scruple to subscribe without a fair Exposition agreeable to the Articles and Analogy of Faith as in the Bill of Comprehension The Ceremonies being either abolished or left at liberty according to the King's Declaration the Subscription now required by the Canon ceaseth and such as this above mention'd may take place which is taken out of the Book of Ordination If it be objected That this large Subscription is too lax Socinians and Hereticks may creep in notwithstanding this Answ So they will and so they may and so they have notwithstanding the present Subscription or any other in what term almost soever But their Orthodoxy may be tried upon Examination and certified by such as know them personally and that Evil may be prevented or remedied when it is divulged Why shall others be pressed beyond what they can clearly consent unto for the sake of them that will subscribe to any thing By binding them to other and much scrupled Subscriptions according to the Canons and new Declarations except that against Transubstantiation which is a point of Faith and not to be omitted we see many are un-made in effect who had been made Ministers before This that is said is not to the Prejudice of their orderly legal Entrance into Cures by Officers appointed nor all that may be said This and whatever else I have thought of is from a holy Desire of reconciling Differences of universal Vnion if possible but that being morally impossible then of a brotherly peaceable Forbearance which is a great Duty of the Gospel and for a Cessation of the great Troubles of our Brethren which is of pernitious Operation and will reach further than themselves And if it might be considered that Vnion and Forbearance are of greater Moment and more clearly revealed and enjoyned than the things that disunite us it might abate our Rigors and heal our Divisions It is true Obedience to Magistrates is a clear and necessary Duty but it is restrained to things antecedently lawful and practicable But when the Lawfulness of the things are debated the refusal of Obedience contains no Guilt of Rebellion the Magistrates Power to require Obedience in lawful things is not gain-said but the things required are rationally doubted of And when things are urged principally upon the reason of Authority it is clear there is little or nothing in the things themselves to commend them to our Observation And the Magistrate saves his Authority and is as much obey'd as need be by making a new Law that takes off the Obligation of the old or leaves things indifferent in their Indifferency as much as by an Obedience to the old But against all that is or can be said it is objected That the Nonconformists have brought all this Mischief upon themselves and danger to the Church and Protestant Interest for time was meaning the Savoy Conference 1661. when the Bishops might have been perswaded to yield to many Mittigations but some of them now Dissenters answered to the Question What would you have All or none And so they have one part of their Choice But as this tends to aggravate their Sufferings so good Nature and Grace encline us to relieve them whose Wilfulness hath brought them to a necessity of relief or suffering But what if neither some nor all of them were guilty of the Stifness and Rashness imputed to them then God calls aloud upon those Instruments that are yet alive by the many Sufferings of good Ministers and People and by apparent Dangers of the Protestant Religion both to humble themselves before God and to make Supplication to him and Intercession for them with the Supream Power For if great detriment come to the Gospel and to many Souls by destroying the Shepherds and scattering the Flock it is doubtful whether that Allegation will pass for an Excuse or Plea that they are Non-Conformists and Dissenters except they could produce a Warrant from Jesus Christ deputing them to make such Conditions I would not for all the Preferments in the Church charge any falsely as being Authors of these many Years Troubles and would sooner beg Forgiveness and repent than persist in an Errour or do wrong to the Innocent I have rather acquitted the Non-Conformists from the Blame of drawing these Evils upon themselves than some of the other side And I think I have as good Warrant for it as can be desired by one that was not present at the whole Transaction I am not singular in my Opinion I find an ingenuous Gentleman lay the Fault of our Discomposures upon some old peevish Divines Appendix to Mr. Hunt's Argument as he calls them I have been long possessed with an Opinion also by the Words of the Presbyterian Commissioners in the Conclusion of their Account of those Proceedings in their last Reply For all the rest we thank you And we must say in the Conclusion that if these be all the Abatements and Amendments you will admit you sell your Innocency and the Churches Peace for nothing If the Pride Faction or Rashness of any one or more of the Commissioners who desired a Reformation had precipitated him into Disputation and Contention or a Refusal of reasonable Mitigations why should others suffer for the Indiscretion of one and why had not the other Side who were potent in Friends and highest in Favour and either advanced or near an Advancement into the highest Watch-Tower condescended to some Things that might be grateful to all moderate Men and no just Offence to many others and taken the Way for a lasting Peace and so comprehensive a Settlement that true Labourers might have been their Fellow-Labourers I shall not in haste forget the sorrowful Complaint of a very wise and learned Conforming Divine that could say as much to all Points of Conformity as most if not any of them all The Way of Peace we have not known I hear his Fears multiply with his Years and grow heavy upon him with his great Age. But upon whomsoever the Blame of our Breaches may fall as may appear when a faithful History of that Conference may see the Light which I hope to see in convenient Time A great Duty lies upon all true Protestants by Prayers Counsels and all kind of Endeavours to heal our Breaches to procure Liberty to the sound and able Preachers of the Word of Life and that neither they nor any that fear God and worship him in Truth may become a Prey to them that commonly profane God's great Name seldom worship him in Publick and never took Joshua's Resolution for himself and his House that can be seen by their Practice and this every Man will do whose Heart is ruled by the Peace of God I cannot end but must take the Freedom to speak a few Words more especially to my Conformable Brethren in the Ministry and Justices of the Peace I have laboured reverend Brethren to raise a Building if you will vouchsafe to look into it capacious to hold all or most of our
unordained rebellious and unreasonable Men disloyal disobedient against the King and all Government Decency and Order as if they were for all Sects and sorts of Religion allowing all Men to do what seemeth good to them But in this short Description of them you may find an Answer to vulgar and popular Objections against them and more fully spoken of in the two former Pleas. In the Second Plea p. 10 11 12. I have said that the Difference between the Nonconformist commonly but unduly and unsitly called Presbyterian and the Conformist is to be seen and gathered from the King 's own Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs which they would have submitted to if it had been turned into an Act of Parliament and the Act of Uniformity I shall now further enlarge upon that Notion and shew you what the King declared and what they would have accepted because many that think and speak hardly of them do not know how things stood at that time and what that Declaration is In the Year 1660 after that General Monk made Duke of Albemarle afterwards by the King declared himself for a Free-Parliament and by the Counsel and Assistance of the City of London restored the Members of the old Parliament that were shut out by some of the Army before ever they could bring about their Designs against the King's Life and there was a wise and good Council of State chosen many of the Royal Nobility and Gentry and some Divines put out a Declaration in which are these words And we do further declare that we intend by our quiet and peaceable Behaviour to testify our Submission to the present Power as it now resides in the Council of State in Expectation of the future Parliament upon whose Wisdom and Determinations we trust God will give such a Blessing as may produce a perfect Settlement both in Church and State This was subscribed by the Marquess of Dorchester and twenty Earls and Lords several Noble-Men about thirty two Baronets and Knights and between eighty and an hundred Gentlemen among whom is Mr. Roger L'Estrange then a Christian professing Reconciliation promising with the rest To speak one Language to be of one Name not Whig and Tory that all mention of Factions and Parties and all Rancor may be thrown in and buried like Rubbish under the Foundation These are the words of it but as Dr. Collings of Cambridg said once Then was then and now is now one Irish Bishop subscribed it and four Doctors of Divinity and the first of them was Dr. Morley the yet-living Lord Bishop of Winchester How gladly did all honest Men receive this Declaration as tending to a firm Reconciliation and afterwards to a lasting Union and universal Peace not so much as a name of Faction or Difference to be kept in memory neither did any suspect the meaning of burying all Factions and Animosities like Rubbish under the Foundation to be as now some Mens Actions and Writings explain it that Factions and Animosities do lie under the Foundation which is at this day shaken being so underlaid Faction and Animosity will not lie buried but rise and walk In April 1660 That hoped-for Parliament met and to the Speakers of both Houses His Majesties Letter from Breda April 14. 1660 pag. 6. His Majesty sent his Letter and Declaration from his Court at Breda in his Letter I read these Words relating to Religion And nothing can be proposed to shew our Zeal and Affection for it to which we will not readily consent and we hope in due time our Self to propose somewhat to you for the Propagation of it In his Declaration sent therewith are these words We do declare a Liberty to tender Consciences and that no Man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of Opinion in matter of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom In October 25 1660 His Majesty was pleased to send out his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs in which he was pleased to remember and repeat the fore-cited words of his Letter whereby it is clear that that which he had long in his Mind to propose for the Propagation of Religion was the Contents of this Declaration Adding in the next Sentence Pag. 4. And the truth is We do think our Self the more competent to propose and with God's Assistance to determine many things now in difference from the time we have spent and the Experience we have had in most of the Reformed Churches abroad And besides what is quoted out of it in the Second Plea pag. 65. he hath these words We must for the honour of all those of either Perswasion with whom we have conferred declare that the Professions and Desires of all for the advancement of Piety and true Godliness are the same their Professions of Zeal for the Peace of the Church the same of Affection and Duty to us the same They all approve of Episcopacy they all approve of a set Form of Liturgy and they all disprove and dislike the Sin of Sacriledg and the Alienation of the Revenue of the Church and if upon these excellent Foundations in submission to which there is such an Harmony of Affections any Superstructures should be raised to the shaking those Foundations and to the contracting and lessening the blessed Gift of Charity which is the vital part of Christian Religion we shall think our selves very unfortunate Pag. 8. We have not the least doubt but that the Present Bishops will think the present Concessions now made by us to allay the present Distempers very just and reasonable and will very cheerfully conform themselves thereto Thus the King declares his Confidence of the Bishops Compliance with his Proposal and Declaration which is thus contracted 1. Our purpose is to promote the Power of Godliness to encourage the Exercise of Religion both publick and private that the Lord's day be applied to holy Exercises that insufficient negligent and scandalous Ministers be not permitted in the Church to prefer none to be Bishops but Men of Learning Vertue and Piety that they be frequent Preachers c. 2. Because the Diocesses are too large we will appoint Suffragan Bishops for the due performance of the Work 3. No Bishops shall ordain or exercise any Jurisdiction without Advice of the Presbyters no Chancellour or Commissary shall decree any Excommunication or Absolution nor shall the Deacons exercise any Jurisdiction without the Advice and Assistance of six Ministers 4. That Cathedral Preferments shall be given to the most learned and pious Presbyters of the Diocess and that an equal number to those of the Chapter of the ablest Presbyters of the Diocess annually chosen by the major Vote of the Presbyters shall be always advising and assisting with those of the Chapter in all Ordinations and every the part of Jurisdiction and Censures 5. That Confirmation be solemnly performed by the Information and Consent of the Minister of the place who shall admit none to the Lord's Supper
renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and
confirming their Prayers and Thanks with saying Amen and other Divine Service than this they had none Pag. 636. We do not think that Basil or Chrysostom would take upon them to make a new Form of Church-Service if St. James the Apostle had done it before them From this Testimony it is clear that if Uniformity in one Form of Worship or Common-Prayer and Ceremonies be necessary for Church-Union then there was no Church-Union or Catholick-Communion in the Apostolical-Churches because there was no Form or Order of Divine Service set and prescribed But there was the most Christian and Catholick Communion in that Diversity therefore Catholick Union and Communion without one prescribed and set Form And hence the Dissenting Brethren have the Countenance of an ancient venerable Bishop of Winchester for them and to convince their Troublers for using a Worship different from the Liturgy of the Church of England Prophe-ying praying praising God are parts of God's Worship tho in differing Words and Method they are the same Divine Worship And who act nearest the Primitive Pattern of the Apostles and purest times they who worship God in Christ by the Spirit or they who will not suffer them Object But the Apostles and Teachers had the Guidance of the Spirit Answ They had but that Assistance which they had for performing the Worship of God was not extraordinary or peculiar to their Times because Gospel-Worship was to be performed in all After-ages of the Church Qâ—o in loco scil Jo. 20. ostendiâ— eum solum â—osse baptizare temissionem peccatorum dare qui habeat Spiâ—itum Sanctum Cyprian ad magnum and by Consequence the Assistance of the Spirit was to continue to all Ministers in succeeding Ages without whose Assistance we can do nothing And the Holy Spirit doth continue to give Gifts and Graces to his Ministers and People and if one Form were absolutely necessary for all Ages it is a wonder that the Apostles did not leave us one Form is but a mode and to be used or not used as is most for Edisication and they that use it not should not condemn them that use it and they who use it should not as I conceive judg them as Schismaticks that use it not but joyn one with another Object But it is a Disorder in the same Church and Government and not to be born it looks like a different Religion Answ The Romanists have often charged the Church of England with permitting different Religionsin the Nation But let the same learned Bishop answer for me In England the People Pag. 15. both strange and liege worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth according to the Gospel of his Son agreeing together in the Substance of one Faith and the right Order of Christ's Sacraments Only Strangers are suffered in their Churches to use their own Tongue and retain their own Ceremonies as be neither against Faith nor adverse to good Manners and therefore by St. Augustine's Judgment may go for indifferent and may be born in Christian Vnity without Offence or Confusion Oh! if this Doctrine were believed in our days the People of God might be said to rest at Noon And he was not singular In Doctrinâ Fidei Orthodoxae Professione discordia inter nos nulla saith the learned Crakenthorp of the Puritans Hac integrâ in Ritibus Defensione Eccles Angl. contra Spalat c. 43. p. 254. Disciplinsi discrimen ferendum utrique scimus Difference in Ceremonies and Discipline was tolerable in their Opinion but now intolerable The Champions of the Church of England in former days against the Papists were moderate when we know there was a different way of Discipline and Decency secretly practised If Doctrine be the direction of Practice to be moderate in Doctrine but severe in Practice and Execution is to put out the Candle and kindle a Fire to preach Charity but to shew no Mercy To draw towards a Conclusion Let us but truly judg of the elder Nonconformists with righteous Judgment 1. Before his Majestie 's wonderful Restauration in all Countries and Places where they lived and preached who did rebuke reprove exhort and fulfil all parts of Minsters more than they Who maintained Protestant Doctrines preached for Conviction Conversion Holiness and Righteouness more than they Who vindicated all Ordinances from some that pretended to live above them Others that denied the necessity and use of them and from the Profanation of sacred Things And who did more forwardly assist and concur to settle the Government upon ancient Foundations and in the Inheritor of the Royal Throne Who were more hated by impious Sects or that laboured more to convince and reduce them than they 2. At that time and since how highly were they placed in the King 's good Opinion as is fully expressed in his Royal Declaration 3. They did shew a Forwardness and Zeal to settle the Church denying their own private Opinions to lay down solid Foundations for a Comprehensive Church 4. When they quietly submitted to the Law of their Ejectment did they did any of them sow Sedition or ill Principles of Faction was their Exhortation of deceit or guile to incense their loving Auditors or oblige and conjure them to any thing inconsistent with the Gospel or unlike Men as going from the Pulpit to God's Tribunal to give him an Account of their Doctrine Faith manner of Life see any of their broken Notes and Farewell-Sermons printed much to their Disadvantage Testify against them who can 5. Except they had renounced their sacred Calling and silenced themselves who could have imployed their Labours with more inoffensiveness to Authority more Toil to themselves and more Profit to precious Souls and less Opposition to the publick than they did as will appear in Instances An honourable Member Sir H. C. Anno 1670 71 in full Parliament took notice of it that there were no Conventicles yes they took pains to preach when others were at rest in great Privacies and Solitudes And let 's be just who hath made any Observation of People and Assairs that will not say for one Schismatick we had had many had it not been for their great Industry and who for all that are Schismaticks but they See Mr. Allen Say to Archippus p. 23. scil your not p eaching will occasion Separation indeed c. It is not Thanks-worthy to keep poor weak Souls in the Faith and Truth except they turn Lay-men and all come up even to the Rails i. e. to the heighth 6. God and the King made their Assemblies so numerous and publick God by a tremendous course of Judgments yet remembring Mercy The King after 12 Years Experience of fruitless Severity sent out his Declaration of Indulgence Some of themselves have published the Providence of God but it is not worth the noting and they that are resolved on their way will not be hindred by making Observation even of the Works of God When God sent a dreadful Plague