therein and the Society it self so far as it is a Church of Christs institution only he loves his own Soul with a more intense love and accordingly makes the best provision for it he can and would rejoyce that others would accept of the same advantages ought not to be called a Schismatick but if they who pretend to a power to stamp what significations they please upon words will call him so the best is no Nick-names will prejudice him in the sight of that God who searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins As Heresie is opposed to the Faith so Schism is opposed to Love and Heresie and Schism are distinguisht by those things to which each of them is opposed 3. It 's faulty for its ambiguity because he tells us not what the Christian Church is from whence the departure must be made to denominate it Schismâ—…ical If he means a particular Congregation united under its proper Pastor according to the Laws of Christ it will prove it Schismatical to depart from a Church of Non-conformists If he understands a National Church he should do well to prove that such a Church is of Christs institution but I shall wave these and many more till he has discanted upon the particulars of his own Definition § 1. I call it says he a departure or separation from the Society of the Church to distinguish it from other sins which though they are breaches of the Laws of our Religion and consequently of the Church yet are not a renunciation of the Society There may be such a person who for his wickedness deserves to be â—…ast out of the Church as being a scandal and dishonour to it yet neither separating himself nor being cast out of the Society remains still a Member of it This is indeed too true And hence it is that many Churches are so over-run with scandalous Debauchez that there 's very little difference between the impaled Garden and the wide Wilderness And perhaps was there more of this Authorative separation there would be less of that prudential separation If rotten and gangreened Members were cut off the sound would not have that necessity to provide for their own security If the Contagion were not so Epidemical there were less need to seek out for better and more wholesome Airs when an Impudent Blasphemer who out-faces the Sun the Notoriety of whose Crime needs no Dilator shall yet quietly maintain his station in a Church whilst others for not coming up to a Ceremony shall be rejected though otherwise holy and inoffensive men may make Models and Idea's of Schism to save their Credits long enough before they will be much regarded § 2. I call it says he a voluntary separation to distinguish 〈◊〉 from punishment or Schism from Excommunication Yes but he ought to have called it Voluntary upon a higher account in opposition to such departure as is made with regret and reluctancy for when a sincere Christian has used all due means to inform himself of the Truth of such a principle or the lawfulness of such a practice as may be made the Conditions of Communion with that Society when he has asked advice of God in his word when he has pray'd with David that God would open his Eyes when he has conferred with the most judicious and impartial Christians when he has humbly and modestly represented to the Pastors and Governours of that Church the suspected Condition or the innovation crept into the Church and yet can neither procure Reformation of the abuse not toleration of his particular non-complyance nor yet find satisfaction of the lawfulness of such practice he may without guilt withdraw himself from that Society nor ought this to be charged upon him as a departure having in it any thing of sinful voluntariness when a Merchant throws his Lading over-board to preserve Life I grant that he may be said willingly to throw it away because his precious life preponderates and turns the Scale of the will yet none will condemn that poor Merchant of too little affection to his Merchandise Thus when a Christian can find no rest no satisfaction to his Conscience from those suspected Conditions which in the constant exercise of his Communion do recur and shall reâ—…ede from that Society joyning himself to another where with full satisfaction of spirit he may pursue his own Edification such a one ought not to be charged with a voluntary departure nor shall it be charged upon him as such in the judgement of him that shall judge the World § 3. I call it says he a departure from a particular Church or from a part of the visible Church to distinguish it from Apostacy which is a casting of the whole Religion the name and profession of Christianity But here his definition is very Crazie and ill joynted for it ought to be defined a departure from a particular Church of Christ to distinguish it from such a Constitution as is either no particular Church of Christs institution or none so far as the separation is made from it such a one as is not united under Christs Officers nor conjoyned by Christs Ligaments Christ has taken special care that there may be no Schism in the Body 1 Cor. 12-25 And for this end he has commanded a spirit of mutual forbearance and condescension he has mingled and temper'd the body together with such exact geometrical proportion that each of the parts may care for the other for this end also he has instituted some extraordinary Officers whose work and Office was to cease with the present exigency and occasion and the ordinary whose Office and Employment as the Reasons of them were to be perpetuaI Now if any Society of Men calling themselves a Church and in the main respects being really so retaining the great Doctrines of Christianity and such Ordinances whereby Salvation is attainable shall yet put it self under other Officers then Christ has appointed and practise other Ordinances then he has instituted and make Communion with her impracticable without submitting to such Officers such Ordinances separation from that Society can be no separation from a particular Church of Christ Because though they may be such a Church in the main yet so far as the separation is made they are not so And they deny Communion with them so far as they are a Church of Christ because of non-submission to them so far as they are noâ—… a Church of Christ. § 4. I add says he those words whereof he was once a Member because Schism imports division and making two of that which was but one before So that if an Act was made to divide some of our greater Parishes which are much larger then some of the Primitive Diocesses into Two under their distinct Pastors this must be a Schism according to this famous definition for here is 1. A voluntary departure 2. From a particular Church 3. whereof once they were all Members and wherein 4. they might all have continued without
which the present necessity did restrain 4. Churches are not to feighn necessities and Imaginary Exigencies as an Engine of ambitious spirits to try conclusions upon mens Consciences or practise upon their â—…ameness and therefore the necessity ought to be such as carries its own evidence along with it There are many things which the Divine Authority had determined as to its â—…id and sort which yet are not so determined in the Inâ—…viduals now when a Church meets with any of these she must come to a determination for otherwise the Divine Commands cannot possibly be reduced into act nor our duty Exercised Thus he has commanded his Churches to assemble themselves together for publick worship he has appointed them Ordinances wherein to receive mercy and grace from him and Officers to administer the Ordinances in the Church the Church therefore is obliged to do whatsoever is necessary to the doing of her duty Thus Goâ—… having obliged them to worship they must come to an agreement about the place meerly because 't is impossible to meet no where But if the divine will hath not determined in specie man cannot under the most specious pretence of decency or adorning the worship institute any thing because it wants some head of a Divine Command to which to reduce it Thus God having given no Command to any Church to worship him under sensible formes and signes of Invisible Grace no Church has power to Institute any such and worship God by them For in this case Divine wisdome Love and Authority have demonstrated themselves and setled Enow to answer Gods Ends and ours If he had said as often as you baptize besides the washing with water which I have commanded you see that you make some figure over the face of the person to be baptized and not determined the figure whether Hexagonal pentagonal or the like the Church must come to a conclusion about some figure or the duty must for ever lye fallow But a General Command that all things be done decently and in â—…der will never introduce these Symbolical Ceremonies because the Command may be satisfied without them or any of them they are â—…ot necessary so much as by disjunction whatsoever is comprehended under a Divine precept is a necessary duty at least by disjunction Antecedent to any Command of any Church but these Ceremonies are not necessary in any sense antecedently to the Command of a Church and therefore are not comprehended under that General precept Let all things be done decently and in order And indeed if they were the sign of the Cross would be a necessary duty not only in oâ—… at Baptisme but in the Lords Supper in every prayer in alâ—… preaching in singing of Psalms and in every Religious Exercise seeing that precept enjoyns all things to be done decently and in order And we may presume that our Saviour with his Disciples and Apostles performed All divine service in the most decent congruous and edifying modes and yet they never practised that or any other Ceremony of that sort and therefore they are not comprehended under the Rule Nevertheless our Enquirer is resolved he will give us two Instances of this Truth that some things are necessary to the Constitution and administration of a particular Church that are not in themselves necessary absolutely considered And if he thinks it worth the while he may give us two hundred for we are perfectly unconcerned in them all 1 The first instance is in the Apostles times the abstaining from things strangled and blood was by the Council of Ierusalem adjudged and declared necessary to be observed by the Gentiles in order to an accommodation between them and the Iews and yet I suppose scarce any body thinks the observation of that Abstinence so Enjoyned necessary in it self Let us apply it either then the abstaining from Ceremonies must be adjudged necessary in order to an Accommodation between our Church and other Protestants or the obsâ—…rving of them be adjudged necessary in order to an accommodation between us and the Romanists which he would chuse I am not informed But let us Examine a little his great Instance § 1. It was adjudged and declared necessary to be observed saâ—… he Therefore say I it was enjoyned because first necessary and not made necessary by the Injunction The thing was not unnecessary before the Synâ—…dal Letters nor the Council at liberty to have determined the contrary unless an accommodation between Jew and Gentile was a thing unnecessary 15. Acts 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon yoâ—… no greater burden then those necessary things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now let him try his skill to conclude a power to impose things unnecessary from this fact of theirs who only imposed things necessary § 2. That a Council had the Immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost and might more safely adventure upon such an Imposition then any particular or National Church who as they have no promise cannot in faith expect any such extraordinary direction and we hope that no Church will assume equal power to impose unless they could produce equal authority for their power in which the Consciences of Christians might securely acquiesce It would be strange language from a Synod It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no other burdens then these necessary things that yet observe all Ceremonies of our appointment § 3. The people might reasonably conform to that decree which had their own Antecedent consent and the more patiently bear the burden which was not imposed upon them without themselves for this Canon was not only sent to the Churches by the order of the Apostles and Elders and the whole Church v. 22. but what ever obligatory power there was in it from man It ran in the name of the Apostles Elders and Brethren But alas the Case is otherwise with the poor Churches in reference to impositions of late Ages who know no more what Impositions shall be laid upon their Consciences then the poor horse is acquainted whither his Master intends to ride him § 4. This was a Decree not to burden them but to case and relieve them not to pinch the Gentiles but to discharge them of those servile loads which some Judaizing Converts would have imposed on them we read v. 1. That certain came down from Iudea which taught the brethren and said Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved And when Paul and Barnabas opposed this Tyranny yet such was their Zeal for their old Ceremonies that they reinforced their scatter'd squadrons from certain of the Sect of the Pharisees who believed v. 5. saying That it was necessary to Circumcise them and Command them to keep the Law of Moses At last the Case comes before the Council and they determine against these Judaizing Bigots That their blind Zeal should not be the measure of what was necessary or unnecessary and yet not to
wou'd set himself to decry the Piety of that other World Let him Copy out the Treachery of Iudas exaggerate the Apostacy of Demas the Heretical pravity of Hymenâ—…us and Philâ—…us let him enlarge upon the Ambition of Diotrephes the Blasphemies of Cerinthus the Debaucheries of the Nicolaitans and above all be sure to plie the Villanies of the Gnostieks with warm Cloaths and what a frightful Mâ—…dusa would that Age appear if drawn to the life by those Exemplars Suppose once more that our Orator had an itch to imploy his mercenary Pen to scrape acquaintance with some tempting preferment to reconcile his lines to the Genius of the present Age and imploy his Talents where he shall not lose his oyl and pains Let him with Apelles take up on trust the particular Excellencies of the most exemplary Christians let him borrow the single beauties of meekness patience humility charity faith self-denyal constancy that like the Sporades lie dispersed and scattered up and down the world let him A masse all the individual worthinesses that are not yet banisht to Heaven and unite all these in one Table and such a draught perhaps shall not need to be ashamed to shew its face before the most exact pieces of proportion that are reserved in the Archives of Antiquity And to speak a plain truth if one tenth part of what these men ascribe to their great Patrons in their Dedicatory Epistles were true I could easily evince that there are very few who have the disposal of fat Advowsons but are more Illustrious Saints than any of the Primitive Fathers and perhaps we shall not need to except the Twelve Apostles As he would scandalously reproach the stable fixed Providence of God that should conclude Nature to be almost worn off her legs her Powers enfeebled her Spirits dâ—…bilitated from the precotious deaths of those who dig their graves with their teeth and with the sheers of Luxury and Riot cut the thread of their lives before Reason would say it was half spun out to its just length so would he no less maliciously blaspheme the steady Reiglement and superintendency of the only Head and Governour of the Church with the efficacious influences of the H. Spirit upon the Souls of true Christians who from Hypocrisie the mother and her daughter Apostacy of those who Court Religion for her Dowry shall conclude against the power of Godliness in those Christians which is very conspicuous to all who are not concern'd in point of self-preservation and self-justification to decry real Holiness according to the Primitive Pattern whilst they would be thought the great Adorers of the Primitive Times A practice well-becoming the Legions of Beelzebub or the trainedbands of Accaron whose delight it is with the importunate Flie to fix upon the galled parts exasperating sores with their venomous probosâ—…es which would heal of themselves whilst prejudice will not suffer them to take notice of the entire and sounder parts What Arguments our Enquirer hath furnisht A theism with to wound Religion which he would pretend to heal I shall not need to observe they are a generation quick-sighted to espie and take their advantages without a Monitor But when I hear him Lâ—…ment the palpable contraâ—…ion of the liâ—…es of the Generality of Christians now to the Rules of their own Religion and that few 〈◊〉 the measures of their Actions or the Rule of their lives from the New Testament I expect to hear others ask why they should be more obliged to the Humility Self-denial Sobriety recommended in the Gospel than their Teachers who apparently conform themselves to the secular Grandeur and swelling Pomp of the most licentious times And if a plain Truth might be spoken without any ones taking snuff there can be no more Reason assigned why the People should be tyed up to the Rules of the N. T. in their Lives than Church-men are to make it the Rule and Rubrick of their Worsâ—…ip They who expect Primitive Submission must give Precedents of Primitive Moderation And if they will exact and challenge the Ancient Manners let us see in them the Ancient Examples In vain shall Mother Crab command her â—…aughter to creep forward if she confutes her instruction by creeping backward If then â—…ters be really so Retrograde and gone off from their true Centers yet it cannot become them to Condemn the World for being Wrong who resolve it shall never be Right He that complaâ—…s things are not as they were and yet Disputes that they ought to be as they are shall never dispute me into a Plerophory of his sincerity They that confess a want of the Ancient Discipline which yet they will not restore and complain at the same time of a Defect of the Ancient Piety which they pretend they cannot Remedy do but weep over the Vineyard which is laid wast whilst they either pluck up the â—…edge or refuse to repair the decayed Mounds and Fences or deplore an Inundation of Wickedness which is broken in upon us and yet stand by the Slâ—…ce and will not shut it down nor suffer others to do it because they have no â—…all to the Work All things in this lower World insensibly contract corruption and with a silent foot decline from their Original Integrity so that every day furnishes us with New Reasons to scowr off the encroaching Rust and restore them to their Primitive Brightness He that â—…ows against the Stream must incâ—…ssantly ply his Arms and Oats and work against the pressing importuniâ—…y of the Current or else shall find himself unawaâ—…es hurâ—…ied down the Stream Sic omnia â—…ato In pejus ruere ac retro subâ—…apsa referri Virg. It was a seasonable Question of a Great Person many years ago Why the Civil State should be purged and restored by good and whelsome Laws made every Third or Fourth Year in Parliament prâ—…iding Remedies as fast as Time breedeâ—…h Misâ—…s and contrariwise the Ecclesiaâ—…al State should still continue upon the Dregs of Time and receâ—… no alterations now for this five and forty years and more And I am sure its another five and forty years and upwards since that Complaint was made It will then be very seasonable to complain of Modern Corruption and cry up Primitive Devotion in these Men when they shall demonstrate a real willingness to reduce what is amiss into order to make what is crooked straight by the Primitive Rule of Reformation That the Conversations of those early Christians was Commendable I readily admit that there is a wretched Degeneracy in our days I sadly see yet give me leave to Note and Detest the Hâ—…pocrisie of those who build Sâ—…tely Monuments to and bestow Ranting Epitaphs upon the Deceased Piety of the Former and yet destroy or discourage the Remaining Piety of the present Age That pluck down the Living Temples of the Spirit that upon their Ruines they may build their own Palaces who first Stigmatize Primiâ—…e Holiness with the Modern Brand of Fanaticisme and then persecute it
than Gibbets Halters Fire and baggot viz. the pouring out the Spirit of Light and Love I think I may refer it to almost any one to judge whether he be not most ridiculously absurd that shall so severely Animadvert upon our present Divisions when he may at such casie and cheap rates heal them all and yet will not By some Mens Words you would think they hated Divisions implacably but by their actings you would think they lov'd them as desperately Let the Primitive Rule of Reformation of which the Reverend Dr. Pierce has minded the forgetful Age be severely attended to To set what is crooked straight by what was from the Beginning Let all the Churches Conform to it and Reform by it and then will Discord be as great a stranger amongst Christians as Peace is said to be at this day Lay but the weight and stress of Unity upon Necessaries in the rest exercise Charity and then as we never had Peace about the Institutions of Men so we shall never have Wars about the confessed Institutions of Christ. The Christian Religion numbers it amongst its peculiar Glories and choicest Singularities that it teaches us to maintain Brotherly Love under differing Apprehensions and variety of Practises in those lesser matters which neither weaken Holiness nor cross the Design of the Gospel As God in the first Creation formed Men of differing Sâ—…es various Statures and multiform Shapes and Complexions and yet none quarrel upon that account none is so Apish to enact the Fox shall cut off his Train because the other has none None will impose his own Height as the just Standard of all others that he that is a Hairs-breadth taller shall be adjudged a Monster and he that is as much lower shall wear the reproach of a Dwarf So in the New Creation it 's none of Christ's design to reduce all Sincere Believers to an uniformity in every Punctilio in judgment and practise but to perform a Nobler and more Glorious Work than this namely to infuse such a Spirit of Love and from thence such Healing Counsels to inspire into all his Disciples such Moderation such Condescention that notwithstanding these diversties they may all love as Brethren and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and if in any thing any one be otherwise minded to wait till the God of Peace from the Word of Peace should Reveal it unto him Nor indeed is it any credit to the Religion of our Saviour to be represented to the World as if it taught so narrow and restrained a Charity that would only embrace those that were Cast in the Mold with our own particular perswasions or to hang on a String only with those who jump in with our own Points to a Tag An Excellency if it be one to be found more eminently amongst the Lyons in the Towâ—…r the Turks in their Mosques or perhaps of old in the African Conventicle much Reviled and as much 〈◊〉 who Monopoliz'd Salvation to them that were Ex parte 〈◊〉 But that which is the most pleasant in this Period is To see what a world of Truth our Compassionate Enquirer has Massacred for the sake of one poor sorry Climax There are now says he Almost as many Opinions as Men as many Parties as Opinions and as many Religions as either That Almost may I confess do him some service it has in its days help'd many a lame Dog over the Stile But surely there may be great diversities of Opinions amongst them that are of the same Religion He might as well conclude that the Spaniard and the French are of Two Religions because the one buttons his Doublet upwards the other downwards I have been much taken with a Decree that I sound in B. Iewâ—…l made by Pope Innocent III. and might have become a far better Man Quoniam in plerisque partibus intra 〈◊〉 Civitatem Diocesim permissi sunt populi diversarum linguarum habentes sub und 〈◊〉 varioâ—… Riâ—…s Mores Distinctè praecipimus ut Pontifices hujusmodi Civitatum providâ—…ant viros idoneos qui secundum diversitates Pâ—…ituum Linguarum divina illis officia Celebrent Sacramenta Administrent Forasmuch as in most places in the same City and Diocâ—…ss there are people of divers Languages mingled together whâ—… under one â—…and the same Faith doreta in differing Ceremonies and Customs we do therefore expresly charge and command the Bishops of the said Cities and Diocesses to provide able Pâ—…rsons who may Celebrate amongst them the Divine Offices and Administer to them the Sacraments according to their differing Languages and Ceremonies Differing Riâ—…es and Observations whilst left indifferent will not make differing Religions what they may do when imposed as the necessary Terms of Communion I shall not Determine Nay that there are as many Parties as Opinions will need not only some Grains but whole Bushels of Salt to keep it sweet Do we not see those of the same Party indulge each other in their private conceptions and none more than they who most Triumph in a pretended Unity and Uniformity who can agree in few things amonst themselves and yet can sweetly accord to extirpate all but themselves 5. Time was says our Enquirer when Men Sacrificed their Lives in Testimony to their Faith as frankly as since they have done to their Passion Revenge and Ambition And Time is says another when Men will Sacrifice the Lives of their Brethren and thâ—… Peace of the Church to the same waspish Deities and their own Consciences to boot to another Idol known of old by the Name of Mammon Such Elegant Orations have we penn'd about Time was and Time is that I suspect they were indited from Frier Bacon's Brazen Head-piece But more Anger still Then was Charity counted as Essential a part of Religion as Censoriousness is now wich too many This is witty enough in all reason And one would not stick to break a Jest now and then though it broke anothers Head or perhaps his own with the Splinters But Men are bad enough and need not be worse than they are Censoriousness is a Crime too Odious to be Desended and yet too Notorious to be Denyed to Cover a fault will make it Two but to justify it will make it Many But yet that any should make this Censoriousness a part much more an Essential part of their Religion is an Hyperbole too daring for my weak Faith to meddle with I have been considering into what place of Religion they can possibly crowd it whether into their Creed or Ten Commandments The Papists have rob'd the people of just one half of a Sacrament and then to give them their due to make them ample satisfaction they have created five entire Sacraments de Nevo They have craftily also purloyned the whole Second Commandment but then because the Laity have an â—…nkling that there were once Ten of them lest they should miss one out of the Decalogue they have very discreetly split
the truth of the Devotion and siâ—…ccrity of â—…he Religion of those of the same Communio but such and so Quâ—…lified were this Polydore Virgil and this Erasmus and therefore they must needs be supposed Testâ—…s 〈◊〉 compâ—…tent witnesses of the Truth of the Devotion and sincerity of the Religion of those of the same Communion and such at that time was the Church of England And the strength of the Argument depends upon some old stable Maximes which like the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are never to be denied As that Ask his Fâ—…llow whether he be a Thief And Birds of a Feather are impartial in â—…lazoning one anothers Vices But yet if he will define Piety by Superstition and Religion by blind Zeal and Devotion by hood-wink'd Obedience Charity by a Merit-mongering Humour laying out it self in uncommanded Fopperies idle Self-Macerations Idolatrous Masses Fool-hardy Pilgrimages Dirges Trentalls Obits Requiâ—…ms and such like Trash and Trumpery I will not contend Let Erasmus and his fellow Polydore pass for irresragable Evidence and the Piety of those days out-shone that of their Contemporaries and Successors amongst the reformed Christians Quantum interignes Luna minores Well but yet the Universal Pastor observed the Sheep of England to bear such good Fleeces and so patiently to submit to the Shearer that he kept a Vigilant Eye over his Flocks and his Vigilancy was Rewarded with the Golden Fleece This indeed quite shames the present Age and dazles our Eyes with the Lustre of those Brightter Times And here we are â—…quainte with two Notable Secrets 1. That the Piety of the English Sheep thâ—…n lay very much in patiently submitting to the Sâ—…carer And surely were men but ingenuous to confess a known truth they could have no cause to reproach the present piety of the English Sheep upon that Account What they could desire more of the poor Sheep then the Fleece unless they would flâ—…a off the skin and eat the flesh I cannot imagine And that can be no profound policy in the Pastor for the Fleece of the living will give more then the skin of the dead It s much better Husbandry to strip them yearly of their Coats then once for all to cut their Throats and it has past for wholsome Doctrine in the days of Yore Boni pastoris est pâ—…cus Tondere non 〈◊〉 But 2. Another deep point is this That the vigilancy of the Pastor consists in looking strictly after the fleece of the Flock In which particular I know no reason why the vigilancy of former times should be so Idolatrously predicated above that of our own We are come at length to the times of the Reformation and whilst he engages in a just and sober commendation of them there 's nâ—…ne shall more chearfully keep pace with Him provided always he â—…allop not too fast and ride us quite out of Breath And the Glories of our English Reformation were as followeth 1. It was the most orderly not brought in with Tumult and Sedition as most changes are Let God alone have the glory of so great a mercy And such was this though indeed the Excellency of a Reformation lies not only or chiefly in the still and silent manner of its Introduction but in its Harmony with the Primitive Rule of Reformation which is to Reduce all things to their Divine Patterns and Originals Peace is mainly valuable for purity And the freedom from noises of Axes and Hammers in the building of Solomons Temple was that they might more severely attend to their Archetype Where God gives Reformers more peace he expects from them more purity And if they may work the safer he expects they should work the better It were great ingratitude to Goâ—… if we should account our Gospel cheap because it came to us so And as much vanity to boast how our Ancestors got it unless we can produce it as pure as they left it to us peaceable 2. It was the most Moderate and Temperate Moderation is a virtue very much commended by those who never intend to exercise it As an old griping Usurer commends his Coin so highly and loves it so dearly that he will not part with one penny The Reformation might be Moderate in a two sold Acceptation either first moderate in our departure from Error and Corruption or secondly Moderate and Temperate in our approaching to the word of God Now to resolve to be moderately reformed either of these ways ought not to be Recorded amongst the Glories of a Church There are few that would be moderately Rich moderately great they fear no excess that way all the danger is least we should be too immoderate and unreasonable in obeying Christs Commandments and conforming to the Apostoâ—…cal Churches The measure of our love to Christ is to love him without measure The degree of our Obedience is to obey in the highest Degree and the Bounds of our Conformity to the Gospel to set our selves no Bounds but what Christ has set us Gods Praise can suffer no Hyperbole his Love need fear no Paroxysme As he that presumes â—…e has Grace enough may do well to question whether he has any Grace so he that is so confident he is Reformed enough shall tempt others to suspect he is very little Reformed There 's more danger of being Lukewarm in Reforming than Scalding hot and though it be easie to be over righteous in imposing our own Inventions it will be impossible to be so in imitating Gods Prescriptions But amongst all the kinds of Moderation that were in the Reformation one small quantity more of Moderation towards their Brethren would have sweetned all and yet they say that wanted not at first but is since much decayed But the Moderation of the first Reformers appears § 1. In that they did not purge out the good because it had been formerly abused as the Humour of some is This indeed argued their singular prudence and discerning Spirit But yet there are some things not evil in themselves but made so by abuse which without imputation of Humorists they might have purged out And this was Hezekiah's Humour if it must be so called who made the Brazen Serpent a Nchushtan and scarcely that when once it had been abus'd to Idolatry which yet had more to plead for it self than those Good Things of which our Enquirer is so Tender I mean the Signature of an old Ius Divinum Whatever is good in it self or made so by Divine positive Law and shall afterwards be abused to superstitious ends and uses we must take some pains to scowr off the filth and file away the rust and to wash away the soil that it has contracted and to vindicate it to its Native Beauty and Integrity but for the Inventions of Men I know no such service we owe them to lie always scrubâ—…ing and scowring and rinsing and when all 's done their obstinate and inveterate Leprosie like that of Gehazi will never be fetch'd out And this was the Humour too of Bishop
Andrews Serm. on Phil. 2. 20. Whatsoever is taken up at the Injunction of Man when it is drawn into Superstition comes under the Compass of the Brazen Serpent and is to be Abolished And the Catholick Moderator who was a greater Friend to Moderation than Reformation was partly of this Humour too When the occasion of a Humane Consâ—…itution â—…ases and the Abuses remain so great it 's no time to wink at them any longer To stand pecking at Abuses which have eaten themselves into the substance of an old Custom is like the endless labour of weeding Ivy out of an old rotten Wall the only way is to dig down the Wall it self Nay the great Legislator of the Iews commanded them utterly to abolish all the Instruments and Utensils of Idolatry and â—…ot to dally in Lopping and Pruning but to chop them up by the Roots Thus Lev. 18. 3. After the doing of the Land of Aegypt ye shall not do and after the doings of the Land of Canaan ye shall not do neither shall ye walk after their Ordinances ye shall do my Iudgments and keep my Ordinances And whether he will call this a Humour or no I know not But this I know R. Moses Bâ—…n Maimâ—…n with whom agreâ—… no small Names assures us that this was one Reason of many Negative Precepts given to the Iews as not to Round the Corners of their Beards not to wear a Garment of Linsey-woolsey nor to sew their Ground with divers Seeds not to eat the Fruit of their Trees for the three first Years c Namely that they might not Symbolize with the Idolatrous Nations Nay further if 〈◊〉 w a Humour the Church of England i not ashameâ—… was not ashamed to own her self of it in her discourse prefix'd to the Liturgy The most weighty cause of the Abolishment of certain Ceremonies was their Abuse She knew well that what was bred in the Bone would never be got out of the Flesh That which was naught in the Egge will never be good in the Bird. It 's not washing but burning that must cleanse the Garment spotted with the Flesh. And therefore she routed whole Legions of these Pompous Trinkets and had doubtless scattered the Reserves and brought up her practise to her own Rule had not some Tender Hearted Moderate Persons stood by wringing their Hands and weeping for Tammuz Oh deal gently deal gently with the poor distressed Ceremonies for their Fathers sake § 2. Another Specimen of their Moderation is That they did not Abolish a Venerable Order or Office in the Church for the ill manners of them that bore it What Venerable Order or Office this should be because he is not so open-hearted as to acquaint us I have something else to do with my Conjectures than to throw'em away upon such desperate uncertainties If it was an Order of Christs Institution the ill manners of those that bore it might well warrant the thrusting them out of the Office but not the Office out of the Church But if it could not justly plead his Authority no pretense of Usefulness to some Imaginary Ends of I know not what Unity and Order will conciliate to it the Honourable Epithete of Venerable or secure its station in the Church of Christ As Christ the only Law-giver of his Church has made abundant provision of Offices and Ordinances in his Church to suit and Answer all the Necessities of Believers so of Officers too to discharge those Offices and administer those Ordinances and there is no need of Mens over-officiousness to supply his pretended defects either in the one kind or in the other Indeed we pray that it would please the Lord of the Harvest to thrust in more Labourers for Number but not for Kind They who shall assume to themselves a power to create New Offices may by parity of Reason claim an Authority to Erect New Officers for it 's a thousand pities that any but Humane Officers should be put to the toyl to Celebrate Humane Ordâ—…nances or that any of Christs Ministers should be put â—…o the drudgery to administer any but Christs own Ordinances for indeed they have their hands full of work enjoyned them by their Lord and Master and can neither spare time noâ—… strength supernumerary to expend in superâ—…uous Exercises As Christ has annex'd no promise of his Presence to any but his own Servants so no promise of success to any but his own Services He that runs upon Christs Errand his Master will bear his Charges He that runs upon his own Head or the Heads of others for ought I know must bear his own It 's a scandalous impeachment of the unquestionable Love Christ always bore to his Church once to imagine that he has not either provided work enough for his Labourers or that he has not apportioned Labourers enow for his Work The same Reproach will it be to his absolute Sovereignty over the Church either to pretend to supply his defects and shortnesses or to institute Nâ—…w Officers and Offices which plainly imply it If it were only Vitium personâ—… the removing the scandalous had been a Plaister broad enough for the â—…ound buâ—… iâ—… it proves Viâ—…um Râ—…i you may purge all the Officers into their Graves before you can purge away the evil of the Office which like Tartar is so â—…aked and Crusted to the sides of the Vessel that till you knock off the Hoopes and take the Frame in pieces no Art of Man will free the Cask from a tang at least of the old mustiness § 3. They were not of Opinion that the Church could not arrive at Primitive Purity unlâ—…ss it were reduced to Primitive Poverty Purity and Poverty I must needs say do Rhime so sweetly that no wise Man would have lost the Melodious â—…hime of two such Harmonious words for a small matter But what if the Church never propounded the Primitive Purity for her Pattern If she did â—…he has run all the things in Controversie out of Distance yet this I will say That if ever the Church be reduced to Primitive Purity without some such humbling Providence and Refining Dispensation which purâ—…ed the Primitive Christians from their â—…ross or the effusion of such Measures of Grace Humility Self-denial Condescension as may Answer Primitive Poverty very wise Men and her very good Friends are much mistaken § 4. Their Moderation appears in this That though they found â—…ome Ceremonies then used that were superstitious and dangerous and thought too many burdensome yet concluded not all Decency in the Service of God was Popish It had been a Conclusion wild to â—…rensie to infer that all Decency was Popish because some Ceremonies were superstitious Nay though they all were so and had accordingly been 〈◊〉 But this had been a sober and moderate Conclusion That because all Popish Ceremonies were superstitious and dangerous the Worship of God might be Decent without them Gods Service was Decent before they were born and would be so again if they
be destroyed till they be dress'd up in a Malefactors Cloaths And it seems as much for their Enemies Advantage to make them seem wicked as 't is for theirs to be really Holy It had been a more Important Enquiry than any he has yet made whence such an exulcerated Spirit should proceed The Gospel is a Message of Peace from the God of Peace by the Prince of Peace to the Sons of Peace which Gospel breaths nothing but healing Counsels drops down the Balmy Dews of Gentleness Meckness Patience Long-suffering Charity and if I might borrow an â—…ld Maxime at second hand from him Aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos non sumus Evangelici Either Charity is not Gospel or our Enquirer is an Infidel It 's a grave Axiome in the Law That his Cause ought more to be favoured who only seeks to avoid wrong than his that seeks to get Gain The Dissenters humbly plead the Benefit of it They grudge them not their Preferments and Accumulated Dignities they neither envy nor seek their Great things They only deprecate Ruine till they shall deserve it It 's only from a Prison not for a Palace that they Petition When others have got the Two Swords the Secular and the Spiritual they only crave the protection of the Defensive Shield And think they may with some Reason demand of them who Deifie the freedom of Humane Will that they may be indulged in the freedom of their Consciences regulated by the Word of God CHAP. II. Of the more Remote Causes of the infelicities of this Church The Persecution under Q. Mary The bad provisions for Ministers in Corporations Frequent Wars The mischiefs of Trade and Travel The Designs of Atheists and Papists enquired into with what influence they may have had upon the present separation from the Church of England WHen Adrian VI. was pressed by the clamorous Importunity of the German Princes to Reform the Clergy he answered very gravely That a Reformation was necessary yet the danger of Reforming all at once was so dreadful that he resolved to proceed step by step Some Wise Men smiled at the cautious Advisement of his Holiness and said They hoped he would not break his shins for hast but deliberately make a hundred years at least between every step The same prudence which this politick Pope used in his advance towards a Reformation our wary Enquirer uses in his approaches towards the Causes of Separation Hitherto we have been entertained with certain Romantick Imaginary Causes and now he will give us a gentile Treat with the Real ones But of thâ—…se some are more remote others near hand these come by the running Post those by Tom Long the Carriet Thus your Poching Fellows when they have found the Hare sitting go round about and about the Bush till they have screwed themselves into a convenient Distance and then give poor Pusâ—… Club Law and knock her dead upon the Form 1. Now the first of these Remote Causes is That it was the misfortune and is the great disadvantage of this Church that it was not well confirmed and swadled in its Infancy it conflicted with Serpents in its Cradle and underwent a severe persecution What he understands by that old Blind Heathenish Beldame Fortune I cannot tell The Scriptures have taught us to believe That the Hairs of our Head are all numbred and therefore much more the Heads of the Martyrs That a Sparrow falls not to the ground without the Providence of our Heavenly Father Much less the Blood of the Saints which is more precious in his sight than many Sparrows But this is only a Shibboleth which serves for a Certificate that he is no friend to the immutable Counsels of God However this early persecution must needs have a considerable influence upon the Churches present weakness for thus Mephibosheths Nurse making more hast than good speed in her fright and flight threw down her Nursery and he became lame to his dying day It was therefore politickly done of Licurgus thinks the Enquirer when he had framed the Body of the Spartan Laws to pretend an occasion to Travel and having first taken an Oath of the People that they should make no alteration in that Government either in Church or State till his return he resolvedly never returns again If the old Masters of Ceremonies could have perswaded the people to some such subscription that they would never alter their Inventions till their return and then had sentenced themselves to a voluntary perpetual Exile it had been a successful piece of self denial to cheat a Nation into Uniformity no less honourable to themselves than grateful to thousands But thus the Case stood with the Church in its Infancy King Edward VI. dying Immaturely too soon says the Enquirer too late says Dr. Heylin Q. Mary succeeded him in the Throne and so the Church was put upon difficulties and trials before its Limbs and Ioints were settled and confirmed Persecution has hitherto been esteemed one of the Churches best friends whereof it has been often afraid but never hurt Such was the constant experience of the Primitive Christians Exquifiâ—…ior quaque crudelitas illecebra magis est secta plures efficimur quoties metimur sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesia The cruelties of Enemies does but more encrease the Number the oftner the Church is mowed down the thicker it comes up and there 's no Seed thrives so well as that which is steeped in the Blood of Martyrs That which Christians lose by the wind of persecution is only their Chaff that which the fire of Tribulation preys upon is only their Dross The Marian Fiers did the Church this one good turn that it melted down much of that imposing Spirit and Lordly Temper which reigned in some Church-men over their dissenting Brethren which Bishop Ridley confessed at the Stake That Tree which is of Gods Planting takes deeper Root by shaking and if it loses any Ceremonious Leaves let them go the Tree will bear better and sweeter Fruit with out them Could Persecutors have seen how much good the Wise God would extract out of their evil they would never have aggravated their own damnation to be the instruments of the Christians Salvation But malice is so quicksighted to do mischief that it 's Blind in the reasons of doing it and makes such hast to her end that she stumbles in the means Thus Nero's fingers itcht to be burning of Rome but that he knew it would arise a more glorious Phoenix out of its own Ashes which could the Devil himself consider he would never be content Tribulos metere dum nobis spinas serit to sow us Thorns and reap himself a crop of Thistles All this while we are waiting to see how he will make it out that This early Persecution did any real hurt to our Infant Church And after some Preambles and Introductions he will doubtless come home to the point And first By reason of this Persecution you must
year But if we speak with the Vulgar and take this Dignity for some external glory shining out in secular Lusire which is that currant signification which Custom the Master of the Mint has stampt upon It I doubt she will hold up her Head and not be dasht out of Countenance she can prodâ—… her purpuratos patres her Cardinals Princes fellows her Dignitaries she can produce you her Acolytes dancing attendance upon her Decans her Deacons footing it after her Priests her inferiour Clergy boâ—…ing before her mitred Prelates and alâ—… these orderly Reverencing their Metropolitan but then she boasts unmeasurably that she has an Ecclesiastical Head to be the Center of Union to all those so that whether you run up the scale from the poor Ostiary to the Exorcist and so upwards or down the Scale from the supream infallible Noddle moving all the inferiour Wyers she will brazen it out and never hang down her Head 3. The An ient Gravity of our Church reproves theirs I am sorry for the Honour of our Church which I truly Reverence that this Gentleman in vying with Rome should pitch upon those particulars wherein if we do excel and carry the day it will be no such Victory as to challenge a Triumph and yet such is the dubiousness of the case that perhaps we may lose the day I do not yet hear that Rome has disclaimed Antiquity to be one of the marks of the true Church and know something of her presumption in applying into her self Let any Antiquity short of Scripture Epocha be fixt upon and she will make a sorry shift to scramble through many a tiresome Century and scuffle to come as near the Apostolical days as some others Both sides I think have play'd at the game of Drop-father so long till they are weary and forced to confess that some things now in usage were unknown to the Fathers and many things practised by the Fathers which we have silently suffered to grow obsolete by desuetude I look upon these things as matters of course and form to look big and set the best foot before for if ever we confute Rome with an Army of hard words Decency Order Antiquity Gravity they must be such as the Word of God has made so It must be a Decency warranted by God himself either from the Light of Nature or Scripture an Order of Christs Establishment a Gravity exemplified from the Apostles and an Antiquity which was from the Beginning and when Scripture is once made sole Umpire in the Quarrel As the Church of England will certainly run the Papist out of all distance so the Non-conformist will begin to put in his stake and perhaps win the Plate § 2. If you ask how the Church of Rome undermines our Church he answers 1. She furnishes other parties with Arguments against it It were much easier to evince that the Euquirer has rather borrowed his Arguments from Rome then Rome lent one to the Non-conformists I think there 's not one Arrow he can shoot against them but I can shew him where 't was borrow'd or shotten from a Jesuites Quiver where was that Argument taken from Axes Halters Pillories Galleys Prisons Consiscations as some express it or as he more concisely Executing the Laws borrow'd but from Rome The Scripture knows it not the better sort of Heathens abhorr'd it Protestants disown it Papists only glory in it Uterejure tuo Caesar sectamque Lutheri Ense Rotâ Ponto Funibus igne Neca And whence was that argument for Active unlimited Obedience to all things commanded by the Church borrowed for though it becomes no mouth so well as his that can boast of Infallibility yet still we are pressed with the same Argument and in the last resort Publick Conscience must carry it I am sorry this imprudent person should give any one occasion to say further that some of us at home have furnisht Rome with Arguments against the Reformation Arguments from the Scripture Rome has none from the nature of the thing not one but some have put into their Hands a left-handed Dagger which does mischief enough it 's called Argumentum ad Hominem Thus when we are earnest with them to throw away their Oil and Cream they bid us throw away our Cross If we desire her to reform her Cowles and Copes she calls to us to reform our Surplice When we in a friendly way caution them not to feed upon the Devils flesh they answer As good eat his flesh as the Broth he was boiled in 2. She is all for blind Obedience at home but preaches up tenderness of Conscience abroad And what the difference is between blind Obedience and Obedience meerly on the account of the Command I would willingly learn And if any can shew us a better reason for the things commanded and enjoyned then that we shall return him thanks If I might now borrow the Enquirers place so long as whilst I propounded a few Enquiries I would immediately resign to him his Province § 1. If the enmity between the two Churches be so great as is pretended what was the reason that so many Stars of the first magnitude in this Orb were in Conjunction with the Dragons Tail why were they so ready to yield him his Western Patriarchate and all within the first four hundred years which will at once bring England under his Subjection though I much question whether the Grand Seignior will have so much good nature as to resign him the Eastern Patriarchate so easily § 2. If the Church of Rome be this Churches Enemy is she not then concerned to get more Churches to be her Friends It 's a wild Humour of some Church-men that they will disoblige all the world provoking every ones hand against themselves whilst their hand is against every one If Rome be an Enemy she is a potent malicious subtle and United Enemy and it concerns a Church not to be divided at home when her Enemies are united abroad and to combine with the forreign Protestants in Love were an excellent way to prevent the Combinations of Romes hatred § 3. It would be enquired If Rome be such an Enemy what should be that which provokes her wrath and indignation what that should be that makes the envious Snakes wherewith Antichrists head is periwigg'd to hiss and spit out their Venom Does she Storm and Rage because we have retained two or three of her fine Ceremonies that cannot be the Origin of her spight They are those things wherein the Church of England and Non-conformists are mutually agreed that Rome opposes this Church in and they are those things wherein this Church symbolizes with Rome wherein she differs most from the Non-conformists When the Heathens triumphed in the great feats of their Maximus Tyrius and Apollonius Tyanaeus the Christians answered That whatever good effect their Religion ever had upon the Lives of Men was owing to those Principles and Truths which it had in Common with Christianity Thus will Dissenters plead
upon Is the Peace of the Church â—…rown so cheap and vile that it should be sold for things unnecessary One while he cries up Peace so high p. 108. That he protests if a Man must suffer Martyrdome he thinks it equally acceptable to God to lay down a Mans life for preservation of the Peace and Unity of the Church as in Testimony against flat Idolatry Are they not to be admired that value Peace more than their Lives and yet will venture it upon indifferent things Are they not more to be admired that extol Peace so highly and yet sacrifice it to their own meer wills and pleasures But is not this yet the greatest wonder that Peace should depend oâ—… that which Salvation does not and yet he will sacrifice his Life for it as soon as against that upon which his Eternal Damnation depends 2. If Men be not Competent Iudges of their own Actions what is become of that Iudgement of Discretion wherewith we were even now gratified Is this the Iudgement of Discretion to surrender our Consciences upon Discretion The Romanists who appropriate all Iudgement to the Clergie and deal with the rest of Mankind as Idiots and Sots could have said no more then that Men are not Competent Iudgâ—… of their own good And if we may not be allowed a liberty to judge for our selves in those lesser matters debatable amongst Christians much less in those greater matters which they say admit of no debate And how much our Authors Cure is better than that of the Romanists I know not I think they are both worse then the Disease 3. Why is not the danger of trusting others as great as trusting to the Word of God Mine Eyes may be presumed to see for my conduct as faithfully as another Mans and my own Conscience will probably be as faithful to my Eternal concerns as any ones I could find And I have tried it that it 's much easier to obtain a moral certainty that I have the Mind and Will of God then that I have grasped the Mind of any Church from their most Authentick Articles or Confessions of Faith 4. Why should others be troubled that I am not so wise as they It 's none of my trouble that they use their liberty without dispising whilst I exercise that which God has given me without judging If we must trust others in composing Worship and Divine Service for us Terms of Communion of Christians where is then the difference between That and the Popish Implicit Faith This will make the People Sheep indeed but silly ones I am sure such is my weakness I can see no difference between Blind Obedience and trusting others with the determination of it or between Implicit Faith and trusting others as the Reason of my Belief either then here 's no Remedy or one worse then the Disease The Disease at worst is but to enjoy a liberty in those things Christ left free nor is there any necessity that freedom should be 〈◊〉 and the Remedy to trust others blindfold with our Consciences whom we have no assurance will be over tender of them and if we had have no Commission from Christ to intrust them any where but in his own hands But what now if the people be foolish proud and contentious what remedy has the Church 〈◊〉 Why she only declares them guilty of sin and contâ—…macy and casts them out of Communion But â—…hat if they be humble and meek and peaceabâ—…e only cannot by searching studying praying discoursing see the lawfulness of the imposed Terms of Communion Must the Church declare them contumacious and cast them out of Communion It may tempt us to think that is no Remedy of Gods prescribing that deals alike with humble and pround the peaceable and contentious But for all this demureness I doubt there are other Remedies besides a Declaration other Weapons besides Paper Pellets There is a Significavit a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo de Harâ—…tico Comburendo An Oath of Abjuration a Warrant of Distress if they submit not to those Impositions upon which Salvation depends not and in their judgements such as are sinful and then damnation is hazarded by them I have often admired the modesty of the Church of Rome She never put any Man to death She never burnt any at a Stake It 's not for Holy Men Men of Peace to shed Blood to be Instruments of Cruelty No the Church only delivers them over to the Secular Power and what he does with them how he treats them she knows nothing Thus having drawn in the Magistrate to do her Drudgery she wipes her Mouth washes her Hands and protests she is Innocent of the Blood of these Men. An Objection was timely foreseen that might be made against his Discourse and like a person that knew how to be friendly to himself he has put it in favourable and gentle Terms This will equally extend to all other Reformed Churches as well as our own and might have brought forth all the evil we complain of and impute to it in former Ages as well as now for the generality of the People were not much wiser then now That is the Protestant Churches have their Members as lyable to mistake beyond Sea as ours on this side they have Private Reason as well as we and a Iudgement of Discretion too and so had the Primitive Times too Christians then were equally in danger of being seduced by their own injudiciousness and yet the one continued in much peace and the other still continues so without the Remedy of Imposing Mystical Ceremonies Nay to speak properly without the Disease of Impositions The not imposing doubtful things as the Terms of Communion were with them the Prophylacticks of Schisms and Divisions and the imposing of them which is strange is the Therapeutick of Schisms and Divisions to which he answers two things § 1. That other Churches found the effects of Ignorance and Arrogance more or less as well as we To which might be returned That they found it not in those things which they left free but if at any time they laid the weight of the Churches peace upon unnecessaries they found in proportion the same effects of the same Cause which we have found But says he that was to be ascribed not to the happiness of their Constitutions but to the unhappiness of their Conditions I confess I am not altogether of his mind it was mainly due to the happiness of their Constitution there were fewer Contentions because fewer Bones of Contention and less of Divisions because they united upon a Scrâ—… ptural and therefore secure bottom That the Church of Corinth needed a check for her Divisions is very true and a smart one she deserved And 't is as true too That the Apostle had not Recourse to our Modern Remedies to exert his Apostolical power to silence the Clamour by darting the Thunderbolt of Excommunication against the weaker Party and yet he had a far more specious pretence
then any Church Governours can now justly Claim His Apostolical Commission to Plant and Water Churches which would have commanded Reverence to his Person and conciliated Authority to his Determinations and yet he either had no such power or durst not use it but took the Healing way tolerating things tolerable and pressing them mutually to Love and Peace under their various apprehensions about Mint Anise and Cummiâ—… But yet he thinks That the Reason why Primitive Christians whilst under persecution had one Heart and Mind was because they submitted their private Fancies to publick Safety Which is only the assigning of an Imaginary cause for a Real one Primitive Christians whilst surrounded with Adversaries were of one Heart and Mind in the main and the true Reason was because their dangers and pressing fears had not yet let in that Prelatical Imposing Spirit into the Guides of the Church which Ease and Liberty afterwards produced And though we dare not charge our Divisions upon Peace Plenty and Liberty which are great Mercies to a sinful people yet we would lay the Saddle upon the right Horse the blame at the right door 'T is not the injudiciousness of the People who are willing to be quiet and accept of rest upon tolerable terms but the obstinacy of Clergy-men who make their own Wills the reason of their Injunctions not considering that all mens Intellectuals are not of one size and height and yet as if Consciences were to be fooled with Mens Souls sported with they necessitate the People either to act against their Light or to fall under the severe lash of a Poenal Statute § 2. That these Evils broke out no sooner says he is due to the contentment generally took in their first Emerging out of the Darkness and Superstitions of Popery Very true they were so full of Admiration at what God had done for them that they considered not what further to ask God to do for them so transported that they were out of Egypt that they never considered how short the Wilderness was of the promised Land And hence he might have answered himself p. 13. If there be such a dangerous Affinity between the Church of England and Rome how came it to pass that Cranmer and Ridley c. laid down their Lives in testimony to this against that Rome was not built nor will it be destroyed in one day Our first Martyrs laid down their Lives in Testimony that Rome was guilty of dangerous Doctrines but not that we had nothing remaining that needed a Reformation 2. A second cause is That a great part of this Nation having been leavened with Iewish Superstitious or Traditions hath thereby been indisposed to an uniform reception of and Perseverance in the Reformation of Religion held forth by this Church When I first read the charge of Judaism brought in against the Dissenters I remembred what I had met with in the virulent Titles of some Lutheran Book Calvinus Iudaizans Calvinianorum Nesterianismus Calvine-papismus Noâ—…us Calvinistarum Deus to which we may add Calvine-Turcismus and some others I began to cast about in my thoughts for the reason of such an Imputation Have they set up an Image of the Aaronical Priesthood Have they their High-Prieâ—… their inferiour Priesâ—… and Levites attired in the Linen Ephod with all the Accoutrements of the Aaronical Wardrobe And that they may more exactly symbolize therewith have they provided for their Priests an Altar settled upon them a Levitical maintenance and to carry on the parallel have they erected Temples distinguisht by sacred Apartments Have they their Holy and most Holy place Chancelled in for the greater Reverence of the sacred Mysteries to secure them from the Approaches of the prophane and injudicious Rabble and have they all these enclosed within Holy Ground And the rather beacuse Dionysius assures us That the Christians in his time had solemn Temples like the Iews and the Chancel severed with special sanctifications from the rest of the Church whereas says he the Christians of the first Age made their Assemblies both in such private places and in such simplicity as the Apostles did I considered again whether the Non-conformists had not introduced a pompous padagâ—…gie of Ccremonies and imposed them upon the People whether they might not parhaps have instituted some Feasts and Holy-days upon an old Judaical account as of the Circumcision Purification or whether they had not appointed some Office or solemn special Service for Lustration of Women after Childbirth in correspondence with the Iewish Purifications of Women after their uncleanness whether they observed any sacred time Analogical to the Passover or had any Foot-steps of the ancient distinction of Meats into clean and unclean Or any thing that might give cause of suspicion that they had by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 revived Moses his extraordinary Quadragesimal Abstinence or whether they introduced Temple instrumental Musick whether loud sounding Cymbals or Organs having such good proof in Durantus his Rationale from that Text Let every thing that hath Breath praise the Lord And when I could find no track of reason for the charge upon these accounts I went to enquire of the Enquirer And it does appear by his talk that a more secret and mysterious Judaisme then all this has of old been rooted in this Nation that no Ecclesiastical Pick-axes have been able to extirpate it for says he the greatest difficulty that Austin the Monk found here was to bring the Inhabitants from the observation of Easter and some other Rites according to the manner of the Iewish and Eastern Churches to that of the Roman and Western and the doing it cost the lives of twelve hundred Monks who stubbornly opposed his Inovations This Austin was certainly a Formal Fop as ever this poor Nation was harassed with Two third parts of his whole Ministerial or Apostolical work was Ceremony for upon these conditions he propounded Peace to the Britains If you will in these three things obey me In celebrating Eastar in due time In Baptizing according to the manner of the Roman Church and in Preaching the Word to the Nation all other Ceremonies Fashions and Customs though they be contrary to ours yet we will willingly bear with them Was not this a person of great moderation But why not condescend in those two as well as all the rest Oh it s the Religious policy of Rome to reserve as much of Ceremony as like a Quit-rent will serve to Recognize the Papal Soveraignty and that point of Soveraignty alone will in due time fetch in the other To own that Churches power to impose ics Jurisdiction to award terms of Communion though but in one single instance is the delivery of a Twig and a Turf which give her Livery and Seisâ—…n of the Conscience in the name of the whole Man But if Austins Reformation was so Ceremonious in it self and so bloody in its effects which are if not inseparably yet commonly linked together If he could have
received any such command to invent and impose Ceremonies she can tell us where others may read it as well as her self And to conclude at present they say That this one Principle granted That the Church may impose upon her Members whatever is not expresly forbidden does either put the Body of Christians under a more heavy Yoke then that of the Iews or else torment them with fears that they may be so And indeed supposing this exorbitant power to impose parts of Worship or Ceremonies or any of these things in Debate the condition of the Iews was much more desirable in this respect then that of Christians For § 1. Their Law-giver was Iehova who had an absolute and unlimited power over them and they that are Gods Creatures will not grudge to be his Servitors He was Lord paramount of Worship and Conscience and might he not be allowed to do what he would with his own He is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh and shall they not live in subjection to him who expect to live in a Kingdom with him Since there is a necessity of obedience it sweetens it unspeakably that it 's both Interest and Priviledge to obey and that he who requires obedience is their God a God whose Will is the Rule of Righteousness and therefore the most satisfactory Reason of his Commands and his Creatures Duty And Implicit Obedience is then Honourable when God calls for it § 2. As their Law giver had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Authority to Command so he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a power to influence the weakest Elements He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had absolute Sovereignty and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of Almighty power which was a double encouragement to the observers of his precepts For 1. He was hereby able to secure the Obedient in his Service upon which Account Christ claims the Legislative Power over Conscience â—…am 4. 12. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy 2. By this Power he could render efficacious these Rudiments which in themselves were but beggerly Ordinances and produce by them Spiritual and Supernatural effects And I am 〈◊〉 the rather to think that God has not committed the â—…ral Power of instituting much less the Sovereign Power of imposing Religious Ceremonies and Observances because he has not communicated that other Power to bless their own appointments â—…or invigorate them with success God may well be allowed to Command what he pleases seeing be can and will bless whatsoever he Commands § 3. Their Law-giver was Faithful one to whom they might securely commit their Consciences one with whom they might â—…ith the greatest satisfaction of Heart commit their Souls He â—…hat has a sole right to any thing will be faithful in keeping it because 't is his own and who may better be entrusted with the Guardianship of Worship and all Religion then their Owner But though we ought not to be Censorious yet we may and ought to exercise some prudence and caution to whom we resign our selves in matters of Religion though the best of Men not knowing how they may use us but well knowing that we may more easily Captivate ourselves to the Will of an Imposer then being once enthralled vindicate our selves into our Christian Liberty Or if for no other Reason yet for this because they are but Men. § 4. The Jewish Yoke was a determinate Yoke It was Onus but Determinatum A Burden but a stinted Burden It 's no small alleviation to the Labourers toyl when he knows his work to the Traveller that he knows his Journeys end The fews had their work before them but upon the Modern Principle The burden of Christians is Indefinite which is but a better word for Infinite The Truth is in these Humane Impositions we see the beginning but no Man knows the end of them it 's a Nemo scit Our load must be bounded with no other Limits then a Churches Will and that Will perhaps bounded with no other then its Power since it 's Canoniz'd for good Divinity That the Church may impose whatever is Decent and that the Church is Iudge of what is Decent though who the Church is is not so certain § 5. Their Law-giver was one of known and approved Tenderness who either apportioned his work to their strength or their strength to his work he fitted the Yoke to their Neck and their Neck to the Yoke The main thing that renders Christs own Yoke so easie his Burden so light is that as his Authority imposes so his strength supporta Men may lay heavy burdens on our Shoulders but where there is most need cannot touch them with one of their Fingers § 6. Their Law-giver was one who in all his Impositions consulted their own good and benefit as wel as exercised his own Authority The Iews wrought hard indeed but their work had much of wages in 't The design of their Mystical Rites and Ceremonies directed them to a Saviour Legal Administrations well order'd were Gospel Priviledges Before Christ came Ceremonies were Illustrantia such as discovered the Person Nature Office and Grace of the Messiah a Candle is better then no Light but to us they are all Obscurantia such as darken the state of Christianity As before the Sun-rising the Prodromous Clouds whose edges are fringed with Gold comfort us with the hopes of an approaching greater Light which when the Sun is up do but darken the Horizon Thus did Ceremonies illustrate Christ at the Annuntiation but obscure him at his Advent It will be needless further to Vindicate the Dissenters I shall leave them to the Enquirers Patronage who by the same Reason that he justifies the Church of England from Popery will I hope clear the Non-conformists from Judaism p. 12. All says he is not to be accounted Popery which is held or practised by the Church of Rome Nor say I is all to be accounted Judaism which was either the principle or practise of the Iewish Church p. 13. Nor is it reasonable to say such a thing is received from the Church of Rome because it is there to be found unless it be found no where else And as little Reason to say the Dissenters have received this Principle from the Jews That no Worship is lawful for that is their Principle but what is prescribed by the Scripture unless it were found no where else But this was a Principle so clear in the Light of Nature that Numa the great Ritualist of Heathen Rome durst not hope that ever his Ceremonies would ever obâ—…ein amongst a people that had Fyes in their Heads unless he had or pretended to have a Conference with his Goddess Aegeria Thus the Palladium of Troy that Mystick Ceremony in which the Fate of their City was wrap'd up is supposed to have come down from Minerva the famous Image in Diana's Temple ' Acts 19. 35. is supposed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fallen from Jupiter and
's true Diotrephes his fingâ—…rs it â—…hed to be tampering but the Beloved Disciple that lay in his Masters Bosom who was privy to his meek and gracious Temper and knew how displeasing such imperiousness was to him gave an early and timous rebuke to the Attempts and Essays of Praelatical Arrogancy and indeed he could not but remember and was concern'd in it how smartly Christ had snibb'd Aspiring Church-men That there was so much Tranquility therefore amongst the Primitive Christians was not that they were without differing apprehensions for mens parts were no more alike nor thâ—…ir Educations more equal then now But because there was a Spirit of Condescension to and mutual forbearance one of another The strong either in Knowledge or Authority did not trample upon the weak There was then some diversity of Eupressions in which the Pastors of several Churches delivered themselves for there were neither Homilies nor Liâ—…urgies yet they did not dispute themselves into parties because they made not their own Sentiment the Test of Orthodoxy nor their private Faith the publick standard and measure to which all Christians should be tyed to subscribe They allowed a latitude in things not fundamental nor had learned the modern Artifice of Fettering Consciences in the Chains of Assent and Consent to the Dogmats of a prevailing party In those days meâ—… were sincerely good and devout and set their Hearts upon the Main the huge consequence and concern of which easily prevailed with those Holy men to over-look other mens private Opinions They were intent upon that wherein the power of Godliness consisted and upon which thâ—… Salvation of Souls depended and so all that was secure they were not so superstitiously concerned for Rituals either to practice them much less to impose them They would not stake the Churches Peace against Ceremonies and then play it away rather then not be Gamesters They considered that they had all one God one Faith one Baptism one Lord Iesus Christ and never insisted upon one Posture one Gesture one Garment one Ceremony They Good men found enough to do to mortifie their Passions to bear their Burdens of Afflictions and Persecution to withstand the temptations of the Devil and the contagion of evil Examples And had no strength to spare nor superfluous time to wast to Conn the Theory of Ceremonies and practice new devices But when men grow cold and indifferent about great things then they become â—…ervent about the lesser when they give over to mind a holy life and heavenly Conversation then they grow fierce Disputants for and rigid Exacters of the sulâ—… Tale of Ceremonies Thus when the Scribes and Pharise 〈◊〉 became so violent for the necessity of washing hands they little regarded the cleansing of their Hearts They that will make things indifferent to become necessary the next news you hear of them is that they make things necessary to become indifferent when men cease to study their own hearts they become very studious how to vex and torment other mens for then they have both leisure and confidence enough to trample upon their inferiours Then it shall be a greater sin for a Monk to lay aside his Cowle then his Chastity and to be a scrupulous Non-conformist to the Laws of Men then a scandalous Non-conformist to the Laws of God In short that I may say the same thing over again which I have twenty times already said and that I may convince the Reader that I have read Erasmus de opiâ—… vâ—…orum as well as his famous piece of the Art of Preaching Then and not till then do the little Appendices of Religion grow great and mighty matters in mens esteem when the Essentials the great and weighty matters are become little and inconsiderable which I had had little need to have mentioned but for the sake of those Elegant and Modish words Appendices and Essentials which in an Eloquent Oration ought not to have been forgotten Dixi That there are Distractions in the Nation Divisions amongst Christian Brethren and a separation from the present Church of England in various degrees is evident The Industry of our Enquirer in Tracing out the Causes of them has been very commendable though his success has not been answerable Had he pleased to approve himself a skilful and impartial as well as a serious Enquirer he had certainly directed us to one cause more which for want of Ariadnes Threed in the Anfractuous windings of this Labyrinth he has quite lost himself and his Travels Honest Gerson of old has notified it to the non-observing World and from him I shall recommend it to the Reader There can be saith he no General Reformation without the Abolitions of sundry Canons and Statutes which neither are nor reasonably can be observed in these times which do nothing but ensnare the Consciences of men to their endless Perdition no tongue is able to express what evil what danger and confusion the neglect and contempt of the Holy Scripture which doubtless is sufficient for the Government of the Church else Christ had been an imperfect Law-giver and the following of Humane Inventions hath brought into the Church Serm. in die circ part 1. 'T is that which has ever been lamented and by all moderate persons complained of That unnecessary Impositions have been made the indispensible conditions of Church-Communion without precept or precedent from the Word of God To this cause had he reduced all our Divisions he said more in those few plain words then in all those well coucht periods wherewith he has adorned his Discourse and darkened Counsel As the matter of Law arises out of the matter of Fact so the Justice of the Non-conformists Cause appears from the terms that are put upon them in order to Communion If the Terms be unjust it will justifie their Cause If they have sinfully managed their Cause its goodness will not justifie their Persons what Dissenters usually insist upon for their Justification I shall reduce to these Heads § 1. They plead that some things are imposed upon their Faith tendered to Subscription as Articles of Faith which are either false or at best they have not yet been soo happy as to discover the truth of them In Art 20. They are required to subscribe this Doctrine The Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies which Clause of the Article as we fear it has been by some indirect means shuffled into the Article it not being found in the Authentick Articles of Edw. 6. so it proves also that the Terms of Communion have been enlarged since the first times of the Reformation They object also against that Doctrine in the Rubrick That it is certain from the Word of God That Children Baptized and dying before the Commission of actual sins are undoubtedly saved The Scripture the Protestant Churches nor any sound Reason have yet given them any tolerable satisfaction of the Truth of the Doctrine about the Opus operatum of Sacraments That Doctrine laid down in the
Catechism That Children do perform Faith and Repentance by their sureties is also as great a stumbling to our Faith and we cannot get over it How the Adult should believe and repent for Minors or Infants Believe and Repent by Proxie I omit many others § 2. They plead that they are not satisfied in the use of any Mystical Ceremonies in Gods Worship and particularly they judge the use of the Cross in Baptism to be sinful A Sacrament of Divine Institution according to the definition of the Church in her Catechism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof where we have 1. The matter of a Sacrament An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace 2. The Author of a Divine Sacrament Christ himself 3. The End of it to be a means to convey the thing signified and a pledge to assure us of it Hence it 's evident that it 's simply impossible that any Church should institute a Divine Sacrament because they cannot give it a Causality to those Graces it is instituted to signifie Nevertheless it 's possible for Men to institute Humane Sacraments which shall have the Matter of a Sacrament That is an outward Visible Sign of an inward Spiritual Grace and they may pretend to ascribe an effect to it also to stir up to excite or encrease Grace and Devotion And yet because it wants the right efficient Cause it 's no lawful Sacrament though it be an Humane Sacrament Such an institution say they is the Sign of the Cross. An outward Visible Sign of an inward Spiritual Grace Ordained by Men as a means to effect whatever Man can work by his Ordinance Here is the matter without Divine Signature which is the thing they condemn it for 3. They plead that since Communion with the Church is suspended and denyed but upon such Terms as take away Christian Liberty in part and by consequence leave all the rest at Mercy they dare not accept of Communion upon those Terms There are some things which God has in the general left free and indifferent to do or not do yet at some times and in some Cases it may be my great sin if I should do some of them as when it would wound the Conscience and destroy the Soul of a weak Christian If now I shall engage my self to the Church that I will never omit such an indifferent thing and the Soul of that weak Christian should call to me to omit it I have tyed my Hands by engagement I cannot help him though it would save his or a thousand Souls out of Hell because I have given away my freedom to the Church 4. They plead that they ought not to hazard their Souls in one Congregation if they may more hopefully secure them in another for that their Souls are their greatest concernment in this World and the next Now say they there 's no Question but Men Preach such as they Print with pubiick allowance and therefore they ought to provide better for their Souls elsewhere Especially they say That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands This Article say they in the Parish where we live is quite demolish'd by the Doctrine of Iustification by Works we are bound therefore to provide for our safety and depart and when we are once out we will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most eligible and in all things nearest the Word 5. They plead that there 's no obligation upon them to own the Churches Power to impose new Terms of Communion unless the Church can prove her Power from Christ it 's not for them to disprove it it lies upon her to prove it and to prove it substantially too or else it will be hard to prove it their duty to own it 6. They say the World is pestered with Disputes about Worship about Religion and therefore since all cannot be in the right they are willing to go the safest way and Worship God according to his Word If the things disputed be lawful to be done let 'em be so they are sure its lawful to let 'em alone and they think there 's no great hazard in keeping to Scripture Rule nor can believe that Christ will send any to Hell because they did not Worship God in an External Mode more neat and spruce then God commanded 7. They pretend that the things imposed are parts of Worship which none can Create but God nor will God accept of any but such as are of his own Creating and whether they be Integral or Essential Parts they do not know but in the Worship of God they find them standing upon even ground with those that are certainly Divine or at least as high as Man can list them 8. They do not find that God ever commanded the things imposed either in general in special or their singulars If God has commanded a Duty to be done the Church must find a place to do it in but though the Church must find a place for the Duty a time for the Duty she may not find new Duty for the time and place 9. They are the more cautious of all Ceremonies because the old Church of England in her Homilies Serm. 3. Of Good Works tell us That such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man superstitiously given to make New Honcuring of God of his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that then to search out Gods Holy Commandments and do them 10. They say they have read over all the Books that have been written in justification of those things and they find their Arguments so weak their Reasons so futilous that setting aside Rhetotick and Railing there 's nothing in them but what had been either answered by others or is contradicted by themselves which hardnes them in their Errour who are gone astray into the right way 11. They say it 's their duty to endeavour a Reformation according to the Word which if others will not they cannot help it and hope they will not be angry with the willing PART II. CHAP. I. The several ways for prevention of Church-Divisions mentioned by the Enquirer considered The Papal Methods 1. Keeping the People in Ignorance 2. An infallible Iudge 3. Accommodating Religion to the Lusts of Men. Three other ways mentioned by the Enquirer 1. Teleration 2. Comprehension 3. Instruction AS that Person will highly merit of this present Age whose discerning eye shall discover and his charity propound to the world such rational expedients as may amicably compose our present differences upon terms comporting with the Consciencious principles of the contending parties so our fears of the success are justly greatned by the frequent disappointment of our hopes Confident Pretenders posting up their Bills in
sin But the most considerable thing here will be how I became a Member of that Church from which the departure is supposed to be made for 1. To be forced into a Church will never make me such a Member but that I may re-assume my liberty and right when the force is removed Violence and Constraint unite me no otherwise to a Church then a great Beetle unites a Wedge to a Tree which though it may by main strength be driven into the Tree yet not being engrasâ—…ed into it no Union is created with it nor does it derive any nourishing juices from it 2. Baptism alone will not do it because as I conceive that Ordinance solemnly unites me only to the Catholick visible Church and not to a particular Congregation otherwise whenever the providence of God shall transplant me into another particular Church I must be re-baptized and so as often as I remove because as to that Church I am unbaptized 3. Nor will my being born and bred within national limits and precincts denominate me a Member of such National Church or Constitution because it passes for a Current Maxime That the Church is in the Common-wealth and therefore Church and Kingdom Church-member and Subject are not Terms of equal extent and demensions And besides there are many Congregations of Christians in this Nation not syncretizing with the National Policy who yet are not stigmatized with the Brand of Schismatical but without the least reproach of Schism Worship God and exercise Discipline according to their own private and peculiar Laws 4. Therefore to make me a Member of a particular Church there must be the concurrence of my own free choice which whether it ought to be signified by express and overâ—… Acts or that an implicite and tacâ—…te consent may not suffice is heâ—… no season to discourse § 5. But the only difficulty I am sure the grâ—…est is that which he subjoins in thâ—…se words An unnâ—…ssary separation or without just cause or to separate from that Society wherein I may continue without sin Two extreams there are it seems 1. Of The Zealoâ—…s of the Church of Rome who scarcely allow any thing as a sufficient cause of separation But I look on this as a very unjust surmise of the Romanists for their most rigid Zealots will in Theâ—… allow sinful conditions imposed for a just â—…round of sinless departure only they deny to individuals a judgement of discretion to determine each for himself of the sinfulness of the Condition And thus what they seem to give with the right hand they take away with the left And herein our Enquirer is as strait laced as they for though in the general he will prodigally allow us that sinful Impositions are a just plea for separation yet he has forestalled that concession all along with a fine contrivance That our private Wisdom must lower the Top-sale to the publick Thus p. 64. Since the peace of the Church often depends upon such points as Salvation does not and since in many of those every man is not a Competent judge but must either be in danger of being deceived himself and of troubling others one of necessity must trust some body else wiser then himself so that the matter according to this Gentlemans Hypothesis is just as long as 't is broad but that the Church of Rome speaks that with open Mouth which he delivers between the Teeth 2. The other supposed extream is that of some Protestants who make the Causes of separation as many and as light as the Iews did of Divorce almost for any matter whatsoever But as our Saviour when the case was put found out a middle way betwixt Divorce for no cause at all and for every cause so ought it to be done in this business of Schism Reader we are now in a hopeful way for the compromising all the Controversies that have vext our Northern Climate and to seal general Releases of all Actions and causes of Actions against each other from the beginning of the Reformation to the day of the Date of these presents for as we may charitably presume of all our Episcopal Brethren that they will stand to the final award of so great an undertaker as our Enquirer so I am confident I may engage for all the dissenting Brethren that they will abide by the Umpirage of Iesus Christ and that whatever expedient he used in deriding the grand Question about Divorce shall conclude them in all their Debates about Schism Now the final Decision of that affair we find Mat. 19. 8. where our Saviour considers not what could plead inveterate Custom or a gray headed practise to abet its pretensions he slights all the Arguments from laudable Examples and the Traditions of their Forefathers and runs up the practise to its Primitive Institution and tells them From the Beginning it was not so And indeed if a Transcript be blotted or blurr'd we presently have recourse to the Original and from thence redintegrate whatever the hungry worm or greedy Moth has deâ—…aced when the Streams are muddied and polluted we relieve our selves from the Spring where the Virgin and unpolluted waters flow clearest and sweetest without adulterate mixtures It was the cry in the Council of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we cry the same one and all Let the terms of Comunion in the first plantation of the Gospel Church be produced and he that will not subscribe and submit to those Archetypes let him be branded for an obstinate Schismatick Now therefore if ever our Enquirer promises himself and us that he will Hit the mâ—…rk I say then and then only is there just cause of separation when perseverance in the Communion of such a Church cannot be without sin that is when she shall impose such Laws and Terms of Society as cannot be submitted to without apparent breach of the Divine Law Thus he says And if I should tell the Reader I say the contrary we should make a squabble on 't to render our selves ridiculous let it therefore neither be what I say nor what he says but what wiser men then us both say who may be presumed more impartial in their Judgements wherein they vindicate the Dissenters because they were or are eminent Members of this Church And first I will present him with the judgement of Mr. Hales a Person of whom the Church of England has great cause to boast Now amongst many other things to our purpose in his Treatise of Schism he acquaints us 1. That when either false or uncertain conclusions are obtruded for Truth or Acts either unlawful or ministring just scruple are required of us to be performed in these cases consent were Conspiracy and open Contestation is not Faction or Schism but due Christian Animosity 2. That nothing absolves men from the guilt of Schism but true and unpretended Conscience Therefore such a Conscience will absolve from the guilt of it 3. That where the Cause of Schism is necessary there not
any man I do as much as in me by alter the nature of indifferent things For things sinful can never be done Duties must always be performed in due time and place and indifferent things should be indifferently used as present Circumstances invite Prudence and Charity to determine but when once they are predetermined I can no more do an indifferent thing then if it had been sinful or no more omit an indifferent act then if it had been necessary 3. By such a fixed predetermination of my liberty I ascribe more to man in his positive precepts then to God in his affirmative moral precepts for the Acts of such Commands may be suspended pro hic Nunc when they obstruct some great Good but in this case I must act uniformly without respect to circumstances let thousands be offended stumbled wounded in Conscience and prejudiced against Religion And in short by such Resignation of my liberty in is't exercise I have reduced my self to that imaginary Liberty of Opinion that dreaming freedom which the Lollards enjoyed in their Tower and the poor Protest ants in Bonners Cole-hole 7 When Christian Charity commands me to forbear the use of the thing which otherwise is within the Charter of Christian Liberty to use and at the same time the Christian Magistrate shall command me to to practise that very thing by a fixed Law I humbly conceive that Christian Charity ought to restrain my Liberty not to act rather then the Commands of the Magistrate enforce me to act 1. Because the restraint which Charity puts upon me will soon determine and â—…pire but the Command of the Magistrate is perpetual 2. The restraint which Charity puts upon me is internal and so agreable to and consistent with the greatest Freedom and Liberty but the restraint put upon me by the Magistrate is external and compulsory which comports not with my inward liberty for if he deals meerly by his will and authority that suits not with my reason and therefore has in it the nature of force But if the Magistrate should deal by Argument then when a stronger appears to act according to his precept then that drawn from the good of my Neighbour by Charity Christian Liberty may be free and yet obey provided always that that argument be taken from the nature of the thing commanded and not from the naked commands 3. The weak Christian for whose sake Charity commands me to forbear acting is one that cannot prevent his own weakness his stumbling scruples and aptness to be wounded but he that commands me to act may prevent recal or suspend his own Edict in that which in it's own nature is indifferent And God has commanded me not to offend my weak Brother by the use of indifferent things but he has no where commanded the Magistrate to impose indifferent things which become not some way or other necessary 4. It seems a most horrid thing to interpret Scriptures at this rate That I should be commanded to walk Charitably till I am commanded to walk uncharitably And forbidden to destroy him for whom Christ dyed by my indifferent things till I am enjoyned to destroy him Not to wound weak consciences till I am commanded to wound them Thus shall Moral precepts be avoyded by humane positive Laws which cannot be superseded by the Divine positive Laws And if one may be thus enervated the whole Dâ—…calogue has no firm station And thou shalt not make to thy self a graven Image may be eluded by this till we are commanded by Authority and I am somewhat confident the foundation laid by the Enquirer will bear that superstructure It is therefore a most approbrious and invidious charge with which he begins this discourse All that we have hetherto discoursed about the power of the Magistrate some think may be avoided by pleading the Magna Charta of Christian Liberty for though it may be pleaded against some power that may possibly be assumed yet against none wherewith he stands ' endowed by the Law of Nature or Scripture nor indeed against any useful power for the attaining the great ends of Government publick peace and tranquillity The Church of England in her avowed Doctrine asserts that Christ has ordained in his Church two Sacraments generally necessary to Salvation now we conceive that having a Right as Christians to all the Ordinances of Christ necessary to Salvation ChristianLiberty may plead the enjoyment of all thoseOrdinances upon those naked Terms Christ has offâ—…r'd them to Mankind This is our Maegna Charta And if any shall encumber that Communion with new clogs provisoes restrictions and limitations we plead our Petition of Right which if it be denyed us our Christian Liberty is so far violated Nor do we deny the Magistrate a Power about our Christian Liberty If any shall turn this Liberty into licenciousness he may restrain them Nay he may restrain the Liberty it self where God has not praeengaged us to restrain it And he will eminently employ his power for Christ when he exerts it to assert and vindicate to all his loyal Subjects the free use of that great Charter And if encroaching violence shall make a forcible entry upon that priviledge whereof we are in quiet and peaceable possession we shall complain of the force to him who will remove it and reinvest us in our Christian freehold whereof Christ has made the purchase with his own blood Two things there are which the Enquirer has lustily promised us and therefore we may confidently expect from him first that he will give us the true notion and secondly the due extent of Christian Liberty and he has freed his name pretty well for first he has made it a meer notion and then layd an extent upon it that is he has seized it into his own hands upon pretence for the Magistrates use 1 And first for his true notion for none cry stinking Mackerel there are two things also very considerable the liberality of his Concessions and the Policy of his Retractations He makes us fair lange Deeds but with a secret Power of Revocation frustrates all so that when we come to cast up our accounts we must say with that Bewildred Clyent in the Comadian when he had advised with his brace of Advocates Probèfecistis incertior sum multò quam duâ—…m 1 For his Concessions they are truly noble and generous and such as would heal us all § 1. Concession p. 88. When the Gospel was fully published then the aforesaid enclosure is laid open and all Nations invited into the Sociâ—…ty of the Church upon equal Terms neither party being bound to those nice Laws of Moses nor to any other but those plain and reasonable ones contained in the Gospel This is certainly the great year of Iubilee And will he not deserve to be shut out for ever that shall refuse so free an invitaâ—…ion Is he a reasonable Creature that refuses the plain and reasonable Terms of Communion contained in the Gospel what a
Christians but the Command of Ceremonies apparently has occasion'd Divisions between Protestants and Papists between Protestants themselves between those of the same Nations and all Humane Terms of Church-communion necessarily produce the same bitter fruit 7. The power of ordering the smallest matter in the Church must conform to the Soveraign end of edification 2. Cor. 13. 10. The power which the Lord hath given me for edification and not Destruction But no power may suspend my duty of pleasing my Brother to his edification 8. Supposing the worst That it 's only a Debt of Charity which my Brother may challenge of me not to scandalize him and a Debt of justice to Obey the Magistrate in this very case yet the Miniâ—…s of justice ought to vail to the Magnalia of Charity As the Command of a Father in lower instances ought to yeeld to the preservation of my Neighbours life 3 Some would except against the matter of his concession to deny himself in some part of his Liberty what a small some that may be none knows perhaps there 's no part of his Liberty which that duty may not Command 4 I except lastly against his propounded end to please and gain him as not adaequal to that which the Command has in it's eye To scandalize or give offence may be taken either in a primary sense and so it denotes a culpable giving occasion to a Brother to sin or in a lower and secondary sense for the angering and displeasing of a Brother This distinction well observed would unravel much confusion which pesters our discourses 1. If we compare the displeasing of a private person with that of a publick the latter is more sinful and much more dangerous for the wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lyon 2. To occasion culpably a publick person to sin is more heinous then to occasion the sin of a private person because the sins of those in eminent places have such a fatal influence upon the peoples pollution and the procurement of Gods displeasure 3. But if we compare a scandal in the primary sense with one in the secondary then it 's no measuring cast whether it be more eligible to displease the one or destroy the other Nor can there be sin in displeasing one when I cannot otherwise please but by destroying the other for though my own folly may possibly so ensnare me yet God never puts me under such Circumstances that I shall be necessitated to sin § 2. You have heard his fair concession now take his Limitation along with you That is says he in those things that are matters of no Law but left free and undeterminate there the Rule of the Apostle takes place 15. Rom. 1. 2. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves And let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to edification and we will add 14. Rom 13. Let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed v. 19. Let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another v. 20. for meat Destroy not the work of God This is the last retreat of these Gentlemen Hether they retrire as to their Triary and strong Reserves You ought to bear the infirmities of the weak to edify him heavenwards not to murder his soul till a Law be made to the contrary you are bound in Charity and compassion to such a one till you receive further Orders and then you must be savage and barbarous But his Reasons follow 1. Reason because we may not do evil that good may come The sinews of which Reason lye in a supposition that to omit a Ceremony is an evil thing compared with the saving of a soul. This General Rule may be applied that other way we must not do evil that Good may come and therefore may not draw a poor Brother into sin that some good may come by it and the rather if we consider what good comes by it As the saving my self a pecuniary mulct or Recognizing the Magistrates power to Command which may be done and is so in many ways wherein the scandal of another is not concern'd And if I should transgress a Ceremony or so for the saving of a soul we may Lawfully presume upon the general will of the Legislator that no positive Command of his should be so rigorously insisted on when it would destroy a greater good 2. Reason We must not break the Laws of God or man â—…ut of an humour of complaisance to a Brother Ans To discharge a weighty duty to avoid the scandalizing of a Brother to walk charitably which the Enquirer p. 137. when he had occasion to magnify Charity tells us is an essential part of Religion ought not to be put of with a frothy Droll as if it were nothing but the humour of Complaisance The Apostle whose head understood the speculation and whose heart entertained the love of this Doctrine much better then himself has taught us other things That to sin against the Brethren is to sin against Christ 1 Cor. 8. 12. 'T is to destroy with our meats indifferent things him for whom Christ dyed 14. Rom. 15. And if these be matters of humour and complaisance and we should venture a Ceremony for them it would be but to stake one Complement against another 3. Reason In those times says he the Magistrate being Pagan took no care of the Church nor had passed any Laws concerning the management of the Christian Religion And so Christians had a great deal of scope and room for mutual condescension But the case is quite otherwise when there 's a Law in being c. Really the Pagan Magistrate was very much overseen unless perhaps he knew nothing less or more of his Authority over things indifferent and then the Apostles must needs be to blame who never inform'd him of that Power over the Church wherewith Christ had eâ—…rusted him And above all St. Paul was utterly inexcusable having so inviting an opportunity to do it in Being so long at Rome having friends in â—…aesars Household and this in Quinquiâ—…nnio Neronis when the Lion was treatable and approachable Besides this must have obliged him to entertain better thoughts of Christians and Christianity and engaged him to protect and defend it when it lay so entirely at his devoir The Enquirer instructed us p. 144. that such a Society as a Church could never be conserved without some Rites or other nor any publick Worship be performed if all Ceremonies and Circumstances such as of time place persons and the like be left indefinite and undetermined He has told us since that the power of Determining and Defining these things ly's in our Governours who understand the Civil Policy p. 151. And now he tells us That in those primitive times the Magistrate had passed no Laws
concerning the manage of the Christian Religion so that it was impossible that either Church Government should be Lawfully administred or publick Worship duely performed because the Apostles were negligent in informing the Emperour of his power or he careless in performing his duty I wonder that amongst all the Apocryphal Epistles of Christ to Agâ—…arns or Paul to 〈◊〉 we meet with none of the Apostles to Nero. That whereas their Lord and Master had left them in great hast and either through the â—…urry of business had forgotten or littlenâ—…ss of the things had neglected to settle his Churches nor had passed any Laws concerning the manage of Religion for want of which politick constitutions they were in a lamentable confusion the worship of God lying at sixes and sevens the Government of the Church meeâ—… Anarchy none had power to Command none were obliged to obey every one did that which was rigâ—…t in his own eyes none had power to impose or compel the rest to submit to such Terms of Communion as were necessary besides those few and plain ones appointed by Christ himself And for as muâ—… as they were altogether by the â—…ars about indifferent things and they had no Rules in their Law-â—…ooks to determine these intricate matters They do therefore humbly beseech his Imperial Majesty that he would Review and Revise their Religion and add such other mystical Ceremonies significant of Gospel grace wherewith his well-known piety could not but be intimately acquainted and that he would take speedy and effectual care with these vexatioâ—…s Tender Consciences who scrupled eating of meats because once prohibited by the Law of Moses and straightly charge and Command that none should gratify them in â—…heir weakness and take such other and further order about their Religion as he in his Royal wisdom from time to time and at all times hereafter should judge meet and expedient And his Petitioners shall humbly Pray c. But to satisfy that Assertion I shall offer further these pariculars 1. It cannot appear that the Roman Emperours had any such Commission as is supposed to make that no duty which God had made a duty To make it no sin to give offence which otherwise had been a sin nor to add New Terms of Communion or to shut out of the Church those whom the fundamental Laws of Christ would receive 2. This principle of his Reflects most scandalously upon the greatest Temporal Mercy which God ever vouch safed his Churches I mean the Christian Magistrate for it implies that the condition of Christians was much more easy under the Pagan then under the Christian Magistrate Then says he the Christians had a great deal of scope and room for mutual condescension but now they are crowded up by restrictions Then the Worship of God was not clog'd with needless Ceremonies but now it 's incumbred with New Terms of Communion I might then have relieved a weak Conscience But the case is quite othâ—…wise says he now there 's a Law in being Then I might have used my liberty in indifferent things and only be restrained by Prudence and Charity but now I am debarred of it by the will of Authority This I say is a scandalous Reflexion For God has promised Christian Princes as Nursing Fathers to the Gospel-Church to secure and protect them and the Enquirer makes them Step-fathers tempting us to think that we have got no such great Bargain by the change 3. It 's clear that the Apostles had as much power to order the meer Circumstances of worship and Church-government as was needful to their exercise and actual performance or else all their determinations were sinful 2 The next priviledge of this tender Conscience is That it becomes the Magistrate so far to consider the satisfaction of peoples minds as well as the safety and peace of his Dominions as not to make those things the matter of his Laws which he forâ—…sees mens weakness will make them boggle at This is his Concession wherein he needed not have been so Timorous For when the Magistrate is settling the Civil peace of his Dominions he needs not concern himself whether the people will skew or no. But as if he had been affraid he had conceded too far he wisely limits the concession As unless there be weighty Reasons on the other hand to counterbalâ—…ance that consideration And they must be weighty Reasons indeed that will counterballance the edification and Salvation of weak yet sincere Christians that will counterballance the peace and safety of his Dominions Indifferent things will hardly weigh against these but what are those ponderous things that will make the scales even against these why 1. Such things which though some scruple are necessary to Government yes by all means when things necessary to Government are put in the ballance with the peace and safety of his Dominions they ought to turn the beam but this is freely granted that if mens scruples would overturn Government they must scruple on at their own peril But now we are ready to join issue with him upon this point That the things scrupled are neither necessary or any ways advantageous to the Being well-being or Glorious being of this or any Government The Roman Empire was in its greatest Glory at its highest pitch when the Apostles Baptized without the sign of the Cross and preacht without the Holy Garment The Christian Religion naked and plain as Christ left it had not the least evil or malignant influence upon the peace of that Empire Though it was the Policy of its enemies then to clap all the Commotions that arose upon other accounts upon the back of the Christian Doctrine It was the popular cry These are the men that have turned the world upside down And when the Judgments of God broke out upon them for their persecutions still to clamour Tollitâ—… Impios Christianos ad Leones Away with such Fellows 't is not sit they live a day Nay it 's evident that many Nations have prospered both in war and peace by land and sea who never knew the Ceremonies and none the better for them 2. Such things which are grateful to the greater or more considerable part of the subjects Those are such things which counterballance tender Consciences and the peace and safety of his Dominions I suspect the Enquirer to be a raw Statesmâ—…n as well as a crude Casuist what would he have a Prince destroy one half of his subjects to graetify the other half The Apostle has offered a rational expedient that the one may be gratified and yet the other not destroyed 14. Romans 3. â—…et not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth They to whom Ceremonies are so grateful sawce may have their fill of them and must they needs compel squeaâ—…ish stomacks to feed on the same Dish The gratefulness of Ceremonies to some mens fancies is no solid Reason why a consâ—…rable though not the more
or ten of the clock otherwise it cannot be attended on by the whole Church But if Time be taken in the latter sense for such time as shall render the worship more Asceptable to God because perform'd in such time there 's no necessity man should determine it both because all the skill he has can add no such Respect to Time and because God has already determin'd for so much of that time as his wisdome has judged necessary There are three Considerations of Time which may deserve our thoughts in this Case 1. The Quamdiu Or the quota pars temporis how long the Action shall continue 2. The Quoties how often the Action shall recurr as whether in an Annual diurnal horary or septenary Revolution let that word please or displease 3. The Quando or Epocha from what point of time the Action shall start or bear date When therefore he says 〈◊〉 worship can be performed unless this Circumstance of time be defined and determined I would know to which of these considerations of Time his Assertion does Relate for it 's Certain that in every of these Respects Time either is or must be determined by God or man § 1. Then for the Quamdiu of Solemn time we affirm that God has sanctified to his service and commanded us to keep holy one day in seven but how much of this time shall be Alotted to private and personal devotions how much bestowed upon domestick and family duties how much assigned to publick service is not precisely determin'd by God yet thus far he has determin'd by the Light of Nature and common Reason that if A day must be Expended in and divided between these three kinds of Devotions that each ought to have such a proportion assigned to it as the weight and dignity of the work requires still apportioning the whole time amongst them excepting so much as he has reserved for the incident duties of necessity and Charity which Exception he has put in to all affirmative precepts § 2. For the Quoties how often this solemn sacred time shall return we affirm that God has sufficiently determin'd it nor can we be affrighted out of our senses with the Empty clamours of Iudaism Sabbatarianism or whatever other noyses irreligion and prophaness can muster up There is no necessity therefore that Any Church should determine upon any other Revolution of sacred time and if she shall make the Adventure she will apparently sin for she must either make the Revolution narrower and so sin against the Churches Liberty by prescribing too frequent a Return or wider and to sin against the Churches Edification by too Seldom a Return of the publick worship § 3. For the Quando when this solemn and sacred time shall commâ—…nce He that has determined when the day of Labour has determined thereby when the day of Rest shall begin As in the one he Commands us to do All our work so on the other He commands us to do All his which is therefore the More ours Because it is wholy his But for the Quando of the publick worship As God has not determin'd it so it 's necessary some or other must But still what 's all this to Ceremonies Now the Great Question here will be who ought to make this determination And in my weak judgment They who are upon the place who know best the particular circumstances out of which the Expediency of such Determination must A rise they who 〈◊〉 â—…e conveniences and inconveniences of determining this way or the other are the most competent Judges in this Case Suppose the Question were whether we ought to meet together for publick worship at nine or ten of the clock what could a convocation say to this or what general Law could be made for all the particular Churches in a thousand miles Circuit If we look upon the Country Villages they have the oxe and asse to water and feed their cattle to attend in the field for whom God has made provision that they shall rest and not serve upon his day If you look on the petty or greater Corporations they have no calves in the stall no flocks in the field their shops are shut in their affaires reduced to a Narrower Compass and therefore may commence sooner then the Country Vâ—…lages Suppose nevertheless that some will needs Determine this affaire That all Churches under whatsoever Circumstances expedient or inexpedient right or wrong with all their particular members shall upon pain of excommuniation assemble for publick worship strictly at nine of the clock upon pretence of uniformity and that all may unite and associate their devotions as it were at once beleaguering heaven and wrestling for a blessing I cannot but think what distractions confusions it would raise in mens hearts and consciences what squabbles what quarrels it would create in the viceinage For my neighbours Dyal I observe goes a full quarter of an hour before mine and he sets his clock by his own Dyal and then rises in the Morning by his own clock If for no other Reason yet because he can hear his clock strike better then his Dyal so that here 's an endless controversy like to arise between us whether his clock or mine shall deserve Excommunication Now to part or prevent this fray there is a certain infallible Officer erected called a Sexton or Sacristan one that will take his cath his Clock goes true whatever Sir Sun says to the contrary and he shall decide this Brawle when he chimes all-in so that in the upshot this great Question the Church troubles her self with must be resolved into this Momentous Canon That all Churches shall begin their publick Worship when my Goffe whatchicallum pleases And thus much for the Circumstance of Time 2 Place This is indeed a Circumstance and considered in general an inseparable Circumstance of a Body so that it haunts us wherever we go like a familiar and pursues us more earnestly then our shodow and therefore as to publick worship there must be some Determination of Common place where a Church shall assemble for the ordinary worship of God But if place be consider'd as Riligious that is as such a place as renders the worship more acceptable to God we say It 's not in the power of Man to Determine of any such Religious or holy place because he can make none so And yet though he cannot determine the place as Religious he may determine it as convenient and perhaps 〈◊〉 And besides since the Magistrate is concern'd to keep an eye upon all assemblies whatsoever that the publick peace committed directly to his charge may be preserved and not violated by seditious Meetings he may therefore command all the Churches under his jurisdiction to convene in such open places where his Officers may come and make inspection into their demeanours and behaviours and the Churches are bound in order to this end to submit to his determinations in Conscience to God for if the Place or time
be inconvenient yet that 's only some prejudice to the worshippers but no pollution of the worship it self and the primitive Christians no doubt would chearfully and thankfully have struggled with many incommodities provided the freedom of worship at any time or place might be secured to them But if more open places will certainly expose them to ruine they may Lawfully keep their foot out of the snare for as Master Hales says well In times of Manifest corruption wherein Religious assembling is dangerous Private Meetings however besides publick order are not only Lawful but of necessity and duty else how shall we excuse the Meetings of our selves in Q. Maries days 3 For Persons they also will fall under the same distinction The Circumstance of the Person in general as whether his Name be N. or M. is of little or no consideration in the case but for persons in special as marked out for publick service that is very material And we affirm that Christ has already determined upon that point The Qualification calling setting apart of such a one to his Office with the Nature and end of his Office together with his whole emploiment work and duty towards the Church are all determined and none has power that I know of to dispense with those determinations The Materials out of which a Church is to be formed the ends of that embodying by what bonds and ligaments they are united the duty of Pastors Teachers and all Church Governours prescribed by what Laws they shall govern and how far the members are to give obedience are all so far limited that the Church has nothing to do but to submit to the Commands of her Lord and if she be a true Spouse of Christ she will submit exercising all prudence in applying general Rules to particular persons and emergent cases 4 But his last word And the like will do him more service and us more mischief then all the rest for how to bring in the Cross Surplice and other Mystical Symbolical Ceremonies under time place or person was very difficult but this Et catera And the like will do the feat and at this back-dore thousands of Ceremonies such as Holy Oyl Spittle Cream Salt Ephata's and the like may be introduced But what now if these Ceremonies be not The Like but other-like why then is all this pompous discourse blown up A moral Circumstance is not the like with a Natural That which adds neither moral good nor evil to the worship is not the like with one that does so That which is Commanded with the duty is not the like with that which is not so That without which the Worship cannot be performed is not the like with that which is not requisite to its performance I conclude therefore that And the like conceals some mysterious point from us which 't is not as yet convenient to discover to us And keeping a wary Eye upon it let us proceed to his third assertion 3 If there must says he be some determination in Circumstantials it must be made either by God or man very true If it must be done it must be done there 's no remedy And for all Religious Circumstances such as may render the Worship either more useful and edifying to men or more pleasing and acceptable to God they are already determined by the Lord of worship and Kirke or Keysar have nothing to do herein at least he has not proved that they have for those other Circumstances which are necessary to reduce the Ordinances of Christ into Act and Exercise it 's no very great matter who determines them if they have but power and abuse not their power God has determined in general that we worship him and has prescribed all the ordinances by which we ought to worship him and therefore we must come to a determination when and where we will worship him He has determined more specially that the Churches worship him solemnly upon his own day and the Churches must come to a fixed resolution when they will begin that worship he has determin'd we shall Baptise with water and therefore if we will execute that Command we must use some water or other but he has not determined that we shall make any Figure either of Triangle square cross or Circle and therefore none can determine in particular where God has not determined in the general He has determin'd that I must worship him decently and therefore that I worship him in some garments for Nakedness is contrary to Natural Decency but he has not Commanded me in general that I worship him in holy garments and therefore none can determine holy garments in worship Again he has determined the Officers of the Church and wherefore such and such persons duely qualified according to his rules must be chosen to execute the Offices but he has not empowred the Church to Erect new Officers and new Offices and therefore such an attempt is beyond the Churches commission But now says he God has made no such determination Ay! but we say and must say it a hundred times over if the contrary be a hundred times asserted without proof That God has already determined all Religious Circumstances which we call Ceremonies all Ordinances of worship to exhibite seal convey any Spiritual mercy or supernatural grace and for those natural Circumstances which attend all Actions whether sacred or civil they must be agreed on before such actions can be performed in a Community And if this be the game he flies at believe it he stoops to a very mean Quarrie The Reader is often vext with an odd word which frequently oceurs in The Enquirer called Determination A Term both of a Mischievous and a Lubricons Nature and it would be good service to the peace to bind it to it 's good behaviour To Determine signifyes to settle or fix to one side that which has hung in the aequipoise of Neutrality when those things which have played in a pendulous posture between good or evil use or non-use come to be settled one way or other they are Determined Now the Question is whether any have power to Determine things in themselves indiffirent that they shall be no longer indifferent in their use To which all that I shall need say as to the present occasion will be comprehended in these following particulars 1. That where two Circumstances of the same kind offer themselves if the one or the other be necessary to the discharge of some necessary duty there 's a power lodged somewhere to determine whether of these two shall carry it otherwise a Necessary duty must be eternally suspended it's ends â—…ustrated and it self hang 〈◊〉 Petentiâ for ever without ever being brought in to Act. 2. Where two or more Circumstances offer themselves none of which are necessary to the discharge of the duty there 's no power lodged in any to determine for any of them for if one unnecessary Circumstance which is every way unnecessary may be
for either it makes it better As doing the same thing with Baptism viz. dedicating a person to the service of Christ seeing a double tye or obligation to any duty seems stronger then a single one or else it will render it worse because it does that supertuoâ—…sly which Christs own Ceremony had before done sufficiently and endeavours to perform that ineffectually which the institution of Christ had already effectually performed And because it being a part of instituted worship and yet wanting divine Institution nor having any track or footstep in the light of Nature it seems to Overdo what was once well done Now since it must either prejudice or Meliorate the worship it may be convenient to enquire whether it may have a propitious and benign or a Malignant influence upon it And Dissenters are enclined to think the latter All the goodness of Instituted worship depends meerly upon the Authority of the Legislatour either as he has instituted it or empowred others to institute it or promised to accept it from us and bless it to us Now say these Dissenters Christ has neither instituted this Dedicating Symbol nor empowred others to institute it nor promised to accept it at our hands nor Entailed any blessing upon it and therefore it must needs render the Worship less good because itself as used is evil And whether Christ has instituted it or warranted others to do it or annext any such promise to it they are willing to joyn issue with any of their Brethren who will soberly manage the Debate Some of them I have heard thus Argue All worship not-Commanded is forbidden But these Ceremonies are worship not-Commanded therefore they are forbidden § 1. The Major Proposition I thus prove first from the Concession of the Learned Dr. H. Hammond a great and strenuous Patron of Ceremonies who in his Treatise of Superstition and will-worship against Master D. C. â—…teely owns it That all uncommanded worship is forbidden Secondly I prove it by this Reason They who may institute New Worship may destroy the old Worship For Cujus est instituere ejus est destituere the same Authority that can make a Law can Repeal a Law But no man can destroy the old worship therefore none can institute new worship Lastly I prove it from the Authority of God who destroyed Nadab and Abihu 10. Lev. 1. and renders this Reason of it because they offer'd strange fire before the Lord which he Commanded them not I know it is answered by Master Booker and others That the strange fire was not only not-Commanded but forbidden To which I reply suppose that to be true yet God only insists upon this that it was not-Commanded It is pleaded further that God was strict and punctual in his commands to the Iewish Church but he has indulged us a greater Latitude under the Gospel But the reply is easy That our Liberty under the Gospel lies not in an exorbitant power to frame New Ceremouies or new worship but in our discharge from the serâ—…itude of the old Not that we may Create more but that he has loaded us with fewer particulars of instituted worship It 's then very evident That all worship not-Commanded is forbidden § 2. The Minor I thus prove viz. That Symbolical Coremonies are worship not-Commanded That which is a part of worship 〈◊〉 worship but the Ceremonies are a part of worship and not Commanded therefore they are worship not-Commanded 〈◊〉 will seruple to grant the Major The parts must needs partake of the Nature of the whole The Mâ—…r I thus evince from the Enquirers Concession in his Introduction where he reckons it amongst the Glories of the first times of Resormation That the Liturgy and publick Prayers were counted a principal part of Gods worship That which is made a part of a principal part of Gods worship and yet uncommanded is a part of Worship not-Commanded but such are the Ceremonies therefore they are a part of Worship not-Commanded The former proposition depends upon a known and received Maxime Quod est pars partis est pars 〈◊〉 the second proposition is our Enquirers own assertion The Liturgy is a principal part of worship the Ceremonies are a part of the Liturgy therefore the Ceremonies are a part of a principal part of Worship And if the Enquirer stick at any thing here I will make him this fair offer Let him undertake to prove the Ceremonies Commanded and I will undertake to provâ—…them Worship There are only some excellencies in this Chapter which like the Sporades lye dispersed up and down his discourse whose cohaerence not obliging them to any fixed Residency I shall for a conclusion in this place consider them 1 His first great assertion is p. 147. That Christ uever went about the Composure of Laws either of Civil or Ecclesiastical Policy We shall not need to concern our selves about Christs Civil Laws seeing he professes his Kingdom was not of this world 't Was not a Worldly Kingdom administred according to the Maximes of State and Mysteris of Policy which had obtained here below That it should be Spiritual The Laws and Constitutions the Officers and Ministers thereof of Divine Original managed for spiritual Ends by spiritual means the Rewards spiritual and eternal the punishments inflicted upon the disobedient all spiritual so the Apostle 2. Cor. 10. 4. The Weapons of our warsare are not Carnal but mighty through God v. 5. And having in readiness to Revenge all disobedience It 's true also that when once we have tinctured our brains with false Notions of Ecclesiastical Policy whereof we find no footsteps in Scripture we shall be ready to affirm as much of those Laws which he has prescribed concerning the Administration of his spiritual Kingdom but this we think clear 1. That Christ has instituted as many Laws as such a Church as he established shall need And perhaps he was not concerned to write Decretals Extravagants Glosses Canons Bulls to fit all the Governments that the wit of man should afterwards excogitate 2. He has by Himself and his Apostles described all the Officers which he judged sufficient to conduct his Disciples in wayes of Holy obedience through the temptations of this world to eternal life 3. He has also instituted as maâ—… Ordinances and Sacraments as may serve to guide and direct them as Christians and let any one Name one that is wanting to that end if they be able 4. From the Nature of those Officers which he hath appointed the species Nature Kind of his Ecclesiastical Government is abundantly manifested 5. He has given express charge that It be not so with his Officers as 't is with the Kings of the Gentiles who exercise Lordship over them â—…2 Luk. 25. 6. Nor has he Commissioned any Governours to make any Laws directly for his Church as a Church binding the Conscience of his Disciples 7. The Sacraments which he has ordained the express Rules he has given for Pastors or Bishops with all other
Officers are evidence sufficient that he has made some Laws of Ecclesiastical nature and that he has been defective therein becomes not Christians to Assert 2 The Apostles says he ibid. gave certain directions suited to the Conditions of the times and places and people respectively but never composed a standing Ritual for all aftertimes Which will be put beyond all dispute by this one Observation That several things instituted by the Apostles in the primitive Churches and given in Command in their sacred writings were intended to be obliging only so long as Circumstances should stand as then they did and no longer Where we have two things that challenge Consideration § 1. His Doctrine That the Apostles game Certain Directions suited to the Conditions of the times places and persons respectively but never composed a standing Ritual To which I say 1. If by a standing Ritual he mean a Portuis a Liturgy a Mass-book a Ceremonious Rubric The Rules of the Pye or the like it 's very true and that which the Non-conformists do gladly accept the Confession of but if by a standing Ritual he understand fixed Laws suited to the Condition of the Church in all Ages under all the various dispensations of Gods providenâ—…s we deny it and expect his proof § 2. His evidence is this This 〈◊〉 observation will put 〈◊〉 beyond all dispute It 's a happy observation and deserves a Hecatombe for its invention that will silence all dispute in this matter but what is it That several things instituted by the Apostles in the primitive Churches and given in Command in their sacred writings their Epistles were intended and so Construed only to be obliging so long as Circumstances should stand as they did and no longer To which I answer 1. That there were indeed some temporary Ordinances such as were to expire with the Reason and occasion of their institution but then there was also sufficient evidence that it was the will of God that they should expire and cease such was that Command of Anointing with Oyl 5. Jam. 14. which was sealed and attested by an extraordinary concurrence of Gods power witnessed to by miraculous effects But God having now Broken that seal withdrawn the concurrence of his power we need no other evidence that it was only proper for the first planting of Christianity and is now long ago out of date 2. His one observation comes infinitely short of putting this question out of dispute with any wise man for what if several institutions were temporary will it follow that none were perpetual what if some were suited only to those times shall we thence conclude there were not enow suited to all aftertimes There were extraordinary Apostles are there therefore no ordinary Pastors and Teachers Or must a Nation be at all this vast charge to maintain Humane Creatures what if some Rites were momentany Are there not Sacraments in the right use where of Christ has promised to be with his Ministers to the end of the world such wherein we are to shew forth the Lords death till he come It 's as easy to say all this of Baptism and the Lords Supper that they were calculated only for the Meridian of those days and some are not ashamed to say it as of any other order or constitution of Christ by his Apostles whose temporary nature is not expressed or evidently implyed in the temporary Reason upon which it was built 3. The Epistles of the Apostle to the Corinthians as a Church shews what ought to be the order and Government of every Church The occasion of writing those Epistles might be and was peculiar to them and so was the occasion of writing all the rest but thâ—… Design is Common to All. Nor ought any one to dare to Distinguish betwixt temporary and perpetual institutions where the Scripture has not furnisht us with sufficient ground for such Distinction 4. As there never was a more pernicious and destructive design managed by the Prince of darkness then the Rejecting the Scriptures as the only Rule of Faith worship and all Religious obedience so the Mediums where by 't is carried on is the very same with that of this Enquirer There are an absurd Generation amongst â—…s in this Nation to whom if you Quote the Apostles Authority in his Epistle to the Corinthians For the standing and perpetual use of the Lords Supper will give you just such another Answer Wâ—… do you think 〈◊〉 dwell 〈◊〉 Câ—…th what is 〈◊〉 Eâ—…le to the Corinthians to us whâ—… are English men and so it seems unconcern'd Thus the Papists justify their half Communion Serenus Cressy Chap. 12. p. 137. in Answer to Dr. Peirce his Primitive Rule of Reformation we acknowledg says he Our Saviour instituted this mystery in both Kinds That the Apostles received it in both Kinds That St. Paul spâ—…aks as well of Drinking c. But the General Tradition of the Church at least from his Beginning will not permit us to yeeld that the Receiving in Both Kinds was esteem'd as necessary to the essence of the Communion or Inâ—…grity of the participation of Christs Body and Blood But let us see what service his select Instances will do him to prove his Doctrine Of this Nature says the Enquirer were the Feasts of Love the Holy Kiss the order of Deaconesses To which I return 1. The Feasts of Love and the Holy Kiss were not as all Institutions of the Apostles All that the Apostle determined about them was that supposing in their Civil Congresses and converses they salute each other they should be sure to avoid all levity wantonness all Appearance of evil for Religion teaches us not only to worship God but to Regulate our Civil Actions in subordination to the great ends of Holiness the adorning of the Gospel and thereby the glorifyinâ—… of our God and Saviour I say the same concerning the Feasts of Love The Apostle made it no Ordinance either temporary or perpetual but finding that such a civil Custom had obtained amongst them introduced we charitably believe for the maintaining of Amity amongst them and seeing it sadly to degenerate amongst the Corinthians He cautions them against gluttony drunkenness all excess and ryot to which such Feasts through the power of corruption in some and the Remainders of corruption in the best were obnoxious which is evident from 1 Cor. 11. 21. One is hungry another is drunken The Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 2. 8. Commands that Men pray every where Lifting up Holy hands Can any rational Creature Imagine that he has thereby made it a duty as oft as we pray to elevate our hands That was none of his design to that Age or the present But under a Ceremonial phrase he wraps up an Evangelical duty As if he had said Be sure you cleanse your hearts And if you do lift up your hands let them be no umbrage for unholy souls 2. Concerning Deaconesses I can find no such Order or Constitution of the Apostles It 's true