his Answer and more largely without excepting the Winter Quarter since in his Diocess all the Dissenting Ministers except one continue their Lecturing thro the whole year Now this matter of Fact all the World must allow to be directly contrary to his severe charge so that if it prove true His Lordship could have no pretence to complain of my Reproving him for offering such barefac't untruths for undeniable matters of Fact Let 's then enquire what he hath said to make good his Charge and to that purpose he alledges Two Things 1. That the Reading the Scriptures should be so ordered That the diligent Hearers may in a competent time be acquainted with the whole Body of them Whereupon he challenges me to produce one Meeting in the North where this has been observed Admon p. 144. Answ As to this Allegation 't is evident That it concerns not the matter of Fact in Dispute at all which is Whether setting aside a verse or two for a Text or Quotation at the discretion of the Teacher the voice of God is never publickly heard among them and a Man may attend most Meetings many years and never hear an entire Chapter read in them For the Allegation concerns only the manner of Reading them whereas the Accusation supposes them not Read at all except a verse or two for a Text or Quotation c. so that I might justly dismiss any farther Consideration of it but since the Bishop gives me this occasion to compare their Practise and ours I shall suggest to him That tho we Read not so much of Scripture as they in such entire Portions as whole Chapters yet we Read the Scriptures more regularly then they and a Man may sooner hear them Read through in a Meeting than he can in most of the parish-Parish-Churches To clear this I must premise That in the generality of the parish-Parish-Churches through the Kingdom there is no Divine Service Read except on Sundays Now if we consult the Calender in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book we shall find That excepting the Psalms there is never read from one generation to another but about 104 Chapters of the Old Testament and that in such order or rather disorder as breaks the Coherence of the Sacred History So that a Man may if he lived to 80 years attend the Publick Worship in most Parish-Churches all his Days and never hear the 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Chapter of Gen. and so on See the Lessons proper for Sundays and how is the New Testament Read This Sunday we have the Matt. 1. and the Rom. 1. Read the next Sunday the 8th of each and next 15th Four Months hence the 3d of Matt. and the 4th of Rom. So that in the generality of the parish-Parish-Churches the Scriptures are Read most confusedly so that the Hearers are incapable of observing the admirable Connexion of its parts and in most Parishes the far greater part of them is never read at all Whereas in the Meetings 't is the general Practice to Read on a Book in order and tho their Exposition hinder them from Reading so large a Portion for which there is abundant Compensation by their Expounding what is read from Parallel places of Scripture yet they will in the course of some years be read all over which they never are nor can be in the generality of the Parish-Churches that are shut all the Week But as this first Allegation had it been true signifies nothing to the purpose 't is brought for so let us see whether the other be more considerable 2. The Bishop Appeals to our selves Whether any of our Ministers ever read one Portion of Scripture but what was either designed for a Text to a Lecture or Sermon or a Quotation If any one pretend the contrary he desires me to name the time and place that he may reprove those Informers which I affirm have so grosly imposed on him Admon p. 144. but till the time and place be named his Assertion he saith is literally true and in a larger sence then he expressed it Ans I must desire his Lordship to review this passage and tell us Whether it be literally true that except a verse or two for a Text or Quotation the voice of God is never publickly heard in their Meetings when 't is as Mr. Craghead informs him their ordinary Practice to Lecture every Lord's Day and usually to Read a whole Chapter or divide a long one that 's full of Textual difficulties Is a whole Chapter or half a long one only a verse or two for a Text Nay is it literally true That a Man may go to most Meetings many years and neuer Hear an entire Chapter Read when in the generality of them he shall most commonly Hear a whole one Read every Lord's Day But what does he mean when he challenges me to name the time and place in which any entire Portion of Scripture was Read but what was either designed for a Text to a Lecture or a Sermon What is this to the matter of Fact that he Ascerted For besides that a Text to a Lecture is a new Phrase Is a whole Chapter or half a long one only a verse or two Or is a whole Chapter never Read because 't is always read with a design to Expound it Nay is this so deplorable a fault as he has suppos'd it that we never Read an entire Portion of Scripture without intending to illustrate the sense of it by comparing parallel Scriptures with it for that 's all his Lordship can mean by making it a Text to a Lecture Is it not rather our great commendation That the Scripture is always Interpreted as well as Read and rather matter of Reproach to others that 't is barely Read without giving the People such help to understand it And shall our extraordinary diligence be made our deplorable crime and their sloth so great a virtue And upon the whole would it not have been more ingenuous in him to own that his Informers had grosly imposed upon him then to persist in so plain a mistake and then colour it over with an Apology the weakness and unreasonableness whereof had been so largely and justly exposed in that part of the Remarks to which he has not yet thought fit to give any Answer But tho' the Bishop be in the wrong as to the Substance of the Accusation he seems very confident of what he has said to vindicate that Circumstance of it viz. That in all the Meetings of the North in a whole year perhaps there is not so much Scripture read as in one day in the establisht Church This he pretends to prove so fully that by his Computation there appears to be four times more Scripture read in the establisht Church than in all the Meetings of the North. To this purpose he pretends to take my own Computation of half a Chapter read in each Meeting for three quarters of a year and so in the nine Meetings in his Diocese he computes
circumstantial Modes of it I had told him That if his words be taken in this strict sense they contain such an Assertion that if a man believ'd it he would find it hard to joyn in any Assembly in the Christian World and must renounce Communion with the Parish Churches For many circumstantial Modes of Worship are practis'd there which are neither expresly contain'd in the Scriptures nor warranted by any Examples of Holy Men that have us'd those particular circumstantial Modes ex gr The singing Psalms as appointed in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book or in the Metre compos'd by Sternhold and Hopkins the use of a stinted Liturgy in general and particularly our English one Reading the Apocrypha bowing at the Name of Jesus kneeling at the Sacrament c. But his Lordship instead of taking any notice of this objection against his Rule very silently now extends it Admon p. 165. only to make those things unlawful that are not contain'd in Scripture or warranted by Example of Holy Men in it or may not be deduc'd by clear consequence or parity of Reason from them Now 't is evident that many things may be drawn by clear consequence and parity of reason from the Precepts of Scripture that are not expresly contain'd in ' em And the same may be said of Scripture Examples So that the Bishop has now really charg'd his Rule by this new comprehensive Addition to it and as 't is now laid down 't is much the same with what I have asserted tho' I think not so clear And now he will find there 's nothing in our Worship but what is easily justifiable by his own Rule in this just latitude For our manner of singing it self which is the Instance he so often insists on may be drawn by just consequence and by parity of reason both from the Precepts and Examples of singing in the Holy Scriptures For if we must sing Psalms and that in a way most conducive to general Edification we must use such Metre and Tunes as the People can joyn in And if the Jews us'd such sort of Metre and Tunes as were most known and common among them we may by parity of reason choose those that are most familiar to us And now I hope the Bishop will upon the review see how little reason he had to except against this part of the Remarks when they have really oblig'd him to reform and correct his own Rule and bring it up to that I had laid down tho' to conceal the matter he has thought fit to misunderstand and pervert mine or rather to coyn a new one for me 2. The Bishop alledges That I endeavour to perswade the Dissenters of his Diocese that the greatest Exception against joyning with the establisht Church is not the matter of their Publick ordinary Worship On which he makes several Observations Before I consider 'em I must premise that 't is true I have told his Lordship that the Contest between the establisht Church and Dissenters does not lye chiefly about their ordinary Lord's-Day Worship but what occurs in other Offices and chiefly about the corruptions and abuses of Discipline and 't is no more than has been frequently suggested by the most judicious N.C. Divines that have wrote on the Subject of our Differences But why does he pretend that I diswade any Dissenters from joyning with the establisht Church if he mean it concerning all occasional Communion with 'em when I have so expresly declar'd my Judgment for it and in vain urg'd him to the like declaration of his Charity towards us and never pretend to alledge our Differences in Reference to Worship or Discipline as any Argument against such occasional Communion in their ordinary Lord's-Day Service There is no reason then to pervert what I have offer'd to such an uncharitable purpose so that his following Observations are founded on a mistaken supposition And therefore I shall content my self with these short Remarks on ' em 1. I did then and do still think it requisite to acquaint the Reader that the Bishop had not in this Discourse so much as touch'd the Principal Matters in Difference between the establisht Church and the Dissenters and particularly those to which this charge of Human Inventions does most properly belong And whereas be now tells us that if he writ about Discipline we should be less pleas'd with his performance Adm. p. 165 166. because he must look on the general Frame of our whole Constitution as a meer Human Creature c. I must so far agree with him That if he treat that Subject in the same manner that he has done this about Worship we shall certainly be less pleas'd with it because all those faults that occur in the manner of handling this Subject will be the more aggrevated if he repeat 'em on another 2. Whereas the Bishop pretends I desire to shift ground and thence presumes I apprehend some disadvantage in it I do not find he has any reason for such a Triumph for my having avoided the consideration of any thing in his Book that carried the face of an Argument Nor have I any need to multiply Matters of Controversie from any Answer that his Lordship has yet given to the Remarks Admon p. 46. And whereas he saith That I attempt not to justifie their sitting at Prayers nor their omitting to add their Amen to their Prayers nor the manner and frequency of their Communion nor their way of singing Psalms I shall only add That for sitting at Publick Prayer I was no more oblig'd to defend any particular persons in that posture that indulge it out of sloth than he to defend the Toying or Laughing that 's too often us'd in their Churches But his Lordship was oblig'd either to defend his charging this upon our Opinion as if we taught That no postures of Reverence may be lawfully us'd and condemn'd such as standing and kneeling as Relicks of Idolatry or else to retract so hainous Calumnies as these must be if they are untrue and groundless For adding Amen I shall if that will please the Bishop concur with him that 't is more agreeable to Scripture Pattern that the People pronounce it more audibly but I hope this omission signifies nothing to his Charge of Human Inventions For the Matter of Celebrating the Lord's-Supper if it refer to the posture I hope the Bishop is convinc'd that ours is more agreeable to Scripture Pattern For the frequency of it I hope hee 'l allow the generality of the Dissenters have much the advantage above the generality of the Parish Churches by communicating much oftner And for what concerns the Practice of the Dissenters in his Diocese it has been already consider'd in the Account of Matters of Fact and I have there shown that their way of Administring it once a year is equivalent to its being Administred thrice in the Parish Churches as to the frequency of their Members Communicating And for singing Psalms I have already
from the Parent a solemn Promise to bring up his Child in the knowledge of the Grounds of the Christian Religion and in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. For this implys his owning himself the Christian Religion besides that his being a known Professor of it is presuppos'd to his Childrens Admission to that Ordinance Nor does the Directory hinder the Minister from requiring a more express Profession from the Parent of the Christian Faith where it is doubtful whether he own it or no. And I am sure the Form of Baptism drawn up by the N. C. Divines at the Savoy-Conference in their Proposals for Accommodation does expresly require it and I have observ'd it ordinarily requir'd at least in general terms For the third and fourth Defects of the Directory That there is no solemn Recognition of the Vow of Baptism requir'd of Persons Baptiz'd in Infancy when they come to understand their Duty as there is in the Confirmation practis'd in the establisht Church and that the express words of the Covenant are not prescribed out of the Word of God Tho' I take this to be an Omission and therefore have both my self practis'd and known many others practise that Confirmation recommended in the Reformed Liturgy drawn up by the N. C. Divines at the Savoy-Conference according to which no Person Baptiz'd is admitted to the Lord's Supper till at years of discretion not only understand the Baptismal Covenant but with his own mouth and with his own consent openly before the Church ratifie and confirm it and promise his faithful observance of it to the end In which Liturgy there is also an excellent Form of the Baptismal Covenant drawn up as agreeable to the Scripture as any I have yet seen yet I think this Omission of the Directory far more excusable than what the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book imposes in reference to Confirmation of which they have both made something too like a Sacrament and also turn'd a very useful practice and agreeable to the general Rules of Scripture into a Childish Formality as I had occasion to shew in the Remarks 'T is easier to supply such Defects than to remove such unreasonable Impositions I shall conclude this Head with observing that the Bishop has of all Men the least reason to blame the Directory for these Defects For unless he could produce express Scriptural Precepts or Pattern for these things which he saith the Directory has omitted as I think no Man can do it he must according to his former Principles censure 'em for Human Inventions and rather commend the Directory for omitting them For the Bishop's Charge against the Directory for requiring Additional Conditions contrary to Scripture Presidents of which he gives us only one Instance viz. It s ordering that Baptism be not Administred in private Places Admon p. 174. but in the place of Publick Worship and in the face of the Congregation I suppose the Bishop will grant that it should ordinarily be Administred in Publick and if these words of the Directory were intended in the strictest sense they are capable of I am sure the generality of Dissenters have receded from the rigour of this Rule II. The Bishop comes to shew that my Argument against the Cross is of no force Of this he only gives us this short Account Admon p. 175. His great Objection against it is That we make a new Human Sacrament and then it must be a Human Invention And upon this the Bishop proceeds to give us a new Account of his own concerning the Nature of a Sacrament and endeavours to shew that the Cross is not made a Sacrament by 'em according to that Account Now tho' I should have thought it fairer to have propos'd the Argument in the same manner I had done yet in order to the bringing this Debate to some issue I shall do these two things 1. I shall set the Argument I had propos'd against the Cross in Baptism in its due light by giving as distinct and clear an Account as I can of the Nature of those Parts of Positive Worship which we call Sacraments and applying it to the Subject in dispute 2. I shall shew the insufficiency of the Bishop's Answer to this Argument 1. I shall set the Argument I had propos'd against the Cross in Baptism in its due light by giving a distinct and clear Account of the Nature of those Parts of Positive Worship which we call Sacraments and applying it to the Subject in dispute And this is the more necessary not only because the uncertain signification of the word Sacrament has involv'd this Subject in great obscurity and confusion but especially because the Account which the Bishop gives of it when he supposes us ill-instructed in it and proposes to inform us better seems to me not only indistinct but also very lame and defective omitting several considerable uses of Sacraments which were the chief strength of this Argument against the Cross There are two Ordinances of Positive Worship prescrib'd in the New Testament viz. Baptism and the Lord's-Supper There have been two Names invented and frequently us'd among Christian Writers to signifie the common nature of these two Institutions that of Mysteries in the Greek Church and that of Sacraments in the Latin a word probably borrow'd from the Military Oath which Soldiers took with certain Rites appointed for that end and which was call'd the Military Sacrament But 't is the thing it self we are concern'd to enquire into Now if we can fix upon the true general Notion wherein these two Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's-Supper agree we may thence easily infer what a Divine Sacrament is For of that I am now speaking And if we attentively consider this Matter we may soon observe that those two Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper agree in this that they are Foederal Rites or Sacred Ceremonies instituted by God for Publick Solemnizing the Covenant between him and us And on the other hand in this they differ that the former is the Sacred Rite whereby that Covenant is first publickly Enter'd into the latter is that whereby 't is Renew'd And accordingly these Positive Institutions under the Gospel succeed in the place of two parallel Ordinances or foederal Rites under the Old Testament viz. Circumcision and the Feasts upon Sacrifices By the former the Israelites were initiated into that Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed By the latter their League of Amity and Peace with God was upon the Attonement made by Sacrifices renew'd by these Feasts upon ' em Of which more may occur anon Now these Sacred Rites that are appointed by God both in our first publick Entrance into the Covenant and our publick Renewal of it at the Lord's Table are design'd for several uses and principally for the three following 1. As representing signs for Instruction 2. As obliging signs to Confirm and Ratifie the Covenant Enter'd into 3. As distinguishing Signs or Badges of our Profession and the Relations
dissatisfaction with his Lordship will be easily inclin'd to believe this genuine Account of the Matter That he has mistaken their Silence for their Ignorance and concluded they could not repeat their Catechism because they would not admit him to be their Catechizer 2. He computes that there being but nine Meetings in the Diocese and taking one Meeting-house and one Lord's-day with another not 300 at each Meeting and there being 30000 Dissenters in the Diocese Admon p. 136. it may be thence concluded that only one in ten or thereabouts go to worship God any where on the Lord's-day And this he professes was a great grief to him Now as to this matter of fact I hope the Bishop cannot take it unkindly that I endeavour to allay his grief by offering him the following Account from the Dissenting Ministers in his Diocese In the Parish of Temple-more alias Derry there are two Meetings in which there will be found above 2400. who ordinarily worship God every Lord's-day For tho' every one of these does not attend every Lord's-day because some of 'em must be left to secure their houses yet these and more are ordinary Hearers as the Ministers of those two Congregations can undeniably prove by their Examination Rolls Nay the least Congregation among us are ordinarily 600 and some above a 1000 that do worship God every Lord's-day together So that where Ministers are settled in Parishes we do not know of one in 20 that do not ordinarily attend on publick worship And for those which the Bishop saith have not been at any publick worship these seven years we know none such of our Communion And for those places that are not furnisht with Ministers the Ministers that are setled supply 'em as frequently as their work in their own Congregations can allow Now if this Account be true the Bishop's Computation and the Conclusion he draws from it is far enough from being so And that there are yet some Congregations that want Ministers and can only have occasional supplies is much more their grief who are doing all they can to remedy it than it can be supposed to be his Lordship's who does all he can to lessen the number of their Meetings by obliging his Tenants to suffer neither Ministers nor Meeting-houses to be upon his Land 3. The Bishop pretends that his Book contains an Answer to what he found objected by those of the Dissenters Admon p. 137. that he convers'd with against the ordinary Lords-day worship in the establisht Church and that he confin'd himself to what he had seen and known to be their Opinion and Practice Ans 'T is evident by Mr. Craghead's Reply to his Discourse which Taxes him with the same Calumnies as the Remarks that if those Dissenters he Convers't with gave him that Account he pretends of these matters they were such as understood not the known Opinions or Practises of their own Teachers As when they alledg so many Reasons either against the lawfulness of all Forms of Prayer and against joyning in publick worship where they are used or against the publick reading the Scriptures or against all bodily worship c. And therefore if the Bp. had been ingenious in prosecuting what he now saith was his design he should have told us that he intended only by this Book to Correct the mistakes of a few Ignorant People that neither knew the Judgment of their Pastors nor the common Practise of the Congregations they Joyned with And that he intended not to charge the generality of the Dissenters even not those of his own Diocess with those weak Opinions and weaker Arguments and Objections which he endeavours to censure and confute But he has been so far from doing this that tho in the Conclusion of his Book he particularly Addresses himself to those of his Diocess yet in his very Entrance on his Subject he undertakes to represent the Practise of Dissenters in general or in his own terms of them that differ from the Establish't Church Nay Where he supposes his charge only to be true of those in the North of Ireland he takes care to confine it to them and therefore he gives us just ground to conclude that where he mentions the Dissenters without any such Restriction he is to be understood as speaking of the whole Body of them according to the very Titles of his several Chapters Praise Prayer Hearing Bodily Worship how practist among Dissenters And to Convince him of the Reasonableness of this I shall put a Parallel case to him Suppose I should write a Book about Ecclesiastical Discipline how Practised in the Establish't Church and among Dissenters and in the Account of the Practise of the Establisht Church should represent the sad neglect of all the Duties of their Function both by Bishops and Priests and accordingly should charge the Bishops with so many years Non-residence in which there had been no Consecration of Churches nor Confirmation of Children nor Ordination of Priests and the Priests with such neglect of their Cures as a great many in the Diocess of Down and Connor were Accus'd of And suppose I should particularly address this Book to the late Bishop and Clergy of that Diocess Would his Lordship in this case think me Excuseable from the guilt of Calumniating because I had particularly addrest this Discourse to them when I have not in the Body of the Book confined my Accusations to them but speak all along of the faults of the Conformable Bishops and Clergy in general without any such particular limitation or would he think me Ingenuous in producing such Arguments as the Bishop and Clergy of the forementioned Diocess may alledge to excuse themselves as the common Reasonings of the Conforming Clergy And yet this were of the two more justifiable than the Bishop's management of this Charge against Dissenters in which he has wronged the generality even of those to whom he now pretends that this Discourse was confined but much more the generality of the Dissenters against whom the greatest part of his Book is levell'd without any Distinction I confess to have told us plainly that he only Confuted the weak Discourses he had met with among some few of the Dissenting Laity would have lessened the Character of his Book by supposing the cause of the Dissenters to be little concerned in it and so probably the main Design of it to blast the Reputation of the whole Party had been frustrated by such an ingenuous Confession But without such an ingenuous Confession I do not see how 't is possible to excuse his Discourse from untruth and disingenuity either in attributing to Dissenters in general what is peculiar to those in the North of Ireland as in the Head of Frequent Communion or in ascribing to a whole Party without distinction so many Opinions Arguments and Practises as either none at all or none but very Weak and Ignorant People are chargeable with of which there are so many to be found in
executed without the determination of 'em and yet are not in particular determin'd in Scripture must be determin'd by Human Prudence and that to call such Circumstantial Modes when determined agreeable to the general Rules of Scripture Human Inventions is a very improper sense of the word and to make 'em sinful is a Principle fit only for the wildest Sectaries since it would condemn a great many prudential orders practis'd both by them and us and indeed by all Churches in the World And if the Bishop pretend to disprove this Assertion he must produce us particular Precept or Pattern from Scripture for his beginning Publick Worship at nine or ten in the forenoon rather than twelve for his meeting at the Cathedral rather then in another place for his using the old Translation of the Psalms and the new one of the rest of the Bible for his using at the Sacrament Loaves rather than Cakes and using one sort of Wine rather then another and employing Peuter or Silver Vessels rather than Wooden or Golden ones So that what I assert is not only very innocent and free from any such dangerous consequences as the Bishop suggests but indeed too obvious and plain for any Man of sense to doubt of it and his Lordship could never have begun any new Dispute about it if he had not rais'd a mist by misunderstanding the sense of as clear Expressions as could well be us'd on this Subject Since then he has so plainly mistaken in ascribing such a Rule to me as I no where laid down but have so fully disclaim'd all the consequences he draws from it either to his own Advantage or our Prejudice fall of course and I am no way concern'd in 'em as consequences drawn from any Opinion of mine For 't is plain the Rules laid down in the Remarks do not justifie all the Modes of Worship practis'd in the establisht Church neither that way of singing the Prose Psalms that excludes the generality of the People nor the Cathedral Musick nor the confining all Publick Prayers to stinted Forms nor reading the Apocripha nor bowing towards the East or Altar or at the Name of Jesus nor Reading one part of the Prayers where many of the People cannot hear 'em nor the use of the Cross or our sort of Sponsors in Baptism nor so much as kneeling in the Act of Receiving These and many more particular Modes are not defensible by any Rule I have laid down tho' I have shewn him that our own Practices are Nay no Rule I have laid down will defend all sort of Holy-days nor any Determinations relating to Habits Place or Utensils that are contrary to Edification or to Order and Decency But whereas the Bishop pretends That 〈◊〉 those particular Rules and Directions he had produc'd from Scripture Adm. p. 43 44. relating to the several parts of Worship The Letter of Scripture is clearly on his side and I have not oppos'd Scripture to Scripture but have declin'd the literal sense in many cases without reason and have preferr'd the determinations of Human Prudence in others as being more for Edification than the Scripture Examples and particularly in the singing of Psalms I must needs on this occasion acquaint him that I think the quite contrary to what he Asserts will appear to any that impartially compare the Remarks and his Discourse together at least I hope his Lordship does not expect we should take his peremptory Assertion for a proof of it but since he supposes this Observation to be manifest in reference to that particular Mode of Praising God by singing of Psalms I should add that I think it not so ingenious in the Bishop to Assert this with such assurance when I have in the Remarks taken such particular pains to shew That our ways of singing Psalms is most conformable to the only Precept in Scripture that relates to the use of 'em in our Praises 5 Eph. 19. 3 Col. 16. to which he has yet vouchsaf'd no Answer He has been told That the Precept enjoyns vocal singing which bare saying 'em no way Answers p. 13 14. That since the Psalms of David were wrote in such sort of Metre and Verse as was then us'd and since the knowledge of their Musical Tunes and Instruments is quite lost to suppose us oblig'd to an exact imitation of 'em were to suppose us oblig'd to impossibilities That therefore the Command which obliges Christian Churches to sing Psalms necessarily obliges us to turn 'em into such sort of Metre and Verse as will best accommodate 'em to be sung by the People Whereas to put 'em into no other Metre than the pointed Psalter in the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book is to exclude the generality of the People from any capacity of complying with God's own Command for singing ' em And as the Tunes of those pointed Psalms are quite different from Hebrew ones so they are as much a Human Invention as the Tunes of the Common Metro-Versions and therefore do set up that pointed Psalter in the Service-Book whose Tunes the Body of the People cannot follow to the Exclusion of those Metre-Versions according to which they can joyn in singing Psalms as the Bishop seems to design is in his language to set up an Human Invention to the violation of a Divine Command by rendring the Peoples observance of it impracticable p. 189 190. And should not his Lordship in all equity and reason have attempted a clear refutation of this Argument before he had ventur'd to say That in this particular of singing Psalms the Scripture is on his side and that I prefer the determinations of Human Prudence before Scripture Examples when I have so plainly shewn him That the Example or Pattern of Jewish singing is unimitable by us because unknown to us but that the Precepts of Scripture plainly obliges us to this way of singing because 't is most generally practicable among us To what purpose is it to reason in these matters if the Bishop think his bare Affirmation sufficient to weigh down all Arguments And why does he call this Admon p. 164. Our manner of singing Psalms when 't is theirs as well as ours and tho' he has ventur'd to exclude it from being any substantial part of their Worship and made it a meer Diversion yet he has done it without any Authority or Commission from the establisht Church by whom it seems allow'd as a stated part of Worship And as the Bishop has ascrib'd to me a Rule about Worship that I never laid down so he stiffly pretends to adhere to his own when yet what I had alledg'd against it as unhappily worded by himself has so far convinc'd him that he found himself necessitated to enlarge it He had before said That all ways of Worship are displeasing to God that are not expresly contain'd in the Holy Scriptures Disc p. 3. or warranted by Examples of Holy Men mention'd therein He had us'd the phrase ways of Worship frequently to signifie
said enough to shew him that our Practice needs no Reformation but rather his unreasonable prejudices against this part of Divine Worship common both to them and us 3. The Bishop need take no pains to prove That my demands about the Reformation of the Discipline of the establisht Church are not Arguments against all occasional Communion with ' em For they were never propo'd for that end but then I must tell him That where there are in a Kingdom two Parties or Bodies of Protestants in one of whom both the Worship and Discipline of Christ is more fully restor'd to its primitive simplicity and purity in the other there are some defects and corruptions left in their Worship and Discipline almost entirely neglected or perverted and abus'd I think every considerate Christian should prefer the stated Communion of that Party in which necessary Reformation has made a happier progress and those better Reformed Churches have no reason to subject themselves to those corruptions they have rejected And moderate and wise men will separate from the Churches of neither Party as if they were no true Churches and no part of the Church Catholick but will rather to shew their regard to Truth more statedly communicate with those on whose side it lies in the Matters in Difference and yet to express their Charity maintain occasional Communion with the other so far as they can do it without Practising what themselves think unlawful 4. Whereas the Bishop is so much displeased with those Requests that I have offer'd to the Conforming Clergy relating to those Practices wherein we chiefly desire some Reformation of their present Discipline and thinks me very unreasonable in proposing 'em and cannot see to what good purpose they can serve I shall to give him all the satisfaction I can acquaint him with the true Reasons of my offering ' em 1. I take the Abuses of which some Reformation is there requested to be the chief Obstacles to that happy Union among us which has been so long the earnest desire of all good men and I hope I can most sincerely say my own So that I think none who have that end in their Eye can be reasonably blamed for humbly proposing to Publick Consideration so proper and effectual means to attain it from which I thought his Lordship's Discourse had some tendency to divert the minds of men by amusing 'em with a new Dispute of Human Inventions And therefore I thought this a very sutable occasion to lay open the main grounds of our unhappy Differences that if any charitable Persons should think of any attempts to compose them they might by a true view of the Disease judge of the Remedy proper to heal it And truly 'till these Corruptions be reform'd I see as yet little reason to hope for any concord in our practice tho' I would hope to see much greater in our mutual Affections 2. I take these to be abuses which the generality of the most judicious and learned as well as sober and charitable of the Conforming Clergy and Laity are sensible of and would readily concur in their desires and endeavours to reform if they had a fair opportunity for it so that I did not believe these Requests would be any matter of just offence to them nor do I yet find that they are And for the offence of any that would perpetuate our Divisions by keeping up those Corruptions that are the chief Engine of 'em because they are serviceable to their Secular Interest I think not my self much oblig'd to regard it The Glory of God and Concord of Christians are so much more valuable an Interest that we may justly pursue it tho' it should clash with the Humours the Ambition or Avarice of Men to which too many even of the Clergy have too long Sacrific'd the more precious Concernments both of the Churches Purity and Peace There are two things indeed which the Bishop Accuses those Requests of which I am concern'd to consider 1. That some of 'em are founded on most unjust Representations of their Practices and Principles which if truly Represented needs no Reformation as may appear saith he from his adding to Admon p. 171. and taking from our third and fourth Canons p. 179. And may farther appear in the 2d 3d 4th 7th 8th 11th 12th and 13th Requests Now I have review'd all these and can see no such unjuct Representations in ' em So that I think his Lordship had been more just if he had either never advanc'd this Charge against me or had taken the pains to prove it Particularly I cannot imagine wherein I have added to these two Canons in what I have cited of 'em or why I must be said to take from 'em because I only cite that part of 'em which my Discourse there led me to take notice of 2. He is pleas'd to insinuate That I give ill Language in those Requests and to that purpose faith That I expose the Kingdom and Protestant Inhabitants of it as again overspread with Swearing Profanation of the Lord's-Day Vncleanness Pride Luxury c. An Imputation saith he which I can by no means allow to be general there being I am perswaded by the goodness of God a manifest abatement of these in this Diocese Answ I should be glad to hear of such an Abatement of these Sins in his Diocese and doubt not if true that the Dissenting Ministers have been no way negligent to contribute towards it But if the Bishop deny the Truth of this Complaint concerning the generality of the Protestants of this Kingdom as 't is there deliver'd he sees with other eyes than any sober Person I have yet convers'd with For Swearing and Profanation of the Lord's-Day no good Man can converse in any part of the Kingdom without being a sorrowful Ear and Eye-witness of it Nor does there appear any considerable abatement of those other Crimes from what was before besides what the diminution of mens Estates have necessitated them to So that I cannot imagine what ill Language it should be to mention and lament the revival of these Vices and request all Ministers to concur in their endeavours to preserve or reclaim those under their care from ' em And I fear that the generality of Protestants among us need the loudest call we can give 'em to Repentance instead of such an undeserved Commendation as tends to perswade 'em there is not so great and general a necessity of it The common guilt is too great and too deeply aggravated to be either conceal'd or extenuated and deserves a fuller Description and a severer Reproof then I had then occasion for III. The third Allegation which the Bishop saith I use to take off the force of his Book is That he hath omitted to handle that part of the Worship of the establisht Church Admon p. 54. against which the Dissenters have the greatest Exception and particularly what refers to Baptism Answ I felt no such force in his Book
as needed this new Dispute to take it off But 't is true enough That the Debate about Human Inventions does more particularly concern Baptism than the other parts of Worship his Lordship had insisted on And therefore since the Bishop has offer'd us something new on this Subject I shall the more willingly address my self to the Examination of it because the precedent part of the Admonition has left the Argument between us almost wholly untouch'd and contains little but such slight Cavils about it as were in effect obviated in the Remarks themselves And here I. The Bishop gives us the Reason why he omitted this part of Worship viz. 1. Because it was occasional Admon p. 172 173. not ordinary 1. Answ But he knew that in a Discourse about the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God it was proper to consider that part of Worship about which that Dispute chiefly lay 2. Because he found the Defects and Additions of our Directory so great in this Office that they deserv'd a Discourse by themselves Admon p. 173 174. And accordingly he mentions these following Defects in the Directory 1. There is no express Covenant order'd in the Directory to be made in the name of the Child Baptiz'd either by the Parent or any else tho' there be no other way of engaging a Child that cannot Covenant for it self 2. There is no Profession of the Christian Faith required in the Directory from any Parent or Offerer of any Child 3. There is no solemn Recognition of the Vow of Baptism required from Persons Baptiz'd in their Infancy when they come to understand their Duty As it is in Confirmation with us 4. The express words of the Covenant are not prescribed out of the Word of God but is left to the Discretion of every Minister to impose what he will on the Baptiz'd c. Answ I know no great harm to the Cause of Dissenters if we should own there are some Omissions in the Directory especially when the Compilers to avoid the rigorous and imposing humour that had too long reign'd in others seem to have left many things to the discretion of particular Pastors which they would not positively enjoyn And for these Defects which the Bishop has cited out of Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Infant Baptism they are not so material as his Lordship seems to imagine and are easily supplyed by every Minister that thinks more express Professions requisite than are there positively enjoyn'd As to the first The making of an Express Covenant in the name of the Child if the Bishop mean by it that the Parent should explicitly profess his Dedicating his Child to God and bringing it thereby under a Solemn Obligation to the Duties of his Covenant this is really included in that Profession he is required by the Directory to make of his desire to have it Baptiz'd and accordingly 't is usual for the Ministers to propose the Question more fully to this purpose Do you profess your desire of having this Child dedicated by Baptism to the Faith Worship and Service of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost But if he mean that the Parent or Offerer of the Child should make such a Profession in the Child's name as our Sponsors are order'd to do in the Common-Prayer-Book 't is so far from being a Defect in our Directory that it enjoyns no such thing that 't is no small Blemish of the Office of Baptism in the service-Service-Book that it requires such a Profession from 'em as personating the Child they present And that his Lordship may be assured Mr. Baxter intended no such Express Covenanting in the name of the Child as this is I shall produce his own words and the rather because I take them to carry great weight and force in 'em in his N. Conformity stated c. he brings in the Lawyer asking What is your fourth Objection against our way of Baptism To which the Minister thus Answers That in personating the Child they say that they and so he by them doth at present believe renounce and desire c. falsly intimating that Infants are at present bound to do this by another And yet the same Men plead that God doth not accept him for the Faith of his Parents when as God requireth no Faith or Repentance of Infants but only that they be the Seed of Penitent Believers devoted to Christ And in the Catechism 't is said that Repentance and Faith are requir'd of Persons to be Baptiz'd and that Infants who cannot perform these are Baptiz'd because they promise 'em by their Sureties which Promise when they come to Age themselves are bound to perform Where note that the former Common-Prayer-Book had They perform 'em by their Sureties They perceiv'd that having said Faith and Repentance are requisite Infants they saw must have at present what is requisite at present And they knew that they had them not themselves and so were fain to hold that the Sureties Faith and Repentance was theirs and a performance of that requir'd Condition But the Makers of the new Book saw that this would not hold and so they say Tho' Faith and Repentance be requir'd of Persons to be Baptiz'd yet Infants are Baptiz'd because they promise 'em by their Sureties to be hereafter perform'd amending the former Errour by a greater or a double one 1. Granting Faith and Repentance are pre-requisite and yet confessing that Infants have neither of their own or Sureties for 'em and yet are to be Baptiz'd 2. Or making a Promise Future Faith and Repentance to be Present Faith and Repentance 3. Or tho' Faith and Repentance be requisite in those that are to be Baptiz'd yet God will at present justifie and save all that have it not in Infancy because they promise it hereafter All plain Contradictions as if they said 'T is requisite in Persons to be Baptiz'd and 't is not requisite L How would you have 'em have answer'd these M. Professed Faith and Repentance are requisite in adult Persons to be Baptiz'd and in Infants that they be the Seed of the Faithful devoted by them to God in Christ according to his offer'd Covenant of Grace Thus far that accurate Divine from whom his Lordship may learn That the modesty of the Compilers of the Directory which made their Orders about this Matter seem defective by leaving some Particulars to the prudence and liberty of particular Ministers is far more excusable than the assurance of those who impose in such solemn Professions things so confus'd and inconsistent If there be any defect in their Orders 't is easily supplied but the mistakes of the Service-Book are remedilesly impos'd on all that Administer this Ordinance according to it For the second Defect viz. That there is in the Directory no Profession of the Christian Faith requir'd from the Parent or Offerer of any Child I think there is such a virtual Profession requir'd by the Directory when it enjoyns the Minister to require
the Question propos'd in the Remarks What more peculiar Duties of the New Covenant could Baptism oblige us to And to put the matter if possible out of doubt the Infant is expresly said in the Canon to be by this Badge dedicated to the Service of Christ See Coll. of Cases 2d Edit p. 377 378. I know indeed the ingenious Author of the Case relating to the Cross in Baptism distinguishes here between and immediate and proper and an improper and declarative Dedication and accordingly would perswade us that the Convocation only designed the latter partly because they refer to the words us'd in the Service Book when the Child is cross't partly because they suppose the Child dedicated by Baptism before and suppose Baptism compleat without the sign of the Cross But I see not that either of these Reasons warrant us to take the words of the Convocation in so very strain'd and improper a sense as this is viz. That when they affirm the Cross to be a lawful outward Ceremony and honourable Badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the Service of him that died on the Cross they should mean no more than that 't is a lawful outward Ceremony and honourable Badge to declare that the Infant has been dedicated to Christ by another outward Ceremony and honourable Badge before For 't is evident that the words us'd when the Child is sign'd with the sign of the Cross do as fully and directly express a proper immediate Dedication as the words us'd when 't is Baptiz'd and therefore we have no reason from them to apply so unusual and odd a sense to the words of the Canon and the Convocations supposing Baptism compleat without the sign of the Cross does no way Argue that they design'd not a proper renew'd Dedication by the Cross for tho' we are dedicated by Baptism yet we properly renew that Dedication as oft as we attend the Lord's Table And the Romish Church does in their Ritual See Rit Rom. Paris 1635. p. 7. suppose no more necessary by Divine Right to this Sacrament than we do and speak of their Ceremonies as only pertaining to the Solemnity of that Sacrament yet they use several other Rites for proper immediate Dedication besides that of washing with water 3. The Cross is made a distinguishing sign of our Christian Profession and the Relations we are thereby invested in For this evidently follows from its being made the Honourable Badge of our Dedication to the Service of a crucified Saviour So that by being cross't we do truly according to the establisht Church wear the Livery of Christ as by being Baptiz'd And this former Paternal sign is as effectually made the common Symbol and Tessera of our Discipleship the mark of our belonging to him as our Lord and Master as the latter can be II. Now from hence I farther infer That the Cross is made as much a Sacrament as Men can make any sign of their own for which they can produce no Divine Institution 'T is set up for most of the same uses as Baptism nay for such uses as do constitute it a proper part of positive Worship that has no stamp of Divine Authority and consequently 't is made a sinful Human Invention For if as the Bishop himself supposes all ways of Worship are displeasing to God that are not expresly contained in the Holy Scriptures nor warranted by the Examples of Holy Man therein or as he now adds that cannot be by parity of Reason deduc'd thence much more are all parts of Worship truly displeasing to him and such as our Saviour justly censures for vain Worship that are no way Instituted And yet that all those Rites in Religious Worship whereby we oblige and bind our selves to serve God or which is the same Dedicate our selves to his Service are a proper part of Positive Worship is evident from the Bishop's own confession who p. 4. of his Discourse does therefore make the Sacraments to be a part of outward Worship not only on the account of our expressing therein our dependance on the grace of God but likewise on the account of obliging and binding our selves by 'em to serve him And doubtless it does as properly belong to God alone to appoint the Religious Rites whereby we bind our selves to his Service as to the Supreme Magistrate to appoint the Ceremonies us'd in our taking the Oath of Fidelity and Allegiance Nay it belongs to him alone to appoint the Honourable Badge of our Discipleship who receives us into his Holy Covenant and no inferiour Pastors are any more authoriz'd to superadd any other Rite for this use to that he has Instituted already than the Servant of any great Prince is warranted of his own Head to prescribe to his Fellow-servants the wearing of a new Livery as an Honourable Badge of their belonging to such a Master besides that which he has appointed of his own choosing To set up External Rites for such Sacramental uses as these viz. not only to instruct us in the Priviledges and Duties of the New Covenant but to oblige and bind us to 'em and to be the Honourable Badge of our Christian Profession when God has already instituted other Rites for these very ends is a piece of Presumption we dare not be guilty of 'T is an offering him a part of Worship which has no stamp of his Authority which therefore we have no reason to hope he will accept nay which there is no shadow of Reason for if his own Foederal Rites be sufficient for all the ends they are appointed for Having thus stared my Argument I come II. To shew the insufficiency of the Bishop's Answer to this Argument All that I can find he has directly reply'd to my Argument is only this That the whole force of it seems to proceed from two Mistakes concerning the nature of Sacraments First As if they were signs from us to God and not wholly from God to us Secondly As if we were to learn the true Nature of Sacraments from the Schools and partial Definitions of interessed Disputants and not from the Holy Scriptures Hence saith the Bishop he has not given us one place of Scripture to prove his imperfect Account of a Sacrament As to this Answer to the Argument I need do no more for the Refutation of it than refer the Reader to the foregoing Account of a Sacrament wherein I fully prov'd concerning Sacraments in general and particularly that of Baptism that they are as truly and properly signs from us to God as from God to us nay that they cannot be the latter without being the former And this I have prov'd not from the Dictates of the Schools but from the Oracles of God having quoted no other Human Authority but his own and I hope he will not reckon himself one of those Partial and Interessed Disputants he speaks of So that 't is not the force of my Argument but of his Answer that proceeds from a
desire him either to do so or own those Mistakes whereby he has highly injur'd the Reputation of his Brethren And I hope he will take care that the Testimony of his Vouchers be as credible as that of those I have produc'd And he need not spare to produce 'em out of tenderness to the Dissenters of his Diocese for they desire no other tenderness in this point besides that of speaking nothing but Truth of ' em 3. I think his Caution against the Remarks which he here gives very unfair unless he had prov'd instead of barely asserting That my Arguments are not founded on Scripture and that my Answers to his Proofs contradict the Letter of Scripture I hope his Lordship will excuse us tho' we are unwilling to take all this for granted on no other evidence than his bare word Lastly I hope he will find nothing in these Papers contrary to a spirit of meekness or savouring of passion And tho' the Dissenters of his Diocese cannot carry their civility to so high a strain as to thank him for his Book as he does them for the entertainment they have given it yet they can readily comply with his Request to 'em Not to be offended with him for telling 'em the truth For the chief offence they took at his Book was not his reasoning against their Opinions and Practices but his giving so untrue an Account of ' em And therefore they cannot altogether assent to what his Lordship insinuates in these following words Remember nothing is more apt to provoke Mankind then Truth And if you meet with any Book in Answer to mine that discovers the writer to have been in a Passion when he wrote it you may look on it as a probable Argument of the truth of what I have propos'd And if upon reading what I have wrote you find any motion in your selves towards Passion consider well whether it proceed not from the same cause namely my declaring the truth to you For they think there is one thing more apt to provoke even the mildest and best of Men and that is to be unjustly accur'd to the world and yet when the Accuser is admonisht of his mistakes to have the Accusation renew'd and be appeal'd to themselves as Evidences for what they as certainly know to be untrue as they know their own Judgment and Practice For in this case they think it no probable Argument of Guilt in the accused if they should express some just displeasure against such ill usage And yet I hope he will find even this extraordinary provocation has not drawn out any language that looks like passion But yet as the Bp. expects we should allow plain-dealing to be a part of his character so I hope he will not deny us the same liberty of dealing plainly with him not only in vindicating our Opinions and Practices where we think his objections against 'em invalid but especially in clearing both from such misrepresentations as we think manifestly groundless and injurious and in desiring an ingenuous Retraction of 'em as an act which a regard to Justice as well as Truth should prompt him to For common Justice forbids our ascribing to our Brethren Opinions and Practices which are none of theirs nay it forbids our receiving and publishing mistaken Accounts of 'em from the informations of others when a little care and diligence might have enabled us to discover the falshood of ' em And consequently the same Principle should prompt us to do right to the Reputation of our Brethren when we have thro' our unwary credulity or in the heat of opposition spoken or written of 'em what is not true and yet what if believ'd would tempt others to very unjust and uncharitable apprehensions of their Judgment and Practice And when his Lordship has given the Dissenters of his Diocese this evidence of his Justice towards 'em they will then be more ready to believe his sincerity in studying their good And now if these Papers contribute any thing to reconcile his Lp. and those whom his Book and Admonition may have misled to more charitable thoughts of our Worship and to caution us in such Debates as these to be more strict in observing that excellent Rule of the Apostles To speak the truth in love Eph. 4.15 I shall not think my pains in writing 'em wholly lost For tho' in the Matters in dispute between us it becomes every good man as to his own practice to adhere impartially to the rule of the Holy Scriptures as far as he understands it yet nothing is more plain then that those great Truths and Duties of Christianity wherein we are agreed are of incomparably greater moment and importance than those wherein we differ And as 't is our unity in those more important Truths and Duties that chiefly recommends us to the acceptance of our blessed Lord so that alone is sufficient to endear us to one another and for those smaller Differences among us that are so fully consistent with a happy Vnity in these essentials of our Religion however they may now distinguish us into Parties yet they can never be reasonably thought to exclude the Churches on either side from the Communion of the Church Catholick much less will they exclude the truly pious Members on either side from the Heavenly Society How little then should those Differences tend to disunite our affections or to obstruct our amicable endeavours to advance the common Interest of Practical Holiness how should we rejoyce to see that blessed work prosper in each others hands how entirely should Charity govern all our debates in the points wherein we disagree and make us unwilling to misrepresent each others opinions or practices when we calmly reason against ' em how strongly should it prompt us to treat each other in all respects as brethren in whom we behold the image of our great Master stampt tho' we may not see the inscription of this or that party which we judge to be the most happily reform'd or the best constituted and modell'd how much more zealous should we be to proselyte Men to the substance and power of Religion then to any external Modes of Worship and Discipline And how heartily should we joyn in that Apostolical Benediction Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen 6 Eph. 24. Mr. Sinclare's Letter referred to p. 14. SIR THe Argumentative and Historical parts of the Bishop of Derry's Admonition seem both of a piece as to the many apparent mistakes in ' em A satisfactory Answer to the former is justly expected from your self But for the latter as its necessary to make use of the Information of others who I am confident will be more faithful to you thou the Bishop's Informers have been to him so I shall readily comply with your desire to give a true and certain account of the practice of Dissenters in Waterford before the late Troubles which was so very different from that which his