build upon another and a new Foundation though by them called old But Protestants agree in the same Foundations of Religion obey the same Civil Government in the same Person and same Fundamental and Civil Laws and yet some are separated for Sacrifice the Lot is cast upon them and great Rewards allowed to any that will do the Work Our Parliaments from 1673 to the last would have prevented this Ruine but for their sakes and their own Parliament is here taken Synecdochically they are now like to suffer Our last Parliaments were chosen with less Expence Debauchery Tumult or Faction than any we have known in our days Some had not been long in the House but they were driven out of their former Prejudices and Prepossessions by the clear and convincing Reasons and Debates of the House They were generally Men of the noblest Estates in their several Counties but acting as if they had nothing private or domestick and applying themselves to the Preservation of the King 's Sacred Person and of the Reformed Protestant Religion to which they are obliged by Obligations of an even lasting Effect Since their Dissolutions they cannot but be sensible how their Proceedings are confured and exposed and many either of them or of such as approved of them are put out of Commission and many that are most disaffected to them are either continued or fill up the Vacancies and these proceed upon contrary Reasons and Motives and run into contrary Methods What they would have composed and healed these do taking the opportunity of a long Vacancy of Parliament discompose with a greater Severity than at any time before And the Sufferings of the Nonconformists do clear the Members of Parliament from being Nonconformists or Fanaticks for if they were they should meet with the like Treatment and Usage and so the Sufferings of the Nonconformists serve as a Vindication of the Parliament from the censure of being such themselves All those noble and worthy Patriots are now the unsatisfied Spectators of an excessive Trouble and Charge if not irrecoverable Ruine of thousands of peaceable Subjects by which the King will never be enriched nor the Church united The inferior Rank are affected according to their differing measures of Reason and Sense of Religion and the publick Good The more Understanding and discerning enquire into the Cause of this Mischief which is the dissent of the Nonconformist's Judgment from some unnecessary and variable Impositions c. when ever the Government plenseth may be taken away without derogation of Power or loss of any Fundamental in Religion either of Belief or Practice or danger to the Government or Peace They cannot but say these matters of Dissention need not be They believe their own Senses they have neither seen nor heard of any Sedition or Tumult or Plot contrived among the Protestant Dissenters They know them to be Men of Abilities Piety Righteousness and Peace and have waded through the deep Waters of many Afflictions without sinking or drowning or overthrowing the Ship in which too many drive a Merchandize bring in Wealth and others fish for Men to save them from the bottomless Pit If they are unacquainted with the Nonconformist Preachers they are acquainted with their Hearers and know their Principles and Conversation and if they are not better they are no worse than other Men and cannot but be grieved that they lie at the Mercy of many that have no Vertue to commend them They that love Godliness and Righteousness in any in whom they believe or hope it is that are glad for the increase of Knowledg or Godliness by what Instrument soever and endeavour to be merciful as their heavenly Father is merciful are not and cannot be pleased with those Proceedings of ruining Men for Conscience These are not so subtile as to lay any great Weight upon the Distinctions which some Men invent to excuse the Severity The more unknowing and unconcern'd are in a maze wondring what kind of People these Nonconformists are what kind of thing this Nonconformity is but they know or hear that the Men are given to pray hear Sermons sing Psalms and other pious Exercises and live if not better yet no worse than many that go to Church And of these many have so much Sense that they think and say surely it is hard to drive honest Men's Cattel seize their Goods break open Houses for doing well And as many as love Ease and the World take their Ease and follow that Religion which is encouraged with Preferment and a Freedom from Charge and Molestation Some Zealots against Nonconformists are incensed against them as against Pharisees that pray to devour all as against seditious Persons and secret Traitors that want nothing but Opportunity as against the Authors of all our Unsettlements and Miseries These are for the King and who is against him These are for the Law as now established and no alteration which is to tie up the Power of the King as much as the Parliament for it is as much his Prerogative to abrogate old Laws when necessary as to make new These are for the Church of England and against all that are against it and what 's that for the Bishops and the Nonconformists never did as much as petition to take them down or diminish their Revenues they are for preaching in Churches and so are Nonconformists if they might for Allegiance to the King so are the Nonconformists for the King's Supremacy so are the Nonconformists for Ceremonies and Orders of the Church here they begin to disagree And for these things can you persecute your Brethren These Zealots are as erroneous for these things as any others are against them The most of our Conforming-Protestant Laicks are bound to bear Offices higher or lower in Cities Towns Hundreds Parishes The superiour Magistrates may forbear to break open Meetings for Religious Exercises or set others on much more to animate the Rabble to pluck down their Meeting-Houses there is no Law for it that we the unskilful in the Laws know or hear of The inferior are under Command but these are meant of only lawful Commands and legal Warrants And here is now a very displeasing Tragedy to be seen Here are Informers very Strangers in the Countries which they plague and molest that swear against some Persons by hear-say whom they do not know and these are the great Ministers of Justice they do little less nay sometimes no less than expect the Justices should take their Information without Examination of them at their time at the very nick when they please and not when the Justice pleaseth These are the Masters of the Justices themselves who must serve them or forfeit 50 l. to them and 50 l. more to him that can get it Some Justices are forward and officious in carrying on this Work of Reformation and Union they issue forth Warrants upon them that meet upon the Parish Officers that are slack some give out Warrants to break open
intend to shew in my following Discourse as God shall help me IV. By whom and from whom and through whose means they are now again exposed to Sufferings I cannot shew the Spring of the Motion but any Man may see the Hands that strike and tell us what time of day it is I do very much doubt whether the most engaged Instruments do know whose Work they carry on this is my Charity but if they do I dare say what they cannot hear without either great displeasure horror or repentance But they are 1. Such as cannot take it ill to be called Addressers and Abhorrers but they as far as I can look about me and see particularly that have thanked the King for declaring his Resolutions of ruling by Law which if any of the Nonconformists had expressed a doubt or fear of had been a far greater Offence than their Nonconformity They have declared for the Protestant Religion as established by Law and yet punish them that profess the same and no other 2. And by Consequence they are such as have declared a dislike of the Proceedings of our late Parliaments and in that particular of endeavouring the uniting of Protestant Dissenters in which alone I am concerned to take notice of them and act directly contrary to the Vote of the House of Commons which resolved That it is the Opinion of this House Lunae 10 die Jan. 1680. that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the penal Laws is at this time grievous to the Subject a weakning to the Protestant Interest an Encouragement of Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom And by the Rule of Opposition they must in their Opinions turn this Vote backward as if they thought that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the present Laws is not grievous to the Subject is not a weakening of the Protestant Interest is not an encouragement of Popery nor dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Certainly they must be supposed to hold this as contrary to the general and unanimous Judgment of the far greater Number for as Nemine Contradicente doth not contain every particular Man's Vote so it doth no less than imply a Consent or that to declare a Dissent is to no purpose there is no Division of the House upon it only if they do not hold this contrary to the House they must act both irrationally and desperately in this sense Altho the House of Commons declared their Opinion to be so yet I a Justice or I an inferiour Officer will prosecute the Protestant Dissenters or execute the Penal Laws upon them tho it be a weakening of the Protestant Interest altho it be an Encouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Or if this Consequence from these Proceedings be too harsh and censorious I will mollify it as much as it is capable of a mollified Construction Let this be the Opinion of the Prosecutors now The Execution of the Penal Laws is not grievous to the Subject that is it is grievous but to some and not to all it is not grievous to the Subject because it is not grievous to them and then we shall have a Discrimination of Subjects to this sense They only who execute the Laws or approve of it are the only Subjects of the King or that the Dissenters can suffer Punishments and the Punishments not be grievous to them Or that the Dissenters are not Subjects but Rebels a sort of quiet Rebels certainly may we never see any other than such unarmed quiet Rebels Again they must think that the Execution of the Laws upon them is no weakning of the Protestant Interest that is to say they are no Protestants And now the meaning is plain that there are no Protestants amongst us but those that are of the Church-Government established by Law and are of it or submit to it or that read or joyn in the Liturgy or do all that the Law requires that is the Act of Uniformity and then a Question will arise Where was the Protestant Religion before 1662 or before the last long-Long-Parliament Or where is it like to be when these Protestants no-Protestant-Dissenters are cut off where it was before Luther If only the Conformists are the Protestants then what sort of them If only one sort of them then the Catholick Church of England may be not much bigger than some great Conventicle or great Parish They who make this Separation of Protestants are Separatists and Disciples the National Tutors and Instructors in such wholsome and profitable Doctrine both in Divinity and Politicks If Confirmity tota in toto c. makes the Protestant and be convertible with him it makes as good a Definition of a Protestant as of a Man by Accidents A Man is a rational Creature that wears curled Locks long Hair Hose and Shoos c. or of a Philosopher he is a Scholar that wears a Beard c. But to go on they may be thought to be of Opinion that to punish Dissenters is no Encouragement to Popery for when they have rooted them up then they will root up Popery as if they could not come at those great Oaks before they have cut up the Brush-wood Or lastly they do not think it dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom to suppress Dissenters 1. Because they know that the Dissenters when undone will not molest or disturb the Peace of the Kingdom Or else 2. Because they intend to make them so poor that they shall not be able to disturb the Peace Or 3. Because it is the only way of Peace But here again a Questionist sets upon me as I go peaceably on in my Discourse If the Dissenters are not dangerous to the Peace of Kingdom why are they disturb'd and their Meetings broken up as seditious Meetings 2. If they are dangerous and their Meetings feditious then whether are they more dangerous when they are pleased quiet and in Peace or when they are provoked When they enjoy Trades Liberty and Estates or when they are imprisoned and undone To conclude this Head If our zealous Prosecutors think as the House of Commons did in their foresaid Vote then why will they act contrary to that general Opinion or if they are of a contrary Opinion as I have said then follows 3. A third Branch of the Description of the Prosecutors They are such as do not yea cannot understand the State of the Kingdom and Religion so well as the House of Commons did 1. No one Man of them can understand the true State of the Kingdom as a Grand Assembly of our Representatives did 2. Nor all of them for when the Representatives of the Kingdom met they had such Informations given in and brought before them and saw what was invisible to others there was a Collection of Observations and the Eyes of most of the Kingdom moved in that great Body and their Debates and Reasonings were mature and full And tho a Vote have not the
if he had any regard to his Soul to his Life to his Family and Posterity if any true Loyalty to his Soveraign if kindness to the Church and Country for this is a fighting against God a walking contrary to him and what can they expect but that God should walk contrary to them Well we read Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for any part of Righteousness and Religion but there 's none for them that persecute Blessed are they who lay to heart the doleful State of the Protestant Religion that consult her Peace and that appear for her Peace in this day of her Fear and Trouble When other are pronouncing Wo to themselves and Wo to others these will find Peace in their own Souls who have studied the Peace of the Church by healing her Breaches If any should say to the first movers of this Work now in hand as Olivarius the Chancellor of France when in great Terrors said to the Cardinal of Lorrain Ah ah Cardinalis Pavel Mellif Hist Part 3. p. 343. Edit 4. Anno 1631. tu nos omnes in aeternum exitium trahis it will be no allay of Horrors nor relief to Conscience if any Divine or Confessor shall say as the Cardinal did to him You are tempted of the unclean Spirit persist in the Faith To this fearful Story I will add the words of that Historian Haec est merces Judicum quibus Aulicae Gratiae fumus sua Conscientia potior est He might have added omnium and of all that prefer Court-Favour which is but Smoak to the Light and Peace of their own Consciences The Sufferers are much to be pitied the divided Body of Christ is more to be pitied but they who stretch out their Hands to vex the religious and truly pious Sufferers are both to be feared and pittied because it is a more fearful thing for them to fall into the Hands of the living God than for them who religiously fear God to fall into their Hands To put an end to the Sufferings of true Protestants in a Protestant Kingdom and to prevent an apprehended and feared Desolation good Mens Thoughts are at work and several Proposals for Accommodation are made publick And I wonder at the Providence of God that when too many are extream busy with Hands and Tongues to tear us into more and new Distractions others and they Members of the Church-Communion appear as strongly prepared to receive the Ejected What this Providence may speak I will not be so bold as to interpret but it raiseth up some hopes when we are dejected under the dejecting Apprehensions of considering Men. It is manifest that most that are engaged in suppressing the Nonconformists read little consider as little it is but vain to write for their sakes and those that read a little of much that is said are strongly pre-engaged or are afraid or covetous to save themselves or carried by some other Affection and Temptation and thatwhich is most fearful of all are under a strong Delusion If we were not under some degrees of a Delusion it were impossible that Men should be so impolitick and irreligious I am grieved and ashamed to read how Gundamor did delude a great wise and Protestant Kingdom in his Account of his Embassy to the Council in Spain in two great Instances of his Craft pernitious to our Church and State 1. A Parliament said Gundamor Out of a M. S. that lay in the Study of a Loyal Divine related to the Eail of Stratford printed by Mr. Rich. Dugdalt 1679 and by T. S. Mr. Scot in his Vex Populi printed An. 1624. nay therein lies one of the principal Services I have done in working such a dislike between the King and the lower House by the Endeavour of that honourable and admirable Engine a sure Servant to us as the King will never endure a Parliament again 2. For Religion as Bancroft who maintained a dangerous Schism between our Seculars and the Jesuites this taught me as it did Barnevel in the low Countries to work secretly and insensibly between the Conformist and the Nonconformist He bragg'd he had the Head of Sir W. Raleigh at command got Dr. Everard of St. Martin's silenced and Dr. Whiting and Mr. Clayton for preaching against them and that Mr. Ward of Ipswich did not escape for his Picture of 88. He advised the Jesuits who consulted in Fetter-Lane and had a Printing-Press at a Goldsmith's House to sow Dissention between the Prince and People How warmly do some accomplish the Advice of Contzen the Jesuit to bring in Popery Rule 3. The Doctors and leading Pastors must be put out if it may be all at once if not by degrees R. 8. Let the People be told the Ministers are heady obstinate Men that they are faulty and have deserved to be put out R. 6. To bring in Popery is to make use of the Protestant Contentions R. 7. To forbid the Protestants privately or publickly to assemble together 8. To proceed to the Severity of Laws and Punishments But now many are so imposed upon as tho they did not believe what they cannot but believe and as if they believed what they have no reason to suspect O that many both of our Preachers and Prosecutors would diligently read and consider that excellent Sermon of our renowned Father Bishop Jewel on Mat. 9. Pray the Lord of the Harvest that he would send Labourers into his Harvest Take a few Gleaning of it O lift up your Eyes and consider how the Hearts of your Brethren ly waste without Instruction without Knowledg without the Food of Life without the Comfort of God's Word such a Misery as was never seen among Heathens The Turks have Preachers sufficient for their People the Jews have their Teachers c. The Christians when they lived under Tyrants never lacked Ministers to instruct them It is therefore most lamentable that Christians living under a Christian Prince in the Peace and Liberty of the Gospel should lack learned Ministers to teach them This is the greatest Plague that God sends upon a People contrary-wise the greatest Blessing any People can receive at God's Hands is to have Prophets and Preachers But when God taketh away his Ministers which should preach Peace and open to the People the Will of God and make known his Judgments it is a Token that God is highly displeased with his People c. I may be blamed for this Quotation as if it were scandalous to the Government a popular delusion of People to Discontent Yes I know what may be said but let the doleful dark famishing Condition of multitudes of Places in this Kingdom be view'd and it is true that People perish for want of Knowledg I have known where one pitiful Curat Journy-man indeed that could make but a poor shift to saw the Liturgy and Psalms between him and the Clerk hath been all that three great Congregations had had unless a Stranger had preached to two
unordained rebellious and unreasonable Men disloyal disobedient against the King and all Government Decency and Order as if they were for all Sects and sorts of Religion allowing all Men to do what seemeth good to them But in this short Description of them you may find an Answer to vulgar and popular Objections against them and more fully spoken of in the two former Pleas. In the Second Plea p. 10 11 12. I have said that the Difference between the Nonconformist commonly but unduly and unsitly called Presbyterian and the Conformist is to be seen and gathered from the King 's own Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs which they would have submitted to if it had been turned into an Act of Parliament and the Act of Uniformity I shall now further enlarge upon that Notion and shew you what the King declared and what they would have accepted because many that think and speak hardly of them do not know how things stood at that time and what that Declaration is In the Year 1660 after that General Monk made Duke of Albemarle afterwards by the King declared himself for a Free-Parliament and by the Counsel and Assistance of the City of London restored the Members of the old Parliament that were shut out by some of the Army before ever they could bring about their Designs against the King's Life and there was a wise and good Council of State chosen many of the Royal Nobility and Gentry and some Divines put out a Declaration in which are these words And we do further declare that we intend by our quiet and peaceable Behaviour to testify our Submission to the present Power as it now resides in the Council of State in Expectation of the future Parliament upon whose Wisdom and Determinations we trust God will give such a Blessing as may produce a perfect Settlement both in Church and State This was subscribed by the Marquess of Dorchester and twenty Earls and Lords several Noble-Men about thirty two Baronets and Knights and between eighty and an hundred Gentlemen among whom is Mr. Roger L'Estrange then a Christian professing Reconciliation promising with the rest To speak one Language to be of one Name not Whig and Tory that all mention of Factions and Parties and all Rancor may be thrown in and buried like Rubbish under the Foundation These are the words of it but as Dr. Collings of Cambridg said once Then was then and now is now one Irish Bishop subscribed it and four Doctors of Divinity and the first of them was Dr. Morley the yet-living Lord Bishop of Winchester How gladly did all honest Men receive this Declaration as tending to a firm Reconciliation and afterwards to a lasting Union and universal Peace not so much as a name of Faction or Difference to be kept in memory neither did any suspect the meaning of burying all Factions and Animosities like Rubbish under the Foundation to be as now some Mens Actions and Writings explain it that Factions and Animosities do lie under the Foundation which is at this day shaken being so underlaid Faction and Animosity will not lie buried but rise and walk In April 1660 That hoped-for Parliament met and to the Speakers of both Houses His Majesties Letter from Breda April 14. 1660 pag. 6. His Majesty sent his Letter and Declaration from his Court at Breda in his Letter I read these Words relating to Religion And nothing can be proposed to shew our Zeal and Affection for it to which we will not readily consent and we hope in due time our Self to propose somewhat to you for the Propagation of it In his Declaration sent therewith are these words We do declare a Liberty to tender Consciences and that no Man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of Opinion in matter of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom In October 25 1660 His Majesty was pleased to send out his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs in which he was pleased to remember and repeat the fore-cited words of his Letter whereby it is clear that that which he had long in his Mind to propose for the Propagation of Religion was the Contents of this Declaration Adding in the next Sentence Pag. 4. And the truth is We do think our Self the more competent to propose and with God's Assistance to determine many things now in difference from the time we have spent and the Experience we have had in most of the Reformed Churches abroad And besides what is quoted out of it in the Second Plea pag. 65. he hath these words We must for the honour of all those of either Perswasion with whom we have conferred declare that the Professions and Desires of all for the advancement of Piety and true Godliness are the same their Professions of Zeal for the Peace of the Church the same of Affection and Duty to us the same They all approve of Episcopacy they all approve of a set Form of Liturgy and they all disprove and dislike the Sin of Sacriledg and the Alienation of the Revenue of the Church and if upon these excellent Foundations in submission to which there is such an Harmony of Affections any Superstructures should be raised to the shaking those Foundations and to the contracting and lessening the blessed Gift of Charity which is the vital part of Christian Religion we shall think our selves very unfortunate Pag. 8. We have not the least doubt but that the Present Bishops will think the present Concessions now made by us to allay the present Distempers very just and reasonable and will very cheerfully conform themselves thereto Thus the King declares his Confidence of the Bishops Compliance with his Proposal and Declaration which is thus contracted 1. Our purpose is to promote the Power of Godliness to encourage the Exercise of Religion both publick and private that the Lord's day be applied to holy Exercises that insufficient negligent and scandalous Ministers be not permitted in the Church to prefer none to be Bishops but Men of Learning Vertue and Piety that they be frequent Preachers c. 2. Because the Diocesses are too large we will appoint Suffragan Bishops for the due performance of the Work 3. No Bishops shall ordain or exercise any Jurisdiction without Advice of the Presbyters no Chancellour or Commissary shall decree any Excommunication or Absolution nor shall the Deacons exercise any Jurisdiction without the Advice and Assistance of six Ministers 4. That Cathedral Preferments shall be given to the most learned and pious Presbyters of the Diocess and that an equal number to those of the Chapter of the ablest Presbyters of the Diocess annually chosen by the major Vote of the Presbyters shall be always advising and assisting with those of the Chapter in all Ordinations and every the part of Jurisdiction and Censures 5. That Confirmation be solemnly performed by the Information and Consent of the Minister of the place who shall admit none to the Lord's Supper
these Passages to inform those who seem not to know or remember these things Yet I cannot go on without leaving some Animadversions and Remarks upon them 1. We might have seen the disagreeing Parties running into an Union under the King as their supream lawful Head and Governour The reputed Presbyterian comprehending a great powerful considerate substantial part of the Kingdom most close and deliberate in Counsel active in Endeavours fervent in Prayer with their Ministers for the Restauration of the King and the ancient Government watching all Opportunities and using all means to engage General Monk and his well disciplined and most Presbyterian part of the Army to declare for the restoring the secluded Members in order to a free Parliament and that in order to bring back the King The most eminent of the Royal Party declaring a Reconcilableness and Oblivion of all Sufferings acknowledging the Hand of God in them all And the King to compleat and perfect all by laying a Top-stone as well as the Foundation of the Temple of Peace gathers all Parties into himself some by Comprehension in a wider Constitution others by a safe indulgent Toleration which if granted had been desired by the least and most inconsiderable part of the Nation for the Dissenters had been fewer than now they are because abundance had been taken into the proposed Settlement The Sects have much encreased since that time of Papists if not other Denominations The King and his wise Council had a perfect full view of all Interests and did weigh out proper Preparatives for an healing Effect 2. It is a Shame and Grief to think that a divided Nation can be sooner composed and settled than a broken divided Church who have besides the Motives and Principles of Nature the most gracious Reconciler for their Law-giver the most perfect Laws of Love the most indulgent Government under the strict and indispensible Duty of Self-denial opposite to Self-seeking and should have the least Consideration and Regard of a wordly Interest because They that are of Christ they are not of this World and having nothing to do but to promote enlarge and build up Christ's Kingdom upon Earth and for all their Self-denial Services and Sufferings have the Promises of Eternal Life an everlasting Kingdom and Thrones in it It is a most afflicting Meditation that Church-Divisions are most difficultly healed What an humbling Thought is this that a temporal Interest divides wordly Men in whom Self prevails and yet worldly Men can unite under general Common Laws because it is their Interest to unite and yet they who of all Men are under the greatest Obligations to unite that declare they are not of this World that teach the way of Peace to others cannot find it themselves But it is not Religion and Light that divide but it is Darkness and the Spirit of this World If to us to live were Christ then Christian Faith and Love would make us more heavenly and by Consequence more united Popery could never have that Compass to work our Ruine in had we agreed as we should have done Pardon this Excursion I 'll return The Church is rent from the Top to the Bottom the King surveys it and hath a Proposal in his Mind which will not only repair the Breaches but propagate Religion as he often said he seems to be fond of it he speaks so often of it It was meditated and formed in his Royal Mind while he was in Breda that it may not be thought an hasty and immature Production he gives it full time and cherisheth it And what is it but his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs It was beheld as the most Royal Issue of an happy Mind as the First-born of Church-Peace after the most affectionate Conjunction of a most well-come King to a Kingdom that longed for him Observe 1. He offers himself as an Umpire and Reconciler 2. He declares to his great Satisfaction and Comfort that while he was in Holland he found the principal Assertors of the Presbyterian Opinion full of Affection to him Zeal for the Peace of the Church and State neither Enemies to Episcopacy nor Liturgy but modestly desiring Alterations without shaking Foundations and to the same purpose over again pag. 8. 3. He thinks himself to be competent to make his Proposal and determine many things in difference as above-said and pag. 4. of the Declaration 4. He expressed some great Considence in the Bishops We have not the least doubt but that the present Bishops will think the present Concessions made by us to allay the present Distempers very just and reasonable and will very chearfully conform themselves thereto pag. 10. 5. He conjured all his loving Subjects to acquiesce in and submit to that his Declaration concerning those Differences pag. 18 19. 3dly You have read the King's Character of the Reforming Divines so I 'll call them rather than Presbyterian and they made it good they strictly followed the Orders in the King's Commission made their Exceptions which they were impowered to do explained and shewed the Reasonableness of them when answered they replied when called to dispute they disputed and when they saw all was but dashing against a Wall they petition for Peace both the King and Bishops Now to all them that speak slightly or scornfully These Men these kind of Men as if they were some Monsters rolling in a troubled Sea and not suffering the Ark of Christ's Church to rest here is some account if not Satisfaction given But after our great hopes of Church-Peace and Union what followed but a dismal Breach a Wound that lies a bleeding and they upon whom the Pinacles of the Temple fell and bruised and crushed are now instead of a cleanly Hospital to live in threatned with Bridewel and Prisons and with that dreadful Sentence of Abjuration And Christian Reader if you do as I do here Grief doth make you stop That any Magistrate that hath taken the Sacrament to prove himself a Protestant dare menace or admonish any Christian Minister to do what he cannot do or forswear his native Country And wo be to England when a Minister of Christ successful in his Work not imaginary but real shall be carried to the Sea-side and swear he will never return to his Native Country and that such Ministers shall not have as much as a mean House or Barn to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in But who made the Breach who hindred the hopeful Closure self-willed obstinate Nonconformists The Nonconformity to the Law of Love Peace Meekness Forbearance hath done the Mischief The King's Declaration would have done what the Act of Uniformity could not do but we may look and find the first Cause to lie between them both To lay this open compare but some words in the King's Commission with some of the Answers of the Anti-reforming Commissioners and then judg impartially The King according to his Declaration gave his Commission to an equal number of Divines of both
Perswasions bearing date March 25 in the thirteenth Year of his Reign We in the Accomplishment of our said Will and Intent do authorize you to advise upon and review the said Book of Common-Prayer comparing it with the most ancient Liturgies of the purest Times to take to your serious Consideration the several Directions Rules Forms of Prayer and things in the Book of Common-Prayer contained to advise consult upon and about the same and the several Objections and Exceptions which shall now be raised against the same and if occasion be to make such reasonable and necessary Alterations Corrections and Amendments therein as shall be agreed upon to be needful and expedient for the giving Satisfaction to tender Consciences c. The Bishops c. answer On the contrary we judg That if the Liturgy should be altered as is there required not only a Multitude but the Generality of the soberest and most Loyal Children of the Church of England would justly be offended since such an Alteration would be a virtual Concession that this Liturgy was an intolerable Burthen to tender Consciences a direct Cause of Schism a superstitious Usage upon which Pretences it is here desired to be altered which would at once justify all those who have obstinately separated from it as the only pious tender-conscienced Men and condemn all those that have adhered to it in conscience of their Duty and Loyalty with the loss and hazards of their Estates and Fortunes as Men superstitious schismatical and void of Religion and Conscience For these Reasons and those that follow we cannot consent to such an Alteration as is desired till these Pretences be proved And now it might easily appear to them what afterwards came to pass but let us observe 1. There is no doubt but some of them knew what his Majesties Proposal was for the Propagation of the Protestant Religion being his Chaplains and chief Ministers about him and some of them if I am not mis-informed made some Alterations and Amendments in the King's Declaration 2. They do manifest an Opinion of the Reforming Divines inconsistent with the Character which his Majesty gave of them as grave and learned Ministers and proceed with them according to a mean and uncharitable Opinion 3. If they saw no necessity of any Alterations 1. They dissented from the Judgment of as eminent Divines of the Church See First Plea p. 22 c. p. 32. as any in it 2. They do not agree among themselves for Mr. Thorndike one of them thought a Reformation was necessary to Union 3. They made some Alterations such as were pleasing to them though not satisfactory to others 4. They destroy the King's Supposition and the reason of his Proposal for the Propagation of the Protestant Religion Peace of the Church satisfying tender Consciences c. 4. If they were commissioned to advise c. then had it not been a great Satisfaction to the whole Church and an effectual way to silence the cavilling Opponents if they were but Cavillers 1. To have answered their Reply 2. to have petitioned his Majesty for a longer time to have heard them out but when eight Points were to be disputed they had only time for one of them being the last day of their Commission If I am mistaken in any of these things as I believe I am not I shall be glad to be corrected by a trie History of those Passages It was about giving the Sacrament to Persons that scruple kneeling about which there was a Division among themselves Some of them held that we are not to refuse to give it to them that kneel not but to give it to them that kneel the words of the Rubrick being The Minister shall take in both kinds himself and deliver it into the hands of the People kneeling as if the sense were we are to give the Sacrament into the hands of the People kneeling but are not forbid to give it to them that do not kneel Dr. G. Dr. P. and Dr. S. were for this lax Interpretation Now Lord Bishops of Ely Chester Norwich other Dr. M. now Bishop of Winchester was for the rigid sense that the People must kneel or we must not give it And Dr. P. now Dean of Salisbury offered to maintain against Mr. Baxter See Mr. B's Defence against Mr. Cheney pag. 38. that it was an Act of Mercy to those that scruple and refused to receive the Sacrament kneeling to deny them the Communion of the Church therein but the Commissioners of his own side restrained him 4. How little did some of them care for the King 's conjuring them to acquiesce in and submit to his Declaration Or tho his Majesty thought himself competent to propose a Remedy they thought him not or else they would have advised a little further having so great a charge from him giving him hopes of their Compliance and seeing the Peace and Settlement of the Church so much concerned in it and the House of Commons approving of it to whom they owned an Acknowledgment for their Service done for them they might have made their Memorial blessed to all Generations as Healers and Peace-makers And now it is plain that those who ruled most in those Councils exercised a kind of Soveraignty over the Reason of all others and waited for a Parliament and Convocation that should at once silence Objections and answer Petitions Since those Transactions the reforming Divines never had but one or two Opportunities of treating and composing our doleful Differences the Composers agreed but the House of Commons hearing of it voted against bringing in a Bill of Compreehension and the Reverend Dr. Burnet in the Life of the Great Sir Matthew Hale gives us the Reasons that prevailed at that time against it And if I may not be too tedious I will crave leave totranscribe his Lines Pag. 70 71 72 73. But two Parties appeared vigorously against this Design of Comprehension by Law the one was of some zealous Clergy-Men who thought it below the Dignity of the Church to alter Laws and change Settlements for the sake of some whom they esteemed Schismaticks they also believed it was better to keep them out of the Church than bring them into it since a Faction upon that would arise in the Church which they thought might be more dangerous than the Schism it self was Besides they said if some things were now to be changed in compliance with the Humor of a Party as soon as that was done another Party might demand other Concessions and there might be as good Reasons invented for these as for those many such Concessions might also shake those of our own Communion and tempt them to for sake us and go over to the Church of Rome pretending that we changed so often that they were thereby inclined to be of a Church that was constant and true to her self and these Reasons wrought on the far greater part of the House of Commons There were others
renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and
best is they dissented from the Law without Impeachment of their Loyalty to the King for they would gladly have submitted to his Terms and could not obey the Law without any great Dishonour to the Legislative Power for they only dissent from a few Men who then could sway enow to do their Work They must not only do but they must subscribe Is that true of the same wise Lord Bacon Their urging Subscriptions to their own Articles is but lacessere irritare morbos Ecclesiae which otherwise would spend and crush themselves And it is true there are some which as I am perswaded will not easily offend by Inconformity who notwithstanding make some Conscience to subscribe For they know this note of Inconstancy Page 35. and Defection from what they have long held shall disable that Good which otherwise they would do When they have done this they must assent and consent c. Non consensum quaerit sed dissidium auget qui quod factis praestatur verbis exigit He seeketh not Union but Division which exacteth inwardly that which Men are content to yield in outward Action the same great Man still If some of the things themselves be small yet it is not a small thing that is required of us about them namely a Declaration and Subscription our unfeigned Assent c yea our quiet Submission to the use of them as tolerable sufficeth not as we apprehend Principles and Practices of the N.C. p. 13. c. saith the wise and holy Mr. Corbet I know all is sheltred under and fathered upon the Law but who invented who formed these things Had they the Catholick Spirit Wisdom Charity Authority of the whole Church in them to which all must yield Assent and to whom all must consent under peril they could not but know there were and would be Dissents and Disatisfactions they could not but know these Injunctions could not be so pleasing to the generality of the Kingdom and Church who had received the King's Declaration with such Applause and Gratulation And here may the fifteenth Query of the learned and judicious Sir Thomas Overbury come in Men are not Masters of their own Perswasions and can not change their Thoughts as they please He that believes any thing concerning Religion cannot turn as the Prince commands him or accommodate himself to the Law or his present Interests except he turn Atheist c. Reverend Dr. Purnet's Preface before the History of the Rights of Prince pag. 49. Whether to require Conformity in Practice where there is difference in Judgment be not to command a Man to act against Light and Conscience and consequently to sin and Query XXI c. 3. Whether it doth not imply that if a Man assent to all Articles of Faith to the Doctrine of the Apostles concerning the Authority of the Magistrate concerning Decency and Order and things indifferent and be otherwise fitted for preaching the Gospel and Administration of all Ordinances yet except he do assent and consent to all things required by some modern Bishops and Clergy-men it shall avail him nothing he shall be uncapable to officiate and whether these modern Church-men do not set up themselves above and exercise an Authority to dictate most absolute and higher than the Apostles did who were next to Christ himself 4. Suppose a Man be a lawfully ordained Minister i. e. by Bishops as many of the Nonconformists are or able and fit in respect of soundness of Faith Utterance Aptness to teach and be scrupulous of the Truth of some Proposition which is no Article of Faith or of some Ceremony and Modes of Practice is it not hard that for some Weakness of Understanding he cannot assent to what is formed by others not infallible that he should be uncapable of the Exercise of the Ministry and the Church deprived of his other Abilities for that Mistake Weakness or call it Error Our Saviour bore with his Disciples when he reproved them Are ye yet without Vndrstanding and did not turn them out 5. Whether Assent and Consent to some human Laws Rites and Ceremonies upon which neither Faith nor Unity depends be not hereby made more necessary for Exercise and Practice than the assenting to Articles of Faith or than preaching the Gospel or by consequence the Salvation of Immortal Souls It is true there is a vast difference in the nature of the things but as to Capacity and Incapacity to minister in the holy Office it is all one for a Man to refuse Assent and Consent to every thing as it is to an Article of the Creed 6. Or that Conformity to Order and the use of the Liturgy a monthly Sermon or a Homily is more for the Edification of the Church than diligent and constant preaching without a particular Assent to all every thing Which I will freely speak it can be affirmed by none but a Man that sets light by his own Salvation and never personally conversed with his own Flock or knows the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace or Eternal Life or the Practice of the Primitive Church Hitherto I have laboured to open the nature of the Cause of these Proceedings against our Protestant Brethren and it is their Nonconformity passive and active the first of which is a refusal of the modern Terms of Church-Freedom the second is a worshipping of God in Christ according to the Rule of the Holy Scripture as nearly as they can discern it and after the common either allowed or not disallowed manner of the Reformed Protestant Churches and particular this of England And in what they do they follow the same Rule and act from the same Principles which our first Reformers professed and their learned Defenders have maintained And three Questions shall take up the whole of what 's to follow 1. Whether they the Protestant Nonconformists justly deserve to be silenced suppressed and punished as they have been and are 2. Whether they are not at least to be permitted and indulged 3. Whether we ought not to unite and become one by removal or abating the things that divide and break us so that we may hold mutual and actual Communion in the same Exercises of Religion without fear of offending our Superiours thereby or any other So much hath not been spoken of the first Question in the Second Plea but that much more may be produced to encline if not draw the sensible Reader to the right side of the Question 1. It is clear that they are not deposed and prosecuted for such Crimes as were meritorious of Deposition in the Ancient Church by their Canons those Crimes were Fornication Perjury Theft Let a Bishop Presbyter or Deacon convicted of Fornication Perjury or Theft be deposed but with caution that he be not separated Canons called the Apostles Canons i. e. from the Communion of the Faithful as Balsamon expounds non segregetur adding a Reason for this Moderation that no Man be punished twice for the
4º An. 1559. And yet the Law for all these places is the same The Law is uniform but the Practice multiform But if the use of the book both Rules and Things ordered by it be enjoined then it seems strange that the Words should be after the manner of the Church of England for suppose any should compose a Form of Worship begin with some apt Sentences of Scripture then go to an Exhortation to Confession but use another Confession and throughout observe the Rubrick but not the same number of Psalms nor the same Canticles and Lessons or one of the three or ancient Creeds and other Prayers whether this would not be tho not the same things yet after the manner of the Church of England as being after the same Order But take the words as before That no Exercise of Religion to above four and the Family shall be lawful except they use the Common-Prayer Then may some be apt to think that 1. Here is a Conformity allowed by this Act to overthrow and weaken that required by the Act of Uniformity I query If a Minister shall in any publick place so he be neither Parson Vicar or Stipendary read the Common-Prayer altho he do not subscribe nor declare Assent and Consent whether he may not lawfully preach to as large an Assembly as will hear him And so may not a Man that is a Nonconformist in respect of Subscription and Declaration lawfully preach as publickly as he can and so be a legal Nonconforming Conformist as honest Mr. C. called himself and whether this Act doth not strike at the Act of Uniformity 2. Doth it not cast an ill look upon all other Modes of Divine Worship as if no other Form were consistent with the Peace of the Kingdom but what is according to the Liturgy 3. That all that dissent from all things in the Liturgy are Persons to be suspected of the King except such as say or hear the Liturgy and for that Cause are not and by Consequence whether the Execution of it doth not clearly tend to divide between the King and his Subjects and between Subject and Subject yea to make them that are religious appear more formidable than the irreligious 4. And whether it is not to set up a manner of Worship composed by Men above the matter of Worship appointed by God for let the Worship as to the Matter and End and Principle be divine it is not tolerable except it be after that one Manner and Practice I 'll add no more Doubts and Prejudices but come to plain Argument They who ought to be encouraged and protected by the King of England as Supream Governour ought not to be punished ☜ But our Protestant Nonconformists ought to be encouraged and protected Therefore c. They who set up no false and Idolatrous Worship contrary to the Word of God that worship God according to his Word ought to be encouraged and protected by the King of England as Supream Governour and his Laws But such is their Worship in every part Therefore c. I 'll touch the Minor first and then go to the Proposition That Worship which agrees in the right Object of Scripture-matter according to Scripture and to divine Ends is true Worship but such is their Worship Therefore c. To multiply no more Syllogisms I prove the Proposition by the constant Uniform allowed Doctrine of the Church of England And to strike home at one blow thus I argue They who ought to be encouraged and protected and not punished according to the allowed Doctrine of the Church of England explaining the King's Supremacy ought not to be punished by any new or subsequent Law that doth not condemn that allowed Doctrine of the Church as this Act doth not But according to the allowed Doctrine of the Church of England explaining the King's Supremacy they and such as they are to be encouraged and protected Therefore c. This is the Proposition I am to prove the Major being clear Those Reverend Fathers of the Reformed Religion which disputed against the Pope's and proved the King's Supremacy did thus state and explain it Set forth by Hen. 8th Vid. Dr. Bur. 1 Vol. History of the Reform p. 142. in the necessary Erudition of a Christian Man To them specially and principally it pertaineth to defend the Faith of Christ and his Religion to conserve and maintain the true Doctrine of Christ and all such as be true Preachers and Setters-forth thereof and to abolish Abuses Heresies and Idolatries and to punish with Corporal Pains such as of Malice be the occasion of the same and sinally to over-see and cause that the said Bishops and Priests do execute their Pastoral Office truly and faithfully and specially in these Points which by Christ and his Apostles were given and committed to them and in case they shall be negligent in any part thereof or would not diligently execute the same to cause them to redouble and supply their Lack and if they obstinately withstand their Prince's kind Monition and will not amend their Faults then and in such Case to put others in their room and places And God hath also commanded the said Bishops to obey with all Humbleness and Reverence both Kings and Princes and Governours and all their Laws not being contrary to the Laws of God whatsoever they be and that not only propter Iram but also propter Conscientiam With this Doctrine all our best Writers of unquestionable Authority agree See Jewel's Apology Part 1. p. 15. Edit 1570. Apol. c. 11. Divis 3. cut down Groves break down Images coerce and chastise Negligence and Falshood of the Bishop pag. 715. Joshua also Ap. c. 11. Divis 6 8 9 10 11. c. 15. Divis 1 3. c. 17. Divis 1 2. The Reproof of Mr. Dorman with a Defence of the chief Government of Christian Princes by Dr. Alexander Nowel London 1566. p. 24. b. p. 131 143 161. b. Dr. Jo. Rainold's Conference with Hart c. 10. We never affirmed that Princes might cammand what God forbiddeth or prohibit what God commandeth Bishops have their Authority to preach and administer the Sacraments from Christ himself only the Prince giveth them publick Liberty without let or disturbance to do what Christ commandeth Princes suffer and incite them with Peace and Praise to do their Duties Princes may by their Laws prescribe the Christian Faith to be preached the right Service of God in Spirit and in Truth to be used the Sacraments to be administred according to the Lord's Institution Bilson of Subjection pag. 216 217 c. We say that Princes as publick Magistrates may give Freedom Protection and Assistance to the preaching of the Word ministring the Sacraments and right using of the Keys pag. 227 236 240 249. See Bishop Bridges of the Supremacy against Stapleton and Saunders p. 672 673. I 'll quote no more of him There is neither Idolatry in Worship nor Heresy in the Faith of the Nonconformists for which they
that opposed it upon very different Ends They designed to shelter the Papists from the Execution of the Law and saw clearly that nothing would bring in Popery so well as a Toleration but to tolerate Popery bare-faced would have startled the Nation too much so it was necessary to hinder all the Propositions for Vnion seeing the keeping up the Differences was the best colour they could find for getting the Toleration to pass only as stackening the Laws against Dissenters whose Numbers and Wealth made it adviseable to have some regard to them and under this pretence Popery might have crept in more covered and less regarded so these Councils being more acceptable to some concealed Papists then in Power as has since appeared too evidently the whole Project for Comprehension was let fall and those who had set it afoot came to be looked on with an evil Eye as secret Favourers of Dissenters Vnderminers of the Church and every thing else that Jealousy and Distaste could cast on them I do not question but this excellent Historian hath given us a faithful account of the Reasons against Comprehension as he received them from those eminent Persons engaged in it or some that knew them and I will make bold to cast some Reflections upon them 1. On the one part some zealous Church-men who thought it below the Dignity of the Church to alter Laws c. But when it is more agreeable to their Spirit and Ends it is no Indignity to change moderate Laws into more severe nor to practise arbitrarily beyond Laws 2. They who rationally and conscienciously dissent are esteemed Schismaticks but retaining all other their Opinions and Principles and abating the rigor of their Dissent by conforming would they be of the Church or still esteemed Scismaticks By this Notion the Conformist qua talis is no Schismatick and the Nonconformist quatenus such is a Schismatick Conformity takes away all name of Schism But then the Question might be Whether the Nonconformist be a Stateschismatick or a Church-schismatick and whether he was a Schismatick when he treated about and petitioned for Peace and Union and what hath made him to be one since 3. They are afraid of Faction but do those Fears arise from a Catholick or a Factious Spirit Are there not factious Spirits in the Church that harbour factious Affections and utter factious Words contrary to true Charity 4. And what if other Parties might demand Concessions Either those Concessions were rational becoming the Wisdom Peaceableness and Grace of the Church or not methinks it 's a Royal Dignity in the Church to make reasonable Concessions if they are unreasonable unchristian impious and the like the Church may deny them with Honour But these Sons and Fathers represent the Church like a stately Lady that keeps Chamber and must not be spoken to 5. But really are there such among us as taking Offence might go over to the Church of Rome constant and true to her self How much do they owe to the Nonconformists for their Company and Communion How inclinable are they to Rome that are ready to depart upon small Concessions The Constancy of the Church of Rome is as inseparable a Property of hers as her Infallibility Methinks this is much to the Dishonour of many of our Church and much to the Honour of the Nonconformists that whatever they suffer there is no danger that they will turn Papists But weak Reasons have great force in them when they that are narrow in their Charity and powerful in Place have the Management of them 6. The World is too apt to be jealous but have not the Nonconformists some Reason to be jealous of this sort of zealous Clergy-men that there is some Agreement or Bargain between them and the Friends and Kinsmen of the Church of Rome that both shall agree to keep the Nonconformists out And is not the Church of Rome better conditioned and better natured than these zealous Clergy-men for there is not a Nonconformist but may be entertained among them without fear of encreasing a Faction 7. It is not a very doubtful thing whether our zealous Clergy-men are the best or the worst sort of our Clergy that argue so stisly against a legal Comprehension of the Orthodox Nonconformists with Reasons of so little weight or that are so little sensible of the Usefulness and Serviceableness of the Abilities of the Nonconformists to the great and crying need of Souls 8. This is a Vindication of the Nonconformists from bringing in of Popery for the way of getting into the Papists hath been the shutting out of them they hope to get by a Toleration There would be no colourable Reasons for a Toleration if it were not a pretended Favour to the Nonconformists Take away Nonconformity as much as you can and you take away the fairest pretence for a Toleration They that appear against the uniting of Protestants upon Catholick Terms serve the Popish Turn and Interest and are effectually ill Friends to the Protestant Interest and by Consequence our excluding Impositions do more real Hurt than Good to the Protestant Church of England 9. The dissenting Protestants may know who are their Friends and who their Enemies and what Potent Enemies they have they have the Zealous Clergy against them and the Politick Potent Papist 10. We see the little Confidence or Assurance we have of the Constancy of many that are in the Communion of the Church of England for if the receiving of the Protestant Dissenters upon Catholick Terms be hazardous of losing or of the revolt of them to the Church of Rome as the more constant and true to her self then what will become of them if Popery should so far obtain as to be able to give them Countenance and Favour for if they are so inclinable to revolt for the Condescentions of the Church in some things extra-essential to the Church upon shew of Inconstancy what would they be when our Church is like to be lost or supprest 11. Whether there is not a latent untrusty Party of schismatical Formalists in the Church that are Schismaticks depositivè for it seems they cannot bear the Reconciliation and Restitution of the ejected and if they are upon that in danger of apostatizing to the Church of Rome are they not in danger of becoming the rankest Schismaticks in the World by returning Members of an apostate schismatical Church the Mother of Schisms 12. By this among other Reasons I am convinced that it is the Duty of all sound and sincere Protestants of the Church of England to pray for and by all peaceable ways to endeavour the re-admission of all sound Protestant Dissenters and a Catholick Union of us all And I am convinced the learned Bishop Cosins saw the State of Religion when he declared in his last Testament that it was the great Duty of us all to unite And how much we are bound to acknowledg and with all due Honour to remember the Loyal and Christian Endeavours of our
late Parliaments to unite us I did at first design to compare the foresaid Declaration to which if turned into an Act the Nonconformists would have conformed and the Act of Uniformity to which they cannot conform for a further Illustration of the despised Case of the Nonconformists but I hope there is enough spoken to inform the less knowing and to confirm the more knowing in their charitable Opinion of them I have traced the divided Rivers to the Head of them and for that reason that Truth may appear From all this you may see a Concord between the King proposing and the House of Commons by their Thanks approving of it and the major part of the Nonconformists ready to submit to it On the other side you see the Bishops and Doctors dissenting from the King and Commons that restored them and the reforming Divines and not so concordant in their Sentiments and Opinions as to denominate them unanimous and could they have extended their Charity but wide enough they had provided well for a more durable Peace defended with Considerations against which but few would have drawn out the small Powers of their Mis-understandings to give trouble to it There was not an exact Uniformity in their Notions some thought a Reformation necessary to the Church's Settlement Mr. Thorndike wrote for it and when the Commissioners on both sides began to dispute it was seasonably closed up lest the Disogreements of the anti-reforming-side had more appeared some of whom undertook the Conduct of others under whom a Promoter of their Design the Lord Chancellor Hide appeared and acted who in the Year 1641 was Chair-man of the Committee against the Bishops others gave Reputation but little Addition of Help others were varlously instrumental some by their Learning others with their eagerness and others with their keen and inverate Antipathy against some if not all of the reforming side and differed in as many Points from the Doctrine of the Church as the Nonconformists differed from the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church and were doctrinal Nonconformists And it is clear that they did not humbly and brotherly advise nor maturely debate the matters committed to them and not doubting of an hopeful manageable Number of the succeeding Parliament their Resolutions passed into an Act they took no more notice of the King's Declaration than to make an historical mention of it that such a thing had been but enact nothing commended by it in mittigation or favour to the Dissenting-side requiring more Conditions and adding heavy Penalties which that Parliament in the latter times of it would have abated but it was too late as was said else-where This is the Act to which the Nonconformists cannot conform and they have given such Reasons and so many for this passive Nonconformity that as many good Men as I know are sorry they have so much to say and their disgusted Adversaries are displeased and incensed with them and no Man is thought yet to give a full and sufficient Answer to them being rather slighted than answered or what the one takes in a strict and honest sense the other is fain to expound in a very general and well-meaning sense according to one more may conform than yet have conformed according to the other there are but few if any that have conformed in my acquaintance This being in part spoken to in the First Plea I cannot stay any longer upon this Head but pass to the other Consideration of Non-conformity 2. Nonconformity taken actively and positively and that is preaching and performing other Religious Exercises as it is commonly said contrary to Law by forbidden Men and in a disallowed way And for this several Nonconformist Ministers are at this time hunted molested and admonished according to the strictest Form of Law in order to Banishment with Abjuration or to be prosecuted as Felons in case of their Obstinacy and Refusal Some of them have apologized for their preaching in such a manner that if they are not answered in a rational peaceable convincing way they will not be used as rational Men and their Sufferings will be the more harsh but not more hard to be born by them because they have given Reasons for their Actions which will appear to them either unanswerable and that will make their Sufferings more comfortable or else their Oppressors are the more implacable and then they must the more meekly acquiesce in the divine Pleasure as called forth to suffer The Reverend Mr. Baxter hath written an Apology for the Nonconformist Ministry dedicated to six of the Right Reverend Bishops by Name and a Petition which deserves the serious perusal of their Lordships and all other Ministers Magistrates and Gentlemen that they may either satisfy them or be satisfied by them The Case is momentous because the Salvation of Souls the many personal and real Sufferings of Men in Bodies and Estates the healing of Divisions and settling of the Church are unconceiveably touched and concerned in it Mr. John Troughton hath written a Book with the same Title upon the same Argument And altho the Right Reverend Bishop of Cork hath done well in dealing faithfully with Mr. B. he did ill in not dealing fairly with that Book and worse in exposing him as uncapable unfit to propose Terms of Peace by which I think that Excellent Bishop hath not seen his Terms of Concord 2d part And this being stated let us modestly consider 1. Whether this their positive Nonconformity be not capable of an Apology 2. Whether it be not an hard case to silence suppress and punish them for endeavouring the Good of precious Souls For the first 1. No Christian should doubt that the Office of the Ministry is originally from Jesus Christ and not of Men. The extraordinary and ordinary Office of the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments are derived from the same Divine Supream Authority He that made the Apostles able Ministers of the New-Testament hath made and makes all other lawful 2 Cor. 3.5 6. sitted and faithful Ministers Ministers of the New-Testament it is their Gift and their Learning their Office and Work to declare and publish that New-Testament or Covenant of Grace the Commands Conditions Priviledges and Promises of it to call and invite Sinners to it to accept of the Grace therein revealed to submit to the Commands of it perform the Conditions and Duties required to make them thereby capable of the Priviledges and Promises annexed to it and to train up edify build comfort and perfect all that are in it This is an Office necessary useful and proper to his Kingdom 2. They who are called and sent by Christ Qui fecit not doneos Ministros N. T quomodo fecit per Spiritum suum tanquam per Principium effectivum per Gratium Spiriâ—ûs tanquam per principium formal Eplisc Davananius in c.p. 1. ad Coloss v. 29. and according to his Mind are qualified prepared and instructed for their Work and Office by the Holy