Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A55778
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A Parallel between Episcopacy & Presbytery, or, The Church of England vindicated from all the false and uncharitable reports and suggestions of either papist or Presbyterian
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1680
(1680)
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Wing P334; ESTC R28149
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7,728
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6
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A PARALLEL BETWEEN Episcopacy Presbytery OR The Church of England Vindicated from all the False and Uncharitable Reports and Suggestions of either Papist or Presbyterian Utrum horum mavis accipe MANY have been and in Various Disguises appeared the Enemies to the Peace of the Church of England but those that have prevailed most with the people against her and stuck closest upon her Skirts are and have been Popery and Presbytery Dextrum Scylla latus Laevum implacata Charybdis obsidet Some have been withdrawn from her Communion by the fair and insinuating Speeches of the Romish Priests others frighten'd from it by the Uncharitable Censurings and Bold Threatnings of the Presbyterian Ministers some offended with the Rude and Unmannerly Discipline of Presbytery where the pulling off a Hat or showing any other outward form of adoration is the highest Symptom of being ill affected have fell into the Romish Superstition others displeased with the gew-gaw Religion and Pageantry of the Church of Rome have thought no outward Honour and Magnificence fit to be allowed in the Temple of Christ and consequently became rigid Presbyterians again you have many running so far from the Papists meritorious hope of gaining Heaven by good works that they expect in hast to Post thither by a Barren Faith arguing nay esteeming good works as altogether unnecessary when as indeed they must be both Concomitants and though she daily gave particular cautions against these Seducers and set down descriptions and marks how they might be known Nimirum haec illa Charybdis Hos Helenus Scopulos haec saxa horrenda canebat yet they never could prove sufficiently effectual to the securing of all through the inadvertency of many though the Charmer charmed never so wisely I shall in this present Discourse decline mentioning the dangers and great inconveniences that arise from Popery to this State as having been the Subject of these two years last past and our fears sufficiently secured by the incomparable wisdom of his Majesty and the extraordinary carefulness of his Great Council the Parliament and only confine it to the latter being perhaps equally dangerous with the former 1. As being a Chronical Distemper bred at first in the Body of this State by an imprudent and overforward zeal and since encreased and grown stubborn through length of time which seldom ends but in the death of the Patient For when a Disease is grown habitual and customary the application of fit remedies is commonly neglected till the Body's past hopes of recovery as is evident from the year 40 where the best State-Remedies being too late administred proved useless and ineffectual 2. That Presbytery was calculated for the Meridian of a Commonwealth not of Monarchy as appears by the confession of its first Erectors and therefore contrary to the constitutions of this Kingdom 3. That by Democratical Principles in Religion is visibly seen what sort of Government they aim at in the State Democracy never being admitted in this Nation but when the Church was purely Presbyterian 4. That knowing how odious Popery is to above the tenth part of this Nation and that the People would consent to the introduction of any Religion rather than that they sliely give out upon all occasions that the Church of England is not sufficiently purg'd from the vanities of Rome that most of the Clergy are Popishly affected and still hanker after the Flesh-pots of Egypt uncharitably imputing the infirmities and failings of a few Members to the whole Body to the great disencouragement and Abuse of many of the waker sort of his Majesties good Subjects 5. That They the Godly pains-taking and true preaching Ministers are prohibited the exercise of holy duties though the severest Laws were never able totally to silence them when by just suspensions they were prevented from sowing the Seeds of Sedition and Schism that they by imprisonments and other oppressions are hindred from dispensing the Gospel of Christ when they are deservedly supprest for infusing into the people a disloyal Spirit of Treason and Rebellion against the King's Majesty his Heirs and Successors By these means they at first move compassion in the unwary and ignorant from which by degrees follows an opinion of their Sanctity Innocence and undeserved punishment to that blasting and undervaluing of his Maiesties Privy-Councellors and consequently to the raising in the people an aversion and distaste to his Government 6. That if any of them upon some special occasion are obliged to give an account of themselves to the world they cunningly style themselves Sons of the Church of England when all the week long they may be found railing against the times and the Clergy in a Coffee-House and seen in a Conventide every Sunday 7. That upon groundless fears and jealousies they are continually amusing the people and crying cut upon evil Councellors too near the King Arbitrary power Dissolution nay fear of an utter abrogation of Parliaments violation of privileges when the truth is that privilege like I harach's lean Kine has almost devoured the Prerogative it being made by several gracious condescensions and grants to satisfie the People and secure their sears and jealousies so thin and weak that 't is scarce able to protect its own Dignity the Kingdoms Honour the Subjects Liberty and the Safety we all have in the Established Laws of this Land 8 That no Town-fidler is more watchful after the search of a Wedding than formerly the Presbyterians were of a Plot never giving over the Hunt till they had made something of it and by chance in their way they lighted upon a suspicious person that could give no great account of himself with a full Cry away they run to one of their own Quorum then the Reverend Jesuitognostes is sent for who with some Ceremony turning the Party to the Light and disengaging his Head from his Perriwig immediately with amazement in his face and the whites of his Eyes turned up devoutly cryes out a Lewd Impostor a Jesuit whether by smelling inspection or by vertue of the old Proverb ever set a Knave to catch a Knave I know not their party in the mean time giving out in what imminent dangers this poor Nation had been in but for this happy discovery magnifying the little impertinent services of these their overbusie Patriots viz. had it not been for the wonderful care and diligence of Sr. W. do you call him Neighbour we had all been burnt in our Beds our Religion changed and the Government subverted never mentioning the indefatigable pains of his Majesty and his Council unless with jealousies and suspicions as if they fate at Whitehall in their Pontificalibus like the Roman Senators at the Gaulish Invasion not hindering but patiently expecting when their Throats should be cut as if nothing but the babling noise and watchfulness of these Presbyterian Geese could have preserved our Capitol making the people believe and understand how zealous and tender they always were of the Kings Honour Religion Laws and
his Subjects but by permission and authority from him and that according to just Laws and Rules made by Sovereign Authority for the manner of external Ministration thereof So that when the Episcopal Power cometh to the holding of Courts and calling Assemblies it wholly depends upon the Sovereign Power without whose assent signified by his Writ they cannot Assemble for the making of Canons and Constitutions nor publish and put in use any of them being made But Presbyterians take upon them to set up their Discipline in any Kingdom therein agreeing with the Jesuit maugre all opposition It is true for external Peace sake they hold it fit to crave leave first and beg the assistance of the Civil Power but if denied will proceed without it Assembling together and making their own Laws without Regulations from the Civil Power for the manner and form of exercising their Discipline allowing only the Prince Potestatem Cumulativam as they speak a power to add more strength and vigour not privativam to interpose or hinder their Assemblies or Decrees But with their good leave all the Presbyterian Divines in England cannot justifie unless at the beginning some extraordinary Miracle had been shewn from Heaven in favour and confirmation of their Religion the making any Prince's Subjects Proselytes without the leave and consent of their Prince much less the setling it in a Christian Commonwealth to the utter abrogation of a Religion pure and agreeable to the word of God by force of Arms and effusion of Christian Blood contrary to the true sense and meaning of the Gospel of Peace Now that Episcopacy is of Apostolical Institution is a Truth that hath been made good in all Ages That for 1500 years continuance of Christianity there is no example of the Church governed otherwise An Argument sufficient to suspect Novelties in opposition unto it That it hath been approved of by most of the Protestant-Divines beyond Seas who are rather induced by necessity to the practice of Presbytery there wanting means to maintain or abilities lawfully to compass Episcopal Government than wills and desires to enjoy the same Advantages Presbytery cannot pretend to Indeed Presbytery gave out at first that their perswasion came the nearest to the word of God that they were opprest for professing Christ purely that the Church of England like a Tall Cedar by continual droppings prejudiced and kept back the growth of this under-Shrub that they only humbly desired a free Toleration of their Religion from the Civil Magistrate c. which made a great many good and well-meaning Men not only neglect and connive at but even cherish and think well of it till having by its own subtilty and simplicity of others contracted sufficient warmth and power It like the Countrymans Snake began to rear its head and hiss disputing possession with the Landlord even to the danger of his Life for the dispute between his Majesty of Ever Blessed Memory and the Two Houses was not which Government came nearest to the word of God but Quis Regnabit where the Supream Power in Causes Ecclesiastical and Civil shall practically remain for the future either in Prince or People for though his late Majesty yielded to the settling of the Presbyterian Government for three years in a Legal manner as flowing from the power of the Crown yet this will not satisfie they would have totaliter totum Crown and all or else the Sword should decide it Now I would fain ask any reasonable Man How they could be so severely dealt with and opprest by the Church of England as they would have the people believe if in the space of less than fourscore years surely Ill Weeds grow apace this little party could be able to ruine so flourishing a Kingdom When was it that they had not publick Meeting-Houses in this Kingdom were the severest of our Laws since or before the King came in ever able to hinder them from a free exercise of their Religion And what was the Fruits of their Blessed Reformation a Term the people has been so much abused and cheated with when the Presbyterian Government was practised in opposition to the Episcopal but pulling down of May-poles destruction of senseless Crosses Reformation of Tavern-Signs by fantastical Cringers pictured instead of Angels breaking ignorant painted Glass windows removing the Communion Table Locally changing the Font laying aside Surplices and using Cloaks so that the Presbyter himself was in habit a Lay-Elder introducing a Directory instead of the Common Prayer and a Catechism the Issue of six years labour which ever since King Edward the sixth's daies you might have furnished your selves with in a smaller print and at an easier rate disentituling St. Paul and St. Peter whether out of familiarity or that a Live Dog is better than a Dead Lyon to cry up the Saints fo St. Antholins and Aldermanbury and lastly intermixing Lay-men with the Clergy for managing fo Ecclesiastical Affairs these were the most material alterations Now can any Man imagine that such Toys and Indifferences as these could provoke Men to desire a change in Government by an unnatural War were these things sufficient grounds for a thorough Reformation in church and State were they substantial enough to counterpoise Hypocrisie Perjury Oppression and Blood But 't is objected and has been a great inducement to some well-meaning Men to think well of their Government that they are zealous supporters of the Peoples Liberties and suppressors of wicked actions as Swearing Drinking Breaking of the Sabbath c. To which I answer in general That nothing can be more desired either for the suppressing or punishing of all sinful Words Deeds and viciously guilty persons or conducing to the Liberty of the Subject than what was established and confirmed by Act of Parliament before ever they exposed their Grand Remonstrance of Dec. 1641 to the view of the world Besides it allarming the Nation at first upon idle grounds with fear of Court-Endeavours to impair their privileges when no such endeavours really were or any thoughts bending that way and afterwards as power came into their hands subverting the antient Laws and Liberties of the Nation and abrogating its established Religion is maintaining the peoples privileges I grant 'em to be the only Men and as for the strict observance of the Laws relating to manners under the Presbyterian Government more than Episcopal it hapned from policy and State-conveniency out of necessity rather than from any good will they bore either to God or his Worship as is evident from the bottom of their black designs and had not they amused the people with the gilded nothing of Reformation and charm'd their Eyes with these outward shows of Sanctity while they were changing their Religion and antient Laws such publick Impostors no question had been as publickly removed from the Stage of this World by the rage of the common people Then against this objection put into the other Scale the publick Hypocrisie Perjury and Rebellion of those times and I believe no sober Man will admire either the goodness or felicity of the Presbyterian Government and to give 'em their old distinction back again I grant they were pretty godly ones distributive divisim but desperately wicked collective conjunctim i take 'em by Retail and they were so many seeming Saints but in the Lump a pack of most abominable wicked Wretches Besides Let 'em remember after they had demolished that almost impregnable Bulwark of Christianity the Church of England how suddenly the Enemy took in their lesser works and smaller fortifications what variety of Opinions then swarm'd in England Was not God himself dishonoured his Church unfrequented Did not Schism and Prophaneness every where abound and Heresies of all sorts even to the denying of the Divinity of Christ the holy Scriptures and immortality of the Soul and Religion it self consists in Tongue-Discourse demure Looks and preciseness of Habit Therefore if Popery is so odious to 'em as they pretend if there is any truth sense and meaning in what they say if they have any Bowels of Compassion for their poor Country If Presbytery and Loyalty be not inconsistent Let 'em for good manners sake since the difference in Religion is so small between us be advised by their Governours and accept of his Majesties Choice who no question is as earnest for his Salvation as the best Presbyterian of 'em all laying aside in this great time of danger animosities and unseasonable disputes which only make the Gap wider and hold us in play whilst the Enemy enters and submit themselves like honest Men to the Doctrine of the Church of England as it is expressed in the Thirty nine Articles being grounded on a sure Foundation the Holy Scriptures which are only able to make us wise unto Salvation leaving all other our fears and jealousies to the wisdome of his Majesty and his Council whose Honour and Interest is unseparably united with that of this Kingdom Perused May 29. 1680.