Noah's Dove. -_----,---,--- I A -;;;id ofall felfe-love,we m~y be perl\vaded tO correll: and r_cform thofc rhings wher. in we have manifelHy tranfgrefled. Thushe: Thou art Wllemdeed '.0 C:o11tarenw) would to God thy fellows were fo alfo.- Bur we (forfooth) •re thcdrfobedient •nd rebelliouschildrenof our mother the Church, whofe commands while we difdain ro receive and obey and reverence her decrees, we •reenwrapped in a rJumefull fchifme a~d lhickenwith thecurfesofan angry Mother .Surely this were an odious conrom~ly. Bur for us; webave.notacknowledg'd her aMmher, aSiller we have: But grant we were fons,yet we are no Oaves: To forge a new faith,and imperiouOy thrufi it upon her own, is nor the p•rt ofan mdulgcm parrot,bur ofaTyrant; Thb lawlelfe liberty (we confefle) we could never endure.' and rherc[ore>re we openly B thundcr-firicken with more than one Anathema. Neither have thc·y orherwile dealr with us, than that foolilh fellow in Gerfon, who being very bulie tO drive away a fly from his neighbours forehead, bromd rhe man. Butlamenc yewithme (my brerhren). rhe w~full c~fe ofrhat Church, that hath learned to fir her faith to the Trmes,and Ismoreimpanem of1remedy, than ofrhe difeafe. W)lilfi they fo eagerlv perfecure us, let us heartily pity them: And Jet us llillwilh to them, (that which they envy and deny to m) Salvation; FdtherforgiiJe th<m for rhCJ k.,»orr> nolfl'h•ttheJdor. O~r prayers,our reares, our_admonirions mull not bewanring: Return ro your felves now at !all (oh ye C:hrillian foules) Rerurne, from whence you have fenlibly declined; R.ecover your fir~ lov~,your firll works. Suffer nor your !elvesany longer to bemocked with the glonous ntle ofa Church.Fra:neyourlelves ro thar holyUniC tywhich hitherto you have fo frilly relilled, which ifoncewe might live ro leeef. fell:ed, you lhould well find(as it runs in the law of the twelve Tables)that rhe recovered lhould with ush•v.e the fame priviledges with the healrhfi11l. Behold we arc ready(•s our gracious and peaceable King 'ja111es piouOy underrookc ) ro meer you halfeway, But ifthey lb•ll flill obllinarly calloffall hope ofUniry,and being li:t on fire with the hatred ofpeace, !hall goon to delight rhemfelves onely, in the alarumoftheir facred Truriipet(as they call ir)why lbould not we , religiouOy and entirely keepe peace among our felves I I fpeak to all theSonnesof the purer Church wherefoever difperfed , weprofeffe this Church ofours by Gods g.-.ce reformed : Reformed (I fay) not newmade, as fome emulous fpirit fpighrfully Oander us. For me; ram ready 10 fink to rhe very ground,when I heare that hedge-row repro~ch, Wherewas your D 1\.eligion befOre L11ther I Where was your Church? Heare,oh ye ignorant, Heare,oh ye em·iousCavillers,we deftred the reformation ofan old Religion,not the formation ofa new. TheChurch accordinglywas refurm'd,not newwrought. Jr remaines rherclore the lameChunh it was before , butonely purged from fome fuperfluous andpernicious additamencsoferror. It is a newface that was lately walhed? a new garment that is bur mended? • new houle that is reparied? Bltllh, ifye hare any lhame, who thus ignorantly,and m~liciouOy cafi this inour teeth. Goe to now(mybrethren)we areby Gods grace reformed, let us take heed Jell we be deformed again by murualldilTemions;This isthat which weakcns,and IJmcs E us, and which laicsusopen to the infulring triumphs ofourAdverlaries. Yet ( Jell we lhould feeme to give toomuch way to a fpightfull O.mdcr)rhcle j•rresofourslfc not fo great, as our enemieseither defire, or clamour. Cenain ly, what difcords faever hitherto have troubled us, we orebeholding ro noneorher forrhem, bm 10 thefc our kindc enemies,who upbraid us with them: For ifthey had bm reachr forth unto us an helping hand in due time, and joynrly confcrd their endevours (which then behaved them) for the reforming of the Cimrcl , all had nmnc fquarelyon; Therehad been no jarres, no grudgings,no parrs taking: Bm rhef fliAy refnfed and by their frowardneffe,and pertinacie, cauled rhis fo weighty a r.1lke robe cart npon Come few: and thofe bothweak,unable, and altogether unfit for fi1ch a charge.' Jt could not therfore be otherwife, bur that the opinions offomc fin~ le men, nor conferd rov.erher,in fi1ch a bulincfTe,mull needs IOmwhar ditfer.Bm tlunksboro thee 0 blelTed God the Author ofpeace, t hat haft vouchfafedby thy fpirir fo to bridle the -''-----------~ Yy - dillem-
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