Church by Baptism nor can be by meer Cohabitation even so they never were by their own Consent either expresly or interpretatively They never held Communion with the Church of England in all Ordinances were never confirm'd by the Bishops nor ever did participate of the Lord's Supper and therefore I think it cannot be truly said That they Separate How can they cease that Communion which they never had For which reason to prove these Schismatical Separatists who never separated from the Church seems an Impossibility Surely their exercise of that Right and Power with which they are invested as Christians in chosing their own Pastor cannot be an Act Schismatical By this 't is manifest That those who never expresly nor implicitly consenting to hold communion with any Parish-Church in all Ordinances were never actually obliged to hold Communion with such particular Parishes and consequently their forbearing such Communion or their Assembling in places distant from the Parish Church cannot be a Separation and if not a Separation it cannot be a Schism Thus the Reader may easily perceive how necessary 't is that the Conformists prove that those Dissenters who now meet in Assemblies locally distant from the Parish Churches were once Members and under an Obligation of holding external Communion with the Parish Churches if they will prove 'em Separatists Furthermore they must prove 2. That this people do ordinarily Separate themselves from the external Communion of their Parish Church For seeing the Sin of Schism consists in causeless Separation there must be a Separation or there can be no causeless Separation that is there can be no Schism but how the Conformist can prove a Separation any otherwise than by insisting on the people's not holding Communion in the same manner or same place with the Church is difficult to suppose And if they take either of their ways without the Addition of some other Consideration they must either make many of their own Meetings Separate which are in places locally distant from the Parish Church where their Modes of Administration are different or clear many Dissenters from the Reproach of Separation what do they think of such Meetings in which the Common Prayer is read are they Separate and Schismatical But after they have prov'd both these they cannot prove all Dissenters Schismatical unless they can also evince 3. That the Separation is Causeless and Sinful But how they can prove that those who if they separate do so on no other Account than that they may forsake Sin is a point worthy of Consideration If there be any sinful Imposition made the term of Communion 't is sufficient to justifie the Separation of those who withdraw themselves from the external Communion of that Church If a Church that is sound in the Doctrine of Religion though it detests an Idolatrous Worship yet if it make the least Sin the Term of Communion whereby the people cannnot have Communion with that Church but by a deliberate committing that Sin Separation from the Communion of this Church is justifiable For whatever some may suggest we must not commit the least Sin that good may come thereof To insist then so much on the Peace and Vnity of the Church as if it were a Good for the Obtaining which we might venture on a little Sin is a Notion of a very dangerous Tendency giving too great Countenance to a Doctrine of the Papists whereby they justifie all their Villanies A Little evil say they may be done for the Obtaining a great Good for instance The Salvation of the many Souls in Three Kingdoms is a great a very great Good the Killing One Two or Three Hereticks in order thereunto at most is but a little evil which may be done for so great a good Moreover this justifies all their Officious Lying and Equivocating they tell a Lye that some great good may come thereof But this is so contrary to the pure Nature of a Holy God and his Holy Good and Just Command that whoever will indulge himself in a practical embraceing such a Notion doth but prepare the greater Damnation for his own Soul God is a great God and the least Sin being an Offence to his Dread Majesty cannot knowingly with deliberation and allowance be committed but the person that does it exposeth himself to Divine Indignation who ever breaketh the least of these my Commands says Christ Matth. 5. 19. is in danger of loosing Heaven for though a man keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all James 2. 10. We must not speak nor act wickedly for God he is not glorified by Mans lye and therefore Wo unto them that will do evil that good may come thereof Rom. 3. 8. If the least sin be made the Term of Communion no Consideration of Peace and Vnity or of Obedience to the Magistrate can excuse those from guilt that will venture on that sin Whence 't is evident That all those who by the Reasons insisted on in this Treatise are fully convinc'd That somewhat sinful is imposed as a Term of Communion with the Church of England they do but discharge their Duty and keep a good Conscience in separating and yet by separation do not accuse the Church as if she had been no true Church or as if Salvation could not by others be had in it A Church that is sound in the Faith that 't is a true Church in a Theological Sense being lyable to Error may even while Sound in the great things of Religion impose some Error as a Term of Communion from which those who are convinc'd of the Sin must separate A sound Church in the great things may err in lesser matters and may Impose Assent and Consent unto that Error as a Term of Communion with the which these Dissenters durst not comply but seeing they cannot have Communion on easier Terms must separate There is a great Difference between the Errors or Corruptions of a Church which are made Terms of Communion and those which are not 'T is not to be question'd but that a man may joyn with a Church that is less pure than another even with a Church that hath several Spots in it or he must joyn with none and may be under an Obligation of continuing with that Church although he may go elsewhere and be better edifyed otherwise there being variety of Gifts those who are more eminent than the rest among the Ministery must have most of the people round when other honest though not so able Preachers have few or none However if they make the least Spot or Impurity a Term of Communion he dares not comply As long as he may may continue Communion without being made a partaker of the impurities as in many instances he may he must not separate but when they impose their corruptions as Termes of Communion so that he cannot have Communion but by complying with the corruption he must not sin for the sake of Communion nor on any
Principles which lead to it and must this poor pack of Cards be condemn'd to the Flames for the Ingenuity of the Author So far our Author Who should have said and may not this pack of Cards so like unto other humane significant Ceremonies or Sacramentals be appropriated unto the solemn Worship of God May not the Minister and People in the midst of solemn VVorship apply themselves to those Cards seeing they in their play turning 'em frequently over may be excited to an utter abhorrence of Treason and whether any sober Divine of the Church of England would so far approve of the appropriating this indifferent but significant Ceremony namely this pack of Cards to their solemn Religious VVorship is not difficult to determine To return to what Mr. Bradshaw adds who speaking of the above mention'd Ceremonies saies There is none of these but may have applyed unto them by the VVit of Man a Mystical and Religious Sense even the filthiest Actions and things that are may teach good Doctrine The Holy Ghost resembleth the Soul polluted with Sin to a Menstruous Cloth A man fallen again into Sin to a Sow wallowing in the Mire Might therefore a filthy Sow and such unclean Clothes be brought into the Church to be visible Shadows and representations of such things Pray what may not by this means be brought into Gods VVorship and yet by this reason he defended to be a good Ceremony if the Magistrates and Bishops should decree the same A Minister clothed with such Apparel as those that Act the Devils part in a play may teach this That by Nature we are Limbs of Satan and Fire-brands of Hell Bear-baiting may teach us how Christ was baited before the Tribunals of the Pharisees or the Combate between the Flesh and the Spirit But shall these be therefore appropriated to God's Worship Thus no good Argument may be fetch'd either from the indifferency or significancy of Ceremonies for their lawfulness in God's worship though commanded by the Magistrate For notwithstanding the utmost can be said from either of these Topicks there will not as Dissenters think be enough to ballance what is offer'd against the lawfulness of the Ceremonies or of a complyance with 'em in God's Worship On the which I have the rather insisted because the hot Sons of the Church by adheering over zealously to significant Ceremonies which are considered because of their being in their own nature indifferent as very harmless do but open the way to the letting in an over-running flood of Popish Ceremonies against which the Zealots for Ceremonies have nothing to offer because the Ceremonies they impose are in their own nature indifferent and very significant instructive of good Doctrine stirring up the peoples dull minds to their duty and enjoyned by publick Authority but of this more in the reasons against the appropriating humane significant Ceremonies to the worship of God The which I 'll give the Reader out of the Abridgment the Authors of which assert them to be unlawfull because 1. The Second Commandment forbids us to make to our selves the likeness of any thing whatsoever for Religious use And so is this Commandment understood by Bucer Virell Dr. Fulk and others 2. Christ is the only Teacher of his Church and appointer of all means whereby we should be taught and admonished of any Holy Duty and whatsoever he hath thought good to teach his Church and the means whereby he hath perfectly set down in the Holy Scriptures so that to acknowledge any other means of teaching and Admonishing us of our duty than such as he hath appointed is to receive another Teacher into the Church besides him and to confess some imperfection in those Means he hath ordained to teach us by Our Saviour by this Argument amongst others Condemns the Jewish purifyings and and Justifieth himself and his Disciples in refusing that Ceremony because being the precept of men it was taught and used as a Doctrine by way of signification to teach what inward purity should be in them and how they ought to be cleansed from the pollutions of the Heathen And so we find this place interpreted by Chrysostom whose Judgment also is alleadged and approved by Dr. Whitaker the Church of Wittemberge Calvin Virell Zeipperus Dr. Fulke Dr. Reinolds and others This Reason we find alleadged by such Divines as have been of chief credit in the Church of Christ namely Mr. Calvin Chemnitius Lavater Dr. Fulke and others So to them that say Images may stand in Churches as helps to stir up Devotion and to put Men in remembrance of good things It is answered by Peter Martyr Gualier Lavater Vrsinus Polanus and others that the Lord himself hath appointed means enough to do that and that no means may be used to that end but such as he hath Ordained So the Churches of France and Flanders in their Observations upon the harmony of Confessions gives this Reason against all Mystical Ceremonies that they are parts of the Holy Doctrine and Dr. Andrews alleadgeth this for the first Root of all Superstition and Idolatry that men thought they would never have admonitions and helps enough to stir them up to VVorship God yet God saith he had given four means viz. The Word written the Word Preached the Sacraments and the great Book of the Creatures 3. This gives unto Ceremonies a chief part of the Nature of Sacraments when they are appointed to teach or Admonish us by their Signification This is affirmed and given as a reason against Significant Ceremonies by Augustine the Churches of France and Flanders in their Observations upon the harmony of Confessions Calvin Martyr Beza Sadcel Danaeus Zepperus Polanus Bishop Jewel Dr. Humfry and others 4. In the time of the Law when God saw it good to teach his Church by significant Ceremonies none might be brought into or received in the Worship of God but such only as the Lord himself did institute This reason is used against the Popish Ceremonies by â—alvin Junius Lubbertus and others 5. It is much less lawful for man to bring significant Ceremonies into Gods Worship now than it was Under the Law For God hath abrogated his own not only those that were appointed to prefigure Christ but such also as served by their signification to teach moral Duties so as now without great Sin none of them can be continued in the Church no not for signification Of this Judgment were the Fathers in the Councel of Nice and Austin Martyr Bullinger Lavater Hospinian Piscator Cooper Bishop Westphaling and others And if those Ceremonies that God himself ordained to teach his Church by their signification may not now be used much less may those which man hath devised This Reason our Divines hold to be strong against Popish Ceremonies namely Calvin Bullinger Hospinian Arcularius Virell Dr. Bilson Dr. Rainolds Dr. Willet and others Yea this is one main Difference which God hath put between the State of that Church under the Law and this
Officers as Chancellors Commissaries Arch-Deacons and such like whose Offices are of more value and profit by such kind of proceedings might in such sort proceed against the Ministers of the Church yet your Lordship the Arch-Bishop of that Province of Canterbury have beside your general authority some particular interest in the present jurisdiction of sundry Bishopricks vacant and you also the Bishop of London both for your own authority in your Diocess and as head Commissioner Ecclesiastical would have a Pastoral regard over the particular Officers to stay and temperate them in their hasty proceedings against the Ministers and especially against such as do carnestly profess and instruct the people against the dangerous Sects of Papistry but yet of late hearing of the lamentable estate of the Church in the County of Essex that is of a great number of zealous and learned Preachers they are suspended from their cures the vacancy of the place for the most part without any Ministry or Preaching Prayers and Sacraments and in some places of certain appointed to those void roomes being persons neither of learning nor of good names and in other places of that County a great number of persons occupying the cures being notoriously unfit most for lack of learning many charg'd or chargable with great and enormions faults as drunkenness filthiness of Life Gamesters at Cardes hunting of Alehouses and such like against whom we hear not of any proceedings but that they are quietly suffered to the slander of the Church to the offence of good people yea to the famishing of them for lack of good teaching and thereby dangerous to the subverting of many weaklins from their duties to God and the Queens Majesty by secret Jesuites and counterfeit Papists and having thus in a general sort heard out of many partes of the like of this lamentable Estate of the Church yet to the intent we should not be deceived in the generality of the reports we sought to be informed c. Numb 4. A Letter from the Lord Treasurer to the Arch-bishop July 5. 1584. IT may please your Grace I am sorry to trouble you so often as I do but I am more troubled my self not only with many private Petitions of sundry Ministers recommended for persons of credit for peaceable persons in their Ministry and yet by complaints to your Grace and other your Collegues in commission greatly troubled but also I am daily now charged by Councellors and publique persons to neglect my duty in not staying these your Graces proceedings so vehement and so general against Ministers and Preachers as the Papists thereby are greatly encouraged all evil disposed persons and subjects animated and thereby the Queen's Majesties safety endangered with these kinds of Arguments I am daily assailed against which I answer that I think your Grace doth nothing but being duely examined tendeth to the maintenance of the Religion now Established and to avoid Schism in the Church I also have for example shewd your papers sent to me how fully the Church is furnish'd with Preachers and how small a number there are that do contend for their singularity but these occasions do not satisfie all persons neither do I seek to satisfie all persons but with Reason and Truth But now my good Lord by chance I have come to the sight of an Instrument of 24 Articles of great length and curiosity formed in a Romish Stile to examine all manner of Ministers in this time without distinction of persons which Articles are Entituled apud Lambeth May 1584 to be executed ex officio mero c. and upon this occasion I have seen them I did recommend unto your Graces favour two Ministers Curates of Cambridge-shire to be favourably heard and your Grace wrote to me that they were contentious seditious and persons vagrant to maintain this controversie wherewith I charg'd them sharply and they both deny'd these charges and requir'd to be tryed and so to receive punishment I answered that your Grace would so charge them and then I should see afterwards what they should deserve and advis'd them to resort to your Grace comforting them that they should find favourable proceedings and so I hoped upon my former commendations the rather What may be said to them I know not nor whether they have been so faulty as your Grace have been inform'd neither do I mean to treat for to favour such men for pardon I may speak upon their amendment but now they coming to me I asked how your Grace proceeded with them they say they are commanded to be examined by the Register of London and I asked them whereof they said of a great number of Articles but they could have no copies of them I answer'd that they might answer to the truth they said that they were so many in number and so diverse that they were afraid to answer to them for fear of captious interpretation upon this I sent for the Register who brought me the Articles which I have read and find so curiously penn'd so full of branches and circumstances and I think the Inquisitors of Spain use not so many questions to comprehend and to trap their preyes I know your Canonists can defend these with all their particles but surely under your Graces correction this Juridical and Canonical sifting of poor Ministers is not to edifie and reform and in charity I think they ought not to answer to all these nice points except they were very notorious Offenders in Papistry or Heresie Now good my Lord bear with my scribling I write with the Testimony of a good Conscience I desire the peace of the Church I desire concord and unity in the exercise of our Religion I fear no sensual wilfull recusant but I conclude that according to my simple judgment this kind of proceeding is too much savouring the Romish Inquisition and is rather a device to seek for Ossenders than to reform any This was not that charitable instruction that I thought was intended If these poor Ministers should in some few points have any scrupulous conceptions meet to be removed this is not a charitable way to send them to answer to your common Register upon so many Articles at one instant without commodity of instruction by your Register whose office is only to receive their answers by which the parties are first subject to condemnation before they be taught their errors It may be that I say that Canonists may maintain this proceeding by Rules of their Lawes but though omnia liceâ—t omnia non expediunt I pray your Grace bear this one perchance a fault that I have willed them not to answer these Articles except their Consciences may suffer them And yet I have sharply admonished them that if they be disturbers in their Churches they must be corrected and yet upon your Graces answer to me ne sutor ultra erepidam neither will I put falcem in alterius messem My paper teaches me to make an end Your Graces at command William Burleigh
English Liturgy was drawn up for the Ministers help in prayer a Book of Homilies was prepar'd to be read instead of preaching unto both which at first all such as had not a License were equally oblig'd But though a stinted form of preaching be in it self lawfull doth it therefore follow that 't is always expedient The like may be said of a form of prayer 3. That about things lawfull that is about such things as are in their own nature indifferent enquiry must be made after their expediency or inexpediency pro hic nunc For many things which are in Thesi lawfull are yet in Hypothesi because of their inexpediency sinfull To eat flesh is in it self lawfull but to eat flesh offer'd unto Idols when another acquaints thee with it is inexpedient and therefore sinfull There are many things that are lawfull which because they edifie not but offend and grieve such for whom Christ dyed are inexpedient yea as so circumstantiated are unlawfull and cannot without sins be complyed with The Apostle Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and Corinthians doth somewhat amply treat of this point where he sayes that though all things are lawfull yet all things are not expedient that is as the Apostle himself explains it all things edifie not All things i. e. all indifferent things are lawfull but not at all times in every circumstance for God's glory and therefore not expedient In the exercise of our liberty about things indifferent if we will follow the Apostle Paul we must take heed that we do nothing that affords grief or proves a stumbling block to those for whom Christ dyed but must endeavour that all things be to the Glory of God and the edification of Souls This is evident from Rom. 14. and 1 Cor. 10. If then the Ordinary Lord's dayes Service be in it self lawfull and indifferent yet if it's use be a grief and a stumbling block to those for whom Christ dyed no way conducive to God's glory nor the peoples edification its use is so very inexpedient as to become unlawfull yea sinfull unto such as know so much the which inexpediency remains notwithstanding any Humane Law to the contrary For when the case is as here stated the word of God shews it to be inexpedient and therefore cannot be altered by any law of man That the Lord's dayes Service though in it self lawfull is in its use inexpedient Some may argue thus namely It becomes all good Christians to mind the Peace and Edification of those Churches where they live and unto this we ought to have a special regard in the exercise of our liberty about things indifferent There is a manifest division among Protestants in this Kingdom the which hath prov'd very pernicious unto the Protestant Religion and if encreased cannot but be much more mischievous and therefore all men must take heed that in the use of their liberty they do not what necessarily tends to the multiplying divisions If we cannot Unite the Conformist and Non-conformist we must do all that lawfully we can to fix an Union between Conformist and Conformist yea and between Non-conformist and Non-conformist This every judicious and sober Christian will I presume grant from which concession 't is thus argued even from the supposition of the lawfulness of the Lord's day Service against the expediency of its use pro hic nunc If a Non conformist's using this service dothnot contribute any thing towards an Vnion with the Conformist but tends to the dividing the Non-conformist though the service be in it self lawfull yet its use is not expedient But a Non-conformists using this Service doth not contribute any thing towards an Union with the Conformist As Mr. Read's experience does evince for sayes he in his case Though we yield as far as we can in things lawfull there is no Vnion no Peace nor Agreement to be had with such men but tends to the dividing of the Non-conformists as is most manifest to any that will but deliberately consider the general practice of the Dissenting Brethren Therefore the use of the Lord's dayes Service pro hic nunc highly inexpedient and not to be done The multiplying divisions among good Protestants cannot be for God's glory nor for the edification of the people but has been and still is a stumbling block unto some and great grief unto others for whom Christ dyed and therefore a man should rather suffer than use it 'T is quaeryed by some whether or no the generality of Non-conformists do esteem the use of the ordinary Lord's dayes Service expedient In answer unto which I may safely assert that the generality of the Non-Conformists do at least consider the Conforming unto the Lord's dayes Service so very inexpedient that they cannot Conscientiously comply with it This is manifest from their avowed Principles and Practises 1. Their Principle is that in matters of Religion whatever is in it self lawfull and pro hic nunc expedient is their Duty The expediency of a lawfull thing makes it Duty It has therefore been the Conscientious endeavour of Non-conformists to find out the expediency of those things which are lawfull i. e. whether the use thereof is for God's glory and the edification of the people and they judge themselves bound in Conscience to do whatever lawfully they may to the end God may be glorified and the edification of immortal souls advanced 2. The Practice of the Non-conformists hath been by this Rule as they dare not do what is to God's dishonour so they are afraid to omit what will be for God's glory and for edification Their being turn'd out of their places to the impoverishing the families of some the great prejudice of all does evince they cannot venture on the doing what is to God's dishonour Their greivous sufferings on the account of their publique meetings do as manifestly demonstrate that they are afraid to omit what is for God's glory and the edification of the people To thefe considerations add that if these Conscientious Non-conformists had been convinced that the use of the ordinary Lord's dayes Service had been both lawfull and expedient that is had been for Gods glory and the people's good would they have lived so many a year in the neglect and omission of so excellent a duty What do they make conscience of one duty but no conscience of another Surely I cannot believe it For this reason I think my self oblig'd to conclude that the true reason why the generality of the Non-conforming Ministers who do not use this Service is because they think it inexpedient they believe it is not for Gods glory nor for edification they fear that should they use it they should dishonour God and be a scandal and grief to many for whom Christ dyed But II. There are others who consider the particular forms of worship appointed in the Liturgy for the ordinary Lords dayes service to be unlawfull of this opinion are some Presbyterians the Congregational generally and
of Prayer will admit every Prayer we make must be according to this Command of Christ But will any say That the meaning is when ever you pray repeat the very words and Syllables of the Lords Prayer Let not one Prayer be made without the Repetition of this Prayer If so then whereas now the Lords Prayer is repeated in the Church six or eight times some Mornings it should be so Twenty or Thirty even at the end of every Collect or other short Prayer This none will assert which is enough to shew that none do understand the words of Luke when you pray say to be in this sense namely when ever you pray repeat these words and Syllables for none do it none of the Church of England nor among the Papists The true sense then of those words in Luke is more fully given us in Mathew when you pray say after this manner that is The Lords Prayer is given as a Form a Rule a Directory of our Prayers A Rule to be prayed by which Rule is transgressed by such who when they pray will cut their Prayers into many shreds and pieces The Lord Christs Prayer was but One continued Prayer all its parts most admirably connected he did not say Our Father and teach his Disciples to add Which art in Heaven This is enough to evince that the Common Prayer Book is not according to the Rule of Christ and that although according to the Rubrick a part of the Lords Prayer is so frequently rehears'd in one Morning as if the rehearsing several Pater nosters was ex opere Operato sufficient to procure the pardon of Sin yet the Dissenters who do pray unto him unto whom they are directed by the Lords Prayer for such things as are more generally contain'd in it keeping as near as they can to the same Method do not only keep more close to the command of Christ in Luke but moreover set an higher value on the Lords Prayer than these Conformists who by keeping to the Rubrick at most do make it but the end of some of their Prayers But to return from this necessary Digression to what is farther insisted on by the aforesaid Commissioners p. 62. 'T is said But if we may according to the Common Prayer Book begin and end and seem to withdraw again and make a Prayer of every Petition or two and begin every such Petition with God's name and Christ's merits as making up half the Form or near Nothing is an affected empty tossing of God's name in Prayer if this be not we are perswaded if you should hear a man in a known ex tempore Prayer do thus it would seem strange and harsh even to your selves This being so there are some among the Dissenters who considering how jealous God is in matters of his worship how pure and how holy are afraid to draw near to God in this disorderly and confused manner when they have the opportunity of addressing themselves to the Throne of Grace in a way more agreeable to his Holy and most Blessed Will When they have a Male in their Flock they are afraid to offer a corrupt thing least they thereby expose themselves to that curse in Mal. 1. 14. If they should make their approaches in this disorderly manner unto God will he not say offer it now unto thy Governours will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person Argument V. In the Abridgment an Argument against the Ceremonies to which those who joyn with the Church of England must shew their approbation is fetch'd from the mystical significancy of 'em thus All humane Ceremonies say they being appropriated to God's Service if they be ordain'd to teach any Spiritual Duty by their mystical signification are unlawfull That this Argument may appear in its fuller strength 't will be requisite to consider the nature of Religious Worship as well as a Religious Ceremony and to make some enquiry after the power man has given him to appropriate Humane Ceremonies to God's worship 1. whoever will consult the Learned of most perswasions will find 'em to agree in the general about the nature of external worship and a Ceremony of Religion Dr. Covel a great asserter of the English Ceremonies in his modest and reasonable examination c. Chap. 6. has very handsomely given the sense of the Church of England in Bellarmine's words as neer as an English Translation can well be to a Latine Original Whoever will but compare Bellarmine's 29th Chapter de effectu Sacramentorum with what Dr. Covel has in his 6 chap. will find the agreement to be almost verbatim Ceremonia sayes Bellarmine est actus externus Religionis qui non aliunde habet laudem nisi quia fit ad Dei honorem that is as Covel without making any mention of his Master Bellarmine Translates it ceremonies are all such things as are the external Act of Religion which have their commendation and allowance from no other cause but only that in God's worship they are virtuous furtherances of his honour Thus Covel who borroweth his explications as well as arguments from Bellarmine in order to the making the stronger defence of English Ceremonies is so bold as to take the whole substance thereof from him without any considerable variation whereby we may find that the Church of England agrees so far with the Church of Rome in this matter as to make a Ceremony of Religion to be 1. An external Act expressive of inward worship Actus externus interno respondens qui est quaelibet externa actio quae non aliunde est bona nisi quia fit ad Deum colendum That is as Covel Translates it the External Act answering the internal which is no otherwise good or commendable than that it vertuously serveth to the inward worship of God 't is an outward sign representing the inward frame of the Spirit as 't is after God 2. 'T is also a virtuous furtherance of inward Religion which is to the honour of God It is apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and special signification whereby he might be edified Ceremonies of Religion are means whereby the dull mind is stirred up to the remembrance of duty and whereby the Soul is edified i. e. strengthned and confirm'd in grace Then is a man edified when his graces are suscitated stirred up strengthen'd encreas'd or confirm'd This description of a Religious Ceremony is not only what Bellarmine and Covel out of him give us but also the same to which a late Author in his verdict apon the Dissenters Plea gives his approbation Page 57. That such mystical Ceremonies or Symbolical representations are not sinfull sayes he I am fully convinc'd because they are good for the use of edifying For whatsoever is apt to inform me and put me in mind of my duty and to excite me to perform it That is certainly for my edification because to inform to admonish and excite
is to edifie and that some mystical Ceremonies are of this nature is too notorious to be deny'd So far the Answer to Melius Inquirendum The same is asserted in the Discourse that is prefix'd unto the Common Prayer concerning the Service of the Church where 't is exprest That the Ceremonies are by some notable signification design'd to stir up the dull minds of Men to the Remembrance of their Duty Their use is for the exciting to Duty as well as for instruction This is that they say concerning the Nature of a Ceremony whereby it seemeth to some very evident That there is a great Difference between a Religious Ceremony and a necessary Circumstance of Religion The former is a part of External Worship the latter but an Appendix Some Circumstances such as time and place c. are necessary unto though no parts of Worship but an humane Ceremonie though not necessary unto yet is made a part of Worship We cannot worship God but in some time and in some place but can do so without any of these humane significant Ceremonies which yet are made a part of external Worship which is but the expressing and setting forth of the Internal by outward signs by which as by certain outward bodily Shadows and Colours the Spiritual and Inward Worship of God is made visible and sensible to others as the Learned Bradshaw expresses it Much more might be said by way of Explication but this is enough to evince that a Religious Ceremony is significant of those inward motions of the heart that are directed unto God and consequently a part of External Worship and more than a Circumstance That the Ceremonies in Controversie are of the same Nature with some of those in use among the Papists Jew and Heathen for which reason who ever can justly appropriate the English Ceremonies to Gods Worship may for the same reason appropriate those of the Papist Jew or Pagan and that there is too much of the Nature of a Sacrament assigned unto 'em in that they are not only significant but moreover adapted for the stirring up the dull mind unto an edifying Remembrance of duty This said of Religious Worship and Ceremonies The next enquiry is concerning what power man has given him to appropriate humane Ceremonies unto Gods Worship By humane Ceremonies the Dissenters If I mistake 'em not understand such Ceremonies as are neither Natural nor of Divine Institution but of Mans Invention only By appropriating 'em to Gods Worship they mean an Ordaining or an using them after a solemn and Religious manner for Spiritual uses and ends not for Civil or Temporal but as outward Notes and Testimonies of those things that make us Spiritual The ordaining or Using 'em as significant of inward Grace and for the suscitating and stiring up those graces thereby signified The which is supposed to be done even when the Worship may be compleat and exactly agreeable to the word of God without them This appropriating humane Ceremonies to Gods Worship is not only an Unaccountable adding unto Gods Worship but a making that a part of Christs Religion which God never made to be so which is as unlawful in Protestants as 't is in the Papist The Papists may as lawfully appropriate to Religion a Shaven Crown a Monks habit Spittle in Baptism Holy Water and all the Missal Rites as Bradshaw has it as a Protestant Magistrate can make a Surplice a Cope a Cross in Baptism Imposition of hands in Confirmation Ring in Marriage to be Ornaments of Religion and Holy Ceremonies yea as Bradshaw Those that may bring in without special Warrant from God Piping vid. of the Organ c. into his Service might as well bring in Dancing also those that have Authority to joyn to the Sacrament of Baptism the Sign of the Cross have Authority also no doubt to joyn to the Sacrament of the Supper Flesh Broth Butter or Cheese and worse matters than those if they will seeing they are equally capable of significancy and apt for the stirring up our dull minds to the Remembrance of many a necessary duty Yea those that have power to make peculiar forms of Religion and VVorship have power to make and invent a Religion of their own There are two things on which the Church men do seem to insist very much 1. If the Ceremonies imposed be in their own Nature indifferent And 2. Such as do teach good Doctrine they may be lawfully imposed To this the Old Non-Conformists answer'd I. That all things that are in themselves matter indifferent are not lawful to be done in Divine Service tho' the Magistrate should Command them the which they judge will be very clear to such as will but consider what things are indeed indifferent or go under the Name and Title of indifferent things that the Magistrate cannot lawfully command nor the people lawfully observe 'em if Commanded e. g. Eating and Drinking the avoiding the Superfluities of Nature Spinning and Carding Killing of Oxen and Sheep which of themselves have in them neither vertue nor vice and are therefore indifferent Actions and yet I think saies Bradshaw none except professed Atheists but will hold it a foul Sin to do some of these Actions in any Assembly much more in the solemn Worship of God though the Magistrate should Command the same even upon pain of Death But if it be further considered That Carding and Diceing Masking and Dancing For men to put on Womens Apparel and VVomen Mens Drinking to Healths Ribaldry Stage-Playes are things indifferent to be done upon the Lord 's own day at least it was esteemed so when the Book for Plays was to be read may a Minister of the Gospel upon the Magistrates Command do any of these in Divine VVorship By this we may see That there is not so much Innocency in the meer Indifferency of an Action that it should on that Account be meet enough to be appropriated to Gods VVorship Neither 2. Can the significancy of a Ceremony or its aptness to edifie and stir up grace be reason enough to appropriate a Ceremony to Gods Service unless the playing a Game at Cards may be lawfully introduced into the solemn VVorship of God For says a late Author a Son of the Church of England in his Answer to Melius Inquirendum pag. 57. The other day as I remember I saw a Pack of Cards which according to this Account may very well be call'd a Pack of Sacraments that is as a Sacrament is Considered to be a Outward and visible sign of an inward and Spiritual Grace for each Card had the Matter of a Sacrament that is an Outward and Visible sign of some Inward and Spiritual Grace in the Martyr Sir Edmund Godfrey whose barbarous Murder they were design'd to represent and sure the ingenious Contrivers of those Cards intended some effect from them to excite to stir up to encrease Grace and Devotion by the sight of them Viz. an utter abhorrence of Treason and all Popish
under the Gospel that he thought good to teach that by other mystical Ceremonies besides the ordinary Sacraments and not this And of this Judgment is Calvin Bullenger Chemnitius Danaeus Hospinian Arucularius our book of Homilies Dr. Humfrey Dr. Rainolds Dr. Willet and others All which Divines do teach that to bring insignificant Ceremonies into the Church of Christ is plain Judaism Besides this 't is a special part of that Christian Liberty which Christ hath purchased for us by his death and that which all Christians are bound to stand for that the Service we are to do unto God now is not mystical Ceremonial and Carnal as it was then but plain and spiritual And of this Judgment were the Divines within the Territories of Hamborough in an Epistle they wrote to Mèlancthon and Virel Piscator Dr. Rainolds and others 6. This will open a Gap to Images Oyl Lights and Spittle Cream and all other Popish Ceremonies especially if they shall be judged as fit to Teach and Admonish by their signification as these which we retain And indeed this is a chief Reason whereby both Papists and Lutherans justifie the Use of Images and whereby Bellarmine commendeth all other their Ceremonies that they are fit to teach and put men in remembrance of good things The Popish Custome of the Priests sprinkling men with Holy Water and using with all these words Remember thy Baptism as their manner was in some Countries can with no reason be held for Unlawful if such significant Ceremonies as ours are to be defended With such Respects and Relations Remembrances and Apprehensions saith Dr. Fulke all Idolatry and false Worship may be defended 7. VVe are further confirmed in this our Argument by the Judgment of the Godly Learned who besides the Testimony they have given to every several proof we have brought for it do also speak directly with us in this General That no Mystical and significant Ceremony devised by Man and appropriated to Gods Service may be retained in the Church of Christ Of this judgment is the Church of Wittenberg the Churches of France and the Low Countries in their Observations upon the Harmony of Confessions Mr. Calvin Mr. Beza Mr. Perkins and others Yea Dr. Whitgift himself professeth that he did not like that any prescript Apparel should be used in Gods Service for Signification And no good reason can be given why the Church may not as well enjoyn a prescript Apparel for signification as any other Ceremony To all which I 'le add one Argumentative Consideration which the Church of England doth afford us which is given in their Discourse of Ceremonies before the Common-Prayer-Book as a reason why they did put away any of those many Ceremonies with which the Church was burthen'd which reason is distinct from that of their Multitudes and 't is taken from their significancy and the likeness they had with those in use among the Jewes on which account they were not suited to the Gospel Dispensation After mention is made of the great excess and Multitude of Ceremonies in the dayes of Popery they add And besides this Christ's Gospel is not a Ceremonial Law as much of Moses Law was but it is a Religion to serve God not in Bondage of the Figure i. e. significant Ceremony or Shadow but in the Freedom of the Spirit As if it had been said a great part of Gospel Liberty consists in being freed from those significant Ceremonies which are not now of Gods appointment These words do seem to suggest that one reason of the abolishing the significant Ceremonies of the Papists was because they being significant were so like unto the Jewish Service and so different from the Gospel State and such as have been so much abus'd to Superstition that 't was not easie to retain the Ceremony and abandon the Superstition This being the Sense of the Church of England seeing the Ceremonies retained are of the same significant or Jewish Nature with those abolished that have been as much abus'd to Superstition as others and have no other Foundation than Mans VVit and VVill for their support why were not these that are left rejected for the same reason those still retained by the Papists have been If you 'l argue from the significancy the likeness that is between Popish Ceremonies and the Jewish and therefore reject 'em seeing the English are of the same kind is not the Argument as strong against them Is not a Surplice as like the Jewish Garment as some of the Popish Rights are to the Jewish Ceremonies why then shall the one be abolished because of that likeness and the other kept or if their being abus'd to superstition and the Difficulty of separating the Superstitious abuse from the useing 'em be sufficient to abolish the Rites of Salt and Spittle Lights c. why not as sufficient for the abolishing the Surplice the Sign of the Cross in Baptism Kneeling at the Lords Supper Bowing at the name of Jesus Have not all these been as much abus'd to Superstition and still are as any of the rest especially considering what Divisions they have made in the Church why not then abolish'd Or if it be a sin to conform to the Popish Rites How a Duty to Conform to these that of the same kind with ' em Or if these without Sin may be appropriated to Gods VVorship by Protestants which may not the Papists where they have Authority by their Impositions impose 'em on the people as in France c. and appropriate 'em to God's VVorship Methinks Mr. Greenham expresseth himself very full on this particular in his Answer unto the Bishops of Ely as 't is in the Register If your VVisdom think says he that I deceive my self in my Supposition for that in Lutheranism more and worse abuses be maintained I answer that Consubstantiation excepted they be all ejusdem generis of the like kind This he speaks of the Ceremonies of the Lutherans who keep up Images comparing 'em with our Ceremonies seeing they are not retained ad Cultum Dei to the VVorship of God but as they say Ad Aedificationem Decorum et Ordinem Ecclesiae to Edification c. and differ only from us secundum Majus Minus as great things and less Therefore as more and worse Ceremonies are less to be tolerated so no more are the fewer or lesser evils to be allowed and as you and other good men have great Consciences in the Multitude of Ceremonies I beseech you to think that I and others may have some Consciences in the fewer sort when they be of the like nature with others Seeing what has been said doth sufficiently prove the unlawfulness of the Ceremonies in the judgment of many a Dissenter they are afraid to Comply with or joyn with any in the use of those Ceremonies They are fully convinc'd they should sin if they did the which they durst not do least they provoke God to jealousie There are in the VVritings of the Old Non-Conformists
Medina himself doth assert that a man must rather obey an erroneous Conscience than the command of any Prelate that is contradictory thereunto Supposing these Dissenters do err yet they must not act contrary unto an erroneous Conscience the whole that can be justly desir'd is that they use all regular means to depose and shake off the error of Conscience which must be done by a sincere seeking God for more light that they may come to the knowledge of the truth and by a diligent and impartial enquiry into the true State of the controversie Moreover there must be if possible a consulting the writings of the Learned on both sides or a conversing with 'em with a readyness to weigh all things with deliberation and a resolution to embrace the truth where ever 't is found But if after all their old convictions are rather strengthned than otherwise they must beware they act not contrary to their Conscience They must not resign up their reason their Conscience nor their Religion unto the pleasure of the greatest Potentate on Earth This I take to be the Doctrine of all sound Protestants of the Church of England yea I can when there shall be an occasion prove it to be so by a Collection of the several Arguments of the Learned Drs. of the Church which they have urg'd for the confirmation of this truth in the opposition they make to the blind obedience of the Papist Whence I inferr That these Dissenters in refusing to joyn with the Church of England in the Liturgy do but discharge their duty unto God Their not joyning with the Church is not the sin of Schism Schism is asserted by Protestants to be a causless separation whence if there be a good cause why they separate 't is not causeless and can there be a better cause than the avoiding sin They separate because they should sin if they did not separate But though this be enough to clear the Dissenter who is fully convinc'd of the unlawfulness of those Termes of Communion that are imposed on the people yet 't is not enough to justifie the separation of those who do not only think it lawfull but expedient to joyn with the Church of England in their Prayers and Ceremonies c. who if they will separate from the Church of England and justifie their separation they must argue from other Topicks for certainly the peace of the Church and the authority of the Magistrate cannot but engage a people to do what is both lawfull and expedient These therefore I think deny that they separate from the Communion of the Church Although they worship God in Meetings locally distant from the Parish Church yet their Meetings are but as Chappels of Ease and the Preachers but as Curates to the Parish Churches That the Episcopal Party may effectually demonstrate a Religious Assembly locally distant from the Parish Church to be Schismatical they must prove 1. That the people of this Assembly were once actually Members of the Parish Churches 2. That these people do ordinarily separate themselves from the external Communion of their Parish Churches 3. That their separation is causless First They must prove that the people of this Assembly that is locally distant from the Parish Church were once Members of the Parish Church that they were under an obligation of holding external Communion with their Parishes 1. All External Communion must be in Parish Assemblys or single Congregational Churches For a Diocesan Provincial or National Assembly of all the Members of those Societies for External Communion is on the account of the multitude of the people impossible 't is impossible they should meet in one and the same Assembly and hold Communion with each other in Prayers in the Word and in the Sacrament Their External Communion in Prayers c. must be in lesser Assemblies or not at all 2. Those who are under any Obligations of holding external Communion with this or the other Parish must be Members of this or the other Parish Church Such as are not Members of this or the other Parish Church cannot be said to separate from it tho' they meet in places locally distant because they not being Members of the Parish Church are not under any Obligation of holding external Communion with that Parish A Man saies Dr. Stilling fleet is not said to separate from every Church where he forbears or ceases to have Communion but only from that Church with which he is obliged to hold Communion and yet withdraws from it This sufficiently evinces That unless the Conformists can prove that the Dissenters were oblig'd to hold Communion as Members of the Parish Churches they cannot prove a Separation To separate from a Church doth suppose that person to have been once of that Church But the Quaerie is how the Conformists will prove all the Dissenters to be Members of some particular Parish Church Will they say that they were all made Members of some particular Parish Church by their Baptisme That cannot be because by Baptism we are only made Members of the Catholick Church Doth our being born English Men and our Inhabiting in such a Parish make us Members of the Parish Church No for there are no Grounds in Scripture for this Our Lord Jesus Christ nor his Apostles did not leave any Intimations concerning such a Rule neither can any precept but what is fetch from God's word fasten any such Obligation on the Conscience that whoever lives within such a precinct must be a Member of such a Church How then must it be The Answer of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Christians for the first 300 years and of most Protestants is full for this which is That it must be by the peoples consent For as the people are invested with a Right to chose their own Pastor and the Church with which they would hold Communion Even so they cannot be Members nor under any Obligation of holding Ordinary Communion with this or the other particular Church without their own consent Consent is as absolutely necessary to the constituting a particular Parish Church as a National which consent may be discovered not only Expresly but also implicitly which is when a people do ordinarily joyn with some particular Church in all Ordinances as many Parishioners who by their Ordinary holding Communion with the Parish Church in all Ordinances do practically and interpretatively though not expresly discover their consent to be of that Church whereby I think they are under an Obligation to constant Communion with that Parish Church so long as they find it lawful Tho' these may Occasionally hold Communion elsewhere yet their ordinary and constant Communion must be with their Parish Church For which reason if they do ordinarily forbear or cease to have Communion with their Parish-Church it may be justly said that they do separate from it But there are many an Inhabitant in most Parishes who as they were not made Members of the Parish
other consideration whatsoever But seeing they cannot hold Communion with the Parish-Churches The next great quaerie is what they must do whether live without some Ordinances all the dayes of their Life or Assemble themselves together for Communion in all Ordinances in such a way as they are fully convinc'd is agreable to the Sacred Scriptures That they must not constantly neglect any Ordinance of God nor the publick attendance on his worship somewhere is so clearly reveal'd in the word of God that whoever is not so far in love with Quakerism as to neglect the Testimony of God's written Word cannot but acknowledge it That the Lord Jesus who has instituted a Ministry and made it the peculiar work of some men in special to preach the Word not only for conversion of sinners but for the edisication of the converted for the help and benefit of whom there is instituted not the Ordinance of Baptism alone but that of the Lord's Supper which is design'd for the strength and encrease of Grace in Christians I say this Lord Jesus who hath so graciously instituted a Ministry and Ordinances hath made it the duty of Christians to assemble themselves together to the end they may be made partakers of the Blessings of his Institutions and Ordinances And such is the Relation between Minister and People that is between a Gospel Minister and an orderly Christian Assembly that the one cannot be without the other neither can the one ordinarily perform some Relational Duties but in an Assembly with the other and therefore must assemble themselves together 't is their duty I cannot at present enlarge on this head and therefore as to this I can only add that the sense of all Protestants generally is that all Christians ought to assemble themselves together for publick worship Viz. for Prayer the Word and Sacraments and that 't is the duty of a Pastor to take heed to himself and the Flock over which he is made over-seer and that 't is the peoples duty to attend Ordinarily on the Ministry of their own Pastor The great difference between the Church of England and Dissenters is not so much about the peoples duty of assembling themselves together for publique worship as about the place where and the Minister with whom The Church of England sayes it must be in the Parish Church with the Minister of the Parish but the Dissenter asserts that every Christian is invested with a right to choose his own Pastor and that therefore he must go where he finds the worship to be in a way most agreable to God's Holy word but when he is once fix'd he is under those Obligations of Duty unto his Pastor that the Church of England do say a Parishioner is unto the Minister of the Parish But seeing on these things I cannot now enlarge I will conclude with an humble and affectionate request to all good Christians whether Episcopal or Dissenter I beseech you to consider that conscience is a tender thing its wounds unsupportable frequently accompanied with such horror as is very like unto the pains and torments of the damned No man therefore must act contrary to the plain convictions thereof What man soever does what he is convinc'd in Conscience is a sin does greatly dishonour and provoke Almighty God All care must be taken to obtain the knowledge of the truth and gain a freedom from error but there must not be an acting against the plain convictions of conscience though erroneous On this I insist as a sound part of the Protestant Doctrine strenuously defended against the many feeble assaults of the Papist by several worthies of the Church of England And really this is a Rule all good Christians must walk by in doing which seeing there are almost as many different perswasions of conscience about some lesser things as there are considering mindes there will be as many different practices where there are different Sentiments about matters of practice there the practice will be different for which reason the strong must take heed that they despise not the weak and the weak look to it that they judge not the strong For whether we conform or conform not if we do what we do conscientiously to the Lord we shall be accepted of him I verily believe that many do think themselves bound in conscience to conform the which they would not do to gain a world if they did think it a sin and 't is as true that many among the Dissenters are as conscientiously Non-conformists and would really have conform'd did they not think that so conforming they should sin against God Both these must be tenderly regarded by such as will walk by the Christian Rule A Non-conformists censuring a conformist as one that acts against his conscience is unchristian and a Conformist's censuring all Dissenters as Hypocrites looking on their conscience to be but fancy their Religion to be faction is no less unchristian than the former But to be more particular my humble desire is 1. That those who are of the Communion of the Church of England would continue it so long as they can with a safe conscience Let not every little dissatisfaction with some men drive you off from those wayes you have nothing beside the miscarriage of some men of that profession to object against 't is true your duty is to mind the glory of God in the edification of your own Soul and if your Parish Minister be one whose incapacity for the Ministerial work is such as not to answer the end of the Ministry you must look out for a better and be where you may have more than the shadow of a Minister even one who is competently qualified for the workes But do this in a way as little offensive to the Church of England as your conscience will permit Why will you separate from that Communion where you may be without sin especially seeing by doing so you do what you cannot justifie But if you cannot continue your Communion without complying with sin you must rather withdraw than sin 2. That such as are not actually of any Communion i. e. neither joyn'd with the Church of England nor with the Dissenter of which fort there are many especially among the younger people would remember that they have as Christians a right to choose their own Pastor in the exercise of which right 't is their duty to have a special regard to the Glory of God the good of their own Soul and the peace of the Church and therefore if you may have all these ends answer'd by joyning your selves to the Church of England and you can with a safe Conscience do it you do well in joyning with that Church but if you can't with a safe Conscience joyn with the Church of England but can with the Non-conformists you must apply your selves to those of the Non-conformists who do in your judgments keep most exactly to the rule of the Gospel You must regard God's Glory as your ultimate
Postscript Your Grace must pardon my hasty scribling for I have done this raptim and without correction Numb 5. The Treasurer's reply to an answer of the Arch-bishop's unto the former Letter July 17. 1584. I Have received your Graces loving Letter answering Speeches as I think delivered by your Chaplain Dr. Cossins and I perceive you are sharply mov'd to blame me and clear your self I know I have many faults but I hope I have not given such cause of offence as your Letter expresseth I deny nothing that your Grace thinketh meet to proceed in with these whom you call factious and therefore there is no controversie betwixt you and me expressed in your Letter The controversie is pass'd in your Grace's Letter in silence and so I do rest satisfied your Grace promised me to deal I say only with such as violate order and to charge them therewith which I allow well thereof But your Grace not charging men with such faults seeketh by examination to urge them to accuse themselves and then I think you 'l punish them I think your Graces proceedings is I will not say rigorous nor captious but I think it is scarce charitable I have no leisure to write more and therefore I will end for writing will but encrease offence and I mean not to offend your Grace I am content that your Grace and my Lord of London where I hear Brown is use him as your Wisdomes shall think meet If I had known his faults I might be blam'd for writeing for him but when by examination only it is to sift him with 24 Articles I have cause to pity the poor man Your Graces as Friendly as any William Burleigh Numb 6. The Arch-Bishop's Answer to the Lord Treasurer MY singular good Lord God knoweth how desirous I have been from time to time to satisfie your Lordship in all things and to have my doings approved to you for which cause since my coming to this place I have done nothing of importance without your advice I have risen early and sat up late to write unto you such objections and answers as on either side were used I have not done the like to any man and shall I now say that I have lost my labour or shall my just dealing with two of the most disorder'd Ministers in a whole Diocess the obstinacy and contempt of whom especially of one of them your self would not bear in any subjected to your Authority cause you so to think and speak of my doings yea and of my self no man living should have made me beleive it Solomon saith an old friend is better than a new and I trust your Lordship will not so lightly cast off your old friend for any of those new fangled factious Sectaries whose fruits are to make divisions wheresoever they come and to separate old and assured friends Your Lordship seemeth to charge me with breach of promise touching my manner of proceeding whereof I am no way guilty but I have alter'd my first course of depriving them for not subscribing only justifiable by law and common practice both in the time of King Edward and from the beginning of her Majesties Reign Your Lordship also objecteth that I took this course for the better maintenance of my book c. mine enemies said so indeed but I trust my friends have a better opinion in me Why should I seek for any confirmation of my book after years or what should I get thereby more than already And yet if subscription may confirm it it is confirm'd long ago by the subscription of all the Clergy almost in England before my time even of Branie also who seemeth now to be so wilful Mine enemies and tongues of this slanderous and uncharitable Sect report that I am revolted become a Papist and I know not what But it proceedeth from their lewdness not from any desert of mine and I disdain to answer to such notorious untruths which the best of them dare not avouch to my face Your Lordship seemeth further to burden me with wilfulness I am sure that you are not so perswaded of me I will appeal to your own Conscience there is difference between wilfulness and constancy I have taken upon me the defence of the Religion and Rights of this Church of England to appease the Sects of Schismes therein to reduce all the Ministers thereof to Vniformity and due obedience herein I intend to be constant and not to waver with every wind the which also my place my person my duty the law her Majesty and the goodness of the cause doth require of me and wherein your Lordship and others all things considered ought in duty to assist and countenance me It is strange that a man in my place dealing with so good warranties as I do should be so encounter'd and for not yielding should be accounted wilful but I must be contented vincit qui patitur and if my friends herein forsake me I trust God will not neithe law her Majesty who hath laid the charge on me and are able to protect me But of all other things it most greiveth me that your Lordship should say that the two Ministers fare the worse because your Lordship sent them Hath your Lordship ever had any cause so to think of me it is needless for me to protest my heart and affections towards you above all other men the world knoweth it and I am assured that your Lordship nothing doubeth thereof I have rather cause to complain to your Lordship of your self that upon so small occasion and in the behalf of two such you will so hardly conceive of me yea and as it were countenance persons so meanly qualified in so evil a cause against me your Lordship 's so long tryed friend and their ordinary that hath not so been in times past now it should least of all be I may not suffer the notorious contempt of any of them especially unless I will become Aesop's block well because I would be loath to omit any thing whereby your Lordship might be satisfied I have sent unto you certain reasons to justifie the manner of my proceeding which I marvel should be so much misliked in this cause having been so long practis'd in the like yea in the same and never before this time found fault with truly my Lord I must proceed this way or not at all the reasons I have set down in this paper and I heartily pray your Lordship not to be carryed away either from the cause or from my self upon unjust surmises or clamours least you be some occasion of that confusion which hereafter you would be sorry for For mine own part I desire no farther defence in these occasions of your Lordship nor any other than justice and law will yield unto me In my private affairs I know I stand in need of friends especially of your Lordship of whom I have made alwayes an assured account but in these publick actions I see no cause why I should seek for friends seeing they to whom the care of the common weal is committed ought out of duty therein to joyn with me to conclude I am your Lordships assured neither will I ever be perswaded but that you bear an hearty good will towards me So far Whitgift If Dr. Burnet would undertake the carrying on the History of Ecclesiastical Affairs all the time Q. Eliz. liv'd and in order thereunto might he be so happy as to obtain a sight of all those great things were then on the stage the world would see how little they are owing unto Heylin for his History and also understand how unjustly the Old Protestants call'd Puritanès have been represented as factious c. FINIS