mechanick Priest-Missionaries that came into England would prove the truth of that Letter better which will be suspected till then by all that consider how hard it would be to perswade lazy Priests to undergo the long fatigue of learning Handycrafts which would do them little service without the language of the Land And they who know the strict scrutiny made by Presbyterians and Independants e're they admit any as members of their Congregations or Ministers will be more affraid that such should thrust themselves in the Establish'd Churches than ours His 3d. Argument to prove that Toleration to Dissenting Protestants will increase Popery is because 't is the cause of our Divisions whereof the Papists take great advantage For proof whereof he cites Mr. Baxter A. That Papists and all other Adversaries make their advantage by our Divisions is seen and bewailed by all good men with Mr. Baxter but that our mutual forbearance of one another in matters not necessary to Salvation was ever the cause of divisions Mr. Baxter hath nor taught but the contrary Yet if he desire an account of the true causes of our divisions he may learn them from one of the Ornaments of the Church of England the memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton in his Tract of Schism page 201. Who teacheth us that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three ways 1st Upon matter of Fact 2d Upon matter of Opinion 3d. On point of Episcopal Ambition I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact for it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forc'd upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of keeping that Feast must be the Rule left by Moses unto the Jews There arose a stout Question whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the 14th of the Moon or on the Sunday following This matter tho most unnecessary most vain yet caus'd as great a combustion as ever was in the Church the first separating and refusing Communion with the last for many years together In this phantastical hurry I cannot see but that all the world were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that Imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did a thing which befell them through the Ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their Malice and that through the just judgment of God because through Sloath and blind Obedience men examin'd not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of burthen patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiors laid upon them Further page 210. For in these Schisms which concern Fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only to require the execution of some unlawful and suspected Act for not only in Reason but Religion too that Maxim admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubtias ne feceris And speaking of the second Councel of Nice where Image-worship was established where was the first remarkable Schism upon just occasion of Fact he tells us The schismatical Party was the Synod it self and such as conspir'd with it for concerning the use of Images in Sacris 1. It is acknowledgby all that it is not a thing necessary 2. It is by most suspected 3. It is by many held utterly unlawful Can then the injoyning the practice of such a thing be ought else but abuse or can the refusal of Communion here be thought any other thing than duty here or upon the like occasion to separate may peradventure bring personal trouble and danger against which it concerns every honest man to have pectus bene preparatum so that in these cases you cannot be to seek what you think or what you have to do His 2d sort of Schism arising upon occasion of variety of Opinion is thus It hath been saith he the common disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God in Scripture hath expresly afforded us but out of a vain desire to know more than is revealed they have attempted to discuss things of which they can have no light neither from Reason nor Revelation neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church Authority which is none or Tradition which is for the most part but figment they have peremptorily concluded and confidently impos'd on others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature c. After he tells were Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted of no particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms in opinions were utterly Vanished for consider all the Liturgies that are or have been and remove from them whatsoever is Scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree in and the event shall be that the publick Service and Honour of God shall no ways suffer whereas to load our Publick Forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Sovereign way to perpetuate Schism unto the Worlds End Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scripture Exposition of Scripture Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matters enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy tho' nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp of Garments of prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Churches under the Dream of Order and Decency did interpose it self For to charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all Superstition and when scruple of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schism begun to break in If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbring the Churches with superfluities and not over-rigid either in receiving absolute Customs or imposing New there were far less danger of Schism or Superstition and the inconveniency were likely to issue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecillities of Inferiors a thing which St. Paul could never have refused to do in the mean while where ever false and suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Churches Liturgy he that separates is not Scismatick for it 's alike unlawful to make profession of known and suspected falsehoods as to put in practice unlawful and suspected Actions The third Cause of Schism is Episcopal Ambition p. 218 saith he Aristotle tells us that necessity causeth but small Faults but Avarice and Ambition are Mothers of great Crimes Episcopal Ambition
Animadversions ON The Defence of the Answer To a PAPER INTITULED The CASE of the Dissenting Protestants of Ireland In Reference to a BILL of Indulgence from the Exceptions made against it TOGETHER With An ANSWER to A Peaceable Friendly Address TO THE Non-Conformists Written upon their desiring an Act of Toleration without the SACRAMENTAL TEST Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand Printed in the the Year 1697. To the Protestant Reader THe Publication of these Animadversions tho design'd some time ago had ceas'd if a late Pamphlet called A Peaceable and Friendly Address c. had not importun'd it For seeing some men judge it their Interest to mis-represent to the world them they 'r pleas'd to call N. Conforming Brethren as a factious and schismatical people whereby we are mis-apprehended and pre-condemn'd We cannot in justice to Truth and Innocence suffer such so to prey upon the Credulity of some and our Reputation as thereby to hazard their Souls and our Safety Yea compassion to our Adversaries in endeavouring the prevention of their being wise in their own conceit a case more despcrate than that of Fools obligeth us to vindicate our selves and inform mis-guided people with words of Truth and Soberness The people we plead for are not the Idle and Consuming Caterpillars of the Nation but Industrious Labourers Ingenious Artists and Honest Traders whose religious Principles will abide in their strength while one jâ—t or tittle of the Law of God indures becase they adore the fulness of the H. Scriptures as the perfect and only rule of Faith and Manners They believe the necessity of a standing Gospel-Ministry in the Church to whose directive Authority they submit themselves not by an implicit Faith but by a judgment of Discretion All God's holy Ordinances and instituted Worship they embrace but their Fear towards God is not taught by the Commandments of men Their doctrine bears conformity with that of the Reformed Churches abroad and harmoniously agrees with that of Ireland declar'd in her Convocation An. 1615 excepting in what relates to Prelacy and Ceremonies They are willing to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's They profess their Credenda Petenda and Agenda ought all to be regulated by the word of God These Principles we believe are able to abide a Fiery Tryal And as their Principles are true so their Petitions are modest Episcopal Grandeur Jurisdiction or Revenues is not demanded for their Ministers or by them A liberty to serve God according to these foresaid Principles with a relief from some Penal Laws formerly fram'd against them and that no new ones be forg'd to their preiudice is all they require And if such modest Requests may be with Christian Conscience deny'd a people of such Principles we leave to the determination of our Judge that standeth at the Door if Men should give sentence against us Animadversions On the Defence of the Answer to a Paper ENTITULED The Case of the Dissenting Protestants in Ireland c. WHen Diogenes trampled upon Aristippus's Cushion and insulted over himself in these words See how I trample on Aristippus's Pride he had this return thou dost it but with no less Pride So when the Defendant of the Answer c. salutes the Vindicator of the Dissenters Case with a charge of sourness and vanity of temper In the very entrance of his diseourse he discovers so much of the distemper in himself that if Civility coult not yet Conscience of the same evil in himself should have oblig'd him to treat his Adversary more decently But whether the sourness of his temper or his vanity to comprize an Iliad of Railing Accusations in a Nut-shell hath induc'd him with one breath to upbraid the Vindicator with sourness and vanity of temper dexterity in perverting little sincerity dising enuity injustice c. I determine not but if his Reasoning taâ—ent be equivalent to his Railing no Dissenter will be able to stand before him Lest he shou'd be suspected of transgressing the 9th Commandment he attempts to make good this charge by as he calls it A remarkable Instance of the Dissenters injustice to him viz. The phrase general Indulgence us'd by him which as he saith doth plainly signify no more than a legal toleration of Dissenting Protestants the Vindicator wrests to import a comprehension of all sorts of Religion Answ If this be Injustice he hath cause to fear that all who have sense to discern words will be injurious to him seeing General Indulgence natively signifies Indulgence to all sorts of Persons and Opinions And 't is improper to say that General Indulgence imports only toleration of Protestant Dissenters which is but Special unless Protestant Dissentors should comprehend all sorts which himself doth not assert As the Vindicator hath not wrested his Expressions so neither hath he misrepresented his Sense seeing all the arguments he useth against the Indulgence pleaded for militat only against an unlimited and general Indulgence of all sorts The next thing disgusts the Defendant is a rule laid down by the Vindicator that these are of the same Religion with the Establish't Church who subscribe her Doctriual Articles this rule he 'll not allow to be true and that because there being three general parts of Religion viz. Doctrin Worship and Government unless we agree in all these we are not of the same Religion A. If the Rule be not good why do the Books of Articles in England an 1552 and 1562 and those in Ireland in 1616 unanimously declare that they were agreed upon in Convocation for avoiding of diversities of Opinions and for Establishing Consent touching true Religion Do not the Subscribers to the 6th Article concerning the sufficiency of holy Scripture for Salvation subscribe to the Worship and Government of the Church as well as to its Doctrin if they do not as the D. insinuates it must be because that Worship and Doctrin is not read in the holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby which is no honor to the Liturgy Ceremonies or Prelacy Dr. Stillinfleet in his Irenicum hath endeavoured to prove that Men may be of the same Religion and yet not under the same particular form of Church Government And I am persuaded 't will be hard for the D. to produce any Church that is or hath been in the world with which the Establisht Church of England doth exactly agree in Form of Worship and Government And thus by his Rule excluding us from the same Religion with the Establisht Church he doth also cut her off from Communion in the same Religion with any Church in the World The Anabaptists against whom the D. excepts as unfit to be comprehended in the Indulgence are of age let them speak for themselves we are none of their Advocates Yet the V's reason for including them and his Charity also was their being included in the Act of Indulgence for England An. 1689. And in a Bill
they be really such into Parishes A. If the Law doth not make Non-Conforming Ministers Intruders by what Law doth he call them so The Law of the Land he vindicates from this Aspersion and we are sure the Law of God layeth no such crime to our charge For Ministers duly qualified and by the unanimous consent of a Christian People elected and call'd to be their Ministers are not intruders tho' their Election be not ratisy'd by the Civil Sanction else all the Ministers of the Gospel for the first 300 years of Christianity had been Intruders That a Christian People have power to Elect and call their own Ministers is according to the Primitive Patern Cyprian's Rule Lib. 1. Ep. 4. is consonant to Scripture viz. Plebs ipsa potestatem habet vel eligendi dig nos sacerdotes vel indig nos recusandi And even in Rome it self in Pope Leo's time it was a Rule Qui prae futurus est omnibus ab omnibus Elegatur And such we are able to make appear our Election to the Ministry to be 2. Nor hath the Parl. of Scotland made any Act against intruding into Parishes but against intruding into Churches and seizing upon Manses and Glebs which if N. C's here had done it 's possible they had both heard and felt that there are Acts of Parl. against such intruders The fourth instance of Moderation is that the Establish'd Church hath not forbid these Dissenters whom the Calamities of the late times had driven away to return and perform any Ministerial Acts in the places where formerly they held their Conventicles for want of a Legal Call A. Had Dissenters as obstinately refused to swear Allegiance to K. W. and Q. M. as his Episcopal Brethren did in Scotland we shou'd have had as little favour as the Non-jurant Clergy there have had and justly deserv'd it But why the Government of Scotland only shou'd be condemn'd for severity when both in England and Ireland the Non-jurant Bishops and Clergy have met with the same measure and yet he dates not tax the Government here or in England of severity upon that account so that he is either grosly impartial or a Jacobite in heart tho' he appear for King William The Fifth Instance of Moderation is That they have not here authorized or required the Mayors of Corporations and Justices of the Peace to remove all those who have intruded or shall intrude as they have done in Scotland A. If the Civil Magistrate were subject to the Authority of the Church we have cause to be confident of being otherwise dealt with than at present we are God be blessed for it We think he deserves a fee if he 'll make good that Dissenters may without counter acting Acts of Parl. enter and possess Churches and Tythes but then why makes he such a hideous out-cry against the Minister of Letterkenny for his intrusion His Sixth and last Instance of Moderation exceeding that of Scotland is that they have not ordered Writs of Rebellion against Dissenting Ministers in order to the removing them out of Parishes where they live and making them desist from exercising Ministerial Acts. A. For all this boasted of Moderation the time was when there were Writs out against all the Dissenting Ministers to apprehend them whereupon many were apprehended and imprison'd which is well known And we owe but little thanks to Church-men for the mercy we now enjoy But by this he insinuates that the Episcopal Clergy are by Writs and Capias's driven from living in any Parishes in Scotland which is a Calumny and by it we may see how safe his Majesty's Government is like to be under such Directors of Conscience who labour to possess his Subjects against him and his Government as cruel and severe notwithstanding all the Clemency he has us'd to such as are declar'd Enemies to his Authority The D. having triumph'd in the victory of the Establish't Church of Ireland over that of Scotland in point of Moderation seems to be mov'd with a Prophetick Spirit to â—oreteâ—l that in case such Revolution of Church Affairs should happen in this Kingdom as hath lately been in Scotland the V. and his Adherents would imitate the Presbyterians in Scotland and make the Episcopal Clergy desist from exercising any Ministerial Acts and Issue out Writs of Rebellion against them A. Either he fears what he supposeth will come to pass or not If he doth really fear such Revolution then we think 't were his wisdom to be preparing an Ark for saving himself and houshold tho it be no policy to declare his fears seeing thereby he incourageth Dissenters and weakens the hands of his Friends by representing us as a formidable party But if he believes no probability of what he supposeth he needs not trouble us or his party with such Prophecies for if he were not conscious to himself that he had deserved ill of Dissenters he would not fear ill from them To make his Prophecy probable he tells us that the Professors in Colleges of Scotland felt the rigor of the Presbyterian Visitation which he calls by the odious name of Inquisition practised upon the Professor of the College of Edinburgh in Aug. and Sept. 1690. according to an Act passed the 4th of July 1690. By which it is ordered that no Minister or Professor in any College or School shall be allowed to continue in the Exercise of his Function but such as shall subscribe to the Confession of Faith ratify'd by this present Parliament and submit to the Government of the Church now Establisht by Law A. To stigmatize the Visitors of the University's acting by his Majesty's Commission and Parliamentary Authority with the odious name of Inquisitors and the Visitation with the name of Inquisition doth palpably insinuate that tho the Heroick Ancestors of our King did drive the Inquisition out of the Netherlands yet he and his Queen have brought it into Scotland And tho he will swear he intended no such â—â—flection on his Majesty yet it 's too apparent he would make him and these acting by Authority under him successors to St. Dominick 2. He falsely attributes to the Church the Act of the State 3. When he wou'd prove a removal of Persons Episcopal from Civil Employments he instances in Professors of Divinity which are not esteem'd Civil Employments in Scotland 4. The ground of their removal was their refusing to swear Allegiance to K. W. and Q M. and the reason they gave for their refusal was that they were not crown'd K. and Q. of Scotland tho' they made no such scruple of swearing to K. James whether or no by justifying them in this he partake with them in their evil deeds let all Men judge 5. It 's highly hypocritical to rail at that as Sin in others which we applaud in ourselves as a Vertue for what more criminal is it in the Church of Scotland to oblige its Professors of Divinity to subscribe its legally Establish'd Doctrin and to submit to its
adviseth quod dubitas aequum an unquum sit ne feceris what you doubt whether it be just or unjust do it not and herein he agreeth with the Apostle whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But which is the safest way to this you say 1. It 's Evident we should promote the Peace and Vnity of the Church 2. Give Obedience to the Commands of Lawful Authority Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. But then it 's only doubtful whether he should conform to Ceremonies by Law Establish'd if then he cannot upon solid grounds satisfy himself that such Conformity is Lawful such a doubt ought not to be put in the ballance with the aforesaid Commands Answ By your leave such a doubt may be put in the ballance with the fore-mentioned duties seeing the same God and the same Scripture hath told us that he that doubteth is damned if he cateth for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Rom. 14. ult Now if we may not follow peace or obey Superiors except in Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin then to conform doubtingly either for peace or in obedience to the Magistrate is sinful Conformity as well as praying to God without Faith is Sin Jam. 1 6 7. Now a little more reason and divinity would have taught you 1. That Negative Precepts bind ad semper that is can at no time nor in no case be broken without sin but positive Precepts bind semper that is as Schoolmen say they are still obliging tho' not at all times as it is always a duty to pray but not at all times 2. A Rule against which there is no exception will over-ballance that which is limited by exceptions for this Rule what soever is not of Faith is sin is without exception The other two Precepts are restâ—icted by it as Rom. 12. 18. if it be possible as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all Men Here the Precept is limited as far as is possible with a good Conscience but we must not sell peace with God and our Consciences to purchase it with Men Our Obedience to Superiors is limited by lawfulness possibilty expedience and Edification 3. If your Episcopal Brethren in Scotland should doubt of the lawfulness of submitting to Presbytery now by Law Establish't there it seems by you they are bound to conform for peace and in Obedience to Authority notwithstanding of their doubts why don't you then Preach this Doctrine to them or if a Man in France Spain Italy c. were in doubt and could by no means clear himself of these doubts whether Popery or Protestanism were safest by your Rule he is obliged to be a Papist in obedience to Authority To your Question why may not I say he that doubteth is damn'd if he refuse Conformity rather than if he Conform Ans Why doth not the Apostle say he that doubteth is damned if he refuse to eat rather than if he eateth such a Commentary as you make would destroy the Text for when a doubt is about doing and not about omitting the sin must be in doing and not in omitting so that all this Sophistry will not make vâ—id that good old Rule Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quoddubitas ne feceris obey not the Precept of the most prudent if ye do it But by what Authority do you Address these as Non-conformists who so haâ—â— betwixt two Opinions as neither to follow God nor Bâ—al they are none of ours no more than they are yours for he that gathereth not vith us scattereth To your Non-conformists Objection to wit to impose such things upon us as are in themselves indifferent is an Infringement of our Christian Liberty Gal. 5. 1. Your answer is to impose the belief or practise of any thing as an essential part of Religion and necessary to Salvation which God hath not particularly required such imposing infringeth Christian Liberty and none else Answ As you have not faithfully framed the Nonconformists Objection so you have not fully answered that of your own framing our objection is that imposing things in their own nature indifferent either as parts or means of Worship or conditions of our Communion in it and so to determine our practice as to destroy its indifferency in doing or forbearing things indifferent is at once to destroy indifferency and to infringe that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and in which we are bound to stand fast for Christ having freed us from all parts and parcels of Worship which are not of his own Institution from all conditions or Communion with him and his Ordinances but those of his own prescribing so he hath allowed us the use of indifferent things indifferently as Christian Prudence and Charity shall determine for any men to impose otherwise is at the same time unjustly to invade Christ's Prerogative and Christians Priviledges both which we judge our selves bound to maintain Your Answer is not sufficient to the Objection even as your self have framed it viz. That only to impose the belief or practice of any thing as an essential part of Religion and necessary to Salvation not particularly required of God is an infringement of Christian Liberty Answ Christian Liberty may be infringed tho the thing be not required as an essential part of Religion for the main violation of Christian Liberty lies in a fix't stated and perpetual compulsion to do what God hath permitted me to omit or a prohibition to do what he hath made lawful for me thus the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 6. 12. All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any person or thing in matters indifferent for such a resignation of my self to be restrained fixedly is to bind up my self from opportunity of my using my Christian Liberty for the spiritual good of another for if I should be so circumstantial that by forbearing an indifferent thing such as you call the Cross in Baptism I might do good to my Neighbour's Soul I am so tied that I cannot forbear to prevent my Brother's sinning and so we cannot imitate the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 13 Wherefore if meat make my Brother to offend I will not eat flesh while the world standeth 2 To submit to such predetermination is to alter the very nature of things indifferent by making that sinful which God hath made lawful contrary to your own doctrine page 2. However unnecâ—ssary or impertinent any thing may be esteemed yet nothing is to be look'â— upon as a Sin but what is contrary to the Law of God 3 By such imposing and determining in matters indifferent more is attributed to the positive precepts of men than to the moral Laws of God for obedience to some positive moral Laws of God may be suspended pro hic nunc to give way to a greater good but in this case we must act uniformly without respect to circumstances tho thousands shou'd be offended and wounded in Conscience and prejudiced against Religion thereby
those who were under Sentence of Deposition or Deprivation A. Doth not the Law of England also deprive men of the Benefice who are degraded from the Office seeing Beneficium datur propter Officium for none were deposed by Presbyteries but such whose Crimes upon full and fair Tryal deserved such Treatment Is that severe in a Parliament to deny those men wages who have cut themselves off from service in the Church Further to evince the more than ordinary severity in Scotland against the Episcopal Clergy since the Revolution the D. alledgeth an Act of Parliament June 12. 1693. whereby is is Enacted That no Person be admitted or continued to be a Minister or Preacher within the Church of Scotland unless he own the Presbyterian Government to be the only Church Government of that Church that he will submit thereunto and and concur therewith and never endeavour directly or indirectly to do any thing to the prejudice or subversion thereof A. The disingenuity so oft complained of in the V. seems not to be so much a dislike of the evil as that this D. would make a monopoly of it for himself for in this report we have a considerable deal of it for he waves the consideration of what it was brought to prove that a great many Episcopal Ministers enjoyed the Protection of the Government in the free Exercise of their Ministry and legally establish't maintainance 2. That the places of greatest trust are in the hands of those who are Episcopal in Judgment several of whom were instanced so that no severity is exercised meerly for mens judgments in that matter all which by his silence he seems to confess and yet insisteth in his ordinary rote of of exclaiming against the Government But we say 2. The Act cited doth not inflict any penalty on any for being Episcopal in Judgment 3. There is nothing in this Act but what upon the matter was agreeed to by the Episcopal Clergy in their Address presented to the General Assembly of that Church held Jan. 15. 1691 2. with the following Formula they promised to Subscribe The Address of the Episcopal Clergy to the General Assembly held at Edinburgh VVE under-subscribers for our selves and our constituent Ministers of the Gospel humbly shew that since the Episcopacy is abolished and Presbyterian Government is established as it was 1592. we being desirous to exercise the holy Function wherewith we are invested in our several Stations for the Glory of God Advancement of Religion their Majesties Service and the Peace of the Nation do therefore humbly desire that stops and impediments may be taken off so that we may be admitted as Presbyters to sit in Presbyteries Synods and General Assemblies in concurrence with the Presbyterian Ministers in the Government of the Church as now established by Law in this Kingdom The Formula Proposed is I A. B. do sincerely Promise and Declare that I will submit to the Presbyterian Government of this Church as now by Law established in this Kingdom under K. William and Q. Mary by Presbyteries Provincial Synods and General Assemblies and that I will as it becomes a Minister of the Gospel heartily concur with the said Government for the suppressing of Sin and Wickedness the promoting Peace and purging the Church of all Erroneous and Seandalous Ministers and do further Promise that I will Subscribe the confession of Faith the Larger and Shorter Catechisms now Confirmed by Act of Parliament as containing the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion Professed in this Kingdom By all this it appears that the Act obliges to nothing but what these Addresses offered except a promise not to subvert the Government which they indeed refused as a severity but we leave the world to judge of the sincerity of such Ministers of the Gospel who will promise to submit to a Government and concur with it but will not promise not to subvert it but if needful we could fully detect to the world the juggle of that whole design But 4. Knows he not that the Act of Uniformity requires the same from all Conformists which he exclaims against in the Church of Scotland is not then the height of partiality to condemn that as rigid severity in others which we applaud in ourselves as Justice and Prudence But his second Exception against this Act is it 's ordering that uniformity of Worship and Administration of all publick Ordinances in the Church of Scotland be observed by all Ministers and Preachers as it is at present performed or shall be hereafter declar'd by the Authority of the same which he looks on as equally unreasonable as the Papists requiring Implicit Faith or subscription to the Oath c. A. It is very unjust in him to instance that as a piece of severity against the Episcopal Clergy which by the Act all Presbyterian Ministers as well as they are obliged to But if uniformity of Worship and Administration of all publick Ordinances be so Popish and unreasonable why so much noise about it in his Church to deprive men of a birth-right priviledge if they comply not But 't is Scotish Conformity only disgusts him for what concerns the English and Irish he can say ego mihimet ignosco But saith he They are to subscribe to what shall be Ordered by the Church as well as to what is at present Ordered A. We ask him seriously whether he that swears Canonical Obedience to his Ordinary doth not oblige himself to be ruled according to such Canons as shall be made by the Church as well as by these which are already made or when a Judge sweareth to administer Justice according to Law whether he obligeth not himself to Judge by Acts of Parliament that shall be made as well as by those that already are And if so he dare not say whatever he may think that they are guided by an implicit Faith or takes an Oath c. Even so when the Ministers of the Church of Scotland promise to govern their flocks and be governed themselves by such constitutions as are already made or hereafter shall by the common consent of the Church established what man compos mentis can condemn them doth not natures light reach us that all who join themselves to a Society ruled by Laws are obliged to be governed by these Laws already made or to be made especially when they are made by themselves if this be Popery he must be such or resist the Government in the execution of Laws made since his creation but men of inconsiderate slippery judgment must be dilemma'd His last instance of Scotish severity is from an Act made July 5. 1695. against Intruders by whom are understood all who have not an orderly call from the Heritors Elders and People with a legal Admission by the Presbytery now such by that Law are to be removed from these Churches into which they have intruded and rendred incapable of any Church or Stipend within the Kingdom for seven years c. but he tells
Employments we are satisfied but are forty that so small a proportion of them fall in the hands of such and that they are treated no better than Dissenters for the most part while some whose Rubrick fitness is shrewdly suspected thrive better As to what the V. says of the modes of Receiving the Sacrament who is against making sitting standing or kneeling the only posture of Receiving we must allow him to abound in his own sense but know that the most part of Presbyterians and Independants in Ireland are otherwise minded who all judge and declare that the Table gesture in receiving the Sacrament and not the Adoration is most agreeable to the first pattern given us by Christ and his Apostles and practised in the Primitive Church and to charge the sitting posture with undecency is an undecent reflection upon Christ and his Apostles That the Receiving in the posture of Adoration was not brought into the Church until the 14th Century and that only into the Latin Church with the opinion of the corporal presence is so well known that it cannot modestly be deny'd And therefore Dissenters wonder that so late an invention brought into the Church upon so bad an occasion and for worse ends shou'd be insisted upon by persons prosessing reverence to Antiquity and declare their abhorrence of corrupting the doctrine of the Sacrament with its ill consequence Yet we do not see what danger the Church is in of having its Authority infringed or Laws nulled by the V's opinion who tho he looks upon sitting standing or kneeling too narrow inclosures to keep people from the Lord's Table yet will it seems allow liberty to Churches to determine in these things as they shall see meet As for the Churches Authority to make Laws 1. We think her power not Legislative but Ministerial and exetutiâ—â— of Divine Laws 2. That her Constitutions at such do not immediately and directly bind the Conscience 3. That her Authority to appoint Rites and Ceremonies of mystical signification or as parts of Worship is none 4. That her power is in determining Circumstances and that these determinations are of the same extent and continuance with the reasons thereof and that all her Conclusions inconsistent with Edification Order Unity and Peace of Christ are ipso facto void and nullities So that the world needs not be so much terrify'd with that great word Church Authority if they truly understand it and the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free When he tells us that he cannot be counted a wise man that wilfully entertains seruples in his mind and suffers himself to be influenc'd by them in his practice we do not comprehend him seeing scruples are fears of the mind which vex the Conscience as a small stone in the shooc doth hurt the foot and are therefore sins of weakness if they be wilfully entertained they are not scruples but wilful wickedness so that we know neither wise man nor fool that will wilfully entertain any such diseases But yet as wise men as himself have had scruples as the Apostles Peter and Barnabas who scrupled converse with the Gentiles Acts 10. Gal. 2. His Principle laid down viz. That it 's more agreeable to the Character of a truly wise man so be scrupulously fearful of disobeying than obeying the commands of Authority will hold good where the Authority is infallible otherwise not for we may as lawfully scruple yea deny obedience to their unjust commands as to disobey their lawful commands and we find it agreed well with the character of the truly wise Apostles to scruple obedience to the commands of Authority It had been Ephraim's wisdom not to have walkt willingly after the command of Jorohoam for which he was broken in judgment Shall we suppose the seven Bishops put in the Tower for 〈◊〉 to obey the late King Ja's Authority were no wise men Seeing therefore we owe no implicit obedience to any man we ought to be as afraid of obeying unlawful as disobeying lawful commands Why he shou'd be surprized with the V's asserting that Non-Conformists have been both before and ever since the Revolution qualify'd with Civil Offices we do not see seeing they had both Physical Moral and Civil Qualifications and are not barr'd as yet by a Sacramental Test but it seems the V. did forget that a Canonical qualification was necessary for being in any Civil Office For there are as he says Ecclesiastical Laws by which tho Dissenters be not wholly unqualify'd for admittance into Civil Offices they are wholly disabled for continuing in them Tho this be possible it seems not reasonable that any cause shou'd disable a man to bear and execute an Office which did not disable him to enter in it when the matter is known before By this the Ecclesiastick Laws are like Decoy Ducks which let in their fellow creatures and then catch them in the Net But it seems Dissenters must pay the thanks for all their Civil Offices to the lenity of Ecclesiastical Governors and not to the bounty of the Civil Magistrate who seems to be as much sub ferula of the Church as Dissenters are for tho they may give they cannot make good their grants If the D's modesty cou'd have allow'd him to suffer others to commend his Answer for its fulness or had he been so patient as to hear what could be said against it he wou'd not have so severely reflected on the V. or boasted of himself as he doth That there might be a symetry in this defence as he began so he ends with hard words in which he taxeth the V. with undecent and profane ridiculing the first Constitution of the Apostles against eating of blood A. To accuse any of so great Crimes without sufficient proof is rather reviling than reasoning which is ordinary with men of stronger passions than reason when they are not able to answer Arguments they fall upon them and the Arguer employing bantering as a succedanium for reason His 2d Accusation that the V. unjustly and irreverently applyeth the words of our Saviour Mat. 7. 10. to the celebrated Parl. of Ireland We believe the Members of Parliament will not look on these words with the D's eyes but will rather consider them as an allusion and that upon supposition that the Parliament shou'd give a toleration to Dissenters clog'd with such a Test it wou'd be as giving a stone when bread is asked To conclude There are some reflections on the doctrine and practice of some Dissenters occasionally communicating with the Establish't Church where he observes the inconsistency of some of the V's words which we not being able to justify leave to their Author to vindicate them and will ingenuously acknowledge with the Author of that Book called Vox Clamantis which he cites That such Non-Conformists as upon occasion to get into places of Honour and Profit will and can take all manner of Tests that have been of late imposed or can on such occasions take the Sacrament according