The Nature and Use of Things Indifferent, Conclusion – Title page 2
THE CONCLVSION, VNTOUNTO THE BELOVED BRETHREN in Christ, the Ministers, who conforme not themſelues vntounto the Diſcipline and Ceremonies of the Church of England.
HItherto, beloued Brethren, hauehave we handled thoſe things which ſeemed to appertaine vntounto the true and lawfull vſe of Things indifferent, that ſo we might more throughly vnderſtand the Nature thereof. Wherein, I preſume, I hauehave fully ſatisfied ALL SVCH as are Chriſtianly affected, who truly walke according vntounto the Spirit, and yeeld vntounto the Truth, embracing the ſame ſimplie, ſincerely and conſtantly: In ſo much that in this Controuerſie, I dare vndergoe the cenſure and iudgement of all the Learned and good men throughout the whole world; who (I hope) will allow of this my counſell; and eaſilie perceiue, that I hauehave not diſputed concerning theſe ſo important matters, with other mens affections, nor with any deſire of attaining the fauour of any man, nor with the endeuor of diſſenting from others, nor for the louelove of Noueltie, nor of pertinacious obſtinacie, nor yet of any other euill and inordinate affection or deſire: but that I hauehave, to my poore abilitie, ſerued the neceſſitie of the Church. For when I had vnderſtood, that in the firſt Viſitation of the Right reuerend father in God, the L. BISHOP OF LONDON, there were many diſſonant clamours of vnlearned men, contending about many things, ſpecially about Eccleſiaſticall Rites and Ceremonies; I hauehave gathered the Summe of the Doctrine concerning THINGS INDIFFERENT, deliuered by Caluin, Melancthon, Bucer, Zanchius, Vrſinus, Beza, and other learned and approued Diuines, in their ſeuerall Volumes of Comentaries, Sermons and other Tractats, as it were into one Body, whereby any man might plainly ſee at the firſt bluſh, as in a Table, what is to be held, and what to be auoyded, in this whole buſines. And I will that Writing to be vnderſtood rightly and ingenuouſly, without cauilling, without calumniations.
It is certaine, that in this ſo great infirmitie of men, The Militant Church neuer perfect.the Church can neuer be ſo pure, but that there will bee ſome abuſes therein. And it is certaine alſo, that wee muſt diſſemble and beare with ſome abuſes, for maintaining of publique peace and concord. NW.Which muſt bee vnderſtood of thoſe abuſes, which by reaſon of infirmitie ariſe among vsus, the Doctrine of truth being ſafely preſerued: and not of ſuch, as ouerthrow the neceſſarie Articles of faith, or are Idolatrous, or compell men to manifeſt ſinnes and impietie. Hereupon ſome men moſt grieuouſly ſinne, both againſt themſelues, and againſt the reſt of their Brethren, who are contentious and turbulent for eueryevery little moale or blemiſh, & ſo trouble both their owne and other mens conſciences, as if all Chriſtianitie were in danger to be loſt and wholly ouerthrowne. Neither doe I ſpeake this, as if I thought that any corruption ought to be winkt at and tolerated (Nay rather, let the Earth ſwallow me vp, or the Sea ſtop my breath, before that I defend any corruption of the celeſtiall Doctrine, or contend with the Church of God, wherein I deſire, as in an eternall Schoole after this life, to ſee and behold the Sonne of God, the Patriarkes, Prophets and Apoſtles, and to enioy their doctrine and familiaritie:) but becauſe I iudge that thoſe things, that are to be pardoned and yeelded vntounto Chriſtian charitie, are wiſely to be diſtinguiſhed, from ſuch as be execrable and wicked; and that by the wiſedome, not of the fleſh, but of the ſpirit. And verily it is not a ſmall impietie, to imagine, that the whole vertue of Religion is placed, either in contemning, or in obſeruing onelyonly Ceremonies: ſeeing all learned men, who vnderſtand of our diſſentions and iarres, ſmile in their boſomes, and account it great follie, to be much troubled of either ſide concerning Ceremonies.
Wherefore, my reuerend and beloued Brethren. I humbly pray and beſeech you, euen for His ſake, whoſe Glorie it is meete ſhould bee preferred before all other things whatſoeuer without exception; that you would vouchſafe to conuert all your endeuours and ſtudies to this end ſpecially, that there may be ſome fit remedie ſpeedily prouided againſt that ſo great miſchiefe, that breedeth all this vnkindnes amongſt vsus. Alas! We hauehave Aduerſaries enough abroad, againſt whom the Sonne of God commandeth that we maintaine vnitie and concord. But we contrariwiſe, ceaſe not euen to eate vp our owne ſhoulders and armes: and the frame of our Church being ſhrewdly ſhaken, our whole building threatneth downfall. Euen as in times paſt, whileſt Euſebius Biſhop of Ceſarea and Baſil the Great contended amongſt themſelues, the Arrian Hereſie took deep roote, and was diſperſed farre and neere: ſo at this day, whileſt the members of the true Church doe mutually warre the one againſt the other, we doe not onelyonly ceaſe to be a terror vntounto our common Enemies, but alſo for our intolerable petulancie and pride, in coyning new opinions, and diſperſing the ſame abroad with all impunitie, to the greateſt Scandal of all Churches, againſt the ancient orthodoxe Sanctions, and the moſt ſtrict and ſeuere prohibitions of our owne Lawes, we are publiquely expoſed to the cenſure and ſcorne of all men. We hope, Brethren, that you are not ſo ignorant of all things, that you know not the iudgements of others concerning theſe our controuerſies; nor ſo without common ſenſe, that you alone doe not ſee our dangers: nor yet ſo inhumane and cruell, that you are nothing affected with thoſe miſeries which wee feele and ſuſtaine. You know that the common Enemies of the Church of England will become more terrible and fearefull vntounto vsus, if they ſhall ſet vponupon our Church being tired and diſtracted with inteſtine hatred and contentions: neither are you ignorant, that domeſtique Diſtentions hauehave alwaies been a very mortal and deadly bane euen vntounto great Churches. How much better therefore is it, that you bend all your forces to this, that you may comfort and cheriſh our afflicted Church, as much as ſafely you may, and prouide that the ſincere Doctrine of all neceſſarie things being faithfully taught, may bee propagated vntounto all poſteritie. VntoUnto which dutie, firſt of all your pietie and deuotion towards GOD, vntounto whom we wholly owe whatſoeuer we are, ought to excite and prouoke you: Then your Zeale towards the holy faith and religion, and the conſcience of your Vocation and calling, ought ſpecially to inflame you: That I ſpeake nothing, what your obedience towards the Kings Maieſtie and other Magiſtrates requireth; what the ſtate of the Church of England (your own louing Mother) which now ſeemeth to be ſicke of a conſumption, challengeth at your hands; and laſtly, what your dutie towards your Country, parents, children, kindred, friends and neighbours, doth expoſtulate: All which being put together, ought more than ſufficiently, not onelyonly to moue and excite you, but alſo to force and compell you, that by your common helpe and meanes theſe Domeſtique fires be throughly extinguiſhed. Oh, thinke with your ſelues, and conſider diligently and ſeriouſly, how much honeſter is your godly ſubmiſſion and conformitie in Things indifferent, than is your ſuperſtitious pride and arrogancie in forſaking your Churches!
But if vnderunder pretenſe of puritie, and the Goſpell, you intend ſtill to indulge and ſerue your owne partiall affections (which GOD gratiouſly forbid) yet in theſe ſo great diſſipations, and diſtractions of mindes and men, the Godly may hauehave this ſpeciall comfort: N. best of all. What a godlie man ought to do in theſe domeſtique tumults and contentions of the Church.That where they heare the vncorrupt voice of true Doctrine, and ſee the lawfull vſe of the Sacraments, and perceiue that Idols and errors, repugnant vntounto the voice of the Sonne of God, are not defended: there let them know, that they are aſſuredly in the ſocietie of the true Church; neither let them doubt, but that ſuch aſſemblies are the Temples of the liuing God, and that GOD is there preſent in the Miniſterie of the Goſpell, and that out of ſuch ſocieties the Sonne of God, our Lord and Sauiour, gathereth his eternall inheritance, according vntounto that, Whereſoeuer there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midſt of them. This LORD I moſt humbly beſeech, that hee will mitigate the ſorowes and heale the wounds of his Church, that he will ſaue ſome remnants for himſelfe, and cleanſe the Sonnes of Leui, that is, that he will ſtirre vp eueryevery where true Treachers, who, as Bees carrie their labours into the hiue for the common good, may in like manner, all of them, conferre their ſtudies and duties to the ſaluation and peace of the Church; that all diſſentions being taken away, they may hereafter, with ioynt mindes and willes, painfully ſpread abroad the true Doctrine of the Goſpell, diligently edifie the Church of God, perſpicuouſly and conſtantly refute all errors and hereſies, and faithfully deliuer the true ſtate and vniforme ſentence of the Controuerſies of our times vntounto all poſterities to the worlds end.
APOCAL. 7.12.
Amen. Praiſe, and Glorie, and Wiſedom, and Thankes, and Honor, and Power, and Might, be vntounto our GOD for euermore. Amen.
FINIS.
A REIOYNDER vntounto the MILD DEFENCE, IVSTIFYING THE CONSIDERATION OF the ſilenced Ministers Supplication vntounto the high Court of Parliament.
WHEREIN IS PLAINELY DIScouered the vanitie of the Ministers Arguments for their Reſtitution; and they irrefutably euinced to be properly SCHISMATIQVES, Vnworthie to be restored againe to the vſe and libertie of their Ministerie;
By GABRIEL POVVEL.
G. P.
Let there be no ſtrife, I pray thee, betweene thee and me, for we are Brethren, Geneſ. 13.8.
The Milde Defender.
The words of his mouth were ſofter then butter, yet warre is in his hart: his words more gentle then oyle, yet were they ſwords, Pſal. 55.21.
G. P.
Iudge not, and you ſhall not be iudged, (Luk. 6.37.) Though they ſhew me all extremitie, yet will I not ceaſe to louelove them, and to ſeeke their good, August.
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, for Edward VVhae.