Scriptural Discipline in which the Church of England doth fully agree with the sober Protestant Dissenters The Church of Rome neither fears nor hates Diocesan Bishops as such for she has them nor Un-scriptural Ceremonies for she has a world of these nor of Arch-Deacons and Canons and other such Un-scriptural Officers for she has them Nor of Singing-Men or Singing-Boys for her Churches ring with them nor of a Liturgy as such for she has one nor of Organs for they are frequently found in her Temples nor of Crosses for she abounds with them 3 But this Constitution he saith is a Bulwark against the inundations of Heresie and Schisme Officers which Christ ne're appointed Modes of Worship which Christ ne're Instituted which the Apostles and Christians of the purest Ages ne're practised are not such a Bulwark Therefore if any such things are to be found in the Constitution of this Authors Church they are not Bulwarks against Heresie and Schism So excellent a Constitution as is that of the Church of England does not utterly prevent all Heresie and Schism For that there are many Hereticks in the Church of England is I think too apparent to admit of a denial Many Books and Pamphlets have of late been written by the Unitarians as they term themselves against the Doctrines of the Trinity the Incarnation c. But have these been written by Persons of the Presbiterian or Congregational Perswasion No but the Authors of those Books and Pamphlets declare themselves to be Members of the Church of England Here I would only refer you to Mr. Edward's Socinian Creed p. 182 183. Where you may find plain evidence for this It would be tedious to Transcribe what he saith I would rather you should peruse that Treatise Beside you find not so many if any at all of these Hereticks in the Church of Scotland The Scots have the Presbyterian Government established amongst them yet few or none of the Racovian Gentlemen are found to enfest them Whether this may be owing to their Constitution or no I shall not determine Yet if this of preventing Heresie may be thought a good Argument of the excellency of any Ecclesiastical Establishment some may be tempted to think the Scotish Constitution to be preferable to that of the English Church But as to Schism How does the Constitution of our Authors Church prevent Schism Are there not many Non-Jurors and Jacobites in the Established Church And are not they Schismaticks Has not a Doctor of the Church lately attempted to prove them so But to be short That which is the Bulwark in the Church of England against Heresie and is its Glory are the Excellent Doctrines which she maintains and adheres to in common with sober Protestant Dissenters are the holy Lives of many of her Members and the great Learning and Zeal of some of her Clergy who really believe the Doctrinal Articles * And such look upon the Articles not to be Articles of Peace only but Articles of Faith they have Subscribed and are both able and forward to defend them against the Assaults of Cavelling Socinians or Noisy Infidels This Gentleman ranks Geneva with Rome and begs that the Church may be secured from the Craft of the one as well as from the Policy of the other Geneva is at a very great distance from England therefore I cannot imagine the Church of England should be in any danger from that Quarter Had he prayed that the Church might be delivered from the Doctrines and Designs of Cracovians and Deists for ought I know it might have been somewhat more to purpose But in some Mens Opinion nothing more dangerous than Geneva And we know who have said that they had rather be Papists than Presbiterians That is they had rather be Idolaters and Slaves to Rome than be Reformed Protestants But from whence our Author borrowed this Cant about Rome and Geneva it is not difficult to guess for it was a usual saying of a great and admired Prelate A. B. L. Ecclesia Romana Turba Genevensis But another Petition in our Authors Prayer composed for his own use for it is his Nostrum is That the Foundation of the Church may
am not of our Authors mind that many Sects do sometimes meet in the Dutch Churches I suppose he was never Conversant among them to make the Remark I know some who resided a long while there and they assured me that in the Publick Established Churches few or none meet but they who are of the Established Religion The Arminians have places of their own to meet in so the Papist the Lutherans the Mennonists the Brownists c. It is rarely if ever that they frequent the Established Churches 2. But the Dutch Churches have the use of Organs very frequent amongst them almost in every Church I Answer 1. By way of Concession I confess it to be thus in most of their Churches in their larger Cities but yet I cannot Assent to what our Author adds That they are in every Church where the People are of ability to procure them That is really a mistake of the Author There is a Publick Church and a very large one which has them not in Leyden and it is the case of some others in other Cities 2. Altho' they have Organs in their Churches yet they pretend not as our Author does that they are to Exalt their Devotions and the more to Excite their Affections but they use them to Regulate the Voices of the People and to direct them in the Tune of the Psalm they are to sing 3. It also deserves our consideration that Organs were introduced into the Dutch Churches by some Magistrates against the Consent of the Dutch Ministers For at the National Synod held at Middleburg Anno 1581 and in the Synod of Holland and Zealand Anno 1594. it was Decreed * Voet's Pol. Eccles Part. 1. p. 561 562. and p. 593. Primum cantus Instrumentalis in Ecclesiâ aliquâ Hollandicâ N. Aedilis alicujus aut Aedilium istius loci privato judicio ac studio Anno 1637 introductus c. that they would endeavour to prevail with the Magistrates to banish Organs and Instrumental Musick out of their Temples And Voet informs us that it was introduced by some Civil Officer at first upon his own private Motion without the consent of the Ecclesiastical Synod Ne Conscio quidem aut consulto Ecclesiastico Synedrio are his words Let these things be considered and then let his Argument from the Dutch Churches carry as much weight with it as it can But supposing what our Author has offered us from the Dutch Churches and others may not be sufficient to gain the point he aims at then he returns from whence he set out and assures us Tho' none of the Reformed Churches abroad did use them at all It is sufficient that ours doth Ser. p. 14. to justifie their Lawfulness being by far the best part of the Reformation I answer 1. Whereas he saith it is sufficient that ours does use them to justifie their Lawfulness I humbly conceive it to be a Mistake If a thing be not antecedently Lawful in its self I do not think the Churches using it will render it Lawful Altho' his Holiness at Rome may pretend to a Prerogative to change things unlawful into Lawful yet I suppose the Church of England ne're claimed it The use of Instrumental Musick by a Church is no Argument of its Lawfulness unless it be first proved that that Church is absolutely an Unerring one 2. The Church of England makes use of the Cross in Baptism yet it is strongly questioned whether it is Lawful as used in this Church 3. The same Church Imposes certain Rites which she confesseth to be indifferent in themselves upon its Members as necessary Terms of Communion without a compliance with which Persons however Spotless and Holy in their lives however sound as to Doctrine shall be debarr'd her Communion But I am satisfied that the Practise of this Church will not render such an Imposition Lawful 4. If we would arrive at Satisfaction about the Lawfulness of a thing in the Worship of God with submission I conceive we are not to enquire whether it be the practise of a Church now in being but what Warrant that Church has for such a Practise 5. The Cathedral Churches it must be confessed make use of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God and we find it in some and but very few Parish Churches amongst us But the far greatest part of the Parishes have nothing of it Nay not one of a 100 Parishes parhaps of 500 Enjoy this sort of Church-Musick Therefore he cannot say that all in Communion with the Church of England do approve of the use of it I am satified that Multitudes do not And should Persons attempt to erect an Organ in some Parish Churches I nothing question but that they would meet with great opposition We find it was a long time ere our Author could bring his Parish to it He was no less than Ten Years in perswading his Parish to approve of this Musick Preface And now his Organ is where he would have it I very much question whether all the Members of his Congregation are satisfied with what their Guide has drawn them to Well so great an Authority I perceive has this Mans Church that if it practiseth any thing in the Worship of God although all other Reformed Churches disuse and disallow it that thing presently becomes lawful which I suppose you will grant me is no small absurdity But he obliges us with a Reason for the proof of this Ser. p. 14. For adds he Ours being by far the best part of the Reformation 1. Suppose this be allowed him for certain that the Church of England is the best Reformed Church in the World yet I am not so acute to perceive how it will thence follow that this Churches use of Organs in Divine Worship will justifie the Lawfulness of them For the best Reformed Church in the World may have some flaw in it 2. But what does this Gentleman mean by the Church of England when he Asserts it to be the best part of the Reformation Does he Exclude all the Dissenters of what ever Denomination from his Church And does he include the Vast Multitudes of Debauched Profane Atheistical Sotts who loudly pretend to be some of the best Members of the Church of England Or doth he Exclude them too 3. What does this Gentleman mean by his Church's being the best part of the Reformation Does he intend that it is best as to its Doctrine best as to its Discipline or best as to the Holiness of its Members If he designs it of its Doctrine I think other Churches may pretend to be as well Reformed as his For the Doctrine of the French Protestant Churches of the Dutch Reformed Churches of the Scotch Church and of the Hungarian Churches is much what the same with that of the Church of England As to Discipline let him prove that the Discipline exercised in the Church of England exceeds that of the French Protestant Churches the Dutch c. That the
he beggs your Diversion and assures you that the matter is even so and therefore you have Reason to believe him But I would ask this Gentleman could I come at him What! Was not the Church in a flourishing estate in the time of Constantine the Great And yet there were no Organs then to Exalt their Devotions Cannot the Church Flourish unless the sound of Organs be heard in every Worshipping Assembly Suppose the Church should have a Learned and Pious Clergy should have vast and numerous Assemblies consisting all of Pious Peaceable and Fruitful Members Suppose it should be smiled upon by a Religious and Zealous Magistracy and it should have nothing of Division or Animosity to infest it and should have all the Ordinances of Christ Administred in it according to the rule of the Gospel would not the Church be in a Flourishing estate altho ' the Ears of its Members were not regailed with an Organical Melody With submission to our Author 's great Learning and Judgment I humbly conceive it would 3. But the Mystery lies here some Persons are for setting up their Fancies in their Churches and the bringing in of their own Whims into Divine Worship and then presently they cry they are necessary to the Flourishing estate of the Church and that they Meliorate the Worship of God As if the Worship of God were not as Decent as Comely as Flourishing without them Methinks such Persons are just like a sort of Modish Ladies of our Times to whom altho' God has given pretty good Features and has put a considerable Comeliness upon them yet will they Paint and Dawb their Faces and beautifie themselves with their curious Washes and artificial Dyes and then they cry it is for the heightning of their Beauty for the giving an advance to their Comeliness But who does not see that this does not augment their Beauty but hide it And who would account a Painted Jezabel more Beautiful than a comely Rachel 4. If Organs do render the Church more Flourishing and Beautiful then an addition of Harps and Psalteries and Timbrels and Dances c. would yet give a greater advance to its Beauty and render it more Pompous and Flourishing Upon the same pretence these and many other such things might be introduced into the Worship of God All the Gay and Glittering Pomps and Rites of the Romish Church were brought in upon the same Foundation Ser. p. 15 16. Our Author proceeds and harps on a string he had touched before and tells us That God be thanked they do not stand singly in the defence of this Usage but that they have the concurrence of the best established Churches in the Christian World 1. Doubtless they must presently be the best Established Churches in the World who concur with him in the use of Organs 2. But I fear this Gentleman reckons without his Host That you may be convinced that our Author has but little reason for what he offers I shall give you a brief account of what Churches use Organs and what Churches Worship God without them The Churches which use them are the Popish Churches the Cathedral Churches in England and some very few Parish Churches Some of the Dutch Churches But this without the consent of their Ministers as was observed before Some few of the Lutheran Churches in Poland and Germany and the Greek Churches But then the Churches which Worship God without them are the greatest part of the Parish-Churches in England The Dissenting Congregations Universally the Scotch Churches the Hungarian Transylvanian Churches the Churches of Piedmont All the Reformed Churches in Germany the Helvetian and the French Protestant Churches Many of the Protestant Churches in Poland and many of those in the Belgick Provinces This account being given you I leave you to judge what reason our Author had to say that the best Reformed Churches in the Christian World concurred with them in the use of Organs If he can prove the Popish the Lutheran and the Greek Churches to be the best Reformed Churches in the Christian World he may do somewhat to perswade us to be of the same Opinion but till then we must beg his pardon if we dissent from him He has I find Ser. p. 16. one entire Paragraph to the Old Bedlam tune of Forty one Forty one in which there are some things false But this Gentleman is not of Age enough to remmember the Transactions of those Times and therefore we shall pass it by as thinking it not fit to take notice of the eructation of his Gall. But now we are arrived at his Fifth Argument Argum. 5 which he takes from the Concession of some of the Dissenters particularly from the Reverend Mr. Baxter and the Assembly of Divines 1. He begins with Mr. Baxter and alledges his Testimony for the Defence of the Lawfulness of Instrumental Musick in the Worship of God I must confess I have a very high esteem of Mr. Baxter and am perswaded that he has done very great service to the Church of God by the many excellent Discourses he has published both in Practical and Polemick Divinity But yet I suppose it would be a mistaken Commendation of him to say that he was without all Mistake As to his judgment respecting the use of Organs I cannot close with it I shall consider Mr. Baxter's Arguments as our Author has propounded them and endeavour a Reply to them His Arguments as propounded by Mr. Newte are these 1. God set up Instrumental Musick long after Moses 's Ceremonial Law by David and Solomon I Answer 1 Instrumental Musick was made use of in the Worship of God as I conceive long before the times of David or Solomon Our Author has said enough to confute this First Argument in producing the Instance of Miriams praising God with Timbrels 2. Trumpets were used in the Worship of God as enjoyned by Moses's Ceremonial Law as we read Numb 10.10 In the day of your gladness and in your solemn days and in the beginnings of your Months ye shall blow with your Trumpets over your Burnt-Offerings and over the Sacrifices of your Peace-offerings that they may be to you for a Memorial before your God The same thing was part of the Ceremonial Law in David's time Psal 81.3 4. it is there said Blow up the Trumpet in the New-Moon in the time appointed in our solemn feast day for this was a Statute for Israel and a Law of the God of Jacob So that Instrumental Musick was set up by Moses's Ceremonial Law Therefore I conceive Mr. Baxter mistakes when he says that God set up Instrumental Musick long after Moses 's Ceremonial Law If by setting up he intends the first Appointment of this sort of Musick in Divine Worship Instrumental Musick was set up by Moses's Ceremonial Law and farther ratified by the Ceremonial Law in the times of David and Solomon That it was set up by Moses's Ceremonial Law to me seems apparent from Psal 81.4 5. before
and if possible removing the Prejudices which the Adversaries of Church-Musick have against this practise It is highly requisite indeed that this be done or otherwise his Organ still will be upon a tottering Foundation He concludes That if this be not done in vain will the Arguments prove which set forth the Use and Advantages of this Institution He presumes he shall easily Answer the Objections which are brought against his New-Musick or Institution as he stiles it By the way a strange Institution which is neither appointed by Gods Law nor Mans in this Nation But for ought I know this Gentlemans Confidence may be somewhat taller than his Performance I shall present you with the Objections and consider the Reply he makes to them Object I. It is commonly said by those of a differing Perswasion in this matter from our Author Ser. p. 31 32. That Instrumental Musick is a Jewish Ceremony and an Appointment of the Law but was to be abolished in the Christian Church That altho' it might suit well enough with that Infant-state yet now by the coming of Christ it is to be done away as the other Ceremonies of the Law are But this is an Argument of no force with him And the Geneva Annotations must have the Epithite of Pernicious given them because they thus object against his Organ A few words to this 1. Some Men I observe have a particular Pique against any thing of Geneva the very word seems to be grating and unpleasant to them Sometimes in their very Prayers they will beg to be secured from the Plots of Rome and Geneva I wonder what mischief Geneva has done them For my part I cannot spell out the meaning of this inveterate Antipathy to that City I am informed that Geneva has a great deal of Charity for the Church of England for in its Prayers it has one Petition for the welfare of the British Church So that Geneva has Charity for these Gentlemen altho' they have none for her 2. But why is this Gentleman so wroth with the Geneva Annotations It is great pitty saith he that they should he Printed with the Bible Why what is the matter O they are contrary to the sense and meaning of the Bible in many places Are they so But I suppose our Author must be judge of that and then it is impossible they should escape a Censure But it may be our Author himself may be mistaken about the sense of many Texts of Scripture But supposing it for once to be true that the Geneva Annotations are contrary to the meaning of the Bible in many places is this Argument enough for the stiffing them that they may never be Printed more At the same rate I think the greatest part of the Annotations or Comments on the Bible ought to be supprest For how few are there but do mistake the sense and meaning of the Bible in many places Some will not except the Learned Dr. Hammond's nor Mr. Pool's with the Continuators nor those of the great Grotius And yet is it pity these should be Printed Should all the Annotations upon the Bible be supprest which have some things in them contrary to the sense and meaning of it I fear we should have but very few left 3. Methinks this Gentleman should have considered that these Annotations were first Published many Years ago when the Annotators had not such excellent Helps for the writing Annotations upon the Bible as we enjoy in the present Age. This methinks should somewhat have checked the sharpness of his Stile against these Annotators But alas He is utterly fallen out with Geneva tho' I believe he knows not why Non amo te Sabadi nec possum dicere quare Hoc tantùm possum dicere non amo te He is mightily prejudiced against Geneva and is resolved upon all occasions to mâ—ke discoveries of his displeasure 4. But how much soever this Gentleman is pleased to condemn these Annotations yet many Persons who have made a far greater Figure in the Church of England have commended them and appeared in their defence And here I cannot but take notice of what is said of them in the Preface to the Assemblies Annotations The Geneva Bible with the Notes was presented with a special Dedication to the Incomperable Princess Queen Elizabeth which was received with such acceptation of her Majesty and general liking of her People that from that time until the Edition of the last Translation of the Bible it was Printed by Hers and her Rightful and Royal Successors Printers above thirty times over Tho' it was their mishap without any merit to be noted with a black-coal as guilty of mis-interpretation touching the Divinity of Christ and his Messiah-ship and as Simbolizing with Arians and Jews against them both and this was publickly charged upon them by an Academical Doctor * Dr. H. in a Solemn Assembly of the University of Oxford But of this Crime they were more than absolved by Sir Thomas Bodly the famous Founder and Furnisher of the Publick Library his Letter written in their Defence and Praise which was read by the Doctor of the Chair in St. Marys Pulpit and by his and the Orthodox Governours of the University Silencing the Doctor for his Un-orthodox and Scandalous Sermons whereby the Church and State were involved in a high and heinous degree of guilt if the Notes were so unsound as he had suggested for allowing them to be Passable and Publick by so many Impressions I presume our Author never dreamt of this Passage But I wish he would consider it for the future But to come to the Objection its self Say the Annotators Instrumental Musick was a part of the Ceremonial Law and was well enough suited to that Infant state Well What saith our Gentleman to this He utterly dislikes it But do not many of the Primitive Fathers say the same Do not Clemens Alexandrinus St Chrysostome Isidore Pelusiota Theodoret and the Author Quest Respon ad Orthodoxos speak to the same purpose Consult the collected Passages I have given you above So that the Geneva Annotators can pretend to better Antiquity for what they say than our Author can produce The Primitive Fathers speak plain in our Case when as they have not a favourable Sentence to befriend our Authors Organ Where therefore now is the mighty boast of Antiquity But what will this Gentleman say if it should be proved to him That the Church of England in her Homilies so far agrees with Geneva here as to account the use of Organs in Christian Churches to be Unlawful This for ought I know may a little sweeten him Yet this I hope clearly to prove e're I conclude But let us see how our Author will confute this Objection well he hath two things to say to it 1. That the Institution of Musical Instruments in the Service of God was never a part of the Ceremonial Law and therefore the use of it was not to be done
of England For they are not willing that her Honour should be laid in the Dust but rather desire that her real Honour should be secured and advanced He has a very tart Reflection or two upon the French Protestants who have betaken themselves hither for shelter from the dreadful storm of Persecution in France His concluding passage to them is this It is certainly too just a Reflection upon the integrity of these Protestant Refugees to partake of the protection of the Church Ser. p. 38. without obeying the Laws of her Communion Such do but too like the Vipers Brood eat out the Bowels of their Mother that nourishes them up and maintains them with ability to support themselves The Compassion I have for these distressed Protestants strongly pleads with me to say something in their behalf and justification Therefore I cannot well pass by this charge our Author has drawn up against them without making some few Remarks upon it 1. Methinks this Gentleman's Musick might have inspired him with so much Charity as to have restrained him from such Unchristian Reflections as these Why must these poor Persecuted Souls be made the Objects of his Spleen Is this his Charity to lash the miserable who by fiery Popish Persecuting Zeal are forced from their Native Country their Houses and Possessions Did any of the Apostles ever discover such a Temper The French King has driven them out of his Territories for the Worshipping of God according to their Consciences and must the same thing here be made a crime by Protestants For this must their integrity be questioned It is really hard very hard that poor persecuted Souls who have suffered so much for Worshipping God according to the Convictions of their own Minds from a Popish Party should yet be condemned for the same by English Protestants The Protestant Refugees Worship God in a way they were trained up in in their own Country they are perswaded it is a way agreeable to the Word of God nay as agreeable to it as any other way of Worship they meet withal in the World and therefore they see no reason to desert their own way of Worship for one they are not so well satisfied in I remember that the Reverend Bishop of Sarum in the Preface to his Translation of Lactantius's Relation of the Death of the Primitive Persecutors p. 17 18. speaks to this purpose It is an Essential right of Humane Nature to Worship God according to our Conviction which is in us Antecedent to all Humane Government and can never become subject to it 2. Whereas he saith Is is a just Reflection upon the integrity of these Protestant Refugees to partake of the protection of the Church without the obeying the Laws of her Communion I rather think it to be an Argument of their great Integrity that they still adhere to their own way of Worshipping God which they judge to be best although they expose themselves to the frowns of the Clergy of our Author's Church and thereby they are debarred from having a share in his Churches Charity I have not long since met with some Letters Written by some of these despised Refugees residing in Germany Printed in the Year 1690. In which there is one Letter directed to the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of the Church of England * Letter 5. p. 34. In which they thus fairly and candidly declare their Sentiments to their Lordships viz. If Episcopacy is of Divine Right it follows from hence that neither the Churches of France nor those of Holland nor those of Germany nor those of Switzerland nor Geneva c. have truely had either Ministers or Sacraments since the Reformation And would you My Lords shut up the Ministry of the Gospel and the Sacraments of Jesus Christ in the Church of England only And a little after they add If you Renounce this Opinion that Episcopacy is of Divine rite you must at the same time revoke the Custom of Reordination which is but a dependance upon it You cannot imagine how many good Souls find themselves scandalized at this custom that has been chiefly a very great trouble to the French Ministers who are dispersed every where to be obliged to receive a second Ordination from your Hands before they are able to execute their Office in the Church of England For we must sincerely tell you that we know many Persons whom this very consideration hath disswaded to retire into England I wish our Author would consider this complaint of the French Protestants 3. Suppose this Gentleman had lived in the Marian days and had for his security been forced to retire into some Foreign Protestant Country as Geneva Switzerland c. would he not have thought it hard Measure if Protestants there should have made tart Reflections upon him for his not approving of and complying with their Discipline in all things Would he have liked it if any of them should have blamed him for Worshipping of God according to the Convictions of his own Mind As the Reverend Bishop of Sarum * Preface before cited p. 16. well saith No Man has that Superiority over any other Mans Reason as to expect that it should always accomodate its self to his And saith the same Reverend Prelate in another place There is a Tyranny in most mens nature which makes them desire to subdue all others by the strength of their Understandings Id. p. 11. And such Men have an implacable hatred to all that do not render themselves to their Reasons and think that they are affronted when other Men refuse to submit to them So that he who would strike at Persecution in its root must begin here and endeavour to soften Men especially towards those who differ from them in matters of Religion I wish this Gentlemans rare Musick had softened his Spirit a little more toward the Protestant Refugees who somewhat differ in apprehension from him But I think I need say no more in Vindication of these distressed Protestants than what has been said heretofore by a Doctor of the Church of England †Dr. Crakanthorp Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae p. 254. against the Arch-Bishop of Spalato a great Papist The Arch-Bishop I remember objects Churches at London are open by Royal Concession to the French the Dutch the Italians but all these are infected with the Venom of Calvanism and by these Puritanism is cherished and promoted in England These abominate the Profession and Rites of the Church of England To which the Reverend Doctor thus replies in the behalf of the Church of England Fuisse Scimus gratissimis animis c. We gratefully remember and acknowledge that in the times of the Marian Persecution England experienced the same Offices of Humanity and Piety abundantly done her by the French the Dutch the German Churches and those of Geneva We now truly pity their condition because by you and your Cruelty they are become Exiles And we extreamly rejoyce that our England can