Consequences on your person but it 's easie to see that it will follow from this opinion that Christ was a sinner and consequently no Saviour and so no Christ. Alas whither would you carry the people of the Lord Nor do you prove Paul's Case to be like this Eating at the sacrifiâ—â—s in the Idols Temples was visible Corporal Idolatry forbidden indeed in the second Commandement as Idolatry interpretative visible external corporeal It was that very Act by which an Idol was outwardly worshipped Therefore it was a Professing-act interpretatively Symbolizing with Idolaters I have told you is Professing for a Symbole is a Professing sign But he that is present with a Church professing to worship not an Idol but the true God and that according to the Scripture and is united to the Church only in this profession doth not by so doing Profess Consent to a Ministers ill wording or methodizing of his Prayers or his Sermons which is the work of his own office 2. As for your charge of Blasphemy c. on me for intreating you to take heed lest you blaspheme by making Gods foreknowing of faults to signifie an approbation I pass it by and will not by so frivolous a return be drawn to enter further on that point EXCEPT XXII p. 13. Answered Whether it be bitterness fierceness fury or proud impatience to reprove these sins in an instance which your self presume not to contradict And whether the opinion that no truth is to be silenced for peace be fit for judicious peaceable men to own or be not fit to be gain-said I have long ago debated in my book of Infant-Baptisme pag. 218. EXCEPT XXIII p. 13. Answered If you dissent why did you answer none of the six Reasons I gave for what I said nor seem to take notice of them But only when I say It were easie to instance in unseasonable and imprudent words of truth spoken to Princes which have raised persecutions of long continuance ruined Churches caused the death of multitudes c. Upon which you put four questions To which I answer 1. The flattery of some will not justifie the sinful imprudence of others 2. If you should be guilty of the blood of thousands by one sin will it excuse you that another was more guilty 3. Elijah Micaiah and Iohn Baptist spake not unseasonably or imprudently Nor is all imprudent that bringeth suffering or death 4. Gospel Ministers may follow them that spake prudently but unseasonable and imprudent speaking is not following them I have recited elsewhere a saying even of Dr. Th. Iackson that It is not because great men have not sins and wrath enough that there are no more Martyrs under Christian Rulers but because there be not John Baptists enough to tell them of them to that sense But either by all this you mean to defend unseasonable and imprudent speaking or else you mean that there is no such sin or else you must needs contend where you consent If it be the first or third I will not be so imprudent as to sence with you If the second it is gross contradiction of reason and morality and of Christ himself Matth. 7. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 28. 34. Amos 5. 13. Eccl. 3. 7. EXCEPT XXIV p. 14. He hath found out a new Cause of Separation and such as we doubt not the Pope will thank him for when he saies Almost all our contentions and divisions are caused by the ignorance and injudiciousness of Christians For it is evident that our contentions at this day are principally if not wholly caused by the pride impertinencie and tyranny of imposers which guilt Mr. Baxter would ease them of by charging it on the ignorance and injudiciousness of Christians Answ. These last words are your 17th Untruth 1. Where have I said a word to ease them of it May not two persons or parties be both guilty of Division Yea if one were guilty wholly that is of the whole yet he may not be guilty solely and no one with him 2. Have you or any of your party done so much to have stopt that cause of divisions which you accuse as I have done And did I ever change my mind 3. O that God would make you know what spirit you are of and what you are doing Alas brother will you leave England no hope of a Cure What hope while we are impenitent What Repentance while we justifie our sins Yea while the Preachers teach the people to justifie them and become the defenders of the sins which they should preach against and fight against their brethren that do but call mâ—n to â—â—pâ—nt What! is Godliness up and in honour among us while Repentance is down as an intolerable abhorred thing What a Godliness is that which abhorreth Repentance I am offended greatly with my own heart that melteth not into tears over such lines as thâ—se for England's sake and for Religions sake For the honour of God and for the souls of men Is that a new Cause of separation which hath been the Cause since the daies of the Apostles to this day Did ever man read the histories of the Schismes and Heresies of the Churches and not find out this Cause this old this ordinary Cause If you had remembred but what Socrates and Sozomene say of the Church of Alexandria alone what contentions what tumults what blood-shed these weaknesses and faults of Christians caused it might have told you it is no new thing O lamentable case of miserable England that even among the zealouser sort of Ministers any should be found that either vindicateth all Christians from the charge of Ignorance and Injudiciousness Or that thinketh these are no Causes or no culpabie Causes of divisions That have no more acquaintance with the people of this land And know no better them that they plead for That such should seek to flatter poor souls in despite of that open light and undeniable 〈◊〉 of all the Christian World That in an age when the weaknesses and faults of Christians have wrought such heinous effects among us they should be denied And when God by judgements hath so terribly summoned us to repent by silencing dissipations imprisonments reproaches and most dreadful plagues and flames alas shall we call to professors that have ruined us by Ignorance and Injudiciousness the gentlest names that their sin will bear and say Repent not Christians you are not ignorant or injudicious It is not you that are the causes of our divisions and calamities Our Contentions at this day are principally if not wholly caused by the pride impertinency and tyranny of the Imposers Believe not Christians that you are innocent Believe not that you are not ignorant and injudicious as you love your souls and as you love the land If once God deliver us up to Antichristian darkness and cruelties it will be cold comfort to you to think that you once were flattered into impenitency and made believe that you were not
slowly they come on in knowledge 3. If God have made it one half the work of the Pastors of the Churches to labour all their daies to heal the Ignorance of good people then such Ignorant ones there are But the antecedent is plain in Scripture and believed by most Ministers as their daily Sermons tell you 4. Do not the multitudes of Sects and Errors and Contentions that have torn the Church from the Apostles daies till now prove it Were all those in the Catalogues of Epiphanius Augustine Philastrius c. Certainly graceless Or were none of them Ignorant and Injudicious And though Church-tyranny be a grand Divider that this was not the only Cause two instances prove to the great disgrace of this assertion of his First the instance of the said sects of Christians for the first 300 or 400 years when there were no such Impositions Secondly our late twenty years or neer contentions and divisions and numerous parties when there were little or no impositions Was it impositions or tyranny that bred sects in the Armies and in England and Ireland in the daies of liberty 5. And is it not sufficient proof to England that there are weak ignorant injudicious Christians when the ruines of twenty years experience overwhelmeth us and when so many years unreconcilable differences prove i And when we have so many sects and differences to this day What all these differences these wars these disputings these censurings divisions and confusions and yet no Ignorant Injudioious Christians O what will pass for proof with them that will not take such experience for proof 6. And what say you by all the Greek the Abassine Armenian Nestorian Iacobite c. Christians that are alas in National general Ignorance Which will you affirm Brother That all these Nations are damnable Infidels or no Christians Or that there are no Ignorant Christians among them 7. And what say you by all the Contentions of Lutherans and Calvinists Arminians and Antiarminians the troubles of Germany by Muntzer and his Anabaptists and those at Munster and those in Holland and many other Countreys 8. And what say you by all the books now extant Dr. Crispes Mr. Saltmarshes Cop's Mr. Cradocks Mr. Dels Mr. Dens Mr. Randalls Iacob Behmens and all the Germane Prophets Andr. Osiander Swenkfieldius c. Is there no Christianity or no ignorance and injudiciousness apparent in them Besides all the writings of Episenpal Presbyterian Independents Separatists Anabaptists c. against one another 9. Do you not think your self that multitudes of Conformists yea Ministers are Ignorant and Injudicious Sure you do And can you judge them all to be no Christians 10. Do you not think that I am Ignorant and Injudicious If not you must not only think that I am no Christian but also extreamly maliciously wicked But if you do so think of me can you think so of all the non-Conformable Ministers of my judgement I am sure if you believe your self and as you write Ignorance is the easiest charge we can expect from you 11. And will you put sorth such a book as your own to the World and when you have done deny the Ignorance and Injudiciousness of all Christians This is all one as to swear that there is never a swearer among Christians 12. I appeal to the common Charges of Ministers in their Sermons and books who charge weak Christians with dulness ignorance and injudiciousness 13. I appeal to the experience of all Masters of Families whether they meet with no such Christians there Yea how hard it is to meet with better 14. I appeal to the experience of every self-knowing Christian whether he find not abundance of dulness ignorance and injudiciousness in himself 15. I appeal to the prayers of almost all Christians whether they charge not themselves with this to God 16. I appeal to almost all the disagreeing disputers of this and every age whether they charge not one another with it 17. I appeal to most Parishes in England whether many of the people charge not their Ministers themselves with it 18 I appeal to Universities Tutors and Schools whether they know none such 19. I appeal to any judicious man whether he find not the judicious even among good Christians yea and Ministers to be alas too rare 20. And I appeal to all men that are awake whether there be no Christian children in the World And whether all such children are cured of Ignorance and Injudiciousness and know all things by the anointing of the Spirit And if all this be no proof it is time to give over teaching and disputing And now that if perhaps you may repent and others be preserved I shall tell you what nature this sinful doctrine and practice is of 1. It is a cherishing of Pride which is the first-born of the Devil Yea of spiritual Pride even a Pride of mens Knowledge and Iudiciousness which is worse than Pride of wealth or ornaments 2. Hereby it resisteth a great work of the Gospel and Spirit of Christ which consisteth in the humbling of souls and making them become as little children conscious of Ignorance and teachable 3. It defendeth that sin which all experienced judicious men complain of as that common calamity of mankind which is the grand cause of contentions and errors in the World Which is mens thinking that they know what they do not and over-valuing their own understandings thinking that they are wise when it is otherwise 4. It contradicteth the Holy Ghost and reproveth his language and reproofs as I have before shewed To which I adde 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. They lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Cor. 15. Where Paul is put to prove the Resurrection ver 34. Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame ver 36. Thou fool that which thou sâ—west c. Hos. 9. 7. The Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad c. 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let him become a fool that he may be wise If you say that some of these were not true Saints I answer 1. Paul calleth the Church of Corinth in general Saints 2. Our question is of more than true Saints even such as may by others who are no heart-searchers be called Christians whether we may call any dull ignorant or injudicious Christians 5. You teach Parents and Masters to neglect and betray the souls of their children and servants that are Christians And children and servants to reject the teaching of Parents and Masters For if they are not dull nor ignorant what need they to be taught or to learn And at what age do they come to know all things and to be past the title of Ignorant Is it at 4 or 5 or 7 years old Doubtless they may have the spirit then If not where is it that you will set the bounds At what age were you past
with all sound and sober Christians I ask you whether all these several parties are false worshippers save you alone Did not the Presbyterians and Independants agree in worship when you gathered Churches out of their Churches and when thousands separated from all the Parish Churches almost then existent Indeed the Anabaptists charged us also with false worship but it was not truly But the ordinary Dividerâ— had not that pretense 4. O how easie a thing is it Brother for a man without any supernatural Grace to reproach another mans Words in Worship and then to abhor it and avoid it and think I am one that keep my self Pure from false Worship But to keep our selves pure from pride censoriousness uncharitableness contention evil speaking and sensual vices is a harder work Others can as easily without mortification or humilitie keep themselves pure from your false worship as you can do from theirs EXCEPT ib. Since the crying sin this day is not separation but unjust and violent Persecution ½ which Mr. Baxter speakâ—eth very little against Answ. 1. A Las dear Brother that after so many years silencing and affliction after flames and Plagues and dreadful judgments after twenty years practice of the sin it self and when we are buried in the very ruines which it caused we should not yet know that our own uncharitable Divisions Alienations and Separations are a crying sin Yea the crying sin 〈◊〉 well as the uncharitableness and hurtfulness of others Alas will God leave us also even us to the obdurateness of Pharaoh Doth not judgment begin with us Is there not crying sin with us what have we done to Christs Kingdome to this Kingdoms to our friends dead and alive to our selves and alas to our enemies by our Divisions And do we not feel it Do we not know it Is it yet to us even to us a crime intolerable to call us to Repentance Wo to us Into what hard-heartedness have we sinned our selves Yea that we should continue in the sin and passionately defend it When will God give us Repentance unto life 2. And whither doth your passion carry you when you wrote so strange an untruth as this that I speak very little against it â— Was it possible for you to read the Book and gather Exceptions and yet to believe your self in this Doth not the Book speak against Church-Tyranny Unjust impositions Violence and taking away mens Liberty and rigor with Dissenters from end to end If any man that readeth but the Preface as page 14 15 16 17 18. and all the second part besides much more can possibly believe you I will never undertake to hinder him from believing any thing 3. But suppose I had said little against it will you charge me with Negatives or omissions before you know my Reasons Or would you have no better people hear of their sin and duty till Persecutors will endure to hear of theirs Exod. 6. 12. Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall c. â— saith Moses Have most or many of the Separation said more against severities than I have done 4. But could you possibly be ignorant that a License is not to be expected for such a Discourse as you seem here to expect You deal by me as the late Perswasive to Conformity that vehemently calls to me to publish my Reasons for Nonconformity while he knew my hands were tied by the Laws and Licensers 5. But what if I had not in this Book spoken much against Persecution Is it not enough that I have done it in others I have not here written on many subjects which in other Volumes I have written of And why should I If I had would you not have blamed me for writing one thing so oft But you most unhappily chose this Instance for your quarrel I think in the judgment of all the Land that have read my writings Besides my five Disputations of Church Government how oft have I written against Persecution The few Publick Sermons that ever I Preached had somewhat against it Read our Papers to the Bishops in 1660. especially the Reply to their Exceptions and the Petition for Peace Enquire again of the long provoking Conference at the Savoy and the reason of the following indignation against me and afterwards read this Book again and then I modestly chalenge you 1 to name those men in England especially of the Separatists that have said and done more against that severity which you call Persecution than I have done 2. To name me one Licensed Book since the silencing of the Ministers and since the Printing Act That hath said so much against Severity and Persecution as the Book which you quarrel with hath done EXCEPT II. Mr. B. mentioneth with much bitterness what was formerly done in the time of the War which is in him a most unbecoming practice because first Mr. B. was as guilty of stirring up and fomenting that War as any one whatsoever and none ought to blame the effect who gave rise and encouragement to the Cause Answ. 1. IF you mean that my words taste bitterly to you I cannot deny it You know best But for my part any Reader may see in the Book which the Preface referreth to that I only lament our too open undeniable uncharitableness and divisions and the effects thereof and use the mention of some mens former faults with whom they and I can hold communion to prove by way of Argument that they ought not to avoid communion with others for the like or less And I know not how to convince men well if I must pass by all such experimental Arguments 2. Do you not mark your partialitie Brother In our Reply to them 1660. pag. 7 8. et alibi and in my 5 Disput. c. I tell the Bishops of faults past of Silencings and Suspendings c. of the excellent Ministers afflicted and laid by and how ordinarily are they told of the things charged on Bishop Laud Pierce Wren c. in their Articles to the Parliament And when did you blame me or others for so doing Can I believe that this offendeth you And is it sin to tell your selves of your former sins and none to tell the Bishops of it O that we could know what spirit we are of 3. Your third untruth in point of fact is that I was as guilty of stirring up and fomenting that war as any one whatsoever Could you possibly believe your self in this 1. I suppose you never saw me till above ten years after I had done with Wars 2. I suppose you lived far from me 3. If you know whom and what you speak of you know that I was never of the Assembly I never Preached to the Parliament till the day before the King was Voted home I was forced from home to Coventry There it was that I did speak my Opinion but refused their Commission as Chaplain to the Garrison In Shropshire my Father was twice imprisoned that
the Cause But that our hearts may yet more relent in this sad condition of the seduced let us hear the following words Besides saith he we cannot understand the meaning of such phrases as dull Christians Ignorant and injudicious Christians For whoever are Christians indeed have received an anointing by which they know all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. 27. And should not have such vile Epithets affixed to them which only â—â—nd to expose even Christianity it self as if it did not cure those that sincerely imbraced it of their Ignorance and Injudiciousness Answ. It is no disgrace to Christianity that it is set off by the presence of Ignorance and Injudiciousness As sickness maketh us know the worth of health Nor is it long of life or health that doleful diseases remain yet uncured For were it not for them instead of diseases there would be death It is Godliness and Christianity which bringeth that Light and Health into the World that is in it And men are not ignorant and bad because they are Christians and Religious but because they are not better Christians and more Religious Perfect Christianity would make men perfectly judicious The weakest true Christian exceedeth the Learnedst Ungodly Doctor even in judgement and knowledge Because he practically and powerfully knoweth that God is God and to be preferred in honour obedience and love before all the World and that Christ is Christ and to be believed in for Justification and Salvation And that the Holy Spirit is his Advocate and our Quickener Illuminater and Sanctifier to be believed and obeyed and that there is a Life of Happiness to be hoped for which is better than all the pleasures of sin and the felicity of worldlings In a word they have a real though imperfect understanding of the Baptismal Covenant and of the Creed or Symbole of Christian Faith And this is a great and noble knowledge and Cure of them that were lately ignorant of all these things and were led Captive â—y the Prince of darkness at his will If the Reader that would see the difference will peruse my small Tractate of Catholick Unity he may be informed of it But yet is there no such thing as Ignorant dull injudicious Christians because they know all things Must we not use such phrases and Epithetes because Christianity cureth them Dear brother I have no mind to make you odious nor to open your sin to others But you have opened it to the World and I must open it to you if possibly you may repent But especially I am bound to try to save mens souls from this perilous deceit And therefâ—â—â— I shall prove to you that there are such 〈…〉 and ignorant and injudicious Christians And 2. I shall tell you the greatness of your error and sin That there are such is proved 1. By the words of Scripture Heb. 5. 11 12 13 14. Seeing yee are dull of hearing For when for the time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat For every one that useth milk is unskilfull or unperienced in the word of Righteousness for he is a babe But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil 1 Tim. 3. 6. Not a novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil The verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is otherwise by our Translators in the margin turned besotted And Strigelius saith that it signifieth not only puffed up but one crack'd brain'd and phanatick And Lyserus saith of the same word 2 Tim. 3. 4. translated High minded that it answereth an Hebrew word which signifyeth to be dark and not to shine clearly which Leigh reciteth See Martinius de Typho 1. Cor. 3. 1 2 3 4. And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual but as unto Carnal as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat For hitherto yee w 〈…〉 t able to bear it neither yet now are yee able For yee are yet Carnal For whereas there is among you envying the word is Zeal that is emulation and strife or contention and divisions or factions are yee not Carnal and walk as men or according to man For when one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are yee not Carnal Eph. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tost to and fro and carried about with every wind by the sleight or cousenage of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in Love may grow up c. Luke 24. 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Mark 6. 52. They considered not the miracle of the Loaves for their heart was hardened Mark 8. 17. Why reason yee because yee have no bread Perceive yee not yet neither understand Have yee your hearts yet hardened Having eyes see yee not And having ears hear yee not And do you not remember Luke 12. 16. These things understood not his Disciples at the first Luke 18. 32 33 34. They shall scourge him and put him to death and the third day he shall rise again And they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken 1 Cor. 8. 2. 7. 10. If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge but some with Conscience of the Idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered to an Idol and their Conscience being weak is defiled Shall not the Conscience of him that is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to Idols See Rom. 14 and 15. Gal. 6. 1. 1 Cor. 9. 22. Gal. 3 and 4. throughout Col. 2. 21 22 c. Heb. 13. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 3. Should I recite all such Epithetes convictions and reproofs in Scripture it would be tedious 2. The thing is further proved by the common experience of mankind which it amazeth me to think a man that liveth among men in the world awake and in his senses can be ignorant of Enemies know it Friends know it not only that there are Ignorant and Injudicious Christians but that the far greatest part are such though not in a damning yet in a sad and troublesome degree And that the far greatest part of those that we hope are truly godly remain so lamentably ignorant of abundance of things that should be known and continue in such an infancy of understanding as is a great advantage to the Tempter and many waies calamitous to themselves and to the Church It is the lamentation of all experienced Ministers Alas how ignorant even honest people remain And how
countenance the Prelates in Church-Tyranny and Usurpation and invite them to go further and to make more burdens of Forms and Ceremonies to lay upon the Churches Answ. Without medling now with the question what guilt it is that lyeth on any Prelates in the points here mentioned I answer on your own supposition 1. That it is the King and his Laws which we obey herein and not the Diocesans 2. How openly and fully have we declared our utter dissent from the things which you suppose that we shall countenance them in Our Writings are yet visible Our Conferences were notorious And is not the loss of our Ministry and the loss of all Ecclesiastical Maintenance and the pinching wants of many poor Ministers and their numerous families and our suffering Volumes of reproach confinements c. a signification of our dissent The case is somewhat hard with abundance of godly faithful Ministers Few that never felt it themselves can judge aright what it is to want a house to dwell in a bed to lye on to have Wives that are weak natured to keep in yearly patience under all such necessities which the Husband can bear himself to have Children crying in hunger and rags and to have a Landlord calling for his Rent and Butchers and Brewers and Bakers and Drapers and Taylors and Shoo-makers calling for money when there is none to pay them there being no fifth part of Church-maintenance now allowed them in the Frost and Snow to have no fire nor money to but it And yet all this is little in comparison of their restraint from preaching the Gospel of Salvation and the displeasure of their Governours against them if they preach And is not all this yet an open signification of their Dissent from the things which they so far deny complyance with If some of their Accusers on both sides were but in the same condition they would think it should go for a sufficient notification of dissent 3. We perswade no man to any one sin for Communion with others no not to save their lives If the thing be proved unlawful to be used and not only unlawful to be so imposed we exhort all to avoid it 4. Yea if an over numerous aggregation of things which singly are lawful should make them become a snare and injury to the Church we would have all in their places sufficiently signifie their dissent or if the number shall turn them into a sin in the users we would have none to use them Though we would not have men censure or contemn one another much less destroy one another foâ— a matter of meats or dayes or shadows yet if any will by false doctrine or Imperiousness say Touch not Taste not handle not and will judge us in respect to Meat or Drink or Holy Dayes or the New Moon or Sabbaths Col. 2. 16. 21. We would have all men to bear a just testimony to the truth and to their Christian liberty 5. But if the defects of publick Worship be tolerable and if Providence necessity and Laws concurr to call us to use them when else we must use none or do worse here Communion doth become our duty And a Duty must not be cast off for fear of seeming to countenance the faults of others We have lawful means to signifie our dissent It is not in our power to express it how we please nor to go as far from the faulty as we can to avoid the countenancing of their faults But we must do Gods work in his own way And we must disown mens sins only by prudent lawful means and not by any that are contrary to Christian Love and Peace or a breach of any Law of God 6. Paul was not for countenancing any of the falsehoods and faults which he reproveth in any of the Churches especially partiality sensuality drunkenness at the very Sacrament or Love Feasts 1 Cor. 11 c. And yet he never bids them forsake the communion of the Church for it till they shall reform There were other wayes of testifying dislike 7. I must not countenance an honest weak Minister or Master of a family in the disorder or defects or errors of his prayer or instructing And yet if they be tolerable errors or defects I must not forsake either Church or family-Worship with him that I may discountenance him 8. There be Errors on the contrary side which are not without considerable danger which we are obliged also to take heed of countenancing I will instance but in two one in Doctrine and the other in Practice 1. There are men otherwise very honest and truly godly and of holy and unblameable lives who think that the Scripture is intended by God not only as a General but a particular Law or Rule for all the very Circumstances of Worship yea some say of the common business of our lives and that the second Commandment in particular condemneth all that is the product or invention of man in or about the Worship of God and that to deny this is to deny the perfection of the Scripture and that all written Books and Printed are Images there forbidden and that all studied or prepared Sermons as to Method or Words whether in Notes or memory are forbidden Images of Preaching and that all provided Words or Forms written or in memory of our own or other mens Contrivance or Composition are forbidden Images of Prayer and all prepared Metre and Tunes are forbidden Images of Praise or singing and that no man that useth any such preparation or form of words in preaching or prayer doth preach or pray by the help of Gods Spirit and that if Parents do but teach a Child a form of words to pray in they teach him this forbidden Imagery yea Idolatry I hope the number is but small that are of this Opinion and that it being commonly disowned by the Non-conformists no justice or Modesty can charge it on them but only on the few persons that are guilty of it But yet I must say that we are obliged to take heed of Countenancing this Error as well as of Countenancing Church-Usurpations For 1. When a few men of eminent integrity are of this mind it proveth to us that many more may be brought to it and are in danger of it Because meer Piety and Honesty is not enough to keep men from it Yea when men otherwise eminent also for Learning and great understanding are of that mind as they are poor ignorant unlearned persons though very godly are not out of the danger of it 2. And if it prevail what abundance of hurt will it do 1. You may read in the new Ecclesiastical Politician how it will exasperate the minds of others and give them matter of bitter reproach and for the sake of a very few how many that are blameless shall be aspersed with it and the cause of the Non-conformists yea with many the Protestant yea and the Christian Religion rendred contemptible and odious by it 2. It draweth men into
the dangerous guilt of Adding to the Word of God under pretence of strict expounding it and defending its perfection and extent 3. By the same Rule as they deal thus by one Text as the second Command they may do so by all And if all or much of the Scripture were but thus expounded I leave it to the sober Reader to consider what a body of Divinity it would make us and what a Religion we should have 4. It altereth the very Definition of the holy Scripture and maketh it another thing That which God made to be the Record of his holy Covenant and the Law and Rule of Faith and Holiness and the General Law for outward Modes and Circumstances which are but Accidents of Worship is pretended by men to be a particular Law for that which it never particularly medleth with 5. It sorely prepareth men for Infidelity and to deny the Divine Authority of the Scripture and utterly to undo all by overdoing If Satan could but once make men believe that the Scripture is a Rule for those things that are not to be found in it at all and which God never made it to be a Rule for he will next argue against it as a delusory and imperfect thing He will teach every Artificer to say That which is an imperfect Rule is not of God But the Scripture is an imperfect Rule For saith the Watch-maker I cannot learn to make a Watch by it saith the Scrivener I cannot make a Legal Bond or Indentures by it saith the Carpenter I cannot build a House by it saith the Physician I cannot sufficiently know or cure Diseases by it saith the Mathematician Astronomer Geographer Musician Arithmetician the Grammarian Logician Natural Philosopher c. it is no perfect particular Rule of our Arts or Sciences The Divine will say It tells me not sufficiently and particularly what Books in it self are Canonical nor what various Readings are the right nor whether every Text be brought to us uncorrupted nor whether it be to be divided into Chapters and Verses and into how many Nor what Metre or Tune I must sing a Psalm in nor what persons shall be Pastors of the Churches nor what Text I shall choose next nor what Words I shall use in my next Sermon or Prayer with abundance such like Only in General both Nature and Scripture say Let all things be done in Order and to Edification c. Spiritually Purely Believingly Wisely Zealously Constantly c. He that believeth it to be given as such a particular Rule and then findeth that it is silent or utterly insufficient to that use is like next to cast it away as a delusion and turn an Infidel or Anti-scripturist 6. This mistake tendeth to cast all Rational Worship out of the Church and World by deterring men from inventing or studying how to do Gods work aright For if all that man inventeth or deviseth be a forbidden Image than we must not invent or find out by study the true meaning of a Text the true method of Praying or Preaching according to the various subjects Nay we must not study what to say till we are speaking nor what Time Place Gesture Words to use no nor the very English Tongue that we must Pray and Preach in Whereas the Scripture it self-requireth us to meditate day and night to study to shew our selves workmen that need not be ashamed to search and dig for knowledge c. Do they not err that devise evil but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Prov. 14. 22. I Wisdom dwell with Prudence or subtilty and find out knowledge of witty inventions Prov. 8. 12. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words Eccles. 12. 10. Banish study and you banish knowledge and Religion from the world The Spirit moveth us to search and study and thereby teacheth us what to judge and say and do and doth not move us as I play on an Instrument that knoweth not what it doth 7. This Opinion will bring in all Confusion instead of pure reasonable Worship While every man is left to find that in the Scripture which never was there and that as the only Rule of his actions one will think that he findeth one thing there and another another thing For it must be Reality and Verity which must be the term of Unity Men cannot agree in that which is not 8. Yea it will let in impiety and error for when men are sent to seek and find that which is not there every man will think that he findeth that which his own corrupted mind brings thither 9. And hereby all possibility of Union among Christians and Churches must perish till this Opinion perish For if we must unite only in that which is not in being we must not unite at all If we must all in singing Psalms agree in no Metre or Tune in the Church but one that Scripture hath prescribed us we shall sing with lamentable discord 10. And hereby is laid a snare to tempt men into odious censures of each other Because studied Sermons printed Books Catechisms and Forms of Prayer are Images and Idolatry in these mens conceits all Gods Churches in the world must be censured as Idolatrous And almost all his Ministers in the world must be accounted Idolaters Children must account their Parents Idolaters and disobey them that would teach them a Catechism Psalm or Form of Prayer Our Libraries must be burnt or cast away as Images And when Ministers are diminished and accounted Idolaters if Satan could next but perswade people against all the holy Books of the Ministers of Christ such as Boltons Prestons c. as Images and Idols had he not plaid a more succesful game then he did by Iulian and doth by the Turks who keep the Christians but from humane Learning 11. Hereby Christian Love will be quenched when every man must account his Brother an Idolater that cannot shew a Scripture for the hour the place of Worship the Bells the Hour-glasses the Pulpit the Utensils c. or that studieth what to say before he Pray or Preach 12. And hereby backbiting slandering and railing must go currant as no sin while every Calvin Cartwright Hildersham Perkins Sibbs c. that used a Form of Prayer yea almost all the Christians in the world must be accused of Idolatry as if it were a true and righteous charge 13. And all our sins will be fathered on God as if the second Commandment and the Scripture perfection did require all this and taught Children to disobey their Parents and Masters and say your Prayers and Catechisms are Images and Idols c 14. It will rack and perplex the Consciences of all Christians when I must take my self for an Idolater till I can find a particular Law in Scripture for every Tune Metre Translation Method Word Vesture Gesture Utensil c. that I use in the worshipping of God When Conscience must build only in the air and rest only on