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 banqueting-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
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
quarrel was and is the Militia for which so much blood hath been spent and treasure 'T is observable that the two Houses just before the breaking out of the War viz. April 9th 1642. published a Declaration wherein are these words The Lords and Commons do declare that they intend a due and Necessary Reformation of the Government and Liturgy of the Church and to take away nothing in the one or the other but what shall be civil or justly offensive or at least unnecessary and burdensom This Declaration of the Lords and Commons was Printed and Ordered to be published by the Sheriffs in several Counties in all the Market Towns within the Kingdome of England and Dominion of Wales Moreover in the 8th of the 19 Propositions sent by the Parliament to His Majesty June 2. 1642. The Lords and Commons desire that His Majesty would be pleased that such a Reformation be made of the Church Government and Liturgy as both Houses of Parliament shall advise wherein they intend to have Consultation with Divines And His Majesty in his Answer to the 19 Propositions takes speciall notice that they seem in their 8th Proposition to desire but a Reformation and not a destruction of the present Discipline and Liturgy Hitherto then viz. June 2. 1642. the two Houses of Parliament were for a Reformation only and not for the abolition of Episcopacy and Liturgy 'T is acknowledged that afterwards there was a League and Covenant for the extirpation of Prelacy But yet they who took the Covenant were bound only to endeavour it in their places and Callings and so far as lawfully they might and men were told in those dayes from the Press and Pulpit that they might take the Covenant in a sense not exclusive of or destructive to a Primitive Episcopacy After this when the four Bills were sent to His Majesty to the Isle of Wight upon signing whereof the Parliament offer'd to treat for all the rest in difference The Bill for the Abolition of Arch-Bishops and Bishops was none of the four In the year 1648. the House of Commons voted His Majesties Concessions a Ground of Peace notwithstanding His Majesty had not consented to the extirpation of Episcopacy only it was 't is said agreed betwixt the King and the Commissioners that Bishops should be laid aside for three years till the King and the Parliament should agree upon some setled Order for the Church and upon a free debate had with the Assembly of Divines then sitting and twenty more of His Majesties nomination they might 'tis said have admitted of Episcopacy if they found that Government most agreeable to the Word of God and best Reformed Churches Lastly as to this Consideration His Majesty that now is and long and long may he continue to Reign over us hath declared that the Presbyterian Ministers he had discoursed withall could submit to a Primitive Episcopacy and a Reformed Liturgy 4. Consid That the Modern English Presbytcrians as they are call'd cannot be charged with divers of the Principles imputed to those called Presbyterians in England in the days of Q Elizabeth And that the Presbytery where it was voted by the Houses of Parliament to be setled was far different from the Scottish Presbytery Doctor P. Heylin tells us that Mr. T. C. and others formerly renounced the Orders they had from the hands of the Bishops and look a new Vocation from the Presbyters beyond Seas that the Presbyterians in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth crected their Discipline in England without Authority from the Civil Magistrate that they held the calling of Bishops unlawful that 't is not lawful to be ordained by them that 't is not lawful to appear in a Bishops Court but with a Protestation of their unlawfulness These are not the Principles and Practices of the present Presbyterian Non-conformists amongst us they do not renounce their Episcopal Orders Some of them have been ordained by Bishops since 1660. Yea are willing to submit to the Government of the Church by Bishops and to use the Liturgy Only they bumbly desire that the new Impositions by the Act of Vniformity 1662. may be taken away and some of them that they may be dispensed withall for the three Ceremonies which are of their own Nature Indifferent even in the Judgment of the Imposers And which we are told were offer'd to have been abated in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth if that would have given satisfaction And as for the late Presbiterian Assembly at Westminster if you will have it called so they differed much from the Assemblies of the Church of Scotland They at Westminster attribute power saith Dr. P. Heylin to the civil Magistrate not only of calling Synods and Church-Assemblies but also of being present at them and to provide that whatsoever is therein concluded be done agreeably to the mind and will of God As to the matter of Church Government the divine right of their Presbyteries the setting up of Christ upon his Throne the Parity or Imparity of Ministers in the Church of Christ not a word delivered And a little after he adds It is to be observed that in the setling of the Presbyterian Government in England as the Presbyteries were to be subordinate to the Classical Provincial and National Assemblies of the Church so were they all to be subordinate to the power of the Parliament as appears plainly by the Ordinance of the 14th of March which makes it quite another thing from the Scottish Presbiteries and other Assemblies of that Kirk which hold themselves to be Supream and unaccountable in their actings without respect to the King the Parliament and the Courts of Justice So the Historian pag. 475. of his History of the Presbyterians And as for those of the Congregational way here they do not pretend to exemption from all judgement or censure from the civil Magistrate or neighbouring Churches if we may believe the Apologists in their Apologitical narration p. 21. where they tell us that at a time when they had least dependency on this Kingdom or so much as hopes ever to abide therein in peace it was openly and publickly professed That it was the most to be abhorred Maxim that any Religion hath ever made profession of and therefore of all other the most contradictory and dishonourable to that of Christianity that a singular and particular society of men professing the name of Christ and pretending to be endued with a power from Christ to Judge them who are of the same body and society within themselves should further arrogate unto themselves an exemption from giving an account or being censurable by any other either Christian Magistrate above them or neighbour Churches about them 5. Consid That there have been since the first Reformation men of parts Piety Learning and of good esteem in the Church of God who have yet boggled or scrupled at something in subscription or the conformity injoined or practised In King Edward the 6th his Reign there were Bishop