The Healing Attempt, Title page – Dedication
THE Healing Attempt: Being a Repreſentation OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE Church of England, According to the Judgment of her Biſhops unto the End of Q. Elizabeths Reign.
Humbly Tendred To the Conſideration of the Thirty Commiſſionated for a Conſult about ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS in Order to a Comprehenſion;
And Publiſhed, In hopes of ſuch a Moderation of Epiſcopacy, that the Power be kept within the Line of our Firſt Reformers: and the Exerciſe of it reduced to the Model of ArchBiſhop USHER.
Mediocria firma.
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, near Mercers-Chappel, 1689.
The Epiſtle to the Commiſſioners.
Most Reverend, Right Reverend and Reverend,
I Bleſs you all in the Name of the Lord, and Bleſſed be your Meeting this Day, and this Appointment for you to Sit about ſo Bleſſed a reconciling Work. I have but this ſhort Grace to ſay, Bleſſed are the Peacemakers.
When ſuch a Choice of Perſons is Congregated, and their Buſineſs Accommodation, the Tidings hereof to the poor Outed Shepherds ſhould, methinks, be ſo affecting, as if the Angels were again upon the Wing, and ſinging over that Hymn, Glory be to God in the higheſt, in Earth Peace, and good will towards Men.
Alas! How many Years have paſſed ſince the Reformation, wherein your Nonconformiſt Brethren have been a Loading, and their Burthen encreaſing, and none of you that were willing, were able to eaſe them, when by the Artifice of the Papiſts, and the Higher Powers influenced by them, you were forced to bear the blame of thoſe things which your Souls did abhor: And now is the time come when God hath ſent us ſuch a Nurſing Father and Nurſing Mother to his Church, as hath called you to the liberty of ſhewing of what manner of ſpirit indeed you are. Bleſſed be his Name for it, and the ho…es we have on that account. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will be glad, and rejoyce in it.
I know indeed how hard of belief the moſt of our Brethren generally are that any good ſhould be done for us by a Convocation or this Meeting. It is impoſſible (they are readier to ſay) that thoſe—But Reverendly beloved, I am perſwaded better things of you, and things that accompany Salvation, though they thus ſpeak. I am perſwaded that even this will ſtimulate you to a greater earneſtneſs to do them the more good (for ſuch is Chriſtianity), and that I ſhall not need to ſay any thing (not any more than in the Title) to put you on this grateful task, The ſame alſo which ye are forward to do: I have leſs need to be impertinent in offering Arguments to ſuch Wits, which were to bring Water to the Spring: but this one thing I have need to do, which is, to beg of you that you will Pardon what is done, if in any thing the Author ſeems to preſume, or to be more ſlender than he ought, for want of more time and ſearch, or does in any regard offend. I will alſo beg of you more Two things; the One is, To take heed how you make more conditions neceſſary to us for Communion with you, than Chriſt requires of you for Communion with him: The Other is, That you do not Tantalize your Brethren, or Procraſtinate that Kindneſs (whatſoever it is) which you intend towards thoſe who are capable to receive it; For we muſt needs die, and are as water ſpilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again: Neither doth God reſpect any perſon, yet doth he deviſe means that his baniſhed be not expelled from him.
A Friend to the Deſign and Subſtance of theſe Papers, J. H. Octob. 3. 1689.