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A36831 An appeal of all the non-conformists in England to God and all the Protestants of Europe in order to manifest their sincerity in point of obedience to God and the King to which is added a sober and unpassionate reply to the author of The lively picture of Lewis du Moulin / by Dr. Lewis Du Moulin ... Du Moulin, Lewis, 1606-1680. 1681 (1681) Wing D2530; ESTC R35666 14,500 36

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AN APPEAL OF All the Non-Conformists in ENGLAND TO GOD And all the Protestants of EUROPE In order To manifest their Sincerity in point Of Obedience to God and the King To which is added A Sober and Vnpassionate REPLY To the AUTHOR Of the Lively Picture of Lewis du Moulin By Dr. LEWIS Du MOVLIN Late History Professor of Oxford London Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-Head-Ally in Pater-Noster-Row MDCLXXXI A Notice to the Reader ALthough these Papers to thee are Posthumous the Author of them departing this Life three or four days since yet the Doctor himself both saw and corrected all the sheets save one before his sickness October 23 1680. Pag. 20. line 5 read Conformist for Non-Conformist AN APPEAL OF All the Non-Conformists in ENGLAND to GOD and all the Protestants of Europe in order to manifest their Sincerity to GOD and the KING HAving in some late Treatises given a short Account of the Advances of the Church of England towards Popery from the beginning of the Reformation I am obliged to mention some Particulars over again which leads me to some other Considerations very material for the Design in hand 1. That the First Reformers in the dayes of E. 6. though of several Judgments about the External part of the Government were all of honest Principles and Sentiments in their Doctrine and had the same mind and design to purge the then present Church of its Idolatry Superstitions and gross Errours and to bring in the same pure Doctrine that was professed by Calvin and the Reformed Churches in France and which hath been and is still retained by the Non-Conformists that were and are now 2. That the said first Reformers being divided in their Opinions about retaining that which was good and taking away whatsoever was amiss in the Romish Church as to the outward Governmnt the Opinion that the Reformation could not be thoroughly done for matter of Government and Externals as it was possible for matter of Doctrine prevailed so far with Bishop Hooper Rogers and others that wisht it had been otherwise as to make them forbear any further urging of a compleat Reformation in hopes that when the people that were instructed in the true saving Doctrine should be more numerous the opposition to a through Reformation in all points would be less 3. That this rude draught of Reformation suitable to that time had very bad Success because the Conformable Party prevailed still with the Soveraign and the Grandees of the Realm to have it a standing Law that was not to be repealed nor altered and which drawing along with it Non-Residency plurality of Livings a meer form and garb of Religion and Piety outward pomp and grandeur best suited with a Worldly interest whilest the other Party who were then Puritans and whom we now call Non-Conformists retained and do still to our days a desire and longing after a thorow Reformation and they have endeavoured by Conferences Remonstrances and Writings to have it introduced 4. That yet the Conformists were not all of one mind there being still a Party among them very peaceable and Orthodox and at less distance from the Non-Conformists especially among the Gentry that were no Courtiers and in great Towns Cities and Corporations whilest the other Party made up of Conformists grew corrupt and so far from hearkening to a further Reformation that they made nearer advances towards Rome 5. That Jealousies and apprehensions daily encreasing and fears of inclining to Popery and the Troubles in Scotland intervening in the Years 38 and 39 and the Discontents rising up in England the King was forced to call a Parliament which began in 1640. 6. That that Parliament both Lords and Commons was most if not all composed of such Peaceable Orthodox Church of England men I have but now mentioned and all conforming to the Rites Ceremonies of Episcopacy and Hierarchy but yet greatly averse to Popery Tyranny and the Corrupt Party of the Church of England that inclined towards Rome Witness the many Speeches in Parliament they made as of the Lord Faulckland Sir Benjamin Rudyer Digby and others with whom Good and Honest Bishops joyned 7. That the Ground and Rise of the Civil War in 1640 and 43 was in opposition to such as Bishop Laud and other bad instruments 8. That the Lords and Commons in 1642 and 43 were all in perfect Conformity to the Church of England so was the Army too that they raised for the General the main Body of the Army the Officers and Captains both by Land and Sea were all conformable to the Church of England and none of them Puritans Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Sectaries or Conventiclers 9. That likewise the Assembly of Divines in Westminster chosen by the Parliament were all Conformists and none of them Silenced Ministers except 8. or 9 and 4 Scots 10. That the first Intentions of the Parliament was so far from subverting the Government of Church and State established by Law and from taking away the House of Lords and Bishops root and branch that it was only to reform the abuses of both and to settle such a Model of Church Government as was recommended by the Pious and Learned Bishops Vsher and Hall and which did not much differ from that which our Gracious Soveraign that now is recommended to his Parliament in his Declaration 1660. about Ecclesiastical Affairs 11. That the Parliament had no thoughts of bringing in the Covenant into England had not the necessity of their Affairs forced them to joyn with the Scots 12. That no man was obliged by it to take away Bishops but only as they are in Conjunction with the English Hierarchy 13. Neither was it the Intention of the Lords and Commons at first to take away Deans and Chapters but to make them more serviceable and useful to take away Pluralities Non-residencies and to settle a more proportionable Maintenance for Ministers 14. That the Change or Subversion of Government the taking away the Lords House and with them the Bishops and excluding the greatest part of the House of Commons and last of all the taking away the King and all the Confusions and Disorders that happened thereupon did arise from a third Party viz. The Army that was neither for the King nor Parliament Neither for Conformists nor for Non-Conformists but was an Enemy to them all and sought their absolute ruine and destruction 15. That the Non-Conformists who usually now go by the name of Presbyterians Fanaticks Independents Rebels Sons of Belial c. by the corrupt Church-Party that have been always making advances towards Popery were so far from being the first in Arms in opposition to the King our late blessed Martyr and being contrivers of his Death and of taking away Monarchy that on the contrary it was the only Party while the others of the King's Friends sate still that appeared before and since 48 in his behalf to the hazard of their Lives witness Mr. Love and that in 1660 had a
the words of a false and hypocritical heart when they are spoken by the Non-Conformists AS for the down-right Thames-Street way of Railing against me which I am sure none of my Friends would use and all others of any improved Civility or good Manners do nauscate and abhor but pure Streams cannot flow from an impure Fountain and so I am satisfied I do not value them nor can they prejudice any but the persons from whom they issue they that will be flinging up dirt do manifestly show themselves of a dirty humour and much good may do them whosoever they are with such their beloved Nastiness but methinks they are greatly like those of the Lawyer whom Suetonius speaks of that thought he had very solidly basfled and overthrown the cause of his Adversary because his Lawyer had committed a gross Soloecisme in his Plea All the Arguments of that Insignificant Rayler that has drawn the Lively Picture of Lewis du Moulin as he thinks to the worst and beastliest advantage and it may be therefore conceals his Name because he is ashamed to own the ugliness of his daubing I say all the Arguments of that Insignificant Railer resemble those of that Oratour who would needs have the cause of Vatinius to be the worst because he had crooked Leggs or are like to Origen's Enemies who finding themselves unable to refute those pretended errors thought to be sure they should acquit themselves bravely by running him down with the Judgments that other people made of his Person and Writings for without ever entring into the merits of the cause he alledges Mounsieur Daille and Mr. Baxter speaking to my disadvantage He might also if it had but once come into his unthinking but rash head have added the Testimony of Dr. Stillingfleet who calls me Wretch and Wicked and blackens me after a strange and unworthy manner only because I have said of him and I believe did I but sincerely appeal to his Conscience it could not upbraid me with a lye that the Judgment which he makes at this day of the Church of England when it lavishly pours upon him I know not how many great Ecclesiastical Preferments is quite contrary to that Opinion he was of concerning it about Twenty Years ago when he was not so well provided and lined with them Except he be somewhat nettled because I have so plainly laid open the weakness of his Argument to make out the unreasonableness of the Non-Conformists for denying viz That all things that are not expresly forbidden in the Word of God are sufficient to justifie those who submit to them when th● Command of the Magistrate intervenes Such great men as He and as Mounsieur Daille was are oftentimes like to Rivers that raise themselves to so vast a height that they overflow their Banks and the Bounds of decent moderation such was once Mounsieur Daille when he flew out against me in such violent heats for having taken it ill because he unhandsomely and ungenerously treated my Father AS to what this Author of the Lively Picture c. sayes of Mr. Baxter and of the sinister Judgment he makes of me he is much gone astray like a lost Sheep from the truth for not many years ago did this same Mr. Baxter dedicate a Book to me in these words TO MY LEARNED SINCERE AND WORTHY FRIEND Lewis du Moulin To be short The way which the Author of the Lively Picture takes to expose a Person to the Laughter and Scorn of all the World and to make him pass for an Ignorant Noddy-peeks a Lyer and a most impertinent Scribler who knows neither what he sayes nor what he writes very well ought not to be that of alledging the Judgment which such Persons as Mounsieur Daille and the Dean of Windsor make of him but he should if he had been able have quoted those Writings and Sentences wherein he might convince the World that they were the product of a man that had neither Brains to make a Judgment nor Learning nor Stile nor that had any thing of truth in him AS to the CELEVSMA of which he makes me the Author I absolutely deny it but If I were so I might what he will never have any occasion to do without vanity boast That I had made one of the best Pieces that ever had yet been extant in the World I mean in the behalf of the Non-Conformists and where there is neither Truth nor Judgment nor Learning nor good Language nor any thing else wanting that is requisite to give a Book applause If I was of his humour I might wire-draw upon him substantially far beyond his length but I had rather speak a great deal of truth in a few pithy words than to be like him scandalously false tedious and railing and never know in reason when to come to a FINIS The Reader is desired to take notice That the Author since the printing of the Appeal would needs have this added as a Supplement to it NOTE that When they that are loose in their profession of Christianity do persecute those that outwardly and formally prosess it with great Exactness without any certain knowledg whether or no the inward disposition and sincerity be answerable they have certainly a secret hatred to all Religion and Piety and wish that there were neither a God nor a Life to come nor an Immortality of the Soul for were they sure that none of these were they would be induced rather to pity and commiserate these strict professors than hate and persecute them To this I may add that the persecuting pirit of those Men that either in pretence or in reality do profess an exact practise of Piety and Devotion comes from a secret kind of Atheisme and Aversion to all manner of Religion when the purest is the greatest Eye-sore to such Spirits as is so much the more apparent and manifest by how much it is evident that they would not be seen to act against Profaneness debauched courses Drunkenness or Popery because those disorderly ways and courses have a great Sympothy and agreeableness with the profane spirits of the World Dr. Sands first Bishop of London and afterwards Arch-Bishop of York was in his life-time so much for Tolleration and a dispensation of Rigour and Subscription that he would needs have it set down in his Will He also expressed in the same Will that the intention of the first Reformers was to suite and accommodate the Reformation to the posture of things at that present time when Papists were numerous and the Protestants but few and that it was not possible then to make a thorow Reformation There may be Laws to keep men out of the Church but there are none to compel them in The Violent pressing of Ceremonies hath been I humbly conceive a great hindrance to many in their embracing of them Men fearing the intention therin to be far worse than really they are and therefore they abhor them We are not to communicate with a persecuting Church how Orthodox soever it be in Faith Martyn the Bishop of Tours would not communicate with Orthodox Men that persecuted HERETICKS much more would he have refused to communicate with those that persecute good men The People of Constantinople refused to communicate with the Expellers of Chyrsostome and with the Bishop placed by Endoxia FINIS * Mr. Baxter's Difference between the Powers of Magistrates and Church Pastors c.