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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	england_n	religion_n	1,637	5	5.7823	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27066	Mr. Baxter's vindication of the Church of England in her rites and ceremonies, discipline, and church-orders as faithfully taken out of his own writings, without either false citation, or fraudulent alteration : to which is prefixed his epistle to the non-conformists, being a just and true abstract of his book entituled, A defence of the principles of love.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1682 (1682)	Wing B1449; ESTC R1229	17,088	43

Mr. BAXTER's VINDICATION OF THE CHURCH of ENGLAND In her Rites and Ceremonies Discipline AND CHURCH-ORDERS As faithfully taken out of his own Writings without either false Citation or fraudulent Alteration To which is prefixed His Epistle to the Non-conformists being a just and true Abstract of his Book Entituled A Defence of the Principles of Love Schismaticks are they who unwarrantably separate from those Churches in which they ought to abide that they may gather new Congregations after their mind Mr. Baxter ' s Reasons of the Christian Religion p. 472. No Christian must pretend Holiness against Vnity and Peace and every tender Conscience should be as tender of Church-division and real Schisms as of Drunkenness Whoredom or such other enormous sins Mr. Baxter ' s Reasons of the Christian Religion p. 485. LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1682. TO THE READER IT being evidently apparent as in most other cases so in our Church-divisions that a resolved prostration to the Authority and a confident adhaesion to the opinion of reputed-good men doth commonly seduce the Populace first into Prejudice then into Parties and so to a tenacious obstinacy in Errour Hereupon one probable way of Rescue and Remedy is to propose to the wandring People the Documents of one whose Authority is great among them Therefore have I thought on the Oracle Mr. Baxter who in this Book His Defence of the Principles of Love is not more Antesignanus than Eirenarches prescribing very well for Peace and Church-union as the ensuing Treatise especially the Epistle shews And to anticipate that prejudice and mistakes which a thing of this nature is very liable to let no man think it my design to accuse Mr. Baxter of Self-contradiction Inconsistency c. but that it is meerly for the conviction of those whom that learned Author calls Honest erroneous Christians and to let the World see that Mr. B. and other Non-conformist Ministers do not believe that intrinsick evil and sinfulness to be in Conformity which their unwary Followers are induced or rather seduced to believe and that there is more extrinsick danger and heinous sinfulness in their separation than his honest erroneous Christians do imagine that the difference between Conformists and Non-conformists is very small and as Mr. Baxter tells Mr. Bagshaw in his Defence that Non-conformists do injure Conformists and make the Case of Conformity more odious than it is And to obviate Objections let it be noted 2. That if here be found any small alteration in words it is meerly for the sake of brevity and ease in reading and no other than what doth fairly consist with and not at all pervert the sense and meaning of the first Author And since the renouncing of the Covenant which Non-conformists call the great Mountain in the way is now removed if the more peaceable Non-conformists have a mind to come into the conforming Churches here is that in this small Treatise will help a little to justifie and encourage their practice in so doing What acceptance this poor thing will have I am ignorant but not sollicitous since the testimony of my Conscience is that it is in vindication of Truth and defence of a good Cause nor would I fear the success much more than I do the acceptance would the honest erroneous Christian read it with as little partiality and prejudice as he would if coming from the first Authors hand Mr. BAXTER's EPISTLE TO THE Non-Conformists Being a just and true Abstract of his Defence of the Principles of Love BRETHREN IT grieves me to the heart that neither Party Conformable or Non-conformable is more sensible of the sin and danger of our distance though I know that in both Parties there are many wise and holy persons who I suppose lament it more than I do It layeth my soul in daily lamentations to see how we run further from each other to the apparent danger of the Protestant Cause and of the Kingdoms welfare and of all the hopes of our Posterity Our narrow Judgment draws many to think that it is the Interest of Religion now in England to have the parish-Parish-Churches brought low in reputation and deserted and God's publick worship which they would have all religious People use to be onely that of tolerated or more private Churches by which they little know what they wish against the Interest of the Christian and Protestant Religion in this Land and what hurt they would do if in this they had their wills The Interest of the Christian Protestant Religion must be kept up by keeping up as much Truth Piety and Reputation as may be in the Parish-Churches I am very glad that the pious Lectures of Mr. Hildersham Mr. Rogers and such other old Non-conformists are in so good esteem among good people where they will read them urgeing the people not onely against Separation but to come to the very beginning of the publick Worship and preferring it before their private duties And I need not tell those that have read the Writings of the good old Non-conformists Ames Parker Bains Fox Dearing Greenham c. that these did some of them read the Common Prayer and most of them judged it lawful to join in it or else Mr. Hildersham Rogers c. would not write so earnestly to men to come to the beginning and prefer it before all private duties When I think what learned holy incomparable men abundance of the old Conformists were my heart riseth against the thoughts of separating from them If I had come to their Churches when they read the Common-prayer and administred the Sacrament could I have departed and said It is not lawful for a Christian here to communicate with you What! Such men as Mr. Bolton Mr. Whateley Mr. Fenner Mr. Crook Mr. Dent Mr. Dike Mr. Stock Mr. Smith Dr. Preston Dr. Sibbs Dr. Taylor and abundance other such yea such as Bishop Jewell Bishop Grindall Bishop Hall Bishop Potter Bishop Davenant Bishop Carleton c. yea and the Martyrs too as Cranmer Ridley Hooper Farrar Bradford Philpot Sanders c. I think not my self worthy to be compared with Mr. Bolton Whateley Fenner Preston Sibbs White Field Usher Jewell and abundance other old Conformists and you might forgive me if I tell you again that if they were all alive and used now the same Liturgy and Ceremonies as they did then I could not find in my heart to think their communion in Prayer and Sacrament unlawful nor to censure that man as injurious to the Church who should write to persuade others not to separate from them on that supposition I am sure the Assembly of Divines that sate heretofore at Westminster were so conformable when they went thither that I never heard of five Non-conformists among them except the five dissenting Brethren their Judgment was as Mr. Sprints that Conformity was lawful in case of necessity rather than to be deprived of Liberty to preach

part as I conceive Therefore pray we Mr. Baxters Prayer O That the God of love would pity and undeceive the selfish and passionate sort of professed Christians and teach them to know what manner of spirits they are of O that he would rebuke the evil spirits that are gone forth the Spirit of Covetousness and Pride the Spirit of Hypocrisie and religious Imagery of Self-conceitedness of Malice and Wrath of Back-bitings and False-accusing before that both Christianity and Humanity be turned into Devillism and before Earth be more conformable to Hell O that the Spirit of Light would make us of one mind and the Spirit of Love would mortifie both mens malignant and religious passions contentiousness and malice and cause us to love our Neighbours as our selves That as the Envious and striving Wisdom from beneath hath caused Confusion and every evil work so the Wisdom from above which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated might bring forth mercy and good fruits without partiality or hypocrisie that we might edifie the body of Christ in love Eph. 4.16 and frustrate the hopes of the enemies of our peace who wait for our total dissolution and triumph already in our Divisions when it is their own Mill which grindeth us to Powder but God can make their Oven to bake us into a more Christian and salubrious consistency that I may use Ignatius's Allegory but it must be first by fermenting us with unfeigned love and then we shall be lovely in his sight and the God of love and peace will be with us Amen Mr. BAXTER's VINDICATION OF THE CHURCH of ENGLAND In her Rites and Ceremonies Discipline AND CHURCH-ORDERS 1. Standing up at the Creed and the Antiphones Mr. Baxter's Scripture-Proof of Infant-Church-membership Part. II. cap. 6. p. 121. I Humbly propound meaning to the Assembly of Divines that the Custom of standing up at the Creed may be reduced to its Primitive nature and vigour i.e. as 't is now in use in the Church of England it being then quite out of use And in the next Page he reckons this among one of those five plain Duties which he says must not be wiped out lest the Directory be found more defective than the Common-Prayer-Book In his Sacrilegious Desertion of the Ministry Rebuked he says that the Conformists in standing up at the Antiphones viz. Gloria Patri Te Deum Jubilate c. do better than the Non-conformists in not standing up 2. Episcopal Confirmation Scripture-Proof of Infant-Church-membership Part. II. cap. 6. p. 120. I humbly propound says Mr. Baxter that the ancient practice of Confirmation may be reduced to its primitive nature i.e. as 't is now used in the Church of England as plainly appears by his calling it in the same page The old Order of Confirmation by Bishops For this he cites Calvin as earnestly desiring it Instit l. 4. cap. 19. In the 122. page he intimates Confirmation also to be one of those plain Duties not to be wiped out lest the Directory be found more defective than the Common Prayer-Book and left the World be made believe that 't is such things i.e. such plain Duties as these that we find fault with He adds that since there are so many learned and judicious opposers meaning the Episcopal Divines observing the alterations therefore says he 't is but modest and rational to desire either the establishment of the fore-mentioned particulars viz. Confirmation Standing up at the Creed c. or the publication of satisfactory Reasons against them And in his Political Apherisms Thes 236. Let Ministers says he be restrained by Law from admitting the uncatechised and unconfirmed to Communion intimating very well that he would have them looked upon as excommunicate persons that refuse to be chatechised and confirmed to which he prefixeth that if Magistrates force not the grosly ignorant to hear and learn and submit to chatechising and such means of instruction till they are confirmed their Baptism will but let in corruption and confusion into the Churches He hath in his Treatise of Confirmation p. 206 307 208. alibi soundly asserted the cause of Conformity in this point which his deluded Followers do so profanely and scornfully not onely neglect but contemn and deride Nor can I find that ever Mr. Baxter found much fault with the manner of its Administration as now in the Church of England If he would have every Parish-Minister invested with the power of Confirming 't is no more than what the Canons of the Church allow if the Bishop think fit the Bishop or Suffragan says the 60. Canon Every Parish-Minister may be made a Suffragan if the Bishop so please 3. Church-Musick by Organs or such like Instruments In his Christian Directory Ecclesiastical Cases Q. 86. Mr. Baxter renders these five Reasons for the Use and Lawfulness thereof 1. God set it up long after Moses's Ceremonial Law by David Solomon c. 2. It is not meerly an instituted Ceremony but a natural help to the Minds alacrity and 't is a duty and not a sin to use the helps of Nature and lawful Art As it is lawful says he to use Spectacles in reading the Bible so it is to use Musick speaking of Church-Musick to exhilarate the Soul 3. Jesus Christ joined with the Jews that used it 4. No Scripture forbids it therefore it is not unlawful 5. Nothing can be against it that I know of but what may be said against Tunes and Melody for whereas they say 't is humane invention so are our Tunes Metre and Version nay it is not a humane invention as the last Psalm and many others shew which call us to praise the Lord with Instruments of Musick The last Book he hath printed that I know of viz. Poetical Fragments hath in its Preface more to the same purpose 4. Godfathers and Godmothers Infant-Church-membership p. preliminary to the Epistle Mr. Baxter there tells us that the currant consent of Historians assures us of the use of Godfathers and Godmothers at the Baptizing of Infants in Hyginus's time who lived as he alledgeth from Nicephorus Paraeus Prideaux and others within about 40 Years of S. John the Apostle and conversed with the Disciples and Familiars of the Apostles and therefore says he could not be ignorant of the practice of the Apostles in Baptizing Infants Thus hath he well proved the use of Godfathers and Godmothers in all probability to be Apostolical at least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beyond all reach of scruple to be of greatest antiquity in the Church viz. forty years within the Apostles times 5. The Antiphones or the Peoples bearing a Part with the Minister in Divine Service Christian Direct Cases Ecclesiast Q. 83. 1. Says Mr. Baxter the Scripture no where forbids this 2. If the People may do this in the Psalms in Metre there can be no reason given but they may lawfully do it in Prose 3. The Primitive Christians says he were so full of the zeal

Worship out of the Church and the World 7. This opinion will bring in all confusion instead of pure reasonable Worship while every man is left to find that in Scripture which never was there and that as the onely rule of his actions one will think that he finds 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. It will let in Impiety and Errour 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 errour perish for if we must unite onely in that which is not in being we must not unite at all 10. Hereby is laid a Snare to tempt men into odious censures of each other of which see my Author excellently at large 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 c. 12. And hereby back-biting slandering and railing must go currant as no sin while every Calvin Cartwright Hildersham Perkins Sibbs c. that used a Form of Prayer yea all the Christians in the World must be accused of Idolatry as if it were a true and righteous charge And 13. All our sins will be fathered on God as if the second Commandment and the Scripture-perfection required 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 Vesture Gesture c. that I use in the worshipping of God when Conscience must build onely in the Air and rest only on a word which never was 15. It will have a confounding influence into all the affairs and business of our lives Lastly It will fright poor people from Scripture and Religion and make Us our Doctrine and Worship ridiculous in the sight of all the World These are the consequences which Mr. Baxter shews very well at large of that impracticable and erroneous doctrine of demanding a particular Text of Scripture for the Ceremonies and Circumstances of Gods worship 17. The Church of England not guilty of any kind of False-worship Defence of the Principles of Love Part 2. p. 3 4. Mr. Baxter having recited the seven several kinds of false Worship acquits the Church of England from all and proves at large in the Pages here cited that it is not guilty of false Worship in any kind or any acceptation whatsoever any more than Mr. Bagshaw whom he there speaks particularly to or the rest of the Non-conformists are in their extemporate Prayers 18. A general Vindication of the Liturgy and Ceremonies Defence of the Principles of Love Part 1.90 91. To do it i.e. to use as he calls it an unreformed Liturgy out of choice is one thing to do it as a duty put upon us by Gods providence and our Governours when we can do no better is another thing it is God that hath pulled down our liberty and opportunity to serve him better and we must obey him It is no faulty mutability to change our practice when God by changing our condition doth change our duty no more than it was in Augustine who professeth that he would worship God as to Forms and Ceremonies according as the Church did with which he joined where-ever he came 19. The soundness of the Doctrine of the Church of England Defence of the Principles of Love Part 2. p. 3. The Doctrine of the Church of England is so sound that the Independents and Presbyterians have still offered to subscribe to it in the 39. Articles Thus hath Mr. Baxter copiously vindicated the Church of England in almost every point of Conformity which is any thing material which shews that Non-conformists themselves do not really believe what they have suggested to and imposed upon the belief of their Followers concerning the sinfulness of Conformity And that what they except against in Conformity is not upon the account of its Sinfulness but Inexpediency onely which neither the Law of God Nature nor Nations did ever allow the People to be Judges of but the Rulers onely and therefore ought in point of Christianity and right Religion to be submitted to for the sake of those great Christian duties Peace Unity and Obedience to Magistrates for the conviction of our religious Enemies for the good and prosperity of the Church for the safety honour and welfare of the King and three Kingdoms for the credit of Christianity and for the glory of God to whom be glory for ever and ever FINIS Pag. 18. Part 1. pag. 49. Par. 1. pag. 36. Part. 1. pag. 56. The publick to be preferred before the private and come to the beginning of Common-Prayer Part. 2. p. 176. Common-prayer preferred before all private duties part 1. p. 97. The heinousness of Separation in consideration of those excellent persons that they separated from 1. the old Conformists 2. the present Conformists Part. 1. p. 12.13 Part. 1. p. 10 11 12. Part. 1. p. 40. Mr. Baxter dares not go against his Conscience in not taking the Sacrament at his Parish Church Part. 1. p. 16 68 69. The Separatists that are so scrupulous about Church communion make no conscience of greater sins Part 1. p. 84. The evil of ●eparation Part 1. p. 2 3. Mr. Baxter ●ounts Sepa●●tists no bet●er than foo●●sh and be●itched ●abes carnal ●nd not spiri 〈…〉 al. Part. 2 p. 155. Separation and Koraism provoking sins Here he speaks particularly to Mr. Bagshaw Part 2. p. 6 7. Part 1. p. 60. The sad effects of Church-divisions Part 2. p. 175. Part 1. p 17. The present separation a promoting cause of Popery and greatly hazards the Protestant Religion advantageth profaneness c. Part 1. p. 32. Part 1. p. 52. The manner how Popery will grow out of our divisions The present Separation promoteth Anabaptistry Quakerism c. Mr. Baxters addition to this History Part 2. p. 175 Part 1. p. 50. Part 1. p. 49. Part 1. p. 54. Part 2. p. 150. * Yet this is that some of the Non-conformists have called one of the hardest points in Conformity The third Edition * Diocesan Episcopacy