understanding 'T is enough that such agreement is not necessary yea I take the other step 't is impossible Our Tempers Capacities Educations Genius's Converses Interests Accidents are strangely divers therefore our apprehensions must needs be different Decay of Piety p. 409 Not that I suppose it possible to extinguish all diversities of opinions among men who from their differing faculties and other guiltless occurrents may and will have their judgments severally disposed Doctor Barrows Vol. 3. Serm. 8. Men seeing by several lights relishing by diversly disposed palates and measuring things by differing standards we can hardly do or say any thing Religious or Civil which if approved or applauded by some will not be disliked and blamed by others in this irreconcileable diversities and inconsistency of mens apprehensions Design of Christianity Christians because of the diversities of their capacities educations and other means and advantages some points may be most plainly perceived by some to be delivered in the Scripture which cannot be so by others with the like ease Doctor Stillingfleets Irenicum p. 21. Argu. 2. The peace and settlement of Christs Church not depending upon a condition never likely to be attained in this world which is the agreement and uniformity of mens opinions for as long as mens faces differ their judgments will. The True state of the primitive Church p. 2. Mens understandings are as various as their speech or their countenance otherwise it were impossible there should be so many understanding and moderate yea and conscientious men also Papists Lutherans Calvinists all in such opposition one against another Conf. Plea for the Non-Conformists part 4. pag. 40. How various are the degrees of light and the dictates of Conscience even in good wise and self-searching men and that even in a division of judgment and practice The first cause is different degrees of Light and means of attaining knowledge Some are more deep and quick searching and industrious have better means and opportunities of knowing I do not now take notice of the biasses of education prejudice pre-possessions and passions of Men nor the influence of the world upon mens alterations Kidders Sermon of peace p. 24. It is indeed very possible after all that the best men may differ from each other Mr. Wakes Sermon on Rom. 15.5,6,7 p. 8. Mens different capacities and opportunities and tempers and educations considered 't is in vain to expect that all good men should agree in all their notions of Religion any more then we see they do in any other concerns whatsoever And p. 9. That mens understandings are different and they will argue different ways and entertain different opinions from one another about the same things and yet may nevertheless deserve on all sides to be esteemed very good and wise men for all that Serious and Compassionate Enquiry It is true indeed there may be and must be diversities of apprehensions in several points of Christianity while men are of different capacities Mr. Cooks Sermon on Rom. 12,18 p. 7. It cannot possibly be meant their agreement in judgment Rom. 12,16 for that you know cannot be forced one mans mind though he would himself cannot always be bent to anothers perswasion yet there are some among us great pretenders too to holiness who value no agreement like that in principles if they can but meet with a man that jumps with them in sentiments he is cherished and embraced as a knowing man well enclined and disposed to good things Argument for Tol. in differences of Opinion Printed 81. p. 2. Had God intended we should be all of one opinion as indeed that we should be of one Faith he could have made every thing as clear and plain in the Holy Scripture and as undoubted as any p. 4. Idem By way of illustration let us make a supposal that a Master biddeth three or four of his Servants do such or such a thing and that the Servants differ about the sense and meaning of the command one understanding it one way another another way and a third in this the fourth in that according to the judgment of their own discretion and this is our Case we all are equally servants not bound to that sense of the word which another gives indeed some servants are to bring the word to others but those others not bound to the sense of it further than they are perswaded it is their Masters search the Scriptures and try the spirits c. Principles and Practices of Moderation c. p. 310. It is no less unreasonable to malign our brethren because they are not in every thing of our judgment than to quarrel with each other upon the account of the unlikeness we observe in our faces and constitutions Mr. Tulli's Sermon of Moderation p. 17. Let us not therefore if we have any sense of Moderation and temper persist to dress up things in hideous and portentous shapes to frighten and exasperate one another but let us rather ascribe the differences amongst us to error of judgment the prejudices of education infelicity of Constitution or to any other of those either innocent or excusable causes which render an intire unity of opinions an impossible thing That Mutual Favour and Forbearance of one another in Love is necessary among Christians in their Diversities of Judgments EDward the Sixth Queen Elizabeth King James the First King Charles the First and Second and King James the Second all gave their Toleration and Indulgence to the several Churches Dissenting from us the Dutch at Colchester Walloones at Norwich and French at London and at Canterbury or elsewhere King James the First of Blessed Memory in his Letters to the States of the Vnited Provinces March 6. 1613. Magis Autem e re fore si Ministris vestris stricte imperetis ut pacem colant se invicem tolerando in ista opinionum sententiarum discrepantia Eoque justius videmur vobis hoc ipsum suadere debere quod neutram comperimus adeo deviam ut non possint cum fidei Christianae veritate cum animarum salute consistere But it would be more advantageous if you did give a strict charge to your Ministers to keep the Peace by mutual Toleration of one another in the difference of Opinions and Judgments And therefore we seem more justly to give you this Counsel because we find neither of these Opinions so Erroneous but that they may consist with the Truth of the Christian Faith and the Salvation of their Souls Bishop Hall 's Letters to Duraeus Why do we profess Christian Charity if we do pertinaciously refuse to Indulge the difference of our Brethren from us in these Scholastick Problems so he calls the differences between Lutherans and Calvinists when we know that our benign Saviour most mildly tolerated and silently passed by more grievous in his own Domesticks King Charles the First 's Message of a Treaty from Oxford March 3. 1643. He desired the Members of both Houses of Parliament to consult and
THE CONFORMISTS CHARITY TO DISSENTERS And Concurrence with the Favour Granted them in the ACT for Toleration PROVED From the Works of the Most Eminent Divines of the Church of England By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another John 13.35 Neither our Religion nor our Church is of a Persecuting Spirit I know not how it may be in particular persons but I say again it is not the Genius of our Church she hath no Doctrine that Teacheth Persecution Bish of St. Asaphs Serm. on Nov. 5th 1680. Before the House of Lords LONDON Printed by J. R. for Iohn Salusbury at the Rising Sun near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1689. To the Christian READER THE World is so well acquainted with Collections in Learning Morality and Divinity Exemplifying Vertue and Vice c. that there needs no Apology for Works of this sort which may have their use as well as others I chose this way as most Authorative and convincing And as to the Matter and Subject of the Book it cannot but be highly necessary and seasonable to plead in the behalf of Love and Peace when the Church is so miserably divided Worthy men have complained Glanv Cath. Char. That our Divisions have brought things to such a pass that men take it ill to hear of Charity And Bishop Gauden That a Treatise of Peace would be thought like Snow in Summer or Rain in Harvest And a Third Bishop Tailor That one had as good Till the Air or plow the Sands as perswade such Doctrines And a Fourth Doctor Fowler That it hath been the common Fate of Reconcilers to suffer from both Parties But however we fare it is our Duty to mind the contentious World of so important a part of Christs Discipleship which it seems to have forgot and to have unlearnt that Lesson their Master taught them to love one another We are indeed to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints and yet to seek the Truth and Peace Zech. 8.19 If we be never so certain the thing we contend for is Truth we must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow the Truth in Love. If ever this Church flourish Moderation must at last be the Temper of her Members saith the Reverend Dean of Canterbury Pref. to Bishop Wilkins Sermons And Though we agree not with our brethren in all their Opinions yet while we hold the same Creed and walk by the same Rule why should we not hope to meet in the same Heaven For sure Heaven is wide enough to hold men of several judgments else few are gone thither already and fewer would follow after in these times of division A man may almost as soon expect that all the Clocks in the City should strike One together as that Men of so many several Sects as are to be found in England should agree in any one alone The Church of England the Protestant Dissenters the Quakers and the Romanists are no more like to meet together in one place and joyn in the same Religious Worship than London Geneva Rome c. to move out of their several places and joyn together into one City For my part I do believe that there will be to the end of the World some for Episcopacy some for Presbitery some for Ana-Baptism and perhaps some for Independent Congregations though against the whole current of Antiquity For besides that Scripture is not so very clear and convincing by necessary consequence against their received Opinions as it is in matters of Faith the difference of Educations and variety of apprehensions which men who here know but in part have about the sense of the same Scriptures doth mightily confirm it In every one there is not the same knowledge saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.7 What Course is then to be taken Must we use force and violence bloud and wounds fire and faggot fines and imprisonments Curses and Excommunications against Dissenters from our Way and Worship We have not so learned Christ I presume this savours of that other manner of Spirit which Christ rebuked in his Disciples who would have consumed the Samaritans with fire from Heaven telling them they knew not what spirit they were of for Christ came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Vpon which words saith a Learned Prelate of our Church Bishop Andrews's Serm. p. 918. Not to destroy that they which cannot save may yet be sure not to destroy any The World hath used to practise the contrary if men cannot save others and their saving of them is no more than to bring them to be of their Sect and Perswasion and perhaps a putting them farther off from salvation than they were before the next Course is to destroy and root out the Generation of them But it was excellently said by as excellent a Person Bishop of St. Asaph's Serm. Nov. 5. 1680. before the House of Lords pag. 8. That they who are most given to hate and destroy others especially those others who differ from them in Religion they are not the Church of God or at least they are so far corrupt in that particular For Christ saith save and destroy not bless and curse not and love your enemies enemies to our Religion as well as others and that with all the Properties of true Charity set down by St. Paul 1 Cor. 13.4,5,6,7 For want of this we have suffered so much from each other and each side felt it smart and found it grievous when it was their turn to suffer as it hath been too too common with us whatever Party hath got uppermost to carry it with a severe hand towards the rest following the Advice given to King Charles the Second in respect of the Dissenters to crush them when he had got them under the Hatches Whereas common Humanity and Christianity teach us mutual favour bowels of mercies kindness meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another c. Col. 3.12,13 And blessed be God who hath endued our Gracious Prince and the Great Council of the Nation with this Christian Spirit to shew mercy to mens Consciences And surely if men will be but so wise as to know and consider so good as to desire and so humble as to yield to the things which make for Peace they cannot be ignorant how much the present Act for Toleration may contribute to our Peace and Prosperity I am sure it hath put a stop to three very considerable Evils To those Fines and Imprisonments which have been the ruine of some Families by disabling the Master of the Family from carrying on his Trade and bringing in Provision for the â—est which depended on him We should have thought it hard measure if it had been our own case to have been confined to a Prison instead of a Shop and to have the Act of Forty Pounds for each Moneth levied upon us for one or two Moneths upon the account
of our difference from our Brethren and then quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris Again It hath put a stop to that great abuse of Excommunication designed by Christ against men of the greatest and most incorrigible wickedness or the most obstinate Heresies and not for any lesser differences in things of no necessity to Salvation Which hath made this holy means of Reformation despised while the fomer sort escaped notwithstanding their profaneness and debauchery but the latter though sound in the same Faith with us and much unblameable in their lives have fallen under the heaviest censures of the Church Further this Toleration hath taken away the scurvyness of the Church-Wardens Oath which in a strict sense of the words if no latitude could be allowed or mitigations of it called for a Presentment of Dissenters without any favour or difference between the weak and the wilful Which because of the ill consequence which too often followed Excommunication and Imprisonment many Church-Wardens were more backward and averse unto Their Consciences would not suffer them to work such evil and trouble to their Christian Brethren Fellow Protestants Loving Neighbours for some small difference not destructive of their Salvation And if we do not like every thing that is in the Act of Toleration best as if any unordained men be allowed Preachers or Teachers of any Congregation if I am not misinformed scarce any setled constant Preachers even among the Independents and Anabaptists but what are Ordained by laying on of Hands Fasting and Prayer the guilt will be to themselves and their hearers c. and not to us Mr. Mason hath proved in his excellent Defence of the Ordination of Ministers beyond the Seas that Ordination by Presbyters is valid See more in Iren. 2d part ch 8. Bishop Jewel Downam Alley Pilkington Bridges Bilson Andrews Davenant Prideaux Usher Dr. Field Nowel Saravia c. And in the Conformist Plea for Non-Conformists part 2d p. 36. and 37. and 50. Those that have the internal call of knowledge and piety are not to be reckoned as Laymen but next to Presbyters As Abbot Bucer and Bishop Jewel Bilson Dr. Benefield c. If we can but bear and forbear with one another in love notwithstanding the diversity of our Judgments we may live happily and hope to see good days Men will now be free from the many fears and jealousies which made them sit uneasie under former Princes and not to enjoy themselves so comfortably when they were so often in danger upon their difference in Religion It is not so long since that almost all Sects were jealous one of another the Church of England of the Church of Rome and her designs and of the Dissenters least they for present ease and Toleration in their Religion should have given away the Test the common security of the Protestant Religion And the Dissenters seemed to be afraid of both of the severities which they had felt from the Church of England and its penal Laws and of greater from the Church of Rome if she got uppermost and to have the power in her own hands And all this because our love was grown cold and our spirits hot with such a zeal got among us which like wild-fire threatned to consume us and our Religion both But sure St. Paul was not mistaken when he called love a more excellent way that love which worketh no ill to its Neighbour Job 6.8,9 And O that I might have my request That God would grant me the thing that I long for even that it would please God to take away the occasions of our unChristian divisions and animosities As he hath begun the work that so it may be continued and ended in him creating peace out of that Chaos of confusion into which we have fallen that Christians as brethren may dwell together in Vnity and Christianity again become lovely to those that are without who used to say of the Primitive Christians vide ut Christiani amant see how these Christians love one another And though to be of one mind and of one judgment is rather to be wished then hoped for in our days yet to be of one heart why should it be thought a thing incredible or impossible I am sure Christs Commandments are not grievous and his command is plain and peremptory for it A new commandment give I unto you John 13.34 to love one another It was put to me at my Ordination in these words or to this effect Will you promote Love and Concord among all Christian people but especially those of your Charge My Answer was I will do so by the help of God. And I trust I have done so herein And since the most effectual means for love and peace is as full an Vnion as we can attain unto lessening our differences and enlarging our Communion as much as may be And since as Mr. Wake on Rom. 15,5,6,7 p. 31. Never certainly was there a time since our Divisions first began in which we had greater reason to consider of an Union or I hope a fairer opportunity to promise our selves an accomplishment of it saith he Let us all be as careful to improve it as I am perswaded we have all of us not only seem'd to desire but indeed earnestly long'd for it And I hope my Fathers will shew themselves Patres Patriae by their Fatherly care and concern for the Churches good and peace and will not think it too much for so great and good a work as an happy re-Union which as Mr. De L'Angle in his Letter to his Lordship the Bishop of London Will rejoyce Men and Angels and bring down a thousand blessings of Heaven and Earth upon those that shall contribute the most unto it Vnreason of Sep. p. 424. to part with a Ceremony to alter an expression or two in the Common-Prayers and to do somewhat more for peace now that there is a time for such a thing And surely there is no such wide breach and great a difference but that there might be a closing if we did but heartily desire it and each side would yield somewhat for peace sake And as our Church hath yielded to accept of a subscription to the thirty six Articles leaving out those in controversie she shows thereby that she knows how to yield in other things in case it will attain the end and our dissenting Brethren in any considerable number can be perswaded to return into the Communion of our Church God who is the Authour of Peace and Lover of Concord make us all in love with Peace that we may be followers of these burning and shining lights guiding our feet into the way of peace 2 Cor. 13.11 That the God of Love and Peace may be with us For which I shall never cease to intercede at the Throne of Grace as A Friend of Peace R. C. A Copy of Verses made by the Author of the Collections CHerubims and Seraphims the Host of Love And Numbers
what they can a fair way agreed upon on all sides questioned by none in which whoso orders his steps aright may see the Salvation of our God. Page 105. Bishop Saunderson in Serm. 9. Ad aulam Sect. 21. It may be a greater comfort to every well meaning Soul that the simple belief of those certain Truths wherein all parties are in a manner agreed may be and ordinarily is sufficient for the Salvation of all those who are sincerely careful according to that measure of Light and means which God hath vouchsafed them to actuate their Faith with Piety Charity and good Works Bishop Tailors Collection of Discourse Polem and Moral p. 403. He takes it for granted that one Heaven shall hold men of several Opinions and the Unity of the Faith is not destroyed by that which men call different Religions Item p. 595. Speaking of the Papists they keep the Foundation they build upon God in Jesus Christ they profess the Apostles Creed they retain Faith and Repentance as the supporters of all their hope of Heaven and believe many more Truths than can be proved to be of simple and original necessity to Salvation and therefore all the wisest personages of the adverse party allow to them possibility of Salvation whilst their Errors are not Faults of their Wills but weaknesses and deceptions of their Understandings Item p. 713. Now thus much also your men allow to us those who Live well and Die in a true though but general Repentance of their Sins and Errors even amongst us your best and wisest men pronounce to be in a saveable Condition spoken of the Papists Charity to us Bishop of Salisbury 's Remarks on the Methods for Converting Protestants p. 104. A Church may be a true Church which is a Society of Men among whom are the certain means of Salvation and yet be corrupted with many Errors and thus as long as the Church of Rome acknowledges the Expiation and Satisfaction made by the Death of Christ and applies it to all that truly believe and amend their Lives so long she is a true Church so that those in that Communion who adhere truly to that which is the great Fundamental of the Christian Religion may be saved Mr. Chillingsworth 's Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation In his Answer to the Preface of Charity maintained pag. 14. How of dis-agreeing Protestants both parties may hope for Salvation If they use their best endeavours to believe the Scripture in the true Sense and to live according to it as I hope many of all sides do it is impossible but they should believe aright and if they perform the condition of sincere Obedience why should they not expect that God will perform his promise and give them Salvation Mr. Hooker 's Discourse of Justification pag. 56. As many as hold the Foundation and as it were with a slender Thread although they frame many base and unsuitable things upon it things that cannot abide the Trial of the Fire yet they shall pass the Fiery Trial and be saved Collection of Sermons of Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich pag. 18. With God I dare be bold to say there is neither Calvinist nor Lutheran Protestant nor Puritan Conformitan or Inconformitan but Faith and Love in Christ is all in all Bishop Reynold 's Brotherly Agreement pag. 15. Where one and the same straight Road is kept a small difference of Paths doth not hinder Travellers from coming to the same Inn at Night Spoken with reference to the different Sects of Christians who may yet in their several ways meet at the same Heaven Glanvel 's Catholick Charity pag. 35 36. It s very true indeed that the way to Heaven is but one and to walk in that is the one thing necessary but then that is not this or that particular Path but the way of an Holy Life which may be practised under very different Forms of Apprehension and Belief The paths may be many in this Royal Road he that goes in the plainest and nearest is in the best condition for pleasure and safety but another that goes about or in a Rugged or uneven path may come to the same Journeys end though with more difficulty and danger Judge Hales Discourse of Religion pag. 33. He that fears the Lord of Heaven and Earth walks humbly before him thankfully lays hold on the Message of Redemption by Christ Jesus strives to express his Thankfulness by the sincerity of his Obedience if he falls in any measure is restless till he hath made his peace by true Repentance c. Such a man whether he be an Episcopal or Presbyterian or Independant or Anabaptist he hath the Life of Religion in him and that Life acts in him and will conform his Soul to the Image of his Saviour and walk along with him to Eternity The Quakers take away their affected singularities the men are as other men Some indeed very sober honest just and plain-hearted-men and sound in most if not all the important Doctrines and Practices of Christianity pag. 17. Bishop Wilkins Sermons pag. 63. If a man be truly Conscientious and sincere in those most substantial Duties of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost it is not his mistake or failing in any other lesser things that shall make him uncapable of the Kingdom of God. Again in the same Sermon we are not to think the worse of others for their differences so as to despise them or censure such persons as to their Estates and Conditions as if they were not sincerely Religious nor in favour with God for though they should be Erroneous and mistaken in their judgment in such things yet if their Conversations be more just and righteous than ours if more humble and peaceable they are thereupon to be accounted better than we are both more acceptable of God and approved of men Doctor Sherlock in Religious Assemblies pag. 96. Others are scandalized at the great variety of Religions but if wise seeing there is so much dispute which is the true Religion they would use the greater diligence and honesty to find it out and hope that God would pardon those mistakes which are meerly the Errors of their Understandings when they offer unto him a pious and devout Soul that an honest man who is not byassed by Interest and does not chuse a false Religion upon a Design will be accepted for his Sincerity and Devotion Dr. Patrick 's Parable of the Pilgrim describing the Safe guide to the Heavenly Jerusalem pag. 14. He hath Faith enough to save himself and Charity enough to believe that others may be saved that are not in all points just of his belief Doctor Fowler 's Principles and Practices pag. 108. Be so charitable as to believe well of Dissenters from us who lead good lives are of a modest and peaceable deportment and hold no Opinions that directly oppose the design of the Christian Religion Mr. Dodwell in his Letters about Holy Orders When you