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…

and afterwards with those, who upon their return from Geneva, Frankfort, and other Places, (where they lived during the Marian Persecution) were preferred in the Church, where they lived for some time Half-Conformists; as Cartwright, Minister in Warwick; Whittingham, Dean of Durham; Sampson, Dean of Christ-Church, afterwards turned out for Nonconformity, with great Numbers preferred to Cures in City and Country; where they were not wanting to prepare the People for such Innovations, as were in after-Times to be brought into the Church, and by the profest Nonconformists. As soon as Safety and Impunity permitted, they broke out into open Schism; and still when the Law's just Severity frighted them, they crept within the Pale of the Church, seeming to conform, that they might have the Law's Protection to shelter their Contempt of Authority, and under the Wing of Episcopacy to breed up their Presbytery. When Arch-bishop Whitgift's Zeal and Industry had reduced them to that, that in all probability their Ruptures were crumbling to nothing, their then Refuge was, (as Beza advised in his Letter to Cartwright) to unite themselves again to the main Body of the Church, there to be nurtured into contempt of the Churches Government, under the Indulgence of its Governors. And of this kind of Half-Conformists are those, who at this very day, by outward Conformity have Opportunity, and by masked Nonconformity want not Will, through sneaking Compliance, to betray the Church into her Enemies hands, and themselves (tho they know it not) into the veriest Contempt and Slavery. So that in this Contemplation we might (as the Church of old did by the Waters of Babylon) sit down and weep when we remember Zion, Zion (saith the Prophet) tearing her self with her own hands; or as the Tree in the Apologue, that was rent, and splint, and torn asunder by Wedges that came out of its own sides. Therefore as we would not hypocritize and dissemble with God and Man; as we would not be found Church-Traitors, that have espoused a Cause which we are afraid to defend, and ashamed to own; as we would not be found in Conspiracy against our selves, and in Breach of those solemn Oaths took at our entrance into the Ministry, by a dastardly Compliance with our own and the Churches Enemies;

and afterwards with those, who upon their return from Geneva, Franckford, and other Places, (where they lived during the Marian Persecution) were preferred in the Church, where they lived for some time Half-Conformists; as Cartwright, Minister in Warwick; Whittingham, Dean of Durham; Sampson, Dean of Christ-Church, afterwards turned out for Nonconformity, with great Numbers preferred to Cures in City and Country; where they were not wanting to prepare the People for such Innovations, as were in after-Times to be brought into the Church, and by the profest Nonconformists. As soon as Safety and Impunity permitted, they broke out into open Schism; and still when the Law's just Severity frighted them, they crept within the Pale of the Church, seeming to conform, that they might have the Law's Protection to shelter their Contempt of Authority, and under the Wing of Episcopaey to breed up their Presbytery. When Arch-bishop Whitgift's Zeal and Industry had reduced them to that, that in all probability their Ruptures were crumbling to nothing, their then Refuge was, (as Beza advised in his Letter to Cartwright) to unite themselves again to the main Body of the Church, there to be nurtured into contempt of the Churches Government, under the Indulgence of its Governors. And of this kind of Half-Conformists are those, who at this very day, by outward Conformity have Opportunity, and by masked Nonconformity want not Will, through sneaking Compliance, to betray the Church into her Enemies hands, and themselves (tho they know it not) into the veriest Contempt and Slavery. So that in this Contemplation we might (as the Church of old did by the Waters of Babylon) sit down and weep when we remember Zion, Zion (saith the Prophet) tearing her self with her own hands; or as the Tree in the Apologue, that was rent, and splint, and torn asunder by Wedges that came out of its own sides. Therefore as we would not hypocritize and dissemble with God and Man; as we would not be found Church-Traytors, that have espoused a Cause which we are afraid to defend, and ashamed to own; as we would not be found in Conspiracy against our selves, and in Breach of those solemn Oaths took at our entrance into the Ministry, by a dastardly Compliance with our own and the Churches Enemies;