with all the Laws and Constitutions of our admirable Government both in Church and State is absolutely necessary not only for our own sakes but the Peace and Preservation of the whole Body 2. 'T is a strange Mistake then which some have run upon that nothing is to be admitted in our Publick Worship and Ecclesiastical Discipline and Politie of our Church but what is plainly exprest in the Holy Scriptures hereby excluding all human Laws and Constitutions in Matters and Things indisserent Which wild Hypothesis has been the Original of all those untenable Opinions now on foot and the very most of our unchristian Divisions which have almost torn in pieces our Church are owing to this unreasonable and groundless Conjecture Whereas on the contrary the Writers of the greatest Note and Eminence amongst our Brethren of the Non-conformity are forced to acknowledge that there are many Circumstances in the Public Service of God and the Government of the Church which must be regulated and order'd according to the Light of Nature and Laws of Christian Prudence as the holy Apostle directs in those general Rules Let all things be done decently in order and for Edification And do also confess that even in their own Assemblies and we know it to be true and certain there are many such Circumstances for which they have no express Rule in Scripture but do use them prudentially for the Honour and Interest of Religion and the Order Uniformity of Gods Worship Besides 't is observable that the Holy Scriptures treat chiefly of the Essentials of Faith and Worship and only mention the Governours and Government of the Church with some general Rules as before for the ordering of its Politie and Discipline Insomuch that many Persons of great Learning and Judgment are of opinion that there 's no one Set-Form of Government for the Christian Church to be found in the whole Bible but must be left to our Governours to order and appoint according to the Rules and Dictates of sound Judgment and Discretion Which the Learned and Judicious Hooker gives a most admirable Account of in his Ecclesiast Polit. Nor can this in the least impeach as some have vainly objected the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures or the Fidelity of Christ in not leaving a perfect Model of Church Government behind him For we have seen already that the Holy Scriptures were primarily intended to instruct us in the Fundamentals of Faith and Christian Morality and speak only overtly of Church Discipline and Government And for the Fidelity of Christ herein 't is plain that the Church in our Saviours Time was in her Minority which must afterwards by degrees grow up to a state of greater Liberty and Perfection What others have urged from the Form of Church Government under the Jewish Oeconomie concludes nothing For the Jews lived all under one Politie and in one Nation whereas Christianity is dispersed all over the World under many disserent Civil Governments and therefore the Circumstances of Religious Worship and Church Discipline must be suited to the State and Condition of different People within their several Jurisdictions as may appear most just and reasonable to the Judgments and Discretion of their lawful Governours Therefore 3. Tho every Person be obliged to hate and flie from Idolatry Heresie c. yet none should be affrighted from his Duty with meer Buggs and Scar-crows or the empty Appearances of Error without sufficient Grounds For tho our Liturgy and Set-Forms of Worship have been extreamly cavil'd at by some of our Adversaries yet 't is evident that neither the Prophets of old nor our Saviour and his Apostles nor the Primitive Fathers did ever find fault with the Stated Methods and Forms of Prayer but did practise and appoint 'em themselves and highly encourag'd them in others For there are many Set-Forms of Prayer Benedictions and Thanksgivings in the Writings of the Prophets our Saviour composed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Apostles and Followers tho they were doubtless as able to pray by the Spirit as the most Seraphick Enthusiast which Method also was observed by John the Baptist for the direction and assistance of his Disciples in God's Worship All which Stated Forms became Patterns and Presidents to the Churches of Christ in after Ages who had all their several Liturgies as we have nor is there any thing in our Service Book which is contrary to but most exactly conformable to those Rules 4. Let not the bare Pretence then of some small Errors in and about the Circumstances of Publick Worship prevail with any Man to separate from the Communion of his National Church seeing there have been and are as many and probably greater Errors in all the Churches of Christ in all Ages of the Gospel For tho our Blessed Saviour promis'd that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Vniversal Church that he will be with her to the end of the World send his Spirit to lead her into all Truth and abide with her for ever yet these Promises do only respect the Fundamental Doctrins of the Catholic and Universal Church of Christ or a People professing the Truth however they may err as all of them do in Opinions not essential to Religion And seeing every particular Church may be guilty of some Errors and Mistakes in outward Circumstances of Religion therefore fore he that will separate upon this Account can scarce hold Communion with any National Church upon Earth And those fickle and fanciful Persons might have had the same Plea to have separated from the Christian Church in the time of the Apostles that they have now from Us Nor is there any one that understands the State of our Church but will readily acknowledge that our Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons and Set Form of Worship and Discipline are if not of Apostolical yet of Primitive Institution 5. No meer Inconveniences or circumstantial Errors or Defects and those only alledged not proved against Us can justifie or excuse a Departure from Us since I have made it fully evident that our Church holds and maintains all the Essentials both of Faith and of Worship For we have seen already that all Men are oblig'd to conform themselves to the Constitutions of their National Church tho some of the external Modes Forms be inconvenient disorderly and defective rather than not be of any Church at all And what they cannot reform without disturbing the Peace of the Church 't is their Duty to tolerate seeing there 's no National and Particular Church in the World as we have already observed whose Constitutions and Government are absolutely perfect Therefore 6. Those Persons are extreamly to blame that require greater Purity in Gods Public Worship than the Holy Scriptures have commanded or our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles or the Primitive Orthodox Fathers have recommended to Posterity And tho there were some things amiss in the outward Rules and Laws of Worship and Government Yet
of Grace and other vertuous Accomplishments as full of Words Vanity and other vitious Habits and Inclinations Now Sir if you should unhappily Miscarry which the Lord of his great Mercy prevent as it would be the greatest mischief to your self so not only your Parents hopes of your Youth but the Staff and Comfort of their Age will lie a bleeding to their unexpressible Grief and Sorrow These Considerations have very much affected me which I took the freedom to mention to some of your Friends when I first heard of their Design of sending you beyond Sea and upon more due and serious deliberation do now with more considence yet humbly communicate my Thoughts to you upon these Subjects For I am very well assured that considering me as a Divine and True Friend I shall not incur the least suspicion of being herein too bold or presumptuous and will think my self sufficiently apaid if thro God's Blessing I may be an happy Instrument in doing the least good to your Soul. I know it would be the greatest Happiness to your self as well as a Comfort to all your Friends if you be persuaded by any means to fall in love with Religion betimes and remember your Creator in the Days of your Youth Eccles 12.1 This has been for many Ages the glory and support of your Family which has been always eminent for Religion and Loyalty nor could there ever be less Danger of a degenerous Heir not to slatter you Sir nor puff you up nor greater Hopes of its establishment to future Generations But before we come to the Point give me leave to note to you for your greater Security That you 'l be in danger of meeting with many Brokers of Villany whose Trade and Business it is to pervert and do live upon the Spoils and Ruins of Young Gentlemen insomuch that scarce any Person of your Quality can travel into Foreign Parts but he shall be mightily caress'd and treated with so much respect and civility as if it were a pleasure to be seduced We know very well what Stratagems are used by some Men to undermine the sacred Foundations of the Doctrin and Worship of the Church of England insomuch that before his Majesties Declaration of Indulgence neither Laws nor Penalties could restrain them What then will they not dare to attempt within their own Territories and Jurisdictions especially when they meet with Persons of Temper and Quality who are inclin'd and dispos'd as you are to Religion And seeing also they have not only free scope and priviledge but encouragement to seduce so that 't is next to impossible not to be assaulted at least by their close and cunning Insinuations There have been alass too many perverted already the loss of whom joyned with the Churches we have sufficient cause to lament And indeed 't is a great wonder we have lost no more and let us praise God for it considering the importunate Methods and Plausibleness of our Adversaries on the right hand and on the left who like those infected with the Plague have always an itching desire of tainting others Wherefore none can blame the Clergy of the Church of England if we be as zealous for Truth as our Adversaries of Falshood which Argument alone might be a sufficient Apology for this Undertaking I have read Sir of some Countries I wish your Curiosity may not carry you thither whose chief Vertues modestly speaking do very much border either on Impiety or Superstition and yet those very Places as Travellers observe which are most worth seeing are of all others the most contagious Now 't is no small difficulty for a Young Gentleman to be chast and vertuous in the midst of Sodom and few have travell'd thither however they may please themselves with variety of Objects and returned home without some dangerous Tincture either of Sin and Wickedness or Schism and Sedition Thus I have noted in general what Temptations and Hazards you are exposed to amongst Foreigners and the greatest of all is the danger of being corrupted and contaminated in your Religion and Manners And 't is certain tho your Tutors be never so careful yet much must be left to your own Temper and Inclination how to sever Good from Evil For there 's no Man proves Factious Superstitious or extreamly Wicked on a sudden but thro several Declinations falls by degrees from Vertue and Religion Seeing then so many Temptations and Snares may await you in every Place where you come which no Mans Prudence can foresee and your own Heart prove deceitful and forward to betray you Therefore I beseech you be constantly upon your Guard and if your Tutors should either be negligent or persidious as many have been in the like Trust and I could name some of them yet thro the Assistance of God's Grace you may secure your Religion and Conscience inviolable But for the further prevention of their Machinations who lie in wait to deceive and your Establishment and Confirmation in the Religion of the Church of England I offer these Three following Particulars to your serious and impartial Consideration And First I shall give you a true tho short Account of the Constitution of the Church of England both as to her Doctrin and Worship or Discipline which I hope may for ever oblige you to continue in her Communion Secondly We shall enquire a little into the Principles and Practices of the Romish Church and Religion wherein they chiefly differ from Vs A Religion of all others within the Pail of the Christian Church the most pleasing and delightful to Flesh and Blood A Religion which no Man scarce can comply with especially if he has been bred up in the Church of England but must offer violence to his own Reason and Conscience if he pretends to either Thirdly We shall consider the Pretensions Reasons and Arguments which our Brethren of the Non-conformity have urged in their own Defence to palliate their Separation from our Communion and seduce others By all which I hope 't will evidently appear that there cannot be the least colour of Reason nor any thing like Argument to tempt much less to persuade you or any other Person of Parts and Education who is not blinded with Passion Interest or Prejudice to separate from the most truly Orthodox and best constituted Church in the whole World I mean the Church of England Of all these severally And First Of the Religion of our Church both as to its Doctrin and Worship or Discipline And First Concerning her Doctrin Wherein 't is most plain and evident That we have a clear Profession of all Fundamental Truths and Duties both to God and Man in our Creeds Commandments Lords Prayer and the Doctrin of the Two Sacraments which every Orthodox and Believing Christian in the whole World will readily subscribe and say Amen to Our Sabbaths are duly observed and kept with the greatest Reverence and Solemnity God's Holy Word is purely and faithfully preach'd his Sacraments duly
administred according to our Blessed Saviours own Institution We worship God viz. the One Divine Essence and Trinity of Persons in Spirit and Truth in and thro' Christ without the Mediation of Saints and Angels We hope for and believe the Remission of Sins and Salvation of our Souls and Bodies by the Merits of Christ alone thro' the Mercies of God and upon the condition of a sincere and unseigned Repentance Which Repentance in the Judgment of our Church implies a true Sight and Confession of hearty arrow for and the hatred and forsaking of all our former Sins with a stedfast Resolution never to return to them again with any consent delight or approbation and the use of all possible Endeavours to put these Resolutions in practice even to our Lives End So that if we shall at any time fall into the commission of the least Sin or the neglect of any Duty either wilfully or by infirmity and surprize we do again seriously and solemnly renew our Repentance and are never at peace with our Selves and in our Consciences till we be again reconciled unto God or our Neighbour whom we have offended And this we do as well after as before our Conversion not daring to continue in any one sin unrepented of unreformed When we have thus renounced and abandon'd Sin the World and the Devil as our deadly Enemies we think our selves further oblig'd to magnifie and adorn our Profession by the Works and Fruits of Piety and true Holiness Justice and Charity Purity and Sobriety Tit. 2.12 and to perform all and every one of these Duties both to God and Man without Partiality without Hypocrisie This is a short Specimen of the Doctrin and Fundamentals of our Religion which in all and every particular are warranted and recommended to Us by God's infallible Word and the concurrent Suffrages and Confessions of all the Churches of Christ in the Primitive and Purest Ages of the Gospel And as the Doctrin of our Church is Sound and Orthodox so Secondly Our Worship and Discipline is truly Antient and Apostolical For there 's not one single Passage in our Liturgy and Church Service and Circumstantials of Worship our most rigid Adversaries being Judges that is either Anti-Scriptural or Sinful but do all very much conduce to Decency Order Vniformity and the Edification of its Members All which I could easily make appear to you by an Induction of Particulars insomuch that there 's not one National Church under the Cope of Heaven that 's more Orthodox than Ours in Her whole Worship and Politie Consult and examine our Liturgy Articles Homilies Canons and Constitutions Ceremonies c. and there you 'l find a truly Primitive and Apostolical Spirit in the disposition of the several Parts for the Honour and Glory of God and Advancement of his true Religion and Worship amongst Vs And for a further Testimony hereof and your own particular Satisfaction read when you can have the convenience of those Books and leisure to read 'em Hookers Ecclesiastical Politie Dr. Comber's large Volume on our Church Liturgy and Dr. Falkner's Libertas Ecclesiastica which Triumvirate are sufficiently able to answer all the Doubts and Scruples of any unbiast and unprejudiced Reader Besides I can give you a Catalogue of such Books when you please to command it as have treated so learnedly judiciously and convincingly of the Religion of the Church of England in all the Points of Faith Worship and Discipline as will furnish you with such Reasons and Arguments as neither Papist nor Phanatick were ever yet able to answer Let your Religion then and that Church into which you were admitted and initiated by Baptism and in whose Communion you have been hitherto educated be as dear to you as your Estate and Life Remit nothing of your Love and Affection Zeal and Courage to defend it when you are thereunto lawfully called For the Doctrin and Worship of our Church has been transmitted to Us by our pious Ancestors with all the Sanctions both of divine and humane Authority and as sure as there is a God the Religion which you profess came down from Heaven For the everlasting Prince of Peace has consign'd and confirm'd it to Us by the Effusion of his own precious Blood and the Suffrage of many Saints and Martyrs in this Kingdom so that you have not the least reason to scruple your Compliance with and Conformity to it If therefore an Angel or Devil or any ill Men should at any time suggest the contrary to you have no Communication with him but reject him as an utter Enemy and Impostor And when you have more leisure opportunity and experience your Curiosity may lead you to read over and consider the Canons and Constitutions of the Greek and Latin Churches wherein you 'l find the true State of Things and Times the Beginnings Proceedings Increases Encounters Yieldings and Restaurations of the Gospel and what the Primitive Fathers did and suffer'd for the propagation of the Christian Religion and the interest of the Church And herein you 'l also see the Conformity of our Church of England Men since the beginning of the Reformation to the Primitive Pattern And when you have thus made some considerable Progress in inquiring into the Fundamentals and Superstructures of our Religion you 'l be better able to judge of the Opinions and Errors of those that differ from Us. But till you have more time and convenience to inform your self as to the Particulars I shall present you Secondly With a true and brief Account of Popery or the Doctrin and Practices of the Church of Rome as to those Particulars wherein they differ from the Church of England For which cause we are forced to separate from them since we cannot communicate with them without sin nor have we departed further from 'em than they have departed from Themselves and the Truth Now for Method's sake we shall consider also First The Principles or Doctrin And Secondly The Practices of the pretended Catholicks of the Romish Church Whereby 't will evidently appear that Popery if rightly understood is no such beautiful and charming Object as to allure any Man of Reason and Conscience to fall in love with it And First For the Principles of Popery and we are obliged to call them so because they are so esteem'd and accounted by their own Church For since their Council of Trent no Man can properly be admitted into the Romish Communion however in Popish Countries but shall be censured and condemned as a damn'd Heretick unless he believes as followeth viz. That a Mortal Man as the Pope in Cathedra or as some say with his Council of Cardinals is infallible knows all things and can err in nothing that he directs informs animates and commands both in Earth and Purgatory expounds Scripture forgives Sins canonizeth Saints creates new Articles of Faith and in all these and many other of the same Stamp and Character is as absolute and infallible as his Maker But