Answ 1 I answer 1. Those things which are really innovations and imposed and not required by Law surely we are not bound to obey nor do I know any that affirms we should sin if we submit not to them nor will it be charged upon those that deny them but upon such as impose them if the peace of the Church be violated Yet let it be considered also Sect. 38 Answ 2 2. Though such and such particular Rites may not be specially ordained by a positive Law for them yet if there be a general Law impowring the Bishops to order appoint and require what shall be for the peace of the Church and order in it what shall be for the conveniencies solemnity and decency of Administration and of all this leave them to be the judges what they now do so require they cannot be said to require without or against Law And if these particulars which they require be not manifestly against the Word of God I cannot see how we can be excused from sin if we disobey considering that establishment which by Law they have among us Sect. 39 Answ 3 3. But may we do nothing but what we are bound to do yea are we not bound for peace sake to do all that we lawfully may do Suppose our Governours should lay the peace of the Church upon such slight matters as are of no consideration in comparison with it and this be indeed their imprudence and possibly their sin Yet when this is done if we submit not supposing the things to be lawful in themselves I see not but that the violation of the Churches peace will be laid upon us as well as upon them nor will their imprudence excuse our sin There may perhaps be some kind of sin in them requiring but I am sure when the things required are not materially evil there can be no sin in us in obeying Let us not therefore so much consider what they must or may require but what we may and should do when it is required and we shall have peace Sect. 40 Except Partic. 5 5. The next great Exception is The Bishops claim to be Spiritual Lords contrary to the Royal Prerogative of Jesus Christ the only Lord and King of the Church The same which Johnson the Separatist made against our Churches See Unreason of Separat p. 47 48. and expressly contrary to that rule of the (b) 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Apostle where they if those Elders be supposed to be Bishops are only to oversee the Flock and not as Lords over Gods heritage but as ensamples to the Flock Yea contrary to the Royal dignity of the King and temporal Magistrate both in civil and ecclesiastical causes For they have their voices and authority in Parliament for enacting Laws for the Common-wealth They are Rulers of Provinces and Diocesses in ecclesiastical causes in civil State and dignity some of them above all all of them above some of the Nobles Justices and other Magistrates of the Land They and their Courts handle and determine civil causes and affairs that appertain to the Magistracy they inflict civil mulcts and penalties give Licences in several cases all the Priests and Deacons are exempt from the Magistrates Jurisdiction in divers things and answerable only or chiefly to the Prelates and their Officers Sect. 41 For Answer Here is a great charge indeed but it signifies nothing as to the business before us viz. our submission for Peace sake For Answ 1 1. Should they claim to be what they are not for there is a vast difference between to be and to claim to be may we yet not lawfully obey them in things honest though we own not their claim I judge we may The claim may be unjust in them and yet the things which they require of us may be fit to be done by us Sect. 42 Answ 2 2. Though they should claim more than belongs to them yet this makes not a nullity of that authority which is their due What they may justly require as Bishops and Governours of the Church they may require had they not those Titles of Spiritual Lords and then the addition of that Title destroyes not their power of Bishops Sect. 43 Answ 3 3. But They neither are nor claim to be such Spiritual Lords as the Objection implyeth as even the (c) Bradsh unreas of Separ p. 65. learned Non-conformists have acknowledged and which their Canons and practice shew For those things which are antecedently necessary by the Law of God they do command and press not as their own but as the Laws of Christ. And for things which are of another nature the practice whereof is made necessary pro Hic Nunc by their constitutions they prescribe them not so as to bind the conscience of any to the acknowledgement and approbation thereof as necessary things but only to obey them in practice and for external order and as things indifferent in themselves which we are no longer obliged to than they are commanded And therefore they cannot be said to arrogate such an Office of Spiritual Lords as the Apostle condemns nor in that sense wherein Christ alone is Lord of his Church They never attempting to introduce a new worship of God or enjoyning subscription to new Articles of Faith But requiring only the same Articles to be believed which Christ hath revealed and ordering only the external mode and circumstances of worship the substance of which is only from Christ as to decency order and edification of which they as the Governours of the Church here must be in a very great measure acknowledged the Judges and which are by Christ left free to the Church to order according to the condition of Time and Place and other Circumstances Sect. 44 Answ 4 4. And as they encroach not upon the Prerogative Royal of Jesus Christ so neither do they infringe the Authority of the King and Civil Magistrate And to evidence this I need say no more than that which the forecited (d) Unreas of Separ p. 47. Mr. Bradshaw though no friend to the Bishop hath said in answer to this very objection 1. That the Prelates claim their voyces in Parliament not as Divine Ordinances appertaining to their Prelateships but as an honour annexed to the same by the Civil Magistrate 2. Their Authority in causes ecclesiastical over Provinvinces c. is either such as the Magistrate himself may execute and administer in his own person if he please or such as is not for Him as a Magistrate to execute The first sort The Bishops administer only by vertue of the Magistrates own Commission and therein they impair not either his dignity or supremacy much less in the other part of their authority which belongeth not to the Magistrate himself to execute especially when they use not this neither without his consent licence and approbation 3. That all are above some some above all the Nobles Justices c. is a free and voluntary honour
conveniency of the Church and a remedy against Schism Sect. 4 Here indeed appears and is a vast difference even a diametrical opposition and maintained with so much eagerness That though I know none so high of the one side as to deny the Presbyter his Institution and Sacred Order and some interest in the Acts of Government in the Church yet I could name some and to this the World is no stranger of the other side who have been so violent as to deny the lawfulness of the being of any such Officer as a Bishop above a Presbyter and to plead a necessity of throwing him out of the Church as a Plant not of Gods planting but wholly Antichristian and abominable And if any abuses have crept in or corruptions prevailed in the Church the very existence of the Bishop as such must bear the blame and be esteemed the cause of all The popular fury thinking corruptions cannot be restrained nor the Church reformed until her Bishops and Govenrours yea the Government it self be ejected and abolished Sect. 5 3. But in the mean time many sober pious learned and peaceable men even of both perswasions weep in secret and mourn heavily for the bitter divisions and high animosities of some violent contenders Some not only submitting to but desiring and rejoycing in the establishment of Episcopacy and Prelacy as that Order which is not only best for the Church but hath also the clearest claims to and evidences of Antiquity yea the first and purest the Apostles themselves who yet for peace-sake though it would be their affliction would submit to a Presbytery without a Prelacy where that Government should be legally established and might be submitted to without Schism because they judge this way of Government though not the best nor so good as they could wish nor to have those evidences which Episcopacy hath yet not to be so manifestly repugnant to the Word of God but that it may be submitted to without sin On the other side there are also many peaceable spirits who indeed judge the Presbyterial way the most agreeable to the primitive pattern and therefore would choose such a Presbytery Yet for the peace of the Church will also quietly submit to the Episcopacy established because though in their judgments it be not so evidently founded in yet neither is it so contrary to the Scriptures but that without sin they may obey it Sect 6 Now for men of such sober spirits as these to agree and live in peace it is no difficult matter to effect The established Laws shall oblige their Conformity though in their judgments they may not be the best and they have learn't to submit themselves to be ruled by the publick establishments and to make their private judgments strike Sail and give place to peace and obedience Sect. 7 But is the distance so great between the others that there is no hope of an amicable composure or at least that they may live together in peace I think not altogether It is true indeed while men keep those judgments One for the absolute necessity of the one the other for the indispensible necessity of the other way and condemning the contrary as an unlawful Usurpation and Antichristian it is no more possible to make them agree than to reconcile both parts of a contradiction And I confess further while men bear those heats in their spirits and look upon Episcopacy as such an Usurpation that it is not lawful to own it or submit to it and think the Church can never be happy till it be cast out There is very little likelihood to prevail upon such men for a patient submission or a peaceable compliance But is there any thing in the nature of the Government in dispute which must needs be the cause of a perpetual Schism Or is there any thing of such a nature in Episcopacy which a pious Christian may not submit to or at east for peace-sake comply with without sin I think not and no such thing hath ever been proved that I have seen Sect. 8 That even in this there may be I say not a concurrence of judgment in the thing in controversie but an union of hearts in love and affection and much of peace and compliance even here I need not do more than consider how much learned and sober men even of the Presbyterian perswasion have declared themselves willing to submit to in the point of Episcopacy and how far their Judgments do concur and agree with their Episcopal Brethren And by this give a Judgment whether they may not without sin do somewhat more and whether they are not at least for peace-sake obliged to comply with and submit to the established Government as far as it is established Sect. 9 Here it will be needless to fill Pages with names and writings of several men when this one thing will give us light enough viz. Those learned Divines of the Presbyterial judgment joyned Commissioners with the Reverend Bishops and others for an amicable Conference about the things in dispute in their Petition for peace prefixed to their Form of prayer and in the Papers of Proposal to His Majesty have declared publickly 1. That they are for Episcopacy 2. That they desired the establishment of Episcopacy according to the Primate of Ireland B. Ushers Reduction Yea 3. A thankful acceptation of His Majesties Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs And though they are not fully satisfied with that establishment of Episcopacy Yet they seem to rest in that expression of His Majesty That the essence and foundation of Episcopacy may be preserved though the extent of the Jurisdiction may be altered Desiring an alteration only in such alterable points as the extending or straitning the limits of their Jurisdiction preserving still the essence and foundation of the Government from all which concessions and professions it appears that their judgments concur with their Episcopal Brethren in these things 1. That there is or at least may be an imparity among the Ministers of the Gospel and that lawfully and 2. In the lawfulness of a Superiority and Jurisdiction in the Bishop over other Presbyters both as to Ordination and Censures for both these as well in the Primates Reduction as in His Majesties Declaration are evidently reserved to the Bishop Sect. 10 And besides these I could name many learned and sober men who will acknowledge the Bishop to be though not in their judgment superior ordo a superiour order from or over other Presbyters yet superior gradus in eodem ordine an higher degree and so a superiour in the same order they conceiving this to be also the publick sense of our Church which advancing a person to a Bishoprick calleth him not by a new Ordination as into another Order of Ministry but only gives him a solemn Consecration as to an higher Office Employment or Degree And these acknowledge such an imparity and superiority in the Bishop distinct from the Presbyter in Ignatius his time and
That it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and very improperly said that they should confess his praise and not speak sc Not inspeaking but in dying But I answer 1. For this latter expression though it be Catachrestical Answ Sect. 7. and figurative yet it is as frequent usual and plain as it is Rhetorical and not at all strange even to vulgar capacities and the meanest conceptions among whom no word is more common than this (q) Fortùs loquitur vita quam lingua Actions speak louder than words Actions being indeed (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unanswerable arguments as Asian in the Poet pleading for Achilles Armour thought this enough to oppose to the flourishes of words and subtilty of Vlisses Quid verbis opus est tentemur Agendo And agreeable to this is that which as I remember I have some where read in the Book of Martyrs of a good Woman who thought this enough to reply to the Popish Persecutors I cannot dispute for my Religion but I can Die Without doubt Dying was a more unquestionable confession and Profession of faith than all her words could shew forth This I know comes not fully up to the case of the Bimuli these Murdered children who were purely passive and knew not why they suffered and therefore Death could not be their choice but I only mentioned these passages to justifie the expression of Not in speaking but in Dying Sect. 8 2. As to the particular Case That they were Martyrs or Witnesses c. though they knew it not nor could by their death intend to give any such testimony may well be affirmed if we consider the cause of that their death which was as to the Murderer purely the sake and interest of Jesus Christ For Herod bad heard by the Wise men of a Child born the (s) Mat. 2.2 3. King of the Jews as indeed this Child was of the Royal line of the Seed of David He that knew himself a stranger and placed on the Throne only by the Roman power began to suspect his own standing 〈◊〉 he could not be secure should the Jews have another King in bâ—ing To prevent this danger and secure himself against these fears He commands these Wise men to find out the Child pretending only (t) Mat. 2.7 8. that he might worship him They find the Child they worship and (u) Mat. 2.9 present him with several gifts But God (x) Vers 12. to prevent the malice of Hered sends those Wise men another way Herod being frustrate of his hopes that he might be sure not to miss this Child but strike sure sends out and (z) Vers 16. slayeth all the children of Bethlehem where Christ was born and he supposed he yet was of two years old and under that slaying all he might be sure of him also whose death he principally designed It is true These Children knew not upon what account they suffered but had it not been upon notice of Christs Birth the King not in a Temporal but Spiritual Kingdom of Israel they had not suffered That wheresoever this Story shall be heard of the Death of these Innocents there also shall the cause be known there will be an infallible Testimony of the Birth of Jesus Christ who was sent from God the Father to be the Redeemer of the world and to save his Chosen Thus did the Providence of God order it that though not by the mouths as it is in the (a) Psal 8.2 Psalms and verified also upon another occasion in the (b) Mat. 21.16 Gespel yet by the Death of these Babes and Sucklings he did perfect his praise those who knew it not being made real Martyrs their Death attesting the Birth of the Saviour of the world and the King of the Church 4. The next is Sect. 9. Coll. for the first day of Lent the Collect for the first day of Lent viz. this Almighty and everlasting God which hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that be penitent create and make in us new and contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and knowledging our wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect Remission and Forgiveness through Jesus Christ I have examined this Collect word by word Answ Sect. 10. both for matter and phrase with the best eyes and judgement that I have and yet I must seriously profess I cannot see what that one thing possibly should be that may be thought needful to be altered The Doctrine concerning God is every way sound clearly expressed and perfectly agreeable to the Holy Scriptures magnifying the rich Goodness of God who made all things (c) Gen. 1.31 very Good and therefore can hate nothing which was the works of his hands and though now he do justly hate those persons which by sin and rebellion have made themselves other than God made them yet upon their true Repentance (d) Isa 55.7 Hos 14.1 2 3 4. is ready to pardon them and to love them again And upon this the Petitions inferred and enforced are proper for our present condition and perpetually necessary for us while we are short of Perfection for New and Contrite hearts sincere Repentance that we may be in the way the only infallible way to Pardon and Peace through Jesus Christ What is here which doth in any thing cross the Evangelical Doctrine What is not suitable to the Scripture Pattern What is asked which is not the matter of the Command and the Promise of God What is there which we are not bound to ask every day who are taught to beg (e) Luk. 11.3 4. Remission of sins as oft as our Dayly Bread If it be to be asked and this Petition sent up every day upon what account it should be unfit or unseasonable that day I cannot imagine And at a time of Fasting and Abstinence let the Lent be esteemed but a Civil Constitution of which I shall speak more God willing in my next Part for the Church to teach us the Practice of Mortification and Repentance and to suit our Prayers to such duties cannot but be seasonable and proper following herein the example of Christ and his Apostles from Temporal occurrents if the Lent be deemed no more to teach and press spiritual duties as many instances might be given were it needful in a matter so common and obvious in the Holy writings 5. Sect. 11. Coll for the fourth Sunday after Easter The Collect for the fourth Sunday after Easter is this Almighty God which dost make the minds of all faithful men to be of one will grant unto thy people that they may love the thing that thou commandest and desire that which thou dost promise that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world our hearts may surely there be fixed whereas true joyes are to be found through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is but one thing in this Answ Sect. 12. which
Sometimes both cause of Scandal given and Scandal thereat taken But no man is concerned in any scandal that happeneth to another by occasion of any thing done by him nor is chargeable with it farther than he is guilty of having given it If then we give Scandal to others and they take it not the whole guilt is ours and they are faultlesse If we give it and they take it we are to bear a share in the blame as well as they and that a deeper share too for vae homini a Matth. 18.7 Woe to that man by whom the Scandal or offence cometh But if they take offence where we give none it is a thing we cannot help and therefore the whole blame must lye upon them and not upon us The guilt of Scandal is no more chargeable upon us who give not the occasion than upon Christ who was to the Jew b 1 Pet. 2.8 a stone of stumbling and rock of offence but through their unbelief and disobedience or than the guilt of those c Matth. 10.34 35. divisions of Father against Son c. are chargeable on Christ or the Gospel by which corrupt men took occasion though neither Christ nor the Gospel gave any occasion of such things Wherefore if at any time any doubt shall arise in the case of Scandal how far the danger thereof may or may not obliege us to the doing or not doing of any thing proposed the resolution will come on much the easier if we shall but rightly understand what it is to give Scandal or how many wayes a man may become guilty of scadalizing another by his example The wayes I conceive are but these four 1. §. 41. Four wayes of giving Scandal When a man doth something before another which is in it self evil unlawfull and sinnefull In which case neither the intention of him that doth it nor the event as to him that seeth it done is of any consideration For whether the doer had an intention to draw the other into sinne or no the very matter or substance of the action being evill and done before others this is sufficient to render the doer guilty of having given Scandal though he never had any intention so to do nor was any other scandaelized thereby Because whatsoever is of its own nature evill is of it self and its own nature scandalous and of ill example Thus did the d 1 Sam. 2.17 22. sons of Eli give Scandal by their wretched prephanenesse and greedinesse about the sacrifices of the Lord and their shamelesse abusing of women at the door of the Tabernacle Thus did David give great Scandal also e 2 Sam. 12.14 in the matter of Vriah Here the Rule is Do nothing that is evil for fear of Scandal § 42 2. When a man doth something before another with a direct intention and formal purpose of drawing him to commit sinne In which case neither the matter of the action nor the event is of any consideration For it makes no difference as to the sin of Scandal whether any man be enticed thereby to commit sin or not or whether the thing done were unlawfull or not So as if it had but f 1 Thes 5.22 an appearance of evil and from thence an aptitude of drawing another to the doing of that by imitation which would be really and intrinsecally evill The wicked intention alone whatsoever the effect prove or what means so ever be used to promote it sufficeth to induce the guilt of giving Scandal upon the doer This was Jeroboams g 1 Kings 12 27-32 sinne in setting up the Calves with a formal purpose and intention thereby for his own secular and ambitious ends to corrupt the purity of Religion and to draw the people to his idolatrous worship For which cause he is so often stigmatized with it as with a note of infamy to stick on his name while the world lasteth being scarce ever mentioned in Scripture but with this addition h 1 King 14.16 15.26 16.19 22.52 2 King 10.31 13.2 6 11. 15.9 and many more The son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Here then the Rule is Do nothing either good or evil with an intention or purpose to give Scandal § 43 3. When a man doth something before another which in it self is not evil but indifferent and so according to the Rule of Christian-liberty lawfull for him to do as he shall see cause yea perhaps otherwise commodious and convenient for him to do so yet whereat he probably foreseeth the other will take Scandal and be encouraged thereby to do evil In such cases if the thing to be done be not in some degree at least prudentially necessary for him to do but that he might without very great inconvenience or prejudice to himself or any third person leave it undone he is bound in Charity i Rom. 14.15 to his brothers soul for whom Christ died and for the avoiding of Scandal to abridge himself in the exercise of his Christian-liberty for the time so far as rather to suffer some inconvenience himself by not doing it than by doing of it to cause his brother to offend or be grieved as will appear by these many Texts k Rom. 14.13 21. 15.1 2 3. 1 Cor. 8 7-13 9.12 15 19 22. 10 23-33 wherein the Apostle handles this case Here the Rule is Do nothing that may reasonably be forborne-whereat Scandal may be taken § 44 4. When a man doth something before another which is not only lawfull but according to the exigency of present circumstances pro hic nunc very behovefull and even prudentially necessary for him to do but foreseeth that the other will be like to make an ill use of it and take incouragement thereby to commit sinne if he be not carefull withall as much as in him lieth to prevent the Scandal that might be taken thereat for he l Qui non prohibet peccare quando potest jubet who hinders not sinne when and so farre as he can doth encourage and command it In such case the bare neglect of his brother and not using his utmost endeavour to prevent the evil that might ensue makes him guilty Upon which consideration stands the equity of that judicial Law given to the Jews which ordereth that in case m Exod. 21.33 34. a man dig a pit for the use of his Family and looking no farther than his own convenience putteth no cover over it but leaveth it open whereby it happens that his neighbours beast falleth thereinto and perisheth the owner of the pit shall make it good in as much as he was by his carelesnesse the occasion of that losse to his neighbour which he might and ought to have prevented Here then the Rule is Order the doing of that which may not be left undone in such sort that so far as you can help it no Scandal may be taken thereat § 45 These are