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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49134	Vox cleri, or, The sense of the clergy concerning the making of alterations in the established liturgy with remarks on the discourse concerning the Ecclesiastical Commission and several letters for alterations : to which is added an historical account of the whole proceedings of the present convocation.	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.	1690 (1690)	Wing L2986; ESTC R1029	58,819	80

not most certainly the Parliament will This man talks as once Cromwel did who having seized the Keys of the Parliament house clapt them up and said He had now the Parliament in his Pocket Most certainly the present Parliament will not truckle under such a degenerate Usurper and instead of thanks incur the Odium of the Nation seeing this very Author says If it come to their hands they may instead of Circumstantials alter Essentials and make a breach on Religion it self to the undoing of all and this I think is a Scandalum Magnatum and this he fears will be done not only in the case of Orders but other Particulars which he could instance in of which the least mischief would be totally to extinguish all Convocations for the future and resolve the whole power of the Church into the Two Houses of Parliament and fix the reproach of the Papists on us That our Religion is a Parliamentary Religion For my part I should fear the loss of my Ears if I should have thus slurd that Great Council this would make what he would have the Church to be Felo's de se This Man as other venomous Animals keeps the sting in his Tail or the conclusion of his Libel in Answer to a Third Objection That ha● necessary soever his Reasons befor Alterations yet it is time for it when so many of the Fathers of the Church whom he acknowledgeth to be excellent and most Religious persons and other eminent Men of the Clergy by their Suspension stand incapacitated to act in this matter and if this be now done when their consent cannot be had they will renounce it all and by sticking to the present Form create a new Schism in the Church and this he hears is the reason much insisted on to defeat the design and intent of this Convocation But first I believe whatever may be the design of some Men is not the intent of the Convocation they may intend the better Establishment of the present Convocation they may intend the better Establishment of the present Constitution the Reformation of the Lives and Manners of some of the Clergy by new Canons and Censures to be provided against the Ignorance and Idleness of some and the Irregularity and scandalous Behaviour of others who either already are or hereafter shall be admitted into the Ministry of the Church But let us attend to his Answer to this Objection which we have p. 24. Is it possible to imagine saith he that those who have so eminently signaliz'd themselves in defence of the Church and been Confessors for it should turn their hands against it No It is affirmed before that if they were admitted into the Convocation they would agree to the intended Alterations and if any should then seperate they are such as are most perversely bent against Reason and Conscience to do all the wickedness they can to gratifie a peevish humour and therefore he says they that make this Objection have a great deal to Answer for the injury which they do them by this slanderous and vile Imputation For my part I cannot be so confident that those excellent Men would be so forward to make such Alterations as this Author says they would and I see the Objectors are not without Reason on their side for if they are ready to suffer the loss of all that they have rather than to offend their Consciences by assenting to some Civil Alterations in the State which what the Particulars be I cannot imngine and therefore cannot judge of them it may well be supposed that they would be so tenderly conscientious in respect to the Constitutions of the Church as not to assent to any Alterations that concern the safety honour and beauty thereof without important Reasons But what if they should adhere to the old Form and not yield to the intended Alterations why then our Author hath advised for their ruine For their number saith he is so small their Proselytes will be so few and the Resentments of the State will be so heavy on them that they will be immediately crushed and fall to nothing Which will be very hard measure that such excellent Men should not be allowed so much Liberty of Conscience as Anabaptists and Quakers are though they be known to be Men of sound Doctrine and of peaceable and harmless Lives But it is yet their happiness that such as our Author is are not made their Judges for how we would deal with those Scare-crows as he terms them which Knaves 〈◊〉 lift up but none but Fools can be frighted with would probably be 〈◊〉 like the Knave than the Fool. And to conclude he thinks his Argument of Absolute Necessity so plain that there can be no opposition but from them that are afraid of their Church-power and Church-promotions when they hear of Reformation And in truth that word was made an Engine of great mischief in the former Age 1642 when the Church-men suffered more than they fear now under the present Government whatever this Author and his Abetters may design for he seems to threaten us That if we will not be contented with a moderate and just Reformation he knows not but the Nation may take the matter into their own hands and bring us to that of Scotland which he says we are so much afraid of and deprive us of all And then farewel our Church-promotions and all their Revenues which there will not want other Men to share among themselves when such a thorow Reformation shall be made as the Scots once procured and have again designed And therefore I dare not trust the promise of this single person whoever he be for I fear he hath not been as faithful to his former solemn engagements as he ought That upon our Alterations we shall find all the good success that can be desired because as he says there are appearances at present to the contrary and they of such an Aspect as will much abate the Credit which he expects should be given to his promises we had once very great promises from such a sort of Men what a glorious King they would make of King Charles the First and they did it but it was by Martyrdom and a godly Reformation was promised in the Church but it proved a thorow Desolation of Episcopacy Liturgy and all that was Sacred and as it was their fault then so it will be ours now if we by our too great credulity shall expose our selves to ruine a second time on a bare promse of a faithless Man Thus Sir I have reflected on these two Killing Letters and shall not concern my self to enquire the Authors They may be Papists who by such Arts seek to divide that they may destroy us nor can I perceive any other end in either Letter but the carrying on a design of Self-interest and Secular advantages on the ruine of the Church The first Author discovers his palpable Ignorance the second his visible Malice The one fights as Don

it is that thorny hedge which he had made his business to pull down and would endeavour it by going on both sides as long as he lived And what dislike some have not only of the pretended defects in our Liturgy but to any Liturgy for publick Worship is too well known by some very late Writings of the Dissenters And Mr. Baxter affirms That of the Forty sinful Terms for a Communion with us if Thirty-nine were taken away and only that Rubrick concerning the Salvation of Infants dying shortly after their Baptism were continued yet they could not conform Now to what purpose should we begin when we cannot see where to end Is it not better to endure some inconveniencies as in all Constitutions some will be than to expose our selves to certain mischiefs And what can we expect when the Six hundred Alterations in 1661 had no competent effect but were rejected with scorn I wonder how this Author can object to you as if you proceeded on the same false grounds as those Papists Heath and Fecknam did in Primo Eliz. in opposing the Act for Uniformity viz. That those changes were departures from the Standard of the Catholick Church That Points once defined were not to be brought again into question That the Church should be constant to it self For he cannot but know that they opposed the Act for Uniformity Primo Eliz. as excluding the false Doctrines and Superstitions of Rome whereas we plead for the Preservation of Uniformity in Doctrine Worship and Government which are all opposed by some sort of Dissenters I shall leave the indifferent Reader to judge of the Inference which he makes p. 18. That if the Commissioners in 1661 saw reason for making Additions and Alterations to the number of Six hundred That there is equal if not greater reason for some further improvements I think he might rather conclude as he doth immediately after That if they had foreseen what is since come to pass viz. how few of the Dissenters came in upon those Condescentions they would not have done all that they did And perhaps on these Concessions in favour of Dissenters the Papists had those hopes cherished in them of which our Author there speaks of Liberty of Conscience the removal of the Sanguinary and then of other Penal Laws and of Forty Chappels to be opened for them in and about London for they know the Charity of the Church of England is not confined to one Sect as that of the Sectaries is What he says p. 19. That the Conformists have given their Assent and Consent to the Book of Common-Prayer whereof the Preface is a part which says That in Churches Circumstantials may from time to time admit of Alteration is true but not the whole truth for it is added Vpon great and important Reasons which the Author omits and if he speaks it not as being in a good Mood but as his setled Judgment that our Church as it is the best constituted Church in the World then certainly they that cannot conform to our Church must on the same reason dissent from all the other Reformed Churches Page 20. he says He is in part of the Opinion that the Prayers cannot be altered for the better by any meer humane composition But he will not grant it of every Collect and what those Collects are we may have occasion to consider hereafter it is enough that our constant daily Prayers are beyond exception His great business as he calls it will be but a great burthen to the Dissenters as well as himself viz. Adding some Offices to the Liturgy and preparing new ones which are wanting Seeing we have had so many complaints of the length and tediousness of them formerly one thing the Author can scarce pardon himself for when writing of those who he says so angrily though causelesly spake against that Work i. e. of making Alterations he adds They must pardon me if so near after the mentioning of them I take notice of the French Papists who have reviled both the Commission and the persons named in it Herein he scems to joyn all such as are not for Alterations with the Papists and whether they must pardon him for this if the People deal with them as Papists let him consider and pardon himself if he can yet I think the Papists would very willingly have us make more Alterations than most Protestants think sit to make It is a pretty insinuation which he makes p. 21. That the Conformists will naturally be glad if the House in which they resolve to live and dye have all the strength and beauty added to it which can be given it by Commission Convocation and Parliament Ans The strength and beauty which it now hath is by all those means confirmed to them and willingly they would live and hope they may happily dye in it But if the Dissenters will make breaches in that House and take possession thereof deface its Beauty and undermine its Strength and force them to leave it I cannot see how they can naturally be glad of the behaviour of such ill-natur'd Men and that there are some such besides those whom I have mentioned already the Author speaks of some in Northamptonshire and I know such in other Counties who oblige their Communicants and have vowed themselves never to return to the Communion of the Church of England and if the present generation be so bad the next is not like if these Men have their desire to be better In p. 22. the Author considers That now is a fit juncture of time for Alterations And his first ground is the Expediency for things which may be done yet are not to be done at a time when they are not expedient And thus he shews the Expediency The Passions of Men at this time are in a vehement fermentation and he that would allay the Feaver may stay too long if he forbears to prescribe till the bloud is quiet But must the Mother be bleeded if the Children be distempered Must the Passions of Men disturb the Peace of the Church and no Man endeavour to suppress them If a sick Man be distempered and ungovernable the Physician is his friend though he cause him to be confin'd or bound for a time 2. He says the Church hath at this time powerful Enemies Therefore I think she ought to stand on her guard and keep strict watch least they that are so make too near approaches And none are more dangerous than those that are or have been of the same House And though the Church had of late as implacable Enemies as ever and they in great Power yet by the blessing of God she hath out-lived them Obj. 3. Their Majesties have declared their desires of it Ans The Commission says Vpon weighty and important Reasons and that the Alterations prepared by the Commissioners may be approved by the Convocation and Parliament Cannot you wait for that time 2. Their Majesties desire may be best known by their living in