Romans such as Pythagoras Socrates Plato Epicâ—etus Cicero Seneca nor as those of later date Plutarch Porphyry Hierocles Jamblicus But as that one sacrifice abolish'd the Typical yet divinely instituted Sacrifices much more those mock-sacrifices that there are no such now in the more famous Religions in the world as divine Oracles and Prophecies absolv'd and finish'd in Christ and the Apostles silenc'd all those fallacious ones from below so the resplendent light of Natural Religion in the Gospel-revelation since its prevalency in the world and that it is become the Religion of Nations seems to have dazled natural reason that there is not the apparence of it as in former ages but a kind of barbarity hath invaded as a thick darkness the world out of the Goshen of Christianity while the Jews trust to the letter of the Old Testament not 2 Cor. 3. 15. yet unvail'd to them in its glory and further obscur'd by Rabbinick Dotages and Mahometans to the Spite-prophet and his senseless Alchoran set up by Satan and permitted by Divine Justice in opposition to the only true Prophet the Lord of life and glory and his everlasting Gospel All besides these lye obscure and at a distance from us in a manner like a Terra Incognita in Reason and Religion having only some relational glimpses no bodies of their discourse in either A great argument of the Truth of Christian Religion that hath drawn up all Rational Religion Reason and Learning within it self and under its own Horizon For though for a time it pleased God to allow the notable efforts of that sort of learning and in opposition to Christianity one of his unsearchable Judgments as in Porphyry and Hierocles yet being vanquished by the greater light of the Gospel since the days of Constantine it hath never risen in any other parts of the world unchristianiz'd to appear with any remarkable strength But all this doth not diminish so much from Natural Religion as it brings it into question Whether there is now such a thing in the world as Natural Religion without Christianity nay indeed it may be doubted whether notwithstanding or even for the sake of those great Names I just now recorded who were but a sort of Parelian lights to the true light of Natural Religion whether there was ever such a true copy of it as that of the Book of Job in any mans heart life or writings that was without the help of divine Illumination and yet Natural Religion is never the less natural nor the less felt and acknowledg'd to be so When besides such a proportion as is always ready to men not degenerate into beasts being so preserv'd by God that he may not leave himself without witness nor men without Luk. 15. 17. means in order to their conversion and recovery when I say besides this God restores to any man or number of men the perfection of it by his Word or by particular illumination of his mind it is not the less natural even as the prodigals Self he came to was not the less natural Self because he had been so long a fugitive from it and it became necessary to him to be so restor'd so no less is Natural religion natural because it is return'd by revelation after being lost And this carries the great uses indeed of Natural religion that whether it be that part of it by general providence preserv'd to the generality of men or by ordinary means improved or whether by divine Illumination and Revelation it is given as it were anew yet we still find it natural and as it were our own properly belonging to our natures and it comes to us as by way of Reminiscency of what we had once but had lost Thus all the ends of the earth Psal 22. 27. shall remember and turn to the Lord. And as I have now stated things that which may seem a great objection against what I have discoursed of Natural Religion will be more easily reconciled And it is taken out of those places of the Apostle John first what he records in his Gospel that our Saviour said He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that Joh. 5. 23. 1 Joh. 2. 23. 2 Joh. 9. 10. sent him And in his Epistles Whoever denieth the Son hath not the Father And in his second Epistle Whoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God and if any man come and brings not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds By all these sayings laid together it seems undeniable that even the acknowledgment of that first and great principle of Natural Religion The believing in and adoring the one God is made of no value by not acknowledging honouring and believing in Christ the Son which is the principal point of Divine Revelation For the setling therefore this doubt these three Things are to be consider'd 1. That after due Instruction and Explanation of the Doctrine of Christ it is as I have said so united with Natural Religion that who ever hath that in sincerity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set in a posture ready to receive and believe Christianity So that if any one upon Instruction commensurate to the Understanding Christian Religion does not receive it he hath not God he hath not true Natural Religion in that Fundamental point especially if he have had the Preparations of Divine Revelation in the Old Testament as the Jews to whom these words were especially directed had Yet still I suppose this case reserv'd to Divine judgment and not to Humane nor that such an unbeliever may be dealt with by men or by Magistratical Authority as an Athiest man can only deal with him by Remonstrances out of Scripture and reasons flowing from it 2. The severity of the Apostle hath greater force upon those who having receiv'd Christianity apostatize from it transgressing and not abiding in the Doctrine of Christ for it is most certain in the thing it self they have not nor can have Natural Religion that prove Apâ—states from Christianity understood so intimate to it 3. This hath yet much greater force upon those whom the Apostle seems especially in his Epistles to intend those who come with a high pretension of an extraordinary spirit of an immediate Doctrine from Heaven and yet bring not the Doctrine of Christ For there being at that time such infallible proofs and assurances of all sorts to the Apostles and that have descended down from them to us in Sacred History we must needs conclude they might justly Anathematize in the highest degree an Angel from heaven that preacht any other Gospel they were most certain who ever Gal. 1. 8. call'd or proclaim'd Christ Lord were authoriz'd to do so by the Spirit of God and therefore that no man could by the 1 Cor. 12. 3. same spirit declare him accursed seeing that Spirit
to have their effect there being many other in the event incurable evils upon men in despight of right Reason the cure of which yet any one may freely offer and discouse 2. Having thus far insisted upon the first Particular under this Head of Natural Religion I come to shew the agreeableness of Christian Religion with Natural in what it reveals above and beyond Natural Religion and the great Reasons of our Acceptance of Christian Religion thereupon which was the second Head propos'd And that I may make this the clearer let it be distributed into these three Branches 1. That it is hereby necessarily suppos'd Natural Religion is given to be a Test and Touch-stone of Truth in Religion 2. That Christian Religion hath such an evident agreement with Natural Religion as to be approved and recommended by it 3. That it being so excellent and so recommended it lays the true grounds of peace throughout the world in Religion 1. As to the first I thus argue If a man have no notes of distinction within if there be not a Religious Rational Understanding planted by God as a nature in man if there be not Principles ingrafted into that Understanding how shall a man know the goodness of anything propos'd to him the conformity of it with what it is pretended to be When our Saviour challenged the Phraisees requiring a sign from Heaven for the truth of his Doctrine thus Why even of or from within your selves judg ye not what is Luk. 12. 5 7. right He imply'd The very essence of a man as an Intellectual Rational Spirit must be also full of Religious and Moral Principles and so must have innate judgment of Religious Truth as many other Scriptures assure us Without this a man can have nothing but an Implicite faith for his Religion a strong belief it 's true Now seeing Turks Jews Papists every one that is throughly possess'd with his Religion hath the same this kind of Faith is no other than these several Religionists laying a wager one with another which is the true Religion and it greatly derogates from the Christian Religion to suppose there is no more but this confident adventure for it rather than for any other and no grand assurance within in Natural Religion Even matters of Divine Revelation however immediately from God must be hence known and discovered else every thing that calls it self Revelation must be taken for Divine Although the Prophets might be at some times under a strong supernatural hand that transported their minds as it did also in extraordinary cases their bodies yet they were generally under the still-voice speaking to their faculties enlightning their reason sanctifying their affections by which they had even at the time of their greatest raptures a sense of the excellency of Divine Truth an habitual acquaintance with the ways of Divine approach and presence a search into the things they had spoken even after they had spoken them So the Apostle Peter tells us They searched what or what manner of time the Spirit that was in them did signifie 1 Pet. 1. 11. They had a holy gust of Divine things a judgment discerning between any sort of private spirit and the universal Spirit of Grace and Truth else how did they differ from Balaam 2 Pet. 1. ult Abraham no doubt had a free debate with himself of the certainty that the voice was Divine that commanded him to Gen. 22. sacrifice his Son and argued within himself the reasonableness of returning his Son and especially his Son Isaac to the Author of all life and being and of Isaac's most particularly and so he resign'd him But Infinite Truth and Goodness always jealous over the sacredness of Nature's Laws would not permit the execution The great power of Miracles is not their astonishment of sense but summoning mens minds with great authority to Rational and Religious Considerations laid up in store within them The sum then of this Point is this Natural Religion always with us as intimate as our faculties as certain and true as they are in their frame and creation must be our Ordeal if I may so call it our Fiery our surest way of trial of all Proposals made to us in Religion that is after due awakening our minds and examination of things by them and the blessed assistances or highest infusions of the Divine Spirit are breath'd into our natural sentiments in things pertaining to God inlightned purified and guided into all truth 2. The second Branch follows viz. Christian Religion hath such an evident agreement with Natural Religion as to be approved and recommended by it even in what it reveals above and beyond Natural Religion Now if it be first evident there is not one good thing in that whole Religion as every thing in it is holy just and good but Christianity hath united it self with it self it hath so carefully gathered up all the fragments of it that no one thing is or can be lost And if it be made good in the second place that whatever Christian Religion reveals beyond natural Religion endures the touch of Natural Religion and is besides its own proper credentials recommended by it there cannot be any thing added to evince that Christian Religion is a foundation of Oecumenical peace in Religion seeing Natural Religion is the Oecumenick Religion the Religion of all mankind It must be so for every man hath it written in his heart and Christian Religion is in much of it one and the same Religion is all of it most agreeable with Natural Religion and recommended by it It then necessarily follows no man can be wisely Rationally Religious but he must be so far Christianly Religious and what Christian Religion offers beyond the wisdom and rationality of a man beyond the Law of the first creation is yet as agreeable with it as light with light greater light with lesser light how then can he that shews himself man be cruel outragious against or out of peace with it He that falls out with it falls out with Godliness Righteousness Soberness Humility Truth peace with God attonement to him with laying hold upon Eternal Life and flying from the wrath to come with Patience Meekness Mercy Compassion from God to men from men to one another He that persecutes Christianity must persecute righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in which whosoever Rom. 14 17 18. serveth Christ as every one must do that serves him is accepted of God and approved of men and therefore to despite Christianity is not only Belluine but Devilish So that the third Branch plainly results from the two former viz. if Natural Religion be the standard and touchstone given us to try all things in Religion by and that Christian Religion comes off from the tryal more precious than Gold It follows then of what value it ought to be to all the world To demonstrate then the second Branch that Christian Religion so agrees with Natural as to
having such tyes with such supplies of nourishment from a Body vigor from such a soul inhabiting that Body it must be a member of that Body Even so there is a Law of this Mystical Body and a man so united so spirited is by the Laws the Head hath made for his own Body who only hath the power to do it he is I say a member of the Body of Christ Now as the Apostle says intending this Mystical Body especially If the Foot shall say Because I am not the Head I 1 Cor. 12. 15. am not of the Body is it therefore not of the Body And if the Ear shall say Because I am not the Eye I am not of the Body is it therefore not of the Body And God hath temper'd the Ver. 24 25. Body as it hath pleased him giving more abundant honour to that part which lacked that there should be no Schism in the Body but that the members should have the same care one for another The Apostle I confess is speaking of the order of Higher and Lower Honourable and less Honourable members of the Church under the resemblance of the natural graduations in the members of the Body But the reason being taken from the Laws of each Body argues It is no case at the arbitrement of any who shall be of this Body but as that Law of Christ hath defin'd and so far as that Law hath extended that Body so far the love and care of it and for it must go else there will be Schism Seeing there is not else that proper care of the members who must according to the Laws of the Body be members whether one or other please to have it so Thus then I suppose there is a Society or Societies of Christians in this or any part of the world they hold Christ the Head they hold those great points of union I have been Col. 2. 19. speaking of they are not chargeable with opinions or practises plainly contrary or undermining those acknowledgments therein though they may be guilry of errors in Doctrine Worship or Practice yet not so Fundamental as to tear them off from the Body or make them another Body or they are misunderstood to hold such errors though indeed they do not or they are not errors or they refuse to join in such opinions or practises as they conceive not allowable by the word of God though not destructive errors nor can they that require their compliance pretend on their part that the things are absolutely necessary to make a member of the Body of Christ In this case I say he is the only Schismatick that hath not a love that hath not a sympathy with the Body and therefore if neither party hath they must be both Schismaticks There may be Modest Peaceable Dissents and different practises upon them There were such notorious enough among the First Christians as the Apostle plainly discourses Rom. 14. for he says They that eat eat to the Lord and give God thanks they that eat not yet still to the Lord they eat Ver. 6. not and give God thanks One for his Religious eating the other for his Christian Liberty Here are acts of Worship in which there could be no Uniformity they could not joyn one with another So He that regardeth the day to the Lord he regardeth it he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he regardeth it not Here again are acts of Reverence of God but there 's no Uniformity yet still the Apostle Rom. 15. 5. supposes and exhorts that in the midst of these differences in which he had positively made an allowance to each part they would yet be like-minded one to another according to Christ Jesus after his Exemplar or having their eye upon the same Image of Christ instamped on both Yea and notwithstanding these Discords he supposeth they might with one mind and one mouth glorifie God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ both in those common Ver. 6. things wherein both agreed and were perfectly one and also in those things wherein they had one common Intention and Design center'd in the one point of doing all to the Lord whether they eat or eat not whether thâ—y regarded a day or regarded it not And therefore the Apostle further exhorts them to receive one another as Christ hath received v. 7. us to the glory of God notwithstanding our many faults So Christians notwithstanding the faults they truly or mistakingly esteem so in one another yet still they should own one another as Christians they should mutually partake the benefits of one anothers Christianity and the publique administrations of it as to the things wherein they are as one and even in the things they dissent in this conspire in the direction of all to the glory of God All this plainly shews that Vnity consists not in Vniformity Vnity of Worship not in Vniformity of Worship nor does Schism necessarily follow upon such different apprehensions or practises And thus so far as we can perceive the Apostle ordained in all Churches there should still be communion in the midst of differences And indeed he that being a Christian deprives himself of the abundance of the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel running every way among Christians or of the mutual impartment they make of spiritual gifts and graces one to another upon the account of small differences only is unthrifty of the advantages offer'd to him by God and straitens to himself the Divine Spirit in its free emanations every way and throughout all the members of Christ without attending our sinful differences which are no rule at all of its effusions or restraints when it flows among all that are true Christians it doth not consider in its gifts that one party is by it self another by it self but gives to all that are truly of Christs Body yet the sinful severity of one party and too often of both may displease grieve and in great Degrees quench the Holy Spirit in its donations as 1 Thes 5. 19. to one or both guilty parties And indeed this is another of those things that does more truly import Schism than external differences do when those that are truly Members of the same Body do deny to yeild to convey or to receive and give Circulation to the Communications of the Divine Spirit through the whole Body For thus men may become putrid gangren'd or mortified Members and so deserve to be cut off not for their different sentiments which ought to be tollerated but for that they will not Communicate or will not be Communicated with they will not give or receive the Gifts Christ hath given Ephes 4. 8. to men as they flow among all because of some things wherein they differ It is even a Schism from mankind a division from that not to receive those common Benefits of Reason from any that have had them and been willing to Communicate them the Scripture it self Communicates
fanciful Distinction of themselves under Christ as an ordinary Chief of a Party and not as the Divine Head of the whole Body in the Catholick Truth Even as he erred that vulgarly called Christ Good not knowing him to be God the Supremely Solely Good Quest Are they all true Converts that are of the Church Answ All that are indeed the Church are so but all that may appertain to the Church are not so as all that were of Israel were not Israel There is a visible Profession that is too often not sincere yet this makes Men Of or belonging to the Church but not truly The Church Many are so called that are not chosen But all that are truly The Church are also truly called and truly Converts not only outwardly and visibly the Church but inwardly and invisibly so too whose praise is not of Men but of God In the mean time they that are onely of the Visible Church have the Means of Grace and are not thrown out of that Register of God's People till the Final Judgment cuts them off A very great Benefit in it self Quest Is not the Church then so Catholick or General as the Profession of the True Religion is Answ The Catholickness of the Church as hath been often inculcated is its Union to God and Christ and that in sincerity As to the general Profession though the number of it be as the Sand of the Sea a Remnant only shall be saved For God will finish the Account and cut it short in Righteousness for a short work will the Lord make in the Visible Church There shall be an often eating or brousing it off a retrenching of it again and again it shall cast the Leaves of its meer Professors as the Teyle-tree or Oak when yet their Substance is in them the Holy Seed are the Substance of it Isa 6. ult not losing them it loses nothing Quest In what sense is it then said The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Answ It is undoubted none can fail while they are the Church while united to Truth to the God of Truth to Christ the Way the Truth and the Life It is also certain from this high Declaration there always shall be a Church in the World so united Hades or Mortality shall not prevail over it and how much farther it assures the Perseverance of those that are once truly the Church I leave the thing it self to speak It is said They that overcome ar Pillars that never go out of it and They that go out of it were not of it for if they had been indeed of it they would no doubt have continued with it And how the Church it self shall always continue if any True Member of it may perish is not easie to conceive Quest How is the Church ordained by God to actuate Scripture as it is the Record of Catholick Religion Answ The Apostle in his Noble Description of the Church hath laid the Foundations of our Instruction herein in those three Honourable Titles he hath given it 1. That it is the House of the Living God 2. That it is the Pillar of Truth 3. That it is the Ground of Truth Quest Before the Explanation of each of these Titles in the first place I desire it may be determined whether these things are spoken of the Catholick or of a Particular Church the Particular Church of Ephesus Answ Although I have already affirmed That the Catholick Church differs from a Particular True Church only in the Compass and Comprehensiveness of it yet I very willingly represent it over again in this Instance These things are truly applied to the Catholick Church to the Particular Church of Ephesus to every Particular Church nay it reaches down to every single living Member of the Church so far that God makes his abode with him dwells in him he is a Pillar in the House of God the Truth rests and dwells in him and shall be with him for ever so that he is a Ground of Truth and hath more of the Church in him than greater seeming Portions of it that erre from the Truth Quest If you please now to proceed in the Explanation of these Titles and first What is the Importance of the Churches being the House of God for the actuating the Scripture Answ God the most High Possessour and Owner of Heaven and Earth places his Court Family and particular Residence where he pleases and he hath chosen the Church to be this to him This is my Rest here will I dwell for ever for I have desired it Heaven is my Throne Earth is my Footstool where is the House you will build me To this Man will I look that trembles at my Word And where God dwells there he manifests himself As a Master of a Family makes known in his House and Family his Nature Will Laws and Government so God does in his Church In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel In his Church he shews the Light of his Countenance expects and rewards Services as a Great Master and makes known his Dislikes and Displeasure This is brought to pass in the Church by those many Ways that God hath of bringing his Word to any Places or Persons giving it Reception among them and then stirring up his Children and Servants to hear his Voice to search his Mind and Will and to understand it so that it is as a Voice continually behind them In his Temple therefore in his House every one must needs speak of his Glory His Word cannot lie still for all are concerned to meditate ponder inquire and discourse of it and are by Supreme Management excited so to do and so much as this Exercise in his Word is by any means depressed so far God is withdrawn and the Excellency of the Church-state lost Now of the Church being the House of God there was this great Type God dwelt in the Temple at Jerusalem as in a Palace there was such a Diet of Shew-bread changed every day of Sacrifices of all sorts such Perfumes of Incense and Odours such Officers and Servants attending continually such Resorts of the whole Body of the People to the Court of this Great King and Princely Housholder Together with this State runs along in a mighty Stream Gods shewing his Word to Jacob his Statutes and Judgments to Israel In the New Testament the Pomp and Ceremonial Part is wholly transferred into Spirituality but Spirituality is not lower but higher in the Substance of all that could be figured by these things and the substantial part of that State the Communication of the Word of God is much exalted in the true Christian Church that the Light of One Day is now as much as the Light of Seven was before Thus the Church as the Family of God cannot but actuate his Word Quest What is the meaning of the Church being the Pillar of Truth Does the Church support Truth Answ Not so for it self is built upon the
THE PRINCIPLES OF PROTESTANT Truth and Peace IN FOUR TREATISES VIZ. The TRUE STATE of LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE In Freedom from Penal Laws and Church-Censures The OBLIGATIONS to NATIONAL TRUE RELIGION THE NATURE of SCANDAL Particularly as it relates to Indifferent Things A CATHOLICK CATECHISM Shewing the True Grounds upon which the Catholick Religion is ascertained Zech. 8. 19. Love the Truth and Peace By THO. BEVERLEY Rector of Lilley in Hertfordshire LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst and Will. Miller at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside and the Acorn in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. To the Reader I Have very sadly observed the great distress of Humane Affairs through miscarriages every way in point of Religion For while the Powers of this world and Ecclesiastick Jurisdictions take it for their Right to impose by severe Penalties and dreadful Censures what they think fit under so great a name they yet neither can assure any one they are not or do not use to be mistaken in their recommendations or that all their Authority or Power shall excuse and acquit those that obey them when they appear before Gods Tribunal so that it is impossible the Judgment or Conscience should have any repose here On the other side some not only out of Recoyl for self-preservation or out of design but from Furious Wild Principles have broken out into publick disturbance to make room for what they have proclaim'd as the Kingdom of God and Christ to the great scandal of True Religion the imbrewing their hands very horridly in Blood and the seeming Justification of utmost Rigors against any pretences of Religion except according to Law Besides all this private Feuds and Animosities vehement and angry disputes are every where clamorous and people hereupon in great Amuse what they should believe or do Now since there is no doubt all these evils are foreseen by God there is as little doubt that there are sure Remedies provided against them I have then upon the whole this account to give the Reader That the observation of so many Counter-Cries of Opinion such great Exasperations in mens Affections such Complaints of oppression of Conscience by undue Laws such Recriminations of Faction Sedition Fanaticism not only among Christians but among Protestant Christians and of the same Common National Interest mov'd me to seek Retirement to some Rock of Certainty that I might be at perfect Peace upon in full satisfaction of Judgment and composure of Affection and having found Natural Religion as certain as our Faculties and Fundamental Christianity in most things of the same immediate certainty as Natural in all things after due exploration of the same final certainty I am so far at Peace in my Judgment as to have no doubt WHAT IS TRVTH in relation to Eternal Happiness if ten thousand more of Opinions encompassed me round about so far at Peace in my Affections as not to be in Commotion with any man that gives Testimony to Christian Charity that he is a strict observer of Natural Religion and Fundamental Christianity one Essential Rule of both which is Love Peace and Mercy to all that are centred in this Natural Christian Religion though they may adjoyn or refuse some Eccentrick Placits that do not harm the Foundation Lastly I am assur'd this very Natural Religion espoused by Christianity well considered and observed would disarm the world of those Instruments of Cruelty in the Cause of Religion so extreamly abhored by it whether used by angry supreme Powers or unjustly taken up by Seditious Ambitious or Fanatick Subjects Which Cruelty men are sain to borrow from wild Beasts no such being given by the Gracious Author of all things to so excellent a Nature as he made the Humane and therefore most certainly not by the Redeemer nor his Religion who came to fill the world with Innocency Goodness and Peace after so great an Invasion of Barbarity and Cruelty Now having found this satisfaction my self I make offer of it if it may be the same to others asking only Candid Interpretation in particular management the main Principle being above the need of pardon or the Fear of Indignation Although the Discourse being intended much shorter is not distinguished in the Body of it into Chapters or otherwise yet that the Reader may have a guidance into the main Designs of it I have prefixed this Summary of Heads of Discourse following each other The Contents THE Introduction Explaining the Text and shewing the merciful Design of Christianity against contrary appearances The always present way of determining Doubts in Religion 1. to 8. Of Natural Religion as sure as our Faculties and the Examination of Things by it 10. to 26. Of Natural-Religion united by Christian Religion to and with it self as the only Assurance and Test of Revealed Religion and of the little value of Ceremonies in Religion either Natural or Christian 27. to 45. Of Natural Religion the only standard of Humane Paenal Laws in Religion 45. to 79. Of the great use of Natural Religion in composing and deciding Differences in Christian Religion applied to some of the greatest Controversies in it 80 82. Of the first Principle of Peace in Christianity it self The important Honourable Business given as one Rule to walk by wherein it engages all its Disciples several ways producing peace 88 to 94. Of the grand Principles of the Vnion of Christians into one Body on which love and peace are infallibly to ensue 95 to 99. Of Heresie and the nature of it cutting off from that Vnion exemplified in Popery and whether the Roman Society be a True Church Of Schism and its nature as it cuts off from the Body of Christ 99 to 110. Of the Laws for Christians being imbodied in a Catholick Church in particular Congregations or Churches and the Order of Both to National Christian Constitutions Of the great value the word of God gives to Publick National Religion requiring our utmost attemperation of our selves to it consistently with conscience Of the Peace of Christianity in relation to the Ministerial presidency of it in relation to Magistracy to Vniversal Goodness 121 to 127. A Lamentation over the World's unhappiness in relation to so excellent a thing as Religion and Christian Religion 127. An Offerture for the Amicable Return of all Protestants one to another within our English Nation and the Methods of it 136. ERRATA PAGE 2 l. 28. r. action p. 7. l. 25. for thus r. that p. 17 l. 17. blot them p. 23 l. 1 for them r. that l. 5. for it self r. themselves p. 27. l. 32. r. appellation p. 91. l. 37. for they r. that p. 109. l. 7. blot why l. 10. blot who being p. 1220 Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 141. l. 7. r. done ISA. XI 6 7 8 9. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them And
the greatest ends and therefore might command what he pleased He therefore added often to such precepts I am the Lord whose Authority could not be disputed whose Benediction could not be deniâ—d or suspected Thus the waters of Jordan were better than 2 Kings 5. 12. Joh. 9. 11. all the Syrian Rivers The clay and spittle and washing in Siloam beyond the most excellent natural Application 2. And yet as if Omnipotency it self could not make them or did not care to make them of any great value they are often exceedingly despised and set at nought of God himself when considered as separated from Divine Blessing Isa 1. 10. 66. 3. and Grace and from moral Obedience and subjection to God 3. They are argued to be childish and low things yea Gal. 4. 3 9. Heb 9. poor and beggarly that there was a necessity they should vanish at a time of Reformation that the servants of God were under them as being under Age that a more manly and excellent state of Religion was to be brought in and did actually come in with the great Doctrine of the Son of God and the superintendency of the Holy Spirit So that it is admirable whence it should proceed that the Christian Church should dote so much and be so languishingly sick after Ceremonies And whereas it is pretended Religious Action looks bare and naked and unadorned when not shaded and graced and covered with Rituals They are only weak and feminine minds that think so The natural Decency Humanity necessarily chuses the National Decency proper to particular Regions and Climates with the weightiness of Religious Actions themselves are sufficient grace and solemnity to them more either obscures or disfigures them into Antickness Phantastry Art or Superstitiousness And therefore indeed much of this sort hath proceeded from the wanton and lascivious imagination of men not loving the chast and pure Worship of God and with holy minds embracing Truth and the Divine excellency of it From whence hath always proceeded much of Division and Feud every one endeavouring to obtrude the Creature of his own fancy in Religion which having nothing of reason to bear it self upon displeases others as much as it pleases himself and must therefore be imperiously enforc'd and if power go along with the Imposition obedience to it is extorted by mulcts and imprisonment and often with cruelty and blood And so much the more that the minds of men impal'd in the love and doâ—age on Ceremonies grow narrow slavish void of the love of God and the generosity of true Religion and from thence easily fall into a self-will'd rigid austere revengeful spirit but the sincere Religion is noble free large merciful and most compassionate So that besides the intrinsick worth the purity and spirituality of a Religion free from Ceremonies it is a great security to peace and quiet True Natural Religion being tyded along by Reason into mens minds enters with much more insinuation and persuasiveness having an interest before-hand renders mens temper more sweet and benign Or if not receiv'd being truly and substantially good deserves punishment proportionable to the offence without any just imputation of unmercifulness For the offence against Natural Religion must be perfect Immorality 2. I come therefore to consummate all in the full agreement of Christian Religion in the revealed parts of it with Natural and I confess it is hard to receive some parts of Christianity naked and unguarded torn off from the rest As a limb by it self cut off from the body is another thing than as it is in the body so is it to run away with this That the Christians worship a God crucified that died as a malefactor that was a Carpenter that liv'd poor in the world and despis'd without observing the whole train and connexion of things the several great instances of Divinely Rational Account for it as it stands in the whole body of Christianity But when we consider in it the most indisputable rules of all Goodness as I have before at large set down the presence of Divine Power in Miracles that we have an inward sense of as Divine both which stand as it were at the gates of wisdom drawing and inviting in minds to behold the inward frame and contrivance and when the correspondency symmetry substance solidity beauty purity of all within is seen then is there sufficient satisfaction against and resolution of former doubts To him that patiently considers the great reasons of things as they stand in Gods Justice it will appear why Humane nature so laps'd so peccant and guilty should be att on'd by a sacrifice offer'd up in that Humane nature wherein obedience to the Divine Holiness should be exemplified in the profoundest submission to increated will and pleasure and in the greatest experiment of it Self-evacuation and even annihilation and beyond this unexpressible sufferings that there might be a compensation to that Justice of God as the great Governour and Legislator offended by sin seeing suffering and punishment follow upon sin and guilt and that this should be performed tho in Humane nature yet by a person who thought it no robbery to be equal with God even the Son of God and that hereby all sensual Phil. 2. 6. worldly glory the great temptation to sin should be slighted turn'd out of its Grandeur and high pretensions in the world and Intellectual Spiritual Heavenly Eternal Glory advanced and prefer'd to its own excellency and esteem by the Saviour of the world who hath therefore brought in all that lively Doctrine of patience under sufferings mortification self-denial contempt of this life so feebly manag'd by Morality in comparison of this as at the same time to shew it not unknown to nature and yet much eclipâ—'d He that seriously looks upon things thus and beholds them with the severest eye of Reason will find that which will indeed perfect and accomplish his Reason and engage it to worship and throw its Crown at the foot of Infinite Wisdom and Grace but nothing to despise nothing to disdain only to be astonished with the Infinite love and condescention of Divine Goodness which yet is like Infinity so to shew it self But that this Particular may be better understood let the Excellency of Christian Religion in its Revelations be discoursed upon these avowed declared and most undoubted Principles in respect to Natural Religion in these three Points 1. That the raising up Natural Religion to its true primitive excellency is one great part of Christian Revelation viz. to settle the true Notions of God and his Attributes the true love fear of delight in desire after God resignation and obedience to him the truly generous kinds of Righteousness love mercy compassion to men the unspotted temperance sobriety purity in a mans self the right Principles Motives Rules and Ends of all these the full-spread Doctrine of Immortality and Eternal Life of pardon of Sin and mercy to Repentants of Repentance it self and
could not contradict it self No dream wonder or praediction however fulfilled was Authentick enough to draw the Jews from the true God that Deut. 13. 1. had so supremely demonstrated himself to them nor might any Angel or Spirit that is Immediate Inspiration or Doctrine given by it seduce them from Christ so evidently seal'd to them in the New by God the Father and therefore Gal. 6. 27. all pretensions to the contrary how high soever are to be rejected with detestation They knew All that endeavoured it must know themselves deceivers the greatest crime against Natural Religion and indeed none so subject to Humane Inquiry to their detection or severity when detected as Impostors pretending Divine Revelation Nor to their most Authoritative restraints and repressions as the wild Enthusiast though with more mercy because he is himself so greatly deceiv'd and deluded And next to these an Apostate from Christianity can hardly if at all give such an account of himself to Christian Powers as should clear him from being a most hainous offender against Natural Religion The sum then is this He to whom Christianity is propos'd as faithful and worthy of all acceptation with such assurances of it from Natural Religion and its own evidences as are sufficient to draw any man intelligent and conscientious to it and yet rejects and refuses him that speaks from Heaven to him is to be delivered over to the Judgment of God who will judg the secrets of all hearts by that very Gospel of Truth Rom. 2. 16. He that apostatizes from it when he hath once received it may be justly call'd to the most strict account by Christian Magistrates and as they find reason further censur'd or punish'd it being ordinarily impossible there should be such an Apostate from so excellent a Religion once tasted but with greatest violation of Natural Religion and Conscience he that pretends Divine Revelation against that which hath so ample a pattent from Heaven may most righteously be first discover'd expos'd and after dealt with as the most flagitious self-guilty Deceiver by Christian Rulers who are the Ministers of divine vengâ—â—â—â—e in such cases and Rom. 13. 4. by private Christians for his natural evil works cast out of their whole Society Religious or Civil except he appear an Enthusiastick Phrenetick who in pity to him is to be shut up in a Bethlehem from doing so great injury to himself and others And thus I have finish'd the first Argument concerning the acceptableness of Natural Religion to God our Saviour guiding my self in it by this Rule Viz. The most comprehensive Religion in charity to others while we keep to main foundations in our charity and to the purest strictest Rules in our selves we can attain to is certainly the best and most like that one God and one Mediator the common bosom of love peace hope rest The 2. Arg. Proving Natural Religion is fit to be the center Arg. 2 of common peace and agreement in Religion is this There is an Vniversal Code of Natural Religion of which every man hath a part for himself so that we may all appeal one to another as it were to page and line whether it be not so written in that book of the Law within us Whether such a thing be not our duty and whether we have not sin'd in doing contrary And indeed thus to do is the universal usage of men in all their debates one with another As face answers to face in water so the heart of man to man in this Natural Religion as the parts of Humane body agree in all men so do these proportions and lineaments of souls We may with greater certainty solicite men upon these Principles than evil men tempt one another upon common depravation For corruption though all one in the fountain yet lyes in more several veins than these laws of natural Conscience so that men may be miss'd by those that tempt them out of their proper inclinations to evils as hitt in the wrong vein But there are none of these lines of natural Conscience wanting in any man nor an aptness to be mov'd in them if searcht to the quick they will feel it to conviction though too often not to conversion The Apostle in preaching to Faelix struck him in the Sentiments of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come as in master-veins and knew he must take place as it prov'd in his trembling So in his Discourse Act. 17. he fell upon that universal sense of a Divine Being and his excellent Nature of which he was sure there was a counter-part within them He did not first preach Christ to them a point without them but getting within them in natural Principles he assayed by the continuity and similarness of the one with the other to intwine as with admirable artifice he does those Natural Principles with Christianity Our Saviour indeed dealt with the Jews in more absolute and positive terms because natural conscience lay higher and nearer to supernatural instructions by their acquaintance and familiarity with the Oracles of God committed to them But in dealing with those that had not those Revelations the Prophets and Apostles center their Applications to them in this Vniversal Religion and with great reason and expectation of success As Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar I counsel thee to break off thy sins by righteousness and by shewing mercy to the Dan. 4. 27 poor if it may be a lengthning of thy tranquillity This was Natural Doctrine and fit to be addressed to a Prince never so much a stranger to Divine Revelation For this is a Religion known to all the world and therefore that in which all may most reasonably unite This is that a Magistrate may with greatest Authority demand conformity to of his subjects and they oblig'd to obey as the King of Niniveh most justly enjoin'd publick Joâ— 3. 7. Humiliation and repentance in the case of so great and iminent Judgment For every Magistrate is suppos'd as a Magistrate to have good knowledg of this Law of which he as a man hath a copy as the Kings of Israel had of the revealed Law and in which as they in that he ought to be conversant that he may be just that ruleth over men ruling in the fear of 2 Sam. 23. 3. God Of this also every subject hath a copy that he may know his duty and observe it Hence therefore Vniversal conformity is an unquestionable obligation when he that commands and they who are to obey have both the same just weights and measures committed to them one in order to Rule and Government the other in order to Obedience and Subjection such as cannot disagree no more than sealed weights and measures in general Traffick and which each have a standard of and may except inexcusable ignorance negligence or injustice be in the fault have an immediate recourse to But beyond this what of Compulsion there can be I do not understand Every Revelation is received
before God from the guilt and destruction of those that may be yet heinously guilty before God as Jonah's Mariners did from the Blood of that Prophet consigned over to the Sea by his own Sentence Oh Lord lay not this mans blood to our charge who have Jon. 1. 14 done all it pleased thee to command us When Soveraigns and Nations have considered the Wisdom Rationality and Heavenliness of Proposals in Religion and setled upon what they find of the highest Character as the Religion of their Nation by Law to be established to which they allow the encouragement of their publick Honours and Maintanance and taken care for the propagation of it by Instructions Arguments Reasons and good Examples they have done all that God expects from them to do and so have delivered their own souls That which was of their free judgment and arbitrement as proper to them as to families and persons to dispose of their own they have placed as they thought upon due consideration most to the glory of God and the good of the people but to deprive men of their native rights or to punish them in their Persons or Estates who are not Offenders against Natural Religion for the sentiments of their minds of which they have only a humane judgment is not a Power wherewith they think themselves invested of God and so forbear it This is indeed the Religion of a Nation of Men a Nation of Christians a Vertuous an Honourable Government and more hopeful to propagate true Christianity than that which writes its Laws in Blood And this is to Rule over men and not over Beasts bound up as men should be with the cords of a man in Natural Religion in what is beyond that as revealed from God with Bands of Love to serve the Publick Blessed are the people who are in such a case blessed is that people whose God is thus the Lord Jehovah Object 2. What Peace can there be in the world amongst private and particular persons while there are several opinions in Religion how many Disputes and Calumnies and Invectives are continually flying up and down by reason of differences in Religion and how much better are all compelled into Vnion Answer All these evils are but so many Arguments of depraved Nature which creates its own occasions out of every thing and if the mischiefs of Compulsion or the ill state even of those parts of thâ— world where the voice of Religion is all one laâ—â—â—â—ge were cast up I doubt they would be found to ballance the worst that can be charged on differences in Religion But yet Natural Religion and most evidently Christian Religion is most severe and positive against all Strife Envy Railings evil Surmisings and bends men upon Peace Love Meâ—kness Quietness Charity towards all men and especially Christians as is after to be shâ—wn and therefore undoubtedly those evil effects where they grow to excess may be restrained by Civil Magistracy as in any other case and the rather that True Religion so much disowning them they are more inexcusable in that cause than any other for though we find Scripture severe in its language in great cases as St. Paul against the Bigots of the Law yet we must also consider the Infallible Spirit that guided Sacred Writers who alone knows how to direct those sharp arrows and what effect they shall take Object 3. This clips off the Royalty and Prerogative of Princes if they have not the command of mens Sentiments or at least of their outward Actions and Practises in Religion Ans The unjust Enlargements of Earthly Power into the Divine Sanctuary hath been always fatal to Princes Vzziah's rude entrances into it were punished by God with infamous Leprosy Herods Letting that sacrilegious acclamation It is 1 Chron. 28. 18 19. Act. 12. 22 23 the voice of a God not of a man sink into him was presently reveng'd with a dreadful hand of Judgment Humane Power is safest keeping it self within the verge of Divine Institution beyond that though it may seem greater yet it becomes only like a swelling wall the bigger it is the more ready to fall or a tottering Fence expatiating to ruine Their Honour is great in being nursing-Fathers if God had intended Civil Magistracy to govern in any Religion but Natural they should have had as certain Rules to act by as they have in Natural Religion Besides what is the good of being great Masters in Religion except in that wherein God hath shewed every man what is good seeing the greater Judgment waits for such Thus the Apostle James James 3. 1. My brethren be not many masters imposers or prescribers in Religion that is do not affect it knowing we shall receive a greater Judgment Object 4. But it is impossible to govern with any security if Governours hold not the Reins of mens Consciences if they have not the Rule of that Helm that turns about so great Bodies of people which way soever they that have that Pylotry please with what vigor and courage are men animated while the Principles and Rewards of Religion are in their hearts and eyes If therefore the Prince rules not in these his Command is but Cypher Answer 1. Religion is too great and noble a thing to be but an Expedient of Government 2. The History of Christianity assures us no Princes have had more obedient Subjects a more valiant Souldiery than Heathen Princes of Christians True Religion knows its obligation to Government and pursues the Laws of it though that Government hath stood distinct from that True Religion And this is the standing-Rule of Christians Object 5. But what Tumults Factions Seditions have been rais'd under Religious pretences when Subjects have not yielded themselves to the Empire of Princes in Religion Answ These evils as they are falsely pretended by men of turbulency to be for the service of Religion so they are unjustly charg'd upon it There can be therefore no severity too great upon those that so abuse so excellent a thing But the sâ—mâ— care that secures against ambition sedition rebellion in one shape will do it in another without taking away lawful liberties Nor is there any remedy so specifick against the great Hypocrisie of covering Rebellion with Religion Faction with Faith as the severest Regiment of men according to the indisputable Laws of Natural Religion and allowance of the greatest Tolleration in what no way contradicts that For then is the artifice strongest when it is planted in the oppression of mens consciences so great an illegality against Natural Principles Take away severe Impositions and what have such Politicians to work upon Object 6. But what a Hydra a many-headed Monster of Opinions will Religion become by such a Toleration Answ 1. Severe Natural Religion enforc'd and strictly pursued will so rebate mens corruptions besides the hopes and expectations of Divine Blâ—ssing accompanying so vertuous a Government that there will be a much greater retrenchment of Opinions than can be
new creature to delight to glory in the flesh in the outward conformity of their Proselytes He observed the great Bait of Ceremonial Religion was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set a good face on things how mean sovever as idolaters carve and guild a Post Glory in appearance though without true satisaction to the heart or conscience makes Spiritual Religion look like nothing but to the true Christian who knows the Gospel so Divine and Spiritual a thing a fleshly Religion is out of date A new Creation in the soul of a Christian and that exemplified in a life of excellent Holiness substantial Goodness and Purity planted in the Faith of Christ Jesus is of the only avail in this Profession and he that makes Circumcision any thing separated from this or if he shall fly over to the other extream to make any thing of Vncircumcision as if they might attone for the want of a new creature as a more perfect remove from Judaism and consigning a mans self over to Christianity both are alike mistaken in the Doctrine of Christ who values only this new creature And as many as walk by this rule viz. a making the new creature in Christ All and every thing else Nothing and who act according to it the peace and mercy of God and Christ and all true Christians be upon them for they are the true Israel of God And so it is plain If any man makes the other side of a Ceremony the not observing it a point of Real Substantial Religion to him is afraid of it and values that fear as a fear of God without the more intrinsick parts and effects of that Fear he errs from Christianity as the Bigot for Ceremonies does But this does not imply every one that preserves and will not recede from his liberty though he knows the true use and disuse of all things indifferent yet will not be ceremonially bound by any on earth is presently afraid of a Ceremony or that he is so because he will not set it too near Divine Institutions in his practise or incumber his worship of God with it though it be told him never so often There is no Religion in the Imposition but Order Decency or Submission to Government All this does not argue he makes it a point of Substantial Religion not to endure Ceremonies which he esteems himself neither the better nor the worse but places all in Christ and the New Creature to commend him to God Thus we have the First and very Deepest Foundation for True Christian Peace lying in the absolute substantialness of the Religion of Jesus Christ substantially good even as the Eternal Laws of Goodness and perfecting the soul of man into them and the enjoyment of God in them and the Heart and Life stretched out in the utmost pursuit with the same intensness that men strive for masteries and taking nothing ceremonial into any degree of this value if into any at all as the full-grown Christian does not This is the True Rule of Christianity And this Rule even as to that to the Galatians and to the Philippians is one and the same Rule and given into every Christians hand to judg and walk by with this Inscription upon it Whoever lives and acts by this same Rule though he may require toleration in some things that God may in time reveal to him yet he is together with all Christians the Israel of God built as a City compact together at unity and at peace with it self And who that looks upon Christianity and this Rule of it can but be amaz'd Essential Christianity should not draw up the intire Love and Zeal of Christians to it so that they should only provoke one another to love and good works and so value one another in it as to be united and reconciled above and beyond all other Bitterness Now this first Head I have been insisting upon is that in which Christians have all one judgment and speaks one and the same thing and so admits not the least variation Here all the lines of Christian Revealed Religion meet no Fundamental point that is not included in this Rule For He to whose Image there must be such a conformity must be the Son of God He that was crucified must be man All purity from sin and vigor of the Divine Life must be found where there is the power of his death and resurrection The whole glory of self-confidence self-righteousness worldly pomp and vanity must be crucified where there is the fellowship of his sufferings where the glory is only in his cross where the world is crucified to a man and a man to the world where there is a reaching forth to the utmost to attain the resurrection of the dead and a pressing forward for the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ there must be the Doctrine of Eternal life in his resurrection lye treasured all the glories of the future state and where these things are urg'd as under so great necessity there must be an extremity of evils on the other side signifying the wrath to come They then that are agreed here may well tolerate one another in lesser differences while these things are not subverted over-pressed or defeated by other additions This then may well be accounted the first ground of peace so great a Doctrine that is according to Tit. 1. 1. Godliness 2. The second Head under which may be discoursed the Efficacy of True Christian Religion to Peace is That in Christianity there is an uniting spirit of Love flowing from those several points of Union wherein Christians are closely one with another conjoyned and compacted and so acquiesce in a truly Divine Peace For the principal internal tye of Union is that one spirit this one spirit conveys it self and runs through the whole body of all Christians in Love and so in Peace For Love is the Bond of Perfectness that is of the integrity of this whole body for so I should choose to expound Col. 3. 14. that Perfectness because the Apostle had been exhorting to all those Graces that do most conserve the Union of the body bowels of Mercy Goodness Humbleness Meekness Patience forbearance one of another forgiveness v. 13. one of another if any one have a quarrel against another even as Christ forgave but above all saith the Apostle put on Love which is the bond of perfectness and let the Peace of God rule in your hearts unto which ye are called in one body So here is the Love that is the Bond of the Integrity of the body and the Peace consequent upon it unto which Christians are called in one body and both of them guarded with all those uniting healing Vertues of Christianity wherein that Love and Peace are most cherish'd conserv'd and secur'd Peace it self is the Bond of that Vnity of the Spirit that is of that real effective Union the Spirit accomplishes by vertue of which the parts all rest
in strict combination one with nother this Peace is the close rest of the parts by which every one adheres with greatest kindness to each other and desire of self-preservation in the preservation of the whole and so all the parts seek the commodious situation each of other and abhor the disturbance the disease of any And because this Peace cannot procure or conserve it self seeing it is not a dull sluggish Rest but in the midst of Motion and Action Love is as I may call it the Divine Archeus that Divine Spirit of Nature the great Instrument of the Holy Spirit the supreme Author of this Love and Peace And Love runs every way pries into all the causes of Division and removes them sees into all the ways of conciliating and effectually pursues them This is that Love that edifies the body it takes off all the asperities and roughness of the parts those particular sharp angularities of Opinion reduces them to a square to a Figure fitted one to another and then cements and ties them one to another till they grow into a spiritual Temple What incomparable Virtues to this purpose does the Apostle at large and with greatest speciality express in that Divine Treatise of Love 1 Cor. 13. All knowledg without 1 Cor. 8. 1. this is nothing of what sort soever it be That only puffs up and swells men as if they themselves were All as if they could themselves be an Intire Temple a Spiritual Building alone the understanding all Mysteries it makes a man look to himself like the whole Body of Christ or at least as if he were to determine the posture and figure of the whole and all the other parts to obey and be contented with the room he leaves We know this is the general temper of Opinion the product of Knowledg without Love Knowledg therefore alone cannot build Airy Knowledg is big boisterous angry if it be not admir'd if it be not venerated so as to take up what space it pleases to order as it pleases Even the following of the Truth the earnest search after and Eph. 4. 15. pursuit of what is True a much more excellent thing than meer Knowledg yet if this be not in love there cannot be a growing up into the Head in all things even Christ Love then is that which takes care of all the members of all the lively stones how they may all most comply with and advance each other and rest in their peaceable conformity one with another and sweetest application one to another even while they are in a most intense Christian motion like the Heavenly bodies so harmonious so at peace in all their activity that there is in this true sense The sweet musick of the spheres so it should be so it is in true Christianity in all its motions govern'd by love how various soever in other respects yet they are all melodious because they are all in peace how different in lesser things soever Now this Love and Peace are spiritual and intellectual and they therefore are fix'd upon a complication of spiritual intellectual Centers if I may so express them all the Right True Lines from which and returns to which are in Love and Peace And these are those several points of union the Apostle hath laid together Ephes 4. 4 5 6. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All. 1. One Body Even the whole Society of Christians dispersed throughout all the world and united so as to make up this one Body and that by virtue of the second point of union that follows 2. One Spirit One Divine Spirit Author of the same Spirit of Holiness and Grace within Christians informing every Christian and making them All of the same Christianity as the soul in men makes them All of the same Rationality This is the one Spirit into which All are made to drink and so are this one body for without this they would be indeed but as so many single stones or scattered parts else too their union were no other than dull and stupid but now all the parts feel throughout in this Center of one Spirit 3. One Hope of our Calling The same Heaven and Eternal Happiness Mansions of this same House of our Father is the one hope of Christians unto which the Gospel alike calls them They then who are to meet together in the same Eternal Blessedness and to be one general Assembly and Church of the first born for ever with what unconcernedness in little trifles should they aspire to that Glory together with unexpressible indearedness of Love and Peace 4. One Lord even Jesus Christ instead of the Lords many is the One Lord to Christians by whom are all things Rom. 11. 18. and they by him they therefore who subsist and are borne upon the Root as branches of the one Vine must not boast 1 Cor. 8. 6. against the Branches for they bear not the Root but the Root them the worshipping of one True Supreme Lord how 1 Cor. 8. 6. much a stronger tye of Union than a precarious visible but visible Apostate head If one Earthly Prince be such a band of Union how much more one King of kings and Lord of lords they are to be forgiven every thing conceded every thing who sincerely worship this one Lord every thing that can possibly consist with their sincere acknowledgment of him 5. One Faith the Principles of Revealed Religion which they believe even the substantial Principles as I nam'd them in the last Head are one and the same and therefore a solid band of Agreement and it is the same Living and like Precious Saving Act of their Souls wherewith 2 Pet. 1. 1. they believe these alike Precious Principles Faith that worketh by Love Love to God and Love to all Christians Gal. 5. 6. Love is the very natural Breath of that life of Faith 6. One Baptism One open Profession and Confession of Faith Christians make to Salvation with one Mind and one Mouth from under one end of Heaven to the other generally seal'd with the same Sacramental Rites Baptism comprehending all the instituted Rites of Christianity a voice of Confession as the voice of Thunder so high as to still and quiet all the small murmurs and jars of Division Rites so solemn and great as to make void and vain all other Ceremonies as notes of Distinction 7. One God and Father of All who is above All through 1 Cor. 8. 6. All in you All To us Christians there is one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him This grand Uniting Principle of Natural Religion is more nearly condescended to us in Christianity and the Bounties of the Creator in and through the Redeemer flow with an Infinite Redundancy in and through and over All
Truth out of which Christianity rises the Twelve Apostolick Foundations upon which the Church of Christ ascends sets up its Odd uneven unequal Antichristianism part Christian part Pagan part true part false And this is all the care we need take for the Body of the Roman Church it is not the Body of Christ it is not of the Heb. 12. 23. general Assembly and Church of the first-born written in Heaven It deserves not that love and care due to â—he Body As it is so incorporated it is irreco cilable with the Body of Christ and ought to be so declar'd But there may lye hid numbers among them who like the seven thousand in the Israelitish Baalism who being ignorant of the depths of Satan in that false Religion to whom the Christianity that remains though blended with that corruption separates it self and as oyl rises uppermost to them To these we may allow the charitable hopes of Salvation not for their Popish tincture but for their Christianity For all that is Popish is their danger and their extreme danger It is the Christianity pure separated Christianity that is their only hope and it is only like the hope of an Antidote working in the midst of a great deal of Poyson Or like true Principles of Natural Religion in the midst of Paganism the event of either of which operations must as I have said before be left only to God In the mean time their damning all to Hell for Hereticks that are not of their Communion is but one of the Blasphemies of the Names of which they are full and makes no man among them the safer but his case becomes the more desperate that Protestancy argued from the very charity and compassion of it to be more infallibly the Religion of Christ allows all the compassionate hopes that can be to some who are in the midst of that contagion and yet may be preserv'd from the deadliness of it but cruel Popery as much as it is able prepares flames in this world and that which is to come for all that have not the faith of removing mountains not only of Improbability but even Impâ—ssibility that their monstrous Principles have rais'd and set in the way of Christian Communion with them And thus I have setled the second Head of Discourse concerning the efficacy of Christian Religion to peace That Divine Balsom of love running throughout the Body and particularly to the agrieved parts where there is an union upon the Fundamental Vnities of Christianity and so certainly preserves and secures Peace I come now to the Third Head of Christian Peace 3. The Rules Christianity gives the true Professors of it for the imbodying themselves one with another will shew how sincerely it designs peace For some may think if there be no obligation of mutual Conformity in particular societies of Christians how can there be any such Societies if there may be such Separations among Christians as that there be not requir'd a concurrence in all points of Doctrine Worship and Practise under peril of the dreadful sin of Schism Christianity will be like a general notion subsisting in no distinct particular bodies or like an universe of Atoms without any connexion and then how can they that have nothing to do one with another be at peace one with another If there be no associations of Christians no Churches particularly united and constituted there is no opportunity to practise that peace and submission to order which such Societies oblige to and which the Apostle rejoiced to behold in the Church of the Colossians If all the love and peace of Christians be only that which is extended to the Vniversal Col. 2. 5. Church or to Christians occasionally in particular every one having his own private apprehensions to himself then is there no room for this more distinct exercise of Love and Peace I shall therefore now address my self to consider the Laws of Christianity for Christians so imbodying themselves that they may display all the general vertues of Christianity in their particular stations in the Churches of Christ and so I shall lay down these three Rules concerning this very weighty Point 1. That the first Congregating of Christians is to Christ himself as to the Head in whom the whole Body is principally united and the Union with him is the Measure and true Law of their Union one with another as the Apostle joyns their Order and Faith in Christ together they give themselves first to the Lord and then to one another Col. 2. 5. This was the Apostles method to preach first Christ Jesus to be the Lord and themselves Servants for Christs sake All 2 Cor. 4. 5. Christians are first Converted to the Faith of Christ and so added to the Church Acts 2. 44 47. And this is most necessary to be considered because if the first gathering of Christians were to the Church the Order and Peace of that Church would be the Rule of all their after-Action and Regulation of themselves and they must take every thing on trust from that but if the first Point of Vnion be Christ and Faith in him that shall over-rule wherein soever a Church may deviate from the Laws of Christ 2. From hence also it follows that the Union of Christians is first with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general Assembly and Church of the first-born whose Constitution is fixed upon the Essential unalterable and ever the same Points of Christianity and the worship agreeable to them and in which all true Christians must concenter that they may be the Body of Christ. This is that Church against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail it shall never dye it shall never fail which yet we know may befall all particular Churches they have and perpetually may fail Mat. 16. 18. Now thus far I have already shown There is as firm a Foundation of Peace laid as the Understanding of man can conceive in this state of things here below in a degenerate world of humane nature 3. But besides this there are particular Assemblies that are nearer to Christians in particular and to which they ought to Unite as either having received the Profession of Christianity by their Ministry and so having been to them one of those Pillars to which the Christian Doctrine being affixed it hath offered it to all Comers and to them in particular Such Assemblies being a rest or repose â— Tim 3. 15. of Truth the Communication of it hath been made to all that have been near it and particularly to them whom we suppose ought to unite with them or it is the same thing if their Parents incorporated in such Churches and professing Christianity in Communion with them have directed their Education into the acknowledgment of Christ and the Profession of him together with the Christians of such or such a Congregation or that they themselves having considered the whole circumstances of their state in relation to
And I am sure this in all Justice Humanity and Reason tends to Peace for what can move to it more than a sole design of doing Good in them that are at the top and an evident Assurance to them that are below that that Good is offered to them and continually â—laborated for them what can more quiet and addulce mens Spirits than to see an inâ—ire Contrivance and Composure of all things to their Eterâ—â—l Salvation as the Apostle did all for the Elects sake that they might be saved 2 Tim. 2. 10. Such Ministerial Rulers are therefore the peculiar gift of Ephes 4. 11. Christ and speak the Magnificence of his Ascension They are given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying the body of Christ all great ends in a Christian computation and as there were then extraordinary qualifications immediately given by Christ so now there ought to be such in the ordinary methods of Divine blessing upon Reading Study Meditation to which they that desire to serve Christ in the Ministry are wholly to give themselves that their profiting may appear to all Church-preferments as we call them and Ecclesiastick Dignities are often otherwise bestowed and serve other ends and yet too very often the Donors design these excellent ends and when they are otherwise intended yet are in many instances over-rul'd by God into great subserviency to these ends by the excellent Abilities and Labours of Holy and Learned Ministers of Christianity But be those things as they are under human Dispose as they fall out the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his Great ones even his true Ministers And let him that calleth himself by great names in Christs Kingdom see that he make them good by his Service and Ministry Not by serving tables I understand any meaner service than feeding the sheep of Christ A prudent Governour for Church-Orders Rites and Ceremonies a great Improver of Church-Revenues however good they may be in their kind will not rise high enough nor answer the account Not a cunning Disputer a witty Haranguer but a Workman that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth is Christs Minister 5. In appendage to this Head follows the Fifth account of the Peaceable Intendment of Christianity to the world and that is The Method of Chastising Correcting and Reforming the known transgressions against the Laws of Christ and they so far as they are stated to the use of after-ages are according to the nature of the offence Admonitions Warnings Reproofs Rebukes Avoiding Rejecting from Communion esteeming as Heathens and Publicans casting out of the Church consignation over to Divine Judgment All these of a spiritual nature fitted to edification and not to destruction 2 Cor. 13. 10. to touch the Conscience to affect the Mind to work self reflection shame self-condemnation repentance and amendment or else Divine Judgment must be awaited It is the Rational as well as Christian Expedient of purging a Society from the scandal of offendors from Infection and Contagion of keeping it pure and honourable viz. to disavow them when gentler means are ineffectual It is a most natural Instrument for Reformation and Amendment and if it do not work so when upon just causes and by an unerring key is not only an appeal to Divine Judgment but a Predamnation I know it is debated by Learned men Whether the Apostolick 1 Cor. 4. 2 1. Rod and delivery to Satan did not operate by corporeal infliction as in Ananias and Sapphira and possibly in the Incestuous person in a lower degree I will however allow It did or might yet sith it was extraordinary it was immediately from heaven much more convictive of conscience than human processes wherein are often found much of mistake and injustice It was without noise or violence nor did it allow recrimination and complaint and therefore much more fit to go along with so spiritual Doctrine than Worldly Judicature and possibly necessary for primitive times to give authority to the Doctrine of Christ newly set out in the world So that still here 's none of that barbarous hurting or destroying in all Gods Holy Mountain and most probably the infliction fell upon those that were guilty of great offences against Natural Religion Acts 5. 1. Acts 13. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor. 12. 21. Chap. 13. 2. 1 Tim. 1. 20. as Ananias's falshood of the deepest dye Elymas his Sorcery the Incestuous Corinthian those that had not repented of their Fornication Lasciviousness and Vncleanness Hymeneus and Alexander who had put away a good conscience and then broke out into Blasphemy 6. The peacefulness of Christianity is most evidently seen in its deportment of it self towards Magistracy of which having spoken much in that which concerned Natural Religion taken into union with Christian I shall only present these following short mentions of particulars wherein Christianity manifestly designs Universal Peace under this Head 1. It every where confirms and assures the Divine ordination of it 2. It states its Power in inforcing all Natural Religion and Goodness In restraining all that is impious and evil 3. It craves nothing of it but to have Justice done it according to those sanctions nor prophecies any thing in the greatest outward happiness of Christianity but that Princes and Nations shall be sprinkled by it and Supreme Princes Isa 52. 15. become its Nursing-fathers 4. It enjoins upon all its servants and professors upon unjust sufferings to return nothing of violence but blessings and prayers for injuries and with patience to resign life it self 5. It interposes not in deciding the bounds between Princes and people but leaves that to Laws of Nature and particular Laws of Nations Compacts between one and the other neither straitning nor enlarging Prerogative neither swelling nor abating Power nor on the peoples side curtailing or stretching Liberty It leaves these things to be disputed in their own Forum to be debated in their own proper Senate For its own sake it moves no Land-marks either way It tears up no sences As it therefore is horrible injury ro Christianity to proclaim as some speak King Jesus to the disturbing Earthly Kingdoms when his Kingdom is not of this world So is it a huge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a grand extreme on the other side and inconsequence to argue from the Commands of Christians sufferings when Human Laws and Regular State-Constitutions adjudged them to such how unjustly soever then indeed no resistance is to be made for the sake of Christian Religion But it is vastly inconsequent to infer hence any man is bound by the Law of Christianity tamely to resign those Rights even those Religious Rights that are establish'd to him by the Fundamental Laws and Statutes of a Nation wherein the whole Power of Kingdoms and States Princes and People have concurr'd For Christian Religion as Christian Religion undermines no Laws whether for Princes
Scripture and Reason agreeable to it and deduced from it and herein being a Minister of God according to the National Religion Rom. 11. 13. I magnifie my Office To this purpose I will first consider of the Radical obligation we have to join our selves with others in the profession of Religion and Worship of God and how it rises from Personal Religion the Substratum or foundation of all and by what degrees it must and ought to rise and how it most rationally determines it self in National Religion It ought to attempt thus high and cannot successfully attempt higher in the way of Association to spread thus far and cannot expatiate to any purpose beyond it I shall therefore here give such Arguments for National Religion out of Scripture as it does not afford to any other figure of union in it In the first place therefore it necessarily must be suppos'd and granted That Personal Religion is the Fundamental Religion even as a Nation or even Universality of Humane Nature must become a notion without particular persons in whom all Communities subsist even so must National or Catholick Religion vanish into imagination if it were not sustained by particular and Personal piety Nations and Families calling upon God most necessarily imply and include the particular persons of each doing so And herein it is further considerable that every man is a compleat Being within himself that as it is said of him He is in his Soul and Body a little World within himself so he is a Kingdom a Society within himself and we may say in this sense He is a Church within himself also as Solomon calling himself Coheleth the Congregating Ecclesiastes or the Preaching soul in that great Treaty with himself suppos'd his soul a Congregation and a Preacher within and to it self first and then to the publick so ought every man to be to himself Here therefore is the first inviolable duty and obligation to Religion because a man can never be absent from himself and it is impossible for any force to surprize the passages of a soul to Heaven or to hinder the souls Congregating in Holy Meditations and Discourses within it self And as a man is thus consider'd he cannot nor ought to suffer himself to be impos'd upon or commanded without Divine Authority for as thus consider'd he cannot be forced by any and he is accountable Rom. 14. 4 12. countable only to God He stands or falls to his own Master Every one shall give account of himself to God which is one of the greatest Arguments the Apostle insists upon for mutual forbearance in disputable things in Religion every man on this account ought to be 1 Pet. 3. 15 able to render a reason of the hope that is in him to himself and others and not to rest in an implicite faith It will be no mans excuse he was led or commanded into a false Faith or Idolatrous worship Every man also upon this same account is bound to make confession Rom. 10. 10. with his mouth to salvation in his proper place and station and in a narrower sense yet a sense as large as his capacity and rank every true Christian is a Pillar and Ground of Truth that is Truth must 1 Tim. 3. 15. be setled and strongly seated in his soul and he must expose Truth and bear it out in Confession and holy practise and is himself a Temple or House of the living God where God will please to walk and dwell and therefore can be no way obliged to join with a Family or any sort of larger Community in a false Religion though he should stand alone in the true or should as Abraham forsake his People or his Fathers House to do it Yet notwithstanding this It is not good for a man to be alone Gen. 12. 1. Gen. 2. 18. though in true Religion if it can be otherwise he is made for Society and is as it were imperfect without it Herein he resembles God in some low degree in whose Image and likeness he is made God is an infinitely perfect Being in himself yet he hath pleased himself in communicativeness to all his Creatures and in the attraction of all in their several kinds especially Angels and Men to himself as if he was not satisfied in being holy in being happy alone Thus man though if he could not have society in True Religion he would be yet a complete and absolute Figure alone yet where and so far as he can have society in it he is so far from being complete alone that he must needs prove a Cypher a Nothing if he affected and coveted to be alone Whatever he has if he has not Love he is nothing God is Love and therefore rejoyces in communication from himself and with himself and so must so does every good man every holy man also If there be True Personal Religion there must be Religious Society for Man is made for Society and if he meets he must meet with that Religjous Sense he has upon himself with that I say he must meet with others which seems the absolute necessity of Religious Society For if a man meets with his own Religion others that have the same sense of Religion there arises a necessity of the Religion of all to meet together But further Man was made for Society and the first and supreme end of society as of all things is the glory of God and therefore society is in the first place bound to be Religious society Marriage the Root and beginning of society was that there might be a godly seed Mal. 2. 15. to sustain a Succession of Religion So society spreads on still that there might be Religious Societies As soon therefore as Seth the first Descendent from Adam in the holy Line had a Son born in the same Line it is recorded that Then Men began to call upon the Name of Jehovah that is most probably Adam and Seth took it as a just and necessary occasion not Gen. 4. ult only to set up a pillar of Thankfulness in seeing themselves the Progenitors of the blessed Seed but in the foresight of a holy society just ready to spring from their loyns they thought fit to promote Divine Worship into a publick State and certain Order and this I think the most agreeable Interpretation of that controverted place so that from the beginning of the world all along the History of True Religion in the Old and New Testament we shall find Religion contended into publickness and all the advantages of Humane Society Yea Humane Nature hath taken this so for granted that it is doubtful whether there ever was a society in the world politically united or not wholly barbarous but it was cemented in Religion though being so generally but false Religion it proved no better than Heathenism There may have been private Cabals of Atheism but there never was a publick Association against A God known and believed except
it becomes one great Family I know there may be some exceptions from this description of a Nation which will have their force upon National Religion also as it results from it For sometimes one Monarchy does as it were stride over more Nations sometimes one City or Free Town is distinguisht from the rest of the World by one Government one Civil Interest independent in its Government in its proper Interest upon any other Now in such a Monarchy as contains several People and Nations under it it does not properly give name to a National Religion while their Interests Laws Conversation and Civil Commerce are preserved and kept distinct as these are often allowed to be under some conquering Potentacy On the other side if a narrower compass of people than we properly call a Nation viz. a Region a Province a City hath its Interests its Laws its Government Conversation and Commerce intire to it self it is as to the purpose we are now upon as it were a Nation The sum then is this so far as Humane Society has drawn any People or Families into a close and more compacted state of Civil Interests necessitude one to another and Government running up to the highest point of Government in that compact state so far is the obligation of Union in publick Religion drawn upon them where these are freer that attendance to union in Religion is freer also any further than the common truth of Religion and the obligations of that bind even those at greatest distance and union one with another For thus Religion may and ought to unite all the true Professors of it at what remove soever from one another It may and ought also to pass upon whatever bond of union there is in the world but there is no such union as Laws Commerce Conversation common safety running all up to the supreme Government over that conjunction to graft Religion upon All else is but consent in the same unity of one God one Lord one Spirit one Faith one Baptism which make the Catholick Church one Body and joining with one another presentially in the same acknowledgments of God when a concurrence of all things necessary happens to fall out as cannot be supposed frequent in parts remote one from another and of a divers lip or language The Catholick Church is indeed united as Humane nature is in one and the same true Reason and thereupon a readiness of wise and learned men to correspond one with another at a distance or confer one with another if at any time suitable concurrences favour it or as the world much more the Catholick Church is a Temple built to the Glory of the Creator and Redeemer wherein all good men meet from one end of the Heaven to the other in the unity of the same Spirit and in the same kind of worship and if opportunity allowed in the same actual worship The nearer therefore any parts of the Catholick Church are by the Neighbourhood of Nations by the frequency of Traffick the neareâ— the more frequent the correspondencies are the mutual assistance may and ought to be But now in the Dependencies and Interweavings of all Civil Interests in Nations there are not only those voluntary and contingent correspondencies but such as first grow out of the nature of Humane Society and bind of themselves to common true Religion and then have the favour encouragements directions obligations of Laws and Authority running like the same spirit into all the several parts of a Nation and recommending that National true Religion as it stands in this Union that is first commanded by God besides much more free ordinary Actual Meetings in one and the very same place and Acts of Worship It is true indeed the Worship of God allows our worldly callings and the provisions of the present life and Relation and therefore a Neighbourhood whether it be the more populous of Cities or Towns or the more infrequent of Villages hath the conveniencies of more solemn and stated Meetings the ordinary fit seasons of the Lords-day and other solemn times of worship thereupon National Religion is generally exercis'd in these lesser Societies even as the Justice and Execution of Laws and National Authority must be brought home to men in their particular Countries and Towns and not rest in the Capital Cities at a distance from their daily Business and Conversation and yet the standard of all things National is generally preserv'd there for the very sake of union Even so of National Religion not as Religion for the standard of that is Scripture only but as National so the Agreement in it is deposited with all other National Acts. So that National Religion hath the advantage in these two things First The Naturalness and Closeness of the Union of a Nation to all the Interests of Humane Society and therein it imitates the nearness and closeness of Families or lesser Incorporations as much as can be consistent with the second thing viz The Illustriousness Magnificence Honourableness of Religion as seated in larger Bodies but especially as upon the Soveraignties and Supremacies of the Great Incorporations of Mankind I shall only observe further That All this does most effectually exclude the pretence of an Vniversal Church-Monarchy as hateful in Religion as an Universal State-Monarchy in Politicks and Civil Liberty Both of which are indeed Tyranny The Imaginary Benefits of such sorts of Union are infinitely toilsome and tedious while they are expected and always in the issue found impossible to be enjoyed in their Fruits but in the mean time while the pretenders are labouring for and grasping at so vast a power they fill the world with the lamentable effects of their Ambition and do indeed destroy Humane Society because those Laws and Bands that tye it together being so over-strain'd fly in pieces and I am sure nothing is more contrary to Christianity than an Vniversal Head of Religion here upon Earth except Christ himself with an Ubiquity of Holiness Power and Influence came down to reign upon it An universal Union were indeed desirable and glorious if there were an Omnipresence of Vertues answerable to the Administration but that being too great for any creature too great in the present state of the World Religion and Christian Religion glide along with the Civil Union they find prepared as I shall presently evince beyond which is nothing but Usurpation I come now to the Arguments from Scripture and Reason for National Religion not afforded to any other Figure of Union in it The first Argument shall be that I derive from this prayer I Argum. 2 have chosen to discourse this point upon and I lay it thus The prayers in which Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost rest upon some great Pillars and Principles of Divine Truth and Argument For particular cases in which they prayed are brought to those general principles by an understanding inlightned to understand in an humble sense even as God understands
we whatever smaller distinctions make the they and the we are both one in our Lord Jesus Christ We ought therefore to pray for the common benefit of all so united though not bound up in the same form with us for a gracious audience and reception of their and our Worship of God that so the Spirit of Love and Vnion in the main may convey all our services into one before God where indeed if they are as he requires they meet stripp'd of all their outward Circumstances Form and Ceremony Faith and Obedience being alone able to mount thither with them And services so raised can by no means be spar'd for small differences in a National Religious Interest for the Angels of all such behold the Face of our Father in Heaven If Darius though a Heathen Prince had such a sense of the virtue Ezr. 6. 10 of that true Religion he was not of as to engage those of so great difference from him in their sense of God to pray for the peace of the King and his Sons how much more should we who are all of the same true Faith and Worship and know the Force and Energy of it by great acts of Favour to one another in those things wherein we cannot be wholly one yet all joyn in praying for the acceptance of one anothers services and the services of the whole Nation whereof we are not only Civil but Religious Members And if we are truly Religious shall be so accounted with God yet with the abatement of our sinful differences and divisions How should we therefore unite that we may lose none of the things that we have wrought but may receive a full reward Rule 6. It is the happiness of our Nation that if any man truâ—y understands considers and pronounces of our National Religion It stands in the Scripture making us wise to Salvation In Faith in Jesus Christ Repentance Love of God Fear of the Divine Majesty all Acts of Justice Love Mercy Compassion true sincere Preaching the whole Word of God Prayer use of Sacraments the Lords-day Religious Discourses Conferences Catechetical Instructions and Education of Youth in the knowledg of Religion Restraint of Atheism Irreligion Intemperance and Sensuality generally and throughout the Nation Compulsion of the very worst of men to acknowledge a Deity and his Worship for what is hypocrisie in them may turn to the salvation of good men These are the things I say again that are truly our National Religion all things pertaining to Order Decency outward Form or Mode are but the Vehicle the conveyance of that True Religion if the main Ends of which be obtain'd viz. That these Religious Acts are perform'd but with that peace and freedom from confusion Confusion destructive of all publick Actions and with that Honourableness that is agreeable to the state of every Nation and this Nation particularly in the simplicity of Religious Worship It is enough and whatever on these accounts is commanded in our National Religion I freely own and acknowledge as reconcilable with these Characters forbearing such who though agreeing in all main things upon sincere endeavours to understand them so cannot acquiesce in them as so who deserve compassion These things ought to be no Partition-Wall in our National Worshipping of God one with another nor can they without great rigor and censor ousness very evil in the sight of God be condemned in those who for the sake of Substantial National Religion the publickness and more universal benefit of it wherein they are most truly zealous pay obedience to the Rules of them Rule 7. Let us all strive labour preach hear and pray and even suffer in the Reformation of our selves and endeavours to Reform all others according to the most excellent Rules of our most Holy Religion professed in this Kingdom as our National Religion that it may be found to Praise Honour and Glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ and be thought worthy to stand before the Son of Man at his coming before whom nothing but the Gold and precious Stones of Substantial Truth and Goodness can stand all else will be burnt off as Hay and Chaff by the fire of that day and they that have been hot and contentious for them be saved only as by Fire with difficulty and loss And in the mean time that our Vnion and Love in the True Religion may be to us an assurance of the Divine Favour and presence of his protection and blessing that neither our Candlestick may be removed nor our Nation the present place of it be taken away for generally both are removed one with the other or soon after one another Rule 8. Let no man be discouraged from the most zealous Affectionate joyning himself to and promoting National Religion because oâ— that veneration due to the Name of The Church and Churches according to the Scripture For a Nation united in True Christian Religion differs no more in the strictest notion from a Church than a Body of men united and consecrated to God according to the Law of Nature differs from a Society united and consecrated to God according to an Institution that is no more than an Institution planted in Nature differs from an Institution given by Revelation For one is the Appointment of God of old from the very Foundations of Humane Society The other after the Fall of Nature and the Inability of it to its end An Institution therefore does not repeal a Natural Law but takes care it should be fulfill'd and compleated in its chiefest End Israel was a Church to God being so devoted to him by his own Institution and it was a Holy Nation according to the Original Exod. 19. 6. Law being elevated by the Institution to its true perfection as a Nation The Christians to whom the Apostle Peter wrote As they were a Church according to the Institution of Christ so they were a Holy Nation as he stiles them succeeding into the place of that whole Jewish Nation Consecrated to God by the Law of Nature upon Nations though but strangers scattered abroad yet to show the 1 Pet. 1. 1â— great value God has of a Nation devoted to him they are stiled A Holy Nation The Institution of the Catholick Church as the seat 1 Pet. 2. 9. of the True Religion of Jesus Christ makes a Nation united in that True Religion both a Church as that Catholick Church hath thereby a Residence in it and much more than those fore-mentioned scatter'd Jews a Holy Nation as it is Nationally resign'd up to God in the True Religion according to the Law of Nature made perfect by the Institution Where then a Nation is united in the Truth of Christian Doctrine the Purity of Divine Worship the Holy Rules of Practise the Catholick Love of all Christians Baptized into the same Body made to drink into that one Spirit In Pastors and Teachers Ministring the same Gospel the Apostles infallibly deliver'd and seal'd with Miracles All
Man's Heart Answ Whatever is indeed written in Man's Heart must certainly be from God seeing no Created Hand could write there The Hand that Made can alone Ingrave it Quest How then shall we make a Judgment what is written upon the Heart Answ That which is universally acknowledged and amidst all the Differences in Religion falls under no Variation assures us it was placed there by that Supreme Hand that alike fashioned all Mens Hearts and especially seeing to this universal Acknowledgment there is no Temptation from the sensual and worst Part of Man it being against its Interest but it springs from the wisest and best Parts most unconcerned in this World or any of the brutish Pleasures of it Quest What Principles do you account thus to be of Natural Religion Answ I account these following That there is a God the Greatest and Best of Beings that governs the World That God vouchsafes to be acknowledged ador'd and worshipped by Man and that he takes notice when he is so worshipped or neglected and that with Favour or Displeasure That there is a Distinction betwixt Good and Evil setled by the Unchangeable Laws of God That God being himself so Good is pleas'd in Men doing well and rewards it and displeas'd when Men do ill and punishes it That Men have a Conscience viz. a Knowledg of and Government of their own Actions with Approbation of them if Good and Dislike if Bad. That there are Rewards and Punishments beyond this Life That therefore the Notions of Virtue Righteousness Temperance Soberness Beneficence and the contrary Vices are of unchangeable Truth and the Actions flowing from them of the same Notion That God is both the Judge and Observer of them now and will be so in the Future State That in the time of God's Patience and Bounty to sinful Man there is Forgiveness with him that he may be feared and that he thereby leads Men to Repentance That upon all accounts Solemn Worship of him by Prayer Praises Honourable Discourses of him of all Obedience to him and Returns to him after our Falls are most due from Humane Nature and according to the sociable Nature of Man in Publick Associations Quest Do you believe these so close to and inseparable from the Reason of Man Answ I am fully assured so and that these and all the immediate genuine and natural Deductions from them are so nearly allied with Humane Nature and Reason that they are in no Parts of it wanting however overcome but where extreme Barbarity and Brutishness in all things else make it plain such People cannot weigh against the wiser Societies of Mankind in whom the more vigorous Efforts of Reason shew themselves Quest But would you have Men rest in Natural Principles without Revelation Answ No by no means For if Adam in Paradise had Revelation to make his State towards God Consummate how much more Man Fallen in whom all Natural Light is but glimmering and obscure Heavenly Objects at so great a remove by his being sunk down so low from them and the Mists and Fogs of this Earth so prevalent upon him in the great Deordination of Spirit into Body that whatever true Principles of Reason might effect if duely pursued he is without Revelation upon all Experiment no better than in the Valley of the Shadow of Death Quest But does there appear any Expectation of Revelation in the Motions of Natural Reason Answ Very great so that no Religion in the World hath been without the Pretence of it And it is both most hopeful according to the Laws of Natural Light that God will reveal himself and most just that his Revelations should be accepted with all Reverence when vouchsafed our very Reason being a Revelation from him and if any Revelation from him could be false even That might be so also But in all things Natural Light must needs bow to Divine Veracity Quest How happy might the World be if all the Religions of the World were but reformed to this Natural True Religion Answ Undoubtedly so for the State of it could not then be far from the Kingdom of God all True Religion whether Natural or Revealed being so closely allied to it self For though Revealed rises much higher yet in an inseparable connexion with and in a continuation undivided from Natural Quest But as the State of the World is and hath always been there seems to have been no Effect of True Natural Religion Answ Very great in many respects 1. To justifie God in his Dealings with Mankind that there have been such Possibilities of Return to True Religion laid up in them 2. To be as Sense in a Mans Soul upon which all Divine Applications might take either to Conviction or Conversion 3. To be at all times ready to be re-enlivened by Revealed Truth and to unite with it 4. To be an Universal Code of True Religion in which it is always reasonable for Mankind to agree or in any Parts of it on any Occasion as Jonah and the Mariners did in their Calamity or as St. Paul and the Seamen with him in giving Thanks to God 5. That it might be a Standard to punish Prophaneness and Irreligion by without entrenchment on Conscience which Revelation cannot be but in some peculiar Circumstances 6. That Men may on all Occasions treat with one another by it on Terms of Reason and Justice as the Apostle Paul with the Men of Athens with Felix and generally Men one with another in all their Commerce All Society good Laws and Government Restraint of excessive Evil depending upon it CAP. IV. Of Revelation and the Reasons of so great Miscarriages against both the Light of Nature and Revelation with the Means of Cure Quest SEeing there is by all that hath been spoken so great a weight resting upon Revelation let the Accounts of Gods Revealing himself to Mankind be more fully stated Answ Besides Gods Revealing himself to Adam even in Innocency in a Doctrine suitable to those two Sacramental Trees the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life and besides that Original Revelation of Christ after the Fall The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head he hath been pleased to guide that Holy Seed which is his Church by Revelation as by a Pillar of Fire throughout succeeding Ages till he compleated the whole he intended in a Kingdom of Truth that cannot be shaken which is to continue to the end of the World Quest How then did God deal with the rest of the World Answ Even they were for some considerable Spaces in the first Ages of the World within the Advantages of Revelation by mixture with or Neighbourhood to the Church by Tradition from the Holy Patriarchs which if they had faithfully observed together with the Improvement of Natures Light it would have secured them in True Religion Besides that they who were faithful in these were on all proper occasions provided for by the Faithful Creator though they were
Society of Men that is truly Catholick if it be but according to the Light of Natural Religion to joyn with them in the Performance of any of such Services so far as they will admit it and keep to the Simplicity and Sincerity of them according to the Instances before-named of Jonah and St. Paul And much more should we do this when True Revealed Religion is joyned with Natural if nothing be requir'd of us that corrupts and defiles it No Man's Errour in which we are not forced to communicate should drive us from Truth or any part of it And upon these Foundations we should endeavour to win further and further upon all to bring them home to God wherein they wander We should make Allowances to every Man differing in smaller things receiving him without conditioning him to subscribe to us in things of Doubtful that is Private Disputation If any one erre from the Truth and one convert him by Evidences of that Truth let him know that he that converts a Sinner from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death and hide a Multitude of Sins But if we cannot be admitted to such Communions with those that are so enslav'd to False or would bring us under the power of Private or will have nothing to do with us nor admit us to them we must not yet desert our Catholick Respect to all that is True and Good among them but acknowledging what is so value and praise it desire the Divine Acceptance for them in any Good thing so as to bring them out of the Errours they have adjoyned to it and as you have opportunity reason them out of the one by the Evidence of the other CAP. V. Of the Publick or Divine Original of Sacred Writing or Scripture Quest SEeing Scripture is the only Publick Record of True Pure Natural Religion and more eminently of Revealed it is most necessary to be fully informed in all Points concerning it And first What Care God hath been pleased to take that his Word and purely that should be committed to Writing Answ God held the Hands and Pens of Holy Men by an efficacious overshadowing their Minds and conducting all their Motions that they could not erre In some things he so fully possessed their Understandings and Affections with a full Knowledge and Sense of what they were to reveal that they could not so much as muse any thing Strange or Diverse from what they were so carried and born by the Divine Spirit in even as Elijah in his Body In other things wherein they could not look round about them nor fully comprehend what the Spirit in them did signifie though they convey'd it to After-times yet they were by Almighty Impressions upon all their Faculties necessary to that Service held in stronger than Adamantine Consinements that they could not extravagate from Divine Truths Even Balaam thus overpower'd against his will could not go beyond the Word of the Lord to speak either Good or Evil upon the greatest Reward much less Holy Men whose Wills were perfectly resigned to the Divine Will Quest But was not there a Possibility those Holy Men Writers of Scripture might at other times when the Spirit was not so immediately present to them alter or add of another Alloy to what themselves had been the Instruments of conveying from God to the World Or might not Pretenders arise and give out False Scripture to the World that had none of that True Spirit Answ When once any Part of Divine Testimony was committed to Writing it became a Boundary to those very Penmen much more to all others that they were always concluded by it So that besides the Dread and Awe of God and of the great Sin of Falsification of his Truth or Name they could not alter any thing so as to disagree with what they had before spoken by the Divine Spirit whose Righteous Judgments endure for ever nor could they so much as imitate themselves when unassisted by the Holy Spirit When therefore they did not understand by immediate Assistance the utmost End and Reach of what themselves were enabled to speak and write they did and they could do no more search and pronounce by all the best ordinary Helps God afforded them but could change nothing could add nothing they searched what or what manner of Time the Spirit of Christ in them did signifie they could not pronounce of the Time when not revealed to them They knew the dreadful Anathema ready to fall even upon an Angel from Heaven that should preach another Gospel The least Iota once established by Unchangeable Wisdom and Goodness was less movable than Heaven and Earth and would bear no Addition but of the same Authority by which it self was given And even the very Manner Method Words as they meet to carry such a Sense have their Majesty and Divineness so that whatever was by Inspiration from God bridled that which was not and they that were inspir'd knew in what they were inspir'd and what they spoke as so inspired and in what they were not but were as Samson with his Locks cut no more than like other Men and most cautiously distinguish'd betwixt the one and the other Nothing therefore hath assayed to joyn it self to Scripture if any hath dar'd to do it it hath been rejected by it when not of the High and Publick Spirit of it Quest But did not the Writers of the New Testament reverse the Writings and Commands of the Old which thing so scandalised the Jews against our Lord his Disciples and Gospel Answ No otherwise than as the Sun commands the Shadow to fly away and the lesser Lights to retire when it self appears or the things typ'd out being come make useless the Types so that they necessarily give place or as Pictures vail when the Life is present Else there was such a Respect to the Scriptures of the Old Testament in those of the New as to avow them of God before them and Elder Scripture than themselves so that they vouch'd them for all they said and taught and staid the time of themselves being tried proved and sufficiently confirmed and Canonized into Scripture by the Scriptures that were undoubtedly so before them and in the very same Methods that they came into the Honour of being Scripture Upon which account the Apostle calls them the more sure Word of Prophesie more sure because of greater Antiquity and Elder Reception into Scripture than that Historical Relation and Doctrine which yet was immediately to pass into Scripture of the same Authority and Value with former Scripture and of greater Evidence and Divine Clearness and recommended by Higher Appearances of Divinity And on this same account the New Testament derives it self from the Old sometimes by Proofs out of it drawn according to the most regular Trains and Consequences sometimes by more immediate and authoâ—â—tative Interpretation but of the same Publick and Divine Inspiration with the Prophecy of Old Time it self as shall
highest elevation is but Created and Created is not firm and sure enough for a Foundation nor can it raise an Assent noble and generous enough for a Faith in that which is Divine All that can be summon'd may be an outward Fortification or Introduction but the Rock of Truth is the Son of God Divinity it self Upon this the Church is built that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against it Quest But are there no Parts of Scripture that receive greater Service from Humane Testimony than others Answ There are some Parts of Scripture that are but Ministerial and almost Servile in comparison of others And that these are found in all Authentick Copies and have been delivered down from Age to Age with the Sacred Rolls may depend more upon Humane Testimony especially where the Connexion with the more Divine Parts is not evident For these being but as the Body and some of them of the more remote Parts from the Soul of Scripture cannot sparkle that Divine Light and Heat the Spirit of Scripture does and so may stand in need of borrowed Light from the Superiour Luminaries of Sacred Truth and in many Cases may like the Moon need Reflexions of Light from our very Earth but the Sun of Scripture receives the Highest Testimony by the strongest Reflexions of its own Original Beams Quest How comes it to pass that there are such different Degrees of Scripture-Excellency in the several Parts of it and that it is not one Even Form of Doctrine methodically laid together and of the same Tenour of Discourse Answ In this seeming Disorder appears the great Wisdom and Majesty of Divine Contrivance that without obliging it self to the low and even pedantick Laws of Humane Discourse it raises so great a Record of Truth upon variety of Occasions and by an Infinite Foresight predetermining to it self the several Measures and Ends of Scripture raises them out of a great variety of Accidents and in such an Order as seem'd best to it self for those Ends so as to give easie and ready Advantages to him that runs to read and gather Instructions of weightiest moment and also of quickest and suddenest sally upon his Mind of greatest aptness to fix upon the Memory without loading it and yet in the mean time to lay the Obligations of all Degrees of Search and Diligence to join one part of Scripture to another so as to comprehend the whole Complex of Divine Doctrine and extract the Order of History For by a most natural free and unaffected occasional way all Truths to make wise to Salvation and a complete Sum of all Goodness is to be found in Scripture with infinite Varieties of Address all the ways possible to the Understanding Will Affections Conscience Memory Imagination suited to all Capacities States Conditions full of plain and obvious of most retir'd secret and farthestreach'd Wisdom which no Mind can fully grasp nor Tongue express And with these Things of main Importance runs along such a Chronology of the Dealings of God with the World and especially with his Church as serves the main Design All Learning and Knowledge in the mean time attending with lowliest Submission and not with pompous Appearance Now from this Supreme Dispose of all things to the Ends of God in Scripture out of such a variety of Emergencies of all sorts arises such a diversity of several Excellencies in the Parts of Scripture that yet all meet in that Great Center of the Glory of God in a Communication of his Counsels concerning Man and that turn round those Two Globes that little one of the present World a Point like this Earth and the other that vast Circumference of Eternity Quest But is there not as great a difference arising from the various States and Conditions of the Writers of Scripture and the so different Periods of Time they were upon Answ That there is and must needs be a difference is undeniable yet to the great Glory of Scripture and assurance it is from God even those smallest and lowest things last spoken of are all treated with all the Purity Gravity becoming the Penmen of the Holy Spirit and with all the Usefulness their Nature can extend to Even so the Holy Men used by God in this Service how various and differing soever in their several Ages and Times of writing in their Circumstances of State and Condition in this World High Low Rich Poor Learned Unlearned how distant soever in their Times of Writing in the outward Forms and Modes of their Worship of God in the Things that fell under their Account and Relation before the Law under the Law in the Days of the Messiah after his Death yet there is the same Spirit Scope Chastness of Style Majesty and Authority in the Contexture one Aspect upon the Glory of God Obedience to him Desire of his Favour as the whole Happiness of Man the same Reflexions upon the great Evil of Sin and the consequent Misery and even of their own Sins So that where any Combination or Conference to concert things was impossible yet there is such an Union without a set Uniformity as assures the One Hand of the Divine Spirit and Guidance upon All. Quest Is not the Church of God the Trustee and Depository of Sacred Oracles Answ It is so in Divine Ordination and the general Course of Providence but yet it adds nothing to them but receives all from them The Church is known to be the Church by the Scriptures not the Scriptures by the Church except declaratorily only The Church is the Pillar and Rest of Scriptures where God is pleas'd to fix them that they may be exposed to Publick View but their Authority is of God evident in themselves Quest Do we then attribute nothing more to the Church in which we were Baptiz'd and received the Knowledge of Religion Answ A very great Favour it is of God that when he writes up the People he counts that we were born within his True Church where all the Springs of Salvation run but as to the Proof of Religion or the Records of it it can be no more than a Private Proof For till we make a true Judgment by what is Divine and Publick and of God in the true Church it does no more than equal other Societies walking with Confidence and Assurance with great Awes and Devotion in the Name of their God in the Profession of their Religion Till therefore there is a Trial of every Religion and the Records of it all such Societies are upon the same Level When the Religion and Oracles of every Religion come to be tried and duely examined the Church of God rises to Heaven and all else except so far as they joyn in any Parts of the same Truth sink down beneath Quest But how can we know that every Book of Scripture is Scripture but by the Testimony of the Church or that we have all the Books of it but by the same Testimony Answ That the Books we own
its own Depths the Spirit to whom are known all its own Designs from the first Foundations or Beginning of Scripture to the highest Stone in the Structure or End of it The Top is known to it in the very Bottom the End in the Beginning That therefore which was seen to Men only in the Rudiment or Foundation and seem'd to mean no more appeared at that very time to him in the Complement and he applies it to that Complement as certainly and justly as they did to the first Rudiment or Foundation As Out of Egypt have I called my Son was as truly applied to Christ's coming out of Egypt being then come to its Perfection of Sense as it was applied to Israel coming out of Egypt in the first Rudiment and the Divine Spirit as truly meant the last as the first though none could know its Sense but it self till it self revealed it Quest How could it be proved the Ministers of the New Testament had the true Key of Interpretation committed to them by the Spirit Answ By the concurrence of all things that justified the first Writers of Scriptures to be Commissioned by God Great and weighty Truth Holy Heavenly becoming God as the Author such Speech as none beside the Writers of Scripture ever spoke all of a piece with former Scripture Miracles mighty Efficacy upon Consciences the Glory of God the Salvation of Souls the abolishing of Sin the Ends designed in all the removing all lower Forms and Ceremonies for the time being into a most High Spiritual Substantial Religion True Peace of Conscience introduced These with innumerable others concurring in any Interpretation of former Scripture that could not else be found out in its full Meaning do both enlighten former Scripture and enlarge it into further and more Scriptures Quest If then our Lord and his Apostles in Interpreting the Old Testament by the immediate Presence of the Holy Spirit resting without measure on our Saviour and in full measures on the Apostles discover'd that Sense in the Ancient Scriptures which was indeed deposited there but could not be unlock'd by any Created Wisdom it will follow thence That it is an unnecessary Labour of many Worthy Expositors of Scriptures to press too hard in every Quotation of the Old Testament we find in the New for a free and full Confession of all that Sense it there expresses as if it could naturally arise from so many Words and Syllables so put together having power and vertue by themselves to signifie so high since the Holy Spirit had a reach in them which none could grasp or fathom but it self and contriv'd that Sense so into Words as none could summon it but it self and that it rested upon the Lord and his Apostles to bring it to light and reveal it into New and Higher Scriptures and that it appears as undeniably they did so as that the Old Testament it self is Scripture Answ The Industry of such Worthy Persons is not to be blamed to trace the Sense of the New Testament in the Words of the Old as far as it is possible for them to go But if they cannot give Satisfaction to cavelling Atheists or Infidels or to the Scruples of Good Men it still remains a just Ground of Satisfaction The Spirit that carried by an Almighty Hand the Writers of the Old Testament carried those Penmen of the New by the same also and from one single Glance of its Meaning that it self with Divine Artifice had left drawn there it derives that full Face of Truth in the New to be its Sense in the Old than that Samson's Riddle in the Exposition should be his Sense in the dark Cover of it in Words that could not else import it He that created the Words in the Old Testament and even then inspired them with that Divinest Sense as with Life might yet suffer it to lie intoomb'd in them till it self that entrusted it there gave it a Resurrection in the New Quest But would you have none undertake in the Interpreting or Expounding Scripture except by Inspiration or the Evidences of immediate Divine Presence where either Scripture is not so express as to be its own undoubted Interpreter or the Interpretation deduced as evidently as any Consequence by Reason Answ Far be it from me to discourage or lessen such Undertakings I rather wish all the Lord's People thus far Prophets to search the Meaning of Scripture with all the Helps and Advantages they can attain and that in the mean time all those who have any part of the Prophetick Office upon them would read and meditate day and night to Interpret Scripture to themselves and others Quest But how is such Interpretation consistent with the Apostles so great Assertion That Scripture is not of any Private Interpretation Answ First Interpretation guiding it self by the plain evident and Self-Interpreting Oracles of Scripture in things absolutely necessary to Salvation displays a Body of Divine Publick Truth which in regard of the Darkness Inattendence and Inconsideration of the generality of the very Professors of the Faith of the Scriptures and much more in regard of the great Indisposedness of their Hearts to the Obedience of Scriptures need such constant Displays by Applicatory Interpretation and a distinct Office to attend continually on this very Thing And yet the main Concernment of such Interpretation lies in what is so plain that when opened and applied it is impossible to be doubted of as Scriptures Sense 2. Such Interpretation as may be Private in regard of its Derivation of any Doctrine from such or such a particular Place of Scripture yet keeping it self to the Analogy of Scripture in the plain and undoubted Sense in other Places does still maintain the free and Publick Course of the Waters of Life 3. Interpretation of Scripture thus guiding it self according to the evident Sense of Scripture in its clearest Parts and taking that as a Clew into the more abstruse Parts of Scripture necessarily encounters much Sound and excellent Truth nearly allied to Publick and Divine in all Knowledge Natural Historical Chronological Moral Political pertaining to Language and Eloquence which makes the World more lightsom and less subject to the Tyranny of the Prince of Darkness How great a Light of all Learning hath broken out from the very Endeavours of Interpreting Scripture to the Glory of the Father of Lights the high Honour and venerable Estimation of Scripture the much Ascertaining True Publick Religion and the Universal Good 4. Many great Truths and undoubtedly Divine in themselves that being more at a distance from those that are necessary to Salvation it hath not pleased the Publick Wisdom of the World to give such Assurance of them as that they should be imposed upon the Belief of all that acknowledge the Sacred Authority of Scriptures and yet may present very large Satisfactions to the Minds of those who are assisted by the Holy Spirit into the great Scripture-Reason in such Points though but particularly for
can we have of it Quest But how can it be but there must be Tradition seeing there were so many Things spoken and done more than the Scripture contains or the World it self could contain if they were all written These then being known in the first Times have been conserv'd by Tradition Tradition made valuable by those of Honourable Name among Christians and their Discourses of Christianity Answ Granting such things so preserv'd suppose them the Actions and Words of our Saviour himself yet if not written by Inspired Penmen they are not recommended as obligatory upon After-ages For whatever was necessary that we might believe and have Eternal Life was so written and that not only just so much as might serve Necessity for that the One Gospel of St. Joâ—â— might serve to That it self witnesses but also be matter of Bounty and Abundance so that out of that greater World of Truth than our World could receive there was so much selected as was bountifully sufficient and abundant to all Intents and Purposes of Clearness Certainty Enforcement upon the Affections Variety continual Exercise and Delight that so every Christian might be throughly furnished to every good Work to all things that pertain to Life and Godliness As for all that Christ did and spake or that the Apostles spake or did by Infallible Guidance and Immediate Assistance if it be not written a Veil is drawn over it and a Cloud hath received it out of our sight It is a secret thing that belongs not to us but is sealed up from us like the things which the Thunders uttered in the Revelation And indeed the Wisdom of Providence seems to have dealt with all such Sayings or Actions as with the Body of Moses all Monuments of Worth and Certainty after Scripture in relation to them are concealed from us There is a great Darkness upon the History of that Time lest we should superstitiously venerate in place of that which is divinely written and preserved to us the things that were not prepared for our Learning and so to us but as a Body not divinely inspired that is a Body without a Soul All too fierce Disputes about them are therefore raised only by Sathan the Enemy of Light and Truth to no other purpose than that about the Body of Moses that is to found an occasion of Superstition and silently to whisper Scripture is not sufficient And yet we see with what an eager Zeal Men are set upon such Researches not satisfied with the Proportion of Manna allowed by God but even as the Israelites that gathered much had nothing over so may it be truly said of those that would abound beyond Scripture in that which pertains to the true guidance of Conscience That they have nothing over and what they will needs keep as such corrupts Quest Is there Reason sufficient to support this Sentiment Answ This great Reason If we had undoubted but not inspired History of that Time it could not be like the Evangelistick History or the Actes of the Apostles to us we should in some things want the Application and Direction to our use dictated by Divine Wisdom in others the unerring Censure of even Apostolick Actions as in that of the Apostle Peter Galat. 2. 11. Now because our Consciences would be apt to be drawn into subjection to things of so great Reputation and yet there would be no Divine Authority to draw them nor Infallible Authority to support them in which Cases it is the Absolute Will of God they should not be in subjection God hath therefore in his Providence left that time so much in the dark that we may trust in his written Word only For separate Immediate Divine Presence from the Prophets and Apostles themselves and there remains nothing at the highest but the Wisdom and Prudence of Understanding and Good Men applying General Rules to particular Cases Times Places and Events as they for that time could best judge and yet besides the variation of Circumstances in every Age they themselves were as Men subject to mistakes as Nathan about David's building the Temple as Paul assaying to go into Bithynia to like Passions with other Men as in the Contention betwixt Paul and Barnabas to like Temptations as in the Miscarriage of Peter before referred to All they did and said not shining with immediate Light from Heaven must be tried in the Light of what themselves together with all the other Penmen of Scripture had written They themselves therefore acting or speaking by way of Prudence or general Assistance must be tried by themselves acting or speaking according to Revelation and special Assistance in which only they are and ought to be Authoritative Quest But it still remains There might be some things that were not so sit for vulgar Knowledge and so were Secreted into Tradition apart from Scripture and that Tradition deposited with Trusty Men who should successively so deposite it that it might at convenient Seasons be brought forth as Goliah's Sword from behind the Ephod Answ None like it indeed to serve a purpose But to satisfie Reason and Conscience nothing so improper For first let these Traditionaries give clear Expositions and such as are worthy to be acquiesced in of the Prophetick or otherwise Dark Places of Scripture If they cannot do that where is the Wisdom above the Vulgar and why did not Tradition without Scripture inclose those mysterious Visions of the Revelation from Popular Inspection But the things Tradition is imploy'd indeed in are quite of another Nature either the Prelation of Men in Church-Office and Dignity or some Rites of Worship that should change Devotion into Superstition or lull it into Ignorance or some Canons that turn Religion into Trade or Doctrines suited to that End or which serves to all such purposes a Tradition to call back all Scripture out of the Written Word into Oral Tradition by locking it up in a Tongue unknown to the generality of Christians And yet if there were any seemingly Purer or more Contemplational Traditions seeing they are not inrolled into Scripture they must as hath been said give such Evidences of themselves as Divine Revelation hath or be at their highest but Enthusiasm and Fanaticism Quest But what Esteem is to be had of the Writings and Iransactions of the Ancients whom we call Fathers Doctors of the Church Men of eminent Holiness great Abilities Confessors and Martyrs of Christianity Answ It may be easily judg'd by what hath been said already that they must be brought to Scripture laid at its Feet and submitted to its Acceptance whether according to its true Sense or not For if the Apostles when the Holy Spirit was not upon them could not exceed Humane how much less can any of a lower Class pretend The Fathers therefore had so great an Awe of Scripture that they did not assume any thing to themselves or their Writings or yield any thing to the Persons or Writings of those of the same Time with them but
Honour that there should be no Schism in the Body but that the Members should have the same care one for another under this Elegant Shade the Apostle teaches that a neglect and a contemptuous over-looking the Rights and Interest of the lower and less Honourable Members in the Church incurs the guilt of Schism as arguing the want of that Compassion and Feellingness that springs from the head of the Church down through the higher to the meanest of his Members for no Man ever hated his own Flesh even the meanest and lowest part of it but nourishes and cherishes it even as the Lord the Church They therefore that carry the greatest Grace and Honour in the Church should invest the least comely Members with more abundant Honour and Comliness in the most humble Christian Condescensions and kindest Treatment covering all their defects in Imitation of God who hath given most abundant Honour to that part which lacked and being more tenderly careful of deferring to them the utmost God hath allowed them On the other side the groundless and unreasonable Repining and Discontent of those Inferior Members that they are not the most noble parts is Schismatical also not feeling the Glory of those more excellent Members as their own Glory with delight and complacency even till it rises up to the Glory of the Head Christ and God To be perfectly united therefore in the same Judgment and Mind and to speak the same thing God hath spoken in his Word and herein to Love one another to observe the same pattern of Worship given by God himself to look upon our selves as only Christs and all Ministers to be the whole Churches given it by Christ alike so far as God gives us opportunity to enjoy them to rejoyce in the Honour of the highest Members and to Honour more abundantly the meanest as being all the Body of Christ and so tempered by him and wherein we cannot in this State of the Church come up to the exactness of these things yet to perform thus in the greatest instances of each of them and in the smaller to tollerate and forgive one another these are our security and certain preservation from Schism Quest Is there not another sort of Schism yet to be spoken of Answ No other that I can find spoken of by the Scripture Quest Is it not Schism when the Church or that part of it wherewith we are conversant prescribes Indifferences to make orderly and decent the Worship of God and any Christians separate themselves into particular Assemblies to Pray to Hear and Speak the Word of God to Admininister Sacraments that they may be free from such prescriptions For this is setting up an Altar against an Altar and one Part of the Church against another what can it then be but most notorious Schism and so esteemed in al Antiquity Answ I know not whether it is at all Schism I am sure if things were rightly managed it were the least Guilty kind for there being an Union as is supposed in all things that are Commanded by God and Christ if there be that Value and Love for one another in those things wherein they unite and agree a desire of Interest in and benefit by one anothers Prayers and a Joy in the Gifts Graces and Spiritual Abilities one of another a care mutually to impart and receive the benefit of them as far as may be such an Union in things Commanded by God shall over-rule the little distances in indifferences and no more divide than Worshiping God in different Congregations by reason of Distance of place or the Church of God using differing Circumstances of Worship in different Countries and Places Quest But what if besides these meer and simple Dislocations of themselves and use or non-use of these Indifferences there be Anger Strife Emulation Bitter Zeal in one against another as is generally and usually seen do not these sowre Passions beget Schism Answ Wherever these are found they must needs amount to that kind of Schism That Christians do not love Christians in the Truth and in keeping the Commandments of God Since it is supposed that each part are united in the Fundamentals of Faith and Divine Commands upon which ought to flow from the Love every sincere Christian hath to God and Christ in these love to one another also For Faith worketh or is effectual by Love and this is Love that we keep his Commands This Love therefore must needs to all united in these mighty things wherein True Christians are united surmount the disaffection that arises in the Disunion about Tything Mint or Cummin or else we must value our Confidence in small things or our Doubts about them above the clear and undoubted Truths and Commands of God which must indeed needs be Schismatical in both parts or on whatever part it â—e found Quest But seeing these Contentions are so hard to be avoided in the midst of different Judgments and especially divers Practices of Christians and in so distinct Congregations and that in the Eye of one another and further that the Assemblies of Christians together ought to be as Vniversal Numerous or at least as Free and Mutual as is possible in regard of nearness of place one to another for that it is most for the Honour of Christianity they should be so and most advantageous to the imparting Spiritual Gifts and Graces between all the Pastors and People seeing all this is so undeniable how can separation from the Assembly of one another do less than carry the guilt of Schism Answ There can be no Schism in keeping close to the Doctrine and Commands of Christ without adding or diminishing turning to the Right-hand or to the Left for therein as hath been often said is the Bond of the Churches Union therein alone is the Church a Church and the Peace lies infolded in the Truth the more than the Considerations forenamed are pressed and they deserve very earnestly to be pressed the more absolutely necessary it is to stay in the Doctrine of God and the Commands of Christ or which are as truely the Commands of God the Dictates of Nature Nay it is better to allow Men a Suspension of their assent to some Truths and of their Compliance with some Commands that are but upon the outward skirts and marches of Christianity and so not so evidently revealed than rush them upon a precipitate belief of a blind obedience the plainest things and those are always the most necessary being the safest to pitch Christian Communion severely upon Quest But may it not be reasonably supposed that according to the Constitution of Church Governours by Christ they have a Power in things neither Commanded nor Forbidden by God to interpose their Authority aâ—d to determine them this way or that way and that Obedience cannot be refused without Schism Answ There are very great Reasons against any such Supposal 1. The Apostles the Highest Authority under Christ as will be easily acknowledged had Commission
of Christian Religion This being premised I come more particularly to give answer 1. Many of these things that are named as found in the Church of the Jews as a National Church were not yet the Essentials of a Church as National in general but of that particular National Church and typical of things under the Gospel as is plain in the exposition of them in the New Testament and more particularly that excellent Epistle to the Hebrews the Temple the High Priest the Holy of Holies the Altar the Sacrifices the solemn Feasts with such like serv'd only as shadows of things to come and the want of them argues nothing against National Religion 2. Those things that were not Typical or whose main and sole intention was not to adorn and compleat that whole Frame but rested upon Universal Principles of Reason Truth and Duty can never be abrogated but are for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have National hope in God and be obliged in our duty even as they were Thus the duty of Magistrates and people towards true Religion of publick instruction of publick Ministers of Religion of care for places of meeting for Divine Worship throughout a Nation continue still and need no new commands in the Gospel 3. As to the first planting of Churches by drawing Christians into particular private Societies it amounts but to thus much that Christ the Lord of tâ—e Church did not found his Church universal as necessarily diffusing it self into Nations nor could it in reason be so For seeing it was in Divine Providence for great and weighty Reasons of which it is not proper now to speak intended and ordered that hundreds of years should pass over Christianity ere it had the favour and protection of Supreme Christian Magistrates there must have been for that space no Religion or Church if there had been no other Form but National The Church of Christ therefore though it was in those days within Nations Cities Towns and Villages yet of low stature in comparison of National Religion till the Reign of Christian Emperors considerable indeed in it self and its diffusion through so much of the world but not acknowledged by Laws or Governments till long after its first entrance And at all times upon the change of a Christian Magistracy into a Pagan an Apostate an Heretical or Idolatrous Succession or the complex of all Antichristianism which early invaded the Church and even covered and obscured it in succession of time the Church of necessity must fall back into such a low state and subsist upon its obedience to the Law of Christ and its own prudential accommodations to the state of Times without the Magistrates care and protection Our Saviour therefore took care of the Catholick Church which is of absolute Divine Institution which is founded in that promise The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it To which belong primarily all the great and glorious expressions of Scripture to which are given originally Pastors and Teachers to propagate promote build up and strengthen it and shall by virtue of Christs ascension far above all heavens be certainly continued to it till we all come to the unity of the Faith of the Son of God to a perfect man to the full measure and stature of Christ in all his members All other Societies of Christians are but little images and representations of this in these its excellencies and the more they participate of it the more truly are they the Churches of Christ But because this is too diffus'd for one Model for one Frame to comprehend there is therefore allowance given by Christ for lesser Associations of this Catholick Church from the nature of the thing and because of the discountenance of Nations and worldly powers at first and since upon true Christianity Our Saviour therefore Matth. 15. 18 c. expresly fixes the promise of his Divine Presence in the smallest parts of this Church where but two or three are gathered together in his Name he hath assured he will be in the midst of them so that it is hence evident the whole neighbouring discourse centers in the least Assemblies agreeing in Christian Religion For though it supposes first a greater number the Church and two or three Witnesses being contradistinguished yet as it were in prospect of the great fewness upon some exigencies of Christians practising the duties of Christianity together it brings down the promises of Audience in their appeals to heaven and presence with their whole worship and services to the smallest numbers not by way of limitation to but encouragement of so small a number And it is very observable the very same declaration of Christ to the Apostles whose soever sins you remit or bind by the true Doctrine of the Gospel shall stand good in heaven the very same is said here to the smallest Societies of Christians as to their Judgment and determination upon their own members according to the Laws of Christ concerning the offences that fall out among themselves having the same Doctrine to proceed he committed to them even as to the Apostles themselves Churches are Pillars and Rocks of Truth even as the most Excellent Ministers and either or all being no more but Praecones each in their kind or Publishers of the Will of Christ and his Truth declar'd in his Word in the vertue of their being parts of the Catholick Church Now the Reason why our Saviour pitches upon so small a number of Christians agreeing is certainly this because he would appoint no other form to his Church than such as could live as could subsist under any Civil Government whatever whether friendly or unfriendly to it He gave it no other shape but what it might attain and keep under any state of Civil Laws under any enmity it met with in the world And this was most necessary because the Church of Christ was not confin'd to one Nation as the Jewish was whom God in a peculiar manner singled out and manag'd to the state of a Kingdom and Nation by a mighty power and out-stretched arm and conserv'd by the same ruling it with an immediate sensible presence after he had form'd it by precise Laws and setled the just bounds of all Officers in their Office and appointed them the place of the exercise of it whereas the Christian Doctrine being indifferent to every Nation under Heaven it did as it made its progress convert certain numbers to it self at first which had no priviledg of humane Laws or Powers but the edg of all turn'd against it so that the Form of Churches was composed to all the vicissitudes of Providence they were to undergo and that in all reason must be in case of necessity the very least of Societies of Christians Two or Two or Three as our Saviour significantly points upon small Societies for such are most fitted to the worst of conditions that could befall lesser and single bodies moving every way
and shifting for the gaining opportunities for the assembling themselves and preserving their relation one to another in the discharge of mutual duties much more easily than any greater associations could for our Saviour intended all for use not for Form he minded not Nominal Titular Bishops and Churches Thus far I have pleaded the appointment of Christ that the smallest numbers of Christians may agree and associate and be assured of his presence But now that this appointment is in bar of greater Societies of Christians is by no means to be granted for it is most apparent our Saviour design'd all things under the Gosplel should be restor'd to the Law of Nature and the true Reason of Things Now according to that the first End of all Society is the enjoyment of True Religion in more than solitude This desire of enjoying true Religion in Society extends it self from the least of Societies to the greatest that are not too great for the Ends of Society Our Saviour therefore as he gave no Frame of positive Laws or Worship no Pedagogy of Precepts so no Institution of Bounding Churches but that in case of straits and exigencies his true Religion may be administred in the very smallest of Societies with confidence of his Favour and Presence when it hath freedom it may enlarge it self further and further and if it have favour of Nations and Governments ascend to the greatest yet with this reserve That if in any time or place National Christianity varies from the true Original Christianity as often it hath been sound to do so that it cannot even in substantial things be consented in with a pure Conscience privater Congregations even to the most particular are always ready for Christians to retire into for so the Laws of Nature allow where the Publick is not safe and yet when the whole is not corrupted nor liberty of joyning without commixture with those Corruptions denied there may yet be there ought to be no Separation Thus the greatest Societies are not in bar of the least when True Religion requires them Thus the least are not in bar of the greatest when Christianity is at full freedom for it is closely allied with that Wisdom whereby Kings ought to Reign and Princes to decree Justice by which Princes Prov. 8. 15 16. ought to rule and Nobles yea all the Judges of the Earth with that Wisdom which rejoyces in the Habitable parts of the Earth and hath its delights with the sons of men I have therefore before observed That Christian Religion at the very first joyn'd it self as near as it could to all Humane Societies made ready to it as Families Villages Regions and so far as the Rage of Persecution would permit Christian Societies united themselves unto Distant and National Correspondencies among themselves Now it hath been so unhappy indeed with the World that in few Instances there hath been a Good State of National Religion to yield a full consciencious Compliance with Yet this will no more argue against the Thing it self than it does against any other of the wise and good Ordinations of God or against the Jewish Church so immediately govern'd by God and yet so often and so notoriously corrupted in Judah and more generally in the Ten Tribes and yet to shew how to the very utmost without following a multitude to do evil we ought to joyn with any that are good in a Nation and with any thing that is good in National Religion when Elijah had as it were deserted his place and the good influence his being in publick might have had and that God found him alone He did by way of Reproof ask him What he did alone in 1 Kings 19. 9. the Wilderness and inform'd him of a greater number that had not bowed to Baal than he knew of with whom he might joyn himself If Corruption would argue against any good Appointment or Ordination of God it would argue against Churches of the very first Form or Constitution those Churches in the Revelation whose Corruption is severely tax'd and threatned yet are without any Censure as to their Constitution and while Sâ—paration from those Churches is not so much as intimated yet a Separation from Impurities is highly commended and promised reward Those Names Rev. 3. 4. in Sardis that had not defiled their garments are assured they should walk with Christ in white for he judg'd them worthy From whence I conclude no Form of Churches can recommend things disagreeing from the word of God how truly form'd soever those Churches be for Churches are constituted for joyning in those things that are agreeable to the Will of Christ not in those that are not and yet Separation from Corruptions does not necessitate Separation from Churches while there are any Parts of Divine Truth and Worship preserv'd pure to unite in so great are the Obligations that lye upon all sincerely Religious to make true Religion as publick as they can in the several Societies that are found to ingraft it upon Now that every Society that is the feat of True Christian Religion is in the language of the New Testament A Church I allow and therefore will briefly inquire into the Scripture-notion of a Church And I find the Original word taken out of the Septuagint of the Old Testament which translates the Hebrew Kahal by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators in the Old Testament as generally render Congregation although in the New Testament what is in the quotations out of the Old Testament in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they render Church so that from the whole it is very plain as the Vniversal or National Assembly of the people of Israel was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Church as by St. Stephen Acts 7. 38. where he speaks of the whole Body of the Israelites in the Wilderness so the Vniversal Assembly of Christians consider'd as in the Catholick Church is call'd by our Saviour and the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Congregation by way of Eminency as Holy Records are The Scripture or Writing and the Volume of Scripture The Bible or Book as the glad tidings of Christ are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Evangil or Gospel so the Church is The Congregation And as lesser Congregations of that Church of the Jews that did not comprehend the whole Body are call'd The Congregation or Church even so lesser Societies of Christians are call'd the Congregation or Church in allusion to which our Saviour says If two or three are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word of like Importance gathered together in my name I will be in the midst of them So that the Universal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christians seen only together by God and particular Assemblies of Christians that meet together under each others eye are in the phrase of the New Testament Churches Even as the whole Assembly of the Israelites in the Wilderness when they were all under