Poll whither our Establish'd Liturgy should be Altered c. it would be carried against him unless by Mr. A 's Assistance he could get the Poll to be taken at Guild-hall and hardly then niether unless some of that Gang should as they use to do at a Pinch Poll those that has no Right to gain the Point And yet I must confess according to the manner of the World they are in the Right for our Saviour says The Children of this World are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light And it was ever observ'd that most Designing Men whose chief end is to gain something extraordinary do seldom Consider the Justice and Lawfulness of the means but if they possess themselves of the effects of their desire 't is sufficient though at the same time 't is a fault sufficient and it is little less in those who through Laziness and Sloth sets them down content not troubling themselves to oppose the Enemy but upon the Honesty and Justice of their Cause presumes and believs God Almighty can and will do his own Work without any of their Assistance for which perhaps he is pleased to suffer his own People to be severely punish'd and his Judgments as often they do begin at his own House and permit the wicked and worst of Men to rule over us But blessed be his Name he has told us If we repent and return he will return and deliver us from the hands of our Enemies let them be never so Strong and their boasted Numbers never so Great and then it will signify little which are most they that by Alterations c. are obliged or they that are not But Seventhly This Consideration is both the last and principalest of them all and therefore ought to be the most deliberately considered the better to be Armed against it for the Effects and Consequences of mistakes are very often as various as they are dismal and dangerous and we need not go far from home for a Confirmation of it for any body that will give himself the trouble to take a short view of our Domestick Troubles from Forty one to the happy Restauration may see a sad demonstration of the Truth of this assertion And it 's possible the Intentions of a great many Persons who was concerned in those Alterations both of Church and State in those Times might be very Honest and Innocent for nothing was pretended at First as the People was made to believe but a Reforming some small Matters in the Church and State. But we all know those little beginings ended with no less than the total Destruction of both But perhaps some may say old Things should be forgotten and truly so they should and therefore they are the more to blame that promotes such Things as cannot but bring them a fresh into our Memories And it cannot be denied had those Enemies of the Crown as well as Church been capable of being Obliged that Pious and good King Charles I. had done it for they asked and demanded and he gave till he had nothing lest but a good Conscience and because he would not part with that too they parted his Head from his Shouldiers By which we may perceive the dire effects of Zeal especially when it is not according to knowledge But from such Zeal and sure Reformers we ought as our Holy Church has wisely taught us to pray Good Lord deliver us For what with the Papist on the one hand and these as they call themselves true Protestants on the other the poor Church of England may be said to look like our Saviour on the Cross when between the two Thieves only with this difference one of them Repented of the Evil he had done and begged our Saviours forgiveness but neither of these I presume ever did But are still contriving to undermind the Foundation of our Establish'd Church in order to destoy it quite But I hope it is founded upon such a Rock as the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it and so we have the more Reason to hope the Weapons our Authour and his Associates has formed against her will not prosper unless those grievous Sins this unhappy Nation has been guilty of should hasten those Judgments which they justly deserve Which the great God of Heaven divert and suffer not our Candlestick to be moved once again off its place is a Prayer very proper at this time for all the true sincere Sons of the Church of England who us resolves to be Obedient to her as she is now by Law Established without Alterations or Amendments but what they may be afterwards Time and the Changes that are made will produce their proper Effects and Consequencies but what those may be is the subject of this Consideration And I think we ought to look before we leap least like the Dog in the Fable we let go the substance for a shadow which possibly may be the Effect and Consequence of Altering our Establish'd Liturgy And if there were no other that would be enough to satisfy any reasonable Person of the reasonableness of this more then Important Consideration which I will end with the words of a great Poet they being much to the purpose in his Satyr against Sedition P. 8. Too happy England if our good we knew Would ye possess the freedom ye persue The lavish Government can give no more Yet we repine and plenty makes us poor God try'd us once our Rebel Fathers fought He glutted them with all the Power they sought Till master'd by their own Vsurping Brave The Free-born Subject sunk into a slave We loath'd our Manna and we long'd for Quales Ah what is Man when his own wish prevails How rash how swift to plunge himself in ill Proud of his Power and boundless in his will. And such a will was in our former nice Reformers of things as they themselves call Indifferent And so I am come to the end of these seven Considerations which I intended should likewise have ended this Letter but the Answer of Vox Cleri falling into my hand before I had quite finished them I have likewise altered my intentions to speak a word or two to that as he calls himself merry Authour And the merry pranks he would if he could play with our Establish'd Church As for any particulars in his Book I think they are Answered sufficiently by that worthy Authour whom he would have the World believe he has sufficiently Answered but an impartiall Reader will easily perceive notwihstanding his great flourish at the beginning and his proclaiming himself a Conqueror at the latter end the whole Army of Vox Cleri's Arguments stands their ground both in Frunt Rear Right wing and left without the least appearance of disorder And for all that mighty Artillery that has been drawn up by whose Command I know not with design to batter down the Walls of the Church yet Blessed be God they have not as yet made in them a breach big
the froward and the peevish should remain so still What will be got by our breaking the Links of a strong and well compass'd Chain when we have often seen the breaking but of one has indangered the whole For these and many more Reasons too tedious here to recite I think and in the words of our Authour must say there is an absolute necessity of considering of this Consideration viz. Whether making any Alterations c. be convenient But Fourthly The Fourth Consideration is Who will it Oblige Methinks I hear many Answer readily to this Consideration before they have at all considered of the matter by telling us it will Oblige a great many of if not all the Dissenters and truly I am of their Opinion for as the Authour of Vox Cleri wisely Observes they would be glad of such an Opportunity to hold forth to their Congregations and tell them they may now plainly see the Truth of what they had so often told them concerning the Common Prayer and the sinfulness of it which they have now without our desiring Altered some few small matters but the chief points in Dispute they retain still But for Argument I will suppose the Altering our Established Liturgy would Oblige some of our Dissenters in another sense I pray who are these Dissenters that some body would so fain Oblige Are they Friends or Enemies to the Church if the former small matters will do it if the latter 't is to be feared great ones will not Our Blessed Lord 't is true has Commanded us To love our Enemies and pray for them that deceitfully use us but I do not any where Read of Carressing Obliging and Trusting them with those matters which gives them but the more Power to destroy us c. I cannot tell but the doing of such things may be counted Politicks in the Church but I presume they never would be so reckoned in the State And I am apt to believe if a Governor of a well Fortified City had but a suspicion of a few false Friends within the Walls he would be more afraid of being betray'd by those few within than overcome by a great Army without If any body doubts the truth of this Assertion I believe the French King can solve the doubt And by this time we may begin to suppose who and what they are that will if any be obliged viz the Enemies of our Church who has endeavoured as much as in them lay to destroy it quite and fain would if that they could do the same again And therefore like Vermin at the Cheese and Bacon they begin with nibbling at the Cerimonies of our Church but if let alone they will devour it all We have had Examples enough of this kind and of the difficulty of Obliging these sort of Men As for instance in Charles II. time when he granted them an Indulgence they gave out he did it not so much through love as fear because as they always boasted of their Numbers they were so considerable a part of his Kingdoms and when that good King took and not without cause other Measures it was called by no other Name than down-right Tyranny Which Confirms the reasonableness of his Fathers Advice to him concerning them viz. Forgive them but never trust them And how much Reason that Royal Martyr had to say so I will leave it to our Convocation Authour to judge As for my part I cannot help thinking it was very good and wholsome Advice and when it was most Observed both the Church and the State was the less in danger but however if the Governors of both are of another Opinion and will try Conclusions I shall not envy the happiness of those that shall find them Obliged by it But Fifthly Who it will not oblige There are some Men in the World who tells us we know nothing but by Comparison then by the same Rule of knowing who and what sort of Persons the Altering our c. will oblige we may have a shrode Guess who and what sort they are it will not which in plain Terms are the true Sons of the Church as it is now by Law Establish'd who is and always was tender of any Affront or Dishonour put upon her as well as being always Obedient to her Commands which by them was never thought Grievous and what Solomon say's of Wisdom may be truly said of her Doctrines and Discipline viz. All her Ways are pleasant and her Paths peace Certainty was ever prefer'd before an Uncertainty and as the saying is A Bird in Hand is worth two in the Bush therefore it is worth while to Consider whither the lessning if not the losing of one Party which the Church are sure of to gain another which they have not the least Reason in the World to hope they shall besides one Isaac ought to be valued before many Ishmaels though some will tell us the contray Advice has not only been Given but put much in Practice in the Two last Reigns viz. Oblige your Enemies because your Friends you are sure will never forsake ye c. Which Maxim let who will be the Authour we have by Experience seen it sufficiently Ridiculed and look'd upon as a weak piece of Politicks for not only Enemies but Friends at least pretended ones when Disobliged Nay oftentimes without has prov'd False and Treacherous and Judas like Betray'd perhaps the best of Masters and though doing Good for Evil is a Command of our Saviours and is an excellent Character of a good Christian yet amongst the Sons of Men 't is very seldom if at all put in Practice but the contrary we see very often and private Peaks many times prosecuted with more Zeal and Heat than the general Good of a Kingdom from all which 't is no unreasonable Consideration to consider as well who it will not as who the Alteration will Oblige But Sixthly The Sixth Consideration which are most Amongst the many Pamphlets some years since that come out against a Sermon Preach'd before my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen by the learned Dean of St. Pauls now Bishop of Worcester by that Party that our Authour would Oblige I remember a pretty Passage in Mr. A s in quoting of Expositors in which he tells the then Dean he believed he could carry it by the Poll at Guild-hall his being more in the Right in his Mischief of Impositions than the Dr. in his Mischief of Seperation or to that effect which I confess was briskly offered and did carry with it a confident Assurance of their Numbers which they ever use to brag of and their carrying all Things by the Poll But I remember the Dr. in his just Justification did in its proper place Return Mr. A. this modest Answer viz. If he had no better Skill in Polling Nonconformists than in Polling Expositors he might possibly be mistaken or to that purpose And I am easily perswaded were our Convocation Authour to put it to the issue of a
VOX LAICI OR THE LAYMAN'S OPINION Touching the Making Alterations IN OUR ESTABLISH'D LITURGY In Answer to a Letter from a Member of the CONVOCATION With some Remarks on the pretended Answer of VOX CLERI By J. R. in a Letter to a Friend Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Hold fast the form of sound Words Tim. 2.1.3 Earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude v. 3. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1689. VOX LAICI OR THE Layman's Opinion c. SIR I have Received yours and according to your Request I have likewise perus'd the Letter from a Member of the Convocation concerning the making Alterations in our Establist'd Liturgy and I shall Sir give you Impartially my true Sentiments of it though at the same time I must acknowledge my self being an Unletter'd Layman an unfit person to defend that Church of which I am a true though unworthy Member from all those Imperfections which that Authour is pleased unjustly to charge her with yet I cannot forbear to shew a just Resentment of so much Filth and Dirt without cause cast upon her not only to blacken but without all doubt to stifle her quite I have Sir read or heard of a Child that was Born Dumb and at the sudden surprise of one going to kill his Father the Violence of his Passion or an Instinct in Nature call it which you please broke through all those Impediments that obstructed his Speech and forc'd him to cry out Oh do not hurt my Father which so astonished the intended Murderer that he forbore to execute the Horrid Villany Whether true or not I dare not affirm yet if true it confirms a saying very usual amongst us viz. Some things may be said or done that will make a Man speak that had never a Tongue And that will I hope excuse my speaking something to the point in hand and offering some few Considerations to our Author 's own Touching the making any Alterations c. But before I name them I must beg his leave to enquire into two Things in General viz. The Authour and his Design as for Particulars I shall refer him to Vox Cleri where both his Arguments and Reasoning is sufficiently Ridiculed and of that Piece let who will be the Authour he deserves as great a Blessing for defending the Honour and Innocence of his pure and chast Spiritual Mother as Shem and Japhet for covering the Nakedness of their natural Father and who was curs'd for the contrary I presume our Authour can inform us But who and what he is is the first of the two Things I crav'd leave to enquire 'T is true he calls himself a Member of the Convocation I suppose a Worthy one or at least one Worthy c. but his Modesty would not give leave to style himself such But had he told us he had been an Unworthy Member c. I should have believed there had been more Truth than Modesty in the Expression But what if our Authour after all should be no Member of the Convocation nor the Church neither but only makes use of those sine Terms as Physicians do of Gold to gild their bitter Pills that they may be the easier swallowed by their Patient but whether he be or not 't is much the same for if he be not then he is a great Cheat and Imposture and consequently deserves the promotion our Laws has provided for the Entertainment of such and if he be a Member c. I dare be bold to say whatever he appears outwardly he is such a rotten mortified one that it ought to be lop'd off to preserve the rest from Gangreen For if we call that an ill Bird that defiles its own Nest what must that Bird be called which not only defiles but joyns with those of prey to destroy both Nest and all the rest of the Young whom our Blessed Lord like the Pelican nourished with his own most precious Bloud Sure if there be a Name for such an Unnatural Bird it ought to begin with a W for none but the Son of a Wicked Father would Reproach and Defame a Virtuous and Chast Mother But our Saviour has told us a Tree is known by its Fruit. And those that reads our Authour's Letter will find but little there but what is forbidden And so much shall serve for the first general Enquiry Who and What we may reasonably suppose our Authour is The next is his Design and as to that as the Text says He that runs may read for by a Penny we may know how a Shilling is made and a skilfull Refiner by a small quantity of Gold or Silver will tell the goodness of the whole Lump and any body that observes the Arguments of our Authour must have but very little Judgment that do not perceive his Drift and what Mettle he is made of Peace and Union in the Church are fine Things and our Authour 't is true has bid as fair for it as any of his own Principles can wish or the Papist desire and tells the World as well as his Bretheren of the Convocation there is an absolute necessity for it And truly I should be of the same Opinion did I hope or long as I suppose our Authour does for such a through Reformation as is made in the Kirk of Scotland and their Brethren in England did enjoy by Vertue of their Unnatural Rebellion against their Lawfull Sovereign Charles the First which proved a through one indeed for our Hereditary Monarchy as well as Episcopacy was doubly Refin'd for the Kingdom was turned into a Common-wealth and the Convocation into an Assembly of Divines at Westminster of which possibly our worthy Author might be one And though interest which never lies has made him fall a little away from the Faith which was delivered in these times by the then Saints yet to that byass he still leaves and improves all Occasions to oblige those his old Friends who long for nothing more then once more to have a scramble not for the good but for the Goods of the Nation and to reduce both Church and State to the same Modal again And truly I think nothing can be more conducing to it than for the two Houses of Parliament and the Convocation to Agree to what this worthy Convocation Author shall propose in Order to destroy our Establish'd Church c. But Blessed be God if this Author should be a Member c. yet he is but one and I hope there are but few if any more of his stamp amongst them that are for leading us out of the good Old way under pretence of shewing us a better New one 'T is true Novelty may please Children and Fools but I hope our Author does not take the true Sons of the Establish'd Church to be such if he does I am sure he is mistaken For the World knows