members of the visible Church The Integral and accidental Union I pass by now 2. Besides this Union of the Universal Church with Christ the Universal Head there is in all Particular organized Churches a subordinate Union 1. Between 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. the Pastor and the flock and 2. Between the People one towards another which consisteth in these their special Relations to each other 3. And there is an Accidental Union of many particular Churches As when they are United under one Civil Government or Consociated by their Pastors in one Synod or Council These are the several sorts of church-Church-Union Direct 2. § 4. Direct 2. Understand also wherein the Communion of Christians and Churches doth consist that you may know what it is that you must hold to In the Universal Church your Internal Communion with Christ consisteth in his communication of his spirit and grace his word and mercies unto you and in your returnes of Love and Thanks and Obedience unto him and in your seeking to him depending on him and receivings from him Your Internal Communion with the Church or Saints consisteth in mutual Love and other consequent affections and in praying for and doing good to one another as your selves according to your abilities and opportunities Your external communion with Christ and with most of the Church in Heaven and Earth is not mutually visible and local For it is but a small number comparatively that we ever see But it consisteth in Christs visible communication of his word his officers and his ordinances and mercies unto you and in your visible learning and reception of them and obedience to him and expressions of your Love and Gratitude towards him Your external communion with the Universal Church consisteth in the Prayers of the Church for you and your prayers for the Church In your holding the same faith and professing to Love and Worship the same God and Saviour and Sanctifier in the same holy ordinances in order to the same eternal end § 5. Your external Communion in the same particular Congregations consisteth in your assembling together to hear the Preaching of Gods word and to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ and pray and praise God and to help each other in knowledge and holiness and walk together in the fear of the Lord. § 6. Your Communion with other neighbour Churches lyeth in praying for and counselling each other and keeping such correspondencies as shall be found necessary to maintain that Love and Peace and Holiness which all are bound to seek according to your abilities and opportunities § 7. Note here that Communion is one thing and subjection is another It is not your subjection to other Churches that is required to your communion with them The Churches that Paul wrote to at Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus Philippi c. had Communion together according to their capacities in that distance but they were not subject one to another any otherwise than as all are commanded to be subject to each other in humility 1 Pet. 5. 5. The Church of Rome now accuseth all the Christians in the World of separating from their Communion unless they will take them for their Rulers and obey them as the Mistres Church But Paul speaketh not one syllable to any of the Churches of any such thing as their obedience to the Church of Rome To your own Pastors you owe subjection statedly as well as communion and to other Pastors of the Churches of Christ fixed or unfixed you owe a temporary subjection so far as you are called to make use of them as sick persons do to another Physicion when the Physicion of the Hospital is out of the way But one Church is not the Ruler of another or any one oâ— all the rest by any appointment of the King of the Church § 8. Direct 3. By the help of what is already said you are next distinctly to understand how far Direct 3. you are bound to Union or Communion with any other Church or person and what distance separation or division is a sin and what is not that so you may neither causlesly trouble your selves with scruples What Unity is among all Christians Gal. 3. 20. 4. 5 6. Ephes. 4. 5. 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. nor trouble the Church by sinful Schism § 9. I. There must be a Union among all Churches and Christians in these following particulars 1. They have all but One God 2. And One Head and Saviour Jesus Christ. 3. And One Sanctifier the Holy Ghost 4. And One Ultimate End and Hope even the fruiâ—â—on of God in Heaven 5. And one Gospel to teach them the Knowledge of Christ and contain the promise of their salvation 6. And one kind of faith that is wrought hereby 7. And one and the same Covenant 1 Pet. 1. 16 Eph. 4. 11 12 13. of which Baptism is the seal in which they are engaged to God 8. And the same Instrumental founders of our faith under Jesus Christ even the Prophets and Apostles 9. And all members of the Eph. 2. 20 21 19. same Universal Body 10. And all have the same new nature and Holy disposition and the same Holy Affections in Loving God and Holiness and Hating sin 11. They all own as to the essential 1 Joh. 3. 11 14 23 parts the same Law of God as the Rule of their faith and life even the sacred Canonical Scriptures Psal. 122. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Joh 3. 6. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. 12. Every member hath a Love to the whole and to each other especially to the more excellent and useful members and an inclination to holy Communion with each other 13. They have all a propensity to the same holy means and employment as Prayer learning the word of God and doing good to others All these things the True living members of the Church have in sincerity and the rest have in Profession Râ—m 12. 1. Eph 2. 10 11. What 〈…〉 sity â—â—l be in the Church 1 Joh. 2. 12 13 14 § 10. II. There will be still a diversity among the Churches and particular Christians in these following points without any dissolution of the fore-described Unity 1. They will not be of the same Age or standing in Christ but some babes some young men and some fathers 2. They will not have the same degrees of strength of Knowledge and of Holiness some will have need to be fed with milk and be unskilful in the word of Righteousness 3. They will differ in the kind and Heb. 5. 11 12 13. measure of their gifts some will excell in one kind and some in another and some in none at all Mat. 17. 2. 13. 3â— Rom. 14. 1 2 21. 4. They will differ in their natural temper which will make some to be more hot and some more mild some more quick and some more dull some of more regulated wits and some more scattered and
would make us serious § 6. And Ministers are not set up only for publick Preaching but for private counsel also according Acosta noteth it as a great hinderance of the Indians conversion that their Teachers shifâ— for beâ—ter livings and stay not till they are well acquainted with the people and that the Bishops are of the same temper Haec tanta claâ—es est anâ—m â—â—um ut satis deploâ—aâ—i â—â—â—â— possit Nihil Sacerdos Christi praecâ—aâ—â— proficiet in salute Iâ—dorum sine familiari hominum rerum nâ—â—â—â—tia l 4. c. 10. â— â—9â— Sunt autem multi qui injuncto muneri câ—piose se satisfacere existimanâ— Orationem dominâ—â—â—â—m symbolum salutationem augâ—â—cam tum praecepta decalogi Hispan idiomate identidem Indis recitantes eorum infantes baptizantes mortuos sâ—pelientes matrâ—mâ—nio juvenes collocante rem sacram festis diebus facientes Neque conscientia quam uâ—iâ—â—m â—auterizatam non habeaut mordenâ—uâ— quod dispersae sint oves domini c. c. 7. p. 373. to our particular needs As Physicions are not only to read you instructions for the dyeting and curing of your selves but to be present in your sickness to direct you in the particular application of remedies And as Lawyers are to assist you in your particular cases to free your estates from encumbrances and preserve or rescue them from contentious men Choose therefore some able Minister to be your ordinary Counsellor in the matters of God And let him be one that is humble faithful experienced and skilful that hath leisure ability and willingness to assist you § 7. As Infants in a family are unable to help themselves and need the continual help of others and therefore God hath put into the hearts of Parents a special Love to them to make them diligent and patient in helping them so is it in the family of Christ Most Christians by far are young or weak in understanding and in grace It is long before you will be past the need of others help if ever in this life If you feel not this your infirmity and need it is so much the greater God will have no men to be self-sufficient we shall all have need of one another that we may be useful to one another and God may use us as his messengers and instruments of conveying his mercies to each other and that even self-love may help us to be sociable and to love one another And our souls must receive their part of mercy by this way of communication as well as our bodies And therefore as the poor above all men should not be against charity and communicating that need it most so young Christians that are weak and unexperienced above all others should be most desirous of help especially from an able faithful guide § 8. But be sure you deal sincerely and cheat not your selves by deceiving your counsellor and hiding your case To do so by your Lawyer is the way to lose your suit And to do so by your Physicion is the way to lose your life And to do so with your Pastor and soul-counsellor is the way to lose your souls And let the judgement of your Pastor or judicious friend about the state of your souls be much regarded by you though it be not infallible How far such must be trusted I am afterward to open to you with other of your duties belonging to you in this Relation I now only proceed to General advice Direct 8. KEep right apprehensions of the excellency of Charity and Unity among believers and Direct 8. Against Unchaâ—â—â—â—ableness and Schism See more in Tâ—n 2. Câ— 23. receive nothing hastily that is against them especially take heed lest under pretence of their Authority their Number their Soundness or their Holiness you too much addict your selves to any Sect or Party to the withdrawing of your special Love and just Communion from other Christians and turning your Zeal to the interest of your Party with a neglect of the common interest of the Church But Love a Christian as a Christian and promote the Unity and welfare of them all § 1. Use often to read and well consider the meaning and reason of those many urgent passages Utrumqueâ—mperium Mâ—hoâ—eâ—â—â—â—m Pontificium ortum est ex dissidus de doctrina Cum in Oriente diâ—aceâ—â—â—â—ae essâ—â—t â—â—clesiae 〈…〉 n multorum 〈…〉 in Scripture which exhort all Christians to Unity and Love Such as Iohn 11. 52. 17. 11 21 22 23. 1 Cor. 3. 10. 17. 12. throughout 2 Cor. 13. 11. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. Phil. 2. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 3. 8. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 3. 3. 11. 18. And Iohn 13. 35. Rom. 12. 9 10. 13. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Gal. 5. 6 13 22. Col. 1. 4. 1 Thess. 4. 9. 1 Iohn 3. 11 14 23. 4. 7 11 16 19 20 21. Surely if the very life of Godliness lay not much in Unity and Love we should never have had such words spoken of it as here you find Love is to the soul as our Natural heat is to the Body whatever destroyeth it destroyeth Life and therefore cannot be for our good Be certain that opinion course or motion tends to death that tends to abate your Love to your Brethren much more which under pretence of zeal provoketh you to hate and hurt them To Divide the Body is to kill it oâ— to maim it Dividing the essential necessary parts is killing it Cutting off any integral part is maiming it The first can never be an act of friendship which is the worst that an enemy can do The second is never an act of friendship but when the cutting off a member which may be spared is of absolute necessity to the saving of the whole man from the worse division between soul and body By this judge what friends Dividers are to the Church and how well they are accepted of God § 2. He that loveth any Christian aright must needs love all that appear to him as Christians And when malice will not suffer men to see Christianity in its profession and credible appearance in another this is as well contrary to Christian Love as hating him when you know him to be a true Christian Censoriousness not constrained by just evidence is contrary to Love as well as hatred is § 3. There is a Union and Communion with Christians as such This consisteth in having one God one Head one Spirit one Faith one Baptismal Covenant one Rule of holy living and in loving and praying for all and doing good to as many as we can This is a Union and Communion of Mind which we must hold with the Catholick Church through the world And there is a Bodily local Union and â—â—â—â—muniâ—â— which consisteth in our joyning in body as well as mind with particular Congregations And this as we cannot hold it with all nor with any Congregation but one at once so we are not 〈◊〉 to
mind If you cast them not out with abhorrence but dispute with the Devil he hopes to prove too hard at least for such children and unprovided Souldiers as you And if you do reject them and refuse to dispute it with him he will sometime tell you that your cause is naught or else you need not be afraid to think of all that can be said against it and this way he gets advantage of you to draw you to unbelief And if you scape better than so at least he will molest and terrifie you with the hideousness of his temptations and make you to think that you are forsaken of God because such blasphemous thoughts have been so often in your minds And thus he will one while tempt you to blasphemy and another while affright and torment you with the thoughts of such temptations § 4. So also in the study of other good Books he will tempt you to fix upon all that seems difficult to you and there to confound and perplex your selves And in your Meditations he will seek to make all to tend but to confound and overwhelm you keeping still either hard or fearful things before your eyes or breaking and scattering your thoughts in pieces that you cannot reduce them to any order nor set them together nor make any thing of them nor drive them to any desirable end So in your prayers he would fain confound you either with fears or with doubtful and distracting thoughts about God or your sins or the matter or manner of your duty or questioning whether your prayers will be heard And so in your self-examination he will still seek to puzzle you and leave you more in darkness than you began and make you afraid of looking homeward or conversing with your selves like a man that is afraid to lye in his own house when he thinks it haunted with some apparitions And thus the Devil would make all your Religion to be but like the unwinding of a bottom of Yarn or a Skein of Silk that is ravelled that you may cast it away in weaâ—iness or despair § 5. Your Remedy against this dangerous temptation is to remember that you are yet young in knowledge and that Ignorance is like darkness that will cause doubts and difficulties and fears and that all these will vanish as your Light increaseth and therefore you must wait in patience till your â—â—pâ—r knowledge â—it you for satisfaction And in the mean time be sure that you take up your hearts most with the great fundamental necessary plain and certain points which your salvation is laid upon and which are more suited to your state and strength If you will be gnawing bones when you should be sucking milk and have not patience to stay till you are past your childhood no maâ—vâ—l if you find them hard and if they stick in your throats or break your teeth See that you live upon God in Christ and love and practise what you know and think of the excellency of so much as is already revealed to you You know already what is the end that you must seek and where your Happiness consisteth and what Christ hath done to prepare it for you and how you must be justified and sanctified and walk with God Have you God and Christ and Heaven to think on and all the mercies of the Gospel to delight in and will you lay by these as common matters or overlook them and pâ—rplâ—x your selves about every difficulty in your way Make clean work before you as you go and live in the joyful acknowledgement of the Mercies which you have received and â—f the practice of the things you know and then your difficulties will vanish as you go on § 6. 2. Another of Satans wiles is to confound you with the noise of Sectaâ—ies and divers opinions 2 By various Sâ—cts in Religion while the Popish Sect tell you that if you will be saved you must be of their Church and others say you must be of theirs And when you find that the Sects are many and their reasonings such as you cannot answer you will be in danger either to take up some of their Sed peâ—â—â—â—â—â—a nos opinionum varâ—eâ—as hominuâ— que dissâ—nsioâ— Et quia non idem contingit in 〈◊〉 â—os natura certos putamus Illa sic aliis secus nec iisdem sâ—mper uno modo videntur ficta esse câ—â—â—â—aâ—s Qâ—od est lâ—â—ge alâ—â—er Animis omnes tenduntur inâ—â—dâ—ae c. Ciâ—â—â—â—o 〈…〉 b. li. 1. pag. 291. 〈◊〉 cat deceits or to be confoundâ—d among them all not knowing which Church and Religion to choose § 7. But here consider that there is but One Universal Church of Christians in the world of which Christ is the Only King and Head and every Christian is a member You were Sacramentally admitted into this Catholick Church by Baptism and Spiritually by your being born of the Spirit You have all the promises of the Gospel that if you Believe in Christ you shall be saved and that all the living members of this Church are loved by Christ as members of his body and shall be presented unspotted to the Father by him who is the Saviour of his body Eph. 5. 23 24 25 26 27 29. And that by One Spirit we are all baptized or entered into this one body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. If then thou hast faith and love and the Spirit thou art certainly a Christian and a member of Christ and of this Universal Church of Christians And if there were any other Church but what are the Parts of this one then this were not Universal and Christ must have two bodies Thou art not saved for being a member of the Church of Rome or Corinth or Ephesus or Philippi or Thâ—ssalonica or of any other such but for being a member of the Universal Church or body of Christ that is a Christian. And as thou art a subject of the King and a member of this Kingdom whatever Corporation thou be a member of perhaps sometime of one and sometime of another so thou art a subject of Christ what ever particular Church thou be of For it is no Church iâ— they be not Christians or subjects of Christ. For one Sect then to say Ours is the true Church and another to say Nay but ours is the true Church is as mad as to dispute whether your Hall or Kitchin or Parlor or Cole-house is your House and for one to say This is the House and another Nay but it is that when a child can tell them that the best is but a part and the house containeth them all And for the Papists that take on them to be the whole and deny all others to be Christians and saved except the subjects of the Pope of Rome it is so irrational Antichristian a fiction and usurpation and odious cruell and groundless a damnation of the far greatest part of the body of Christ that its fitter for detestation than dispute And if such a crack
to needless recreations and from the deadly plague of youthful lusts when your daily labour is a greater pleasure to you § 21. Direct 10. Get some judicious man to draw you up the titles of a threefold Common-place-Book Direct 10. One part for definitions distinctions axioms and necessary doctrines Another part for what is useful for ornament and oratory And another for References as a common Index to all the Books of that Science which you read For memory will not serve for all § 22. Ordinarily Students have not judgement enough to form their own Common-place-Books till they are old in Studies and have read most of the authors which they would remember And therefore the young must here have a judicious helper And when they have done injudiciousness will be apt to fill it with less necessary things and to make an unmeet choice of matter if they have not care and an instructer § 23. Direct 11. Highly esteem of a just Method in Divinity and in all your studies and labour to Direct 11. get an accurate Scheme or Skeleton where at once you may see every part in its proper place But remember Since the writing of this I have begun a Methodus Theologiae that if it be not sound it will be a snare and one error in your Scheme or Method will be apt to introduce abundance more § 24. It s a poor and pitiful kind of knowledge to know many loose parcels and broken members of truth without knowing the whole or the place and relation which they have to the rest To know letters and not syllables or syllables and not words or words and not sentences or sentences and not the scope of the discourse are all but an unprofitable knowledge He knoweth no Science rightly that hath not anatomized it and carryeth not a true Scheme or Method of it in his mind But among the many that are extant to commend any one to you which I most esteem or take to be without error is more than I dare do § 25. Direct 12. Still keep the primitive fundamental verities in your mind and see every other Direct 12. truth which you learn as springing out of them and receiving their life and nourishment from them And Read well Vincentius Lirinencâ—sis still keep in your minds a clear distinction between the Truths of several Degrees both of Necessity and Certainty alwayes reducing the less Necessary to the more Necessary and the less certain to the more certain and not contrarily § 26. If God had made all points of faith or Scripture revelation of equal necessity our Baptism would not only have mentioned our Belief in the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost nor should we ever have seen the antient Creed nor the ten Commandments And if all points were of equall Evidence and plainness and certainty to us we should not have some so much controverted above others Some things in Scripture are hard to be understood but not all things 2 Pet. 3. 16. To pretend that any Truth is more necessary than it is doth tend to uncharitableness and contention And to say that any is less necessary than it is doth tend to the neglect of it and to the danger of souls To pretend any point to be more plain and certain than it is doth but shew our pride and ignorance But to set up uncertain and unnecessary points and make a Religion of them and reduce things certain or necessary to them this is the method of turbulent Hereticks § 27. Direct 13. Take nothing as universally Necessary in Religion which was not so taken in the Direct 13. dayes of the Apostles and Primitive Church and take that for the safest way to Heaven which the Apostles went who certainly are there value the Apostolical purity simplicity charity and unity and follow not them that by being wise and pious overmuch corrupt our sacred pattern by their additions and fill the Church with uncharitableness and strife § 28. If it were not a thing too evident that Dominion and Riches go for Religion with them and gain for Godliness and honour and money instead of argument it would be a most stupendious wonder that so many learned men should be found among Christians in the world to hinder the peace and unity of the Church as do it vehemently and implacably in the Church of Rome when so easie a thing and so reasonable would unite almost all the Christian world as is the requiring no more as necessary to our Union than what was made necessary in the dayes of the Apostles and the obtruding nothing as necessary to salvation which the Apostles and primitive Church were saved without This easie reasonable thing which no man hath any thing of seeming sense and weight to speak against would end all the ruinating differences among Christians § 29. Direct 14. Be desirous to know all that God would have you know and be willing to be ignorant Direct 14. of all that God would have you ignorant of and pry not into unrevealed things and much less make them the matter of any uncharitable strife § 30. Abundance of contentious Volumes between the Dominicans and Jesuites and many others are stuft with bold enquiries wranglings or determinations of unsearchable mysteries utterly unknown to those that voluminously debate them and never revealed in the Word or Works of God Keep off with reverence from concealed mysteries Talk not as boldly of the Divine influx and the priority posteriority dependance or reason of Gods Decrees as if you were talking of your common affairs Come with great reverence when you are called of God to search into those high and holy truths which he hath revealed But pretend not to know that which is not to be known For you will but discover your ignorance and arrogance and know never the more when you have doted about Questions never so long § 31. Direct 15. Avoid both extreams of them that study no more but to know what others have Direct 15. written and held before them and of them that little regard the discoveries of others Learn all of your Teachers and Authors that they can teach you but make all your own and see things in their proper evidence and improve their discoveries by the utmost of your diligence abhorring a proud desire of singularity or to seem wiser than you are § 32. Most Students through slothfulness look no further for knowledge than into their Books and their learning lyeth but in knowing what others have written or said or held before them especially where the least differing from the judgement of the party which is uppermost or in reputation doth tend to hazzard a mans honour or preferments there men think it dangerous to seem to know more than is commonly known and therefore think it needless to study to know it Men are backward to take much pains to know that which tendeth to their ruine to be known but doth
nothing home at last but repentance and shame Truth which is the means of the good of souls must not be betrayed as for the good of souls § 37. Direct 26. Doubt not of well proved Truths for every difficulty that appeareth against them Direct 26. There is scarce any truth in the World so plain but in your own thoughts or in the câ—vâ—ls of a wrangling wit there may such difficulties be raised as as you can hardly answer And there is scarce any thing so evident that some will not dispute against You see that even the learnedst Jesuits and all the Clergy of the Roman Kingdom will not stick to dispute all the World if they could out of the belief of all their senses while they maintain that Bread is not Bread and wine is not wine And yet how many Princes Lords and Rulers follow them and many millions of the people because they be not able to confute them If they had said that a man is no man but a warm Psal. 22. 6. they might in reason have expected as much belief § 38. Direct 27. Abuse not your own knowledge by subjecting it to your carnal interest or sensuality Direct 27. He that will sin against his Conscience and will not obey the Knowledge which he hath doth Maâ—â—5 29. Rom. 14. 22. deserve to be given over to blindness and deceit and to lose even that which he hath and to be forsaken till he believe and defend a lye that all they might be damned who obeyed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes. 2. 10 11 12. God will not hold him guiltless who debaseth his sacred truth so far as to make it stoop to his commodity and â—ust where he is a Teacher he will be a King and sendeth his Truth as the instrument of his Government and not as a slave or pandor to the flesh He that will do Gods will shall know it Joh. 7. 17. But the carnal mind that cannot be subject to Gods Law is unfit to receive it because it is spiritually discerned Rom. 8. 7. 1 Cor. 2. 14. CHAP. VIII Directions for the Union and Communion of Saints and the avoiding unpeaceableness and Schism THE PEACE and CONCORD of Believers is a thing that almost all those plead Of this subjâ—ct I have written already 1. My Univâ—â—sal Concord 2. My Catholiâ—k Unity 3. Of the True Catholick Châ—râ—h 4. My Châ—istiaâ— Coâ—â—ord for who call themselves Believers and yet a thing that almost all men hinder and resist while they commend it The Discord and DIVISIONS of believers are as commonly spoken against and by the same men as commonly fomented The few that are sincere both Rulers and private men desire Concord and hate Divisions in Love to Holiness which is promoted by it and in Love to the Church and good of souls and the honour of Religion and the Glâ—ry of God And the few of those few that are experienced wise judicious persons do choose the means that is fittest to attain these ends and do prudently and constantly prosecute them accordingly But these being in the World as a spoonful of fresh water cast into the Sea or a spoonful of water cast into the flames of a house on fire no wonder if the brinish Sea be not sweetened by them nor the consuming raging fire quenched by them The other Rulers of the world and of the Churches are for Concord and against Division because this tendeth to the quieting of the people under them Read over Sr. Fr. Bacoâ—s third Essaâ— and Hales of Schism and the making of men submissive and obedient to their wills and so to confirm their dignities dominions and interests And all men that are not Hâ—ly being predominantly SELFISH they would all be themselves the Center of that Union and bond of that concord which they desire And they would have it accomplished upon such terms â—â—d by such means as are most agreeable to their principles and Ends In which there are almost a many minds as Men so that among all the Commenders of UNITY and concord there are none that take the way to attain it but those that would center it all in GOD and seek it upon his terms and in his way The rest are all tearing Unity and Peace in pieces while they commend it and they fight against it while they seek it every man seeking it for Himself and upon his own terms and in his own way which are so various and inconsistent that East and West may sooner meet than they § 2. Yet must the sons of God be still the sons of Peace and continue their prayers and endeavours for UNITY how small soever be the hopes of their success If it be possible as much as in us lyeth Rom. 12 18. we must live peaceably with all men So far must they be from being guilty of any Schismes or unlawful Divisions of the Church that they must make it a great part of their care and work to preserve the Unity and peace of Christians In this therefore I shall next Direct them § 3. Direct 1. Understand first wherein the Unity of Christians and Churches doth consist Or else Direct 1. you will neither know how to preserve it nor when you violate it Christians are said to be United In vâ—ste Christi varietas siâ— sâ—issura non sit They be two things Unity and Uniformity â— Bacoâ— Essay 3. to Christ when they are entered into Covenant with him and are become his Disciples his Subjects and the members of his Political Body They are united to one another when they are united to Christ their common head and when they have that spirit that faith that Love which is communicated to every living member of the body This Union is not the making of many to be One Christian but of many Christians to be one Church which is considerable either as to its Internal Life or its external order and profession In the former respect the bonds of our Union are 1. The heart-Covenant or faith 2. And the spirit The Consent of Christ and of our selves concurring doth make the match or marriage between us and the spirit communicated from him to us is as the nerves or ligaments of the body or rather as the spirits which pass through all The Union of the Church considered Visibly in its outward Policy is either that of the whole Church or of the Particular Churches within themselves or of divers particular Churches accidentally united 1. The Union of the whâ—le is Essential integral or accidental The essential Union is that Relation of a Head and members which is between Christ and all the visible members of his Church The foundation of it is the mutual Covenant between Christ and them considered on their part as made Externally whether sincerely or not This is usually done in Baptism and is the chiefest act of their Profession of the faith Thus the Baptismal Covenant doth constitute us
place 2. And great haste allowed me not Time to transpose them If you say that in such a work I should take time I answer You are no competent judges unless you knew me and the rest of my work and the likelyhood that my time will be but short They that had rather take my Writings with such defects which are the effects of haste than have none of them may use them and the rest are free to despise them and neglect them Two or three Questions about the Scripture I would have put nearer the beginning if I could have time But seeing I cannot it 's easie for you to transpose them in the reading III. The resolution of these Cases so much avoideth all the extreams that I look they should be displeasing to all that vast number of Christians who involve themselves in the opinions and interests of their several sects as such and that hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons But there will be still a certain number of truly Catholick impartial Readers whose favourable acceptance I confidently prognosticate and who being out of the dust and noise and passions of contending sides and parties and their interests will see a self-evidencing Light in those solutions which are put off here briefly without the pomp of formal argumentation or perswading Oratory The eternal Light reveal himself to us by Christ who is the Light of the World and by the Illumination of the spirit and word of Light that we may walk in the Light as the Children of Light till we come to the World of Glorious Everlasting Light And what other defect soever our knowledge have if any man hath knowledge enough to kindle in him the Love of God the same is known of Him and therefore is Beloved by Him and shall be Blessed with and in Him for ever 1 Cor. 8. 1 2 3. CASES OF CONSCIENCE ABOUT Matters Ecclesiastical Quest. 1. How to know which is the true Church among all pretenders that a Christians Conscience may be quiet in his Relation and Communion I HAVE written so much of this already in four Books viz. one called The Safe Religion another called A Key for Catholicks another called The Visibility of the Church another called A true Catholick and the Catholick Church described that I shall say now but a little and yet enough to an impartial considerate Reader The terms must first be opened 1. By a Church is meant a Society of Christians as such And it is sometimes taken Narrowly for the Body or Members as distinct from the Head as the word Kingdom is taken for the Subjects only as distinct from the King And sometimes more fully and properly for the whole Political Society as constituted of its Head and Body or the Pars Imperans pars Subdita 2. The word Church thus taken signifieth sometime the Universal Church called Catholick which consisteth of Christ and his Body Politick or Mystical And sometime some Part only of the Universal Church And so it is taken either for a subordinate Political Part or for a Community or a Part considered as Consociate but not Political or as many particular Political Churches Agreeing and holding Concord and Communion without any Comon Head save the Universal Head 3. Such Political Churches are either of Divine Constitution and Policy or only of Humane 2. By Christians I mean such as Profess the Essentials of the Christian Religion For we speak of the Church as Visible 3. By True may be meant either Reality of Essence opposite to that which is not really a 1 Cor. 11. 3. 1 Cor. 12 12. Eph. 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6 15. 1 Cor. 12. 27. Eph. 4. 4 5. Matth. 28. 19 20. Church in this univocal acception or else Sound and Orthodox in the Integrals as opposite to erroneous and defiled with much enormity And now I thus decide that question Prop. 1. The True Catholick Church consisteth of Christ the Heâ—d and all Christians as his Body or the Members As the Kingdom consisteth of the King and his Subjects Prop. 2. As all the sincere Heart-Covenanters make up the Church as regenerate and mystical or invisible so that all that are Christened that is Baptized and profess Consent to all the Essentials of the Baptismal Covenant not having Apostatized nor being by lawful Power Excommunicated are Christians and make up the Church as Visible Prop. 3. Therefore there is but One Universal Church because it containeth all Christians and so Ephes. 4 4 5. 1 Cor. 1â— 12. Mark 16 16. Rom 14. 1 6 7. 15. 1 3 4 leaveth out none to be the matter of another Prop. 4. It is not Ignorance or Error about the meer Integrals of Christianity which maketh them no Christians who hold the Essentials that is the Baptismal Covenant Prop. 5. That the Baptismal Covenant might be rightly understood and professed the Churches have still used the Creed as the explication of the Covenant in point of faith and taken it for 1 Cor. 15 1 2 c. the Symbol of the Christian Belief And no further profession of faith was or is to be required as Matth. 28. 19 20. necessary to the Being of Christianity Prop. 6. If proud Usurpers or Censurers take on them to excommunicate or unchristian or unchurch others without authority and cause this maketh them not to be no Christians or no Churches Rom. 14. 3 4. John that are so used Prop. 7. Therefore to know which is the true Catholick or Universal Church is but to know who Rom. 6 1 2 c. are Baptized-Professing-Christians Prop. 8. The Reformed Churches the Lutherans the Abassines the Copties the Syrians the Armenians Ephes. 4. 4. 5. the Jacobites the Georgians the Maronites the Greeks the Moscovites and the Romanists do all receive Baptism in all its visible Essentials and profess all the Essentials of the Christian Religion though not with the same Integrity Prop. 9. He that denyeth any one essential part in it self is so a Heretick as to be no Christian nor true member of the Church if it be justly proved or notorious that is none ought to take him Tit. 3. â—â— 3 John for a Visible Christian who know the proof of his denying that essential part of Christianity or to whom it is notorious Prop. 10. He that holdeth the Essentials primarily and with them holdeth some error which by James 3 â— Phi. 3. 15 16. Heb. 5. 1 2. unseen consequence subverteth some Essential point but holdeth the Essentials so much faster that he would forsake his error if he saw the inconsistence is a Christian notwithstanding And if the name Heretick be applicable to him it is but in such a sense as is consistent with Christianity Prop. 11. He that is judged a Heretick and no Christian justly by others must be lawfully T it 3. 10. Matth. 18. 15. cited and heard plead his Cause and be judged upon sufficient proof and not
Disciple to some other Pastor 1. THat Timothy was still Pauls Son in point of Learning and his Disciple and so that under Apostles the same persons might be stated in both relations at once seemeth evident in Scripture 2. But the same that is a Pastor is not at once a meer Lay-man 3. That men in the same Office may so differ in Age Experience and degrees of knowledge as that young Pastors may and often ought many years to continue not only in occasional reception of their help but also in an ordinary stated way of receiving it and so be Related to them as their ordinary Teachers by such gradual advantages is past all doubt And that all Juniors and Novices owe a certain reverence and audience and some obedience to the elder and wiser 4. But this is not to be a Disciple to him as in lower Order or Office but as of lower Gifts and Grace 5. It is lawful and very good for the Church that some Ordained persons continue long as Pupils to their Tutors in Schools or Academies e. g. to learn the holy Languages if they have them not c. But this is a relation left to voluntary Contractors 6. In the antient Churches the particular Churches had one Bishop and some Presbyters and Deacons usually of much lower parts who lived all together single or chaste in the Bishops or Church-house which was as a Colledge where he daily edified them by Doctrine and Example 7. The Controversie about different Orders by Divine Institution belongeth not to me here to meddle with But as to the Natural and Acquired Imparity of age and gifts and the unspeakable benefit to the Juniors and the Churches that it is desirable that there were such a way of their education and edification I take to be discernable to any that is impartial and judicious Ambrose was at once a Teacher and a Learner Beda Eccl. Hist. mentioneth one in England that was at once a Pastor and a Disciple And in Scotland some that became Bishops were still to be under the Government of the Abbot of their Monasteries according to their first devotion though the Abbot was but a Presbyter 8. Whether a setled private Church-member may not at once continue his very formal Relation to the Pastor of that Church and yet be of the same Order with him in another Church as their Pastor at the same time As he may in case of necessity continue his Apprentiship or civil service is a case that I will not determine But he that denyeth it must prove his opinion or affirmation of its unlawfulness by sufficient evidence from Scripure or Nature which is hard Quest. 31. Who hath the power of making Church Canons THis is sufficiently resolved before 1. The Magistrate only hath the power of making such Canons or Laws for Church matters as shall be enforced by the Sword 2. Every Pastor hath power to make Canons for his own Congregation that is to determine what hour and at what place they shall meet what Translation of Scripture or Version of Psalms shall be used in his Church what Chapter shall be read what Psalm shall be sung c. Except the Magistrate contradict him and determine it otherwise in such points as are not proper to the Ministerial Office 3. Councils or Assemblies of Pastors have the power of making such Canons for many Churches as shall be Laws to the people and Agreements to themselves 4. None have power to make Church Laws or Canons about any thing save 1. To put Gods own Laws in execution 2. To determine to that end of such Circumstances as God hath left undetermined in his Word 5. Canon-making under pretence of Order and Concord hath done a great deal of mischief to the Churches whilest Clergy men have grown up from Agreements to Tyrannical Usurpations and Impositions and from Concord about needful Accidents of Worship to frame new Worship Ordinances and to force them on all others but especially 1. By encroaching on the power of Kings and telling them that they are bound in Conscience to put all their Canons into execution by force 2. And by laying the Union of the Churches and the Communion of Christians upon things needless and doubtful yea and at last on many sinful things whereby the Churches have been most effectually divided and the Christian world set together by the Ears and Schisms yea and Wars have been raised And these maladies cannot possibly be healed till the tormenting tearing Engines be broken and cast away and the Voluminous Canons of numerous Councils which themselves also are matter of undeterminable Controversie be turned into the primitive simplicity and a few necessary things made the terms of Concord Doubtless if every Pastor were left wholly to himself for the ordering of Worship Circumstances and Accidents in his own Church without any Common Canons save the Scriptures and the Laws of the Land there would have been much less division than that is which these numerous Canons of all the Councils obtruded on the Church have made Quest. 32. Doth Baptism as such enter the Baptized into the Universal Church or into a particular Church or both And is Baptism the Particular-Church Covenant as such Answ. 1. BAptism as such doth enter us into the Universal Church and into it alone and is no particular Church-Covenant but the solemnizing of the great Christian Covenant of Grace between God and a believer and his seed For 1. There is not essentially any mention of a particular Church in it 2. A man may be baptized by a general unfixed Minister who is not the Pastor of any particular Church And he may be baptized in solitude where there is no particular Church The Eunuch Mat. 28 19 20. Act. 8. was not baptized into any particular Church 3. Baptism doth but make us Christians But a man may be a Christian who is no member of any particular Church 4. Otherwise Baptism should oblige us necessarily to a man and be a Covenant between the Baptized and the Pastor and Church into which he is baptized But it is only our Covenant with Christ. 5. We may frequently change our particular Church relation without being baptized again But we never change our relation to the Church which we are baptized into unless by Apostasie 2. Yet the same person at the same time that he is baptized may be entred into the universal Church and into a particular And ordinarily it ought to be so where it can be had 3. And the Covenant which we make in baptism with Christ doth oblige us to obey him and consequently to use his instituted means and so to hear his Ministers and hold due Communion with his Churches 4. But this doth no more enter us into a particular Church than into a particular family For we as well oblige our selves to obey him in family relations as in Church relations 5. When the baptized therefore is at once entered into the universal and particular
Church it is done by a double consent to the double relation By baptism he professeth his consent to be a member of Christ and his universal Church and additionally he consenteth to be guided by that particular Pastor in that particular Church which is another Covenant or Consent Quest. 33. Whether Infants should be Baptized I have answered long agoe in a Treatise on that Subject Also What Infants should be Baptized And who have Right to Sacraments And whether Hypocrites are univocally or equivocally Christians and Church-members I have resolved in my Disput. of Right to Sacraments Quest. 34. Whether an unbaptized person who yet maketh a publick profession of Christianity be a member of the Visible Church And so of the Infants of Believers unbaptized Answ. 1. SUch persons have a certain Imperfect irregular kind of profession and so of Membership Their Visibility or Visible Christianity is not such as Christ hath appointed As those that are Marryed but not by Legal Celebration and as those that in cases of necessity are Ministers without Ordination so are such Christians as Constantine and many of old without Baptism 2. Such persons ordinarily are not to be admitted to the Rights and Communion of the Visible Church because we must know Christs sheep by his own mark But yet they are so far visible Christians as that we may be perswaded nevertheless of their salvation As to visible Communion they have but a remote and incompleat jus â—d rem and no jus in re or legal investiture and possession 3. The same is the case of unbaptized Infants of believers because they are not of the Church meerly as they are their natural seed but because it is supposed that a person himself devoted to God ☞ doth also devote his Children to God Therefore not nature only but this supposition arising from the true nature of his own dedication to God is the reason why believers Children have their right to Baptism Therefore till he hath Actually devoted them to God in Baptism they are not legally members of the Visible Church but only in fieri and imperfectly as is said Of which more anon Quest. 35. Is it certain by the Word of God that all Infants Baptized and dying before actual sin are undoubtedly saved Or what Infants may we say so of Answ. I. 1. WE must distinguish between certainty objective and subjective or plainlyer the Since the writing of this there is come forth an excellent Book for Infant Baptism by Mr. Ioseph Whistoâ— in which the Grounds of my present Solutions are notaâ—â—y cleared Reality or Truth of the Thing and the certain apprehension of it 2. And this certainty of apprehension sometime signifieth only the Truth of that apprehension when a man indeed is not deceived or more usually that clearness of apprehension joyned with Truth which fully quieteth the mind and excludeth doubting 3. We must distinguish of Infants as Baptised Lawfully upon just title or unlawfully without title 4. And also of Title before God which maketh a Lawful claim and Reception at his bar and Title before the Church which maketh only the Administration lawful before God and the Reception lawful only in foro ecclesiae or externo 5. The word Baptism signifieth either the external part only consisting in the words and outward action or the Internal Covenanting of the heart also 6. And that internal Covenant is either sincere which giveth right to the benefits of Gods Covenant or only partial reserved and unsound such as is common to hypocrites Conclus 1. God hath been pleased to speak so little in Scripture of the case of Infants that modest men will use the words Certainly and Undoubtedly about their case with very great Caution And many great Divines have maintained that their very Baptism it self cannot be Certainly and undoubtedly proved by the Word of God but by Tradition Though I have endeavoured to prove the contrary in a special Treatise on that point 2. No man can tell what is objectively certain or revealed in Gods Word who hath not subjective certainty or knowledge of it 3. A mans apprehension may be True when it is but a wavering opinion with the greatest doubtfulness Therefore we do not usually by a Certain apprehension mean only a True apprehension but a clear and quieting one 4. It is possible to baptize Infants unlawfully or without any Right so that their Reception and baptizing shall be a great sin as is the misapplying of other Ordinances For instance one in America where there is neither Church to receive them nor Christian Parents nor Sponsors may take up the Indians Children and Baptize them against the Parents wills Or if the Parents consent to have their Children outwardly Baptized and not themselves as not knowing what Baptizing meaneth or desire it only for outward advantages to their Children Or if they offer them to be Baptized only in open derision and scorn of Christ such Children have no Right to be received And many other instances neerer may be given 5. It 's possible the person may have no Authority at all from Christ who doth Baptize them And Christs part in Reception of the person and Collation and Investiture in his benefits must be done by his Commission or else how can we say that Christ doth it But open Infidels Women Children madmen scorners may do it that have none of his Commission 6. That all Infants baptized without title or right by mis-application and so dying are not undoubtedly saved nor any word of God doth certainly say so we have reason to believe on these following grounds 1. Because we can find no such Text nor could ever prevail with them that say so to shew us such an ascertaining Word of God 2. Because else gross sin would certainly be the way to salvation For such mis-application of Baptism by the demanders at least would certainly be gross sin as well as mis-applying the Lords Supper 3. Because it is clean contrary to the tenour of the new Covenant which promiseth salvation to none but penitent Believers and their seed What God may do for others unknown to us we have nothing to do with But his Covenant hath made no other promise that I can find 〈…〉 d we are â—ertain of no mans salvation by Baptism to whom God never made a promise of it If by the Children of the faithful be meant not only their Natural seed but the Adopted or bought also of which they are true Proprietors yet that is nothing to all others 4. To add to Gods words Especially to his very Promise or Covenant is so terrible a presumption as we dare not be guilty of 5. Because this tyeth Grace or salvation so to the outward washing of the body or opus operatum as is contrary to the nature of Gods Ordinances and to the tenour of Scripture and the judgement of the Protestant Divines 6. Because this would make a strange disparity between the two Sacraments of the same
it unlawful to make so promiscuous an Adoption of children or of choosing another to be a Covenanter for the child instead of the Parent to whom it belongeth or to commit their children to anothers either propriety or education or formal promise of that which belongeth to education when they never mean to perform it nor can do 2. Because they take it for an Adding to the Ordinance of God a thing which Scripture never mentioneth To which I answer 1. I grant it unlawful to suppose another to be the Parent or proprietor that is not Or to suppose him to have that power and interest in your child which he hath not Oâ— to desire him to undertake what he cannot perform and which neither he nor you intend he shall perform I grant that you are not bound to alienate the propriety of your children nor to take in another to be joint-proprietors nor to put out your children to the God-fathers education So that if you will misunderstand the Use of Sponsors then indeed you will make them unlawful to be so used But if you take them but as the antient Churches did for such as do attest the Parents fidelity in their perswasion and do promise first to mind you of your duty and next to take care of the childrens pious education if you dye I know no reason you have to scruple this much Yea more it is in your own power to agree with the God-fathers that they shall represent your own persons and speak and promise what they do as your deputies only in your names And what have you against this Suppose you were sick lame imprisoned or banished would you not have your child baptized And how should that be done but by your deputing another to represent you in entring him into Covenant with God Object But when the Church-men mean another thing this is but to juggle with the world Answ. How can you prove that the authority that made or imposed the Liturgie meant any other thing And other individuals are not the Masters of your sense 2. Yea and if the Imposers had meant ill in a thing that may be done well you may discharge your conscience by doing it well and making a sufficient profession of your better sense 2. And then it will be no sinful addition to Gods Ordinance to determine of a lawful circumstance which he hath left to humane prudence As to choose a meet Deputy Witness or Sponsor who promiseth nothing but what is meet Quest. 40. On whose account or right is it that the Infant hath title to Baptism and its benefits Is it on the Parents Ancestors Sponsors the Churches the Ministers the Magistrates or his own Answ. THe titles are very various that are pretended Let us examine them all I. I cannot think that a Magistrates Command to baptize an Infant giveth him right 1. Because there is no proof of the validity of such a title 2. Because the Magistrate can command no such thing if it be against Gods Word as this is which would level the case of the seed of Heathens and believers And I know but few of that opinion II. I do not think that the Minister as such giveth title to the Infant For 1. He is no proprietor 2. He can shew no such power or grant from God 3. He must baptize none but those that antecedently have right 4. Else he also might levell all and take in Heathens children with believers 5. Nor is this pretended to by many that I know of III. I cannot think that it is a particular Church that must give this Right or perform the condition of it For 1. Baptism as is aforesaid as such doth only make a Christian and a member of the Universal Church and not of any particular Church And 2. The Church is not the proprietor of the child 3. No Scripture Commission can be shewed for such a power Where hath God said All that any particular Church will receive shall have right to baptism 4. By what act must the Church give this right If by baptizing him the question is of his antecedent right If by willing that he be baptized 1. If they will that one be baptized that hath no right to it their will is sinful and therefore unfit to give him right 2. And the baptizing Minister hath more power than a thousand or ten thousand private men to judge who is to be baptized 5. Else a Church might save all Heathens children that they can but baptize and so levell Infidels and Christians seed 6. It is not the Church in general but some one person that must educate the child Therefore the Church cannot so much as promise for its education The Church hath nothing to do with those that are without but only with her own And Heathens children are not her own nor exposed to her occupation IV. I believe not that it is the Universal Church that giveth the Infant title to baptism For 1. He that giveth title to the Covenant and baptism doth it as a performer of the Moral Condition of that title But God hath no where made the Churches faith to be the condition of baptism or salvation either â—o Infidels or their seed 2. Because the Universal Church is a body that cannot be consulted with to give their Vote and Consent Nor have they any Deputies to do it by For there is no Universal Visible Governour And if you will pretend every Priest to be commissioned to act and judge in the name of the Universal Church you will want proof and that 's before confuted 3. If all have right that the Universal Church offereth up to God or any Minister or Bishop be counted its Deputy or Agent to that end it is in the power of that Minister as is said to levell all and to baptize and save all which is contrary to the Word of God V. I believe that God-fathers as such being no Adopters or Proprietors are not the performers of the condition of salvation for the Infant nor give him right to be baptized 1. Because he is not their Own and therefore their will or act cannot go for his Because there is no Word of God for it that all shall be baptized or saved that any Christians will be Sponsors for Gods Church blessings be not tyed â—o such inventions that were not in being when Gods Laws were made Where â—here is no promise or word there is no faith 3. No Sponsors are so much as lawful as is shewed before who are not Owners or their Deputies or meer secondary subservient parties who suppose the principal Covenanting party 4. And as to the Infants salvation the Sponsors may too oft be ignorant Infidels and Hypocrites themselves that have no true faith for themselves and therefore not enough to save another 5. And it were strange if God should make no promise to a wicked Parent for his own child and yet should promise to save by baptism all that some wicked
Church 11. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be appointed for the renewing of our Covenant at age yet is it not the first owning of the Covenant by the aged For that Sacrament belongeth neither to Infants nor Infidels And he that claimeth it must be an adult Church-member or Christian which those are not who at full age no way ever owned their baptismal Covenant nor made any personal profession of Christianity But of this I have written purposely in a Treatise of Confirmation long ago Quest. 52. Whether the Universal Church consist only of particular Churches and their members Answ. NO Particular Churches are the most Regular and noble parts of the Universal Church but not the whole no more than Cities and Corporations be all the Kingdom 1. Some may be as the Eunuch baptized before they can come to any particular Church or as Acts 8. 37 c. Acts 9. 17 18 19 20 26 27 28. Paul before they can be received 2. Some may live where Church-tyranny hindereth them by sinful impositions As all that live among the Papists 3. Some may live in times of doubting distraction and confusion and not know what Church ordinarily to joyn with and may providently go promiscuously to many and keep in an unfixed state for a time 4. Some may be Wives Children or Servants who may be violently hindered 5. Some may live where no particular Churches are As Merchants and Embassadours among Mâ—hometans and Heathens Quest. 53. Must the Pastor first Call the Church and aggregate them to himself or the Church first Congregate themselves and then choose the Pastor Answ. THe Pastors are in order of Nature if not in time first Ministers of Christ in general before they are related to a particular Charge 2. As such Ministers they first make men fit to be congregate and tell them their duty therein 3. But it is a matter variable and indifferent Whether the Minister first say All that will joyn with me and submit to me as their Pastor shall be my particular Charge Or the people before Congregated do call a man to be their Pastor Quest. 54. Wherein doth a particular Church of Christs institution differ from a Consociation of many Churches Answ. 1. IN that such a particular Church is a company of Christians associated for personal immediate Acts 2. 1 24 44 46. 4. 32. 5. 12. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Cor. 14. 19 23 24 28 35. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Acts 11. 26. James 2. â— Communion in Gods worship and in holy living Whereas Consociations of Churches are combined for mediate distinct Communion or by Delegates or Representatives as in Synods 2. Such a particular Church is constituted of one or more Pastors with the people officiating in the Sacred Ministry among them in Doctrine Worship and Discipline in order to the said personal Communion But a Consociation of Churches hath no particular Head as such of divine institution to Constitute and Govern them as one In Ignatius's time every particular Church was characterized or known by two marks of Unity 1. One Altar that is one place of assembling for holy communion 2. One Bishop with the Presbyters and Deacons And two Altars and two Bishops proved two Churches 3. A particular Church under one Bishop or the some Pastors is a Political holy Society But a combination of many Churches consociate is not so but only 1. Either a Community agreeing to live in Concord as neighbour Kingdoms may 2. Or else a humane Policy or Society and not of Divine immediate institution So that if this Consociation of Churches be called a Church it must be either equivocally or in a humane sense Quest. 55. Whether a particular Church may consist of more Assemblies than one Or must needs meet all in one place Answ. 1. THe true distinguishing note of a particular Church is that They be associated for holy Communion in Worship and holy living not by Delegates nor distâ—ntly only by owning the same faith and loving one another as we may do with those at the Antipodes but Personally in presence 2. Therefore they must necessarily be so near as to be capable of personal present Communion 1 Cor. 14. 19 23. Acts 11. 26 c. as before cited 3. And it is most convenient that they be no more than can ordinarily meet in the same Assembly at least for Sacramental Communion 4. But yet they may meet in many places or Assemblies as Chappels or Oratories or other subordinate meetings which are appointed to supply the necessity of the weak and aged and them that cannot travail far And in times of persecution when the Church dare not all meet in one place they may make up several smaller meetings under several Pastors of the same Church But they should come all together as oft as they can 5. And it is to be considered that all the persons of a family can seldome go to the Assembly at one time especially when they live far off Therefore if a Church-place would receive but ten thousand yet twenty thousand might be members while half meet one day and half another or another part of the day 6. Two Congregations distinctly associated for personal Worship under distinct Pastors or having statedly as Ignatius speaketh two Bishops and two Altars are two particular Churches and can no otherwise be one Church than â—s that may be called One which is a Consoâ—iation of divers Quest. 56. Is any Form of Church Government of Divine Institution Answ. YEa There are two Essentially different Policies or Forms of Church Government of Christs Eph. 1 22. 23. 5. 25 26 c. 4. 4 5 6 16. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1 5. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim 3 3 4 6. 1 Pet 5. 1 2 3. Acts 20 28. Phil. 1. 1 2. own Institution never to be altered by man 1. The form of the Universal Church as headed by Christ himself which all Christians own as they are Christians in their Baptism 2. Particular Churches which are headed by their particular Bishops or Pastors and are parts of the Universal as a Troop is of an Army or a City of a Kingdom Here it is of Divine Institution 1. That there be holy Assemblies for the Publick Worship of God 2. That these Assemblies be Societies constituted of the people with their Pastors who are to them as Captains to their Troops under the General or as Mayors to Cities under the King 3. That these Pastors have the power of the Keyes or the special Guidance and Governance by the Word not by the Sword of their own particular charge in the matters of Faith Worship and holy living and that the flocks obey them And when all this is Iure divino why should any say that No form of Government is jure divino 3. Moreover it is of Divine appointment that these Churches hold the nearest Concord and help each other
as much as they can whether by Synods or other meet wayes of correspondency And though this be not a distinct Government it is a distinct mode of Governing Object But that there be Pastors with fixed Churches or Assemblies is not of the Law of Nature Answ. 1. Hath Christ no Law but the Law of Nature Wherein then differ the Christian Religion and the Heathenish 2. Suppose but Christ to be Christ and man to be what he is and Nature it self will tell us that this is the fittest way for ordering the Worship of God For Nature saith God must be solemnly and ordinarily worshipped and that qualified persons should be the official Guides in the performance And that people who need such conduct and private oversight besides should where they live have their own stated Overseers Object But particular Congregations are not de primaria intentione divina For if the whole world could joyn together in the publick Worship of God no doubt that would be properly a Church But particular Congregations are only accidental in reference to Gods intention of having a Church because of the Impossibility of all mens joyning together for Ordinances c. Answ. 1. The question with me is not whether they be of primary Intention but whether stated Churches headed with their proper Bishops or Pastors be not of Gods institution in the Scripture 2. This Objection confirmeth it and not denyeth it For 1. It confesseth that there is a necessity of joyning for Gods Worship 2. And an Impossibility that all the world should so joyn 3. But if the whole world could so joyn it would be properly a Church So that it confesseth that to be a society joyned for Gods publick Worship is to be properly a Church And we confess all this If all the world could be one family they might have one Master or one Kingdom they might have one King But when it is confessed that 1. A Natural Impossibility of an Universal Assembly necessitateth more particular assemblies 2. And that Christ hath instituted such actually in his Word what more can a considerate man require 3. I do not understand this distinction de primaria intentione divina and accidental c. The Primary Intention is properly of the Ultimate End only And no man thinketh that a Law de mediis of the means is no Law or that God hath made no Laws de mediis For Christ as a Mediator is a Means But suppose it be limited to the Matter of Church Laws If this be the meaning of it that it is not the principal means but a subordinate means or that it is not instituted only propter finem ultimum no more than propter se but also in order to a higher thing as its immediate end we make no question of that Assemblies are not only that there may be assemblies but for the Worship and Offices there performed And those for Man And all for God But what or all this Hath God made no Laws for subordinate means No Christian denyeth it Therefore the Learned and Judicious Disputer of this point declareth himself for what I say when he saith I engage not in the Controversie Whether a particular Congregation be the first political Dr. Stillingflects Iâ—en p. 154 so p. 170. By Church here I mean not a particular Congregation c. So h gâ—anteth that 1 the Universal Church 2. Particular Congregations are of Divine Institution one ex intentione primaria and the other as he calls it accidentally but yet of Natural necessity Church or no It sufficeth for my purpose that there are other Churches besides The thing in question is Whether there be no other Church but such particular Congregations Where it seemeth granted that such particular Churches are of Divine institution And for other Churches I shall say more anon In the mean time note that the question is but de nomine here whether the Name Church be fit for other societiâ—s and not de re But lest any should grow to the boldness to deny that Christ hath instituted Christian stated Societies consisting of Pastors and flocks associate for personal Communion in publick Worship and holy living which is my detinition of a particular Church as not so confined to one assembly but that it may be in divers and yet not consisting of divers such distinct stated assemblies with their distinct Pastors nor of such as can have no personal communion but only by Delegates I prove it thus from the Word of God 1. The Apostles were commissioned by Christ to deliver his commands to all the Churches and settle them according to his will Iohn 20. 21. Matth. 28. 19 20 c. 2. These commissioned persons had the promise of an infallible Spirit for the due performance of their work Iohn 16. 13 14 15. 15. 26. 14. 26. Matth. 28. 20. 3. These Apostles where ever the success of the Gospel prepared them materials did settle Christian stated societies consisting of Pastors or Elders with their flocks associated for personal communion in publick worship and holy living These setled Churches they gave orders to for their direction and preservation and reformation These they took the chief care of themselves and exhorted their Elders to fidelity in their work They gave command that none should forsake such assemblies and they so fully describe them as that they cannot easily be misunderstood All this is proved Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Rom. 16. 1. 1 Cor. 11. 18 20. 22 26. 1 Cor. 14. 4 5 12 19 23 28 33 34. Col. 4. 16. Acts 11. 26. 13. 1. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Acts 14. 27. 15. 3. to omit many more Here are proofs enow that such particular Churches were de facto setled by the Apostles Heb. 10. 25. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together So Iames 2. 2. they are called Synagogues 2. It is confessed that there is a natural necessity of such stated Churches or Assemblies supposing but the Institution of the Worship it self which is there performed And if so then we may say that the Law of Nature it self doth partly require them 1. It is of the Law of Nature that God be publickly worshipped as most Expositors of the fourth Commandment do confess 2. It is of the Law of Nature that the people be taught to know God and their duty by such as are able and fit to teach them 3. The Law of Nature requireth that man being a sociable creature and conjunction working strongest affections we should use our sociableness in the greatest matters and by conjunction help the zeal of our prayers and praises of God 4. Gods institution of publick Preaching Prayer and Praise are scarce denyed by any Christians 5. None of these can be publickly done but by assembling 6. No Assembly can suffice for these without a Minister of Christ Because it is only his Office to be the ordinary Teacher and to go before the people in prayer and praise and to administer the
vindication of your right may violate Charity and Peace and inflame his passion and kindle your own and hurt both your souls and draw you into other sins and cost you dearer than your right was worth Whereas your patience and yieldingness and submission and readiness to serve another and to let go your own for Peace and Charity may shame him or melt him and prevent contention and keep your own and the publick peace and may shew the excellency of your Holy Religion and win mens souls to the Love of it that they may be saved Therefore instead of exacting or vindicating your utmost right set light by your corporal sufferings and wrongs and study and labour with all your power to excel in Charity and to do good to all and to stoop to any service to another and humble your selves and exercise patience and give and lend according to your abilities and pretend no◠justice against the great duties of Charity and Patience So that here is forbidden both violent and legal revenge for our Corporal abuses when the Law of Charity or Patience is against it But this disobligeth not Magistrates to do Justice or men to seek it in any of the Cases mentioned in the seven first Propositions § 25. Quest. 3. Am I bound to forgive another if he ask me not forgiveness The reason of the Quest. 3. question is because Christ saith Luke 17. 3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Answ. In the resolving of this while some have barely affirmed and others denyed for want of distinguishing they have said worse than nothing It is necessary that we distinguish 1. Between the forgiving of an enemy and of a stranger and of a neighbour and of a brother as such 2. Between the several penalties to be remitted as well as revenges to be forborn And so briefly the case must be thus resolved Prop. 1. An Enemy a stranger and a neighbour as such must be forgiven in the cases before asserted though they ask not forgiveness nor say I repent For 1. Many other Scriptures absolutely require it 2. And forgiving them as such is but the continuing them in our common charity as men or neighbours that is our not endeavouring to ruine them or do them any hurt and our hearty desiring and endeavouring their good according to their capacities or ours And thus far we must forgive them Prop. 2. A Brother must be also thus far forgiven though he say not I repent that is we must Love him as a man and wish and endeavour his good to our power Prop. 3. A Brother as a Brother is not to be so forgiven as to be restored to our estimation and affection and usage of him as a Brother either in spiritual account or intimate special Love and familiarity as long as he is Impenitent in his gross offences and that is till he turn again and say I repent A Natural Brother is still to be Loved as a Natural Brother For that kind of Love dependeth not on his honesty or repentance But 1. A Brother in a Religious sense 2. Or a bosome familiar friend are both unfit for to be received in these capacities till they are penitent for gross offences Therefore the Church is not to pardon the Impenitent in point of Communion nor particular Christians to pardon them in their esteem and carriage Nor am I bound to take an unfit person to be my bosome friend to know my secrets Therefore if either of these offend I must not forgive them that is by forgiveness continue them in the respect and usuage of this brotherhood till they Repent And this first especially is the Brother mentioned in the Text. § 26. Quest. 4. Is it lawful to sue a Brother at Law The reason of the question is from the Quest. 4. words of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 7. There is utterly a fault among you because ye go to Law one with another Why do you not rather take wrong Why do you not rather suffer your selves to be defrauded Answ. 1. Distinguish betwixt going to Law before Heathens or other enemies to the Christian Religion and before Christian Magistrates 2. Between going to Law in malice for revenge and going meerly to seek my right or to seek the suppression and reformation of sin 3. Between going to Law when you are bound to forgive and when you are not 4. And between going to Law in haste and needlesly and going to Law as the last remedy in case of necessity when other means fail 5. And between going to Law when the hurt is like to be greater than the benefit and going to Law when it is likely to do good There is a great deal of difference between these cases § 27. Prop. 1. Christians must rather suffer wrong than go to Law before the enemies of Religion when it is like to harden them and to bring Christianity into contempt Prop. 2. It is not lawful to make Law and Justice the means of private unlawful revenge nor to vent our malice nor to oppress the innocent Prop. 3. When ever I am bound to forgive the trespass wrong or debt then it is unlawful to seek my own at Law For that is not forgiving Prop. 4. There are many other remedies which must first be tryed ordinarily before we go to Law As 1. To rebuke our neighbour for his wrong and privately to desire necessary reparations 2. To take two or three to admonish him or to refer the matter to Arbitrators or in some cases to a lott And if any make Law their first remedy needlesly while the other means should first be used it is a sin Prop. 5. It is not lawful to go to Law-sutes when prudence may discern that the hurt which may come by it will be greater than the benefit either by hardning the person or disturbing our selves or scandalizing others against Religion or drawing any to wayes of unpeaceableness and revenge c. The foreseen consequents may over-rule the case § 28. But on the other side Prop. 1. It is lawful to make use of Christian Judicatories so it be done in a lawful manner yea and in some cases of the Judicatories of Infidels Prop. 2. The suppressing of sin and the defending of the innocent and righting of the wronged being the duty of Governours it is lawful to seek these benefits at their hands Prop. 3. In cases where I am not obliged to forgive as I have shewed before some such there be I may justly make use of Governours as the Ordinance of God Prop. 4. The order and season is when I have tryed other means in vain When perswasion or arbitration will do no good or cannot be used with hope of success Prop. 5. And the great condition to prove it lawful is
Body of Christ not of the body of the Pope Let Christian and Catholick be all your titles as to your Religion Mark those that cause divisions and offences and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. § 31. Direct 11. To this end Overvalue not any private or singular opinions of your own or Direct 11. others For if once spiritual pride and ignorance of your own weakness hath made you espouse some particular opinion as peculiarly your own you will dote on the brats of your own brains and will think your conceits to be far more illuminating and necessary than indeed they are as if mens sincerity lay in the embracing of them and their salvation on the receiving of them And then you will make a party for your opinion and will think all that are against it deserve to be cast out as enemies to reformation or to the truth of God or to the Church And perhaps twenty years after experience may bring you to your wits and make you see either the falshood or the smalness of all those points which you made so great a matter of and then what comfort will you have in your persecutions § 32. Direct 12. Obey not the solicitations of selfish passionate disputers Bishops and Divines falling Direct 12. out among themselves and then drawing Princes to own their quarrels when they find their arguments will not serve hath been the distraction division and ruine of the Christian world And he that falleth in with one of the parties to bear out that by the ruines of the other is lost himself in their contentions Would Rulers let wrangling Bishops and Disputers alone and never lend them their Swords to end their differences unless the substance of Religion be endangered they would be weary of quarrelling and would chide themselves friends and no such tragical consequents would follow as do when the Sword interposeth to suppress the discountenanced party and to end their Syllogisms and wranglings in blood § 33. Direct 13. Take heed lest an uncharitable hurting spirit do prevail under the name of holy Direct 13. Zeal As it did with Iames and Iohn when they would have fire from Heaven to have revenged the contempt of their Ministry To whom Christ saith Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Luke 9. 55. The difference between a Christian zeal and an envious contentious censorious hurtful zeal is excellently described by the Apostle Iames Chap. 3. throughout Where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good works without partiality and hypocrisie § 34. Direct 14. The Catholick Church and Particular Churches and our Communion with each Direct 14. must be distinguished and a man must not be cast out of our Catholick Communion because by some tolerable difference he is uncapabable of Communion with some particular Church If a man be impenitent in any Heresie or sin which is contrary to the common nature of Christianity or Godliness and so unfit for Catholick Communion he is to be cast out of Christian Communion But if some particular Church do impose any unnecessary doctrine or practice and he dare not approve it or joyn in it be it right or wrong yea or if he withdraw himself from one Church through the badness of the Minister or through any falling out between them and joyn to another that hath a Minister more suitable to his case these are not crimes to be punished with ejection from Catholick Communion He that is not fit for Communion with some one particular Church may be fit for Communion with many others that give him no such occasion of difference or distaste Without Catholick principles persecution will not be avoided § 35. Direct 15. Let Church Union and Communion be laid upon none but Catholick terms which Direct 15. are possible and fit for all to be agreed in Common Reason will tell any impartial man that there See my Treatise of A True Catholick and Cath. Church can be no more effectual engine to divide the Churches and raise contentions and persecutions than to make Laws for Church-communion requiring such conditions as it is certain the members cannot consent to If any man knew that my opinion is against the doctrine of Transubstantiation or of the Dominicans Predetermination and he would make a Law that no man shall have Communion with that Church who subscribeth not to these he unavoidably excludeth me Unless I be such a Beast as to Believe nothing soundly and therefore to say any thing If ever the Churches agree and Christians be reconciled it must be by leaving out all dividing impositions and requiring nothing as necessary to Communion which all may not rationally be expected to consent in Now these Catholick principles of Communion must be such as these 1. Such points of faith only as constitute Christianity and which every upright Christian holdeth and therefore only such as are contained in our Baptismal Covenant or Profession which maketh us Christians And not those other which only some stronger Christians believe or understand Because the weak are not to be cast out of the family of Christ. 2. Such points as the Primitive Churches did agree in and not innovations which they never Sâ—e Viâ—cent Lâ—â—iaens practised or agreed in For they are our pattern and were better than we and no more can be necessary to our Concord and Communion than was to theirs 3. Such points as all the Church hath sometime or other at least agreed in For what reason can we have to think that the Churches should now agree in that which they never hitherto agreed in 4. Such points as all the true Christians in the world are now agreed in For otherwise we shall exclude some true Christians from our Christian Communion 5. No points of Worship much less of Modes and Circumstances which are not necessary and more necessary to the Churches good than is the Communion of all those persons who by dissenting are like to be separated or cast out and whose omission would not do more hurt than this separation and division is like to do 6. Especially no such things must be made necessary to communion as the most conscientious are ordinarily fearful of and averse to and may be forborn without any great detriment to godliness § 36. Object But it will be said that Catholick Communion indeed requireth no more than you say Object But particular Churches may require more of their members For that may be necessary or fit for a member of this particular Church which is not to at all Answ. Catholick Communion is that which all Christians and Churches have with one another and the terms of it are such as all Christians may agree in Catholick Communion is principally existent and exercised in particular Churches as there is no existent Christianity or faith which existeth not in individual Christians Therefore
if one particular Church may so narrow the door of its Communion then another and another and every one may do so if not by the same particular impositions yet by some other of the like nature For what power one Church hath herein others have And then Catholick Communion will be scarce found existent externally in the world but a meer Catholick Christian would be denyed Communion in every particular Church he cometh to And how do you hold Catholick Communion when you will admit no meer Catholick Christian as such to your Communion but only such as supererogate according to your private Church-terms 2. But grant that every Church may impose more upon its members it must be only that which is Necessary to those common things which all agree in And then the necessity will be discernable to all sober minded persons and will prevent divisions As it is Necessary that he that will communicate with our Churches do joyn with them in the same Translation of Scripture and Version of Psalms and under the same Pastor as the rest of the Church doth For here the Church cannot use variety of Pastors Translations Versions c. to fit the variety of mens humours There is an evident necessity that if they will be one Society they must agree in the same in each of these Therefore when the Church hath United in one if any man refuse that one person or way which the Church is necessarily United in he refuseth communion with that Church and the Church doth not excommunicate him But if that Church agree on things hurtful or unnecessary as necessary to its communion it must bear the blame of the separations it self 3. And grant yet that some Churches cannot admit such scrupulous persons to her communion as dare not joyn in every punctillio circumstance or mode It doth not follow that those persons must therefore be excommunicated or forbidden to worship God among themselves without that which they scruple or to joyn in or with a Congregation which imposeth no such things upon them Persecution will unavoidably come in upon such domineering narrow terms as those The man is a Christian still though he scruple one of our modes or ceremonies and is capable of Catholick Communion And if private and little inconveniencies shall be thought a sufficient cause to forbid all such the publick worshipping of God on pretence that in one Nation there must not be variety of modes this is a dividing principle and not Catholick and plungeth men into the guilt of persecution It was not so in the Churches of the Roman Empire In the dayes of Basil his Church and that at Neocaesarea differed and ordinarily several Bishops used several forms of prayer and worship in their several Churches without offence And further § 37. Direct 16. Different faults must have different penalties And excommunication or forbidding Direct 16. men all publick worship of God must not be the penalty of every dissent Is there no smaller penalty sufficient if a doubtful subscription or ceremony be scrupled than to silence Ministers therefore from preaching the Gospel or excommunicating men and forbidding them to worship God at all except they can do this This is the highest ecclesiastical penalty that can be laid on men for the greatest heresie or crime Doubtless there are lesser punishments that may suffice for lesser faults § 38. Direct 17. Every friend of Christ and the Church must choose such penalties for Ministers and Direct 17. private Christians who offend as are least to the hinderance of the Gospel or hurtful to the peoples souls Therefore silencing Ministers is not a fit penalty for every fault which they commit The providence of God as I said before hath furnished the world with so few that are fit for that high and sacred work that no man can pretend that they are supernumeraries or unnecessary and that others may be substituted to the Churches profit For the number is so small that all are much too few and so many as are silenced so many Churches either the same or others must be unsupplyed or ill-supplyed And God working ordinarily by means we may conclude that silencing of such Preachers doth as plainly tend to mens damnation as the prohibiting of Physicions doth to their death and more And it is not the part of a friend either of God or men to endeavour the damnation of one soul much less of multitudes because a Minister hath displeased him If one man must pay for another mans sins let it be a pecuniary mulct or the loss of a member rather than the loss of his soul. It is more merciful every time a Minister offendeth to cut off a hand or an arm of some of his flock than to say to him Teach them no more the way to salvation that so they may be damned If a Father offend and his children must needs pay for â—ll his faults it is better beat the children or maim them than forbid him to feed them when there is none else to do it and so to famish them What Reason is there that mens souls should be untaught because a Minister hath offended I know still those men that care not for their own souls and therefore care as little for others will say What if the People have but a Reader or a weak ignorant lifeless Preacher Doth it follow that therefore the people must be damned I answer no No more than it followeth that the City that hath none but Women Physicions must dye of their sicknesses or that they that live only upon Grass or Roots must famish Nature may do more to overcome a disease without a Physicion in one than in another Some perhaps are converted already and have the Law written in their hearts and are taught of God and can make shift to live without a Teacher But for the rest whose diseases need a skilful diligent Physicion whose ignorance and impenitence extreamly needeth a skilful diligent lively Teacher he that depriveth them of such doth take the probable course to damn them And it is the same course which the Devil himself would take and he partly knoweth what tendeth to mens damnation He that knoweth what a case the Heathen Infidel Mahometan world is in for want of Teachers and what a case the Greek Church the Moscovites the Abbassines Syrians Armenians Papists and most of the Christians of the world are in for want of able skilful godly Pastors will lay his hand on his mouth and meddle with such reasonings as these no more Object But by this devise you will have the Clergie lawless or as the Papists exempt them from the Magistrates punishments for fear of depriving the people of instruction Answ. No such matter It is the contrary that I am advising I would have them punished more severely than other men as their sins are more aggravated than other mens Yea and I would have them silenced when it is meet and that
measures every man on earth is a false Worshipper that is he offereth God a worship some way faulty and imperfect and hath some sin in his worshipping of God And sin is a thing that God requireth not but forbiddeth even in the smallest measures Quest. 9. Which must I judge a true Church of Christ and which a false Church Quest. 9. Answ. The Universal Church is but one and is the whole society of Christians as united to Christ their only Head And this cannot be a false Church But if any other set up an Usurper as the Universal Head and so make another Policy and Church this is a false Church formally or in its policy But yet the members of this false Church or policy may some of them as Christians be also members of the true Church of Christ And thus the Roman Church as Papal is a false Catholick Church haveing the Policy of an Usurper but as Christians they may be members of the true Catholick Church of Christ. But for a particular Church which is but part of the Universal that is a true Church considered meerly as an ungoverned Community which is a true part of the Catholick prepared for a Pastor but yet being without one But that only is a true Political Church which consisteth of Professed Christians conjoyned under a true Pastor for Communion in the profession of true Christianity and for the true worshipping of God and orderly walking for their mutual assistance and salvation Quest. 10. Whom must we judge true Prophets and Pastors of the Church Quest. 10. Answ. He is a true Prophet who is sent by God and speaketh truth by immediate supernatural revelation or inspiration And he is a false Prophet who either falsly saith that he hath Divine revelations or inspiration or prophesieth falshood as from God And he is a true Pastor at the bar of God who is 1. Competently qualified with abilities for the Office 2. Competently disposed to it with willingness and desire of success And hath right ends in undertaking and discharging it 3. Who hath a just admission by true Ordination of Pastors and Consent of the flock And he is to be accounted a true Pastor in foro Ecclesiae in the Churches judgement whom the Church judgeth to have all these qualifications and thereupon admitteth him into possession of the place till his incapacity be notorious or publickly and sufficiently proved or he be removed or made uncapable Tit. 2. Directions for the Cure of sinful Censoriousness Direct 1. MEddle not at all in judging of others without a call Know first whether it be any Direct 1. of your work If not be afraid of those words of your Judge Matth. 7. 1 2 3 4 5. Iudge not that ye be not judged For with what judgement you judge you shall be judged c. And Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth And vers 10. 13. But why dost thou judge thy brother Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Every one of us shall give account of himself to God Let us not therefore judge one another any more 1 Cor. 4. 3 4 5. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement Therefore judge nothing before the time till the Lord come who both will bring to light the bidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts Col. 2. 16. Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moon or Sabbath Quest. But when have I a call to Iudge another Answ. You may take the answer to this from the answer to Quest. 10. Chap. 23. Tit. 1. 1. If your Office or place require it as a Magistrate Pastor Parent Master Tutor c. 2. If the safety of the Church or your neighbour do require it 3. If the good of the sinner require it that you may seek his repentance and reformation 4. If your own preservation or welfare or any other duty require it Direct 2. Keep up an humble sense of your own faults and that will make you compassionate to Direct 2. others He that is truly vile in his own eyes is least inclined to vilifie others And he that judgeth himself with the greatest penitent severity is the least inclined to be censorious to his brother Pride is the common cause of censoriousness He that saith with the Pharisee I fast twice a week and pay tythe of all that I have I am no adulterer c. will also say I am not as other men nor as this Publican when the true penitent findeth so much of his own to be condemned that he smiteth on his own breast and saith God be merciful to me a sinner The prouder self-conceited sort of Christians are ever the most censorious of their neighbours Direct 3. Be much therefore at home in searching and watching and amending your own hearts Direct 3. and then you will find so much to do about your selves that you will have no mind or leisure to be censuring others Whereas the superficial hypocrite whose Religion is in externals and is unacquainted with his heart and Heaven is so little employed in the true work of a Christian that he hath leisure for the work of a censorious Pharisee Direct 4. Labour for a deep experimental insight into the nature of Religion and of every duty Direct 4. For no men are so censorious as the ignorant who know not what they say whilest experienced persons know those difficulties and other reasons which calm their minds As in common business no man will sooner find fault with a Workman in his work than idle praters who least understand it So is it commonly in matters of Religion Women and young men that never saw into the great mysteries of Divinity but have been lately changed from a vicious life and have neither acquaintance with the hard points of Religion nor with their own ignorance of them are the common proud censurers of their brethren much wiser than themselves and of all men that are more moderate and peaceable than themselves and are more addicted to Unity and more averse to Sects and separations than they Study harder and wait till you grow up to the experience of the aged and you will be less censorious and more peaceable Direct 5. Think not your selves fit Iudges of that which you understand not And think not proudly Direct 5. that you are liker to understand the difficulties in Religion with your short and lazy studies than those that in reading meditation and prayer have spent their lives in searching after them Let not pride make you abuse the Holy Ghost by pretending that he hath given you more wisdome in a little time and with little means and diligence than your betters have by the
a Zeal against Error and for Truth Object V. Are all these Numerous Directions to be found in Scripture Shew us them in Scripture or you trouble the Church with your own inventions Answ. 1. Are all your Sermons in the Scripture And all the good Books of your Library in the Scripture 2. Will you have none but Readers in the Church and put down Preachers Sure it is the Reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture 3. Are we not Men before we are Christians And is not the Light and Law of Nature Divine And was the Scripture written to be instead of Reason or of a Logick or other subservient Sciences Or must they not all be sanctified and used for Divinity 4. But I think that as all good Commentaries and Sermons and Systems of Theology are in Scripture so is the Directory here given and is proved by the evidence of the very thing discourst of or by the plainest Texts Object VI. You confound your Reader by Curiosity of distinctions Answ. 1. If they are vain or false shame them by detecting it or you shame your selves by blaming them when you cannot shew the error Expose not your selves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion that is avoiding knowledge to escape Ignorance or Light to escape darkness 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernitious Controversies And even those that bring in error by vain distinction must be confuted by better distinguishers and not by ignorant Confounders I will believe the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 14 15 16. that Logomachie is the plague by which the hearers are subverted and ungodliness increased and that Orthotomie or right dividing the Word of Truth is the Cure And Heb. 5. 15. Discerning both good and evil is the work of long and well exercised senses Object VII Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity and to the Creed What a toilsome task do you make Religion by overdoing Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord till it be so done as to the test of mens Faith and Communion But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible may follow that Sectary who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions at last burnt the Bible when he grew Learned enough to understand that the translation of that was Humane too 2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops and all the Furniture of their Houses or the number of their Sheep or Cattle or Lands nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect c. to be a trouble and toil why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome why do you keep them and do not come to the Vulgar Religion that would hear no more but Think well speak well and do well or Love God and your neighbour and do as you would be done by He that doth this truly shall be saved But there goeth more to the building of a house than to say Lay the foundation and raise the superstructure Universals exist not but in individuals and the whole consisteth of all the parts 3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions Therefore I wrote them because men cannot remember them that they may upon every necessary occasion go to that which they have present use for and cannot otherwise remember In summ to my quarrelsome Brethren I have two requests 1. That instead of their unconscionable and yet unreformed custome of backbiting they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing evidence and not tempt the hearers to think them envious and 2. That what I do amiss they would do better and not be such as will neither laboriously serve the Church themselves nor suffer others and that they will not be guilty of Idleness themselves nor tempt me to be a slothful servant who have so little time to spend For I dare not stand before God under that guilt And that they will not joyn with the enemies and resisters of the publication of the Word of God And to the Readers my request is 1. That what ever for Quantity or Quality in this Book is an impediment to their regular universal obedience and to a truly holy life they would neglect and cast away 2. But that which is truly Instructing and Helpful they would diligently Digest and Practice And I encourage them by my testimony that by long experience I am assured that this PRACTICAL RELIGION will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid Peace than contending Disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and Zeal against Errors for the Truth will ever bring or did ever attain to I crave your pardon for this long Apology It is an Age where the Objections are not feigned and where our greatest and most costly services of God are charged on us as our greatest sins and where at once I am accused of Conscience for doing no more and of men for doing so much Being really A most unworthy Servant of so good a Master RICHARD BAXTER THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME Christian Ethicks The Introduction page 1 2. CHAP. I. DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace § 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions p. 3 Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness § 2 Twenty Directions p. 6 § 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion p. 26 Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent p. 33 CHAP. II. Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth p. 36 Direct 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it ibid. Direct 2. Let Judgement Zeal and Practice go equally together p. 38 Direct 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity or a Catechism still in your memory p. 39 Direct 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion Heb. 6. 1. opened p. 40 Direct 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts Time and diligence are necessary to growth How the Spirit doth illuminate The danger of this sin p 41 Direct 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you Reasons p. 43 Direct 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry Reasons Objections answered p. 45 Direct 8. For Charity Unity and Catholicism against Schism Pretences for Schism confuted p. 47 Direct 9. Let not sufferings make you sin by passion or dishonouring authority p. 49 Direct 10. Take
Vows The use the obligation VVhether any things be indifferent and such may be Vowed As Marrying c. May we Vow things Indifferent in themselves though not in their circumstances In what Cases we may not Vow VVhat if Rulers command it VVhat if I doubt whether the Matter imposed be lawful Of Vowing with a doubting Conscience Tit. 2. Directions against Perjury and Perfidiousness and for keeping Vows and Oaths The heinousness of Perjury Thirty six Rules about the obligation of a Vow to shew when and how far it is obligatory useful in an age stigmatized with open Perjury Mostly out of Dr. Sanderson VVhat is the Nullity of an Oath Cases in which Vows must not be kept p. 700 How far Rulers may Nullifie a Vow Numb 30. opened Of the Accidental Evil of a Vow Of Scandal Q. Doth an error de persona caused by that person disoblige me ibid. CHAP. VI. Directions to the people concerning their Internal and private duty to their Pastors and their profiting by the Ministerial Office and Gifts p. 714 The Ministerial Office opened in fifteen particulars The Reasons of it The true old Episcopacy Special duties to your own Pastors above others Of the Calling Power and Succession of Pastors The best to be preferred The Order of Minirial Teaching and the Resolution of faith How far Humane faith conduceth to Divine Of Tradition VVhat use to make of your Pastors to p. 724 CHAP. VII Directions for the discovery of Truth among Contenders and how to escape Heresie and deceit Cautions for avoiding deceit in Disputations p. 725 CHAP. VIII Directions for the Union and Communion of Saints and for avoiding unpeaceableness and Schism p. 731 VVherein our Unity consisteth VVhat diversity will be in the Churches VVhat Schism is VVhat Heresie VVhat Apostasie VVho are Schismaticks The degrees and progress of it VVhat Separation is a duty Q. Is any one form of Church Government of Divine appointment May man make new Church Officers The Benefits of Christian Concord to themselves and to Insidels The mischiefs of Schism VVhether Papists or Protestants are Schismaticks The aggravations of Division Two hinderances of our true apprehension of the evil of Schism Direrections against it Of imposing defective Liturgies The Testimonies of antiquity against the bloody and Cruel way of Curing Schism Their Character of Ithacian Prelates CHAP. IX Twenty Directions how to worship God in the Church Assemblies p. 755 CHAP. X. Directions about our Communion with holy souls departed now with Christ. p. 758 CHAP. XI Directions about our Communion with the holy Angels p. 763 The Contents of the Ecclesiastical Cases of Conscience added to the Third Part. Q. 1. HOw to know which is the true Church among all pretenders that a Christians Conscience may be quiet in his Relation and communion p. 771 Q. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true Church And in what sence some Protestant Divines affirm it and some deny it p. 774 Q. 3. Whether we must take the Romish Clergie for a true Ministry p. 775 Q. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist p. 777 Q. 5. Whether we must hold that a Papist may be saved p. 778 Q. 6. Whether those that are in the Church of Rome are bound to separate from it And whether it be lawful to go to their Mass or other worship p. 779 Q. 7. Whether the true calling of the Minister by Ordination or Election be necessary to the essence of the Church ibid Q. 8. Whether sincere faith and Godliness be necessary to the being of the Ministry And whether it be lawful to hear a wicked man or take the Sacrament from him or take him for a Minister p. 780 Q. 9. Whether the people are bound to receive or consent to an ungodly intolerable heretical Pastor yea or one far less fit and worthy than a competitor if the Magistrate command it or the Bishop impose him p. 781 Q. 10. What if the Magistrate command the people to receive one Pastor and the Bishop or Ordainers another which of them must be obeyed p. 787 Q. 11. Whether an uninterrupted succession either of right Ordination or of conveyance by jurisdiction be necessary to the being of the Ministry or of a true Church p. 787 Q. 12. Whether there be or ever was such a thing in the world as one Catholick Church constituted by any head besides or under Christ p. 789 Q 13. Whether there be such a thing as a visible Catholick Church and what it is ibid. Q. 14. What is it that maketh a visible member of the universal Church and who are to be accounted such p. 790 Q. 15. Whether besides the profession of Christianity either testimony or evidence of conversion or practical Godliness be necessary to prove a man a member of the Universal visible Church ibid. Q. 16. What is necessary to a mans reception into membership in a particular Church over and above this foresaid title Whether any other tryals or Covenant or What p. 791 Q. 17. Wherein doth the Ministerial office Essentially consist p. 792 Q. 18. Whether the peoples choice or consent is necessary to the office â—f a Minister in his first work as he is to convert Insidels and Baptize them And whether this be a work of office and what call is necessary to it p. 793 Q. 19. Wherein consisteth the power and nature of Ordination and To whom doth it belong and Is it an act of jurisdiction and Is imposition of hands necessary in it p 794 Q. 20. Is ordination necessary to make a man a Pastor of a particular Church as such and Is he to be made a General Minister and a particular Church-Elder or Pastor at once and at one Ordination p. 795 Q. 21. May a man be oft or twice ordained p. 796 Q. 22. How many ordainers are necessary to the validity of Ordination by Christs Institution Whether one or more p. 798 Q. 23. What if one Bishop Ordain a Minister and three or many or all the rest protest against it and declare him no Minister or degrade him is he to be received as a true Minister or not ibid. Q. 24. Hath a Bishop power by divine right to ordain degrade or govern excommunicate or absolve in another Diocess or Church either by his consent or against it And doth a Minister that officiateth in anothers Church act as a Pastor and their Pastor or as a private man And doth his Ministerial office cease when a man removeth from his flock p. 799 Q. 25. Whether Canons Be Laws and Pastors have a Legislative power p. 800 Q. 26. Whether Church-canons or Pastors directive determinations of matters pertinent to their Office do bind the Conscience and what accidents will disoblige the people you may gather before in the same case about Magistrates Laws in the Political Directions As also by an impartial transferring the case to the precepts of Parents and School-masters to Children without respect to
Q. 121. May a Minister pray publickly in his own name singly for himself or others or only in the Churches name as their mouth to God ibid. Q. 122. May the name Priests Sacrifice and Altar be lawfully now used instead of Christs Ministers Worship and the Holy Table p. 882 Q. 123. May the Communion Table be turned Altar-wise and Railed in And is it lawful to come up to the Rails to communicate p. 882 Q. 124. Is it lawful to use David's Psalms in our Assemblies p. 883 Q. 125. May Psalms be used as prayers and praises and Thanksgivings or only as Instructive Even the Reading as well as the singing of them ibid. Q. 126. Are our Church-Tunes Lawful being of mans invention p. 884 Q. 127. Is Church Musick by Organs or such Instruments Lawful ibid. Q. 128. Is the Lords day a Sabbath and so to be called and kept and that of Divine institution And is the seventh day Sabbath abrogated c p. 885 Q. 129. Is it Lawful to appoint humane Holy dayes and observe them ibid. Q. 130. How far is the holy Scriptures a Law and perfect Rule to us p. 886 Q. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are Lawful or Unlawful p. 887 Q. 132. Iâ— it unlawful to obey in all thâ—se cases where it is unlawful to impose and command or in what cases And how far Pastors must be believed and obeyed p. 888 Q. 133. What are the additions or inventions of mâ—n which are not fâ—rbidden by the Word of God whether by Rulers or by private men invented p. 889 Q 134. What are the mischiefs of unlawful Additions in Religion p. 891 Q. 135. What are the mischiefs of mens errour on the other extream who pretend that Scripture is a Rule where it is not and deny the aforesaid lawful things on pretence that Scripture is a perfect Rule say some for all things p. 892 Q. 136. How shall we know what parts of Scripture precept or example were intended for universal constant obligation and what were but for the time and persons that they were then directed to p. 893 Q. 137. How much of the Scripture is necessary to salvation to be believed and understood p. 894 Q. 138. How may we know the Fundamentals Essentials or what parts are necessary to salvation And is the Papists way allowable that some of them deny that distinction and make the difference to be only in the degrees of mans opportunities of knowledge p 895 Q 139. What is the use and Authority of the Creed And is it of the Apostles framing or not And is it the Word of God or not p 896 Q 140. What is the use of Catechisms p. 897 Q. 141. Could any of us have known by the Scriptures alone the Essentials of Religion from the rest if tradition had not given them to us in the Creed as from Apostolical Collection ibid. Q. 142. What is the best method of a true Catechism or sum of Theologie p. 898 Q. 143. What is the use of various Church-Confessions or Articles of faith ibid. Q. 144. May not the subscribing of the whole Scriptures serve turn for all the foresaid ends without Creeds Catechisms or Confessions ibid. Q. 145. May a man be saved that believeth all the Essentials of Religion as coming to him by verbal Tradition and not as câ—ntained in the Holy Scriptures which perhaps he never knew p. 899 Q 146. Is the Scripture fit for all Christians to read being so obscure ibid. Q. 147. How far is Tradition and mens words and Ministry to be used or truâ—â—ed in in the exercise of faith p. 900 Q 148. How knâ—w we the true Canon of Scripture from Apocrypha ibid. Q. 149. Is the publick Reading of the Scripture the proper wâ—rk of the Minister or may a Lay man ordinarily do it or another officer p. 901 Q 150. Is it Lawful to Read the Apocrypha or any good Books besides the Scriptures to the Church as â—omiliâ—s c ibid. Q 151. May Church Assemblies be held where there is no Minister or what publick Worship may be so performed by Lâ—y men As among Inâ—idels or Papists where persecutiâ—n haâ—h killed imprisoned or expelled the Ministry p. 902 Q. 152. Is it Lawful to subscribe or profess full assent and consent to any religious Books besides the Scriptures seeing all men are fallible ibid. Q. 153. May we lawfully Swear obedience in all things lawful and honest either to Usurpers or to our Lawful Pastors ibid. Q. 154. Must all our Preaching be upon some Text of Scripture p. 904 Q. 155. Is not the Law of Moses abrogated and the whâ—le Old Testament out of date and therefore not to be Read publickly and Preached ibid. Q. 156. Must we believe that Moses Law did ever bind other Nations or that any other parts of the Scripture bound them or belonged to them or that the Iews were all Gods visible Church on earth p. 905 Q. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches nâ—w that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were but not the only people that are saved p. 906 Q. 158. Should not Christians take up with Scripture wisdom only without studying Philosophy or other Heathens humane Learning p. 907 Q. 159. If we think that Scripture and the Law of Nature are in any point contradictory to each other Which must be the standard by which the other must be tryed p. 908 Q. 160. May we not look that God should yet give us more Revelations of his will than there are already made in Scripture ibid. Q. 161. Iâ— not a third Rule of the Holy Ghost or perfecter Kingdom of Love to be expected as different from the Reign of the Creator and Redeemer p. 909 Q. 162. May we not look for Miracles hereafter p. 910 Q. 163. Is the Scripture to be tryed by the spirit or the Spirit by the Scripture and which of them is to be preferred ibid. Q. 164. How is a pretended Prophet or Revelation to be tryed p. 911 Q. 165 May one be saved who believeth that the Scripture hath any mistake or errours and believeth it not all ibid. Q. 166. Who be they that give too little to the Scriptures and who too much and what is the danger of each extream p. 912 Q. 167. How far do good men now Preach and pray by the spirit p. 913 Q. 168. Are not our own Reasons studies memory strivings Books Forms Methods and Ministry needless yea a hurtful quenching or preventing of the Spirit and setting up our own instead of the spirits operations p. 914 Q. 169. How doth the Holy Ghost set Bishops over the Churches p. 914 Q. 170. Are Temples Fonts Utensils Church-Lands much more the Ministry holy and What reverence is due to them as holy p. 915 Q. 171. What is Sacriledge and what not p. 916 Q. 172. Are all Religious private-meetings forbidden by Rulers unlawful Conventicles or are
clean and delectable and paved with mercies and fortified and secured by Divine protection and where Christ is your Conductor and so many have sped so well before you and the wisest and best in the world are your companions Live then as men that have changed their Master their end their hopes their way and work Religion layeth not men to sleep though it be the only way to Rest. It awakeneth the sleepy soul to higher thoughts and hopes and labours than ever it was well acquainted with before He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. You never sought that which would pay for all your cost and diligence till now You never were in a way that you might make haste in without repenting of your haste till now How glad should you be that Mercy hath brought you into the right way after the wanderings of such a sinful life And your gladness and thankfulness should now be shewed by your cheerful diligence and zeal As Christ did not raise up Lazarus from the dead to do nothing or live to little purpose though the Scripture giveth us not the history of his life So did he not raise you from the death of sin to live idely or to be unprofitable in the world He that giveth you his Spirit to be a principle of heavenly life within you expecteth that you stir up the gift that he hath given you and live according to that heavenly principle Direction 16. ENgage thy self in the chearful constant use of the means and helps appointed by God Direct 16. for thy confirmation and salvation § 1. He can never expect to attain the end that will not be perswaded to use the means Of your selves you can do nothing God giveth his help by the means which he hath appointed and fitted to your help Of the use of these I shall treat more fully afterwards I am now only to name them to thee that thou maist know what it is that thou hast to do 1. That you must hear or read the Word of God and other good Books which expound it and How Paenitents of old did rise even from a particular sin judge by these words of Pacianus Paâ—â—â—â—â—â— ad Poeâ—â—t Bibl. Pat. To. 3. p. 74. You must not only do that which may be seen of the Priest and praised by the Bishop to weep before the Church to lament a lost or sinful life in a â—ordid garment to fast pray to role on the earth if any invite you to the Bath or such pleasures to refuse to go If any bid you to a Feast to say These things are for the happy I have sinned against God and am in danger to perish for ever What should I do at Banquets who have wronged the Lord Besides these you must take the poor by the hand you must beseech the Widdow lye at the feet of the Presbyters beg of the Church to forgive you and pray for you you must try all means rather than perish apply it I shewed you before The new born Christian doth encline to this as the new born child doth to the breast 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as new born babes that desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Psal. 1. 2 3. The blessed mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate day and night § 2. 2. Another means is the publick worshipping of God in communion with his Church and people Besides the benefit of the word there preached the prayers of the Church are effectual for the members and it raiseth the soul to holy joyes to joyn with well ordered Assemblies of the Saints in the Praises of the Almighty The Assemblies of holy worshippers of God are the places of his delight and must be the places of our delight They are most like to the Celestial Society that sound forth the praises of the glorious Iebovah with purest minds and cheerful voice In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 29. 9. In such a Chore what soul will not be rapt up with delight and desire to joyn in the consort and harmony In such a flame of united desires and praises what soul so cold and dull that will not be enflamed and with more than ordinary facility and alacrity fly up to God § 3. 3. Another means is private prayer unto God When God would tell Ananias that Paul was converted he saith of him Behold he prayeth Acts 9. 11. Prayer is the breath of the new creature The Spirit of Adoption given to every child of God is a Spirit of prayer and teacheth them to cry Abba Father and helpeth their infirmities when they know not what to pray as they ought and when words are wanting it as it were intercedeth for them with groans which they cannot express in words Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 15 26 27. And God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit in those groans The first workings of grace are in Desires after grace provoking the soul to servent prayer by which more grace is speedily obtained Ask then and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you Luke 11. 9. § 4. 4. Another means to be used is Confession of sin not only to God for so every wicked man may do because he knoweth that God is already acquainted with it all and this is no addition to his shame He so little regardeth the eye of God that he is more ashamed when it is known to men But in three Cases Confession must be made also to Man 1. In case you have wronged man and are thus bound to make him satisfaction As if you have robbed him defrauded him slandered him or born false witness against him 2. In case you are Children or Servants that are under the government of Parents or Masters and are called by them to give an acount of your actions You are bound then to give a true account 3. In case you have need of the Counsel or Prayers of others for the setling of your consciences in peace In this case you must so far open your case to them as is necessary to their effectual help for your recovery For if they know not the disease they will be unfit to apply the remedy In these cases it is true that He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. § 5. 5. Another Means to be used is the familiar company and holy converse with humble sincere experienced Christians The Spirit that is in them and breatheth and acteth by them will kindle the like holy flames in you Away with the company of idle prating sensual men that can talk of nothing but their worldly wealth or business or their reputations or their appetites and lusts
hold it with any that will drive us from it unless we will commit some sin Statedly we must hold it with the Church which regularly we are joyned to and live with and Occasionally we must hold it with all others where we have a call and opportunity who in the substance worship God according to his Word and force us not to sin in conformity to them It is not Schism to lament the sins of any Church or of all the Churches in the world The Catholick Church on earth consists of sinners It is not Schism to refuse to be partaker in any sin of the purest Church in the world Obedience to God is not Schism It is not Schism that you joyn not Bodily with those Congregations where you dwell not nor have any particular call to joyn with them Nor that you choose the pureâ—â— and most edifying Society rather than one that is less pure and profitable to you â—aeteris paribus supposing you are at liberty nor that you hold not Bodily Communion with that Church that will not suffer you to do it without sinning against God Nor that you joyn not with the purest Church when you are called to abide with one less pure But it is worse than Schism to separate from the Universal Church To separate from its Faith iâ— Apostasie to infidelity To separate from it in some one or few essential Articles while you pretend to hold to Christ the Head is Heresie To separate from it in Spirit by refusing Holiness and not loveing such as are truly holy is damning ungodliness or wickedness To differ from it by any error of judgement or life against the Law of God is sin To magnifie any one Church or party so as to deny due Love and Communion to the rest is Schism To limit all the Church to your Party and deny all or any of the rest to be Christians and parts of the Universal Church is Schism by a dangerous breach of Charity And this is the principal Schism that I here admonish you to avoid It is Schism also to condemn unjustly any particular Church as no Church And it is Schism to withdraw your Bodily Communion from a Church that you were bound to hold that Communion with upon a false supposâ—tion that it is no Church or is not lawfully to be communicated with And it is Schism to make Divisions or parties in a Church though you divide not from that Church Thus I have briefly told you what is Schism § 4. 1. One pretence for Schism is Usurped Authority which some one Church may claim tâ— Command others that owe them no subjection Thus Pride which is the Spirit of Hell having crepâ— into the Church of Christ and animated Usurpations of Lordship and Dominion and contending for superiority hath caused the most dangerous Schisms in the Church that ever it was infested with The Bishop of Rome advantaged by the Seat and Constitution of that Empire having claimed the Government of all the Christian world condemneth all the Churches that will not be his subjects And â—o hath made himself the Head of a Sect and of the most pernicious Schism that ever did rend the Church of Christ And the Bishop of Constantinople and too many more have followed the same Method in a lower degree exalting themselves above their Brethren and giving them Laws and then condemning and persecuting them that obey them not And when they have imposed upon other Churches their own usurped Authority and Laws they have laid the plot to call all men Schismaticks and Sectaries that own not their tyrannical Usurpation and that will not be Schismaticks and Sectaries with them And the cheat lyeth in this that they confound the Churches Unity with their pretended Authority and Schism with the refusal of subjection to them If you will not take them for your Lords they cry out that you divide from the Church As if we could hold Communion with no Churches but those whose Bishops we obey Communion with other Churches is maintained by Faith and Charity and Agreement in things necessary without subjection to them As we may hold all just Communion with the Churches in Armenia Arabia Russia without subjection to their Bishops so may we with any other Church besides that of which we are members Division or Schism is contrary to Unity and Concord and not to a Usurped Government Though disobedience to the Pastâ—rs which God hath set over us is a sin and dividing from them is a Schism Both the Pope and all the lower Usurpers should do well first to shew their Commission from God to be our Rulers before they call it Schism to refuse their Government If they had not made better advantage of Fire and Sword than of Scripture and Argument the world would but have laughed them to scorn when they had heard them say All are Schismaticks that will not be our Subjects Our Dominion and will shall be necessary to the Unity of the Church The Universal Church indeed is One united under One Head and Governour but it is only Jesus Christ that is that Head and not any Usurping Vicar or Vice-Christ The Bishops of particular Churches are his Officers but he hath Deputed no Vicar to his own Office as the Universal Head Above all Sects take heed of this pernicious Sect who pretend their Usurped Authority for their Schism and have no way to promote their Sect but by calling all Sectaries that will not be Sectaries and Subjects unto them § 5. 2. Another pretence for Schism is the Numbers of the Party This is another of the Papists motives As if it were lawful to Divide the Church of Christ if they can but get the greater party They say We are the most and therefore you should yield to us And so do others where by the Sword they force the most to submit to them But we answer them As many as they are they are too few to be the Universal Church The Universal Church containing all true professing Christians is much more than they The Papists are not a third part if a fourth of the whole Church Papists are a corrupted Sect of Christians I will be against Dividing the Body of Christ into any Sects rather than to be one of that Sect or divided party which is the greatest § 6. 3. Another pretence for Schism is the soundness or Orthodoxness of a Party Almost all Sects pretend that they are wiser and of sounder judgement than all the Christian World besides yea those that most palpably contradict the Scriptures as the Papists in their half-communion and unintelligible service and have no better reason why they will so Believe or Do but because others have so Believed and Done already But 1. The greatest pretenders to Orthodoxness are not the most Orthodox 2. And if they were I can value them for that in which they excell without abating my due respect to the rest of the Church 3. For the whole Church is Orthodox in
all the Essentials of Christianity or else they were not Christians And I must love all that are Christians with that special Love that 's due to the members of Christ though I must superadd such esteem for those that are a little wiser or better than others as they deserve § 7. The fourth pretence for Schism is the Holiness of the party that men adhere to But this must make but a gradual difference in our esteem and love to some Christians above others If really they are most Holy I must Love them most and labour to be as Holy as they But I must not therefore unjustly deny communion or due respect to other Christians that are less holy nor cleave to them as a Sect or divided party whom I esteem most holy For the holiest are most charitable and most against the divisions among Christians and tenderest of their Unity and Peace § 8. The summ of this Direction is 1. Highly value Christian Love and Unity 2. Love those most that are most Holy and be most familiar with them for your own edification and if you have your choice hold local personal communion with the soundest purest and best qualified Church 3. But entertain not hastily any odd opinion of a divided party or if you do hold it as an opinion lay not greater weight on it than there is cause 4. Own the best as best but none as a divided Sect and espouse not their dividing interest 5. Confine not your special Love to a party especially for agreeing in some opinions with you but extend it to all the members of Christ. 6. Deny not local communion when there is occasion for it to any Church that hath the substance of true Worship and forceth you not to sin 7. Love them as true Christians and Churches even when they thus drive you from their communion § 9. It is a most dangerous thing to a young Convert to be ensnared in a Sect It will before you are aware possess you with a feavorish sinful Zeal for the Opinions and interests of that Sect It will make you bold in bitter invectives and censures against those that differ from them It will corrupt your Church-communion and fill your very prayers with partiality and humane passions It will secretly bring malice under the name of Zeal into your minds and words In a word it is a secret but deadly enemy to Christian Love and Peace Let them that are wiser and more Orthodox and Godly than others shew it as the Holy Ghost directeth them James 3. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom But if ye have bitter envying or zeal and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual divelish For where envying and strife is there is confusion or tumult and every evil work But the wisdom that is from above is first Pure then Peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality or wrangling and without hypocrisie And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace Direct 9. TAke heed lest any persecution or wrong from others provoke you to any unwarrantable passions and practices and deprive you of the Charity meekness and innocency of a Christian or make you go beyond your bounds in censuring reviling or resisting your Rulers who are the Officers of God § 1. Persecution and wrongs are called Temptations in Scripture because they try you whether When the Arrian Bishops had made Hâ—nnerychuâ— believe thaâ— the Orthodox turned the appointed disputation into popular clamour and were against the King he forbad them to meet or to baptize or ordain and turned all the samâ— Laws against them which had been made against the Arrians Victor Uâ—ic p. 447 448. you will hold your integrity As many fall in such tryals through the fear of men and the love of the world and their prosperity so when you seem most confirmed against any sinful complyance there is a snare laid for you on the other side to draw you into passions and practices that are unwarrantable Those that are tainted with Pride Uncharitableness and Schism will itch to be persecuting those that comply not with them in their way And yet while they do it they will most cry out against Pride Uncharitableness and Schism themselves This is and hath been and will be too ordinary in the world You may think that Schism should be far from them that seem to do all for Order and Unity But never look to see this generally cured when you have said and done the best you can you must therefore resolve not only to fly from Church division your selves but also to undergo the persecutions or wrongs of Proud or Zealous Church-dividers It is great weakness in you to think such usage strange Do you not know that Enmity is put from the beginning between the womans and the Serpents seed And do you think the name or dead profession of Christianity doth extinguish the 〈◊〉 in the â—erpents seed Do you think to find more kindness from proud ungodly Christians 〈…〉 sine agnitione â—â—â—â—â— Dei atque hinc sine omni bonâ— siâ—e ulla affectione pia c. Et quod etiam qui ex illis 〈…〉 tâ—mpoâ—e possit esse fieri quod Cain fratri suâ— modo non desit occasio Nâ—ander 〈…〉 quâ— habet â—â— Regno Cainico pag. 38 39. than Abâ—â— might have expected from his Brother Cain Do you not know that the Pharisees by then zeal for their 〈◊〉 and Traditions and Ceremonies and the expectation of worldly dignity and rule from the Messiah were more zealous enemies of Christ than the Heathens were And that the caâ—nal members of the Church are oft the greatest persecutors of the spiritual members As then â—e that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit even so it is 〈…〉 and will be Gal. 4. 29. It is enough for you that you shall have the inheritance when the Sâ—â—s of the Boâ—dwoman shall be cast out It is your taking the ordinary case of the godly for a strange thing that makes you so disturbed and passionate when you suffer And Reason is down when passion is up It is by overwhelming Reason with passion and discontent that oppressiâ—n maketh some wise men 〈◊〉 Ecclâ—s 7. 7. For passion is a short imperfect madness You will think in your pâ—ssion that yoâ— d 〈…〉 welâ— wâ—en you do ill and you will not perceive the force of reason when it is never so plain 〈…〉 against you Remember therefore that the great motive that causeth the Devil to persecute yâ—u 〈…〉 to â—â—rt your bodies but to tempt your souls to impatiency and sin And if it may but be 〈…〉 you as of Job 1. 22. In all this Job
Essential Truths by errors of their own nor the doctrine of Godliness by wicked malicious applications 4. Such as drive not on any ambitious tyrannical designs of their own but deny themselves and aim at your salvation 5. Such as are not too hot in proselyting you to any singular opinion of their own it being the prediction of Paul to the Ephesians Acts 20. 30. Of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them 6. Such as are judicious with holy zeal and zealous with judgement 7. Such as are of experience in the things of God and not young beginners or Novices in Religion 8. Such as bear reverence to the judgements of the generality of wise and godly men and are tender of the Unity of the Church and not such as would draw you into a Sect or party to the contempt of other Christians no not to a party that hath the favour of Rulers and the people to promote them 9. Such as are gentle peaceable and charitable and not such as burn with hellish malice against their Brethren nor with an ungodly or cruel consuming zeal 10. Such as not live not sensually and wickedly contrary to the doctrine which they preach but shew by their lives that they believe what they say and feel the power of the truths which they preach § 4. And your familiar companions have great advantage to help or hinder your salvation as well Imperat Reâ— ut nostrae religionis illorum mensa nullum communem haberent neque cum Catholicis omino vescerentur Quae res non ipâ—â—s aliquod praestitit beneficium sed nobis maximum conâ—ulit lucrum Nam si sermo â—oâ—â—m sicut cancer consuevit serpere quanto magis communis mensa ciborum potuit inquinare cum dicat Apostolus cum nefariis nec cibum habere communem Victor Utic p. 418. Magnum virtutis praesidium societas bonoâ—um socius exemplo excitat sermone recreat consilio instâ—uiâ— orationibus adjuvat autoritate continet quae omnia so itudini desunt Ios. Acosta l. 4. c. 13. Dicunt Stoici Amicitiam solos inter bonâ—s quos sibi invicem studiorum similitudo conciliet posse consistere Porro amicitiam ipsam societatem quandam esse dicunt omnium quae sunt ad vitam necessaria cum amicis ut nobismet ipsis utamur atque ob id amicum eligendum amicorumque multitudinem â—â—â—â—er expetenda ponunt inter malos non posse constare amicitiam Laert. in Zenone as your Teachers The matter is not so great whom you meet by the way or travell with or trade and buy and sell with as whom you make your intimate or familiar friends For such have both the advantage of their interest in your affections and also the advantage of their nearness and familiarity and if they have but also the advantage of higher abilities than you they may be powerful instruments of your good or hurt If you have a familiar friend that will defend you from error and help you against temptations and lovingly reprove your sin and feelingly speak of God and the life to come inditing his discourse from the inward power of faith and love and holy experience the benefit of such a friend may be more to you than of the learnedst or greatest in the world How sweetly will their speeches relish of the Spirit from which they come How deeply may they pierce a careless heart How powerfully may they kindle in you a love and zeal to God and his Commandments How seasonably may they discover a temptation prevent your fall reprove an error and recover your souls How faithfully will they watch over you How profitably will they provoke and put you on and pray with you fervently when you are cold and mind you of the Truth and duty and mercy which you forget It is a very great mercy to have a judicious solid faithful companion in the way to Heaven § 5. But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly with ribaldry or idle stories with Oaths and Curses with furious words or scorns and jears against the godly or with the Sophistry of deceivers is it likely this should leave a pleasant or wholsome relish on your minds Is it likely that the effect should not be seen in your lean or leprous hearts and lives as well as the effects of an infected or unwholsome air or diet will be seen upon your diseased bodies He is ungodly that liketh such company best And he is proud and presumptuous that will unnecessarily cast himself upon it in confidence that he shall receive no hurt And he is careless of himself that will not cautelously avoid it And few that long converse with such come off without some notable loss except when we live with such as Lot did in Sodom grieving for their sin and misery or as Christ conversed with publicans and sinners with a holy zeal and diligence to convert and save them or as those that have not liberty who bear that which they have not power to avoid § 6. Among the rest your danger is not least from that are eager to proselite you to some party or unsound opinion that they think they are in the right and that they do it in love and that they think it necessary to your salvation and that Truth or Godliness are the things which they profess all this makes the danger much the greater to you if it be not Truth and Godliness indeed which they propose and plead for And none are in more danger than the ungrounded and unexperienced that yet are so wise in their own esteem as to be confident that they know Truth from Error when they hear it and are not afraid of any deceit nor much suspicious of their own understandings But of this before § 7. The like danger there is of the familiar company of lukewarm ones or the prophane At Non tamen at corporum sic animorum moâ—bi transseunt ad nolentes Imo vero nobilis animus viâ—iorum odro ad amorem vâ—rtutis accâ—nditur Petraâ—â—h Dialog de aâ—iâ— moriâ— first you may be troubled at their sinful or unsavoury discourse and make some resistance against the infection But before you are aware it may so cool and damp your graces as will make your decay discernable to others First You will hear them with less offence and then you will grow indifferent what company you are in and then you will laugh at their sin and folly and then you will begin to speak as they and then you will grow cold and seldomer in prayer and other holy duties and if God prevent it not at last your judgements will grow blind and you will think all this allowable § 8. But of all bad company the nearest is the worst If you choose such into your families or into your nearest conjugal relations you cast water upon the fire you imprison your selves in such â—etters as will gall and grieve
acceptance of their work O that we would do that honour and right to true Religion as to shew the world the nature and use of it by living in the cheerful Praises of our God and did not â—each them to blaspheme it by our mis-doings I have said the more of the excellency and benefits of this work because it is one of your best helps to perform it to know the Reasons of it and how much of your Religion and Duty and comfort consisteth in it and the forgetting of this is the common cause that it is so boldly and ordinarily neglected or slubbered over as it is § 23. Direct 2. The keeping of the heart in the admiration and glorifying o◠〈◊〉 according to Direct 2. the forâ—-going Directions is the principal help to the right praising of him with 〈…〉 ps For out of the hearts abundance the mouth will speak And if the Heart do not bear itâ— part no praise is mâ—lâ—dious to God § 24. Direct 3. â—ead much those Scriptures which speak of the praises of God especially the Psalms Direct 3. and furnish your memories with store of those holy expressions of the excellencies of God which he himself hath taught you in his Word None knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who teacheth us in the Scriptures to speak divinely of things divine No other diâ—lâ—ct so well becometh the work of praise God that best knoweth himself doth best teach us how to know and praise him Every Christian should have a treasury of these sacred materials in his memory that he may be able at all times in Conference and in Worship to speak of God in the words of God § 25. Direct 4. Be much in singing Psalms of praise and that with the most heart-raising cheerfulness Direct 4. and melody especially in the holy assemblies The melody and the conjunction of many serious holy souls doth â—end much to elevate the heart And where it is done intelligibly reverently in conjunction with a rational spiritual serious Worship the use of Musical Instruments are not to be scrupled or refused any more than the Tunes and Melody of the Vâ—ic◠§ 26. Direct 5. Remember to allow the praises of God their due prâ—portion in all your prayers Direct 5. Use not to shut it out or forget it or cut it short with two or three words in the conclusion The Lords Prayer begins and ends with it and the three first Petitions are for the glorifying the Name of God and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing oâ— his Will by which he is glorified and all this before we ask any thing directly for our selves Use will much help you in the Praise of God § 27. Direct 6. Especially let the Lords Day be principally spent in Praises and Thanksgiving for the Direct 6. work of our Redemption and the benefits thereof This day is separated by God himself to this holy work And if you spend it ordinarily in other Religious duties that subserve not this you spend it not as God requireth you The thankful and praiseful Commemoration of the work of mans Redemption is the special work of the day And the celebrating of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ which is therefore called the Eucharist was part of these laudatory exercises and used every Lords Day by the Primitive Church It is not only a holy day separated to Gods Worship in general but to this Eucharistical Worship in special above the rest as a day of Praises and Thanksgiving unto God And thus all Christians ordinarily should use it § 28. Direct 7. Let your holy conferâ—â—ce with others be much about the glorious Excellencies Direct 7. Works and Mercies of the Lord in way â—f praise and admiration This is indeed to speak to Edification and as the Oracles of God Eph. 4. 29. that God in all things may be glorified 1 Pet. 4. 11. Psal. 29. 9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory Psal. 35. 28. My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praises all the day long Psal. 145. 6 11 21. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts They shall speak of the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom My mouth shall speak of the praises of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever Psal. 105. 2 3. Talk ye of all his wondrous works glory ye in his holy name § 29. Direct 8. Speak not of God in a light unreverent or common sort as if you talkt of common Direct 8. things but with all possible seriousness gravity and reverence as if you saw the Majesty of the Lord. A common and a holy manner of speech are contrary That only is holy which is separated to God from common use You speak prophanely in the manner how holy soever the matter be when you speak of God with that careless levity as you use to speak of common things Such speaking of God is dishonourable to him and hurts the hearers more than silence by breeding in them a contempt of God and teaching them to imitate you in sleight conceits and speech of the Almighty Whereas one that speaketh reverently of God as in his presence doth ofttimes more affect the hearers with a reverence of his Majesty with a few words than unreverent Preachers with the most accurate Sermons delivered in a common or affected strain When ever you speak of God let the hearers perceive that your hearts are possessed with his Fear and Love and that you put more difference between God and man than between a King and the smallest Worm so when you talk of death or judgement of Heaven or Hell of holiness or sin or any thing that nearly relates to God do it with that gravity and seriousness as the matter doth require § 30. Direct 9. Speak not so unskilfully and foolishly of God or holy things as may 〈…〉 pt the hearers Direct 9. to turn it into a matter of scorn or laughter Especially understand how your p 〈…〉 are suited to the company that you are in Among those that are more ignorant some weak discourses may be tolerable and profitable For they are most affected with that which is delivered in their own Dialect and Mode but among judicious or captious hearers unskilful persons must be very sparing of their words lest they do hurt while they desire to do good and make Religion sâ—em ridiculous We may rejoyce in the scorns which we undergo for Christ and which are bent against his holy Laws or the substance of our duty But if men are jeered for speaking ridiculously and foolishly of holy things they have little reason to take comfort in any thing of that but their honest meanings and intents Nay they must be humbled for being a dishonour to the name of godliness
in a divided heart and Direct 2â— life See therefore that you serve God in singleness of heart or simplicity and integrity as being â—â—s alone Think not of serving God and Mammon A deep reserve at the heart for the world â—â—ile Matth. 23 â—â— â—â—â—â—h 4. 2 3 4 5. Luke 1â— 4â— Matth. 6. 4â— 2 Pet. 1. 1â— Joh. 6. 27. they seem to give up themselves in Covenant to God is the grand Character of an Hypocrite Live as those that have One Lord and Master that all power stoopeth to and One End or Scâ—pe to which all other are but means and One work of absolute Necessity to do and one Kingdom to seek first and with greatest care and diligence to make sure of and that have your hearts and faces still one way and that agree with your selves in what you think and say and do A double heart and a double tongue is the fashion of the Hypocrite Psal. 12. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 8. He hath a heart for the world and pride and lust which must seem sometimes to be lifted up to ask forgiveness that he may sin with quietness and hope of salvation you would not think when you see him drop his Beads or lift up his hands and eyes and seem devoutly to say his prayers how lately he came from a Tavern or a Whore or a Lie or from scorning at serious godliness As Bishop Hall saith He seemeth to serve that 〈…〉 m 2. 5. Jaâ—â—es 4. 1â— Hoâ— 10. 2. God at Church on Holy-dayes whom he neglecteth at home and â—â—weth at the Name of Jesus and sweareth prophanely by the Name of God Remember that there is but one God one Heaven for us one Happiness and one Way And this one is of such moment as calls for all the intention and attention of our souls and is enough to satisfie us and should be enough to call us off from all that would divert us A divided heart is a false and self-deceving heart Are there two Gods or is Christ divided While you grasp at both God and the world you will certainly lose one and it is like you will lose both To have two Gods two Rules two Heavens is to have no God no true Rule no Heaven or happiness at all Halt not therefore between two opinions If God be God obey him and love him If Heaven be Heaven be sure it be first sought But if thy Belly be 〈…〉 3. â—â— thy God and the World be thy Heaven then serve and seek them and make thy best of thâ—m § 31. Direct 26. Take heed of all that fleshly policy or craft and worldly wisdom which is contrary 〈…〉 26. to the wisdom of the Word of God and would draw thee from the plain and open heartedness which godly sincerity requireth Let that which was Pauls rejoycing be yours that in simplicity and godly sincerity nâ—t in fleshly wisdom you have had yâ—ur conversation in the world Christianity renounceth not wisdom and â—â—nest self-preservation But yet it maketh men plain-hearted and haters of crafty â—â—â—â—dulent minds What is the famous hypocritical Religion superadded to Christianity and called â—â—â—â—â—â— but that which Paul feared in his godly jealousie for the Corinthians lest as the Serpent begâ—â—leâ— â—â—ve by his sâ—btility so their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. A forsaking thâ— Christian simplicity of DOCTRINE DISCIPLINE WORSHIP and CONVERSATION is the Hypocrisie of Religion and of liâ—e Equivocating and dishonest â—hiâ—â—s and hiding beseemeth those that have an ill cause or an ill conscience or an ill Master whom they dâ—â—â—â— not trust and not those that have so good a cause and God as Christians have § 32. Direct 27. Remember how much of sincerity consisteth in seriousness and how much of Hypocrite Direct 27. the 〈…〉 pleaâ—â—â—â—g and â—â—â—â—al Riâ—es and Ceremo 〈…〉 of outward and 〈◊〉 holiness Over-great 〈…〉 of traditions which â—aâ—â— of but â—ad â—he Church The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 an◠〈…〉 aâ—d lucâ—â— The 〈…〉 goâ—d in 〈◊〉 which openeth a gate to 〈…〉 and noveltieâ— Lord 〈…〉 describeth â—â—â—â—ila that he was a de 〈◊〉 of â—lesh and â—â—â—â— â—â—nd yet Religione persuasion 〈◊〉 basque de Dâ—s a gente sua 〈◊〉 usque ad sâ—perstitionem addictâ—◠〈…〉 3â—9 Pâ—al 78 37. 2 Cor. 7. 11. consisteth in seeming and dreaming and trifling in the things of God and our salvation see therefore that you keep your souls awake in a sensible and seriâ—us frame Read over the fifty Considerations which in the third Part of my Saints Rest I have given to convince you of the necessity of being serious See that there be as much in your faith as in your Creed and as much in your Hearts and Lives as in your Belief Remember that seeming and dreaming will not mortifie deep-rooted sâ—s nor conquer strong and subtile enemies nor make you acceptable to God nor save your sâ—â—ls from his revenging justice Remember what a mad kind of prophaneness it is to jâ—â—st and â—â—ifle about Heaven and Hell and to dally with the great and dreadful God Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conâ—â—â—â—sation and godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. You pray for an obedience answering the pattern of the heavenly society when you say Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And will you be such Hypocrites as to pray that you may iâ—itate Saints and Angels in the purity and obedience of your hearts and lives and when you have done take up with shews and seemings and saying a few words and a lifeless Image of that Holiness which you never had yea and perhaps deride and persecute in others the very thing which you daily pray for O horrible abuse of the All-seeing God! Do you no more believe or fear his justice When the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked he intimâ—â—â—â—th that Hypocrites go about to put a scorn on God by a Mock-religion though it is not he but themselves that will prove mocked in the end They offer God a deaf Nutt or an empty Shell or Caâ—k for a Sacrifice An Hypocrite differeth from a true Christian as a Fencer from a Souldier He playeth his part very formâ—lly upon a Stage with much applause but you may perceive that he is not in good sadness by his tâ— flâ—ng and formality and never killing any of his sins Would men shew no more of the great everlasting matters of their own proâ—est Belief in any seriousness of affection or endeavour than most men do if they were not Hypocrites Would they hate and scorn men for doing but that and part of that which they pray and profess to do themselves if they were not hypocrites Wo to the world because of Hypocrisie Wo to the carnal members of the Church Wo to Idol Shepheards and the seeming 〈◊〉 lifeless Christians of what Sect soever For God will not be mocked They
to quicken them which should be used when your minds grow dull or barren When your minds 19. All Ordinances and Means of Grace are empty and you cannot pump up plentiful matter for holy thoughts the reading of a seasonable book or conference with a full experienced Christian will furnish you with matter so will the hearing of a profitable Sermon and sometime prayer will do more than meditation And weak-headed persons of small knowledge and shallow memories must fetch the matter of their meditations thus more frequently from reading and conference than others need to do As they can hold but a little at a time so they must go the ofter As he that goeth to the Water with a Spoon or a Dish must go ofter than they that go with a more capacious vessel Others can carry a store-house of meditation still about them but persons of very small knowledge and memory must have their meditations fed by others as infants by the spoon Therefore a little and often is the best way both for their Reading or hearing and for their holy thoughts How great a mercy is it that weak Christians have such store of helps that when their heads are empty they have books and friends that are not empty from whence they may fetch help as they want it and that their hearts are not empty of the Love of God which enclineth them to do more than their parts enable them to do § 20. Direct 20. If all these do not sufficiently furnish your meditations look through the world Direct 20. and see what a multitude of miserable souls do call for your compassion and daily prayers for their relief 20. The miserable sinful world Think on the many nations that lie in the darkness of Idolatry and Infidelity It is not past the sixth part of the world that are Christians of any sort The other five parts are Heathens and Mahometans and some few Jews And of this sixth part it s but a small part that are Reformed from Popery and such corruptions as the Eastern and Southern Christians also are too much defiled with And in the Reformed Churches how common is profaneness and worldliness and how few are acquainted with the power of Godliness What abundance of ignorant and ungodly persons be there who hate the power and practice of that Religion which they profess themselves they hope to be saved by as if they hoped to be saved for hating persecuting and disobeying it And among those that seem more serious and obedient how many are hypocrites And how many are possest with pride and self-conceitedness which breaketh forth into unruliness contentions and uncharitableness factions and divisions in the Church How many Christians are ignorant passionate weak unprofitable and too many scandalous And how few are judicious prudent heavenly charitable peaceable humble meek laborious and fruitful who set themselves wholly to be good and to do good And of these few how few are there that are not exercised under heavy afflictions from God or cruel persecutions from ungodly men What tyranny is exercised by the Turk without and the Pope within upon the sincerest followers of Christ. Set all this together and tell me whether thy compassionate Thoughts or thy Prayers do need to go out for want of fewel or matter to feed upon from day to day Tit. 3. Directions how to make good Thoughts effectual or General Directions for Meditation HEre some Directions are preparatory and some about the Work it self § 1. Direct 1. Be sure that Reason maintain its authority in the command and government of Direct 1. your thoughts and that they be not left masterless to fancy and passion and objects to carry them which way they please Diseased melancholy and crazed persons have almost no power over their own Thoughts They cannot command them to what they would have them exercised about nor call them off from any thing that they run out upon but they are like an unruly horse that hath a weak rider or hath cast the rider or like a masterless dog that will not go or come at your command Whereas our Thoughts should be at the direction of our Reason and the command of the will to go and come off as soon as they are bid As you see a student can rule his Thoughts all day he can appoint them what they shall meditate on and in what order and how long So can a Lawyer a Physicion and all sorts of men about the matters of their arts and callings And so it should be with a Christian about the matters of his soul All Rules of Direction are to little purpose with them whose Reason hath lost its power in governing their thoughts If I tell a man that is deeply melancholy Thus and thus you must order your thoughts He will tell me that he cannot His thoughts are not in his power If you would give never so much he is not able to forbear thinking of that which is his disturbance nor to command his thoughts to that which you direct him nor to think but as he doth even as his disease and trouble moveth him And what good will precepts do to such Grace and doctrine and exhortation work by Reason and the commanding will If a holy person could manage his practical heart-raising meditations but as orderly and constantly and easily as a carnal covetous Preacher can manage his thoughts in studying the same things for carnal ends to make a gain of them or to win applause how happily would our work go on And is it not sad to think that carnal ends should do so much more than spiritual about the same things § 2. Direct 2. Carefully avoid the disease of melancholy for that dethroneth Reason and disableth it Direct 2. to rule the thoughts Distraction wholly disableth but melancholy disableth only in part according to the measure of its prevalencie and therefore leaveth some room for advice § 3. Direct 3. Take heed of sloth and negligence of the will whereby the directions of Reason will be Direct 3. unexecuted for want of Resolution and command and so every temptation will carry away the thoughts A lazy coachman will let the horses go which way they list because he will not strive with them and will break his neck to save his labour If when you feel unclean or worldly thoughts invade your minds you will not give your wills the allarm and rise up against them and Resolutely command them out you will be like a lazy person that lieth in bed while he seeth Thieves robbing his house and will let all go rather than he will rise and make resistance A sign that he hath no great riches to lose or else he would stir for it And if you see your duty on what your Thoughts should be employed and will not resolutely call them up and command them to their work you will be like a sluggard that will let all his servants lie in bed as
continually in that case your selves If you should be still so what were you good for or what could you enjoy or what comfort would your lives be to you Why if a long pain be so bad a short one is not lovely Keep not wilfully so troublesome a malady in your mind § 6. Direct 4. Observe also what an enemy it is to the body it self It inflameth the blood and Direct 4. stirreth up diseases and breedeth such a bitter displeasedness in the mind as tends to consume the strength of nature and hath cast many into Acute and many into Chronical sicknesses which have proved their death And how uncomfortable a kind of death is this § 7. Direct 5. Observe how unlovely and unpleasing it rendereth you to beholders deforming the Direct 5. countenance and taking away the amiable sweetness of it which appeareth in a calm and loving temper If you should be alwayes so would any body love you or would they not go out of your way if not lay hands on you as they do anything that is wild or mad You would scarce desire to have your picture drawn in your fury till the frowning wrinkles and inflamed blood are returned to their places and have left your visage to its natural comeliness Love not that which maketh you so unlovely to all others § 8. Direct 6. You should love it the worse because it is a hurting passion and an enemy to Love and Direct 6. to anothers good You are never angry but it inclineth you to hurt those that angred you if not all others that stand in your way It putteth hurting thoughts into your mind and hurting words into your mouths and enclineth you to strike or do some mischief And no men love a hurtful creature Avoid therefore so mischievous a passion § 9. Direct 7. Nay mark the tendency of it and you will find that if it should not be stopt it would Direct 7. tend to the very ruine of your brother and end in his blood and your own damnation How many thousand hath anger murdered or undone It hath caused Wars and filled the world with blood and cruelty And should your hearts give such a fury entertainment § 10. Direct 8. Consider how much other sin immoderate anger doth incline men to It is the great Direct 8. crime of drunkenness that a man having not the government of himself is made lyable by it to any Proâ—rium est magnitudinis verae non sentire se esse percussum Qui non irâ—scitur inconcussus injuria persistit qui irascitur motus est Sexec de Ira. l. 3. c. 5. wickedness And so is it with immoderate anger How many Oaths and Curses doth it cause every day How many rash and sinful actions What villany hath not anger done It hath slandered railed reproached falsly accused and injured many a thousand It hath murdered and ruined Families Cities and States It hath made Parents kill their Children and Children dishonour their Parents It hath made Kings oppress and murder their Subjects and Subjects rebell and murder Kings What a world of sin is committed by sinful anger throughout all the world How endless would it be to give you instances David himself was once drawn by it to purpose the murdering of all the family of Nahal Its effects should make it odious to us § 11. Direct 9. And it is much the worse in that it suffereth not a man to sin alone but stirreth up Direct 9. others to do the like Wrath kindleth wrath as fire kindleth fire It s two to one but when you are angry you will make others angry or discontent or troubled by your words or deeds And you have not the power of moderating them in it when you have done You know not what sin it may draw them to It is the Devils bellows to kindle mens corruptions and sets hearts and families and Kingdoms in a flame § 12. Direct 10. Observe how unfit it maketh you for any holy duty for prayer or meditation or Direct 10. any communion with God And that should be very unwelcome to a gracious soul which maketh it unfit to speak to God or to be employed in his Worship If you should go to prayer or other Worship in your bedlam passion may not God say as the King of Gath did of David Have I need of mad men Yea it unfitteth all the family or Church or society where it cometh for the Worship of God Is the family fit for prayer when wrath hath muddied and disturbed their minds Yea it divideth Christians and Churches and causeth confusion and every evil â—am 3. 15 16. work § 13. Direct 11. It is a great dishonour to the grace of God that a servant of his should shew the Direct 11. world that grace is of no more force and efficacy that it cannot rule a raging passion nor so much as keep a Christian sober that it possesseth the soul with no more patience nor fear of God nor Government over it self O wrong not God thus by the dishonouring of his Grace and Spirit § 14. Direct 12. It is a sin against Conscience still repented of and disowned by almost all when Direct 12. they come to themselves again and a meer preparation for after sorrow That therefore which we fore-know we must repent of afterwards should be prevented and avoided by men that choose not shame and sorrow § 15. Object 1. But you 'll say I am of a hasty cholerick nature and cannot help it Object 1. Answ. That may strongly dispose you to anger but cannot Necessitate you to any thing that is sinful Answ. Reason and Will may yet command and master passion if they do their Office And when you know your disease and danger you must watch the more § 16. Object 2. But the provocation was so great it would have angered any one Who could choose Object 2. Answ. It is your weakness that makes you think that any thing can be great enough to discharge Answ. a mans reason and allow him to break the Laws of God That would have been small or nothing to a prepared mind which you call so great You should rather say Gods Majesty and dreadfulness is so great that I durst not offend him for any provocation Hath not God given you greater cause to obey than man can give you to sin § 17. Object 3. But it is so sudden that I have no time of deliberation to prevent it Object 3. Answ. Have you not Reason still about you And should it not be as ready to rule as passion to Answ. rebell Stop passion at first and take time of deliberation § 18. Object 4. But it is but short and I am sorry for it when I have done Object 4. Answ. But if it be evil the shortest is a sin and to be avoided And when you know before hand Answ. that you must be sorry after why will
wouldst be free from lust keep far enough from the tempting object If possible Direct 3. dwell not in the house with any person that thou feelest thy self endangered by If that be not possible avoid their company especially in private Abhor all lascivious and immodest actions Dost thou give thy self the liberty of wanton dalliance and lustful embracements and yet think to be free from lust wilt thou put thy hand into the fire when thou art afraid of being burnt either thou hast the power of thy own heart or thou hast not If thou hast why dost thou not quench thy lust If thou hast not why dost thou cast it upon greater temptations and put it farther out of thy power than it is Fly from a tempting object for thy safety as thou wouldst fly from an enemy for thy life These Loving enemies are more dangerous than hating enemies They get the Key of our hearts and come in and steal our treasure with our consent or without resistance when an open enemy is suspected and shut out § 6. Direct 4. Command thy Eyes and as Job 31. 1. make a Covenant with them that thou mayest Direct 4. not think on tempting objects Shut these Windows and thou preservest thy heart Gaze not upon any 〈…〉 and â—â—proveâ—â— them that â—ast a wanton 〈…〉 at women in Coaches aâ— they pass by and look out at Windows to have a full view of them and yet think that they 〈…〉 fault suffering a curious eye and a wandering mind to slide and run every way pag. 142. alluring object A look hath kindled that fire of Lust in many a heart that hath ended in the fire of Hell It s easier to stop lust at these outward doors than drive it out when it hath tainted the heart If thou canst not do this much how canst thou do more An ungoverned eye fetcheth fire to burn the soul that should have governed it § 7. Direct 5. Linger not in the pleasant snares of lust if thou feel but the least beginnings of it Direct 5. but quickly cast water on the first discerned spark before it break â—um hâ—â—t modiâ—â—â—angunt praecordia motus Sâ— pâ—get in primo lâ—minâ— siste pedem Opâ—r me dum nova sunt subiti mala semina morbi â—â—â—â—uus incipienâ—ire resiâ—â—aâ— equus Nâ—m mâ—â—a daâ— vires Dum noâ—uâ—â—st câ—â—pto poâ—ius pugnemus amoâ—i Hamma râ—â—â—â—ns parva sparsa resedit aqua Iâ—â—â—â—ea â—aciâ—â— serpunt in vesâ—era flammae â—â— mala â—adiâ—es altius arbor agit out into a flame The Amorous Poet can teach you this Ovid. de Rem Am. If ever delay be dangerous it is here For delay will occasion such engagements to sin that you must come off at a far dearer rate If the meat be undigestible its best not look on it it s the next best not to touch or taste it but if once it go down it will cost you sickness and pain to get it up again and if you do not you perish by it § 8. Direct 6. Abhor lascivious immodest speech As such words come from either vain or filthy Direct 6. hearts and shew the absence of the fear of God so they tend to make the hearer like the speaker And if thy eares grow but patient and reconcileable to such discourse thou hast lost much of thy innocence already Christians must abhor the mentioning of such filthy sins in any other manner but such as tends to bring the hearers to abhor them Be not deceived evil words corrupt good manners 1 Cor. 15. 33. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers and grieve not the holy spirit of God Corrupt communication is rotten stinking communication and none but Dogs and Crows love Carrion But Fornication and all uncleanness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inordinate lust or luxury let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting c. § 9. Direct 7. Abhor the covering of filthy lust with handsome names to make it the more acceptable Direct 7. Their discourse is more dangerous that would thus dress up an ugly lust than theirs that speak of it in nâ—sty language Thus among the bruitish party it goeth under the names of Love and having a Mistris and Courting and such like But as one saith thats cited in Stobaeus It is doubled Lust that is commonly called Love and doubled Love is stark madness If filthiness will walk abroad let it go for filthiness and appear as it is § 10. Direct 8. Avoid the Reading of Romances and Love stories which are the Library of Venus Direct 8. or the Devils Books of the Lustful art to cover over filthiness with cleanly names and bewitch the fantasies of fools with fine words To make men conceive of the ready way to Hell under the notions and images of Excellency Beauty Love Gallantry And by representing strong and amorous passions to stir up the same passions in the Reader As he that will needs read a Conjuring Book is well enough served if Devils come about his ears so he that will needs read such Romances and other Books of the Burning art it is just with God to suffer an unclean Devil to possess them and to suffer them to catch the Feaver of Lust which may not only burn up the heart but cause that pernicious deliration in the brain which is the ordinary symptome of it § 11. Direct 9. Avoid all wanton Stage-plays and Dancings which either cover the odiousness of lust Direct 9. or produce temptations to it As God hath his preachers and holy assemblies and exercises for the Communion 〈…〉 ial 30. of Saints and the stirring up of Love and holiness so these are Satans instruments and assemblies and exercises for the communion of sinners and for the stirring up of lust and filthiness They that will go to the Devils Church deserve to be possessed with his Principles and numbred with his Disciples The ancient Christians were very severe against the seeing of these spectacula shews or plays especially in any of the Clergy § 12. Direct 10. Avoid all tempting unnecessary ornaments or attire and the regarding or gazing Direct 10. on them upon others It is a procacious lustful desire to seem comely and amiable which is the common Ly 〈…〉 dâ—r forbad his daughters to wear the brave attire which Dâ—o 〈◊〉 sent them Ne lâ—xuâ—iâ— consâ—iâ—uae tâ—â—poâ—â—es videantur Iâ—st câ—â—spicuoâ—s in â—â—â—â—ury they shoâ—ld seem the moâ—e dâ—formed cause of this excess The Folly or Lust or both of fashionists and gawdy Gallants is so conspicuous to all in their affected dress that never did Pride more cross it self than in such publications of such disgraceful folly or lust They that take on them to be adversaries to lust and yet are careful when they present themselves to sight to appear
If you be so proud or rash as to reply why should I leave my sport for another mans conceits or judgement I will tell thee that which shall shame thy reply and thee if thou canst blush 1. It is not some humorous odd fanatick that I alledge against thee nor a singular Divine But it is the judgement of the antient Church it self The Fathers and Councils condemn Christians and Ministers especially that use spectacula spectacles or behold Stage-plays and Dicing 2. Even the oldest Canons of our own Church of England forbid Dicing to the Clergy which is because they reputed it evil or of ill report 3. Many Laws of Religious Princes do condemn them 4. Abundance of the most learned holy Divines condemn them 5. The sober learnedest of the Papists condemn them 6. And how great a number of the most Religious Ministers and people are against them of the age and place in which you live you are not ignorant And is the judgement of the antient Church and of Councils and Fathers and of the most learned Protestants and Papists and the most Religious people besides many antient Laws and Canons of no force with you in such a case as this Will you hold to a thing confessedly unnecessary against the judgement of so many that account them sinful Are you and your play-fellows more wise and learned than all these Or is it not extremity of Pride for such unstudied empty men to prefer their sensual conceits before such a concurrent stream of wiser and more ponderous judgements Read but Dr. Io. Reignolds his Treat against Stage-Plays against Albericus Gentilis and you will see what a world of witnesses are against you And if the judgement of Voetius Amesius and other Learned men against all Lusory Lots be of no authority at least it should move you that even Mr. Gataker and other that write for the lawfullness of them in that respect as Lusory Lots do yet lay down the rest of the requisites to make them lawful which utterly condemn our common use of Cards and Dice much more our Gamesters So that all the sober Divines that ever I read or heard condemn all these And are you wiser than all of them § 26. 4. Besides this your Consciences know that you are so far from them using to fit you for your Callings that you either live idly out of a Calling or else you prefer them before your Callings You have no mind of your work because your mind is so much upon your play you have no mind of your home or family but are weary of your business because your sports withdraw your hearts And you are so far from using them to fit you to any holy duty that they utterly unfit you and corrupt your hearts with such a kind of sensual delight as makes them more backward to all that is good insomuch that many of you even grow so desperate as to hate and scorn it This is the benefit it bringeth you § 27. 5. And you cannot but know what a Time-wasting sin it is Suppose the game were never so lawful Is it lawful to lay out so many hours upon it as if you had neither souls nor bodies nor families nor estates nor God nor death nor Heaven to mind § 28. 6. And how much prophaneness or abuse of others is in many of your Stage-plays How much wantonness and amorous folly and representing sin in a manner to entise men to it rather than to make it odious making a sport and mock of sin with a great deal more such evil And your Cards and Dice are the exercise usually of covetousness the occasion of a great deal of idle talk and foolish babble about every cast and every Card and oft-times the occasion of cursing and swearing and railing and hatred of those that win your money and oft it hath occasioned fighting and murder It is one of the Roman Laws 12. tab Prodigo bonâ—rum suorum administratâ—o interdicta esto it self And even your huntings are commonly recreations so costly as that the charge that keepeth a pack of Hounds would keep a poor mans family that is now in want Besides the Time that this also consumeth So that the case is clear that our Gamesters and licentious sportfull Gallants are a sort of people that have blinded their minds and seared their Consciences and despise the Laws and presence of God and forget death and judgement and live as if there were no life to come neglecting their miserable souls and having no delight in the word or holy worship of God nor the forethoughts of eternal joys and therefore seek for their pleasure in such foolish sports and spend those pretious hours in these vanities which God knows they had need to spend most diligently in repenting of their sins and cleansing their souls and preparing for another world § 29. If yet any impenitent Gamester or idle Time-waster shall Reply I will not believe that my Object Cards or Dice or Plays are unlawful I use them but to fit me for my duty What! would you have all men live like heremites or anchorites without all pleasure I answer you but by this reasonable request Will you set your selves as dying men in the presence of God and the â—ight of eternity and provide a true answer to these few Questions even such an answer as your Consciences dare stand to at the bar of God § 30. Quest. 1. Dost thou not think in thy Conscience that thy Maker and Redeemer and his work and Quest. 1. service and thy family and calling and the forethoughts of Heaven are not fitter matters to delight a sober mind than Cards or Stage-plays And what can it be but a vain and sinful mind that should make these toys so pleasant to thee and the thoughts of God and Heaven so unpleasant § 31. Quest. 2. Doth not thy Conscience tell thee that it is not to fit thee for thy Calling or Gods Quest. 2. service that thou usest these sports but only to delight a carnal fantasie Doth not Conscience tell thee that it is more the pleasure than the benefit of it to thy soul or body that draws thâ—e to it Dost thou work so hard or study so hard all the day besides as to need so much recreation to refresh thee § 32. Quest. 3. Doth not thy Conscience tell thee that if thy sensual fantasie were but cured it Quest. 3. would be a more profitable recreation to thy body or mind to use some sober exercise for thy body which is confined to its proper limits of time or to turn to variety of labour or studies than to sit about these idle games § 33. Quest. 4. Dost thou think that either Christ or his Apostles used Stage-plays Cards or Dice Quest. 4. or ever countenanced such a temper of mind as is addicted to them Or was not David as wise as you that took up his pleasure in the word of God and his
beyond our Callings nor into confusion Argument 5. It is a Duty to receive all the mercies that God offereth us But for a family to have access to God in joynt prayers and praises is a mercy that God offereth them Therefore it is their duty to accept it The major is clear in nature and Scripture Because I have offered and ye refused is Gods great aggravation of the sin of the rebellious How oft would I have gathered you together and ye would not All the day long have I stretched out my hand c. To refuse an offered kindness is contempt and ingratitude The minor is undeniable by any Christian that ever knew what family prayers and prayses were Who dare say that it is no mercy to have such a joynt access to God Who feels not conjunction somewhat help his own affections who makes conscience of watching his heart Argument 6. Part of the Duties of families are such that they apparently loose their chiefest life and excellency if they be not performed joyntly Therefore they are so to be performed I mean singing of Psalms which I before proved an ordinary Duty of conjunct Christians Therefore of families The Melody and Harmony is lost by our separation and consequently the alacrity and quickning which our affections should get by it And if part of Gods praises must be performed together it is easie to see that the rest must be so too Not to speak of teaching which cannot be done alone Argument 7. Family prayer and praises are a Duty owned by the teaching and sanctifying work of the spirit Therefore they are of God I would not argue backward from the spirits teaching to the words commanding but on these two suppositions 1. That the experiment is very general and undeniable 2. That many texts of Scripture are brought already for family prayer and that this argument is but to second them and prove them truly interpreted The Spirit and the word do alway agree If therefore I can prove that the spirit of God doth commonly work mens hearts to a love and savour of these Duties doubtless they are of God Sanctification is a transcript of the precepts of the word on the heart written out by the spirit of God So much for the consequence The Antecedent consisteth of two parts 1. That the sanctified have in them inclinations to these Duties 2. That these Inclinations are from the spirit of God The first needs no proof being a matter of experience I appeal to the heart of every sound and stable Christian whether he feel not a conviction of this Duty and an inclination to the performance of it I never met with one such to my knowledge that was otherwise minded Object Many in our times are quite against family prayer who are good Christians Answ. I know none of them I confess I once thought some very good Christians that now are against them but now they appear otherwise not only by this but by other things I know none that cast off these Duties but they took up vile sins in their stead and cast off other Duties as well as these Let others observe and judge as they find 2. The power of delusion may for a time make a Christian forbear as unlawful that which his very new nature is inclined too As some think it unlawful to pray in our Assemblies and some to joyn in Sacraments And yet they have a spirit within them that inclineth their hearts to it still and therefore they love iâ— and wish it were lawful even when they forbear it upon a conceit that it is unlawful And so it 's possible for a time some may do by family Duties But as I expect that these ere long recover so for my part I take all the rest to be graceless Prejudice and error as a temptation may prohibit the exercise of a Duty when yet the spirit of God doth work in the heart an inclination to that Duty in sanctifying it 2. And that these inclinations are indeed from the spirit is evident 1. In that they come in with all other grace 2. And by the same means 3. And are preserved by the same means standing or falling increasing or decreasing with the rest 4. And are to the same end 5. And are so generally in all the sâ—iâ—ts 6. And so resisted by flesh and blood 7. And so agreeable to the Word that a Christian sins against his new nature when he neglects family Dutys And God doth by his spirit create a desire after them and an estimation of them in every gracious soul. Argument 8. Family prayer and praises is a Duty ordinarily crowned with admirable divine and special blessings Therefore it is of God The consequence is evident For though common outward prosperity may be given to the wicked who have their portion in this life yet so is not prosperity of soul. For the Antecedent I willingly appeal to the experience of all the holy families in the world Who ever used these Duties seriously and found not the benefits What Families be they in which grace and Heavenly mindedness prospereth but those that use these Duties Compare in all your Towns Cities and Villages the families that read Scriptures pray and praise God with those that do not and see the difference Which of them abound more with impiety with Oaths and cursings and railings and Drunkenness and Whoredoms and Worldliness c. And which abound most with Faith and Patience and Temperance and Charity and Repentance and Hope c. The controversie is not hard to decide Look to the Nobility and Gentry of England See you no difference between those that have been bred in praying families and the rest I mean taking them as we say one with another proportionably Look to the Ministers of England Is it praying families or prayerless families that have done most to the well furnishing of the Universities Argument 9. All Churches ought solemnly to pray to God and praise him A Christian family is a Church Therefore The major is past doubt the minor I prove from the nature of a Church in general which is a society of Christians combined for the better worshipping and serving of God I say not that a family formally as a family is a Church But every family of Christians ought moreover by such a combination to be a Church Yea as Christians they are so combined seeing Christianity tieth them to serve God conjunctly together in their Relations 2. Scripture expresseth it 2 Cor. 16. 19. Aquila and Priscilla salute much in the Lord with the Church that is in they house He saith not which meeteth in their house but which is in it So Philemon 2. And to the Church in this house Rom. 16. 5. Likewise greet the Church that is in their house Col. 4. 15. Salute the brethren that are at Laodicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house Though some Learned men take these to be meant of part of the Churches assembling in
and breed up children for the devil Their natural corruption is advantage enough to Satan to engage them to himself and use them for his service But when Parents shall also take the Devils part and teach their children by precepts or example how to serve him and shall estrange them from God and a holy life and fill their minds with false conceits and prejudice against the means of their salvation as if they had sold their children to the Devil no wonder then if they have a black posterity that are trained up to be heirs of Hell He that will train up children for God must begin betimes before sensitive objects take too deep possession of their hearts and custom increase the pravity of their nature Original sin is like the arched Indian Fig-tree whose branches turning downwards and taking root do all become as trees themselves The acts which proceed from this habitual viciousness do turn again into vicious habits And thus sinful nature doth by its fruits increase it self And when other things consume themselves by breeding all that sin breedeth is added to it self and its breeding is its feeding and every act doth confirm the habit And therefore no means in all the world doth more effectually tend to the happiness of souls than wise and holy education This dealeth with sin before it hath taken the deepest root and boweth nature while it 's but a twig It preventeth the increase of natural pravity and keepeth out those deceits corrupt opinions and carnal fantasies and lusts which else would be serviceable to sin and Satan ever after It delivereth up the heart to Christ betime or at least doth bring him a Disciple to his School to learn the way to life eternal and to spend those years in acquainting himself with the ways of God which others spend in growing worse and in learning that which must be again unlearned and in fortifying Satans garrison in their hearts and defending it against Christ and his saving grace But of this more anon § 5. Motive 5. A holy well-governed family is the preparative to a holy and well-governed Church If Masters of families did their parts and sent such polished materials to the Churches as they ought to Motive 5 do the work and life of the Pastors of the Church would be unspeakably more easie and delightful It would do one good to Preach to such an auditory and to Catechise them and instruct them and examine them and watch over them who are prepared by a wise and holy education and understand and love the doctrine which they hear To lay such polished stones in the building is an easie and delightful work How teachable and tractable will such be And how prosperously will the labours of their Pastors be laid out upon them And how comely and beautiful the Churches be which are composed of such persons And how pure and comfortable will their communion be But if the Churches be sties of unclean beasts if they are made up of ignorant and ungodly persons that savour nothing but the things of the flesh and use to worship they know not what we may thank ill-governed families for all this It is long of them that Ministers preach as to idiots or barbarians that cannot understand them and that they must be always feeding their auditors with milk and teaching them the principles and Catechizing them in the Church which should have been done at home Yea it is long of them that there are so many Wolves and Swine among the Sheep of Christ and that holy things are administred to the enemies of holiness and the godly live in communion with the haters of God and Godliness and that the Christian Religion is dishonoured before the heathen world by the worse-than-heathenish lives of the Professors and the pollutions of the Churches do hinder the conversion of the unbelieving world whilest they that can judge of our Religion no way but by the people that profess it do judge of it by the lives of them that are in heart the enemies of it when the haters of Christianity and Godliness are the Christians by whose conversations the Infidel world must judge of Christianity you may easily conjecture what judgement they are like to make Thus Pastors are discouraged the Churches defiled Religion disgraced and Infidels hardned through the impious disorder and negligence of families What Universities were we like to have if all the Grammar-Schools should neglect their duties and send up their scholars untaught as they received them and if all Tutors must teach their pupils first to spell and read Even such Churches we are like to have when every Pastor must first do the work which all the Masters of families should have done and the part of many score or hundreds or thousands must be performed by one § 6. Motive 6. Well-governed Families tend to make a happy State and Commonwealth A good Motive 6. education is the first and greatest work to make good Magistrates and good Subjects because it tends to make good men Though a good man may be a bad Magistrate yet a bad man cannot be a very good Magistrate The ignorance or worldliness or sensuality or enmity to godliness which grew up with them in their youth will shew it self in all the places and relations that ever they shall come into When an ungodly family hath once confirmed them in wickedness they will do wickedly in every state of life when a perfidious Parent hath betrayed his Children into the power and service of the Devil they will serve him in all relations and conditions This is the School from whence come all the injustice and cruelties and persecutions and impieties of Magistrates and all the murmurings and rebellions of subjects This is the soil and seminary where the seed of the Devil is first sown and where he nurseth up the plants of Covetousness and Pride and Ambition and Revenge Malignity and Sensuality till he transplant them for his service into several Offices in Church and State and into all places of inferiority where they may disperse their venome and resist all that is good and contend for the interest of the flesh and Hell against the interest of the Spirit and of Christ. But O what a blessing to the world would they be that shall come prepared by a holy education to places of Government and Subjection And how happy is that Land that is ruled by such superiours and consisteth of such prepared subjects as have first learnt to be subject to God and to their Parents § 7. Motive 7. If the Governours of Families did faithfully perform their duties it would be a Motive 7. great supply as to any defects in the Pastors part and a singular means to propagate and preserve Religion in times of publick negligence or persecution Therefore Christian Families are called Churches because they consist of holy persons that worship God and learn and love and obey his word If you lived among
will be but a temptation to waste your time and neglect greater duty and to make you grow customary and sensless of such sins and mercies when the same come to be recited over and over from day to day But let the common mercies be more generally recorded and the common sins generally confessed yet neither of them therefore slighted and let the extraordinary mercies and greater sins have a more particular observation And yet remember that sins and mercies which it is not fit that others be acquainted with are safelyer committed to memory than to writing And methinks a well humbled and a thankful heart should not easily let the memory of them slip § 20. Direct 20. When you compose your selves to sleep again commit your selves to God through Direct 20. Christ and crave his protection and close up the day with some holy exercise of Faith and Love And if you are persons that must needs lye waking in the night let your meditations be holy and exercised upon that subject that is profitablest to your souls But I cannot give this as an ordinary direction because that the body must have sleep or else it will be unfit for labour and all thoughts of holy things must be serious and all serious thoughts will hinder sleep and those that wake in the night do wake unwillingly and would not put themselves out of hopes of sleep which such serious meditations would do Nor can I advise you ordinarily to rise in the night to prayer as the Papists Votaries do For this is but to serve God with irrational and hurtful ceremony And it is a wonder how far such men will go in Ceremony that will not be drawn to a life of Love and spiritual Worship Unless men did irrationally place the service of God in praying this hour rather than another they might see how improvidently and sinfully they lose their time in twice dressing and undressing and in the intervals of their sleep when they might spare all that time by sitting up the longer or rising the earlier for the same employment Besides what tendency it hath to the destruction of health by cold and interruption of necessary rest when God approveth not of the disabling of the body or destroying our health or shortning life no more than of murder or cruelty to others but only calleth us to deny our unnecessary sensual delights and use the body so as it may be most serviceable to the soul and him I have briefly laid together these twenty Directions for the right spending of every day that those that need them and cannot remember the larger more particular Directions may at least get these few engraven on their minds and make them the daily practice of their lives which if you will sincerely do you cannot conceive how much it will conduce to the holiness fruitfulness and quietness of your lives and to your peaceful and comfortable death CHAP. XVIII Tit. 1. Directions for the holy spending of the Lords Day in Families § 1. Direct 1 BE well resolved against the Cavils of those carnal men that would make you believe Direct 1. that the holy spending of the Lords Day is a needless thing For the Name Since the writing of this I have published a Treatise of the Lords Day whether it shall be called The Christian Sabbath is not much worth contending about Undoubtedly the Name of The Lords Day is that which was given it by the Spirit of God Rev. 1. 10. and the antient Christians who sometime called it The Sabbath by allusion as they used the names Sacrifice and Altar The question is not so much of the Name as the Thing whether we ought to spend the day in holy exercises without unnecessary divertisements And to settle your consciences in this you have all these evidences at hand § 2. 1. By the confession of all you have the Law of Nature to tell you that God must be openly worshipped and that some set time should be appointed for his Worship And whether the fourth Commandment be formally in force or abrogated yet it is commonly agreed on that the parity of reason and general equity of it serveth to acquaint us that it is the will of God that one day in seven be the least that we destinate to this use this being then judged a meet proportion by God himself even from the Creation and on the account of commemorating the Creation and Christians being no less obliged to take as large a space of time who have both the Creation and Redemption to commemorate and a more excellent manner of Worship to perform § 3. 2. It is confessed by all Christians that Christ rose on the first day of the Week and appeared to his congregated Disciples on that day and powred out the Holy Ghost upon them on that day and that the Apostles appointed and the Christian Churches observed their assemblies and communion ordinarily on that day And that these Apostles were filled with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost that they might infallibly acquaint the Church with the Doctrine and Will of Jesus Mar. 16. 2 9. Luke 24. 1. Christ and leave it on record for succeeding ages and so were entrusted by Office and enabled by gifts to settle the Orders of the Gospel-Church as Moses did the matters of the Tabernacle and Worship then and so that their Laws or Orders thus setled were the Laws or Orders of the Holy Ghost Iohn 20. 1 19 26. Acts 2. 1. Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Rev. 1. 10. Matth. 28. 19 20 Iohn 16. 13 14 15. Rom. 16. 16. 2 Thess. 2. 15. § 4. 3. It is also confessed that the Universal Church from the dayes of the Apostles down till now hath constantly kept holy the Lords Day in the memorial of Christs Resurrection and that as by the will of Christ delivered to them by or from the Apostles In so much that I remember not either any Orthodox Christian or Heretick that ever opposed questioned or scrupled it till of late ages And as a historical discovery of the matter of fact this is a good evidence that indeed it was settled by the Apostles and consequently by Christ who gave them their Commission and inspired them by the Holy Ghost § 5. 4. It is confessed that it is still the practice of the Universal Church And those that take it to be but of Ecclesiastical appointment â—â—me of them mean it of such extraordinary Ecclesiasticks as inspired Apostles and all of them take the appointment as obligatory to all the members of the Church § 6. 5. The Laws of the Land where we live command it and the King by Proclamation urgeth the execution and the Canons and Homilies and Liturgy shew that the holy observation of the Lords Day is the judgement and will of the Governours of the Church Read the Homilies for the Time and place of Worship Yea they require the people to say when the fourth Commandment is
§ 10. Direct 10. Make Conscience of Teaching and provoking others Pity the souls of the ignorant Direct 10. about you God often blesseth the grace that is most improved in doing him service and our stock is like the Womans Oyle which increased as long as she poured out and was gone when she stopped 1 King 17. 12 14 16. Doing good is the best way for receiving good He that in pity to a poor man that is almost starved will but fall to rubbing him shall get himself heat and both be gainers Tit. 4. Directions to bring what we Hear into Practice WIthout this the rest is vain or Counterfeit and therefore somewhat must be said to this § 1. Direct 1. Be acquainted with the failings of your hearts and lives and come on purpose to get Direct 1. directions and help against thâ—se particular failings You will not know what Medicine you need much less how to use it if you know not what aileth you Know what duties you omit or carelesly perform and know what sins you are most guilty of and say when you go out of doors I go to Christ for Physick for my own disease I hope to hear something before I come back which may help me more against this sin and fit me better for my duty or provoke me more effectually Are those men like to practise Christs directions that either know not their disease or love it and would not have it cured § 2. Direct 2. The three forementioned are still presupposed viz. that the word have first done its Direct 2. part upon your understandings memory and Hearts For that word cannot be practised which is not understood nor at all remembred nor hath not procured Resolutions and Affections It is the due work upon the Heart that must prevail for the reformation of the Life § 3. Direct 3. When you understand what it is in point of Practice that the Preacher driveth at Direct 3. observe especially the Uses and the Moving reasons and plead them with your own hearts and let Conscience be Preaching over all that the Minister Preacheth to you You take them to be soul-murderers that silence able faithful Preachers and also those Preachers that silence themselves and feed not the flock committed to their care And do you think it a small matter to silence your own Conscience which must be the Preacher that must set home all before it can come to Resolution or Practice Keep Conscience all the while at work preaching over all that to your hearts which you hear with your ears and urge your selves to a speedy Resolution Remember that the whole body of Divinity is practical in its end and tendency and therefore be not a meer notional hearer but consider of every word you hear what Practice it is that it tendeth to and place that deepest in your memory If you forget all the words of the Reasons and Motives which you hear be sure to remember what Practice they were brought to urge you to As if you heard a Sermon against uncharitableness censoriousness or hurting others though you should forget all the Reasons and Motives in particular yet still remember that you were convinced in the hearing that censâ—rious and hurtful uncharitableness is a great sin and that you heard Reason enough to make you resolve against it And let Conscience Preach out the Sermon to the end and not let it dye in bare conviction but Resolve and be past wavering before you stir And above all the Sermon remember the Directions and Helps for Practice with which the truest method usually shuts up the Sermon § 4. Direct 4. When you come home let Conscience in secret also repeat the Sermon to you Between Direct 4. God and your selves consider what there was delivered to you in the Lords message that your souls were most concerned in what sin reproved which you are guilty of what duty pressed which you omit And there meditate seriously on the weight and Reasons of the thing and resist not the light but yet bring all to a fixed Resolution if till then you were unresolved Not ensnaring your selves with dangerous Vows about things doubtful or peremptory Vows without dependance on Christ for strength But firmly Resolving and cautelously engaging your selves to duty not with carnal evasions and reserves but with humble dependance upon grace without which of your selves you are able to do nothing § 5. Direct 5. Hear the most Practical Preachers you can well get Not those that have the finest Direct 5. Notions or the cleanest stile or neatest words but those that are still urging you to Holiness of Heart and life and driving home every truth to Practice not that false doctrine will at all bear up a holy life but true doctrine must not be left in the pâ—rch or at the doors but be brought home and used to its proper end and seated in the heart and placed as the poise upon the Clock where it may set all the wheels in motion § 6. Direct 6. Take heed especially of two sorts of false Teachers ANTINOMIAN LIBERTINES Direct 6. and AUTONOMIAN PHARISEES The first would build their sins on Christ not pleading for sin it self but taking down many of the chief helpes against it and disarming us of the weapons by which it should be destroyed and reproaching the true Preachers of obedience as Legalists that preach up works and call men to Doing when they Preach up Obedience to Christ their King upon the terms and by the Motives which are used by Christ himself and his Apostles Not understanding aright the true doctrine of Faith in Christ and Iustification and free grace which they think none else understand but they they pervert it and make it an enemy to the Kingly office of Christ and to sanctification and the necessary duties of obedience The other sort do make void the Commandments of God by their Traditions and instead of the holy Practice of the Laws of Christ they would drive the world with fire and sword to practise all their superstitious sopperies so that the few plain and necessary precepts of the Law of the Universal King is drowned in the greater body of their Canon Law and the Ceremonies of the Popes imposing are so many in comparison of the Institutions of Christ that the worship of God and work of Christianity is corrupted by it and made as another thing The wheat is lost in a heap of Chaff by them that will be Lawgivers to themselves and all the Church of Christ. § 7. Direct 7. Associate your selves with the most holy serious practical Christians Not with the Direct 7. ungodly nor with barren opinionists that talk of nothing but their Controversies and the way or interest of their sects which they call the Church nor with outside formal Ceremonious Pharisees that are pleading for the washing of Cups and tithing of Mint and the tradition of their Fathers while they hate and persecute
seduced to think all proper Communion of Churches lyeth in that Sacrament and to be more prophanely bold in abusing many other parts of worship 5. There are better means by Teaching and Discipline to keep the Sacrament from contempt than the omitting or displacing of it 6. Every Lords Day is no ofter then Christians need it 7. The frequency will teach them to Live prepared and not only to make much ado once a Moneth or Quarter when the same work is neglected all the year beside Even as one that liveth in continual expectation of death will live in continual preparation when he that expecteth it but in some grievous sickness will then be frightned into some seeming preparations which are not the habit of his soul but laid by again when the disease is over 2. But yet I must add that in some undisciplin'd Churches and upon some occasions it may be longer omitted or seldomer used No duty is a duty at all times And therefore extraordinary cases may raise such impediments as may hinder us a long time from this and many other priviledges But the ordinary faultiness of our imperfect hearts that are apt to grow customary and dull is no good reason why it should be seldome Any more than why other special duties of Worship and Church-communion should be seldome Read well the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians and you will find that they were then as bad as the true Christians â—â—e now and that even in this Sacrament they were very culpable and yet Paul seeketh not to cure them by their seldomer communicating § 21. Quest. 3. Are all the members of the visible Church to be admitted to this Sacrament or Quest. 3. communicate Answ. All are not to seek it or to take it because many may know their own unfitness when the Church or Pastors know it not But all that come and seek it are to be admitted by the Pastors except such Children Ideots ignorant persons or Hereticks as know not what they are to receive and do and such as are notoriously wicked or scandalous and have not manifested their repentance But then it is presupposed that none should be numbered with the adult members of the Church but those that have personally owned their Baptismal Covenant by a Credible Profession of true Christianity § 22. Quest. 4. May a man that hath knowledge and civility and common gifts come and Quest. 4. take this Sacrament if he know that he is yet void of true Repentance and other saving Grace Answ. No For he then knoweth himself to be one that is uncapable of it in his present state § 23. Quest. 5. May an ungodly man receive this Sacrament who knoweth not himself to be Quest. 5. ungodly Answ. No For he ought to know it and his sinful ignorance of his own condition will not make his sin to be his duty nor excuse his other faults before God § 24. Quest. 6. Must a sincere Christian receive that is uncertain of his sincerity and in continual Quest. 6. doubting Answ. Two preparations are necessary to this Sacrament The general preparation which is a state of grace and this the doubting Christian hath And the particular preparation which consisteth in his present actual fitness And all the question is of this And to know this you must further distinguish between Immediate duty and more Remote and between the degrees of doubtfulness in Christians 1. The nearest immediate duty of the doubting Christian is to use the means to have his doubts resolved till he know his case and then his next duty is to receive the Sacrament And both these still remain his duty to be performed in this order And if he say I cannot be resolved when I have done my best yet certainly it is some sin of his own that keepeth him in the dark and hindereth his assurance and therefore Duty ceaseth not to be duty the Law of Christ still obligeth him both to get assurance and to receive and the want both of the knowledge of his state and of Receiving the Sacrament are his continual sin if he lye in it never so long through these scruples though it be an infirmity that God will not condemn him for For he is supposed to be in a state of grace But you will say What is still he cannot be resolved whether he have true faith and Repentance or not What should he do while he is in doubt I answer It is one thing to ask what is his duty in this case and another thing to ask Which is the smaller or less dangerous sin Still his duty is both to get the knowledge of his heart and to communicate But while he sinneth through infirmity in failing of the first were he better also omit the other or not To be well resolved of that you must discern 1. Whether his judgement of himself do rather incline to think and hope that he is sincere in his repentance and faith or that he is not 2. And whether the consequents are like to be good or bad to him If his hopes that he is sincere be as great or greater than his fears of the contrary then there is no such ill consequent to be feared as may hinder his communicating but it is his best way to do it and wait on God in the use of his Ordinance But if the perswasion of his gracelesness be greater than the hopes of his sincerity then he must observe how he is like to be affected if he do communicate If he find that it is like to clear up his mind and increase his hopes by the actuating of his grace he is yet best to go But if he find that his heart is like to be overwhelmed with horror and sunk into despair by running into the supposed guilt of unworthy Receiving then it will be worse to do it than to omit it Many such fearful Christians I have known that are fain many years to absent themselves from the Sacrament because if they should receive it while they are perswaded of their utter unworthiness they would be swallowed up of desperation and think that they had taken their own damnation As the twenty fifth Article of the Church of England saith the unworthy receivers do So that the chief sin of such a Doubting Receiver is not that he receiveth though he doubt for doubting will not excuse us for the sinful omission of a duty no more of this than of Prayer or Thanksgiving But only Prudence requireth such a one to forbear that which through his own distemper would be a means of his despair and ruine As that Physick or food how good soever is not to be taken which would kill the taker Gods Ordinances are not appointed for our destruction but for our edification and so must be used as tendeth thereunto Yet to those Christians who are in this case and dare not communicate I must put this Question How dare you so long refuse it He that
more plainly expressed than nature hath exprest it All is not Christs Law that is any way exprest in Scripture but all Christs Laws are exprest in the Matth. 28. 20. Scriptures Not written by himself but by his Spirit in his Apostles whom he appointed and sent ☜ to Teach all Nations to observe what ever he commanded them who being thus commissioned and enabled fully by the Spirit to perform it are to be supposed to have perfectly executed their commission and to have taught whatsoever Christ commanded them and no more as from Christ And therefore as they taught that present age by Voice who could Hear them so they taught all ages after to the end Rom. 13. 9. Matt. 22. 37. Isa. 8. 16. 20. Acts 8. 25. Acts 15. 35 36. Acts â—6 17 18. 1 John 1. 9. Nâ—heâ—â— 1. 6. Lâ—v. 16. 21. Pâ—â—l 4. 6. Psal. 50. 14. 69 30. 100. 1 2 4. Eph. 5. 19. Psal. 9. 11. 95. 1. Luke 11. â— 3. c. Matth. 2â— 1â— 1 Câ—r 11. 27. 24 25 26 28. 1 Cor. 14. 5 1â— â—6 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. Rom. 15. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 40. Rom. 14. 15 2â— 1 Cor. 9. 20 21 22. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 10. 19 28. 2 Cor. 6. â—6 of the world by writing because their voice was not by them to be heard § 16. 3. So far then as the Scripture is a Law and Rule it is a perfect Rule But how far it is a Law or Rule it s own contents and expressions must determine As 1. It is certain that all the Internal worship of God by Love fear trust desire c. is perfectly commanded in the Scriptures 2. The Doctrine of Christ which his Ministers must read and preach is perfectly contained in the Scriptures 3. The grand and constantly necessary points of Order in preaching are there also expressed As that the opening of mens eyes and the converting of them from the power of Satan to God be first endeavoured and then their Confirmation and further Edification c. 4. Also that we humble our selves before God in the confession of our sins 5. And that we pray to God in the name of Christ for mercy for our selves and others 6. That we give God Thanks for his mercies to the Church our selves and others 7. That we Praise God in his excellencies manifested in his Word and Works of Creation and Providence 8. That we do this by singing Psalms with holy joyfulness of heart 9. The matter and order of the ordinary prayers and praises of Christians is expressed in the Scripture As which parts are to have precedency in our estimation and desire and ordinarily in our expressions 10. Christ himself hath determined that by Baptizing them into the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost men be solemnly entered into his Covenant and Church and state of Christianity 11. And he hath himself appointed that his Churches hold communion with him and among themselves in the Eucharistical administration of the Sacrament of his Body and blood represented in the breaking delivering receiving and eating the consecrated Bread and in the pouâ—ing out delivering receiving and drinking the consecrated Wine 12. And as for the mutable subservient circumstances and external expressions and actions and orders which were not fit to be in particular the matter of an Universal Law but are fit in one place or at one time and not another for thâ—se he hath left both in Nature and Scripture such General Laws by which upon emergent occasions they may be determined and by particular Providences he â—itteth things and persons and times and places so as that we may discern their agreeableness to the descriptions in his General Laws As that all things be done Decently in Order and to Ediâ—ication and in Charity Unity and Peace And he hath forbidden Generally doing any thing undecently disorderly to the hurâ—â—â— destruction of our brethren even the weak or to the division of the Church 13. And many things 2 Commandment Col. â— 18 c. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Rev. 2. 14. he hath particularly forbidden in Worship as making to our selves any graven Image c. and Worshipping Angels c. § 20. And as to the order and Government of the Church for I am willing to dispatch all here together this much is plainly determined in Scripture 1. That there be Officers or Ministers under Mat. 28. 19. Rom. 10. 7 8. Act. 14. 23. Act. 2. 42. 20. 7 28. â—ph 4. 11 14. Mal 2. 7. 〈…〉 3. 17 21. 1 Coâ— 12. 17 28. Câ—â— 1. â—8 Act. 2â— â—â— 1 Thes. 5. 12. Hâ—b 13. 7 17. Act. â— 37. â— 37 38. 3. 20. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 9. 13 14. Act. 20. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. Deut. 10. 8. 2 â—iâ— 4. 1 2 3. Matth. 18. 15 16 17. 2 Thes. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Joh. 10. 11. â—â— 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Rom. 16 17. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Luk 10 16. 12. 42. Act. â—3 â—3 Tâ—t 1. 5 9. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. 3 4. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16 2. Christ to be the stated Teachers of his people and to Baptize and Administer the Sacrament of his Body and Blood and be the Mouth and Guide of the people in publick Prayers thanksgiving and praises and to bind the impâ—nitent and loose the penitent and to be the Directers of the flocks according to the Law of God to life eternal And their Office is described and determined by Christ. 2. It is required that Christians do ordinarily Assemble together for Gods publick worship and be Guided therein by these their Pastors 3. It is required that besides the unfixed Ministers who employ themselves in converting Infidels and in an itinerant service of the Churches there be also stated fixed Ministers having a special charge of each particular Church and that they may know their own flocks and teach them publickly and from house to house and the people may know their own Pastors that are â—ver them in the Lord and honour them and obey them in all that they teach them from the Word of God for their salvation 4. The Ministers that Baptize are to judge of the capacity and fitness of those whom they Baptize whether the Adult that are admitted upon their personal profession and Covenanting or Infants that are admitted upon their Parents profession and entering them into Covenant 5. The Pastors that administer the Lords Supper to their particular flocks are to discern or judge of the fitness of those persons whom they receive newly into their charge or whom they admit to Communion in that Sacrament as members of their flock 6. Every such Pastor is also personally to watch over all the members of his flock as far as he is able lest false teachers seduce them or satan get advantage of them or any corruption or root of bitterness spring up
your help or liberty to do it afterward when that once or few times doing it were like to hinder you from doing it any more it would be your duty then to forbear it for that time unless in some extraordinary case For even for the life of an Oxe or an Asse and for Mercy to mens bodies the rest and holy work of a Sabbath might be interrupted much more for the souls of many Again I warn you as you must not pretend the interest of the end against a peremptory absolute command of God so must you not easily conclude a command to be absolute and peremptory to that which certainly contradicts the End nor easily take that for a Duty which certainly is no means to that good which is the end of duty or which is against it Though yet no seeming aptitude as a means must make that seem a duty which the prohibition of God hath made a sin § 26. Direct 15. It is ever unseasonable to perform a lesser duty of Worship when a greater Direct 15. should be done Therefore it much concerneth you to be able to discern when two duties are inconsistent which is then the greater and to be preferred In which the Interest of the end must much direct you that being usually the greatest which hath the greatest tendency to the greatest good § 27. Direct 16. Pretend not one part of Gods Worship against another when all in their Direct 16. place and order may be done Set not Preaching and Praying against each other nor publick and private Worship against each other nor internal Worship against external but do all § 28. Direct 17. Let not an inordinate respect to man or common custome be too strong a byas to Direct 17. pervert your judgements from the Rule of Worship nor yet any groundless prejudice make you distaste that which is not to be disliked The errour on these two extreams doth fill the World with corruption and contentions about the Worship of God Among the Papists and Russians and other ignorant sort of Christians abundance of corruptions are continued in Gods Worship by the Majus fidei impedimentum ex inveâ—eraâ—â consuetudine proficiscitur Ubique consuetudo magnas vires habet sed in barbaris longe maximas quippe ubi rationis est minimum ibi consueâ—udo radices profundiâ—â—imas agit In omni natura motio eò diuturnioâ— ac vehemenâ—ior quo magis est ad unum determinaâ—a Ios. Acosta de Iâ—d l. 2. p. 249. meer power of custome tradition and education and all seemeth right to which they have been long used and hence the Churches in South East and West continue so long overspread with ignorance and refuse reformation And on the other side meer prejudice makes some so much distaste a prescribed form of Prayer or the way of Worship which they have not been used to and which they have heard some good men speak against whose judgements they highlyest esteemed that they have not room for sober impartial reason to deliberate try and judge Factions have engaged most Christians in the World into several parties whereby Satan hath got this great advantage that instead of Worshipping God in Love and Concord they lay out their zeal in an envious bitter censorious uncharitable reproaching the manner of each others Worship And because the interest of their Parties requireth this they think the interest of the Church and Cause of God requireth it and that they do God service when they make the Religion of other men seem odious when as among most Christians in the World the errours of their modes of Worship are not so great as the adverse parties represent them except only the two great crimes of the Popish Worship 1. That it 's not understood and so is See Bishop Ier. Tailours late Book against Popery souleless 2. They Worship bread as God himself which I am not so able as willing to excuse from being Idolatry Judge not in such cases by passion partiality and prejudice § 29. Direct 18. Yet judge in all such Controversies with that reverence and charity which Direct 18. is due to the universal and the Primitive Church If you find any thing in Gods Worship which the primitive or universal Church agreed in you may be sure that it is nothing but what is consistent with acceptable Worship For God never rejected the Worship of the primitive or universal Church And it is not so much as to be judged erroneous without great deliberation and very good proof We must be much more suspicious of our own understandings § 30. Direct 19. In circumstances and modes of Worship not forbidden in the Word of God affect Direct 19. not singularity and do not easily differ from the practice of the Church in which you hold Communion nor from the commands or directions of your lawful Governours It 's true if we are forbidden with Dan. 3. Act. 4. 17 18. 5. 28. Daniel to Pray or with the Apostles to speak any more in the name of Christ or are commanded as the three witnesses Dan. 3. to Worship Images we must rather obey God than man and so in case of any sin that is commanded us But in case of meer different modes and circumstances and order of Worship see that you give authority and the consent of the Church where you are their due § 31. Direct 20. Look more to your own hearts than to the abilities of the Ministers or the Ceremonies Direct 20. or manner of the Churches Worship in such lesser things It is Heart-work and Heaven-work that the sincere believer comes about and it is the corruption of his heart that is his heaviest burden which he groaneth under with the most passionate complaints A hungry soul enflamed with Love to God and man and tenderly sensible of the excellency of common truths and duties would make up many defects in the manner of publick administration and would get nearer God in a defective imperfect mode of Worship than others can do with the greatest helps When Hypocrites find so little work with their Hearts and Heaven that they are Jam. 3. 15 16 17. taken up about words and forms and ceremonies and external things applauding their own way and condemning other mens and serving Satan under pretence of Worshipping God CHAP. III. Directions about the Christian Covenant with God and Baptism § 1. THough the first Tome of this Book is little more than an explication of the Christian Covenant with God yet being here to speak of Baptism as a part of Gods Worship it is needful that I briefly speak also of the Covenant it self § 1. Direct 1. It is a matter of great importance that you well understand the nature Direct 1. of the Christian Covenant what it is I shall therefore here briefly open the nature of it and then speak of the Reasons of it and then of the solemnizing it by Baptism and next of our Renewing it
upon Justification c. which I have seen de nomine and neither of them seemed to take notice of it Be sure as soon as you peruse the terms of your question to sift this throughly and dispute verbal controversies but as verbal and not as real and material We have real differences enow we need not make them seem more by such a blind or heedless manner of Disputing § 22. Direct 11. Suffer not a rambling mind in study nor a rambling talker in Disputes to interrupt Direct 11. your orderly procedure and divert you from your argument before you bring it to the natural issue Both deceiving Sophisters and giddy headed praters will be violent to start another game and spoil the chase of the point before you But hold them to it or take them to be unworthy to be disputed with and let them go except it be where the weakness of the Auditors requireth you to follow them in their Wild-goose Chase. You do but lose time in such rambling studies or disputes § 23. Direct 12. Be caâ—telous of admitting false suppositions or at least of admitting any inference Direct 12. that dependeth upon them In some cases a supposition of that which is false may be made while it no way tends to infer the truth of it But nothing must be built upon that falshood as intimating it to be a truth False suppositions cunningly and secretly workt into arguments are very ordinary instruments of deceit § 24. Direct 13. Plead not uncertainties against certainties But make certain points the measure Direct 13. to try the uncertain by Reduce not things proved and sure to those that are doubtful and justly controverted But reduce points disputable to those that are past doubt § 25. Direct 14. Plead not the darker Texts of Scripture against those that are more plain Direct 14. and clear nor a few texts against many that are as plain For that which is interpreted against the most plain and frequent expressions of the same Scripture is certainly mis-interpreted § 26. Direct 15. Take not obscure Prophecies for Precepts The obscurity is enough to make Direct 15. you cautelous how you venture your self in the Practice of that which you understand not But if there were no obscurity yet Prophecies are no warrant to you to fulfill them no though they be for the Churches good Predictions tell you but de eventu what will come to pass but warrant not you to bring it to pass Gods Prophesies are oft-times fulfilled by the wickedest men and the wickedest means As by the Jews in killing Christ and Pharaoh in refusing to let Israel go and Iehu in punishing the house of Ahab Yet many self-conceited persons think that they can fetch that out of the Revelations or the Prophecies of Daniel that will justifie very horrid crimes while they use wicked means to fulfil Gods Prophecies § 27. Direct 16. Be very cautelous in what cases you take mens practice or example to be instead of Direct 16. precept in the sacred Scriptures In one case a Practice or example is obligatory to us as a Precept and that is when God doth give men a commission to establish the form or orders of his Church and Worship as he did to Moses and to the Apostles and promiseth them his Spirit to lead them into all truth in the matters which he employeth them in here God is engaged to keep them from miscarrying for if they should his work would be ill done his Church would be ill constituted and framed and his servants unavoidably deceived The Apostles were authorized to constitute Church officers and orders for continuance and the Scripture which is written for a great part historically acquaints us what they did as well as what they said and wrote in the building of the Church in obedience to their commission at least in declaring to the World what Christ had first appointed And thus if their practice were not obligatory to us their words also might be avoided by the same pretenses And on this ground at least the Lords day is easily proved to be of Divine appointment and obligation Only we must see that we carefully distinguish between both the Words and Practices of the Apostles which were upon a particular and temporary occasion and obligation from those that were upon an universal or permanent ground § 28. Direct 17. Be very cautelous what Conclusions you raise from any meer works of Providence Direct 17. For the bold and blind exposition of these hath lead abundance into most heynous sins No providence is instead of a Law to us But sometimes and oft-times providence changeth the Matter of our duty and so occasioneth the change of our obligations As when the husband dyeth the Wise is disobliged c. But men of worldly dispositions do so over-value worldly things that from them they venture to take the measure of Gods Love and hatred and of the causes which he approveth or disapproveth in the World And the wisdom of God doth seem on purpose to cause such wonderful unexpected mutations in the affairs of men as shall shame the principles or spirits of these men and manifest their giddiness and mutability to their confusion One year they say This is sure the cause of God or else be would never own as he doth Another year they say If this had been Gods cause he would never have so disowned it Just as the Barbarians judged of Paul when the Viper seized on his hand And thus God is judged by them to own or disown by his prospering or afflicting more than by his Word § 29. Direct 18. In controversies which much depend on the sincerity or experience of Godly men take Direct 18. heed that you affect not singularity and depart not from the common sense of the Godly For the workings of Gods spirit are better judged of by the ordinary tenour of them than by some real or supposed case that is extraordinary § 30. Direct 19. In Controversies which most depend on the testimony of Antiquity depart not from Direct 19. the judgement of the ancients They that stood within View of the dayes of the Apostles could better tell what they did and what a condition they left the Churches in than we can do To appeal to the Ancients in every cause even in those where the later Christians do excell them is but to be fools in reverence of our fore-fathers wisdom But in points of History or any thing in which they had the advantage of their posterity their testimony is to be preferred § 31. Direct 20. In Controversies which depend on the Experience of particular Christians or of the Direct 20. Church regard most the judgement of the most experienced and prefer the judgement of the later ages of the Church before the judgement of less experienced ages except the Apostolical age that had the greater help of the spirit An ancient experienced Christian or Divine is
confused 5. They will differ in spiritual health and soundnâ—ss one will be more Orthodox and another more erroneous one will have a better appetite to the wholsome word than others 15. 1. 1 Cor. 8 7 10 12. that are inclining to novelties and vain janglings one will walk more blamelesly than another some are full of Joy and peace and others full of grief and trouble 6. They differ much in usefulness 9. 22. Act. 20. 35. Luk. 1. 6. Phil. 2. 15. Gal. 2. 9 11 13 14. and service to the Body some are Pillars to support the rest and some are burdensome and troublers of the Church 7. It is the will of Christ that they differ in Office and employment some being Pastors and Teachers to the rest 8. There may be much difference in the manner of their worshipping God some observing dayes and difference of meats and drinks and forms and other 1 Thes. 5 4. 1 Cor. 3. 1 4. 5. Eph. 4. 11 12 13. Ceremonies which others observe not And several Churches may have several modes 9. These differences may possibly by the temptation of Satan arise to vehement contentions and not only to the censuring and despisâ—ng of each other but to the rejecting of each other from the Communion Rom. 14. 15. Col. 2. 18 22. Phil. 2. 20 21. 1 Cor. 12. 22 24. of the several Churches and forbidding one another to Preach the Gospel and the banishing or imprisoning one another as Constantine himself did banish Athanasius and as Chrysostom and many another have felt 10. Hence it followeth that as in the Visible Church some are the members of Christ and some are indeed the Children of the Devil some shall be saved and some be damned 1 Sam. 2. 30. Mat. 23. 11. Luk. 22. 26. Mat. 20. 23. Luk. 20. 3â— Mat. 19. 30. Mat. 20. 16. even with the â—orest damnation the greatest difference in the World to come being betwixt the visible members of the Church so among the Godly and sincere themselves they are not all alike amiable or happy but they shall differ in Glory as they do in Grace All these differences there have been are and will be in the Church notwithstanding its unity in other things § 11. III. The word Schism cometh from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disseco lacero and signifieth any sinful Division Schism what and of how many sorts The true placing the Bonds of Unity importeth exceedingly Which will be done if the points fundamental and of substance in Religion were truly discerned and distinguished from points not meerly of faith but of Opinion Order or good intention This is a thing that may seem to many a matter trivial and done already but if â—t were done less partially it would be embraced more generally L. Baâ—on Essay 3. among Christians some Papists as Iohnson will have nothing called Schism but a Dividing ones self from the Catholick Church Others maintain that there is nothing in Scripture called Schism but making divisions in particular Churches The truth is obvious in the thing it self that there are several sorts of Schism or Division 1. There is a causing Divisions in a particular Church when yet no party divideth from that Church much less from the Universal Thus Paul blameth the Divisions that were among the Corinthians while one said I am of Paul and another I am of Apâ—llo c. 1 Cor. 3. 3. And 1 Cor. 11. 18. I hear that there be divisions among you not that they separated from each others Communion but held a disorderly Communion Such divisions he vehemently disswadeth them from 1 Cor. 1. 10. And thus he perswadeth the Romans 16. 17. to mark them which cause Divisions and offences among them contrary to the doctrine which they had learned and avoid them which it seems therefore were not such as had avoided the Church first He that causeth differences of judgement and practice and contendings in the Church doth cause Divisions though none separate from the Church 2. And if this be a fault it must be a greater fault to cause Divisions from as well as in a particular Church which a man may do that separateth not from it himself As if he perswade others to separate or if he sow those tares of errour which cause it or if he causlesly excommunicate or cast them out 3. And then it must be as great a sin to make a causeless separation from the Church that you are in your self which is another sort of Schism If you may not Divide in the Church nor Divide others from the Church then you may not causelesly Divide from it your selves 4. And it is yet a greater Schism when you Divide not only from that one Church but from many because they concur in opinion with that one which is the common way of Dividers 5. And it is yet a greater Schism when whole Churches separate from each other and renounce due Communion with each other without just cause as the Greeks Latines and Protestants in their present distance must some of them whoever it is be found guilty 6. And yet it is a greater Schism than this when Churches do not only separate from each other causelesly but also unchurch each other and endeavour to cut off each other from the Church-Universal by denying each other to be true Churches of Christ. It is a more grievous Schism to withdraw from a true Church as no-Church than as a corrupt-Church that is to cut off a Church from Christ and the Church-Catholick than to abstain from Communion with it as a scandalous or offending Church 7. It is yet caeteris paribus a higher degree of Schism to Divide your selves a person or a Church from the Universal Church without just cause though you separate from it but secundum quid in some accidental respect where unity is needfull For where Unity is not required there dis-union is no sin Yet such a person that is separate but secundum quid from something accidental or integral but not essential to the Catholick Church is still a Catholick Christian though he sin 8. But as for the highest degree of all viz. to separate from the Universal-Church simpliciter or in some Essential respect this is done by nothing but by Heresie or Apostacie However the Papists make men believe that Schismaticks that are neither Hereticks nor Apostates do separate themselves wholly or simply from the Catholick Church this is a meer figment of their brains For he that separateth not from the Church in any thing essential to it doth not truly and simply separate from the Church but secundum quid from something separable from the Church But whatever is A Heretick and Apostate what essential to the Church is necessary to salvation And he that separateth from it upon the account of his denying any thing necessary to salvation is an Heretick or an Apostate that is If he do it as dâ—nying some one or more Essential point of
their schism to the height as far as arrogance can aspire they not only refuse communion with those from whom they separate but condemn them as no Pastors no Churches no Christians that are not subject to them in this their Usurpation And they that are but about the third or fourth part at most of the Christian world do condemn the Body of Christ to Hell even all the rest because they are not Subjects of the Pope § 25. Besides all this criminal odious Schism of Imposers or Separaters there is a degree of Schism or unjust Division which may be the infirmity of a good and peaceable person As if a humble tender Christian should mistakingly think it unlawful to do some action that is imposed upon all that will hold communion with that particular Church such as Paul speaketh of Rom. 14. if they had been imposed And if he suspecting his own understanding do use all means to know the truth and yet still continueth in his mistake If this Christian do forbear all reviling of his superiours and censuring those that differ from him and drawing others to his opinion but yet dare not joyn with the Church in that which he taketh to be a sin this is a sinful sort of withdrawing because it is upon mistake But yet it is but a pardonable infirmity consistent with integrity and the favour of God § 26. IV. In these cases following Separation is our duty and not a sin 1. The Churches separation What Separation is a duty from the Unbelieving world is a necessary duty For what is a Church but a society dedicated or sanctified to God by separation from the rest of the world 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive 1 Pet. 2. 5 7 9. Leg. Gâ—otâ—um de Imp. pag. 230 231. you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty The Church is a Holy people and therefore a separated people § 27. 2. If a Church apostatize and forsake the faith or if they turn notoriously Heretical denying openly any one Essential Article of the faith and this not only by an undiscerned consequence but directly in express terms or sense it is our duty to deny to hold communion with such Apostates or Hereticks For it is their separating from Christ that is the sinful separation and maketh it necessary to us to separate from them But this is no excuse to any Church or person that shall falsly accuse any other Church or person of Heresie because of some forced or disowned consequences of his Doctrine and then separate from them when they have thus injured them by their calumnies or censures § 28. We are not bound to own that as a Church which maketh not a visible Profession of faith and holiness that is If the Pastors and a sufficient number of the flock make not this Profession For as the Pastor and flock are the constituent parts of the Church politically considered so Profession of faith and holiness is the essential qualification of the members If either Pastors or people want this profession it is no Political Church But if the people profess true Religion and have no Pastors it is a community of believers or a Church unorganized and as such to be acknowledged § 29. 4. If any shall unlawfully constitute a new Political Church-form by making new constitutive Officers to be its Visible Head which Christ never appointed we are not to hold communion with the Church in its devised form or Polity though we may hold Communion with the members of it considered as Christians and members of the Universal Church Mark well that I do not say that every new devised Officer disobligeth us from such communion but such as I describe which I shall sullyer open § 30. Quest. May not men place new Officers in the Church and new forms of Government which Quest. Whether any form of Church-Government be of Divine appointment and whether man may appoint any other God never instituted or is there any form and Officers of Divine institution Answ. Though I answered this before I shall here briefly answer it again 1. There are some sorts of Officers that are essential to the Polity or Church-form and some that are only needful to the well-being of it and some that are only Accidental 2. There is a Church-form of Gods own institution and there is a superadded humane Polity or form There are two sort of Churches or Church-forms of Gods own institution The first is the Universal Church considered Politically as Headed by Jesus Christ This is so of Divine appointment as that it is an Article of our Creed Here if any man devise and superinduce another Head of the Universal Church which God never appointed though he pretend to hold his Soveraignty from Christ and under him it is Treason against the soveraignty of Christ as setting up an Universal Government or Soveraign in his Church without his authority and consent Thus the Pope is the Usurping Head of a Rebellion against Christ and in that sense by Protestants called Antichrist And he is guilty of the Rebellion that subscribeth to or owneth his Usurpation or sweareth to him as his Governour though he promise to obey him but in licitis honestis Because it is not lawful or honest to consent to a Usurpers Government If a Usurper should trayterously without the Kings consent proclaim himself Vice-King of Ireland or Scotland and falsly say that he hath the Kings Authority when the King disclaimeth him he that should voluntarily swear obedience to him in things lawful and honest doth voluntarily own his Usurpation and Treason And it s not the lawfulness and honesty of the matter which will warrant us to own the Usurpation of the Commander And Secondly There is another subordinate Church-form of Christs institution that is Leg. Grotium de Imp. p. 223. 226. Particular Churches consisting of Pastors and people conjoyned for personal Communion in Gods Worship These are to the Universal Church as particular Corporations are to a Kingdom even such Parts of it as have a distinct subordinate Polity of their own It is no City or Corporation if they have not their Mayors Bâ—ilists or other Chief Officers subject to the King as Governours of the people under him And it is no particular Church in a Political sense but only a Community if they have not their Pastors to be under Christ their spiritual Conductors in the matters of salvation as there is no School which is not constituted of Teacher and Schâ—lars That particular organized Political Churches are of Christs institution by his Spirit in the Apostles is undenyable Acts 14. 23. They ordained them Elders in every Church Tit. 1. 5. Ordain Elders in every City as I commanded thee Acts 20. 17. He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders
of the Church 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God So 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. Heb. 13. 7 17 24 c. 1 Cor. 7. 23. If the whole Church be come together into one place c. Thus far it is no question but Church-forms and Government is of Divine appointment And man can no more alter this or set up such other without Gods consent than a subject can alter or make Corporations without the Kings consent 2. But besides these two sorts of Divine institution there are other allowable associations which some call Churches God hath required these particular Churches to hold such Communion as they are capable of for promoting the common Ends of Christianity And Prudence is left to determine of the Times and Places and manner of their Pastors Assemblies Councils and Correspondencies according to Gods general Rules If any will call these Councils or the Associations engaged for special correspondencies by the name of Churches I will not trouble any with a strife about the Name In this case so far as men have power to make that Association or Combination which they call a Church so also if they make Officers suited to its ends not encroaching upon the Churches or Officers of Christs own institution I am none of those that will contend against them Nor will this allow us to deny Communion with them 3. And in those Churches which Christ himself hath instituted there are Officers that make but for the Integrity and not for the Political Essence of the Church As Deacons and all Pastors or Presbyters more than One. For it is not essential to it to have any Deacons or many Pastors As to this sort of Officers Christ hath appointed them and it is not in mans power to alter his institution nor to set up any such like in co-ordination with these But yet if they should do so as long as the true Essentials of the Church remain I am not to deny communion with that Church so I own not this corruption 4. But there are also as circumstantial employments about Gods Worship so Officers to do those employments which men may lawfully institute As Clerks Church-wardens Door-keepers Ringers c. It is not the adding of these that is any sin By this time you may see plainly both how far Churches Officers and Church-Government is jure Divino and how far man may or may not add or alter and what I meant in my Proposition viz. That if men introduce a new Universal Head to the Church Catholick or a new Head to particular Churches instead of that of Christs institution this is in sensu Politico to make new species of Churches and destroy those that Christ hath instituted for the pars gubernans and pars gubernata are the essential Constituents of a Church And with such a Church as such in specie I must have no communion which is our case with the Papal Church though with the Material parts of that Church as members of Christ I may hold communion still § 30. 5. If particular members are guilty of obstinate impenitency in true Heresie or ungodliness or any scandalous crime the Church may and must remove such from her communion For it is the Communion of Saints And the offender is the Cause of this separation § 31. 6. If a whole Church be guilty of some notorious scandalous sin and refuse with obstinacy But not denying her to be a Church unless she cast off some essential part But so disowning her as in a Thess. 3. to Repent and Reform when admonished by neighbour Churches or if that Church do thus defend such a sin in any of her members so as openly to own it other Churches may refuse communion with her till she Repent and be Reformed Or if they see cause to hold communion with her in other respects yet in this they must have none § 32. 7. If any Church will admit none to her personal Communion but those that will take some false Oath or subscribe any untruth or tell a lye though that Church do think it to be true as the Trent Oath which their Priests all swear it is not lawful to do any such unlawful thing to obtain Where any Church retaining the purity of doctrine doth require the ownâ—ng of and conforming to any unlawful or suspected practice men may lawfully deny conformity to and communion with that Church in such things without incurring the guilt of Shism Mr. Stilliâ—â—fleet Ireâ—ic p. 11â— communion with that Church And he that refuseth in this case to commit this sin is no way guilty of the separation but is commendable for being true to God And though the case may be sad to be deprived of the liberty of publick Worship and the benefits of publick communion with that Church yet sin is worse and * 1 Sam. 15. 22. Prov. 15. 8. obedience is better than Sacrifice God will not be served with sin nor accept the Sacrifice of a disobedient fool Eccles. 5. 1 2. Nor must we lye to glorifie him nor do evil that good may come by it Just is the damnation of such servers of God Rom. 1. 7 8. All publick Worship is rather to be omitted than any one sin committed to enjoy it Though neither should be done where it is possible to do better It is not so unwise to think to feed a man with Poysons as to think to serve God acceptably by sin § 33. 8. If any one Church would ambitiously Usurp a Governing power over others as Rome doth over the world it is no unwarrantable separation to refuse the Government of that Usurping Church We may hold communion with them as Christians and yet refuse to be their subjects And therefore it is a proud and ignorant complaint of the Church of Rome that the Protestants separate from them as to Communion because they will not take them for their Governours § 34. 9. If any by violence will banish or cast out the true Bishops or Pastors of the Church and set up Usurpers in their stead as in the Arrians persecution it was commonly done it is no culpable separation but laudable and a duty for the people to own their Relation to their true Pastors and deny communion with the Usurpers as the people of the Eastern Churches did commonly refuse communion with the intruding Bishops even to the Death telling the Civil Rulers that they had Bishops of their own to whom they would adhere § 35. 10 If a true Church will obstinately deny her members the use of any one Ordinance of God as Preaching or Reading Scripture or Prayer or Praise or Discipline while it retaineth all the rest though we may not separate from this Church as no Church which yet in the case of total rejection of Prayer or Praise is very questionable at least yet if we have opportunity we must remove our local communion
to a more edifying Church that useth all the publick Ordinances of God unless the publick good forbid or some great impediment or contrary duty be our excuse § 36. 11. If a true Church will not cast out any impenitent notorious scandalous sinner though 2 John 10. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11. I am not to separate from the Church yet I am bound to avoid private familiarity with such a person that he may be ashamed and that I partake not of his sin § 37. 12. As the Church hath diversity of members some more holy and some less and some of whole sincerity we have small hope some that are more honourable and some less some that walk Mat. 13. 41 30. Jer. 15. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. blamelesly and some that work iniquity So Ministers and private members are bound to difference between them accordingly and to honour and love some far above others whom yet we may not excommunicate And this is no sinful separation § 38. 13. If the Church that I live and communicate with do hold any tolerable error I may differ therein from the Church without a culpable separation Union with the Church may be continued with all the diversities before mentioned D. 3. § 10. § 39. 14. In case of persecution in one Church or City when the servants of Christ do flye to another having no special reason to forbid it this is no sinful separation Matth. 10. 23. § 40. 15. If the publick service of the Church require a Minister or a private Christian to remove to another Church if it be done deliberately and upon good advice it is no sinful separation § 41. 16. If a Lawful Prince or Magistrate command us to remove our habitation or command a Minister from one Church to another when it is not notoriously to the detriment of the common interest of Religion it is no sinful separation to obey the Magistrate § 42. 17. If a poor Christian that hath a due and tender care of his salvation do find that under one Minister his soul declineth and groweth dead and under another that is more sound and clear and lively he is much edified to a holy and heavenly frame and life and if hereupon preferring his salvation before all things he remove to that Church and Minister where he is most edified without unchurching the other by his censures this is no sinful separation but a preferring the One thing needful before all § 43. 18. If one part of the Church have leisure opportunity cause and earnest desires to meet ofter for the edifying of their souls and redeeming their time than the poorer labouring or careless and less zealous part will meet in any fit place under the oversight and conduct of their Pastors and not in opposition to the more publick full assemblies as they did Acts 12. 12. to pray for Peter at the house of Mary where many were gathered together praying and Acts 10. 1 c. this is no sinful separation § 44. 19. If a mans own outward affairs require him to remove his habitation from one City or Countrey to another and there be no greater matter to prohibite it he may lawfully remove his local communion from the Church that he before lived with to that which resideth in the place he goeth to For with distant Churches and Christians I can have none but Mental Communion or by distant means as writing messengers c. It is only with present Christians that I can have local personal communion § 45. 20. It is possible in some cases that a man may live long without local personal communion with any Christians or Church at all and yet not be guilty of sinful separation As the Kings Embassadour or Agent in a Land of Infidels or some Traveller Merchants Factors or such as go to convert the Infidels or those that are banished or imprisoned In all these twenty cases some kind of separation may be lawful § 46. 21. One more I may add which is when the Temples are so small and the Congregations so great that there is no room to hear and joyn in the publick Worship or when the Church is so excessively great as to be uncapable of the proper ends of the society in this case to divide or withdraw is no sinful separation When one Hive will not hold the Bees the swarm must seek themselves another without the injury of the rest By all this you may perceive that sinful separation is first in a censorious uncharitable mind condemning Churches Ministers and Worship causelesly as unfit for them to have communion with And Secondly it is in the personal separation which is made in pursuance of this censure But not in any local removal that is made on other lawful grounds § 47. Direct 4. Understand and consider well the Reasons why Christ so frequently and earnestly Direct 4. presseth Concord on his Church and why he so vehemently forbiddeth Divisions Observe how much the Scripture speaketh to this purpose and upon what weighty Reasons Here are four things distinctly to be represented to your serious consideration 1. How many plain and urgent are the Texts that speak for Unity and condemn Division 2. The great Benefits of Concord 3. And the mischiefs of Discord and Divisions in the Church 4. And the Aggravations of the sin § 48. I. A true Christian that hateth fornication drunkenness lying perjury because they are forbidden in the Word of God will hate Divisions also when he well observeth how frequently and vehemently they are forbidden and Concord highly commended and commanded John 17. 21 22 23. That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also See Rom. 14. throughout Rom. 15. 12. 5 6 7. may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as Ephes. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. thou hast loved me Here you see that the Unity of the Saints must be a special means to convince the Infidel world of the truth of Christianity and to prove Gods special Love to his Church and 1 Pet. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 12. throughout Phil. 3. 15 16. Acts 2. 1 46. 4. 32. also to accomplish their own perfection 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions or Schisms among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement For it hath been declared to me of you my brethren that there are contentions among you Rom. 12. 4 5. Psalm 133. 1 Cor. 8. 1
Tim. 1. 4. James 3. 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envying zeal and strife and divisions or parties or factions are ye not carnal and walk as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal Phil. 2. 1 2 3 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same Love of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Rom. 16 17 18. Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions or parties and offences or scandals contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Abundance more such Texts may be recited § 49. II. The great Benefits of the Concord of Christians are these following 1. It is necessary The Benefits of Concord to the very Life of the Church and its several members that they be all One Body As their Union with Christ the Head and Principle of their life is principally necessary so Unity among themselves is secondarily necessary for the conveyance and reception of that Life which floweth to all from Christ. For though the Head be the Fountain of Life yet the nerves and other parts must convey that life unto the members And if any member be cut off or separated from the Body it is separated also from the Head and perisheth Mark well those words of the Apostle Ephes. 4. 3. to 16. Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one Hope of your calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And be gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangeliâ—ts and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that speaking the truth in Love we may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ From whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by every joynt of supply according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in Love See here how the Churches Unity is necessary to its life and increase and to the due nutrition of all the parts § 50. 2. The Unity of the Church and the Concord of Believers is necessary to its strength and safety for Christ also strengtheneth as well as quickneth them by suitable means Wo to him that is alone But in the Army of the Lord of Hosts we may safely march on when straglers are catcht up or killed by the weakest enemy A threefold cord is not easily broken Enemies both spiritual and corporal are deterred from assaulting the Church or any of its members while they see us walk in our Military Unity and Order In this posture every man is a blessing and defence unto his neighbour As every Souldier hath the Benefit of all the conduct wisdom and valour of the whole Army while he keepeth in his place so every weak Christian hath the use and benefit of all the Learning the Wisdom and Gifts of the Church while he keepeth his station and walketh orderly in the Church The hand the eye the ear the foot and every member of the Body is as ready to help or serve the whole and every other particular member as it self But if it be cut off it is neither helpful nor to be helped O what a mercy is it for every Christian that is unable to help himself to have the help of all the Church of God their directions their exhortations their Love their prayers their liberality and compassion according to their several abilities and opportunities As infants and sick persons have the help of all the rest of the family that are in health § 51. 3. Unity and Concord as it proceedeth from Love so it greatly cherisheth and increaseth Peace containeth infinite blessings I strengtheneth faith It kindleth Charity The outward peace of the Church distilleth into peace of conscience and it turneth the writing and reading of Controversies into treatises of Mortification and Devotion Id. ibid. Against procuring Unity by sanguinaâ—y persecutions see Lord Bacon Essay 3. Surely there is no better way to stop the rising of new Sects and Schisms than to reform abuses to compound the smaller differences to proceed mildly and not with sanguinaâ—y persecutions and rather to take off the principal authors by winning and advancing them than to â—nrage them by violence and bitterness Lord Bacon in his Essay 58. Ita hominis non implet justitiam Dei And it was a notable observation of a wise Father that those which held and persuaded pressure of Consciences were commonly interessed there in themselves for their own ends Id. Ess. 3. p. 19. Love even as the laying of the Wood or Coals together is necessary to the making of the fire which the separating of them will put out Holy Concord cherisheth holy converse and communion And holy communion powerfully kindleth holy Love When the servants of Christ do see in each other the lustre of his Graces and hear from each other the heavenly language which floweth from a Divine and heavenly mind this potently kindleth their affections to each other and maketh them close with those as the sons of God in whom they find so much of God Yea it causeth them to Love God himself in others with a reverent admiring and transcendent Love when others at the best can Love them but as men Concord is the womb and soil of Love although it be first its progeny In quietness and peace the voice of peace is most regarded § 52. 4. Unity and Concord is the Churches Beauty It maketh us amiable even to the eye of nature and venerable and terrible even to the eye of malice A concord in sin is no more honour than it is for conquered men to go together in multitudes to prison or captivity or for beasts to go by droves unto the slaughter But to see the Churches of Christ with one heart and soul acknowledging their Maker and Redeemer and singing his Praise as with one voice and living together in Love and Concord as those that have one Principle one Rule one nature one work one Interest and Hope and End this is the truly beauteous symmetry and delectable harmony Psal. 133. Behold how good
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell even together in unity It is like the pretious oyntment upon the head that ran down upon the heard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garment As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for evermore The Translators well put this as the Contents of this Psalm The benefit of the communion of Saints § 53. 5. The concord of Believers doth greatly conduce to the successes of the Ministery and propagation of the Gospel and the conviction of unbelievers and the conversion and salvation of ungodly souls When Christ prayeth for the Unity of his Disciples he redoubleth this argument from the effect or end that the world may believe that thou hast sent me and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them c. Joh. 17. 21 23. Would this make the world believe that Christ was sent of God Yes undoubtedly if all Christians were reduced to a Holy Concord it would do more to win the Heathen world than all other means can do without it It is the Divisions and the wickedness of professed Christians that maketh Christianity so contemned by the Mahometanes and other Infidels of the world And it is the Holy Concord of Christians that would convince and draw them home to Christ. Love and Peace and concord are such vertues as all the world is forced to applaud notwithstanding natures enmity to good When the first Christian Church were all with one accord in one place and continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house partook of food with gladness and singleness of heart and when the multitude of believers were of one heart and of one soul c. Act. 2. 1 46. 4. 32. then did God send upon them Act. 2. 41. Act. 4. 33. the Holy Ghost and then were three thousand converted at a Sermon And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the Resurrection of the Lord Iesus and great grace was upon them all How our Concord would promote the Conversion of Infidels Our Concord in Religion hath all these advantages for the converting of unbelievers and ungodly men 1. It is a sign that there is a constraining evidence of truth in that Gospel which doth convince so many A concurrent satisfaction and yielding to the truth is a powerful testimony for it 2. They see then that Religion is not a matter of worldly Policy and design when so many men of contrary interests do embrace it 3. And they see it is not the fruit of a Melancholy constitutions when so many men of various temperatures entertain it 4. They may see that the Gospel hath Power to conquer that self-love and self interest which is the most potent thing in vitiated nature Otherwise it could never make so many unite in God as their common interest and end 5. They may see that the Gospel and spirit of Christ is stronger than the devil and all the allurements of the flesh and world when it can make so many agree in the renouncing of all earthly vanities for the hopes of everlasting life 6. They will see that the Design and doctrine of Christianity is Good and excellent beseeming God and desirable to man when they see that it doth produce so good effects as the Love and Unity and Concord of manking 7. And it is an exceeding great and powerful help to the Conversion of the World in this respect because it is a thing so conspicuous in their sight and so intelligible to them and so approved by them They are little wrought on by the doctrine of Christ alone because it is visible or audible but to few and understood by fewer and containeth many things which nature doth distaste But the holy Concord of Believers is a thing that they are more able to discern and judge of and do more generally approve The HOLY CONCORD of Christians must be the CONVERSION of the unbelieving world if God have so great a mercy for the world which is a consideration that should not only deter us from ☜ Divisions but make us zealously study and labour with all our interest and might for the healing of the lamentable Divisions among Christians if we have the hearts of Christians and any sense of the interest of Christ. § 54. 6. The Concord of Christians doth greatly conduce to the ease and peace of particular Believers The very exercise of Love to one another doth sweeten all our lives and duties We sail towards Heaven in a pleasant Calm with wind and tide when we live in Love and peace together How easie doth it make the work of Godliness How light a burden doth Religion seem when we are all as of one heart and soul § 55. 7. Lastly Consider whether this be not the likest state to Heaven and therefore have not in it the most of Christian excellency and perfection In Heaven there is no discord but a perfect consort of glorified spirits harmoniously loving and praising their Creator And if Heaven be desirable holy Concord on earth is next desirable § 56. III. On the contrary consider well of the Mischiefs of Divisions 1. It is the killing of The Mischiefs of Division the Church as much as lyeth in the dividers or the wounding it at least Christs Body is One and it is sensible and therefore Dividing it tendeth directly to the destroying it and at least will cause its smart and pain To Reform the Church by Dividing it is no wiser than to cut out the Liver or Spleen or Gall to cleanse them from the filth that doth obstruct them and hinder them in their office you may indeed thus cleanse them but it will be a mortal cure As he that should Divide the Kingdom into two Kingdoms dissolveth the old Kingdom or part of it at least to erect two new ones so he that would divide the Catholick Church into two must thereby destroy it if he could succeed or destroy that part which divideth it self from the rest Can a member live that is cut off from the Body or a branch that is separated from the tree § 57. Quest. O but say the Romanists why then do you cut off your selves from us The Division Quest. is made by you and we are the Church and you are dead till you return to us How will you know which part is the Church when a Division is once made Answ. Are you the Church Are you the Answ. Whether Papists or Protestants are Schismaticks only Christians in the World The Church is all Christians united in Christ their Head You traiterously set up a new usurping Head and proclaim your selves to be the whole Church and condemn all that are not subjects to your new Head We keep our station and disclaim his Usurpation and deny subjection to
you and tell you that as you are the subjects of the Pope you are none of the Church of Christ at all From this treasonable conspiracy we withdraw our selves But as Coacil Tolâ—t 4. c. 61. 28. q. 1. Ca. Iudai qui allow separation from a Jewish husband if afâ—er admonition he will not be a Christian and so doth Aâ—osta and his Coâ—cil Lirâ—â—s l. 6. c. 21. and other Jesuits and allow the marrying of another And sure the Conjugal bond is faster than that of a Pastor and his sâ—ock may not a man then change his Pastor when his soul is in apparent hazzard you are the subjects of Christ we never divided from you nor denyed you our Communion Let Reason judge now who are the Dividers And is it not easie to know which is the Church in the Division It is all those that are still united unto Christ If you or we be divided from Christ and from Christians that are his Body we are then none of the Church But if we are not Divided from Christ we are of the Church still If part of a Tree though the far greater part be out off or separated from the rest it is that part how small soever that still groweth with the Root that is the living Tree The Indian Fig-tree and some other Trees have branches that take root when they touch the ground If now you ask me whether the branches springing from the second Root are members of the first Tree I answer 1. The rest that have no new Root are more undoubtedly members of it 2. If any branches are separated from the first Tree and grow upon the new root alone the case is out of doubt 3. But if yet they are by continuation joyned to both that Root which they receive their nutriment most from is it which they most belong to Suppose a Tyrant counterseit a Commission from the King to be Vice-King in Ireland and proclaimeth all them to be Traytors that receive him not The King disclaimeth him the wisest subjects renounce him and the rest obey him but so as to profess they do it because they believe him to be commissioned by the King Let the question be now who are the Dividers in Ireland and who are the Kings truest subjects and what Head it is that denominateth the Kingdom and who are the Traytors This is your case § 58. 2. Divisions are the deformities of the Church Cut off a nose or pluck out an eye or dismember either a man or a picture and see whether you have not deformed it Ask any compassionate Christian ask any insulting enemy whether our Divisions be not our deformity and shame the lamentation of friends and the scorn of enemies § 59. 3. The Churches Divisions are not our own dishonour alone but the injurious dishonour of Christ and Religion and the Gospel The World thinketh that Christ is an impotent King that cannot keep his Kingdom at unity in it self when he hath himself told us that every Kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand Mat. 12. 25. They think the Gospel tendeth to Division and is a doctrine of dissention when they see divisions and dissentions procured by it They impute all the faults of the subjects to the King and think that Christ was confused in his Legislation and knew not what to teach or command because men are confounded in their opinions or practices and know not what to think or do If men misunderstand the Law of Christ and one saith This is the sense and another saith that is the sense they are ready to think that Christ spake non-sense or understood not himself because the ignorant understand him not Who is there that converseth with the ungodly of the World that heareth not by their reproach and scorns how much God and Religion are dishonoured by the Divisions of Religious people § 60. 4. And thus also our Divisions do lamentably hinder the progress of the Gospel and the conversion and salvation of the ungodly World They think they have small encouragement to be of your Religion while your Divisions seem to tell them that you know not what Religion to be of your selves Whatever Satan or wicked men would say against Religion to discourage the ungodly from it the same will exasperated persons in these Divisions say against each others way And when every one of you condemneth another how should the Consciences of the ungodly perswade them to expect salvation in any of those ways which you thus condemn Doubtless the Divisions of the Christian world have done more to hinder the conversion of Infidels and keep the Heathen and Mahometane World in their damnable ignorance and delusions than all our power is able to undoe and have produced such desolations of the Church of Christ and such a plentiful harvest and Kingdom for the Devil as every tender Christian heart is bound to lament with tears of bitterness If it must be that such offence shall come yet woe to those by whom they come § 67. 5. Divisions lay open the Churches of Christ not only to the scorn but to the malice will and fury of their enemies A Kingdom or house divided cannot stand Matth. 12. 25. where hath the Church been destroyed or Religion rooted out in any Nation of the Earth but divisions had a Rev. 17. 13. principal hand in the effect O what desolations have they made among the flocks of Christ As Seneca and others opened their own veins and bled to death when Nero or such other Tyrants did send them their commands to Die even so have many Churches done by their divisions to the gratifying of Satan the enemy of souls § 62. 6. Divisions among Christians do greatly hinder the edification of the members of the Church while they are possessed with envyings and distaste of one another they lose all the benefit of each others gifts and of that holy communion which they should have with one another And they are possessed with that zeal and wisdom which Iames calleth earthly sensual and devillish which corrupteth Eph. 4. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 4. Rom. 15. 19. Acts 9. 3â— all their affections and turneth their food to the nourishment of their disease and maketh their very worshipping of God to become the increase of their sin Where divisions and contentions are the members that should grow up in humility meekness self-denyal holiness and love do grow in pride and perverse disputings and passionate strivings and envious wranglings The Spirit of God departeth from them and an evil Spirit of malice and vexation taketh place though in their passion they know not what Spirit they are of Whereas if they be of one mind and live in peace the God of love and peace will be with them What lamentable instances of this calamity have we in many of the Sectaries of this present time Especially in the people called Quakers that while they
Love are the Churches dissolution which first causeth sissures and separations and in process crumbleth us all to dust And therefore the Pastors of the Church are the fittest instruments for the cure who are the Messengers of Love and whose Government is paternal and hurteth not the body but is only a Government of Love and exercised by all the means of Love All Christians in the world confess that LOVE is the very â—â—â—â— and perfection of all Grace and the End of all our other duties and that which maketh us like to God and that iâ— Love dwelleth in us God dwelleth in us and that it will be the everlasting Grace and the work of Heaven and the Happiness of souls and that it is the excellent way and the character of Saints and the Nâ—w Commandmâ—nt And all this being so it is most certain that no way is the 1 â—â—â—â— 4. 7. 8. â—â—â—â— 13 35. 〈…〉 way of God wâ—â—câ—â—â— not the way of Love And therefore what specious pretences soever they may have and one may cry up Truth and another Holiness and another order and another Unity it seâ—â— to jâ—â—â—â—â— their â—nvyings hatred cruelties it is most certain that all such pretences are Satanical deceiâ—â— And â—â— they bile and devour one another they are not like the sheep of Christ but shall be dâ—â—â—â—â—â—d one of another Gal. 5. 15. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour therefore Love is the fulfilling 〈…〉 4. 2. 〈…〉 of the Law Rom. 13. 10. When Papists that shew their love to mens souls by racking their bodies and fryâ—â—g them in the fire can make men apprehensive of the excellency of that kind of Love they may â—â—â—â— it to the healing of the Church In the mean time as their Religion is such is their Concord while all those are called Members of their Union and Professors of their Religion who must be burnt to ashes if they say the contrary They that give God an Image and Carkass of Religion â—â—â—â— 1. 4 are thus content with the Image and Carkass of a Church for the exercise of it And if there were nothing â—llâ— but this to detect the sinfulness of the Sect of Quakers and many more it is enough to satisfie any sober man that it cannot be the way of God God is not the author of that Spirit and way which tends to wrath emulation hatred railing and the extinction of Christian Love to all â—â—vâ— their own Sect and party Remember as you love your souls that you shun all wayes that are destructive to universal Christian Love § 83. Direct 6. Make nothing necessary to the unity of the Church or the communion of Christians Direct 6. which God hath not made necessary or directed you to make so By this one â—olly the Papists are become see 〈…〉 p. 52â— the most notorious Schismaticks on earth even by making new Articles of faith and new parts of worship and imposing them on all Christians to be sworn subscribed professed or practised so as that no man shall be accounted a Catholick or have communion with them or with the Universal Church if they could hinder it that will not follow them in all their Novelties They that would subscribe to all the Scriptures and to all the antient Creeds of the Church and would do any thing that Christ and his Apostles have enjoyned and go every step of that way to Heaven that Peter and Paul went as far as they are able yet if they will go no further and believe no more yeâ— if they will not go against some of this must be condemned cast out and called Schismaticks by these notorious Schismaticks If he hold to Christ the Universal Head of the Church and will not be subject or sworn to the Pope the Usurping Head he shall be taken as cut off from Christ. And there is no certainty among these men what measure of faith and worship and obedience to them shall be judged necessary to constitute a Church-member For as that which served in the Apostles dayes and the following ages will not serve now nor the subscribing to all the other pretended Councils until then will not serve without subscribing to the Creed or Council of Trâ—nt so no body can tell what New Faith or Worship or Test of Christianity the next Council if the world see any more may require and how many thousand that are Trent-Catholicks now may be judged Hereticks or Schismaticks then if they will not shut their eyes and follow them any whither and change their Religion as oft as the Papal interest requireth a change Of this Chillingworth Hales and Dr. H. More have spoken plainly If the Pope had imposed but one lye Dâ— H. More saith Myst. Redemp p. 495. l. 10. c. 2. There is scarce any Church in Christâ—ndome at this day that doth not obtrude not only falshood but such falsehoods that will appear to any free Spirit pure contradictiors and impossibilities and that with the same gravity authority and importunity that they do the holy Oracles of God Now the consequence of this must needs be sad For what knowing and conscientious man but will be driven off if he cannot assert the truth without open asserting of a gross lye Id. p. â—26 And as for Opinions though some may be better than other some yet none should exclude from the fullest enjoyment of either private or publick rights supposing there be no venome of the persecutive spirit mingled with them But every one that professeth the faith of Christ and believeth the Scriptures in the Historical sense c. to be subscribed or one sin to be done and said All Nations and persons that do not this are no Christians or shall have no communion with the Church the man that refuseth that imposed lye or sin is guiltless of the Schism and doth but obey God and save his soul And the Usurper that imposeth them will be found the heinous Schismatick before God and the cause of all those Divisions of the Church And so if any private Sectary shall feign an opinion or practice of his own to be necessary to salvation or Church communion and shall refuse communion with those that are not of his mind and way it is he and not they that is the cause of the uncharitable separation * See Hales of Schisme p. 8. § 84. Direct 7. Pray against the Usurpations or intrusions of intrusions of impious carnal ambitious Direct 7. covetous Pastors into the Churches of Christ. For one wicked man in the place of a Pastor may do more In Ecclesiâ—s plus certaminum gignunt verba hominum quam Dei magâ—sque pugnatur fere de Apolline Petro Paulo quam de Christo Retine divina Relinque humana Bucholcer to the increase of a Schism or faction than many private men can do And carnal men have carnal minds and carnal interests which are both unreconcileable to the spiritual holy mind and interest For the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. And if such Starrs fall from Heaven no wonder if they bring many down headlong with them Humble souls dwell most at home and think themselves unworthy of the communion of their brethren and are most quarrelsome against their own corruptions They do nothing in grife and vain glory but in lowliness of mind each one esteemeth other better than themselves Phil. 2. 2 3. and judge not lâ—st they he judged Matth. 6. 1. And is it likely such should be Dividers of the Church But Proud men must either be great and domineer and as Diotrephes 3 John 9 10. love to have the preheminence and cast the Brethren out of the Church and prate against their faithfullest Pastors with malitious words or else must be noted for their supposed excellencies and set up themselves and speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them and think the brethren unworthy of their Communion and esteem all others below themselves and as the Church of Act. 20. 30. Rome confound Communion and Subjection and think none fit for their Communion that obey them not or compâ—y not with their opinion and will There is no hope of Concord where Pride hath power to prevail § 86. Direct 9. Take heed of singularity and narrowness of mind and unacquaintedness with the Direct 9. former and present state of the Church and world Men that are bred up in a corner and never read nor heard of the common condition of the Church or world are easily mislead into Sschism through ignorance of those matters of fact that would preserve them Abundance of this sort of honest people that I have known have known so little beyond the Town or Countrey where they lived that they have thought they were very Catholick in their Communion because they had one or two Congregations and divided not among themselves But for the avoiding of Schism 1. Look with pity on the Unbelieving world and consider that Christians of all sorts are but a sixth part of the whole earth And then 2. Consider of this sixth part how small a part the reformed Churches are And if you be willing to leave Christ any Church at all perhaps you will be lothe to separate yet into a narrower party which is no more to all the world than one of your Cottages is to the whole Kingdom And is this all the Kingdom on earth that you will ascribe to Christ Is the King of the Church the King only of your little party Though his flock be but a little flock make it not next to none As if he câ—â—e into the World on so low a design as the gathering of your sect only The less his stock is the more sinful it is to rob him of it and make it lesser than it is It is a little flock if it contained all the Christians Protestants Greeks Armenians Abassines and Papists on the Eâ—â—th Be singular and separate from the unbelieving world and spare not And be singular in Hâ—liness from Prophane and nominal hypocritical Christians But affect not to be singular in opinion or practice or separated in Communion from the universal Church or generality of sound believers or if you forsake some common errour yet hold still the Common Love and Communion with all the faithful according to your opportunities 3. And it will be very useful when you are tempted to separate from any Church for the defectiveness of its manner of Worship to enquire how God is worshipped in all the Churches on Earth and then consider whether if you lived ☞ That â—oâ— above that knoweth the heart dâ—â—â—â— disâ—ern that frail mâ—n â—â— some of theâ—r conâ—radictions iâ—tâ—nâ— the same thing and aâ—â—eâ—â—eth bâ—th I. Vâ—â—â—â— â—sâ—aâ— 3. 7. 15. among them you would forsake Communion with them all for such defects while you are not forced to justifie or approve them 4. And it is very useful to read Church history and to understand what Heresies have been in times past and what havock Schisms have caused among Christians For if this much had been known by well-meaning persons in our dayes we should not have seen those same Opinions applauded as new light which were long agoe exploded as old Heresies nor should we have seen many honest people taking that same course to reform the Church now and advance the Gospel which in so many ages and Nations hath heretofore destroyed the Church and cast out the Gospel A narrow soul that taketh all Christs interest in the world to lye in a few of their separated meetings and shutteth up all the Church in a Nutshell must needs be guilty of the foulest schisms It is a Catholick spirit and Catholick principles loving a Christian as a Christian abhorring the very names of Sects and Parties as the Churches wounds that must make a Catholick indeed § 87. Direct 10. Understand well the true difference between the visible Church and the world Direct 10. lest you should think that you are bound to separate as much from a corrupted Church as from the world It is not True faith but the Profession of true faith that maketh a man fit to be acknowledged a member of the Visible Church If this Profession be unsound and accompanied with a vitious life it is the sin and misery of such an Hypocrite but it doth not presently put him as far unrelated to you as if he were an infidel without the Church If you ask what advantage have such unsound Church-members I answer with the Apostle Rom. 3. 1 2. Much every way chiefly because unto them are committed the Oracles of God Rom. 9. 4. To them pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Till the Church find cause to cast them out they have the external priviledges of its Communion It hath made abundance to incur the guilt of sinful separation to misunderstand those Texts of Scripture that call Christians to separate from Heathens Infidels and Idolaters As 2 Cor. 6. 17. Wherefore come out frâ—m among them and be ye separate saith the Lord c. The Text speaketh only of separating from the world who are Infidels and Idolaters and no members of the Church and ignorant people ordinarily expound it as if it were meant of separating from the Church because of the ungodly that are members of it But that God that knew why he called his people to separate from the World doth never call them to separate from the Church universal nor from any particular Church by a mental separation so as to unchurch them We read of many loathsome corruptions in the Churches of Corinth Galatia Laâ—dicea c. but yet no command to separate from them So many abuse Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people As if God commanded them to come out of a true Church because of its corruptions or imperfections because
indeed preach Christ of envy and strife and some of good will The one preach Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love c. Here is an odious vice in the publick Ministry even an endeavour to increase the sufferings of the Apostle yet it was lawful to hear such preachers though not to prefer them before better Most sects among Christians are possessed with a tang of envy and uncharitableness against dissenters which useth to break forth in their preaching and praying and yet it is lawful to joyn with such 2. It is not unlawful to joyn with a Minister that hath many defects and infirmities in his Ministration or manner of Worship As if he preach with some ignorance disorder unfit expressions or gestures unmeet repetitions or if he do the like in Prayer or in the Sacraments putting something last that should be first and leaving out something that should be said or praying coldly and formally These and such like are faults which we should do our best to reform and we should not prefer such a Ministry before a better but it is lawful and a duty to joyn with such when we have no better For all men are imperfect and therefore the manner of Worship as performed by them will be imperfect Imperfect men cannot be perfect in their Ministrations We must joyn with a defective and imperfect mode of Worship or joyn with none on earth And we must perform such or none our selves Which of you dare say that in your private prayers you have no disorder vain repetitions flatness or defects 3. It is not unlawful to joyn with a Minister that hath some material errour or untruth in his preaching or praying so be it we be not called to approve it or make it ours and so it be not pernicious and destructive to the ends of his Ministry For all men have some errour and they that have them may be expected sometime to vent them And it is not our presence that is any signification of our consent to their mistakes If we run away from all that vent any untruth or mistake in publick or private Worship we shall scarce know what Church or person we may hold Communion with The Reason of this followeth § 93. 3. The sense of the Church and all its members is to be judged of by their publick professions and not by such words of a Minister which are his own and never had their consent I am by Profession a Christian and the Scripture is the Professed Rule of my Religion And when I go to the Assemblies I profess to Worship God according to that Rule I profess my self a hearer of a Minister of the Gospel that is to Preach the Word of God and that hath promised in his Ordination out of the holy Scriptures to instruct the people committed to his charge and to teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation but that which he shall be perswaded may be concluded and proved by the Scripture This he professed when he was ordained and I profess by my presence only to hear such a Preacher of the Gospel and Worship God with him in those Ordinances of Worship which God hath appointed If now this man shall drop in any mistake in Preaching or modifie his prayers or administrations amiss and do his part weakly and disorderly the hearers are no way guilty of it by their presence For if I must run away from Gods publick worship because of mens mis-performance 1. I should joyn with none on Earth For a small sin may no more be wilfully done or owned than a greater 2. And then another mans weakness may disoblige me and discharge me from my duty To order and word his Prayers and Preaching aright is part of the Ministers own work and not the peoples And if he do it well it is no commendation to me that am present but to himself And therefore if he do it amiss it is no fault of mine or dispraise to me but to himself If the Common-Council of London or the Court of Aldermen agree to Petition the King for the Renewing of their Charter and commit the expressing of their request to their Recorder in their presence If he Petition for something else instead of that which he was intrusted with and so betray them in the substance of his business they are openly to contradict him and disown his treachery or mistake But if he deliver the same Petition which he undertook with stammering disorder defectiveness and perhaps some mixture of untruths in his additional reasons and discourse this is his failing in the personal performance of his duty and no way imputable to them that sent him and are present with him though in modesty they are silent and speak not to disown it For how can it be their fault that a man is wanting in his personal sufficiency and duty unless it be that they chose not a better And whether he speak ex tempore or more deliberately in a written form or without in words that other men taught him or wrote for him or in words of his own devising it altereth not their case § 94. Obj. But if a man fail through weakness in his own performance I know not of that before Obj. Of imposed defective Liturgies hand But if his faulty manner of praying be prescribed and imposed on him by a Law then I know it before hand and therefore am guilty of it Answ. To avoid confusion fix upon that which you think is the thing sinful 1. Either it is because the Prayers are defective and faulty 2. Or because they are imposed 3. Or because you know the fault before hand But none of all these can prove your joyning with them sinful 1. Not â—â—â—â— hominâ—â— est facere quod potest â—â—aâ—rsi nâ—n â—aâ—â—at hâ—â— quod est â—â— gâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— because they are faulty for you may joyn with as faulty prayers you confess if not imposed 2. Not because imposed 1. Because that is an extenuation and not an aggravation For it proveth the Minister less-voluntary of the two than those are that do it without any command through the errour of their own judgements as most erroneous persons will 2. Because though lawful things oft become unlawful when superiours forbid them yet no reason can be given why a Lawful 〈◊〉 â—â— thing should become unlawful because a lawful superiour doth command iâ— Else superiours might take away all our Christian liberty and make all things unlawful to us by commanding thâ—m You would take it for a wilde conceit in your Children or servants if they say when you bid them learn a Catechism or use a form of Prayer It was lawful to us till you commanded us to do it but because you bid us do it it is unlawful If it be a duty to obey Governours in all lawful things then it is not a sin to obey them 3. And it is not your
men were before when once they converse together and grow acquainted they are more reconciled The reason is partly because they find less evil and more good in one another than before they did believe to be in them and partly because uncharitableness and malice being an ugly monster is bolder at a distance but ashamed of it self before your face And therefore the pens of the Champions of malice are usually more bitter than their tongues when they speak to you face to face Of all the furious adversaries that have raged against me in the later part of my life I remember not one enemy that I have or ever had that was ever familiar or acquainted with me And I have my self heard ill reports of many which by personal acquaintance I have found to be all false Keep together and either silence your differences or gently debate them yea rather chide it out than withdraw asunder Familiarity feedeth Love and Unity § 106. Direct 23. When ever you look at any corruption in the Church look also at the contrary exâ—râ—am Direct 23. and see and avoid the danger of one as well as of the other Be sure every error and Church-corruption hath its extream And if you do not see it and the danger of it you are the liker to run into it Look well on both sides if you would be safe § 107. Direct 24. Worship God your selves in the purest manner and under the most edifying Ministry Direct 24. that lawfully you can attain but be not too forward to condemn others that reach not to your measure or attain not so much happiness And deny not personal communion sometimes with Churches that are more blemished and fit for Communion And when you cannot joyn locally with them let them have the communion of your Hearts in faith and charity and prayer for each other I fear not here openly to tell the world that if I were turned loose to my own liberty I would ordinarily worship God in that manner that I thought most pure and agreeable to his Will and Word but I would sometimes go to the Churches of other Christians that were fit for Christian communion if there were such about me Sometime to the Independants sometime to the moderate Anabaptists sometime to such as had a Liturgie as faulty as that of the Greek or the Ethiopian Churches to shew by my practice what communion my heart hath with them all § 108. Direct 25. Take heed that you interess not Religion or the Church in Civil differences This Direct 25. error hath divided and ruined many famous Churches and most injuriously made the holy truth and worship of God to be a reproach and infamy among selfish partial carnal men When Princes and Since the writing of this I have published a Book called The Curt of Church-Divistoâ—s and a Defence of it which handle these things more fully States fall out among themselves they will needs draw the Ministers to their sides and then one side will certainly condemn them and call them all that self-interest and malice can invent And commonly when the controversie is only in point of Law or Politicks it is Religion that bears the blame of all and the differences of Lawyers and Statesmen must be charged upon Divines that the Devil may be able to make them useless as to the good of all that party that is against them and may make Religion it self be called Rebellion And O that God would maintain the Peace of Kingdoms and Kings and Subjects were all Lovers of peace the rather because the differences in States do cause so commonly divisions in the Church It would make a man wonder and a lover of History to lament to observe in the differences between the Pope and Henry the fourth and other Emperours how the Historians are divided one half commending him that the other half condemneth and how the Bishops and Churches were one half for the Pope and the other for the Emperour and one half still accounted Rebels or Schismaticks by the other though they were all of one Religion It is more to ruine the Church than Kingdoms that Satan laboureth so much to kindle Warrs and breed Civil differences in the world And therefore let him that loveth the Churches Peace be an obedient Subject and an enemy of Sedition and a Lover and defender of the Civil Peace and Government in the place that God hath set him in For this is pleasing unto God § 109. I know there are some that with too bloody and calamitous success have in most ages given other kind of Directions for the extirpation of Error Heresie and Schism than I have here given But God hath still caused the most wise and holy and charitable and experienced Christians Bâ—â—a Hist. Ecâ—lâ—sâ—â—ib 1. cap. 26. Didicerat enim Rex Edilberth a Doctoribut auctoribusque suae salutis servitium Christi voluntarium non coactitium debeâ—e esse to bear their testimony against them And he hath ever caused their way of cruelty to turn to their own shame And though like Treasons and Robberies it seem for the time present to serve their turn it is bitterness in the end and leaveth a stinking memorial of their names and actions to posterity And the Treatises of Reconcilers such as our Halls Ushers Bergius Burroughs and many other by the delectable savour of Unity and Charity are sweet and acceptable to prudent and peaâ—â—able persons though usually unsuccessful with the violent that needed them Besides the fore-cited witness of Sr. Francis Bacon c. I will here add one of the most antient and one or two of this age whom the contrary-minded do mention with the greatest honour Iustin Martyr Dial. cum Tryph. doth at large give his judgement that a Judaizing Christian who thinketh it best to be circumciâ—â—d and keep the Law of Moses be suffered in his opinion and practice and admitted to the communion and priviledges of the Church and loved as one that may be saved in that way so be it he do not make it his business to perswade others to his way and teach it as necessary to salvation or communion For such he doth condemn King Iames by the Pen of Is. Causabone telleth Cardinal du Perron that His Majesty thinketh that for Concord there is no nearer way than diligently to separate things necessary from the unnecessary and to bestow all our labour that we may agree in the things necessary and that in things unnecessary there may be place given for Christian Liberty The King calleth these things simply necessary which either the Word of God expresly commandeth to be believed or done or which the antient Church did gather from the Word of God by necessary consequence Grotius Annot. in Matth. 13. 41. is so full and large upon it that I must intreat the Reader to peruse his own words where by arguments and authority he-vehemently rebuketh the Spirit of fury cruelty and uncharitableness which
under pretence of Government Discipline and Zeal denyeth that Liberty and forbearance even to Hereticks and Offenders much more when to the faithful Ministers of Christ which humane frailty hath made necessary and Christ hath commanded his servants to grant Concluding Ubi solitudinem fecerant pacem appellabant as Tertull. Et his omnibus obtendi solet studium Divini nominis sed plerumque obtendi tantum Nam Deus dedignatur coacta servitia nec placere illi potest quod vi humana exprimitur Reipsa solent qui id faciunt non nomini divino sed suis honoribus suis commodis tranquillitati consulere quod scit ille qui mentes intrâ—spicit Atque ita sit ut lolium evellatur cum tritico innocemes cum nocentibus immo ut triticum saepe sumatur pro lâ—liâ— Non enim tam bene agitur cum rebus humanis ut semper meliora pluribus aut validioribus placeant sed ut in grege taurus ita inter homines qui viribus est editior imbecilliorem coedit iidem saepe quae pati se querebantur mox in alios audent Lege caetera Again I intreat those that would escape the sin of Schism to read seriously the foresaid Treatises of Peacemakers especially Bishop Halls Peacemaker Bishop Ushers Sermon on Eph. 4. 3. and Mr. Ieremy Burroughs Irenicum to which I may add Mr. Stillin fleets Irenicum for the hot contenders about Church-Government though I believe all the substance of Church Order to be of Divine institution and Iac. Acontii Stratag Satanae And it must be carefully noted that one way by which Satan tempteth men into Church-Divisions is by an over-vehement zeal against Dividers and so he would draw the Rulers of the world under pretence of a zeal for Unity and Peace to raise persecutions against all that are guilty of any excess of scrupulosity about Church-communion or of any principles or practices which a little swerve from true Catholicism And so by the cruelty of their penalties silencing Ministers and vexing the people they much increase the divisions which they would heal For when Satan cannot do his work bare-faced and directly he useth to be the forwardest in seeming to do good and to take part with Christ and Truth and Godliness And then his way is to over-do He will be over-orthodox and over-gâ—â—dly and over-peaceable that hâ— hug the truth and Church to death by his too hard embracements As in families and neighbourhoods some cross words must be passed over if we would have peace And he that for every provoking unpeaceable word of another will raise a storm shall be himself the most unpeaceable so is it in the Church He that cannot bear with the weaknesses of the younger sort of Christians who are too much inclined by their zeal against sin to dividing wayes but will presently let fly at them as Schismaticks and make them odious and excommunicate or punish them according to his wrath shall increase the zeal and the number of dividers and prove himself the greatest divider And by this violence and destroying zeal of Orthodox Rulers against the real faults and infirmities of some separating well meaning men a far greater number of Heterodox Rulers are encouraged to persecute the most learned sober and peaceable Ministers and the most godly and faithful of their Subjects who dare not conform to all their unrighteous Edicts and Ecclesiastical Laws in things forbidden by the Law of Christ And all this is done upon pretence of promoting Unity and Peace and suppressing Heresie and Schism And so persecution becometh the Devils Engine to keep out the Gospel and Godliness from the Infidel world and to keep them under in the Christian world Sed tamen sive illud Origâ—nis de Redemptione futura diabolorum Error est ut ego sentio sive Haerâ—sâ—s ut putatur non solum reprimi non potuit multis animadversionibus Sacerdotum sed nequaquam tam late se pâ—â—uissâ—t offundere nisi contentione crevisset inquit Posthumianus in Sulp. Severi Dialog 1. Sed non fuit animus ibi consiâ—â—ere ubi recens fraternae cladis fervebat invidia Nam etsi fortasse vidâ—â—ntur parere Epise pis debuisse non ob hanc tamen causam multitudinem tantam sub Christi confessione viventem praesertim ab Episcopis oportuisset affligi Id. ibid. Speaking of the Bishops provoking the Secular Power to afflict the Monks of Alexandria for defending Origene When the Emperour Constantius would by violence force the Orthodox to hold Communion with the Arrians he did but make the breach the wider Read Lucifer Calaritanus de non conveniendo cum Haereticis in Biblioth Patr. Tom. 9. p. 1045 c. The Emperour saith that the Orthodox were enemies to peace and unity and brotherly Love and that he was resolved to have unity and peace in his Dominions Therefore he imprisoned the Orthodox and banished them Propterea odis nos quia concilium vestrum malignantium execremur propterea in exilio sumus propterea in carcere necamur propterea nobis solis prohibetur conspectus idâ—irco reclusi in tenebras custodimur ingenti custodia hujus rei causa nullus ad nos visendos admittitur hominum quia videlicet noluerimus vobiscum impiis sacrilegis ullam scelerum vestrorum habere societatem Ibid. pag. 1050. which stirred up this Bishop in particular to go too far from free communion even with the penitent Arrians and heap up more Scriptures against that communion which the Emperour commanded than any had done before Nobis dicebas Pacem volo fieri in corde tuo manens adversarius religionis nostrae cogitabat per te facere nos idololatras c. p. 1051. Consilia vestra contra suam prolata Ecclesiam reprobat Deus Nec enim potest odire populum suum haereditatem suam amare vos filios pestilentiae vos persecutores servorum suorum Dixisti Facite pacem cum Episcopis sectae meae Arrianis estote in unum dicit Dei Spiritus Vias impiorum noli exequi neque aemuleris viam iniquorum c. Dulce quibusdam videtur quo tibi Regi in amicitias jungantur suscipiendo haeresin tuam sed amarius felle sensuri cum tecum torqueri in perpetuum caeperint in perpetua gehenna sentire qui tecum esse deligerunt tunc dicturi Vae nobis qui Constantium Imperatorem Deo praeposuerimus Abundance more he writeth to prove that the Emperour being a Heretick they must have no communion with him or his Bishops And when the Emperour complained hereupon that they wronged and dishonoured him whom they should honour the said Lucifer wrote his next book de non parcendo in Deum delinquentibus which beginneth Superatum te Imperator a Dei servis ex omni cum conspexisses parte dixisti pâ—ssum te ac pâ—ti a nobis contra monita sacrarum Scripturarum contumeliam dicis nos insolentes extitisse circa te quem honorari decuerit
unheard or upon rash presumption Prop. 12. Christianity and Heresie being personal qualities and no where found but in individuals Ezek. 18 17. Gen. 18 3 24 â—5 nor one man guilty of anothers error it followeth that it is single persons upon personal guilt that must be judged Prop. 13. Any man may judge another to be a Christian or Heretick by a private judgement of 1 Cor. â—0 1â— Acts 1. 19. 1 Cor. â— 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Mat. 5. 11 12. John 16. 2. discerning or the reason which guideth all humane actions But only Church Rulers may judge him by that publick Judgement which giveth or denyeth him his publick priviledges and Communion Prop. 14. If by notorious injustice Church Rulers condemn Christians as no Christians though they may thereby deny them communion with those publick Assemblies which they govern yet do they not oblige the people to take such injured persons for no Christians Else they might oblige all to believe a lye to consent to malicious injuries and might disoblige the people from Truth Righteousness and Charity Prop. 15. There is no one Natural or Collective Head and Governour of all the Churches in the 1 Cor. 12. 27 28 29. world the Universal Church but Jesus Christ And therefore there is none that by such Governing power can excommunicate any man out of the Universal Church And such Usurpation would Eph. 4. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 1. 12 13 3. 22 23. be Treason against Christ whose Prerogative it is Prop. 16. Yet he that deserveth to be excommunicated from one Church deserveth to be Ephes. 5. 23. 4 15. excommunicated by and from all if it be upon a Cause common to all or that nullifieth his Christianity Col. 1. 18. 2. 19. Prop. 17. And where neighbour Churches are Consociate and live in Order and Concord he that 3 John is orderly excommunicate from one Church and it be notified to the rest should not be taken into the communion of any of the rest till he be cleared or become fit for their communion But Ephes. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 1â— this obligation ariseth but from the Concord of Consociate Churches and not from the Power of one over the rest And it cannot reach all the world where the person cometh not nor was ever known but only to those who through neighbourhood are capable of just notice and of giving or denying communion to that person Prop. 18. From all this it is clear that it is not either Papists alone or Greeks alone or Protestants alone or any party of Christians who are the Universal Church seeing that Church containeth All 1 Cor. 1â— 12. John 13. 3â— 1 Cor. 13 1 2 c. Christians And that reviling others yea whole Nations as Hereticks Schismaticks and no Christians or Churches will no more prove the Revilers to be the only Church or Christians than Want of Love will prove a man to be one of Christs Disciples who by Love are known to all men to be his Prop. 19. It is therefore the shameful language of distracted men to cry out against other Christian Nations It is not you but we that are the Catholick or Universal Church And our shameful Controversie which of them is the Catholick is no wiser than to question Whether it be this house or that which is the Street Or this Street or that which is the City Or whether it be the 1 Cor. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 6. 17. 10. 17. Kitchin or the Hall or the Parlour which is the House Or the Hand or Foot or Eye which is the Man O when will God bring distracting Teachers to Repentance and distracted people to their wits Ephes. 4. 3 c. Prop. 20. There is great difference in the Purity or soundness of the several parts of the Universal Church some being more Orthodox and holy and some deâ—â—led with so many Errours and sins Gal. 4. 11 12. as to make it difficult to discern whether they do not deny the very essentials Prop. 21. The Reformed Churches are the soundest and purest that we know in the world and Rev. 3 8 9 10 11 12. 2 10 11. Act. 14 22. Tit. 1 5. Rom. 16. 4 16. 1 Cor. 7 17. 11. 16. 14. 3â— 34. 2 Thes. 1. 4. Rev. 2. 23. therefore their priviledge exceeding great though they are not all the Universal Church Prop. 22. Particular Churches consisting of Lawful Pastors and Christian people associated for personal Communion in Worship and holy living are societies or true Churches of Christâ— institution and the chief parts of the Universal Church As Cities and Corporations are of the Kingdom Prop. 23. There are thousands of these in the world and a man may be saved in one as well as in another Only the purest give him the best advantages for his salvation And therefore should be preferred by all that are wise and love their souls so far as they are free to choose their Communion Prop. 24. The case then being easily resolved which is the true Church viz. All Christians ☜ as Christians are the Catholick or Universal Church and All Congregations afore described of 1 Cor. 1. 13. Rom. 16. 17. Act. 20. 30. true Pastors and Christians being particular true Churches differing only in degrees of purity he is to be suspected as a designing deceiver and troubler of the world that pretending to be a Learned man and a Teacher doth still perplex the Consciences of the ignorant with this frivolous question and would muddy and obscure this clear state of the case lest the people should rest in the discerned truth Prop. 25. The Papal Church as such being no true Church of Christs institution of which by it self anon it followeth that a Papist as a Papist is no member of the Church of Christ that is Acts 2. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. no Christian. But yet whether the same person may not be a Papist and a Christian and so a member of the Catholick Church we shall anon enquire Prop. 26. There are many things which go to make up the fitness and desireablness of that particular Heb. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 3. 7. 3 Joh. 12. Church which we should prefer or choose for our ordinary personal Communion As 1. That it be the Church of that place where we dwell If the place be so happy as to have no divided Churches that it be the sole Church there However that it be so neerâ—â— to be fit for our Communion 2. That it be a Church which holdeth Communion with other neighbour Churches and is not singular or divided from them Or at least not from the Generality of the Churches of Christ nor Act 16 32 34. Act 10. 2. 22. Act. 18. 8. Col. 4. 15. differeth in any great matters from those that are most pure 3. That it be under the Reputation of soundness with the other Churches aforesaid
and not under the scandal of Heresie Schism or gross corruption among those that live about 4. That it be under the countenance and encouraging favour of the Christian Magistrate 5. That it be the same Church of which the rest of the family which we are of be members That Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants be not of several Churches 6. That the Pastors be able Teachers prudent Guides and of holy lives and diligent in their office 7. That the Pastors be regularly called to their office 8. That the members be intelligent peaceable and of holy temperate and righteous lives But when all these cannot be had together we must choose that Church which hath those qualifications which are most needful and bear with tolerable imperfections The most needful are the first second and sixth of these qualifications Prop. 27. He that is free should choose that Church which is the fittest for his own edification that is The best Pastors people and administrations Prop. 28. A mans freedom is many wayes restrained herein As 1. When it will tend to a greater publick hurt by disorder ill example division discouragement c. 2. When superiours forbid it Of these things I have said so much in my Cure of Church Divisions and in the Defence of it and in the end of my Reas. of Christ. Relig. Consect 1. 2. that I pass them over here with the more brevity As Husbands Parents Masters Magistrates 3. By some scandal 4. By the distance or inconvenience of our dwelling 5. By differences of Judgement and other causes of contention in the said Churches And many other wayes Prop. 29. A free man who removeth from one Church to another for his edification is not therefore a Separatist or Schismatick But it must not be done by one that is not free but upon such necessity as freeth him Prop. 30. It is schism or sinful separation to separate from 1. A true Church as no true Church 2. From Lawful Worship and Communion as unlawful But of this more in its proper place Quest. 2. Whether we must esteem the Church of Rome a true Church And in what sense some Divines affirm it and some deny it WAnt of some easie distinguishing hath made that seem a Controversie here which is so plain â—â—â—â— Mr. Bur 〈…〉 â—nd 〈…〉 's contest hereabout that it can hardly be any at all to Protestants if the question had been but truly stated Remember therefore that by a Church is meant not a meer company of Christians any how related to each other but a society consisting of an Ecclesiastical Head and Body such as we call a Political society 2. And that we speak not of an Accidental Head such as the King is because he Governeth them suo modo by the sword for that is not an Essential Constitutive Part But of a Constitâ—tive Ecclesiastical Head and body 3. That the question is not Whether the Church of Rome be a Part of the Church but whether it be a true Church And now I answer 1. To affirm the Church of Rome to be the Catholick or Universal Church is more than to affirm it to be a true Catholick Church that is a true part of the Catholick Church and is as much as to say that it is the whole and only Church and that there is no other which is odious falshood and usurpation and slander against all other Churches 2. The Church of Rome is so called in the Question as it is a Policy or Church in a general sense And the meaning of the Question is Whether it be a Divine or a Humane or Diabolical Policy A Lawful Church 3. The Church of Rome is considered 1. Formally as a Church or Policy 2. Materially as the singular persons are qualified It is the Form that denominateth Therefore the Question must be taken of the Roman Policy or of the Church of Rome as such that is As it is one Ruler pretending to be the ☞ Vicarious constitutive Governing Head of all Christs Visible Church on earth and the Body which owneth him in this Relation 4. Therefore I conclude and so do all Protestants that this Policy or Church of Rome is no true Church of Christs Instituting or approbation but a Humane sinful Policy formed by the Temptation of Satan the Prince of Pride deceit and darkness The proof of which is the matter of whole loads of Protestant Writings And indeed the proof of their Policy being incumbent on themselves they fail in it and are still fain to fly to pretended false Tradition for proof in which the Sophisters know that either they must be Judges themselves and it must go for truth because they say it or else that if they can carry the Controversie into a Thicket or Wood of Fathers and Church History at least they can confound the ignorant and evade themselves Of this see my Disput. with Iohnson and my Key for Catholicks c. 5. The Bishop of the English Papists Smith called Bishop of Chalcedon in his Survey cap. 5. saith To us it sufficeth that the Bishop of Rome is St. Peters successour and this all the Fathers testifie and all ☞ the Catholick Church believeth But whether it be jure Divino or humano is no point of faith The like hath * System Fidâ—i Davenport called Fransc. à Sancta Clarâ more largely By this let the Reader judge whether we need more words to prove their Church to be such as Christ never instituted when the belief of their Divine right is no part of their own faith 6. If the Church of Rome in its formal Policy be but of humane institution it is 1. Unnecessary to salvation 2. Unlawful Because they that first instituted it had no Authority so to do and were Usurpers For either the makers of it were themselves a Church or no Church If no Church they could not lawfully make a Church Infidels or Heathens are not to be our Church-makers If a Church then there was a Church before the Church of Rome and that of another form And if that former form were of Christs institution man might not change it If not who made that form And so on 7. Our Divines therefore that say that the Church of Rome is a True Church though corrupt do not speak of it formally as to the Papal Policy or Headship but materially 1. That all Papists that are visible Christians are visible Parts of the universal Church 2. That their particular Congregations considered abstractedly from the Roman Headship may be true particular Churches though corrupt which yet being the only difficulty shall be the matter of our next enquiry Quest. 3. Whether we must take the Romish Clergy for true Ministers of Christ And whether their Baptism and Ordination be nullities I Joyn these two distinct Questions together for brevity 1. As True signifieth Regularly called so they are commonly Irregular and not True Ministers But as True signifieth
sins 4. And another thing to forbear all communion with them even as to Baptism and other lawful things 5. And another thing to use some open detestations or protestations against them 2. And we must distinguish much of persons whether they be Ministers or people free or bound as Wives Children c. And now I answer 1. There is no question but it is a duty to judge all that evil which is evil among the Papists or any other 2. It is the duty of all to forbear subscribing swearing to or otherwise approving evil 3. It is the duty of all Mass-Priests to renounce that part of their calling and not to administer their Mass or any other unlawful thing 4. It is the duty of all private Christians to forbear communion in the Mass because it is a kind of Idolatry while they worship a piece of Bread as God As also Image-Worship and all other parts of their Religion in which they are put upon sin themselves or that which is notorious scandal and symbolizing with them in their Bread-worship or other corruptions of the substance of Gods Ordinances 5. It is their duty who have fit opportunity when it is like to do more good than harm to protest against the Papal corruptions where they are and to declare their detestation of them 6. It is the duty of those that have children to be baptized or catechized to make use of more lawful and sound Ministers when they may be had rather than of a Papist Priest 7. But in case they cannot remove or enjoy better I think it is lawful 1. To let such baptize their children rather than leave them unbaptized 2. To let their children be taught by them to read or in Arts and Sciences or the Catechism and common principles of Religion so they will mix no dangerous errors 3. And to hear those of them preach who preach soundly and piously such as were Gerrhard Zuâ—phaniensis Thaulerus Ferus and many more 4. And to read such good Books as these now mentioned have written 5. And to joyn with them in such Prayers as are â—ound and pious so they go no further 8. And Wives Children and such other as are bound and cannot lawfully remove may stay among them and take up with thâ—se helps dealing faithfully in abstaining from the rest II. The second Question is answered in this Only I add that it is one thing to be present as Elias was in a way of opposition to them or as Disputants are that open their errors or as a wise man may go to hear or see what they do without complyance as we read their Books And it is another thing to joyn with them in their sinful worship or scandalously to encourage them in it by seeming so to do See Calv. Contr. Nicod c. Quest. 7. Whether the true Calling of the Minister by Ordination or Election c. be necessary to the Essence of the Church BY a Church here we mean a Political Society of Christians and not any Assembly or Community And no doubt but Pastor and Flock are the constitutive parts of such a Church And where either of them are notoriously wanting it is notorious that there is no true Church Therefore all the doubt is whether such parts of his Call be necessary to the being of the Ministry or not And here we must conclude that the word Ministry and Church are ambiguous By a Mister or Pastor is meant either one that God so far owneth as to accept and justifie his administrations as for himself even his own good and salvation or one whose administrations God will own accept and bless to the people I. In the former sense 1. He is no true Minister that wanteth the essential qualifications of a Minister viz. that hath not 1. The understanding and belief of all the essential Articles of faith without Heresie 2. Tolerable Ability to teach these to the people and perform the other essentials of his office 3. Sincere Godliness to do all this in Love and obedience to God as his Servant in order to life eternal 2. And he is thus no true Pastor as to Gods acceptance of himself who hath not a lawful Calling that is 1. Ordination when it may be had 2. The Consent or Reception of that Church of which he pretendeth to be Pastor which is still necessary and must be had if Ordination cannot II. But in the second sense he is a Pastor so far as that God will own his Administrations as to the Peoples Good who 1. Hath possession 2. And seemeth to them to have necessary qualifications and a lawful call though it prove otherwise so be it it be not through their wilful fault that he is culpable or they mistaken in him If he be not a true Believer but an Infidel or Heretick he is no Minister as Act. 1. 17. Mat. 7. 22. to himself that is God will use him as an Usurper that hath no title But if he profess to be a believer when he is not he is a true Pastor visibly to the people Otherwise they could never know when they have a Pastor Even as real faith makes a real Christian and Professed faith maketh a visible Christian so is it as to the Ministry If he seem to understand the Articles of faith and do not or if he seem to have due ordination when he hath not if he be upon this mistake Accepted by the people he is a true Visible Pastor as to them that is as to their Duty and Benefit though not as to himself Yea the peoples consent to his entrance is not necessary ad esse nor to his Relation neither so far as to justifie himself but to his Administrations and to his Relation so far as their own Right and benefit is interessed in it So that two things are necessary to such a Visible Pastor as shall perform valid administrations to the Church 1. Seeming necessary qualifications and Calling to it 2. Possession by the peoples Reception or Consent to his Administrations and Relation so far as to their benefit And II. Thus also we must distinguish of the word Church It is 1. Such an entire Christian society as hath a Minister or Pastor whose office is valid as to himself and them Or it is such a society only as hath a Pastor whose office is valid to them but not to himself Let us not confound the question de re and de nomine These societies differ as is said Both may fitly be called True Churches As it is with a Kingdom which hath a Rightful Prince and one that hath an Usurper so is it here 1. If it have a Rightful King accepted it is a Kingdom in the fullest sense 2. If it have an Usurper accepted as King it is a Kingdom but faulty 3. If the Usurper be only so far accepted as that the people consent not to his entrance no nor his Relation so as to justifie his title but wish him cast out
3. Else there should be seldome any Church in the world for want of a Head yea never any For I have proved there and to Iohnson that there never was a true General Council of the Universal See also in my Reasons of Christian Religion Coâ—s 2. of the Interest of the Church Church But only Imperial Councils of the Churches under one Emperours power and those that having been under it had been used to such Councils And that it is not a thing ever to be attempted or expected as being unlawful and morally impossible Quest. 13. Whether there be such a thing as a Visible Catholick Church And what it is THe Antients differently used the terms A Catholick Church and The Catholick Church By the first they meant any particular Church which was part of the Universal By the second 1 Cor. 12. 12. and throughout they meant the Universal Church it self And this is it that we now mean And I answer Affirmatively There is a Visible Universal Church not only as a Community or as a Kingdom distinct from the King but as a Political Society 2. This Church is the Universality of Baptized Visible Christians Headed by Iesus Christ himself Eph. 4. 1 5 6 7 16. There is this and there is no other upon earth The Papists say that this is no Visible Church because the Head is not Visible I answer 1. It is not necessary that he be seen but visible And is not Christ a Visible person 2. This Church consisteth of two parts the Triumphant part in Glory and the Militant part And Christ is not only Visible but seen by the triumphant part As the King is not seen by the ten thousandth part of his Kingdoms but by his Courtiers and those about him and yet he is King of all 3. Christ was seen on earth for above thirty years and the Kingdom may be called visible in that the King was once visible on earth and is now visible in Heaven As if the King would shew himself to his people but one year together in all his life 4. It ill becometh the Papists of any men to say that Christ is not visible who make him see him taste him handle him eat him drink him digest him in every Church in every Mass throughout the year and throughout the world And this not as divided but as whole Christ. Object But this is not quatenus Regent Answ. If you see him that is Regent and see his Laws and Gospel which are his Governing instruments together with his Ministers who are his Officers it is enough to denominate his Kingdom visible 5. The Church might be fitly denominated Visible secundum quid if Christ himself were invisible Because the Politick Body is visible the dispersed Officers Assemblies and Laws are visible But sure all these together may well serve for the denomination Quest. 14. What is it that maketh a Visible Member of the Universal Church And who are to be accounted such 1. BAptism maketh a Visible member of the Universal Church and the Baptized as to entrance Matth. 28. 19. 〈…〉 1â— 16. unless they go out again are to be accounted such 2. By Baptism we mean open devotion or dedication to God by the Baptismal Covenant in which the adult for themselves and Parents for their Infants do Profess Consent to the Covenant of Grace which includeth a Belief of all the Essential Articles of the faith and a Resolution for sincere obedience and a Consent to the Relations between God and us viz. that he be our Reconciled Father our Saviour and our Sanctifier 3. The Continuance of this Consent is necessary to the continuance of our visible membership 4. He that through ignorance or incapacity for want of water or a Minister is not baptized and yet is solemnly or notoriously dedicated and devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same Covenant though without the outward Sign and professeth openly the same Religion is a visible Christian though not by a compleat and regular visibility As a Souldier not listed nor taking his Colours or a Marriage not regularly solemnized c. 5. He that forsaketh his Covenant by Apostacy or is totally and duly excommunicated ceaseth to be a visible member of the Church Quest. 15. Whether besides the Profession of Christianity either Testimony or Evidence of Conversion or Practical Godliness be necessary to prove a man a Member of the Universal Visible Church 1. AS the Mediator is the way to the Father sent to recover us to God so Christianity includeth John 14. 6. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 6 3 11. Godliness And he professeth not Christianity who professeth not Godliness 2. He that professeth the Baptismal Covenant professeth Christianity and Godliness and true Conversion 2 Pet. 1. 3. And therefore cannot be rejected for want of a Profession of Conversion or Godliness 3. But he that is justly suspected not to understand his own profession but to speak general words without the sense may and ought to be examined by him that is to baptize him And therefore though the Apostles among the Jews who had been bred up among the Oracles of God did justly presume of so much understanding as that they baptized men the same day that they professed to believe in Christ yet when they baptized converted Gentiles we have reason to think that they Acts 2. 38 39. first received a particular account of their Converts that they understood the three essential Articles of the Covenant 1. Because the Creed is fitted to that use and hath been ever used thereunto by the Churches as by tradition from the Apostles practice 2. Because the Church in all ages as far as Church History leadeth us upward hath used catechising before baptizing yea and to keep men as Catechumens some time for preparation 3. Because common experience telleth us that multititudes can say the Creed that understand it not If any yet urge the Apostles example I will grant that it obligeth us when the case is the like And I will not fly to any conceit of their heart-searching or discerning mens sincerity When you bring us to a people that before were the Visible Church of God and were all their life time trained up in the knowledge of God of sin of duty of the promised Messiah according to all the Law and Prophets and want nothing but to know the Son and the Holy Ghost that this Iesus is the Christ who will reconcile us to God and give us the sanctifying Spirit then we will also baptize men the same day that they profess to believe in Iesus Christ and in the Father as reconciled by him and the Holy Ghost as given by him But if we have those to deal with who know not God or sin or misery or Scripture Prophecies no nor natural verities we know no proof that the Apostles so haâ—â—ily baptized such Of this I have largely spoken in my Treatise of Confirmation 4. It is
There are two things more in question 1. His Office whether he be a Minister 2. His Regularity whether he came Regularly to it and also his Comparative relation whether this man or another is to be preferred I answer therefore 1. If the person be utterly uncapable the one Bishop or the many whosoever taketh him for uncapable is for the Truth sake to be believed and obeyed 2. If the man be excellently qualified and his Ministry greatly Necessary to the Church whoever would deprive the Church of him be it the One or the Many is to be disobeyed and the ordainers preserred Obj. But who shall judge Answ. The Esse is before the Scire The thing is first True or false before I judge it to be so And therefore whoever judgeth falsly in a case so notorious and weighty as that the welfare of the Church and souls is consideratis considerandis injured and hazarded by his errour is not be believed nor obeyed on pretence of order Because all Christians have judicium discretionis a discerning judgement 3. But if the case be not thus to be determined by the persons notorious qualifications then either it is 1. The man ordained 2. Or the People that the case is debated by whether they should take him for a Minister 3. Or the neighbour Ministers 1. The person himself is caeteris paribus more to regard the judgement of many concordant Bishops than of one singular Bishop And therefore is not to take orders from a singular Bishop when the Generality of the wise and faithful are against it unless he be sure that it is some notorious faction or errour that perverteth them and that there be notorious necessity of his labour 2. The Auditors are either Infidels to be converted and these will take no man upon any of their Authorities or else Christians converted These are either of the particular charge of the singular Bishop who ordaineth or not If they be then pro tempore for orders sake they owe him a peculiar obedience till some further process or discovery disoblige them Though the most be on the other side But yet they may be still bound in Reason most to suspect the Judgement of their singular Bishop while for orders sake they submit to it But if they are not of his flock then I suppose the Judgement and Act of many is to prevail so much against the Act of a single and singular person as that both neighbour Ministers and people are to disown such an ordained person as unfit for their Communion under the notion of a Minister Because Communion of Churches is maintained by the Concord of Pastors But whether the ordained mans Ministry be by their contradictory declaration Eph. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 14 17 19. or degradation made an absolute nullity to himself and those that submit to him neither I will determine nor should any other Strangers to the particular case For if he be rejected or degraded without such cause and proof as may satisfie other sober persons he hath wrong But if he be so 1 Cor. 14. 33. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. degraded on proved sufficient cause to them that it is known to it giveth the degraders the advantage And as 1. All particular members are to be obedient to their proper Pastor Phil. 2. 1 2 3. Eph. 4. 15 16. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 2. And all particular Churches are to hold correspondency and communion according to their capacity so must men act in this and such like cases respectively according to the Laws of Obedience to their Pastor and of Concord of the Churches Quest. 24. Hath one Bishop power by Divine right to Ordain Degrade or Govern or Excommunicate or Absolve in anothers Diocess or Church either by his consent or against it And doth a Minister that officiateth in anothers Church act as a Pastor and their Pastor or as a private man And doth the Ministerial office cease when a man removeth from his flock I Thrust these questions all together for their affinity and for brevity 1. Every true Minister of Christ Bishop or Pastor is related to the universal Church by stronger obligations than to his particular charge As the whole is better than the parts and its wellfare to be preferred 2. He that is no Pastor of a particular Church may be a Pastor in the universal obliged as a consecrated person to endeavour its good by the works of his office as he hath particular opportunity and call 3. Yet he that hath a particular charge is specially and neerlyer related and obliged to that charge or Church than to any other part of the universal though not then to the whole And consequently hath a peculiar Authority where he hath a peculiar obligation and work 4. He that is without degrading removed from a particular Church doth not cease to be a General Minister and Pastor related to the Universal Church As a Physicion put out of a Hospital charge is a Physicion still And therefore he needeth no new ordination but only a special Designation to his next particular charge 5. No man is the Bishop of a Diocess as to the measure of ground or the place by divine right that is by any particular Law or determination of God But only a Bishop of the Church or people For your office essentially containeth a Relation to the People but Accidentally only to the Place 6. Yet natural Convenience and Gods General Laws of Order and Edification do make it usually but not alwayes best and therefore a duty to distinguish Churches by the peoples habitation Not taking a man for a Member eo nomine because he liveth on that ground But for order sake taking none for members that live not on that ground and not intruding causelesly into each others bounds 7. He that by the Call or Consent of a Neighbour Pastor and people doth officiate by Preaching Sacraments Excommunication or Absolution in anothers special charge for a day or week or month or more without a fixed relation to that flock doth neither officiate as a Lay-man nor yet unlawfully or irregularly But 1. As a Minister of Christ in the Church Universal 2. And as the Pastor of that Church for the present time only though not statedly Even as a Physicion called to help another in his Hospital or to supply his place for the time doth perform his work 1. As a Licensed Physicion 2. And as the Physicion of that patient or Hospital for that time though not statedly 8. No man is to intrude into anothers Charge without a Call Much less to claim a particular stated Oversight and Authority For though he be not an Usurper as to the Office in General he is an Usurper as to that particular flock It is no error in Ordination to say Take thou authority to preach the Word of God and administer the holy Sacraments when thou shalt be thereto lawfully called that is when thou hast a particular call to the
but a loss of that benefit which they received and hold only by another It is not so properly called a punishment for anothers Sin as a non-deliverance or a non-continuance of their deliverance which they were to receive on the condition of anothers duty Obj. But the Church retaineth them as her members and so their right is not lost by the fault or apostasie of the Parents Answ. 1. Lost it is one way or other with multitudes of true Christians Children who never shew any signes of grace and prove sometimes the worst of men And God breaketh not his Covenant 2. How doth the Church keep the Greeks Children that are made Janizaries 3. No man stayeth in the Church without title If the Church or any Christians take them as their own that 's another matter I will not now stay to discuss the question whether Apostate's Baptized Infants be still Church-members But what I have said of their right before God seemeth plain 4. And mark that on whomsoever you build an Infants Right you may as well say that he may suffer for other mens default For if you build it on the Magistrate the Minister the Church the God-fathers any of them may fail They may deny him Baptism it self They may fail in his education Shall he suffer then for want of baptism or good education when it is their faults Whoever a Child or man is to receive a benefit by the failing of that person may deprive him of that benefit More objections I must pretermit to avoid prolixity Quest. 44. Doth Baptism alwayes oblige us at the present and give Grace at the present And is the Grace which is not given till long after given by Baptism or an effect of Baptism Answ. I Add this Case for two Reasons 1. To open their pernicious error who think that a Covenant or Promise made by us to God only for a future distant duty as to Repent and believe before we dye is all that is essential to our Baptismal Covenanting 2. To open the ordinary saying of many Divines who say that baptism worketh not alwayes at the present but sometimes only long afterward The truth I think may be thus expressed 1. It is not baptism if there be not the profession of a present belief a present consent and a present dedition or resignation or dedication of the person to God by the adult for themselves and by Parents for their Infants He that only saith I promise to believe repent and obey only at twenty or thirty years of age is not morally baptized for it is another Covenant of his own which he would make which God accepteth not 2. It is not only a future but a present Relation to God as his Own his Subjects his Children by Redemption to which the baptized person doth consent 3. It is a present correlation and not a future only to which God consenteth on his paâ—t to be their Father Saviour and Sâ—nctifier their Owner peculiarly their Ruler gratiously and their chief Benefactor and Felicity and End 4. It is not only a future but a present Remission of sin and Adoption and right to temporal and eternal mercies which God giveth to true Consenters by his Covenant and Baptism 5. But those mercies which we are not at that present capable of are not to be given at the present but afterward when we are capable As the particular assistances of the Spirit necessary upon all future particular occasions c. The pardon of future sins Actual Glorification c. Rom. 6. 1 â— 6 7 c. 6. And the Duties which are to be performed only for the future we must promise at present to perform only for the future in their season to our lives end Therefore we cannot promise that Infants shall believe obey or Love God till they are naturally capable of doing it 7. If any hypocrite do not indeed Repent Believe or Consent when he is baptized or baptizeth his child he so far faileth in the Covenant professed And so much of baptism is undone And God Acts 8 37 3â— 13. 20 21 22 23. doth not enter into the present Covenant-Relations to him as being uncapable thereof 8. If this person afterwards Repent and Believe it is a doing of the same thing which was omitted in baptism and a making of the same Covenant But not as a part of his Baptism it self which is long past 9. Nor is he hereupon to be Re-baptized Because the external part was done before and is not to be twice done But the Internal part which was omitted is now to be done not as a part of baptism old or new but as a Part of Penitence for his omission Object If Covenanting be a part of Baptism then this person whose Covenant is never a part of his Baptism doth live and dye unbaptized Answ. As baptism signifieth only the external Ordinance heart-covenanting is no part of it but the Profession of it is And if there was no Profession of faith made by word or sign the person is unbaptized But as baptism signifieth the Internal part with the external so he will be no baptized person while he liveth that is One that in baptism did truly Consent and Receive the spiritual Relations to God But he will have the same thing in another way of Gods appointment 10. When this person is after sanctified it is by Gods performance of the same Covenant in specie which baptism is made to seal that God doth pardon justifie and adopt him But this is not by his past baptism as a Cause but by after grace and Absolution The same Covenant doth it but not baptism Because indeed the Covenant or Promise saith When ever thou believest and repentest I will forgive thee But Baptism saith Because thou now believest I do forgive thee and wash away thy sin and maketh present application 11. So if an Infant or adult person live without grace and at age be ungodly his Baptismal Covenant is violated And his after Conversion or faith and repentance is neither the fulfilling of Gods Covenant nor of his baptism neither The reason is because though Pardon and Adoption be given by that Conditional Covenant of Grace which baptism sealeth yet so is not that first Grace of Faith and Repentance which is the Condition of Pardon and Adoption and the title to baptism it self Else Infidels should have right to baptism and thereby to faith and repentance But these are only the free Gifts of God to the Elect and the fulfilling of some Absolute predictions concerning the Calling of the Elect and the fulfilling of Gods Will or Covenant to Christ the Mediator that He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied and possess those that are given him by the Father 12. But when the Condition of the Covenant is at first performed by the Parent for the Infant and this Covenant never broken on this childs behalf notwithstanding sins of Infirmity in this case the first Actual
were only for Counsel or for Agreement by way of contractor mutual Consent to the particular Bishops But they degenerated into a form of Government and claimed a Ruling or Commanding power 4. The Patriarcks Primates and Metropolitans at first claimed but a power about circumstantials extrinsical to the Pastoral office such as is the Timing and Placing of Councils the siâ—ting above others c. And the exercise of some part of the Magistrates power committed to them that is the deposing of other Bishops or Pastors from their station of such Liberty and Countenance as the Magistrate may grant or deny as there is cause But in time they degenerated to claim the spiritual power of the Keys over the other Bishops in point of Ordination Excommunication Absolution 5. These Patriarks Primates and Metropolitans at first claimed their extrinsick power but from Man that is either the Consent and Agreement of the Churches or the grant of the Emperours But in time they grew to claim it as of Divine or Apostolical appointment and as unalterable 6. At first they were taken only for Adjuncts ornaments supports or conveniences to the Churches But afterwards they pretended to be integral parts of the Church universal and at last the Pope would needs be an Essential part And his Cardinals must claim the power of the Church Universal in being the choosers of an Universal Head or a King-Priest and Teacher for all the Christians of the World 7. At first Lay men now called Chancellors c. were only the Bishops Counsellors or officers to the Magistrate or them in performing the extrinsecal work about Church adjuncts which a Lay man might do But at last they came to exercise the Intrinsick power of the Keys in Excommunications and Absolutions c. 8. At first a number of particular Churches consociated with their several Bishops were taken to be a Community or company of true Churches prudentially cantonized or distributed and consociated for Concord But after they grew to be esteemed proper political societies or Churches of Divine appointment if not the Ecclesiae minimae having turned the particular Churches into Oratories or Chappels destroying Ignatius his character of one Church To every Church there is one Altar and one Bishop with his Presbyters and Deacons Abundance more such instances may be given Obj. Wherever we find the Notion of a Church particular there must be Government in that Church And why a national society incorporated into one civil Government joyning into the profession of Christianity and having a right thereby to participate of Gospel Ordinances in the convenient distributions of them in the particular Congregations should not be called a Church I confess I can see no reason Answ. 1. Here observe that the question is only of the Name whether it may be called a Church and not of the thing whether all the Churches in a Kingdom may be under one King which no sober man denyeth 2. Names are at mens disposal much But confess I had rather the name had been used no otherwise or for no other societies than Scripture useth it My Reasons are 1. Because when Christ hath appropriated or specially applyed one name to the sacred societies of his institution it seemeth somewhat bold to make that name common to other societies 2. Because it tendeth to confusion misunderstanding and to cherish errours and controversies in the Churches when all names shall be made common or ambiguous and holy things shall not be allowed any name proper to themselves nor any thing can be known by a bare name without a description If the name of Christ himself should be used of every anointed King it would seem not a little thus injurious to him If the name Bible Scripture Preachers c. be made common to all that the notation of the names may extend to it will introduce the aforesaid inconveniences so how shall we in common talk distinguish between sacred societies of Divine institution and of humane if you will allow us no peculiar name but make that common which Christ hath chosen 3. And that the name is here used equivocally is manifest For the body political is informed and denominated from the pars imperans the Governing part or Head Therefore as a Head of Divine institution authorized for the spiritual or Pastoral work denominateth the society accordingly so a civil Head can make but a civil society and a head of mans making but a humane society It is certain that Christ hath appointed the Episcopal or Pastoral office and their work and consequently Episcopal or Pastoral Churches And it is certain that a King is no constitutive part of one of these Churches but Accidental And therefore that he is an Accidental Head to a Pastoral Church as such to which the Pastor is essential Therefore if you will needs call both these societies Churches you must distinguish them into Pastoral Churches and Regal Churches or Magistratical Churches for the word national notifieth not the Government which is the constitutive part and may be used of Consociated Churches though under many Civil Governours as in the Saxon Heptarchy So that our question is much like this Whether all the Grammar Schools in England as under one King may be called one National School Answ. Not without unfitness and inconveniences But rather than breed any quarrel they may call them so that please But 1. They must confess that a particular School is the famosius significatum 2. That the King is King of Schools but not a Schoolmaster nor a constitutive part of a School 3. That if you will needs denominate them from the Regent part as One you must call them all one Royal School if you will leave the well known sense of words for such uncouth phrases But give us leave to call the Body which is essentiated by a King by the name of a Kingdom only though it have in it many Schools Academies Colledges Cities Churches which they that please may call all one Royal School Academy Colledge City and Church if they love confusion 4. Christianity giveth men right to communion in particular Churches when they also make known their Christianity to the Bishops of those Churches and are received as stated or transient members by mutual consent but not otherwise nor doth meer Regal Government give any subject right to Church Communion except by a Church you mean a Kingdom Obj. A particular Church then I would describe thus It is a society of men joyned together in the visible profession of the true faith having a right to and enjoying among them the ordinances of the Gospel Answ. 1. When you tell us by your description what you will mean by a particular Church we may understand your denomination But yet while it is unusual you must not expect that other men so use the Word Had you called your description a definition I would have asked you 1. Whether by a society you mean not strictly a Political society constituted
by a Pars Gubernans gubernata If not it 's no Church save equivocally If so should not the Pars regens which is constitutive have been put in If private men joyn together c. it makes but a community 2. A right to Gospel Ordinances is supposed but need not be in the definition 3. The enjoying of them is not essential to a Church The Relation may continue when the enjoyment is a long time hindered 4. Among them is a very ambiguous word Is it among them in the same place or in the same Countrey or Kingdom or in the same world If you difference and define them not by Relation to the same Bishops or Pastors and by intended Personal holy Communion your description confoundeth the universal Church as well as the National with a Particular Church For the whole Christian world is a Society of men joyning together in the visible profession of the true faith having a right to and enjoying among them the Ordinances of the Gospel Obj. A Nation joyning in the profession of Christianity is a true Church of God whence it evidently followeth that there must be a form of Ecclesiastical Government over a Nation as a Church as well as of Civil Government over it as a society governed by the same Laws For every society must have its Government belonging to it as such a society And the same reason that makes Government necessary in any particular Congregation will make it necessary for all the particular Congregations joyning together in one visible society as a particular national Church For the unity and peace of that Church ought much more to be looked after than of any one particular Congregation c. Answ. 1. From one absurdity many follow our Controversie before was but of the Name If an Accidental Royal or Civil Head may equivocally denominate an ecclesiastical society and we grant you the use of an equivocal name or rather the abuse you will grow too hard upon us if thence you will gather a necessity of a real Ecclesiastical policy besides the Civil Names abused insert not the things signified by an univocal term 2. You must first prove the form of Government and thence inferr the denomination and not contrarily first beg the name and then inferr the Government 3. If yet by a form of Ecclesiastical Government you meant nothing but the Kings extrinsick Government which you may as well call also a form of School-Government of Colledge Government c. we would grant you all But if I can understand you you now speak of Ecclesiastical Government as distinct from that And then 4. You are now grown up from a may be to a must be and necessity And a greater necessity of one National Ecclesiastical Government than of a Particular Church Government which being undeniably of Christs Institution by the Holy Ghost in the Apostles you do not make all forms to be indifferent or deny this to be jure divino What! necessary and more necessary than that which is jure divino and yet indifferent and not jure divino If you say It is necessary only on supposition that there be a national Church I answer But your reasons evidently inferr that it is also necessary that there be such a National Church where it may be had Though you deny the necessity of Monarchical Government by one High Priest in it But I know you call not this a form of Government unless as determinately managed by one many or most But why a national spiritual Policy as distinct from Congregational may not be called a form of Government as well as One mans distinct from two over the same people I see not But this is at your liberty But your Necessity of such a National Regiment is a matter of greater moment In these three senses I confess a National Church 1. As all the Christians in a Nation are under one Civil Church Governour 2. As they are Consociated for Concord and meet in Synods or hold correspondencies 3. As they are all a part of the universal Church cohabiting in one Nation But all these are equivocal uses of the word Church the denomination being taken in the first from an Accident In the second the name of a Policy being given to a Community agreeing for Concord In the third the name of the whole is given to a small integral part But the necessity of any other Church headed by your Ecclesiastical national Governour personal or Collective Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical I utterly deny and find not a word of proof which I think I have any need to furnish the Reader with an answer to 5. And your judgement in this is downright against the constitution Canons and judgement of the National Church of England For that they use the Word in the senses allowed by me and not in yours is proved 1. From the visible constitution in which there is besides the King no distinct Ecclesiastical Head For the Arch-bishop of Canterbury is not the proper Governour of the Arch-bishop of York and his Province 2. From the Canons Can. 139. A National Synod the Church Representative Whosoever shall affirm that the Sacred Synod of this Nation in the name of Christ and by the Kings authority assembled is not the true Church of England by representation let him be excommunicated c. so that the Synod is but the Representative Church And therefore not the Political Head of the Church whether it be the Laity or the whole Clergy or both which they Represent Representation of those that are no National Head maketh them not a National Head 3. From the ordinary judgement of Episcopal Divines maintained by Bishop Bilson and many others at large against the Papists that all Bishops jure divino are Equal and Independant further than humane Laws or Agreements or difference of Gifts may difference them or as they are bound to consociation for Concord 6. How shall I deny not only the Lawfulness but the necessity of such a Papacy as really was in the Roman Empire on your grounds I have proved against W. Iohnson that the Pope was then actually but the Head of the Imperial Churches and not of all the World And if there must be one National Ecclesiastical Head under one King why not one also in one Empire And whether it be one Monarch or a collective person it is still one Political person which is now in question Either a Ruling Pope or a Ruling Aristocracy or Democracy which is not the great matter in Controversie 7. And why will not the same Argument carry it also for one Universal visible Head of all the Churches in the World at least as Lawful At least as far as humane capacity and converse will allow And who shall choose this Universal Head And who can lay so fair a claim to it as the Pope And if the form be indifferent why may not the Churches by consent at least set up one man as well as many
Whether you carry it to an Imperial Church or a Papal to a Patriarchal or Provincial or National till you have proved it to be of Divine institution and Particular Churches to be unnecessary alterable and of humane institution I shall never grant you that it is to be preferred before that which is unquestionably of God For though I easily grant that all the Churches of a Nation Empire or the World are to be more esteemed and carefully preserved than one Bishops or Pastors particular Church yet I will not grant you that your humane policy is more necessary to the safety of all these Churches than the Divine For the safety of these Churches may be better preserved by Gods three great means 1. The polity of particular Churches with the conduct of their present faithful Bishops or Pastors 2. The loving Consociation of Neighbour Churches for Concord 3. The protection and countenance of Magistrates without any new Church-form or National or Imperial or Universal Pastor than with it Nay when that sort of Usurpation hath been the very Engine of dividing corrupting and undoing the Christian Churches above a thousand years we are not easily perswaded now that yet it is either necessary or desirable 18. But the best and easiest way to discern how far the making new Churches or Church offices is lawful or unlawful is by trying it by the quality of their office-work For it is the work which giveth us the description of the office and the office of the Ruling part which giveth us the definition of the Church which that office constituteth The work which the new humane officer is to do is either 1. The same which God hath already appointed Bishops or Pastors to do Or at least the unfixed Ministers in the universal Church 2. Or ☜ it is such as he hath appointed Magistrates to do 3. Or it is such as belongeth to private and lay men 4. Or it is somewhat different from all these 1. If it be of the first sort it is a contradiction For men that are by office appointed to do the same work which Ministers are already appointed to do are not a new office but Ministers indeed such as Christ hath instituted For the office is nothing but an Obligation and Authority to do the work 2. If it be the same work which belongeth to the Magistrate then it is no new office for they are Magistrates 3. If it be that which belongeth to private men by Gods appointment they cannot disoblige themselves by transferring it to a new officer 4. If it be none of all these what is it I doubt it may prove some needless or rather sinful work which God committed to none of these three sorts and therefore unfit to make a Church-office of Unless it be such as I before described and granted 1. I confess that the Magistrate may make new inferiour officers to do his own part As Church-Justices Church-wardens c. 2. I grant that the people may make an office for the better doing of some parts of their own work They may make Collectors Door-keepers Artists by office to keep the Clock and Bells and Church-buildings c. if the Magistrates leave it to them 3. I grant that the Bishops or Pastors may do some circumstances of their work by humane officers As to facilitate their concord in Synods by choosing one to preside to choose time and place to send messengers to take votes to moderate disputes to record agreements c. as aforesaid And these circumstantials are the things that officers may be made for But the very modes and circumstances which are part of the work to which every Bishop or Pastor is obliged he cannot commit to another As to choose his text subject method words c. These are parts of his own work Though Concord in these is the work of many Now what is the work besides all these that we must have new Churches and offices made for Is it to Govern all these Bishops and Churches How By the Word or by the Sword If by the Sword the Magistrate is to do it If by the Word or spiritual Authority either God hath made such an office as Arch-bishops or General Bishops over many or he hath not If he have we need no new humane office for it God having provided for it already If not but God hath left all Bishops independant and to learn of one another as equals in Office and unequal only in gifts then either such an office is fit and necessary or not If it be you accuse God of omission in not appointing a Bishop over Bishops as well as a Bishop of the lowest order If not then by what reason or power will you make new needless officers in the Church When Cyprian and his Carthage Council so vehemently disclaimed being Episcopi Episcoporum 19. I would fain know whether those new made Churches of humane and not of Divine fabrication whether Universal or Papal Patriarchal Provincial c. were made by former Churches or by no Churches If by no Churches then either by other societies or by single persons If by other societies by what power do they make new Churches to Christ who are themselves no Churches If by single persons either they are before Church-members or not If not how can those make new Churches that be not so much as members of Churches without a Commission from Christ But if either former Churches or their members made these new Churches then 1. It followeth that there were another sort of Churches before these new or humane Churches And if so either those other that made these were themselves made of God or not And so the question will run up till you bring it either to some Church of Gods making which made these other or some person commissioned to do it If you say the first then he that will confess that there is a species of Churches of Christs Institution and a species not of his institution must prefer the former and must well prove the power of making the later And so they must do if they say that it was done by particular persons that were no particular Church-members For if Christ commissioned them to settle any one species of Churches those are to be esteemed setled by Christ. But if you say that Christ left them to vary the species of Churches as they saw cause and so on to the end of the World 1. You must well prove it 2. It is before disproved unless you take the word Church equivocally 20. Lastly all Christians are satisfied of Christs Authority And therefore in that they can agree But so they are not of any humane Church-makers authority And therefore in that there will never be an agreement Therefore such new Churches and Ecclesiastical Governments will be but as they ever have been the Engines of division and ruine in the Churches And the species of Gods making with the mutability of mutable Adjuncts and Circumstances will
of Religion and under the Pastors care But in two respects the External power is only the Kings or Civil Magistrates 1. As it is denominated from the sword or mulcts or Corporal penalties which is the external means of execution As Bishop Bilson of Obed. useth still to distinguish them with many others See B. Carlton of Jurisdiction Though in this respect the distinction were far more intelligibly exprest by The Government by the sword and by the sacred word 2. But the principal sense of their distinction is the same with Constantines who distinguished of a Bishop without and within or of our common distinction of Intrinsick and Extrinsick Government And though Internal and External have the same signification use maketh Intrinsick and Extrinsick more intelligible And by Internal is meant that power which Intrinsecally belongeth to the Pastors â—ffice as Instituted by Christ and so is Intrinsecal to the Pastorship and the Church as preaching praying ☜ sacraments the Keyes of Admission and Exclusion Ordination c. And by External is meant that which is Extrinsecal to the Pastorship and the Church which Princes have sometimes granted them but Christ hath made no part of their office In this sense the assertion is good and clear and necessary that the disposal of all things Circa Sacra all accidents and circumstances whatsoever which by Christs Institution are not Intrinsecal to the Pastorship and Church but extrinsecal do belong to the power of Kings and Magistrates Quest. 62. Is the tryal judgement or consent of the Laity necessary to the admittance of a member into the Universal or particular Church Answ. 1. IT is the Pastors office to bear and exercise the Keyes of Christs Church Therefore by office he is to Receive those that come in and consequently to be the tryer and Iudge of their fitness 2. It belongeth to the same office which is to Baptize to Iudge who is to be baptized Otherwise Ministers should not be rational Judges of their own actions but the executioners of other mens judgement It is more the Iudging who is to be baptized which the Ministers office consisteth in than in the bare doing of the outward act of Baptizing 3. He that must be the ordinary Judge in Church-admissions is supposed to have both Ability and Leisure to make him fit and Authority and Obligation to do the work 4. The ordinary body of the Laity have none of all these four qualifications much less all 1. They are not ordinarily Able so to examine a mans faith and resolution with judgement and skill as may neither tend to the wrong of himself nor of the Church For it is great skill that is required thereunto 2. They have not ordinarily Leisure from their proper callings and labours to wait on such a work as it must be waited on especially in populous places 3. They are not therefore obliged to do that which they cannot be supposed to have Ability or Leisure for 4. And where they have not the other three they can have no Authority to do it 5. It is therefore as great a crime for the Laity to usurp the Pastors office in this matter as in preaching baptizing or other parts of it 6. And though Pride often blind men both people and Pastors so as to make them overlook the burden and look only at the Authority and honour yet is it indeed an intolerable injury to the Laity if any would lay such a burden on them which they cannot bear and consequently would make them responsible for the omissions or misdoing of it to Christ their Judge 7. There is not so much as any fair pretence for the Laity having power to judge who shall be received into the Universal Church For who of the Laity should have this power Not All nor the Major Vote of the Church For who ever sought the Votes of all the Christians in the World before he baptized a man Not any one particular Church or persons above the rest For they have no Right Joh. 20 21 22 23. 21. 15 16 17 Mat 28. 19 20. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. 1 Tim. 5 17. Heb. 13. 7 17. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4 5 6 11. 2 Thes. 3 6 10 14. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Joh. Mar. 13 9 23 33. Mar. 4 â—4 Mat. 7. 15 16. Mat. 16. 6. 11 12. Mar. 12. 38. 8 15. Phil. 3. 2 3. Col. 2. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 17. Mat 24. 4. to shew for it more than the rest 8. It is not in the power of the Laity to keep a man out of their own particular Church Communion whom the Pastor receiveth Because as is said it is his Office to judge and bear the Reyes 9. Therefore if it be ill done and an unworthy person be admitted the Consciences of the people need not accuse themselves of it or be disturbed because it is none of their employment 10. Yet the Liberty of the Church or people must be distinguished from their Governing power and their Executing duty from the power of Iudging And so 1. The people are to be Guided by the Pastors as Volunteers and not by Violence And therefore it is the Pastors duty in all doubtful cases to give the people all necessary satisfaction by giving them the Reasons of his doings that they may understandingly and quietly obey and submit 2. And in case the people discern any notable appearance of danger by introducing Hereticks and grosly impious men to corrupt the Church and by subverting the order of Christ they may go to their Pastors to desire satisfaction in the case 3. And if by open proof or notoreity it be certain that by Ignorance fraud or negligence the Pastors thus corrupt the Church the people may seek their due Remedy from other Pastors and Magistrates 4. And they may protest their own dissent from such proceedings 5. And in case of extremity may cast off Heretical and Impious and Intolerable Pastors and commit their souls to the conduct of fitter men As the Churches did against the Arrian Bishops and as Cyprian declareth it his peoples duty to do as is aforesaid Quest. 63. What power have the people in Church Censures and Excommunication Answ. THis is here adjoined because it requireth but little more than the foregoing answer 1. As it is the Pastors office to judge who is to be received so also to judge who is to be excluded 2. But the Execution of his sentence belongeth to the people as well as to himself It is they that 1 Cor 5. 3 6 11. either hold Communion with the person or avoid him 3. Therefore though ordinarily they must acquiesce in the Pastors judgement yet if he grosly offend 2 Joh. â—â—â—â— 3. 10. against the Law of God and would bring them e. g. to communion with hereticks and openly impious and excommunicate the Orthodox and Godly they may seek their remedy as before Quest. 64. What is the peoples remedy in case of the Pastors male-administration Answ. THis also
Relation or a Right duly to receive the Sacrament that is To receive it understandingly and seriously at those seasons when by the Pastors it is administred 2. But if upon faults or accusations this Right be duly questioned in the Church it is become a controverted right and the possession or admission may by the Bishops or Pastors of the Church be suspended if they see cause while it is under tryall till a just decision 3. Though Infants are true members yet the want of natural capacity duly to receive maketh it unlawful to give them the Sacrament because it is to be Given only to Receivers and Receiving is more than eating and drinking It is Consenting to the Covenant which is the real Receiving in a moral sense or at least Consent professed So that they want not a state of right as to their Relation but a natural capacity to Receive 4. Persons at age who want not the Right of a stated Relation may have such actual Natural and Moral indispositions as may also make them for that time unmeet to Receive As Sickness Infection a Journey persecution scattering the Church a Prison And morally 1. Want of necessary knowledge of the nature of the Sacrament which by the negligence of Pastors or Parents may be the case of some that are but newly past their childhood 2. Some heinous sin of which the sinner hath not so far repented as to be yet ready to receive a sealed pardon or which is so scandalous in the Church as that in publick respects the person is yet unfit for its priviledges 3. Such sins or accusations of sin as make the persons Church-title justly Controverted and his Communion suspended till the case be decided 4. Such fears of unworthy Receiving as were like to hurt and distract the person if he should receive till he were better satisfied These make a man uncapable of present Reception and so are a barr to his plenary right They have still right to Receive in a due manner But being yet uncapable of that due Receiving they have not a plenary right to the thing 5. The same may be said of other parts of our duty and priviledges A man may have a Relative habitual or stated right to praise God and give him thanks for his justification and sanctification and adoption and to godly conference to exercises of humiliation c. who yet for want of present actual preparation may be uncapable and so want a plenary right 6. The understanding of the double preparation necessary doth most clearly help us to understand this case A man that is in an unregenerate state must be visibly cured of that state of utter ignorance unbelief ungodliness before he can be a member of the Church and lay a claim to its priviledges But when that is done besides this general preparation a particular preparation also to each duty is necessary to the right doing it A man must understand what he goeth about and must consider of it and come with some suitable affections A man may have right to go a journey that wants a Horse or may have a Horse that is not sadled He that hath clothes must put them on before he is fit to come into company He that hath right to write may want a pen or have a bad one Having of Gracious habits may need the addition of bringing them into such acts as are suitable to the work in hand Quest. 70. Is there any such thing in the Church as a rank or Classis or Species of Church members at age who are not to be admitted to the Lords Table but only to hearing the Word and Prayer between Infant members and adult confirmed ones Answ. SOme have excogitated such a classis or species or order for convenience as a prudent necessary thing Because to admit all to the Lords Table they think dangerous on one side And to cast all that are unfit for it out of the Church they think dangerous on the other side and that which the people would not bear Therefore to preserve the reverence of the Sacrament and to preserve their own and the Churches peace they have contrived this middle way or rank And indeed the controversie seemeth to be more about the title whether it may be called a middle order of meer Learners and Worshippers than about the Matter I have occasionally written more of it than I can here stay to recite And the accurate handling of it requireth more words than I will here use This breviate therefore shall be all 1. It is certain that such Catechumens as are in meer preparation to faith repentance and baptism are no Church-members or Christians at all and so in none of these ranks 2. Baptism is the only ordinary regular door of enterance into the visible Church and no man unless in extraordinary cases is to be taken for a Church-member or visible Christian till Baptized Two Objections are brought against this 1. The Infants of Christians are Church-members as such before baptism and so are believers They are baptized because members and not members by baptism Answ. This case hath no difficulty 1. A Believer as such is a member of Christ and the Church What makes a visible member invisible but not of the visible Church till he be an orderly Professor of that belief And this Profession is not left to every mans will how it shall be made but Christ hath prescribed and instituted a certain way and manner of profession which shall be the only ordinary symbol or badge by which the Church shall know visible members and that is baptism Indeed when baptism cannot be had an open profession without it may serve For Sacraments are made for Man and not Man for Sacraments But when it may be had it is Christs appointed Symbol Tessera and Church-door And till a person be baptized he is but Irregularly and initially a Professor As an Embrio in the Womb is a man or as a Covenant before the writing sealing and delivering is initially a Covenant or as persons privately contracted without solemn Matrimony are married or as a man is a Minister upon Election and Tryal before Ordination He hath only in all these cases the beginning of a title which is not compleat nor at all sufficient in foro Ecclesiâ— to make a man Visibly and Legally A married man a Minister and so here a Christian. For Christ hath chosen his own visible badge by which his Church-members must be known 2. And the same is to be said of the Infant-title of the children of believers They have but an initial right before baptism and not the badge of visible Christians For there are three distinct gradations to make up their visible Christianity 1. Because they are their own and as it were parts of themselves therefore Believers have power and obligation to dedicate their children in Covenant with God 2. Because every believer is himself dedicated to God with all that is his own according
to its capacity therefore a Believers child is supposed to be Virtually not actually dedicated to God in his own dedication or Covenant as soon as his child hath a being 3. Being thus Virtually and Implicitly first dedicated he is after Actually and regularly dedicated in Baptism and Sacramentally receiveth the badge of the Church And this maketh him a visible member or Christian to which the two first were but introductory as Conception is to humane Nativity Object 2. But the seed of Believers as such are in the Covenant and therefore Church-members Answ. The word Covenant here is ambiguous Either it signifieth Gods Law of Grace or prescribed terms for salvation with his immediate offer of the benefits to accepters called the single Covenant of God or it signifieth this with mans Consent called the Mutual Covenant where both parties Covenant In the former sense the Covenant only offereth Church-membership but maketh no man a Church-member till Consent It is but Gods conditional promise If thou believe thou shalt be saved c. If thou give up thy self and children to me I will be your God and you shall be my people But it is only the Mutual Covenant that maketh a Christian or Church-member Object The promise is to us and our children as ours Answ. That is that you and your children dedicated to God shall be received into Covenant â—â—t not otherwise Believing is not only bare Assenting but Consenting to the Covenant and delivering up your selves to Christ And if you do not consent that your child shall be in the Covenant and deliver him to God also you cannot expect acceptance of him against your wills nor indeed are you to be taken for true believers your selves if you dedicate not your selves to him and all that are in your power Object This offer or Conditional Covenant belongeth also to Infidels Answ. The offer is to them but they accept it not But every believer accepteth it for himself and his or devoteth to God himself and his children when he shall have them And by that virtual dedication or Consent his children are Virtually in the Mutual Covenant And Actually upon actual Consent and dedication Object But it is Profession and not Baptism that makes a visible member Answ. That 's answered before It is profession by Baptism For Baptism is that peculiar act of profession which God hath chosen to this use when a person is absolutely devoted resigned and engaged to God in a solemn Sacrament this is our regular initiating profession And it is but an irregular Embrio of a profession which goeth before baptism ordinarily Prop. 3. The time of Infant membership in which we stand in Covenant by our Parents Consent cannot be determined by duration but by the insufficiency of Reason through immaturity of age or continuing ideots to choose for ones self Prop. 4. It is not necessary that the doctrine of the Lords Supper be taught Catechumens before Baptism nor was it usual with the antients so to do though it may very well be done Prop. 5. It is needful that the nature of the Lords Supper be taught all the baptized before they receive it As was opened before else they must do they know not what Prop. 6. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper seal not another but the same Covenant that baptism sealeth yet are there some further truths therein expressed and some more particular exercises of faith in Christs Sacrifice and coming c. and of Hope and Love and Gratitude c. requisite Therefore the same qualifications which will serve for Baptism Justification and Adoption and Salvation are not enough for the right use of Church communion in the Lords Supper the one being the Sacrament of initiation and our new birth the other of our Confirmation Exercise and Growth in Grace 7. Whether persons be baptized in Infancy or at age if they do not before understand these higher mysteries they must stay from the exercise of them till they understand them And so with most there must be a space of time between their Baptism and fuller Communion 8. But the same that we say of the Lords Supper must be said of other parts of Worship Singing Psalms Praise Thanksgiving c. men must learn them before they can practise them And usually these as Eucharistical acts concur with the Lords Supper 9. Whether you will call men in this state Church-members of a middle rank and order between the Baptized and the Communicants is but a lis de nomine a verbal Controversie It is granted that such a middle sort of men there are in the Church 10. It is to be maintained that these are in a state of salvation even before they thus communicate And that they are not kept away for want of a stated Relation-title but of an immediate capacity as is aforesaid 11. There is no necessity but upon such unfitness that there should be one dayes time between baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper nor is it desirable For if the baptized understand those mysteries the first day they may communicate in them 12. Therefore as men are prepared some may suddenly communicate and some stay longer 13. When persons are at age if Pastors Parents and themselves be not grosly negligent they may and ought to learn these things in a very little time so that they need not be setled in a lower Learning state for any considerable time unless their own negligence be the cause 14. And in order to their Learning they have right to be Spectators and Auditors at the Eucharist and not to be driven away with the Catechumens as if they had no right to be there For it is a thing best taught by the practice to beholders 15. But if any shall by scandal or gross neglect of piety and not only by Ignorance give cause of questioning their title and suspending their possession of those sacred priviledges these are to be reckoned in another rank even among those whose title to Church-membership it self becometh controverted and must undergo a tryal in the Church And this much I think may serve to resolve this considerable question Quest. 71. Whether a Form of Prayer be lawful Answ. I Have said so much of this and some following questions in many Books already that to avoid repetition I shall say very little here The question must be out of question with all Christians I. Because the Scripture it self hath many forms of prayer which therefore cannot be unlawful Object They were lawful then but not now Answ. He that saith so must prove where God hath since forbidden them Which can never be Object They may lawfully be read in Scripture for instruction but not used as prayers Answ. They were used as prayers then and are never since forbidden Yea Iohn and Christ did teach their Disciples to pray and Christ thus prefaceth his form When ye pray say II. All things must be done to Edification But to use a form of prayer is
Traditions 2. And used long and frequent prayers But if indeed they had no such forms then long and frequent extemporate prayers are not so great a sign of the Spirits gifts as is imagined when such Pharisees abounded in them But there is little probability but that they used both wayes 3. That Christ did not separate from the Synagogues for such prayers sake 4. Yea that we never read that Christ medled in the Controversie it being then no Controversie nor that he once reproved such forms or Reading them or ever called the Jews to repent of them If you say His general reproof of Traditions was enough I answer 1. Even Traditions he reproved not as such but as set before or against the Commands of God 2. He named many of their particular Traditions and Corruptions Matth. 15. 23 c. and yet never named this 3. His being usually present at their Assemblies and so joyning with them in their Worship would be such an appearance of his approbation as would make it needful to express his disallowance of it if indeed he thought it sinful So that who ever impartially considereth all this that he joyned with them that he particularly reproved other corruptions and that he never said any thing at all against forms or reading prayers that is recorded will sure be moderate in his judgement of such indifferent things if he know what moderation is Quest. 77. Is it lawful to Pray in the Church without a prescribed or premeditated form of Words Answ. THere are so few sober and serious Christians that ever made a doubt of this that I will not bestow many words to prove it 1. That which is not forbidden is lawful But Church-prayer without a premeditated or prescribed form of words is not forbidden by God Therefore as to Gods Laws it is not unlawful 2. To express holy desires understandingly orderly seriously and in apt expressions is lawfull praying But all this may be done without a set form of words Therefore to pray without a set form of words may be lawful 3. The Consent of the Universal Church and the experience of godly men are arguments so strong as are not to be made light of 4. To which Scripture instances may be added Quest. 78. Whether are set Forms of Words or free praying without them the better way And what are the Commodities and Incommodities of each way Answ. I Will first answer the later question because the former dependeth on it I. The Commodities of a set form of words and the discommodities of free-praying are these following 1. In a time of dangerous Heresie which hath infected the Pastors a set form of prescribed words tendeth to keep the Church and the consciences of the joyners from such infection offence and guilt 2. When Ministers are so weak as to dishonour Gods Worship by their unapt and slovenly and unsound expressions prescribed or set forms which are well composed are some preservative and cure When free praying leaveth the Church under this inconvenience 3. When Ministers by faction passion or corrupt interests are apt to put theseâ—ices into their prayers to the injury of others and of the Cause and Church of God free praying cherisheth this or giveth it opportunity which set forms do restrain 4. Concordant set forms do serve for the exactest Concord in the Churches that all at once may speak the same things 5. They are needful to some weak Ministers that cannot do so well without them 6. They somewhat prevent the laying of the reputation of Religious Worship upon the Ministers abilities when in free praying the honour and comfort varieth with the various degrees of Pastoral abilities In one place it is excellently well done in another but drily and coldly and meanly In another erroneously unedifyingly if not dishonourably tending to the contempt of holy things Whereas in the way of set Liturgies though the ablest at that time doth no better yet the weakest doth for words as well and all alike 7. And if proud weak men have not the composing and imposing of it all know that words drawn up by study upon sober premeditation and consultation have a greater advantage to be exact and apt then those that were never thought on till we are speaking them 8. The very fear of doing amiss disturbeth some unready men and maketh them do all the â—est the worse 9. The Auditors know before hand whether that which they are to joyn in be sound or unsound having time to try it 10. And they can more readily put in their consent to what is spoken and make the prayers their own when they know before hand what it is than they can do when they know not before they hear it It being hard to the duller sort of hearers to concur with an Understanding and Consent as quick as the speakers words are Not but that this may be done but not without great difficulty in the duller sort 11. And it tendeth to avoid the pride and self-deceit of many who think they are good Christians and have the Spirit of Grace and Supplication because by learning and use they can speak many hours in variety of expressions in prayer which is a dangerous mistake II. The Commodities of Free extemporate prayers and the discommodity of prescribed or set forms are these following 1. It becometh an advantage to some Proud men who think themselves wiser than all the rest to obtâ—ude their Compositions that none may be thought wise enough or fit to speak to God but in their words And so introduce Church-tyranny 2. It may become a hinderance to able worthy Ministers that can do better 3. It may become a dividing snare to the Churches that cannot all Agree and Consent in such humane impositions 4. It may become an advantage to Hereticks when they can but get into power as the Arrians of old to corrupt all the Churches and publick Worship And thus the Papists have corrupted the Churches by the Mass. 5. It may become an engine or occasion of persecution and silencing all those Ministers that cannot consent in such impositions 6. It may become a means of depraving the Ministry and bringing them to a common idleness and ignorance if other things alike concur For when men perceive that no greater abilities are used and required they will commonly labour for and get no greater and so will be unable to pray without their forms of words 7. And by this means Christian Religion may decay and grow into contempt For though it be desirable that its own worth should keep up its reputation and success yet it never hitherto was so kept up without the assistance of Gods eminent gifts and graces in his Ministers But where ever there hath been a learned able holy zealous diligent Ministry Religion usually hath flourished And where ever there hath been an ignorant vicious cold idle negligent and reproached Ministry Religion usually hath dyed and been reproached And we have now no reason to look for
Sacrifice and Altars therefore we may use the same in Greek And our Translation or English names are not intolerable If Priest come from Presbyter I need not prove that If it do not yet all Ministers are subordinate to Christ in his Priestly Office as essentially as in the rest And Rev. 1. 6. 5. 10. 20. 6. it is said that we are or shall be made Priests of God and unto God And 1 Pet. 2. 5. we are an holy Priesthood and ver 9. a royal Priesthood If this be said of all then especially of Ministers And the word Sacrifice is used of us and our offered Worship 1 Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 13. 15 16. Phil. 4. 18. Ephes. 5. 2. Rom. 12. 1. And Heb. 13. 10. saith We have an Altar whereof they partake not c. And the word is frequently used in the Revelations Chap. 6. 9. 8. 3 5. 16. 7 c. in relation to Gospel times We must not therefore be quarrelsome against the bare names unless they be abused to some ill use 4. The antient Fathers and Churches did ever use all these words so familiarly without any question or scruple raised about them either by the Orthodox or any Hereticks that at present I can remember to have ever read of that we should be the more wary how we condemn the bare words lest thence we give advantage to the Papists to make them tell their followers that all Antiquity was on their side Which were very easie for them to prove if the Controversie were about the Names alone Extreams and passionate imprudence do give the adversaries great advantages 5. The names of Sacrifice and Altar were used by the Antient Churches not properly but meerly in allusion to the Jewish and Heathen Sacrifices and Altars together with a tropical use from the Christian reasons of the Names As the Lords Supper is truly the Commemoration of Christs Sacrifice And therefore called by Protestants A Commemorative Sacrifice so that our Controversie with the Papists is not Whether it may be called a Sacrifice But whether it be only the Sacrament of a Sacrifice or a Sacramental Commemorative Sacrifice or also a Real proper Sacrifice of the very body and blood it self of Christ. For we acknowledge That This is a Sacrifice is no more tropical a speech than This is my body and blood 6. Yet it must be noted that the Scripture useth the word Sacrifice about our selves and our Thanksgivings and prayses and works of Charity rather than of the Lords Supper and the word Priests of all men Lay or Clergy that offer these foresaid Sacrifices to God Though the antient Doctors used them familiarly by way of allusion of the Sacrament and its administrators 7. In a word as no Christian must use these or any words to false ends or senses or deceiving purposes nor yet to scandal so out of these cases the words are lawful And as the Fathers are not to be any further condemned for using them than as the words which they foresaw not have given advantage to the Papists to bring in an ill sense and doctrine so those that now live in Churches and Countreys where the publick professed doctrine doth free them from the suspicion of a Popish ill sense should not be judged nor quarrelled with for the terms But all sober Christians should allow each other the liberty of such phrases without censoriousness or breach of charity or peace Quest. 123. May the Communion-Tables be turned Altar-wise and Railed in And is it lawful to come up to the Rails to Communicate Answ. THe answer to this is mostly the same with that to the foregoing question 1. God hath given us no particular Command or prohibition about these circumstances but the General Rules for Unity Edification Order and Decency Whether the Table shall stand this way or that way here or there c. he hath not particularly determined 2. They that turn the Table Altar-wise and Rail it in out of a design to draw men to Popery or in a scandalous way which will encourage men to or in Popery do sin 3. So do they that Rail in the Table to signifie that the Vulgar or Lay-Christians must not come to it but be kept at a distance when Christ in his personal presence admitted his disciples to communicate at the Table with himself 4. But where there are no such ends but only to imitate the Antients that did thus and to shew reverence to the Table on the account of the Sacrament by keeping away Dogs keeping Boyes from sâ—ting on it And the professed doctrine of the Church condemneth Transubstantiation the Real Corporal presence c. as ours doth In this case Christians should take these for such as they are Indifferent things and not censure or condemn each other for them nor should any force them upon those that think them unlawful 5. And to communicate is not only lawful in this case where we cannot prove that the Minister sinneth but even when we suspect an ill design in him which we cannot prove yea or when we can prove that his personal interpretation of the place name scituation and rails is unfound For we assemble there to communicate in and according to the professed doctrine of Christianity and the Churches and our own open profession and not after every private opinion and error of the Minister As I may receive from an Anabaptist or Separatist notwithstanding his personal errors so may I from another man whose error destroyeth not his Ministry nor the Ordinance as long as I consent not to it yea and with the Church profess my dissent 6. Yet caeteris paribus every free man that hath his choice should choose to communicate rather where there is most purity and least error than with those that swarve more from regular exactness Quest. 124. Is it lawful to use Davids Psalms in our Assemblies Answ. YEs 1. Christ used them at his last Supper as is most probable And he ordinarily joyned Matth. 26. 30. Mark 14. 26. Luke 4. 16. 6. 6. John 6. 59. 18. 20. Mark 1. 21. 23 29. 3. 1. 6. 2. 1 Chron 16. 7. Psalm 105. 2. 95. 2. James 5. 13. 1 Chron. 16. 9. with the Jews that used them And so did the Apostles 2. It is confessed Lawful to read or say them Therefore also to sing them For saying and singing difference not the main end 3. They are suitable to our use and were the Liturgy of the Jewish Church not on a Ceremonial account but for that fitness which is common to us with them 4 We are commanded in the New Testament to sing Psalms And we are not commanded to compose new ones Nor can every one make Psalms who is commanded to sing Psalms And if it be lawful to sing Psalms of our own or our neighbours making much more of Gods making by his Spirit in his Propheâ—s Object They are not suitable to all our cases nor to all
that nothing is of it self and directly any part of the Christian Religion which is not there 6. It instituteth those Sacraments perfectly which are the seals of Gods Covenant with man and the delivery of the benefits and which are the Badges or Symbols of the Disciples and Religion of Christ in the World 7. It determineth what Faith Prayer and obedience shall be his appointed means and Conditions of Justification Adoption and Salvation And so what shall be Professed and Preached in his name to the World 8. It is a perfect Instrument of donation or Conveyance of our Right to Christ and of Pardon and Justification and Adoption and the Holy Spirits assistances and of Glory As it is Gods Covenant promise or deed of gift 9. It instituteth certain Ministers as his own Church officers and perfectly describeth their office as instituted by him 10. It instituteth the form of his Church Universal which is called his body And also of Particular holy societies for his Worship And prescribeth them certain Duties as the Common Worship there to be performed 11. It determineth of a weekly day even the first to be separated for and used in this holy Worship 12. It is a perfect General Rule for the Regulating of those things which it doth not command or forbid in particular As that all be done wisely to edification in charity peace concord season order c. 13. It giveth to Magistrates Pastors Parents and other Superiours all that power by which they are authorized to oblige us under God â—o any undetermined particulars 14. It is the perfect Rule of Christs Judging Rewarding and punishing at last according to which he will proceed 15. It is the only Law that is made by Primitive Power 16. And the only Law that is made by Inâ—allâ—ble wisdom 17. And the only Law which is faultless and hath no thing in it that will do the subject any harm 18. And the only Law which is from Absolute Power the Rule of all other Laws and from which Psal. 12. 6. 19. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 119. there is finally no appeal Thus far the holy Scripture with the Law of nature is our perfect Rule But not in any of the following respects 1. It is no particular revelation or perfect Rule of natural Sciences as Physicks Metaphysicks c. 2. It is no Rule for the Arts for Medicine Musick Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy Grammar Râ—eâ—orick Logick nor for the Mechanicks as Navigation Architecture and all the Trades and occupations of men no not Husbandry by which we have our food 3. It is no particular Rule for all the muâ—able subordinate duties of any societies It will not serve instead of all the Statutes of this and all other Lands nor tell us when the Terms shall begin and end nor what work every Parent and Master shall set his Children and Servants in his family c. 4. It is no full Rule in particular for all those Political principles which are the ground of humane Laws As whether each Republick be Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical What person or of what Family shall Reign Who shall be his Officers and Judges and how diversified so of his Treasury Munition Coin c. 5. It is no Rule of Propriety in particular by which every man may know which is his own Land or house or goods or Cattle 6. It is no particular Rule for our natural actions what meat we shall eat what Cloaths we shall wear So of our rest labour c. 7. It is no particular Law or Rule for any of all those Actions and Circumstances about Religion or Gods own Ordinances which he hath only commanded in general and left in specie or particular to be determined by man according to his General Laws But of these next Quest. 131. What Additions or humane Inventions in or about Religion not commanded in Scripture are lawful or unlawful Answ. 1. THese following are unlawful 1. To feign any new Article of faith or doctrine any Deut. 12. 32. Rev. 2â— 18. Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. 16 17. Mat. 15. 3 8 9. Gal. 1. 8 9. Jer. 5. 12. Jer. 14. 14. 23 25 26 32. Ezek. 13 9 19. 22. 28. Zeâ—h 13. 2 3 4 5 6. precept promise threatning prophesie or revelation and falsly to father it upon God and say that it is of him or his special Word 2. To say that either that is written in the Bible which is not or that any thing is the sense of a Text which is not and so that any thing is a sin or a duty by Scripture which is not Or to father Apocryphal Books or Texts or words upon the spirit of Christ. 3. To make any Law for the Church universal or as obligatory to all Christians which is to usurp the soveraignty of Christ For which treasonable Usurpation it is that Protestants call the Pope Antichrist 4. To add new parts to the Christian Religion 5. To make any Law which it did properly belong to the Universal Soveraign to have made if it should have been made at all Or which implyeth an accusation of ignorance oversight errour or omission in Christ and the holy Scriptures 6. To make new Laws for mens inward Heart-duties towards God 7. To make new Sacraments for the fealing of Christs Covenant and Collation of his benefits therein contained and to be the publick Tesserae Badges or Symbols of Christians and Christianity in the World 8. To feign new Conditions of the Covenant of God and necessary means of our Justification Adoption and salvation 9. To alter Christs instituted Church-Ministry or add any that are supra-ordinate co-ordinate or derogatory to their office or that stand on the like pretended ground and for equal ends 10. To make new spiritual societies or Church-forms which shall be either supra-ordinate co-ordinate Gal. 2. 5. or derogatory to the Forms of Christs Institution 11. Any impositions upon the Churches be the thing never so lawful which is made by a pretended Act. 15. 28 24 25. 2 Cor. 10. 8. 13. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 5 12 26. 2 Cor. 12. 19. Eph. 4. 12 16 1 Tim. 1 4. power not derived from God and the Redeemer 12. Any thing that is contrary to the Churches good and Edification to justice charity piety order unity or peace 13. Any unnecessary burden imposed on the Consciences of Christians especially as necessary either to their salvation communion liberty or peace 14. And the exercise of any power pretended to be either Primitive and underived or Infallible or Impeccable or Absolute 15. In general any thing that is contrary to the Authority matter form obligation honour or ends of the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture 16. Any thing which setteth up those Judaical Laws and Ceremonies which Christ hath abrogated in that form and respect in which he abrogated them 17. Where there is a doubt among sober Conscionable Christians lest in obeying man they should sin against
absolutely subjected to God will obey none against him whatever it cost them as Dan. 3. 6. Heb. 11. Luk. 14. 26 33. Matth. 5. 10 11 12. therefore it hath proved the occasion of bloody persecutions in the Churches by which professed Christians draw the guilt of Christian blood upon themselves 12. And hereby it hath dolefully hindered the Gospel while the persecutors have silenced many worthy Conscionable Preachers of it 13. And by this it hath quenched Charity in the hearts of both sides and taught the sufferers and the afflicters to be equally bitter in censuring if not Rom. 14 15. detesting one another 14. And the Infidels seeing these dissensions and bitter passions among Christians deride and scorn and hate them all 15. Yea such causes as these in the Latine and Greek Churches have engaged not only Emperours and Princes against their own subjects so that Chronicles and Books of Martyrs perpetuate their dishonour as Pilate's name is in the Creed but also have set them in bloody Wars among themselves These have been the fruits and this is the tendency of usurping Christs prerogative over his Religion and Worship in his Church And the greatness of the sin appeareth in these aggravations 1. It is a mark of pitiful Ignorance and Pride when dust shall thus like Nebuchadnezzar exalt it self against God to its certain infamy and abasement 2. It sheweth that men little know themselves that think themselves fit to be the makers of a Religion for so many others And that they have base thoughts of all other men while they think them unfit to Worship God any other way than that of their making And think that they will all so far deny God as to take up a Religion that 's made by man 3. It shews that they are much void of Love to others that can thus use them on so small occasion 4. And it sheweth how little true sense or reverence of Christian Religion they have themselves who can thus debase it and equal their own inventions with it 5. And it leaveth men utterly unexcusable that will not take warning by so many hundred years experiences of most of the Churches through the World Even when we see the yet continued divisions of the Eastern and Western Churches and all about a humane Religion in the parts most contended about When they read of the Rivers of Blood that have been shed in Piedmont France Germany Belgia Poland Ireland and the flames in England and many other Nations and all for the humane parts of mens Religion He that will yet go on and take no warning may go read the 18th and 19th of the Revelation and see what Joy will be in Heaven and Earth when God shall do Justice upon such But remember that I speak all this of no other than those expresly here described Quest. 135. What are the mischiefs of mens error on the other extream who pretend that Scripture is a Rule where it is not and deny the foresaid lawful things on pretence that Scripture is a perfect Rule say some for all things Answ. 1. THey fill their own minds with a multitude of causeless scruples which on their principles can never be resolved and so will give themselves no rest 2. They make themselves a Religion of their own and superstition is their daily devotion which being erroneous will not hang together but is full of contradictions in it self and which being humane and bad can never give true stability to the soul. 3. Hereby they spend their dayes much in melancholy troubles and unsetled distracting doubts and fears instead of the Joyes of solid faith and hope and love 4. And if they escape this their Religion is contentious wrangling censorious and factious and their zeal flyeth out against those that differ from their peculiar superstitions and conceits 5. And hereupon they are usually mutable and unfetled in their Religion This year for one and the next for another because there is no Certainty in their own inventions and conceits 6. And hereupon they still fall into manifold parties because each man maketh a Religion to himself by his mis-interpretation of Gods Word So that there is no end of their divisions 7. And they do a great deal of hurt in the Church by putting the same distracting and dividing conceits into the heads of others And young Christians and Women and ignorant well meaning people that are not able to know who is in the right do often turn to that party which they think most strict and godly though it be such as our Quakers And the very good conceit of the people whom they take it from doth settle so strong a prejudice in their mind as no argument or evidence scarcely can work out And so Education Converse and humane estimation breedeth a succession of dividers and troublers of the Churches 8. They sin against God by calling good evil and light darkness and honouring superstition which is the work of Satan with holy names Isa. 5. 20 21. 9. They sin by adding to the Word of God while they say of abundance of Lawful things This is unlawful and that is against the Word of God and pretend that their Touch not taste not handle Col. 2. 22 23. not is in the Scriptures For while they make it a Rule for every Circumstance in particular they must squeeze and force and wrest it to find out all those Circumstances in it which were never there and so by false expositions make the Scriptures another thing 10. And how great a sin is it to Father Satans works on God and to say that all these and these things are forbidden or commanded in the Scripture and so to belye the Lord and the Word of Truth 11. It engageth all Subjects against their Rulers Laws and Government and involveth them in the sin of denying them just obedience while all the Statute Book must be found in the Scriptures or else condemned as unlawful 12. It maintaineth disobedience in Churches and causeth Schisms and Confusions unavoidably For they that will neither obey the Pastors nor joyn with the Churches till they can shew Scriptures particularly for every Translation Method Metre Tune and all that 's done must joyn with no Churches in the world 13. It bringeth Rebellion and Confusion into families while Children and Servants must learn no Catechism hear no Minister give no account observe no hours of prayer nay nor do no work but what there is a particular Scripture for 14. It sets men on Enthusiastical expectations and irrational scandalous worshipping of God while all men must avoid all those Methods Phrases Books Helps which are not expresly or particularly in Scripture and men must noâ— use their own Inventions or prudence in the right ordering of the works of Religion 15. It destroyeth Christian Love and Concord while men are taught to censure all others that use any thing in Gods Worship which is not particularly in Scripture and so to censure
those doctrines against which no Minister shall be allowed to preach and according to which he is to instruct the people 3. To be a testimony to all neighbour or forreign Churches in an heterodox contentious and suspicious age how we understand the Scriptures for the Confuting of scandals and unjust suspicions and the maintaining Communion in Faith and Charity and Doctrine Quest. 144. May not the Subscribing of the whole Scriptures serve turn for all the foresaid ends without Creeds Catechisms or Confessions Answ. BY Subscribing to the Scriptures you mean either Generally and Implicitly that All in them is True and Good though perhaps you know not what is in it Or else particularly and explicitly that every point in it is by you both understood and believed to be true In the first sense it is not sufficient to salvation For this Implicite faith hath really no act in it but a Belief that all that God faith is true which is only the formal object of faith and is no more than to believe that there is a God for a Lyar is not a God And this he may do who never believed in Christ or a word of Scripture as not taking it to be Gods Word yea that will not believe that God forbiddeth his beastly life Infidels ordinarily go thus far In the second sense of an explicite or particular Actual belief the belief of the whole Scriture is enough indeed and more than any man living can attain to No man understandeth all the Scripture Therefore that which no man hath is not to be exacted of all men or any man in order to Ministration or Communion While 1. No man can subscribe to any one Translation of the Bible that it is not faulty being the work of defectible man 2. And few have such acquaintance with the Hâ—brew and Chaldee and Greek as to be able to say that they understand the Original Languages perfectly 2. And no man that understands the words doth perfectly understand the matter It followeth that no man is to be forced or urged to subscribe to all things in the Scriptures as particularly understood by him with an Explicite faith And an Implicite is not half enough 2. The true Mean therefore is the antient way 1. To select the Essentials for all Christians to be believed particularly and explicitely 2. To Collect certain of the most needful Integrals which Teachers shall not preach against 3. And for all men moreover to profess in General that they implicitely believe all which they can discern to be the holy Canonical Scripture and that all is true which is the Word of God Forbearing each other even about the number of Canonical Books and Texts And it is the great wisdom and mercy of God which hath so ordered it that the Scripture shall 1 Cor. 8. 1 2. 13. 1 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 8. 3. Rom. 8. 28. have enough to exercise the strongest and yet that the weakest may be ignorant of the meaning of a thousand sentences without danger of damnation so they do but understand the Marrow or Essentials and labour faithfully to increase in the knowledge of the rest Quest. 145. May not a man be saved that believeth all the Essentials of Religion as Coming to him by Verbal Tradition and not as contained in the holy Scriptures which perhaps he never knew Answ. 1. HE that believeth shall be saved which way ever he cometh by his belief So be it it be sound as to the object and act that is If it contain all the Essentials and they be predominantly Believed Loved and practised 2. The Scriptures being the Records of Christs Doctrine delivered by Himself his Spirit and his Apostles it is the Office of Ministers and the duty of all Instructers to open these Scriptures to those they teach and to deliver particulars upon the authority of these Inspired sealed Records which contain them 3. They that thus receive particular truths from a Teacher explaining the Scripture to them do receive them in a subordination to the Scripture Materially and as to the Teachers part though not formally and as to their own part And though the Scripture authority being not understood by them be not the formal object of their faith but only Gods authority in general 4. They that are ignorant of the being of the Scripture have a great disadvantage to their faith 5. Yet we cannot say but it may be the case of thousands to be saved by the Gospel delivered by Tradition without resolving their faith into the authority of the Scriptures For 1. This was the case of all the Christians as to the New Testament who lived before it was written And there are several Articles of the Creed now necessary which the Old Testament doth not reveal Matth. 16. 16. Rom. 10. 9 10 13 14 15. 2. This may be the case of thousands in Ignorant Countreys where the Bible being rare is to most unknown 3. This may be the case of thousands of Children who are taught their Creed and Catechism before they understand what the Bible is 4. This may be the case of thousands among the Papists where some perverse Priests do keep not only the Reading but the Knowledge of the Scriptures from the people for fear lest they should be taught to resolve their faith into it and do teach them only the Articles of Faith and Catechism as known by the Churches tradition alone Quest. 146. Is the Scripture fit for all Christians to read being so obscure Answ. 1. THe Essentials and points necessary to salvation are plain 2. We are frequently and vehemently commanded to delight in it and meditate John 5. 39. Psalm 1. 2. Deut. 6. 11. Psal. 19. 7 8 9 10 11. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Psal. 119. 98 105. 133. 148. Acts 17. 11. Acts 8. in it day and night to search it to teach it our very children speaking of it at home and abroad lying down and rising up and to write it on the posts of our houses and on our doors c. 3. It is suited to the necessity and understanding of the meanest to give light to the simple and to make the very foolish wise 4. The antient Fathers and Christians were all of this mind 5. All the Christian Churches of the world have been used to Read it openly to all even to the simplest And if they may Hear it they may Read the same words which they hear 6. God blessed the ignorant Ethiopian Eunuch when he found him Reading the Scriptures though he knew not the sense of what he read and sent him Philip to instruct him and convert him 7. Timothy was educated in the knowledge of the Scriptures in his childhood 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 15. 4. Mat. 12. 24. 8. That which is written to and for all men may be read by all that can But the Scripture was written to and for all c. Object But there are many things in it hard to be understood Answ.
1. And there are many things easie to be understood 2. We never said that men should not use the help of their Teachers and all that they can to understand it 3. Were not those Teachers once ignorant And yet they did read it by the help of Teachers And so may others 4. As the King for Concord commandeth all the Schoolmasters to teach one Grammar So God makeeth it the Ministers Office to Instruct people in the Scriptures And were it not a question unworthy of a Schoolmaster to dispute Whether the Scholars must learn by their Book or by their Master Yea to conclude that it must be by their Master and not by their Book or that they must never open their Book but when their Master is just at hand to teach them The Doctrine of the Papists who tell us that the Scriptures should not be read by the Vulgar it being the rise of all Heresies is so inhumane and impious as savouring of gross enmity to Scriptures and to knowledge that were there no other it would make the Lovers of Religion and mens souls to pray earnestly to Christ to save his flocks from such seducers who so Jewishly use the Key of Knowledge Object But many wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction and what Heresie is not defended as 2 Pet. 3. 1â— Psal. 19. 3 8 9 10. 2 Tim. 3. 16. â— Pet. 1. 23. by their authority Answ. 1. And many thousands receive saving knowledge and grace by them The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. All Scripture is profitable to instruction c. to make the man of God perfect It is the incorruptible seed by which we are born again and the sincere milk by which we are nourished 2. And is it not as true 1. That the Law of the Land is abused by every false pretender Lawyer and Corrupt Judge What title so bad that is not defended in Westminster Hâ—ll sometimes under pretence of Law And what action so bad that some pretend not Law for What then Must the Law be forbidden the common people for this 2. Nay what is so much abused to unrighteousness and sin as Reason it self What Heresie or Crime do not men plead Reason for Must Reason therefore be forbidden the Vulgar 3. Yea Contrarily this signifieth that Law and Reason are so far from being things to be forbidden men that they are indeed those things by which Nature and Necessity have taught all the world to try and discern right from wrong good from bad Otherwise good and bad men would not all thus agree in pretending to them and appealing to their decisions 4. If many men are poysoned or killed in eating or drinking If many mens eye sight is abused to mislead them unto sin c. the way is not to eat nothing but what is put into our mouths nor to put out our eyes or wink and be led only by a Priest but to use both the more cautiously with the best advise and help that we can get 5. And do not these Deceivers see that their Reason pleadeth as strongly that Priests and Prelates themselves should never read the Scripture and consequently that it should be banished out of the world For who that is awake in the world can be ignorant that it is Priests and Prelates who have been the Leaders of almost all Heresies and Sects who differ in their Expositions and opinions and lead the Vulgar into all the Heresies which they fall into Who then should be forbidden to read the Scripture but Priests and Prelates who wrest them to their own and other mens destruction Quest. 147. How far is Tradition and mens Words and Ministry to be used or trusted in in the exercise of faith Answ. 1. THe Churches and Ministers received the Gospel in Scripture from the Apostles and Heb. 2. 3 4. 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19 20 21. 2 John 1. 1 1 3 4 5. 4. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 2. Titus 1. 5. the Creed as the summary of faith And they delivered it down to others and they to us 2. The Ministers by Office are the Instructers of the people in the meaning of it And the keepers of the Scriptures as Lawyers are of the Laws of the Land Quest. 148. How know we the true Canon of Scripture from Apocrypha Answ. BY these means set together 1. There is for the most part a special venerable excellency in the Books themselves which helpeth us in the distinct reception of them 2. The Tradition of infallible Church History telleth us which Books they are which were written by men inspired by the Holy Ghost and who sealed their Doctrine with Miracles in those times It being but matter of fact which Books such men wrote whom God bear witness to infallible Church History such as we have to know which are the Statutes of the Land and which are counterfeit is a sufficient notification and proof 3. The sanctifying Spirit still in all Ages and Christians attesteth the Divinity and Truth of the Doctrine of the main body of the Bible especially the Gospel And then if we should err about the authority of a particular Book it would not overthrow our Faith It is not necessary to salvation to believe this particular Text to be Divine But it is sin and folly to doubt causelesly of the parts when the Spirit attesteth the Doctrine and the Body of the Book I pass these things briefly because I have largelier handled them elsewhere Quest. 149. Is the publick Reading of the Scripture the proper work of a Minister or may a Lay-man ordinarily do it or another Officer Answ. 1. IN such cases as I before shewed that a Lay-man may preach he may also Read the Scriptures Of which look back 2. No doubt but it is a work well beseeming the ordained Ministers or Pastors and an integral part of their Office and should not be put off by them when they can do it 3. When they need help the Deacons are ordained Ministers authorized to help them in such work and fittest to do it 4. Whether in a case of necessity a Lay-man may not ordinarily Read the Scripture to the Congregation is a Case that I am loth to determine being loth to suppose such a necessity But if the Minister cannot and there be no Deacon I cannot prove it unlawful for a Lay-man to do it under the direction of the Pastor I lived sometime under an old Minister of about eighty years of age who never preached himself whose eye sight failing him and having not maintenance to keep an assistant he did by Memory say the Common-prayer himself and got a Taylor one year and a Thresher or poor day-labourer another year to Read all the Scriptures Whether that were not better than nothing I leave to consideration And I think it is commonly agreed on that where there is no Minister it is better for the people to meet and hear a Lay-man Read the Scriptures and some good Books
than to have no publick helps and Worship Quest. 150. Is it lawful to read the Apocrypha or any good Books besides the Scriptures to the Church as Homilies c. Answ. 1. IT is not lawful to Read them as Gods Word or to pretend them to be the Holy Scriptures for that is a falshood and an addition to Gods Word 2. It is not lawful to read them scandalously in a title and manner tending to draw the people to believe that they are Gods Word or without a sufficient distinguishing of them from the holy Scriptures 3. If any one of the Apocryphal books as Iudith Tobit Bell and the Dragon c. be as fabulous false and bad as our Protestant Writers Reignoldus Amesius Whitakers Chamier and abundance more affirm them to be it is not lawful ordinarily to Read them in that honourable way as Chapters called Lessons are usually read in the assemblies Nor is it lawful so to Read heretical fabulous or erroneous books But it is lawful to Read publickly Apocryphal and humane Writings Homilies or edifying Sermons on these conditions following 1. So be it they be indeed sound doctrine holy and fitted to the peoples edification 2. So be it they be not read scandalously without sufficient differencing them from Gods Book 3. So they be not Read to exclude or hinder the Reading of the Scriptures or any other necessary Church-duty 4. So they be not Read to keep up an ignorant lazy Ministry that can or will do no better nor to exercise the Ministers sloth and hinder him from preaching 5. And specially if Authority command it and the Churches Agreement require it as a signification what doctrine it is which they profess 6. Or if the Churches Necessities require it As if they have no Minister or no one that can do so much to their Edification any other way 7. Therefore the use of Catechisms is confessed lawful in the Church by almost all Quest. 151. May Church Assemblies be held where there is no Minister Or what publick Worship may be so performed by Lay-men As among Infidels or Papists where Persecution hath killed imprisoned or expelled the Ministers Answ. 1. SUch an Assembly as hath no Pastor or Minister of Christ is not a Church in a political sense as the word signifieth a Society consisting of Pastor and flock But it may be a Church in a larger sense as the word signifieth only a Community or Association of private Christians for mutual help in holy things 2. Such an Assembly ought on the Lords dayes and at other fit times to meet together for mutual help and the publick worshipping of God as they may rather than not to meet at all 3. In those meetings they may do all that followeth 1. They may pray together a Lay-man being ☞ the Speaker 2. They may sing Psalms 3. They may Read the Scriptures 4. They may read some holy edifying Writings of Divines or repeat some Ministers Sermons 4. Some that are ablest may speak to the instruction and exhortation of the rest as a Master may do in his family or neighbours to stir up Gods graces in each other as was opened before 5. And some such may Catechize the younger and more ignorant 6. They may by mutual Conference open their cases to each other and communicate what knowledge or experience they have to the praise of God and each others edification 7. They may make a solemn profession of their Faith Covenant and Subjection to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And all this is better than nothing at all But 1. None of them may do any of this as a Pastor Ruler Priest or Office-Teacher of the Church 2. Nor may they Baptize 3. Nor administer the Lords Supper 4. Nor excommunicate by sentence but only executively agree to avoid the notoriously impenitent 5. Nor Absolve Ministerially or as by authority nor exercise any of the power of the Keyes that is of Government 6. And they must do their best to get a Pastor as soon as they are able Quest. 152. Is it lawful to subscribe or profess full Assent and Consent to any Religious Books besides the Scripture seeing all are fallible Answ. 1. IT is not lawful to profess or subscribe that any Book is truer or better than it is or that there is no fault in any that is faulty or to profess that we believe any mortal man to be totally Infallible in all that he shall write or say or impeccable in all that he shall do 2. Because all men are fallible and so are we in judging it is not lawful to say of any large and dubious Books in which we know no fault that there is no fault or error in them we being uncertain and it being usual for the best men even in their best writings prayers or works to be faulty as the consequent or effect of our common culpable imperfection But we may say That we know no fault or error in it if indeed we do not know of any 3. It is lawful to profess or subscribe our Assent and Consent to any humane Writing which we judge to be True and Good according to the measure of its Truth and Goodness As if Church-Confessions that are found be offered us for our Consent we may say or subscribe I hold all the Doctrine in this Book to be true and good And by so doing I do not assert the Infallibility of the Authors but only the Verity of the Writing I do not say that He cannot err or that he never erreth but that he erreth not in this as far as I am able to discern Quest. 153. May we lawfully swear Obedience in all things Lawful and honest either to Usurpers or to our lawful Pastors Answ. 1. IF the question were of Imposing such Oaths I would say that it was many a hundred years before the Churches of Christ either under persecution or in their prosperity and glory did ever know of any such practice as the people or the Presbyters swearing obedience to the Bishops And when it came up the Magistracy Princes and Emperours fell under the feet of the Pope and the Clergy grew to what we see it in the Roman Kingdom called a Church And far should I be from desiring such Oaths to be imposed 2. But the question being only of the Taking such Oaths and not the Imposing of them I say that 1. It is not lawful to swear obedience to an Usurper Civil or Ecclesiastical in licitis honestis Because it is a subjecting our selves to him and an acknowledging that authority which he hath not For we can swear no further to obey the King himself but in things lawful and honest And to do so by an Usurper is an injury to the King and unto Christ. 2. But if the King himself shall command us to swear obedience to a subordinate Civil Usurper he thereby ceaseth to be an Usurper and receiveth authority and it becometh our duty And if he that
Priest and therefore had a Kingdom holily governed and therefore not only a visible but also a National Church supposing that he was not Sem as the Jews and Broughton c. think For the scituation of his Countrey doth make many desert that opinion 5. And Iob and his friends shew that there were Churches then besides the Jews 6. And it is not to be thought that all Ismaels posterity suddenly apostatized 7. Nor that Esau's posterity had no Church state for both retained Circumcision 8. Nor is it like that Abrahams off-spring by Keturah were all apostates being once inchurched For though the special promise was made to Isaac's seed as the peculiar holy Nation c. yet not as the only Children of God or persons in a state of salvation 9. And the passages in Ionah about Ninive It is this Jewish pride of their own prerogatives which Paul so much laboureth in all his Epistles to pull down give us some such intimations also 10. And Iaphet and his seed being under a special blessing it is not like that they all proved Apostates And what was in all other Kingdoms of the World is little known to us We must therefore take heed of concluding as the proud Jews were at last apt to do of themselves that because they were a chosen Nation priviledged above all others that therefore the Redeemer under the Law of Grace made to Adam had no other Churches in the World and that there were none sâ—vâ—d but the Jews and proselytes Quest. 157. Must we think accordingly of the Christian Churches now that they are only advanced above the rest of the World as the Iews were but not the only people that are saved Answ. THis question being fitter for another place what hope there is of the salvation of the people that are not Christians I have purposely handled in another Treatise in my Method Theologiae and shall only say now 1. That those that receive not Christ and the Mark 16 16. Joh. 3. 16 17 18 19 20. Joh. 1. 11 12. Gospel revealed and offered to them cannot be saved 2. That all those shall be saved if such there be who never had sufficient means to know Christ incarnate and yet do faithfully perform the common conditions of the Covenant of Grace as it was made with Adam and Noe And particularly All that are truly sanctified who truly hate all known sin and Love God as God above all as their merciful reconciled pardoning Father and lay up all their hopes in Heaven in the everlasting fruition of him in glory and set their hearts there and for those hopes deny the interest of the flesh and all Psal. 19. 1 2 3 4 5. Act. 10. 2 3 35. Rom. 2. things of this World 3. But how many or who doth this abroad in all the Kingdoms of the World who have not the distinct knowledge of the Articles of the Christian faith it is not possible for us to know 4. But as Aquinas and the Schoolmen ordinarily conclude this question we are sure that the Church hath this prerogative above all others that salvation is incomparably more common to Christians than to any others as their Light and helps and means are more The opinions of Iustin and Clem. Alexandr Origen and many other Ancients of the Heathens salvation I suppose is known In short 1. It seems plain to me that all the World that are no Christians and have not the Gospel are not by Christs incarnation put into a worse condition than they were in before But may be saved on 1 1 Tim. 2. 4. 4. 10. Tit. 2. 11. Joh. 1. 29. Joh. 3. 17. 4. 42. Rom. 1. 21. the same terms that they might have been saved on before 2. That Christs Apostles were in a state of salvation before they believed the Articles of Christs dying for sin his Resurrection Ascension the giving of the Holy Ghost and Christs coming to judgement as they are now to be believed 3. That all the faithful before Christs coming were saved by a more general faith than the 2 Joh. 5. â— c. 9. 12 c. Mat. 16. 22. Joh. 12. 16. Luk. 18. 34. Apostles had as not being Terminated in This person Iesus as the Messiah but only expected the Messiah to come 4. That as more articles are necessary to those that have the Gospel than to those that have it not and to those since Christs Incarnation that hear of him than to the Iews before so before there were more things necessary even to those Iews that had a shorter Creed than that which the Apostles believed 3 Mal. 3. 1 2. Joh. 4. 25. before the Resurrection than was to the rest of the World that had not promises prophecies types and Laws so particular distinct and full as they had 4 Rom. 2. 12 14 26. Luk. 12. 47 48. 16. 10. 5. That the Promises Covenant or Law of Grace was made to all lapsed mankind in Adam and Noe. 6. That this Law or Covenant is still of the same tenour and not repealed 5 Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 9. 1 2 3 4. 7. That this Covenant giveth pardoning mercy and salvation and promiseth Victory over Satan to and by the holy seed 6 Psal. 136. 103. â—7 100. 5. 8. That the condition on mans part is Repentance and faith in God as a merciful God thus pardoning sin and saving the penitent believer But just how particular or distinct their belief of the incarnation of Christ was to be is hard to determine 7 Gen. 3. 15. Jonah 3. 9 10. 4. 2. 9. But after Christs Incarnation even they that know it not yet are not by the first Covenant bound to believe that the Messiah is yet to be incarnate or the Word made flesh For they are not bound 8 Jonah ib. Rom. 2. 4. Luk. 13. 3 5. Act. 10. 35. Joh. 3. 19 20 21. to believe an untruth and that as the condition of salvation 10. Men were saved by Christ about 4000 years before he was man and had suffered satisfied or merited as man 11. The whole course of Gods actual providence since the fall hath so filled the world with mercies contrary to mans demerit that it is an actual universal proclamation of the pardoning Law of 9 1 Joh 4. 2 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Grace which is thereby now become even a Law of nature that is of Lapsed pardoned nature as the first was the natural Law of Innocence 11 Rom. 1. 20. 21. Act. 14. 17. Rom. 2. 15 16. Psal. 19. 1 2 3. Prov. 1. 20 21 22 23. 24. Exod. 34. 6. â—â—â—â— 3. 12. â—â—h 4. 2. Luk. 6. 36. Luk. 18. 13. 12. Christ giveth a great deal of mercy to them that never heard of him or know him And he giveth far more mercy to believers than they have a particular knowledge and belief of 13. There is no salvation but by Christ the saviour of the world Though there be
more mercy from Christ than there is faith in Christ. 14. No man could ever be saved without Believing in God as a merciful pardoning saving God though many have been saved who knew not the person of Christ determinately For he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him who is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him 12 Ps. 145. 9. 〈…〉 4. 10. Rom. 10. 20. 13 Act. 4. 12. Joh. 14. 6. 14 Heb. 11. 6. Act. 10. 35. 2 Thes. 1. 11 12. Jâ—r 10. 25. 〈…〉 10. 12 13 1â— 15. 15. All Nations on Earth that have not the Gospel are obliged by God to the use of certain means 15 Act. 14. 17. 17. 27 28 29 30. Rom. 1. 19 20 21 22. 2. 4 7 10 14 15 16 27. Isa. 55. 6 7. and improvement of certain mercies in order or tendency to their Salvation And it is their sin if they use them not 16. God hath appointed no means in vain which men must either not use or use despairingly But his Command to use any means for any end containeth though not an explicite promise yet great and comfortable encouragement to use that means in hope 17. Therefore the world is now in comparison of the Catholick Church much like what it was before Christs incarnation in comparison of the Jews Church who yet had many wayes great 16 Jonah 4. 2. 3. 10. Act. 10. 35. Mal. 3. 14. Isa. 45. 19. Deut. 32. 47. Mal. 1. 10. Prov. 1. 22 23 24. Gâ—n 4. 7. Rom. 3. Rom. 2. advantage though God was not the God of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles who had a Law written in their hearts and an accusing or excusing Conscience 18. Those over-doing Divines who pretend to be certain that all the World are damned that are not Christians do add to Gods word and are great agents for Satan to tempt men to Infidelity and â—o Athâ—ism it self and to disswade mankind from discerning the Infinite goodness of God and occasion many to deny the Immortality of the soul rather than they will believe that five parts in six of the world now and almost all before Christs incarnation have Immortal souls purposely created in thâ—m to be damned without any propounded means and possibility-natural of râ—tnedy And as I know they will pour out their bitter censure on these lines which I could avoid if I regarded it more than truth so with what measure they mete it shall be measured to them and others will dâ—mn them as confidently as they damn almost all the world And I will be bold to censure that they are UNDOERS of the Church by OVER DOING See more in my Vindication of Gods Goodness Quest. 158. Should not Christians take up with Scripture wisdom only without studying Philosophy and other Heathens humane Learning Answ. I Have already proved the usefulness of common knowledge called Humane Learning by twenty Reasons in my book called The Unreasonableness of Infidelity pag. 163. part 2. sect 23. Prov. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Psal. 92. 5 6. 104. 24 25. 113. 5 6. 107. 8 15 21. Psal. 66. 3. 4. Psal. 111. 2 3 4 5 6. 145. 7 8 9 10 11 17 18 19. Act. 2. 6 7 8 9. 21. 40. 24. 2. 1 Cor. 14. 2 4 9 13 14 19 26 27. Rev. 9. 11. 14. 16. 5. 9. Psal. 19. 1 2 3. 94. 10. 139. 6. Prov. 2. 1 2 3 4. 8. 9 10 12. 1 Cor. 15. 34. Prov. 19. 2. Job 32. 8. 38. 36. Yet I refer the Reader to my Treat of Knowledge which sheweth the Vanâ—ty of pretended Learning to which I refer the Reader And only say now 1. Grace presupposeth Nature We are men in order of nature at least before we are Saints and Reason is before supernatural Revelation 2. Common knowledge therefore is subservient unto faith We must know the Creator and his works And the Redeemer restoreth us to the due knowledge of the Creator Humane Learning in the sense in question is also Divine God is the Author of the light of nature as well as of grace We have more than Heathens but must not therefore have less and cast away the good that is common to them and us Else we must not have souls bodies reason health time meat drink cloaths c. because Heathens have them Gods works are honourable sought out of all them that have pleasure therein And physical Philosophy is nothing but the knowledge of Gods works 3. And the knowledge of Languages is necessary both for humane converse and for the understanding of the Scriptures themselves The Scriptures contain not a Greek and Hebrew Grammar to understand the language in which they are written but suppose us otherwise taught those tongues that we may interpret them 4. The use of the Gospel is not to teach us all things needful to be known but to teach us on supposition of our common knowledge how to advance higher to supernatural saving knowledge â—aith Love and practice Scripture telleth us not how to build a house to plow sow weave or make our works of art Every one that learneth his Countrey tongue of his Parents hath humane Learning of the same sort with the learning of Greek and Hebrew He that learneth not to read cannot read the Bible And he that understandeth it not in the Original tongues must trust other mens words that have Humane Learning or else remain a stranger to it But though none but proud fools will deny the need of that humane Learning which improveth Col. 2. 8 9 23. 1 Cor. 2. 1 4 5 6 13. 3. 19. 2 Cor. â— 12. â—ob 28. 28. Prov. 1. 7. 9. 10. Joh. 17. 3. Gal. 4. 9. Eph. 3. 10. 1 Joh. 2. 13 14. Col. 1. 9 27 28. Eph. 6. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 11. Col. 3. 16. nature and is subservient to our knowledge of supernatural Revelations yet well doth Paul admonish us to take heed that none deceive us by vain Philosophy and faith that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God and that the knowledge of Christ Crucified is the true Christian Philosophy or Wisdom For indeed the dark Philosophers groping after the knowledge of God did frequently stumble and did introduce abundance of Logical and Physical vanities uncertainties and â—alsities under the name of Philosophy by meer niceties and high pretendings seeking for the glory of wisdom to themselves when as it is one thing to know Gods works and God in them and another thing to compose a systeme of Physicks and Metaphysicks containing abundance of errours and confusion and jumbling a few certainties with a great many uncertainties and untruths and every sect pulling down what others asserted and all of them disproving the methods and assertions of others and none proving their
14. Tit. 3. 3 5 6. 2. 13 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. Exod. 19. 6. Rom. 1. 1 2. 1 Cor. 3. 17. 7. 14. Zech. 2. 12. Hag. 2. 12. Luk. 1. 70 72. Ezr. 8. 28. 9. 2. Numb 31. 6. Numb 6. 8 20. Lev. 16. 4 33. Exod. 29. 6 33. Psal. 89. 20. Numb 35. 25. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 58. 13. Psal. 42. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 18 21. Psal. 87. 1. Num. 5. 17. Exod. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 21. 5. Neh. 8. 9 10 11. infinite is the distance between God and us that whatever is His in a special sense or separated to his use is called Holy And that is 1. Persons 2. Things 1. Persons are either 1. In general devoted to his Love and Service 2. Or specially devoted to him in some special office Which is 1. Ecclesiastical 2. Oâ—conomical 3. Political Those devoted to his general service are 1. Either Heartily and sincerely so devoted who are ever sanctified in the first Real sense also or only by word and outward profession 2. Things devoted to God are 1. Some by his own immediate choice designation and command 2. Or by general directions to man to do it And these are 1. Some things more Nâ—erly some things more Remotely separated to him None of these must be confounded And so we must conclude 1. All that shall be saved are Really Holy by a Divine Inclination and nature and Actual exercise thereof and Relatively Holy in a special sense as thus devoted and separated to God 2. All the Baptized and professors not apostate are Relatively Holy as verbally devoted and separated to God 3. All that are Ordained to the Sacred Ministry are Relatively Holy as devoted and separated to that office And the well qualified are also really Holy as their qualifications are either special or common 4. All that are duly called of God to the Place of Kings and Iudges and Rulers of families are Relatively Sacred as their offices and they are of God and for him and devoted to him 5. Temples and other utensils designed by God himself are Holy as Related to him by that designation 6. Temples Utensils Lands c. devoted and lawfully separated by man for holy uses are Holy as justly Related to God by that lawful separation To say as some do that They are indeed consecrated and separated but not Holy is to be ridiculously wise by self-contradiction and the masterly use of the word Holy contrary to custome and themselves 7. Ministers are more Holy than Temples Lands or Utensils as being neerlier related to holy things And things separated by God himself are more holy than those justly separated by man And so of dayes 8. Things Remotely devoted to God are Holy in their distant place and measure As the Meat Drink House Lands Labours of every Godly man who with himself devoteth all to God But this being more distant is yet a remoter degree of Holiness II. Every thing should be Reverenced according to the measure of its Holiness And this expressed Uncovered in Church and Reverent gestures by such signes gestures actions as are fittest to Honour God to whom they are Related And so to be uncovered in Church and use Reverent carriage and gestures there doth tend to preserve due Reverence to God and to his Worship 1 Cor. 16. 20. Quest. 171. What is Sacriledge and what not Answ. I. SAcriledge is Robbing God by the unjust alienation of holy things And it is measured Rom. 2. 22. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. Heb. 6. 6 7. Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. â—ev 19. 8. Heb. 12. 16. Act. 5. 5 c. â—zek 22. 26. 42. 20. 44. 23. according as things are diversified in Holiness as 1. The greatest Sacriledge is a prophane unholy alienating a person to the flâ—sh and the world from God and his Love and his service who by Baptism was devoted to him And so all wicked Christians are grosly Sacrilegious 2. The next is alienating consecrated persons from the sacred work and office by deposing Kings or by unjust silencing or suspending true Ministers or their casting off Gods work themselves This is far greater sacriledge than alienating Lands or Utensils 3. The next is the unjust alienating of Temples Utensils Lands dayes which were separated by God himself 4. And next such as were justly consecrated by man as is aforesaid in the degrees of Holiness II. It is not Sacriledge 1. To cease from the Ministry or other holy service when sickness disability of body or violence utterly disable us 2. Nor to alienate Temples Lands goods or utensils when providence maketh it needful to the Churches good so the fire in London hath caused a diminution of the number of Churches so some Bishops of old sold the Church plate to relieve the poor And some Princes have sold some Church Lands to save the Church and state in the necessities of a lawful war Matth. 12. 5. 3. It is not Sacriledge to alienate that which man devoted but God accepted not nor owned as appropriate to him which his prohibition of such a dedication is a proof of As if a man devote his wife to chastity or his Son to the Ministry against their wills or if a man Vow himself to the Ministry that is unable and hath no call or if so much Lands or goods be consecrated as is superfluous useless and injurious to the common wellfare and the state Alienation in these cases is no sin Quest. 172. Are all Religious and private meetings forbidden by Rulers unlawful Conventicles Or are any such necessary Answ. THough both such Meetings and our Prisons tell us how greatly we now differ about this point in the application of it to persons and our present case yet I know no difference in the doctrinal resolution of it among most sober Christians at all which makes our case strange For ought I know we are agreed I. 1. That it is more to the honour of the Church and of Religion and of God and more to our Psal. 1. 2 4 5. 22. 25. 35. 18. 40. 9 10. Act. 28. last Heb. 10. 25. Act. 20. 7. 1. 15. 2. 44 1 Cor. 14. 23. safety and edification to have Gods Worship performed solemnly publickly and in great assemblies than in a corner secretly and with few 2. That it is a great mercy therefore where the Rulers allow the Church such publick Worship 3. That caeteris paribus all Christians should prefer such publick worship before private And no private meetings should be kept up which are opposite or prejudicial to such publick meetings 4. And therefore if such meetings or any that are unnecessary to the ends of the Ministry the service of God and good of souls be forbidden by Lawful Rulers they must be forborn II. But we are also agreed 1. That it is not the Place but the presence of the true Pastors and 1 Cor. 16. 19. Rom. 16. 5. Act.
12. 12. Col. 4. 15. people that make the Church 2. That God may be acceptably Worshipped in all places when it is our duty 3. That the ancient Churches and Christians in times of persecutions ordinarily met in secret against the Rulers wills and their meetings were called Conventicles and slandered which occasioned Pliny's examination and the right he did them 4. That no Minister must forsake and give over his work while there is need and he can do it Mat. 18. 20. 1 Cor. 9. 10. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. Act. 4. 19. See Dr. Hammoâ—d in ioc 1 Tim. 2. 8. Act. 8. 4. 1 Joh. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Hâ—b 10. 25. 5. That where there are many thousands of ignorant and ungodly persons and the publick Ministers either through their paucity proportioned to the people or their disability or unwillingness or negligence or all are insufficient for all that publick and private Ministerial work which God hath appointed for the instruction perswasion and salvation of such necessitous souls there is need of more Ministerial help 6. That in cases of real not counterfeit necessity they that are hindered from exercising their Ministerial Office publickly should do it privately if they have true Ordination and the call of the peoples necessity desire and of opportunity so be it they do it in that peaceable orderly and quiet manner as may truly promote the interest of Religion and detract not from the lawful publick Ministry and work 7. That they that are forbidden to Worship God publickly unless they will commit some certain See much of this case handled before Q. 109. and Q. 110. sin are so prohibited as that they ought not to do it on such terms 8. That the private meetings which are held on these forementioned terms in such cases of necessity are not to be forsaken though prohibited Though still the honour of the Magistrate is to be preserved and obedience given him in all Lawful things And such Meetings are not sinful nor dishonourable to the assemblers For as Tertullian and Dr. Heylin after him saith Cum pii cum boni cocunt non factio dicenda est sâ—d curia When pious and good people meet especially as aforesaid it is not to be called a faction but a Court. Thus far I think we all agree And that the Church of England is really of this mind is certain 1. In that they did Congregate in private themselves in the time of Cromwells Usurpation towards the end when he began to restrain the use of the Common Prayer 2. In that they wrote for it see Dr. Hide of the Churcâ— in the beginning 3. Because both in the reign of former Princes since the Reformation and to this day many laborious conforming Ministers have still used to repeat their Sermons in their Houses where many of the people came to hear them 4. Because the Liturgie alloweth private Baptism and restraineth not any number from being present nor the Minister from instructing them in the use of Baptism which is the sum of Christianity 5. Because the Liturgie commandeth the visitation of the sick and alloweth the Minister there to pray and instruct the person according to his own ability about Repentance faith in Christ and preparation for death and the life to come and forbiddeth not the friends and neighbours of the sick to be present 6. Because the Liturgie and Canons allow private Communion with the sick lame or aged that cannot come to the assembly where the nature of that holy work is to be opened and the Eucharistical work to be performed And some must be present and the number not limited 7. And as these are express testimonies that all private meetings are not disallowed by the Church of England so there are other instances of such natural necessity as they are not to be supposed to be against As 1. For a Captain to Pray and read Scripture or good Books and sing Psalms with his Souldiers and with Marriners at Sea when they have no Minister 2. There are many thousands and hundred thousands in England that some live so far from Church and some are so weak that they can seldome go and some Churches have not room for a quarter of the Parish and none of the thousands now meant can read and so neither can help themselves nor have a Minister that will do it And thousands that when they have heard a Sermon cannot remember it but lose it presently If these that cannot Read or Remember nor teach their own families nor go to Church do take their Families many of them to some one Neighbours house where the Sermon is repeated or the Bible or Liturgie read methinks the Church should not be against it But it must be still remembred that 1. Rulers that are Infidels Papists Hereticks or persecutors that restrain Church-meetings to the injury of mens souls must be distinguisht from pious Princes that only restrain Hereticks and real Schismaticks for the Churches good 2. And that times of Heresie and Schism may make private meetings more dangerous than quiet times And so even the Scottish Church forbad private meetings in the Separatists dayes of late And when they do more hurt than good and are justly forbidden no doubt in that case it is a duty to obey and to forbear them as is aforesaid Quest. 173. What particular Directions for Order of Studies and Books should be observed by young Students § 1. BEcause disorder is so great a disadvantage to young Students and because many have importuned me to name them some few of the best Books because they have no Time to read nor money to buy many I shall here answer these two demands § 2. I. The Order of their studies is such as respecteth their whole lives or such as respecteth every Day It is the first which I now intend § 3. Direct 1. The knowledge of so much of Theologie as is necessary to your own Duty and Salvation is the first thing which you are to learn when you have learnt to speak Children have souls to save and their Reason is given them to use for their Creators service and their salvation 1. They can never begin to Learn that too soon which they were made and Redeemed to Learn and which their whole lives must be employed in practising And that which absolute Necessity requireth and without which there is no salvation 3. And that which must tell a man the only ultimate end which he must intend in all the moral actions of his life For the right Intention of our end is antecedent to all right use of means And till this be done a man hath not well begun to Live nor to use his Reason nor hath he any other work for his Reason till this be first done He liveth but in a continual sin that doth not make God and the publick good and his salvation his end Therefore they that would not have Children begin with Divinity would have them
that is said by all others But though one man excell in one or many respects another may excell him in some particulars and say that which he omitteth or mistaketh in 3. But especially because many errors and adversaries have many Books necessary to some for to know what they say and to know how to confute them especially the Papists whose way is upon pretence of Antiquity and Universality to carry every Controversie into a Wood of Church History and antient Writers that there you may first be lost and then they may have the finding of you And if you cannot answer every corrupted or abused Citation of theirs out of Councils and Fathers they triumph as if they had justified their Church-tyranny 4. And the very subjects that are to be understood are numerous and few men write of all 5. And on the same subject men have several Modes of Writing As one excelleth in accurate Method and another in clear convincing argumentation and another in an affectionate taking style And the same Book that doth one cannot well do the other because the same style will not do it Object But the antient Fathers used not so many Books as we do no not one for our hundreds And yet we honour them above the Neotericks They lived before these Libraries had a being Yea they exhort Divines to be learned in the holy Scriptures and the fourth Council of Carthage forbad the reading of the Heathens Books And many Hereticks are accused by the Fathers and Historians as being studied in Logick and curious in common Sciences And Paul saith that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation Answ. 1. And yet the New Testament was written or most of it after Paul said so which sheweth that he meant not to exclude more writing 2. The Scriptures are sufficient for their proper use which is to be a Law of Faith and Life if they be understood But 1. They are not sufficient for that which they were never intended for 2. And we may by other Books be greatly helpt in understanding them 3. If other Books were not needful Teachers were not needful For Writing is but the most advantagious way of Teaching by fixed Characters which flye not from our memory as transient words do And who is it that understandeth the Scriptures that never had a Teacher And why said the Eunuch How should I understand what I read unless some man guide me Acts 8. 31. And why did Christ set Teachers in his Church to the end till it be perfected Eph. 4. 11 12 13. if they must not Teach the Church unto the end Therefore they may write unto the end 4. Reverence to Antiquity must not make us blind or unthankful Abundance of the Fathers were unlearned men and of far less knowledge than ordinary Divines have now And the chief of them were far short in knowledge of the chiefest that God of late hath given us And how should it be otherwise when their helps were so much less than ours 5. Knowledge hath abundantly encreased since Printing was invented Therefore Books have been a means to it 6. The Fathers then wrote voluminously Therefore they were not against more writing 7. Most of the Bishops and Councils that cryed down Common Learning had little of it themselves and therefore knew not how to judge of it no more than good men now that want it 8. They lived among Heathens that gloried so in their own Learning as to oppose it to the Word of God as may be seen in Iulian and Porphyry and Celsus Therefore Christians opposed it and contemned it and were afraid while it was set in competition with the Scriptures lest it should draw men to Infidelity if overvalued 9. And finally the truth is that the sacred Scriptures are now too much undervalued and Philosophy much overvalued by many both as to Evidence and Usefulness And a few plain certain truths which all our Catechisms contain well pressed and practised would make a better Church and Christians than is now to be found among us all And I am one that after all that I have written do heartily wish that this were the ordinary state of our Câ—urches But yet by Accident much more is needful as is proved 1. For the â—uller understâ—nding of these principles 2. For the defending of them especially by those that are called to that work 3. To keep a Minister from that Contempt which may else frustrate his labours 4. And to be ornamental and subservient to the substantial Truths And now I will answer the Question more Particularly in this order I. I will name you the Poorest or Smallest Library that is tolerable II. The Poorer though not the poorest where a competent addition is made III. The Poor mans Library which yet addeth somewhat to the former but cometh short of a Rich and Sumptuous Library I. THe Poorest Library is 1. The Sacred Bible 2. A Concordance Downames the least or Newmans the best 3. A sound Commentary or Annotations either Diodates the English Annotations or the Dutch 4. Some English Catechisms the Assemblies two Mr. Gouges Mr. Crooks Guide Amesius his Medulla Theologiae Casus Conscientiae which are both in Latin and English and his Bellarminus Enervatus 5. Some of the soundest English Books which open the Doctrine of Grace Justification and Free-will and Duty as Mr. Truman's Great Propiâ—iation Mr. Bradshaw of Iustification Mr. Gibbons Sermon of Iustification in the Morning Exercises at St. Giles in the Fields Mr. Hochkis of Forgiveness of Sin 6. As many Affectionate Practical English Writers as you can get Especially Mr. Richard Allens Works Mr. Gournall's Dr. Preston Dr. Sibbes Mr. Robert Bolton Mr. Whateley Mr. Râ—yner Mr. Scudder Mr. T. Ford Mr. How of Blessedness Mr. Swinocke Mr. Gouges The Practice of Piety The Whole Duty of Man Dr. Hammonds Practical Catechism Dr. Pierson on the Creed Dr. Downame on the Lords Prayer Mr. Dod on the Commandments Bishop Andrewes on the Commandments Mr. Io. Brinsleyes True Watch Mr. Greenhams Works Mr. Hildershams Works Mr. Anthony Burges Works Mr. Perkins Works Dr. Harris Works Mr. Burroughs Mr. Thomas Hooker Mr. Pinkes Sermons Io. Downames Christian Warfare Richard Rogers Iohn Rogers of Faith and Love Dr. Stoughton Dr. Thomas Tailor Mr. Elâ—on Mr. Daniel Dike Ieremy Dike Mr. Io. Ball of Faith of the Covenant c. Culverwell of Faith Mr. Ranew Mr. Teate Mr. Shaw Mr. Rawlet Mr. Ianoway Mr. Vincent Mr. Doâ—little Mr. Samuel Wards Sermons Mr. W. Fenner Mr. Ruâ—herfords Letters Mr. Ioseph Allens Life and Letters and Treatise of Conversion Mr. Samuel Clarks Lives and his Martyrologie The Morning Exercises at St. Giles Cripplegate and at St. Giles in the Fields Mr. Benjamin Bâ—xters Sermons Mr. George Hopkins Salvation from Sin Dr. Edward Reignolds Mr. Meades Works Mr. Vines Sermons Henry Smith Samuel Smith Tho. Smith Mr. Strong Ios. Simonds as many of them as you can get 7. And for all other Learning Alstedius his Encyclopaedia
be so in seriousness and not hypocrisie and jeast It being no such small contemptible matter to be turned into dissembling complement § 8. Memorand 8. Endeavour the Unity and Concord of all the Churches and Christians that are Memor 8. under your Government and that upon the terms which all Christs Churches have sometime been united in that is In the Holy Scriptures implicitly as the General Rule In the ancient Creeds explicitly as the sum of our Credenda and in the Lords Prayer as the summary of our Expetenda and in the Decalogue as the summary of our Agenda supposing that we live in peaceable Obedience to our Governours whose Laws must rule us not only in things Civil but in the Ordering of those circumstances of Worship and discipline which God hath left to their determination § 9. Memorand 9. Let all things in Gods Worship be done to Edification decently and in Order Memor 9. and the body honour God as well as the soul But yet see that the Ornaments or garments of Religion be never used against the substance but that Holiness Unity Charity and Peace have alway the precedency § 10. Memorand 10. Let the fear of sinning against God be cherished in all and let there be Memor 10. a tenderness for such as are over scrupulous and fearful in some smaller things and let not things August Ep. â—o isaâ— Omnes Reges qui populo Dei non prohibuerunt nec everterunt quae contra Dei praecepta fuerunt instituta culpantur Qui prohibuerunt everterunt super aliorum merita laudantur be ordered so as shall most tend to the advantage of debauched Consciences that dare say or do any thing for their carnal ends For they are truest to their Governours that are truest to their God And when it is the wrath of God and Hell that a man is afraid of it is pity he should be too eagerly spurred on The unconscionable sort will be true to their Governours no longer than it serves their interest Therefore Conscientiousness should be encouraged § 11. Memorand 11. If the Clergy or most Religious people offend let their punishment be such Memor 11. as falleth only on themselves and reacheth not Christ nor the Gospel nor the Church Punish When Hunnerichus the Arrian Vandal King was resolved to banish imprison and otherwise persecute the Orthodox Bishops and Pastors he first tryeth them by threatnings and divers cruelties and after appointeth a publick Disputation where his Bishops and Officers having no better pretence cruelly beat the people and Pastors and then falsly tell the King that by tumult and clamour they avoided disputing And at last he calleth together all the Pastors that were met for the disputation and to ensnare them putteth an Oath upon them that after the Kings death they would take his Son for their King and that they would send no Letters beyond Sea This Oath divided the Orthodox among themselves For one part of the Bishops and Pastors said If we refuse a Lawful Oath our people will say that we forsake them and the dissolution oâ— the Churches will be imputed to â—s The other part perceiving the snare were fain to pretend Christs command Swear not at all The King having separated them and the Officers took all their names sendeth them all to prison To those that took the Oath they said Because that contrary to the command of the Gospel you would swear you shall see your Cities and Churches no more but be sent into the Countrey to till the ground but so that you presume not to sing Psalms or Pray or carty a Book or Baptize or Ordain or absolve To those that refused the Oath they said Because you desired not the Reign of the Kings Son and therefore refused the Oath you shall be banished to the Isle of Corsica to cut Wood for the Ships Victor Utic p. mihi 456 457. Generalis Jesuitarum ex nimio absoluti imperii amore delâ—turas in sciâ—nia sua admittit iisque credit non audito eo qui accusatur quod injustitiae genus ab ethnicis ipsis improbatur Imperando non bonis Regibus se facit similem qui senatum magni fecerunt sed Tyrannos mavult imitari e. g. Tarquinium superbum qui ante omnia conatus est debilitare senatus numerum authoritatem ut omnia suo libitu facere posset similiter Generalis cum Assistenâ—ibus suis odit synodos generales omniaque experitur ne tales instituantur conventus quibus rerum gesâ—arum reddere rationem necesse habeat Generalis Jesuit in eligendis officialibus non curat quod sit cujusque talentum aut dotes eminentiores sed quam benè secum aut cum Provinciali suo CONFORMETUR quae causa est â—uâ— homines viles abjecti animi officiis praeponantur qui à superioribus duci se sinant ut nervis alienis mobile ligâ—um Mariana de Refor Iesuit c. 13 15 16 18. in Arcan Iâ—sâ—it p. 131 132. recit in Apoloâ— Giraldi Nulla est latronum societatas in qua Justitia non plus loci habeat quam in societate nostra c. Ubi non modo scientia ignorantia in aequo sunt sed etiam scientia impedimento est quo minus quis consequatur praemia humano aâ— diuino jure debita Marian. Aphor. 84. c. 12. c. 14 89. Aph. 87 c. The rest is worth the reading as a warning from a Jesuite to the Governours of State and Church Aph. 80. c. 11. Superiores societatis nostrae sunt homines indigni qui officiis praesint cum Generalis metuat ac sublatos velit quorum eminentes sunt virtutes Boni quam mali ei suspectiores sunt This and abundance more saith Mariana a Jesuite of 96 years of age learned in Hebrew Chaldee Syriack Greek and Latine of his own Society not Christ for his servants failings nor the Gospel for them that sin against it nor the souls of the people for their Pastors faults But see that the interest of Christ and mens souls be still secured § 12. Memorand 12. If the dissentions of Lawyers or States-men make factions in the Common-wealth Memor 12. let not the fault be laid on Religion though some Divines fall into either faction When the difference is not in Divinity but in Law Cases blame not Religion for that which it hath no hand in And watch against Satan who alway laboureth to make Civil factions or differences tend to the dishonour of Religion and the detriment of the Church and Gospel § 13. Memorand 13. Take those that are Covetous ambitious or selfish and seek for preferment Memor 13. to be the unfittest to be consulted with in the matters of Religion and the unfittest to be trusted with the charge of souls And let the humble mortified self-denying men be taken as fitter Pastors for the Churches § 14. Memorand 14. Side not with any faction of contentious
him Heb. 13. 7. 17. And if the governing power of one Pastor be not suspended for want of the consent of any or all the people then much less the Governing Power of King and Parliament § 20. Object 9. Lib. 8. p. 220. It is a thing even undoubtedly natural that all free and independent Object 9. societies should themselves make their own Laws and that this power should belong to the whole not to any certain part of a politick body Answ. This is oft affirmed but no proof at all of it In many Nations the Representatives of the whole Body have the Legislative power or part of it But that is from the special constitution of that particular Common-wealth and not from Nature nor common to all Nations All that naturally belongeth to the people as such was but to choose their Law-makers and secure their liberties and not to make Laws themselves by themselves or meer representers § 21. Object 10. Lib. 8. p. 221. For of this thing no man doubteth namely that in all societies Object 10. Companies and Corporations what severally each shall be bound unto it must be with all their assents ratified Against all equity it were that a man should suffer detriment at the hands of men for not observing that which he never did either by himself or by others mediately or immediately agree to Answ. I am one that more than doubt of that which you say no man doubteth of Do you not Answ. so much as except Gods Laws and all those that only do enforce them or drive men to obey them As men are obliged to obey God whether they consent or not so are they to obey the Laws of their Soveraigns though they never consented to them no nor to their Soveraignty as long as they are members of that Common-wealth to the Government whereof the Soveraign is lawfully called Millions of dissenters may be bound to obey till they quit the Society § 22. Object 11. Lib. 8. p. 205. If Magistrates be Heads of the Church they are of Necessity Object 11. Christians Answ. That can never be proved A Constitutive Head indeed must be a Christian and more even Answ. a Pastor to a particular Church and Christ to the universal This Headship our Kings disclaim But a Head of the Church that is Over the Church or a Coercive Governour of it the King would be if he were no Christian. As one that is no Physicion may be Head over all the Physicions in his Kingdom or though he be no Philosopher or Artist he may be Head over all the Philosophers and Artists and in all their Causes have the Supream Coercive power so would the King over all Protestants if he were no Protestant and over all Christians if he were no Christian But you think that he that is no member of the Church cannot be the Head of it I answer Not a Constitutive Essential Head as the Pastor is But he may be the Head over it and have all the coercive power over it What if the King be not a member of many Corporations in his Kingdom Yet as he is Head of the Kingdom he is Head of or over them as they are parts of it § 23 Object 12. Lib. 8. p. 218 223 224. What power the King hath he hath it by Law Object 12. the bounds and limits of it are known the entire community giveth order c. p. 223. As for them that exercise power altogether against order although the kind of power which they have may be of God yet is their exercise thereof against God and therefore not of God otherwise than by permission as all injustice is Pag. 224. Usurpers of Power whereby we do not mean them that by violence have aspired unto places of highest authority but them that use more authority than they did ever receive in form and manner before mentioned Such Usurpers thereof as in the exercise of their power do more than they have been authorized to do cannot in conscience bind any man to obedience Answ. It is true that no man can exercise more power than he hath The power that we speak Answ. of being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ius regendi it is impossible to use more Authority than they have though they may command beyond and without authority And it is true that where a man hath no authority or right to command he cannot directly bind to obedience But yet a Ruler may exercise more power than Man ever gave him and oblige men to obedience thereby God giveth them Power to Govern for his Glory according to his Laws and to promote Obedience to those Laws of God in Nature and Scripture by subordinate Laws of their own And all this the Soveraign may do if the people at the choice of him or his family should only say We take you for our Soveraign Ruler For then he may do all that true Reason or Scripture make the work of a Soveraign Ruler even Govern the people by all such just means as tend to the publick good and their everlasting happiness And yet that people that should do no more but choose persons or families to Govern them and set them no bounds doth Give no Power to those they choose but determine of the persons that shall have power from God Yet it is granted you that if the person or family chosen contract with them to Govern only with such and such limitations they have bound themselves by their own contract and thus both specifications of Government and Degrees of power come in by men But alwayes distinguish 1. Between the peoples Giving away their Propriety in their Goods Labours c. which they may do and giving Authority or Governing power which they have not Potestas Maritalis est à Deo applicatio ejus potestatis ad certam personam ex consensu venit quo tamen ipsum jus non datur Nam si ex consensâ—â— daretur posset consensu etiam dissolvi matrimonium aut conveniri ne maritus foeminae imperaret Quid minime verum est Imperatoria potestas non est penes Electores ergo nec ab ipsis datur sed ab ipsis tamen certae personae applicatur Jus vitae necis non est peneâ— cives antequam in rempublicam coeant Privatus enim jus vindictae non habet ab iisâ—â—em tamen applicatur ad coetum ant personam aliquam Grotius de Imperiâ— p. 270. to give 2. Between their Naming the persons that shall receive it from the Universal King and Giving it themselves 3. Between bounding and limiting Power and Giving Power 4. And between a Soveraigns binding himself by contract and being bound by the Authority of others If they be limited by contracts which are commonly called the Constitutive or fundamental Laws it is their own consent and contract that effectively obligeth and limiteth them of which indeed the Peoples will may be the Occasion when they resolve that they
Consider the great temptations of the Rich and great and pity them that stand Direct 16. in so dangerous a station instead of murmuring at them or envying their greatness You little know what you should be your selves if you were in their places and the world and the flesh had so great a stroke at you as they have at them He that can swim in a calmer water may be carryed down a violent stream It is harder for that bird to fly that hath many pound weights tyed to keep her down than that which hath but a straw to carry to her nest It is harder mounting Heaven-wards with Lordships and Kingdoms than with your less impediments Why do you not pity them that stand on the top of barren mountains in the stroke of every storm and wind when you dwell in the quiet fruitful vales Do you envy them that must go to Heaven as a Camel through a needles eye if ever they come there And are you discontented that you are not in their conâ—â—tion will you rebel and fight to make your salvation as difficult as theirs Are you so unthankful to God for your safer station that you murmur at it and long to be in the more dangerous place § 40. Direct 17. Pray constantly and heartily for the spiritual and corporal welfare of your Governours Direct 17. And you have reason to believe that God who hath commanded you to put up such prayers will not suffer them to be wholly lost but will answer them some way to the benefit of them that perform the duty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. And the very performance of it will do us much good of it self For it will keep the heart well disposed to our Governours and keep out all sinful desires of their hurt or controll them and cast them out if they come in Prayer is the exercise of Love and good desires And exercise increaseth and confirmeth habits If any ill wishes against your Governours should stâ—al into your minds the next time you pray for them conscience will accuse you of hypocrisie and either the sinful desires will corrupt or end your Prayers or else your prayers will cast out those ill desires Certainly the faithful fervent prayers of the Righteous do prevail much with God And things would go better than they do in the world if we prayed for Rulers as heartily as we ought § 41. Obj. For all the prayers of the Church five parts of six of the World are yet Idolaters Heathens Object Infidels and Mahometans And for all the prayers of the Reformed Churches most of the Christian part of the world are drowned in Popery or gross ignorance and superstition and the poor Greek Churches have Mahometane or tyrannical Governours and carnal proud usurping Prelates domineer over the Roman Church and there are but three Protestant Kings on the whole earth And among the Israelites themselves who had Priests and Prophets to pray for their Princes a good King was so rare that when you have named five or six over Judah and never a one after the division over Israel you scarce know where to find the rest What good then do your Prayers for Kings and Magistrates Answ. 1. As I said before they keep the hearts of subjects in an obedient holy frame 2. Were Answ. it not for prayers those few good ones would be fewer or worse than they are and the bad ones might be worse or at least do more hurt to the Church than they now do 3. It is not to be expected that all should be granted in kind that believers pray for For then not only Kings but all the world should be converted and saved For we should pray for every one But God who knoweth best how to distribute his mercies and to honour himself and refine his Church by the malice and persecution of his enemies will make his peoples prayers a means of that measure of good which he will do for Rulers and by them in the world And that 's enough to encourage us to pray 4. And indeed if when Proud ungodly worldlings have sold their souls by wicked means to climb up into places of power and command and domineer over others the Prayers of the faithful should Obj. Si id jâ—ris obâ—ineat status religionis eâ—â—t instabilis Mutato regis animo religio muta bitur presently convert and save them all because they are Governours this would seem to charge God with respect of persons and defect of Justice and would drown the world in wickedness treasons bloodshed and confusion by encouraging men by flatteries or treacheries or murders to usurp such places in which they may both gratifie their lusts and after save their souls while the godly are obliged to pray them into Heaven It is no such hearing of prayers for Governours which God hath promised 5. And yet I must observe that most Christians are so cold and formal in their Prayers for the Rulers of the world and of the Church that we have great reason to impute the unhappiness Resp. Unicum hic solatium in Divina est providentia Omnium animos Deus in potestate sua habet sed speciali quodam modo Cor Regis in manu Domini Deus per bonos per malos Reges opus suum operatur Interdum tranquillitas interdum tempestas ecclesiae utilior Nempe si pius est qui imperat si diligens lector sacrae scripturae si assiduus in precibus si Ecclesiae Catholicae reverens si peritos attente audiens multum per illum proficit veritas Sin distorto est corrupto judicio pejus id ipsi cedit quam ecclesiae Nam ipsum grave manet judicium Regis ecclesiae qui ecclesiam inultam non sinet Grotius de Impeâ— p. 210. Joh. 18. 36. of Governours very much to their neglect Almost all men are taken up so much with their own concernments that they put off the publick concernments of the world and of the Church and State with a few customary heartless words and understand not the meaning of the three first Petitions of the Lords Prayer and the Reason of their precedency or put them not up with that feeling as they do the other three If we could once observe that the generality of Christians were more earnest and importunate with God for the Hallowing of his name through all the world and the coming of his Kingdom and the obeying of his will in Earth as it is in Heaven and the Conversion of the Kings and Kingdoms of the world than for any of their personal concernments I should take it for a better prognostick of the happiness of Kings and Kingdoms than any that hath yet appeared in our dayes And those that are taken up with the expectations of Christs visible reign on earth would find it a more lawful and comfortable way to promote his Government thus by his own appointed officers than to rebell against Kings and seek
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
Quest. 7. Answ. No not by private assault or violence But if the crime be so great that the Law of the Land doth punish it with death if that Law be just you may in some cases seek to bring the offendor to publick justice But that is rare and otherwise you may not do it For 1. It belongeth only to the Magistrate and not to you to be the avenger 2. And killing a man can be no meet defence against calumny or slander For if you will kill a man for prevention you kill the innocent If you kill him afterward it is no Defence but an unprofitable revenge which vindicateth not your honour but dishonoureth you more Your patience is your honour and your bloody revenge doth shew you to be so like the Devil the destroyer that it is your greatest shame 3. It is odious Pride which maketh men over-value their reputation among men and think that a mans life is a just compensation to them for their dishonour Such bloody Sacrifices are fit to appâ—ase only the blood-thirsty Spirit But what is it that Pride will not do and justifie CHAP. XI Special Directions to escape the guilt of persecuting Determining also the case about Liberty in matters of Religion THough this be a subject which the guilty cannot endure to hear of yet the misery of persecutors the blood and grones and ruines of the Church and the lamentable divisions of profâ—ssed Christians do all command me not to pass it by in silence but to tell them the truth whether they will hear or whether they will forbear though they were such as Ezek. 3. 7 8 9 11. § 1. Direct 1. If you would escape this dreadful guilt Understand well what Persecution is Else Direct 1. you may either run into it ignorantly or oppose a duty as if it were persecution § 2. The Verb Persequor is often taken in a good sence for no more than continuato motu vel ad extremum sequor and sometime for the blameless prosecution of a delinquent But we take it here as the English word Persecute is most commonly taken for inimico affectu insequor for a malicious or injurious hurting or prosecuting another and that for the sake of Religion or Righteousness For it is not common injuries which we here intend to speak of Three things then go to make up Persecution 1. That it be the Hurting of another in his Body liberty relations estate or reputation 2. That it be done injuriously to one who deserveth it not in the particular which is the cause 3. That it be for the cause of Religion or of Righteousness that is for the Truth of God which we hold or utter or for the worship of God which we perform or for obedience to the will of God revealed in his Laws This is the cause on the sufferers part what ever is intended by the Persecuter § 3. There are divers sorts of Persecution As to the Principles of the Persecutors 1. There is a Persecution which is openly professed to be for the cause of Religion As Heathens and Mahometans persecute Christians as Christians And there is an Hypocritical Persecution when the pretended cause is some odious crime but the real cause is mens Religion or obedience to God This is the common Persecution which nominal Christians exercise on serious Christians or on one another They will not say that they Persecute them because they are Godly or serious Christians but that is the true cause For if they will but set them above God and obey them against God they will abate their Persecution Many of the Heathens thus persecuted the Christians too under the name of Ungodly and evil doers But the true cause was because they obeyed not their commands in the Worshipping of their Idol Gods So do the Papists persecute and murder men not as Professours of the truth which is the true cause but under the name of Hereticks and Schâ—smaticks or Rebels against the Pope or what ever their malice pleaseth to accuse them of And prophane nominal Christians seldome persecute the serious and sincere directly by that name but under some Nickname which they set upon them or under the name of Hypocrites or self-conceited or factious persons or such like And if they live in a place and Age where there are many Civil Wars or differences they are sure to fetch some odious name or accusation thence Which side soever it be that they are on or if they meddle not on any side they are sure by every party whom they please not to hear Religion loaded with such reproaches as the times will allow them to vent against it Even the Papists who take this course with Protestants it seems by Acosta are so used themselves not by the Heathens but by one another yea by the multitude yea by their Priests For so saith he speaking of the Parish Priests Priests among the Indians having reproved their Diceing Carding Hunting Idleness Lib. 4 c. 15. pag. 404 405. Itaque is cui Pastoralis Indorum cura committitur non solum contra diaboli machinas naturae incentiva pugnare debet sed jam etiam confirmatae hominum consuetudini tempore turba praepotenti sese objicere ad excipienda invidorum ac malevolorum tela forte pectus opponere qui siquid à profano suo instituto abhorrentem viderint proditorem hypocritam hostem clamaâ—t that is He therefore to whom the Pastoral care of the Indians is committed must not only fight against the Engines of the Devil and the incentives of nature but also now must object or set himself against the confirmed custome of men which is grown very powerful both by time and by the multitude and must valiantly oppose his breast to receive the darts of the envious and malevolent who if they see any thing contrary to their profane fashion or breeding cry out A Traitor An Hypocrite an Enemy It seems then that this is a common course § 4. 2. Persecution is either done in Ignorance or Knowledge The commonest persecution is that which is done in Ignorance and errour when men think a Good cause to be bad or a bad cause to be good and so persecute Truth while they take it to be falshood or good while they take it to be evil or obtrude by violence their Errours for Truths and their evils as good and necessary things Thus Peter testifieth of the Jews who killed the Prince of life Act. 3. 13 14 17. I know that through Ignorance you did it as did also your Rulers And Paul 1 Cor. 2. 8. which none of the Princes of this world knâ—w for had they known it they would not have Crucified the Lord of glory And Christ himself saith Joh. 16. 3. These things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father or me And Paul saith of himself Act. 26. 9. I thought verily with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name
holy industry of all their lives Say not God can give more to you in a year than to others in twenty For it is a poor argument to prove that God hath done it because he can do it He can make you an Angel but that will not prove you one Prove your wisdome before you pretend to it and overvalue it not Heb. 5. 11 12 sheweth that it is Gods ordinary way to give men wisdom according to their time and means unless their own negligence deprive them of his blessing Direct 6. Study to keep up Christian Love and to keep it lively For Love is not censorious but Direct 6. is inclined to judge the best till evidence constrain you to the contrary Censoriousness is a Vermine which crawleth in the carkass of Christian Love when the life of it is gone Direct 7. Value all Gods graces in his servants And then you will see something to love them Direct 7. for when hypocrites can see nothing Make not too light of small degrees of grace and then your censure will not overlook them Direct 8. Remember the tenderness of Christ who condemneth not the weak nor casteth Infants Direct 8. out of his family nor the diseased out of his Hospital but dealeth with them in such gracious gentleness as beseemeth a tender-hearted Saviour He will not break the bruised reed He carryeth his Lambs in his arms and gently driveth those with young He taketh up the wounded man when the Priest and Levite pass him by And have you not need of the tenderness of Christ your selves as well as others Are you not afraid lest he should find greater faults in you than you find in others And condemn you as you condemn them Direct 9. Let the sense of the common corruption of the world and imperfection of the godly moderate Direct 9. your particular censures As Seneca saith To censure a man for that which is common to all men is in a sort to censure him for being a man which beseemeth not him that is a man himself Do you not know the frailty of the best and the common pravity of humane nature How few are there that must not have great allowance or else they will not pass for currant in the ballance Elias was a man subject to passions Ionah to pievishness Iob had his impatiency â—â—ul saith even of the Teachers of the primitive Church They all that were with him seek their own and not the things of Iesus Christ. What blots are charged on almost all the Churches and almost all the holy persons mentioned throughout all the Scriptures Learn then of Paul a better lesson than censoriousness Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ. Let every man prove his own work and then be shall have rejoycing in himself alone c. Direct 10. Remember that Iudgement is Gods prerogative further than as we are called to it for Direct 10. the performance of some duty either of Office or of private Charity or self-preservation And that the Judge is as at the door And that judging unmercifully maketh us lyable to judgement without mercy The foresight of that near universal Judgement which will pass the doom on us and all men will do much to cure us of our rash censoriousness Direct 11. Peruse and observe all the Directions in the last Chapter against evil-speaking and backbiting Direct 11. that I may not need to repeat them Especially avoid 1. The snare of selfishness and interest For most men judge of others principally by their own interest He is the good man that is good to them or is on their side that loveth and honoureth them and answereth their desires This is the common false judgement of the corrupted selfish world who vilifie and hate the best because they seem unsuitable to them and to their carnal interest Therefore take heed of your judgement about any man that you have any falling-out with For its two to one but you will wrong him through this selfishness 2. Avoid passion which blindeth the judgement 3. Avoid Faction which maketh you judge of all men as they agree or disagree with your opinions or your side and party 4. Avoid too hasty belief of censures and rebuke them 5. Hear every man speak for himself before you censure him if it be possible and the case be not notorious Direct 12. Keep still upon your mind a just and deep apprehension of the malignity of this sin of Direct 12. rash censuring It is of greatest consequence to the mortifying of any sin what apprehensions of it are upon the mind If religious persons apprehended the odiousness of this as much as they do of swearing drunkenness fornication c. they would as carefully avoid it Therefore I shall shew you the Malignity of this sin Tit. 3. The evil of the Sin of Censoriousness § 1. 1. IT is an usurpation of Gods Prerogative who is the Judge of all the world It is a stepping up into his Judgement Seat and undertaking his work as if you said I will be God as to this action And if he be called The Antichrist who usurpeth the Office of Christ to be the Universal Monarch and Head of the Church you may imagine what he doth who though but in one point doth set up himself in the place of God § 2. 2. They that usurp not Gods part in judging yet ordinarily usurp the part of the Magistrate or Pastors of the Church As when mistaken censorious Christians refuse to come to the Sacrament of Communion because many persons are there whom they judge to be ungodly what do they but usurp the Office of the Pastors of the Church To whom the Keys are committed for admission and exclusion And so are the appointed Judges of that case The duty of private members is but to admonish the offender first secretly and then before witnesses and to tell the Church if he repent not and humbly to tell the Pastors of their duty if they neglect it And when this is done they have discharged their part and must no more excommunicate men themselves than they must hang Thieves when the Magistrate doth neglect to hang them § 3. 3. Censoriousness signifieth the absence or decay of Love which inclineth men to think evil and judge the worst and aggravate infirmities and overlook or extenuate any good that is in others And there is least Grace where there is least Love § 4. 4. It sheweth also much want of self-acquaintance and such heart-employment as the sincerest Christians are taken up with And it sheweth much want of Christian humility and sense of your own infirmities and badness and much prevalency of Pride and self-conceitedneâ—s If you knew how ignorant you are you would not be so peremptory in
observance and esteem or gifts or commodity from others When sin and error raiseth these unreasonable expectations and the imperfect graces of Christians do not answer them such persons think contemptibly of good men and call them hypocrites and as bad as others because they are not such as they expected Enemy 10. The placing of mens goodness in lesser matters in which it doth not consist is also a Enemy 10. common enemy of Love When a man is himself so carnal as not to know what spiritual excellency is but prefer some common gifts before it such a one can never be satisfied in the ordinary sort of upright men Thus some make a great matter of Complement and Courtship and handsome deportment when some holy persons are so taken up with the great matters of God and their salvation and so retired from the company of Complementers that they have neither time nor mind nor skill nor will for such impertinencies Some place so much in some particular opinions or Ceremonies or Forms of Church-Government and Worship that they can think well of no man that is against them Whereas good men on earth are so imperfect that they are and will be of several opinions about such things And so these persons oblige themselves by their own Opinionativeness to be alwayes against one part of the sincerest servants of Christ. One man can think well of none that is not for his Church-party or way of Government and Worship and another can think well of none that is not for his way One can think well of none that prayeth not by his Book and doth not turn and bend and look just in the same manner garb and poâ—iure with himself and that useth not all the Ceremonies which he affecteth or at least if his weakness make him guilty of any unhansome tone or gesture or of any incompt and unapt expressions or needless repetitions or unpleasing stile which all we wish that all good men were free from Another can think well of no man that is for pomp and force in Church-Government or for Ceremonies Forms and Books in prayer and for prescribed words in worshipping God And thus placing Religion where they should not causeth too many to take up with a mistaken Religion for themselves and to dislike all that are not of their mind and certainly destroyeth Christian love in one part of Christians towards the other Enemy 11. Pride also is a pestilent extinguisher of love For a proud man is so much overwise in Enemy 11. his own eyes that he can without remorse stigmatize all that dissent from him with the names of ignorant or erroneous Schismatical Heretical or what other name the humour or advantage of the times shall offer him And he is so Good in his own eyes that he measureth mens goodness and godliness by their agreement with him or complyance with his will And he is so Great in his own eyes that he thinketh himself and his complices only fit to make Laws for others and to rule them in their opinions and in the Worship of God and no man fit to say any thing publickly to God but what he putteth into their mouths He can think well of none that will not obey him Like the Pope of Rome that saith no man on earth hath Church-communion with him that is not subject to him A humble Christian thinketh that himself and the Gospel have great and unusual prosperity in the world when they have but Liberty But proud men think that Religion is ruinated and they are persecuted when they have not their will upon their brethren and when their brethren will be but brethren and deny them obedience Subjects they can think well of and command but Brethren they cannot love nor tolerate Enemy 12. Lastly The Counterfeits of Christian love deceive abundance and keep them from that Enemy 12. which is Love indeed They might be brought to it if they had not thought that they had it already when they have it not Tit. 5. The Counterfeits of Christian Love Counterfeit 1. IT is but Counterfeit Love to Christians when they are loved only for being of the Count. 1. common Religion of the Countrey and the same that you say you are of your selves As one Mahometan loveth another Count. 2. Or to love one only Sect or party of Christians which you espouse as the only party or Count. 2. Church and not to love a Christian as a Christian and so to love all true Christians whom you can discern to be such Count. 3. To love only those Christians who are your kindred or relations or those that have been Count. 3. some way benefactors to you Count. 4. To love Christians only for their familiarity or kind and loving conversation and civil Count. 4. obliging deportment among men Count. 5. To love them only because they are Learned or have better wits and abilities of speech Count. 5. in preaching prayer or conference than others Count. 6. To love them only upon the praise which common commendations may sometimes give Count. 6. them and for being magnified by fame and well spoken of by all men Thus many wicked men do love the Saints departed when they hate those that are alive among them Count. 7. To love them only for being godly in themselves at a distance so they will not trouble Count. 7. them with their godliness while they love not those that reprove them and would draw them to be as godly Count. 8. To love them only for suffering with them in the same cause Thus a prophane person Count. 8. taken by the Turks may love his fellow Captives who refuse to renounce Christ. And thus a sufferer for an ill cause or in an erroneous Sect may love those that suffer with him above others Count. 9. To love them only for holding strict and right opinions while they will not endure to live Count. 9. accordingly Thus many love the light that cannot bear the heat and motion Many love an Orthodox person of a sound judgement that is against loosness and prophaneness in his opinion and do not like the folly of the licentious who yet like licentious practice best Count. 10. To love them for some parts of Godliness only while some other essential part will not Count. 10. be endured of which before Count. 11. To love them in a kind fit only as Soul with tears professed to do his Son David but Count. 11. to have no habitual constant Love Direct 12. Lastly To love godly men a little and the world and fleshly interest more To love Count. 12. them only so as will cost them nothing To wish them fed but not to feed them and to wish them clothed but not to clothe them and to wish them out of Prison but not to dare to visit them for fear of suffering themselves He that hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and
God hath gone before him by any particular prescript and tyed him to one certain way of giving and where God hath only given him some general Direction and left him to discern his Duty in particulars by that general Rule and the further direction of objects and providence And in this enquiry he will find 1. That God hath first prescribed to him in Nature the necessary sustentation of his own life And 2. The necessary maintenance of his children and family 3. The necessary maintenance of the Preachers of the Gospel for the Worship of God and the salvation of men 1 Cor. 9. Phil. 4. 10 11 14 17 18. Luke 10. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. 4. The necessary maintenance of the Common-wealth and paying tribute to the higher powers who are the Ministers of God to us for good attending continually upon this very thing Rom. 13. 4 6. 5. The saving of the lives of those that are in apparent danger of famine or perishing within our sight or reach 1 Iohn 3. 17. Luke 10. 33. Thus far God hath prescribed to us how he would have us use our estates in an ordinary way In many other things he hath left us to more General Directions 3. To know among good works which is to be preferred it principally concerneth Us next to know what works do most contribute to our chiefest ends which God is most honoured by which tend to the greatest good And here we shall find that caeteris paribus 1. The Souls of men are to be preferred before their Bodies in estimation and intention But in time the Body is oft to be preferred before the Soul because if the Body be suffered to perish the helping of the Soul will be past our power 2. And so the Church is finally and estimatively to be preferred before the Common-wealth but the Common-wealth must be first served in time when it is necessary to the Churches support and welfare For the Church will else perish with the Common-wealth 3. The good of many is to be preferred before the Good of few and publick good to be valued above private Rom. 9. 3. 4. A continued good is greater than a short and transitory good And so necessary is it to have chief respect in all our works to our chiefest end the greatest good that even when God seemeth to have prescribed to us the way of our expences yet that is but as to our ordinary course for if in an extraordinary case it fall out that another way is more to Gods glory and the common good it must be then preferred For all means are to be judged of by the end and chosen and used for it For example if the good of Church and Common-wealth or of the souls of many do stand up against our corporal provision of our children or families it is to be preferred which is easily proved a fortiore because it is to be preferred before our own good even the saving of our lives A good subject will lose his life to save the life of his King and a good Souldier will dye to save his General or the Army And a useless member of the Church should be content to dye if it be necessary to save the life of a Pastor that is greatly useful If a poor ordinary Christian then had been so put to it that either Paul or He must famish no doubt but his ultimate end would have commanded him to prefer the Apostle before himself So that in extraordinary cases the end and greatest good must be our guide 4. Though I may ordinarily prefer my own life â—efore anothers yet I must not prefer my meer delight nor health before anothers life And though men must provide for the lives of their children before the lives of others yet the life of a poor neighbour caeteris paribus must be preferred and provided for before the portions of your own children and before the supply of their tollerable wants So that as long as there are poor about you that are in necessity of food to save their lives the portions or comliest clothing of your children must rather be neglected than the poor be suffered to perish How else do I love my neighbour as my self if I make so great a difference between my self and him 5. Even the food and rayment and other necessaries which a Christian useth himself he must use for God and not for his carnal self at all not taking it as his own which he may use at and for his own pleasure but as part of his Masters goods which are all to be used only for his service As a steward that when he giveth every servant his part and taketh his own part it is not as if it were primarily his own but as a servant on the same account with the rest So when I devote all that I have to God I am so far from excepting my own part even my food and rayment that I do more confidently intend the serving of God with that than with the rest because it is more in my power and there is in it more of my duty The same I may say of that which is given to our children and other relations 6. Therefore when more of the service and interest of God lyeth upon your own or your childrens using of his talents than upon other mens you are bound for God and not for your selves to retain so much the more to your selves and children It is a fond conceit that a man is bound to give all to others rather than to himself or children when it is most probable that those others would do God less service with it than himself or his children would do As suppose such a man as Mr. Elliot in New England that devoteth himself to the Conversion of the Indians had riches when some neighbour Ministers were poor that are engaged in no such work He that knoweth that God hath given him a heart and an opportunity to do him more service with it than another would do is not bound to put it out of his own hands into anothers that is less like to be a faithful improver of it If you have a Son of your own that is a Preacher of the Gospel and is more able and serviceable than other Ministers in equal want no doubt you have then a double obligation to relieve your own Son before another as he is your Son and as he is more serviceable to God If other men are bound to supply your want for the work and interest of the Gospel you are not bound to give away your own supplyes to the disabling you from your work unless when you see a greater work or the present absolute necessity of others doth require it 7. It is imprudent and unsafe and therefore unlawful ordinarily to tye your self unchangably for continuance to any one particular way of using your estates for God As to vow that you will give it to Ministers or to the poor or to Schools
state and condition of Christians And where the Reasons and Case is the same the Obligations will be the same In a word the Text it self will one way or other shew us when a Command or Example is universally and durably obligatory and when not Quest. 137. How much of the Scripture is necessary to Salvation to be believed and understood Answ. THis question is the more worthy consideration that we may withal understand the use of Catechisms Confessions and Creeds of which after and the great and tender mercies of God to the weak and may be able to answer the Cavils of the Papists against the Scriptures as insufficient to be the Rule of Faith and Life because much of it is hard to be understood 1. He that believeth God to be true and the Scripture to be his Word must needs believe all to be true which he believeth to be his Word 2. All the Scripture is profitable to our knowledge love and practice and none of it to be neglected but all to be loved reverenced and studied in due time and order by them that have time and capacity to do it 3. All the Holy Scriptures either as to matter or words are not so necessary as that no man can be saved who doth not either believe or understand them But some parts of it are more necessary than others 4. It is not of necessity to salvation to believe every Book or Verse in Scripture to be Canonical or written by the Spirit of God For as the Papists Canon is larger than that which the Protestants own so if our Canon should prove defective of any one Book it would not follow that we could not be saved for want of a sufficient faith The Churches immediately after the Apostles time had not each one all their Writings but they were brought together in time and received by degrees as they had proof of their being written by authorized inspired persons The second of Peter Iames Iude Hebrews and Revelations were received in many Churches since the rest And if some Book be lost as Henocks Prophecy or Pauls Epistle to the Laodiceans or any other of his Epistles not named in the rest or if any hereafter should be lost or doubted of as the Canticles or the second or third Epistles of Iohn the Epistle of Iude c. it would not follow that all true faith and hope of salvation were lost with it It is a Controversie whether 1 Iohn 5. 7. and some other particular Verses be Canonical or not because some Greek Copies have them and some are without them But who ever erreth in that only may be saved 5. There are many hundred or thousand Texts of Scripture which a man may possibly be ignorant of the meaning of and yet have a saving faith and be in a state of salvation For no man living understandeth it all 6. The holy Scripture is an entire comely body which containeth not only the essential parts of the true Religion but also the Integral parts and the ornaments and many accidents which must be Rom. 14. 17 18. Rom. 13. 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 15. 2 3 4 5 6. Mar. 16. 16. distinguished and not all taken to be equal 7. So much as containeth the Essentials of true Religion must be understood and believed of necessity to salvation And so much as containeth the Integrals of Religion doth greatly conduce to our salvation both that we may be the surer and the better Christians as having greater helps to both 8. The very adjuncts also have their use to make us the more adorned Christians and to promote our knowledge of greater things Quest. 138. How may we know the Fundamentals Essentials or what parts are necessary to Salvation And is the Papists way allowable that some of them deny that distinction and make the difference to be only in the degrees of mens opportunities of knowledge Answ. 1. THâ—se Papists perverseness can mean no better than that Christianity it self is not necessary to salvation to those that have not opportunity to know it As Iohnsons Rejoynd to me and Sancta Clara and many others plainly intimate And were that never so true and certain it were nothing to the question between them and us which is What are the Essentials of Christianity And what is necessary to salvation where Christianity is necessary or where the Christian Religion is made known and men may come to the knowledge of it if they will do their best This is the true state of our Controversie with them And whereas they would make all the parts of Christian faith and practice equally necessary where men have a capacity and ability to know believe and practise them It is a gross deceit unworthy of men pretending to a mediocrity of knowledge in the nature of Religion And thereby they make all sins and errors as equal as all duties and James 3. 2. 1 John 1. ult truths Whereas 1. There is no man that hath not some error and some sin 2. There is no man that doth all that ever he was able to do to understand all the truth 3. Therefore there is no man whose errors themselves are not many of them at least culpable or sinful 4. And they that distinguish between Mortal and Venial sins and yet will not distinguish between Mortal and Venial Errors are either blind or would keep others blind As it is not so damning a sin for a man to think a vain thought or to speak a vain word as not to Love God or Holiness no though he was more able to have forborn that idle word than to have Loved God So it is not so mortal a sin that is inconsistent with a justified state to mistake in a small matter as who was the Father of Arpâ—â—xad or what year the world was drowned in c. as to blaspheme the Holy Ghost or deny Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world or to deny that there is a God or everlasting life or a difference between Good and Evil. All sins are not equal in magnitude or danger Therefore all errors are not equal in magnitude sinfulness or danger 2. And what Priest is able to know whom to take for a Christian and baptizable upon such terms as these Who knoweth just what opportunities of knowledge other men have had and what impediments And will they indeed baptize a man that is a Heathen because he had not opportunity to come to the knowledge of Christianity I think they will not Or will they deny Baptism to one that knoweth and believeth only all the Articles of the Creed and the chief points of Religion because he knoweth not as much more as he had opportunity to know I think not Do not these men perceive how they condemn themselves For do they not say themselves that Baptism to the due receiver washeth away sin and puts the person in a state of life O when will God deliver his poor Church from factious deceivers
3. Either Christianity is something and discernable or nothing and undiscernable If the latter then Christians are not to be distinguished from Heathens and Infidels If the former then Christianity hath its Constitutive parts by which it is what it is And then it hath essential parts distinguishable from the rest 4. The word Fundamentals being but a Metaphor hath given room to deceivers and Contenders to make a Controversie and raise a dust about it Therefore I purposely use the word Essentials which is not so lyable to mens Cavils 5. Those are the Essentials of Christianity which are necessary to the Baptism of the Adult Know but that and you answer all the pratings of the Papists that bawle out for a list of Fundamentals And sure it is not this day unknown in the Christian world either what a Christian is or who is to be baptized Do not the Priests know it who baptize all that are Christened in the world And why is Baptism called our Christening if it make us not Christians And why hath Christ promised that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. if that so much faith as is necessary to baptism will not also serve to a mans state of salvation 6. The Baptismal Covenant of Grace therefore is the Essential part of the Gospel and of the Christian Religion And all the rest are the Integrals and Accidents or Adjuncts 7. This Covenant containeth I. Objectively 1. Things True as such 2. Things Good as such 3. Things Practicable or to be done as such The Credenda Diligenda Eligenda Agenda as the objects of mans Intellect Will and Practical power The Credenda or things to be known and believed are 1. God as God and our God and Father 2. Christ as the Saviour and our Saviour 3. The Holy Ghost as such and as the Sanctifier and our Sanctifier as to the offer of these Relations in the Covenant The Diligenda are the same three persons in these three Relations as Good in themselves and unto us which includeth the grand benefits of Reconciliation and Adoption Justification and Sanctification and Salvation The Agenda in the time of baptism that make us Christians are 1. The actual Dedition resignation or dedication of our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in these Relations 2. A Promise or Vow to endeavour faithfully to live according to our undertaken relations though not in perfection that is as Creatures to their Creator and their Reconciled God and Father as Christians to their Redeemer their Teacher their Ruler and their Saviour And as willing Receivers of the Sanctifying and Comforting operations of the Holy Spirit II. The Objects tell you what the Acts must be on our part 1. With the Understanding to know and believe 2 With the Will to love choose desire and resolve and 3. Practically to deliver up our selves for the present and to promise for the time to come These are the Essentials of the Christian Religion 8. The Creed is a larger explication of the Credenda and the Lords Prayer of the Diligenda or things to be willed desired and hoped for and the Decalogue of the Natural part of the Agenda 9. Suffer not your own Ignorance or the Papists Cheats to confound the Question about Fundamentals as to the Matter and as to the expressing words It is one thing to ask What is the Matter ☞ Essential to Christianity And another What Words Symbols or Sentences are Essential to it To the first I have now answered you To the second I say 1. Taking the Christian Religion as it is an Extrinsick Doctrine in signis so the Essence of it is Words and Signs expressive or significant of the Material Essence That they be such in specie is all that is essential And if they say But which be those words I answer 2. That no particular Words in the world are essential to the Christian Religion For 1. No one Language is essential to it It is not necessary to salvation that you be baptized or learn the Creed or Scriptures in Hebrew or Greek or Latin or English so you learn it in any Language understood 2. It is not necessary to salvation that you use the same words in the same Language as long as it hath more words than one to express the same thing by 3. It is not necessary to salvation that we use the same or any one single form method or order of words as they are in the Creeds without alteration And therefore while the Antients did tenaciously cleave to the same Symbol or Creed yet they used various words to express it by As may be seen in Irenâ—â—s Tertullian Origen and Ruffin elsewhere cited by me so that its plain that by the same Symbol they See the Appendix to my Reformed Pastor meant the same Matter though exprest in some variety of words Though they avoided such variety as might introduce variety of sense and matter 10. Words being needful 1. To make a Learner understand 2. To tell another what he understandeth it followeth that the great variety of mens capacities maketh a great variation in the necessity of Words or Forms An Englishman must have them in English and a Frenchman in French An understanding man may receive all the Essentials in a few words But an Ignorant man must have many words to make him understand the matter To him that Understandeth them the words of the Baptismal ☞ Covenant express all the Essentials of Christianity But to him that understands them not the Creed is necessary for the explication And to him that understandeth not that a Catechism or larger Exposition is necessary This is the plain explication of this question which many Papists seem loth to understand Quest. 139. What is the Use and Authority of the Creed And is it of the Apostles framing or not And is it the Word of God or not Answ. 1. THe Use of the Creed is to be a plain explication of the Faith professed in the Baptismal Covenant 1. For the fuller instruction of the duller sort and those that had not preparatory knowledge and could not sufficiently understand the meaning of the three Articles of the Covenant what it is to believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost without more words 2. And for the satisfaction of the Church that indeed men understood what they did in baptism and professed to believe 2. The Creed is the Word of God as to all the Doctrine or Matter of it what ever it be as to the order and composition of words 3. That is oft by the Antients called the Apostles which containeth the matter derived by the Apostles though not in a form of words compiled by them 4. It is certain that all the words now in our Creed were not put in by the Apostles 1. Because Vid. 〈…〉 Vossiâ—m de Symbolis some of them were not in till long after their dayes 2. Because the