Materials for Union
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A45135.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
MATERIALS FOR UNION, Proposed to Public Consideration, With Indifferency To All Parties.
By—M. A. Pem. Col. Oxford.
Printed, And are to be Sold by the Booksellers in OXFORD, 1681.
Materials FOR Union.
WHereas there are Three Parties of Protestants in the Nation, the Episcopalian, the Presbyterian, and the Independent (or Congregational Men, which are of diverse sorts) who do, and will ever differ in their Opinions about the Church, and Discipline of it, in the Question, which is of Christ's Institution; or, Whether the One, or the Other, is most consonant to Scripture: it is not our Disputes about the Church as Particular (which are rather to be mutually forborne, and every Party left herein to their own Perswasion) but a Common Agreement in what we Can Agree, and that is in the Church as National, must Heal our Divisions.
It is here we must lay the Foundation-Stone of Union.
When the Parliament then shall set about This Business to purpose, A Bill should be brought in for Declaring the Constitution of Our Church of England.
A Parliament is the Representative of the whole People of England, and I doubt not, but by Consent and Agreement, they might Make a New Constitution of the CHURCH, as it is National; and much more may they Declare the Constitution of it.
The Papists are for one Universal Organical Church throughout the world, whereof the Pope is Head by Christ's Appointment; and whosoever consequently is not of this Roman Catholic -Church, and Governed by him, must be Damn'd. There are some of our late Prelatists are for the same Church, but under the Diocesan Bishops of the whole Earth, who being Convened in a General Council, are the Head that must give Laws to it; and whosoever refuse to be Govern'd by the Laws of these General Councils, are Schismatics. I am much rather therefore, in my mind, for the Notion (which is that in the Embryo the Revered Dean of St. Paul's seems to me to aim at, if it could be once well formed) of an Independent National Church Political, but not to be held, as the Congregationalist supposes his Particular Independent One, and They their Catholic, to be of Divine, but of Human Institution; for it is manifestly a thing Accidental to the Church of Christ, that the Supreme Magistrate, and the whole Body of a Nation, are Christian.
It should be declared then in such a Bill or Act of Parliament, that the Church of England consists of the KING as the Head, and all the several Assemblies of the Protestants as the Body.
A Discrimination between the Tolerable and Intolerable, is never to be gain-said by any Wise Man.
It is not for me, or any One person, but a Convocation, or Parliament, to prescribe the Terms of National Communion; but I would have all our Assemblies that are Tolerable, to be made Legal by such an Act, and thereby parts of the National Church, as well as the Parochial Congregations.
That the Bishops should be declared Ecclesiastical Officers under the KING, acting Circa Sacra only, by Virtue of His Authority and Commission.
As Jehoshophat appointed Officers for Government in the Matters of God, and the Kings Matters: So should the Bishops be in Our Ecclesiastical, as the Judges are in Civil Matters, the Substitutes of His Majesty, and Execute His Jurisdiction.
Upon this Account, if any of the Eminent among the Non-conformists were Chosen to be Bishops, they could not refuse it.
Let Dr. Owen and Mr. Baxter be the Two next that are called to this Function upon such an Act, and commanded to Hold it, and then would UNION indeed Commence.
Their Work in general, should be to Supervise the Churches of both sorts in their Dioceses, that they all Walk according to their own Order, agreeably to the Gospel, and the Peace of one another.
I am sensible unto what Distress a Congregational Minister may be brought in the exercise of Discipline over some potent, turbulent, and refractory Members; and what Relief he might find in such an External Ecclesiastical Officer as this.
This shall Advance, and not Lessen, the outward Power and Honor of the Bishops.
I humbly Motion a Third Clerk for the Convocation, to be added to the Two in every Diocese, and chose out of the Non-conformists for the Unanimous prosecution of Holiness and Concord throughout all the Churches: And the two Provinces of Canterbury and York should Unite in this Convocation, for the making them one National Church, and not two Provincial ones in a diverse Assembly.
I should expect then such Canons to be made, as would render us all happy in the satisfaction of both Parties.
An Act of Parliament to this purpose, would make the Church of England to be in Earnest, such a Church, as the Church-men would have us still think it, the Best Constituted, the most Exemplary, and the most Glorious of any that is, or indeed, that well can be in this World.
And thus I have offered my Mite to the Sanctuary; that is, so much as I have, and what I think fit for Cultivation by Others, whom GOD shall make Wise-hearted, and Concern'd, for the Welfare of Zion.
There is Room also here left for the farther Invention of Such, in regard to many the like things as these: For they that will, may see something more in a few Sheets, in part Entituled, Animadversions upon the Debate between Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Baxter, Concerning the National Church, and Head of it. Unto which this Paper may be Stitched.