you would be pleased to reflect upon your self and to ask your self these few Questions Quest 1. Whether or no you might not with as much reason and more charity have produced Testimonies out of the Large Annotations Printed in the year 1651. to clear Nonconformists from temporizing and conniving at Sacriledge as you have done the Omissions you charge them withal in the Edition of 1646 to prove them guilty And sure I am if you had pleased to search you might have found in the Last Edition their dislike of Sacriledge in their Notes on Prov. 20.25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy That is say the Annotations to apply it or take it to his own use which was appointed to Gods yea to go about to do it by inquiring how the Vow might be made void As also on Acts 5.1 in the case of Ananias and Sapphira they declare plainly and fully against Sacriledge as followeth The scope of this History is to shew how odious to God that perfidiousness is which counterfeiting Sanctity would impose upon God as if He saw not what men do for otherwise Ananias giving a part had been commendable so great a mischief is Hypocrisie so dangerous the perversion of an Holy purpose and the with-drawing of things Consecrated to the Churches use though by himself who gave that the Sacriligious perished by detaining a part of that whole which he would seem to give If he that taketh from the Church but a little of that which was his own be Sacriligious struck dead for the same what punishment will the same Divine Justice lay on him who by fraud or violence taketh away the Possessions wherewith other men endowed the Church And upon Rom. 2.22 to that Question which some make why the Apostle doth vary the crime saying Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit Sacrilege and not rather dost thou commit Idolatry They give this Answer for one That the Apostle useth an aggravation as if he should say Thou that abhorrest Idols dost thou commit a worse sin to wit Sacrilege Quest. 2. Whether Dr. Sherlock in his Visitation Sermon pag. 7 8 9. Preached at Warrington May 11. and Printed at London with an Imprimatur June 9. 1669. charging all Conformists who pray before and after Sermon any Prayers besides those of the Publick Liturgy as guilty of sacrilegiously breaking their Vows and Promises may not as justly be urged against Conformists as Mr. Case his Complaint against Covenant-breaking be urged against Nonconformists to prove them transgressors of the 3d Commandment in the main sence and meaning of it Q. 3. Whether it may not as reasonably be desired that the Conformists should be agreed about the Rule and Standard of Conformity before others be pressed to come up to it as to require that the Nonconformists should be all agreed what will satisfie them before any condescentions may be desired for or granted to them Are the Old Canons Law or are they not Are the Canons made in the Synod 1640 Law or not Must we read Second Service at the Communion Table or must we not Must we pray before Sermon or must we only bid or exhort the People to Pray Q. 4. Whether they are not to be reputed Nonconformists who go beyond the law do more then is required who use other Rites Ceremonies then the Act of Uniformity injoyns as well as those that fall short of doing some things by law required Q. 5. Whether it may not well become our Spiritual Fathers and Brethren of the Church to yield a little in things indifferent to the weakness of those suppose they be in an error who really scruple the lawfulness of them and who are ready to take a solemn Oath that they would Conform if they could but be once convinced that by their Obedience to mans Ordinances they should not disobey the Laws of God Q. 6. Whether what was said done or Printed in times of War ought to be remembered and produced in Evidence in times of Peace after a most solemn Act of Oblivion and Indempnity Q. 7. Whether it was seasonable when His most Excellent Majesty and the Parliament at the last Session had under Consideration some Expedient for Union and Reconciliation for a Minister of the Gospel of Peace of a professed large Charity to Print and publish such Books as might rationally be thought might prove to be Obstructions in the way of Accommodation Q. 8. Whether there be not as much evidence of Charity Modesty Meekness and Moderation in Mr. Corbet his Two Pieces as in the Three Parts of the Friendly Debate Q. 9. Why you are pleased to charge the Nonconformists with so much rigor severity against Dissenters formerly without remembring that the Archbishop of Armagh and Bishop Brownrig were Publick Preachers in the Inns of Court in those times or that the present Bishop of Worcester then Bishop of Oxford enjoyed a good Parsonage and that the greatest part of the now Conformists in England had publick Imployment in those times Q. 10. Whether you think that the late Assembly of Divines at Westminster whereof Dr. Reynolds Dr. Twisse Mr. Gattaker Dr. Tuckney Dr. Arrowsmith Mr. Herle Mr. Vines Mr. Anthony Burgess and others were members consisted of Persons of so inconsiderable and contemptible Parts Piety or Learning as is represented now a-dayes And whether the present Nonconformists such as Dr. Owen Mr. Baxter Dr. Manton Dr. Conant Dr. Bates Dr. Goodwin Dr. Dillingham c. are really such Ignoramusses as some of your Zelots would have the world imagine them to be Q. 11. Whether Dr. Heylins History of Presbytery doth not wound the Reformation through the sides of the Presbyterians Q. 12. Whether if the Nonconformists Confessions in their Prayers may be produced in Evidence against them How the Sons and Daughters of the Church will appear Innocent who are taught after every Commandment read by the Mister to say and pray Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law Q. 13. Whether if His Majesty and the Parliament would be graciously pleased to leave the use of the Three Ceremonies of our Church as indifferent as the Canons in 1640 do the Ceremony of Bowing towards the East or Altar That Rule of Charity might not be still observed namely That those which use these Ceremonies should not despise them that use them not and that those who use them not condemn not those that use them Q. 14. Who hath thriven most and prospered best the Spaniard with his Inquisition or the Hollander with his Toleration And now having desired you to ask your self these Questions Give me leave to reflect upon my self too and to consider what I have done I say not What I have written I have written but rather if I have written any thing which shall he truly interpreted Seditious or Schismatical or which is justly offensive to any of my Superiors Inferiors or Equals in Church or State I humbly beg Pardon and Conclude desiring you and all my Brethren Conformists and Non-conformists to joyn in that good Prayer Give Peace in our time O Lord. FINIS
a Phrase-Divinity p. 138. Of Ruling Elders p. 141. Of the Use of Reason in Theologie p. 143. Whether Arminians or Calvinists come nearest to the Doctrine of the Church of England p. 144. Non-conformists not like the Donatists p. 145. ERRATA Page 6. line 10. for gage read gauge p. 35. l. 18. f. Antiparistasis r. Antiperistasis p. 36. l. 13. f. humours r. honours p. 37. l. 17. f. Btailas r. Brayles p. 42. l. 12. f. Christmss r. Christmas p. 43. l. 14. f. leave r. leave p. 50. l. 3. f. Rigidissimos r. Rigidissimo's l. 12. r. if more c. p. 79. l. 24. f. mediatore r. mediatorem p. 80. l. 29. f. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 93. l. 23. f. aequilibro r. aeliquibrio p. 117. l. 7. f. disquet r. disquiet p. 119. l. 14. f. Academae r. Academiae l. 19. f. ni sialiter r. nisi aliter An humble Apologie for Nonconformists with modest and serious Reflections on the Friendly Debate and Continuation thereof c. Question WHat Reason can be given if there be no guilt in the Nonconformists that no Answer was given to the Friendly Debate for so long a time Answ Bishop Bramhal that learned Prelate may be their Advocate in this Case I hope the Sons of the Church will not disdain to hearken to a Father of the Church Those who have composed minds free from distracting cares and Means to maintain them and Friends to assist them and their Books and Notes about them do little imagine with what difficulty poor Exiles struggle whose minds are more intent on what they should eat to morrow than what they should write Bishop Bramhal of Schism pag. 275. Besides if an Answer had stolen forth without License would it not have been arrested for a seeming breach of a late Act about Printing and the Author of it according to the Divinity and Logick of the Friendly Debate pag. 3. concluded to be neither a good Subject nor a good Christian vide Deb. pag. 2. Edit 4. Quest. Whit Answer then can be made for printing this present Answer and Apology Answ The Intent and Design of Laws is the Conservation of the Publick Peace The Law is Just Uniform and no Respecter of Persons whether Conformists or Non-Conformists but binds all to the Peace and Good Behaviour alike doth not hold one Mans Hands whilst Another cuts his Throat or stabs him under the fifth Rib. If a Man be once and again violently assaulted he may lawfully defend himself The Author of the Debate hath smitten us on the one Cheek and on the other also hath reviled us and with his Pen persecuted us and said all manner of evil against us falsly In this case a dead and stupid silence might argue we were verily guilty concerning the Crimes laid against us If a man that is Charged Indicted and Arraigned refuseth to plead the Law adjudgeth him to be pressed to death Our blessed Saviour himself Apologized for himself and his Disciples So did Justin Martyr and Tertullian for the Primitive Christians The great and soul Blots which have been cast upon our Names by that Author would not soon out if no means or endeavors should be used to wipe them off Quest. But is every Transgression of a Humane Law though but penal so culpable of criminous as is pretended Answ I humbly conceive not And there are thousands of good Subjects and good Christians many of them good Sons and Daughters of the Church of England who did eat Flesh last Lent or last Fryday asking no Question for Conscience-sake in reference to any penal Law or Statute in that Case and who have not scrupled to bury their Dead in Linen though contrary to a late Act of Parliament And if you lay so great a Burthen upon every breach of a penal Statute how shall the Carrier long keep his Cart on Wheels or the Citizen long stand on his Legs for want of Trading by reason of an Act of Parliament requiring the Tire of the Wheels to be four Inches wide under the penalty of forty Shillings for each offence Quest. Is it not therefore enough to satisfie the Law to pay the Mulct or Penalty required in such Cases Vide Contin pag. 22. Answ Mr. Perkins famous both at Home and Abroad for his great Piety and Learning hath amongst his Cases of Conscience this Case Whether Students in Colledges and Members of Corporations are tied to observance of their Local Statutes under pain of Perjury In resolving whereof he hath something useful and pertinent to our purpose He saith That Statutes are of two sorts Principal and Fundamental or less principal the first sort belonging to the Being of the Society are necessary to be kept under pain of Perjury As to the lest principal namely Statutes that are for Order and Decency the Founder er Law-Maker exacts not Obedience simply but either Obedience or the Penalty because the Penalty is as much beneficial to the state of the Body as the other that is as actual Obedience And in this Case he doth not charge the Breach of any Local Statute with the crime of Perjury And Bishop Taylor in his Rule of holy Living Chap. 3. pag. 183. saith thus As long as the Law is obligatory so long our Obedience is due and he that begins a contrary Custom without reason sinneth But he that breaks the Law when the Custom is entred and fixed is excused because 't is supposed the Legislative Power consents when by not punishing it suffers Disobedience to grow up to a Custom And I have formerly learnt it for good Divinity That every meer or bare Omission to do a thing required by Law is not a sin extra casum scandali contemptus provided it be not done scandalously and contemptuously or with offence to our weak Brother and in contempt of the Magistrate Quest What 's all this to the Case of the present Nonconformists Do not they scandalously and contemptuously break the Laws in dwelling in and neat London and holding Religious Meetings commonly called Conventicles Vide Debate page 2. Answ Many of them have taken the Oxford Oath and are legally qualified to live in Corporations Others cannot possibly live in the Countries for want of a Livelihood I have heard of a Reverend Minister that going abroad to seek maintenance from well-disposed Christians being benighted lost his Way and his Life both being through cold starved to death Others perhaps will plead they cannot live peaceably in the Country I heard one and a principal one say He never looked towards the City nor ever should if he had not been driven out of the Country The Law of Nature teaches the Hart the Hare and all Creatures that are pursued to fly to the nearest and thickest Covert or hiding place I have heard Huntsmen talk of giving the Hare Law I do not well understand Forrest Law but I believe this is not meant by it That she shall have no mercy
Ministry was questioned and disgraced appealed unto this 2 Cor. 3.2 Ye are our Epistle viz. of commendation to or from the Church of Corinth written in our hearts known and read of all men This Epistle was the Apostles Evidence and Seal that he was a true Minister of the Lord Jesus But this I must have leave to say that 't is no evidence of a real conversion to rail at Bishops or the Common Prayer nor on the other side at Nonconformists as Schismaticks Sectaries Rogues c. I know that Religion is another thing and teacheth other things better things than these And I believe there are serious sober solid godly persons excellent Christians placable Sons of Peace of both Perswasions that pray to God and would be ready to joyn in Petition to Authority for some expedient for a Reconciliation And such a spirit as this I look on as a Gospel-spirit and well-becoming Preachers and Professors of the Gospel of Reconciliation and if there be any of either side that have not attained to this or the like spirit I look on them as of a lower form of Godliness and on endeavours and actings contrary to this way of Peace to be no part of their Godliness or any evidence of their Conversion though I will not say they are therefore ungodly or unconverted Quest Why do not Nonconformists preach up Peace and Unity and Obedience to Superiours Answ You tell us that the Nonconformists hold it their duty to declare the whole Counsel of God and they tell us that 't is their duty to pray for Magistrates and to obey their lawful Commands for Conscience-sake and therefore 't is but Charity to judge they will not be wanting in what they are convinced of is their Duty If there be any that sow the Seeds or Tares of Division and Disobedience whether in private Meetings or publick Congregations I say concerning them O my Soul come not thou into their secrets unto their Assemblies be not thou united yet there are I fear who cry peace peace when there is no peace but war in their hearts all the Peace and Unity they intend and endeavour after is but to bow all to their own Bent Ways Opinions and Sentiments and to break all those whom they cannot bend Some there are who with much pretended Zeal cry and that aloud for obedience to Magistrates and Laws and act more out of policy and self-interests than Conscience making these but as stalking-horses the better to come near and to shoot at their own Game thus taking vengeance on their own supposed Enemies whilst they seem to do God and his Vice-gerent service Hereby breaking the whole Law of God pretending the observation of the fifth Commandment and that fundamental Law of our Peace and happiness the Act of Indempnity whilst they pretend Zeal to the Act of Uniformity Else what 's the reason that they seldom or never preach but upon that subject when as it sufficeth by the Canons to treat of it four times a year For my own part I acknowledge and profess 't is a duty to preach obedience to God and his Vice-gerent both to be obedient our selve and to teach others also this duty by Precept and Example Yet I must confess I do not think they do all things decently and in order who always preach up the Duty of the people at Court not they that preach the duty of Rulers in the Country Quest But are there not Nonconforming-Ministers who were formerly great Friends to the Army and Countenancers and Encouragers of them in their illegal unjust and horrid Proceedings against King and Parliament Answ I know none of the whole Tribe of the Presbyterians that are so I have heard of one Mr. Martin lately imprisoned for a Conventicle at Warwick that lost his Arm in his Majesties service and I have heard of one that marched before the Souldiers when they went to fight against his Majesty at Worcester that hath been a zealous Conformist since Not do I know that he and many others ever saw day till the Royal Sun arose in our Horizon to scatter the Clouds that hung over their eyes The horrid murther of his late Majesty as it was abhorred and declared against by the Presbyterian Ministers and others in City and Country from Pulpit and Press so it was that I know of never undertaken to be justified by any Minister in print but by J. G. that great Goliah and Champion of the Arminians And the Presbyterians yea those who were Commissioners for the View of the Liturgy Declare in one of the Papers to his Majesty That till the Covenant was decried as an Almanack out of date and its Obligation taken to be null that odious Fact could never have been perpetrated against your Royal Father nor your Majesty so long expulsed from your Dominions Quest Do the Nonconforming-Ministers call those Moral Preachers who preach obedience to the Moral Law and the necessity of good Works Answ He that rightly divides the Word of Truth must preach Law and Gospel both Moral as well as Evangelical Duties yet 't is best to preach the Law as it was first delivered in the hands of a Mediator Blame them not if they preach frequently the Gospel and the great love of Christ to sensible Sinners because the love of Christ constrains us to love him again 't is the Loadstone of Love Nothing they say is more easie than to love him that loves us and the Apostle John tells us That we love God because he first loved us But 't is not very long since Puritan Preachers as they were nick-named were charged to preach nothing but Hell and Damnation Quest Do Nonconforming-Ministers use to preach Comfort to ungodly Sinners resolving still to live ungodly Answ No by no means The Presbyterians and others used to declare against Antinomianism and to preach Repentance towards God as well as Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to him that was sensible of sin and weary of it and that mourned for it they were willing to preach glad Tydings of Remission and Reconciliation They were and are Enemies both to presumption and desperation and seek to save Souls from perishing either way They are ordinarily first Beanerges's then Barnabas's and seek first and most to wash the inside of the Platter than the outside first they aim to cleanse the Heart then the Hands They press men first to seek God in prayer with their whole heart for pardon and grace and then direct them how to pray whether with or without a Book in private as shall be most expedient for them they deny those that I converse withal that they dissivade any from the use of the Liturgy or Common Prayer This indeed is a Maxime with them in Religion Quod cor non facit non fit and that the devotion of the Soul is the soul of Devotion Quest In case a person be truly troubled in Conscience for his sin to which is he to be sent for Comfort