holinesse in the fear of the Lord and withall in my place to contribute towards the work of the Ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ by promoting a powerfull Preaching by erecting a severe Discipline by exercising an impartiall Authority by shewing an exemplary Conversation in order to the restoring of that purity decency order and Uniformity of Christian Religion which becomes the wisedom and honour of this Nation by the exactest Conformity with the Catholick Church in its purest and Primitive Constitution a happinesse to be effected and enjoyed by the pious Councils devout Prayers potent Preaching and Learned Writings of good and great men owned by all Churches loved by all people supported by all Princes according to all right reason all due order all politick honour all Scripturall patterns and Divine presidents besides the Laws and antient Customs of this Church and State which had allwaies a due regard to the greatnesse of their Learning the soundness of their Judgement the gravity of their Ages the sanctity of their Lives and the dignity of their Calling 3. Instead of the excellent society of Saints and Angells which I hoped for in Heaven I was content to be with the Excellent that are in the Earth who content themselves with that plain and pristine holynesle which is taught in the Scripture deposited in the Church preserved by an holy Ministry expressed in Christian lives Most eminently manifested in Jesus Christ and his Apostles the great and famous teachers and examples of holy truth holy duties holy Sacraments holy Orders and holy Ministry in the Church to this time that holinesse by which we obey the command embrace the truth fear the threatnings observe the duties preserve the Institutions continue the Orders reverence the Embassadours joy in the Graces hope in the promises and in all things are conformable to Christ by his blessed Spirit who transforms us from glory to glory I mean those holy men 1. that hear the word with trembling 2. that pray with understanding constancy fervency reverence and comlinesle 3. that receive the pledges of Gods love in Christ from the hands of Reverend men called of God by the Church with care preparednesse and thankfullnesse 4. those holy men who love in sincerity give with cheerfullnesse rejoyce in well doing suffer with patience live by faith act by charity And live in order contentednesse and humility a communion of these Saints is part of the glory to be revealed O happy those who enjoy the benefit of their comprehensive abilities their astonishing accomplishments their powerfull discourses their obliging conversations their enflamed devotion their exact piety their remarkable integrity their innocent and large prudence their servent zeal and their publick Spirit O it is good for us to be here 4. Even the High-prayses of God which we hope shall be in our mouthes with Angels and Arch-Angells We may enjoy in the Holy Church which throughout all the World doth acknowledge God with heavenly prayses they on Earth answering one another as they in Heaven Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Not without those Excellencies to which the Ingenuous industry of Christians hath attained for singing and the use of Musick Orall and Organicall in consort or solitary whereby God is glorified both in private and in publick either by the skillfull or attentive Christians whose hearts are turned and framed after Gods own heart who are by this Heavenly way pleased into a Spirituall Holy Humble and calm Frame of Spirit and sweet meditations which are the usuall effects of good and grave Musick on sober and devout soules who in hearing or reading Psalmes Hymnes and Spirituall Songs in which the divine truth of the matter affects the enlightned judgement and the quieted Conscience by a close pleasant and heavenly virtue with the neerest Conformity to the holy minds and Spirits of those Sacred Writs inspired of God for the Composures of those holy Psalmodies 5. Neither was it the least recompence for the delay of that perfect state where Sin is quite removed Sorrow cast away Teares wiped from mens eyes to hope for that state of the Church wherein we might be kept regularly to mortifie the deeds of the body where we might have learned to swallow up our Sorrow with the graces of Patience and Joy our Fears with a Blessed Hope our wants with a foreseeing Faith our shame with a conquest over the World In a word enjoying by a gratious Gonverse a Heaven of happinesse in this vale of misery and an Eternall life in this shadow of Death 6. These and the like particulars made up that happinesse in the hope whereof I flattered my self to some comfort in my few dayes full of trouble The happinesse that we should all have to rejoyce with Jerusalem and be glad with her All we that loved her and to rejoyce for joy with all we that mourned for her A happinesse we thought unquestionable when our God who seemed to be angry but for a moment returned to embrace us with everlasting kindnesse When 1. assisted by his grace and blessing 2. countenanced with the presence and authority of a gratious Soveraign 3. furnished with an Incomparably Pious Prudent and Learned Clergy 4. befriended by Persons of true piety honour and prudence who excelled in virtue 5. provided for by just equal and exact Laws 6. supported with the effectuall fervent Prayer of devout Sons The Church in all probability was likely to recover her ancient life vigour beauty and glory 1. by the Spirit of God allaying animosities and softning the hearts of men to a peaceable and quiet frame 2. by the Prudence of man reconciling interests closing differences and filling up distances 3. by severe Laws rooting up those principles testraining and condemning those practiles that ruined us those Abominations that made desolate 4. by that cheerfull submission for Conscience sake which all men promised to his Majesties Government upon his miraculous Restauration with that Generall Applause and Joy when the Providence and hand of God restored Him whom they thought by the Providence and Hand of God excluded what could we have answered the Messengers of the Nations but that the Lord hath founded Sion and that the poor of his People should trust therein SECT II. BUt that we may be satisfied as nature informes reason dictates and our Faith instructs us in the vanity and vexation of Spirit that is written upon all things under the Snn That there is that disproportion in the worth that weaknesse in the nature that uncertainty in the being that shortnesse in the duration that deceitfullnesse as to all expectations from all things under Heaven that make them unworthy worthy of our hope unfit for our confidence and below our trust being subject to an uncertainty below and a Providence
the Church what contempt of the Clergy what overthrows of Magistrates and all Government have been managed by the Principles now contended for all sober men have beheld with sorrow of heart and can bear witness to with their sighs teares and ruine O tell it not in Gath publish it not in Askelon I pray God give us all moderation and impartiality the best tempers in religion unpassionately to consider from whence we are fallen by humane policies and to what we are transported by popular zeal that all distempers may be laid aside by free converse and a Christian correspondence whereby those sad principles of everlasting schism might be removed by which on our side men think because in many things they are right therefore they can erre in nothing and on the other side because in some things men have mistaken and erred therefore they can be in nothing right without regard so that Truth and Charity which is the life and quintessence of Christian Religion 9. It s of very dangerous consequence that you who should promote the joy and thankfulness of His Majesties loving subjects for His happy Restauration should now occasion these fears jealousies and publick sorrow that when all rejoyce to see things grow up to a publick order and symmetry you should be discontent as when all the people cryed Hosanna the Pharisees murmured is a sin against that Deut 28. where it is said Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore which is the danger shalt thou serve thine enemy in hunger in thirst in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thee till he have destroyed thee These are the dangerous Conseqences of Non-conformity viz. 1. Hiding your talents in a napkin and putting your light under a bushel and becoming unserviceable in your Generations 2. The grief of many good people who value high your persons and gifts who thought you would have died for them under persecutors and therefore you would much more obey for their sakes under a lawful Prince 3. The disadvantage of the Church which by your unexpected revolt will miss your gifts and services which were devoted to it 4. The disparagement of your brethren who are censured as unworthy for practising those things which rather then you will do you will resist unto blood whereby their labor is rendered unserviceable for those souls from whom your labor is withdrawn 5. The undoing of your families for whom ye are to provide unless ye will be worse then infidels O your wives and children what have they done That while you are disputing whether you should wear a Gown or whether you should stand or kneel whether you had best use these sorts of words or those to God Almighty In a word whether you shall obey or Rebel these should perish If you should go out which God forbid it 's you that will be thought to turn out your selves for men judge that the Law intends onely obedience and peace and that the offenders cause the punishment the Parliament would have you live orderly and obediently in your places you will not who is to be blamed But you cannot believe the orders of the Church to be lawful and obliging and the whole Kingdom in Parliament cannot believe that Non-conformity is lawful You cannot submit and the whole Kingdom in Parliament cannot think you fit to be encouraged with Ecclesiastical Livings unless you submit whether it is more fitting the whole Kingdom should submit to you or you to the whole Kingdom judge ye In a word if you do reject the moderate impositions the Church layes upon you I humbly crave leave to offer it to your consideration what judgement the Protestant Churches are likely to make of your proceedings And how your cause and the Churches will stand represented to them and to all future Ages The present danger is this As in disaffected bodies the humors fall to the weakest part so in a distempered Kingdom the ill disposed persons fall in with the discontented part 1. Upon this falling off of your party there are persons exasperated by just punishment on themselves and relations 2. There are thousands purchasers of Delinquents Deans Chapters Bishops King and Queen and Princes Lands unsatisfied 3. There are thousands of Cavaliers notwithstanding all care to provide for them dejected 4. There are abundance of Atheists and Neuters expecting some trouble and alteration and persons of desperate fortunes wishes they may once more fish in troubled waters 5. There are several persons turned out of Livings by the proper owners thereof and notwithstanding they are willing to submit are not likely to be admitted to so good again 6. There are many of the old Army that want employment 7. There are thousands of disobliged Sectaries 8. There are too many that for want of Trading are not able in this dead time to provide for themselves and families who would be all willing to hazzard themselves in the engagement of 41. they are in their method already Popery preached against Ceremonies and Lyturgies are cried down the Reverend Clergy afftonted Non-conformists are pittied the silencing of them is resented trading is dead taxes are complained of meetings are appointed plots discovered and all things by your dissent tend to a confusion These thoughts I leave to your cooler and more moderate intervals to meditate upon between your selves and the great searcher of hearts The Expedient But my business is not so much to exasperate as to accomodate dissenters and therefore I shall intreat those reverend persons concerned seriously to consider the following Propositions which if assented to will bring them up to the design of the Act of Uniformity agreed upon by all sober Protestants Prop. 1. That since the first plantation of true Religion which is a judicious and sincere devoting of the whole soul to God as the Supream good offered us in Jesus Christ and the right performance of that duty we ow to that God upon such grounds to such ends and after such manner as he requires it of us there have been an holy Company called by his word to the knowledge of God in Christ who in all holy ways and orderly institutions publickly profess their inward sence of duty and devotion which they ow to God by believing and obeying his word and also that Charity which they ow to all men especially to that houshold of the faith that holds communion with Christs body the Catholick Church Prop. 2. It s agreed That this outward profession of Religion as it is held forth in the word in its truth zeals duties and Ministry makes one Church Catholick of all Christians joyned in a mysterious inward and religious Communion with God and one another in Christ by the word and spirit in the inward part of Religion and in obedience charity and comely order as to the outward part of that Religion and
our Clergy at the dreadful Day Shall make their audit when the Judge shall say Give your accompts what have my lambs been fed Say do they all stand found Is there none dead By your defaults Come Shepherds bring them forth That I may crown your labors in their worth O what an answer will be given by some We have been silenc'd Canons strucuks dumb The Great ones would not let us feed thy flock Unless we play'd the fools and wore a Frock We were forbid unless wee 'd yeeld to sign And cross their brows they say a mark of thine To say the truth great Judge they were not sed Lord here they be but Lord they be all dead Ah cruel Shepherds Could your conscience serve Not to be fools and yet to let them starve What if your Fiery spirits had been bound To Antick habits or your heads been crown'd With Peacocks Plumes had yet been forc'd to feed Your Saviors dear-bought Flock in a fools weed He that was scorn'd revil'd endur'll the Curse Of a base death in your behalfs nay worse Swallow'd the cup of wrath charg'd up to th' brim Durst ye not stoop to play the fools for him Prop. 16. Where it is said That it is wonderful to see so many men rational and sober to hazard all they have and refuse the way to rise which they know as well as others We are agreed that this is not the first time that men have sacrificed their present happiness to the honor of their way living by faith in hope of better times It was as hazardous to oppose publick Authority 1640. as it is now yet men ventured it with too good success Alas they that have so much wisdom a to controul their Superiors may have so much wisdom too as to cast off some present advantage for a future hope Prop. 17. Whereas men say that a general conformity of the Ministers would be general scandal to the people We are agreed That we are to please the people onely for their good while things are in agitation its lawful for private men to offer their thoughts with the reasons thereof modesty and meekly but after things are once established as the people must submit so the Ministers should take more care not to disobey a Publick Governor then not to offend a private people least while we fear to offend one or two private men we really offend a hundred affront the Magistrate and despise Authority we must rather offend others then sin our selves we must pay depts of Justice before debts of Charity debts of Justice in obeying the Magistrate before debts of Charity in pleasing our brethren Prop. 18. Whereas some say that they could submit to the things that are established but that they fear the impositions of more We are agreed That we should obey us for as we may for peace and quiet and leave it to God what may be further imposed and let us not suffer our obedience to be superseded by our fears Prop. 19. Whereas it s commonly discoursed that if the thiugs now imposed were necessary why were not they constantly practised if not why were they now so rigorously imposed We are agreed That when for decency order and Uniformities-sake any Laws are made there is the same necessity of obeying them as their is of obeying any other Laws made for the good of the Common-wealth that such necessity either in the one or the other ariseth not immediately from the authority of the Lawgiver but from the Ordinance of God who hath commanded us to obey the ordinances of man for his sake as long as there is an ordinance of man concerning them is in being Prop. 20. Whereas it offends some men that they think that Laws in matters of Religion derogate from the sufficiency of Scripture and the wisdom of God who have they think without such Constitutions sufficiently provided for the Church of God we are agreed that in actions of common life as eating drinking c. and in the circumstances of religious actions we are left to private or publick reason and discretion guided by the general rule of the Scripture that all things should be done decently and in order as good men before the Word was written did by nature the things contained in the Law It was the wisdom of God that appointed us to submit to the wisdom of our Superiours in the use of indifferent things and they derogate from the authority of the Scripture who will not obey them that are to set in order the things that are wanting according to the customs of the Churches of God Prop. 21. Whereas the great offence is that whatsoever is not of faith is sin and that men doubt of the lawfulness of some things therefore they cannot use them we are agreed That ordinarily there is no need of any more warrant for what we do then this onely that there is not to our knowledge any Law either of nature or Scripture against them we are to believe all things indifferent lawful for us to do which are not by good evidence of Scripture and reason declared unlawful and men whose Livelyhood depends upon it would do well to satisfie their scruples about things imposed with the solemn Consideration of this Question Where is this and this in forbidden provided that we have not neglected to inform our judgements the best we could for the time past and that we are ever ready withal to yield our selves to better information for the time to come and we are strongly to suspect the Principles and Grounds that Conscience goeth upon when it putteth us upon the necessity either of disobeying Authority or of sinning against our judgement He that resteth his conscience upon this perswasion that so long as he is unfeignedly desirous to do for the best and hath not been negligent to use all requisite diligence to inform himself aâ—ight God will accept of his good intention therein and pardon his error if he shall be mistaken in his choice Let him do what he will he sinnoth not 1 Cor. 7. 36. This we are perswaded of that our own doubts must give place to our Superiors commands which must be obeyed in all things not manifestly contrary to the revealed Will of God A good conscience feareth not onely to use this or that Ceremony but feareth also to disobey Sect. Particular Expedients in reference to what is enjoyned in the Act of Uniformity Prop 1 Whereas we are required to assent and subscribe we are agreed that we must consent 1. with the heart believing Rom. 10. 10. 2. with the mouth professing 3. with the hand subscribing Es 44. â— Josh 24 2. 2 Kings 23. 3. to the wholesom words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godliness Of which kinde are the three things to be subscribed to in the aforesaid Act whereof the first is I A. B. do here unfeignedly declare my unfeigned consent to all
and every thing contained and prescribed in a Book Entituled The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be said or sung in Churches and the form and mauner of making Priests and Deacons Prop. 2. We are agreed That a Form of Prayer is lawful 1. grounded upon the word Numb 6.16 Hos 14. 1. Math. 6 2. agreeable to the general custom of the Church which useth Liturgies Liturgy James Basil Chrysostom Liturgy of the Church of Scotland Liturgy of Geneva the Liturgies of the French Churches for the instruction of the ignorant the maintenance of truth unity and peace yea according to the opinion of the Non-conformists Liturgies are lawful for they composed no less than three in Queen Elizabeths time and one since the King came in Prop. 3. We are agreed 1 That upon search our Lyturgy comes neerest the primitive ones of any established beginning with Sentences and exhortations according to the Scripture 2. that the confession is Orthodox that the Absolution the Lords Prayers the Hymns the Psalms the Chapters Creed with all the Prayers are such as may be allowed by any that judge charitably We are agreed That the people may as well repeate the words of the Prayer after the Ministers as say Amen after them to stir up their affections to declare their consort to keep up their fervency suis quisque verbis resipiscentium profiteatur preces repetat and repeat the Psalms as Moses and Mirian Exod. 15.1 and as the Angels answer one another saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Prop. 4. We are agreed That the gestures of standing in confession of kneeling are our reasonable service and that the vestures imposed may be used decently according to the rules in St. Jerome divine Religion hath one kind of habit wherein to Minister before the Lord and another for ordinary uses belonging to common life in this we approve St. Basils Counsel Let him that approveth not his Governors Ordinances plainly yet privately shew his dislike if he have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the true will of God and meaning of the Scripture or else let him quietly with silence do that which is enjoyned Prop. 5. We are agreed 1. That we may safely say those words When thou didest overcome the sharpness of death virtually at the beginning of the world and actually in the fullness of time thou didest open the Kingdom of heaven to all believers 2. That we may safely say God deliver us from sudden death that death when it cometh may give us time with David Moses c. leisurely to end our lives in peace praying for posterity confirming conforting and instructing our relutions dying the death of the righteous and having our latter ends like his or if death come suddenly we may prepar for it in our lives 3. That we may say that for our unworthiness we cannot ask what for the merits of Christ we do ask looking inward we are silencedby our sins looking upward we speak and prevail 4. That we may say O Lord deliver us from all adversity if it be possible yet resolving that not our will but the will of God be done in earth as it is in heaven 5. That we may safely pray that God would have mercy upon all men when the Apostle would have supplication to be made for all men because God was willing that all men should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved 1 Tim. 2. 3. and our Charity hopeth all things 1 Cor. 13. 7. Rom. 9. 3. 10. 1. Math. 10 11 12. Jer. 15. 1. 6. That we may say the childe hath all things that its capable of which are necessary to salvation when he is Baptised 7. That we may say according to the Scripture John 3. that the Baptized is regenerated of water and we hope of the holy Ghost if it die before the Commission of Actual sin Rom. 5.12 c. 8. That we may say of any particular person dying in the faith that we bury him in hope of Resurrection unto life by that charity that hopeth all things Prop. 6. We are agreed To use the cross and other innocent Ceremonies and ancient as signal marks of Faith Humility Purity Courage and constancy in some parts of the worship and service of the Church as not conferring grace but as reverential in the solemn calling upon Gods name as decent in Gods publick worship and as instances of our obedience to superiors in Church and State commanding things not contrary to Gods word in faith mysteries and manners and thereby reducing the uncertainty of necessary circumstances as time place vesture gesture measure and manner to that fixed unity and comliness as seems to the Church most decent for the nature of the Duty the conveniency of the people and the beauty of holiness In a word we are agreed to submit to the established Liturgy as agreeable to the word of God Joel 2. 11. Eccl. 5. 30. as agreeable to the custom of the Ancient Churches as agreeable to the custom of Modern Churches who retain Liturgies to this day as exact as any of theirs if compared and allowed by the foreign Churches by learned Doctors and holy Martyrs who sealed it with their blood especially considering that we shall not be so strictly tyed to the Liturgy but that we may use our own Gifts before and after Sermon 2. Whereas we are obliged in the next place to declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King And that we do abhor that traiterous of taking Arms by his authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by Him Prop. 1. We are agreed That its scandalous to our Religion whose doctrine is Obedience 2. That its dangerous to our Profession such positions provoking Rulers to root us out of the earth 3. That it is contrary to the profession and practice of good men in all Ages whose way was prayer and patience 4. That it is contrary to the Scripture to resist and that whosoever resisteth 't is his own damnation If any kill with the sword he shall be killed with the sword here is the patience of the Saints 5. That it s originally Jesuitical for Subjects to raise War against their King Prop. 2. We are agreed That the Scripture provides not onely for the safety of the Royal Government but of the Royal Person when we are forbid to despise Dominion to speak evil of Dignities not to resist the Powers ordamed of God O its absurd to follow the Kings person with arms in one place and to preserve his Authority in another miserable is that Power that cannot protect the Person in whom it is 3. Whereas we are obliged in the third