which conquers the World and purifies the Heart by no means But 't is to believe that the Church of Rome is the True Church and the Pope Christ's Vicar and the Visible Head of that Church So as that Self denyal which relates to our Wills and Affections in a corrupt State they apply to the Use of our Understanding about Religion as if it were the same thing to deny that which we understand and know to be Evil which is the Christian Self denyal and to deny that very Knowledge and Understanding which is God's Gift and our Honour Whereas Religion and Reason are so Consistent as that Religion can neither be understood nor maintain'd without Reason For if this must be laid aside I am so far from being Infallibly assured of my Salvation that I am not capable of any Measure of Good from Evil Truth from Falshood Why I have no understanding or use of any which is the same All the Disadvantage the Protestant is under in this is that of his greater Modesty and that be submits his Belief to be tryed which the other refuses under the Pretence of unaccountable Infallibility to that Authority Reason decides So that whereas some people excuse their embracing of that Religion by urging the Certainty that is in it I do say 'T is nothing but Presumption For a man can never be Certain of that about which he has not the Liberty of Examining Understanding or Judging Confident I confess he may be but that 's quite another thing than being Certain Yet I must never deny but that every Christian ought to believe as the Church believes provided the Church be true but the Question is Which is that true Church And when that is answered as a Man may Unlawfully Execute a Lawful Sentence so he may falsly believe as the True Church believes for if I believe what she believes only because she believes it and not because I am convinced in my Understanding and Conscience of the Truth of what she believeth my Faith is false though hers be true I say it is not true to me I have no Evidence of it What is this Church or Congregation rather as worthy Tindal every where translates it but a Company of People agreed together in the sincere Profession and Obedience of the Gospel of Christ Now look what Inducement they severally had to believe and embrace the Gospel that we must have to joyn with them for as they made not one another an infallible Authority to one another upon which they first embrac'd the Gospel neither are we to ground our Belief thereof upon their Authority joyntly but as they had a Rule to believe and commune so must we have the same Rule to embrace their Communion So that that Church cannot be the Rule of my Faith that have the same Faith and Object for my Faith that she has I argue thus I must believe as the Church believes that is I must have the same Faith the Church has then I must have the same Rule because the Church can be no more the Rule of that Faith then she can be that Faith of which some would make her the Rule If then the Church has Faith and that Faith a Rule and that she can no more be the Rule of her own Faith then she can be that Faith it self it follows she cannot be the Rule of the Faith of her Members because those Members have the same Faith and that they in Society are this Church For that which is the Rule of the Congregation's Faith in general must reasonably be the Rule of every Member's Faith that makes up that Congregation and consequently of every Member that may hereafter adhere to it So that to talk of believing as the Church believes to flowrish upon that Self-denyal and Humility which takes all upon Trust and revile those with the bitterest Invectives that are modestly scrupulous and act the BEREANS for their Souls who think that Easiness of Nature and Condescention might be better bestowed and in this occasion ill-tim'd and dangerous is to put the Knife to the Throat of Protestancy and what in them lies to socrifice it to implicit Faith and blind Obedience For it cannot be denyed but that the great Foundation of our Protestant Religion is the Divine Authority of the Scriptures from without us and the Testimony and Illumination of the Holy Spirit within us Upon this foot the first Reformers stood and made and maintain'd their Separation from Rome and freely offered up their innocent Lives in Confirmation With good Cause therefore it is the general Consent of all found Protestant Writers That neither Traditions Councils nor Canons of any visible Church much less the Edicts of any Civil Session or Jurisdiction but the Scriptures only interpeted by the Holy Spirit in us give the final Determination in Matters of Religion and that only in the Conscience of every Christian TO HIMSELF Which Protestation made by the first publick Reformers against the Imperial Edicts of Charles the fifth imposing Church Traditions without Scripture Authority gave first beginning to the Name of Protestant and with that Name hath ever been received this Doctrine which prefers the divine Authority of the Scripture and Spirit to that of the Church and her Traditions And if the Church is not sufficient implicitly to be believed as we hold it is not what can there else be named of more force with us but the Divine Illumination in the Conscience or Conscience in the best Sense of the Word then which God only is greater But if any man shall pretend that the Scripture judges according to his Conceptions or Conscience for other men and that they must take their Religious Measures by the Line of his Direction such a person makes himself greater then either Church Scripture or Conscience And pray let us consider if in any thing the Pope is by our Protestant Divinity so justly resembled to Antichrist as in assuming Infallibility over Conscience and Scripture to determine as he thinks fit and so in effect to give God Scripture Magistrates and Conscience the Law To this they have without scruple applyed that to the Thessalonians Sitting in the Temple of God exalting himself above all that is caled God To check this exorbitancy the Apostle Paul demands Who art thou that judgest anothers Servant to his own Lord he stands or falls which sheweth with great Evidence that Christians of all sizes great and small are but Brethren and consequently all superiority Lordship and Imposition are excluded But if there be a Difference 't is in this that as Christ taught He that is greatest is to be Servant to the rest but what is more opposite to a Servant then a Lord and to Service then Injunction and Imposition and that on Penalties too Here it is that Christ is only Lord and Lawgiver who is only King of this inward Kingdom of the Soul And 't is to be noted that the Apostle
Things that made Rome so hateful and her Yoke Intolerable to our Predecessors Pretended Deductions from Scripture put in the Room of Scripture with a Supersedeas to all Dissent upon never so Just a Ground of Dissatisfaction I beseech you Protestants by the Mercies of God and Love of Jesus Christ ratified to you in his most-precious Blood FLY ROME AT HOME Look to the Enemies of your own House Have a care of this Presumption carry it not too high lay not Stress where God has laid none neither use his Royal Stamp to Authorize your Apprehensions in the Name of his Institutions I do not say that men are never to Express their Minds upon any place of Scripture to Edification there is a Christian Liberty not to be denyed but never to Articles of Faith that ever ought to be in the Very Language of Holy Writ Ye see how the Contrary hath been the great Make-bate in all Ages and the Impositions of such Opinions the Priviledge of Hypocrites but the Snare of many honest Minds to be sure the sad Occasion of Feuds and miserable Divisions It was plainly seen that by the many Disputes that rise from hence Mens Wits were confounded with their matters Truth was lost Brotherhood destroyed thus the Devil acted the Part both of Opponent and Defendant and managed the Passions of both Parties to his End which was DISCORD And but too many were ready to perswade themselves from the Miscarriages on both sides that nothing certain could be concluded about Religion for it so fell out that whilst men were perpetually wrangling and brawling about some one Opinion of Religion the most Important Points of Faith and Life were little regarded So that a Godly Man was distinguish'd from an Ungodly by this one thing let his Life have been almost what it would that he seem'd To maintain the Opinions in Vogue and to abhor that Doctrine which in some one or two Points might be reputed Heretical O! that we could but see how many and how great Defeats Satan hath given to the Work of God in the hearts of men what Desolations he hath made by this one Evil CONTROVERSIE begot of Opinion and used for it and how few have Contended for the Faith as it was once deliver'd to the Saints he must be a Man of Brass that could not chuse to weep at these Calamities And truly I must desire to take leave sometimes to bewail this broken Condition of Christendom and to bestow my Tears in secret upon these Common Ruins And I beseech God Almighty with a Soul sensibly touch't with the Mischiefs that naturally flow from this Practice to Awaken you to a most-Speedy and Serious Consideration your Present Standing and AMENDMENT of that Miscarriage in this and all other points that may concern your Good and his Glory Put away Wrath away with Clamors away with Arrogance and Impatience Let that Holy Spirit of God which we in common profess to be the Christians Guide have the Ordering of our Understandings in Spiritual things lest Ignorance should mistake Interest wrest or Prejudice pervert the Sense of God's Book For as too many are Ignorant of the Divine Truth through their own Concupiscence and vile Affections that carry them away to the Desire of other things and therefore easily mistake about Nice or Obscure Matters so there are not a few who come to search the Scriptures as with Pre-possess'd Minds that are sorry to meet with a Contradiction to their own Judgment instead of being glad to find the Truth and use their Wits to Rack out another Sense than that which is genuine which sort of men use the Scripture for its Authority not its Sense or Truth All this while the Head is set at work not the Heart that which Christ most insisted upon is least concerned in this sort of Faith and Chrisâ—tanity and that is KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS For 't is Opinion not Obedience Notion and not Regeneration that such men pursue This Kind of Religion leaveth them as bad as it finds them and worse for they have something more to be proud of Here is a Creed indeed but of what the Conclusions of men and what to do to prove they believe in Christ that it seems never made them It had been happy for the World that there had been no other Creeds than what he and his Apostles made and left And it is not the least Argument against their being needful to Christian Communion that Christ and his Apostles did not think so who was not wanting to declare the WHOLE COUNSEL of GOD to the Church To Conclude if ye desire Peace love Truth seek Piety and hate Hypocrisie Discord all those things called Articles of Faith and Canons of the Church that are not to be found in Express Terms in Scripture or so plainly Authorized by Scripture as may with ease be discerned by every Honest and Conscientious Person And in the Room of those Numerous and Disputed Opinions made the Bond of External Communion let some Plain General Necessary Truths be laid down in Scripture Terms and let them be few which leads me to the Next point and that is FAITH generally mistaken in the very Nature of it The Second Mischief that is amongst us is the Misunderstanding of the Nature of FAITH Whence it comes to pass that men take that for Faith which is not and sit down in a Security pernicious to their Eternal Happiness I shall briefly say something of What is not Faith before I speak of that which appears to me to be Truly and Scripturally such The Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is not only not believing mens Opinions and Determinations from the Sacred Text of which I have so freely deliver'd my self but it is not meerly the Belief even of the things contain'd in Scripture to be True For this the Devils Hypocrites do and yet very Bad Believers they refuse not the Authority of Scripture The Devil made Use of it to Christ himself but he would have the Explaining and Applying of it and since he could not hinder the Divine Inspiration if he may but be allow'd the Exposition he hopes to secure his Kingdom Since then the Verity Authority of both History and Doctrine may be believ'd by the Devil and Hypocrites that are false to their own Faith and Knowledge we cannot without great Injustice to the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which is the Faith of all his Followers allow That a meer Belief of the Verity and Authority of the History and Doctrine of Scripture is that true and precious Faith Faith then in the Sense of the holy Ghost is by the holy Ghost thus defined viz. The Evidence of things not seen and the Substance of things hoped for This is General and runs through all Ages but I shall express it thus True Faith in God is entirely believing and trusting in God confiding in his Goodness resigning up to his Will obeying his Law and
the Hypostatical Union in fine the Athanasian Creed and other Articles of Faith or Rites of your Church not so clearly express'd in Scriptures and not easie to be apprehended or assented to will not this poor Creature be look'd upon either as Infidel or Heretick renounced all share in Christ and Christian Fellowship because his Weakness or Understanding will not allow him to come up to the full Inventory of Articles believed and imposed by you Certainly you must either be partial and give him that Liberty you deny to Persons of equâ—l Tenderness or else you mustafter your present streightness conclude him Infidel or Heretick But I would beseech you that we may consider if this bears any Proportion with the Wisdom and Love of God in sending Christ into the World to save you and me The Apostle became All unto all to win some but this is becoming All unto none to force all he thereby recommends the Utmost Condescention that can be lawful but this use of Humane Authority about Faith seems to make it unlawful to Condescend As if Force were better than Love and Conformity how ever it become at it than Christian Condescention The Blessed Apostle had his Eye to the Good Intention and Sober Life of the Weak and used an holy sort of Guile to catch them he seems as if he â—…ssembled the Knowledge of those Averse Opinions which they held or the necessity of their embracing those Doctrines which as yet they might not believe He fell not to Debate and Canvass Points in Difference between them which instead of Union would have enflam'd the Difference and rais'd Contention No no He became all unto all that is He stoop'd to all Capacities and humbled himself to those Degrees of Knowledge that men had and valued that which was good in all and with this Sweetness he practised upon them to their further proficiency in the School of Christ These Allurements were all his Injunctions nay in this Case he makes it an Injunction to use no other Let us therefore says he as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be OTHERWISE minded God shall reveal even this unto you You shall not be impos'd upon stigmatiz'd or excommunicated for Want of Full Satisfaction or because you do not Consent before Conviction for God shall REVEAL it to you you shall see and know what you do and to God you shall owe your Knowledge and Conformity and not to Humane Authority and Imposition your Faith shall not be implicit nor your Obedience blind the Reason of your Hope shall be in you Pray let us compare this with the Language of our own Times where People cannot come up to the Prescriptions of men but plead the Liberty of Dissent though with never so much Sobriety and true Tenderness of Conscience they are upbraided after this manner Are you Wiser than your Superiours Were our Fore-Fathers out of the Way Did no body know the Truth till you came Are you Wiser than all our Ministers and Bishops and your Mother the Church Can't it content you to believe as she believes Is not this Pride and Presumption in you a Design to make and head Sects and Parties with the like Entertainment Now this is that which you your selves at least in the Persons of your Ancestors have stiled POPERY yea POPERY in the abstract the Sum-Total of that Mystery its great Master piece to wit IMPLICIT FAITH and BLIND OBEDIENCE If so then say I let us also have a care of Popâ—ry in Protestant guise for that Popery is likely to do us most Injury that is least suspected I beg you by the Love of God and Truth and as you would lay a sure Foundation Piece here and eternal Comfort to your own Souls that you would consider the Tendency of upbraiding and violently over ruling the Dissent of Conscientious and Peaceable People For if you will Rob me once of the Liberty of my Choice the Use of my Understanding the Distinction of my Judgment no Religion comes amiss indeâ—d it leads to No Religion 'T was the Saying of the Old King to the then Prince of Wales and our present King Make the Religion of your Education the Religion of your Judgment which to me is of the Nature of an Appeal from his Education to his Judgment about the Truth of his Religion And that Religion which is too tender to be examin'd is unsound Prove all things and hold fast that which is good lies an Impeachment against Imposition deliver'd upon Record by the Apostle Paul in the Name of the Holy Ghâ—st 'T was the same Apostle that commended the Bereans of Old for that they diligently searched the Scriptures whethâ—r those things delivered by the Apostles concerning the Messiah were true Nay Christ himself to whom all power was given in Heaven and in Earth submitted himself to the Test he did not require them to believe him because he would be believed he refers them to the Witness that God bore to him If I bear Witness of my self my Witness is not true He also sends them to the Scriptures pleads the Truth of his Authority from that of his Doctrine and Miracles If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did And finally challenges them to convince him but of one Sin Which of you convinceth me of Sin and if I say the Truth why do ye not believe me He offers to reason the Matter and submit himself to Truth and well he might who was Truth it self But an IMPOSING CHURCH bears Witness of her self and will be both Party and Judge it requires Assent without Evidence and Faith without Proof therefore false Christian Religion ought to be carried on only by that way by which it was introduced which was PERSWASâ—ON If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me and this is the Glory of it that it does not destroy but fairly conquer the Understanding I am not unacquainted with the Pretences of Romanists to Abâ—egation to a Mortified and Self denying Life and I do freely acknowledge that the Author of the German Theology Taulerus and Thomas a Kempis and others of that sort of Men in their Communion have written Excellent Practical Things but there is scarcely any thing of this Violent Popery in those Tracts On the contrary the very Nature and Tendency of them is Diametrically Opposit to the present Constitution of that Church and all others that practise Imposition in Religion And as it is one great Mark of the False Church to pervert the right End of True Doctrine so hath she excelled in the Abuse of that Excellent Word SELF-DENYAL For she hath translated it from Life to Understanding from Morals to Faith Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to subject the Understanding to the Obedience of Faith is the perpetual Burden of their Song and Conclusion of their Conferences But what is this Faith that
relying upon his Conduct dâ—an Mercies respecting this Life and that to come This is in Scripture called the Gift of God and well it may for it is Supernatural It crosses the Pride Confidence and Lust of man It grows out of the Seed of Love sown by God in the Heart at least it works by Love and this distinguishes it from the Faith of Ill Men and Devils that though they do believe they don't Love God above all but something else instead of God and are full of Pride Anger Cruelty and all manner of Wickedness But this Faith that works by Love that Divine Love which God plants in the Heart it inclines Man and gives him Power to forsake all that displeaseth God and every such Believer becomes an Enoch Translated that is Changed from the Fashion of this World the Earthly Image the Corrupt Nature and is renewed in the Likeness of the Son of God and walks with God The Just shall live by Faith they have in all Ages liv'd by this Faith that is been sustain'd supported preserved the Devil within nor the World without could never conquer them They walked not by Sight but by Faith they had regard to the Eternal Recompense No Visible things prevailed with them to depart from the Invisible God to quench their Love or slacken their Obedience to him the Great Testimony of their Faith in him This Holy Faith excludes no Age of the World the Just Men thâ— Cornelius's in every Generation have had some degree of it 't was more especially the Faith of the Simpler Ages of the World such as those in whom the Patriarchs lived who having not an Outward Law became a Law to themselves and did the things contained in the Law for they believed in God and through Faith obtained a good Report But because that it hath pleased God in Order to Man's Recovery from that grievous Laps Disobedience had cast him into at sundry times and in divers manners to appear to the Sons of men first by his Prophets and last of all by his Son that these several Manifestations have had something peculiar to them very remarkable in them so that they claim a place in our Creed It will not be amiss that we briefly consider them The first was that of the Prophets in which Moses preceded by whom the Law came to the Jews but Grace and Truth to mankind by Jesus Christ The first brought Condemnation the last Salvation the one Judgment the other Mercy which was glad Tidings indeed The one did fore-run the other as in Order of Time so in Nature of Dispensations the Law was the Gospel begun the Gospel the Law fulfilled or finisht They cannot be parted The Decalogue or Ten Commandments were little more than what had been known and practised before for it seem'd but an Epitome and Transcript of the Law writ in Man's heart by the Finger of God This is confest on all hands and in all Ages since This therefore must needs be a Part of our Creed for it relates to that Righteousness which is Indispensible and Immutable The other part of their Constitution that was peculiar to their Politic Typical and Mutable the Gospel is either Unconcerned in it or else ended it by the bringing in of a more Enduring Substance But Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace is opposed to the Condemnation of the Law and Truth to Shadows This is the most-Excellent Dispensation it is ours and it becomes us to weigh well our Interest in it God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son For God so loved the World that after all the World's Provocations by Omissions and Commissions he gave his Only Begotten Son into the World that the World through him might be saved And here Two Things present themselves to our Consideration First the Person who he was what his Authority Secondly his Message his Doctrine what he Taught which though never so Reasonable in it self depended very much in its Entertainment among the People upon the Truth of his Mission and Authority that he was no Impostor but came from God the Promised Messiah This was done Two Ways by Revelation and by Miracles By Revelation to such as were as well prepared and inclined as honest Peter the Woman of Samaria and those that were mov'd to believe him from the Authority in which he spake so Unlike that of the Formal Scribes By Miracles to those that being blinded by Ignorance or Prejudice needed to have their senses struckwith such Supernatural Evidences from many of whom this Witness came that he was the MESSIAH the Christ and SON of GOD. In fine all was done within the Compass of People among whom he daily conversed that was needful to prove he was from God and had God's Message to declare to the World Insomuch that when some of his Disciples were not so firm in their Belief of his Authority as he deserved at their hands he calls his own Works to prove his Commission and convict them of Infidelity If ye will not believe that the Father is in me that he doth these Works by me believe me for the very Works sake Thus he argued with the Jews Say ye of him the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World thou Blasphèmest because I said I am the Son of God if I do not the Works of my Father believe me not this is reasonable he that will Judge the World offers to be Tryed himself he goes on But if I do though ye believe not me believe the Works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me And he laid the Sin of the Jews upon this Foot viz. That they rejected him after he had made proof of his Divine Mission by such Extraordinary Works As no men among them all could do which to give them their Due they do not deny but shamefully pervert and foolishly abuse by attributing them to the Power of the Devil To which Malice and Slander he returned this Inconfutable Answer A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand What! cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils 't is a Contradition very Madness it self I have nothing to do now with Atheists or those that call themselves Theists but such as own themselves Christians and shall therefore keep to my Task namely What of the Christian Dispensation is so Peculiar and Important as to challenge of Right the Name of Articles of Faith I say then That the Belief of Jesus of Nazareth to be the Promis'd Messiah the Son and Christ of God sent to restore and save Mankind is the first and was then the Only requisite Article of Faith without any Large Confessions or an Heap of Principles or Opinions resolv'd upon after Curious and Tedious Debates by Councils or Synods and this may be proved both by Example and Doctrine It
Paul confirms this in his Epistle to the Romans when he says If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the Dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved This was the Word of Faith which they preached and he testified that it was nigh in the heart as Moses had done before him And saith the Apostle John on this Occasion Who is a Lyar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Again says he Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Yet once more he affirms Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God I will conclude these Doctrinal Testimonies out of Scripture with a Conclusive passage John useth towards the end of his Evangelical History of Jesus Christ And many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Book But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life in his Name In which place Two things are remarkable First That whatever things are written of Jesus are written to this end that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ Secondly That those that sincerely believe shall through him obtain Eternal Life Certainly then if this be true great must their Incharity and Presumption be who have taken other measures and set another Rule of Christianity than Jesus and his Apostles gave This sincere Confession contented Christ and his Apostles but it will not satisfy those that yet pretend to believe them 't was enough then for a Miracle and Salvation too but it goes for little or nothing now A man may sincerely believe this and be stigmatiz'd for a Schismatick an Heretick an Excommunicate but I may say as Christ did to the Jews in another Case From the Beginning it was not so But I expect here to be Assaulted with this Objection If this be all that is necessary to be believed to Salvation of what use is the rest of Scripture I answer Of great Use as the Apostle himself teacheth us All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnisht unto all good Works It concerns the whole Life and Conversation of a Man but every passage in it is not therefore fit to be such an Article of Faith as upon which Christian Communion ought or ought not to be maintained For though it be all equally True it is not all equally Important There is a great Difference between the Truth and Weight of a thing For Example 'T is as True that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate as that he suffered and that he was pierced as that he died and that he did eat after his Resurrection as that he rise from the Dead at all but no Person of common Understanding will conclude an Equal Weight or Concernment in these things because they are Equally True The Death of Christ was of much greater Value than the Manner of it his Resurrection than any Circumstance of his Appearance after he was risen The Question is not whether all the Truths contain'd in Scripture are not to be believed but Whether those Truths are Equally Important and if the Belief with the heart and Confession with the mouth that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God be not as sufficient now to entitle a man to Communion here and Salvation hereafter as in those times against which nothing can be of Weight objected If it be said that this Contradicts the Judgment and Practice of many great and good Men. I answer I can't help that If they have been tempted out of their own Curiosity or the Corruption of Times to depart from the Ancient Paths the Foot-steps of purest Antiquity and best Examples let their Pretences have been what they will 't is Presumption and it was Just with God that Error and Confusion should be the Consequence of those Adventures nor has it ever fail'd to follow them Lastly if it be alledg'd That this will take in all Parties yea that Schismaticks and Hereticks will creep in under this General Confession since few of them will refuse to make it I do say 'T would be an Happy Day What Man loves God and Christ seeks Peace and Concord that would not rejoice if all our Animosities and Vexations about Matters of Religion were buried in this one Confession of Jesus the great Author and Lord of the Christian Religion so often lost in pretending to contest for it View the Parties on Foot in Christendom among those called Protestants observe their Differences well and how they are generally maintain'd and you will tell me that they are rent and divided about their own Comments Consequences and Conclusions not the Text but the Meaning and that too which perhaps is not in it self Essential to Salvation as the Dispute betwixt the Lutherans and Calvinists the Arminians and Predestinarians and such like Is it not lamentable to think that those who pretend to be Christians and Reformed ones too should divide with the Winds and fight as proâ— Aris Focis for such things as either are not Expresly to be found in Scripture or if there yet never appointed or intended for such Prime Articles of Faith by Christ or his Apostles Should they then erect their Communion on another Bottom or break it for deviating from any other Doctrines than what they in terminis in so many words have deliver'd to us for necessary If we consider the Matter well I fear it will be found that the Occasion of Dâ—sturbance in the Church of Christ hath in most Ages been found to lie on the side of those who have had the Greatest Sway in it Very pertinent to our present Purpose is that Passage of J. Hales of Eaton in his Tract concerning Schism It hath saith he been the Common Disease of Christians from the Beginning not to content themselves with that Measure of Faith which God and Scriptures have expresly afforded us but out of a Vain Desire to know more than is Revealed they have attempted to DISCUSS THINGS of which we can have no Light neither from Reason nor Revelation Neither have they rested here but upon pretence of church-Church-Authority which is NONE or Tradition which for the most part
as the State believes But if the Church cannot use force in Religion for this reason because she cannot Infallibly determin to the Conscience without convincement much less can a few Doctors or the Civil Authority use force where they can much less judge Unless you would make them the Civil Executioners of your displeasure that have no Civil Power to give them such Commission and to be sure no Ecclesiastical to any Force or Violence about Religion For the Papist by judging his Principles punishes them that believes not as the Church believes though against Scripture but the Protestant who teaches every one to believe the Scripture though against the Church persecutes against his own Principles even them that in any particular so believe as he in General teaches them to believe This is hard but true upon the Protestant for what is plainer then that he afflicts Those that according to his own Doctrine believe and honour holy Scripture but against it will receive no humane Interpretation though Universal Them I say who interpret Scripture to themselves which by his Position none but they to themselves can Inter-pret Them that use the Scripture no otherwise by his own Doctrine to their Edification than he himself uses it to their punishing and so whom his Doctrine acknowledges true Believers his Discipline persecutes as Hereticks To sum up all at this time If we must believe as Caesar appoints why not then as the Church believes But if not as either without Convincement pray how can force be lawful Let me recommend one Book to you that of Right claims a place with you and that is Bishop Taylor 's of Lâ—â—erty of Prophecy never answer'd that I have heard of and I have reason to believe never will be attempâ—ed for indeed it is Unanswerable That was the Judgment of a Bishop under Persecution I could be glad if it might be the practice of Bishops in their power I may say the same of J. Tillotson's sober and seasonable discourse before the Commons on the fifth of November And the truth is I am the more earnest with you at this time because I find that God daily shows us he has great good will to poor England O why should we drive him from us by our disobedience to him and our Severities to one another He has lately put a price into our hands and continues to prove his Favours upon us all depends upon a sincere Reformation and our perseverance therein To give Testimony of this let us with our whole Hearts turn to Goâ— and keep his holy Law and let us but be jealous of his Glory by punishing Vice and cherishing Virtue and we may assure our selves he will interest himself in our safety Of this we cannot doubt for he who has begun to do it under our Disobedience will not desert us in our sincere Repentance And as this is our Duty to God without which we vainly hope for deliverance so is there a duty we owe to one another that is the next Requisiâ—e to our Preservation Let all Aspeâ—ities be avoided Nick-Names forbidden and the oppressed Protestant deliver'd Receive the noble Principle of Liberty of Conscience on which the Reformation rise For in vain do we hope to be deliver'd from Papists till we deliver our selves from Popery This Coertion upon Conscience and Persecution for Religion are that part of Popery which is most justly hated and fear'd And if we either fear or hate Popery for its Cruelty shall we practise the CRUELTY we fear or hate it for God forbid this were the way to be deserted of God and left to their Cruelty The same Sins will ever fix the same Odium and find the fame Punishment where-ever they are If they burnt your Ancestors don't you strip and starve your Brethren Remember the many Thousands now perseâ—uted in this Kingdom for the sake of their tender and very peaceable Consciences Husbands are unnaturally separated from their Wives and Parents from their Children their Corn Cattel and Houshould stuff swept away perhaps at the Instigation of some lewd and indigent Informer or to please the maliâ—e of an ill dispos'd Neighbour In the mean time many once sufficient are expos'd to Charity the fruits of their honest Labour and Bread of their Children being now made the Forfeiture of their Conscience Friends and Country men there is deep Doctrine in this present Providence examine it well that you may reap the benefit of it And among the rest let me tell you this is not the least part of it that God is shewing you Mercy that you may shew Mercy and has awaken'd you at the brink of the Pit that you may help your Brethren out of it Be wise and considerate 't will be much your own fault if you are not happy And truly I have no manner of scruple but God will preserve us if wâ— will not cast away our selves For our own Sins and Folly can only direct the hand that seeks to Stab us and shall we make it succesful to our own ruin Let us therefore turn away from all Impiety let the Magistracy discourage and punish it and let us forhear and love one another If we begin with God we shall end with God that is with Success Else be assured we shall only inherit the Wind of our own Invention and be deserted of him then when we shall most want him In short reverence the present providence though your Lives have not deserv'd it let your Lives now be grateful and not abuse it Pursue your advantages throughly but wisely be as temperate as zealous and to your Enemies as generous as just Insult not over ill men for the sake of their ill Principles but pity their unhappiness whilst you abhor the cause of it let them see that you had rather inform then destroy them take more pleasure in their Conversion then your own Revenge This will be the greatest coufutation upon them that they be taught the Goodness of your Religion by the mildness of it and by its mercy the Cruelty of their own The Indian Atabaliba rejected the Romish Baptism because of the Spanish Tyranny whence it was usual with those poor Americans to desire they might not go to Heaven if the Spaniards went thither I know there be little Arts used to prevent Protestant Union and that in a Protestant Guise and 't is a Trick not of yesterday to put one Party of Protestants upon devouring four or five that both the Protestant Church may have the Odium of Eating or Devouring her own Children that another Interest behind the Hangings may find the more easie and creditable access to the Chair 'T is the Men of this Strain though under disguise that now seek to distract you and to effect it the better old Stories must be had up Acts of Olivion violated the dead disturb'd their Tombs rifl'd and they hal'd out of their Graves to receive a new Sentence That Condemning the Living of that interest
to Youthful Lusts flee them by all means for they draw to Strife to Heats Animosities Envy Hatred and Persecution which unbecome the Man of God for says the Apostle He must not STRIVE but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient be their Rank Notion Opinion or Faith what it will he must not be fierce nor censorious much less should he persecute or excite Caesar to do it for him no such matter he must be apt to teach and inform the Ignorant and in case it succeed not he ought not to be outragious or go about to whip or club it into him he must be patient that is he must not think to bend things to his own Will or Time but commit his honest Edeavours to God's Blessing that can raise of the Stones of the Street Children unto Abraham The Want of this Patience has been the Undoing of all But some will object O but it is not Ignorance 't is Obstinacy and Opposition Hardly judg'd my Friend but admit it were so here 's a Recipe for the Malady too and that of the Apostle's prescribing Observe the following words In MEEKNESS instructing those that OPPOSE themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth Then not Fining Plundering Beating Stocking Imprisoning Banishing and Killing even OPPOSERS themselves for Religion unless there is a Way of doing these things with Gentleness Patience and Meekness which I confess I and I think no Body else ever heard of But as the Apostle gives Timothy another Method then is now used by the Sons of Violence for reclaiming Opposers so the Reason of the Counsel makes all other Wayes unlawful viz. If God peradventurâ— will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth I would hereupon enter the List with a Persâ—cutor Is Repentance in my own Power or is it in thine to give me the Apostle sayes neither 't is God's Gift alone If God peradventure will give them Repentance c. since Repentance then is in the Case and that God alone can give it of what use are Violent Courses which never beget Repentance on the contrary they have rarely fail'd to raise Prejudice and beget Hardness But was this the Evangelical Rule and Practice Yes that it was Oh then whence comes Imposition Force Cruelty Spoil of Goods Imprisonments Knocking 's Beatings Bruisings Stockings Whippings and Spilling of Blood for Religion What Church is that whose Officers are so far from clothing the Naked as that they strip the Clothed from feeding the Hungry that they take their Bread from them and those poor Widows and helpless Orphans too and so remote from visiting the Sick and Imprisoned that they drag away their Beds from under them and cast their Persons into Prison for Conscience sake Nay they haled away an Honest Man from a Meeting to Goal at Reading a while since not permitting him to TAKE LEAVE of his poor Wife newly delivered and in a DYING Condition though she much desired it and liv'd but just by the Meeting house whence they took him In fine what are they that for no other Cause pass such Dreadful Excommunications as render the Excommunicants little better then Outlawed Persons subjecting their Civil Natural Rights to their Pride Passion Interest or Revenge unless they will purchase their Enjoyment at the dear rate of giving their own Consciences the Lye For what else can be the Consequence of conforming to that I do not believe Is not this to destroy sincere Men and make and save Hypocrites Oh that such as are concern'd would soberly consider if any Thing is so Scandalous to True Religion as FORCE Who can think that Evidence Good that is extorted And what a Church is that which is made up of such Proselytes or that employes such Means to make them 'T is base Coyn that needs Imposition to make it current but true Mettal passeth for its own intrinsick value O where is that Christian Meekness Patience and Forbearance How many have been ruined that were never exhorted and Excommunicated before they were once admonished This is not to serve God but Worldly Interest it s quite contrary to Christ's Counsel and Doctrine He came to save and not to destroy Nature to magnifie his Grace You pretend to hate J. Calvin's unconditional Reprobation yet practise it If you say no Conformity is your Condition I answer that it s as unreasonable to require an impossibility as cruel to damâ— Men for not doing it For as you say his Doctrine makes Gâ—d to command them to repent that cannot repent and yet damn them if they repent not So you injoyn Men to relinquish their present Faith and Worship and conform to yours which is not in their power to do yet damn them in a temporal respect if they refuse it For you make such an unavoidable Dissent punishable with the Destruction of Mens Liberties and Estates You had better leave off valuing your selves upon the Mercy and Well-natur'dness of that Tenet of the Universal Love of God to Man kind till you love more then your selves and abomâ—nate that the Church of England should be such an Elect to the Civil Government as utterly reprobates the rest as you pretend to detest the like Injustice in J. Calvin's Notion of Election and Reprobation And the Truth of it is this helps on Atheism as much as any Enormity in the Land when Witty Men not willing to take Pains to examine after the Truth and Excellency of Religion behold Men that call themselves Christ's Ministers and the Apostles Successors and Followers to affect and seek Government and yet twice deny it when they go to receive it That some others grow Lordly live Voluptuously and watch after the biggest Preferments not being excited by most Service for God but Earthly Power and Wealth for themselves and at the same Time persecuting Men of more Self-denyal for Matsters of Opinion about Faith and Worship toward-God so that No Conformity to this Church No Protection from the State Which among Protestants is so much the more unreasonable First Because they by these Courses implicitly own and assume the highest Infallibility and Perfection and yet deny any such Thing For it supposes that nothing is Truer nothing Perfecter or else they both persecute Men to embrace a Fallible and Inperfect Religion and with cruel Penalties provide against any thing more true or Infallible and the greatest Injury to the World that can be for it is a plain Endeavour to frustrate all those excellent Prophecies and gracious Promises God has given and the holy Scriptures declare of the latter Days But Secondly It exposes you to the lash and scorn of the Papist unavoidably for at this rate you that with reason think it Ignorance and Irreligion in the Papist to imagin himself discharged in God's account by believing only as the Church believes conceive your selves at the same time justified by believeing only as a few of your own Doctors or else