forbidden and sent home 43. No Minister in regard of Preaching or any other respect may diminish Orders Rites Ceremonies or Prayers nor add any thing in the matter or form C. 14. 44. Though many melancholy persons dare not communicate in the Sacrament and many other are secretly conscious of Atheism Infidelity or wickedness they must be compelled to receive thrice a year 45. The Minister is to be suspended who giveth the Sacrament to any that kneel not or that speak against the book of Common-prayer Ceremonies c. 46. No one may be made a Minister or permitted to exercise that Office who will not subscribe that the book of Common-prayer and Ordination containeth in it nothing contrary to the word of God and that he will use that form and no other And that will not declare publickly in the Church his unfeigned Assent and Consent to All and every thing contained and prescribed in and by that book 47. He must be cast out and silenced that doth not Assent that It is certain by Gods Word that children which are baptized dying before they commit actual sin are undoubtedly saved not excepting those whose Parents are Jews Infidels Heathens or Atheists and whose Godfathers are Atheists Hobbists or Impious 48. They must Assent Consent to and Practice signing Infants at Baptism with the Cross to dedicate them by that badg to his service whose benefits bestowed on them in baptism the name of the Cross doth represent in token that he shall not be ashamed to profess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner c. which seemeth to us to be thus made a Sacrament 49. They must deny to Christen all that refuse this 50. They must consent to deny baptism to all that have not such undertaking Godfathers as aforesaid though the Parents would enter them into the Covenant who are forbidden to be Godfathers or speak a Covenanting-word 51. They must profess Consent to deny the Sacrament to all that dare not take it kneeling I speak all this as imposed on Ministers and before as on the people 52. They must profess consent and practice to pronounce all that they bury to be taken to God in mercy where we hope to come c. except only the excommunicate unbaptized and self murderers were they Atheists or profane 53. They must declare Assent to a false rule for finding Easter-day and consent to keep two Easters often yea though it be confessed false 54. They must consent to read the first Lesson out of Tobit Judith Bel and the Dragon and other apocryphal-Apocryphal-books for most of two months 55. None must be suffered to Preach that will not subscribe That it is not lawful on any pretence what soever to take Arms against those that are Commissionated by the King while we understand not whether the Law be not above his Commission and in some cases allow not the Sheriff to resist it and whether that be his Commission which is contrary to Law if it have his Seal and so the keeper of the Seal may Commission men to seize on his strength and treasure and to let in an enemy or consequently depose the King No words can more exclude exceptions than the exclusion of any pretence whatsoever 56. None must preach that subscribeth not that There lyeth no obligation from the Oath called the Covenant on him or ANY OTHER person to endeavour any change or alteration of Church-Government Though many Hundred thousands took that Oath whom we know not nor their sense and many Parliament-men that imposed it And so all Reformation of Church-Government is made unlawful and impossible though vowed 57. This Church-Government by Decretive Excommunication and Absolution is exercised by Lay-Chancellors and all must subscribe against all endeavours though vowed to amend it though some Bishops confess it to be evil 58. The Parishes as is aforesaid are made by many no true Churches but parts of the lowest Church And Parish-discipline is excluded The Priest hath no Power of the exterior Keys but to execute the decrees of the Bishop or Chancellor 59. Some Diocesses have above 1000 Parishes some many hundreds by which Christs true Discipline described Mat. 18. 15. 1 Cor. 5. 1. 1 Thess 5. 12 13. Heb. 13. 7 24. 1 Tim. 5. 25 26. Tit. 3. 10 c. is as impossible as for one Schoolmaster to be the sole Governour of many score or hundreds of Schools having Teachers only under him And none that Vow'd it may endeavour to mend this and render true Church-discipline again a possible thing 60. The Souls of men have great need of Pastors near them and able to resolve their Cases of Conscience and comfort them and help them in manifold straits And many Parishes are so great that the Priests cannot do such Offices for one of many hundred nor do they do it nor know the people And other Parishes too many have Priests that are raw unskilful men utterly unfit for such Pastoral helps And the Bishop is far off and must have hundreds with him at once should he do that work so that it is mostly undone And yet those are punished that chuse Pastors to do it in such need 61. If a Parish have a Priest so drunken that his own family can scarce live with him or so insufficient that he never preacheth because he cannot or will not and the people scruple encouraging such a one in his ill undertaking of the Ministry and dare not take him for their Pastoral Guide they are forbidden to go from him and to communicate in the next Parish and the Minister that receiveth them or baptizeth their Children though conformable is suspended C. 57. 62. No Minister must Preach in a private house save in times of necessity through sickness nor may they on any occasion of sickness or the like keep any Fasts in their Churches or in any private house nor be present at them which are not appointed by Authority C. 61 62. Nor may they hold meetings for Sermons or Exercises 63. Ordination enableth no man to preach without farther license 64. They Excommunicate all Ministers that voluntarily relinquish their callings and use themselves as Lay-men And yet thousands must do both if the Bishops silence them 65 He that preacheth to more than four not of his family if he conform not must be fined 40 l. a Sermon and he that owneth the ground 20 l. and the Preacher Imprisoned Six months in the Common Jayl and the Hearers fined And if he swears not never to endeavour any alteration or amendment of their Government he must be banished Five miles from Cities Corporations and all places where he lately preached or lie Six months in Jayl if he come nearer though the Law say that the Parish must keep him in his want 66. The Parish-Priest must publish Excommunications though against his conscience against godly men for not Conforming c. while thousands that never come to Church or Sacraments and Swearers and
differ we became not herein Accusers of the Conformists but disavowed it leaving them to their proper judg and medling with no mens mattters but our own 67. And lest it should seem to reflect on them as guilty or exasperate our afflicters we have mostly forborn these 17 or 18 years so much as to open the matters and reasons of our Nonconformity and silently undergone reproach 68. Yea when great Bishops have told our Superiors that we judged nothing but renouncing the Covenant unlawful and have called to us and set Parliament-men to call out What it is that we would have and never would give us leave to tell them we have patiently been silent And when great Bishops have told me that our Rulers took us as not sincere for not giving our reasons and that they would Petition that we might no longer be suffered to keep up a Schism and give no reason for it I have offered them to beg it on my knees if there were any hope to obtain liberty but once to render our reasons of not conforming 69. And when the Act ceased which restrained the Press we still forbore till they gave out That now it was clear that for our baffled cause we had no defence but went on to sin against our consciences which constrained me at last to open somewhat of our case at which yet they are displeased 70. Though multitudes of Books have been written against us charging us with Schism and calling for execution of the Law against us yea perswading King and People as the Plotters do that we are cherishing principles of rebellion we thought it best to imitate Christ and silently to bear all and let our Lives and Works rather than our Apologies answer for us till constrained I published a full account of our Principles of Government and Obedience lest continued silence pass for guilt 71. Their constant last accusation is about the late Wars When-as 1. not one of very many of the present Nonconformists ever medled with them 2. And we offer them thanks to silence only the guilty 3. And many Conformists and one Archbishop were in Arms for the Parliament 4. And we have not requited them till of late with telling them that it was the Conformists here that began the War 72. When some say that they requite us for casting out the Conformists heretofore we offer them a thousand thanks if they will cast out none but those that cast out them I confess I took it for a great mercy to have grosly ignorant drunken Readers and Priests cast out of what opinion soever and better put in But I and others wrote against putting out any worthy and tolerable man for being against the Parliament or for Prelacy 73. Whereas some cheat the ignorant by telling them that We would have every Minister be a Pope in his own Parish 1. A Pope is one that arrogateth the Government over all other Pastors even of the whole world Whereas we would govern no Pastors at all nor any people but our particular flocks 2. And these we would have only to be Volunteers And is not he liker to a Tyrant that will be a Pastor to thousands against their wills than he that will take charge of none but Consenters 3. Specially the Independents who are accused as giving the power to the people and depending on their charity do not like tyrants compel any to obey them 74. Some are taught to make the Presbyterians odious by the rigor of their Discipline and the stool of Repentance which the licentious fear But 1. our judgment is that none but willing Consenters should be Church-members and as such come under Discipline 2. And that none be excommunicate for any sins ordinarily unless after due warning and patience he refuse to repent 3. And God hath made Repentance necessary to comforting-absolution pardon and salvation 4. And it 's a thousand pities that any should be so mad in sin as to think Repentance too dear for pardon 75. Some say that we are for Excommunicating Kings What other men have been is nothing to us We take not our judgments on trust from any party but the Scripture is our Rule and the Primitive Church our pattern Some of us have written against the lawfulness of dishonouring Princes and Rulers by proper excommunications as being against the fifth Command and Rituals give place to Morals And some of the greatest Church-men that have cast us ouâ—â—â—ve been for Rulers Excommunication We are not insensible what Treasons and Domination not only the Pope but the Councils of Bishops even without the Pope as in the case of Ludovicus Pius and others have exercised over Princes and Kingdoms by excommunications and cursed cursing men from Christ 76. We find that when in the contentions between the Popes and the Emperours the Clergy familiarly swore on both sides as interest moved them and as Abbas Urspergensus saith Perjury was the common brand of Priest and people it was far from proving a cure of Schism though it was pretended for that use 77. As the Law forbiddeth us so we profess to intend nothing here written as an accusation of the Government Laws Liturgy or Conformists but only as a description of the reasons of our own Nonconformity But if it should prove true that Cities Corporations Bishops and Priests are guilty but of half the evil against God Truth Conscience the Gospel the Church the souls of men the good of the King and Subjects which we fear we should be guilty of if we did conform I had rather be a slave than that Clergy-man that should encourage them in it 78. And if it should prove that any of them are under such guilt in the end it will prove but an uneffectual defence to accuse the innocent and reprove and so to divert them by keeping them on the defensive part while they are accused of odious sin for not sinning and called intollerable for refusing to concur in wickedness 79. Ever since we were cast out and silenced we have thankfully accepted all motions and overtures for concord We have been several times since the first Treaty called to new Treaties in one Dr. Manton and others offered thankfully to accept leave to preach for nothing in the Parish Churches where the Ministers desire it and when the Common-Prayer is used Another time being called by the Lord Keeper Bridgman we agreed with Bishop Wilkins and Dr. Burton and it was draâ—â— up in an Act of Concord by Judg Hale but voted by the Commons not to be brought in Since then we were invited to treat with Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Stillingfleet who seemed to consent to the terms of the form of an healing Act which we offered them but they found that the Bishops would not consent By all which we have still shewed that we have never ceased to seek for peace 80. We have never shunned to read or hear all that can be said to prove that we need not fear all the guilt of
Mr. Dodwell hence draw dismal degrading and unchurching Consequences And yet thus they condemn both the English and Roman and Universal Church If Church-power be given by Inferiors the Independents are not to be confuted If from equals as Generation is as men generate men and Physicians make Physicians c. then Presbyters may make Presbyters If it must be by Superior Power then who maketh Archbishops in England or Popes at Rome who have no Superiors and so by them no authority So much for the Historical Characters of the Canonical Conformists But after all this we grant that there is some tye and union among them They all own Archbishops Bishops Deans and Chapters Archdeacons with an Et caetera the rest as the Canon speaketh They all agree to declare and subscribe the words imposed and promise or Covenant accordingly and swear Obedience to their Ordinaries E. g. Though such as Mr. Bull and Dr. Tully write against each other of Justification as by Faith or Works though many are very much against the Doctrine of Mr. Thorndike Mr. Parker Mr. Sherlock and such other yet they all subscribe the same Articles about Justification Free-will Predestination And I doubt not but there are very many not only Learned but Pious men among them who yet by strong prejudice and passion through education converse cross interests and unacquaintedness with Dissenters and the many scandals that have risen and the extremes which many have run into are possest with a conceit that the ruine imprisonment banishment or silencing of Nonconformists is necessary to the prosperity of their party called by them The Church And to do the Papists right they agree to be members of one Church and to be for the Dignities Wealth and Power of their Clergy and take the same Oaths and are under the same Canons c. though they differ about the Supremacy it self as between the Pope and the Prelates in General Councils and about swearing forswearing lying murder deposing and killing Kings fornication and many such as the Jansenists have opened at large All these differences they can bear with and the many different Sects of Fryers fitted to the several humours of men as long as they are for one Common society and interest And doubtless many of strict lives do think it a service to the Church and so to God to kill burn and destroy others that are against them as they do There is some one with what mind I know not that hath written a book called The Catholick Hierarchy pleading like an Independent against humane Impositions But in a Digression so diligently labouring to prove that the Diocesans Subordination of Churches will unavoidably infer a Pope or Universal Head that I take it to be a dangerous book while it stalleth the said Diocesans whether imprudently or fraudulently as a Prevaricator I know not he saith more for a Pope without any antidote than is ordinarily to be elsewhere found and then most heads are able to answer though the main conclusion is fully confuted in my last book against Johnson alias Terret the Papist CHAP. III. The Meer Nonconformist 1. BY the present Meer Nonconformists we mean those that 1660 by the Kings Concession made their proposals for Reformation and Concord and as are of the Judgment then by them professed I meddle not with others unknown 2. Their profest Religion is Meer Christianity essentially contained in the Sacramental Covenant explained in the Creed Lords-prayer and Decalogue and integrally in the sacred Scripture 3. Yet as Christians are accidentally called Protestants because they renounce Popery so we are Catholicks as renouncing all Schismatical Sects and Nonconformists because we dare not Conform to all that is imposed on us 4. We hold that all Christians should Love each other as themselves and do them all the good they can and no hurt 5. We hold that all baptized in Infancy should solemnly at age renew and own that Covenant as adult members 6. And that all that do so not nullifying their profession by inconsistent heresie or sin should be received in Communion 7. That such as renew it not or are proved to forsake it or heinously sin against it should be reproved and after sufficient admonition if impenitent be declared unfit for Church-Communion and accordingly avoided 8. That God hath appointed that there be stated Assemblies of Christians especially on the Lords-days where he shall be worshipped Men instructed and Communion exercised 9. That these Congregations should have known stated Pastors to be their Teachers and Guides in worship and holy living 10. That these Pastors by Office have the power of the Church-keys to judge whom to take in by Baptism and whom to admonish as Criminal to reject as impenitent and to absolve and receive again as penitent in their proper charge 11. That Baptism and the Eucharist being a Gift of a sealed pardon and of Christ and life no unbelieving nor unwilling person is capable of them Therefore none but believing Consenters or Volunteers and their Infants should be baptized and Volunteers only admitted to the Lords-Supper 12. And though Magistrates should promote the sacred Work and Rule the Churches and keep peace and order by the Sword and see that all have competent Teachers and hinder the intollerable yet may they not invade the Pastors office or peoples right nor force men to trust their Souls to the Pastoral Care of unable or untrusty men nor hinder them from chusing better for themselves any more than they may confine them to untrusty Physicians Servants or Wives 13. That because the Pastoral Office cannot be exercised either by or on the unwilling mutual consent is necessary to the Relation of Pastor and Flock 14. That it is part of the Pastors Office to word his own Sermons and Prayers But yet if to avoid discord or errour some common forms be agreed on not overthrowing the Pastors office they may be fitly used till by accident they do more hurt than good 15. The Laws of Magistrates Circa Sacra and the consent and custom of Churches should not in lawful things be crossed by humorous dividing Singularity 16. No one Liturgy was imposed on any National Church or any Patriarchate for many hundred years after the Apostles days yea and after Constantine But every Bishop or Pastor was the chuser of his Words and Practice 17. Christians should all live in Love and walk peaceably by the Divine Scripture-Rule so far as they have attained so waiting for increase of grace 18. We must receive the weak in the faith and such as differ tolerably from us even as Christ receiveth us and no Christian should be excommunicated but for impenitency in sins subverting faith or holy living 19. Nor must Christs Ministers be forbid to preach the Gospel because of tollerable differences 20. And those that through differences and scruples cannot comfortably worship God under one Pastor or in the Words or Ceremonies of one Church should have leave to do it in