and to their works § 31. III. And they all believe that the Holy Spirit being God and one in Essence with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and or by the Son is the Great Witness Agent and Advocate of Christ before at and after his coming into the world incarnate by his gifts of Prophecy Miracles and Sanctification convincing sinners and drawing them to Repent and Believe and dwelling in Believers as an operating cause of Divine Life and Light and Love thus Uniting them to God in Christ their Head and to each other in Faith and Love by which they are gathered to him as his Church or body having the forgiveness of their sins and the adoption of Sons and right to the heavenly inheritance And living in holy communion on earth their souls at death are received to happiness with Christ and their Bodies shall be raised and soul and body Glorified at the last with Jesus Christ and all the blessed in the perfect Vision Love and joyful Praise of the most Glorious Jehovah § 32. And as I. All Christians agree in this Belief so also II. They all solemnly in and by the Baptismal Covenant and their holy Eucharistical Communion and other duties Profess the Consent of their wills to these Relations to God their Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to his Church or body and their thankful Acceptance of the foresaid Gifts And they profess and express their seeking-desires hereof according to the Contents of the Lords Prayer § 33. III. And as to Practice they all agree in professing and promising obedience to Christ according to the Law of Nature the Decalogue and all his Written Laws so far as they understand them and their desire to Learn them to that end § 34. All sincere Christians agree in the true and Hearty Consent to all this And these are the true saved Church of Christ called Invisible because their Hearts-consent is Invisible All other Baptized and Professing Christians with them agree in the Profession of all this And are called The Church-visible their Profession being visible And all this being truly included in Baptism which is our entrance into the Catholick or Universal Church in this before described consisteth our Catholick Communion in Christs body as spiritual or invisible and as visible § 35. II. But besides this Universal church-Church-Union and Communion for ORDER and Advantage to our great end God hath instituted the ORDER of Christian Assemblies or Particular Churches which are to the Vniversal Church as Cities and Corporations to a Kingdom Which are the noblest and most priviledged parts of the Kingdom but yet not essential parts but eminently Integral For it may be a Kingdom without them and would be if they were all disfranchised and laid common And if Apostles and Evangelists as Itinerant Preachers convert and baptize men they are part of the Church Universal before they are gathered into distinct societies under proper Pastors of their own The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no particular Church but into the universal only and so were many others And meer Baptism as such without any additional contract doth no more If thousands were Converted in America or cast there without Pastors they were parts of the Universal Church if baptized Professing Christians And before the Apostles ordained any fixed Bishops or Pastors of particular Churches the Church Universal was in being though small § 36. But these particular Churches being a great part of Christs Institutions and necessary not only by Precept but as a means to the Well-being of the Universal and the Edification of it and the particular members It must be endeavoured and that with good hope of success that there may so much Particular Church-Vnion be obtained and maintained as shall much conduce to its great and excellent ends That is 1. So much as that in them God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may be Publickly solemnly and constantly confessed by sound doctrine holy worship and holy discipline and conversation 2. So much as that hearty Christian Love may be exercised and maintained and Christians edified in Communion of Saints 3. So much as that God shall accept them delight in them and bless them their converting edifying and comforting souls hearing their prayers and praises and owning them by his Ministry Covenants and grace and differencing them from the people that do not thus confess and worship him and promoting hereby their salvation And if this much be attained it is not to be vilified for want of more nor blotted with reproachful names but acknowledged with thankfulness and praise § 37. III. And yet there is a further degree of concord to be hoped for and endeavoured and that is the concord of these particular Churches with one another That they may all Profess 1. The same faith and necessary doctrine 2. and the same Love to God and one another 3. and the same Hope of life eternal 4. and may offer to God the same necessary and acceptable sort of worship viz. by preaching and applying his holy word recorded in the holy Scriptures preserving and reading them calling upon his holy name by Confession prayer thanksgiving and praises and holding respective communion in the use also of the Sacraments of his Covenant and exercising in some measure such holy Government and Discipline by Pastors overseeing their several flocks as he himself by his institution hath made universally necessary And all this though not in perfection nor every where with the same degree of purity and care yet so far 1. as that Gods word and ordinances be kept up in soundness in all parts and respects necessary to salvation 2. and as may tend to the edifying of the Churches by Love and concord in necessary things and their mutual help by counsel and strength by that concord 3. and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and divisions § 38. The means by which this is to be done 1. by communicatory Letters 2. by Synods 3. and by Civil Governours is after in due place to be explained Thus much of Christian Vnity and Concord may be well hoped for upon just endeavours here on earth But neither Perfection in these nor those unnecessary terms of Concord which some have long taken to be necessary § 39. And indeed so much as may be hoped for is so very hardly to be obtained that if we trusted not to Gods extraordinary Grace more than to any natural probability that appeareth to us in man we should be ready to despair that ever Christians should live long in so much peace and concord And though the great difficulty must not kill our hopes it must much quicken us to strenuous endeavours Of which more anon Satan is so great an enemy to it and every sin in man is so much against it as every disease in the body is against its ease and peace and the multitude and malignity of sins and sinners is so great and the very healers so few and faulty and unskilful
and do so much against their own desired ends that instead of accusing the providence of God we should thankfully wonder that there is so much peace and concord as there is and that all men live not as enemies to each others in continual war or that the devouring Pikes leave so many of the lesser fish alive and the weak and innocent are not wholly a prey to the oppressors CHAP. IX That Christ himself who commanded the Vnity Love and Concord of Christians did prescribe the necessary terms § 1. IF it be once proved that Christ himself hath prescribed the conditions or terms of Christian Union and Communion what remaineth to Christians but to enquire What are those terms Whereas for want of that necessary supposition while men think it is left to them no man knoweth who should do it and the Pope prescribeth his terms and others prescribe their terms and almost each Sect hath different terms § 2. That Christ did prescribe them I shall prove I. Antecedently à Causis II. Consequently ab Effectis III. By proving the necessary exclusion of any other competent prescribers § 3. I. Antecedently it is proved from 1. The universal necessity of the thing 2. And from the office of Christ to do things of such universal necessity and his faithfulness therein § 4. 1. There are few Christians so ignorant or inconsiderate but will confess that the Vnion of Christians is necessary not only to the edification and well being but to the very being of the Church both universal and particular For what is a Church but many Christians united and associated for Church-ends Pull all the Bricks or Timber of the house asunder and it is no house Pull all the Planks and parts of a Ship asunder and it is no Ship Pull all the leaves and sentences of a Book asunder and it is no Book Pull all the parts of a mans body asunder and there remaineth no body of a man considered formally but only materially and in their aptitude to re-union at the resurrection An Army disbanded and dissipated is no Army And certainly it is no Church that hath not Church-unity of parts 2. And all that believe in Christ believe that he came into the world to call and gather his Church and to save them and that he sent his Word his Ministers and Spirit to this end He is the principle of life to the Church his body who first by aggregation uniteth them to himself and one another and then is their constitutive and governing and quickning head It is his undertaken office first to make all his own members and then to govern preserve edifie and save them And how can Christ make his Church without uniting the members Can he build his house and never set the bricks stones or timber together Can you make a Clock or Watch without adapting and uniting the parts And can Christ gather build compaginate and unite his Church and not so much as tell men either Pastors or people what are the Conditions and terms of union and the cement or solder that must unite them § 5. And all Christians confess Christs sufficiency for his office and his perfect faithfulness in performing it He wanted neither Power Wisdom nor Love or Will to gather his own Church or body He was faithful as Moses in all Gods house And he that fulfilled all the righteousness of the Law and whatever was imposed on him as a humbled satisfier of Justice surely no less fulfilled all that belonged to him as the grand Administrator and Benefactor and Executor of Gods mercy and his own will and as Head over all things to his Church Eph. 1. 22 23. § 6. Nay as he was the King and Law giver of the Church who was to give them all their Vniversal Laws binding all men could he be supposed to have done this faithfully if he had left out the very terms of Church-unity and concord when such unity is essential to the Church Did he send the Apostles to disciple and baptize all Nations and be in Gods house the Church as Paul calleth Timothy Pillars and bases of truth yea foundations and Master-builders that must gather his Church out of all the world and yet never tell them What a Church is that is how the parts must be united As he is the Teacher of the Church did he never teach them so necessary a thing as what essential Church-unity is These are such imputations against Christ as seem to deny him to be Christ As he would deny God to be God that would deny his providence and government of the world § 7. Christs Law is to be both the Rule of our actions and his judgement And if he have left out so great a point as the essentiating terms of Church Vnion what momentous acts of our lives are left to be ungoverned and unjudged by the Laws of Christ § 8. Above all men those are bound to consent to what I say who hold that Christs Laws have not left so much as a ceremony undetermined and that nothing may be added or diminished in his worship How much less then hath he left the essentiating terms of Church-unity unprescribed § 9. II. And consequently ab effectis we find that Christ did it 1. He plainly declared what maketh a Christian 2. He declared how all Christians should live in love and concord 3. And how the coalition of these Christians maketh his Church § 10. I. It had been strange if he that came into the world to make men Christians had never told men what a Christian is And if he that sent his Apostles to make Christians had set them to do they knew not what and never told them what a Christian is and consequently what they must perswade men to And if he that promised Justification Pardon Adoption and Glory to all true believers that is to true Christians had yet never told them how they may know that they are such And that he that commanded so much Christian duty publick and private and required Christians to suffer so much for his sake and to look for a reward in Heaven should yet never tell them what Christianity is If Christ made Christianity that is the Laws and description objects and principle then he made a Determinate thing If not hath he left it to man to make Christianity objectively Then how shall we know to whom he gave this power And how many several species of Christianity or faith may be made in the world § II. It is evident in Scripture that Christ sent his Apostles and that he taught them what to preach and particularly that he Matth. 28. 19 20. said Go and Disciple me all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatever I commanded you And it is certain that a Baptized person was then accounted a Christian and Baptism was their Christening and that this was the Church entrance
world falsly that it is but Things Indifferent that we deny obedience to and call on us to tell them what it is that we fear if we conform and when we tell them they make this also our crime because they think themselves accused what remedy have we against such men 2. I love and honour all good and pious men that Conform For I consider how variously the same thing is represented to and apprehended by men of various educations converse and advantages so that the same sin materially heinous may formally be much less in some than in others As was Paul's ignorant unbelief and persecution Or else saith the Papist Answerer of the three books for the Jesuites Loyalty Most Princes must be most heinous sinners that make wars against each other in which multitudes are killed when both sides cannot have a just cause unless the supposition that their cause was good by mistake excuse them THE CONTENTS The First Part. THe Reasons for Christian Vnity and Concord after the nature of it described and how much may be hoped for on earth Chap. 1. The Text opened The Doctrines named The method proposed page 1 Chap. 2. The Nature of Vnity and this Vnity of the Spirit opened p. 10. Chap. 3. The necessity and benefits of this Vnity and Peace to all men p. 30. Chap. 4. The Vnity of the Spirit is the welfare of the Church p. 45. Chap. 5. This Vnity is for the good of the World without the Church p. 67. Chap. 6. It is due to the honour of Christ and amiable to God p. 71. Chap. 7. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord and to promote this unity and peace p. 75. Chap. 8. What sort and measure of Vnion may or may not be hoped for on earth p. 79. Chap. 9. That Christ who commanded our Vnion hath himself prescribed the terms p. 98. Chap. 10. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are necessary to the Being of particular Churches but divers humane Acts are necessary to their existence p. 100. Chap. 11. The danger of the two extremes And first of despairing of Concord and unjust tolerations p. 114. Chap. 12. The sin and danger of making too much necessary to Vnion and Communion p. 119. Chap. 13. To cry out of the mischiefs of Toleration and call for sharper execution while dividing snares are made the terms of Vnion is the work of ignorant proud and malignant Church destroyers p. 125. The Second Part. THe Terms of Concord Chap. 1. In General what are the true and only terms of Church Concord and what not p. 135. Chap. 2. Instances of Gods description of these terms in Scripture p. 143. Chap. 3. The true terms of Catholick Vnion and Concord more particularly described as the chief means of hope for the Churches peace p. 162. Chap. 4. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of this Communion and what are the causes of abscission and excommunication p. 177. Chap. 5. What are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the Sacred Ministry p. 200. Chap. 6. What is necessary to the Constitution administration and Communion of single Churches p. 228. Chap. 7. What are the necessary terms of Concord of those single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers p. 243. Chap. 8. What is necessary to the Civil peace and Concord of Christians and what is the part of the Christian Magistrate about Religion as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein p. 248. Chap. 9. Objections answered about Toleration especially p. 267. Chap. 10. A draught or Specimen of such Forms as are mentioned for Approved and Tolerated Ministers p. 279. The Third Part. Of Schism ESpecially the false dividing Terms of Vnion and other Causes of Schism Chap. 1. What SCHISM is and what are its Causes and effects p. 1. Chap. 2. The true Preventions and Remedies of Schism p. 16. Chap. 3. More of the same Twenty things necessary hereunto p. 26. Chap. 4. The Catholick Church will never unite in the Papacy p. 29. 1. What the Papists opinion is of the Terms of Vnion 2. The fifth Monarchy opinion of Campanella de Regno Dei and some other Papists That it is really an Vniversal Kingdome which is claimed by the Pope 3. The Christian world will never unite in one Pope Chap. 5. The Catholick Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any humane Church officers or forms of Government p. 41. Chap. 6. The Catholick Church will never unite in General Councils as their Head or necessary center or terms of Concord p. 52. Chap. 7. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Multitude of pretended articles of faith not proved certainly to be Divine nor in subscribing to or owning any unnecessary doubtful opinions or practices p. 60. Chap. 8. The Catholick Church will never unite by receiving all that is now owned by the Greek or Latine Church the Abassine Armenian the Lutherans or Calvinists or in a full Conformity to any divided party which addeth to the primitive simplicity in her terms of Concord p. 68. Chap. 9. The pretended necessity of an uninterrupted successive ordination by Diocesan Bishops will never unite the Churches but is Schismatical Mr. Dodwells book hereof confuted p. 73. Chap. 10. None of these terms will unite a National Church associated Churches nor well any single Church Though by other means a competent Vnion may be kept in some Churches notwithstanding some such Schismatical inventions as lesser diseases destroy not nature p. 104. Chap. 11. The severity and force of Magistrates denying necessary Toleration and punishing dissenters from uncertain unnecessary things will never procure Church Vnion and Concord but division p. 107. Chap. 12. Excommunicating and Anathematizing in such cases will not do it p. 112. Chap. 13. Any one unlawful uncertain doctrine oath Covenant profession subscription or practice so imposed will divide p. 116. Chap. 14. Vnlimited Toleration will divide and wrong the Church p. 118. Chap. 15. The Catholick Church will never unite in a reception and subscription to every word verse or book of the holy Scripture as in our Translations or any particular Copy nor otherwise known but some will still doubt of the Divine authority of some parts p. 134. Chap. 16. The Church will never unite in any mens Commentaries on the Bible p. 137. Chap. 17. A summary recital of the true terms of Concord and of the Causes of Schism p. 139. Id quod natura remittit Invida jura negant Ovid. ERRATA In the First and Second Parts Page 17. line 19. for more read as p. 19. for affecteth r. asserteth p. 26. l. 11. dele with p. 45. l. 17. for in r. is p. 58. l. 13. r. above p. 96. l. 7. r. to their p. 130. l. 2. r. Placeus p. 225. l. 2. r. condemn In the Third Part. Page 4. line 25. read sin p. 5. l. 11. r.
as well as wicked There is so full testimony given to the world that there is a God and a life to come that still some men will believe it and will think whither they must go next and therefore will not forsake their religion through fear seeing that is to forsake their God and their salvation 2. And if you could accomplish it it were not worth your labour If all the Princes on earth should force their subjects to be of One Religion it would be their own And then five parts of six would be Heathens and Mahometans and of the sixth part a third or fourth would be Papists and above two parts of the other three would have foul corruptions for which they would be sharply censured by the rest Is it not better that in Congo China c. Christianity is tolerated than that they had all continued of their One Religion And so is it that the Turks do tolerate the Greeks and other Christians And I think if Spain had both Papists and Protestants it were better than to have but Papists only And if the Swedes Danes and Saxons did tolerate the more Reformed it would do more good than harm If Prelacy were banished out of Scotland and England many would think it better to tolerate it § 12. It is certain that Unity and Concord is most desirable and as certain that these over-doers do destroy it while they lay it upon impossible terms 1. The most desirable Concord is in common perfection of wisdom and holiness But it 's certain it will not be nor are any perfect 2. The next desirable Concord is in such high degrees of Wisdom and Goodness as that all Christians be strong and excellent and err not notably in a word ceremony or mode But it is certain this is not to be expected 3. The next degree desirable is that all should be so far teachable and perswadeable as to yield to every truth and lawful imposition when reason is set before them But it is certain this is not to be expected And he that denyeth it knoweth not man § 13. A Peace-maker therefore must understand 1. What Concord is already among all Christians and what is of necessity to Communion with the Church universal 2. And what more is necessary to Communion in a particular Church 3. And what more is necessary to the Association and Concord of such particular Churches 4. And what is necessary only to eminency praise and special encouragement 5. And what is necessary to meer humane neighbourhood and converse And accordingly he should study 1. How all men may be used like men and all peaceable men as peaceable 2. How all Christians may be used as Christians 3. How all the members of particular Churches may hold such Concord as the ends of their society require 4. How all such Churches may keep such Love and Correspondency as tendeth to the good of all 5. And how eminent Christians may be used according to their worth 6. And how heresie and sin may be suppressed without contradicting any of these ends § 14. If once unnecessary terms of Unity and Concord be taken for necessary even multitudes of honest well meaning men will hence bend all their strength to do mischief They will think that all Peace-makers must promote these terms and all must be used as Schismaticks that are against them and so all the fore-mentioned accusations cruelties and persecutions will alas go for the work even of Peace-makers And so the common engine of Church-division and persecution and discord will be preaching and writing against Schism and crying up peace and aggravating dissent as a heinous crime even when it is a duty and making all odious as far as they can that are not of their mind The Second Part. The Terms of Concord CHAP. I. In general What are the true and only terms of Church-Vnion and Concord and what not § 1. THE true works of a Peace-maker consisteth 1. In finding out the true and necessary terms of Concord and discerning the evil and insufficiency of the false terms 2. In finding out the meet and necessary Instruments and helps 3. In discovering the Hinderances and Enemies and 4. In faithful prosecuting his known duty And the first is not the least § 2. Having proved what Christ himself hath already done in instituting the terms of Unity and Concord I shall here further shew I. In General what these Terms are and must be and what not II. What Texts of Scripture describe them III. Particularly and distinctly what they are IV. I shall answer some of the objections that are made against them And V. The false Terms shall be detected and confuted in the third Part. § 3. I. In General the terms of Catholick Unity and Concord necessary to all Christians must be and are I. Only things Great and needful II. Only things True and Sure III. Only things plain and intelligible IV. Only things of Gods institution or authority V. And but Few and not very many as to matter of Knowledge and belief § 4. If they were not such mans known incapacity would make them unfit to be any means of the intended end And this is fully proved by all the foregoing proofs of unavoidable diversity that will be found in men And I will here add yet more profs that Concord is so very difficult as that it will not be had on any stricter terms and when all is done it will be very imperfect in this life § 5. The great difficulty of Concord doth further thus appear 1. It cannot be expected but that the greatest part of men will be of low capacity and partial and ignorant and therefore uncapable of understanding higher terms than these 2. The Greater number or too many will be bad though their profest Religion be Good And bad men will be still self-troublers and troublers of others There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked They are like the troubled Sea that casteth up mire and dirt Isa 46. Piety and true Concord must grow together There will be in Christs Kingdom things that offend and men that work iniquity There will be Pastors and people that are Worldly Covetous Lovers of themselves Lovers of pleasures more than of God proud boasters haters of those that are good striving who shall be greatest And these will be unfit materials in the building as to full unity peace and concord 3. Yea there will be Satans Souldiers and bitter enemies to true piety in the Ministry and all ranks of men In the same houshold as he that was born after the flesh did persecute him that was born after the Spirit even so saith St. Paul is it now and so it will be The first born man was a murderer of his own brother because his works were evil and his brothers good 4. And Christ saith that the Rich shall hardly enter into heaven And yet we see the Rich will be the Rulers It hath been so and will be so and
useful and humble as a servant unto all and not as the Rulers of the world to be called Benefactors and gracious Lords not as Lording it over Gods heritage but as examples to the flock Not smiting with the sword but leaving force to Civil Magistrates 4. And it is a simple conversation that Christ by his Law and example hath prescribed and his servants used This was Paul's rejoycing the testimony of his Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom he had his conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. Wisdom must go with innocency but it is not worldly carnal wisdom but such as consisteth in knowing God in Christ to be wise to salvation § 24. Now this fourfold Christian-simplicity Paul foresaw the Serpent on pretence of finer wit and subtilty would draw the Church to forsake till as Erasmus saith it became a point of wit to be a Christian and this would be and hath been the corruption of the Churches 1. The simplicity of Doctrine is turned by Councils and by other Dictators into multitudes of unnecessary and uncertain notions to say nothing of the false ones In the clear discovery of the sence and method of the sacred doctrine we must use our greatest skill and accurateness But salvation peace and concord is not to be laid on the fine elucidations and numerous articles of mens wits 2. The simplicity of Christian worship is corrupted and turned into such pageantry of Ceremonies and formalities to pass by much worse that spiritual worshippers find it exceeding unsuitable to them in much of the Christian world 3. And how far and dolefully the simplicity of Church-Government or Discipline is lost in more places than the Papal Kingdom needs not many words to tell him that can compare things old and new 4. And what wonder if the honest simplicity of Conversation perish with the rest and carnal interest and fraud and falshood and oppression reign by carnal wisdom Thus hath the subtile serpent corrupted the Churches by drawing them from the simplicity that is in Christ CHAP. III. III. The true terms of Catholick Vnity and Concord more particularly described as the principal means of hope for the Churches Peace § 1. THe false terms having been the engines of Schism and Church-distractions it is the opening of the true terms that must be the cure with which I shall begin because Rectum est index sui obliqui And here are distinctly to be laid down I. What are the terms of entering into Christian Catholick Church-Vnity and Communion II. What are the necessary terms of continuing it and what are the causes of abscission either by apostasie or excommunication III. What are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the sacred Ministry IV. What are the terms necessary to the constitution administration and Communion in single Churches V. What are the terms necessary to the concord of such single Churches among themselves as associated or corresponding for mutual help VI. And what is necessary to the civil peace and concord of Christians in Kingdoms Cities and Families Of these in order § 2. I. Nothing but Baptism truly received is necessary to entrance into the state of Vnion with the visible Church called Catholick or Vniversal § 3. I before shewed that Christ himself instituted the terms in the institution of Baptism and that herein all Christians are agreed The proof of this is so full that nothing but gross ignorance or wilfulness can make it a matter of doubt 1. In the fore-cited institution 2. In the constant judgement and practice of the Universal Church through all places and ages since the institution of baptism to this day 1. That Baptism hath been still used no one that knoweth Church history can deny 2. That it hath been used to this end to be the entrance into the Church universal and visible Christian state is an undenyable About Infant baptism the Anabaptists doubt But they also deny Infants to be Christians or Church-members and we prove to them both together by Christs command to Disciple Nations baptizing them They confess that Baptism is the Church-entrance as well as we 3. And all that are truly baptized persons are Christians or visible Church-members till they revolt or are cast out all the Christian world from the dayes of the Apostles are agreed 4. And as all visible Covenanters in baptism have been taken for visible Christians so all sincere heart-Covenanters have ever been supposed by the Church to have by Baptism a sealed and delivered pardon of sin and right to adoption and everlasting life All this is so evident that it is labour in vain to prove it that this hath been the constant consent of the Christian world and so continueth to this day And all that are Christians are still in all Countries thus baptized § 4. And if Baptism be the common symbol of Christianity and the common making of a visible Christian then it must needs be the constitutive term or qualification sufficient to mens first Church-Vnion and Communion which is commonly confessed § 5. If there be any place for contention here it must be only about the validity of mens Received baptism 1. As to the Minister and his part 2. As to the mode and Ceremonies 3. As to the qualification of the receiver or baptized § 6. I. As to the first though all be not agreed in point of Duty who should baptize yet so great a number of the Christian world are agreed as to the validity of baptism received de necessitate medii that the dissenters are so few as that we need not fear any great disagreement hereabout The very Romanists maintain the validity not only of the Baptism received by hereticks and wicked Priests and silenced and suspended Priests but also of Lay-men yea of women But de officio all are agreed that where it is possible a lawful Minister of Christ should do it Only a few Anabaptists say that it must be only one that was baptized at age himself And one or two Singularists whether in ignorance or design I know not think it the aptest medium to unchurch the Reformed Churches that they have no true Priests for want of due succession of ordination and consequently no true Sacraments because God owneth no Acts but such as are commissioned or appointed by him and consequently no Covenant and consequently no Covenant promise and benefits of pardon justification and salvation But this is after at large to be detected and confuted § 7. The great difficulty is of the necessary qualification of the baptized And there 1. the Anabaptists keep out Infants But besides Baptism and Church-membership they deny them no offices that their age is capable of And they are ready to receive them all by baptism as soon as they come to the use of due understanding And these delayes are but few in comparison And 1. the ancient Churches compelled none to be baptized but only received them that
I am loth to cite them § 32. X. The next lamentable Schism and Cursing arose from the Decree of the Constantinopolitan Council de tribus capitulis The Cursing one another for owning or not owning the Council of Chalcedon still continuing and Learned Theodoret with Theodore of Mopsuest and Ibas having been formerly by Dioscorus Ephesine Council condemned and deposed as Nestorian hereticks and the Council of Chalcedon having restored them upon their just subscriptions a crafty Eutychian perswaded the Emperour that he might reconcile all the Eutychians to the Council of Chalcedon if he would but condemn some ill words in the writings of these three Bishops which the Emperour called a General Council together presently to do The one half the Bishops absent thought this was a condemning in part of the Chalcedon Council And Vigilius Bishop of Rome being then at Constantinople refused to subscribe and after excommunicated Menna the Patriarch The Emperour caused him to be dragg'd through the streets by a rope to reconcile him The flames of the Church were by this Council much increased and by condemning three dead mens writings the living were more engaged in a doleful war At last Pope Vigilius consented to the Council whereupon a great part even of the Western Churches and Italy separated from and renounced the Pope and chose them another Patriarch at Aquileia to be their chief Church-Ruler in his stead And this continued about an hundred years till Sergius reconciled them so far was the universal Church even then from taking the Pope or Church of Rome for the Head or any essential part of the Church-Universal And all this was about the Exposition of some doubtful words in three mens writings And can any sober man now think that the right or wrong Exposition of every mans or those three mens writings was a thing that salvation lyeth on or that these are the terms of Christianity and Church-membership § 33. It would be but matter of shame and sorrow to go on and add the later and more shameful instances of Anathematizing especially about Images several Emperours and Councils hereticating each other What an Engine the Pope and Prelates made Cursing men from Christ to get dominion over Emperours and Kings to subdue Kingdoms and to turn Love and peace into wrath and wars and bloodshed and pernicious divisions To recite their damning of Loyalty under the name of the Henrician heresie their damning all that about Transubstantiation renounced not the belief of all their senses and rational perception of sensate things and that renounced not also the belief of all the sound mens senses in the world and consequently the belief of God as he is the God of Nature making his revelation to our understandings by our senses making it necessary to salvation to take God for the deceiver of the senses or apprehensions by sensation of all the world How they have decreed the burning or exterminating of all others that do not thus believe Transubstantiation and deposing temporal Lords that will not exterminate them and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths and Allegiance and giving their dominions to others Did I but recite to you how ridiculously they hereticated Gilbert Porretane and some other learned men and how such exposed the Councils of Bishops to scorn by detecting their ignorance by some questions which they could not answer should I tell you what work their long and numerous Schisms and two or three Popes at once made for the great Councils of Constance and Basil and also what work those Councils made themselves it might melt the heart of a lover of Christianity into grief and tears § 34. I conclude this that the hereticating and Cursing men for doubtful words or want of skill in aptness of expressions yea or for errours which consist with saving faith in Christ is so far from being a means of the Churches good that it hath been the grand engine of Satan to exercise Tyranny excite hatred and Schism and Rebellions and do most lamentable mischiefs in the world and therefore carefully to be avoided § 35. II. And what I have said of words I may partly say of actions Anathematizing men for doubtful actions or for such faults as consist with true Christianity and continued subjection to Jesus Christ is a sinful Church-dividing means § 36. More particularly I shall shew after in the third part of this book that it is not all the same things that make a man uncapable of present Communion in this or that single or particular Church or in a compound Church Diocesane Metropolitane Provincial or National or Imperial which make him uncapable of continuing in the Universal Church Much less doth every continued disobedience to a Bishops or Councils Canons or Commands make him Excommunicable from the Church Universal § 37. But most abominable was it in the Roman Popes and Prelates to shut up all Churches interdict whole Kingdoms and excommunicate the innocent people because a King displeased them or denyed them subjection or obedience And as old Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln in his Epistle to Pope Innocent IV. recorded by Matth. Paris truly tells them It is the work of Satan and next Antichristianity one of the greatest sins in all the world thus to silence Christs Ministers and hinder the preaching of the Word of God and the exercise of his publick Worship Which it concerneth all unjust Silencers to consider § 38. But yet somewhat more tyrannical and abominable is it for one man the Bishop of Rome to damn all the Church of Christ on earth that will not be his Subjects as the Vicar-General of Christ and own his Usurpation and so to cut off and damn the far greatest part of the Christian world But the best is procul à Jove procul à fulmine the remote Churches feel it not and do but deride it and to the nearer parts his thunderbolt doth not kill all so many nor kindle so many fagots as once it did nor is any one ever the more condemned by God for such Papal condemnations § 39. But when I speak of particular Church-Communion I shall shew that there is some lawful suspension called by some the Minor excommunication which cuts not a man off from Communion with any Church much less from the universal or from Christ § 40. Not approving of or practising a doubtful or indifferent humane form of Liturgy or ceremony or circumstance or mode is no just cause of cutting off a man from the Universal Church Because notwithstanding that he may be a true Christian and a member of Christ and his Church and therefore must not falsly be declared to be none § 41. Not taking this or that man to be ones Bishop or Pastor who is obtruded yea or justly set over that Church nor yet particular acts of disobedience to him meerly as such are no good proofs that a man is no true Christian or member of Christ and his Church and therefore are no just cause
to sentence or declare him none For the sentence must be true Many things in such cases may cause a man to err which do not unchristen him or cut him off from Christ § 42. The disowning and refusing some humane forms of Profession of faith called Creeds or some doubtful though lawful subscriptions promises declarations Covenants or oaths much less false ones are no just causes of Excommunicating that man who professeth all the essentials of Christianity and whatever is necessary to salvation § 43. The condemning of some such humane Creeds Articles Forms Covenants promises or oaths though unjustly is no just cause of such excommunication because all men being known to be fallible a good Christian may mistake another mans or many mens words And the misunderstanding of a man or many men may stand with Christianity piety and salvation § 44. It is not all that maketh a man uncapable of local Communion with this or that particular Church which unchristeneth him or maketh him uncapable of continuing in the Church-universal as shall be after proved § 45. Nay a man may be a Christian in the Universal Church who is a member of no particular Church as is before shewed As 1. some newly Baptized as the Eunuch Act. 8. 2. Some Christians that live among Infidels where is no Pastor or Church As if one were now Converted in any Heathen Land or cast there after or called as an Embassador or Merchant to live there 3. Some poor vagrant persons that have no dwelling as Pedlars Tinkers and such others that go from place to place and some others § 46. Therefore if a man should so far err as to think that he were not bound to be a member of some particular Church it may consist with his being a member of the Universal Church § 47. Some few brethren called Independents think that none are members of the Church-Universal but those that are members of some particular Church But it is but few of them and they are mistaken As Corporations are the most regular parts of the Kingdom but not the whole Kingdom so particular Churches are the most regular parts of the universal Church but not the whole as hath been proved by instances § 48. Yea though we need lay no stress on this I doubt not but in cases of necessity an open profession of Christianity and entring into the Covenant of God doth make a man a Christian even without baptism it self As if a Bible or good book or speech convert a man among Infidels where there is no one to baptize him St. Peter saith It is not the outward washing that saveth but the answer of a good Conscience to God in the holy Covenant And it is a dishonourable doctrine against God and Christianity to say that God layeth his love and mans salvation so much on a Ceremony as to damn or deny an upright holy soul for want of it or to give grace to none but by that Ceremony though it be of Gods institution I am sure St. Paul saith Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. And if Holy before baptism because the Parents are so and do devote them to God and God accepts them then baptism doth but solemnize this dedication and invest them It is the solemn Covenanting with God that is the chief part of baptism and is it which the ancient Churches meant when they pleaded for the necessity of baptism to salvation Though it is no doubt a duty where it may be had and the thing signified is necessary to salvation § 49. The Keyes of Admission and exclusion as to the Church universal and salvation are not given absolutely to the Pastors but only to exercise on qualified persons And every man herein hath more power as to his own entrance or ejection than the Pastors have They do but judge a man to be what he is according to Christs Law and not what he is not no man can make a man a Christian without himself nor unchristian him without himself nor can all men and devils do so much to it as himself God hath not put our salvation or damnation so much in any ones power as our own § 50. A false and unjust sentence of excommunication doth no more to damn a man than a false absolution doth to save him But till the falshood is known others for order sake must avoid the person if it be done by a just power and not notoriously abused to the subversion of order or the Church otherwise not But the injured person is still a member of the Catholick Church And is not disobliged from his Communion with it and publick worshipping of God because a Pastor unjustly forbiddeth him Though he must give all due satisfaction and seek his right in a regular way CHAP. V. III. What are the terms necessary to the Office and Exercise of the Sacred Ministry § 1. THe Schisms in the Church are far more among the Clergy than the people and have been mostly exercised by Bishops militating against each other and anathematizing each other as hereticks or as not submitting to the challengers of superiour jurisdiction Or else in the Bishops silencing Christs Ministers for not obeying them as they expect HARD WORDS for want of an equal skill in speaking and JURISDICTION or superiority through pride and a carnal mind contended for by the Clergy against each other have torn the Church and confounded States and been the shame of Christianity in the eyes of Infidels and brought us to the low and broken state that we are in § 2. The great cause of all this hath been the introduction of ignorant or bad men into the sacred Pastoral Office And the remedy doth not yet seem very hopeful to us And operari sequitur esse As the man is so will he do A good tree will bring forth good fruit and è contra An ignorant man will err An erring man will do evil and not repent none will do more mischief against the Churches peace than an erring Ruler that Can do it and thinketh that he Ought to do it worldly men will prefer their worldly interest before the interest of Christianity and mens souls The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God nor while such can be But the Proud while they will not obey God will rage against the best that obey not them Read Church-History and you 'll see it proved § 3. Such as the choosers are such ordinarily the chosen are like to be God and the ancient Churches set three locks to this door for the safety of the Church that so great a matter should not be disposed of without a manifold consent 1. The person to be Ordained and the Ordainers were made the Judges who should be a Minister of Christ in the Church-Universal as being qualified by God thereto II. The People and the Ordainers were to choose or consent who should be their Pastors in particular The people and the
Presbyters chose the Bishop and the Bishop and people consenting chose the Presbyters III. The Magistrate was judge whom he would countenance or tolerate But Gods Law was the Rule which all these were to observe in judging § †But all men are corrupt and some more than others And they like those best that are likest themselves or at least most agreeable to their interest and desires This chain hath been long broken sometimes the Bishop of Rome hath claimed the choice of Bishops and given the Bishops the choice of the Presbyters sometime he hath given the people the choice of their Bishops but claimed to himself the power of investing and instituting them Sometime Emperours and Kings have used this investing power leaving still the people to choose In England now the King really chooseth all Bishops commending them to the Dean and Chapter pro formâ And the Bishop only chooseth whom he will ordain a Minister in specie And one called the Patron chooseth who shall be the Parish Priest and the Bishop must institute and induct him but according to the Law and the choosing and consenting liberty is wholly taken from the people § 5. 1. How the Popes formerly chose and yet choose where it is in their power I need not tell them that know history and the world nor yet what Presbyters such Bishops chose nor is it any wonder that such choosers served their own interest nor that the chosen serve it 2. How Princes and Patrons and Prelates have chosen history tells us And Christ who saith How hard it is for the Rich to enter into the Kingdom of heaven teacheth us to expect that ordinarily Rich men should not be the best to speak softly And the Rich will rule and will choose according to their interests and their appetites 3. And when the people had their choice in some places they chose hereticks or ignorant men In other places they chose vitious men In most places they followed the Court or Great men whenever they interposed and too often divided from each other by disagreement or caused tumults in the choice And then what wonder if the sacred office was corrupted to the doleful detriment and danger of the Churches when the choosers were but such as these § 6. The things necessary to the sacred Ministry Bishops or Presbyters are I. Either to the Being II. Or to the Well-being III. Or to the Exercise § 7. I. To the Being are Necessary I. A true efficient cause II. The true constitutive causes III. A due Terminus or End § 8. I. The true efficient cause here is necessary to the effect it being the Fundamentum of the Relation And this is 1. Primary or Principal which is Jesus Christ the Lord Redeemer and the Churches King and Head 2. Instrumental and that is The Law of Christ which is as a Charter to the Church first telling the Choosers and receiver what to do and then Giving the Power and Imposing the Obligation on the person chosen consenting and ordained § 9. II. The necessary Constitutive Causes are I. Matter or the subject II. The necessary Disposition of that Matter III. The form as in Physical beings it is so so Relations have somewhat answerable § 10. I. The Subject or Matter is A Man II. The necessary Disposition is 1. That it be a Male and not a Woman 2. That he have the use of Reason or natural wit and speech 3. That he be a Christian 4. That he have necessary abilities for the essentials of the office-work And those are 1. The understanding at least of the Essentials of Religion and Ministry 2. A Will to perform the work of the Ministry 3. Ability of utterance to do it and all the necessary executive power § 11. III. The Form of the Office is 1. In general AUTHORITY and OBLIGATION conjunct 2. In special Authority to perform the Office-work and obligation to perform it Which work is 1. To be a Teacher under Christ the chief Teacher 2. To be a Priest or Intercessor to guide the Church in worship and speak in their name and on their behalf to God and intercede for them and as from God to administer his Seals or Sacraments 3. To Rule the Church and particular Believers in things spiritual not by force or sword but by opening and directive applying Gods Word and exercising the Church Keyes as Judges who is to be received or cast out loosed or bound according to the Word of God The Form consisteth of these parts § 12. III. The End or Terminus of the Sacred Office that is of the Authority and Obligation is 1. Proximately the Work to be done 2. the necessary objects of that work 1. Particular persons 1. Infidels and ungodly men to be converted 2. Christians and godly men to be edified 2. Societies 1. The Churchâ—Universal to be increased and edified 2. Particular Churches to be taught and guided and led in worship and discipline 3. The necessary effects here named to be intended All that I have named and no more is necessary to the Being § 13. About all these there are divers errours brought in by the arrogance and ignorance of men which hinder the concord and peace of Christians And I. About the Efficient Cause Too many falsly perswade the world that the ORDAINERS are the efficient Causes of the Power or Office yea that their Intention can alter the species instituted by Christ in the conveyance of it to this or that person As if when Christ and his Apostles have described the office in its parts and commanded that a Bishop or Presbyter be chosen and ordained to such particular work and ends an Ordainer might now give him half this power without the rest And when he maketh Bishops or Presbyters they shall have no more power than the Ordainer was willing or intended or did particularly express Than which nothing is more false For it is Gods Law that is the specifier and donation and the Ordainer doth but ministerially invest and deliver possession of what the Law gave and commanded him to deliver The Kings Law or Charter giveth power to the Citizens to choose a Major and describeth all his power and work and ordereth the Recorder to Swear him and deliver him the insignia Here now 1. The Electors do but determine of the person to receive the power but do not at all give it 2. The King by his Charter as the instrument giveth it It results hence as every Jus à titulo seu fundamento juris 3. The Recorder only Ministerially delivereth possession by investiture Now if the Recorder or Choosers shall say We choose you or deliver you power as Major according to the Kings Charter but you shall have but so much less than the Charter giveth this diminution is a nullity For they have no power to choose another kind of Major than that described in the Charter nor to make his power more or less but he may exercise what the Charter
lay more stress or an outward act of man and point of order than he doth § 26. 3. And as to the Nature and Use of the thing Order is for the sake of the thing ordered and the persons for whose good it is And therefore not to be set against them § 27. 4. And Christ himself hath oft taught us this way of judging When he bids us Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice And when he oft reproveth Jews and Samaritans for striving about circumstances setting them against spiritual worshipping of God And when he saith The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath And Paul when he saith All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos and Let all be done to Edification All which tell us that the End is a certain Canon to the means and to be preferred and that Morals must be preferred before Rituals and Rituals never set against them And methinks they should be of this mind that deny the Scripture to have unchangeably fixed all Rituals and yet confess that Morals are fixedly determined § 28. 5. And even Popes have been taken for Popes upon Election before Consecration And Arch-bishops with us have no superiours to Consecrate them but such Inferiours as promise them obedience at their own Consecration § 29. X. To the tenth question There be some called Erastians who hold the King to be so mixta persona like Melchizedeck as that he is also the chief Priest and hath the chief power of Ordination and that he might administer the Sacraments if he would and that his Appointment is an Ordination which the people are bound by reception of the person to consent to There are others that think that though the investing act must be performed by a Bishop yet he is bound by the Kings choice and command to do it as a Minister of God and the King But as I never saw either of these well proved so very few comparatively receive them and therefore they will never unite the Churches And Christs giving the power of the Keys himself to the Apostles and their Successours in the Ministry seemeth to me to contradict them Sure I am that Christs Church hath not thus been founded or edified And yet Magistrates have a great and honourable part even in the Government of the Church I speak not for all those Popish Councils and Canons which nullifie all Ordinations of Bishops either chosen or presented by Civil Rulers or Great men that are Secular nor of those that pronounce even a Pope an Usurper that is so introduced But of the Councils and practice of the sounder ages that were still against this 2. However if Clergy and people were proved to be bound to Consent to whomsoever the Prince shall choose yet till they do consent he is no Bishop to them You may could that be proved prove them culpable for not consenting but not prove him their Bishop as the Scripture and all Church custome and Canons and Reason shew § 30. XI To the eleventh case I answer That the Priests or people sin who disobey a lawful command of the King and not otherwise But sin or not sin it nullifieth not the Ordination or Priesthood meerly that it is against the will of the Prince All the Bishops and Priests in the world or most were made against the will of Princes for three hundred years And Christ gave the Keyes to other hands § 31. XII and XIII To the twelfth and thirteenth cases I answer together If a heretick whose denyal of an essential of Christianity is notorious and maketh him equal to an Apostate ordain his Act is null as without all authority And the mans Priesthood or Episcopacy is null if he have not a sufficient cause and proof of it besides or without this The same I say of one excommunicate for such a cause But if the Heresie be only a schism or some lower errour consistent with Christianity and Priesthood or the excommunication only on such a cause then the ordination in sensu passivo is not null meerly on that account that it was done by such a heretick or excommunicate man As is commonly agreed on But yet if this Bishop or Presbyter be ordained by a heretick or excommunicate man of a lower order to this or that particular Church caeteris paribus the people may see reason to refuse him and consent to another that hath a better ordination unless in a Church so corrupted that the Ordainers and Excommunicators authority is not to be regarded and help up which hath too oft faln out But regularly none ought to ordain a man to any Church before the election or consent of the flock though it may serve ad esse officii if the consent come after But if three Bishops ordain one man to be Bishop of such a Church and three others ordain another to the same that is the true Bishop quoad esse which the Church to which he is ordained doth accept by their consent before or after Yea though it were the worser party of Bishops that ordained that man § 32. As to the point of successive-right-ordination uninterrupted from the Apostles I hope afterward in due place to prove that to the Church universal such there hath been de facto in all the necessary parts But that to any particular Church or any individual persons ministry such uninterrupted course of ordination in being notice or proof is utterly unnecessary and that the Papacy hath no such to shew § 33. To conclude To the Being of the true Relation of a Bishop or Presbyter is necessary only 1. The Subject which is a Qualified Christian man sufficiently notified and offered 2. The Fundamentum Relationis Christs Law or Charter giving him his power and obliging him to his work 3. The mutual consent of Pastor and flock in the Relation to a particular Church is partly Dispositio subjecti and partly as it is Gods means a modus fundandi or conditio tituli 4. The Terminus of one ordained to the gathering of Churches sine titulo or not to any particular Church is objectively first men unconverted to be called and next men converted to be edified and as Effects the work to be done and the good to be done by it And in those ordained to particular Churches it is the work and the effect on them 5. The Correlate is 1. Christ to whom we are related as his Ministers as the efficient of our office 2. The people to whom we are related as the end and that 1. we are Ministers to the world to be converted 2. To the Universal Church to be edified 3. and mostly to particular Churches to be guided 6. The Relatum then is such a person Authorized and obliged to Teach Worship and Rule under Christ the Prophet Priest and King of the Church the foresaid flocks or Christians to the foresaid ends § 34. II. So much for what is necessary to the Being of the sacred
to retain in Church-Communion multitudes of Infidels Adulterers Fornicators Perjured persons drunkards railers slanderers oppressours hereticks scorners at piety c. And it 's yet worse to cast out men for not subscribing to some lye false doctrine or wicked thing or for refusing down right heinous sin And yet worse is it to make Discipline an engine to dethrone Kings and embroile confound or subdue Kingdoms and enslave the earth § 50. The lower first degrees of Church-Government which is but doctrinally to teach men and reprove them all Pastors must use or they omit the essential work of their office But the full prosecution of it to excommunication or publick repentance is rather needful to the Well-being than to the Being of the Churches and Ministry especially when the Christian-Magistrate doth his part No doubt but the Magistrate may admonish a sinner and command him to make publick Confession in the Church and may shame the impenitent and forbid familiarity with him yea and Church-Communion when the case is notorious or judged by the Pastor But it is the Pastors office to judge of his crime impenitence and repentance in order to excommunication and absolution and herein the Magistrate is not to take on him the Pastors work but to command the Pastor and people to do their duties § 51. III. So much of the necessaries to the Being and Well being of the Ministry As to the exercise it may be gathered from what is said There is further necessary to it 1. Natural ability possibility liberty and opportunity and the peoples acceptance consent and reception 2. And as to the Well-being and success 1. The great diligence and skill of the Minister 2. The forwardness and teachableness and zeal and concord of the flock 3. The Concord of the Ministers and Neighbour Pastors 4. And the countenance and encouragement of faithful Magistrates will much promote it CHAP. VI. IV. What is necessary to the Constitution Administration and Communion of single Churches § 1. BY single and Particular Churches I still mean those that are compounded of many Christians but not of many Churches And I take not the word Church in any of the laâ—e senses for civil or occasional meetings or societies or for every religious concourse of Christians as a Synod an accidental day of fasting and prayer c. nor for a meer Community or neighbourhood of Christians nor for a Christian Kingdom or City governed by the Magistrates sword But for a proper Church as political consisting of Pastor and flock § 2. When the Apostles ordained them Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. it signifieth that they setled these Elders as the proper fixed Church-guides of those Churches Not that they had no Ministerial power elsewhere but that this was their proper special Charge or Province As a Licensed Physicion that hath a particular Hospital or City is a Physicion every where that he cometh and not breaking order may exercise his Art but he may not invade another mans Hospital or Province nor is bound as the other is to medicate that Hospital c. So a Minister of Christ lawfully invited may Preach and Administer Sacraments yea and Discipline in any other Church pro tempore not as a Lay-man but as a Minister in office But he is not bound to take the Charge of another mans flock nor may intrude disorderly but as a helper or on just call § 3. Titus is appointed to ordain such Elders in every City which is all one as in every Church not that every City then had a Church nor that he was to ordain Elders in the Cities that had no Churches nor that he was forbidden to ordain Elders in Countrey Villages Nor that he was tyed either to ordain many Elders in every Church or City or yet to ordain but One in one City or one Church But because de facto there were few or no Villages then that had Christians enow to make a Church of desirable consistence therefore they were congregate commonly in Cities and great Towns where the Christians of the neighbour Villages joyned with them § 4. Every such single Church then by the Apostles order had their own Pastor one or more and every such fixed Pastor knew his proper Charge and flock And in the time when the Epistles of Ignatius were written every such Church had One Bishop over the other Elders and usually some fellow Elders and Deacons and a single undivided Church was known by these notes of Unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In every Church there is one Altar or Altar place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyters and Deacons Whence Mr. Mede well noteth the certainty that then no Church of one Altar was denyed a Bishop and no Bishop had more Churches with an Altar than one That is no other Assembly for stated Communion § 5. Yet occasional and subordinate Communion parts of a Church may hold Those called Independents deny not but that in persecution or for want of a large room the same Church may meet by parts in several places at once And all confess that a Parish Church may admit of Chapels and Oratories where distant and weak persons may frequently meet that yet sometimes must come to the Parish Church And families that have sick persons may Communicate with neighbours joyning with them But these are not Churches but parts of such § 6. God hath not said just how many persons must make a single Church no more and no less determinately but he hath given us sufficient notice to guide us by the work and end and by his general precepts and examples § 7. A single Church is a society of Christians of Divine institution consisting of one Pastor or more as the Guiding part and a competent number of private Christians as the Guided part associated by Consent for personal presential holy Communion and mutual assistance in holy Doctrine holy worship of God holy order and holy Conversation for the edification preservation and salvation of that Church and the welfare of the Church universal of which it is a part and the Glorifying and Pleasing of God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier § 8. To open the parts of this definition observe 1. That as in defining a Sacrament so in defining a Church we mention the Divine Institution because it is not human Sacraments or humanly-invented Churches that we treat of § 9. 2. Note that only Christians make a Christian Church as is oft said Professed Christians the visible Church and sincere heart consenters the mystical regenerated saved Church § 10. 3. It is not any other company of Christians but a society or Governed association that we speak of as strictly called a Church § 11. 4. The Pastors and flock are the essential constitutive parts It may be a Community without a Pastor but not a Policie or Ecclesiastical Society While the Pastor liveth it is such a Church in esse existente when the
it So if a Church will cast men from the Sacrament because they dare not sit or stand or kneel and will not allow them otherwise elsewhere to receive it There is no possibility of Concord without tolerating some differing persons and Assemblies Sect. XLV 20. The worst Schism being that which is a separation from the universal Church it followeth that the most schismatical Church-Tyranny is that which unjustly excludeth men from the universal Churches visible Communion for from the spiritual they cannot such are 1. The Anabaptists that undisciple all Infants 2. Those that deny Christendome to such as dare not use or receive the transient Image of the Cross as the engaging dedicating Symbol of Christianity or the Children of such whose Parents dare not so present them nor yet commit the Covenanting for them to men called Godfathers instead of themselves 3. The Seekers that say all the Visible Church is lost 4. But the greatest Schismaticks are the Pope and Papists who unchurch all the Christian World save the Sect or Subjects of the Pope To cut off Christs members from his Body Visible or deny men their place in the universal Church is a far heinouser Schism than to cast them out of or rend them from a particular Church only 5. And the same guilt is on them that by unjust Excommunications pretend to cut men off from the Church universal especially by unjust hereticating whole Parties Countreys or Kingdoms or interdicting whole Kingdoms Gods publick Worship as the Pope hath often done And especially when on such Pretences they excommunicate Kings and raise warres in Kingdoms and embroil the Christian World in blood Sect. XLVI The greatest Causes of Schisms I have opened in the foresaid Scheme and the Preface to my Cathol Theologie viz. I. For Persons 1. A Contentious Clergy 2. Unwise and wicked Rulers 3. The deceived people II. For Qualities 1 Remotely 1. Selfishness and Worldliness in Hypocrites 2. Hasty Judging of things not well understood the common vice of Mankind 3. Slothfulness in Students 2 Neerly 1. Pride or want of Self-acquaintance 2. Ignorance and Error 3. Envy Malice and Bitterness III. The instrumental Engines of Schism are 1. In General Corrupt departing from the Christian Simplicity 2. Particularly 1. From Simplicity of Doctrine by Dogmatists Words and Notions 2. From Simplicity of Practice by superstitious Additions 3. From Simplicity of Discipline by Church-Tyranny and dividing Laws and Impositions Sect. XLVII The mischievous Effects of Schism I have also there named 1. The Corruption of Doctrine by Wranglings 2. The Corruption of Worship by faction partiality and wrath 3. The Corruption of Discipline by Tyranny or Partiality 4. Self-deceit by false Zeal 5. The destruction of Holiness and a heavenly Conversation 6. The Destruction of Love and the life of Wrath and manifold injuries 7. The corrupting and undoing of Civil Rulers by oppression partiality injustice persecution and warres 8. Exposing the innocent to slanders hatred and persecution 9. Hardening the ignorant unbelieving and ungodly to their perdition 10. Hindering the Success of the Gospel 11. Corrupting the Churches weakening them shaming them and strengthening their enemies and drawing down Gods Judgments on them 12. Shaking the Civil peace grieving good Rulers Teachers and People 13. Cherishing all Vice and hindering all men of the comforts and benefits of peaceable Communion with God and one another Whoever are guilty of true Schism or Divisions are guilty of all these consequent mischiefs in a respective degree CHAP. II. The true Preventions and Remedies of Schism Sect. I. TO tell men what should be done for Unity and Peace and for Salvation is far easier than to bring men to the Practice of it And as it is hard to prevail even with one man for all the Requisites hereto so if most of the Christian World were so happy as to be thus qualified yet as one diseased part doth trouble and endanger the whole body so the rest of the world by their badness would keep up common disquietments and troubles so that it is no more a perfect Concord than perfect Knowledge and Holiness which we can hope for in this World Sect. II. 1. It is presupposed that Christ the great Peace-maker hath done much and most to this work already He hath reconciled us to God he hath made himself the Center of our Unity He hath given us sound Doctrine to lead us out of dividing Darkness He hath made us such just and holy Laws as all tend to Unity Love and Peace He hath left us his own perfect and imitable example He hath prescribed the just terms of our Unity and Peace He hath made Love and Meekness and forbearing and forgiving and all healing Principles and Practices the Conditions of his Promises and the great Duties and Marks of his Disciples He hath disgraced and strictly forbidden all dividing qualities and actions all uncharitableness censuring wrath malice envy backbiting evil-speaking discord contention revenge c. He hath threatned to shut out the guilty from his Kingdom He hath instituted Church-discipline to shut them out of his Church till they repent He poured out the Spirit of Love and Concord miraculously at first on his Disciples making them of one heart and mind even to a voluntary Community of their goods He prayed that they all might be One in him He hath appointed his Ministers to preach up Love Concord and Peace throughout the world He hath instituted particular Churches for the exercise of Love Concord and holy Communion He giveth to all true Christians the Spirit of Love and Peace and every one hath so much of these as a new Nature as they have of his Spirit and saving Grace All this and more hath Christ done himself for his Peoples Unity Love and Peace Sect. III. 2. Under Christ the chief Instruments of Concord must be the faithful Ministers of Christ whose duty hereto I have before described Particularly 1. They must be men of more eminent knowledge and gifts than the higher sort of the Flock or else if the People once perceive that they are equal to them they will despise them and turn Preachers and set up for themselves 2. And then such Ministers being not able to deal with Sectaries and Hereticks will betray the Cause of God and the adversaries will carry away the Hearers And it will be easie to bring such persons into Contempt and then the Truth will suffer with them God fitteth men to do the work that he will bless them in Not that every Congregation must needs have such an eminent man for a great Light will shine to other Parishes and an able man in one Parish may be ready to help the next and to confute Gainsayers and may keep up the Credit of the Ministry But it is such that must preserve the Unity and Concord of Believers and preserve the Church from Schism Sect. IV. 2. And if Ministers do not also live in holiness justice charity free from fleshly lusts
and pleasures and unspotted of the world as freer than other men from a proud a worldly and a covetous mind dividers will despise them and ignorant people will suspect the Cause for their sakes and many unsetled well-meaning persons will fall from them and turn to them that they think live a more strict and pious and humble and charitable life The Ministers Life as well as Doctrine is needful to remedy Schism As men fly from a Carrion or a stinking place in the house so will the people from Priests of a corrupt Conversation Sect. V. 3. And it is necessary 1. That a Preacher be skilled in the particular Controversies that the Church is in danger of 2. And that he skilfully zealously and frequently preach up the necessity and excellency of Unity Love and Peace and the sin and danger of the contraries That men may by right Reason and the Fear of God be taught to make as much Conscience of these as they do of other great Duties and Sins and may not be without preserving Fear Sect. VI. 4. And it is specially necessary that a Preacher know how to deal with the Persons as well as with the Cause and that is not to rail at them and render them shamefull and odious whom he would win nor publickly to expose them to contempt much less to slander abuse or oppress them But with Evidence managed with meekness love and tenderness to convince them and make them feel that all cometh for their own good from unfeigned Love as Musculus won the Anabaptists by feeding and relieving them in Prison till they sought to him for instruction and were disposed to hear it Nature flyeth from hurtful things and persons Had the Enmity been put at first between the Woman and the Serpent Eve had not been so easily seduced Too many Bishops and Preachers go about to cure Schism as a man would bring Birds to the Net or Fishes to the Bait by shouting and throwing Stones at them or as one would get the swarm of Bees into the Hive by beating them or as one that would get a Wife by deriding and railing at her or as a Physician that would get practice by mocking his Patients instead of medicining them Men know better than so how to bring an Oxe to the Yoak or a Horse or Dog to hand or to tame any Bird or Beast that is wild and frightful It 's true that as a Malefactor is hanged for the good of the Common-wealth rather than his own so a desperate seducing Heretick or Divider may be justly rendered as contemptible as he deserveth to keep others from being deceived by him But all that we hope to win must be otherwise used Reproach and disgrace maketh the Medicine so bitter which should be sugared that with one of many it will not go down Scorn and reviling is the way to drive them further from us Sect. VII 5. And Ministers Patience with tolerable Dissenters while they worship God with some difference from them in their own Assemblies is a necessary prevention of worser Schism Thus some peaceable Bishops kept peace and love with the Novatians when others by contrary means made more Schisms As Epiphanius saith Audius by intemperate foolish opposition was driven from the Church What hurt will it do me to let people hear another Teacher whom they preferre before me and can more profit by If I am for Organs for Images for Crossing c. what hurt is it to let others meet and worship God without them But when Preachers have not personal worth to keep up their Reputation and then rail at those that do not value them they do but make themselves more vile And when they are so proud that if people leave them and preferre another they cannot bear it but think to remedy it by making odious or vilifying those that undervalue them they do but as all proud men do even cross and more debase themselves and make that a Schism which was but a personal neglect Sect. VIII 3. And the Christian Magistrate must be a principal Instrument of remedying Schism And very much may he doe by wisdom moderation and right means which I have mentioned before when wrong wayes do but increase the Schism Sect. IX 4. And the ancient and wisest sort of good Christians must be great Instruments herein They must be Examples to the Younger of Love Peace and Concord They must oft tell them how good and amiable a thing it is for Brethren to dwell and meet together in Unity and open the sin and danger of Division Age Grace and Experience mellow and sweeten the Spirits of ripe Christians when the Young are green and harsh and sowre Sect. X. But among all these there are some men in all Ages whom God stirreth up to a special zeal for Christian Concord And though the state of the place and times which they live in or their own weakness may make some of them propose some terms which in better times would be unreasonable as Erasmus Cassander Wicelius and others did yet it is that healing Spirit that must be a prime mover in all the work if ever Concord be obtained Such have been Melâ—ncton Musculus Bucholzer Junius Job Ger. Vâ—ssius Camero Ludovicus Capellus Placaeus Testardus Amâ—raldus Blondell Dallaeus the Breme and British Divines at Dort and by their means the Decrees of the Synod are Pacificatory Calixtus and his Associates Johan Bergius Conrad Bergius Ludov. Crocius Iselburge Archbishop Usher Bishop Hall Bishop Davenant Dr. Ward Dr. Preston Mr. Whately Mr. Fenner Chillingworth and many more But before all John Dury and Mr. Le Blanke As some men that study the Revelations or Chronologie or Genealogies c. are readier in those particular Subjects than other men though of greater parts so they that study the Churches peace and the Concord of differing Christians usually are fitter for that work than others Sect. XI There is one sort of men that have written many things excellently for Peace even the Socinians who being Hereticks have thereby done much harm Divers of them have laid down in general those Rules and Terms which might much have furthered the Churches Peace if the same things had been written by men of Name and Reputation What Acontius was or what Rupertus Meldenius was I am not sure some say they were Socinians and some deny it But I am sure if they were heretical their excellent Precepts for Love and Peace may rise up in judgment against Orthodox Persecutors Schismaticks and Revilers Many that are known to be Socinians have written much for peace and Satan hath made great advantage of it to bring all earnest motions for peace into suspicion so that a man can now scarce write for the retreat of Church-warriours and for the quenching of our consuming flames but he is presently suspected to be guilty of some Heresie and to have specially need of Charity or toleration himself Like the Fox that having lost his Tail would have
us that they were settled only in One Empire and not in the rest of the World 5. And that the Emperour and Councils of that Empire made them 6. And therefore when they were at first but three they added at their pleasure two more Constantinople and Jerusalem 7. And none of all these pretend to Apostolical Institution and Succession but Antioch that claimeth to be St. Peters first Seat and Rome to be his second and that but as Bishops when that also is a frivolous pretense Alexandria claimeth succession but from St. Mark and Jerusalem from that St. James who saith Dr. Hammond and others was none of the Apostles and Constantinople from none at all though above the rest Councils as Constant and Chalced. professing that the Fathers and Princes made them what they were Sect. IV. It is certain that the Christian World is not now united in Patriarchs nor ever was nor ever will be The Patriarchs of the rest of the Empire are all now broken off from the Church of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Jerusalem are all against him The East had four and the West but one and are now at odds condemning each other The rest of the world have none and had none And it is commonly confessed that as men set them up so men may pull them down again Yea even in the old Empire many Churches were from under all the Patriarchs as is commonly known Sect. V. And how should these Patriarchs unite all the Church It must be either by meeting or at distance As for their meeting Princes that are some Mahometans and some Christians of divers Interests and Minds will not suffer it And neither by meeting or distance can we be secured that they will agree when even under one Emperour that laboured to unite them they were among their Clergy like the Generals of so many Armies distracting and at last destroying the Empire by hereticating and persecuting one another Those that have divided and undone that Empire are never like to unite the Christian World Sect. VI. And what I say of Patriarchs I say of all humane Forms of Churches or Church-government and so of such an Episcopacy as is not necessary to the being of the Church There are here three distinct questions before us 1. Whether the Pastoral Office be necessary to Church-unity 2. Whether Parochial Episcopacy be necessary to it 3. Whether Diocesan Bishops distinct from Archbishops be necessary to it And you may adde a fourth Whether Archbishops be necessary to it not disputing now the lawfulness of any of all these Sect. VII 1. Of the first I have spoken before No doubt but Christs universal Church hath ever had Teachers and Pastors as the most noble organical part And a Body may as well be without a Stomack Liver or Lungs as the Church be without them And to a particular Church as political organized or Governed they are a constitutive part But I have before shewed reasons to doubt whether yet it be necessary to salvation to every individual Christian to know that the Ministry is an instituted Office and to own such But this little concerneth our Cause Sect. VIII 2. Parochial Episcopacy that is the preeminence and government of one Presbyter called a Bishop over the rest in every single Church was early introduced to avoid the discord of the Presbyters and the Flock In the time when Ignatius's Epistles were written he tells us That every Church had One Altar and one Bishop with his fellow-Presbyters and Deacons Whether this was of Apostolical Institution or a humane Corruption is disputed in so many Volumes by Petavius Sancta Clara Faravia Whitenitto Downham Hammond Hooker Bilson c. on one side And Gersom Bucer Beza Cartwright Salmasius Didoclane Jacob Blondel Parker Paul Baine c. on the other that I think it not meet here to interpose my thoughts But that it is not essential to a Church and that all the Church will not unite in it appeareth as followeth Sect. IX 1. They are not united in it now The Reformed Churches in France Belgia Helvetia and many other parts are against such Bishops as necessary and a distinct Order And in England Scotland and Ireland New-England c. they are by some approved and by others not 2. Former Ages have had many pious Christians against them especially in Scotland and among the Waldenses 3. The School-men and other Papists are not themselves agreed whether Bishops and Presbyters are distinct Orders 4. The Church of England even while Popish denyed it and said they were but one Order as you may see in Spelman Aelfreds Laws or Canons 5. Hierome and Eutychius Alexandrinus tell us how and why Episcopacy was introduced at Alexandria and that the Presbyters made them there 6. The Scots were long governed without them as Major and Beda tell us And their Presbyters made the first Bishops in Northumberland as Pomeranus a Presbyter made those in Denmark 7. Almost all the Churches in East and West as far as I can learn have cast off Parochial Bishops of single Churches and in their stead set up Diocesans over multitudes of Parishes without any Bishops under them but Curats only 8. While there is no hope of all agreeing whether it be a Divine Institution and that of essential necessity there is no probability that ever the Universal Church will unite in them 9. The Diocesans we find will never yield to them 10. The reception of them will not unite the Church were it agreed on it being more and greater matters that they differ about I confess that the ancient reception of them was so general and the reason of the thing so fair that I am none of those that accuse such Episcopacy as unlawfull or Schismatical but rather think it conduceth to prevent Schisms But 1. I am satisfied that it will not be agreed to by all 2. Nor serve for universal Concord were it agreed on 3. And that it is Schismatical to make them more necessary than God hath made them and to cut off Christians or Churches that cannot receive them Sect. IX Diocesan Episcopacy by which I mean a single Bishop over many hundred or score Parishes and sacred Assemblies that have Altars and are large enough to be single Churches or at least Many such without any Bishops under him of those Churches will much less ever unite the Universal Church however it hath obtained over very much of the Christian world For first more Churches by far at this day are against it than against Parochial Episcopacy and more Volumes are written against it and Men have a far greater aversness to it as more dangerous to the Church Sect. X. 2. It is contrary to the Scripture Institution which set up Bishops in all single Churches whether the same with Presbyters I now dispute not but they were such as then were received And those that think such Single or Parish or City Bishops necessary will never agree to put them all
his Presbyters and Deacons 2. Nor with the question whether these should have Arch-Bishops over them as successours to the Apostolical and other general Overseers of the first age in the ordinary continued parts of their office 3. Nor whether Patriarchs Diocesans and Lay Chancellours as officers of the King exercising under him such Government of the Church as belongeth to Kings according to our Oath of Supremacy be lawful to which in such exercise all subjects must for Conscience sake submit 4. Nor whether it was well done or of Divine appointment that about temporal matters as well as Church Controversies the Bishops were chosen arbitrators by the ancient Christians and so did that which Christian Magistrates now must do till upon the conversion of Princes and States the said Power of externals circa sacra fell into their hands 5. Nor yet if Diocesans become the sole Bishops infimi ordinis over many hundred Parishes all the Bishops and Parish Churches under them being put down and turned into Curates and Chapels partes ecclesiae infimae speciei whether a Minister and every Subject ought yet to live quietly and peaceably under them It is none of these that are the questions which I decide II. In my confutation of Mr. Dodwell some may mistake me as if I denied that our Religion had come down to us by a continued succession from the Apostles or that the ministerial office in specie or that the Vniversal Church had ever been without a true Ministry or Religion I have proved where our Church was in all ages before Luther in my second book against Johnson alias Terret Nor do I say what I do to avoid deriving our Ministerial succession from Rome For History puts me out of doubt that the multitude of uncapable Popes and Schisms will prove a far greater interruption of Canonical and Legitimate succession at Rome than can be proved of England and perhaps than hath happened to almost any other Church in the world And I am fully satisfied that the present Church of England as National deriveth its succession from the ancient Brittish and Scottish Church and not from Rome and that Christianity was the Religion of England long before Gregory or Augustine the Monks days and that notwithstanding Gildas his smart reproofs when the Brittish and Scottish Clergy and people disclaimed all obedience to the Pope and would not so much as eat or lodge in the same house with Gregory's Clergy the persons were better or at least their doctrine and Religion more sound than that which Rome did afterwards obtrude And as the blood of this nation though called English will upon just consideration be found to be twenty if not an hundred fold more British than either Roman Saxon or Norman so the Ordination of the Bishops is derived so much more from the Brittains and Scots than from Rome as that Augustine the Monks successours were afterward almost quite extinct only one Wini a Simonist being left in anno 668. the rest of the Bishops being all of Brittish ordination All which with much more of great importance is so fully proved after Usher by M. T. Jones of Oswestree late Chaplain to the Duke of York in an excellent Historical Treatise hereof called Of the Heart and its right Soveraign that I am sorry that book is no more commonly bought and read But withal I must say that this our certain succession disproveth the Papists and Mr. Dodwells plea for the necessity of their sort of Episcopal Canonical uninterrupted succession For as the Bishops of Denmark have their succession but from Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter his ordination so Aidan and Finan that came from Scotland out of Columbanus Monastery were no Bishops as Beda and others fully testifie And after Beda and others Mr. Jones hath cleared it that it was not only the Northern Bishops that were ordained by Aidan and Finan and Dhuma but that the Bishops of the whole land had their ordination derived from them and such as they and those whom they ordained so that the denying of the Validity of the Ordination by Presbyters shaketh the succession of the Episcopal Church of England and proveth it on that supposition interrupted And if they derive it from Rome it will be as much shaken III. In perusal I find that I have more than once mentioned some things in this treatise and the repetition may be an offense to some To which I say 1. That this is usual in controversies where several objections and occasions call for the same material answer 2. But I confess it is the effect of my hast and weakness And it is my judgement while I think that I write no needless books that I should rather write any one that is truly useful with such imperfections of manner and style as only so far disgrace the author than for want of time to leave it undone to the loss of others But if it be needless it is a greater fault to write it than to write it no more accurately My dear friend and judicious brother Mr. John Corbett hath newly published a small book to the same purpose with this of the true state of Religion and Interest of the Church with a discourse of Schism which I commend to the Reader as much worthy of his perusal and which if written on the hearts of Rulers and Teachers and people according to its certain truth and weight would heal us all The Lord forgive our heinous sins which deserve that he should excommunicate and forsake us and save England from English men and save us all from our selves our most dangerous enemies and Christians and Pastors and friends from one another For as Mr. Jones his Welsh Proverb saith Though thy dog be thy own trust him not when he is mad IV. I hear some say of my book that cometh out with this of the case of the Non-conformists and may say of this that 1. It is unseasonable to mention our own differences when we are called to unite against the Papists 2. And that too hard-accusations of conformity are intimated I answer to the first 1. That it is never more seasonable to write for Vnity than when we are most obliged to unite Though indeed it can never be unseasonable And to take Non-conformists for heinous Schismaticks and call on Magistrates to silence and imprison and ruine them is not the way to unity nor consisteut with it and therefore to deprecate such unpeaceable ways is the necessary work of a Peacemaker 2. I have waited in vain these seventeen years for a fit season And with me in likelyhood it must be Now or Never for there is no doing it in the grave and I dare not die and leave it undone on pretence that it was not seasonable To the second I say 1. I have professed that I write not to accuse Conformists but if men accuse us as enemies to order obedience and peace and as fit for silencing and utter ruine and tell the
dividers sense I tell you if you will be welcome to God in your prayers or any other religious services you must come as in Vnion with Christ and with his Universal Church God will receive no one that cometh to him as alone and divided from the rest As you must have Union with Christ the Head so must you have with his Body A divided member is no member but a dead thing Little think many ignorant persons of this who think that the singularity and smallness of their sect or party is the necessary sign of their acceptance with God Because they read Fear not little flock As if a little flock must separate from Christs little flock for fear of being too great And as if his Flock which then was but a few hundreds must be no greater when the Kingdoms of the world are become his Kingdoms Yet such have there been of late among us who first became as they were called Puritans or Presbyterians when they saw them a small and suffering party But when they prospered and multiplyed they turned Independents or Separatists thinking that the former were too many to be the true Church And on the same reason when the Independents prospered they turned Anabaptists And when they prospered they turned Quakers thinking that unless it were a small and suffering party it could not be the Little flock of Christ As if he that is called The Saviour of the world would take it for his honour to be the Saviour only of a few Families or Villages and his Kingdom must be as little as Bethlehem where he was born Should they take the same course about their Language and say that it is not the language of Canaan but of the beast if it grow common and so take up with a new one that it might be a narrow one the folly of it would discover it self And what is the excellency of a Language but significancy and extensive community and what greater plague since Adams sin hath befaln mankind than the division of tongues as hindering communication and propagation of the Gospel And what greater blessing as a means to universal Reformation could be given men than an universal common language And what is the property of Babel but division and confusion of tongues And doth not all this intimate the necessity of a Union of minds While we keep in the Vnity of the Body and spirit we may we must strive for such a singularity as consisteth in an excellency of degree and endeavour to be the best and holiest persons and the usefullest members in the body of Christ But if once you must separate from the body as too good to be members of so great or so bad a society you perish God will own no Church which is so Independent as not to be a member of the universal not any person who is so independent as not to come to him as in Communion with all the Christians in the world We must not approve of the faults of any Church or Christian and so communicate with their sin by Voluntary consent But disowning their sin we must own them as Christs members and have communion with them in faith and Love and holy profession of both and while we are absent in body must be as present in spirit with them and still come to God as in communion with all his Church on earth and offer up our prayers as in conjunction with them and not as a separated independent thing 2. And as our Vnity is part of our necessary fitness for duties of holy worship so is it also for duties of the second table that is of Justice and Charity to men And this is evident in the nature of the thing No man will be exact in Justice till he do as he would be done by And who can do that who Loveth not his neighbour as himself What is our unity but our Love to others as our selves And how can we do the works of Love without Love It is divided SELF that is the cause of all the unmercifulness and injustice in the world Unity maketh my neighbour to be to me as my self and his Interest and welfare to be to me as my own and his loss and hurt to be as mine And were he indeed my self and his welfare and his hurt mine own you may judge without many words how I should use him whether I should shew him mercy in his wants and misery whether I should rejoice with him in his joy and mourn with him in his sorrows whether I should speak well or ill of him behind his back and whether I should persecute him and undo him whether I should defame him and write books to render him odious and to perswade the rulers that he is unworthy to have the liberty of a Christian or of a man to preach to pray to be conversed with or to live Would not uniting Love make a wonderful change in some mens judgements speeches and behaviour and make those men good Christians or good Moralists at least who now when they have cryed up Morality and Charity and good works would perswade men by the Commentary of their practice that they mean Malignity cruelty and the propagating of hatred and all iniquity Where there is not a dominion of LOVE and UNITY there is a dominion of SELFISHNESS and ENMITY and how well these will keep the Commandments which are all fulfilled in LOVE how well they will do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith and provoke one another to Love and to good works it is easie for any man to judge Once alienate mens hearts from one another and the Life will shew the alienation 3. This UNITY of SPIRIT and spirit of unity is our necessary preservation against sins of commission as well as of omission as aforesaid even against the common iniquities of the world LOVE and UNITY tyrannize not over inferiours contrive not to tread down others that we may rise and to keep them down to secure our domination They oppress not the poor the weak or innocent They make not snares for other mens Consciences nor lay stumbling-blocks before them to occasion them to sin nor drive men on to sin against Conscience and so to hell to shew mens authority in a thing of nought Had this ruled in Ahab and his Prophets Michaiah had not been smitten on the mouth nor fed in a Prison with the bread and water of affliction nor had Elijah been hunted after as the troubler of Israel Had this unity of spirit ruled in Jeroboam and in Rehoboam one had not stretcht out his hand against the Prophet nor the other despised experienced Counsellours to make heavier the burdens of the complaining people Had it overcome the SELFISHNESS of the Kings of Israel their Calves and High places had not engaged them against the Prophets and been their ruine Had it prevailed in the Kings of Judah and their people Jeremy had not been
laid in the dungeon nor had they forbid Amos to prophesie at the Kings Chapel or his Court nor had they mocked the messengers of God and despised his prophets till the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy 2 Chron. 26. 16. Had this Spirit of Vnity been in the persecuting Jews they would not have counted Paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among the people nor have hunted the Apostles with implacable fury nor have forbidden them to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved and have brought Gods wrath upon themselves to the uttermost 1 Thes 2. 15 16. Had this Vnity of spirit prevailed in the Nicolaitans and other hereticks of old they had not so early grieved the Apostles and divided and dishonoured the primitive Church nor raised so many Sects and parties among Christians nor put the Apostles to so many vehement obtestations against them and so many sharp objurgations and reproofs Nor had there been down to this day a continuation for so many hundred years of the Churches woful distractions and calamities by the two sorts of afflicters viz. the Clergie Tyrants on one side and the swarms of restless Sectaries on the other And if the Spirit of Vnity ruled in the people there would he less rebelling repining and murmuring against Governours but subjects would render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome fear to whom fear is due and honour to whom honour Rom. 13. 7. They would owe nothing to any man but to Love one another v. 8. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt Love thy neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill to his neighbour Therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law v. 9 10. Love is long-suffering and kind Love envyeth not Love vaunteth not it self or is not rash nor is puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked or siercely angry thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in or with the truth Love beareth or concealeth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13. 4 c. Did the Vnity of the spirit and Love prevail it would undo most of the Lawyers Atturneys Solicitors Proctors It would give the Judges a great deal of ease It would be a most effectual corrector of the press of the pulpit of the table talk of calumniators and backbiters It would heal factious preachers and people and many a thousand sins it would prevent In a word Love and Vnity are the most excellent Law They are a Law eminenter For it is to such that the Apostle saith there needeth no Law that is no forcing constraining Law which supposeth an unwilling subject For what a man Loveth â—e need not be constrshained to by penalties And men need not many threats to keep them from beating or robbing or slandering themselves And did they but Love God and the Church and their Neighbours and their own souls as they do their bodies piety and justice and concord and felicity would be as common as humanity is As the best physicions are most for strengthening nature which is the true curer of diseases so he that could strengthen Vnity and Love would soon cure most of the persecutions schisms reproaches contentions deceivings over-reaching rash-censuring envy malice revenge and all the injuries which selsishness causeth in the world 4. The Vnity of the spirit is necessary to the fulness of our joy and the true consolation of our lives A private selfish Spirit hath very little matter to feed his joy even his own poor narrow and interrupted pleasures And what are these to the treasures which feast the joy and pleasure of a publick mind If Love Vnite me as a Christian to all Christians and as a man to all the world the blessings of Christians and the mercies of all the world are mine When I am poor in my own body I am rich in millions of others and therefore rich in mind When I am sick and pained in this narrow piece of flesh I am well in millions whose health is mine and therefore I am well in mind when I am neglected abused slandered persecuted in this vile and perishing body I am honoured in the honour of all my brethren and I prosper in their prosperity I abound in their plenty I am delivered in their deliverances I possess the comfort of all the good which they possess Object By the same reason you may say that you are holy in their holiness and righteous in their righteousness which will be a fanatical kind of comâ—ort to ungodly persons Answ He that is himself unholy and unrighteous hath not this Vnity with holy righteous persons He that hath not the spirit hath not the unity of the spirit This frivolous objection therefore goeth upon a mistake as if this Vnity were common to the ungodly But to those that have the spirit of Unity indeed the comfort of all other mens holiness is theirs and that in more than one respect 1. By some degree of causal participation As the common health of the body is extended to the benefit of each particular member And the common prosperity of the Kingdom doth good to the particular subjects Goodness in all men is of a communicative nature as Light and Heat are And therefore as a greater fire much more the Sun doth send forth a more extensive Light and Heat than a spark or candle so the Grace of Life in the Vnited body of Christ doth operate more powerfully for every member than it would do were it confined to that member separatedly As in the holy Assemblies we find by sweet experience that a conjunction of many holy souls doth add alacrity to every one in particular And it is a more lively joyful work and liker to heaven to pray and praise God with many hundreds or thousands of faithful Christians than with a few I know not how the conceit of singularity may work on some but for my part Gods praises sung or said in a full assembly of zealous sincere and serious persons is so much sweeter to me than a narrower Communion yea though many bad and ignorant persons should be present that I must say that it is much against my will when ever I am deprived of so excellent a help 2. And as Efficiently so Objectively a holy soul by this Unity of spirit hath a part in the blessings and Graces of all the world He can know them and think of them so far as he is One with them with such pleasure as he thinketh of his own For what should hinder him Do we not see that husband and wife are pleased by the Riches and honour of each other because
Earth nor from Heaven but only from the narrow interest of themselves are like a withering branch that 's broken from the tree or like a lake of water separated from the stream that will soon dry up A selfish person hath neither the motives to right suffering nor the truest cordials for a dying man Something or other in this sinful SELF will be still amiss And a selfish person will be still caring fearing or complaining Because he can take but little pleasure in remembring that all is well in Heaven and that if he were nothing God would be still Glorified in the world Therefore the more selfish true Christians are the less is their peace and the more their hearts do sink in suffering Their Religion reacheth little higher than to be still poring on a sinful confused heart and asking How should I be assured of my own salvation When a Christian that hath more of the Spirit of UNITY is more taken up with sweeter things studying how to Glorifie God in the world and rejoycing in the assurance that his name shall be hallowed his Kingdom shall come and his Will shall be done yea and is perfectly done in Heaven that which is first in his desires and prayers is ever the chiefest in his thanksgivings and his Joyes CHAP. IV. The VNITY of the Spirit in the welfare of the Church II. AS the UNITY of the Spirit is the personal welfare of every Christian so is it the common interest of the Church and of all Christian Societies Kingdoms Cities Schools and Families And that in all these respects I. UNITY is the very life of the Church and of all Societies as such The word LIFE is sometime taken for the LIVING PRINCIPLE or FORM and so the SOUL is the LIFE of a Man and the SPIRIT as dwelling and working in us is the Moral or holy-spiritual LIFE of the soul and of the Church as mystical And sometime LIFE is taken for the VNION of the said vital principle with the Organical Body or matter duly united in it self And so the UNION of soul and body is the Life of a man and the Vnion of the Political Head and Body is the Life of political Societies And so the Vnion of Christ and the Church is the Life of the Church And the Union of the members among themselves is as the union of the parts of the organical body the necessary Dispositio materiae without which it cannot have Union with the Head or the effect of Vnion with the Vital principle and so the Union which is essential to the Church As that is no Body whose parts are not united among themselves nor no Living Body which is not united to the soul and in it self so that is no Church or no Society which is not Vnited in it self and no Christian Society or Church which is not united unto Christ It is a gross oversight of them that look at nothing but the Regeneration of the members as essential to the Church and take Vnity to be but a separable Accident Yea indeed Regeneration it self consisteth in the Vniting of persons by Faith and Love to God and the Redeemer and to the body of the Church And if Vnion be Life then Division is no Less than Death Not every degree of division For some breaches among Christians are but wounds But to be divided or separated from Christ or from the Universal Church which is his body is Death it self And even wounds must have a timely cure or else they threaten at least the perishing of the wounded part II. UNITY is the health ease and quiet of the Church and all Societies as well as of each person And Division is its smart and pain And a divided disagreeing Society is a wounded or sick Society in continual suffering and disease But how easie sweet and pleasant is it when brethren dwell together in Unity when they are not of many minds and wills and wayes when they strive not against each other and live not in wrangling and contention when they have not their cross interests wills and parties and envy not or grudge not against each other But every one taketh the common interest to be his own and smarteth in all his brethrens sufferings and hurts when they speak the same things and mind the same interest and carry on the same ends and work O foelix hominum genus Si vestros animos Amor Quo coelum regitur regat saith Boetius Many contrivances good men have had for the recovering of the peace and felicity of Societies And they that despaired of accomplishing it have pleased themselves with feigning such Societies as they thought most happy whence we have Plato's Common-wealth Moor's Vtopia Campanella's Civitas solis c. But when all is done he is the wisest and happiest Politician and the best friend and benefactor to Societies and to mankind who is the skilfullest contriver and best promoter of UNITING LOVE I know that this is like Life in man a work that requireth more than Art But yet I will not say hoc non est artis sed pietatis opus as if art did nothing in it It is Gods work blessing mans endeavours Even in the propagation of natural Life though Deus sol vivificant God is the Quickener and Fountain of all life yet man is the Generator even if it prove true that the soul is created And God will not do it without the act of man So God will not bless Churches and Kingdoms and Families with Vniting-Love without the subordinate endeavours of man And the skill and honesty of the endeavourers greatly conduceth to the success of the work Men that stand in a significant capacity as Rulers and publick Teachers do may do much by holy Art to promote Vniting-Love in all Societies By contriving an Vniting of Interests and not by cudgelling them all into the same Temples or Synagogues as prisoners into a Jaile and by diligent clear teaching them the excellency and necessity of Vnity and Love and mischiefs of dividing selfishness But of this more after in due place All the devices in the world for the felicity of Societies which tend not unto Vnity and all wayes of Vnity which promote not Love are erroneous and meerly frivolous And all that are Contrary to Love are pernicious whatever the contrivers pretend or dream III. UNITY is the strength and preservation of Societies and Selfishness and Division is their weakness their dissolution and their ruine As in Natural so in Political Bodies the closest and perfectest Vnion of Parts maketh the firmest and most durable composition What is the strength of an Army but their UNITY When they obey one General Commander and cleave inseparably together and forsake not one another in fight such an Army would conquer far greater multitudes of incoherent separable men when every Souldier thinketh how to shift for himself and to save his own life whatever become of others a few run away first and shew the
first Disciples to give the world such a specimen of Love in this extraordinary way of Community For as extraordinary works of Power that is Miracles must be wrought by the first Preachers of the Gospel to shew Christs power and convince the unbelieving world so it was as needful that then there should be extraordinary works of Love to shew Christs Love and teach them the great work of Love which he came to call and bring men to For the first Book that Christ wrote was on the Hearts of Men which no Philosopher could do In fleshly tables he wrote LOVE TO GOD and MAN by the finger of his Spirit many a year before any Book of the New Testament was written And as his Doctrine was Love one another and Love your enemies forbear and forgive c. so his first Churches must extraordinarily exemplifie and express this doctrine by living in this extraordinary community and selling all and distributing as each had need And afterwards their Love-feasts did long keep up some memorial of it For they were the first sheet as it were of the New Book which Christ was publishing And LOVE was the summ of all that was imprinted on them And their Practice was to be much of the Preaching that must convert the world Christ was not a meer Orator or teacher of Words And non magna loquimur sed vivimus was the profession of his disciples He came not meerly to talk and teach men to talk but to Do and teach men to Do even to do that himself which none else ever did and to teach his followers to do that which no other sort of men did in this world But this leadeth me up to the next Use of Unity V. The SPIRIT of UNITY and LOVE is the Great means of the Churches increase There is a twofold augmentation of the Church 1. Intrinsick and Intensive when it Increaseth in all Goodness and hasteth to perfection And it is this Vital principle of Vniting Love or the Spirit of Vnity which is the immediate cause of this 2. Extensive when the Church is enlarged and more are added to it And it is a Life of Vniting Love among Christians that must do this as much or more than preaching Or at least if that preaching which is but the effect of Knowledge produce Evangelical Knowledge in the hearers yet a Life of Love and Vnity is the adapted means of breeding Love and Vnity the Life of Religion in the world Light may cause Light but Heat must cause Heat and it must be a Living thing that must generate life by ordinary causation That which cometh from the Head may reach the Head and perhaps the Heart but is not so fit to operate on Hearts as that which cometh from the heart Undoubtedly if Christians did commonly live in such Love and Vnity among themselves and shew the fruits of common Love to all about them as their Great master and his Religion teacheth them they would do wonders in converting sinners and enlarging the Church of Jesus Christ Who could stand out against the convincing and Attractive power of Uniting Love Who could much hate and persecute those that Love them and shew that Love This would heap melting coals of fire on their heads Our Saviour knew this when he made this his great Lesson to his disciples and when he prayed Joh. 17. 21 22 23 24. over and over for them which should believe on him through the Apostles word that they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also 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 thou hast loved me O when will Christ revive this blessed principle in his followers and set them again on this effectual way of preaching that Love may draw the world into the Churches Vnity Some look for new miracles for the converting of the now-forsaken Nations what God will do of that kind we know not for he hath not told us But Holy Vniting Vniversal Love is a thing which he hath still made our certain duty and therefore we are all bound to seek and do it And therefore we may both pray and labour for it in hope And could we but come up to this known duty we should have a means for the worlds conversion as effectual as miracles and more sweet and pleasant to them and us Obj. But why then is the world still unconverted when all true Christians have this love Ans 1. Alas those true Christians are so few and the hypocrites that are selfish worldlings are so many that the poor people that live among professed Christians do judge of Christianity by those false professours who are indeed no Christians Men see not the hearts of one another Thousands of ungodly persons for interest education and custome take on them the name of Christians who never were such indeed by heart-consent When these counterfeit Christians live like Infidels men think that Christians are no better than Infidels For they think they must judge by the greater number of such as go under the Christian name But if the world could tell who they be that are truly Christians at the heart they would see that they have that spirit of Love which is not in unbelievers 2. And alas the Love and Vnity even of true Christians is yet too imperfect and is darkened and blemished with too much of the contrary vice were Christians perfect Christians they would indeed be the honour of their profession Then Love would be the powerful principle of all their works which would taste of its nature and as it is said of Wine Judg. 9. 13. it cheereth God and man so I may say God and man would be delighted in the sweetness of these fruits For with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. But alas what crabbed and contrary fruits how soure how bitter do many distempered Christians bring forth If it will increase the Church and win men to the Love of Christianity to be reviled or persecuted to be contemned and neglected to be separated from as persons unworthy of our-love and kindness then Christianity will not want propagaters The pouring out of the Spirit was the first planting of the Christian Church And where there is most of Love there is most of the spirit As there needeth no forcing penal Laws to compel men to obey God so far as Love prevaileth in them so if Love were more eminent in the Church Pastors and Professors that they preached and ruled and lived towards all men in the power of sincere and fervent Love there would be less pretence for all that violence oppression and cruelty which hath been long
exercised by the worldly Clergy and so much the more odiously by how much the more the sacred name of Religion hath been used for its justification or excuse VI. UNITING LOVE is the GLORY and Perfection of the Church And therefore there will be in Heaven much greater Love and much nearer UNITY than there is of the dearest friends on earth yea greater and nearer than we can now distinctly understand And again I say that they that in thinking of the state of separated souls do fear lest all souls do lose their individuation and fall into one common soul do foolishly fear a greater Vnity than is to be expected And yet nothing else about the souls Immortality is lyable to a rational doubt For 1. It s substance certainly is not annihilated 2. Nor its formal essential Virtues lost by mutation into some other species 3. Nor doth the Activity of such an Active nature cease 4. Nor will there want objects for it to act upon Were it well considered that LOVE is as Natural to a soul as Heat is to the Sun that is an effect of that Act which its very essence doth perform 2. And that our UNITY is an Unity of LOVE Voluntarily performed it would much abate such selfish fears of too much Unity For who ever feared too much Love too extensive or too intensive too large or too near a Union of minds And as the beloved Apostle saith that GOD IS LOVE as a name which signifieth his essence why may not the same be said of souls which are his Image that A SOUL IS LOVE Not that this is an Adequate conception of A SOUL much less of GOD but of the partial or inadequate Conceptions it seemeth to be the chiefest The SOVL of Man is a Pure or Spiritual substance informed by a Virtue of Vital activity Intellection and Volition which is LOVE informing or animating an organical body for a time and separable at the bodies dissolution And as the Calefactive Virtue is the Essence of the Fire though not an adequate Conception of its essence For it is a pure substance formally induâ—d with the Virtue Motive Illuminative and Calefactive and the act of Calefaction is its essence as operative on a due recipient so LOVE is the souls essence in the faculty or Virtue and its Essence as operative on a due object in the Act which Act though the soul exercise it not ad ultimum posse by such a Natural necessity as the fire heateth yet its Nature or Essence immediately exerciseth it though in a freâ—r manner yea some Acts of Love quoad specificationem though not quoad exercitium are exercised as necessarily as calefaction by the fire yea more though now in the body the exercise by cogitation and sense be not so necessary we cannot say that in its separated state it will not be so yea yet more even in the body the LOVE of a Mans SELF and of felicity or pleasure seemeth to be a deep constant or uncessant Act of the soul though not sensibly observed And if LOVE be so far essential to it the perfection of Love is the souls perfection and the exercises of Love are the chief operations of the soul And consequently the perfection and glory of the Church which is but a conjunction of holy persons consisteth in the same Uniting Love which perfecteth souls And indeed Vniformity in circumstantials and in external Polity were but a Carkass or Image of Unity without Uniting Love which is its soul As much external Union in good as we are capable of doth advantage Vnity of spirit But all Union in evil and all in unnecessary circumstantials which is managed to the diminution of Christian Love are to the Church but as the glory of adorned cloathing or monuments or pictures to a carkass And the Church-Tyrants that would thus Unite us and sacrifice Love and the means of it to their sort of Vnity are but like the Physician that prescribed a sicâ—man a draught of his own heart blood to cure him The Inquisitors that torture mens bodies to save their souls are not more unskilful in their pretended Charity to save men than is he that hindereth or destroyeth Love while he seeketh the Churches Unity in humane Ordinances by fraud or fear When they have killed any Church by Love killing snares and practices and glory that it is united in Papal power splendor and decrees it is but as if they cut all a mans nerves or cast him into a Palsie or killed him and gloried that they have tyed his limbs together with strings or bound them all up in the same Winding-sheet and Coffin That edifieth not the Church which tendeth not to save but to destroy mens souls CHAP. V. This Vnity conduceth to the good of the world without the Church § 1. THe chief hopes of the Heathen and Infidel world consist in their hopes of being brought into the faith and Church of Christians And as God addeth to the Church such as shall be saved so the means that our charity must use to save them is to get them into this ark The measure of their other hopes or what possibility there is of their salvation I have elsewhere plainly opened It sufficeth us here to remember that no man cometh to the Father but by the Son and that he is the Saviour of his body however he be called also the Saviour of the world § 2. And as in nature it is the principle of life in the seed and womb which is the Generating Cause of formation and augmentation of the soetuâ— And it is the vital powers in Man which maketh his daily nourishment become a living part of himself and causeth his growth So is iâ— the Spirit in the Church that is Gods appointed means to quicken and convert the Infidel world And it is those Christian Countreys which are adjoyning to Mahometans and Heathens that should do most to their conversion who have far easier means than others by proximity and converse to do it and therefore are under the greatest obligations to attempt it As also those remoter Countreys that are most in amity and traffick with them § 3. And as Instruction by evidence must do much so this Vniting Spirit of Love must do a great part of this work and that both as it worketh inwardly on our selves in the Communion of Saints and as it worketh outwardly by attraction and communication to draw in and assimilate others § 4. I. The Churches Vnity of Spirit doth fortifie and fit it for all its own offices in order to the conversion of the world All parts are better qualified for the work by that Wisdom Goodness and Life which they must work by And each member partaketh of the common strength which their Unity causeth An united Army is likest to be victorious Their routing is their flight and overthrow And the Army or Kingdom that is Mutinous or in Civil Wars or not unanimous is unfit to enlarge dominion and conquer
others They will have worâ— enough at home § 5. Were but Christian Princes and people united as they would be a terror to Turkish and other Infidel Oppressors and in likelihood easily able to vanquish them so they might easily contribute their endeavours to instruct and convince these Infidels with probability of greater success than any attempts have yet had upon them They might with greater advantage send out and maintain men of Learning and other fitness to perform it The Eastern Christians by divisions were broken off from the Greeks The Greeks by division and wickedness fell into the hands of the Turks The divisions of the Western Nations furthered their Conquest and hindred the Greeks recovery The divisions of the Military forces lost Palestine and frustrated their vast labours and expences Lost also Armenian aids and destroyed the hopeful beginnings of the Conversion of the Tartarians The division of Christian Princes hath set up the Papal Kingdom as the Umpire of their feuds That which hath done so much to destroy Churches and Kingdoms and hath murdered many hundred thousand Christians and gone far towards the extirpating of true Christianity out of much of the formerly Christian World must needs unfit us all to recover the World and convert unbelievers § 6. And were but Christian Preachers and Pastors United instead of their pernicious Church-destroying contentions how great things might their united diligence have done If all the mischievous unskilful proud wrangling and worldly ambitious strife by which the Christians were divided into Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Phantasiasts Donatists Novatians and their Anathematizers c. had been turned into an united force and diligence by Light and Love to have converted Infidels What a happy case had the World been in And what blessings had that part of the Clergy been that now have left their Names and History to reproach and shame § 7. II. And as Efficiently so Objectively and Morally the Vnion of Christians tendeth to convert the World as it is notorious that their divisions have hindered their Conversion Men commonly suspect them to be deceived or deceivers that do not agree among themselves They that reverence united Christians despise them when they see them fall into divisions and learn of themselves to condemn them all by hearing them revile and condemn each other Christ had never made it so great a part of his prayer to his Father that his disciples might be One even as the Father and he were One to this end that the world may know that the Father sent him if this their Union had not been a special means of convincing unbelievers And this was not by a Political Union of the rest of his Disciples under some One of them as the Governing Head of all the rest For no such Head was set over them by Christ nor ever claimed or exercised any such authority But it was a holy Union of Minds in knowledge and faith and of Hearts in Love and of Life in their published Doctrine and their Communion and Conversation The common Sun-light maketh all mens sight whose Organs and Viâ—ive faculty are sound to agree and though a man hath two eyes they see unitedly as if they were one The more united fuel make one fire the more powerful it is to kindle on all other combustible matter near it When many Ministers of the same or several Churches agree it much availeth to procure the belief and obedience of their flocks And when Pastors and people agree it strongly inviteth the reverence and consent of those without By wilful dissensions we are scandals and snares to unbelievers and if Christians live not in Unity Love and Peace they rob the world of a great appointed means of their conversion And they who for so doing do justly exclaim against persecutors and hinderers of the Gospel should also remember how much they participate in that guilt while the Love of Christians to one another is made almost as needful as preaching to the winning of mens Love to faith and holiness § 8. As in the solemn singing of Psalms the harmony of concenting well tuned voices inviteth the hearers to joyn with them by delight when bawling confusion and discord one singing one tune and another another is loathsome and tiresome and driveth men away so would the sweet concent of Christians have won unbelievers to the Love of Christian faith and piety when their divisions and wicked lives have had contrary lamentable effects wo to the world because of offences and wo to them by whom offences come CHAP. VI. The Vnity of Christians is due to the Honour of Christ and is pleasing and amiable to God § 1. IT is not only Miracles that are Christs witness in the world The spirit of Prophecie also is called his witness Rev. 19. 10. And if many Prophets should all say that they speak from Christ and speak contrary things and charge each other with falshood and deceit would this be to his honour or to the credit of their testimony It is the great Concord of the prophecies promises and types of the Old Testament with the history and doctrine of the New and the great concord of all the writers of the New Testament among themselves which greatly facilitateth our belief both of the Old and New And all Infidels who accuse the Scriptures of untruth do accuse it also of contradictions And if they could prove the later they would prove the former § 2. And the spirit of Holiness as it regenerateth and sanctifieth sinners from generation to generation is no less a witness of the Truth and Love and Glory of Christ than prophecies and miracles The same spirit that is the author of prophecie and sacred doctrine is also the author of believers renovation to the image of God And Illumination is not the least or last part of this sanctifying work Christ is the light of the world and his word and spirit are given to enlighten blinded minds and to bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light and from the power of the Prince of darkness and from doing the works of darkness to the Father of Lights who giveth wisdom liberally to them that ask it that they may walk as Children of the light Light is usually called Glory Heaven is the place of the greatest Light and greatest Glory And heavenly wisdom in believers is much of their Glory here begun in which their Father their Saviour and their sanctifier is glorified Whatever therefore obscureth or diminisheth this sacred Light in Saints opposeth that Glory of God and our Redeemer which must appear and shine forth in them The holy Learning of his disciples is the honour of the heavenly Teacher of the Church All true believers are taught of God were they no wiser nor no better than other men where were the testimony and the honour of their Teacher and who would believe that he were a happier Teacher than Philosophers or that he were the true Saviour of
the world that doth not save his own disciples from sin and folly No wonder that God hath no pleasure in fools and that the foolish shall not stand in his fight when they are such a dishonour to Christ and him what fellowship hath Light with darkness And who knoweth not that disagreement proveth ignorance and errour in one party at least When they hold and plead for contrary opinions both cannot be in the right And when this is but in dark and difficult matters of no great influence on our hearts and lives and future hopes it is tolerable and no more to be wondered at than that we are yet but imperfect men in flesh and in this low and darksome world But when it amounteth to that which maketh Christians judge it necessary to anathematize one another and to cast out each other from their communion as intolerable and perhaps to seek one anothers destruction do they not loudly proclaim their shameful ignorance to the world § 3. I know that discipline must be exercised and the precious separated from the vile and this especially for the honour of Christianity For if the Church be as a Swinesty and the clean and unclean the sober and the drunken the chaste and the fornicators equally members of it such a society and their religion will be contemned For sin is a reproach to any people But casting a felon or murderer in Jaile doth much differ from a civil war For the Church to cast out the impure that repent not is necessary to their honour but to divide and subdivide among themselves is their reproach though the dividers have never so fair pretences § 4. I know also what pretences against heresie c. the dividing sects have had in all ages They have pretended that they only being the true Church the condemning and rejecting of all others was necessary to the Churches honour But is it indeed to the honour of the Christian name that so great bodies for so many ages have continu'd to condemn and anathematize each other That the Greek Church condemneth the Western and the Western them That the Eastern and Southern are separated from both And the Western Christians so divided among themselves Who that is not a stranger to man and history knoweth not that it hath been to exercise a Dominion over others and also to extol the skill of their understandings as speaking rightlier than others when they strove about ambiguous words that very much of their anathematizing hath been used And when the Pope hath anathematized the Patriarch of Constantinople he hath anathematized him again yea so hath the Patriarch of Alexandria also And when the three parties the Orthodox the Nestorians and the Eutychians for so many ages have continued anathematizing each other the dishonour falleth on them all in the eyes of beholders and no party recovereth their honour with the rest § 5. Undoubtedly it is they that God shall make the blessed instruments of restoring the necessary means of Concord and thereby of reviving Christian Love and peace that will be the chief and honourable agents for the repairing of the honour of the Christian Church if ever it be repaired in this world All parties seem agreed in this even they that most foolishly and cruelly tear and distract the Church that it must be Love and Concord that at last must heal it and recover its glory if ever it be healed And how much Christ is pleased to see his servants live in Love and peace his office his nature his many and vehement Commands do tell us CHAP. VII III. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord and to promote this Vnity and peace § 1. FRom what is already said it is easie to gather that many and great obligations are on all Christians to be promoters of Concord and enemies of discord and divisions I. The many and express commands of Christ in Scripture do oblige them This is no dark or controverted point written in words which are hard to be understood but plainly uttered and often urged Yea when several of Gods commands are mentioned this is still preferred before most others that can be imagined to stand in competition against it As the uniting Love of God is called the first and great Command so the uniting Love of man is called the second like to that and the summ of the second table and the fulfilling of the Law It is not mentioned as an Accident of the New Creature but as an essential part not as the high qualification of some rare Christian but as that which is necessary and common to all that are the living members of Christ Not only as needful to some inferiour uses but as necessary to all the great Ends of our Religion preferred before sacrifice and all the rituals and not to be dispensed with on any pretence § 2. II. No man therefore can be an obedient servant of Christ that seeketh not to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace If he that breaketh one of the least commands and teacheth men so to do shall be called Least in the Kingdom of God what shall he be called and where shall be his lot that breaketh the greatest § 3. III. The Love of God our Father and of Christ our Redeemer doth oblige us For if he that loveth not his brother whom he seâ—th daily cannot Love God whom he never saw how much less he that loveth not the multitude of believers and so great an interest of God in the world as is that unity and concord of the body of Christ And if he that doth or doth not good to one of the least of the servants of Christ is supposed to have done it or not done it to himself how much more he that doth or omitteth that which Christ and his whole Church is so much concerned in § 4. IV. The Love of our own souls obligeth us considering how many and great impediments discord doth raise against all grace and duty and against our holiness comfort and salvation And how much Christian Love and Concord do conduce to the preservation of all grace and to the attainment of Glory All men in true Concord are our helpers and all men in discord are our hinderers and tempters How fair and easie is the way to Heaven among true Loving and agreeing Christians and how hard is it where divisions and contentions take place § 5. V. The Love of our neighbours souls obligeth us to this That which is best for us is best for them Alas carnal minds deceived by sin need not to have the way to heaven made harder nor to be tempted by the discords of Christians to despise them Their own malignity and the devils temptations when we have done our best may suffice to deceive them and undo them Every Christian should be a helper to the salvation of all about him and a souldier under Christ to fight against Satan as he
is the great divider and destroyer As ever therefore we pity the souls of sinners and would not be guilty of their damnation we should keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace § 6. VI. Our Love to the Church and Sacred Ministry doth oblige us Our Discords unsay too powerfully what Christs Ministers say when they set forth the power of grace and the excellency of Christianity All the opposition of the arguments and reproaches of Quakers or malignant prophane enemies is of far less force against the Gospel than the discords of professed Christians The labours of many worthy Ministers have been hindered and their hearts even broken with such sinful and scandalous divisions when the enemies hit us in the teeth with these we are ashamed and cannot deny the fact though we can deny their false conclusions How much of the designs of Satan and his agents have lain in dividing the servants of Christ Some of the moderate and peaceable Emperours in the more flourishing state of the Church and Empire by the discords and mutinies of factious Christians were made a-weary of their Crowns Yea some of those that the hasty hereticating Orthodox party too hastily pronounced hereticks and heretical such as Theodosuis junior Zeno Anastasuis Justinian c. were tired out with labouring in vain to keep the Christian Bishops in Peace and by Historians are recorded to be men of better qualities than the Bishops And one of them Anastasius laid down his Crown and told them he would not be the Ruler of such contentious and unruly men till the necessities of the people brought them to remorse and to intreat him to continue Emperour and promised to cease their mutinous contentions And what the divisions in the Church of Rome did to shame and thus far abase the Papacy is past all doubt When there have been in many generations sometimes two and sometimes three called Popes at once when some Kingdoms owned one and some another and when they often fought it out and as Victor the third and many another got their pretended right by Victory not by the Word but by the Sword When one Pope for forty years together lived in France at Avignion and the other at Rome When they fought it out with many Emperours and Kings When Italy was kept by them many ages in divisions and bloody wars and when the very Citizens of Rome and their Popes were put to fight it out at home in their streets And when the Popes have excommunicated the people of Rome it self where then was the Church of Rome All this Church history recordeth to their perpetual shame And have not the dissensions between Luther and Carolostadius and Zuinglius Lutherans and Calvinists to name no more been a reproach to the Reformation as I said before As we Love the Church then and as we regard the honour and success of the Ministry and would not have Christs house and Kingdom fall or be shaken or disgraced by our sinful discords Let us keep this spiritual Unity and peace § 7. VII And indeed Experience is not the least of our obligations A danger never tryed is seldom so cautelously avoided as those into which we have formerly fallen and out of which we have narrowly escaped They that have read Church-History what the factions and heresies of the Bishops and people have done from the dayes even of the Apostles to this day Yea they that have but seen and felt what Religious discords have done in this generation even at home in England Scotland and Ireland and yet do not hate such discord as death and love peace and spiritual unity as life and health and safety they are hardened past all excuse CHAP. VIII What sort and measure of Vnity may not or may be groundedly hoped for on earth § 1. THe Prognosticks in diseases are needful to direct Physicians in their attempts He that either pretendeth to Cure incurable diseases and thereby doth but torment the Patient and hasten death or else will hastily prevent the Crisis or will open inflammations before the time may be called a Physician or Surgeon but will prove a hurtful or pernicious enemy Some diseases will admit of no better than palliating and delay Some that are curable are made mortal by temerarious haste Who will break the Egg to get the Chicken before it is ripened by nature for exclusion Yet hath the Church had too many such Midwives that will hasten abortion and untimely birth and cannot stay till natures time such mischievous Surgeons as are presently lancing unripe apostemes It is of mischievous consequence to expect such Concord and accordingly set upon the hastening of it which certainly will never be And it is of great and necessary Use to know how much and what Vnity may be expected in the Church militant and what not § 2. I. Negatively I. It is certain that Christians will never be all of one stature or degree of grace The Apostle hath fully opened this 1 Cor. 12. and here Eph. 4. and Rom. 14. 15. and elsewhere Some will be of more blameless lives and some more offensive Some will be more fruitful and useful in the Church than others some will have greater gifts than others for that end some will be more patient and meek and others more passionate and hot some will be more considerate and prudent and some more rash and of indecent carriage some will be more humble and condescending and abhorr pride much more than others will do some will be more zealous and some more frigid or luke-warm some will be much more heavenly and make less of earthly things than others some will be more self-denying and patient under sufferings and some will too much seek their own transitory things and with greater impatience bear both crosses from God and injuries from man some will be more cheerful and rejoyce in God and the hope of Glory and others will be more sad and timerous and heavy Some will have a strong faith and some a weak Some will have assured sealed hopes and others will be doubting of their salvation But in nothing will there be more certain and notable difference than in mens knowledge and conceptions of spiritual things Undoubtedly there is scarce a greater difference of Visages than there is of Intellectual apprehensions Nay perhaps the likeness of all mens faces is greater than of their understandings Some will still know little and none very much but others comparatively much more Some that know much in one kind will be ignorant in others And as all men are not of the same Trade nor all Scholars prosecute the same studies but some excell in one thing and some in another and some in nothing so in religion such proportions and differences of understanding there will be § 3. No observing man that converseth with mankind one would think could be ignorant of this And yet the talk and actions of too many Church-Leeches in most parts and
Philippians that some preached Christ not sincerely but in envy and strife to add affliction to his bonds whom yet he silenced not but rejoyced that Christ was preached even by such And he foretelleth Timothy that in the later dayes much false doctrine should be vented And even then he had none like minded to Timothy that naturally sought the Churches good but all sought their own too much and the things of Jesus Christ too little And the Apostle John met with such as he would not have Christians bid Good speed to nor receive them into their houses And James was put sharply and largely to reprove such as in conceited wisdom would needs be Masters and had the envious wisdom which is from beneath and is earthly sensual and devilish producing strife confusion and every evil work Jam. 3. And could it then be expected that all Christians be of the same opinions in all things § 14. 12. But now this temptation to differences of judgement is grown much greater in that the Christian world is so publickly and notoriously divided into different parties The Greeks are one party the Armenians and Georgians somewhat differ The Syrians and the Abassines and Copties in Egypt and other Eastern and Southern Countreys are of divers sentiments in many things The Papists differ from all and the Protestants from them and too many divisions are among themselves which I need not name And can it be expected that in such a world particular Christians should be sound without their personal differences § 15. 13. And the variety of Governments an◠Laws will also produce the like disagreements While one Prince or State is of one mind and another of another One is a Papist another a Protestant one a Lutheran and another Reformed one a Greek and another against all sorts of Christians And in the same Kingdom in one age the Prince is of one mind and in the next his Successour of another And this must needs cause disagreement in the Subjects § 16. 14. And even the variety of Gods providences will occasion diversity of thoughts when some are in health and some in sickness some in wealth and some in poverty some high and some low some favoured and preferred and some persecuted imprisoned slandered and distressed whence different impressions will arise § 17. 15. Yea mens different trades and callings will occasion different impressions whilest their business leadeth them several wayes and into several companies and altering employments § 18. 16. And almost all men have some different interests The Teacher and the Hearer the Landlord and the Tenant the Souldier and the Countrey-man the buyer and the seller the master and the servant the ruler and the subject which will occasion different inclinations § 19. 17. And men have great difference of temptations and provocations from Satan and from men some Satan tempteth one way and some another some are abused and provoked by one sort of men and some by another some are called out to disputes with one Sect and some with another And when they are engaged they usually bend all their studies one way and little consider what may be said on the other side or of other matters § 20. 18. And when once a man hath received some one great opinion true or false it draweth on abundance of consequences which those that received not that point did never think of § 21. 19. And some have much more time and leisure to study and happy counsellours to help them And some follow hard labour and have little leisure to read hear or think or else live retiredly where they have little notice of affairs and miss the help of sound and faithful counsellours and helpers § 22. 20. Lastly Gods own Grace is free and given to men in great diversity some that have the same spirit have more illumination and some less as the Apostle at large declareth 1 Cor. 12. and elsewhere There is one Glory of the Sun and another of the Moon saith Paul And as one star differs in glory from another so doth one man in gifts and understanding And the face of the whole Creation sheweth that God delighteth to make a wonderful diversity in his works scarce two stones in the street two sheep two beasts two birds two fishes two trees c. so like but we may know one from another by their differences No nor two sons of the same parents or two of the off-spring of any animals And is not all this joyned to the constant experience of all ages enough to prove that even among Christians and good and tolerable Christians yea among all there will still be differences in degrees of knowledge and virtue and consequently discords in some matters of Religion higher or lower more or less § 23. II. It is therefore certain that while there will be discord in Judgement there will be also discord in professions and in practice For honest mens professions and practices will agree with their judgements in the main Even Paul and Barnabas will part when their judgements lead them so to do When men have not the same measure of skill and accurateness in expressing their own minds and in speaking properly grammatically logically significantly agreeably to the thing spoken nor the same skill in defining or distinguishing or sitting the true sense of words they will really differ and they will verbally differ and seem to most unskilful judges to differ really when they do not § 24. It is not therefore to be expected that if some men think that long doctrinal confessions formed in mens private words or Liturgies or other humane formes have nothing in them untrue or evil or which all men may not consent to therefore all others must think so too and say as they who can think that in many thousand uncertain words all men can and must be of the same mind and approve them all alike Or that honest men can lye and say that they assent to what they do not § 25. And if mens judgements differ about matters of practice in essentials integrals or accidents their practice will accordingly differ He that judgeth a thing unlawful will not do it if he fear God and be truly conscionable Had Images been lawfully used in places or exercises of Gods worship yet it was inhumane and unchristian in those Bishops and Councils who cursed from Christ all that were of the contrary mind and pronounced it an intolerable heresie and ejected and silenced dissenters and raised wars and bloodshed for such a difference Much more unchristian was it for the Roman Pope to rebel against his proper Prince the Greek Emperour and alienate the Western Empire from him to the French on that account and to excommunicate and depose Emperours as hereticks called Iconoclasts as if Imagery had been an Article of faith or a necessary universal Command of God For how can that be a heresie that is not a plain denyal or subversion of any necessary article of faith
and visible symbol of a Christian and Church-member And that all Christs Church hath so accounted of baptism to this day and true Tradition is in no one point so full and constant as in this And moreover the very nature of the thing it self declareth it Is not he a Christian that believeth according to the sense of the institution in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and by a solemn Vow and Covenant devoteth himself to him as his God and Father his Redeemer and Saviour and his Sanctifier and Comforter and the witness of Christ and that hereupon hath right to justification adoption and the heavenly inheritance Who is a Christian if this be not § 12. The sense of the Catholick Church is so notorious in this that I think there is little disagreement about it The Papists confess it The Protestants confess it See but Vossii Theses de Baptismo and Davenant de Bapt. and especially Gatakers Ammadversions on that of Davenant All confess that all the antient Churches held that to the duly qualified receiver all sin was pardoned in baptism and the person put into a state of life And therefore was a member of the Church § 13. II. And that Christ commanded all Christians to take each other as brethren and to live in Love and that all men by this were to know them to be his disciples is so fully revealed in Scripture that it is needless among Christians to prove it III. As also that such Christians united to him their Head are eo nomine his Church and living in this Love live as the members of his Church must do § 14. And here three things are to be noted 1. That what was done by the Holy Spirit as given extraordinarily to the Apostles as founders or Architects of the Church to lead them into all truth was truly done by Christ himself the Holy Ghost so extraordinarily given being his promised Agent 2. That yet this work of Instituting Baptism as the terms of Church-union he would not leave to the Spirit in the Apostles but was the immediate author of it himself 3. But yet two things hereabout he left to the Apostles 1. To explain to the baptized the true sense of the general words in the baptismal Covenant 2. And to institute part of the terms of Particular Church Order and Vnity who accordingly setled or ordained Elders Bishops or Pastors in every particular Church which at first was for the most part in every City or great Town where the Gospel was received by any competent number and after they added Deacons and Deaconesses or Widows ad melius esse only and they taught them by word and writing to observe all that Christ commanded § 15. III. And as I have proved 1. That it must be done 2. And that Christ did it so 3. It is part of our proof that no other did it or could do it 1. No other had authority to institute Church-Essentials and to give such necessary universal Laws 2. No other came early enough to do it but as his Ministers after Christ had done it 3. No other had wisdom and fitness enough for it nor were fit to agree to make Church essentials 4. De facto History proves they did it not 5. To undertake it is to invade Christs office The Apostles themselves found it done to their hands Much less can any ordinary Pastors since prove any authority from God or any true capacity in themselves for such a work § 16. And if any pretend to it they must be such as lived before Christ had any Evangelical Church that is of the same species as hath been since the institution of Christian baptism or such as have lived only since The former came not in as competitors The latter were too late to be the doâ—â—s of that which was done before Union is essential to the Church in general The necessary terms of Union are essential to it in specie as the Christian Church For necessarium est sine quo res esse non potest It 's no Christian Church without the necessary terms of Church union And therefore before those terms were first made or instituted there was no Church of that species and after there was such a Church and consequently such terms of its Union none could make them they being made before If any that came after did or shall hereafter attempt to make such terms it must be new ones and not the same that constituted the first Church and then their Church will be new and not of the same species as the first Indeed God did make new Laws of Administration and so may a Kingdom without changing the constitution but not new constituting terms Governing Laws which follow the Constitution are not to make the Kingdom a Kingdom or the Church a Church but to preserve the Church and its order and promote its welfare and the Oath of Allegiance maketh a man a Subject without subscribing to the Governing Laws But as a Subject he consenteth to live under those Laws and if he break them he is punishable according to them and for breaking some of them may be cut off and for some crimes a man may be excommunicate But yet excommunication must be distinguished That which totally cuts a man off from the Church must be but a sentence upon proof that he hath first morally cut off himself Lesser crimes must be punished with the lesser excommunication which is but a suspension and that which Paul speaketh of 2 Thess 3. 15. Yet take him not for an enemy but admonish him as a brother § 17. By all this it is most evident that Christ himself the Institutor and maker of his Church hath made the terms of essential Catholick Vnion and that we have nothing to do herein but to find out what are the terms that he hath made and not to enquire what any men since have made or added as being not authorized thereto CHAP. X. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are Necessary to the Being of Particular Churches But divers humane acts are necessary to their existence and administration § 1. DIvers men speak diversly of this matter 1. Some say that no form of the Polity of particular Churches is of Divine institution but that God hath left all the forming of them to the will of man 2. Others say that no form of them is lawful but what is of Divine institution And of the first some say that Christ instituted the Papal form and some say General Councils the summam Potestatem to the universal Church and left it to them to form particular Churches Others say that Magistrates are to do it And others that the Diocesane Bishops of every Nation in National or Provincial Synods may do it But all agree that the form of particular Churches must be made by some that had authority from Christ to do it § 2. Of the second sort who hold no
Rector of the Bishops under him and their people but only the Orderer or Guide of the Modes and Circumstances of the Council as such And therefore could the Pope prove a right to preside in General Councils orbis Romani vel orbis terrarum which he cannot it were no proof that he is Regent Head of the Church universal The same I may say of the other Presidents § 13. If it hold that God instituted only Congregational or Parochial Churches as for present Communion then it must needs follow that none of the rest instituted by man have power to deprive such single Churches of any of the Priviledges granted them by Christ And therefore whereas Christ hath made the terms of Catholick Communion himself and hath commanded all such to worship him publickly in holy Communion under faithful Pastors chosen or at least consented to by themselves which many hundred years was the judgement of the Churches no humane order or power can deprive them of any of this benefit nor disoblige them from any of this duty by just authority § 14. Nay seeing that the universal Church is certainly the highest species none hath authority on pretence of narrower Communion in lower Churches to change Christs terms of Catholick Communion nor to deprive Christians of the right of being loved and received by each other or disoblige them from the duty of loving and receiving each other Humane power made by their own contracts cannot change Christs Laws nor the Priviledges or forms of Christs own Churches § 15. They that say that these several Church species are of God must prove that God instituted them and that can be only by Scripture or else that he gave some power to institute them since Scripture times which till they prove none are bound to obey them at least when they over rule Christs own institutions § 16. To devise new species of Churches without Gods authority and impose them on the world yea in his name and call all dissenters schismaticks is a far worse Usurpation than to make and impose new Ceremonies or Liturgies § 17. Dr. Hammond Dissert cont Blond Annot in Act. 11. pass affirmeth that it cannot be proved that the order of subject Presbyters was existent in Scripture times and consequently holdeth that Bishops had but single Congregations as Ignatius speaketh with One Altar Now if Diocesans Metropolitans Provincials Patriarchs or Pope as constitutive of Church-species were made after either these new Churches were made by the Bishops of Parochial Churches or by those that were No Bishops or Pastors of any Churches at all For the Apostles were dead and no institution of these but Scriptural can be truly proved And other Churches besides the Catholick and Parochial or single distinct from a compound of Churches there were then none For the lower to make the higher Churches is that which they will not grant who grant not that Presbyters may propagate their own species and deny that power ascendeth ab inferioribus And that men of no Church made all these new Church species is no honour to them § 18. Two contrary opinions herein now reign One of the Papists that think Christ instituted the Pope with power to make inferiour Church species That other is that Christ or his Apostles instituted Diocesans giving them power both as rulers to make Parish Churches or Chapels under them and by Contract or Consent to make the highest species over them Provincial National Patriarchal and say some Papal But as to the Papists so much is said against their supposition that it 's not here to be confuted And it 's certain that single Church order was constituted by no Pope and that all the Apostles had power thereto And as for the latter which affirmeth the lower degrees to make the higher we still want the proofs of their authority so to do of which more afterwards § 19. As for them that say that it is Magistrates that have power to make new species of Churches I grant them that whatever alterations of Church-Orders may be made Magistrates may do much in them The Power of Princes and the Guidance of Pastors and the Consent of the people have each herein their special place But what these alterations or additions are which they may make is the chief question Both the Catholick Church and single Church assemblies being instituted by Christ are not left to them The circumstantiating of other Assemblies and Associations are left to them to be done according to Gods general Law But that making new Political Societies that are properly called Churches or Religious bodies consisting of the Pars regens pars subdita is left to them by Christ I never saw proved any more than the making of new Sacraments But if that could be proved yet that these humane Churches or their makers may change those that are of Divine institution or deprive them of their priviledges or forbid them commanded duty cannot be proved § 20. And it is certain 1. That if Princes or Bishops or the people did institute Diocesan or Metropolitan Provincial or Patriarchal Churches they may yet make more and other species And who knoweth how many new forms of Churches we may yet expect 2. And they that made them upon good reason may unmake them or alter them when they please § 21. But though the Legislator and not the Subjects be the institutor of the Vniversal and particular Church-policies yet men are the constitutive matter and mans consent and faith is the dispositio materiae without which the form is not received and mans welfare is part of the final cause and Ministers are the instruments and Gods word written and preached for the gathering of Churches by such qualification of the persons and also of revealing the Institution of Christ and investing of particular persons in their Church-relations § 22. By all this it appeareth that as it belongeth to Christ to institute the political species of Churches though circumstantiating may be left to man at least undoubtedly of the Vniversal and of the single species so it belongeth to Christ and not to man to institute and describe their terms of Union For this is the very institution of the species And we are not to receive humane Church-policies without good proof of mens authority to make them and impose them CHAP. XI The danger of the two extreams And first of despairing of any Concord and of unjust Tolerations § 1. SOme men having seen the Christian world so long in Sects and contending parties do think that there is no hope of Vnity and Concord and therefore that all should be left at liberty And others think that there is no hope but on terms so wide as shall take such as Christ receiveth not nor would have us receive And on such accounts there were very early great contentions about the qualifications of the baptizers and baptized and the validity of baptism and about re-baptizing As to the Baptizers some thought
that only Priests should baptize none appropriated it to Bishops some thought Lay-men might baptize in case of necessity and some thought that women also might do it And some thought that though women or Lay-men might not do it lawfully yet factum valet being done such should not be re-baptized And some thought that those that were baptized even by Priests that were Schismaticks or as they called them Hereticks when they separated from common Concord and Communion must be rebaptized And they thought that if they were baptized in such a Schismatical or Heretical society by whomsoever it was not into the true Church In this case Cyprian and the African Bishops with Firmilian and his Collegues were in the wrong when the Bishop of Rome was in the right And the Donatists thought they were but of Cyprians mind For it seems they had there the greater number of Bishops And the greater number went for the Church and the less for hereticks and so they called themselves the Church though out of Africa the number against them or that meddled not in the quarrel was far greater And all this arose but by the contests of two men for the Bishoprick of Carthage some following one and some the other § 2. This errour of Cyprian and the Donatists arose 1. from their not sufficiently distinguishing the Church universal from the Associated Churches of their Countrey nor well considering that Baptism as such is but our entrance into the universal Church and not into this or that particular Church 2. By an abusive or equivocal use of the name Heretick their doctrine being true of Hereticks strictly so called who deny in baptizing any essential part of Christianity but false of Hereticks laxly so called that are only Schismaticks or deny only or corrupt some lower doctrines precepts or practices of Religion § 3. Therefore the Council of Nice truly decided the case by distinction decreeing the re-baptizing of some as such as the Paulinists baptized and not of others That is All that had not true Christian baptism consisting of all the true essentials were to be re-baptized and not others whatever particular Church they were of § 4. Hereupon also among the Roman Doctors it hath been a great debate whether the Priests Intention was necessary to the validity of baptism The true answer to which is this It is one question what is necessary to the justifying of the Priest before the Church and another before God and another question what is necessary to the validity of baptism to the receiver before the Church and another before God And so I answer Supposing that no man shall suffer for anothers fault but for his own 1. If the Priest profess and Intention to baptize in general and express it in the true words of baptism his act ex parte sui is valid coram ecclesiâ though he dissemble 2. If the Priest dissemble his act is a crime and shall be punished by God 3. If he profess not to intend to baptize the person or to intend it in general but to corrupt it in the Essentials it is as a Ministration invalid coram Ecclesiâ and should be done again 4. If the adult person baptized profess baptismal Consent dissemblingly it is valid baptism coram ecclesiâ as to what the Church must do upon it but invalid as to what God is to do as the performer of the Covenant 5. If the person baptized do not so much as profess consent or profess not to consent nor to intend to be then baptized it is no baptism before God or the Church 6. If he profess to be baptized in general but deny any Essential in particular it is not the true Christian baptism but must be better done § 5. When any came in so great errour as that the Church scarce knew whether it was an Essential part of faith and baptism that was denyed it made the Controversie hard about their re-baptizing Many thought that the Photinians and Arians denying Christs Godhead as of the same substance with the father denyed an essential article and were to be re-baptized if they so entred at first Our Socinians are much worse that deny Christs Godhead in a fuller sence And how doth he believe in Christ that believeth him not to be God which is most eminently essential to him § 6. They that are over-bold in altering Christs terms of Church Union and Communion making them less or more or other if they knew what they do would find themselves more concerned in these controversies of baptizing and re-baptizing and consequently greater corrupters than they have thought § 7. To think that Church Vnion is impossible is to deny that there is any Church and consequently any Christ To think that necessary Concord in Communion is impossible is so great a disparagement to the Church as tempteth men by vilifying it to doubt of Christianity For if Christians cannot live in Unity of faith and love and converse what is their Christianity And such despair of Concord will make men suspend all endeavours to attain it For Despair useth no means § 8. And to take into the Church of Christ such as want the Essentials and Christ would not have received is to corrupt his Church and bring in Confusion and such as will dishonour him and will be more hurtful in the Church than they would be without like rebels in a Kingdom or mutineers in an Army or enemies in a Family The nearer the worse § 9. It is for this use especially that Christ hath committed the Church Keyes to the Pastors And the Key of entrance is the Chief Therefore he that judgeth who is to be Baptized exerciseth the chief act of the Church Keyes And he that Baptized was held to have the Power of judging whom to baptize which was never denyed to the Presbyters till after for order some restrained them § 10. It is a strange contrariety of some Pastors to themselves who judge that all Infants of Heathens Jews Turks or wicked men are without exception to be taken into the Church if any ignorant Christian will but offer them and say over a few words and the Adult also if they can but say over the Creed by rote and a few words more and thus fill the Church with Enemies of Christ and yet when they are in deny them Communion unless they will strictly come up to many humane unnecessary impositions as if far stricter obedience to men perhaps in usurpations were necessary than to Jesus Christ § 11. How far Infidels Catechumens or Heretical or Schismatical Assemblies may be tolerated in the world about us by Magistrates is not here to be enquired but hereafter But that the Churches themselves should not corrupt their own Communion by taking and keeping in uncapable persons the nature of the Church and discipline and its ends and the reproof of the Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the judgement of the Universal Church do tell us CHAP. XII The sin and danger of
must be so And if they are as usually bad as Christ and his Apostles tell us then bad men will rule And operari sequitur esse As men are they will do Great men will have worldly selfish interests clean contrary to the interest of Christ and his doctrine And how great influence Rulers have as to concord or division is easily known 5. And hitherto the Pastors of the Churches have been alas such as Gregory Nazianzen Isidore Pelusiota and many others have described to say nothing of Gildas or Salvian or the sad Characters that most parties give of one another and the accusations that Afflicters bring against those whom they afflict and which the sufferers give of them If Paul then must say All seek their own and not the things that are Jesus Christs no wonder if it be so now and that even General Councils have sadly anathematized one another and thousands of Bishops or Pastors have been cursed from Christ by the rest And how much power proud turbulent ignorant and worldly Pastors have to hinder the Churches Concord hath been found by too long and sad experience 6. And mans nature is sensual and slothful and it will cost so dear by long and hard study to be wise indeed and by mortification and self-denyal to be truly good that few are likely to attain it 7. And education company friends and false writers and teachers will still cherish faction and discord in the world 8. And distance and disacquaintance will leave open mens ears to back-biters slanderers and false reports Men will think it uncharitable not to believe such e. g. as Learned Historians Doctors and their Pastors are 9. And the wars and cross-interests of Princes and States have hitherto by jealousies fomented divisions in the Church 10. And the false wayes and termes of Concord will be kept up in opposition to the true and will not be the least impediment 11. And Lastly Even the Wise and Good that must be the Peace-makers are such but in part and have in them too much of the folly errour and sin of others which will hinder their work yea and make them also troublers of themselves and others § 6. These being not doubtful conjectures but certain Prognosticks the remedy must be suited to the Patients capacity And I. Necessary Essentials all Christians are and must be agreed in But unnecessary things such as I have described are never like to be commonly united in nor is it necessary that they should It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to the Apostles to impose nothing on the Church but Necessary things Act. 15. It was the deceivers and false Teachers which would have done otherwise Against whom St. Paul doth copiously and zealously dispute in his Epistles to the Romans Corinthians Galatians Colossians c. To pretend that as necessary which is not so or to command that as necessary and causelesly to make it necessary which is not so in it self and which we may easily know will never be so judged of nor received by all is but to rack and tear the Church and do mischief for an unnecessary thing § 7. II. As it is certain that nothing but Truth can be fit matter for the Churches Concord so it must be certain Truth that is not only such as whoever believeth is not deceived but such as may be discerned by ascertaining Evidence by all sober willing Christians Not only such as the Learned may be sure of but all that must take it as certain in their profession For no man must make a false profession and say he is certain when he is not Not that all that may be called certainty must needs exclude all doubting but that the Assent be prevalent against such doubting Nor do I mean that it must be certain by natural evidence It is enough if it be so by Divine Revelation And if any be so weak that they perceive not some necessary revealed truth to be certainly so revealed they must be put on no more than to say I do though not with certainty believe it And no probability must be imposed on mens profession when there is notable danger on the contrary side if they should mistake § 8. III. Therefore the terms of Union must be only things plain and intelligible to all sober willing minds For all persons of dull wits and diverting business cannot attain such certainty or firm belief of things which they cannot understâ—nd Belief without understanding is but a dead notion or name or rather a contradiction § 9. As for the Popish doctrine of Implicite faith it is no true belief of any thing but that General verity in which they say the particulars are implicitely contained We must all believe implicitely in God that is That whatever God revealeth is true But he that believeth no more but this is falsly said to believe other things For he may believe this who never understood that God revealed any thing in particular He that never heard of Christ or the resurrection may believe that all Gods revelations are true But to call this an Implicite belief of Christ and the Resurrection is but to equivocate and call that believing a thing which is no believing of it If they hold that to believe that the Church that is the Pope and his Councils is infallible in acquainting us with matter of faith is all that is necessary to salvation though they know not what the particulars are let them say so plainly and not call this a believing of other things or a believing in Jesus Christ or his Gospel § 10. IV. And it is only things of Divine Authority that can be the necessary terms of universal Unity or Concord supposing the necessary media of bringing them to mens notice Had we lived in the time and place where Christ and his Apostles did preach and work their Miracles it had been one thing to determine what were then preached as the necessary articles of faith and another thing how we come to hear know and understand them It must have been by our ears eyes and intellects that we knew and perceived what was said and done And so now standing at the distance of many ages certain history or tradition must bring that to our notice which our eyes and ears would then have brought to it But still the Law and terms of Vnion are no less Divine whatever means do help us to understand them And as for them that will make humane terms seem necessary to Catholick Vnion or Communion that they deceive themselves and others and shall never attain the end but tear the Church by such ill engines is easily thus proved § 11. The Catholick Church never did or will agree what humane power it is to whom this work belongeth whether it be a Pope or Council or some universal Monarch or a Council of Princes by agreement Never such a thing was or will be Popes and Councils were but in one Empire the chief Ecclesiastical
Governours under the Emperours Civil Government and not over the world nor was there ever such a thing as a General Council of all the Christian world but only General as to one Empire Nor did any of these Councils take on them to make Constitutive terms of the Universal Church or its Union but only to preserve declare and expound them and to make subordinate governing Canons And if they had undertaken more no wise man can imagine that all Christians will therefore confess the right of such a claim and so submit to it The proof of their authority will be so obscure that as such as I cannot see it so there will be so many no wiser than I am as that the exclusion of all Christians that are but of our size will never stand with Catholick Unity And if it were possible to satisfie all the present age 1. that some have such authority from God 2. and who they are 3. and how far it extendeth yet still such will succeed them in whom the uncertainty and dissent will be revived What needeth there more proof than mans incapacity and the experience of so many Generations All Christians agree in Christianity All Christians never agreed on any human◠terms of Unity Pope Council or Monarch One Empire hath pretended to agree in Councils but have been so far from it as that they have been the occasion of their greatest disagreements witness even the Great ones Const 1. Ephes 1. 2. Calcedon which some blessed and some cursed for many generations after and that at Constantinople that made the decree de tribus capitulis divided even the Roman Church so far as that for one hundred years a great part of it renounced the Roman Bishop and set up another Patriarch against him And Abassia and other extra-imperial Churches were never under the Roman or Imperial Government § 12. V. And that the terms of Catholick unity must not be very many things is evident from the foresaid Incapacity of the most to comprehend many things and also from the confession of almost all sorts of Christians Even the Papists who have advanced the Christian Religion to the monstrous magnitude of their vast and numerous Decrees of Councils are forced yet to make them almost all unnecessary under the name of Implicite belief and do narrow the necessary articles of the Christian faith almost to an annihilation while they agree not whether it be necessary explicitely to believe the life death resurrection mediation judgement yea or being of Christ himself or any more than that there is a God and an Infallible Church Of which see Francisc de sancta Clara his Deus Natura Gratia at large And those of our selves that eject Ministers and Christians for dissenting from some of their own impositions are yet contented to admit such as submit to themselves upon very low terms of Christian knowledge to the Sacraments and Communion of the Church And indeed he knoweth not man who knoweth not that universal unity and concord will never be had upon the terms of Many dark uncertain humane or unnecessary things but only on the terms of things Few sure plain divine and necessary CHAP. II. Some instances of Gods description of these terms in the words of the Sacred Scriptures § 1. I Have before proved that Christ instituted the terms of Catholick Unity in Scripture and have cited some texts on the by It will not be amiss for conviction to set divers texts together which will fullier open the terms themselves § 2. The words of the institution of Baptism before mentioned are the most convincing Matth. 28. 19 20. Go ye and disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world Here Christ himself sendeth his messengers and prescribeth them their work and maketh the terms of Baptism the Entering and Constitutive terms of his Church which they were to gather But the Administring or Governing terms are larger even teaching them all things which Christ hath commanded them And this was a Law not only for that age but to the End of the world § 3. It is the same in sense which reduceth all the terms to Believing in Jesus Christ as including Belief in the Father and the Holy Ghost John 1. 12. As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name John 3. 14 15 16 18 36. Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life He that believeth on him is not condemned He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life John 17. 3. This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John 14. 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me John 15. 1 2 3. Now are ye clean through the word that I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you c. See John 6. Mark 16. 16. Preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned It will be needless to repeat all words to the same purpose Matth. 18. 6. He that offendeth one of these little ones that believe in me it were better a mill-stone were hanged about his neck c. And yet must Bishops curse such from Christ and excommunicate them Mar. 1. 15. John 6. 29 69. 7. 39. 4. 35 38. 11. 27 42. 12. 36. 13. 9. 16. 30. 31. 17. 20 21. 20. 31. 2. 11 22. 9. 53. 16. 27. 7. 31. 8. 30. 10. 42. 11. 26 27. 5. 24. 6. 35 40 47. 7. 38. 12. 46. Acts 10. 42. 5. 14. 8. 37. 13. 39. 16. 31. 19. 7. 18. 8. 17. 4 34. 14. 1. 13. 12 48. And all these believers no doubt of no hard numerous humane articles lived in Love and Communion Acts 2. 44. 4. 32. so Rom. 3. 22. The Righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all them that do believe for there is no difference 4. 11 24. Abraham is the Father of all them that believe and righteousness shall be imputed to them all Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Gal. 3. 22. 2. 16. Heb. 11. 6 c. 10. 39. 4. 3. 1 John 3. 23. 5. 1 5 10 13. § 4. Other texts that add Repentance to Faith speak but the same sense adding the express mention of the terminus à quo as well
of such things indifferent as the Church had not setled by any Law and would not so settle but that it 's nothing to such as the Church either hath or will so command This opinion hath carried it in England and other Nations of the world Being once commissioned to plead this cause by his Majesty among others I then presumed to say 1. That St. Paul here writeth not only to the laity but to all the Roman Church That therefore he writeth as Christ Rev. 2. 3. to the Angels of the seven Churches to the Rulers of the Church as well as to the People 2. And therefore he forbiddeth those Rulers what he forbiddeth others and so forbiddeth them the imposing of any thing contrary to this his full determination 3. Yea himself was an Apostle and a Church-Governor of as great authority as those that he wrote to And these his words signified his own judgement and what he would do himself Yea they were as good a Law as any the Romans could make that he wrote to Therefore when an Apostle by the Spirit of God shall write thus plainly and peremptorily to Priests and people thus to tolerate and receive each other he that now expoundeth it with an except the Church otherwise decree maketh this the sence I do by all these great reasons charge and perswade you not to judge despise or reject one another unless you decree to do it or not to make such rejecting Laws unless you make them And the Holy Ghost speaketh not in the holy Scriptures at this rate § 10. Yea I prove from the arguments used by St. Paul that he extended his speech to the Clergy or Rulers as well as to the people and so forbad them making such Laws And indeed the knack of making Church-Laws without the Holy Ghost in Apostolick persons was not as then learnt and used by the Churches 1. Because St. Paul argueth from Universal reasons 2. and from Moral and necessary arguments and 3. Speaketh by the Spirit and Apostolical Authority § 11. I. His reasons touch not only some singular persons and case but the case of all Churches in all Ages He argueth from the difference between well-meaning Christians as Weak and Strong as doubting and as assured as mistaken and as in the right as in danger of being damned if they act doubtingly and of stumbling and being offended c. Now such weak mistake◠Christians in such matters ever have been and ever will be and so the reason from their case and necessity will hold in all Countreys and Ages to the end § 12. II. And many great and pressing Moral reasons that all Christians are bound by are here heaped up 1. One is from Christian Love to brethren 2. Another from humane Compassion to the weak 3. Another is from Gods own example who receiveth such whom therefore we must not reject 4. Another is from Gods prerogative to judge 5. and another from his propriety in his own servants 6. Another is from our having no such judging power in such cases 7. Another is from Gods Love and mercy that will uphold such 8. Another is because what men do as to please God must not be condemned without necessity but a holy intention cherished so it be not in forbidden things 9. Another is that men must not go against Conscience in indifferent things 10. Another is from Christs dreadful judgement which is near and which we our selves must undergo and must be that final decider of many things which here will not be fully decided 11. Another is from the sin of laying stumbling-blocks and occasions of offence 12. Another is from the danger of crossing the ends of the death of Christ destroying souls for whom he dyed 13. Another is that it will make our good to be ill spoken of 14. Another is that the Kingdom of God or the Constitution of Christianity and the Church lyeth in no such matters but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 15. And another that Christ is pleased in this without the other and God accepteth such 16. Another is that such are approved of men that is This righteousness peace and holy joy without agreement in such Ceremonies and by-matters beareth its own testimony for approbation to the judgement of all impartial men humanity and Christianity teach us to love and honour such 17. Another is from our common obligation to live in peace with all 18. Another is from our obligation to do all to the edifying of one another 19. Another is because Gods work else is destroyed by us 20. And our own lawful acts are turned into sin when they hurt another 21. Another from the obligation that lyeth on us to deny our own liberty in meat wine c. to avoid the hurting of another that is weak 22. Another is from the damnation of such as are driven or drawn to act doubtingly 23. Another is from the special duty and mercy of the strong that should bear the infirmities of the weak 24. Another is from the common duty of pleasing others for their good and edifying 25. Another is from the example of Christ himself that pleased not himself 26. Another is from Gods patience to us 27. Another is from our great obligation to imitate Christ 28. Another because indeed this is the true way to Love and unity that with one mind and one mouth we may glorifie God while we lay not our concord on impossible terms 29. Another is in the concluding precept because Christ receiveth us and it is to Gods Glory therefore we must thus receive each other If all these moral arguments signifie no more than this Receive and tolerate such till you make Laws against it I cannot understand the argumentations of God or holy men § 13. III. And to conclude Paul spake by the Holy Ghost and by Divine authority himself and his words recorded are part of Christs Law indited by the Spirit and no man that cometh after him or to whom he wrote had power to contradict or obliterate it All this methinks should satisfie men of the meaning of so full a decision of an easie case about things indifferent which it's strange that so many yet for nothing do oppose And that the authority of an Apostle in Sacred Scripture the peace of the Church and the souls and peace of all dissenters and doubting persons should seem so contemptible to them as not to weigh down their humour and domineering will in an unnecessary and indifferent thing But it is the nature of sin especially Pride to be unreasonable and unpeaceable and the troubler of the soul the Church the world § 14. The same Apostle in the Epistles to the Corinthians 1. c. 1. v. 10. c. importuneth them to peace and unity and sharply reprehendeth their divisions 1. c. 3. He desireth them to be perfectly conjoyned in the same mind and in the same judgement But what are the terms and means of such a
of the Countreys and the Judges of all Christians even in secular affairs And when one Sophronius or few others opened the case rightly to them they either understood it not or bawl'd it down and set up a cry Away with the Hereticks The Eutychians following Cyril spake uâ—ntly and said Christ had two natures before the union and but one after because united and union maketh one of two But it is apparent as Derodon hath proved that Cyril and so his ignorant followers did not think that Christs humane nature did exist before the union and so that ever they were divided but that in order of nature the existence is intelligible before the union and so that they were but one as being undivided not denying them to be still distinguishable and so to be what Nestorius and the Orthodox meant by two as being distinct but not divided § 25. And Derodon hath also proved that Cyril and so the Eutychians when they called them One did mean One person mistaking the sense of the word Nature and meaning by Nature the same that the Orthodox meant by Person And so the opening of two words would have ended all their Controversie and proved that they meant the same thing and knew it not that is 1. distinguishing between One undivided and One undistinguished 2. Opening what they meant by Nature and Person But alas this was no work for those famous General Councils but to cry out Anathema to Nestorius Anathema to Eutyches Anathema to Dioscorus Holy Leo Holy Cyril c. these were their arguments And Dioscorus as bad as his adversaries or worse excommunicated Leo the Bishop of Rome and went the Anathematizing way And so much of Religion was placed in cursing one another that there were scarce any Bisops in the world that were not cursed by one another § 26. VI. And the difference between the Greeks and Latines about the words hypostases Personae had almost come to the same extremity When Hierome himself that liked â—ot three hypostases was accused of heresie and was fain to fly to his baptismal Creed for refuge and to prove that he was a believer because he was baptized But one wiser than the rest had the unusual good success as to convince them that by the two words it was the same thing that they meant and did not know it § 27. VII The next calamitous Anathematizing fell out about the owning or disowning of the Council of Chalcedon because of the foresaid Nestorian and Eutychian quarrels And so doleful was the case that it became the test of the Orthodox in one Countrey to Curse or Anathematize that Council and in another to Curse all that did not receive it Especially when one Emperour was for one side and the next for another the Cursing varyed accordingly for the most part § 28. But that which added grievously to the Calamity was that the same Bishops that under one Emperour cursed the Council under the next cursed those that owned it not and thus most scandalously anathematized themselves even one party this year and another the next I say nothing but what Binius and Baronius and such others say § 29. VIII The next sad Anathematizing was about the Monothelites They that said that Christ had but One Will and One Operation were cursed as Monothelite hereticks and they that said He had two were cursed by the Monothelites And these were no narrow petty Sects but Emperours and great General Councils were for them Binius saith that the Council of Constantinople called Quin sextum that made the Trull Canons were Monothelites and yet that they were the same Bishops that had constituted the fifth Council so that those also were Monothelites And in the reign of Philippicus he saith a Council of the Monothelites was so great that there were besides the rest Innumerable Bishops out of the East And these and their adversaries kept on the cursing trade of Religion one side cursing under one Emperour and the contrary under the next § 30. And O doleful case even these also seem fully to me to contend about nothing but bare words and really agreed and did not know it partly following the stream for worldly interest and partly having not skill enough to explicate ambiguous words and state the Controversie Who knoweth not that ever read any Metaphysicks how many senses the word One or Vnity hath and how the same thing in several respects may be said to be One or Two And was this discussed in any of these Councils Which where and when 1. Two things may concur to one effect where say the subtilest Philosophers materially they are two causes but formally and properly but one All set together make but one cause being ejusdem generis and are but many parts of that one cause though many things And so some called Christs Wills One as being but One cause in these School-mens sense of the same effect For the Deity operateth only per essentiam and hath no effect in God himself 2. And as Voluntas and operatio signifie the Internal principle of the effect no one can doubt but Christ had two for the Divine essential Will and the humane faculty or Act were not the same principle or thing But Objectively they are One that is The Divine Nature or principle and the humane do will the same thing and contradict not one another 3. And the Controversie is the same as the former with the Eutychians Christ hath but One Will as opposite to Divisions One as not divided but Two as intellectually distinguishable Two as denominated à principiis from two natures one as 1. from One person and 2. as undivided and 3. as terminated on One object I doubt not but had this been thus opened to them all the sober men would have said we are all agreed in it And yet this wordy difference maketh the name of an Anathematized heresie to this day § 31. IX The next cursing difference arose about â— question whether Christs body on earth was corruptible or no O the unhappy spirit of self conceited anathematizing Prelates The affirmers were called corrupticolae and reproached as blasphemers of the Christ and the worshippers of that which was corruptible The denyers were called Phantasiasticks and made hereticks the affirmers getting the last prevailing vote And alas the Emperour Justinian out of his great zeal for the honour of Christ proved one of the hereticks and is so branded to this day yea and persecuted the corrupticolas as hereticks Where will hereticating cursing and persecuting stop or end And yet one word of just distinction had ended all this had it been duly used and received Christs Body was potentially and as to the natural quality of flesh lyable to or capable of corruption But not actually corrupted and not corruptible in respect to Gods decree that it should not actually corrupt And yet even holy Hilary Pictav held not only this errour but somewhat more His words are so bad
Ministers be tryed men of sound understanding in that which they must teach and do and therefore that both the ordainers and the hearers try them This account of their understanding is better than the imposing of humane forms upon them for subscription Not but that Teachers should know more than the flock that is than the essentials nor that I presume to condemn all the Churches that impose their Confessions to be subscribed in their own and not in Scripture-words while they keep only to necessary certain things But I shall afterward prove that this way though tolerable is not best but unnecessary and dangerous 1. the Scripture affording us apt words enow to form our Confessions in which are past Controversie 2. and there being no probability of bounding mens Impositions of this kind when once they set upon this way 3. and most Confessions of that nature now extant having some needless words which other Churches or good Christians do dissent from 4. And the ancient Creeds understood which the ordainers must try and the old Catechistical Verities being sufficient to this use 5. And there being means of restraining men from preaching and vending heresies which are more safe and congruous 3. I add therefore that a certain Confession containing the certainest and needfullest Integrals of Religion should or may well be drawn up as a Law forbidding all upon meet penalties to preach or speak against them without any subscribing promising or professing 4. And upon proof of the violating of such a Law and preaching against such articles it is sufficient that both the Church and the Christian Magistrate in their several ways may judge them and by just penalties correct them of which more after in due place For it is very hard so to form long Confessions beyond the old Creeds Lords Prayer Decalogue and the General belief of Scripture and this not in Scripture-terms which shall not have some words which sound and honest Ministers cannot assent to without lying which they will not do But to silence many words which yet we conceive true and forbear speaking against some things which yet he cannot profess assent to there are very few sober men but will do And an errour never spoken or written hurts not others nor is to be judged being not known Non apparere here is as non esse And if it be vended the person may be judged as well as if he had sworn subscribed or promised And they that will tell us yet what evil may befall secret whispering errours without out such oaths subscriptions or promises do by this over-doing dangerously undo and lest man should be man and the Church imperfect on pretence of avoiding a possible unavoidable hurt they will set up knaves that will say any thing shut out honest men and necessitate divisions confusions and persecutions where they can never stop on this side banishing or killing or continued imprisoning multitudes of faithful men and never the more attain their ends Sound doctrine may be kept up as far as is to be hoped by the aforesaid means § 41. III. It is greatly needful to the well-being of Ministry and Church that Gods publick worship and Sacraments be kept pure Not that any thing done by man will be void of imperfection but that it be such as is acceptable to God honourable to Religion and profitable and suitable to the flock and to good men To which end 1. Christian simplicity here also is necessary That it be not corrupted or clogged with things uncertain needless curious nor yet much defective not confused disorderly much less erroneous superstitious ludicrous undecent false or prophane 2. It is needful that men to be ordained be tryed and known to be such as can speak to God and men without such unsufferable mis-performance 3. And that they be responsible to the Church and Magistrate for what they say and do Of Liturgies I am to speak in the third Part Only here 4. I add that fit words and spiritual life are the body and soul of worship and one must not be pleaded against another nor any by Formality mortifie holy worship and turn it into a Carkass or a lifeless image Nor yet on pretence of spirituality condemned the frequent use of the same words commonly called Forms whether prepared by the speaker who best knoweth what he needeth or agreed on by the Churches in fit cases and measures for greater Concord § 42. IV. It is needful to the well-being of the Ministry and Churches that all Pastors in their places be not only allowed to use Christs true Discipline but that it be expected and really done in every Church and that this Discipline be neither cast aside nor corrupted and turned into malignant war against the good nor into tyranny and usurpation § 43. What this Discipline is is opened before It is described by Christ in Matth. 18. If thy brother trespass against thee tell him his fault between thee and him If he hear thee thou hast won thy brother If he hear thee not take with thee two or three If he hear not them tell the Church If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen or a publican Serious convincing admonition must be used with due patience to bring a sinner to repentance And more publick admonition after private And the person sentenced unfit for Christian Communion when refusing all he sheweth himself utterly impenitent And he must be reconciled absolved and received when he giveth the Church just proof of his true repentance § 44. 1. It is a great corruption of this Discipline when it is exercised by Lay-Chancellors or other Lay-men to whom the Keyes of the Church-Government were never committed by Christ § 45. 2. It is a great corruption when it is done only by an officer of another species than Christ ever instituted § 46. 3. It is an usurpation and corruption when it is done by the Pastor of some other Church and not by the proper Pastor of the Church where the sinner liveth Such is Papal Usurpation when the Bishop of Rome will be judge in London § 47. 4. Especially when such a pretender liveth far from the place where persons and actions are not half known and that only by great charge and travel When the Pastor and people of the present Church may easily know all and it belongeth to them who are executively either to communicate with him or avoid him which distant strangers have no opportunity or occasion to do further than by declared consent § 48. 5. It is a heinous corruption of it to Excommunicate men in a prophane worldly manner without wise serious patient endeavours to apply Gods word to the sinners case and conscience to bring him to true repentance and amendment § 49. 6. And it is yet more heinous abuse to excommunicate the faithful for a fearful avoiding sin in some imposed Oath Covenant Profession promise subscription or unnecessary Ceremony or Form and especially withal
Pastor is dead it is an existent Community and virtually and morally a Political Church because by the Law and the peoples resolution another is to be seasonably chosen As an elective Kingdom in the interregnum is virtually and morally a Kingdom But if the purpose of chosing a Successour be changed the Kingdom and so the Church is dissolved or changed into somewhat else § 12. 5. It is indifferent to the being though not usually to the well-being of a Church whether it have one Pastor or many § 13. 6. The number of the people though not precisely determined must be competent to the Ends of the Society If it be Greater or smaller than is necessary to the Ends it is no Church of this defined species As Logicians say of the subject of other relations If a Boat or Ship be no bigger than a spoon it is not a Boat or Ship but equivocally And it may be so big as to be no Boat or Ship when it is uncapable of the Ends. A Family is too small to be a City And a Kingdom or the world is too big Dispositio materiae est necessaria ad receptionem formae § 14. 7. It is impossible to be a Church without the cement of Consent professed or cordial If many be forced into a Temple not consenting it is a Prison and they are not a Church If they consent only to meet on other occasions or for some occasional act of Religion it is not thereby made a Church If they be commanded to consent and do not and if it only be their duty it maketh them not a Church but only proveth that they ought to be one No Law or command maketh a Church without Consent But this Consent may be divers waies expressed The plainest most obliging way is best but is not absolutely necessary In some times and cases it may be more needful than at others especially at the first gathering and forming of a Church sometime ordinary Communion or attendance specially of persons born in that Church may signifie necessary Consent It 's pity then that men should be so weak as some to make express Covenanting of each member with the Church and Pastor necessary and others to deride it when it is laudable ad bene esse but not necessary ad esse But some signification of Consent is necessary ad esse that is A Consent to be a member of the society and submit to the Pastor and hold Communion with the Church to the Ends in the definition And the plainer this is exprest it is the fitter to satisfie the Church and oblige the person But whether the Consent be signified by words writings or deeds is undetermined No man can have the great priviledges of a member either of the universal or particular Church against or without his will and consent And no Minister not consenting can be a Pastor to any The Relation of a Church member consisteth in a Right to great benefits due to no refuser or unwilling person and in obligation to duty contracted by Consent besides the obligation of Gods Command We can no further prove any Company of Christians to be a Church than we can prove that they Consent to Church relation for Church Ends. § 15. Christianity it self consisteth in a believing Consent to the Covenant of Grace and as no man is a Christian nor hath right to Christ and his saving benefits without Consent so no man can have right to the Sacraments that seal and deliver this Covenant and benefits without consent No Christian in his wits is for the Baptizing of any adult person that consenteth not And the Lords Supper is a seal of the same Covenant and no more due to non-consenters than Baptism And as it is not enough to say I am willing to be Baptized but not by a Minister or not in the order appointed by Christ so it is not enough to say I would have the Sacrament and Communion with the Church but I will not submit to the Ministry Doctrine Worship or Discipline of that Church For this is as great a contradiction as to say I will be a servant to you but I will not work or obey but only have my wages or I will be a Soldier but I will not fight but be paid He that will have Communion with the Church must consent to the Ministry Worship and Discipline of that Church in which Communion consisteth § 16. And if a Minister shall be so imposed on as that any man or woman may come when they please and force him to give them the Sacrament of Communion without consenting to take him for their Pastor or to be taught or guided by him yea or give him satisfactory notice that they know what the Sacrament is or who Christ is he is a slave and not a Pastor Baser than any School-master Philosopher or Physicion that are not forced to take a Scholar Pupil or Patient against their will or that will not take them for their Teacher or Physicion and obey them § 17. Yet if on this pretence any Bishop or Pastor will impose unnecessary Covenants promises or professions on the Church or any Christians and make their wills a Law and oblige men to give them any other Belief or Obedience than truly belongeth to the Pastoral Office and so will set up a tyranny instead of a Christian Ministry they are not herein to be obeyed lest we be guilty of the corruption § 18. Yea if every integral part of the Pastors power and the peoples duty be put into such Promises or Contracts and the people required to profess their Consent as a necessary condition of their Communion it is sinful tyranny contrary to Gods Law and common reason and the constant practice of the Primitive Church Christ himself requireth unto Baptism no other Consent as necessary save to the essentials of Religion A thousand Integrals may be unknown to the Baptized and are so to most Christians It is our duty never to think speak or do amiss But Christ maketh not such duty necessary to our Baptism Christianity or Church Communion It is the duty of every member of a single Church to hear believe and obey the Pastor in many things where the best may fail To excommunicate a man therefore for not subscribing or professing assent to some unnecessary doubtful form for not being convinced by a Lay-Chancellours sayings in a doubted case or for not paying the Court Fees or for not appearing the day that one is summoned to appear at the Chancellours Court and such like are but tyrannical Schismatical acts The King himself is satisfied with the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie and doth not require all the subjects no nor the wisest Lawyers or Judges to swear subscribe or profess that they assent and consent to all the Laws of the land § 19. 8. The great Controversie of the age and many ages is about the true and formal difference between the lowest species of Churches which
is called A particular or single Church and an association of Churches or a compound Church That we may not confound them nor make a meer gradual difference in the same species to pass for a specifick difference And there is more lyeth on this than most observe And therefore I determine it here in the definition 1. It is commonly granted that there must be Christian Assemblies fixed for ordinary Communion in Gods worship 2. And it is agreed that these Assemblies cannot be held without the officiating and conduct of Ministers of Christ authorized to teach and administer the Sacraments Though there be also another sort of assemblies even for some Religious exercises which may be held by Princes Judges and other Lay-men 3. And it is by Grotius and many others manifested that Christ formed his Churches more to the similitude of the Synagogue than the Temple state of order and worship 4. And it is agreed that though Apostles Evangelists and other itinerant Preachers might gather Sacred Assemblies where they came and were as transient temporary Pastors to them yet the Apostles were guided by the Spirit to settle Elders in every Church as is proved before But here men make a great and distracting Controversie 1. Whether this first Church-species may not consist of many Congregations yea many hundreds or thousands 2. And whether every Church of the lowest species must have a Bishop § 20. To decide this Controversie I do in the definition express the specification of this Church relation from the End as all such kind of relations must be It must be a fixed association of Christians for personal presential Communion and assistance in holy doctrine worship c. This definition is necessary and herein sufficient 1. It is necessary that a difference be noted between a single Church and a Composition of Churches Because 1. Several ends shew us that they are not univocaly called Churches but are of several sorts 2. The first is past controversie of Divine institution The other are by some men taken for Divine by some for Lawful humane and by some for sinful inventions and additions to Gods appointed order Things that so much differ must be differenced 2. It is sufficient as 1. Assigning the true specifying end 2. and avoiding all extreams 1. It assigneth the true end For that Churches of such a sort for that end were settled by the Apostles none deny 2. It justly differenceth them from all other societies 1. There may be occasional meetings of Part of a Church for want of room or liberty in private houses Chapels or Oratories Independents Presbyterians and Diocesans grant this But these still acknowledge themselves to be but parts of a larger society consenting to the same specifying ends and assembling sometimes with that larger body and sometimes apart by reason of impediments age weakness distance weather persecution c And though a Parish as many have far more than can meet at once together yet 1. Still the ends of the association is for that sort of Communion 2. Some of a family may meet one day and some another and some a third 3. Every error and corruption altereth not the species of the Church The individuals that fail and absent themselves make not Parochial Communion to be another thing for other ends A Parochial Church then is the lowest and first true species of Churches 2. And this distinguisheth it from all Compound Churches which are not for Present Ordinary Communion in publick worship and Discipline but only for Distant Communion by Officers Delegates or Letters 1. A Synod is for Consultation and not purposely congregated for ordinary Communion in worship and the Churches which send their Bishops or Pastors thither have not personal presential Communion one with another ever the more but only mediate by Delegates or Officers They may dwell a thousand miles or more from one another If all the Schoolmasters in several Kingdoms should hold Provincial National or much larger Synods for agreement in Teaching and Governing their Schools this would not confound such a Synod with a School as if they were of the same Species of society 2. This distinguisheth a single Church from the Papal pretended universal policy And from a Patriarchal Church and from a Provincial and a Diocesan Church in the sense now used For these are compounded of several single Churches and they are not a society at all associated for ordinary personal presential Communion in Gods worship and holy living Only they are all under one General Governour not using to meet themselves nor ever seeing one another Now if to be under one absent General Bishop be that which specifyeth a single or particular Church then All that called the Roman Catholick Church is but one single Church compounded of no Churches Or one Patriarchal or Provincial or National Church were the lowest species and a single Church and so the Diocesans were none But if that which maketh it a single Church of the lowest species were that no Bishop is under them but that they are under one sole Bishop then 1. If all England had but one Bishop as many tell us all Abassia hath but one called the Abunah or if a Patriarch put down all the Bishops under him this Church of his would be but a single Church 2. And then there would be no such thing as a Church associated for personal presential Communion which I have proved that the Apostles by the spirit settled § 21. Those that tell us that a Diocesan Church is the first or lowest species of Divine institution do either mean by a Diocess such a society as we now call a Parish associated for presential Communion or a Church made of many such associated under one Bishop If the first they differ only about the name in which they go against our common use and are not intelligible by the vulgar Though in old Church writers a Diocess is sometimes taken as greater than a Province and sometime as less and a Parish and a Diocess are sometimes used for the same and sometime not yet that diversity of naming hindreth us not from knowing the difference of the things either as defined or as commonly now denominated a Parish Church and a Diocess And if their meaning be to prove that single Churches essentiated by their Association for Present personal Communion are not of Gods institution no intelligent impartial Christians will believe them who understand the Scripture and the state of the primitive Churches and the reason of the thing Did men believe this they would believe that Christ had instituted no Church order or form at all Much less being to be said for the rest than this And even those few that say that no form of Church Government is settled by God do yet grant that setled congregations for ordinary worship and mutual help with their guiding Pastors are of Divine right and so confute themselves unless they mean only that Pastoral Government of compounded Churches
will say You shall not communicate with us unless you will swear or say or do some unnecessary thing it is he then that is the divider and unjustly casteth out a Christian CHAP. VII What are the necessary terms of Concord of these single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers § 1. THat they be under the Government of a Christian Magistrate is necessary to the well-being or great advantage of them though not to the being of which more in due place § 2. That they live as neighbour Churches in Unity of faith and love and avoid all things contrary and to their power help each other according to need and opportunity is their duty § 3. It is necessary that they agree in all things necessary to the communion of men as members of the Church universal mention'd before and in all things essential to particular Churches § 4. If any one excommunicated justly for heresie apostasie or impenitence in any crimes shall offer to defile and endanger any other Church by intrusion or deceit the Church which cast him out is bound by the Laws of Love and Concord to send notice to such endangered neighbour Churches of the person and his case to prevent their hurt And unless the Church that cast him out have criminally forfeited their credit other Churches are bound by the Law of Charity to take their sentence as probably just and not to receive the ejected person till he have either proved his sentence unjust or profess repentance Not that they are bound absolutely to exclude him and deny him audience though yet they claim no superiority over the Church that excommunicated him but as neighbours and parts of the same Church universal they must hear both sides before they deny any Christian communion that claimeth it at least when his allegations have great probability of truth and seem to weigh down all that they have received against him And they may absolve the Criminal upon a just profession of true repentance but such a prosession will not stand with a refusal to confess in the same Church where the man sinned without some special probable reason it being that Church which is most wronged by the scandal and hath heard the causes § 5. If any Church in the same Kingdom or another be accused of violating the Christian faith or of any crime which Christians are bound to disown by avoiding the criminal it is the duty of the accused Church to be ready to satisfie the offended Churches by answering the accusation not as to Rulers by the reasons of obedience but as to Christian neighbours by the rule of common equity and love and for the preservation of unity and peace § 6. If the charge be but general that the Church is guilty of heresie or unsoundness in the faith it is the duty of the accused Church to send to the offended the Profession of their Faith and Religion which need to be no more than this which the offended ought to take as satisfactory We hereby profess that we stand to our Baptismal Covenant fiducially believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and give up our selves to him accordingly in these Relations Believing the articles of all the Creeds in which the universal Church ever agreed and desiring the things contained in the Lords Prayer and consenting to obey the ten Commandements as delivered to us in nature and by Christ and we profess our obligation and Consent to Believe Love and obey all that we do or shall understand to be the revealed word of God even the sacred Canonical books of Scripture and in this common Belief and Love and practice to livein the Communion of the unniversal Church of Christ Renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh as they are enemies to any of this and all doctrines desires and practices contrary hereunto so far as unfeignedly to endeavour to resâ—â—t and overcome them and when we 〈◊〉 and sin to rise by true repentance And all this in Hope of the Love of God the Father the Grace of the Son in our Pardon Justification and Adoption and the Communion of the Holy Ghost and of the Perfection of these and of our selves with the Church in everlasting Glory This may be briefly exprest in Baptism and to present persons that may receive our explications where they doubt of our understanding or sincerity But to distant suspecting persons or Churches such largeness is useful and this is enough § 7. But if any particular heresie or crime be charged on a neighbour Church it is not to be believed without proof nor they to be disclaimed till the charge be sent to them and their defence be heard And herein they ought to offer satisfaction to the offended Church 1. By denying the charge if false 2. By explaining words and actions which are ambiguous and to be suspected 3. In controverted cases by renewing the foresaid profession of all that is necessary explicitely to be held and promising to renounce any opinion or practice as soon as they perceive it contrary thereto 4. And in all cases of words or deeds expressly contrary to Gods doctrine or Law or which they shall be convinced to be sinfull to confess the errour or crime and humbly crave the prayers of the Church for pardon and profess their purpose of future reformation This is the means and this is enough for the offenders satisfaction And if the errour be no real and discerned denyal of any necessary article of faith but an undiscerned remote consequential contrariety with which the professed holding of that particular necessary article which they seem to overthrow may stand that Church or person is not to be rejected from Communion or hereticated For instance If a Church be accused to be Nestorians or Eutychians or Monothelites their answer ought to be Mary is the Mother of Christ who is God and in that sense of God but not of the Deity or as God And Christs Naâ—ures Wills and operations are two as distinct but not two as divided But if they have not so much easie skill to explain themselves but say rudely as Nestorius I will not say that God was two or three months old or as Cyril and Eutychius and Dioscorus Christs natures were two before the Union but since One and not Two if withal they prosess that they believe Christ to be true God and true man in one person and do not destroy deny or confound the Godhead and manhood or any other essential point of faith or religion they ought not to be hereticated or rejected § 8. No Church hath power or duty to deny any other Communion to another Church or person but such as they had power to grant them But to remote persons or Churches never seen by them as in other lands or Countries they can grant them no Presential local Communion but only Mental Therefore they can eject them from none but mental They
cannot take from them what they never had nor are capable of But we in London never had local Communion with them of Vienna Paris Rome c. nor ever saw them All therefore that they can do is to account those Hereticks or wicked or Apostates whom before they accounted good Christians and to declare that they own them not as fellow Christians and would not communicate with them did they live among them and to warn others that are in danger of them to avoid them and this not as an act of Government over them but of common Christian duty for the honour of our common religion and in charity to others The just renouncing of mental or local Communion by equals or neighbours much differs from a Governing commanding excommunication forbiding other Churches as their subjects to communicate with such on certain penalties which is the usurpation of Popes Patriarchs and some others who claim such governing power without proof CHAP. VIII VI. What is necessary to the Civil Peace and concord of Christians and what is the part of the Christian Magistrate about Religion as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein § 1. THe contentions of the world here call us to resolve these several doubts 1. Who it is that should have the power of the sword or Magistracy 2. How it is to be used towards all men as men in society 3. How it is to be used for the service of Christ and good of the Church in encouraging some and tolerating others and keeping peace among them all § 2. It is here supposed that the subject is understood and that we are agreed what the Magistrates power is at least de re though not de definitione vel de nomine that is it is the power of Governing by the sword that is of making Laws and judging according to them and executing them by outward force on mens bodies or estates And so it is contradistinguished from the power called Ministerial Pastoral Priestly or Ecclesiastical which is the gathering and guiding of Christian Churches by Gods word preached expounded and applyed The nature of each and their differences I have formerly opened in a small treatise written purposely on that subject to end the Erastian controversie And Bishop Bilson fuily openeth them in his excellent book of Christian Obedience c. The Magistrate hath power forcibly to seize on offenders estates and bodies to imprison mutilate scourge strike and kill them that deserve it and to make Laws and judge men unto such punishments The Ministers of Christ or Pastors of the Churches have no such power but only to declare Gods Laws to the people and convert and baptize the wicked unbelievers and teach them the word and will of Christ and guide them in publick worship and Communion and judge who is capable thereof and to require the people in the name of Christ to love and receive the worthy and to avoid the unworthy and to resolve the peoples particular doubts and by personal application to pronounce and declare Gods acceptance of penitent believers and his promise to save them and his decree to condemn the ungodly unbelievers impenitent and Hypocrites § 3. This difference is commonly acknowledged by the generality of sober Christians But one schismatical Writer against schism will needs call this Pastoral power Coactive coercive or forcing also though he confess that it is not a power to touch mens Bodies or estates that so by casting out all differencing names he may hide the acknowledged difference of the power and execution And his reason for this errour de nomine is because suspension and excommunication are executed on the involuntary and compel those that believe the power and fear them to obey Where 1. The word compel containeth the confusion compelling the mind by meer argument being not the compelling by corporal force which we are speaking of 2. And every man that chideth reproveth or threatneth a sinner usually doth it to the involuntary And if he believe him and yield he will obey And if you argue from his future danger or suffering it is the fear of it that moveth him But the fear of Gods declared threatnings is not the same as the fear of mans stripes imprisonments unless c. 3. And excommunication worketh on no mans body further than it worketh on his conscience to make him a voluntary agent If you denounce damnation against him it moveth him no further than he believeth you as applying to him the word of God If you forbid him to be present or take the sacrament and he refuse to obey you may not forcibly thrust him out without the Magistrates consent but only suspend your own act of delivery or depart If you command the people to avoid him they will no further obey you than they perceive Gods authority in your words and are convinc't in Conscience of their duty And every sermon may thus compel men And all that judge the sentence unjust and powerless will despise it § 4. 1. There are four or five opinions about the possessors of this forcing power by the sword or violence The first of them that say It belongeth to all Magistrates Christian and unchristian The second of them that say It belongeth only to Christian Magistrates The third of them that say It belongeth to Orthodox Magistrates or Catholick only and not to Hereticks The fourth of those that say that the Judicial part in cases of Religion belongeth to the Pope Prelats or Presbyters and the executive only to the Magistrate The fifth of those that say that both judicial and executive belong to the Pope Prelats and Priests I may add a sixth of them that say it is radically in the people § 5. 1. As to the first it is undoubtedly true if you distinguish between the Office Power and the aptitude of the person to perform it The Office of a Supreme Ruler is the same in all but all are not equally capable of performing it That is It is the same as described by Gods command of their performance As he commandeth infidels to believe and communicate with the Church but not to communicate before they believe so he commandeth Infidel Princes to believe and to govern the Christian affairs but to govern them as they are capable The common Laws of nature justice and peace among Christian subjects an Infidel Prince may and must see executed The Laws of Christ revealed supernaturally he ought to understand believe and execute But till he understand and believe them he cannot execute them And therefore wants the disposition and ability to do what he had command and authority to do but to do it only in the due manner to which his sin disableth him and so his Power is in him incomplete § 6. I confess it is a very hard question How an Atheist can be said to have any Governing right from that God whom he denyeth any more than a Constable from the King from whom by
and ruled by laws of reason and led towards Christianity and the hopes of future felicity And if they sin against the Laws of humanity they so far forfeit the priviledges of humanity or are to be punished as the ends of the society require § 17. III. To the third question how Magigistracie or the sword or forcing power is to be used for Christ and for his Church and on Christians as such who is to be rewarded punished or tolerated for the Churches Vnity and edification and preservation I answer I. In general Men should be used as men Christians as Christians The weak as weak The strong as strong and the eminently wise and good as such The criminal as criminal And all this with chief respect to the laws of God and the common good § 18. II. More particularly 1. Negatively 1. The Magistrate cannot make men Believers by the sword He cannot make the ignorant wise nor the wicked godly at the heart § 19. 2. He ought not to force men to lie by professing themselves to be what they are not or to know or believe or do what they do not Therefore he may not make a Law that All men shall be compelled to profess themselves Christians or Godly persons or any that are not such indeed And therefore none must be compelled to it because no man knoweth who are such but every man must be the voluntary professor of his own faith and piety § 20. 3. He ought not to force the weak to profess that they are strong or know or believe more than they do either to profess those measures of wisdom those Articles of faith that are not essentials or those measures of affection or practice which are proper to strong Christians And for not professing such things or Covenanting accordingly he may not deny them any priviledges belonging to Christians as such but only such as are proper to wiser and stronger Christians § 21. 4. Princes and other Magistrates may not make themselves the Lictors or executioners to the Clergie to punish men with fines imprisonment banishment or death eo nomine because they stand excommunicate by the Clergy without trying whether it was rightly or wrongfully done and whether the crime be such as should be so punished by them Excommunication if just is it self a dreadful punishment no man is to be punished for being punished If it be for not repenting 1. He must first be sure that it was a crime 2. And that God hath appointed this way to force men to repentance 3. And that such forced repentance must go for true But when the excommunication is unjust the Magistrate must not second it with oppression It is enough to be so much wronged by the Clergy more should not be added for that cause nor must the Magistrate suppose the Clergy to be unerring and so lay by the person of a Judge himself and become the blind executioner of their sentence § 22. II. Affirmatively The Christian Magistrates Office is To promote the common good of the people and their salvation and the pleasing and glory of God by preserving and promoting Piety Love Justice and peace even mens obedience to all the Laws of God in Nature and Scripture § 23. Therefore as the means 1. He must promote to his power the due publication or preaching of the Gospel and the subordinate means that are needful thereunto 2. He must by just means restrain and punish the gross violators of Gods Laws and must encourage the obedient and good § 24. Therefore III. He must deal differently with his subjects as they differ according to this common distribution They are I. Not Christians who are 1. Enemies of the Church or of Christianity 2. Neglecters of Christianity 3. Candidates or Catechumens Seekers II. Christians who are to be considered as 1. Personally qualified and so they are 1. Eminently wise good and strong 2. Of a middle sort or degree 3. Ignorant culpable and weak 2. Relatively as being 1. Only Christians of the universal Church and no particular 1. Not yet entred into particular Churches 2. Separated from them 3. Cast out of such only 2. In particular Churches which are either 1. Consociate viz. under 1. The Pope 2. Diocesans 3. Presbyteries 2. Independent and diverse 3. Opposites and adverse 3. In their Practice which is either 1. Laudable to be encouraged and promoted 2. Tolerable 3. Intolerable I shall therefore briefly shew how each of these sorts are to be used by a wise and righteous Christian Prince or other Magistrate though somewhat is said already to the first § 25. I. The enemies and opposers of Christianity are 1. To be wisely and soberly restrained from any effectual dangerous hindering of it By moderate means if they are moderate and by greater severity if they be violent and inhumane 2. As far as obstinacy maketh them uncapable Light and Love should be used to win them with the example of our better lives In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may escape out of the snare of Satan 2 Tim. 2. 26. § 26. II. The Neglecters of Christianity are to be instructed and excited And therefore 1. By perswasion 2. or necessary moderate penalties constrained only to Hear what can be said for it § 27. III. The seekers or willing candidates are to be clearly and skillfully and patiently taught and encouraged by love § 28. IV. Eminent Christians are to be made the Teachers and Rulers of the rest and to have praise and best encouragement § 29. V. The middle sort of Christians must be governed and instructed with encouragement to grow and the body of a Christian Common-wealth well ordered will be most of such § 30. VI. The ignorant faulty and weak must be pityed and gently used but as children under more teaching restraint and necessary rebukes than better men § 31. VII Those that are not yet entred into any particular Churches Communion under any known particular Pastor if necessarily such as persons that have no dwelling but wander up and down as Pedlars c. are to be pityed and suffered if we cannot help them to better Those that being baptized only into the universal Church as wanderers children c. and are not come to knowledge or desire should be taught and perswaded into Church order as a second sort of Catechumens Those that are hindred by the disorder or persecution of the place and times must be pityed and patiently born with § 32. VIII Those that separate from one or other particular Churches if by some great crime and abuse must be used according to their fault as is after shewed about Practice But if either by tolerable weakness or outward necessity they depart but from one Church they must be received into others If from all particular Churches as some called Seekers and not from the universal they must be used as the seventh sort those
not yet entred § 33. IX Those that are cast out unjustly must be pityed and allowed entrance into another Church Those that are cast out justly must 1. remain under that penalty and shame till they repent 2. And also be further used according to their crime whether murder fornication theft perjury c. as the Law punisheth such offenders If it befor Infidelity or Apostasie they must be used as the Churches deserters or adversaries as aforesaid and restrained from opposing it § 34. X. The Papists should be used as men and as the faultier and weaker sort of Christians but so as 1. May secure Princes from being unwillingly subjected to a foreign Usurper or being abused by him or his Agents and as may secure the people from the efficacy of their laws for burning killing and exterminating them 2. And so as they may be soberly restrained from such seducing and hurting the souls of others as is after proved to be Intolerable § 35. XI Diocesans that are as Arch-Bishops and destroy not Parish Churches Episcopacy and Discipline are to be numbred either with the Promoted or Tolerated party as they are taken by the Rulers for the Best or second But those that would unchurch Parish Churches and make them but Chapels and set up only one tribunal for the Discipline of many hundred Parishes and thereby make Discipline Impossible and deprive particular Churches of the Rights given them by the spirit of Christ in his Apostles or would silence and persecute faithful Ministers or oppress the flocks should be restrained from such abuse and Tyranny by the Prince § 36. XII The very same I say of the Synods and Classes of Presbyters whether provincial or national § 37. XIII Churches are not to be discountenanced meerly because they are so independent as not to be over and under each other in a regimental way no more than Scholes of Grammer or philosopy or other sciences or arts But the Magistrate must make them Dependent on him as his governed subjects and must exhort them to that dependence on each other as is necessary to their mutual help and peace and moderately urge them hereto for Religion sake § 38. XIV Adverse contentious militate Churches must be restrained from abusing one another and destroying Christian Love and peace And Justices of the peace should keep peace among them and correct railers slanderers and peace-breakers § 39. XV. But the main care concerneth practice And here the sound in faith the Charitable the peaceable and of good Conversation should be promoted praised and maintained with special favour and approbation § 40. XVI The meerly Tolerable as to Doctrine Charity and conversation should be defended and kept in peace § 41. XVII The Intolerable must be suppressed or restrained according to the quality of their offence § 42. To these great ends as Campanella would have every Sovereign to have three sorts of Councils under him One for Learning and Religion another for Civil affairs and another for War so it may be wished however that the Prince have a Council that shall specially take care of Religion and the necessary subservient learning And that there be drawn up three several Catalogues or Laws for these various ranks of Christians That is I. The foredescribed necessary parts of Christianity and Communion the Baptismal Covenant Creed Lords Prayer and the Essentials of Ministry and Communion which all Tolerated Ministers shall subscribe to or profess having also Testimonials of their competent Abilities Piety and peaceableness II. Some of the great sort of Integrals added that are needful plain and certain and therefore it is best in the very words of Scripture which all agree to and this to be consented to by the approved and preferred Ministers who shall have the Temples and publick countenance and maintenance III. A Catalogue of Doctrines of so great use as that none be suffered to Preach or privately dispute against them And a Catalogue of sins which none may commit And those that break either of these Laws and subscribe not to the Essentials first mentioned to be judged Intolerable till reformed in the Ministry Who shall be judged Intolerable in the Commonwealth the first rank of enemies here considered sheweth And what private members shall be Tolerated in the Churches may be gathered from what is said viz. Those that joyn with the Tolerated Ministers and violate not this last Prohibiting Law by incorrigible opposition to the Truth here intimated or by wicked or unpeaceable behaviour § 43. It is here supposed that the Catalogue imposed on the Approved maintained Ministers be not of too many things nor of any but great and sure And they that will needs stretch it to the utmost of plain and certain truths need no other Catalogue of the third rank And were it not that men are very inclinable to overdo in rigor against dissenters I should rather leave out the third Catalogue And that which the Tolerated be forbidden to Preach against should be but the same Catalogue which the Approved must subscribe and so two will be enough so be it that all unpeaceable preaching as to the manner be restrained by the Justices of peace § 44. This rule the antient Churches followed and when they suppressed the intolerable heresies they tolerated the Novatians even in Constantinople And the worst Bishops were most against their toleration as Nestorius and such like and the best dealt gentliest and lovingly with them and thereby did more for the peace of the Church than the overdoers The Lordly turbulency of Theophilus and Cyril with Epiphanius's silly passion set all on a flame against Chrysostome and his Joannites which the wisdom and peace of two peaceable Patriarchs soon quenched § 45. That the Integrals to be subscribed by the Approved Ministers be not too many is requisite 1. Because it is not many things that are necessary to be preached Read the preachings or doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and you may soon see this And they need to subscribe no more than they need to preach 2. Because else overdoing will be undoing and unavoidable dissent will cause divisions and distractions And for the same reason it should be written if possible in the very words of Scripture which though some deride is of great moment Because nothing more tendeth to avoid division by dissent For all are agreed of the truth of the Scripture and even they that understand not the words confess them to be true and take not the liberty to except against them as they will against the words of fallible men The objections against this are answered after § 46. Penalties must not be equal as offences are not equal As the Approved are not ejected for every fault so the Tolerated are not to be silenced for every fault A prophane swearer payeth twelve pence an oath And some faults of preachers are not worse But some are so great at first and others by the addition of impenitencie and incorrigibleness
derogateth from his glory XIV Of Baptism 1. That Baptism was instituted only for the first times or for reception of Infidel countreys when converted and not for to be continued in Christian Countreys and Churches 2. That outward Baptism by water will save the adult that have not true Repentance and faith and sincere consent to the baptismal Covenant 3. That all the children of Infidels Heathens Hereticks or wicked men are certainly saved if they be baptized and have Godfathers professing Christianity though those Godfathers be wicked hypocrites and take not the infants by adoption or otherwise as their own nor really intend to educate them as they promise and if they die before they actually sin and that this is certain by the word of God 4. That all the baptized are delivered from all culpable pravity of soul or inherent sin 5. That it is certain that all baptized Infants of what parents soever have special grace infused into their souls by the Holy Ghost in Baptism 6. That baptism entering all into the Catholick Church obligeth all the baptized to the Bishop of Rome as the supreme head or pastor 7. That the Infants of believers dedicated to God are holy only as legitimate and not bastards but are not as a holy seed under promise to be entered into the Church and Covenant of God by baptism but all baptized in Infancy must be taken as no visible Christians till they are rebaptized 8. That none that sin grosly after baptism are upon their repentance to be received into the communion of the Church 9. That it is not necessary to baptism of the adult that they make any covenant promise or vow to God nor to the baptism of Infants that Parents or Proparents devote them to Christ by entering them into an obliging Vow or Covenant 10. That Baptism was not instituted to invest the baptized in his right to pardon and life but only to enter him into the visible Church where as a disciple he may learn how to come to such right and pardon hereafter 11. That the adult duely baptized have no right to the Communion of the Church though they profess to continue their Covenant-consent and none disprove the truth of their profession unless they have some higher qualification and title XV. Of the Lords Supper 1. That the Lords Supper is but an ordinance for young or carnal Christians but they that have the Spirit must live without it as being above outward signs and ordinances And so of the Lords Day 2. That the Bread broken and Wine poured out to be eaten and drunk are not the representative Sacramental body and blood of Christ delivering us the real benefits of his sacrifice to be received by faith 3. That after the words of Consecration duly uttered there remaineth no true substance of bread or wine but all is turned into the very body and blood of Christ 4. That the wine may justly be denyed the Laity and they be required to communicate by receiving only the bread consecrated or the body of Christ as they call it without the other half of the Sacrament 5. That Christs flesh and blood is really and properly sacrificed by the Priest 6. That ordinarily the Priest is to partake alone and the people only to be Spectators 7. That the consecrated host being Christs body is to be adored as very God 8. That this sacrifice is to be offered by the Priest for the living and the dead and to ease the pains of Purgatory 9. That God himself here deceiveth the soundest senses of all men making that to be no bread or wine which their senses and intellects of things as sensate apprehend as such 10. That it is heresie and deserveth extermination or death to deny these things of the Sacrament and to believe our senses that there remaineth true bread and wine after Consecration 11. That unbelievers and wicked men in the Eucharist truly eat the real body of Christ 12. That the bare receiving of the Sacrament though without true faith and repentance will procure pardon of sin from God and Salvation XVI Of the Church 1. That the Church of Christ as visible is lost or ceased or hath been lost since the Apostles days so that there was a time when Christ had no visible subjects and disciples 2. That the Church differeth from Heathens and Infidels only in opinion and not in real holiness 3. That only the Clergy or Rulers are the Church of Christ 4. That Christ hath instituted a vicarious visible Head of all the world or of all the Church on earth under himself to whom all Christians must be subject as their chief Pastor 5. That this Head or universal Church Monarch is the Bishop of Rome or else a general Council 6. That this Head or chief Ruler Pope Council or both hath universal Legislative power to make Laws obliging the whole world or the whole Church 7. That this Head is made the judge to all Christians what shall be taken for articles of faith and what for heresie and all are bound to believe such judgement or at least to acquiesce in submission to it 8. That no one is bound to believe the Scripture or the Christian Verity but for or upon the proposal of the Pope Council or both 9. That such judgement and proposal is certain and infallible 10. That this Church and its authority must be believed to be given by Christ before men can believe in Christ himself 11. That this Pope Council or both have power from Christ to excommunicate such as deserve excommunication throughout all the world and to judge who deserve it 12. That the Pope hath power to call general Councils out of all Christian Churches or nations on earth and to preside in them and to approve or reject and invalidate their decrees 13. That all Churches are bound to send Bishops or Delegates to â—uch Councils if required by the Pope 14. That a General Council approved by the Pope is infallible in all points of faith else not 15. That the Pope or Council or both may judge all Christian Kings and depose such as they judge deserve it and give their Countreys to others and disoblige their subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance 16. That they may interdict Gods worship to whole Countreys and Kingdomes and the Clergy must obey such interdicts 17. That whom they or the Clergy judge hereticks all are bound to avoid as hereticks be they never so falsly judged such 18. That at least in ordine ad spiritualia the Pope hath power over Princes and their Crowns 19. That the Clergy owe not obedience to Princes nor may be judged by them 20. That the universal Church can have no errour in any point which God hath revealed in his word 21. That the universal Church hath erred or may err in points essential to Christianity or absolutely necessary to Salvation and so become no Church and Christ no King or Head of it 22. That no one is a
Sect. X. 4. Yet when the very Matter of a dividing Heresie is laid upon much Learning or subtle Notions or any words or things very hard to be understood it seldom spreadeth far and liveth long Because it must cost men dear to understand it and humane nature is slothful and multitudes will not be at long and hard study to know what is right or wrong Therefore such as the Rosie Crucians Behmens c. do but little harm Sect. XI 5. It is not only separating from the Church but causing divisions and contentions in a Church which in Scripture is reproved as sinful Schism And indeed this is the commonest acception of the word as may be seen Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 3. 3. 11. 18. Matth. 12. 25. Luk. 12. 52 53. 2 Cor. 12. 25. They that by ill Doctrine or abuse of each other or causless quarrels do disturb the Churches Peace and cause disaffection murmurings and unbrotherly distance are guilty of Schism though they separate not Sect. XII 6. Separating from a Church is sometimes a greater and sometime a less fault than dividing in a Church and sometime no fault but a duty It is a greater fault 1. When the Church is by the Separater falsly accused of greater crimes 2. And when it tendeth to greater hurt It is a less fault when a man removeth from one Church to another though causelesly yet with less accusation of that Church and less detriment to the common Cause It is no fault when there is just cause and it is done in a just manner Sect. XIII 7. Separating from the Universal Church which is the Universality of Christians as Headed by Christ is separating from Christ and ever damnable and is Apostasie Sect. XIV But to separate from some Accident or Integral part of the Church Universal is not to separate from the Church To differ from Christians in any thing essential to Christianity is to apostatize or separate from the whole Church and so it is à materia to renounce the universality of Christians But to differ from the whole Church in some accident or integral is not to separate from it Sect. XV. To separate from any one Church upon a reason common to all is so far to separate from all And upon a reason that is against the essence of all it is to separate from all as Churches Sect. XVI To separate from any Church by denyal of some one essential part of Christianity though all the rest be confess'd is Heresie in the strict sense and Apostasie in a larger sense and to deny all Christanity is Apostasie in the strict sense But the ancient Christians called it Heresie when men separated into distinct opposing Bodies as parties from the generality of Christians for the cherishing of any dangerous errour Sect. XVII It is lawful to separate from particular Churches in all the degrees and Cases following 1. It is lawful to abate our esteem of any Church or Pastor as they are less worthy or more corrupt or culpable and to value more the more worthy Sect. XVIII 2. It is lawful to remove ones dwelling from one City or Parish to another for the just reasons of our worldly Affairs and thereby to remove from other Churches And it is lawful to do the same for the good of our Souls when one Minister is bad or less fit for our Edification and one Church more corrupt and culpable and others more sound and pure and their Communion more conducible to our Salvation Sect. XIX 3. Parish bounds being but humane Institutions for order sake it is lawfull to be of a Church in a neighbour Parish instead of ones own Parish Church in case we have the allowance of the higher Powers or without that in cases of true necessity or when consideratis considerandis the Benefit is evidently greater than any hurt that it is like to do For no man hath power to bind me to that which is to the danger or detriment of my Soul unless at least some greater notorious interest of the Community require it If my Parish have an ignorant unsound Teacher or a weak dull dangerous or unprofitable careless or scandalous vicious Pastor yet tolerable rather than to have none or judged tolerable by the Rulers and the next Parish have an able holy faithful Pastor by whom I am more abundantly edified I am not bound by Mans Commands to trust the conduct of my Soul with the former or to deny my self the benefit of the latter when I cannot remove my dwelling For mens power is not to destruction but to edification and Order is for the Thing Ordered and not against it My Soul is more Christs and my own than the Rulers And I am not unthankfully to neglect the helps offered me by Christ who ascended to give gifts to men for the edifying of his Body merely because a man commandeth me so to do Sect. XX. 4. Even Pope Nicholas and some of the Popish Councils forbad all men to hear Mass from a fornicating Priest Protestants should not be less strict And it is as lawfull to depart from the Parish-Priest for being a Drunkard a Scorner at Godliness a Persecutor an insufficient Guide of Souls as for being a Fornicator And many Councils forbid me hearing Hereticks Sect. XXI 5. There is so great difference between Teachers and Teachers that are tolerable that some by unsuitableness are to some persons almost equal to none some that preach only in high Language fit for learned ears and withall never speak to the people singly in any private oversight do little or no more good to some of the ignorant than none And God useth to work on Souls by Means and according to the aptitude of Means and therefore Heathens that have no Preachers are unconverted And men are not to forsake the ordinary helps and hopes of their Salvation for Parish-Order or mens Commands Christ twice sent the Pharisees to learn the meaning of I will have mercy and not sacrifice Souls are better than Ceremonies as the Redeemer of Souls will judge Sect. XXII 6. Where we cannot joyn with any Congregation without sin imposed on us by Profession Subscription Covenants Oaths Declaration Practice or Omission it is a Duty not to joyn with such Sect. XXIII 7. When the Pastor is an Usurper and hath no true title to that place it is no Schism to desert him By many Canons of Councils and it seemeth to me by Scripture the Bishop is an Usurper who hath not the consent of his Flock and of the Ordainers Much more he that is utterly intolerable by Insufficiency Heresie Tyranny wickedness or Malignancy against that Piety which he should promote Sect. XXIV 8. Where one Diocesan Bishop hath many hundred Parishes under him which have no other Bishop and so are not taken for Churches but for Chappels or parts of a Church by them that take a Bishop to be a constitutive part of a Church there he that goeth from his
as to Government And that none are of the visible Church that are not the Popes Subjects and that they that refuse such Subjection are Schismaticks or Hereticks or Infidels And that all that own Christ should be compelled by Sword or torment to own the Pope as his Vicar General Sect. III. Campanella de Regno Dei openeth the Mystery of the Fifth Monarchy and alledgeth the texts that are brought for it as intending Christs Reign on Earth by the Pope as his Viceroy And indeed it is an Universal Kingdom or Monarchy which they plead and strive for under the name of the Universal Church But in this they greatly differ whether the Pope have the universal Power of both Swords or but of one that is both Civil and Ecclesiastical and be really the King of all the World And herein they are of three Opinions as to the Subject of this Power and of three Opinions as to the degree Sect. IV. As to the Possessor of this Authority 1. One party say that the summa Potestas is in thâ—â— Pope 2. Another saith it is in the Pope presiding in a General Council or in the Pope and Council agreeing 3. And another party hold that it is in a General Council alone yet so as that the Pope is the Head of the Universal Church as the chief Prelate and Ordidinary Governour though subject to the Legislative and Judicial Power of the Council Sect. V. And as to the Degree of Power 1. Some hold that the Pope is the Monarch of all the Earth having the chief Power of both Swords and that the World is his Kingdom as Gods Vicegerent 2. Others hold that he hath directly only the Ecclesiastical Power but indirectly and in order to Spirituals he hath also the Temporal power of the Sword Or as the most hold that in his own Territories he hath both Powers as to Personal exercise but in other Kingdoms he can himself only execute the Church-power but he may command Kings to execute the power of the Sword for Religion according to his and his Bishops decrees and may force them to it by Anathema's and releasing their Subjects from the Bonds of Fidelity and giving their Kingdoms to others As some say that the King may not be personally Judge in the Courts of Justice but he may make Judges and force them to their duty and depose them if unworthy This differeth little from the former The Monarchy is nevertheless absolute though Kings be the Popes Officers or Lictors 3. But some few hold that the Pope and Bishops have no Power of the Sword at all nor of forcing Kings to use it The Controversie was hotly handled when Popes and Emperors were in Warrs The Volumes written on both sides are published by Goldastus to which William Barkley and some others in France have added more Sect. VI. Rightly therefore doth the Geograph Nubiensis call the Pope A King The Name of a Church maketh not a difference in the thing There be some that think that all Kings should be also Priests and the Popes will grant it so far as to hold that all Bishops should be Magistrates and the Chief Priest be Univerâ—al Kingâ— Cardinal Bertram in Biblioth Patr. saith God had not been wise if he had not set up such a Monarch under him over the World And in 〈◊〉 seu Bulla Sixti quarti Philippo Palatino Rhâ—ni in â—rehero Vol. 2. pag. 162. you may see their Claim in these words Universos Christianos Principes acâ—omnes Christi fideles requirere eisque mandare vice Dei cuius locum quamvis immeriti tenemus in terris To require all Christian Princes and all faithful Christians and to command them in Gods stead whose place on earth we hold though unworthy The Twelfth General Council viz. at the Laterane sub Innoc. 3. and some at Rome under Greg. 7. and many others put this Claim of theirs past doubt Sect. VII Now that the Universal Church will never unite in the Roman Papacy I prove undeniably as followeth 1. Because Christians will never unite in an Agreement to forsake the Scriptures as Gods Word and Law where they will still find that he never instituted such a Roman Monarch The Papists contrary Assertion will never convince the World when the Book it self is open before them They will there find no one man that ruled all the rest no one to whom Appeals were made no one that ever claimed such a power much less that settled any such at Rome or that ever a word was left by Christ to direct the Church to center in the Bishop of Rome Nor that ever the Apostles preached this to the Churches which they must needs have done had it been essential to the Church Catholick or half as necessary as the Papists make it Sect. VIII 2. Because in Scripture Christians will not only find nothing for it but much against it which many Volumes having largely proved Chamier Whitakers White and abundance more it would be vain here to repeat I commend to the English Reader now but Dr. Challoners small Book of the Catholick Church Sect. IX 3. Because were it but as dark and doubtful and uncertain as common Reason and Disputers experience proveth it the universal Church can never unite in a thing which so few can see any certainty in or evident proof of Sect. X. 4. Because the greatlyest reverenced General Councils are against it limiting the Popes power to his Diocese as Nice first doth and declaring him to be National and of humane Institution as being Bishop of the Imperial City and advancing Constantinople from the same Reason as doth the Council of Chalcedon Of which I have largely written against Terret Sect. XI 5. Because the Greek Church hath ever held the Papacy to be of humane Institution Proved briefly 1. Because they ever held the Popes power to stand on the same Foundation with the other Patriarchs But they ever held the other Patriarchs to be of Humane Institution which needs no proofs to men of Reading 2. Because they set up Constantinople first next him and then equal to him and then above him which they had never done had they taken the Papacy to be of Divine Institution For they never pretended any such foundation for the Bishop of Constantinoples power and they were never so desperate as to set up Mans Ordination above Gods 3. Because they took his Power to be limited by the Laws of the Empire and him to be subject to the Emperours All which is known to men that know Church-History Sect. XII 6. Because the common Reason of Mankind will still discern that a humane Monarchy of all the Earth is a dream and Impossibility and that no man is naturally capable of exercising such a power Sect. XIII 7. Because while Baronius Binius Crab Surius and other Histories of the Councils are extant and Platina Anastasius and other Histories of the Popes and while all the old Church-History is extant and all the German
French Italian Belgick English and other later Histories the horrid wickedness of Popes and the Mischiefs they have brought upon the World and the blood they have shed to settle their Kingdoms will be known to Mankind and will not suffer men universally to believe that God ever made such Governours essential to his Church or necessary to its Unity Sect. XIV 8. Because Kings and States will never become all so tame and servile as to resign their Kingdoms so far to an universal Monarch and to become his Subjects especially after the sad experience of his Government Sect. XV. 9. Because if the people were never â—o blind there will in all generations arise wise and Learned persons who will know all these things and never consent to Popery Sect. XVI 10. Lastly from Experience The Universal Church now doth not nor ever did unite in the Roman Papacy and therefore never will do That now they do not is past doubt with those that know the Papists are but the third or fourth part of the Christian World Bishop Bramhall saith they are but a fifth part The great Empire of Ethiopia the Christians in Egypt Syria Mesopotamia that are falsly called by them Nestorians and Eutychians or Jacobites who parted from the Greeks upon the ejection of Diosecrus by the Council of Chalcedon the Armenians Circassians Mengrelians Georgians those scattered in the Persian Empire the Greeks scattered throughout the Turkish Empire the Empire of Moscovie the Kingdoms of Sueden Denmark England Scotland and Ireland the Subjects of the Dukes of Saxony Brandenburgh Lunenburgh Hanover Osnaburgh Holstein the Prince of Hassia the Palsgrave of the Rhine Ducal Prussia Curland Transilvania all the Protestant free Cities in Germany Dantzick and others tolerated in Poland those in Hungary some in Walachia and Moldovia Belgia called the Low-Countreys with Friesland Embden Geneva c. the Protestant Cantons of Helvetia those in Rhoetia in Piedmont c. and those tolerated in France Our Plantations in the West-Indies or America viz. New-England Virginia Barbados Bermudas Jamaica and the rest All these are Christians that unite not in the Pope nor are subject to him I know they say that these are Hereticks and Schismaticks and no parts of the Church But that is too easie a way of arguing and no Cure at all for Christians discord By this way of reasoning they may prove that all the Christian Church or World is united in the Pope if he had but ten Subjects because all the rest are no part of the Christian Church or World as a mad man proved that all the World was his because he thought his House and Land was all the World But Christ will not so easily lose his Church nor be disputed out of his Inheritance by so gross a fallacy If you argue None are parts of the Christian Church but the Popes Subjects All the Popes Subjects unite in the Pope Ergo all parts of the Christian Church are united in the Pope You must prove your Major to Christ better than ever you did before he will be so deposed from his Kingdom and lose those whom he so dearly bought The Bishop of Constantinople Alexandria Ephesus Canterbury may say the like that none are Christians but their Subjects but this is it that I say the World of Christians are not united in Sect. XVII And as it is so now it was so in the last Age And though some of them cheat Women by telling them that all the Christian world before Luther were united in subjection to their Popes they must burn all their own Church History and Councils and make men ignorant of what is past in former ages before this will be believed by men that can read Latin and Greek certainly they do not believe it themselves They cannot though they would Was all the West subject to the Pope when so many hundred thousand were murdered for being against him When the Bohemians were so persecuted by warrs when Spain it self hath been accused of such Heresie when most of Germany stuck to the Emperours and despised the Popes when France and England have been censured and Interdicted by him and obeyed not his Interdicts when for many Ages most of Italy hath been a Field of warr and fought against him when Rome it self hath so oft driven him away But especially when upon the Constantinopolitane Decree de tribus Capitulis Pope Vigilius was forsaken by much of Italy and the West and all his Successors for about an hundred years and the Patriarch of Aquileia set up as their Head instead of Rome till Sergius after reconciled them And all this while were not the Greeks Moscovites Armenians Syrians Abassines and all the rest before mentioned in Asia and Africa c. from under the Pope I have oft asked and ask again was all Christendome subject to the Pope of whom their Melchior Canus saith Lecd Com. cap. 7. fol. 201. That not only the Greeks but almost all the rest of the Bishops of the whole World have fought to destroy the Priviledges of the Church of Rome and indeed they had on their side the Arms of Emperours and the Greater number of Churches and yet they could never prevail to abâ—â—gate the Power of the One Pope of Rome Was all the Christian World under him when their Raynerius saith cont Wald. catal in Bibl. Patr. To. 4. p. 773. The Church of the Armenians and Ethiopians and Indians and the rest which the Apostles converted are not under the Church of Rome Was all the Church under him before the Turks conquered the Greeks when the Greek Church alone and the rest in the Eastern Empire were twice as many as all the Western Churches and Abassia and all in the East and South without the Empire were also from under him Yea and when their own Jacobus de Vitriaco writeth Histor Orient c. 77. who dwelt at Jerusalem That the Churches of the Easterly parts of Asia alone exceeded in number the Christians either of the Greek or Latine Church And their Brochardus that lived also there saith that Those called Schismaticks by us are far better men than those of the Roman Church Sect. XVIII If they say that at least for the first six hundred years all the Church was governed by the Pope I answer It is more probable which Marnixius and many Protestants affirm that for the first six hundred years there was not one Papist in the world that is One that took the Pope to have the Governing power over all the Church on Earth The oft cited words of Gregory the first and Pelagius plainly shew that they abhorred the Claim The Pope was from the year 300. till 600. and after the first Bishop in the Roman Empire 1. Under Councils and Emperours 2. Not Ruling the other Patriarchates but sitting before them in Councils 3. And this by Mâ—ns Ordination only in one Empire 4. And had no Rule in any of the extraimperial Churches in the World even here with
us the Britains rejected them and the Scots would not eat or converse with them The Abassine Empire was never under them nor those of India and Persia And the Councils in which they had the first seat were but of one Empire as is after proved And as for the first three hundred years under Pagan Emperours their own Writers confess the Church of Rome was little set by that is it had no governing power over the rest nor is there any pretence to think they had The first that talk'd very high was Leo the first who called himself the Head of the Catholick Church But by Catholick was then meant usually the Churches in the Empire only and by Head he meant the prime Bishop in order but not the Governour of all Nor was his claim if he meant any more approved by the Churches in that Age. Though the Council of Chalcedon highly applauded him and his Epistle as an advantage to carry their Cause against Dioscorus who had excommunicated the Pope and took him for the prime member of their Council yet they thought meet in their Canons to declare that it was but by humane mutable right in the Roman Empire Let them shew us if they can when and where the universal Church on Earth ever subjected themselves at all to the Pope Much less can they bring any pretense of it for the first three hundred yeas Had they any Meeting in which they agreed for it Did they all receive Laws Ordination or Officers from Rome or from its Emissaries If we were so foolish as to believe that his precedence in General Councils was a proof of the Popes Monarchy yet it 's easie to prove 1. That for 300 years there was no General Council 2. And that it was not the Pope that presided at Nice 3. And that those Councils were but Imperial and not truly Universal But if all the Church ever had been subject to the Pope as being at first except Abassia almost confined to the Roman Empire it doth not follow that it will ever be so again when it is dispersed into so many Kingdoms of the World The Jesuites at first were all under the King of Spain and the Mahometans at first all under one Prince but they are not so now Is it likely that ever all Christian Mahometan and Heathen Kings will suffer all their Christian Subjects to be under the Government of a Foreign Priest But their own Writers agree that the Apostles at first were dispersed into many Countreys besides the Roman Empire and that Ethiopia was converted by the Eunuch mentioned Acts 8. initially its like before Rome and fullyer by St. Matthew And you may see in Godignus Alvarez Damianus a Goez and others full evidence that they were never Subjects to the Pope of Rome I conclude then 1. That Rome is not owned this day as the head of Unity by all Christians 2. That it never was so taken for the Governing and Uniting Head 3. And that the reason of the thing fully proveth that it never will be so I may adde that indeed it is not known among themselves who are the consenting Subjects of the Pope or Members of their Church It is indeed Invisible or a Church not knowable For 1. They are not agreed nor ever like to be what is the essential qualification of a Member of the Church Or what that Faith is that must make a Member Some say it must be the Belief of all the Creed explicitely others of some few Articles others that no more is necessary ad esse than to believe explicitly that God is and that he is a Rewarder of good works and to believe that the Church is to be believed Of which see Fr. a Sanct. Clara in his Deus Natura Gratia 2. And their forcing men into their Church with Tortures Fire and Sword leaveth it utterly uncertain who are Consenters and who are in the Church as Prisoners to save Limbs and Life And if they ever recover England Scotland Ireland Germany and the other Reformed Churches it must be by the Sword and Warrs and Violence and never by force of Argument And if they should conquer us all which is their hope and trust it will not follow that men are of their minds because they cannot or dare not contradict them no more than because they are dead Experience Reason and Scripture then do fully prove to men that are willing to know the truth that the Universality of Christians will never be united to the Roman Papacy Yea that this Papacy is the greatest of all Schisms 1. By setting up a false Head of Union and 2. By cutting off or renouncing three parts of the Christian World even all Christians except the Subjects of the Pope CHAP. V. The Vniversal Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any other humane Form of Church-Government Sect. I. WHether or how far such Forms may consist with Union is a Question that I am not now debating any further than shall be anon intimated by the way But that they will never become the Bond of Union or be received by all and that to make any such thought Necessary to universal Unity is Schism I am easily able to prove Sect. II. And this needeth no other proofs than what are given against uniting in the Papacy in the former Chapter As 1. Patriarchs and other humane Institutions being not of God but Man the whole Church can never unite in them 1. Because they will never all agree that any men have true Authority given them by God to make new Church-Officers and Forms that shall be necessary to the Unity or Concord of the Church Universal 2. They will never agree who those men are that God hath given such power to if they did suspect that such there are A Prince hath no Power out of his Dominions 3. They will never agree that if man made such Forms or Offices they may not unmake them again if they see cause or that their Acts bind all their Posterity never to rescind or change them 4. They will never find that all the Christian World ever agreed herein and so in all Posterity is obliged by their Ancestors 5. Much less will any ever prove that the Institution was Divine Sect. III. If any say that the Apostles settled this Form by the Spirit the Universal Church will never believe it For 1. No Scripture saith so 2. No true credible History saith so 3. If the Apostles settled Patriarchs it was either as their own Successors or as a new Office And it was either by joynt consent or man by man each one apart But 1. Had they settled them as their Successours they would have settled twelve or thirteen But there were but five settled at all besides some new petty Patriarchs as at Aquileia when they cast off Rome 2. No Writer tells us of any meeting of the Apostles to agree of such a Form 3. No nor that ever they settled them 4. History assureth
down Sect. XI 3. They turn all the Parish-Churches into Chappels or meer parts of one Church and Unchurch them all in the judgment of those that take a Bishop to be essential to a Church And all will not agree to Unchurch all such Parishes Sect. XII 4. It maketh true Discipline as impossible as is the Government of so many score oâ— hundred Schools by one Schoolmaster or Hospitals by one Physician without any other Schoolmaster or Physician under him but Ushers and Apothecaries which all Christians will not agree to Sect. XIII 5. It is contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Churches and casteth out their sort oâ— Parochial Bishops as I have elsewhere fully proved 1. From the Testimonies of many such as that oâ— Ignatius before cited 2. From the custom of choosing Bishops by all the People 3. And of managing Discipline before all the Church 4. By the custom mentioned by Tertulliâ—â— and Justin Martyr of receiving the Sacrament onely from the hand of the Bishop or when he Consecrated it 5. By the custom of the Bishops onely Preaching except in case of his special appointment 6. In every Church the Bishop sate on a high Seat with the Presbyters about him 7. The Bishop onely pronounced the Blessing 8. Many Canons after when the Churches grew greater command all the People to be present and communicate with the Bishop on the great Festivals These and many more Evidences prove That in the Primitive Times the Bishops had but single Churches and every Altar and Church had a Bishop Sect. XIV 6. The very Species of the old Churches is thus overthrown and the old office of Presbyters therewith which was to be assistant Governors with the Bishop and not meer Preachers or Readers And all these Changes all Christians will not agree to Sect. XV. 7. Especially the sad History of Councils and Prelacy will deter them from such Concord when they find that their Aspiring Ambition and Contention hath been the grand Cause of Schisms and Rebellions and kept the Church in confusion and brought it to the lamentable state in East and West that it is in Sect. XVI 8. And constant Experience will be the greatest hinderance As in our own Age many good Men that had favourable thoughts of Diocesans are quite turned from them since they saw Two thousand faithful Ministers silenced by them and that it is the work of too many of them to cast out such and set up such as I am not willing to describe And such Experience After-Ages are like to have which will produce the same effects When Experience persuadeth Men That under the name of Bishops they are Troublers Persecutors and Destroyers they will account them Wolves and not agree to take them for their Shepherds It will be said That Good Bishops are not such It 's true and that there are Good Ones no sober Man doubteth But when 1300 years Experience hath told Men That the Good Ones are few in comparison of the Bad Ones ever since they had large Dominions and Jurisdictions And when Reason tells Men That the worst and most worldly Men will be the most diligent seekers of such Power and Wealth and that he that seeketh them is liker to find them than he that doth not and so that Bad men are still likest to be Diâ—cesans And when the divided scattered persecuted Flocks find that the work of such Men is to silence the most conscionable Ministers and to be Thorns and Thistâ—es to the People though they wear Sheeps cloathing Men will judge of theâ— by their fruits and the Churches will never be united in them Sect. XVII 9. The greatest Defenders of Episcopacy say so much to make Men against them as will hinder this from being an uniting course I wiâ—l instance now but in Petavius and Doctor Hamâ—â—d who followeth him and Scolus who saith 〈…〉 Clara led them the way These hold That the Apâ—stâ—â—s setled a Bishop without any subject sort of Presbyters in every City and single Congregational Church And Doctor Hammond Annot. in Act. 11. Dissertat adversus Blondel saith That it cannot be proved that there were any subject Presbyters in Scripture-times but that the word Presbyter every where in Scripture signifieth a Bishop And if so 1. Men will know that the Apostolical Form was for every Congregational Church to have a Bishop of its own 2. That no Bishop had more setled Congregations than one For no such Congregation could worship God and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion as then they constantly did without a Minister And one Bishop could be but in one place at once and so without Curates could have but one Assembly 3. And Men will be inquisitive By what Authority Subject Presbyters and Diocesan Bishops and Churches were introduced after Scripture-times in which they will never receive universal satisfaction If it be said that the Apostles gave Bishops Power to make a subject order of Presbyters and to turn Parish or Congregational Churches into Diocesan and so to alter the first Forms of Government when they were dead this will not be received without proofs which never will be given to satisfie all Nay it will seem utterly improbable and Men will ask 1. Why did not the Apostles do it themselves if they would have it done Was not their Authority more unquestionable than theirs that should come after If it be said that there were not qualified Men enow it will 2. Be asked Were there not like to be then greatest Choice upon the extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit 3. Do we not find in Corinth so many inspired gifted persons in one Assembly that Paul was put to limit them in their Prophecying yet allowing many to do it one by one And Acts 13. there were many Prophets and Teachers in Antioch And at Jerusalem more and at Ephesus Acts 20. and at Philippi Phil. 1. 1 2. there were many Bishops or Elders And such Deacons as Stephen and Philip c. would have served for Elders rather than to have none 4. Doth not this imply that after-times that might make so great a change may also do the like in other things 5. And that Diocesans and subject Presbyters be but humane Institutions and therefore Men may again change them 6. Doth it not dishonour the Apostles to say that they setled one Form of Government for their own Age which should so quickly be changed by their Followers into another species All these things and much more will hinder Universal Concord in Diocesans Sect. XIX Yet I must add that there is great difference between Diocesans both as to their Government and their Persons whence some Churches may comfortably live in Concord under them though 〈◊〉 be divided and afflicted under them 1. Some Diocesans have Diocesses so small that Discipline is there a possible thing Others as ours in England have some above a thousand some many hundred or score Parishes which maketh true Discipâ—â—â— impossible 2. Some Diocesans exercise
one Nature only but they meant that Christ had but one Nature as undivided which the Orthodox granted but denied not that the Godhead and Manhood were distinct And what was the difference then but whether the undivided Godhead and Manhood should be called one Nature or two which truly in one sense was two and in another one The like was the Monothelites Heresie for and against which were many Councils about one or two Wills and Operations no more disagreeing than as aforesaid about the sense of One and Two And had not a wise Explication and patient Reconciliation done better service than Cursing did whose doleful effects Hatred Hereticating and Schism continue to this day Should I come to the Councils about Images and that at Constantine that decreed the Tribus Capitulis and the multitudes since that have deposed Emperors and Kings raised Wars set up Popes and Anti-Popes c. Alas how sad a History would it be to convince us that Councils of Bishops have caused most of the Schisms Church-Tyranny Rebellions and Confusions in the Christian world And if the Popes have been restrained or deposed or Schisms at Rome partly stopt by any the flame hath quickly more broke out and condemned Popes have oft got the better of them And if one Council hath said That the Pope is responsible another hath determined the contrary If Basil and Constance decreed That a Council be called every ten years it was not done but was a mockery in the event In a word Councils of Bishops have been but Church-Armies of which at first the Patriarchs were Generals and afterwards Popes and Emperors and came to fight it out for Victory the sequel being usually Schism and Calamity And must this be the only way of Universal Peace CHAP. VII The Vniversal Church will never unite in many pretended Articles of Faith not proved to be Divine nor in owning unnecessary doubtful Opinions or Practices as Religious or Worship of God notwithstanding the pretense of Tradition Sect. I. I Need say no more for proof of this than is said in the first Part. If Preachers say that this or that is an Article of Faith If Popes say it If Councils say it this saying will never unite all Christians in the belief of it It is no belief of God whose object is not revealed by God and perceived so to be and received as such That the sacred Scriptures are written by Divine Inspiration Christians are commonly agreed But that Popes Prelates or Councils speak by Divine Inspiration even when they expound the Scriptures all Christians neither are agreed nor ever will be And till a man perceiveth that it is God that speaketh or that the word spoken is Gods Word he cannot believe it with a Divine Faith which is nothing but believing it to be Gods Word and trusting it accordingly God is true but men are Lyers Rom. 3. Sect. II. Before we can receive any thing as Truth from Man we must have evidence that it is true indeed And that must be 1. Either from the nature of the thing and its causes 2. Or from some testimony of God either concomitant as Miracles were or subsequent in the Effects 3. Or from our knowledge of the Veracity Authority Inspiration and Infallibility of the Instrument or Speaker If therefore any Church or company of men shall tell us that this is a Divine Truth or Article of Faith no more of the World can be expected to believe them than are convinced of it by one of these three proofs The first is the case of natural Revelation and not now questioned The Second none but the Church of Rome do plead for their own belief viz. that they work Miracles and therefore are to be believed in whatever they affirm to be the Word of God Knot against Chillingworth and others of them do ultimately resolve their Faith or their proof of the truth of their Religion into the Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome by which God testifieth his approbation of their Assertions Other Christians that may have more miracles than Papists yet resolve not their proof of Christianity into them but lay more stress on other Evidence and particularly on Christs and his Ministers miracles attesting the holy Scriptures and Gospel to be of God And when we can find just proof of the Papists Miracles we shall be willing to study the meaning of them But hitherto we have not found such proof If any Council in Rome France Germany or England shall say These are Divine revealed Truths and as such you must believe subscribe or swear to them the world will never agree in believing them when no sober man is bound to believe them but as humane uncertain and fallible witnesses according to the measure of their Credibility Sect. III. Long experience fully proveth this No Age of the Church did ever agree in Articles of meer humane Assertion for that had been but a humane Faith That which the Council of Nice said was denyed by the Councils at Sirmium Ariminum c. That which the Council at Ephesus the first and at Chalcedon affirmed they at the Council of Ephesus the second denyed That which the Monotholites under Philippicus innumerable Bishops saith Binius affirmed many other Councils condemned That which the Council at Nice the second decreed for Images was condemned by many other Councils That which the Councils at â—isa Constance and Basil decreed to be Articles of Faith the Council at Florence and others abhorre Much less will a Provincial Synod or a Convocation or a Parliament be taken by all the Christian world to be infallible Sect. IV. And indeed the obtruding of â—alshoods or Uncertainties on the Churches is a notorious cause of Schism For what can you expect that men of Sobriety and Conscience should do in such a case Discern the certainty of the thing they cannot nor can they believe that all must needs be true that is said by a Synod a Convocation or a Parliament And they dare not lie in saying they believe that which they do not And to take all for Schismaticks that dare not deliberately lie or that set not up 〈◊〉 men as Lords of their Conscience instead of God is Schismatical unchristian and inhumane And as mens mere wills ought not to rule their understandings nor the will of Synods of Bishops or others to be the rule and measure of our wills so though we were never so willing to believe all to be true that Councils of Bishops or Princes say 〈◊〉 are not our understandings in the power of our 〈◊〉 We cannot believe what we list To know or believe without evidence of truth is to see without light False Hypocrites may force their tongues to say that they believe this or that at the Command of man but they cannot force themselves indeed to believe 〈◊〉 How then can a book of Articles or the Decrees of a Council or the Laws of a Prince bring the World to any unity
Gates And it is a greater wonder that Parents and Children should through so many Generations and Countries have so unerring surâ— a memory And it is strange how their own Commentators come to differ about the sense of Thousands of Texts of Scripture if the Churches Tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them If not how Councils come to be the infallible Commentators and Declarers of the Sense of Scriptures But if really such men believe themselves it will be long before either by fraud or force they can make all others believe such things Sect. IX Gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the Churches Unity and Love but Ignorance and Pride by pretences of Enmity to Error and Heresie have plagued and torn the Churches by Decrees and Canons and led us into a Labyrinth so that men know not where they are nor what to hold nor what the Christian Religion is nor who are Orthodox and who are not so great a work it is to understand such Voluminous Councils and then to be sure that they are all right even when they condemn and damn each other That which hath been the chief Cause and Engine of Division will never become the means or terms of the Unity or Concord of all the Churches But such are the multitude of unnecessary uncertain humane Decrees Laws and Canons of Faith and Religion whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary CHAP. VIII The Vniversal Church will never Vnite by receiving all that is now received by Greeks Latines Armenians Abassines Lutherans Calvinists Diocesane Presbyterians Independants Erastians Anabaptists or in full Conformity to any of the present Parties which addeth to the Primitive Simplicity in her terms of Communion or Concord Sect. I. I Must expect that the Evil Spirit which hath long torn the Church and made multitudes tear themselves and foam out Reproach yea and Blood against each other will presently meet the very Title of this Chapter with a charge of Pride against the Writer and say What are you that you should know more than all the Churches in the World And preâ—ume to charge them all with so great Error as not to know the terms of Christian Concord nor the way of Universal Peace But I answer 1. Is the Church now United in any of these terms or ways Are they all Papists Are they all of the Greek Church or Armenian Abassine c Are they all Lutherans or Calvinists c If not why should you conclude that ever they will be Or that any of these are congruous terms of Concord and that the same that doth not heal will heal them Will not Christians be the same as now Sect. II. They never were United on any of these terms I have proved that they were never all Papists And it will be easily granted of the rest that they were never all Greeks Lutherans c. And that which never did unite the Church never will do Sect. III. If you think all must be united in any of these wayes which of them is it And why that rather than any of the rest 1. Must they all be of the Greek opinions You see that the Papists condemn them for Schismaticks And other Churches lament their manifold Corruptions And the Eastern Countries long since divided from them We have here in London a Greek Church new built and Tolerated and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present Priests who join with them 2. Must they all be Papists Never was more Policy and Cruelty used to propagate and prop up any Church under Heaven and yet they cannot prevail for Universal Subjection Nay many Kingdoms and Countries are fallen from them while they used such means to keep them insomuch that by many of the soundest Churches they are taken for no better than Antichristian Hereticks And even the Greek Church separateth from them and pronounceth them Schijmaticks and Excommunicates them every year And they can never obliterate the History of their horrid Schisms and Usurpations and inhumane Butcheries which will alienate many from them Will all the world ever agree to the Dominion of one Usurper Will they all believe the Monster of Transubstantiation Will they all agree That all the Senses of all men are deceived who think that they see and taste Bread and Wine and there is none And that it is necessary to Salvation to renounce all our Senses and the Scripture that oft calls it Bread after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. Will all agree That God who cannot lie by Supernatural Revelation is the Father of all the lies to Sense that perceive real Bread and Wine and deceiveth them all by his Natural Revelation Will all men believe That every lying fornicating proud and covetous Priest even many Thousands of them can work Miracles at their pleasures every day in the week by making Bread no Bread and turning it into Flesh and 〈◊〉 And that there are visible Accidents without a Subject even a round nothing a white nothing a sweet nothing c. And that there are no substantial sâ—â—ns in that Sacrament of the thing signified And that Christs true Flesh was broken and his Blood shed by himself in the Sacrament before it was broken and shed on the Cross And that two General Councils who decree as de Fide that Christ hath not now Flesh in Heaven hath yet heavenly Flesh in the Sacrament I know that Augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way But two General Councils that at Constantinople called the 7th General by some and that at Nice 2d which damned one another about Images yet agreed in this That Christ hath not Flesh in Heaven The words are Bin. p. 378. defin 7. Siauis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum post Assumptionem animatae rationalis intelleâ—â—â—â— carnis simul sedere cum Deo â—atre atque ita quique rursus venturum cum Paternâ Majestate judicaturum vâ—vos mortuos non amplius quidem Carnem neque incorporeum tamen ut videatur ab iâ—s a quibus conpunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem Carnis Anathema And in this they say that the Constantin Council which they are condemning was in the right so that they anathematize the Church of Rome which think that Christ hath Flesh in Heaven and in the Eucharist which they deny yet saying that he hath a Body And let those that would pervert the word Crassitudinem note that he doth not distinguish of Christs flesh and ours as two sorts and say extra carnem Crassam but deny him to have flesh and say extra crassitudinem carnis as an essential property of flesh And one of these Councils the Papists own Will all Christians agree that every Priest must first make his God and then eat him or that he must communicate alone without communion
set one Presbyter in degree above the rest Did not all the strife of Emperors for the power of investing Bishops signifie this much against the Popes opposition Both sides granted that the People and Clergy were to be the Choosers of a Bishop And it was the old Canon that no Bishop should remove from Seat to Seat so that only Presbyters and no former Bishops were made Bishops of any particular City or Deacons or Subdeacons sometime at Rome By which it appeareth that the Emperors power of Investiture amounted to a Negative voice in the making of a Bishop The Kings of Israel sent Levites to teach the People and Solomon chose who should be the High-Priest And when the Romans after sold the Office Christ bids the cleansed Lepers Go and shew themselves to the High-Priest and offer c. Sect. XIII The Case of the Reformed Churches nullified by the Papists and whose Ministers Office and Authority is denied by them is as followeth I. The old Bohemians and Waldenses had different degrees of Pastors of which the Superior were called Conseniors and Seniors of one Order who presided among the Elders but took not the Government of the Flocks out of their hands nor ruled without them and were chiefly above others in judging what Elders or Ministers were to be removed from lesser places to greater whose Form of Government most like the Ancients you may see at large in the Descriptions of Lascitius and Commenius II. The Churches called Lutherane Denmark Sueden Saxony c. have for the most part some Episcopacy called Superintendency but their Bishops take not the power of the Keys from the Pastors of the several Parishes And they take not the power of Ordaining to be proper to the Bishops For the Bishops of Denmark were made such by Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter which they suppose doth null their Successive Power And the English have Diocesane Bishops and Ordination by them and as good a Succession at least of Regular Ordination as Rome hath had III. The Churches called Presbyterian in Holland France Scotland and other Countries have Ordination by a Synod of the Pastors of particular Churches of which some are the chief Pastors of Cities and have Curates or assisting Presbyters and therefore are such Bishops as the Scripture Ignatius Tertullian yea and Cyprian describe so that 1. They think that as in Generation a Man begetteth not an Ape or Dog but a Man and an Horsâ— begetteth an Horse and every thing propagateth its own species And as Physicians make Physicians and Lawyers make Lawyers c. So Pastors make Pastorâ— as far as belongeth to an Ordainer that is preparing and determining the Receiver whom God shall give the Power to and oblige to the duty of that Office 2. But yet in the same Order they think they have a true Episcopacy as to degree first in the foresaid City Pastors that have Curates secondly in the President of the Synod 3. And they think that those Writers Papists and Protestants are in the right who expound the word Presbytery which laid hands on Timothy of a Session of Presbyters and therefore that such have power to Ordain 4. And they think that if after their faithfullest search they should in this be mistaken against their wills God will not therefore disown their Churches Ministry and Worship no more than he will reject the Prayers of private Christians for their Errors and Imperfections IV. Those that at present are called Nonconformists in England who were about 2000 Ejected and Silenced Anno 1662. Aug. 24. 1. Many of them yea most that were above 44 years old were Ordained by Bishops of whom I am one 2. The Generality of the rest lived when by the Rulers that had such possession as they could not resist Diocesane Ordination was forbidden and another set up and we heard not of five Bishops in England that did Ordain and hardly knew how to procure it of these And the Oath of Allegiance might have cost both the Bishop and the Ordained their Lives or Liberties at least in the Times of Usurpation 3. They were Ordained by a Classis or Synod of Ministers of whom some were chief City Pastors that had Curates which saith Grotius de Imper. Sum. Pol. were a sort of Bishops and they had a President 4. Some were not satisfied with this and were secretly Ordained by the deposed Bishops 5. Some desired Confirmation of their Ordination aforesaid by the Synods from such Bishops as owned it and had it from Bishop Usher at least of others I am uncertain 6. The Generality of them that had any Parsonages or Vicarages or any endowed Cures in England from the Year 1646 till the time that the Westminster Assembly was Dissolved had a formal authorizing Instrument of Approbation from the said Assembly or National Synod chosen by the Parliament of which the Catalogue in their Ordinance sheweth us that divers Bishops were by the Parliament chosen Members If any or all refused to be there the Countrey Ministers knew not that but justly took them to be parts of the Synod And though this was not an Ordination by Imposition of Hands they supposed that it was as valid to authorize them as the Acts before-mentioned of some ancient Bishops who ordained absent Men. And the main Body of the late Ejected Ministers very few excepted were thus called confirmed approved and put in having also the Consent or Election usually of the Patron and the People and the then Rulers Sect. XIV And there were many that in those Times were only Ordained Deacons and took the Synods Letters of Approbation for the substance of an Ordination to be Presbyters but wanting the Formality submitted to Diocesane Ordination when the Diocesanes returned of whom Dr. Manton was one Yea divers submitted to be Re-ordained by the Diocesanes that had been Ordained Presbyters before This is the Nonconformists Case except some few Independents that were not for formal Ordination at least so much as the rest yet even of them such as had Benefices in Anno 1646 1647 1648 had the Synods Approbation Sect. XV. To all this I must add That by the Diocesanes Silencing multitudes of those Ministers whom the most Religious accounted the most able holy powerful Preachers in the days of Queen Elizabeth King James King Charles I. besides the 2000 Silenced in the beginning of King Charles II. the People that were most serious in matters of Religion were except a few so alienated from the Diocesanes that most of the stricter Religious Sort would not choose a Minister that was for them and their Ordination and so it would have made a more dangerous Schism than was made Sect. XVI And as to the present state and practice of the Nonconformists premising that I speak only of meer Nonconformists as such and not Men of other Principles and Parties that Conform not as Jews Turks Socinians Papists Familists Quakers c. let it be understood 1. That they take all the Parishes
and Congregations of true Christians that have true Pastors to be true Churches of Christ And they take such Ministers as Conform to be notwithstanding that true Ministers though culpable and therefore they separate not from any such Churches as no Churches or from such Ministers as none 2. They take particular Churches associated under Diocesanes Archbishops and Nationally under one King and represented in one Convocation or Synod to be still true Churches and such as may be lawfully communicated with and these Diocesane Provincial and National Associations to be laudable as they are meer Associations for Concord and though culpable in some other respects yet such as good Christians may lawfully live under submissively and in peace 3. They think it lawful to preach and administer the Sacraments in the Parish Churches and have these 17 years been cast out and kept out much against their wills and laboured and hoped though in vain for Restoration 4. It is not Communion with any Christian Church in Faith Love or Holy Worship or any thing of Gods Institution no nor any thing of Mans commanding but what they believe God hath forbidden them which they deny To deny to take many Covenants Oaths Professions or to do some Practices which upon their best enquiry they verily believe to be great Sins this is not separating from any thing of God 5. They do not depart from the Churches but are cast out The Ministers are Silenced and â—â—â—cted as they verily believe for not sinning and hazarding their Souls Ministers and People are expresly by the Canon of the Church Excommunicated ipso facto which is sine sententia judicis if they but say that there is any thing in the Conformity which a good Christian may not with a good Conscience do The Canon is visible and plain so that they cannot possibly avoid being cast out and think that the Ejecters are the Schismaticks 6. When they are thus cast out or driven away they yet hold distant Christian Communion with all Christians in one universal Church one Spirit one Lord one God one Faith one Baptismal Covenant and one Hope Ephes 4. But local Communion they can have but in one place at once and none are said to separate from all the Churches where they are not present 7. The King by his Licence allowed them for a time to hold their own Assemblies and the Conformists themselves swear the Oath of Supremacy and take the King to be Supreme Governor in all Causes and over all Persons Ecclesiastical and Civil And yet then accused the Licensed of Schism 8. Though there be some things in the Liturgy which the Nonconformists dare not Declare Assent and Consent to and therefore suffer yet they hold it lawful both to join in Hearing Prayer and Sacraments with the Parish Churches and Conformists in the Lords days Worship and use of that Liturgy and many of them do so ordinarily And others do not hold it unlawful but are hindered by Preaching themselves where they can which they dare not forbear And the People that hold it lawful yet hold that better is to be preferred when they can have it And he that preferreth a Minister which he findeth most Edification by doth not therefore separate from all others because he is absent from them 9. The Nonconformists have in their appointed Treaties for Concord offered to use the Liturgy with some Emendations and to submit even to the present Archbishops Bishops and other parts of the Church-Government as is expressed in the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs By which visible in Print it may be seen how far they were from separating inclinations but it could not by the Bishops be accepted 10. But it is true withall that many of the Common People having constantly preferred that which they thought they were bound to prefer and seeing their former Pastors cast out and silenced thought they ought notwithstanding to adhere to them and grew into so hard thoughts of the Bishops that silenced them about 2000 at once that they are more alienated than before from them and their Assemblies as Chrysostoms Joannites were at Constantinople till the kindness of Atticus and Prâ—â—lus brought them back to the old publick Church Sect. XVII It is commonly confessed by their sharpest Accusers that the Nonconformists do well to forbear all that can be proved to be sinful And if they prove not Conformity sinful they are content to suffer as real Schismaticks Sect. XVIII We all agree of the necessity of a continued Succession in the Universal Church of the same Faith Religion and Ministerial Office which we profess and possess We have no one new Article of Faith or Religion nor any that have not continued in the Church we have no new Office But that the Office and Administrations cannot pass as valid unless the particular Minister can prove that he had Canonical Ordination from one that had the like and he from one that had the like and he from another that had the like and so up to the Apostles this we suppose irrational schismatical false and of malignant tendency against the Church and Interest of Christ Sect. XIX Mr. Henry Dodwell is the Man that hath newly and copiously promoted this Schismatical Error in a Book pretended to be against the Nonconformists Schism but disowned by the Conformable Doctors themselves many of them And indeed notwithstanding the tedious wordiness of it it hath little in it in comparison of Jansenius long ago fully answered by Voetius And though I told him over and over first that if he did not answer Voetius and my dispute of Ordination we should take him but to labor in vain as to our use yet hath he taken no notice of either of them at all If he intend it in any following Book it is but fraudulent to send out this great Volume first to do his work before he gave any notice of what is already said against him Must we write the same things as oft as Men arise that will repeat the Arguments so oft confuted Sect. XX His Design and Schismatical Doctrine is thus laid 1. That the ordinary means of Salvation are in respect of every particular person confined to the Episcopal Communion to the place he lives in as long as he lives in it 2. That we cannot be assured that God will do for us what is necessary for Salvation on his part otherwise than by his express promises that he will do it 3. Therefore we must have interest in his Covenant 4. Therefore we must have the Sacrament by which the Covenant is transacted 5. These as Legally valid are to be had only in the external Communion of the Visible Church 6. This is only the Episcopal Communion of the place we live in 7. The Validity of the Sacraments depends on the Authority of the persons by whom they are administred 8. No Ministers have Authority of administring Sacraments but only they that have their Orders in the Episcopal
Communion 9. This cannot be from God but by a continued Succession of persons orderly receiving Authority from those who had Authority to give it them viz. Bishops from those first times of the Apostles to ours at present 10. That the Holy Ghost is the Instituter of this Order and to violate it by administring without such Ordination is to sin against the Holy Ghost the Sin that hath no other sacrifice and promise of pardon 11. That the Ordained have no more or other power than the Ordainers intend or profess to give them 12. That it is certain that the Bishops of all former Ages intended not to give Presbyters power of Ordaining or Administring out of their Subjection Ergo they have it not Sect. XXI This and a great deal more to this purpose is his matter To gather all the Confusions Contradictions and Absurdities of that wordy Volume would be tedious and little profitable to the Reader only these three things in general I tell such as may be in danger of infection by it 1. That he never agreeth with his Adversaries of the state of the question nor so much as explicateth the terms nor doth any thing beseeming a Disputant to make himself understood 2. That not only by denied false Suppositions he maketh all his Discourse useless to the Nonconformists but also at the first giveth them their Cause and confirmeth them 3. That while in his Preface he disowneth Popery it is the very sting of their Argumentation which he useth And that which yet by consequence overthroweth not only the Churches Ministery Sacraments and Salvation of the Protestants but of all Christians on Earth and of none more certainly than of the Papists All which I undertake when called to prove Sect. XXII It were tedious to mention all his ambiguous confounding terms For a few 1. He that layeth so great a stress on Episcopacy never tells us what he meaneth by a Bishop when he ought to know that with the chief of his Adversaries the Controversie is very much in that For as Grotius de Imper. Summ. Pol. and many others they take the chief Pastor of every Parish-Church especially that hath Curates under him for a Bishop at least if he be Pastor of a City or Town so called of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when others deny him to be a Bishop that hath not many Altars or Parishes under him 2 Some take him for a Bishop that is but the prime Presbyter or different from the rest but Gradu non ordine call'd Episcopus Praeses And others deny him to be one unless he differ Gradu as another Officer in specie 3. Some take him to be a Bishop that hath no Presbyter but Deacons under him and that in a single Assembly as Doctor Hammond on Act. 11. Dissertat Others deny him to be one that is not over Presbyters 4. Some take him to be no Bishop that is not elected or consented to by the people and the Clergy if there be any Others hold him to be one that hath the consent of neither but only the Pope or the Archbishop or the King electing and imposing him and some Bishops consecrating him 5. Some hold him to be no Bishop unless three Bishops Consecrate him Others say one may make him Bishop 6. If three Bishops Consecrate one and 〈◊〉 another he tell◠〈…〉 that Church 〈…〉 see examine◠〈…〉 Church against 〈…〉 Sect. XXIII 〈…〉 repeateth the necessity of being in an 〈…〉 by it when he must need◠〈◊〉 that th◠〈◊〉 or definition of it is the very first point of 〈◊〉 between us and the Papists By the tenor of his discourse the Reader may suspect that he meaneth some Universal Society of Men on Earth under some one visible humane Head either Monarchical or Aristocratical or Democratical a Sovereign who is â—ersona Civilis and Pars Impâ—rans Constitutiva But if so Protestants we at least deny any such thinking this the prime essential difference between us and the Papists the second being whether the Pope or his Council be this Head and he never tells who this supposed Head is So he frequently talketh of necessary Communion with a particular Church and never tells us what he meaneth by it Nor can I gather often whether he means a Diocesane Church or a Provincial or a National But I perceive that he meaneth not a Parochial when yet he knew that the Adversaries take those for particular Churches Sect. XXIV 1. So he oft talks of the necessity of Successive Canonical Ordination and never defineth either Ordination or Canonical Ordination when he must know that some take Imposition of Hands to be essential to Ordination and some deny it and hold that Letters may do it on the absent besides other differences 2. And some take those to be obligatory Canons which others contemn as of no authority The Papists are not agreed what Canons are valid And the Dissenters and this Disputer are not agreed in England Many besides Dr. Heylin say That the Popes Canon Law is yet in force in England except some Particulars that were cast out Others believe not this what is said against the Authority of the English Canons I will not recite 3. And some take it for Canonical Ordination if it be done by one Bishop and Presbyters Others say No unless by three Bishops 4. Some say it is not Canonical without the Clergies and Peoples Election or Consent as aforesaid and others find it necessary to their Cause to deny this Sect. XXV He calls Men oft to Catholick Unity and never tells us what it is or how it may be known Abundance more such Ambiguities make his Disputes to me unintelligible Sect. XXVI Or if he be to be understood in these and such like then he goeth all along by a begging of the questions which are denied 1. He should have rather proved than taken it as granted that those are not Bishops whom we hold to be such 2. And that it is not the Visible Church which we take for such 3. And that it is not a Particular Church which we take for such 4. And that it is no Regular Ordiâ—â—tion which we take for such 5. And that it is no Catholick Unity which we take for such And so of the rest Sect. XXVII 2. He supposeth that there is but one Episcopal Communion in the places where Men live or never tells us if there be divers Bishops which it is whose Communion is so necessary when he knoweth that Grotius thought that of old Churches were formed in imitation of the Synagogues and that one City had divers Churches and Bishops as well as divers Synagogues And Dr. Hammond thought that Rome Antioch and other Cities had two Churches and Bishops one of Jews and another of Gentiles and that Peter and Paul had two Churches at Rome And he knoweth I suppose not only that there were Novatian Bishops in the same Cities with the Orthodox but that oft and long Constantinople Antiâ—ch
Alexandria and many other places had two at once by their Divisions but none of them so long as Rome But perhaps he taketh it to be enough to Catholicism or the Validity of Ordinances if we be subject to the species of Bishops and so to any one that is Consecrated rightly or wrongly and so that in Schisms both are true Bishops But lest he deny this I will spare to recite its Consequents Sect. XXVIII 3. He in his Preface and all along supposeth That no unlawful thing is 〈…〉 the Nonconformists as necessary to their Ministry or Communion which will as much satisfie them as if he had told them That Lying Perjury Covenanting deliberately against Gods Precepts and for the corrupting his sacred Doctrine Worship Order and Discipline are lawful things Did he ever hear them and confute their Reasons Sect. XXIX 4. In short he never proveth but beggeth 1. That when Gods Word describeth the Sacred Ministerial Office yet the Ordainers will and words can alter it 2. That the chief Pastors of particular Churches even Cities that had all of old their several Bishops are not true Bishops unless Men purpose them to be so in Ordination 3. That Presbyters who ordain with Bishops may not in cases of necessity ordain without them or if they do it is a nullity 4. That in Cases of Necessity Ability Consent Election and Opportunity may not design the person that shall receive authority and obligation directly from Gods Law without other Ordination 5. That any Church on Earth can prove an uninterrupted Succession of Canonical Ordination by Bishops themselves so ordained 6. That such a Succession is necessary ad esse Officii 7. That the Covenant of Grace secureth not true penitent Believers of Pardon and Salvation where they cannot have the Sacrament 8. That the Sacrament is null as to Mens Pardon and Salvation if the Priest be not truly called or have not successive Episcopal Ordination 9. That if a presumptuous Title as â—e saith may yet make all valid when Men seem Episcopallâ— dained and are not Whether able godly Men ordained by such like City Pastors or Presbyters in a Synod and chosen by Religious People and solemnly dedicated to Gods Ministery in the face of the Congregation have not a better presumptuous Title than notorious ignorant and vicious Men that say they were ordained by a Bishop when their Orders were forged of which sort there have been many 10. Whether he can prove that it is not Anabaptistry to baptize all again that are baptized in the Reformed Churches that have no Diocesanes 11. Whether he abuse not Gods Word and Churches in feigning all such Reformed Churches to live in the Sin against the Holy Ghost for serving God without a Succession of Episcopal Ordination 12. Why is it that I cannot intreat him to answer Voetius de desperata Causa Papatus that hath long ago confuted Jansenius a far stronger Adversary than he Nor my Dispute of Ordination Twenty Years ago written and yet unanswered when I tell him we have not leisure to write over the same things as oft as Men provoke us to it Sect. XXX I will now cast before him these following Notes 1. What proof hath he of Sacraments besides Sacrifices before Abraham's days And was there then no pardon of sin 2. Were Women damned that were not circumcised Or were the uncircumcised Children in the Wilderness none of the Church 3. Were not Infants in the Covenant of Grace before Circumcision entered them into the Covenant of Israels peculiarity 4. Why did Abraham think there had been Fifty righteous persons in Sodom And in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10. 5. Though Sacraments under the Gospel convey greater benefits can he prove that it placeth greater necessity of them than the Law did 6. Seeing Christ was not baptized till about thirty years old was he not Holy and the Churches Head before 7. Can he prove that the Apostles were ever baptized Or were they not before true Christians 8. The Apostles had not the Lords Supper till near Christs death and yet had part in him before 9. Was Paul of this Mans mind that said He was not sent to baptize but preach and thanked God that he had baptized so few 10. Is not that Promise true That whoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life and that the pure in heart shall see God c And will want of a Sacrament then frustrate all 11. He presumeth to say That God is obliged to make good the Sacraments of those that have but a presumptuous Ministery seeming to have Episcopal Ordination when they have not And is not the reason as strong from the Peoples impossibility of avoiding the danger when they can have no Sacraments or none but from Ministers that had not Episcopal Ordination 12. What if the Succession have been interrupted long ago in Armenia Egypt Syria or elsewhere Are all damned that were born since Or which way shall particular persons there remedy it they cannot send to Europe for Ordainers 13. If Laymen as Frumentius and Edesius convert persons in India are they all damned that dye after Conversion for want of an ordained Priest and Sacraments 14. If Baptism give the first sanctifying Grace then none but unholy persons are to be baptized and that is impenitent unconverted Infidels or wicked men 15. It is confessed that the Lords Supper is for Confirming Men in the Faith they had before And are not both the Sacraments of the same general nature one to declare and confirm our initial Faith and the other our progressive 16. The Sacraments are to Christianity what Solemn Matrimony is to Marriage which is valid before God upon private consent but is necessary for order and preventing Fornication to satisfie Men ouâ— Church Title ordinarily depends on Baptism but God knoweth and accepteth heart consent 17. God saith Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. Therefore it is not the Sacrament that first maketh them holy And the seed of the Faithful have such Promises as we make good against the Anabaptists 18. Children may dye before they can be baptized and are they by that natural necessity damned 19. If a Man live where the Priests will not baptize or give the Lords Supper but on condition that we profess some falshood or commit some sin as in the Church of Rome Must we commit that sin or be damned for want of the Sacrament 20. Doth not this lay a necessity upon all the Protestants in Italy Spain France Austria Batavia Portugal yea Mexico Peru c. to leave their Countries and travel to some Land where they may have Sacraments without sinful Conditions and may have it from Men of right successive Ordination And how shall all these be able so to travel And where will they find that Land on Earth that will answer their expectation and can and will receive them
all 21. What if a thousand honest weak Men mistake and think that the things imposed as necessary to their Sacramental Communion are great Sins and it be not so as our Doubts against Conformity are thought to be Mistakes yea the Anabaptists Error Can he prove that all such are damning Errors for want of Sacraments 22. Gods Oath is also to confirm our Faith And if a Man may be saved that beâ—ieveth Gods 〈◊〉 and knoweth not of his Oath why not he that believeth it and knoweth not of the Sacrament 23. Doth not his Doctrine make the Priests the absolute Lords of all Mens Souls that can deny Salvation to any or all Men by denying them the Sacrament Is this the sense of their having the Power of the Keys 24. Is not this abuse of Tibi dabo Claves and the office of Key-bearing the knack by which Popes have subdued Kings and Kingdoms 25. Is not the Argument which this Man manageth against the Reformed Churches to prove them â—o Churches and to have no Ministery and Sacrament the Achilles of the Papists in which is their chief coâ—fidence but often baffled as by Voetius against Jarâ—nius aforesaid 26. Nay the Papists themselves are far more moderate than this Man for they take a Laymans Baptism yea a Womans to be sufficient to salvation when this Man denieth it of all the most learned and holy Pastors that have not uninterrupted Episcopal Ordination 27. Bishops have too oft conspired to corrupt Gods Sacraments witness the Lateran Council sub Innc. 3. and to interdict Kingdoms and oppress Princes and People and may do so again And have the People no remedy against them 28. A Minister justly ordained and unjustly suspended or silenced by a Bishop hath more authority than Laymen and their Sacraments are not Nullities by the Romanists Confession 29. Is not this Mans Doctrine far grosser than Cyprians and the Africans yea the Dâ—natists that denied the validity of Heretick Baptism 30. A Lay-Chancellor in these mens judgments useth the Keys of Excommunication and Absolution validly and yet are not the Sacraments or Ordination of the Reformed Churches aforesaid valid 31. Surrogate Priests by the Bishops consent validly Excommunicate that are no Bishops 32. No People can be sure by this Mans Rule that they have Sacraments or shall be saved except by faâ—lible presumption not knowing that their Priest hath uninterrupted successive Ordination 33. When your presumptuous Ordination is discovered to be Null must all the People be Re-baptized 34. The Church of England giveth none the Lords Supper till 16 years old Doth it become absolutely necessary to Salvation just at that Age and not before 35. The Burial Office pronounceth all saved that never Communicated so they be Baptized and not Excommunicate nor kill themselves 36. What work would this Man make for Rebaptizers if all the Protestanâ—s of all Nations must be Re-baptized that have not the foresaid Ordination 37. Is it suitable to the description of God and his grace in Scripture to believe that he layeth all mens Salvation upon Sacraments performed by men Ordained as he describeth 38. Are not we Reproached Silenced Ministers as like to be good Protestants as such men as this that say that 1. The Reformed Churches that have not Episcopal Ordination from uninterrupted Succession are no true Churches 2. Have no true Ministers 3. Nor true Sacraments 4. Nor part in the Covenant of Grace 5. Nor hope of Salvation by promise from God 6. That their Ministery and Sacraments is the Sin against the Holy Ghost 7. That the Church of Rome hath this uninter rupted Succession as he tells me 8. That as will hence follow the French Protestant were better turn Papists than be as they are Sect. XXXI There are as many and greater Objections that I should lay before him about his Doctrine of an Universal Church-Policy and that sort of Episcopacy which he rather supposeth than proveth necessary and such other Points But I will no more tire the Reader herein Sect. XXXII All the definition of the Protestant Religion that I can extort from him is Communicating with the Church of England and those that it holds communion with 1. And so did the Papists saith Dr. Heylin in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign till the Pope forbad them 2. The Church of England never renounced Communion with the Reformed Churches which he renounceth 3. A particular Church is no Standard of Religion Nor England more than the rest Sect. XXXIII If he renounce Communion with all these Reformed Churches and with the Romans also what a Separatist is this Man and how narrow is his Communion and into how small a number hath he reduced the Universal Church If neither Papists nor any Churches that have not Ordination from uninterrupted Succession be parts of the Catholick Church it is very little if not invisible Sect. XXXIV He thus teacheth almost all the Christian world instead of Love and Concord to Unchurch Unchristen and Condemn each other The Romans on such accounts already Unchurch all the rest The rest will far more easily prove that Simony Heresie uncalled Popes uncapable ones and manifold Schisms have oft interrupted his described Succession at Rome And so Turks and Heathens have matter given them against us all Already by such kind of Schismatical Principles there are few parts of the Church on Earth that are not by others Unchurched and Unchurch not others But yet it is but few of them that have proceeded to that Anabaptistical height as to nullifie all their Sacraments and to expect that almost all the Christian world should be again baptized Yea this is far more Schismatical than common Anabaptism For the Anabaptists with us Re-baptize not them that were baptized at age by such Ministers as this Writer and such others degrade much less do they damn almost all the Christian world or other Reformed Churches and say They have no part in Gods Covenant of Grace and Promise of Salvation and that they sin against the Holy Ghost as this Man doth CHAP. X. None of these terms will unite a National Church or any Associated Churches nor well any single Church Though by other means a competent Vnion may be kept in some Churches notwithstanding such Schismatical Courses § I. THE same Reasons which prove that none of these terms will ever unite the Universal Church but that all are fitted to promote Divisions will prove also that they tend of themselves to the dividing and distracting of all lesser Church Societies and Communions Though yet we do not deny but de facto a particular Church may easilier agree in an Error or be kept in some Concord under the same Pastor where a Sin or Error prevaileth than the Universal Church on Earth can As the Church of Rome may agree in Popery but all the Christian world will not And as a great part hath agreed in Arianism called Christians and a great part in Nestorianism and to this day in Eutychianism
Sins are not within his Cognizance 3. To do the work of Parents Pastors Tutors or Physicians is no part of the Office to which he is appointed and authorized 4. But he may drive on all these to do their duties by due means 5. It is unlawful to seek to cure a lesser Evil with a greater That is to be numbred with the things which the Prince cannot do which he cannot do by lawful means or such as do more hurt than good 6. The Mischiefs before enumerated against the Princes Safety and Honour and against Love and Justice and Conscience and Religion are so great as that no Severity must be used which procureth them and doth not a greater good 7. The punishing of small Faults by great Punishments is Injustice and Unlawful 8. Abundance of Infirmities and humane Frailties and Errors are such as must be endured so they be but by Doctrine Love and gentle Reproofs rebuked and disowned without Punishments Ecclesiastical or Corporal else there will be no Love or Peace 9. Preachers must not be suffered to persuade Men from the Faith Love or Obedience of God in Christ against any Article of the Creed or Petition of the Lords Prayer or Precept of the Decalogue or any essential part of the Christian Religion 10. If such speak a damnable Error or Heresie by Ignorance or Heedlesness they must have a first and second Admonition and they 〈◊〉 repent But if they forbear not upon Admonition they do it studiously and wilfully and such are to be Silenced till they Reform because the Preaching of one that opposeth an essential Point of Religion will do more harm than good except among Heathens or where no better Preachers can be had 11. It will not be unmeet for the Rulers to draw up either a Catalogue of integral Points of Religion of great moment which all shall be forbidden to Preach or Dispute against or else a Catalogue of Errors contrary to such which none shall have leave to propagate But it is not every one that violateth the Law that is to be forbidden to preach Christs Gospel but lesser pecuniary Mulcts may be sufficient punishment to many and the bare denying them preferment or maintenance and casting them among the disowned that are but tolerated may be better punishment and more effectual in case of tolerable Faults than the more severe 12. Rulers should do much more to restrain from Evils than to constrain to Religious Duties And those Evils are of these sorts First Such as blaspheme God Secondly Such as draw the Hearers Souls into damnable Error or Sin Thirdly Such as tend to overthrow the Honour and Safety of the Governors Fourthly Such as tend directly to breed Hatred in men against each other and kindle the fire of Contention and Enmity Fifthly Such as draw men from the common duties of Justice towards Neighbors or Relations into Fraud and Injury 13. It is the greatest part of the Magistrates duty about Religion First To see Gods own Laws kept in Honour Secondly And to keep Peace by Church Justices among Clergymen and People that are apt to take occasion from Religion to abuse and calumniate one another 14. Yet Rulers may and must compel Persons that are grosly ignorant or erroneous to hear what can be said against their Error and for their Instruction As Parents so Magistrates may compel Children and Subjects to be Catechized and to hear Gods Word and may compel them to hear such Teachers as have the Rulers Licence either as Approved or Tolerated to Teach 15. Men ought not to be compelled to receive the Sacraments of Baptism or the Lords Supper by the Sword or Force because it is to receive a sealed Pardon of Sin and Donation of Christ and Life which no unwilling person hath right to or doth receive For to say I am unwilling is to say I receive not and so the reception of the outward sign is Hypocrisie Prophanation and taking the Name of God in vain 16. Yet those that being Baptized and at Age avoid Communion are after Admonition to be taken for Revolters so far and to be declared such as so far cast themselves from the Communion of the Church And the Christian Magistrate may well deny them many Priviledges in the Commonwealth which he should appropriate to sound persevering Christians 17. Places in Government Trust Burgess-ship and Votes in Elections of Governors and such like are best appropriated to the Approved part of Christians and some the Tolerated but never granted to Apostates proper Hereticks or any that are intolerable 18. Pastors of the Churches should not be constrained to give the Sacrament of Baptism or the Lords Supper to any one against their Consciences because First It is their Office to be Judges who is to be Baptized and to Communicate This is the power of the Keys Secondly If they may not judge of the very Act which they are to perform they have not so much as that judicium discretionis which belongeth to every man as a man and so must act brutishly Thirdly If they may administer against Conscience when they think it Sin the same reason would hold for all men to sin whenever a Ruler commandeth them that judgeth it no Sin what Bounds shall be set against absolute blind Obedience Fourthly Whereas the Objection is from Inconveniences As Then every Pastor may deny Men Sacraments I answer 1. So every Tutor Physician c. may abuse his Trust 2. Therefore men must have care whom they choose and trust 3. There are better Remedies than sinful slavery in the Minister even consulting with Synods of Ministers or where Bishops rule appealing to them 4. The persons that expect the Sacrament may have it from some other Pastor that is willing It is a less inconvenience that a single person remove or else communicate in another Assembly than that the Pastor whose Office is to use the Church Keys be enslaved to sin against his Conscience 5. We suppose that of ancient right the Church is not to have a Pastor over them whom they consent not to Therefore if the Church find themselves wronged by the Pastors Fact they have their Remedy They may admonish the Pastor and if he hear not tell the Bishop Synod or Magistrate for I am not now determining the case of superior Bishops but tell what is the actual Remedy where such bear Rule And if he hear not the Church Synod Bishop or Magistrate they may desert him and choose a fitter Pastor and yet neither Excommunicate nor Silence him but the same man may be more sutable to another Flock which will desire him They that object Inconveniences in this motion should consider First That a Mischief and Sin is worse than an Inconvenience Secondly That there is nothing desirable here without Inconveniences which may furnish an unwise Contender with Objections Thirdly That they that cry up the Canons and Traditions Custom or judgment of Antiquity Bishops Councils Fathers and the Catholick
saying That for one infallible old Gentleman at Rome we have Thousands of Hot Spirits in England that pretend to more of the Divine Perfections than ever he did For if the Holy Ghost doth personally indwell in Sectaries then they are personally possessed with all the glorious Attributes of the Godhead pag. 26. And 28. The Idolatry of the Papists will be as excusable at the great day of Accounts as the unreverent Rudeness and superstitious Sowreness of the Sectary And p. 29. The gross Usurpation and Invasion of the Priestly Office by Sectaries to erect Churches c. throws more dirt upon the Christian Religion than the grossest Errors in the Roman Church c. Answ 1. I know none so worthy of the Name of Sectaries as the Papists that damn all Christians save themselves and feign themselves onely to be all the Church 2. It 's like by these Sectaries he meaneth those that are not Re-ordained or have not uninterrupted Episcopal Ordination And if all such Reformed Churches are so much more dirty and injurious to Christianity than the grossest Errors of the Papists it 's better be of the Papal Church than of them 3. Doth pretending to the help of Gods Spirit in Praying and Preaching and Living arrogate more than pretending to Papal Infallibility in the Office of an Universal Monarch and Judge of the sense of all Gods Word The word Personal I have heard used by none but this and such Accusers But what he meaneth by it who can tell First If it refer to the Person of the Receiver how can the Holy Ghost dwell in any man and not dwell in his person Secondly If it refer to the Person of the Holy Ghost what Christian before this man did ever doubt that took the Holy Ghost to be God whether the Person as well as the Essence of the Holy Ghost be every where Doth not the Scripture say That the Holy Spirit dwelleth in Believers Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 14. c. and God dwelleth in us 1 Joh. 4. 12. 15 16. And that we are an habitation of God by the Spirit Ephes 2. 22. Is Gods Word worse than Popery Or is not this to reproach God and his Word and Spirit more than the Reformed Churches do by not having Bishops who are accused by Mr. Dodwell to sin against the Holy Ghost Thirdly But if Personal should mean the mode and title of Union as if by Hypostatical Union like Christs the Holy Ghost and Believers be made one Person who are those Sectaries that hold such a thing who shew the state of the English Religion And this is one of the men that cry out against Toleration and tells us that There can be no stability of Government in England till there be a settlement in Religion No settlement of Religion but by uniting Affections No uniting Affections but by unity of Religion And so on Therefore Rulers must force all to be of one Religion Next to the thought of the Heathen and Apostate Nations case it is one of the saddest to me that Rulers and People that have too little studied such matters should lie under the temptation and horrid abuse of Clergymen that write and talk at such a rate as this man doth 1. Will he maintain That there is no Union of Religion wherever men are not of one opinion form or mode in every Circumstance Rite or Ceremony or every accident or integral of Faith Are any two men in the world then of one Religion any more than of one visage or slature c 2. If this man had Rulers that differed from him as much as he doth from the Nonconformists would he and could he presently change his judgment or would he falsly profess a change lest he should not be of one Religion with his Prince or rather must it not be he or such as he that must be the standard of that one Religion to all 3. Doth he believe That Prisons or Flames will make men of one Affection Would such usage win himself to love the judgment and way of those that he suffered by 4. Or if men of many Opinions and Affections be forced into the same Temple as a Prison doth their corporal presence make them of one Religion and Affection It is a doleful thing to hear Preachers of the Gospel cry out for Blood Flames or Prisons to make whole Kingdoms of one Religion confessing how unfit they are to do it themselves who have undertaken the Office that should do it Woe to the Princes Church and People that have not wit and grace to escape the snares of such ignorant Tyrannical Counsellors Abundance more such Pamphlets have lately endeavoured to destroy Love and Peace and infect the Land with Malice and Cruelty § XII The Roman Doctrine and Laws for exterminating and burning Hereticks is the top and perfection of this hypocritical wickedness which murdereth Gods Servants and depopulateth Countries on pretence of Charity Unity and Government And when so many Princes became guilty of serving this bloody Clergy that never knew what manner of spirit they were of it was Gods wisdom and justice to permit the same Councils of Bishops and the same Popes to decree their Deposition which decreed their Subjects extermination Lateran sub Innoc. 3. what can be more contrary to Nature to Humane Interest or to the Doctrine Example and Spirit of Christ And whose blood is safe while such blood-sucking Leeches are taken for the Rulers of the world and the Physicians of Souls § XIII All this I perceive is on occasion of Objections but superadded to what I fullier said before Part II. Chap. 8. But I still say That Toleration must have its due bounds and not extend to intolerable Doctrines Practices or Persons To proceed then Every one that will must not be Tolerated to be a publick Pastor and Preacher no not of the Truth For some insufficient men may by that manner bring a scandal or scorn on the sacred Doctrine and Worship of God and taking Gods Name profanely and in vain is worse than silence much less should men be suffered to preach or dispute down anys Point of Christian Faith or Duty § XIV In a word The Prince that will escape the dangerous Extreams of Licentiousness and oppressing Persecution must 1. Have an eye to the Holy Scripture and Apostolical Institution and to the Law of Nature together as his Rule 2. He must make the true publick Good which lieth in mens spiritual welfare his end 3. He must make the promoting of Obedience to God and his Laws the chief work of his Office and of his own Laws 4. He must abhor and avoid all carnal Interests contrary to the Interest of Christ and mens Souls 5. He must do all with Caution from a Spirit of Love and a Care to preserve mens fear of God 6. He must take heed of Partiality or hearkning to the counsel either of Atheists prophane men or of an ignorant proud and cruel
Clergy And must hearken to wise pious considerate peaceable and experienced Counsellors and avoid the examples both of Rehoboam and of Jeroboam and be neither an Oppressor nor a Corrupter § XV. And to conclude good and wise men may well know their duty whom to silence and eject and whom to tolerate if they are but true to God by this one Rule They may by hearing all the case and knowledge of the Persons discern whether that mans Preaching consideratis considerandis is clearly like to do more good or harm and do accordingly But then they must not judge of good and harm by carnal sinful lusts and interests and by the counsels of selfish partial men but by wise and just reason guided by the Word of God § XVI And in all doubtful Cases choose the safer side and when the danger of overdoing is the greater as in case of Persecution rather do too little than too much And prefer not Ceremonies before Substance nor tything Mint Annise and Cummin before Love Truth and Judgment and the great things of the Law And be sure that you learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice that you may not condemn or accuse the Guiltless CHAP. XV. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subscription to every Word Verse or Book of the Holy Scripture as it is in any one Translation or any one Copy in the Original now known § I. THis needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing and common experience 1. All Translations are the work of imperfect fallible men we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apostles unless as some think the Greek of St. Matthews Gospel be a Translation The pretences of Inspiration of the Seventy two that are said to be the Authors of that Greek Translation of the Old Testament is not yet agreed on in the Church nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Translated The Authority and Reasons of Hierome still much prevail Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine most valued by the Papists is yet so much matter of Controversie between them that when Sixtus Quintus had stablished a corrected Edition Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after Sect. III. And all Protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Translations English Dutch French c. And in the same Church of England we have the publick prescribed Use of two different Translations of the Psalms one sometime directly contrary to the other as Yea and Nay and one leaving a whole Verse which the other hath Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a Copy All therefore have the marks of humane frailty which cannot be denied Sect. V. And no wise and good man should deliberately deny this and so justifie falsly every humane slip But yet there is no such difference among Copies or Translations as should any way shake our foundations or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon For in all such points they all agree Sect. VI. Object But if Copies and Translations differ and err how can we make them our rule of judgment Answ I say again They agree in as many things as we need them for as a Rule of Judgment And where they differ it being in words of no such use and moment that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use no more than the King himself doth lose his authority if his hair turn white Sect. VIII Object 2. But what then must all subscribe to if not to all the Bible Have you any other measure or test Answ We must subscribe That we believe all Gods Word to be true and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the Canon And we must expresly subscribe to the Essentials of Christianity of which before and after Sect. VIII It was a considerable time before many Churches received the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter that to the Hebrews the Revelation c. And no doubt they were nevertheless true Christians And if now any believe all the Essentials of Religion and should doubt only whether the Canticles or the Epistle to â—iâ—â—mon or the two last of John or that of Jude were Canonical he might for all that be a true Christian and more meet to be a Bishop than Synesius was before he believed the Resurrection or Neclarâ—us before he was baptized c. Sect. IX The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture more than the Papists call some Books Canonical which we call Apocryphal And it is said that the Abassines and Syrians have divers not only as Ecclesiastical but as Canonical which we have not nor know not of Though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number by the proof well produced by Bishop Consins and many others yet have we no cause to unchurch all Churches that differ from us Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to cast out all Ministers that doubt of some words in any Translation or Copy or of some Verse Chapter or Book who hold the main and all the necessary Doctrines No such Test was imposed on the primitive Christians And it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble Churches of Helvetia should lately make it necessary to the Ministery to subscribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points though it may be a true and useful Assertion CHAP. XVI The Catholick Church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible § I. THis is yet more evident than the former 1. They do not at this day nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary They have great respect to the Commentaries of some of the Ancients and others but subscribe them not as infallible Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius swear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing Exposition of the Fathers it is well known 1. That they never told and proved to us who are to be taken for Fathers and who not 2. It 's known that few of them have written large Commentaries and fewer on all the Bible if any 3. That they oft differ among themselves 4. And the best have confessed their own Errors 5. And more have been found erroneous by others and are by us at this day 6. Yea they have cast out and condemned one another as the Case of Nazianzene Epiphanius Chrysostom Theophilus Alexand. Cyril and Theodoret and many
more besides Origen sheweth 6. The Papists ordinarily take liberty to differ from the Commentaries of divers of the most Renowned of the Fathers 7. And the learnedst men of the Papists themselves do differ from one another 8. And no General Council that pretend to be the Judge of thesense of the Scripture durst ever yet venture to write a Commentary on it 9. No nor any Pope nor any by his appointment or a Councils is written by any other and by them approved as infallible By all which and much more it is evident That subscribing wholly to any Commentary will never unite the Churches of Christ Sect. II. And no wonder when that 1. God hath composed the Scripture of such various parts as that all are not of the same neceâ—sity or intelligibility but some are harder than the rest to be understood and many hundred Texts are such that a man that understands them not may be saved 2. And Pastors as well as People are of various degrees of understanding and all imperfect and know but in part Sect. III. Yet are good Commentaries of great use as other teaching is but not to be subscribed as the terms of the Unity or Liberty of the Churches Sect. IV. Nay those particular Expositions which General Councils the Pretenders to deciding judgment have made are not to be subscribed as infallible as I have before proved by the quality of the men and by their many Errors and contradicting and condemning one another CHAP. XVII A Summary Recital of the true Terms of Concord and some of the true Causes of Schism THE Sum of all that is said of Schism and Unity is this § I. Schism is an unlawful separating from one or many Churches or making Parties and Divisions in them and is caused usually either 1. By unskilful proud Church-Tyrants Dogmatists or Superstitious Persons by departing from Christs instituted terms of Concord the Christian Purity and Simplicity and denying Communion to those that unite not on their sinful or unnecessary self-devised terms and obey not their ensnaring Canons or Wills or malignantly forbidding what Christ hath commanded and excommunicating and persecuting men for obeying him 2. Or else by erroneous proud self-conceited persons that will not unite and live in Communion upon Christs instituted terms but feigning some Doctrine or Practice of their devising to be true good and necessary which is not or something to be intolerably sinful that is good or lawful do therefore cast off their Guides and the Communion of the Church as unlawful on pretence of choosing a better necessary way § II. 2. The necessary means of Unity and Church Concord are these 1. That every Catechized understanding person professing Repentance Belief and Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and the Children of such dedicated by them to Christ be Baptized And the Baptized accounted Christians having right to Christian Communion till their Profession be validly disproved by an inconsistent Profession or Conversation that is by some Doctrine against the Essence of Christianity or some scandalous wilful sin with Impenitence after sufficient Admonition And that no man be Excommunicated that is not proved thus far to Excommunicate himself And that the Catechized or Examined person be put upon no other profession of Belief Consent and Practice as interpreting the Sacramental Covenant but of the Articles of the Creed the Lords Prayer and Decalogue understood and the general belief of consent to and practice of all that he discerneth to be the Word of God 2. That in Church Cases and Religion I. The Magistrate have the onely publick judgment whom he shall countenance and maintain or tolerate and whom he shall punish or not tolerate nor maintain and never be the Executioner of the Clergies Sentence without or against his own Conscience and Judgment II. That the Ordainers being the senior Pastors or a Bishop or President with other Pastors which is to be left to the concurrent judgments of themselves and the people be the Judges of the fitness of the Ordained person to be a Minister of Christ and the said Pastors in their respective particular Churches be the Key-bearers or Judges who is to be Baptized and admitted to Communion in the Church and who not and not constrained to Baptize or to give or deny Communion there by the judgment of others against their Consciences though in case of forfeiture or just cause they may be removed from that Church or from the sacred Office III. That the People of that Church be the private discerning Judges who shall be their Pastors to whose conduct they will trust their Souls if not so far as to be the first Electors at least so far as to have a free consenting or dissenting power and they be not forced to trust their Souls with any man as a Pastor against their Consciences And that every man be the private discerning Judge of his own Duty to God and Man and of his sin forbidden and of his own secret Case whether he believe in God and Christ and purpose to obey him or whether he be an Atheist or Infidel or secretly wicked and so fit or unfit for Baptism and Communion so that though he be not to be received without the judgment of the Pastors yet he may exclude himself if conscious of incapacity and therefore that none be forced by corporal Penalties or Mulcts to be Baptized or to Communicate 3. That the Christian Magistrate make three sorts of Laws one for the approved and maintained Churches and Pastors another for the Tolerated and a third sort for the Intolerable I. And that a sufficient number of the ablest soundest and worthiest Ministers be made the publick approved maintained Preachers and Pastors And where Parish Bounds are judged necessary that all persons living in the Parish be constrained to contribute proportionably to maintain the Parish Ministers and Temple and Poor and to hear publick Teaching and to worship God either in that or some other Approved or Tolerated Church within their convenient reach or neighborhood II. And that the Tolerated Ministers tryed and licensed have protection and peace in the publick exercise of their Ministery though not Approbation and Maintenance III. But that the Intolerable be restrained by sutable restraints 4. That the Approved and Maintained Ministers be put to subscribe their Belief of Consent to and resolved practice or obedience of all the Sacred Canonical Scriptures so far as by diligent study they are able to understand them and more particularly of the Christian Religion summarily contained in the Sacramental Covenant and in the ancient Creeds received by the Universal Church the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue as it is the Law of Christ and expounded by him in the Holy Scriptures And that they will be faithful to the King and Kingdom and as Ministers will faithfully guide the Flocks in holy Doctrine Worship Discipline and Example of Life labouring to promote Truth Holiness Love Peace and Justice for the salvation of mens Souls
Creed respectively every one making one as some have feigned and though I deny not what he and Bishop Vsher and many others say of the two or three Articles being not found in the most ancient Copies or Records and though I verily consent to Parker de Descensu and many others that the words of Baptism were the first Creed and that the Creed was brought in by degrees as the Exposition of the Baptismal profession and that at first it had but three Articles I believe in and give up my self to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost Yet I take the Creed in the sence at least to be of necessary use to the ends now mentioned and I think we may say so much as is of greatest antiquity to be Divine and the word of God and a special part of his word more necessary to be believed than many other parts § 15. For 1. Though we receive not the pretended Traditions of Rome or any Church that shall be obtruded on us without proof or as accusing the Scripture of insufficiency yet we never denyed that the Apostles preaching was Gods Word before they wrote it and as well as their writing It being eight years after Christs Ascension as is commonly supposed before the first part of the New Testament was written by St. Matthew and near an hundred years after his incarnation that the last was written by St. John and only four or five of the twelve Apostles having left us any of their writings it were intolerable to deny that the constant preaching of them and all the rest to their death was not done by the inspiration of the same infallible spirit as their writing was and so was the Word of God § 16. 2. And it is certain that Baptism was then as common as Christians and that nothing was sooner done by the Apostles nor more constantly nor with greater concord and concent than discipling persons and baptizing them For this was the summ of their first appointed work in which Christ promised to be with them to the end § 17. 3. It is certain that the Apostles did administer Baptism as wisely and holily according to Christs will as any that ever did come after them And therefore that they did not take up with mens bare saying of three words I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost without understanding what they said All following ages Cathechized or examined the adult before baptism and to this day we would take the contrary course for an abuse Therefore no doubt but the Apostles did it and appointed it § 18. 4. And this is plainly implyed in the Scripture when believers are all said to be inlightned and translated from darkness to light and to know God and Jesus Christ as being life eternal Eph. 1. 18. Act. 26. 18. Joh. 17. 3 c. and to be wise to salvation and indeed when they are said to Believe For believing supposeth understanding And when Peter saith that Baptism saveth not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God And when all the Christians in the world as far as we have any notice from the Apostles dayes have been baptized after Profession of faith we have no reason to doubt but that the Apostles used and appointed the requiring of it § 19. 5. In doing this it is no doubt but what they required of the Confessours from their mouths was short and plain or else those multitudes of men and women who were in a short time baptized would neither have had capacity nor time to do it But the words of the Teachers and baptizers in explaining the said articles were large and many For we find that it was their common preaching work § 20. 6. It is most probable by the reason of the thing and the history Act. 2. and elsewhere that at the first no form of words was required and used besides the form in baptism but that the people being instructed in the sense of those words thereupon professed understanding belief and consent And no more is essentially necessary But that after a Creed in terms was the common form which was used by Professors in order to baptism 1. Because so many thousands being baptized the matter being short and meerly Divine they could not be supposed to be left to much variety of expression Divine great necessary things must be spoken with so much caution as may avoid errour heresie corruption and abuse And if every ignorant man and woman were left to use only words of their own devising to express the Christian faith it would be of confounding and dishonourable consequence 2. And the great care that then was used that all Christians might be of one faith and speak the same things and that the heresies then arising might be suppressed doth imply that this necessary means was then used by those that commanded that all be done to edification and unity and in order 3. And many expositors think that this Creed is it that Paul meant by the depositum and form of wholsome words to Timothy 4. But the fullest proof is universal historical tradition and consent of the Christian Churches who have ever used Catechizing and the Creed as the profession of faith in order to baptism and this as from the Apostles without the least notice of any other original of it There is some difference in words between that recited by Irenaeus and two recited by Tertullian and that which we now use and some little difference between that of Marcellus in Epiphanius and that of Aquileia in Ruffinus and ours now used And the forming of the Nicene Creed in other words doth shew that the Churches took not themselves to be so tyed to the same words of the former Creed as not to alter any part of them And it is supposed that before the Nicene Creed the Greek Church had a Creed that had as much of the words of the Nicene as of that called the Apostles And no doubt it was the wisdom of the Apostles and the Churches not to lay too much on particular words and make them seem essential to baptism or more necessary than they were And to this day if any in other words exprest the same thing he may be baptized But ad melius esse and for concord and safety the Churches that still agreed in words of the same sence and mostly the same words as to all that explained the essentials of Christianity found it more and more needful to agree in every word and leave men no room for dangerous diversity though over and above they may explain their minds From whence it was that so great contentions have risen about some single word as the Nicene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Filióque lest the Creed should be altered at the will of man and the Christian faith seem to be an uncertain mutable thing § 21. By all this it is evident that the Church must make
Baptism the term of Christian Catholick unity and concord as necessary ad esse and the Creed as needful and apt ad bene esse ordinarily § 22. There is a controversie raised as aforesaid by Donatists and other Sectaries so now by the Papists whether the person baptized must not also own 1. the Ministry in general 2. the particular Minister that baptizeth him 3. and the particular Church into which he is received 4. and subject himself by profession to such pastoral power To all which I shall distinctly answer § 23. I. To the first 1. what is connoted is not alwayes a necessary part of the contract A man cannot be baptized but he must know that some one hath power to baptize him 2. It is more needful of the two that the Apostolical office and power be known and believed than the successive ordinary Ministry Because the belief of the truth of the Gospel more dependeth on their testimony as commissioned and qualified with those extraordinary gifts of the spirit which are its seal and proof 3. It is of great use to our faith and obedience to understand that Christ hath settled an authorized Ministry to preserve and preach his Word and administer his Sacraments and guide his Churches to the end of the world and he that knoweth not this wanteth an integral part of Christianity and a great and needful help to his edification and salvation 4. Yet none of these are absolutely necessary to the essence of Christianity If any lived where the ministerial office were not known or should by misleading so far err as to think that any judicious Christian or any Christian Magistrate or master of a family might preach and administer the Sacraments if yet this man believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and be accordingly devoted to him in baptism this man shall be saved notwithstanding his ignorance or errour about the Ministry yea though he knew not of the office of the Apostles but took them for lay men For the promise is that whoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 18. by what means soever he was converted to the faith It is not only He that is converted by a Priest shall not perish Nor is it ever said He that believeth in the Apostles or Priests shall not perish but he that believeth in Christ which essentially includeth the belief in the Father and the Holy Ghost And therefore Paul calleth them carnal as guilty of Schism that said I am of Paul and I of Cephas because they were not baptized into the name of Paul or Cephas but of Christ And he thanketh God that he had baptized few of them lest they should say that he had baptized them into his own name And yet are the Apostles foundations or bases and pillars in the Church because Christ used them as the first great keepers of his word and seals and the means of converting unbelievers and it 's hard and rare to believe in Christ without knowing and believing that they were his commissioned Ministers § 24. II. But though it be a duty to choose a true Minister to be baptized by yet it is not at all necessary to the validity of baptism to know that the baptizer is such Indeed not one of many can be sure as not having seen his ordination nor knowing of his necessary qualifications Many things may deceive them and all baptism by Lay-men is not null as the Fathers held and the Papists now hold and confess § 25. III. And as to reception into a particular Church I have proved before that it is no work of baptism as such but a consequent act in order of nature alwayes and oft of time The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no Church but the Universal There be some few rigid mistaken brethren called Independents in New England that think indeed that all baptized persons must be baptized into a particular Church but others even of that party are wiser herein It is very fit that every one that can be a member of some particular Church But some cannot as Travellers Merchants Ambassadors c. who reside among Infidels only and those that live in Countreys where the Pastors by tyranny refuse to admit any to their communion who will not say or do some unlawful thing But yet Baptism as such is no such thing nor hath such an effect Much less is it a profession that such a particular Church is sound § 26. IV. And as to subjection to the Clergie It is true that Baptism essentially subjecteth us to Christ and this includeth an obligation to obey him in all things which we know to be his Law And it is true that just obedience to the Guides of the Church is his command But it followeth not that every man knoweth this nor that every disobedience unchurcheth us It is his command that we pray continually and in all things give thanks and that we speak not an idle word and use not vain jeasting c. But it nullifieth not Christianity that we culpably offend in one of these Nor doth our baptism contain our promise that we will never sin nor that we will obey a command which we understand not but that we will be Christs subjects and obey him sincerely so as that when we fail by weakness we will renew our repentance Christ also commandeth every child subject wife servant to obey their parents Princes and Magistrates Husband and Master And he that is baptized bindeth himself also to obey these Laws sincerely if he know them But it followeth not that it is essential to Baptism to oblige us to subjection to parents husbands masters but only to Christ who commandeth us to obey them Even as subjects take not an Oath of Allegiance to every Justice Constable or Messenger but only to the King who yet commandeth us to obey his Judges Justices Constables c. § 27. To pretend that Baptism as such doth subject men to the Bishop of Rome or to the Bishop of Alexandria Antioch Paris London or to the Pastor of a single Church is a perverting the sence of it and to be answered as the Apostle did others Were ye baptized into the Name of Paul CHAP. IV. II. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of Church-Communion and what are the lawful Causes of abscission or Excommunication § 1. IT is granted that as there is somewhat more necessary to the continuance of our pardon justification and right to glory than was to our first reception so also to our continuance as members of the Catholick Church That is the bare profession of faith and consent and subjection or Covenanting with Christ for future sincere obedience is enough to our first reception by baptism But some performance of this Covenant is necessary to our continuance The reasons are 1. Because the Covenant or promise is necessary not meerly for it self but for the