Nonconformity Not Inconsistent with Loyalty, Part 5 – Conclusion
Now from the aforeſaid Statute, Let theſe things be Conſidered.
1. That the Main Deſign of the ſaid Act was to rid Cities and Corporations of ſuch Nonconformiſt Miniſters, as under pretence of Religion, do diſtill Poyſonous Principles of Schiſm and Rebellion into the Hearts of his Majeſties Subjects, to the danger of Church and State.
Now if there be any ſuch Criminal Perſons under the name of Nonconformiſt Miniſters, let them ſuffer according to their Crimes, when proved by ſufficient Evidence.
2. Conſider that all ſorts of Nonconformiſt Miniſters do abhor to be ſuch Perſons, and to promote Rebellion; but they do generally make it their buſineſs to Preach Eternal Salvation by the Bleſſed Merits of Jeſus Chriſt, and a Holy Converſation, according to the Bleſſed Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt; following the things which make for Peace here, and hoping to injoy a Better Peace when this Life is ended.
3. Conſider, That though theſe good things are managed in Separate Congregations diſtinct from the National Church, yet they ought not to be counted the Managers of Schiſm and Rebellion, but the Promoters of the Proteſtant Religion in higher degrees of Reformation, according to the Word of God.
4. Conſider, That for ſuch men to be expoſed to live five miles from Cities and Corporations, or elſe to live in a Goal, ſeemeth to be hard dealing; thus being compelled to live at ſuch a diſtance from the chief places of the Kingdom, is a kind of Baniſhment from our Country, while in our Countrey, and all this for Nonconformity to the Church, and for not ſwearing all the particulars in the Oath provided by the ſaid Act; one particular being this, That I will not anytime endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State.
Which words doth at leaſt ſuppoſe, that all things in the Church Government, are ſo well and ſo compleat, that there ought to be no endeavours to alter or amend them, and this is a great ſcruple to many perſons that are good Proteſtants.
VI. Another Statute by which the Proteſtant Diſſenters are Diſtreſſed, is the 22d. of Car. 2. Chap. 1. Intituled, An Act to Surpreſs Seditious Conventicles, from which Statute let theſe particular things be ſoberly conſidered.
1. That this Statute was provided, as a further and more ſpeedy Remedy againſt the growing and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries, and other Diſloyal Perſons, who under pretence of Tender Conſciences, have or may at their Meetings contrive Inſurrections (as late Experience hath ſhewn.) See Paragraph 1.
Now it is well known throughout this Kingdom, that the Proteſtant Diſſenters, even every ſort of them, do abhor to be ſuch Perſons; and therefore do deem it a great wrong, that they ſhould be accounted and proſecuted as ſuch perſons: 1. Becauſe though they be ſeparate from the Church of England, yet that doth not demonſtrate them to be Seditious Sectaries, foraſmuch as the main things in the Chriſtian Religion, Profeſſed by the Church of England, is Profeſſed by the Diſſenters, with a greater care to live ſuitably unto ſuch a Holy Profeſſion, then the generality of the Viſible Members of the Church of England do make Conſcience of, and therefore they deſerve to be accounted ſuch as further the Proteſtant Reformation, and not ſuch as are guilty of Sedition. 2. They deem it a wrong to be counted perſons of Diſloualty meerly becauſe of their Nonconformity, eſpecially conſidering what a demonſtration they have given of being peaceable under the Government for ſo many years, notwithſtanding many and great Troubles they have met with in moſt parts of this Kingdom, meerly for Matters of Conſcience, 3. And foraſmuch as mention is made of Meeting under colour and pretence of the Exerciſe of Religion, to contrive Inſurrections, the Proteſtant Diſſenters, in general, can comfortably Appeal to God and the whole Kingdom, that they are not guilty in this Matter; and beſides this, it is not conſiſtent with good reaſon, that contriving of Inſurrections could be at all managed in the Diſſenters Meetings, foraſmuch as all ſorts of perſons do Reſort unto them, viz. Rich and Poor, young and old, and do daily find no other Matters, but the Real Exerciſe of Religion, in Praying to God, Praiſing of God, and Preaching the Word of God, that they may further the Converſion and Salvation of each other. Furthermore it is to be conſidered, that ſince the making of the aforeſaid Act, and the violent Proſecution thereof, to the very great dammage of many Proteſtant Families, His Majeſty did take ſuch Grievances of his Subjects of Tender Conſciences, into his Princely and Compaſſionate Conſideration, and did Declare his Diſlike of ſuch forceable courſes in matters of Conſcience: See His Majeſties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects, March 15. 1672. Publiſhed by the Advice of his Privy Council.
2. The Perſons in the aforeſaid Act, who are accounted Offenders, are, All ſuch who being of the Age of Sixteen years or upwards, being Subjects of this Realm, who ſhall be preſent at any Aſſembly, Conventicle or Meeting, under colour or pretence of any Exerciſe of Religion, in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England, they being in number five, or more beſides the Family or Houſhold, and if it be in a place where there is no Family Inhabiting, then the number of five or more are deemed Offenders.
Now from this part of the Act, conſider that the Perſons Accounted Offenders, are ſuch whoſe Exerciſe of Religion is in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England: And therefore it is needful ſoberly to inquire, whether the Exerciſe of Religion, as it is among the Proteſtant Diſſenters, be in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England; And therefore let the Exerciſe of Religion in the Church of England, and as it is among the Proteſtant Diſſenters, be well conſidered and compared together, and then we ſhall ſee whether it be Contradictious or Harmonious.
1. The Exerciſe of Religion in the Liturgy, and as it is Practiced in the Church of England, reſpecting the matters of it, doth conſiſt of Prayers to Almighty God, in the Name of Jeſus Chriſt his only Son for Spiritual and Temporal Bleſſings; and this is the Practice of the Proteſtant Diſſenters in their Meetings.
2. The Church of England in the Exerciſe of Religion, do give Thanks to God for Mercies Received from God as the Gracious Act of his Bounty and Good-Will unto ſuch as are unworthy of the leaſt Mercy; and thus do the Proteſtant Diſſenters in their Meetings.
3. The Church of England does inſtruct Souls from the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament, viz. From the Law and the Prophets, and from the Epiſtles and Goſpels, which doth contain the Doctrine and Practice of Chriſt and his Apoſtles; and thus do the Proteſtant Diſſenters, for which they are Proſecuted to their great dammage.
4. The Church of England doth perform Religious Worſhip in Engliſh, and ſo do the Proteſtant Diſſenters, that all Parties which come to attend the Exerciſe of Religion among them, may underſtand what they are about.
5. The Church of England doth obſerve the firſt day of the week, commonly called the Lords day, in Prayers and Sermons; and ſo do the Proteſtant Diſſenters; yea in this matter the Diſſenters are more careful that the day may be Religiouſly obſerved, then the Church-Proteſtants.
6. The Church of England, and the Proteſtant Diſſenters do agree in the Articles of Faith, reſpecting the main and ſubſtantial matters of the Proteſtant Religion; briefly thus. 1. That there is a Holy Trinity, viz. Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt. 2. That Jeſus Chriſt is very God as well as very Man, and that the Perſon of Chriſt conſidered as God and Man together, with his compleat keeping of Gods Holy Law without any Breach of it in his own Perſon, and his ſuffering the ſeverity of Divine Juſtice in the room of Sinners, is thereby the compleat and only Saviour of all thoſe that truly Believe in him, and Repent of their Sins. 3. That the ſame Jeſus Chriſt which was Born of the Virgin Mary, being conceived of the Holy Ghoſt, and that dyed upon the Croſs, and after being Buried was Raiſed from the Dead, is alſo aſcended to the Right-hand of God in Heaven, there to appear in the Preſence of god, as an Advocate and Interceſſor for all them that come to God by him, and he is able to ſave them to the utmoſt. 4. Both Parties do believe that the Holy Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Practice. 5. As concerning the Church of God upon Earth, the Diſſenters do agree with the Church of England in that deſcription given of Chriſts Viſible Church. See the Nineteenth Article of the Church of England in theſe very words: The Viſible Church of Chriſt, is a Congregation of faithful men, in which the Word of God is Preached, and Sacraments be duly Miniſtred according to Chriſts Ordinance, in all thoſe things that of Neceſſity are Requiſite to the ſame: So profeſs and confeſs the Diſſenters alſo.
3. Conſider the puniſhments provided by the aforeſaid Statute, to be inflicted upon the Offenders, viz. five ſhillings for the firſt Offence, and ten ſhillings for the ſecond offence, for being only in the capacity of a Hearer; and Twenty Pounds for every houſe that ſhall entertain any ſuch Conventicle, and Twenty Pounds for the firſt Offence of him that ſhall Teach or Preach in ſuch Meetings, and Forty Pounds for every ſuch Offence after the firſt Conviction; and alſo Power in given to the Juſtices of Peace, to Levy the Fines of ſome perſons upon others, ſo far as Ten Pounds and all theſe Fines to be levyed upon the Goods and Chattles of the Offenders.
And in the Proſecuting of many Perſons by the aforeſaid Statute, much more then the Sums of Money Levyed have been taken away, and the Goods Sold without making any Return of the over-pluſs, to the very great dammage of many good Proteſtant Families.
And now whether ſuch Proceedings be the beſt way to ſurpreſs Popery and promote the Proteſtant Religion, ſhall be left to the ſerious conſideration of all ſorts of Proteſtants, eſpecially to Proteſtant Magiſtrates, who oftentimes have opportunity to diſplay Juſtice with Wiſdom and Mercy, which is far better then ſuch Severity as looketh too much like Cruelty. And therefore as a help to ſuch Magiſtrates as are perplexed with Informers by the demand of Warrants to diſturb Peaceable Proteſtants in their Meetings, and in the Seizure of their Goods afterward, let theſe following things be inquired into by ſuch Magiſtrates as deſire to diſcharge their Office faithfully in doing Juſtice between the King and the Subject.
1. Whether all the People above the number of five beſides the Family, are the Subjects of this Realm; for they are the Offenders in the ſenſe of this Statute, and not the Subjects of other Realms, and therefore the Informer ought to ſwear that thoſe he doth inform againſt, are Subjects of this Realm.
2. Whether there was any endeavours to make or contrive any Inſurrections againſt the Government; for the very deſign of the aforeſaid Act was to prevent ſuch Meetings.
3. Whether there was any ſeditious words ſpoken in the Prayers or Preaching of the Aſſembly of People, ſeeing this Act was made on purpoſe to ſuppreſs Seditious Meetings.
4. Whether the Praying and Preaching was according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England, viz. whether the Prayers were Proteſtant Prayers, and the Preaching Proteſtant Preaching, ſo as to promote the Proteſtant Religion, or ſome other Religion; if the Informers ſhould ſay they were not there long enough to know the truth of theſe things, then it will be evident that ſuch men are not fit to be ſworn Evidences againſt ſuch Meetings, forasmuch as their Oath doth not reach to ſuch matters of Fact as is mentioned in the Statute.
And theſe things ought to be the more narrowly looked into, becauſe thoſe that turn Informers are uſually ſuch as have ſome particular ſpite againſt ſome particular perſons, and ſo inſtead of doing Juſtice according to Law, do but ſeek after ſome Revenge for themſelves upon the Perſons of ſuch as they are offended at; or elſe it is done that they may have that wages mentioned in the Act, viz. the third part of the Fines of ſuch perſons they ſwear againſt, and ſo ſtrive to make themſelves rich by making others poor.
And this is to be greatly lamented, that ſome Juſtices of the Peace have mightily furthered the Informers, by being too ready to receive their Informations and by Convicting Perſons of divers Offences, as they called them before ever the perſon knew of ſuch Conviction; and ſo ſending divers Warrants of diſt…eſs altogether, amounting to very conſiderable ſums of Money. A Hot-headed Conſtable preſently becomes a Slave to the proud Informers, and ſo maketh a ſuddain Seizure upon the outward Subſtance of ſuch as fear God and love Godlineſs. and whereas the Juſtices may, if they will, lay but the Fine of Five Shillings upon a perſon for his firſt, or ten ſhillings for his ſecond Offence, they do ſometimes lay the ſum of ten pounds for the defaults of others, and ſo add many ten pounds together to the near Ruining of ſome perſons. And thus they that depart from evil maketh themſelves a Prey, but the Lord will ſee and ſhow himſelf diſpleaſed at it. See Iſaiah 59.15.
VII. Another way of diſtreſing and perplexing the Poor Proteſtant Diſſenters, is by the Proceedings of the Eccleſiaſtical Courts, the ways and methods of whoſe Proceedings are as followeth:
1. The ſaid Eccleſiaſtical Courts do require the Church-Wardens and Miniſters to make Preſentment of ſuch perſons as do not come to their Pariſh-Church, and unto the Sacrament.
2. Upon Receiving ſuch Preſentments, then the ſaid Courts do iſſue forth Citations for ſuch Perſons being Preſented to come and make anſwer to the ſaid Preſentments.
3. If the ſaid Citations be not ſerved upon the perſons who are Preſented, then the ſaid Courts cauſe a Paper called Viis & Modis to be ſet upon the Church-Door, or upon the Perſons own Door, requiring the Perſon to appear upon a certain day.
4. If the Perſon do not appear, then the ſaid Court proceedeth to Excommunication for Contempt.
5. If the Perſon do appear, then the Court doth acquaint ſuch Perſon that he is Preſented for not coming to Church, and for not Receiving the Sacrament.
6. If the Perſon do not make it appear that he hath been at Church, and taken the Sacrament within the time mentioned in the ſaid Preſentment, then the Judge of the ſaid Court doth proceed to Admonition, That the ſaid Perſon ſhall Repair to his Pariſh Church, and take the Sacrament by ſuch a day as is appointed by the Admonition, and bring a Certificate from the Miniſter of the ſaid Pariſh, that he hath ſo done, whether fit for it or no.
7. If the ſaid Perſon do not obey the ſaid Admonition then the Eccleſiaſtical Court does Decre him Excommunicated, and ſo ſend an Excommunication to the Miniſter, requiring him to publiſh the ſame upon ſuch Sunday or Holy-day as they appoint.
8. If the ſaid perſon ſtand Excommunicated forty days, then the Biſhop of the Dioceſs doth Certify this matter in the High-Court of Chancery, by a certain thing called a Significavit.
9. Then the High-Court of Chancery in the Term-time, doth award forth or grant a Writ called De Excommunicato Capiendo, which is directed to the Sheriffs of the City or County where the Excommunicate Perſon is an Inhabitant, that the ſaid Perſon may be Apprehended and Committed to Priſon, and there to remain without Bail or Mainprize, until he ſhall ſatisfy the Church-Party, ſo as … Abſolution; which may be obtained ſeveral wayes, as it is allowed and practiſed by the Eccleſiaſtical … Firſt by ſwearing the Eccleſiaſtical Oath, which is to ſwear to obey all the Kings Eccleſiaſtical Laws, … the Lawful Commands of his Ordinary; Secondly giving a Bond to Conform upon the Penalty of ſo much money as ſhall be agreed upon between the Excommunicated Perſon and the aforeſaid Court, which formerly uſed to be ten pounds, but now of late years the Eccleſiaſtical Market is riſen, and twenty pounds Bond is required; Thirdly, ſuch as are not willing to take the aforeſaid Oath, nor give the aforeſaid Bond, may be abſolved, and ſo allowed ſome time to Conform, if they will pay a Pledge, which uſually is ten pounds preſent payment; and he that will not comply with any of theſe ways, muſt abide in Goal, whatever becometh of his poor Family; and beſides all this the ſaid perſon muſt pay the Charges of the Eccleſiaſtical Court, which is ſometimes ordinary, and ſometimes extraordinary; the ordinary charges is about Forty Shillings.
And now that it may be demonſtrated, that the Proteſtant Diſſenters are not obſtinate, but Conſciencious in their Nonconformity to the Church of England, let theſe Cauſes and Reaſons of their Nonconformity be ſoberly conſiderd in the particulars following:
The Proteſtant Diſſenters cannot Conform to the Church of England,
1. Becauſe they cannot find a National Church in the New Teſtament, But the Churches they find there are Congregational Churches, which conſiſted of ſuch Perſons as God by his Word and Spirit had converted from a State of Nature to a State of Grace. Such were the Churches of Jeruſalem, Samaria, Antioch, Corinth, and Epheſus, &c. who being perſons ſeparated from the people amongſt whom they were Inhabitants, did by a mutual Conſent and Agreement one with another. maintain a Holy Communion together in the Worſhip of God, as it was ſounded upon the Word of God: And ſo they were the Nonconformiſts of that day, and underwent great Sufferings for not Conforming to that Worſhip which was Eſtabliſhed in the places where they inhabited.
2. Becauſe they cannot find any ſuch Officers belonging to a Church of Chriſt in the New-Teſtament, as Arch-biſhops Lord Biſhops Deans, Arch-Deacons, Prebends, Commiſſaries, Officials, &c. But they find ſuch Offiers in the Church of Chriſt as are called Paſtors, Eldery, a…d Overſeers, and the word Biſhop doth belong to the ſame perſons under the former Title, conſidered as …eeders of, and Rulers over the true Church of Chriſt; and the Apoſtle Peter doth forbid the Biſhops of Chriſts Church to be Lords over Gods Heritage, 1 Pet. 5.3.
3. The Proteſtant Diſſenters cannot Conform to the Church of England in the Holy Sacrament, called in Scripture the Lords Supper, becauſe that Holy Ordinance is not Adminiſtred unto the Communicants as Converted Perſons, but as thoſe who by Tradition are brought up to Acknowledge and Confeſs Chriſt, although in works too many deny him by living Prophane Lives, being greatly guilty of Swearing, Curſing and Drunkenneſs, and divers other ſcandalous matters; which is a Reproach to the Proteſtant Religion; for although the Proteſtant Religion be the Reformed Religion, yet thouſands of thoſe that profeſs it are not Reformed Perſons; and beſides this too many of thoſe who are Miniſters of the ſaid Church, and ſo are Adminiſtrators of this Holy Ordinance are known to be very unholy in their Converſations, notwithſtanding all which, the Proteſtant Diſſenters have a great veneration and high eſteem of many both of the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and Common People, of the Church of England, who live ſober lives, and walk Conſcienciouſly in Civil and Religious Matters.
Several other Reaſons might be added, but theſe ſhall ſuffice for the preſent.
Concluſion.
Now foraſmuch as the Proteſtant Religion is Profeſs'd by his Majesties Subjects in general, conſidered as Conformists and Nonconformiſts, and both Parties are agreed in the main and ſubſtantial parts thereof, and alſo both Parties are in a like danger of the Papiſts; If ever the Government of this Realm ſhould fall into their hands, (which God of his Infinite Mercy prevent, for then the Church-Proteſtants as well as the Diſſenting Proteſtants would be deemed Fanaticks, Schismaticks, Hereticks yea, Rebelis, and would be Proſecuted as ſuch) Therefore it highly concerns all ſorts of Proteſtants to ſay to one another, as Abraham to Lot, Gen. 13.7, 8. Let there be no ſtrife between us, for we are Brethren: Eſpecially conſidering the Popiſh Canaanite and Perizite are now too much in our Land.
Mat. 7.12. Therefore all things whatſoever ye would that men ſhould do to you, do ye even ſo to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
FINIS.
End of the text · James Jones, Nonconformity Not Inconsistent with Loyalty (1684)