which they think fit to be inserted to the same and some Additional Prayers to the said Book of Common-Prayer to be used upon proper and emergent occasions and have exhibited and presented the same unto His Majesty in writing in one Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church c. All which His Majesty having duly considered hath ☞ fully approved and allowed the same and recommended to This present Parliament that the said Book of Common-Prayer with the Form of Ordination and Consecration of Bishops Priests and Deacons with the Alterations and Additions which have been so made and presented to His Majesty by the said Convocations be the Book which shall be appointed to be used by all that ossiciate in all Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Chappels and in all Chappels of Colledges and Halls in both the Universities and in all Parish-Churches and Chappels within the Kingdom of England Dominion of Wales and Town of Berwick upon Tweed and by all that make or consecrate Bishops Priests or Deacons in any of the said Places under such Sanctions and Penalties as the Houses of Parliament shall think fit Now in regard that nothing conduceth more to the settling the Peace of N. B. The Benefits of Uni formity this Nation which is desired of all good men nor to the Honour of our Religion and the Propagation thereof than an universal Agreement in the publick Worship of Almighty God And to the intent that every Person within this Realm may certainly know the Rule to which he is to conform in publick Worship and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England and the Manner how and by whom Bishops Priests and Deacons are and ought to be made ordained and consecrated Be it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty by the Advice and with the consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and of the Commons in This present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same c. And be it farther enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the several good Laws and Statutes of This Realm which have been formerly made and are now in force The farmer good Laws and Statutes for Uniformity of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments confirmed with Reference to this Book for the Uniformity of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments within this Realm of England and places aforesaid shall stand in full force and strength to all intents and purposes whatsoever for the establishing and confirming of the said Book entituled The Book of Common-Prayer c. herein before mentioned to be joyned and annexed to This Act and shall be applied practised and put in ure for the punishing of all Offences contrary to the said Laws with Relation to the Book aforesaid and no other Provided also that the Book of Common-Prayer and Administration The Book of Q Eliz. continued till This was to take place c. heretofore in use and respectively established by Act of Parliament in the First and Eighth years of Queen Elizabeth shall be still used and observed in the Church of England until the Feast of St. Bartholomew which shall be in the year of our Lord God 1662. when by This Act the other Book aforesaid was to take place in the room thereof so that there was no period of time wherein there was a Liberty or Exemption from the Legal Obligation to Uniformity Such now is That August Authority by which the Things in Question are determined and established And as the Reconciler cites it out of Bishop Taylor A peaceable mind and willingness to learn P. 224. and a charitable Exposition are the just Dispositions of Subjects God Grant they well perform it As He there devoutly and piously adds This was the Religion of Queen Elizabeth ☜ whose Motto was Semper eadem This was the Religion of King James whose Motto was Beati Pacifici This was the Religion of King Charles The Royal Martyr and best of Kings and Men. And This is the Religion of His Gracious Majesty the Inheritor of his Fathers Kingdoms and Princely Vertues who calls aloud upon his Subjects to make the established Laws Their Rule because he protests They shall ever be His. And the Reconciler hath told us that it is only the Religion of His King which in This Book he pleads for SECT VII IN the next place before I leave §. VII This Subject I desire all my Country-men diligently to hearken unto the Church Her self in her publick Apologies about These Matters in the Book so established which because so few do observe in Their Common-Prayer-Books I will here present them with The Preface of our Governours concerning the Alterations made in the publick Service It hath been the Wisdom of the Church of England ever since the first The constant moderation of the Church of England compiling of her publick Liturgy to keep a mean between the Two Extreams of too much stiffness in refusing and of too much easiness in admitting any variation from it For as on the one side common experience sheweth that where a change hath been made of The danger of unnecessary changes things advisedly established no evident necessity so requiring sundry inconveniences have thereupon ensued and those many times more and greater than the evils Ipsa mutatio consuetudinis erlam quae utilitate adjuvat novitate perturbat D. August Ep. 118. that were intended to be remedied by such change so on the other side the particular Forms of divine Worship and the Rites and Ceremonies appointed to be used therein being Necessary changes to be made by Authority only in things alterable and upon weighty important considerations things in their own nature indifferent and alterable and so acknowledged it is but reasonable that upon weighty and important Considerations according to the various Exigencies of times and occasions such Changes and Alterations should be made therein as to those that are in place of Authority from time to time seem either necessary or expedient This is quoted by the Reconciler as the chief ground-work of his Proposals P. 35 36. but let us hear the whole Accordingly we find that in the Reigns of several Princes of blessed Memory since the Reformation the Church The practice of the Church accordingly upon just and weighty Considerations her thereunto moving hath yielded to make such Alterations in some particulars as in their respective times were thought convenient yet so as that the main Body and Essentials of it as well in the chiefest materials as in the frame and order thereof have still continued the same unto This day and do yet stand firm and unshaken notwithstanding all the vain attempts and impetuous A Character of the Adversaries of the Church assaults made against it by such men as are given to change and have always discover'd a greater regard
Stillingfleet as he sometimes P. 270. P. 81. P. 109. Pref. p. 15. caresses him the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet the Excellent Dr. Stillingfleet and through him I fear casts some dirt upon his Dear Mother the Church of England in her publick Declarations The reading of some Dissenters Books seems unto me to have a little inspeevish'd him and disturbed the more calm and temperate disposition of his nature so that he treats his Adversaries now and then with too much slighting and contempt Thus what Dr. Womock alledgeth out of Meisner a Learned Lutheran P. 155 c. he calls trifling Arguments giving the lye to St. Paul Falshoods and Fooleries miserable Trifles But particular persons may the better bear with him since he sometimes forgets himself in his Duty of Reverence to the Church and the Apostolical Governours thereof That passage I think is somewhat scandalous and vain where he tacitly resembles the Ceremonies which he elsewhere calls trivial things unto the P. 208. May-pole Let him that will have a May-pole have it and he that would P 341. not have it have no May-pole Sect. IV. I Desire it may be well considered by how great and sacred Authority and that upon the maturest examination the things excepted against stand established Authority both Civil and Ecclesiastical that of the Convocation which is the Church of England Representative and of the Parliament which includes King Lords and Commons the Consent of the whole Nation involved and This not once but often time after time the Objections to the contrary frequently canvassed and deliberated upon All sorts of Authority meet here with Advantage This the Reconciler had in his eye when he said with a deal of Reason for it I know that it is not in their power meaning the Reverend Bishops at present Pref. p. 9. sent to make such Concessions they being as much tyed to the observing of the Laws as any order of men and having no power to dispense with them or to make any Proposals for the healing of our Breaches till by his Majesties Authority they meet in Convocation for that end And therefore wonder at the wickedness and injustice of those men ☞ who clamour so much against them because such Condescensions are not immediately made that is because they do not change the Laws which is not in their power to do All the Arguments therefore which the Reconciler doth so copiously insist upon for an enlarged Charity in the censuring and judging of others whose Consciences as he saith we cannot know but by their professions he should have added and open practices do reach P. 88. more strongly against the harbouring or insinuating of undue Fears and Jealousies concerning our Superiours whom the fifth Commandment enjoyns us to honour We cannot be too careful of all unjust and uncharitable Imputations to our Governours Let me here call to mind some few Clauses of the Act of Uniformity in the first year of Queen Elizabeth of blessed Memory confirmed again in the eight year of her Reign If any Minister shall preach declare Prim Eliz. or speak any thing in derogation or depraving of the said Book of Common-prayer c. or any thing therein contained The crime and Penalty of derogating from depraving or despising any thing contained in the Book of Common-prayer or of any part thereof and shall be thereof lawfully convicted according to the Laws of this Realm by Verdict of twelve men or by his own Confession or by notorious Evidence of Fact he shall lose and forfeit to the Queens Highness her Heirs and Successors for his first offence the profit of all his spiritual Benefices or Promotions coming or accruing in one whole year next after his Conviction and also that the person so convict shall for the same offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of six months without Bail or Mainprise c. And it is Ordain'd and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any person or persons whatsoever after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming shall in any Interludes Plays Songs Rhimes or by other open words declare or speak any thing in the derogation depraving or despising of the said Book or any thing therein contained or any part thereof Then every such person being thereof lawfully convict in form aforesaid shall forfeit to the Queen our Soveraign Lady her Heirs and Successors for the first offence and hundred The zeal of the Queen Lords Temporal and commons in urging the Bishops and other Ordinaries as they will answer it before God to see to the execution of this good and wholesom Law Marks c. And for a due execution hereof the Queens most Excellent Majesty the Lords Temporal and all the Commons in this present Parliament assembled do in God's Name earnestly require and charge all the Archbishops Bishops and other Ordinaries that they shall endeavour themselves to the uttermost of their knowledge that the due and true execution hereof may be had throughout their Diocesses and Charges as they will answer before God for such Evils and Plagues wherewith Almighty ☞ God may justly punish his people for neglecting this good and wholsom Law Provided always and be it Enacted A Provision touching such Ornaments of the Church and Ministers as are to be retained with a power left to take farther order about Rites and Ceremonies That such Ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof shall be retain'd and be in use as were in this Church of England by the Authority of Parliament in the second year of the Reign of King Edward until other order shall be taken by the Queens Majesty with the Advice of her Commissioners appointed and authorized under the Great Seal of England or of the Metropolitan of this Realm And also That if there shall happen any Contempt or Irreverence to be used in the Ceremonies or Rites of the Church by the mis-using of the Orders appointed in this Book the Queens Majesty may by the like Advice of the said Commissioners or Metropolitan ordain and publish 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 now I have occasion to remember that the first step of the Reconciler's Apology is in these words Since what I plead for in this Book is only the Religion of my King c. And that he Pref. p. 58. begins his Preface with some remarkable Sayings ad amoliendam invidiam of King James King Charles the Martyr and his present Majesty It may not be amiss to shew a little more particularly how far it may be said with ingenuity and truth that he hath learned of them or pays a deference to their Judgements and Authorities To begin therefore saith he Pref. p. 3 4. with the Testimonies of our Learned and Judicious Kings That
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.
excellent Determination of King James is worthy to be had in perpetual Remembrance Apud Causab Ep. ad Card. Perroon viz. His Majesty thinketh that for Concord there is no nearer way than diligently to separate things necessary from things unnecessary and to bestow all our labour that we may agree in the things necessary and that in things unnecessary there may be Christian Liberty allowed Now His Majesty calls those things simply necessary which the Word of God expresly commandeth to be believed or done N. B. or which the ancient Church did gather from the Word of God by necessary consequence here he had done as well to have added a N. B. too But those things which by the Constitution of men without the Word of God were for a time received into the Church of God though piously and prudently introduced His Majesty conceives they may be changed mollified antiquated And what Pius the second said of the Celebacy of the Clergie that being anciently established by good Right by better it might now be antiquated that His Majesty believes may in the general be said of most Ecclesiastical Observations introduced without the Word of God This saith the Reconciler is a golden Sentence and fully justifies all that I plead for in these Papers Now here I observe 1. That this was proposed by His Majesty for Concord between different Churches And whereas the Reconciler elsewhere demands What Reason can be given why Pref. p. 57. the Conditions of Communion betwixt Reformed Churches should not obtain amongst the members of the same Christian Church I think That Reason which the Church in her 34th Article assigns is here considerable Every particular and National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained by mens Authority so that all things be done to edifying which words he sets down in another place Ch. 2. p. 36 And This our Parliament in the Act of Uniformity had an eye unto Provided That the Penalties in this Act shall not extend to the Forreigners or Aliens 14 Car. 11. of the Forreign Reformed Churches allowed or to be allowed by the King's Majesty his Heirs and Successors in England The Laws of every Church and Kingdom are for their own members In these our doings we condemn no other Nation nor prescribe any thing but to our own People only c. Second Pref. to the Liturgie But then 2. I note farther That King James his opinion was That even things by the Constitution of men without the Word of God might be piously and prudently introduced into the Church of God as well as upon occasion changed mollified or antiquated And what he asserts in the close is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of most Ecclesiastical Observations introduced without the Word of God not of all of them That useful distinction of King James between things necessary and unnecessary is well declared by one of the eminent Divines of our Church Mr. Mason's Serm. on 1 Cor. 14. 40. P. 4. Necessary I call That which the eternal God hath in his Word precisely and determinately commanded or forbidden either expresly or by infallible consequence Indifferent which the Lord hath not so commanded nor forbidden but is commanded in the holy Scripture rather potentially than actually comprehended in general Directions not precisely defined by particular Determinations Whatsoever God hath in his Word precisely commanded is necessary to be done for not doing of it is a sin Whatsoever God hath forbidden so long as it is forbidden is necessary to be left undone for the very doing of it is a sin Whatsoever is neither commanded nor forbidden that whether it concern Church or Common-wealth is left to God's Vice-gerents upon Earth who according to the exigence of the State may by their direction command it to be done or to be left undone and both without sin And this is much more distinct than what the Reconciler cites from the Lord Falkland's Reply to White I am confident Pref. p. 12. that all who receive the Scripture for the only Rule and believe what is there plain to be only necessary would if they truely believed what they professed and were not led aside either by prejudice or some Popish reliques of holding what they have been long taught or following the Authority of some persons either alive or dead by them much esteemed soon agree in as much as is necessary and in concluding no necessity of agreeing in more there being no doubt but it would soon appear plainly what is plain There is need of a great deal of Caution in declaring the Scripture to be the only Rule that it be restrained to matters peculiarly of divine Revelation and necessary in order unto salvation Haec sententia fuit omnium piorum patrum qui etsi in liberis ritibus agnoscebant Authoritatem Ecclesioe tamen in Dogmatibus Fidei eam ad solius Scripturoe Regulam alligatam putabant Bishop Davenant ad Colos 4. 4. But to return again to King James What his Judgement was in these matters he particularly declared at the famous Conference at Hampton-Court in the beginning of his Reign where one of See Summ of the Conference by Dr. Barlow Dean of Chester 1603. P. 86. the Lords said He was fully perswaded His Majesty spake by the instinct of the Spirit of God The then Lord Chancellor said I have often heard and read that Rexest mixt a persona cum Sacerdote but I never found the truth of it till this day And the Archbishop of Canterbury affirmed That undoubtedly P. 96. His Majesty spake by the special assistance of God's Spirit Now His Majesty there declared It was his happiness above others his Predecessors because they were fain to alter all things they found established but he saw yet no cause so much to alter and change any thing as to confirm that which he found well setled already not without Gratulations to Almighty God for it And the Bishop of London put His Majesty in mind of the Speeches which the French Embassador Mr. Rogne gave P. 38. out concerning the Church of England both at Cantorbury after his arrival and at the Court afterwards upon the view of our solemn Service and Ceremonies namely that if the Reformed Churches ☜ of France had kept the same Orders among them which we have he was assured there would have been many Thousands of Protestants more there than now there are When Mr. Knewstubs took exceptions to the Cross from the offence of weak P. 67. Brethren grounded on the words of St. Paul Rom. 14. and I Cor. 8. which P. 68. the Reconciler so industriously amplifies in his Treatise His Majesty first began with the general Rule of the Fathers Distingue Tempora concordabunt Scripturoe shewing the difference of those Times and ours Then a Church not fully planted nor setled but ours long established and flourishing Then Christians newly call'd from Paganism and
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