more largely expressed must needs be sound and consonant to the Principles and Practice of the Nonconformist Brethren and may safely be subscribed by them The Words of the 34th Article are these It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all Places one or utterly like for at all times they have been divers and changed according to the diversity of Countries Times and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word Whosoever through his private Judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of God and be ordained and approved by Common Authority ought to be rebuked openly that other may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common Order of the Church and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Man's Authority so that all things be done to edifying 5. If we desire a publick Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England touching this matter there is that of Mr. Thomas Rogers perused and by the lawful Authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick He in that Exposition declareth that the Church hath no Power to appoint what Rites or Ceremonies she will for she must decree none which be either for their own Nature impious or for Use superstitious or for their Weight over-heavy and grievous to be born or for their Worthiness in the Eyes of the Ordainers either of equal Price or of more account than the very Ordinances of God or against the Liberty of Christians and to the entangling of them again with the Yoke of Bondage or last of all any way contrary to the Commandments Word and Will of God But the Rites Ceremonies and Constitutions of the Church they must make altogether and tend both to the nourishing and increase of Love Friendship and Quietness among Christians and also to the retaining of God's People in the holy Service Worship and Fear of God according to the Rule of the Apostle Let all things be done honestly and by Order All Churches Reformed consent hereunto So Mr. Thomas Rogers pag. 105 106. No Nonconforming Brother will gainsay this 6. The Articles do not say that the Church hath Power to decree the Cross in Baptism nor is any Man obliged by his Subscription to them to declare that she hath but only such humane Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra as be decent useful and no way contrary to God's Word Whether the Cross in Baptism and the Surplice in particular be decent useful and no way contrary to God's Word is a Question of another nature and doth not come into the present Debate For if it should be supposed that the Church hath no Power to decree the Cross in Baptism and the Surplice as being inconvenient and no way necessary yet will it not thence follow that she hath no Power to decree such other Rites and Ceremonies circa Sacra as are confessedly expedient and useful as to swear with the right Hand lift up to Heaven or laid upon the Bible and to give notice to the People at what time to assemble for publick Worship by ringing or tolling of a Bell. Even Dr. Ames himself whom no one acquainted with Church-Affairs can suspect to have been partial in this matter and too favourable to humane Ceremonies circa Sacra doth acknowledg that if there be no Error in humane Appointment touching the Place and Hour of God's publick Worship and the like things Constitutio illa habenda sit quasi simpliciter divina Medull Theol. l. 2. c. 14. num 28. that Constitution is to be held as it were simply Divine For that the Church do assemble for God's publick Worship at that Hour which all things considered is most convenient he grants is God's Will Now the ringing or tolling of a Bell is in the Judgment of Nonconformists themselves and all other sober Persons an apt Mean a prudential Ceremony Rite or Token of Man's Appointment For notifying to the Congregation at what Hour to assemble like the use of the Silver Trumpets under the Law Numb 10. And therefore the Hour so appointed being meet and convenient for God's publick Worship according to Dr. Ames's Concession in the foresaid Place Agnosci debet quasi à Deo constituta it ought to be acknowledged as it were appointed by God and consequently the foresaid humane Ceremony whereby the Hour is notified Which is sufficient for my present Purpose that there is nothing at all in the 20th and 34th Articles of the Church of England repugnant to the Principles of the Nonconformists but a full Agreement between both Sides as to this part of Subscription 7. For my part I think that the Church hath no power to decree the Cross in Baptism or any the like humane Ceremony therein My Reason is because Baptism it self is a Divine Ceremony and the Cross is a humane Ceremony and the Church hath no power to decree and annex a humane Ceremony to a Divine it being plainly superfluous and unnecessary there is neither Precept nor Example in all the Book of God to warrant such a Decree The Church hath no Power but for Edification 2 Cor. 10.8 and 2 Cor. 13.10 She may impose none but necessary things Acts 15.28 such as be some way necessary to Order Unity or Decency in God's Service which the Cross in Baptism antecedently to humane Imposition is not It is necessary that Baptism be done in a fit Place at a meet Hour by one authorized in a decent Garment in a sit Posture with fit Words and decent external Reverence and Solemnity but there is no necessity at all of the Cross or any the like humane Ceremony in Baptism Neither the Light of Nature nor the Institution of Christ nor the Practice of the Apostles and first Churches planted by their Ministry and recorded in Scripture for a Rule and Pattern to all succeeding Churches to the end of the World do warrant any such Decree and Imposition All needful Circumstances all that is any way requisite to the orderly decent laudable holy just and exemplary dispensing and partaking of Baptism may be observed without the Cross or any the like humane Ceremony To say the contrary is to reproach the Institution of Christ and his Apostles and the Churches planted by their Ministry and to set the Wisdom of Man above the Wisdom of God and bring in Arbitrary Government into the Church and lay a Foundation for numberless unnecessary humane Ceremonies in God's Worship as in the Papacy and great Evils and Desolations in the Church by inflicting doleful Penalties upon worthy and good Men who out of Conscience refuse Conformity to such unnecessary Decrees as the Event doth sadly manifest But that it is unlawful to use the Cross in Baptism while imposed by the Supream Authority of the Nation under
AN ENDEAVOUR AFTER Further Vnion BETWEEN CONFORMING NONCONFORMING PROTESTANTS In several Particulars By a Minister of the Church of England Printed in the Year MDCXCII An Endeavour after further Vnion between Conforming and Nonconforming Protestants 1. THE Nonconforming Brethren scruple subscribing this Clause in the 20th Article of the Church of England The Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith I conceive that here is nothing dissonant from the Principles and Practice of the Nonconforming Brethren themselves The foresaid Clause hath two Parts one supposeth that the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies the other supposeth that the Church hath Authority in Controversies of Faith I begin with this latter first By the Church I understand the Society of Faithful People in Christ Jesus the Body of Christ This Society must needs have Ministerial Authority in Controversies of Faith as is plain from 1 Cor. 2.15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no Man Now the Church is a Spiritual Society consisting of Men endued with the Spirit of Christ whereby they are capable of discerning spiritual things spiritually and consequently of discenning judging and deciding each Man for his own Soul what is of Faith and what is not of Faith This Reason is plainly hinted in the following Verse in these Words We have the Mind of Christ that is we who are godly in Christ Jesus have spiritual Understanding in the things of Christ we know his Voice and follow him and turn from the Voice of Strangers Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 John 4.1 Now the Church is Christ's Beloved and here she is commanded not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World But she may not presume to try the Spirits if she have no Authority to try them and she cannot have Authority to try the Spirits and to discern between the Voice of Christ and the Voice of Antichrist but she must needs have Authority in Controversies of Faith Do not the Nonconforming Brethren reject Socinianism Arianism Pelagianism the Popish Mass and other the like Heresies and Delusions By what Authority do they reject them and embrace the contrary Truths and oblige all their Flocks so â—o do if really the Church hath no Authority in Controversies of Fâ—â—â—h It is then plain from their own Principles and Practice that they do well allow the Church to have Authority in Controversies of Faith that is Ministerial Authority dependent on and subject to Christ her Head which is the plain meaning of the Article as is manifest from the whole Tenour thereof and the rest of the Articles subscribed by the Nonconformist Brethren themselves 2. Then for the other Branch That the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies that is decent and useful Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things That there are such the Nonconformists will not deny I instance in the taking of an Oath this is a Sacred Thing a Religious Act and a part of God's Worship pertaining to Natural Religion common to us and Heathens unalterably fixed by God as touching the Substance thereof but not as touching the external Form and Manner of taking it here is a Latitude left by God And there may be innocent Variety divers Countries may have divers Fashions and the same godly Man and Church of God may see cause to vary the Rite and Solemnity of Swearing As Abraham Gen. 14.22 swore with his Hand lifted up unto the Lord the most high God At another time he made his Servant swear with his Hand put under the Thigh of Abraham his Master Gen. 24. Those who in the late Times in these Nations took the solemn League and Covenant swore with their right Hand lift up to Heaven But now both Conforming and Nonconforming Protestants generally in England and Ireland and as I suppose in Scotland also swear with their right Hand laid upon the Bible as a Rite or Ceremony not unlawful Again it is well known that the French Protestant Ministers do use to preach with their Hats on but the Protestant Ministers in England Scotland and Ireland not to name other foreign Churches do use to preach with their Hats off Now Preaching the Gospel is a sacred Thing a religious Act as all agree and the Nonconformists will not deny but that for Substance it is unalterably fixed by God but whether with the Hat on or off is not precisely determined by him Here there may be innocent Variety it is clearly a Rite or Ceremony about a religious Act one Church hath this Rite or Ceremony another Church hath another Rite or Ceremony quite contrary and yet both Ways lawful before God in the Judgment of the Nonconformist Brethren themselves For in things of this nature Custom creates a Law otherwise the Apostle had argued very weakly But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such Custom neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 3. Again giving notice to the People by the ringing or tolling of a Bell at what time to assemble for God's publick Worship as also the testifying of our Joy and Thankfulness to God on a 5th of November by ringing of Bells and by Bonfires and on the like extraordinary Days of Thanksgiving are clearly Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things no where prescribed by God and yet held lawful and useful by the Nonconformist Brethren themselves And therefore they must needs own that the Church hath Power to decree innocent useful and decent Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things there being clearly some such Ceremonies or Rites in use among all the Churches of Christ approved by the Nonconformist Brethren no where ordained by God it being sufficient as to things of this nature that they are no where forbidden by God and being established by general Usage and Custom of the Church where we live that is equivalent to a Decree and proves that the Church hath Power from Christ to begin and introduce such laudable and useful Rites and Ceremonies as to continue the Use and Observation thereof Nee Disciplina ulla est in his melior gravi prudentique Christiano quà m ut eo modo agat quo agere viderit Ecclesiam ad quamcunque forte devenerit Quod enim neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's injungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos vivitur Societate servandum est August Epist 118. ad Jan. 4. It being thus plain that the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and that these may not be the same in all places then not only this part of the 20th Article of the Church of England but also the whole 34th Article as being for substance the same
upon all the Princes and Potentates of the Earth and the Good he will adjudg unto everlasting Joy and the Wicked unto everlasting Fire 15. Dr. Parker afterward Bishop of Oxford in his Book of Religion and Loyalty par 1. p. 28. says It is but a crude Expression not to call it profane because it is so common by customary Mistake to affirm that Kings are Supreme Governours under Christ They are and ever were so under God but so as to be superiour to Christ as Christ is Head of his Church within their Dominions for as Head of his Church he ever owned himself subject to the Temporal Powers There are others * Mr. Buâ—rough's Irenicum p. 21. Mr Peâ—â—â—… Reformed Catholicâ— in the 〈◊〉 concerning Supremacâ— who hold the Kingdom of Christ to be twofold one as he is God and another as he is Mediator These are great Errors 16. As Christ is but one Person the Word made Flesh one Immanuel in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily so the Kingdom of Christ is but one ruling over the whole World in general for the Good of Militant Saints in special And tho Christ as Man in the Days of his Flesh and in his State of Humiliation owned himself subject to the Temporal Powers yet as now he is and since his Ascension hath been in his State of Exaltation at God's right Hand in Glory he is hath been and ever will be Superiour to all Temporal Powers It is Christ purposed to be Mediator who raised up Moses Joshua David Cyrus Alexander the Great and the rest of Kings and Princes under the Old Testament and was the Author of Magistracy then and it is the same Christ who being Mediator according to his eternal Purpose raised up Vespasian Titus Trajan Constantine Charles the Great Q. Elizabeth and the rest of Kings and Princes since his Ascension and who is the Author of Magistracy under the New Testament Tho the Mediator be Man yet not a mere and bare Man but that Man in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 And he only is Mediator 17. Bp Andrews holds but one Place wherein external Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is founded and that is Mat. 18.17 Tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man By these Words he supposeth the major Excommunication appointed of Christ â—ortura â—orti p. 41 De exteriore foro ibi agitur exterioris fori jurisdictio illo nec alio loco fundata est there Christ treats of the exteriour Court the Jurisdiction of the exteriour Court is founded in that Place and no other 18. CertuÌ„ hoc â—uidem in â—heologia receptuÌ„ 〈◊〉 omniâ—â—s Non 〈◊〉 venisse â—hristum 〈◊〉 qui jam â—…te adâ—…ntum suâ—â—… crat â—â—…do vel â—â—…turae vel â—…olitiae euÌ„â—el inverâ—…et vel â—…erteret 〈…〉 â—ictuÌ„ maâ—â—… reddeâ—â—… Id. ib. p. 43. But herein Bp Andrews contradicts himself and the unanimous Judgment of all sound Divines who hold it for a sure Axiom that the Gospel doth not make void but establish Civil Order and Government founded in Nature and Natural Religion common to us and Heathens Christ came not to alter unhinge and overthrow the mutual Ties and Offices of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Master and Servant Prince and People but rather by his Example and the Effusion of his Grace upon his Disciples and Followers to render them more sacred and inviolable But how can this consist with his supposed Institution of a new exteriour Court and a new exteriour Jurisdiction in the Church superiour to and not dependent upon the State For such a new exteriour Court Supremacy and Jurisdiction is plainly Papal inconsistent with and repugnant to the supream Authority of Kings and Princes and Sovereign Civil Rulers in their several Territories and Dominions 19. And therefore it is evident that in these Words Tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man Christ instituted no exteriour Court no exteriour Jurisdiction in the Church But this is one of those Divine Rules which concern the inward Court of the Heart and the Jurisdiction of Christ there for this and the like holy Rules and Laws he doth by supernatural Grace write in the Hearts of God's Elect who are his Church the Mystical Body of Christ and thereby doth teach and enable them to shun the Society of obstinate and unreformable and incorrigible Sinners and to put a due difference between the Precious and the Vile Penitent and Impenitent ones to use their best endeavour privately and publickly to draw a scandalous Brother to Repentance and holy Amendment and if after all he will not be amended to leave him to God So that this whole Precept concerns the Conscience and inward Man and the sovereign Jurisdiction of Christ over the Heart inwardly and doth not at all concern external Jurisdiction nor give any colour for the founding of a new external Tribunal and external Jurisdiction in the Church superiour to Civil Supremacy and the Authority of sovereign Princes no such Thought could come into Christ's Heart 20. Finally all Jurisdiction is necessarily either spiritual and internal or temporal and external Spiritual and internal Jurisdiction is the absolute Prerogative of Christ and of God in and by him and is not communicable to any meer Creature Tho Christ make great use of Bishops Pastors and Ministers in his Church yet he himself is sole Head of it and sole Lord and King of the Conscience and inward Man He dwells in the Hearts of his People by Faith and all both Angels and Men owe absolute Subjection to him and to his supreme Jurisdiction for the everlasting Good of Militant Saints Temporal and external Jurisdiction is communicated by Christ to such in each Nation as bear the Sword and are supreme Governours under him and so what external Jurisdiction is regularly exercised by any in the Church is not from Christ but from the State and therefore the Jurisdiction of all the Ecclesiastical Courts in England is not by Divine but Humane Law dependent on the King and Parliament And all Protestant Divines agree that Jesus Christ the Mediator is Author of Magistracy but many of them I confess hold that he is not so as he is Mediator but as he is God Do but set aside this one very little word as and we are all agreed against Arians Socinians and all other Impugners of Christ's Deity and supreme Authority The Bishops are not Spiritual but Civil and Temporal Lords and their Courts accordingly Civil and Temporal Courts 1. THat they are Civil and Temporal Lords is evident for that they are made Lords by the King and State as truly as the Temporal Lords those I mean who really are so and are so called But no earthly King or State can make a Spiritual Lord none but God and the Lord Jesus