Chap. XII. The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. nefs to coalefce with the difienters. When Dr. Lloyde biihop of St. King Ajaph, paired through O.fwejlry in Shrof!lhire, he fent for Mr. James Jaa;,~8 1f· Owen the diffenting mi1iill:er, and ventured to acquaint him with the~ fecret, of the prince of Orange's iqvitation by fame great perfons, in which he had joined; and added, he hoped the protell:ant diffenters wou!dCal.Cont. ;, concur in promoting the common intertjl; for you and we are brethren (fayspref. he) ; we have indeed been angry brethren, but we have fien our folly, and are refolved, if ever we have it in our po·wer, to jhew that we will treat · ;•ou as brethren. Even archbiihop Sancroft, in the circular letter which he fent to the Archbijhop clergy of his province, exhorted them to cultivate a good correfpondence S~ncroft's . h I d'tr Th I h . t f h' I d d J J 6. ctrcular !ttWit t 1e tuenters. e etevent artzc,e o IS etter, ate uy I , ter. has thefe words, " that they (viz. the clergy), ihould walk in wifdom Calamy's " towards them who are not of our communion ; and if there be in Abridg. P· " their pariihes any fuch, that they negleCt not frequently to converfe 3 8 5· " with them in the fpirit of meeknefs, feeking by all good ways and " means, to gain and win them over to our communion; more efpecially "'that they have a tender regard to our brethren the proteflant di!fenters; " that upon occafion offered, they vi!it them at their houfes, and receive " them kindly at their own, and treat them fairly wherever they meet " them, perfuading them ( if it may be ), to a full compliance with " our church ; or at leall:, that whereunto we have already attained, we " may all walk by the fame rule, and mind the G1me things; and in '' order thereunto, that they take opportunities of a/Jitring and convinci1zg " them, that the bijhops of this cburcb, are really andJincerely irreconcile- " able enemies to the errors, Jitpetjlitions, idolatries, and tyrannies if the " church of Rome ; and that the very unkind jealou!ies which fame have " had of us to the contrary, were altogether groundlefs. And in the !all: " place, that they warmly and affeCl:ionately join us in daily fervent " prayer to the God of peace, for an zmiver(al b!~!fed union of all reform- " ed churches at home and abroad, agai'?Jl our common enemy - " Such was the langnage of the church in dijtrejs ! It was often {aid, that if ever Godjhould deliver them out of their pre· Other a.!fi•r– (ent diftrifs, tbey ~vould keep up their domeftic quarrels no more; which Bnw. were fo vi!ibly, and yet artfully managed by our adverfaries, as to make7 ~6~et, p. us devour one another-- Again, " I do allure you, and I am certain I Calamy, p. " have the bell: grounds in the world for my atiu rance (fays one), that 386. " the biihops, when -the happy opportunity £hall offer itfelf, will let the '' proteftant diffenters find that they will be better than their word given Apol. fir •· in their famous petition." Remarkable are the words of another reve- church of rend divine on the fame occafion; " the biihops have under their hands ~~f;and, " declared their difpofitions to come to a temper, in matters of confor- 4 26. my, p. VoL. II. 5 H mity
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=