It came into my mind , and I hope suggested by the Spirit of Truth and Love , that surely this poor dimme light which God hath set up within me was not to be put under a Bushel .

But that probably it might be a means to communicate some light to others , if I held it forth in this dark hour of temptation .

Not but that I knew very well the Church needeth no such Advocates as I , there having been so much published upon this Subject by persons of great reputation for Learning and Piety of the Clergy .

But considering that I did not know that ever any in my capacity of the Laity had yet appeared ; I was after many serious thoughts inclined to believe that a word in season from one that cannot be imagined to speak for obedience to these things , so much scrupled , from any other design than the Publick good and Peace , having no Ecclesiastical Promotions to get or lose , might have a better reception than what hath been said by others of the Clergy , who may be supposed to speak for their own by-ends and interest .

Worthy Sirs , I am not unsensible how that without very much Charity , which I humbly beg of you , it may be taken for a very great piece of arrogancy , that in this attempt I should presume thus to speak to my Teachers : But i● I mistake not , I find it was to the members of the Church

Coloss this was enjoyned , that they should say to Archippus , Take heed unto the Ministry which thou hast received , that thou fulfil it .

And therefore I humbly conceive that I have some kind of warrant for this charitable work to say unto you , most Reverend Fathers , whom I much honour for your work-sake , Take heed unto the Ministry that you have received that you fulfil it : That you leave nothing undone whereby you may expose your selves to be deprived of the exercise thereof . I do verily believe I should act the Devils part , as S. Peter did , if I should say , Sirs , pity your selves , Let none of those evils befal you or your Families , which must necessarily be the effect of Non-Conformity ; if I should upon carnal grounds perswade you to sin to avoid suffering . But if I be not mistaken , my design is to present you with that whereby you may be preserved from sinning and suffering also .

I do therefore here before God , Angels , and Men sincerely declare , so far as I know my own heart , that I have no design in this my undertaking , no creature having directly or indirectly put me upon the same ; but my principal aim and end is Gods glory in the continuance of your Ministry amongst us , who are scrupulous in this point .

I must deal ingeniously with you , my heart hath often been troubled for you of the Ministry in these late times past , when I saw clearly the design of those that would extirpate Episcopacy root and branch , was to root out you the remaining part of the Ministry of this Nation as Antichristian . To this degree of spirituall Reformation were men of Antiministerial spirits proceeding .

And how near we were then to the confines of Popery , I beseech you consult the sermon of Mr. Strong preached at Pauls upon Novemb. 5. 1653. saith he , pag. 19. Since this Nation departed from Rome , there were never greater attempts , nor higher hopes to bring us back unto this spiritual Egypt than there are at this day . To make this manifest he giveth ten Observations upon the present times , to which I refer you .

Now the wonder-working God having so mightily preserved you , and delivered you out of that storm which threatned you with so great a Shipwreck , do not , I beseech you , now cast away your selves , being come so near the Haven : do not through rashnesse and precipitancy betray your own Liberties and Opportunities for the Ministrie , and thereby expose the Souls of many to great grief and danger thereby .

Give me leave therefore to bespeak you in the words of that Reverend Professor of Divinity in Oxford in King Edward the Sixth's dayes , Peter Martyr , in a Letter of his dated Novemb. 4. 1550. in answer to Bishop Hooper of the 17. of Octob 1550. If we hold on in disswading from these indifferent things ( meaning the Ceremonies ) as pernicious and altogether wicked , we condemn withall very many Churches which have received the Gospel , and blame too bitterly innumerable , which a great while agoe were accompted worthy of all praise . I would not now therefore , saith he in another place of his Epistle , greatly contend , especially for so much as we see that they by whom the light of the Gospel is much advanced in England , and may be more advanced do take part against us , ( meaning , I suppose , the Bishops in those dayes . ) I do observe some that have lately written against Conformity , do argue much against it , because of the great offence that hath been taken by the Reformed Churches at these things . And of this Plus Ultra amongst other instances giveth Peter Martyr for one , if I mistake not .

But who ever shall read his Epistle throughout , shall find that he did not approve of Bishop Hoopers Arguments against Non-Conformity : And how far he and other Divines of the Reformed Churches were from approving of such a Contention and Opposition of these Ceremonies and Conformity to them , that rather then to yield , to lay down the Ministry .

I beseech you let me by way of Introduction offer to your Consideration the judgement of other forreign Divines in this case . Beza 12. Epist. ad quosdam Angl. Eccles. fratres , thus expresseth himself , Hortamur ut omni animorum exacerbatione deposita , salva manente doctrinae ipsius veritate & sana Conscientia , alii alios patienter ferant , Regiae Majestati clementissimae & omnibus Praesulibus suis ex animo obsequantur . He exhorteth them , that laying aside all bitterness or sowreness of soul and spirit , as long as the truth of the Doctrine and purity of Conscience was safe , they would bear one another with patience , and obey the Queens most gracious Majesty , and all her Prelates heartily .

And saith he further in the same Epistle , Non videntur ista tanti momenti , ut propterea vel pastoribus deserendum potius sit ministerium , quam ut vestes illas assumant , vel gregibus omittendum publicum pabulum , potius quam ita vestitos pastores audiant . And further saith he , Ibid. de geniculatione in Coena , de cantu Ecclesiae , Crucis consignatione , pueror . baptizandor . interrogatione , non est magnopere laborandum .

And therefore I beseech you , Sir , keep your zeal and exercise it about higher matters then the Surplice , the Sign of the Cross , Church-Musick , &c. and do not now expose your selves to be laid aside , to have no opportunities of exercising your Ministerial function ; for those things , as the reverend Beza saith , are not tanti momenti , & de his non est magnopere laborandum .

That you may not doubt lest that by submitting and conforming you should offend the Reformed Chruches ;

I shall make bold to remember you of a very material passage in Hieron . Zanch. Thes. de vera reformandar . Ecclesiar . ratione ; Testor me coram Deo in mea conscientia , non alio habere loco quam Schismaticorum illos omnes , qui in parte Reformationis Ecclesiarum ponunt , nullos habere Episcopos , qui authoritatis gradu supra suos Compresbyteres emineant , ubi liquido possunt haberi . Praeterea cum Dom. Calvino , nullo non Anathemate dignos censeo , quotquot illi Hierarchiae qui se Domino Jesu submittit , subjici nelunt .

Behold here a cord with two strings , which will not easily be broken ; the Authorities of two worthy men together , that they are to be accounted rather for Schismaticks then good Subjects to Christ , that will not submit to that Hierarchy in lawful things , which doth submit unto Jesus Christ .

What therefore I find that holy Martin Bucer concluding his Epistle to Amplissimo Dom. & colendissimo Symmistae Joanni à Lasco , after that he had much discoursed upon the subject matter of the doubts of many as to matters of Conformity , saith he , Therefore I desire and beseech you by the Cross of the Son of God , by the Salvation of the Churches , which are at this day overwhelmed with calamities , by the desired consent that we should seek to reign in all Churches , by the Peace that is in Christ Jesus : Again I desire and beseech you , that you do nothing rashly in this question of Ceremonies .

The like humble Petition do I make , beseeching and conjuring you by all his Arguments , and by all that ever was said by way of Argument to Cementing duties , that you do nothing rashly in this question of Ceremonies . Oh do not rashly put your selves out of your Ministerial imployment , who have now opportunities , and may yet , I hope , enjoy them , of serving the Lord Christ in the conversion of souls .

I am apt to think from what I have heard objected by some almost in the like case ;

Alas , this poor man was newly crept out of the darknesse of Popery , and therefore he could not so well judge of the sinfulness of Ceremonies , and of Conformity to those superstitious inventions : But now we have enjoyed the Gospel above an hundred yeares since his writing , and we have now therefore clearer discoveries of the superstition of these Popish Ceremonies in Vestures , Gestures , and such like Romish trash .

To which I shall crave leave by way of Answer to present you with my poor Observations in this case as followeth ; That in all that I have read of these sad Controversies ever since the Reformation of the Church of England from Popery to this day , I do not find any new arguments from Scripture rightly applied , to make or prove Conformity to be a sinne . But this I have observed , which I suppose ought to be very much laid to heart , that the further discoveries of light that have appeared in these latter dayes , hath herein been manifested only by improving those mistaken and false principles laid at first to the making of more things to be sinfull and unlawful then ever were before , that upon a serious search will be found to be clear and innocent , as you will find in this following Discourse .

I shall make bold to give you but a few instances , by which the truth of what I say will be evidenced .

The first thing that I observed was scrupled in King Edward's dayes , was the wearing by the Minister that kind of apparel for form or fashion which the Popish Priests had ministred in . And this I gather from the Answer of Peter Martyr unto Bishop Hooper , who did not with the aforesaid Reverend Person account the wearing of these Garments indifferent but sinful , and that for these two Reasons , as being Jewish and Popish . These , saith Peter Martyr , are the chief strength of your Arguments ; I will first intreat of them , after I will adde whatsoever it be , if I call to my remembrance any other thing brought in of you to confirm your Opinion , pag. 5.

That these also were the Principles or Arguments used by Joan à Lasco , to whom Martin Bucer writ , I find also in his Epistle to the same purpose ; wherein there was so much said by these two Reverend and Moderate men , that one would think should have for ever eradicated these opinions out of the minds of good men , especially while they were but green and young .

But yet notwithstanding I find that in the raign of Queen Elizabeth there was such an improvement of these principles , as produced a Printed Declaration in the name and defence of certain Ministers in London , refusing to wear the apparel then prescribed for Ministers .

Now I find in that Declaration , besides the aforesaid Reasons , there were severall generall Scriptures to prove their unlawfulnesse , as those Scriptures that forbid addition to Gods Word , that his fear is not to be taught by the precepts of men ; that to observe the use of this apparel would make the Papists more obstinate , and also be matter of scandal to the weak .

But how all these were answered I find by an Examination of that Declaration which was written with that soberness and solidity , that one would have thought these things would never have been heard of more .

But instead thereof I find these Principles and Scriptures used by the Ministers in their aforesaid Declaration , are wound up higher shortly after by those , of whom Mr. Josias Nichols doth complain , That had made a rash and temerarious separation from the Church of England ; and used also in part by Mr. Nichols himself as a Plea for not subscribing to all the 39. Articles , as you will find in the following Discourse .

I observe further , that which some of the Non-Conformists , as by their Petition at the coming in of King James , desiring a further Reformation , did but argue for the alteration of some passages in the Common Prayer , as coming too near the Papists ; and so being only a thing not convenient : as you will find to be the judgement of Mr. John Ball. This is so improved as to be made a strong argument against the whole mode of our publick Liturgie ; that it is Idolatrous , as having been used in an Idolatrous Service , even as was said of old by Bishop Hooper , the Ministers Garments had been by the Popish Priests . And this indeed you will find to be the great Argument against the Liturgie , brought by the Author of the Temperate Discourse , and of all his other Reasons , except that of the Covenant , why Ministers cannot conform to the use thereof , are but the same with those Arguments of the London Ministers so many years before , why they could not wear the apparel then enjoyned . And the same Arguments that are brought by those called the Brownists and Separatists from the Church of England , and the Ordination by Bishops , Answered by Mr. John Ball , are now brought against a form of Prayer , and the Common Prayer of the Church , as you will find hereafter . And those things , as I said before , that were formerly argued against as inconvenient to come so near the Papists , as to Vestures , and the form of Worship , are by the Authors of Plus Ultra absolutely condemned as unlawfull for the Church of England to retain either in worship or discipline any Conformity to the Church of Rome .