Power in Erastus sense and went rather further than Dr. Stilling fleet in his Irenicum And as I was before against him so after this about 12 years ago I wrote that Book against him about the Magistrates Power in Church-matters in which I called him My sincere friend thinking sincere friendship consistent with such a difference and an open Confutation And if the contrary must be repented of I hope such charity is no crime This third Book against him also he took patiently and without breach of Love And when I laboured to perswade him to retract his Writings against Excommunication though he held still to his Conclusion and thought that the great work that God called him to in the World was to discover the Papal and Prelatical Usurpation of the Magistrates power under the name of Ecclesiastical yet I made him confess all the matter that I pleaded for and he made me see that his errour lay most in meer ambiguous words which he had not â—…ateness enough to explicate All this patience signified not uncharitableness rage or fury And I obliged him not by praise but 〈…〉 him for his eagerness for his own indigested conceptions nor gave him any thanks for his indiscreet and excessive praises afterwards given me in his Patronus bonae fidei Upon all this I would put some questions to the sober thoughts of the Author of his Picture 1. Whether there be not as great signs of sincerity humility and patience in such a behaviour and in that great love which he had to all that he thought Godly men though he too hardly judged of others for that which he thought great errour and sin as in those that cannot bear a just defence of dissenters against their unjust accusations nor endure men to tell why they rather suffer than Conform 2. Whether he that maketh him so very bad a man and incredible a lyar for too rash censoriousness of dissenters and some untruths vented in rash zeal do not tempt men to give as odious titles to those Reverend persons who go very far beyond him in untruths and uncharitable censures And whether they that were for the silencing and utter ruining of about 2000 Ministers and call'd to Magistrates to execute the Laws against them and that unchurch all the Reformed Churches which have not a continued succession of Diocesan Bishops shew not as much uncharitableness as he did that described some too hardly And whether most of the Books written against me by Conformists such as the Bishop of Worcester's Letter the Impleader Mr. Hinkley and many more be not much fuller of untruths in matter of fact than the Drs But yet I think it a sin to give them such a Character as this and render the persons as incredible lyars because errour interest and faction made some so unadvised 3. If it deserve such a Character to censure Arminians as dangerously erroneous and befriending Popery whether you do not consequently so stigmatize the old Church of England before Bishop Laud's time Even Arch-bishop Whitgift Bishop Fletcher and the rest who drew up the Lambeth Articles Arch-bishop Abbot and the Church in his time except six Bishops c. King James and the whole Church as consenting by six Delegates to the Synod of Dort And also that Synod and all the Forein Reformed Churches that consented to it And is not this more than Dr. Moulin did 4. And are they not then to be accordingly stigmatized who on the other side make the Calvinists as odious accusing them of Blasphemy Turcisme and doing as much against them as Dr. Heylin in the Life of Arch-bishop Laud tells us was done in England on that account 5. And if such hard thoughts of Arminians as furthering Popery deserve your Character whether by consequence you so brand not all those Parliaments who voted against it accordingly and made it one of the dangerous grievances of the Land And is not that as faulty as for Dr. Moulin too much to blame you 6. Yea I doubt you stigmatize thus so great a part of Christians in all the World as I am loth to mention so rare is it to hear of any Country where they are not so much guilty of sects and factions as by education and interest to run in a stream of uncharitable censures of one another speaking evil of more than they understand as I have proved in my Cathol Theolog. about this subject 7. Seeing it is above 20 years since I wrote that against Dr. Moulin which you cite and he never found fault with it nor justified his mistakes may I not think that he was convinced and repented And you that praise his death-bed repentance should not Characterize him by failings twenty years repented of 8. How do you know that the Dr. repented not of his too hard words of you till his death-bed You are mistaken In his health I more than once blamed him 1. For his censure of Dr. Stillingfleet and the other particular persons whose worth was known and had deserved well of the Protestant Churches 2. For his extending those censures to the Conformists and Church which belong to some particular persons and the most are not guilty of And 3. For his Book of the fewness of the saved as presumptuous And as far as I could then discern he repented of them all but laid the ill Title-page of the last on the Book-seller And he still thought of Causes and Parties as very different he owned not his harsh words or censures aforesaid I found him not raging nor impenitent 9. Doth not your own description of his great readiness to beg forgiveness and lothness to own any thing uncharitable shew a better spirit than your picture doth describe 10. Is not he as like to be a sincere man who asketh forgiveness of his faults rash censures and words as he that repenteth of his former duties his Pacificatory principles and Writings Surely to repent of evil is a better sign than to repent of good 11. Because you call us to acquit our selves by disowning Dr. Moulin may we not disown both his faults and our own without disowning God's grace and mens piety and worth would you be so disowned for your own faults 2. And how should I disown his rashness better than to write what I wrote against him and say what I said to him would you have a Synod called to reprove every rash word 12. Because you justly value mens repentance I will be thankful to you to further mine and give me leave to further yours Only I foretell you that your words shall not offend me by their hardness if they have but truth and you call me to repent of my sin and not of serving God I do not repent of defending Truth and Duty nor of seeking to save the Reader from the infection of false accusation and arguings which would destroy his charity and innocency by the fullest manifesting the falshood and evil of the words and deeds which are the Instruments
A SECOND TRUE DEFENCE OF THE MEER Nonconformists AGAINST THE Untrue ACCUSATIONS REASONINGS and HISTORY of Dr. EDWARD STILLINGFLEET DEAN of St. PAULS c. Clearly proving that it is not sin but duty 1. Not wilfully to commit the many sins of Conformity 2. Not Sacrilegiously to forsake the Preaching of the Gospel 3. Not to cease publick worshipping of God 4. To use needful Pastoral helps for salvation though men forbid it and call it Schism Written by RICHARD BAXTER not to accuse others but to defend Gods Truth and the true way of Peace after near 20 years loud Accusations of the silencing prosecuting Clergy and their Sons With some Notes on Mr. Joseph Glanviles Zealous and Impartial Protestant and Dr. L. Moulins Character 1 Tim 6. 5 6. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gain is godliness from such withdraw thy self But godliness with contentment is great gain LONDON Printed for Nevil Simons at the Sign of the Three Golden Cocks at the West-end of St. Pauls 1681. AN Historical Preface § 1. THE matter of fact occasioning this second Defence hath been formerly and is after here opened in part I need now but briefly tell the Reader that after the long difference between the English Prelatists and those that desired Reformation and Discipline the most of the English Ministers who were in possession of the Parish-Churches from 1646 till 1660 obeyed the Parliament so far as to disuse the English Book of Common-Prayer and Subscription and Obedience to the Diocesan Episcopacy some of them being most for Church-Government by Synods of Parochial Pastors and assisting Elders and most for a Reconciling of the several divided Parties thinking somewhat in the Episcopal Presbyterian and Independent Parties to be good and somewhat in each of them unwarrantable 1. They were so far Independent as to hold that particular Churches associated for Personal Communion in faith worship and holy living were of Divine Institution such as true Parish-Churches are and that each of these Churches ought to have its proper exercise of that Discipline which is described by Christ Mat. 18. and by St. Paul 1 Cor. 5. and in other Texts of holy Scripture and was exercised in the days of Ignatius and so on for many hundred years some part of it still remaining even to the times of Popery Therefore they held that the Pastors of such Churches must be such as had power to exercise the said Discipline And they held that Parish-Bounds were of great convenience against disorder though not of Divine Institution not taking all that dwell in a Parish to be eo nomine of the Church but such of them as were capable by continued owning their Baptismal Covenant not nullified by proved Heresie or inconsistent wickedness And they held that no unwilling person was capable of a sealed Pardon of sin and so of Church-Communion nor yet of the true receiving of the use of the Pastoral office And therefore that none but free Consenters should have the Sacrament nor be related to the Pastor as his Flock of that Church but the rest should be constrained to live as Catechumens or Hearers as they were capable in peace and quietness and such as the Magistrate found meet to be tolerated in other Churches who only were uncapable in that 2. They were so far for Presbytery as to hold that 1. If men of competent sufficiency were made by ordination Elders ejusdem ordinis with the chief Pastor to be his Assessors and Assistants though they seldom or never Preached publickly but helped him in Catechizing or private over sight and in judging persons and cases and though in necessity they laboured with their hands it would not be unlike the ancient Government 2. And they judged that all Gods work should be done in the greatest concord and with the best mutual counsel and help that might be and therefore that Synods are to that end of great use and if they were appointed at stated times and places it would by order be a furtherance to their ends But they were not for their assuming a proper Regent Power by Majority of Votes over the minor part or the absent Pastors and thought that when sixedness occasioned that usurpation occasional Synods pro re natâ were better And 3. They judged that Presbyters are ejusdem ordinis with Bishops and that no Bishops have a divine right to govern without the Presbyters assistance nor to deprive them of any of their power nor their Churches of true Discipline or Worship nor the people of their Rights much less to use any forcing power of the sword on any 3. They were so far for Episcopacy as to hold it lawful and convenient that the particular Churches have one that shall have a Priority and in many things a Negative Vote as the Incumbent in each Parish hath among his Curates a sort of power And that the Presbyteries and Synods have their Moderators and if they were fixed durante vitâ and had a Negative Vote in Ordinations they could consent sobeit they were duly chosen as of old and had no forcing power by the sword but only a Ministerial teaching guiding power And some of them thought it of Divine right that the Apostles and Evangelists have Successors in the ordinary parts of their office and that to have a special caâ—e of many Churches and their Bishops and Elders are some of that ordinary part 4. And to the Erastians also they granted that the King is the Supreme Governour of the Church by the sword or force and that we must obey him not only when he enforceth the Commands of Christ but in all acts of outward circumstance and order left by God to his determination and not appropriated to the Ministers office These were the thoughts then of the far greatest part of the Ministers that I had then knowledge of § 2. Before the King returned many Episcopal Doctors and great men perswaded these Reconcilers that thus much would be accepted to our common concord if the King were restored But some said They do but decieve you there are such men now got into chief credit on that side that will silence you all and ruine you unless you will follow Grotius or be of the French Religion or unite in the Pope as Principium unitatis and obey him as the Western Patriarck c. And when you are all turned out what men have they to supply your places § 3. But when the King came in and encouraged the Reconcilers with the promise of his help they made the attempt in 1660 and 1661. the History of which I need not repeat Since that foreseeing what the silencing of so many Ministers and the afflicting of the people of our mind would unavoidably cause we pleaded we petitioned the Bishops to have prevented it by those necessary means which they might have yielded to to their own advantage But it was all in vain § 4. When the Act of
Uniformity came out of about 9000 Ministers that kept in and had laid by the Liturgy before about 7000 Conformed to the altered Liturgy before any of them ever saw it save a few by declaring their Assent and Consent the Act being known before the Book could be Printed and about 2000 were silenced by that Act. How they behaved themselves since then is so well known and I have here and oft declared and how the Plague first and the burning of the Churches next and the Kings Licenses next did give them the opportunities and calls which made more publick Preaching seem to them a duty that I shall not make recital of it § 5. All this while abundance of invectiues were poured out against them by many of the Conforming Clergy in Press and Pulpits and especially in the ears of great men to whom we had no access but seemed what such men described us to be The new Laws against Conventicles and the Oxford Act of Consinement had been added to the first Many were hunted up and down their Goods and Libraries distrained many were imprisoned some there died The Informers and Prosecutors grew weary They saw the severity came most from the Prelates and the Parliament the King being not for severity therein The Justices grew unwilling of Execution the Preachers reprove them and call on them to put the Laws in Execution they are greatly offended at the Kings Licenses they continue to accuse us for Schism at least and some of Sedition though we invaded none of their Temples nor askt them for any part of their maintenance And the Parliament and Prelates were so sharp against us that we durst not tell the world what we refused in Conformity and why lest we put them upon more severity nor indeed could we do it the Press was lockt up by so great penalties But while we were forced to silence we were lowdly called to to say what we stuck at and what it was that we would have And after 17 years such calls I ventured to name the things and hence is the storm of the present indignation § 6. I had before proved the wilful desertion of our Ministry especially when the King Licensed us to be odious Sacriledg To this I am told of mens power to silence such as they think deserve it I grant it if they truly think so so may they on just cause alienate Churches and Church-lands and hang Malefactors but not when no such cause is given nor at their pleasure § 7. When in the fitst Plea for Peace I had stated the case of our Nonconformity I intended to bring the Proofs of each particular supposed sinful as I after found occasion And meeting with abundance that accused us of disloyal rebellious Principles I largly delivered my own and many others judgment of Civil and Eccesiastical Authority the power of Princes and the duty of Subjects and therein also wrote some Answer to Four Accusations brought against us 1. That we pretend Grace against Morality 2. That we hold that things Indifferent became unlawful if commanded 3. I largly confuted Bishop Morley's false Accusation of my Doctrine of the Magistrates power to command things unlawful by accident and Dr. Parker's Doctrine of Scandal 4. I confuted them that extend our Non-conformity to things which we refuse not All this in the second Plea for Peace which none yet that I know of have answered § 8. And lest any should think that we are all for Negatives I wrote a Treatise of the only Terms of Universal Christian concord which I value above all the rest being assured that the Churches will never otherwise be healed than by that impartial sure and easie Catholick way which some have reviled but none since that I know of confuted One Learned Bishop that had a chief hand in our present Impositions and ejection I desired to tell me which is the way of Christian concord if this be not And he maintaineth That the only way is to obey the Colledg of Pastors who are to govern the Catholick Church through all the world per Literas formatas Where this Colledg as one governing power do meet or how they signifie their Majority of Votes and in what cases and who must gather the Votes from Abassia to Moscovie and in how long time and how they shall come to all men with certainty and whether the ejected silenced and excommunicated c. may appeal to them c. I could not learn § 9. In the same Book I sufficientiy confuted Mr. Dodwell's great Book which denyeth not only the Churches and Ministry which are not by uninterrupted Episcopal Ordination but also the ordinary salvation of all such Churches as having no covenant promise by valid Sacraments delivered them He hath pretended some defence in a late Book of Letters to which if they can be Printed I hope to give easily a satisfactory reply § 10. In the same book he Publisheth some old Letters of his to me for the Diocesan frame of Government the notice of which beforehand given me caused me to Publish a full Treatise of Diocesan Episcopacy containing the Reasons why we cannot swear to it or approve it or swear never to endeavour any reforming alteration of the frame here setled and exercised And whatever Mr. Dodwell pretendeth to the contrary if this Treatise do not fully answer his Letter and justifie us in this part of Nonconformity I am unable to judg of the Cause but am willing to recieve any better information § 11. And because I find false History not the least cause of ordinary mistakes and men cry up Diocesan Prelacy as the ancient and chief cure of Schism I gathered an Abstract of the history of Bishops and their Councils that the true matter of fact might not be so commonly mistaken as it is § 12. At the same time came out against me First a book of Mr. John Cheyneys the mistakes of which I manifested in an Answer And afterward old Letters of Mr. Hinkleys to which I had an old Answer which I cast by and now Published and another Accuser abounding with untruths called the Impleder and another called Reflections or Speculum c. And another Book of Mr. Cheneys full of most pitiful mistakes All which with Justice L'Estrange's Dialogue and someothers I answered together in a Book called the Third Defence ef the Nonconformists c. § 13. But the Accusations of Dean Stillingfleet in his Sermon made the loudest noise In the Answer to which I chiefly desired to have come to some understanding agreement with him about the true state of our Case and Controversie and to that end craved his answer to several necessary questions but was not able to procure it And now in his large Book where I hoped to have found an Answer to them I look for it in vain Yea though Mr. Hikeringhill roughly provoked him but to expound his own Text and tell us intelligibly what the same Rule is which the Apostle
would have all walk by he will not do it but instead of that with unusual gentleness tells me he will not differ about it if I do but grant that it is a Rule that binds us all to do all that lawfully we can for peace which I cheerfully grant And if it be not lawful for peace and concord to forbear silencing us imprisoning us accusing us as odious for not wilful sinning and urging Magistrates to execute the Laws against us and making us seem Schismaticks for not forbearing to Preach the Gospel to which we were vowed and consecrated by Ordination I know not lawful from unlawful I cannot yet get him to tell us what he would have the many score thousands do on the Lords Days that have no room in the Parish-Churches with many such which our case is concerned in § 14. I thought his Book had been an Answer to mine and other mens Prefaces but I find that I was mistaken Indeed he nameth five Books written against his Accusation what he saith to Dr. Owen and Mr. Alsop I leave to themselves to consider of The Countrey Gentlemans Case in sense was this Whether all they that think Parish Communion under the present impositions to be sin are bound till they can change their judgment to forbear all Church-worship and live like Atheists and so be damned And who can find any Answer to this Mr. Barret's Queries out of his Books he saith next nothing to but a dark retracting his Irenicon And far be it from me to blame him for growing wiser But why took he no notice of his own words cited in the Epistle out of his late Book against Idolatry threatning us all with no less than damnation if me prefer not the purest Church And as to my Defence his Book is nothing like an Answer unless his naming me and citing out of that and other Books a few broken scraps which he thought he could make some advantage of may be called an Answer § 15. I confess he hath made some attempt to tell me what the National Church of England is but so Independently as I doubt his party will disown it with great offence In short he holds that there is no such thing as a Church of England in the usual Political sense having any Constitutive Ecclesiastical Supreme Power Monarchical or Aristocratical or Democratical but it 's only the many Churches in England associated by the common consent in Parliament c. Remember that he and I are so far agreed As I was writing this I saw a Book against him of a friend too much for me and somewhat freely handling the Dr. which in this point would help them by saying that the Convocation having the Legislative Church-Power may be the Constitutive Regent part But he confesseth to me that he spake not what is but what he counts should be or wisheth for the Dr. himself had before told us that the Convocations of Canterbury and York are two and not united to make one National supreme power so that this proveth no one political Church of England at all but only 2 Provincial Churches in England § 16. The Dr. hath so judiciously and honestly pleaded our Cause in his defence of A. Bishop Laud and his Book against Idolatry that I have made his words the first Chap. of this Book which if he candidly stand to I see not but our principles are the same § 17. His book is made up of 3 parts I. Untrue Accusations II. Untrue Historical Citations abundance III. Fallacious Reasonings Would you have an undeniable Confutation ad hominem in few words I. As to his Principles he saith himself as aforesaid Of Idolat p. 7. We are sure that wilful ignorance or choosing a worse Church before a better is a damnable sin II. As to his History of the old Nonconformists read A. Bishop Bancrofts dangerous Positions and Heylins History of Presbytery charging them odiously with the clean contrary and the Canons made against them on that supposition III. As to his History and Doctrine against the Election of Bp s which I pleaded as I have fully proved his abuse of History in it I repeat Mr. Thorndikes words Forbear of Penalty It is to no purpose to talk of Reformation of the Churchtoregular Government without restoring the liberty of choosing Bishops and priviledg of enjoying them to the Synods Clergy and people in the making of those of whom they consist and by whom they are to be governed that I need make no other reason of the neglect of Episcopacy than the neglect of it O pray hard to God to provide greater store of skilful holy and peaceable Labourers for his Harvest that by the sound belief of a better world have overcome the deluding love of the honours prosperity and pleasures of the flesh and wholly live to God and Heaven POSTSCRIPT DR Edward Stillingfleet Irenic P. 114. saith The Episcopal men will hardly find any evidence in Scripture or in the practice of the Apostles for Churches consisting of many fixed Congregations for worship under the charge of one Pastor nor in the Primitive Church for the Ordination of a Bishop without the preceding Election of the Clergy and at least consent and approbation of the people and neither in Scripture nor Antiquity the least foot-step of the delegation of Church-power so that upon the matter all of them at last make use of those things in Church-Government which have no other foundation but the principles of humane prudence guided by Scripture and it were well if that were observed still P. 370. Surely then their Diocesses we re not very large if all the several Parishes could communicate on the same day with what was sent from the Cathedral Church P. 361. I doubt not but to make it appear that Philippi was not the Metropolis of Macedonia and therefore the Bishops there mentioned could not be the Bishops of the several Cities under the jurisdiction of Philippi but must be understood of the Bishops resident in that City P. 157. There must be a form of Ecclesiastical Government over a Nation as a Church as well as of Civil Government over it as a Society governed by the same Laws For every Society must have its Government belonging to it as such a Society And the same reason that makes Government necessary in any particular Congregation will make it necessary for all the particular Congregations joyning together in one visible Society as a particular National Church For the Unity and Peace of that Church ought much more to be lookt after than of any one Congregation P. 131. The Churches power as to Divine Law being only directive and declarative but as confirmed by a Civil Sanction is juridical and obligatory P. 113. Where any Church is guilty of corruptions both in Doctrine and in practice which it avoweth and professeth and requireth the owning them as necessary conditions of Communion with her there a Noncommunion with that Church is necessary and a
total and positive separation is lawful and convenient P. 117. Where any Church retaining purity of Doctrine doth require the owning of and conforming to any unlawful or suspected practice men may lawfully deny Conformity to and Communion with that Church in such things without incurring the guilt of Schism P. 119. Let men turn and wind themselves which way they will by the very same argument that any will prove separation from the Church of Rome lawful because she required unlawful things as Conditions of her Communion it will be proved lawful not to Conform to any suspected or unlawful practice c. They lay the imputation of Schism on all them who require such Conditions of Communion and take it wholly off from those who refuse to Conform for Conscience sake A Premised explication of the Equivocal word CHURCH THE word CHURCH being Equivocal is unfit for our disputation till explained It signifieth being a Relative several sorts of related Assemblies which are distinct I. In their Matter A Church of Jews Turks Christians of Orthodox and of Hereticks being not one thing II. In the Efficient A Church of Gods instituting or a Church of mans III. In the Fnds. 1. A Christian Assembly at a Fair or Market or Court or Army c. is not the same with an Assembly for Religious exercises 2. Nor an Assembly for Legislation about Religion in Parliament or Consultation in Synods or Disputation in Schools the same thing as an Assembly for stated worship c. IV. In the Form or Constitutive Relation to the Correlate And so the great difference which now concerneth us to note is that a Church of Equals in Office and Power is one thing and a Political Society related as Governours and governed is another The first is either an accidental Assembly or else a designed Assemby by consent This last is either an Assembly of Lay-men which may be agreed hereafter to come under Government and may meet to worship God without a Pastor and this in Politicks is usually called a meer Community 2. Or an Assembly of Rulers or Pastors in equality as to Government there And this is called a Council Synod Dyet Parliament Convention c. V. A Governed or Political Church is of Three several Species at least as there are three Species of such Government I. A Christian Family consisting of the Family-Government and Governed living together in holy faith love worship and obedience to God the Master being their Teacher Ruler and Guide in worship II. A Pastoral-Church consisting of one or more Pastors and Christian people correlated as his flock for the benefit of his Pastoral office which essentially containeth a power to teach them lead them in worship and govern them by the Keys as a Ministerial Judg who is fit for that Commmunion All together is called also the Power of the Keys and is subordinate to Christs Teaching Priestly and Ruling Office III. A Royal or Magistratical Church consisting of a Christian Soveraign and Christian Subjects to be ruled by his sword or forcing power under Christ and his Laws for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the society and the glorifying and pleasing the Lord Redeemer And IV. The Universal Church comprehendeth all these three as parts and is most excellently properly and fully called the Church consisting of Jesus Christ the chief Pastor Teacher Priest and King an eminent perfect Policy with all Christians as the subject part It is visible in that the subjects and their profession and worship are visible aod Christ was visible on earth is visible in the Court of Heaven his Laws and Providence are visible and he will visibly judg the world and reign for ever And it is no further visible The constitutive essential parts are only Christ and his subject-body The noblest organical parts of that body are Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors and Teachers In all this note 1. That we have no difference that I know of about the Church in any of these senses before mentioned except 1. How far men may invent Church-forms for Gods service without Gods particular prescript or institution 2. Whether it be true that the King is so persona mixta as some hold as to be King and Priest and to have the power of Church-Keys and Word and Sacraments 3. Whether over and above the lowest Pastoral Churches Christ hath instituted a direct superior Pastoral sort of Churches to rule the inferior in Faith Worship and the Keys of Discipline over Pastors and people And if so what are these superior Pastoral Churches whâ—ther Diocesan Provincial National Patriarchal Papal or all And if Christ made no such whether men may make them 2. And note that we are certainly agreed that the Magistratical form of forcing power and the Pastoral form of Sacerdotal power of the Keys are two though the subjects should be the same though usually the Church is in the Commonwealth as part And none of us deny a Christian Common-wealth Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical and though this power be over the Pastoral Church it is but Accidental and not Essential to it 3. And note that the chief questions which I put to the Dr. about this were 1. What is the Pastoral specifying form of the Church of England And 2. Whether it be of Divine or humane Institution And I have brought him to maintain that there is no such Church of England at all And of the Royal Church or Kingdom we are Members as well as he 4. And Lastly Note that as to a Pastoral Church we agree I suppose in distinguishing a Transient and a fixed relation And as he that is a Licensed Physician acteth as such where he cometh though related fixedly to no Hospital so if a lawful Minister of Christ either fixed in another Church or in none but the Universal be called pro tempore for a day to do his office in another Church he acteth as Christs Minister and their Pastor for that dayâ— And if a travelling Christian joyn with them he is a Member for that day Yea if the whole company intend to meet but that one day in the same relations to the same ends it is a temporary transient Pastoral Church But fixed Inhabitants for order and edification ought to fix their relation and practice Though most of this be said after where he calls me to it I thought meet here to premise the Explication of the word Church as in divers books largely I have done of the word Separation lest I imitate him in leaving my explication to the hinder part and we should dispute about a word which the Reader and perhaps our selves understand not But we have a greater controversie than this risen since A. Bishop Laud's and Grotius's Reconciling design v z. what the Catholick visible Church is 1. Protestants have hitherto held as the first point of difference from the Papists that the Universal Church hath no constitutive Head or supreme regent Power but Christ He hath setled no one
the Scriptures there must be an acknowledgment of them as the indispensable rule of faith and manners which is that these books are the great Charter of the Christian society according to which it must be governed These things being premised as the foundation in general of Christian society we shall the better understand how far the obligation to communion in it doth extend For which it must be considered that the grounds of continuance in communion must be suitable and proportionable to the first reason of entring into it No man being obliged by virtue of his being in a society to agree in any thing that tends to the apparent ruin of that society But he is obliged to the contrary from the general grounds of his first admission into it His primary obligation being to preserve the honour and interest of it and to joyn in acts of it so far as they tend to it Now the main end of the Christian society being the promotion of Gods honour and Salvation of mens Souls the primary obligation of men entring into it is the advancement of these ends to joyn in all acts of it so far as they tend to these ends but if any thing come to be required directly repugnant to these ends those men of whom such things are required are bound not to communicate in those lesser societies where such things are imposed but to preserve their communion with the Catholick societie of Christians Pag. 291. Setting then aside the Catholick society of Christians we come to enquire how far men are bound to communicate with any less society how extensive soever it may pretend it's communion to be 1. There is no society of Christians of any one communion but may impose some things to be beleived or practised which may be repugnant to the general Foundation of Christian society Pag. 292. 2. There being a possibility acknowledged that particular Churches may require unreasonable conditions of communion the obligation to communion cannot be absolute and indispensable but only so far as nothing is required destructive to the ends of Christian Society Otherwise men would be bound to destroy that which they beleive and to do the most unjust and unreasonable things But the greater difficulty lies in knowing when such things are required and who must be the Judge in that case to which I answer 3. Nothing can be more unreasonable than that the society imposing such conditions of communion should be judge whether those conditions be just and equitable or no. If the question were only in matters of peace conveniency and order the judgment of the society ought to over-rule the judgments of particular persons but in such cases where great bodies of Christians judge such things required to be unlawful conditions of communion what Justice or reason is there that the party accused should fit Judge in her own cause 4. Where there is sufficient evidence from Scripture reason and tradition that such things which are imposed are unreasonable conditions of Christian Communion the not communicating with that Society which requires these things cannot incur the guilt of Schism which necessarily follows from the precedent grounds because none can be obliged to Communion in such cases and therefore the not communicating is no culpable separation Pag. 324. His Lordship delivers his sense clearly and fully in these Words 'T is too true indeed that there is a miserable rent in the Church and I make no question but the best men do most bemoan it nor is he a Christian that would not have Unity might he have it with Truth But I never said or thought that the Protestants made this rent The Cause of the Schism is yours for you thrust us from you because we call'd for truth and redress of abuses For a Schism must needs be theirs whose the cause of it is The Wo runs full out of the mouth of Christ ever against him that gives the offence not against him that takes it ever Page 325. I do say it now and most true it is That it was ill done of those who e're they were who first made the Separation But then A. C. must not understand me of actual only but of causal Separation For as I said before the Schism is theirs whose the cause of it is and he makes the Separation that gives the first just cause of it not he that makes an actual Separation upon a just Cause preceding And this is so evident a Truth that A. C. cannot deny it for he says it is most true That the Reader may clearly understand the full State of this Controversie concerning Schism the upshot of which is that it is agreed between both parties that all Separation from Communion with a Church doth not involve in it the guilt of Schism but only such a Separation as hath no sufficient cause or ground for it Page 131. There can be no Separation from the whole Church but in such things wherein the unity of the whole Church lies for Separation is a violation of some Union Now when men separate from the errors of all particular Churches they do not separate from the whose because those things which one separates from those particular Churches for are not such as make all them put together to be the whole or Catholick Church This must be somewhat further explained There are two things considerable in all particular Churches those things which belong to it as a Church and those things which belong to it as a particular Church Those things which belong to it as a Church are the common ligaments or grounds of Union between all particular Churches which taken together make up the Catholick Church Those things which belong to it as a particular Church are such as it may retain the essence of a Church without Now I say whosoever separates from any particular Church much more from all for such things without which that can be no Church separates from the Communion of the Catholick Church but he that separates only from particular Churches as to such things which concern not their being is onely separated from the Communion of those Churches and not the Catholick And therefore supposing that all perticular Churches have some errors and corruptions in them though I should separate from them all I do not separate from the Communion of the whole Church unless it be for something without which those could be no Churches An evidence of which is that by my declaring the grounds of my separation to be such Errours and corruptions which are crept into the Communion of such Churches and imposed on me in order to it I withal declare my readiness to joyn with them again if those errours and corruptions be left out And where there is this readiness of Communion there is no absolute separation from the Church as such but only suspending Communion till such abuses be reformed which is therefore more properly a separation from the errors than the Communion of such a
With these and such others Truth is not tollerable he raileth that confuteth them and doth Auriculas molles mordaci radere vero I profess I felt so little passion in writing that book which he saith was written in one continued Passion that I think verily I sinned all the while for want of a livelier sense of the sin and hurt which I was detecting by my confutation But I confess it is my opinion that Falshood of Speech may lie in describing a thing short of Truth as well as in going beyond it And that the Truth of words is their Agreeableness to the matter and mind And that verba rebus aptanda sunt And that he that writeth against sin must call it sin and open the evil of it § 5. His Preface giveth us hopes that we are so farr agreed in our ends as to be both for God for truth for unity and peace and Love and against Popery and one would think this much should go far towards our Concord But alas all agree not what Piety is or what Popery is nor of the way to our ends If he think that to be against Spiritual Prayer would help us against Popery 1. I would he would tell us which way If by reducing the Nonconformists to think Formes lawful so do the Jesuites And he told us that they at Franckford took a Forme from Geneva as useful And the present Nonconformists put their judgment out of question an 1660 and 1661. In their witings offers and Formes Printed But all that are for Formes are not for all things in your Formes 2. And I would he would have better told us what the Spiritual Prayer is which the Jesuits first brought in and helpes in Popery For hitherto it is the Dead Ceremonious formality and Imagery of Popery destroying Spirituality by words not understood Mummeries Beads Canting Stage workes which hath alienated most Religious Protestants from them I will 1. Tell you what I take Spiritual Prayer to be and then 2. Desire his judgment of it 1. It is my judgment if he know it to be erroneous I crave his reasons 1. That Mans Soul is by sin so depraved that it is morally unable without Gods Spirit effectually to know feel and desire deliverance from his own sin and misery and to desire Gods Grace and Glory above all worldly sinful pleasures 2. That therefore such desires in act and habit must be wrought in us by the Spirit of God And the whole work of Regeneration and Sanctification is a giving to the Soul that new Divine nature Love and delight which worketh by such holy desires And that as the carnal mind is enmity to God and cannot be subject to his Law and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his so to be Spiritually minded is life and peace and God who is a Spirit will be worshiped in Spirit and truth and by this we know that we are the Children of God by the Spirit which he hath given us For he promised to pour out the Spirit of Grace and supplication And because we are sons he hath given us the Spirit of his Son by which we cry Abba Father And this Spirit helpeth our Infirmities in Prayer If these things be in the Papists Bible I hope they are not therefore Popery I suppose the Papists also own our God our Saviour and our Creed 3. The help in Prayer which we expect from the Spirit is 1. To illuminate us to know what we need and should desire and ask 2. To kindle in us holy desires sincere and servent of what we should ask 3. To give us a true belief of and trust in the Love of God the entercession of Christ and the promises of the Gospel that we may pray in hope 4. To give us thankful hearts for what we do receive and fit with joy to praise the giver 5. To stir up all these dispositions to particular acts in the due season And to save us from the contrary 6. And we believe that a mind so illuminated and affections so sanctified and kindled have a great advantage above others coeteris paribus to express themselves in words For. 1. A man that knoweth what to say can speak it when the ignorant cannot Doth not a stock of knowledge enable you to Preach without book 2. Such a Soul will set it self diligently to think what and how to speak in so great a business when the careless mind it not 3. Love and delight are very speedy Learners 4. Fervent desire sets all the powers of the Soul awork and is full and forward to express it self Hunger can teach men easily to beg Poor men speak intreaties Anger Joy every passion maketh and powreth out words where there is prerequisite ability 4. We believe that he who by natural defectiveness or difuse cannot find words fitly to utter his own mind may have the help of Gods Spirit in uttering such words as he readeth or learneth of others and especially in the case of Psalms which are not of sudden invention if for Concord the Churches agree to use the same meet words Gods Spirit may actuate their desires therein 5. We hold that this Holy Spirit is as Tertullian speaketh Christs Vicar Agent or Advocate by preventing operateing Cooperating grace thus to illuminate Sanctifie and actuate believers in all holy works and especially in prayer And I could heartily wish that you would not be against so much as Spiritual Preaching Spiritual Writing and disputing and living and not say that the Jesuits brought them in 6. I believe that we are Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost as well as of the Father and the Son believing that he is thus Christs Agent for all this work upon our Souls and covenanting to obey him 7. I believe that sins against the Holy Ghost especially deriding or reproaching his great works miraculous or Sanctifing have a dangerous malignity 8. I suppose that in all this the faculties of mans own Soul are the natural recipients of the Spirits influx and agent of the act which both causes effect And that it s as vain a question whether it be by the Spirit or by natural faculties that we pray aright as whether it be God as fons naturae or mans natural powers which cause our natural acts Or whether the Act of seeing be from the sun or the eye As if the same effect might not yea must not have a Suprior and Inferior Cause 9. Therefore as Gods Spirit witnessing with ours that we are his Children so Gods Spirit helping our infirmities in Prayer suspendeth not the exercise of our Spirits or maketh our reason and consideration needless but actuateth them in their duty Learning and studying how to pray is consistent with the Spirits help in Prayer 10 I never talkt of it with any Nonconformists who denyed that an hypocrite may without any special help of the Spirit speak all the same words in prayer without either book
or form wich another may speak The help of knowledge hearing use and passion may help him to words Therefore they never take a man to be proved godly or sinceer by his bare words but by the grace of Prayer which is holy desire c. and not by the speaking gift or habit 11. But we think that it was not the Jesuits that first said out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and though the tongue may lie it is made to express the mind and we must judge of other mens minds by their words till somwhat else disprove them And its natural for the Heart to lead the Tongue And men are more affected by words which come from affection than by those that do not and Reading words written by another when we speak to God is not so natural a signification of desire or other affection as speaking them from the present dictate of the heart For any Child that can read may do the one and it is not the usual signification of seriousness in other actions A beggar that should only read his begging lesson or a Child or Servant that should only read some words to his Father or Master would be thought less sensible of his wants 12. Ministers should be men better aquainted than the people how to speak to God and man It is their office and therefore it belongeth to them to choose the words which are fittest and to set up a Ministry that can do neither is to befriend the Prince of darkness against the Kingdom of Light and to be a deadly enemy to the Church and Souls And to set up a ministry that need not do it but may choose or is not obliged to it is the way to set up a ministry that cannot do it Let the Ministers be bound to no more than to Read and a few years will transform them to such as can do no more than read Moscovy proveth that and too many other Countries 13. If it be praying freely from present knowledge and desire without a book or set form which you call Spiritual prayer either you are for the use of it in the Pulpit or not If you are did the Jesuits teach it you or will you go on to follow them If not what a divided party are the Conformists while so many use it and pray spiritually And what a Case is the Church of England in that hath still so many Ministers that pray as the Jesuits Disciples Or why do you so reproach your Church and Ministry 14. Do you think that there is more force in the name of a Jesuit to disgrace Spiritual prayer or in the name of Spiritual prayer to honour the Jesuits And do you not seem to prevaricate and highly honour the Jesuits on pretence of dishonoring Spiritual prayer If you had said that the Jesuits first brought in Spiritual preaching and discourse and Spiritual living would it not have more honoured them than dishonoured Spirituality Will freedom from Spiritual prayer honour your Church as Seneca thought Cato's name would do more to honour Drunkenness than Drunkenness could do to dishonour Cato I am not such an Antipapist as to fall out with Father Son or Holy-Ghost because the Jesuits own them You do but help to confirm my charity who have long thought that among the Papists there are many persons truly godly though their education converse and proud tyrannical wordly Clergy have sadly vitiated them 15. All prayers written or unwritten are made by some body Those that the Bishops write down for us in the Liturgy and for our Fasts were made by their invention Either they had the help of the Spirit in making them or not If yea then why is it not as Jesuitical to write a Spiritual prayer as to speak one If not excuse them that say Gods Spirit made not your Liturgy nor are they Spiritual prayers 16. And were it not too like high and dangerous Pride if such a one as Bishop Bancroft Bishop Laud Bishop Morley Bishop Gunning in a Convocation or before every publick Fast should be appointed to write the words of Prayer and should in effect say to all the most Learned Divines in England The Spirit caused us to write these prayers and our measure is so sure and great that none of you may presume to question it nor to think that you can pray Spiritually in any words of your own but only in ours at least in the Assemby The Spirit will help you if you say our words but not your own It now cometh into my mind what may be some of the meaning of Bishop Gunning's Chaplain Doctor Saywell in his last Book that none hath power to ordain Bishops but they that have power to give the Holy Ghost for the work of their Office It may be it is The Holy Ghost to write Doctrine Sermons and Prayers for all their Clergy to use But do you not say also to the Presbyters Receive the Holy Ghost If they have him why cannot they speak their own hearts in other words than yours Is Spiritual prayer appropriated to your Liturgy words or forms any more than at the Council at Trent he was to the Popes instructions 17. We all confess that as all the actions of imperfect men have their imperfections so have all our prayers and these are easily aggravated Sudden free prayer and book prayer have both their conveniencies and inconveniencies The question is which hic nunc hath the greatest and whether forbidding either be not worst of all I have named the conveniencies and inconveniencies of each in my Christian Directory 18. Experience telleth the world that the daily saying over only the same words and that read out of a paper imposed by others by one that no further sheweth any sense of what he doth is not so apt as more free and well varied words in season to keep people from sleepy senseless prophanation and praying as the Papists do with their Masses Rosaries and Beads And the variety of Subjects preached on and variety of occasions and all accidents require some diversification of words and methods 19. It is a work of reverence to speak to the King yet as it is lawful to write a Petition to him so to speak to him without Book Judges have serious work to do for estate and life and yet they are trusted to speak without prescribed words and so are Advocates Lawyers Ambassadors Physicians Philosophers and all men in their Professions except Ministers and Christians as such 20. We know not why men may not be intrusted to speak to God in the name of imperfect man without imposed books and words as well as to speak to man from the most perfect God and in his name in preaching Mans actions will be like man Nothing that is not divine and spiritual should be spoken as from God and in his name And as after our frustrated Treaty for Concord 1661. one of them nameless wrote a Book against free praying
I think not invalidate and yet this goeth for no justification of us so is it with others § 10. Some think that it is a Conventicle as described by their Cannon that must make us Separatists which is of men that call themselves of another Church But that 's not it Mr. Gouge Mr. Poole Mr. Humphrey and my self and abundance more that never gathered any Church nor called our selves of any other then their own are nevertheless separatists in these mens account § 11. They that remembred what was called Separation in England of old supposed it had these two degrees which made men called Brownists First falsly taking the Parish Ministers and Churches for no true Ministers and Churches of Christ and therefore not to be Communicated with Secondly or in the lower rank falsly taking the faults of the Parish Ministers and Churches to be so great that its a sin to have ordinary Communion with them But they that have still disclaimed both these are Separatists still in our Accusers sence § 12. Some thought that ordinary Communicating in the Parish Churches and pleading for it would prove us no separatists with them But this will not serve as my own and many other mens Experience proveth § 13. I am called after to say more of this The sum of my separation is this First that I take not the Parish Churches to be the only Churches that I must Communicate with and will not confine my Communion to them alone as if they were a sect or All But will also have Communion with Dutch French or Nonconformists 2. I take not the Order Discipline and mode of worship in the Parish Churches nor the Preaching of very many Parsons Vicars and Curates to be the best and most desirable 3. I take those to be no true Political Churches which have no Pastors that have all the Qualifications and Call and Authority which is Essential to the Office and therefore can communicate with them but as with a flock without a Pastor or an Oratory Community or Catechized Company 4. I live peaceably under such Bishops as have many hundred Parishes and no Episcopos Gregis true Bishops and Pastoral Churches under them as they think But I own not their Constitution 5. I joyn with all the Churches in England as Associated for mutual help and Concord in all that the Scripture prescribeth and in all the Protestant Religion and all that all Christian Churches are agreed in and all that is truly needful to the ends of Christianity But not absolutely in all which their Canons Liturgy c. conttaine Especially their sinful Impositions and their Presumtious Canonical Excommunications of dissenters ipso facto 6. I am one of the Christian Kingdom of England as under the King according to the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and am for obeying the Laws and Rules in all things lawfully belonging to their Power to command But not for obeying them in sin against God nor for believing all to be Lawful because they command it nor for their taking down Family Government or self Government and discerning private Judgment of the subjects This is my measure of separation § 14. And I think in cases that concern our own and many mens Salvation we should have leave freely to speak for our selves and not be used as we are that must neither be endured to be silent or to speak Let this Dr. open our case to you himself saith he Pref. p. 36. Speaking of my first Plea for Peace As though it had been designed on purpose to represent the Clergy of our Church as a Company of Notorious Lying and Perjured Villains for Conforming to the Laws of the Land and orders established among us For there are no less than thiâ—ty tremendous aggravations of the sin of Conformity set down in it and all this done without the 〈…〉 provocation given on oue side And elswhere he saith he shall less regard my aggravations Ans 1. If I do that which you think as bad I would gladly be told of it though false accusations I desire not And impenitence is too soon learnt without a Teacher or Academical degrees and I had rather be saved from it 2. But Reader I once more appeal to the Judgment of all reason and humanity as well as Christianity to decide the case of this Accusation 1. We did in 1660. and 1661. All that we were able by labour petition and yielding as far as we durst for fear of sin and Hell to have been united and lived in Church Concord with the Episcopal party 2. When our labour and hopes were frustrate and two thousand of us cast out of the Ministery and afterwards laws made against us as Conventiclers first for our Fining Imprisonment and then Banishment and after besides Imprisonment to pay twenty pound the first Sermon and forty pound the next and so on when after this the Law that banished us from all Cities Corporations c. and places where we lately Preached did most deeply accuse us as the cause I never wrote so much as the reasons of our dissent When by the execution of these Laws we were by Informers and others used as is well known I was still silent My not conforming shewed my dissent but I durst not so much as once tell them why lest it should more exasperate them 3. At last I was often told that the Bishop that first forbad my Preaching and many others after him oft said to Great men Mr. Baxter keeps up a Schism and yet holds all our conformity lawful save renouncing a rebellious Covenant And I yet continued silent 4. At last they wrote against us that we durst not say that any part of Conformity was sin but only inconvenient 5. Then many pulpits and books proclaim that we against our Consciences kept up a Schism for a baffled cause which we had nothing to say for 6. All this while Lords and Commons used to ask us what is it that you would have and what keepeth you from Conformity In private talk but would never allow us to speak for our selves and give the world or Parliament our reasons 7. Many years together Pulpits and Printed Books of the Clergy cryed out to the Magistrates to execute the Laws against us and as one said set fire to the Fagot and blamed them for not doing it 8. When the King gave us his Licence they were greatly offended as aforesaid 9. At last one great Bishop told me that he would desire the King to constraine us to give our reasons and not keep up a Schism and not tell for what And another greater told me that the King took us to be not sincere that would not give our reasons And all this while I durst not give them as knowing how they would be received 10. When the Bishops kept me from Preaching and gave me leisure I wrote 1. An Apology for our Preaching 2 A Treatise of Episcopacy and divers other such and yet durst not Print them
Doctrine of the Councils even of Trent it self requiring but the amending of the Clergies lives and the casting by the Schoolmens bold disputes and the restraint of the Popes Government to the Rule of the Canons securing the rights of Kings and Bishops and this he saith will content the peaceable Vincentius wrote a book called Grotius Papizans Saravius in his Epistle upon speach with Grotius laments it as too true His friend Dion Petavius told Mr. Ereskin an honourable person attendant on the King that Grotius resolved to have declared himself for the Church of Rome if he had returned alive from the Journy that he dyed in See Mr. Thorndikes just weights what he was for And how far many Doctors of this Church some yet living have maintained that Grotius principles are not Popery and consequently what such mean by Popery when they disclaim it I need not tell you while so many of them have published it in print And are not Mr. Thorndicks termes of Concord in Councils till the eight hundredth year much like and much more in book aforesaid And surely there is great difference between such Preachings as were like to be the ruin of the begun Reformation by exasperating a Reforming Magistrate and such Preaching as tendeth to stop the revolt of a reformed Nation when Parliaments and the Agents themselves of the revolt proclaim the danger It s true that there was then a greater scarcity of Preachers than now And that was the Nonconformists argument with the Bishops when they pleaded for publick liberty But it s as true that they had far greater hopes of that Liberty which it had been folly to cast away for less But it is not so with us we are a greater number than they and have new Laws to shut us out not only of the Churches but of Corporations and Bishops that will give us no such liberty § 6. And indeed so many were the unlearned Parish Priests and so bad in Queen Elizabeths daies being many of them lately silly Mass Priests that the shame of the Church and the cry of the Protestant people forced the Bishops to tolerate most of the Nonconformists in some publick Church especially those that were moderate and did not publickly oppose them Dr. Humphery was allowed Reigus Professour in Oxford Dr. John Reignolds President of Corpus Ch. Col. Mr. Perkins Lecturer in Cambridge Mr. Paul Bayne after him so Dr. Chadeortoâ— there c. some tell men that these were all Conformists and of the Church And yet I am none that am of the same mind The truth is they were for submitting to kneeling at the Sacrament Surplice and most of the Liturgy rather than cease Preaching But they were against subscription and the English sort of Diocesan Bishops and Government and the imposed use of the Cross as it is in Baptism As Tradition tells us and as you may partly see in Dr. Reynolds Letter to Sir Francis Knowles in Mr. Baynes Diocesans Tryal his Letters and in Fuller and other Histories And Mr. Deering Mr. Greenham Mr. John Fox Mr. Marbury Dudley Fenner Mr. Knewstubs yea I think six or ten to one were endured in publick Churches long before they were hindered And when they were hindered they spake peaceablely and intreatingly and were still in hope of publick Liberty and were oft petitioning or making great Friends to the Bishops to that end much they long obtained and more they hoped for How long Mr. Travers was kept in at the Temple is commonly known § 7. It is neither consistent with my leisure nor the business now in hand nor I suppose the patience of most readers that I should prove this further by a Voluminous transcribing Histories already extant If the Book which Dr. St. citeth called part of a Register be perused he will find 1. That the passage cited by the D. was the reprehension of many Londoners taken at a meeting in an open Hall of a Company which meeting they avowed Is this a proof that they were against such publick meetings or for it When for it they lay in many Prisons 2. That they professed that they forsook not the Publick Churches till their Teachers were silenced and turned out So little doth silencing tend to union 3. That yet these being ordinary Citizens spake many things weakly crying out too rashly of the Rags and Ceremonies of Antichrist But he might have found many things in the Register more worthy his communication For instance 1. The Letter of Dr. Wy In the beginning 2. Dr. Pilkington after Bishop of Duâ—ham his Letter of weighty reasons against silencing the Nonconformists 3. Mr. Edward Deerings answer to the Articles put to him twice with sober and Peaceable words 4. Mr. Greenhams modest and peaceable Apology to the Bishop of Eli against Conformity yet refusing to give his Reasons lest they should provoke till he were constreined as I did seventeen years All which shew that the Nonconformists then were mostly in poslesson of some publick Churches or but newly turned out and in hope of restauration And what is all this to our case of total and peremptory exclusion § 8. And methinks the Doctor should not desire to tempt the Reader that tryeth his citations to read the rest of that Register viz. 1. The harsh usage of Mr. Johnson who dyed in prison driven into too sharp Language by their usage 2. The exceptions of Mr. Crane 3. The Ministers complaint to the Councils 4. Especially the Councils Letter to the Justices on the bâ—balf of the Ministers worthy to be perused at this time 5 A notable Treatise called a Letter to a Londoner against the Legality of the Bishops proceedings 6. The Comons complaint for a Learned Ministry shewing what a shameful sort of men were kept in by the bishops while the Nonconformists were turned out and silenced 7. The practises of the Prelates 8. The Petition to the Queen and that to the Convocation 9. Mr. Marburys conference with the Bishop of London and his Arch-Deacon How the Bishop railed and swore at him and reviled him for desiring that all Parishes should have Preachers as if Homily Readers were not enough And yet Mr. Marbury was so moderate that at last with liberty of interpretation like Chillingworths he conformed 10. Mr. Dudley Fenners defence of the Ministers against Dr. Bridges slanders Written but a month before his death whereas the said Fenner was far from unlearned as his Methodical Theologia shews and was so moderate that Dr. Ames saith he much conformed at last but it seems not enough and he sheweth how the Bishops set themseves against such Preachers 11 Mr. Gawtons troubles 12. Dudley Fenners Counter-poyson or certain form of Eccles Government and its defence 13. The demonstration of of discipline Doth the Dr. believe indeed that these writings signifie that the Nonconformsts of those times thought it a sin to Preach eo nomine because forbidden § 9. They wrote indeed a great deal more against separation than he citeth
say against it 4. Few of the most ignorant that needed them would then have left the Parish Churches to hear Nonconformists in private but now many will come to us that cannot get in to the Parish Churches Other different effects may be named Sect. 10. 4. And though I accuse you not you that unjustly said before that I made you seem a company of perjured Villains seems to think your self that the fore alledged causes make many of the people think little better of some and a Church thought to consist of such Pastors and Vestries c. essential parts differ from those that do not 2. And the multitude of Atheists and filthy livers and the thousands of Noncommunicants who are still taken for real members of your Churches have now stood out against so long means and patience that the reasons of longer waiting for Reformation much differs from theirs in the beginning 3. The Canon at first did not ipso facto excommunicate all that do but profess themselves Nonconformists as since it did 4. The Bishops and their Canoneers had not then cast out 2000 nor neer so many Preachers as now and so did not so much tempt the people to flee from them as persecutors thorns thistles or wolves 5. When one Bishop cast any out some other usually would endure them but now it was not so 6. The people saw daily that you bore with those as no Schismaticks that never communicated nor used to hear you even the greater half of many Parishes and took them for Church members as is said and therefore they had reason to hope that they that communicated somewhere with Protestants especially that communicated also with your own Churches were as good Members and by good Pastors would be as well endured Sect. 11. 5. Lastly The forenamed causes of our preaching much differ 1. We saw the Kingdom though under usurpers engaged by Vow Practice and about sixteen years possession and custom to another way and who could expect that a Law should presently change them all and assure them of absolution 2. They that conformed were the more averse to see about six thousand Ministers that had gone the other way so suddenly change as to declare assent and consent to a Book which they never saw 3. The case of the Plague the burning of the Churches the Kings Licenses c. I named before which verily made a great difference 4. And the numbers that call to us for help makes a great difference when then they that needed them most did not desire it These are some differences Sect. 12. p. 95. He saith There is no reason of separation because of the doctrine of our Church Answ But now you have corrupted it in the Article of Infants undoubted salvation before described and before by the doctrines about Prelacy Godfathers power and duty Impositions c. implyed in your practical Canons there is great cause of Nonconformity P. 96. Repeateth that great mistake that there are no alterations in our own judgment which make the terms of Communion harder than before Answ What hope then of being understood how far is this from truth The terms are sar harder to Ministers and to the people they are easier in some things as amending some translations c. but it is not to them a small matter to make such a change of their Pastors as in too many Parishes is made The Bishop promised them at Kiderminster when he forbad me to preach that they should be no losers by the change They said and I had great reason to believe them that the Successor knew so little of the sence of the Creed and preach'd so rarely four times a year I am loth to tell you how that they durst not be guilty of encouraging him in undertaking the charge of Souls nor durst take him for their Pastor And the great increase of buildings in London shuts thousands now out of such Parish Churches who could have got in heretofore and some more differences are before implyed p. 97. As other Churches own your Churches so do we though not your imposed sins Sect. 13. p. I was in hope to have met with some answer to my importunate Question What would you have the many score thousands do that cannot come within your Churches to hear But no importunity will prevail for so small a matter with inexorable men But he saith 1. that this is but a pretence 2. And that no man denyeth that more places are desirable c. Ans 1. It is me that he is now accusing why doth he barely say and not prove that it 's but a pretence I never set up a Meeting place but in St. Martins Parish where are said to be forty thousand more than can come within the Church And when they would not suffer me to use it I gladly left it to the use of the Parish Minister I preach now twice a week elsewhere but both the places are in Neighbourhoods where many thousands cannot hear in the Parish Churches What if other men have other sufficient reasons as the utter incapacity of some Ministers or the like doth it follow that my own case and prosessed reason is a meer pretence why then did I use no publick preaching while I lived in such Villages where the people might go to Church and why did I constantly twice a day lead them thither though some disliked it 2. The question is not whether more Churches are desirable But where they are not whether many thousands must live like Atheists without all publick teaching or Divine Worship for fear of being called Schismaticks Is not this plainly to chuse damnation If the Gospel be needless why do we wish the Heathens had it Why subscribe you against mens hopes of being saved in all their several Religions If Church worship be needless why is a Clergy to be so honoured and maintained at so dear a rate Aud why do you make such a stir with Separatists to bring them to your Churches Can men not blinded by interest chuse but wonder that so many thousands in a Parish should be taken for Church Members and live quietly that come not to any Church or never communicate with any and yet that godly persons who hear and communicate with their old tryed Pastors yea with such as communicate with you should be preach'd and written against as Schismaticks and judged to that which some endure Did this Dr. think that to drop in the case of other men when he was at a loss would make good his charge against me and such as I Mr. Tombes and Mr. Williams preached other doctrine do I do so and have you proved it But seeing he will needs bring the case to Kiderminster whether I would suffer Mr. Tombes to gather a Congregation I must not balk it but advise him hereafter to keep himself at a greater distance and not to put his own followers who are willing enough to believe him upon utter impossibilities He sped better
to the Anabaptists and Quakers Answ Alas that such things should be the best to such a man By May go you mean 1. lawfully 2. or eventually 3. or for want of due hindring The Reader may think that you by Calumny father the first on me as if I said that so to go to the Quakers were no sin whereas I still say that if they do but leave your Churches by any culpable Error it is their sin 2. And as to the Event many not only may but do turn Quakers Papists and Athiests 3. And as to the third it 's all the question here not whether we should seek to save them but which is the true reasonable and allowed means Whether it be the Patrons choosing for all England the Pastors to whose care they must trust their Souls and laying them in Jail that will choose others Or whether there be not a righter way And again I say Kings and Patrons choose not mens Wives or Physicians or Food and every man hath a charge of his Soul as well as of his Life Antecedent to the Kings or Patrons charge Sect. 6. But why saith he P. 11. v. 115. must the King bear all the blame if mens Souls be not provided for c Answ He that is the chooser must bear the blame the King for Bishops and the Patrons for Parish Priests if they mischoose And do you think in your conscience that all the Patrons in England of so various minds and lives are like to choose only such in whose pastoral conduct all that care for their Souls should rest Yea though the Bishops must Institute them as they Ordained them When we heretofore told them of the multitudes of grosly ignorant drunken Priest their answers were 1. Their Chaplains examined them 2. They had certificates 3. A quare impedit lay against them if they required higher knowledge than to answer the Catechism in Latine And now experience will not warrant us to know what such men are P. 115. He asketh How it is possible on these terms to have any peace or order in an established Church Answ I have fully told him how in a whole Book of concord And hath their way caused greater peace and order Yes to themselves for the time So Popery keepeth some Order and Unity with them that hold to it But it kept not the Greeks or Protestants from forsaking them Sect. 7. P. 119. 120. He saith They only look on those as true Churches which have such Pastors whom they approve Answ Equivocal words 1. If they approve not those whom they should approve it is their sin 2. Approving is either of the necessaries ad esse or only ad melius esse They must not put the later for the former 3. Approving is by a Governing or but a discerning private Judgment The first they have not but the later In good earnest would he have all the people take those for true Pastors who they verily think are none Can they at once hold contradictions And if they must not judge as dissenters what meaneth Mr. Dodwels and such mens Arguments to prove all no Ministers that have not Succession of Episcopal Ordination Must not the people on that account disown them by his way Sect. 8. p. 119. He brings in against us my words I take those for true Churches that have true Pastors and those for none that have 1. Men uncapable of the Pastoral Office 2. or not truly called to it 3. Or that deny themselves the essential Power Answ He knoweth that I speak not of equivocal but proper political Churches And is it possible that such a man should dissent in this 1. Can he be a true Pastor that is uncapable of the Office Shall I abuse time to confute gross Contradictions Or if he be a profest Infidel Can he be a Christian Pastor 2. Is a Layman a true Pastor that is not truly called to it why then do they argue as Mr. Dodwell or Re-ordain men 3. Can a man be a Pastor against his will or that conâ—enteth not but renounceth it or can that be a true Pastoral Church that hath no Pastor Verily we are but upon low works if these be the things which we must prove Sect. 9. He adds And one or other of these he thinks must if not all the parochial Churches in England fall under Answ I read these words of the Dr. to a Papist To speak mildly this is a gross untruth Therefore I hope it were no Rage for me to have said the like How doth he prove it Nay in the place cited by him I not only profest the contrary but gave the Reason p. 65. Because I judge of their Office by Gods Word and not by the Rule which deprives them of an essential Part. And 1. He citeth my confession that those that I hear preach well and therefore are not uncapable men 2. That their Ordination hath all essentially necessary and all the worthy men that I know have the communicants of the Parishes consent though not Election and therefore are called 3. And many of them as he thinks they have all essential to the Office and disown it not though I think others deny it them where there is the truth of what he saith Sect. 10. p. 120. Because my practice disproveth him he finds out a Subtilty that I joyn not with the Parish Churches as true Churches but only as Chappels or Oratories he accounts not our parochial Churches as true Churches nor doth communicate with them as such a Subtilty beyond the reach of the old Brownists Answ Deliberately to print such untruths seems tolerable in him but to say they are such would seem passion in me and what other answer are they capable of What I expresly say of the three forementioned excepted sorts he feigneth me to say of all or most of the Parish Churches and yet dare not deny the truth of any one of the Exceptions 1. Do not all those men take the Parishes for no proper political Churches but only for Parts of the Diocesan Church such as we call Curates Chappels who say that a Bishop is a constitutive Part of a true political Church and entereth the Definition and that it 's no Church that hath no Bishop and that Diocesan Churches are the lowest political And do I need to tell him how considerable these men are among them 2. Doth he himself take any one of these for a true political Church When I was young divers Laymen by turns were our publick Reading Teachers Among the rest one was after proved to counterfeit Orders This mans acts were no nullities to us that knew it not but when we knew of such must we take them for true Pastors and it for a true Church Sect. 11. p. 221. He saith Any Parochial Church that hath such a one a Bishop or Pastor over them that hath the power of the Keys and owns it self to be Independant he allows to be a true Church and none else Answ
superstition c. I named many Cases in which an Image may be used and say that it is not unlawful to pray before or towards an Image in a Room where they are placed only for Ornament c. Is this to say worship may be directed to it or that we may kneel before a Crucifix when I had before excepted the Images of God Christ c. in worship on several reasons Doth any Protestant doubt of what I assert My Parlour hath on all four sides the pictures of our living friends must I not pray in that room because my face will be still towards some of them Doth he doubt of this Or is not his citing one half of the words as he doth to deceive his credulous Reader if not worse § 10. He saith Kneeling before a Crucifix is lawful to him supposing the mind be only excited by it Answ A Calumny made up by setting together two scraps of remote sentences 1. Because I say it 's lawful to pray in a room where pictures not any are before me for meet ornament therefore he feigns me to say It 's lawful to kneel before a Crucifix 2. And elsewhere I say It is lawful to be excited to a good thought by seeing a Deaths-head or any of Gods works and so it is by seeing a Crucifix which no sober Christian doubts of he feigns me to make it an exciting sign to him that kneels before it § 11. Yea he makes so much use of his own calumny as p. 354. to prove me strangely partial Allowing it to be lawful to pray before a Crucifix as a medium excitans as an object that stirs up in us worshipping affections and so excuse all Papists from Idolatry that profess they use a Crucifix for no other end Answ Meer repeated forgery not becoming his profession I never spake for praying before it much less as an object to stir up worshipping affections But only that I am not bound to fly at prayer from a room that hath only ornamental pictures and that as in the Geneva Bible there be Historical pictures and few but Turks are against them it is lawful I say not kneeling before them at prayer but out of cases of scandal and danger to be excited by them to good affections and indeed good affections are worshipping affections Dare any Christian say that it is a sin to think reverently of God when we see his works or see but a picture of Scripture History as Abraham offering Isaac Christ dying and rising c. Nonconformists have still taken them for Lyers that said they were against Historical pictures and shewed it in the Geneva Bible I have seen in many pious country Houses all the story of Dives and Lazarus painted over their Tables and never heard the good use of it accused But I desire the Reader to peruse my words which he citeth Quest 113. and judge with what honesty we are accused I there say 1. It is unlawful to make any Image of God 4. It is unlawful to make place or use an Image as is like to do more hurt than good or to tempt to sin And all such Images of creatures as others use to give unlawful worship or honour to when like to tempt others to the like as among the Papists the Image of the Crucifix the Virgin Mary and Angels may not be made placed or used so as may tempt any to worship them sinfully as they do 11. It is unlawful to place Images in Churches or in secret before our eyes when we are worshipping God when it tendeth to corrupt the mind which is the ordinary effect of Images 12. It is unlawful to use Images scandalously as any of the aforesaid sinners use them though we do it not with the same intent that is so as in outward appearance is the same with their use Because so we shall dishonour God as they do and harden them in sin Therefore Images in Churches or in Oratories in those Countries where others use them sinfully or near such Countries where the same may harden men in their sin is evil 21. I think it unlawful to make an Image or any equal instituted sign to be the publick common symbol of the Christian Religion though but a professing sign as they make the Cross Doth this doctrine justifie the Papists And p. 876. § 14. I largly prove the use of a Crucifix as they do the Cross in baptism to be unlawful which he answereth not Is it not consistent with all this that I say That it 's not unlawful to pray before or towards an Image in a room where Images are placed only for ornament and we have no respect to them as a medium or object of our worship except as by accident it 's made unlawful And that not kneeling to them nor in prayer but in transient meditation it is lawful so to use them historically as to stir up in us a worshipping affection If the Papists do no more no Protestant would call them Idolaters for it But if they use them Idolatrously it makes our use of them unlawful when even but outwardly it is like theirs And so I say of the Cross This is the Doctors zeal against Idolatry that it seems would have us all used as his Books intimate till we dare use the Transient Image of the Cross much worse than he maketh the Papists to use Images and Crucifixes in particular For to use them as a dedicating common badge of Christianity in our great Covenant with Christ is more than to use them historically and in meditation or more than to pray in rooms adorned with common pictures But he knoweth that the Papists give more to Images § 12. Obj. But what need had you to say all this of Images Answ That men may understand it I 'le tell you that you may see the Candor of our accusers Dr. R. Coxe Bishop of Ely consulted with Cassander to have had Images in our Churches The Lutherans so use them Our new Church of England began to set up Crucifixes over Altars and to plead more for Church-pictures than heretofore In 1642. the Parliament ordered the defacing all Images of any Person of the Trinity in Churches or Church-yards before the King went from them Because I read this Order and the Church-warden attempted to obey it the rabble of drunken swearing Journy-men who were all for Conformity rose in a tumult with clubs seeking to kill me and the Churchwardens and knockt down two Country-men because they were our friends who carried the hurt to their death And the Conforming Clergy were so much for them that one of them indicted me at the Assizes and I was forced to leave the Country Such rage for Images tempted some religious men that were against them to be more censorious against the Conformists than I would have them and to run too near the other extream And after it grew a dispute whether the Lutherans were not Hereticks of which see Caspar Streso
still maintain with the Church of England and the Parish Churches 8. Whether he put the case to them whether we that have Communion with them are Schismaticks if we also have Communion with others whom they prosecute 9. Whether he put the question to them whether we are lawfully silenced and if not whether rebus sic stantibus we are bound to forbear our Ministry 10. Whether he made them know that all the Ministers of England as well as we were forbidden to Preach c. unless they would Conform to that we are ready to prove unlawful And if it prove so whether they should all either have sinned or been silent in obedience 11. Whether he made them understand how many thousands there be in London that cannot have room in the Parish-Churches and the Nonconformists Churches set together but live like Atheists 12. Whether he acquainted them that the question is whether all godly dissenters that are cast out or cannot joyn in the Parish way of Liturgick Worship must till their judgments change give over all publick worship of God and be forsaken of all Teachers 13. Whether he acquainted them how loud a Call we had to preach in London first by the Plague then by the burning of the Churches the people being deserted by the Parish Ministers in these sad extremities 14. Whether he acquainted them with the Kings Licences and our being accused of Schism even when Licensed 15. Whether he acquainted them with what we have said for ourselves lately in divers Books or they judg'd us unheard 16. Whether they be singular or whether it be the judgment of the Protestant Churches in France that it is a sin for any to preach or publickly worship God when the King Bishops and Law forbid them And if so How long it hath been their judgment and why all their Churches ceased not when prohibited If not so How to know that our silencing Laws and Bishops must be obeyed and not theirs There is no understanding their answers till we know how the case was stated § 2. Mr. Clodes Letter is moderate and it 's like they took the case to be about proper separation and so say no more in the main than some Nonconformists have said against the Brownists But the Dr. hath dealt too unmercifully with Mr. Le Moine in publishing his Epistle when it was so easie to know how few if any would believe his story but take it for a confirmation how incredible our accusers are I mean his story that five years ago he heard one of the most famous Nonconformists preach in a place where were three men and three or fourscore women he had chosen a Text about the building up the ruins of Jerusalem and for explication cited Plinny and Vitruvius a hundred times c. I think I shall never speak with the person that will believe him sure I am London knoweth that the Nonconformists are the most averse to such kind of Preaching And I know not one of them that I can say ever read a quarter of Vitruvius I confess I never read a leaf of him This Monsieur would do well to tell us yet the name of the man that if living he may be call'd to account But I doubt he fell into some Tabernacle of which many are erected in place of the burnt Churches and perhaps heard the Conformist who had occasion to talk of architecture But yet I will not believe that either Conformist or Nonconformist would expose himself to common scorn by an hundred or twenty such citations § 3. And his description of the mens horrible impudence to excommunicate without mercy the Church c. imagining that they are the only men in England nay in the Christian world that are predestimated to eternal happiness c. and then pronouncing them intolerable sheweth that it is not us that he speaketh of nor any company that is known to us neither our Separatists here nor Anabaptists nor so much as the very Quakers holding any such thing § 4. And though he saith He was not at all edified by the Nonconformists preaching it followeth not that no others are Nor that none were edified in England or Scotland while publick Preachers went the Nonconformists way § 5. But because the Doctor chuseth this way I will imitate him though with the Apology that St. Paul gloried and give him notice of some Epistles of men that judged otherwise of the Nonconformists CHAP. XIV Epistles or Testimonies compared with the Doctors And notes on Mr. Joseph Glanvile's Book called The Zealous Impartial Protestant with a Letter of his to the Author heretofore and a Digression of Doctor L. Moulin § 1. IN general he that will read the Lives of many of the old Nonconformists Hildersham Dod and many such and Bishop Hall's Character of Dr. Reynolds and the late published Lives of Mr. Joseph Allen John Janeway Dr. Winter Mr. Macham Mr. Wadsworth Mr. Stubbs c. will see better what to judge of them than by our three French Epistles Yea Thuanus giveth a juster Character of many abroad that were of their mind And John Fox one of them of more § 2. And to our three French-men I will when it will be of more use than seeming vanity return you four French-mens Letters to my self Mr. Gaches Mr. Amyralds Mr. Le Blanks and Mr. Testards and if you will some Germans too Calvinists and Lutherans of a quite differing sense of us Nonconformists But Mr. Gaches being already in Print by the Duke of Lauderdales means 1660. and joyned with one of Mr. L'Angles I leave the Reader that desireth to see both § 3. But because Mr. Jos Glanvile was one of themselves here though an Origenist a most triumphant Conformist and not the gentlest contemner of Nonconformists and famous for his great wit I will repay the Dr. with the annexing one among many since of his Letters to my self which yet indeed I do not chiefly to ballance the Drs. but to help the Reader to understand Mr. Glanvile and his posthumous Book which I think not meet to pass by without some Animadversions Though I have great reason to hope that dying so soon after it and his preferment the experience of the Vanity of a flattering World might help to save him from impenitence As I have read in divers credible writers it was with Dr. Matthew Sutliffe that on his Death-bed he repented that he had written so much against the Reformers called Puritans I perceive Dr. Stillingfleet marvelleth that my own expectations of approaching Death do not hinder me from writing what I do for the Nonconformists whereas the truth is had not pain and weakness kept me from my youth as in the continual prospect of the Grave and the next life I had never been like to have been so much against Conformity and the present Discipline of this Church that is their want of Discipline as I have been For the World might have more flattered me and byassed my Judgment
much of the English Ceremonies as he thought approached those of Rome He loved all good men of what perswasion soever agreeing in the Fundamentals of the Protestant Religion When some worthy and Learned men did on his Death bed intimate to him that he had faln too heavy upon many Pious and Learned men of the Church of England He professed himself never to have born any malice in his heart against the Person of any of them but that his intention was only to blame them for having too much gratified the Enemies of the true Protestant Religion by their condescentions to them and their too great compliances with them He never recanted nor retracted any thing material that he had Professed and Printed of late years if he had used any sharp expressions or by any reflections given any offence to any truly pious man he heartily prayed their pardon and as heartily forgave all men as he desired them to forgive him And this he had often before expressed to me both in publick at my House and in private between himself and me and also after that some worthy men had been with him which gave occasion to this discourse This for your satisfaction is with truth and sincerity attested by Your Affectionate Friend Tho. Coxe London Octob. 29. POSTSCRIPT Five Additional Notices to the Reader THere are some things of which I thought meet to add this notice to the Reader I. That I am more alienated from Conformity in the point of Assent Consent and Use in denying Christendom to all Children who have no Godfathers and Godmothers and excluding the Parents from that Office by some late Observations which my retiredness kept me unacquainted with I am requested by some poor People to Baptize their Children I tell them the Parish Ministers must do it They answer me That they cannot have them Baptized by the Parish Ministers because they are poor and can neither pay the Curate nor the Godfathers I ask them Cannot you get Godfathers without money They say No No body will be Godfather to their Children for nothing Whereupon enquiring into the case I am informed that among the poor it is become a trade to be hired persons to be Godfathers and Godmothers and some that have not money must leave their Children unbaptized and till lately Popish Priests Baptized many I am not willing to aggravate this Hiring nor the causes of it nor that the same men that think Baptism necessary to Salvation or as Mr. Dodwell speaks to a Covenant right to Salvation should yet shut out all that have not money to hire such Covenanters But I am not Conformable to such Church-Orders II. Whereas there is a great stress laid on Mr. Rathband's Book of the old Nonconformists Doctrine against the Brownists as if they thought that meer obedience to the Law required them to forbear Preaching when they were silenced when indeed they only thought 1. That it bound them to give up the Temples and Tithes and publick maintenance which are at the Magistrates dispose 2. And to forbear that manner and those circumstances of their Ministry as no Law of God in Nature or Scripture do oblige them to but will do more hurt than good I have now for fuller satisfaction here added the Testimony of his Son concerning his judgment and practice who nineteen years had his liberty in Lancashire to Preach publickly in a Chappel and after that in Northumberland and no wonder if the disorders of Brownism that would have deprived them of all such liberty were opposed I have perused Mr. Rathband's Book written by some others and I find nothing in it that I consent not to but desire him that would understand it to read the Book it self Mr. Rathband's Letter to me is as followeth Reverend Sir WHereas Doctor Stillingfleet in a late Book of his hath alledged a Book published by my Father to prove that Preaching contrary to our Established Laws is contrary to the Doctrine of all the Nonconformists in former times I assure you Sir that my Father is not to be reckoned in that number for he exercised his Ministry though contrary to the Law for many years at a Chappel in Lancashire and after he was silenced he Preached in private as he had opportunity and the times would bear of which I my self was sometime a witness Afterward upon the invitation of a Gentleman he exercised his Ministry at Belsham in Northumberland for about a year and from thence he removed to Owingham in the same County where he Preached also about a year till being silenced there he retired into private as formerly This I thought expedient to signifie to you and you may make what use of it you please for what is written here shall be owned by SIR Yours in all Christian respects William Rathband London April 2. 1681. He is a Grave and worthy Nonconforming ejected Minister living usually in High-gate His Father read part of the Common-Prayer and kept in as aforesaid And I thank Doctor Stillingfleet for so full a Vindication of such old Nonconformists against the Accusations of their Prosecutors III. When my Book was almost Printed I received the Manuscript of a faithful Learned ejected Minister in which he manifesteth the fallacy of Doctor Stillingfleet's Allegations of History for the Antiquity of Diocesan Bishops and fully proveth that for the first three hundred years the Bishops were Congregational and Parochial and that with so full evidence as that out of Strabo and other Geographers he sheweth that many of their Seats were but about four Miles from one another as our Parish Churches are and he confuteth what is said against it And he sheweth the Doctors gross abuse of History to prove that Bishops needed not the Peoples consent and proveth that the Peoples choice or consent was necessary by the constant judgment of the Churches But this Book is of so great worth that I will not dishonour it by making it an Appendix to mine but intend to make so bold with the Author as to publish it by it self 1. As a fuller Confutation to Doctor Stillingfleet 2. As a full Answer to Mr. Dodwell's Letters on that subject And 3. As a Confirmation of my full proof of the same things in my Treatise of Episcopacy IV. And if any will receive that from a Conformist which he will not receive from such a one as I he may read 1. Our full and faithful Vindication by a Beneficed Minister and a Regular son of the Church Called A Compassionate Consideration of the Case of the Nonconformists I am not so happy as to know the Author but he confirmeth my former Judgment that a great part of the Passive Conformists are moderate worthy men with whom we should earnestly endeavour as near and fast a coalition as is possible to be had by lawful means 2. And either the same hand or such another Conformist hath written Reflections on Doctor Stillingfleet in which the like candor and charity appeareth though with
that ordinary people that understand not Latine and Greek ought not to be concerned what becomes of their Souls If they be and do in good earnest desire to know how to please God and serve him what directions will they give him They must do as they are bidden true say they if we were to worship you for Gods we would do as you bid us for we think it fitting to serve God in his own way But we would know whether that God whom we serve hath given us any Rules for his worship or no. How shall we know whether we keep them or not or will you take upon you the guilt of our sins in disobeying his will This seems to be a very just and reasonable request and I fear it will one day fall heavy on those who conceale that which they confess to be the will of God from the knowledge of the people Pag. 548. I agree with him in the way of proof of a Churches purity viz. by agreement with the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and that the Church is to be judged purest which shews the greatest Evidence of that consent and that every one is bound to enquire which Church hath the strongest motives for it and to embrace the Communion of it Pag. 565. 14. To suppose the books so written to be imperfect i. e. that any thing necessary to be believed or PRACTISED are not conteined in them is either to charge the first Author of them with fraud and not delivering his whole mind or the writers with insincerity in not setting it down and the whole Christian Church of the first ages with folly in believing the fulness and perfection of the Scriptures in order to Salvation Read the rest of those excellent Rules to the end In his excellent Vindication of Arch Bishop Laâ—d called A Rational account of the Protestants Religion he hath the same termes of Communion and the same description of Schism with mine and I know not how better to express my thoughts nor plead my Vindication viz. Pag. 289. In his defence of Arch Bishop Land not yet disowned since so great and considerable parts of the Christian Churches have in these last ages been divided in Communion from each other the great contest and enquiry hath been which party stands guilty of the cause of the present distance and separation For both sides retain still so much of their common Christianity as to acknowledge that no Religion doth so strictly oblige the owners of it to peace and unity as the Christian Religion doth and yet notwithstanding this we find these breaches so far from closing that supposing the same grounds to continue a reconciliation seems to humane reason impossible an Evidence of which is that those persons who either out of a generous desire of seeing the wounds of the Christian world healed or out of some private interest or designe have made it their business to propound terms of reconciliation between the divided parties have been equally rejected by those parties they have professed themselves the members of Page 290. The distance then being so great as it is it is a very necessary enquiry what the Cause of it is and where the main fault lies and it being acknowledged that there is a possibility that corruptions may get into a Christian Church and it being impossible to prove that Christianity obligeth men to Communicate with a Church in all those corruptions its communion may be tainted with it seems evident to reason that the cause of the breach must lie there where the corruptions are owned and imposed as conditions of communion For can any one imagine it should be a fault in any to keep off from communion where they are so far from being obliged to it that they have an obligation to the contrary from the principles of their common Christianity And where men are bound not to communicate it is impossible to prove their not communicating to be Schism For there can be no Schism but where there is an obligation to communion Schism being nothing else but a willful violation of the bonds Christian communion And therefore whenever you would prove the Protestants guilty of Schism you must do it by proving they were bound to communicate with your Church in those things which they are Protestants for disowning of or that there is so absolute and unlimited an obligation to continue in the society of your Church that no conditions can be so hard but we are bound rather to submit to them then not joyn in Communion with you This being a matter of so vast consequence in order to the setling mens minds in the present disputes of the Christian world before I come to particulars I shall lay down those general principles which may manifest how free Protestants are from all imputation of Schism Schism then importing a violation of that communion which we are obliged to the most natural way for understanding what Schism is is to enquire what the foundations are of Christian communion and how far the bounds of it do extend Now the Foundations of Christian communion in general depend upon the acknowledgment of the truth of Christian Religion For that Religion which Christ came to deliver to the world being supposed true is the reason why any look on themselves as obliged to profess it which obligation extending to all persons who have the same grounds to beleive the truth of it thence ariseth the ground of society in this profession which is a common obligation on several persons joyning together in some acts of common concernment to them The truth then of Christian Religion being acknowledged by several persons they find in this Religion some actions which are to be performed by several persons in society with each other From whence ariseth that more immediate obligation to Christian society in all those who profess themselves Christians and the whole number of these who own that truth of Christian Religion and are thereby obliged to joyn in society with each other is that which we call the Catholick Church But although there be such a relation to each other in all Christians as to make them one common society yet for the performance of particular acts of communion there must be lesser societies wherein persons may joyn together in the actions belonging to them But still the obligation to communion in these lesser is the same with that which constitutes the great body of Christians which is the owning Christianity as the only true Religion and way to eternal happiness And therefore those lesser societies cannot in Justice make the necessary conditions of Communion narrower than those which belong to the Catholick Curch i. e. those things which declare men Christians ought to capacitate them for communion with Christians But here we are to consider that as to be a Christian supposeth mens owning the Christian Religion to be true so the conveyance of that Religion being now to us in those books we call