Laws once made rigorously to be put in execution necessarily and especially Laws concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Answ Laws that are lawful and necessary to the Esse or Being of the Church or State are doubtless to be put in execution not so those always that tend to Order and Decency Supreme Governours may upon just occasion forbear inflicting the Penalties upon Offenders against penal Statutes Yea Excommunication that Great Church-Censure may be suspended when the major part of a Church are infected with some Errour or are guilty of some scandalous offence the end of Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil being the peace of Church and State where the execution of Laws may occasion more harm than good more disquet than peace there the supreme Power may for a time wave the exact and rigorous execution of them His Majesty in his Declaration to all his loving Subjects Decemb. 26.1662 published by the Advice of his Privy Council conceives the power of dispensing with the Penalty upon those who living peaceably do not Conform to be inherent in him Some Laws are made in terrorem like Rods in a School 'T is not intended that every Offender and every Offence should be presently punished according to the utmost severity of them The Common Law in some Cases seems to need a Chancery to moderate the rigor of it lest that summum jus prove summa injuria He who will not allow his Majesty to save some by his Prerogative who are cast by the Law robs him of a principal Flower of his Crown his very Crown and Glory and that is His CLEMENCY Quest. Were not the Old Puritans as they used to call the Nonconformists Enemies to the Kings Supremacy Answ In a Treatise of Learned Mr. Bradshaw who wrote of Justification there is a Protestation by them made of the Kings Supremacy in these words We hold and maintain the same Authority and Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons Civil and Ecclesiastical granted to Queen Elizabeth to be due in full and ample manner without any limitation or qualification to the King and his Heirs and Successors for ever Neither is there to our knowledge any one of us but hath been most willing to subscribe and swear unto the same according to form of Statute And we desire that those that shall refuse the same may bear their own Iniquity Quest Were not the Nonconformists in former times disobedient to the Laws And did they not refuse to conform out of humour and stubbornness and not our of Conscience Answ The same Mr. Bradshaw in the same Treatise protests in their Name as followeth We never refused Obedience to any haves or Commandments of the King or State whatsoever but onely to such as we have proved or are ready to prove if we might be heard to be contrary to the Word of God And we are ready to take our solemn Oaths before the Throne of Justice That the onely Cause of our refusal of Obedience to those Canons of the Prelates for which roe are at present so extremely afflicted is meer Conscience and a fear to sin against God And if by due form of Reasoning we may be convinced in our Consciences of the cannery we are as willing at any Subjects in the Realm to obey and conform Quest. But is it at all material what the Nonconformists swear are not our present Nonconformists guilty of taking God's Name into their mouths backward and forward and never blush Vide Contin p. 18. Answ It was the conscience of an Oath and a care to prevent the great guilt of Perjury that made Dr. Hill one of the late Assembly when Vice-Chancelor of Cambridge and the University in those dayes to insert those explanatory clauses in the Oaths of those who took degrees Viz. Jurabis te haec omnia reliqua Academae Statuta quatenus ipsa ad te spectant vel fideliter observasse observaturum vel monitiones correctiones paenas dictorum Statutorum transgressoribus incumbentes sine contradictione quacunque humiliter subiisse aut subiturum ni sialiter per gratiam per Acaedemiam concessam dispensatum tecum fuerit sicut Te Deus adjuvet c. and again Senatus Cantabrigiensis decrevit declaravit eos omnes qui monitionibus correctionibus paenus Statutorum Legum Decretorum Ordinationum Injunctionum Laudabilium Consuetudinum hujus Academiae trangressoribus quovis modo Incumbentibus humiliter se submiserint nec esse nec habendos esse perjurii reos By which clauses 't is manifest that either active or passive obedience to the Statutes Orders and Customs of the Universities did save from the guilt of Perjury And confident I am that 't is the fear of an Oath that is the chief cause why many suffer the loss of their Livings at this day Quest. Is there not a good riddance of so many Mr. Scruples out of the Church And is there any want of able Preachers up and down in the Country now they are ejected Answ My Lord Bacon in his dayes thought there was a scarcity of able Preachers and yet there were not the tythe perhaps of Ministers silenced then to what are now And be thought then that the silencing of the Ministers for their Nonconformity was a punishment of the People rather than of the Minister He conceived then also that such Subscriptions might have been forborn as occasioned the silencing of divers of those Ministers Cons ab Eccl. Aff. Quest What if there were many places made void by the ejectment of Nonconformists may not those places be well filled by Conforming-Pluralists Answ My Lord Bacon saith In case the number of able Ministers were sufficient and the value of the Benefices were sufficient then Pluralities were in no sort tolerable And as for Nonresidents except it be just of necessary absence he saith it seemeth to be an abuse drawn out of covetousness and sloth for that men should live of the Flock they do not feed or at the Altar whereat they do not serve is a thing that can hardly receive just defence And to exercise the Office of a Pastor in matter of Word and Doctrine by deputation is a thing not warranted So he in his Treatise dedicated to King James about Ecclesiast Affairs For my own part I think the Poligamy of the Fathers or the Patriarchs of old as excusable as the Spiritual Polygamy of many of the Sons of our Church And to serve Cures of Souls meerly by Proxies and Deputies besides that it may seem to strengthen the Pope's plea for Universal Pastors whilst so many stand idle in the Market-place able and willing to take care of those Souls is a thing I shall not take upon me to justifie Let me add this also that 't is one Objection which hath been formerly made against the Liturgy That it occasions an ignorant dumb and a lazy Ministry but were it not for Pluralities and Non-residency and insufficient Livings there might be no place for such objection The Author
Non-conformists as such yet I cannot but own my utter dislike of the Principles and Practises of some high Conformists or Hectors for Conformity namely such as prefer the Romish Church before the Reformed Transmarine Churches Arminius before St. Austine who judge Aerius a greater Heretick than Arrius who have more charity for those that deny the Deity of our Saviour than for those that scruple the strict jus divinum of Episcopacy and who can with more Patience hear a Dispute against the very Being of a Deity than about the taking away of a Ceremony that profess themselves the chiefest Sons of the Church of England and yet dissent from her Doctrine contained in the Articles Homilies and Liturgie and transgress the Laws of the Church about Rites and Ceremonies by going too far on the right hand or running too far before them and become Non-conformists themselves and breakers of the Act of Uniformity even by their extream Conformity These these are the Hectors I mean who when they have perswaded a man to strain hard to go a mile with them in Conformity will compel him to go twaine that are implacable Enemies to Non-conformists though peaceable and Pious and are no good Friends to Conformists except under the same degree of Longitude and Latitude with themselves Yea I may say that notwithstanding their pretended zeal ard devotion to the Hierarchy look on former Archbishops such as Grindal Whitgift Abbot as Puritans and would if they could Unbishop some of the present Bishops for Presbyterians As tor the Author of the Friendly Debate I hope better things of him and though he be a Champion for the Conformists cause and I differ from him in many things yet I must confess I do not look on him as one of the Hectors before described but I say of him rather Talis quùn sit utinam noster esset For I am confident that one of his parts learning and stile could easily make a Dialogue wherein the high Conformists should appear as simple and ridiculous as he hath made the Non-conformists My Petition my humble and hearty Petition is to the Fathers of the Church the most Reverend the Archbishops and the Right reverend the Bishops and to the Sons of the Church our Conforming Brethren That they would manifest their love to Peace by their condescentions and desires of Union with their dissenting Brethren and that there might be by the means of the Governours of our Church their Mediation with His Majesty and the Parliament some such Laws made as might for ever take away the differences 'twixt them and those that are for Moderation that still hold themselves Members of the Church of England though not admitted to be Teachers in it And Oh! that it were in their hearts as many of them as hold Communion with the Reformed Churches beyond Seas to offer such Bill or Bills to King and Parliament as might enable the Bishops to receive all again into the Bosom of the Church and to the Exercise of their Ministry who besides taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to his Majesty can conform to what is necessary in other Reformed Churches And my earnest desire to all Nonconformists is That they love and follow the Truth and Peace that they endeavour after Union and Coalition however that they avoid Schism and Separation truly so called And especially that they keep far from that dividing Principle To imagine a thing of it self indifferent to be therefore unlawful because commanded by a lawful Authority and also from that grand Crime of the Donatists that unchurched all besides themselves My Protestation is this That whereas the Author of the Debate hath offered us Nonconformists many and great Affronts hath made so many hard and desperate Thrusts or Passes at us and hard thereby forced us at last to Draw in our own Defence That if he shall presently cause our Persons or Weapons to be arrested or seized therefore He may never more be proclaimed for a Couragious Champion nor the Nonconformists posted for base Cowards If the High Sons of the Church have the Liberty and Priviledge to throw Ink in out Faces the Sons of Adam the Sons of Peace and his Majesties good Subjects may have we hope a Toleration or Connivence to wipe it off These things premised Since the Author of the Debate hath so vehemently charged us and put in a First and a Second Indictment against us for Irreligion Disloyalty Schism Sacriledge c. We plead NOT GUILTY And put our selves upon the Tryal of our Countrey which be You. The Contents Page EVery transgression of humane Law not deadly p. 3 4. Nonconformists better treated in former times p. 7 8. Nonconformists not Schismaticks or Sectaries p. 10 11 12. Ordinations by Presbyters formerly counted valid by 〈…〉 p. 12 13 14. The Assemâ—â—y men cleared from countenancing Sacrilege p. 15 16. Non-conformists offer to clear themselves by Oath from Peevishness and Obstinacy p. 17. Nonconformists not like Pharisees p. 17. How Conformists and Nonconformists may be Reconciled p. 18 19. What Reformation was desired formerly by the House of Commons in the 30th Year of Queen Eliz. p. 21 22. Nonconformists not so rigid towards Dissenters as is pretended p. 22 23. Nonconformists Obedient to His Majesty Declared against the late horrid Murder of His late Majesty p. 26 27. Nonconformists do not deprive his Majesty Ecclesiastical Causes p. 32 117 11 Of Conformists and Non-conformists Charitâ—â— p. 34 35 Presbyterians no Changelings p. 37 Nonconformists use the Lords Prayer p. 39 Why some scruple some old Words as Altar Priest c. p. 41 42 Of keeping Holy-dayes p. 43 44 Of the Surplice p. 46 47 48 Conformists differ amongst themselves in many things p. 49 50 Of praying that we may Preach in the evidence anâ— demonstration of the Spirit p. 53 54 Of Praying by the Spirit p. 55 66. Of conceived Prayer and Prayer â—â—â—â—ok p. 59. Of Afternoon-Sermons p. 62. Of Catechising p. 64. Of divers modes of Preaching p. 60 69. Of Conventicles p. 61. Of Experimental Preaching p. 70 71. Nonconformists Preach Obedience to Magistrates p. 72 73. And to the Moral Law p. 75 77 78. Some Conformists Dissent from the Doctrine of the Church of England p. 80 81. Of Absolute Promises p. 83. Of Good Works in the matter of Justification p. 85. Of the difference 'twixt the Old and New Covenant p. 86. Non-conformists not Time servers p. 89. Of Holy Conference p. 96. Of Stage-Playes p. 97. Of Mr. T. W. p. 99 10. Of Mr. W. B. p. 100. A Declaration against Vennor and his Confederates by the Congregational Ministers p. 101. Non-conformists more tolerable than Papists and Quakers p. 102 103. The old Puritans peaceable p. 106. Modern Non-conformists compared with those in Queen Eliz. her dayes p. 111. Unity may be where there is not Uniformity p. 126. Presbyterians no Separatists p. 128. Presbyterians rather to be satisfied than Papists p. 131 132. The Divinity of Non-conformists not
the first ten or eleven years of Q Elizabeth and that some of our own Church are ready to run away and separate from us pretending we comply too much with Rome in some of our Forms or Ceremonies If if should please his most excellent Majesty and the Parliament to cause the Liturgy to be revised and some greater Alterations to be made for the better than was of late it should not offend but rather much rejoyce the Presbyterians I have read that the Archbishop of Armagh declared his Judgment when time was against the introducing of the English Ceremonies into the Church of Ireland And I have been told that the Right Reverend the Bishop of Hereford that now is upon another occasion expressed his Opinion to be That the further of we keep from the Church of Rome the better I might add this also which I had from a credible person presently after it was spoken That the late Archbishop of Canterbury was very willing to have had though a Liturgy yet one that might not be so much displeasing or dissatisfactory as this was to many I confess there are some well-meaning people who forbear to use the names of Altar Priest Christmass c. or to call Festival dayes wherein the Church of England commemorates the Saints and blesseth God for their example by the names of those Saints dayes yet they are not altogether without all excuse in this their Scrupulosity if we consider what a bad use they of the Church of Rome make of out keeping and continuing old words Let us keep our forefathers words say the Annotations on the Rheâ—ist Testament on 1 Tim. chap. 6. and wâ— shall easily keep our old and true Faith we had of the first Christians Let them say Amendment Abstinence the Lords Supper the Communion Table Elders Ministers Superintendents Congregation so be it Let tee keep the old terms Penance Fasting Priest Charity Bishop Mass Mattins Even song the blessed Sacrament Altar Oblation Holt Sacrifice Alleluja Amen Lent Palmsunday Christmss c. and the very words will bring us to the faith of our first Apostles and condemn these new Apostates their new faith and phrases If we consider further what is reported of Bishop Bonner namely that when he saw the Reformation and how many of their Ceremonies were retained being asked what he thought of it If they like said he to tast of our Broth so well they will eat of our Beef shortly I dare say the Church since the Reformation never intended any adoration of the Bread by our kneeling in the act of receiving and yet Bishop Hall saith thus I had a dangerous conflict with a Sorbonist who took occasion by our kneeling at the receipt of the Eucharist to perswade all the company of our acknowledgment of a transubstantiation It must be confest further that amongst well-meaning people some there are though scarce any among the Ministry who scruple the naming the Apostles and other Saints whether real or imaginary by the name of Saints and their plea may be they cannot see any sufficient reason setting aside the Authority of our Governors and the Custom of the Times and Places we live in why we should say St. Matthew and St. Andrew Debate pag. 64 65. rather than St. Moses and St. Aaron and why they should call David a Bishop in Wales St. David rather than K. David King in Jerusalem the one being truly a Saint and the Lords Anointed and the other canonized by the Pope Yet doubtless there are none so scrupulous amongst us but had as leave say St. Michael as St. George As for the Nonconformists-Ministers it was the practice of Dr. Thomas Goodwin as I am informed and was all along the late timeâ— to say such a Chapter or such a Verse of St. Matthew St. Mark St. Paul c. That 't is not alway necessary to mention the Apostles with the title of Saint for fear of sin in the Judgement of our Church may hence be concluded that in all the Collects for the dayes set apart to commemorate the Holy Apostles in there ate but two wherein they ate stiled Saints Quest. Do the Nonconformists hold it utterly unlawful to keep dayes in remembrance of what the holy Apostles Deb. p. 73. 1. Ed. and other Saints have done or suffered and had they much rather keep a day of Thanksgiving for O. C. his defeating his Majesty at Worcester than for Michael the Archangel his victory over the Devil and his Angels Answ Some think it impossible for a man without special warrant from God to sanctifie so that the service performed unto God upon that day should be more acceptable than on any other Some think the abuses of those Festival dayes are so great common and customary that if his Majesty and the Parliament saw good it would be better and more easie to abolish the Observation of them than to take away the Abuses which they think cleaves to them like the Leprosie in the wall of the house That these Feasts were of Apostolical institution or observed by the Apostles any except Easter is not so much as pretended unto that I read of Hospinian hath told us the Original of them to be of a much later date And as for the observation of Easter it self Mr. Hales is of opinion that it was an Error to hold it necessary to observe such a Feast and the Controversie about the Time which set all the World in a Combustion and were it not that both sides pretended Conscience in the case Hales of Schism p. 5. he thinks them all guilty of Schism he saith was a matter most unnecessary and vaine The old Nonconforming Ministers did use to take the opportunity of those dayes to preach in to the people Some Reformed Churches have no Saints dayes but only keep some few dayes Holy in remembrance of our Saviour or relating to the blessed Trinity So as I take it doth the Church of Scotland even at this day For my own part I think the Church of England is well justified by Mr. Perkins from Superstition in her observance of the Festival dayes she observes I can assure you there are that can observe a day to give thanks for the victory of Michael over the Devil which neither did nor could nor would keep a day to give thanks for the victory of O. C. over the King at Worcester or of Lambert over Sir George Booth in Cheshire As for occasional dayes of Fasting and Humiliation they have not been so much scrupled in the World by sober men nor may be so liable to exception or abuse as the stated Fasts and Feasts may and I think usually they are mote strictly observed As for the Nonconformists private dayes which the Author of the Debate speaks of if they keep them no better those that do keep them than many if not most do the ordinary stated Fasts and Feasts I think they may do every whit as well to lay them aside Quest.