To the Reverend Clergy, and Honored Gentlemen, Who Are Truly Moderate

Reverend and Honoured Sirs,

THE Writer hereof has such a moderate opinion and sense of himself, and this Vindication, that he thinks it too mean a thing to be dedicated to Persons of your learning, judgment, and worth. It is a manifest proof of your eminent moderation, that none of you has set himself, either to examine the accusations, or to eject the insinuations of some Men, who must needs be either abused by Men of an ill religion, and as ill a nature, or else very great strangers to your principles, and manner of conversation. And except this undertaking find some approbation from you, I shall wish I had taken direction from your silence, to have been silent also. How it may operate upon our unkind exposers, I cannot certainly divine: but that it may not reflect upon more than one, and he of a lower size than hundreds of you, I think it necessary to declare, That as it looks not like a manly defence, compacted by the reason of a combination of famous Men; so it is not the apology of a single person, pointed at by the accusers above others of his brethren. Let the whole blame of it fall upon one only, and such an one as if discovered, that the aggressors cannot say of him, he had any particular grudge, or personal animosity against them.

The last Summer, when I saw the title of the Remarks upon the Growth of Nonconformity, I earnestly desired to read it for my information. When I came to peruse it carefully, I can say no less, than I think it written both to deceive, and to provoke the Magistrate, in the spring-time of the heat and ferment. And as if the Justices had not work enough to do in Conventicles, moderate Conformists, under a reverend nickname of Grindalizers, from the most Reverend Archbishop Grindal, and more odious marks, are falsely represented, and accused as dangerous to the Government.

Some that saw my marks upon him, dissuaded from publishing due castigations of him, because there was little or no notice taken of it, (though since some give other accounts of it.) But since that, I was often and earnestly desired to write a vindication of moderate Conformists, as being seasonable and desired, as necessary to check the humor that breaks out about the mouths of many, opened against moderate Men.

When I heard of the Sermon of Moderation before the Lord Mayor, I did (as I perceive others did) desire to see it, and give it welcome, as being a great stranger, and much beloved, without the least design to take any thing ill. I read it with some pleasure, till I came to the Application, which seems not to be the same pen (though it is) that wrote the doctrinal part, but almost incredible it should be preached and written with the same spirit that would take that text in hand. I have read of some eminent preachers, that first meditated the Application, and took their aim at that, throughout the text and doctrinal part: I cannot say this was so contrived; if it was, then we know where the life of it does appear.

It may seem strange at first sight, that the same Men that magnify the moderation of the Church of England, in all the parts of its constitution, doctrine, orders, ceremonies, should from pulpit and press report and represent the moderate members of it to the jealousy of our superiors, and dislike of the times. But the wonder is over, when we see what manner of Men they make moderate Men to be; Men uneasy in their minds, galled under their burdens, lifting at the Government to cast it off, and then tread it down. If they know any such snakes to lie covered under Conformity, they have not done enough to detect them: if they do not, they have spoken matter of deep repentance for themselves.

They very warmly urge some Canons, as those for the bidding of prayer, for reading all the service, and observing all the orders, rites, and ceremonies, as well in reading the Scriptures, and saying of prayers, without either diminishing in regard of preaching, or adding any thing in the matter or form thereof: And yet these very Men can indulge themselves in an irregularity contrary to other Canons. Not to instance in such as will give them offence, let us see what inconformity there is, in going beyond the Rubrics, in the very fashion of their gowns: Are they made with standing collars? Do they wear in their journeys, cloaks with sleeves and capes? Do they wear plain night-caps, of black silk, satin, or velvet? And to imitate some of themselves in their way of arguing: Are not these things indifferent in their own nature? Are they not commanded us by lawful authority? They become necessary by reason of the command, which they must obey. The Canon says, These garments are not enjoined for any holiness, or special worthiness, but for decency, gravity, and order: The reasons of the injunction are as great for the use of these garments in our ordinary conversation, as for others. If they say, We may lawfully suit our habit to the fancy and fashion of the age wherein we live; their argument is answered, Not when we are tied by Canon.

They think they have convinced us into an inexcusable acknowledgment of our sin, or silence, by telling us of the obligation of our subscriptions, and there is no room for exercising any moderation; and yet how could they ever have subscribed to the Articles of the Church, without a salvo, an express or tacit qualification or mitigation of sense, only as articles of peace? If we show moderation in things of an indifferent nature, separate from the command, and in many occasions of our ministry inexpedient, we are suspected to overthrow the Government, and to undermine the Church. But if this be the pernicious effect of moderation in point of ceremony, what will their moderation come to in articles and matters of faith? How common a thing is it to take the Articles of the Church in a lax construction, as articles of peace? What authors are more commonly bought, and at dearer rates, than those which either depart from, or are most contrary to the professed doctrines of our Homilies and Articles? And Men have passed with an allowed loose sense of the Articles, that had not so passed in other matters of subscription. A considerable instance of this deserves our notice.

A certain person came to a chaplain of great note and place, (the very initial letters of whose name would be as much as to name him) to desire to know if a friend of his might not subscribe in a large sense? No, said the chaplain with vehemency, we have too many such in the Church already. No, Sir, mistake me not, said the person, I mean as to the doctrines; as for the ceremonies, he can subscribe to them in the strictest sense, bow, cringe, &c. O, said the Doctor, he can subscribe no way to the doctrines, but as articles of peace. Sir, said the person, one Mr. D. in his book of conformity, says, We must subscribe to the articles in a grammatical sense; and gives an instance of a minister in Queen Elizabeth's time, who because he would not subscribe them so, but as articles of peace, lost his living. D. said the Doctor, is a Coxc—, and will ere long be suspended.

This Doctor may be supposed to have known the sense of some of the greatest men, as intimately as any man, and has not a little presumed upon it. If they make use of meanings in the greatest matters, it is too unkind a partiality to allow no latitude in the mutable and lesser matters.

To be short, we have conformed, and if there be not Nonconformists too many already made and ejected, they may take counsel, and contrive to make many more: but what will the end of these things be? We are sure that the enemies of moderation are the enemies of our government and peace, which is built upon it, and kept together by it. If moderation had presided over all our parties, we had never been thus broken; it is that little that is left of it, that keeps us from tottering into a sudden ruin; and when other hands have made deeper wounds, the moderate Samaritan is the man, and moderation the oil, that must heal us. What hurt did Gamaliel in the Council (Acts 5), or Peter and James in the first Council of the Apostles (chap. 15), or the Apostle Paul, in becoming all things to all? If our displeased brethren should prevail to strike us out, as long as the New Testament obtains the place of a rule, there will be a teacher of moderation, or a witness and judge to condemn the immoderate. If they cannot draw together with us, but kick and fight, and run at us, when they should labor, and tread down the corn, they will not endure the easy yoke of Christ upon their necks. It is the evil spirit that makes men rage and run mad, that casts into the fire and water, and makes poor possest creatures to foam. The very children of this world, that are wise in their generation, are wise for their being moderate in their exactions. The children of wisdom, that are led by the Spirit of God, are to be known to be the disciples of our Lord Jesus, by loving one another, and by showing their moderation to all men, and by that to show what they are, and that the Spirit of Christ dwells in them. Let us labor to excel in this grace, which is both our character and our glory, our duty, and our reward, in its sweet fruit of contentment, patience, and peace. And by what odious names soever we are branded and distinguished from others, let us approve ourselves as true Christians in the extent of Christianity; and we are sure, that if ever decayed and languishing Christianity revive, recover strength, and be in health, it must be by moderation. What a lamentable saddening object is religion in some parts of the world! A very skeleton, dressed up in ceremonies! In other parts of the world, it dares hardly show its face, except it puts on the harlot's dress; in other places, languishing and exhausted; in other places, torn and persecuted, suppressed, and in bondage; in too many places, disputed and controverted into next to nothing, but faction, and names of opposition. How it is at home at this time, you cannot but see, and be affected with it. And be it known to our censors, that that soundness, life, zeal, and answerableness to our holy and heavenly calling, which remains as a holy seed in the land, is to be found among the moderate, of every denomination, that holds the Head, and is built upon the foundation. And if some among us will not slack the fire, which they kindle and blow for others, as they think, a wind from Rome may blow it upon themselves; and when they suffer in it, they will have cause to say, the fire was too hot and raging, and will be glad to save a little by the helping hand of moderation. But whatever others do, our duty lies plain before us, let us show our moderation towards all men, as knowing the Lord to be at hand; to whose protection I desire to be commended by you, and in whom I rest,

Your unworthy fellow-servant, and of all that serve him, and love him in sincerity.