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A45585 An humble essay toward the settlement of peace and truth in the church, as a certain foundation of lasting union by Sir Edward Harley. Harley, Edward, Sir, 1624-1700. 1681 (1681) Wing H777; ESTC R11056 25,032 42

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the Judaising Christians Crisost Ora. prima adv Judaeos that the most devout Severities if not commanded by God are no better then Debaucheries That only being pleasing and acceptable to God which is commanded by God And that which is most plausible and venerable according to Humane Opinion if not commanded by God is most vile and impious Lord Bishop of Hereford's Epist to a Friend concerning Popery Accordingly a Reverend Prelat Sums up all in this Conclusion I will in the worship of God do only that which his Will tells me is acceptable to his Divine goodness Therefore to say Though the Rites and Ceremonies be indifferent and insignificant yet when once commanded by Authority 't is hainous to disobey it is a real Conviction of Sacrilegious abuse of Authority to enforce Humane Constitutions Rival with the Divine Law in Matters of Religion which is to set Man's Post Ezok. 43.8 by God's Post against which Crime God denounces severe Judgment But from what Authority doth the Command proceed If from the the Church the Articles of our Religion teach that things ordained even by General Councels as necessary to Salvation Art 20.21 1572. have neither strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture If it be replied these are not ordained as necessary to Salvation but to Uniformity The Answer is clear and certain because the Connexion between the means and the end is indissoluble therefore whatsoever is Ordained as necessary to Church-Communion the means of Salvation unless Salvation may be had out of the Church is Ordained as necessary to the End it self Salvation and the Command being not taken out of the Holy Scripture is no Law therefore there cannot be any Transgression But if urged as a Law Civil or Municipal it hath no more Obligation upon Conscience then the Statute forbiding to eat Flesh in Lent 5 Eliz. R. c. 5. which expresly provides whoever shall declare it to be the Service of God shall be punished as a spreader of False News that is as Guilty against the Law of Premunire The Civil Magistrate is Ordained of God and Invested with the high Prerogative to be Custos and vindex utriasque Tabule but not with any power to alter or abrogate any Command of God or any Ordinance of Divine Worship or to enjoy any other Condition of Church Communion then is expressed in the Gospel It is not in the power of any no not by the Universal consent of Mankind so to change the Nature and Signification of any Acts of Worship as either by applying to a Creature what is peculiar to God or by Instituting any Devotion to God not by him required Dr. Stillingfleet's def of discourse concerning Idolatry c. page 259. 260. It being as was before Observed a Principle of Natural Religion to Worship God only according to his own appointment for Worship not at all Commanded by God is not Worship but Fancy Aug. De Conson Evang. L. 1. cap. 18. and can have no Obligation upon Conscience which in performances of Religion is the grossest Contradiction We must be taught by God what is due Honour to God For as it is Crimen laesae Majestatis Hibar De Trini Lib. 5. p. 54. not only to perform Allegiance to another Person then the King but to Make or Constitute ex proprio Motu a Law for the Acts or Circumstances of Allegiance to be tendred to the King because thereby is directly Invaded the Supreme Athority So to apply Acts of Divine Worship to a Creature and to address to God in Worship by any Rite or Ceremony of Humane Invention both include Blasphemy because thereby is taken away from God the Peculiarity of his Dominion and Excellence whereby he is God alone For as the Sovereign Prerogative of making Laws of Civil Government is not Transferable to any Subject much less may any Creature usurp the incomunicable Attribute of Divine Auchority to make Laws of Religious Worship This happy Priviledge belongs to the Magistrate that what is already a Divine Law Dr. Stillingfleet's Irenic Page 44. he may Enact to be a Law of the Land and require the Observance of what was before in Conscience Obligatory and Animadvert upon the Offenders The Princes of the Hethen World might well be allowed to make and unmake their Religious Rites because Invented and Authorised only by themselves and thence many of them proceeded to receive even the Flattery of their own Apotheosis But every sober Mind judges all such Assentation to be as a great Offence to the Divine Majesty who will not allow the giving his Honour to another so a real Contumely and mock Honour to any Prince to Invest him with Divine Authority 'T is no less sinful now by a new Mode of Deification to place the Magistrate in the Throne of Christ who only hath Supreme Right to make the Laws by which Kings Reign It is therefore worthy the Consideration of all Christian Princes that the very making Laws for Religious matters not commanded by God shakes the greatest Prop of Thrones Conscience of Duty which in such a Case hath no Obligation Dan. 6.22 Therefore Daniel when cast inro the Lyons Den for breaking the irreversisible Law of Darius tells the King that God had delivered him from the Lyons forasmuch as he was Innocent before God and had committed no offence against the King which could not be true if the Decree of the King had been Lawful Jer. 27.6.7.8 God gave to Nebuchadnezzar absolute Dominion over all the World threatning Destruction to whatsoever Nation would not Obey him Notwithstanding it was Holy and Pious not to Obey him when his Command was otherwise then the Command of God For pure and undefiled Religion which Obliges to Obey the Magistrate in all matters of Civil Policy forbids Obedience in Matters of Religion not warranted by God's Word and Commands to suffer rather then sin This from the Apostles days until now hath been the Epidemical Motive to persecute the Disciples of Christ because they do contrary to the Decrees of Caesar Acts 17.7 Gregi Nazi Ora Prima con Julian Upon which account Nasiansen objects against Julian the Apostate the Contrivance of this Pestilent Mischief against the Christians that whereas it was the general Custom and not refused by Christians to perform a Civil Reverence to the Statues and Images of the Emperors upon which also were usually Engraven Representations of some Triumph or Magnificence of the Emperor Julian instead thereof with his own Image caused to be Engraven the Idols he worshiped Thereby either to ensnare the Christians into Idolatry if they Reverenced his Image or if they refused to expose them for doing contrary to the Imperial Decrees generally observed by Christians The like Device hath been long Practised to enforce Humane Rites and Ceremonies and stablish Hierarchich Policy in the Church by procuring from Princes Laws