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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29237	The XXIV cases concerning things indifferent in religious worship considered, or, The resolver better resolved by his own principles, and non-conformists more confirmed also, the grand case touching ministers conformity, with the double supplement thereunto annexed, briefly discussed.	Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671.; Bagshaw, Edward, 1629-1671. Great question concerning things indifferent in religious worship briefly stated.	1663 (1663)	Wing B427; ESTC R12512	53,178	68

are not able to bear as some of their Forefathers complained And to omit or shorten Preaching to enlarge the Church-Service they are ready to profess to be against their Consciences as a making voyd the Commandment of God by observing the Traditions of men 2. It is highly sinful to Assent and Consent unfeignedly to things Inexpedient purely Indifferent that is Idle or Useless Superstitious Doubtful or Significant Humane Ceremonies as against the Second and Third Commandments and because such things are sinful in Worship But to some such things yea many do they assent and consent who declare their assent and consent to all and every thing Contained in and Prescribed by that Book as hath clearly been proved ergo c. 3. It is highly Presumptuous Sacrilegious if not Blasphemous to make that Book equal to the Sacred Bible and the Powers Imposing it as infallible as those were that wrote the holy Scriptures as the Pope does the Apocrypha and the Traditions of the Church But this is done by all that in that manner make that Declaration For what can more be declared and asserted of the Holy Canonical Spirit inspired Scriptures then an unfeigned assent to the Truth and consent to the Goodness of all and every thing contained in those Books 4. To assent and consent to the Imposition of things unlawful in Worship is to make themselves twice guilty of sin once as they assent and consent to things unlawful and a second time as they confirm the Imposers in that sinful Imposition For when will they repent of or repeal these sinful Impositions when they are confirmed to be true and lawful by so many complying Ministers in so high a Declaration 5. To declare and profess so publickly before God and their People their unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing in that Book believing that some things are Inconvenient and Inexpedient which they wish were removed is gross Dissimulation and desperate hypocrisie But many of the Complyers do believe and confess some such things to be contained in that Book either not true or not lawful and yet assent and consent to all and every thing contained in it Or suppose them so corrupted in their understanding and Judgments as to be perswaded of the Goodness and Truth of all and every thing therein it may easily be proved and hath been already that some things in it are not true as to matter of Doctrine and some things not lawful as to matter of Worship or Discipline if I might safely dispute against that Book having a Law to render it liable to a Premunire But Truth is Truth and to be acknowledged when we are called to give testimony to it This hath been done by many and not yet answered The Book containes the whole of English Religion in Doctrine Worship and Discipline and in every one of those Defects Imperfections and Corruptions manifested and yet without Reformation of many things imposed and pressed on us with more rigour then formerly See some Particulars 1. In Doctrine As 1. In the Articles of Religion Art 20. The Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies which words being ambiguous taken either for meer Circumstances of Worship for Order Decency c. or for Sacred Rites and religious Ceremonies In the first sense they are true but doubtful To which no unfeigned assent can be given till the distinction be given In the last sense in which they are usually taken they are proved to be false above in this Discourse And some other principal points of Doctrine there are so doubtfully worded that as Papists and Arminians have glossed them to their Opinions so no tender Conscience can safely give so full assent to them as true till they be explained which was formerly denied and prohibited to be made by those that subscribed them 2. In the Liturgy some Doctrinals are delivered and prescribed to be assented to as first a false Translation of the Psalmes according to the errours of the Vulgar Latine still retained to be read not to speak of their leaving out of the Titles of many Psalmes which in Hebrew are Canonical Scripture And it is as unlawful to take from the word of God as to add to it unless they intend to make amends for their Substraction of some by Addition of other things and that is sufficiently done by addition of some Apocryphal Psalmes Te Deum Benedicite and a great many Chapters of the Bookes called Apocrypha to be read a most for two moneths together some whereof are false and as very lying Legends as those used in the Romish Churches and some newly added not in before as the History of Susanna Bell and the Dragon And what is this but as they at Rome a Canonizing in part of the Apocrypha making it equal to the Scripture in Divine Service as part of their Doctrine I might add that Assertion That all Children Baptized are really regenerated and want nothing necessary to their Salvation which drawes after it all or most of the Arminian and Popish Tenents 3. The Homilies are part of the Doctrine of the Church ratified by the 35 Canon and prescribed to be read by every Minister and now with the Articles enjoyned to be assented to unfeignedly as true In these have been observed some false Doctrines as to justifie plurality of Wives by the old Fathers Hom. Of the time and place of Prayer pag. 147. That Almes purgeth away all sins delivereth from death Hom. 2. Of Almes pag. 16. For proof whereof is cited as good Scripture Tobit 4.10 the Son of Syrach Dare any Orthodox Minister declare his unfeigned assent to the Truth of these Doctrines yet this is done by too many 2. In Worship There are some things not good that is unlawful to which yet an unfeigned consent is to be given For the Ceremonies they are largely discovered to be sinful and unlawful above To which may be added the Apocryphal Psalmes and Books made not only equal with the Divine Scriptures but also parts of Divine Service as fully as any part of the Word of God Add to these the Responds of the Clerk and People Women Boyes and Wenches clearly against the Apostles Rules of Decency Order Edification as may be easily manifested And more might be said concerning the Ministers change of places postures ridiculous gesticulations as if Divine Service were some Play or Comedy to be acted which causes the Name of God to be taken in vain against the third Commandment Can any pious devout Minister give his unfaigned consent to these as good 3. In Discipline The Book of Ordination is the Epitome thereof now joyned and established with the Articles and Liturgy But there are some things in them proved to be false As 1. That there are three kinds or Orders of Church Officers Bishops Priests and Deacons when Scripture knowes but two It being proved and confessed by Episcopal men that in Scripture a Bishop and a Presbyter are one and

Quest pag. 39 69 c. and makes them to us necessary by a necessity of Obedience though not so in their own natures by vertue of a Divine Commandment Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves Indeed this pretence seems to put a demur to the Case and is the foundation of all his Discourse in the greatest part of it concerning submission to such Impositions But it is easily removed by a Distinction or two 1. Of the sense of the word Inconvenient which he substitutes for the word Inexpedient to mo●lifie the harshness thereof as was noted in the Explication of Termes which having once presumed to do he then supposes unjustly also those things now called Inconvenient to be things lawful not only in their own nature and extracultum but also in their use and in Worship which is contradicted by himself when he makes things inconvenient in their use to be sinful p. 68. Of which afore 2. Of things inexpedient or inconvenient which may be conceived to be of two sorts 1. In regard of meer Circumstances of Worship as an inconvenient place or an unseasonable time thereof which must be taken or no other allowed for publick worship wherein the Authority may sin in Imposing as violating the Rules of Decency Order or Edification 1 Cor. 14. but the Subject sins not in submitting yea should sin in not submitting 2. With respect to humane Ceremonies which are inconvenient and inexpedient in their use that is hurtful to the Worship or Worshippers which are alwaies sinful in worship and may no more lawfully be submitted to then Imposed in worship as he hath often granted Now then our Ceremonies being proved to be so many waies inexpedient that is sinful in worship one Argument but a complicated one and so much the stronger will dispatch the business Thus. No sinful inexpedient unnecessary superstitious doubtful significant Ceremonies may be submitted to if Imposed in Worship But our Ceremonies are proved to be such ergo they may not be submitted to Against this Conclusion neither the Peace of the Church nor pretended Duty nor too much desired Safety his threefold Cord used to draw others to Conformity with himself can dispense till this Argument be enervated and made voyd I proceed to the last III. Of Assenting and Consenting to them This third and last Question is newly occasioned by the Late Act for Uniformity and the too general compliance of Ministers with it not only to submit to the Ceremenies and other things Imposed as to Practise which in some things might be tollerable but also to enslave their Judgments to a full approbation of all and every thing contained in and prescribed by it Which one would think should have stumbled many more till they had serio●sly considered both what the things are which are very many and also have sufficient ground for so large a Submission When it is evident that many of the Declarers and Subscribers never saw the Book nor considered the Reasons of so deep an Engagement but hastily swallowed down all with an Implicite Faith trusting to their Rulers Now if there be but one thing Inexpedient in it one thing false or evil that is sinful As submission to so universal a Practise of it is proved unlawful so the giving an unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained in it can by no good Conscience be justified That Act takes in the whole Book as now it is Published and Established And containes the Epitome or rather Volume of the English Protestant Episcopal Religion 1. The Form of Doctrine or Confession of Faith in the 39 Articles 2. The Mode of Worship in the Liturgy 3. The Model of Discipline in the Book of Ordination or Consecration of Bishops Priests and Deacons All these to be at one Lump submitted subscribed assented consented to and that unfeignedly It was partly yielded above that in some cases it may be lawful not only for peace sake but also for Conscience sake to submit to some thing Inconvenient as an Inconvenient Circumstance if Imposed by a lawful Authority But now the Question is of declaring openly an unfeigned assent and consent to a thing any thing if any there be Inconvenient in the Book which to me imports an Approbation of it as shall be shewed ere long I shall only desire to remember the Explication of the Terms That Assent hath respect to the truth of a thing Consent to the Goodness Vnfeigned to the sincerity of both I now propound the Question the third time Whether it be lawful for Ministers to conform so far to the Late established Book for Vniformity as Publickly to declare an unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained in and prescribed by it To the Decision of this great Question one would easily think little need be said considering what hath been said already against divers things contained in that Book any one whereof if proved sinful as I believe some are and more will be might be a sufficient bar to suspend either Ass●nt or Consent to the truth or goodness much more the practise of them which yet is promised in the Subscription to them I shall argue first ex concessis probatis and then add some more special Reasons in some Particulars 1. In General thus I assault them If divers things Imposed and to be submitted to be sinful the Imposition and Submission to them being therefore sinful then it is much more sinful to declare an unfeigned Assent and Consent to them yea to all and every thing contained in and prescribed by that Book but the Antecedent is most true and asserted by themselves and where they are shut proved so to be the Consequence is made undeniable by the Apostles Logick and Divinity Rom 1 ult Who though they know that they that do such things are guilty or worthy of death not only do such things but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consent to or favour them that do them The Argument is taken a minore ad majus It is bad to do things sinful especially against Knowledge and Conscience but much worse to assent and consent unfeignedly to the truth and goodness of such things The reason is because a man may do a thing sinful either out of Ignorance or inadvertency or the violence of a Temptation but he cannot unfeignedly assent and consent to the doing of them or to them that do them without deliberation and knowingly against his clearly convinced Conscience And the more of Will is in a sin the higher is the aggravation of it Now this is observable that few Conforming Ministers there are which do not believe some things in that Book to be inconvenient burdensom troublesom and scarce Orthodox either in Doctrine Worship or Discipline And some in my hearing have already complained that the burden to read all prescribed and to preach when they have done as they ought to do being of Divine Institution is a Burden which they

clear Reason 3. The reason of their Prohibition may seem for I assert it not to be Moral and the same in all As 1. Things offered to Idols the eating of them especially in the Idol Temples seems to be two waies Scandalous first to the Idolaters to confirm them in their Idolatry by Christians Communion and communicating with them and next to encourage weak Christians to do the like with a doubting Conscience thus the Apostle argues against it 1 Cor. 8.10 Or else let the Rev. Cas give a Reason why it is unlawful to be present at and communicate of the Romish Mass 2. The not eating of things strangled and bloud is founded say some upon a Moral Reason because the Life is in the Bloud or is the Bloud Gen. 9.4 Lev. 17.14 and that is perpetually so 3. As for Fornication that say most is prohibited by a Moral Law the Seventh Commandment Now I shall leave this Case also with the Rev. Casuist to be resolved at his leisure However in the Interim I shall say these two things 1. That in some Cases those things besides Fornication are still obliging as to abstain from eating things offered to Idols in their Temples if a Christian should live amongst them for the Reasons given above and to abstain from things strangled and bloud if the Jewes lived with us if it might further their Conversion 2. That our Case is not the same with theirs For we abstain not from things meerly Indifferent or Inconvenient but from things in our Jugment and his also Inexpedient that is sinful in their use in Worship I shall not need now to say any thing to the Testimonies of Calvin Pet. Martry or Zanchy they are all satisfied by what is said and I hasten to conclude this Case I hope the Rev. Cas will now find his Scriptures answered better and himself better resolved by his own Principles as my self and I believe many others are more confirmed in our Inconformity by a prudent and sorious pondering of the Premises lent us by himself 3. Concerning the making of the first Declaration In managing the whole Discourse of the Grand Case of Conformity the Rev. Author deales not so fairly and fully as was expected nor under Favour so ingenuously as is desired For he carries on the Business so precariously so limitedly as if he cared not or intended not to satisfie all his Readers but to wave the main part of his work or leave it half undone as may thus appear 1. Pag. 2 4 12. He professes that he treats only with such as could conform were it not for one or both the Declarations which I believe for I have spoken with divers of them not one of a hundred of Non-conformers would have done And he speakes not one word to satisfie those who have other Reasons for their Inconformity 2. He professes also that he takes for granted that the Government Liturgy and Ceremonies of the Church are all good and lawful waving the Necessity of them and esteemed such by them that refuse conformity p. 138. I confess I took the lawfulness of these in themselves for granted When as he knowes they have all been controverted more or less well nigh these last hundred years and are yet subjudice 3. As in his former Cases so here all along he takes also for granted both that Inconvenient and Inexpedient are both one and also that the Ceremonies and other things controverted are but inconvenient and not sinful Now it is an easie thing to make and resolve any Cases if a man may have liberty to suppose what he pleases to build as a Foundation his Resolutions upon And if he will give me the like liberty to suppose all those three named to be unlawful or but to have something in them untrue or unlawful how easily can I dissolve all his Resolutions and resolve and determine the contrary to his Opinion And this Advantage we have on our side that as he I say not cannot hath not proved all things in them lawful so if but one Particular in each of them yea in the whole Book as now established be either untrue or unlawful no conscientious man can make those Declarations without palpable Dissimulation if not something worse Had the Rev. Cas taken but half so much paines to prove them and all things in them to be true and lawful as he hath to perswade us to conform by supposing them lawful he might have had more Proselytes than now he can expect But I attend his motion His first Case with the Resolution thereof concernes not those at all that go upon other grounds for their Inconformity For as some of them never made the former Subscription nor took any Oath to the Ordinary so others of them have seeing just cause as they believe repented of their rash undertakings in their younger years through Ignorance and inconsideration And as the Objections by him started are not by these owned so nor do they think the Solutions by him given will be satisfactory to those for whom they are intended For the first Objection that though they could read the Expressions yet they do not so heartily like and approve them as seems to be required he resolves it thus The Object of your assent and consent is not the words but things not every word but every thing c. A poor elusion or rather delusion of his Readers For as the things are expressed in the words so the very words for it was sollicitously worded are a part of the all and every thing contained in the Book from which if a man should vary to use his own apprehensions and expressions he should quickly hear of it as is said with both his eares And to say we cannot heartily like and approve them as seems required and yet to give an unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing therein seems to me I say not Hypocrisie a contradiction as I say I cannot heartily approve them and yet I do heartily approve them For what is done unfeignedly is I take it done heartily ex animo His Distinction of absolute and comparative approbation applyed to the Second Objection will hardly please any Party 1. Not the Nonconformers for if their ground of refusal be good viz. the unlawfulness of but one thing therein they can neither absolutely nor comparatively assent and consent thereunto A comparative Approbation of a sinful thing is it self sinful 2. Not those he intends to perswade for an unfeigned assent to the Truth and Consent to the Goodness of all and every thing in that Book is as full and absolute an Approbation in their apprehension as can be given to the Book of God the Holy Scripture it self 3. Not to the Bishops or Prelates for it is supposed that their design in procuring and promoting the Act was to get the Assent and Consent and that unfeigned of all the Clergy that is their Approbation of the Truth and Goodness of all and every

thing in the Books of Prayer and Ordination of their Order of Episcopacy above Presbyters c. which was formerly attempted but miscarried in the caetera Oath And to say you do not absolutely approve of every thing in the Book as that you would chuse above all and as best in it self as it will hardly please them so it seems to put a slurre as upon the Book as not the best which yet was requisite in the publick Worship of God so upon the Composers of it as if something in it were scarcely true or good but at least very Inconvenient and to be yielded to only comparatively to prevent some greater Inconveniencies all which if they pleased they could have removed Lastly It will hardly satisfie the Imposers whose Design is supposed to be Unanimity as well as Uniformity a full and unfeigned Approbation of all and every thing contained in that Bulk or Body of Religion as now it is come forth and established for they three or four times besides this Declaration require in the Act an Approbation of all and every thing as if they intended to explain what they mean by those milder words of Assent and Consent as the R. Casuist cals them p. 8. viz. a full Approbation of all But he addes Had the word free been in the Act in stead of unfeigned as some male-contents out of a vile Design do buzze up and down there had been more colour of the former Objection To let pass the harshness of his words in this Paragraph the rather because he hath been so modest and moderate in his former Cases To the rest I should say Is not unfeigned as much or rather more than free Surely what I unfeignedly assent to as true and consent unfeignedly to as good and lawful I do it freely or grossely dissemble And may we not freely chuse things that we believe are true and good for themselves and of our own accord I believe many do so Assent and Consent to all and every thing as freely as unfeignedly and desire no other no better as thinking these the best And I suppose the Composers if not the Imposers expect this free choyce and will hardly thank them that do it for other Reasons as no sure friends to their Cause But the last Answer will perfectly remove any such scruple for ever Let the Act interpret it self The words foregoing are these Every Minister shall declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book c. not simply to all things but to all things with respect to their use to the use of all things in the said Book As fine and nice a Cobweb Lawn as can be spun but transparent and fit only to catch weaker flies but easily broken by the stronger For. 1. He told us before p. 7. the Object of our Assent was not words but things not every word but every thing Now Assent as was said long ago is an Act of the Understanding whose Object is Truth Consent is an Act of the Will whose Object is Goodnesse If then I assent and consent to all and every thing contained in that Book do I not simply assent and consent to all things in it as true and good 2. Can any Conscientious man assent and consent to the use of all and every thing in the Book unless he be first convinced of the Truth and Goodness of all and every thing to be used And if the use had been intended only in this first Declaration it was superfluous to put it again in the second 3. The Intention of the Imposers may be collected rather from the Declaration it self than from the foregoing words They shall declare their Assent and Consent to the use of all in this manner by declaring their Assent and Consent to all and every thing in the Book their uniformity in practise by their unanimity in Judgment For this in reason must be supposed or they could not in any reason require the other to make men practise against their judgment And if this was not their design why did they so suddenly change the expression first to the use and now to all and every thing 4. And why do they afterwards so often use those words He shall declare his Approbation his Approbation of all c. which must be meant of the Truth and Goodness of all as well as of the use Lastly this nice distinction of use and things cannot be applied to all and every thing in this first Declaration For every Minister though he assent and consent to the use of all in the Book of Common-Prayer yet he cannot properly assent and consent to the use of all and every thing contained in the Book of Ordination for no Minister under a Bishop can Ordain a Presbyter or Deacon It must then necessarily be taken for their Assent and Consent to the Truth and Goodness of the Way of Ordination by Bishops and of the three Orders of Church Officers c. And thus much of the first Declaration 4. Concerning the making of the Second Declaration In the Subscription or second Declaration there are three main things that fall into consideration 1. The taking up Armes against the King 2. Corformity to the Liturgy 3. The Solemn League and Covenant Of which we know not what is best and safest whether to speak or be silent If we speak not very warily we run upon a rock of Law if silent we may be suspected to betray our own Innocence To the two first we shall say very little to the last a little more 1. To the first we humbly cr●ve leave to say this little They that refuse to make this Declaration do not stick at this but are ready to profess That as they never did take up Arms against the King which was constantly denied by the Parliament in all their Declarations and Protestations and they think in the Covenant it self but for the King So they hold it utterly unlawful for Subjects so to do and hold it as now by Law it is determined a Trayterous Position so to assert which they were taught before to abhor both by Scripture by the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy and by the Solemn Covenant it self 2. The second of Conforming to the Practise of the Liturgy as little is said here by the Casuist so it is sufficiently discussed and resolved according to the judgment of Non-conformists in the former Case The Result whereof is this If there be any thing any one thing in it either untrue or unlawful they dare not declare their unfeigned Assent and Consent to it or the practise of it 3. That of the Covenant is the Mountain to be removed not by the Faith but by the strength and skill of the Learned Casuist And this is acknowledged by the Refusers of this Declaration to be the main Business of contest and that not in the whole but in one particle thereof in the second Article as will appear In three