of the holy Scriptures Preaching hath obtained in the universal Church to this day Who shall question whether Preaching whereby we address to God adoring him for his mercy and truth in the Ministry of the Priests Lips be a part of divine worship I am sure the Injunctions of his present Majesty makes it part of divine Service With reference to Preaching also we have our Ordination and Institution and the Laws and Canons require it at our hands Why should our Adversaries triumph and say we are against Preaching and that we speak against it to excuse our idleness or inability are not we best known by the name of Preachers do they not by our Preaching see their most need of us do they not hence raise their value and estimation for us do what you can and spare not to recover the honour due to the Priesthood in other regards But if all the rest be lost I see no reason we should hazard this also It is said the Preachers of our Church are famous and have long been famous through the Christian World for Preaching Let no man take our Crown let us not throw it away our selves 2. I perceive also offence hath Avoid Socinianism and the suspition of it been taken of the pretended rational way of some of our Preachers both in their Preaching and Writing Though no sobâ—r man can doubt but that it hath been of late improved very excellently for the baffling of Popery and the shaming of Phanaticism out â—f the World But seeing the Law of Religion is twofold viz. that of Reason and revelation Phanaticism seems to be twofold also When men so adhere to Revelation as to despise Reason or so to glory in Reason as to neglect Revelation onely with this difference the first do sine Ratione and the later cum ratione insanire having the honour to run mad in the Rational way Mâ— thinks it is safest so to use our Reason about Religâ—on as not to draw the suspition either of Sociniaâ—sme or Infidelity Admit there were neither Phanatick in ordinary sâ—ncâ— nor Papist in the World what have we gained if we have hazarded Christianity neither can I bear with so general and accommodated an account of the Christian Religion whatsoever iâ—s pretenses arâ— as a Jew a Turk or a Pagan mâ—y subscribe We glory and that justly in the great Title of Ministers of the Gospel and we are set for the defense of it And what is the Gospel in strictness of Speech but the glad tidings of Salvation by Faith in the Redemption of Christ and the Sanctification of the Holy Ghost And he that seems to despise these is not more like to a Socinian then an Infidel but more like either then a Minister of the Gospel Is not Faith both in the grace and profession of it a great part of the Christian Religion or is there nothing in the object of the Christian Faith but what is Reason abstracted from Revelaâ—ion I am not altogether ignorant of the learned attempts this way though to no great purpose I know we cannot believe and know not why yet we use to say that the Arguments inducing Faith are not taken from the nature of the Object but from the credibility or infallibility of the Author or deliverer of it And our Faith in the prime Doctrines of the Gospel is built not upon them as reasonable in themselves but upon Testimony from him that cannot deceive us According to our Catechism we say we believe in God the Father that made the World Now if Reason could have found out certainly that the World was made yet that it was made by the Word of God or by the Son of God or that things that do Heb. 11. 1. now appear were made of things which did not i. e. that all things were made out of nothing these things the Apostle you know referreth to Faith as things never to have been discovered without special Revelation Much less that those other great Articles touching the Redemption of Christ and the Sanctification of the Holy Ghost if you consider them in their Evangelical Latitude That the Second Person in the Trinity should assume the humane Nature into an Hypostatical union with it self that this nature should be conceived by the Holy Ghost born of a pure Virgâ—n That there is a Messias and that this is He. That he died for our sins that he rose again for our justification That he ascended to Hâ—avâ—n and there sits â—n the right hand of God and that thence he shall come again to Judge the World All these are things that Reason is an utter Stranger to For great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the Flesh c. Again that there is a third Person in the Deity that this is the Holy Ghost that inspired the Divine Writers and confirmâ—d the Gospel by Miracles That he is sent down frâ—m Heaven to convince the World to instruct and sanctifie to govern guide and comfort the Church These things we all stâ—dfastly believe as Evangelical Verities not discoverable by any other Light then that of divine and special Revelation I might add that Repentance it self though it be a very reasonable thing in those that have offended in order to pardon c. Yet as it is a grace of this Spirit and as it is a condition of the new Covenant it is matter of Faith and not to be discovered by Reason alone This is the Word of Faith that we ought to Preach and profess and thereby give our Testimony that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the World 1 Joh. 4. 14. In this the Apostles and Primitive Martyrs were all Confessors Search Antiquity and you find all ancient Offices to have been compiled as it were for the same purpose Our Church both in her Doctrine and Worship is a great Pillar of Christianity whereon little else is written but Jesus Christ Review our Catechisme and Collects Hymns and Litany and several Creeds as well as the Offices of the Sacraments together with the reason and end of all our Festivals and particularly of the Lords day and you cannot but be confirm'd in the acknowledgment of our great profession of the Gospel of Christ Then let the World be Infidel but we that are Christians and Ministers of Christ let us joy in believing and in our places own and prosess the Gospel by Faith which we cannot comprehend by Reason Let us hold fast the Doctrine and keep close to the worship and obsâ—rve the Festivals of our own Church as the true Sons of it and there can be no colour for any suspicion or imputation of Socinianisme upon us The sum is notwithstanding the private opinions of some men he must needs be very weak that shall fly from the Church of England for fear of Socinianism of which none can possibly doubt that moreover read the Canons made by the Bishops and the rest of our Clergy in the Convocation of 1640.
though they may take the Liberty of their own words 6. The sum is the Presbyterians hold the Church of Rome to be a false Church and say you may not gather a Church out of a true Church The Episcopal Divines say that the Church of Rome is truely a Church but not true as a Church should be but false and corrupt both in her Doctrine and Worship so as none can lawfully joyn with her And yet the Church of England is both truly a Church and a a true Church where the Word of God is truly taught whose Doctrine the very Non-Conformists approve of in whose worship many of them say we may joyn without sin where the Sacraments are also rightly administred And therefore without all further controversie they may hold that it is lawful to separate from the Church of Rome but sinful to separate from the Church of England and yet not be able to see what Answer you may give them 7. Besides lastly you may easily know that our eminent Fathers say that if we are in Schism from Rome the Papists themselves were guilty of it in Henry the 8th yea that we did not do not separate from the Church of Rome for we really were never of that Church We never did owe any Communion to to that Church That under the encouragement of own Government and by the authority thereof we onely reformed our selves without separating from Rome or any other Church And if so as in truth it is much good may your Consequence do you 8. But he also intimates a Reflection upon our Churches He doth not indeed speak out but he speaks as if our Parochial Assemblies were either no true Churches or such as we may lawfully Separate from Hear him p. 15. where he first coâ—cedes fairly We do believe saith he that from a Church a number of Christians that have consented to a Pastor that is able and faithful and regularly administers the Ordinances of Christ so as a People may communicate without sin and pressing forward towards perfection in order Christians may not separate without sin And this is that indeed saith he which some Presbyterians reflected upon our Brethren of the Congregational way for And these were those Parochial Churches which they contended for as true Churches And now the bottom is out and his Fallicy is apparent in his foisting I would use an easier word if I could his foisting in now and strange matter into the nature of a true Church and then fathering it upon the Presbyterians when 't is purely Independent Brownistical or his own For if there be any consequence in what he hath said 't is this A Church where the Pastor is duly qualified and the People consent to him and both press forward towards perfection in order you may not separate from But if the Pastor be not in all points well qualified or if the People do not approve of him or if they do noâ— press forward towards perfection in order one may separatâ— from such a Church and the laâ— Presbyterians said nothing to the contrary But suppose the Pastor be faulty in some particulars of his life if he regularly administers in his Office or suppose he be a good man and a diligent Minister and be set over a People by the Laws of our own Church but the People do not like him will you say this is no true Church for these Reasons If you are a Presbyterian you dare not May one separate from such a Church for these Reasons or for these Reasons may you betake your self to a Church of another Constitution was ever this the opinion of the Old Non-Conformists or late Presbyterians Say it not for shame But the weight is behind in the last condition Pressing forward towards Perfection in order These were the Parochial Churches where this excellency was found which the late Presbyterians conâ—ended for as true Churches Thus he would draw his Presbyterian Brethren to own that which is contrary to their express sense and words for they did ex professo dispute that order and discipline was not essential to a true Church and onely for the want of it none might separate In earnest Suppose a Church thinks her Order as to the Government is as perfect as she can or need to have it And she desires that the Execution were better but cannot have it so Yea suppose a Church too careless in this matter whether it be well or no will you or any Presbyterian say it is therefore no true Church or we may therefore separate from it Was not this the Case of the Church of Corinth Doth the Apostle advise or allow any Separation in this case Though their Doctrine also was more corrupt then Arminianism that so much offends you and their Communion debauched even with Intemperance and Luxury Besides whatever unjust and unconscionable clamours we labour under we are ready to maintain that our Ministers generally are of holy and unblameable Lives and do faithfully and regularly administer both the Word and Sacraments and that our People generally do or very lately did submit to their Parochial Ministers and really own them as their Guides by their attendance upon the worship of God in our Temples and those few that did not I hope I have sufficiently proved that they ought to have done it And now I shall venture to appeal to the Conscience of my Reflecter himself whether so general and total a defection and decession from a true Church as he seemeth to acknowledge some of ours to be and if any sure they are such as they separate from would have been judged other then Schismatical by the Apostles themselves or by the Fathers or by the reformed Churches beyond Sea or by our own ancient Non-Conformists if no other Reason could be alledged for it but what he hath here urged As for the late Presbyterians indeed it is the very question what they thought of this point and whether it be lawful in their Judgment for such Reasons as he hath brought us to separate and to gather our People into new Churches will better appear from their own words for they can yet speak for themselves and you will find they do it fully in the following Dialogue What the Reflection means by P. 14. putting A Subjection in all the Ordinances of the Gospel to the Lord Jesus Christ into the definition of the Church I cannot certainly divine but if it signifie any thing more then the received Definitions of a true Church it signifies nothing but an Engine of Divisions The Presbyterians perhaps will have it in to serve his Ruling Elder The Independent to keep out all Forein Jurisdiction and keep himself exempt from all power without the bounds of a particular Church The Anabaptist for the necessity of Baptizing as necessary to a true Church And thus it becomes an Instrument fitted for the mutual damning one another Whereas if the difinition of Calvin and reformed Divines keep its
they are all but the mediums to liberty and exemptions from Government Indep But living in a Parish doth not make us Members of the Church Presb. We grant it a man must in order of Nature first be a Member of the Church visible and then living in a Parish and making profession of Christianity he may claim admission into the Society of Christians within those bounds and enjoy the Ordinances which are there dispensed Indep Where is your Christian Charity We would edifie our selves the best we can and though we differ but in very small matters you will not suffer us Presb. Can you not be edified without Scandalizing the Church of God we leave to all men to judge whose Charity is greatest their 's who labour to preserve union or theirs who resolve to separate and break it We think Charity binds Christians to prevent all unjust and needless Separation We wonder at your Charity that coming so near us in Doctrine and worship nothing should content you but a Separation p. 105 106. Indep We cannot in Conscience set down where we cannot enjoy all the Ordinances p. 122. Presb. 1. Have you all the Ordinances in your own Churches 2. Do you not hold ruling Elders to be an Ordinance have you these Or be your Churches without some one ordinance and not ours 3. To determine Controversies of Faith cases of conscience judicially is an Ordinance If you must be of no Church but where that is exercised and the liberty of opinions restrained your Churches would be soon destroyed And you would find it we believe difficult to gather more Indep This would prove the best means of Uniformity and Conjunction to allow us distinct Churches according to our own Principles Presb. This is a Riddle we wonder how disjunction can be the only way of Conjunction and Multiformity of Uniformity and Separation of Communion and different Principles and Practises of Conformity What Churches under Heaven may we not hold Conjunction Uniformity and Communion with upon such terms p. 123. Indep But tender Consciences ought to be relieved Presb. We desire to know whether every Persons bare â—lleadging tenderness of Conscience shall be sufficient to warrant his deserting our Congregations p. 49. 2. We much doubt whether such tenderness as ariseth out of an opâ—nion oui potest subesse falsum when the Conscience is so tender that it may also be an erring Conscience can be a sufficient ground to justifie such material Separation as our Brethren plead for For though it may bind to forbear or suspend the Act of Communion in that particulur wherein men conceive they cannot hold Communion without sin yet it doth noâ— bind to follow such a positiv prescript as possibly may be diverse from the Will and Counseâ— of God Of which kind wâ— conceive this of gathering separated Churches out of other truâ— Churches to be one p. 51. Indep In case the Lords Supper be not administred in parity a â—emoval is allowed ordinarily Now we would only gather our selves into other Churches for â—urer enjoyment as to our Conâ—ciencis of all ordinances p. 50 51. Presb. We conceive the ground of your Separation from â—ne Church and gathering oâ—hers to this end that you may â—e preserved from sinning â—gainst your Conscieâ—ces and â—or the purer enjoyment of Orâ—inances may to men of other â—udgments be a ground to crave â—oleration for separating from Churches which are pure and â—athering impure and corrupt Churches out of them p. 50. It was never the meaning of â—he Assemblies to leave the Judgâ—ent of pure or impure Ordinances to this Case unto the alone discretion of a particular Person But before any leave 〈◊〉 Parochial Congregation ordinarily he ought to declare the Cause of his grievance that if it may be his removal may be prevented Except he think fit to change his dwelling in which Case his removal is without offence Indep VVhy may it not be as lawful to go to a separate Congregation for relief as to remove our dwelling to another Parish Presb. It is one thing to remove to a Congregation which is under the same Rule another to a Congregation of a dâ—fferent constitution from the Rule In the one a maâ— retains his Membership in the other he renounceth it p. 52. Indep If the purest Churches in the VVorld unto our Judgement in all other respects should impose as a condition in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper any one thing that such tender Consciences cannot Joyn in as suppose kneeling if they remove from these Churches and have liberty from the State to gather into other Churches to enjoy this and other Ordinances â—here is no Separation Presb. 1. If a Church require that which is evil of any Member he must forbear to do it yet without Separation and waite on Gods Providence in the dispensation of that Church till all remedies have been tryed 2. He that is in this kind oppressed may be relieved by Appeal or change his dwelling 3. They who thought kneeling in the Act of Communion to be unlawful either in England or Scotland did separate or renounce Membership but did some of them with Zeal and Learâ—ing defend our Churches against those of the Separation Indep But we hope you will not question us if we have liberty from the State to gather into other Churches Presb. The Nature of Separation is not to be measured by civil Acts or State but by the Word of God what notion you have of it we know not but surely to leave all ordinary Communion in any Church with dâ—slike when opposition or offence offers it self is to separate from such a Church in the Scripture since such a Separation was not in the Apostles times unless it were used by false Teachers all who professed Christianity held Communion together notwithstanding differences of Judgment or Corruptions in practise p. 55. Indep Our Churches cannot be thought to be guilty of a plain and total Separation unless we did wholly in all things differ by setting up altogether differing Rules of Constitution VVorship and Government Presb. Of this Assertion we expect some proof We read not the like in any Author antient or modern Under this pretense Novatians Donatists all that ever were thought to separate may shelter themselves who themselves boasting of their Separation the most rigid Separatists hold the same Rule of worship and government for substance with you We desire you to consider if every small and circumstantial difference amongst those who agree in most things and those most substantial shall be a sufficient ground to gather Churches out of Churches into a separate and distinct Communion how the Churches of God shall ever be kept free from Rents and Divisions and how the Peace thereof is possible to be preserved Indep But as we hold your Churches to be true Churches so we are ready to hold occasional Communion with them Presb. 1. You have estranged your selves from us hitherto and we have reason to question in what