A70766:179
Moderation a virtue, or, A vindication of the principles and practices of the moderate…Moderation a vertue, or, A vindication of the principles and practices of the moderate…
Moderation a virtue, or, A vindication of the principles and practices of the moderate divines and laity of the Church of England represented in some late immoderate discourses, under the nick-names of Grindalizers and Trimmers / by a lover of moderation, resident upon his cure ; with an appendix, demonstrating that parish-churches are no conventicles ... in answer to a late pamphlet entitled, Parish-churches turned into conventicles, &c.Moderation a vertue, or, A vindication of the principles and practices of the moderate divines and laity of the Church of England represented in some late immoderate discourses, under the nick-names of Grindalizers and Trimmers / by a lover of moderation, resident upon his cure ; with an appendix, demonstrating that parish-churches are no conventicles ... in answer to a late pamphlet entitled, Parish-churches turned into conventicles, &c.
London: printed for Jonathan Robinson, 1683
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The love of the World. 2. That we by our Conformity have left the Nonconformist Brethren under the Censure and ill Character of Factious and Obstinate Men, and have made them the less to be pitied in their Sufferings, and their way of return to the Service of the Church as narrow and strait as it was at first.
To the first we say, That those Brethren that censure us, ought to keep out of the Seat of Judgment; and that every Man's Motive is known to God, and should be observed by his own Conscience, and its Sentence attended to, either for Repentance, or for Peace. We make no Apology for any Corruption of Mind, or Affection. But we hope that many have been carried upon purer Motives.
To the second we can say, and we profess, That we have tasted of their Cup, and it hath been grievous to us, to be separated from our Brethren and Fellow-Labourers in the Lord; and are sure that many of them are glad that good Men have conformed, and say, as some old Nonconformists have said, If good Men did not conform, what would become of the Church of God? The wiser, and holier, and moderate part of our Brethren have been, and are the more charitable in their Censures of us, and have contributed much to our Encouragement, and are comforted to see the common Salvation promoted by any hand, and the Truths of the Gospel with a good Conversation maintained and kept alive. And we do also profess, it is ⟨p. 46⟩more grievous to us to be judged of them that are One in Christ, than to be reproached by others of a common or worldly Spirit. And it is one part of the great Unhappiness of our constrained and necessitated Separation into two Ways, that our mutual Confidence, Acquaintance, and Communication hath suffered a diminution by it. But if we have with satisfaction to our Consciences conformed, there are great Reasons why we should, yea, more, we ought to put the most candid Interpretation upon the Laws and Terms of our Admission, that they are capable of, and abate the Rigours of a private Judgment as much as may be, for Peace and Communion in Society. And our Reasons for our Conformity are these: