<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-08-01</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Proofed title page(s).  Check TEXT for LANG attribute. Reviewed structure. Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS,  CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.).  Checked placement and completeness of PBs.  Check for blanks. Checked for signatures. Checked for #s.  Checked for Qs, startqs, endqs, oes, q;s. Check LETTER tags. Check Ls. Check TABLEs. Check LISTs. Check NOTEs. Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials. Checked for missing-page GAPs and duplicates. Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there. Corrected 15 $-groups. Revalidated. </ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A80297">
<STC T="W">C5666A</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">47682875</BIBNO>
<VID>172829</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD><HI>The Lord Bi&s;hop of</HI> London<HI>'s fourth Letter to the Clergy of his Dioce&s;s.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Good Brother,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I DO acknowledge that I am bound to lay my &s;elf out in any thing that may conduce to your A&s;&s;i&s;tance, for carrying on that Great Work, which lyes upon you of the cure of Souls. But when I reflect upon the cheerful concurrence I met with in tho&s;e endeavours I have hitherto u&s;ed for the promoting that Unanimity, which is the Life and Strength of your per|formance, and Cements and Embodies your whole proceeding to a la&s;ting &s;trength: I cannot, but with a mo&s;t thankful Heart to God, rejoyce in that ju&s;t di&s;po&s;ition, with which, by his Grace, he has fill'd your hone&s;t Mind. That there|fore I may never be wanting, and that this Repetition of what you were my Councellour in the la&s;t year, may the more quicken you to do your duty in tho&s;e things, which you did then &s;o readily con&s;ent and advi&s;e to: Take your own and my &s;en&s;e, &s;o near as I can recollect it, concerning the Subject of our la&s;t confe|rence.</P>
<P><HI>Upon Canon</HI> 54.</P>
<P>THe Title and Sub&s;tance of this Canon is, <HI>The Licen&s;es of Preachers refu&s;ing Conformity, to be void.</HI> And to compleat the expectation of the Church in matters of this nature: We mu&s;t look to Canon 38. which ordains, That <HI>ob&s;ti|nate Revolters after Sub&s;cription, are to be depos'd from the Mini&s;try.</HI> The rea&s;on of the&s;e &s;everities proceeds from the ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity of keeping up Di&s;cipline in the Church of God. For Nature, the Con&s;titution of the World, experience in the &s;ub&s;i&s;tence and &s;ucce&s;s of things, teach us, that the Maker of all things is a God of Order, and hates Confu&s;ion. Therefore is the Church of Chri&s;t likened to a Building, which con&s;i&s;ts in an orderly di&s;po&s;ing of different Materials into one Structure. <HI>I will Build my Church,</HI> &s;ays our Saviour, Mat. 16. 18. <HI>You al&s;o are Built together,</HI> &amp;c. Eph. 2. 2. St. <HI>Paul</HI> writing to the Schi&s;matical Separati&s;ts of <HI>Corinth, As a wi&s;e Ma&s;ter Builder, I have laid the Foundation,</HI> 1 Cor. 3. 10. <HI>Ye are Gods Building,</HI> 1 Cor. 3. 9. <HI>In whom all the Building fitly fram'd,</HI> Eph. 2. 21. And &s;o in many other places. It is al&s;o expre&s;s'd as a Body, <HI>See</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. how the Apo&s;tle adapts the Con&s;titution and Frame of the natural Body to that of the Church, and concludes <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 27. <HI>Ye are the Body of Chri&s;t.&mdash;For the edifying the Body of Chri&s;t,</HI> Eph. 4. 12, <HI>and</HI> ver&s;. 16. <HI>The whole Body fitly joyn'd together,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>maketh increa&s;e of the Body. From which the Body by Joynts and Bands,</HI> Col. 2. 19. <HI>For his Body's &s;ake, which is the Church,</HI> Col. 1. 24. There are many more expre&s;&s;ions of this kind; but I mention the&s;e e&s;pecially, to &s;hew after what manner we are Embo|dy'd, and to what end. Sometimes it is called a Kingdom, which is a Body Poli|tick under one Head. <HI>The Go&s;pel of the Kingdom,</HI> Mat. 4. 23. <HI>I appoint you a King|dom,</HI> Luke 22. 29. And &s;o in divers other Portions of Scripture. But to let us under|&s;tand how nece&s;&s;arily the utmo&s;t rigour of Di&s;ciplin is to be ob&s;erv'd in a Chri&s;ti|an, we are mo&s;t truly repre&s;ented to be in a &s;tate of War, continually encountring the Fle&s;h, the World and the Devil, at the Peril of an everla&s;ting Death. And therefore he &s;ays, <HI>Put on the Armour of Light,</HI> Rom. 13. 12. <HI>Put on the whole Ar|mour of God,</HI> Eph. 6. 11. Now we know under what &s;evere Penalties almo&s;t the lea&s;t fault is forbid by Martial Law, and how &s;trictly it is Executed, not from the roughne&s;s of the Profe&s;&s;ion, but the Nicety of the Ca&s;e; where every little di&s;or|der, or di&s;obedience to command, always gives advantage to a watchful Enemy, and many times endangers a total overthrow. We are therefore to con&s;ider what is expected from us, for the fitting our &s;elves to this po&s;ture, that we may be able to &s;tand in the day of tryal.</P>
<P N="1">1. The fir&s;t thing we are to do, is &s;o well to di&s;po&s;e our &s;elves, by an humble and peaceable Mind, that in the Church where it has pleas'd God to place us, <HI>In what &s;tate &s;oever, therewith to be content: To &s;tudy to be quiet and mind our own bu&s;i|ne&s;s:</HI> And to yield a hearty, willing and thorough Conformity to the Rules we are under. For if nothing be ordain'd contrary to the expre&s;s Will of God: <HI>Every Ordinance of Man is to be &s;ubmitted to for the Lords &s;ake,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 13. To this end, the two Acts of Uniformity ought to be &s;trictly read, and ob&s;erved by us. As al&s;o the Con&s;titutions and Canons Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, <HI>Anno</HI> 1603. with the Rubricks to the &s;everal Offices in the Liturgy; taking great heed at the &s;ame time to our Doctrin, by having a &s;pecial regard to the 39. Articles, as expounded in the Books of Ho|milies. That neither in word nor deed we may hurt, or offend the Church we &s;erve in.</P>
<P>What le&s;s can we think our &s;elves obliged to; when we con&s;ider in what man|ner St. <HI>Paul</HI> conjures the <HI>Corinthians?</HI> Ch. 1. 10. <HI>Now I be&s;eech you, Brethren, by the Name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that ye all &s;peak the &s;ame thing, and that there be no divi&s;ions (or Schi&s;ms) among you: But that you be perfectly joyn'd together in the &s;ame mind, and in the &s;ame Judgment.</HI> And, <HI>let us walk by the &s;ame Rule, let us mind the &s;ame thing,</HI> Phil. 3. 16. <HI>Let all things be done decently and in order,</HI> 1 Cor. 14. 40. Surely after this we may &s;afely conclude, that who&s;oever tran&s;gre&s;&s;es the Rule up|on a le&s;s account, then obedience to the expre&s;s Will of God, or <HI>&s;hall teach men &s;o; he &s;hall be call'd the lea&s;t in the Kingdom of Heaven.</HI></P>
<P>We are not here to under&s;tand every breach of the Rule, to lye under this guilt, but &s;uch as are committed wilfully, or out of &s;upine negligence. Neither need we think it a neglect of duty in tho&s;e things, which by an Univer&s;al omi&s;|&s;ion, the &s;ilence of our Superiours giving way to it, lye under a tacite con&s;ent of Abrogation, or Su&s;pen&s;ion at lea&s;t. Nor are we to think it a &s;mall matter, the leaving the&s;e things undone; becau&s;e it is of greater immediate duty to ob&s;erve the weightier matters of the Law. I &s;ay immediate, ina&s;much as the con&s;equence in the omi&s;&s;ion of le&s;&s;er matters, may occa&s;ionally and too frequently does prove more fatal to the peace of the Church, and Mens Con&s;ciences than the other.</P>
<P N="2">2. In the next place, we are to con&s;ider our &s;elves in the State of Church-Di&s;cipline, as Watchmen and Shepherds to guard and &s;ecure our Flocks. We mu&s;t for this rea&s;on, not only &s;ee that we our &s;elves, but be careful that others do not offend tho&s;e that in a &s;pecial manner belong to us. We mu&s;t drive away all erro|neous Doctrines, and avoid di&s;orderly Walkers. We mu&s;t drive away the bold Wolves, the little Foxes, and all Bea&s;ts of Prey, as we will otherwi&s;e an&s;wer for the care committed unto us.</P>
<P>If any come upon us, or go out from among us, and di&s;cover the Savagene&s;s of their natures, by not being content to for&s;ake and renounce Order them&s;elves, but teach and encourage men &s;o to do; the&s;e are Bea&s;ts of Prey. And it is one of the great advantages God has be&s;towed upon us, in that promi&s;e to his Church, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49. 23. <HI>Kings &s;hall be thy nur&s;ing Fathers, and Queens thy nur&s;ing Mothers.</HI> That all offen&s;ive and di&s;orderly Walkers may by their Protection and coercive Power, ei|ther be reduc'd, or &s;ecur'd from harming of us. For there is no pretence of Per&s;ecu|tion in this, no more than if a Man &s;hould &s;o call a ju&s;t Conviction for an Action of Battery: <HI>Becau&s;e he is Self-condemned,</HI> Tit. 3. 11. and is not puni&s;hed for his Opi|nion, but for his di&s;orderly acting upon that Opinion. Such was <HI>Diotrephes, who loved to have the preheminence,</HI> 3 Joh. 9. 10. And if you &s;hould pa&s;s over the <HI>Deeds which &s;uch Men do;</HI> you would be the Betrayers and Murderers of your Flocks. Like <HI>the Hireling, who fleeth,</HI> or &s;itteth &s;till, <HI>when he &s;ees the Wolf coming,</HI> Joh. 10. 13.</P>
<P>There is another &s;ort of di&s;orderly Walkers who &s;till keep among&s;t us, of whom I may &s;ay in the Apo&s;tles Words, <HI>I have told you before, and now tell you even Weep|ing,</HI> that by a ba&s;e compliance and a &s;ervile Aw of the mo&s;t Blameworthy of their Flock, they di&s;cover &s;o cowardly a temper, and un&s;utable to that Chri&s;tian cou|rage, which &s;hould place them above the fear of Men; that they become <HI>the Enemies of the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t.</HI> Such Men &s;hould not be &s;uffered to herd with us, but ought to be avoided as infectious Creatures. <HI>Mark them which cau&s;e di|vi&s;ions and offences, contrary to the Doctrine which ye learnt, and avoid them, Rom.</HI> 16. 17. Such Wretches lye under a complication of di&s;ea&s;es, being di&s;obedient through omi&s;&s;ion of their Duty, Traitors in not Faithfully di&s;charging the tru&s;t committed to them; di&s;orderly in not Walking according to the Rule, perjur'd in breaking their Oath of Canonical obedience, and that of Supremacy, injuri|ous to their Brethren and the whole Church, by cheri&s;hing the unruly expecta|tions of the People, and are &s;o many ways Unfaithful, that had they any &s;ence of Religion, the con&s;equent words of St. <HI>Paul</HI> mu&s;t needs make them a&s;ham'd, and confounded. <HI>For they that are &s;uch, &s;erve not the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t but their own belly.</HI> 18. Or as it is in another place, <HI>Who&s;e end is de&s;truction, who&s;e God is their Belly, and who&s;e Glory is in their &s;hame, who mind Earthly things,</HI> Phil. 3. 19.</P>
<P>In &s;hort do but mark the careful admonition again&s;t all <GAP DESC="foreign"> or di&s;order in the Church. <HI>Warn them that are unruly,</HI> 1 The&s;. 5. 14. <HI>Now we command you Brethren, in the name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that ye withdraw your &s;elves from every Brother that walks di&s;orderly.</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 3. 6. And then ob&s;erve with what plea&s;ure that <GAP DESC="foreign"> or good order is mentioned, For <HI>I though ab&s;ent in the Fle&s;h, yet am with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>your order, Col.</HI> 2. 5. This word &s;hould be written in the Forehead as well as Heart of every Chri&s;tian, but e&s;pecially of the Clergy, as <HI>Pilate</HI>'s In&s;cription upon the Cro&s;s, in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, that from Ea&s;t to We&s;t, and throughout the World, the Glory of our Chri&s;tian con&s;ent might be under&s;tood.</P>
<P>You may remember upon the recommending a Hearty and Serious pronun|ciation of the Divine Service, it was thought very advi&s;eable and rea&s;onable to forbear long and expatiating Prayers before Sermon: Le&s;t either we &s;hould be thought our &s;elves to e&s;teem the publick Offices deficient, or give Occa&s;ion to others to be of that Opinion. Upon which Occa&s;ion was mention'd Mr. <HI>Seymours little Treati&s;e of publick &s;et Forms of Prayer.</HI> Then likewi&s;e were re|commended for your People to read, Mr. <HI>Allens</HI> little Books viz: <HI>A Per&s;wa&s;ive to Peace and &V;nity. A &s;erious and friendly Addre&s;s to the Nonconformi&s;ts. The danger of Enthu&s;ia&s;m.</HI> And I &s;hall now add his Book call'd <HI>Catholici&s;m.</HI> As al&s;o Mr. <HI>Lamb</HI>'s two Books, viz: <HI>A &s;top to the Cour&s;e of Separation: And a fre&s;h &s;uit again&s;t Independency.</HI> And this I did, not only for their brevity, but be|cau&s;e they are written by Laymen. And &s;uch who&s;e expre&s;&s;ions are &s;o fair and their integrity and manner of living &s;o well known in the City: That it were impo&s;&s;ible to propo&s;e more unexceptionable either as to the Style or Authors. I then wi&s;hed you, as I &s;till do, to Read the Canons to your Congregation once a year, as it is ordered in the Kings Confirmation of them: And that &s;uch Acts or Proclamations as have been appointed to be Read upon the thir|tyeth of <HI>January,</HI> the nine and twentyeth of <HI>May,</HI> and fifth of <HI>November,</HI> might be for the future ob&s;erved.</P>
<P>The urging nece&s;&s;ity of Per&s;ecution forceth Men into order. But in times of Pro&s;perity, there is great danger of falling a&s;leep: E&s;pecially in ours, where the corruption of the Age makes unruline&s;s pa&s;s for a virtue. And yet the Cen&s;orious humour which it produces, is a &s;trong motive on the other hand, where any &s;parks of Wi&s;dom or common prudence remain, to ob&s;erve a very &s;trict and clo&s;e Order in our own Defence. Take away then the Glory of or|daining Rules, by that which is of infinitely more value, the ob&s;ervation of them. And let not the great and painful care of the Fathers of the Primitive Church, both by Private endeavors, and in Councils, ri&s;e up in Judgment again&s;t us, for de&s;troying that Di&s;cipline by di&s;order and neglect, which at the peril of their Lives many times, they upheld for the pre&s;ervation of Chri&s;ts Body, which is the Church. I pray God &s;trengthen your Heart with a courage &s;uit|able for the times we live in, and every way enable you to an&s;wer the ju&s;t expectations of,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Fullham,</HI> <DATE>April 6. 1683.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your Affectionate Friend and Brother.
H. London.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>LONDON, <HI>Printed for</HI> W. Abington.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
