out of Heaven and a Key to let them in again 4. They that have been ejected by that 〈◊〉 find no evil consequences in their ejected state In the Primitive times it was therefore terrible because Christ abbetted his own Ordinance administred for his own Spiritual Ends in his own Regular way but now Men dare not trust Christ with his own Work but have supplied his vengeance with a Significavit a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo delivering Men over to the Sheriff whom thereby they call the Devil by craft but otherwise the Excommunicated Person cats his Bread and drinks his Wine with a Chearful Heart because the Lord has accepted him 3. That so few frequent the Church is because they have either been scoffed or railed or beaten out of doors or barred out by Conditions not comporting with Scripture Rule and Warrant Men know that Christ must be their Judge to him they must give an account of their Souls and Worship in the Great Day and therefore they are willing to Worship God according to his Will revealed in his Sacred Word unless any can give them Counter-security to save harmless and indemnifie them before his dreadful Tribunal And if they must suffer for such resolved adherence to a Scriprure Religion they have only this humbly to reply Daveniam Imperator Tu Carcerem Ille Gehennam Christ threatens a Hell the Law only menaces a Goal 4. That the Liturgy was then counted a principal part of Gods Worship we cannot help We judge that none but God can make the least much less a principal part of Gods Worship God only knows which way he will be Worship'd with Acceptation And it is our grear Happiness that he has acquainted us with that Will of his in his Word to which we apply our selves for our Directory and are not sollicitous about Apocryphal Rubrics As to matters concerning Religion Nature Teacheth no further than the Obligation to the Duâ—…y but leaves the particular determination of the manner of Obedience to Divine Positive Laws So we are instructed from the Author of Origin Sacrae p. 171. 5. That it is now become the great point of Sanctity to scruple every thing was not spoken with that regard to Honesty and Truth as might have been expected from a Compassionate Enquirer They scruple being Holier than Christ has commanded them wiser in matters of Religious Worship than the Scriptures are able to make them They scruple giving up their Consciences to those whom they see no great reason to trust till better evidence be given how they regard their own They scruple all Retreats in Reformation and all Retrograde Motions towards Evangelical Perfection and Purity and they with our Enquirer would scruple a little more this overlashing That it 's an Essential part of some Mens Religion to be Censorious And a great point of Sanctity to scruple every thing Let him then continue to Lament the change and we will pray that God will make a more through change reducing Doctrine Worship Discipline to the Word of God the only Rule of Reformation PART I. CHAP. I. A Sober Enquiry into the Apocryphal Causes of Non-conformity pretended by the serious Enquirer St. Augustin and the Synod of Dort Vindicated the Articles of the Church of England Cleared The Learning Preaching and Conversations of the N. C. modestly justified against the scandalous Reflections of the pretended Compassionate Enquirer but without Recrimination AFter a very short Epistle or to speak Canonically that which stands instead of the Epistle to very little and a tedious Introduction to much less purpose the Enquirer falls full drive upon the Causes of the separation from the English Reformed Church In imitation of the French Embassadors Musicians who would needs give the Grand Seignior a fit of Mirth but were so cruelly tedious in tuning their Fiddles that the Sultans Patience was quite worn out and he could not be perswaded to hear the first Lesson Now the Causes are either Apocryphal and pretended or Canonical and Real and it 's a wonder to me when his Invention was once broached that he did not feign this for another Cause of separation that such Heterogeneous Causes should be bound up together in the same Volume and Covers For these Apocriphal Causes let it not beget another scruple in your Captious Heads whether they are pretended by Dissenters or only pretended by this Enquirer to be amongst their pretences for it will come all to one there being some collateral matters which it shall go hard but he will entice or force into the Discourse or else the Reader might have sung whâ—…p Barnaby and Retreated to his Recreations the longest Holy day in the Year 1. The very first of these pretended Causes is some Blame they lay upon the Doctrine of the Church and the main if not the only thing excepted against in this kind is That the Thirty Nine Articles are not so punctual in defining the Five Points debated in the Synod of Dort as they could wish Just as your common Hackney Versifiers or Water Poets make one Verse for the Reason and the other for the Rhime sake so was this Objection mounted against the Doctrine of the Church for the sake of his precious Answers wherein he will find or make as handsom an occasion as impertinency will admit to vilifie St. Austin and the Synod of Dort It will be extreamly difficult to give our Enquirer a satisfactory Answer in this Point Shall we say This is not the main thing in the Articles excepted against by Dissenters He will readily Reply However then you tâ—…itly grant that this is one of your little Cavils Shall we say This is not the Only thing they scruple he will return nimbly Then it seems you consess this to be one though not the only thing you Boggle at Really if I know how to content him I would do it and the best expedient that offers it self at present is this Answer 1. That the Church has other Doctrines not contained in the 39 Articles imposed on the Faith of Subscribers and perhaps the scruple may lie against them 2. That the 39 Articles contain other Doctrines besides those relating to the five Points debated 〈◊〉 the Synod of Dort as that of Art 20. The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies And that of Art 34. Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to Ordain Change and Abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Mans Authority And what now if the quarrel should lie against one of those And I am the rather induced to suspect they may hesitate in these particulars because I have heard some of them privately Speak and seen others publickly Print that though they can practise such things which being in their own Natures indifferent remain under all their concurrent Circumstances lawful yet they cannot find where the Church has any Commission to impose them They can assert and use their Christian Liberty and yet cannot subscribe to
which the present necessity did restrain 4. Churches are not to feighn necessities and Imaginary Exigencies as an Engine of ambitious spirits to try conclusions upon mens Consciences or practise upon their â—…ameness and therefore the necessity ought to be such as carries its own evidence along with it There are many things which the Divine Authority had determined as to its â—…id and sort which yet are not so determined in the Inâ—…viduals now when a Church meets with any of these she must come to a determination for otherwise the Divine Commands cannot possibly be reduced into act nor our duty Exercised Thus he has commanded his Churches to assemble themselves together for publick worship he has appointed them Ordinances wherein to receive mercy and grace from him and Officers to administer the Ordinances in the Church the Church therefore is obliged to do whatsoever is necessary to the doing of her duty Thus Goâ—… having obliged them to worship they must come to an agreement about the place meerly because 't is impossible to meet no where But if the divine will hath not determined in specie man cannot under the most specious pretence of decency or adorning the worship institute any thing because it wants some head of a Divine Command to which to reduce it Thus God having given no Command to any Church to worship him under sensible formes and signes of Invisible Grace no Church has power to Institute any such and worship God by them For in this case Divine wisdome Love and Authority have demonstrated themselves and setled Enow to answer Gods Ends and ours If he had said as often as you baptize besides the washing with water which I have commanded you see that you make some figure over the face of the person to be baptized and not determined the figure whether Hexagonal pentagonal or the like the Church must come to a conclusion about some figure or the duty must for ever lye fallow But a General Command that all things be done decently and in â—…der will never introduce these Symbolical Ceremonies because the Command may be satisfied without them or any of them they are â—…ot necessary so much as by disjunction whatsoever is comprehended under a Divine precept is a necessary duty at least by disjunction Antecedent to any Command of any Church but these Ceremonies are not necessary in any sense antecedently to the Command of a Church and therefore are not comprehended under that General precept Let all things be done decently and in order And indeed if they were the sign of the Cross would be a necessary duty not only in oâ—… at Baptisme but in the Lords Supper in every prayer in alâ—… preaching in singing of Psalms and in every Religious Exercise seeing that precept enjoyns all things to be done decently and in order And we may presume that our Saviour with his Disciples and Apostles performed All divine service in the most decent congruous and edifying modes and yet they never practised that or any other Ceremony of that sort and therefore they are not comprehended under the Rule Nevertheless our Enquirer is resolved he will give us two Instances of this Truth that some things are necessary to the Constitution and administration of a particular Church that are not in themselves necessary absolutely considered And if he thinks it worth the while he may give us two hundred for we are perfectly unconcerned in them all 1 The first instance is in the Apostles times the abstaining from things strangled and blood was by the Council of Ierusalem adjudged and declared necessary to be observed by the Gentiles in order to an accommodation between them and the Iews and yet I suppose scarce any body thinks the observation of that Abstinence so Enjoyned necessary in it self Let us apply it either then the abstaining from Ceremonies must be adjudged necessary in order to an Accommodation between our Church and other Protestants or the obsâ—…rving of them be adjudged necessary in order to an accommodation between us and the Romanists which he would chuse I am not informed But let us Examine a little his great Instance § 1. It was adjudged and declared necessary to be observed saâ—… he Therefore say I it was enjoyned because first necessary and not made necessary by the Injunction The thing was not unnecessary before the Synâ—…dal Letters nor the Council at liberty to have determined the contrary unless an accommodation between Jew and Gentile was a thing unnecessary 15. Acts 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon yoâ—… no greater burden then those necessary things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now let him try his skill to conclude a power to impose things unnecessary from this fact of theirs who only imposed things necessary § 2. That a Council had the Immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost and might more safely adventure upon such an Imposition then any particular or National Church who as they have no promise cannot in faith expect any such extraordinary direction and we hope that no Church will assume equal power to impose unless they could produce equal authority for their power in which the Consciences of Christians might securely acquiesce It would be strange language from a Synod It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no other burdens then these necessary things that yet observe all Ceremonies of our appointment § 3. The people might reasonably conform to that decree which had their own Antecedent consent and the more patiently bear the burden which was not imposed upon them without themselves for this Canon was not only sent to the Churches by the order of the Apostles and Elders and the whole Church v. 22. but what ever obligatory power there was in it from man It ran in the name of the Apostles Elders and Brethren But alas the Case is otherwise with the poor Churches in reference to impositions of late Ages who know no more what Impositions shall be laid upon their Consciences then the poor horse is acquainted whither his Master intends to ride him § 4. This was a Decree not to burden them but to case and relieve them not to pinch the Gentiles but to discharge them of those servile loads which some Judaizing Converts would have imposed on them we read v. 1. That certain came down from Iudea which taught the brethren and said Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved And when Paul and Barnabas opposed this Tyranny yet such was their Zeal for their old Ceremonies that they reinforced their scatter'd squadrons from certain of the Sect of the Pharisees who believed v. 5. saying That it was necessary to Circumcise them and Command them to keep the Law of Moses At last the Case comes before the Council and they determine against these Judaizing Bigots That their blind Zeal should not be the measure of what was necessary or unnecessary and yet not to
were all in their Graves as well as dead and rotten And if those Decent Ceremonies had a Decent Buâ—…ial it were an Honour as great as those of a Nobler Extract 〈◊〉 Divine Ceremonies had bestowed on them I would seriously enquire of our serious Enquirer 1. If some Ceremonies were Abolished because they were superstitious and therefore dangerous why all the rest were not served with the same sawce that were equally or more superstitious and therefore more dangerous I think it 's demonstrable that all the superstition that ever stuck to Holy Water Cream Salt Spittle Oyl was â—…nnocency to that horrid abuse of the Sign of the Cross. But 2. 〈◊〉 the Superstitions of the remaining Ceremonies were capable of separation from them why might not a little Oyl and Elbowgreace have been bestowed on the rest and their Lives saved 〈◊〉 seems most of the Ceremonies were knock'd o th' head because they would not go to the charge of Rearing them 3. If many Ceremonies were a Burden whether were not half of that many half as great a Burden and so pro rato And if so where was the Churches Commission to impose any unnecessary Burden upon the Necks of Disciples 4. If some of the old superstitious Ceremonies when well scraped and wiped were lest for Decency and Comeliness in the Worship why where not the rest scummer'd up that the Worship might be more Decent For iâ—… Two or Three Innocent Ceremonies will add a Decency Two or Three hundred will have burnish'd it to such a Lustre as must have either ravish'd or blinded the Eyes of all Beholders 5. Who shall insallibly assure us just how few will be no Burden and the imposing of them no sin and yâ—…t â—…ne more shall make them all burdensome and so the imposition of them to become sinful Or just how many to an Unite will render the Worship Decent and the adding of one more render all Deformed If the Church then why might not the Church of Rome in her days have Determined the Question Especially seeing that of all pretenders she alone challenges an infallibility which is the most considerable thing in this Case when the Church must carry her hand even and cut by a thred between Decency and Indecency A Burden and no Burden 6. If the Church has a power to impose a load though a lesser load has she a power to communicate strength though it be but little strength to bear that little Especially seeing the Burden here must not lie on the Back but the Heart not on the Shoulders but the Conscience She that pleads an Authority to Institute can she produce a power to Bless what she Institutes to any Spiritual End This encouragement we have from Christ whose perogative it is to impose that he will give Grace to bear what he imposes and thereby make his Yoke casie and his Burden light Qui mihi est Oneris Author idem erit Adâ—…inistrationis Adâ—…tor said Leo And so Austin Da quod jubes jube quod vis If any Church could incline the Heart towards her Testimonies or give a Heart to keep her Statutes Iudgments and Commandments and do them or make her Commandments not grievous Let her multiply Ceremonies till she is weary and spare not Let her use her Discretion and we shall use nothing but Submission But this dead weight sinks our Spirits quite 7. Whether is not such an assuming power exceeding dangerous in its Consequences for upon this Principle the Church may impose a round thousand of Ceremonies if she will say and think them decent and the Crow thinks all her young ones White and all are sond of the Brats of their Brains as well as the Issue of their Bodies yes and Ten Thousand more if she will but decree they are not burdensome which she is the less a Competent Judge of because Superiours who command do not feel that load which Inseriâ—…urs who must obey do groan under So much of the Moderation of the Reformation 3. The English Reformation was the most perfect and compleat in its kind The perfection and compleatness of a Reformation is to be taken from its Agreement with its Rule and Idea which say we is thâ—… Word of God and to this we do unmovably adhere till we have good security that they have found out a better All Perfection with us is but Defection and all compleatness Fancy which is not measured by that Rule It will therefore be the great Glory of the English Reformation to acquit it self well in this point wherein our Enquirer will endeavour our satisfaction 1. For Doctrine This Church retains says he the most Ancient Doctrine and soundest Confession of I aith founded upon the H. Scripture That the 〈◊〉 Scriptures are the foundation of Faith we gladly hear some intimation of and shall lay up the concession against another time whether the Church has attended to this Rule in her Doctrinals belongs to another Discourse 2. For Government He tells us The English Reformation retains the most Primitive Church-Government These things are wisely and warily penn'd thought I A Scripture Creed and a Primitive Church-Government Confession sounded on H. Scriptures and Government founded on a word called Primitive why shhould we not have a Confession sounded on something else than Scripture as well as a Government Or why not a Church-Government founded on the Scripture as well as the Doctrine So that he has provided well for the Doctrine but for the Government it may sinck or swim for any Relief it can expect from our Enquirer except a hard word will do it Primitive Antiquity is one of those Stulta Amuleta quae Controversiâ—… collo appendunturut Armilla Maleficarum Potent Charms and Pompous Enchantments not to Cure but Conjure down a Controversie for since 〈◊〉 may be taken in a Latitude of three 〈◊〉 five or 〈◊〉 time of need six hundred years after Christ it would be very hard if any Crotchet Humour and Fancy had not set up for it self in that time which shall be enough to entitle it to the Warrantie of the Primitive times Let him therefore prove it Scriptural and so jure Divino and he has said more to me than if he had run up its Pedigree through a Dozen or more Centuries But is not this short word The most Primitive Church-Government a foundation too narrow for that High Boast p. 2. That our Church is of a sound and healthful Constitution I think I have sufficiently though briefly manifested in the Introduction Briefly and suffciently The Two most desirable Qualifications in Argument and Evidence that may be And surely it must de brief enough which is comprehended in this one Sentence The English Reformation retains the most Primitive Church-Government but whether it be sufficient or no let the Reader look to that 3. For the Liturgy That is as he thinks the Best accommodate to reconcile and unite Mens Devotions And how well it has answered its end and the
forwards that it was the easiest thing in the world to trip up his heels such a Novice was this Austin all which I could easily believe when it shall be proved that he wrote the first and second Part of the serious Enquiry Really that Man must have amassed a vast stock of confidence that shall hope with one puff of contemptuous Breath to blow away that fair heap of Repute that that Fathers Name has gathered in so many Centuries and he must have an over-weening conceit of his own Rhetorick that can presume to perswade this Learned Age that he was so insignificant a Ceremony so great a Trifler The Papists with incredible zeal have struggled for him the Protestants have tooth and nail wrestled to draw him into their Tents all parties have ambitiously courted his suffrage at last comes one Hugh Grâ—…ot and our Enquirer and they cashier him as an inconsiderable fellow not worth the whistling But Luther had this great Stone thrown at his Head by Bellarmine And the Learned Dr. Field thus puts by the Blow On the Church Book 3. Ch. 42. Luther says he was as worthy a Divine as the World had any in those Times or in many Ages before and that for clearing sundry Points of greatest moment in our Christian Profession much obscured and entangled before with the intricate disputes of the Schoolmen all succeeding Ages shall be bound to Honour his Happy Memory That herein he proceeded by degrees and in his latter Writings disliked that which in his former he did approve is not so strange a thing Did not Austin the greatest of all the Fathers and the worthiest Divine the Church of God ever had since the Apostles time write a whole Book of Retractations Did we not carefully observe what things he wrote whilst a Presbyter and what when made a Bishop What before he enter'd into the Conflict with Pelagius and what afterwards Did he not formerly attribute the Election of those that were chosen to Eternal Life to the fore-sight of Faith which afterwards he disclaimed as a meer Pelagian conceit And would it not vex a Man of our Enquirers Humour that Austin the Presbyter should be more Orthodox than Austin the Bishop The Truth is St. Austin disagrees no more with himself than it became a Wise Man who by long studying the Scriptures and the Primitive Fathers had gained a more concocted and well digested Knowledge of Religion his Retractations were never laid in his Dish but interwoven amongst those Excellencies which Crowned his Learned Head before Now. A piece of such self-denial it was that a proud heart could not bear unless more politick Considerations turned the scale This last Age has few Instances of such an Ingenuity as will confess it self Truths Prisoner though it abounds with too many that surrender themselves Captives to base Lusts and worldly Interest Their own Grotius professes he was progressive and very prone to dislike what a little before he was well pleased with and the Reasons of his Change were evident to all the World § 3. A third Branch of this Charge is That St. Austin disagrees with the Church of England There are indeed a knot of Gentlemen that in spight of Right and Truth are resolved to be the Church of England and with these St. Austin and the Ancient Fathers have no very good correspondence nor are they ambitious of it But that the Ancient Church of England had very high thoughts of Austins Judgment is from hence evident that she quotes his opinion in one at least of the Articles of her Faith and justifies her Authority from his Doctrine Art 29. But yet if the Church should be a weary of him as I am confident she never will and has no further service to command him 't is but transmitting him with Letters of safe Conduct into Holland where the Divines of the Synod of Dort's perswasion will give him better Quarter and a most Cordial welcome and there 's no harm done § 4. Another Branch of this tedious Charge is That he was a Devout Good Man but whose Piety was far more commendable than his Reason Fuit utilis ad monita danda piae vitae ad Scripturas interpretandas satis infoelix That is The Man was a well meaning Zealot One that according to his dim light meant honestly but he never had wit enough to write Obscaene Annotations upon the Canticles he poor Man was little versed in Anacreons Ribaldry nor had much studied Ovid de Arte Amaendi he was a meer stranger to Catullus and Martial and therefore must needs be Satis nay Nimis ad interpretandas Scripturas infâ—…lix The most wretched unhappy Creature that ever bungled at a Text of Scripture It was never my unhappiness but once to hear the learned A. B. Usher reproach'd and it was by a Grave divine of the same Temper and upon the same Account That the Primate was indeed an Honest Man but one of no depth of Iudgment We need not search far for a Reason why these Men cry down Austins Reason In short 't is but to be reveng'd on him for crying down theirs for there 's a certain Maleporrsaway thing as blind as a Beetle and as giddy as a Goose which they have Nick-named Reason and this Austin decries with some severity Thus the Learned Iuell against Harding Art 4. Diris 17. observes That Austin speaking of the Scripture judging Mysteries by Reason faith thus Haec consuetudo periculosa est per Scripturas Divinas enim multo tutius Ambulatur And again Si Ratio contra Divinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamvis acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine vera enim esse non potest If Reason be brought against the Authority of the Scriptures though it may seem â—…xte and witty yet 't is but fallacious under the shadow of Truth for 't is impossible it should be True And for this he quotes Ad Marcâ—…llinum Ep. 7. And let the Reader have a special care of the Quotation for the Ecclesiastical Politicians sake But that our Austin was no such Shallow-brain'd-fellow no such half-witted-piece as those Divines judge it their Interest to represent him I shall call in the Testimony of Ierome one whose Learning and Judgment may at least counterballance those of the Enquirer I have always says he to Austin Reverenced thy Holiness Increase in Vertue Thou art Famous through the World Catholicks Reverence thee as the Re-builder of the Ancient Faith And I promise you he must be no Blockhead that shall be able to Redintegrate the Ruinous Doctrine of the Christian Church But I shall knock all dead with an infallible and therefore irrefragable Testimony 't is no less I assure you than that of Coelestinus Bishop of Rome We have always accounted Austin a Man of Holy Memory for his Life and Merits of our Communion whom we have long since remembred to have been of so great Knowledge that he was amongst the best Masters It would be impertinent
then any Church Governours can now justly Claim His Apostolical Commission to Plant and Water Churches which would have commanded Reverence to his Person and conciliated Authority to his Determinations and yet he either had no such power or durst not use it but took the Healing way tolerating things tolerable and pressing them mutually to Love and Peace under their various apprehensions about Mint Anise and Cummiâ—… But yet he thinks That the Reason why Primitive Christians whilst under persecution had one Heart and Mind was because they submitted their private Fancies to publick Safety Which is only the assigning of an Imaginary cause for a Real one Primitive Christians whilst surrounded with Adversaries were of one Heart and Mind in the main and the true Reason was because their dangers and pressing fears had not yet let in that Prelatical Imposing Spirit into the Guides of the Church which Ease and Liberty afterwards produced And though we dare not charge our Divisions upon Peace Plenty and Liberty which are great Mercies to a sinful people yet we would lay the Saddle upon the right Horse the blame at the right door 'T is not the injudiciousness of the People who are willing to be quiet and accept of rest upon tolerable terms but the obstinacy of Clergy-men who make their own Wills the reason of their Injunctions not considering that all mens Intellectuals are not of one size and height and yet as if Consciences were to be fooled with Mens Souls sported with they necessitate the People either to act against their Light or to fall under the severe lash of a Poenal Statute § 2. That these Evils broke out no sooner says he is due to the contentment generally took in their first Emerging out of the Darkness and Superstitions of Popery Very true they were so full of Admiration at what God had done for them that they considered not what further to ask God to do for them so transported that they were out of Egypt that they never considered how short the Wilderness was of the promised Land And hence he might have answered himself p. 13. If there be such a dangerous Affinity between the Church of England and Rome how came it to pass that Cranmer and Ridley c. laid down their Lives in testimony to this against that Rome was not built nor will it be destroyed in one day Our first Martyrs laid down their Lives in Testimony that Rome was guilty of dangerous Doctrines but not that we had nothing remaining that needed a Reformation 2. A second cause is That a great part of this Nation having been leavened with Iewish Superstitious or Traditions hath thereby been indisposed to an uniform reception of and Perseverance in the Reformation of Religion held forth by this Church When I first read the charge of Judaism brought in against the Dissenters I remembred what I had met with in the virulent Titles of some Lutheran Book Calvinus Iudaizans Calvinianorum Nesterianismus Calvine-papismus Noâ—…us Calvinistarum Deus to which we may add Calvine-Turcismus and some others I began to cast about in my thoughts for the reason of such an Imputation Have they set up an Image of the Aaronical Priesthood Have they their High-Prieâ—… their inferiour Priesâ—… and Levites attired in the Linen Ephod with all the Accoutrements of the Aaronical Wardrobe And that they may more exactly symbolize therewith have they provided for their Priests an Altar settled upon them a Levitical maintenance and to carry on the parallel have they erected Temples distinguisht by sacred Apartments Have they their Holy and most Holy place Chancelled in for the greater Reverence of the sacred Mysteries to secure them from the Approaches of the prophane and injudicious Rabble and have they all these enclosed within Holy Ground And the rather beacuse Dionysius assures us That the Christians in his time had solemn Temples like the Iews and the Chancel severed with special sanctifications from the rest of the Church whereas says he the Christians of the first Age made their Assemblies both in such private places and in such simplicity as the Apostles did I considered again whether the Non-conformists had not introduced a pompous padagâ—…gie of Ccremonies and imposed them upon the People whether they might not parhaps have instituted some Feasts and Holy-days upon an old Judaical account as of the Circumcision Purification or whether they had not appointed some Office or solemn special Service for Lustration of Women after Childbirth in correspondence with the Iewish Purifications of Women after their uncleanness whether they observed any sacred time Analogical to the Passover or had any Foot-steps of the ancient distinction of Meats into clean and unclean Or any thing that might give cause of suspicion that they had by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revived Moses his extraordinary Quadragesimal Abstinence or whether they introduced Temple instrumental Musick whether loud sounding Cymbals or Organs having such good proof in Durantus his Rationale from that Text Let every thing that hath Breath praise the Lord And when I could find no track of reason for the charge upon these accounts I went to enquire of the Enquirer And it does appear by his talk that a more secret and mysterious Judaisme then all this has of old been rooted in this Nation that no Ecclesiastical Pick-axes have been able to extirpate it for says he the greatest difficulty that Austin the Monk found here was to bring the Inhabitants from the observation of Easter and some other Rites according to the manner of the Iewish and Eastern Churches to that of the Roman and Western and the doing it cost the lives of twelve hundred Monks who stubbornly opposed his Inovations This Austin was certainly a Formal Fop as ever this poor Nation was harassed with Two third parts of his whole Ministerial or Apostolical work was Ceremony for upon these conditions he propounded Peace to the Britains If you will in these three things obey me In celebrating Eastar in due time In Baptizing according to the manner of the Roman Church and in Preaching the Word to the Nation all other Ceremonies Fashions and Customs though they be contrary to ours yet we will willingly bear with them Was not this a person of great moderation But why not condescend in those two as well as all the rest Oh it s the Religious policy of Rome to reserve as much of Ceremony as like a Quit-rent will serve to Recognize the Papal Soveraignty and that point of Soveraignty alone will in due time fetch in the other To own that Churches power to impose ics Jurisdiction to award terms of Communion though but in one single instance is the delivery of a Twig and a Turf which give her Livery and Seisâ—…n of the Conscience in the name of the whole Man But if Austins Reformation was so Ceremonious in it self and so bloody in its effects which are if not inseparably yet commonly linked together If he could have
fit Protestant or Papist and indeed any School-Boy that has a Theme or Declamation to compose That the Causes of separation from the Church of Rome were pregnant every way clear and evident we do therefore agree And that the Reasons of separation from the Church of England are not so great but then neither is the separation so great for as we agree in the fundamental Articles of Religion so we may quickly agree in all the rest when some of a more fiery temper will let their Mother Alone to exercise to all her Children such an Indulgence as is agreeable to their various Measures of light in lesser concerns But says our Author It 's quite otherwise in the Church of England For. 1. No man here parts with his faith upon Conformity But I am afraid they must part with it or they will hardly be accepted Their faith is that the Lord Christ is the only Lawgiver of his Church that the Scriptures are the adequate and Commensurate Rule of all Religious Worship and if they do not part with thus much of their faith they must live in a Contradiction to it but perhaps he may understand their faith better then they themselves 2. No man is bound to give away his Reason for Quietness sake Then I know who was mistaken p. 64. who tells us That since the peace of the Church often depends upon such points as Salvation does not and since in many of those every man is not a Competent judge but must either be in danger of being deceived himself and of troubling others or of necessity must trust some body else wiser then himself she recommends in such a case as the safer way for such private persons to comply with publick determinations And we may assure our selves of our Enquirers good nature in this particular who condemnes Virgilius for asserting the Antipodes though it were demonstrably true and the contrary impossible And then I am afraid we must sacrifice our Reason to Peace and rather subscribe like Brutes then run the risque of being perscuted like Men. 3. A man may be as holy and good as he will The goodness and holiness of a Christian lyes very much in using Holy Means for Holy Ends Gods Holy Ordinances in order to Holiness in the Habit and Complexion of the Soul He that may not use the means of Holiness when he will may not be as Holy as he will but as Holy as he can without them He that will use all the means of God in order to that great end it may possibly cost him more then he would willingly lose for any cause but that of righteousness Methought it was an odd sight t'other day to see a Grave Divine in his Canonical Habit marching With a Brace of Informers piping hot on either Hand the one like the Gizzard the other the Liver stuck under the wings of his Sacerdotal Habiliments from one of his Rectories to the other to give Disturbance to a Company of poor Innocent people that would have been a little more holy if they might when this is reformed I 'le believe that the more of Holiness appears the better Churchmen we are reputed 4. This Church keeps none of her Children in an uncomfortable estate of darkness for we must know that there 's a twofold estate of darkness a comfortable and an uncomfortable estate Now the Comfortable estate of darkness lyes in trusting others submitting our private to the publick wisdom this is that blessed state whereinto he would wish his best friends But the unconfortable state is that Remedy which is Practised in Spain and Italy for the Cure of Church Divisions An excellent Remedy it is but it comes too late to do any good here The difference between them was observed before either to be born blind or made blind to have no Conscience or prohibited to exercise it to have no eyes or not to use them and in my private opinion there 's no great comfort in either of them 5. She debars none of her Members of the comfort and priviledges of Christs Institutions Some that have struggled with a doubting Conscience have attested the contrary but however she may possibly debar some of those priviledges and comforts that would have been her Members because they dare not give the price she rates those priviledges and comforts at 6. She recommends the same Faith the same Siriptures that the Protestants are agreed in Yes but then she recommends those Ceremonies to boot in which Protestants neither are nor ever will be agreed in We do therefore seriously triumph that the Church of England with the Protestants are also fully and perfectly agreed that they have not only the same God and Christ but the same Object of Worship too though I know not wherein God and the object of worship differ the same way of Devotion in a known Tongue the same Sacraments the same Rule of Life which are all the great things wherein the Consciences of men are concerned To which I shall need to say no more but that we in the General profess our owning of all these and yet our differences be very considerable but let our Consciences be concerned about no other no other Sacraments no other Rule of Life no other Devotion and what is necessary to reduce all these into practice and I can assure him Dissenters will flock a pace into the bosome of the Church He promises us now that he will faithfully and briefly recite the matters in difference And I confess for brevity he has performed his promise well enough but for his fidelity the Dissentets sadly complain of him I shall therefore crave the liberty to use a little more prolixity and I shall endeavour to compensate it with much more fidelity to reciting the material points wherein we differ As § 1. Whether a Minister ordained according to the appointment of the Gospel to the exercise of the whole Ministerial work may without sin consent that a main part of his Office be statedly and totally taken out of his hands and his work Cantoned at the will of another § 2. Whether any Church has power from Christ to appoint in and over it self or Members any Officers specially distinct from those Christ hath ordained § 3. Whether any Church hath authority from Christ to institute any other Ordinances of fixed and constant use in the Church then Christ hath instituted § 4. Whether it be an apparent invasion of and open reproach to the Regal Office of Christ for any Society of his to institute either new Officers or new Offices for the Govorning and Administring that Society which the head hath not allowed § 5. Whether it be not the duty of every particular Church to conform all the worship and administration of Religion to the Laws of their Institution and that whatever is not so Conformed be not a Corruption which ought to be Reformed by those Laws § 6. Whether if a Church shall peremtorily refuse to remove such
and Christian way then all these put together To bear with one another to leave judging censuring despising persecuting to leave men to those Sentiments which they have contracted from insuperable weakness or less happy Education whilst they are good men good subjects good Christians sound in the Faith and Worship God no worse then the Scripture commands them And he that cannot Indulge his brother sound in the Fundamentals and walking together with his brethren so far as he has attained let him prate of peace till his Tongue akes 't is evident he would not purchase Peace with Shoobuckles The Apostle has recommended this expedient to us by his own example 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. which the Enquirer could see to quote and not to understand Unto the Iews I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iews To them that were without the Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without the Law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some It seems the Blessed A postle had not yet learnt to snickle the private Conscience with his publick Authority That which he quotes from Greg. Naz is indeed more considerable to his design Who affirms how St. Basil dissembled the Coesseutiality of the Holy Chost and delivered himself in Ambiguous Terms on that point least he should offend and loose the weak The Reader will conclude by these instances that though the Enquirers designly open to condemn the Dissenters yet his Mediums do strongly plead their Cause We are illustrated with an Apostle with a famous Bishop both eminent for their Condescentions to the weak such as laid not the stress of the Churches Peace upon their own Wills or A postolical power or Ecclesiastical Authority nor defined too severely Controverted points and yet when he comes to the Application the duty of yelding is pressed upon the Dissenters Whose coming up in a hundred points were perfectly insignificant unless they could nick the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Canon-Conformity I would ask the Enquirer whether the Dissenters ever pleaded to be gracified in so weighty a point as the Coessentiality of the Holy Spirit Or whether Ambiguity or a handsome equivocation there must be one of those things we must give for Peace If neither of these he might have spared Bafil if not for our sake yet for his own And out of all these excellent Materials we expected he should have composed a Speech to the Reverend Bishops My Lords I have humbly set before your discerning judgments the great example of the Great St. Basil and the greater instance of the famous Dr of the Gentiles persons whose Authority in the Church and wisdom to manage that Authority was without disparagement equal to the same Qualifications in your Lordships And yet their hearts so humble when their places were so high their Condescentions greater then their Exaltations carries somewhat in it of that Divinity which bespeaks your Imitation They would become all things to all men though sin to none They were ambitious to wiâ—… the weak by Meekness and not to wound the weak by Majesty The way of Peace lyes plain before you stâ—…p to them in things Indifferent who cannot rise to you in what they call sinful your yeelding to the weak will be your strength And whilst you gain tender Consciences to the Church you will gain Immortal honour to your selves Let it be the glory of your lives that you have made up our Breaches and not the Epitaph of your Tombs That the way of Peace you have not known He comes now to the Grand example indeed that of our Blessed Saviour which if it be but faithfully alledged and Congruously applyed must silence all dispute and conquer the must restif reluctancy Let us then hear how Christs example leads us to Conform 1. Christ complied with the Rites and Customs he found What right or wrong 'T is true he complied with those he found because he found such Rites and Customs as were warranted by the Law He was Circumcised True It became him to fulfil all Righteousness He did eat the Passeover Very true He was made under the Law He wore their Garments spoke their Language No doubt of it He was a Jew by Birth and approved himself a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God 2. He condescended to the very humours of that stubborn people True Not by Imitating them not assuming the person of a Iewish Zealot but mildly reproving their irregularities He came not in the blustering Whirlwind nor in the terrible Earthquake but in the still small voice of Evangelical Meekness He came not to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax but rebuked his mistaken Disciples that they understood not the spirit of the Gospel nor what a temper it called for that they must needs fetch fire from Heaven to Consume the truly Schismatical Samaritans when they should rather have Castigated their own heats and calmed their own passions which were kindled from a worse fire I expect still how he will accommodate this Condescention of our Blessed Saviour to his purpose for either the Dissenters must be those stubborn people and then if the Clergy will imitate their Lord and Master they must condescend to their very Humours or else Dissenters must in imitation of Christ condescend to the Clergy and then it supposes them to be the stubborn and inflexible party Besides Condescention in Inferiours to Superiours will be very improper Language 3. He used their phrase in his Discourse And the Non-conformists speak as proper English as their Wit serves them that they cannot Adorn their conceptions or cloath their thoughts in thunder 〈◊〉 ping Phraseology may perhaps be their Misery but certainly not their Sin 4. He observed their Feasts We Question it not He came to do his Fathers will and amongst other particulars that also of observing what ever Ordinance was of Divine Institution But the Render must know here 's a secret Argument couch't in these words against Non-conformity which I will ingenuously own and 't is this The Jews had instituted a Feast in Memory of the Dedication of the Temple Now this Festival had not the character of Divine Institution and yet this Feast our Saviour solemnized and who then can be so refractory as not to observe the Holy-Dayes and consequently all other Humane Constitutions which bear no direct Repugnancy to the Law of God I shall neither assert at present that this Festival had Divine Warrant nâ—…r deny that it was properly of a Religious Nature but this I return That it appears not that our Saviour performed any Act or spoke any Word that may be interpreted or Construed an approbation of that practise All that appears is from 10 Iâ—… 22 23. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication and
to determine between Contradictories but disparates that is that he has no power to determine whether the Church shall Worship or not worship but that of two times or places or â—…her Natural Circumstances the one carrying some appearance of suspicion the other none he has therein a just power 3. That where no private person might determine of such a Circumstance in his personal devotions nor a particular Church hath any power to determine for themselves in their publick worship there it seems the Magistrates power reaches not because he might then make that a persons or a Churches duty by his Authority which without his Command had been their sin 1 If then the Question be who is fittest to determine those Circumstances which are Necessarily to be determined the Answer is ready They are fittest to determine to whom the Command is Directly given and who must answer it to God if for want of such Determination the Worship of God be laid aside and neglected 2 If the Question be put who is fittest to determine of those Circumstances in publick assemblies which relate to the publick peace The answer is clear He to whom the Conservation of the publick peace is Committed is accountable to God if through his default it be violated 3. If the Question were once more moved what if the Magistrate should forbid a Church to Worship God at all The answer is obvious though the Duty be hard He that has made it a duty to suffer quietly and patiently has promised suffering grace that they may suffer comfortably and couragiously taking up the cross willingly bearing it â—…omely and following their Master faithfully 4. But if the Question were put as it ought to be if it answers the Enquirers designs who is fittest to determine of Ceremonies which are not any way necessary to the discharge of the duty such new Ordinances whereof God has not spoken one word either in general or particular It will be hard to say who is the fittest because none is fit That is though many may be meet to determine of meet Natural Circumstances and they the fittest to whom the Command to perform the duty is directly given yet none is empowred to make new worship or new parts of worship or to add any thing to the Commands of Christ. § 2. The Reason of his assertion follows They best understand the Civil Policy and what will sâ—…t with it and with the Customs and inclinations of the people This Divinity that Religion is to be modelled according to Civil Policy the Costoms and inclinatiâ—… of the people was certainly borrowed from Apollo's Oracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idol was therein 〈◊〉 to his own interest who used this one principle to root out 〈◊〉 True Religion wherever he bore sway Where Haman had learn't it I know not but I am sure he hâ—… it at his fingers ends 3. Esth. 8. And Haman said unto the King There is a people dispers'd and scatter'd abroad among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdom and their Laws are Divers from all peoples neither keep they the Kings Laws Therefore it 's not for the Kings profit to suffer them Thus Aristotle in his Adulatory discourse to Alexander the Great tells him that when Apollo was asked concerning the Worship of the Gods he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all the Oracles enjoyned men to Sacrifice according to thâ—… own Country Customs Thus Socrates in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see that the Delphian God when any one asked him How he might worship the Gods with Acceptation answered According to the Law of the City or Commonwealth And Seneca professes that in matters of Religion he considered not Qua diis Grata sed qua Legibus justa Not so much what was acceptable to the Gods as what was warranted by the Laws of the Land But I hardly forbear smiling when I read how the Delphic Devil was put to his Trumps about this Question Tully tells us Lib. 2. de Legibus Cum Athenienses Apollinem Pythium Consulerent quas potissimum Religiones tenerent oraculum editum est â—…as quae essent in More Majorum When the Athenians consulted Apollo what forms of Religion chiefly they should embrace The Grave Oracle answers Those which had the Authority of their Ancestors Custom and usage But here the Embassadors cross't him and told his worship Morem Majorum saepe esse mutatum The Custom of their Ancestors had been often changed Alas they had reform'd and reform'd again and again over and over and could arrive at no settlement for want of a Rule and therefore they demand Quem morem potissimùm sequerentur è variis Which of all those various Customs and Rites they should observe The Devil who is never wholy at a loss for an Answer gave them this Optimum pray pick out the best you can find though never a barrel had better herrings But to his Reason I say 1. That he has now wholy given away the Churches Authority which has made such a Noise in these last Ages and all her power in determining things indifferent is surrender'd upon discretion It 's very suspicious that they have no assurance of the Consistency of their Notions when they know not where to fix this power of instituting and imposing Ceremonies one Age talk't of nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we hear no more of that but privately among friends Another time the Church was â—…ght in to vouch for them but it will not do there At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thomas Erastus taught us to throw them upon the Civil Magistrate Grotius has made use of the Notion and for his sake we cry it up at home but Another Chapter will offer us further occasion to discourse that matter 2. That the Magistrate understands the Civil Policy best is very true but no warrant for the imposing of Ceremonies for what is the Civil Government prejudiced If I worship God according to his own Rules or what propriety of the subject destroyed what prarogative of the Prince impaired or what priviledge of Parliament invaded by a Ministers baptising according to Christs naked institution without the Cross 3. It 's one of the greatest disservices the Enquirer can do to Religion to make it truckle to the Humours and customs of the people p. 59. he tells us the vulgar are altogether for extreams and blames Calvin for Complying with the Humour of the vulgar And yet now all o th' sudden the Magistrate must determine because he knows best what suits with the inclinations of the people though indeed one main end of the Christian Reliâ—…ion was to oppose those radicated Customs and Idle Humours received by Tradition from their Fathers I am now obliged to look a little backwards and consider his attempts to prove that God has not Determined Circumstances wherein if he had pleased to have understood others all this had been spared unless perhaps he understood not himself A long story he tells us of
Andrews Serm. on Phil. 2. 20. Whatsoever is taken up at the Injunction of Man when it is drawn into Superstition comes under the Compass of the Brazen Serpent and is to be Abolished And the Catholick Moderator who was a greater Friend to Moderation than Reformation was partly of this Humour too When the occasion of a Humane Consâ—…itution â—…ases and the Abuses remain so great it 's no time to wink at them any longer To stand pecking at Abuses which have eaten themselves into the substance of an old Custom is like the endless labour of weeding Ivy out of an old rotten Wall the only way is to dig down the Wall it self Nay the great Legislator of the Iews commanded them utterly to abolish all the Instruments and Utensils of Idolatry and â—…ot to dally in Lopping and Pruning but to chop them up by the Roots Thus Lev. 18. 3. After the doing of the Land of Aegypt ye shall not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan ye shall not do neither shall ye walk after their Ordinances ye shall do my Iudgments and keep my Ordinances And whether he will call this a Humour or no I know not But this I know R. Moses Bâ—…n Maimâ—…n with whom agreâ—… no small Names assures us that this was one Reason of many Negative Precepts given to the Iews as not to Round the Corners of their Beards not to wear a Garment of Linsey-woolsey nor to sew their Ground with divers Seeds not to eat the Fruit of their Trees for the three first Years c Namely that they might not Symbolize with the Idolatrous Nations Nay further if 〈◊〉 w a Humour the Church of England i not ashameâ—… was not ashamed to own her self of it in her discourse prefix'd to the Liturgy The most weighty cause of the Abolishment of certain Ceremonies was their Abuse She knew well that what was bred in the Bone would never be got out of the Flesh That which was naught in the Egge will never be good in the Bird. It 's not washing but burning that must cleanse the Garment spotted with the Flesh. And therefore she routed whole Legions of these Pompous Trinkets and had doubtless scattered the Reserves and brought up her practise to her own Rule had not some Tender Hearted Moderate Persons stood by wringing their Hands and weeping for Tammuz Oh deal gently deal gently with the poor distressed Ceremonies for their Fathers sake § 2. Another Specimen of their Moderation is That they did not Abolish a Venerable Order or Office in the Church for the ill manners of them that bore it What Venerable Order or Office this should be because he is not so open-hearted as to acquaint us I have something else to do with my Conjectures than to throw'em away upon such desperate uncertainties If it was an Order of Christs Institution the ill manners of those that bore it might well warrant the thrusting them out of the Office but not the Office out of the Church But if it could not justly plead his Authority no pretense of Usefulness to some Imaginary Ends of I know not what Unity and Order will conciliate to it the Honourable Epithete of Venerable or secure its station in the Church of Christ As Christ the only Law-giver of his Church has made abundant provision of Offices and Ordinances in his Church to suit and Answer all the Necessities of Believers so of Officers too to discharge those Offices and administer those Ordinances and there is no need of Mens over-officiousness to supply his pretended defects either in the one kind or in the other Indeed we pray that it would please the Lord of the Harvest to thrust in more Labourers for Number but not for Kind They who shall assume to themselves a power to create New Offices may by parity of Reason claim an Authority to Erect New Officers for it 's a thousand pities that any but Humane Officers should be put to the toyl to Celebrate Humane Ordâ—…nances or that any of Christs Ministers should be put â—…o the drudgery to administer any but Christs own Ordinances for indeed they have their hands full of work enjoyned them by their Lord and Master and can neither spare time noâ—… strength supernumerary to expend in superâ—…uous Exercises As Christ has annex'd no promise of his Presence to any but his own Servants so no promise of success to any but his own Services He that runs upon Christs Errand his Master will bear his Charges He that runs upon his own Head or the Heads of others for ought I know must bear his own It 's a scandalous impeachment of the unquestionable Love Christ always bore to his Church once to imagine that he has not either provided work enough for his Labourers or that he has not apportioned Labourers enow for his Work The same Reproach will it be to his absolute Sovereignty over the Church either to pretend to supply his defects and shortnesses or to institute Nâ—…w Officers and Offices which plainly imply it If it were only Vitium personâ—… the removing the scandalous had been a Plaister broad enough for the â—…ound buâ—… iâ—… it proves Viâ—…um Râ—…i you may purge all the Officers into their Graves before you can purge away the evil of the Office which like Tartar is so â—…aked and Crusted to the sides of the Vessel that till you knock off the Hoopes and take the Frame in pieces no Art of Man will free the Cask from a tang at least of the old mustiness § 3. They were not of Opinion that the Church could not arrive at Primitive Purity unlâ—…ss it were reduced to Primitive Poverty Purity and Poverty I must needs say do Rhime so sweetly that no wise Man would have lost the Melodious â—…hime of two such Harmonious words for a small matter But what if the Church never propounded the Primitive Purity for her Pattern If she did â—…he has run all the things in Controversie out of Distance yet this I will say That if ever the Church be reduced to Primitive Purity without some such humbling Providence and Refining Dispensation which purâ—…ed the Primitive Christians from their â—…ross or the effusion of such Measures of Grace Humility Self-denial Condescension as may Answer Primitive Poverty very wise Men and her very good Friends are much mistaken § 4. Their Moderation appears in this That though they found â—…ome Ceremonies then used that were superstitious and dangerous and thought too many burdensome yet concluded not all Decency in the Service of God was Popish It had been a Conclusion wild to â—…rensie to infer that all Decency was Popish because some Ceremonies were superstitious Nay though they all were so and had accordingly been 〈◊〉 But this had been a sober and moderate Conclusion That because all Popish Ceremonies were superstitious and dangerous the Worship of God might be Decent without them Gods Service was Decent before they were born and would be so again if they
a Padlock upon 't so stuffed with Pen and Ink-horn Terms that it was almost as intelligible in Latin the same contumely does our Enquirer pour out upon the Articles of the Church which were the most famous Testimony that then for many Years nay Ages had been given to the Truth of the Gospel I conclude then that he must be very immodest that can entertain a thought so unworthy the Learning Religion and sincetity of our first Reformers which were their greatest Ornaments as they were of their Times and the Articles the greatest glory of them both I know it 's an easie matter to draw up a Proposition so dubiously that the greatest Dissenters may subscribe it but what is the advantage of such dawbing Policy Peace or Unity of Judgment Some Men indeed have got a Worm in their Pates and they fancy this an expedient for these ends but there 's no such matter for the Subscribers in this Case do not bow their jugdments to the Articles but gently bend the Articles to their judgment It 's not the Bank that moves to the Boat but the Boat that moves to the Bank and each Party thinks it self the stronger because it can draw in the obsequious Articles to abet their opinioons When therefore he insinuates that they of the Calâ—…inistical perswasion in subscribing the Articles are forced to use Scholastick Subtleties to reconcile their opinions to them we entreat them to use Scholastick Subâ—…leties who are of the other judgment to reconcile the Articles to their opinions and they will find all too little unless they borrow a Point or two of Conscience first to resolve to subscribe and then defend it afterwards as well as they can And when he intimates that they were only some few Divines of this Church that used this expedient we know well that till the appearance of the late A. B. Laud the generality of this Church were of the Dort perswasion Arminianism has been openly declared Schism Arminius himself an Enemy to the Grace of God by our greatest and most Learned Princes and the greatest of our Church-Men have declared against it as a stranger and enemy to our Church But all this as I observ'd was brought in to vilifie the Synod of Dort and that eminently Learned and Holy Person St. Austin whose Credit whilst the Enquirer would wound he shall but like the Viper in the Fable Break his own Teeth and never hurt the impregnable Steel 2. A second pretended Objection against the Church is That it is not sufficiently purged from the Dross of Romish Superstitions It 's a marvelous advantage to him that challenges another to fight if he may prescribe and impose the Weapon this Authority has our Enquirer and some of his Camerades arrogated as peculiar to themselves that they may put what objections they please into the Mouths of Dissenters For though they cannot in the largest Charity acquit a Party neither considerable for Number or solid Learning which yet by noise and Pragmaticalness and some other Artifices have vested themselves with the Name of the Church yet they are ready to clear the Articles of the Church from Popery and Arminianism I intend those alone who would obtrude a meaning upon the Doctrine as if it impugned particular Election Original Sin and asserted Free-will Iustification by our own Works and the rest of those Points whereof some mention has been made In the first of Car. I. The House of Commons exhibited Articles against one Mr. Richard Mountague the 5th of which was thus And whereas in the 17th of the said Articles it is Resolved That God hath certainly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen out of Mankind in Christ and to bring them by Christ to Everlasting salvation wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit be called according to Gods purpose working in due time they through Grace obey that calling they be justified freely walk Religiously in good works and at last by Gods mercy attain to Everlasting Felicity He the said Richard Mountague 〈◊〉 the said Book called The Appeal doth affirm and maintain that men justified may fall away from that state which once they had Thereby laâ—…ing a most malicious scandal upon the Church of England as if he did differ herein from the Reformed Churches in England and thâ—… Reformed Churches beyond the Seas and did Consent unto those pernicious Errours commonly called Arminianism which the late famous Q. Eliz. and K. James of happy memory did so piously and Religiously labour to suppress And farther they charge him That the scope and end of his Book was to give â—…ncouragement to Popery and to withdraw his Majesties Subjects frrom the True Religion establisht From whence we have gained this Point that that Doctrine which denies Perseverance in them that were once Justified doth abet Arminianism and therein draw near Popery But if these men might expound the Articles they would deny the one and abet the other and therefore do draw too near Popery Hereupon Dissenters have a warrant under his own Hand to withdraw from the Church for says he p. 8. If the charge of drawing too near the Church of Rome were true or if it were probable it would justifie their separation from it In 5 Caroli I. The House of Commons made this protestation Whosoever shall bring in Innovation of Religion or by Favour or Countenance seâ—…k to extend Popery or Arminianism or other Opinion disagreeing from the truth or Orthodox Church shall be Reputed a Capital Enemy to this Kingdom and Common-wealth And so close has the connexion between Popery and Arminianism ever been adjudged that the Jusuites who throughly understand their Interest and the most proper and suitable means to promote it hâ—…ve pâ—…ht upon This as the best expedient to introduce That for 〈◊〉 â—…s in that Triumphant Letter of theirs to their Rector at 〈◊〉 they express themselves Now we have planted that Soveraign Drug of Arminianism which will purge the Protestants of their Heresie and it flourishes and brings forth fruit in due season Whence we are taught both our Disease and our Remedy The Disease under which poor England laboured was Protestancy the Remedy was the Iesuites powder or a round Dose of Arminianism which is it seems a specifick purger of that Humour That the Divines of this Church did formerly maintain a just suspicion that the Opinions of Conditional Election and falling away totally from Grace were an In-let to Popery we need no other evidence then that Letter written by the University of Cambridge to their Chancellor upon the occasion of Barrets and Baro's preaching up such like novelties It was dated March 8. 1595. If say they passage be admitted to these Errours the whole Body of Popery will break in upon us by little and little to the overthrow of all Religion And therefore they humbly beseech his Lordships good Aid and Assistance for the suppressing
those Errours in time and not only of those Errours but of Gross Popery like by such means in time to Creep in amongst them as they found by late experience it dangerously begun I say not that the Articles of the Church encline to Popery nay they detest it but this I say that if they did encline to Arminianism they must to Popery If they do not why are they with allowance so misconstrued if they do then the secession of the Non-conformists is thereby justified Having therefore made this Objection for the Dissenters he will give them their Answer and prove the unreasonableness of this suggestion That the Church of England approaches too near the Superstitions of Rome 1. It s certain says he there hath been little or no Alteration made either in the Doctrine Discipline or Liturgy since the first Reformation Little or none Does he mean for the better or the worse To say there has liâ—…le or none been made for the better is a Commendation so cold that silence had been more an Honour than such praise The Reformation was begun as the times would bear A fair Copy was set for posterity to imitate never dreaming that their Rudiments should have been our utmost perfection That their first step should have been our Hercules Pillars and a Ne plus ultra to all future endeavours To say there has been little or no Alterâ—… made for the worse is a more modest way of Defamation but â—…enters have many things to say to this § 1 That there have been consâ—…ble Alterations made in the Articles themselves if not as they remain in Scriptis yet as they are publickly interpreted for we subscribe not to a heap of Letters and Syllables but to the sense and meaning of certain propositions as they are owned by the Church What the Church owns say they we can no otherwise understand then by those Writings which appear every day Licensed and approved by those of greatest Authority in the Church Now if we may judge of the meaning of the Articles by those Writings They are as much Altered as if Negatives had been changed into Affirmatives or Affirmatives into Negatives In former times they were generally subscribed because the most scrupulous were generally informed by those of most eminent place in the Church that the meaning was found but now say they we are informed otherwise we see our mistake the words have a different and contrary meaning and therefore we must be excused in subscription 2. They will say That what the Enquirer calls little or nothing is a very great something for it concerns us not so much what is put into the Liturgy or Rituals as what is made a Condition of Communion whiâ—…h the Church Now in the beginning of the Reformation though many things were in use yet few imposed as the necessary Terms of enjoying a station in that Society Things supposed indifferent were used as in different In the 13th of Q. Eliz. subscription is only required to Doctrinals and such Subscribers though not ordained by Prelates were admitted to officiate as Ministers of the Church of England But now subscription is peremptorily required to all and every thing contain'd in the Book of Commonprayer The Book of ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons wherein are considerable Doctrinal Additions and Alterations such as the different Orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons supposed to be distinct jure divino A Doctrine which A. B. Cranmer understood not as is evident from his M. S. exemplified in Dr. St. his Irenicum In the beginning of the Reformation Ceremonies were retained to win upon the people who were then generally Papists and doted upon old usages and not as the necessary conditions of Communion They were retained not to shut out of Dores the Protestants which is their present use but to invite in the Romanists which was their Original end but there 's nothing more common then for Institutions to degenerate and be perverted from the first Reasons of their usage and yet still to plead the Credit of their Originals Thus Indulgences and Remission of sins were first granted to all that would engage in the Holy War to recover the Sepulchre of Christ out of the hands of the Saracens but in process of time they were dispensed to them who would massacre the Waldenses and Albigenses and such as could not obey the Tyranny of the Romish saction Thus was the Inquisition first set up to discover the Hypocritical Moors in Spain but the edge of it since turned against the Protestants And thus were the Ceremonies perverted at first made a Key to let in the Papists and now made a Lock to shut out Protestants What a glorious work must it then be to abolish those Engines that seeing they are become weak to do Good they may be rendred as impotent to do mischief Imitating herein the Apostle who once circumcised Timothy to gain the weak Iews yet stoutly refused to Circumcise Titus least he should stumble the weak Gentiles 3. The Ceremonies its true crept into the Church pretty early yet they laid no weight no stress upon them It was decreed by the Councel of Sardica that none should be made a Bishop 〈◊〉 â—…e that had passed the Inferiour Orders and continued in them for some time and yet we see they insisted not upon such a Canon when it might prejudice the Church and exclude useful persons from the Ministry and therefore Nectarius was chosen Patriarch of Constantinople not only being a Lay-man but unbaptized As our Enquirer commends and admires the Churches Wisdom in forming her Doctrinal Articles that men of various perswasions might subscribe them so her tenderness and wisdom had been no less admirable had she recommended Ceremonies with such an Indifferency that they who were passionately sond of them might be humoured and they that protest they scruple them in Conscience towards God might fairly let them alone for it can be no dishonour to a Church to be as Lax in Ceremonies of humane constitution as in Doctrines of Divine Revelation 4. Dissenters say from good grounds that that which makes all an insupportable burden viz. That we must subscribe according to the clause of the 20th Article that The Church has power to decree Rites and Ceremonies is added since the Beginning of the Reformation And this they think heavier than all the Ceremoniâ—…s put together many could practice a thing supposing it indifferent in it self and having a real tendency to a greater good who can by no means subscribe that the Church has such a power to take away my liberty I have taken notice that in the Ancient Bibles of this Church the Contents of Psalm 149. ran thus The Prophet exhorteth to praise God for his Love to his Church and for his benefits But in the latter days we had got high ranting Language The Prophet exhorteth to praise God for his Love to his Church and for that power that he hath given to his Church over the
upon Is the Peace of the Church â—…rown so cheap and vile that it should be sold for things unnecessary One while he cries up Peace so high p. 108. That he protests if a Man must suffer Martyrdome he thinks it equally acceptable to God to lay down a Mans life for preservation of the Peace and Unity of the Church as in Testimony against flat Idolatry Are they not to be admired that value Peace more than their Lives and yet will venture it upon indifferent things Are they not more to be admired that extol Peace so highly and yet sacrifice it to their own meer wills and pleasures But is not this yet the greatest wonder that Peace should depend oâ—… that which Salvation does not and yet he will sacrifice his Life for it as soon as against that upon which his Eternal Damnation depends 2. If Men be not Competent Iudges of their own Actions what is become of that Iudgement of Discretion wherewith we were even now gratified Is this the Iudgement of Discretion to surrender our Consciences upon Discretion The Romanists who appropriate all Iudgement to the Clergie and deal with the rest of Mankind as Idiots and Sots could have said no more then that Men are not Competent Iudgâ—… of their own good And if we may not be allowed a liberty to judge for our selves in those lesser matters debatable amongst Christians much less in those greater matters which they say admit of no debate And how much our Authors Cure is better than that of the Romanists I know not I think they are both worse then the Disease 3. Why is not the danger of trusting others as great as trusting to the Word of God Mine Eyes may be presumed to see for my conduct as faithfully as another Mans and my own Conscience will probably be as faithful to my Eternal concerns as any ones I could find And I have tried it that it 's much easier to obtain a moral certainty that I have the Mind and Will of God then that I have grasped the Mind of any Church from their most Authentick Articles or Confessions of Faith 4. Why should others be troubled that I am not so wise as they It 's none of my trouble that they use their liberty without dispising whilst I exercise that which God has given me without judging If we must trust others in composing Worship and Divine Service for us Terms of Communion of Christians where is then the difference between That and the Popish Implicit Faith This will make the People Sheep indeed but silly ones I am sure such is my weakness I can see no difference between Blind Obedience and trusting others with the determination of it or between Implicit Faith and trusting others as the Reason of my Belief either then here 's no Remedy or one worse then the Disease The Disease at worst is but to enjoy a liberty in those things Christ left free nor is there any necessity that freedom should be 〈◊〉 and the Remedy to trust others blindfold with our Consciences whom we have no assurance will be over tender of them and if we had have no Commission from Christ to intrust them any where but in his own hands But what now if the people be foolish proud and contentious what remedy has the Church 〈◊〉 Why she only declares them guilty of sin and contâ—…macy and casts them out of Communion But â—…hat if they be humble and meek and peaceabâ—…e only cannot by searching studying praying discoursing see the lawfulness of the imposed Terms of Communion Must the Church declare them contumacious and cast them out of Communion It may tempt us to think that is no Remedy of Gods prescribing that deals alike with humble and pround the peaceable and contentious But for all this demureness I doubt there are other Remedies besides a Declaration other Weapons besides Paper Pellets There is a Significavit a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo de Harâ—…tico Comburendo An Oath of Abjuration a Warrant of Distress if they submit not to those Impositions upon which Salvation depends not and in their judgements such as are sinful and then damnation is hazarded by them I have often admired the modesty of the Church of Rome She never put any Man to death She never burnt any at a Stake It 's not for Holy Men Men of Peace to shed Blood to be Instruments of Cruelty No the Church only delivers them over to the Secular Power and what he does with them how he treats them she knows nothing Thus having drawn in the Magistrate to do her Drudgery she wipes her Mouth washes her Hands and protests she is Innocent of the Blood of these Men. An Objection was timely foreseen that might be made against his Discourse and like a person that knew how to be friendly to himself he has put it in favourable and gentle Terms This will equally extend to all other Reformed Churches as well as our own and might have brought forth all the evil we complain of and impute to it in former Ages as well as now for the generality of the People were not much wiser then now That is the Protestant Churches have their Members as lyable to mistake beyond Sea as ours on this side they have Private Reason as well as we and a Iudgement of Discretion too and so had the Primitive Times too Christians then were equally in danger of being seduced by their own injudiciousness and yet the one continued in much peace and the other still continues so without the Remedy of Imposing Mystical Ceremonies Nay to speak properly without the Disease of Impositions The not imposing doubtful things as the Terms of Communion were with them the Prophylacticks of Schisms and Divisions and the imposing of them which is strange is the Therapeutick of Schisms and Divisions to which he answers two things § 1. That other Churches found the effects of Ignorance and Arrogance more or less as well as we To which might be returned That they found it not in those things which they left free but if at any time they laid the weight of the Churches peace upon unnecessaries they found in proportion the same effects of the same Cause which we have found But says he that was to be ascribed not to the happiness of their Constitutions but to the unhappiness of their Conditions I confess I am not altogether of his mind it was mainly due to the happiness of their Constitution there were fewer Contentions because fewer Bones of Contention and less of Divisions because they united upon a Scrâ—… ptural and therefore secure bottom That the Church of Corinth needed a check for her Divisions is very true and a smart one she deserved And 't is as true too That the Apostle had not Recourse to our Modern Remedies to exert his Apostolical power to silence the Clamour by darting the Thunderbolt of Excommunication against the weaker Party and yet he had a far more specious pretence
he that separates but he that is the Cause of the separation is the Schismatick 4. That to require the execution of some unlawful or suspected act is a just cause of refusing Communion for not only in Reason but in Religion too that Maxime admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubitas ne feceris 5. That it hath 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 but out of a vain desire to know more then is revealed they have attempted to devise things of which we 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 for the most part is but â—…eigned they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature 6. To lâ—…ad our publick forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Soveraign way to perpetuate Schism unto the worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and the simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgie though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church pomp of Garments or prescribed gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Church under the name of Order and Decency did interpose it self To charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all superstition 7. That no occasion hath produced more frequent more continuous more sanguineous Schisms then Episcopal Ambition hath done 8. That they do but Abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christs institution have any superiority over other men further then that of Reverence or that any Bishop is superiour to another further then positive order agreed â—…pon amongst Christians hath prescribed 9. In times of manifest corruptions and persecutions wherein Religious assembling is dangerous Private Meetings howsoevr besides publick Order are not 〈◊〉 lawful but they are of necessity and duty All pious Assemblies 〈◊〉 times of Persecution and Corruption however practised are indeed 〈◊〉 rather Alone the lawful Congregations And publick Assemblies though according to form of Law are indeed nothing else but Riots and Convemticles if they be stained with Corruption and Superstition There is one person more whom since he has quoted Incognitâ—… for an excellent person I will the rather recommend to his consideration Irenic p. 109. where speaking of the private Christian he says He is bound to adhere to that Church which appears most to retain the Evangelical purity And p. 116. He is bound to break off from that Society which enjoyns a mixture of some Corruptions as to practise One word from Dr. Iackson chap. 14. of the Church where he acquits those of the Schism which withdraw fromâ—…hat Church which imposeth Rites and Customs that cross the Rule of Faith and Charity Bishop Bramhalls Testimony will pass for sterling p. 7 8. of Schism When there is a mutual division of two parts or members of the mystical Body of Christ one from the other yet both retaining Communion with the universal Church quamcunque partem amplexus fueris Schismaticus non Audies quippe quod universa Ecclesia neutram damnavit Which side soever you close with you shall not be reproacht for a Schismatick because the universal Church has condemned neither side And he plainly tells us p. 101. That it was not the erroneous Opinions of the Church of Rome but the obtruding them by Laws upon other Churches that warranted a separation Next we will hear a word from the Learned Lord Verulam 'T is a sign says he of exasperation to condemn the contrary part as a Sect yea and some indiscreet persons have been bold in open preaching to use dishonourable and derogatory speeches and censures of the Churches abroad and that so far as that some of our men as I have heard ordained in forreign parts have been pronounced no lawful Ministers And further let us remember that the ancient and true bounds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Policy and endeavour to comprehend that saying Differentia Rituum commendat unitatem Doctrinae Christs Coat was indeed without Seam yet the Churches Garment was of divers Colours Amongst all these we must not forget that noble and gallant Person the Lord Falkland A little search will find them He speaks of no little ones to have been the destruction of Unity under pretence of Uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandal under Titles of Reverence and Decency to have slacked the strictness of Unity which was between us and those of our own Religion beyond the Seaâ—… Sâ—…rates lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 21. tells us that in his time there could scarceâ—… be found two Churches that used the same forms of prayer In France the Ritual of Paris differ'd from that of Anjou and in England we had our Devotions secundum usum Sarum secundum usum Bangor and yet the one never reproacht the other for Sectaris or Schismaticks I am consident therefore to assert it That neither the Wit nor Malice of man can prove him a Schismatick who maintaining Evangelical Love towards and holding the substantial Doctrines owned by the Church of England shall either out of choice or necessity transplant himself from under the spreading shadow of a Goodly Cathedral to a Parochial Church and yet the one has its Organs Adoration towards the East and Altar Adoration at the Naming of Iesus with multitudes of Rites and Observances unknown to the Villages and far more differing from the Parochial Usages and Customs then the Worship of most Country Towns differ from that of the Non-conformists After all this I shall throw up the Authority of these great names and give him full scope for his Rational Abilities to prove his proposition when I have first noted those few things § 1. He requires an apparent breach of the Divine Law as the only thing that can excuse separation from the guilt of Schism but will not a real breach of the Divine Law serve the turn unless it be so apparent as he can desire I perswade my self God never yet spoke so loud that they who have barracadoed their Ears with prejudice will hear him nor ever yet wrote so plain that they will see his mind whose Eyes interest has sealed up And what if it be an apparent breach of the Divine Law in the sincere judgement of him that separates must he never discharge his Duty till he can perswade all the world to see theirs and pursue it § § Who shall be Iudge whether the Imposed Terms contain an apparent breach of the Divine Law and such as will justifie a separation Mr. Hales indeed tells us It 's a point of no great depth or difficulty but yet the true
say that they ought not to separate but when non-separation is sinful but then they say that non-separation may be sinful upon other accounts then the apparent breach of the divineLaw made the terms of entring into or continuing in communion for say they it is our sin if a Church retains some corroptions in it which prejudice edification and she shall resolve never to make any alteration in her worship or discipline nor make any further progress towards a through Reformation not to provide for my self elsewhere and having opportunity I sin if I take not accept not the advantage which providence offers me and wherein the word warrants me And yet he wonders that any doubt should be admitted in this Case Let me advise him to beware of Excessive wonderment they say it will make a man as lean as a rake but what 's the Cause of his admiration Why some think to wash their hands of the Imputation of Schism upon other terms as namely if a Church shall not require such terms of Communion as are Expresly sinful yet if she shall require indifferent unnecessary or at most suspected things that in this case there is enough to Excuse the person that shall separate from a participation of this sin There are some no doubt of that judgment and when I have praelibated a few things he shall have his full blow at them § 1. That when they joyn issue upon this point 't is not because they are satisfyed that the things required unto Communion as the antecedent conditions of it or to be practised in communion as the mattor of it are indifferent in their use and application for they are ready to maintain it upon equal laws before equal Judges that they are sinful in their use antecedent to their imposition but the true reasons why they use this place are 1. Ex abundanti thinking that their very outworks are impregnable against his batteries 2. Out of respect to this Church which they highly honour and reverence her too much then to charge her flatly with sinful impositions and therefore do offer this state of the question and are hardly capable of so much incivility to so considerable a body and so great a part of the visible Catholick Church unless the importunity of some modest men did extort that answer from them 3. They doubt whether some Churchmen will be Masters of so much patience as to bear freedome though temperateness of speech which is absolutely necessary to the manadging the Controversy when thus stated and have reason to fear that some who provoke them to assert the sinfulness of the terms will make such an Assertion an unpardonable sin not to be expiated without if with Martyrdom § 2. When he states the question about things suspected to be sinful I hope he will give them the common civility to draw up their own plea in their own terms and to â—…xpâ—…ane what they mean by suspected things in the question because they are not compelled to maintain Every proposition which he in his well known charity shall obtrude upon them A practâ—…se thâ—…n may be taken upon suspicion of sinfulness two wayes first upon light slighty trivial grounds of suspicion which have no wâ—…ight with a serious and rational Considerer Or 2dly upon violent presumptions such as may sâ—…agger a person of good judgment and diligence and 't is these that they are willing to argue it with him whether if a Church shall impose such things as the terms of Communion with her as have or do or may puzzle judicious persons about their Lawfulness and cannot clear it up to their Consciences that they are Lawful yet they may not forbear Communion in this Case § 3. They desire the same justice in Explaning themselves about the term indifferent A thing may be indifferent in its own nature which is not so in its use as applyed to and practised in the Immediate worship and service of God If the things under debate be found upon diligent search to remain indifferent after they are vested with all their circumstances in Gods Worship they have no quarrel against them that I know of but if they be only indifferent in their own general nature they desire to be Excused if they dare not admit the consequence that therefore they must needs be so when used in Gods worship and then made the terms of Communion § 4. Unnecessary things may be either such as are absolutely unnecessary or such as are hypothetically so some things that are not absolutely and in themselves necessary yet may become necessary proâ—…ic nunc even antecedent to the interposition of the Churches Authority And Dissenters say that what ever the Church shall impose ought to be necessary either in it self or by concurrent Circumstances which when they shall conspire together may be by a Lawful Authority Enjoyned pro tempore that is so long as such necessity shall continue which when once removed the things ought to return into their former Classis of Indifferents § 5. When they deny the Churches power of imposing things Expresly sinful they deny also a power of imposing things sinful by just consequence They judge many things sinful which are not forbidden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scriptures and many things duties which are not Litterally and Syllabically commanded in the Scriptures They say not that the sign of the Crosse was ever by name prohibited but they say there are undoubted maximes laid down in the word from which it will undeniably follow that in its present station in the Church it is sinful And now he may when he pleases speak his three things which if they be pertinent and proved as strongly as they are spoken confidently I am content 1. His first say consists of a Conceâ—…ion and an Assertion § 1. His Concession I willingly acknowledge that such a Church as shall studiously or carelesly clog her communion with unnecessary burdensom and suspected conditions is very highly to blame that is the sins but that it became not him to tell her so and then I will venture to say a few words also 1. If it be the Churches sin to command unnecessary burdensom suspect Conditions It cannot be my duty to obey A Church may possibly sin in the manner of her Command and yet I not sin in doing the matter of the Command but when the sins in the Enjoyning I cannot conceive how it should be my sin not to give obedience for I look upon my duty as the result of the Churches Authority and wherein she has no Authority it will be impossible to find a foundation upon which to build my duty All Offices of Justice arise from that relation wherein he that claims and he that yeelds subjection stand to each other And where there 's no relation there can be no relative duty now in this case before us where the Church has no power to command nay where she sins if she commands so far she is none
of my superior and therefore so far the relation is none and by consequence the duty just as much 2. If the Church be to blame highly nay very highly to blame that clogs her Communion with these burdensom things then we may presume she sins for who shall dare to assume so much freedom as to blame her unless she transgress the Law of her God If then she have sinned and transgressed some Law of God it must be some negative precept thou shalt not impose burdensoâ—… things for it is a principle our Enquirer will not sell for Gold That what ever is not forbidden is Lawful If then God had not forbidden her to impose such burdensom things she could not sin or be to blame in so doing according to his principles now say I the same God that has prohibited the Churches Imposition of has also prohibited my subjection to burdensom conditions And let this Gentleman produce his Scriptures for the one and I will drop texts with him for the other when he pleases Thus we are commanded 1 Cor. 7. 23. not to be the servants of men not only bought with a price and set free once but commanded to assert that freedom and 5. Gal. 1. to stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not again to be entangled with the yoke of bondage Now if ever these Scriptures do us any service or be of any use it must be in this particular that I am obliged not to take a burden and cumber upon my soul at his hands who has no authority to impose it If then a Church shall clog her Communion with burdensom things she is to blame she sins and I am not bound to obey and therefore my departure can be no Schism I mean no Schism but one of mans creating 3. If a Church sin in clogging her Communion with things which without crime or fraud are suspected of sin upon such grounds as are allowed just and ponderous in other cases then it cannot be my sin to separate for the Church sins in commanding and I should sin against the authority of God in my conscience in doing what I really upon Strong presumptions judge to be sinful though it were not commanded And noâ—… one would think it could be no such meritorious work no act so acceptable to God to persevere in the Comunion of a Church when she sins in commanding and I sin in obeying suspecteâ—… conditions § 2. We come now to his Assertion notwithstanding all this which he has granted he will fetch it back again if it be possible and we shall gain nothing by any thing he gives us and there are also two parts of his Assertion 1. The negative part 'T is not burdensomness nor every light suspicion of sin that can justific any separation concerning the burdensomness we have spoken somewhat before yet a word or two about the suspicion 't is not a light or however not every light suspicion that is but like the dust of the ballance that will do it really it was cunningly fenced He expects perhaps that we should assert every light suspicion that weighs no more then a feather should be enough to justifie a separation Ay but there are violent presumption which they say in some cases are admitted for good evidence If I meet a person coming out of the house in a great rage with a bloody sword in his hand and Immediately I enter in and find a person lying in his blood I do assure you I shall not condemn my self for lightness of belief or casmess of entertaining suspicions if I suspect the man I met to have been the murder or light suspicions may be as easily shook of as fastened on and contemned as tendered but it becomes no wise man to act against these strong presumptions of sin which the Dissenters have of the imposed terms of Communion And it will appear they are such as may make a hardy resolute person stand and pause before he rushes upon the practise 1. They are sure that Christ is the perfect and therefore the only Lawgiver of his Church had he not been the former there had been no pretence he should be the later Now seeing these terms of Communion are Laws imposed upon the Church they seem to impeach his wisedome that he saw not the fittest terms for his Churches to hold Communion upon they do reproach his care that he has not left laws enough for his Church and they seem to invade his Authority without any warrant all which things are enough to raise a suspicion at least of good strength in a wisemans breast which none but a hardy spirit would act against 2. They are sure that some of these conditions have been occasioned by and used in and with and are suited and accommodated to the grossest Idolatry that ever was in the world and is at this day used to give countenance to it And they say they are sure that God did once hate Idolatry and so hate it as that he could not endure to be served in the vessels worshipt in the places not after the manner in the most minute circumstances that Idolatry was committed in and therefore we have Reason to suspect that the things required of us are displeasing to God our using of them has emboldened Idolaters and hardened them to go on without repentance in the way of so great abomination Nor have they been a Bridge as was hoped to bring them over to us but a Boat to waft us over to them they being more hardened by our retaining them and some of our own made more wavering thinking there can be no great difference between those Religions where there is so great a Symbolizing in outward modes and Ceremonies 3. They are sure that all uncommanded worship is forbidden worship and do think their time ill bestowed with him that shall deny it All worship being part of that Homage and service we owe to God it will be impossible to Guess what he will accept as such without revelation Now we are sure that the Enquirer owns the Liturgy to have been a principal part of worship and we are as sure that the Ceremonies are part of the Liturgy and that which is a part of a part is part of the whole nor can any man discern any difference between them and other things which are confessedly parts of worship and therefore they think they may with modesty say there 's ground enough for a violent suspicion of their sinfulness 2. The affirmative part of his Assertion follows It must be plain necessity or certainty of sin in complyance that can justifie any separation I should be glad to know what cortainty of sin he will allow to justifie a separation does he Expect a mathematical certainty or only a moral assurance If you ask an Arithmetician says I Martyr in his dialogue with Trypho how many twice two will make he will answer yoâ—… as often four and if I were asked a
well warranted sufficiently clearly carefully limited and distinctly butted and bounded that we may Exactly see where the Circumstantials end and the Integrals begin and where the Integrals expire and the essentials Commence or we may soon be distinguisht out of all our Religion for under the coverâ—… of such arbitrary distinctions Rome has already rooted out much of Religion within her Quarters She confesses that Christ did institute both the Eating of the Bread and the Drinking of the Cup but withal affirms that He that eats the flesh of Christ receives the Blâ—… 〈◊〉 per concomitantiam Drinking is not Essential to the Sacrament and therefore she has upon prudential grounds as she thinks appropriated that Moity to the Priests who need it most and love it best And in the judgment of Grotius Both Bread and wine may be spared as he Leardnedly Determines upon that Question An semper communicandum per Symbola And 't is but suitable to what he endeavours to evince as our Enquirer cites him pag. 163 That the Magistrate Exceeds not his Commission when he interposes for the Determination of the Circumstantials of Religion And seeing bread and wine in his judgment are not essential to that Ordinance By his own and our Authors principles the Magistrate may for some time at least prohibite both for if the Magistrate has a power from God to Determine the Circumstantials he must be supposed to be Judge what are so and thus we may have all our Religions Justitutions distinguish't and determined away in a Moment For though at present whilst we are under the care of faithful Governours we are secure of the essentials yet we have granted A principle in this Generation which may utterly Eradicate all positive and instituted worship in the Next And we hold all the Ordinances of Christ upon precarious Terms that is we are fiduciaries of that grand Depositum till some men shall please to call for it and then like the Traditores of old must resign and betray the concerns of the Gospel 3 He is now entering upon his Third Labour which is to prove That the Things in Difference are of such a Nature as may be fit to become a peace-offering and sacrificed to the Magistrate the Laws and the Church For the proof of which he will give us these five following Remarkes 1 That the things now scrupled in this Church are such as were heretofore submitted to by the most Leading-men of those that now depart from it To which I shall very briefly return these few particulars 1. That the Non-conformists are not led by Men further then as they have Authority in the Name of Christ to Lead them The Leaders or Pastors disclaim all other conduct then by Gospel direction their power is Ministerial not Despotical And their people disclaim all such Leaders as would Lord it over their faith and take away the Judgment of Discretion over their own Acts. It 's a very uncomely fight to behold a Drove of Rational Creatures with their Consciences Tayled to one â—…e horse and so conducted to a Faire there to he sold for peace and Expediency 2. With equal Reason the Dissenters will plead That the worship which they now use is the very same that was lately used and practised by some of the most Leading-men Amongst the Conformists And is it not a wonder that whether men go backwards or forwards yet both shall form an Argument for Conformity If they have sometimes been Non-conformists and are now reclaimed that shall conclude for Conformity because they must be supposed to have their eyes Anointed with some excellent Collyrium and to see better If they were once Conformists and become at last Dissenters yet that will conclude full as well for Conformity because they once saw better such shuffling arguments would with equal Truth serve the occasions of the Dissenters too Many of the Conformists were once Non conformists and therefore we are no worse now then they were then and Many of the Non-conformists were once Conformists and therefore having tryed the difference are more competent Judges which way of worship is nearest the Rule And though both these ways of Reasoning are none of the best yet if there be any Advantage the latter carries it because there can be no such Arguments from worldly Interest the one way which may possibly have a stroke the of other few are Ambitious to be starved and as few that are so irreconciliable to preferments 3. Not former Apprehensions but present Light into the mind of God from his word ought to be our Immediate and next Director in our worship of him Men may change as times and external Accidents change but the Rule of Religion is unchangeable and abides for ever 2 Some Non-conformists daily come over to the Church and those none of the Meanesâ—… for Ability or piety but let them brag of any one if they can find him that hath since the resettlement of the Church apostatized to them The Dissenters send back the Challenge let them brag of any one if they can find him that has Apostatiz'd to them But yet I shall say a little more § 1. It 's no wonder to hear of few conversions to a persecuted Profession It must be a deep Impression of Duty to God and a violent respect to the Reward of Another World that will prevail with flesh and Blood to set it's face against the blustring wind of Opposition and â—…owe against the impetuous Current of General Example Men are not easily induced to close in with that worship which will not only prejudice but Ruine their Temporal Concerns It 's ordinary to see secular advantages to Command the Minds of many but no turning to A Reproached Reformation but what arises from clear and irresistible convictions All the Avene us to preferment all the Passes to a Livelyhood are so strictly guarded that men of parts whose Educations have promised them the outward Rewards of Ingenuity and learning are sometimes necessitated to sowze over head and ears into Compliance at first Dash All Arguments are Drowned in the Noyse of a Croaking belly and Hungry stomacks swallow first and leave it to the strength of Nature to Concoct all as well as it can Nay from the Good old woman at the Towns-end that teaches the Criss-cross-rowe to the Bellfray Schoolmaster and so upwards all the places of Education are tinctur'd with Conformity Every pâ—…isny is taught first to swim with Bladders that at last he may venture alone first to Act without knowledge and then with it or Against it like the Crotonian Milo who first carried the sucking calff till by gradual essays he could Carry it when a Bull. Thus Traps of temptation must needs take when they are baited at both ends great Necessities and great Preferments § 2. This Argument is borrow'd or stollen from the Papists who use and urge it every day against the Protestants I shall propound and Answer it in the words of
sends us this offer That since there is no Grand Master of Religion concerned in the Controversies between us nor any violation of the Laws of God in our Complying with the Laws of this Society and since Mahomet must either go to the Mountain or the Mountain must come to Mahomet i. e. one side or other must yeeld we will be perswaded to think it reasonable that the subject should submit to the Governour and opinion give place to ancient Custom and Novelty to the Laws in being This is his friendly Motion and one so Modest that we would be perswaded to think it reasonable If he had given us Reasonable arguments to be perswaded which that he has not I think is Evident from what has been already said with these further Considerations § 1. That his motion is grounded on a false suggestion That there 's no grand matter of Religion concern'd in the Controversie nor any Law of God violated by our Complyance for the Perfection of the Scriptures as the Rule of Faith worship and Church-Government is a Grand matter of Religion and greatly concern'd in this Dispute The soveraignty of Christ over his Church His compleat discharge of all his Offices His Kingly Office in Making Laws his Prophetical in revealing the whole mind of God is no small matter of Religion and greatly concern'd also in this dispute which Law-giver by his Express Law and Royal Edict has Commanded all his true Ministers 28. Math. 19. 20. To Disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Traâ—…hing them to Observe whatsoever he has Commanded them Adding a gracious promise of his special asssisting presence in this work That he would be with them always unto the end of the world we think that the Terms of enjoying all the Ordinances of Christ is but Observing whatsoever Christ has Commanded which Law is apparently exprâ—…sly palpably violated to use his own expressions when any thing else or less or more is made the Condition of our admittance into the Kingdom of Christ. § 2. I know no Reason why any party should be the Immoveable Mountain that is too stiff in the hams to Come to Christ I have ever judged Christ him self to be that Mountain to which Mahomet and all Pretenders ought to move It was Noted as a piece of arrogant Moroseness in Austin the Monk that he would stir no more then a Mountain to meet the British Christians half way in an Amicable Association But if the Church will needs be the 〈◊〉 yet let her remember that Christ is set upon that Holy hill and if she will not Move in Deference to his Authority He that touches the Mountains and they smoak and makes the Hills to tremble can by his Almighty power send such an Earth-quake in her bowels as may cause her to yeeld to Reason § 3. Though Opinion and Custom may fight it out for me yet let the proudest Ancient Custom bow down to the institutions of Christ. It has ever been as a Common so a successful Peliey to clap hoary Periwigs upon juvenile innovations to conciliate some Reverence to their Antique Looks Errour has often a more wrinkled face then Truth but Truth alway's Carries the Graver aspect They that Imp their pin-feather'd inventions wich plumes borrowed from Time's wings do not Teach them to fly but flutter Antiquity is like Romulus his Assylum where all pursued Corruptions take sanctuary 'T is the grand Borrough and safe Retreat of superstition when fetretted out of her Lurking-holes of Counterseit Reason He can say very little for his opinion that cannot plead Antiquity Custom and such like Mormo's Thus the Aquarian Hereticks pleaded Custom to use water mingled with wine in the Eucharist whose folly Cyprian thus Censures Victi ratione opponunt consuetudinem quasi Consuetudo Major esset veritate Being beaten at the weapon of Reason they fetch out the old Rusty sword of Custom As if such aBilbao sword durst try its edge against the tryed scimitar of Truth such a roat does Tertullian give these childish pretences Consuetudo ab aliqua ignorantiâ vel simplicitate initiam sortita in usum per successionem Corroboratur it a adversus veritatem vindicatur sed Dominus Noster Jesus Christus veritatem se non Consueâ—…udinem cognominavit Haereses non tam Novitas quam veritas revineit quodcunque adversus veritatem sapit erit haeresis etiam vetus consuetudo A Custom of Base and dunghil Extract yet gaining some Repute by Long usage and prescribing for it's gentility time out of mind grows sawcy and Malapert against Truth it self But our Lord Iesus Christ called himself by the Title of Truth not of Custom The clearest conviction of Heresy is not by the leaden Lesbian Rule of Practise but by the Golden Rule of the Scriptures Errour is Errour still and will be so of plebeian Breâ—…d and Ignoble parentage though it has purchased a coat of Armes scrapes acquaintance with some Ancient families and would make it out that it came in with the Conquerour The Gibeonites Acted very subtlely when they came to Ioâ—…na with Old sacks upon their Asses and wine-bottles old and reut and bound up and â—…ld shooes and clonted upon their feet and all their provision dry and mouldy as if they had come from far when all this while they were but their Next Neighbours It 's a pretty sight doubtless to see the State which the great Czar of Muscovy uses upon publick Festivals and Entertainments The great Chamber all beset with grave Personages Adorned with Ermines and Gold from head to foot dazling the weak eyes of vulgar spectators and yet perhaps you shall find some of these Knezzes next day in their Blue Aprons who shall think it no Empeachment of their late Glories to sell you a penny worth of Pepper such a Masque we have presented to us of old Customs all gorgeously attired like the Antediluvian Patriarchs and when we come to examine them they are little better then to use our Authors expressions The Dictates of Ambition the Artifices of gain and a colluvies of almost all the superstitions errours and Corruptions of former Ages § 4. Since there must be a yeelding in order to peace then surely they have all the Right and Reason on their sides to have the Honour of the Condescension Who Consess that the Matters in difference are Indifferent in themselves such as where in no grand Matter of Religion is concerned rather then they who ate bound up by immoveable persuasions that they are sinful 2. They who are most Remote from the primitive simplicity and not they who have no higher Ambition then to perform all things which and as Christ has Commanded 3. They who have made the Additions which Cause the Divisions and not they who only take up their Religion as near as they can as they found it delivered and recommended to them by the unerring word of God 4. They who have enough
to spare and may part with some excrescences and never touch the Quid of Religion rather then they who own a Naked Religion without any Additaments and if any such be found Amongst them they are Content to surrender them up as a Sacrifice to peace 5. They who by their Authority are Qualified to make a through Reformation and such Abatements in supernumerary observations such fillings up of the Chasmes and vacuities as may not only Retrieve peace at Home but procure a General union with all the Reformed Churches abroad to the strengthning of the Protestant Religion weakning the hands of the Common Enemy rather then those poor people whose Circumstances are such that they cannot propose the Terms of peace to others and what Alterations they shall make in themselves will be insignificant to an universal settlement 6. They who have already given some specimens of their Condescensions to the Romanists by Removing some exasperating passages and it may be hoped and expected that they will take a few steps towards a Compliance with dissenting Protestants For as the Author of the Irenicum observes well p. 132. That which was laid as a bait for them the Papists was never intended as a Hook for those of our own Profession And therefore to conclude this Chapter I will take the freedom to Quote that Celebrated Son of the Church for a Theological Notion whom he has already quoted 〈◊〉 Philosophical one Dial. 5. p. 399. speaking of the Papacy as the Kingdom of Anti-Christs he has those Notable words Which we knowing so experimentally not to be Compassed by Needless Symbolizing with them in any thing I conceive our best policy is Studiously to Imitate them in nothing but for All indifferent things to think the worse of them for their using them As no person of Honour would willingly go in the known garb of Any Lewd and infamous person whatsoever we court them in they do but turn it to our scorn and Contempt and are the more hardned in their wickedness wherefore seeing that Needless Symbolizing with them does them no Good but Hurt we should Account our selves in all things indifferent perfectly free to satisfy and please in the most universal manner we can those of our own party nor Caring what opinions or Customs or outward formalities the Romanists or others have or may have had from the first Degeneracy of the Church which we ought to Account the more hidâ—…ously soiled by the Romanists using them but supporting our selves upon plain Scripture and solid Reason to use and profess such things at will be most Agreable to us All and make most for the safety and welfare of the Kingdom of Christ for this undoubtedly O Philopolis is the most firm and true Interest of Any Protestant Church or state whatsoever CHAP. IV. The vanity of the Enquirers Confidence noted in boasting that they who find fault with the Churches Constitution will never be able to find out or agree upon a better his Reasonings about this matter examined IT was a piece of the old Roman valâ—…ur to kill themselves for fear of being Killed and it 's a Considerable piece of the New Roman piety not to stir for fear of going out of the way to Resolve against Reformation upon some dangers which are fancied may attend Reformation That Church always apprehending or pretending to apprehend dreadful inconveniences in all changes though apparently for the better Before we can possibly know whether A better way may be found out we must first be Agreed what is a Good way Now All Goodness Consists in the due Conformity of a thing to it's Rule and Idaea by which it ought to be measured and it 's fitness to reach that end to which it is a Means And therefore the betterness of Any thing must be judged of by it's nearer Approach to that Rule and it 's greater proportionableness to the attainment of it's design If then we could find out A worship more Agreable to the Rule of worship or a Constitution more apt to reach the great intendments of Holiness and Peace such a worship such a Constitution will justify it self to be a better then any of it's Competitors which shall Deviate from that Rule or more uncertainly attain the Desired End 1 The first part of our task then will be to find out our Rule which when we have done we have nothing remaining but to apply that Rule to those Models which we would erect or having erected we would examine their Regularity And as they shall be found to approach nearer or depart farther from that Rule we may Confidently pronounce they are therefore by so much The better or the worse Now the only Rule of Reformation in our judgment is the Infallible word of God which we therefore judge sufficient and adaequat because they give this Testimony to their own Perfection And seeing we have now to do with those who own the Scriptures to assert nothing but Truth it will be evidence enough that they are such a Rule if they do but Assert that they are so It is indeed no new thing to hear them charged as Lame and defective such as must be pieced and eked out either with Immediate Revelations or Humane Traditions to render them a Compleat and perfect standard of our Faith and acceptable obedience To which we only oppose the Testimony of the Apostle 2. Tim. 3. 16. 17. 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 thorowly furnisht unto all good works Concerning which sacred Rule I will use our Authors Confidence with I think better warrant That they who find fault with this Rule will never be able to find out or Agree upon a Better whereof the Endless mazes the perplexed labyrinths into which they have cast themselves who despising and forsaking this only Canon have delighted to find out by-paths is very clear but very sad demonstration for when they have tryed Traditions or gaped for revelations or depended on the Churches Authortiy and yet found no satisfaction they think to secure themselves and gratify theMagistrate with a New power who has already such burdens upon his shoulders that we have more need incessantly to sollicite the throne of grace on his behalf for wisdom Counsel strength to manage and bear them then fondly to think to do him a kindness by Imposing upon him a greater work which all others are weary of But this one Text which I have mention'd may abundantly satisfy us that there can be nothing requisite to equise and furnish out A Christian A Minister A Church for Duty and obedience but what is summarily therein ascribed to the written word § 1. That the Scriptures are of unquestionable Authority to Determine all those Controversies whereof they haveCognizance because they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinely inspired which no person no Church no Convention of
determined by power from God ten thousand such may be determined and then our misery will be this that though our burden be intolerable yet we can have no cause to complain but with Issachar must patiently â—…ouch down under it 3. If Circumstances besides their Natural Adhesion to an Act have any Morality ascribed to them as if they render'd an act of Religion either better or worse none is vested with power to impose them nor any with a Liberty to use them Because we ought not to make Gods Worship worse and we are sure we cannot make it better then he has made it 4. In those cases where God has vested any with a power of determination it ought to be made clear that they who pretend to the power have a commission to show for it because liberty is a thing so precious that none ought to be deprived of it without good Reason and this is the Task which our Enquirer will in the last place undertake for us 4 If Circumstantials says he must be determined or no Society And God hath made no such determination what remains but that man must And then who fitter then our Governours who best understand the Civil Policy and what will suit therewith and with the Customs and inclinations of the people under their Charge In which notable Thesis two things call for examination his â—…ssertion and the Reason of it § 1. His assertion That none is fitter to Determine Circumâ—…antials then our Governours Where 1. We must suppose that he understands Civil Governours or else his Reason will bear no proportion to his assertion 2. Let it be observed that it 's no â—…eat or however no killing matter to the Non-conformists 〈◊〉 their Cause who it is that Determines meer Circumstanâ—…als for they are things of a higher Nature then these about which the Controversy is if some mens Interest would 〈◊〉 them see it 3. Seeing that the Determination of such â—…eer Circumstances in some cases is matter of meer trouble in some cases impossible for the Civil Magistrate to determine them I am confident they will not be displeased if Reason dischargâ—…s them of so useless a burden As time in General is a Circumstance concreated with every Humane Action so with every command and obligation to duty there is a Concreated Command and obligation to determine of some time wherein to discharge that duty And hence it must unavoidably follow That to whomsoever God has immediately and directly given a Command to worship his Great and holy Name to them he has immediately and directly at the same time ipso facto given a Concurrent Command to determine of all those circumstances which are necessary to the executing of that Command Thus if God has obliged every Individual person to Pray he has therewith commanded him to single cut and set apart some time wherein to put up his supplications to God Thus also If God has directly and immediately Commanded every particular Church to worship him jointly and publickly he has also by virtue of that Command enjoyn'd them to agree upon a time to celebrate and solemnize that worship Now this Command is so straightly bound upon the Consciences of all Churches that though none should determine for them nay though all should Determine against them yet are they under it's authority and must come to an issue about it unless they will draw the guilt of the neglect of worshipping God upon their souls with that wrath which is due to so great contempt of the Divine Law Now that every particular Church has a direct Command to worship God and by consequence to determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the worship is evident from this one Consideration that they all did so in obedience to the authority of Christ in his word whilst all Civil Governours were so far from Determining the Circumstances that they determined against the substance The Gracious God has now made some of the Kings of the earth Nursing-fathers to his Churches but yet we cannot believe that the Churches power is less under her Fathers then it was oâ—…der those Bloody Persecutors And if this power be lodged in the Civil Magistrate and he have no rule to Direct him about the when and where what a miserable case would the Churches be in if he should never determine these Circumstances without which the Churches can never worship God For thus proceeds his Argument No publick worship can be Performed without the Determination of some Circumstances as time for one and place for another But God has determined none of these Circumstances therefore unless some other Determination be made besides what God has made no publick worship can be performed Again If some other determination must be made besides what God has made then it must be made by man but some other determination must be made besides what God hath made therefore it must be made by man Again If a determination of circumstantials must be made by Man then by the Civil Magistrate But a determination must be made by man therefore by the Civil Magistrate from whence it will be easy to Argue That if a Magistrate will not determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the publick Worship of God there can be no publick worship but when the Magistrate is an enemy to the Christian Religion he will never determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the publick Worship of God Therefore when the Magistrate proves an enemy to the Christian Religion there can be no publick Worship of God Nay there ought to be none And it will hold against the Protestants worship where the Magistrate is a severe Romanist Now though it be true that the Command to Worship God publickly be directly and immediately given to the Church yet seeing every Church is in the Commonwealth as a part of it and that every soul therein ought to be subject to the higher powers and because the peace of a Nation is not a little concern'd in the prudent or disorderly management of publick assemblies and seeing that the chief Magistrate is the Vicegerent and great Minister of God to preserve the peace that this lower world may not be too like a Hell therefore has he a very great concern herein Ne quid Reâ—…ublica detrimenti capiat And therefore if any Church shall chuse such unseasonable times or places as may give just occasion of jealousy that some mischief is hatching against the Government he may prohibit them that suspected place time or other jealous Circumstance and command them to elect some more convenient and in offensive ones That so Religion may be cleared the Magistrates heart 〈◊〉 the peâ—… secured only it seems reasonable to assert 1. That the Magistrates power herein is but Indirect and in order to peace and that the Christian Church had such power to determine all such circumstances before ever Magistrates owned Christianity 2. That the Magistrates power seems not to extend
they used in their Travels and other occasions the services and assistances of Holy women who chearfully administred to their Necessities and are thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how childish is it to conclude an order or Institution from so slippery a thing as an Etymology The Angels are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ministring Spirits 1. Heb. 14. â—…ill any from hence infer that they read the Liturgy Magistrates are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. Râ—…m 4. 6. And â—…et itâ—… no part of their Oâ—… tâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. 〈◊〉 was by some Ecclesiastical Writers dignified with the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence some conclude he was a Liturgy-maker And thus our willing Enquirer to serve a turn must needs have those Good women that did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by all means to have been ordained to the Office of She-Deacons These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bellarmine notes signify no more in their general import then Quâ—…libet publicâ—… munere sungi to perform any publick service for the Common benefit whether sacred or Civil But when they are applyed to any Religious work or service then by accident they have a sacred signification â—…tampt upon them And therefore the same Cardinal from those words 13. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As they ministred to the Lord Has sound out a Masse compleatly rigged out for service Others will discover from thence a Liturgy though the duller sort of people ean espy no more then the worship of God which may very well consist without either 1. In a word The Duty 's of saluting with an Holy Kiss The ordering of all our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Feasts of love to Gods Glory The ministring in our respective places to the necessities of the Saints are as much in force as ever unless Holiness be grown out of fashion so that this one Observation will hardly put the Question beyond all Dispute let him try a second 3 If it be true as he says that the Christian Religion â—…as to throw down all Inclosures to unite the world under one Head and make of all Nations one people and therefore must be left with freedom as to Circumstantials Then it seems they design some depopulating inclosures and to disunite the world again who set up such distinguishing Ceremonies as divide those of the same Nation the same Religion both at home and abroad 4 His confidence that It is evident that it is unreasonable to expect that every Ceremony made use of by Christians should be found prescribed in the Scripture or proved thence does not at all move me I am accustomed to encounter feeble proofs seconded with gigantick confidences I think it 's reasonable that they who pretend to Imitate Christ should follow his example in this also 5. John 30. I can of my self do nothing as I hear I judge And that they who act under his Authority should produce his Commission or at least not expect so ready a Compliance with those Ceremonies which they confess not to be proved from Scripture In the mean time from Circumstances in the promises to Ceremonies in the conclusion from some Circumstances to all from Natural to Moral is a leap too great for any one to take that valued the breaking of his Neck more then the Breaking of his East His fine story of Pacuviâ—…s is lamentably impertinent for the Question there was who should be the Senator allowing the Senate approving the Order but quarrelling the persons but Dissenters greatest Dispute is about the Office whether jurâ—… 〈◊〉 or no They Question not whether Cross or Cream suit best with Baptism but whether any such Ceremonies ought to be used with it or Added to it They do not set op two or three new devices as Candidates for preferment but plead that all of that Kind be removed And if all the scuffle were which of them should be used which repudiated the Non-conformists would not bet a penny on either of their Heads CHAP. V. A thorough Examination of that Principle whereon the Enquirer lays too great stress That God lays very little stress upon Circumstantials in Religion THe Historian observes of the Ligurians a kind of Banditti that skulk't here and there and always plaid least in sight that major erat aliquanto labor Invenire quam vincere They were an enemy harder to be found out then being once discovered to be rowted upon which account this Enquirer may pass for an Antagonist more troublesome then formidable and yet therefore formidable because troublesome He Professes himself as ready to lay down his life for the preservation of unity as in testimony against flat Idolatry and next to if not before them he seems willing to dye a thousand deaths rather then ever state a Question God lays very little stress upon Circumstantials That may be true And God lays very great stress upon Circumstantials That may be as true also But when He lays very little and when very great stress upon them let others blow the coal for him he will save his breath for better purposes The Question would receive a very quick dispatch if we his poor Plebeian Readers were worthy to know what he intends by Circumstantials but seeing we are none of his great Cronies and Confidents that may be admitted into his Cabinet-Consels we must be content with the Andabatarian Feneers to Cuff it out blindfolds If he were under any Obligation to use such Mediums and Instances as were proportionable to his conclusion we might conjecture that by Circumstantials he means some Divine instiutions But seeing he has imposed upon himself no such severe discipline I know none has that power over him as to compel him to their Laws of Discourse and Disputation God lays very little stress upon Circumstantials undetermined by himself but there imposers lay the main stress And God lays very great stress upon Circumstantials by himself once determined but there I thank you our Enquirer lays very little And there is Reason enough and to spare why God should lay great weight upon the smallest matters which he has commanded but not half enough why Men should lay such a stress upon their Pleasures as to venture the Churches Peace upon them unless it could be made out that they had Authority from God to do it warrantably an Infallible Spirit to do it exactly and infinite Charity to guide that Authority without which to entrust any Creature with such a Power over Circumstantials were but to put a sword into it's hand that would kill some wound many and at last Destroy himself It is indeed a Noble Design which he pursues viz. To Beget in Men better Notions of God and better Measures of Religion for hetherto Men have sancied God to be very rigid and severe about small sins but our Enquirer will ease the minds of Men of their
Death that no Ceremony oughtto yeeld to the recovery of Peace the reviving of frozen charity and promoving edification And now to shut up all and himself and whole discourse out of doors he Recommends to us 14. Rom. 17. The Kingdom of God that is the Gospel is not meat and drink that is consists not or lays little stress upon those nice and perplexing matters but in righteousness peace and joy whence some would be ready enough to infer that that Church which lays very great stress upon these nice and perplexing matters is none of the Kingdom of God And I shall only desire him to add for a close that Apostolical Golden Canon v. 20. For meat destroy not the work of God do not by unseasonable using much less by rigorous Imposing things Indifferent much less things doubtful and least of all things sinful in their use destroy souls created of God Redeemed by Christ and capable of eternal Happiness where God has Commanded let him be obeyed not disputed not cavilled out of his right and where God has laid little weight let none make their little fingers an insupportable burden CHAP. VI. Whether the Magistrate hath Authority to determine such Externals of Religion as are the Matters of our Dispute FAbulam Auditor lege Lector audi when the Eagle persocuted by the Beetle could find no place of safe Retreat she prudently deposites her Eggs in Jupiters Royal Lap but he rather then endure the perpetual vexation about a Birds nest shakes them out of his Robe and at once dasht all the Hopes of an Aiery of Eagles Our Ceremonies have sometimes shelter'd themselves under the pretence of Decency and yet under that specious covert could not be secure thence they fled for Refuge into the Abstruse Receptacles of venerable Antiquity and Longaeve custom Yet from those Burroughs have they been hunted The Churches Authority to judge of the Lawfulness and to impose what she so adjudged Lawful amongst the numerous Tribe of indifferencies was nextly pleaded but upon more severe Researches into the Records no such commission can be found At last therefore they have taken sanctuary under Constantins Purple and when Princes shall be weary of protecting them against the pursuit of Scripture they will fairly shake them thence also and leave them to shift for themselves That the Persons and Authority of Magistrates are most sacred the one not to be toucht with common and unclean hands the other not to be profaned with Irreligious Breath all Protestants must acknowledge of which deep things whilst we discourse it will be seasonable to caution our selves from the Royal Prophet Ps. 131. Not to exercise our selves in great matters or in things too high for us Where though the Humble Lamb may safely wade the Castle-bearing Elephant must be forced to swim I look upon the extent of the Princes power to be as far beyond my Reach as the Primum mobile which though I can neither touch nor measure yet may say there is a Being beyond it thus though it were unpardonable boldness to Determine its bounds or say Thus farr shall it go and no farther yet a truly Loyal heart may conceive and a modest tongue express There is a God above it That the Magistrate is Custos utriusque Tabulae The great Fiduciary of Gods Law is not so much a Confession extorted from us by Rack of Scripâ—…ure as our Triumph that he is soâ—… Rejoycing in 〈◊〉 thâ—…kfulness to the â—…lmighty who has made him a Nurâ—…ng â—…ather to his 〈◊〉 To preserve the worship of God in purity and his worshippers in Peace is a Flower of the Crown Imperial which Adornes the Royal Diadem farr more then all it 's own Diamonds and Rubies and gives him a more Orient Lustre that he serves the King of Kings and Lord of Lords then if he had grasped the universal Monarchy and brought mankind to adore his footstool As no forreign power can justly pretend to intermeddle with his Government at home so no person of whatever Character at home ought to own a dependance upon any forreign Potentate Abroad Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers upon which words Holy Bernard thus si omnis anima ergo vestra Quis vos excepit ab universalitate Qui tentat excipere tentat decipere If every soul Then yours also ye Ecclesiasticks for who made you an exception from the General Rule the Pope that would exempt you from your Soveraigns Jurisdiction does but expose you to the Indignation of God What is the ne plus ultra the utmost extent of this Power in Civil and Religious concerns for such pittisul creatures as we are to determine were at once to discover our folly and betray our pride And yet we may say without offence though Princes are called Gods They shine with borrowed Beams from the Divine Majesty the fulness of whose power is Incommunicable And Propriety with Law in the former case and God with Conscience in the latter will go as near to be the shoars that shall terminate this Ocean as any two things that shall measure with them for exactness There are two sorts of Persons that fancy they have laid an eternal obligation upon Princes beyond all possibility of requital The first are they who would entitle them to an absolute Right to and Dominion over the possessions of their subjects The second they would make them soveraign Lords of Conscience Thus the great Hooker Eccles. Polity p. 26. In litigious and contraverted Causes when they come by Authority to be Determined It is the will of God that we should do accordingly though it seems yea perhaps truly seems in our private judgment or opinion it 's utterly disallowed by the Law of God And yet these Men are truer friends to their own Interest then the Princes in this Matter for whilst they deâ—…k his Atchievements with Titulado's impracticable useless and cumbersome Regalities they are sure to make provision for themselves and wisely lick their own fingers for thus it has ever been the cheap way of Church-men to sell shadows for substances as his Holiness sells the shred of a Lambskin to an Arch-Bishop for a thousand pounds sterling and a Consecrated Rose for more then his whole Belvedere is worth When the Enquirer then is so Zealous to become the Princes Champion in Spirituals I hope he understands on which side his Bread is butter'd and will speak two good words for himself whilst he speaks one for the Magistrate And when he has a little Reproacht others and magnified his own sincerity in this undertaking he wipes his mouth decently stroaks his Beard gravely and Reasons most profoundly upon these two Heads 1 That the Magistrate exceeds not his Commission when he enterposes for the Determination of the Circumstantials of Religion This Proposition thus loosely hung may be owned or disowned according to every mans humour Dissenters may subscribe it whithout the least prejudice to their cause or Reflection upon their
practise and they may deny it too when they have done whithout fear of self-contradiction or danger of entrenching upon the Magistrates Authority For. 1. What must we understand by interposing If I might freely deliver my own private opinion It 's lawful nay expedient nay necessary that he interpose or else I am affraid his poor dissenting subjects will be worried to death But they who plead so Zealously for his Interposing when that interposition is not tempered to their good liking make the vault of Heaven echo again with their clamours that the Distressed Church is quite undone In a word if Church-men will be Determining one thing after another that we can see no end New subscriptions New oaths new jests New Ceremonies superconformity to the Canon above Law and practise above Canon what will become of the simplehearted Laicks if a vigilant and prudent Prince do not interpose and timously determine upon their Determinations 2. I now utterly despair of understanding his Meaning of Circumstantials A word that has run through as many shapes as are in all Ovid's Metamorphosis And amongst all the pleasant stories in that ingenious Romance I remember one that the Reader will not condemn for impertinent There was one Ezisichthon whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and extream voracious stomack had no other supply at last but from one Daughter now this Madamolselle you must know had a singular faculty to transform her self into any shape she pleased once he sold her for a round summe and she came trotting or ambling home again for she had all her paces in the shape of a bonny filly Another time he sold her and received his money honestly for her and she came home in the shape of a Milckcowe Such another ambiguous versatile Creature is this Circumstantial If we should say the Magistrate has no power to Determine Circumstantials presently he 's o th' top o th' House what an obstinate generation are those Fanaticks What will you not allow your Prince to appoint where you shall assemble for your publick worship of God must he have no concern in time and place in order to the securing of the Peace yes yes Sir withal our hearts and we shall be heartily glad on 't humbly thankful for it and honestly proud on 't too and I would â—…e could preavail with our Enquirer to be our Sollicitour to procure us a Determination of those Circumstantials well then says he you agree the Magistrate may Determine Circumstantials but such are the Ceremonies and now you are in a cloos get out again how you can 3. Therefore he should have resolved plainly whether the Magistrates Commission extends to the Determination of all or only some certain Circumstances and my Reasons are these 1. If he have not a Commission to Determine All then the question will Recurr whether it reaches those under Debate for thus he Argues Circumstantials may be Determined by the Magistrate But Ceremonies are Circumstantials Therefore Ceremonies may be Determined by the Magisâ—…rate Now if the Major in this Syllogism be not universal the Syllogism is peccant in forme If it be then deprecating the Displeasure of those whom we truly Honour in the Lord and for the Lord we humbly deny it All Circumstantials may not be Determined by the Magistrate for 2. Christ has already Determined of some Circumstantials and whoever makes it one it 's no Question with me that no power on earth can undetermine or otherwise determine what God has already fore determined 3. There are some Circumstantials which cannot profitably and therefore not Lawfully receive an universal and uniform Determination 4. Because if all undetermined Circumstances may be Determined in their use the life of Man may be made the most wretched miserable and undesirable thing in the world and he had as gooâ—… preach that other more eligible and more edifying Doctrine Ita de te literam longam facito for where should the most caâ—…telous foot tread besides a snare and such is the Condition of superstitious Papists whose consciences are perpetually perplexed with endless scrupulosities about those minutes which the Church has made sin which else had been as Innocent in offensive things as a piece of powdred Beef and Turneps Now for the proof of this Doctrine he tells us It has been 〈◊〉 fully and substantially done by the incomparable Hugo Grotius and by a late eminent Divine of this Church that it 's enough to referr the Reader to them Indeed he must be an incomparable Person that can write Substantialy about Circumstantials but I confess I do not build much either upon the Authority or Reasonings of the otherwise incomparable Hugo ever since I read his dangerous discourse Lib. 1. cap. 4. § 13. de jure B. P. Si rex habeat partem Imperii partem alteram Populus 〈◊〉 Senatus Regi in partem non-suam in volanti vis justa oppon poterit quia eatenus Imperium non habet Quod locun habere sentio etiamsi dictum sit Belli potestatem penes Regemfore id enim de Bello exterâ—…o intelligendum est cun alioqui quisquis partem summi Imperii habeat non possit nor jus habere eam partem tuendi quod ubi fit potest etiam Rex suam Imperii partem Belli Jure Amittere that is If King hath one part of the soveraign Power and the People or Senâ—… the other part If the King shall invade that part which is none of hâ—… own just resistance may be made against him because so farr 〈◊〉 hath no Authâ—…rity at all which I judge to hold true although it 〈◊〉 said That the power of making warr is in the King for that must be understood of a forrain warr whenas otherwise whoever has a share in the soveraignty cannot but have also Authority to Defend that share which when it so falls out the King may lose by the right of warr his own share of the soveraignty Here is dangerous Doctrine enough to Cure me of my Ambition of ever being a Hugonoâ—… As for that late eminent Divine of this Church who has so convincingly asserted this power I cannot divine who it should be unless perhaps that Longwinded Author with whose eluoubrations some are resolved to vex the Fanatics though they never read him themselves And therefore leving these voluminous Authors to scold it out with their own Mouths let us attend to the enquirers more concise Reasonings 1 It 's certain says he that Magistrates had once such a power in the Circumstantials of Religion and that in the old Testament It is certain indeed that they had a power not only in the Circumstantials but the substantials of Religion all the Question is whether they had such a power as he pleads for And if they had it then whether they had it jure Regio or Prophetico whether in their own Right as Kings or by Delegation in some extraordinary case from God § 1. The Prince might have nay he had a power to
hideous Monster would a Schismatick be did Churches keep to these Terms but his Limitation retracts all this again And such other not contradictory to them as Publick wisdom peace and Charity shall dictate and recommend Now you have it Thus the Crane most courteously invited the Few to Dinner but fitted him with such Terms of Communion that unless he could stretch his neck as long as hers he shall have his belly full of nothing but hunger Esurire licet gustare non licet It minds me of the Story of Sanctius the King of Arragon's Brother who marching against the Saracens diverted himself a while at Rome the Bountiful Pope who is always prodigal of what costs him nothing causes him to be proclaimed Sanctius by the grace of God King of Egypt c. The noyse of Trumpets calls him to the Belcony and he askes what was the matter He was answered that his Holiness had presented him with the Entire Kingdom of Egypt Presently he commands his own Trumpetters to go and salute the Pope in requital Caliph of Baldach Thus has the Enquirer gratified us with an empty Concession which by his Retractation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall not need to observe to the Reader the Egregious folly of such Propositions We are not bound to the Laws of Moses i. e. as Terms of Communion nor any other but such other That is we had been free but that we are in bondage Negatives are infinite and under that one word such other we may be pester'd with more then those Nice Laws of Moses For. 1. Who can tell what publick wisdom may Determine The publick wisdom of Italy and Spain has introduced such a Lumber of those other Terms as hath eaten out almost all Religion with the Divertisements of Iudaical Paganical whimsical Constitutions The publick wisdom of Abassia has introduced Circumcision it self and no thanks to these Principles or the Discourses of Erastian Novellists that the case is better with us 2 Peace and Charity require no other Terms then those plain ones laid down in the Gospel Charity teaches us not to lay stumbling blocks in the way of those that would come towards the Church Peace requires us to unite upon Christs own Terms But the Name of Peace is often used to destroy the thing so Austin of old Ecclâ—…siae nomine Armamini contra Ecclesiam Dimicatis Thus are we gogled to part with our Christian Liberty for Peace when as the parting with the Ceremonies would secure both Peace Charity and Christian Liberty 3. It 's very Childish to put the determination of those other Terms of Communion upon the Tresviri Publick wisdom peace and Charity For what if they accord not in their votes about the Terms what if perhaps Publick wisdom should clash with Charity Charity should say I will have no Terms of Communion that may exclude Persons of honest hearts though weaker Intellectuals but publick wisdom should contend for some other intercalated conditions which may render Divine Institutions more August and solemn 4. No publick wisdom can possibly Determine upon those other Terms in a way that shall secure the Interests of Charity nor in what cases I am bound for her sake to restrain my self in the use of my Christian Liberty For the prudent admeasurement between my Christian Liberty and my Charity to my Christian Neighbour depends upon the view of the particular Circumstances of time place Persons which cannot come under the prospect of publick wisdom Suppose a Command were given forth from publick wisdom that I should at such a time and in such a place drive a Coach with violenee down the High-way and when I come to execute this Command I find multitudes of little Children playing in that High-way the Circumstance of these Persons was not foreseen by publick wisdom must that therefore take place of my Charity to destroy the lives of these little ones or my Charity submit to publick wisdom and fall pell mell in amongst them Our Saviour has Commanded us not to offend any of his little â—…nes telling me that if I do It were better that a Milstone were hang'd about my neck and I east into the sea publick wisdom may perhaps command me to do something not sinful in it self but when I come to Obey I find evidently it must scandalize them I refer it to Charity peace and prudence to determine this case between them § 2. His second generous Concession is There lyes now no more bonds upon the Consciences of Christians then did upon the Ancient Patriarches saving those improvements our Saviour has made upon the Law of Nature and those few positive institutions of his expresly set down in the Gospel And what a blessed day were it with the Christian world if we might see this made good This would shut out of doors all those Ianus Articles penn'd by wise Reconcilers to perswade the combating Parties first to shake hands and then to fall more suriously to Cudgels This would shut out of doors all Humane impositions forestalling our Communion with the Christian Church But now Mark the Retractation And that men obeying these are at liberty to conform to whatsoever Common Reason Equity and publick Authority shall impose Had he not turn'd wrong at the Hedge Corner it should have follow'd thus And that men obeying these are at Liberty to enjoy all the Priviledges of the Gospel But. 1. Is not this a broad contradiction that there 's no more bonds upon our Consciences then upon the Patriarchs and yet we are bound to submit to those other terms imposed by publick authority That is we are at Libâ—…rty upon their Terms but only for one thing that we are not at Liberty upon their Terms And we may serve God as cheap as they but that we must serve him at dearer rates Did Abraham receive the Modes of worshipping God from Gerar or the Terms of serving God from Egypt and yet those Kings where he sojourned were friendly and extended their Royal bounty to him 2. We are at Liberty to conform to whatsoever common Reason Equity and publick authority shall impose At Liberty 〈◊〉 conform but are we at Liberty not to conform if comâ—… Reason oppose publick Determinations It 's an idle thing 〈◊〉 put the determination of my Liberty upon Reason Equity and authority unless we were assured they should always agree which yet in some Countries may not be till the secular Games or the Greek Calends 3. This is in effect to say that if we obey what Christ commands us we are at Liberty to give away our Liberty in all the rest whereas our Liberty was given us not to give it away at a clap but to dispense it in parcels as weak Christianâ—… have occasions to borrow of us § He concedes yet further for Liberality grows upon his good Nature Our Christian enfranchisement discharges us not only from a necessity of observing the Law of Moses and the Rites of Iudaism but further and