Laws and Man's interfere Christ's are to be obeyed against Man's 4. And we take not the Church of England to be cut off from Christ's Church if it should be proved that they observe not all the Laws and Institutions of Christ In this you preach Separation too blindly There are some Laws and Institutions of so low a Nature that Error and Offence against them cuts not Men off from the Church But what is his other Notion of a Christian Church Why It 's that which contains the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks which are a middle thing between the true Catholick Church and the World of Infidels as Rebels in a Kingdom Ans. This is the effect of Confusion When such men are got into a Labyrinth they go the further the worse The Truth of the case is this The Church is usually likened to a Corn Field that hath 1. Corn 2. the Straw and Chaff that feeds and covers it 3. Stricken Ears in whole or in part 4. Weeds All is but one Corn Field so denominated from the Corn But the Straw and unsound Ears are Integral Parts and Accidenâ—s But the Weeds are no part at all but noxious Adjuncts So 1. True Believers and Heart-Covenanters are the Christians in famosiore propriâ significatione analogati to whom the denomination of the Church is ordinarily given in the New-Testament 2. Verbal profession and covenanting is common to the sound and unsound as the Straw and Chaff to the Grain and Ears It constituteth the Church as visible matter as it is supposed to serve and contain the Grain 3. The Ears totally and visibly smitten are but equivocally parts that is the persons whose profession or notorious practice containeth a renunciation of their Baptismal Covenant or Christianity are but equivocally called Christians and Church-Members 4. Those that deny some Article of Faith consequentially nororiously and ignorantly thinking their Opinion consistent with all the Essentials which they practically profess are not thereby cut off from the Church but they having made their Title litigious may be suspended from some Communion till it be tryed 5. All good Christians are sinners and have errors and if any judg them Hereticks and Schismaticks for such they are still in the Church of Christ. The word Heretick and Schismatick are now become what the speaker please He is a true Heretick that separateth from something essential to Faith Love or Obedience to Christ and from the Church for that or thereby Persecutors separate from Christian Love and Communion So that here is but one Catholick Church and some called by men Hereticks and Schismaticks are true Members but all that notoriously renounce any Essentials are no Members of it Rebels is a word that may signifie such as cast off the Soveraign By which renouncing subjection they renounce being Members of the Kingdom and are as an Army of invading Enemies who are in the Land but not of the Kingdom But if any will call those Rebels that do but break a penal local Law or that are disobedient to a Constable a Justice or a Master this proveth them not to be no part of the Kingdom But he numbreth the excommunicate with those that are cut off from Christ. Ans. Yes upon these Suppositions following 1. That they be excommunicate not only for sin but for such sin by which they first cut off themselves from Christ the Excommunicator only declaring it by his Sentence else Excommunicators will be worse than Devils if they damn men or cut them off from Christ who do not first cut off and damn themselves 2. That it be not only proved an heinous sin in it self but that they are proved after due instruction and patient warning to be so impenitent in it by wilful ignorance or obstinacy against Knowledg as will not stand with sincere Faith and Obedience to Christ. 3. That it 's no cutting off a man's self from Christ to say that there is somewhat sinful in your Church Government Liturgy or Ceremonies or to be afraid to assent and consent to all imposed or to take an Oath never to endeavour any reforming-alteration of Church Government nor will it prove a renouncing Christ to separate from a Usurper or a false Teacher or run out of Dunstans Church as they did for fear it should fall on their heads If therefore any will cut men off from Christ for any such thing or for observing the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice or for the fashion of his Cloke or for not paying the Court his Fees they either condemn themselves instead of others or do much worse than the Devil that can damn none such It 's Two to One but this Doctor that here damns the excommunicate without distinction will next say he meant well tho he said ill and that he supposed the Excommunication just The best is it 's no great matter what he meaneth while he is none of our Judg except as to himself and the seduced 1. And I add That we will suppose the Excommunicator to be no Usurper but a justly called Pastor and not a proud ignorant Obtruder nor a Stranger that cannot try the Cause nor is called to try it Much less a Lay-Civilian usurping the power of the Keys These men have so many things to say before they can accomplish their work as bespeâ—ks such Auditors whom darkness and interest hath made monstrously credulous As 1. We are yâ—ur lawful Pastâ—rs 2. The Patron 's had power to choose and the 〈…〉 us so whether you 〈…〉 3. No 〈◊〉 are your lawful 〈◊〉 buâ— we 4. We have power to câ—mmand things indifferent and if we câ—mmand a Suâ—â—lice or a pair of Oâ—gans or â—â—ruâ—ue you are cut off from Christ if you 〈◊〉 us or at least if we excommunicate you for it 5. If yâ—u think any of our Oaâ—hs or other Impâ—sitions to be sins that would damn you yet if you refuse them and we excommunicate yâ—u fâ—r it you are cut off from Christ and in a state of damnation 6. If one Chancellor or Priest cut you off all the Church on Earth must judg you accordingly Reader when so small a part of Christians in a thousand years have escaped Excommunication from one or other what have these men done in the World Is it any wonder if Kings and Kingdoms were subjected by Excommunication and to say St. Peter will be angry else frightned the Nations into obedience Did not Christ and Paul speak gently when they called such grievous Wolves in Sheeps cloathing devouring the Flocks § 32. Yet p. 69 70. his cause leads him to say that this Church which is wider than the Catholick taking in Rebels yea those Rebels themselves and Hereticks and Schismaticks May have the power of Orders or else I know what would follow and Officers rightly constituted Christian Sacraments and all the Essentials of a true Church except Christian Peace and Unity and Catholick Communinion Ans. Reader pretend not to understand him but answer him
the only Remedy against Schism to be the chiefest cause They have made Associations and Confederacies of Men to set up New Forms of Churches Church-Government or Communion by multitudes of Clergy-Laws or Canons of their own to be necessary to Ministry and Communion and consequently to avoid Schsm and consequently to Salvation By which Arrogancy and Impositions and Arbitrary Laws and Censures thereupon the Christian World is now almost all broken into Sects condemning and censuring one another into Greeks Muscovites Armenians Georgians Nestorians Jacobites Abassines Maronites Papists Protestants c. And of all these the Papists pretend to a Power of Government by Legislation and Iudgment over all the Christians on Earth some placing it in the Pope as chief some in a Council or the Colledge of Bishops as chief of which the Pope is the prime Member most in Pope and Council agreeing This Sect unchurcheth all Christians save themselves and have made so many Canon-Laws as none can understand and keep Some that yet do not own the Pope tell us That yet the Church on Earth is one Political Body not unified by its Relation to Christ the Head and Form He is not Visible enough say the Papists to Head a Church that may be called Visible But it is unified by a certain Confederacy of Communion among themselves which sometime they call an Universal Government and say they have power to make Universal Laws and sometime say It is not One Unifying Government but One Communion and yet make Laws which all must hold Communion with They say and unsay and know not what to say They cannot tell us what are the necessary terms of that Communion nor how to know with what Nations and Churches we must hold it But this they agree in That Christ the Finisher of our Faith hath left Faith Worship and Government so unfinished that Bishops of all the World or many Nations they know not who must make us more Laws and when they will have done and compleated Religion no man knows And that all that will be Christians must on the Terms of these Canons have Communion with them and refuse not one thing that they command And therefore must all be learned enough to know that all that they command is lawful And if any withdraw for an Oath or Covenant or Ceremony tho he mentally own them as true Churches or if for dissent he be excomunicated by them he must worship God in no other Assembly but live like an Atheist till he be convinced of the Lawfulness of their Impositions else all that so worship God are damnable Schismaticks and so are all that communicate with them So that I know but few on Earth that they damn not for breaking their Canons tho they would keep all the Laws of Christ And every where they that have strength and possession presume that it is they that must thus be the Standers and Rulers of all others about them It is an utter Maze which they make the Terms of catholick communion and consequently of Salvation instead of the few plain certain things which Christ made necessary We can get but few of the vulgar to understand the sense of Baptism the Creed Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments And our churches are much made up of such and our Parishes have too many Sadduces Infidels and Hobbists yet all must be supposed to know 1. That all the Bishops and Priests are truly called and authorized when few know what maketh them Pastors indeed 2. And that all their words ceremonies and impositions are not repugnant to God's Word 3. And that all are to be avoided whom their Canons and Lay-civilians excommunicate 4. That it is a company of true Bishops and Churches in other Nations whose communion they own 5. That all are Schismaticks that they so judg and their churches no true churches of The English Schismatick detected and confuted Occasioned by a Resolver of Cases about Church Communion CHAP. I. SAITH THE RESOLVER § 1. THE Church is a Body or society of men separated from the rest of the World and united to God and to themselves by a Divine Covenant A. He saith this is the plainest description he can give That is not the fault of his Auditors or Readers 1. As to the Genus a Community of equals without Rulers is a body but I suppose he meaneth not such 2. Is it enough that it be of Men sure now they should be Christians 3. Many are separated from the rest of the World secundum quid that are no Christians some in one respect and some in another and none in all respects 4. Vnited to God is an ambiguous word no Creature is Vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is God in the created Nature Only Christ is united to him Hypostatically in his created Nature All are so far united to him in natural being as that in him they live and move and have their being And the Nature of man is one sort of his Image All things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient The Church should not be defined without any mention of Christ The Churches Union with God is by Christ. 5. Christ himself as Head is an essential part of the Church and should not be left out of a Definition thô the meer Body may in common speech be called the Church as the People may be called a Kingdom 6. Will any Divine Covenant serve or must it not be only the Baptismal Covenant 7. Is it called Divine only as made by God or as commanded by God and made by Man or as mutual Certainly Gods Law and offered or Conditional Promise is most frequently called His Covenant in Scripture and this uniteth not men to God till they consent and Covenant with him Their own Covenant Act is necessary hereto And that is a Divine Covenant only as commanded and accepted and done by Gods assisting Grace 8. The form of a Church is Relative and the Terminus is essential to a Relation It is no definition that hath not the End of the Association Therefore this is none at all and so the beginning tells us what to expect This description hath nothing in it but what may agree to divers forms of Society and so hath not the form of a Church And if he intended not a Definition but a loose description I would a defining Doctor had had the Chair during this controversie Let us try this description upon a Mahometan Kingdom Army or Navy or suppose them meer Deists 1. Such a Kingdom Army or Navy may be a Society 2. Of Men. 3. Separated from the rest of the World secundum quid ad hoc and none are separated from it simpliciter ad omnia e. g. No man is separated from the common humanity No Deist from any but Atheists and no Christian in believing a God and the Law of Nature and Nations 4. They are Vnited to God so far as owning a God and
Union of Soul and Body makes a man and an Embryo before it be organized 2. The Union of the Body maketh it capable of the Souls further Operation 3. The Union of the Organical chief parts as Heart Lungs c. to the rest make it a true humane Body compleated to the nutriment and action of Life 4. That it have Hands and Fingers Feet and Toes and all integral parts makes it an intire Body 5. The due site temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound Body 6. Comely colour hair action going speech c. make it a comely Body 7. To have all parts of equal quantity and office would make it uncomely And to have the same hair colour c. is unnecessary at all 1. The Union of King and Subjects as such makes a Kingdom 2. That the People be agreed for one conjunct interest and Government maketh them a Community capable of Politie or Government 3. That there be Judges Maiors and Justices and subordinate Cities or Societies maketh it an Organized Body in which Kingly Government may be exercised to its end the common good 4. That no profitable part be wanting Judge Justice Sheriff c. maketh it an entire Kingdom 5. That all know their place and be duly qualified with Wisdom Love Justice Conscience Obedience to God first to the Sovereign Power next to Officers next c. maketh it a sound and safe Kingdom 6. That it be well situate fertile rich eminent in Learning Skill c. maketh it an adorned beautiful Kingdom 7. That all be equal in Power and wealth is destructive and that all be of one Age complexion calling temper degree of knowledge c. is impossible And that all have the same language cloathing utensils c. is needless at least VII Jesus Christ is the only Universal Soveraign of the Church both of vital influence and Government nor hath he set up any under him either Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt Pope Council or diffused Clergy that hath the Power of Legislation and Judgment as governing the whole Chorch but only Officers that per partes govern it among them each in his Province as Justices do the Kingdom and Kings and States the World nor is any capable of more VIII To set up any universal Legislators and Judge Pope or Council is to set up an Usurper of Christs Prerogative called by many a Vice-Christ or an Antichrist and as bad as making one man or Senate the Soveraign of all the Earth and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign Iurisdiction in this Land is to endeavour to perjure the whole Kingdom that is sworn against it in the Oath of Supremacy and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State in the Corporation Oath the Vestry Oath the Militia Oath the Oxford Oath with the Uniformity Covenants And if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign Jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the Kingdom to all these Oaths against it I doubt whether all the Powers of Hell can devise a much greater crime against Clergy Cities and all the Land Good reason therefore had Doctor Isaac Barrow to write against it as he hath done and to confute Mr. Thorndike and all such as of late go that pernicious way by the pretence of Church Union and Communion As if one universal Soveraign and Legislator and Judge were not enough to unite Christs Kingdom or man could mend his universal Laws and could not stay for his final judgment and Churches and Kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal Soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves XI To be a true Believer or Christian or the Infant seed of such devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant uniteth each Member first to Christ himself directly and consequently to his Body or Church and this coram Deo as soon as it is done by heart consent and coram Ecclesia regularly as soon as he is invested by Baptism which Baptism when it may be had so is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized Minister or Deacon but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a Lay-man the Ancient Christians took it not for a nullity much less if the Baptizer was taken for a Minister by mistake being in his place and if no Baptism can be had open covenanting is vallid X. The Papists and their truckling Agents here have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction To make themselves masters of the World they would perswade us that Sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie and that God saveth none by any known way and grant but by his Covenant Sealed by the Sacraments and that he authorizeth none to administer this Covenant but Prelates and their Priests and none can validly have it from other hands And so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation are at the will and mercy of such Prelates and Priests But unhappily they cannot retrieve their old Opinion but maintain that Lay-men and Women may baptize in necessity validly and that Baptism puts one into a State of Salvation XI As he that swears and keeps his Allegiance to the King is a Subject and Member of the Kingdom though he be no Member of any Corporation so though he disown a thousand fellow Subjects yea though he deny the Authority of Constable Justice Judge so he that is devoted to Christ truly in the Baptismal Covenant is a Christian and a Member of the Universal Church though he were of no particular Church or did disown a thousand Members or any particular Officer of the Church XII All faults or crimes are not Treason A man that breaketh any Law is in that measure Culpable or punishable but every breach of Law or wrong to fellow Subjects or Justices as it is not Treason so it doth not prove a man no Subject though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable And so it is in the case of our Subjection in the Church to Christ. XIII To own Christs Instituted species of Church Officers is needful to the just Order Safety and Edification of the Church as to own the Courts of Judicature Justices c. in the Kingdom but to own this or that numerical Officer as truly commissioned is needful only to the right administration of his own Province XIV As Christ did his own work of universal Legislation by himself and his Spirit eminently in the Apostles and Evangelists who have recorded all in Scripture so he settled Churches to continue to the end associated for Personal Communion in his holy Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation with authorized Ministers subordinate to his administration in his Prophetical Priestly Kingly and Friendly Relations And thô these may not always or often meet in
by mistake XIII I know that the main Cause of Church-Divisions is seeking a Union on false and sinful terms And I know that the opinion That Parish-Communion is unlawful is an Error and therefore unfit to be the Condition of our Union And I see many would make it such a Condition And false terms of Concord are the great and certain means of Discord for the wisest Christians will refuse them And some Impose them by Doctrine and Censures as others do by Laws and Sword And I will not countenance dividing terms Obj. That is the chief fault of your Doctrine and Practice That it will cause Divisions among us when some will do as you do and others cannot and so our Congrâ—gations are divided Ans. 1. Can I cause that which is caused already is not so much Division known still to be among us 2. As I said Do not some write against the Lawfulness of Parish-Communion And some against Infant Baptism and the Lords Day And do not they divide by Writing against them And did Mr. Tombes and Mr. Nye forbear as aforesaid for fear of Division If we are already divided in Judgment and Practice sure giving each other an account of our reasons is rather the way to heal us 3. But I confess this Objection seemeth so sad and ugly to me that it hâ—th no small hand in urging me to what they object against Alas what are such come to They that separate because of the Liturgy Ministry or People do virtually separate as I said from almost all the â—hurch on Earth For it is on a cause common to almost all Yea not only all the Churches in the Eastern Southern and Northern parts and all in the West save themselves have Liturgies or separate not from them But even of the Non-conformists in England those that of old or of late have pleaded their Cause have taken the Liturgy for no sufficient cause of separation Nay even the old Separatists called Brownists denied not the lawfulness of forms of Prayer nor refused to join with the Parish-Churches in our Liturgy sometimes only they thought that when Crossing or such Ceremonies were used they were bound to disown them And shall men that separate from the Communion of almost all the Churches on Earth as unlawful pretend that their way is the way of Unity and that the contrary doth divide Is our shunning Division from the Christian World a dividing Practice In Holland Mr. Smith thought no man capable of Baptizing him and so Baptized himself and some others have done so since thinking none fit for Communion but the few that are their Flocks Yet these that divided from all the World cryed down Dividing from themselves But were all dividers that were against them This is the saddest of all Objections XIV Yea I am loth to do that which condemneth groundlesly the Reformers the Martyrs the Godly Conformists the old Non-Conformists the later and the Brownists themselves as being all for unlawful Communion 1. If it be simply unlawful to have Communion in the Liturgy and Parish-Churches then it was unlawful to have Communicated in their way of Worship with Luther Zuinglius Melanchton Bucer Pet. Martyr and the like Reformers And also with the English Martyrs in Queen Marâ—â—s daies or in King Edward 6. And also with such Holy and Excellent Conformists as Grindall Pilkington Downame Bâ—â—ton Sibbs Preston 〈◊〉 and abundance more such 2. And it 's well known that the old Non-Conformists wrote and practised against the Brownists in this case The Books of Hildersham Brightman Bradshaw Ball Paget Gifford c. are yet visible Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures chides them that will not come to the beginning of the Common-Prayer The old Non-Conformists begin the reasons of their Non-Conformity in refusing Subscription in these Words We protest before Almighty God that we acknowledge the Churches of England as they be established by publick Authority to be 〈◊〉 visible Churches of Christ That we desire the continuance of our Ministry to them above all Earthly things as that without which our Lives will he bitter and wearisome to us That we dislike not a set-form of Prayer to be used in the Churches And finally that whatsoever followeth here is not set down of any evil Mind or of purpose to deprave the Books of Common-Prayer Ordination or â—â—milies but only to shew some reasons why we cannot subscribe to all things in the same contained 3. I before told you Mr. Tombes the Anabaptist hath written at large for the Lawfulness of Parish-Church Communion And Mr. Nye for hearing the Parish-Ministers 4. The late Non-conformists that treated with the Bishops in 1660 and 1667. have left their Judgments fully on Record many of them being yet alive 5. The old Separating Brownists have these Words Confession and Protestation of Faith Touching the true visible Political Churches which we acknowledge are in England we profess and declare that each company of true visible Christians associated together in one place viz. a Parish and Professing to serve God according to his Will in Faith and Order so far as they know such as there are many in England the same is a true visible political Church in some respects And therefore we communicate also with them on occasion while in such communicating we countenance no evil thing in them which in many places and many times we need not do Lastly it being no evil nor any appearance of evil in us to join to the Parish Congregation and Ministry in such respect and so far forth only as aforesaid we ought as we believe sometimes on weighty occasion so to join and we sin if we do not Luke 17.32 Heb. 10.25 1 Cor. 10.32 We believe concerning Prayer That though every form of prayer prescribed by Men be not absolutely and simply a Sin neither as we judge are Idols nor an Invention of Man nor a trangression of the second Commandment yet a prescribed Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer by Commandment forced on a whole Church rightly constituted to be used still in the same Words whenever they assemble in comparison of other praying is not so profitable and we judge that it is best and most agreeable to the last Apostolick practice that even where many Pastors in one Church are yet that One have during Life a precedency and priority in order and place not in power before the rest I will not be more for separation than the Separatists themselves XV. If joining with the Parish Ministry be simply unlawful most or almost all England comparatively must cease all publick Worship of God The Nonconformists were but about two thousand 1662. Most of them I think by this time are Dead and not so many sprung up in their stead Those that are remaining for the most part are either in a few places quieter than the rest or hindered from any numerous Assemblies In 1636. I do not think there were many more than we have Counties and those few in