abomination to exhort and direct men to preach and pray and praise God If it be the Omission of his forms and Ceremonies that is no Part of the book and if it be some Directions that are against them they that revile the Common Prayer book as most Papists have done or they that count such Ceremonies and Forms indifferent things as others have done have little reason to account that so great an abomination that directeth men to omit them What abominable thing is imposed by the Directory Tell us if you can What excellent things doth Thuanus speak of the Presbyterians or Calvinists and how highly doth he extol the most of their Leaders or Teachers whom he mentioneth But to Mr. Pierce what a bloody perfidious sort of men are they unfit to live in a Commonwealth And to Grotius the Protestants are not only of bad lives but by the Power of their Doctrine they are such I have shewed you in my Key for Catholicks how great the praises of Calvin are in the mouth of Papir Massonius and other sober Papists and the same may be said of others of our Divines who are mentioned by you with most calumniating odious words Even Maldonate the Jesuite when he is railâ—ng at the Calvinists confesseth of them in Matth. 7.15 that Nothing was in their mouths but the Lord and our heavenly Father and Christ and Faith an Oath was not heard nothing appeared in their deeds but Alms-deeds and Temperance and Modesty Is this like your language of them Nay if Satan had dictated to him how could he have uttered more falshood and detestable calumniation then Mr. Pierce hath done p. 73. when he saith were Hacket Lancaster Arthington and others hanged for Non-conformity or was it nothing but Ceremonial which Coppinger c. designed against the lives of the whole privy Council and against the person of the Queen were not Cartwright and Travers and Wentworth and Egerton and other Presbyterian Ministers privy to the plot The Lord will rebuke this slanderous tongue Did ever Cochlaeus or Bolseck go beyond this man How fully is it known that Hacket and his Companions were Grundlâ—tonians or Familists just such as James Nailor and the Quakers who are far nearer the Papists then the Puritans or Presbyterians and that they madly came into London Coppinger and Arthington as his two Prophets proclaiming Hacket to be Iesus Christ and that for obstinate insisting on this Blasphemy Hacket was hanged and dyed blaspheming and Arthington upon his Repentance published the whole Story of the begining and progress of the business as you may see it in the Book called Arthingtons Seduction In which their madness blasphemy or any Treason of theirs or others this man might as honestly have said that Augustine or Luther or Cranmer had an hand or were privy to the plot as Cartwright Travers and such Presbyterian Ministers What he hath read in Bancroft I know not nor much regard till Bancroft himself be better cleared of what he is by writers charged with concerning Ficlerus Dolman c. and while he was known to be the most violent persecutor of the Puritans But I see as the Papists will take it for a currant truth that Luther was fetcht away by the Devil and that Calvin was stigmatized for Sodomy and dyed blaspheming c. if they can but say that one Cochlaeus or Bolseck of their own hath spoke it so such men among us dare tell the world the most odious falshoods of Cartwright Travers and the Presbyterian Ministers if they can but say that Bancroft said it before them And now the rest may take it as unquestionable when Mr. Pierce hath said it Do these men believe that there is a day of Iudgement If they do they make but lamentable preparation for it And his assertion pag. 77. that Excommunicating Kings and killing them is the doctrine of the Presbyterians and much more of his writing is of the same kind To this I have given him an Answer in my Key for Catholicks where he shall see whether Papists or Protestants are for King-killing Had you not gone so far beyond such moderate Papists as Cassander Hospitalius Massonius Bodin Thuanus c. in your enmity and bitterness against the Protestants as clearly to contradict them and to speak blood and venom when they speak charitably and honourably we might have had more peaceable neighbours of you though none of your Communion And I suppose that those who separate from us as having no true Ministry or Churches would have all these Ministers that they take for none to be silenced and cast out I do not think you will deny this to be your desire and your purpose if ever you should have power And if so what men are you and what a case would you bring this Nation in To your Objections I have answered in this book and said somewhat more to you in another Preface And upon the whole matter am forced now to conclude that it is an Enmity to holiness in unsanctified hearts that is the principal cause of our distance and divisions and that the way to convince such men as too many are that we deal with is not Disputing but praying to the Lord to change their hearts And that if we could once perswade them but to the Love of God and Holiness and to a serious practice of Christian Religion and if they be Bishops to a faithful practice of those works of a Bishop which they confess are his duty and to try Church-Government before they plead for what was never tryed by them our Controversies would then be ended they would never more plead for such a Prelacy that destroyeth Piety and Discipline nor never revile the Servants of the Lord nor never desire so much to promote the work of Hell as the casting out all that they account no Ministers and the casting off of all that they account no Ordinances or valid Administrations would be Farewel Disputing with such men in order to their Conviction and an healing peace Hoc non est artis sed pietatis opus POSTSCRIPT WHat the Publisher of Dr. Stewards Sermon doth mean by his Commmending it to my Consideration when there is not a word in it that I am concerned in more then he I understand not If he thereby intimate that I charged Dr. Steward to be of Grotius's Religion or any other that disowneth it he egregiously abuseth his Reader and himself If he intend to argue that none of the Prelatical Party were Grotians because Dr. Steward was not Let him prove his Consequence I disprove it 1. From the testimony of Grotius himself 2. From the mouths and books of those that have owned Grotius among us even since they were acquainted with his judgement and have owned his Votum Discussio in particular If his meaning be that Dr. Steward was a Grotian and yet no Papist therefore Grotians are no Papists one branch of his antecedent is false Either he
that can be contented with a Liberty of using it themselves if they may not have all others compelled to do as they do and go to God with the words that they have formed for them or that are best in their esteem They must be all Schismaticks that will not use their form and the Churches Peace must be laid upon it and no man must be thought meet to preach or pray that will not be of their opinion but the ablest Pastors of the Church must be silenced and cast by if they will not use the Common-Prayer The sinfulness of this practice shall be manifested in the next dispute more fully to which I reserve the most of my reasons against it In the mean time let these few be well considered 1. It is a certain way to the Division of the Church when men will lay its Unity or Peace on that which will not bear it they are the most desperate disturbers and dividers of it If one form of Prayer or Preaching had been necessary to the Churches Unity or Peace Christ or his Apostles might as easily have composed it as they did other necessaries Nay experience tells us that it is not held necessary by men themselves For the Romanists use one or more forms and the Grecians another and the Ethiopians another and so of other Churches In the Bibliotheca Patrum how many Liturgies have they given us And if no one of all these is necessary to all Churches then not to any one Church further then accidents and mens impositions make it necessary And no man should make that necessary that is not some way necessary before It is easie to know that either the Form as such or somewhat in the Form is like to be scrupled by some even godly able men and so it will prove an engine of division The Church hath been brought to that torn divided condition that it is in by this arrogancy of domineering imposers that must lay its Peace on their unnecessary devices and will not let us have unity in Christ and his Institutions and peace upon his terms 2. By this means the people will be involved in the guilt of bitter contending and hating all that conform not to their way and uncharitably reproaching them as schismaticks and consequently of disliking the very doctrine that they preach or hold and the way they take and thus if uncharitableness and all this sin the off-spring of it be the way to Hell then you may see what a notable service they do to Satan and how they ensnare and undo mens souls that make such forms of common Necessity to the Unity or Peace of the Church 3. By this means they will involve themselves and the Magistrate in the guilt of persecution For no better will it prove even in many cases where the refusers scruples are unjust 4. By this means they will hinder the Edification of the Church What if a Minister have a Congregation that suppose upon mistakes do scruple these forms and by prejudice or weakness are hindered from serving God with cheerfullness and profit where they are used must we be bound to deny them that mode of worship which their weakness doth require and to force them to that which will not down with them Must a Physitian be bound to give all his Patients one kind of dyet What if it be wholesome Will you say If that will not down with him he shall have none let him die This is contrary to the end of our office we are commanded to do all to Edification which this doth contradict 5. It is contrary to the Office Power and Trust of the particular Pastors of the Church to be thus compelled in variable things As it is the office of a Physitian to judge what dyet and physick to prescribe his Patients and to vary it as persons do vary in their tempers and diseases and to vary it with the same persons as their condition changeth and requireth it and as it would be foolish Tyranny against the very office of the Physitian to restrain him from this exercise of his prudence by a Law and to tye him to give one kind of food or physick to all so is it in our present case What is a Pastor but the guide of a Congregation in the worship of God c. And if Magistrates and Bishops take this work out of their hands by their unnecessary prescriptions they so far prohibite him to do the work of a Pastor What a grief is it to a Minister that being in the place and knowing the people is the most competent Judge what is fit for them to be constrained by men that know not the state of his flock to cross their Edification and to be forbidden to use his prudence and due power for their spiritual good 6. And what a sinful arrogant usurpation is this for any man to be guilty of It is Christ that hath given his Ministers their Power and that for Edification and who is he that may presume to take it from them If they are unworthy to be Ministers let them not be Ordained or let them be degraded or deposed But if they must be Ministers let them do the work of Ministers lest as he that despiseth them despiseth Christ so he that restraineth them from their duty and depriveth them of the exercise of their power unjustly be found one that would arrogate an authority over Christ. 7. And what intolerable Pride is this for a few Bishops to think so highly of themselves and so basely of their more â—udicious Brethren as if no man must speak to God but in their words These forms of Prayer are conceived and invented by some body Aâ—d why should the Coâ—ceiver think so highly of his own understanding as if he were fit to teach a whole Nation what they must daily say to God and why should he think so unworthily of all oâ—hers in comparison of himself as if none but he and his Companions in this usurpation knew how to pray or utter their minds but by his dictates or prescriptions Is this Humility 8. Moreover this Imposition of forms as before described doth discover too much Cruelty to the Church when they had rather Ministers were cast aside and the people left in darkness then Ministers should teach them and worship God with them that will not tye themselves to the very words that they devise for them What abundance of ignorant drunken Readers and other Ministers were suffered in England while the learned godly painful Ministers were cast out and silenced or persecuted because they would not conform to all the forms and ceremonies imposed by the Bishops And so how many thousand souls may we think are gone to Hell through the ignorance or ungodliness of their Guides as if their damnation were more desirable then their salvation by the teaching of Ministers that dare not use the Common Prayer Book and Ceremonies I know they will say that such Schismatical Preachers
from them till you hear them And if you hear them guilty of such after a First and Second admonition avoid them But let not wicked uncharitable censures be an argument against the worship of God You know not but a Physitian may poison you and yet you will choose the best you can and then trust your lives with him You may much more do so by a Minister because you proceed not by so implicite a faith in the matters of your Salvation You may refuse any evil that the Minister offereth Object 3. But many of them speak nonsence and unreverent words and abuse Gods worship Answ. Get better in their stead that are able to do Gods work in a more suitable manner But see that your quarrelsome capricious wits do not odiously aggravate imperfections or make faults where there are none And remember that you have not Angels but men to be your Pastors and therefore imperfections must be expected But a blessiâ—g may accompany imperfect administrations But if People Patron and Ordainer will choose weak men when they may have better they may thank themselves A Common Prayer book will make but an imperfect supply instead of an able Minister Though in some cases I am for it as aforesaid Object 4. But prayer is a speaking to God and therefore men should say nothing but what is exactly weighed before hand Answ. 1. We grant all this But men may weigh before hand the matter of their requests without preparing a form of words or a man may fore-consider of his words without a Prayer-book 2. Preaching is a speaking in Gods name as though God speak by us and as Christs embassadors in his stead 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And to speak as in Christs stead and Gods name requireth as great preparation as to speak to God in the peoples name It seems more as it were to represent Christ in speaking then to speak to Christ while we represent but the people And therefore by this argument you should let no man preach neither but by a book prescribed 3. God is not as man that looks most at oratory and fine words It is an humble contrite faithfull honest heart that he looks at And where he sees this with earnest desires and that the matter of Prayer is agreeable to his will he will bear with many a homely word One Cold request or the lest formality and dulness of affection and carelesness and disesteem of the mercy is more odious with God then a thousand Barbarisms and Solaecisms and unhandsome words Yet the tongue also should carefully be lookt to but men should not mistake themselves and think that God judgeth by the outward appearance and as man judgeth 4. Still I say get Ministers that are able to do better if you have insufficient ones A man on a common prayer-prayer-book is likelier to provoke God by a careless heartless customary service and meer lip labour let the the words be never so exact then another that fears God is like to provoke him by disorderly or unhandsome words Though both should be avoided Object 5. Our minds are not able to go along with a Minâ—ster on the sudden unless we knew what he will say before hand Answ. A diligent soul that marketh what is said may with holy affections go along with a Minister without knowing what he will say before hand The experience of Christians confuteth this objection 2. And this would not only plead for a form but shut out all other prayer which is sufficient to disgrace it with any understanding man Object 6. The publick Prayers of the Church are they that we must own by our concurrence His own conceived Prayers are but the Private Prayers of the Minister Answ. The Minister is a publick person and his prayers publickly made for and in the Church are as much the Publick prayers of that Church as if they were read out of an imposed Book But indeed when many Churches Agree in a form that form may so far be called the Common Prayers of all those Churches but it s no more the Publick Prayers of any one Church then sudden conceived prayer is And when there is no form yet the matter may be the Common Prayer of all Churches Object 7. But what confusion will it â—ake in the Church if one Congregation shall have a Form and another none and every man shall be left to do what he list in Prayer Answ. This is the voice of that Ignorance Pride and Dividing usurpation that hath caused all the Schisms and troubles of the Church Must the Churches have no Peace but on your imposed terms Must none be endured but all cast out of the Church of God that dare not say your forms of prayer though they are as wise and pious and peaceable as you Nothing but Proud arrogancy and uncharitable cruelty will say so 2. But if we must needs all Agree in the manner of our Prayers we must shut out all forms and agree all to be without them which yet I consent not to For there is no one Form that you can expect that all should agree in that 's of humane invention Not but that we may well do it but it will not be 3. How had the Church Unity before any of your forms were known 4. If it be no blemish for several Nations to have several Forms and manners it is tolerable for several Congregations 5. How did the Ancient Churches maintain thâ—ir Unity when Liturgies were in use and the variety was so great as is commonly known Many Churches had no singing of Psalms Vid. Pamel in Cyprian de Orat. Dom. Not. 6. Others used it by the whole Assemblies see Ball 's Friendly Tryal page 60. citing the Authors that attest it Other Churches did use to sing by course or two at a time See it proved by Ball ibid. out of many witnesses This variety and much more consisted then with Unity and may do now when forced uniformity will not 6. We are all now at Liberty what Gesture we will use in singing Psalms c. and is here any discord hence arising But men were forced to kneeling only in Receiving the Lords Supper and there came in discord Mens fancies makes that seem confusion that is no such thing No more then that all that hear or pray have not the same coloured cloaths complections c. Object 8. But should not men obey Authority in forms and mâ—â—ters of indifferency Answ. They should if they be indeed indifferent But should Authority therefore ensnare the Church with needless Impositions All men will not be satisfied of the Indifferency I have heard many say that they would preach in a fools Cap and Coat if authority command them But is it therefore fit that Authority should command it All men will not judge it lawfull to obey them in such cases and so there will be needless snares laid to intrap and divide men Object 9. But antiquity is for set forms
Books I needed sometime 800. to give away Because I was scarce rich enough to buy so many I agreed with the Bookseller my Neighbour to allow 18. d. a Ream which is not a penny a quire out of his own gain towards the buying of Bibles and some of the practical Books which he printed for the poor Covenanting with him that he should sell my Controversal Writings as cheap and my Practical Writings somewhat cheaper then books are ordinarily sold. To this hour I never received for my self one penny of mony from them for any of my Writings to the best of my remembrance but if it fell out that my part came to more than I gave my friends I exchanged them for other Books My accounts and memory tell me not of 5. li. that ever was returned for me on these accounts which was on literaâ—y occasions so that my many hundreds a year is come to never a penny in all but as abovesaid in some exchange of Books And the price I set on my Books which I exchanged for theirs at the dearest rates is as followeth Treat of Conversion 2. s. Treat of Crucifying the World 2. s. Disput. of â—ustificat 2. s. 4. d. The Call to the Unconverted 8. d. Disput. of saving Faith 5. d. Of the Grotian Religion 6. d. Directions for sound Conversion 1. s. 8. d. Disput. of Right to Sacraments Edit secund 2. s. 4. d. These are all my bargains and my gains And I chose the honestest Booksellers that I could meet with according to my small measure of wit and acquaintance who told me they still made good their Promises And now censorious Slanderer tell me what thou wouldst have had me to have done more If I had got Food and Rayment out of my own hard labors had it been unlawful or dishonourable when Booksellers get so many hundred pounds by one Book that never studied nor spent their time and cost for it as I have done And yet dost thou reproach me that receive not a groat But because I will not oblige my self to the same course for the future and that thou mayst know at what rates I serve thee let me tell thee that in these labors early and late my body is wasted my precious time laid out and somewhat of my Estate and somewhat of the labor of my friends I cannot have twenty quire of my writing well transcribed under fifty pounds And who shall pay for this or maintain me in thy service I have troubled a Neighbour-Minister in the tedious work of transcribing my Characters for some books for which neither he nor I had ever one penny These personal matters are unsavory to me and I take it for a great injury that thou puttest upon me a necessity of mentioning them But I have yielded this once to thy unrighteous importunity that thou mayest hereafter learn what to believe and utter and make more conscience of thy censures and reports And that thou mayst have the utmost relief that I can procure thee for the time to come I shall agree with my Booksellers to sell all that I publish at three farthings a sheet and to print the price of every book at the bottom of the Title page Farewell Richard Baxter October 11. 1658. * Of the difference between Election and Ordination and that neither gives the Ius or Power but Christ only See Groâ—ius de Imperio Sum. Potest c. 10. p. 269 270. * I comprehend in the word Directive all that is after expressed in the following Propositions †Quae ante Imperatores Christianos in Synodis conscripta sunt ad ordinem aut ornatum facientia Leges non vocantur sed Canones habenâ—que aut solam Concilii vim ut in his quae singulos magis spectaâ—â— quam universos aut obligant per modum pacti volentes nolentes etiam pauciores ex necessitate determinationis ac proinde ex lege naturali non ex humano aliquo Imperio Grotius de Imperio pag. 209 210. Lege cap. 9. per totum * That Synods are not absolutely necessary and he thinks not of Scripture Institution but Natural direction see Grot. dâ— Imperio Cap 7. per totum Apâ—stoli vere erant Presbyteri atque ita sâ—ipsos vocant Nulli tamen loco ascripta â—â—rum functio Evangelistae quoque Presbyteri â—â—ant sed nulli loco alligati Sic multo post à Demetrio Alexandriae Episcopo Panâ—aenus ab Athanasio Frumentius ordinati missique ut Evangeâ—ium per Indiâ—m praedicarent qâ—od â—odie quo 〈◊〉 vidâ—mus Atque utinâ—m diligâ—ntius fieret ☞ â—rotius de Imperio p. 271. And of the Can. Concil Calced 6. against ordaining Presbyters sine titulo he saith Quum ut recte notat Balsamon Ipse Canon indicio est aliter fieri solitum Etiam post Calced Synod Iustinianus Periodentarum meminit quorum in Laodicenâ aliisque veteribus Synodis est mentio Ibid. * Authority is 1. Rational and of meer Interest upon Consenters 2. Imperial over Dissenters also * If one were not meant of Confirmation or giving the Holy Ghost and the other of Ordination which I rather incline to think Essentiale fuiâ— quod ex Dei ordinatione perpetua necesse fuit est erit ut Presbyterio quispiam loco dignitate primus actioni gubernandae praesit cum â—o qâ—od ipsi divinitus attributum est jure Beza de Minist Evang. Grad cap. 23. * I know Bishop Usher in his papers to the King doth say that by the Order of the Church of England all Presbyters are charged in the form of Ordering of Priests to administer the Discipline of Christ But the Bishops understood that only of their publishing their Censures For no such Administration was known among us or allowed Nor would they suffer men to suspend them from the Sacrament as the Rubrick in the Common Prayer Book requiâ—eth * It s an easie matter to preach or write a strict Lesson but they that would practically when they have done open a gap to licentiousness and overthrow all Discipline almost will hardly perswade men that they mean as they teach or are themselves such as they describe or really would promote a holy life especially when Scorners â—t a godly life were favoured more then the practisers of it See my Preface to Mr. Pierce of Grotius Religion Were Prelacy now tolerated only as Presbyterie and the Congregational way are doth any man think it would cast or keep out Heresieâ— Functiones in Ecclesiâ perpetuae sunt duae Presbyterorum Diaconorum Presbyteros voco cum omni Ecclesia veteri eos qui Eccâ—esiam pasâ—unt vâ—rbi praedicatione Sacramentis Clavibus quae Iure Divino sunt individua he meaneth inseparable so that its inseparable from a Presbyter to have the Power of the Keyes Grot. de Imperio pag. 267. c. 1â— Pastorum ergo est Ordinare Pastores neque id officium eis competit qua hujus auâ— illius Ecclesiae Pastores
Councils since Scripture times at least there have beeen no such things nor any thing like them unless the Roman Empire yea a piece of it be the whole world I know therfore no humane Vniversal Laws whether it be for forms of Government Liturgies Holy dayes or any thing else Sect. 14. But the principal matter that tends to end our dâ—fference is the right understanding of the Nature of that Government that is properly Ecclesiastical What is it that we must have Diocesans and Metropolitans to do besides what I have granted to Apostolical Bishops in the third Dispute Is it to Teach or Rule the people of the particular Churches They cannot do it at so great distance not knowing them nor conversing with them at least so well as they that are on the place as the ancient Bishops were Is it to Rule the Presbyters only Why then hath not every Church a Bishop to Rule the flock but a Presbyter that is forbidden to Rule them in all that which they call Iurisdiction themselves And how is it that Presbyters shall be Ruled by Diocesans and the Diocesans by Provincials not by force For the Pastors have no coercive power by violence or touching mens bodies or estates Is it by bare commanding Why what will that do on dissenters that disobey shall they depose the Bishops or Presbyters that disobey them But how Not by any force but command or exhortation or Excommunication They can do no more that I know of And what if they excommunicate a Pastor Let the case be supposed as now it is among us What if a Bishop with the few that adhere to him excommunicated all the Pastors in the County that are not satisfied of the Divine Right of Diocesans or of the lawfulness of all his imposed Ceremonies and Forms The people will take it to be their duty most generally where the Ministry hath been savingly effectual to own their Pastors notwithstanding such an Excommunication and the Pastors will take it to be their duty to go on with their work and the excommunication will do no good unless perhaps to make some Division and make both parties the scorn of the ungodly or procure the rabble to rail more bitterly at their Pastors and hate all their advice be a desireable good And as when the Pope excommunicated them some Bishops again excommunicated the Pope so some of these Pastors its like would excommunicate their Metropolitans And why a Bishop or at least a Synod of Bishops may not cast a wicked Metropolitan out of their communion is past my understanding to conceive Synods are for Communion of Churches and if we had a Monarchical National Church in conformity to the Common-wealth I know not how it would stand with the Law of God for the whole Nation to hold Communion with an Heretical Primate A Roman Synod deposed John the thirteenth and other Popes have been deposed by Councils I conclude therefore that what ever power men claim if the Magistate interpose not which is extrinsick to the Church-Government in question it will work but on mens Judgements call it Deposing Excommunicating or what you please and this power no man can take from you but by hindring you to speak You may now depose thus and excommunicate whom you please and when they have sleighted it or excommunicated you again you will have done Nay I think you do excommunicate us already For you withdraw from our Communion and draw many with you and so you exercise your power I mean it of that party that in the second Disputation I have to do with Sect 15. Much of my Opposition to the English Prelacy dependeth on the supposition that they took all the people and not only the Presbyters for the objects of their Government or for their charge And I find some of the younger sort that are sprung up since their fall do doubt of this But 1. all men in England that knew but twenty year ago what belonged to these matters are past doubt of it And I have no mind to dispute against them that contradict the common knowledge of the Nation as if they should doubt whether we had ever a King in England 2. Read over the Canons and the yearly Visitation Articles which the Church-wardens ordinarily sware to present by before they had ever read the Book or heard what was in it and then judge 3. Their arguing for the sole Iurisdiction of Bishops and that they only were properly Pastors and that Presbyters had not the Key of Discipline but of Doctrine is some evidence 4. It is known to the Nation that the Pastors of the Parish Churches had no power by their Laws or sufferance to cast out any the most enormous sinner or Heretick from the Church nor to bring them to open confession of their sin nor to Absolve the penitent but by Reading of their Sentence and publishing what they sent from their Courts and consequently could do nothing of all the means in order hereto For the means cannot be used where the end is known to be impossible All the obstinate scandalous persons and scorners at a holy life we must take as members of our Churches having no power to cast them out Indeed we had the same power as the Church-wardens to put our names to their presentments But a power of accusing to a Chancellors Court is not a Power of Governing especially when Piety under the name of Preciseness and Puritanism was so hated and persecuted that to have accused a man for meer prophaness would have been so far from obtaining the end as that it was like to have been the undoing of the accuser except he had been out of the suspicion of Preciseness as they called it himself But I need not dispute the with any but those that being bred iâ— better times though far from what we desire are unacquainted with the casâ— of their Predecessor Sect. 16. Object But do you not contradict your self in saying the Pastors were degraded or suspended as to the exercise of so great a part of their work and yet say here Pref. to the Reformed Pastor that the Power of Discipline was given them Answ. 1. In their Ordination the Bishops said to them Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou dost remit they are remitted whose sins thou dost retain they are detained And in the Book of Ordination it was asked of them Whether they would give their faithful diligence always to administer the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same according to the Commandements of God And the Rubrick of the Common Prayer Book enableth the Curate to admonish open and notorious evil livers by whom the Congregation is offended and those that have wronged their neighbors that they come not till they have openly declared that they have repented and amended But 1. This doth but serve to leave them unexcusable that acknowledged Discipline to
are none of the prohibited Additions but left to humane determination But such is the form in question God hath bid us Preach but not told us whether we shall study a form of express words alwayes before hand but left that to prudence more instances will be added under the next Argument and therefore I shall now forbear them Argum. 2. The Prudential Determination of such Modes and Circumstances of worship as God hath left to humane Determinanation is Lawfull A stinted form or Liturgy may be such a Determination therefore a stinted form or Liturgy may be or is in it self lawfull The Major is past doubt if the Hypothesis be first proved that some modes and circumstances of worship are left to humane Prudential Determination And that 's easily proved thus Those Modes or Circumstances of worship which are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined of God in specie are left by God to humane Prudential Determination else an Impossibility should be necessary But many such there are that are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined of God in specie therefore many such are left to humane Prudential Determination The Minor is sufficiently proved by instances God hath made it our Duty to Assemble for his Publick Worship But he hath not told us in what place nor in what seats each person shall sit Yet some place is necessary and therefore it is left to mans Determination Nor hath he tied us for weekly Lectures to any one day nor on the Lords day to begin at any one certain hour and yet some day and hour is necessary which therefore man must determine of So God hath commanded us to read the Scriptures But hath not told us whether they shall be printed or written whether we shall read with Spectacles or without what Chapter we shall read on such or such a day nor how much at a time Ministâ—rs must preach in season and out of season But whether they must stand or sit or what text they shall preach on or how long and whether in a prepared form of words or not whether they shall use notes or not or use the Bible or recite texts by memory c. none of these things are determined by God and therefore are left to humane prudential determination Abundance of such undetermined circumstances may be enumerated about Singing Praying Sacraments and all duties Now that the form of Liturgy is of this nature is manifest God hath bid us Pray but whether in fore-conceived words or not or whether in words of other mens first conceiving or our own or whether oft in the same words or various and wheâ—her with a Book or without these are no parts of Prayer at all but only such undetermined Circumstances or Modes as God hath left to our prudential Determination And the forementioned Instances about Reading Preaching Singing c. are as pertinent to our question as this of Prayer they being all parts of the Liturgy or publick service as well as this Argum. 3. There are many express Examples in Scripture for forms of Gods service therefore they are unquestionably lawful The Psalms of David were of common use in the Synagogues and Temple-worship and also in Private and indited to such ends Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing Praise unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer 2 Chron. 29.30 The 92. Psalm is entitled A Psalm or song for the Sabbath day Psal. 102 is entitled A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. The rest were of ordinary publike use Psalms are Prayers and Praises to God for the most part and both as Prayers and Praises and as Psalms they are part of the Liturgy 1 Chron. 16.7 On that day David delivered first this Psalm to thank the Lord into the hands of Asaph and his brethren The song of Moses is delivered in form Exod. 15. And the Saints in the Revelations 15.3 are said to sing the song of Moses Numb 10.35 36. there is an oft-repeated form of Moses prayer There is a form for the people Deut. 21.7 8. Iudg. 5. there is Deborahs Song in form There is a form of Prayer Ioel 2.17 Abundance more may be mentioned but for tediousness I shall now only add 1. That the Lords Prayer is a form directed to God as in the third person and not to man only as a Directory for prayer in the second person it is not Pray to God your Father in Heaven that his Name may be hallowed his Kingdom come c. But Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. And it seems by the Disciples words that thus Iohn taught his Disciples to pray Luk. 11.1 So that we have in the Scripture the mention of many set forms of service to God which therefore we may well use Argum. 4. It is lawful to pray to God in the set words that we find in Scripture but so to pray in the set words of Scripture is a form therefore a form is Lawful I do not here plead example as in the last Argument but the Lawfulness of praying in Scripture words They that deny this must be so singular and unreasonable as that there is no need of my confutation for the manifesting of their error And that it is to us a set form if we take it out of Scripture as well as if we compose it or take it out of another Book is past all question A multitude of the prayers of holy men are left on record in the Scripture beside those that were the prescribed forms of those times He that will but turn to his Concordance to the word O Lord and then to all the cited Texts shall find many score if not hundred Texts that recite the prayers of the Saints which when we use we use a form which we there find written Argum. 5. Christ hath left us his Approbation of such forms therefore we may use them His Approbation is proved 1. By his owning and citing Davids Psalms Luk. 20.42 24.44 c. 2. By his using a Hymn with his Disciples at the Passover or Eucharist which we have great reason to think was a form that had been of use among the Jews But however if Christ had newly then composed it yet was it a form to his Disciples 3. By his thrice repeating the same words in his own prayer 4. By his teaching his Disciples a form as Iohn taught his 5. By his never expressing the least dislâ—ke of the old Jewish custom of using forms nor doth Scripture anywhere repeal it or forbid it 6. The Apostles command the use of Psalms and Hymns which cannot be ordinary in the Church without forms All this proveth Christs approbation Argum. 6. If it be lawful for the people to use a stinted form of words in publike prayer then is it in it self lawful for the Pastors but it is lawful for the people for
the Pastors prayer which they must pray over with him and not only hear it is a stinted form to them even as much as if he had learnt it out of a Book They are to follow him in his method and words as if it were a Book prayer Argum. 7. It is lawful to use a form in Preaching therefore a stinted Liturgy is lawful 1. Because preaching is a part of that Liturgy 2. Because the reason is the same for prayer as for that in the main Now that studyed formed Sermons are lawful is so commonly granted that it shall save me the labour of proving it which were easie Argum. 8. That which hath been the practice of the Church in Scripture times and down to this day and is yet the practice of almost all the Churches of Christ on earth is not like to be unlawful buâ— such is the use of some stinted forms of publick service therefore c. That it was so in the Jews Church and approved by Christ I have shewed That it hath been of antient use in the Church since Christ and is at this day in use in Africk Asia Europe even among the Reformed Churches in France Holland Geneva c. is so well known that I think I need not stand to prove it yea those few that seem to disuse it do yet use it in Psalms and other parts of worship of which more anon Prop. 2. A Stinted Liturgy in some parts of publick holy service is ordinarily necessary This Proposition is to be proved by instances and the proof of the parts The parts where a set form is usually necessary I shall enumerate desiring you by the way to understand 1. That I speak not of an Absolute Necessity ad finem as if no other could be accepted but a Necessity of Duty it ought to be done as the best way 2. That I say but ordinarily as excepting some unusual cases 1. The Communication or revealation of the will of God to the Church by Reading of the Holy Scriptures is part of the publick service of God As Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath day so by parity of reason should the Gospel and Paul required the publick reading of his Epistles Act. 13.27 15.21 2 Cor. 3.15 Luk. 16.29 Col. 4.16 1 Thes. 5.27 Rev. 1.3 But this Reading of the Scriptures is the using of a set form in publike service For they are the same words that we read from day to day and usually Must read 2. The Publick Praysing of God by singing of Palms is a part of publick worship and a most excellent part not usually to be omitted But this part of worship is ordinarily to be used in a stinted form because the gift of composing Psalms ex tempore without a prepared form is not usual in the Church and if it were so to one it is not to the rest that must use this worship Had we not stinted forms of Psalms we should have ill-favoured work in the Church 3. Baptisme is usually to be administred in a form of words for Christ hath prescribed us a form Matth. 28.19 Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I think few sober men will think it ordinarily meet to disuse this form 4. The use of a form in the Consecration and Administration of the Lords Supper though not through the whole action is ordinarily most fit for Christ hath left us a form of words Take ye Eat ye c. which are most exact and safe and none can mend And Paul reciteth his form 1 Cor. 11. And small alterations in the very words of Baptisme or Delivering the Lords Supper may easily corrupt the Ordinance in time 5. The very Sacramental Elements and Actions are stinted forms of Administration which none may alter As the washing with water the breaking of bread and powring out of wine and giving them and taking them and eating and drinking c. These are real forms not to be changed at least without Necessity if at all 6. The Blessing of the people in the Name of the Lord was done by a prescribed form of old Num. 6.23 and is usually to be done in a form still For in all these forementioned parts of worship should we still use new expressions when so few and pertinent must be used we should be put to disuse the fittest and use such as are less fit 7. In our ordinary Preaching a form not imposed unless in cases of great Necessity and unfitness but of our own premeditating is usually fittest I think few men are so weak as to prefer with most preachers unprepared Sermons before those that have more of their care and study And then at least the Text Method and somewhat of the words must be premeditated if not all 8. Ordinarily there should be somewhat of a form in Publick Confessions of the Churches faith For how else shall all concur And it is a tender point to admit of great or frequent mutations in so that in Baptisme and at other seasons when the Christian faith is to be openly professed by one or more or all a form that is exact is usually meet to be retained though in many personal Cases explicatory enlargements may do well 9. If there be not a frequent use of many of the same words and so somewhat of a form in Marriage Confirmation Absolution Excommunication the danger will be more then the benefit by mutation will be 10. And with some Ministers of whom anon even in Prayer especially about the Sacraments where there must be great exactness and the matter ordinarily if not alwayes the same the ordinary use of a form may be the best and fittest way In the most of these Cases 1. The Nature of the thing sufficiently proves the ordinary fitness of a form 2. The constant Practice of almost all Churches if not all is for it even they that scruple forms of Prayer use constantly forms of Praise of Reading of Sacraments c. 3. The rest are proved fittest as aforesaid by the Apostles generall Rules 1 Cor. 14.26 40. Let all things be done to Edifying and Let all things be done decently and in order Now in the cases before mentioned the Edification of the Church to say nothing of Order requireth the ordinary use of forms Prop. 3. IN those parts of publick worship where a form is not of ordinary necessity but only Lawfull yet may it not only be submitted to but desired when the Peace of the Church doth accidentally require it This Proposition needs no proof but only explication For he is far from the temper of a Christian that sets so light by the Peace of the Church that he would not use a Lawfull means for the procurement of it when Paul would become all things to all men to save some and would eat no flesh while he lived rather then offend his weak brother But here you must take these cautions lest
what hath been said you may see which of the late English Controverted Ceremonies I take to have been Lawful and which unlawfull Too many years did I spend long agoe about these controversies and the judgement that then I arrived at I could never find reason since to change notwithstanding all the changes of the times and the helps I that have since had And it was and is as followeth § 39. 1. About Episcopacy which was the principal point concomitant with the Ceremonial Controversie I have given you my thoughts before 2. The ceremonies controverted among us were especially The surplice the gesture of Kneeling in Receiving the Lords supper the ring in Marriage Laying the hand on the Book in taking aâ— Oath the Organs and Church musick Holy daies Altars Rails and the Cross in Baptism To say nothing of the matter or form of the Prayers § 40. And 1. If the surplice be Imposed by the Magistrate as it was who is a lawfull Governor and that directly but as a Decent Habit for a Minister in Gods service I think he needlesly strained his Power and sinfully made an engine to divide the Church by making such a needless law and laying the Peace of the Church upon it But yet he medled with nothing but was within the reach of his Power in the general Some Decent Habit is Necessary Either the Magistrate or the Minister himself or the Associated Pastors must determine what I think neither Magistrate nor Synod should do any more then hinder undecency But yet if they do more and tye all to one Habit and suppose it were an undecent Habit yet this is but an imprudent use of Power It is a thing within the Magistrates reach He doth not an aliene work but his own work amiss and therefore the thing in it self being lawfull I would obey him and use that garment if I could not be dispensed with Yea though Secondarily the Whiteness be to signifie Purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would I obey For secondarily we may lawfully and piously make Teaching signs of our food and rayment and every thing we see But if the Magistrate had said that the Primary reason or use of the Surplice was to be an instituted sacramental sign to work gâ—ace on my soul and engage me to God then I durst not have used it though secondarily it had been commanded as a decent garment New Sacraments I durst not use though a secondary use were lawfull § 41. 2. And for Kneeling at the Sacrament I doubt not at all but the imposing it and that on such rigorous terms tying all to it and casting all out of the communion of the Church or from the participation of the Sacrament that durst not use it was a very grievous sin and tended to persecution injustice and Church-dividing It is certainly in a doubtful case the safest way to do as Christ and his Apostles and the universal Church did for many hundred years That none should Kneel in publick worship on the Lords day no not in Prayer much less in receiving the Eucharist was a Custome so ancient and Universal in the Church that it was everywhere observed before general Councils were made use of and in the first general Council of Nice it was made the last Canon and other general Councils afterward renewed it so that I know not how any Ceremony can possibly pretend to greater Ecclesiastical Authority then this had And to cast out all from Church Communion in Sacraments that dare not go against the examples of Christ and his Apostles and all the Primitive Church who long received the Eucharist in another gesture and against the Canons of the first and most famous and other succeeding general Councils this is a most inhumane part Either the gesture is indifferent in it self or not If it be how dare they thus divide the Church by it and cast out Christians that scruple it when they have these and many other reasons of their scruples which for brevity I omit If they say that Kneeling is of it self Necessary and not Indifferent because it is Reverent c. then 1. They make Christ an â—mperfect Law-giver 2. They make himself or his Apostles or both to have been sinners 3. They condemn the Catholick Church of sin 4. They condemn the Canons of the Chief general Councils 5. And then if the Bishops themselves in Council should change the gesture it were unlawfull to obey them All which are consequents that I suppose they will disown What a perverse preposterous Reverence is this when they have leave to lie in the dust before and after the very act of receiving through all their confessions and prayers yet they will at other times stand and many of them sit at prayer and sit at singing Psalms of Prayer and Praise to God and yet when Christ doth invite them to a feast they dare not imitate his Apostles and universal Church in their gesture lest they should be sinfully unreverent § 42. But yet as sinfully as this Gesture was imposed for my part I did obey the imposerâ—â—nd would do if it were to do again rather then disturb the Peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion For God having made some Gesture necessary and confined me to none but left it to humane Determination I shall submit to Magistrates in their proper work even when they miss it in the manner I am not sure that Christ intended the example of himself and his Apostles as obligatory to us that shall succeed I am sure it proves sitting lawful but I am not sure that it proves it necessary though very convenient But I am sure he hath commanded me obedience and peace § 43. 3. And for the Ring in Marriage I see no reason to scruple the lawfulness of it For though the Papists make a Sacrament of Marriage yet we have no reason to take it for any ordinance of Divine worship any more then the solemnizing of a contract between a Prince and People All things are sanctified and pure to the Pure but that doth not confound the two Tables nor make all things to be parts of Worship that are sanctified The Coronation of a King is sanctified as well as Marriage and is as much a Sacrament as Marriage and the Ceremonies of it might as well be scrupled especially when God doth seem to go before them by the example of Anointing as if he would confine them to that Ceremonie which yet was none of his intent nor is it much scrupled § 44. 4. And though the taking of an Oath be a sort of worship yet not the natural worship of the first Commandment nor the Instituted of the second but the Reverent use of his name in the third so that it is not primarily an act of worship but Reductively and Consequentially It being the principal use of an Oath to Confirm the Truth and End strife by appealing to God which appellation is indeed an acknowledgment
with the Neighbour Ministers in Essex And I have had Letters from many of that way with whom I Correspond full of Christian Love and Piety and hatred of calumny and separations But verily I must tell you that when we find any of you in your writings and Sermons making it your work to vilifie the Ministry and with the Quakers to make them odious to the people and making your jeers and railing and uncharitableness the life of your Sermons we cannot but suspect that you are Popish Emissaries while we find you in their work or else that you are Malignant Enemies and of the sâ—â—pentine brood whose heads shall shortly be bruised by the Lord. 4. And if it be the disuse of your Common Prayer that you separate from us for I would know of you whâ—ther you would have denyed Communion with all that lived before it had a being If this be your Religion I may ask you where was your Religion before Luther before King Edwards daies If you say in the Mass book and what else can you say I ask you then where was it before the Mass book had a being Would you have denyed Communion to the Apostles and all the Primitive Church for some hundreds of years that never used your Book of Common Prayer will you still make things indifferent necessary 2. One word to those of you that follow Grotius I have shewed that he professeth himself a Papist even in that Discussion which M r Pierce so magnifieth as excellent I hear Mr. Thorndike and others defend him and some think I injure him by calling him a Papist Wonderful what will not be a Controversie among learned men Are we faln among such that deny him to be a Papist that professeth expresly to be satisfied if evil manners be but corrected and school-opinions not imposed which are contrary to Tradition and all Councils and that professeth to own the Creed and Council of Trent and all the Popish Councils whatsoever and the Mistriship of Rome and the Catholick Mastership of the Pope governing the Catholick Church according to these Councils What is a Papist if this be none I refer you to my Evidence in the Discovery of the Grotian Religion and the first Chap. of the second Part of my Catholick Key replying to Mr. Pierce Confute it rationally if you can I shall now only desire you when you have read Rivet to read a Book called Grotius Papizans and to hearken to the testimony of an honest learned Senator of Paris that admired Grotius and tells you what he is from his own mouth and that is Claud. Sarravius who saith in his Epistol pag. 52 53. ad Gronov. De ejus libro libello postremis interrogatus respondit plane Milleterio Consona Romanam fidem esse veram sinceram solosqâ—e Clericorum mores degeneres schismati dedisse locum adferebatque plura in hanc sententiam Quid dicam Merito quod falso olim Paulo Agrippa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deploro veris lachrymis tantam jacturam Here you have a credible witness that from his own mouth reporteth it that our Reformation was to Grotius a schism and nothing but the ill manners of the Clergy gave us the opportunity And pag. 190. Epist. ad Salmas Vis ergo me exerte dicere quid sentiam de postremo Grotii libro an omnia mihi in eo probentur Rem rogas non magnam nec adeo difficilem quemque expedire promptum est Tantum abest ut omnia probem ut vix aliquid in eo reperiam cui sine conditione calculum apponam meum Verissime dixit ille qui primus dixit Grotium Papizare Vix tamen in isto scripto aliquid legi quod mirarer quodve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occurreret Nunquid enim omnes istiusmodi ejusdem authoris lucubrationes erga Papistarum errores perpetuam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erga Jesuitas amorem erga nos plus quam Vatinianum odium produnt clamant In Voto quod ejus nomen praeferebat an veritus est haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profiteri Had none of you owned Grotius his Popery I would never have charged it on you But when Grotius himself glorieth of his adherents in England and so many of you plainly defend him and profess your owning of those books and those doctrines in which his Popery is contained if ever Popery were known in the world I must then crave your pardon if I think somewhat the worse of Popery because they that hold it are ashamed of it For I abhor that Religion which a man hath cause to be ashamed of and will not save him from being a loser by it that owneth it and standeth to it to the last And I think that man hath no Religion who hath none which he will openly profess and stand to I have at this time but these few requests to make to you which I beseech you to answer without partiality 1. That you will seriously consider whether it be truly Catholick to unchurch us and so many Churches of Christ as are of our mind as your partakers do Because Catholicism is your pretense consider whether you be not further from it then most people in the world 2. Because I conceive this Book is not suited to your great objections I desire your perusal of another that comes out with it called A Key for Catholicks especially the second Part and if you cannot answer them take heed how you continue Papists 3. While you hold us for no Ministers or Churches or Capable of your Communion it is in vain for us to hope for Communion with you but we desire that you will consider of those terms of a more distant sort of Communion which there I have propounded in the End of the first and second Part and deny us not that much 4. At least we beseech you that while you are Papists you will deal openly and no worse with us then sober Papists that speak according to their Consciences use to do Do not let it as the Lord Falkland speaks be in the Power of so much per annum nor of your factious interest to keep you from professing your selves to be what you are and do not make the Protestant name a meer cloak to secure you in the opposing of the Protestant Cause and follow not the example of Spalatensis and the Counsel of Campian and Parsons in feigning a sort of Doctrinal Puritans and railing at Protestants under that name Deal with us but as sober Papists do and we shall take it thankfully How highly doth Bodin a Learned Papist extol the Presbyterian Discipline at Genevah from its effects when among many of you it hath as odious titles as if it were some blasphemous damning thing What sober Papist would talk as Mr. Pierce doth p. 30. of the great abomination of the Presbyterian Directory and not be able to name one thing in it that is abominable Is it a great
changed our Religion nor our Church What if he read his prayers and I say mine without book or what if he pray in white and I in black or what if he kneel in receiving the Eucharist and I sit or stand or what if he use the Cross in baptisme and I baptize no better then the Apostles did without it do these or such like make us to be of two Religions Do I change my Religion if I read with a pair of spectacles or if I look towards the South or West rather then the East c. We see what these men would make the Christian Religion to be Were the Apostles no Christians because they had no kneeling at the Eucharist nor Cross in Baptism nor Surplice nor at least our Common prayer-Prayer-book c Dare you say they were no Christians or yet that Christian Religion was one thing then and another thing now And for our Churches we do not only meet in the same places but we have the same doctrine the same worship in every part though he talk of our no true worship as if Praying Praising God c. were no true worship the things changed were by the imposers and defenders see Dr. Burgess Rejoynder professed to be no parts at all of worship but meer accidents we have the same people save here and there a few that separate by yours and others seducement and some vile ones that we cast out we have abundance of the same Ministers that we had And yet must we have no worship Ministry Communion of Saints or Salvation because we have only a Parochial and not a Diocesan Episcopacy Forsooth we have lost our Religion and are all lost men because our Bishops have but single Parish-churches to oversee which they find a load as heavy as they can bear and we have not one Bishop to take the Government of an hundred or two hundred Churches At Rome he is a damned man that believeth not in the Pope and is out of the Catholike Church because he is out of the subjection of the Pope and with these men we are lost men if we never so much believe in Christ because we believe not in an Archbishop and are out of the Catholike Church and Communion of Saints because we will not be ruled by such Rulers as these And what 's all this to such Counties as this where I live and most else in England that I hear of that know of no Bishop they have and they rejected none nor doth any come and command them any Obedience Must we be unchristened unchurcht and damned for not obeying when we have none to obey or none that calls for our obedience But I shall let these men pass and leave them in their separation desiring that they had Catholike spirits and principles This much I have said to let men see that there is no possibility of our union with this sort that are resolved on a separation and that it is not these Novelists and Dividers but the antient Episcopal party of England that we can easily agree with § 7. The next that I shall instance in that was agreed with these Principles of ours is the late Reverend and Learned Bishâ—p Vsher of whose Concord with us I have two proofs The one was his own profession to my self The other is his own writings especially his Propositions given in to King Charls now printed called The Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government received in the ancient Church which consisteth of four Propositions having first proved that all Presbyters have the power of Discipline and Church-government the first alloweth the single Rector of the Parish to take notice of the scandalous reprove admonish and debar them from the Lords Table The second is that in every Rurall Dâ—anry all the Pastors within the Precinct may by the Chorepiscopus or Suffragan be every month Assembled in a Synod and according to the Major part of their voices he conclude all matters that shall be brought into debate before them as Excommunication c. The third is for a Diocesan Synod once or Twice a year where by the consent of the Major part of the Rectors all things might be concluded by the Bishop or Superintendent call him whether you will or in his absence by one of the suffragans whom he deputes to be Moderator The fourth is for Provincial and National Synods in like sort § 8. And when I had perused these papers in M. S. I told him that yet one thing was left out that the Episcopal party would many of them stick at more then he and that is a Negative voice in Ordination in the President to which and the rest I proposed this for accommodation in brief 1. Let every particular or Parish Church have a Bishop and Presbyters to assist him where possibly they can be had 2. Let all these Associate and their several Associations have a stated President 3. Let all men be at liberty for the name whether they will call him a Bishop President Moderator Superintendent or the like 4. And for the Negative voice in Ordination let all Ministers of the Assâ—ciation agree that de facto they will not Ordain without him but in Cases of Necessity but let every man be left free to his own Principles on which he shall ground this practice and not be bound to consent that de jure a Negative vote is due to the President These terms did I propose to the Bishop for Accommodation and intreated him to tell me plainly his judgement whether they are satisfactory and sufficient for the Episcopal party to yield to for Peace and Communion and his answer was this They are sufficient and modâ—rate men will accept them but others will not as I have tryed for many of them are offended with me for propounding such terms And thus this Reverend Bishop and I were agreed for Peace in a quarter of an hour the truth of whâ—ch I solemnly profess and so would all the Ministers and Christians in England if they were not either wiser or foolisher honester or dishonester then he and I. And this I leave on Record to Posterity as a testimony against the dividers and contenders of this age That it was not long of men of the temper and principles of this Reverend Archbishop and my self that the Episcopal party and their dissenting Brethren in England were not speedily and heartily agreed for we actually did it To no honour of mine but to the honour of this peaceable man and the shame of the unpeaceable hinderers or refusers of our Reconciliation let this testimony live that Posterity may know whom to blame for our Calamities they all extoll Peace when they reject it and destroy it § 9 For a third witness of the Reconcileableness of the Moderate Episcopal party on these terms I may well produce Dr. Holdsworth who subscribed these same Propositions of Bishop Vsher to the King and therefore was a Consenter to the same way of
you misunderstand this Proposition 1. The Peace of the whole Church must be in our eye before the peace of a part and of a great and more considerable part rather then of a smaller caeteris paribus 2. It is supposed that besides the simple lawfulness of the thing there be also no other accidental inconveniencies on the other side that will follow the use of a form that is of sufficient moment to weigh down the argument from the Churches Peace For when a thing is only good or evil I mean necessary or sinfull by Accident and not in it self we must consider which side hath the most weighty accidents and accordingly must choose or refuse it 3. It is not the fullfilling of the humours of every unreasonable expectant or every proud Magisterial usurper that is the Peace of the Church that now we speak of If a few proud men will hold no Peace with us unless we will serve God in their unnecessary forms as if none had wit enough but they to know in what words the Churches should serve God and all must speak but what they teach them it is not the humoring of these Proud usurpers that is the Peace thus to be bought 4. We must look to the future as well as the present Peace of the Churches And therefore if any will hold no Peace with us now unless we will own some formal Engine that is like to make hereafter more division then unity in the Churches by laying the Unity or Peace of the Church on things that will not bear it and making thiâ—gs necessary that are not necessary nor to be made so in such cases it is not our duty to betray the geneneral or future Peace of the Church for our private or present Peace 5. The desireableness of this Peace of the Church which we must seek must be much judged of by its tendency to the promoâ—ing of holiness the saving of mens souls the furthering of the Gospel and prosperity of the Church in spiritual respects For a Peace that undermineth and betrayeth these is not desireable The means is to be valued by its tendency to the attainment of the End 6. There is need therefore of very great prudence to compare things with things for a man to know how to carry himself in such cases For imprudent oversights or laying greatest stress on smallest things and slighting greater will make men live in constant sin by abusing things indifferent But still the Proposition holds good with these cautions that forms and such like indifferent things are to be used or disused much with respect to the Churches Peace Prop. 4. SO great is the difference between men and men times and times that forms may be a duty to some men and at some times and a sin to other men and at other times As to private men in their families it may be one mans duty to use a form or book and another mans sin so is it with Ministers also in the Assemblies Three distinctions among others are obvious in which this is manifest 1. Some Ministers are better able to perform Gods publick worship except in the fore-excepted cases without a form and some are better able to do it by a form 2. Some Ministers have a People that are scrupulous of using forms and some have people that scruple the disusing them and some have both sorts mixt 3. Some Churches live under Magistrates that command a form or with Churches that unanimously agree on a form and others live in times and places where there is no such commands or Agreements And according to these differences it may be one mans duty and anothers sin to use some forms 1. Gods work should be done in the most edifying manner Where Ministers are able to perform the publick prayers of the Church in the most profitable manner without a form there it is their duty to disuse a form unless some other greater accident preponderate Still remember that for Psalms and other fore-excepted parts I take it for granted that ordinarily a form is necessary But our main question now is of Praying and Preaching and that especially with respect to one standing form that is not usually varied in Prayer and an imposed form or composed by others in Preaching It should be the ordinary case of the Church that Ministers should be able to do these without a constant form of words to the peoples greater edification But yet it is not alway so And where it is not it is better for Ministers to use a form then to do worse and dishonour the work of God and wrong the Church by their erroneous or over-rude defective management I know the great objection will be that such men are not fit to be Ministers and that its better to have none But this is sooner said then proved I am far from desiring any man to undervalue the precious mercy of an able Ministry and from wishing for formalities and reading Pastors instead of the learned able guides that we here enjoy I hope I should do or suffer as much as another to prevent so great a Calamity as an ignorant unable or negligent Ministry But yet I am fully satisfied of it that its better for the Church to have Readers then none 1. Consider that there have been some very Learned able Divines Doctors of Divinity that by age or other decay of Memory or natural impediments disabling them from extemporate performances cannot do any thing in the worship of Gâ—d without the help of Notes or books or at least without preparation for expressions when yet upon preparation and by convenient helps they excell many extemporate men 2. The Necessities of the Church may require an allowance or toleration of such as have not ability to compose extemporate Prayers or Sermons no nor to prepare such upon deliberation neither but meerly read the Sermons and Prayers composed by others I know some will not believe that such should be Ministers But they would have them only read as private men rather then the people should have nothing For they think that a man that cannot preach or pray is no more capable of being a Minister then a man that cannot command an Army is capable of being a Commander c. But 1. Let such brethren consider that there may be all abilities essentially requisite to a Pastor without the ability of praying or preaching without a form Though still I pray God to save us from a Necessity of such A man that can Teach men the substance of the Christian Religion and administer the Sacraments and Oversee and Govern the flock hath as much ability as is necessary to the Being of a Pastor But those may have all this that cannot fitly preach or Pray without a form They may be godly men able in conference to instruct the people in the substance of Religion and to read the Scriptures and the Holy writings of godly men and to administer Sacraments and prudently and diligently
do more hurt by breaking the Churches peace then they do good by converting souls But who was it that laid these snares in their way Who laid the Churches peace upon your inventions Had not the Church a sure Rule and an happy order and unity and peace before your Common prayer Book or Ceremonies were born Why must the Church have no peace but upon such terms Who made this Necessity that all men must be taken for intolerable schismaticks that dare not stint themselves in the publick worship by your impositions Will you not be confounded before God when these Questions must be answered The Church might have kept both Peace and her Pastors if you had let all alone as the Apostles left it and had not turned the forms of your Devotions to be a snare for others 9. And it is great unmercifulness to the Souls of particular men when you will drive them into such snares and câ—mpell them to go against their consciences in indifferent things what ever is not of faith is sin And whether they believe it good or bad you will compell them to practise all that you impose Have you not Consciences your selves Do you not know what it is for a man to be driven against his Conscience If not you are no Christians and then no wonder if you want the Charity and compassion of Christians and so easily for nothing abuse and injure the Christian cause 10. And in thus doing you deal unjustly and do not as you would be done by You would have Liberty your selves now to use a Liturgy And why should not others have Liberty to disuse it Either you take it for a thing Necessary in it self or for Indifferent If as Necessary then you are so much the more arrogant and injurious to the Churches and your usurpation is the more intolerable and you do much to Justifie them that deprive you of your own liberty For I know no Liberty that you should have to make universal Laws for the Church or to make new duties by your own meer wills or turn Indifferent things into Necessary and so to multiply our work and burden and danger and to silence suspend or excommunicate all that dare not submit to your usurped Dominion But if you take it for a thing in it self Indifferent whether we pray in a Form of prescribed words or not then as we are content that you have your Liberty on one part you have as just cause to allow us our liberty on the other and to do as you would be done by 11. And by these Impositions you set up a New Office or Power in the Church Consisting of a New Legislation and a Government of the Church by such new humane Laws We know no Law-giver but 1. Christ as to universal Laws of standing necessity to the Churches in the matters of Salvation And 2. Magistrates to make by-laws under Christ for a just determination of those mutable circumstances that ought to be determined by humane Prudence and 3. The Ministers or Pastors of particular Churches to direct and guide the people as there is cause As for Bishops or Councils we know of no Legislative Power that they have over their Brethren though Agreements they may make which may be obligatory 1. by consent as other contracts 2. and in order to unity where the case requireth such Agreements But to set up a New sort of Jurisdiction in the Church by Legislation to make Forms and Ceremonies obligatory and by Executions to punish Pastors that will not practise them is a dangerous device 12. Lastly by this means you will harden the Papists that by their Inventions and Impositions have divided the Church and been guilty of so much usurpation and tyrannie For how can we condemn that in them that is practised by our selves And though in number of Inventions and Impositions they exceed yet it is not well to concur with them in the kind of unnecessary Impositions and so far to Justifie them in their injury to the Church If none of these or other Reasons will alloy the Imperious distemper of the Proud but they must needs by a usurped Legislation be making Indifferent things become necessary to others and domineer over mens Consciences and the Church of God we must leave them to him that being the Lord and Lawgiver of the Church is Jealous of his Prerogative and abhorreth Idols and will not give his glory to another and that delighteth to pull down the Proud and humble them that exalt themselves But yet how far an Agreement or voluntary Consent of the Churches is desirable as to a Liturgy I shall shew more anon Prop. 7. THE safest way of composing a stinted Liturgie is to take it all or as much as may be for words as well as matter out of the Holy Scriptures Reas. 1. This way is least lyable to scruple because all are satisfied of the infallible Truth of Scripture and the fitness of its expressions that are not like to be satisfied with mans And it is a laudable disposition in the Creature to prefer the words of God before all other and therefore not to be discouraged in any Reas. 2. This way tends most to the peace of the Church All will unite in the words of God that will not unite in the forms and words of men If they understand not a word of God yet knowing it to be true they will not quarrel with it but submit But if they understand not the words of men they will be ready to suspect them and so to quarrel with them and so the Churches peace will be broken Besides the judgements of men being fallible many will suspect that its possible there may be some error in their forms though we see them not and God should be worshiped in the surest way Reas. 3. There is no other words that may be preferred before the words of God or stand in Competition with them and therefore me thinks this should easily be decided Object But the Scripture hath not forms enough for all the Churches uses Answ. It hath matter and words for such Forms Without any additions save only terms of Connection the sentences of holy Scripture may suffice the Church for all its uses as to forms Object But men may speak untruths in Scripture words if they will and by misplacing and misapplying them may make them speak what was never meant in them Answ. But 1. When they use no expository terms of their own but meerly recite the words of Scripture the perverting them will not be so easie or common And 2. When they have placed them how they please the people are left at liberty 〈…〉 to the sence they have in the 〈…〉 to what mens misplacing 〈…〉 put upon them when we professedly make our forms out of Gods word we do as it were tell the people that they must give each sentence its proper interpretation as it s meant in Scripture because we pretend not to change it
the greatest seriousness of devotion we must expect that most should do accordingly For we see that Ministers are men and too many are carryed as well as others with the stream of temptation But those Prayers and other duties that depend upon their parts require preparation or at least some present care and diligence for the awakening of their hearts and excitation of their faculties Reas. 4. But the principal danger of a constant use of prescribed forms is lest it should let in an unworthy Ministry into the Church For though I had rather have as weak Ministers as I before described then none yet it will be very dangerous when such are tolerated because of Necessity lest the negligeâ—ce of Ordainers and Approvers will take advantage of this and pretend necessity where there is none or hearken to them that come with such pretences and so undo the Church by an ignorant insufficient Ministry so hard is it for men to avoid one extream without running into another Now the utter prohibition of stinted forms will prevent this but not without an evil on the other side And therefore to avoid the evils on both sides me thinks it would be best to let such forms be used but unconstantly unless by men that will lie under the dishonour of being able to do no better And that dishonor will hinder men from resting in them and the frequent exercise of other mens gifts will awaken them to their duty and the necessity of it will as well keep out insufficient men as if there were no form at all For an insufficient man can no more perform the work once a day without a form then twice a day I shall add no more Reasons because they that write against forms of Prayer though they run too far have said enough of the inconveniences The motion that I make being for a voluntary and an unconstant use of them I must expect to meet with objections on both sides which I shall briefly answer Object 1. Those that are utterly against forms will say that I am opening under pretence of Peace and Liberty a way to let in an unlawfull worship and a lazy insufficient Ministry To which I answ 1. For them that take all forms to be unlawfull I think them fitter for compassion then disputes and judge their reason to be as low as the Quakers that cry down the use of hour-glasses and sermon-notes and preaching on a Text of Scripture 2. And for the rest of the objection it s answered before The use of a Liturgy in the way described will not more Countenance a lazy insufficient ministry nor hurt the Church then if there were none Object 2. But what need is there of it Are we not well without it why would you disturb our peace to please the adversaries Answ. 1. We are not without a Liturgy as shall be further shewed and therefore you cannot say we are well without it 2. Some yong weak Ministers we must speak the truth do wrong both Baptism and the Lords Supper by many miscarriages for want of further helps 3. Wales and many parts of England must be supplyed with Forms or be without whâ—ch is worse 4. The Consciences of many of those that you call adversaries and I call Brethren must be indulged with the liberty of a convenient form or else we shall not walk charitably On the othâ—â—side it will be objected by them that would have all men forced to the constant uâ—e of forms 1. that If we have not forms men may vent what they please in prayer some raile in prayer and some vent error and some rebellion c. Answ. 1. This Argument makes against all Prayer of Ministers but what is prescribed For if you force them to a form and yet give them leave with their Sermons to use also either extemporate or formed Prayers of their own they may as well vent rebellion heresie or malice in them as if they had no Liturgy at all And if you would have Ministers use no prayer but what they read out of the imposed books for fear of these inconveniences you will shew your selves enemies to the Church and cure an inconvenience with a mischief 2. And if men were forbidden all prayer but by the Book yet it is more easie to vent error or malice in a Sermon So that unless you tie them also to forbear preaching save out of an imposed book you are never the better And if you would do so you are sorry helpers of the Church 3. You have a better remedy then these at hand Put no such Insufficient men or Hereticks into the Ministry that will so abuse prayer or if they be crept in put them out again and put better in their places that will not abuse it If some Physitians kill men by ignorance or malice will you tie them all to go by a Book and give but one medicine or will you not rather cast out the unworthy and licence only abler men Object 2. But how can I Ioyn with a Minister in prayer If I know not before hand what he will say when for ought I know he may pray blasphemy or heresie Answ. 1. By this objection you take it to be unlawful to joyn with any prayers at all whether publick or private but what you know before And so it seems you think all prayer but what 's by the book unfit for any but a solitary person And if this be your mind that your book-Book-Prayers must needs shut out all others blame not men so much to shut out your Book when you so far provoke them 2. According to this Objection you must not send for the Minister to pray with you when you are sick or in trouble unless he tye himself to your Book And why then may not another do it as well as he or at least the sillyest man that can read as well as the most able 3. It is the work of the Minister to be the peoples mouth in prayer to God and therefore if he fail in the manner of his own work it is his sin and not yours and you may no more refuse for that to joyn with him then subjects may refuse to obey the soveraign power because of some miscarriages yea or to fight for them and defend them 4. Your presence signifieth not your consent to all that you hear from a Minister And your Heart is not to follow him in evil but in good and therefore seeing you are at liberty what cause of scruple have you 5. It is supposed that no man is ordinarily admitted or tolerated in the Ministry that will so abuse prayer that men may not lawfully joyn with them If they are such cast them out If you cannot cast them out if they are Hereticks or Blasphemers come not neer them But if â—â—ey are men fit for to be tolerated in the Ministry you have reason to trust them so far in their office as not to expect Heresies or Blasphemies
And 2. because the way of those times did cause men to suspect that somewhat worse was intended to be brought in by such preparatives especially when the Ministers were cast out § 52. 8. But of all our Ceremonies there is none that I have more suspected to be simply unlawfull then the Cross in Baptism The rest as I have said I should have submitted to rather then hinder the Service or Peace of the Church had I been put to it For living in those daies in a Priviledged place I had my liberty in all save Daies and the Gesture But this I durst never meddle with And yet I know that many think it as reasonable and more venerable then any of the rest Yet dare I not peremptorily say that it is unlawfull nor will I condemn either Antients or Moderns that use it nor will I make any disturbance in the Church about it more then my own forbearance will make only my own practice I was forced to suspend and must do if it were again imposed on me till I were better satisfied The Reasons that most move me I shall give you in the end but some of them take at the present § 53. 1. This is not the meer circumstance of a Duty but a substantial humane ordinance of worship nor is it necessary in genere that man ordain any such symbolical Mystical signs for Gods worship And therefore it is a matter totally exempt from humane Power There must be some Time some place some gesture some vesture some utensils c. But you cannot say that There must be some teaching symbols or mystical signs stated by humane institution in Gods worship There is no command to man in Scripture de genere to institute any such thing And therefore in the case of Circumstantials I shall usually of which more anon obey the Magistrate even where he doth mistake because it is his own work though he misdoe it But here his action is like that of a judge in alieno foro in another court where he hath no power and therefore his judgement is null It is not an act of Authority to make and state new mystical signs that are such in their primary use in Gods worship For there is no Power but of God And God hath given no such power They that say he hath let them prove it if they can Natural and Artificial helps we disallow not But Instituted signs that have what they have by Institution and that as a solemn stated ordinance I know not that ever God required or accepted from the invention of man I doubt this will prove a meer usurpation and nullity and worse § 54. 2. Yea I suspect it will prove a humane Sacrament either fully a Sacrament or so neer a kin to Sacraments as that man hath nothing to do to institute it The common prayer saith that a Sacrament is an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace given to us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof in the Catech. Let us try by this definition whether the Cross in Baptism as used in England be a Sacrament § 55. And 1. I may take it for granted that the want of the Name makes it not to be no Sacrament And 2. whereas in the definition it is said that it is ordained by Christ himself that belongs to a Divine Sacrament only and not to a humane Sacrament devised by usurpers Otherwise you must say that there is no such thing possible as a humane Sacrament imposed by usurpers on the Church what if all the essentials of a Sacrament such as are found in Baptism and the Lords supper be invented by man and forced on the Church is it therefore no Sacrament or only no Divine Sacrament However let us not differ about bare names and words It is the same thing that you call a Sacrament when God is the ordainer and sure it will not prove it lawfull because man is the ordainer that 's it that makes it unlawfull because he wants authority and acts as an usurper The Papists affirm that man hath not power to make new Sacraments no not the Pope himself Let not us go further § 56. And 1. the outward visible sign here is the Cross made in the fore-head 2. The inward and Spiritual grace is a holy Resolution to fight manfully under the banner of Christ and to persevere therein The Cross signifieth the Instrument of the sufferings of Christ aad that we do own this Crucified Saviour and are not ashamed of him and will manfully fight under him So that here is 1. a signification of Grace to be wrought on the Soul and given us by God 2. an engagement to perform the duties of the Covenant our selves On Gods part we are to receive by this sign both Qualitative or actual Grace and Relative Grace 1. The Cross is to teach our understandings and help our memories and quicken up our dull affections by minding us of a Crucified Christ and the benefits of his Cross. § 57. That it is ordained for this use appeareth from the words anon to be recited in the use of it and by those words prefixed before the the Common prayer-prayer-book of Ceremonies why some are abolished and some retained where they say that they be not darke and dumb Ceremonies but are so set forth that every man may understand what they do mean and to what use they do serve and that they are such as are apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and special signification whereby he might be edified So that this and such other if there be more such are appointed by their signification to teach the Understanding and stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God Which are good works but to be done only by good means § 58. And that this is a way of working Grace in the same kind as Gods word and Sacraments do is undeniable For the word and Sacraments do work Grace but Morally by propounding the object and so objectively Teaching Remembring and Exciting and thus working on the Understanding Memory and Will and Affections However the spirit may work within its certain that the ordinances work no otherwise And not only Protestants are agreed on this but one would think that the Jesuits and all of their mind should be most of all for it For faculties they that will not confess any Physical determination of the but make all operations both of Word Sacraments and Spirit it self to be but suasory or Moral one would think should hold more tenaciously then others that Sacraments work Grace but Morally And if no Sacraments do more then objectively Teach and excite and the Cross is appointed to do as much in this then there is no difference between them to be found § 59. And then for Relative Grace it is plain that by
the sign of the Cross as well as by Baptism we are entred into a state of Christianity and so it is an Investing Sacramental sign It listeth us under the banner of Christ Crucified And that is the very essential nature of the Sacrament of Baptism it self As Listing investeth the soldier in his Relation and consequently in his Priviledges so doth Baptism by Gods appointment and Crossing is supposed by mans appointment to invest men in the Relation of the soldiers of Jesus Christ. § 60. Yea more then is expressed in the Definition of a Sacrament in the Common prayer-prayer-book if you judge it essential to a Sacrament to be an engaging Covenanting sign the Cross is instituted to this end Yea more then that if you judge it essential to a Sacrament to be an engaging sign in the very Covenant of Grace it self and not only in some particular promise this also is the end of its appointment It is to engage our selves to a Crucified Christ as our Captain and Saviour by his Cross and to bind our selves to the Duty of Soldiers or Christians to our lives end aâ—d consequently to teach us to expect the priviledges of faithfull servants and Soldiers from a Crucified Christ. § 61. All this is expressed in the very words of Ministerial application in the common prayer-Prayer-book which are these we receive this Child into the Congregation of Christs flock and do sign him with the sign of the cross in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the Devil and to continue Christs faithfull soldier and servant unto his lives end Amen So that you see here it is used as a listing investing Covenant sign engaging us to be Christs soldiers and not to be ashamed of his Cross or to confess his faith and manfully to fight c. and to persevere What 's wanting here to make a Sacrament § 62. Yet had it been but a bare Professing sign like writing or lifting up the hand to signifie consent instead of words I durst not have concluded so hardly of it And thus it seems in ancient times it began to be brought into use and the voluntary use of the cross on several occasions in many countries at this day doth seem to be no other But for my own part I dare not be guilty by consent of making a humane Sacrament or stating such an engaging Sacramental sign to all these uses in the publick worship of God I had rather suffer or leave my Ministry them venture on this while I see so much to make me fear that it is a sin But again I say as I reverence the ancients that used the cross I think amiss and yet more warrantably then we so I presume not to censure them that judge it lawfull but only give the reasons that make me doubt and rather think it to be unlawfull though still with a suspicion of my own understanding and a love and honour to dissenters § 63. As for the Common prayer it self I never rejected it because it was a form nor thought it simply unlawfull because it was such a form but have made use of it and would do again in the like case But I must needs say 1. That the shreding it into such abundance of small parcels seemeth to me very inconvenient It seems too light and ludicrous to toss sentences so formally between the Priest and Clerk and to make such a multitude of Prayers consisting but of a sentence or two at most And it seemeth to be tautologie and vain repetition to repeat over the same word so oft and a taking of Gods name in vain or too unreverently to begin with his Titles and Attributes and end with his name again and the merits or sake of Christ and this at almost every sentence as if we had done with him and were taking our leave and had forgot somewhat that called us to begin again and thus we begin and end and begin and end again it may be twenty times together 2. But the enforcing imposition of these Prayers is most to be condemned of which I have spoken in the former Disputation But for my part I censure none that use them nor take them to be therefore men of another Religion or worship It is but a modal difference in the same worship § 64. The Emperor Constantine was very much for Liberty for Dissenters and against persecution of them upon tolerable differences yet he himself was wont to write Prayers and Orations or Sermons of his own making Euseb. in vita Constant. l. 4. c. 55. 32. 29. and readeth some common prayers himself to the Congregation in his house c. 17. For he made his house a Church and preached in it ordinarily himself though he was both a Lay-man and unbaptized His sermon about Christianity to the Clergie is published by Eusebius and he preached a funeral Oration about the Immortality of the soul in his ordinary preaching place a little before his death Euseb. ib. c. 55. c. 29. c. 17. He giveth his soldiers a form of Prayer ib. c. 20. commanding them that were Christians to observe the Lords Day and spend it in holy exercises and not to labour on that day ib. c. 18.19.23 and also to honour the Holy daies consecrated to the Martyrs c. 23. that is to their memorial And commanding the very Heathen soldiers to pray as they could though not in the Church but in the fields together And in none of this dare I condemn him § 65. The summ of all that I have said is this that Man may determine of modes and circumstances of worship Necessary and Commanded in genere but not determined by God in specie But to make new worship-ordinances or institute Sacraments or Sacramental signs or any thing else for which in genere he hath no commission this is simply unlawfull § 66. But this is not all There is a second thing unlawfull also and that is the misdetermining of those same modes and circumstances which he is authorized to determine For he is as is said to do it by Gods General Rule Here therefore we must thus conclude 1 that every misordering of such great affairs is the sin of them that do it 2. But yet that the subject is not exempted from obedience by every such mistake of the Governor but by some he is § 67. If the mischoosing of such circumstances by Church-governors be but an inconvenience and do not destroy the ordinance it self or frustrate the ends of it we are to obey 1. For he is the judge in his own work and not we 2. the thing is not sinfull though inconvenient 3. Obedience is commanded to our lawfull Governors Of this we shall say more in the last Chap. § 68. But if a Governor so misdetermine but a mode or circumstance as will overthrow the substance and ends of the worship I
would not obey except some greater evil were like to follow my not obeying at that particular season then the frustrating of the duty it self would come to As for example If a Governour make a new Sacrament I will not obey because his command is null and the thing simply evil If he miscommand a Circumstance of Time or Place or Gesture I will consider the consequents If he command the solemn Assemblies to be held a mile or two or three from the people I will obey him if it be but as far as I can go without frustrating the work it self But if he command us all to go ten miles or twenty miles to worship I would obey for some time to avoid a greater evil but ordinarily I would no more obey then if if he forbad all Christian assemblies for it comes all to one So if he command the Assemblies to be at break of day or after sun setting I would obey But if he command that we Assemble only at midnight what should I do then The thing is not simply unlawfull He doth but misdo his own work And therefore for some times I would obey if it were necessary to avoid a greater evil But if he make it the ordinary case I would not obey because it destroyeth the worship it self in a manner as if he simply forbad it and this he hath no power to do An inconvenient gesture I would use in obedience and to avoid a greater evill But I would not obey him that would command me to stand â—n my head alwaies in hearing An unhansome vesture I would use in obedience to a lawfull Governour and to avoid a greater evil But not so ridiculous a vesture as would set all the people on laughing so as to frustrate the work that we assemble for § 69. In all such cases where Governors act not as usurpers in a matter that they have no authority in but only misdo their own work it much concerneth the subjects to foresee what 's like to be the Consequents of their obeying or disobeying and accordingly to do that which tendeth most to the Ends of the work still holding to this Rule that we must obey in all things lawfull § 70. And when we do obey in a case of miscommanding it is not a doing evil that good may come of it as some do misconceive But it is only a submitting to that which is ill commanded but not evil in him that doth submit It is the determiner that is the cause of the inconvenience and not the obeyer Nor is it inconvenient for me to obey though it be worse perhaps to him that commandeth While he sinneth in commanding he may make it my Duty to obey CHAP. III. Prop. 2. In such unlawfull impositions as aforementioned it is an aggravation of the sin if Governors pretend that their Ceremonies are Divine § 1. I shall be brief in the rest having been so long on the former The reason of this Proposition is clear because 1. As is aforesaid such pretenders do falsly accuse the Lord and corrupt his word and add to it their own inventions contrary to those severe prohibitions Deut. 12.32 Rev. 22.18 § 2. 2. Because it shews that man to be a false Prophet or false teacher that will say Thus saith the Lord when God hath not spoken it and that will take the name of God in vain affixing it to a lye And as many judgements are threatned to such so people are commanded not to hear them § 3. 3. It tendeth to the destruction of all Divine faith and obedience while the fixions of men are pretended to be doctrines or Laws of God it tendeth to confound things Divine and Humane and so to bring the people to a loss that they shall not know what is the will of God and what the will of men § 4. Let men therefore take heed how they affirm their Ceremonies to be Divine as the Papists do that feign them to be of Apostolical Tradition Some presume to tell the world that it is God by Apostolical Tradition that hath instituted Christmas day or other such Holy daies besides the Lords day or that hath instituted the Cross in Baptism or the fast of Lent yea and some of their common prayers abundance of humane inventions are thus audaciously fathered on God which is enough to make people the more cautelous in receiving them and I am sure makes it a more hainous sin in the imposers We justly take it to be an odious thing of Hereticks and Papists to affix the names of Clemens Dionysius Ambrose Austin and other holy ancient writers to their forgeries and corrupt writings And how much greater is their sin that dare affix the name of God himself to their Ceremonious inventions or traditions § 5. Such persons forsake the doctrine of the common prayer-prayer-book where the Ceremonies are confessed to be humane inventions The foresaid Preface of Ceremonies c. begins thus Of such Ceremonies as be used in the Church and have had their beginning by the Institution of man some at the first were of Godly intent and purpose devised and yet at length turned to vanity and surperstition some entred into the Church by indiscreet devotion and such a Zeal as was without knowledge and because they were winked at in the beginning they grew daily to more and more abuses which not only for their unprofitableness but also because they have much blinded the people and obscured the Glory of God are worthy to be cut away and clean rejected Other there be which although they have been devised by man yet it is thought good to reserve them still so that you see here is no pretence to a Divine institution or Apostolical Tradition but all is the devices of man § 6. And after it is there said that the Ceremonies which remain are retained for a Discipline and order which upon just causes may be altered and changed and therefore are not to be esteemed equal with Gods Laws And I hope the justness of the cause by this time is apparent CHAP. IV. Prop. 3. 4. If things unlawfull are commanded as indifferent or things indifferent as Necessary they are sinfully imposed and the more because of such pretenses § 1. THE calling things Indifferent that are unlawfull will not make them Indifferent If men will invent and introduce new Sacraments and when they have done say we intend them not for Sacraments or necessary things but as indifferent accidents of other Duties this will not make them things indifferent For it is not the altering of a name that maketh it another thing § 2. If things Indifferent be imposed as Necessary they become a sin to the Imposer and oft-times to the Practiser For 1. It is a falsification when the thing is pretended to be Necessary that is not And untruths in Laws are far from being commendable 2. It tends to deceive mens understandings to esteem things Necessary that are not 3. It tends to draw
men to vain endeavours while they use those things as Necessary Duties or Means that indeed are none they lose their labour by the mistake 4. It tendeth to corrupt mens Affections by breeding in them a false kind of zeal for the things that they mistake to be so necessary § 3. Yea worse it tends to engage men in parties and devisions and persecutions against dissenters or at least to destroy their charity and make them have contemptuous thoughts of their brethren and perhaps censorious bitter words when all is false and founded in their mistakes For who will not think hardlier of him that differeth from him or opposeth him in a Necessary point or that he takes for such then in a thing Indifferent the greater the matter the greater will be your distaste § 4. Yea more it will make men Impenitent in such sins For if once they think their ceremonies to be Necessary they will think it no sin but a service of God to vilifie them that are against them as schismaticks and singular and proud and humorous and what not § 5. As therefore it is a haynous sin of the Papists to impose their ceremonies on pain of damnation if they were the judges wo to others so is it no small aggravation of their sin that pretend a Necessity of Duty or Means of any their Ceremonies when there is none such Multitudes take the keeping of Christmas day and such other the Kneeling in receiving the Lords Supper c. to be things of themselves necessary so that a Governour should sin that should alter or dispence with them or the persons sin that do not use them What say they shall we not keep a Day for Christs Nativity shall we be so unreverent as not to kneel when we receive c And thus they alter the things to themselves by feigning them to be in themselves Necessary which are not so § 6. Yet doth not every such mistake of another no not of the imposers make that a sin to me which was indifferent Otherwise all my Liberty were in the power of another mans conceits and he might make all my meat drink cloaths time place gesture c. in specie to be unlawfull by commanding them as necessary or under some unsound notion But this is not so § 7. But in such cases though they cannot so destroy our liberties yet may they make it our duties sometime to forbear that which else we need not to forbear lest our practice make others take it as a Necessary thing and sometime though we must obey or do the action yet may it become our duty to signifie in a convenient way that we disclaim the conceit of a Necessity CHAP. V. Prop. 5. A lawfull and convenient thing is sinfully commanded when it is commanded on a greater penalty then the nature and use of it doth require or then the common good will bear § 1. WHen the penalty exceedeth the crime it is injustice There may be injustice as well in punishing an offender too much as in punishing him that is no offender with a smaller punishment But if the penalty be destructive to the Church or common good it is an aggravated injustice § 2. When Magistrates therefore are disposed to punish men for crossing their wills in the matters of God it neerly concerns them to look about them and take heed first what they punish them for and then with what kind of punishment they do it If it be Good and not Evil that men are punished for it is persecution If it be really evil either its great or small publick or private c. If it be an evil that endangereth the Commonwealth or Church or the souls of men let them punish men in such a way as best tends to the security of the society or souls of men that are endangered But if the person in his calling or station be usefull to the Church or Common-wealth let him not be so punished as to be made unusefull If the Bishops had punished Non-conformists as Recusancy was punished with paying twelve pence a day c. I should comparatively scarce have blamed them For it had been but to make Ministers fare harder or live poorlier or work for their livings or to pay their penalties and the Church might still have had their labours but to silence and suspend them and that when there were no better to supply the room then such as were put in this was to punish the Church of Christ and the souls of men and that with everlasting punishment for the real or supposed faults of the particular ministers which was not just § 3. Object But saith the Preface to the common prayer-prayer-book though the keeping or omitting of a Ceremony in it self considered be but a small thing yet the wilfull and contemptuous transgrâ—ssion and breaking of a common order and discipline is no small â—ffence before God § 4. Answ. 1. You should therefore put no such snares on men by your commands as to impose upon them needless thingâ— when you think the penalty of disobeying you will be damnation 2. But how came you to see into the hearts of men that their non-conformity is wilfull and contemptuous when they themselves profess that they would obey you if they durst They think they stand at the brink of Hell and should wilfully sin against God if they did obey you and you come behind them with silencing and imprisonment and drive them on while they cry out to you for compassion and protest that they are ready to obey as far as they can see the lawfulness of the thing and yet you say its wilfulness and contempt 3. And why doth not your Laws except from punishment all those that conformed not that were not wilfull or contemptuous The Act for conformity makes the penalty to be Imprisonment half a year for the first fault a year for the second and during life for the third beside deprivation and Imprisonment during life for the second offence if the person have no Benefice and this is besides the Ecclesiastical censure 4. If the work of Church Governors be to make small matters great and make that damnable that before was lawfull and this without any necessity at all it will tempt the people to think such Governors to be the plagues of the earth § 5. I confess it is lawfull for me to wear a Helmet on my head in preaching but it were not well if you would institute the wearing of a Helmet to signifie our Spiritual militia and then resolve that all shall be silenced and imprisoned during life that will not wear it It is lawfull for me to use spectacles or to go on crutches But will you therefore ordain that all men shall read with spectacles to signifie our want of spiritual sight and that no man shall go to Church but on crutches to signifie our disability to come to God of our selves So in circumstantials it is lawful for me to wear a
the Magistrates persecution No means can be justly pleaded against the end and least of all a bare ceremony For it is no Means when it destroyeth the end § 10. On this account it is that it hath alwaies by wise men been reckoned a tyrannical unreasonable thing to impose all the same ceremonies and circumstances upon all places as upon some and it hath been judged necessary that every Church have their liberty to â—iffer in such indifferent things and that it hath been taken for a wise mans duty to conform his practice in such indifferent circumstances to the several Churches with which he shall have communion as Ambrose professeth he would do and would have others do the same § 11. If any think as too many do that such a diversity of circumstances is a disorder and confusion and not to be endured I shall further tell these men anon that their opinion for an hypocritical unity and uniformity is the true bane of Christian unity and uniformity and that which hath brought the confusion and bloody wars into the Christian world and that our eyes have seen and our ears have heard of And it were as wise an objection for them if they should charge us in Britanie with Confusion and drive us to a separation or division because the Scots wear blew caps and the English hats or because some English wear white hats and some black and so of other circumstances § 12. Did I live in France or other Popish Countries or had lived in England at the abolition of Popery I should have thought it my duty in many indifferent circumstances to accommodate my self to the good of those with whom I did converse which yet in another Countrey or at another time when those things were as offensive as then they were esteemed I durst not have so done And therefore our Common prayer-Prayer-Book it self with its Ceremonies might be then commendable in many particulars which now are reformable And so in Ethiopia Greece or Spain those things would be very laudable that are now in England deservedly vituperable And several Ceremonies in the primitive times had such occasions and concomitants that made them tolerable that now seem less tolerable The case is not the same though the Materials be the same CHAP. VIII Prop. 8. Those orders may be profitable for the Peace of the Churches in one Nation that are not necessary to the Peace of the Churches in many Nations § 1. I mention this 1. Because the Romanists are so peremptory for the Necessity of their ceremonies through all the world as if the unity peace or well being of the Church at least did hang on these And yet sometimes they could dispence with the different rites of the Greeks if they could but have got them under their power by it § 2. Also 2. Because the Protestants called Lutherans stick so rigidly on their ceremonies as Private Confession Exorcism Images Vestments c. as if these had been necessary to the unity of the Churches And the Pacifiers find a difficulty in reconciling the Churches of several nations because these expect an uniformity in ceremonies § 3. And so necessary doth it seem in the judgement of some deluded souls that all Churches be one in a visible Policy and uniformity of Rites that upon this very account they forsake the Protestant Churches and turn Papists As if Christ were not a sufficient Head and Center for Catholick union and his Laws and waies sufficient for our terms of uniformity unless we are all of a mind and practice in every custome or variable circumstance that God hath left indifferent § 4. I need no other Instance then 1. what Grotius hath given of himself in his Discuss Apologet. Rivet who professeth that he turned off upon that account because the Protestants had no such unity And 2. What he said before of others by whom he took no warning but did imitate them in his Epist. to Mr. Dury cited by Mr. Barksdale in his Memorials of Grotius life where he saith Many do every day forsake the Protestants and joyn with the Romanists for no other Reason but because they are not one Body but distracted parties separated Congregations having every one a peculiar Communion and 〈◊〉 And they that will turn Papists on such an inducement deserve to take what they gâ—t by their folly § 5. Did not these men know that the Church hath alwaies allowed diversity of Rites Did not the Churches differ till the Nâ—cene Council about Easter day and one half went one way and another half the other way and yet Polycarp and the Bâ—shop of Rome held communion for all their differences and Ireneus pleads this against Victors temerity in excommunicating the Asian Churches Dâ—d they not know that the Greek and Armenian and Romane Churches differ in many Rites that yet may be parts of the Catholick Church notwithstanding such differences Yea the Romanists themselves would have allowed the Greeks and Abassines and other Churches a difference of ceremonies and customes so they could but have subjugated them to the Pope § 6. Yea more the several orders of Fryars and other Religious men among the Papists themselves are allowed their differences in Rites and Ceremonies and the exercise of this allowed Difference doth make no great breach among them because they have the liberty for this variety from one Pope in whom they are all united What abundance of observations do the Iesuites Franciscans Dominicans Benedictines Carthâ—sians and others differ in And must men needs turn Papists because of the different Rites of Protestants when they must find more variety among them that they turn to The matter 's well amended with them when among us one countrey useth three or four Ceremonies which others do disuse and among the Papists one order of Fryars useth twice as many different from the rest yea in habit and diet and other observances they many waies differ What hypocrisie is this to judge this tolerable yea laudable in them and much less so intolerable in us as that it must remove them from our Communion § 7. And how sad a case is it that the Reconciliation between the Lutherans and other Protestants should in any measure stick at such Ceremonies what if one countrey will have Images to adorn their Temples and will have exorcism and other Ceremonies which others do disallow and desire to be freed from may we not yet give each other the right hand of fellowship and take each other for the Churches of Christ and maintain brotherly Charity and such a correspondency as may conduce to our mutual preservation and edification § 8. Yea in the sâ—me Nation why may not several congregations have the liberty of differing in a few indifferent ceremonies If one part think them lawfull and the other think that God forbids them must we be forced to go against our Consciences for a thing of no necessity If we profess ouâ— Resolution to live peceably with them that