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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63266	An apology for the non-conformists shewing their reasons, both for their not conforming, and for their preaching publickly, though forbidden by law : with an answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon, and his defence of it, so much as concerneth the non-conformists preaching / by John Troughton ...	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1681 (1681)	Wing T2312; ESTC R1706	102,506	125

Dissent from the Church of England ever since the Reformation BEfore we come to apply the foregoing Rules concerning Churches their Communion and Separation to our particular case it is convenient to give the World a true Character of Non-conformists with the grounds of their Non-conformity that it may be the better judged whether they are guilty of sinful Separation or not and this I shall do First In general shewing what were the reasons whereupon all that have gone under the name of Non-conformists since K. Edw. 6th Reformation have dissented from the established way of the Church of England Secondly more particularly what is the case of the present Non-conformists and the Reasons of their Dissent and Suffering Of the First in this Chapter When Pious K. Edw. 6th by the advice of the Council and some Bishops about the Year of our Lord 1549 and 1550 renounced Popery and instituted a new Liturgy as a form of publick Prayers Administration of Sacraments with other Rites and Ceremonies as also of ordaining Bishops Priests and Deacons in and for the Church of England immediately many good and learned men especially such as had Travelled in Germany and Switzerland among the First reformed Churches were dissatisfied with this Model of reformation as imperfect and short of what the Scriptures required and most other reformed Churches had attained to and also as symbolizing too much with Rome in the manner of publick Prayers in Ceremonies and Church Government they gladly embraced the good beginnings of reformation and heartily joyned in the endeavour of cleansing God's House but they were sorry the work stopped almost in the beginning and that some out of ignorance of the Truth and too much respect to the Romish Religion in which they were bred did strive to recede from it as little as might be with whom others joyned some for fear of Tumults thinking they had gone as far as the people at that time would bear others for reasons of State being willing to keep the publick Order and Government of the Church as much as might be under the command of the Civil Magistrate and some as it fares in all cases being Popish in Heart yet seemingly joyned with the Reformers in framing their Liturgy only that they might undermine and hinder them in making a through reformation The number of these who were dissatisfied with the present establishment dayly increased as the Protestants multiplyed so that in Q. Mary's Reign but seven years after there was a number of these at Franckford only enough to make up a Congregation and to have Ministers of their own and to keep publick Assemblies in a Church allowed them by the Magistrates who thinking themselves to be now at their own Liberty laid aside the Liturgy of the Church of England and composed a new short one for themselves after the manner of other reformed Churches In the Reign of Q. Elizabeth the Dissenters increased and were called Non-conformists and Puritans and now the Ecclesiastical State began to take notice of them to remove some of them from their preferments and imployments and to encense the Civil Magistrate against them nevertheless they increased in number and reverence with the People the Divinity-Professours of both Universities and many others eminent for piety and learning were then reckoned Puritanes and some suffered as such King James shewed himself more displeased with them and resolved to have Rooted them out of the Church yet in his time 750 Ministers subscribed a Petition to him for reformation of things yet amiss in the Church In his Sons Reign the Papists who were now got to Court and had both Favour and Power joyned their interests with the Bishops to Root out these Non-conformists as those that were most contrary to them seeing they disliked the Bishops and their Liturgy for coming so near to them and how many worthy Ministers and thousands of the best people were driven into Forreign Countries and those that stayed at home were severely treated for the space of 16 years and yet like Israel in Egypt the more they were oppressed the more they increased Nor have their numbers been diminished or their cause disparaged ever since notwithstanding the great endeavours to cast odium upon the one and suppress the other Dr Fuller wittily sums up this History thus Non-conformity was conceived and bred in King Edward s Day● it was born at Franckford in the Reign of Q. Mary under Q. Elizabeth it was in its Child-hood in K. James s time it grew to be a good tall stripling and under Charles 1st it grew to be so strong a man as to unhorse its opposite prelacy and to get into the Saddle thus He and I add that the turning on t of 2000 Non-conformists out of the Ministry and Vniversities in 1662 was no argument that this man was past his full Strength or declining to deerepid age Now the reasons of the dissent of so many for serveral Generations have been principally these Rea. 1. The First taken from their dissatisfactions with and objections against the Liturgy they disallow not a Liturgy or Directory rather viz a prescribed order and rule for the exercise of publick worship in which all might agree and generally conform to prevent confusion yea and to satisfy their Episcopal Brethren they could be content with a short Liturgy prescribing the Form of Prayer and Administration of Sacraments and other publick offices provided nothing but an questionable doctrine and duty and necessary order might be thrust into it and Ministers especially after they come to some years and experience might be left to use it at their discretion so that the Liturgy may be a Rule of Concord a Testimony of the consent and agreement of the Churches in Doctrine and Worship and a Guide to young men entring into the Ministry but not a Snare to any much less to hinder the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit which are given to the Ministry on purpose to edify the Church with Eph. 4.11 12. c. And such as these are the Liturgies of most reformed Churches and to this purpose only But against our Liturgy they excepted 1. That it obliged all Ministers without limitation all the days of their lives to the same form of words in all publick worship whether it would suit with the condition of the people or the circumstances of providence or not also that it was so large as that it did mostly prevent the use of Ministers own Gifts or made them seem but superfluous additions this they conceived to be directly contrary to the institution and office of the Ministry which was appointed by Christ and furnished by him with his Spirit that they might to the worlds end administer all his Ordinances to his Church viva voce as the Spirit should give every man ability and particularly fit him for the people he was to take charge of they are indeed by their office obliged to the Holy Scriptures the words as well as sense as

Catholick Church of Christ though gathered into smaller bodies for their own conveniency and this Communion consisteth in acknowledging each other as Brethren in performing brotherly offices of Love and Kindness and especially in admitting each other to their worship upon occasions so Sepetation betwixt Churches is a Breach of this Communion when one Church disowneth another to be a Church of Christ excludes them from her Ordinances and from all Offices of Christian Love This is just when 't is upon great and just causes such whereupon we refuse Communion with the Papists and Socinians if upon lighter causes it is Unlawfull and a great breach of Charity yet not to be aggravated as an unpardonable sin or as that which deserves more animadversion then those sins which destroy all Religion and Humane Society seeing men may be good Christians in Doctrine and practise good Subjects and good Neighbours though they conceived such a mistaken opinion concerning another Church but this is not the Separation I shall insist on the causes that make this just will make the other just also but all the causes that make Separation from a particular Congregation just will not reach our Comunion with other Churches or concern our Separation from them We shall therefore enquire for what causes Members of a Church may Lawfully separate from it i. e. contend for the reformation of the Church and if they cannot attain it withdraw from and either joyn to other Churches or make new ones themselves And to clear this point let us always Remember that the Church is a Common-Wealth United to Christ as the Head First and but secondarily to each other Faith and Obedience to God in Christ with the Salvation of their own Souls is the end why men become Christians and give up themselves to Christ and next they give up themselves to the Church as a Society that profess to design the same end and to have given up themselves to the same Lord and therefore they hope and intend by the Friendship of this Church to be assisted and furthered towards the attaining of their great ends if therefore the Church prove otherwise i. e. to be no help but an hindrance to their serving of Christ and furthering their Salvation Separation from it is not contrary to their Obligation as Christians they are still Members of Christ yea may and ought to seek another Society wherein they may attain those great ends it is true men are bound to bear with many things amiss in a Church because there will be always some things amiss in one kind or other and also for publick peace least by unseasonable reforming some lesser things amiss or withdrawing from the Church while there is any reasonable hope of amendment they should make things worse yet when they cannot worship Christ aright or can have no tolerable edification in the Church the end of the Church Society is destroyed and Separation from it become necessary and the peace of a Church is subordinate to the great end of a Church viz that Religion may be preserved and promoted among them but when this is not intended but betrayed peace then is no duty but a conspiracy against Christ and the good of his Church Even as in civil Government the end being the good of the whole Society so long as that end is tollerably pursued in the preservation of publick justice and honesty many things must be born with rather then to endanger the whole by unseasonable endeavours to mend lesser things but when the publick good is not minded or those conditions broken upon which men did associate and there is no hope of redress in this case peace and quietness is to betray the Government The causes therefore which make Seperation Lawfull are in generall when men cannot worship Christ aright in the chief parts of his worship or edify their own Souls in the Church whereto they are joyned and when there is no reasonable hope of the redress of these things Particular causes are such as these 1. When a Church is idolatrous for now it forsakes Christ the Head for whose sake and service we became Members of the Church and therefore must now forsake it for him what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the Living God c. ver 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. 2. When any known sin is made the condition of Communion i. e. when a man shall not be admitted or continued to be a Member of the Church unless he approve some errour in Doctrine corruption in worship or himself commit some sin in practise or at least consent to it in the Church For also this destroys the end of a Church which is to edify us in Faith and Obedience whereas here something against Faith or Obedience is to be the very entrance into the Church Upon these 2 cases all agree that Separation is Lawfull and necessary and they both hold strongly against the Church of Rome for she is manifestly idolatrous and imposes both False Doctrines Superstitious Worship and wicked practises upon all her Members nor will it serve to say that that Church denies her worship to be idolatrous or the Terms of her Communion to be sinfull but she must clearly prove it from Scripture which is the Law of a Church and that to the capacity of every Christian concerned for if there be any reasonable grounds to suspect the Terms imposed to be Unlawfull a Christian cannot with safe Conscience submit to them till he is satisfied to the contrary and the Church having no Authority from Christ to impose any doubtfull much less sinfull Terms of Communion in this case the Church is guilty of the breach and not those who refuse to joyn with her or withdraw from her 3. When there is no tolerable means of edification in the Church though no evil is imposed upon the Members As when the teachers are Hereticall in the chief points that concern our Salvation or so contentious and such railers at any that differ from them that they cannot be heard with peace and composure For this cause the Dutch both Ministers and People and the then Prince of Orange also forsook their Parishes because their Arminian Preachers spent so much time railing on the Calvinists that they could neither hear them with profit nor bear them with Patience Also when Ministers are grosly ignorant and unable to explain the necessary Doctrines of Salvation to the People or when they do not or will not ordinarily preach to them or endeavour their instruction or when their Lives are greatly contrary to Religion and Godliness or when the People are almost all corrupt in Doctrines or wicked manners and will not be reformed For all these cases are directly contrary to the ends of a Church and we must rather forsake the Church that we may be edified in Faith

necessary to Salvation which he proves because they are imposed with greater Sanctions looked after with greater Vigilance and the neglect of them punished with greater Penalties then many things necessary to Salvation are and in all respects they are made equall with the most necessary things the greatest rewards being given and promised to the obedient even Heaven it self and the greatest punishments inflicted and threatned against the disobedient Hell it self not left out of the number It was said by one B. of Worcest Letter against Baxter that they do not punish the neglect of Ceremouies so heavily for the weight of the things themselves but for the breach of order and the contempt of the Church in such disobedience Ans Thus God himself punishing for the neglect or breach of any of his Positive Commands doth not punish for the weight or moment of the thing for he declares he values not Sacrifices nor Offerings but for Disobedience to and contempt of his Infinite Majesty and yet as he hath power to impose what he pleaseth on his Creatures so he hath that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness in his Nature that inclines him to impose nothing but for good reasons and the Creatures good what power then will the Church arrogate to her self Besides by this argument all offences against the State may be made Capital because they contemn the Magistrates Authority as well as all Offences in the Church are or may be by this Doctrine made punishable with Excommunication which depriving men of the ordinary means of Salvation doth what in them lies cast them to Hell Nor can it be conceived by impartial men that any Governours of the Church should make those things necessary and constant terms of their Communion from age to age which they do in their Conscience judge altogether indifferent and of no necessity to Salvation 8. The Non-Conformists desired that they might be excused from the Lyturgy and Government of the Church of England that they might have leave to Govern their own Churches according to that platform of Discipline that they should draw up and present to the King and that they might not be compelled to Communicate with other Parishes in things they were not satisfied in though they could own them for their Brethren who practised those things which they could not Protest pos 31. All that we crave of his Majesty and the State is that by his and there permission and under their protection and approbation it may be Lawfull for us to serve and worshiy God in all things according to his revealed will and the manner of all other Reformed Protestant Churches that have made separation from Rome that we may not be forced against our Consciences to stain and pollute the simple and sincere Worship of God prescribed in his Word with any humane Traditions and Rites whatsoever but that in Divine Worship we may be actors only of those things that may for matter or manner either in general or special be concluded out of the word of God also to this end that it may be Lawfull for us to exhibit unto them and unto their Censure a true and sincere confession of our Faith containing the main grounds of our Religion unto which all other Doctrines are to be Consonant as also a form of Divine Worship and Ecclesiastical Government in like manner warranted by the word and to be observed of us all under any Civil Punishment that it shall please the said Majesty and State to inflict vnder whose authority alone we desire to exercise the same and unto whose punishment alone we desire to be subject if we shall offend against any of these Laws and Canons that themselves shall approve in manner aforesaid and our desire is not to Worship God in Dark Corners but in such publick places and at such convenient times as it shall please them to assign to the intent that they and their Officers may be better take notice of our offences if any shall be committed in our Congregations and assemblies that they may punish the same accordingly And we desire we may be subject to no other Spiritual Lords but unto Christ nor unto any other Temporal Lords but unto themselves whom alone in this earth we desire to make our Judges and Supreame Governours and overseers in all causes Ecclesiastical whatsoever renouncing as Antichristian all such Ecclesiastical powers as arroga●e and assume unto themselves under any pretence of the Law of God or man the said power which we acknowledge only to be due to the Civil Magistrate And Pos 32. We crave in all dutiful manner that which the very Law of nature yields unto us that for as much as they are most malicious enemies unto us and do apparently thirst either after our blood or shipwrack of our faith and Consciences that they may not henceforth be our Judges in these causes but that we may both of us stand as parties at the barre of the Civil Magistrate to be tryed in those differences that are between us and that when they shall Publickly malign or slander us or our cause it may be lawful for us in a dutiful sober peaceable and modest manner without personal reproach or disgrace in as publick manner to justifie our selves and then in stead of that silly mock service to the King of wearing a linnen rag upon our backs or making a Christless cross upon a babies face we shall be ready to perform and yield triple homage service and tribute unto him and shall think our lives and all that we have too vile to spend in the service of him and the civil State under him Thus much for their principles From all which we may fairly inferr 1. That the old Non-Conformists generally did not only allow of Separation from the Church of England in its National Constitution under Arch-Bishops and their Officers as lawful but they did actually practise and maintain such Separation Forasmuch as they declared the Hierarchy to be Antichristian deragatory to Christs Government over his Church contrary to the Constitution and Nature of the Church under the Gospel and also thought it inconsistent with the Kings necessary and immediate Supremacy over all Churches and upon this account they insisted only upon their Parish Relations accounting Parishes the only Churches and the Ministers of them the only Pastors 2. That they did generally live in Non-Communion with the Church of England as to the Ceremonies and many parts of the Lyturgy This is evident because they thought the Ceremonies unlawful and therefore though they continued in their Churches yet none of them would use the Cross in Baptism few would wear the Surplice none would compell the People to kneel at the Communion and many gave it without kneeling yea many would not read the Common-Prayers others but some pieces of them contenting themselves either with Lectures without charge of a Parish or else having those under them that could read to do it for them All their Care