APPENDIX. No. I. (Supra, p. 39.) REV. J. OLLYFFE, TO REV. W. TONG.* REVEREND AND VERY WORTHY SIR, The peace of the Church, and unity among Christian brethren, who agree in all the substantials of Christian faith and practice, being both the duty and interest of us all, to endeavour with all our might, in proper ways and methods, to promote, I doubt not but that I shall have your excuse for giving you this second trouble, which I here offer you, with a pure and hearty design, for the attainment of the same end; that all animosities and differences between us may be brought, as much as may be, to a happy conclusion. And whereas, therefore, I come to understand, that Mr. Calamy hath prepared a letter for me, which he hath intended to print, containing, I suppose, some reflections upon the second defence, I think it may do well to propose it to him, that he should rather choose to send a copy of it in manuscript to me, which, I faithfully promise, there shall be made no ill use of to his dishonour, and which I will faithfully return to him, with such strictures and observations upon it, as I hope may tend to an accommodation of this difference between us. And this I the rather propose to Mr. Calamy, as being the advice of the late revered and judicious Mr. * See supra, p. 493.-ED. Howe, that this controversy should be no farther carried on publicly, or by printing against each other. And in order to this, it may be indeed very proper, that another advice of the same very judicious person should be pursued, which was, it seems, that some third person should take up the business between us, and should publish a letter to us both, to moderate and make up the controversy. For the doing of which, we can think of no person so fit as yourself, whose judgment and moderation we can, with so much confidence, commit the matter to. And we hope your great respect to Christian peace and union will of itself sufficiently prompt you to such a pious and Christian undertaking. We shall only offer some few things, which, we think, it may be very fit for you to propose, to each side respectively, in such an healing letter, and which you may please to make such amplification of, and addition to, as in your judgment may seem best, to the attaining of the end aforesaid. On our part, you may, if you please, propose, that we agree and grant to Mr. Calamy and his brethren (as we shall readily do,) that the sense of the terms of Conformity, upon which the ejected Ministers went, in their refusal to conform, according to the representation made thereof by Mr. Calamy, was very hard; and that that hard sense, in which they conceived the terms of conformity, was a just and sufficient reason to them, during their conceiving of such a sense thereof, to oblige them to refuse to conform; and that the hardships then put upon them, and the high proceedings of the imposers against them, gave them too great occasion to have those hard thoughts of conformity, and to put that hard sense upon it; and that it be owned, therefore, that they acted very conscientiously in refusal of conformity, upon those terms, in that sense given of them, which we have rejected, and declared against; and that their successors in non-conformity do so now. And we can see no reason, but that, on the other side, you may propose to Mr. Calamy and his brethren, that they own and grant to us, that the sense of the terms of conformity, as owned by the conformists, and as explained and set down by us, as the sense of the law, supposing it to be so, is an honest, fair, and good sense, and not intended in this controversy to be opposed by the moderate Nonconformists. And that they may well believe that the Conformists, who judge the sense of things thus declared by us to be the sense of the law, imposing the same upon us, and that do practise accordingly, do and may act very conscientiously in their conformity. And it may be proposed, both to Mr. Calamy and us conjunctly, and to his and our brethren, that both they and we should think it highly for the glory of God, and the interest and benefit of the Church, for the putting an end to all troublesome and needless disputes about these matters, for the time to come; that such alterations and abatements should be made in the terms of conformity, as may prevent the usual and most prevailing scruples and objections of the Nonconformists that are moderate, which, what they are, is well known, from the disputes on foot, and that it is very desirable that there should be a nearer conjunction of the moderate Conformists and Nonconformists, by a comprehension. And that, in the mean time, the two parties should bear with one another, whilst they continue their different apprehensions of the sense of things; and that all love and amity should be maintained, and by all suitable ways expressed between them, as being the subscribers and owners of the same articles and doctrines, and being both opposed by the same common enemies; and that, for the future, all contention should cease between them about these matters. These, Sir, are some of those things which we offer to your consideration, as seeming to us very fit topics to discourse upon in such an healing reconciling letter; to which I doubt not but you may add divers others, all which you may please to enlarge in your own way. My brother Mayo, in concert with whom I have writ this letter to you, giveth you his hearty service. And pray remember us both very kindly to Mr. Bisset, when you see him; and particularly to Mr. Calamy, whom you may acquaint with as much of this, as you think fit, or, if you please, let him see the whole. And give me leave then to subscribe myself, Sir, your affectionate brother and humble servant, Jo. OLLYFFE. I know not how Mr. Calamy will like or approve of what is proposed, and how far he will think fit to comply therewith; but this, I assure you, will be a great satisfaction to me, that I have offered terms of peace, and that this offer hath been begun thus on our part. For the Rev. W. Tong, to be left at Mr. Jo. Laurence's at the An- No. 2. (Supra, p. 188.) DIPLOMA FOR A DOCTORATE FROM EDINBURGH. Cum honos virtutis premium sit, gloriæque stimulis ad præclara et ardua optimus quisque excitetur, æquissimum semper visum est, ut qui in liberalibus artibus multum operæ et laboris feliciter posuissent, i maximis laudibus et summis honoribus afficerentur; quo et alii eorum exemplo ad virtutis et industriæ semitam ingrediendam accenderentur, ipsisque veræ laudis iter ingressis ad idem gnaviter persequendum animus cresceret: Nos, itaque, Universitatis Jacobi Regis Edinensis Primarius, taliquique Professores, his Literis testamur Reverendum Virum Dominum EDMUNDUM CALAMY, Evangelii apud Anglos præconem celeberrimum, famâ quæ de illius virtutibus et eruditione percrebuerat primum nobis commendatum, nunc cognitum, morum probitate et elegantiâ, interioribus in theologià et reconditis literis usque adeo probatum, ut dignissimum censeremus cui Doctoralis in S. S. Theologia deferretur, cunctaque concederentur privilegia, immunitates, et jura, quæ hic aut uspiam ad Doctoratûs apicem provectis concedi solent. Quod cum summo Senatûs Academici et facultatis Theologica consensu ritè et solennitur peractum esset, Inclyti Senatores Edinenses, Athenæi nostri curatores et patroni, has Literas, chirographis nostris munitas Sigillo suo confirmari voluerunt. Datum ex Ædibus nostris VI nonas Maii, Anno Eræ Christianæ M.D.CCIX. GUL. CARSTAIRES, P. PR. Jo. CUMIN, SS. TH. P. REG. JA. Gregory, Math. P. JOHN GOODALL, LING. HEBR. PR. ROBERTUS STUART, P. P. ROBERTUS HENDERSON, B. et Acad. There is no ordinary Professor of Theology signing this Diploma the true reason of which was, because that place was at this time unhappily vacant, and had not been supplied from the time of the death of the excellent Mr. Meldrum, though it was very happily filled up, not long after, by the choice of worthy Mr. William Hamilton, who was before Minister of Cramond. No. 3. (Supra, p. 202.) DIPLOMA FOR A DOCTORATE FROM ABERDEEN. Omnibus et singulis in quacunque Dignitate ecclesiasticâ vel civili constitutis, ad quorum notitiam præsentes hæ Literæ pervenerint, D. Georgius Middleton, SS. Th. D. et P. Primarius Collegii Legalis inclytæ Universitatis Aberdonensis, S.I.D.S. Noveritis me, eâ auctoritate quam summi ac potentissimi hujus Regni Principes almæ huic Universitati amplissimam indulsêre, cum consensu et approbatione Doctorum et Professorum ejusdem, die infra scriptâ, reverendum ac eruditum virum præsentium latorem, D. EDMUNDUM CALAMY, verbi Divini Ministrum Westmonasterii, observatis omnibus solennitatibus, et præstitis ab eo secundum Academiæ hujus leges præstandis, SS. Theologiæ Doctorem et Magistrum constituisse, creâsse, proclamâsse, renunciâsse; ipsique potestatem fecisse docendi, legendi, |