nothing do but Man's Comment instead of God's Text his Consequences Conclusions in the room of Sacred Revelation I cannot see how any Man can be obliged to receive or believe revealed Truths in any other Language than that of the Revelation itself especially if those that vary the Expression have not the same Spirit to lead them in doing so or that it appears not to me that they have the Guidance of that holy Spirit If the holy Ghost hath left Doubts in Scripture which is yet irreverent to believe I see not how Men can resolve them 't is the Work of that Spirit And since Men are so apt to Err Doubts are better left in Scripture than by us But it is to cross that Order of Prudence and Wisdom among Men who chuse to Conform their Expressions to the things they believe If any honest Man hath related a Story to me of something he hath seen and I am to declare my Faith about it if I believe the Fact I will chuse to deliver it in the Terms of the Relator as being nearest to the Truth Suppose a Father dying makes his Last Will and Testament and as he thinks so plain that there can be no Mistake made by the Executors but what is wilful if they instead of proving this Will and acting according to the plainness of it turn Commentators make more Difficulties than they find and perplex the whole Matter to the Children and Legatees and send them to the Law for their Right will we not esteem such Executors Ill Men and justifie those Persons concern'd in their Refusal of the Paraphrase God hath at sundry times and in divers manners by his Prophets his Beloved Son and his Apostles deliver'd to the World a Declaration of his Will and Testament but some have claim'd and taken to themselves the Keeping Explanation and Use of it so as those that chuse to be concluded by the Letter and Text of this Testament in its most important Points expose themselves to great prejudice for they are excommunicated from all other share in it than the punishment of the Breakers of it which is part of their Anathema who of all others are most guilty of Adding or Diminishing by undertaking to determin for others as well as themselves the Mind and Intention of the holy Ghost in it But if it be true as true it is that few have writ of the Authority of Scripture that do not affirm the very Penmen of it to be not only inspired by the Holy Ghost but so extraordinarily acted by him as that they were wholely asleep to their own Will Desires or Affections like people taken out of themselves and purely Passive as Clay in the hand of the Potter to the Revelation Will and Motion of the Spirit and for this End that nothing deliver'd by them might have the least Possibility of Mistake Error or Imperfection but be a Compleat Testament of the Will of God to men I cannot see which way such Men can excuse themselves from Great Presumption that will notwithstanding have the Wording of Creeds of Communion and reject that Declaration of Faith as insufficient which is deliver'd in the very Terms of the Holy Ghost and deny those Persons to be Members of Christ's Church that in Conscience refuse to subscribe any other Draught than their Lord has given them Two things oppose themselves to this Practice First The Glory of God the Honor of the Scriptures for it naturally draws people from the Regard Due to God the Scriptures begits too much Respect for Men their Traditions This was the Difficulty Christ met with and complained of in his time they had set up so many Rabbies to learn them Religion that the Lord of the True Religion could hardly find a place amongst them And what did they do They taught for Doctrines the Traditions of Men They gave their own and their Predecessors Apprehensions Constructions and Paraphrases upon Scripture for the Mind and Will of God the Rule of the Peoples Faith They were got near at this pass in the Church of Corinth when they cryed out I am for Paul I am for Apollo and I am for Cephas though they had not the same Temptation And that which followed then ever will follow in the like Case and that is DISTRACTION which is the Contrary to that Second thing that opposeth it self to this Practice and that is the Concord of Christians For Peace's sake consider it Lo here and Lo there always follow'd one of this mind and another of that As many Sects as Great Men to make and Head them This was the Case of the Jews and yet I do not hear that they devour'd one another about their Opinions and Commentaries upon Scripture but the Christians have done both Divided and Persecuted too First they have Divided and that mostly upon the score of Opinions about Religion they have not been Contented with the Expressions of the holy Ghost they liked their own better And when they were set up in the Room of Scripture and in the Name of Scripture SUBMISSION was required upon pain of Worldly Punishments This dissatisfied Curiosity this Unwarrantable what shall I say this Wanton Search has cost Christendom dear and poor England of any part of it I design not to grate upon any to revive old Stories or search old Wounds or give the least Just Occasion of Displeasure to those that are in Present Power yet I must needs say that Opinion on one side or t'other has been the cause of much of that Discord Animosity and Confusion that have troubled this Kingdom And it seems to have been the great Stratagem of Satan to prevent the spreading of the Glorious Gospel of Salvation in the World by taking men off from the serious pursuit of Piety and Charity Humility and holy Living Peace and Concord and under pretence of more raised Apprehensions and sublime Knowledge of Religion to put them upon introducing Curious and Doubtful Questions that have given occasion for Contention and Persecution This was no more uncondemned than unfore-seen of the Apostle Paul who exhorted his beloved Son Timothy To avoid those that doted about Questions those Men that would be thought Skilful Inquisitive Searchers after Truth such as love to exercise their Faculties and improve their Talents but let us hear his Judgment of which says he cometh Strife Railing Surmises perverse Disputings of men of Corrupt Minds And the truth is none else love such Disputings they who seek a daily Victory over the World the Flesh and the Devil and press fervently after Fellowship with God and that Consolation that ensues such an Employment of their time have very little to lose upon Contention about Words I could wish I were able to say that Vain Controversie were not our Case But this is not all the Apostle does expressly tell Timothy that if any man consent not to wholsom Words even the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and
by their dissolute Example debauch'd the People insomuch that men run an Hazard to be Virtuous This made their Destruction Easie to those whom God sent against them which were the Mores occasion'd by the Last of these Kings dishonouring Count Juliano ' s Daughter In the Time of his Calamity in vain did he expect the Aid of those that had been his Flatterers and the Companions of his Vices His Security the Effect of his Luxury was his Ruin For whilst he thought he had no body to Subdue but his own People by Abusing them he Cut off his own Arms and made himself an Easie Prey to his Real Enemies And so he perisht with his Posterity that had been the Cause of the Mischief which befel that Great Kingdom However so it came to pass that the Remainder of the Goths mixing with the Antient Spaniards to that Day distinct recovered the Liberty and Reputation of the Kingdom by an Entire Reformation of Manners and a Virtue in Conversation as Admirable as the Vices by which their Fathers had fallen were Abominable But the present impoverisht State of Spain can tell us they have not continued that Virtuous Conduct of their Ancestors the Increase of their Vices hath decayed their Strength lessened their People and their Commerce But why should we overlook our own Country that whether we consider the Invasion of the Romans Saxons or Normans Neglect of Virtue and Good Discipline and the present Inhabitants giving themselves up to Ease and Pleasure was the Cause if Gildas the Brittain and Andrew Horn may be credited for as the First bitterly Inveighed against the Loosness of the Brittains threatning them with all those Miseries that afterwards followed so the Last tells us that the Brittains having forgotten God and being over-whelm'd with Luxury â—nd Vice it pleased God to give the Land to a poor People of the Northern Parts of Germany called Saxons that were of plain and honest Manners God is Unchangeable in the Course of his Providence as to these things The like Causes produce the like Effects as every Tree doth naturally produce its own Fruits 'T is true God is not Careless of the World he feeds the young Ravens clothes the Lillies takes Care of Sparrows and of us so as not an Hair of our Head falls to the ground without his Providence but if Men despise his Law hate to be Reformed spend their Time and Estate in Luxury and persist to work Wickedness he will visit them in his Wrath and consume them in his sâ—re Displeasure To Conclude Wars Bloodshed Fires Plunders Wastings Ravishments Slavery and the like are the Miseries that follow Immoralities the Common Mischiefs of Irreligion the Neglect of Good Discipline and Government Nothing weakens Kingdoms like Vice it does not only displease Heaven but disable them All we have said proves it but above all the Iniquity and Voluptuousness of the Jews God's Chosen who from being the Most Prudent Pious and Victorious People made themselves a Prey to all their Neighbours Their Vice had prepared them to be the Conquest of the First Pretender and thus from Free-men they became Slaves Is God asleep or does he Change shall not the same Sins have the like Punishment at least shall they not be punisht Can we believe There is a God and not believe that he is the Rewarder as of the Deeds of Private Men so of the Works of Government ought we to think him Careful of the Lesser and Careless of the Greater this were to suppose he minded Sparrows more than Men and that he took more Notice of Private Persons than of States But let not our Superiors deceive themselves neither put the Evil Day afar off they are greatly Accountable to God for these Kingdoms If every poor Soul must Account for the Employment of the small Talent he has received from God can we think that those High Stewards of God the Great Governours of the World that so often Account with all others must never come to a Reckoning themselves yes there is a Final Sessions a General Assize and a Great Term once for all where he will Judge among the Judges who is Righteous in all his ways There Private Men shall answer only for themselves but Rulers for the People as well as themselves The Disparity that is here will be observed there and the Greatness of such Persons as shall be then found Tardy will be so far from Extenuating their Guilt that it will fling Weight in the Scale against them Therefore give me leave I do beseech you to be Earnest in my Humble Address to you why should ye not when none are so much concern'd in the Good Intention of it Thus much for the First Reason of my Supplication My SECOND Reason urging me to this Humble and Earnest Supplication is the BENEFIT of POSTERITY I would think that there are few People so Vicious as to Care to see their Children so and yet to me it seems a plain Case that As we leave the Government they will find it If some Effectual Course be not taken what with Neglect and what with Example Impiety will be entailed upon our Children Certainly it were better the World ended with us than that we should transmit our Vices or sow those Evil Seeds in our Day that will Ripen to their Ruin and fill our Country with Miseries after we are gone thereby Exposing it to the Curse of God and Violence of our Neighbours But it is an Infelicity we ought to bewail that Men are Apt to prefer the Base Pleasure of their Present Extravagancies to all Endeavours after a Future Benefit which besides the Guilt they draw upon themselves our Poor Posterity must be greatly injur'd thereby Upon this Occasion I shall take the Freedom to say something of Education The Truth is we are so much out of Order in the Education of our Youth that I wish I could say that we had only the Sin of Neglect to answer for I fear the Care has rather been to Educate them in a Way of such Vanity as ends in great Inconveniencies here and must needs find Vexation of Spirit hereafter Our Universities have made more Loose than Learned and what Extravagancy is begun there is Usually perfected Abroad or at our own Inns of Court at Home that now and then afford us a few Able Lawyers but the Generality are like the Man of Old who return'd home Seven times Worse than he went out The Genius of this Nation is not Inferior to any in the World 't is Industrious 't is Wise 't is Honest 't is Valiant yet Soft and Merciful And without Partiality we have had Men that have excelled in Every Worthy Qualification But I must needs say it has been more owing to the Goodness of God in the Disposition of our Natures than the Prudence and Care of those who had the Charge of their Education It was the Saying of a Wise Man Train up a Child in the Way he
the Virtues and Reputation of the Antients 4. In the Fourth place Cross not the Genius of your Youth Match their Talents well for if ye do not sâ—te their Studies to their Understandings it will be Drawing up Hill Going against the Grain or Swimming against the Tide that which will be gain'd will be little and with so much Labour and Time too as will not quit Cost It should be greatly the Care of those who have the Charge of Youth to make the Wayes of Learning Easie and Chearful which leadeth me to 5. My Last Observation Let all Honest Arts be used by Masters of Schools to provoke their Youth to Learning without much Fierceness or Beating For that Sort of Education has nothing of the Free and Generous Disposition in it which might be raised and improved in Youth by more Gentle and Reasonable Methods They that are taught to obey only for Base Fear make that Fear and not Reason the Rule of their Obedience and this grows in too many with their Age that they turn meer Mercenaries and worship Violence In short Make Instruction Easie Correction Reasonable Convince them of their Miscarriage with Mildness then Pardon them and finally excite them to Amendment by Smiles and Favour This awakens the Noble Part and excites Youth to effect that which may ingratiate them with their Tutors who if they at any time commit an Error should rather shew themselves affectionately Sorry for them than bitterly Angry Plato being greatly displeased with his Servant and going about to Correct him gave the Wand to one that stood by saying Do thou beat him for I am Angry Chastizement should be used with Reason and Reluctancy a Discreet and Cool Hand may direct the Blow right and hit the Mark when Men of Fury rather ease their Passion than mend their Youth especially if the Correction exceed the Fault for that hardens This very Bruitishness is more Injurious to the Nature of our Youth than usually their Instruction is beneficial Upon the whole Matter I take the Boldness to say That if we would Preserve our Government we must endear it to the People To do this besides the necessity of present Just and Wise things we must Secure the Youth and this is not to be done but by the Amendment of the Way of their Education and that with all Conceivable Speed and Diligence I say the Government is Highly oblig'd it is a sort of Trustee for the Youth of the Kingdom though now Minors yet will have the Government when we are gone Therefore depress Vice and cherish Virtue that through good Education they may become Good which will truly render them Happy in this World and a Good Way fitted for that which is to come If this be done they will owe more to your Memories for their Education than for their Being My THIRD and Last Reason for this Serious Supplication to the Civil Magistrate is so Great that I find Difficulty to express it 'T is the GLORY of that GOD that Made us that hath so often Deliver'd us and doth so plentifully provide for us who sent his Son into the World to Save us and waits every Day to be Good and Gracious to us But he hath so particularly and with that Transcendency set the Marks of his Favour upon you both in your Restoration and Protection as scarce any Age can parallel O! Let a Steady Virtue be the Return of these Mercies and a Pious Care to Retrieve and Encourage Morality the very Basis of our Government be the Humble Token of your Gratitude It is your Office ye do but comply with the Reason of your own Institution God expects it and Good Men beseech it from you There is much in your Power at this time to make this the ISLAND OF PEACE AND LASTING TRANQUILLITY Lose not the Present Opportunity Revive the Laws against these Gross Iniquities terrifie all Evil-Doers Cherish them that do well Provide for the Poor that their Stock may not be Abus'd nor their Cries pierce Heaven against you because of Neglect and God may yet Vouchsafe to spare us Your Sins said God of Old have with-held Good Things from you 't is Righteousness that exalts a Nation but Sin is the Reproach of any people Would ye Prosper then please God and if ye will please him ye must put away the Wicked from amongst you It was both his Complaint and the Cause of his Judgment in Former Ages There are found Wicked Men among my people they lay Wait as he that setteth Snares they set a Trap they catch Men as a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit Therefore they are become Great and waxen Rich they are waxen Fat they shine They OVERPASS or OVERLOOK the Deeds of the Wicked they Judge not the Cause of the Fatherless yet they prosper These were no Small Folks but Men of Power such as got largely by the Government and employed their Authority to Enrich themselves and not to relieve the Oppressed I must needs say and can with great Truth That Mis-government is the Occasion though the Devil be the Cause of that Mischief and Ruin that attends Nations What Kingdoms hath God destroyed and Cities turn'd into Rubbish because of National Evils too much occasioned by the Remisness of Magistrates the slack Hand that the Rulers of Israel held over that Unhappy people made Way for their Unsubjected Passions and Corrupt Affections to break out into most Vile Impieties but if Men shall be left to their own Licentiousness to Commit Sin with Greediness and with Impunity both despise the Laws of God and Men all I can say is this God who is Jealous of his Glory the Great Avenger of his Law upon Rebellious Nations will with-hold his Mercies and hasten his Judgments upon us Hear the Word of the Lord said the Prophet Hosea ye Children of Israel for the Lord hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land by Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and Committing Adultery they break out and Blood touches Blood therefore shall the Land mourn And by the Prophet Malachi God threatens that people thus I will come near to you and I will be a swift Witness against Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against False Swearers and such as fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts Yea to that Degree was that Magistracy degenerated that they thought it a Vain Thing to serve God to keep his Commandments They called the Proud Happy yea they that workt Wickedness were set up they were Advanced to Places of Honour and Trust and they that tempted God were deliver'd But the Word of the Lord was unto them a Reproach they had no Delight in it They made a Mock at Sin laid Snares for the Innocent and like us made Men Offenders for a Word for a good Word a Word of Reproof or an Harmless Opinion Well but what followed Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall
workest Wonders in the Earth whose Power cannot be Control'd in whose Hands are the Souls of Men and the Spirits of all Flesh who canst turn them in a Moment Turn thou the Hearts of King and People unto thee and One unto another Do thou proclaim a FAST FROM SIN throughout these Sinful Kingdoms let Wickedness and Oppression find no place among us Turn away thy Fierce Wrath Wipe away our Reproach and Love us Freely O God for thy dear Son ' s sake THE SECOND PART OF THE Address to Protestants UPON THE Present Conjuncture HAving then finisht the First Part of my Address relating to the Immoralities of the Times and left it with the CIVIL MAGISTRATE as in Conscience I found my self Oblig'd to do whose Peculiar Charge it is and I Earnestly and Humbly desire and pray that it may be his Great Care Effectually to Rebuke them I shall betake my self to the Second Part of this Address that more immediately concerns us as Profest Christians and Protestants But before I begin I desire to premise and can with much Sincerity Declare that I intend not the Reproach of any Person or Party I am weary with seeing so much of it in the World for it gains nothing that is worth keeping but hardens to a Desperateness what 't is our Duty to endeavour to soften But if without Offence I may speak the Truth that which to the best of my Understanding tends to the Present Settlement and Future Felicity of my Poor Country I shall by God's Help deliver my self with that Modesty Plainness and Integrity that becomes a Real Christian and a True English-Man Those Capital Sins and Errors that relate to the ECCLESIASTICAL STATE or Church-Capacity of these Kingdoms and which are so Inconsistant with Christian Religion and purest Protestancy and that above all displease Almighty God are First Making Opinions Articles of Faith at least giving them the Reputation of Faith and making them the Bond of Christian Society Secondly Mistaking the Nature of True Faith and taking that for Faith which is not Gospel-Faith Thirdly Debasing the true Value of Morality under pretence of Higher Things mistaking the very End of Christ's Coming Fourthly Preferring Humane Authority above Reason and Truth Fifthly Propagating Faith by Force and Imposing Religion by Worldly Compulsion These I take to be those Church Evils that have too much infected even these Parts of the reputed Reformed World And though the Roman Church for the most part hath transcended all other Societies in these Errors and may in a sense be said to be the Mother of them She from whom they took Birth by whom they were brought forth and propagated in Christendom yet there hath not been that Integrity to the Nature of Christianity and First Reason of Reformation from Papacy in our own Country as had been and is our Duty to conserve First In that Opinions pass for Faith and are made Articles of Faith and enjoyn'd to be embrac'd as the Bond of Communion That this is so let us take the most impartial View we can and we shall find it to be true both of the National and many other Select Societies That I may be understood in the Signification of the word OPINIONS I explain it thus Opinions are all those Propositions or Conclusions made by Men Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion which either are not Expresly laid down in Scripture or not so evidently Deduceable from Scripture as to leave no Reason of Doubt in their Minds of the Truth of them who sincerely and reverently believe the Text or lastly such as have no New or Credible Revelation to avouch them That this is our Case let the several Confessions of Faith published by almost every Party in England be perused and ye will find such Propositions translated into Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion as are First not only not Express'd in Scripture but perhaps not Deduceable from Scripture If one Party may be but believ'd against another this will want no Evidence to prove the Point And in the Next place such as are though not Exprest yet it may be Deduceable as to the Matter of them but either carried so high spun so fine or so disguised by Barbarous School-Terms that they are rather a Bone of Contention than a Bond of Concord to Religious Societies Yet this has been the Unhappiness even of this Kingdom after all the Light of Reformation which God hath graciously sent amongst us Men are to be received or rejected for denying or owning of such Propositions Wilt thou be an Episcopalian then Sign the Thirty-Nine Articles Renounce the Covenant and Conform to the Discipline and Jurisdiction of the Church Wilt thou be a Presbyterian Embrace and Keep the Covenant subscribe the Westminster-Confession and Directory and so on to the End of every Society that grounds Communion upon Conformity to such Propositions and Articles What a Stir have we had in England about the poor word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that says it signifies an Higher Office than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall have no part or fellowship with us On t'other hand they that will debase Episcopos to Presbyteros and turn Levellers of Episcopal Dignity shall be Excommunicated silenc'd punish't Is not this Fact can any deny it that love Truth more then a Party The Fire kindled by this Contention hath warm'd the Hands of Violence It had been well if Men had entertain'd Equal Zeal against Impiety and been but half asmuch Enemies to the Sin as they have been against one another If we look a little back we shall find that the Debate of Free-Will Unconditional Reprobation fill'd this Kingdom with Incharitableness and Division In the Arch-Episcopacy of Abbot reputed in himself a Good Man who ever held that Christ died so for all Men that all men might be saved if they would accept the Means and that none were absolutely decreed to Eternal Reprobation waa near akin to Heresie and Excommunicated as an Enemy to the Free Grace of God which it seems lay in being Narrow In the time of Arch-Bishop Land the Tide turns those that hold an Absolute Election and Reprobation without regard had to the Good or Evil Actions of Men and assert that Christ only died for the Elect and not for all must be discountenanc'd displac'd and pointed at as Men out of Fashion though at the same time Conscientious Sober and at worst Mistaken to be pittied rather than prosecuted and informed rather than confounded This Controversie begot the Synod of Dort he that reads the Epistles of that Judicious man J. Hails of Eaton upon the Matter and Conduct of the Assembly will find cause of being sad at Heart too many of them talked of Religion without the Spirit of it Men perhaps Learned in Books but few of the Sticklers gave any great Testimony of their Proficiency in that Science which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated This Flame kindled
is but FIGMENT they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a Necessity of Entertaining Conclusions of that Nature and to strengthen themselves have broken out into Divisions and Factions opposing Man to Man Synod to Synod till the Peace of the Church vanished without all Possibility of Recall Hence arose those Ancient and many Separations amongst Christians Arianism Eutychianism Nestorianism Photinianism Sabellianism and many more both Antient and in our Time And as he hath told us one great Occasion of the Disease so he offers what follows for the Cure And were Liturgies sayes he and Publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms on Opinion were utterly vanished Whereas to load our Publick Forms with the Private Fancies upon which we differ is the most-soveraign Way to perpetuate Schism unto the World's End Remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the Event shall be that the Publick Service and Honor of God shall no wayes suffer For to charge Churches and Liturgies with Things Unnecessary was the First Beginning of all Superstition If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of Incumbring Churches with Superfluities and not over-rigid either in reviving Obsolete Customs or imposing New there were far less Danger of Schism or Superstition Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Church Liturgy he that separates is not a Schismatick for it is alike Unlawful to make Profession of known or suspected Falshoods as to put in Practice Unlawful or Suspect Actions He further tells us in his Sermon of Dealing with Erring Christians That it is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not the Identity or Oneness of Conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the Hands of Christians A better Way my Conceit cannot reach unto then that we should be willing to think that these things which with some Shew of Probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but Our Opinions For this peremptory Manner of setting down our Conclusions under this High Commanding Form of Necessary Truths is generally one of the greatest Causes which keeps the Churches this Day so fâ—r assunder whenas a Gratious Receiving of each other by Mutual Forbearance in this kind might peradventure in time bring them nearer together Thus much of this Great Man concerning Schism the Cause and Cure of it and for the Notion of Hereticks he will help us altogether as well For though they are generally taken for such as err in Judgment about Doctrines and Articles of Faith yet if this Man may have any Credit and perhaps none of his Profession has deserv'd more he tells us that Heresie is an Act of the Will not of Reason and is ind eeda Lye not a Mistake else sayes he how could that known Speech of Austin go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo I may err but I am unwilling to be an Heretick And indeed this is no other than what Holy Scripture teacheth A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF Which is as much as to say that no body is an Heretick but he that gives the Lye to his own Conscience and is Self-condemned Which is not the Case of Men meerly Mistaken or who only err in Judgment And therefore the Term of Heretick is as Untruly as Uncharitably flung upon those that Conscientiously dissent either in point of Discipline OF Doctrine from any Society of Christians and it is not hard to observe that those who have best merited it have most liberally bestow'd it But to show you that neither true Schismatick who is One that unnecessarily and unwarrantably separates from that part of the Visible Church of which he was once a Member nor true Heretick who is a Wilful Subverter of True or an Introducer of false Doctrines a Self-condemned Person can ever shelter himself under this Common Confession of Christianity sincerely made Let us consider that who-ever so declares Jesus to be the Messiah and Anointed Saviour of God to Men must be supposed to believe all that of him with respect to which he is so called Now that for which he is so denominated is that which God sent him to do the Reason and End of his coming he could best tell who hath told us thus I am come that ye may have Life and that ye may have it more abundantly The World was as dead in Trespasses and Sins the guilt and defilement of Transgression had kill'd the Soul as to Spiritual Life and Motion and from under this powerful Death he came to redeem the Soul unto Life in short to restore Man from this Fearful Degeneracy his Disobedience to God had reduced him to The Way he took to accomplish this Blessed Work was First To preach Repentance and the Approach of the Kingdom of God which is his Rule and his Authority in the Hearts of men which brings us to the Second thing to be believed namely What he Taught 1. First his Doctrine led Men to Repentance Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand No Man could receive the Kingdom of God whilst he lived under the Kingdom and Power of Satan so that to Repent is not only to bring their Deeds to the Light which Christ exhorteth Men to but to forsake that which upon Examination appeared to be Evil. Wherefore I conclude that such as have not been acquainted with this Holy Repentance do not sincerely believe neither can Rightly confess Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God the Saviour of the World Therefore saith the Apostle Let him that nameth the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity plainly implying that those do rather Prophane than Confess the Name of the Lord who do not Depart from their Iniquities And saith the Apostle in another place No man can call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost Which opens to us the Nature of the True Confession to wit That the True Confession of Jesus to be both Lord and Christ is from such a Belief in the Heart as is the work of the Holy Ghost and those that do not Confess him or call upon him by Virtue of the Overshadowings of this Divine Spirit and Power are not truly Christians true Worshippers Believers and Disciples Furthermore they that receive Christ receive his Kingdom his Power and Authority in their Souls the strong Man that kept the house becomes bounâ— and his Goods spoil'd by this stronger man the LORD 's CHRIST who is come from Heaven to dwell in us and be the Hope of our Glory for so he was preached to the Gentiles This Kingdom the Apostle tells us stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy
for me to judge that this man does rashly and unadvisedly if he shall arise and contradict Is not the Spirit able to reveal somewhat to him which he hath hidden from thee Now if the Spirit have revealed somewhat to him and to that end revealed it that he might contradict that by his means the thing may be revealed to the Church shall I say that he hath done rashly in obeying the holy Ghost And if thou think otherwise verily thou art not perswaded that the Spirit is the Author and Teacher of this Knowledge but that all the praise thereof is due to Studies Watchings and the Wits of men And if this be thy judgment I tell thee again That thou art not only unworthy to be the sole Speaker but worthy rather to be the only person not permitted to speak in the Congregation And that thou mayst the better understand that the most Unlearned ought to be allowed to speak consider God will have himself to be acknowledged the Author of his own gifts he will not have his praise attributed unto our Studies or Wits but unto himself But if the man that hath spent all his Life in Study speak wisely it is not attributed to God but to study In word perhaps it may be attributed to God yet not without a vehement Reluctancy of our Judgment and this is that which I say God will not abide But if so be thou shalt hear a wise word come out of the Mouth of some unlearned Person thou must needs whether thou wilt or no acknowledge God to be the Author thereof So when God was minded to give unto â—srael a Victory against the Midianites under the Conduct of Gideon and Gideon had gathered together Thirty Thousand Men lest the Israelites should boast that they had gotten the Victory by their own Strength and not by the Assistance of God which might have been conceived if Gidean had fought with so numerous an Army he would not suffer him to have above Three hundred that it might appear that he was the Cause of the Victory and not the Number or Valour of those that fought Now besides the Glory of God hereby great Profit does accrue to the Church For if the People shall see now one man now another endued with the Spirit beyond all Expectation many will thereby be encouraged to hope for the same Gift if they shall ask it many will learn and profit and it will thereby come to pass that when Occasion shall be to choose a Minister the Church shall not need to call strange and unknown Persons to that Office but she may have of her own such as are fit to be chosen Men whose Conversation and Manners are sufficiently known And when the number of such as are able to prophesie shall be great the Church will not be forced to use such Pastors as from their very Childhood have proposed to themselves such Offices as the reward of their Studies and addicted themselves to the study of Scripture and Religion no otherwise then they would have done to some Trade whereby they meant in time to get their Living So that a Man can expect but very few of them to prove other then Mercenary or Hireling Pastors Now that it was the Custom of the Jewish Church that all might thus Prophesie we may hence conjecture in that it is upon Record Luke 4. how our Lord upon the Sabbath day decording to the Custom came into the Synagoguge took a Book and expounded a place of Esay and how being twelve years of Age he sate at Jerusalem in the Temple among the Doctors and did aispute For he could not so do by vertue of any ordinary office forasmuch as his Age was uncapable neither did the Doctors know who he was Yea rather our Lord in so doing must needs make use of the power which was granted to every one to speak It remained in the Christians Congregations until the times of Constantine at the least Forasmuch as we have these words of Eusebius the Writer of Church affairs to that effect If any man inspired by the Grace of God should speak unto the People they all with great silence fixing their Eyes upon him gave such attention as if he had brought them some Errand from Heaven So great was the reverence of the hearers such order was seen among the Ministers One after another another after him Neither was there only two or three that Prophesied according to what the Apostle said but to all was given to speak so that the wish of Moses seems rather to have been fulfilled in them when he said Would God all the People might Prophesie There was no Spleen no Envy the gifts of God were dispensed every one according to his ability contributing his assistance for the confirmation of the Church And all was done with love in such sort That they strove mutually toâ—honour each other and every one to prefer another before himself But to the end this common prophecying may be profitable to the Church we must diligently mark what the Apostle advises For a sure thing it is that the Pride of Man is so great that whatever hath once fallen from him he will by any means have it stand for a Truth neither can he suffer that any man should infringe the same So that if he might be permitted to judge that last spake it will be a Miracle if a man in his Life time should see any one give way to him that contradicts him What is Paul's advice therefore in this case Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge He will not therefore have the same Persons to be Parties and Judges And he adds a little after And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of dissention but of Peace So that as soon as any man hath spoken his own mind he ought to rest himself satisfied with the judgment of the rest and not obstinately to make no End of contending if this be not done a sure thing it is there will be no end of strife But what if any man will not be content to submit to the Judgment of the rest Verily I would avouch that being sharply admonished that he disturb not the Congregation and that he go not against the command of the Apostle or rather of our Lord commanding the Spirits of the Prophets to be subject to the Prophets he ought to be cast out of the Society though he should hold the prime place in the Congregation The people likewise must frequently be admonished that liberty for any one to speak in the Congregation is not therefore granted by the Apostle to the end every one should speak what comes to his Tongues end as if he were in a Market but whereas he gives liberty to him to speak to whom any thing is revealed he would have all Rashness and Impudence to be laid aside He that reverences not the Church of God let
that man know he despiseth the Spirit of God who is President there and shall be sure not to escape unpunished Before a man propounds any thing to the Church he ought to consider again and again how sure a manifestation he hath of that thing and whatever the matter be let him be sure not to forget a sober modest bashful behaviour without which vertues doubtless no good can be effected But here we must attentively consider both how far a man â—ught to submit to the judgment of the Congregation and who may deservedly be accounted a Troubler of the Church Verily I conceive a man ought so far to give way as that after I have alledged what I had to say for my Opinion if yet the rest shall not allow of my Judgment I ought to give over defending of it and cease to be troublesome to the Congregation concerning the same But I ought not to be compelled to confess that I have erred or to deprecate any fault whiles I do not yet understand that I have erred for so I should sin against God He therefore is a Troubler of the Church that will not so far as we have expressed submit to the judgment of the Church but goeth on to be troublesome but especially that man who would exact of another that which he ought not to do viz. to recant being not perswaded that he is in an Error But those men are commonly reputed troublers of the Church who refuse to ratifie whatever shall any ways fall out of the Pastors Mouthes Again in this place it may reasonably be demanded whether when that a matter hath been once or twice debated and some man knowing the judgment of the Congregation would again reduce it into Controversie he ought to be heard or enjoyned silence and take the matter for determined But of this we shall in another place more conveniently dispute That which remains therefore is that we wrestle with God by daily Prayers to grant that we may have the use of this so soveraign and saving liberty so profitable to the Church and that thereby we may reap abundance of Fruit. And that he would to that end tame and break our Spirits with his Spirit and render them milde and gentle and not suffer what he hath ordain'd for the confirmation and establishment of his Church to be by the stubbornness and perversness of our Wits and Minds turned to the mischief and destruction thereof With much more to the same purpose too large to be here inserted What I have cited makes an Apology for doing so needless his whole Book is a most accurate account of Satans Stratagems to cause keep up divisions among Christians deserving a first place with the most Christian Writers since the Apostolical times He was an Italian of excellent Natural and Supernatural endowments Banisht about Luther's times for the Gospel Let us now inform our selves of the Judgment of that great Man J. Hales upon the matter in hand viz To your second Query Whether the Keys were confined to the Apostles only The Answer is in no case hard to give it may perchance in some case be dangerous for there is a Generation of men in the World the CLERGY they call them who impropriate the Keyes unto themselves and would be very angry to understand that others from themselves should claim a right unto them To your Question then no doubt but originally none received the Keyes from the Mouth of our Saviour but the Apostles only none did nor ever could manage them with that Authority and Splendor as the Apostles did who were above all most amply furnished with all things fitting so great a Work For whereas you seem to intimate that the preaching Mission was communicated to others as the seventy two Disciples as well as the Apostles you do but mistake your self if you conceive that the Keyes of the Gospel were any way committed to them for concerning the Mysteries of Jesus Christ and him crucified for the Sins of the World wherein indeed the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven did consist they received it not they knew it not To be the prime Reporters of this was an honour imparted only to the Apostles Yet were they not so imparted as that they should be confin'd to them Every one that heard and received the Light of the saving Doctrine from them so far forth as he had understanding in the wayes of Life had now the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to his Power both for his own and others use Every one of what State or Condition soever that hath any occasion offered him to serve another in the wayes of Life CLERGY or LAY MALE or FEMALE whatever he be hath these Keys not only for himself but for the bâ—nefit of others For if Natural goodness teach every man Lumen de Lumine Erranti comiter monstrare viam c. Then how much more doth Christian Goodness require of every one to his ability to be a Light to those who sit in Darkness and direct their steps who most dangerously mistake their way To save a Soul every man is a Priest To whom I pray you is that said in Leviticus Thou shalt not see thy Brother Sin but thou shalt reprove and save thy Brother And if the Law binds a Man when he saw his Enemies Cattel to stray to put them in their way How much more doth it obliege him to do the like for the Man himself See you not how the whole World conspires with me in the same Opinion Doth not every Father teach his Son every Master his Servant every Man his Friend How many of the Laity in this Age and from time to time in all Ages have by writing for the publick good propagated the Gospel of Christ as if some secret instinct of Nature had put into mens minds thus to do c. To this let me add his Sense of the force of the Fathers Authority in the decision of Controversies and how far the Antients whether Fathers or Councils ought to be interrested in the debates of these times which may not be improper to the present subject because not a few build upon their bottome You shall find says he that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three wayes either upon matter of Fact or matter of Opinion or point of Ambition For the first I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which either we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful so the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact For it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse then Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of our keeping that Feast must be the Rule left by
as the State believes But if the Church cannot use force in Religion for this reason because she cannot Infallibly determin to the Conscience without convincement much less can a few Doctors or the Civil Authority use force where they can much less judge Unless you would make them the Civil Executioners of your displeasure that have no Civil Power to give them such Commission and to be sure no Ecclesiastical to any Force or Violence about Religion For the Papist by judging his Principles punishes them that believes not as the Church believes though against Scripture but the Protestant who teaches every one to believe the Scripture though against the Church persecutes against his own Principles even them that in any particular so believe as he in General teaches them to believe This is hard but true upon the Protestant for what is plainer then that he afflicts Those that according to his own Doctrine believe and honour holy Scripture but against it will receive no humane Interpretation though Universal Them I say who interpret Scripture to themselves which by his Position none but they to themselves can Inter-pret Them that use the Scripture no otherwise by his own Doctrine to their Edification than he himself uses it to their punishing and so whom his Doctrine acknowledges true Believers his Discipline persecutes as Hereticks To sum up all at this time If we must believe as Caesar appoints why not then as the Church believes But if not as either without Convincement pray how can force be lawful Let me recommend one Book to you that of Right claims a place with you and that is Bishop Taylor 's of Lâ—â—erty of Prophecy never answer'd that I have heard of and I have reason to believe never will be attempâ—ed for indeed it is Unanswerable That was the Judgment of a Bishop under Persecution I could be glad if it might be the practice of Bishops in their power I may say the same of J. Tillotson's sober and seasonable discourse before the Commons on the fifth of November And the truth is I am the more earnest with you at this time because I find that God daily shows us he has great good will to poor England O why should we drive him from us by our disobedience to him and our Severities to one another He has lately put a price into our hands and continues to prove his Favours upon us all depends upon a sincere Reformation and our perseverance therein To give Testimony of this let us with our whole Hearts turn to Goâ— and keep his holy Law and let us but be jealous of his Glory by punishing Vice and cherishing Virtue and we may assure our selves he will interest himself in our safety Of this we cannot doubt for he who has begun to do it under our Disobedience will not desert us in our sincere Repentance And as this is our Duty to God without which we vainly hope for deliverance so is there a duty we owe to one another that is the next Requisiâ—e to our Preservation Let all Aspeâ—ities be avoided Nick-Names forbidden and the oppressed Protestant deliver'd Receive the noble Principle of Liberty of Conscience on which the Reformation rise For in vain do we hope to be deliver'd from Papists till we deliver our selves from Popery This Coertion upon Conscience and Persecution for Religion are that part of Popery which is most justly hated and fear'd And if we either fear or hate Popery for its Cruelty shall we practise the CRUELTY we fear or hate it for God forbid this were the way to be deserted of God and left to their Cruelty The same Sins will ever fix the same Odium and find the fame Punishment where-ever they are If they burnt your Ancestors don't you strip and starve your Brethren Remember the many Thousands now perseâ—uted in this Kingdom for the sake of their tender and very peaceable Consciences Husbands are unnaturally separated from their Wives and Parents from their Children their Corn Cattel and Houshould stuff swept away perhaps at the Instigation of some lewd and indigent Informer or to please the maliâ—e of an ill dispos'd Neighbour In the mean time many once sufficient are expos'd to Charity the fruits of their honest Labour and Bread of their Children being now made the Forfeiture of their Conscience Friends and Country men there is deep Doctrine in this present Providence examine it well that you may reap the benefit of it And among the rest let me tell you this is not the least part of it that God is shewing you Mercy that you may shew Mercy and has awaken'd you at the brink of the Pit that you may help your Brethren out of it Be wise and considerate 't will be much your own fault if you are not happy And truly I have no manner of scruple but God will preserve us if wâ— will not cast away our selves For our own Sins and Folly can only direct the hand that seeks to Stab us and shall we make it succesful to our own ruin Let us therefore turn away from all Impiety let the Magistracy discourage and punish it and let us forhear and love one another If we begin with God we shall end with God that is with Success Else be assured we shall only inherit the Wind of our own Invention and be deserted of him then when we shall most want him In short reverence the present providence though your Lives have not deserv'd it let your Lives now be grateful and not abuse it Pursue your advantages throughly but wisely be as temperate as zealous and to your Enemies as generous as just Insult not over ill men for the sake of their ill Principles but pity their unhappiness whilst you abhor the cause of it let them see that you had rather inform then destroy them take more pleasure in their Conversion then your own Revenge This will be the greatest coufutation upon them that they be taught the Goodness of your Religion by the mildness of it and by its mercy the Cruelty of their own The Indian Atabaliba rejected the Romish Baptism because of the Spanish Tyranny whence it was usual with those poor Americans to desire they might not go to Heaven if the Spaniards went thither I know there be little Arts used to prevent Protestant Union and that in a Protestant Guise and 't is a Trick not of yesterday to put one Party of Protestants upon devouring four or five that both the Protestant Church may have the Odium of Eating or Devouring her own Children that another Interest behind the Hangings may find the more easie and creditable access to the Chair 'T is the Men of this Strain though under disguise that now seek to distract you and to effect it the better old Stories must be had up Acts of Olivion violated the dead disturb'd their Tombs rifl'd and they hal'd out of their Graves to receive a new Sentence That Condemning the Living of that interest