whereby they are carried as for the interest of the truth to make their Adversaries be thought to be ignorant erroneous or bad and so to make one another seem less amiable to the ruine of Love and the division and danger of the Churches And because Love and Unity are so frequently and vehemently pressed in the Scriptures and Divisions or Schism so much forbidden 16. All these are sinful Schismatical Separations but in very different degrees 1. When the interest of some Heresie or lesser Errour and the disclaiming of some truth doth cause men to separate 2. When they slander a true Ministry as no true Ministry and so separate 3. When they slander a true Church as no true Church 4. When they separate because they accuse true worship to be Idolatry or lawful worship to be unlawful 5. When they falsly accuse the Churches Faith Worship or Order to be defective and to want some necessary part As the Papists do by the Protestants who take up with the Scripture-Religion alone 6. When they accuse some tolerable failing in the Church to be intolerable and such as maketh their Communion unlawful 7. When they separate from the Church because of the Holiness and Strictness of its Doctrine and just Discipline which crosseth them in their Sin or because they hate the Purity of its Worship and Obedience 8. When they separate because that they have not a part in the Government of the Church themselves in receiving Members or censuring them or because they may not be Teachers of the Church or otherwise invade the Pastoral Office 9. When Pride or Coveteousness maketh them separate through personal distaste at the Pastors or any Members for want of respect or honour or gain or upon supposed injuries 10. When the Minor part separate because they have not their own will against the Major part in the choice of Ministers or in other Church-Affairs in which they have just cause to acquiesce 11. When they over-value their own Conceits and doubtful Opinions and their own indifferent Modes or words of Circumstances of Worship or Order so that they think it needful to separate to enjoy them 12. When they expect that the Pastors should Excommunicate or deny the Communion of the Church to such as they account unfit without any accusation and proof or true Church-justice And do separate from the Communion where such are received as unlawful for themselves 13. When they separate upon this false Supposition that their presence maketh them guilty as Consenters of all the Ministers Errours in the Doctrine or Method or words of his Preaching Praying or other Administrations 14. When they separate because the Church will not forbear the Singing of David's Psalms the Baptizing of Infants or some other such part or order of God's Worship 15. When they separate because they will not consent to the lawful Circumstances of Time Place Translation Metre Tunes Utensils or Methods which the Church doth use These all are unlawful Separations But the great aggravations are when they separate to set up Heretical Doctrine and Teachers or false Church-Orders and Worship corrupted in the Essentials or to promote ungodliness or to rail at others from whom they separate and to cherish Divisions to the injury of the common Christian Cause 17. These following are lawful Causes of Separation 1. When the Pastors are really no Ministers of Christ but uncapable or uncalled Usurpers or Hereticks or Infidels or open Enemies to Piety who do more harm than good and set themselves to destroy the Church of God and the ends of their Ministry 2. When the Church maketh not Profession of the Christian Faith or are not baptized or visible Christians 3. When the worship of the Church is Idolatry or such for the Substance as God will not accept nor it is not lawful to joyn in 4. When the Church renounceth or omitteth any Ordinance of God which the whole Church must ordinarily perform and which all things considered it is not lawful to omit 5. When after due admonition the Church is turned into a Theatre of Contention and a School of Malignity and reviling the Brethren and of destroying Christian Love to others or of promoting Schism to the intolerable wrong of the people and of others and of the Cause and Churches of Christ. 6. When after due Admonition and Patience the Church so far renounceth Discipline as openly to own and justifie such wickedness or heinous Sins as are inconsistent with the true Profession of Christianity and Godliness 18. And if the unsoundness badness or weakness of the Pastors and the faultiness of the Worship Order or Discipline be not so great as to make Communion with the Church sunply unlawful yet any free man whose Edification is greatly hindered by it and can elsewhere have far greater helps for his Salvation and joyn with a Church which walketh more conformably to the Christian Rule may lawfully remove himself to such a Ministry and Church when it is not to the greater hurt of others than his own good Especially such whose ignorance weakness and deadness maketh a lively and convincing Ministry more needful to their safety and welfare than it is to others For it is a Sin Caeteris paribus to prefer the worse before the better and a sin to neglect the best means for our Souls which we can lawfully enjoy And the Soul is more precious than to be hazarded or left in sin and darkness for an unnecessary Circumstance Nor is it any sinful Separation or Disorder for the Members of one Church to communicate occasionally with other Churches of Christ seeing our relation to the Universal Church is more strict and inviolable than to any particular Church as such Also in case of removal of our Habitations or change of our Family Relations or other the like Reasons it is lawful to remove from one Church to another without any unjust censuring of that which we remove from And if the first Church will not consent after due means for their satisfaction we may remove without their consent 19. He that is denied Communion with the Church unless he will speak or subscribe some falshood or take any false Oath or make any unlawful promise or commit any other sin is sinfully cast out or repulsed by the Imposer and is not guilty of Schism or sinful Separation by denying to commit such imposed sin And he that only removeth from the place of meeting with the Pastor and Church when they remove and doth not withdraw from the Church it self or that adhereth to his lawful Pastor and part of the Church when the rest of the Church adhere to an Usurper is not to be judged guilty of Schism for such avoiding of Schism 20. The principal care for the avoiding of Schism and for maintaining Unity and Love is incumbent on the Pastors of the Church whose first work must be to preserve this Love and Unity in their particular Churches to prevent withdrawing into separating Churches
Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ and the Peoples to Magistrates further opened in a Treatise of NATIONAL CHURCHES Chap. I. The Necessity of Concord THE Judgments of all wise and sober men must needs disallow both the Practice of Division and unwarrantable Separation from the Churches of Christ and the common Liberty for Gathering Churches out of Churches now pleaded for and too much practised by many and also the Occasioning of Divisions and Separations by over rigorous proceedings with tender Consciences and imposition of unnecessary things and too much severity against those that through infirmity are guilty of some culpable Divisions and Uncharitableness For it 's not this Oil that will quench these flames In order to the healing of our dangerous Divisions I think it meet to deliver my thoughts in the ensuing Method 1. To shew the Evil of our Divisions and of the common practice of Private Separated Churches where in Publick there are able godly faithful Ministers and such Publick Churches as may lawfully be owned For I meddle with no other case 2. To shew what the agreeing Publick Ministers should do on their parts for the prevention and cure of these Distractions 3. To give you the true state of the Differences that have occasioned them 4. To propound those Terms by which a safe Reconciliation may be made 5. To which I should add if it were not for being thought too bold or confident the Magistrates Duty both in order to our Agreement and in case we will not be agreed I. Though I take not a Private Meeting or a Tolerated Private Church for so odious a thing in it self considered as some do but confess that such may be Good or Evil as the Cause of the Assemblies the Aspect of the Times and other Circumstances and Accidents shall make them and doubt not but there may be warrantable Separations from one or many particular Churches where the blame may lie upon the Churches and the Private Assemblies sometimes may be more justifiable than the allowed Publick ones yet as unnecessary Separations and Divisions are a great transgression so what the Aggravations of that transgression are and what wrong the Cause of God receives from the Differences among the godly themselves and the Divided and Private Congregations that are gathered by occasion of these differences in many parts of England I shall briefly shew 1. When in one and the same Parishes the boundaries of the ordinary Churches as to habitation there shall be divers Churches one Publick and one Private it will ordinarily cause great Disaffection and Contention among the Christians of that place There will be Pastor against Pastor and People against People and one will be accusing another according to their several apprehensions and making the waies and consequently the persons of each other to he odious or unacceptable to others And hereby Christian Love will be much quenched and Unity and Concord much overthrown and all the Effects of Love abated and the odious remnants of Uncharitableness Malice and Emulations will revive Too common and sad experience puts this out of doubt Alas what Factious Doctrine for Parties and against Parties are usually managed in Publick and Private where these Divisions once appear What unconscionable Censures pass too often on one side or both What bitter unchristian taunts and scorns and reproachful words When publick Writings so abound with these and the Press is become the common scold and the most unchristian Language is spoken so familiarly to all the Land and uncharitableness and fury are afraid of being concealed no wonder if in private among those that are pleased with such discourse the Preacher sit in the Scorners Chair 2. Uncharitableness and Divisions are as plainly urgently and frequently prohibited and condemned in the Word of God as almost any sins that are And Love and Unity Peace and Concord are prest as much as any Duty of Man to Man Certainly these Great Obligations are such as smaller matters cannot dispense with And wonderful it is that so many thousand that abhor the Popes dispensing with Oaths and Promises and Subjects Duties and with some of the positive commands of God can yet without remorâ—e of Conscience so easily so long so confidently dispense with the greatest Duties of Man towards Man even with Charity it self and the effects of Charity He that must owe nothing else must owe Love Rom. 13. 8. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Verse 10. Every Commandment of the Second Table is briefly fulfilled in Loving our Neighbours as our selves Verse 9. Yea he loveth not God that loveth not his Brother 1 Iohn 4 21. Love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God For God is Love 1 Iohn 4 7 8. If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his Love is perfected in us Verse 12. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Verse 16. If any Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Liar For he that Loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he Love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandment have we from him that he that Loveth God Love his Brother also Verse 20 21. Every one that Loveth him that begat Loveth him that is begotten also 1 Iohn 5. 1. We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we Love the Brethren He that Loveth not his Brother abideth in death Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and you know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him 1 Iohn 3. 14 15. Yea we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren Verse 16. This is the New and frequently urged Command of Christ that we Love one another Iohn 13. 34. and 15. 12 17. Gal. 5. 14. Iam. 2. 8. This is it that we must provoke each other to Heb. 10. 24. and that must continue Heb. 13. 1. We must Love one another with a pure Heart â—ervently 1 Pet. 1. 2â— Yea by Love we must serve one another Gal. 5. 13. And Paul took this to be so Essential to our Sanctification that he tells the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 4. 9. that as touching Brotherly Love he need not write to them for they were taught of God to love one another And can that be the way of God that dispenseth with so Essential a part of Holiness or that secretly and unobservedly extinguisheth this holy Love Let Experience teach you whether the present way of private separated Churches be not the opening a Shop or Forge for Military Engines against each other And under pretence of defending Truth whether they be not the Nurseries of uncharitable Wars among the Servants of the Lord And then as Love is extinguished so the sinful fruits of the contrary Vice do by such Divisions prosper and abound And what weekly Bills of heinous sins might we see that are
the unanimous Servants of the Lord did keep out all the obstinate Impenitent Persons from the Publick Communion and he that is cast out of one Church is cast out of all and none in any Country would entertain him Whereas now they have ordinarily a room in the most Publick Assemblies or if one Church reject them when they travail into other Parts they are as acceptable as others and so Communicatory Letters are made useless But the Principal thing that I here intend is that excellent Security of the Gospel and Godliness to our Posterity and the welfare of the Nation that might be happily promoted by this Unity For then the Church and Commonwealth might be so complicate and commensurate as would be the Strength and Glory of them both They may hold in Life but never attain that stability and Glory that God hath propounded to them and given them means for till for the generality the Members of the Church and the Freemen of the Commonwealth are the same I say not the Subjects but the Freemen that is those that shall be capable of Governing or electing Governors Then will not the Interest of Church and State be set in Opposition against each other nor Rulers keep up sinful jealousies against the Gospel and Ministers of Christ then will the Magistrate support and second the Ministry and Church and the Ministers and Church be the faithfullest obeyers and defenders of the Magistrate And then we shall not need to fear when one Parliament hath made us wholsom Laws and own'd the Gospel left a majority of malignant impious Choosers should give us another that will undo all and cast out the chief Blessing and Glory of the Land Were Church and Common-wealth but duly commensurate as aforesaid then sober men and faithful to the interest of Christ would choose our Parliaments and so a Succession of Righteous Governours might be secured to the Land A Mercy of inestimable Value that would advance Britain yet much higher above any Nation under Heaven And what clear Reasons could I give for this and how easily could I answer all considerable Objections and how easily might it be quickly put in execution if it were not for this one most lamentable Evil even the unreconciled Parties and the undisciplined Churches and Antichurches among us Till then we hold our precious Mercies on such slippery terms as should awaken all honest men to look after a better Security God can make Wolves befriend his Lambs and the Serpentine brood that are haters of Piety to choose Pious Governours But Wonders of Mercy are fitter for a grateful remembrance than for secure Expectations when we wilfully cause our peril 16. And it is an aggravation of the Sin of these Dividing ways that they are continued in such a time and place as this When men have nothing forced on them that they were wont to complain of and nothing wanting but what they have such more than ordinary helps to procure in the Publick Churches Formerly it was the Prelacy and Liâ—urgy and Ceremonies that by the Separâ—tists was pretended as a justifying Cause of their Separation And yet then the ancient Nonconformists themselves did write against them more than any did But now they can pretend no such things as these Who forceth any thing upon their Consciences which the tenderest Conscience of understanding People hath cause to refuse And if Discipline be wanting they have much encouragement to endeavour and hope for a supply If the Ministers be bad they may cast them out We all desire it If they be faithful they will be willing to go as far as they can in the exercise of Discipline and it is the discouragements Divisions and withdrawings of those that should help them that doth much disable them And it seems to me a great Aggravation that usually this Sin is the fruit of so many other Sine How oft is it brought forth by a proud over-valuing of mens own Opinions Parts and Piety and by uncharitable censoriousness of others and a vilâ—fâ—ing extenuation of all that is good in them And how ordinarily doth it bring forth disobedience murmuring and disdain of those that were their Teachers and evil speaking against the things that they understand not And too commonly it proceeds from laziness When they will not be at the trouble and cost of doing their parts to reform the Churches where they are they will lazily separate to save them a labour It is a harder work and requireth much more Self-denyal to joyn in the admonishing of the several Ungodly Persons in the Churches and follow it in God's way till they are reclaimed or cast out than to get in private among a few that will put us to no such trouble I see not but these Persons while they cry up Discipline would destroy it As some on one extream refuse to exercise it so these on the other extream will be Members only of such Societies when they shall have little or no use for it and consequently exclude it or at least where it shall not cost them much Lay this together and consider whether in such times as these when Godly Magistrates are ready to encourage us and Godly Ministers willing to do what they can in Reformation and no burdens are forced on their Consciences and we refuse not their Communion that differ from us in tolerable Points that yet in these times men will fly from our Assemblies and set up Antichurches as they do Alas what pievish Children are in the Family of God One part now separate into private Churches because we have not Prelacy Liturgy and Ceremonies and another part separate even when they are cast out because they be not pleased in all things that look to the other Extream Doubtless the Separatists in our days of Reformation and Liberty are much more unexcusable than they were in the times of Ceremonies and Violence What! cannot all the Endeavourâ— of Magistrates and Ministers by such a Reformation that many others think too much yet sweep the Churches clean enough for you to enter In other Ages it was the affliction of the Godly to be cast out of the Church by evil Governours But now how many do cast out themselves The Jews persecuted the Disciples by casting them out of their Synagogues Ioh. 16. 2. and 12. 42. And will you cast out your selves from the true Churches of Christ And that from such Principles and with such concomitant aggravating faults as those forementioned 17. And it is an aggravation of this Sin that it is continued against so much and long Experience Have we not long found by Experience how it quencheth Charity and hindereth the Gospel and cherisheth Errors and causeth the rest of the forementioned Evils And shall we love it when we have found it Evil 18. And it is no small aggravation of this Sin to consider what England is and what all the rest of the World is at this day and what it hath been from
Christian Nature and unbeseeming a sensible Member of Christ. With what hearts do such dividing Brethren read all those passages of Scripture that speak of the Unity of the Catholick Church We have all one End one Hope one Law There is one Body and one Spirit even as we are called in one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Baptismal Coveanting with God Eph. 4. 4 5 6. one God and Father of all who is above all through all and in us all therefore must we endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace v. 3. For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. And the Spirit and Ministry are given to this one Body for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the fleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in Love may grow up in him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in Love Eph. 4. 12 13 14 15. Note here the Unity of the Catholick Body and who is the Center of the Church and in what way it prospereth to perfection and all will tell you of Unity in Christ and Communion of the several parts in Love God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honour to that part that locked that there should be no Schism in the Body but that the Members should have the same care one for â—nother and whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular 1 Cor. 12 24 25 26 27. O how much the Nature and Unity of the Church Universal even the Body of Christ is forgotten by most men that withdraw into separated Assemblies upon those grounds and terms as condemn or cost off most of the Universal Church of Christ. And how do they look upon the face of the World if indeed they know what state it is in and hath been in when they can find in their hearts to keep up our Divisions of which more anon 6. Moreover our Divisions and Separations do much destroy the Power of Godliness partly as is said by destroying Love and all the Operations of Love wherein it principally consisteth and partly by diverting Professors of Religion from Practical Doctrine Conference and Meditation and filling them with Fancies and Opinions and Passions So that when once in a Town there is Church against Church and Pastor against Pastor almost all or too much of their time is taken up in wrangling and contending and making their Cause good against each other and they strive not to overcome each other by Meekness Patience and Love It is the raising of an Ecclesiastick War through all the Quarters of the Land And few thrive by these Wars above any Wars Mark whether Holiness Love and Heavenliness appear as much in their Families and Lives where this War is raised and Fire kindled as it did before 7. Moreover it keepeth out too often a Saving work of Grace and turns off many that were coming on and crusheth fair hopes too often in the bud Many a Minister hath rejoyced in the Hopes of a Conversion which seemed to be begun on the younger sort especially of his Hearers And when they have seemed to be somewhat humbled changed resolved for a Holy Life suddenly some Divider or other layeth hold on them and turneth the stream of their Thoughts and Zâ—al upon Opinions and barren Controversies and spoileth our hopes of the work of Grace and formeth them up into Contentious Hypocrites And alas how apt are such separated Assemblies to â—empt men to this miserable case even as Ale houses are to make men Drunk Sober men may be there but there 's the Nursery of Opinionative Religion 8. But there is no effect so grievous to my thoughts as the common hardening of the ungodly Who sees not how it makes them think unbelievingly or contemptuously of all Religion when they see so many Churches and ways and hear them so condemn each other they think they may warrantably condemn them all and say as bad by them or speak as contemptuously of them as they do of each other They think they are as well already as turning to such a divided People can make them And when they think of turning the Tempter asketh them as the Papists use to do Which Party will you turn to Why rather to this than all the rest What a readiness did I see to entertain the way of Godliness presently after the Wars in many places that had before been under the Power that most reproacht it Till they saw us by the Ears among our selves and see us fall into so many Parties and then they turned their reverence into contempt Let no man fly to God's Decrees here and say that Offences must be and Heresies must arise that the approved may be manifested and that the Elect cannot be deceived to Perdition For Sin is Sin and Misery for all this They may on those Grounds as well let Physicions have leave to give men Poison or any mâ—n to set our Towns on fire because nothing can be done against God's Decrees It is as true among the Indians and Turks that the Elect cannot be deceived to Perdition and that God knoweth who are his as here and yet I hope all Christians will lament the Sin and Misery of the World of Infidels and Idolaters and pray and endeavour as far as they can their recovery by the Gospel We must fetch no such Conclusions from any Decrees of God as shall hinder from praying that his Name may be Hallowed his Kingdom come and his Will be done in the Earth as it is in Heaven Such as may encourage us to dig Pits for the Blind and cast such stumbling blocks in their way and be Servants to the Tempter and Enemy of Souls in hindering them from Salvation And what can we to hinder them more than to bring the Churches and Holy Worship and Ways of God into doubt or contempt among them 9. Our Divisions make us and the Cause of God to be our Adversaries Reproach and his Name is evil spoken of among them through
Work of God But they would have bona bene God's Work done in God's Order On these Conditions we allow Private men to Preach 1. If they do it but ex Charitate and pretend not to the Ministerial Office 2. And if they do it occasionally and not as men separated to that work as their Calling for then they become Ministers indeed while they disclaim it in Name 3. If they do it not needlesly to a proud ostentation of their parts but only when Abler Men or Ministers are not to be had or else on some urgent weighty cause 4. If they make not themselves the Judges of their own fitness but expect the Approbation of the judicious faithful concordant Ministers that know them 5. If they undertake no more than they can perform and suppose not themselves fitter than they are and so run not beyond their Knowledge nor dishonour not the Work of God 6. If they thrust not themselves into any Church to Preach without a Call nor ordinarily without the Pastors consent 7. If they do it not unseasonably when by offending they are likely to do more hurt than good 8. If in the manner season and continuance they submit to the Guidance of the Pastors of the Church if it be more than ordinary Teaching and not such as every able Master of a Family may there do With these Cautions we grant that Private men may Preach Many Episcopal Divines grant it And the Presbyterians ordinarily permit it in their Expectants that are trained up for the Ministery A Maid begun the Conversion of the Iberians by Conference And interlocutory Preaching is truly Preaching Edesius and Frumentius converted the Indians Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem and Theoctistus of Caesaria maintained Origene's Teaching while he was a Private man and that in the Church before the Bishops And when Demetrius of Alexandria reprehended them affirming it to be an unknown case that a Layman should preach in the presence of a Bishop they gainsay him and produce the Examples of Neon a Bishop that required Evelpius to teach and of Celsus that set Paulinus to preach at Iconium and of Aâ—â—icus that set Theodorus to teach at Synnadorum And saith Dr. Fulke Demetrius himself doth seem to allow that when no Bishop was present a Layman might preach Euseb. Hist. li. 6. c. 20. But that every proud unworthy Man and every seducing Heretick should preach yea and thrust himself into other Mens Charges or that any should preach besides the forementioned Rules this we deny and take it for a dangerous Usurpation But are we not agreed in this Hear and Judge Mr. Cotton so downright denieth ordinary private Men to Prophesie interpreting 1 Cor. 14. 31. of extraordinarily Gifted Prophets of which see his Keys pag. 20 21. that Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Nye thought meet to signifie some Dissent Pref. p. 6. And yet they grant that this must be performed by private Men 1. Only Occasionally not in an ordinary Course 2. By Men of such Abilities as are fit for Office 3. And not assuming this of themselves but judged such by those that have the power and so allowed and designed to it And 4. So as their Doctrine be subjected for the judging of it in an especial manner to the Teaching Elders of that Church And I think that this is enough to signifie that here we shall have no cause of a breach with them Mr. Norton speaks to the same purpose pag. 123 124 125. and joins with Mr. Cotton in denying Prophesie to private Men and expounding 1 Cor. 14. of extraordinarily Gifted Prophets only In this therefore Doctrinally we agree 2. But the second seemeth the more dangerous difference That their Churches should presume to send abroad Preachers not in Office for the Conversion of Souls by setting them apart to that work and directing or allowing them to be stated Ordinary Teachers Their excuses are that Pastors are proper to particular Churches and it is not into Churches but Parishes that they send them not to Rule or Teach a Church but to Convert Souls and gather Churches Ans. But 1. It is not your calling Parishes no Churches that makes or proves them none You are not the Judges when they profess themselves Churches If others send Men to preach in your Churches it will not excuse them with you if they face you down that they are no Churches and therefore they may preach in them 2. But suppose they were all Heathens you have never yet proved that to be a stated Preacher for their Conversion is not to be a proper Ministerial Officer Contrarily 1. In the days of the Apostles and all their helpers it was part of the Office of a Minister yea and of the chief Ministers to be stated Preachers for the Conversion of unbelievers and gathering Souls to Christ But the Office of the Ministry is now the same as then Therefore 2. To go and Teach and Disciple the Nations is as true a part of the Ministers Commission as to teach the Church Matth. 28. 19. Therefore it is not common to private Mâ—n 3. Ordinary Baptizing is no work for private Men Therefore not preaching The reason of the consequence is 1. Because they are conjoyned in the Minsterial Commission Matth. 28. 19. 2. Because if Pastors go not abroad the World with these private Men to preach to Infidels then when they have converted any they must be unbaptized till Pastors can come to them Which is contrary to all Scripture example that Baptism should be so long delayed after Conversion ordinarily 4. To be separated to the Gospel of God is a chief part of the description of a Minister by Office Rom. 1. 1. But these private Preachers are by the Churches separated to the Gospel of God by right or by wrong therefore they are made Ministers by Office Indeed the first object of the true Ministerial Office in order of nature is the uncalled World and the calling of them is as Eminent a part of their Office as preaching to a Church This is the most Eminent Evangelizing to declare the Glad-tydings of Salvation to the World And this is the preaching that requireth sending Rom. 10. On this work were the Twelve and the Seventy sent on this work specially did the Apostles lay out themselves And not only they but Apollo Luke Mark Timothy Titus Silas and abundance of the chiefest Ministers of Christ. But yet we have no matter to excuse a Division or Alienation from this Difference For 1. I cannot prove it a Difference between the Parties For I know not that the Congregational Party have owned and espoused the Opinion which I here oppose though some particular persons do And therefore I do not charge it on them 2. If they did yet Infidels are so far from us that irregular endeavours to Convert them will be no matter of a breach And were we nearer them we might leave others to practise according to their Judgments as long as we are not guilty of the
they should return to an Orderly Communion This Controversie is de fine and seeing we grant them much in the rest for this therefore we cannot grant them this If in War we grant all that is desired for Peace it is supposed that we will not grant the continuance of the War nor in reason must that be one of the demands I speak all this but of unjust Separations For there is a Separation which we are all agreed to be lawful as far as I know as 1. We all agree that where Christians live in the midst of Infidels they must come out from among them by Faith and Repentance and be separated by the Baptismal Engagement first and the Communion of Saints after and not touch the unclean thing The Church must be separated from the World or it is no Church 2. We are agreed that when a true Church Visibly ceaseth to be a true Church by loss of its Essentials statedly it is our Duty to judge it to be no true Church that is but to judge it as it is and forsake it accordingly 3. When we cannot hold local Communion with a true Church without committing some sin which they would force upon us and which we may escape by leaving them we ought to withdraw from the local Communion of that Church for we must not wilfully sin nor do evil that good may come by it Yet so as that still we must hold Internal and also External distant Communion by owning them as a true Church and corresponding with them as a Neighbour Church 4. If a true Church in the corruption of the Materials become uncapable of its Ends and we have with sufficient patience tryed the means of its Reformation without success it is ordinarily unless some greater matter hinder accidentally our Duty to forsake it Yea and to esteem it no more a true Church if it be the Principal Ends that it 's become uncapable of As if the Body were fallen into an Opinion against Communion and Publick Worship and yet should think they might hold their Relations This were a contradiction If they would in Publick worship God with a Worship false in the Essentials and which is no Church-worship but Impiety or Deceit And though I will not now determine how far Discipline is necessary to a Church more than to say that the Power is Essential to the Pastors Office yet I may boldly conclude that in point of Duty if a Church be so corrupted by Heresie or Impiety that Discipline cannot be exercised in it because the greater part do own the Heresie or Sin or the Sinners in their Sin and this be not in one or a few Acts but they are against the course of Discipline in the main and Vote for Wickedness or against Piety or the publick Censures of the Church or refuse to execute them and if after sufficient patience I cannot reform them I shall take it to be my Duty to take with me the better part of the Church and forsake the rest as to local Communion and perhaps first to cast them out from us as to their Relation though we are the lesser part Unless in some cases where Publick Good requireth a delay and suspendeth my Duty for the time 5. If a Pastor be despised by the Church and refused or if they desire his stay and yet wilfully disobey him and his Labours are unprofitable among them that are like to be profitable elsewhere we doubt not but he may remove as being rejected and forsaken first by them 6. If a Pastor and some choice Members with him have a Call to a far more Eminent Service of God conducing much more to the publick Good we doubt not but they may remove though the rest dissent God is the Master of his Ministers and people more than Men are 7. If the Necessities of a Mans Family Ministers or people require him to remove his Habitation I doubt not but he may remove though the Church dissent unless in some Cases where by accident his removal may more dishonour God or hinder publick Good than his Estate or the preservation of his Family can countervail The Church hath not power to tye Men to Ruine their Families nor to continue with them during Life nor during their pleasure Nor is it implied in the consent of Membership which is to be no more but that I will hold Communion with this Church as a Member while I here Cohabit or I have no call from God to remove It is so in Civil Corporations Cohabitation is an antecedent part of our Aptitude for Church Communion and many just Causes may deprive us of that Aptitude and make the persons to be materia indisposita incapax and so destroy his Relation of it self 8. If persons that have a weak Pastor or a corrupt Society can to the great advantage of their Souls remove they may do it whether the Church will consent or not in case their removal do not accidentally do more hurt against the honour of God and the publick Good than their profit can countervail And still supposing that the Churches consent be first orderly sought 9. The same I say of them that have Pastors that will not exercise any competent Discipline though with sufficient patience importuned thereunto In one word in no case is a Man bound to stay with any Church to the certain prejudice or danger of his Soul or the Souls of his Family unless in the foresaid case if such a case there be when the publick Good and the Cause of God will receive more detriment by our removal than our benefit will countervail 10. Lastly If we be unjustly cast out of any Church and persecuted by them and have no just redress at home no doubt but we may joyn with another Church As if a Pastor that is for Rebaptizing would take none but who will be Rebaptized or having taken some in will cast them out Or if a Pastor be set over us of an uncharitable Spirit that will take in none for Godly but those of his Opinion or some few of a higher Form and denieth Communion to all the rest in this case it is he that doth the wrong and they are necessitated to join with another Church that will receive them and another Church may justly receive them if first they cannot prevail for their reception at home All this we grant for a removal from a Church without the guilt of Schism or sinful Separation But on the other side we must needs desire 1. That Men will not rashly and self-conceitedly judge any of these Cases to be where they are not And therefore that they will take the advice of the next unanimous peaceable faithful Pastors And for this saith Mr. Norton p. 167. But when this or that Congregation is to be taken for No Church let the judgment be in the hands of a Council or in an Ordinate state of the Churches 2. We desire that whole Churches may not be taken
Young Men exalt themselves over the Faith of their Ancients 9. Some are sent to their Graves frustrate of their hopes we being in a way to admit no more in many years than were admitted by the Apostles in one day 10. To grieve such as ought to be comforted to defame such as deserve honour to judge one another for infirmities is unjust Rom. 14. The Apostle thought it just to think well of all Phil. 1. 17 c. The Apostles were diligent and faithful in directing and exhorting and rebuking And why are they then so silent in point of admission Yea when the Churches were corrupted and pestered with corrupt Members such as made their Bellies their Gods Phil. 3. Jude 4. 1 Cor. 15. and 13. Surely admission hath never been deemed in the Churches so momentous as with us And yet we commit it to the dissident and multiformons fancies of Members without a Rule The Apostles were never acquainted with those Questions How when where and whereby and by whom Conversion was wrought The Church is a tender Mother Cant. 7. and speedily embraceth her Infant by admission into her Arms and layeth it to her Breasts of consolations Experience telleth us that a Man will not easily make Protestations before God and subject himself to Discipline unless it be resolved with him If it be resolved he shall be saved Happy is he that is resolved to slee from the wrath to come to the Ark to Zâ—ar to the Cities of Refuge And open we the Gate readily without many expostulations to rescue him from the avenger of Blood Yea the way is to be made easie to encourage him to come We must not have such a Rule of admission as may in an ordinary way disinherit Saints of their Right and Priviledges in the Kingdom of God So far Mr. Noyes 3. We crave and expect our Brethrens consent that we may not have the Gospel hindered through the Land by unnecessary sinful private Antichurches That every Town or City where are Men professing Godliness may not be as a pitcht Field and holy Exercises turned into Contendings nor Christian Assemblies turned into Schools of War or scolding places Let us not be many Masters lest we receive the greater condemnation The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated c. where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish Iam. 3. Let us agree then to do what lyeth in our power that the Churches may be reduced to the Primitive patterns that met all in One place and there were of one Heart and Soul Where find you in all the Scriptures that there were two distinct Churches especially distinguished or divided by differences in one City and that when for the number they might have joyned in one Where find you that the worst Church had any good men that separated from it into a distinct Church in that place Is Scripture our common Rule I beseech you then be able well to resolve these Questions before you venture in your practice to contradict the word If we drive you from our Churches causelessly the Shame be on us But if you causelessly depart into Antichurches the blame shall lye on you Do not stagger and confound our poor People by shewing them in each Town Minister against Minister and Church against Church and entice not young Novices into an opinionative Religiousness and draw not the Nation from the Power of Godliness and Practice of Charity into doting about Questions 4. For order sake let Parishes be the ordinary bounds of Churches not so as if all in the Parish are therefore of the Church but so as that ordinarily we take none out of others Parishes Let us not do it without just cause nor do it when it will tend more to publick hurt than any persons good can compensate If you could prove Parishes no Churches yet they that Preach to them for their Conversion caeteris paribus are fittest to be their Guides when they are converted Tell us if you can wherever you found one instance in Scripture or the Primitive times of one Soul that forsook the Church that was Congregated in the City of his Habitation and was a Member of any other Church in a place where he dwelt not Except the Hereticks that Iude saith did separate themselves being sensual having not the spirit whose manner it was to forsake the Assemblies Heb. 10. 25. Cohabitation is requisite to the Ends of Churches even the exercise of Communion and the offices of Members one towards another How can we watch over men that live out of our reach How know we what their conversation is But especially when a Parish hath a faithful Minister that undertaketh to prove the Members that you receive to be part of his Pastoral Charge or Church it will no more warrant any man irregularly to receive them because he affirms that it is no Church or they no Members than such an Affirmation concerning your own Churches or Members will warrant others to receive your Members 5. And that justice may be exercised and order observed let no Member remove till he have sought the Consent of the Church where he is or heard them give their Reasons against it And let none be received from another Church or Parish but either upon Communicatory Letters or Certificates or else after a just discussion of the Cause with the Church or Teachers from whom they do withdraw 6. And as it is agreeable to our several Principles and the great thing that is now desired that we may all correspond in Brotherly Associations and have Synods at fit Seasons for the Communion of the Churches that are link'd together let us there be Responsible not as to our Governours but as to Associated Brethren and Churches for our Actions that are of Publick offence or of which we shall be there accused and in particular for this of taking Members out of other Churches that the Cause may have an equal hearing 7. Or if any of you shall refuse to meet in constant Synods yet do this much at least Let your Churches and ours be so far Consociate as to Own each other for true Churches though we take the Liberty to disown any notable Distemper that we may see each other guilty of and let Communicatory Letters be necessary for any that be received from one Church to another unless in special cases And deny not to appear at least on such an extraordinary occasion at a Synod to satisfie the Churches when you are accused 8. And let us agree on such Rules for the peaceable management of our remaining Differences as are necessary to the Security of the common Truths and the common cause of Christianity and Piety which we own that we hinder not God's Work and harden not the Ungodly and weaken not each others hands and prove not at last the unwise Destroyers of the Church
and Betrayers of the Gospel and our Liberties to the Enemies by our obstinate Divisions and Contentions If the worst be supposed of a resolved distance which we dare not be so uncharitable as to suppose we may yet expect an Agreement to such terms as are here after offered to the Anabaptists If yet it be insisted on by any that by holding Communion with us in Synods and being there responsible for offences you shall be proceeded against to a Non-Communion I further answer 1. Will you choose a Non-Communion to escape it yea to escape a possibility of it And shall it be by your own act and guilt lest it should be by other mens 2. Again I tell you they can declare their avoiding your Communion whether you Associate or not And will have the more occasion when you wilfully divide and refuse to be responsible than when you live among them as Brethren in Charitable Correspondencies and Communion and walk in order And there will be far more probability that things will be carried on against you in their Synods in your absence than in your presence when you speak for your selves 3. They will allow you in any of the ten fore-allowed Cases to take Members out of other Parishes and Churches and also out of all those Parishes that have no tolerable Pastors or where the People have any warrantable cause to depart yea in case the person will but remove his Habitation they will not contend though he do it causelesly And surely the Publick Order and Peace of the Churches is of greater moment than the Riches and worldly Accommodations of a particular man and therefore in most cases reason it self will tell us that it is fitter such incur some incommodity by removing their Habitations than that the Church incurr dammage by their breaking Order and crossing all the Scripture Presidents where men were ever Members of the Church that was in the Places where they lived or next to them and there none but Hereticks had Antichurches or separated Assemblies Moreover if you do disorderly receive any Members out of other Churches the Brethren associated may by Evidence of Reason satisfie and reduce you If they do not so they will understand on what account you do it and so if it be but on some tolerable Mistake or Infirmity they will be satisfied in the disowning your Sin without disowning your Communion But if it be on an intolerable ground and such as signifieth you to be uncapable of their Communion as if you â—hould cherish Heresie or Ungodliness and cast out men for sound Belief and Piety they can but in the extremity declare you uncapable of their Communion and warn your People to take heed of you and so they can do whether you associate or not So that I may conclude 1. That difference in Practice will necessitate a Toleration of Postors taking Members in certain cases out of other Parishes 2. But differences in any Principles between the several Parties will occasion none if we could exactly practise our own Principles 1. That difference in Practice will is evident 1. Because it is impossible that all men of the same Parties should have the same degrees of Prudence Moderation Charity Zeal c. which will make some to exclude abundance of persons that others of the same Party will admit 2. Because if the Pastor should be moderate he cannot promise that his Congregation will be so And if they too rigorously refuse any Members he is not able alone to retain them 3. And if abundance of tolerable Christians be refused there is no reason that for the rigour of others they should wholly be deprived of the Communion of the Church and the Ordinances of God I easily foresee that whoever was first guilty of it it is the more Charitable Churches that will be put most upon the receiving of Members out of other Parishes For the uncharitable will take perhaps an Hundred and leave out and reject two Hundred of their Parishioners that should be accepted And then the next adjoyning Church cannot conscionably refuse their Entertainment But let us have these three Points at least agreed on 1. That the Neighbour Pastors and Churches may be consulted with and heard before such rejections be made or at least afterward upon the Complaint of the rejected 2. That those that are refused in one Parish joyn with the Publick Church in the next and that without necessity they do not either draw into private Churches nor yet joyn themselves to publick Churches so distant as are uncapable of holding such Communion with them as Church-ends require 3. And that the Neighbour Pastors do not promiscuously receive all that are rejected by the Publick Pastor at home but only such as upon just tryal are found fit Q. But what shall the people of the Parish do that are put upon such straits as to joyn with another Parish far off because they have a Minister at home that refuseth them as possibly an Anabaptist that requireth them to be rebaptized or an uncharitable rejecter of all except such as have voluble Tongues c. Answ. 1. He that is chosen to be the Pastor is chosen to the Pastoral work and therefore is trusted with the oversight and government of the Church which must not be taken out of the Pastors hands because of the Miscarriages of some 2. But this must be prevented in the choice Patrons must choose none but Prudent Pious men that will not intolerably wrong the Church And the Approvers must let no others in But if Patrons or People choose such men and the Approvers let them in there 's no Remedy but shift for your selves unless you can get them out again 3. If therefore they be so grosly injurious procure the Magistrates to punish such for maleadministration For to them it doth belong Though it should be a very gross and proved abuse that must warrant them to punish the Pastors Let the Cause be heard and the Commissioners have Power to remove them if after warning they are uncurable 4. And if the Magistrates will not do so but keep them in all that the Neighbour Churches can do is to hear the Case and if it be gross and intolerable to disclaim Communion with them and receive such Christians as the uncharitable do reject This is all that can be done But the best way is to be careful in the Choice For it is an intolerable course that some are harping on that Pastors should not be trusted with Church Guidance and Administrations that is to do the work of Pastors any further than Magistrates make them Rules because they may possibly be too imprudent or injurious to the People Surely as long as the Patrons or People choose and the Magistrate Guards the Door and also may punish or reject maleadministrators as the Cause requireth there needs no more 2. And that difference in Principles between the Parties as thus principled cannot be here a cause to break us I
ungodliness of the Pharisees nor the dissolute licentiousness of the rest of the peoples lives could drive them from Communion with the rest of the people in holy things And why Because the Lord and the Apostles well knew that the Consciences of the Godly are not defiled with the Society of the wicked if with a pure Conscience they Communicate in the same holy things Next he proveth the 4th Branch that he that joyneth to such a Church doth not therefore Sin nor is defiled with other mens Impurities p. 163 164. Then p. 164 165. he prâ—… the 5th Branch that a Believer that hath joyned himself to such a Church must not therefore depart that iâ—s separate from such a Church and that under this danger of guilt but it is too long to recite all It is not men of such Principleâ— and Practices as these that we account Separatists What do Presbyterians say more than this eminent Independent Brother in a Writing purposely written in Latin by the perswasion of others in New England to Vindicate their Churches against Apollonius and commended to us by Mr. T. Goodwin Mr. P. Nye and Mr. S. Simpson Yet lest any think him too loose I will add his last leaf of Rules How in a less pure Church Communion must be continued with a safe Conscience Answ. 1. We must still aim and endeavour according to our Places that the Church may be purifieâ—â— according to Christ's Mind Not without seasonable and due warning the Church of its Defects The Defects are to be lamented with holy sighs and sorrows In no way approving but prudently and patiently tolerating Defects in that Church which we câ—n neither cure nor depart from without a greater Evil. When singular Evils cannot be cured without a greater publick Evil that must be born which cannot be amended In the Churches Reformation this Doctrine must be observed Paraeus in Matth. 13. that those that press for too much exactness or strictness do more hurt the Church than profit it The Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ is a Spirit of Truth Peace and Communion so loving Peace that he commandeth Communion with a true Church though impure and so loving Truth that he forbiddeth impurity in every Church We reject the Separatists that distinguish not between a Church and the Impurities of a Church Schism is a grievous Crime We reject the Formalists not sufficiently distinguishing a Church from no Church not separating the pretious from the vile what is this but Confusion Confusion and Schism are the Scylla and Charybdis Peace and Truth are the Jachin and Boaz of the Christian Cause the obtaining of which must be endeavoured under him and implored and expected from him who is Peace Way and Truth alone able among so many and alas too hot Contentions and differing opinions of the Learned and Godly to reach us the mete-wand and direct his Servants into Concord and into the perfect measure of the Temple Altar and Worshippers Preserving us Men Brethren searching after truth in Love both from the left hand of Confusion and the right hand of Separation So far Mr. Norton and so ends his Book And thus I have shewed the Nearness of both Parties and easiness of Reconciliation as to their Principles and that there is nothing among them owned by either Party that should hinder a loving Consociation Correspondency and Communion of the Churches for their mutual strengthening and the healing of the Mischiefs that Divisions Emulations and Contentions have long caused among us Nothing remains then to be feared but lest mens Minds are further distant than their Principles and that Charity doth not effectually dispose them to Agree in Communion as far as their professed Principles will permit them But though Experience make this undeniable yet their Piety and their Professions do put us in hope that there are such Habitual Principles of Charity as better Encouragements and Opportunities will undoubtedly revive to our Reconciliation The Congregational men profess their desire of Reconciliation Read but Mr. Cotton's Preface to Mr. Norton and Mr. Norton's Epistle to Apollonius But especially the Practice of such moderate men as Mr. Firmin and divers that of late hence Associated with the Presbyterians doth give us a more certain Demonstration of their readiness for Peace And if many are otherwise minded it should be no prejudice to the peaceable And for the Presbyterians readiness to the Works of Peace besides the many motions that they have made and the joyning of some in Associations with their Brethren I shall now add but the affectionate Profession which they make of their desire of Reconcilement both with the Congregational and Moderate Episcopal Party in the Epistle to their Ius Divinum Minist 1. Concerning them of the Congregational way they say That this disagreement shall not hinder us from any Christian accord with them in affection That we can willingly write upon our Study Doors that Motto which Mr. Jeremiah Burroughes who a little before his Death did ambitiously endeavour after Union amongst Brethren as some of us can testifie perswades all Scholars unto Opinionum varietas opinantium Unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that we shall be willing to entertain any sincere motion as we have also formerly declared in cur Printed Vindication that shall further a happy accommodation between us Then speaking of the Godly moderate Episcopal men they add Though herein we differ from them yet we are far from thinking that this Difference should hinder a happy Union between them and us Nay we crave leave to profess to the World that it will never as we humbly conceive be well with England till there be an Union endeavoured and effected between all those that are Orthodox in Doctrine though differing among themselves in some Circumstances about Church Government And the Lord hath strangely made way for this long desired Union by the bitter woful and unutterable fruits of our Divisions which have almost destroyed not only the Ministry but even the very heart and life of Religion and Godliness Read there the rest You see then that we are all resolv'd for Peace and Concord and devoted to it and intent upon it And you see how small a matter will do it yea that it is done already except the actual execution of our Doctrinal Agreements What then is wanting but that we be up and doing and practice as we profess and that Magistrates and especially the Protector and Parliament now Assembled that have so fair an opportunity and from whom it is commonly expected do call them to the work and help to remove the hinderances and further them by the Countenance and Assistance of their Authority The Sum of our Agreement reduced to Practice 1. WE are Agreed that Adult Church Members must be such as make A Credible Profession of Faith and Repentance and so of Holy Resolved Obedience Or such as personally own and accept the Covenant of Grace and give up themselves to
such as expect the very Syllables of the Assertions in the proofs Therefore for brevity I take it to be the better way â—â— this time to offer here a full sufficient proof of any one of these Assertions which shall be questioned to such as shall soberly demand it A Servant of Christ for his Churches Unity and Peace Richard Baxter Acton Nov. 2â— 1688. Q. SEeing you have oft affirmed publickly that the Terms of Concord among Christians are easie to be known if their unwillingness to practise them were not the hinderance you are desired to answer these Questions following 1. What are the necessary Terms of Catholick Communion of Christians as Members of the Church Universal 2. What are the necessary Terms of the Communion of Christians personally in a particular Church 3. What are the Terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another 4. What are the Terms of Communion between the Churches of several Kingdoms 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ I. It is to be understood that the Universal Church is considered as Spiritual or as Visible As Spiritual it is the Universality of true Spiritual or Regenerate Believers as Headed by Jesus Christ. As Visible it is the Universality of the Baptized or Professors of true Faith as Headed by Christ the Author and Object of that Faith And accordingly Christians are to be distinguished And that the Question is of the Visible Church and Christians 2. This being supposed I answer that Catholick Visible Communion consisteth 1. Fundamentally in being all Baptized or entered into the same Covenant of Grace with God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and so being joyned to the same Head and entered into the same Universal Body and professing the same Faith and Love and Obedience contained in that Covenant and not falling away from that Profession or any Essential part thereof 2. And consequently that we all acknowledge the extraordinary Ministry of the Prophets and Apostles and receive their Testimony and Doctrine recorded in the Sacred Scriptures At least the foresaid Essentials of the Covenant and so much more as we understand and are convinced to be Canonical Scriptures or written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost 3. And also that we acknowledge a stated ordinary Ministry in the Church appointed by Christ to Disciple and Baptize the Nations of the World and then to teach them to observe all his Commands And that we profess our willingness to join in Christian Assemblies under the conduct of such Ministers for the worshipping of God and furthering our own and others Salvation if we have opportunity so to do And that we do accordingly II. Q. 1. We speak only of Visible Christians in this second Question also of Church Communion 2. A Particular Church signifieth either 1. A Community of Christians agreed to live under Pastoraâ— Guidance before they have a Pastor or have practised that agreement This is not the Church here meanâ— 2. Or a Political Society of Christian Pastor and People professedly associated for Personal Communion Exercise of these Relations as such in the publick worshipping of God and for the furtherance of Love and Obedience in each other The Ends difference it from all Civil Societies of Christians and from the associations of many Churches for Communion by delegates The necessary Terms of this Church Communion are these 1. The Pastor whether one or more must have all things essential to his Office 1. As to his Qualifications that is 1. That he understand at least the Essential Points of Christianity and Church Communion 2. That he be able to teach them to others in some competent degree 3. That he be willing to do it and this for Gods Honour the Churches Good and Mens Salvation 2. As to his Call that he have a true notification of the will of God that he should undertake this Office which is ordinarily done 1. By the Ordination that is the Approbation and Investiture of Bishops or Pastors 2. And in this case of his relation to a particular Church by the peoples consent All this in truth is needful before God and in Appearance and Profession before the Church 2. The People must be Baptized persons Sacramentally engaged into Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and such as have not professedly deserted that Covenant by Apostasie nor are proved before a lawful Judicature to be deserters of any Essential part thereof Whether open professed Covenanting may not serve without Baptism in cases of Necessity where Baptism cannot be had is a case so extraordinary that we need not here meddle with it 3. He that was Baptized in Infancy and yet having opportunity at full age doth make no Profession of Christianity nor own his Baptismal Covenant openly by word or deed is to be numbered with Deserters 4. Though the most plain and open profession is usually best where it may be â—ad yet a profession less explicite may serve to the being of Church-members such as is their actual joyning with those Churches who purposely assemble to make publick profession of the Christian Religion Faith Love and Obedience 5. There must be also a signification of consent to their particular Church-Relation either more express and plain or at least by such actions which may be reasonably presumed to signifie it As ordinary joining in Church-worship with that particular Church and submitting to the necessary guidance of the Pastors 6. He that thus consenteth to his Relation to the Pastor and that Church is a Member though he consent not to the Membership or Presence of many particular Members thereof Because they are but Integral and not Essential parts of the Church 7. But if a usual mixture in the Assemblies of Hereticks or Strangers which are not Members of that Church or any other confounding cause do give the Pastors sufficient reason to call all or part of the people to an express signification of their consent to their Relation to put it out of doubt they that causelesly refuse such signification do seem to deny their consent and allow the Pastor and Church to judge of them accordingly 8. The office of the Bishops or Pastors is subordinate to the Teaching and Interceeding and Ruling office of Christ And their work is to Teach the people the Word of God to be their Mouth and Guide in publick Worship in Prayer and in Thanksgiving and Praise to God and to administer his holy Sacraments and to exercise that Power of the Keys which Christ hath committed to their trust in the Prudent and cautelous use of Church-Discipline And all this according to the Laws of Christ recorded in the holy Scriptures These therefore must be the Works and Ends for which these Churches must professedly assemble Especially on the Lord's Days which are separated to these holy Uses 9. The General Command in Nature and Scripture that all be done to Edification decently and
in order do require the Church with Prudence to determine of such undetermined Circumstances Modes and Orders as fall under those Generals As what Translation of the Scriptures to use what Metre of the Psalms what Tunes whether to divide the Scriptures into Chapters and Verses what Chapters to read what Psalms to Sing and when and how many what particular Method to use in Preaching and what words what helps for Memory whether written Notes in length or briefly At what Hour to begin How long to Preach and Pray In what words to Pray In what decent habit and in what gesture to Preach or Sing God's Praises c. what Utensils to use as Pulpit Font Table Cloth Cups c. In what Place c. In all which the Pastors are the Guides by Office and in many the Agents And it is no sinful Will-worship or adding to the Word of God to determine in such cases And they that will not stand to such Determinations cannot be Members of their Flocks As if any will not meet at that time or place where the Church doth meet or will not use the same Psalms or Translations or hear the Pastor in such a Method or with such Notes c. he thereby refuseth the Communion of that Church which must have some determinate time and place c. But yet the Pastors Power being for Edification and not for Destruction he must take the Peoples consent in all so far as the Churches good requireth it to their Edification and Peace and guide them as a Father by Love and in Humility as the Servant of all and not as Lording it over the Flock And if his Determination should be so perverse as to be destructive of the Church or of the Worship of God the people must seek the due Remedy of which more anon 10. As the Keys of the Church are committed by Christ to the Pastors for intromission Guidance and Sentential Excommunication that is for the Government of the Church so the People must not usurp any part of their office They are not obliged to try the Faith or Holiness of such as are to be Baptized or such as are to be received into their Publick Communion but may rest in the Pastors Judgment whose office it is to try them supposing still that they have their due remedy in case of corrupting or destructive Male administration And that their needful assistance in their Places should be used 11. If any Member of the Church do live in any Heresie or other great Sin contrary to his Covenant with God those who are acquainted with it must admonish him and seek to bring him to Repentance in the order appointed by Christ And if he repent not they must tell the Church And if being duely admonished by the Pastors he yet repent not the Pastors as the Church Guides must pronounce him unfit for the Communion of the Church and require him to forbear it and the people to avoid him which the people must obey Yet so as that if the people have sufficient cause to doubt whether a censure be not contrary to the Word of God they may enquire into the cause And if they find it contrary indeed they must not execute that Sentence by any of those private Acts of alienation which are in their own Power And they may seek due reparation of the publick breach 12. If one Pastor of a Church where there are many do perniciously and notably corrupt the Faith or the Worship or the Discipline of the Church the other Pastors must admonish him and both they and the people disown him if after a first and second Admonition he repent not And the same must the people do by all the Pastors if all be guilty in the same kind and must trust their Souls with more faithful Pastors But this must not be done mistakingly headily or rashly nor as an Act of Government over the Pastors or the Church but as an Act of Obedience to God for the preservation of their Souls and of the interest of Christ Nor must it be done without such consultation with and assistance of the Neighbour Churches or the Magistrates as their case shall make necessary or profitable to their right Ends. Nor by a violation of any lawful Orders of the Magistrates 13. If a Pastor preach some unsound Doctrines or faultily perform the publick Worship or neglect just Discipline and receive the unworthy to the Communion of the Church or reject the worthy the presence of the innocent Members who make not the fault their own by consent or by neglecting their Duties to reform it maketh none of this to be their Sin nor is to be taken for a sign of their consent Nor will the presence of the unworthy deprive the Godly of the Blessing or Comfort of God's Ordinance Nor are they bound to separate from that Church because of these Corruptions unless they are so great as to unchurch that Church or make their Worship and Communion such as God himself rejecteth and will not accept or unless by imposing Sin upon them or some other way the Church expel them or they have accidentally some other reason to remove 14. The Members of the same Church must live so near to one another as that they may be capable of the Communion and Duties of their relation But whether Parish-bounds shall be Church-bounds and whether there shall be one Church only or more in the same Parish is a thing which God hath not directly determined but only by general Rules to direct our Prudence as cases are by Circumstances varied Where the Magistrates Laws thus bound the Churches and the conveniences of Numbers Maintenance Place and common Expectation require it And where it is commonly taken for scandalous Disobedience or Disorder or Schism to do otherwise Prudence forbiddeth us to violate these Bounds and Orders without true necessity Not taking all for Church-Members who are Parishioners but taking none but Parishioners into that Church nor setting up other Churches in that Parish But when there are no such Laws and Reasons for it and where there are plainly greater Reasons or necessity to do otherwise we should not make such a Law to our selves 15. When true sound Churches are first settled all unneoessary and causeless Separation from them or setting up of new Churches in the same Towns or Parishes by way of disclaiming them or in opposition to them should be avoided by all Christians Because 1. We find not in Scripture times that any one City had many such Churches approved of God The numbers of Christians being but enow for one 2. Because it taketh up more Ministers than the interest of the Universal Church can allow to so few 3. Because it proceedeth from a sinful want of Love and Unity and tendeth to the further decrease of both Long and sad Experlence having shewed that each of those Churches think it to be their Duty to stablish their several perswasions and oppose the contrary
but in words or very narrow seem more material wide and dangerous than they are and shall hereupon proclaim their Brethren to be heretical or blasphemous and use to revile them and renounce Communion with them and would silence the Pastors if it were in their Power These under the Name of the Ministers of Christ do powerfully militate for the Devil against the Love and Peace of Christians and are the pernicious Incendiaries in the Churches of Christ. Q. 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ Answ. I shall say more as to their Power than as to their Duty because I know not how it will be endured or how that counsel will be taken or followed which is not desired It more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them 1. All the forcing Power about matters Ecclesiastical whether by corporal Penalties or forced Mulcts belongeth only to the Magistrate Besides what Parents and Masters may do And if any Pastors use it it must be as Magistrates receiving it from the Soveraign And the Sword is so unseemly in a Pastors hand and so ill taken by the people and so adverse to the persuasive Loving Government which he must exercise and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the World that it were to be wished that Princes would keep their Sword from the Clergy to themselves and commit it to such Officers as have not so much other work to do and are not so likely to abuse it 2. If any Pastors will declare that Princes are bound to punish men meerly as Excommunicated by them without any tryal of the Cause before themselves or Officers and will Excommunicate Magistrates for not Imprisoning Banishing or Burning or otherwise afflicting those whom the Clergy have Excommunicated or judged to be so used Much more if any will teach and declare that Excommunicate Kings are no Kings yea though a Foreigner that hath no Power over them Excommunicate them or that they may be kill'd as Tyrants or that the Pope or any other have Power to depose them and dispose of their Dominions see the Council at Lateran under Innocent 3d. Can. 3. and the Council at Rome under Gregor 7. If such be Subjects they are injurious to the Civil Power If they are Foreigners they are open declared Enemies 3. The Office and Power of Kings and other Magistrates is from God and their lawful Commands are to be obeyed for Conscience sake and not to avoid their Punishments only 4. Their Office is to promote Obedience to God and to his Laws by making Subordinate Laws of their own and to be a terrour to Evil-doers and a Praise and Encouragement to them that do well 5. The Clergy as well as others must be subject to Kings and Magistrates Nor is it tolerable Doctrine which would exempt their Persons or Estates except it be by the King's consent 6. Princes must not only promote natural Obedience to the true God but also the special Faith and Obedience of the Gospel by means which are suitable thereunto 7. Princes may make Laws forbidding the Publication of all pernicious Damning Doctrines and the Practice of Idolatry and of all great and notable Crimes against the Law of God and may Correct the Offenders by convenient Penalties with Prudence and Moderation 8. If heretical covetous or lazy Pastors corrupt God's Word and Worship notoriously or neglect their certain Duty to the betraying or endangering of the Flocks or are persons uncapable of the Office the Magistrate may drive them on to their Duties and moderately and prudently punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that Office 9. Such Circumstances of Worship and Orders of Assemblies before instanced as are fit for Common Determination and Agreement in all the Churches being such whose Determination is not proper to the Pastors Office may on moderate terms and by religious advice be determined of by Magistrates And all their lawful Determinations must be obeyed 10. There needeth not the device of Popes or Patriarchs to call Councils or to keep Peace among the Pastors of the Church For the Magistrate must do it as a great part of the work of his Office Every Soveraign may call such Pastors unto Councils as are his Subjects And several Princes by agreement may call their respective Subjects together when there is Cause And proper Universal Councils as is shewed are things which never were known nor are not to be expected And it must be a very extraordinary necessity which must warrant the Pastors of several Kingdoms to hold Councils together when they are forbidden by their Kings Princes also may correct Church-Tyrants and Usurpers and Destroyers of Faith or Piety or Peace They ought to restrain such Pastors as would raise Seditions or Rebellions or Persecutions of the Innocent or that pretend Religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their Brethren and are proved to be unquiet Firebrands to kindle Dissentions and destroy Mens Love to one another or arbitrarily to oppress the Flocks 11. When any question Who must be Iudge in cases of Heresie Infidelity or Idolatry as divulged or practised the true answer is obvious and easie 1. In regard of publick Ecclesiastical judgment and the Sentence of Excommunication or Absolution the Pastors of the Church are the proper Judges by virtue of the power of the Keys 2. In regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity as there is just cause the Magistrate is the only publick Judge 3. In regard of that private judgment of discerning by which every rational person must know his own Duty both to God and Man and discern when and how far to obey Man without disobeying God every such rational person is a Iudge that is a Discerner of what he ought to do And Christ always the final Judge 12. Yet may not the Magistrate invade the Pastoral Office it self nor Ordain or Dâ—grade Ministerâ— in that Spiritual Sense as it is committed to Church-Guides nor Administer the Sacraments nor exercise the proper power of the Church Keys which Christ committed to Church Officers by such Excommunications or Absolutions as are proper to that power nor may they hinder the â—astors from the due performance of their Office in matter or manner Nor forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel or publick worshipping of God by all or any of his Ministers But are bound to promote it with studious diligence as Patrons of the Church 13. But if they should forbid us the necessary Preaching of God's Word or necessary assembling for God's publick Worship as we must not account those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary so that which is necessary indeed we must not desert till we are disabled to perform it seeing it is greater Sacrilege if we alienate a person consecrated to God in so sacred an Office than if we should alienate conseorated Goods
To which end their first care must be to give no just cause by corrupting of Doctrine Worship or Discipline to any to withdraw and not to impose any unnecessary thing as necessary to Communion but to unite in things necessary and to give liberty in things unnecessary A means approved in all Ages by Peacemakers And to guide the Church by the paternal Government of Reason and Love and not by Tyranny to make themselves hateful And to be much in preaching Love and Concord that the people may know the sin and danger of Factions and Divisions and to avoid all Factiousness and Contentiousness themselves And their next care must be to labour after a laudable if they cannot reach an eminent degree of ability in teaching and exemplariness in a holy and charitable Life that they may win the esteem and love of the Flock and may give them no occasion to think that the necessity of their Souls requireth them to seek for better helps But if differing though tolerable Opinions do so possess any of the peoples minds that no means can satisfie them to continue in the same Assemblies and their presence will be more hurtful than their absence or if the Pastor or Church be so over-rigid as not to tolerate their dissent the next thing to be done is to permit them to Worship in other Assemblies though their withdrawing may not be justifiable and to take care that Love and Peace be maintained with them as with Neighbour Churches though perhaps weak and faulty which bringeth us up to the next Question Q. 3. What are the Terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another A. What these particular Churches in the question are is shewed before The Communion in question consisteth 1. In holding the same Faith 2. In the same Worship of God in the necessary parts 3. In the same profession of Obedience to God 4. In a professed estimation of each other as Brethren and as true Churches of Christ. 5. And in a professed Love to one another as such 6. And in such Communion and mutual Assistance as tend to the preservation of the Church Universal and the benefit of each other The Terms therefore and means must be these following 1. They must publickly profess the same Christian Religion in all the Essential parts which is no more but That we continue our consent to our Baptismal Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh Particularly professing to believe all the Articles of the Ancient Creed and to Desire all that is contained in the Lords Prayer and sincerely to endeavour to live towards God and Men according to the Ten Commandments Believing also the Sacred Canonical Scriptures to be true and taking them for the intire Rule of our Divine Belief and Worship and Obedience And we renounce so far as we can know them all Heresies Errors and Practices contrary hereto This is all the Profession that is to be required of any person in order to the Catholick Communion of Christians as such or of the Members of a particular Church besides their consent to their particular Church relation or of Neighbour Churches for their Communion with each other Except when any scandal obligeth us to clear our selves whether it be suspected Heresie or wickedness of Life by a just Purgation or Repentance And the requiring of larger unnecessary Professions hath been the grand Engine of Church Divisions through many Generations 2. Yet as there are Christians of divers degrees of knowledge and soundness in the same Church so there are Churches also as different And though we must own them all as Christian Churches which are such indeed yet must we not judge them equally sound or pure but must disown the gross corruptions of Doctrine Worship or Discipline which are proved to be in any of them and must specially honour those that are more faithful pure and entire 3. No one particular single Church must claim or usurp a Right of Dominion or Government over other Churches as given them by God seeing that all such true Churches are as Cities or Corporations in one Kingdom which are all governed by one King but are none of them rightful Rulers of the rest Nor must any Men of their own heads set up such Forms of Government as of Humane right in Conformity to the Secular Governments of the World and this as Spiritual in the Exercise of the Keys which Christ committed to his Ministers tho' one eminent Minister may instruct and admonish many others and have some care of many Churches contrary to or inconsistent with the Orders setled by Christ or his Apostles who were commissioned by him for the setling of all Universally necessarily Church Government and infallibly guided therein by the Holy Ghost Much less may the Unity and Peace of the Church be laid upon such invented policies as it is by the Papists who make their forged Head Pope or Council a constitutive essential part of the Catholick Church and seign all the Christian World to be Schismaticks who will not be his Subjects 4. But Love and Concord and Peace must be maintained among the equal parts of the Catholick Church Seeing it is the strength of the Churches and their Beauty and the Exercise and help of the Life and Holiness of all the parts Therefore such correspondencies must be maintained among them as tend to a right understanding of each other and to a just furtherance of these happy ends And as in particular Churches the determinations of useful circumstances according to Gods general Rules is no sinful addition to Gods Word or Ordinances so neither is it here to be so judged if Magistrates by Laws or Churches by consent do determine of useful undetermined circumstances for the ordering of these Correspondencies and preventing Contentions Factions and Divisions 5. The ordinary means of these correspondencies are Messengers and Synods or Councils and Letters Testimonial or Certificates If one Church be offended with another upon suspicion of Heresie or scandalous Practices they may by Messengers admonish them and these may by Messengers make their Purgation or Confession As also if they desire Advice or Help from one another but if in common and weighty cases there be need of more common and judicious consultations or significations of Consent and Concord Synods are the means thereto And if one Member Travel into other parts or remove his dwelling or be to be received by other Churches especially in Suspicious Times and Cases Communicatory Letters and Certificates are the means that Hereticks and Deceivers abuse not the Churches 6. Whether these Synods shall be held at certain stated times or variously as occasions vary And whether they shall have a President And whether he shall be mutable or fixed And of how many Churches they shall be composed And how oft they shall meet and how long they shall sit with such like are circumstances left to Humane Prudence