fhould by their Condefcention in fome things that are indifferent, give a good Example to induce Diffenters to come up to be more conformable; for they that are the Guides are to lead and not to follow: As if there be a New Law made, whether they that are to fee it duely executed, shall first put it in practice, or elfe neglect it till it be. done by the Rabble; and in this I conceive there is no difficulty, neither can there be any doubt in the other. And there is yet a further Reason of it; for what hopes have. Proteftant Diffenters to affect an Union, by coming up to fome things, fo long as they fee the Bishops are fo far from parting with One Indifferent Ceremony, that they are. dayly re-affuming feveral things that the firft Reformers had caft away: fo that they. are at no certainty; for what know they but when they have conformed to all that is now injoyned, then fhall other new things be impofed upon them? So that without queftion, it is neceffary that the Bishops do begin the work; and methinks they should firive to have the Honour of fo Famous an Undertaking, as to be the first Authors of Uniting Proteftants; and it is to their Reproach that they have delayed it to long.

It is true there is an Objection made again remitting any Ceremonies, which is this; That Dienters are not yet refolved what they would be contented with; and therefore if you comply with them fo far as they defire, all things would be brought into confufion, and the Church

would

would be laid defolate,and therefore the Ceremoniesare to be kept to preferveOrder and Unity in thechurch. I do acknowledge that Order and Unity are very neceffary to be maintained; but furely that is not the right way to preferve Order and Unity in the Church, by making things neceffary that are indifferent (if that be the worst that can be faid of them) to keep Thousands out of the Church; and methinks that man ventures very far, who will make that neceffary for which he has no Command from our Saviour, or the Apostles. I do alfo acknowledge, that there is no great hopes to bring in all Diffenters; but though I cannot gain all, yet fhall we not bring in as many as we can? and he that has confidered it without prejudice, cannot but be of Opinion, That if Three or Four things were taken away, or left ad libitum, that feveral thoufands would conform, and be very good Sons of the Church. And these things which they defire not to have imposed on them, are not Fundamentals, and if they were taken away, would leave the Doctrine of the Church as found as before, and the Difcipline perhaps more pure, because it would come nearer to the Primitive Iuftitution; which perhaps is that that makes the Morfel fo bitter to their Lordships the Bishops. But befides this,thefe ceremonies which diffenters find fault with, are old Popijh Ceremonies, and retain'd by the first reformers to bring in the Papifts that were inclinable to turn; and befides it had been as dangerous to have taken away all at a clap, Ccc 4

for

for Q. E. had seen the bad effects of a fuddain thorough change both in the time of her father, and her fifter 2 M. and therefore The would not pretend to build Rome of a day, nor to take it down the next,but the proceeded by degrees as the found the people would bear it: For its a dangerous thing to press any thing against the ftream of the Nation, and who e're he be that thinks to carry it, will find himself Grofly Mistaken: Therefore fhe was forc't to keep in Many of the Fotish Ceremonies,the better to unite the People; and if that was her defign in retaining thefe Ceremonies, then without queftion we have no further occafion for them, because the defign is at an end for which they were retained: And no man can be fo fenfeless as to think that the first reformers had done all that was to be done, but that they left fome thing for them that fucceeded to finish: They had Marked out the work, and have done a great deal towards pertecting of it, but yet they left a great deal to do for them that came after: And I wish it were alfo confidered, that in regard the first reformers retain'd thefe Ceremonies to bring Papifts into the Church; why fhould not we have the fame Charity to lay them afide, and bring in Proteftant diffenters? Ought not we to have the fame bowels of Compaffion that they had? As for my own particular, I can comply with every thing that the Church does Command, but it cannot but trouble any good man to fee his brethren fhut out

of

of the Church,because he has not on fuch a fuit of Cloaths, or will not bow to this or that Poft The Kneeling at the Sacrament; I wish there be not too much Idolatry in it, and bowing to the Altar is of the fame peicet but I believe there are Thousands who have never confidered these things fo far, or perhaps not at all; who are very averfe and do not conform, becaufe they Savour of Popery for the temper of England is bent against Popery, the name of it is diftaftful to thofe that know not what it is: Therefore it is plain that it is not for the good of the Church that these Ceremonies are not layed afide, and the Bishops themselves do know that the Churches would be fuller if these Ceremonies were left indifferent But the true reafon why they contend fo ftrongly for Ceremonies, it is not to preferve the Church, but to fupport themselves; for they very well apprehend, that their floath and neg lect of their Cures, would be layed open by the care and vigilancy of many Pious and able men, who would conform, if Ceremonies were left indifferent And then it would not be fo eafy for them to ingrols fuch Multitudes of Livings and Church-preferments into one hand They are afraid left peo ples eyes fhould be further inlightened, and a thorough reformation fhould be wrought; it is terrible to them to think of reducing Epifcopacy to its primitive inftitution: They are fenfible that then it will be discovered that in the Primitive times there was no fuch

thing

thing as an Arch-Bishop, and that it came in with fuperftition and blindness: Thefe and abundance of other things that I could reckon,stick on their Stomacks, but I will not loose your time by recounting of them.

In regard therefore that the enjoying of Ceremonies keeps Thoufands from conforming: I defire to be answered, whether they who ftickle for Geremonies do not play that Popes Game to his greatest advantage, for that which the Pope has always made his defign, is to divide Protestants, and he knows there is no other way to ruine them but by fomenting differences amongst them; for all his other devices have proved nothing in Comparison of it.

And yet thefe Ceremony-Mongers do fpeak plain fometimes; for tho they pretend to be for uniting of Protestants, yet they will tell you that Presbyterians are worse than the Devil, and the Papists are to be esteemed of ten fold better then they fo that it will out flip them fome times; do they not openly own their defign,and when e're they mention the Plot; How plainly do they bewray themselves? with what difficulty are they brought to acknowledge the belief of it? But no fooner was that faction of the Presbyterian Plot started, but prefently they ran away with it as the greatest truth, every where arguing people into the belief of it: As if themselves had had a hand in it, or elfe were fuch well withers to it, that they' defired it might fucceed For it is not to be denyed