The Samaritan Showing Healing, Section 14
SECT. Ʋlt.
TO this Diſcourſe before going, written by a Learned Hand in the Countrey, which does here end, the Bookſeller, who knows him not, is adviſed to annex the Copy of thoſe two Bills for Accommodation, that were in the Houſe of Commons, when they Sate laſt at Weſtminſter; to this end, that they may be here as it were upon Record, for the Uſe of the Parliament, when any ſhall be called.
It is ſome Months ſince this Book (which ſo much concerns that Argument,) was ſent out of the Country, and it was retarded in the Preſs ſeveral Weeks, in hopes of a Parliament coming, that might have made the Subject more ſeaſonable: But now the very Talk of one being lodged for this Summer, it is fit ſomething be put to it, as may make it to be of uſe in October. The Bees and Ants have their Inſtinct in the Summer, to make Proviſion for their Lives againſt the Winter.
There are Two ſorts of Nonconformists we know; The One who do allow of a Liturgy, and our Parochial Churches, and theſe may be all C…prehended upon very reaſonable condeſcen…s: The Other who do not allow of either, and theſe muſt be Indulged, or deſtroyed. It is two Bills therefore, or theſe two things in one Bill, which are neceſſary to the deſigne of Accomodation.
In that Parliament, the One of theſe Bills (for there was Two of them, as the Gentleman before hath told us) the Bill for Indulgence, was carefully attended by ſome concerned in it, and was therefore brought to Perfection: The Other Bill, that for Comprehenſion, was looked after very ſorrily; and if it had Paſſed as it was Drawn up, would have brought in, no Body.
For inſtance, The Declaration of Aſſent and Conſent to the Book of Common-Prayer, required in the Act of Ʋniformity, was taken away wholly in this Bill, but the Subſcription required in the ſame Act, was taken away only in the latter part: And when in the former part there are theſe words, And I will Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England, as it is now by Law Eſtabliſhed, (which are really equivalent with the Declaration of Aſſent and Conſent to the Ʋſe of the Book, and it is to no more, than to the Ʋſe of it, the Declaration is required to be made, by the Act), it follows, that to take away One of theſe injunctions and not the Other, could be of no Signification. Upon notice hereof therefore given to ſome Members of the Houſe, it was moved at the Committee to take away the whole Subſcription, as well as the Declaration; and it being carried in the Affirmative, the Bill as it is here preſented, hath that Amendment.
There are ſome few Additions more inſerted as neceſſary thereunto for the obtaining its end, the reaſons whereof appear in their own light, yet is it Judged fit, that publick notice be given of two or three of them.
The One of them is the Parentheſis about the Beginning, where the Thirty-Nine Articles are impoſed on every Miniſter to Subſcribe, which notwithſtanding the Exception of Three of the Articles, do yet require more Caution. Whoſoever have read a Book, called, A part of a Regiſter, wherein there is a Relation of ſeveral things in reference to the Nonconformiſts in Q. Elizabeths days, they will find that there was nothing ſo greivous to them and exaſperated them then againſt the Biſhops ſo much as the Subſcriptions of thoſe times, and the Subſcription to the Articles was one among the reſt; which makes me wonder what our good men did now mean, to impoſe the Subſcription of theſe Articles ſo rigidly upon all, for the enjoyment of the benefit of either of their Bills, of Ʋnion, or Indulgence. They know not really what it is they were a doing, for if the Perſecuting Spirit ſhould be raiſed hereafter about this Subſcription, and the thing be ſo preſſed that all who Subſcribe not, ſhall be Proſecuted by the Law, there were like to ariſe greater troubles to tender Conſciences, and ſcruples more unanſwerable, then could be about the Cap and Tippet, the Surplice and Croſs, in thoſe dayes. The doubtfulneſs of many about the Ceremonies is not to be compared to a Conviction of Conſcience, that a man muſt not Subſcribe to any point which he believes untrue. By this means therefore ſhould theſe Articles of the Church, intended for Peace, become the inſtruments of Torment, and be had in the greateſt Deteſtation, which conſequently will defame, and then ruine the Proteſtant Religion. There will be Perſecution in the Church, that's certain, for the Devil will have it ſo: There will be Tender Conſciences, that's certain, for God will have it ſo. When there are no other things then to trouble Mens Conſciences but this Subſcription, Exceptions and Scruples will be raiſed againſt theſe Articles; and it a Parliament do not prevent them in their Bill by a preſent mitigation, they Act not like wiſe Men, and do not ſee Ten Years before them. The only remedy againſt this evil is to provide a liberty in both the Bills, that every Conſciencious Man that really ſcruples any of the Articles may explain his ſenſe, which if it ſhall not paſs unleſs it be allowed to be Orthodox by the Biſhop (or by two other Biſhops, in caſe the Dioceſan be partial) there can be no harm in it, at leaſt none in compariſon of this miſchief, which is to be prevented hereby.
Another of them is about the Middle, concerning Orders. In the late Times, when the Biſhops were down, many were ordained by Presbyters and the Houſe was willing to allow thoſe Orders, as good in a Caſe of Neceſſity, upon which account only the rigid Epiſcopalian will allow of the Miniſtry of the Reformed Churches beyond the Sea: but there being others that have been Ordained ſince the return of the Biſhops, the Houſe made no proviſion for ſuch in the Bill, being not willing (we may ſuppoſe) to countenance a neglect of the Biſhops out of that caſe. And what then ſhall ſuch do? There is an Ordination to the Office, or Miniſtry it ſelf, and he that is Once Ordained to that, whether by Presbyters or Biſhops, cannot receive the Spiritual Power (or Character), or be made Miniſters, Again: But there is a laying on of hands to the Work of that Office in regard to a new Charge, as Paul and Barnabas who were Miniſters before, and yet are ſeparated to that peculiar Work, (unto which they were called by the Holy Ghoſt) by the laying on of the Hands of thoſe who are named Act. 13. Such an Ordination now as this may be repeated, and is the only Medium for reſolution of this dimculty.
The Third of theſe Inſertions is the laſt whole Clauſe concerning the Common-Prayer, the due conſideration whereof is the very main hinge upon which the whole matter of this Comprehenſion does turn. If Union it ſelf be neceſſary, it muſt be neceſſary to know what is the Bottom, upon which we can be United. In all Reconcilements between different Parties, the firſt thing that is to be found out, is a Medium for their Agreement. When we have found this, it muſt be conſidered, how far each Party can come up to that Medium, and then we can make the Accommodation. The Medium of Reconciliation in this Buſineſs, at this time, between the Conformiſt and Nonconformiſt, is the Common-Prayer. Some Perſons (as is ſaid before) do hold, that a ſtinted Form of Prayer, and our Pariſh-Churches, are unwarrantable by God's Word; who, though they may be Indulged, are thereby uncapable of Comprehenſion. Others are ready to maintain the Lawfulneſs of both theſe; and the Enquiry about ſuch is, How far they can do that which is enjoyned? That is, How far they can Read the Common-Prayer, and how far they cannot Conform to it? This is the Critical Point, in regard to this Bill between the Conformiſt and Nonconformiſt. The One can Read all, the Other ſo much only as will ſerve for Union. The Nonconformist now, who hold a Form of Prayer, and the Pariſh-Churches lawful, are, for the moſt part of them, able (through Providential Merey) to Conform to the Ordinary Lord's-Day Service, their Exceptions (which make the Liturgy to them unlawful) lying in other Parts or Moments of the Book. And conſequently, if the Bill may be hemmed up with the Clauſe here offered, it will do. Without that Clauſe, it is apparently imperfect: With it, it will be what we may call Perfect, that is, Perfect in its kind, ſo far as to anſwer its end, and bring in All of the Willing, and Many of the Ʋnwilling, that go under the Name of the Preſbyterian Perſwaſion. This being premiſed, the Bills (the Titles only as they were in the Houſe, being voluntarily omitted) are as followeth.