Preachers for Ceremonies when as if Gods Will and Word in Necessary things to mens Salvation had but been preferred to the will and word of the Bishops about things called Indifferent by themselves the case had been altered and they would rather have let the ignorant have been without a Ceremony then a Sermon It is the unhappy fate of almost all that are set upon unnecessary things that they cannot endure that others should have the liberty of differing from them It is not enough to them to enjoy the freedom of their own Consciences about meats or holydaies or gestures or vestures or other formalities unless all others be compelled to do as they do When they are but moved to comply with others though plain Scripture and the practice of the Primitive Cathilick Church be justly alledged for it yet it moveth them little or nothing But if others will not comply with them they cry out against them as enemies to Unity and Peace and say It is not fit to suffer men to be of so many minds and waies That is It is fit all should be compelled to do as they would have them 12. And another mischief that followeth the making unnecessary things to be Necessary is that it openeth a gap to so many more of the same kind that no man knows how to stop it nor when we have Ceremonies and inventions enough But upon the same ground that these are brought in to day the next Pope or Bishop thinks he may bring another tomorrow and so we can never tell when we have all nor when will be an end 13. And then in the multitude of things unnecessary we shall be in danger of losing the things that are necessary they will be so buryed or obscured in the crowd the substance will scarce be perceived for the ceremony 14. And me thinks it is such height of Pride for mortal men to arrogate such a power and to desire and endeavour such a thing that I wonder how they dare attempt it I mean to make universal or unnecessary Laws for the Church in the matters of faith or worship Can a man that hath one spark of humility left in him desire that his will may be a Law to all others in doubtful or indifferent things and proceed so far as to desire that none may have Liberty in the Church that are not of his opinion or will not be ruled by him in things indifferent or of no necessity Surely a man of any humility would think with himself Am not I also imperfect in knowledge and may I not be mistaken what is my judgement that it should be a Law to the Church and that I should be so highly conceited and confident of it as to turn out godly Ministers or people from the Church or worship of God for not conforming themselves to my opinion in things of such a low indifferent nature He that would be the Law-giver to the Church and suffer none but those of his own opinion in such points would be the Lord of the Church which can know the voice of none but Christ and owneth no other Lord but him 15. And the sin is the greater because they have so little Interest or pretence to lead them to these usurpations They must have their will though it get them nothing Who made them Law-givers to the Church of Christ Cannot they allow Christ this part of the Soveraignty to make Laws for his Church And cannot they be content with a Ministerial power to proclaim and promote the Laws of Christ and according to these to guide his Church 16. And hereby men are drawn to a humane kind of Religion And they do more properly believe obey and worship these Imposers then Jesus Christ when they must fetch the very matter of their Religion not from the Bible but the Canons or Decrees of men their conscience obedience and reward will be according thereunto 17. And hereby the adversaries of the Church have occasion to insult over us and think our Differences to be more then indeed they are When the Unity of the Church is laid upon things Indifferent or of smalest moment there will presently be disagreements and these will be the enemies matter of reproach It is this that makes the Papists tell us of our differences among our selves because we have made them seem something to them when they are next to nothing O say they where is your Church of England now why what 's the matter Is the Church of England dead Or is any thing taken down that was essential to the Church of England was a Prelacy ruling by a lay-Chancelor over many hundred Parishes chosen and Governing without the body of the Clergy Essential to the Church of England I am confident the most of the sober godly Ministers in England are for the Apostolical primitive Episcopacy still Was the Book of Canons or the Book of Common Prayer or the Ceremonies Essential to the Church of England Sure they were not And if so its living still But if any say that these were Essential to it we may thank them for the death of it that made it of such a humane mortal frame which any Prince might spurn down at his pleasure Surely the Church or Churches of Christ in England are of a more heavenly durable frame that may be persecuted but hardly destroyed while the men are living of whom it doth consist Hence also it is that the Papists tell us that we have changed all our worship And wherein why we have not the same Baptism that we had nor the same administration of the Lords Supper nor the same publick Prayer nor the same way of Marrying Churching Burying c. And what 's the difference Is it that we say not at every time the very same words why so you may as well say that Paul was mutable because he wrot not the same words in every one of his Epistles nor spoke not the same words in all his Prayers no not in publick And so both you and we are mutable because we preach not the same words every day in our Sermons God hath bid us Pray but he hath prescribed us no necessary form of words but the Lords Prayer If the difference be that we use not the Common Prayer Book doth that make a different sort of worship Is it not the same sort of worship if we say the same words or words to the same sence either on the Book or off it If once men lay the Nature of worship and the Unity of the Church upon things unnecessary then what changes will seem to be in our worship when indeed there 's none Then the Papists may tell us of our divisions in worship because one man sitteth at the singing of Psalms and another stands and one readeth with spectacles and another without and one weareth a cap and another weareth none and one preacheth on one Text and another upon another But be it known to all the Papists in
rid the Countrey of them but the same men that confess all these to be great and grievous sins will keep them and delight in them as if it were in despight of God and man or as if they bore a deadly grudge to their own immortal souls 10. There is none of you that bears the face of a Christian but must agree with us in profession that One thing is needful and that we must seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and labour most for the food that will not perish Luke 10.41 42. Matth. 6 33. Iohn 6.27 and that God should be loved with all our heart and soul and might and that no man can love him too much nor serve him too carefully nor be too diligent in the seeking of his salvation Why then will you not all agree to do thus But the very same tongues that confess all this will yet speak against the service of God and call it Puritanism and preciseness and say its more ado then needs Why Sirs if you will say and unsay there is no hold to be taken of your words and therefore what agreement can be with you Will you confess that all should take more care for their souls then for their bodies and take more care for heaven then earth and yet will you not agree to do it but rather speak against them that do it when you confess that it is bâ—st Why if you can agree no better with your selves how can you agree with us If your own opinions and profession be at such odds with your wills and practices no wonder if you be at odds with others More particularly I hope you will all confess that it is the duty of all that can to hear the Word of God and frequently to read it and labour to understand it and to meditate in it day and night and for Parents daily to teach it their children at home and abroad lying down and rising up Deut. 6.6 7 8. 11.18 19. Psalm 1.2 3. and to pray in their families and in private even alwaies or frequently to pray and not to wax faint but in all things to make known their requests to God that all things might be sanctified to them by the Word and Prayer All this is plain in the Word of God Dan. 6.10 11. Luke 18.1 1 Thes. 5.17 Psalm 55.17 1 Tim. 4.5 Phil. 4.6 But will you all agree with us in the practice of these things Will all the Families in Town and Countrey agree together to pray morning and evening reverently to God and to banish profaneness out of their doors and to instruct their children and servants in the fear of God and spend the Lords day in holy exercises and help one another to prâ—pare for death and judgement and exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin â— Heb. 3.13 To what purpose should I mention any more particulars till we see whether you will Unite and agree in these All these are your own Professions I know you cannot deny any one of them and yet we cannot perswade you to Consent with us in the Practice of what your selves profess No nor scarce to forbear the open opposing of it Either resolve now that you will all agree with us in these things which you confess the Lord hath made your duty or else tell us plainly that you are the deadly enemies of Unity and Peace that we may take you to be as you are and troublâ— our selves no more abâ—â—â— you If you are resâ—lved against Agreement and Vnity tell us so and save us the labour of any further trâ—aties with you Talk no more childishly about our petty differences in ceremonies and forms of Worship about Bishops and common-Common-prayer Books and Holy-daies and such like as long as you refuse Agreement in the main There 's a difference between you that is an hundred times greater then these some of you are for Heaven and some for Earth some of you live to the Spirit and some to the flesh some of you are hearing reading or meditating on the Word of God when others think it needless and had rather have a pair of cards or dice in their hands some of you make Gods Law your Rule and some are Ruled by the world and the flesh some are drunkards gluttons wanâ—ons worldlings and some are sober temperate chaste and heavenly some think almost any thing enough in the Worship of God and for the saving of their souls and others think the best they can do too littlâ— and when they have done most lament that they do no more some Families use daily prayer reading and holy instructions and others use daily swearing railing ribaldry and peâ—haps deriding of holiness it self In a word some give up themselves to God and Heaven and others to the world the flesh and the devil some are converted and become new creatures by the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost and others are yet in the state of nature and never knew a true conversion This is the great differâ—nce of the world Sirs Till this be healed it is in vain to talk of the healing of our petâ—y differences And therefore once more I tell you if you will not be Converted to an holy life and Unite with us on these terms you are the enemies of Peace and Unity and the great Incendaries of the world AND now having proceeded thus far in the treaty with you because I will either bring you to Agreement or leave you at least without excuse I will here annex some further Reasons to move you if it may be to so happy a work 1. Consider I pray you that if you will not agree with us in the things that you make profession of and confess to be your duty you are then treacherous and false to God and to your selves and therefore not fit for any to make Agreement with till you change your minds Do you know that God is best and yet will you not Love him better then the world Do you know that Heaven is the only happiness and yet will you not seek it more then earth Do you know that an holy life is best and yet will you be unholy Do you know sin is the worst and most dangerous thing in the world and yet will you not let it go Who will trust such men as you that will go against their own knowledge and confessions If you will be false to God and false to your own souls no wonder if you be false to us 2. Moreover all your pretended desires of Unity and Concord are base hypocrisie as long as you refuse to Unite with us in the way and state of holiness To take on you that you are troubled at the Divisions of the world and to wish that we were all of one Religion and to talk against sects and opinions as you do is meâ—r self-condemning and such gross dissembling as exposeth you to
confident that we were about four years too late in our common account as in his Annals may be seen And what man can reveal the things that God hath purposely concealed For my part I dare not judge men for keeping or not keeping such daies as these But if any will make it a necessary thing to the Vniversal Church I must resist that usurpation as Paul that had Circumcised Timothy did cry down circumcision when some would have obtruded it as a necessary thing And for this I have an Argument that sustaineth my Religion it self even the sufficiency of the Holy Scripture If this be not the Law of God then farewel Christianity If it be his Law it is sufficient in its kind and to its ends which is 1. To determine of all things that were then fit to be determined of 2. And to determine of all that the Universal Church in all times after must be bound to There is no Universal Law-giver but Christ. If this day be of Necessity it was so then as well as now and it is so to one Country as well as another for there is the same reason for it in one age and place as in another And therefore if Scripture be not a sufficient Rule for Universal Duties of Religion then we are utterly at a loss and as Popery will come first in so Infidelity is likely to come next I doubt not but pro re nata upon emergent occasions Church-Governours may appoinâ— Religious Anniversary solemniâ—â—es For the occasion of these being 1. To some one place or Proâ—â—â—ce only 2. And not existent 〈◊〉 Scripâ—ure times it did not belâ—â—â— to the Universal Law to determine of them But in casâ—s that equally belong to the Universal Church and where the Reason and occaâ—â—on was existent in the Apostles daies as well as now if there we have not their determination no others can come after them and make it universally Necessary And indeed neither General Councils nor Apostolick Tradition can be pleaded for the Necessity And sure I am that the one day in seven even the Lords-day of his own appointment which the Universal Church hath constantly observed is a Festival for the commemoration of the whole work of Redemption and therefore of the Birth of Christ though especially of the Resurrection And therefore we are not without a Day for this use I speak not all this to condemne any that use these daies but to excuse those that use them not and by telling you a few of those many reasons which they have to give for themselves to perswade you both to lay by the opinion of Necessity and to forbear condemning those that differ from you and be content that they have their liberty as we are freely content that you have yours and Lay not the Vnity and Peace of the Church upon such things as these when the Holy Ghost hath so plainly decided the case And I could heartily wish that the Lords own day were not most wilfully neglected by many that are most forward for other Holy-daies It s a fearful self-delusion of ungodly people that no means can bring them to a New a Holy and Heavenly life and yet they will make themselves believe that they are Religious by pleading for forms and dayes and ceremonies Alass poor soul if thy eyes were but opened thou wouldst see that thou hast other kind of matters first to look after It would grieve one to hear a man contending for Kneeling and Holy-dayes and prayer-Prayer-books that is in a state of unregeneracy and a stranger to sanctification and under the dominion of his sins and under the curse and wrath of God Get first a new and holy Nature make sure of the pardon of sin and of Peace with God and then the discourse of lower matters will be more seasonable and more savoury Is it not a shameful self-condemning to keep Holy-dayes for the dead Saints and to hate and rail against the Living Do you know what kind of men those were that are called Saints and Holy-dayes were kept in remembrance of them They were such as those that now are hated by the world and took the course in a holy and diligent care of their salvation as these do and therefore were hated by the world as the godly now are and when wicked men had put them to death the godly that survived would keep a day in remembrance of their Martyrdom to encourage others to constancy for Christ. And also because the unruly multitude were so set upon their pleasure that they kept the Idols festivals for their sport sake therefore some Pastors of the Church did think it better to let them have Festivals for the Saints to take their pleasure in to turn them off from the Idols festivals So Gregory Nyssen tells us of Gregory Thaumaturgus in his Oration of his life that he made Holy-dayes for his neighbours of Neocesarea when the Roman fury had Martyred many and he used this as a pious wile to draw the licencious Vulgar from the Idols festivals by letting them play on the Martyrs dayes till they could be drawn up to a holy observation of them Whether the course were right or wrong by this you may see the Original of such dayes And Gregory the great of Rome would for this very end have all the Heathens Festivals turned into Christian Festivals But if any of you will hate a Saint and refuse the Communion of Saints and will not imitate them in Holiness and yet will keep Holy-dayes for them that are dead Christ himself hath given you your doom Matth. 23.29 30 31 32 33. which I desire you to read Well Sirs I have said enough if enough will serve to prove that the Unity of the Church must not be laid on things Indifferent nor upon low or doubtful points but it must be a Unity in the Spirit of Sanctification It is in the few the great the certain and the Necessary points that we must all agree in if ever we will agree and compassionately tolerate the differences that are tolerable If after all this there be any so Proud and selfish and ungodly and unmerciful that they will set up their own Conceits and Wills against the plain Commands of God the long and sad experience of the world and against the Peace of their Brethren and the Unity of the Church and will have no Agreement unless all others will be conformed to their Wills I shall now say no more to such but that These are not the sons of Peace nor the living compassionate members of the Church but self-idolizers that God is engaged to pull down And it is not by such as these that the Church must be healed and repaired But it is by them that are sensible of their own infirmities and compassionate to others that are of a Christian Catholick Spirit and have Catholick Principles and Affections and see such a beauty in the Image of Christ that they can heartily Love a gracious person notwithstanding his many tolerable infirmities and think themselves more unworthy to be tolerated by others then such as I have described to be tolerated by them Preached December 24. 1657. FINIS