Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n
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A37363
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A Seasonable advice to all true Protestants in England, in this present posture of affairs discovering the present designs of the papists : with other remarkable things, tending to the peace of the church, and the security of the Protestant relion [sic] / by a sincere lover of his King and countrey.
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M. D.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing D63; ESTC R18433
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50,826
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67
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from the attempts of all Enemies and dangers That this may cause a variety in Kingdoms and Nations agreeable to the Government in the State to the nature and inclinations of the people and several other circumstances which are to be weighed in this Case That a Government established in a Nation by the publick Authority if not contrary to Gods Word and Will ought not to be resisted by Christian Subjects That every individual Believer must not presume to censure and murmur against the appointed Order in Church or State or meddle with the Princes Office and Power That the Government in the Church belongs to the Sovereign Prince under God as well as in the State and that it is a dangerous presumption for every private person to venture to contradict the Laws which such Lawful Princes think convenient in their wisdom to settle in a Church in these and such like truths I suppose most of our Non-Conforming Brethren will agree with us But nevertheless the Presbyterian will be governed by his Presbytery and Lay-Elders in a subordination to Assemblies and Synods The Independent will acknowledge no Orders in the Church but what are appointed in his Congregation and both refuse Obedience to Episcopal Authority though suitable to the former Rules and Maxims Episcopacy recommends to us in Gods Church a Monarchical Authority Presbytery would have an Aristocratical mixed with Democracy the Independent pleads for a Democratical To what purpose is this adoe about Government it concerns not our Salvation in case we behave our selves justly righteously and soberly in this present world in case we can but lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty As this is the chief duty of every individual Christian it should be our endeavour and purpose in all our actions The Presbyterian forsook Episcopacy and thought to mend his condition under that Government he gave an Example to the Independent to forsake Presbytery with hopes of living with more ease in a new Government never heard of in the Primitive Church unless it be amongst Hereticks and Enemies of Gods Truth for the establishing of this strange Order in this Church they lay down most dangerous Doctrines contrary to Gods Word and all Reason for instance That every Christian upon the account of being so a real Christian a good man Separation no Schism in opposition to an excellent Sermon of that Worthy Divine Mr. Sharp and a Believer may be no member of Christs visible Church and is not bound to joyn in external Communion with it where it may be had That a suspicion or a bare persuasion of sin in the publick practices commanded by Authority is sufficient to free both Minister and People from their Obedience and License them to Act contrary to the same That Christians are not subject to Ecclesiastical Laws unless they be contained in the Holy Scripture That men may be Christians without any subjection to Authority or dependency upon Christs Church And such like Doctrines directly contrary to Christs great design in mans Redemption which S. Paul tells us was Union Ephesians ii 16. That he might reconcile all unto God in one Body by the Cross I would have these my Brethren know that as man was created in respect to a Society he is also redeemed with the same relation for we cannot think that this good Saviour hath freed him from sin and the Devils power to live by himself for ever as a wild Anchoret in the Desart and Mountains he hath enlightned his followers with that spirit and given them those principles that tend to Union and Communion Therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. xiv 33. That God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints What means the Apostle by Peace is it that every individual Christian should be scattered upon the face of the Earth and upon the least suspicion or ill grounded prejudice abominate all correspondency in the Publick Worship of God that he should look upon his brethren redeemed by the same bloud governed by the same spirit and animated with the same hopes with a supercilious countenance and fly from them as from a Wolf or a Devil Yet these are the consequences of some of the Independent principles But I suppose it no difficult matter to reclaim most of them from such pernicious opinions which have proved as destructive to their private Congregations as they have to the Church of England for they tend to encourage disorder and to license men to cast off all respects to all Governours and Government of what sort soever But methinks if we had that honour for our Nation as becomes us and as other people have for theirs we should not be more fond of the new modes in Government and Gods Worship recommended to us by our Neighbours and imposed upon us by a Scotch Frolick than of the antient and wise method and Government established amongst us by our Forefathers Why must the new fangles and fashions of strangers affect us more than the discreet constructions of our own Christian Rulers Though the people of our Nation alter often their habits methinks in so serious a business as Religion Government and Gods Worship we should not be so changeable as we are in our apparel I know the rigid Independents are accused for denying the appointed maintenance to Ministers Tythes the encouragement of Learning and Gods Service they are accused for not allowing any set forms of Prayer not so much as the Lords Prayer for not admitting any to the Ordinances but such as are of their own fraternity for denying the Magistrates Power over the Godly See Mr. Baily's Dissuasive from the Errors of the times for allowing the killing of all opposers But these wicked Doctrines I suppose are not maintained by the most moderate Independents who differ from us chiefly in the Government of the Church in all other things it is likely that they may be brought to comply with us though at present they give themselves the liberty to abuse and carp at many other innocent circumstances of the Religion and Worship of the Church of England I find my self engaged in this place to give a Reply to a grand Objection against this Advice and call to Conformity which seems to be allowed by St. Paul in his Fourteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans and which is commonly pleaded as an excuse by our Non Conforming Brethren That they extreamly suspect our practices and worship to be sinful and therefore they are not bound to act against a doubting Conscience by joyning with us in that which they conceive to be unlawful Agreeable to S. Paul's words in another occasion and case He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin This passage is but a weak Plea for Non-Conformity in England for the Romans case and ours differ in these particulars Their Controversies were concerning
chastise us for such unreasonable dissensions in such matters as we may easily comply with one another I know your common Objection against us is that in regard such Observances Customs and Ceremonies that breed a difference between us are but trivial in themselves they should not be imposed upon you with that strictness In Answer to this I intreat thee my Brother to consider three things first that a Conformity to one way one rule and manner in this Church is absolutely necessary for how unbeseeming a thing it is that one Congregation should practise one thing another act in another manner one Minister wear green another yellow another black another gray another white If in one place were all singing in another all preaching in another all praying How ridiculous would our Church appear to all the foreign Nations if these things were allowed by Authority It is therefore most certain that one way and one worshipping our God is absolutely needful and becoming the wisdom of our Nation Secondly consider that the way and method established by the Governours in Church and State is not to be referred to the humor of every fancy or of every dissatisfied and private person and that it is very reasonable in such cases as all acknowledge indifferent in themselves when one way is to be chosen and others rejected to take that which the publick Authority approves of and agrees with their Judgment and Piety whom God hath established over us and whose office it is to appoint such things for us to observe and obey Thirdly consider that trivial and indifferent things when stamped by the Authority of the Nation cease to be so and become necessary to be observed That which is indifferent in it self and but a trifle is a greater invitation to you to practise it and renders your stifness more inexcusable but in regard it is commanded by Authority I am bound to obey The indifferency ceaseth and I should think it a crime and a breach of Gods Law Of Obeying the Magistrate for Conscience sake If in things indifferent I preferred mine own partial humor to the Commands of my Prince and Governors And wonder not if they require so strictly thine obedience and mine to these orders because in this licentious Age men of corrupt designs take any liberty to dispute against Authority and contemn its injunctions under the pretence of Religion and Conscience And because this way and method seems to them the wisest whom God hath appointed over us to prescribe it in the worshiping of God and most agreeable with Gods Glory and the Nations Honor Credit and Advantage Therefore there can be no Superstition in them to require our exact obedience to all the Rules which they judge to be just and best befitting our Piety and in us to yield it in things indifferent in themselves as some foolishly imagin In all other matters which give you a distast I know none but may be comprehended under this notion and be looked upon as trivial and indifferent in themselves The designed compendiousness of this Seasonable Advice suffers me not to examin them all nor to weigh all the objections that you are wont to make in justification of your Non-Conformity But for those that relate to our Prayers and publick Liturgy I refer you my Christian Brethren to a small treatise now in the Press called the Christians Devotions and Directory in these dangerous times wherein I have laboured to clear and blow away all those mists that hide the truth from your discovery and to give you satisfying reasons for our practice and for your benefit with directions how you shall be able to prevail upon your averseness and bring your selves to receive a real and an inward comfort from our way of worshipping Unto the perusal of that Treatise I refer all those that would receive better satisfaction in matters disputed amongst us Conformity according to the Laws of the Land is plainly required from every person To set up therefore Meeting Places in opposition to Authority and the Established Service of God is an apparent breach of these Laws To haunt and frequent them under a pretence of receiving many Soul-comforts from the Learned and Godly Sermons and Exercises of Piety in those prohibited Assemblies is not warrantable in the Minister nor his Auditory according to the Laws of the Nation To withdraw from the Service of God under Episcopacy and to leave off the Assembling with our Neighbours in our ordinary Churches To forbear from Prayers the Sermons of our Common Teachers and the receiving of the Lords Supper and the other Acts of Non-Conformity are likewise breaches of these Laws of men established by the Lawful Authority of the Nation by the King and Parliament and are so well known to be so that I shall not offer to prove it The greatest Question is Whether these proceedings of the Non-Conformists be against Gods known Laws I doubt not but they will all acknowledge that the false Accusations the wicked Surmises the slanderous Reports and the pretended Crimes of Superstition Idolatry and their other uncharitable Censures of us and our Worship by which we are discredited Gods Holy Name abused and the sincerity and integrity of our Christian Governours and practices misrepresented are contrary to Gods Law Thou shalt not hear false witness against thy Neighbour It is a great injustice for them in hopes of advancing the interest of their Sects Exod. xx Psal xxxiv 13. 140. 11. Psal x. 18. to misconstrue our actions to fasten upon us Crimes to endeavour to discredit us and our Profession for besides the wrong done to us their brethren they blind the eyes and lead into error and mistakes many poor ignorant and well meaning Souls whereby true Religion is slighted and Faction and Schism kept up to the destruction of many persons and the dishonour of our Reformation and Church But their other practices though never so well coloured in the eyes of men with pious pretences are contrary to Gods Laws as well as mans Decrees That this may better appear to you consider these following and undeniable Truths gathered out of Holy Scripture I. That it is the duty of every Christian to seek as well as to pray for the Peace of Gods Church Psalm cxxii 6. To endeavor to be at peace with all that profess Christianity in Truth 1 Thess v. 13. That peace is a precious Jewel which we ought carefully to seek and to preserve 1 Pet. iii. 11. That we should abstain from all those practices that disturb our Brethrens Peace Mark v. 50. That we should follow after the things that make for Peace Rom. xiv 19. That it is the property of heavenly wisdom to be peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie James iii. 17. And many other passages call us to mind in all our actions the peace and publick quiet of the Church and People where we live Now that