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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A54984 The plain truth, or, A lenitive for the clergy by one Pantophilus. Pantophilus. 1681 (1681) Wing P2369; ESTC R16071 6,672 7

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imposition of them and they know that the Church of Christ did and may subsist well enough without them but now in the judgment of the Dissenters they are sinfull and they do unfeignedly conclude them such to themselves according to their best understanding And now which party is fit to relent or can abate judge you are not Kings in Supreme Power and Authority yet how many Princes have stoopt something for the Repose of their People our Church claims no infallibility why may she not therefore open her Bosom to so many Protestants as well as formerly she did in her Liturgy and Ceremonies to win the Papists And certainly such condescention would come better from the Church Rulers and by their mediation than from the Secular Power and would be the likeliest means to heal a Distracted Nation And of this they may find the best examples to wit of the Apostles themselves who being Governours in the Church though they exprest themselves severely against such as impos'd either their false Doctrines or unnecessary Rites upon others yet we shall find them gently treating and condescending to Honest Christians that were sound in the main though unsatisfied in other points I hear men still crying out 't is nothing but Obstinacy and Humour those that Dissent ought and might satisfy themselves and submit but might not the Apostle Paul have replied so on them that observed days and durst eat only Herbs they may if they will be satisfied of their Liberty and abandon their conceit that so much troubles the Church But considering that they did eat and did observe days to the Lord he rather adviseth to a mutual forbearance by the exercise of Christian Charity and Love But the common objection remains the Rulers in the Church know not what will satisfy or at least what concessions are likely to gratifie any considerable numbers and perhaps the Non-conformists have been too shy in making proposals for I think it is better to erre in too much plainness and openness than in too much caution and prudence But alas These Rulers know well enough where the Dissenters are prick'd they know that if the Orders conferr'd in the late times were made valid when many a good Scholler was educated in a disadvantagious Opinion of Episcopacy and knew not where any one Bishop was in the Nation to apply themselves unto how many this would bring into the Established Church That if the Declaration about the Covenant were abated their declaring their assent and consent forborn no other Subscription required save to the Doctrinal Part of the Nine and Thirty Articles no Oaths impos'd but of Allegiance and Supremacy the Liturgy only recommended and the Ceremonies left indifferent how many would these few concessions be likely to prevail with But then if withall the Inferiour Clergy were intrusted with some measure of Authority so far as is necessary for the Honour of Gods Ordinances and Good of the People if serious and constant Preaching and Catechizing were more incouraged if it were evident that the Reverend Bishops did sincerely imbrace and countenance the most Learned Holy and Industrious of the Clergy and Laity in their Diocesses this would intirely win the Hearts of all Honest Men and reduce those who have been exasperated and violently driven into some practises that seem inconsistent with their old Principles For Mans Nature is so molded that Love and Kindness have the most powerfull operations upon it and a curteous expression will make the Sword fall out of a mans hand who in heat of opposition would rather dye than yield However if this Blessing be too great and good for us this I abide by that during our sad distances in these matters we are all bound by the Royal Law of Christ to love one another sincerely and in all occasions to express the same and I purposely repeat it to think of each others Persons and Actions with charity to speak of them with charity and to Act accordingly towards one another in every instance with charity But you will say our charity must not be blind we must not call evill good and good evill I grant this but withall I averr that Charity is not severe is not censorious is dim-sighted in the faults of others and curious in our own do but put the best construction on each others words and actions and maintain the most favourable opinion of each others Persons and Designs and this will create the sweetest calm in your own Souls and insensibly tend to our Peace and Union and without this let us be never so Orthodox never so Zealous never so high or low never so Dignified or so Oppressed we want one of the greatest Excellencies of God one of the greatest Accomplishments of Men one of the greatest Graces of Christians for when once our inveterate disease hath spent it self and that we are once wearied with our straglings and come to a consistencie of mind we shall see that we can never be safe or happy till by all possible Abatement on the one hand and all possible compliance on the other we be firmly link't together in one Soul and one Body God of his great Mercy pour down the Spirit of Humility Sanctity and Charity into all our Hearts Amen Amen March 4. 1680 81. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Bibles and Crown at the Lower end of Cheap-side 1681.
of Service therewith taken from them in their Judgments without cause and contrary to those Assurances given them which they thought might be relyed on and to see their Brethren possessing them without Remorse or Pity and then to ●ind themselves expos'd reproach'd prosecuted imprison'd and undone and this very much by the instigation of the Governing and other Clergy The other party offended with the preaching of the Non-conformists and many peoples Respects unto them and with the sharp Reflections of some among them But now Christian Love might have prevented or abated much of this and so it hath with many wise and charitable persons of either party Certain it is that while we are in this imperfect state we shall not all see with the same clearness and perhaps there are no two persons in the World that have the same sentiments in every thing much less can it be expected in points now controverted amongst us Each party professeth that they proceed sincerely according to their best Understanding the one in conformity the other in Non-conformity must the one be judged now to comply or the other to dessent against his conscience God forbid Now here comes in the Use of Christian Love which when it is once rooted in the Heart it will incline the Governours of the Church so to calculate their Laws Injunctions and Impositions about things indifferent as may be easy and not grate upon Mens Consciences It is Paternal Love that induces many a Wise Father to abate his weak or sickly children in many matters which otherwise he might reasonably require of them and to connive at many of their lesser Faults and such kind of Love the Governours of the Church should bear to all that are under them And it is not only Charity but Prudence For these cannot chuse but know and see that violent courses never beget any kindly compliance and that all their severities have exasperated far more than they have reclaimed and the same charity should teach the Non-conformists not to envy their honours or profits and also to think that the imposers did judge the foresaid Rites c. to be most usefull for the common good For Charity hopeth all things possible believeth all things credible and beareth all things tolerable Charity thinketh no evill But to come to the inferiour Clergy without doubt the great Zeal we should burn with should be of saving mens Souls and in order thereunto that we open to them the Necessary Mysteries of the Christian Religion that we urge them to Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that we disgrace ungodliness and worldly Lusts and that we promote Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness with all our power in a word all our Sermons should be a kind of commentary on Our Lords Prayer the Commandments and the Creed but alas how many of each party imploy their time and parts in debating confuting exposing and condemning their opposites in point of Rites and ceremonies each party charging the other with debauching their consciences for the sake of Reputation or Lucre which is the most Malicious Accusation that can be invented in the case What is it but want of Christian Love that prompts to this proceeding what else should bewitch those men that agree in the Doctrine of the Divine Existence against Atheists in the Doctrine of our Saviours Person and Natures against Arrians Socinians and others in the Doctrine of Gods Grace against the Pelagians that agree together in Doctrine and Worship against the Papists and in all other Doctrines and Duties that are necessary to Salvation and yet as if we were possest with a Spirit of Opposition we let all these things be silent and still in our Discourses and in our converse we begin at the wrong end and presently enter into debate about Ceremonies and Government there can scarce a company of Conformists be met together that can find any Subject to inlarge upon but about the Non-conformists and much alike is it with many of the other party and if men did observe themselves well such converse concerning one another is seldom manag'd without breach of Charity wresting the sayings and putting the worse Construction on the Actions if not plain bearing false witness against each other Now Christian Love teaches quite other things it inclines the Mind to think the best of every body to interpret doubtful words or actions in the very best sence they can admit to speak of others most favourably and in short to love every one good or bad as our selves The cry for Unity and Uniformity is very great the meaning whereof is only this you must renounce all your Principles and Practises that are repugnant to ours that we may be one and this is prest from our present danger from our common enemy but can any danger excuse a man in doing what his Soul tells him is a Sin the least evill of Sin whether so really or only so in my judgment all is one to me is not to be done to prevent the greatest penall evil in the World Would not Riches and Honour have tempted them would not Reproach and Poverty have urged them all this while to abandon their uncomfortable opinions if they could have done it honestly if they could have plaid the Hypocrites which yet is the Sin they are often charg'd with they would surely have wink'd and swallow'd what is required of them before this day But now if in stead of this Unity or rather as the proper way to it we would pray for the Resurrection of Christian Love and sincerely indeavour the practise and expression of it If we would begin to think and to speak kindly of and to one another if we would vindicate one another as far as we can and by our Councell and Example teach our Friends and hearers to do the like we should insensibly come nearer together and with calmness and friendship discourse our selves into some Tolerable Unity For it is most plain that our differences are swell'd with the Animosity of either party there being among both of them more material points than these wherein they differ from one another but Love covers a multitude of Sins Let us then in large our Charity let us reckon there may be and are many Upright and Holy Christians on either side and those whom we shall for ever imbrace in the world to come let us visit one another and freely converse of those great things wherein we are fully agreed let us seriously contrive how to promote reall Piety and how to withstand our implacable Enemies let us not bite and devour one another lest we be devoured one with another It is a vain thing to say it is not fit that the Established Church who are in Power Possession and Authority should bow to their Inferiours who should rather yield to them for the things that have occasioned this sad breach are in the judgment of the imposers indifferent whether used or not before the