have not met with them § 3. But though little Sects for this use some appearance of Scripture-reason as the Anabaptists that say The unbaptized are no Church-Members but you are all unbaptized c. yet there are few big Sects but worldly advantage and cheating Words and Names are the strength of their Cause by which they do more than by any sober shew of reason The assumed names of the Church and Catholicks and Ancient and the Names of Hereticks and Schismaâ—icks and Lutherans and Calvinists and Novelists falsly imposed on their Adversaries next to the Sword and Flames are the Engines of the Popish Sect by which they defend their Separation from all other Christians in the World And such use the gross Schismatical parts do make of the names of The Church of Enâ—land and Catholick Communion appropriated to themselves and the names of Seperatists and Schismaticks imposed arbitrarily on others Next to the Sword this is their chief proof That men are Separatists if they will not separate from all save them and such as they § 3. Among all the Casuists I found none abound with this sort of Logick so much as the Resolver of three Cases about Church-Communion which when I had read I am so much against Separation that I thought meet to joyn with the rest of the Casuists who unite against Schism so far as to disswade Men from this Man's and Mr. Dodwells extraordnary Schismatical Doctrine § 4. But when I had written a just Confutation of him hearing by fame who he is I thought it my duty before I publisht it to see the Book which he wrote against Mr. Humphrey and Me because he may perhaps be there more intelligible for I had never before seen it and would not seek it because I would not tempt my self to a work which I have so little pleasure in as is the confutation of such men But when I had read it I found the Author a great deal sounder in his opinions than in his words and than he was represented to me to be There is a great deal that 's good and worthy the reading in his Book when he doth but keep off from his Schismatical cause He handsomely openeth some Doctrinals and so fairly alloweth forbearance of others in Doctrinal differences that were he as Catholick and equal in his opinion about Government and that which he calleth Catholick Communion he would be against Schism a Catholick indeed He doth fairly disclaim even Archbishop Bramhall's concession to the Papists And he handsomely confuteth Mr. Dodwell and maintaineth the validity of Sacraments and the duty of our Communion with the foreign Churches that have no Bishops and justifieth the Church of England that hath still owned Communion with them He hath proved the no necessity of continued Successive ordination by Bishops He hath defended the Independency of Diocesan Churches in point of Government and that one Church hath not proper Governing Power over another but only an obligation to Communion of which more anon § 5. But I must say That though he hath a smooth and handsom Stile for an Orator either He or I which of us I am no fit Judge is so wofully defective in Logick and Politicks that of these Subjects one of us is utterly unfit for a strict dispute not knowing the usual Sense of ordinary terms nor explaining them aright nor seeming to know what a true Definition is nor proceeding in any Scholar-like method But that little explication of Terms which he giveth is usually near the end of the â—ook when a confused dispute before hath tended but to seduce which ever of us it is that is in the fault it 's a great wrong to the Reader And if it be he I find no likelihood that any should cure him but himself or some one that he hath a very high opinion of For when his mistakes are discovered the substance of his Answer is a haughty ignorant scorn at the discovery Had he happily learnt to Explain Define and Distinguish and Methodize when he was young enough to submit to his Tutor it had been well for him But it being now to be learnt when he is a Doctor and such a Doctor Scorning and ignorant Wrangling will take the place of necessary Learning § 6. This I must tell the Reader That the Man speaketh so much worse than he seemeth by after Contradictions to think and hath so little Skill in exact expressing the matter or his mind that I can scarce ever pretend with any confidence to know his meaning For when he hath said worst and is confuted he comes over it again and scorneth us for misunderstanding him and tells us that he meant as we do So that it is his Words that I only undertake to confute and not his meaning till I am better able to say that I know it Nor would I think it a work beseeming me to write a Book to tell the World how unskilful this man is in speaking intelligibly and aptly if I did not find that others are seduced by receiving his words in the usual sence of such not knowing that he meaneth not as he speaketh So far as he meaneth well I think I am his Friend in perswading people to be of his mind and to believe what he thinks and not what he saith And if he hold on his way and fall not out with the Truth for my sake I am in hope that the effect also of this Survey will be that in the next he will renounce all his Errors save the terms and will say that he meant as I did And then if he do rail and scorn at me only as misunderstanding him I can bear it § 7. Nor should I think it a Duty in my condition to save Readers from his real errors were it not that they notoriously tend to perswade the Land to think of Thousands of the faithfullest Christians that I know as damnable intollerable Schismaticks guilty of the sin that will damn them as soon as Adultery and Murder and consequently to call Men to hate them as such and to proceed in silencing ruining and imprisoning them which is to tell all them that do so that they do well which if it should prove otherwise who can express the greatness of his sin against the Souls of one party and the Lives Estate and Ministry of the other § 8. His scorn p. 11 12. for my purpose to have medled with such Men in the Cause of Conformity no more seems some invitation to me to prevent the like But the foresaid Motives are far greater P. 35 36. While he over and over repeated the confused words of One Communion which must excuse us from Schism as dangerous as Murder and we that live among Men that use to distinguish Union from Communion and know that Communion yea and Union too hath a Multitude of degrees and our desire was that he would but explain in what he fixt it that we might understand his accusation he tells
all that obey the twentieth Canon of the Nicene Council And from all that obey the Councils that forbid communicating with a Fornicating Priest And from all that obey the Councils which nullifie the Episcopacy of such as are obtruded by Magistrates or not consented to by the Clergy and People And many more such Abundance more instances of their Separation and Damnation I might adde In a word I think their Principles are as I first said for damning and separating from all men living for all men living are gulity of some sort and degree of Schism that is of Errours Principles or Practices in which they culpably Violate that Union and Concord that should be among Christians and Churches Every defect of Christian Love and every sinful Errour is some degree of such a violation All Christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent And no man living knoweth all things Indifferent to be such And these men distinguish not of Schism nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given in the third Part of the Treatise of Church Concord And solutio continui causeth pain nor do they at all make us understand what sort of Separation it is that they fasten on but talk of Separation in general as aforesaid LXXXVII They seem to be themselves deceived by the Papists in exposition of Cyprians words de Vnit. Eccles. Vnus est Episcopatus c. But they themselves seem to separate from Cyprian as a Schismatick and consequently from all the Church that hath profest Communion with him and with all the Councils and Churches that joyned with him For Cyprian and his Council erred by going too far from the Schism and Heresie of others nullifying all their Baptisms Ordinations and Communions And for this errour they declared against the Judgment of the Bishop of Rome and other Churches and they were for it condemned as Schismaticks by the said Bishop And here is a far wider Separation than we can be charged with 2. And Cyprians words came from the Mind that was possest with these opinions and are expressive of his Inclination 3. Yet they are true and good understood as he himself oft expounds them the Bishop of Oxford citeth some instances many more are obvious in which he opposeth the Bishop of Rome saying that none of them pretendeth to be a Bishop of Bishops and limiting every man to his own Province and saying that they were to give account to none but God with much the like But in what sence is Episcopacie one 1. Undoubtedly not as numerically in the personal Subjectum Relationis One Bishop is not another if you should say Paternity is One none believe that one mans Relation of Paternity is anothers The Relation is an accident of its own Subject as well as Quantity Quality c. 2. Nor doth any man believe that many Bishops go to make up one Bishop in Naturals 3. Nor did ever Cyprian hold or say that all Bishops go to make up one Politick Governing Aristocracie as many go to make one Senate or Parliament that hath a power of Legislation and Judgment by Vote as one Persona politica He never owned such a humane Soveraignty But Episcopatus unus est 1. In specie all Bishops have one Office 2. Objectivè As the Catholick Church is one whose welfare all Bishops ought to seek 3. And so finaliter as to the remote End and are bound to endeavour Concord 4. And as effects all are from one efficient institutor As it may be said that all official Magistracy in England is one 1. As from one King or summa potestas 2. As described by one Law and as Justices of one Species 3. As all their Cities and Counties and Hundreds are but part of one Kingdom whose welfare all are for 4. And as they are all bound to keep as much common Concord as they can if any mean more they should tell us what If any mean that all Bishops make one numerical Universal Government they are heinous Schismaticks and the Kingdom is Sworn against their Judgment And these Men damn them in damning Schismaticks The truth is Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae leaving out the Papists additions is a good Book and worthy to be read of all and take Cyprian's Description of the Episcopacy of the Church which we must unite with and the nature of that Union and we would rejoyce in such But if Cyprian had lived to see either Arians or Donatists the greater number or any Sect after call themselves the Church because that Princes set them up and had seen them depose Chrysostome and such other doubtless he would never have pleaded the Unity of Episcopacy for this but have judged as he did in the Case of Martial and Basilides nor did he ever plead for an universal humane Soveraignty LXXXVIII If we are damned Schismaticks I can imagine no pretended manner of Separation in which our Schism consists but first either Local as such 2. Or Mental as such 3. Or Local caused by Mental If Local as such be it All Christians are Schismaticks for being locally separated from others and absent from all Churches and places save one If Mental Separation be it either all Mental Division is such or but some only if all then all mortal men are Schismaticks as differing in a multitude of things from others If it be not all what is it is it all difference in the Essentials of Christianity we grant it and we are charg'd with no such thing Is it all difference in the Integrals or Accidents so do all differ that are not perfect Is it all want of Love or all Vncharitableness to one another all on earth have some degree of it and those are likest to have most that do as the Bishops did against the Priscillianists bring godly people under reproach on pretence of opposing Heresie or that seek the Silencing Imprisonment Banishment or Ruine of men as faithful as themselves For our parts we profess it our great Duty to love all men as men all Christians as Christians all godly men as godly all Magistrates as Magistrates c. Is it for our separating in mind from any Principles in specie necessary to Communion in the Church Universal or single Churches let it be opened what those Principles be We own all Christianity and all Ministry of Gods Institution and all his Church Ordinances We own Bishops over their Flocks let them be never so large so they be capable of the Work and End and alter not the true species and we submit to any that shall by the Word admonish Pastors of many Churches of their Duty or Sin or seek their good Nor do we refuse Obedience to any humane Officers set up by Princes to do nothing against Christs Laws nor nothing but what is in Princes power in the Accidents circa Sacra Is it because we disown any Numerical Rulers we own the King and his Magistrates we own all that we can understand to be true
a Foot parts similar and dissimilar in man are all compounded of lesser Parts If many Students may make one Colledge why may not many Colledges make one University It 's strange if a Doctor deny this 3. But let us consider of his Reason and enquire 1. Whether the Church have all things Common 2. Whether the very Essence of it consist in this I. It is granted that the whole Essence of the Genus and Species is found in every individual of that Species Natural or Politick but did we ever hear till Mr. Cheny and this Doctor said it that Politick Bodies differ not numero as well as Natural The Kingdom of England and of France are two the Church of Rome and Constantinople long strove which should be uppermost but who ever said that they were not two II. Have they all things common Dissenters would have excepted Wives and Husbands th◠the Canons called Apostolical do not Why should the Essence of a Church lie in this and not the Essence of a City or Kingdom Tories in Ireland would have all common Merchants and Tradesmen Knights Lords and Princes here would not But it 's no Schism here also to distinguish simpliciter secundum quid Propriety and the use of Propriety There is no Community without Propriety Men have first a Propriety in themselves their members their food the acquests of their Labours their Wives and Children and Goods And they consent to Community to preserve this Propriety because every man loveth himself And yet they must use their Propriety even of Life for common good because all are better than one But if they had no Propriety they could not so use it for the Common-wealth And I never conformed to the Doctrine that denyeth Propriety in Church Members and Particular Churches and thought all simply common I 'le tell you what Particular Churches have to individuate them not common to all 1. They consist of individual natural Persons many of which as much differ from many other Persons those in England from those in Spain as one man doth from another 2. Their Graces and gifts are numerically distinct Faith Hope Love c. from those of other Churches thó ejusdem speciei 3. England and France London and Oxford have Churches of different place and Scituation 4. But the formal individuating difference is their nearest Relation to their several Pastors as several Kingdoms Cities Schools are numerically distinct by their distinct Kings Maiors School-masters so are several Churches ejusdem speciei 1. Thess. 5.12 13 Know those that are among you and over you in the Lord and esteem them highly in love for their Works sake As every mans Wife Children and Servants must be used for the common good and yet are not common one mans Wife and Children are not anothers So the Bishop of London of Oxford c. must govern his Church for the good of the Universal but he is not the Bishop of Gloucester Norwich Paris Rome These are differences enow to constitute a numerical difference of Churches Paul distinguisheth the Bishops of Philippi Ephesus c. from others Do you yet see no Priviledges that one hath Proper and not common to all none that make a difference in specie but both numerical and gradual 1. All Churches have not Bishop Iewel Bishop Andrews Doctor Stillingfleet Doctor Sherlock to be their Teachers All Churches be not taught all that 's in this Resolver 2. All Churches have not men of the same soundness nor excellency of Parts It was once taken for lawful to account them specially worthy of double honour who laboured in the Word and Doctrine and to esteem men for their works sake Paul saith of Timothy I have no man like minded If those that heard not a Sermon in many years differed not from your Congregation why do you preach I am reproached in Print for telling the world this notorious truth That I lived till ten years old where four men four years hired successively were Readers and School-masters two Preached as it was called once a Month the other two never Two drank themselves to beggery After I lived where many Parishes about us had no Preachers The Parish that I lived in had a Church with a Vicar that never preached and a Chappel with a Parson eighty years old that had two Livings twenty Miles distant and never preacht His Son a Reader and Stage-player was sometime his Curate His Grand-son my School-master his Curate next that never preacht in his life but drunk himself to beggery One year a Taylor read the Scripture and the old man the best of them all said the Commmon-Prayer without book for want of sight The next year a poor Thresher read the Scripture After that a Neighbours Son my Master was Curate who never preacht but once and that when he was drunk in my hearing on Mat. 25. Come ye Blessed and go ye Cursed the saddest Sermon that ever I heard These things were no rarities Now my assertion is That the Church that had such as Austin Chrysostome Iewel Andrews and such worthy men as London now hath many had Priviledges distinct from these and many the like that I was in If you say that every Bishop and Preacher is as much the Bishop and Preacher to all other single Churches as to that which is his Title then 1. He must be condemned for not teaching them all 2. Then he may claim maintenance from them all 3. Then he may intrude into any mans Charge 4. Then no Church is unchurcht for want of a Bishop for any one Bishop is Bishop to every Church in the World and so ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia signifieth but that Church and Bishop are on the same Earth and Ecclesia est Plebs Episcopo adunata may be verified if there be but one in the World 5. And so Mr. Dodwell and such are self-confuted before you are aware Geneva Holland and all Presbyterians are true Churches for they have all Bishops e. g. The Bishop of London is Bishop to them all For if one man be no more a Member of one single Church than of another and so no more a Subject to one Bishop than to another then one Bishop is no more Pastor of one Church than of another 7. And how can you magnifie the Church of England for a Wise Learned Pious Clergy above other Churches if all Priviledges be common and they have no proper Pastors of their own 8. Do you think that the Church e. g. Of Hippo that was in Austins dayes was the same numerical single Church with that which is there now were there any or with the Diocesan Church of London if not then at least distance of time and change of Persons maketh divers Particular Churches and it 's no more against the unity of the Church Universal to have divers particular Churches in it in the same Age than in divers Ages In short Diversity of matter and form maketh a numerical Diversity as of Natural
is to hold that some Church is perfect in Understanding Faith Hope and Practice without Ignorance Errour or Sin that is not to know what a man or a Christian on Earth is XXIII Much less do all Churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents nor ever did nor ever will or can do XXIV The measuring out Churches by limits of Ground Parochial or Diocesan is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident and no Divine Determination And if all were taken for Church members-because they dwell in those precincts it were wicked But if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified Consenters it is usually a convenient measure But such as in many Cases must be broken XXV If a Church with Faithful Pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one Church it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct Church thô of the same Faith without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary or like to do more good than hurt 1. Because Love inclineth to the greatest Union 2. Because a Great Church is more strong and honourable than a small if the number be not so great as to hinder the Ends. 3. And the Ancient Churches kept this Union XXVI If Magistrates make such Laws about Church Accidents as tend to further the Churches wellfare or are so pretended and not against it we must obey them But if they will either invade Christs Authority or cross it by making Laws against his or such as are proper to his Prerogative to make or invade the Pastors Office and the Churches proper right given by Christ or determine Accidents to the Destruction of the Substance the Church Doctrine Worship or Ends these bind the Consciences of none to Obedience but Christ must be obeyed and we must patiently suffer XXVII Self-interest Self-Government and Family-Government are all antecedent to Publick Government which Ruleth them for the Common good but hath no Authority to destroy them No King or Prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his Soul nor to omit that which is needful to his Salvation All power is for Edification They are Gods Ministers for Good XXVIII As it belongs to self-government to choose our own Dyet and Cloaths and Wives and Physicians thô we may be restrained from doing publick hurt on such pretences And it belongs to Family Government to educate our own Children and choose their Tutors Callings Wives c. so it more nearly belongs to self-government to choose the most safe and profitable means of our own Salvation which no man may forbid us and to avoid that which is pernicious or hurtful and to Family-Government to do the like for our Children XXIX It is false Doctrine of those late Writers who tell us that only Sacraments sanctifie or give right to Salvation The whole Tenor of the Gospel tells us that men are brought to Faith and Repentance and to be Christians and Godly men and by Faith to be justified by the Preaching of the Gospel and that Gods word is his appointed means of Salvation which his Ministers must preach skilfully instantly in season and out of season to that End And if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost XXX The Gospel saveth not like a Charm by the bare sound or saying of the words nor the Sacrament like an Amulet But as a Moral means specially blest by him that instituted it to work on man as Mâ—n by informing his Mind perswading his Will and exciting his Affections as Men are wrought on in other Cases which methinks those called Arminians should least deny who are said to lay more of the Spirits operation on Moral suasion than their Adversaries yea and those that account it Fanaticism to expect any other gift of Prayer from the Spirit but what is given morally by use And the contrary Doctrine feigneth God to Work even constantly by Miracle And as the Papists make every Mass-Priest a Miracle Worker in Transubstantiation so do they that make the bare saying over the Words and doing the outward Acts in the Sacrament to save us ex opere operato and the Pastoral teaching and oversight of an ignorant drunken Lad or Reader to be near as great a help to Salvation as the Ministry of a wise skilful Holy and exemplary Pastor and the clear affectionate Preaching of Gods word And that tell us as Mr. Dodwell how sufficient a man is to administer the Sacramental Covenant that understands what a Covenant is in matters of Common Conversation XXXI If a Wise and Skilful and Conscionable Ministry be as needless to Edification and Salvation as some Men pretend it is as needless that they should study to be such and vain to Glory that they are such and that the Church of England hath such a Ministry and vain to expect that men should pay them any more respect than I owed my Master that never preacht but once and that drunken and divers very like him Or that they should use this as an argument to draw men to hear them XXXII If the King or Law should settle a Physician of his or a Patrons choice in every Parish it were well done if it be but to have help at hand for Volunteers But if he command all to use them and to use no other before them or against them where unskilful or untrusty men are placed no man is bound to obey this command No mens Law can dissolve the Law of Nature nor disoblige a man from a due care of his Life nor bind him to cast it away upon Obedience to ignorant or bad and treacherous Men. And a mans Soul is more precious than his Health or Life and he is bound to greater care of it and is no more to trust it on the will of his Superiours How vast is the difference between an ignorant rash Physician or Pastor and one that is wise experienced and trusty They that scorn Men for going for greater edification from one to another do not so if a man prefer a skilful Physician to one that kills more than he cures or a skilful and careful Tutor for his Son yea or a Farrier for his Horse XXXIII If one Preacher be not for Edification to be greatâ—â— preferred before another then One Book is not And so it 's no matter what Book they read or value and what a Student will this make And what a Trade for the Booksellers And why then should their own Books be so valued And why then do they silence hundreds or thousands and forbid them to preach on pain of ruine thô no false Doctrine be proved against them if they think not that the difference is very great XXXIV When Councils hereticated and condemned Thousands or Hundreds of Priests and Bishops whom Christian Emperours and Princes owned as Orthodox they did not then think every Patron Prince or Prelate a competent Judge with what Pastor Men should
Episcopacy by Palladius a damning Schism by separating from the former or a Reformation is just Reformation Schism LXIII 13. When the Church first set up Patriarchs Metropolitans General Councils Monasteries Parish Churches distinct from Cathedrals Organs New Liturgies and multitudes of Ceremonies this was a departing or separating from the contrary Church way which was there before was it therefore Schism LXIV 14. When Socrates tells us of some Countreys that had Bishops in the Countrey Villages like our Parishes was it a damning Schism to separate from this custome by decreeing that even small Cities should have no Bishops Ne vilescat nomen Episcopi or when the Chorepiscopi were put down where they had been LXV 15. If a man separate not from any thing essential to the Church of England he separateth not from that Church though he refuse that which is its Accidents or some Integral parts We are charg'd with separating from the Church of England as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute and scorn'd for denying it even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the Church of England or by Separation By the Church of England we mean the Christian Kingdom of England or all the Christians in England as living in one land under one Christian King who Governeth them by the Sword which includeth their Concord among themselves in true Christianity we are Christians we profess agreement in Christianity with all Christians we are under the same King as they are and profess subjection and take the same Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy yea we are not charged with differing in any thing called Doctrinal from their Thirty Nine Articles but we disown certain late Covenants and Oaths which are not Twenty three Years old and the Subscription to one Canon about the Innocency of all in their Liturgy now either these new Oaths Covenants and Canon Liturgy and Ceremonies are essential to the Church of England or not If yea then 1. It 's a poor humane Church made by them that made these Oaths Liturgy and Ceremonies 2. And then it 's a new upstart Church and no man can answer the Papists where it was before Luther or before Henry 8. yea if its essentials were made by this King and Parliament 1662. then the present Church is no older But if these things be indifferent or not essential to the Church then to separate only from these is not to separate from the Church If it be said That for the sake of these we separate from the Church it self and therefore from its essence we abhor the accusation and challenge them to prove it If we separate from the Church essentially it is either Locally or Mentally not Locally for we are yet in England nor is Local distance only a sin not Mentally for we own it for a true Christian Kingdom called a National Church bound to serve Christ in Love and Concord to their Power We deny not the King to be the Governour nor Christians to be Christians no nor the particular Churches and Ministers to be true thô culpable Churches and Ministers nor their Sacraments to be true Sacraments we profess to hold with them one Catholick Body one Spirit one God one Christ one Faith one Baptism in the essentials and one Hope and are ready to promise to live in Concord with them in all other things as far as will stand with our Obedience to God so that we separate not from the Church of England as such but from some of its Accidents which we dare not be guilty of LXVI 16. The same I say of a Parish Church he that locally removeth e. g. from a Church that hath Organs to one that hath none separateth from a pair of Organs but not Mentally from the Church unless the Organs be its essence LXVII 17. They that are for the true antient Episcopacy e. g. as much as Arch-Bishop Vsher's Reduction which we offer'd did contain but dislike the Lay Civilians power of the Keyes and Officials Surrogates Arch-deacons Government c. do not separate from the Church as Episcopal but from the humane Novelties which they disown LXVIII 18. If a Parishioner fall out with his Priest and they goe to Law about Tythes Glebes Words c. and the Suit be long and the man dare not Communicate with him believing that he hateth him thô the animosity should be culpable being but personal his going from him to another Church is not separating from Christ for I hope that even Mr. Dodwell himself will not say that every Priest is Christ. LXIX 19. Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius surely there is some qualification essential to the Ministry if a man want that qualification it is a Duty to separate from him as no Minister e. g. When I came to Kederminster after my subjection to six or seven worse I found the Vicar one reputed ignorant of the Fundamentals he was brought in by Sir Henry Blunt a Papist who Preacht but once a quarter which most thought he might better have forborn and his Curate Mr. Turner at Mitton Preacht once a day whom I found ignorant of the Catechism Principles by Conference and he confest he had but one Book Musculus common places in English and he said some of that to the People and they took it for a Sermon he lived by unlawful Marrying infamous for Drinking and Quarrelling he that had taken these for no Ministers and separated from them had not thereby separated from Christ or his Church Catholick LXX 20. If it prove as hard to know who is the true Pastor in a competition of Pretenders as it was to know which was the true Pope when there were two or three above twenty times or whether e. g. Optandus was true Bishop of Geneva that knew not Letters or whether Duke Heriberts Son consecrated in Infancy was Arch-Bishop of Rhemes or any other Infant consecrated be a Bishop officiating per alios Surrogates Chancellours Officials c. it is not here a Separation from Christ to separate from either of the Pretenders He that mistaketh not is not liable to the Charge he that mistakes doth not erre in an Article of Faith but in a difficult point of humane title and the qualification and right of a single man and my Opinion is that if such a title were tryed before our Judges or King and they should mistake and give Judgment against him that had right this were no separating from Christ nor proof that they are Infidels LXXI 21. If the Case of two contending Bishops or Presbyters come before a General or Provincial Council and they mistake and give it to the wrong and so separate from the right I do not think that thereby they separate from Christ or the Church Catholick e. g. The Constantinopolitan Council first gave the Church of Constantinople to Nazianzene and after judged him out as having no right if by this they separated from Christ they that take them for the
men for the Ministry that had the extemporate gifts of Prayer and Preaching 2. And you confess that each Church had then many Elders for oversight besides those that laboured in the Word and Doctrine Do you believe that all these had such extemporate gifts of utterance Or that these might not on occasion Pray and Preach 3. If Parents teach Children necessarily to Pray in a prescribed form of words without designing to defeat Christ or his Spirit but to subserve them how can you tell but the first prescribers of publick forms did mean as well when they found few persons able to do so well without and abundance of Hereticks ready to corrupt Gods Worship with their Errors 4. Let it be soberly considered Whether mens long and hard Study for all the words which they write in Books and for their Sermons be done to defeat Christ and his Spirit or to subserve them And why the use of words studied by others and weighed by us before we utter them should defeat the Spirit any more than words premeditated by our selves Or at least is not the Spirit as much defeated in the People that joyn who ever prepareth the words For they do not themselves put them up by their gift of utterance And its impossible when you speak for the people to know whether those words were before studied and whether by your self or by another from whom you borrowed them I have heard Mr. Ph. Nye wish that some men were sent into Wales and other such places with an injunction to read good Sermon Books to the people such as Dr. Prestons Sibbs c. was this spoken to defeat the Spirit or to serve him D. O. 1. A total neglect of all gifts of the Holy Ghost in the Administration of Church-worship and Ordinances § 14. THe first Consequence is an untruth No doubt but Liturgies were abused to cherish Ignorance and Negligence XXVII Error But that the neglect was total is not true whether you respect all the Churches or all the parts of Worship and Ordinances 1. The many holy and excellent Men whose fame and writings are transmitted to us did not totally neglect all gifts of the Holy Ghost Were all the great Volumes of Sermons preached and written by Chrysostome without any gift of the Holy Ghost Or was Preaching no Ordinance Were all Augustine's elaborate Volumes done without him Or all Cyprian's Macarius Ephrem Syrus Basil's Gregory's yea or Bernard's Homilies and Works 2. Are the gifts of Holy Desire Faith Hope Repentance no gifts of the Holy Ghost Or can you prove that these were all totally neglected in the administration of Church-worship 3. It 's known thar in the Exercise of Discipline which is a Church-Ordinance and in Catechizing and Preaching they were not tied only to a form of words no nor in all Confession Prayer and Thanksgiving 4. It 's a great blow to the Universal Church to say That it totally neglected all the gifts of the Holy Ghost D. O. 2. When a Plea for the Work of the Holy Ghost began to be revived it produced all the enmity hatred and contempt of and against the Spirit of God himself and his whole Work in the Church which the World is now filled withal § 15. THat word his whole work in the Church is another mis-report XXVIII Error It is not his whole work that is so contemned A man may preach for Mercy to the Poor for Obedience to Authority for Love c. and he may sing Psalms of Praise and pray for Pardon and for Kings and Magistrates and for daily Bread and may profess to believe the Creed and Scripture c. without the contempt which you describe But no doubt but Malignity will take advantage of Liturgies and of almost any thing and so hath still done All is not unlawful which bad men abuse What is more turned against Christ in the world abroad than his Two great Ordinances of Magistracy and Ministry What more abused to strife than the Sacrament of Love Union and Communion Are all these therefore unlawful And it 's a palpable Mistake That the foresaid scorn of all done by the Spirit ariseth from hence alone XXIX Error a justification of the devised way of Worship It ariseth more from a malignant enmity to serious godliness and from worldly interests and designs and from the slanders of Seducers that accuse good men and too much from the miscarriages of many that have boasted most of the Spirit as Quakers Ranters Familists c. do And Experience confuteth you For all those Countries that make but little use of Liturgies have yet malignant parties that hate and oppose spiritual serious Exercises of Religion D. O. All the Reproaches that are daily cast upon the Spirit of Prayer all the concontempt and scâ—rn which all Duties of religious Worship performed by his aid and assistance are entertained withal ariseth from hence alone namely a justification of this devised way of Worship as the only true way and means thereof Take this away and the wrath and anger of men against the Spirit of God and his wâ—rk in the Worship of the Church will be abated yea the necessity of them will be evident Tâ—is we cannot comply with lest we approve the original design of it and partake in the sins which proceed from it § 16. BEcause you lay the main stress of your Cause on History and Experience you constrain me to add some more History which I had rather have past by But if I set not Experience against Experience I shall leave abundance unto the danger of error who can judg by little else than Experience and that see and feel what 's present and forget what is long past and gone The Truth I have opened in my Christian Directory that both ways are liable to great abuse and all humane actions have their inconveniences The benefits of a sound Liturgy are 1. To keep out Heresie and ill words from publick worship 2. To be a help to men of unready utterance 3. That the people may know before-hand what they joyn in The inconveniences are 1. The dulling of Affection in hearing still the same words 2. The tempting of slothful worldly Candidates and Ministers to learn no other way of praying when this will serve all their worldly turns But I must add That this followeth not the imposing of a Liturgy but the exclusion of other Prayer and taking up with this alone 2. The conveniences of praying from an habit are 1. A just variation as Occasions vary 2. Help to fresh Affection 3. Forcing Ministers to get ability for utterance The inconveniences are 1. That the people know not till the words are past whether they may own them and so hardly try all and follow with just consent 2. That abundance of young raw unskilful men do ordinarily disgrace Prayer by their unskilful methods and expressions 3. That Hereticks and erroneous men have great opportunity to put their sins into their
prayer which yet the people should by joyning in make their own were they sound which they are not bound to do by Sermons And no man of understanding can chuse but suspect that weak ignorant Ministers will be shewing their weakness in the highest Duties and so must suspend their consent till late 4. That less care will be taken in speaking to God than in speaking to Men while most sober Ministers study their Sermons 5. That when to avoid disgraceful words and manner of praying men must decree that no such weak or unready men shall be Ministers the number that can do it better will be so small as that most Churches on Earth must be so deprived of Ministers and all publick Worship if that take place 6. That by this means young ignorant men that by use can speak fluently and fervently in prayer shall be followed by the people when many great Divines judicious and holy that have not that readiness of utterance shall be rejected as having not the Spirit 7. That as all mens bodies and minds be not in the like quickness and fitness at all times but sometimes clouded by Fumes or Weakness the publick Worship shall be as mutable uncertain and various as mens Tempers are All these on both sides are so great inconveniences that tho both Formalists and Fanaticks have derided me for it I have formerly said and still say That I believe that the best way to avoid both sorts of Evils is To have meet set Forms which shall be owned by the Church as their professed desires not being so long as to take up too much time from freer Prayer much less to forbid it which Calvin wisely ordered for France and Geneva And now as you have Historically told us the ill Consequences of a Lturgy I shall first tell you It is a Mistake None of these arise from a sound Liturgy but from the using that alone and not using also free Prayer with it And next I shall add some more of the History of Separation from Churches that have Liturgies tho it be as displeasing to me as it is necessary to the People I will pass by the Histories of Muncer and Munster and of David George in Holland and of Henry Nicols and the Familists which were the Off-spring of Separation And the sad Conflicts which they had against the sober Nonconformists and their sad Divisions among themselves in Holland and how many of them went further to Anabaptistry and more when Brown their Leader here turned Conformist It is only what I have lived to see that I briefly mention When the Parliament began 1640. there were few Separatists known comparatively in England But when they were encouraged by hope of Success they began to stir and shew themselves and two sorts fell in with them and quickly increased them that is 1. The exasperated Sufferers 2. Women and weak young Men who thought it a great honour in Religion to go far enough from Persecutors and formal or ungodly Ministers not seeing the Danger on the other Extream Holy and Learned Iohn Ball foresaw the Danger and wrote his Book called The Trial of Separation and after two more one against Canne and another against two New England Ministers The Assembly being called even sober and excellent Men that were for the old Conformity in case of Necessity but not otherwise Five of their number differing from all the rest save two more wrote for Independency This Controversie began the great Breach while the Five Dissenters stood stifly for a Liberty that Men might gather New Churches out of the Churches of the other Ministers of as many as should come to them in all places and should have all Church-Power in those separated Churches The other did not what might have been done skilfully to heal the Breach tho they did much The two Parties drew others into the Division Those called Presbyterians were the more quiet because they thought the Dissenters few Independency might have been tolerated but Separation was that which would not be endured when nothing was imposed in Doctrine or Worship which the Dissenters excepted against The Separaters finding themseves few were the more industrious especially to get Interest in Parliament and Army In the Parliament they could never get near the Major Vote but they had some whose Policy and Industry made up what was wanting in Number And by them they got the Army new modell'd all Parliament Men thence put out and Cromwell put in Power Second in Name and First in Deed He placed his Interest as Constantine did in owning the persecuted Christians who had no other outward help but him in declaring himself to be for Liberty in Religion and the Protector of all godly Men that suffered for Conscience-sake or feared it whereby the Dissenters that feared lest the Presbyterians would Master them came in to him and he got enough to Head his Army and great numbers also of Common Soldiers who were for Separation and being Men of other Parts and Interest than those tâ—at Fight only for Pay would not run away but Conquered almost where ever they came I lived in Coventry quietly and with godly understanding Men who thought all the Accusations against Fairfax's or rather Cromwell's Army as turbulent overturning Men had been Slanders After Nasâ—by Fight being near them I went for Novelty to see them There some sober Men among them told me how they had discouraged all the Orthodox Ministers save one or two and were deserted by them and turned Preachers themselves they that had most Self Conceit being the Speakers and in a word foretold me what Changes they would attempt against King Parliament and Ministry I went home and told what I saw and heard and being Invited by some of the soberest to the Army I told an Assembly of Ministers my willingness to venture Life and Labour among them to undeceive as many as I could The Ministers consented to my going Dr. Grew and Mr. Simon King yet living were two of them There Cromwell having notice of all before I came gave me no opportunity to come near himself or the Chief in Power But where I came I did my best For I found the Separatists half Arminians and the other half contrary Antinonians agreeing to use their Power for the Changes that were after made The Scots and Presbyterians they designedly and bitterly reproached The Book called Marâ—in Mar-Priest and other such tell you their Dialect Their usual Titles were The Priest-byters the Drivines the Sinners of Westminster the Dissembly men and such like The godly able Ministers were more scorned by them than formerly I had heard among the Drunkards What they did after this England and Scotland felt They cut off the King they cast out Eleven Members from the Parliament After that they cast out and imprisoned the Major par which was the House of Commons and cast out all the House of Lords then by these they made the People take an Engagement against
and godly Ministers in the Parish-Churches and some have such as I would never own or encourage in the Ministry by seeming to own them Some can remove their Dwelling and some cannot Some had Liberty the last year that cannot have it this year without more hurt than their benefit will compensate In these Cases where God hath not at all tied us to a Book or no Book to this Church or to that he that can truly tell which way he shall do and get most good or hurt may by that better know his Duty than by these Arguments or Mens Censures But verily my chief Reason for Communion in publick is the very same which you bring against it Even the avoiding of hainous Scandal I have told the World 1. That Scandal is not displeasing men but laying before them a temptation to sin 2. That if the Separatists be the best Christians they are farthest out of the danger of Scandal It is the worst that are easiliest tempted to Sin and so whom we should be most fearful to scandalize 3. And it 's a greater Sin to scandalize many than few 4. And worse by scandal to tempt men to the mortal Sins of persecuting or scorning godly men than merely to tempt them to some small mistakes or to grieve them 5. And to scandalize our Rulers is worse than to scandalize Inferiors Caeteris paribus And now I tell you I the rather joyn in Publick 1. Lest I should harden thousands in the Opinion That we take that to be unlawful which is not and that we are for sinful Separation and that we separate from and unchurch almost all Christs Church and that we are Enemies to Order and Peace and Concord and that we are unruly enemies to Government and giddy ignorant self-conceited people 2. And so lest we breed throughout the Land such a contempt of Conscience in Gods service as they have of Quakers and thousands by this should be alienated from the Reverence of serious Religion and Youth should be educated to the like contempt under these temptations 3. And lest if any in Church-matters be guilty of sinful Extreams on the other side in Oaths Professions Ceremonies or Practices we should harden them therein by tempting them to think that we have no worse against their way than the Use of a Liturgy 4. Lest the Conceit that we are but a company of giddy Fanaticks encourage any contentious Preachers to render us odious and rail at us in the Pulpits to their own shame and the widening of our Breaches 5. And lest the same Error should tempt any Bishops or Magistrates to think they do God and their Church and Countrey service in silencing imprisoning reproaching and ruining Gods faithful Servants without cause and bring the Land under Gods wrath by persecution Are these no Scandals or not greater than offending or displeasing the dissenting Separators to say nothing of ocsioning our Reproach in all the Foreign Churches which have a Liturgy If against all this the displeasing your mistaken Flocks should prevail then their weakness and error would constitute them our chief Governours D. O. Argument 9. That Worship which is unsuited to the spiritual relish of the New Creature which is inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit of God in Prayer is unlawful For the Nature Use and Benefit of Prayer is overthrown hereby in a great measure Now let any one consider what are the Prâ—mises Aids of the Holy Spirit with respect to the Prayers of the Church whether as to the Matter of them or as unto Ability for their performance or as unto the Manner of it and he shall find that they are all rejected and excluded by this Form of Worship as is pretended comprizing the whâ—le Matter limiting the whole Manner and giving all the Abilities of Prayer that are needful or required This hath been proved at large § 25. TO your Ninth Argument I answer 1. O! confine not the New Creature to those of your Opinion Do you think none of the Old Nonconformists or Conformists none of the Reformed Churhes and no Church on Earth for a Thousand years had any of the New Creature When you have affrighted People with telling them it is heinous sin and returning to Babylon and also by long disuse made a Liturgy uncouth to them do not ascribe all their averseness to the New Creature which is from prejudice and disuse For my part when God taught me first to pray I had no averseness to a Form When I heard it charg'd with sin I began to be averse to it When I had studied the case I was cured of that aversness but never reconciled to the forbidding of all other Prayer nor to the faults of any Forms And who knoweth not that Man 's culpable Nature loveth Novelties and are hardly kept in lively Affections under any thing that is very often said A Book or Sermon tho never so good affecteth us not so much after many times reading and hearing as at the first We must not lay this weakness on the New Creature tho it should teach Imposers to suit the Remedy to the Disease and give children such food as is not too displeasing to their Appetites And yet I find not the generality of Appetites even in your Flocks is against the Forms of Psalms being not prejudiced against them It is not true that Liturgies are inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit in Prayer It is a Mistake also XL. Error That this Form of Worship rejecteth and excludeth the matter of Prayer whenas the Visible Book tells all the contrary Do all those words express none of the Matter of Prayer It is untrue That it rejecteth and excludeth the Manner as to the chief part For the Lord's Prayer is a perfect Form for Matter Order and Method And the Psalms read and sung are for Matter and Manner neither evil nor excluded And sure there is much of the rest laudable If all Matter and Manner be rejected and excluded then the Martyrs that used it and all the Churches on Earth almost have no Church-Prayers But again I tell The use of Forms and the forbidding all other Prayers are Two different things which you ill confound D. O. Argument 10. That which overthrows and dissolves our Church-Covenant as unto the principal end of it is as to us unlawful This end is the professed joynt subjection of our souls and consciences unto the Authority of Christ in the observasion of whatever he commands and nothing else in the Worship of God But by this practice this end of the Church-Covenant is destroyed and thereby the Church-Covenant it self broken For we do and observe that which Christ hath not commanded And while some stand unto the Terms of the Covenant which others relinquish it will fill the Church with confusion and disorder § 26. TO your Tenth Argument I answer 1. What your Church-Covenant is I know not But if it profess subjection to nothing in Worship but what