renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and
ought to be restrained nor Ungodliness and Dishonesty for which they should be punished any more than the best of Men But worshipping the true God in Christ by the Spirit according to his Word c. By the foregoing Doctrine they are to be encouraged and protected There is but one thing to their Prejudice their Disobedience to some Temporal Ecclesiastical Laws requiring Subscriptions c. Hear a little further the Doctrine of the Bishops and Doctors To devise Rites and Ceremonies for the Church is not the Prince's Vocation but to receive and allow such as the Scriptures and Canons commend and such as the Bishops and Pastors of the Place shall advise not infringing the Scriptures or Canons And for all other Ecclesiastical Things and Causes Princes be neither the Devisers non Directors of them but the Confirmers and Establishers of that which is good Bilson pag. 252. and Displacers and Avengers of that which is Evil The Ceremonies in divers particular Churches are of divers sorts and that without any Inconvenience at all so they all agree in those unchangeable Laws given by the Universal Head Christ The Reverend Dr. Nowel's Reproof of Dorman p. 25. See Homil. of Fasting second Part. How easy may the Bishops if they pleased take away the Causes of our decried Schism or without any Crime of Schism permit a Diversity to them that are governed by the unchangeable Law of Josus Christ and only differ from their particular and changeable Laws To conclude If the Faith of the Nonconformists be the Catholick Faith as it is in all and every Point and Article even the same which is professed in the Church of England contained in the Scriptures if they are good Men and honest Subjects Then we are taught and exhorted to pray that the King and all in Authority under him may have Wisdom Strength Justice Clemency and Zeal to God's Glory to God's Verity to Christian Souls and the Common-wealth Let us pray they may rightly use their Sword and Authority for the Maintenance and Defence of the Catholick Faith contained in the Holy Scriptures The 3d part of the Homily of Obedience p. 69. Lond. Edit 1673. and of their good and honest Subjects for the Fear and Punishment of the evil and vicious People Object But they transgress the Laws therefore are not good and honest Subjects break the Orders of the Church c. Answ Preaching and hearing the Catholick Faith is I hope no Transgression of the Laws if it be then you do in effect say the Laws are against Godliness and the Exercise of the Catholick Faith They are good and honest Subjects that pray for the King pay Tribute live in Godliness and Honesty therefore they are to be protected and encouraged which was the Proposition to be proved I suppose no Law ought to be construed or executed which in Construction and Execution is contrary to the Catholick Doctrine of the Church of England established by Law The Faith they profess is Catholick their Worship is according to the Scripture and they corrupt the People neither with Sedition or Disobedience The Conditions of Liberty which they refuse are no Article of Catholick Faith or Practice therefore they ought not to be punished according to the Doctrine of the Church of England The second Question is Whether the Nonconformist Protestants are not to be indulged and permitted The former Discourse answers this Question If they do not deserve to be punished but protected and encouraged then they ought to be permitted and indulged while they design and act nothing inconsistent with or contrary to the Duties of good honest peaceable Subjects 2. Permission and Indulgence is the lowest degree of Favour that can be shewed to Catholick Christians and Protestants in a Christian Protestant Kingdom 1. If more be due to the Profession of Christian Religion yea of the Protestant Religion Then a Permission or Indulgence is the least Respect and Favour due to it But more is due to it than Permission therefore that 's the least 2. If Permission was due to Godliness and Honesty from adverse Powers both Jewish and Heathen and if it be due to Reformed Christians in Popish Countries then it is much more due to Protestant Professors in Protestant Kingdoms and States But the former is true therefore much more the latter Of these in particular 1. The Jewish Powers ought to have permitted the preaching of the Gospel to our Saviour and his Apostles because it was of God and God hath Soverign Power in all the World to set up his Kingdom and Laws It was the Sin of the Jews to forbid the preaching of the Gospel it was a Duty in the Apostles to preach it even when forbidden If it was a Sin in the Jews to forbid it they ought certainly to permit it yea they ought to have received and obeyed it If it had been a Duty and no Sin in the Jews to forbid the preaching of Christ it had been a Sin in the Apostles notwithstanding and against that Prohibition to preach it But it was an Obedience to God the higher Power to preach it therefore they who forbad it ought to permit it yea much more it was their Duty to believe it 2. The same Reason will hold all the World over because Christian Religion is from God and teaches the Knowledg and Obedience and Worship of God and the way to Life therefore God may send it all over the World by Men called and sent by him without the Commission of the Powers of the World And if Men knew the Gift of God they ought to esteem it the greatest Mercy and manifestation of Grace that was ever shewed to the Sons of Men. Our Saviour commands his Apostles to go into all the World to preach the Gospel to every Creature It comes among them without their Knowledg and against their Wills Ought it to be received or not if not then God ought not to be obeyed according to his revealed Will which no Man dare affirm if it ought to be received it ought to be permitted and indulged with an overplus of Reverence and Honour Godliness and Honesty was to be priviledged and protected to be cherished ard not extinguished in Heathen Kingdoms 1 Tim. 2.2 They desired to lead quiet Lives free from Trouble and Persecution the use they were to make and did make of their Quietness was the Exercise of Godliness and Honesty To this end they were to pray for Kings and all in Authority And Kings and all in Authority may venture and not fear to give Protection and Security to all that pray for them and that live in Godliness and Honesty under them If protection and Quietness might be expected from Heathens much more from Christians 3. If Refermed Christians ought to be permitted in Popish Kingdoms and States then Christians professing the Reformation may be much more permitted in Protestant Kingdoms and States and by Consequence in this Kingdom Popish Kings and Rulers
to them and if he cannot exercife his Ministry after he is called unto it what doth it profit him to be a Minister or what is the Church the better for his Office If one acknowledged to be a Minister of the Universal Church may not administer in a particular Church then is it not because that particular Church requires some Conditions which are not so large as the Rules and Conditions of the Universal Church This may put us to search whether different Rules stricter Laws prescribed as Conditions of Entrance and Continuance in the Ministry and Church-Communion be not the Cause or Occasion of Schisms in particular Churches These Catholick Rules and Conditions are to be taken and received from the Apostles who went into all the World to gather and to found Christian Churches They gave us Laws enow to govern any particular Church who were sent into all the World And no Decrees of General Councils are of equal Observation with the Scriptures not only because of their Sanctity but because of their Universality and the very Errors and Mistakes of them in some Particulars are tolerable that do what they can to find out and follow the Will of God in Scripture And this Diversity can be no Inconvenience to any Church because of the plain Injunctions and Commands of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace of loving and forbearing one another in Love But to return What shall we say Are they but Lay-men or but quasi Lay-men that were once ordained by Diocesans or what it others can prove by the Holy Scriptures and the Catholick Rules of Faith that they are called of God and make proof of their Gifts which make there serviceable to the Souls of poor Sinners and only scruple some late implicating perplexing Terms what shall they do in this case They would enter into the Service according to the uncontroverted general Rules of Christ the Soveraign Law-giver of his Church but that will not serve the turn they must do more They have received Gifts from the Spirit of the same nature with other Ministers they 'l submit their Gifts to the Trial to free them from the Fanaticism imputed to them These Gifts are for some use they are their Talents and they must give an account of them to the Giver of them at his appearing Whither can any of them go and not be serviceable Is there any City Town Parish or noble Family in England in which there is not need or where such as they may not be exceeding profitable but in some Places there is a crying need O how few few Labourers are there in very large Fields yea as offensive as the presence of the Brethren are in many places there is not an useless Man among them nor one place hardly where is not need if not extream need What shall they do conform to the Church as Lay-men only What if the Bottle be so full that its ready to burst what if the Fire of Zeal true Zeal kindle must they not speak with their Tongue What if the Breast be full and they who were begorten in Christ Jesus by their Ministry cry cry to them O give us of the sincere Milk of the Word shall they say No my Breast is full but I must not draw it out What if they have Bread enough and can divide it and see a Company of poor Souls ready to starve and pine for Want and yet they must not give them a piece of Bread City Ministers are most quarelsome and contentious with them but if from their high Places they saw and knew but what I know instead of charging them with Separation and Schism they would beg of Authority that they would send them into many places of the Land which are more like a Wilderness than the Garden of the Lord but instead of doing this some have written to prepare a prejudiced People to entertain them with Stones or beseech them to depart out of their Coasts and not to open their Doors to entertain them or their Ears to hear them Oh! how are many of the Servants of God true Subjects able Preacers at this day forced to hide and many are as shy and close to entertain them as if they were Traitors and the Hue and Cry were out against them But what if these Men cannot think themselves discharged of their Work when their Hire is stopt they cannot but pity those that have no Shepherds or not enow they cannot stop their Ears against the Cry of the poor what if Conscience cry Wo to me if I preach not the Gospel O there are too many that never heard that Preaching in their Bosom Some have pleaded that Wo concerned none but the Apostle what shall they do between two Woes Wo from Christ if I preach not and Wo from Men if I preach Object They must obey the Laws obey Authority Answ So they must and as far they can they do Object But they say they must obey God rather than Men. Answ So did the Apostles who taught Obedience to Governours Neither may any godly Prince take it as any Dishonour to his Estate to see God obeyed before him Defence of the Apology part 1. p. 20. of my Edit for he is not God but the Minister of God saith our Venerable Father Bishop Jewel Object But our King and Magistrates and Laws are not such as They were neither are our Conventiclers Apostles Answ True I cast no Reflections upon the King but acknowledge his Life and Protestancy to be singular Mercies and Priviledges But if the first Christian Churches were planted and the Faith preached where the Rulers were Unbelievers disaffected to it and Persecuters of it then Preachers that preach the Doctrine of the Apostles and live according to the Gospel may humbly expect if not lay some Claim to a Priviledge of preaching and worshipping God as near as they can discern according to his mind The Case of the Brethren is so clear in it self The Canon Law calls their divers Orders Religion but to Christians and Protestants there is but one Religion that some in Power have no other colour for proceeding against them than as Men that exercise another Religion as I can produce which clearly intimates that it is unreasonable to proceed to Confiscations and Banishment against Men that profess the same Religion And whereas Godliness and Honesty may claim Protection they represent them as wicked and dishonest in the highest Degree that is seditious and withdrawing the King's Subjects from their Allegiance c. But this is the old Language Apolog. c. 2. Divis 7. p. 21. as the most Reverend Bishop Jewel writes as objected against them that we be fallen from the Catholick Church and by a wicked Schism have shaken the whole World and troubled the common Peace and universal Quiet of the Church and that as Dathan and Abiram conspired in times past against Moses and Aaron even so we this day have