two Parties of the Episcopal Laity and Clergy in England after drew in the Scots to help the Parliament and many Papists to help the King neither of them being the first Parties but Auxiliaries though in Scotland and Ireland it was otherwise begun 23. These Auxiliaries of the Parliament would not help them but on the terms of the Covenant and so Church-alterations came on and the Parliament thought it was better have no Bishops than such as did prevail against them 24. When Wars and Misery had tired both sides and made them long for reconciliation and this endeavour had called home the King and many Bishops and Doctors had promised to be for Concord upon necessary healing-terms and the Lords Knights and Gentlemen had printed many Protestations for Peace and against Revenge and the King had Commissioned us to treat with the Bishops for Concord and told us They should meet us if we would come as near as we could to them When the Kings Declaration seemed to have almost healed us the Commissioned Bishops stood to it that no abatements were necessary and though we foretold them the impossibility of Common concord without abating some things which did them no good but harm and the advantage which Schism Contention and Popery would unavoidably get which they might easily and cheaply prevent we pleaded we beg'd by a long Petition but all in vain nothing would move them but when we only foretold them of the Divisions that must needs follow when Thousands were forced against their Consciences they took it as if we threatned Sedition and turned our Petitions and Arguments for the common peace and concord as if it had been a crime against both it and us 25. And the Convocation cast away the Kings Declaration and drew up the changes in the Liturgy which added to our burden and drew the Parliament to confirm it all and in the Act of Uniformity much more unpracticable by us is imposed which made our breach what since it is 26. No man now must be in Trust and Office in any City or Corporation who will not declare that there is no obligation on him or any other person from the Covenant not excepting against Popery Schism or Prophaneness though he would confess it unlawfully imposed and taken and renounce all obligation to rebellion or any evil 27. No adult person or Infant must be admitted to Christendom by baptism without the transient Image of a Cross as a dedicating engaging Covenanting-sign and symbol or badg of Christianity 28. No Infant must be Christened without Godfathers who are his Covenant-sureties and undertake his pious education though the Parents can get none that will seriously tell them they intend to perform it The Parents being not allowed to speak one offering or Covenanting-word nor must be urged to be present 29. No person must be admitted to Sacramental Communion who thinketh it a sin to receive it kneeling lest it should be seeming compliance with Popish adoration 30. No persons must be admitted to Communion who have not Confirmation by Episcopal Imposition of hands or are desirous of it though they fear it is made a Popish Sacrament by the addition Upon whom after the example of the holy Apostles we have now laid our hands to certifie them BY THIS SIGN of thy favour and gracious goodness towards them 31. Though they will not tell us what the Church of England is that is Its Essentiating form and Head Lay or Clergy vet every man must be ipso facto excommunicate who faith It is not an Apostolical Church as established by Law 32. Every one is excommunicate ipso facto who saith that the form of Worship established by Law contained in the Book of Common-prayer is corrupt or unlawful or containeth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures 33. All are excommunicate ipso facto who say That any of the 39 Articles are in any part such as he may not with a good conscience subscribe to though it be but that of the Churches power to impose Ceremonies And yet divers Conformists are against the Doctrine about Free-well Heathens damnation c. 34. All are ipso facto excommunicate who say that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are superstitious or such as godly men may not with a good conscience approve use and on occasion subscribe See Can. 3 4 5 6. So that not only Ministers but all men and women that differ but of the Lawfulness of any one of their Ceremonies and say so are excommunicate already ipso facto 35. All are ipso facto excommunicate that say that the Government of the Church of England under his Majesty by Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and THE REST that bear Office in the same is repugnant to the word of God So that if one were for Archbishops Bishops and Priests and Deacons and thought but Deans or Archdeacons unscriptural and sinful he is excommunicate yea or Lay-Chancellours decretive power of the Keys for the rest that bear Office must needs include them And yet many Bishops themselves are against them 36. All are excommunicate ipso facto who say that the form and manner of making and Consecrating Bishops Priests or Deacons hath any thing repugnant to the word of God C. 8. 37. They are to be excommunicate that say Ministers refusing to subscribe may truly take the name of another Church not established by Law c. And yet the Church of Rome is said to be a true though faulty Church by many and a faulty Church may be a Church And they say that the Dutch and French Churches here stand but by the Act of King and Council 38. All are to be excommunicated that say that there are within this Realm other Congregations of the Kings born Subjects than such as are allowed by Law who may rightly take the name of true and lawful Churches E. g. If Gloucester that had a Papist Bishop Goodman had chosen themselves a Bishop and called themselves a true Church c. 39. They Command all to keep the Lords day and other Holy-days accordsng to Gods holy Will in hearing the Word of God read and taught in private and publick prayer and yet suspended and ruined many Conformable Ministers for not reading a book for dancing and playing on that day 40. And where many thousands in a Parish cannot come within their Church-doors nor have any Conformist elsewhere in the Parish to teach them they forbid them on great penalties to hear Nonconformists and call them Separatists and Schismaticks unless they forbear like Savages all publick Learning and Worship of God rather than hear and joyn with Nonconformists 41. Yet they Swear the Church-Wardens to present all that come not to Church and punish them for not coming when some Parishes have 40000 some 30000 some 10000 that can have no room and the Church-Wardens cannot know them 42. Yet if they go to other Parishes oft for Communion they must not be admitted but
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-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-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-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
another keeping sound Doctrine Love and Peace 21. The number and need of the people must determine whether a particular Church shall have one Pastor or more 22. If one for Concord be President to the rest and the Senior Pastors be guides to the younger we are not against it 23. Nor yet if the Magistrate or Churches by consent appoint some of the Graver to be visitors of many Churches and to instruct and keep the younger in peace 24. Nor will we quarrel against the Names of Bishops or Archbishops or their Wealth and Honour while Faith Worship Discipline and Love are preserved 25. If by a National Church they mean either a Christian Kingdom or all the Churches of a Nation as under one Prince or as associated for Concord we deny none such 26. For we hold that all Christians should live in as much Concord as they can and that Synods are useful to that end 27. We must honour our Rulers though they afflict us 28. We hold that we must separate from no Church or Christian farther than they separate from Christ though we must not sin against God for communion with any We take it for a great sin for any party to appropriate the Church only to themselves We own no Church but as part of the Catholick or universal Church and we hold all our Assemblies as in union and communion with All the true Churches on earth and put up our prayers and praises as in conjunction with theirs not owning their failings or our own but their duties And we will be members of no particular Church which alloweth us not occasional Communion with others but take such for Sectaries 29. The welfare of Souls is of so great concernment that we cannot think any Christian should be indifferent to whom as a Pastor he committeth the care and conduct of his Soul any more than what Physician he chuseth for his body And the difference between the ignorant and the wise and wicked and the godly the negligent and the faithful is of grand importance 30. We think that all Christians should prefer a faithful Pastor before an unfaithful or insufficient one and a purer Church before a more corrupt as far as they are free without doing more hurt than good But we will hold occasional communion with more faulty Churches so they compel us not to sin 31. We take not all the faults of the Pastor flock or service to be made ours meerly by our presence Nor do we think that all faults or many and great ones consistent with the necessaries to communion will allow us to separate that is either from a true Church as none or from lawful communion as unlawful For Natural distance is not Moral Separation 32. We take the Magisterial imposing of unnecessary Oaths Professions Subscriptions Practices much more sinful ones as necessary terms of communion and silencing and casting out Christs faithful Servants that obey them not to be the grand and common causes of Schism which have through the pride of a Domineering-Clergy broken most of the Churches on Earth for above 1000 years 33. We hate the spirit of pride and envy in Preachers who cannot endure to see others at least that differ from them preferred before them and if any do but go from them to others or worship God in another place or in other words or circumstances do frighten the people by their loud allarm and cry of Schism as if all were of a different Religion or species of Communion that differ from their book in Word or Ceremonies And by that blinding name of Different Communions alienate the hearts of the ignorant and make them think of the Dutch French and others that only differ from them in accidents as the Papists do of us that are called by them Hereticks 34. We take him not to have the Wisdom and Love of a sound Christian who cannot love and bear with his fellow Christians who differ but in such tollerable things 35. Yet we think not that all should preach and gather Churches that will and that the intollerable must be tolerated and that it must be All or none And the Magistrate is Judg whom he will tolerate but he must judg aright 36. We hold the Parish-Divisions to be of great convenience Not taking all in the Parish for the Church but confining Ministers to their proper bounds 37. And whatever differing Churches the Magistrate tolerateth he must force them to live peaceably and modestly towards others 38. Were every Church reduced to such a number as that all might in season have local personal communion like great Parishes that have Chappels and E. g. every Church of 6000 Souls have six Pastors conjunct or every Corporation or Market-Town of old called Cities with the Neighbour-Villages be one Church and one among these Pastors to be a President Bishop we should think it most like the ancient Government But we can live in peace where we cannot have all which we justly wish for 39. Though some preach not Christ sincerely but in envy and strife to add to our affliction we rejoyce that Christ is preached 40. We hold all that for the power of Kings the obedience of the Subjects and against rebellion which the Scripture speaketh and which the Christian Churches Politicks Lawyers as far as we know them commonly hold and more than divers chief Conformists Bishop Bilsons book of Subjection and Grotius de Imperio Sum. Pat. fulliest speak my thoughts in the greatest part 41. As these are the meer Nonconformists principles so their practice is accordingly They pray for the King and all in authority not for preserment but that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And they pray and seek for the publick safety and live peaceably towards others 42. They sought reconciliation with the Diocesans before the Kings return and associating upon uniting terms 43. What the Nonconformists in City Countrey Monks Army and the next Parliament did for the Kings restoration is known 44. They offered but Bishop Ushers form of Primitive Government or Episcopacy for reconciliation and concord with the Bishops 45. They gave publick thanks for the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical affairs which had healed us had it not been cast away In which he declareth their moderation 46. They never made one motion for Presbytery Lay-Elders Independency Nor against Parish-Churches nor against the Bishops Lordships or place in Parliament or Wealth Though I confess they desired better than they saw fit to ask 47. They did as much with the Bishops as if it had been for their lives by Condescention Reason and Petition to have prevented the foreseen divisions and were the seekers of Peace 48. The Liturgy which they offered had not one word of exception returned by the Bishops nor were their Reply or Petition answered by them to this day 49. They offered their solemnest Protestation or Oaths that it was to avoid sin that they refused Conformity and yet