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A64558 Remarks on the preface to The Protestant reconciler in a letter to a friend. S. T. (Samuel Thomas), 1627-1693. 1683 (1683) Wing T974; ESTC R25646 26,707 64

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Worshipping of his Divine Majesty and whatsoever was necessary to Salvation therefore in these things he is only to be heard as our School-Master But because in outward Discipline and Ceremony his Will was not to prescribe each thing particularly what we ought to follow because he foresaw this to hang upon the state of Times and did not think one Form to be sit for all Ages herein we must flee to those general Rules which he hath given that thereby all those things should be tryed which the necessity of the Church shall require to be Commanded for Order and Comeliness Finally forasmuch as he hath therefore taught nothing expresly because these things are not necessary to Salvation and according to the Manners of every Nation and Age ought diversly to be applyed to the Edifying of the Church therefore as the Profit of the Church shall require it shall be convenient as well to Change and Abrogate those that be used as to institute New I grant indeed that we ought not rashly nor oft nor for light Causes to run to Innovation but what may hurt or edifie Charity shall best judge which if we suffer to be the Governess all shall be safe Now it is the duty of Christian People to keep such things as have been ordain'd according to this Rule with a free Conscience and without any superstition but yet with a godly and easie readiness to obey not to despise them nor to pass them over with careless negligence so far is it off that they ought by Pride and Obstinacy openly to break them What manner of Liberty of Conscience wilt thou say may there be in so great Observation and Wariness Yes it shall stand excellently well when we shall consider that they are not stedfast and perpetual stayed Laws whereunto we are bound but outward rudiments for the weakness of men which though we do not all need yet we do all use them because we are mutually bound to one another to nourish Charity among us Thus says Dr. Hooke Mr. Calvin delivers his judgment directly contrary to yours meaning Mr. Baxter's as expressed in that Petition for Peace I add and directly contrary to that which our Prefacer here quotes as his shrew'd Argumentation but perfectly consentient to the Church of England and we find his practice according with his judgment he put the Yoke of Discipline upon the Neck of the Senate and People of Geneva and bound them to it with an Oath and he declares for a Form of Prayers and Ecclesiastical Rites from which it may not be lawful for the Pastors to depart in their Function You see hereby how far Calvin was from the Opinion That Churches either should be govern'd without Ceremonies or indeed can be govern'd if nothing be imposed on their Members but what is necessary I know 't is easie to dictate as some men are said to do in this Preface That all necessary things are so plain in Scripture that men may soon agree in what is necessary and conclude the no-necessity of agreeing in more pag. 12. That all things necessary to be believed are done in order to acceptance with God are fully and perspicuously contained in Holy Scripture and therefore 't is unreasonable to exact further of our Brethren that which is confessed unnecessary and which neither our Saviour nor his Apostles imposed on their Disciples pag. 46. That necessary points pag. 20. may and will by all honest people be known and determin'd by the clear Testimony of Scripture by consent of Fathers by general Tradition As if all honest People could find out the consent of Fathers or be so familiarly acquainted with general Tradition and other points need not to be determined That all Confessions of particular Churches should be abolished pag. 53. and one publick Symbol agreed on which should be expressed only in the words of Scripture and want nothing which is necessary to Salvation to be known or done nor contain any thing which is not thus necessary to Salvation and in unnecessaries there should be a mutual bearing one with another That consent in Fundamentals ought to be carefully maintain'd but in other things neglected pag. 55. That there should be nothing in our Ecclesiastical Constitutions that may give any plausible pretence for Separation or Nonconformity pag. 21. Now these I confess are several of them very sine Aerial Speculations such as is no very difficult thing for Mercurial Wits to light on and 't is as easie for any Melancholy Contemplative Man to warm his Brains into a conceit of their Truth Worth and Excellency But loquere ut videam I would fain see the Man that either has prov'd them or can prove them to be Practicable Notions I mean such as may be prudently applyed to the constituting or continuing of Societies or to the maintaining of a publick consent or a common order and decorum among ' em It may be a great Truth that all things necessary to Salvation are plainly and clearly revealed in Scripture but that they are all so plain that all may soon agree in what is necessary or that all honest People may know and determin all such points or that only such should be agreed in and enjoyn'd I shall conclude to be very unpracticable Notions till this Gentleman or somebody for him can tell me First What Person or Persons have so much as pretended to give an exact List and Catalogue in particular of all those Fundamentals which in general we profess to Believe plainly contain'd in Scripture 2. Where that Society of Christians is to be met with which is govern'd only by union and consent in things absolutely necessary Or 3. where that Protestant Church is to be found where nothing of Ceremony is imposed either for Order Decency or Uniformity If no such instance can be produc'd 't is a pregnant evidence that such Theories and Principles are inflexible to the measure and ends of Government incompatible with the duty of Governours and with the necessities of the Persons and Societies that are to be govern'd and therefore they seem calculated only for the Meridian of Vtopia or Cracovia and may serve indifferently for all Latitudinarian Regions and Anarchical Routs You see Sir by this Packet how great a trouble your generosity in sending me The Protestant Reconciler has drawn upon you no less than that of reading several Sheets of Animadversions on the Preface but you may comfort your self with believing that your Trouble will end here as mine does For having not my own Books by me scarce any of them I mean that might be serviceable for such a purpose 't will be a vanity for me to attempt the Confutation of the Prefacer's Book especially since he has been pleas'd to interess Dr. Womock a much more considerable Person and still living I hope in the Contents of it insomuch that if he shall think fit to make any Reply to him his Book will I believe neither require nor deserve any other or better Confutation than will result from that Defence It was but the beginning of this Month that I receiv'd it from your kindness and having since spent all this pains about the Preface you cannot imagine I have so much as read the Book But however I have so far consider'd the Contents of its Chapters and glanced upon so many parts of the Book that I conjecture the main stress and turn of the Cause lies in the fourth Chapter which therefore whosoever solidly Answers will effectually baffle the design of this Writer and may let the rest of the Book take its course and permit the weak Brethren to make the best Advantage they can of it When you have perused these Papers I hope you will impartially communicate your sense of them to Your Cordial Friend and Humble Servant S. T. Febr. 28. 1682 3.