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Show 70.0 England's Pafellt· !nterrj! C6n}ide't'd. \'ox. I. t 6?)· form to Her Difcipl~ne ~n~ Format AUs of D.evotion, tha~ t~ofe \IFd.n LrV"'tt...J which PeurJ.u Moulin offtrd to Preach the Gofpel at Romt- ~IZ. ~,11 if Chap. ll. the 'fope would give IJitn. Leave ro_ Pu~cb llf Rome, b~ nto11ld be t~ntenrtd J(l Preacb in a Fool'r Cattt. I quefiton tf the Prrjbyterutn can go fo far, I :~:h fure he could not\ and ::ts fure, th::tt Pnu dH_J11tJuli~ hop'd, by preaching there in a F'oofs Coat, ro inculc.lt'e that Doftn:1e whtch fhould ~Jn:.i1Iir,:t. the Pope, and alter his Church; the very Th~ng_ the Cburcb of England Fears and Fences agalnft. For Puer du iVI.oulm Intended to preach in a Foots Coat no longer, than ri\1 he h~d preach'd the People Wife eno~1gh t'o throw it off again. So the Prrjbyttrutns, the~ m<:~y Conform to .c~rtam Cc· remonks (once as Sinful to them, as a Fo~/s Coat caul~ be R1Cl.i.culous w Peter du rl1o111in) that they may the better 1mroduce then Alterauons both in Dofhine and Difcipline. . . . . Hut that which ought to go a great Viay wuh our Supenors, m th<!a Judgment of this Mnter, is not only the Benc6r_ ?fa .BnUance agai~ff the Pretilmption of any o.ne Party, and the Proha bllHy,,Jf not Certainty of their never being O\'erdnven by any One Pe~fuafion, whtlt~ they have others that, will more than Poize againtl: the_ Growt~g Power of 1t : ~ut the Con· ceit lt felf if not altogether impralhcahle, JS at leaft very dtfficult to the Promoters', and an Office as Thanklefs from the Parties concern'd. . This appears in the Ende:Ivours ufed for a Comprebenjion of .tfrnmu ond Homooujians under One Ortbodox!, related.f!Ot ,only i~ o~r com_mon Ecddi· oflicolliiflory, but more amply 111 the Wnnngs of Htlory, :ln Enemy to the .Arrians, :lnd Mariana's SpnniJ!! Hijfory.. Thei~ p~blick Tef.ts, or compre· henfive Creeds were many, 1\Jce, Anmzn11m, Su·mumt, &c. 1n order to re· concile both Parties that neither might ftigmatize the orher with the odi~ ous Crime of Here'.f;e: But the Confequence of a1l this Convocation :md Prolix Debate was, that neither Party could be fatis6ed, each continuing rheir former Sentiments, :tnd fo grew up into ftronger Fa!Uons, to the Divifion, Diflraction, and almoll Di!firuEHon of the "whole Empire: Recorer'd a little by the prudent Moderation of Joviantn, and much imyroved, not by a Comprebenjion, bu.t Reftauration of a Stnfonab!e Liberty oj Confcienu, by Tbeodoji115 .ft1ngmt5. Alfo in Germany, about the Time of the Reformation, nothing fecmed more Sincere than rhe Defign of Union between the Lutbernns and Zllint· Jinm : For Lutbrr :1nd Zuingli115 themfelves, by the Earnefl: Endeavours of the LanJgrove of Heifen, came rogether 1 but the Succefs was fo fmall, norwichfianding the Grave's Mediation, thar they parted fcucely Civil:.. To be fure, as far from Uniry as Controverfie i1. Luther and Cardinal Cnjeton met for a Compofure of the Breach betwixt. t-he Prorcjlanr.r and the Pope, but it Wfljtoo wide for thofi: Conferences ro reconcile : No OJmprtbNJjion could be pratlicahle. A fecond E!fay to the fame Purpofe, was by Jl1e!tmUbon, Cif!amler and others; the Con1Cquencc of it was, that the P:trries were difpleafCd, and the Heads fufpefled, if nor hated of rheir Followers. Nor had But:er~s Meeting with ]11lt111 Pj/11gg any bener Succcfs. 'And how fruitlefs their Endeavours have been, that with gre~neft An and lnduftry, have, of a long Time, endeavoured a Reconciliation ot Lutherans and Calvinijls, is well known to thofe that are acquainted with rhc Affair~ of Germany: And fuch :lS are nor, may furnifh themfdves from rhc publick Rel:nions given by thofe that are employed about that Accommodation : \\'here, befides a dull and heavy Progrefs, the Reader may be a Wirnefs of their Complaint ; nor only that borh Parties are too Tenacious, bur that· the Mediators fuffer Detraftion fort~eir good Endeavours; each Side grud~· ing eveJy Tittle they yield; and murmuring :ls if they were to lo1e tbclt Religion. And if Perfons fo difinrerefted, and. worrhy in their Attempts, have had no better Hfue, I cannot fee how rhofe, who feem compell'd by Worldly lntereft more than Confcience, to feek and propag:1re a Col!lprehc,,~ jifm, efptcially, when it determines in the Perfett.irlon of the rejedcd Per~ iwafronr, VoL. I. England;s Prefent iiiterefi Co~tjider;J: ~::~~~~~fs~"· with any Reafon, expetfr from God, or Good Men, a'ny bet· Lriflly, T~ere is nothing any M:1n, touched with Juftice and <::anllledge to~ 3 ComprehmjiOH, that may not much beta: b Mercy, To!erallcn, For the Ctiu.rch _is lefs. in DJngef, when lhc k;o;sutr~:~~rfia th.an ~here the DJn~er .1s hid. F1ve Enemies without Doors being · j';~ m1fch1cvous as one wnhtn. But rhey are alfo Men a·nd E Jijh nor 0 ;rs thofe of.other Perfwalions: 'their Faith is as C};riflian nfhc mbnl~s we~l fmc;relf, live a? confcientiouily, are as ufeful in the Kfngd~m ;nd e~~~~ a! theu ~!(f~nt ~tt~ as ~uch Modefty and Prudence, the Chur~h of En la;d her fel be1ng 10 great Meafure Judge, as thofe on Whofe Account 3 Co,; re• benf!on may be,d~fire.d: To be ~ure th~y are Englijhmen, and have an Ep ual Clatm to the C1vtl R1ght.S' of rhe1r Nat1ve Country, with any rhat 1ive ~ fr, whom to perfecute, wht!ft others, and thofe no b~uer Men in themfelvf!t are.~ore than ~olerated, Js, as I have alr~ady faid, The zmreafon11bJc and 1111• mn.ci/11! Do8rme of ~/Jfol11te Reprobatron plit ip Pro{/' · C ·1 . F w.btch the .lord deliver us. rcc Ill tVJ .r • rom C H A P. III. A fmcere Promotion of General and Praaical Religion., IU.1,General n~d PralHcal Relij;ion, 7bJt tk Pt~m~fitm of it • bt 1 w k ~k,~:!/~be ::::;:, fo,d: ,~:Z~:fiM~gi;~~. ',~ ;~:e;;: 7![;~:,~ f,~,;':'{er:Ju;•,;;,~,e,~n; 11irio•: lu(tdnttt; rb.u ir U tbt unum Necdl'ariunl to F~iti!J bf,t ';,ir!;t~~~~3of 11 per· I am now come to the la.ft, which, to be fure; is not the leaf\> Part of my Anfwcr t~ the ~u~lhon propoundtd, viz. Tbe finure Promolioll of &eneral and proflua/ Rebgzon; by Which l me:Jn the Ten Commafldme 1 ~oral Law, and G_hrifl'sScrmon upon the Mount, with other Heavent S'/:. ~ngs, exce~l~ntly Improved, and earneftly recommended by feveral rftr:Jg~s ~n the Wnttngs~fhts Dirciples, which forbid Evil, not only in Deed but Thought; and enJoyn Puruy mpl Holinif.r, as without whi(b no JUan be his Ptete~ces wh~t. thef will, jhaU ever fee God. In lbort, General, True and Requlfite Relzgton, m the Apofl:Je James's Definirion is, To vijir the Widow and Fatherlef.r, and to ke~p .our ft!r.:e.r, through the Univerfal Grace, un· .(Potted oft be World. ThiS IS the moll eafie and ptobable way to fet It m all Me~ profeffing God a~d ~eligion: Since C\'ery Perfwafio~ ackno~· ledges ~his ~n Words, be their Ltve~ never fo difagreable to rheir Confcffion. And this bemg the Unum J\Tece.flanllm, that one Thing needful to mak~ Men.hapi?Y here and. hereafter, why, alas, fhould Men fa critic~ their Ac~ co~d 111 thiS ~re?t Po1~t, for an ~ni~y in minute or circum!bntial Things, th~t per~aps IS mohtamable, and 1f It were not, would fignifie little or no· , thmg! eltber to the G?od _of humane Society, or the p:nticular Comfort of any, 111 the World wh1ch IS to come? ~o one T~ing is more·unaccountable and condemnable among Men than thea Un_chantable Contefts about Religion, indeed about Words anlPhra· fes ~ ~hdft t~~y all verbally .me~t in the moft,_ if not only necelfary Part o£ ~hrijlton Rebgton: For nothtng IS more certam, than if Men would but h'•e up ~o Ofle ~alfofwhat they know in t heir own Confcience• tlrey ought to prafhfe, theu Edge would be taken ofF, their Blood would be fweerncd by .Mercy and Truth, and this unnatural Sharpnefs qualified: They woulct qu1ckly fi~d Work ~nough at Home, ea~h Man's Hands would be full by !he Unruhnefs o~h1s own Paffions, :1nd 10 fubjeClingof his o\tn Will, and tnftead o.f devonnng one another's goad Name, Liberty, or !!.)late, Campaffion would nfe, and mutual Defircs ro 'be Affifiam to each Orher, in a heu~r : Sort of Living. 0 how dcoen1, and hQw delightful would it be, ro fee M•nloin<l 7oi 16]). ~ Ch,p.lt. Chap. lit. ~ |
