TOLERATION Not to be ABUSED By the Independents By a Lover of Truth and Peace LONDON Printed for John Martyn and are to be Sold by Abisha Brocas Bookseller in Exeter 1672. TOLERATION Not to be abused by the Independents THE following Discourse shall consist of Four particulars First The lawfulness of Communicating with our Churches by the Confessions and Arguments of the Congregational Divines 2. The same proved by demonstrating the Apostolical Churches more vitiated than Ours from whom a Separation is made by the Independents and yet a Separation from those Primitive Churches utterly discountenanced by the Apostles 3. The same Proposition proved by demonstrating that we have not given them the like or any just Cause as the Church of Rome gave them and us Which is the first particular to be proved Secondly I shall shew the sinfulness of erecting Altar against Altar of gathering Churches out of Churches Thirdly That the Independents are averse in their Principles to Toleration as well as the Presbyterians and so equally obliged not to abuse the present gracious Indulgence Fourthly I shall shew that by His Majesties late Declaration the Church of England is still established as the Basis and the bare suspension of the poenal Laws doth indeed take off the Obligation upon the account of wrath that lay before upon Dissenters but does not cancel the Obligation of Conscience by which the Independents and all Indulged parties are still to avoid all Causless and groundless Separations from this Best of Reformed Churches First The Lawfulness of Communicating with our Churches by the Arguments and Concessions even of the Independents themselves Our Parochial Churches are owned to have the Essentials of true Churches by all sober Congregational men For there is the pure Word of GOD Preached the true Sacraments Administred and an implicite Covenant between Pastor and People in joyning together All that is pleaded is Corruption and Defect in the outward Exercise and Administration of Church Order and Discipline Now that it is Lawful supposing but not granting this bar lies against the Church of England to joyn with Churches so defective and corrupt is not only acknowledged but fully proved by Reverend Mr. Norton of the Congregational way in his Answer to Apolsius as Dr. Stilling fleet in his Irenicum quotes it to the present purpose which I desire the Brethren to consider whom it chiefly concerns and to lay seriously to their hearts and without a reply to his Arguments they cannot justifie their Separation from us 1. A Believer may Lawfully joyn in Communion with such a Church where he cannot enjoy all the Ordinancies of GOD as in the Jewish Church in our Saviour's time which refused the Gospel of Christ and the Baptisme of John and yet our Saviour commands us to hear the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses's Chair which hearing implies Conjunctionem Ecclesiae Judaicae A joyning with the Jewish Church So with Churches rejecting an Article of Faith as the Church of Corinth the Doctrine of the Resurrection the Churches of Galatia rejecting the Doctrine of Justification by Faith yet the Apostle no where requires on that account a Separation from them 2. A Believer may Lawfully joyn in Communion with such a Church in which some Corruption is tolerated in the Worship of GOD without Reformation as the Offering upon High places from Solomon to Hezekiah in the Church of Judah the observation of Circumcision and the Law Ceremonial in the Churches of Galatia 3. A Believer may Lawfully joyn himself in Communion with such a Church in which such are admitted to Sacraments who give no evident signs of Grace but seem to be Lovers of the World this he proves because it is every mans Duty to Examine himself and anothers sin hurts not me and so is no argument against my Duty And besides by mens coming unworthily Non polluitur Communio licet minuitur Consolatio The Communion is not defiled though the comfort of it be diminished This he proves also from the Church of Corinth amongst whom were many scandalous that had not Repented 2 Cor. 12. 20 c. and in the Church of the Jews which lay under great Corruptions when Christ and His Apostles communicated with it 4. Although a Believer joyns with such a Church he is not therefore bound with the Guilt nor defiled with the pollutions of others that Communicate It is his Duty incumbent and in doing his Duty he contracts no Guilt upon himself 5. A Believer which hath joyned himself to such a Church is not bound to withdraw and seperate under pain of Guilt if he does it not for to be lawful to joyn and unlawful to continue the Communion implies a contradiction for the first speaks it to be a Church and the second to be no Church and so it is not Lawful to seperate from a Church true as to Essentials and such the Independents own in their Apologetical Narration our Parochial Churches though guilty of Corruptions for the ground of Communicating is its being a Church not a corrupt or defective Church And that men are not guilty by partaking with those that are guilty of Corruptions in a Church appears from the Church of the Jews in the case of Ely's Sons and the Christian Churches of Asia and Corinth where we read of many Corruptions by S. Paul reproved but no Mandate to separate which had certainly by the Holy Ghost been given and S. Paul would not have omitted had it been a sin to communicate while those Corruptions were in the Churches of Asia and Corinth Thus far their own Reverend Norton Now I desire these Congregational Leaders who gather Churches out of our Churches to reply to this Learned Divine of their own perswasion or to consider what Answer is to be given to the searcher of all Hearts for resisting that light of Conviction that shines in upon their Consciences Again not granting but supposing only that in this Church from which these separate Church-Discipline were neglected Worship defiled Manners corrupted or Tyranny exercised suppose we grant all this which we need not this will not justifie a Separation from the Church of England My reason is because there were greater Corruptions in Doctrine Discipline and Worship and no Separations countenanced by the Apostles in the first Apostolical Christian Churches then in Ours or any other Reformed Churches from whom a Separation is made in these times As for instance to begin with Doctrine In what Church of ours is the Resurrection of the Dead denyed an Article of that importance that all our Christianity in effect depends upon it It was denyed by many in the Church of Corinth In what Churches of ours is the Doctrine of Justification by the Law or any Doctrine so destructive of the Merit of Christ generally maintained as in the Galatian Churches Again for Worship Do ours partake of the Lord's Table and the Table of Devils as among the Corinthians Are our Ecclesiastical Assemblies so confused that whosoever
comes in must presently take us for Mad Do ours come to the Communion drunk as at Corinth Then for Manners and Life We acknowledge our selves heynous Offendors which I suppose those that call themselves the Saints and separate from us Publicans do unless frantick confess true of themselves But what then have we worse than Incest Fornication Covetousness Malice Contentions unrepented of as is the Church of Corinth Or biting and devouring one another permitters of Idolaters boasters of Gifts as in the Church of Galatia As touching neglect of Discipline First in the Apostles own company the Ministers that should exercise Discipline they all sought there own and none the things of Jâ—sus Christ and the grossest Vices winked 〈…〉 mented as we saw before in the Church of Corinth and should have been so still had not the Apostle been Living and exciting them to their Duty Lastly concerning Tyranny Ye see what Oppression the false Apostles used 2 Cor. 11. 20. Ye suffer saith the Apostle if a man take of you if a man bring you into bondage if a man devour you if a man exalt himself c. by which words he toucheth the Tyranny though out of malice against the Apostle willingly submitted to by the Church of Corinth and we know that Dyotrephes exercised his Government with such Insolency that he cast out whom he would admitted whom he would opposed S. John himself yet no news of Separation Now let these men consider that separate from us the Apostolical Church was a Virgin newly espoused to Christ in the midst of the Heathen under the Rod of Persecution the great Apostle then living and yet vitiated more then the Churches that these depart from and yet the then Separatists branded with the Characters of Schisme and Sedition by the Blessed Apostles And here I desire the men of this way seriously to consider that Separation being discountenanced from Churches more vitiated than ours by the Holy Apostles how these men owning our Parochial Churches true as to Essentials can ever justifie their Separation from us It would certainly be duly weighed by such as desire to appear tender Consciences and so capable of a right in the present gracious Indulgence That they do so acknowledge our Parochial Churches their Apologetical Narration declares sufficiently in these following words We have alwaies profest and that in these times wherein the Churches of England were most either actually overspread with defilements or in the greatest danger thereof that we both did and would hold Communion with them as true Churches of Christ and that our Parochial Churches were the very Body of Christ which is in effect to approve and forsake at the same time and gives occasion too great of applying a Sentence in S. Austin against Parmenian Lib. 1. cap. 8. against these Dissenters Et adversum nos loquuntur nobiscum loquuntur cum eos obmutescere compellat veritas silere non permittit iniquitas They speak against us and they speak for us and when Truth constrains them silence their Iniquity will not let them hold their peace There are three things that I would humbly offer to all sober men of the Congregational perswasion and I beseech them to consider them seriously as from one that equally wisheth their Salvation with his own 1. That they would cautiously distinguish between corruptions in Doctrine and corruptions in the practice of a Church 2. That they would Conscientiously distinguish between corruptions whether in Doctrine or Practice profest and avowed by a Church and required as the absolute conditions of Communion from all its members and corruptions only crept in and meerly tolerated in a Church and not any way required as the conditions of 3. To distinguish carefully between Non-communicating as to the abuses of a Church and a positive and total Separation from a 〈◊〉 as it is a Church These three the second 〈…〉 duly weighed and considered would 〈…〉 a period to their Separation 〈…〉 of England or tend at least to 〈…〉 ening of the Breach too sadly occasioned for want of a due reflection upon the Premisses aforesaid Again We of the Church of England have not given them the like or any just cause of Separating as the Church of Rome gave them and us For where do we urge any Doctrines as Articles of Faith which we offer not to a tryal by Scripture and the Four first General Councils which all Christians reverence and were Anciently honoured next to the Four Gospels and if the Church should teach any other Propositions she protests against their being Articles of Faith and of Necessity to Salvation and for this reason imposeth not Her â—â—â—IX Articles as Articles of Faith but of Peace and Communion nor does the Church of England censure other Churches for their different Confessions but allows them the liberty she her self takes to establish more or less conditions of Communion as the Governours of the Church shall deem most expedient for Vnity and Peace She only requires of such as are admitted to any Office or Employment in the Church to subscribe to her Articles as certain Theological Verityes not repugnant to GOD's Word particularly culled out and selected to be taught and maintained within her Communion as highly conducive to the preservation of Truth and prevention of Schisme And for this reason She passes no other censure upon the Impugners of her Articles then against the Impugners of Her Government Liturgy and Rites because all intended by her for the same end The avoiding of all Disorders and Confusions But as for the absolute Articles of the Church of England they were not of Her own Inventing but such as She found established in the best Ages of the Church nearest the Primitive and Apostolical simplicity Here She fixeth the bounds of Her Faith to prevent the danger of endless Additions and Innovations And because in smaller matters somewhat may escape the greatest caution and prudence She hath reserved Just power to her self to reform what is really amiss and finds so abused that the use of them cannot stand with Piety and Holiness allowing the same Liberty to all her Sister Churches and all Church Governours within the sphere of their respective Jurisdictions This is the true state of the Reformation of this Church as hath been apparently evidenced by her Regular Sons against all Opposers Now let the Independents consider whether this be not though a brief yet a True account of the Moderation and Prudence of this Church and then let them reflect at the same time upon the second especially of the Three aforesaid Propositions and upon the whole examine their Tender Consciences whether it does not Justifie our Separation from the Romanists and at the same time prove them guilty by departing from us We both agree that where any Church is guilty of Corruptions in Doctrine and practice which it owns and requires as absolute conditions of Her Communion there to Separate is no Schisme but Lawful and Convenient
Let them make the Church of England appear thus guilty they are acquitted If they cannot prove it as they have not done as yet and doubtless they have Zeal enough to set them forward if it could be demonstrated what hinders their Return to the Church of England unless the Conscience which they call Tender be sullen and obstinate Not to prove any thing that justifies a Separation against the Church which they forsake and yet continue to keep up their Altars against it is not so much allyed to tenderness of Conscience as to hardness of Heart uncapable of being reclaimed by the greatest and most generous condescensions in the World So much of the First particular The Lawfulness of Communicating with our Parochial Churches from the Arguments and Concessions of the Independents themselves from the Primitive Apostolical Churches more vitiated than Ours and yet all manner of Separation discountenanced by the Apostles and we not having given the Independents any just cause as the Church of Rome gave them and us That is the first Proposition I engaged to defend The Lawfulness of communicating with our Churches Secondly I am to shew the sinfulness and danger of erecting Altar against Altar and gathering Churches out of our Churches The Sin is the sin of Schisme severely branded by Ancient Fathers and Orthodox Councils as well as in the Apostolical Writings as the heighth of Pride and Wickedness That the Independents are guilty of this Sin is clearly deducible from what I have said already From their own Arguments and Concessions from the Instances of the Apostolical and Primitive Churches more vitiated than Ours yet Separation discountenanced by the Apostles and by a comparison between our withdrawing from Rome and their Separation from us These things already proved speaks them Causlesly to Separate from us and that causless Separation speaks them Schismaticks They themselves allow our Parochial Churches True as to Essentials and what if we suppose spots and pollutions as to the outward Administration of Order and Discipline this if we should grant them onely infers a lawful desire and endeavour of Reformation but it warrants no Schismatical Separation for no Corruptions in a Church can give occasion or allowance of going out of it but such as strike at the Foundation of Christian Doctrine and Worship which setting Calumny and railing aside which we are not obliged to take for Reason and Argument they never yet attempted to prove against the Church of England so far they are inexcusable before GOD and so far from appearing Men of tender Consciences to the World Where are those Corruptions in Doctrine or Practice which the Church of England doth Impose upon her Members as the absolute Conditions of Her Communion Let them lay aside Wrath and Darkness and give us a pregnant Demonstration or like Men of Candour and Ingenuity plead Guilty and Return Let them in short prove these two things 1. That our Episcopal Ordination and Jurisdiction Our mixt Communion Our Rites of Order imposed not out of any Necessity but Vniformity and Peace and some other things by them inveighed against to be indeed Superstitious and as they call them Antichristian Abominations When that difficult Task is over if it can be ever accomplished let them prove that we urge Disputable things or known Errours with such severity as the Church of Rome does Purgatory Indulgences Supererogation and other notorious palbable Errours for which justly condemned by the Reformed Churches The very Cock of the Congregation is here nonplust the most daring of all their Vndertakers unless you will take Noise and Clamour and Confidence for Demonstrations Thirdly The Independents are equally Enemies to Toleration with the Presbyterians and from the same very Principles and by consequence equally obliged not to use however not to abuse the Gracious Indulgence Nothing in Conjunction with or addition to what is prescribed in the Word of GOD as to Worship and Government is to be admitted or Tolerated Upon this Principle the Independents in particular as well as Non-conformists in general for so their greatest and most forward Champion tells us They do and will adhere to and stand upon as to the Differences between them and us The plain meaning of which applyed to the Church of England is briefly this That the Independent way of Worship and Government is only prescribed in the Word of GOD and Ours not but repugnant And by this Principle they exclude as well their Brethren that lent them the Principle as well as the Inferiour Sectarists and are at defiance with them as well as the Church of England for Independency being only prescribed in the Word by this Principle if they will adhere to it no other way can be Indulged or admitted With these Men as well as the Disciplinarians there is but One only true way of Worship and Government prescribed in the Word Nothing secondly that is unlawful may be Tolerated by the Civil Magistrate and nothing is lawful but what is prescribed in the Word and you may be confident that is the Independent way of Worship and Government These three things resolved whence should Toleration proceed or an Indulgence be expected from the Independents to differing perswasions unless he playes fast and loose and as he pleaseth owns and renounceth the Jus divinum of Independency in the same Oracles Every Sect the Independent especially allows no Worship but their own way established in the Word This is not only pleaded against the Church of England but every Faction bandyes against every Faction for the Divine Right The Presbyterian Discipline is the only Scepter of JESVS CHRIST for all Churches Government to the End of the World He can neither Indulge himself nor accept an Indulgence where other Parties are not excluded The Independent allows only his own Way of Worship and excludes all Dissenters from Worshipping GOD aright and from the beauty and purity of Gospel Ordinances which is a Principle Sir John Presbyter lent him And how can an Indulgence hence proceed By this Principle the Presbyterian first assaulted the Church of England By the same Principle the Congregational Hector takes Sir John to task and beats him out of the field By the same the Anabaptist attempted the Independent and all the under Sects the Anabaptists And so if they had crumbled into a thousand sub-divisions still as every Sect gathers strength enough he persecutes all Opposers And How should the Independent be more merciful than the Presbyterian or any other Sect whose Enmity to Toleration doth equally arise from the same common Principle of the Divine Right only of their own way of Worship and Government from which all the Sects are excluded as well as the Church of England There is One only way of Worshipping GOD aright and that way is the Independent way of Worship Where is Toleration then It is excluded By what Law By Divine Right And so Every plant that my Father hath not planted must be rooted out and so
only Independency is to be Tolerated unless Kings and Princes who Rule for GOD may Indulge men in an Open violation of the Law of GOD And if you look a little backwards it may admit a Dispute Whether the Scepter of JESUS CHRIST were more an Iron Rod under the Kirk or the tender hearted Tryers It may indeed sometimes consist with Carnal prudence supposing the Independents to have power in their hands to connive at and Indulge the Lesser Factions the better to hold out the Flag of Defiance against the Royalists and the Presbyterians their most considerable Competitors Or they may as the Vsurpers tender-Conscien'd Army once did offer the taking away even the Poenal Laws from the very Papists to collogue with Forraign Princes and so have the greater security in their Villanous Designs against the King and the Church but this is a State Juggle for the advancement of the Good Old Cause But then as soon as the fear is over from abroad then they spared nothing that Sacriledge could devour And now Can any Man that looks back upon Independent mercy and forbearance believe that Men of such Principles and practices who are now pleased that Episcopacy is established and Poenal Laws removed from Papists only because Indulged themselves would Tolerate either Popery or Episcopacy if they had Power in their hands and not rather Lord it with the Insolence of Vsurpers Credat Judaeus Apella non Ego So that as a late Treatise demonstrates the Presbyterian hath no cause of joy because others are Indulged as well as himself whereas his Doctors Elders and Deacons are the perpetual Scepter of CHRIST to the end of the World for all Churches Government and therefore Down with the Colours of the Dragon advance the Standard of CHRIST The Independents have no cause of Joy because the Church of England and the Presbyterian Limb too of the Antichristian Leviathan are included as well as the rest of the Parties among us His Way being only laid down in the WORD and all others repugnant to the Holy Scriptures Yet they take the advantage both out of a hatred to a third Party the Church of England and the next thing is to fight one with another for the Government and then the only Scepter of Christ is the Conquerours worship the longest Sword is the Divine Right the Pike and Gun declare the Cause of GOD and infallible Artillery decides all the Controversies relating to the Gospel Truth And thus the Presbyterian who thought to have erected his Discipline upon the sad Eclipse of the Church of England was powerfully baffled and confuted by such Arguments as the Independent Man of War carryed in his Snapsack Do not the Independents when most cool and moderate look upon all other Churches and People as all Revolters from the purity and beauty of Gospel-Ordinances introducers of Will-Worship and Superstition instead of Disciples of the Lord JESVS not allowing any Dissenters the least share or degree of Wisdom or Godliness And men of such Principles of this forehead and complexion must needs carry tender bowels to Men of differing Perswasions Certainly unless where the rules and maximes of carnal Policy interpose and plead for mercy to Dissenters their Clemency is the same with the Presbyterian who first lent him the Principle of not admitting any thing not expresly delivered in the Sacred Scriptures by which Principle they are engaged in a War with one another as well as against their common Antagonists So that the Tables are now turned It is not the Question whether all Partyes may be Tolerated but whether Independents only for there is but One true way of Worship and that is Theirs Theirs only hath the Divinum Jus and Princes may not Indulge Men in an open violation of Scripture Precepts and Directions And so every Sect is engaged to root out all the rest as Enemies to the Scepter of the Lord JESVS Fourthly The Execution of the Poenal Laws being suspended by the late Declaration in Favour of Dissenters does only take off the Obligation upon the account of Wrath to Obedience but the Conscience is still obliged to avoid all causless and groundless Separations from our Churches This will be manifest enough to any one that seriously reads the Declaration it self and a late Treatise Toleration not to be Abused which will extend as well to the Independents as the Presbyterians whose aversion to Toleration is built upon the same common Principle the Divine Right of their one onely way of Worship and Government in the Sacred Oracles and so I refer them to that part of the Discourse before mentioned That they are obliged as before the Declaration to avoid all groundless Separations For the Church of England is as before established as the Basis and so the Obligation of Conscience still Obligatory upon all the Indulged Parties to avoid Schismes and all causless departure from us The Obligation upon the account of Wrath is removed indeed but if they would appear tender Consciences to the World the King's suspension of the Punishment should make them the more Obedient for Conscience sake and a Gracious Indulgence rather abate than heighten their Opposition against the Church of England still established I shall now conclude all by desiring them to consider what they themselves acknowledge in the Declaration of the Faith and Order of the Congregational Churches in Chap. 26. Of the Church c. The purest Churches under Heaven are subject both to Mixture and Error And in their Institution of Churches Persons that are joyned in Church-fellowship ought not lightly to withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church to which they are so joyned To these two let them add the Four particulars in this Discourse mentioned and upon the result of all consider Whether Ambition and Pride rather then a Conscientious tenderness keep not up their departure from and opposition to the Church of England I am not as this Publican Come not near me for I am holier then thou An over-valluing of our own worth and a Pharisaical contempt of others is the usual rise of Schisme for only by Pride cometh Contention so the best of Kings and Preachers Thus the Valentinians looked on themselves as the only spiritual Men. The Pharisees the only Separati separate Persons The Sadducees Justi the only Righteous The Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Puritans And none Men of Knowledge but the Gnosticks and the acute Tertullian when Montanist All others were Psysici and he was come to his Nos spirituales And if out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh spiritual Pride is the original of your Schisme For you only are GOD's Israel his Elect and precious ones You only have Communion with GOD in pure Ordinance All the World faln short of GOD's Truth but your selves And none is Orthodox out of the Pale of your own Church Not only Papâ—sts Prelatists and Arminians but even your dear Brethren the Presbyterians are Limbs of the Antichristian Leviathan All revolted from the Lord JESUS and to be treated as members of the Whore whom the Saints hate and shall make desolate and naked eat her flesh and drink her bloud This is the Canting Dialect of your Independent Leaders To Conclude If it be not Ambition but Conscience Let it so appear by your Charity to Dissenters by a serious and impartial Enquiry into the Grounds upon which you separate from us without prejudice or passion and do not so far Idolize a Sect or an Opinion as to prefer it before the Peace and Settlement of a Church and Nation FINIS