above all and Worship him according to his Word and Honour his Name and keep holy his day whoever forbid it And that we must Love our Neighbour as our selves and help to save him as we may 7. I believe that I must love my self and seek the saving of my Soul though the Law forbad me in matter of right I have told you what Bishop Bancroft saith of the old Nonconformists forming Churches and Discipline The Canon against Conventicles thence occasioned confuteth you I have heard old Nonconformists preach constantly publickly and privately against Law I was familiar with many of them I never knew one of the mind you mention Most of them did preach themselves that ever I heard of If Mr. Rathband had denied this it had been no Proof Mr. Ash that is one of them there and Mr. Slator both Preached at Bremicham long Mr. Pateman at Moseley c. Multitudes I could name And yet a man that knew them not is certain that all the Nonconformists of former times had contrary Doctrine I was in 1638. and 1639. accounted one of them though I used the Liturgie which most of them did not I knew them better than you did I have named many in my first Plea whose Practice proveth your great Error in that History where you say you are certain § 16. To your fourth Question An Obligation may be called the same 1. Quoad terminum 2. Quoad gradum 3. Quoad modum obligandi 4. Quoad realitatem 1. The Apostles had an obligation to assert Christs Resurrection as eye-witnesses and to record his Doctrine and Laws infallibly in Scripture and to many things proper to them which we have not But we are obliged to the work of our proper Office 2. The Apostles had greater obligations then we by more immediate Call and special gift of the Spirit and special Commission and Command when ours are lower but firmly binding us 3. The Apostles were obliged by Christs immediate mission and Commission and we but by his ordinary instituted means But we are as truly bound to our Duty as they to theirs 2. And our Duty is to preach the Gospel to those without and those within according to our Power and opportunity and to do the rest of our Office when we can And though we are called to this without supernatural Inspiration Vision or Miracle being called we are as truly obliged as Parents Husbands Princes are to their Duties It is not lawful to look back when we have put our hands to Christs Plow nor perfidiously to break our Ordination Vow nor to be negligent or treacherous Non-residents Pluralists or slothful nor to obey men more than God though we were not called immediately or by Miracle 3. If the Magistrate appoint 20000 or 1000 or one half a Parish to be excluded for want of Room and Teachers it 's ill supposed that the Gospel is truly and sufficiently preached to them to whom it is not preached at all And that it is Preached to others proveth it not unnecessary to them 4. He that only readeth the Gospel truly preacheth it But Souls have need of more Pastoral help than bare true preaching 5 Ignorant wicked men in England can no more be saved than Heathens and have need of convincing skilful serious Preaching as well as they Your wondring at our allegation of the Apostle's words and great confidence in so sad a Cause sets me almost above wondring at any thing that you say Timothy was not called immediately by Christ who had that dreadful Charge to preach in season and out of season The Universal Church long judged otherwise of this case than you do And not only Bishop Bilson but I think almost all Christian Writers Protestants and Papists herein follow the ancient Church against you The Nonconformists and others easily grant what I said before That no one Apostle might be silenced by man but deserving Ministers that do more hurt than good by their Ministry may be silenced by Christian Magistrates But not the Churches Edification oppugned and 2000 faithful men silenced for not sinning on pretence of a power to judge or execute § 17. My Question implieth 1. That every man is most concerned for his own Soul and hath a prior obligation to secure it which the King cannot dispense with 2. And That every man hath nearer helps to know what is good or hurtful to his Soul in doubtful Cases than the King that never saw him hath 3. And every man is like to love himself more than the King loveth him 4. And That the King can no more bind him to hurt or famish or endanger his Soul than his Health in Diet. But the King must give men all the helps that he can and set up and maintain sufficient publick Teachers and drive the ignorant and profane to hear and learn and promote Order and Concord and hinder Unpeaceableness and Disorder by just means But I have so fully declared the Magistrate's Work in my Book of Concord that I will not repeat it on this slight occasion Separations must be prevented by right means I had no Separatists in a great Congregation for fourteen years though many Sects strongly and often tempted them no not one Separate Meeting all that time and this without force What harm will it do me or them if my Hearers go from me as you say to Dr. O? Our whole Country where I lived almost kept Concord and kept out Separation without the Magistrates constraint Experience is not easily confuted Why then do you tell me of what I have written against Separation when you may see that I contradict none of this and when that writing with my other Endeavours served without the Rulers Sword I had three Justic◠always at hand that would have done for me what they could at any time I never desired one act of force from them I allowed Quakers and Anabaptists publick Disputes half a day together They never won one Man or Woman by it Mr. Tombes his great Parts and Interest with his Flock and Kindred could get but about twenty four or less than thirty Anabaptists at Bewdeley Almost all the rest of the Country was free save a few inconsiderable Quakers at Worcester and a small Village or two The like was then done without force in many other Counties § 18. I told you how necessary the resolving of the Questions which I sent you was to my Conviction And I will not provoke you by giving that Name to your denyal of an Answer to them which I think impartial Readers will give it I. Will other men believe that he doth well to deny me the definition of that National Church which he writeth of or to tell me whether he speak of a Lay or a Clergie Government who writes his wonder that I should say I know not what they mean by the National Church How can I know whom to obey or when I separate from the Form of Government if I know not what it
that I craved your Answer 2. And do you not know that in the Bills of Mortality it appeareth that the Parishes within the Walls are but about the seventh part of the whole and the outer Parishes which are thus great are about six parts And in these Parishes it is not the tenth part in some and the sixth in most that can come within the Church to hear And it is pity that one half or two or three parts of such a City as London should be left like the Indians without any publick Teaching and Worship and such as you say so much for it § 8. You say The Separate Meetings are kept in the City Hackney Newington c. Ans 1. What 's that to me and all such other 2. I can tell that some City Churches are yet unbuilt and the Tabernacles will not hold the People as Christ-Church and others 3. And divers keep Meetings within the Walls where they found most peace for the reception of those without the Walls that cannot come into their own Churches 4. What 's done at Newington I know not But at Hackney I know of two Meetings where the Ministers so preach out of the time of Publick Worship that none may be hindred from going to it and deny not Communion with the Parish-Churches And they tell me that as the Incumbent Officiateth by another so the Parish is so great and the Preachers Voice so low that a great part cannot hear him 5. Why do you say they are separate Meetings when you know that you have cast them out The Preachers had rather Preach in your Temples and they cannot be suffered Preachers and People that are professed Nonconformists but in Opinion are by the Canon ipso facto Excommunicate § 9. As to what you say of the Reason of their Meetings I Answer 1. I think as far as I can Judge the most of my Hearers I think ten or twenty to one do also hear in the Parish Churches So that your Charge of Separation against them is but for hearing both And I believe it is so with many others 2. Every one that preferreth better doth not separate from all the rest Your Church alloweth any free Man to forsake and change his Bishop and Parish Priest as oft as he will so he will but 8. I believe that a Father must be honoured and having care of his Childrens Life and Soul he must command them necessary Food and Means for Body and Soul and they must obey him if the Law forbad it 9. I believe that murdering Souls privatively or positively is a sin as well as murdering Bodies as many undertaking and not performing Pastors will find 10. I believe that he that obeyeth not a Law which was made against Gods Law or without Authority given by him sinneth not against Authority 11. I think in such cases he that submitteth to the Penalty of a Penal Law doth enough 12. I conjecture that the multitude of Casuists Politick Writers and Lawyers who say that Because the Common Good is the End of Government and all Power is for Edification no Law obligeth which is against the Common Good or at least that is destructive of it are like to be near as knowing in such matter as the meanest of the Doctors Hearers and Readers 13. And I am past doubt that he that denieth these Principles will shortly have no cause to glory of his Wisdom And O what cause have we that are Teachers in stead of proving those intollerable that differ from us in such matters as our Conformity to consider that an Errour in us especially so Practical and momentous is far more dangerous than in the People If all my Neighbours mistake my Disease and the Remedy it may not hurt me but if my Physician mistake it it may be my death Bishop Vsher and many Protestants do except a Learned Papist much more than the unlearned from the hopes of Salvation § 12. I will readily Answer your Queries though you refuse to Answer mine To your first Those who rightfully give Orders must give such Orders as God hath instituted and may not limit or suspend contrary to his Institution or Laws As he that marrieth Persons may not except the Husbands Power of Government nor may unmarry them againe save for Adultery None may silence Ministers that forfeit not their Office On just cause to pull down Churches and alienate the Church Goods as some Bishops of old did for the Poor is no Sacriledge nor to silence an intollerable Teacher But to silence Ministers unjustly is another matter If men will cant over still Who shall be Judge We still repeat 1. Whoever is Judge he hath no Power to cast out faithful Ministers and if he mis-judge them it justifieth not his act And every man is the discerning Judge of his own Duty § 13. To your second Querie Christian Magistrates may justly preserve the publick Peace by all just means and may repress all rebellious Practices and Principles but if they should mis judge any principles to be such that are not and for not renouncing those should silence Ministers if they have fitter means than silencing to correct them silencing them when their Ministry is needful is a sin But seeing these words are significant of your mind for silencing us and the Reasons of it why would you not tell me what those Principles are which we refuse to renounce and so deserve silencing Either you lay the stress on the guiltiness of our Principles or on the Magistrates judging them so You cannot think that if he mis judge it will justifie his silencing men Else Valens Hunnierichus that cut out the Preachers Tongues those that silenced the Preachers in Germany on one side for not swearing for the Pope and on the other for not swearing for the Emperour c. all did well Seeing then you speak as an Accuser of us as guilty of refusing to renounce such Principles and subscribe your implied consent to our silencing for it O that you would be so charitable as to help our Conversion and tell us what those Principles are I have told the World at large my own and many other Principles of Government and Obedience in my second Plea for Peace I crave your discovery of my errours therein Yea I provoke also such as more fiercely accuse us as Plotters or cherishing Principles of Rebellion to name that Principle which I have not there renounced If all that 's there be not enough I know not what will be enough § 14. To your third I answer 1. It followeth not That Authority to silence justly is to no purpose unless all unjustly silencing must be obeyed The Apostles the old Bishops the most of the Churches have disobeyed such as did the Waldenses Bohemians German Protestants the French Belgians Remonstrants and Contraremonstrants c. You say Greatness of Parishes makes no difference What if the King turned all London into one Parish and so foâ—bid all Preaching and Publick
no mention of lawful in your Definitions 4. But though you will not tell us whether you mean Divine or Humane Laws and Rules yet I may confidently conjecture that it is Humane you mean for else 1. I am of the same National Church that you are yea if I prove that I am more conformable to God's Laws than you and such as you I shall prove that it will be a harder question whether you are of the Church of Eng. than whether I am 2. And you might know that such a Church we no more deny than you do at least 3. But then it can be but sincere not perfect Obedience to God's Laws and Rules which must prove one to be of this Church or else no Man is of it And then you must shew us whether a mistake in as small a matter as Meat and Drink or a Ceremony or Liturgick Form or Diocesan order do cut one off from that Church If yea than how much more would such Conformity to sin do it which we fear But supposing that you mean Humane Laws 5. Why may not Divine Laws make a Church If Humane Laws were necessary ad bene esse the Christians that I have read and converst with think that they are not necessary to the Being of a Church in sensu famosiore why then should they be in the Definition and only they 6. But the difficulty recurreth as to Humane Laws which of them are necessary to the Being of the Church For your Definition distinguished not The King hath great and excellent Laws which we all conform to Doth not our Conformity to these seem to prove us of the National Church though we conform not to your Formalities and Oaths and Ceremonies Imperfect Obedience serveth to continue men Subjects to the King It is not every Drunkeness or Oath or Fornication much less the miss of a Complement or Ceremony that makes a Man a Rebel or an Outlaw Why then should the refusal of a Prelates Subscription or Formality unchurch a sound and honest Christian 7. And if the humane Laws and Rules which you mention what ever you mean by them be subordinate to God's Laws and so be honest good and obligatory why should they cut off those from the Church which Christ's Laws cut not off yea which Christ receiveth and commandeth us to receive Receive him for God receiveth him and receive him as Christ receiveth us notwithstanding our Infirmities were good reasonings in St. Paul's Judgment which I prefer before any Bishops that I know 8. And a Man of less Acquaintance or Wit than you cannot be ignorant what abundance of Differences there are among your selves I have named you no small number in my â—d Plea some of you are hot against that which is called Arminianism and some hot for it some are for Bishops and Presbyters being of one Order and some of divers all are not of the mind of the Bishop of Hereford that wrote Naked Truth some even Bishops think that the damnatory part of Athanasius's Creed is not approved by Conformity others think that it is all to be approved A multitude such differences there are among your selves And why should not this as much unchurch some of you if it be being under the same Laws that maketh you one Church as the forbearing of a Declaration of Assent and Consent or of a Surplice c. 9. Especially tell us whether the Conformist's difference about the Constitutive Regent Part of the Church of England some being for one species and some for another do not plainly make them to be of two distinct Churches of England and further different from each other than we are from any part We justly say the Papists who are for two species of Soveraigns some for the Pope and some â—â—r a general Council are plainly of two Churches for the regent part is essential And I am sure that one part of the most Eminent Disputers for the Church of England and Conformity say that the King is the Extraneous Civil Governour but the Bishops are the Constitutive Essential Internal Governours of the Church as a Church and that if the Bishops command the use of one Translation Version Metre Liturgie and the King another we are to obey the Bishops and not the King And that the efficient cause of a National Church is the Bishops Agreement among themselves to associate into such a Church And others say that it is the King and his Laws that are the efficient of such a Church and are to be obeyed in matter of the Circumstances of Worship c. before the Bishops Can you prove that this difference between the Conformists about the very Constitutive Regent Power is not greater than Mens differences about a Ceremony or Form and doth not more to make them to be of two Churches 10. If all this confused stir be but about a Christian Kingdom be it known to you that we take such to be of Divine Command And if you know it not or dissemble it after I have said so much of it in the first Plea and elsewhere I cannot help that viz. if you will talk publickly against what you know or know not when told because you will not know But I have there largly told you what the Power of Princes about Church matters is which if you will not read I will not repeat 11. Your Words Laws and Rules would induce one to think that you joyned the Kings Laws and the Bishop's Canons together in your meaning as the bond of Uâ—ity If so is it two sorts of Governours by the Swoâ—d and by the Word Magistrates and Pastors which you take for the constitutive regent parts of the Church If so then either in Cooâ—dination and Coalâ—tion or in Subordination The first cannot be that the two Species in Coalition should make one Head unless both were in the Kings as Persona Mixta both Lay and Clergie as some affirm him to be like Melchizâ—deck But this both King and Clergie disown Nor can the second be because a subordinate Power is not essential to the whole body politick but only the supreme And the Magistracy Ministry are coordinate Species both depending immediately on God and Subordinate Mutually only Secundum quid Nor is the Legislative Power in England any other than one which is in the King and Parliament conjunct The Bishops Canons are not Laws Ejusdem Speciei till the King and Parliament make them such If this be your Judgment there are I think but few Conformists of your mind 12. I must Conjecture therefore by your words That the Laws and Rules which you define the Church by are the Laws of the King and Parliament and that it is the Civil Christian Sovereign that you take for the Constitutive Head of that National Church which you plead for or else I know not what to Conjecture And if this be your Meaning I add to what is said 1. Erastians have hitherto been distasted by the Bishops and I
Four or Five and then say Vnanimously and this because they offer to Subscribe the Doctrine of the Thirty Nine Articles And yet I suppose you know that they more Unanimously dissent from the Doctrinal Article in the Liturgy of Baptized Infants certain undoubted Salvation without Exception and some of them to the Doctrinal Damnation of all Condemned in Athanasius Creed And some of your selves as well as Mr. Humphrey could wish the Article against Free-will and that which Damneth all the Heathens and some others had been otherwise than they are § 40. They generally yield that our Parochial Churches are true Churches and it is with these that Communion is required Say you so 1. The Diocesans are little beholden to you if this be all Do you require no Communion with them 2. I think I shall shew you anon that you take your Parishes for no true Churches your self At least your chief Brethren do not who make them but Parts of a Church the Diocesan being the lowest proper Church 3. Are you sure that the Independents take your Parishes for true Churches I cannot tell But I know John Goodwin and Mr. Brown have Writ to the Contrary 4. And for my self how oft have I told you that I distinguish and take those for true Churches that have true Pastors but that is because I judge of their office by Gods Word and not by the Rule which depriveth them of an essential part of the Office of a Pastor of a true Church But I take those for no true Churches that have 1. Men uncapable of the Pastoral office 2. Or not truly called to it 3. Or that deny themselves to have the power essential to a Pastor Such Congregations I can joyn with as Chappels or Oratories But they are not Churches of the political organized from which we speak of as wanting an essential part § 41. Next you tell men what I said in print of our Conclusion that communion with you was lawful Ans This is true and when said we otherwise Dr. Manton Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb Mr. Poole and others were there I told you before how far lawful § 42. Serm. p. 22. Who could have Imagined but they should have all joyned with us in what themselves judged to be lawful and in many Cases a duty But instead of this we have rather since that time found them more inclinable to courses of separation c. Ans If this be not true I take it not for sinless Since that time 1. Mr. Pool Mr. Humphery my self and others that took our selves to be no Paâ—â—ors to any particular Church have usually joyned in your assemblies and I usually keep to my Parish-Church 2. Since that time in a Treaty set on foot by the Lord-keeper Bridgman we agreed in terminis with Bishop Wilkins and Dr. Burton and Judge Hale drew up our Agreement into the form of an Act. 3. Since that time at your own motion we treated with honest Dr. Tillotson and you and the same men and more consented to the form and words of an agreeing Act and you both seemed to consent 4. Where you read my words you might have read the Reason why no more Communicated with you And it is not like a lover of Truth to dissemble them 1. I told you that even at the present new heats arising against Dissenters we thought it our duty till they were over to forbear a lawful thing which was like to occasion the sufferings of such as in that were not satisfied as we were Marriage is lawful But if it be not necessary one may forbear it if it would ruine another though the Bishop command it him 2. I told you that the Oxford Act of confinement came out when we were intending to come to your Churches and then had we been seen there in the City or Corporations we had been sent to Jayle but many in the Countries came to your Churches This is your Cathedrall Justice The Law is come to Church in London c. and you shall go to Jayle six Months And if we do not such as you tell the World that we are Separatists 3. I told you men cannot preach to others and hear you both at once Must we repeat these things as oft as you accuse us § 43. In the charge are joyned Dr. Owen and my self my error is p. 24. Serm. that to devise new Species of Churches beyond Parochial or Congregational without Gods authority and to impose them on the world yea in his name and call all dissenters Schismaticks is a far worse usurpation than to make or impose new Ceremonies or Liturgies Ans A man would think that this doctrine should justifie it self and confute the Accuser 1. Will you own your Churches de Specie to be new and yet appeal to antiquity 2. Will you own them to be devised without Gods authority and yet to be preferred to those that he instituted 3. Will you own that yet they may in his name be imposed on the World 4. And will you own that for these dissenters may be called Schismaticks 5. And is not this a worse usurpation than to make new Ceremonies If you will plead for so much presumption profanation of Gods Name usurpation uncharitableness and Schism I will leave you to fight against the Light and not labour in vain in a needless confutation 2. But Sir you should have told your Reader the full truth 1. That I never denied but largely asserted the Magistrates power of the Sword over all persons and causes Ecclesiastical much less Christian Kingdoms or Cities de re 2. And that I maintained that Magistrates make officers to judge of the Circa sacra or undetermined accidents of Religion 3. And if you will equivocally call these Churches I quarrel not de nomine 4. Nor yet at the thing or name of the Association of many Churches for Concord 5. But I say in the Page cited by you that as humane forms should not be pretended falsly to be Divine so neither have they authority against those that are Divine to change them and destroy their priviledges Unless you will fight for man against God you must reverse this Accusation § 44. As to your case of the extent of the first Churches I have so much to say of it elsewhere if God will that I shall not here stay on so short a touch Only you put me to repeat If God make families and men make Cities do but confess the different efficients and usurp not a power to destroy the power instituted by God and we shall not much differ § 45. You greatly strengthen my Cause by the testimony of so well Read a man Serm. p. 27. Though when the Churches increased the occasional meetings were frequent in several places yet still there was but one Church and one Altar and one Baptism and one Bishop with many Presbyters assisting him And this is so very plain in Antiquity as to the Churches planted by the Apostles themselves in
several parts that none but a great stranger to the History of the Church can ever call in question Ans Bishop Gunning will give you no thanks for this It seems after all the anger we are much agreed I never denied Chappelâ— to a Church nor thought they must all meet at once If they all meet per vices at one Altar they are associated for presential Communion and not distant only and this is that I am for Make it but such a Church that meet at one Altar and that can know one another and are associated for such personal Communion in presence and though I could wish it neither too small nor too great it is of the Species which I plead for as of God There is certainly a Specifique difference between a Church that hath a Constitutive formal Governour who hath the whole Pastoral power and is associated for presential mutual help in faith worship and holy living and one that either hath but a half Pastor without the power of the Keyes or that is associated only for distant Communion and never see each other even for another sort of Communion Conformists hold that Bishops and Presbyters are distinct orders Therefore Churches differing in the very Order or Species of the Constitutive Governours and in the Triminus or end and the nature of the Communions are certainly of distinct Species and not only of distinct degrees in the same Species But such are our Parochial and Diocesan Churches Just such a Church as you here describe is it that I would have and yet if the Chappels also have Altars and there be more than one to the Church as long as they are under the same Bishop and Presbyters associate for Communion in presence it alters not the Species § 46. I thank you also for adding p. 28. And yet this distribution even in Creet was so uncommon in those Elder times that Epiphanius takes notice of it as an extraordinary thing at Alexandria and therfore it is probably supposed that there was no suâ—h thing in all the Cities in his time Ans 1. It s true of Creet which had an hundred Cities But your therefore makes me think you put Creet for Cyprus For there it was that Epiphanius was a Bishop 2. But you grant me the foundation of all my cause Let the Diocess or Parish or Church call it what you will be no bigger than that the same Bishop may performe the true Pastoral office to them in present Communion and not only by writs and delegates rule men that have no personal present Communion nor ever intend it as the end of their relation and I have my desire as to the Species of the lowest sort of Churches 1 Thes 5. 12. 13. Know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you But such are not those whom we never saw nor heard and never laboured among or admonished the twentieth or fortieth or hundredth Congregation in their Diocess and whom the people cannot know Heb. 13. 7. Remember then which have rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as those that must give account But such are not they that the people never heard the word of God from nor knew their conversation nor the men And Bishop Taylor saith No man can give account of those that he knoweth not that is Pastors account Make Parishes true Churches and restore them Church discipline and we are satisfied § 47. Serm. p. 29. If we look over the ancient Cannons of the Church we shall find two things very plain in them 1. That the notion of a Church was the same with that of a Diocess or such a number of Christians as were under the inspection of a Bishop Ans 1. Very true and the Bishop was their ordinary Preacher and only pronounced the blessing c. Therefore till the Species was altered it was like a School whose Schollars lived in City and Country but were under a Bishop that Governed them personally in presence But after they were like many score or hundred Schools that had Teaching Ushers and one absent Governour to the most To Govern as a Schoolmaster in presence specifically differs from Governing as Princes or visitors by Laws or extraordinary inspection 2. I pray you forget not that by this measure if you hold to it you unchurch all our Parish Churches Every Church then had a Bishop no Parish now hath a Bishop proper to it self or at least not many Therefore no Parish by this rule is a Church Ecclesia est plebs Episcopo adunata You make no Church below a Diocess § 48. Serm. 2. That those Presbyters who rejected the authority of their Bishop or affected Seperate meetings where no fault could be found with the Doctrine of a Cburch were condemned of Schism Ans Good still They were not to set up altare contra altare but joyn with the Bishop in Governing the same Church in present Communion at least per vices But if a Bishop than had put down a hundred or a thousand Bishops and Churches about him and said you shall be all but one Church in another sort of Communion and I will be your only Bishop Christians then would have abhorred him Now we have hundreds of Altars locally separated from the Bishop 2. But yet if then the Doctrine of faith had been never so sound Christians would have separated 1. From unlawful worship specially Idolatry 2. And from wicked Bishops as the forementioned Epistle of Cyprian and the Carthage Council sheweth § 49. You Confess Martin and Theognostus separation from the Synods and Communion of the neighbour Bishops And if it were not lawful for neighbours to communicate with them I shall believe as Cyprian that the same reason would at least warrant the people to forsake them till you shew reason to the contrary And you confess the Joannites separation and only say that after they returned It s true But did they do well or ill before they returned not till gentleness and honouring Chrysostome reduced them and though Cyril Alex. called them Schismaticks and said it was fitter the Church Canons should be kept than such refractory Nonconformists gratified by restoring the honour of their ejected Pastor yet Atticus had more wit and honesty then to follow his Council or be moved by his threatning Our case hath ten times more to be said for it than the Joannites had who were not cast out but departed nor had any Impositions forced on them which they took to be many hainous sins Had you been impartial you had easily seen this But as Cyril and others accusation of the Joannites as separatists and schismaticks did not finally attain his ends against the Joannites no more shall yours against the more excusable In an Ale-house or Crowd of the debauched or ignorant
They are Puritans Presbyterians Fanaticks Separatists Schismaticks Hereticks Rogues is effectual arguing and convincing and some preachers it seems take their hearers for such Judges But men will be men and reason will be reason and truth will be truth and innocency will be innocency and pride and slander will shame their Authors more than the slandered when you and I are dead and gone § 50. Serm. p. 30. But suppose the first Churches were barely Congregational by reason of the small number of believers at that time yet what Obligation lies upon us to disturb the peace of the Church we live in to reduce Churches to their infant State And here is mentioned the community of Goods washing Feet and then They believe that the first civil Government was appointed by God himself over families Do they therefore think themselves bound to overthrow Kingdomes to bring things back to their first institution c. Ans 1. We call them not barely Congregational but associated for personal Communion If all the Kingdom had but one Bishop that were another Species of Government and Communion than Parochial 2. If one like you should plead for turning all the families in London into one and making only one Common Father or Master of a families who should send Stewards to every house of his own making to give them their victuals he only being the proper Governour and this man should plead as you do that it is disturbing the peace of the great family to reduce them to their Infant State by restoring particular families more wit or reputation than yours would not keep his cause from shame Or if he pleaded that all the Schools in a Diocess or many 100 or 1000 should have but one Schoolmaster with Ushers that have no power to take in or put out or use the Rod and that to retrive this to the Infant State is seditious the reason of mankind would shame his reasoning And when men know what Pastoral Guidance is the case here will be as plain 3. Our Reason for desiring not the Primitive paucity of Christians but the Primitive form of Christ is 1. Because Christ by his Apostles instituted it Mr. Thorndike once spake well to that 2. Because we can prove that he was faithful in forming his house and Church as Moses was in forming that of the Jews 3. Because we never heard it proved that man had power to alter what Christ by his Spirit in the Apostles founded neither having their infallibility nor commission 4. At least we think it is the surest way to hold to that which we are sure God setled till we can prove that men have power to change the very form 4. Teach us what to say to the Papists when they shall accordingly say to us what though there was no Vniversal Pastor in the Primitive times what though many things in discipline and worship be changed since why must you disturb the peace of the Church by reducing things to the infant State what though there were no Cardinals nor General Councils of Prelates to make universal Lawes for the Churches what though the Sacrament was given in both kinds and there were no private Masses or prayers for the dead must the Church be still in infancy What though the Apostles instituted the Lords day for publick worship and holy Communion may not the Church put that down and set up one day of her making once a month or year instead of it But I will not be one of those that will fight for man against God for I know who will overcome If you can prove that Christ gave your Church authority to pull down the Church Offices and form which he appointed and set up another and call it the Churches growth or emendation I will obey them But I have elsewhere asked who they were that made your new Church form If the first Church of Gods making it was only the universal headed by Christ and particular Churches for personal Communion if these made the new forms tell us who when and by what power and why they may not unmake them if there be cause and whether the efficient Church be not better then the effected as the Parent than the Child If you say that Bishops of Parishes did 〈◊〉 by consent in Asia or elsewhere above a thousand years ago how come we in England to be bound by them If you say that Princes were the makers of the new Church Species 1. Heathen Princes did it not 2. The Bishops will give you little thanks if you grant not that it was done before there were any Christian Princes to do it 3. One Prince cannot make Laws for anothers Country 4. Prove that ever Christ authorized Princes to change the Constitution of the Churches instituted by him and make new ones above his form except making officers for the Circa Sacra or variable accidents 5. And what Princes do they have power to undo And it concerneth us to enquire much more then about ceremonies how far this power of man extendeth May they make as many new Church Species as they please Why then may they not make as many forms as there are Kingdomes if not an universal Pope by the consent of most 5. But that which the Papists take for the Churches growth from Infancy the Protestants take for its gradual depravation And have written many treatises to shew when and how such corruptions were introduced And the forementioned book of Paulus Sarpi Servita lately translated tells us by what degrees much of that evil did spring up which some take to be the Churches Man-hood and the amending of the defects of Christs institutions 6. And you that wonder that I know not what you mean by the Church of England may next wonder that I know not what it is that you call the Protestant Religion In my full satisfaction I have told you that I mean by it simple Christianity expressed in the sacred Scriptures as the Recorded rule with the rejection of all humane additions which suppose the Scriptures imperfect as to their regulating use But if you suppose that men may without any Scripture proof of authority take down and change the Church Species which Christ by his Apostles made and make new ones instead and thus add to Christs Laws equal yea superior and derogating Laws of their own this is not that Protestant Religion which I am of and therefore I intreat you to define what it is you so call 7. When you have as well proved the very essential form of the first Churches to have been instituted but pro tempore as a mutable thing as we can prove the like of washing Feet and community of Goods we will submit And so we will when you have proved that God that made families made not Cities or Republicks that is did not institute civil Government of many families or that men who diversifie the forms of Republicks may overthrow families or their proper power Yea and that God hath
Psalm and was against swearing and drunkenness he was made the common scorne as a Puritane and the Bishops Articles and their reproach of Non-conformists occasioned all this in the Rabble against those that were no Non-conformists If you believe not me believe a Conformist Robâ—rt Bolâ—on that saith more of the horrid abuse of Piety by the name of Puritane And since then the same spirit hath used the Name of Presbyterian Schismatick Separatist Fanatick to the like reproach of seriousness and diligence in Religion though not so universally as the name Puritan was Yea if a man had but been for Lectures and such like helps as Arch-Bishop Grindall was for to his cost or for afternoon Sermons or would not read the book for Sunday dancing c. he was worse than suspected and reproached My neighbours that I once was a Teacher to did never presume to preach nor invade the ministerial Office nor do anything but the work of private Christians that is to pray and repeat the Sermon and sing a Psalm but because many ignorant Families that could not read could not do any of this in their houses they joyned with the Neighbours that performed it and this not at time of Publick worship yet because that more than four such met they were distrained on and laid in Gaoles Compare all this and the removal of many hundred families our of the Land heretofore with the consequents of the Bishops zeal against the Priscillians But remember that it is not in my thoughts to lay any of this upon the Bishops that came in since the Impositions and actions aforesaid and had no hand in them and cry not to Magistrates to execute the Laws much less on men of such known moderation as divers of them are nor on the Peaceable Conformists that own none of this 7. And it must be remembred that Martin was but an odd man and seemed singular against the Synods of all the Bishops and a man of little Learning like one of our Trades-men that is Religious And therefore I have wondred that Baronius and Binnius and our Rich. Hooker did so openly decry the faults of the Bishops here and take part with Martin and not rather turn the reproach on him as an unlearned Separatist and Fanatick But his Miracles silenced all reproaches with the rooted esteem which serious Christians will still have for serious Piety when the Reproachers have said and done their worst Else one unlearned Man that went in sordid attire and lived in a small thacht Cottage and lay on the ground and eat worse than our beggars do and pleaded for the Gnosticks persons was liker to have been born down as a mad Fanatick than such men as Dr. Twisse Thomas Gataker Richard Vines Anthony Burges Mr. Hughes Joseph Allen and about 2000 more 8. Lastly Let it be noted that the Cause of St. Martin was his judgement that Heresie and Schisme even as bad as the Gnosticks was not to be punished by the sword but only by Church censures and therefore that the Bishops did wickedly in calling for the Magistrates sword against them for then if the Heretick can get the Magistrate to be for him the same sword may be drawn against the Orthodox And so the Priscillianists once got a great Courtier to be for them and a while turned the sword against their adversaries which occasioned sufferings in Spain and other parts And I wonder how Baronius Binnius or you that plead for the silencing and other afflicting of Non-conformists under the name of Non-toleration and the Churches endeavours for Vniformity can possibly keep out the light which would tell you that we may give you twenty to one in weighing your case and ours with Ithacius and Martins if any impartial hand do hold the ballance Is not your whole cause who cry out for the execution of the Laws and against our Toleration that is that we are not to be endured clean contrary to Martins cause § 75. As to your 3 d. Advice pag. 55. Not to Condemn others for that which themselves have practised I Answer 1. Prove that I or any of my Acquaintance ever practised Ejecting Silencing Ruining men for things unnecessary yea or for greater things Whom did we ever forbid to Preach the truth Whom did we cast out of all Church Maintenance Whom did we imprison 2. If any in New-England had done it is that our doing They that are against Christs Righteousness impated I hope will not joyn with you in imputing to us the sins of those that were no Kin to us and we never saw 3. What a pitiful Case is Mankind in if such an Harangue of confounding words can make them believe that Tolerating or not-Tolerating in Causes vastly different are the same Is it all one to deny men Liberty to seduce men from the essentials of the Faith and to forbid many hundreds to preach Christs Gospel unless they will openly profess that they Assent and Consent to three Books and Covenant never to endeavour the Reforming of the Government of the Church c Might not the Papists have said to us just as you do it is the same thing for us to burn Protestants as Hereticks as for you to expel the Subverters of the Faith But you that are for silencing us all for not consenting to You know what have less excuse for calling it the same thing unless you think Christ and a Liturgy to be same It is therefore fitter to be answered with Compassionate Tears than Words when you say pag. 56. that every one of them would practise the same were it in their Power and think it very justifiable so to do Ans O whither may he rowl that is tumbling down the Hill I was never in Power The Independents once were They used it not as I would have had them But did they or the Presbyterians Eject or Silence one another Is it a good Consequence you would silence a Quaker that denieth the Essentials of Christianity Ergo every one of you were it in your power would Silence Imprison and Ruine them that differ from you in Ceremony Form or Subscription like ours O how incredible are the words of some applauded men I remember that at the Savoy when it was said how some had used the Episcopal Bishop Walton excused and reproved me and said that indeed I had then written against Ejecting or Troubling any honest worthy man for being Episcopal or against the Parliament but that the incompetent and vicious of all sorts equally should be Ejected But saith he did not you write that if the Sword interposed not but meer liberty to Volunteers were granted to all parties the Prclatical Liturgick Church would be like a Tavern or Inne where many sober Persons come but so many others also as would make it a place of no very great inviting Fame I confessed the truth and still confess it § 76. To your 4 th Advice not to make our differences seem greater than they are I
one Church when it is upon unwarrantable cause or reasons If one Church unjustly renounce Communion with another whole Church as no true Church or as Heretical I think that it is done by a whole Church against a whole Church makes it worse But perhaps you mean that for two National Churches to have two Kings is not unlawful No doubt of that But to what purpose is it Or is it that two National Churches may have different Accidents of Worship or Discipline And so may two Diocesan or Parish-Churches in our Nation if the King please at least § 15. You add Which according to the Scripture Antiquity and Reason have a just Right and Power to govern and reform themselves Ans Have not all Diocesan Churches power to govern and reform themselves Government is of various species Only the King or summa Potestas Civilis hath Power to govern and reform by his Species of Government But every Bishop may govern and reform his Church as a Bishop as every Master may his Family as a Master and every Man himself as a Man It 's a strange Man Family or Church that hath not power to govern and reform it self though not Regal Power Though Kings have Power they have not God's Power and all Power that is Humane is not Regal § 16. Serm. By whole Churches I mean the Churches of such Nations which upon the decay of the Roman Empire resumed their Right of Government to themselves and upon their owning Christianity incorporated into one Christian Society under the same common Ties and Rules of Order and Government Ans 1. And had not those as good right that were not under the Roman Empire as Abasia c. 2. Did the Churches under the Roman Power exercise their great diversity in Liturgies and other accidents of Worship without right Had not they a right to govern and reform themselves variously as they did 3. Christian Societies are of divers species Do you mean Christian Civil Societies Kingdoms free Cities c. or Churches Or do you take a Christian Kingdom and a Christian Church for the same as the Erastians do If so I suppose half the Conformists will be against you as well as I. At least you must confess that if de nomine a Christian Kingdom quasi tale may be called a Church it is equivocally and that there is a sort of Christian Churches which are of another Constitution Far were the Christian Bishops for 1300 years from believing that a Prince or Civil Power was essential to a Christian Church or that a Church in the common sence was not constituted of another sort of Regent part that had the Power of the Keyes Two species of Governours make two species of the Societies if they are not subordinate but prime constitutive Parts But the Prince and the Pastor are two species well opened among many by Bishop Bilson of Subjection And verily if you Conformists be divided among your selves about the very Constitutive Rector of a Christian Church you differ more from each other than we do from the generality of you 4. And what be the common Tyes and Rules of Order which you mean Are these notifying Terms for a Definition 1. There are divine unalterable Rules of Order and Government and there are humane Rules about alterable Accidents 2. There are Rules made by Contract such as Grotius thinks Canons are and Rules made by Governours which are binding Commands or Laws 3. There are Rules made by Civil Governours to be enforced by the Sword and Rules made only by Ecclesiastical Pastors to be executed only by the Power of the Word and Keys Do you mean all these Or which of them 1. All Christian Churches are tied by the common Divine Rule and is not consent to that enough to make a Church 2. Churches of various Nations may be under one Humane Rule of Agreement or Contract 3. The same Princes may give divers Rules about Accidents to the Churches of one Kingdom and also the same Rule for some Accidents to divers Churches under them who differ in other great things And doth agreement in those Accidents do more to make them Oâ— Church than their difference in Integrals to make them many 4. Princes may do as the Roman Emperours long did leave the Bishops in Councils to make their own Rules by consent and make no common Imperial Rule for them Are they ever the less One Church 5. The Roman Empire and Councils both left the several Bishops to make Rules for Liturgies and other Accidents for their several Churches Were they therefore the less one National Church So that I am no more acquainted by your Words what you mean by a whole Church than if you had said nothing There is a whole Diocesâ—â— Church and a whole Parish Church as well as a whole National Church And what the Power is and what the Rule of Order must be whether the Laws of Princes or Prelates and whether about Essential or Integrals or Accidents and what Accidents whether all or many or few and which that must make a Church to be One whole Church you never tell us An Infidel Prince or a Heretick Prince may give the same Rule of Order to his Christian Subjects in a whole Kingdom Is he therefore the constitutive Church-Head Or will you say as your Mr. Rich. Hooker doth That if he be the Head of a Christian Church it is necessary that he be a Christian To tell us of Common Ties and Rules of Order and never tell us what those Ties and Rules are may serve your Ends but not my Edification § 17. But I remember your Irenicum learnedly maintaineth that God hath instituted no one Form of Church-Government as necessary And if so then not a National Church-Form And is it not a whole Church if it be without a Form which not God but Man is the Author of Then God made or instituted no such thing as a whole Church Then it is a humane Creature Then why may not Man make yet more Forms and multiply and make and unmake as he seeth cause and several Countries have several Forms And forma dat nomen esse And if God made not any whole Church we should be acquainted who they be that were not a Church that had Power to make the first Church-Form and who hath the Power ever since and how it is proved and how it cometh to be any great matter to separate from a Church-Form which God never made and whether humane Church-Forms be not essential and constitutive Causes of the Churches and whether every commanded Oath Subscription Declaration Office or Ceremony be an essential part of this Church-Form And there be as many Church-Forms and Species as there be Orders Liturgies and Ceremonies And all these Differences in the same Kingdom constitute so many Schisms and Separations § 18. Do you take all the Christians in the Turkish Empire to be one National Church or not If not then one Head
of the Sabbath c. and others against these If not Is not difference in such Doctrines as great a difference as using and not useing some of your Liturgick Forms and Ceremonies IV. Are all different modes of Worship enough to make our Party Separatists Then the French and Dutch Churches are Separatists and either the Cathedrals or the Parish-Churches as to their Vestments Organs Chore mode of Singing c. And the allowed private Baptismes and Communion with the sick are Separations V. Doth every disobedience to the King and Laws and Canons in matters of Religion Government and Worship make men Separatists If so then when ever a Conformist disobediently shortneth his Common-Prayer or leaveth off his Surplice or giveth the Sacrament to one that kneeleth not or receiveth one of another Parish to Communion c. he is a separatist Yea no man then is not a Separatist sometimes VI. If the Diocesane be the lowest political Church and a Parish but a part of a Church as they hold that take a Bishop to be a Constitutive part how is he said to separate from the Church that owneth his Diocesane and the Diocess what ever place in that Diocess he meet in seeing he separateth not from the Kingdom that stayeth in it and owneth the King though in some acts he disobey Nor doth every Boy that is faulty separate from the School VII Is he a greater Separatist that confesseth you to be a true Church and your communion lawful but preferreth another as fitter for him or he that denieth Communion with true worshiping assemblies as unlawful to be Communicated with when it is not so If the former then Condemning you as no Church is a diminution or no aggravation of separation and the Local presence of an Infidel or a Scorner would be a less separate state than the absence of your friends If the latter which is certain then if I can prove the Assemblies lawful which you condemne you are the true Separatists that condemn them and deny Communion with them and declare such Communion to be unlawful I Communicate with your Assemblies and you utterly shun refuse and condemn Communion with ours which then is the Separatist if I prove ours to be as good as yours VIII Many English Doctors say Rome is a true Church as a Knave or Thief is a true man and we separated not from It but they cast Us out for doing our duty and not sinning as they do I say not as they for as the Pope claimeth the Headship of the Church Universally that form of Policy is not of God and we separate from that essencial form of their pretended Church But ad hominem if the Diocesane also be a true Church and we cast out of it for not sinning are We separatists or are our Ejectors such IX I have shewed you that the Canons Excommunicate ipso facto all that say the imposed Conformity is unlawful If this be unjust is it Separation to be so Excommunicated and who is the Schismatick here And what shall be thought of such Church-men as will first ipso facto Excommunicate us for our duty and then as you do call us Separatists Would you have Excommunicate Men Communicate with you I and many do so because you shall be the Executioners of your own sentence and not I But with what face can men cast Men out by Canon ipso facto and then revile them for not coming in You can mean no other in common sense but that we are Schismaticks or separatists because we are not of the Conformist's judgment And that is not in our power And you differ more in judgment in greater matters from each other and yet call it not Schisme or Separation Yea you differ about the very essential form of your National Church one part taking it to be the Kings supremacy and another to be the Bishops or Clergy's Power And therefore you cannot be truly of one National Church that are not for one essential Form X. If men be wrongfully Excommunicate are they thereby absolved from all publick Worshipping of God or do they lose their Right to all Church-Communion I have else where cited you Canons enow that say the contrary and that Clave Errante the excommunication huâ—teth none but the Excommunicator And I have Cited Bishop Tailor 's Full Consent Must we not then Meet and Worship as we can when you wrongfully Excommunicate us XI Are not the Laity by your Canon forbidden to Receive the Sacrament in another Parish or any other to receive them if they dare not Receive it from a Non-Preaching Minister at Home And if the People judge that he that is unable or unwilling to Preach or that is a Heretick or that liveth in such heinous Sins or Preacheth Malignantly as to do more Harm than Good may not lawfully be owned by them for Christ's Ministers nor their Souls be Committed to their Pastoral Trust Must they therefore be without a Pastors Care or all Publick Worship and Communion and be Condemned for being Wronged XII Were all those Councils Separatists that Decreed That none shall hear Mass from a Fornicating Priest And Were the Canons called the Apostles and the Greek-Church that used them for Separation that said Episcopus ignorantiâ aut malo animo opplotus non est Episcopus sed falsus Episcopus non a Dee sed ab hominibus promotus Was Guildas a Separatist that told the Brittish Wicked Priests That they were not Christ's Ministers but Traitours and that he was not Eximius Christianus that would call them Priests or Ministers of Christ Were Cyprian and all the Carthage-Council Separatists that wrote the Epistle about Martial and Basilides which I Translated and told the People It was their Duty to Separate from Peccatore Praeposito a Scandalous Prelate and that the Chief Power was in them to Choose the Worthy or Refuse the Unworthy and that they were guilty of Sin if they joyned with such Sinners Who made You a more Reverend and Credible Judge of Separation than Cyprian and this Council At least Who will think that you may Judge them Separatists or guilty of Schism XIII Are not the Laity by your Canon to be denied the Sacrament if they be not willing of your Episcopal Confirmation And when Imposition of Hands is made the Signe by which Confirming or Assuring Grace is conveyed and some Bishops assigne no less to it they fear lest it be made a Sacrament Be their Doubts just or not they cannot overcome them And Must they therefore Live without Sacramental Communion By what Law XIV Are not the Laity that dare not Receive the Sacrament Kneeling for the Reasons else-where mentioned to be denied the Sacrament by your Rule And though herein they fear Sin more than they have cause Must they that cannot Change their own Judgments live all their Dayes without the Sacrament When as General Councils Decreed That none should adore Kneeling on any Lord's Day and the Church for a
their own only meerly for their singular Opinions And yet it will be hard for you to prove that all the Preachers on Earth must give over Preaching to any such as these What shame Blood and odious Schisines followed this Schismatical Principle while in doubtful Disputations or tolerable differences each party Condemned and Cursed the other I have fully manifested in my Abridgment of Church History VVhile by one Emperour and Council all the Orthodox were Deposed and by another all the Nestorians and by another all the Eutichians and by another all the Monothelites and by another the Corrupticolae and by another the Iconoclasts and so on How few were there un-Cursed and un-Cordemned in the Roman World And this keepeth the Churches in Schism to this day 8. Do not you thus teach the Nonconfâ—rmists to require you with the like and by your own Rule to judg it unlawful for you to Preach They judg indeed that it is lawful to hear you 1. When better 〈◊〉 without greater hurt than benefit 2. To sâ—ew their 〈◊〉 by their Practise viz. that they separate not from you as 〈◊〉 Church nor â—â—ke it for simply unlawful to have 〈…〉 you But they that think Conformity as great a 〈…〉 have told you they fear it would be to them must needs think that it is a fault in those that choose your Assemblies when câ—teris paribus and without greater hurt than good they might have better And must we therefore conclude that it is unlawful for you to Preach Suppose it were â—ut when we had the Kings Licence Or if in the times of Usurpation and thought to leave the Parish Churches tended Culpably to Division It followeth not that it was unlawful for a Bishop to preach in private though when you under the Usurpers kept the Parish Church he had preacht to some of your Flock But here you shew what your Labour tendeth to viz. To prove it Unlawful for us to Preach that you may perswade Us to give over If God will I shall elsewhere give you an Account of the Reasons of our Preaching and Answer what You and Others say against it And therefore shall say but little of it here But I am heartily sorry that you are come to such a Desire That you had rather so many Hundred such Ministers were Silenced than suffered to Preach without your Covenants and Ceremonies That you no more regard the Needs of the People that abound in Ignorance Carelesness and Vice nor observe no more the Power of Sin nor the great Want of Help to such Parishes as your own and too many in the Land that have need on other Accounts O! How dreadful and unsearchable are the Judgments of God That when so many Hundreds were Forbidden to Preach the Gospel the Plague must first give them some Degree of Liberty and the Flames continue it the next Year and the Kings Clemency after and Horrid Popish Treason next divert their Prosecutors while the Laws and Bishops all the while forbad them Even when the Parish-Preachers fled from the Plague and it was dying Men that the Nonconformists Preach't to And when the Churches were Burnt down and the People had no Priest or Place to go to for their own way of Worship yet neither Laws nor Bishops consented to our Preaching And such Men as Dr. Stillingfleet also come in to engage their Wit Reputation Industry and Conscience in the Silencing Design O! What Cause have we all to VVatch and Pray That We enter not into Temptation and to dread the Spiritual Judgments of God Remember Lot ' s Wife was a needful Warning A Solomon that is Numbred with the Wisest Men may be seâ— up as a Frightful Monument to bid us Take heed lest we Revolt And I take it for a greater Injury to us to perswade us to Silence our selves than to perswade the Magistrate only to Silence Banish or Imprison us For so to Suffer from another is not our Sin But Sacrilegiously to break our Ministerial Vow and forsake the Calling which we were Solemnly Voweâ— to and this while the Necessity of Souls cry for Help is a Sin which few Men are so bad as to perswade us to with open Face without some pious fraudulent Pretence § 38. Serm. p. 20. I do not confound bare Suspending Communion in some particular Rites which Persons do modestly Scruple and using it in what they judge to be Lawful with either total or ordinary Forbearance of Communion in what they judge to be Lawful and proceeding to the Forming of Separate Congregations i. e. under other Teachers and by other Rules than what the Established Religion alloweth And this is the present Case of Separation which I intend to consider and to make the Sinfulness and the Mischievousness appear Answ I am sure I am one that you expresly Charge as of this Number and I can best speak for my self and those of my Acquaintance 1. Is it true that I totally or ordinarily forbear 2. What mean you by Forming a Congregation If their Presence be my Forming them it is but because I speak to them For I neither Perswade nor Drive them to be there But if you mean Forming them into a Distinct Church and becoming their Pastor I was never Related as a Pastor to any Church but Kiderminster nor have these Twenty Years been a Pastor to any but borrowed other Mens Pulpits to Preach a Lecture â—o such as say they need it 3. Your word Separate I have Examined before You Separate from My Auditory and more than Separate and I Separate not from Yours Who then is the Separatist 4. All the Parishes about you and the Bishop of Ely in your Parish that judge it Lawful to Hear you yet are Absent from you and so are some Nonconformists that think they must Preach themselves and cannot be in Two Places at once Is that Separating 5. The French and Dutch Churches do all that which you here describe as Sinful and Mischievous only they have more Leave than we 6. Is all the Matter that We are Teachers which the Law alloweth not So were the Orthodox under the Nestorian Eutychian Monothelite c. Princes And so I have proved That the Christian Religion hath been much propagated in the VVorld 7. VVhat are the Rules which we go by which the Established Religion alloweth not Doth it not allow the Sacred Scriptures Or Have you proved That I go by any other Rule If the Act of Vniformity or the Canons be your Religion Do not they allow God's Word Or if they be your Rules omitting that Is not Vsing another Yet those that do joyn in Churches under Chosen Pastors when I do not I shall not Condemn till I hear their Reasons They may have more Cause than I have § 39. Serm. p. 21. They Vnanimously confess they find no fault with the Doctrine of our Church Answ 1. And yet are you one that would have them all Silenced 2. But this is not true You name
left men as much power to make new Species of Churches as to diversifie the Forms of Common-wealth 8. And as to our disturbing your peace if you had built your frame on Christs foundation and laid your peace on the unity of the Spirit and the seven particulars named Eph. 4. 45. 6. and had not built it on uncharitableness on imperious usurpation nor that love of the world which Paul Servita saith brought in the Church corruptions you would not have been so tender nor your peace like an aspen leaf in the wind as that your Brethren who you say agree in Doctrine and the substance of worship with you cannot quietly joyn near you in the worship of God without your imposed words and ceremonies but they become disturbers of your peace It s a sickly peace that is so easily disturbed by so small dissent As Rome thinketh that all wrong her that do not obey her and pleadeth for Empire under the name of Communion so do some others and will enter a suite against them as Schismatiks that will not let them ride and lash them without complaint If you have the humility and Charity of a Christian without envy c. What harm doth it do you that I and such others worship God in another room without your book while your Church is as full as it can well hold Do you not differ much more among your selves as I before shewed And the Papists yet more among themselves and yet are in one Church and tollerated But so their Power and Wills may be obeyed some men can bear with much more against God Who heareth such out cries against ten thousand or twenty thousand in a Parish that come not to any Church at all as against a few Christians that pray and preach without your book what Informers what indictments what prosecutions what invectives are equally against all these aforesaid § 51. Serm. p 31. It is very uncertain whether the Primitive form were such as they fancy c but it s certainly our duty to preserve peace and unity amongst Christians Ans 1. Then it is certainly a sin to make racks to tear them and make concord impossible and say none shall have Communion with us that will not say and Swear what we bid them and that think any thing sin which we impose and to shut men out by Cannonical Excommunication and then call them Schismaticks in Presse and Pulpit for not coming in 2. If it be uncertain whether that which we desire be the Primitive form it is uncertain then whether you oppose not and fight not against the Primitive form 3. What you say is uncertain I shall God willing prove certain elsewhere and have done All is not uncertain to others which is so to you 4. Mark this you that are for the Divine right of Episcopacy as the Primitive forme instituted by Christ As he taketh it for uncertain as beyond Congregational formes so were it so if the Church should cast it out he seemeth to hold your endeavours to reduce it to be a sinful breaking of the Churches peace You are disturbers if in Holland Geneva Helvetia you would reduce them to that which you suppose to be the Primitive form It may be it was but from the circumstances of the times And so the head of the Church hath made no particular Church Species but left all to the better wit of men who knowes to whom § 52 Serm. It is impossible so to do if men break all orders in pieces for the fancy they have taken up of a Primitive Platform Ans Anglice It is impossible to preserve Peace and unity among Christians if men will not suppose that Christ never instituted his own Church formes or will not forsake his Institutions but fancy that they must be conformable thereto and will not preferre the wills and commands of Bishops to whom they never consented and take it to be a breaking of all orders in pieces not to do all that they enjoyn us though we take it to be heynous sin and will not give over Gods worship and our Ministry when they forbid us Dan. 6. We shall find no fault against this Daniel except it be concerning the Law of his God but if he pray openly when forbidden away with him to the Lyons for the Laws of the Medes and Persians are more inflexible than Gods § 53. As to what you say of preferring Morals and the ends it is more truly than prudently mentioned as to your cause For the very naming of it will make the Readers think whether your subscription and declaration and oaths and imposed practices which the Nonconformists judge unlawful be greater matters than their preaching the Gospel avoiding great sins the concord and strength of the Protestant Churches and the avoding temptations to wrath and persecution and divisions which will be bitter in the latter end Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not Sacrifice or needless Ceremony § 54. Serm. p. 32 Men may please themselves in talking of preserving peace and Love under separate Communions But our own sad experience shews the contrary For as nothing tends more to unite mens hearrs than joyning together in the same Prayer and Sacraments so nothing doth more alienate mens affections than withdrawing from each other into separate Congregations Ans 1. But do all separate from you that are in other Parish Churche◠than yours if not do all separate that differ as Cathedrals from Parish Churches or as conforming Preachers do from one another If not do they separate that omit a form or ceremony of yours 2. I am sorry if you have experience of the alienating of your affections from your neighbours that quietly worship God by you but it s like you know what you say For my part many of them have said and written more against me them against you and I thank God I love them heartily yea and that your own party from whom I have suffered far more It is mens diseases that make them impatient of a cross opinion or word or censure and then they cry out of mens unpeaceableness As Seneca saith They that are sore complainif they but think their sore is touched 3. Let the Magistrates keep Peace and punish all that abuse their brethren 4. But we easily grant to you that when men do not only differ but fly from each others Communion as unlawful it hath a great tendency to the alienations and evils which you mention Had we not thought so we had never stoopt and pleaded and begg'd of the Bishops to prevent or heal it as we did 1660 and 1661. And wo to the impenitent that are the cause of all and to this day will not be perswaded by all the sad experience that they complain of Sir instead of all your accusations and reasonings it would have better dispatched all the business would you but consider who it is that must cure the distance which you complain of I have fully proved