King hath often declared his willingness to Indulge tender Consciences witness his Declaration from Breda His Declaration afterward October 8th 1660. in which His Majesty saith Our present consideration and work is to gratifie the private Consciences of those who are grieved with the use of some Ceremonies by indulging to and dispensing with the omitting of those Ceremonies Which Indulg nt Declaration so ravished the hearts of all Your Loving Subjects saith a Member of the House of Commons in an Epistle to His Majesty that Your whole House of Commons their Representatives then Assembled in Parliament immediately after the Publication October the 9th 1660. repaired in a Body to White-hall and there by their Speakers Oration in the Banquetting-House expressed their extraordinary great joy and presented their general thanks to Your Majesty for this Your Majesties most Gracious Declaration and Dispensation and with their Consciences in matters not being of the substance or essence of Religion which gave abundant satisfaction to all peaceable sober-minded men and such as are truly Religious in which return of their thanks they were all unanimous Nemine Contradicente Then ordering a Bill in pursuance of Your Majesties Declaration Note That this was that House of Commons which together with the House of Lords brought His Majesty to His Throne And hence we may infer that those who are for indulgence to tender Consciences may be Good and Loyal Subjects to His Majesty I read that in the dayes of King James namely in the Tenth year of His Reign the Members of the House of Commons thus Petition'd His Majesty Whereas divers painful and Learned Pastors that have long time travailed in the work of the Ministrie with good fruit and blessing of their Labours have been removed from their Ecclesiastical Livings being their Free-hold and debarred from all means of maintenance to the great grief of sundry Your Majesties well-affected Subjects We therefore humbly beseech Your Majesty would be graciously pleased that such deprived and silenced Ministers living quietly and peaceably may be restored c. See Beames of former light page 103. And in the Thirtieth year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth the House of Commons presented to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal a Petition containing divers particulars for the redress whereof they desire That no Oath or Subscription might be tendered to any at their entrance into the Ministry but such as is expresly prescribed by the Statutes of this Realm except the Oath against corrupt entring That they may not be troubled for the Omission of some Rites or portions prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer That such as had been suspended or deprived for no other offence but only for not subscribing might be restored c. In the next place I shall set before you to consider of the moderation of some of the Nobility In the Reign of King Edward the Sixth the great Duke of Northumberland wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury for favour to Mr. Hooper then Lord Bishop Elect of Gloucester The Letter we have recorded by Dr. Fuller to his Church History in these words AFter my most hearty Commendations to your Grace these may be to desire the same that in such necessary things wherein this Bearer my Lord Elect of Gloucester craveth to be born withall at your hands you would vouchsafe to shew him your Graces favour the rather at this my Instance which thing partly I have taken in hand by the Kings Majesties own motion The matter is weighed by his Highness none other but that your Grace may facilely condescend thereunto The Principal cause is that you would not charge this said Bearer with an Oath burthensom to his Conscience And so for lack of time I commit your Grace to the tuition of Almighty God July 23. 1550. Your Graces most assured Loving Friend John Warwick 'T is thought by the Historian that the Oath scrupled at was the Oath of Canonical Obedience to the Arch-Bishop which consequentially commanded such Ceremonies which Hooper was willing to decline In the 26th year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth if our Historian time it right eight of the Privy Councel wrote a large Letter to the Bishops of Canterbury and London towards the close whereof there are these words Now therefore we for the discharge of our duties being by our Vocation under Her Majesty bound to be careful that the Vniversal Realm may be well Governed to the Honour and Glory of God and to the discharge of Her Majesty being the Principal Governor over all Her Subjects under Almighty God do most earnestly desire your Lordships to take some charitable consideration of these causes that the People of this Realm may not be deprived of their Pastors being diligent Learned and zealous though in some points Ceremonial they may seem doubtful only in Conscience and not of wilfulness c. Your Lordships loving Friends Will. Burghley George Shrewsbury A. Warwick R. Leicester C. Howard J. Croft Cbr. Hatton Frae Walsingham 'T is thought by Dr. Fuller that Sir Francis Ruowles Treasurer of the Queens Houshold and Knight of the Garter Father in Law to the Earl of Leicester was casually absent from the Council Board at this time and that 's the Reason he is miss'd here amongst the Privy Counsellors for he was saith he a great Patron of the Non-conformists Hereunto I shall add a passage at the Council Table concerning Mr. Paul Baines a noted Non-conformist he was called by Bishop Harsnet to the Council Table and accused for keeping of Conventicles and when he was accused hereof before the Privy Council one of the Noble men said Speak speak for your self whereupon he made such an Excellent Speech that in the midst thereof a Nobleman stood up and said He speaks more like an Angel than a Man and I dare not stay here to have a hand in any Sentence against him upon which Speech they dismissed him and he never heard more from them And now after Kings the Commons in Parliament and Lords of the Privy Council have appeared in this matter give me leave to add the testimony of a Bishop in the next place It was the Bishop of St. Davids and I think Bishop Rudd Hear him speaking for Moderation and Condescention in his Speech to the rest of the Bishops in Convocation May 23. 1604. and being dead he yet speaketh I put great difference saith he between quod liceat and quod expediat and likewise between them that are Schismatical or open disturbers of the State Ecclesiastical established and them that are scrupulous only upon some Ceremonies and other Circumstances being otherwise Learned Studious Grave and Honest men whose pains have been both painful in the Church and profitable to their several Congregations concerning these Preachers last mentioned I suppose that if upon urging them to the use of Ceremonies and attire prescribed they should stand out stiffly and choose rather to forego their Livings and the exercise of their Ministry And though
that those Ghenses which you mention were no Calvinists as you are mis-informed the chief of them were Roman Catholicks as namely Count Egmont and Horn who both lost their Heads for standing and yet only by Petition against the new Impositions and the Inquisition which was sought to be brought in upon those Countreys And after pag. 134. you would know quo Juri the Protestants Wars in France and Holland are justified First saith Mr. Bedel the Law of Nature which not only alloweth but inforceth every living thing to defend it self from violence Secondly that of Nations which permitteth those that are in the Protection of others to whom they owe no more than an Honourable acknowledgment in case they go about to make themselves absolute Soveraigns and usurp their Liberty to stand for the same And if a lawful Prince which saith he is not yet Lord of his Subjects lives and goods shall attempt to despoil them of the same under colour of reducing them to his own Religion after all humble Remonstrances they may stand upon their own guard and being assailed may repell force with force as did the Machabees under Antiochus In which case notwithstanding the person of the Prince himself ought always to be sacred and inviolable as was Sauls to David And lastly if the enraged Minister of a lawful Prince will abuse his Authority against the Fundamental Laws of the Countrey it is no Rebellion to defend themselves against reserving still their obedience to their Soveraign inviolate These are the rules of which the Protestants that have born Arms in France and Flanders and the Papists also both there and elsewhere as in Naples that have stood for the defence of their Liberties have served themselves how truly I esteem it hard for you and me to determine unless we were more throughly acquainted with the Laws and Customs of those Countreys then I for my part am Once for the Low Countreys the world knows that the Dukes of Burgundy were not Kings or absolute Lords of them which are holden partly of the Crown of France and partly of the Empire and of Holland in particular they were but Earls And whether that title carries with it such a Soveraignty as to be able to give new Laws without their consents to impose Tributes to bring in Garrisons of Strangers to build Forts assubject their Honours and Lives to the dangerous trial of a new Court proceeding without form or figure of Justice any reasonable man may well doubt themselves do utterly deny it So far Mr. Bedel afterwards Bishop Bedel Yea Doctor Heylin speaking of the Seventeen Provinces in his History of the Presbyterians pag 96. Grants that all of them were Priviledged so far as to secure them all without a manifest violation of their Rights and Liberties from the fear of Bondage But none so amply priviledged saith he as the Province of Brabant to which it had been granted by some well-meaning but weak Prince amongst them that if their Prince or Duke by which name they call'd him should by strong hand attempt the violation of their ancient Priviledges the Peers and People might proceed to a new Election and put themselves under the Clientele or Patronage of some juster Governor D. P. H. Hist of the Presb. p. 96. As for the Stirs Broils Seditions and Murthers in Scotland which Mr. Wadsworth imputes to Knox and the Geneva Gospellers as he calls them Mr. Bedel before cited p. 128 129. Answers They might be occasioned perhaps by the Reformers there as the broils which our Lord Jesus Christ saith he came to set in the world by the Gospel Possible also that good men out of inconsiderate Zeal should do something rashly And like enough the multitude which followed them as being fore-prepared with a just hatred of the Tyrannie of their Prelates and provoked by the opposition of the adverse Faction and emboldened by success ran a great deal farther then either wisemen could foresee or tell how to restrain them of all which distempers there is no reason to lay the blame upon the seekers of Reformation more than upon the Physicians of such Accidents as happen to the corrupted bodies which they have in Cure as for the pursuing our King even before his birth that which His Majesty speaks of some Puritans is over boldly by you referr'd to Mr. Knox and the Ministers that were Authors of Reformation in Scotland And Bishop Bilson to his Antagonist saith thus The Scots what have they done Besides placing the right Heir on the Throne and he an own Son when the Mother fled and forsook the Realm Be these those furious Attempts and Rebellions you talk of Dr. Rivet as he is quoted by Dr. Peter Du Moulin in his Answer to Philanax Anglicus imputes not the troubles in Scotland in the dayes of the Queen Regent and her Daughter Mary to the Reformed Religion but to the hot and audacious brains or to the bold and stirring nature of the Scottish Nation yea it shall be found as de Rivet observeth and we find it now saith Dr. Du Moulin that the light of Evangelical truth did very much mitigate the fierceness of that Nation and that those disorders as turbulent as they were are not comparable to those that were in former times in Scotland And lastly as to this particular hear what Mr. Cambden saith namely that the Confederacy of the Nobility of Scotland was not to be branded with the note of Rebellion which was made to no other purpose than to preserve the Kingdom as in Duty they ought to the Queen and her lawful Successors which they could not without injury to themselves and theirs suffer to be undermined by the practises of the Guises or so to be transferred to the French 3. Consid The late Civil Wars in England were not begun for the Extirpation of Episcopacy and Liturgy or the settlement of the Presbyterian Government The House of Commons in the year 1640. had but few I have heard not five Presbyterians in it Besides Mr. Richard Watson cited by the Author of the Friendly Debate * In the Appendix to the 3d. Part. and no Friend Iâ—le assure you to Presbyterie he saith in his History That when the English Commissioners came into Scotland after the War had been near a year in England and brought a Letter to the Assembly there from the Parliament of England they received no other Answer but this Gentlemen we are sorry for your Case but whereas your Letter saith you fight for the defence of the Protestant Religion you must needs think us blind that we see not your fighting to be for Civil disputes of the Law which we are not acquainted withall Go home and reconcile with the King he is a Gracious Prince and will receive you to his favour c. It seems by this passage that the War was not begun on the Accompt of Church Government or Liturgy Again Judge Jenkins in his Remonstrance tells the world the only
Hooper Rogers Philpot and others who disgusted the Ceremonies In Queen Elizabeth's Reign Coverdale as Dr. Heylin tells us waved the acceptation of the Bishoprick of Oxon or any other vacant out of a disaffection to the Habit of that Order He sayes further That Alexander Nowel Dean of St. Pauls spoke irreverently of the Sign of the Cross Moreover he makes Mr. John Fox the the Martyrologist Sampson Dean of Christ-Church in Oxfod Hardiman a Prebendary of Westminster both the Professors of Divinity in the Universities and Whittington Dean of Durham all Non-Conformists and relates that one Whitehead who had been Chaplain to Ann Bullen the Queens Mother was offered the Amh-Bishoprick of Canterbury but refused it because he was more inclined to the Presbyterians than the Episcopal form of Government Besides we are told that Peter Martyr never could be got to wear the Surplice all the time that he was in Christ-Church in Oxford and Divinity Reader in that University Dr. Heylin also tells us that Arch-Bishop Vsher dreaded bowing at the name of Jesus and as we are informed opposed the introduction of the English Ceremonies into the Church of Ireland Not long before the Wars Mr. Dod Mr. Cleaver Mr. Lancaster and others of eminent worth were silenced for Non-Conformity on which occasion a Conformist of good note in the life of Dr. Harris thus expresses himself Now was there a fearful Eclipse upon the Church a Constellation of Ministers even at once darkned amongst the rest those three shining Stars Mr. Dod Mr. Cleaver Mr. Lancaster Mr. Dod was a very eloquent man he saith in English and Latine so facetious and pithy that Mr. Harris would often say that if his Apothegms were collected they would exceed all that Plutarch in Greek and other in Latine since have published Mr. Cleaver was asolid Textman Mr. Lancaster a most humble and self denying man for whereas he was by birth a good Gentleman and had been Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge where being called to sundry Lectures and Speeches he delivered himself in as pure Latine to use the words of that Master of Speech Dr. Collins as ever Tully himself uttered having no Notes before him but what he wrote on the Nail of his Fiugers Yet this man thus accomplished contented himself with a Living under forty pounds per annum and made no noise of any Learning at all To these I might add Mr. Hildersham Mr. Baines Mr. Perkins Dr. Ames Mr. Cotton and others men famous in their generation and yet in some things some more some less dissatisfied 6. Consid That divers dissenters in former times have notwithstanding found favour with the Bishops Some of those before named were never deprived of their Benefices for Non-Conformity as Peter Martyr Mr. Fox the Martyrologist and Mr. Perkins Others were for a long time by connivance continued in their places and Imployments although but half Conformists Conformity was not rigorously pressed by Arch-Bishop Grindall nor were all Nonconformists thrust out of all imployment in the dayes of Arch Bishop Whitgift though himself a Champion for Conformity When Mr. Cartwright himself who had written against Conformity and brandished pens with the Arch-Bishop in the cause yet was by him quietly suffered to injoy an Hospital at Warwick Mr. Brown said to be the Father of the Brownists did notwithstanding injoy his Living of a Church in Northampton Shire a Parsonage of good value to his dying day And Doctor Fuller informs us that Bishop Williams when he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England procured a License from King James under the Great Seal of England for Mr. Cotton to Preach notwithstanding his Inconformity as to some Ceremonies And Bishop Rudd Bishop of St. Davids declares in his Speech to the Convocation that those things meaning Conformity to the Ceremonies were not so extreamly urged but that many learned Preachers injoyed their liberty herein in the dayes of the late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury which was Arch-Bishop Whitgift conditionally that they did not by word or deed openly disgrace or disturb the State established Concerning Mr. Hildersham I find in the History of his life that he was frequently silenced and yet frequenly by the favour or connivance of the Bishops permitted to Preach publickly He was silenced in June 1590. and restored again in January 1591. Again he was deprived and silenced by Bishop Chaderton Bishop of Lincoln April 24. 1605. for refusal of Subscription and Conformity yet after some time by the connivance and favour of Bishop Overton Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield he Preached sometimes in that Diocefs and was the main upholder of two famous Exercises at Burton in Stafford-Shire and at Repton in Derby-Shire for livers years In January 1608. by the favour of Bishop Barlow Bishop of Lincoln he was allowed to Preach again at Ashby where he was formerly and so continued from January 31 1608. to November the 12th 1611. In Novemb. 1611. He was silenced by Bishop Neales means then Bishop of Coventry and Litehsield who complained to the King of him infomuch that the King commanded the Arch-Bishop to write to the Bishop of Lincoln to send for Mr. Hildersham and to silence him which was done accordingly April the 22. 1613. he was judicially admonished and injoined in and by the High Commission that saving the Catechising of his own family only he should not any time hereafter Preach Catechise or use any of the Offices or Function of a Minister publickly or privately until he should be lawfully rostored and released of his said suspension June 20. 1625. he was Licenced by Doctor Ridley then Vicar General to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to Preach in the Diocefs of Lincoln London and Coventry and Lichfield under the Seal of that Office March 25. 1630. he was silenced again and so continued till August 2. 1631. when he began to preach again and continued till December 27. 1631. which was the last time he preached soon after he sell sick and died Concerning Mr. Dod. I find in his life that he was suspended from his Ministry at Hanwill by Doctor Bridges Bishop of Oxford that after he preached at Fenny Compton in Warwick-Shire from thence he removed to Canons Ashby in Northamptonshire where he lived quietly divers years preached over the whole Prophecy of Douitl afterwards he was silenced from Preaching at Ashby upon a complaine made against him by Bishop Neal to King James who commanded Arch-Bishop Abbot to silence him After the death of King James his liberty was procured for preaching again publickly by Mr. Knightly and then he was settled at Fausley where he preached twice every Lords day By these two last instances it appears that every stroke of the Crosier formerly did not cause a perfect Apoplexy and prove mortal though it made Ministers speech less for a time yet by the Keys of the Church their Mouths were often times opened again and they were able to speak and preach as formerly And here I could name if
CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS Tending to promote PEACE AND GOOD WILL Amongst PROTESTANTS Very useful for the present Times LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1674. Considerations tending to promote Peace 1 Cons THat some of the most considerable ranks and orders of men from the Reformation of Religion amongst us have manifested a desire to have some Favour and Indulgence shew'd to Dissenters in point of Ceremonies c. 2. That Dissenters or Non-conformists have often been misrepresented to the World 3. The late Civil Wars in England were not begun for the extirpation of Episcopacy and Liturgy or to settle the Presbyterian Government here 4. That the Modern English Presbyterians as they are call'd cannot be charged with divers of the Principles imputed to those called Presbyterians in England in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth or to the Presbyterians in Scotland 5. That there have been since the first Reformation in England men of Parts Piety and Learning and of good esteem in the Church of God who have boggled or scrupled at something in Subscription or the Conformity injoyned or practised 6. That divers Dissenters in former times have found favour with the Bishops 7. That the Parliamentarians in the beginning of our Troubles declare to abhor and detest all designs of Deposing or Murthering His late Sacred Majesty 8. That the Non-conforming Presbyterians had both their hearts and hands in the Restauration of His present Majesty to His Royal Throne 9. Many Bishops Clergy-men and Scholars though Non-conformists to the late times then enjoyed Places of Profit notwithstanding 10. That it is the declared Doctrine of the Church of England in her 34th Article of Religion That every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by mans Authority so that all things be done to Edification 11. That if the New Impositions and the Ceremonies should happen to be legally taken away many Thousands who now stand aloof off would Joyn with our Church-Assemblies 12. That the use of force or violent coursos for by Matters in Religion ought by all lawful wayes and means to be shunned and avoided Certain Considerations tending to promote Peace and Good will amongst Protestants useful for the present Times INstead of Preface and to prepare the minds of men for such Considerations as follow I desire the Reader to read certain excellent sayings of the Reverend Dean of the Chappel now Primate and Metropolitan of all England in a Sermon of his Preached before the King June 28th 1660. and after Printed viz. I hat 's the best the most Christian Memorie which as Caesar forgets nothing but Injuries Again Let 's all seriously and sadly look back consider and bemoan one another for what we have mutually done and suffer'd from each other let 's all be sorry for it and all mend perfectly forgiving what 's past and returning to as great a kindness as ever and a greater then ever that so by all mutual good Offices we may make amends for former animosities Shall God saith he so great so glorious after so high so many Provocations descend to be at peace with us and shall we poor worms be at enmity among our selves for tristes and that to the hazard of all the comforts of this life and hopes of a better And further shall we retain the memory of former unkindnesses and make a publick Act of Oblivion which we expect a Publick Lye without either fear of God or shame of the world This is not to have peace or enjoy it but with great ingratitude to throw it at him again it is but to change one War into another the open into secret hostility into treachery and by pretending peace and kindness to smooth the way to supplantation and injury the most base Serpentine and unmanly thing in the world These Golden sayings premised I humbly offer these Considerations 1 Consid That some of the most considerable Ranks and Orders of men since the Reformation of Religion amongst us have manifested a desire to have some favour or Indulgence shewed to Dissenters in point of Ceremonies c. King Edward the 6th wrote a Letter to Archbishop Cranmer in behalf of Mr. Hooper elected Bishop of Gleucester RIght Reverend Father and Right trusty and Well-beloved Whereas We by the advice of our Council have called and chosen Our right Well-beloved and well worthy Mr. John Hooper to be Our Bishop of Gloucester as well for his great Learning due Judgment and long study both in the Scriptures and other profound Learning as also for his good discretion ready utterance and honest life for that kind of Vocation c. from Consecrating of whom We understand you do stay because he would have you omit certain Rites and Ceremonies offensive to his Conscience whereby ye think you should fall in Praemunire of Lawes We have thought good by advice aforesaid to dispense and discharge you of all manner of dangers penalties and forfeitures you should run into and be in any manner of way by omitting any of the same And these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge therefore Aug. 5th Given under Our Signet at Our Castle of Windsor the fourth year of Our Reign King James also wrote two Letters to Queen Elizabeth in favour of Non-conformists one whereof you may read in D. Fuller's History of the Church Book the 9th Page 203. After these King Charles the First of blessed Memory in His Answer to the Remonstrance of the House of Commons presented to Him at Hampton Court December the first 1641. saith as follows In differences amongst Our selves for matters indifferent in their own Nature concerning Religion we shall in tenderness to any number of our Loving Subjects very willingly comply with the Advice of Our Parliament that some Law may be made for the exemption of tender Consciences from punishment or prosecution for such Ceremonies and in such Cases which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent and of some to be absolutely unlawful And again in his Message of the 20th of Jan. 1641. His Majesty proposeth to both Houses of Parliament the security of the true Religion now professed in the Church of England and the setling of Ceremonies in such a manner as may take away all just offence In His Message of the 14th of February following His Majesty more fully expresseth himself viz in these words Because His Majesty observeth great and difficult troubles to arise in the hearts of his People concerning the Government and Liturgy of the Church His Majesty is willing to declare that he will refer that whole Consideration to the Wisdom of His Parliament which he desires them to enter into speedily that the present Distempers about the same may be composed Since His most Gracious Majesty that now is and long and long may he continue our Soveraign Lord and