Catholicism WITHOUT POPERY AN ESSAY To Render the Church of ENGLAND A Means and a Pattern of UNION TO THE Christian World.  
LONDON: Printed for I. Laurence, at the Angel in the Poultry, 1699.   

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THE Reader is desired to take Notice of Two Things.  
1. That this Discourse is not Written by the Direction, Assistance, or Advice of any Person or Party whatsoever; nor with the Privity of any in Authority, but is the mere and only Result of the Author's own Thoughts; who makes it his Request, that the Reader would forget that it has an Author, and take it as if it were produced by the casual falling together of the Letters of the Alphabet; it being too common a thing for Men to slight Truth, if they approve not of him that utters it; and to indulge Error if recommended by the Author's Name: And yet at the same time let the Reader be assured, that the Author is not afraid that the World should know what he earnestly desires may be concealed, for the Reason aforesaid.  
2. That for the same Reason divers Passages are made use of therein, without referring to the Books whence they are taken; there being in so learned an Age no great danger of Plagearism; and in so divided and contentious an Age too much danger of the abovesaid Inconvenience.   

THE PREFACE  
Christian Reader.  
THE Substance of the following Discourse was Written above eight Years since, and Presented in Manuscript to Her Late Majesty, of ever Blessed Memory. But Wars abroad, made it unseasonable to attempt Peace in the Churches, while the States of Europe were so hotly engaged; and had the Church of England rendered itself a Pattern of Peace, yet the Nations about us were not at leisure to observe that Pattern.  
The Divine Power, Wisdom and Goodness, assisting the Best of Kings, hath. Restored Peace to the Nations of Christendom among themselves; And why may not Peace, among the Churches of Christendom, be expected by the same Means?  
And because the Design of the following Discourse is to attempt it first at Home, yet with an Eye to the Peace of the Christian World; I will look back on the Past Age, and consider the Cause of our Divisions, both in Church and State.  
Two Controversies have miserably divided this Nation for more than one Century: I mean the Controversy between the Prerogative of the King, and the Liberty of the Subject; and the Controversy between a Strict Uniformity in Matters of Religion, and a Lawless Liberty of Conscience. And our Enemies of the Roman Communion, have ever since the Reformation, industriously kept alive both these Controversies, in order to reduce us to our former Bondage to Rome. They took the side of Prerogative, and Strict Conformity, till they had set these Kingdoms in a flame, and broke in pieces the English Government, both in Church and State. They used the Pretence of Loyalty, to Murder the Poor Protestants of Ireland; and of Uniformity, to drive many excellent Men out of the Church. And when they had ruined Prerogative, and the English Church, by appearing for them; They than fell in for Anarchy in the State, and an extravagant Liberty of Conscience in the Church, and broke us into Numberless Parties and Sects: And while their Emissaries wrought diligently to build a sort of Babel among us, they cast the Reproach thereof on the Protestant Religion.  
Again, when the Nation grew weary of Anarchy, of changing Governments every Moon, and springing new Churches almost as often, and found a necessity of Restoring the English Constitution, they returned to their old Methods of straining the Prerogative, and destroying both our Civil and Religious Liberties by Arbitrary Power; and on that side of the Controversy they continued till the late Happy Revolution. They knew (though we were forbid to say) that both the late Kings were in their Interest; and that the Prerogative would be certainly on their side, that the Dispensing Power rendered all Laws already made against them useless, and would consequently restore Popery by our Celebrated Magna Charta: They knew that Modelling Corporations would destroy Legislation for the time to come, by making Parliaments like those in France, Tools and Vassals to the Crown, as the Council of Trent was to the Pope.  
Thus Humane Wisdom seemed to Promise them all Imaginable Success; for the Church-Party being secured by the Doctrines of Passive-Obedience, and Nonresistance misunderstood; the Dissenters Caressed with an Illegal Toleration; and the Papists among us United to destroy us; we were like Isaac bound; and laid on the Altar, had not our good Angel, in the very Act of Sacrificing, stayed the Knife.  
I do but touch these things as being Foreign to the Design of the Following Discourse, yet I can't pass them without observing that Solid and Lasting Settlement both of Religion and Civil Liberty, which we own to His Majesty.  
Two things the Nation had learned by sad Experience.  

1. By the Confusions and Distractions of the late Times, they learned that a Commonwealth would never do in England; for though for a season that Government made a Figure in the World, it soon dwindled into a single Person under another Name, and at his Death consumed away in Anarchy.  
2. By the late Reigns the Nation had learned that Arbitrary Power would never do in England, though affected and attempted with all possible Application in both those Reigns.   
What then could Humane Wisdom think fit to be done upon the Late Revolution, but to settle and establish the English Government on its Ancient and Solid Foundations.  
The most Renowned Politician observes, That those Kingdoms and Governments stand longest that are oft renewed, and brought back to their first Beginnings. And though in the last Age, we could not attain it, we are now blest with the Old. English Constitution. The English Government exceeds all others in the World, being a just Mixture of the Three Forms of Government, Monarchy, Aristocracy; and Democracy: Monarchy justly boasts its Union; Aristocracy its Grandeur, and Democracy its Liberty: Now the English Government has all the Advantages of these Governments, without the Disadvantages of any; it has Monarchy without Arbitrary Power; Aristocracy without Faction; and Democracy without Anarchy; and hence we are blest with King, Lords and Commons.  
The Just Prerogative is Establish▪ d, the Invaded Liberties of the Kingdom are restored, and the Encroachments of the Late Reigns condemned by Act of Parliament: So that there is an end of the Controversy between the Prerogative of the King, and the Liberty of the Subject; and nothing but the most incurable Infidelity can be Proof against that Evidence of His Majesty's Love to the English Liberty, which He hath given by permitting an Election for Parliament, during his Absence: and passing the Bill for Disbanding the Army.  
The Controversy between a strict Settlement, and a Boundless Liberty, in Matters of Religion, is also in some good measure compromised; we have now no Spanish Inquisition to force men's Faith and Consciences into the same Mould, which is just as reasonable as to make an Engine to draw men's Bodies into the same Dimensions. We have no wild Liberty for Adamites to run about the Streets, or Enthusiasts to disturb us in the time of Divine Service; but the Church of England is secured in its Legal Establishments; and a Liberty to Dissenters has received the Sanction of a Law.  
Now that Maxim, Salus populi suprema lex est, appears in its Beauty, being writ upon all the Actions of our King, and not used by the People, in Opposition to Monarchy.  
Now the other Maxim, Bono principi inservire est optima libertas, is rightly applied, being writ upon the Actions of the People, both in, and out of Parliament, and not used by the King to enslave his People. The Courage and Conduct of our King, and the Wealth and Valour of the People, have once more made Great Britain a happy Nation, and the Arbiter of the Fate of Europe.  
The Glory of His Majesty in procuring the late stupendious Peace, and restoring to our Neighbours their Ravished Liberties, is as much greater than that of Alexander, Pompey, Caesar, or of any other of the Famed Conquerors, as 'tis more Glorious to hinder the World from being Conquered, than to Conquer the World, to save men's Lives than to destroy them. And what was said of the Romans, who Restored Liberty to the Conquered Cities of Greece, in the Days of Flaminius, is more Emphatically true concerning His Majesty, and his Loyal Subjects; That at last there are a Prince and a People in the World, born for the Safety of all others, that crossed Seas, and made Wars, at their own Costs and Peril, to relieve the Oppressed, to establish Laws, and cause them to be observed, and to maintain the Public Security throughout the whole Earth.  
But this is a Subject fit to fill a Volumn, and not to be crammed into a Parenthesis in a Preface, and therefore I must hasten to what I principally intended.  
And notwithstanding Matters in the State are so happily adjusted, and Persecution ceases to be the Reproach of the Church, yet we are still on very ill Terms among ourselves in Matters of Religion; and to make the following Discourse more intelligible, as well as the Design of the Author, I must a little consider the Grounds and Causes of our Divisions.  
When by the Divine Mercy we had escaped out of the Tyranny of Rome, and the Protestant Religion became the National Religion of England, Ignorance was lamentably visible, not only in the Laity, but Clergy; and whoever looks over the Lists of the Indocti, Mediocriter Docti, & Docti, into which Classes the Clergy were divided, will plainly see the Necessity of the Forms of Prayer, and Homilies so much complained of.  
And as the Clergy's Ignorance made these things necessary, so the First Reformers thought it their Wisdom to make the Transition from Popery to Protestant Religion, as Vndiscernable as might be; for this reason while they took away other Parts of the Clergy's Habits, they left the Surplice, that People might not miss the other Trinkets; while they took away Transubstantiation, they left the Posture of Kneeling, which was much more sensible than the Doctrine; while they took away the Adoration of the Cross, they nevertheless continued it at Baptism; though they threw off the Latin Service, they kept a Liturgy in English; while they Renounced the Authority of the Bishop of Rome, they nevertheless continued the same Arch-Bishops and Bishops, in the same Provinces and Sees. This Conduct they hoped, would have brought the Papists to Church, and it had that effect for some time; but after that the English Refugees, who went hence in the Reign of Queen Mary, returned from among the Learned and Pious Reformers abroad, who had gone quite through the Work of Reformation, perhaps a Step too far, the Clergy of England fell into two Parties, one Party were for finding out Means of Reconciliation with Rome, and bringing the Pope to Terms: The other Party were for Accommodating Matters, and Forming an Union between the English Church, and Foreign Protestant Churches; but there having been much fewer Non-Conformists found among the Clergy, upon the Change of Religion made by Queen Elizabeth in Substantials, than that made by King Charles the Second in Circumstantials, the Party which inclined to Rome were much the stronger, and most prevalent at Court. And although the State of Rome was generally opposed, yet the Church of Rome was much hankered after; though most were against the Pope's Supremacy, yet many were for allowing him to be Principium Unitatis: On the other side, the most Learned and Pious of the Clergy were for the other Union. Accordingly those that inclined towards Rome, were extremely fond of the Ceremonies, that their Coalition with the Holy See might be the more easy: From using the Cross at Baptism, they might easily proceed to its farther use; from Kneeling at the Sacrament, they might take an occasion of Believing Transubstantiation, or letting it alone; that they might easily slip on something more upon the Surplice, they had hopes to prevail with Rome to allow the Liturgy in English; and while they kept up the Difference of Order, between Bishops and Presbyters, they were capable not only of arriving at the Lordship of a Bishop, and at the Grace of an Archbishop, but (upon the Coalition) had a Prospect of the Eminency of a Cardinal, and the Holiness of a Pope: They were for allowing Sports on the Lord's Day, and for Holidays, and a Religion that Men might wear Genteely; for Singing Prayers, which makes little difference between Latin and English, in Point of Edification, especially in that Time when very few could read. They were fond of Godfathers, and Godmothers, Bowing at the Name of Jesus, and to the Altar, and setting the Communion-Table Altarwise. On the other side, the Pious Puritan Bishops, were for Union with the Protestants abroad, who scrupled most of these things, and were for that Reason for taking these things away, or at least for leaving them indifferent: They were indeed for the pure Primitive Episcopacy, and I conceive, had they seen the following Discourse, would generally have Subscribed thereto. And this is in Truth the Reason that so many are to this Day so extremely fond of things which they themselves account to be indifferent in their own Nature, and which others take to be sinful: The Grotian and Cassandrian Design was the good work in hand, so much applauded by Archbishop Laud, and his Adherents and Followers; and Opposed by the Archbishops Abbot and Usher, the Bishops Hall, Davenant, and others. And this is the true Difference between the High Church and Low Church (as they are called) to this Day.  
And here I can't, without great and pungent sorrow, lament the Misery of the Church of England, for almost a whole Century: By this Means, Protestant Religion (which lies in those things wherein both sides agree) and even Morality itself hath been little regarded, and men's Zeal for the most part hath been employed in this Controversy. 'Tis better to be Papists than Presbyterians: Put the Laws in Execution against Dissenters; was the Cry on the one side, and the Dissenters oft in fits dragged to the Court Spiritual, and a Lay-Chancellor having said, I Admonish you, I Admonish you, I Admonish you, away they were sent to the Devil. On the other side, Conformity was aggravated to the utmost, and condemned as Antichristian: Some have run from the noise of a Reader in the Church, saying, They heard the Devil. And others refused to hear a Reverend Devine in a Meetinghouse, because he had by Licence preached in a Church. I confess, such Follies were not common, I mention them as prodigious Effects of Controversies about Indifferent Things, but yet by Persecution on the one hand, and Exasperation on the other, both sides did generally departed from the true Spirit of Christianity: And if the printed Discourses on both sides be well considered, and an Impartial Inquisitor were in search for Christians, by our Saviour's Character, By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples, 
Job. 13.35.  if ye love one another; How few had he found worthy the Christian Name?  
If any thing which I have offered in the Following Discourse may tend to Restore Christianity among us to its Primitive Purity, and to hasten its Promised Peace in the Christian World, it will increase my Thankfulness to Him who gave me Being. But whatever the Success of these Sheets may be, I'm sure they take a very all way to oppose Persecution, and to Restore the Christian Spirit, who endeavour to overthrow the Fundamentals of Christianity. The Arians were at first professed Enemies to Persecution, but as soon as they had Power, proved the greatest Persecutors: And Men worse than they in their Principles, will not be better in their Practices, whatever Moderation they may pretend. And although my Saviour hath taught me, That I ought not to call for fire from Heaven on those that will not receive Him. 
Luk. 9.55.  
2 Pet. 2.1.  Yet seeing the Apostle Peter having Prophesied of such who should bring in damnable Heresies, in denying the Lord that bought them; adds, That they shall bring upon themselves swift destruction. 'Tis certainly dangerous to put Power into the Hands of Men of such Principles, lest they involve the Government in their own Ruin. I aim at no Man by this Reflection; and I desire to Excuse no Man whom the Character will fit; especially if they agree with the full Description of those dangerous Men, Prophesied of by the Apostle Peter, who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, 
2 Pet. 2.10.  and despise government; having eyes full of Adultery, and that can't cease from sin, who while they promise Men Liberty, are themselves the servants of corruption. Certainly 'tis every Christian's Duty to take the Advice of the Apostle Judas, who describing the same Men, exhorts us to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints. 
Judas 3.  The late Act therefore against Blaspheming, does rather Promote than Disserve the Design of this Discourse. And if this attempt may stir up the Spirits of others, whose Parts and Qualifications are equal to such an Undertaking, to offer better Means to the same end, In magnis voluisse sat est, I shall greatly rejoice to be Confuted by Proposals of better Expedients. For were the Peace of the Christian World Established on Foundation-truths', it would be with all the Sons of Peace, without regard to their Lesser or Greater Eminency, as it was with the Heavenly Host, at their first Creation; they will not envy each other their Degrees of Excellencies, 
Job. 38.7.  but the Morning-Stars will sing together, and all the Sons of God shout for Joy.   

Books Printed for John Laurence at the Angel in the Poultry.  
A Free Discourse, wherein the Doctrines which make for Tyranny are Displayed; the Title of our Rightful and Lawful King William Vindicated, and the Unreasonableness and Mischievous Tendency of the Odious Distinction of a King De Facto, and De Jure, Discovered. By the Honourable Sir Robert Howard, Oct.  
An Effort against Biggotry, and for Christian Catholicism. By Henry Chandler, Quarto.  
Remarks on a late Discourse of William Lord Bishop of Derry, concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God. With a Vindication of the Remarks from what is Objected against them in his Lordship's Admonition. By J. Boyse. Octavo.  
A Preservative against Deism: showing the Great Advantage of Revelation above Reason, in the two great Points, Pardon of Sin, and a Future State of Happiness. With an Appendix, in Answer to a Letter of A. W. against Revealed Religion, in the Oracles of Reason. By Nath. Taylor, Octavo.  
Mr. Woodhouse, Mr. Shower, Mr. Williams, Mr. Alsop, and Mr. Calamy's Sermons, Preached to the Societies for Reformation of Manners in the City of London, Octavo.   

Catholicism WITHOUT POPERY.  
An ESSAY to Render the Church of England a Means and a Pattern of Union to the Christian World.  
NO Arguments against the Protestant Religion have been Improved with equal success, to those which are drawn from the Unity of the Roman Church, and the Innumerable Divisions among Protestants; and although each Point in Controversy between us and Rome hath been so discussed, as to set the Truth of the Protestant Cause in the clearest Light, yet the Popish Dragoons, and the Protestant Divisions, still pervert the World. 'Tis true, that there is no Argument in Dragooning, and I hope it will appear in a short time, that there is as little in the other Topick; yet the same Men who scarce know how to submit their Senses to Transubstantiation, are by those very Senses induced to Popery, while they see Divisions, or feel Dragooning.  
The last of these Popish Arguments, is not to be Confuted by a Pen in its Practice, and needs no Confutation in the Theory; being not Defensible otherwise than by main force.  
But the former requires most Serious Consideration, not so much to evince that nothing can be concluded from those Divisions against the Truth of Protestant Religion, as to take away the very Topick itself.  
The great and substantial Division of England is taken to be, into Churchmen and Dissenters; and again, Churchmen are subdivided into High Church and Low Church, and many will be called Churchmen, who are indeed of no Church: and these last having nothing but the Name, are not the Subjects of Christian Unity: But yet, nevertheless, through the Iniquity of the late Reigns, the best mark of a Churchman was never to come to Prayers, and the most scandalous Life the surest Evidence of a true Son of the Church. All Sober Men were called Presbyterians, and no Man was supposed able to observe his Baptismal Vow, and the Oath of Allegiance both together; as if, in this Sense, it were impossible to serve God and Mammon. This, and some other things, seem to have put the true Notion of the Church of England out of men's Heads, and to make it obnoxious to the Romanists for its Invisibility: And hence, upon the Happy Revolution, it was a Question between a very Eminent and Learned Prelate, 
Vox Cleri, P. 68  and the Prolocutor of the late Convocation, What it was that distinguished the Church of England from other Protestant Churches? The Bishop rightly affirming, That the Church of England is an Equivocal Expression, and was not distinguished from other Protestant Churches, but by its Hierarchy and Revenues: And the Prolocutor asserting, That the Church of England was distinguished by its Doctrine, as it stands in the Articles, Liturgy, and Homilies, as well as by its Hierarchy. And although since His Majesties happy Accession to the Throne, His Pious and Princely Care of the Church hath filled the Archi-Episcopal and Episcopal Seats with Men of Consummate Piety, Learning, and Moderation, whereby, and by giving the Royal Assent to the Act for Indulgence, He hath been our Deliverer from Tyranny in the Church, as well as in the State; yet it cannot be forgotten, how during the Prevalency of the High Church Party in the late Reigns, not Kneeling at the Sacrament, not Baptising with the Cross, Hearing in Congregations which are Churches of Christ (within the Definition given by the Articles of the Church) were Prosecuted with the greatest Violence, and Men cast out of the Church for those Reasons; while Men of the most Profligate Lives, Swore D— n them, they were for the Church of England; and were admitted to the Sacrament without reserve; That great Numbers of the sober Serious Subjects of England, were kept out from that which was called the Church, for Conscience sake; and all the Profane and Vicious let in, that were willing to enter: That those things that would make a Man Holy on Earth, and prepare for Heaven, yet would not let him into the Church; and that he might be a beloved Member thereof, who was not fit to live on the Earth, and made most visible haste to the Devil! These, and the like considerations, made me wonder, that no Man had concerned himself to tell us plainly, What the Church of England is. And since the Cant of that Party is still, The Church! the Church! I will, like an Honest Lay-Christian, that is not any way infected with Priest-Craft, return a short Answer to the Question, which may be at least of use, to put some Body upon explaining it better.  
The Articles of the Church, to which all the Clergy have Subscribed, and to most of which (since His Majesty's happy Accession to the Throne) the Dissenting Ministers have also subscribed, expressly Teach us; That the Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithful Men, 
Article XIX.  in which the Pure Word of God is Preached, and the Sacraments be duly Ministered, according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.  
Now, whether this Description be meant of the Universal Church, or of a single Congregation; 'tis thence an easy Conclusion, That the Church of England is that Part of the Universal Church which is Composed of all the Congregations of Faithful Men in England, in which the Pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments duly Ministered, according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same: And if this Description be allowed, 'tis impossible to exclude the Presbyterian, Independent, and Antipaedobaptist Churches, from being Part of the Church of England. Of the Antipaedobaptist may be the greatest doubt, because they deny Infants to be capable Subjects of Baptism; but nevertheless, that Error excludes them not out of this Description; for to the Subjects they allow to be capable, and of which their whole Communion consists, the Sacraments are duly Administered, according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. It is therefore a wonderful thing to hear Men on one side loudly declare, in the Presence of God and the Congregation, That they Believe the Holy Catholic Church; and yet calling their Brethren that go under those several Denominations, fanatics, Hypocrites, and other odious Names, and Excommunicating them out of the Church. And it is no less wonderful on the other side, to hear some under those several Denominations, accusing those that conform to the Established Ceremonies with Antichristianism, and denying the Church of England to be a True Church, when they themselves have Subscribed to that very Article, and Five or Six and Thirty more of their Thirty Nine, and are really Part of the same Church. And this one Consideration Justifies the Practice of those who condemn the Imposition of unnecessary things, by Communicating with the Moderate Dissenters, and condemn the Separating, Censorious, and Schismatical Humour, wherever sound amongst the Dissenters, by Communicating with the Conformable Part of the Church. And indeed, it seems to be little considered by the Generality of Protestants, how great the Agreement is between all the said Parties: They have the same Rules of Faith, Manners and Devotion; for they own the same Scripture to be of Divine Authority, and a perfect Rule of Faith and Life; the same Creeds are Professed by them all; the same Ten Commandments are acknowledged by them all, as the Divine Law; and they agree to our Saviour's Exposition thereof, and to all the Precepts, and the Ordinances, and Sacraments of the Christian Religion; they have the same Object of Worship, the same Mediator, the Inspiration of the same Holy Spirit; they have the same Objects of their Hopes and Fears, they fly from the same Wrath, and expect the same Glory.  
Again, these several Parties do condemn the Twelve new Articles of the Roman Faith, all the Idolatries of the Mass, Image-Worship, Praying to Saints and Angels, and for the Dead, Monkery; 
1 Tim. 4.1, 2.  with all the Doctrines of Demons invented by the Hypocrisy of those Liars, nor do any of them retain any thing substantial in Doctrine or Practice introduced by the Apostasy of the Latter Times.  
The Disagreement among them lies only about Imposing and Refusing Circumstances of Worship, Observation of Days, the Use of Habits and Gestures, of Forms and Ceremonies, and Unscriptural Forms of Church-Government; and about Subscriptions, and Oaths, and Laws made to enforce men's own Inventions: All which I shall briefly touch, when I have in the following Propositions, endeavoured to show what are the true Terms of Union for the whole Christian World; and how all the abovementioned Parties may enjoy this their Unity in the Church of England.  
When our Saviour condemned the Jewish Divorce, he grounded his Sentence upon this Foundation, From the Beginning it was not so; and to discover the true Terms of Christian Unity, we must look back to the Rise of Christian Religion.  
CHRISTIANITY came into this World Pure and Free, without the Jewish Yoke of beggarly Elements, without the Heathen Niceties of painful Rights and Ceremonies. It taught to Worship God in Spirit and Truth; bound Men to no City or Mountain; prescribed no Postures, nor Dresses; it threw down all Enclosures, and was a Gospel sit to be Preached to every Creature: Our Saviour taught in Synagogues and in Mountains; and in a Coat woven from the top throughout. The Apostles wore the Habits of the Places where they dwelled, and taught in the Synagogues that were built: Both Christ and they used the Septuagint Translation, and complied with the Customs and Hours of the Jews. And in short, the Apostles Rule was to become all Things to all Men, 
1 Cor. 9.22.  and to comply with the innocent Usages of all Places; but when those Customs, or Usages, 
Gal. 2.3, 4, 5. Gal. 5.1, 2.  were added to Christianity, or imposed, they always rejected them with Abhorrence.  
Thus were Matters left by the Apostles, and the Disciples of the First Age followed their Example; and hence the Christians among the Jews, complying with their Customs, and the Christians among the Gentiles with theirs, the Christian World might within one Age, be distinguished into the Judaizing and Gentilizing Christians. Paul Circumcised Timothy among the Jews: And Church-History tells us, That Fifteen Jerusalem Bishops were Circumcised; And the Empire of Habbasia, which was Discipled by the Aethiopean Eunuch, a Jewish Proselyte, continue Circumcision to this Day, (though as no Religious Rite.) On the other side, the Roman Christians, and others among the Heathens, used several of their Customs, by that General Rule, of becoming all Things to all Men.  
But as in the Apostles Time, some used their Liberty for an Occasion to the Flesh, and this Charitable Principle occasioned Differences among the Apostles themselves; (for Paul withstood Peter to the Face at Antioch, for withdrawing from the Gentiles to please the Jews) so in the following Ages, 
Gal. 2.11, 12.  when the Power of inward Religion grew more cold; the Customs which were taken up as convenient, such as keeping Days in compliance with the Jewish and Heathenish Festivals, distinguishing the Clergy by Habits, as both Jews and Heathens used to do their Priests, became at last to be accounted Sacred; and the Days were taken for Holy Days, and the Clothes for Holy Garments.  
But the greatest Depravation of Christianity, came from the Agreement that was between Jews and Gentiles, in their setting up of High-Priests: The show of Order, and Unity, 
Mark 8.27. Luke 9.18.  that appeared therein, was very tempting. When our Saviour had told Simon, 
Mat. 16.13. to 24.  that he should be called Cephas; and that the Church should be built on his Confession of Faith; it is probable that the Apostles began to think of his being the Chief; for the Question was soon after started among them, 
Matth. 18.1. Mark 9.33. Luke 9.46. Ibid. and Mat. 20.25. Luke 22.25. Mark 20.42. Heb. 7.23, 24.  which of them should be greatest; that is to say, the Pope. And had not our Saviour Positively and Catagorically resolved the Question, both on that Occasion, and in Answer to the Ambitious Sons of Zebedee, Hierarchical Domination in greater and lesser Popes might have been thought Justifiable from the Example of the Jews, whose Hierarchy was of Divine Institution; But that our Saviour is our only High Priest, is most evident. That by that Rule of his [It shall not be so done amongst you,] he hath taken away all colour of Domination among his Ministers, on Pretence of his Institution, seems a reasonable Opinion, for the several Evangelists do so expressly agree in that Prohibition, that it is impossible to evade it by the common Distinction, viz. That our Saviour there forbids Tyranny and Ambition, but not Superiority, especially since the Evangelist Luke speaks not of the Authority exercised by Tyrants, but Benefactors.  
It doth no where appear that the Apostles were the Governors of the Seventy, nor is any Difference in Order to be found in Scripture between Bishops and Presbyters; for the Difference between the Apostles and the Seventy appears to be this, that the Apostles were Persons chosen to be Witnesses of all that Jesus did or taught, and of his Resurrection and Ascension; they were of the Family of our Saviour, and Privy to his whole Conversation in which Respect they neither had nor can have Successors: No more than the Evangelists, 
☜  whom no Man pretends to have had Successors, as Evangelists.  
And it seems most reasonable to believe, that whereas Dr. Hammond, and others hold, that the Presbyters mentioned Acts xx. were also Bishops: So they were Apostles also in the sense of St. Chrysostom, Epiphanius, Theodoret, and others; and Luke x. 1. and divers other Places, the same word is used concerning them, viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived: And if we say that Apostles, Bishops, or Presbyters, and Deacons are Officers of Divine Institution to continue in the Church, surely we are right, for such only do we find in Scripture, and of such did the Governors of the Church at Philippi consist. 
Phil. 1.1.   
Some indeed, in Ecclesiastical History, are said to have succeeded the Apostles, but they succeeded them not as Mathias did Judas, for he succeeded him in the Extraordinary Work of the Apostolate, and therefore was chosen out of those who had accompanied with the Apostles all the Time, that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them, beginning from the Baptism of John, unto the same Day that he was taken up, and was added to them to make twelve Witnesses of his Resurrection; 
Acts 2.21, 22.  but the Nature of the Succession was as Apostles, Bishops and Presbyters in their several Sees; whereas Apostles, in the strict Sense as Apostles, were not confined to any See, but were Ministers of the whole Catholic Church, and on whom, (as St. Paul speaks of himself) was the care of all the Churches; and unless it can be made appear that the Apostles have such Successors, and also such as were Witnesses of what our Saviour did and taught, as Mathias was the Apostolate, as to so much of it must be Temporary from the Nature of the thing.  
The Arguments for a Superiority of the Order of Bishops, drawn from the Precedency of James at Jerusalem (who there seems to be Superior to the Apostles, tho' he was none of the Twelve) concludes only for a Bishop's Power in his own Church where he is fixed, but nothing for the Superiority in Order of Bishops above Presbyters, as of revealed Institution. If Ignatius, who tells us that St. Stephen was a Deacon to St. James, had told us also of his Presbyters of a distinct Order, no doubt but his Testimony had been concluding; but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Bishop are all one in Antiquity: And although at first the Twelve Apostles, who had the Infallible Direction of the Holy Ghost, did ordain those Precedent Bishops perhaps then, but certainly afterwards they were made by Election. The Epistles of St. John to the Angels of the Seven Churches of Asia, prove not this Distinction of Order, nor any thing more than shall be hereafter accounted for in this Discourse. And however the Epistles of St. Ignatius stand Irrefragably defended from the charge of being Spurious, I cannot see but that allowing the Bishop to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, is sufficient to comply with the full Sense of those Epistles, especially if it be considered that the Bishops of which he speaks were made so by the Apostles themselves, and no doubt were chosen by infallible Direction, and must therefore deserve a most singular Respect.  
But allowing Men to think as they see Evidence concerning this Difference of Order, certainly the Practice of the Church may be such as may allow of Different Apprehensions, without occasioning either Tyranny or Schism, the Method whereof is attempted in this Discourse.  
However it is plain, that both our Saviour and his Disciples did wholly reject all Temporal Jurisdiction, and applied themselves entirely to their Spiritual Administrations; and that there was no Distinction Causes into of Spiritual or Ecclesiastical, and Temporal or Civil in the Christian World for above Three Hundred Years after Christ. Indeed, while the Emperors were Heathens, and the Judges too throughout the Empire, the Christians (according to the Advice of St. Paul) forbore to go to Law, 
1 Cor. 6.5, 6.  and referred all their Differences usually to the Bishops or Pastors of the Congregations, of which they were Members. And when Constantine came to the Empire, his mistaken Zeal confirmed the Custom, (though the Apostle's Reason for it ceased:) And whereas the Civil Power ought to have been reassumed by the Christian Magistrate, and the Clergy eased of Secular Business, his Edict set up the Clergy's Domination; and from Arbitrators they became Judges, and Christian Magistrates might not Judge unwilling Christians.  
This Corruption grew so fast, 
Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 11.  that about the Year 430. in the Popedom of Celestine, the Patriarches of Rome and Alexandria, did Degenerate from an Ecclesiastical, to a Secular Ruling and Dominion: And when I consider, how positively that Degeneracy is forbidden by our Saviour, 
Matth. 20.26. Luke 22.25. Mark 10.43.  who upon all Occasions reproved it in his own Disciples. When I consider what Miseries the Clergy Domination has caused more than Twelve Hundred and Sixty Years, since that Degeneracy; how it has turned the Church into a mere Worldly Kingdom, and the Laws thereof into Humane Politics; I cannot but rejoice, that by the Laws of England this Degeneracy is or might be cured (were the Laws put in Execution) and the Supremacy restored to the Civil Power. And whether the Pope of Rome by this Degeneracy did commence the Apocalyptick Beast entering into the Seat of Daniel's 4th Beast, and so the time of his Reign be expired, may be worth the Consideration of those that study the Apocalypse. But certain it is, that in England the Bishop of Rome, before the Norman Conquest, had not allowed Jurisdiction; but the Conqueror coming in under the Pope's Banner, gave him leave to send Legates into England: From William Rufus he attempted to gain Appeals to Rome, which occasioned the Banishment of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the Reign of that King. Upon Henry the First, he Usurped the Donation of Bishoprics. On King Stephen, Appeals to Rome. On Henry the Second, the Exemption of Clerks from the Secular Power. And from King John he got the whole Kingdom.  
I shall not trace the Steps, by which the Kingdom recovered itself out of the Hands of the Clergy; but (notwithstanding the Pope held our Ancestors Consciences in Slavery, till the Reign of Henry the Eighth) many Acts of Parliament were made to uphold and maintain the Sovereignty of the King, the Liberty of the People, the Common Law, and the Commonweal, as appears by the Statutes of Edward the Third and and Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth, being Laws of Praemunire, and Provision, by which the Civil Power was preserved, and the Body secured against the monstrous pretended Foreign Head: And upon the whole, the Civil Power of England kept itself out of the Hands of the Priests in all Matters and Causes, except Causes Testamentary, and of Matrimony, Divorce, Rights of Tithes, Oblations, and Obventions; for as the Emperors, out of a Zeal and desire to Grace and Honour the Bishops, allowed them Jurisdiction in Causes of Tithes, because they were paid to Priests; in Causes of Matrimony, because Marriages were Solemnised in the Church; in Causes Testamentary, because Testaments were many times made in Extremis, when Priests were present. So the Kings of England, before the Reformation, did all along derive Jurisdiction in these Causes, to the Bishops, though the Right remained in them as the Fountain. But herein England hath been more unhappy than the Empire; for whereas the Bishops, when Christian Emperors granted them this Jurisdiction, proceeded in these Causes, according to the Imperial Law, as the Civil Magistrate did proceed in other Causes; our Bishops introduced the Imperial Law, and (since it came into the World) the Canon Law also into England, and endeavoured all they could to destroy Caesar's Image and Superscription. They called their Courts, Courts Christian, as if the Civil Courts were but Courts of Ethnics, and their Causes Spiritual, as if Civil Causes were Carnal: And yet if an Honest Man Examine the Matter, he will probably find as much Christianity in Westminster-Hall, as in Doctor's Commons, and Adultery a Crime no more Spiritual than Murder.  
Since the Reformation began, the Civil and Pretended Spiritual Authority have been wresting, and they are not yet fully agreed. It was Enacted by the Statute, 24 Hen. VIII. Cap. 12. That all these Spiritual Causes should be Judged within the King's Authority, and not elsewhere. By the 26 Hen. VIII. Cap. 14. The Parliament took upon them (even in those Popish Times) to Create new Bishops, Suffragans, and to appoint their Sees. And this multiplying of Bishoprics is no new thing, for if you will believe Giraldus Cambrenses, he tells us, (in a Writing which he presented to Pope Innocent the Third) That in Britain there were in the time of the Romans Five Provinces, and accordingly Five Archbishoprics; under each of which was Twelve Bishoprics; so there were Threescore Bishoprics at a time, when the Island was not wholly Christianized. Nor is the Translation of Sees any Novelty; for in the Year 604, Pope Gregory did, for the sake of Austin the Monk, procure the Translation of the Archiepiscopal Seat from London to Canterbury, where it remains to this Day, notwithstanding the endeavour of Gilbert Folioth, Bishop of London, in the time of Henry the Second, and the endeavours of other Bishops of London since, to recover the Archiepiscopal Dignity.  
But (to proceed) by Statute 1. Edw. VI Cap. 2. The Writ of Congee delire was ousted, and it was Enacted, That none but the King by his Letters Patents should collate to an Archbishopric, or Bishopric; That all Process Ecclesiastical should be in the King's Name, and the Test in the Name of the Person having Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, and the Seal to be the King's Arms. And though this Act was Repealed by the First Marie, Cap. 2. yet that Act was Repealed again, by Primo Jacobi, Cap. 25. And some think that the Statute 1 Edw. 6. Cap. 2. is revived thereby, and those who are Enemies to the Church, are ready to inquire, What Penalties our Bishops are liable to, by Issuing Process in their own Names, and using their own Seals. For notwithstanding the Cant of The Church! the Church! their Courts are the King's Courts, and their Law, the King's Ecclesiastical Law; and this is acknowledged by the Oath of Supremacy, and all the Laws made to this purpose, are but in Affirmance of the Common Law; notwithstanding the Author of Vox Cleri, 
Vox Cleri, P. 1.  was so fond of Loyalty to the Church.  
This indeed was an Expression which explained the Carriage of the High, Church-Party to His Present Majesty; for though they talked loud in behalf of the Prerogative, it was only that the Prerogative might pay them Tribute; and they were willing it should rob the Lay-Subject, if it allowed them to possess what they had filched from the Crown; The King and Queen must first Swear Allegiance to the Church, before they should be Crowned; and then they thought they had catched them, and refused to Swear Allegiance to them, as the Law required; but if instead of that horrible abuse to which the Sacrament was exposed in the Late Reigns, a Test were Composed, renouncing Transubstantiation and Commonwealth Principles, and obliging to maintain the Government of England, by King, Lords and Commons, as it is now Established; the King and Kingdom would be secured, beyond all possibility of Danger, and the just Rights of the Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and other Clergy, would be maintained, though those Jacobite Churchmen were sent out to the French King, whom they were not able to bring in to them. And it is observable, That as in the Late Reigns, all the Champions for the Hierarchy, strove to prove that it was the Duty of Dissenters, to submit to the Church Established by Law, in those things which they acknowledged to be in themselves unnecessary Impositions, because they were imposed by Authority; but they commonly left the Government to shift for itself, and to Answer for those Impositions to God, Conscience, and the World: So now the same Party left His Majesty, and all concerned in the Late Revolution, to Answer for it to God, their own Consciences, and the World; for they washed their Hands, and said, They were Innocent of being concerned therein; but they were under the force of Providence; and if His Majesty would uphold the Power of the Church, and take care to sit fast, they would pay Him Allegiance; otherwise they were ready for the next that came, if he had the good luck to get the better. And this is the Substance of the late Writings of that Party. How much better Friends are they to His Majesty, who believe Him to have an undoubted Right to his Crown, and to Govern the Church as well as the State; and that they are bound not only not to Resist Him, but to Assist Him with their Lives and Fortunes, against all Opposers.  
The Church of England rightly understood, is Lovely and Desirable; but that which hath confounded and divided the Church is the Jumble and Mixture that hath been made, between the Bishop's Power, which is of the Essence of his Office as a Presbyter, the Power which he has as Precedent of the Presbytery, and the Power which he has by Delegation from the King. A Primitive Bishop (as is clear by innumerable Testimonies) had no more under his Charge than he could Personally know; and when Churches grew larger than one Bishop could Personally inspect, they had more Bishops, yet so as that one Bishop had the Precedency; and in a short Time he only engrossed the Name, and the others were called Presbyters; from among whom, upon the Death of the Bishop, another was chosen to succeed him. But the Truth is, as is most evident, and particularly by the Testimony of that Incomparably Learned, and Pious, Archbishop Usher, That every Presbyter hath a Right of Governing his Church, and Administering Discipline, 
Vid. usher's Reduction.  and thence hath the Name of Rector; and is in the English Office of Ordination, commanded to Administer Disciplinam Christi, the Discipline of Christ; and he expressly avers, That the omission of the Exercise thereof in England, is only from the Custom received in England; and that, that Impediment may be removed by Law: So that the Relation a Bishop hath to a Particular Congregation, is no more than as a Presbyter; the Precedency of a Bishop to the Presbyters in a Diocese, is of Pure Primitive Practice, grounded on the General Rules of doing all in Order, though it be no part of Revealed Institution: All Societies are taught by the Light of Reason to keep some Order; and for convenience of Regular Converse, the Person of a certain Number, whom they agree to be First in Honourable Qualities, hath a Natural Right to be Precedent, though still of the same Order: Thus the Precedent of a College of Physicians, is no more than a Physician to his Patients, but he is a Precedent to the other Physicians; and it would be a strange Fancy for such a Precedent to claim a Right of being Physician to all the Bodies in London, and alone to administer some sort of Physic to all within the Bills of Mortality; I doubt such an Usurpation would increase the Number of the dead, and be justly reckoned horrid Tyranny over the Living.  
But there is a third, piece of an English Bishop, and in that he is plainly the King's Ecclesiastical Lord Lieutenant, in such a compass of Ground, called a Diocese; and this he has by positive Humane Law; and in this respect is not a Church, but a State-Officer, entrusted with part of the Civil Power: His Courts are Civil Courts, and he sits in the House of Lords, with respect to His Temporal Baronage.  
If the Distinction aforesaid were well understood, how easy were it to end the Controversy about the JUS DIVINUM of EPISCOPACY, and the JUS DIVINUM of PRESBYTERY and INDEPENDENCY; about the Delegation of the Bishop's Power to Lay-Chancellors, and the Bishop's Lording it over God's Heritage: And how easy would it be to Rectify abundance of Matters complained of in the present Practice of the Church? For Example, If the Bishops were made by the Delivery of the Baculum and Annulum by the King, 
Staff and Ring.  as they were before the Conquest, or by Letters Patents; and were he made Precedent of the Presbytery by their Election, especially if the King did usually give the Staff and Ring, or grant the Letters Patents to the Person first chosen by the Presbytery; they might with the greater Assurance Pray for the Assistance of the Holy Spirit at his Election. Were his Lay-power understood to be Delegated to his Lay-Chancellor, (according to the good Example of Sylvanus of old) who would find fault? And the Legislators would soon think of giving their Courts a Civil Process, instead of their horridly abused Spiritual Weapon Excommunication. Were the Presbyter restored to his Just Right, we might soon see some good Effect of Discipline, which can never be exercised to any purpose, till Parish-Communion be made more pure, and the Pastor's Power be restored. One Physician may as well take the Charge of all the Bodies in London, as one Bishop of their Souls; and the Congregations that are gathered from the several parts of great Cities, can't have the personal Inspection, nor ready Access to the Pastoral Help, nor enjoy the Advantage of that Article of the Creed, Communion of Saints, which ought to be provided for in a well Disciplined Church. And this is what my Soul longs for, and not without hope; For he that will impartially consider the late Writings for Episcopacy, particularly those of Doctor Maurice, and Doctor Scot, and the Writings against it, particularly of Mr. Baxter, and Mr. Clerk son, will, as I conceive, find these things true.  
First, That the Roman and English Prelacy, as now Exercised, are wholly dropped in the Scuffle, and no Foundation found for either in Scripture, or Primitive Antiquity.  
Secondly, That Independency, if it be meant only of the Relation between a Pastor and his Flock, and his Independent Right of Exercising the Power of the Keys over them, it is plainly Jure Divino; but if taken in a Sense excluding. National Churches, taking away all the common ordinary Means of Communion among Christian Congregations, and leaving the Power of Ordination, and Admission to the Lord's Supper, in the People, hath as little Foundation in Scripture, or Antiquity.  
Thirdly, That Councils are for Advice, not Legislation, for Concord, not Domination, and have no Power to make Laws for the Universal Church. They can no more Altar, or add to the Laws of Christ, than the Jewish Priests could Add to, or Altar the Laws of Moses: And as there never was, so there never can be a General Council; and that a Visible Head of the Universal Church on Earth, Monarchical or Aristocratical, is a mere Chinera, never designed by GOD, nor of Use to Men.  
Fourthly, That the Episcopacy which within a certain compass of Ground, provides a Person chosen by the Presbytery, to a Superintendency, to preside in Conventions of the Clergy, within his Precinct or Diocese, to be consulted, and principally join in the Ordination, and Confirmation of Persons, who desire to be admitted to the Lord's Supper; to be advised with by every Presbyter within his Precinct, where any Difficulties arise concerning the Exercise of the Keys; but which destroy not the Power of the Presbyter, nor the Primitive Church Species, has good warrant in Scripture, Antiquity, Reason, and the Nature of the thing; I say, chosen by the Presbytery: For even Mr. Dodwel, (that unaccountable Bigot to Prelacy) acknowledges, that Bishops were first made by Election.  
Fifthly, Episcopacy thus stated is Jure Divino, as all things aagreeable to right Reason are Jure Divino, (that is to say) Reason teaches such Things without Revelation; and if Reason had not been sufficient to this End, he that spent Forty Days on Earth after his Resurrection, instructing his Apostles in the Things concerning the Kingdom of God, would not have Omitted to direct them herein: He that was faithful only as a servant, gave Rules for every Pin in the Tabernacle; 
Hebr. 3.5.  and the very Colour of the Ribbons used by the Priests. And our Lord, who was Faithful as a Son over his own House, would not have Omitted a Matter of such Importance. So when Christ had Instituted the Office of Presbyters, or Bishops; and the Apostle given an Account of, and Instructions for their Office, there was no need to Institute the Method of their Concord, which right Reason taught Men of all sorts of Learning, as Philosophers, Physicians, etc. Again, Presbytery, if it mean only an Equality of Gospel Ministers, by the Institution of Christ, it is Jure Divino, as plain as Words can make it; if it be meant, the Form of Government so diversified, as is usually meant by that Word, it is not Jure Divino, having no Revealed Institution: And Reason taught all the Christian Church to appoint a Precedent Bishop for Life; and nothing but the Rise of Popish Prelacy could make the other Method seem Reasonable; and Calvin himself (as I take it) fell into it, out of Necessity, and not out of Choice: But surely this Part of Church Government, is no more determined by Revelation, than the Form of Civil Government.  
Sixthly, While under the Notion of CHURCH GOVERNMENT, the Clergy encroach on the Prerogative of the Civil Power; whether it be in an Episcopal or Presbyterian Form, neither God nor His Majesty will have the Obedience paid them which is due; and the only way to support both Civil and Ecclesiastical Government, is to keep them entirely distinct, and unconfounded, to give to Caesar the Things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are Gods. To own the Divine, as the Vicegerent of Christ, in his Prophetical and Priestly, and the Civil Magistrate, as his Vicegerent in his Kingly Office. Particularly the Civil Power is to appoint the Bounds of Bishoprics; and so is the Twelfth Theses of that clear headed and accurately Learned Dr. Isaac Barrow. By the Laws of God, and according to Ancient Practice, Princes may Model the Bounds of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, Erect Bishoprics, Enlarge, Diminish, or Transfer them as they please. Thus he; where by Princes he necessarily intends the Legislative Power, wherever 'tis placed, by the Respective Constitution of Christian Kingdoms.  
Seventhly, Were these things well considered, the Controversy between the Episcopal and Presbyterian, would be certainly reconciled, and even the Independent and Antipoedobaptist, would probably be folded, if the Terms of Union, which the Church prescribes, did not keep them out: Which will come next to be considered, after I have premised the few following short Propositions.  
First Proposition.  
When God, bringing his First-begotten into the World, commanded all his Angels to Worship him; 
Hebr. 1.6. Luke 2.14.  their Song was, Glory to God on High, on Earth Peace, and good Will towards Men: But while Christians have joined with the Heavenly Host in the First Clause of that Song, they have neglected the two other Parts thereof, and for want of Peace on Earth, the former and latter Clauses have made us yet but little Harmony.  
Second Proposition.  
The Eternal Father hath called himself The God of Peace, 
Rom. 15.33.  the Blessed Jesus is The Prince of Peace; 
Rom. 16.20.  the great Legacy which he left behind Him, 
Isai. 9.6.  was, His Peace; and The Gospel of Peace, 
John 14.27.  is the great Instrument of Erecting that Kingdom, of which Peace is one of the greatest Glories. Till God give his People the Blessing of Peace, we can't expect that Happy Time when all the ends of the Earth shall fear him; 
Psal. 67.7.  and his Name will never be Hallowed to purpose, 
Mat. 6.9, 10.  nor his Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, till this Kingdom of his be come.  
Third Proposition.  
The Methods which Men have taken to attain Peace, have been various. Conquerors have endeavoured it, by making Mankind Slaves, and reducing the World under an Universal Monarchy. 
Mark 9.38. Luke 9.49, 54.  The Apostles themselves began to be Tempted by the Antichristian Spirit, and were for bringing all under their Master, by Silencing first, and then by Fire from Heaven. Pope's have attempted it, 
The Reason of this is Plain, if the Pope be Antichrist, and his Reign extended to 1260 Years.  by pretending to Infallibility; and Councils, by making Canons. Some Places have laboured to attain it, by an Inquisition; and others, by Penal-Laws, concerning doubtful Matters of Speculation: And of them all (except the Apostles, who were afterwards better Instructed) we must conclude with the Apostle, The way of Peace they have not known; or, at least, not practised to walk therein.  
Fourth Proposition.  
Ever since the Fall of Man, this Lower Creation hath been a Stage of War; 
Gen. 3.15.  the Seed of the Woman, and of the Serpent, have been in constant Action: 
1 John 3.8.  Our Saviour came to Destroy the Works of the Devil, 
Eph. 2.2.  whilst the Spirit that works in the Children of Disobedience, keeps up his Works with all Diligence; and therefore there is no Peace, saith God, 
Isai. 57.21.  to the Wicked. Peace without Holiness is impossible, and the World seeks it in vain: The Apostle Instructs us to follow Peace with all Men, and Holiness; 
Hebr. 12.14.  and the Prophet assures us, 
Isai. 32.17.  That the Work of Righteousness, shall be Peace; and the Effect of Righteousness, Quietness and Assurance for ever. And that when God hath wrought all our Works in us, 
Isai. 26.12.  He will Ordain Peace for us.  
Fifth Proposition.  
It is therefore Impudent Folly, for men to Apprehend that they can have Peace with one another, while they are at open Enmity with God. He that hath all men's Hearts in His hand, will manage them so, that his own Word shall be Established; if Men will not join in the Practice of Things, in the Theory of which they all agree, they will be still the Instruments of Divine Vengeance on one another. And therefore if Magistrates would labour for Peace, they must lay the Foundation thereof in the Reformation of Manners; and be very Cautious of making Laws, about Matters of Speculation: For our Saviour hath told us, 
John 1.17.  That if any will do his Will, he shall know of the Doctrine; the way to know more, is to Practise what we do know. Otherwise,  
Sixth Proposition.  
While Men Dispute with Vehemency, and turn Divinity into the most Abstruse and Exquisite fine Notions, they make Christianity unintelligible, and distinguish all Religion out of the World. They Impose on the Credulous, confound mean Capacities, divide Christians into Sects, and every Sect Adores its own Distinguishing Character, till if the Question be, what Religion a Man is of? 'Tis Answered, A PAPIST, A CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAN, A PRESBYTERIAN, AN INDEPENDENT, AN ANTIPOEDO BAPTIST: But no Man does, and who can truly answer, I'm a Christian!  
Seventh Proposition.  
True Religion is the Bond of Union. 
Isai. 11.9.  When the Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Lord; as the Waters cover the Sea, 
Isai. 2.4. Mich. 4.3.  than Men shall beat their Swords into Ploughshares, and their Spears into Pruning-hooks: Then Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation, nor shall they learn War any more; then nothing shall hurt or destroy in all God's Holy Mountain. And since it is evident, that although Actions are, Belief is not within the Power and Reach of Humane Law; and that the Generality of Mankind never will, without a Miraculous Power, and Extraordinary Revelation, agree on the Matters so hotly Disputed even among Protestants, 'tis worth the while to consider, what are the probable Means which the Scripture hath Revealed, and which it is our Duty to Use, for attaining an Universal Peace among Christians.  
There is a Rock on which our Saviour promised to build his Church, that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it: So solemn a Promise requires a Serious Consideration; for as the Papists taking it to be the Person of Peter, and his Successors, have by that Mistake concerning this Rock, laid the Foundation of the Antichristian Kingdom; so the Kingdom of CHRIST MEDIATOR, is truly and surely built upon this Rock, which our Saviour intends in that Promise; and that is, 
Matt. 16.18.  That JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.  
Ye believe in God, 
John 14.1.  believe also in me, was the Substance of our Saviour's Doctrine, and the Apostles Creed. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, was Martha's Creed. 
Mark. 16.18. John 11.17.  And he that Confesseth, That Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh, God dwelleth in him, and he in God: 
John 1.4.  It is the end of Writing the Gospel; and this (saith the Apostle) is the Word of Faith, That if we confess with our Mouth the Lord Jesus, 
John 20.31: Rom. 10.8, 9  and believe in our Hearts, that God hath raised him from the Dead, we shall be saved: And accordingly, upon his Profession of the Creed; 
Acts 8.37.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Ethiopian Eunuch, who before believed in God, was Baptised, and the words of Baptism instructed him as they do us, in the Foundation of the Christian Church.  
And before any other Creed was made, the Effect of this Creed was Miraculous, both with respect to the Holy Lives of those that professed it, and the great Increase of the Number of such.  
Now what was sufficient in the first Ages, was so to after-Ages, and is so now; 
1 Cor. 3.11.  For other Foundation can no Man lay, than that which is laid already, was a Truth in St. Paul's Time.  
The Apostles Creed, and the other Creeds, subscribed to by the Church of England, are not Additions to, but Paraphrases of this Creed, or Truths which necessarily follow from the Belief thereof, and many of the Articles thereof were added in After-Ages, in contradiction to the several Heresies which risen at several Times to the endangering that Foundation.  
For Instance, 
Iraeneus Adu. Haeres. Lib. 1. cap. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, etc.  all the Heretics mentioned by Iraeneus, wherewith the Devil vexed the Church for the first Three Hundred Years, were for a Plurality of Created Gods, whom they held also to be Creators; and for this reason it should seem were those Words, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH added, which were not in the Creed, called the Apostles for many Years; as appears in the Symbol recited by Marcellus Ancyranus, in the Confession of Faith which he delivered to Pope Julius, with the Exposition of the Apostles Creed, written by the Latin Doctors: The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds were further Explications of this Creed, in Opposition to Arrius, who struck at the very Foundation, even the Godhead of Christ. And the Second Council of Constantinople, enlarged the Nicene Creed, in the Article that concerned the Holy Ghost (in Opposition to Macedonius, who denied the Godhead and Personality of the Holy Ghost) and in the Articles concerning the Catholic Church, and the Privileges belonging thereunto; and when the Roman Church (after the Days of Charles the Great) had added the Article of the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son, in Opposition to the Greek Church; the Council of Trent itself hath recommended it to us, 
Council. Tredend. Ses. 3.  As that Principle in which all that Profess the Faith of Christ do necessarily agree, and the firm and only Foundation against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail. Thus out of their own Mouths may we judge those pretended Servants of our Saviour.  
His Blessed Promise hath been performed to a Tittle; his Church hath been preserved in spite of the Gates of Hell, and the Rock hath been like the Foundations of the Earth, unshaken by all Assaults of Hell; of all that are there already, and all that are hastening thither. And it is to me a most Important Observation, which is made by that Prophet, and Apostle of this Latter Age, Archbishop Usher, 
Usher's Sermon, June 20. 1624. pag. 27.   
That whatsoever the Father of Lies either hath Attempted, or shall Attempt, yet hath he neither hitherto Effected, nor shall ever bring to pass hereafter; that this Catholic Doctrine, ratified by the common Assent of Christians, always, and every where, should be Abolished, but that in the thickest Mist rather of the most perplexing Troubles, it still obtained Victory, both in the Minds, and in the open Confession of all Christians, no ways overturned in the Foundation thereof; and that in this Verity, that one Church of CHRIST was preserved in the midst of the Tempest of the most cruel Winter, or in the thickest Darkness of her Waining.  
And (he further adds) that if at this Day, we should take a Survey of the several Professions of Christianity, that have any large spread in any Part of the World; as of the Religion of the Roman, and of the Reformed Churches in our Quarters; of the Ethiopians, and Egyptians in the South; of the Grecians, and other Christians in the Eastern Parts; and should put by the Points wherein they differ one from another, and gather into one Body the rest of the Articles wherein they all agree: we should find that in those Propositions, which, without all Controversy, are Universally received in the whole Christian World, so much Truth is contained, as being joined with Holy Obedience, may be sufficient to bring a Man to everlasting Salvation; neither have we cause to doubt, but that as many as do walk according to this Rule, neither overthrowing that which they have builded, by super inducing any Damnable Heresies, thereupon, nor otherwise Viciating their holy Faith, with a lewd and wicked Conversation: Peace shall be upon them, and Mercy, and upon the Israel of GOD.  
This is a Consideration of the greatest Weight, and discovers the Foundation of Christian Unity, and of the Peace of the Universal Church.  
And even J. W. (in his Contest with the Right Reverend and Learned Doctor Stilling fleet, 
Stilling. Answ. to sev. Treatises 68.70.  now Lord Bishop of Worcester) proves the Unity of the Roman Church, by this Argument: All those who Assent unto the Ancient Creeds, are Undivided in Matters of Faith: But all Roman Catholics Assent unto the Ancient Creeds; Ergo, all Roman Catholics are Undivided in Matters of Faith.  
These, says the Doctor, are the most Healing Principles that have yet been thought of: Fie, for shame, why should we, and they of the Church of Rome quarrel thus long! We are well agreed in all Matters of Faith, which, saith he, I shall demonstratively prove, from the Argument of J. W. drawn from his two last Propositions.  
All who Assent to the Ancient Creeds are Undivided in Matters of Faith: But both Papists and Protestants do Assent unto the Ancient Creeds, Ergo, They are Undivided in Matters of Faith; and though this way of Arguing was only Ad hominem, it is great Pity that the Major Proposition of the last Syllogism, was not pronounced out of the Infallible Chair.  
But certain it is, That the Papists, notwithstanding their great Boast of Unity, are much more Divided within themselves, than any Protestants from each other; for the Rent goes through the main Foundation of their Faith, Their Church's INFALLIBILITY: For where to place it they can by no means agree; but (as among that Party which calls itself the Church of England) though some are Socinians, 
Note, If that Notion be true, viz. That the Vaudois and Albigeois are the Two Witnesses, 'tis Demonstration that Hierarchy and Liturgy are no proper Terms of Union: For although they have been pure Churches ever since the Apostles Days, they have always been without both.  some Calvinists, etc. yet all agree in the Hierarchy and Common-Prayer: So there are two things in which all Papists do agree, viz. the Hierarchy under the Bishop of Rome, and the Sacrifice of the Mass: Upon these two Poles the Antichristian World stands firm, though almost all others are controverted. Fas est & ab hoste doceri. And therefore why may not the Governors of the Church of England fix upon those Terms of UNION, wherein all Christians in the World are agreed, which are few and plain, and restore them to their Primitive Right of being the Foundation of the Peace, and Unity of Christians? Terms of Divine Institution will as certainly Unite the Christian World, as Terms of Humane Institution have done the Antichristian. And since it is not a Matter at present practicable, to bring all sorts of Christians together, to agree on those Terms, it will be the Glory of the Church of England to set an Example which will be followed by all the Christian World.  
There are (in a Word) some Truths which are the First Principles of the Oracles of God; 
Heb. 5.12.  and these are the Truths which ought to be the Terms of Union. But I would not be misunderstood, as if I thought no other Truth's necessary for a Growing Christian. There are the Principles of the Doctrine of CHRIST (or as the Original) the Word of the beginning of CHRIST which are necessary to Unite a Man to the Christian Church, 
Heb. 6.1.  and which are suited to the Unlearned, as well as the Learned, and aught to admit him into its Communion: But there is also a going on to Perfection, which becomes all Men that live in that Communion, the degrees of which are various, and the highest degrees most desirable; but yet he that hath but two Talents, ought not to be cast out of the Church, because he hath not Five: Nay, he that hath but one, may improve it to Salvation, though he never understood School-Divinity, nor the Power of the Church in Decreeing Ceremonies. But though I might, I will not presume to name those Truths or Terms of Union; the Moderate of all the aforesaid Persuasions, will easily agree therein. And to the Consideration of the Sons of Peace, I leave the Particulars; though I think I may say, That the Articles of the Church to which the Dissenters do Subscribe, contain them all.  
But it will still be Objected, That though an Assent to those Doctrinal Articles, to which the Dissenters have Subscribed, and which include Scripture, as the Rule of Faith and Manners, and thence Collect Rules of Faith, Practice and Devotion, were made the Terms of Admission into the Church of England; yet there remain many things in Point of Practice, which keep up Differences, and divide us into Parties; as, 

I. Forms of Prayers.  
II. Habits of the Clergy.  
III. Presentations.  
iv The Cross in Baptism.  
V Kneeling at the Sacrament.  
VI Godfathers and Godmothers.  
VII. holidays.  
VIII. Ordination of Ministers, Subscription, and Oaths on one Hand.    
Objections, Antipathy, and Prejudices against all these things, and some Indecencies on the other hand. And I will shortly touch on all these Heads, when I have premised,  
First, Indifferent Things used in Religion, or by Religious Men, and suffered to remain according to their Nature, were never the occasion of Division; and Indifferent Things enforced by Laws, have ever caused Divisions in the Christian World. To instance in the Church of England, kneeling at the Sacrament is imposed, and keeps out Thousands of Good Christians out of the Established part of the Church: whereas sitting when we sing Psalms is not commanded, but the Posture has obtained in all Assemblies, as well of the Church, as of the Dissenters: We have had abundance of Paper spoiled in Writing for, and against Kneeling at the Sacrament; but not a Page for or against Sitting when Psalms are Sung: And yet we may Argue as strongly against Sitting when we Praise God, as against Kneeling at the Sacrament, abstracted from the Imposition. We do not pretend to an Uniformity in Time; but in some Churches the Parish meet at Nine, in some at Ten, in others not till Eleven; yet the Church of England never received any prejudice by the want of Uniformity therein. The Surplice has even divided the Martyrs among themselves, being an indifferent thing imposed; wearing black  is used by Conformable Men, and the Teachers among all the Dissenters indifferently; and yet one may prove the Unlawfulness of the Clergies wearing Black, with as strong Arguments as any Man can use against wearing White. But when Men will be giving Religious Significations to Insignificant Things, we see what comes on't: Imposition is warring against the Nature of Man: Adam in Innocency fell by the Breach of a Positive Law, concerning a Matter in itself indifferent, abstracted from the Sanction of the Law, although it received the Sanction from GOD Himself: And it must be highly unreasonable for Men to expect from fallen Man that Obedience which was not paid by Adam to GOD Himself, except, at least, their Power to Command were as Evident as His.  
The Right Reverend Prelate, Doctor Jeremy Taylor tells us, in his Liberty of Prophesying, That he that makes an Article of Faith, or a Term of Church-Communion, without a Divine Authority, chalks out a new way to the Devil. The Incomparable Chillingworth, and the Excellent Hale of Eton, have fixed the Name of Schismatics on the Imposers of unnecessary things: And certainly, he that in Matters of Religion makes indifferent things necessary, Usurps Power Superior to Christ and his Apostles, yea, to GOD Himself, for they thought fit to leave them indifferent; 
Job 40.12.  And shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? If it was not well done, he that reproveth GOD let him answer it. As for the Appointing of Churches, and Places, and Times for Assembling, and Circumstances of the like nature, Reason makes such Appointments necessary, but still without Restraint, as to other Places or Times, and such Appointments, fall not under the Notion of Indifferent Things. 'Tis an absurd way of Arguing, That the Church may command Indifferent Things, because Things Good are Commanded, and Evil Forbidden by God, and they have no other way of Exerting their Power; Would they be Greater, or Wiser than their Master: Our Saviour died to bear witness to the Truth, and the single Truth, that he immediately died to bear witness unto was, That He was a King. And I know no Man, or Church, that has any thing to do to mend our Saviour's Institutions: Their Power in Religious Matters is to enforce what He has commanded, and to restrain from what he has forbidden, and accordingly to Administer Rewards and Punishments. This is Power and Work enough for Souls that are sincere; and wherever any Power on Earth hath been found making such Additions, they have also been found entirely negligent of what is commanded, or forbidden by God; and their whole Zeal hath been employed, in enforcing their own Innovations: Christians as well as Jews, have made void the Commandments of GOD, through men's Traditions.  
But to Reflect a little upon the several Particulars .  

Form of Prayer.  
I. I am of Opinion, That a Set Form of Prayer appointed to be read in all Churches which receive Maintenance from the Government, 
The beginning of the Preaching of John the Baptist, was the beginning of the Gospel; and yet John taught his disciples, and our Saviour his, a Form of Prayer.  is not only lawful, but desirable; yet so as no Man be compelled to use it against his Judgement or Conscience; For a Form of Prayer Composed in Scripture Language, or according to the Sense of Scripture, is certainly Dictated by the Spirit, and is according to the mind thereof, and he who joins in that Prayer hath two Advantages, which he that joins with an Extempore Prayer hath not.  
First, He is not bound to Reflection upon the Expressions of the Minister, which is necessary in the other Case.  

1. To understand his Meaning.  
2. To judge whether it be sit to join with him in what he says. And,   
Secondly, He that joins with a Scriptural Form hath consequently greater Liberty of Thought, and may, while the Prayer is Reading, enlarge in his own Meditations, and receive with greater freedom whatsoever immediate Influences the Holy Spirit may please to afford. But there are Multitudes who can't use a Form of Prayer, without Formality: And really the variety that is in the Temper and Genius of Men makes all unnecessary Impositions grievances to the World, Nitimur invetitum is a great Truth, though it be not an Article of Faith; but the continual Fluctuation of Humane Affairs makes it necessary, that the Minister use himself to a readiness of applying Extempore to the Throne of Grace upon extraordinary occasions, which is a Liberty not denied by the Church to their Clergy, and is used by many of them before their Sermons. And how far the Spirit of GOD may influence the Heart and Tongue of the Ambassadors of our Saviour, by immediate Assistances, 
Rom. 8.15, 26, 27.  I refer to the Texts in the Margin for satisfaction: 
Joh. 14.17.  For should I use the Language of Scripture otherwise, than by referring to the Texts themselves, many pretended Protestant Readers would unwarily, or from a worse Principle, call it Cant; and yet after all the Prejudices and Arguments against a Form; they who attend constantly in the Congregations of the Dissenters, do know that many of the Teachers in those Congregations come very near to a Form in their Prayers, though called Extempore, and if the Minister should vary every Word in every Prayer, yet 'tis still a Form to the Congregation.   

Of the Habits of the Clergy.  
II. If the Habits of the Clergy were only used for Distinction and Decency, and not made Sacramental, viz. To be an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual Grace; I do not think any Man would be frighted out of the Church, by seeing a Reader in White; and the conveniency of a Gown would certainly carry it for a Gown against a Cloak, (though we have an account of Paul's Cloak, 
2 Tim. 4.18.  but not of his Gown) if it were once declared, That there is no more Holiness in a Clergy Man's Gown, than in an Alderman's. And I do not believe that St. Paul used to Preach in his Cloak; For if he did, being so constant a Preacher, he would not have left it behind him at Troas.   

Of Presentations.  
III. As for Presentations and Patronages, it must be acknowledged, That in the Primitive Times, the People did choose their own Pastors, and it seems most reasonable that they should have a Negative Voice: For why should I have a Pastor put on my Soul, any more than a Physician upon my Body, or a Lawyer upon my Estate? But in Truth, there being no positive Divine Command in this Matter, it is convenient in a depraved Age, that Patrons Nominate the Persons that the People choose, and the Bishop Approve; for I doubt that in many Parishes the Majority would not of themselves choose the most pious Divine, and the People are not so well qualified for an Election, as they were in the Primitive Times.   

The Cross in Baptism.  
IU. No Man can give me any Reason for continuing the Cross at Baptism, if the Practice was Ancient; yet from the beginning it was not so, and if Custom without Reason make any Person fond thereof, it may be left Indifferent.   

Kneeling at the Sacrament.  
V The same may be said of Kneeling at the Lord's Supper; that it was not used in the First Ages is most evident; for Kneeling on the Lord's Days was forbidden, and to this Day remains Condemned by the Twentieth Canon of the Council of Nice; and consequently Kneeling at the Sacrament. Our Saviour Represents the State of Glory by an Allusion to this Sacrament, that his Apostles should Eat and Drink at his Table in his Kingdom, and sit on Thrones: That Posture which is the Eating and Drinking Posture by the respective Customs of Nations, is the proper Posture for this Ordinance; but were no Posture imposed, there would be no Quarrelling about this matter, and it is probable that the Posture of Sitting, when we Sing, came from the Posture used in the Eucharist.  
As to the Matter of the Test, perhaps it may be used by the Divine Providence to be a great Means of Reformation; for, if Discipline were Restored, (till which Time only the Curses on Ashwednesdays are to be used, as the Rubric informs us) and were Posture left Indifferent, and no Man admitted to the Lord's Supper, who could not give a good Account of the Fundamentals of Christian Religion; (viz.) those Articles which shall be the Terms of Union, and who shall not also give Satisfactory Evidence to the Pastor of the Congregation established or allowed with whom he desires to Communicate; that he is not tainted with Vice of any kind, no serious Man would wish the Test Abolished. Religion and Virtue would be promoted thereby, and the Kingdom would soon enjoy a Pious Magistracy. But as it is, I have heard it called an Outrageous Press of the Devils Servants to the most inward Rites of Christianity, and many believe that to make the Sacrament a Test for Civil Offices, where the Church is without Church-Discipline, is unsuitable to the Institution, Nature and Ends of the Sacrament, dangerous to the Government, and to the Souls of Men; grounded on no solid Reason; insufficient to secure against Popery; of Use only to Exclude good Subjects, and Destructive to the true Interest of any Protestant Kingdom.   

Of Godfathers' and Godmothers'.  
VI Godfathers' and Godmothers' were an useful sort of People in Times of Persecution, and would be so now, if not made necessary to Baptism, but used as they were at their first Invention: But if, instead of the Undertaking for the Religious Education of the Child, in case of the Parents Neglect or Death, they must Exclude the Parent from his proper Office, and never more take care of the Child, which is the Case of most of the Church-childrens now in England, Pudet haec Opprobria nobis, sure no Man can desire to continue it as it is.   

Of holidays.  
VII. He that can find me out a Christian Holiday in the New Testament, besides the Lord's-Day, or any mention made of them, except in such Texts as Condemn them, shall have my Thanks, and I will not be wanting to acknowledge the Favour to him who shall discover any other Original of them, than is  in this Discourse. And if Men would be contented to give God the first Day of the Week, being one in seven, I'm apt to believe the laying aside all other Anniversary holidays for the whole Church, would neither displease God nor good Men; and we need them not to oblige either Jews or Gentiles. Indeed, were they declared, (as they are) of Humane Institution, and only convenient for Relaxation from Labour, the Ease of Servants, and such prudent Purposes, the great Objections against them would be Answered; and a Law concerning them, like that of 5 Eliz. Cap. 5. concerning Lent, would do the Business; and no Man would object against beginning such Days of Diversion, with Solemn seeking the Divine Blessing in Public Assemblies. And yet, if any Men or Church, desire to continue them as they are, without Imposition, the Fourteenth of the Romans, perhaps, hath made them a Toleration, though it must be acknowledged, That the Days there intended had originally a Divine Institution.  
As to occasional Days appointed by Authority, for Fasting and Praying, or Feasting and Thanksgiving, whether pro hac vice only, or Annual, with Respect to some National Deliverance, they are not scrupled by any English Protestant, and are Authorised by Precedents in the Jewish Church.   

Of Ordination.  
VIII. We read of Ordination, by laying on of Paul's Hands; 
1 Tim. 4.14. 2 Tim. 1.6.  and also of Ordination by laying on the Hands of the Presbytery. The Primitive Church joined together the Bishops and Presbyters in Ordination; and that will Please and Unite the Episcopal and Presbyterian: And I don't know whether if any Independent, or Antipoedobaptist be fond thereof, it should be any Difficulty to the Church of England, to let them Admit their Pastor with what Ceremonies they please, so as he be willing to submit thereto, perhaps they will have the better Opinion of him, and he have advantage of doing more good.  
And as for Reordination, 'tis but Confirming Ordinations, made by Presbyters, by Act of Parliament (which is no new thing) and that Affair will be settled without determining that difficult Point of Controversy.  
Many of the Encumbrances on Conformity are removed, particularly that which related to the Illegally Imposed Covenant, and the Oxford Oath; and if Subscription to the Terms of Union, by all that shall receive Employment in the Established Church, together with fit Qualifications, and a Sober, Religious, and Godly Life, were accepted, instead of all other Subscriptions and Oaths, how happy should we see the Church of England?  
Lastly, These things would Answer the Objections, and Remove the Antipathies and Prejudices of the Dissenters: And as for the Indecencies justly complained of amongst some of them, by those of the Established Part of the Church, they do already sensibly Decay, and would soon vanish away. Good Manners is certainly as agreeable in Church, as out of it; and there is no necessity of being Guilty of Irreverence to avoid Superstition.  
The Apostle advised the Women in the Church to have a covering on their heads, 
1 Cor. 11.10.  because of the Angels: And if the Angels gather the Devotion of our Souls from the Posture of our Bodies, were it for no other Reason, Men would neither Sleep, nor Loll, nor put on their Hats, in Public, or Allowed Assemblies, especially they who keep them off all the Week besides. The Service of the Body, as well as the Soul, is owing to him from whom the Glory of both is expected: And the Apostle, as if he had fore-seen the Folly of some People in this Matter, expressly exhorts us to Present our Bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to GOD, which is our reasonable Service. But yet I'm not so Sanguine as to believe it a Matter probable to be effected, to bring the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Independent, and Antipoedobaptist, so near together immediately, as that they should agree in one Mode of Worship, or Form of Divine Service; and yet I conceive, they may be all United in the Church of England, and under the Government of the Bishops, without hurting their Consciences on the one side, or cutting a Him off the Surplice on the other: And to this purpose I would propose:  
I. That by a New Act of Uniformity, Moderate Men may be comprehended, and the Tolerable Tolerated.  
II. That an Act of Parliament be passed for the more Positive Settling and Limiting the Bishop's Courts, and give them a Process suitable to their Civil Constitution.  
III. That the Power of Excommunication and Absolution be restored to the Parish Pastor, for Matter of Immorality, or Gross Heresy; and the Proof thereof be transmitted to the Court kept for that Diocese.  
iv That all the Teachers in Dissenting Congregations do make themselves personally known to the Diocesan, and own his Civil Jurisdiction within his Diocese, according to Law, and Enter the Places of their Assemblies with him: And that all Dissenters submit to the Conusance of those Courts, if they are accused of Immoralities, who may there have a Civil Punishment.  
V That because very many of His Majesty's Subjects are, and probably will continue under the  Denominations, it might be advisable that the several distinguished Parties choose their Representatives to Assist at a Convocation in Matters of Manners and Good Life, and other things which are not in Controversy.  
VI The Providence of God in the Instance of , did show us that all Endeavours of Agreement are blest by Miraculous and Extraordinary Appearances of the Divine Goodness. And though we are not Besieged in England, yet I doubt we are under an equal necessity of Unity and Concord, in order to preserve to ourselves and Posterity, both the Commandments and the Creed. And if the Episcopal Party, though they will be rendered much more Numerous by such Comprehension (reserving to themselves both the Property and Profits of the Church) would nevertheless allow the Dissenters the Morning and Evening Hours for their Lectures and Assemblies, they Engaging not to meddle with those Matters in Controversy which distinguish Parties amongst us, but only to endeavour the Good of Souls, which is the Interest and Duty of all Parties, they would grow together insensibly, and we should be, in a short time, the Happiest Nation on the Earth.  
FINIS.    

Books Printed for J. Laurence, at the Angel in the Poultry.  
MR. Pools English Annotations, in Two Volumes. Folio.  
The Works of the Reverend Mr. Stephen Charnock, B. D. in Two Volumes. Folio.  
The Life of the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter, with the History of the Times he lived in. Written by himself. Folio.  
A Sermon Preached at the Interment of Mr. Samuel Stephens. Quarto.  
A Sermon Preached at the Assizes at Buckingbam, July 5. 1692. by Mr. John Howard, Rector of Marston-Trussel. Quarto.  
The Evil of our Days, with the Remedy of it. A Sermon preached at a Visitation at Rothwell in Northamptonshire, ●ctob. 12, 1697. By the same Author.  
A Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, at St. Mary-le-Bow, Jan. 30. 1693.  
A Thanksgiving Sermon before the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Citizens of London, at St. Mary-le-Bow, April 16. 1696. Both by Will. Stephens, B. D. Rector of Sutton in Surrey. Quarto.  
Mr. Lorimer's Apology for the Ministers, who Subscribed to the Stating of the Truths and Errors in Mr. William's Book, in Answer to Mr. Irail's Letter to a Minister in the Country. Quarto.  
Mr Lorimer's Remarks on Mr. Goodwin's Discourse of the Gospel. Proving that the Gospel-Covenant is a Law of Grace, and Answering the Objections to the contrary. Quarto.  
An Effort against Bigotry: and for Christian Catholicism; by Henry Chandler. Quarto.  
A Funeral Sermon, occasioned by the Death of the Eminently Pious Mrs Elizabeth Williams, late Wife of the Reverend Mr. Daniel Williams. Octavo.  
A Practical Discourse concerning Vows; with a Special Reference to Baptism and the Lord's-Supper. Octavo.  
Dr. Burton's Discourses of Purity, Charity, Repentance and seeking first the Kingdom of God. Published, with a Preface, by Dr. John Tillotson, late Archbishop of Canterbury. Octavo.  
Bishop Wilkins' Discourse of the Gift of Prayer and Preaching; the Latter much Enlarged by the present Bishops of Norwich, and Chichester. Octavo.  
A Free Discourse wherein the Doctrines that make for Tyranny are Displayed; the Title of our Rightful and Lawful King William Vindicated. And the Unreasonableness and Mischievous Tendency of the Odious Distinction of a King de Facto, and de Jure, Discovered; by the Honourable Sir Robert Howard. 8vo.  
Mr. Addy's Stenographia: Or, the Art of Shortwriting Completed, in a far more Compendious Way than any yet Extant. Octavo. Also the Whole Bible in the same Shorthand; curiously Engraven on Copper-plates.  
Cambridge Phrases, for the Use of Schools; by A. Robinson M. A. Octavo.  
Orbis Imperantis, Tabellae Geographico-Historico-Geneologico-Chronologicae. Curiously Engraven on Copper-plates.  
Remarks on a late Discourse of William Lord Bishop of Derry, concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God. Also a Defence of the said Remarks against his Lordship's Admonition; by J. Boyse. 8vo.  
A Preservative against Deism: Showing the great Advantage of Revelation above Reason, in the Two Great Points, Pardon of Sin, and a Future State of Happiness. With an Appendix in Answer to a Letter of Mr. A. W. against Revealed Religion in the Oraracles of Reason; by Mr. Nathanael Taylor. 8vo.  
Mr. Woodhouse his Sermon preached to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, in the City of London. Octavo.  
Mr. Calamy's Sermon to the same Societies.  
Mr. Shower's Sermon to the same Societies. 8vo.  
Mr. Williams' Sermon to the same Societies. 8vo.  
Mr. Alsop's Sermon to the same Societies. 8vo.  
Mr. Shower's Mourners Companion; being Funeral Discourses on many Occasions. In Two Volumes. Octavo.  
Mr. Shower's Sermons on Isaiah LV. 7, 8, 9 8vo.  
A Plea for the late Accurate and Excellent Mr. Baxter, and those that speak of the Sufferings of Christ as he does. In Answer to Mr. Lobb's insinuated Charge of Socinianism against 'em, in his late Appeal to the Bishops of Worcester, and Dr. Edward's. With a Preface directed to Persons of all Persuasions, to call 'em from Frivolous and Over-eager Contentions about Word; on all sides. 8vo.  
A Funeral Sermon occasioned by the Death of Mrs Jane Papillon, late Wife of Thomas Papillon Esq preached July 24. 1698. and now published at his Request; by John Woodhouse. 8vo.  
A Brief Concordance to the Holy Bible, of the most Useful and Usual Places which one may have Occasion to seek for. In a new Method; by Samuel Clark, M. A.  
Mr. Nathaniel Vincenes' Funeral Sermon; Preached by Mr. N. Taylor.  
A Sermon Preached at a Public Ordination in a Country Congregation, by Mr. S. Clark.  
London-Dispensatory, reduced to the Practice of the London Physicians: Wherein are contained the Medicines both Galenical and Chemical, that are now in use: Those out of use omitted, and those in use, and not in the Latin Copy, here added. By John Peachy, of the College of Physicians in London:  
Mr. John Shower's Discourse of Tempting Christ. His Discourse of Family Religion, in 3 Letters. His Life of Mr. Henry Gearing.  
Mr. George Hammonds and Mr. Matthew Barker's Discourses of Family Worship. Written at the Request of the United Ministers of London.  
Mr. Gibbon's Sermon of Justification.  
Comfort in Death a Funeral Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Timothy Cruso late Pastor of a Church in London, who Died Novemb. 26. 1697. by Matthew Mead.  
Mr. Samuel Slater's Earnest Call to Family Religion; being the Substance of Eighteen Sermons.  
Mr. William Scoffin's Help to true Spelling and Reading: Or, a very easy Method for the Teaching Children, or elder Persons rightly to Spell, and exactly to read English.  
Monro's Institutio Grammaticae.  
Clavis Grammatica: Or, the ready way to the Latin Tongue; containing most plain Demonstrations for the regular translating English into Latin.  
Mr. Hamond's Sermon at Mr. Steel's Funeral.  
Mr. John Mason's little Catechism, with little Verses, and little Say for little Children.   

Catholicism WITHOUT POPERY.  
The Second Part.  
In a LETTER to Sir Humphrey Mackworth, Occasioned By his late Discourse, ENTITLED, Peace at Home.  
By John Hooke Sergeant at Law.  
LONDON: Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's- Churchyard, and J. Laurence at the Angel in the Poultry, 1704.   

TO THE Christian Reader.  
ABout the Year of our Lord 375, Themistius the Philosopher, who was also Consul at that time, told the Emperor Valens, that there were 300 Opinions or Sects among the Philosophers, far more than there were among the Christians, and yet they never Persecuted one another. This he said to dispose that Emperor, who was a Persecuting Arian to be favourable to the Orthodox.  
And soon after the Emperor Theodosius being incensed by the Bishop of Rome against Flavianus Bishop of Antioch, the good Bishop thus applied to tho Emperor, as 'tis reported by Theodoret, Lib. 5. Cap. 23. O Emperor. if any Man do blame my Faith as perverse, or my Life as unworthy, I am content to be Judged by my Adversaries; but if the Disputation only be concerning Principality, and eminent Places, I will not contend with any Man, but denude myself of all Superiority, and commit the Chair of Antiochia to whom you like best.  
Had the Spirit of this Philosopher, and of this Partriarch prevailed in the Christian World, how much Mischief and Misery had been prevented, which fill the History of all Ages since that time.  
'Tis now more than 20 Years since I became most deeply affected with the State of Christianity. I oft stood in a Melancholy Amazement, that since the Blessed Jesus had been in this World, 
1 Jo. 3.5.8.  to take away Sin, and destroy the Works of the Devil, and altho' his Commission to his Apostles was to disciple all Nations, 
28. Mat. 19  yet at the distance of above 1640 Years, not one fourth part of the World should bear the Christian Name. That deducting from that part, the Churches that lie in gross Ignorance, or gross Idolatry, and among the Reformed Churches the Persecutors, the openly profane, the grossly ignorant, such as deny the Fundamentals of Christianity, and the Ordinances of Christ, who yet will be called Christians, I was tempted to abuse that Passage of the Apostle, 2 Gal. 21. Then Christ is dead in vain: But it was not long before I had framed in my Thoughts a more pleasing Scene of Things, which I fancied I saw in the Prophetic part of the Scripture, and if I be mistaken, I own myself exceedingly beholden to the Mistake, having in the Years that are since past enjoyed many a comfortable Hour in the prospect of the approaching Glory of the Christian Church. Thus when Men in a Storm discover a safe Harbour, how cheerfully do they cry all hands aloft, how diligent is every one to do his utmost to recover the Port. I do not intent to trouble the Reader with any account of my Endeavours to promote what I so much much desire, further than is necessary to justify, or at least to excuse setting my Name to the following Discourse. I have been long persuaded, that Christianity must recover its Primitive Purity, before it can obtain its promised Peace. I don't mean its Primitive Poverty or Persecution, but its Comformity to the Scriptures, which are the only Means of Union and Peace, and its being freed and delivered from the Corruptions and Errors which have been introduced into the Christian Church by Heretics, by the Ambition and Tyranny of Priests, and the Ignorance and Folly of the Laity. At the late Revolution I presumed to present to the late Queen of Pious Memory, some Thoughts on this Subject in Manuscript, the Substance whereof was afterwards Printed under this Title, Catholicism without Popery, etc. In the Preface to which short Discourse the Reader may find this Passage, viz. If this Attempt may stir up the Spirits of others, whose Parts and Qualifications are equal to such an Undertaking to offer better Means to the same End (In magnis voluisse sat est) I shall greatly rejoice to be confuted by Proposals of better Expedients. But no Man having been stirred up to the Undertaking, and my Practice agreeable to my Principles, having rendered me Obnoxious to the Enemies of Peace, I could no longer forbear to publish to the World what I judged necessary, at the same time to vindicate my own Integrity, and to promote the Interests of Genuine Christianity. I need not any other Excuse, than what I made to the Person who presented that former Discourse to Her late Majesty. 
A Passage Recorded by all the Evangelists.  That it was a Lawyer that took care of the Body of our Blessed Saviour, 
Matth. 27.57. Mark 15.43. Luke 23.50. John 19.38.  when Crucifi'd at the Instigation of the Priests: And while some Priests, of all sorts, are Crucifying his Mystical Body, a Lawyer may have leave to Rescue it, in hopes of its speedy Resurrection. I hope I may with great Assurance use those words of Erasmus, in his Epistle to the Bishop of Trent, before Irenaeus. Good hope possesses my Soul, 
Itaque bona quaedam spes habet animum meum fore, ut hanc Ecclesiae tempestatem Dominus inscrutabili suo concilio vertat in bonos Exitus, Excitetque nobis Irenaeos aliquot qui compositis dissidiis pacem orbi restituant.  that God by his unsearchable. Council will give a good Issue to this Storm in the Church, and will raise up for us such as Irenaeus, who by composing Differences, may restore Peace to the World. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek signifying Peace that Father surely was Baptised very late, or his Name was given by Prophecy.  
But alas! what possibility is there of Peace, if the Priests continue so fond of their respective Parties, that they will venture to trespass against their God, against their Sovereign, against Truth, Scripture, Charity and Reason to maintain their own Follies: Of which we have a fresh and notable Instance in a late Discourse before the Queen, Entitled, Of the Imitation of Christ, in which the Author appears to be a Person of good Learning, and I hope serious Religion, a Master of good Language, and well read in Scripture; yet has offered that to his Sovereign in the Name of God, and as the Imitation of Christ, which is false and Unscriptural, a Notion mentioned by Papists, Irrational and uncharitable. The whole Passage runs thus.  
Tho' one great end of his coming, 
Page 13.  was to take away the Ceremonial Part of the Law of Moses, yet as long as it was to last, how careful was he to preserve in it Decency and Order. How readily, in the mean time, did he comply with all indifferent and harmless Rites; much more those that were instructive and significant? He Celebrated the Passover but an hour before the Substituted his Holy Supper in its Place: He observed all the Festivals of the Church, not only those that were of Divine Appointment, but the Feast of the Dedication itself, a Feast purely of humane Institution, and no older than Judas Maccabeus. It was sufficient to him that it was ordained by the Church of the which he was then a Member, nor did he take upon him to question the Authority in so innocent a Right. And what he practised himself, he expressly commanded his Disciples to imitate. The Scribes and Pharisees, says he, sit in Moses' Seat, all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do. Which by the way, is an unanswerable Authority for the Churches Right in ordering Matters of Ceremony, and Things indifferent. For surely the Jewish Church was at that time corrupt enough to be denied that Privilege, If it were ever fit that such a Privilege should be denied the Church. And if Christ thus taught and practised Obedience to a Corrupt Church, what must be thought of those who refuse it to a pure one? If he submitted to all the Jewish Rites, so numerous, so dark and so burdensome, what can they plead in their Excuse, who disdain to comply with the Ceremonies of our Church, so few, so rational, and so discreet. They must not, they cannot justly take it ill to be told that, however they may flatter themselves, they do not abide in Christ, because they do not walk as he walked. The things advanced in these words, with which I am so free, are these. That our Saviour complied with all the Rites of the Jews, which he calls indifferent and harmless. That he observed a Festival of the Church's Institution, viz. the Feast of Dedication. That he commanded his Disciples to imitate him therein, and that therefore they who do not comply with the Ceremonies of our Church, do not abide in Christ, because they do not walk as he walked. Now,  
1. All this is false and Unscriptural, for he justified his Disciples, not washing their Hands before Dinner, 
15 Mat. 9.7 Mark 7.9. 11 Luke 38.39.  and told the Jews that in vain did they worship God, teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men; many Passages of like import are found in the New Testament; and surely no Rite could be more indifferent, or harmless than that. 'Tis also false that the Feast of the Dedication was Ordained by the Church, for the place which he quotes, tells us, that it was Ordained by Judas Maccabeus, and his Brethren, with the whole Congregation of Israel, 
1 Mac. 4.59.  which is rather the State than the Church, and so Josephus tells us, that Judas succeeded to the Command of the Army, that he had the Public Administration put into his Hands, and that the People appointed that Anniversary. Nor does it appear that our Saviour observed that Feast. 
Josephus 336.338 by Sir Roger L'Estrange.  The Text says, that he walked in the Temple in Solomon's Porch or Gallery, which was without the Temple, 
Joseph. Lib. 8. Cap. 2. 3 Acts 11. 1 Kings 6.3.  or Place of Worship, but what then? Suppose a Dissenter, or an Occasional Conformist, should on the Feasts of the Conversion of St. Paul or of St. Barnabas, (which were added to the holidays of the Church at the Restauration of King Charles the Second, to show the Parties Inclination to Unity and Peace) walk in the Porch of St. Paul's, would this be taken for Conformity. 'Tis also false that he commanded his Disciples to imitate him in any such matter. The Text quoted must be understood only of the Doctrine of Moses, taught by the Scribes and Pharisees; for our Saviour elsewhere bids them beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, 
16 Matt. 12. 8 Mark 15.  and explains his meaning to be their Doctrine. And all the Ceremonies commanded by Moses himself were such as the Lord commanded Moses. 'Tis therefore for these Reasons false, that those that submit not to human Inventions, do not abide in Christ, or that they do not walk as he walked, and the contrary appears by multitudes of Texts, and the Apostle was afraid of those that observed Days and Months, and Times and Years, 
4 Gal. 10.11.  lest he had bestowed on them Labour in vain.  
2. 'Tis of Popish Original, for tho' it is not the first time that I have met with this wise Observation from that Party, yet I believe it will be first found in the Exposition of the Popish Seminary of Rheems upon that Place, who on the word Dedication say; This is the Feast of the Dedication Instituted by Judas Maccabeus, Christ vouchsafed to honour and keep that Feast Instituted by him. And our Heretics vouchsafe not to pray and sacrifice for the dead, used and approved by him. The Dedication also of Christian Churches is warranted thereby, with the Annual Memories thereof, and proveth that such things may be instituted without any express Commandment in Scripture. Now I won't be so uncharitable as to say that Mr. Duke took his Notion from this Passage, yet I must own that I do believe, it has been derived down to Mr. Duke in a true Succession from this Rhemish Seminary: It is observed by another of the Party, who proposes a Reunion with Rome, 
Case of the Regale, Page 257.259, 262.  that if the Terms of Communion were once so modelled as to heal our Separations, the Disputes about the particular Points would soon dwindle, when there was no Interest to be served by them. Now the particular Points to which he refers are Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, half Communion, Prayers in an unknown Tongue, Images, Transubstantiation, Adoration of the Host, and the Pope's Supremacy, but notwithstanding these things, opening our Communion to one another may be procured, (he says,) without any Crime at all. Alas, good Reader, and will not these disputes hinder Communion? But the Papists must be allowed Occasional Conformity, and must Disputes about Ceremonies exclude Christians, whose Religion is all in the Bible, from being in Christ? These things are Popish all over.  
3. 'Tis irrational, for can any Man in his Wits, that is not strangely infected with Priestcraft believe that one great end of our Saviour's coming was to take away the Ceremonial part of the Law of Moses, which was Instituted by God himself, even so particularly that the Colour of the Lace, the Tingling of the Bells, 
28 Ex. 28. 28 Ex. 35. 26 Ex. 5.6.  the number of the Loops and Taches of the Tabernacle were determined, and that he yet should leave it to any Mortal Man or Men to Institute another Ceremonial Law, and make Obedience to it necessary to Christian Communion. Suppose the Jewish Church in our Saviour's Time had made a Canon, that Circumcision should not admit into the Church, but that after the Child was Circumcised he must be received into the Church by Printing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil on his Forehead; can any Man believe that our Saviour would have allowed such an Addition to the Divine Institution? Besides, suppose that it were clear that our Saviour did observe the Feast of the Dedication, there is no reason for any such Conclusion from such Premises, as this Author draws from them; if the Dissenters scrupled to observe the 5th of November, the Cases might be something paralled; it being an Anniversary appointed by the State to commemorate a National Deliverance above 1500 Years after the Establishment of the Christian Religion: But suppose the Jewish Church had besides the Sabbath, appointed one Day to remember the Creation of the Light, another Feast to Commemorate the making of the Firmament, a third to bless God for making the Sun and Moon, and a fourth for the Creation of Man, and a fifth for the Creation of Eve, a sixth to remember Abraham's going out of Ur, a seventh for Noah's going into the Ark, and so forth; what can we think our Saviour would have said to such Institutions? Again, whereas at the Institution of the Passover, 
12 Ex. 11.  the People were to eat it with their Loins girt, their Shoes on their Feet, and their Staffs in their Hands; suppose the Jewish Church had made a Canon, that all should kneel when they eat the Passover, can we imagine that our Saviour would have approved of such a Canon, altho' it doth not appear, that he took the Posture to be any necessary part of the Institution.  
4. Surely I need not use many words to show that this Censure is Uncharitable, when the Papists in the Irish Rebellion had made the Protestants turn Papists, they knocked them on the head, while (as they said) they were in a good Mood, that they might send them to Heaven, but this Author turns Men out of Christ, and consequently sends them to the Devil, tho' they comply with the Gospel in every thing to be found from the beginning of St. Matthew to the end of the Revelations. This is no part of the Imitation of Christ.  
I think it an exceeding strange effect of Priestcraft, that ingenious Men, should be thus grossly mistaken, but that when they have made whip Syllabub, nothing will serve them but to present it to the Queen, this is rude and ridiculous. I believe in my Conscience, that Her Majesty understands and practices true Christianity, and imitates our Saviour acceptably to God, and much better than any one of Mr. Duke's Party; and I do not believe that she is in any danger of being misled by such Guides. But Her Subjects are not so wise, and it may make People Surfeit of a Dish, when they are told that it was at the Queen's Table, especially when every thing but the Sauce is really excellent. I am abundantly satisfied that the true Reason that Christianity has lost ground in the World, is the Priests pretending to be wiser their the Scriptures would make them. All the Books of Irenaeus written in the 2d Century, are one continued Proof hereof: He charges those against whom he wrote, that they pretended to observe more than was commanded, which he Animadverts upon, as preferring their own Diligence to God himself. 'Tis with him a concluding Argument, that such things are not in Scriptures, and therefore no part of Revealed Religion. Acoording to their Doctrine (says he) Peter was imperfect, and so were the other Apostles, and it behoves them to rise again and become these Men's Disciples; but this (adds he) is ridiculous. And says St. Hierom, 
Omnia ea quae absque Testimonio Scripturarum quasi tradita ab Apostolis asseruntur, percutiuntur Gladio, Dei. Hier. in Agg.  long after the 4th. Century, All those things which are asserted, as delivered by the Apostles, without the Testimony of the Scriptures, are smitten with the Sword of God. For it seems when Irenaeus, and the other ancient Fathers had exposed all Vnrevealed Parts of Revealed Religion, the Lovers of Priest-craft would have introduced some things as Revealed, tho' not written, but conveyed down by Tradition.  
But I must not enlarge, at least at this time on this Subject; only having some Reason to know the Original of the Charter, granted by the late Glorious King William, Establishing a Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, I earnestly entreat the Reader to consider the Consequence of these Additions to Christianity, with respect to that Design. If I were now to apply myself to an Indian, to instruct him in the Christian Religion, I would appeal to his Experirience, that Nature is corrupted, and show him the History thereof in the Scriplures. 
3 Gen. 5 Rom. 12.18.  I would appeal to his Reason, that Sin deserves Punishment, and that Justice must be a Divine Attribute, and show him the same things in Scripture. 
34 Ex. 7. 45 Is. 21. 3 Rom. 26.  I would appeal to his Reason, and show him in Scripture what a loss Mankind was at to find out an Atonement; that thousands of Rams, and ten thousands of Rivers of Oil would not suffice, 
6 Mic. 6.7, 8.  not the Firstborn, the Fruit of the Body for the Sin of the Soul. But that notwithstanding all that Man could do, 
49. Ps. 7.8.  the Redemption of the Soul was so precious that it must have ceased for ever. Then I would show him only by Revelation out of the Word of God, That faithful saying, and worthy of all Acceptation, 
1 Tim. 1.15.  that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners, and so proceed to Preach the Gospel to him, and to instruct him out of the New Testament. The suitableness of such a Propitiation for our Sins, sufficient to satisfy. Divine Justice, and the Cravings of a wounded Spirit, seeking Means to make Satisfaction thereto, was in my Opinion the true Reason of the Progress of Christianity in the first Ages of the Church, and will be so, when rightly enforced to the yet Vuchristianized Part of the World. And the Man by this time would be very willing to believe those Scriptures to be the Word of God: And the Proof thereof would be very agreeable to him, 
Account of the Proceed of the Society by Mr. Stubbs.  or as an Indian King lately expressed himself, that there was a Saviour born for Mankind. But when he had rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and hugged his Bible, and read in the end of it, and elsewhere, 
Deut. 4.2. 22 Rev. 18.19. Prov. 30.6.  the Curses pronounced against those that diminish from it, or add to it, and desired to be Baptised; with what Face could I tell him that he must not be admitted to have any benefit thereby, unless he will constantly submit to divers things, not to be found there; and that unless he did so, he was both for God and Baal? Would he think it a decent thing, to add to the Institutions of such a Redeemer? But I will not enter into Particulars, if the Design of the following Discourse do prevail, these Matters will be considered by wiser Heads, but by none who wish more the Glory of the Christian Church, and particularly of that part of it in England, than  
Your Christian Friend, J. HOOKE.   

CATHOLICISM WITHOUT POPERY.  
SIR,  
IN your Preface to your late Discourse, Entitled, Peace at Home, you have rightly observed, That the Controversy which is the Subject Matter of that Discourse, ought not to be carried on with Heat and Passion, but fairly debated with Reason and Moderation, not by unknown Persons, who may be Jesuits or Deists, but by such as dare own their Principles, and will endeavour to Reconcile our Differences, and not inflame them. I hope that an Acquaintance of some Years hath sufficiently convinced you that I am neither Jesuit nor Deist. And I dare appeal to your Conscience, whether I have not given you undeniable Evidence of an Affection to the Church of England, and a desire not to keep up, but to reconcile our Differences, not to promote Parties and Factions, but Peace and Unity, not for the sake of any private End or Interest whatsoever, but for the sake of Truth, and for the general Good. Thus far therefore I conceive myself to be such a Person as you wish your Answerer should be. But because you, and the Writers of your Party have taken the liberty to accuse Men of my Principles as Hypocrites, as unfit to be Guardians of Children, or Executors of Wills, as dispensing with our Principles for the sake of an Office, as setting up an Arbitrary Dispensing Power in our own Consciences, as acting contrary to our Original Principles, as if Occasional Conformity were such an Offence as in inconsistent with the Public Safety, and Occasional Conformists, Persons, sit to be ranked with Papists, Deists, and Socinians. I have thought it my Duty thus to acquaint you, that I have also that other Qualification to become your Answerer, That" I dare own my Principles. But alas, to what End were your Applications made to Her Majesty on Occasion of the late Bill, since by your own Confession the Fears and Jealousies of those who are Members of the Church of England, and of those who descent from it. And the Matters in Controversy arising from those Fears, seem in a fair way to be determined to the Satisfaction of all Parties by Her Majesty's Gracious Speeches from the Throne, That Her Majesty will always make it Her particular Care to encourage and maintain the Church, as by Law Established, and to maintain the Act of Toleration for the ease of Dissenters. Give me leave to add, alas, to what end did you erect a Pompous Frontispiece before an Epistle Dedicatory, a Preface, a Discourse, and a Postscript; and all these on a Subject, of which you seem to know no more, than if you had lived in Turkey, or under the Great Mogul: I mean the Principles of the Occasional Conformists; for I had rather impute your unaccountable Mistakes concerning them to Ignorance, than Insincerity. And unless they be understood, your Discourse in behalf of the Established Government in Church and State, of Uniformity, Established Religion, and Established Constitutions, seems Calculated, and may indifferently serve for the Meridian of Edenburg, Geneva, Paris, Rome, or Constantinople; and, with a small Variation of Names, may be published in behalf of the Constitutions in Church and State in all those places.  
I take leave therefore to inform you, That the Description of the Occasional Comformists is true, which is given by the Author of a Letter to a Clergyman, concerning the Votes of the Bishops in the last Sessions; who divides them into two sorts, such as prefer the Worship of the Church of England for a Constancy, but hold the separate Congregations to be Lawful Churches, and think themselves obliged in Conscience sometimes to Communicate with them, tho' I had rather call such Occasional Dissenters; and such as prefer the Worship of Dissenters for a Constancy, but hold the Worship of the Church of England to be Lawful, and think themselves obliged to testify their Charity by Communicating sometimes with it, who are properly Occasional Conformists.  
I take leave also to inform you, That both these sorts of Occasional Conformists do believe the Apostle's Creed, and particularly the Holy Catholic Church; or, as the Nicene Creed has it, They believe One Catholic and Apostolic Church: They acknowledge the 19th Article of the Church of England, That the Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered, according to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things, that of necessity are requisite to the same: That neither sort of these Occasional Conformists find any such Article in any Creed, as this, I believe the High Church-Party of the Church of England. And thus believing, they thus Reason, He that believes the Holy Catholic Church, takes himself to be a Member of that Church, and consequently believes it his Duty to refuse Communion with no Party of Christians, whose Communion does not necessitate him to Sin; and no Communion of Christians, who are a Visible Church of Christ, within the said Description, given by the said 19th Article, do necessitate him to Sin.  
They make a great difference between the Use of a Ceremony, or any indifferent thing about Religion, and the Imposition thereof, as necessary to Communion in the Ordinances of Christ; and again, another difference between the Imposition thereof by any particular Church, or Division of Christians, on those that Communicate with them, and the Separation of that Division of Christians, by such Ceremony, or indifferent Thing, from the rest of the Catholic Church. The Use therefore of a certain Ceremony, is what they do not scruple, as wearing a Gown or Surplice, Standing at the Creed, Kneeling, or Standing, or Sitting at the Sacrament, according to the Usage of that Party of Christians, with whom they Communicate. Again, They don't scruple the like Ceremony, tho' they be imposed by the Government on any National Church, or Party of Christians, so as they be not made Parties to the Imposition, or compelled to declare their Approbation thereof by Word or Practice: It is their Judgement, That all Religion is Natural or Revealed; That there is no Revealed Religion, nor any part of it, which is not found in the Word of God; That nothing aught to be imposed amongst Christians, as a Term of Communion, which has not its Warrant from thence, according to the Sense of the Primitive Church, and the whole Protestant Church at the first Reformation: And they think it absurd to talk of Unrevealed Parts of Revealed Religion. It is therefore their Opinion, that if any Party of Christians make a Law, That whoever communicates with them must use such or such an Unscriptural Posture or Ceremony, and must not have Communion with any other Christians, who use not the same, altho' true Churches, according to the said 19th Article of the Church of England, and this under the Penalty of being starved, or any other severe Penalty; they take that Party of Christians to be such as the Psalmist speaks of, 
Psal. 94.21.  who frame Mischief by a Law.  
They think that such Party of Christians do thereby set up an unaccountable Schism in the Catholic Church, and separate themselves from it, by setting up their Posts by God's, and their own Thresholds by his, and their making a Wall between him and them; so that the Schism lies at their Door, and not at theirs, who, in Contradiction to such a Law, continue Members of the Catholic Church. They are of Opinion, that the Roman Catholics are justly charged with the greatest Schism that ever was in the Christian World, because they separate themselves from the Catholic Church by their new Articles of Faith, and Notorious Idolatries, which they impose as Terms of Communion; but they pretending, that the things which they impose are necessary, and to be complied with on Peril of Damnation, are not therefore so Self-condemned as that Party would be, who should, by such a Law, concerning things indifferent, separate themselves from all the rest of the Catholic Church. The Occasional Conformist therefore, by his Communicating with the Church of England, declares, That he takes it to be a sound Part of the Catholic Church; and his Communion with it, is Communion, with the Catholic Church, and not with a Party: He Communicates with it, because he Agrees with it in all the Essentials of Christianity, tho' he Approves not of its Impositions: And his Communion with other Protestants, is Communion with the Catholic Church, of which he takes them also to be a sound Part. By the first, he declares himself an Enemy to Separation; by the second, to unnecessary Impositions; by both, a Catholic Christian.  
And he is the more confirmed in this Practice, because of the plain Tendency of the Unscriptural Terms of Communion, which the High Church-Party would establish, to a Reunion with Popery, as is obvious to any Person who shall seriously consider them. And for satisfaction therein, I would refer you (to avoid Repetition) to the Preface of a little Discourse, entitled, Catholocism without Popery; where this Matter is particularly Considered. And the Notions therein advanced have been effectually Justified, by the Oracle of your Party, the Author of the Case of the Regale & Pontisicat; a Book written directly against her Majesty's Supremacy, and which has received a Second Edition; which asserts, That the Dissenter will neither take nor give quarter, will neither propose nor accept any Terms of Reconciliation, 
Page 255.  and cannot for that (unless only for that) Reason, be angry at the High-Party's seeking or offering Reconciliation with others, who may be better disposed; and that the whole and only difference between that Party and the Church of Rome, 
Page 244.  and which hinders Communion, is the Extents of the Pope's Supremacy, which the Galliean Church have thrown off as well as they. But that all the difference between the Popish French Church, and the Church of England, are so far Reconcilable, as not to hinder Communion. And proposes (in the First Edition) a Treaty between our Convocation, and the General Assembly of the Galliean Bishops and Clergy; and complains in the Margin of the Second Edition, pag. 263. That the English Convocation not being suffered to sit, while that of France lasted, rendered any Treaty betwixt them impracticable: And pag. 179. proposes it (plainly as a means to this blessed End) that a Bill should pass, to render all those that go to Meetings uncapable of any Place of Trust or Profit in the Government: And that this must be the Reason of the Zeal of a certain Party therein, and nor a Conscientious Regard to the Act of Uniformity, is further Evident, because Bowing at the Name of Jesus, and toward the Altar, tho' contrary to the Act of Uniformity, but signifying an inclination towards Popery, are as much practised and defended by that Party, as any Ceremonies established by that Law. The Occasional Conformist therefore thinks himself bound in Conscience to make a Remarkable Difference in his Practice, between the regard he shows to the Commandments of God, and to the Inventions of Men, especially when those Inventions are manifestly defended with the utmost Vigour, to keep a Correspondence with France and Rome.  
I might here name many Things, which may be amended in the Church of England: But I had rather Convince you, that you are in a great Mistake, when you affirm, That there is no way to heal Divisions, but by such a Bill as that against Occasional Conformity. And because Her most Sacred and most Excellent Majesty, is, I trust, raised up by Almighty God to perfect that Reformation, both at Home and Abroad, which was so much advanced by Her Predecessor, Queen Elizabeth, of Blessed Memory; and because I take Her Reign to be a more proper Season for such a Work, than that of the late King William, tho' of Glorious Memory, for Reasons easily Occurring to Men of Thought, and some of which shall be hereafter mentioned, I will venture to propose another Means to put an End to Faction, to secure the Public Peace in Church and State, to remove the Causes of all our Fears, and of all our Divisions, which is worth Ten Thousand such Bills, as that against Occasional Conformity, and which the Promoters of that Bill cannot refuse to approve of, if they be hearty Lovers of her Majesty, and the Church of England.  
It were easy to prove what has been before mentioned, that the Primitive Rule of Reformation, and the Rule universally used at the Reformation, was, That the Terms of Christian Communion ought to be only such as are found in the Scripture. And perhaps in another Discourse, the World may see a full Evidence, That all the Mischiefs that have happened to the Christian Church have been occasioned by departing from that Principle; and an account may be given of the gradual Growth of Priestcraft, from the days of Diotrephes, to the time of Cardinal Woolsey at least.  
But before I mention the said Means, of putting an End to Faction, I will only observe, that notwithstanding by Stat. 31. H. 8. c. 14. Transubstantiation, Communion in one Kind, Prohibition of Marriage to the Clergy, Monkish Vows, Private Masses, and Auricular Confession, are also Established by Act of Parliament; yet some time before, viz. 25 H. 8. cap. 21. the King and Parliament did declare, That they did not intent to decline or vary from the Congregation of Christ's Church in any thing, concerning the very Articles of the Faith of Christendom, or in any other things declared by Holy Scripture, and the Word of God, necessary for their Salvation; and that this continued to be the Opinion even of the Popish Church of England, appears from Stat. 1. Mar. Ses. 2. c. 1. Wherein the Marriage of Queen Katherine to Henry the 8th is declared Lawful, and all Sentences of Divorce between them Repealed. And lest the Queen and Parliament should seem to enact any thing herein contrary to the aforesaid Principle, It is thereby Enacted, That the said Marriage had and solemnised between the Queen's most Noble Father King Henry, and her most Noble Mother Queen Katherine, should be definitively, clearly, and absolutely declared, deemed, and adjudged to be, and stand with God's Law, and his most Holy Word: So sensible were the Parliament in those times, that God's Law, and his most Holy Word, aught to be the Rule of all things relating to Christian Religion. And tho' an Act of Parliament will not make that stand with God's Law, and his most Holy Word, which does not stand therewith; yet the Wisdom of the Nation at that time, and the Wisdom of all Nations, and of all Pretenders to Establish a Revealed Religion, such as Numa, Mahomet, and others, have thought it necessary to pretend Divine Authority for all Matters relating to Revealed Religion. And had that seemed Good to the Governors of Church and State in Christian Countries, which seemed Good to the Holy Ghost, and the Apostles, Elders, or Presbyters and Brethren, met in the first Council of the Christian Church at Jerusalem, viz. To impose nothing but necessary things. Had they taken the Prophet's Advice, Isai. 55.14. Take up the stumbling Block out of the Way of my People, instead of forcing them to use it, Popery had never risen, but the Church had continued Pure to the World's end.  
But this being premised, I desire you to remember, that when the Supremacy of the Pope was thrown off by the Church of England, and the Crown restored to its Ancient Rights, it was by Stat. 25. H. 8. c. 19 Enacted, That the Convocation should be Assembled by the King's Writs, and should not Enact any Constitutions or Ordinances without the King's Assent. And it was further Enacted as follows, And for as much as such Canons, Constitutions and Ordinances, as heretofore have been made by the Clergy of this Realm, cannot now, at the Session of this present Parliament, by reason of shortness of Time, be viewed, examined and determined, by the King's Highness, and Thirty Two Persons, to be chosen and appointed, according to the Petition of the said Clergy, in form above rehearsed. Be it therefore Enacted, by the Authority abovesaid, That the King's Highness shall have Power and Authority to nominate and assign at his pleasure the said Two and Thirty Persons of his Subject; whereof Sixteen to be of the Clergy, and Sixteen to be of the Temporalty of the Upper and Nether House of the Parliament: And if any of the said Two and Thirty Persons so chosen shall happen to die before their full Determination, than His Highness to nominate other from time to time of the said Two Houses of the Parliament, to supply the Number of the said Two and Thirty; and that the same Two and Thirty, by his Highness so to be named, shall have Power and Authority to view, search and examine the said Canons, Constitutions and Ordinances, Provincial and Synodal, heretofore made: And such of them, as the King's Highness, and the said Two and Thirty, or the more part of them, shall deem an adjudge worthy to be continued, kept, obeyed and executed within this Realm; so that the King's most Royal Assent be first had to the same. And the residue of the said Canons, Constitutions, and Ordinances Provincial, which the said King's Highness, and the said Two and Thirty Persons, or the more part of them, shall not approve, or deem and adjudge worthy, to be abolished, abrogate, and made frustrate, shall from thenceforth be void, and of none effect, and never be put in Execution within this Realm; provided always, that no Canons, Constitutions, or Ordinance, shall be made, or put in Execution, within this Realm, by Authority of the Convocation of the Clergy, which shall be contrariant or Repugnant to the King's Prerogative Royal, or the Customs, Laws, or Statutes of this Realm, any thing contained in this Act to the contrary hereof notwithstanding. And in the close of the said Act it follows, Provided that such Canons, Constitutions, and Synodals Provincial, being already made, which be not contrariant nor repugnant to the Laws, Statutes and Customs of this Realm, nor to the damage or hurt of the King's Prerogative Royal, shall now still be used and executed, as they were before the making of this Act, till such time as they be viewed, searched, or otherwise ordered and determined, by the said Two and Thirty Persons, or the more part of them, according to the Tenor, Form and effect of this present Act. But nothing being done in pursuance of this Power, vested in that King, thereby, the same was again Enacted, by Stat. 27. H. 8. c. 15. But the Power of Popery rendering that Law also Ineffectual, it was again, by Stat. 35. H. 8. c. 16. Enacted, That that King should still have the same Authority during his Life. But still nothing was done, for the Priests chose rather to continue the Canons, and Constitutions, and Laws Ecclesiastical, in the uncertainty in which they were left by the said Stat. 25. H. 8. c. 19 than that the King, and Sixteen of the Temporalty, should intermeddle in Matters Ecclesiastical. But King H. 8. died, and left the Ecclesiastical Constitutions, as the were unestablished by the last mentioned Statute.  
And the Reformation having made a considerable Progress in the Reign of Edw. 6. the like Power and Authority was again given to that King, by Stat. 3. and 4. Ed. 6. c. 11. But still the Old Leaven remained, and nothing was done in his short Reign; and Popery returning to its Vigour under the Reign of Queen Mary, the aforesaid Stat. of 25 H. 8. c. 14. was Repealed, by Stat. 1. and 2, Phil. and Mary, c. 8. And although that Act was Revived again, by the Act of 1 Eliz. c. 1. yet that Authority, which had been given to King H. 8. and King Edw. 6. seems not to be given by that Act to Q. Eliz. But by the same Act the High Commission Court was created to Act under the Queen's Prerogative, which was quite another sort of Authority, and left the Laws Ecclesiastical, as they were left by the Stat. 25. H. 8. c. 19 And the High Commission being since found inconvenient, and condemned by Law, it seems to me, that something remains to be done, for the Establishment of the Church.  
And therefore, tho' I impute it to the Prevalency of Popery, that all those Statutes were of no Effect; yet I would hope, that the Divine Providence did permit so many Laws of that Kind to be made with a design, that they might be Precedents for the like Authority, to be vested in our most Gracious Sovereign Queen Anne, whose Life hath set a rare Example of Christian Piety, whose Reign the Almighty hath blest with the best Bishops that ever filled the English Sees; and whose Care of all her Subjects hath been so often Expressed, with such moving Accents from the Throne; of whose Affection to the Church of England no Man can doubt, and who may easily render it a Means and Pattern of Union to all the Protestant Churches, and in a short time to the whole Christian World. I writ not this without Ground, but with good Reason, and some Glimpse of Hope.  
Had any of the said Statutes in the Reign of H. 8. been pursued, Popery had been further established: And in the short Reign of Edw. 6. Things were yet in great Confusion: Matters in Controversy had not been fully discussed; Laymen-had but just got the Bible, which is the Instructions left by our Blessed Saviour, into their Hands; and therefore could not so well judge, whether his Ambassadors followed his Instructions or no. Humane Inventions had so long been made Equal to Divine Institutions, that it was not easy at that time to distinguish them: And considering the gross Ignorance that abounded among the Clergy, when the Transition was made from Popery to the Protestant Religion by Queen Elizabeth, it is wonderful, that the Reformation should have made so great a Progress, as it did in her Reign. During the Reign of King James the First, the Spanish and French Matches, the Cowardice, and yet the Ambition of that King, diverted his Thoughts to other Matters, than the Establishment of the Church; but yet a step was made towards it by the new Translation of the Bible, which was made in his Reign. During the Reign of King Charles the First, the Cassandrian Design of a Reunion to Rome, was pursued with great Industry; and therefore no wonder, that a better Establishment of the Church was not attempted in his Reign: And perhaps, till the Mischief of Enthusiasm had showed us the necessity of a National Church, it would have been difficult to have brought the Dissenters to any Reasonable Terms of Union; and therefore the first Opportunity, which seems to me to have presented itself for such an Attempt, was at the Restoration of the Royal Family, when it was in the Power of King Charles the Second to have Established the Church on such Foundations, as would easily have taken into her Communion almost all Denominations of Christians, who had not cast oft the Ordinances of Christ, and their Allegiance to the Civil Government: But the foreign Education of the Royal Brothers had sixth their Inclinations to a Union with France and Rome; and the Fear, under which King Charles the Second laboured, was not, lest the Dissenters should not comply with the Act of Uniformity, but lest they should. One Party was to be turned out, that another might be brought in: So that this time was not improved towards our Union. But after that, Popery appeared barefaced, under the late King James the Second, and Advances were made, both by the Church-Party and the Dissenters, towards Union at the Revolution; that Season was looked upon as a happy Juncture for such an Attempt. But to speak my Mind freely, although I think no Man can give an Instance wherein his late Majesty King William shown any want of Affection to this National Church; yet his Education under another sort of Church-Government, did, as I apprehend, cause the Church Party to take Umbrage, as if he designed to bend the Constitution in the Church too much toward the Dissenter: And might also occasion in the Dissenter Expectations of greater Concessions, than are necessary to Peace and Unity.  
But the Mischiefs of Enthusiasm in the late Times, the Persecution of the Episcopal Party then, and of the Dissenters in the Reign of King Charles the Second, and the terrible Visage of returning Popery under the late King James, have occasioned great Thoughts of Heart. All things are now set in the clearest Light; a better Friend to the Church can never fill the English Throne; the terms of Catholic Unity are well understood, both by the Clergy, and many of the Laity; while the Church has stood upon Stilts, 
* Ceremonies.  it has been sometimes bending towards Rome, and at other times towards Enthusiasm; but by this means it may be unmovably fixed upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone. And this in short is what I would offer on this Subject, that her Majesty may receive the like Authority by Act of Parliament, as that so often given to King H. 8. and after to Edw. 6. By this means, instead of our being cursed once a Year, on Ash-Wednesday, the Church may obtain the Benefit of that Godly Discipline, which the Rubric wishes to be Restored. The Liturgy of the Church of England may be made a Form to some, and at least a Directory, agreeable to all the Protestant Churches, the Rights, Powers, and Privileges of an English Convocation, would be better understood, and all the Attempts of the Factors of Rome and France would be defeated for ever.  
And therefore to use the Word of the Author of the Reasons for passing the late Bill, with a very little Variation, they being as I conceive, much more for my purpose than his. Since the Security of Particulars, that is the Innocent, the Honest and Peaceable; for no body, I suppose, means to encourage the wicked Seditions, or to protect them in their Crimes, (Such as that High Churchman, who has lately Published a Latin Treatise, to prove the present Church of England Schismatical, At least this is not a Design that will bear the Light,  
since the Peace and Prosperity of the Nation in General, by the Encouragement of Industry, and Increase of Trade, by the Benefit and Comforts of Society, by Dutiful and Cheerful Submission to those whom God God has set over us in Church and State, by a most Cordial and Loyal Obedience to Her Majesty, and Grateful Sense of the Blessings we enjoy under Her Just and Prudent Government; since the Wisdom and Piety of our Legislators, the Sagacity of their Judgements, the Weight and Authority of their Deliberations, their Unanimity, and Firmness in the Pursuit of fit and necessary Measures, and the Nobleness of their Resolution in overcoming all Difficulties; since the Honour and Felicity of Her Majesty's most Auspicious Reign, Her Reputation abroad, and Interest at home, the Praise and Veneration that will be paid Her now, and that Renown that will attend Her to all Succeeding Ages, for securing to all Posterity, that unvaluable Blessing which was Established by Her famous Predecessor, Queen Elizabeth, of truly Glorious Memory: And as Her Majesty was pleased to tell us very lately, even Her present Satisfaction, and what she has most at Heart. And above all, since the Interests of Religion, and the Glory of God, are so nearly concerned in this Business, and that Temporal and narrow Aims may be cashiered, Brotherly Love revived, and the little things that divide us, giving place to the more Weighty that aught to unite us. We may henceforth only contend for the Faith, which was once delivered, and that Purity of Manners which is the necessary Effect of it. Let us unanimously agree, in enabling Her Majesty to give all that Security and Perfection to our most excellent Constitution, which it may justly require at our Hands.  
Nor is it the Church only that requires this, 'tis the State likewise which must stand or fall with Her. For the sake then of our most Wise and Constituted Government, which all Stranger's envy, and which we seem to pride ourselves so much upon, for the sake of our Most Gracious Sovereign, than whom never any merited more at our Hands, and who so pathetically presses us to perfect Peace and Union among ourselves; and who declares She hath nothing so much at Heart as the Welfare and Happiness of Her Subjects, who manages that Treasure so carefully, which we have seen formerly squandered away so profusely on French Intrigues and Whores, loads her People with no Deficiencies, but even Taxes herself to ease her Subjects; and if the most shining Virtue and Goodness placed upon a Throne can affect us, if she be as worthy to be trusted as Hen. 8. for the sake of our Country, for whose Welfare we profess such a mighty Concern, and of which we would be thought such Zealous Patriots; for our own dear sakes, that most powerful Motive with all Mankind, and lastly, even for God's sake, for the Honour and Glory of his Holy Name, which ought to weigh with us above all other Considerations.  
Let us not after rejecting a Bill against Immorality be so fond of a Bill which tends only to Establish Ceremonies, let us search the Scriptures, and not French Precedents for the Means of Union, lest we be judged by our Blessed Saviour for rejecting the Commandments of God, that we may keep our own Tradition. Let us at last discern the things that belong to our Peace, and God forbidden that they should at any time, this especially be hid from our Eyes.  
And now, Sir, having offered to your Consideration, such Principles as I myself act by, and which I conceive are agreeable to the Opinion of most of the English Occasional Conformists, and Occasional Dissenters, and proposed an Expedient for the Establishment of the Church of England, which I conceive far more likely to unite us, than the late Bill if it had past, and applied the Pathetic Arguments of one of your Party to this Expedient. I shall next consider what ever seems to me remain unanswered in your Discourse. And, first, I cannot but admire that you who have pronounced that Her Majesty is none of the three Estates of the Realm, but the Sovereign Head of that Great Body, should in the very same Page allow Her no more than a Councurrence with what Her Parliament should conceive to be reasonable; for methinks, conceiving what is reasonable, should be at least as proper for the Head as the Members.  
I must confess that I concur with you in believing that Her Majesty's Allies would not have been offended at the Wisdom of that Bill, had it passed into a Law, because, perhaps they could not have discerned it, and it would probably have been the more invisible to them, because it was so conspicuous to all the Papists and Jacobites in England.  
But as to the Prophetic Part of that Dedication, how much the Dissenter would have been pleased to know the extent of his Privileges, or how contented he would be, or what Advantage would accreve from such Gentle Methods, or in the words of Maimburg to the French King, Moyens deux & voyes de Grace, 
Maimbourg Epistle Dedicatory to the Life of Gregory the 1st.  or whether the first words of your Dedication do insinuate, that there are some good Men who have no Sense of Religion, no concern for the true Interest of their Native Country, nor any Duty or Gratitude to Her Majesty, I must beg further time for Consideration.  
I must also take time for further Thought, or desire, further Information, what those Truths are, which in your Preface you say you do with Deference and Respect to the House of Lords, and in a decent and respectful manner endeavour to Establish; for as to your two main Pillars, other Hands have sufficiently shown that they are far from being Pillars of Truth.  
I am also, with great Submission, much surprised, to be told, Page 6. that the same Arguments were made use of against this Bill, which were formerly insisted on for Repealing all the Test-Laws whatsoever, for many of the Great and Wise Men in the Kingdom, and more especially in Shropshire, Herefordshire, and thereabouts, do well remember that the way to Peace at Home, was with much Eloquence declared to be by Repealing those Laws, when to Repeal them, was manifestly to serve a Popish Interest, and with no less Assurance, when the late Bill was promoted, when the same End would have been served, tho' by quite contrary Means; so that one at least of those Arguments would have been very acceptable to me, who have always thought that the Reasons for Repealing those Laws in a Popish Reign, were of the same Size with those that are urged for rendering those Laws more strict and severe in the Reign of a Protestant Queen. Concerning this Matter, therefore, 
Preface to Peace at Home.  there are some Mistakes and Misapprehensions I doubt that do still prevail with some Persons, and seem to call for a further Explanation of it. And perhaps that the same Arguments were used for both these Purposes, would be as considerable a Truth, if it were made out, as any other of the Truths endeavoured to be established by your Discourse. But tho' I was against Repealing the Test in a Popish Reign, I Published some Reasons for Repealing some part of it in a Protestant Reign, which I have added to this Letter, No. 1. for your Consideration.  
That the Bill affected only those particular Dissenters, who thought fit to Conform for an Office, but would not Conform for the Unity of the Church, is another of your Truths which needs to be established; because on the contrary, it seems to affect my Occasional Conformist, or rather Occasional Dissenter, nay to be principally levelled at him, who conforms merely for the Unity of the Church, and not for an Office, who endeavours to preserve the Unity of the Catholic Church, from being rend as often as a Whimsy shall take any Sett of Men, to be adding their own Inventions to Christianity; and then to call themselves the Church; to make a parcel of Ceremonies, Articles of Communion; whereas the 39 Articles of the Church are not so, if you believe your Oracle.  
One Truth indeed you have taught, us out of the Preamble of the intended Bill against Occasional Conformity, viz. That nothing is more contrary to the Profession of the Christian Religion, and particularly to the Doctrine of the Church of England, than Persecution for Conscience sake only.  
It was therefore, it seems to be Enacted, to this effect, That whosoever being in a Public Office would not join himself to the High Church Party, so as never more to Communicate with any other part of the Christian World, altho' he believed the Holy Catholic Churah, and endeavoured to show his Faith by his Works, should forfeit his Office and a Fine of 100 l. to the Prosecutor, etc.  
Now if the Man did Communicate with other good Christians out of Conscience, as is abovesaid, would not this be Persecution for Conscience only? And, pray, Sir, was not the danger of Establishing the aforesaid Truth the true Reason why that Truth was left out of the Preamble in the Second Edition of that Bill? And this Question I ask you with the greater Freedom, tho' with great Submission, because this Truth being once in the Preamble of that Bill, is used by you as an Answer to the Objection, That they who think the being present at a Meeting to be so high a Crime, can hardly think that Toleration of such Meetings ought to continue, which by Reason of the said Truth, being in the said Preamble, you argue to be an hard, not to say unwarrantable and uncharitable Censure on the Representatives of the People.  
I don't say, Sir, That going to a Meeting is now by the Toleration Act Established, or made part of our Constitution thereby. But I say, that if the Creed be part of our Constitution, if the Articles of the Church be another part, and the Meeting be within the Description of the said 19th Article, going to it is Established both by Law and Gospel.  
But I apply to your Questions, which I am willing to take as the chief Points, and to expect a good Issue, not from the Weakness, but Strength of the Reader's Judgement.  
First, Whether it be consistent with the Safety of the Established Government, either in Church or State, with the Wisdom of the English Nation, with the Practice of any Wise Government in the World, or with the true Intent and Meaning of the Corporation and Test Acts, to admit any Person whatsoever into Public Offices and Employments relating to the Government, either in Countries or Corporations, who are not sincere Members of the National Church, and who do not hearty approve of the Laws of the Land, and cheerfully pay Obedience to them.  
Secondly, And whether it is better to have the Administration of Public Affairs, in the Hands of Persons of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion, or to have a mixture and confusion of Men of opposite Principles in one and the same Administration, or in other words, whether it is better to have all the Public Officers draw together the same way for the Public Good, or to have some drawing one way, and some another, and thereby tearing the Government between them in pieces. That is in short, and in effect, whether it is fit that the Corporation and Test Acts should be Enforced or Repealed.  
Now, that I may keep to the Subject Matter of the Debate, I must take leave to divide these Questions into several Heads, because they seem to me too perplexed as they are stated; and therefore seeing the Subject Matter is Occasional Conformity, or Occasional Nonconformity.  
First, Let us consider whether the Occasional Conformist, or rather the Occasional Dissenter be not a sincere Member of the National Church, who hearty approves of the Laws of the Land, and cheerfully pays Obedience to them, and whether he and the Churchman be of opposite Principles, or of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion.  
Secondly, Whether if the Occasional Bill had passed, it had secured the Government from such, who are not sincere Members of the National Church, nor hearty approve of the Laws of the Land, nor cheerfully pay Obedience to them, but are of opposite Principles, and not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion.  
Thirdly, Whether the Administration of Public Astairs may not be in the Hands of Persons who are not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion, nay, of Men of opposite Principles, without Confusion or tearing the Government in pieces between them, and whether they may not, notwithstanding draw together the same way for the Public Good.  
Fourthly, Whether it is sit that the Corporation and Test Acts should be enforeed or Repealed.  
Fifthly, Whether upon the whole Matter the Occasional Conformist may not be admitted into Public Offices and Employments relating to the Government, consistently with the Safety of the Established Government, both in Church and State, with the Wisdom of the English Nation, and with the Practice of some wise Governments in the World.  
And as to the first, I answer that the Occasional Conformist is a sincere Member of the National Church, who hearty approves of the Laws of the Land, and cheerfully pays Obedience to them, and he and the Churchmen are not of opposite Principles, but of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion.  
If the Churchman, whom you suppose the only Person fit for an Office, be one that troubles not himself about Religion, but believes as the Church believes, and does as he sees others do. I neither can judge of his Principles nor his Persuasion in Matters of Religion; but if he have espoused the Religion of the Church of England with consideration, and can give a Reason of the Faith or Hope that is in him; he knows that the Religion of this National Church is all to be found in the Bible. He is taught by the sixth Article of that Church, that Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation. The Reason given by the 8th Article, why the three Creeds ought throughly to be received and believed, is, for that they may be proved by most certain Warrants of Holy Scripture. And as to Creeds, so as to Councils, we are taught by the 21st Article, that things Ordained by them as necessary to Salvation, have neither Strength nor Authority, only as it may be declared, that they be taken out of Holy Scripture. Now the Occasional Conformists are herein entirely of the same mind, they agree entirely in the Creeds, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, as contained in the Decalogue, and as explained by our Saviour. In the two Sacraments, and every Part and Article that any Protestant can have any Colour to call a part of Christianity.  
But I have not Inclination, nor can it be expected that I should particularise every Head and Point of Religion, wherein they agree; but should be glad to be informed by you of any Article of Religion, or Point of Doctrine wherein they differ; for no Man ever called Rites and Ceremonies of humane Institution, Principles or Matters of Religion. I must own that they are not fully satisfied in the large Sense of that Passage in the 20th Article, That the Church hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies, nor that, as the 34th Article expresses it, it is sufficient as to the Ceremonies, that nothing be Ordained against God's Word, if the Opposition of God's Word be intended a particular express Opposition; but they are of opinion, that to make any Rites or Ceremonies of Humane Institution, necessary to Communion, especially as is aforesaid, to make them Terms of Separation from the rest of the Catholic Church is against God's Word, but they are extricated out of this Difficulty by the last Clause of the 34th Article, it being plain by long and pungent Experience, that the Ordaining of such Rites and Ceremonies, is not among the Things that have been done so edifying, or if this should fail, yet your said Oracle is express that the 39 Articles are required from no Layman, a Licence for which no Occasional Conformist will thank him.  
The Romanists by such Ordinance have indeed edified their Babel, and from things not contrary have proceeded to ordain things destructive to Christianity, and so in some Measure are all such Ordinances, which differ as much from Religion as Christianity does from Priestcraft.  
But to bring this Matter a little closer, I hope to make it plain, that not only the Occasional Conformist, but the Presbyterian, and the Independent are of the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion with the Churchman, and not of opposite Principles, and that nothing but gross Ignorance, or a wilful blind Prejudice has kept Men of either Party from being convinced of this Truth. And to make this evident, I take leave to acquaint you with plain Matter of Fact. You well know, that in the late times the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, as also the Kirk of Scotland agreed in a Catechism, called the Assemblies shorter Catechism. And this Catechism was also agreed to by the Synod of the Independent Divines, met at the Savoy.  
Now after the Restauration of King Charles the 2d. and particularly some time before the Popish Plot, a mighty Zeal appeared against that Catechism in the Men of your Party, and if I mistake not, this Catechism was publicly burnt at Oxford. But it happened, that one Mr. Thomas adam's, formerly fellow of Brazen-Nose-Colledge in Oxford, being convinced of the Truth of what I am endeavouring to prove; he in the Year, 1675, wrote a Discourse, Entitled, The Main Principles of Christian Religion, in 107 short Articles, or Aphorisms, generally received, as being proved from Scripture, now further cleared and confirmed by the Consonant Doctrine, Recorded in the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England under 4 Heads.  
Of things to be Explained. 

1. Believed, comprehended in the Creed.  
2. Done in the Ten Commandments.  
3. Practised in the Gospel, particularly two Sacraments.  
4. Prayed for in the Lord's Prayer,    
Which Discourse was Licenced, Sold well, and received a Second Edition in 1677, (which I have) but alas it was at last discovered that the 107 Articles were the Answers to the 107 Questions of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism, and that hated Book was thus dispered under the Patronage of the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England. And if you will please to peruse this Book, I suppose you will need no other Proof, that the Occasional Conformist, Presbyterian, Independent, and the Churchman, are not of opposite Principles, but of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion; and the Acceptation which that Discourse met with, puts me in mind of a like Passage relating to the Sorbon, to whom your Oracle, abovementioned, desires that the Church of England may be united; for when Abbas le Roy Published a Discourse in France, without naming the Author, being a most Elegant and Pious Oration, or Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ, for obtaining the Grace of a perfect Conversion, the Sorbon condemned it, because they believed it to be written by a Jansenist; but some Years after a Spanish Bishop having Translated it into the Spanish Tongue, and Published it with the Approbation of the Doctor's of the Holy Inquisition, Pesonius ● Hair turned it into French, Dedicated it to the Queen, Published it with the Royal Privilege, and the Approbation of the Doctors of the Sorbon.  
And thus have I known a fierce Scotch Presbyterian sit with Reverence and Attention for a long time, while one of my Acquaintance rend divers parts of the Common Prayer, but as soon as it was discovered how the Person was entertained, my Friend, who was a tall Man, was glad to make the best use of his long Legs. And here I will mention an Observation which I have frequently made; That if you hear a Man declaring that no Man can be serious in the use of the Common Prayer, nor worship God thereby with Fervency and Affection 'tis forty to one, that the Man never tried? On the other hand, if you hear a Person exclaiming against Extempore Prayer, calling it Cant and Nonsense, 'tis as many to one that he never heard an Extempore Prayer in his Life; but now there is one Occasional Conformist to my knowledge, and I believe some thousands that have joined in worshipping God by the Common-Prayer a thousand times, and have also joined in Worshipping Him as often with those that use no invariable Form, who can testify with great Assurance that both those sorts of People are wretchedly mistaken, who can tell you that they know no reason why Christians should not agree in a Form as to the Matter of Prayer, as well as of Belief, or why those who make no scruple to sing the Psalms in Metre, by Sternhold and Hopkins, which is for the most part but a wretched Form of the Matter of Praise, should scruple the Common Prayer, which is much nearer Scripture Language, than the aforesaid Version of the Psalms. That it is a very agreeable Consideration, that many Thousands of Pious Souls are at the same time joining in Adoring God in the same words, as well as Desires without Idolatry, and without any of the Additions made by the Papacy to the Christian Religion, and in the best Liturgy in the World. Especially when they consider that the 4 living Creatures, improperly called Beasts in our Translation, and the 24 Presbyters or Elders, which represent the Christian Church, are represented as constantly using the same Form of Thanksgiving, and the like Forms are found, 5 Rev. 9, 12, 13. 7 Rev. 10, 12. 11 Rev. 17, 18. 15 Rev. 3. 19 Rev. 1, 2, 6, 7.  
And the same Persons can at the same time assure you that they never heard Cant or Nonsense among those who pray without a Form, but for the most part the Expressions taken out of the Scripture, the Prayers generally Premeditated, Methodical, Reverend and fervent, accommodated to the various Circumstances of the Interests of Religion in the World, both at home and abroad, and the various Dangers or Judgements under which the Nation may be, and to the Blessings of Heaven received: They that so pray are never hindered from giving Thanks for Victories, because 'tis Lent, nor from Humiliation under Judgements; because 'tis Christmas. They usually have respect to the Subject Matter of the following Discourse, which is a very good Preparation for Attention, and a Means of obtaining a Blessing on the Sermon. They can ingeniously and suitably accommodate their Devotion to the Circumstances of Families, or Persons in Matter of Prayer or Thanksgiving, for which it is impossible that any, or all the Liturgies in the World can suffice. Again, these Occasional Conformists finding that the blessed Spirit, as a Spirit of Grace and Supplication, is to convert the Jews, Zach. 12.10. that in the 8 Rom. 26. The Assistance of the Spirit in Prayer is expressed by a word alluding to a Person, who being to lift at a Beam, has one that helps him to lift both at the end of which he has hold, and at the other end too, or signifying such a help, as when one that is strong taketh up a Burden over-against another who is too weak, and also sets his Shoulders against the other to lift up the Burden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from these and other places of Sacred Scripture, they are apt to gather that the Assistance of the Spirit in Prayer ought not to be confined (I say, confined) to an invariable set Form of Humane Composure, or only to enable the Minister to read a Prayer Audibly and Reverently, nor are they willing to understand the Act of Uniformity in such a Sense as this. That from, and after the 24th Day of August, 1662., neither the Parts nor Learning of any Minister of the Gospel, nor the Gift of Prayer, nor the Assistance of the Spirit in the Matter of Prayer, should be of any further use in the Public Worship of God. They think it possible that Men may make an Idol of Words as well as of Wood or Stone, and they are afraid, that where the Spirit is rejected as a Spirit of Supplication, he oft refuses to act as a Spirit of Grace. And herein on Consideration, I do verily believe that the good Churchman, and the Occasional Conformist are of the same Mind.  
But further, as to all the Matters in Controversy between the Churchman, and the Presbyterian, and Independent, as well as between Him and the Occasional Conformist, which concern Matters of Ceremonies, and Humane Additions, such as the Sign of the Cross at Baptism, the Posture of Kneeling at the Sacrament, and the Surplice; your Oracle abovementioned, has agreed, That it is lawful for the Church to dispense with their Rites and Ceremonies and if lawful, then necessary to heal the Schism of the Dissenters, Page 247, That if they would all agree, which of the indifferent things would purchase their Reconciliation, the Church would readily grant it for so good an End. Page 254.  
Indeed in another Form, viz. As a Wolf stripped of his Shepherd's Clothing, he has been howling about the Streets for some time against the Dissenters, and Occasional Conformists, Protestants, Jesuits, Hellish Doctrines, Diabolical Seed, Fruit of Blood, Massacre, and all Wickedness, Wild Enthusiasm, Laodicean Latitude which God abhors. Evil Beasts, always Liars, Hideous Blasphemy, Furious fanatics, Impudence and Blasphemy, Grin of a Lion, Asses-ears, Cloven-foot. (Thus in the compass of a few railing Pages, beginning with the Jesuit, and ending with the Devil) and after all, Page 59, complains of it as a heavy Charge against his Party, That they do not treat the Dissenters in the Spirit of Meekness, yet he tells us in that very Treatise, Page 3. That the High Church should have little Quarrel with the Dissenters, about all the Objections they make as to Habits, Ceremonies, Liturgy, and even the Grand Point of Ordination by Presbyters in case of Necessity, and where a Bishop could not be had, if it were not for that fulsome word Schism. If they did not gather separate Congregations, and set them up in Opposition to the Church, they would be no Dissenters, notwithstanding their different Sentiments, as to the Points before mentioned; for there are those in the Communion of the Church, who may differ in Opinion about those things, and may Reason and Argue them over with one another, without any Breach of Charity, or of the Unity of the Church, which requires not that all Men should be exactly of the same Opinion in Matters of Discipline, nor nof Faith, but of one Communion, this preserves the Unity of the Church.  
Well said, Wolf, when you speak of the Church, do but mean the Church in your Creed, and farewell the Occasional Conformist; for he does none of those ill things you complain of, but is Sir Humphrey your very humble Servant, and very fit for an Office. Page 80. Occasional Conformity has no ill Consequence, and is far from inferring of no Church, and no Religion at all. I acknowledge with that Author, that settling the true Notion of the Church, and the Priesthood as Instituted by Christ, is really of Consequence, and therefore in that little Discourse, Entitled, Catholocism without Popery, I did earnestly request that it might be done for the Reasons therein mentioned, Page 4.5, 6. And there is the more Reason to desire it, because else 'tis hard to judge who are of opposite Principles, and not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion; especially since the aforesaid Oracle, alias High Church Wolf, tells us that the 39 Articles are not so much as Articles of Communion, 
Page 16.  far less of Faith. He tells us that they are required from no Laymen, or any other but the Clergy who are in Office. That there may be an Uniformity in the Doctrine publicly Preached. So then Uniformity in Matters, that are neither Matters of Faith nor Communion, Constitutes the Church, or is the Churchman than the Hypocrite, instead of the Occasional Conformist, being obliged to Subscribe and Preach a Doctrine in the Name of God, which he does not believe, and are the Ceremonies and Humane Additions, more considerable in the Constitution of the Church than the 39 Articles?  
But in truth this Matter ought to be searched to the bottom, and I am led to it by the same Author, who in the beginning of that Discourse, observes that there is a Mistake about the word Moderation; for that it appears by the Context, 
Page 1.  the Original Word means a Patient and cheerful Suffering of Afflictions. So that instead of 4. Phil. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men, being a Text against Persecution, it seems 'tis a Text that supposes Persecution. I must say that I never met with any Body that argued Indifferency as to Religion from that Text, but surely 'tis violently screwed to make it favour Persecution. 
Page. 1.  But 'tis observed, that this word is found but once in all our Bible; and the word Clergy is found no oftener; 
Page 2.  and yet what work have we about that Word. Laymen are not obliged to the Articles of the Church, but only the Clergy who are in Office; but how if the Laymen be the Clergy, that is, I mean God's Clergy or Inheritance for the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, at least in that Sense is found no where in the Bible, but 1 Pet. 5.3. where St. Peter having styled himself a fellow Presbyter, exhorts the Presbyters to their Duty to feed the Flock of God, which was among them, as Bishops thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready Mind, neither as being Lords over God's Clergy (which we read Heritage) but being Ensamples to the Flock. Now this Epistle being Written about the Year of our Lord 64, 'tis remarkable, that he who was an Apostle, and a Partaker of the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost above 30 Years before, calls himself a fellow Presbyter, which for some Reason, or other, our Translation reads an Elder, and Exhorts the Presbyters, which we read Elders, to Episcopize which we read, taking the oversight: But the thing which I would here observe, is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as the late Learned Scholiast Gregory reads it out of Oecumenius, is not the Priests but the People, however the Priests afterwards came to engross the Name. One thing I would therefore desire of the Priests that they would let us in again for a Share at least, and not believe that they only are God's Clergy or Inheritance. I would also entreat them, that they would not be the Church, because tho' that word is used in the New Testament about one hundred times, yet it is not once used for the Ministers without the People. I know 'tis pretended that the Gospel of St. Matthew, where the word is twice found, but no where else in any of the four Evangelists, it must signify the Ministers; but not to enter now into that Controversy, 'tis strange that in the other 99 Places it should signify no such thing, and therefore since the People are 99 parts at least of the Church. I would not have the Priests pass for the Church, and if these two things be granted me, I fancy we shall by and by come into a fair way of delivering the World from that Controversy about Episcopal and Presbyterian Government.  
But I can't here omit to give you a short hint of what may perhahs be more fully discoursed elsewhere. The Apostle Paul, 2 Thes. 2.3. Tells us that the Day of Judgement should not come till there had been an Apostasy, or falling away, and that Man of Sin be revealed, and so goes on, describing the Papacy most accurately. But I must own that till I read Irenaeus that best piece of Primitive Christianity, I never understood the meaning of that Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. But that Primitive Father acquaints us that the Primitive Heretics, of whom Simon Magus was the Father, 
Lib. 1. Cap. 30.  invented a new sort of God's, called Aeons', of whom they imagined originally but four, 
Lib. 1. Cap. 1.  but were still adding new ones, 
Lib. 2. Cap. 22.  till they came to be 4380, according to the number of the hours of the Days of the Year, and to carry on this Generation, they began betimes to couple their Aeons'; as Man and Wife, and one of the first couple wore Anthropos and Ecclesia, 
Lib 1. Cap. 34.  Vera & Sanct Ecclesia, so they called this same Goddess the Wife of Anthropos. And his Anthropos they held to be above God. Irenaeus, Page 54, which exactly agrees with the Anthropus mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the aforecited Place. And hence also we may gather who that Whore is that we read of in the Revelations, even this same Wife of Anthropos, which seems to me to be the Reason why in that whole Book after the third Chapter you never meet with the word Church, till after the end of the Prophecy, and this perhaps is also the Reason why the Reformed Christian Church of the latter Days is called the Bride, the Lamb's Wife: A Bride in opposition to the Whore, and the Bride the Lamb's Wife in opposition to the Wife of Anthropos. But this, by the way, only observe that Simon Magus the Father of these Aeons' was, if you believe Baronius, fetched down out of the Air by St. Peter's Prayers at Rome, Anno 45, about 4 Years before St. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Thessalonians: And take notice also that Irenaeus in his 33 d. Chapter of his first Book, observes, that Ignorance and Impudence, False Zeal, Fury, Envy, and Lust, were said to be born about the same time with this same blessed couple.  
Now, Sir, you must excuse me if I have no kindness for any of the Offspring of these Folk, and if I find any thing put upon me as part of Revealed Religion, which appears to be begot by Anthropos on Ecclesia, and if you or the Men of your Party Writ as many Books as would fill the Tower of Babel in behalf of such things, I shall still remember such Texts as these, to the Law, and to the Testimony. If they speak not according to this Rule, 'tis because there is no Light in them, 8 Is. 20. Thus it is written, etc. I must always say of the Christianity contained in the Writings of the Sacred Penman, as Josephus says of the Writings of Moses, Every thing that they wrote is yet extant, and we must take it as they left it, 
Joseph. Page 92.  without any room for Ornament or Variation. And it was by this Principle which runs throughout his whole Work, that Irenaeus routed all the Heretics, and all their Army of Aeons', except this couple who have plagued, do plague, and will plague the World till the total downfall of Antichrist; for as your aforesaid Oracle in his New Association, Page 2. Page 17. observes, when once we leave the Institutions of God, there is no stop, and our Imagination is our only Rule. Magna est veritas & prevalebi●.  
But 'tis high time, Sir, to stop, least after all you should think that I here condemn the Church of England, as by Law Established, against which I don't say one word, the late designed Act not being past. For I do declare I take no Church to be a Whore, unless she be guilty of Idolatry; for that is Spiritual Adultery in Scripture Language. I could wish that none but the Great Whore were concerned with Anthropos, but some Churches that are not Whores, are a little guilty of Jilting now and then, and are too apt to Paint, and to take some parts of the Attire of an Harlot, tho' they are not so; and therefore I wish all honest Churches would consider what it is that will be done, when it shall be said, that the Marriage of the Lamb is come, 
19 Rev. 7.  and his Wife hath made herself ready.  
The Case of the Regale makes the only considerable Matter in Controversy between the Church and Dissenters to be Episcopacy, all other Matters being easily accommodated, that Episcopacy was the Heir, which they said, come let us kill him, that the Inheritance may be ours, Page 248, that he takes Episcopacy to be no indifferent thing, but Instituted by Christ, and confirmed by the constant Practice of the Universal Church of Christ in all Ages, Page 254. And yet in the Shape of a Wolf, Page 27. He falls very fiercely upon his Brother Wolf of Rome, and calls the Pope the Grand Schismatic, and why? even, because Catholic Communion is broke by the Church of Rome in the Usurpation of her Bishops, over all the rest of his Fellow Bishops, and confining the Catholic Church to his own Communion, than it seems that is Schism in the Pope which would have been Establishing Peace and Unity, and Settling our Constitution upon a sure and lasting Foundation, if done by the Occasional Bill. Peace at Home, Page 12. But if the Pope be in the wrong, what is this Episcopacy that is of Divine Right? And what is a Diocese, and what Texts are there that prove an Equality among Bishops, which do not also prove Presbyters to be Bishops? St. Peter we just now read was a Fellow Presbyter, and would never have Exhorted Presbyters to act the Bishop, if he had known that Presbyters and Bishops differed in Order, Jure Divino. Nor would St. John, who Wrote his Gospel about the Year 98, about 65 Years after he had received the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and after he came out of the boiling Oil, have omitted so necessary a Matter, nor would he in his 2 d. and 3 d. Epistles, just before his Death, have misled the Church, by calling himself the Presbyter, which is the first word in both those Epistles, especially in his Third Epistle, in which he complains of Diotrephes, who loved the Pre-eminence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a lover of Prelacy, for not receiving him, and for casting the Brethren out of the Church. He would have been careful to have used the Style of a Higher Order, nay, 'tis plain he did not think it a Disparagement to the surviving Apostle of Jesus Christ to be styled a Presbyter; but hitherto the Church of Christ remained a pure Virgin. Hegesippus in Eus. l. 3. c. 32. and Anthropos had not prevailed to, introduce his Spouse in her stead. This Parity appears from divers Places in Irenaeus in the second Century, and the well known Place in St. Hierom, the Confession of Binius in 1 Can. Apost. is remarkable, that the Names of Bishop and Presbyter were promiscuously used, and not distinguished for above 200 Years. I will add the words of the Learned Hales, in his Discourse of Schism, They deceive themselves, and others who would persuade us that Bishops by the Institution of Christ have any Superiority above other Men, except that which requires Reverence, or That a Bishop is Superior by any other Law than Positivo, and by the common Consent of Christians. Do I then, Sir Humphrey, say any thing against the Constition of the Church of England? not at all Jure Positivo: The Priests and People are Governed by the Queen, the Laws are made by Queen, Lords, and Commons, there are as many Lord Lieutenants as Counties, and Bishops as Dioceses, and Archbishops as Provinces; there are among the People, Dukes, Marquesses, etc. and among the Ministers, Deans, Arch-Deacons, prebend's, etc. But for God's sake, what Texts do you quote for the Jus Divinum, either of the Monarchy limited by our Laws, and all the Subordinate Officers in the English Form of Government, tho' the best in the World, or for the Hierarchy of the Church of England, with all its Subordinate Officers, as described by Dr. Cousius, in his Ecclesiae Anglicanae Politica.  
Reprint that Book, and let us have the Scriptures, proving the Constitution Jure Divino in the next Edition; but otherwise, let us not be bubled out of our Senses, either by the Jus Divinum of Episcopacy, or of Presbytery, while by one is meant the English Hierarchy, or the Seotch Church Government by the other. Do not all Learned Men know that Pope Leo the Great, who began his Popedom about the Year 440, in his 87th and 90th Epistles, is express for a pular Election of Bishops. And altho' Pope Symmachus in the latter end of the Fifth Century, about the Year 498, endeavoured to exclude the People from the Election, yet Pope Celestine the Second, in the Year 1143, was the first Pope made without the People's Election, even in the See of Rome, where Priesteraft did most prevail. And now in England the Dean and Chapter chose the Bishop in Pursuance of an Act of Parliament, and by Authority from the Crown. Hierom and Eutichius are express, that in Alexandria from Mark their first Bishop, one of the Presbyters was chosen to be Bishop by the rest. So that the Presbyters could make a Bishop; for we read of no Bishops that Ordained or Consecrated Him, when so chosen, which is the Practice in England. The Learned Usher acknowledges that the Presbyters Power, which I plead for is taken from Him in England only by Law, and may by Law be restored. And yet because an Episcopacy was early in the Church, the English Prelacy must be put upon us to be Jure Divino. Take it as it is Jure Humano, and I have not one word to say against it. And 'tis plain, that notwithstanding the noise now made about the Jus Divinum of Bishops, as a Superior Order to Presbyters, that was not the Sense of the Church at the Restauration of King Charles the Second; for if it had, the Lords Spiritual, would never have agreed to the Stat. 12. Car. 2. Cap. 17. which restores Ministers, Ordained by any Ecclesiastical Persons before the 25th of December, than last past. Alas, Sir, Christ himself, and not the Apostles Ordained the Seventy. Philip the Deacon sent Christianity into Abasinia, where it still is, by the Aethopian Eunuch, who was no Bishop that I know of, and yet they had Ordained Ministers before they received an Abuna, or Archbishop from the Patriarch of Alexandria. Let the Priests be Governed in all Countries, as they are most Governable; it hinders not, but we may be all of the same, and not of opposite Principles, but of the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion. I don't pretend to determine how far the Civil Power may enforce Revealed. Religion, but I hope all Christian Princes and States will take care that the Priests add not to, or diminish from our Christianity in any Form, and let them be Governed, as they may, but for God's sake let Discipline be restored, and then 'tis no great matter in what Form the Priests are managed.  
Let every Minister who has the Cure of Souls, be enabled to exercise Disciplinam Christi, which I am sure is Jure Divino, and perhaps the Reduction of Episcopacy to the Form of Synodical Government, by Archbishop Usher, tho' not Jure Divine, would be found so agreeable to Reason, suitable to Primitive Practice, and accommodate to the Ends of Discipline, that a due Consideration thereof might in a while bring all Christian Churches into the same Form of Government, without the Pretence of a Jus Divinum for it. Let us have no Laws about the Matter of Revealed Religion, but what are at least plainly justified by the Scripture, and not be hampered by the Priest's Additions in any Form; and Discipline will be easy and without Difficulty. But if the Parish Minister may not Excommunicate a Notorious Convicted Atheist, Deist, Blasphemer, Idolater, Profane Swearer, Sabbath-breaker, Abuser of Parents, Murderer, Adulterer, Thief, Perjured Person, Extortioner, Barretor, and such like; but must complain to the Diocesan, and an Appeal must lie to the Archbishop, the same Reason may carry it to the Pope, tho' our Laws justly prohibit it. So in the other Form of Government, if such a Criminal, after Conviction by Law, may appeal from his Pastor to the Sessions, thence to the Presbytery, thence to the Synod, and thence to the General Assembly, the same Reason will carry it to a General Council, and I think there aught to be one Appeal more in such Cases, viz. to the Day of Judgement. Indeed, if Priests may make us a Horseload of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical, and load us with Ceremonies, of which St. Augustine in his Second Epistle to Januarius, complains, that the Condition of the Jews was more tolerable than of the Church in his Time, (which was the 5th. Century,) and the Transgression of every one of them shall be a new Sin, there may be need of Appeals, nor will it be sit to trust a single Person to tease a Parish for not submitting to Priestcraft.  
But the Laws of God are plain, the Duties required by Christianity are well known, and I am so far from Abridging the Ministers of the Gospel of their just Power, that I think 'tis a horrid shame that they have not more. 'Tis an excellent Passage, cited out of Mr. Chillingworth, by the late Author of a Discourse called the Principle of the Protestant Reformation. I am fully assured that God doth not, and therefore that Man ought not to require any more of any Man than this; to Believe the Scripture to be God's word, to endeavour to find the true Sense of it, and to Live according to it; The Bible, the Bible, I say the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants.  
But though I agree with the Author, page 5. That a Person by Baptism is not made a Member of any particular Church, but only of the Christian Church Universal; yet I conceive that he is wretchedly out, when he insinuates, That there is no Part of Primitive Church Communion, which might not have been performed by a Woman, as well as a Man; and that a Woman's Narrative would have been part of the Gospel: Because that Bible tells me not, that our Saviour had any She-Apostles or Evangelists. Indeed Priscilla, as well as Aquila, did instruct Apollo's; but so may any good Woman instruct her Friend, without being a Churchofficer. And the Context of that Passage, 1 Cor. 11.21. which he quotes, seems to insinuate, as if this Fancy of a Female Officer had got footing in the Church of Corinth; but the Apostle tells us, That the Head of the Woman is the Man, ver. 3. and that she ought to have Power, or a Covering on her Head: So far from being heard, that she was not to be seen. And in the next Chapter, v. 28, & 29. he speaks of Church-Officers, but of no She-Ones. And again, Chap 14. v. 34. He is plain in the Case, Let the Woman keep Silence in the Church, for it is not permitted to them to speak; and so 1 Tim. 2.12. Again, I think he is strangely out, when he says, page 11. That there is no absolute Necessity for Public Church-Communion, since we can read the Gospel at home; for I am really a Friend to the Apostle's Creed, and believe the Communion of Saints, which is an Article founded on express Scripture, as well as the other Articles of that Creed, and which must be had by joining to some Church or Congregation, such as is described in the 19th Article of the Church of England. But indeed, if you speak of National, or Provincial Churches, which distinguish themselves by their own, or other men's Inventions; I am of the Mind of Diogenes, who would not be a Citizen of Athens, because they required some separating Ceremonies, whereas, He took himself to be a Citizen of the World. A Passage which the Pious and Ingenious Mr. Burscough, in his late Discourse of Schism has Cited; (but whether to this Purpose let the World Judge) I will not for the same Reason, confine my Communion to any such Party, because I am a Member of the Catholick-Church. But, for Ordinary Communion, certainly every Christian ought to be a Member of some Congregation, if he can so be, and that which Consists of his Neighbours is most Agreeable to the Ends of Christian Communion. And, then as to Church Officers, the Bible is Plain; the Epistles of the Apostles Paul, are full of Evidence for Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons; He left Tinus in Crect, to Ordain Presbyters in every City, Tit. 5. and 4.4 Eph. 11. He tells us, that our Saviour gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers, for the Perfecting of the Saints, etc. The Words are all Masculine, and no Place Mentions a she Apostle or Evangelist. But, here let the Clergy observe the Consequence of pretending to Unscriptural Rights, jure Divino, which drives Men to Question, whether they have any at all. But, let that Author and all Men know, that the Ministers of the Gospel are Ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the Mysteries of God, 1 Cor. 4.1. They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Precedents, Persons that Preside, or as it is rendered, are over the Church in the Lord, 1 Thess. 5.1.2. We read 1 Tim. 5.17. of Elders that Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' Presiding Presbyters, a Passage one would think, inconsistent with the Presbyterian Government, as Opposed by the Episcopal. For I know no better Description of a Bishop, than a Presiding Presbyter, and yet a Passage, that hath been tortured to Prove Lay-Elders, and to make that Government Jure Divino. Indeed, I know no Text so much relied on, except perhaps that, 1 Tim. 4. 14. Timothy's Gift was given Him by laying on of the Hands of the Presbyters, which Place the Learned Calvin himself quits, as proving no such Matter. Besides, 'tis Plain, that St. Paul's Hands were laid on him too, 2 Tim. 1.6. And I cannot but Observe, that this Passage in this Second Epistle, (which was Written about Eleven Years after the First) seems to fall from that inspired Writer, to prevent the Mistake that Men might be led into, by that other Text in the first Epistle, and at the same time Insinuate, that in Ordination, the Bishop and Presbyters (where a Church has both) do best together, so the same Apostle in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, Explains some Passages in his first, as also some Things in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians, that occasioned Mistakes, are set right in the Second.  
On the other Side, 'tis strange to see the Jus Divinum of Prelatical Government is founded by some on Passages, that make most Strongly against it, of which I shall Content myself at Present with one Instane, Acts 20. 17. St. Paul from Miletus. sent to Ephesius, and called the Presbyters of the Church, who v. 28. He says, were made Bishops by the Holy Ghost, this is a Place much relied on against the Difference of Order: But, Mr. Maurice in his Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy, endeavouring to Enervate Mr. Clarkson's Argument from that Passage, Quotes Ireneus, L. 3. Cap. 14. Who he says, being Born in the End of the First Century, might have Notices from Tradition of more of St. Paul's Visitation, than is Recorded by St. Luke; and tells us, that St. Paul having called together the Bishops and Presbyters of Ephesus, and the other Neighbouring Cities, etc. The Text is, the Presbyters, Irenaeus says, Bishops and Presbyters; and Paul tells them, that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops: Now let the Reason of Mankind Judge, whether this Passage of Irenaeus be not much Stronger against Diocesan Episcopacy, as it Imports a Difference of Order, than the Text itself, for some Prelates have endeavoured to avoid the force of that Text, by affirming, that those Presbyters were all Bishops. But if Irenaeus be in the right, both the Bishops and Presbyters were Bishops of the Holy Ghosts making, i. e. Jure Divino. It seems the Apostles Rule, 1 Pet. 5.5. was observed then, which was about Twelve Years before that Epistle was Written, viz. The Younger Presbyters did submit themselves unto the Elder; tho' at the same time, they were all Subject one to another, and were clothed with Humility. And that this Ancient Father knew no other Difference, will appear to the Impartial Reader, who will consult these Passages, Lib. 4. Cap. 43. Cap. 44. Cap. 52. Cap. 63. Lib. 5. Pag. 299. 322.  
Surely Mr. Maurice had as good let that Father alone, and have wholly slid away from the Objection, as he does in another Place; for Mr. Clarkson making it his great Argument against Diocesan Episcopacy, that it was wholly Impracticable, supposing the Bishop the sole Pastor of the Diocese, consisting of many Churches, Pag. 226. and proving it irrefragably from Reason, and the Testimony of Chrysostom and others, and having mentioned Gregory, Orat. 20. who Applauds the Multiplying of Bishoprics as an Excellent Art. Souls being hereby better looked after; he Observes, that others would have this less regarded, and the Bishop's Honour more: Now, what does Mr. Maurice say to all this; why in Truth, just nothing at all? St. Chrysostom says, that a Bishop at the Peril of his Soul, is to take exact Notice of the Spiritual State of all under his Charge, and constantly to perform all Pastoral Duties to the whole Flock; he had need of many Thousand Eyes, to look into the State of every Soul under him, which of them can Digest bitter Remedies, and who for want of them grow Careless. Tho' he Order his own Life well, if he does not exactly take Care of thee, and of all that are under him, to Hell he goes with the Wicked. And in another Place, it is very Burdensome to have the Charge of 150 Souls. Now, what is to be done? These Matters are Plain. If a Bishop be the sole Pastor of 500000, and some of them live 3000 Miles from the Bishop's Palace; as for the Purpose, the distance of the West-Indies from Fulham, how is Chrysostom to be answered? Why, even by denying what he says. Bishops says Mr. Maurice, Pag. 438. are certainly accountable for those who Perish by their Neglect of their proper Office; but will not be Condemned for not doing the Office of a Presbyter, to all the Particulars of his Diocese. But pray, what is the Office of a Presbyter, if those Passages of Chrysostom do not describe it. It were much better, and Honester to say, the Bishop is the Precedent of the Presbytery, and not the sole Pastor of the Diocese; he may have the Care of Souls in one particular Parish, but every Parish Presbyter is a Bishop of his Parish; and as such, those Passages of Chrysostom concern him, and not the Diocesan, who by the 71 Canon of the African Code, is forbidden to leave his Cathedral Church, and go to any other Church in his Diocese to reside there. This would be Plain Dealing, and a better Answer to the Charge of consulting the Bishop's Honour, more than the good of Souls, than to tell the Story of the Cappadocian, whose Blood poisoned a Viper that bitten him. Def. of Di. Epis. Pag. 107. This had made Mr. Maurice in the right, and Mr. Clarkson wholly in the wrong in this Matter. For after all the Pains that Ingenious Independent has taken, Diocesan-Episcopacy rightly Understood, is too hard for him; but taking the Diocesan as the Sole Pastor of a Diocese, these Two Gentlemen do most manifestly Confute one another, and neither of them in Truth, are for the True Primitive Episcopacy. That Chrysostom was Bishop of Constantinople in this Sense, which I give of Primitive Episcopacy, is very consistent with the aforesaid Passages, and his Practice does no more Contradict his Doctrine, than Dr. Usher, being the Archbishop Ardmagh, is an Argument, that he did not Write the aforementioned Treatise, Entitled the Reduction of Episcopacy, etc.  
I see no way of saving the Souls of either of Bishop or People without Discipline; I see no Possibility of Discipline, without allowing many Pastors in every Diocese, (too big for the Inspection of a single Pastor) who have the Power of the Keys, and I do not diminish here by the Diocesans Grandeur, unless it be Claimed by the Institution of Christ, who has forbid such a Claim in the most Express Terms, and told us his Kingdom is not of this World, neither He nor His Apostles would meddle with Government; and altho' I think the 13th Rom. which has been much urged for Arbitrary Power, and unlimited Submission to the worst of Rulers signifies no such thing, especially being Written in Neros Quinquennium, when his Reign was suitable to, the Apostles Description of it, in that Chapter: Yet that, and many such Texts show, that the Apostles thought not of any such Hierarchy of Divine Institution, as the High Party pretend to; it is not the Business of the Ministers of the Gospel to meddle with Government, other than Pastoral, at least till the Apostles shall sit on Thrones, judging the 12 Tribes of Israel, and when that will be, God only knows. But of this I am sure, that there have been many Heretical Councils, that the Councils of Rome held by Gregory the III. in the 8th Century, consisting of 903 Bishops, almost Thrice the Number of the Fathers at the Council of Nice; Decreed the Worshipping of Images, Excommunicated the Emperor Leo, and deprived him of his Imperial Dignity, for Opposing Images. And whereas the Councils of Nice in the 4th Century, appointed 3 Patriarches, one in Rome, another in Alexandria, and the Third in Antioch, with Power to Convocate within their own Bounds, particular Councils for timely suppressing of Heresies, this was so far from suppressing them, that many of those Patriarches were most Notorious Heretics, and the great Promoters of Heresy, Eulalius, Euphronius, Placitus, Stephanus, Leontius, Spado, Eudoxius, all Patriarches of Antioch were Arians in the very same Century. So was Lucius Patriarch of Alexandria. And tho' Julius Patriarch of Rome, and most of his Successors in that Age, were a Refuge to the Orthodox; yet, Siricius in that Age, forbade Marriage to Priests, and their affecting Supremacy, was very Visible. And Liberius one of them is given up by Bellarmine himself as an Arian, and these Pretences at last, issued in the Papal-Empire.  
But yet, in short, I know no Reason why a Minister of the Gospel, may not be made by the Civil Government a Lord of Parliament; nor why, a Lord of Parliament may not become a Minister of the Gospel. It were no Disparagement to the Emperor, to be an Ambassador for Christ, 2 Cor. 5.20. And I was pleased with a Story that I heard of, a certain Clergyman, on whom an Earldom descended, who Wrote himself Minister of Jesus Christ, and Earl of K. He that receiveth them receiveth Christ, and he that receiveth Him, receiveth Him that sent Him. I have the same Expectations with the Author of the Case of the Regale, that many of the Promises of the Glory of the Church, must be fulfilled in this World; that there are Original, Fundamental and Divine Powers, with which Christ has invested His Church; that there is a Discipline which Christ has left in his Church, and which is absolutely necessary, with which Princes cannot Dispense, and which they may not Overrule; that she has an Original Independance from all Kings and States, who ought to be Subject to her Discipline, if they Profess themselves Members of her; that Censures are still in her Power, and that she cannot Recede from them; and that they would still have their Effect upon all truly Conscientious, and restore the now well nigh lost Notions of a Church and Religion; but then, all these things must be found in the Bible; and Men may as well make an Act to Burn the Bible, Pres. Pag. 23. as set Up for Rights, Powers and Privileges, Jure Divino, which are not to be found there.  
He is certainly in the right Pag. 25. that nothing can be believed to be Religion by any People, but what they think to be Divine, and they can think nothing can be so, that is in the Power of Man to alter or Transverse. I look on every True Gospel Minister, as representing the Person of Jesus Christ, and Reverence Him as His Ambassador; but I have his Instructions in my Hand, and he must not expect that I show any Regard to his Demands, beyond those Instructions: Suppose a Treaty of Peace between the Emperor and the Hungaeians now in Arms, who Accept of the Terms offered them by His Imperial Majesty; but, Prince Eugene would have Two or Three of his own Fancies complied with, or no Peace should be, would not the Hungarians think him very Impertinent and Saucy, would not the Emperor think Himself ill Served by him, and would not all the World think him stark Mad? The Application is easy. And here Sir, I could particularly show you, that Anthropos and his Wife did gradually Rob the Laity of their Reason, the Bible of their Senses, by what Degrees Priest-crast grew, and Christianity decayed, but I must not Enlarge, having been much longer on this Head than I designed. But, I cannot Omit to give you, a Copy of a Letter Written by Cardinal Woolsey to the Pope; when we of the Laity began to shake our Ears, and look about Us as you may find it, Ld. Herb. Hist. H. VIII. No. 2.  
And now Sir Humphrey, what is there in all this that hinders; but that you a High Churchman, and I an Occasional-Conformist, or rather if you please, an Occasional-Dissenter are not of Opposite Principles, but of the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion? Is there any particular Part of Religion, in what I have Discoursed under this Head, in which Consideration, you do not fully agree with me in all Respects. Sure you cannot still think either English-Prelacy, or Scotch-Presbytery, Jure Divino, tho' by the Civil Sanction, they be justified in the respective Kingdoms, where they are Established. 'tis a wonderful Thing, considering, for how many Ages Prelacy prevailed in the World, and the many Forgeries of Pieces of Antiquities, and the Indices Expurgatoriae that have been made, that there are so many Things to be said against Jus Divinum out of Antiquity; and on the other side, 'tis wonderful, that if Presbyterian Government without a Precedent Bishop had been Jure Divino that so Early, as the Year 140. it should be Decreed over all the World, to change it to Diocesan-Episcopacy, which the Presbyterians endeavour to Prove out of St. Jerom; and that in no Age since, till of late, the Jus Divinum of it should be Discovered. And I believe, it may be proved, that the Albegois and Vaudois Churches, which have been pure Churches from the Apostles Days; have always allowed of Precedent Bishops, tho' not of Diocesans, being sole Pastors of a Diocese, Jure Divino. But, this Question is no matter of either Natural or Revealed Religion; and therefore hinders me not, to Conclude, that you and I are not of Opposite Principles, but of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion; especially, since we are both Members also of the National Church, hearty Approve of the Laws of the Land, and cheerfully pay Obedience to them; tho' both you and I, would be Glad to see them altered, so as to restore Discipline, to Establish the Church of England more firmly, to make a better Provision for the small Vicarages and Curacies; to Unite our Differences and heal our Breaches, to Provide for Employing the Poor, to Suppress Vice and Immorality more Effectually, and to promote Christian Knowledge, both at Home and Abroad.  
2. And having been too Prolix, tho' far from Impoverishing the Subject of the first Question; I shall be short in my Answer to the other; and as to the Second, Whether if the Occasional-Bill had passed, it had secured the Government from such, who are not sincere Members of the National Church, nor hearty approve of the Laws of the Land, nor cheerfully pay Obedience to them; but are of Opposite Prinnciples, and not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion.  
I will only say, That 'tis plain, that altho' the Bill had passed, Atheists, Deists, Socinians, those that Value no Religion, nor any Church, if wise enough to avoid the late Act against Blasphemy, Adulterers, Common Swearers, Extortioners, and all those truly Scandalous Occasional-Conformists, whose Lives show, that they neither hearty Approve of the Laws of God, or of the Land; and neither cheerfully nor otherwise, pay Obedience to them, would be Capable of Public Offices and Employments, relating to the Government either in Countries or Corporations, notwithstanding that Bill, and would have been no way Affected by it; a Person of Sober Life, that had been in 5 or 6 Years, 5 or 600 Times at Church, and frequently received the Sacrament according to the Usage of the Church of England, might have been removed out of an Office, tho' he had also all that while, laboured in doing Service to the Church, as by Law Established, which will be of Everlasting Advantage to it; and a Person of a Prosligate Life, who had Publicly owned, that he had not been at Church for as many Years, might be Capable of a Wh. St.— f. notwithstanding that Act; but this is so Clear, That it needs no Proof, as to so much of this Question, as relates to Religion; and if you intent any other Laws, the Defacto Men, such as believe the Jus Divinum of Absolute Monarchy, that take the Oaths to Her Majesty as an Ass eats Thistles, that neither hearty Approve of the Laws of the Land, abjuring the pretended James the III. and Establishing Her Majesty's Throne, and the Protestant Succession, nor the Law for Toleration, nor cheerfully pay Obedience to them, would be all unaffected by this Bill; surely the Promoters of it, thought there was no Sin, but going to a Protestant Meeting, as one of the Characters in Timon of Athens thought there was no Sin but Murder.  
Thirdly, Whether the Administration of Public Aflairs may not be in the Hands of Persons who are not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion, nay, of Men of opposite Principles, without Confusion or tearing the Government in pieces between them, and whether they may not, notwithstanding, draw together the same way for the Public Good. Now certainly, Calvinists and Arminians, High-Church and Low-Church, Sherlockians and Southians, such as take the Articles of the Church to be Articles of Faith, and such as take them only to be Articles of Peace; such as are for the Occasional-Bill, and such as are not, such as hold the Pope to be Antichrist, and such as do not, are not of one and the same Persuasion in Matters of Religion, but of opposite Principles; and yet Sir Humphrey, you will not deny, that they may be all employed without Confusion or tearing the Government in pieces between them; and may notwithstanding draw together the same way, for the Public Good: but the truth is this, 
Queen's Coronation Sermon, p. 24.  Mixing of Heaven & Earth together, as his Grace the Lord Archbishop of York expresses it, When Men for difference of Opinion, about the Methods of the public Conduct, break out into Parties and Factions, sacrifice the Peace of the Kingdom to their own private Resentments, and mingle Heaven and Earth for the supporting of a Side. 'Tis this which tears the Government in pieces. It were indeed desirable, that all the Subjects of England were good Christians, for the sake of the Public and of their own Souls; for that Christianity gives the best Rules of Morality, and the Name of Jesus Christ is the only Name under Heaven, given among Men, whereby they can be Saved: Yet Faith is the Gift of God, and Men may be of great Use in this World, who may be very unhappy in the next.  
It is a Notion long since exploded, That Dominion is founded in Grace: and Honesty, Honour, Skill, and Imegrity, may consist with a mistaken Belief as to revealed Religion; and in this respect no Religion but the Popish, or the High-Church Party in England, or the High-Kirk Party or Cameronians in Scotland, can make a Man otherwise honest to tear the Government in pieces. Indeed Popery is inconsistent with Allegiance to all Protestant Kings and States: For as Antonius de Dominis Archbishop of Spolato acknowledged above 80 years ago, The Church under the Bishop of Rome is no more a Church but a human Government under the Monarchy of the Pope, which is wholly Temporal. And this Assertion of his may be easily justified out of the Lateran and other Councils, and their most celebrated Writers. So Thomas Aquinas tells us, That the Pope is as much above Bishops as Bishops are above Kings and Princes; that the Secular Power is subjected to the Spiritual, as the Body to the Soul; and that therefore 'tis no Usurpation when a Prelate meddles with Temporal Matters. So Bonaventure, his Contemporary, about the Year 1274 affirms, That the Pope may depose Princes; and this after Edwardus Salburgensis, in his Oration to the Diet at Ratisbon about the Year 1248, had thus expressed himself: There are now 175 Years elaspsed since Gregory the 7th laid the Foundations of an Empire, under the show of Religion, which in the same Oration he calls the Empire of Antichrist. But this is a matter so plain, that it cannot be denied by any learned Protestant; and I wish that none who bear the Protestant Name were of the Mind of Salmero, who teaches, that as well the Priestly as the Kingly Power is placed in the Pastors of the Church, that so Christ may reign for ever: For 'tis not long since the Judges of England were solemuly told in a Sermon, that St. Paul was a mixed Person. Alas these, and such as these are the Principles which work Confusion, and tear the Government in pieces; whether they got into the Heads of Prelatists or Presbyterians, or of Men of any other denomination: But altho' the Christian Profession with a suitable Conversation, aught to be looked upon as an excellent Qualisication for an Employment, where the Person has other Qualifications proper for such an Employment, and such a Man is certainly preferable to another of equal Skill, who either makes no Profession of Religion, or lives not according to his Profession: Yet the ancient Roman Honesty with the Roman Courage, Loyalty, and Love to his Country, and largeness of Soul may render a Man more sit for an Employment than a Selfish, Persecuting, Cowardly, Arbitrary, narrow Soul Fellow, that oves none but his own Party, tho' he believed his Creed never so firmly, and roared for the Church never so boisterously; and much more if all the noise he makes be for humane Inventions and Ceremonies. The Priests are now competently ashamed of the pretended Jus Divinum of absolute Monarchy, and when they have been scouted out of all their Pretences under all Forms, to any Jus Divinum, not to be found in the Scriptures: Then, and not till then will the Princes and States of Christendom be secure and quiet.  
The proof hereof would be too prolix, but I can't forbear to present you with a small sample. The Pope in the 13th Century sent the Christian Princes a Pilgrimage to recover the Holy Land, which was in truth only to take an Opportunity to usurp upon their Rights in their Absence, and to set up his pretended Jus Divinum to be Monarch of the World. Thus after Gregory the 9th had by Excommunication forced the Emperor Frederick the Second to an Expedition into the Holy Land, he invaded Naples, and other parts of the Emperor's Dominions, and stirred up Henry, the Emperor's Son to Rebellion, and called a Council to depose him: Nor would he make Peace with him, tho' he sued to the Pope for it; and tho' the Tartars carried all before them, the Emperor could not obtain Liberty to assist the Christians, but was forced to fight it out with the Pope, till the Anti-christian Monster having the worst on't broke his Heart. Some time after Pope Innocent the 4th blessed the French King Lewis about the Year 1248, and sent him on the same Errand; but gathered a Council at Lions against Frederick, and thereby hindered him from assisting Lewis, who sought to make Peace between the Emperor and the Pope, that he might be assisted; but the barbarous Pope, and his pretended Jus Divinum, left the poor King and his two Brothers Captives to the Saracens, and the whole Christian Army to be cut off. Some time after Pope Gregory the 10th engaged the Emperor Rodulph to send an Army into Asia, and after the Ruin of that Army, and the Captivity of the Prince of Meckleburg who commanded it, being the 7th Army in this Century that was sent on the Pope's Errand: It happened that Cassianus Prince of Tartary, turned Christian, and conquered Syria from the Saracens, and left Governors in it with express Orders, that they should enter into a Confederacy with the Christian Princes of the West: But Pope Bonisuce the Eighth, to whom this Offer was made, was so busy in maintaining his pretended Jus Divinum, against the French King Philip, whom he Excommunicated and his Posterity to the Fourth Generation, that he wholly slighted this Offer, which occasioned oned the loss of Syria, made Capeacus who governed in Damascus for Cassianus, to revolt to the Sultan of Egypt, and gave occasion to the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the next Age.  
Alas, Sir, were there no Princes in the Seventeenth Century, ruined by Contests about those Jus Divinums? I pray God the Eighteenth Century may afford no instances of any Prince undone by believing the Jus Divinum of Priestcraft. These things considered, it is not strange that the National Synod or Council of Gap, Anno 1604, just 100 Years ago, for the Reasons in their Acts mentioned; and among others, for that the Bishop of Rome, with relation to Civil Affairs, tramples on the lawful Authority of Magistrates, giving, taking away, transferring Kingdoms; thus resolve, We Believe and Assert, that he is the true and proper Antichrist, the Son of Perdition, foretold in the Word of God, the Purple Whore that sits on the Seven Mountains in the Great City, that has obtained Dominion over the Kings of the Earth, and we wait till God (as he hath promised, and already begun to do) shall break and conquer him by the Spirit of his Mouth, and destroy him utterly by the brightness of his Coming. But we are assured by a more infallible Authority, that the Kings of the Earth shall hate the Whore and make her Desolate and Naked, 
Rev. 17.12, 16.  and eat her Flesh, and burn her with Fire. The Kings, and not the Priests are to work this Reformation; and therefore tho' they had given their Power, Strength, 
Verse 13.  and Kingdom to the Beast, which the Kings of the Earth never gave to any but the Pope and his Church; yet by reassuming their respective Rights, and asserting their just Supremacy, God will some time or other utterly root out Priestcraft; 
Revel. 11.15.  the Kingdoms of this World must become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; not by turning Kingdoms into Churches and Kings into Priests, or setting up Imperium in Imperio. Our Saviour at first indeed appeared to St. John in the Habit of a Priest, and his Sword went out of his Mouth, a plain Representation how his Gospel should at first prevail: But after that Anthropos and Ecclesia had set up Antichrist, and the Kings of the Earth had been a long time committing Fornication with the Great Whore, 
Revel. 18.3.  and the inhabiters of the Earth had been made drunk with the Wine of her Fornication, when Babylon is to fall; when the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made herself ready, and the Heavens open for the utter destruction of the Beast and false Prophet, 
Revel. 19.11.  he than appears as a General in the Head of an Army; and tho' the Sword still comes out of his Mouth, and his Name is called the Word of God, 
Verse 15.  that we may be sure to know Him, 
Verse 13.  and the true means of Reformation; yet his Name written on his Vesture and on his Thigh, is not Bishop of Bishops, 
Verse 16.  or chief Priest of Priests; but King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, that we may know also who they are, whom He will use as Instruments of Reformation. And I dare appeal to the Reason of Mankind, whether it does not agree with this Prophecy, that the Civil Powers must interpose, or the Priests will be quarrelling about their pretended Jus Divinum, and tearing Christendom to pieces till the Day of Judgement.  
And here I rid my hands of all the lamentable Stories, that the abovementioned Wolf tells of the Presbyterian Tyranny in Scotland; I have not one word to say for it, if it be true which he relates, and others deny: I hope the Civil Power will keep them in Order, as well as his Party in England. The Apologetic Declaration annexed to that Discourse, says, That they cannot own Princess Ann as their lawful chosen covenanted Princess, such as they ought to have, nor can they have any Prince or Princess but a Covenanted one. Why, says another Party, no Prince or Princess, without they maintain the Jus Divinum of Absolute Monarchy, and maintain the Jus Divinum of Prelacy; is not this fine work Sir Humphrey, and has not our most Religious and most excellent Queen, (whom may the everlasting Arms support to the Age of her Predecessor Queen Elizabeth at least, and with greater Glory & Happiness) a fine time of it amongst them; for my part I most hearty wish, that now Re assumptions are in fashion, all Princes and States in Christendom would enter into a solema League and Covenant, to re-aslume the just Rights of the Civil Power, and to hold the Noses of all the Priests in Christendom to the Bible, and to give them all the Honour and Respect, Authority and Maintenance which is their due; as the Stewards of the Mysteries of God, and as the Ambassadors of Christ, and to continue or derive to them by express Laws; all such share of the Civil Power, as the Wisdom of the Legislature shall see convenient in all Places, and that all we Laymen, as they call us, would enter into the same solemn League and Covenant, to support the Queen and all other Sovereigns therein, that so the Christian World may be quiet, than the Priests may enjoy the Blessing of our Saviour's Presence, which is annexed to their teaching all things whatsoever he has commanded, and we may have the Benefit of being so taught, otherwise many a good Christian will be ready to say with poor Melancton, at his Death: I desire to departed out of this Life for two Causes, that I may enjoy the desired sight of the Son of God, and the Church Triumphant, and that I may be delivered from the most barbarous and implacable hatred of Divines, and to believe that Aeneas Silvius was more infallible when he pronounced, That all the Evil in the World either arose from Ecclesiastical Persons, 
Omne malum in Mundo out exortum aviris Ecclesiasticis aut ab illis patratum.  or had been perpetrated by them, than he was afterwards, when about the Year 1458, he became Pope Pius the Second.  
Those therefore who are Papists, or who desire a Reunion with Popery, and those that have got the same Principles, tho' in an Aristocratical or Democratical form, are dangerous to the Civil Government; but what is this to most of the English Dissenters, and to all the Occasional-Conformists, who look not Abroad for any Sovereign of any sort Ecclesiastical or Temporal, but Acknowledge Her Majesty to be Rightful and Lawful Queen, who rejoice in the Laws Establishing the Protestant Succession, and have no Interest to serve by Embroiling the Government.  
Fourthly, Whether it is sit that the Corporation and Test Acts should be enforced or Repealed.  
Now as to so much of this Question, as relates to the Test Act, I shall choose to refer you to the Plea annexed to this Discourse, No. 1. only adding, that since the Writing thereof, your Oracle in the same Place, where he Advises to the late Bill against Occasional-Conformity, seems to give up the Point, as to that Part of the Test, that enjoins the actual Receiving of the Lords Supper, for Case of the Regale, Pag. 179. He finds Faults with Bribing Men to Profane the Holy Sacrament for an Office, that an Action should be against the Minister, who should refuse it to them, tho' he Knows, Sees, and Hears them in their Conversations and Principles to be never so much Unqualified.  
And as to the Corporation Act, 'tis plain, that there have been vast Alterations made in the Constitution of the Government, both Ecclesiastical and Civil, since the making of that Act, which may justly Occasion a Review of that Act, without any Danger to the Government; especially, if made by such Persons, as Her most Excellent Majesty shall Commissionate for that Purpose; and in hope of living to see such an Act of Parliament, as I have before mentioned; and such a Commission, I will say no more on that Subject.  
And now methinks, the Fifth Question is sufficiently considered already, that Part of It, which relates to the Practice of other wise Nations, has been Effectually answered by other Hands, in the Examples of most Wise Nations, Heathen and Christian; and I don't find any Reply is offered, except a dry Discourse just come to Hand at the Writing of these Lines. Indeed Sir Humphrey, I was comforting myself with the thoughts of Subscribing your humble Servant, when I was Interrupted by the Noise of one I— S. who seems to be John at Style, in whose Name we Lawyers use to put Cases, from whom I expected some mighty Matter, for Peace and Union are Excellent Things: But alas, 'tis a poor Creature, and I shall consider him in a few Words. All the Christian Acts of Moderation in other Countries, he takes to be Acts of Necessity, not of Choice. He seems to think, that there are no Laws in England, but those of Uniformity, and the Corporation and Test Acts, or otherwise he shamefully belies the Dissenters; for, no Men are more fond of the other Laws of England, made for the Security of the Established Government. 'Tis a mighty Discovery that he has made, that the Dissenters would Repeal those Laws. Surely, no Man ever doubted it so far as concerns good Protestants, tho' it would be in Effect not a Repealing, but rectifying those Laws. He has confirmed my Observation, that there is a strange Bias on a certain Party of Men towards Popish and French Precedents, or surely he would not have troubled the Reader with the Precedents of Portugal, Spain, Italy, 
Peace and Union, Pag. 4.  and France, any more than of Muscovy, Turkey, Persia or China: And for Holland, they are a Wiser People, than to Exclude those that Communicate with their National Church, because they believe their Creed, and Communicate also with other Protestants 'Tis no wonder, if Men that pretend to Infallibility, and take the whole Web of Priestcraft to be as Sacred as our Saviour's Seamless-Coat, should Establish an Inquisition; but that Men, that pretend to no Infallibility, but have rejected 19 Parts in 20, should be setting up an Inquisition to secure the Fag-end of Priestcraft, from being torn off from Christianity, this is wonderful; especially, when Constant Conformity, 
Page 10.  which as the Party would impose it, is Schismatical Separation from the Catholic Church, is put on the same Foot with the Oaths of Allegiance and Abjuration. I hope that I have showed that Author another way to Peace and Union, than by Bribing Men by Offices to be Separalists; there needs no going over of the Church to the Dissenters, or the Dissenters to the Church; but if both will go over to the Bible it would be well, and Christendom in a little while would go over with them. Let him take his Swing against all Parties, that would undermine our Constitution; but the things he and his Party are so fond of, are rather our Excrements, than our Constitution; and if only one thing is to be done at once, 
Page. 16.  let me Advise the Party to take Care of a Commandment, an Article of the Creed, or a Petition of the Lords Prayer, and put an incapacity on those that transgress, let God be first served; at least, before a Humane Ceremony, or an Addition to our Saviour's Institutions; and as to his Controversy with D'foe. I am not at all concerned whether your Offender, or your Defender are against Occasional-Conformity upon the same, or different Principles. I hope the Precedent Sheets give a quite different Account of, and defend that Practice from the misrepresentations of them both.  
But least the word Excrement should offend you, I think sit to acquaint you, that I have it from that great Man & eminent Churchman, Dr. Henry Moor, who among his Remains (which I have seen written with his own Hand) has this Passage, That that which is good indeed should be generally relished by the World is as unlikely as that dead Men in their Graves should call out for Drink; but when Goodness is revived in the World, that which now goes for Food and Delicacy shall then be left as Dung and Excrement. I hope, Sir Humphrey, that Goodness is reviving in the World, and I know that Sir Humphrey Mackworth has his Heart and Hands engaged in its Resurrection; and you know that there are Occasional Consormists, who join entirely with you therein. I was hearty sorry to find your Name to a Discourse which signifies to me, that you take that for Food and Delicacy, which I think deserves the other Name. But there is another Passage among those Remains in these words, There is a Natural kind of Religiousness, which is but the Stamp or Character of this or the other Man's disposition, some are given naturally to the magnificence of outward Ceremonies; others do attend the inward motions of their Mind, and think at ever moving of the Water, a good Angel at least, if not God himself is there. But few Men are ware of their own natural Temper of Genius; but let every one be assured, that wherever Humility, Upright-dealing, and Charity are wanting, both Ceremony and Inspiration are but a ridiculous piece of Gullery. Humility assures me, that the Oracles of God teach the true Terms of Christian Union; to walk humbly with our God, 
Mic. 6.8.  is what the Prophet long since pronounced to be good, and what God required. Upright dealing teaches the publicly to my own Principles, for which for some Years past I have been almost daily reproached; and I thank God my Charity extends to the utmost limits of that Promise, The Earth shall be full of the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea. 
Isaiab 11.9.  Oh Sir Humphrey, 
Heb. 2.14.  consider of Peace on Earth, 
Luke 2.14.  as well as at Home. Not what will secure your Party, but what will unite the Christian World; who all agree, that the Scriptures are the Word of God, endeavour to render the Church of England a means of this glorious Peace, and you will for ever oblige.  
Your most, etc.   

No. 2. Woolsey's Letter.  
IT is not concealed from your Holiness, what are the various Effects of the new Invention of Printing, that thereby Books and Learning are introduced and restored; so that they have given rise to innumerable Sects and Schisms which daily break out in the Christian World; especially in Germany, where Men now begin to call into doubt the present Faith and Pleasure of the Church, and to bring under Examination, how far the Roman Faith at this day differs from the Primitive and Apostolical Institution. From whence (which is greatly to be lamented) it comes to pass, that Laymen, and the Dregs of the People are incited to read the Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue: Which great Mischiefs, if they be tolerated, not only greater will follow, but it will come to pass, that the Vulgar will at length be brought to believe, that there is no such great need or use of the Clergy; for if once there comes into the Minds of Men this Persuasion and Opinion, that they can find a way for themselves to God in their own Mother Tongue; which will enter Heaven as well as if it were in Latin, plainly all Authority of the Mass, and the whole Ecclesiastical Order will be ruined, Pag. 73.   

A PLEA FOR THE Holy Sacrament being an Attempt to Rescue it from some late Profanations in Civil Matters. IN A LETTER TO A Member of Parliament.  
By a Lay-Hand.  
Licenced March 25, 1689. James Fraser.   

A PLEA FOR THE HOLY SACRAMENT.  
March 20. 1688/ 9 SIR,  
IT hath been one of the most successful Stratagems of the Apostate Prince of Darkness, to ruin men's Souls by those very means which were ordained for their Salvation; and this Policy of his appears in no Instance more evident than in the Methods he has taken to make the Eucharist a means of Destruction; while by unworthily Receiving, 
1 Cor. 11 29.  Men Eat and Drink Damnation to themselves.  
Hence his faithful Servants, the Authors of that Mystery of Iniquity, Popery, have made Transubstantiation a Test of their Catholicism, burning and damning Men for being Men; that is, for using their Sense and Reason. With one hand robbing us of the Holy Sacrament and its proper uses; and with the other presenting us with a piece of Pageantry, and requiring our Adoration of a senseless Idol.  
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was instituted by our Blessed Saviour, in Remembrance of Himself, and as a Bond of Union among his Followers. 'Tis the peculiar Right of such, who by sound Faith, well digested Knowledge and some Experience of the Comforts and Pleasures that result from a good Conscience, and Holy Conversation, are made to long for further Degrees of Conformity to the Will of God, clearer manifestations of the Divine Love, and more evident signs of the Souls recovery from its fallen State.  
The Motives to come to it ought to be from within, or else from above, and not from beneath; and the things to be obtained by it ought to be increase of Spiritual Blessings, and not of outward Emoluments.  
Blessed is that Nation where the Government can find Men (otherwise fitted for Public Employments) whose use of this Sacrament appears by their Conversations, to proceed from such Principles: And surely he who loves the Commemoration of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, 
Revel. 1.5.  in this way of his own Institution, has an excellent Qualification to recommend him to those Vice-gerents of that Prince, who desire and design to promote his Interest.  
But, Sir, to give a plain Answer to your Question, I am of Opinion,  
That it is at least inconvenient to impose the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper on every Man that executes an Office in Public Administrations, and that among others for these Reasons,  
1. The Ordinance was instituted to other ends; and I know not when the Warrant was signed by our Saviour, to use it to such a purpose: 'tis his great Seal, and ought not to be put to any Commissions but his own.  
2. No Man who is fit for it, needs a Law to bring him to it. 
Heb. 2.10.  All the Soldiers of the Captain of our Salvation are Volunteers; 
Psal. 110.3.  and on the contrary it is certain, that he that needs a Law to bring him to it, is not fit for it.  
3. If this Test be established, it is the Duty of all Men in their respective Places to keep from O●●●es; all that are guilty of Swe●●ing, Whoring, Drinking, and the other parts of a profane Life, which are obvious to common Observation; for those things evidently unfit Men to receive the Sacrament. And if the Government should permit no Man to be in any Office that drinks to excess, or mispends his time in Tippling, that uses to swear in common Discourse, or whose Life otherwise appears vicious, what multitudes of Places would be empty, which are now well filled for the Public Interest? And yet what Cruelty would it be to any vicious Man, to put him under a Necessity of profaning the Sacrament, by putting him into Office: for it is most certain, that not only every Man that lives in the practice of any known Vice, but every Man that lives not in a daily endeavour to perform his Covenant made in Baptism with the most Blessed Trinity, aught to keep far off from the Sacred Table.  
I know it is objected, that all Men ought to be fit for the Sacrament, and that it will tend much to a good Life, that they be under a Necessity to receive it. But let Experience speak; men's Stomaches have scarce yet digested the Sacraments, which they have profaned for some Years past, to keep their Places. Men have taken the Sacrament and betrayed their Country, and ruined their honest Neighbours: Taken the Sacrament and introduced Popery: Taken the Sacrament and murdered Men by colour of Law: And who is there (of a Subject) among the Authors of the Grievances of the Nation, that took not the Sacrament to enable him so to be: Not to mention Persons of a better Rank, how many Vintners, Ale-house-keepers, and others of like Profession, have purchased their Licences at the Hazard of their souls? And I dare appeal to all Men, to whom these Presents shall come, whether within their Knowledge any Reformation has been wrought thereby. Five hundred have refused it for Conscience sake, for one profane Person that has scrupled it. And who, and where is he whose Life hath been reform by being under this Necessity.  
But if the universal Depravity of men's Manners be compared with the universal Attendance that was paid of late at the Communion Table; what dreadful Prospect is presented thereby to any considering Mind? If of the Corinthians who received unworthily, 
1 Cor. 11.30.  many were Sick and Weak, and some were punished with Death: What Desolations would Divine Vengeance make in England, should the same Measure be meted out to us. But Fifthly, The Kingdom of our Lord Christ, 
John 18.36.  is not of this World, 
Acts 3.21.  at least not before the time of the Restitution of all Things: And altho' the good Christian must necessarily be a good Subject; yet a Man, whose fitness to receive the Sacrament is known to God, his own Conscience, and to all good Men, may be very unfit for an Office in the State, and he may be exceedingly fit for a Public Employment, whose unfitness to receive the Sacrament is as●…vious. It is an Opinion in this sense justly exploded, That Dominion is founded in Grace; 
Psal. 15.16.  for God has given the Earth to those Children of Men whom he designs not for Heaven. And those Children of this World who are wiser in their Generation than the Children of Light, 
Luke 16.8.  are by reason of that Wisdom, fit to be employed therein.  
6. The Generations to come shall call them Blessed, who instead of forcing Men to the Sacrament, use all Means divinely Instituted to make them fit for it. The Primitive Bishops kept Men Catechumen for a long time, and admitted none to the Sacraments till they were approved and practical Christians. And if the Inhabitants, and especially the Children of England were every where made Catechumen by Public Authority, the next Generation may probably fill all Public Employments with Men, who would approach the Sacrament both to the Public Advantage and their own: For the Appearances of Divine Providence in the World are now conspicuous, and at all times (but especially in those Days wherein God is pleased more eminently to take to himself his great Power and Reign) good Men are Public Blessings, 
Rev. 1.17.  Ten Righteous had saved Sodom at such a Day. 
Gen. 18.32.  Laban's Flock increased under Jacob's, 
Gen. 30.27.  and Potiphar's Affairs were best under Joseph's Care: 
Gen. 39.3.  But till the Manners of Men are greatly altered, nothing should be avoided more carefully for the Public Interest, than ill men's coming to the Sacrament, lest not only the Persons of Men, but the Public should suffer under the Divine Displeasure. 
Jon. 1.12.  One Jonah may endanger a Ship; 
Gen. 19.21.  and one righteous Lot may secure a Town.  
7. I must confess it is difficult to me to find out any plausible Reason for this Device; sure it is not worth a while to make such a Test to secure a disputable Posture, or to tempt all Hypocrites into the Church; for 'tis Ten to One, that he that comes to the Sacrament because he cannot have an Employment without it, is an Hypocrite: And it is as many to one, but the Protestant that loses an Office, because he cannot so receive the Sacrament, is an honest Man, is a true and useful Subject.  
8. It cannot be an equivalent to the aforesaid Dangers, that hereby some Papists may be kept from Employments; for he is greatly mistaken, that believes the Sacrament to be the strength of the Test. Transubstantiation is the thing which the Papists cannot renounce, (for Men are fond of Gods of their own making) but he may well communicate with the Church, as by the Examples of the late King Charles the Second, Obadiah Walker, and others, is plainly evinced: And the Reason is as plain as the Fact; for he either believes, that we have no Gospel Priests, and takes the Bread and the Wine as common Food: Or if he allows our Priest's Power to consecrate, he may adore the Bread very conveniently upon his Knees.  
9 Besides, Papists in disguise are no ways dreadful, when they have no Protection or Favour from Court. They have been happily discovered in the short time of Father Peter's Ministry, and must never expect to live unknown or unhated in England any more; so that upon the whole matter the sum of what I have offered is this  
That to make the Sacrament a Test for Civil Offices, is unsuitable to the Institution, Nature, and Ends of the Sacrament, dangerous to the Government, and to the Souls of Men, grounded on no solid Reason, of use only to exclude good Subjects, and wholly insufficient to promote the true Interest of England, which is by all means consistent with Reason and Justice to promote Union among Protestants, and to exclude Popery for ever.  
I am sensible, that I have not impoverished this Subject, the Bounds of a Letter allow me only to hint at things; but if you please to object in your Answer against the Arguments here advanced, you will oblige me: For I am a hearty Lover of the Blessed Sacrament, a wellwisher to England, easily and willingly vanquished by Reason, a zealous seeker of Truth, an expecter, as well as desirer of Peace among all true Christians, and  
Your Humble Servant.   

Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden-Lion in St. Paul's Churchyard.  
THE Works of Bishop Hopkins, in one Volume. Expository Notes and Practical Observations on the Four Evangelists. By William Burkitt, M. A.  
The Living Temple; or, A designed Improvement of that Notion, That a Good Man is the Temple of God. In Two Volumes. By John How, M. A.  
Consolations against the Fears of Death; with Seasonable Directions how to prepare ourselves to Die Well. By Mr. Drelincourt. The Fourth Edition.  
Genuine Remains of the late Pious and Learned John Light foot, D. D.  
The Christians Race and Patience. 14 Sermons on Heb. 12. By Matthew Sylvester, V D. M.  
The New State of England, under our Present Sovereign Queen Anne; With an Account of the Present Establishment both in Church and State, to September 1704.  
The Worthy Communicant. Showing the due Order of Receiving the Lord's Supper. By J. Dyke.  
A Practical Exposition of the whole 53 Chapters of Isaiah. By the late Reverend Thomas Manton, D. D. Published by Mr. Harris.  
Holy Emulation urged; or, Arguments and Motives for Christians to excel in Holiness. By R. Evans Minister in Devon.  
An History of the Apostle's Creed, with Critical Observations on the several Articles thereof. The Second Edition.  
A Practical Discourse concerning VOWS. With a Special Reference to Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. By Edmond Calamy. 120.   

Books Printed for John Laurence at the Angel in the Poultry.  
THE Works of the Reverend Mr. Stephen Charnock, B. D. In Two Volumes Folio.  
Mr. Stephens' Sermons before the House of Commons. and the Lord Mayor, January the 30th. And his Thanksgiving Sermon before the Lord-Mayor, on the Discovery of the Assasination Plot. 4ᵒ.  
Mr. John Howard now Rector of Kederminister, his Sermons on several Occasions, viz. Assize-Sermon at Buckingham. Two Sermons on the Trinity; Preached before the Lord Mayor at St. Marry Le Bow. In Quarto.  
An Effort against Bigotry; and for Christian Catholicism. By Mr. Henry Chandler, Minister at the Bath.  
A Preservative against Deism: Showing the great Advantages of Revelation above Reason; in the Two great Points. Pardon of Sin, and a Future State of Happiness, etc. By Mr. Nath. Taylor.  
A Discourse of the Nature and Necessity of Saving Faith in Jesus Christ. With an Answer to the Pleas of our Modern Unitarians, for the sufficiency of bare Morality, of mere Charity to Salvation. By Mr. Nath. Taylor. 8ᵒ.  
Practical Discourses on several important Subjects, viz. A Discourse of the Children of Holy Parents. Eight Discourses of the Covenant of Grace. A brief Discourse of Infant Baptism. And a Sermon before the Lord Mayor. By the late Reverend Mr. Nathan. Taylor. In 8ᵒ.  
Mr. Palmer's Sermon on the Fastday for the late Storm, Jan. 19 1703. In 4ᵒ.  
Mr. Thomas Freke's Sermon on the Fastday for the late dreadful Storm, Jan. 19 1703. In 4ᵒ.  
A Practical Discourse concerning VOWS. With a special Reference to Baptism, and the Lord's Supper By Edmond Calamy. 12ᵒ.