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faith_n church_n scripture_n tradition_n 15,184 5 9.5685 5 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A41606 A letter from a dissenter to the divines of the Church of England in order to an union Gother, John, d. 1704. 1687 (1687) Wing G1331; ESTC R219872 3,884 10

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A LETTER FROM A DISSENTER TO THE DIVINES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN ORDER TO AN UNION Re-Printed at Holy-Rood-House 1687. THIS is to let you know Reverend Sirs how sensible I and our Brethren are of the great Change we perceive in your Pulpits that whereas sometime since nothing was heard from thence but Thunder against Dissenters with the terrible Noise of their Spirit of Obstinacy and Disobedience of Rebellion the Sin of Witchcraft of their being Schismaticks against the True Church and that nothing was so proper to reduce them in a Christian Temper and within the Pale as the severe Execution of the Laws as Summoning to the Commons Seising and Imprisoning c. Now all the Storm is clear'd up into a perfect Calm and instead of Force and Rigor we hear nothing now but of Fair Invitations and most Obliging Calls to a Peaceable Union there being now no Difference to be heard of betwixt us but only of a Few Indifferant Cermonies and that otherwise We are all Joint Members with You of the same Church This Change I say We are all very Sensible of And as for a Union and a good Correspondence you may be assur'd we are so in love with Union and Peace that we could heartily wish to see all Christians at this day as they were in the time of the Apostles of One Spirit and of One Mind But you know what has hindr'd us hitherto from Joyning with Your Church We have always suspected You for Papists in Masquerade The many Ceremonies You have retain'd Your Crosses and Altars and Tapers and Surplices and Bowings Your Confessions and Absolutions and Mass Forms of Prayer c. have oblig'd us to these Thoughts and that tho' you pretend to have left Babylon yet by the Rags and Livery you brought along with you we could not but still suspect of her Retinue Of late indeed you have given us some Reason to change our Opinion whilst Popery making some approaches to you and even standing at your Doors you have given her such Sour Entertainment and treated with so much Severity as if in reality you had no Kindness for her This I say is some Motive to us to change our former Opinion of you And yet on the other hand I see so many Deceits in Villanous Man that I cannot tell how but to be Jeallous still I fear Your Religion may like the Weather have its different Seasons and Returns And as sometimes the Dissenters from the Influence of your Church he under a severe and nipping Winter and at other times again enjoy a warm and inviting Sunshine so you may be as changeable in respect of the Papists too sometimes for 'em and sometimes against 'em and yet be the same old Church of England still like the Sun which maketh different Seasons and Changes in the Year yet never changes it self And this Consideration do's not leave me without some Fears and Jealousies I apprehend you have a way of promoting Popery and yet being against the Papists and that if we joyn with you we may be instructed in real Popery whilst we are taught to hate the Papists and if so I do not see but it would be the same thing to joyn with the Papists as with you This Jealousie of mine has been strengthned of late by some of your Writings and most especially by one which appear'd lately Entituled An answer to the Compiler of the Nubes Testium wherein the Author whilst he severly lets fly against the Papists does at the same time maintain and propagate such Doctrines as I have ever look'd upon as the very Essence and Groundwork of Popery You 'll give me leave to make a short List of such as I have observ'd in the perusing that Book and then if you will give me your Opinion and let me know whether really they are conformable to the Doctrine of your Church 't will serve as a Light to direct us what to do whilst you invite us to joyn Communion with you First then he says p. 8. That he can grant that the Bishop of Rome is the Successour of St. Peter 2. That that See is the Center of the Catholick Communion while possest by an Orthodox Bishop 3. That whosoever Separates himself from it professing the true Faith and possessed by a Catholick Bishop is guilty of Schism p. 37. 4. He doubts whether there be really any controversie about Tradition betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England 5. That the Tradition of the Catholick Church is to be received 6. That by Tradition we receive the Holy Scriptures and know how to separate the Scriptures from Apocryphal or Suppositious Writings 7. That he is willing and ready to receive any Doctrine not Written that hath as perpetual unanimous and certain a Tradition as the Scripture and that he only waits for the proving this and then he is to embrace all the Doctrins of Popery p 38 8. That there is no necessity of express Scripture for the Constitutions and Practices which his Church enjoyns in order to the more regular and decent service of God p. 41. 9. That the Tradition of Antiquity is highly useful and necessary for the Interpretation of Points of Faith p. 48 10. That he honours the Saints in observing Days in honour of them And seems to grant all that is produc'd in Nubes Testium upon that Subject viz. In visiting Churches in honour of the Saints whose-Memory is there preserv'd in assembling together in honour of the Saints and Celebrating their Memory with a Religious Solemnity so to be partakers of their Merits 11. That it is generally piously believ'd that the glorifi'd Saints do Intercede for the Church Militant p. 49. 12. That the honour which in the Primative Times was paid to the Memories of Saints and nothing but what was highly just and that herein they are Imitated by us says he as well as by any other Christians p. 50. 13. That the Fathers kept the Reliques of Saints with Respect and Veneration and believ'd that God often wrought Miracles by them and they might do it too says this Author p. 51. 14. That the Fathers practis'd praying for the Dead and own'd it as as advantageous to the Souls departed Every word of which we freely grant says this Author p. 53. That the Fathers in the first Ages us'd Oblations and Prayers for the Dead no body denies says he We do confess withall that these Prayers were offered up also for pardon of Sins p. 65. 15. That it is the Opinion of his Church that Christ's Body is really present in the Eucharist p. 66. 16. That that consecrated Food is the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ These are some of the Points which I observ'd in reading that Book and here for a better understanding I desire to know of you Whether these are truly and really your Doctrine The Book I see has the Standard Mark 't is Licens'd by the Archbishop of Canterbury's Chaplain and so