the Church and for the prevention of Schism and Scandal Then may the King and Governours Now Impose things Indifferent and Unnecessary when they see it is Necessary for prevention of Scandal and Offence unto the Episcopal-Protestants who are the Onely Supporters of the Established Government in Church and State And Thousands of these Canonical Pious Conformists do think in their Consciences the present Ceremonies in the Church ought to be Continued for the Fame Peace and Vniformity of the Glorious Church of England which ever used them And for their own great Antiquity Decency and Vtility Hook Eccles Pol. 1.5 as Judicious Hooker Argues Farther as the First Christian Council at Jerusalem so the Four First General Councils did Impose things Indifferent upon both Clergy and Laity as Conditions of Church Communion as any one may know who will but consult their Acts and Deeds The observation of Easter-Day whether on the Jews Passover Day or on the First Day of the week was a thing Indifferent and some observed it at one time as did the Jews others observed it at another time as did the Romanists But for Vniformity sake the First General Council at Nice the Emperour Constantine being present determined Euseb in vit Const 1. 3. ◠18. That all Christians throughout the World should celebrate Easter on one and the same Lord's Day in the year To Pray unto Almighty God on Sundays whether Kneeling or Standing was in it self a thing Indifferent But yet the General Council at Nice Canon 20. for Vniformity sake Imposed upon the People the Posture of Kneeling in Prayer-Time on the Week-Days but Standing in time of Prayer on the Lord's Days commonly called Sundays And Tertullian informes us that in his time Die Dominico jejunium Nefas ducimus vel de Geniculis adorare c. It was counted a Sin on the Lord's-Day Tertull. Corona Mil. c. 3◠either to Fast or to Pray and Adore God Kneeling To Dip or Sprinkle the Party Baptized was a thing Necessary in Holy Baptism to be observed But to Dip or Sprinkle the Party Baptized more than Once was a thing Indifferent But yet by the Ancients it was Imposed upon the Clergy and People that the Party Baptized should be thrice Dipped or Sprinkled in Reference to the Three Sacred Persons in the Holy Trinity Hence that of Tertullian Tertul. Ibid. Apostolical Can. 49. Dehinc ter Mergitamur c. And the same Order was commanded upon the pain of Deposition And Zonaras on that Canon saith as our Reconciler himself well notes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is an ungodly thing to dip in Holy Baptism but Once Tertullian mentions many things Imposed upon the People as terms of Church-Communion and he says the Ground and Warrant for those Impositions was not the Scripture Tertull. Coro Mil. c. 4. but Ancient Custome and Tradition Harum aliarum ejusmodi Disciplinarum si Legem expostules Scripturarum nullam invenies Traditio tibi proetendetur Auctrix Consuetudo Confirmatrix Fides Observatrix Thirdly As Reason speaks a necessity of making Civil Laws for prevention of disorder and confusion in the State so Reason speaks it as necessary to make Laws Ecclesiastical for preventing the same Mischiefs and Inconveniences in the Church And when such Laws are made and nothing can be found in them which is absolutely sinfull then Reason as well as Religion commands Obedience to them As Moral Wisedom preserves Common Life by ordering what is Convenient so Civil and Ecclesiastick Wisedom preserves Life in the State and Church by ordering what is Necessary and Expedient And as the Learned Hooker notes Whatever the Church Hook Eccles Pol. l. 5. p. 136 138. by her Ecclesiastick Authority shall in matters of Order and Comeliness probably think and define to be True or Good must in Congruity of Reason Over-rule all other inferiour judgments whatsoever and must be thought Convenient And all things in the Church which are void of Superstition and are of long Continuance in the Church are things which edifie and are not lightly to be altered Nothing is unfit or inconvenient which the King and Governours shall think fit and convenient Unless the said thing imposed be against 1. The Sacred Scriptures 2. Right Reason 3. The practice of Piety Whatever is otherwise thought to be inconvenient by the Subject it is the Result either 1. Of Pride or 2. Of an unsetled Mind a Melancholick phanoy and imagination or 3. Of Capriciousness And now let the Reconciler chuse and tell us which of them is in the Dissenters and is the Cause of their Non-Compliance with the King 's Lawfull Commands as to things Indifferent Thus far Scripture Councils and Reason conclude the Reconciler's Proposition as considered absolutely and simply in it self to be false for by these Testimonies it is a very great Truth scil That things Indifferent may and sometimes necessarily ought to be Imposed as Conditions of Church-Communion Contrary to what the Reconciler has Suggested to the Vulgar Secondly If we consider the Reconciler's Proposition Relatively as it Refers to the Circumstances our Church and State are in then it will appear also to be very False and Vnseasonably Propounded The present Circumstances of our Church and State Are either Good or Bad. Consider we them as Good And then they are 1. The enjoyment of present Peace and Quietness in stead of the late Intestine Wars and Rebellion 2. The enjoyment of good Order and Settlement in stead of the late Confusion and Anarchy God be Praised Now our King sits on his Throne of Inheritance Our Bishops and Clergv are repossessed of their Dues quoad Officium Beneficium both as to Office and Benefice And the People Nobles Gentry and Commons are now restored to their Rights and Privileges 3. We enjoy Justice and Equity in stead of the late Oppressions Extortions and Tyranny Our King demands and takes no more than what by Law is his Due And the People receive and enjoy all that by Law and Inheritance is their Right and Property 4. As to our Impositions in reference to Religious Worship they are all the very same which the Primitive Christians observed who died Confessours and Martyrs for the Truth And they are not more than were at the first Reformation in King Edward the Sixth's and Queen Elizabeth's Reign when there was less Talk but greater Exercise of Conscience and of Godliness than is now a-days Nay in this our Day there is an enjoyment of greater Liberty of Conscience than ever was granted by any Prince or by any Law or Act of Parliament whatever since the Reformation in England For now by Act of Parliament Men of all Persuasions may in their own Families use what Liberty they please as to their private Modes of Worship which Freedom none could enjoy under Popery Whereas now there is by Law a Toleration for all Sects and Religious Persons to Meet not exceeding the number of Five and
is Founded in Grace and Godliness And among them the Censores Judges of the Governour 's Grace and Godliness are the people of that Independent Congregational Church unto which the said Governour or Magistrate belongs For as was hinted before every Governour must be a Member of some Individual Congregational Church And before he can be admitted a Member he must declare The time of his Conversion The Marks and Evidences of his Conversion This he must doe in the open Face of the Congregation where every Individual Member of the Church is a Judge of his Grace and Fitness And if it be objected That he has not given sufficient Evidence of his Conversion then he shall not be admitted a Member of their Church Nor shall he be chosen a Governour or Magistrate of their Common-Wealth And all because he wanted Grace This is the constant Doctrine and Practice of the Independents in New-England And although this kind of Doctrine and Practice may be consistent with a Common-Wealth Yet we are sure it is Diametrically Opposite to the very Being of Monarchy which Jure Divino challengeth to it self a Regal Supremacy over all its Subjects whether Ecclesiastick or Civil And hence it is that all Independents are against Kingly Government to wit Because they are against Kingly Supremacy The Independents indeed would allow of Kingly Government if their King would let them chuse him and if he would submit himself to their Congregational Censures and Orders And in case their King should by them be found unfit for Government through want either of Grace or Prudence if then he would suffer himself quietly and meekly to be Deposed by them Upon These Terms and no other will or can the Independents according to their professed Principles admit of a King For hence it came to pass that Because the Independents in the Late Rebellion were of Opinion That King Charles the First was an Vngodly Man One void of Grace an Idolater and therefore Vnfit for Government Hence it was That They the Independents Deposed Him and then Cut off His Head and that as They termed it by the Axe of High Justice And Because after they had Murthered the Father they Feared that The Son King Charles the Second did also want Grace and trod in his Father's Steps and would not love the People of God i. e. Themselves Therefore it was That they the Independents strove by force of Arms with all their Might and Main to keep him Out of the Royal Throne For proof of this Witness a most virulent Independent Writer in his Treatise Intituled PEACE and TRUTH MOSES and AARON Kissing each Other The Authour of the said Treatise Writes his Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. John Blackbdell In his Preface to the Independent Army Dissuading them from Setting up the Present King in the Throne of his Father He Writes thus God was angry with the Israelites for desiring a King and that Page 7. because God was against the Form of Kingly Government and preferred the Government of Judges before that of Kings And what Will you desire a King Now Dear Friends Page 9. Concerning the Fruits that came by Kings I Appeal to God to his Sacred Word to the Records to the Chronicles to the experience both of our own and other Nations Whether Kings have been to be compared with those Judges for Have not Kings been addicted to Vices and very empty of such Graces as were requisite for Men in such eminent Places Kings were neither the first nor the best way of Government God disliked Kings and loved Judges And I verily believe These are the very times in which God will destroy corrupt Government and Governours and will give and restore to us Judges as at the first I am not desirous says he to call back those things that are done and past and therefore Page 14. Touching the late King's Death Consider that we cannot recall that What then Are you Resolved to set up the Eldest Son upon the Throne of his Father Consider well of it Can you tell whether He will care for the Flock Can you tell whether he will prove wise or foolish Will you expect Grapes from Throns Do you see any Tokens of Godliness in Him David saith Page 15. That he loveth those that love the Lord and hateth those that are God's enemies And Page 22. he highly commends the Army for Defending the Rump and Common-wealth against the King and his Party And Page 25. he upbraids Prinn and the Presbyterian Party for shewing their Teeth but durst not Bite for going about to Manacle King Charles the First and for endeavouring to restrain and lessen his Regal Power But durst not strike where his strength lay to wit his Head Whereas the Independents did better for by Cutting off his Anointed Head they deprived Him of all Strength The Scripture says he is evident Page 31 34 That the People have Right in divers Cases Yo Depose and Punish wicked Kings and Governours when the Said People are Strong enough to Doe it Though says he wofull experience tells us How hard a matter it is for a People to get Strength enough to Remove a King though never so apparently Delinquent And therefore Dear Friends Let us be warned * * Pray Mark this Not to admit of the Son lest when he is in the Throne we shall not be able to Remove him But that which is most Prodigious of all and which speaks This Saint-like Independent a Worse and more irreconcileable Enemy to the King than any other except some of his own Gang and Sect is this That this Authour was so far from excusing The King's Murther as that he impudently Glories in that Bloudy and Hellish Action and dignifies the Regicides with the Title of The Worthies of the Lord And whereas it had been Objected That the Jesuits and Papists had a great hand in carrying on the late War against the King and in Cutting off his Sacred Head This Authour Johannes Melaina Bdella Page 41. denies that it was the Jesuits or Papists Doings But boasts that it was onely the Independents and their Godly Army whom Almighty God crowned with success it was they who conquered the late King and his mighty Host who By God's Law Deposed him and then after a fair and open Tryal justly Condemned him to Suffer Death for his Delinquency and Treason towards the people committed to his Government Oh the height of Villany and impudence not onely to commit Murther and Rebellion but also to Vaunt and Glory in it and without Blushing to proclaim their own shame and with a Brazen Forehead to stand at the Market Cross and cry O ye good People Believe us we we the Godly Independents that walk by Scripture-Rule We the People of the Lord and no body else are the Saviours of the Nation We and not ye Cowardly faint-hearted Presbyterians We and not ye wicked Jesuits nor ye Idolatrous Papists We
to the Reconciler The King and Governours continue the Imposition of things Indifferent through want and defect of Piety and Prudence And now pray Is not this Reconciler worthy of Reproof to call his King and Governours Vngodly Imprudent What can he call them worse In our thinking it is all one as if the Reconciler had Mounted the Stage at New-Market where the King was much about the Time when his Book came forth and there had made Proclamation in the open Market and Harangued the Discontented People with such Phrase as this O Brethren Be wise and look to your selves for our King is a Fool our Governours are all like him unwise and imprudent they are as he is ungodly wicked men and for want of Grace and through Defect of Piety and Prudence Therefore it is That they continue the Imposition of things Indifferent upon you for I will assure you had they the Wisedom and Prudence which is from above or were they acted by a Spirit of Grace and Holiness They would ease Mens Consciences and would soon take away these Heavy Yokes and Burthens I mean the Imposition of things Indifferent from off your Necks But alas Dear Brethren I tell you and so does Doctour Tillotson tell you That the King and Governours want Piety and Prudence And that is the very Reason of their Impositions Now What is all this But a New Plot against the King and Government What is it But to Alarum the People First That the King and Governours are Vngodly Imprudent Secondly That according to Calvin's Doctrine Because they are Foolish and Vngodly they are therefore unfit for Government And Thirdly Because they are Vngodly Imprudent and Vnfit for Government Calv. Instit l. 4. c. 20. Therefore the People may Oppose them and may as Calvin and Knox Taught Depose them Thus in our apprehension the Reconciler again Sounds the Trumpet to a New Rebellion Odiously and Malitiously misrepresenting the King and Governours unto the People as Idiots and Fools as Wicked and Vngodly SECT VI. According to the Reconciler The King and Governours are the Destroyers of the Work of God and the Murtherers of Myriads of Souls for imposing things Indifferent The Reconciler's own words are IF I durst says he make the Parallel Protest Recon c. 4. p. 98. it unavoidably would be this That since Superiours by using of their Power in the Commanding of these things Indifferent doe that which accidentally and through the weakness of Dissenters doth Minister unto that Schism which is Destructive to them it may be feared that they i. e. the King and Superiours destroy the work of God and unnecessarily cause the Souls to perish for whom Christ died And Page 99. He adds Were I worthy to advise my Governours Ibid. p. 99. I would say Hast thou O King power in these things Indifferent Have it to thy self before God and use it to that end for which alone he gave it for Edification and not for Destruction Here is plain English and there is no need of an Oedipus to unriddle and find out the Odium and Scandal cast upon the King and our Superiours And in Page 195 The Reconciler has these words to the same purpose A Scandal says he in the Nature of it being Spiritual Murther Prot. Recon c. 6. p. 195. it is to me a wonder how Men that is the King and Governours can think it is consistent with Christian Charity to enjoin any thing unnecessary whence by experience they i. e. the King and Governours know the Murther of innumerable Souls is like to follow Now must it not oblige Superiours to lay aside a thing Indifferent as all the Ceremonies are for the preserving of many Myriads of Souls from Ruin It being then not necessary for Superiours to Command things Indifferent Page 196. much rather should they Quit them than be as they are Accessory to these sad Consequents of that Command to wit the Murther of so many Myriads of Men God Grant says he That our Lawgivers the King and Governours may make the due Inference from the Premisses c. Now Good Sir What Inference would you have us think the King and Governours in Honour and Justice should make from your Premisses But to Reward the Traytour according to his Treason unless he shall timely Repent Openly Recant and beg Mercy which God grant he may and then we hope the King's Clemency will be farther signalized in Pardoning so Notorious an Offender SECT VII The King Commands Men to Sin according to the Reconciler When he Commands their Obedience as to things Indifferent The Reconciler's own words are MOreover this may be farther Argued Prot. Recon c. 6. p. 200. That Qui non vetat peccare cum possit jubet He that being a Superiour as is the King doeth not what lawfully he may for the prevention of his Subjects Sinning does Command his Subjects to Sin Now it is confessed by our Superiours that if they please they may abate these Impositions of things indifferent And it is also certain that the not abating of them is the Occasion of the Schism and so of the Great Sin of many of their Subjects How then will they avoid according to this Rule Qui non vetat peccare cum possit jubet from commanding their Subjects to Sin when they may but will not prevent their sinning Most Excellent Logick The King and Parliament Command by Law that whoever calls the King Fool or Papist shall be hang'd A certain Rebellious Fellow wilfully transgresses that Law And is hang'd for it Ergo Because the King and Parliament had Power not to make that Law and after they had made it they had power to Repeal that Law But would not Therefore the King and Parliament Commanded that Rebel to Sin and therefore the King and Parliament are doubly Guilty First Of the Rebel's Sin Secondly Of his Death in not preventing both by Repealing the said Law For according to the Reconciler Qui non vetat peccare cum possit jubet SECT VIII The Reconciler's Rule for the King and Governours to Observe in case any Evil Consequents should happen through the Dissenters Disobedience after a Condescention Granted to wit To leave the Event to God The Reconciler's own words are IF says he it be Objected Prot. Recon c. 10. p. 326. That should our Superiours Indulge Dissenters in these Matters the Dissenters would never be contented with the Abatement of three Ceremonies unless as Dr. Womack urges we should also yield up the Churches Government and leave the Bishop and every Parish-Priest unto the Choice of the People The Answer and Rule To this says the Reconciler I Answer if so God's will be done however let us doe our Duty and Abolish these three Ceremonies scil Cross in Baptism Kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and Bowing at the Name of Jesus let us doe our Duty And leave the event to God c. That is to speak