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Show An Adtt~ertifoment, touchi11g the Co11trtnJcrjieJ And when it groweth, to Strength, and Riperieffe, by that time, it is forefralled, with fuch a NUinber of prejudicate Opinions, as it is made unprofitable: So ~s , between thefe two, all Truth is corrupted. In .the me:.tn w~nl.e~ ~he Honourab~e1Names, of Sincerity, Reformation, and Dtfcxplme, are put tn the fore Ward; So as, contenti01uJ and Evlll Zeals,_ cannot, be touched, except th.efe Holy T/Jings, be thought firfr to be violated. But howfoever, they {hall infer, the Sollicitation, for the Peace, of the church, to proceed, from CarnaU Senfe, yet, I will conclude, ever, with the Apoftle Paul; cum fit inter vos, Zelm, & Contentio.~ 11onne carnales eftis? While there if amongft you, Zeal, and Contention, are ye not carnall? And howfoever, they efieem, the compounding of ContrnverJes, to favour of Mans "#Yijedom, and Human .Pollicy; And think themfelves led, by the fVijedom, which is from abo'I:JP.; yet I fay withsaint James; Non eft i.fta japie11tia de forfom dejcendens; Jed Terrena, Animalis) Diabolic a. Vbi enim Zelus> & C01J.tcntio, Jbi Inconflantia, & omne opus pravum. Of this Inconjiancy, it is faid by a Learned Fttther; Procederc volunt, non ad perfilJzonem, fed ad permutationem: They feel{_to go forward ji-ill, not to perfe&ion, but to change. The Third Occaflon,ofControverftes,l obferve to be,an Extream and unlimitted, DeteHation, offome former Hcreje, or Corruption, of the Church, already acknowledged, and convicted. ""fhis was the Caufe, that produced, the Herdie of ArriM) grounded,efpeciaHy, upon Detcfration of Gentilifm; leaft the Chrifiians, fhould feem, by the Affertion, of the eq_uall. Divinity, of ours avi- 01tr chrifl, to approach, unto the Acknowledgement ,· of more Gods, then One. The Detdtation, of the Herejie, of Arritu_, produced that of sahel/ita; who holding for Execrable, the Diffimilitude, which Arritu pretended in the ,Trinity , fled fo far from him) as he fell upon that other extremity, to den.y the Diflinllion ofPerfons: And to fay, they were, but onely Names, of feverall Offices, and Dif penfations. Yea, mofr ~f the Bereje1, and .1 chifmes, of the Church~ have fprung up, of this Root; While M n, hav~ J.l)ade it, as it were, their Scale, by which, to meafure the Bounds, of the moLt perfc:tl: Religion; Taking it) by the furtheft difiance, from the Errour, lafi: condtmned. Thefe be PoJihumi Httrejium Filii; Herejies, that arife, out of the Aihes, of other Herejies,thatare extinct, and amortized. This Manner of Apprehenfion, doth, in fome degree,poffdfe many in our Times. They think it the true Touchfrone, to try what is good and evill, by meafuriog, what is more) ot Ieile, oppo~ te, to the btflitutions,of the C burch, of Rome; Be it Ceremony; Be 1~ Po~iry, or ~overnment; ye~,be it other Inftit1ttions of greater We1gh t; That 1s ever mofr perfect, which is removed, mofr degtees, from that ~burch: And that, is ever polluted:> and blemHhed~ which partictpateth, in any Appearance, with it. This is a fubtile, and dangerous, Conceit, for Men to entertain; Apt to ~----~~------------------------------------~d~elude .. ----· of t~e Church, of England. - ·---, 7~- ddude themfelves)more apt to delude the Peopl"' d ll: of all, to calumniate their Adverfaries. This fiu'"I·e' Jayn rmbo alpt N . C d · ' \ Ut t lJ t aE ot)o hn odu s1 onG e mnatton .... of that Pontion ' w"~...·. , l)efco re . om yes) a., ong 1nc:, brought U'~, to the Re!:uptization of chd-dr, ·n, ba pttzed accordmg to the Pretended Catholiclz R l · F 1 fee that, which is a Matter, of much ltke reafon . ~{~zohn. · . ohr d · · f . ,a . M , 11c 1st e re _or ammg o I r;l?_} .. .r,1s a atter, already, refolutel y maintained h 1: v_ery meet, that Men beware, how they be abufed by thi; Opmton; And t?at they know, t~at it is a Confideration, of mu' c. hh gre'a ter ·Wtfedum ' a.n .d Sobnety ' to be •w ell a d ·r. d VhC ; whet e,r, 10 ~entrall Dernohtwn~of th~ Injiitutions, cf the ch~trch, of Rome, rbcre ~ere n "'t~ (a:-, Mens Achons are itnperfect,) fame Good pur~ed wnh the Bad; Rather, t~en.to purge the Church as they _pretend, every day anew: Whtch 1s the way to make 2 wcund In the Bowels, as is already begu'n. ' ~he ~ourth,and Laft,Orcajion, oft~efe Controverjies,(a MJJt-:r_~ ~~·ch d1d, al_fo, trouble! he .church, tn former rit.ne~·,) is the pdrtt .• ll) AffectatiOn,_ and ImttatJon, o£Forraign clmrches. For many f~:ur l\tlen, ~ dUlw~ the time of perfecution, and Gnce,) having bet:nConverfant~ 10 c h?Jr... .c. hesabroad; AndJeceived,agreatlmpn: ffion, of the form of Government, there ordained have viol_ ently fought, _ro irit.rude the fame, upon our church. ' But I ant'' .-r; Conj_enflc~mtts m eo quod convcnit, non in eo quod receptmn eji: L ct fif t1.}ree 1'!. thu, ~hat e1Jery Cburch do that, which is con'Venient, for the SttJ, e, of tt felj, tmd ttot in partirular Cujio,-nes: Although thcit Clmchcs, h1d rccc1 vecl, the better Form, yet) many times it is to he !ought j Non quod Optimum,fcd e bonis quid rroxi?JUim: Not t:r.a whtch t.r Ecji, hut of hood .T !lings, which is the Befr, and Readiefi, to b~ hJd. Our Churrb.ts n~t ~ow to plant; It is fetled, and efbbl. lfhed. It may be 10 C1Vdl State.;, a Rep1tblich.._e is a better Pollrcy,then :1 King_dom; Yet God forbid, that law full Kingdomes ) ~bo~:d ~: e tyed to tnno:vate, ar:d make Alterations. f2!;i mala mt1 oj~!Clf:J voluntat em Det opptgnat, rc7Jelatam in verbo; 6Jui N(/Va intro .. uczt, ~oluntatem Dei oppugnat, revelatam in Rebtu. H'?ihat bringetb tn Ez:tll Clif!omes, riftjtetb the will of God, r!vealed in his Word; He :ha.t brmgeth tn 11CW '1 bmg.r, rejiftet!J tbe Will of God, revealed in the 1 hmg.r the!JJ{elves. Conjule providentiam Lei. cum v erbo Dei · Take Co~nfcll, of the Providence of God~ as well as of his Word. ~etther yet do I.admi.t, that their Form, although it were poffi ~~~.> and conventcnt,_Is better then. ours, iffo?1c Ab.ufc's w~re ta-l n a;vay. The Pan~v, and Equalzt;', of J'!1lmfters, IS a Thtng, of wonaerfull great ConfuGon: And fo ts An ordi1ury Covernmhent by Synod.r; which doth, ecelfarily , enfue upon the o-t er. , , fh ~t i~: ha~·d, in all C:1nfes, bu.t efpecia1_ly in Re(igion,_ \ly~e!i Foycer,l aJ be 1\ttml·red,and not Wet tf' hed:Equ1dem (fat h a VVIic Father) Ut 'Vt:r~' q110 d r·es ejt fcribam, p•->r o~fiu decrevi ' fugere o;;mem Conven' - tltmEpifcoporum;Null:m cnim.Concilii bonum exitum un.qu.arn vidi;Con- Z 2 rilia |