Life of his Sacred Majesty that now is his Royal Son and our most Gracious Soveraign 26. That since the Non-Conformists were a generation of men either of the first date as it is most likely or at least that rose in England at the same time as the Conformists did and since they were for number and quality as great or rather greater and more considerate than the other and who in their Judgment came nearer as to the outward Government and Purity of Worship not only to the first Reformers Zuinglius Luther and Calvin but also to the Apostolical Practice and who indeed were the TRUE PROTESTANTS most Conformable to that Party in Germany who so stiled themselves Protestants in opposition to the Imperial Edicts of Worms and Spire it must needs be a great wickedness and cruelty too in the Conformists because they had all the while the Countenance of Princes and the longest Sword to persecute the Non-Conformists and to deprive them of the liberty of setting up Purer Ordinances in Conventicles and of sharing in the Publick Maintenance for the Ministers 27. That it is a most barbarous improper uncharitable and unchristian language in the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England to stile themselves the only true and properly so called PROTESTANTS and to discard all others in Europe from the right to that name for want of such Episcopal Ordinations as are in England as if that 500 men possessing the three parts of the Church-Revenues in England should better deserve to be called Protestants than the first so called in Germany whereas what ever Bishop Bilson Andrews Dr. Floyd Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Stillingfleet could say in the behalf of the Government of the Church of England as being the most Apostolical and Primitive there is none more opposite not only to that of the first Protestants but also to Scripture Reason and Antiquity 28. These being the Material Heads or a Summary Idea of the whole to be more largely and particularly handled hereafter if God giveth Life and Time to the Author I shall excerpt much from the Scrinia of the Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. Richard Baxter but yet so as to take the liberty to follow my own Method and Genius as to the menage of it 29. So then the main design of the Subsequent Book whereof this is a brief but full Specimen shall be to shew prove and make clear to You the unreasonableness unconscionableness and consequently the ungodliness of retaining urging and pressing the things in debate between the Conformists and the Non-Conformists and of persecuting those that refuse to submit to them or at least to approve of them 30. That Dissenters could not cannot ought not neither in reason nor in Conscience to submit to them at least for the assenting and consenting to them and the approving of them 31. That those Conformists whom I call Peaceable and Orthodox men such as were the Members of the Parliament of 1640 and those of Westminster assembled and their Predecessors and all others however otherwise most upright sincere Orthodox holy and well-minded persons since the first Reformation in King Edward the Sixth's dayes and Lovers of the Non-Conformists that have hitherto been Conformists were all guilty of prevarication and of a-sinful yielding complying assenting and subscribing to a Church-way which doubtless is sinful 32. And therefore that the Non-Conformists who ever since King Edward's dayes in Conformity to the true Doctrine of those of the best sort of Conformists kept gathered Churches and Meetings out of the Parishes had right Reason and Scripture on their side and walked with a purer Conscience were the best reformed from Popery and those that preserved the true Apostolical Doctrine Worship and Government and conveyed it to Posterity 33. The Author may Incidently speak of the nature of the Church Synods Associations and Fraternities by a confederate discipline but cannot by any means hear of a National Church-Tribunal independant on the Magistrate to whom only he allows the setting up of a National Worship by Persuasion and Commendation but not in the least by forcing men to it by penal Lawes except they be Papists or disturbers of the Publick Peace FINIS A SOBER and UNPASSIONATE REPLY TO The Author OF The Lively Picture OF LEWIS DV MOVLIN Gal. 4. Vers 16. Am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth LONDON Printed for Richard Janeway 1680. A Sober and Unpassionate REPLY c. I AM very sensible that My late Book viz. A short and true Account of the several Advances the Church of England hath made towards Rome c. hath raised up very great and fierce tempests against me as well from some of my Friends as from those that are most otherwise to me especially from those who can very calmly sedately patiently and without any disturbance in the world see the publication of Mr. Hobbes's Books and such others that are much what of the same stuff with them that are good for nothing but to instruct People either in Atheism or at best in an indifferency as to Matters of Religion but who are highly provoked if any One comes but near their Noli me tangere either to make a Seasonable Discovery or in Love and Friendship to bring them the wholesome Application of Remedies such as is this Truth That the Papists would never have been ingaged in such a design as to introduce Popery into England by Massacres and other wayes of the highest cruelty if they had not been very well assured that though the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England who are the most prevailing now be not in a disposition to give their Consent to such Massacres the thoughts of which are alone sufficient to strike a horrour into the worst of them yet they are all of them I mean the Corrupt Party pretty inclinable to or which is not a jott less not very much against embracing the Religion of Rome I WILL begin with the Heat and Passion of my Friends against me and with the Judgment which they make upon my Short and True Account c. they say That that Book is altogether now unseasonable When as Persons of great Learning Piety and Merit and who at the bottom are very Sincere and Upright in the Church of England such as Dr. Floyd Dr. Tillotson Dr. Stillingfleet and Dr. Patrick to whom I might joyn Professor Burnett are making it their business as they think it their duty to re-unite the Two Parties the Conformists and the Non-Conformists and when they are most industriously imployed in reducing to Practice the Means of Peace and Concord according to Mr. Richard Baxter's Model and that instead of lending them my helping hand and assisting them in so good a Work I am doing what I can to divide both Parties and to exasperate and imbitter them one against the other BUT Methinks these Gentlemen either have not read my Book at all or else have no mind to understand the design of it
chief hand in restoring our gracious Soveraign Charles the II. to his Throne for which never enough to be valued Benefit and kindness although it was but duty no Party has been more severely persecuted by the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England But of this more anon 16. That the Declaration of the King mentioned in the Tenth Consideration was a confirmation of another former Declaration 17. That whereas when the King came over from the Hague there was a great expectation that his Printed Declaration for Ecclesiastical Affairs would be sufficient to compose all differences and heats and unite all Parties by taking away the stumbling block of subscribing to those Ceremonies that were not warranted by the Word of God but just on the contrary the Clamours of the Corrupt Party of the Church of England at length prevail'd for restoring of those Ceremonies All which good Bishop Brownrig foretold a little before his Death in saying That there would continue the same Confusions and Animosities that were before and with them the same spirit of Persecution which the Corrupt Church-Party before 1640 was the cause of 18. That the Zeal and Fervour of the prevailing Corrupt Church-Party in England at this present juncture of time in writing so many Books against the Papists and standing up so stoutly against the Horid Attempt upon the King 's most Sacred Life and introducing of Popery and hearkening to some terms of Reconciliation with the Non-Conformists to make the opposition the stronger against Papists does no way seem to be the effect of a Christian Moderation but a meer worldly Interest like the zeal of Jehu the union of Aristides and Themistocles two Mortal Foes against the Common Enemy Or like that of Augustus Brutus and Cassius against Antony 'T is the goodness of a stubborn Boy just so long as the Rod is over his Back for had another spirit moved the corrupt Party of the Church of England than a Worldly one it would have appeared above these 100 Years when alas no such attempts were made by the Papists against their Lives and Livings when a Hundred Remonstrances were made to them with Prayers and Tears for the removing of the offending Rites and Ceremonies and of the great inclination they had for Popery in depopulating England by driving men away to Colonies abroad but could never be heard 21. Things being thus stated one may rationally and strongly conclude That it is a most horrid untruth and calumnie to make the Presbyterians and Conventiclers or Non-Conformists not only the first authors and abettors of the Civil Wars and of the first taking up of Arms in opposition to the Evil Counsellors about the King in 42 and 43 but also the Murtherers of King Charles the First when as they have been and still are the great preservers of the King's Person Life Honours Dignities and Prerogatives the best Christians the best Reformed and the best Subjects of the King 22. And the false and unworthy stiling of these Restorers of the King Rebels Fanaticks Sms of Belial c. doth carry along with it the same devillish Malice which makes it now become a common Proverb in the Mouths of this corrupt Church of England-Party That they had rather be Papists than Presbyterians and that were there a Turn of State as God forbid they would sooner turn Papists than Presbyterians 23. Besides the idle foolish senceless but also malicious mistake to make the holiest of the Non-Conformists to pass for Presbyterians who though they love their persons and the holiness of their Doctrine and Lives yet either they are wholly averse to the Presbyterian Government or else they do not very well know what it means Since the Well-affected follow their Preaching and imitate their Lives but yet by no means upon any account of their Government 24. That the worst thing in the carriage of the Conformists towards the Non-Conformists is their rash uncharitable and unchristian judging of the Hearts and Insides of men which are only known to God Almighty who is the Searcher of Hearts as if they were made up of Deceit and Hipocrisie and alike construing their unblameable behaviour and carriage as if it were but formal and extrinsecal and of the pure Orthodox Doctrine of their Sermons and Writings though never so much summed up in Scripture phrases as if all was but Cant and Tone and taking of God's Name in vain when they make a quite different Judgment of the Conformists both of their Lives and Doctrines and when they make use of the same Scripture terms as the others do for in their esteem they are looked upon as true sincere and holy Christians though their outward deportment do somewhat differ from that of the other This I intend by God's assistance to make clear to you in a larger Discourse from the Testimony of Dr. Patrick who doubtless cannot in handling of the Nature of Justification by Faith but agree with the Non-Conformists in making use of the same Scripture-Expressions and commend such as Bishop Davenant Downam usher Hall and Hooker all Conformists for doing the like and who will tell us that this Justification by Faith is a Recumbency of a poor Sinner upon the Lord Jesus Christ a casting of our selves upon him relying on his Merits laying hold on him closing with him going to him and shrowding our selves under the Robes of his Righteousness Most of which are Scripture phrases But yet for all this the very same Expressions being uttered by such Non-Conformists as Mr. Baxter Dr. Owen Manton Annesly Jacomb Bates Mr. Jenkins Alsop Cradock Silvester Watson and Others for the better setting out the nature of Justification by Faith are looked upon by Dr. Patrick as meer Imposters Charms Incantations artificial Jugglings Terms of Modish and Courtly Faith by which this Doctor makes good the saying of Pliny the Younger Epist. 21. Multum interest quid à quoque fiat Eadem enim facta claritate aut obscuritate facientium aut tolluntur altissimè aut humillimè deprimuntur That such a prejudice against the Generation of God's Children that make it their grand design to get an assurance of Heaven and of Eternity as are not only many of the Peaceable and Moderate Conformists but such as they miscall and nick-name Puritans Presbyterians Independents Rebels Sons of Belial and worse than Papists That such a prejudice I say is the great distemper of that corrupt-party of the Church of England who have for these 100 years been making their advances towards Popery I shall insist very particularly upon some very considerable Inferences and Conclusions which I shall draw from some Hypotheses that I have already taken notice of but which cannot be too often inculcated the truth of which is known sufficiently by those that are most Eminent in Piety and Holiness of Living and in Learning of the Church of England by the Bishops Hooper Smith Rudd Carleton Grindall the two Abbots usher Hall and by other Doctors that were as Conformable as
which is to dis-ingage and free all honest Persons such as are the above-mentioned Doctors from the Corrupt Party of their Church to joyn and confederate themselves with that of the Non-Conformists that so those two Parties might Consolidate in one and consequently for vis Vnita fortior be more capable to act with greater Zeal and Vigour against the third Party that are making their Advances towards Rome ALSO My design in that Book is to make those honest Persons and Doctors understand who on one hand do perfectly agree with the Non-Conformists in Matters of Faith and Doctrine and on the other with that Corrupt-Party of the Church of England in Matters of Government and Ceremonies My design I say is to make them understand the truth of these following Corollaries THAT seeing this former Agreement ought to be much otherwise the foundation of the Communion of Saints and the cause which should ingage and bind their Hearts Affections and Interests together than the latter those good and honest Doctors are incomparably the more obliged in Conscience to adhere to the Non Conformists who agree with them in Matter of Faith than to those who do only agree with them in matter of Ceremonies and they will find that they are obliged to it so much the more if they will but take upon them the trouble of insisting upon some Obstacles which have for above these hundred Years hindered and as I may say staved off the re-union of the Conformists with the Non-Conformists THE first Obstacle is the Aversion which the Conformists as well the good as the bad have alwayes had even in and since the time of Edward VI. down to our dayes untill the Conformists were awakened by this last most Damnable and Hellish Plott of the Papists to take away the Life of our Sacred Soveraign CHARLES the Second to Subvert the Government and utterly to abolish the Protestant Religion and Name among Christians the aversion I say they had to hearken to any terms of Reconciliation THAT this Aversion has especially appeared in the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England who have evermore turned a deaf ear to the Cryes Clamours and Remonstrances which the Non-Conformists whereof the Chief was Bishop Hooper have made to be freed and discharged from the heavy Yoke of Ceremonies and to persuade and bring over these obstinate and restive men to pass on from that first but rude draught of Reformation made in the time of King Edward VI. which that so much Contemptible and despised Man now a days by them but I say honest Mr. Calvin calls tolerabiles ineptias to a more perfect Establishment according to what the last mentioned great Man Calvin for I cannot speak his Name but with a becoming reverence expresses of it Sic ergò à talibus rudimentis incipere licuit ut doctos probosque et graves Christi Ministros ultrà eniti et aliquid limatius et purius quoerere consentaneum foret Epistola ad Anglos Francofurtenses THAT these Obstinate Men of the Corrupt-Party of the Church of England have been always so remote from hearkning to and answering the requests of the Non-Conformists that they have been just the contrary and they are so much the more violent and inflexible as they have been making their continual advances towards the Doctrines and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome BUxT I find that the greatest Obstacle to the re-union comes from these honest upright and sincere persons whom I mentioned before and from whom we ought to expect that they should come over three parts of four of the way to this Reconciliation but from which they are and will be very remote so long as they do openly and loudly maintain That that first Establishment of Government in the time of Edward VI. is not a rude draught and much less as Calvin would needs have it tolerabiles ineptioe but that it is a Model of Government in the last perfection a Master-Piece that cannot be made better and which of all the Governments that are in the World comes nearest to that of the Apostles THAT so long as the Government which the Non-Conformists would have hath no agreement or affinity with that of the Church of England it is not to be hoped that Two Parties who both do verily believe themselves to be in the right can ever be persuaded to come to any agreement of a middle way which cannot be at least in their accounts but wrong and vitious though according to the belief which I have of and the esteem I bear to them both they do each lye under Errour and a gross and vitious extremity I do not at all question if they would each of them be willing to abate something of their pretended right but that both Parties might meet in a just Middle and an equal temperament which somewhat resembles that Vertue that keeps the ballance even between two Vices and the good and handsome husbandry which is the Medium between Avarice and Prodigality THAT all these Obstacles hindering and keeping off the re-union of the Conformists with the Non-Conformists it would be therefore a most Excellent and Christian Design and a blessed Work to labour to undeceive all honest persons as well Episcopal as Presbyterian of those mighty great and unaccomptable prejudices which each of them are prepossessed with and which makes them so hugely stand up for the pretended Excellency of their Government without which good Work this desired Reconciliation is not feasible it being as Jesus Christ sayes impossible that those who think themselves whole should ever be cured of their disease BUT of all my Friends who treat me ruggedly there is One especially that violently carries himself out against me for having condemned the manner of Dr. Patrick's usage of the Non-Conformists upon the Justification by Faith which he sayes I have done meerly from a spirit of malice and revenge for his having denyed to give me the Sacrament in his Church in Covent-Garden because I relused to take it kneeling But I protest before Almighty God who is the Searcher of hearts and knows that I speak the truth that I have not the least ill resentment of it nor indeed can I make any tolerable handsome pretence to have one because after he had so denyed me that Doctor came to my Lodging and desired my excuse and made me a very obliging and extream satisfaction but it is the Cause of God which carries me forth to repel the wrong and injury he does to the honestest persons in the World Which yet methinks might be pardonable if he was not so hardy as to put himself in the place and stead of GOD in judging of their inward intentions as when he assures us that all those Expressions of Downham Davenant and R. Hooker which are those of the Holy Scripture upon the subject of Justification by Faith and which without doubt he highly approves of in the Mouths of the holy Apostles and of those three Doctors are