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Show .. ·--------------. - --.- .. 1 ----C--,r;-=-d-=---t-:-. n_J_t~o-uc-::i~hi.no tbe Edification, ttnd P~cdic.att_on.i, 2 4 onJt era to , o . - · 3 . d a sour 8 •vi our· ( f peaking of the Difcern in g of S ,. af,m.r) 1 s_e~jolt,An_h r,, ac/o;~d nfinr!, intbe vVifi, }'01tf.;y, 7t1:v;l/b crtl fattb. 'W eta }'OU ;r.e :. <.: h . h v ·,t{: I ' '. S our Majeflies Rijing,to this Mouu.~·c ~~m t t: , 0· 'M·rs, 1 i,[hower.W;l~ doth romife, a fwttt, ~nd fruttfull~ shmvf~') of m1-r of tble ' . f his Church and Conmwn-tvert!ftJ; A Sr A~~er,. or ny B JTi,gs, upon ' d D 1 f~ t tJJfl · as the very firft Deaws, :.m rops tnereo , 11-t ''e, that IJ l!:n.:\he Stonnes, and ·Wind~,~hroughout clwijlcndo!~Jj I ~:'du!i~g;the very Face, of Elt/'ope, t,o a mo:e peaceable, and 1 •• i iable Countenance. Eut to the f urpofc . m It · > that thefe Ecclefiarjt":all.Jlfattcrs, are Thmg(', not 1s very true, .,1r; h. h I . .. C · r1 a ertainiog, to my rrofe»zo"; '": tc_ ' W:lS ~ -)~' ow. prohd y ppbut to object to my Self: But fi ndmg~ that 1t 1s, n;., - con! era~:',. that a 1Vlan th;,tt frand eth off, and fomcw h c~ r i e- ' ny ttmdesfi,. ... en, PI t ofGr~und doth betrer furvey ~ t, and dJfco-move rom a o ' . . · '-rbl · 'b h r which are upon It; I thought lt not 1mpou1 e, vber, tth, t eTn t oteLcoker on might cafl: m ·'qe Eyes, upon !orne ut t at ' as a - ' r. 1 ( f . 1' r e be in r.t Thin s which the AB-onrs them·~ ves, t pccw , y, lOm - . p,. ~. . . i}g ·'d r f ,d 3o11d addifJcd fome declared and en.~ aged,) d1d ••• 1ntcre e 10me ' ' ' · C ' · ' ld t r.ee And thar knowiQg 1n my ontcJ ~ nce, not or wou no · l~ • • ' h · h · l I fl · ll (·wl~eretoo God beareth witneffe,) that ~he TO~ngs w_ dC lD ·fl~ p !.p ea1 :t fip rm. g ou t ofn o Vein of Po. pulartt.y ·' r: a•e ntatlo. n) t .dr" ' f N ' 1 Partiality to either S1de, Dti po11t10n to 10 termt: · o ove ty, h l·lre Leven. I may conceive· hope' that wh:lt I dle or any t e 1 " ' . \ d s· 1. !) • d th f]udgtment mayb~counterv~ll e , 111 nnp 1- c"~latynt , anIn d S~mp cer< !lty , of Affeaion • . But o-f all T-h·i ngs, this did 1~ · mo ['t an1· ma t e me·' Th:n I found tn the! e Opmwns , o mme, u ' b }- ( which I have long held, and embra.ced, as may appear Y. t Jat, which I have' many ye3rs fir:ce, wntten of them ' accordmg to h tl.on neverthelefie of my weaknefs,) a Confent, and ct epropor , .' ·.P h h bl ·r: -~ , r fj ' 't with that wh1ch your .ll'.!ajf.J"~-J at pu Il.iJt<.. , -.). on o rrni Y' ft chri.ftia)n moft If/i[e and Moder rite Senfo, In th~fe yCou~ ownh, ~<? you have;) ~ell exprelred,to the World, r hat there ames:w ere1n • . · h · · 1 d 1· s ·I n f u~r.. e d , t· n your S•a cred Brefr' from God,h t hat Hzg pr1nc1p e, an ·L 1 d I. PoJition ot Government; 1 hat you ever hold t e Wr.Jo e' more ertr, t ;en any r art d · 0 · · F . ho feeth not that Many are affeCted~ an gtve pmwn, I in t~:r: Matters, as if they had not, fo much a defirt', to pur~c ! h E ·11 from the Good) as to countenance, and protect, th~ E. t e vl ' k ·r h . S , onely 1 vill by the Good? Ochers fpea , as 1 t etr · ~ope, we-re : , I to f~t forth, what is Good, and not to feek, what IS PoJJifJ/e; wh!ch · t W:il• and not to Propound. Others proceed, as 1f they had ~:t~er 1 ~'Mi~d of Removing, then of Reforming: But ho~foe~e~·, either' Side, ss Men, . (though excellent ~en) fhall run mto ~x- . · et your Maieft11 as a moil: fVi[e, Equal!~ and C.brJi,,m tremtttes; Y :1 :r.n • h ld M ·l ·1 · r he Moderator; is difpofed, to ~nd out:~ t eGo e~ cc 1ocrny, w_ \ Efrablifhment, ofth~t which is Sound; And, .tn the ~e\ar~t~>~~ I · of that which "is Corrupt, a.nd decayed. T? your 1'1 mccly }11b· ·~ ~l t ~hen I do in all Humb!eneife, fubmtt, whatfoever t { a men , ' ) · propound.:. ' ·, of the Church of England. propound; offering the fame, but as a Mite) into the Trerlfory, of yourvVifedom:For,as the Ajlronomers,do well obferve; That when three, of the Superior Lights~ do meet in C(Jnj1m&ion') it bringeth forth, fome admirable EjfetJs:So, there being joyned)h your ltda· jefly, the Light of Nature, the Ligbt of Learning, and above all.) the ' Ltght of Gods Holy Spirit; It cannot be, but your Government, mull be as a Happy Conflellation, over the frates of your Kingdv1nes. Neither is there wanting, to your Majc.fty, t_hat Fotlrth Light~ which though it be, but a borrowed Light, yet is, oflingular Efficacy, and Moment, added to the refi; which is, the Light, of a mofi wife, and well compounded, Co1mccll; To whofe Honou,rable, and Grave, wifdontes ~ I do likewfe fubmit, whatfoever I lhall fpeak: Hoping, that I £hall not need, to make Proteftation, of DJY Mind:> and Opinion; Thatuntill your il1ajif/y, doth otherwife determine, and order, all Actuall, and Full Obedience, is to be given, to Ecclefiaflicall JHrifdilton, as it now fiandeth; And when your Majejly, hath determined, and ordered, that every good fubject ought to reft fatisfied , and apply his Obedience; to your Maje{iies Lawes,Ordinancu,and R.oyalt CommandementJ: Nor, of the DiO'ike, I have) of all Immodeft ~itterneife, peremptory prefumption, Popular handling ; And other Courfes, tending rather to Rumour, and Tmprefiion, jn the vulgar Sort, then to likely-hood of Effect, joyned with ubjervation of Duty. But before, I enter, into the PointJ controverted, I think good to remove, (lfi t may be,) two Opinion,, which do directly confran t, and oppone, to Reformation: The one, bringing it to a Nullity; And the other, to an Imprffibihty. The Firfi is; Th,Jt it i1 againfl good Policy, to innov4te any ·1hi11g, in r.hurch JVJatters; · The other? That aU ReforJJJ,ztion, mujt be, after 011e Pitztform. , For the Firfr of thefe, it is excellently faid, by the Prophet; state foper vias antiqHaJ~& videte, qu£nam jlt via ·rea a,& vera,()" am~ bulate in ca. So a.s!l he doth Dot fay; Strd'ejiJper vitH tltztiqtttH, & ambulate in eis: For it true,that with ;tJl J/Vifc,and Moderate, Perfons cuftom, and Vfoge, obtaineth that Reverence, as it is fufficien: Matter, to move them, to make a fiand, and to difcover,and take a View; But it is no warrant, to guide, and conduct them :A jufi GroundJ fay,it is·,of Deliber.ttiotl,but not of Direction. But, on the other fide, who knoweth ~ot, that Time, is truly compared, to a Stre.am, that carritth down,frefb) and pure Waters, into thai: falt Sea of Corruption, which invironeth all H1tman Action1 lAnd there- . fore, ifMan fhall not, by his Indufhy, Vertue, and Policy, as it were, with the Oare, row againfr the Stream, and inclination of Time; All Infiitutions, and Ordinances, be they never fo pure, will corrupt, and degenerate. But not, to· handle this matter,. Common-place like,l would only ask, why the Civillstate,fhould be purged, and reftored, by Good,and Wholefome, Lawes,made every Third, or Fourth, year, iq Parliame11t ttjfemhled; Devifing Remedies, as fall: as Time, breedeth Mi.fchief; And contratiwife, H h 2 the •• |