DIfferences of opinion are so apt to arise,Many prejudi­ced against the Bill for the name of it. and I am so much for Union, that I cannot but take the trouble of telling you, that you and I were much better agreed at our last meet­ing, than you seem to think: For I do not remember that I was so disaffected with the word Comprehension in the Church, as that you should think to oblige me with the other of Union; that alters the matter as little, as if you should recommend a Bill for the Union of the two Kingdoms to the State, by calling it a Comprehension.

I hope too that the Design is not to break the Frame, but for a greater firmness. Of the design of it. For tho some pull down an old Mansion-House to sell the Materials, and some to build a new Folly after a foreign Model, as a Specimen of their late improvement by Travel; yet others, I grant you, make such alterations as better the Seat. I do not therefore reject all Alteration; for I would be as glad as any to see the good old House improved, but I like it so well as it is, that I desire first to be satisfied in the Proposals, before I engage too far with the Undertakers, for I know how willing that sort of Men are to make themselves work.

Our Church is not so unreasonable, as to say,That it is a­greeable to the Principles of the Church of England. that all her Ap­pointments are unalterable, and so much other Churches must con­fess too; she is capable of amendment I grant you, and so she will still be, I suppose, after your Corrections and Supplies, and I know no other Church that is not; but whether the Model that is offered will amend it or make worse, that, if we are wise Builders, we shall consider first: For as the Romans have altered for the worse, so may the English too.Some such thing promi­sed to be done by us.

The Condescensions that were promised on our side are not to be forgot; and further, I wish that the occasion of that promise may [Page 2]be forgot, the late dangerous Condescension of some Men to the Romish Party. But his memory must be short who doth not re­collect that this Temper promised, was such an one as should be so esteemed by a Parliament and a Convocation, that is, a proper and expedient Temper in the regular way. And if the Church men desire that this Method may be followed, they will not deserve to be reproached with an ill Conscience in keeping their word:And necessary to remove the Objection that has been made against us of our being a Persecuting Church. Neither will the Church deserve therefore the name of a Perseeuting Church, tho she has been unjustly persecuted with it all along by such, who, when in power, were the greatest Persecutors themselves, and whose Temper will always make them seem to themselves under Persecution, till they can persecute again. This Cry was raised by the Jesuits themselves against us in the late Reigns, and a Book of Martyrs preparing, and now it may be taken up again. But this makes not Comprehension necessary, it may be sufficiently provided for by a Bill for Toleration; for the National Church of England, tho she does not alter, will be no more a Persecuting Church, than the Na­tional Church of Holland, who is not about to alter, as we hear, and continues to exclude above half of the Inhabitants.We are now better able to know what is fitting to be done than we were hereto­fore.

But I am not only for a Toleration, I am in my judgment for a review of our Constitution, as much as any of you Divines, and hope it may be made with so much Christian Prudence, as may shew we are grown wiser by our greater Eperience.

It is indeed to be lamented, that the Dissenters Objections cannot be removed by Answers of so great strength and plainess. It remains therefore only to remove the occasion;That it is the only way to remove the Dissentrs Scruples. that is, to take away such things, against which there is no reason; out of Charity then let it be done, and a Bill of discreet Charity it will be indeed, that shall take away all Scruples, prevent all Prejudices, and reduce us to perfect Union. But you may remember, I took the liberty, in our private Conversation, to tell you, that such promising Bills of general Cures are put into your hand in every street.

The Bill is not yet come to us,That this Bill will be no prejudice to Ecclesiastical Power. but I have have inquired, and find, that besides the liberty the Laity have by it, the Minister is at liberty to wear or not to wear the Surplice, to kneel, or to stand, or to sit at the Communion, to baptize, or not to baptize, with the sign of the Cross. And some tell me, they are not sure whether he is obliged to approve the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church in which he officiates; and that Ordination by the hands of the Presbtyery is so owned, that it capacitates him for a kind of Licence from the Bi­shop; these they say are the present Alterations, and Twenty Di­vines of your acquaintance are to have the Royal Commission, to [Page 3]consider afterwards of many more, and more weighty, to be pre­sented hereafter to the Convocation (I hope) and Parliament. Now against this Method of removing the Dissenters answered Objections, there seem to me to be several weighty Objections I wish might be answer'd as easily, some of which I shall mention presently. But as to the Ecclesiastical Power, of which you allow me to be tender, all that the Divines of my acquaintance desire, is the power of hearing and deliberating concerning such Proposals in a Convocation: And if this preparatory Act be of an Ecclesiastical nature, they request the same Power may be granted them here; for the Church-men, I think, have such a Right, and if they have not, yet they are proper Advi­sers, and so numerous, and so learned a Body as the Ecclesiasti­cal Commonalty is, should have some regard had to them, as well as to the Dissenters, and be represented not by a few Men of a sort, but by a Convention at least of their own choice, being neither so superstitious nor so ignorant, as in the times you mention of Queen Elizabeth.

All the reason of Fences to the inclosure of a Church,Nor take away the Fen­ces of our Church. is to keep those out that are not fit to come in, or will, if they are suffered to stay in, disturb it, to maintain Truth and Devotion in Unity and Order. Now our Fence against False Doctrine and Divisions is an Approbation required from every Minister of the Church, to what is ordered in the Church; for, if he scruple to say he approves the Doctrine, he is not to be trusted with the teaching it; and if he ap­proves not the Discipline, he will practice it but untowardly. This Fence is so natural a bound, that there is no Church wants it; and whoever attacks it, intends to take the place, and, for ought I know, to race it. It is for the security of the Church to keep up such a Fence, whatever the trouble may be; and they will be troublesom Men in­deed, that will not approve what stands, when we are willing to alter all that is not to be approved.

I will not say that the Obligation to wear a Surplice, is one of our Fences, tho it may serve conveniently as a Shibboleth to keep those out of the Ministry, who are either so weak as to conceit an illegality in the Habit, or so hypocritical as to pretend it. But this I think, that if the Surplice be not absolutely discharged, but the Minister be left to his choice; there will then be no Fence agaist a contrary Pra­ctice in the Diocess, and against the impossibility of the Minister's humouring all the Congregation by his choice; that is, against the Wrangling and Faction that will arise between Minister and Mini­ster, and between Minister and Parishioner on that Subject: A Dis­pute that the Bishop will have no Authority left to determin. Nei­ther [Page 4]let any Man pretend that such Trifles will not disturb a Diocess or a Parish, when we find they are so considerable, as to trouble a Parlia­ment, and to interrupt the publick Affairs in so pressing a conjuncture.

The direction of the People to some one decent Posture at the Sacrament, is commonly thought a convenient Fence agaist irreve­rence, at least disorderliness: And there is no Church that does not expect her Communicants in the same posture. But allow us Laity a greater liberty in England, yet such an Order upon the Minister will be, in my judgment, but a necessary Fence against parochial Schisms (to go no further) that will otherwise follow: For taking it for granted, that all you Church-men understand the nature of the Ceremony so well, as to know them to be indifferent, and that you will none of you make any scruple of giving the Com­munion to one sitting (tho a Scruple on this hand would be as well grounded, as on the other, and deserves much more regard) granting, I say, these Ceremonies to be indifferent to you; yet to the Dissenters they are unlawful, for therefore they desire them to be released. Suppose then one of those Minsters entered by this gap of our old Fences into some populous Congregation, and sup­pose the Laity of our Communion willing to receive the Sacrament at the hands of one that refuses to kneel himself (a thing that may not always happen) yet the Minister himself must be presumed un­willing to give it to the Lay-man kneeling, and at least he will dis­course it, and declare against it. Now do you not think that this will certainly break his Parish, and make the People willing to re­ceive from another hand, nay force them to another Congregation? which course must certainly end in Fends and Animosities, if there be no temporal Discontent on foot: But if there be, it is to be feared, that the secular Parties will distinguish themselves by these Postures, and greater Disorder follow than will be consistent with the Peace of the Government it self; and this you must expect, that if it shall once appear, that a State-party has taken away the Ceremonies, there will be a State-party for them.

I should not be so particular in such things of Church-practice, which you should consider rather than I: But give me leave to go a little further as to the Sign of the Cross; it was used heretofore to be a Fence against ill Spirits, as they say; but now, I know not why, it has raised them. However, I think, the liberty of the Minister to use it, or no, will be very inconvenient, and that an Obligation upon him, to do as he shall be desired, will be a proper Fence against the trouble some of his Parishioners may otherwise have of looking out for another Minister to Christen, as soon as a Dissenting Mini­ster shall be preferred upon them.

But to dispatch this business about Fences, Ordination, as I take it, is another, and such a one, that instead of being laid more open, ought to be better secured than it is; it were to be wished, that there were more Keys than one to the door of the Fold, and that it should not be opened but with great solemnity; for if care be not taken, there may be found a Bishop that may in private, let in those that are bet­ter kept out: I do not deny, but there may be a Form peculiar, for the admitting to the Ministry, such as are said to be ordain'd of Fo­reign Presbyters, or Popish Bishops, but I dare not prescribe such a one. For this, I think, if any, is a matter so weighty, that it ought not to be determined, but by the Body of the Church.

And so much for the Fences, the strongest of which, you say, are Unity and Number: But a Church that grows numerous by taking in Dissenters, may be no stronger, than an Army that fills up its Company with Mutineers.

There is reason still, I am afraid,Nor lead the way to the yielding up All to the Dis­senters. to suspect restless Importunities and Designs of extorting the whole; but my judgment of this House (and you need not suspect it) is, that it will never yield to them, and I hope for that reason they will not yield to some of these Proposals, tho I know they are ready to hearken to all that are peaceable and reasonable.

That Dissenters should refuse to acquiesce in such Terms; one would, Nor will it be any discredit to us if the Dis­senters should some of them refuse to acqui­esce in it; As it may be they will But on the contrary, such an Union being offered by us will render them inexcusable. it may be, wonder, that did not know them, but you must expect that some of them will continue unsatisfied, and that Books against E­piscopacy and Liturgy will fly, tho you should be a Bishop your self: Let our Church therefore, in the Name of God, perfect her self, as she can, amend, supply, and retrench, as may be best for his service and the edification of the People, and commit the event to the Di­vine Providence.

Methinks I could easily find a Cure for this Disease; And tho the interested Men among the Dissenters may dislike it, for why may not those few that are Pastors, as you call them, of wealthy Congre­gations be provided for by the Church Preferments? sure they will be considered.

For my part I think that would be a less chargeable Gratification to them,Yet we may Reasonably Hope, all o­thers will ap­prove it; the conditions of this Bill being very easie both to the Mini­sters, than to expose our Church to irremediable Disorders and Fa­ctions for their pretended ease. For to deal plainly with you, tho they have been pleased, it seems, of late to increase their number by new Ordinations, yet I do not find the Church so ill provided, as to want their Ministry, it did not in the late exigency. And if there are of them that shall after competent study, really think the disputed Ce­remonies to be unlawful; this to me is such a proof of their weakness, as that they ought not to undertake to teach, and should in modesty be contented with Lay-Communion

Now to the Lay a great tenderness is due,And to the lay-Dissenters. and there is place for charitable Condescension, they have taken up Prejudices from the wrong information of those, who pretending to instruct, were bound to know better. They have not had capacity, or leisure, or oppor­tunity, nay (as you intimate) have not been suffered to use the means of correcting their Prejudices, they are therefore indeed to be con­sidered, and treated very charitably. Let such then be permitted not to kneel, and the Minister be bound to admit them to the Com­munion at their desire, let the Minister be bound to Baptize their Children without the Sign; let all reasonable ease be given them, and the Surplice, if you please, quite taken out of their sight: The Laity, by this means, will have all the Condescension you propose, and enjoy their own liberty in such things as much as they can de­sire, tho the Minister remains obliged: For if the scrupulous have their own liberty to stand, it is presumed by the Project, that they will not be offended at any other, or at the Ministers kneeling; and what difference is there to them, whether the Minister kneel by com­mand or by choice? I say not that the Surplice too may be left upon the Minister for the same reason; for if you suppose he may wear it voluntarily, without Offence to the lookers on, why may he not wear it by direction without offence too? I know you intimate the old Objection, of indiffernt things becoming unlawful by their Impositions: But will they be said to grow unlawful to me, because imposed upon another, that will be an unreasonable stretch of an Objection, that is so very unreasoable in it self, as to suffer no Ecclesiastical Appoint­ments; and I will assure you, if our Church think fit to humor the Objection, she will be the first that ever did. You see I am ready to give all the desired satisfaction to the Lay; but as to the Ministers, I do not see how they can be left to their choice,This Bill if it has no present good effect, yet will secure the next Gene­neration; and satisfie the Protestant Churches a­broad, to whom it has been commu­nicated, and who do highly approve the conditions of it. without more Dis­order and Confusion, than is fit to be suffered for their sakes; and I must take leave to tell you, that greater regard seems to be had in this Project to the personal Interests of a very few, whom we may well be without, than to the Peace of the whole Church.

The probable effect of this Bill so conditioned, I have ventured to conjecture; and you Divines should consider before-hand, the ra­ther, because you are upon a new Experiment, and which no Church has ever thought fit to try. For tho the Reformed Churches abroad (you mean the Calvinists, as they are pleased to honour themselves with the Title, in contradistinction to the Lutherans, &c.) may appear to like your Project well; as no Man discourages the Practice of his own Example; and as the French will never find fault with us for following after their Faishions. Yet I am not satisfied [Page 7]of their mind so, but I shall do by them, as we Lay-men use to do by you Divines, I shall rather look into their Lives than their Do­ctrine, and see what course they take at home. Now I am afraid a Man would hardly be admitted a Minister of their Churches, that should deny to approve their Doctrine and Discipline; the Remon­strants, you know, say otherwise: The Churches of France were not used to give the Sacrament to any sitting; nor those of Holland to any that kneel, much less are they used to see their Ministers in contrary Postures; and if in any place, they have sometime dispens­ed with their manner, it was done out of a particular civility to some eminent Stranger, not ordinarily, and to those of their own Com­munion: Now I do not suppose that they keep to their own Rules out of any humor or opposition, but upon wise Considerations, and for the sake of Order and Peace; and I cannot think, that they would ever advise us seriously to a Practice they do not follow themselves. A Calvinist Minister may indeed be glad, that he is without any more trouble made capable of an English Preferment, and he may write such a Letter of Compliment to get one. But this is neither Authori­ty nor Motive to our Change: And what need is there of a Foreign Oracle? or going to Switzerland for a direction for us in England? Shall Strangers be suppos'd to know our Circumstances better than we? And shall we never think our selves able to do our own business our selves?

I am glad they abroad look upon our Church as the Centre of Pro­testant Unity, a Protestant I hope she has appeared now, and a Centre I hope she will prove, by a speedy faithful direction she will afford to the Protestant Circle (to use the German Phrase) for the uniting and supporting their common Council and Interests. Now for that Of­fice she seems already to have the proper Position, and will, if she vary much, go out of her true place; for so much as she approaches to the Calvinists, so far she departs from the Lutheran, as friendly, and a much more considerable Body: But if she Will be a Centre, she must be fix'd somewhere, and she can never be serviceable to those abroad, if she be in disorder and confusion at home. Let us then settle our selves on Terms of Peace and Unity, and so we shall be the better able to as­sist the the other Protestants: But in order to that assistance, there is no need that we should part so much as with the Surplice, except you think the Preliminaries of the Protestant Treaty were about our Ru­brick, or that the Swede or the Lunenburger cannot succour the Holland­er, without subscribing to the Synod of Dort: However, we are to be guided by the standing Considerations of Peace and Unity at home, and not by these temporary Conjunctions of Princes and States, which may alter the next year.

The acquaintance with those of your own Profession,This Bill ap­proved by the truest Sons of the Church of England, must be larger than mine, and as the margin saith, much better, for it is with the Truest Sons of the Church. But I assure you, I know many, and those not inconsiderable, who have too appeared for the Churches Cause, who are against this Bill, as they hear it is framed, and who think it highly for the cause of the Church to have it amended,And would be fit to be pass'd, tho it were not necessary for Ʋnion. We may improve our Constitu­tion, tho it be already very good.

My Acquaintance agree with you perfectly in the general, that there is room for improvement, and that Peace and Piety may be promoted by some Change, and many thoughts they have spent upon it; but they think that this matter should be regularly considered, and not done by a few hands, and on their own heads. And they are the more apt to suspect the Prudence of the grand Change that is after designed, because they have so much reason, as they think, to dis­like this preparatory Expedient.

There was, I believe, a Juncture lost at the return of King Charles II. and the Popish Party might have some hand in it, as we do the Divel no wrong, when we make him a Party to any Mischief:None but the Papists who have hitherto prevented our Ʋnion, ought to be displeased at our present endeavour af­ter it. But I believe, the Circumstances of that Juncture, were a great occasion of the loss, and that one cause of it might be, the extravagances of the Proposals the Dissenters then made: For I do not think that Men were so unwise, or so negligent at that time, as they may be fancied now. Some were stiff, I believe, for every tittle of the old Form, and some were far more unreasoable against the whole, The Fanaticks in the mean while, and the Papists, were for no settlement at all; and so for fear the Juncture should be entirely lost, it was thought advisable to stay no longer, but to resolve upon the present Establishment, tho it be not absolutely perfect, yet is, I will say, more perfect than any other in the Christian World, and the prudence of it appeared in the reception and general submission it had in some little time gained; as it would have prevailed universally, had not the Papists, who found themselves no Gainers by it, broke in upon it by their In­dulgence of 1671. and again spawned their Conventicles all over the Kingdom. The Papists, we know, will take advantage by our Discord, and this Bill I would have so ordered, as not to occasion them. The Church, without the Dissenters, and united as she is in her self, has been able to make a glorious stand against Popery regnant: But if by the admission of the Dissenters, she shall be broken and divided, she may grow weaker by her new Company, and not resist so successfuly a second time.

This, I confess, is a favourable season, but not by reason of the Protestant League abroad; for, under favour, what breach of any Articles under that League will it be, if our Church remain unaltered? Or how does that League enable us to make ever the better Alterations? Favourable it is by our Circumstances at home, if we, who were almost comprehended in the ruine, we at least, who were united in the Defence of our Religion, would abate of our stifness for or against smaller matters, and would be ready to form such a Body as may be more firm and lasting.

May this favourable season be discreetly used; and let it not be lost again, by such Proposals as ought to be rejected. This Juncture will not be lost to the publick, if some men are not too sedulous to make it favourable to themselves.