than he hath done c. which is only the old Argument varnish'd afresh There is but one Law giver Next That of Acontius which goes farther to the excluding any publick Confession of Faith in the Church besides the Reading of the holy Scriptures to the People This excellent Observation saith the P. 52. Reconciler That in the Jewish Church the Restitution of Divine Worship was often made by pious Princes but never did they make any publick Confession of P. 53. their Faith but only read the Scriptures to their People abolished Idolatry and all the footsteps of Impiety and the owning of the Scriptures was to them a Confession of their Faith And why N. B. saith he are we wiser than they were In my Judgement it seems best agreeing in one publick Symbol to abolish all other Confessions of particular Churches Here now is a Door wide enough to ☞ send the three Creeds packing with the three Ceremonies and some I fear would be well enough contented so to do I cannot excuse these Passages from some unkindness and dis-service to the Church of England and those Reverend Superiours whom the Reconciler professeth from his heart to acknowledge the true Apostolick Guides and Rulers of it I cannot but think that those who thus modestly plead for Condescension do want somewhat of due Reverence to our Dear Mother as he yet vouchsafes to Pref. p. 9. own her I must needs tax him as somewhat transported beyond the measures of his Station as his own heart it seems misgave him that he might be Pref. p. 59. And I have some farther Reasons so to judge Whosoever saith he shall peruse Ch. 1. p. 3. the Writings of the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet and his Defenders will find that they have been very silent on this Head saying any thing to justifie the exercise of imposing Authority and have upon the Matter left our Rulers in the ☜ lurch And so for ought I find he is willing to leave them not without an Applause of the Triumphs of their Adversaries upon this Occasion This is the import saith he of many P. 202. shrewd Questions which I meet with in the Books of the Dissenters to which I find no Answer in the Replies of any of their Adversaries and which I do entreat our Champions for the Church of England as they respect the Credit of our Church-Governours the Reputation of our Church and of her Discipline not to pass by without the least notice taken of them as hitherto they have done Some Untoward Questions of this nature have been collected from Mr. Baxter's Works by Mr. Barret in his Reply to the Reverend Dean of St. Pauls Moreover Mr. Barret himself P. 205. hath offered many Questions of like nature which being slow of understanding I cannot answer to my own satisfaction and therefore do cry out Men of Israel help As the Jews of Asia did when they saw Paul in the Temple stirring up all the people crying out Men of Israel help This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the People and the Law and This Place c. Acts xxi 27. 28. This is the unluckie Pattern which the Reconciler here unwittingly I am perswaded writeth after Among these Questions one is What if the Old Liturgie and that P. 206. new one compiled and presented to the Bishops at the Savoy 1661. had both passed and been allowed for Ministers to use as they judged most convenient might not several Ministers and Congregations in This case have used several modes of Worship without breach of the Churches peace or counting each other Schismaticks What if our King and Parliament should make a Law enjoyning Conformists and Non-Conformists that agree in the same Faith and Worship for substance to attend peaceably on their Ministry and serve God and his Church the best they can whether they use the Ceremonies and Liturgie ☞ here our Reconciler hooks in scrupled expressions of the Liturgie or no without uncharitable Reflections or bitter Censures upon one another either in word or writing where would be the sinfulness of such a Law Here now is a plain Confession to the contrary of what we heard before that somewhat else was insisted on at the Savoy than the Abatement of Three Ceremonies and some scrupled Expressions of the Liturgie And here is a door set open for those independent Schismaticks our Reconciler saith he dare not and cannot plead for agreeing as they also alledge in the same Faith and Worship for substance And the truth is They who scruple the Ceremonies do for the most part scruple the Liturgie and they who scruple some Expressions had it may be as lief be without the whole And in the case of these two Liturgies allowed what must be done where one part of the same Congregation is for the old and another for the new What where the Minister is for the old and the People for the new Or the Minister for the new and the People for the old Or the Minister for neither new nor old c. At this rate it were easie to multiply Questions and there is a Proverb in that case which I list not now to mention I pass by divers other things at present some of which we shall meet with by the way hereafter There are two smart Inferences wherein the Excellent Dr. Stilling fleet is particularly concerned as he will justifie his Truth and Sincerity 1. Hence we may see how little P. 297. semblance of Truth hath that pretence that these things are to be retained and appointed out of due Reverence to Antiquity referring in the Margin to Dr. Still Hist Account p. 16. For if men will endure things to be called by their proper Names is it not very like Hypocrisie to pretend to retain three Ceremonies c Moreover to retain P. 298. this kneeling posture out of due Reverence to Antiquity when no such posture was used by Antiquity he calls it elsewhere a novel Thing I fear cannot be P. 293. well excused from Falshood or from imposing on the People 2. Hence we may see how vainly 't is pretended that these Ceremonies were retained or imposed to manifest the Justice and Equity of the Reformation by letting their Enemies see they did not break Communion with them for meer indifferent things or that they left the Church of Rome no farther than she left the ancient Church quoting again in the Margin Still p. 14. And he chews the Cud upon it and goes over with it again in the close of his Post-script He will be convinced if he be skilful P. 363. in Antiquity of the great Insincerity of these two Pretences 1. That we laying the rest aside have kept our present Ceremonies out of due Reverence to Antiquity And 2. that we have left the Church of Rome only in those Ceremonies in which she hath left Antiquity Thus he treats the Ingenious and most Judicious Dr.
Scope and Importance of that Preface is sufficiently included in the fore-recited Declaration wherein the Church so far as she thought convenient hath charitably obviaied that Offence which might otherwise have been taken by those who either for Ignorance and Infirmity or else for Malice and Obstinacy misconstrued and depraved her Appointments And it is not consistent with Truth to assert that this whole Preface was left out nor ingenuous to insinuate that it was done upon any evil design Some mistake the Reconciler could not chuse upon reflection but be conscious of here And therefore when he repeats it again and calls it the Protestation concerning this Gesture he expresseth himself a little more warily Part of which Words are now omitted p. 〈◊〉 in our present Luturgy viz. that important Truth that so much as conveniently may be Offences should be taken away Where yet I see no reason for the challenge of this Omission of a Truth every-where acknowledged and which was the Foundation and Purport of the whole declaration But enough of this Lastly The Appointment of the Church touching Kneeling at the Sacrament is so much the more reasonable and unexceptionable because at the very Act of Receiving she hath also ordered a devout Prayer on the Communicant's behalf which by a fervent Amen he is concerned himself to ingeminate The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy Body and Soul to everlasting Life And here saith the Scotch Liturgy shall the Receiver say Amen The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlasting Life Here again saith that Liturgy the Party receiving shall say Amen Now therefore if the Dissenters scruple not to Kneel at their solemn Praiers they need not so to do in the Act of Receiving the Lord's Supper as it is by the Church of England appointed to be administred Upon the whole I may well say considering the Plainness of the thing and the frequent Apologies made by the Church and her Sons for it that if any shall yet oppose his own conceited Opinion against all this Evidence and Charity as Mr. Calvin saith upon a like occasion touching Church-Orders Viderit ipse Inâ—â— 1. 4. c. 10. quâ morositatem suam ratione Domino approbat Let him see what defence he can make before God for his Sturdiness or Frowardness And yet after all I do humbly conceive the Church of England would be The Churâ—h of England would doâ—bâ—les◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could 〈◊〉 so doing reasonably 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ecommendâ—d from 〈◊〉 in th◠〈◊〉 of â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 content even to injure her imposing Power in this most reasonable matter could she hope by so doing to reclaim the Dissenting Laity to her Communion And I think it might deserve to be propounded with submission to her Wisdom whether as matters with us stand the Punishment however for the Omission might not be rather commuted by the sanction of the Civil Magistrate into some Temporal or Pecuniary Mulct for charitable Uses And one Reason here might be taken from the common Observation of the great success of the Test of late which brought so many to the Church-communion whom the dread of any spiritual Censures had but little influence upon I will close this Controversy about the Imposition of Ceremonies in the Words of Bp. Gauden when His Majesty's Consideratious touching the Liturgy P. 38. Condescending Declaration was yet fresh Certainly Humane Ecclesiastical Ceremonies like Shadows neither fill nor burthen any Conscience of themselves That which is considerable in them is as they are in their nature and use comely for the Duty and Instances either of Obedience or of Charity and Unity And it is no less certain whatever Indulgence as to the Penalty or Practice of Ceremonies His Majesty's Clemency may please to grant to some Men of weak Minds and scrupulous Consciences in these things which Royal Charity no good Christian will repine at provided it be used with Meekness and Humility not Insolence and Factiousness yet as to the Principle which NB. the Church of England went by in matter of Ceremonies it is most true and undeniably to be maintain'd even to the Death that this National Church as all others hath from the Word of God Liberty Power and Authority within its own Polity and Bounds to judg of what seems to it most agreeable and decent as to any Circumstance or Ceremony in the Worship of God which the Lord hath left unconfined free and indifferent in its nature and only to be regulated and confined by every such Ecclesiastical Polity within it self where the Consent of the major Part of Church and State both in Councils and Parliaments includes the whole and may enjoin its Rules and Orders in these things upon all under its Jurisdiction and within its Communion As well as a Master of a Family may appoint the Time Place Manner and Measure Gesture and Vesture wherein he will have all his Family to serve God with him And very few I think if any do ☞ scruple our Ceremonies which are as St. Augustin would have them few in Number easy in Practice apt in Signification who do not also strike at this Doctrinal Principle upon which the Church hath proceeded and which she cannot discharge without a wrong to her self and the whole Catholick Church of Christ And this is a sufficient Vindication to the Reverence and Respect by the Church of England born unto Antiquity in this case that she retains and goes upon that General Rule whereby the Customs and Canons of the Churches of God have been founded from the Beginning Nor is it any prejudice to her Sincerity in this Reverence that she hath also shewed her Liberty in forbearing some Ceremonies then in use as well as her Authority in enjoining others and above all her Moderation in that she hath been content with so small a Number so small a number I say that she is not liable to be charged in any thing so much as in this but that she hath also reserved to her self a Power of Ordaining Act of Uniform 1 Eliz. and Publishing such farther Ceremonies as may be most for the Advancement of God's Glory the Edifying of his Church and the due Reverence of Christ's holy Mysteries and Sacraments And this again is Compurgation enough to her Equity in departing from the Church of Rome that Abuses removed she continues some indifferent Ceremonies still in common with her as a standing Testimony that she would never have been divided from her Communion upon the account of things indifferent no Holiness or Superstition placed in them But how monstrously unreasonable is it for any now to fly in the face of this Church on the score of three Ceremonies only but one of which is imposed on the Laity when the Reconciler can tell them of twenty more that she might have vouched
in place thereof other foreign and unfitting usages by little and little to creep in yet forasmuch as in Our own Royal Chappels and in many other Churches most of them have been ever constantly used and observed We cannot now but be very sensible of This matter and have cause to conceive that the Authors and Fomenters of these jealousies though they colour the same ☞ with a pretence of zeal and would seem to strike only at some supposed iniquity in the said Ceremonies yet as We have cause to fear aim at Our own Royal Person and would fain have Our good Subjects imagine that We Our Self are perverted and do worship God in a superstitious way and that We intend to bring in some Alteration of the Religion here established Now how far we are from That and how utterly We detest every Thought thereof We have by many publick Declarations and otherwise upon sundry occasions giv'n such assurance to the world as that from thence We also assure Our Self that no man of wisdom and discretion could ever be so beguiled as to give any serious entertainment to such Brain sick jealousies And for the weaker Sort who are prone to be misled by crafty Seducers We rest no less confident that even of ☜ them as many as are Loyal or indeed but of charitable hearts will from hence forth utterly banish all such causless fears and surmises upon These our Sacred Professions so often made by Us a Christian Defender of the Faith their King and Soveraign And therefore if yet any person under whatsoever Mask of Zeal or counterfeit Holiness shall henceforth by speech or writing or any other way notwithstanding These our right hearty faithful and solemn Protestations made before Him whose Deputy We are against all and every intention of any Popish innovation be so ungracious and presumptuous as to vent any poysoned conceits tending to such a purpose and to cast These devilish aspersions and jealousies upon our Royal and Godly Proceedings We require all Our Loyal Subjects to make the same known to some Magistrate Ecclesiastical or Civil c. Read the Rest before and after the said Book of Canons too long to be here transcribed See we the very Image and Transcript of This Royal Martyr's Soul in the midst of all His Sorrows and Sufferings And when He had Death before His Eys in some of His Last words to the Then Prince of Wales our Now most Gracious Soveraign You may never expect less of Loyalty Justice and Humanity than from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. xxvll Those who engage into a Religious Rebellion Their Interest is always made Gods under the colours of Piety ambitious Policies march not only with greatest security but applause as to the Populace you may hear from them Jacob's voice but you shall feel they have Esau's hands Nothing seem'd less considerable ☞ than the Presbyterian Faction in England for many years so compliant were they to publick Order nor indeed was their Party great either in Church or State as to mens judgments But as soon as Discontents drave men into Sidings as Ill humors fall to the Disaffected part which causes Inflammations so did all at first who affected any Novelties adhere to That side as the most remarkable and specious note of difference then in point of Religion All the Lesser Factions at first were Officious Servants to Presbytery their Great Master till Time and Military Success c. Let nothing seem little or despicable Never had Prince more reason to inculcate This excellent Advice Oâ—â—a principlis sâ—râ— mediâ—iâ—a paâ—atur Cum mala per longas invâ—luere moras to you in matters which concern Religion and the Churches Peace so as to neglect a speedy Reforming and effectual suppressing Errors and Schisms which seem at first but as an hand-breadth by seditious spirits as by strong winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heaven If you never see my Face again I do require and intreat you as your Father and your King that you never suffer your heart to receive the least check against or disaffection from the True Religion established in the Church of England I tell you I have tryed it and after ☜ much search and many disputes have concluded it to be the best in the world not only in the Community as Christian but also in the special Nation as Reformed Virtus est medium vitioâ—um utriaque relactum keeping the middle way between the pomp of superstitious Tyranny and the meanness of Fantastick Anarchy Not but that the Draught being excellent as to the main both for Doctrine and Government in the Church of England some lines as in very good figures may haply need some sweetning or polishing which might here have easily been done by a safe and gentle hand if some mens precipitancy had not violently demanded such rude Alterations as would quite have destroyed all the beauty and proportion of the whole The Scandal of the Late Troubles which some may object and urge to you against the Protestant Religion established in England is easily answer'd to them or your own Thoughts in This ☞ That scarce any one who hath been a Beginner or an active Prosecutor of This Late War against the Church the Laws and Me either was or is a True Lover Embracer or Practiser of the Protestant Religion established in England which neither gives such Rules nor ever before set such Examples T is true some heretofore had the boldness to present Threatning Petitions to their Princes and Parliaments which others of the same Faction but N. B. of worse spirits have now put in Execution c. Thus the Royal Martyr the Best of Kings and men And may we not say upon it with the Widow of Tekoah As an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad 2 Sam. xiv Sect. VI. WE are now come to the Suffrage of His present Majesty the Living Image of the Royal Martyr whom God preserve as the Reconciler well prayeth in the Contents of his Preface His present Majesty in His Dechbration Pref. p. 5. from Breda to all His loving Subjects April 4. 1660. speaks thus We do declare a Liberty to tender Consciences and that no Man shall be disquieted or call'd in question for Differences of Opinion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom and that We shall be ready to consent to such an Act of Parliament as upon mature doliberation shall be offered to Vs for the full granting that Indulgence And in His Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Octob. 25. 1660. When We were in Holland We were saith he attended by many Grave and Learned Ministers from hence who were look'd upon as the most able and principal Assertors of the Presbyterian Opinions And to Our great satisfaction We found them and I would His Majesty had always found them so in England as well as There Persons full of
Reproaches cast upon his Dear Mother the Church of England with her true Apostolick Guides and Rulers and Supreme Governour And in some things I am sure I may justly challenge his Promise both of Thanks and Retractation or expect however a better Explanation of more doubtful Passages than any that are to be found in our Common Liturgy Sed Veniam pro Laude peto FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHIEF CONTENTS Of these Animadversions SECT I. The Sum of the Reconciler's Apologies in his Preface represented P. 1. SECT II. His great Proposition laid down with a farther Declaration of what he professeth to plead for here and there expressed to his fairest Advantage with 2 or 3 Queries to be well resolved by all that will determine rightly of what he makes the Issue of it 5. SECT III. Diverse Passages noted in the Reconciler which exceed his former Bounds and Limits some tending to prove the utter Unlawfulness of imposing any Ceremonies especially significant Others slandering both our Reformation and the Defenders of it the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet more particularly 19. SECT IV. That it ought to be duly considered by how great and sacred Authority the Things excepted against by Dissenters stand established and that after the mature Examination of all their Pretences Of the Act of Uniformity primo Eliz. Of the excellent Passage of King James appealed to by the Reconciler His Judgment of these Matters more at large from the Conference at Hampton-Court and the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastick with his Ratification of the same Particularly of the Subscription required and the Moderation of our Church therein compared with that of Geneva 33 SECT V. The Words of King Charles the first the Royal Martyr and best of Kings and Men as he deservedly stiles him The Arguings from 1641 and 1660 reflected upon The Martyr's grounded Value for the Church of England and her Establishments from his Declaration presix'd to the 39 Articles and his Ratification of the Constitutions and Canons 1640. among which the 4th Canon is particularly consider'd with the Dissenters Merry-Andrews sporting about it Some other weighty Citations from the Royal Martyr's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 54. SECT VI. The pretended Suffrage of his present Majesty Some Observations about His Royal Declaration from Breda and the other of Ecclesiastical Affairs appealed to by the Reconciler with his Extatick Loyalty in the Adoration of it The Act of Uniformity in pursuance of the same 14 Car. 2. A peaceable Mind and Willingness to learn and charitable Exposition most due from Subjects to so august an Authority 67 SECT VII The Publick Apologies of the Church 〈…〉 Concerning Alterations in the Liturgy 2. Of Ceremonies why some abolished and some retained by her The Unkindness of the Reconciler in his Reflections of Unmercifulness in her Impositions c. 84 SECT VIII The Question of Ceremonies and the Impositions of them resumed Apostolick Authority and Practice for it 1 Cor. 11. accommodated hereunto and vindicated The Determinations of the Universal Church agreeable hereunto A double Instance enlarged upon from the Reconciler His Restrictions to Positive Decency considered with the Reasons offened in favour of the same An Intimation of the Danger of calling Ceremonies unnecessary in the Vulgar Notion The Opposition made to them a Step to Innovation in Civil Matters 109 SECT IX Of Kneeling at the Sacrament the only scrupled Ceremony imposed on the Laity The Reasonableness Fitness and Antiquity of it vindicated A Defect of Candor in the Reconciler noted with reference to the Church's Rubrick or Declaration about this Ceremony A modest Proposal of the Change of the Penalty to a Pecuniary Mulct for Charitable Uses A Close of the whole Dispute of Ceremonies The Reconciler's too indifferent regard for Uniformity 128 SECT X. The small Success hoped for from this Indulgence so passionately contended for All other Separatists whom the Reconciler owneth for schismatical do build upon the Principles of the first Dissenters that is the Old Non-Conformists or Puritanes Some considerable Passages out of Mr. Mason and Dr. Frank's Sermons The Matter in Issue closed with the Words of Bp. Tailer 146 SECT XI The Reconciler urged with his Promise of a Second Treatise wherein he engageth to plead as stiffly and as he reasonably enough hopes with more Conviction for Submission to the Constitutions of the Church of England which is a most undoubted Expedient for Peace With a Specimen of his excellent Abilities this way 157
ANIMADVERSIONS UPON A LATE TREATISE Entituled The Protestant Reconciler Humbly pleading for Condescention to Dissenting Brethren in things Indifferent and Unnecessary for the sake of Peace And shewing How Unreasonable it is to make such things the Necessary Conditions of Communion By a WELL-WISHER to the Churches Peace and a LAMENTER of her Sad Divisions My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. xxiv 21. Qui deliberant jam desciverunt Tacitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui spirnit modica paulatim decidet Ecclus xix 1. LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls Church-yard 1683. TO THE READER Courteous Reader THou wilt find in these Papers some publick Memorials both of Church and State which tend to maintain just and charitable Thoughts of our present Establishments and Governours with certain Considerations of no small moment to be duely weighed by all that importune or attempt a Change and may possibly evince That our Peace and Happiness dependeth rather upon a teachable Spirit and Christian Obedience and Submission in the Subject than any great Necessity of Condescension or Alterations by Authority which yet are left entirely as they ought to be to the Religious Prudence of those who are over us in the Lord to whom they properly belong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 7. 16. SOME ANIMADVERSIONS ON THE Protestant Reconciler c. SECT I. The Reconcilers Apology in his Preface GOD is my Witness what I have discoursed in these Papers is my fixed Judgement which I have taken up upon Convictions which I am not able to resist and not from any carnal Motives or any Prejudices whatsoever Yet being sensible of my own weakness and proneness to mistake in judging and most unwilling to do the least dis-service to the Church of which I am at present an unworthy Member or to those Reverend Superiours whom from my heart I honour and own as the true Apostolick Guides and Rulers of the Church which if I be mistaken in my Judgement I unwillingly may do I therefore do entreat my Brethren of the Clergy who shall peruse these Lines to do it with the exactest scrutiny and if upon perusal they do find or judge my Reasons unconcluding and that my Judgement in this Matter is not according to Truth that out of their abundant Charity they would be pleased to convince me of my Error There being nothing in the World in which I shall more heartily rejoyce than a clear Conviction that in that part of my Discourse which doth concern my ever-honour'd Superiours I have been mistaken Teach me my Reverend Brethren and I will hold my peace cause me to understand wherein I have erred and I will thankfully yea I will publickly retract it I hope I shall not be accused of Singularity or Unkindness to the Church of England Since what I plead for in this Book Ibid. p. 55 is only the Religion of my King and that which I have learn'd from his most excellent Declaration c. Since I my self do from my heart conform to all that is required by the Church of England c. Since I verily believe all separate Congregations in the Nation which are not subject to the Government of our Diocesans are schismatical and all they that do abet and head them and exercise among them a spiritual Jurisdiction independent on them do set up Altar against Altar and therefore out of pure commiseration to their souls do plead in their behalf Since I do only plead for this Condescension because I do really believe 't is for the Glory the Safety the Advantage of the Church of England and of the Protestant Religion that it will be highly instrumental for the Good of Souls and will conciliate so great Renown and Credit to our Reverend Bishops as to make future Generations rise up and call them Blessed And therefore if I have been somewhat transported beyond the measures of my Station it is pure zeal for my Religion and the Good of Souls and for the Honour Safety and Advantage of the Church of England and her Apostolical Governours which caused me to be thus transported Since I who do now humbly plead for Condescension do intend God willing to plead as stiffly and I hope with more Conviction for submission to the Constitutions of the Church of England Since lastly I am very willing and desirous to be convinced of my Error and such conviction being given to retract what I have writ on this Subject I hope what is written with all the P. 60. modesty I could and as much deference to my most honour'd Superiours as the application of the present Subject would permit I say if these things be consider'd I hope that I have given no just occasion of offence to any Member of the Church of England All this I allow of so far as it is not evidently protestatio contra factum for in that case the Reconciler himself will excuse P. 118. us from believing of men's demurest Protestations He entreats his Readers who shall peruse these Lines to do it with the exactest scrutiny and professeth wherein-soever he shall be convinced of Error not only thankfully to accept of it but publickly to retract c. SECT II. The Reconciler's Proposition laid down THat things indifferent which Ch. 1. P. 4. may be chang'd and alter'd without sin or violation of God's Laws ought not especially under our present circumstances to be imposed by our Superiours as the conditions of Communion or as conditions without which none shall minister in sacred things though call'd to that work and none shall be partakers of the publick Ordinances which Christ hath left to be the ordinary means of Grace and of Salvation to Mankind but shall upon refusal to submit to them for ever be excluded from the Church and from the Priviledges belonging to the Members of it A farther Declaration of what he means to contend for 1. He who saith that it is sinful P. 2. and mischievous to impose these unnecessary Ceremonies and to retain these disputable expressions of our Liturgie which may be alter'd and removed without transgressing the Law of God saith true 2. And he also who pleads that Separation from Communion with us on the account of these few scrupled Ceremonies and disputable expressions of our Liturgie is sinful and unreasonable as well as mischievous doth also speak the words of Truth and Soberness Or That one should not impose these P. 3. things as conditions of Communion and that the other should not when they are once imposed refuse Communion upon that account Elsewhere it is only the doing that P. 333. which the first Reformers declar'd to be lawful upon great occasions The Churches using her Liberty in matters wholly lest to her Liberty Not that the Ceremonies be abolished Ibid. or the Conformists forbid to use them but that others should be
that tend to prove the utter unlawfulness ☜ of imposing any Ceremonies especially that are insignificant without respect had to such Restrictions as he at other times propounds and such as slander our Reformation and the Defenders of it Of this nature is that Citation out of Pref. p. a. Beza's 8th Ep. to which he puts an Hand in the Margin and marks it out in distinct Letters I affirm That Men so oft do grievously sin as they do introduce into the Church of God any Sacramentals that is any Ceremonies significative of spiritual things and that all symbolical Rites should be utterly excluded from the Christian Church into which they never could rightly be introduced and I believe the Church can never be restored to her native beauty whilst they do remain Again out of the same Author As P. 26. to the Rite of Crossing though it be most Ancient I cannot see what good it doth I would by no means reckon it among things indifferent but think it less so than the brazen Serpent of Hezekias the Example of which good King in this matter that is in destroying the Idols of the Cross and Crucifixes it behoves all Christian Princes to imitate And upon this the Reconciler afterwards expostulates Why do we not rather follow the Example of good King P. 43. Hezekiah who broke the brazen Serpent and carefully removed that occasion of the Idolatry of Israel c This indeed is an Instance which the non-Conformists have all along been copious in dilating on Again from the same Epistle with another hand in the Margin They indeed P. 26. seem to me to do best of all who no less diligently than open Idolatries do abolish such things which though they are not impious of themselves yet are unnecessary and profitable for little if a man use them aright but very noxious when abused And according to this rigor of Reformation the Reconciler afterwards applies that serious Question in the Homily of the Peril of Idolatry directed there against Ch. 1. p. 31 the makers setters-up and maintainers of Images in Churches to the case of imposing our few indifferent Ceremonies How is the Charity of God or Love of our Neighbour in our hearts if when we may remove such dangerous stumbling-blocks to the weak and simple people we will not remove them c. Again out of Mr. Baxter It is a Cruelty next to Diabolical to lay before men an occasion for their damnation for nothing p. 327. Again from the same Author Beza still Pref. p. 27. If the Apostle did rightly chide the Galatians that they having begun in the Spirit fell back unto the Flesh with how much greater reason may this be said of you of England if when you have begun in the Spirit you fall back not as they to the Flesh that is unto the Coremonies of Moses but to the Trifles and Refuse of humane Traditions which God forbid Which Things should they once happen they would most certainly be the beginnings of much greater Calamities Ibid. than what you have yet felt The truth of which Prediction saith the Reconciler we have found by woful ☞ experience Laying the Load of all our great Calamities upon this Imposition Then he cites Zanchius his vehement Declamation against the Surplice to Queen Elizabeth upon the mis-Information given him by some male-contented Brethren P. 28. The fire of Contention about certain Garments is now again to the incredible offence of the Godly as it were raised from Hell and kindled afresh in your Majesties Kingdom and that the occasion of the Fire is because your most Gracious Majesty being perswaded by some otherwise great men and carried with a zeal but certainly not according to knowledge to retain Unity in Religion hath now more than ever resolv'd and decreed yea doth Will and Command that all Bishops and Ministers of the Churches here we have an Hand in the Margin shall in Divine Service put on the white linnen Garments which the Popish Priests use now in Popery Yea it is to be feared that the Fire is so kindled and casts its Flame so far and wide that all the Churches of that most large and mighty Kingdom to the perpetual disgrace of your most Renowned Majesty will be set on a flaming Fire Here the Reconciler ☜ inserts Oh true Prophet Though never Prince reigned with greater Quiet Security and Honour Seeing the most part of the Bishops men greatly renowned for all kind of Learning and Godliness had rather leave their Office and Place in the Church than against their own Conscience admit of such Garments And upon this the Reconciler bestows a N. B. thought it be in truth an evil Note and false Suggestion concerning the most part of the Bishops for we read of but one Bishop Hooper by Name who also though he for some time stood it out yet upon long Conference at last reformed himself and yielded to the publick judgment of the Church Of the same nature is that other rash assertion of Zanchius It is out of all doubt P. 30. that by This Law concerning Apparel all Godly men will be offended And as vain was the Fear of the Return of Popery by This means which he so Rhetoricates upon Methinks I see P. 31. and hear the Monks crying out with loud voices in the Pulpits both confirming their followers in their ungodly Religion by the Example of your Majesty and also saying What doth not the Queen of England also a most learned and prudent Princess begin by little and little to come back to the Church of Rome The holy Vestments of our Clergy being again received we are in good hope the day will come wherein she will at length recal all the other Rites and Sacraments of the holy Church of Rome Then upon the Instance of the brazen Serpent before mentioned taken away by godly King Ezekias he assumes How much more then are those unclean P. 32. Garments to be banished out of the Church of God seeing the Apostles never used them but the Whore of Rome hath used them in her Idolatrous Worship and to seduce men Again which the Reconciler marks out in distinct Characters All men know that the most part of all the Churches Ibid. who have fallen from the Bishop of Rome for the Gospel's sake do not only want but also abhor these Garments The contrary to which is to be seen in ☞ the learned Mr. Durel's View of the Government and publick Worship of God in the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas wherein is shewed their Conformity and Agreement with the Church of England as it is established by the Act of Uniformity Next I challenge that passage from Mr. Baxter's Dispute of Humane Ceremonies P. 45. which the Reconciler thus introduceth 'T is shrewdly argued by Mr. Baxter This seems to be coming after Christ to amend his Laws and make better Laws and Ordinances for his Church
P. 37. were earnestly press'd to it by their Dissenting Brethren and had Authority to do it but they refused it and seemed rather resolved to break all in pieces and hazard our Religion and let these sad effects of our Divisions still continue than to abate their Rigor in imposing what they may lawfully alter or abolish I fear that the impartial Judge may reckon them Uncharitable P. 132 133 who by imposing of such Ceremonies do prejudice the Churches Peace and Unity and the eternal Interests of their weak Brethren without any proportionable advantage to their own or to the Churches welfare and are so far from lending them thier hands and lifting of them up that they trip up their heels and make them fall Can they joy in the spiritual proficiency of Souls or be ready to P. 189. supply their spiritual necessities who rather will that many Myriads should be excluded from the means of Grace than that one of their Ceremonies should be left indifferent or that a few Expressions in their Liturgie should be changed do still resolve to lay These Snares Ibid. and Gall-Traps in their way And Oh! that men would serously consider whether those Laws which hinder so many from coming to the service of God and 215. minister not to the Edification but destruction of so many Souls do well comply with Charity and Edification be not the Laws of Tyrants not of spiritual Fathers These are the words immediately precedent Such Laws of Burthen as make the willing to be Slaves and tempt the unwilling to rebel Ibid. for so he accomodates Bishop Tailor's words a little after With a great many other Reflections up and down his Book to a like purpose which I shall not transcribe When alas after all These Impeachments the Accusation upon a sober pause comes to no more than This That the fore-named Mischiefs do accidentally arise from the Churches Impositions as they may do even from the best of Laws by the frowardness and contumacy of disobedient Subjects See p. 67. It is of Concernment I think for him who professeth himself most unwilling to do the least disservice to the Church of which he is a Member or to those Reverend Superiours whom from his heart he honours and owns as the true Apostolick Guides and Rulers of it once and again to examine whether in These Sallies of his Zeal or Passion he have not been more than a little transported beyond the measures of his Station He should have cooled his intemperate Heats by considering that the Arguments are not new which he offers but such as have frequently time after time been alledged in the same Case and such as the Governours of the Church sufficiently have declared to have been before their eyes He should have been so sensible of his own weakness and proneness to mistake in judging as to have communicated These Papers first to them before he ventur'd them abroad among the people to expose the Honour and Authority of his Reverend Fathers and Dear Mother and that in open View He should at least have so managed his Arguments as not to have misdoubted their ability to judge and conclude from them or tainted their Reputation in the Application of them And thus much I do represent unto his second Thoughts with all Candor being fully perswaded that he hath not offended of malicious wickedness Sect. VIII I Will now resume a little the Question of Ceremonies the Imposition of them The Church as we have seen pleads for her general Warrant Let all things be done among you in a seemly and due Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently and according to order And the Apostle St. Paul whose Canon this was himself practised according to it He gave out Ordinances of this nature to the Corinthians * Quum genuisset illam Ecclesiam Domino certam Politiam tradiderat qua gubernaretur Calv. in loc and praiseth them who kept the same 1 Cor. 11. 11. And hereunto we must as I conceive refer that First Disorder which he there undertakes to correct among them for the Men to be Covered and the Women Uncovered in the time of Divine Service The Apostle doth evidently there preseribe the contrary and that as a significant Ceremony too the Man to be uncovered to express both his Subjection to Christ alone and Authority over the Woman the Woman to have a Covering on her Head to express her Subjection to her Husband or Inferiority unto Man The Covering or Veil was a sign of that Power under which the Woman was and thence called by a Metonymy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Castalio tells us that he had this Exposition from a certain Italian Things that are base and vitious ought to be covered and on the other side such as are comely and perfect to be uncovered and shown Now therefore if the Man prayeth with his Head covered he intimates a defect in his Head worthy to be hidden But Christ is the Head of the Man who is without all fault The Head of the Man therefore saith he ought to be uncovered hereby to shew forth the perfection of Christ who is his Head But the Head of the Woman is the Man who seeing he is defective and vitious the Woman in confession of this his imperfection is to cover her Head But this may seem too much strained and fanciful since the Apostle recommends the Covering or Veil to the Woman not to argue the Defect but the Authority and Preheminence of the Man I rather think with the learned Cappellus That this Apostolical Prescript or Canon of good Order was founded upon some civil custom then obtaining among the Corinthians and elsewhere from whence he concludes that according to the difference of several Countries such an Habit and Deportment is to be used in Divine Service which is commonly used to express Reverence and Decency in conversation The Reconciler to evade the conviction of this Instance saith This Practice is reproved by the Apostle as that whereby they dishonoured P. 310. their Heads vers 4 5. That which the Man ought not to do because he was the Image of God v. 7. That which the Woman ought not to do because of the Angels v. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Indecency of this practice was that which every one might judg of v. 13. and that even Nature taught saith the Apostle The practice therefore here reproved was no indifferent thing To which I answer That there was undoubtedly a great Decency in the thing signified that Men and Women should respectively own the difference of their Sexes and demean themselves agreeably thereunto but this particular sign expressive thereof by the Man's being uncovered and the Woman covered could only be topical and according to the custom of that Countrey which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here questionless denotes the custom of every place being as a second Nature to the Inhabitants And therefore the Rite was in it self
these scrupled Ceremonies and they have perfect demonstration for the Truth of that Denial for necessarium est quod non potest aliter se habere That only is necessary to be done which cannot be left undone That only necessary to be determined in order to the Performance of an Action without which the Action cannot be done or at least not well done The Result of this Discourse in my NB. thoughts is but this great Absurdity That Magistrates Civil and Sacred may do that only without Sin which they must do of necessary Duty And I shall not stay to make further Remarks upon it Only let the People note that when ☞ we speak of Ceremonies as indifferent and unnecessary in themselves consider'd we do not mean as the Reconciler and the Dissenters commonly represent them Trifles and needless Things but such as the Divine Law hath not laid any particular Restraint of Necessity upon by its Commands or Prohibitions but left to be freely determined by our own Prudence or the publick Authority And that which is not necessary by a Divine Command may yet have other Necessities or high Conveniences which are next of kin thereunto to recommend it It may be necessary to do the Action with greater Order and Solemnity and Uniformity c. It is well noted by a Reverend Person Dr. Frank. serm at St. Paul's Cross in the Obedience of the Rechabites to their Fathers Commands not only universally to all of them but omnino prout according unto all in every circumstance You find this Requisite in your several Corporations saith he where the omission of a Punctilio draws after it intolerable Defaults The Hedg is easily press'd through where but one Bush is wound aside And the Breach of one Circumstance is but the disposition to another Things that in themselves seem of no considerable moment within a while appear considerable by the neglect as the Error that appears not at the first declining Line of the Workman a while after manifests an irrecoverable Deformity According to all That 's the surest Rule to go by you know it your selves in your own Corporations you know it in your own Families if you know any thing Give an Inch and they will take an Ell is your own Proverb and cannot you judg as equally for the Church c. There is no end of those Questions what is Decent what is Necessary if we quit the publick Standard and Determinations One saith Episcopacy is not necessary Another Common-Prayer it self or any Prescribed Form is not necessary Another saith It is not necessary that we have any Creed but the Bible Another that a National or Parochial Church it self is not necessary Another that Infant-Baptism is not necessary Another that Material Churches or Temples are not necessary Another that Holy Daies and Stated Fasts are not necessary Another that Tithes are not necessary c. One can be well enough without this Another without that And some without all 'T is worthily observ'd elsewhere by the Reconciler that the Apostle doth in P. 303. the space of seven Verses thrice repeat the Command that every Man abide in that Calling to which he was called at least so far as not to desert it under pretence of Christianity quippe quod in co plurimum situm est as being an Admonition of great moment to prevent that invidious Accusation which was laid on the Christian Doctrine that it did innovate in Civil Matters and tended to dissolve the Relation betwixt Man and Wise Masters and Servants The Opposition which is made against our established Ceremonies hath I fear too great a tendence this way to innovate in Civil Matters upon the pretences of Christianity and therefore it may be of no small moment to give some Admonition against it For to say nothing of the Ring in Marriage which is now I perceive well enough digested is not the significant Ceremony of a corporal Oath to lay the Hand on the Book and afterwards to kiss it ☜ every way as exceptionable as the Cross in Baptism Is not Swearing a Religious Act Is not that Ceremony as Symbolical and in it self as indifferent Is it not commanded on a severe Penalty No Right at Law no Justice administred without it no Priviledg of the Subject without so taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy c. Then may not the Robes of Judges and the Liveries of Companies and the Habits of Universities and Inns of Court the Corner'd Cap and Hoods c. be as reasonably challeng'd as the Surplice Then for Kneeling no Scruple ought to be made of that when it is remembred that we use it towards our Parents and our Princes and that as a Gesture properly expressive of Reverence to Superiours SECT IX BUt because Kneeling at the Receiving of the Lord's Supper is the only imposed Ceremony that the Laity are concerned in I will stop a while more particularly to consider of it Seeing these Ceremonies chiefly debarr P. 330. the Laity from full Communion with us by leaving of these things indifferent their Mouths must be entirely stop'd And if we gain the Laity 't is not improbable that many of their Preachers and the Ring-leaders of the Schism would quickly follow These Ceremonies which he speaks so tragically os as debarring the Laity dwindle at last into this one Ceremony of Kneeling as the Sacrament Now concerning this Gesture it self there can be no possible Scruple for it is particularly expressive of Reverence and under the Recommendation of a general Drome Precept or Exhortation O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker And of Christ it is foretold That every Knee shall bow unto him And this is a peculiar part of that Honour whereto God hath highly exalted him in this sort to be worshipp'd and acknowledg'd in the World Phil. 2. 10. But that no Divine Honour is hereby given or intended to be given to the Sacramental Elements or any Corporeal Presence of Christ in them will be evident from the solemn Declaration of the Church which we shall produce afterwards The only Doubt in the Accomodation of it to the Act of Receiving is that it seems to be a Variation from the first Copy of our blessed Saviour's Administring to his Apostles Now as to that it deserves to be considered that so are the two other Postures pleaded for in competition with it Standing or Sitting More particularly 1. 'T is certain the Jews did vary in After-Ages from the first Gesture appointed to the Passover Exod. 12. 11. Thus shall ye eat of it with your Loins girded your Shoes on your Feet and your Staff in your Hand and ye shall eat it in haste It is the Lord 's Pass-over Whereas afterwards it came in their Setled State to a Discumbency or Lying along upon Beds which is still used in the Eastern Countries And this our blessed Saviour and his Apostles freely complied with 2. 'T is