To the Law or to the Gospel to his own Obedience or Good Works or to the Obedience of Christ Answ The ordinary method of Cure is first to search the Wound to the bottom and then to apply healing Remedies first to pour in Wine and then Oyl Our Physitians use first to purge or vomit their Patients and then to give Cordials So spiritual Physitians till the Patient be truly and rightly sensible of his sins they send him to the Law for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin the horrid nature and demerit of it but then for Comfort they send him to the Gospel to this soveraign Balsom yea they pour on them the Oyl of Gladness upon whom they perceive has been the Spirit of Heaviness They say not Physitian heal thy self but rather send them to the Great Physitian by whose stripes we and they are healed We dare not trust in our own Righteousness but in the Lord our Righteousness Quest Do not Nonconformists as they desire liberty from the Impositions of Men in the Worship of God so preach up liberty from the Commandments of God in the Course of their Lives Or at least do they not lift up their Voice like a Trumpet when they publish the Gospel but onely speak in a small and still Voice when they treat of Obedience to the moral Law Answ 'T is an unjust Calumny cast on the Protestants by the Papists That they are Solifidians and against good Works And 't is an uncharitable censure of the Nonconformists by the Author of the Debate that they do not preach obedience to the Moral Law as well as Faith in Christ and the Duties of the second Table of the Law as well as of the first Whoever reads the Assemblies Confession of Faith their Larger and Shorter Catechism M. Dod on the Commandments Mr. Anthâ—â— Burgess his Vindiciae Legis may see clâ—â—â— that the Nonconformists are not Libâ—â—â—â—es â—â—â—â—gh they desire some Liberty and that thou 〈◊〉 pray to be delivered and freed from humane ceremonial Laws as God has freed them from the Ceremonial Law of his own making yet they are not Antinomians they commend and in Gods name require Obedience as well as Faith Doing as well as Believing they commend Moral Honesty but prefer Piety We deny him to be a truly godly man that is not a good honest man we deny him to be righteous before God that endeavours not to approve himself righteous in his dealings with men We would not by any means break the two Tables by dashing them one against the other and yet we prefer the Gospel before the Law Christ to Moses the second Covenant to the first that of Grace to that of Works Quest Is not Obedience then to the Moral Law the Condition of our Justification See Debate p. 13. Answ No 'T is not the Condition and Qualification of the Covenant so properly D. M. as 't is of those Persons that enter into the Covenant Faith justifieth the Person before God and Obedience justifieth the Faith before men Obedience saith a Reverend Author must be in the same Subject with Faith but it hath not a Voice in the same Court We do not cry down mans Obedience when we cry up the Obedience of Christ as the matter of our Justification and the Imputation of it as the form of our Justification We dare not appear before God in our own filthy Garments and menstruous Cloaths We expect a Blessing from our Heavenly Father when we are arrayed with the Robes of our Elder Brother Jesus Christ his Righteousness which sends up a sweet smell in Gods Nostrils Quest Is Faith or believing in Christ a coming to Christ or a relying on Christ for the pardon of our sin See Debate p. 43. Answ Yes John 7.37 38. there coming to Christ and believing are all one And to what end Sinners are called to come to Christ we my learn from our blessed Saviour Mat. 11.28 namely That they may find rest I believe in God saith Bishop Nicholson in his excellent Exposition of the Church-Catechism as if I said I put my whole trust hope and confidence in him I â—ely upon him And so may Faith in Christ I â—hink be very well described to be a relying on Christ for the pardon of our sins and all good â—hings If my memory fail not I have often â—eard that Renowned Professor Dr. Samuel Ward deliver it for good Doctrine in the Chair That Faith was Recumbentia in Christum Mediaâ—re c. a Recumbency on Christ for the pardon of â—ins .. One Mr. Down that wrote too against Separation defineth Faith to be a rest of the Will upâ—n Christ and his merits for Justification and consequently Salvation And the same Author obâ—erves that the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all words equipollent in the old Testament and what is meant by them in the Old Testament is expressed in the New by Believing To instance in one Trust in the Lord with thy whole heart saith the Old Testament Prov. 3.5 If thou believest with thy whole heart or with all thy heart saith the New Act. 8.37 We may define Faith thus It it a gracious habit infused into the Heart by the Spirit of God whereby the Soul rests or rolls it self upon Christ for all things appertaining to Life and Godliness for Gods Glory and its own Salvation Quest. Who are the greatest Enemies to the Church of England and to Religion it self those who bring in new and strange Doctrines or those that dissent onely from her as to the Ceremonies Answ Those that differ in Substantials 〈◊〉 Religion are to be thought more to differ thâ—â— those that differ onely in Circumstantials and those ought to be reputed the greatest Nonconformists who do not conform to the Doctrineâ— the Church of England set forth in her Articles Homilies and Liturgy Quest. Who are they Answ Even many that have been conformable enough as to Ceremonies their Names anâ— Tenets you may find in a Book entitled Laudeâ—sium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in another called Laâ—densium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who they were thâ— maintained these Doctrines and their Doctrinâ—â— in some measure also you may find in Mr. Rushworth's Collections and others who have written the History of the Times immediately preceding the late Wars I shall refer you to one and that is Dr. Fuller in his Church-History who relates that it was complained of to the Sub-committees for Religion in Parliament of which Sub-committee the Bishop of Lincoln the Bishop of Armagh the Bishop of Durham the Bishop of Exeter Dr. Sam. Ward Dr. Hacket Dr. Holdsworth and others were Members that all the Tenets of the Councel of Trent abating only such points of State-Policy against the King's Supremacy as were made Treason by the Statute Good works co-Co-causes with Faith in Justification private Coufession by particular ennumeration of sins needful necessitate medii to Salvation that the Oblation
flame with the Civil War were hot and fiery c. Ergo now notwithstanding that there has been nine years peace an Act of Indempnity and Oblivion passed the generality of men formerly divided quiet and quietly disposed uniting cementing and soddering together co-operating For the peace settlement and welfare of the whole a few Clergy-men excepted all that were sometimes of the one Side or Party must be looked upon as Hotspurs Incendiaries very dangerous Persons Enemies to Authority still c. must have the skins of wild Beasts put upon them and a hideous noise and out-cry made after them on purpose to stir up the People to hunt them down or worry them or else to move and provoke Authority to make and spread Nets and Toyles to take them Would it not have been more rational and Christian more Logical and Theological for the Author to have argued thus Mr. Baxter Mr. Allen Dr. Tuckney Dr. Conant and many others now living though Non-conformists are good men good Christians good Subjects good Preachers good Writers therefore we must not judge all our Brethren Inconformists for the failings or miscarriages of a few Or might not the Author of the Debate if he had pleased have argued much better and stronger thus Mr. Dod Mr. Ball Mr. Hildersham Mr. Rathband Mr. Geree and many others of the old Non-conformists were meek and moderate serious and sober zealous against Separation therefore it hath not been the way and Spirit of Non-conformists to be turbulent movers of Sedition in the State or makers of Rent and Schisms in the Church Or thus Mr. Love and Mr. Gibbons laid down their Lives for their Loyalty and Mr. Cawton was indicted of High-Treason for praying for his Majesty that now is The London and Country Ministers declared zealously against all proceedings against the Crown and Life of King Charles the First of Blessed Memory Mr. Vines Dr. Spurstow Mr. Young lost their Masterships at Cambridge and others their places elsewhere for refusing the Engagement The Cheshire and Lancashire Ministers published a Book in Print against the Engagement sided with Sir George Booth in his Undertaking for his Majesty The Presbyterians generally throughout the Kingdom were cordial and zealous for his Majesties Just and Royal Title Therefore they are good men and good Subjects to his Majesty Or if you will thus The Presbyterians and other Nonconformists have really lost their Livings pretending to keep their Consciences have been and still are generally either actively or passively obedient to the Laws pray for and seek the peace and happiness of the King and his Kingdoms have in patience possessed their Souls above seven years together and all this while have forborn even in their private Meetings all exasperating and provoking Language or publickly in print scurrilous Pamphlets or Libels against the Government And have not as the Author of the Debate hath endeavour'd to prejudice a great part of his Majesties Subjects by many Reproaches and Terms of distinction contrary to his Majesties Royal Declaration ordaining That all Notes of Discord Separation and difference of Parties be utterly abolished among his Subjects Therefore Presbyterians and other Nonconformists are men of Peace Religion and Loyalty Forasmuch then as the Author of the Debate hath endeavoured with his Sparks of Wit and Fire to inflame light-headed and hot-headed Persons if it be possible to make a combustion contrary to the Law of the Land the Peace of our Soveraign Lord the King and the great Law of Love and Peace the Act of Oblivion I would advise him to do Justice upon himself in executing his own Books in the Flames for being Incendiaries The worst I wish him is his Reformation that for the time to come he may be more charitable and good-natur'd or more Sanguine than now he is and less Sanguinary than these his Books speak him to be Next to our desires to cure our Adversary I hope we may have leave to go about to heal our selves and this I shall endeavour to do by pulling out the Weapons that have made the wound and by imitating the practise of the Sympathetical Doctors namely by applying some Soveraign Balsam or Healing-Plaisters to his two Weapons his Sword and Dagger or his Sword and Rapier call his two Books which you please if by any means I may heal the wounds Which they have made And though perhaps some others would never have scrupled to have answered these Pieces Railery with Railery or even Railing with Railing and to have thrown that Dirt in his Face which he put into our hands and to have laboured to quench his Wild-fire though with dirty and stinking Billings-gate Kennel-Water Yet this hath not been my design but rather the contrary to overcome him with good usage and good words and because I cannot give him as good Language as he brings therefore to study to give him better however nothing so bad to use hard Reasons and soft Words and herein to follow the Reverend and Judicious Hooker rather than Martin Mar-Prelate As for the way and method I take in assaulting his two strong Holds or Forts which some think impregnable namely why I do not charge in a right Line and rush directly upon the Pikes the Noli me Tangere's of the Books my answer is that of the Duke of Parma upon occasion I know very well what is fit for me to do for the attaining my Ends and am not come so far to take counsel of my Enemy Or as another Prince said I will not take a burning Coal out of the fire with my bare Fingers when I can do it better with a pair of Tongs I add further It doth not necessarily argue the want of a good Cause or a good Courage to come on the Flank or Reer of an Enemy as well as on the Front or to seem sometimes to give Ground and Wheel-about with a design to charge with the more advantage I shall not detain you much longer Good Reader in the Porch being sensible of being so long already May I crave your leave to make a brief Declaration a short Petition and to enter a reasonable Protestation I Declare I do hold the Elders that Preach Well or Rule well or Live well by what names or titles soever dignified or distinguished whether they be Archbishops Bishops Pastors or Curates whether they be Conformists or Nonconformists to be worthy of double honour And that I had much rather we could meet each other half-way to reconcile our Differences and to give each other the right hand of Fellowship than to try it out for Victory by these Pen and Paper Combates any longer lest Atheism and Popery be advantaged by our dissentions and enter in at our breaches I would not have Ministes of either perswasion be like the silly Coneys that continually fight and tear one another without ever joyning to make resistance against the Polcat I declare also I do not in or by this Treatise condemn Conformists or commend
Laws once made rigorously to be put in execution necessarily and especially Laws concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs Answ Laws that are lawful and necessary to the Esse or Being of the Church or State are doubtless to be put in execution not so those always that tend to Order and Decency Supreme Governours may upon just occasion forbear inflicting the Penalties upon Offenders against penal Statutes Yea Excommunication that Great Church-Censure may be suspended when the major part of a Church are infected with some Errour or are guilty of some scandalous offence the end of Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil being the peace of Church and State where the execution of Laws may occasion more harm than good more disquet than peace there the supreme Power may for a time wave the exact and rigorous execution of them His Majesty in his Declaration to all his loving Subjects Decemb. 26.1662 published by the Advice of his Privy Council conceives the power of dispensing with the Penalty upon those who living peaceably do not Conform to be inherent in him Some Laws are made in terrorem like Rods in a School 'T is not intended that every Offender and every Offence should be presently punished according to the utmost severity of them The Common Law in some Cases seems to need a Chancery to moderate the rigor of it lest that summum jus prove summa injuria He who will not allow his Majesty to save some by his Prerogative who are cast by the Law robs him of a principal Flower of his Crown his very Crown and Glory and that is His CLEMENCY Quest. Were not the Old Puritans as they used to call the Nonconformists Enemies to the Kings Supremacy Answ In a Treatise of Learned Mr. Bradshaw who wrote of Justification there is a Protestation by them made of the Kings Supremacy in these words We hold and maintain the same Authority and Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons Civil and Ecclesiastical granted to Queen Elizabeth to be due in full and ample manner without any limitation or qualification to the King and his Heirs and Successors for ever Neither is there to our knowledge any one of us but hath been most willing to subscribe and swear unto the same according to form of Statute And we desire that those that shall refuse the same may bear their own Iniquity Quest Were not the Nonconformists in former times disobedient to the Laws And did they not refuse to conform out of humour and stubbornness and not our of Conscience Answ The same Mr. Bradshaw in the same Treatise protests in their Name as followeth We never refused Obedience to any haves or Commandments of the King or State whatsoever but onely to such as we have proved or are ready to prove if we might be heard to be contrary to the Word of God And we are ready to take our solemn Oaths before the Throne of Justice That the onely Cause of our refusal of Obedience to those Canons of the Prelates for which roe are at present so extremely afflicted is meer Conscience and a fear to sin against God And if by due form of Reasoning we may be convinced in our Consciences of the cannery we are as willing at any Subjects in the Realm to obey and conform Quest. But is it at all material what the Nonconformists swear are not our present Nonconformists guilty of taking God's Name into their mouths backward and forward and never blush Vide Contin p. 18. Answ It was the conscience of an Oath and a care to prevent the great guilt of Perjury that made Dr. Hill one of the late Assembly when Vice-Chancelor of Cambridge and the University in those dayes to insert those explanatory clauses in the Oaths of those who took degrees Viz. Jurabis te haec omnia reliqua Academae Statuta quatenus ipsa ad te spectant vel fideliter observasse observaturum vel monitiones correctiones paenas dictorum Statutorum transgressoribus incumbentes sine contradictione quacunque humiliter subiisse aut subiturum ni sialiter per gratiam per Acaedemiam concessam dispensatum tecum fuerit sicut Te Deus adjuvet c. and again Senatus Cantabrigiensis decrevit declaravit eos omnes qui monitionibus correctionibus paenus Statutorum Legum Decretorum Ordinationum Injunctionum Laudabilium Consuetudinum hujus Academiae trangressoribus quovis modo Incumbentibus humiliter se submiserint nec esse nec habendos esse perjurii reos By which clauses 't is manifest that either active or passive obedience to the Statutes Orders and Customs of the Universities did save from the guilt of Perjury And confident I am that 't is the fear of an Oath that is the chief cause why many suffer the loss of their Livings at this day Quest. Is there not a good riddance of so many Mr. Scruples out of the Church And is there any want of able Preachers up and down in the Country now they are ejected Answ My Lord Bacon in his dayes thought there was a scarcity of able Preachers and yet there were not the tythe perhaps of Ministers silenced then to what are now And be thought then that the silencing of the Ministers for their Nonconformity was a punishment of the People rather than of the Minister He conceived then also that such Subscriptions might have been forborn as occasioned the silencing of divers of those Ministers Cons ab Eccl. Aff. Quest What if there were many places made void by the ejectment of Nonconformists may not those places be well filled by Conforming-Pluralists Answ My Lord Bacon saith In case the number of able Ministers were sufficient and the value of the Benefices were sufficient then Pluralities were in no sort tolerable And as for Nonresidents except it be just of necessary absence he saith it seemeth to be an abuse drawn out of covetousness and sloth for that men should live of the Flock they do not feed or at the Altar whereat they do not serve is a thing that can hardly receive just defence And to exercise the Office of a Pastor in matter of Word and Doctrine by deputation is a thing not warranted So he in his Treatise dedicated to King James about Ecclesiast Affairs For my own part I think the Poligamy of the Fathers or the Patriarchs of old as excusable as the Spiritual Polygamy of many of the Sons of our Church And to serve Cures of Souls meerly by Proxies and Deputies besides that it may seem to strengthen the Pope's plea for Universal Pastors whilst so many stand idle in the Market-place able and willing to take care of those Souls is a thing I shall not take upon me to justifie Let me add this also that 't is one Objection which hath been formerly made against the Liturgy That it occasions an ignorant dumb and a lazy Ministry but were it not for Pluralities and Non-residency and insufficient Livings there might be no place for such objection The Author
or as others the Consumption of the Elements in the Lords Supper holdeth the nature of a true Sacrifice Prayers for the Dead lawfulness of Monastical Vows the gross substance of Arminianism and some dangerous points of Socinianism had been preached or printed by some amongst us Quest If it should be proved true that the high Conformists should warp somwhat from the Doctrine of the Church of England yet have they not all and alwayes been constant and firm to the Government to King and Parliament and great admirers of what their Superiors do and say Answ Dr. Heylyn tells us that he cannot reckon the death of King Edward the sixth for an infelicity of the Church of England for being as he saith ill principled in himself and easily enclin'd to imbrace such counsels as were offered to him it is not to be thought but that the rest of the Bishopricks before sufficiently impoverished must have followed Durham and the poor Church left as destitute of Lands and Ornaments at when she came into the world in her natural nakedness The above-named Dr. Heylyn in his History of the Reformation chargeth the Grandees at Court and in the Parliament of those times with such vices and crimes as our Adversaries may make use of to blemish our Reformation All which with some other considerations may give occasion to some to think that what the Devil said falsly and maliciously against Job may a little altered be too truly and without breach of charity said of some high blades Do they fear and honour the King and Parliament for nought Have they not made a hedge about them and about their house and about all that they have on every side and their Substance is encreased in the Laud But let but King and Parliament put forth their hand now and touch all they have and they would if not for fear of punishment curse them to their face Quest Is there any other absolute promise besides that of sending Christ into the World Answ Yes many As that Gen. 9.9 not to drown the World any more That of calling of the Gentiles Gen. 49.10 The promise of the Conversion of the Jews as is generally thought Rom. 11. The promise of giving Christ the Heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Psal 2. And that Isa 53. He shall see his Seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands That Christ shall have a Seed to serve him that Christ shall certainly and infallibly save some and the Lord knows who are his That he hath not shed his Blood in vain like water spilt on the ground that this glorious Head of the Church shall certainly have a Body in some measure answerable and suitable to the Head c. The promise of First Grace is thought to be absolute I will take away your heart of Stone and give you a heart of Flesh 'T is confess'd we are bid to convert and turn and to come to Christ and to make our selves new hearts and yet 't is as true that we cannot do any of these things of our selves without Divine Assistance and special Grace But this for out Comfort That which is the matter of Duty in one place of Scripture is the matter of a Promise in another And again That Gospel-Commands are not onely significations of out Duty but Conveyances of strength to do our Duty Quest Is not Mr. W. B. absurd in comparing Gods people to Plate Answ I answer There is Scripture-ground enough to justifie the calling of Gods people his Plate for in Scripture they are called Gods Jewels or his peculiar Treasure Psal 3.17 And obdurate wicked men are compared to Reprobate Silver Jer. 6.30 Quest. May we not say That we come to the Promises by Christ Answ In him are all the Promises Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 As a woman hath a right to her Joynture by first taking the man to her wedded Husband so Christians have a right to the Promises and all good things by taking Christ first for their Lord and Husband Quest. Is fear the chief and principal motive of a Christian to Duty and Obedience I mean the fear of punishment Answ No The chief and best Principle is Love I look on them as of a lower form in Religion who onely serve God for fear of Hell Although this fear is useful yet 't is not the principal motive to obidience in Gods Children And this was the Divinity of former time I do not hold it unlawful to serve God for fear of punishment nor hopes of Reward yet this I say That fear alone speaks a man a Servant and love speaks a min a Son And those are the best Servants to Vertue who serve virtutis amore for the love of Vertue A man may hate the good he doth and love the evil which he doth not do If then a man do that which is commanded meerly or chiefly for fear of Hell is be necessarily one of Gods best Servants I think not because he may at the same time hate the good he doth and love the evil he abstains from As for working with an eye to the Reward intuitu mercedis 't is justifiable and commendable 't is that which Moses did Heb. 11.26 and which our blessed Saviour did and it sufficeth the Servant to be as his Master Christians to be Followers and Imitators of Christ their Lord and Master Quest. Are good Works necessary to our Justification Debate p. 13. Answ The Church of England in her 11th Article teaches her Children thus We are righteous before God onely for the merit of the Lord our Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith onely is most wholsom Doctrine and very full of Comfort c. And in her Book of Homilies Tom. 1. pag. 17. Edit 1623. thus Justification is not the Office of man but God or man cannot make himself righteous by his own Works neither in part nor in whole for that were the greatest arrogance and presumption of Man that Antichrist could set up against God Quest Hath the Doctrine of the Imputation of Christs Righteousness for our Justification been the Doctrine of our Church and the prime Doctors of it Answ The Papists indeed call it with a jeer Putative Righteousness And 't is storied of a Popish Bishop lighting accidentally on that place Rom. 4.6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works c. threw away the Book in great displeasure and said O Paule an tu quoque Lutheranùs factus es O Paul art thou also become a Lutheran 'T is observed by 〈◊〉 Conforming Minister that the Apostle Paul mentions this grace of Imputed Righteousness ten times in the 4th chapter to the Romans and Bishop Andrews in his most excellent Sermon on that Scripture Jehova Justitia nostra His naâ—â—