The Conformists Fourth Plea, Postscript
POSTSCRIPT.
I Expect to be told of the Sufferings of the Loyal Clergy in the Time of War: I have diſtinguiſhed between a Time of War and Peace, of doleful Havock, and Security and Law; but it is not obſerved. I ſay now, that theſe Miniſters I have mentioned in the foregoing Treatiſe have been Loyal Perſons, and in the Times of Uſurpation ventured their Lives and Eſtates for the King's happy Return. I know no Man ſo diſingenuous, as to envy the Care that hath been to preſerve Mr. Huddleſton (a Papiſt) from the Laws, for his good Service about the King, in his Eſcape. But no ſuch Care was taken of Mr. Parſons, Mr. Heywood, Mr. Harriſon, Mr. Cook of Cheſter, who was in the Tower when the King was called in, who ventured their Lives and Eſtates for the King with Sir George Booth. Biſhop Walton would ſpeak civilly to Mr. Cook, but told him, he muſt conform, or he could not help him. Now many of the Loyal Clergy were out of Livings or Employments, that did not take their Eaſe, or enjoy a ſtudious Retirement? How many that loved Preaching, or did cleave to their Flocks, that did not enjoy ſome Liberty and Encouragement? I could reckon up many that had Livings in the City, and preached in Churches without any Let; as Dr. Hall, (afterwards Biſhop of Cheſter) Dr. Ball, Dr. Wild, (late Biſhop in Ireland) Dr. Hardy, Dr. Griffith, Dr. Peirſon, (now Biſhop of Cheſter) Dr. Moſſome, Mr. Farringdon, with many more, beſides Abundance in every County. How many of them fled on choice, left their Places, even in the King's Quarters? I could name ſome of them, when I was a Boy; and now I live where a Miniſter did voluntarily abſent forty Months before he appeared, and in the mean time the Patron preſented.
'Tis true, O. Cromwell, and his Officers, did once, upon ſome provocation of a pretended Plot againſt him, by a Proclamation prohibit their Preaching, keeping Schools, &c. But by the Interceſſion of that excellent Man Arch-Biſhop Ʋſher, they had their Liberty again, and preached, and enjoyed their Places all the Time of the Uſurpation; and thoſe that were kept out of their Livings, had the Fifths allowed them. I ſpeak not this to excuſe the Evils of thoſe Times, but to ſhew that the Loyal Clergy found ſome Mercy and Pity even from Uſurpers; and ſome of them have ingenuouſly confeſſed, that they received great Kindneſs from ſome in Power then: And ſhall not we now exceed them in Mercy? Does it not become us to act according to the Chriſtian Law, to overcome Evil with Good? and according to the Law of the Land, (the Act of Oblivion) in not reviving the Memory of the Evils of former Days, to the detriment of any Perſon or Perſons?
But now ſuch a Storm is raiſed, that is ready to carry away not only the Goods, but the Perſons of the Nonconformiſts: I know not the Reaſon, unleſs it be becauſe they were too zealous for the Bill of Excluſion. Indeed Sedition and Rebellion is pretended, that they are Enemies to the Government, that they are acting the old Game of Forty One, and Forty Eight. Let theſe things be proved, and then let them ſuffer; I plead not for any ſuch.
Nay, Moderation, and moderate Divines of the Church of England, are become now hateful and expoſed, and eſpecially if any of us dare be ſo Bold as to plead for Moderation towards Diſſenters; and in ſo doing we are repreſented as Enemies to the Church, and threatned to be caſt our. 'Tis ſaid, we have reflected on our preſent Clergy, when it is only ſuch of the Clergy as are over-zealous and fiery, and hinder the Union of Proteſtants. For if Phaeton (as Dr. Stillingfleet in his Iren. ſays) drive the Chariot of the Sun, the World will be ſoon on Fire: I mean ſuch in the Church, whoſe Brains, like the Ʋnicorn's, run out into the length of the Horn; ſuch who have more Fury than Zeal, and yet more Zeal than Knowledg or Moderation.
The Generality of our preſent Clergy are great Admirers of Archbiſhop Laud, and thoſe that adhered to him; and yet Mr. Hammond L'Eſtrange (one that was a zealous Church-man, and as keen againſt the Presbyterians as his Name-ſake) hath ſaid more of him and them, than any of the moderate Divines now have, or dare to ſay of the preſent Clergy. Viz.
Mr. Ham. L'Eſtrange's Hiſtory of K. Charles the Firſt, pag. 143, 144.
— His Zeal to Order (meaning Arch-Biſhop Land) carried him thus far, (that is, to put the Canons in Execution) tranſported him a little too far: The Communion-Table, which formerly ſtood in the midſt of the Church or Chancel, he enjoined it to be placed at the Eaſt End, upon a graduated advance of Ground, with the Ends inverted, and a Woodden Traverſe of Rails before it, to keep Prophanation off, to which Rails all Communicants were to reſort. Theſe things were decent and comely in Contemplation, and had been ſo in Practice, had they been within the Rule of the Church Directions; but being Anomalous Innovations, and ſo ſeverely urged, many became thereupon preciſe, and ſeparated themſelves into factious Sidings; nor was this a Schiſm of an ordinary Size, but grew to that proceſs, to that degree, as, to ſpeak in the Primitive Mode, Altar was erected againſt Altar, that is, one Biſhop impugned and oppoſed another: For the Biſhop of Lincoln (being affronted by one Titly, Vicar of Grantham) publiſhed a Tract under a concealed Name, poſitively aſſerting therein, That the holy Table anciently did in the Primitive Times, and ought ſo in ours, according to the Dictates of our Church, ſtand in gremio, and Nave of the Quire. And as the Arch-Biſhop, whilſt he ſo vehemently purſued Order, did a little out-run Authority; ſo was he unhappy in thoſe he did employ, as Inſtruments and Subordinates under him, ſome whereof endeavoured to ſuper-induct many Things, as Will-Worſhip of their own, and which came within a Mathematical Line of Popery: Nor were they blameleſs in their Lives, ſome being vitious even to Scandal, nor of ſo meek and humble Behaviour as was to be wiſh'd, but inſolent at a rate ſo intolerable, as one was bold to ſay, He hoped to live to ſee the Day, when a Miniſter ſhall be as good a Man as any upſtart Jack-Gentleman in England. To ſuch a height of Infatuation had a petty Blaze of miſtaken Honour elevated this high Flyer, who in lieu of thoſe frolick Days he looked to ſee, lived to ſee that very Hierarchy extirpated, and lived to ſee himſelf deplumed of all his Pomp. Theſe Exorbitancies of thoſe Sons of Eli from the Rules of Ethicks, created a very great Diſguſt againſt them; and many well enough affected to their Empire, did exceedingly blame their Imperioſity, &c.
FINIS.
The Reader (in regard of the Author's Diſtance from the Preſs) is deſired to amend what Errata he meets with.
End of the text · Edward Pearse, The Conformists Fourth Plea (1683)