tells me the pitiful Case of most in the World Your honest Reproofs are founded on abundance of untrue Conceits There are about Twenty Untruths through mistake in matter of Fact in your Letter And how gross are many of them As that I write not against Persecution which I scarce over write a book that hath not much against it and this book it self doth fully confute you And that I oppose not but encourage divers things which I know not the man that hath said half so much against And you carry it all along as if I were your Accuser for not going to the publick Churches when I am a meer Defendent against your Accusations and plead the Cause of the Universal Church as not deserving an Excommunication and of many poor weak women and young people that would be drawn to renounce all Church-Worship in England for fear of Idolatry or a Curse from God If you that have his offered MS's and say This which I answer is Dr. O's were the man that made this MS. which I answer so common I think you did him a great deal of wrong Tho in his Printed Books especially that of Prayer and for Peace c. he owns the ill Principle which I now confute against all publick Worship by Liturgy and against man's power to command any more than Christ hath done in the order and manner of Worship and Church-Government which also is to be seen in his Preface c. of his Original of Churches and his Vindicatian of the Nonconformists c Yet these Printed Books of his especially his Original of Churches c. have so much sound and excellent matter and so many healing peaceable passages in them as did hide this one great Mistake so that I long purposely forbore all contradiction of him in it tho I plainly answered his Arguments in my Cure of Church-divisions for fear lest I should occasion a more common offensive or hurtful notice of them But when that one Error which was thus buried in abundance of sound matter was by some of you not only culled out and made common in MS. by it self but even in a writing in which he goeth yet further towards Non-Communion with all the Churches almost on Earth than ever he did in his Printed Books and this to affright all others into the same Non-Communion you could not sure imagine that no Christian had so much love to the Church to Souls to Catholick Communion to Love and Concord as not to let such a Writing do its worst without any Antidâ—te and Answer You could scarce have wrong'd the Doctor or his Memory mâ—re All his Enemies could not have done half so much against him having no such matter to accuse him of as you have unadvisedly given them And if 〈◊〉 also you will lay your own Fault on others that love the Truth and Church and Souls and Peace better than this Manuscript or its Reputation you will but run further into Error And can you possibly be ignorant how like you are to the other Extream 1. While you excommunicate far more than they do even almost all the Body of Christ as to External Communion 2. And are for silencing us as well as they Why else may not I have leave to render a Reason of my Iudgment and Practice to those that are offended at it 3. And as they would deprive Congregations of sound Doctrine Instruction and Worship for the Cause of the Opinions of their Faction would not you discharge almost whole Counties from all Church-worship where Forms are used and your way is not tolerated Had not the MS. been against all Forms of Liturgy but only against the real or supposed faults of the English one and had it been only against owning the faults and not against Communion in necessary Duty I had not troubled you by my Defence II. I did much approve of your brotherly motion to debate the Case friendly on the perusal of his larger Writings And tho your Letter came to me a week after the Book was printed the Bookseller said he had sold but two and I purposed thankfully to accept your offer and tho to my cost to have done my best to stop the rest and recall those two But not knowing you nor how to send to you I must suppose that you retract your Motions your Messenger not calling for my answer as we appointed Remember I beseech you that the Dr. writeth for mental Communion in Faith and Love with all true Churches tho he write against outward Local Communion with almost all And I crave your perusal of the first and third parts of this Book against the Resolver of three Cases c. And if you find that all the Cases in which I vindicate Local Separation to be no Schism be not enough bethink you what the Scripture meaneth by reprehended Heresie Schism and Division and whether there be any such Sins and whether they that are so much for Scripture-sufficiency as not to communicate with a Mode Order or Form of Words which it prescribeth not should set so light by it as not to fear its many sharp Condemnations of the foresaid sins and its frequent and vehement Exhortations to Unity and Communion of Saints and to receive one another as Christ received us to the Glory of God Lord pardon the faulty imperfections of our Services which we must rather venture on than a total Omission and teach us to pardon one another April 7. 1684. REader I have not time to gather the Errata of the Press or Copy only I intreat you to insert an omitted line page 29. line 35. because the sence is altered by the omission After them add than those of the Opinion which he pleads for Books Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1. MR. Baxter's Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience 2 Catholick Theology Plain Pure and Peaceable 3 Which is the True Church in Three Parts 4 Life of Faith in Three Parts 5 Answer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock 6 History of Councels Enlarged and Defended 7 Catechising of Families A Teacher of Housholders how to Teach their Housholds wherein the Creed Ten Commandments Lords Prayer and Sacraments are Expounded 8 Two Disputations of Original Sin Dr. Horton's 100. Select Sermons Sermons on the 4 th 42 d 51 st 63 d. Psalms Dr. Anthony Burges Sermons on 2 Cor. 3. Chap. Dr. Donn's Sermons Vol. 3. A Discourse of Gods Providence by Dr. Iohn Collings Morning Exercise against Popery Sermons on the Epistle to the Colossians by Iohn Daille Author of the Use of the Fathers A Discourse of the Covenant of Redemption
humane Covenant for Christ hath made but one Covenant with Mankind which is contained in the Vow of Baptism if it be then no man is a Christian but an Independent Ans. Alas for the Church that is taught at this rate 1. I never saw what Independents do in this case but I think none of them that are Sober own any other sort of Church but the universal and single Churches as members of it and therefore require no Contract but 1. To the Covenant of Baptism or Christianity 2. To the Duties of their particular Church-relation 2. And nothing is here of necessity but manifested Consent which is a real Contract but a clearer or a darker an explicite or implicite consent differ only ad meliús esse 3. Is not God the Author of Magistracy Marriage c. And is it any violation of Gods part if Rulers and People Husband and Wife be Covenanters by his command 4. Is it any renuntiation of Baptism to promise at Ordination to obey the Arch-Bishop and Bishop and to take the Oath of Canonical Obedience Is it not still exacted Are not the Takers of it obliged are not Covenants imposed on all that will be Ministers in the act of Uniformity are not multitudes kept out and cast out for not making these Covenants Quo teneam nodo c. How should one deal with such slippery men Good Mr. Zachary Cawdry that wrote to have all men to covenant Submission to Bishops and Parish Ministers did not dream that it was any violation of Baptism 5. Do not men owe duty to their Pastors which they owe to no others If not put them not on it Why are you angry with them for going from you Why doth the Canon suspend those that receive them to Communion from another Parish that hath no Preacher Why are we ruined for not covenanting as aforesaid if yea then is it against Baptism to promise to do our duty 6. But hath God commanded or instituted no Covenant but Baptism Yes sure the Matrimonial at least and I think Ordination is covenanting for the Ministry Did not the Apostle Acts 14.23 ordain Elders in every Church if you would have by Suffrage left out of the Translation no sober man can doubt but it was by the Peoples consent and was it without their consent that Titus was to ordain Elders in every City Could any then come otherwise in Did not all Churches hold and practise this after and was it none of Gods Institution If so God requireth us not to take any of you for our Bishops or Pastors Who then requireth it What meaneth Paul when he saith they gave up themselves to the Lord and to us by the Will of God 7. Can the wit of man imagine how it is possible without consent for a man to be made the Pastor of any Flock Who ever ordained a man against his will or for any man to have Title against his will to the proper over-sight and pastoral care of any one Pastor or the priviledges of any Church If any think they may be cramm'd and drencht with the Sacrament or that an unwilling man may have a sealed pardon and gift of Salvation delivered him he will make a new Gospel And how any particular Pastor is bound to give that man the Sacrament ordinarily that consents not ordinarily to receive it of him I know not No man is a member of any City or any Company of Free-men in the City but by mutual consent and the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to the King maketh not the Oath of a Citizen as such or of a Member of a Company as such unlawful 8. Doth this Doctor think that he ever yet proved to sober men that the Covenant aforesaid of Godfathers and Godmothers to make Christians and members of the universal Church is more or so much of Gods Institution than the Contract or Consent between Bishops or Pastors and People to make a single Political Church 9. If it follow not that no man is the Kings Subject that sweareth not to the City It will not follow that none is a Christian but an Independent or Church-consenter 10. How are your Parish or Diocesan Church members known to your selves or any others Are all that dwell in the Parish or Diocess your Church members Then Atheists Sadducees Hobbists and all vicious men and thousands that never communicate are such Yea those that you call Separatists If it be every transient Communicant have you a proper Pastoral care of every Travellers Soul that so communicates with you You after plead that his very ordinary Communion maketh him not a member if he be unwilling to be one And is not his consent then necessary Or if ordinary Communion be the test how few then of great Parishes are of the Church yet that is because such Communion signifieth their Consent to your over-sight of them § 9. But it 's much to be approved which p. 5. and oft he saith that to be taken into Covenant with God and to be received into the Church is the very same thing as to the Universal Church By which all his gross Schismatical Accusations afterwards are confuted No man then is out of the Church that is not out of the Baptismal Covenant either by not taking it or by renouncing some Essential part of it And when will he prove that to take him rather than Dr. Bates that was cast out to be a Teacher or Pastor at Dunstans or to take this man and not another to be the Lawful Bishop or Priest and to obey him in every Oath and Ceremony is an Essential part of the Baptismal Covenant or of Christianity But such a rope of Sand as Mr. Dodwell and this man tye together to bind men to their Sect will serve turn with some that know not who speaks Truth by any surer way than prejudice § 10. His Doctrine of Separation and gathering Churches out of Churches is anon to be considered But whereas he addes p. 7. These men convert Christians from common Christianity and the Communion of the Vniversal Church to Independency Ans. My acquaintance with them is small save by reading their Books And there are few Men of any Common Denomination Episcopal or other that are not in many things disagreed But I must in Charity to them say that as far as I can judge by their Writings or Speech he palpably slandereth them and that none that are grave and sober among them do separate their Churches from the common Christianity or the Universal Church any more than the Company of Stationers Ironmongers c. are separated from the City of London or London from England or Trinity Colledge from the University of Cambridge or Oxford I never met with man and I am confident never shall do that doth not take his Independent Church to be part of the Universal and Dependent as a part on the whole If belying others stopt at words the wrong were small But when it 's made but the
the Catholick Church is Ans. He maketh me think of the Man's Answer to the Pharisee John 9. I have told you and you heard not Would you hear it again If you would know what Unity is in uno which is affectio entis I must again send you to Schibler or Suarez or some such Tutor for I am not meet to tutor you If you would know in what this Unity consisteth I have told you before and oft § 16. But tho this Doctor use it not we use first to enquire whether the Controversie be de nomine or de re And 1. If I satisfie him what maketh the Church to be One will he grant that if we agree in that Union we are in Catholick Communion If he will we shall soon be Friends and no Schismaticks at least with any that knows what Unity is If he will not doth he not all this while abuse his Reader when he so hotly damneth us for want of Catholick Communion and tells us that he meaneth Unity and chargeth me with wilfulness or nonsense if I think that he meaneth any transient act But 1. De nomine I will once more tell him why I distinguish Unity and Communion and think he should have done so too Words in Dispute are to be used in the sense that Men of the Profession which the Subject most belongs to use them unless otherwise explained But Men that write of Logick Metaphysicks Physicks and Politicks use to distinguish Unity from Communion so far as that usually Communion presâ—pposeth Unity secundum quid and ever includeth some transient Acts when Unity is but the denomination of Eus qua Uâ—um I hope I may take the Language of our Creed to be so tollerable as that it is not necessary to salvation to condemn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Church of England which I hope is no damned Schismatical Sect translated the Communion of Saints That by Communion they mean some tâ—anâ—ient Acts and not meer Union all Expositors that ever I read among them shew as do all the Fathers and all Forreign Interpreters that I have read At least methinks he should not disdain to learn his Grammar again of Dr. Hammond and Dr. Heylin I remember not that ever I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Communion Indeed Eph. 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth Communion in transient acts but bare Unity doth not But Communion must maintain it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the bond of peace King Iames so liked Bishop Usher's Sermon on that Text that a Knight then near him told me that when by his winking posture the Courtiers thought he had been asleep at the end of the Sermon he spake aloud This is the Religion that I will live and die in or to that sense The regardful reading of consenting learned Commentators on Eph. 3.4 5 6 7. Verses might have quenched this fire-â—rand Indeed I believe with Beza that they who translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by meer participation say too little For it is not all participation which is the Communion which many Texts express but such a participation as connoteth an Union in quibusdam For Union absolute and simple is uncapable of Communion except with some other thing having no parts 1 Iohn 1.6 7. we are said to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God and with Christ or one another I find no Expositor that taketh this for meer Union Some call it Partnership some Society some Friendship others Communion but all take it to include transient acts Dr. Hammond goeth so far from this Doctor that he will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost every where in the New Testament to signifie Communication by transient acts Yea he goeth so far from his Friend Grotius who placeth it in the exercise of Friendship that he saith It is appliable to Friendship or Society no otherwise than to knowledg or anything else So he expoundeth Rom. 15.26 2 Cor. 8.4 2 Cor. 9.13 Phil. 1.5 Heb. 13.16 Phil. 6. and the Creed Tho for my part I doubt not but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.9 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.1 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.16 c. do signifie such a participation of that which is common to them all as implieth and connoteth that Unity which is the thing signified in this Communion tho it includes transient acts II. I should now again answer his question de re What makes all these Churches one But he stops me with a profession that he will not be to me intelligible and complaineth that I am unintelligible to him So that we seem Barbarians or Men of strange Languages in disputing with one another And it would be no edifying work for any to hear e. g. a Dutch-man and a Spaniard dispute in their several Tongues not understanding one another When I distinguisht of unifying the Church and uniting a single Member to it he tells me That he supposeth the particular Churches formed and particular Christians united to them and only enquireth how they are one Church and saith my distinction is to prevent understanding which his confusion promoteth And when I distinguish between Union in essential parts and in integral parts and in accidents without which distinction no true satisfaction can be given to the Querist he saith He perceiveth that we shall never come to the business for he did not enquire wherein the Essence of a Church consists or what degrees of Communion are more or less necessary to its being but how a thousand Churches become one Church Ans. Which words are to me as unintelligible as any Nonsence Doth any thing make it One Church but that which maketh it A Church Doth not that which maketh it eus existens make it Unum Doth not the word Church name its Essence If he ask me how the parts of Man come to make One Man Who would think but he meant either One Man essential or else improperly One entire Man And what Answer would any give but this If your how mean what was the efficient cause it 's God and the Generators If you mean what are the constitutive causes They are Soul and Body united that make a Man in Essence and the integrating parts united that make him an entire Man O! but saith our Doctor I ask not wherein the Essence of the Church consists Ans. Then you ask not what maketh it One in constitution What then do you mean unless it be the efficient cause which no Man would think you meant that read the rest of your Book For my part I despair of knowing what you mean till you have better learned to speak But this seemeth to imply that we are agreed of the constitutive Causes of the One Catholick Church and our disagreement were of the Efficient If that be it I 'le tell you what maketh the Church One efficiently 1. God maketh Man to be Man and so capable
thingt in their three Books that would not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If a Lay-man could prove it unlawful to trust other men with his Child in Baptismal Covenanting as far as the Church here doth or sinful to joyn in avoiding the Communion of all such gâ—dly men as the Canons or a Lay-Civilian may Excommunicate This will not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If any Church will deny men Communion unless they subscribe to some one small Untruth as the Liturgies false Rule to find out Easter-day or a mis-translation or the denial that Christ died for all c. this doth not unchurch them all But men have made so many snares by their numerous invented sinful forms of Communion that by such schsmatical Censures as this one scarce knows what Church on Earth is â—ot unchurched § 54. He saith Where there is 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ach of Communion no declared 〈…〉 act of communiâ—n between 〈…〉 be in communion with each 〈…〉 You may say of them what you will But all these Negatives speak no positive Act And is Communion nothing but Negations All this I may say of those that never heard of each others being 2. There may be an express disowning of each as the Romans did the Asians about Easter and the Africans about rebaptizing and the Britains disowned Augustine and as some disown a Pair of Organs or neglect of Discipline c. And yet both be parts of the Catholick Church § 55. P. 326. He is so Catholick in Doctrinals as to say that We may safely communicate with any Church how different soever our Opinion in other Matters may be when we agree in all the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Essentials of Worship Answ. What could one wish more Is this the same Man May you not then admit those that so far agree with you Are all your humane Associations and Confedearcies and all the Laws for Church-Discipline and Government made by men that have no Legislative Power Essentials of Worship or Fundamental Doctrines of Faith Are all that your foresaid Canons Excommunicate Men for such Essentials If this much be enough in the Church notwithstanding all other Sins and Errors why not in those that you should receive But it seems by this that Matters of Divine Faith and Worship besides bare Essentials are small things to him in comparison of Bishops Rules and Canons § 56. Pag. 395. He saith To separate causelesly from any true and sound part of the Catholick Church cuts such Separatists off from the Church If they will justifie their Separation they must prove that what is Enjoyned is Sinful Answ. 1. Have you answered what they have said and said again towards a Proof Remember that you call them to it and justifie their Separation if they prove it 2. But your Conclusion is false and odious leaving it doubtful what part of the Christian World you damn not If I could prove that you separate causelesly from the Nonconformists doth that certainly cut you from all the Church I doubt there are too few Christians on earth who do not in some degree separate causelesly from others Grotius joyned with no Church locally in Worship long before he died Most of the Church in East West South and North is damned falsly by this Rule He that doth but causelesly separate pro tempore from a Preacher by Passion or Mistake as Mr. Martin aforesaid from Mr. Lapthâ—rne separate causelesly from a true and sound part of the Christian Church His words make me think so sadly of the Case of the Church that must be tempted and distracted by such men as puts me far from a sporting frame But as Dr. Twisse and some of the Gravest Writers sometime divert their Readers with a sad Story that hath somewhat in it ridiculous why may I not put him another such Case At Bridgenoth before 1639. One Parson Crosse a thorough Conformist Preacht a Sermon In which inveighing against Marriage he said If you marry a Widow She will be like a Banbury Cheese when all the Paring is cut off there 's little left So when all Portions and Legacies are paid â— Whoever Maid or Widow if you will hope for a Wife and virtuâ—us Woman you must be like a Man that will find out one Ele in a Barrel of Snakes It 's a hundred to one you miss her But if you light on her you have but a wet Snig by the Tail a slippery handful Now the Women were angry with the Preacher he was an Orthodox Licens'd Man They separate from him Quere Whether they separated from the Catholick Church Reader I am tired with following this Writer and Mr. Crosse's Sermon makes me think of his Book By that time all the wordy mistakes are pared off the good matter is like his pared Banbury Cheese And if you fish for them at a venture it 's great odds but you meet with some scurvy words or matter instead of them Or if you light of that which is better his Sence is so uncertain in undistinguisht words that you have but Mr. Crosse's wet Snig by the Tail But not to seem more incredulous and indifferent from him than I am I subscribe to his words to Mr. Humphrey pag. 226. Ignorance and Insensibility is as great a security to some Men against Shame as Impudence is to others And to his words to Mr. Lobb pag. 388. What a blessed thing is Ignorance which helps Men to confute Books without Fear or Wit And I do acknowledge That this â—r hath helpt me more sensibly to understand St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.6 Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil FINIS UNNECESSARY SEPARATING disowned in the Reasons of the Authors Censured Practice § 1. WHEN I see 1. How many suffer for refusing Communion with the Parish Churches 2. And how many are offended with Me and such others for Communicating with them censuring Us as mistaking compliers with Sin The Cause and some good Peoples request invite me to answer these following Questions I. Whether Men should be compelled to Communicate with any Church by Corporal Penalties II. Whether they who consent to Communicate with some Church may chuse their own Pastor and Company or may by force be confined to their Parish Priest and Church III. For what Reasons I and such others Hear in and Communicate with the Parish Churches And whether so to do be a Sin or a Duty or a thing Indifferent § 2. I. To the first case I answer 1. It were happy if the Sword could compel Unbelievers to Believe but it cannot nor is a way which Nature or Scripture ever allowed Man to use for such an end 2. To force an Unbeliever to Lie by saying he Believeth is a Sin 3. An Infidel must not be Baptized till he profess with seeming Seriousness and Willingness that he Believeth in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and will Vow
I durst no longer see Thousands of good Christians misguided into mistakes and like to be ruined for them and hereby hardening their Persecutors rejoycing the Papists who joyn with them in Separation reducing the Protestant Religion into corners and giving it up as publick to we may know whom censuring one another and dividing on these mistakes and fathering all this on God I say I durst not stand by in silence to see all this no more than to see men drowning or the City on fire without endeavouring to save men It is an exceeding great quiet to my Conscience under all the Confusions and Divisions that have befallâ—n us that in 1660 and 1661. I plainly and earnestly foretold the King and Bishops of them and did my best to have prevented them And the Author that I deal with necessitateth me to recite the late fruits of Separation in pulling down all Governments casting out all the Ministers in Wales and were near casting down those of England with Tythes and Universities persecuting and killing godly men and fathering all on God and now flying from the Bishops when they had opened them the door to return He layeth his main Cause on the ill fruits of Liturgies which indeed are rather the fruits of Pride and Malignity and constraineth me to shew the fruits of Separation I dare not bury that in silence which God so dreadfully disowned by their own dissâ—lution without any blood and that when multitudes are running into the old error by mistaking the Iudgment of the Nonconforming Ministers thinking that they took that for unlawful which they did not and condemning all the excellent old Nonconformists and Conformists and almost all the Churches on Earth Let wiser men deal wiselier I use the best wisdom that I have It 's true that abundance of good people fear and distaste Communion in the Liturgy What wonder when such Reasonings as these Twelve Arguments which how gross soever poor people have not the skill to answer perswade them it is false Worship and heinous sin and say others Idolatry They are conquered as the Mexicans were by the Spaniards by the frightful roaring of their Cannons the Militia used Acts 15.1 2. Ye cannot be saved and as the Pope conquered Kings and Kingdoms by threatning to keep them out of Heaven Even as since men tell me that they medicate their Wines with Arsenick and Mercury I am afraid to drink them which before I feared not so are honest souls affrightned from Liturgies and Communion How much in them I dissent from my self I have openly intimated to the World But he that will joyn in no good that is mixt by men with faultiness and evil must separate from all the World and all from him But how will he separate from himself England in her Articles and Ordination professeth to cleave to Scripture-sufficiency as being the Protestant Religion I go to joyn in this profest Religion If the Speaker of any side add any unwarrantable passages by book or without book let him answer for them I own them not Did my presence own all that I hear I would joyn with no man living The Lord fit us for a wiser and more loving World The Twelve Arguments said to be Dr. Owens impartially considered D. O. Posit It is not Lawful for us to go to and joyn in Publick Worship by the Common Prayer because that Worship it self according to the Rule of the Gospel is not Lawful 1. Ans. I Shall use the same Method that he hath used and first give you my Positions and then the supposed Matter of Fact and then consider his Arguments Posit It is not only Lawful but a Duty for those that cannot have better publick Church-worship without more hurt than benefit and are near a competent Parish Minister to go to and joyn in Publick Worship performed according to the Liturgie and in Sacramental Communion And for those that can have better to joyn sometime with such Parish Churches when their forbearance scandalously seemeth to signifie that they take such Communion for unlawful and so would tempt others to the same Accusation and uncharitable Separation The History of the Matter of Fact must be premised for the right deciding of the Case which is as followeth 1. God hath commanded us to Preach Pray Praise him and Administer his Sacraments and Discipline and hath told us what Doctrine we must preach what things we must pray and give thanks for and what Sacraments and Discipline we must Administer But he hath not told us in what Words we must do these nor in what Posture nor in what particular Method nor whether we must use oftest the same words or various nor whether they shall be before prepared or spoken immediately without preparation of words nor whether written or remembred nor whether prepared and composed by our selves or by others with such like 2. God prescribed divers Forms of Prayer Confession and Praise to the Iews in Moses Law and a Prophetical Song which they were all to learn Deut. 32. 3. The Psalms were a chief part of the Iews Liturgie in which there are many Forms of Prayer and Praise some made by David some by Asaph some by others and some in or after the Captivity no one knoweth by whom And those Psalms were not in Metre and sung in Tunes like ours now but loâ—dly said over 4. Iohn taught his Disciples to pray not only as to the Matter but as to the Words and so did Christ his Disciples at their Request who had not then the after-pouring out of the Spirit nay knew not that Christ must die for Sin rise and reign in Heaven c. and he said When ye pay say Our Father c. tho not tying them only to these words yet giving them a Form of Words to be used as they had occasion as well as a perfect Directory for Method 5. Christ himself joyned with the Iews in Synagogues and Temple when they used Forms and so did the Apostles and never blamed them for the use of such Forms 6. Christ prescribed a Form of Words in Baptism and in the Administration of the Lords Supper and used a Hymn in Form 7. There are divers Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving in the New Testament in Luke 1. 2. and the Acts and Pauls Epistles and the Revelations which its Lawful and Laudable to use 8. We are commanded to use Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which are Forms of Prayer and Praise and was not then in Rhime And it was not every one in the Church that composed these Extempâ—re but some made them for the rest to use And if none Impose them by Office Authority or Perswasion the Churches will never use the same Christians in the primitive ages of the Church were known to the Heathen by their constant use of such Hymns sung to Christ and of Christ. 9. The Churches from Christs time to this had a Creed or Form of sound Words or necessary Articles of Faith
and godly Ministers in the Parish-Churches and some have such as I would never own or encourage in the Ministry by seeming to own them Some can remove their Dwelling and some cannot Some had Liberty the last year that cannot have it this year without more hurt than their benefit will compensate In these Cases where God hath not at all tied us to a Book or no Book to this Church or to that he that can truly tell which way he shall do and get most good or hurt may by that better know his Duty than by these Arguments or Mens Censures But verily my chief Reason for Communion in publick is the very same which you bring against it Even the avoiding of hainous Scandal I have told the World 1. That Scandal is not displeasing men but laying before them a temptation to sin 2. That if the Separatists be the best Christians they are farthest out of the danger of Scandal It is the worst that are easiliest tempted to Sin and so whom we should be most fearful to scandalize 3. And it 's a greater Sin to scandalize many than few 4. And worse by scandal to tempt men to the mortal Sins of persecuting or scorning godly men than merely to tempt them to some small mistakes or to grieve them 5. And to scandalize our Rulers is worse than to scandalize Inferiors Caeteris paribus And now I tell you I the rather joyn in Publick 1. Lest I should harden thousands in the Opinion That we take that to be unlawful which is not and that we are for sinful Separation and that we separate from and unchurch almost all Christs Church and that we are Enemies to Order and Peace and Concord and that we are unruly enemies to Government and giddy ignorant self-conceited people 2. And so lest we breed throughout the Land such a contempt of Conscience in Gods service as they have of Quakers and thousands by this should be alienated from the Reverence of serious Religion and Youth should be educated to the like contempt under these temptations 3. And lest if any in Church-matters be guilty of sinful Extreams on the other side in Oaths Professions Ceremonies or Practices we should harden them therein by tempting them to think that we have no worse against their way than the Use of a Liturgy 4. Lest the Conceit that we are but a company of giddy Fanaticks encourage any contentious Preachers to render us odious and rail at us in the Pulpits to their own shame and the widening of our Breaches 5. And lest the same Error should tempt any Bishops or Magistrates to think they do God and their Church and Countrey service in silencing imprisoning reproaching and ruining Gods faithful Servants without cause and bring the Land under Gods wrath by persecution Are these no Scandals or not greater than offending or displeasing the dissenting Separators to say nothing of ocsioning our Reproach in all the Foreign Churches which have a Liturgy If against all this the displeasing your mistaken Flocks should prevail then their weakness and error would constitute them our chief Governours D. O. Argument 9. That Worship which is unsuited to the spiritual relish of the New Creature which is inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit of God in Prayer is unlawful For the Nature Use and Benefit of Prayer is overthrown hereby in a great measure Now let any one consider what are the Prâ—mises Aids of the Holy Spirit with respect to the Prayers of the Church whether as to the Matter of them or as unto Ability for their performance or as unto the Manner of it and he shall find that they are all rejected and excluded by this Form of Worship as is pretended comprizing the whâ—le Matter limiting the whole Manner and giving all the Abilities of Prayer that are needful or required This hath been proved at large § 25. TO your Ninth Argument I answer 1. O! confine not the New Creature to those of your Opinion Do you think none of the Old Nonconformists or Conformists none of the Reformed Churhes and no Church on Earth for a Thousand years had any of the New Creature When you have affrighted People with telling them it is heinous sin and returning to Babylon and also by long disuse made a Liturgy uncouth to them do not ascribe all their averseness to the New Creature which is from prejudice and disuse For my part when God taught me first to pray I had no averseness to a Form When I heard it charg'd with sin I began to be averse to it When I had studied the case I was cured of that aversness but never reconciled to the forbidding of all other Prayer nor to the faults of any Forms And who knoweth not that Man 's culpable Nature loveth Novelties and are hardly kept in lively Affections under any thing that is very often said A Book or Sermon tho never so good affecteth us not so much after many times reading and hearing as at the first We must not lay this weakness on the New Creature tho it should teach Imposers to suit the Remedy to the Disease and give children such food as is not too displeasing to their Appetites And yet I find not the generality of Appetites even in your Flocks is against the Forms of Psalms being not prejudiced against them It is not true that Liturgies are inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit in Prayer It is a Mistake also XL. Error That this Form of Worship rejecteth and excludeth the matter of Prayer whenas the Visible Book tells all the contrary Do all those words express none of the Matter of Prayer It is untrue That it rejecteth and excludeth the Manner as to the chief part For the Lord's Prayer is a perfect Form for Matter Order and Method And the Psalms read and sung are for Matter and Manner neither evil nor excluded And sure there is much of the rest laudable If all Matter and Manner be rejected and excluded then the Martyrs that used it and all the Churches on Earth almost have no Church-Prayers But again I tell The use of Forms and the forbidding all other Prayers are Two different things which you ill confound D. O. Argument 10. That which overthrows and dissolves our Church-Covenant as unto the principal end of it is as to us unlawful This end is the professed joynt subjection of our souls and consciences unto the Authority of Christ in the observasion of whatever he commands and nothing else in the Worship of God But by this practice this end of the Church-Covenant is destroyed and thereby the Church-Covenant it self broken For we do and observe that which Christ hath not commanded And while some stand unto the Terms of the Covenant which others relinquish it will fill the Church with confusion and disorder § 26. TO your Tenth Argument I answer 1. What your Church-Covenant is I know not But if it profess subjection to nothing in Worship but what
professed that they are his I thought on Pauls case Gal. 2. who openly opposed Peter because he was to be blamed lest his great Name should make the Separation the most prevalent when Baâ—â—abas and others were carried away to Dissimulation and seeming to approve it It grieved me I think as much as any that blame me for it to seem to confute so worthy a man when he is dead and cannot answer for himself But I durst not let the writing of a dead man be so dangerous a trap for Souls and silently see the mischief prosper for fear of displeasing the mistakers But let the Reader know That it is so far from my design to wrong the Name of Dr. Owen by this Defence that I do openly declare That except in this point of his Mistake and who mistaketh not in more than one I doubt not but he was a Man of rare Parts and Worth And tho in the Tryals of the late Distractions of this Land I mention some of his Confessions it is to tell you that I had reason to hope that he repented for doing no more in his publick opportunities against the Spirit of Division which dissolved us And which of us need not repentance for our faults in those days of Tryal Yeâ— in his Doctrinal writings in his later Years he is much clearer than heretofore And even that Book of Communion with the Trinity which he writeth against whom I here deal with in the beginning is an excellent Treatise And his great Volumes on the Hâ—brews do all shew his great and eminent Parts it was his strange Error if he thought that freedom from a Liturgy would have made most or many Ministers like himself as free and fluent and copious of Expression In the late time he had never been so long Dean of Christ-Church so oft Vice chancellor of 〈◊〉 so highly esteemed in the Army and with the Persons then in Power if his extraordinary Parts had not been known But Reader if this excellent man had one mistake against all Liturgies and for Separation from them when yet he was of late years of more complying mildness and sweetness and peaceableness than ever before or than many others and if you will use his Name and Authority for this one Error Let me tell you I am confident you will wrong Dr. O. by ignorant defending him I doubt not but his Soul is now with Christ and that tho Heaven have no Sorrow it hath great Repentance and that Dr. O. is â—ow more against the receiving of this his mistake than I am and by deâ—ending it you far more displease him than me There is there no Darkness no Mistakes no Separation of Christs Members from one another no excommunicating or renouncing of Communion They all repent that ever they did any thing against Christian Love and Unity and received not one another as Christ receiveth us and did not own Communion in all that was good while they avoided the wilful consent to evil Were D. O. now to speak to you I am fully confident it would be to this purpose Tho all believers must be holy and avoid all known wilful Sin they must not avoid one another or their Communion in good because of adherent faults or imperfections for Christ who is most holy receiveth Persons and Worship that is faulty and false if all faultiness be falsness else none of us should be received There is greatest goodness where theâ—â— is greatest Love and Unity of Spirit maintained in the bond of Peace O call not to God to deny you Mercy by being unmerciful nor to cast you all out by casting off one another O Separate not from all Christs Church on Earth lest you separate from him or displease him God hath bid you pray but not told you whether it shall be oft in the same Words or in other with a Book or without a Book Make not superstitiously a Religion by pretending that God hath determined sâ—ch Circumstances O do not Preach and Write down Love and Commuâ—iâ—n â—f Saintâ— on pretence that your little Modes and Ways are only goâ—d and theirs Idolatrous or Intollerable and do not slander and excommunicate all or almâ—st all Christs Body and then wrong Gâ—d by faâ—hering this upon him You pray Thy will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven Why here is no Sâ—â—ife 〈…〉 Animosity Sâ—cts or Factions nâ—r Separating from or Excomâ—â—nicating on another Learn of Christ and know what Spirit ye are of and separate from none further than they separate from Christ and receive all hat◠〈◊〉 receiveth While â—ou blame canonical Dividers and unjust 〈…〉 do not you renoâ—nce Communion wiâ—h 〈◊〉 mâ—re than they 〈…〉 of too naâ—râ—w 〈◊〉 â—rincipleâ— and in the time of Temptation I did nâ—t foresee to what 〈…〉 Conâ—usion and Dissolution and Hatred and Ruin dividing 〈…〉 did tend but the 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 perfection of Love to God and one anothâ—r bids me beseech you to avoid all that is against it and to make use of no mistakes of mine to cherish any such offences or to oppose the motions of Love Unity and Peace No doubt but now this is D. O's mind If any one think that my Answers to him favour of too much disrespect which I fitted meerly to the Words I answered confessing my imprudence and liableness to such faultiness I desire that none will approve my failings blame me for them but do not therefore justifie true Schism and blame the cause of Love and Catholick Communion As to the mention of former miscarriages which arose from the Spirit and Principles of Division the Drs. Argument led me to mention them so necessarily that I must else have wronged the Cause and Truth Defended And I had great reasons I thought both for that and for this Defence which I shall next enumerate IV. I am not so blind as not to see inconveniences that abusers will raise from all that I have said But while I put those into one end of the Ballance I have so much to put into the other as with my Conscience quite weigheth down I know that men have already made tenfold worse use of our Silence in this Case and the Opinion 1. That we were all for the old Seditions and Convulsions And 2. that we are now oâ—â—he Dividers mind than ever they did of our writing against them And I have said so much against the active violent Dividers that should I say nothing against the Passive I should be partial and seem a Sectary my self Ovid taught me when I was a Child That Omnia perversas possunt corrumpere mentes Stant tamen illa suis omnia tuta locis 1. Truth and Love and Peace will be good when men have said and done their worst against them And I owe much more than this to their honour and defence Buy the Truth and sell it not is an old Precept These three are the very sum of all Religion and must not be forsaken or betrayed 2.
Concord of the Churches impossible 7. It is Self-condemnation to judg the present Bishops Church-Tyrants for excommunicating good Christians according to the Canons for profest dissent about their governing Offices Liturgies and Ceremonies and for imposing Assent and Consent to all things c. and yet to go much further than they by making it Sin against God to Communicate where the Worship is not wholly agreeable to Gods Will Prove that ever the Bishops went so far from Concord 8. I only humbly ask Whether this make not Christ and all his Apostles Hypocrites and worse than profest Sinners Did Christ by his usual joyning in the Synagogue and Temple-Worship and commanding men to go to the Priests to hear the Scribes and Pharisees c. profess that he took their Worship to be wholly agreeable to Gods Will Or did the Apostles so while they long joyned in the Synagogues with the Iews D. O. 5. There may be a false Worship of the true God as well as a worship of a false god Such was the Worship of Jehovah the Lord by the Calf in the Wilderness Exod. 33.5 6. Such was the Feast unto the Lord ordained by Jeroboam in the eighth month the fifteenth day of the month which he had devised of his own heart 1 Kings 12.32.33 § 6. YOur fifth Premise is unquestionable But if you distinguish not of false Worship you will make but false Work about it 1. There is that which is the corrupting of Gods own necessary Worship-Ordinances in so gross a manner either outwardly in the Matter or inwardly in the Mind as that God will not own or accept the Worship and Worshippers 2. There is that which is false in Integrals Accidents or Degrees by pardoned failings and infirmities To be false is to be disagreeable to the rule such in some measure is every Prayer Sermon or Sacrament that ever you administred He that saith he hath no Sin is a lyar All sinful Worship is so far false worship which the best of men are guilty of If you put all the Errors that are in this Paper of yours in a Sermon or Prayer will not so many falshoods make it false worship D. O. On these Suppositions the Proposition laid down is proved by the following Arguments 1. Argument Religious Worship not divinely instituted and appointed is false Worship not accepted with God but the Liturgical-worship intended is a Religious Worship not divinely instituted and appointed ergo not accepted with God The Proposition is confirmed by all the Divine Testimonies wherein all such Worship is expresly condemned see Deut. 4.2 Chap. 12.32 Prov. 30.6 Jer. 7.31 Isa. 29.13 c. That especially where the Lord Christ restrains all Worship to his own command Matth. 28.20 It is answered to the minor Proposition That the Liturgical-worship is of Christs appointment as to the substantials of it tho not as to its Accidentals namely Prayers and Praises not unto its outward rites and form which do not vitiate the whole § 7. TO your first Argument I answer I have fully answered this to Mr. Ralphson 1. As to the bare name either you will call all acts done to signifie immediately the Souls honouring of God by the name of Worship or you will not if not then that which is no Worship is no false Worship If you will then your Proposition is false so that either your Major or Minor XIII Error is another Error For I take it for granted that by Gods instituting you mean not a general command to man to institute it such as let all be done to edification if you did then your Minor is not true Kneeling at Prayer rather than sitting putting off the Hat using white Linnen and Silver plate at the Sacrament praising God by new Hymns and in English Metre and Tunes and many such are Worship in the secondary sence and yet not imposed by any determining Divine Institution Your wrong Exposition of all the Texts of Scripture here cited by you is more than one mistake Deut. 4.2 and 12.32 Prov. 30.6 forbid adding to Gods Worship XIV Error which is broken by all that either say that that is in Gods Word which is not there as you here do or that devise any Woship-Ordinances coordinate or of the same sort with his own as if they were imperfect But there is not a word forbidding subordinate secondary Acts of Worship such as Kneeling putting off the Hat using written Notes in Preaching or Forms of Singing Praying Catechising laying the Hand on the Book or putting it under the Thigh or lifting it up in Swearing the formal words of Vows Oaths Covenants Confessions Professions and many such Ier. 7.31 condemneth them that offered their Children in Fire to Idols because God never commanded such Cruelty and Idolatry It is not true that therefore we may not Kneel or put off the Hat or Preach Pray or Sing in an humane Form of words till God determine it by Command It was forbidden things which Isa. 29.13 and Mat. 14. are reproved as being the Precepts of Men or things feigned to be necessary Acts of Obedience to God which were not so But this you think your self doth not forbid your Form of Church-Covenant nor your Books Translation of Scripture Hymns written Sermons because they are devised by Man nor Childrens Forms of Prayer for being commanded by Parents Matth. 28.20 It follows not that because Christ bid the Apostles teach all that he commanded therefore nothing else subordinate may be taught He commanded not the additional Form of the Creed but only the Form of Baptism in three Articles nor the Hymns and spiritual Songs in Form mentioned by Paul nor the Kiss of Peace the Womens Vails the Mens being uncovered not wearing long Hair the selling all and laying it down at the Apostles Feet c. D. O. But it is replied There is nothing accidental in the Worship of God Every thing that belongs to it is part of it Some things are of more Weight Use and Importance than others Matth. 23.27 but all things duely belonging to it are parts of it or of its subsistence outward Circumstances are natural and occasional no accidental parts of Worship § 8. OUr Answer you well recite if you add that call it substantial or what you will the common Lords-day Worship according to the Liturgy hath not many if any words in it whose signified Matter is not found and true and as to the Manner Extemporate Prayer hath oft as great unaptness of words which every Age changeth disorder and defectiveness As to your Reply it is the strangest that ever I read from so Learned a Man and is a great mistake What is there in the world that is a Subject XV. Error without any Accidentals Gods Worship hath a multitude of Accidents As the Hour the Place the Pulpet the Tables the Cups of Silver the Linen and other Ornaments the Books as Printed the Metre the Tunes the Chapters and Verses the words of
Translation the Building the Gestures Vestures Treasures c. You add another mistake that every thing that belongs to it is a part of it Then all these forementioned are parts of it for they all belong to it XVI Error What a strange thing make you of Gods Worship Then your Time Place Notes Words Tunes Gestures Covenant-Form Catechism-Forms c. are all parts of Gods Worship for they belong to it And then you must be separated from for adding them But after this mistake you say Outward Circumstances are natural and occasional no accidental parts of worship Answ. Just now all Accidents were parts or else Accidents belong not to it And now it hath no accidental parts Certainly this is the truer for I remember not that ever I heard of mere Accidents that were Parts A mans Name Relation Trade Cloathing Age House c. belong to him and are Accidents but no parts of him no nor his Hair if it be a mere Accident But do none of these duely belong to him 2. The word Worship as I said before is Equivocal as signifying only the Things made necessary to the honouring of God directly by Divine Command or the subordinate Acts Modes Circumstances left to Humane Choice In the former sense the Order Words and Forms in the Liturgy and in all our usual Devotions are Accidents and not Parts In the later sense they are Parts But whether this later sense of Worship be apt is but a strife about a word But you say they are natural and occasional Ans. Dark words 1. I think the Translations Metre Tunes Notes your Words and Method Table Cups Cloth Temples c. are rather Artificial than Natural Art and not Nature made them what they are If you mean that Nature commandeth them then God by the Law of Nature commandeth them and what greater Authority can they have But yet that is not so Nature doth not determine us to this or that but leave all to apt and prudent Choice And so he doth as to the form or words of Prayer If by Occasional you mean such as must be mutably fitted to just Occasions there is no doubt of it And while the Occasion is constant so may the Accidents But sure while they are such yea and relatively appropriated or separated to worship as Buildings Utensils and Maintenance may be they belong to that Worship which they are no parts of D. O. 2. Prayers and Praises absolutely considered are not an institution of Christ they are a part of Natural Worship common unto all Mankind His institution respects only the internal form of them and the manner of their performance but this is that which the Liturgy takes on it self namely to supply and determine the matter to prescribe the manner and to limit all the concerns of them to Modes and Forms of its own which is to take the work of Christ out of his hand § 9. YOur Second Answer is no better 1. If by absolutely you mean not generally but as opposite to conditional it hath no sense here that I can find But if it be in genere that you mean as the Context intimateth they are no part of Worship at all natural or instituted For there is praying which is cursing and striving against God and Goodness and praying to Idols But I suppose you mean de specie praying to the true God for good things needful And so it is another Mistake That this Prayer is not of Christ's Institution because it is a part of Natural Worship All is of Christ's institution which is part of his commanding Law The Law of Nature is now Christ's Law who by Redemption is become Lord of Nature and of all Iohn 17.2 3. Mat. 28.18 19. Eph. 1.22 23. Rom. 14.9 10. Iohn 5.22 c. He most strictly commandeth Natural Duties The Ten Commandments were of Natural Obligation XVII Error and yet instituted And as Love was called a New and Special Commandment as required on new and special grounds and ends so is Prayer thus far also new 2. And it is another Mistake That Christ's institution respecteth only the internal form and the manner of performance The internal form is inward desire offered mentally to God XVIII Error And is not this Natural if Prayer be Sure the Form is the Thing But the institution of Christ reacheth the Matter of Prayer as well as the inward Form and outward Manner That we pray for the things mentioned in the Lord's Prayer for God's Glory Kingdom Will to be obeyed c. for Pardon the Spirit Grace Glory c. That the Gospel may have free course c. It is another Mistake That the manner of performance is sinful which is not of Christ's institution The Words and Method and Length are the manner of performance XIX Error Can you shew an Institution determinative of all the Words Method and Lâ—ngth of all our Prayers Or of all our Psalms Rhimes and Tunes and all our Gestures and Utensils c. By these words I am induced to hope that the common report That you were against the ordinary use of the Lord's Prayer in words is false for here you seem to be more for it than you ought For if all the outward Manner must be instituted by Christ sure the Lord's Prayer will be at least the chief part You say the Liturgy takes on it self to supply and determine Matter Ans. 1. Matter is more than Manner But this is another Mistake For the Liturgy supposeth that Scripture is the Rule and Christ the Commander of all the Matter of Prayer which is of constant use and need as the Articles of Religion and the Ordination-Covenant shew And you give no instance of the contrary But as to mutable Matter which vary as occasions by Providence do as days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving the 5 th of November and those things that are specially suited to some times and places you determine of such your selves in all your Prayers XX. Error It is another Mistake That thus to limit the Concerns of Prayer to Mâ—des and Forms is to take Christ's work out of his hands If so then you must shew us where Christ himself undertook so to limit us to his Modes and Forms only else it is not Christ's proper work Is there a Liturgy of his making more than we ever heard of 2. And then do not all Ministers in every publick Prayer take Christ's work out of his hands Do they not limit the people in Matter Mode and Form of words What heavy charges lay you on your selves Do not the Composers of Hymns and Psalms so limit them to Mode and Form It 's clear that they do D. O. 3. Outward Rites and Modes of Worship divinely instituted and determined do become the necessary parts of Divine Worship See the Instance Levit. 1.16 Therefore such as are humanely instituted appointed and determined are thereby made parts of Worship namely that which is false for want of