A proposal of union amongst Protestants, from the last-will of the most Reverend Doctor Sands sometime Archbishop of York (as the sentiment of the first reformers) humbly presented to the Parliament. Sandys, Edwin, 1516?-1588. 1679 Approx. 16 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A56021 Wing P3709A ESTC R182167 12121261 ocm 12121261 54432 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A56021) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 54432) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 875:32) A proposal of union amongst Protestants, from the last-will of the most Reverend Doctor Sands sometime Archbishop of York (as the sentiment of the first reformers) humbly presented to the Parliament. Sandys, Edwin, 1516?-1588. 4 p. s.n., [London : 1679] Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Caption title. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Protestantism -- Great Britain -- Political aspects. -- Great Britain. Church and state -- Great Britain. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A PROPOSAL OF UNION AMONGST PROTESTANTS , FROM THE LAST-WILL Of the Most Reverend Doctor SANDS Sometime Archbishop of YORK ; ( As the Sentiment of the first Reformers ) Humbly presented to the PARLIAMENT . Right Honourable , FOR the divisions of Reuben there once were great thoughts and searchings of heart ; and well may there be the like at this day for those among us in England , by which , not the seamless Coat of Christ , but his precious mystical Body is miserably rent and torn in pieces . At this many are exceeding angry ( if from a right principle it is well ) , and complaints do every where abound ; But what , ah ! what is done in order to a Cure ? Some indeed have offer'd at it , but greatly mistaken their way , inflaming the wounds , instead of healing them . Peace with God , and Conscience , and among the Brethren , is that Legacy , which our dearest Lord left unto his Disciples . Cordial and mutual love springing up in all expressions of kindness , is that amiable Badg by which he would have them known in the World. In a word , Vnion and Communion among Christians , is both the beauty and strength of the Church ; That renders her lovely as a City compacted together , and terrible as an Army with Banners . Hence it is , that our Saviour did so earnestly pray his Father , that his people might be one , and made perfect in one ; and Paul did with utmost importunity press the Philippians to have the same love , to be like minded , and of one accord . And oh ! that all , upon whom the name of Christ is called , would carefully attend to this Advice , and follow it , keeping The unity of the spirit in the bond of peace : For by this means our Church would become a Paradise , and Earth a kind of Heaven . To endeavour , and ( by the happy concurrence of a Divine Blessing ) to effect so great and good a work as unity in the Church , and concord among Christians , is most worthy of so August an Assembly as an English Parliament ; yea , of such a Parliament as you are , whom we have many and many a year longed for , and do now with our souls rejoyce to see . What doth more nearly concern you , or what possibly can more highly exalt you in the love ▪ and esteem of all truly religious and sober persons both in the present and future Generations , than your being instruments in the Divine hand for the undoing of heavy burdens , breaking every oppressing yoke , and taking stumbling blocks out of the way , that all the Sons and Daughters of Sion may worship God in the Beauties of holiness , with one shoulder , and with one consent . And is not this a time for it ? Is not this the time ? When can you find a fitter ? When can healing-endeavours be more in season ? Violence of storms should drive the Sheep together . Desperate Plots , practices and attempts of busie and irreconcilable enemies , should more closely and firmly unite jarring friends . Hannibal is at the Gate . The Pope and his Emissaries , the Iesuits with their Vassals , seek our ruine . They have been long travailing with mischief , and brought to the birth , and were at the very point of bringing forth , had not our Gracious God wonderfully interposed both for discovery and prevention . Oh! Let not Protestants devour one another , when their Popish Adversaries would devour all ; who are not yet satisfied , but as much as ever thirst for blood . Besides , not only the rage of men , but the Rod of God should teach us peace and quietness . It becomes us to give over our unchristian contendings with one another , seeing God hath with great severity in various ways contended with us all . Sundry years we have been in the furnace of affliction , and should be so througly melted , as easily to run into one : I mean all those in England who fear God , and desire to see the King of Saints in his beauty . I know there is an implacable enmity put by God himself between the seed of the woman , and the seed of the serpent ; and as Luther saith , Cain will murder Abel to the end of the world . But if any , professing Religion , should be of implacable spirits , resolved to carry their heats and animosities down with them to the Grave , their speedy march off would be a mercy to the Church and Nation , unless God please to mollifie their hearts into a brotherly compliance upon good terms . And blessed be his Name , there is a cementing , healing spirit to be found among many , very many in the Nation , who long for peace , and pray for peace , and are most willing to deny themselves , and do any thing for peace , only they dare not forsake holiness , neglect their Duty , nor wound their Consciences by offending God : And I doubt not , but many of their Brethren would go far to meet them , and welcom that day in which all middle-walls of partition shall be broken down . How sweet , how exceeding sweet is that passage lately dropt from the Lip and Pen of that very Learned and Reverend Divine , Dr. Tillotson , Being Brethren upon so many accounts , and by so many bonds and endearments all united to one another , and all travelling toward the same countrey , why do we fall out by the way ? Since we are Brethren , why do we not , as becomes Brethren , dwell together in unity ? His Most Excellent Majesty ( under whose refrigerating shadow we have enjoyed so much tranquillity ) hath made frequent motions for the composing of differences among us ; but unto this day , too too few in place and power have written after so fair a Copy , or trodden in the steps of His Royal clemency . He hath now again in His late most gracious Speech to your Honours , propounded Vnion as the end he ai●● at , and which , he wisheth , would be extended to Protestants abroad as well as at home . A Saying most highly becoming so Great a Prince , a Defender of the Faith , and unquestionably , Chief of the Protestant Party . God grant he may live long , and act vigorously toward the effecting of so glorious a design , that not only we , but the Children yet unborn may rise up and call him blessed . Most Noble Sirs , give us leave with some confidence to hope , that you are like-minded , and herein will joyn issue with His Sacred Majesty . Among those other weighty and arduous affairs which will be before you , be pleased , as our great Physicians , to reach out to us an healing hand . A Divine told us of late . That the Church of England is ready with open arms to embrace those that do dissent ; and it may be rationally concluded , that Dissenters are full out as ready to be embraced ; doubtless those that have been so long underfoot , and in the dust , having very hard measure meted out to them , would gladly be taken up now into the arms ; surely such unwonted kindness would fill their mouths with thankfulness , and put them into an extacy of joy provided there be nothing in the terms to choak them . It is no kindness to hug the man , and wound his conscience . May it please you , Right Honourable , with a tender hand , by a safe and right way , to bring them into the bosom of their Mother . It is not for me , the meanest of ten thousand , to act the Dictator ; no , no , I will turn Orator , and humbly pray , That you may be all taught of God , and endued with a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding , to find out proper and effectual means and methods , for the bringing about this ever-to be desired harmony and accord among Protestants . Only this I crave leave with all humility and earnestness to beg , That what God hath not set up in the Church , may be pull'd down ; and those things taken out of the way , which have been , and always will be bones of contention among persons truly learned and godly . May that be rejected as an Innovation , which is not as old as the Apostles ; and nothing imposed upon Ministers or People , but what hath footing and warrant in the holy Scriptures : Oh that all Dissenters would come up to the Church of England , as far as ever they can with a good conscience ; and oh that they also may be so far condescended to . And certainly it can neither be prejudicial to the Church to yield in those things which ( Dissenters account sinful , and ) she her self calls indifferent ; and upon that score are at best but chips in Porridg , not worth contending for . Nor can it be any unhandsome or dishonourable reflexion upon our first Renowned Reformers , whose Memory is deservedly dear to us ; for they did famously in this our Israel , casting out abundance of filth and rubbish , laying a good foundation , and making an admirable progress in the structure ; yet such was the iniquity of the Times , the rage of their Enemies , and the opposition they met with , that they did not , nay they could not finish the work , nor add the top-stone to the Reformation , but left something for their Successors to do , which are You : the good Lord give you an heart to do it . Rome was not built , nor could it be pull'd down in a day , or in an Age. Since therefore His most Sacred Majesty , ( being thorowly sensible of the great advantage our common Enemy , the Papist , hath received by the breaches that have not only been made , but hitherto continued among such as profess the same faith ) , hath been graciously pleased to recommend to your special care the concern of the Protestant interest , as well at home as abroad , and hath commanded the Honourable the Lord Chancellor of England to acquaint you , that he judgeth it a thing necessary for you in your great Wisdom , to find out some way for the relief of such Protestants as do wander only from the Church of England , thorow the tenderness of their consciences , being such as would not destroy it , but do build upon the same foundation with your selves ; I take upon me the humble boldness to offer to your Honours serious Consideration , the Sentiments , and very words of one of the very first Reformers of our Church of England ▪ as it remains upon Record , being extracted out of the Last Will and Testament of the most Reverend Father in God , Edward Sands , late Arch-Bishop of York , being the general sense of the said Reformers , of which you may be more fully satisfied from the words themselves . COncerning Rights and Ceremonies , by Political Constitutions authorized among us ; As I am , and have been perswaded , that such as are set down by publick Authority in this Church of England , are no way either ungodly or unlawful , but may with good conscience for order and obedience-sake be used of a good Christian ( for the private Baptism to be ministred by Women , I take neither to be prescribed nor permitted ) ; so have I ever been , and presently am perswaded , that some of them be not so expedient for this Church now , but that in the Church reformed , and in all this time of the Gospel , wherein the seed of the Scripture hath so long been sown , they may better be difused by little and little , than more and more urged . Howbeit , as I do easily acknowledg our Ecclesiastical Policy in some points may be better'd , so do I utterly mislike , even in my conscience , all such rude and undigested platforms as have been more lately and boldly , than either learnedly or wisely preferred , tending not to the Reformation , but to the destruction of the Church of England . The particularities of both sorts referred to the discretion of the godly-wise ; of the latter I only say thus ; That the State of a small private Church , and the form of a large Christian Kingdom , neither would long like , nor can at all brook one and the same Ecclesiastical Government . Thus much I thought good to testifie concerning these Ecclesiastical matters , to clear me of all suspicion of double and indirect dealing in the house of God ; wherein , as touching mine Office , I have not halted , but walked sincerely according to that skill and ability which I received at Gods merciful hand , &c. L. Probatum apud London , &c. Vicesimo Secundo die Mensis Maii Anno Domini Milissimo Quingessimo Nonagissimo Juramento Iohannis Theaker Notarii Publici Procuratoris Ciciliae Relictae & Executoris , &c. Cui , &c. de bene , &c. Jurat . Drury , fol. 30. Marcus Cottle Regist. I Shall not trouble you with any Observations of mine upon this discourse of that Reverend Person , but submit it to your Honours Judgment , and take further boldness to subjoyn a remarkable passage of the truly Worthy and Reverend Dean Tillotson . viz. It is not for private persons to undertake in matters of publick concernment ; but I think we have no cause to doubt , but the Governours of our Church ( notwithstanding all the advantages of Authority , ( and we think of Reason too on our side ) are persons of that Piety and Prudence , that for peace-sake , and in order to a firm Vnion among Protestants , they would be content , if that would do it , not to insist upon little things , but to yield them up , whether to the infirmity , or importunity , or perhaps in some very few things , to the plausible exceptions of those who differ from us . Oh that it may be according to his word ; and so I shall most cheerfully yield to him , that , On the other side , men ought to bring along with them a peaceable disposition , and a mind ready to comply with the Church in which they were born and baptized , in all reasonable and lawful things , and desirous upon any terms that are tolerable to return to the communion of it ; a mind free from passion and prejudice , from peevish exceptions , and groundless and endless scruples : And such I perswade my self all sober and Pious Dissenters will be found . And now , Right Honourable , I humbly crave your gracious entertainment of these few lines , sent indeed from a mean and unknown hand , but from an heart full-fraught with Loyalty to His Majesty , and dutiful respects to your Honours , and Zeal for the Purity , Peace and Prosperity of the Reformed Church , and particularly that part of it , which Gods right hand hath planted in this famous Island . I shall not sin in ceasing to pray , That the good hand of God may be upon you , that he would spirit , direct , assist and succeed you , that you may be the repairers of our breaches , and the restorers of paths to dwell in . The Father of mercies , and God of peace grant , that there may be no longer among us the noise of Axes and Hammers ; no more crumbling into parties and factions , no more divisions nor causes of them ; but that our English Ierusalem may be as a Bride made ready for her Husband . That upon all our Assemblies there may be a glory , and upon that glory a defence . FINIS .