upon it is an Imposture enough discover'd and unmask'd Speak out is there any thing Sinful or Unlawful in the Liturgie Or that is not agreeable to Gods Word Prove but that and then you do something for the Church holds in her Articles of Religion That it is not Lawful for her to ordain any thing that is contrary or besides the Word of God Besides have not your requests been gratified in many things in altering several passages in the Liturgie as in the Offices of Marriage Churching of Women and Burials what is it you would then have all or none Cannot you be pleased without it be wholly cast aside Will no Concessions else serve your turn O that you would make some weighty exceptions and not use such a frivolous and vain Cavilling against it not worth the Answering or that you would shew the World one of your own that were better before you take away this that would be reasonable and worthy your undertaking And since some of you have allowed of a Liturgie and for peace sake of many inconvenient Circumstances in Gods Worship Baxt. Disp p. 487. Safe way p. 198. and acknowledg also that the Governors of the Church have a decisive power in things undetermined in Scripture why should you not yield to accept of this equitable Proposition to accept of and Conform to this Form of Prayer and these Rites of the Church till better be Instituted or Ordained As to the Cross in Baptism a Moral Hiroglyphick only of our Saviours Death and Crucifixion Godfathers and Godmothers Confirmation Kneeling at the Sacrament Bowing at the Name of Jesus Standing up at Reading the Creed and other things of the like Nature are these things worthy to cause an Eternal Separation betwixt you Are they of so great moment as to make so wide and long a breach in a Nation Are they of worth and value to make you run into Contempt and Rebellion Let us know your Minds if any of these should be yeilded to your tender Consciences and disused to please you would you then Conform in all the rest Would not your Answer be as formerly to Queen Elizabeth That you would not leave a Hoof behind All the Ceremonies of the Church must be laid aside you would have a naked Religion without Cloaths which is not seemly Ceremonies are but the Garments and decencies of Religion not part of it but somewhat that it cannot well be seen without they are like our Cloaths that may be altered that may be cut to the mode and size of the Times without altering the form of our Body There have been Laws made for prohibiting the use of some Garments and that have injoyned the wearing of others though before it was at the choice of the People to wear or not wear them after such Laws made they were no longer indifferent It is even so of our Ceremonies they are indifferent things of themselves but being injoyned by Authority they are now no longer so Obedience is no indifferent thing that is absolutely injoyned by the Word of God 't is obedience to Ecclesiastical Laws that is required This obedience is either justly due to these Laws or it is not If it is why then do you disobey If you say it is not 1 Pet. 2.13 you contradict the Scriptures Submit to every Ordinance of Man whether it be unto the King as Supream or unto Governors c. Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers However it is the safest way to obey should they Command things doubtful let the blame lie upon them you will be excused God requires not impossibilities But certainly God has given to the Governors of the Church a Power of making Laws and Canons Let all things be done decently and according to order 1 Cor. 14.40 And according to this Rule of the Apostle the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are as few decent comly and fitting as in any Church of the Christian World and all Exceptions against them that I ever could yet see empty and of no substance Manton on Jude Some of you have told us there are but two Lawful Causes of Separation from the Church Persecution and a general corruption of Doctrine for both these Causes and no other have we Separated from the Church of Rome and if you can prove these two marks of Separation to be inherent to the Church of England you will have sufficient to ground your Separation as Lawful and have some plea for what you do but till then I beseech you set your face towards the Temple of Obedience and be refractory no longer and since these things which make this Breach between you are not of any great Moment are but Ceremonies and the outward Garments and Garnatures of Religion leave off that obstinacy and submit your selves to the Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake The great Cry that you have made against these Rites and Ceremonies of the English Church hath been that they were Popery and of Popish extraction borrowed from the Church of Rome but all this while you tell us not what Popery is neither can you disown or dissent from all that is held or practised by the Church of Rome Certainly our Forefathers to whom we owe these things our Reformation from the Romish Church and the Purity of our Religion would not have laid down their Lives and have been Martyr'd by the Church of Rome if it had then been thought either by themselves or by the others that what they had done as to the Reforming the Ceremonies of the Church or towards the maintaining the Doctrines they Held or that the Orders and Discipline they had Constituted had been Popery or rather not opposite in some measure thereto As by Dissenting she shewed the Church of Rome that she had no dependency upon her and that she so far disowned her as she had disowned God by laying aside all those gross Corruptions for which our Church Separated from her so on the other side by retaining some of her harmless and innocent Ceremonies they shew'd her they did not do any thing by the Spirit of Opposition only whereby they might take offence without having a just ground and cause for it But Bishop Sanderson in his Preface to his Sermons tells you what in Truth Popery is Sand. Pref. Sect. 15. That it is those Doctrines which are contrary to the Word of God or but superadded thereunto as necessary Points of Faith to be of all Christians Believed under pain of Damnation and all those Superstitions used in the Worship of God which either are Vnlawful as being contrary to the Word of God or being not contrary and therefore Arbitrary or Indifferent are made Essentials and imposed as necessary parts of Worship From all which the Church of England hath been sufficiently Vindicated and Cleared and you cannot but know in your own Consciences that she disowns the shaddow of all those things and you
Evil and your Opinion that you may Separate and not Conform can never make it Good to you notwithstanding your scruples nor can any ways Justifie your Actions because Disobedience is of it self a great Evil. Now our Governors or those in Authority over us have Commanded those things to be done about which you scruple and that by the Authority of the Scripture 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in Order which gives them a Power to make such Constitutions therefore all your scruples of Conscience cannot take off the greater Obligation of Obedience which you are expresly bound to in Conscience by Gods Command and you are no longer sui juris where a Superior Power has determined your Liberty If you scruple to play at Cards and Dice or any other indifferent thing of which you have Power to determine to do or not to do if you do it against your Conscience you sin because you are sui juris in that Case there being no Obligation upon you to the Contrary but if you scruple coming to Church because of the Ceremonies being both a good Action and Commanded by Authority not to do it must certainly be a great Sin notwithstanding your scruples to the contrary for you are not at your own choice but under Obedience and thereby bound in Conscience as if God had Commanded them himself for he hath given you his strict Command to obey the higher Powers Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 and to submit to their Ordinances neither will it avail you to plead your scruples of Conscience Rom. 13.5 since you are Commanded to obey for Conscience sake and since what is Commanded is no Sin For if the Magistrate should Command us to take Gods Name in vain or to Commit Fornication we may with a safe Conscience disobey because we have an higher Obligation upon us for that God has Commanded the Contrary and we are bound to obey God before Man Be at last Convinced and stand no longer upon these niceties and scruples about things of lesser weight when greater Dangers are impending and much trouble is ready to arise by reason of this Separation and Disunion between you Salust have a care that by your discord you do not ruin your selves Discordia maximae Res dilabuntur it is able to overthrow Kingdoms give the Hag no longer entertainment among you let her be banished from our Churches as well as from our Kingdom that at last we may meet with oneness of Heart and singleness of Mind as becometh Brethren 1 Pet. 1.22.3.8 Love one another with a pure Heart fervently Be ye all of one Mind having Compassion one of another Love as Brethren Whatsoever the pretences of many are yet we find that Interest sways more with them than Religion very few do refrain purely for Conscience sake Many do it because they have been bred so and will not or care not to be better inform'd most remain Nonconformists without being able to shew any tolerable Reason why they are so besides those Idle Opinions they have of the Impurity of the Church of England Methinks these sort of People who shun the Church out of a certain squeamishness of her nearness as they falsly think to Popery should be afraid of those visible advantages their Separation gives to those of that Religion to contrive its setting up again in this Land and that this fear should let them see that it is their Common interest to Unite with and strengthen the Hands of their Brethren Certainly though you intend no such thing yet you are a means of the great increase of Popery in this Land by your Divisions How would that Party rejoyce could they see Episcopacy as it is now Established in this Land pulled down they would not much care what Form you would set up for they believe and not amiss that Confusions and Distractions would soon follow on which they ground their not improbable Hopes of Raising up their own Church upon our broken Pillars You cry out continually with no little noise of the growth and increase of Popery or of People perverted to Popery in this Land but look not on your selves as the Means and Cause by your Separation giving them the same pretence for that plea of yours Liberty of Conscience and that they ought not to be compelled any more than your selves Luc. 6.31 Do as you would be done unto If you would not be compelled why should they Prout vultis ut faciant vobis homines vos etiam facite eis similiter What reason have you to lay any force upon others when you will not have any laid upon your selves The Common Interest could make Herod and Pilate though Enemies to become Friends for fear of a Common Enemy the King of the Jews See I beseech you now if it be not your Interest to close with those of the Church of England against your Common Enemy of Rome and if it be not now most seasonable to effect it This Union would be the best means in the World to frustrate all their Plots and Designs against us It would put them quite out of Heart and dash all their Hopes They would then lose their sheet Anchor their last Refuge It would take away all their Advantages and put them past all their shifts It is the only way to bring Peace and Happiness to the Nation We need to fear no Enemies abroad if we were thus United at home we should be like the bundle of Arrows not to be broken together but being parted asunder into Factions easily broke into pieces Union is the Life and Blood of Government both in the Church as well as in the State A Doeg or Achitophel at home is worse than the Philistines or Moabites abroad Our mischief is from our selves Eras Apoth Patriae periclitantis potius habenda est ratio quam privatae incolumitatis We should rather regard the safety of our Country than of our selves Cicero said their was a select place of Happiness and Eternal felicity reserved in Heaven for those who preserved helpt and brought good to their Country Som. Scip. And I am of the Opinion that by your Conformity you will merit more than by all your scruples of Separation By your submission you will deserve the Reward of Victors you shall have the Garland of Praise to adorn your Brows the Palm of Conquest shall be put into your Hands and the Olive Branch of Peace shall be placed on your Trophies your Country shall applaud you your King shall cherish you and your Brethren shall rejoyce with you you shall have the right hand of fellowship given to you and there shall be no longer any difference in our Israel Cic. Off. l. 1. Pro patria quis bonus dubitet mortem oppetere What good Man doubts to meet Death for his Countries sake says Cicero The task is not so difficult that is required of you you are desired to Live for your
common Life whatsoever whether Natural or Civil it is altogether false and indefensible I shall not go about to confute this Opinion 't is not my Business or Intention to enter into Disputes of the Merits of the Cause it has been sufficiently done by more skilful Hands and learned Pens But this Weapon is so made that it may be turned against your own selves it offends as much as defends you and cuts both ways like a two edged Sword for by that Rule you can no more defend the wearing your short Cloaks and little Bands than the other party their Gowns and Rochetts and it will be as difficult to prove from Scripture your Institutions and Formalities as the other their Ceremonies and Customs The Holy Word of God is a perfect and most absolute and sufficient direction as to all things concerning our Salvation and as to that point we need not the help of Traditions but certainly in things indifferent and in things about the common Actions of Life we need not seek any farther than the Light of Reason and the common Rules of Discretion and not expect particular Warrants only from the Scripture for every action of humane Life All that we are to take care of is that our Actions be regulated as near as may be to those Rules laid down in the Holy Scriptures for us to walk by at least that they be no ways contradictory and then it will be sufficient to maintain their Legality whilst they are established by the Law of Nature or that of Reason without seeking to deduce Authority for them out of the Holy Scriptures These are the chief things that at present occur to my Memory which lye in the way that leads to Peace and Unity and which if removed will render the way more plain and eaven These are not things of Indifferency you will not own them nor plead for them and I question not when you have lay'd aside your imbittered Passions and rigid Dispositions against your Adversaries you will be willing to put to your Hands that all these Stones of offence may be done away and which should not have been mentioned but for that end But I would not have you think that I am Partial and that this Call ought not also to be heard on the other side and that I would not incite those also of the Church of England to do their part in every thing that may be justly required of them And here I cannot but justifie them from any aspersion of that Nature in that in all their Writings they have held out to you the right Hand of fellowship they have invited you to come in to them they have Called to Unity they have desired your Fellowship and that there may be no longer this Distance and Separation they have at all times exhibited a willingness to have this breach made up they would receive you into their Churches they would Communicate with you as Brothers they would provide for you as Sons they would take care of you as Fathers if you would own them as such What then makes this breach What is it continues this Separation What makes you so stiff in things of small moment Why should not they yeild Say you why should not you obey Say they One would think the weight of Authority should in this Case cast the ballance but sure you have put something more into the scales than what appears to the World that neither the kindness shown you by your Opposers the Indulgence of Princes nor the commands of Authority are able to move up your heavy scale But I would also have this Call reach to the Ears of those of the Church of England to whom with Reverence and Submission be it spoken that you are also desired to continue to use all means that this Unity may be effected and that you would on your parts endeavour to remove all Obstacles thereto You must then endeavour to forget all that is past you must not remember our late Troubles Wars Confusions Devastations as the effects of an unholy War for Religion you must not tell them any more of their unsanctified and bloody Covenant you must not say they are a stiff-necked Generation and people of a perverse Mind and Heart you must not mention their proud and arrogant Tryers nor fright them with the Hobgoblin Smectymnnus you must now forget all that 's past and continue that kindness and moderation that most of you have still on all occasions shown them that the distance that is yet between you may be overcome and that you may meet as Brothers and be united in Heart and Spirit These Rubs being presupposed to be removed what is it now that you Contend for Things as you your selves say of small moment trifles Ceremonies c. 'T is true they are not Essentials matters of Faith things of absolute necessity to Salvation things of indifferency yet not trifles and of no weight or value If they be as you say why stand you so stiff against them Why all this bustle and do about nothing But you have a refuge Conscience They plead the same for retaining them and also have Antiquity and Authority to back them Common Prayer will not down with you no set Form it stints the Spirit with other small and frivolous objections against some parts of the Liturgie For shame leave off at last those needless Cavils of which some of your selves have been ashamed You know that Forms of Prayer have been in all Ages both in the Greek and Latin Churches and are not only of a primitive Institution in the very Infancy of the Church when there was a double measure of the Spirit poured down upon its Bishops and Pastors but our Lord Jesus Christ himself thought good to leave a Set and prescribed Form of Prayer and also the like Forms were used of old in the Jewish Church and Service they were not left to their own Inventions I will not go about to argue the Case with you but if it be Lawful to Pray in a set Form as I suppose none of you will gainsay it is then expedient because Commanded by Authority But have you not a Christian Liberty left you to exercise your Gifts and to shew your Eloquence and Parts in Prayer Ex tempore before your Sermons And that the Spirit may not be quenched as you say may you not enlarge your selves And is it not an usual practice in our Churches Why then should you scruple so much at our Liturgie Would you have none But all the Gifted and Ungifted left to their own Inventions In your time had you not a Directory What was it but a Form of Worship after your Mode And what Church is there abroad even Geneva it self without some Forms both of Worship and of Prayer That our Book of Common Prayer was taken out of the Mass Book and that it was the Mass in English as many of the ignorant have been Taught to cast the greater Odium