of Knowledge and Gifts rather than a setled Superiority of Office and whether any Pastors might not do all their Ordinary continued work But besides the singularity of that doubt I was soon convinced of an Official Superiority and Disparity not only because a Judas had been one but because the number of Twelve in Superiority was to be kept up by the choice of his Successor even one from among those that had been Witnesses of Christs Words and Works as well as he And by Pauls being made a thirteenth Apostle when the Gospel was to be carried further than to the Jews And his claim of Apostolical Power and Priviledges § 17. Especially because I find Christ Mat. 28. 19 20. describing the General Office as well as the Particular even going into all the World to Disciple whole Nations as well as to teach them to observe Christs Commands promising to be with them to the end of the World § 18. And also because it is apparent that Preaching the Gospel to Heathen and Infidel Nations is a Work still to be done and for want of men purposely appointed to do it the progress of the Gospel hath been wofully stopt Few doing any thing in it but Mr. Eliots and a few honest men in New England and they say some of the Dutch and the Jesuits and Fryers that do it corruptly Particular Church Work is below this § 19. And I am fully confirmed when I find that the Apostles themselves setled a General sort of Ministers in Superiority and General Work to succeed them As Christ himself by his Spirit made Barnabas an Apostle so he gave to his Church also Evangelists who were General helpers of the Apostles and were put in a state of Disparity and Superiority Sil as and Mark and Luke and Apollos and many more are named The texts that mention the General Office and Superior power of Timothy and Titus are so well known and oft cited that it 's needless to repeat them The charge of setling and overseeing many Churches as in Crete and of caution in Imposition of Hands receiving accusations rebuking sharply ruling them well ordaining Bishops and Deacons and much more the like I never thought Saravia and the Kings Arguments in the Isle of Wight well answered Mr. Prins and the common answer is that these were not Bishops but Evangelists I grant it but that confirmeth me For the name Bishop was then ordinarily appropriated to fixed particular Church Elders But our question is not de nomine but de re an Apostle Evangelist were above such Bishops Call them Apostles as Dr. Hammond proveth that the Fathers oft call them or call them Evangelists or Arch Bishops or General Bishops or Diocesans or Provincial Bishops it is not the name that is our Controversie It proveth that the Apostles did settle a sort of General Overseers to gather and take care of many inferior Bishops and Churches to succeed them in the ordinary part of their Office § 20. But another argument fixeth me in this opinion and that is that when it is fully proved that Christ instituted such a Disparity and Superiority he that will affirm that this doth not now continue and bind us must prove the repeal or revocation or prove that he did make this establishment but for a time and how long that was But Scripture plainly asserteth that he then appointed the foresaid Disparity and hath any as plainly proved that he repealed it or confined it to that Age It is not proved that I have seen And to assert this without proof is 1. To make Christs Institutions to signifie but what mans fancy thinks meet and make us the Masters of his Laws before we will be ruled by them 2. It is a charging Christ with temerity or dishonourable mutability as Instituting one form of Church Ministry and Government for one Age and changing it presently for another 3. It seemeth a dangerous taking Gods Name in vain by affirming such a mutability of him and change of his Laws without any proof 4. It defameth the state of his Church when it was under Persecution and when Heaven and Earth after rejoiced in its deliverance as if all that time it had been corrupt by owning the foresaid Disparity And it 's dangerous Presumption to Father on God that which he never did and never owned § 21. But no doubt but the Circumstances of this Superior Office or degree of Ministry are undetermined by God save as by General Rules and may be altered As 1. Whether there shall be One only or Two such General Ministers in one and the same Diocess or Province Christ sent out his Preachers by two and two Paul and Barnabas and Paul and Silas and Barnabas and Mark went out by Couples Peter and Paul were together at Rome And Grotius and Dr. Hammond think that for the first times till the Christian Jews and Gentiles became one Communion the great Cities Rome Alexandria Antioch c. had each two Congregate Churches and two Bishops were it but for language sake And as I think the Jewish and Gentile Christian Ministers during the time of Miraculous Gifts while no Christian Magistrates Ruled were the two Witnesses mentioned in the Apocalypse so I conjecture that Peter and Paul were the radical instances of them And when two join together it may take off envy from each Yet this is undetermined in Scripture and left to humane Prudence If two cannot agree how will such agree others § 22. The Scots had at first a General visiter that was really a General Bishop But the Visitors aspiring and abuse changed that way But I am told that in Ulster in Ireland each Classical Synod chuse two Grave Divines and send them out to Preach in any Congregation in that Classis where they see cause As where there are young raw men or men suspected of Heresy or men of scandalous fame and to admonish and counsel such and to tell the People that if they had any thing against their Ministers they should tell them and they would try them in the Classical Synod I think this is real and laudable Episcopacy whatever name it have § 23. It is also undetermined how large the Diocess be of the said General Minister while he excludeth not Inferiors As Prudence would teach the Apostles to Preach in several Countreys and not all in one when they left Jerusalem So Natural Reason teacheth Men still to divide and know their several Provinces § 24. It is undetermined how long each one shall stay in one City or place As Paul did long at Ephesus § 25. And it is left to Prudence how many subordinate Pastors and Churches there shall each oversee so they overthrow not the said subordinate Officers and Churches § 26. And it is left to Prudence what secular Lands or Riches they shall have called Glebe And what secular honour they shall have As to be Barons and Lords or to sit in Parliaments though Reason saith that
Laws about Religion and the Church affairs should not be made without the advice of them who are so greatly intrusted with Religion And yet that their Riches should be such as may not be too strong a Temptation to Sensuality Worldliness Pride and Tyrannizing over their Brethren § 27. There are three ranks of Bishops Two if not all three of Divine Institution And when any one of the three would suppress the other two they are corrupted into a sinful Tyranny I. The ordinary Presbyters are Episcopi Gregis Bishops over the Flocks So called and proved not only by Grotius passim but by most Papists and Protestants specially expositors on Phil. 1. and 1 Tim. 3. and 1 Pet. 5. c. II. The Churches being first gathered usually under some one Pastor and he taking in the ripest of his Converts or Disciples to become his assisting Presbyters and to avoid divisions that one or some other was chosen to be Episcopus Praeses the President Bishop of that particular Congregate Church As the incumbents in big Parishes are with us And tho I can prove no Institution of this but by Gods General Commands of doing all in Order Unity and to Edification yet we have reason to believe that it was begun in the Apostles days if Jerom say true about Mark at Alexandria who died before John And I find no party of Christians against it of many hundred years perhaps not of a thousand for even Aerius called it not unlawful And the Novatians Donatists and other Sects were Zealous for this sort of Episcopacy III. And that a Superior sort of Successors to the Apostles and Evangelists were of Divine Institution I have proved before § 28. The appropriating the name of BISHOPS to this General rank here called the Diocesanes contrary to Scripture and Truth hath proved a mischievous snare for Deceit and Tyranny For hereby first our Innovators have denied the Parish Incumbents to be true Pastors secondly And the Parish Churches to be true Political Churches for want of proper Bishops or Pastors but only parts of the Diocesan Church As if that were infimae specei 3. By this they have made the ignorant Laity believe that those ordained by the Proestotes the parochial President Bishops are ordained by no Bishops at all and so must be re-ordained And 4. they are become the grand Enemies of Episcopacy putting down many hundred Bishops to set up one alone And yet perfrictâ fronte have called such as are for more Antiepiscopal and themselves the Episcopal party Just as if one Schoolmaster or Physition should put down many hundred that he may be the only Schoolmaster and Physition or one Judge put down all the Justices and Mayors and then impudently say that they are against Physitions Schoolmasters and Justices and he only is for them But who can expect Truth or Modesty from Ungodly Worldly Proud Tyrannical Men. Tho it is not the Name that is our Controversie I allow them the Name of Diocesanes Yet abuse of Names hath been of mischievous effects § 29. Such Diocesane or General Bishops as put down all the Particular fixed Bishops and Churches are not only no sort of Bishops of Christs Institution but are Pernicious Enemies to Episcopacy and the Churches As nominal Apostles would have been had they put down all the Particular Churches and Bishops which they should oversee or a General Commander that would put down all the Collonels and Captains § 30. To refuse to be ordained by such usurping Enemies and to disown them is not to refuse true Episcopacy § 31. If these usurping Bishops would swear Men to obey them and refuse to ordain any that will not Assent Consent Subscribe or Covenant to sin against God by Omission or Commission especially many great and hainous sins he that refuseth such ordination may truly say he could not be so ordained the Bishop was the refuser and not he And he hath better ordination that is ordained by Parish Bishops on lawful Terms § 32. Yet if the Christian Prince make a true Diocesan that putteth not down the Parish Churches to be of the Quorums and have a Negative voice in Ordinations of such as he will own and maintain I think none should scruple submission For while Diocesans are good Men it seemeth to be a way safe and orderly § 33. There are two degrees of deposing the Parish Pastors I. When somewhat essential to their Office it self is denied de specie As Mr. Dodwell would have the Office made and specified by the Will and Intention of the Ordainer This only the Innovaters are guilty of II. When the Essentials of the Office are owned but the exercise sinfully restrained This the Old English Canons and Bishops were guilty of But it unhappily was by fitting their Canons to the State of the Parish Priests that came newly out of Popery and were by ignorance and errour unfit for their Office and Work But of all this I treated with unquestionable evidence of Truth in my Treatise of Episcopacy which is yet unanswered § 34. Those that only abusively restrain the Parish Pastors in the exercise of their Offices and are but misgoverning Diocesans may yet be owned as true Ministers de specie tho we must not own their sinful Misgovernment But those that destroy the very Office of the Parish Pastors in any essential part and their Churches are no true Ministers of Christ de specie nor to be owned as such while they will be the sole Pastors of many hundred Congregations § 35. How came this General Episcopacy that was to gather and fix Churches to be so much ceased A. 1. By the difficulty and costliness of the work of Apostolick Travels and Labours Ministers chose the easier state of a fixed particular Ministry 2. The particular Bishops living among Heathens found work enough on those within their reach and so by degrees conjoined the two Offices of General and Particular Episcopacy into one 3. And when the Heathen near them were converted ambition drew them to enlarge their Particular Churches into one Diocesan Church instead of gathering the new Swarms into a new Hive under a true particular Bishop And thus Satan hath by subtilty reduced the Churches to be too like to the Heathen World by killing Religion and turning it into Hypocritical Ceremony and meer Names while one Bishop will needs undertake the work of many Score or Hundreds which he cannot possibly perform § 36. Q. How prove you that the Largeness of the Diocess altereth the Species of Episcopacy and Churches A. It doth not at all if it put not down the subordinate Parish Pastors and Churches But if it turn them into half-Pastors and Chappels by destroying their essence it is easily proved Because it is two sorts of Communion that specifie the two sorts of Churches and Pastors The lowest particular sort is for presential personal Communion of such as may personally converse and may know each other and may at least sometime assemble
Unmercifulness especially Rich Mens oppression of the Poor Landlords grinding their Poor Tenants and Judges Justices and Lawyers unrighteousness in Suits and Judgments are Sins threatned by the Prophets as the fore-runners of Destruction § 3. But especially when Rulers are the Leaders in Sin and the Patrons of the Wicked The Sins of Men in publick Place are publick Sins and sooner bring publick Judgments than the Sins of private Men. The publick Authors of the late Calamitous Wars of Ireland Scotland and England had a deep part in the Punishment as they had in the Guilt O what a Torrent of Guilt in the Reign of Charles the Second did from King and Court over-flow this Land by the shameless filth of all uncleanness When Men shall affectedly keep Whores as the way to please the Court by Conformity to the King as if it were an Honour or no great Dishonour what can be expected from such horrid wickedness but Publick Divine Revenging Justice § 4. When did it ever go well with Judah or Israel when they had a foolish wicked King How easie is it for such a King and a foolish wicked Senate or Parliament to undo a Nation by Laws of Heresie Cruelty Persecution Division and Iniquity How ordinarily do such make Snares for the Conscionable by commanding them on pain of Fining Imprisonment or Death or Banishment to do something that God forbiddeth or not to do what God commandeth and then to cry them down reproach and ruine them as unruly disobedient despisers of all Order and Government Schismaticks and Rebels And who may call them so with less contradiction than they that can at their pleasure make them seem such and few dare contradict them § 5. Great is the advantage that Supreme Rulers have to put the Name of Evil upon Good and of Good on Evil and to procure the Vulgar to say as they Saving that the Innocency and Worth of the Upright especially of Wise and Charitable Persons constraineth approbation from those that know them and are not deplorate in Diabolism The foolish words of Princes seem wise to ignorant flatterers But he that will dwell in Gods Tabernacle and be a Blessing and not a Plague to the Church must be a Contemner of vile Persons and an Honourer of them that fear the Lord Psal 15. Antishenes could say that the Nation is hopeless that cannot difference good Men from bad What maketh almost all under Papist Rulers to be Papists and under Turks to be Mahometans and under Heathens to be Heathens but the Interest of the Opinion Example and Power of their Rulers § 6. In England and most Nations that are Christian the King and Rich Patrons or the Pope and his Servants have the choice of Archbishops Bishops Deans and Pastors And can it be expected that bad Men and covetous Men and the haters of serious Piety should chuse Men that will promote the Doctrine and Practice which they hate If the King make the Church of England is it like if he be a Papist or Malignant that he will chuse a Protestant and pious Church Or that a Covetous Drunken Filthy Licentious Patron will chuse a Man that will Zealously Preach against his Sins § 7. But the great Cause of the Ruine of a National Church is the Ignorance Viciousness Pride Malignity Covetousness and Persecuting Cruelty of a Degenerate Carnal Worldly Clergy Magistracy and Ministry are Gods great Ordinances by which as his Instruments and partly Representatives he doth by an established Order govern and keep up Order and Piety in the World Magistrates represent him in his Super-eminence and Ruling Power And Ministers in his Guiding and Sanctifying Wisdom and Love And God that will not ordinarily turn setled Order into Miracles worketh by these according to the aptitude of the Instruments and the Receivers And where there is kept up a wise and holy Magistracy and Ministry when and where did it ever go ill with such a people by any publick desolation § 8. If Ministers be Ignorant or unskilful in their publick Work they will be despised If they be Worldly and Covetous the Poor will reproach them If they be Drunkards Gluttons Unclean Idle or any way Sensual they will become the common Scorn But if they be Enemies to serious Godliness or Revilers or Persecutors of Godly Men the wicked will be encouraged to be like them and hardned in their Sin but Pious and Sober men will abhor them as the Servants of Satan though they will not therefore cast off their Honour to the true Ministerial Office and Work It is not an Honourable Office or a Reverend Garb and Name and Title that will hide the shame of Ignorance Ungodliness Sensuality or Malignity Their White Cloathing and Sacred Titles which render their filthiness more visible and odious Bad Men will prove a greater injury to Sacred Offices than open Enemies And it is not the Holiness of the Office or the Goodness of Laws and Order that will serve to Reform or make Happy a Church or Nation in the hands of wicked Men. § 9. Therefore when Bishops shall be such who Ordain and Govern the Inferior Clergy that Church or Nation is near lost and ruined If bad Princes chuse bad Prelates and they Ordain bad Ministers and savouring nothing but Wealth and Reputation shall prove the Jealous Adversaries of Piety and Persecutors of the most serious Christians and Encouragers of the malignant vicious and profane that Church and Nation is next to dead though it have a Name to live and be called Honourable and Rich how comely soever its Order and Ornaments may be and though its Doctrine and profest Opinions be Orthodox § 10. And it will yet render the case more desperate if the same carnal worldly malignant Bishops and Clergy shall grow justly reputed the Adversaries of the most Learned Judicious Godly and Laborious and Powerful Preachers and shall seek to Silence Disgrace and Oppress them The sober part of the Nation will then be tempted to take them as the Devils Militia armed against Christ and Mens Salvation and this the more wickedly as doing it in Christs Livery and in his Name § 11. And if such a Clergy shall in enmity to the Godly flatter the profane Lords Knights and Rich men of the World and make them their upholders and patrons and party to strengthen them in their sin the Confederacy will threaten Gods Vengeance on them all § 12. And yet the case will be more desperate if the wicked in such power shall bring an Universal Infection of Idleness Sensuality and Factious Enmity to serious Godliness on the Universities and other Schools of Learning and shall make them to be Nurseries of Ignorance Errour Impiety and Malignity And if the Prelates and Priests shall teach their Pupils and Candidates to account men of Conscience that obey not their sinful Impositions to be Fanatical Schismaticks and on pretence of bringing Schism into disgrace shall cast their dirt in the Face of Piety
of man Parents being seriously taught to know what it is to enter their Child into the holy Covenant and to Dedicate their Child to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the World the Devil and the Flesh And the Parents or Pro-parents and not perfidious dissembling God-fathers must solemnly promise their careful education § 22. II. The transition of those Baptized in Infancy into the state of Adult Communicants must be made by an understanding and solemn owning of their Baptismal Covenant and that by such Pastors as have time to examine and instruct them and not made a deceitful Ceremony called Confirmation by a Diocesan that hath perhaps many hundred thousands in his Diocess § 23. III. The Parishes must be known to the Pastors that take the Charge of them and the three sorts of Inhabitants distinguished 1. Those that are of another Church as Papists c. or of no Church 2. Those that are Catechumens and submit to be Catechized and Hear 3. Those that are Communicants And each Parish must have Ministers for number and quality suited to the number of Souls and fit to know them and perform their undertaken Office § 24. IV. The partial unrighteous Canons must be cast away § 25. V. Nothing sinful or unnecessary to Ministry or Communion must be imposed as necessary Terms nor Godly able Ministers Silenced or Persecuted causelesly that do more good than hurt § 26. VI. They that Worship not God in all our Forms and Ceremonies or that are too scrupulous must be tolerated to Worship as they can by themselves so be it their Doctrine and Worship and Conversation and Unpeaceableness be not intolerable § 27. VII The Keys must be exercised only by the Clergy And if the Chancellors or Civilians Courts be kept up they must be the Kings Magistrates and use only such power as Magistrates may use § 28. VIII Those that by the Laws are to be excluded from the Communion of the Churches publick and tolerated should not have the power of choosing Incumbents Nor those that exclude themselves Nor should those Patrons that choose the Incumbent that shall have the Place and Tythes hinder any person from choosing to whom he will voluntarily trust the peculiar Pastoral care of his own Soul Nor should men be hindered from the publick or tolerated Ministry of such as they so choose § 29. IX Ordinations should be made after sufficient tryal of the Learning and Abilities of the Ordained in Preaching and Praying as well as upon a full testimony of his Pious and Upright Conversation and no Institution to a Title granted till the Parishioners have leave warning and time to know the man and shew their acceptance or dissent and be impartially heard § 30. X. Bishops should usually ordain in Synods or with their concurrence Or at least with such as the Synods choose to represent them § 31. XI Parish Churches must be acknowledged true Churches and the Presbyters to be Episcopi Gregis and the Incumbent that hath Curates to be Episcopus Praeses as well as the Diocesans to be General or Archbishops And Ordination by President Bishops not called Null or said to be no Episcopal Ordination But the corruption of the Ministry by unqualified men is so dangerous a thing that if the Supreme Power give the Diocesane a Negative power as of the Quorum without whom no Ordination shall entitle any man to any Benefice leaving Incumbents only to choose their own Curates and to concur with the Diocesan in other Ordinations there will be no just cause of refusing such Diocesans Power or Ordination § 32. XII An utterly insufficient heretical malignant ungodly scandalous Minister is not to be maintained nor tolerated and due means must be used to keep and cast such out § 33. XIII The purging of the Universities and the appropriating of their Government and Tutoring to Godly Wise and Conscionable men is one of the greatest points of necessary Reformation And till this be done no man should be forbidden to choose Godly careful Tutors for his Children in his house or elsewhere § 34. XIV The sad disaffection like enmity between the Ministry and the most Religious People must be healed which will be easily done in those Parishes where the Ministers Preach Judiciously Experimentally Spiritually and Powerfully and live Piously Charitibly Justly and Temperately and love good men and rebuke the wicked and put due difference between the precious and the vile those that serve God and those that serve him not those that swear and those that fear an Oath and make not the Church like the Commons or Wilderness And where the Diocesans are the encouragers of serious Godliness and duely rebuke the Enemies and neglecters of it and the vicious and profane I have never seen the place where such an exemplary worthy Ministry did not win the Hearts of the Nonconformists and became not very dear and amiable to them and usually drew them to Concord where before they differed § 35. But it must be a wise and godly King that must be the principal means to accomplish all this if ever it be done such a one that understandeth Gods Law and Interest and his own and Kingdoms real welfare may do that by good Laws and Prudent Government which shall be to parties of erroneous opinions a powerful byas to incline their Judgments to go right One man we may have more hope of making wise than of multitudes I had rather have a uniting settlement by the choice of a wise Prince and Parliament yea or of Diocesanes of Wisdom Piety and Peace than by the choice of any of the extreams whether Separatists or the Laudian New Church men that are for a Forreign Jurisdiction But through Gods great mercy the most of the Godly able Nonconformists Ministers falsly called Presbyterians of my acquaintance are so much for Truth and Peace and Concord that they would rejoice to live under such Bishops as were Nazianzene Basil Chrysostom Austin or such as Beadle Usher Downame tho an angry man Jewel Dr. Parker Grindal Pilkinton Sandies G. Abbot Rob. Abbot Hall Carlton Morton Davenant Brownrig and such like And are most Episcopal Nonconformists and would choose none but healing Terms § 36. And now what shall I gain by this Discourse I am sure of the censure of both the extreams And I expect that few should much regard what I have said but that scorners will scorn still and Fools hate Knowledge and that Lies carry on Murders and he that is the Father of both by both carries on his work in the World But great is the Truth and will prevail at last but whether on this side the new Heaven and Earth I know not § 37. I conclude with an earnest request to Godly peaceable men that they consider well before they speak against a National Church or for any above National under one humane Government and that they will read my old dispute of Church Government about Apostolick Successions with
OF National Churches Their Description Institution Use Preservation Danger Maladies and Cure Partly applied to England Written by RICHARD BAXTER for promoting peace when the pacifying Day shall come by Healing their Extremes that are willing of Peace and Healing And for the fuller Explication of the Treaty for Concord in 1660 and 1661. and of the Kings Gracious Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs for which he had publick thanks by them that afterward rejected it And for further Explication of his Treatise of Episcopacy and many others written for Peace and rejected Rev. 11. 15. The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall Reign for ever and ever Chap. 19. 16. King of Kings and Lord of Lords Matth. 5. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Jam. 3. 17. The wisdom that is from above is first Pure and then Peaceable c. London Printed by T. Snowden for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns the lower end of Cheapside 1691. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader THIS short Discourse cometh not from the expectation of pleasing any of the Extremes the Tyrannical or the Confounders And therefore in a Time and Countrey where those that escape Extremes are few it must expect but the private approbation of those few But those few and their Cause are so considerable as that if God mean not to forsake the Land they may yet become the Agents and stamina of a happy concordant Reformation Of which in the appearance of Second Causes there is yet no great prospect nor like to be unless God cause the Supreme Power by Wisdom and Righteousness or by their own constraining Interest and Necessity to drive the Worldly Unpeaceable Sort to obey Healing Precepts for their own Advantage contrary to their Temptations and Inclinations If such a day come when I am dead these Principles will be of use They are not lately taken up by me as you may see in my Five Disputations of Church Government c. in my Treatise of Episcopacy Nonconformity stated c. and in our frustrated Treaty for Concord 1660 1661. In the state that we are in while we have none to whom we have any Call or Hope to address our selves for publick Concord let us keep our selves from the guilt of unpeaceableness and bear the Slanders and Wrongs of false Accusers and thank God for checking the Power of Persecutors and let us make peace among those that we may speak to with any hope and wait on God till he shew us whether he be saving or forsaking the Land and the rest of the Reformed Unreformed Churches And to them that will be offended with me for saying so much for Bishops and Archbishops let them know that this Book is but an Attendant on a bigger written against a Foreign Jurisdiction or Popery which sheweth that I am no more for the Extremes of others ' than of theirs As also my Treatise of Episcopacy hath shewn And here I have proved that Popery is but a Fabrick built on the Ruins of National Churches or Christian Kingdoms And if it ever fall it must be by their Restoration The Lord pity the Blind Malignant Self-destroying World and prepare us better for a better Society London March 26. 1691. Richard Baxter LET the Reader note that § 7 8 9 and 10. of the XII th Chapter are misplaced and must be read as the end of the IX th Chapter The rest of the Errata's I have not time togather THE CONTENTS CHap. I. What a National Church is Ch. II. That Christ Instituted such a Church Form Ch. III. In the Execution as well as Embrio Judea was such Ch. IV. Particular Churches and Pastors how far Essential to a National Church and what are its Materials Ch. V. The Pastors or Bishops of National Churches are to be of three Ranks Apostolick Successors Ch. VI. Who must be the Lay-members of National Churches Ch. VII What is the Confederacy or Concord needful to a National Church Ch. VIII How far this Confederacy and Concord bindeth the Members of a National Church to Conformity Ch. IX That Christ hath Instituted no Ecclesiastical Government in Man of any larger extent than National much less Universal nor of Foreign Jurisdiction And that the French Aristocracy with the Popes Primacy and Patriarchate is as bad as Papal Monarchy Ch. X. Whether Universal Church Government more than per partes be of Apostolick Succession Ch. XI Whether National Church Primacy or Aristocracy infer Universal Ch. XII 1. Whether the Romans Church Policy should be chosen as strengthning the common Christian Interest 2. Whether Protestants Differences and Divisions make the Roman way of Concord necessary 3. Whether Protestants or Papists have more Errors Chap. XIII What are the Dangerous Diseases of a National Church Chap. XIV Whether the Present Church of England be of a sound Constitution and what is Necessary to its Welfare Safety Strength and Peace Chap. XV. The Case answered Of Tolerating Dissenters from the Laws or Customs of a National Church Books Printed for and Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel Baxter's Catholick Theology plain pure peaceable for Pacification of the Dogmatical Word-Warriours in three books Folio His Church History of Government of Bishops and their Councils Abbreviated Quarto His true History of Councils enlarged and defended Quarto His Treatise of Episcopacy Quarto His Saints Everlasting rest in four parts Quarto His Paraphrase on the New Testament Quarto His Life of Faith in three parts Quarto His answer to Dodwel and Sherlock Quarto His Catholick Communion in five parts Quarto Catholick Communion doubly defended c. Whether Parish Congregations be true Christian Churches defended against both Extremes Unnecessary Divisions Quarto His Apology for Non-Conforming Ministers Quarto His Naked Popery c. Quarto His Treatise of Knowledge and Love Compared c. in two parts Quarto His English Non-Conformity as under King Charles the second and King James the second truely Stated and Argued the Second Edition Quarto His Treatise of Self-Denial Octavo His Defence of Non-Conformists Plea for Peace Octavo His Full and Easy satisfaction which is the True and Safe Religion Octavo His Key for Catholicks opening the Juglings of the Jesuits Octavo His Catechizing of Families Octavo His Scriptures Gospel Defended and Christ Grace and free Justification vindicated against the Libertines Octavo His Two Disputations of Original Sin Octavo His Cain and Abel Malignity that is Enmity to Serious Godliness c. Octavo His Call to the Unconverted to turn and live c. Octavo His Glorious Kingdom of Christ described and clearly vindicated c. Quarto stitcht His Reply to Mr. Beverly's Answer to my Reasons against his Doctrine of a thousand years Quarto stitcht His Farewel Sermon prepared to have been Preached to his hearers at Kederminster at his departure but forbidden Quarto published
by himself Moral Prognostication 1st What shall befall Churches on Earth till Conquered by restitution of primitive Purity Simplicity and Charity 2. How the restitution is like to be made if ever and what shall befall them thenceforth to the end in that Golden Age of Love Quarto stitcht His search for the English Schismatick Quarto stitcht His Immortality of the Soul Octavo His Treatise of Justifying Righteousness in two books Octavo His Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction in two parts Octavo Joseph Alleine of Conversion in Octavo large Print with Cases of Conscience Alleine of Conversion in Twelves smaller Print with Cases of Conscience Alleine's Sure Guide in Twelves Mr. Steel of Old Age. Vincent of Conversion Touchstone of Grace and Nature Of Conscience The Spirit of Prayer Of Love among Christians Three Funeral Sermons Principles of the Doctrine of Christ Chap. I. What a National Church is § 1. A National Church and a Christian Kingdom constituted of a Christian Soveraign Magistrate and of Christian Subjects worshiping God ordinarily in true Particular Pastoral Churches is the same thing § 2. The ignorance of this hath confounded the Christian World by two extreams On one side a double mischief hath been by this ignorance introduced First That of Popery which first prophaneth the Sacred Office of Kings and Magistrates feigning them to be but a sort of secular Animals that have the care only of mens Bodies and trading and worldly Affairs and not of Souls or of mens everlasting Safety as if this belonged only to Priests whereby they make Kings to be as much baser than Priests as the Body is viler than the Soul and teach the Subjects accordingly to dishonour and contemn them 2. And while they confine Princes to the bounds of their own Dominions they pretend that the whole World must have one Church Soveraign either Monarchical Aristocratical or mixt which yet Humane Nature is utterly uncapable of so that truly Popery is founded on the degrading of Princes and States and overthrowing true National Church-bounds to set up an absurdly pretended Universal Soveraignty instead of it under Sacerdotal Heads § 3. And this mistake hath corrupted the late Innovating Prelatists that would be called the Church of England who have learnt of the Papists to appropriate the name of the Church or at least Church-Government to the Clergy and so think that a National Church must be unified and constituted by a National Sacerdotal Head either single or collective And that a Prince is not sacred enough to be a National Church Head That this novel Opinion is contrary to the Laws and the sense of Lawyers and the Doctrine of the Church of England and the very Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy is so well known as forbids me to lose any time in proving it It 's true that Queen Elizabeth and our Kings and Doctors have justly appropriated the Power of the Word Sacraments and the Keys of Admission to Christian Communion and of Excommunication and Absolution to the Pastoral Office and have proved that Christ did himself institute that Office and not leave it to the will or power of Princes to institute abrogate or alter it But it is as true that Princes are the Governours of those Pastors and may punish them for Male-administration and dispose of the things circasacra undetermined by Christ § 4. By this mischievous Errour also the Clergy have been drawn to tempt Kings and Magistrates to think that they are but Civil Officers and have not much need to be very studious to understand the Scriptures but must leave that to Bishops and Priests and take it on their words By which they have been perverted and let loose to ungodliness and debauchery wasting that time in Luxury and Sports and Idleness which should have been spent in studying of the Word of God and govern by erroneous ungodly Laws because they know not the Law of the Lord Whereas God hath commanded Kings and Rulers to study his Law diligently and keep it alwaies before their eyes and on their hearts and to govern according to it and make it the chief work of their Office to promote the obedience of it § 5. Moses was more the Mediator between God as Legislator and the People than Aaron was and was better acquainted with the Law and the meaning of it than Aaron was It was he that is called King in Jesurun And God instituted a Prophetical Succession of such which the Israelites sinned in changing for Kings A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you like to me him shall you hear tho' it meant Christ remotely and eminently it meant his Successors proximately Joshua was commanded the study of God's Law And David and Solomon are undeniable Instances to prove that Kings were by God appointed to be more wise and holy persons than the Priests And indeed if Kings be not better skill'd in God's Word than most of the Popish Priests are no wonder if they be the Subjects of Priests and be lightly esteemed as unmeet to Govern especially if Mr. Dodwell's Doctrine were true that the Essential work of the Ministry according to my Principles is to transact between God and Man to seal Covenants on behalf of God and to accept of those which are made by Men and to oblige them to perform their part of the Covenant by otherwise authoritatively excluding them from God's part Hence results the whole Power of Ecclesiastical Government And for this no great gifts and abilities are essential All the skill that is requisite essentially is only in general to know the benefits to be performed on God's part and the duties to be performed on Man's and the Nature and Obligation of Covenants in general and the particular Solemnities of Ecclesiastical Covenants And of this how any man can be uncapable who is but capable of understanding the common dealings of the World c. If it be much more knowledge than this that is commanded to Kings and Rulers then are they the more sacred persons and fitter to be Heads of a National Church than such Priests are § 6. Bishops or Pastors may be the constitutive Heads of Particular Churches and yet not of National nor therefore cease as such to be under the Government of Christian Princes nor Princes thereby be made Priests A School-Master a Colledge-Master an Hospital-Governour a Philosopher may be the Head of his particular Society and yet under a Prince that is not of his Art The King is no Physicion and yet Ruleth Physicions not as a chief Physicion but by the General Government of a King The Masters of Sciences and Arts as such govern none but Volunteers and therefore not by the Sword It 's Princes that do that § 7. Though Moses Law as such bind not us nor any further than Christ hath put it into his Law and many things in their Policy are unsuitable to our times and places and more in their way of Worship yet the true nature of
such a National Church as Christ did institute must be known by knowing what the Jews Church was as National and how far Christ would have continued that form of Government and what change it was that he was for § 8. 1. Christ would not have the Jewish Nation to retain their peculiarity as distinct from the Catholick Church for he came to call the Gentile World 2. He intended not to make Jerusalem the Seat of a Regent Church over the rest of the World as it then was over the Jews for he knew that it was to be destroyed 3. He intended not to settle one High Priest over the whole Catholick Church nor over the National Church For defacto he did it not and he knew that the High Priest did typifie himself only 4. He intended not to continue the Law of Moses as such nor its Ceremonious Worship but only so much of it as was of the Law of Nature common to others and so much of the Policy as by parity of cases and reason is suited to others as well as to the Jews § 9. But 1. He offered to be King over them as a holy National Kingdom-Church 2. He accordingly appointed the number of Twelve and Seventy under him as related to the Twelve Tribes and to their great Council 3. He sent these first to work upon them by Doctrine and Perswasion his Kingdom being a Government of Love Mercy and Free Grace that would have none but Volunteers 4. He gave them Laws by which he would govern them with promises of Reward and threats of Penalty 5. He extended this offered State and Priviledge to them and their Children 6. He intended to set up his Government in Power by Christian Princes as soon as his Word and Providence had ripened the Church for it § 10. I shall prove all this in the next Chapter when I have told you first that as the Papal Party hath been set up in their Usurpation Universal and National for want of understanding Christ's Institution of Kingdom-Churches so the separating and dividing part of the Nonconformists have by this oversight run into many hurtful Errours and unpeaceable and unjustifiable ways 1. How much the very name of a National Church is distasted by very many zealous persons through meer ignorance is too commonly known 2. And in Independents and too many Presbyterians the custom prevaileth of calling the exercise of Pastoral Discipline by the name of the Kingly Government of Christ as distinct not only from his Prophetical and Priestly Office but also from his Government by Magistrates As if Christ governed not as King as much and more eminently by Princes as by Priests or Pastors 3. And if a man speaketh but what Scripture speaketh for Christ's Government of the Churches by Magistrates they call him an Erastian Whereas the Errour of Erastus an excellent Protestant Physicion was not his being for the Government of Princes but his taking down the Power of the Keys too much which was the Office of Pastors and making Church-Communion over-common and too much denying Excommunication Of which I have written a peculiar Treatise to Dr. Ludov. Molinaeus shewing the true difference between the Power of Magistrates and Pastors 4. And hence great disorder hath arisen from the undervaluing of the Confederacy of all particular Churches in the same Kingdom and from a disobedience to the lawful determinations of Princes in Church Affairs and even from the causless singularity of every humorous Sect as slighting the Concord of the Confederate Churches what abundance of Schisms had it prevented with their dismal Effects if men had but retained a due Reverence to Church Confederacies and Concord and to the Christian Magistrates Power which caused the Presbyterians in Scotland and Ireland so marvelously to keep up Concord and keep out Sects though they were against Diocesans because they maintained National Church Confederacy § 11. It may perhaps be useful to others that I here confess my own Ignorance and Errour that I once thought that the Scots way of a National Church Confederacy and General Assemblies was but a sadling the Horse for Papal Usurpation to ride upon For I considered not that National Churches truly stated were Christ's Institution and the principal way to keep out Popery § 12. And whereas in my Defences against Dr. Stillingsleet and Dr. Sherlock I called the Christian Magistrate an Accidental Head and urged them hard to name the Essential National Church-Head I spake on supposition of their Opinion which I opposed that Bishops only were such Essential Heads from whom A National Church must be unified and specified But I still professed to own a National Church as a Christian Kingdom containing Confederate Pastoral Churches And of this the Soveraign Power is the Essentiating Head § 13. The names of distinction of Civil and Ecclesiastical as differencing the Office of the Christian Magistrates and Pastors may be used as well understood but is too Popish and used by Papists and some others to obscure and debase Christ's Government by Magistrates as if they were only for secular uses Whereas indeed in a Church as National the Prince is the chief Ecclesiastical Officer of Christ And the true differencing terms are fetcht not from the subject matter so much as from the Mode of Government one being forcible by the Sword and the other only on Conscience by the Word doctrinally opened and personally applied by the Keys And Ruling is called Civil because it is the Regiment over Cives quâ tales so it is Ecclesiastical as it is over Cives quâ Christianos and over particular Churches and Pastors and for Souls more than for Bodies and worldly Estates § 14. A National Church containeth not all that dwell in the Land but all that are Burgesses or Free-men in Church respects All be not Citizens that dwell in the City but they that are Denisons and have City-Rights and Priviledges As Christ is Head over all things To his Church Eph. 1. 23. so a Christian King is Head over his inhabiting Enemies and Aliens and Head to all Civil Denisons as he is a King and Head to all Christian Church Denisons as he is a Christian King § 15. In what cases Subjects may be Civil Denisons that are not Christian Denisons or Church Members requireth so many words and cautions to open that I omit the decision of it But were a Christian Kingdom such as it ought to be none should be a Civil Burgess with any Trust belonging to Government but such as are Baptized or professed Christians and are communicating Members in some Churches or Assemblies allowed or tolerated or that ought to be tolerated For a Kingdom and Church as formally Christian should be Ruled by none but Visible Christians This is true both of Magistrates Pastors and the chusers of of them But none should for this be forced or drawn to profess Christianity or communicate against their wills it being a priviledge that none have right to but those that
earnestly desired it Nor did the Antient Churches grant it to any other Nor would so much as receive Oblations for maintenance of Ministers from others Chap. II. That Christ instituted such a Church-Form § 1. THat Christ instituted such a Kingdom or National Church I prove as followeth 1. He was by the Prophets still described as such before his coming as was to be the King of Israel and Israel under him a National Church Moses was King in Jesurun Deut 33. 5. and said A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you like to me viz. that was a Prophet and King Melchizedeck was the Type of Christ that was King of Salem and Priest Psal 110. Heb. 8. David was herein a Type of Christ and Christ was promised to sit on his Throne Psal 2. 6. Yet have I set my King on my holy Hill of Sion Ezek. 37. 24. David my Servant shall be King over them and they shall all have one Shepherd c. My Servant David shall be their Prince for ever So v. 27 28. so Hos 3. 5. Exod. 19. 6. Ye shall be to me a Kingdom of Priests Dan. 2. 44. Mark 11. 10. Psal 33. 12. Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord. 2. Christ is proclaimed the King of the Jews and claimed that title and their subjection to him Matth. 2. 2. 27. 11. Mark 15. 2. He was of the Line of David and had right to his Kingdom He was scorned and crucified for that claim Mat. 27. 29 37. Mark 15. 9 12 18 26. Luke 23. 37. John 19. 21. The People acknowledged him King by their Hosanna He destroyeth them as Enemies that would not he should Reign over them Luke 19. 14 27. 3. He laid the Foundation of his offered National Kingdom among them He owned the Title and chose twelve Apostles in relation to the twelve Tribes and the seventy Disciples related to their great Council He would Preach to none but Israel till they rejected him He would have gathered all Jerusalem and her Children as the Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not Mat. 23. 37. He destroyed them for refusing him 4. He commissioned his Apostles to stay at Jerusalem till they rejected them They made up the broken number of twelve as related to the twelve Tribes by Matthias though Joses and others had also followed Christ 5. He appointed them to Preach the Gospel to Nations and to disciple Nations Mat. 28. Mark 16. 6. He planted the Gentiles into the same Olive-tree that the Jews were broken off from Rom. 11. 7. The Jews had not been broken off from their National Church-state but for unbelief Rom. 11. 8. He translated the Kingdom from them to a Nation that would bring forth the fruits of it 9. In due time the Kingdoms of the World were made the Ringdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11. 19. 10. Kings are to be the Churches Nursing Fathers 11. All Power in Heaven and Earth is given to Christ Mat. 28. and by him Kings Reign He is King of Kings and not of single persons only 12. But what need there any other proof while all Christians confess that All Kings are bound to be Christian Kings and to promote Christianity to their Power and all Magistrates and Subjects to be Christians And are not they then bound to be Christian Kingdoms and that is National Churches § 2. When he had prepared them to be voluntary Subjects by the Preaching of the Gospel and the Church came to maturity Christ actually set up National Kingdom-Churches and Ruled by Constantine successive Christian Princes And Heaven and Earth rejoyced that he had taken to him his great Power and Reigned and that the Kingdoms of the World were become his Kingdoms Rev. 17. 18. 19. Infancy is fitter for Instruction than to Govern Man is made to use Reason but he useth little in Infancy or till maturity That which was first in intention is last in execution Mature Reason in Man and Princely Government in Kingdom-Churches was first in intention tho' not in execution Who would wish that Pagans had still Reigned What Christian wisheth not that the Persians Indians Turks Tartars c. were all Christian Kingdoms Why else do the Millennies hope for such a state of holy Government § 3. Obj. But tho' there be no doubt of the command institution and duty what hope have we of the constitution and event that Kingdoms should become Christian Ans Our Question is of the Institution and Duty confess that and let us do our endeavour 2. Is not this a Christian Kingdom while King and Subjects are baptized professed Christians Are we a Protestant Kingdom and not a Christian Kingdom And are not others such Obj. But these be mostly but nominal Hypocrite Christians Ans They are visible professed Christians The Corn is not without Straw and Chaff Do you look for Kingdoms that consist only of the sincere Obj. But Churches must consist only of those that seem sincere Ans All seem sincere that profess sincerity till it be by tryal and witness publickly disproved There are several degrees of seeming some by fuller evidences than others but all that Vow it and stand to that Vow do seem and profess it till disproved Obj. But how prove you that a Christian Kingdom is a Church Ans Doth your Question mean de Re or de Nomine I told you what I mean by a Church no other than a Christian Kingdom consisting of a Christian Soveraign and Christian Subjects worshiping God in confederate particular Churches ordinarily will you deny the Being or the Duty of such If it be the Name 1. The word Ecclesia is used for even common Assemblies and therefore much more for Christian Societies 2. The Israelites were called The Church in the Wilderness much more when more fully stablished 3. If you have any reason against the Name disprove it 4. If the Name be all the difference call it as you please But make it not your pretence that only Priests are persons Holy enough to be Heads of Churches and not Kings and therefore that it is no National Church that hath not a Clergy Head Monarchical or Aristocratical for that 's the Popish Doctrine which I have confuted Chap. III. In the Execution Judea was such a Church § 1. IN the Execution of his Institution Christ in the time of Constantine and after made Judea it self a National Church as far as a Province of the Empire may be called a Nation The Empire as Christian headed by one Christian Soveraign and materiated by Christian Subjects obeying Christ both singly and in sacred Assemblies under their Bishops or Elders was all one National Church that is One Christian Kingdom long before promised by Christ and prepared for But as the Emperors allowed some Provinces to have subject tributary Kings and others to enjoy most of their Antient Laws and Liberties so they might secundum quid be called Kingdoms and National Churches
though they were but Provinces and parts of the Imperial Church And thus Judea became a National Church § 2. It is past question that many Kings who had given up their Kingdom to the Pagan Beast followed the success of Constantine and afterward did give up their Power to Christ yet no Kingdom was wholly converted at once nor of many years But yet while the Soveraign Power and Confederate Christian Pastors and Subjects had the chief Power it was truly a Christian Kingdom For the Form in capable matter doth denominate And tho' many Heathens were long permitted in Government that doth but prove that the Kingdom had two sorts of free Subjects one sort that were Christians and so were the chief Members who in all matters of Religion were exempted from Pagan Judicatures and the other Heathens who had a freedom in things secular § 3. Judea then was more eminently Christian than any other Nation of no greater extent There were Arch Bishops and Bishops and Presbyters and after a Patriarch And there were more Monasteries and Religious Societies and more Temples built there than in any Countrey that was no greater And more Christians flockt thither from other Nations out of a veneration for the place And indeed it was the mother-Mother-Church out of which all other Churches sprang Therefore if any Province might be called a National Church it was Judea § 4. This was when the Fulness of the Gentiles came in that is when the Gentile Empire turned Christian And so the Gentile Powers turned Christian provoked the Jews to emulation and requited them by becoming Nursing Fathers to them and bringing their Glory to Jerusalem And so all Israel was saved that is the body of Abraham's natural Seed and also the faithful Gentiles that were the spiritual Seed were unitedly gathered to Christ § 5. Obj. But they were mostly Gentiles that then dwelt there And that proveth no Conversion of the Jews Ans The scattered Jews were in many Countreys of the Roman Empire And most of them had neither mind nor means to return to a small and barren Land But as many as were willing and were zealous for their Countrey did live there and none were forbidden And it is far most probable that the most that were there left were such as kept their old Habitations And the most that were kill'd were the military part In the days of Constantine and after their Churches flourished And what greater encouragement could they have now to return were they converted than they had None would make them go against their wills If Gentile Christians and Jews were there mixt they did the more fitly suit a Catholick Church-state when Moses Policy and their Peculiarity ceased Should they in the feigned Fifth Monarchy-state be confined to that Countrey which is like our Wales how contemptible a Nation would they be in comparison of what Constantine allowed them both in Judea and throughout all the Empire No Nation was wholly converted at the first and if the Christian Jews that lost their name being Catholicks had no great mind to go to Judea it is no wonder Chap. IV. Particular Churches and Pastors how far essential to a National Church and what are its materials § 1. THere is more essential to a National Church than the meer Formal Cause or Soveraign Matter is essential as well as Form Yet not all parts of the Matter neither though all be parts Integral As in the Body a man cannot be a man without a stomach liver and lungs and heart but he may without a finger or a hand or leg § 2. I doubt not but I have proved that the Soveraign Magistrate is the Formal Humane Head of his Kingdom and as Christian of the Kingdom as Christian And nothing remaineth disputable but de Nomine whether a Christian Kingdom must be named a Church which Custom Etymology and Scripture put past question Our Civilians such as Dr. Zouch Dr. Rich. Cousins c. and our Lawyers say trulier than most have believed that the King is persona mixta Custos utriusque Tabulae and Head of the Church as a Christian Kingdom And for want of knowing this and the true nature and bounds of his Office how foully many have miscarried I have shewed 1. Those called Erastians carry it too far and give the Magistrate part of the Office of the Pastors even the Keys of Admission into the Church as a Church and of Excommunication which God hath put into the hand of the Pastors by as immediate a Commission as he hath put the Sword into the hand of the Magistrate And by this over-doing they undo They would ruine the Prince on pretence of defending his Power For all Authority hath also Obligation to duty And must Princes and Magistrates be put on the task of trying the Faith and Repentance of all that are to be Baptized Confirmed Absolved or Excommunicated Then they must leave their own Calling for they will here find work enough This is like the Separatists making the People Judges by which they would undo them calling them from their Callings to take on them a work of which they are uncapable and about which they will never long agree and making them responsible to God for all their Male-administration As if the King must not only be Governour of Physicions but must be a Physicion himself and give Medicines and be answerable for the Patients lives Or must be a Schoolmaster because he governeth Schoolmasters And this puts them on a necessity of casting out true Discipline and holding the Opinion that Sacramental Communication should be common to the Godly and the openly Wicked as being a Converting Ordinance and that Excommunication is but Tyranny Just as those Diocesans that will have no Bishops but one over a thousand or many score or hundred Parishes by pleading for their sole Episcopal Power take on them the sole Obligation to Episcopal duty and so make themselves responsible for that work which requireth many hundred men and under themselves while they undo the Churches and leave all true Discipline undone and mock not God but men and themselves with names and ceremonious shadows 2. And the Papal and French Prelatists have by this Ignorance got a fixed false Opinion that as Pastors are the Constitutive Heads of Particular Churches so they must be of National Churches and that every National Church must be unified and specified by one Clergy Soveraignty in one person or in a Colledge or Aristocracy Or else that a Christian Kingdom is not properly a Church because it hath not a Priestly Head It 's true that it is not univocally a Church of the same species or rank as a Pastoral Church is but is more eminently and as fitly called a Church as Israel was 3. And the Independent Separatists and Anabaptists for want of understanding this as I said before cry down National Churches with scorn and run away from National Concord into endless Divisions and Sects while at the
same time they pray and wait for National Churches in the Millennium as the Fifth Monarchy And none of them will deny it to be the Duty of all Kings and Kingdoms to be Christians and so that Christian Kingdoms are Christ's Institution and Command § 3. But the Soveraign is the Judge what Pastors and Churches he shall allow and maintain as parts of the National Church or Kingdom As the Colledge is to judge who is fit to be a Physicion and the Patient who shall be his Physicion and the trusted Physicion what Medicine he shall give But the King to judge whom he will allow in his Kingdom and to make Laws forbidding poisonous Drugs and abuses of Physicions Even so the Ordainers are Judges who are fit to be Pastors and the People whom they will trust their Souls with as their Pastors and the trusted Pastors to judge what Doctrine to Preach and whom to receive to Communion or to Excommunicate but the King to judge whom he will allow maintain or tolerate as Members of the Christian Kingdom or National Church § 4. That all essential parts of a National Church are not the Form that denominateth as aforesaid needs no more proof than that Matter and Privation by which Aristotle meant Dispositio Materiae receptiva are not the Form of a Natural Body So that Confederate Pastoral Churches are necessary yea essential matter of a National Church or Christian Kingdom when it is past being a meer Embrio or unshapen Mass and is come to be a well shapen Politick Body Till then it is but as the body in the womb while the punctum saiiens first maketh the Heart Eyes Brain and Arteries before it hath made the Stomach Liver Lungs and Intestines It is not yet come to shew what Christ's Institution of a Church was § 5. But our great Controversies are I. Who be the Organical Pastors that must make up a National Church II. Who must be the Lay-members of those Churches III. What that Confederacy must be that must unite them IV. How far the Members are bound by that Confederacy And because Ignorance hath made these Points of so much Controversie and Consequence I will open them distinctly By which I conjecture it will appear that Dr. Stillingfleet differed but about the right wording of the definition of a National Church Chap. V. Of Pastors or the Bishops of National Churches that they are to be of Three ranks § 1. THat Pastors are the prime necessary part of the Matter of a Kingdom-Church tho' not the Unifying Form is plain in Scripture and in the nature of their Office and of a Church § 2. The Independent Separatists therefore shew gross Ignorance when they make a meer Community unorganized to be a Church in sensu Politico and then must have a Lay-man that was of the Universal Church before to be by the Peoples Votes chosen a Member of that Church while it hath no Pastor and then chosen their Pastor after Whereas a meer Community is no more a Political Church without a Pastor than a Community is a Kingdom that hath no King individual or collective existent or virtual Or than this can be a School without a Schoolmaster or a Family without a Head of it § 3. As Nature first formeth by the Soul and Spirits ex materia seminis the heart and prime organical parts and by them formeth all the rest and last of all formeth the Stomach and Intestines to be the Organs of future nutrition and then putteth in the nutriment which in the Chicken is the Yelk of the Egg the bodily stamina being first made of the white and then closeth up the before enclosed stomach upon that food so Christ did first by his Calband Spirit make some prime organical General or Indefinite Ministers and by them make others fixed in particular Churches and Offices and by them edifie and feed and perfect the Body by their Official Ministration and fit the people to digest the received food for their continued nutrition And as the King first maketh General Officers for his intended Army and then by them or immediately commissioneth Generals and Captains to raise their several Regiments and Companies and doth not make the common Souldiers before the Officers that are to Rule them so was it done by Christ at the gathering of his Church But when a Church is gathered or an Army raised they are not to be dissolved or disbanded when the Pastor the Captains or Generals die but continue in the existent state of a Community and the state of a Virtual Policy till a Pastor or Ruler be chosen because the Legal Institution de specie keeps up a virtual or intentional Policy still § 4. Christ's first Instituted Officers were Apostles and after the Inferior Official Disciples immediately from himself to convert Souls and make them fit matter for his Kingdom-Church and these were afterward to gather into distinct regular Congregate Churches such as were so converted by their Ministry and to place fixed Elders over them § 5. These Twelve Apostles and Seventy Disciples were first instituted in and for a National Church state Christ found the Jews under a National Form and therefore did not at first change that Form but only changed the Laws and Ordinances made for their Infant state of peculiarity which he had fulfilled for them they being but a Paedagogy to lead to and till Christ § 6. It 's plain that the number of Twelve and Seventy were chosen as related to the Twelve Tribes all then in being and known and of the Sanedrim or great Council And therefore a National Form of Church-Officers and not yet Universal nor Congregational § 7. Therefore Christ himself would not Preach beyond the Tribes of Israel nor give the Childrens bread to Dogs till he was finally rejected by the Children of the Kingdom and ' so the Kingdom taken from them and given to a Nation that would bring forth the fruits of it And he forbad his Apostles to go among the Gentiles and confined them to the lost Sheep of the house of Israel § 8. It is plain that Christ would have this just number of twelve kept up in relation to the twelve Tribes till the Kingdom was taken from them because one and but one was to be chosen in Judas room and so the due number of the Twelve to be kept up This proveth the Institution of a disparity of Ministers § 8. The Keys of the Kingdom were given first to the Apostles before the empowering of the seventy and that as to distinct superior Officers And the word Keys signifieth Government when Christ is said to have the Keys it is expounded by his opening and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth The Government was laid on his shoulders as King and Counseller Isa 9. 6 7 8. And as his Father gave the Keys and sent him so he sent his Apostles and gave power to them § 9. But there is no doubt but this Power
for such Communion But National Provincial or Diocesane Communion is but by distant agreement in the same Profession among persons perhaps many hundred Miles distant that never see each other And the Ministerial Work doth accordingly differ Dr. Hammond maintaineth that in Scripture times there were no Bishops that had any more than a Congregation to whom he Preached and Personally Officiated Chap. VI. Who must be the Lay-Members of National Churches § 1. INfidels and Heathens may be free Members of a Kingdom as a Kingdom and in a Kingdom as Christians may be tolerated when they cannot be cured And may be used as Inferior Officers in such secular affairs as they are capable of But a Christian Kingdom and Church as such consisteth of no Denisons Burgesses or men free and empowered in matters of Religion but only such as are Baptized or openly professed Christians and their Children and are not proved to have nullified that profession by Heresie or such sin as rendreth their profession incredible and invalid And all these Baptized Visible Christians must be taken for such Members § 2. Where the Essentials of Christianity are Visibly Professed there may be a great difference of Members in Gifts and Soundness Some may be Eminently Laudable and Useful and some may be so Faulty as are fit for Rebuke and Punishment and yet all Members § 3. The Priviledges of some that are not Disfranchised or Excommunicate may yet be suspended while they are under trial For as nothing but Capital Crimes or Excommunication for Impenitence after due Admonition doth cut them off so while they have rendered this justly questionable just Legal Tryal must needs suspend their questioned right till Judgment decide it whether they be impenitent or not or their Crime be Capital § 4. In the Jewish State many hainous Sins were to be punished with Death As Murder Blasphemy Worshiping False Gods drawing men from the true God Cursing Parents Willful and Obstinate Gluttony and Drunkenness and Debauchery after Parents Patient endeavours to reform them Adultery Incest Sodomy some Perjuries And dead men can be no Church Members on Earth Therefore this Death for Sin was an Excommunication and more Therefore they that Plead that any such should be tolerated because the Jews were often such and not Excommunicated is to plead the example of Criminals against the express Letter of the Law and argue à facto prohibito contra legem prohibentem And whether Mr. Galaspi and others have proved any more than Church-Suspension against any but those that were to be put to Death I leave the Reader to consider § 5. It is a Controversie whether the Church be in the Common Wealth or Kingdom or the Common Wealth in the Church And the former is by most asserted Ans 1. Under Infidel or Heathen Kings that are out of the Church themselves the Church is in the Common Wealth 2. And under Christian Kings or other Soveraigns the Particular Churches are in the Common Wealth as parts in the whole 3. And as the Common Wealth is taken so largely as to comprehend Pagans in Inferior Magistracy as in the days of the first Christian Emperors there the Church is in the Common Wealth But take the Common Wealth as meerly and truly Christian and it is the same thing with the National Church and one is not in the other being but two Names for one thing § 6. The appropriating the Name of the Church to the Clergy as distinct from the Laity is the Plot or Part of Popish Tyranny and Fallacy Implying falsly that the National Church must be specified and unified by a Priestly Head Monarchical or Aristocratical and that a King is not a person sacred enough to be the Supream Head in his own National Church Nor the people Holy enough to be its Materials As if Lords Commons Citizens and other Lay Christians were no parts of the Church when Great Magistrates are Nobler parts than a multitude of Ignorant Vicious Curates and Priests § 7. From this Cheat they have claimed the sole Power as of Divine Right of making Canons that shall be obliging Laws and of being the sole determiners of Religious Cases Too many Presbyterians and Independants are for this Clergy claim calling only the Ministers work the exercise of Christs Kingly Office But the Frenchified Prelatists much more § 8. Hence is the common sence and abuse of the distinction of Civil and Ecclesiastical Government intimating that Kings are not to Govern the Church not meddle beyond Civil and Secular concerns But of this before § 9. The power of the Sword or force belongeth only to the Magistrate to be used by him as Judge and not as the Clergies Lictor or Executioner the Bishops and Clergy have no forcing Sword power unless the King give it them for which mostly they are unmeet having proper work enough of their own Tho some cases may be excepted Chap. VII What is the Confederacy or Concord needful to a National Church § 1. AFfirmatively 1. A Baptismal Confederacy to be all the true Subjects of one God one Christ and Holy Ghost against the Devil World and Flesh § 2. 2. A Consent to live as Christians in Love to one another and to addict our selves to the good of one another specially to the welfare of the whole Body and to do as we would justly be done by § 3. 3. To be all the Loyal subjects of one Christian Soveraigns Power § 4. 4. To be all for the publick Worshiping of God and our Redeemer in Christian Assemblies guided and ruled by Christian Pastors or Bishops qualified and described by Christ in his Word the instituter of the Pastoral Office and not of any new sort of humane Ministry or uncapable persons that are wanting in any thing essential to the Office § 5. 5. To take the Sacred Scripture for the Word of God and the sufficent Rule of Divine Faith and Holy living And to profess an explicite Belief of the Creed as it was transmitted to us from the Apostolick Churches and to take the Lords Prayer for the summary rule of our desires and hopes and the Decalogue as owned and expounded by Christ for the summary rule of our Obedience with the Sacraments instituted by him § 6. 6. To profess Obedience to true Authority in Parents Magistrates and Pastors and all true Governours so far as they are empowered by God and to obey God above all and no men against him and his Laws And Rulers to profess to obey God and Rule as his Ministers for the Common welfare and to promote the obedience of Gods Laws § 7. 7. For Magistrates Pastors and Parents to profess their endeavour to promote the true Preaching of the Gospel and the transmitting of it in Purity to Posterity and to encourage and not unjustly forbid or hinder the publication and practice of it § 8. Negatively 1. It is not meet that this confederacy so appropriate the Body of the National Church to any one
Interest hath once fixed them do censure me for changing and repenting that temptation shall not prevail with me to deny Learning and Repenting till I know at what Age we must fix our ne ultra or who be the Teachers that we must believe as infallible while we dispute against Humane as well as Papal Infallibility § 2. I therefore penitently confess that I was long aversly suspicious of National Churches and National Church-Goververnours because I could not see how those that held these could confute Popery For I thought that by the same reason that Presbyters must have Bishops over them and Bishops Arch-Bishops and they Metropolitans or Patriarchs these also must have some body over them to Ordain them and to Govern them And because I denied the latter I denied also the former and thought Episcopacy would infer Popery § 3. And lest any should fall by the like temptation and Papists should plead my Principles as for them or should infer that if National Churches and Prelacy be Jure Divino Universal Church Soveraignty is so also I shall here tell those that may have the like temptations how I escaped this And I will add the rest of the difficulties that ever seemed to me to be of considerable weight to tempt an impartial man to Popery and tell the less studied how to answer them better than the most can do § 4. I have long known that Popery doth not essentially consist in the other Errours about Doctrine or Worship as Images praying to Saints and Angels Masses Relicts Merits Justification Free-will Purgatory Transubstantiation c. If a Greek or Armenian or Abassine hold these and no more he is not therefore a Papist You may call them Integral parts of Popery if you will but not essential The Essence is only the Opinion of Universal Humane Church Soveraignty and a Church Universal Unified and formally Constituted thereby § 5. This is considerable 1. Quoad Rationem Rei 2. And quoad Rationem Nominis 1. As to the Thing it is such a Soveraignty feigned whether in a Monarchy Aristocracy or any mixt or other Form as being an Usurpation of Christ's Office and making a Vice-Christ which is an Antichrist 2. As to the Name it is called Popery from them that place this Soveraignty in the Roman Pope though it would be the same thing if they placed it in the Bishop of Constantinople § 6. Of these there are three sorts of Papists 1. Some place it in the Pope alone 2. Some in the Pope and a General Council or Clergy agreeing 3. And some in a General Council the Pope being only Principium Unitatis as having the primam sedem priviledged ordinarily to call them and moderate And in the Intervals of such Councils in an Aristocratical Colledge of all the Bishops in the World governing per literas formatas This last as most irrational I have at large confuted It is the other two that deserve further confutation § 7. And seeing it is the summa Potestas or Soveraignty that is the unifying and denominating Form of a Political Society it clearly followeth that those that now go under the name of Papists or Roman Catholicks are indeed of three distinct sort of Churches and not as they pretend of One But names not understood delude the ignorant saying it is but One Church maketh it not One. § 8. They uncharitably and very hurtfully mistake 1. Who say that Popery essentially began when God and Constantine exalted the Bishops and Pride in many abused that mercy 2. And they that say it essentially began when Image-worship began 3. And they that date it from the assumed Name of Universal Bishop or Head of the Universal Church which Leo I. assumed and Phocas gave Boniface as long as they meant not the Universal Church on all the Earth but only the Universal in the Empire which was long meant § 9. Now among all temptations to Popery I never found any of difficult weight but these I. The Apostolical Office continueth in its ordinary continued Part and Work But Universal Church Government is an ordinary continued Part and Work of the Apostolick Office Ergo Universal Church-Government continueth that is de jure divino II. The Superiority of one National Church Government is Jure Divino Ergo so is the Superiority of an Universal Church Government III. The Roman Policy seemeth greatly advantageous for the Preservation Honour and Propagation of Christianity in the World and hath much upheld it IV. The scandalous divisions of the Reformed and other Churches are so dishonourable and weakening and dangerous to Christianity as seemeth to make the Roman Policy and Unity necessary V. The Errors of the Protestants in their Opposition to Popery are so many and gross and their unjust accusations of the Papists so palpable especially their Exposition of the Revelation so Partial Erroneous and Hostile as seemeth much to make their Cause more suspected than the Papists § 10. These Reasons which prevailed with such great Men as Erasmus Cassander Grotius and many others need a more accurate answer than most Protestants are prepared to give which we should find were the Papists by Liberty of Religion let loose to open Disputes among us I have tryed some Judicious Ministers with the first of these and have had but such answers as are defective and insufficient § 11. The Answer which satisfieth me is this We must distinguish 1. The Apostles Power as Promulgators of Christs Law and a Legislative Power to make Laws of their own 2. Between a Legislative and a Judicial and Executive Power 3. Between an Universal and an Indefinite Power and Exercise 4. Between a Power to be used personally disjunct each one his part in his own Province and a Power in many conjunct making one Political Person or Supreme as in an Aristocracy 5. Between proper Regiment where Authorit as Imperantis is the formal Object of the Subjects Obedience and Contract or Consent for Brotherly Agreement and Communion And so between a Confederacy and a Political Society and between Inequality in Teachers and Perswaders and Inequality in Commanders § 12. This much presupposed we must enquire what the Apostles Power was that we may know how much of it is continued as ordinary And I. Names used by Christ and the Holy Ghost were not useless to the notifying of the things signified by them And Apostolus signified much more than Episcopus To be an Apostle was by Christs own Mouth or special Revelation from Heaven to be one sent Indefinitely to be his special Witness and Messenger to publish his Gospel to Infidels and work Miracles to confirm it and gather Churches hereby But a Bishop as such had not this Mission and Power § 13. II. The Apostles Power to speak of Christ his words and works as Eye and Ear-witnesses is not continued to Successors no more than the confirming Power of Miracles § 14. III. The number of Twelve and Seventy two were a National Form fitted to
the Jewish State and not an Universal And this National Form went before that part of the Apostles Work and Power which was to be Universal or Indefinite § 15. IV. The Apostles made no Universal Laws of their own but only promulgated the Laws of Christ which by his Word and Spirit he taught them And to that end he promised and gave them his Spirit to lead them into all Truth and bring all to their remembrance and they were sent to all Nations indefinitely to Convert them and Baptize them and to teach them to observe all things that Christ had commanded them The Cryer is not the Law-maker though he proclaim the Law The Obligations to Infant-baptism and the Lords day alledged by some as Apostolical Laws are from Christ himself as I have proved elsewhere at large the Apostles being Authorized Witnesses and Promulgators And had they done it by the extraordinary promised Spirit it had so been Christs own Law-giving no other having that promise of the Spirit to make a new Word of God or Universal Law by bringing all his Commands to remembrance and leading them into all Truth The determinations Acts 15. were also the delivery of the Law of Christ the Holy Ghost giving them the certain understanding of it And it 's like that as two of the four Cases Fornication and Idol-Communion were of known Morality so the other two strangled and Blood-eating if not so were not of Universal Obligation but only to those Gentiles that lived among the offended Jews The like may be said about the Institution of Deacons and Bishops of single Churches If they did not Institute them as in Christs Name by his Command or Spirit but had Authority from him to do it as Apostles It was under the promise of the Spirits Infallible Guidance and a Temporary Work in which they have no Successors For Christs Church would never be formed nor his Laws and Word setled perfect if we must have Men in all Ages to add to his Church Ordinances and Officers and to make him new Laws and a new Word How big would his Bible be then at the last Why have no new Scriptures as his been so made these 1600 years I hope our Volumes of Councils will not go for such § 16. V. The occasional determination of Questions about mutable Circumstances as long Hair the Vails the Love-feasts the time of Collections for Charity and divers such were not Universal but Local and not of Immutable but occasional Mutable Obligation and were but such as National and Congregational Governors may determine without any Universal Supreme Power The Genus or Rule by which they must be determined Edification Love Concord Peace Decency Order being Gods Laws § 17. VI. There is great difference between what the Apostles did as Segregate or Dis-junct each one in his Province and what they did as an Aristocratical Person or College unitedly They Ordained Elders gave the Holy Ghost setled Churches decided Controversies wrote Books and Epistles singly each one in his Province and met not to write any one Book or Epistle by a Major College-Vote in one Body And though their Books now oblige all the Church that have them yet 1. At the first writing they obliged only the Churches or Persons to whom they were written and only after by parity of Reason bind others that have them And every ordinary Pastor that writeth a Book that is sound Divinity bringeth an Obligation on all that read it to obey it according to the Evidence of truth The Obligation of the Apostles Books and theirs is Extensively Indefinite or Universal to all that read or hear it But the Degree of the Obligation Intensively is greater from the Apostles Writings because of their extraordinary Spirit § 18. VII The decision Acts 15. was not by a General Council nor a Pope No such Council was called But they were sent and appealed to as Men of most infallible fitness to decide that Case and if they did it as a College it was only as a National Church College such as de formâ the Jews Nation had in which relation they were first setled For as Twelve they were only so related others being added to be sent with them to the Centiles And besides and after that we never read that they did any thing but in their separate Provinces and Personal Capacity § 10 VIII And as they never did as an Universal Aristocratical College by Vote make new Universal Laws to the Church much less by any ordinary continued Power so neither did they as such a College exercise Judicial or Executive power but did it in their single Capacities only in their proper Provinces and that was partly by an ordinary power of Reproof and Excommunication which continueth and partly by an extraordinary miraculous power of delivering to Satan for Corporal punishment which power is ceased with them Tho' Papists in a mock-imitation deliver the Excommunicate to the Secular powers to be kill'd as if these were Devils As for the Universal Laws that tell whom to Excommunicate they are Christs own Laws and Rules of Judgment To which if men may add the like no wonder if they make Sin and Heresie as they please and Excommunicate and deliver to Satan their Magistrates whom they will and if he that was an Orthodox Saint this year be burnt without change as an Heretick the next and it be never certain till the end of the World what is Heresie or Sin and what not § 20. IX It being certain then that the Apostles did not as an Aristocratical Supreme power over the Universal Church Exercise Legislation Judgment and Execution much less by any ordinary continued power it followeth that they have no Successors that have such power and all Government being contained in these three parts there is de Jure no Universal Governour § 21. X. The power of Moses and Aaron were of equal extent and both of Divine Institution but Aaron was under Moses Government And Christ gave the Twelve and Seventy at first no larger Provinces or Power And when he added more and sent them to the Gentiles he commanded every Soul to be subject to the Princes power as of God Therefore their power in the Empire was limited and subject to the Imperial Government and so in other Lands They were bound to fear God and Honour the King They might by Doctoral and Nunciative Authority perswade Emperors and deliver Gods Commands and so still may any ordinary Teacher but not by Imperant Judicial and Executive power Govern them unless by self-subjecting they make them their Governors as Pupils do their Tutors and Patients their Physicions Yea they could make no Man a Christian but by Persuasion to voluntary consent and till they were Christians they could not Govern them as Christians And they were not Governors of the World but Monitors and Persuaders § 22. XI Indefinite and were it possible Universal Concord Love and Communion All Christians must endeavour
which Ministers do with greater Obligation and Advantage than the People and Apostles above both And Kings and States are as much obliged to it as Bishops But they are not on that pretence to make one Universal King or Senate to be a Soveraign Power to them and all the Earth or Church But only by Diets or Confederacies to join their Powers and Endeavours to so good an End And so is it with Bishops and Churches § 23. If they say That it is Union and Concord with the Pope or Rome or their Councils that we are bound to let them but renounce their pretence to Government of all and we shall easily decide the other difference If we must not Unite to them as Governors but as Brethren they are as much bound to Love and Union with us as we with them And Christ is sufficient to be the Center of Union to the whole Body and hath made them the sufficient and only Laws of Universal Concord among themselves § 24. Obj. To be obliged by Gods Law to Concord and to have Councils and Bishops determine in what we must agree inferreth our Duty to agree in those Points which cometh to all one as Government by them Ans 1. If they be not Governors but Equals we have as much power to propose Articles of Agreement to them as they to us 2. There are no Articles of Universal Agreement in all the Churches on Earth necessary but what Christ hath made such And to pretend to make such and Usurp his Prerogative is a sin that we must not agree with 3. The vanity of their talk of true Universal Councils I have oft at large detected 4. We grant submission to the true power of National Governors and Councils but Universal we know not 5. Just National Laws must be obeyed But Conciliar Canons of Concord by Equals bind us not to Agreement when mistake maketh them against the common Good and Ends of Concord Nor do Mens Laws or Agreements bind us to any thing against the Laws of God § 25. XII We all own an Universal Church Government Partite or Exercised by parts as all the Physicions Medicate all England and all the School-masters teach them and all the Judges and Justices judge them And so Cyprian meant that Episcopatus unus est of which each one hath a part That is 1. In specie institutâ 2. Quoad Objectum All the particular Churches governed make one Universal Church 3. Quoad Finem But no Man nor any Senate or College or Council as una persona politica is Soveraign We have no Universal King but Christ Chap. XI Whether a National Church Soveraignty infer the need or lawfulness of a Humane Universal Church Soveraignty § 1. Ans NO For 1. Man is capable of one but uncapable of the other 2. Christ hath given Commission for one but not for the other 3. Every Kingdom hath one Humane Soveraignty in Sword Government But so hath not all the World one And there is less reason for and less possibility of one Humane Governing Soveraignty by the Word and Keys 4. God set one Moses and one Aaron or Priesthood over Israel but not over all the World If Adam or Noah was such while the World was but a Family or Tribe he would not have it so when it was uncapable of it 5. The Summons and Subscriptions and the Limits of the Imperial Power tell us that the most General Councils were but Imperial that is National in Extent as I have proved against Johnson And therefore no more can be claimed since § 2. Obj. But if a Presbyter must be Ordained by a Bishop as Superior and a Bishop by an Archbishop and he by a Patriarch what Superior shall make him but a Pope or Council Ans 1. You may next ask Who then must Make or Consecrate a Pope Is it a Superior Contrarily If a Pope may be made by Inferiors as they do a Patriarch a Metropolitan an Archbishop and a Bishop may quoad esse be validly made by Men of the same Order Yea and Presbyters too where Politick Order and Church safety forbid it not § 3. It is so far from being true as I once foolishly thought that National Church Supremacy inferreth Popery that it is a necessary or very great means against it without which though particular Souls may be saved from Popery a Nation cannot long nor ever was that I have read of For Popery is but the Invading of the power of all other Bishops and Kings And for each one to reassume his own power is the direct Deposing of the Pope As if one King or Senate claimed the Government of all Kings and Senates how should these Usurpers be Deposed but by every King and Parliaments reassuming their own § 4. But then every party that differeth in the Form of National Government must not pretend that it is only their Form that is the Bulwark against Popery National Church Concord and Strength may be kept up by a Supreme Christian Prince or State with a Concordant Ministry whether among themselves United as the Scots in General Assemblies or as in England by Archbishops Bishops and Convocations obeying the Laws of Christ and the just Laws of the King and State that are made for determining needful Circumstances supposing such Bishops qualified and chosen justly and usurping none of the Sword-bearers power § 5. That National Laws about matters of Religion may and must be made and that Princes consulting with Pastors must make them and that these are not to extend to all the World is a truth unquestionable In England the Law must command us to use English Bibles but not all over the World It is meet to bind the Churches to use one Translation of the Scriptures Else one will say Your Text or what you alledge is not in my Bible and another It is not in mine And many inconveniences would follow And one Form of Catechism one Form of Confession one Metre of singing Psalms and about the Sacraments and other Offices one Form moderately imposed or agreed on is convenient But if one part will too rigorously impose things needless or command things sinful or justly suspected or the other side refuse things lawful and fit because imposed National Concord will be broken Chap. XII The Three other Reasons for Popery answered briefly Quest III. SHould not the Roman Church Policy in reason be owned for the advantage of Christianity against Infidels Ans 1. We deny not but Unity Concord Power and Riches and the great number of Adherents is a great advantage to Christianity against Infidels And all these are Gods Gifts and as such do good 2. But the abuse of them though it do not quite frustrate the genuine Effects yet so depraveth them that it 's a doubt whether the hurt to the common Christianity be not greater than the advantage If Unity were maintained in Christs way it would have far better Effects than in the Papists way 3. Yet we
deny not but the Providence of God hath made use of the Roman Power Numbers Concord and Riches to uphold the common Cause But all is not Good that God over-ruleth and useth to good permitting Man to cause the Evil. As a Man may use the Cruelty without causing it of a Hound a Ferret or a Hawk against the Prey to fulfil his just will Had National Kingdom Churches been kept up under true Christian Kings and Pastors and these Kings and Pastors in Dyets and Councils kept due Confederacies by Consultation and Contract without mutual Jurisdiction the common Cause had been better promoted than it hath been by Popery that hath shamed it and weakened it by Persecutions Divisions Treasons and Wars Quest IV. Whether the Divisions of other Christians render the Roman Government desireable for Concord Ans 1. There are more that Unite in Mahometanism and far more in Paganism than all the Christians in the World And Satan knoweth how to advantage his Kingdom by Concord as well as to weaken Christs Kingdom by Division 2. The Bishops have made the greatest Schisms and Division in the Church that ever was made by sinful Usurpation and Corruption and Impositions and Persecutions Unchurching the far greatest part of Christians and appropriating the Church Title to his own Sect alone All the Bloody Murders of the Waldenses Bohemians and other Protestants the Inquisition the present Wars that France hath involved Europe in are on pretence of Unity We like not the Unity that Satan maintaineth and that at such a rate of Blood 3. But I have before and elsewhere proved that the Protestants for all their Divisions have a far better Unity than the Papal Church hath so that this Question is elsewhere and here sufficiently answered Quest V. Whether the Errors of the Protestants do not so disparage them as to make the Roman Church more Honourable Ans 1. That is should not Men chuse a Leprosie to cure an Itch We deny not but where Controversies shew our Differences among our selves one Party must needs be in an Error either de re or de nomine But we agree in all that 's necessary to Salvation and Brotherly Love And Pride and Envy and Malignity are more the Causes of our Disagreement than our Religion Especially unskilfulness in Words and stating Cases I have endeavoured to shew in many Books especially my End of Doctrinal Controversies my Catholick Theology and Methodus Theologiae that our Differences are most in Words whose sence is not mutually understood How many Loads of Controversal Volumes are written by Papists against each other And what heavy Charges of Simony Filthiness Heresie c. have even General Councils and Historians laid on the Popes and many Councils And note that the Pope or Council is the Essentiating Form of the Papal Church as such and therefore an Unholy or Debauch'd or Heretick Head proveth that the Church is Unholy or Heretical Because the Form denominateth and is Essential But it is not so with the Protestants that own no Universal Head but Christ who is Infallible and perfect This much I thought needful to add against them that pretend an Institution of Christ for a Political Universal Head and a Foreign Jurisdiction above a National Church or Christian Kingdom He that would compare Papists Errors with Protestants let him read Chamier Blondel de Ecclesia Molinaeus of the Novelty of Popery Rivet Downame de Antichristo Jewel Whitaker and other such § 7. How few Bishops or Church Doctors are for Learning equal to Boetius Joh. Picus Francis Picus Erasmus Hutten Goldastus Freherus Pistorius Faber Stephanus Father and Son Mornay Lord Du Plessis Mich. Hospitalius Thuanus the two Scaliger's Salmasius Grotius Sarravius Justellus and many other Lay-men And are Kings and Magistrates uncapable of Wisdom § 8. How vast is the difference between Governing one Kingdom and Governing all the World Do I need to aggravate it And is not one King with Wise Judges and Justices as capable of Governing one Kingdom as an Utopian College of Bishops that some dream of or a Pope and Cardinals of Governing all the World Can such ignorant vicious Monsters as Councils have condemned for the most odious Wickedness and Heresie better Rule at Abassia Armenia or the Antipodes than a Good King can Rule in England § 9. Councils consist of the Subjects of many Foreign Princes and usually their Princes chuse who shall go And they that are near the place of meeting will be the most And none can come against their Princes wills And few Bishops will disobey their Lords that send them or that they live under And must such Subjects of Papists Turks Infidels Heathens be Masters of England of King and People and of all the Religion in the World § 10. Cannot Bishops at hand here better try the Cause of one accused for Heresie Fornication Treason Murder c. and that by virtue of a Commission from God than a meeting of Bishops out of all the World a Thousand Mile off can try it § 11. But I shall here pass by my chief proof of this that God hath ordained no Humane Government distinct from meer consultation or Concord and Communion above National Headed by Christian Soveraignty Because I have ready for the Press a full Treatise of it in Two Books The first proving Historically by their own words that Archbishop Land Archbishop Bromhall Bishop Guning Bishop Sparrow Bishop Sam. Parker Dr. Pet. Heylin Mr. Thorndike Dr. Saywell and divers others have written for a Foreign and Universal Jurisdiction The second Book fully disproving it and proving that the Kingdom and Church is Sworn against it and that the Parliaments and the Church of England till Laud's days were against it And that this very Parliament and Convention having taken a new Oath against it besides the old Oaths of Supremacy to stigmatize the Church and Nation with the foresaid Perjury would dangerously presage the Rune of the Perjured if not of the Land Chap. XIII What are the dangerous Diseases of a National Church § 1. DEath cometh on Bodies Politick as on Natural Bodies by degrees as Diseases weaken and break them And while they are Diseased they are in an unlovely troublesome condition Gods Word and History and Experience hath told us what Diseases they be that are the usual presages of Confusion or Dissolution § 2. In general All sin is to the Soul what Sickness is to the Body and hath some tendency to destruction And the increase and abounding of Sin is a dangerous Prognostick sins of Sensuality Gluttony Drunkenness and Fornication when they grow common and impudent seldom go unpunished O how dangerous then is the case of England in which the Sin of Adultery and Fornication is commonly said to be so increased that multitudes are guilty now for One that was ever suspected of it before the Reign of K. Charles the Second And brutish Wretches scarce take it for a shame Sins of Injustice and
and so train up youth into an enmity and scorn of that which should have their chiefest Love and Labour Alas if such a Serpentine Generation shall for staying so many years in Idleness and Lust in Universities be thought to have right to take the charge of multitudes of Souls that never took just care of their own and to have right to Church Dignity and Maintenance if any bad Patron will but present them how sad a case is such a Church and Nation in They will bring their Ignorance and Malice into the Pulpit and then those hearers that know bitter from sweet and the unclean from the clean will loath their folly And when the Priest seeth that he is despised or loathed he will become the Enemy of those that disesteem him and so he will become a Wolf to the Flock And then it is the Ungodly part that must be his Friends and Companions in Sin whom he will harden to their own Destruction Thus hath a bad Clergy been the ruine of many Churches § 13. And this will prove so strong a Temptation to the Religious part to disaffect the Ministry and to go too far in separations as that Schisms and Pernicious Divisions will be soon multiplied And then Persecution must be tryed on them instead of Light and Love § 14. But the Immediate dividing and dissolving of Churches and overthrow of the Peace of Christian Kingdoms is by Ignorant Malicious or Tyrannical Laws or Canons that impose things forbidden of God on pain of ejecting and silencing the most Faithful Ministers and scorning and ruining the most Religious People that will not sell their Souls for Worldly Interest nor to humour the ill designs of Tyrants These snares are often made by meer malice and revenge as Daniel was forbid to pray Because they could find no fault or accusation against him except it were concerning the Law of his God Especially when some great quarrels have exasperated revenge § 15. But usually error concurreth with Malice while Ignorance and Pride make Prelates and Priests still confident that all their Opinions and Impositions are just and blameless and that all are willfully erroneous that refuse them So rare is a humble understanding § 16. And it fixeth a National Church in this way to ruine when such an unworthy Ministry must be continued till they die and there is no great visible hope of removing them How many difficulties must be overcome before one Parish can get a cure of such § 17. And yet worse is it when there is small hope of a better when the bad Priest is dead but the corrupt Fountain is still sending forth polluted Streams and Money and Friendship chuse the Man And when the worst Man that hath but Money enough to buy a Patronage shall have the choice of a Pastor for Mens Souls § 18. And yet worse will it go when the Keys which are the most peculiar part of the Priviledge and Office of the Pastors shall be exercised by Lay Civilians in the Bishops name without his judging or consent And Government by the Word is managed by such Men in the manner that Secular Affairs are managed without due reverence to holy things § 19. And worst of all is it when the Body of the Nation is by such means brought to so much ignorance and sinfulness that they would have it so And are glad to have so much countenance to their malignity and sin and follow their malicious Military Leaders § 20. And last of all when their madness hath drawn their own Swords against each other or provoked God to let in a Foreign Enemy on them then they must expect that God avenge the quarrel of his Covenant specially when after great Mercy and long Patience they would not know the time of their Visitation nor in their day the things that belong to their peace but defend their sin Chap. XIV Whether the National Church of England be at the present of a sound Constitution And what is necessary to its Welfare Safety Reformation and Peace § 1. TO tell what particulars need Reformation I have done so oft to the great displeasure of the guilty that I have no encouragement to offend them more by doing it again § 2. And to give the true History of original causes and progress of our corruptions disorders and divisions will not be endured by them that still justifie their own and Predecessours sin and can see no fault in any but those that they first make and then call their adversaries I have found that the most notorious matters of fact will be denyed furiously by such men even what hath been said and done in their presence and mine before a multitude of Witnesses Bishops Doctors and divers others Yea things said and done in Parliaments and Armies and publickly notified are by such men contradicted with rage Therefore I will not here tell the World either what or who have been the causes of our sufferings and dangers having long purposed to have done it in a Treatise by it self called REPENT O ENGLAND and therein I. To declare my own Repentance II. To tell those called Presbyterians what they must Repent of III. And those called Separatists IV. And those called Antinomians V. And those called Prelatical especially the Ruling part But God seemeth to deny me time for that intended Work § 3. That which I shall now add is I. To shew what there now is in the English Constitution fitted to Christs Institution of a true National Church II. What is yet wanting III. And what are the Remedies § 4. I. I begin with that which is Good and Laudable Not only to avoid offence by unprofitable finding faults but especially to rectifie those prejudiced censures that call Good Evil and run away from Gods Mercies under the false name of Sin This hath had no small hand in our Divisions ever since the troubles at Frank-ford and our first Reformation The Adversaries of Popery did lay more of the personal Crimes of the Papists Bishops and Priests and Monks too on the Office and Order than they should have done § 5. I. The National Church of England is rightly constituted under one Supreme Royal Government as the Unifying Head as I have proved § 6. II. It is duely constituted of professed Baptized Christians and Churches as the subject matter § 7. III. It hath National Laws which profess their subserviency to the Law of Christ and the Nullity of all that is against it § 8. IV. It maketh none Magistrates but professed Christians No nor Burgesses and choosers of Magistrates § 9. V. It hath Diocesans that are General Overseers of many particular Churches as Successors to the Apostles and Evangelists in the ordinary parts of their Office which I before proved to be Christs Institution § 10. VI. It justly maketh Bishops Members of Parliament it being unfit to make Laws for Religion without the Pastors notice and advice § 11. VII It justly giveth large maintenance and
Universal Councils with a Pretorian Power c. raised jealousies in Parliaments who being for their Liberties against Arbitrary Government were the more against those Bishops that seemed to be for it till Innovation provoking the Scots the English Lords encouraged by them and the Irish murdering two hundred thousand Protestants affrighted England into a miserable War and made the most zealous Adversaries of Popery and Ungodliness think that the Papists would destroy them all if they did not help the Parliament to defend them And the Scots would not help them unless the Parliament would engage in the Scots Covenant against the English Prelacy which proved a sinful snare of Division to all the Land And the War ending in the Parliaments Conquest and they conquered again and cast out by their own Army many Divines of the Diocesan Judgment besides the scandalous were cast out And the Restored Parliament recalling K. Charles II. with his Clergy the exasperated came back with a resolution of revenge and the grand design of some was to begin where Laud left and to extirpate Puritans and to that end to get all power in Church and Universities into the hands of the greatest Enemies of the Nonconformists and to get Laws of doubled cruelty made accordingly to root them out which so far prospered that Universities and Ministry are sufficiently disposed into a contempt and opposition to the Nonconformists who are too ready to think that they and their well-wishers are though not the only serious Religious part of the Land yet the main body of them many to one and that the main body of the hot Adherents to their Adversaries are the generality of the sensual wordly and profane who use their Ceremonies as Solomon's Whore did her Sacrifices and Vows to encourage her to take her fill of Love till morning And the differing manner of the Religious Devotions of these two parties maketh the distance seem remediless if some Moderate Peace-makers prove not the Cement One sort are all for praying by habit called extempore as Judges Parliament and Lawyers speak their minds and say that Forms and Liturgies daily repeated are usually said without life or fervency as Boys say an Oration and little move men The other are for the same Liturgy and Words and too many deride all other praying Whereas sober unprejudiced men can make a serious use of both But thus a Clergy modelled at the entrance of King Charles the second into a set opposition to the way of the zealously Religious People called Puritans specially by the interest and wrath of a few hot Doctors after made Bishops are taken by the said people for the Captains of Prophaneness § 20. Having seen what our Diseases are it is easy to know what must be the cure But so hard to accomplish it that I must name the remedies with despair unless the Almighty God will do it by means yet quite beyond our prospect yea to cure any one of all these Maladies requireth a power more than Mans. Qu. But is not our first Reformation and our Canons and present Laws of Conformity a sufficient means of Concord without any new Reformation Ans 1. If so why did King Edward the sixth require Bucer to write for more which he hath done in his Scripta Anglicana And why was the Reformatio Legum Eccles prefaced by John Fox Written by men Commissioned by him 2. Are the same Canons fit for Papists Priests and Protestant Preachers Dr. Burnet tells you that of nine thousand Parish Priests besides all others ordained there did not much above eight hundred take the Reforming Oaths to keep their livings so that there were above eight thousand Papists Parish Priests in our Reformed Church unless that Oath made them all true Protestants And what wonder if these were excused from Preaching and forbidden to Preach till they were further licensed But shall the best Church in the World called the Stupor Mundi be all forbidden therefore after Ordination till Licensed to Preach or Expound any Doctrine or matter in the Church or elsewhere but barely to Read I will venture though I know it will displease the impenitent to say that I will pitty that Minister more than a poor Publican or Drunkard who will justifie 1. All our Canons 2. And all the Laws made as for Uniformity and against Nonconformists and their Execution to the silencing of about two thousand such Ministers and the Death of many of them in and by imprisonment and the ruine of the Estates of them and many more thousand Godly People 3. And the present state of the Parish Churches where the alterations of the Liturgy shew that the Incumbents must not be called Pastors and such as Dr. Fuller Dean of Lincoln are allowed to publish that Inauditus erat Parochorum Pastoratus ante hujus seculi antecedentis delirium The Pastor-ship of Parish Priests was never heard of before the Dotage or Madness of this and the foregoing Age. And so there is but one Pastor and Church in a Diocess Either Mr. Clerksons book unanswered of the Primitive Episcopacy or this and such other Doctors are impudent beyond the degree of humane pravity And whereas they that yet delay to answer my English Non-conformity Stated take up usually with the reproaching one question in it what Church the 800 were of that one Doctor Printeth that he cured of the French Pox should I tell them of the quality and far greater number of persons that Doctor Lower hath thrice together affirmed to have that Disease that with the commoner Whoredom Drunkenness Swearing Self-damning scorning Godliness yea and Gods Word it self may warrant a man that hath any love to the Church and Souls to intreate the Curates though they be not Pastors to bethink them 1. Whether they know who are the Members of their Churches 2. Whether it be they or the Bishop that must know them personally 3. If all that dwell in the Parish are not all the Papists Atheists Hobbists Deboisht and Sectaries of their Churches 4. If only Communicants do they know when they come to the Altar whether they are of their Flocks or Strangers 5. If all that Communicate not be no Members perhaps two thousand if not four thousand in a Parish of six thousand or eight thousand are the rest well permitted quietly to be of no Parish Communion 6. How many of all these and the debauched have been Excommunicated or openly brought to Repentance in London these thirty years according to the Canon 7. Have the Nonconformists more deserved it for going from their own Parishes or Communicating with Godly dissenting Protestants I speak all this only if possible to procure some Repentance of the sins and divisions that threaten our ruines after the sad experience of more than the last thirty years effects For God will not Pardon us without Repentance § 21. I. Christening by Baptism must not be made an Infant Ceremony but used as one of the greatest actions of all the life
the additions of this Commentary and fuller proof and Mr. Beverly's little Treatise called The whole duty of Nations And when they hear two parties claiming the Name of the Church of England they will judge by the Reformers Law and Judgment which is worthy of that name and that the Nonconformists that are sound are as honourable sound parts of the true Church of England as the Conformists at least And that by this distinction of Bishops they will expound my Treatise of Episcopacy and my Church History of Councils and former Bishops The Lord pitty a self-destroying Clergy Chap. XV. The Case of Toleration of Dissenters from the Common Laws and Customs of a National Church more particularly answered § 1. THIS case about Toleration in and from a National Church hath been oft put to me and oft and largely answered And to what use such a work will serve I am unable to conjecture except it be to satisfie the Writers Conscience and set right the thoughts of them that desire what they cannot obtain And whether God will ever raise up a Generation that wearied with Divisions and the direful effects and forced by some Prince of Piety or Interest to consent to a healing Peace and Concord God knoweth and not I. § 2. But I will once more venture to repeat a Moral Prognostication That I think it ex causis exceeding probable that either England will have Popery setled in Power by a French Conquest in the French Fashion by the compliance of those of the English Clergy who are for a Foreign Church Jurisdiction Or else God will constrain the present Governours by the sense of their own interest if not of the interest of Religion and the common good to open the publick Church Doors to that Concord which they have been lockt against by the Act of uniformity and such like above thirty years and the unplacable Enemies of Peace will cast down themselves For I am past doubt of what my dear friend Judge Hale said to me that It must be a new Act of Uniformity that must heal this Church § 3. And should we treat of such a subject as Concord and Toleration with whom should it be If it be not with fit persons we have found that it will be in vain and worse It 's God that must make peace between the Wolf or Lion and the Lamb and not such as I. § 4. 1. If we treat with Proud Men they will have no Concord but by mens granting their unjust demands and submitting to their Wills whatever God and Reason say against it And they must be in Rule and the most Worthy and Innocent be at their mercy § 5. 2. If we treat with Worldlings and Self-seeking men their Worldly interest must be the measure of Concord And how various mutable and unrighteous is that like to be § 6. 3. If we treat with malignants their terms of peace will be directly or indirectly the suppression of serious Godliness § 7. 4. If we treat with Factious Schismaticks Hereticks or Papists their terms will be only that which furthereth and strengthneth their sects § 8. 5. If we treat with Fools they will not understand the case nor the reason that is urged They will not distinguish of Places Times Persons Causes the Sence of Words but rage and be confident in confusion § 9. 6. If we deal with Timorous Cowardly Hypocrites or low and self-saving Spirits they will but be Nicodemites and not venture on danger or difficulty but stay till they see which way will be strongest and most for their advantage Or till Governors drive them on And then it 's well if they do but consent § 10. 7. Shall we then leave all to the sober godly peaceable men It may that way do some personal and private good but I fear they will be so low as to be contemned and so few that in the Crowd and Noise of rage they will not be heard nor regarded unless as little Zaccheus they get up into a Tree by the help of some extraordinary Superior So that there is so little hope of the success of any such attempt and I have written so much of it long ago almost in vain that I will say now but this little following § 11. 1. The Terms of Toleration must differ according to the different Case of the Superiors and Imposers 2. And according to different Causes of Dissenters 3. And according to their different Capacities and Relations 4. And according to their different temper and behaviour in managing their cause 5. And as Rulers are able or unable to suppress them without more hurt than good § 12. I. If Superiors have made Dissenters by sinful Laws the Peace must be more than a Toleration by changing those Laws Shall the Throne of Iniquity have Fellowship with God when they frame Mischief by a Law § 13. II. A Dissenter that opposeth the Essentials of Religion or teacheth Damnable or Treasonable Doctrines must be differenced from those that only refuse to be Perjured or Lie and make a sinful Covenant and Promise or Profession or that scruple some small unnecessary thing which to them seemeth sin against Gods Laws § 14. III. A poor weak woman or unlearned man must not be imposed on and dealt with on the same terms as a man of wit and learning Nor the Laity as the Clergy § 15. IV. Those of a meek and quiet Spirit may be more suffered than turbulent unpeaceable men though it be in the same material points that they dissent Therefore much must be left to the Will of the Rulers who can difference between Man and Man when the Law cannot § 16. V. In a Country where the Preaching of faulty men though elsewhere useful is unnecessary by reason of a full number of better if such a Land there were the silencing of such men is more allowable than elsewhere And even Heresie and many faults may have impunity though not a justifying toleration in a time and place where punishment and suppression cannot be used without apparent doing more hurt than good Rulers are not bound to do what they cannot do And they cannot do that which they must not do because it will do more hurt than good § 17. VI. In a Country where the publick Ministry and Churches are so depraved that the Interest of the Church and Religion lieth more in saving People from them than in Uniting with them there the Tolerated must be most countenanced and strengthen'd But in a Country or Age where the Interest of Religion lyeth most in the publick Churches and the Dissenters are a weak mistaken sort of scrupulous honest People there the Tolerated Churches should be like so many Hopitals where weak People are cherished but it 's not desireable that it be the common case of all the City or Country § 18. Obj. But such Toleration will multiply Separatists and weaken the Church They will be still reproaching it Ans Persecution will not make them
of your mind but do more mischief and you will not know where to stop till Cruelty have made you odious to Humanity And it will not make them fear you more than God And if it did that 's but a sad Conversion 2. Your excelling them in Piety and worth and works will do more than sâ—oâ— to silence Reproachers 3. If the sober Godly Conformists and Dissenting Ministers were once united then sober understanding Laity would follow them and so strengthen them that the Tolerated though pious and zealous in their way would divindle away in a little time as full experience hath proved in this Land It would not be the Many that would chuse a Life of unmaintained poverty and censure Their worth labour reputation 〈◊〉 the Magistrates countenance would make the united so strong that the rest though loved and tolerated would wither away § 19. Obj. But long experience telleth us that such a work is impossible Ans It only telleth us that it is unlikely Because Pride Worldliness Malignity Selfishness and Madcess have got so large possession on Earth and forsaking God's Government hath given Satan power over so much of Mankind But God can cast out Satan and interpose days with nights and Summers with Winters and turn Bedia as into sober Societies It is but bringing men to their wits as the Prodigal was To give so great a number of Great men Clergy men Students and debauched ignorant persons true Grace as the healing of National Churches as in most of the Christian World are now the mortal Enemies of Peace while they cry it up This I confess is so unlikely as scarce to be hoped for But God can force them by their own Argument He can make them know that they must give Peace to their Friends that in vain have long begg'd it or suffer from their Enemies worse than they have done to their innocent Brethren If we will not open the Church doors to Unity that have long been shut against it God hath Keys that can open and no man shut them Even Heathen Rulers oft saved the Apostles and Primitive Christians from the zealous cruel blinded Jews and Gallio drave them from the Judgment Seat Christian Jews were saved when Vespatian Titus Trajan and Adrian destroyed about three missions of the Infidels And if our Frenchified Foreign-Jurisdiction-men should think to escape and prosper by a bargain of Coalition they may be mistaken or speed worse than if they suffered But I hope God will rather convince a prevailing part that All that they have got these thirty years or thrice thirty by their way of silencing ruinating reproach and violence hath not been a due compensation for all that they have done by it against Ministers People Rulers and themselves and the Unity Love Strength and Safety of the Land And that if they will hear none at home God will so feelingly Preach to them from abroad as to tell them that if Love and Peace with Brethren sounder than they at home seem hateful to them yet worse it worse and great Foreign Enemies are more terrible They that can bear Reboboam's Yoke may under Pharaoh's beforced to sad cryes Thunder awakeneth when soft talk will not It 's a thundering voice that can be heard over Sea and Land Cannons are as loud as Thunder or may be heard as far § 20. But what is the difficulty in the way to Concord Had those that could easily do it but opened the Church doors at first but to the liberty of Preaching a Lecture when the Incumbent consented much more had they made a new healing Act of Uniformity which should have eased Conscience of the fears of deliberate Perjury Lying and Profaning holy things and had the Conforming by petitioning Rulers shewed that this was their desire what would have rendered it impossible But forma non recipitur in materiam indispositam It 's in vain to talk of healing to yet ancapable men FINIS The Reader must note that by mistake § 7. and to the end of the Chapter this is misplaced and is the end of the IXth Chapter