the Sixth, and revived by Queen Mary, were by Queen Elizabeth retained as formerly in her Father's time, for which he receiv'd both Thanks and Honour from her very Enemies, that is to fay, the Papifts.

If this one fo full and unexceptionable Teftimony be not fufficient to prove what I faid in my Letter of the Accommodation of Queen Elizabeth's Reformation, you may take one more from another, very true too, and Famous in the Church of England, Dr. Fuller, who in his Church Hiftory tells you, That as careful "Mothers and Nurfes, on condition they can get their Children to part with Knives, are contented to let them play with Rattles: 7 bus (faith he) the Reformers permitted ignorant People ftill to retain fome of their fond and foolish Customs, that they might remove from them the most dangerous and deftructive Superftitions. That in the Year 1585, the Parliament began to correct Ecclefiaftical Abufes; but the Queen being Semper eadem, would. let nothing of moment be alter'd in the ChurchDifcipline. That in the Year 1587, the House of Commons prefented unto the House of Lords a Petition; "That (among other Grievances) Minifters might not "be troubled for the Omiffion of fome Rites prefcrib'd in the Book of Common-Prayer. And the Lord Grey. wonder'd that her Majefly would in this matter make choice to confer with those who were all Enemies to Re"formation, because it touch'd their Free-bolds.

Is not this yet enough to convince you how matters were carried, and by whom, in this Glorious Reformation you boaft of, and how far it was from being perfect, or agreeable to the Defires of the Beft, the Wifeft and moft Learned of thofe that. were then Inftruments in it; as one that was Friend enough to Prelacy, once wrote to Mr. Hooker, when he was on his Ecclefiaftical Folity. It may be remember'd (fays he) that at the first, the greatest part of the Learned in the Land were either eagerly affected, or • favourably inclin❜d to that way [of Non-conformity];

.

The

'The Books then written, favour'd for the most part of the Difciplinary Stile, it founded every where in the Pulpits, and in the common Phrafe of Mens Speech; and the contrary Party began to fear they had taken a Trong Course. Sir, Will you not yet fee, that the Non conformity for which we are thus damn'd by you for Schifmaticks, is altogether as old as the Proteftant Reformation it felf, and that not as the Faction of a small Party, but as the Senfe and earnest Defire of the best and most valuable part of the Subjects,as appears not only by what hath been now faid, but by the many Addresses and humble Petitions, that were then made and prefented to the Queen, to the Parliament, and to the Convocation, by the Commonalty and many of the Clergy of the Nation.

P. 468.

Again I might refer you to Dr. More, Myft.Iniq. who in his Mystery of Iniquity, fpeaking of the Church of England, fays thus, She out of a Spirit of Charity and tender Kindnefs, bas in fome things, in themselves Indifferent, humbly condefcended to Symbolize with that. Lapfed Lady of Rome, to bring off her abused Paramours to the pure Worship of God. And our Church (fays he) does" not ceafe to use this charitable Courtship and Sweet Condefcention towards them ftill, to win them off to fuch a Worship as is every way as Graceful as their own.

E

Irenic.

I fhould tire my felf, fhould I transcribe all that offers from fome of the best and most unfufpected Authors on this Head: 1 fhall at prefent mention but this one more, and that of the very Learned Bishop Stillingflect. The fame Temper (fays he) having fpoken of the French P.122, &c. Churches, mas us'd by our Reformers in the compofing our Liturgy in reference to the Papifts, to whom they had then an especial eye, as being the only Party then appearing, whom they defir'd to draw into their Communion, by coming as near them as they well and fafely could. And certainly thefe Holy

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Men,

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Men, who did feek by any means to draw in others, at fuch a distance from their Principles, as the Papifts were, did never intend by what they did for that end, fo exclude any truly tender Confciences from their Com· munion, And to this put pofe he there goes on. By this time I hope it appears, that I did not wrong the Reformation, in what I faid of its Accommodation, for which you are fo offended withi Bet now to follow you on in your Preface.

Page VII.

V. You charge me with fpeaking what I know to be falfe, becaufe when you had granted us, that they grievously offend, who add new Articles to that one Faith (i. e. Doctrine of Faith) delivered to the Saints, for which they muft earneftly contend, or take away from it fuch as are already reveal'd; or otherwife deprave it by a mixture of Falfeboods ; and fo far as they do fo, we ought to depart from them, and not betray the Truth in compliance with them.. I gave you thanks for this, and told you, that this is all that we and our Teachers have been fo long wrestling and waiting on the Church of England for. This, you fay, I knew to be falfe, and to demonftrate it to be fo, you fay you fhall only need to recite my own words two Pages before: For (fay you) speaking of the Ceremonies, he fays, that these are the only matter of debate [for in debate] between us. And upon this your Critical Demonstration, you triumph a great triumphing, as on one that is convicted by his own Testimony. But,

י

1. Your Charity might have obferv'd, that it was but few Lines before, that I had faid, That External Communion with the Church of England in its prefent State, and in all its Rites and Ceremonies, is the Main thing in Difpute betwixt us: And then your Learning might have inform'd you, how commonly the Main, or the Chief thing, and the Whole, the Ali, and the Only thing, are used indifferently, not only in the ordinary and locfer way of speaking, but in

the

the Holy Scriptures too, which I would not have your therefore, for my fake, to charge with Lies and Self-contradictions.

2. Your Wisdom fhould firft have confider'd the full Extent of your own Conceffion, unless perhaps you granted more than you were aware. Did you not exprefly grant, That they grievously offend, who add new Articles to that One Faith delivered to the Saints, and that fo far as they do fo we ought to depart from them? Now are not the 39 Articles a Sum-. mary of the Doctrine of the Faith of the Church of England, and is not every thing therein contain'd propos'd as Matter of Christian Doctrine and Faith, and fo to be believ'd, and accordingly practiced? And are not all the Rites and Ceremonies of your Church contain'd in General under the 20th Article, and fomething more particularly under the 36th, of Confecration of Bishops and Minifters? So that if all that lies in Controverfy betwixt us be comprehended in that Syfteme, which you have made and declar'd the Articles of your Faith, and would, as fuch, impofe on our Belief and Practice, had I not reafon to fay, that what you had fo freely conceded, was all that we defir'd, till the Cafe be fairly try'd and determined, Whether this be not the Adding of New Articles to the Faith taught us in the Holy Scriptures, or a Depraving it by a mixture of Falfhood. And now, Sir, if you please, you may confider what it is that you have hereby Demonfirated.

Ibid.

VI. You complain of me for Exclaiming against the Bifhops, for their not hearkening to the Apoftles Words, nor walking by the Apostles Rules. That if the People bad continued in your Communion, they must have had Wolves instead of Shephards fet over them, which you confefs was only fuggefted, not plainly afferted by me. And that Men of that Tribe preach Faith and Repentance, Charity

Humility,

Humility, Sobriety, Continency and Mortification to others, but not to themselves; but this you do not fay, that I mean of all the Tribe, tho' you cannot deny it to be fhamefully true (tho' not of your Self, yet) of too many others of the Sons of your Church. And in how forelorn a cafe are thofe . Multitudes of Souls that are deliver'd up to the Conduct of fuch Guides, and who have no other way of Redress but by forfaking their Communion? Yet so very tender are you, that we must not fo much as complain, for fear of encouraging Athrifts, Deifts and Papifts, as if their encouragement did ' proceed more from our juft Complaint of it, than from their open and unpunished Guilt and Practice. This Remark of yours might better have been fpar'd. VII. You accufe me of not Expreffing

a due refpect to the Secular Powers. Be p. VIII. cause I had faid, That the Penal Laws

made and executed on us for our Non-conforming to all the Impofitions of the Church of England, were Sharp Thorns, too often arbitrarily and fpitefully executed. And tho' you confefs they were sometimes fo executed, yet to call those Laws Sharp Thorns, you fay, becomes not a good Subject. Sir, Were not these the Laws by which about Two Thousand Minifters of good Learning, peaceable Principles, and unblameable Lives, were in one day turn'd out both of their Offices and Benefices, without any regard to their Perfons or Families, or any Provifion made for them, fo much as Liberty to get their Bread by teaching a School? Were not these the Laws that banifh'd us, under fevere Penalties, Five miles from our own Homes, and all Places in which we had ever ferv'd as Minifters, that we might have none but Strangers to converse with? Were not these the Laws that Confifcated our Goods, riff'd our Houfes, and fill'd the Prifons with us? Which deftroy'd the Health and fhortned

the