Charity neither do we condemn any who holds the foundation though in some lesser matter they differ from us but hope they may be saved as well as we We abhor the Doctrine of cruel persecuting of any for their Consciences The outmost we allow of or desire of that nature being the preservation of our own Societies pure from the contagion of other Traffiquers and the driving from us those who do so disturb us All the authority we give the Church is Paternal and not Tyrannical our Church-men we hold to be the Pastors but not the Lords of the flock who are obliged to feed them sincerely both by their Doctrine Labours and whole Conversation but we pretend to no blind obedience due to their directions and count them noble Christians who search and try all they say by that Test of the Scriptures We send the People to confess their sins to God from whom only we teach them to expect their pardon and pretend to no other keys but Ministerial ones over publick and known Scandals In our Worship as all do understand it so every one may joyn in it And in the number use and simplicity of our Sacraments we have religiously adhered to the Rules of the Gospel we holding them to be solemn federal Rites of our Stipulation with God in which if we do worthily partake of them we are assured of the Presence of the Divine Spirit and Grace for uniting our Souls more intirely to God and advancing us in all the ways of the Spirit of Life and if the Institution of them in the Gospel be compared with our Administration of them it will appear how close we have kept to our Rule And thus we see how exactly conform the Doctrine of our Church is to the whole Branches of the Christian Design upon which it is not to be doubted but the Characters of the Christian Religion will also fit ours We found our Faith only on the Scriptures and though we pay a great deal of venerable esteem to the Churches of God during their purity which continued above four Centuries and so be very willing to be determined in Rituals and Matters that are external and indifferent by their Opinions and Practices yet our Faith settles only on the Word of God and not on the Traditions of Men neither do we believe every Spirit that pretends to Rapts and Visions but try the Spirits whether they be of God or not and though an Angel should preach to us another Gospel we would hold him accursed The Miracles we trust to as the Proofs of the Truth of that Revelation which we believe are only those contained in the Scriptures and though we believe there was a wonder-working power continued for some time in the Church yet we make a great difference betwixt what we historically credit and what we religiously believe neither will we for supporting our Interest or Authority have recourse to that base trade of forging lying Wonders but we rest satisfied with the Miracles Christ and his Apostles wrought for the proof of the Religion we own since what we believe is no other than what they taught and therefore we leave the trade of forging new Miracles to them who have forged a new Religion And for the plain genuines of the Gospel we have not departed a step from it since we call upon our People by all the motives we can devise and with all the earnestness we are Masters of to receive full and clear Instruction in all the Matters of our Religion which we distinctly lay open to them And nothing of Interest or Design can be charged on us who pretend to nothing but to be the Stewards of the Mysteries of God nor have we offered to sophisticate the simplicity of our Worship by any additions to it for the determining about some particular forms is no addition to Worship but only the following forth of these Precepts of doing all things to edification peace and order But an addition to Worship is when any new piece of Divine Service is invented with a pretence of our being more acceptable to God thereby or of our receiving Grace by that conveyance and therefore any Rites we have as they are not without some hints from Scripture so we pretend not to become any way acceptable to God by them Further we teach no irrational nor unconceivable Doctrine It is true there are Mysteries in our Faith and even reason it self teacheth that these must be unconceivable but for all our other perswasions they are such as may be well made out to the rational faculties of man therefore we do not betake our selves to that Sanctuary that we must be believed assert what we please but we assert nothing but what we offer to evince by the clearest proofs And in â—…ine we add nothing to the burdensomness of the Laws of Christ but teach and propose them as we have them from his Gospel without adding changing or altering a tittle from the first Institution And so far have I considered the Doctrine and Worship of our Church wherein if I could justify all our Practices as well as I can do our Principles there were no grounds to fear hurt from all the Cavils of Mortals But for bad practices whatsoever matter of regrate they may furnish us with they afford none for separation Therefore there is no ground that can justify a separation from our Church much less warrant the turning over from us to the Communion of Rome And thus far have I pursued my designed Enquiry which was if with a safe Conscience any might adjoin themselves to the Popish Religion or if Communion with our Church was to be kept and continued in and have found great grounds to assert the evident hazards of the former so that no man to whom his salvation and welfare is dear can or ought to joyn himself to that Church on the other hand without renting the Body of Christ none can or ought to depart from our Churches But I leave the â—…erusal and considering of these things â—…o the serious Reader to whom I â—…ope they may give some satisfaction â—…f he bring with him to the Enquiry an attentive serious and unbyassed mind And I leave the success of this and every other attempt of this Nature for the clearing of Divine truth with him who is the only Fountain of Blessings who is over all God blessed for evermore Amen FINIS Errata PAge 16. line 6. for formerly read formally l. 24. Abuses r. Abases p. 30. l. 14. forewarnes r. warneâ—… â—…â—…1 l. 1. where r. what p. 52. l 9. but r. yet p. 54. â—… 24. dele a. p. 64. l. 18. betwixt add that p. 91. a r. â—…is p. 99. l. 5. enhansing r. engrossing l. 8. transmitâ—…ng r. transmuting p. 103. l. 16. since r. for p. 110. â—… 18. or r. for p. 138. l. 13. unity r. purity These Books are to be sold by Moses Pitt at the Angel near the Little North Door of St.
on earth to see his miracles and hear his doctrin the same is also to bâ—… said of the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles Now to bar the Vulgar from this is to hinder them to hear and see Christ and his Apostles as if that were a Priviledge restricted to Church-men What shall be then said of these who call the Scriptures a Nose of Wax the Sourse of all Heresies a Book written not on Design but upon particular Emergents and do assert its incompleatness unless made up by the Traditions of the Church Is not this to add to the Words of that Book and to accuse the faithful Witness of unfaithfulness But worse than all this is held by these who will have all the Authority of the Scriptures to depend on the Church which must be believed in the first place But here a great difference is to be made betwixt the testimony of a Witness and the authority of a Iudge the former is not denied to the Church and so the Iews had the Oracles of God committed to them but that doth not prove the Authority of their Sanhedrim infallible or superiour to Scripture and in this case more cannot be ascribed to the Christian Church than was proper to the Jewish in our Saviours time But further if the Scripture be to be believed on the testimony of the Church then upon what account is the Church first believed It cannot be said because of any testimony in Scripture for if it give authority to the Scriptures it cannot receive its authority from their testimony How then shall it be proved that the Church must be believed or must it be taken from their own word and yet no other reason can be given to prove the Church infallible For to say that they have continued in a Succession of Bishops from the Apostles days concludes nothing unless it be first proved that the Doctrine of the Apostles was of God otherwise the Mahometan Religion is as much to be believed since for many Ages a Succession of Priests have believed it Further the Greek Churches drive up the Series of their Bishops to the Apostles days as well as the Roman why then should not their Authority be likewise acknowledged infallible In fine must the Vulgar go and examine the Successions of the Bishops and judge about all the dubious Elections whether the Conveyance have been interrupted or not Certainly were this to be done it were an impossible Atchievement and harder than the study of the Originals of both Testaments Therefore the Vulgar must simply believe the Authority of the Church on her own testimony which is the most absurd thing imaginable and this to every individual will resolve into the testimony of their Priest Behold then a goodly Foundation for building our Faith upon Christ Prophetick Office is also invaded by the pretence of the Churches Infallibility in expounding Scriptures for if this be granted the whole Authority will be devolved on the Church for by this Doctrine she may teach what she will and were the Scripture evidence never so full to the contrary yet whatever wrested Exposition she offer though visibly contrary to the plain meaning of the words must be believed But with whom this Power and Authority is lodged is not agreed to among themselves some yielding it to the High Priest of the Church when in his Chair others to the great Sanhedrim of Christendom in a General Council others to both jointly but all this is asserted without proof for that of Christs of telling the Church Mat. 18. 17. so often repeated by them is meant of particular offences and so is restricted to the case of differences among Brethren and relates not to points of Doctrine Besides the Context of these Words doth clearly shew them applicable to every Parochiaâ—… Church and yet their Infallibility cannot be asserted So it is clear that Christ doth only speak of a jurisdiction for quieting of differences among the Brethren That of the gates of Hell their not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16. 18. proves not the pretence of Infallibility And indeed the Translation of that place deserves Amendment and instead of hell that Word is tâ—… be rendred grave so that the meaning of the Phrase is Death which is the mouth and gate through which we pass â—…nto the Grave and is so used by Greek Writers shall never prevail against the Church that is the Church shall never die Neither will that of the Spirit of truth leading out into all truth Joh. 16. 13. advance the Cause a whit since that promise relates to all Believers and it is a part of the happiness of the new Dispensation that all in it shall be taught of God And the promise of founding the Church on St. Peter Matth. 16. saith as â—…ittle for suppose the Rock on whom the Church were to be built were St. Peter himself which I shall not much contravert that is not peculiar unto him since we are all built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and on the twelve foundations of the new Ierusalem are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb but what will that prove for a series of the Bishops of Rome And finally for the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 16. 19. their being given to St. Peter that saith no more but that he was to open the Gospel which is usually called the Kingdom of God or of Heaven in the New Testament Now the use of keys being to open the door this was peculiar St. Peters honour who did first publish the Gospel both to Jews and Gentiles and in particular did first receive the Gentiles into the new Dispensation But this hath no relation to the Bishops of Rome nor to the pretended infallibility of that See That which hath the fairest appearance of reason is that if there be no absolute unerring Court on earth for deciding of controversies there shall be no end of them but every private man may upon the pretence of some ill understood place of Scripture break the unity of the Church and so the peace of the Church is in hazard of being irrecoverably lost But how specious soever this may appear it hath no weight in it For it is certain that vice as well as errour is destructive of Religion and it will be no â—…mputation on our Religion that the one be no more guarded against than the other is if then there be no authority for repressing Vice but the outward discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other authority for â—…uppressing of errour but that same of the Discipline of the Church It is certainly a peece of humility for a man to suspect his own thoughts when they lye â—…ross to the Sentiments of the guides and â—…eaders of the Church But withal a man ought to be in all he does fully perwaded in his own mind and we are commanded to try the spirits and not to believe very spirit 1
our Consciences which he hath vindicated into liberty by delivering us from the bondage of corruption If then any pretend a power of obtruding new articles on our Belief or obligations on our Consciences these must be confessed to be injurious to the Dignity wherewith Christ is vested What shall then be said of him who pretends an authority of dspensing with and dissolving the obligation of Oaths of dissolving the Wedlock-bond of allowing Marriage in the forbidden degrees And as for their additions to the Laws of Christ they are innumerable And here what I mentioned last calls me to mind of a pretty device to multiply the forbidden degrees of Marriage yea and add the degrees of spiritual Kindred that is of kindred with our God-fathers or God-mothers in Baptism which is done upon no other design but to draw in more to the Treasure of the Church by frequent Dispenses If I should here reckon up all the additions which by the Authority of that Church are made to the Laws of Christ I should resume all that I have hitherto alledged they being visible additions to the Doctrine and Rules of the Gospel and imposed with such unmerciful cruelty that an Anathema is the mildest of the spiritual Censures they thunder against such as comply not with their tyranny and a faggot would be its civil Sanction were the secular Powers at their devotion I do not deny but there is an Authority both in the Civil and Ecclesiastick Powers of enjoyning things indifferent but no Authority beside Christs can reach the Conscience Besides if these indifferent things swell so in their number be vain pompous and useless and be imposed without all regard to the tender scruples of weak Consciences they become tyrannical and such as do so impose them discover their affecting a tyrannical and lordly dominion over Consciences and that they prefer their own Devices to the simpler Methods of Christ and the plainer and easier Rules of his Gospel But one instance of their abrogating the Laws of Christ is more signal in their violating the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein though he instituted it under both kinds and did so distribute it with the express command that all should drink of it yet they presumed notwithstanding of that and though the Primitive Church distributed it in both kinds which is confessed in their Canon to snatch the Cup from the Laity and engâ—…oss it to the Clergy Now it is to be considered that the value of thâ—… Sacramental Actions flowing only from their Institution the first Appointment should be most religiously observed in them Besides the universal extent of Christs word drink ye all of it which was not used in the distribution of the Bread hath a particular mystery in it to guard against the foreseen corruption of that part of it and the reason given in the distribution of the Cup shews it must reach to all that need the Blood of Christ for the remission of sins which not being restrained to the Priests shews that the Cup without a direct opposition to the Mind and Command of Christ ought not to be taken from the People and any that will read the goodly reasons given for this Sacriledge wil see what a low account they have of the Commands of Christ when upon such trifling pretences they will violate them And with how much cruelty they backed this invasion of Christs Authority the History will declare they beginning it with a perfidious burning of two witnesses who opposed it at Constance And occasioning so much War and Blood-shed against those who adhered to the rule of the Gospel in this matter and refused to stoop to their Tyranny But I advance to another invasion of Christs regal authority commited by him who pretends to be the Universal Bishop of the Church and to have authority over all Church-men whom he makes swear obedience to him and looks on them but as his Delegates It was unluckily done of Gregory the great to be so severe on this head as to condemn the title of Universal Bishop as Antichristian But little dream'd he in how few years his Successour would aspire to that height of ambition Now by this pretence all these Officers whom Christ hath appointed to Rule and Feed his Church are turned out of their authority and made subject to him And with how much pride he treads on his Fellow-Bishops the Histories of many ages do declare It is true at first as being Bishop of the Imperial City the Bishops of Rome were highly esteemed but Pride and Ambition began soon to leaven them yet they were for the first four ages looked upon by the other Bishops but as their Fellow-Bishops and by the Decrees oâ—… two General Councils the Bishops of Constantinople were in all things except the precedency make equal to them And by the Decree of the Council of Nice other Metropolitans are levelled with them And here I must tell of a shameful forgery of three Bishops of Rome who one after another would have obtruded on the African Churches a Decree allowing of appeals from them to the Roman See as if it had been made at Nice which they of Africk rejected and upon tryal found it to be none of the appointments at Nice but a Decree of the Council of Sardice But by degrees the Bishops of that City got up to the height they are now at and not content with their usurping over their Brethren and Fellow-Church-men their next attempt was upon Princes who deriving their authrity from Iesus Christ the King of Kings by whom Kings do reign it was an invasion of his power to attempt against his Vice-Gerents on Earth But the Popes made no bones of this for being now held Christs Vicars on earth with other blasphemous titles as Vice-God yea and Lord God they thought their power was limited as long as Kings and Emperours were not even in temporals subject to them And therefore from the days of Pope Gregory the 7th they pretended to a power of deposing Princes disposing of their Dominions to others and dispensing with the Oaths of fidelity their Subjects had sworn to them and it was easie for them to make Crowns change their Masters as they pleased For there were always other ambitious Princes ready for their own ends to invade the Dominions of these deposed Kings upon the Popes warrant and the generality of the People were so possessed with the Popes power of releasing souls from Purgatory and from the punishments due to sin that they were easily prevailed upon to follow his thundersâ—… And by that time the Popes had swarmâ—… of Emissaries of the begging Orders who under shews of austere Piety gained much reverence and esteem in the World and so got all subjected to the Papal Tyranny Now should I instance this in particulars I should transgress the limits of a short Discourse by a long History but the lives of Gregory the 7th Alexander the third Boniface the 8thâ—…nd Iulius the second to
any attempt upon that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free he changeth the authority of the Church into a tyrannical Yoke much more if all the new articles of belief and rules for practice be imposed under the severest certificats But here we are to consider that all these things which that Church hath imposed on all of her Communion for which we withdrew from her are additions to our faith for in this we mainly differ from that Church that whatever we acknowledge they acknowledge likewise but with a great many additions we believe the Scriptures are a rule for Christians and they believe the same but they add traditions and the authority of the Church to the Scriptures We believe that God is to be worshipped spiritually they believe the same but add that he may be worshipped by Images and sensible Figures We believe Christ to be the Mediator betwixt God and Man they believe the same but add to this the intercession of Saints We hold that God and Christ are to be worshipped they hold the same but add Saints and Angels to our worship We believe Heaven and Hell to be the several States of the future life they believe the same but add Purgatory betwixt them to the day of Judgment We believe Baptism and the Lords Supper to be the Sacraments of the new Covenant they believe the same but add five more We believe Christ is spiritually and really present in the Lords Supper this they believe but add the unconceivable Tenent of his corporal presence In a word it might be instanced in many other particulars how they have driven us from their Communion by their additions to the truth and sincerity of the Gospel which they have adulterated by their Inventions and not only have they imposed all these things but thundered out Anathema's on all that question them and have so wreathed all their fopperies with that main and fundamental article of their belief of the infallibility of their Church that it is impossible to hope for their recovery till they renounce that Principle which is so dear to them For if their Church be infallible then in no matter of faith or practice can she decree amiss and therefore the lawfulness and sanctity of all her decrees must be maintained with an equal vigor and zeal for if in one of them she step aside her infallibility is for ever gone And by this we may see to how little purpose it is to treat of accomodating matters with that Church since there is no possibility of our union with them without we turn over entirely to them since they cannot part with one of their errors without they first renounce that which is the dearest of them all to wit the unerring authority of their Church How cruel then is that Church which addeth the severe sanction of an Anathema to all her decrees even about the most trifling matters and about things that are by their Confession of their own natures indifferent And a consectary to this is that cruel opinion they hold that none can be saved out of their Communion pretending there is no Salvation without the true Church which they restrict to these who are under the obedience of the Roman Bishop and this is what they usually frighten all with But it is to be considered what the true notion of the Church is that so we may see through this frightful Vizar The Church then is a Society of Christians united in the same faith for worshipping of God jointly And another definition of a Church cannot be proved from Scripture for the Church being called the Body of Christ its union with him as its head is held forth by the Apostle in these words Col. 2. 19. The head Christ from whom the whole body by joints and bonds having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God From which words we see what constitutes a man a member of the true Church which is first his union to Christ as his head together with a dependance on him for growth and nutriture and next his being knit to all others who are thus united to Christ which is first the inward union of divine Charity by which he loves all who cleave to Christ as their head and next his associating himself with them in outward visible acts of worship which every Christian is bound to do with all that worship God in Spirit and truth But if a Society of Christians do visibly swerve from Christ in many great and signal contradictions to the honour due to his Person and to the obedience due to his Laws and do grossly adulterate the worship so that communion cannot be had with that Church without departing from the head Christ then it can be no departing from the Church to adhere to Christ and his true worship and to separate from the corruptions are brought in upon the Christian religion If then it appear that the Church of Rome hath departed from the truth and simplicity of the Gospel in so many great and main points these who attempted the reforming her to her first purity and finding that not to be hoped for did unite among themselves for serving and worshiping God aright cannot be charged with separation from the true Church But by that cruel Tenent of theirs they breed up all their Children in the greatest uncharitableness imaginable condemning all who cannot believe all their strange Doctrines or concur in their unhallowed worship Thus they are the Schismatiques who have departed from the true Church and who force from their Communion all who adhere to it but this cruelty rests not in uncharitable censures but hath extended it self to as much bloody and barbarous rage as ever sprung from Hell for all the cruelty of the heathen Persecuters cannot match the practices of that Whore that hath been so often drunk with the blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus What enraged cruelty appeared against the poor Waldenses for the separating from their Corruption how many of all Sexes and Ages were cruelly butchered down by the procurement of the Rulers of that Church and because the Albigenses lived under the protection of Princes that favoured them how did the Popes depose their Princes and instigate other ambitious invaders to seize on their dominions which to effectuate a Croissade was proclaimed that had been formerly practised against the Enemies of the Christian Faith and heaven was promised to such as went against these poor innocents whereupon they were killed by thousands without all mercy Never was there any who had the zeal or honesty in these dark ages to witness against the apostacy of the Church but the Pope and Clergy used all means to get his zeal rewarded with a faggot And when the time of reformation came with what rage and spite did the Pope by his Letters and Legates instigate all the Princes of Europe to cruelty against them but as these things were not done in corners so
rule and apprehend that if it were more known their Doctrin would be less believed especially since the hardest part of the Scriptures are the writings of the Old Testament And yet these were communicated to all of that dispensation who were commanded by Christ to search them and who did educate their Children in them continuing that Holy care to a high degree even to this day Now except it be said that it is fitter all be kept under darkness in the new Dispensation than was in the Old no account can be given for the zeal is used in any Church to keep their Children in such ignorance and yet this is a part of the distinguishing Characters of the new Dispensation from the old that light hath appeared in it Now all may know how guilty those of Rome are in this What pains are taken to detract from the authority of the Scriptures how they quarrel sometimes its darkness sometimes its ambiguousness sometimes the genuineness of its Originals and always complain of its being too much perused and therefore let as little of it be put in vulgar Tongues as can be read it publickly in an unknown Tongue and permit no private person the use of it without allowance from his Confessour Of which though in some places the Reformation hath made them more liberal yet where there is no hazard of that they betray their aversion for the Scriptures too palpably in all their Writings and Discourses But now to pursue my design more closely I must call to mind the first branch of the Christian Religion which teacheth how God is to be worshiped in a pure and spiritual way and see how far this is contradicted And here I must consider the Idolatry of the Gentiles which was of two kinds The one was when the true God was worshiped in a false manner The other was when divine adoration was offered to those who were no gods Of the first I shall reckon two kinds the first was when an Image or Figure was erected for representing the Deity to the senses and adoration offered to God through it In which case though perhaps the herd did formerly worship the Image yet their Philosopher declared they meant these only for exciting the senses and imagination and no for being worshipped much less that thâ—… Deity should be conceived like untâ—… them as we find both in Celsus Iulian anâ—… Maximus Tyrius Now this form 〈◊〉 adoration is contrary both to the Divinâ—… Effence and Command For God muâ—… either be conceived like such an Image or not If like to it then a great indiâ—… nity is done the Divine Nature great than if a Toad or Worm were set out the Image of a King to have civil revâ—… rence payed to it since he is of his owâ—… Essence Incomprehensible and Inviâ—… ble and so hath no shape nor figure In word it abuses our thoughts of Goâ—… when we figure him to our selves 〈◊〉 if we conceive God not like such Image then why is it used except to be a snare to the vulgar who will be ready to think God like unto it and certain it is that whatever the more refined or abstracted Wits may conceive of these Images yet the vulgar offer up their Adorations directly to them and conceive God to be like unto them This Worship is also contrary to the Divine Precept who made it one of the ten Commandments which himself delivered to his people Exod. 20. 4. That no graven Image nor likeness should be made to be worshipped And the reason given shews the Law was perpetual for God is ever jealous of the Glory due to him Now what kindness those of Rome have to this command may be guessed by their striking it out of their Catechisms as if it were only an appendix of the first But if we read the whole Old Testament it will furnish us with large discoveries of Gods displeasure at this kind of worship to which the Iews were so inclinable but God would not give his praise to graven Images Isa. 42. 8. Now here it is to be remembred that the Jewish Dispensation was low and carnal when compared to that to which we are called If then this Worship was not allowed of to them it is much less to be allowed of among Christians Another part of the false Worship of the Heathens was that they believed the Deity and Divine Power was by mystical and magical ways affixed to some Bodies as the Sun or Stars are or to some Temples and to some Ancilia and Palâ—…ladia which they believed came down from Heaven Acts 19. 35. to which they held God to be present and adherent and therefore worshipped them And of kin to this was the Israelites theâ—… worshipping the Calf in the wilderness Exoâ—… 32. for it is clear they looked on it their God who had brought them out Egypt therefore could not possibly be adâ—…ring the Egyptian God that was an Ox bâ—… the Feast that was to Iehovah and 〈◊〉 Psalm 106. vers 20. that says they châ—…ged their glory into the similitude of an Oâ—… do shew that they worshipped the tâ—… God though in a false manner Neither is it to be imagined that Aaron the Prophet and Saint of the Lord though very guilty in this matter could for all that be so criminal as to make a false god But the most satisfying account of his fault is that when he saw God in the Mount Exod. 24. 10. God appeared in that figure that was afterwards in the most Holy Place which was to be framed after the pattern seen in the Mount And if so then God appeared between the Cherubims now the Figure of a Cherub was the same with that of a Calf in its hinder parts Ezek. 1. 7. And if we compare vers 10. of that chap. with Ezek. 10. 14. what in the first place is called the face of an Ox is in the second called the face of a Cherub which tells us clearly what was the Figure of the Cherub And therefore Aaron seeing the People desired a sensible Symbol of Gods Presence among them he made choice of that he had seen in the Mount about the Divine Glory and yet all that did not excuse his fault in the sight of God In like manner after the Tabernacle and Temple were set up wherein were the Cherubin when Ieroboam revolted he set up Calves 1 King 12. 28 29. as is probable upon the same account but no doubt continued in all points the Worship of the true God as it was at Ierusalem as might be proved from many particulars but the sin where with he made Israel to sin was the worshipping of the true God by a false Symbol The like account is to be given of the Idolatry of Gideons Ephod Iudg. 8. 27. And of the worshipping the Brazen Serpent 2 King 18. 4. where certainly the true God was adored and yet the People went a whoring from him in that Worship And here the Title of whoredom given to Idolatry
furnished for their work Such Houses might also be retreating places for old Persons after they had served their Generation and were no more able to undergo toil and fatigue they might be also Sanctuaries for devout Persons in times of their greater afflictions or devotions But for all this want it fixeth no imputation on our Church her Doctrine or Worship that she is so poor as not to be able to maintain such Seminaries But on the way it is no great character of the Piety of their Church that she abounds so with great and rich dotations when we consider the Arts they used for acquiring them by making People believe themselves secure of Heaven by such donations Indeed had we got our People befooled into such perswasions the cheat might have prospered as well in our hands but we are not of those who handle the Word of God deceitfully nor will we draw the People even to do good with a crafty guile or lye for God But now as a conclusion to this Discourse I must consider if all things among us be so sound and well grounded that with a quiet Mind and good Conscience every one may hold Communion with our Church and hope for Salvation in it I shall therefore briefly run over the Nature and Characters of the Christian Faith to see if any contradiction to them or any part of them be found among us And first of all we worship God in Spirit as a Spiritual Being with suitable Adorations which we direct to no Image nor Symbol of the Divine Presence but teach that we ought not to figure God to any corporeal being no not in our thoughts neither do we worship any beside God the Father Son and Spirit We also worship Christ but as he is God and hath the fulness of the God-head dwelling in him bodily Angels indeed we honour but knowing them to be our fellow-servants we cannot pray to them or fall down before them We count the holy Virgin blessed among women but dare give her no share of the glory due to her Son All the Saints we reverence and love but knowing God to be a jealous God we cannot divide that honour among them which is only due to him and therefore do neither worship them their Images nor their Reliques We desire also to offer up to God such Sacrifices as we know are well-pleasing to him Prayers Praises broken and contrite Hearts and our Souls and Bodies but reject all Charms and Enchantments from our Worship as contrary to the reasonable service which is acceptable to God and do retain the genuine simplicity of the Gospel-worship in a plain and intelligible stile and form without any mixtures drawn from Judaism or Gentilism And thus there is nothing among us contrary to the first design of Religion And as little will be found against the second which is the honour due to Christ in all his Offices We teach our People to study the Scriptures and to examine all we say by them and exhort them to depend on God who by his Spirit will teach them as well as us neither do we pretend to an authority over their Consciences but acknowledge our selves men of like infirmities with the People who are all called to be a Royal Priesthood and thus we honour Christs Prophetical Office by founding our Faith only on the Divine Authority of the Scriptures We also believe there is no Name given under Heaven by which we can be saved but the Name of Christ who laid down his Life a ransom for our Souls that by his Cross we might be reconciled to God and it is to that one Sacrifice that we teach all to fly for obtaining remission of sins and the favour of God trusting only to it and to nothing we have done or can do knowing that when we have done all we can do we are but unprofitable servants much less do we hope for any thing from any of our fellow-creatures We apply our Souls to no Intercessour but Christ and trust to no Satisfaction but his and we acknowledge him the only King of his Church whose Laws must bind it to the end of the World Neither do we acknowledge any other Authority but his over our Consciences It is true in things indifferent he hath left a power with his Church to determine in those Matters which may tend to advance order edification peace and decency but as the Church cannot add to our Faith so neither can it institute new pieces of Worship which shall commend us to God or bind any load upon our Souls We own a Ministerial Authority in all the Pastors of the Church which they derive from Jesus Christ and not from any visible Head on earth and therefore they are only subject to Christ. We also hold that the Civil Powers are of Christ whose Gospel binds the duty of obedience to them more closely on us and therefore if they do wrong we leave them to Christs Tribunal who set them up but pretend to no power from his Gospel to coerce or resist them and thus we honour Christ in all his Offices and so are conform to the second branch of the design of our Faith We also receive the third with the same fidelity and whatever the practices of too too many among us be yet there is no ground to quarrel our Doctrine we preach repentance to all and study to convince them of their misery and lost estate that they may mourn for their sins and turn to God by a new course of life we preach Faith through Christ in God as that which unites our souls to him by which we are in Christ and Christ is in us We stir up our people to love the Lord their God with all their heart strength soul and mind and to wait for his Son Christ Iesus who is the hope of glory and shall change our vile bodies into the likeness of his glorious Body And from this great motive do we press our people to the study of holiness without which they shall never see God We send them to the ten Commandments for the rule of their lives whose exposition we chiefly take from Christs Sermon on the mount neither can we be charged for having taught the People to break one of the least of these Commandments We exhort all our hearers to make the life of Christ the pattern of theirs and to learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart neither can our Church be accused of having taught any Carnal Doctrines for gratifying the base Interests of the flesh or for ingrossing the power or treasure of the World the subsistance of our Church-men being but a lively-hood and not a treasure In a word we preach Christ and him Crucified and all the rules of his Gospel for ordering the conversation aright without adding or taking from it and thus our conformity to the third branch of Christianity appears We teach also according to the fourth branch of Christianity the Doctrines of