Vnreasonableness of Separation pag. 9. In the Preface If any Temper can be found out as to the manner of Subscription that may give ease to the scruples of our brethren and secure the peace of the Church and this I suppose may be done by an absolute subscription to all those Articles which concern the Doctrine of the true Christian Faith and the use of the Sacraments even so Bishop Bramhall required of the Clergy in Ireland and a solemn Promise under their hands or Subscription of peaceable submission as to the rest so as not to oppose or contradict them either in Preaching or Writing upon the same penalty as if they had not subscribed to the 36. I shall mention two or three of those Testimonies referred to in the Preface about Ordination Dr. Chillingsworths Religion of Protestants c. Epist 1. ch 6. Sect. 8. by way of Question whether any one kind of the external Forms of Church Government i. e. by Bishops or Presbyters be so necessary to the being of a Church but that they may be divers in divers places and that a good and peaceable Christian may and ought to submit himself to the Government of the place where he lives whosoever he be Which Question we are told in Iren. part 2. ch 8. p. 394. according to the tenour of the rest to which it is joyned must as to the former part be resolved in the Negative no one Form of Church Government so necessary but they may be divers in divers places and as to the latter in the Affirmative i. e. That a peaceable Christian ought to submit himself to the Government which he lives under Judge Hale's discourse of Religion p. 11. That the Episcopal form of Government constituted in England is a most excellent Form of Ecclesiastical Government and exceeds all others may easily be evinced and that it is the best adapted to the Civil Government in this Kingdom is visible to any intelligent person And yet I do not think that the Essence of Christian Religion consists in this or any other particular Form of Government Though the wise and sober sort of Conformists know and profess this that a man may be a good and excellent Christian under this Episcopal or any other Form of Church Government c. Bishop Carletons Consensus Eccles Cathol contra Trident praelectionibus c. 11. de Ecclesia p. 289. cited out of Conf. Plea for the Non-Corformist part 3. p. 36. It is the custom of the Catholick Church ut Episcopi legitime ordinent sed si quis a Presbytero Ordinatus fuerit ordinatio illa etiam vera est ex ejusdem Ecclesiae Catholicae judicio Idem p. 283. Ordination is not to be repeated although it be disorderly and out of course any more than Baptism in the Catholick Church But further even they who have the internal call consisting of good Learning Knowledge in the Scripture and are of a good exemplary Conversation and moved by the Spirit are not to be reckoned as Laymen but next to Presbyters or Ministers according to the declared judgment of great and eminent Protestants as Conf. Plea for Non-Corformist part 3. p. 37. Arch-Bishop Abbot added this observation to the 9 Section of the 2d ch de Circumcisione Baptismo Quaestiones sex discussae per Georgium Abbatium p. 109. Martin Bucer saith in Epist ad Eph. c. 4. That some of the Lay-men were admitted to read and interpret the Holy Scriptures in the Primitive and purer Church which they sometimes did perform in the presence of the Bishops and nameth Origen and others And saith he if any man add what the truly learned Hieron Zanchius speaks indefinitely When from the practice of the purer Church they who were not in Holy Orders did Preach the Gospel We answer there is a difference to be made between the simple Layman or the common sort to whom power is given in the Roman Church to Baptize and them who are instar Ministrorum Evangelii and who not only excel the common sort of men for their Learning in holy things but are or were called by the special publick and common Decree of the Bishop and them set over the Congregation publickly to interpret Scripture And these and not others the words of Bucer do note or point at c. Istos ego non audeo ad ordinariorum et vulgarium Laicorum conditiones revocare cum ad Presbyteros tam prope accedant I dare not bring down these to the condition of ordinary and vulgar Laymen that come so near to Presbyters or Ministers saith the Learned Abbot of this sort And whether Tertullian speak of such as these that were permitted to Baptize I leave to the Judgment of the Learned Bishop Jewels Serm. on 1 Cor. 4.1,2 fol. 223. In these our days the Ministers of God and Preachers of his Gospel are evil spoken of among all men some say they are unlearned they are Craftsmen Some say they preach they cannot tell what Let us examine and try their Doctrine with the touchstone of Gods Word and then be you Judges if you see that we teach you nothing but the mysteries of God that we disclose to you the will of God esteem us to be the Servants of God the Ministers of Christ c. This is but a taste of what is referred to in Iren. part 2. ch 8. and in Conf. Plea for Non-Conf part 3. Hearty desires and Prayers for Love and Peace BIshop Davenant 's Letter to Duraeus That which all pious persons are with fervent supplications to desire they ought as earnestly to endeavour after Now who doth not dayly solicit God for the peaceable State of the Church who doth not pray that all those things which vex disturb or any way hinder the Edification of the Church should be removed this was the wish of the Royal Psalmist and ought to be the desire of Princes Doctors and all Christians and surely what they sincerely should desire they should as sincerely endeavour after Bishop Hall 's Works pag. 426. Yea let me beg peace as for Life by your filial piety to the Church of God by your love of Gods Truth by the Graces of that one blessed Spirit whereby we are all informed and quickned by the precious Blood of the Son of God shed for our Redemption be enclined to peace and Love and though our brains be different let our hearts be one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpon the Treaty at Uxbridge Ejac. 1. Oh thou that art the God of reason and of peace c. Soften our hearts by the bloud of our Redeemer and perswade us to accept of peace with thy self and both procure and preserve peace among our selves as Men and Christians Condemn us not to our passions Clear up our understandings to see thy Truth and encline all our hearts to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Give us that Charity which should be among our selves and bestow upon us that peace which onely Christ our great peace-maker can merit Bishop Salisburies Exhortation to Peace and Vnion p. 34. Let us all resolve to spend some portion of our tlme at least an hour every Week in earnest prayers to him for the peace of his Jerusalem among us and for continuing our Religion still with us It is his cause and we ought chiefly to offer it up to him for his protection and defence and if our sins do not defeat our prayers we may hope that a considerable number of such Intercessions will procure great blessings to us especially we having the assistance of those who have taken Sanctuary among us Mr. Pygots Abners Plea for Accommodation p. 15. Never leave wrestling with the God of peace by uncessant and earnest prayers till he be entreated for the land to settle peace amongst us that the Lyon and the Lamb might lye down together Causes of decay of Christian Piety p. 419. Oh that we might see our impertinent strifes superseded and all moulded into the one Noble emulation who shall fastest unravel his own mischief and promote that peace he hath hitherto disturbed This indeed were worthy to be the united design of all Learned men and were it once so who knows how prosperous it might be Item p. 227. Who knows what a powerful exorcism the United Intercessions of the Christian World might have been had we jointly deprecated our quarrels God might have found a way to have composed them tho we could not Forms of Prayer upon the Fast Day 22 d. Dec. 1680. In the prayer for Union amongst our Selves Blessed Jesu aur Saviour and our Peace Look down in much Pity and Compassion upon this distressed Church and Nation whose bleeding wounds occasioned by the lamentable divisions that are among us cry aloud for thy speedy help and saving relief stir up we beseech thee every Soul of us carefully as becomes sincere Christians to root out of our hearts all Pride and vain Glory all wrath and bitterness all unjust prejudice and causeless jealousie all Hatred and Malice and desire of Revenge and whatsoever it is that may any way exasperate our minds or hinder us from discerning the things that belong unto our peace That as there is but one body and one Spirit and one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith c. So we may henceforth be all of one heart and of one Soul closely united in one Holy bond of Truth and Peace of Faith and Charity and so far as it is possible and an Vnion is attainable with one mind and one mouth glorifie God. Licensed according to Order FINIS A Table of the several Heads ACknowledged by Conformists that there are Good and Worthy Men amongst the Dissenters Salvation for such as are faithful in the common duties of Christianity That Protestants are agreed in the main The Creed contains all Truths necessary to Salvation Conformists not forward in censuring men as guilty of Heretical and damnable Errors None to be shut out of the Church and denied Communion for lesser sins or Errors That our Love must be Catholick An Agreement of all Christians in one Perswasion not to be expected Mutual Favour and Forbearance to be practised in our diversity of Judgments Force and capital Severities censured in matters of Religion Of Confessions of Faith and their Articles c.
Some persons truly Conscientious observing the many corruptions that the Romish Church hath brought into the Worship of God are very suspicious of any thing that may look as they think that way though they are otherwise Men of sound and Orthodox Principles and of a truly Righteous and Sober Life Item p. 13. Scrupulous of the Ceremonies otherwise sound in the principles of Faith Pious and Strict in their Lives Just and Honest to all men and Sober Temperate and Blameless Mr. Smithies Spirit of Meekness pag. 71. It may be they are good Men and were converted by that Minister or some other of the same perswasion from the ways of Wickedness to the practice of Religion 'T is well quoted by a late Learned Writer for the Church in the division of hearts that is in the World it 's certain some good may Dissent Bishop Tailor Duct Dub. P. 3. ch 4. Rule 23. Sect. 8. Item Collect. of Discourse Epist Dedic before Liberty of Prophesie It s an hard Case that we should think all Papists and Anabaptists and Sacramentaries bad men certainly among all these Sects there are very many Wise Men and Good Men as well as Erring Mr. D' l'Angles Letter to the Bishop of London It is certain that among the multitude that follow them i. e. the Separatists there is a very great Number of good Men whose Faith is pure and whose Piety is sincere and seems to me that the good and charitable Bishops ought to say of them though in something a different sence as Optatus Milevitanus said of the Donatists in his time Si Collegium Episcopale nobiscum habere nolunt tamen fratres sunt Doctor Stillingfleet Mischief of Separation p. 9. I cannot perswade my self that so many scrupulous and conscientious men as are at this day among us would live so many years in a known sin i. e. in a state of Separation from the Communion of a Church which in Conscience they thought themselves obliged to communicate with Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 17. Some have their Indiscretions and their Mistakes and their Heats and their Blemishes and what Party have not But if the Grace of God hath appeared to any men and if any are taught to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World as I am sure there are there are such among them Pag. 20. What an Example was the most faithful and successful Mr. Baxter whose practice was copied after his Gildas Salvianus and the Ministers of that Association How diligent was Mr. Stubbs Mr. Allen Mr. Wadsworth and others Idem pag. 27. The chief of the Congregational are Men of great Worth Learning Sobriety and Holiness The Anabaptist such as are simply scrupulous in the point of Baptism are reputed peaceable and holy men by them that write against them as Mr. Baxter Mr. Obad. Wills and Mr. Joseph Whiston Lastly The Quaker must have the right of Humanity they who scrupled swearing did call God to witness and did protest and promise Loyalty and Obedience They offered the security of their words and bodies to the Law when found Transgressors against the Peace There are many things commendable in them Idem p. 101. As far as my Acquaintance doth extend to the Nonconformists I must do them this Justice that they are of a Loving Healing and Uniting Spirit I have heard them speak very well of good Conformists and as free to acknowledge the Grace of God in them as in those of their own perswasion Principles and Practice c. p. 28. The matters in Controversie i. e. of Conformity between men of confessedly great worth and goodness I declare for my part and care not who knows it that I love with my heart a sober and peaceable minded Nonconformist as much Conformist as I am my self and I think him never the worse man that is so supposing I perceive him Conscientious in other Matters and particularly that he is not of a Censorious Seditious and Tumultuous Spirit but yet such I would not hate neither but pity and pray for them Car's peaceable Moderator Pref. Some of the dis-affected to the Book of Common Prayers I take to be good Christians Honest Moderate and well meaning people c. Item in another place I make no Question but some are right honest Men and truly pretend Conscience that they cannot submit to such Orders aâ—d to such and such Rites Testimony of above an 100 Non conformists for the Lawfulness of Lay-Communion speaking of the Nonconformists those good men who met after the Plague having preached to the People in the time of the Plague Mr. Dodwell 's Letters of Holy Orders Our Conscientious dissenting brethren c. pag. 22. Their Errors themselves are innocent to such as are more intent on the improvement of Christianity it self then any subdividing Denomination Stop to the Course of Separation pag. 37. I will not deny but that some yea many of the Ministers that are now laid aside while they had their Ministerial standing in the Parish Churches and Catholick Communion were profitable Memorial from the English Protestants to his present Majesty when Prince of Orange pag. 28. Four of our succeeding Parliaments perceived the abuse of these Penal Laws and the mischief thereby to conscious Christians and declared there intention of relieving them Doctor Burnet Bishop of Salisbury on Matth. 12.25 Of the Dissenters who though in Errors yet may be good men in the main for ought we know Doctor Barrow 's Sermons against Evil Speaking He that loveth and Reverenceth God will acknowledge and approve his Goodness in bestowing gifts and graces to his Brethren he will be afraid to disavow or disgrace them that he may not rob God himself of the glory due to his Favour and Mercy Item pag. 20. God is jealous of his Glory and therefore cannot endure it to be abused by slurring his good gifts and graces Glanv Cathol Char. pag. 55. That our Brethren may be good men though they understand not many things in which we judge aright Item pag. 22. Let us then be so ingenuous as to own the vertue and goodness that is in all Parties and Opinions Let us commend and love it And Page 56. We should converse indifferently with all perswasions without wrangling or discord and exercise our Charity and good will towards the good men of any sort This will be a means to sweeten our Spirits and to remove the Animosities we are apt to conceive against the persons of Dissenters and it will engage them on the other hand to a greater kindness for us and so lessen our distance and disagreements Doctor Ham. Catech. on Blessed Peace-makers There must be no affixing Holiness to Opinions or thinking them the best men that are most of our perswasion Salvation for such as are Faithful in the Common Duties of Christianity BIshop Andrew 's Sermons Ed. 3. Such a way shall there always be do all the Controversie Writers
reasons urged here by our Saviour do prove that all mankind whether good or bad is the object of a Christians love Mr. Kettlewells measures of Christian Obedience Edit 2. ch 3. l. 2. p. 133 and 134. It is not either distance of Countrey nor contrariety of interest no nor what is most of all presumed to exempt us from the obligations of this duty diversity of opinions or perswasions in matters of Religion which takes away from any man his right to all that kindness and advantage from us but of whatsoever Countrey Calling or Religion he be he is our Neighbour meant in Luke 10. to whom all the instances of love must be performed for what Religion was ever more odious to any one than the Samaritan was to the Jews John 8.48 Insinuating thereby that any man though so contrary in Religion as those two were to one another is the neighbour whom the Law intends Mr. Glanvell 's Essay upon Preaching pag. 32. Catholick Universal Charity is a Doctrine exceeding fit for these times in which Divisions and mutual Animosities have produced so many fatal and deplorable effects and though the doing this will displease the Bygots and Beautefeus of all sides yet we must go on arm'd with Courage and Patience of the Gospel and be instant in preaching Peace and Love though we are torn in pieces for it Idem Vsefulness of Real Phylosophy to Religion pag. 32. I secure Charity for all the Diversities of Belief and equally offer my Friendship and Converses to the several Sects and Perswasions that stick to the plain principles of the Gospel and a vertuous life overlooking their particular Fondnesses and Follies Bishop Taylor 's Advice to his Clergy p. 29. Let no names of Sects or differing Religion be kept up among you to the disturbance of the publick Peace and private Charity and teach not the people to estimate their Piety by their distance from any Opinion but by their Faith in Christ Obedience and love to all Christian people even though they be deceived Again Rule 47. Let the business of your Sermons be to preach Holy Life Obedience Peace Love among Neighbours Hearty Love to live as the Old Christians did and the New should Dr. Tillotson 's Sermon on Luke 9.55,56 pag. 7. The Gospel designs Universal Love and peace and Good Will and now no difference of Religion no pretence of Zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie the contrary Idem Vol. 1. of Sermons pag. 213. When we come to Heaven we shall enter into the Society of the Blessed Angels and of the Spirits of just Men made perfect that is freed from all those passions and infirmities which do now render the conversation even of the best men sometimes troublesome to one another We shall then meet with all those excellent persons those innocent and charitable Souls whom we have seen and heard and read of in this World with all intimate Friends and perhaps with many of our Enemies to whom we shall then be perfectly reconciled notwithstanding all the warm contests and peevish differences which we have had while in this World even about matters of Religion For Heaven is a state of perfect Love and Friendship all Quarrels and Contentions Schisms and Divisions will then be effectually hindered not by Force but by Love and all those Controversies of Religion which are now so hotly agitated will then be finally determined by a perfect knowledge and convincing Light. Lloyd Bishop of St. Asaph in Sermon November 5. 1680. pag. 9. We know that Christ gave love for the Character by which his Disciples were to be known Joh. 13.35 and least men should unchristian others that they may hate them and destroy them afterwards Christ enlarged his precept of love and extended it even to Enemies and not onely to ours but to the Enemies of our Religion Mat. 5.43,44 Mr. Cook 's Sermon on Rom. 12.18 pag. 6. The Church of Christ allowes no Enemies at all but like it Charity is Oecumenick and Universal nay like God himself Infinite and Eternal it knows no bounds of Love nor respect of Persons and must never fail surely then Christianity must fail utterly vanish and perish so long as we are at variance among our selves Idem pag. 10. The grand Duties of Humility Peace and Universal Charity are delivered in the Scriptures in the most plain express and entire manner as to all Points and Circumstances of obligation and therefore whatsoever places are erected against those fundamentals of Practice destroy the very essence and being of Christianity Vnity of the Catholick Church pag. 7. Catholick Unity consists in Unity of Belief and in the Unity of Charity having an intimate Fellow-feeling of all the good or evil which befals any joyned in so near a relation as fellow-members beyond the compass of ordinary Humanity whereby we are bound not onely to pray for but by all Offices of Kindness and most intimate Affection to assist and relieve each other in the same Houshold of Faith. Item pag. 53. Many of our Church yea the constitution it self hath been often charged and reviled though most unjustly with too favourable an inclination to them of Rome because we are not so hasty and peremptory in unchurching them altogether or damning presently all that have been or are still of their communion as some would have us which is in effect for being more tender of preserving the Principles of true Catholick Unity then in pleasing some private Humours or Prejudices Mr. Pygot 's Abners Plea for Accom pag. 38 39. Now whatsoever Breaches or Divisions happen in other Kingdoms which are without God in the World and Strangers from the Covenant of Grace Psal 122.3 yet let Jerusalem the Church of God be alwayes like a City which is at Unity within it self Methinks Philadelphia the name of one of the Seven Golden Candlesticks Rev. 1. is a fitting name for a Church which signifies brotherly Love and every Congregation ought to be in a good Sense the Family of Love. Item pag. 43. Consider there is but one Body Eph. 4.4 the whole Church is but one Body and the Members of the same Body do not use to contend one with another Dr. Barrow 's Serm. 8. pag. 316. I close up all with this Corollary that if we must live lovingly and peaceably with all men then much more are we obliged to do so with all Christians Our Spiritual Brethren Members of the same Mystical Body Temples of the same Holy Ghost Servants of the same Lord Subjects of same Prince Professors of the same Truth partakers of the same Hopes Heirs of the same Promise and Candidates of the same Everlasting Happiness That an Agreement of all Christians in any one Sect or Perswasion is never to be Expected BIshop Jewel 's Answer to Mr. Harding 's Preface It were above all things to be desired of God that his Heavenly Truth may pass forth without these contrarieties and Quarrels of judgments and many Godly Wise