Duty 4. Sure it is not meer Place but a mutual Relation of Pastors and People that distinguisheth these Churches The Presbyterians preach't once in the same Places that you do and yet you take them not for the same Church Pastors If one from York or Cornwall come into your Pulpit without consent do People stand as much related to him as to you Some men are of extraordinary sufficiency to resist and conquer the clearest evidence of Truth But he addes every Act of Communion thô performed to some particular Church is and must be an Act of Communion with the whole Catholick Church A. And who denyeth this No sober Independent or Presbyterian that ever I met with It 's a weighty Truth § 17. P. 14. Saith he Praying and Hearing and Receiving the Lords Supper together doth not make us more in Communion with the Church of England than with any other true and Orthodox part of the Church thô in the remotest part of the World A. I think that 's not true With the remotest parts you have only Catholick Communion with the Church Universal In England and London you have that and more even special subordinate Communion with your own King Bishop and Flock 2. And hath not the Church of England such Communion in obedience to its own Laws as the Act of Uniformity Convocation and Canons which you have not with all abroad Do your Bishops in Convocation make Canon Laws for all the World Do you Swear Canonical obedience as much to the Bishop of Paris or Haffnia c. as to your Ordinary Do the Canons of all Churches impose our Liturgy or ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in it or our Ceremonies or Church Government to be against Gods word Sure this is a peculiar kind of Communion 3. If not why are all the Nonconformists cast out that offer to officiate and Communicate on such terms as are common to all sound Churches Pag. 15. Saith he There is nothing in all these Acts of Communion which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular Church than to the whole Christian Church A. What neither in these Acts nor any other Then we are no more bound to hear you or maintain you as our Pastor than to hear and maintain the whole Christian Church § 18. P. 20. Saith he There is no other Rule of Catholick Communion for private Christians but to communicate in all Religious Offices and all Acts of Government and Discipline with Christians those with whom they live A. 1. Elsewhere you added sound and Orthodox Else they that live with Arians Socinians Papists in Spain France Italy c. are bound to communicate with them in all Religious Offices and obey them 2. This concludeth that where Presbytery or Independency is the way of the place where we live all must thus communicate and obey The King and Custom then may make any way to become our Duty 3. If you tell us that it 's only with the Sound and Orthodox you were as good say nothing unless you tell us who must judge that whether the People themselves or who for them 4. But if this be the only rule for private Christians what shall they do e. g. in Aethiopa Egypt Syria and many other Countreys where the Churches are such as General Councils and other Churches judge Hereticks or Schismaticks And what shall they do when at Antioch Alexandria Constantinople c. one party is uppermost by the Judgment of Councils and Prince one Year and another contrary party the next And what shall they do where the Prince equally tolerateth both and it 's hard to know which is the more numerous as in Zeno's and Anastasius Reign c. And what shall they do when many Churches in one City are of divers Tongues as well as Customs Have the Greeks French and Dutch in London no rule of Catholick Communion but communicating in all Offices with the English and obeying all your Bishops Courts § 19. P. 21. Saith he Distinct and particular Churches which are in Communion with each other must have their distinct bounds and limits as every member has it's natural and proper place and Situation in the Body A. Why may not the Greeks Dutch and French live in Communion with the Churches London though they live dispersedly among them In Brandenburg Hassia and many free Cities and Belgia where Lutherans and Calvinists as called live together and own each other as Brethren why may not both be Churches of Christ § 20. P. 21 22. A great deal more he hath of the like making Schismaticks at his Pleasure This is plain in the Case of the Presbyterian and Independent Churches and those other Conventicles They are Churches in a Church Nothing can justifie the Distinction of Christians into several Churches but only such a distance of place as makes it necessary c. p. 22. Distinct Churches in the same place can never be under the same Communion A. These things are repeated so oft and the word separate so deceitfully rolled over and over that I will answer all together under his third Case at the End § 21. P. 27. See how openly he recanteth most aforesaid There is a sence indeed wherein we may be said to be members of one particular Church considered as distinct from all other particular Churches But that principally consists in Government and Discipline Every Christian is a member of the Whole Christian Church and in Communion with it but he is under the immediate instruction and Government of his own Bishop and Presbyters and is bound to personal Communion with them and this constitutes a particular Church in which all Acts of Worship and all Acts of Discipline and Government are under the Direction and conduct of a particular Bishop A. Omitting that he seemeth to make the Parochial Churches no Churches but parts of one here he saith all that he seemed to write against and that those that he reproacheth hold allowing the difference of the extent of Churches And is it Edifying to read such a discourse that saith and unsaith by self-contradiction And he adjoyns 28. p. how by agreement Patriarchal and National Churches are made And is not Agreement a humane Contract CHAP. II. Of his first Case § 1. PAge 31. His first Case Whether Communion with some Church or other be a necessary Duty incumbent on Christians And he thinks the Resolution of this is as plain as whether it be necessary for every man to be a Christian For every Christian is baptized into the Communion of the Church A. In this I know no Christian adversary to him But it being the Vniversal Church that he giveth his proof of necessary Communion with it 's odde to say We must have Communion with some Church or other As if there were more than one Universal Church 2. But we grant more that all that can well should be also members of some single Church § 2. P. 32. He saith External and Actual
proper Authority but only in such matters as concern the Unity of the Episcopacy or the Peace and Communion of the Catholick Church If a Bishop be convicted of Heresie or Schism or some great wickedness or impiety they may depose him and forbid his people to communicate with him and ordain another in his stead because he subverts the Unity of the Faith or divides the Unity of the Church or is himself unfit for Communion Ans. 1. Either these are meant as acts of Government or not If yea then why do you so oft disclaim it and call it only Advice and Communion Then you place this governing Power in Forreigners when they are no further off than with ease and convenience we may confederate with them And whither this will lead I 'le not enquire If nay then it seems men may depose Bishops and set up or ordain others in their stead without any governing Power over them If so then by Authority you must mean Authoritatem Doctoris vel Nimcii and so I confess Pastors may in Christ's Name require other Churches to do their duty and not Authoritatem Regentis And if so it 's as true that when there is just cause a few may depose many as many depose a few But men use not to call it deposing and ordaining in his place when men do but charge others in Christ's Name to do their duty I find not thaâ— St. Martin excommunicated the Bishops and Synods in Ithacius and Idacius time but I find that he renounced Communion with them and so may Equals do § 43. P. 140. he saith The sensless imputation of Cassandrianism and French Popery is managed so knavishly by Mr. Lob and with such blind fury by Mr. Baxter with so much confusion c. Ans. The Terms I wonder not at but whatever we are for Knavery or blind Fury if this man help us against Confusion it 's strange § 44. P. 173. he grants that the Bishops are not the Governours of the Church as united in one common regent Head over the whole Church but as every Bishop governeth his own share And this of true Bishops who denieth him P. 183. It is but a voluntary combination and stricter associasion for preserving Unity by advice c. All this is good tho damned by him in the Independents if they would combine to rule according to the Laws of Christ and not make any of their own without authority nor so as to accuse Christ's Laws of insufficiency nor make dividing noxious snares § 45. Saith he p. 189. That this Church is Universal is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Ans. No Humane Laws make the Church Universal Men may make their own Subjects or Confederates unite in accidents either just as in one Translation of Scripture one time and place and meeting c. or unjust when it 's hurtful vain or belongs not to them but it is only he that maketh the Church a Church who thereby maketh it One Church in Essentials And in Integrals he that maketh it entire by institution or efficiency 2. This Union is founded in mens Unity in Christianity Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. § 46. P. 192. He saith The Association and Confederacy of Neighbour-Churches is founded on the Law of Catholick Communion and the Catholick Communion cannot be maintained without it Ans. Not without Baptismal Confederaâ—y in the necessary Duties commanded by Christ But as to your Confederacies in Humane new Church-Forms Patriarchal Metropolitan c. was not the Church One without them before they were invented Here he maketh voluntary Confederacies to make new Church-Canons or Laws of Discipline necessary to Unity and that Unity necessary to Salvation all being cut off from Christ that break it As if Christ had not made Laws enough necessary to salvation and he that only kept his Laws and not mens Canons could not be saved Can he tell us then where to fix our Religion On what Bishops and on what Canons I am certain that his Religion will not stand with certainty of salvation when no man can be certain what is necessary to salvation nor what de novo will by Bishops be made necessary the next year nor who those Bishops must be 2. See here again When he made it a renouncing our Christianity to confederate and associate to do mens duty in a particular Church he yet maketh it necessary to Unity and so to salvation by confederacy to make new Humane Church Forms All this is to bring all mens salvation opinionatively into the power of those that can get uppermost as if men could as easily damn others as themselves § 47. P. 200 201. saith he If the Church cannot be a Political Society without one constitutive Regent Head then the Church is not a Political Society for it neither has nor can have any such on Earth over the whole Ans. We thank you for that much But the Church is a Political Society and to deny it is to deny an Article of the Creed and to unchurch it quoad ipsam formam And Christ is its constitutive regent Head The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named by him from whom the whole compacted body is increast and edified And it 's dangerous false Doctrine worse than breaking one of your Canons to hold that the Church cannot be a Political Society unless it have an Head on Earth § 48. He adds when I shewed that all Episcopal Writers as Hooker Spalatensis c. of Church Polity take the Church for one Body Politick But what is this to the purposo Does Hooker set up one Regent Head Ans. 1. Yes Christ. 2. Was it not directly to my purpose to prove it a Polity which was that which I alledged it for But saith he do any of them prove That Civil and Ecclesiastick Polity is the same thing Ans. Yes in genere Do they use the word equivocally Is not Polity or Government in Civils and Ecclesiasticks Polity in genere How can these else be distinct species of it Was this ever denied by Conformist before Saith he ' Do not the Civil and Ecclesiastick Commonwealth differ as much as the Church and the State Ans. And do not Church and State differ in specie as being both Politick Bodies sub uno genere He adds Therefore he must still prove That as one supreme Regent Head is necessary to the Unity of a State or Kingdom so it is to the Unity of the Church which will be a fair advance towards Popery Ans. 1. Every Christian holds That Christ is the Head over all things to his Church But every Christian says not That this is an advance to Popery Is Christianity Popery 2. Is one State and Kingdom all the World All that I have to prove is That as all the Earth is one Divine Kingdom God being the absolute Soveraign and each particular Kingdom is part of it a Political Body subordinate informed by its One Humane Soveraign even so the Universal Church is one Body
Subversion of Civil or Ecclesiastical Order and Governmenment when they were trod down and suffered for their Dissent But in all Ages and Nations the Churches that were under the grinding Dividers have laid more of the blame on the upper Milstone than on the lower Action and Violence making their Part more notable bearing more easily the censures and words of such as think Losers may have leave to talk than the Stings Swords and Flames of the elder Sons of Abaddon Apollyon And indeed in all Ages the lower Party have been less averse to Peace and Reconciliation but whoever have got uppermost into uncontroulable Clergy-Domination have usually disdained and abhorred the Peace-makers It was King James his wisdom to make Beati Pacifici his Motto and the Disposition and Counsels that are contrary to it will prove pernicious folly at last But we have a greater Doctor and Exemplar even our Saviour and final Iudge who while some repraoch such and talk and write to bring men from Love to hate each other hath said what in despight of malice he will make good Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Matth. 5.9 The Contents of the First Part. WHether the Resolver truly define the Church Page 1. Whether there be not many particular Churches 3. Whether these Churches must be Members of one another 5. Whether the Vniversal Church and Particulars be not distinct as Whole and Part. 6. Whether the Church hath all things Common and this be essential to it 6 7. Whether God only Constitutes the Church and no Humane Contract 9 10. Their Charge against the Independents Church-Covenant examined 11 12. Whether Church-Communion consist in no particular Acts. 15. His Self-contradiction p. 16. More of his Contradictions and Errors 17. His first Case Whether Communion with some Church be necessary 18. His second Case of Occasional Communion examined 19. His third Case Whether we may Communicate with distinct and separate Churches 20. His confused use of the words Church-Union Communion Separation and Schism opposed by a large Explication of Vnion Communion and Separation in which is fully shewed what Separation is Schism and what not from p. 21 to p. 41. He seemeth to damn all Christians on Earth as Schismaticks 41. His condemning the Church of England and many other largely manifested p. 42 to 53. What it is for which he calleth Men Schismaticks 53. It is absurd to be Members of opposite Churches because Christ hath but one Body 55. Whether all are Shismaticks who are guilty of Schism or Traitors that break any Law e. g. If the Church of England have any guilt of Schism c. 56. The Contents of the Second Part. WHether Mr. Ralphson prove 1. That Kneeling at the Sacrament and use of the Liturgy are unlawful false Worship or Idolatry and the places are Idols Temples and to joyn in them is to joyn in Idolatry p. 1. Whether the Argument prove it because they are Worship not Instituted 1. The word Worship explained and Worship distinguished 2 3. Twenty unquestionable Instances of Lawful Acts in Worship not particularly Instituted by God which are Modes or Accidents of his own Instituted Worship and may be called Worship in a subordinate sense 4 c. Whether the use of any such be a defection to Idolatry 8 9. Of Kneeling before the Bread and Wine 12 13. Another Instance of a Lawful Accident of Mans appointment 13. The Face of his Doctrine of Separation unmask'd in twenty Particulars 14 c. The Contents of the Third Part. Dr. Stillingfleet's Defender tried THe general Character of his Book p. 1 c. He placeth not Communion in any transient Acts but a fixed permanent State 4. Whether Communion and the Church be the same 5. Have all the Churches the same Right and Obligation to Communicate with each other 5. His Supposition of the World being one Family c. p. 7. His Accusation of Confusion Mistaking c. examined 8 9. Whether Union and Communion be all one and this be in no transient Acts 9 10. To his Question What makes the Church One 10 11 12. Whether that which makes it a Church make it not One 13. His Philosophy opened for his Pupils p. 14. when he dare not confute the Boyes common Notions of Physicks he stands wondering at them p. 14. As that the Soul is principium motus to the Body That Vnion is to Soul and Body like the Copula in a Proposition 15. Whether Christ cannot be to the Church a constitutive Form as the Soul is to the Body because he is it's Head and whether Scripture ascribe not to him such Soul-Relations as well as to be Head 15. His putid intimation that I write for another Head of the Chvrch than Christ. 17. Whether the Organized Body be not the constitutive matter of Man and matter be no part 17. More of his fumblings about the term Organized The Dr. cannot understand that forma Corporis and forma Hominis are two things 18. A Story of a Leveller shewing how such Doctors writings have success 19. How the Doctors Tutor should in his Youth have taught him to understand what the Churches Vnion is wherein it consisteth and by what it 's caused 21 to 27. His profest incapacity of applying the similitude of a Copula pitied 27. His palpable untrue Accusation in the dark 28. His confused Communion 30. His Schism plainly confuted That Churches or Persons of separate and opposite Communion cannot be united to Christ By three distinctions 1. Between Communion and Subjection 2. Between mental and local Separation 3. Between mental Separation from Essentials and from meer Accidents or Integral parts Instances of the famousest Fathers and Churches that have so far separated from each other 32. His Whimsey of Two Vniversal Visible Churches 33. What excommunicate persons are cut off from Christ. 35. Six begg'd Suppositions which these false Accusers of Schism must have 36. His kind Concessions That Rebels and Schismaticks may have the power of Orders and Officers rightly constituted Sacraments and all Essentials of a true Church except Peace and Vnity and Catholick Communion as if Essentials united not 36. What Schism is damning briefly opened 37. His Doctrine Thas those that believe in Christ repent of their sins and lead an holy life in all godliness and honesty may yet be excluded from all the ordinary means of salvation proved false subverting the Gospel 37 38. His odd Doctrine That the Divine Spirit is the Principle of Immortality in us which first giveth life to our Souls and will at last raise our Bodies modestly examined and Reasons given for the Immortality of all mens Souls as well as those that have the Spirit and that the rest are not annihilated but have a future life aad that there is a Resurrection of the just and unjust and an Hell 39. His Notion That all Bishops are but one Bishop because Episcopatus unus est 42. Of Independency of Churches 43.
The word Unus equivocal 44. Whether we may call all those Bishops who causelesly break Vnity No Catholick Bishops 44. More of Catholick Vnity of Bishops His Opinion of the Original of arch-Arch-Bishops 46. His charge of Knavery and blind Fury managed by more and more confusion 47. He denieth the Church to have any one constitutive Regent Head when it is essential to Christ to be such and the Church to have such He confesseth that the Church is no Politiâ—al Society as headed by men 48. Whether Civil and Church Policy be not the same in genere 49. What Principles of Politicks the Dr. should have learnt in his Youth Nine Points which he should have been taught p. 51 52. Dr. Parker's Doctrine The Defenders dâ—shonouring Dr. Stillingfleet as if he denied Christ to be a constitutive Regent Head of the Church Visible as such p. 53. How far Christ is such a Visible Head 52. Whether all causeless Separation from any part of the Church on account of Accidents or by Opinions cut off men from the whole Church with more of his errors confuted to p. 56. The Contents of the Fourth Part. The Reasons of my own Communion with Parish-Churches QU. 1. Whether men should be compelled to Communion with any Church by corporal Penalties plainly answered p. 1 2. Qu. 2. Whether they who consent to communicate with some Church may choose their own Pastor or Company or may by force be confined to their Parish-Priest and Church 3. Qu. 3. For what Reasons I and such others do hear in and communicate with the Parish-Churches And whether so to do be a sin or a duty or a thing indifferent 6. The true case and extent of my Iudgment herein 8 11. Twenty Four Reasons of my Iudgment and Practice which have still seemed unresistible to my conscience 12. The Iudgment both of the old Nonconformists and the old Separatists for it in their own words 18 19. Many Objections answered 24. Why I yielded to mens importunity to publish these Reasons at this time 26. The Contents of the Fifth Part being an Account why the Twelve Arguments said to be Dr. I. O's do not change my Judgment MY Position and premised History of the matter of Fact p. 1. Dr. O's Premises considered p. 6. Many mistakes therein manifested 11. His First Argument from the want of Institution examined 12. His Second Argument 18. His Third Argument p. 30. And so to the Twelfth Forty Errors proved in them at least His laying the stress of his condemnation not of ours only but of all Liturgick Forms on the ill effects of them constrained me in faithfulness to the present endangered minds of Readers and also to my own conscience to say so much of the ill effects of Separation on the other side as I know will be censured by many But as I have oft done it before in my Treatise of Baptism my Gildas Salvianus my Key for Catholicks Admonition to Mr. Bagshaw c. I judg it made necessary on this occasion to repeat so much as have done THE PREFACE DID not the Thoughts of a better promised World afford me Comfort and Relief the Thoughts of the Case of this so much forsaken Earth would break my Heart my Faith and Hope To see so much of Earth yet Unchristian and so few of the Christian Nations either in Knowledge Love or Holiness answering their Holy Profession but damning one another and more themselves And to see how great a hand the Clergy of almost all Churches have in this by notorious implacable Contention and to see how little hope there is of a Remedy If Princes and Patrons chuse Wise Holy Peaceable Men in England will they do so in France Flanders Spain and other Popish Lands And either there they will expect the same Royal Power make the Pope and his Agents the Electors which is worse And with such the Love of Money Vain-glory and Self-opinion Worldliness Pride and Ignorant Error will keep up Envy Strife and Persecution Confusion and every Evil Work O how sad is the Case of the Laity that must hear Men pretending to great Learning and Authority with raging Confidence damning the Opinions and Persons of each others and calling to Princes to destroy those that they cannot convince and that will not take them for their Masters pretending that subjection to them and all their ensnaring Laws is necessary Communion And with such Confidence do they Write and Talk that it must be very expert and setled Christians that can tell who is in the Right but the Crowd believe them that have most Interest in them or that speak the last word or that have greatest Power There is but one way possible to cure all this besides wise and godly Princes which all Peace-makers have still agreed on Even to Unite in the Divine Authority and Primitive Simplicity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline and to bear with others in smaller Matters Supposing the Determination of such mutable Circumstances which belong to each Minister his Place Christ hath promised Salvation to all that practically so agree He hath commanded them all to Love one another even as themselves and to receive one another as Christ received us Baptism devoting us to the Father Son and holy Ghost then made men Christians and Catholicks The Creed the Lords Prayer Ten Commandments were thought a sufficient Test as to the Orthodox Exposition of the Baptismal Covenant Upon these Terms the Church Formed into Pastors and Flocks lived in Loving Communion in the Lords Supper and in holy Doctrine Prayers Praises and doing good to all they could The Kingdom that is the Church of God and Christs Reign therein consisteth not in Ceremonies and lesser things but in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost The Unity necessary hereunto was that described Ephes. 4.3 4 5. One Body One Spirit One Hope One Lord One Faith One Baptism One God and Father of all And the keeping of this Unity was in the Bond of Peace with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in Love v. 2 3. These Terms were made for our Love and Communion by Christ the Maker of the Church the Author and Perfecter of our Faiih These Terms are few sure plain possible as Christs Yoke is easie and his burden light and his Commands not grievous These Terms all Christians are actually agreed and united in He knows not Mankind that doth not know That the ignorance weakness and badness of Man is such as that it is impossible that all good Christians should unite otherwise upon things hard dark doubtful and numerous The Primitive Simplicity Purity and Love are the only Terms of Universal Concord in the Church on Earth But now by Preachers with wordy confidence these only healing terms are accused as the way of the most damning Schism O the subtilty of the Serpent that beguiled Eve O the folly of Men that will be thus drawn away from the simplicity of Christ by takeng
the only Remedy against Schism to be the chiefest cause They have made Associations and Confederacies of Men to set up New Forms of Churches Church-Government or Communion by multitudes of Clergy-Laws or Canons of their own to be necessary to Ministry and Communion and consequently to avoid Schsm and consequently to Salvation By which Arrogancy and Impositions and Arbitrary Laws and Censures thereupon the Christian World is now almost all broken into Sects condemning and censuring one another into Greeks Muscovites Armenians Georgians Nestorians Jacobites Abassines Maronites Papists Protestants c. And of all these the Papists pretend to a Power of Government by Legislation and Iudgment over all the Christians on Earth some placing it in the Pope as chief some in a Council or the Colledge of Bishops as chief of which the Pope is the prime Member most in Pope and Council agreeing This Sect unchurcheth all Christians save themselves and have made so many Canon-Laws as none can understand and keep Some that yet do not own the Pope tell us That yet the Church on Earth is one Political Body not unified by its Relation to Christ the Head and Form He is not Visible enough say the Papists to Head a Church that may be called Visible But it is unified by a certain Confederacy of Communion among themselves which sometime they call an Universal Government and say they have power to make Universal Laws and sometime say It is not One Unifying Government but One Communion and yet make Laws which all must hold Communion with They say and unsay and know not what to say They cannot tell us what are the necessary terms of that Communion nor how to know with what Nations and Churches we must hold it But this they agree in That Christ the Finisher of our Faith hath left Faith Worship and Government so unfinished that Bishops of all the World or many Nations they know not who must make us more Laws and when they will have done and compleated Religion no man knows And that all that will be Christians must on the Terms of these Canons have Communion with them and refuse not one thing that they command And therefore must all be learned enough to know that all that they command is lawful And if any withdraw for an Oath or Covenant or Ceremony tho he mentally own them as true Churches or if for dissent he be excomunicated by them he must worship God in no other Assembly but live like an Atheist till he be convinced of the Lawfulness of their Impositions else all that so worship God are damnable Schismaticks and so are all that communicate with them So that I know but few on Earth that they damn not for breaking their Canons tho they would keep all the Laws of Christ And every where they that have strength and possession presume that it is they that must thus be the Standers and Rulers of all others about them It is an utter Maze which they make the Terms of catholick communion and consequently of Salvation instead of the few plain certain things which Christ made necessary We can get but few of the vulgar to understand the sense of Baptism the Creed Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments And our churches are much made up of such and our Parishes have too many Sadduces Infidels and Hobbists yet all must be supposed to know 1. That all the Bishops and Priests are truly called and authorized when few know what maketh them Pastors indeed 2. And that all their words ceremonies and impositions are not repugnant to God's Word 3. And that all are to be avoided whom their Canons and Lay-civilians excommunicate 4. That it is a company of true Bishops and Churches in other Nations whose communion they own 5. That all are Schismaticks that they so judg and their churches no true churches of The English Schismatick detected and confuted Occasioned by a Resolver of Cases about Church Communion CHAP. I. SAITH THE RESOLVER § 1. THE Church is a Body or society of men separated from the rest of the World and united to God and to themselves by a Divine Covenant A. He saith this is the plainest description he can give That is not the fault of his Auditors or Readers 1. As to the Genus a Community of equals without Rulers is a body but I suppose he meaneth not such 2. Is it enough that it be of Men sure now they should be Christians 3. Many are separated from the rest of the World secundum quid that are no Christians some in one respect and some in another and none in all respects 4. Vnited to God is an ambiguous word no Creature is Vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is God in the created Nature Only Christ is united to him Hypostatically in his created Nature All are so far united to him in natural being as that in him they live and move and have their being And the Nature of man is one sort of his Image All things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient The Church should not be defined without any mention of Christ The Churches Union with God is by Christ. 5. Christ himself as Head is an essential part of the Church and should not be left out of a Definition thô the meer Body may in common speech be called the Church as the People may be called a Kingdom 6. Will any Divine Covenant serve or must it not be only the Baptismal Covenant 7. Is it called Divine only as made by God or as commanded by God and made by Man or as mutual Certainly Gods Law and offered or Conditional Promise is most frequently called His Covenant in Scripture and this uniteth not men to God till they consent and Covenant with him Their own Covenant Act is necessary hereto And that is a Divine Covenant only as commanded and accepted and done by Gods assisting Grace 8. The form of a Church is Relative and the Terminus is essential to a Relation It is no definition that hath not the End of the Association Therefore this is none at all and so the beginning tells us what to expect This description hath nothing in it but what may agree to divers forms of Society and so hath not the form of a Church And if he intended not a Definition but a loose description I would a defining Doctor had had the Chair during this controversie Let us try this description upon a Mahometan Kingdom Army or Navy or suppose them meer Deists 1. Such a Kingdom Army or Navy may be a Society 2. Of Men. 3. Separated from the rest of the World secundum quid ad hoc and none are separated from it simpliciter ad omnia e. g. No man is separated from the common humanity No Deist from any but Atheists and no Christian in believing a God and the Law of Nature and Nations 4. They are Vnited to God so far as owning a God and
stairs to hatred and destroying it 's his way to cure Schism that is commonly painted with Horns and Cloven feet If a man come from a Countrey Village and be made by Covenant a Citizen of London how prove you that he renounceth King or Kingdom But he saith p. 9. Those who wilfully separate from the Corporation to which the Charter was granted forfeit their Interest in the Charter Ans. What Reader doth this man presume upon that will not ask him how he proveth 1. That Gods Law or Charter to his Church doth not require them to congregate in distinct single Churches as London Charter doth to erect several Companies and the Universities several Colledges 2. And that God hath not in his Word given order or command for such single Churches But that the Apostles and Titus by fixing Elders to their several Churches and Cities separated from the Universal Church 3. And that their subordinate Churches have not need of distinct subordinate consent and duty And that our Diocesan Churches all separate from the Universal Did he think these things need no proof at all It may be he will say that the Diocesan depend on the Vniversal but the Presbyterian or Independent do not I Answer Dependance is either that of Subjects on Soveraign or Magistrates for Government or that of a Community of Equals for Communion In the former respect they depend on none but Christ as Universal Soveraign Nor on any Foriegners for Governments In the latter they depend on all true Churches for Communion And Doctor Hammond and most Diocesans hitherto have said that Diocesan Churches are thus far Independent or National at most And if any be for a Forreign Iurisdiction in Charity before they perswade England to it they should procure them a Dispensation from all the Oaths that have sworn all this Kingdom against endeavouring any change of Government and against a Foreign Iurisdiction For some Fanaticks now Dream that PER is the Mark of the Beast and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the number of his Name is nominal as well as numeral and refers to CH-urch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and STate For as for them that find a mans name in them I abhorr their Exposition more § 11. P. 9. God saith he hath not made any Covenant in particular with the Church of Geneva France or England c. A. 1. God hath made one General Law for Christians congregating with their fixed Elders or Bishops in particular Churches all the World over And his Command is not without Promise of being with them to the End of the World and that Promise becometh a Promise to every Church so congregate God hath not made distinct Laws or Promises to every Christian But the Promise to Justifie all Believers justifieth each single Person when he believeth If the King should make one common Law to command all his Subjects that are Freeholders to live in Corporations or Hundreds described with their priviledges those priviledges would be all theirs that are so incorporated As one Charter may Priviledge every London Company diversified by subordinate Agreements 2. And that God who will have them thus incorporated and distributed into several single Churches doth Covenant or Promise according to their demerits to each Do I need to recite the peculiar Promises and threats to the seven Asian Churches Rev. 2. and 3. which are Covenants to them § 12. Next Pag. 10. He will tell us what Communion is and in many words it is to tell us that Communion is nothing but Vnion I know that quoad notationem nominis Communion may signifie Vnion with others But they that write Politicks have hitherto distinguished Vnion and Communion taking Communion for Actual Communication or exercise of the duties of men in Union But to speak cross to other Writers on the same Subjects and give no reason for it and to confound Vnion and Communion is one part of this edifying Resolution § 13. Pag. 11. Our Communion with the Church consists in being members of the Church which we are made by Baptism saith he Then the Baptized are still in Communion with the Church till their baptism be nullified And hath he proved us Apostates § 14. Pag. 12. Should any man who is no member of the Church nor owns himself to be so intrude into the Church and Communicate in all Holy Offices it 's no Act of Communion c. A. I thought communicating ordinarily in Holy Offices had gone for an owning of Communion If it do not would you would tell us how to know who are of your Church § 15. P. 13. Saith he Church-Communion does not consist in particular Acts of Communion which can be performed among those who are present and Neighbours but in membership Now as a member is a member of the whole Body not meerly of any part of it c. All the Subjects of England who never saw nor converst with each other are members of the same Kingdom A. 1. That word meerly hath more Craft than Justice or Honesty Meerly signifieth Only I suppose and if he would make his Reader think that they that are for single Church peculiar membership and consent do take themselves to be meerly or only members of those single Churches and not of the Universal it is shameless injury 2. Will he ever draw men to conformity by making them believe that because they owe Common Communion to all Christians therefore we owe no special duty to the Bishops Priests Churches or Neighbours where we are setled Do the Men of one Colledge School Corporation owe no more duty to that than to all others Do the Free-holders of Bedford-shire choose Knights for Middlesex or the Citizens of Oxford choose Officers in London These seem strange Resolutions to us 3. But doth he remember that if Communion consist not in Acts of Communion to such but in membership even with the distant then he that is baptized and no Apostate and performeth no other Acts of Communion to the Bishops Parson or People where he liveth than he is bound to perform to them a hundred or thousand miles off is no Separatist Methinks this favours Separation too much § 16. Pag. 14. When he denyed any Divine Covenant to make us members of particular Churches distinguish't from the Vniversal as all National Diocesan and Parochial are as parts from the whole he presently confuteth all again saying The exercise of Church Communion as to most of the particular duties and Offices of it must be confined to a particular Church and Congregation for we cannot actually joyn in the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments c. but with some particular Church A. Oportuit fuisse memorem 1. Reader doth not this man here confess that there are particular Churches 2. If these be not distinct from the whole then each particular is the whole 3. If the Exercise must be in particular Churches must not men Consent to their Relations and Duties Is it a sin to Promise
the same place their neighbourhood maketh them capable of Personal presential Communion as men that may know and admonish each other and meet by turns and in presence manage their concerns which differenceth single Churches of the lowest order from associated Churches of men that have Communion only by others at distance XV. As Logicians say of other Relations the matter must be capable of the end or it is not capable of the name and form so is it here e. g. It is no Ship that is made of meer Sponge or Paper or that is no bigger than a Spoon it is no Spoon that is as big as a Ship One House is not a Village nor one Village a City nor a City a meer House So twenty or an hundred or a thousand Parishes associate cannot be a single Church of the first or lowest Order being not capable of mutual Knowledge Converse or personal present Communion Nor are two or three Lay-men capable to be such a Church for want of due matter But supposing them capable thô a full and rich Church have advantage for Honour and Strength yet a small and poor one is ejusdem ordinis as truely a Church and so is their Pastor as Hierom saith of Rome and Eugubium so Alexandria and Majuma c. Gregory Neocaesar was equally Bishop of nineteen at first as after of all save nineteen in the City XVI If the Apostles have Successours in their care and Superiority over many Churches it will prove that there should yet be men of eminent worth to take care of many Churches and to instruct and admonish the younger Ministers But it will neither prove 1. That they succeed the Apostles in the extraordinary parts of their Office 2. Nor that they have any forcing power by the Sword 3. Nor that one Church hath power over others by Divine right for the Apostles fixed not their power to any particular Churches but were general Visitors or Overseers of many Yet if the same Man who is fixed in a particular Church have also the visiting admonishing oversight of many as far as was an Ordinary part of the Apostles Office and be called an Archbishop I know no Reason to be against him XVII There be essential and Integral Acts of the Sacred Ministry instituted by Christ These none may take the Power of from any Ministers nor alter the species or integrity of the Office by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted or arrogating the like uncalled But as in worship so in Order and Church Government there are undetermined accidents As to choose the time and place of Synods to preside and moderate and such like And these the Churches by agreement or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest And if the Magistrate affix Baronies Honours Revenues or his own due Civil forcing Power and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers whether we think it prudent and well done or not we must honour and obey them XVIII Some call these humane Accidental Orders forms of Church Government and affirm as Bishop Reignolds did and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental and humane but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first and to Pastors as such by his appointment so that the essential Government of the Universal Church by Christ and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work are of unalterable Divine right But the humane forms are alterable Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters Deacons c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire not imposing a forreign Jurisdiction These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices XIX All these single Church being parts of the Universal are less noble than the whole and are to do all that they do as members in Union with the Whole and to do all as Acts of Communion with them XX. The General precepts of doing all to Edification Concord Peace Order c. oblige all the Churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these Ends And Synods are one special means which should be used as far and oft as the Ends require And if National Metropolitans and Patriarchs order such Synods I am not one that will disobey them But if on these pretences any would make Synods more necessary than they are and use them as Governours by Legislation and Judgement over the Particular Bishops by the use of the Church Keyes and will affixe to them or Metropolitans besides an Agreeing Power and the said Government in Accidentals a proper Church Government by making and unmaking Ministers or Christians excommunicating and absolving as Rulers by the said Keyes it may be a duty to disown such usurpations As the King would disown an Assembly of Princes any where met that would claim a Proper Government of him and his Kingdom Thô it were much to be wisht that all Christian Princes would hold such Assemblies for the Concord and Peace of Christendom XXI The Essentials of Faith Hope and Loving Pracâ—â—ce essentiate the Church objectively And these are all summarily contained in the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalouge and all with much more even Integrals and needful Accidentals in the Sacred Scriptures which taking in the Law of Nature are Gods Universal Law XXII There is no Church on Earth so sound and Orthodox as to want no Integral part of Christian Religion Proved There is no man on Earth much less any multitude so sound as to want no Integral part But all Churches consist only of Men And therefore if all the Men be so far defective all the Churches are so It is not their Objective Religion Generally and implicitely received that I mean but their Subjective Religion and their explicite reception of the Objective The Scripture is our perfect Objective Religion in it self and as an Object proposed and in general and implicitely we all receive it But as a man may say I believe all that 's in the Scripture and yet be ignorant of the very Essentials in it so a man may explicitely know and believe all the Essentials and more and yet be ignorant of many Integrals All things in Scripture proposed to our Faith Hope and Practice are the Integrals of our Religion But no Christian understandeth all these proposals or words of Scripture Therefore no Christian explicitely believeth them all or practiceth all To hold the contrary
should not only hold any errour or practise sin but require men to subscribe and approve it and say it is no sin no man ought to do this nor yet to live like an Atheist and forsake all Worship because men forbid him if it were but to subscribe one untruth But alas this is no rare Case In one Emperours Reign all were Anathematized that subscribed not to the Council of Chalcedon and quickly after all that did or that would not renounce it The same division and changes were made by the Councils against and for the Monothelites de tribus Capitulis Images c. And when all Men living have many Errours and the Church of England disclaimeth her Infallibility and yet will receive no Minister that will not subscribe that there is nothing in her Books contrary to the word of God the Case is hard But when all the things mentioned in the Plea for Peace are proved lawful we shall be more yielding in this Case XLV 9. If true and sound Christians mistakingly think one or many things to be heinous sins as Perjury Lying Renouncing Obedience to God and Repentance c. which are things indifferent but of so great difficulty that most Learned and Godly and Willing Men cannot discern the Lawfulness and agree and yet are not necessary nor just conditions of Ministry or Communion and so it is the Imposer that entangleth them by difficulty in their dissent it is not lawful for these men therefore to forbear all Church Worship but must use it as they can XLVI 10. If any Church unjustly excommunicate such men or others they must not forbear all Church order and worship because men so excommunicate them No man must Sin to escape Excommunication and every man in the World is a sinner And therefore all the World must be excommunicated if all Sinners must be so As I before said the times oft were when almost all the Bishops in the Empire were excommunicated by one another Councils and Popes have oft excommunicated some for trifles and some for Truth end Duty And such must not therefore renounce all Church Worship and Communion The Church of England do by their standing Law ipso facto excommunicate all as aforesaid that affirm any thing to be repugnant to Gods Word or sinful in their whole Church Government Articles Liturgy and Ceremonies and so to stand till they Publickly revoke this as a wicked Errour Now many Lords and Commoners in Parliaments have spoken against some of these particulars and some out of Parliament Many Ministers have done the like when the King Commissioned them to treat for Alterations And many when the Accusations or demands of others have called them to give a Reason of their Actions Some have maintained that it is repugnant to Gods word that Lay Civilians should have the decretive Power of the Keyes and that the Parish Minister must cast out of Communnion all that the Lay Doctors or Chancellors excommunicate and all that dare not receive kneeling and that they should deny Christendom to all that scruple the English sort of God-Fathers Covenants and the transient Symbolical Image of the Cross with abundance such things Now all these are ipso sacto excommunicate And thô they be not bound to avoid the Church till this be applicatorily declared yet actually excommunicate they are and that by a higher authority thâ—n the Bishops and they know the Churches decree and the Priests are sworn to Canonical Obedience And he that will not tempt them to be forsworn nor come into a Church that hath excommunicated him seems therein excuseable But must he therefore renounce the Church of God XLVII 11. If the People are so set against one Bishop for another as that half being for one and half for the other and both Orthodox they cannot be perswaded to unite in one A Council at Rome determined in the Case of Paulinus and Flavian at Antioch that both of them should hold their distinct Churches and so live in love and peace And though one or both parties in this were mistaken Sinners so are all morral men who yet must not live like Atheists XLVIII 12. An undetermined accident must be so determined as most serveth to do the greatest good and avoid the greatest Evil But whether divers Churches shall promiscuously live in the same City or Diocess or Parish is an Accident not determined by God and either way may be for the greatest good as circumstances vary e. g. When in a Church half cannot consent to condemn the words of Theodoret Theodore Mopsuest and Ibas and half will condemn them with the Council if these can serve God quietly in Love and Peace in different Congregations but cannot endure one another in the same it is most for the Churches Peace that they be permitted to joyn with those of their own Mind When one Pope declared that it 's sound Doctrine to say One of the Trinity was Crucified when another had declared that it is not sound Doctrine they that held with one Pope and they that held with the other might both be true Churches in different Assemblies When Iustinian raised the bloody controversie between the Corrupticolae and the Phantasiastae wise men thought both sides were true Churches Yea and so did many wise men think of the Orthodox and Nestorians and many Eutychians XLIX 13. It 's a common case under Turks and Heathens that they give liberty of Conscience for Christians of all parties Now suppose that in Aâ—â—ppo in Constantinople or elsewhere there be partly for Countrey sake and partly for Language but most for different Judgments one Church of Armenians one of Greeks one of English-men c. what Law of God makes only one of these to be a true Church and which is it L. 14. Suppose that the setled Church e. g. in Holland Sweden Saxony is for Presbytery or for an Episcopacy that arose from Presbyters ordination or that had none or a short Liturgy and the Prince would tolerate English men as Frankford did to set up a Church of the English Form and Liturgy I think few Prelatists would deny it to be lawful LI. I omit other instances and come to the matter of Separation which word serveth this man and such other in so general and undistinguished a sence as would make one think he were of Mr. Dodwell's mind That words in dispute have but one signification which all are bound to know that use them Even a Bell by the same sound sometime signifieth a call to Church and sometime a Funeral and sometime Joy but Separate Separate is rung over and over with these men as if it signified but one thing 1. He that heareth half the Sermon and Service and goeth out of Church doth Separate at that time from the rest When a Protestant Heretick was doing Penitence with his Faggot at St. Maries in Oxford and the Fryer was Preaching a mistaken Voice in the street made them think the Hereticks had set the
all that obey the twentieth Canon of the Nicene Council And from all that obey the Councils that forbid communicating with a Fornicating Priest And from all that obey the Councils which nullifie the Episcopacy of such as are obtruded by Magistrates or not consented to by the Clergy and People And many more such Abundance more instances of their Separation and Damnation I might adde In a word I think their Principles are as I first said for damning and separating from all men living for all men living are gulity of some sort and degree of Schism that is of Errours Principles or Practices in which they culpably Violate that Union and Concord that should be among Christians and Churches Every defect of Christian Love and every sinful Errour is some degree of such a violation All Christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent And no man living knoweth all things Indifferent to be such And these men distinguish not of Schism nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given in the third Part of the Treatise of Church Concord And solutio continui causeth pain nor do they at all make us understand what sort of Separation it is that they fasten on but talk of Separation in general as aforesaid LXXXVII They seem to be themselves deceived by the Papists in exposition of Cyprians words de Vnit. Eccles. Vnus est Episcopatus c. But they themselves seem to separate from Cyprian as a Schismatick and consequently from all the Church that hath profest Communion with him and with all the Councils and Churches that joyned with him For Cyprian and his Council erred by going too far from the Schism and Heresie of others nullifying all their Baptisms Ordinations and Communions And for this errour they declared against the Judgment of the Bishop of Rome and other Churches and they were for it condemned as Schismaticks by the said Bishop And here is a far wider Separation than we can be charged with 2. And Cyprians words came from the Mind that was possest with these opinions and are expressive of his Inclination 3. Yet they are true and good understood as he himself oft expounds them the Bishop of Oxford citeth some instances many more are obvious in which he opposeth the Bishop of Rome saying that none of them pretendeth to be a Bishop of Bishops and limiting every man to his own Province and saying that they were to give account to none but God with much the like But in what sence is Episcopacie one 1. Undoubtedly not as numerically in the personal Subjectum Relationis One Bishop is not another if you should say Paternity is One none believe that one mans Relation of Paternity is anothers The Relation is an accident of its own Subject as well as Quantity Quality c. 2. Nor doth any man believe that many Bishops go to make up one Bishop in Naturals 3. Nor did ever Cyprian hold or say that all Bishops go to make up one Politick Governing Aristocracie as many go to make one Senate or Parliament that hath a power of Legislation and Judgment by Vote as one Persona politica He never owned such a humane Soveraignty But Episcopatus unus est 1. In specie all Bishops have one Office 2. Objectivè As the Catholick Church is one whose welfare all Bishops ought to seek 3. And so finaliter as to the remote End and are bound to endeavour Concord 4. And as effects all are from one efficient institutor As it may be said that all official Magistracy in England is one 1. As from one King or summa potestas 2. As described by one Law and as Justices of one Species 3. As all their Cities and Counties and Hundreds are but part of one Kingdom whose welfare all are for 4. And as they are all bound to keep as much common Concord as they can if any mean more they should tell us what If any mean that all Bishops make one numerical Universal Government they are heinous Schismaticks and the Kingdom is Sworn against their Judgment And these Men damn them in damning Schismaticks The truth is Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae leaving out the Papists additions is a good Book and worthy to be read of all and take Cyprian's Description of the Episcopacy of the Church which we must unite with and the nature of that Union and we would rejoyce in such But if Cyprian had lived to see either Arians or Donatists the greater number or any Sect after call themselves the Church because that Princes set them up and had seen them depose Chrysostome and such other doubtless he would never have pleaded the Unity of Episcopacy for this but have judged as he did in the Case of Martial and Basilides nor did he ever plead for an universal humane Soveraignty LXXXVIII If we are damned Schismaticks I can imagine no pretended manner of Separation in which our Schism consists but first either Local as such 2. Or Mental as such 3. Or Local caused by Mental If Local as such be it All Christians are Schismaticks for being locally separated from others and absent from all Churches and places save one If Mental Separation be it either all Mental Division is such or but some only if all then all mortal men are Schismaticks as differing in a multitude of things from others If it be not all what is it is it all difference in the Essentials of Christianity we grant it and we are charg'd with no such thing Is it all difference in the Integrals or Accidents so do all differ that are not perfect Is it all want of Love or all Vncharitableness to one another all on earth have some degree of it and those are likest to have most that do as the Bishops did against the Priscillianists bring godly people under reproach on pretence of opposing Heresie or that seek the Silencing Imprisonment Banishment or Ruine of men as faithful as themselves For our parts we profess it our great Duty to love all men as men all Christians as Christians all godly men as godly all Magistrates as Magistrates c. Is it for our separating in mind from any Principles in specie necessary to Communion in the Church Universal or single Churches let it be opened what those Principles be We own all Christianity and all Ministry of Gods Institution and all his Church Ordinances We own Bishops over their Flocks let them be never so large so they be capable of the Work and End and alter not the true species and we submit to any that shall by the Word admonish Pastors of many Churches of their Duty or Sin or seek their good Nor do we refuse Obedience to any humane Officers set up by Princes to do nothing against Christs Laws nor nothing but what is in Princes power in the Accidents circa Sacra Is it because we disown any Numerical Rulers we own the King and his Magistrates we own all that we can understand to be true
us that he did not place this Communion in any transient Acts but in a fixed permanent state Ans. But 1. Taking the Bishops for true authorised Pastors and the Church for a true Church are transient acts Believing in Christ and repenting of sin are transient acts quoad objectum tho immanent quoad subjectum effectum Baptism and Profession of Christianity and of love and obedience to others are transient both quoad objectum effectum Coming to Church communicating obeying Bishops and departing from Schismaticks are transient in both respects You see that by Catholick Communion the Doctor meaneth none of all these 2. What meaneth he then a fixed permanent state But 1. Which Predicament can you conjecture that word state is in It 's commonly applied to Relation Quality and Scite and Place These latter I am confident he meaneth not If he mean Quality it is Dispâ—sitiâ—n or Habit sure But those come by Acts and he tells us not what he meaneth nor is it probable that this is it Relation is most likely to be that fixed state which is indeed the true form of a Church and a Church-Member and saith Durandus is meant by Baptism's indelible Character Supposing this his meaning 2. Are not transient acts the fundamentum of this Relation as verily as of Paternity Marriage-Relation c. Is any Man a Church-Member or Christian but by the transient acts of Baptism Profession Covenanting c. And do you define a Relation without the Fundamentum 3. But if Relation be all wherein lieth our damning Schism We profess Catholick Communion then somewhat more than you do For as we profess the same Relation that you do to Jesus Christ so we profess our Relation of Fellow-Members to all his Body even to those that in such Matters depart from each others and if I can understand you to the greatest part of Christ's Church on Earth which you damn as Rebels This is our profest Relation If you can disprove it 〈◊〉 § 9. He adds I conclude it 's sufficient to let you understand what the Ancients meant by Christian-Communion which in a large Notion signifies the Christian Church or Society which is called Communion from Communication which all the Members of it had with each other The plain and obvious sense is All the Churches of the World are but one Church or Society and have the same right and the same obligation on them to communicate with each other for the sake of which Christian Churches are instituted as the members of a particular Church are Ans. 1. Such large Notions may be sufficient to you but they signifie little more than noise to me Here we are told that by Communion he meaneth the Church And so when we read of Communion with the Church it meaneth the Church with the Church and Church-Communion are Two Synonimal words and signifie Church Church And in the Creed the Catholick Church and Communion of Saints is a Tautology 2. But the Church is called Communion from Communication And is Communication no transient act but a fixed state 3. If the plain sense be That all Churches in the World are one Church as parts in the whole who differs from you in that We are all then of one Catholick Communion and shall believe that all true Christians are of one Church till the Excommunicators better disprove it 4. But have all the same right and obligation to communicate with each other 1. All do actually communicate with each other 1. In their Union with and Relation to our Saviour and Head 2. And in having one holy Spirit 3. Being the adopted children of one God 4. Being of that one body formally related to Christ. 5. Believing in the same God and Father Saviour and holy Spirit And 6. Consenting to the same Baptismal Covenant 7. Having the same hope of everlasting life These are the Instances of Christian Union and Communion in Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. And 8. They have also Communion in the same common benefits Pardon and Justification and right to life 9. And besides all this when they may be had they have Communion in the same species of necessary worship the use of the same Gospel and Sacred Scriptures and Creed of the same sort of Eucharistical Sacrament and Prayer and Praise and Thanksgiving in all parts of absolute necessity and holy Assemblies to that end consisting of several Pastors with their Flocks 10. Yea and all true Christians love one another as such and live in sincere tho imperfect obedience to the same holy Laws of Christ. In all this all Christians have Communion 2. And all have right to such measures of Local Communion where they come as they are in a more immediate capacity of 3. And all are obliged to exercise so much Mental and Local Communion as is necessary to edification and to the exercise of Christian love and peace besides what is forementioned But yet 1. All Churches on Earth are separate by distance as to Local Communion 2. No Two Churches or Men on Earth are perfectly united as to Mental Câ—mmunion There are Multitudes of degrees of differences in this 3. There are very many just causes of diversifying Local Communion in the same City Diocess or other Precincts and of diversifying individual Pastoral Relation and single proper Church-Communion Diversity of Languages is a cause that no man can deny The excessive Magnitude of a Church that is the Multitude of Persons is another Suppose that I were first and alone made Pastor of a Church in Mexico or Quinsay and I am not able to do the work of a Pastor for a Thousand Souls I get the help of Three or Four Presbyters and Deacons and we all are utterly unable to do the Pastoral work for Four Thousand may Four Thousand or Forty Thousand more claim of me the performance of the Pastoral Office Am I bound to undertake Tenfold more than I am able to perform Then Men may not only enslave me but damn me at their pleasure and pretend their right to Communion with me If you say I am bound to multiply Presbyters in the same Church to sufficiency I answer 1. What if I can neither have Men nor Maintenance 2. What if I think that when the Multitude is so great that I cannot know them nor they ever speak with me or know one another any more than Men of several Countreys that I ought not to undertake a personal oversight of them but perswade them to associate in Churches capable of such oversight It 's no breach of Charity for one School-Master or Physician to refuse a personal Relation as School-Master to Five Hundred Schools or Physician to all the City or Five Hundred Hospitals tho he have Apothecaries or others under him No Man hath right to more of my labour than I am able to perform If I be a Bishop and bound to hear and try the Causes of all that ought to come under Church Censure in a whole Diocess and am
the Catholick Church is Ans. He maketh me think of the Man's Answer to the Pharisee John 9. I have told you and you heard not Would you hear it again If you would know what Unity is in uno which is affectio entis I must again send you to Schibler or Suarez or some such Tutor for I am not meet to tutor you If you would know in what this Unity consisteth I have told you before and oft § 16. But tho this Doctor use it not we use first to enquire whether the Controversie be de nomine or de re And 1. If I satisfie him what maketh the Church to be One will he grant that if we agree in that Union we are in Catholick Communion If he will we shall soon be Friends and no Schismaticks at least with any that knows what Unity is If he will not doth he not all this while abuse his Reader when he so hotly damneth us for want of Catholick Communion and tells us that he meaneth Unity and chargeth me with wilfulness or nonsense if I think that he meaneth any transient act But 1. De nomine I will once more tell him why I distinguish Unity and Communion and think he should have done so too Words in Dispute are to be used in the sense that Men of the Profession which the Subject most belongs to use them unless otherwise explained But Men that write of Logick Metaphysicks Physicks and Politicks use to distinguish Unity from Communion so far as that usually Communion presâ—pposeth Unity secundum quid and ever includeth some transient Acts when Unity is but the denomination of Eus qua Uâ—um I hope I may take the Language of our Creed to be so tollerable as that it is not necessary to salvation to condemn it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Church of England which I hope is no damned Schismatical Sect translated the Communion of Saints That by Communion they mean some tâ—anâ—ient Acts and not meer Union all Expositors that ever I read among them shew as do all the Fathers and all Forreign Interpreters that I have read At least methinks he should not disdain to learn his Grammar again of Dr. Hammond and Dr. Heylin I remember not that ever I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Communion Indeed Eph. 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresseth Communion in transient acts but bare Unity doth not But Communion must maintain it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the bond of peace King Iames so liked Bishop Usher's Sermon on that Text that a Knight then near him told me that when by his winking posture the Courtiers thought he had been asleep at the end of the Sermon he spake aloud This is the Religion that I will live and die in or to that sense The regardful reading of consenting learned Commentators on Eph. 3.4 5 6 7. Verses might have quenched this fire-â—rand Indeed I believe with Beza that they who translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by meer participation say too little For it is not all participation which is the Communion which many Texts express but such a participation as connoteth an Union in quibusdam For Union absolute and simple is uncapable of Communion except with some other thing having no parts 1 Iohn 1.6 7. we are said to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with God and with Christ or one another I find no Expositor that taketh this for meer Union Some call it Partnership some Society some Friendship others Communion but all take it to include transient acts Dr. Hammond goeth so far from this Doctor that he will have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 almost every where in the New Testament to signifie Communication by transient acts Yea he goeth so far from his Friend Grotius who placeth it in the exercise of Friendship that he saith It is appliable to Friendship or Society no otherwise than to knowledg or anything else So he expoundeth Rom. 15.26 2 Cor. 8.4 2 Cor. 9.13 Phil. 1.5 Heb. 13.16 Phil. 6. and the Creed Tho for my part I doubt not but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 1.9 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.1 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 10.16 c. do signifie such a participation of that which is common to them all as implieth and connoteth that Unity which is the thing signified in this Communion tho it includes transient acts II. I should now again answer his question de re What makes all these Churches one But he stops me with a profession that he will not be to me intelligible and complaineth that I am unintelligible to him So that we seem Barbarians or Men of strange Languages in disputing with one another And it would be no edifying work for any to hear e. g. a Dutch-man and a Spaniard dispute in their several Tongues not understanding one another When I distinguisht of unifying the Church and uniting a single Member to it he tells me That he supposeth the particular Churches formed and particular Christians united to them and only enquireth how they are one Church and saith my distinction is to prevent understanding which his confusion promoteth And when I distinguish between Union in essential parts and in integral parts and in accidents without which distinction no true satisfaction can be given to the Querist he saith He perceiveth that we shall never come to the business for he did not enquire wherein the Essence of a Church consists or what degrees of Communion are more or less necessary to its being but how a thousand Churches become one Church Ans. Which words are to me as unintelligible as any Nonsence Doth any thing make it One Church but that which maketh it A Church Doth not that which maketh it eus existens make it Unum Doth not the word Church name its Essence If he ask me how the parts of Man come to make One Man Who would think but he meant either One Man essential or else improperly One entire Man And what Answer would any give but this If your how mean what was the efficient cause it 's God and the Generators If you mean what are the constitutive causes They are Soul and Body united that make a Man in Essence and the integrating parts united that make him an entire Man O! but saith our Doctor I ask not wherein the Essence of the Church consists Ans. Then you ask not what maketh it One in constitution What then do you mean unless it be the efficient cause which no Man would think you meant that read the rest of your Book For my part I despair of knowing what you mean till you have better learned to speak But this seemeth to imply that we are agreed of the constitutive Causes of the One Catholick Church and our disagreement were of the Efficient If that be it I 'le tell you what maketh the Church One efficiently 1. God maketh Man to be Man and so capable
Col. 1.18 19. He is the head of the body the Church In him all fullness dwells 2.3 In whom are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledg 9. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily 17.19 The body is of Christ the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred knit together increaseth with the increase of God 3.3 4. Your Life is hid with Christ in God when Christ our Life shall appear 11. Christ is all and in all 1 John 1.2 The Life was manifested and we have seen it 4.9 We live through him 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life We are in him that is true in his Son Iesus Christ. These and many other signifie that Christ is fitly likened both to a Head and to a Soul to his Church and is not a dead Head but a living and that the word Head includeth the Soul operating in the Head for the Sense Reason and Guidance and increase of the body And that he doth operate by the Holy Ghost who is one God with the Father and Himself confirmeth it Even as Christ is said to be quickned by the Spirit and by the Spirit to offer himself to God and to justifie us c. which is far from proving that he did it not himself Chrysostome and Basil and Ambrose need not to have been at so great care to prove that it is Christ himself that is called The Spirit and the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 18. against the Arians It will prove him God that as he the word in making the World moved on the Waters by the Spirit which is one with him so he doth by his Spirit which is one with his own Godhead sanctifie Souls I hope you are not against the Filioque Briefly He that giveth to his Church and every true Member of it Spiritual Life Light and Love illumination Sanctification Strength increase and Consolation as appointed by the Father to do all this by himself and by his Spirit is the form Essentiating the Church as much and more than the Soul is to the Man But such is Christ Ergo If I were of their mind that anathematized the Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites as damn'd Hereticks for their unskilful words I should much more Hereticate a Doctor in our Age that will say That if Christ be the Head of the Church he cannot be to it as a Soul a forma informans denominans But I am not of that mind 3. But when this Doctor added If Christ be not the Head of the Body the Church must be without a Head or have some other Head than Christ which I suppose is the Reason why he talks so much of a constitutive Regent Head of the Church Reader Can you tell what he means by which is the Reason Which of the two meaneth he that I suppose the Church without a Head When I so oft and largely prove Christ to be the Head Or is it that I hold some other Head When my Book is to disprove it Which ever it be I do not think refusing such a Pastor as makes no more of the Ninth Commandment is a damning Schism The Sin of Church tyranny goes not alone § 20. P. 45 He proceeds But the organized Body is the constitutive matter of the man though other Philosophers used to call the Body a constitutive part but to let that pass Ans. You had not the Wit to let it pass Durst I have accused you of what you bewray and accuse your self Reader Is not the Matter a Part And is not the Form a Part of the man And doth that man speak plainer that barely calleth either of them a Part and tells you not which Part it is Matter or Form If one of his Pupils should say Sir you should not call the Soul the Form but a Part nor the Body the Matter but a Part what would the Boys say to him § 21. He goes on Thus an Organical Church is the constitutive Matter Of what Of Christ or of his Church or of some third compoundâ—d Ans. 1. Did I say An Organical Church or an Organical Body When Aristotle saith the soul is entelechia corporis physici organici doth he say Hominis physici Organici But you are an enemy to vain Philosophy and distinction 2. What if I had said an Organical Church as I sometimes do an Organized who knows not that ex penuria nominum the words Church Kingdom City Family School c. are ordinarily used equivocally sometimes properly for the whole Church Kingdom City c. as a Governed Society including Matter and form united And sometimes improperly for the Material part alone the Kingdom as distinguisht from the King the Church as distinct from Christ and from the Bishops and so of all the rest And when I so oft told you that the Organical Body of Christians is the Matter of the Church and Christ the foâ—m as far as these terms fit Bodies Politick could you not find in such words Of what it is the Matter of the Church of Christ. § 22. He adds But that these parts be duly placed and united is forma Corporis non Hominis which what it means I cannot tell unless that a man would be a man though the several parts of his Body did not stand in their right places nor were united to one another so they were all united to the Soul Ans. Do you not understand what it means What if I had so accused you Whether it be long of your Tutor or You I know not But 1. If you know not the difference between forma Corporis and forma Hominis some body is too blame Forma dat esse nomen The Soul giveth Being and Name to a Man He is no Man without it Do you think it gives Being and Name to the Body What if Lazarus his Body in the Grave were without its Soul is it not Corpus a Body What if such a Body as Mâ—ns had only the Soul of a Brute were it no Body What if Drâ—â—elius made his Engines move constantly by the Sun or Fire Is it not an Engine materially organized before the Sun or Fire move it Hath not a Wind â—â—ll or Water mill its mechanical form which is but the Organization oâ— dâ—e matter when Wind or Water move it not But to what purpose is it to talk to one that tells us he cannot understand it 2. But the addition is shameful misunderstanding Doth he that saith Organization is forma Corporis say that one may be a mâ—n without it This is below puerility Did I not maintain that as Aristotle haâ—h his three principles Matter Privation and Form and by Privation meaneth the Dispositio receptiva of the matter so Politick Bodies by similitude to natural have And that Organization is
that Dispositio receptiva sine qua Materia non recipit formam And now this famous Doctor cannot understand me when I assert it's Necessity to humanity unless I mean that one may be a man without it I would not exagitate this ignorance were it not in a Man that is damning and encouraging the silencing and ruining of so many Servants of Christ for their supposed Ignorance of the Lawfulness of all their Oaths Promises and Impositions But Reader my Heart grieveth to think that so great a number should be caried by such men as this to the same Love-killing opinions and practices I 'le put a case to you A Leveller that would have got down the Universities undertook that his Parrot should Learn Philosophy as well as Scholars and should dispute with any of them all He taught the Parrot only two words before Noon every day It 's true Sir and I understand you and to say two more every day afternoon viz. You lie Sir and away you Rogue When he had learnt them perfectly he inviteth a Tutor to read Philosophy to his Parrot He reads in the morning a Lecture of the Principles of Man and the Parrot oft saith I understand you and I'ts true Sir The Hearers admiring it are invited to dispute with the Parrot in the Afternoon Multitudes come and the Respondent maintained that Man hath a Reasonable Soul and next that Parrots have none such The Parrot oft answered You lie Sir and at last Away you Rogue If the Company gave the Parrot the better and concluded for Brutes against Humanity did they more deserve pity or indignation Once more God made Adam's Body before he breathed into it the Breath of Life If this Body had not its form it was not a Body nor a humane Body without the proper form of such That which hath no form is no being If the form of that Body was forma Hominis then Adam's Body was a Man without his Soul And then the Soul is not forma hominis But saith the Doctor I know not what it meaneth unless it be that Adam may be a man without the Corporeal form or Organization But lest the Doctor when he understands me should think that I have hereby served his Notion of Communion I must add that it is not either the placing or the being of all the parts of a humane Body that is this formâ—l Organization but only of the Essential parts It may be a humane Body without a Finger or Hand or Foot or Arm or Leg and what great diversity of parts are found within men and diversity of place and shape you may see in Skenkius his Observation as well as in Paraeus Hildanus Hollerius and multitudes more that afforded him his instances But without a Heart a Brain a Stomach a Liver Lungs c. it cannot be a humane Body organized And without a Gospel Ministry to guide the Flocks it is not a compleat organized Body of Christ though in fieri it was an Embrio before But I must again warn the Reader not to argue too far from Similitudes In a natural Body God hath fixed all the parts by a constant Law of generation except in Monsters But in political Bodies the difference is much Civil politicks quoad formas specificas are humane Creatures and men may alter them The Church is a Divine politie God hath fixed its essentials But he hath left many of its Accidents to the choice of Man who may alter them as Edification requireth And again I say that Catholick Union in the Essentials only is necessary to the Being of the Church and in the Integrals to its Integrity and in the needful common Accidents to its Comeliness and in other Accidents its unnecessary and impossible God makes the Man but the Tailor makes his Cloathes and the Country and Usage and Parents may diversifie Colour and Complexions Metropolitans and Patriarchs and Diocesian Churches as containing multitudes of Churches without Bishops and their Chancellors Officials Commissaries Arch-Deacons c. are humane Creatures as the Episcopal Protestants usually confess And Liturgies are various as Languages and Ceremonies are like our Periwigs Some think it lawful to wear Womens Hair and some think it unlawful though the fashion But I remember none yet that have taken all for Rebels or Out-laws that wear not Periwigs or are not of the same Habit Language or Complexion nor any that for these send men to Prison nor that think it a wise way to unity § 23. p. 46. He comes after with an If I mean to conjecture what I mean and think it fits his present case well why then doth he quarrel with it But what is his case Then the Church cannot be united to Christ in one Body without union with it self and the unity of the Catholick Church cannot consist meerly in the Union of all particular Churches in and to Christ without any Union among themselves Ans. Who did he ever Read or hear say that the Churches have no Union or no other than their Union in Christ among themselves He may see before § 9. I named ten points of their Union On Condition that he will not take the Cloathes or the Periwig or the House or the Horse or Coach no nor his Wealth or Office for the man I 'le once more tell him for the Readers sake and not his wherein the Unity of the Church consisteth and also in what all have Communion Politick Bodies are not like Natural where all the Members must have a continuity of contract Men that touch not and see not one another may be Members of one Kingdom Houses that touch not one another may make one City 1. The Church is considered in its meer Essence 2. It s Organized compleat state needful to its Edification 3. In its gradual growth or perfection 4. In its mutable accidents I. Christ and Christians United are all that is Essential to it as a Church II. Christ and Christians Sub-Churches or Societies of Pastors and Flocks are all that is necessary to make it an Organized Church compleated in the parts necessary to its Edification These Pastors at first were extraordinary Apostles and Prophets for the first settling of universal Laws and order And after Ordinary Pastors to Teach and Guide the Flocks III. This Body hath integral parts of various degrees differing in Knowledge Orthodoxness Piety Peace Power of Preaching and Purity and order of Worship and Government Some in it Preach Christ not sincerely but in strife and contention to add affliction to sincere suffering Preachers and some as Diotrephes receive not the Brethren but cast them out of the Church and forbid others to receive them and judge or despise each other for things that God would have left free and receive not those that Christ receiveth IV. All of them differ in multitudes of accidents They are not bound to agree in the same Forms Liturgies or unnecessary Circumstances Nor in humane additional Modes called forms of Government
in Accidents as in Patriarchs Metropolitans extended Diocess's c. Nor are they bound to take account of the Ordinations Presentation Titles and Rights of all the foreign Churches of other Kingdoms with whom they are to hold Communion nor to be Tryers or Judges between contending Parties which is the true Pastor Though in the same Kingdom and under the same Laws order may require this oft times Possession and Profession may satisfie them V. Though the Churches had all the degrees of Union besides yet nothing maketh them One Church in the proper political Sense as it signifyeth One Governed Society but their Union with Christ. But their own Capacity is necessary to the reception of this Unity with Christ. All Politicks difference a meer Community from a publick Body A hundred or a thousand persons agreed together to manage their affairs by a common Stock and Converse are a Community but not Civitas or Respublica No though they purpose to set up a Government But when they are formed into a Body under one supream Government they are a XII They are all obliged to use Pastors Church-Assemblies Word Prayer Praise and Sacraments that are the same of Christ's institution Now Reader judg whether all this be no Union and Communion among our selves And whether his Cant of Catholick Communion undistinguisht be intelligible Qu. But wherein lieth your difference then Ans. Let him that maketh it and accuseth us tell For my part either his confused head cannot tell what he would have or my dull head cannot understand him But I can tell you what it is that I deny I. Tho we are all sanctified by one Spirit and have one faith and hope there is great difference among us in the degrees of these II. Tho we are all under one Universal Law of Love Peace Concord and Obedience every man breaketh this Law in some degree but every breach doth not out-law us or prove us Rebels against God Whoever so far breaks the Law of Christian Love Peace and Concord as will prove that he hath not the sincere Love of God and his Brethren it is as truly damning in its degree as Murder or Adultery specially if it be notorious in silencings revilings of godly men and persecution to the hinderance of the Gospel and the encouraging of prophane unconscionable men But whoever breaks the Laws of Christian Love Peace and Concord only so far as may proceed from meer imperfection of Knowledg Love and Obedience in a sincere heart where Love is predominant God pardoneth him tho he may correct him and it doth not Unchurch him III. He that despiseth the Ministry out of predominant pride or prophaness or unbelief doth it damnably But so doth not he that in uprightness of heart for fear of guilt flyeth further from an ignorant false or malignant Teacher than he ought IV. If Hereticks or other uncapable men get uppermost and in possession that binds not all Christians or any to own them V. If Power impose men without fitness and without the Flocks consent to be all the Peoples Pastors so that they are Usurpers or such as wise men cannot safely trust their souls with as Pastors it is no sin much less damnable to choose better Pastors if they may be had without more hurt than benefit It hath ever been Satan's way against Christ to thrust his Servants into the Sacred Office to butcher the Flocks and then cry out against all as Schismaticks that would save their souls and others from them VI. The Laws of Rulers that set up Patriarchs Metropolitans and other Humane Orders in the Church if they be but to do what man can impower them to do must be as far obeyed as other Humane Laws not being against Gods Laws But the breach of them unchristens not nor is punishable but as the breach of other Humane Laws which some Casuists say bind only in case of scandal if we break them others only if they be for common good but I say if they be not against it and be things which belong to their Office to determine VII In the Roman Empire the Christian Pastors at first had no such way to preserve the people from Heresie as by keeping close Concord among themselves and agreeing that all should disown those that were regularly rejected by their own Pastors which in case of Controversie Councils were to try And Christian Emperors added their civil sanction to this power of Councils and banished such as the Councils condemned as Heresiarks And this combination they called the Catholick Church in the Empire to distinguish it from all the Heresies that brake from them And Emperors not using the Sword to compel any to Communion nor enabling the Bishops to do it this course was needful and did great Service to the Church as long as the Majority of the Clergy kept sound But when worldly Baits drew worldly men into the Bishops seats this turned clean the other way and Arians and every Sect that by power could get uppermost called themselves the Catholick Church and persecuted the rest as Schismaticks In this case the Orthodox durst not plead Majority but 1. They fled to the Scriptures to try which was the sound part 2. And they appealed to the Nicene and first Councils when the Church was sound But the Second Council at Const. began a breach the Third at Ephesus made it wider and was rejected by a great party The Fourth at Ephesus made it yet wider and was utterly disowned by the soundest part The Fifth at Calcedon call'd the Fourth made it yet wider and rent the Church almost into equal parts And the following Councils went on till they set up Images and Popery and tore all to pieces Therefore I conclude that uniting on the Decrees of General Councils as such is no necessary nor sure way of Catholick Communion But while godly Pastors use Synods really for Love and Peace and the Churches welfare it is the duty of all the People finis gratia and in obedience to their proper agreeing Pastors to keep such bonds of Peace But a failing therein is not an unchurching crime tho a fault VIII If Councils of Bishops will arrogate a Legislative power over all the Church or over those that are not of their Flocks it is part of our duty to Christ and means of Concord to disown their Usurpation IX If a company of uncalled usurping obtruded Pastors keep Councils their Pastoral Authority bindeth not X. If lawful Bishops will make Agreements for needless or noxious things on pretence of Concord or Ornament and lay on them such necessity that none shall communicate without them and make them dividing Snares and Engines particular Bishops ought to disown this and their authority binds none to obey such Canons whatever the end the Churches peace may do XI Bishops and Pastors in the same Kingdom may well be used to try what Pastors are fit for their Communion But as I said before were we bound to disown the
Communion of all Forreign Pastors the validity of whose right to their places we have not just notice of our Task would be impossible or our Communion narrow And if forreign Bishops will become so pragmatical as to make themselves Judges of other Kingdoms which party of Competitors are the truly called Pastors when they cannot try them or will take the words of one party against the other because they are uppermost it is just to disregard their Judgment tho they do it on pretence of Communion XII If men will turn a voluntary consultation for concord into the Nature of a Law tho they call it but Communion the Church should not own their Usurpation As the Princes of Europe are bound to do the best they can to promote by their concord the interest of Christ and may well hold Diets or Meetings for that end yet no man calls that Diet a Kingdom nor hath the Major Vote a power to bind the Minor to consent when the reason of the thing doth not bind them So is it in the concord of forreign Churches All are bound to agree in what Christ commandeth But in circumstantial determinations no man is bound further than the End and Reason of the thing requireth Communion here is not Subjection XIII There is an Excommunication which is a governing act This no Church or Bishop can use over others And there is a meer renunciation of Communion which equals may use XIV If any Bishops or Councils Usurpers or not excommunicate men unjustly or forbid them Communion unless they will sin such prohibited men must obey Christ and not forbear Church-Worship and Communion where they can have it specially if they are many Schismatical imposing Church tearers must not be encouraged by sinful obedience to them Whomever they call Schismaticks God will judg them as Schismaticks themselves and their revilings and persecutions are self-condemnation I doubt I weary the Reader with oft repeating the same thing to make them plain against perverters § 24. Let us follow him further p. 47. he saith But how to apply the Copula in a Proposition either to the union of Soul or Body or of Christ and his Church I cannot tell and shall never be able to learn till I meet with some new Baxterian Logick as well as Grammar and Metaphysicks Ans. And yet you will think your self wise enough to stir up men against us for our ignorance while you are raging confident Are you resolved to read no Logick that 's already written One would have thought it should have pleased one that pleads for Unity As it is no Proposition but made so by the Copula uniting the terms as Subject and Predicate and the Union maketh one the Predicate so it is no Man and no Church by the bare existence of Soul and Body or of Christ and Believers without the uniting of both together that so the Soul may become in actu the forma hominis and Christ the forma Ecclesiae Homo Animal rationale are no Proposition without a Uniting est Is not this plain § 25. P. 47 48. Granting that there is no Universal Government but Christ he 's again at it that there is somewhat more than Organization and all the Essentials of Christianity and Union with Christ to make the Church One and thereupon feigneth me to say That which maketh this Body to become a Church is no union among themselves and leaveth out the rest of the Sentence but their common union with Christ As if their common Union with Christ were not an Union among themselves If I have not made this plain enough That 1. the Church hath the Unity of the parts to make it a capable Body or Matter 2. That it hath a consequent Union and Communion after it is a Church 3. But that it is only the Union of adapted Matter and Form that makes it essentially the Church of Christ in the proper political sence then I despair of making it intelligible that forma dat esse nomen And if that which maketh it the Church do not thereby make it hoc unum then eus unum non convertuntur and unum must have a distinct cause from eus § 26. He adds I should rather think that the Unity of several Churches makes them one Church and does not only prepare and dispose them to be one Ans. Their Unity in Christ doth make them one formally And this is the informing Unity among themselves But all other Unity is but preparatory or consequential to the formal unity I told you out of Dr. Barrow and may see in Rod. Goclenius Martinius and many more beside Metaphysicks in what abundance of loose sences things may be called One We deny no such Unity no not in an heap of Sand. But of formal political Unity why would you never tell us what it is but Union with one King that makes many Cities one Kingdom Do you rather think they are One Kingdom by any other Union among themselves Yes if you take Kingdom materially and equivocasly but not else Dare you say That they are the Church of Christ without their Union with him as the Form Or dare you say That all Christians united to Christ as their Head and Form are not eo nomine one Polity or Church And what 's the reason that all this while you will not name that thing else that makes the Church one Do it if you can § 27. P. 49. Falsly saying that I have not told him what Union of the Churches among themselves is necessary he feigns an Union in Christ the Center consistent with as great distance as the two Poles Ans. What base thoughts hath this man of Christianity Is it a contemptible Union to have all one Faith one Hope one Baptismal Covenant and so one God one Lord one Spirit and one body of such and all the Twelve parts of Union and Communion before named 2. Were it not worth the labour for this man to tell us what the more near and excellent Union is which he hath a mind to set up Paul saith I tell you of a more excellent way when he speaks of the Union of Love even Love to God and our Saviour first and to all his Members as united in him Out of all this man's books I cannot find what his nearer Union is unless it be to unite in such as he that is in obedience to their Wills and so Subjection to them be this high Communion He saith over and over the general word Catholick Communion but what he placeth it in let him find that can § 28. He saith This is a pretty easie way of determining Controversies to out-face all the authority of Scripture and Antiquity by a dogmatical assertion without offering the least Reason or shadow of Reason to confirm it Ans. Reader find one word of Scripture or true Antiquity that I contradict or that ever he shewed that I contradict and judg who giveth Reason and take not his word or
mine § 29. Saith he I had at large proved the necessity of one Catholick Communion to make one Catholick Church and instead of answering the proef he asserts the contrary upon his own naked authority and that must pass for confutation Ans. Could a man have spoken more untruly that had studied it 1. While he tells us that by Communion he means Union did I ever deny it No nor ever met with a Christian that denied it 2. Yea I said more than he That besides Union some Communion in transient acts is necessary which he placeth not his Communion in Is not this an hardened Disputer Who can doubt but Union and Communion is necessary to one Church But the doubt is wherein it doth consist whether in Essentials Integrals or Accidents and what these be We are far more for Catholick Union and Communion than you We are for Communion with all true Christians even those that you represent odious and excommunicate and ruin and you are for Communion with a Sect that will honour you and obey your will We know that to have one God and Christ and Holy Spirit one Faith and Hope of Heaven one Baptism and a true Love to one another and to be all under one Law and Covenant of Christ and in our several Assemblies to read the same Scripture use the same Sacraments and the same Rule of Prayer the Lord's Prayer and Praise this is a most excellent Catholick Communion We believe that true Christian Unity is the Unity of the Spirit that is mental in Faith Hope and Love but that it must be held exercised and preserved in the bond of peace Eph. 4 3. And therefore if any Christian take it for a sin to joyn with us in the circumstances of Worship if we can we 'l alter them to satisfie them If we cannot we will gladly allow them to worship God together in their own circumstances and there we will love and pray for one another We will not cut men off from Christ or the Catholick Church and damn them for not swearing or saying that they will obey us and that there is nothing sinful in any of our Government Liturgies Forms or Ceremonies Our Union is in greater matters common to all Christians and not in wearing the same fashions and reading the same forms and obeying the usurpers of the power of the Keys that are Lay-men c. And as for having obligation and right to Communion with all other Churches which is all that I can gather he placeth it in save obeying the same Bishops and Canons we make no doubt of such right to be used in due order And therefore we condemn all Church Tyrants that deny men their right And we do not believe that our right is in the power of Prelates to take from us unless we forfeit it and cast it away And we grant obligation to due Communion as well as right and therefore will be no such Separatists as you are that refuse Communion with Dissenters in their Churches yea condemn all that do but call them Churches And seeing no man is obliged to sin we disown their crime that will not let men preach nor communicate unless they will make a solemn Covenant to sin The Catholick Communion that he seems to aim at is to receive and reject the same persons in every Church that are received in or rejected by any one We are for as much of this as is needful to the purity and peace of the Church But we do not believe that all the Christian World is bound to take all the godly persons for excommunicate who shall be excommunicated here according to the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Canons of the Church of England nor to silence all Ministers that you silence When we were newly silenced 1662. some great men were imployed to affirm That if we would go and preach to the Americans it was an excellent work and they would bear our charges I told them that our lives would be spent e're we could learn their Languages as fit to preach to them But it seems if we had gone Catholick Communion would have silenced us there too and have obliged the Americans if we converted them to reject us What if Bishops excommunicate men for not paying the Civilians their Fees or for not repenting of a truth or silence us for not assenting and consenting to all in their book must all the World reject us in conformity to them It 's an heinous crime for any one man to draw a Nation to sin with him but much more to engage all the Christian World to sin with him yea and that on pretence of Catholick Communion Christ saith by his Spirit in his Apostle Him that is weak in the faith receive and receive one another as Christ received us If Bishops silence and excommunicate even them that ate strong in the Faith must all the World disobey Christ to obey them If you grant that clave errante they bind not must we take their bare words that claves non errant or must we become Tryers and Judges of all the World that they will judg And how shall all Churches receive the same that some receive when you know not whom you receive your selves Are all the score thousands that are in some of your great Parishes in your Church Must all the World take all the Sadduces Hobbists Infidels and Damners that dwell in your Parishes into their Communion No nor all that come to the Altar when the Priest knows not who they be and never saw them before Do you use to write Testimonial Letters for every one of your Communicants when he travelleth into other Parishes or Diocesses Any man save a Nonconformist that had rather take the Sacrament than lie in Goal is admitted unless some rare Minister stop a notorious scandalous man till the Court absolve him If you make a Prison of your Church and say to all men Chuse this or Newgate c. must all the World receive such because they chuse the Church-Prison rather than the other And if we cannot possibly know which of our Neighbours be of your Church and which not in the same Parish e. g. Martins Giles c. how shall we know who hath right to Communion all the World over You must needs cast us on believing the Bishops words when as 1. They use not to give the World such notice 2. If they did we know not forreign Bishops credibility in France Spain Italy Poland Germany c. they most separate from one another § 30. P. 50. He proceeds He takes that for granted which I can never grant him That the Churches which are divided from one another by separate and opposite Communions may yet be all united to Christ for Christ hath but one Body one Spouse one Flock one Church and if we be not Members of this one Church as no Schismâ—ticks are we are not united to Christ Ans. 1. The Lord have mercy then
Bare Unity is more intelligible tho no one know wherein it must be § 39. He adds To preservt the Peace and Unity of Episcopacy it 's necessary that every Bishop do not only observe the same Rule of Faith but especially in matter of weight and consequence the same Customes and Usages and the same Laws of Discipline and Government and when any difficult case happens for which they have no standing Rule to consult Ans. The longer the worse If I ask him whether he mean such Customs and Usages as are part of God's Word materially commanded or commended in Scripture I know not what he will say but I strongly conjecture he will say No It is Tradition and Church-Customs not there mentioned If I ask how these come espcially to be mentioned as matter of weight and consequence he confesseth that God and not Man made the Church And is not God's Law sufficient to be its Universal Rule If man make these matters of weight man may unmake them 2. But is it not Universal Church-Communion that he is speaking of I provoke him to tell me if he can who on Earth hath power beside God and our Saviour to make Laws the same of Discipline and Government to the Universal Church Is not Legislation the prime part of Government Have not you oft denied any Humane Supreme Government under Christ over all the Church Do you not here say the contrary Know you not the difference between the Contracts of a Community and the Laws of a Polity It 's no true Law if it be not the act and instrument of a Rector to govern his Subjects If Twenty Kings meet or School-Masters Physicians c. and agree on certain Points of Government this maketh them not One Polity Kingdom or School Their Contracts are neither Laws to each other nor to their common Subjects but every King may make them a Law to his own Subjects 4. If you should mean only National Laws of Discipline and Government how come all the Churches in the World to be obliged to observe the same Laws e g. our Canons This as to Traditions is expresly contrary to our Articles of Religion which you subscribe And when the Church-Laws of all Countreys differ so much which must all be reduced to If you say They must all agree to those called the Codex Ecclesiae Universalis or the Four or Six first approved Councils c. I answer 1. It 's gratis dictum And how prove you those universally obligatory and no other And how will you satisfie Conscience which are the obligatory Laws indeed 2. Why do you then cast all from Communion that observe the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice 3. What power have dead Bishops over us and all Christ's Church They were Canons for one Empire which is dissolved and of which we are no part 4. Is Christ so insufficient a Lawgiver even for Laws necessary to the Unity of his Church as that we must have more Laws of Government and Discipline which the Catholick Church must unite in or be no Church And shall that man plead for such Laws that yet saith There is no universal Governor I never said you are a Cassandrian or a Papist But it was such ignorant Doctors that saddled the Horse and held the Stirrup while the Pope got up § 40. This saith he makes it highly reasonable for Neighbour-Bishops at as great a distance as the thing is practicable with ease and convenience as the Bishops of the same Province or Nation to live together in a strict Assâ—ciation and Confederacy to meet in Synods to oblige themselves to the same Rules of Discipline and Worship There may be a primacy of order granted to some Bishops and their Chair by general consent and under the regulation of Ecclesiastical Canons for the preservation of Catholick Unity Ans. You make this Catholick Unity essential to the Church And yet doth it lie in Humane Canons and Assâ—ciations Did Christ leave things so essential to Humane Invention And is concord in your Canons necessary to salvation And yet the proof of all this is but this and such Doctors Assertion that it's highly reasonable And so Unity and Salvation must lie on all that such will think highly reasonable 2. If Subjects may thus make their own Laws no doubt they will make them suitable to their Natures and Inclinations And it 's confest that oft the most even of Bishops are bad and worldly men and suitable to their Ends and Interests How many would be glad if Soveraigns would thus let Subjects make their own Laws 3. But how were the Canons or Laws of a National Church to be a Rule to all the Church on Earth and necessary to its Unity 4. And how comes this man that made it damnable in the Independents to make a Church-Covenant as if they renounced Baptism now to make Church-Associations and Confederacies to be so necessary to Catholick Unity Truly I know no answer for the man but the same that Binnius giveth us when Pope Iohn and Hormisda gave a contrary determination de fide on the question Whether it may be said that One of the Trinity was crucified One said Yea But the Nâ—storians taking hold of it the other said Nay Ita mutatis hostibus saith Bâ—â—nius arma necessario mutanda sunt That 's true when it 's for themselves which is false when it 's for others 5. But it was modestly done to confine these Confederacies to the greatest distance that the thing is practicable with ease and convenience And so he fairly denieth General Councils and after more plainly But when the Armenians Syrians Abassines Greeks c. cannot with ease and convenience go above Five or Six Hundred miles at most and so each Countrey hath different Customs Laws and Canons Can the Catholick Church obey them all § 41. P. 127. This saith he seems to be the true Original of Archiepiscopal and Metropolitical Churches Ans. If so I will not believe that they are necessary to Catholick Unity and Salvation till I know who invented them and whether they had as good a Commission as the Apostles 2. If Bishops made the first Achbishops and Parish-Bishops say others the first Diocesans and Presbyters the first Parish-Bishops then 1. Inferiors may make Superiors and give the power which they never had 2. Why then may they not ordain Equals and propagate their species 3. Then Presbyters or Bishops are of God and Archbishops of Men. § 42. Page 128. Saith he Every Bishop is the proper Governour of his own Diocess and cannot be regularly imposed on against his consent Ans. Yet even now He that causelesly breaks this Union is no Catholick Bishop It seems then it goeth not by Vote but a Dissenter may be a free Catholick I pray you then impose not on others against their conâ—ent The whole Authority saith he of any Bishop or Council over other Bishops is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Therefore they have no
Catholick Communion Defended against both Extreams AND UNNECESSARY DIVISION Confuted by Reasons against both the Active and Passive ways of SEPARATION Occasioned by the Racks and Reproaches of One sort and the Impatience and Censoriousness of the other and the Erroneous tho Confident Writings of Both. And written in Compassion of a Distracted Self-tearing People tho with little hope of any great success In FIVE PARTS I. The Dangerous Schismatick on the Three Cases about Church-Communion II. Animadversions on part of Mr. RAPHSON's Book III. A Survey of the Unreasonable Defender of Dr. STILLINGFLEET for Separation pretending to oppose it IV. Reasons of the Authors censured Communion with the Parish-Churches V. The Reasons why Dr. I. O's Twelve Arguments change not his Judgment By RICHARD BAXTER a Lover of Love and Peace and by defending them displeasing those that labour to destroy them Rom. 15. 7. Receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men Psal. 18. 26 27. With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward or wrestle For thou wilt save the afflicted people but wilt bring down high looks LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1684. TO THE READER IT 'S known that Christ suffered between Two Malefactors reputed by his Persecutors the greatest of the Three One of them was penitent and justified Christ and reproved the other who reproached even dying him that should have been taken for his only Hope Ignatius compared the Teeth of the Lions to the Milstones which must grind him to be Bread for his Fathers use The two Extreams have been at this unhappy Dividing-work since the Christian Church began to prosper Diotrephes and the Jewish Imposers on the one side and the Self-conceited separating Sects on the other were used by Satan to fight against Saving Truth and Love They were foretold by Paul Acts 20. both that grievous Wolves should enter and devour the Flocks and that of their own selves should men arise to speak perverse things and draw away Disciples after them But when Christian Power had lent one Party the Sword or made it the Executioner of Clergy-wrath the Church hath ever since between two Milstones been ground to Meal There hath indeed beâ—n much Differences in their dividing ways The upper Milstone hath still been violently active The nether Milstone thought it self innocent because it was passive Even before the Church-Tympanites many score several Sects rose up that had their several Societies separating from the rest on pretence of greater Orthodoxness and Piety No two of the Contraries could be in the Right much less all Therefore all or all save one did separate for Error But as Luther saith De Conciliis these Divisions were but a Play as at Foot-ball in comparison of the Strages or bloudy destructive Divisions which were made by Patriarchs and Councils of advanced Prelates If under Heathens the Novations sprung up from a Strife to have their Captain the great Bishop of Rome and the Donanists from a Strife to have their Captain the great Bishop of Carthage and so many other Sects What wonder if the Strife of Patriarchs Metropolitans and Councils when they were like great Secular Princes did cut all the Churches into those Shredâ— or Schisms which have continued it's Diseases and Reproach these 1200 if not 1300. years to this day unhealed and unlikely to be healed four of these Patriarchs condemning Rome and the Roman Fifth condemning them As it was said â—f Saul and David The Under sects and Schisms have killed their thousands and the Uppermost Patriarchal Conciliary Tyrannical Schisms their ten thousands Alas to what a horrid degree of Pravity is Humane Nature fallen What a scandalous Temptation give Men to the Bruitists who prefer the Bruits yea the wildest before Mâ—n When even the Learned sort who think themselves so fit to guide all the rest that none is worthy to Preach Christs Gospel who dissent from their prescribed Opinions and Ceremonies are yet unable after 1200. years experience of the Churches to understand that the terms and ways which have hitherto distracted and torn them and to this day made them the scorn of the Infidels and like the Sherds of a broken Pot are not the only ways and terms of Catholick Union and Communion which if any deny he is unworthy to live in Christian Society Lord is there no hope that the World at least the Learned part may be healed of this self-laceration and distraction If there be no Love and Peace but in Heaven and with the few that the World abhorreth O cause us all that are fervent Lovers of Love and Peace to be more weaned from this earthly Nest of Wasps and to love and long for the World where Love and Peace are perfected I have seen Canons which have ipso facto excommunicated Men how wise how holy how useful and how many soever that do but affirm any things in their Church-Offices Liturgies Words and Ceremonies to be at all repugnant to the Word of God and at once oblige Men to subscribe to an Article That not only they but General Councils are fallible So that I stand amazed to think what Spirit made such Canons and what such Men thought of themselves and of Humane Nature and of the History of all former Ages of the Churches If they must be acknowledged fallible and yet all cut off from Christ or from the Church who say they have any Error so much as in the said Offices Forms Words or Ceremonies sure they suppose that some miraculouus Power so wonderfully over-ruled fallible Men and therefore should shew us miracles to convince us For my part I am far from believing that I am so secured from Error and therefore only say Tho I be an unfit Iudge of my Superiors Acts I would not for all the Riches on Earth be charged at Gods judgment with the guilt of making and justifying such Canons much less with all the Consequents of their Executions And because I am unwilling to be guilty of any dividing-errors on the other side I have here impartially confuted them telling those that would not have the Authors or their former Actions so much remembred and blamed as I have done That God is against their carnal Policies and that it neither hath prospered nor will do And that when Men justifie Sin or lay it upon God he will with disdain cast it back upon them As I thank God who kept the main Body of the Religious Persons innocent from the crimes of a few tumified Sectarian Soldiers who by advantage subdued all the rest tho Malignity would ruine them by a false Accusation of such a Guilt so I will not so much as by Silence encourage that false Malignant Accusation nor leave the sober godly People of the Land under the intimated Suppositions That they Consented to the
Worshipping him amounts to besides the Union of the Creature with the Creator in whom he liveth c. And no unregenerate ungodly Christian is united to him savingly 5. They are united among themselves 6. This is by a Covenant 7. And by a Covenant Divine as to command approbation and object It is God that they Covenant to own and obey The common Profession of the Mahometans is There is one God and Mahomet is his Prophet It is Divine in tantum as commanded For God Commandeth all men to Own him to believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And God so far approveth it St. Iames saith Thou dost well to him that believeth there is a God much more that is professedly devoted to him Let us by this examine the Jewish Church Iews now may be 1. A Body 2. Of Men 3. Separated from the rest of the World even in Religion and Church pretensions 4. United to God as Creatures as Men as the corporal seed of Abraham and as professing Belief Love and Obedience to God as their God 5. Strictly united among themselves 6. By a Covenant 7. Which God once commanded and still approveth so far as they own God Let us consider whether this description take not in those in every Nation that fear God and work Righteousness that never heard of Christ being thus combined And whether the Kingdom of God be not larger than his Church Joyn the Head and Tail of this mans book together and by the Head the description for ought I see Iews Mahometans if not almost all Heathens are the Church But at the End I think none on Earth is the Church At least none that separate from a pair of Organs or an ignorant Curate Nor can any man know who Page 2. § 2. He explaineth his Word Body as opposed to a confused Multitude A. But a Community of Equals that have no Governours may have order and â—e no confused Multitude And he himself after pleads over much for a necessity of Rulers P. 3. § 3. And in many places his Confusion and grand errour is repeated that the Christian Church is but one p. 7. We know no Church but what all Christians are members of by Baptsme which is the Vniversal Church p. 8. There is but one Church of which all Christians are members as there is but one Covenant p. 19. If there be but one Church and one Communion of which all true Christians are members c. p. 23. I am no otherwise a member of any particular Church than I am of the Vniversal p. 40. It 's a schismatical Notion of membership that divides the Christian Church into distinct memberships and therefore into the distinct Bodyes And p. 19. and often he saith those Churches which are not members of each other are separate Churches and Schismaticks A. I had hoped that no man but Mr. Cheny had talkt at this rate I. It 's agreed on that there is but one Universal Church The contrary is a Contradiction 2. It is agreed that there is no lawful particular Church which is not a part of the Universal 3. That whoever hath just Union and Communion with a true particular Church hath Union and Communion with the Universal 4. That all men in their Worship of God should accordingly perform it and do all that they do as Men in that Relation to the Universal Church None of this is controverted II. But I had hoped never to have heard any but Seekers say that there are not many lawful particular Churches distinct from the whole and from one another though not disjunct in the Common Essentials For the proof of the contrary 1. I begin with that which I expect should be most powerful The mans own after-Confessions to which he is oft brought Pag. 8. Distance of Place and the necessities and conveniences of Worship and Discipline has divided the Church into several parts and members and Particular Churches c. So pag. 14. pag. 19. All Christian Churches ought to be members of one More fully p. 20 21. This is ad hominem Yea and Nay is his Resolution 2. But I 'le bring other Arguments that prevail more with me The Sacred Scriptures oft tell us of many Churches therefore there are many Act. 9.31 The Churches had rest and 15.4 Confirming the Churches 16.5 So were the Churches established in the Faith Rom. 16.4 All the Churches of the Gentiles So ver 16. 1 Cor. 7.17 So ordain I in all Churches 11.16 Neither the Churches of God have such Custom 14.33 As in all the Churches of the Saints 34. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches So 16.1.19 2 Cor. 8.1 The Grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia 18. Whose Praise is in the Gospel through all the Churches So 19.23 24. and 11.8.28 The care of all the Churches 12.13 Inferior to the other Churches Gal. 1.2 22. 1 Thes. 2.14 2 Thes. 1.4 Rev. 1.4 To the seven Churches ver 11.20 Angels and Candlesticks of the seven Churches And 2.7 11 17 29. and 3.6 13 22 23. and 22.16 His Concordance might have shew'd him all these in order Phil. 4.15 No Church communicated with me concerning giving and receiving but ye only The dispute now must be whether the Apostles or this Resolver be to be believed They say there are many Churches parts of One he saith There is but one and it 's Schismatical to divide it into distinct memberships or Bodyes c. It 's no Schisme here to say I am for Paul and the Holy Scripture Let who will believe the contradictor 3. My next Argument is this Where there are many Political Societies consisting of Christian Pastors and People professedly associated for the ordinary Exercise of those Relations as such in holy Communion in Christian Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation for Edification in true Faith Hope Love and Obedience and the Glorifying of God therein There are many distinct true Churches parts of the Church Universal But on Earth there are many such Societyes c. Ergo c. Either the controversie is De re or de nomine for we called Separatists use to separate these 1. If de re Let the existence of the thing defined be tryed by Scripture Reason and common Experience 2. If de nomine Forma quae dat esse dat Nomen Here is the true specifick form which is found in many single Churches ergo the Name of such single or individual Churches is due to them 4. Again ad hominem from the consequences 1. If there be not many single Churches in the Universal then there are not many Patriarchal National Provincial Metropolitical Diocesan or Parochial Churches For non entium non datur numerus Many nothings is a contradiction Multae sunt ergo sunt Abest tertij adjecti ad est secundi valet argumentum But if there be not many then 1. All the Parish Churches in England being but one and not many
a Patron can have right to present to no one as a Church more than to another 2. Then the Parson Vicar or Curate is no more the Parson of one Church than of another nor bound to no more Care and Duty for there is but one 3. Then no one is bound to go to one Parish Church more than another for there is but one 4. Then the Temple and Tithes belong no more to one than another 5. Then no Bishop is the proper Bishop of one Diocesan Church more than of another 6. Then all the revenues of the Bishop of London are no more appropriate to one Church than to another 7. Then you owe no more Obedience to the Bishops of one Diocesan Church than another 8. Then you make the King no more Head or Governour of the Church of England than of another 9. Then a Diocesan oweth no Reverence to a Metropolitane Church if there be none such 10. Then many Churches cannot have Communion nor send Bishops to Councils if there be not many 11. And the charge of Separation from a Church that is no Church is a contradiction 5. I adde from Parity of Reason if many distinct subordinate Societies may make one Civil Body Politick so they may one Universal Church But the Antecedent is undoubted If it be Learnedly said with Mr. Cheny that one whole cannot be Part of another whole One may attain the perfection by that time he hath worn the Breeches but a few years to know that a whole Family may be part of a whole Village and a whole Vicinage be part of a whole City and a whole Colledge be part of a whole University and a whole City part of a whole Kingdom and a whole Kingdom part of the whole Earth And if it be objected that the Names of the whole and parts are here divers but a Church and a Church are the same Name I Answer at the same age one may learn that the same Name proveth not the sameness of the things Named and that ex penuria nominum the Genus and Species the Totum and Parts have oft equivocally the same Name with the Addition of just Notes of distinction Sometimes an Academy of many Schools is called Schola and so are the single Schools therein The City of London is a Society and so are the Societies of Merchant-Taylors Drapers Mercers c. therein § 4. But these Churches must be members of one another or they are Schismaticks A. 1. How can that be if they be all but one 2. This is also above or below the ferula age They are no members of one another but all members of the whole Yet how oft have we this with the sting of Schisme as Damning as Murder or Adultery in the Tail of it The hand is not a member or part of the Foot or the Foot of the Hand or the Liver a member of the Lungs c. but each one of the Man If ever I were a Schoolmaster again I would perswade my Boyes that A is not a member of B nor B of C c. but each of the Alphabet And that one leaf of their Book is not a member of another but both of the Book And if they were ripe for the University I would perswade them that Exeter Colledge is not a member of Corpus Christi nor that of Lincoln c. but all of the Universitie of Oxford And I think that Bristol is not a member of Exeter or Gloucester c. but all of England and that the Company of Stationers are not part of the Society of Merchants or Drapers c. but all of London What a Priviledg is it that a Man may believe this about any such thing without Schisme and Damnation And how dreadful to fall into such Church-mens hands that in their Case make it Schisme Separation and Damnation But there is a Remedy § 5. But he hath reason for what he saith p. 3 4. Indeed it is extreamly absurd and unreasonable to say that the Christian Church which is built on the same Foundation c. who enjoy all Priviledges in Common should be divided into as distinct and separate Bodies thô of the same kind and nature as Peter Iames and Iohn are distinct Persons It 's absurd to say That where every thing is common there is not one Community Ans. Let us not swallow this without Chewing 1. Whether all be extreamly absurd and unreasonable which such Doctors call so I am grown to doubt as much as whether all be Schism which Schismaticks call so Ipse dixit is no Proof 2. What the meaning of this great Decantate Word Separate is must anon be enquired But may not Churches be distinct and not culpably separate He confesseth afterwards both local distinction and separation 3. How far are the Vniversal Church and Particular Churches distinct As Whole and Parts Must the World at last learn that Whole and Parts are not distinct If you take it for absurd to distinguish a Man from a Body or from a Liver Hand or Foot Dissenters do not nor to distinguish a Colledge from an University a House from a Street a Street from a City c. But how are the Particular Churches distinguished one from another Reader so constantly do such men fight with themselves that it 's meet to ask whether they that thus say there are not many distinct Churches do not assert a far wider difference between many than those they dissent from We affirm that there are many and that they differ not in specie but numero as Colledges Cities do among themselves but these men after all this hold not only a numerical but a specifick difference even as Parochial Diocesan Provincial Patriarchal National at least Presbyters and Diocesans differing Ordine vel Specie with them the Church denominated from them must do so too § 6. But he confirms it Peter James and John thô they partake of the same common nature yet each of them have a distinct Essence and Subsistence of their own and this makes them distinct Persons but where the very Nature and Essence of a Body or Society consists in â—aving all things common there can be but one Body Ans. I hope it s no culpable Separation to distinguish things as differing specie numero and this is the Doctors meaning if his words are significant and the common way of expressing it would have been Peter and John differ numerically but not in specie but two Churches differ neither specie nor numero And 1. Reader whereas he said before that the Church is not divided into distinct Bodies as Iames and Iohn c. did you think till now that Iames and Iohn and the Doctor and the several Bishops had not been distinct parts of the Church in their distinct natural bodies 2. And why may there not be distinct Politick Bodies or Compound in one whole as well as natural certainly all things corporeal save Attomes are Compounds A Muscle a Hand
a Foot parts similar and dissimilar in man are all compounded of lesser Parts If many Students may make one Colledge why may not many Colledges make one University It 's strange if a Doctor deny this 3. But let us consider of his Reason and enquire 1. Whether the Church have all things Common 2. Whether the very Essence of it consist in this I. It is granted that the whole Essence of the Genus and Species is found in every individual of that Species Natural or Politick but did we ever hear till Mr. Cheny and this Doctor said it that Politick Bodies differ not numero as well as Natural The Kingdom of England and of France are two the Church of Rome and Constantinople long strove which should be uppermost but who ever said that they were not two II. Have they all things common Dissenters would have excepted Wives and Husbands th◠the Canons called Apostolical do not Why should the Essence of a Church lie in this and not the Essence of a City or Kingdom Tories in Ireland would have all common Merchants and Tradesmen Knights Lords and Princes here would not But it 's no Schism here also to distinguish simpliciter secundum quid Propriety and the use of Propriety There is no Community without Propriety Men have first a Propriety in themselves their members their food the acquests of their Labours their Wives and Children and Goods And they consent to Community to preserve this Propriety because every man loveth himself And yet they must use their Propriety even of Life for common good because all are better than one But if they had no Propriety they could not so use it for the Common-wealth And I never conformed to the Doctrine that denyeth Propriety in Church Members and Particular Churches and thought all simply common I 'le tell you what Particular Churches have to individuate them not common to all 1. They consist of individual natural Persons many of which as much differ from many other Persons those in England from those in Spain as one man doth from another 2. Their Graces and gifts are numerically distinct Faith Hope Love c. from those of other Churches thó ejusdem speciei 3. England and France London and Oxford have Churches of different place and Scituation 4. But the formal individuating difference is their nearest Relation to their several Pastors as several Kingdoms Cities Schools are numerically distinct by their distinct Kings Maiors School-masters so are several Churches ejusdem speciei 1. Thess. 5.12 13 Know those that are among you and over you in the Lord and esteem them highly in love for their Works sake As every mans Wife Children and Servants must be used for the common good and yet are not common one mans Wife and Children are not anothers So the Bishop of London of Oxford c. must govern his Church for the good of the Universal but he is not the Bishop of Gloucester Norwich Paris Rome These are differences enow to constitute a numerical difference of Churches Paul distinguisheth the Bishops of Philippi Ephesus c. from others Do you yet see no Priviledges that one hath Proper and not common to all none that make a difference in specie but both numerical and gradual 1. All Churches have not Bishop Iewel Bishop Andrews Doctor Stillingfleet Doctor Sherlock to be their Teachers All Churches be not taught all that 's in this Resolver 2. All Churches have not men of the same soundness nor excellency of Parts It was once taken for lawful to account them specially worthy of double honour who laboured in the Word and Doctrine and to esteem men for their works sake Paul saith of Timothy I have no man like minded If those that heard not a Sermon in many years differed not from your Congregation why do you preach I am reproached in Print for telling the world this notorious truth That I lived till ten years old where four men four years hired successively were Readers and School-masters two Preached as it was called once a Month the other two never Two drank themselves to beggery After I lived where many Parishes about us had no Preachers The Parish that I lived in had a Church with a Vicar that never preached and a Chappel with a Parson eighty years old that had two Livings twenty Miles distant and never preacht His Son a Reader and Stage-player was sometime his Curate His Grand-son my School-master his Curate next that never preacht in his life but drunk himself to beggery One year a Taylor read the Scripture and the old man the best of them all said the Commmon-Prayer without book for want of sight The next year a poor Thresher read the Scripture After that a Neighbours Son my Master was Curate who never preacht but once and that when he was drunk in my hearing on Mat. 25. Come ye Blessed and go ye Cursed the saddest Sermon that ever I heard These things were no rarities Now my assertion is That the Church that had such as Austin Chrysostome Iewel Andrews and such worthy men as London now hath many had Priviledges distinct from these and many the like that I was in If you say that every Bishop and Preacher is as much the Bishop and Preacher to all other single Churches as to that which is his Title then 1. He must be condemned for not teaching them all 2. Then he may claim maintenance from them all 3. Then he may intrude into any mans Charge 4. Then no Church is unchurcht for want of a Bishop for any one Bishop is Bishop to every Church in the World and so ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia signifieth but that Church and Bishop are on the same Earth and Ecclesia est Plebs Episcopo adunata may be verified if there be but one in the World 5. And so Mr. Dodwell and such are self-confuted before you are aware Geneva Holland and all Presbyterians are true Churches for they have all Bishops e. g. The Bishop of London is Bishop to them all For if one man be no more a Member of one single Church than of another and so no more a Subject to one Bishop than to another then one Bishop is no more Pastor of one Church than of another 7. And how can you magnifie the Church of England for a Wise Learned Pious Clergy above other Churches if all Priviledges be common and they have no proper Pastors of their own 8. Do you think that the Church e. g. Of Hippo that was in Austins dayes was the same numerical single Church with that which is there now were there any or with the Diocesan Church of London if not then at least distance of time and change of Persons maketh divers Particular Churches and it 's no more against the unity of the Church Universal to have divers particular Churches in it in the same Age than in divers Ages In short Diversity of matter and form maketh a numerical Diversity as of Natural
so of Politick Bodies of the same species But the Churches of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira Philadelphia c. were of divers matter and form numerically Ergo they were divers Political Churches Sure God doth not commend Laodicea for Philadelphia's Church Virtues nor condemn the Church of Philadelphia for the other Churches Sins And if the Angels be Bishops why are some Bishops praised as the Bishops of such Churches and the Bishops of other Churches threatned But I confess this is a ready way to end the Controversies between the Bishops of several Churches which shall be greatest if they be all but one But I hope that when the Bishop of Rome and his Church was corrupted it is not true that every Bishop and Church fell with him or with any that hath turned to Mahumetanism To be no longer on this which I thought no Prelatist would ever have put me on if these men speak not notoriously against Scripture against the constant Language of Canons and Fathers Historians and Lawyers and all Antiquity and all Christian Countreys and Divines yea even those that at Trent would have had only the Pope to be of immediate Divine Right then I know not any thing by Reading And if poor Nonconformists must be put to defend themselves against such singularities and be Schismaticks unless they will differ from all the Christian World of all Ages there is no Remedy § 7. But p. 5 6. he tells us that a Church is made by a Divine Covenant God only can constitute a Church Such Persons if there be any so absurd are not worth disputing with who dare affirm the Church to be an humane Creature or the invention of men And no Church can depend on humane Contracts for then a Church would be a humane Creature and Constitution whereas a Church can be founded only on a Divine Covenant 1. Who would think but this man were a Nonconformist that talks so like them e. g. Amesius in Medul Theol. against humane Church Forms But what then will Bishop Bilson and almost all other Bishops and Christians be thought of who affirm Patriarchal and Metropolitical Churches and many of the Diocesane to be but humane Constitutions and Inventions And if these be not worth the disputing with it seems that you differ from them more than Separatists do and then were not all these Schismaticks and then are not you a Schismatick if you communicate with them yea your Mr. Dodwel himself maketh Diocesan Churches to be a humane Creature and A. Bishop Bromhall much pleadeth for mans power to make Patriarchal Churches and so do such others 2. But is it true that humane Contracts make not a Church Ans. No◠alone But I think that all Churches are made by mutual Contracts and humane is one part of that which is mutual I. As to the Vniversal Church 1. God as Legislator and Donor instituteth the species of Covenanting by Baptism and therein he commandeth mans consent to his offered Covenant and conditionally promiseth to be our God But Conditionale nihil ponit in esse This much maketh no Christian nor Church To command a man to be a Christian and conditionally to promise him life if he will be one proveth him not to be one else all were Christians that reject an offered Christ. 2. But when man consenteth and covenanteth with God then Gods conditional gift becomes actual and efficacious the man being a capable Recipient and not before and in this it is the Contract that is the Fundamentum Relationis but a single Promise is not a mutual Covenant or Contract So that it is no wiser Divinity to say Gods Covenant and not mans consent Covenant or Contract with God doth make Christians and the universal Church than it is sober Reason to say That Gods Institution of Marriage or Magistracie only doth make the Relation of Husband and Wife without their covenanting consent or doth make Common-wealths without the consent or Covenant of Sovereign and Subjects Did this Doctor think that Voluntariness is not as necessary to the Relation of Christianity as to the Relation of Prince and Subjects yea or of Husband and Wife if he do he is shamefully mistaken Baptism delivereth men possession of Pardon Grace and right to Glory and can men have this against their wills One would think by the Doctrine and course of some men that they could force men to Pardon and Salvation if I believed that their force could accomplish this I would never call it Persecution If they can force men to be true Christians they may force them to be justifyed and saved and then they are very uncharitable if they do not Let them then cease preaching and disputing us to their Opinion but bring us all to Heaven whether we will or not Yea the self-contradictor playing fast and loose confesseth p. 6. That no man at age can be admitted to Baptism till he profess his faith in Christ and voluntarily undertake the Baptismal Vow And is not that humane Covenanting Yea he knoweth that the Liturgie maketh even Neighbours or Strangers vow and covenant both in the name of the Child and for the Child And so necessary doth the Episcopal Church think humane Covenanting that without this no Child must be Baptized publickly though the Parents would covenant and that they can neither for Love nor Money for many poor men hire Godfathers get any one much less three who examined will seriously purpose to perform the Covenant for the Child 's holy Education which they make II. But is not humane Covenanting a cause of single Church Relation as well as of universal I see no cause to doubt it and I am sure that the Church for a thousand years before and since Popery came in have declared him no Bishop that comes in without consent of Clergie and People which Consent is their covenanting act To make a single Church manifold consent goeth to the Fundamentum Relationis 1. God commandeth single Church Officers order and consent and promiseth them his blessing where they are met The Lord and his Angels are among them No command is vain and without a virtual Promise 2. To this a threefold humane consent is needful Ordinarily 1. the Persons called 2. The Ordainers when it may be had 3. The Peoples He that formerly from the Apostles dayes for a thousand years should have said that neither the covenanting that is the consent of the Pastor or People or Ordainers is necessary to the Fundamentum of a single Church Relation or Form would have been taken for a wild-brain'd Schismatick at least § 8. But saith this Doctor and another of them p. 6. But the Independent Church Covenant between Pastor and people is of a very different nature from this Vnless any man will say that the voluntary Contract and Covenant which the Independents exact from their Members and wherein they place a Church state be part of the Baptismal vow if it be not then they found the Church upon a
humane Covenant for Christ hath made but one Covenant with Mankind which is contained in the Vow of Baptism if it be then no man is a Christian but an Independent Ans. Alas for the Church that is taught at this rate 1. I never saw what Independents do in this case but I think none of them that are Sober own any other sort of Church but the universal and single Churches as members of it and therefore require no Contract but 1. To the Covenant of Baptism or Christianity 2. To the Duties of their particular Church-relation 2. And nothing is here of necessity but manifested Consent which is a real Contract but a clearer or a darker an explicite or implicite consent differ only ad meliús esse 3. Is not God the Author of Magistracy Marriage c. And is it any violation of Gods part if Rulers and People Husband and Wife be Covenanters by his command 4. Is it any renuntiation of Baptism to promise at Ordination to obey the Arch-Bishop and Bishop and to take the Oath of Canonical Obedience Is it not still exacted Are not the Takers of it obliged are not Covenants imposed on all that will be Ministers in the act of Uniformity are not multitudes kept out and cast out for not making these Covenants Quo teneam nodo c. How should one deal with such slippery men Good Mr. Zachary Cawdry that wrote to have all men to covenant Submission to Bishops and Parish Ministers did not dream that it was any violation of Baptism 5. Do not men owe duty to their Pastors which they owe to no others If not put them not on it Why are you angry with them for going from you Why doth the Canon suspend those that receive them to Communion from another Parish that hath no Preacher Why are we ruined for not covenanting as aforesaid if yea then is it against Baptism to promise to do our duty 6. But hath God commanded or instituted no Covenant but Baptism Yes sure the Matrimonial at least and I think Ordination is covenanting for the Ministry Did not the Apostle Acts 14.23 ordain Elders in every Church if you would have by Suffrage left out of the Translation no sober man can doubt but it was by the Peoples consent and was it without their consent that Titus was to ordain Elders in every City Could any then come otherwise in Did not all Churches hold and practise this after and was it none of Gods Institution If so God requireth us not to take any of you for our Bishops or Pastors Who then requireth it What meaneth Paul when he saith they gave up themselves to the Lord and to us by the Will of God 7. Can the wit of man imagine how it is possible without consent for a man to be made the Pastor of any Flock Who ever ordained a man against his will or for any man to have Title against his will to the proper over-sight and pastoral care of any one Pastor or the priviledges of any Church If any think they may be cramm'd and drencht with the Sacrament or that an unwilling man may have a sealed pardon and gift of Salvation delivered him he will make a new Gospel And how any particular Pastor is bound to give that man the Sacrament ordinarily that consents not ordinarily to receive it of him I know not No man is a member of any City or any Company of Free-men in the City but by mutual consent and the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy to the King maketh not the Oath of a Citizen as such or of a Member of a Company as such unlawful 8. Doth this Doctor think that he ever yet proved to sober men that the Covenant aforesaid of Godfathers and Godmothers to make Christians and members of the universal Church is more or so much of Gods Institution than the Contract or Consent between Bishops or Pastors and People to make a single Political Church 9. If it follow not that no man is the Kings Subject that sweareth not to the City It will not follow that none is a Christian but an Independent or Church-consenter 10. How are your Parish or Diocesan Church members known to your selves or any others Are all that dwell in the Parish or Diocess your Church members Then Atheists Sadducees Hobbists and all vicious men and thousands that never communicate are such Yea those that you call Separatists If it be every transient Communicant have you a proper Pastoral care of every Travellers Soul that so communicates with you You after plead that his very ordinary Communion maketh him not a member if he be unwilling to be one And is not his consent then necessary Or if ordinary Communion be the test how few then of great Parishes are of the Church yet that is because such Communion signifieth their Consent to your over-sight of them § 9. But it 's much to be approved which p. 5. and oft he saith that to be taken into Covenant with God and to be received into the Church is the very same thing as to the Universal Church By which all his gross Schismatical Accusations afterwards are confuted No man then is out of the Church that is not out of the Baptismal Covenant either by not taking it or by renouncing some Essential part of it And when will he prove that to take him rather than Dr. Bates that was cast out to be a Teacher or Pastor at Dunstans or to take this man and not another to be the Lawful Bishop or Priest and to obey him in every Oath and Ceremony is an Essential part of the Baptismal Covenant or of Christianity But such a rope of Sand as Mr. Dodwell and this man tye together to bind men to their Sect will serve turn with some that know not who speaks Truth by any surer way than prejudice § 10. His Doctrine of Separation and gathering Churches out of Churches is anon to be considered But whereas he addes p. 7. These men convert Christians from common Christianity and the Communion of the Vniversal Church to Independency Ans. My acquaintance with them is small save by reading their Books And there are few Men of any Common Denomination Episcopal or other that are not in many things disagreed But I must in Charity to them say that as far as I can judge by their Writings or Speech he palpably slandereth them and that none that are grave and sober among them do separate their Churches from the common Christianity or the Universal Church any more than the Company of Stationers Ironmongers c. are separated from the City of London or London from England or Trinity Colledge from the University of Cambridge or Oxford I never met with man and I am confident never shall do that doth not take his Independent Church to be part of the Universal and Dependent as a part on the whole If belying others stopt at words the wrong were small But when it 's made but the
Communion is an Essential duty of a Church-member meaning a Christian. A. 1. And yet before he denyed that Communion lay essentially in this Exercise but only in Vnion Yea and Nay is his Custom 2. Some few Christians as those that live where such Communion cannot be had without sin c. are not bound to it therefore it is not true that it is Essential to Universal Church-membership And I think sickness endeth not the essentials that disableth men 3. Note Reader that by this mans Doctrine we are all unchristened and damned if we do not gather into disallowed Churches if we be unjustly cast out of the allowed ones For all must be Church members that will be Christians and an unjust Excommunication cannot disoblige us from Christianity nor bind us to consent to be damned Now read the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Canons of the Church of England which ipso facto Excommunicate all that affirm any thing in their Liturgy Articles Ceremonies or Government sinful and answer Spalatensis arguments against Excommunicating ipso facto and prove all this just and you may prove what you will just But you see where he layeth the Controversie If any be Excommunicated without sufficient cause or by Lay Civilians to whom God never gave that power or by such Bishops or Pastors as have no just Authority for want of a true call or Consent or if any unlawful thing be made necessary to Communion all such persons must by his own confessions hold Church-communion whether these imposers will or not for all Christians are bound to be of some Church § 3. p. 33 34. He saith that None but publick Prayers are the Prayers of the Church properly and acts of Communion that is such as are offered by the hands of men authorized and set apart for that purpose c. Ans. Who would have thought that we are more for the Liturgy than he I undertake to prove that all the Responsal Prayers and all the Litany Prayers in which the Minister names but the matter to them and the People make it a Prayer by speaking the petitioning parts are all the publick Prayers of the Church and so are all the petitioning Psalms spoke or sung by the People and not only that which is offered by the Priest I do not think that he believeth what he carelesly saith here himself But the Independents are stiffer for his first Thesis of the necessity of Church-communion than he is his unfit words I pass by CHAP. III. Of his second Case § 1. THE next question of Occasional Communion as distinct from fixed he turns out of doors as if there could be no such thing and it 's very true as to the Church universal but as to visible actual Communion with this or that particular Church it is not true 1. A Traveller of another Country who on his journey communicateth with every Church where he passeth is not a fixed Member of that Church for 1. The Pastor or Bishop hath not that peculiar Charge of him as of fixed members 2. He is not bound where he passeth to take such notice of the lives of Communicants or Pastors and to admonish the Offenders and tell the Church as fixed members are 3. He hath not the right in chooseing Pastors or Deacons as the fixed Members have 4. An itinerant Bishop in transitu is not their fixed Bishop ergo an Iterant Lay-man is not a fixed Member The same I may say of one that is a fixed member of another Church in the same City and cometh to that only to signifie universal Communion or neighbourly which though he deny to be lawful I shall further prove anon And the same I may say of those that dwell where there is no fixed single Church at all for want of a Pastor but they congregate only when some strange Minister passeth through the Town CHAP. IV. His third Case § 1. PAge 48 49. He resolveth his third Case Whether it be lawful to Communicate with two distinct and separate Churches negatively and saith It is contrary to all the Principles of Church Communion as any thing can possibly be it is to be contrary to our selves it is Communicating with Schism That the Presbyterian and Independent Churches have made an actual separation from the Church of England he hath evidently proved and they are Schismaticks and to communicate with them is to partake in their Schism and if Schism be a great sin and that which will damn us as soon as Adultery and Murther then it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with Schismaticks And p. 42. There cannot be two distinct Churches in one place one for occasional and another for constant Communion without Schism Ans. To save those that are willing from the Poyson of these Schismatical Doctrines lapt up in confusion by men that abhor distinction or understand not what they say I will first lay down that truth that he fights against with convincing evidence and then shew you the mischief of his false Doctrine and Application § 2. The confusion of these words Church Communion Separation and Schism which every one signifie divers things is the chief means to blind and deceive his Reader whether it do so by himself I know not I. The Word Church signifieth sometime the universal Church sometime a single Organized Church as part of it and sometime humane combinations of such single Churches and that into Diocesan Classical Provincial Patriarchal National and Papal II. The Specification and Nomination of Churches is from the formal cause and the proper Government is that form And the Individuation is from matter and form but principally from the form III. The Union of Pastor and Flock in Relation makes that which is a form aptitudinal as the Soul to the Body to be the form in act as the Union of Soul and Body and Gods command and consent with the consent of the necessary relate and correlate cause that union IV. Union is in order to Communion which is primary by the exercise of the formal powers on the matter and secondary by the action of all the parts according to their several capacities and Offices V. The Union of the Church is of divers degrees 1. The formal Union of the Head and Body which maketh it essentially the Christian Church 2. The Vnion of the parts among themselves as Christian which maketh them a Body capable of Union with the Head 3. The Union of the parts as unequal Organized the Official with the rest which maketh it an Organized Body fit for its special use and welfare 4. Union in integrity of parts which maketh it an intire Body 5. Union in due temperament and Qualities which maketh it a healthful Body 6. Unity in Common Accidents which make it a Comely Beautiful Body joined with the rest But 7. Union in mutable Accidents is unnecessary and impossible VI. These several degrees of Union are found in Bodies natural and Politick 1. The
Union of Soul and Body makes a man and an Embryo before it be organized 2. The Union of the Body maketh it capable of the Souls further Operation 3. The Union of the Organical chief parts as Heart Lungs c. to the rest make it a true humane Body compleated to the nutriment and action of Life 4. That it have Hands and Fingers Feet and Toes and all integral parts makes it an intire Body 5. The due site temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound Body 6. Comely colour hair action going speech c. make it a comely Body 7. To have all parts of equal quantity and office would make it uncomely And to have the same hair colour c. is unnecessary at all 1. The Union of King and Subjects as such makes a Kingdom 2. That the People be agreed for one conjunct interest and Government maketh them a Community capable of Politie or Government 3. That there be Judges Maiors and Justices and subordinate Cities or Societies maketh it an Organized Body in which Kingly Government may be exercised to its end the common good 4. That no profitable part be wanting Judge Justice Sheriff c. maketh it an entire Kingdom 5. That all know their place and be duly qualified with Wisdom Love Justice Conscience Obedience to God first to the Sovereign Power next to Officers next c. maketh it a sound and safe Kingdom 6. That it be well situate fertile rich eminent in Learning Skill c. maketh it an adorned beautiful Kingdom 7. That all be equal in Power and wealth is destructive and that all be of one Age complexion calling temper degree of knowledge c. is impossible And that all have the same language cloathing utensils c. is needless at least VII Jesus Christ is the only Universal Soveraign of the Church both of vital influence and Government nor hath he set up any under him either Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt Pope Council or diffused Clergy that hath the Power of Legislation and Judgment as governing the whole Chorch but only Officers that per partes govern it among them each in his Province as Justices do the Kingdom and Kings and States the World nor is any capable of more VIII To set up any universal Legislators and Judge Pope or Council is to set up an Usurper of Christs Prerogative called by many a Vice-Christ or an Antichrist and as bad as making one man or Senate the Soveraign of all the Earth and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign Iurisdiction in this Land is to endeavour to perjure the whole Kingdom that is sworn against it in the Oath of Supremacy and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State in the Corporation Oath the Vestry Oath the Militia Oath the Oxford Oath with the Uniformity Covenants And if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign Jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the Kingdom to all these Oaths against it I doubt whether all the Powers of Hell can devise a much greater crime against Clergy Cities and all the Land Good reason therefore had Doctor Isaac Barrow to write against it as he hath done and to confute Mr. Thorndike and all such as of late go that pernicious way by the pretence of Church Union and Communion As if one universal Soveraign and Legislator and Judge were not enough to unite Christs Kingdom or man could mend his universal Laws and could not stay for his final judgment and Churches and Kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal Soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves XI To be a true Believer or Christian or the Infant seed of such devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant uniteth each Member first to Christ himself directly and consequently to his Body or Church and this coram Deo as soon as it is done by heart consent and coram Ecclesia regularly as soon as he is invested by Baptism which Baptism when it may be had so is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized Minister or Deacon but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a Lay-man the Ancient Christians took it not for a nullity much less if the Baptizer was taken for a Minister by mistake being in his place and if no Baptism can be had open covenanting is vallid X. The Papists and their truckling Agents here have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction To make themselves masters of the World they would perswade us that Sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie and that God saveth none by any known way and grant but by his Covenant Sealed by the Sacraments and that he authorizeth none to administer this Covenant but Prelates and their Priests and none can validly have it from other hands And so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation are at the will and mercy of such Prelates and Priests But unhappily they cannot retrieve their old Opinion but maintain that Lay-men and Women may baptize in necessity validly and that Baptism puts one into a State of Salvation XI As he that swears and keeps his Allegiance to the King is a Subject and Member of the Kingdom though he be no Member of any Corporation so though he disown a thousand fellow Subjects yea though he deny the Authority of Constable Justice Judge so he that is devoted to Christ truly in the Baptismal Covenant is a Christian and a Member of the Universal Church though he were of no particular Church or did disown a thousand Members or any particular Officer of the Church XII All faults or crimes are not Treason A man that breaketh any Law is in that measure Culpable or punishable but every breach of Law or wrong to fellow Subjects or Justices as it is not Treason so it doth not prove a man no Subject though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable And so it is in the case of our Subjection in the Church to Christ. XIII To own Christs Instituted species of Church Officers is needful to the just Order Safety and Edification of the Church as to own the Courts of Judicature Justices c. in the Kingdom but to own this or that numerical Officer as truly commissioned is needful only to the right administration of his own Province XIV As Christ did his own work of universal Legislation by himself and his Spirit eminently in the Apostles and Evangelists who have recorded all in Scripture so he settled Churches to continue to the end associated for Personal Communion in his holy Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation with authorized Ministers subordinate to his administration in his Prophetical Priestly Kingly and Friendly Relations And thô these may not always or often meet in
trust the conduct of their Souls Nor did they think so that forbad men hearing fornicators Nor Cyprian that required the People to forsake Basilides and Martial Peccatorem Praepositum XXXV So full was the proof given in the Book called The first Plea for Peace that the Church from the beginning denyed Princes and Magistrates to be entrusted with the choice of Bishops or Pastors to whom the Churches were bound to trust the conduct of their Souls that he who denyeth it is not worthy to be therein disputed with And yet we doubt not but they may force Infidel Subjects and Catechumens to hear sound and setled Preachers and Catechists And may dispose of the Tythes Temples and many other Accidents of the Church and may drive on Pastors and People to their Duty XXXVI It is false Doctrine that two distinct Churches may not be in the same Precincts or City This being a meer Accident which abundance of Cases make unnecessary and unlawful Which I shall prove That which is no where commanded by God is no duty But that there shall be but one Church or Bishop in the same Precincts is not commanded of God Ergo c. Divine of Gods making They own the Major in the case of Indifferent thing If they deny the Minor let the affirmers prove any such command We grant a command of Love and Concord and a prohibition of all that is against them But in many instances to have several Churches in the same precincts is not against them If they fly to the Canons of foreign Councils the reason of them we shall weigh and duely regard But they were National and had their Legislative Power only from their own Princes and their Counselling Power only from Christ And we disown all foreign Jurisdiction XXXVII In all these Cases following and more two Churches may be in the same precincts yea and a City 1. In Case that several Bishops are called justly to dwell in the same City or Diocess and many of their Flock be with them e. g. Many Bishops of England dwell long yea mostly in London or in London Diocess e. g. The Bishop of Eli dwells in the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn Qu. Whether there he be a Subject to Dr. Stillingfleet as his Pastor and bound to obey him or whether many out of his Diocess thousands may not as Lawfully dwell half the Year in London as he And whether when he preacheth to them he do it not as their Bishop in London Diocess And so of many other Bishops that here reside XXXVIII 2. Either our Parish Churches are true Churches or not If not the Separatists are so far in the right And separate not from true Churches eo nomine because they separate from them If yea then many Churches are in the same City and Diocess Of their agreement and dependance on the same Bishop I shall speak anon XXXIX 3. In case that in one City there be resident Stranges that are sent on Embassies or live for Merchandize or flee from Miseries and are the Subject of other Princes whose Laws and Customs they are under e. g. At Frankford Hamburgh Middleburgh Dantzick Constantinople there have been English distinct lawful Churches And in London there are Dutch and French Churches And if the King allowed a Swedish Church a Danish Church a Saxon Church c. with their several Bishops who is so weak as to need proof that this is lawful and they true Churches XL. 4. In case men of different Language are not capable of mutual converse by personal communion or help As Dutch French Italian Greeks Germans c. Grotius and Dr. Hammond oft in Dissert and Annot. do maintain that Peter at Rome had a Church of Iews and Paul a Church of Gentiles And that the like distribution of Churches of Iews and Gentiles there was at Antioch Alexandria and other places And by this they Salve the Contradictions in Church History about the Succession of Linus Cletus and Clemens And the Apostles setled not a sinful Church way XLI 5. Yea Grotius maintaineth that the Apostles setled the Churches at first not like the Jewish Priesthood but in the order of their Synagogues de Imper. sum Patest and in Annot. And that as there were divers Synagogues in a great City with their Archisynagogus and Elders so there were divers Churches in a City with Bishops and Presbyters XLII 6. When there are a greater number of Persons in one City or precinct than can have any just personal Knowledge and Communion and more than any one Bishop with his Presbytery can perform the needful Pastoral oversight to it is lawful and a duty to gather another Church in that City or Precinct But this is truly the Case of many great Cities though worldly Wisdom have at Rome and other places oft denyed notorious evidence and experience He that will gather up all the duties that Dr. Hammond saith were charged on the Bishops in his Annotations on all the Texts that name Elders and Bishops if he can believe that any Bishop can perform the tenth part of them to all in the Diocess of London York Lincoln Norwich c. I will not dispute against him if he maintain a Bishops Ubiquity or that at once he can be in twenty places But if they say that what then was commanded them to do personally they may do by others I say that if they may change the Work they may change the Power that specifieth the Office and so it is not the same Office in specie instituted in Scripture And then Lay-men may have Power to preach and administer Sacraments and do the Office of Priests and yet be no Priest as Civilians do of Bishops which is a Contradiction Certainly if there be more Scholars in the City than one Master can Teach and Rule it is no Schism to set up more Schools and Schoolmasters but a duty And if the Lord Mayor on pretence of City Government should put down but as great a part of Family Government as those Diocesans do of Parochial Church Government who allow none under them to be truly Episcopi Gregis and have the power of their Church Keyes I think that it were no Schism to restore Families so that the City might have more than one entirely XLIII 7. If the Soveraign Power upon Politick or Religious Reasons should determine that e. g. Dr. A and Dr. B and Dr. C. shall all be Bishops in London to such Volunteers of Clergy and Laity as shall choose each of them to be their Bishop and this without altering their dwellings no man can prove it sinful And of his reasons the King is judge XLIV 8. If the Bishop or Clergy of a City Diocess or Nation do agree by Law or Canon to admit none to the Ministry or Communion that will not commit a known sin deliberately as the Condition of his Communion it is a duty to congregate under other Pastors in those precincts This is confest If they
Church on fire and they separated from the Preacher one Fryer stuck by the belly that was going out at the window the door being wedged with the crowd a Boy that saw it open above their heads got up on their shoulders and went on 'till he slipt into a Monks Cowl and there lay still 'till the Monk was got out and felt something on his back and thinking it was an heretical Devil began to conjure him in the Name of Father Son and Holy Ghost to tell him what he was and the Boy cryed O good Master I am the Bakers boy c. Quaere Whether this was Schismaticks separation At Walsall in Stafford-shire Mr. Lapthorne known to me in his lusty age who had been a Non-conformist but thought it an honour to be converted by a King and gloried that King Iames in conference changed him but being as rustick a thunderer as Father Latimer and more he was wont to let fly without much fear one Mr. Martin in the Parish accounted the greatest enemy to Puritans when he heard what he liked not would goe out of Church one day in a path way where Mr. Lane had rode a little before pelting Crabs with a pole the ground opened and swallowed him and his pole that they could never be found being a Cole-mine long on fire ever after that when any one would goe out of Church at a blustering passage Mr. Lapthorne would call to him Remember Martin Quere Whether all these were separating Schismaticks But this is too far off In Dunstans West where Dr. Sherlock Preacheth when I was licensed twenty years ago at Christmas as I was Preaching some Lime or Stone fell down in the Steeple with the crowd the Church being old and under suspicion they all thought it was falling and most ran out in tumult and some cast themselves headlong from the Gallery for hast when they were quieted and came in again the Boyes in the Chancel broke a Wainscot Skreen with climbing on it and the noise made them run out again one old woman going out cryed It 's just with God because I took not the first warning Lord forgive me and I 'le never come again Quere Whether these or at least this resolving Woman was a Schismatick and separated from the Catholick Church If not there is some separation that is not so bad as Murder and methinks the Doctor should forgive it for the success for the Parish hereupon resolved to pull down the Church and build it new a far better Fabrick where the Dr. now Preacheth and it drove me away that I preacht there no more Whether this new Church built where the old one had possession before be not a Schismatical Separatist I leave to him LII 2. Local Separation without Mental can make no culpable Schism for Nil nisi Voluntarium est morale if a man be imprisoned or be sick and cannot come to the Church it is innocent Separation I have been at no Church this half year much against my will O that God would heal me of this Separation LIII 3. If it must be mental Separation that must be culpable then it is diversified according to the mental degree and kind and no man separateth from the universal Church who separateth not from somewhat essential to it to separate from its Integrals or Accidents may be culpable but it 's no Separation from the Church no more than every breach of the Law is a Separation from the Kingdom LIV. 4. Some separate as to place locally and not mentally some mentally and not locally and some both He that daily observeth the outward Communion of the Church and yet taketh it for no Church or denyeth its Faith Hope or essential Duty separateth indeed All those men that live unbelievingly atheistically wickedly that in their converse prate against the Scripture and immortality of the Soul and that hate and persecute serious Godliness are damnably separated from Christ and therefore from the Catholick Church and are so to be esteemed so far as this is known thô when it is unknown the Church can take no notice of it LV. 5. It being only Humane Laws and Circumstantial Conveniences that make it unmeet to have divers Churches and Bishops living promiscuously in the same Parishes Cities Dioceses or Nations where Laws and circumstances allow it it is no unlawful separation LVI 6. He that liveth in forreign Lands Christian Mahometan or Heathen where various Churches live promiscuously Greeks Armenians Protestants Papists c. is no Schismatick if he choose which he thinks best and be absent locally from the rest condemning them no further than they deserve LVII 7. He that removeth into another Diocess or Parish for his worldly interest separateth without fault from the Church he was in LVIII 8. It is a lawful separation to remove ones dwelling because the Minister is ignorant unskilful or otherwise bad and this for the better edification of his Soul and the use and help of a more able faithful Minister even Law and Custome and reason do allow it LIX 9. Thô the Canon 57. and 28. forbid Ministers oft to give the Sacrament to Strangers that come out of other Parishes even where no Preaching is yet those many sober People that use this in London are not taken to be Schismaticks as bad as Murderers Many that are esteemed the most sober religious Conformists do ordinarily goe from their own Parish Churches some in Martins and St. Giles's Parish c. for want of room and some for more Edification to Dr. Tillotson Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Burnet Dr. Fowler Mr. Gifford Mr. Durham Mr. Horneck and such others and communicate with them and thó these are called by the late Catholicks by the Name of Dangerous Trimmers I think even Dr. Sherlock will think it more pardonable than Murder if they come to him LX. 10. If the King and Law should restore the antient order that every City that is every great incorporate Town in England should have a Bishop yea or every great Parish and that the Diocesans should be their arch-Arch-Bishops and our new Catholicks should tell the King and Parliament that they are hereby unchristened Schismaticks as dangerous as Adulterers or Murderers for gathering Churches within a Church I would not believe them LXI 11. If e. g. at Frankford Zurick Lubeck Hamburgh c. a Church is settled in the Lutheran way and another in the Bohemian way described by Lasitius and Commenius which is a conjunction of Episcopacy Presbytery and Independency or a Church that had no Liturgy or none but that which the French Protestants and Dutch have would it be damning Schism for such as Cox and Horne at Frankford to set up an Episcopal Church in the English mode and with their Liturgy and so far to separate from the rest LXII 12. If it be true that Iohn Maior Fordon and others say that Presbytery was the Government of the Church of Scotland before Episcopacy was brought in was the introduction of
Episcopacy by Palladius a damning Schism by separating from the former or a Reformation is just Reformation Schism LXIII 13. When the Church first set up Patriarchs Metropolitans General Councils Monasteries Parish Churches distinct from Cathedrals Organs New Liturgies and multitudes of Ceremonies this was a departing or separating from the contrary Church way which was there before was it therefore Schism LXIV 14. When Socrates tells us of some Countreys that had Bishops in the Countrey Villages like our Parishes was it a damning Schism to separate from this custome by decreeing that even small Cities should have no Bishops Ne vilescat nomen Episcopi or when the Chorepiscopi were put down where they had been LXV 15. If a man separate not from any thing essential to the Church of England he separateth not from that Church though he refuse that which is its Accidents or some Integral parts We are charg'd with separating from the Church of England as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute and scorn'd for denying it even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the Church of England or by Separation By the Church of England we mean the Christian Kingdom of England or all the Christians in England as living in one land under one Christian King who Governeth them by the Sword which includeth their Concord among themselves in true Christianity we are Christians we profess agreement in Christianity with all Christians we are under the same King as they are and profess subjection and take the same Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy yea we are not charged with differing in any thing called Doctrinal from their Thirty Nine Articles but we disown certain late Covenants and Oaths which are not Twenty three Years old and the Subscription to one Canon about the Innocency of all in their Liturgy now either these new Oaths Covenants and Canon Liturgy and Ceremonies are essential to the Church of England or not If yea then 1. It 's a poor humane Church made by them that made these Oaths Liturgy and Ceremonies 2. And then it 's a new upstart Church and no man can answer the Papists where it was before Luther or before Henry 8. yea if its essentials were made by this King and Parliament 1662. then the present Church is no older But if these things be indifferent or not essential to the Church then to separate only from these is not to separate from the Church If it be said That for the sake of these we separate from the Church it self and therefore from its essence we abhor the accusation and challenge them to prove it If we separate from the Church essentially it is either Locally or Mentally not Locally for we are yet in England nor is Local distance only a sin not Mentally for we own it for a true Christian Kingdom called a National Church bound to serve Christ in Love and Concord to their Power We deny not the King to be the Governour nor Christians to be Christians no nor the particular Churches and Ministers to be true thô culpable Churches and Ministers nor their Sacraments to be true Sacraments we profess to hold with them one Catholick Body one Spirit one God one Christ one Faith one Baptism in the essentials and one Hope and are ready to promise to live in Concord with them in all other things as far as will stand with our Obedience to God so that we separate not from the Church of England as such but from some of its Accidents which we dare not be guilty of LXVI 16. The same I say of a Parish Church he that locally removeth e. g. from a Church that hath Organs to one that hath none separateth from a pair of Organs but not Mentally from the Church unless the Organs be its essence LXVII 17. They that are for the true antient Episcopacy e. g. as much as Arch-Bishop Vsher's Reduction which we offer'd did contain but dislike the Lay Civilians power of the Keyes and Officials Surrogates Arch-deacons Government c. do not separate from the Church as Episcopal but from the humane Novelties which they disown LXVIII 18. If a Parishioner fall out with his Priest and they goe to Law about Tythes Glebes Words c. and the Suit be long and the man dare not Communicate with him believing that he hateth him thô the animosity should be culpable being but personal his going from him to another Church is not separating from Christ for I hope that even Mr. Dodwell himself will not say that every Priest is Christ. LXIX 19. Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius surely there is some qualification essential to the Ministry if a man want that qualification it is a Duty to separate from him as no Minister e. g. When I came to Kederminster after my subjection to six or seven worse I found the Vicar one reputed ignorant of the Fundamentals he was brought in by Sir Henry Blunt a Papist who Preacht but once a quarter which most thought he might better have forborn and his Curate Mr. Turner at Mitton Preacht once a day whom I found ignorant of the Catechism Principles by Conference and he confest he had but one Book Musculus common places in English and he said some of that to the People and they took it for a Sermon he lived by unlawful Marrying infamous for Drinking and Quarrelling he that had taken these for no Ministers and separated from them had not thereby separated from Christ or his Church Catholick LXX 20. If it prove as hard to know who is the true Pastor in a competition of Pretenders as it was to know which was the true Pope when there were two or three above twenty times or whether e. g. Optandus was true Bishop of Geneva that knew not Letters or whether Duke Heriberts Son consecrated in Infancy was Arch-Bishop of Rhemes or any other Infant consecrated be a Bishop officiating per alios Surrogates Chancellours Officials c. it is not here a Separation from Christ to separate from either of the Pretenders He that mistaketh not is not liable to the Charge he that mistakes doth not erre in an Article of Faith but in a difficult point of humane title and the qualification and right of a single man and my Opinion is that if such a title were tryed before our Judges or King and they should mistake and give Judgment against him that had right this were no separating from Christ nor proof that they are Infidels LXXI 21. If the Case of two contending Bishops or Presbyters come before a General or Provincial Council and they mistake and give it to the wrong and so separate from the right I do not think that thereby they separate from Christ or the Church Catholick e. g. The Constantinopolitan Council first gave the Church of Constantinople to Nazianzene and after judged him out as having no right if by this they separated from Christ they that take them for the
Catholick Church representative must say that the Catholick Church separated from Christ and it self When another Council wrongfully deposed Chrysostome and separated from him and Cyril Alexandr perswaded the continuance of it did the universal Church separate from it self and Christ If a General Council which should be wisest be excusable from damning Schism whenever it misjudgeth and separateth from a rightful Bishop sure every Lay-man and woman that doth the same doth not separate from Christ. If it prove that a General Council deposed Nestorius as unjustly as David Derodon thought or Dioscorus as unjustly as others thought or Flavian as unjustly as the Orthodox think this proveth them Guilty of some Schism but not of separating from the universal Church When Menna of Constantinople and the Pope excommunicated each other when a Synod in Italy renounced Vigilius and all his Successors were an hundred years deposed from their Primacy and a Patriarch at Aquileia set up in his stead for a great part of Italy because Vigilius subscribed to a General Council de tribus Capitulis this was Schism somewhere but not separating from Christ. LXXII 22. If a man in England should think that all the old Councils were obligatory which decree that he shall be taken for no Bishop that comes in by the choice yea or Mediation of Courtiers Princes or great men or any that have not the true Consent of Clergy and People and thereupon should conclude that Bishops Deans Prebends c. so chosen and imposed are Lay-men and no true Bishops and Pastors this were a separating from those Persons but not from Christ and the Vniversal Church when as Mr. Thorndike saith that till the right of Electing Bishops by the Clergy and People be restored we need look no further for the reason of the Contempt of Episcopacy here So if a man think that God never trusted every Ignorant Wicked man that can but get Money and buy an Advowson to choose those Pastors to whose conduct all the People are bound to trust their Souls and the Bishop to admit them for fear of a Quare impedit if they have but a Certificate and can speak Latine This is not damning Separation LXXIII 23. If a Bishop set up a seeming Convert really a Papist e. g. Mr. Hutchinson alias Berry or one of them that lately Confessed themselves Papists the People that find by experience what the man is are not damned Schismaticks for not taking him for their Pastor or for going from him If Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was a Papist did he separate from Christ that separated from the Diocesan Church of Gloucester while he was an Essential part Or that did not implicitely trust all the Priests that he ordained LXXIV 24. If in a Cathedral Church one withdraw from their Service because of their difference in singing Ceremonies c. from the Parish Churches thô it be the Bishops Church that he separateth from it is not as a Church nor from any thing essential to it e. g. Miles Smyth Bishop of Gloucester the famous Hebricâ—â—n and chief in our Bibles Translation declared and performed iâ— that he would never come more to his Cathedral because the Dean in Laud time kept up the Altar Qu. Whether he separated from himself or his Church Vbi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia Who were the Separatists They that followed the Bishop or they that separated from him and kept to the Cathedral The same I â—ay of Williams Bishop of Lincoln that wrote against Altars LXXV 25. If faithful Pastors and People are setled in concord and the higher Powers make a Law to depose and eject them without just cause as Multitudes were in many Emperours dayes and Multitudes by the Interim in Germany in Charles the fifths time and Multitudes in the Palatinate by Ludovicus and in too many other Countreys those that leave the Temples and Tythes to the Magistrate but cleave to their old Pastors in forbidden meetings called Conventicles supposing the Pastoral Relation not dissolved as the Ioannites clave to Chrysostom do not thereby separate from the Catholick Church Had the Power been lawful that set up another way when Dr. Gunning kept up his Meetings at Exeter House it had not been a Separation from Christ that he then made LXXVI 26. If the Law command all to take one man for his Pastor and a Parent command his Child or a Husband his Wife to take another and not that and the Child or Wife know not which should be obeyed and whether the choice belong more to the Domestick or the Publick Government it is not a separating from Christ which way ever such an one shall go LXXVII 27. Yea if I should think that self-Interest and self-Government bind me rather to choose a Pastor for my self than to stand to such a choice by Prince Patron or Prelate which I think intolerable as well as against their will I may choose a Wife or a Physician or a Tutor or a Book or my daily food this is not separating from the Universal Church LXXVIII 28. If owning the same Diocesan make them of one Church who differ more than Nonconformists and Conformists do then owning the same Christ Faith Scripture c. maketh them of one Catholick Church who differ less But c. Iesuites Dominicans Iansenists and all the Sects of Papists are taken for one Church because they own the Pope and Councils In England the Diocesan Conformists are taken for one Church thô some of them are as much for a Foreign Jurisdiction as Arch-bishop Laud Arch-bishop Bromhall Bishop Gunnings Chaplain Dr. Saywell Mr. Thorndike Dr. Heylin and many more have manifested in their words and writings And some that subscribe the Articles of General Councils erring in Faith and against Heathens Salvation and against free will and for Justification by Faith only c. do shew that they differ in the Doctrines of Religion unless the sound or syllables be its Religion while one and another take the words in contrary sences Some are for Diocesans being a distinct Order from Presbyters some as Vsher and many such deny it Some hold them to be of Divine Right and some but of humane some think the King must choose them some rather the Clergy and People some hold them Independent others rather subject to the Arch-bishops and Convocation some think all that bear Office in their Church Government are lawful others think Lay-Civilians Government by the Keyes unlawful and so are ipso facto excommunicate by their own Canons some that promise Canonical Obedience to their Ordinary take the Judges of the Ecclesiastical Courts for their Ordinaries and others only the Bishops some think they are sworn to obey their Ordinaries if they rule according to the Canons and so to pronounce all Excommunicate that the Canon excommunicates if commanded Others think otherwise that they are judges themselves whether the Canons command licita honesta some take the Pope to be Antichrist and the Church of
Rome no true Church others think otherwise Many more Armmian and other such differences there are and yet all of one Church both Catholick National Diocesan and Parochial oft Much more are those Nonconformists that differ from the Church in nothing but what the Imposers call Indifferent LXXIX 29. If one that prayeth in the Litany against false Doctrine and Schism and readeth the Conformists telling him of the danger of it should verily think that Dr. S. printeth and preacheth false Doctrine and such as plainly tendeth to serve Satan against Christian Love and Peace and to the most Schismatical dividing and damning of Christâ—ans should hereupon separate from him for fear of Schism and false Doctrine and go to a safer Pastor I think it were not to separate from Christ. LXXX 30. If a Bishop in any Diocess in London should openly write or plead for a Foreign Jurisdiction and we are told that none are true Ministers that depend not obediently on the Bishop he that for fear of the Law or of Personal or common perjury should separate from that Bishop and his numerical Diocesan Church doth thereby neither separate from the Catholick Church nor from the Church of England As if the Kings Army should have a Colonel that declared himself an obliged Subject to the King of France and bound to obey him the Regiment may forsake that Colonel Yea if the General of the Kings Army should give up himself in subjection to the Enemy or a Foreign Power and say I will take a Commission from the Turk and my Officers shall only obey me and the Soldiers obey them were not this an Army of Traytors or Rebels though none but the General took a Commission from the Enemy So if the Bishops should all take Commissions from the Pope or declare themselves Subjects to a Forreign Jurisdiction it were no separating from Christ to separate from them all in Loyalty to Christ and to avoid National perjury and Schism LXXXI 31. If a man think that he is bound to use all Christs instituted means of Salvation and live in a Church that wilfully omitteth any one of them e. g. either Infant baptism or singing Psalms or Praying or Preaching or the Lords Supper or all Personal care and discipline to exclude the grosly intolerable to resolve the doubting c. He that in Obedience to Christ goeth to a Church and Pastor in the same Diocess or City that omitteth none of these is no damned Schismatick LXXXII 32. He that is unjustly cast out of the Church and by its very Laws excommunicated ipso facto is no damned or Sinful Schismatick for Worshipping God in a Church that will receive him Nor any one that is denyed Communion unless he will sin Much more if they should prove half as many and great Sins as the Nonconformists have said they fear in the first Plea for Peace c. LXXXIII 33. If a Foreigner that doth but half understand our language withdraw to a Church and Pastor whose tongue he understands obeying God and Nature is no damning Schism LXXXIV 34. If one that is erroneously conceited of the obligation of General Councils should think it a sin to kneel at the Sacrament on any Lords day in the year or any Week day between Easter and Whitsuntide because Tradition and the twentieth Canon of the first Council and that at Trull c. do forbid then to adore kneeling this separating on that account to another Congregation is not damning If it be said that Mr. Thorndike and others tell us that it is not necessary that we do the same things which the Supream Catholick Power commanded but that we subject our selves to the same Power which may change their own Laws I answer 1. The asserting of that Universal Soveraignty is the greatest Crime and Heresie of all 2. By this it seems that our Religion is very mutable and very uncertain and a man hath need to take heed of obeying any old Canons till he know the mind of the present Church and who those be and how to know it 3. But what if the same man read Dr. Heylin of Sab. telling him that this custome against Adoration-kneeling continued a thousand years and was never revok't by any true General Council but changed by little and little by mens practice And what if he question who those Changers were and whether their practice was Rebellion at first and whether they had power to repeal the Canons of the greatest Councils without a Council Sure they that are for such Councils universal soveraignty when they have cast men into these snares should scarce tell them that they are damnable Schismaticks for joyning with such Churches as obey these Councils rather than with those that ruine men for not disobeying them LXXXIV And now Reader if thou art one that thinkest of these things with Christian Sobriety and impartiality I appeal to thee whether if I should be of the mind of Mr. Dodwell and such self-conceited Resolvers I should not write my own Condemnation and be one of the grossest Schismaticks that any History hath mentioned unless ever there were any man so mad as to hold himself to be all the Church Yea when he no more distinguisheth of Separation and Schism but involves almost all Christians in his Condemnation and tells us that Schism will damn us as soon as Adultery and Murder is it not obvious for all men to infer that we are as odious as Adulterers and Murderers and doth he not Preach Christians into the hatred of each other and can any wonder if Rulers should think the Punishment of Murderers is not worse than we deserve It is not Newgate only but Tyburn that these healing men do seem to assign us it would be too tedious to look over all these again and shew you how great the number is that these men damn and how few on Earth in any Age they excuse from being so far like Murderers LXXXV 1. It seems to me that he virtually damneth all Christians on Earth as such Schismaticks for it is most certain that all men have sin and culpable imperfection in Knowledge Will and Practice and if any say That he hath no sin he is a Lyar saith St. Iohn and it is certain that all two persons on Earth have many errours and many differences from one another it is certain that the Love and Duty of Christians towards each other is culpably defective in all men It is certain that no man living is so perfect in knowledge as to know all the indifferent things in the world which may be imposed to be Indifferent And long and sad experience hath told the Church that both gross errours and sins and things called Truths or indifferent which few can be sure of may be imposed What follows from all this but that all men on Earth may easily fall under the imputation of disobedience to Prelates and so be Excommunicate and then they have their choice when no man is perfect and
Jurisdiction by right in this Land And all that by mistake say the King hath not chief Power in all his Dominions meaning in France of which he professeth to be King and we so call him even in our Prayers to God All that say contrary to Art 38. that it is not their Duty liberally to give Alms according to their ability All that contrary to Art 39 think men in conforming may swear upon trust of their Superiours words without judgment and true understanding of Justice and Truth Aâ—l these are already ipso facto Excommunicated by this one Canon and if they elsewhere worship God are called Separatists and Schismaticks in danger of Damnation as Adulterers and Murtherers are And how great a number are these 10. All are ipso facto Excommunicate by the sixth Canon who affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England by Law established are superstitious or such as now commanded men who are zealously and godly affected may not with a good Conscience APPROVE use and subscribe as occasion requireth That is all that thus mistake kneeling at the Sacrament on the reasons aforenamed to be against the second Commandment or that judge so of the Surplice or that think the Cross as described by the Canon and Liturgy hath all the Essentials of a humane unlawful Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace And all that are against the Rites of Godfathers that never owned the Child as theirs to be the only Sponsors in its Name and to Vow its Christian Education when I never knew one living that so much as made the Parents believe that he intended it And all that think the words of the Liturgy making Imposition of hands an assuring sign of Gods Gracious acceptance make Confirmation a humane unlawful Sacrament and say so All these are cut off 11. By Canon seventh all are ipso facto excommunicate that affirm that the Government of the Church of England under his Majesty by arch-Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE in the same is repugnant to Gods word that is all Bishops Ministers Noblemen Gentlemen or People that say that it is against Gods word for Lay Civilians or Chancellours to govern by the Church Keyes excommunicate or absolve And all that think it unlawful for Surrogates that are not Bishops but Presbyters either as a Cryer pro forma to pronounce all excommunicate or absolved who are so decreed by the Lay Chancellor or else for them or a Priest-Chancellour to govern a Diocess by the Keyes of Excommunication and Absolution being no Bishops and all that think it sinful for Archdeacons Commissaries Officials c. who are no Bishops to exercise the same Government by the Keyes over so many Pastors or Churches or for a Bishop to do his Office by others that are no Bishops any more than a Priest by those that are no Priests or for a Diocesan with his Lay Court to Govern many score or hundred Churches under him without any subordinate Bishop in those Churches that is to set up the Name and shew and make Christs Discipline impossible Or for Lay Chancellors or Surrogates to publish Excommunications in the Bishops Name which he never knew of nor tryed the cause Or for such Chancellours to oblige all Parish Ministers to publish all their Excommunications which are agreeable to these Canons What quality and number they are of that call any of this sinful I pretend not to know But they are all now excommunicate men 12. The eight Canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that affirm that the form and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons hath any thing repugnant to Gods Word c That is all those that hold Bishops and Presbyters to be the same Order contrary to the words of that Book Which yet even the Church of England while Papists declared in King Aelfriks Canons see Spelman And all such as Thorndike who say the People and Clergy should choose their Bishops or that say the Peoples consent is necessary to the Pastoral Relation to them and that the old Canons for this are in force 13. The ninth Canon ipso facto excommunicateth the Separatists 14. The tenth Canon excommunicateth all that affirm that Ministers that refuse to subscribe to the Liturgy c. and their Adherents may truely take to themselves the Name of another Church not established by Law and dare publish that this their pretended Church hath long groaned under the burden of imposed grievances by the Church of England and the Orders and Constitutions therein by Law established Ipso facto is not here This reacheth to all that confine not Gods Church in England to the Party that subscribe and their Adherents If any say that if such as Blondel Rivet Amesius or any other the most Learned holy peaceable men that dare not subscribe as aforesaid should with any Christians worship God together and that these are a true Church though he judge them faulty and that these Canons are grievances such are to be excommunicated Though it be gross Schism in others to confine not onely the Purity but the Verity of a Church to their own Party For such to feel and groan loud here is Excommunication 15. The eleventh Canon much to the same purpose requireth the Excommunication of all that affirm that any Subjects in England may rightly challenge the Name of true and lawful Churches besides those allowed by Law though the King should License them 16. The twelfth Canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that make Rules and Orders in Causes Ecclesiastical without the Kings Authority and submit to them e. g. All that without the Kings authority agree to turn the Table Altar-wise to require People to kneel at the Rails or to bow toward the Alter or East or to set up Organs c. All these are now excommunicate by an Authority above the Bishops which no Bishop or Priest can dispense with but only forbear to publish and execute it but not nullifie it no nor absolve any that publickly repent not of it as a wicked Errour 16. By Canon fourteenth if any Minister shall diminish any part of the Orders Rites Ceremonies Prayers c. in regard of Preaching or ANY OTHER RESPECT or shall adde any thing in matter or form e. g. If he let the Parent express the dedication of his Child to God or lay any charge on any Parent he breaketh the Church Law and so far separateth from it 17. By Canon fifteenth when twenty or thirty thousand are commanded to come to a Church that cannot receive six thousand and the Alleys and Pewes are wedg'd so that they cannot all kneel yet all that kneel not at the Prayers and all that say not audibly the Confession Lords Prayer Creed and Responses disobey the Laws of the Church and so far separate from it 18. When twenty thousand Persons are commanded to come in more than can if ten thousand of them or any number should come to the
Church-yard or Porch to shew that they are not presentable but would get in if they could the nineteenth Canon commands to drive them away 19. The Liturgy and Canon 22. c. bind all under the penalty of the Law to receive the Sacrament thrice every year If a secret Infidel Sadducee Hobbist Socinian or any Heretick say I am not able to change my Iudgment which is inconsistent with the Sacrament or if one whose Conscience tells him of the guilt of Adultery and that he is not resolved to confess and forsake it yet or one that by Melancholy causelessly feareth unworthy receiving to damnation I say if any of these will avoid the charge of Schism they must run upon worse till grace recover them which is not at their command And yet all notorious Offenders are prohibited it Canon 26. and particularly the Perjured And if the tenth part so many be perjured in England in City and Countrey as many fear it 's a very great number that are uncapable of Communion with the Church 20. By Canon twenty seventh on pain of Suspension no Minister must wittingly administer the Communion to any but such as Kneel or to any that refuse to be present at publick Prayers c. So that all that Kneel not in receiving are rejected and if they worship God elsewhere must be taken for Schismaticks as dangerous as adulterers or murderers 21. The twenty eighth Canon forbids admitting strangers to Communion and commands sending them home to their Parish Churches It 's disobedience to violate this 22. The twenty ninth Canon forbids urging Parents to be Present when their Children are baptized and admitting them to Answer as Godfathers for their own Children and any Godfather to make any other Answer or speech than the prescribed 23. The thirtieth Canon describeth the Cross as a Sacrament as seemeth to us 34. By the thirty sixth Canon no man must be a Minister that subscribeth not that the Book of Common Prayer and Ordination contains nothing in it contrary to the Word of God and that he himself will use no other form in publick Prayer and administration of the Sacraments By which all that refuse this or that use the forms made and imposed by the Bishops on occasions of publick Fasts and Thanksgivings seem all to be under disobedience to the Church 35. By Canon fourty ninth no Person not Licensed as a Preacher may in his Cure or elsewhere expound any Scripture or Matter or Doctrine but onely shall study to read plainly the Homilies So that all Ministers before Licence to preach all School-masters all Parents or Masters that do expound to their Schollars Children or Servants the meaning of Baptism or of any Article of the Creed any Petition of the Lords Prayer any one of the Ten Commandments to fit them for Confirmation or Salvation otherwise than by plain reading the Homilies or Church Catechism doth disobey the Law of the Church And so do all Tutors in the Universities that expound any Scripture matter or Doctrine to their Pupils before they are examined or approved by the Bishop or any Judge on the Bench or Justice that presumeth to do it to the hearers or any Friend or Neighbour in discourse For it is No Person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Diocess How few in England separate not from the Church as far as this disobedience amounts to If by no Persons be meant only no Ministers it 's hard enough that Ministers may not be allowed out of the Church what Lay-men are allowed 36. All those that deny not the validity of Baptism or the Lords Supper when they are done by an unpreaching Minister but yet think that a man utterly unable to Teach otherwise than by Reading may not lawfully be encouraged in so high a function any more than a man in Physick or School-teaching that hath not necessary skill or is utterly illiterate and thinks it a sin to consent to take such an Ignorant fellow for the Pastor of his Soul if he can have better If this man I say go to the next Parish Church for Sacraments he is to be suspended first and next excommunicate Specially if he should judge that Ignorant Reader no true Minister for want of necessary capacity 37. Surplices Hoods and Tippets are made the matter of Obedience Canon fifty eighth 38. By Canon thirty eighth no Minister must refuse or delay to Christen any Child without exception according to the form of the Common Prayer that 's brought to Church to him on Sundaies or Holy-daies though the Parents be both Iewes or Heathens or Atheists or Sadducees The Minister must be suspended that refuseth it 39. The seventy first Canon suspendeth all Ministers that Preach in any private house except to the sick or impotent in time of necessity By which had Paul here preached publickly and from house to house or Timothy in season and out of season as dreadfully adjured or Christ preacht as he oft did they must be suspended And every Minister that preacheth to his Family And no doubt repeating his Sermon is preaching the same again 40. All Ministers must be suspended and then excommunicate that without the Bishops Licence appoint or keep any solemn Fasts publickly or in private houses other than by Law appointed or be wittingly present at any Though it were in time of Plague or when divers of his Neighbours are sick or troubled in Conscience or in preparation to a Sacrament or on some great occasion in Noble-mens Houses and Chappels He is not to be trusted to fast and pray with his own Flock or Friends or come among them lest being excommunicate he be a damn'd Schismatick The same prohibition is for holding meetings for Sermons called Exercises Which Arch-Bishop Grindall was zealous to set up Q. Was he then a Schismatick or is the damning dangerous Engine made since 41. By Canon seventy third if any Ministers meet in any private house as many did by consent in 1660. and 1661. to do any thing that any way tends to impeach the Common 〈◊〉 or any part of the Government and Discipline e. g. to Petition King or Parliament for the least Reformation of it he is excommunicate ipso facto 42. Canon seventy fourth brings all Ministers apparel under Church Laws for the Shape 43. Canon seventy sixth Excommunicateth all that voluntarily relinquish their Ministry and use themselves as a Lay-men And man having free will that is done voluntarily which is done in Obedience to mens command And yet we are ruined in the World if we will not leave our Ministry at their Command 44. It 's tedious to go over all the rest I end at the end of them Canon 139. excommunicateth all them that affirm that the Synod is not the true Church of England by Representation that is 1. All that take it for the Church real and not Representative lest they make the diffused Church People and all to be Chief Church-governours while
Convocations govern but as their Representatives 2. All that say that it is only the Bishops and not the Presbyters in Convocation that are the Governing Canon-making Church 3. All that say that the Clergy represent not King Nobles Parliaments Laiety and that these are true parts of the Church of England All these are ipso facto excommunicate 45. The 140. Canon Excommunicateth them that deny the Canons obligation of absent Dissenters which yet even many Papists deny of Councils Canons 46. The last Canon Excommunicateth all that contemn these Canons as taking them to be the work of a Company of Persons that conspired against Religious Godly men All this huge Catalogue are here excommunicate 47. If any part of all this be Schism Mr. Dodwell and this man seem to teach Separation from the Church of England Or if the late silencing hunting and ruining of two thousand Ministers were Schism and as bad as Bishop Taylor in Duct Dubit Mr. Hales of Eaton Chillingworth c. say of the like then these men make all the Church of England to be in as damnable a State as Adulterers and Murderers Yea they make all damnable Schismaticks that hold Communion with the Church of England for that is their Sentence on them that communicate with Schismaticks viz. that they are guilty of their Schism 48. They unchurch and damn the Churches of Corinth Galatia Laodicea Ephesus Smyrna c. in the Apostles dayes For the Scripture tells us of many guilty of Schism in all these and yet the rest communicated with them for the Scripture speaks more of Schism in a Church than of Schism or Separation from a Church Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 1.10 3.3 11.18 Mat. 12 25. Luke 12. 52 53. 1 Cor. 12.25 Iam. 3.15 16. And yet no one was commanded to separate from those Churches no not from those that had Heresies among them such as denyed the Resurrection and taught Fornication and eating things offered to Idols that were drunk at the Sacrament or Love-Feasts nor those that had Jewish Schismaticks who talkt like ours Act. 15. Except ye be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses ye cannot be saved The Churches were not all unchurcht and damn'd that communicated with such Yea Peter was guilty of encouraging them in Schism that would not eat with the Christian Gentiles but he was not unchristened by this 49. They separate from or unchurch almost all the Ancient Churches in the dayes of the most famous Emperours and Councils For I have manifested past doubt that they almost all did Hereticate or separate from one another It was Schism either in Victor to Excommunicate the Asian Bishops or in them to deserve it and be excommunicate The owning or disowning several Councils specially that of Calcedon and that at Const. de tribus Capitulis c. was the Schism of almost all the Imperial Churches one part condemning the other And if either were in the Right it salves not the Case with them For most of the same men that went that way call'd the Right in one Princes Reign went contrary in the next and so condemned each other round especially about Images adoration 50. Hereby they cut off that Succession of that sort of Ordination which they say must be uninterrupted while it came down from Churches excommunicated by one another or make the Proof of it impossible 51. They separate from all the Greek Church at this day as guilty of Schism both in their Succession from Schismaticall Bishops at Constant Alexand. Antioch Ierusalem c. and in their excommunicating not only the Church of Rome for a wrong cause the filioque but other Churches and for divers Acts of Schism 52. They must by their Principles Separate from the Abassines Aegyptians Syrians and all the Eastern and Southern Churches that are called Iacobites and Nâ—storians For Councils and other Churches condemn them And they condemn the Councils of Ephesus and Calcedon and all since And they must separate from and condemn the Churches of Armenia Georgia Circassia c. because they separate from others and are separated from 53. Their Principles utterly unchurch the Church of Rome 1. Especially because it is guilty of the greatest Schism on earth by setting up a false Church form and head 2. And because they Schismatically condemn and Unchurch three parts of the Church on earth even all save their Sect 3. And for their many other Schismatical Doctrines and Practices 4. And as being condemned by the Greek Protestants and most Churches and separated from by the Church of England which they own 54. They separate in Principles from all or near all General Councils save the first as having separated from other Councils and condemned them and being again condemned by them 55. Some of them condemn and separate from all the Protestant Churches that have Bishops in Sweden Denmark Germany Transylvania c. because they had not their Ordination Successively from Bishops but Presbyters at the Reformation And because they have been guilty of Schism against others 56. The Principles of Mr. Dodwel and his Associates condemn the Church of England as Schismatical 1. Those that claim Succession from Rome whose own Succession hath been oft and long interrupted by incapacities and Schisms 2. For holding Communion with those Protestant Churches which these men call Schismaticks 57. They condemn and separate from all the Churches called Presbyterian in France Holland Geneva Scotland formerly and those in Helvetia that have no Bishops Thô some would threat kindness on them by saying that they would have them and cannot And why cannot they 58. Their Principles make the Bishop of Oxford Bristol c. Schismaticks For their Dioceses are Churches taken out of Churches being lately parts of other Dioceses 59. And they condemn all the Parish Churches in England as Churches distinct from Cathedrals For they are all Churches gathered out of Churches At first the Cathedrals were the only single Churches Next Monasteries were gathered and next our Parish Churches And the Parish Church of Covent-garden is a Church taken out of a Church 60. Their Principles damn St. Martin that separated to the death from all the Bishops Synods and them that were near him save one Man because they perswaded Maximus to use the Sword against Priscillian Gnosticks and brought men of strict Religion under Suspicion of Priscillianism And sure the ruined persecuted Protestants here are more Orthodox than the Priscillians And they damn Gildas that told the English Clergy that he was not eximius Christianus that would call them Ministers Do they not disgrace the many Churches dedicated to the Memory of St. Martin if he be a damned man I doubt they damn Paul and Barnabas for local angry separating from each other Whatever they do by Peter and Barnabas for the Separation blamed Gal. 2. 61. If all are Schismaticks that here conform not all those called Conformists are such that conform to the words in a false sence 62. They separate from
Pastors and if we are in doubt of their Calling we resist them not unless obeying Christ before them be resistance But our Accusers loudly profess that Usurpers are not to be owned and if they go on the ground that he hath right that the Prince is for we would know whether that hold in Turky in Italy Spain France or only in England or where If it be where Princes are Orthodox do they make all the People Judges of their Princes Orthodoxness And we would know whether EVERY BISHOPS and PRIESTS right 〈◊〉 a true Minister called of God and set over us be necessary to Salvation to be believed or known by all the People if it be wo to us that ever such men were set over us whose right we cannot know What abundance of things go to make a Bishops or Priests right known 1. That he hath capable sufficiency 2. That he is a just Bishop that 's chosen by the King the Dean and Chapter obediently consenting that the Clergy's and Peoples consent is unnecessary 3. That the Diocesan species over multitudes of Churches without any subordinate Bishop is of Christ or lawful 4. That their work according to the Canon is lawful 5. That all our Patrons have right to chuse Pastors for all the People 6. That they are true Pastors over them that consent not 7. That if they prove worse far than Martial and Basilides and be owned by the Bishops as they were the people may not forsake them plâ—bs obsequens divinis prâ—ceptis which saith Cyprian have most power to chuse or refuse Is every Christian bound on pain of Damnation to know all these and then to examine and judge Bishops and Priests accordingly or if they mistake one or more mens Commission do they therefore separate from the Catholick Church If so what a case was the East in by the difference between Chrysostome and his Competitors Photius and Ignatius and hundreds others and France about the Archbishops of Rhemes when he was put out that deposed Ludovicus 4. and when an Infant was put in and oft besides What if the Alexandrians when Athanasius was banished by Constantine himself were half for him and half against him Or Basil at Caesarea was put down and hundreds more or when Theodosius first and second and Martian and Valentinian and Zeno and Anastasius and abundance more set up and pull'd down and set up again against each other What I say if the People now mistooke who had the best Title Is this separating from the Catholick Church When the Interim cast out hundreds in Germany When Ludovicus cast out Multitudes in the Palatinate and half the People stuck to the ejected persecuted Pastor and the rest to the Magistrates choice which of them separated from the Universal Church Is every Priest the Vniversal Church or an essential part of it then it dyeth when he dyeth and Apostatizeth when he doth How many Ages in above 23 Duplicates or Schisms was the World uncertain which was the true Pope suppose e. g. Arthur Iackson Edmund Calamy and many such were placed in their Incumbency by the Bishops Patrons and Parish consent according to the Law of Christ and the Land and by a new Act of Uniformity they be all turned out the Flock not consenting nor any Bishop accusing trying or deposing them save in Legislation and some of the Parish think this dissolveth not their Relation to him and they cleave to him as before without any change save of Place and Tythes and others forsake such a one and follow the Magistrates choice may not both these be still of the Catholick Church If not I know where the old Canons laid the charge and danger It 's wonderful selfishness in those men that if they can but get into the Seat take it for granted that all must own their right on pain of Damnation And what if in any such Land the Prince change his mind or the next differ and put down all these same men and set up such as differ from them more than we do is it damning Schism for any of their People still to adhere to them LXXXIX Do you find that Mr. Dodwel Dr. Saywel Dr. Sherlock or any of these men do in Pulpit and Press ingenuously tell the People the truth of the Case when they liken men as Schismaticks to Murderers for danger Did you ever hear them say The Canon which is the Churches Voice and Law doth Excommunicate you all that do own your Opinions against Conformity and commandeth us not to admit you to the Sacrament and yet to pronounce your Excommunication for not taking it We confess they have been holy and Learned Men that have thought many things imposed unlawful and therefore we wonder not if it be not in your power to change your judgment no more than to be perfect in knowledge and we confess if you are unjustly Excommunicated or any of the things made necessary to Communion be against Gods Word then it is the Church that is guilty of Schism but because this is not so we accuse you of Schism even of separating from the Vniversal Church and from Salvation XC I do admire that never any one of them would be prevail'd with to prove the Canons Excommunications ipso facto lawful when even Papists have scorn'd all such doings and when the learnedst of all their own admired men that were for comprimising matters with Rome even Mar. Ant. de Dom. Spalatensis de Rep. Eccl. hath so confidently copiously and strenuously damn'd it Christ would have none Excommunicate whatever the Crime be without Impenitency after due admonition for Repentance but these Canons ipso facto Condemn and Excommunicate Godly men without ever admonishing them or calling them to repent or hearing or seeing them Nothing is necessary but the proof of the fact and then the Law is instead of a Judge and to oblige the People to avoid them it must be published If this and all things named in the first Plea for Peace be sinless studying and disputing is not the way to know what is sinful XCI But saith the Resolver Christ hath but one Body and to be a Member of two separate and Opposite Churches is to be contrary to ourselves Ans. But I had hoped your Catechized Boyes had known 1. That one Body hath many parts 2. That particular Churches are parts of this Body as Corporations are of the Kingdom 3. That all the parts are imperfect and made up of none but sinners 4. That every good man is partly bad and so contrary to himself 5. That Churches may be so far separate as to be distinct and yet not so far as to be contrary or opposite 6. That they may be opposite in Accidents and Integrals that are one in specie in Essentials 7. That a man may own several Churches and Communicate with them for that which they agree in and yet not own both or either perhaps in that which they are opposite in 8. That
have not met with them § 3. But though little Sects for this use some appearance of Scripture-reason as the Anabaptists that say The unbaptized are no Church-Members but you are all unbaptized c. yet there are few big Sects but worldly advantage and cheating Words and Names are the strength of their Cause by which they do more than by any sober shew of reason The assumed names of the Church and Catholicks and Ancient and the Names of Hereticks and Schismaâ—icks and Lutherans and Calvinists and Novelists falsly imposed on their Adversaries next to the Sword and Flames are the Engines of the Popish Sect by which they defend their Separation from all other Christians in the World And such use the gross Schismatical parts do make of the names of The Church of Enâ—land and Catholick Communion appropriated to themselves and the names of Seperatists and Schismaticks imposed arbitrarily on others Next to the Sword this is their chief proof That men are Separatists if they will not separate from all save them and such as they § 3. Among all the Casuists I found none abound with this sort of Logick so much as the Resolver of three Cases about Church-Communion which when I had read I am so much against Separation that I thought meet to joyn with the rest of the Casuists who unite against Schism so far as to disswade Men from this Man's and Mr. Dodwells extraordnary Schismatical Doctrine § 4. But when I had written a just Confutation of him hearing by fame who he is I thought it my duty before I publisht it to see the Book which he wrote against Mr. Humphrey and Me because he may perhaps be there more intelligible for I had never before seen it and would not seek it because I would not tempt my self to a work which I have so little pleasure in as is the confutation of such men But when I had read it I found the Author a great deal sounder in his opinions than in his words and than he was represented to me to be There is a great deal that 's good and worthy the reading in his Book when he doth but keep off from his Schismatical cause He handsomely openeth some Doctrinals and so fairly alloweth forbearance of others in Doctrinal differences that were he as Catholick and equal in his opinion about Government and that which he calleth Catholick Communion he would be against Schism a Catholick indeed He doth fairly disclaim even Archbishop Bramhall's concession to the Papists And he handsomely confuteth Mr. Dodwell and maintaineth the validity of Sacraments and the duty of our Communion with the foreign Churches that have no Bishops and justifieth the Church of England that hath still owned Communion with them He hath proved the no necessity of continued Successive ordination by Bishops He hath defended the Independency of Diocesan Churches in point of Government and that one Church hath not proper Governing Power over another but only an obligation to Communion of which more anon § 5. But I must say That though he hath a smooth and handsom Stile for an Orator either He or I which of us I am no fit Judge is so wofully defective in Logick and Politicks that of these Subjects one of us is utterly unfit for a strict dispute not knowing the usual Sense of ordinary terms nor explaining them aright nor seeming to know what a true Definition is nor proceeding in any Scholar-like method But that little explication of Terms which he giveth is usually near the end of the â—ook when a confused dispute before hath tended but to seduce which ever of us it is that is in the fault it 's a great wrong to the Reader And if it be he I find no likelihood that any should cure him but himself or some one that he hath a very high opinion of For when his mistakes are discovered the substance of his Answer is a haughty ignorant scorn at the discovery Had he happily learnt to Explain Define and Distinguish and Methodize when he was young enough to submit to his Tutor it had been well for him But it being now to be learnt when he is a Doctor and such a Doctor Scorning and ignorant Wrangling will take the place of necessary Learning § 6. This I must tell the Reader That the Man speaketh so much worse than he seemeth by after Contradictions to think and hath so little Skill in exact expressing the matter or his mind that I can scarce ever pretend with any confidence to know his meaning For when he hath said worst and is confuted he comes over it again and scorneth us for misunderstanding him and tells us that he meant as we do So that it is his Words that I only undertake to confute and not his meaning till I am better able to say that I know it Nor would I think it a work beseeming me to write a Book to tell the World how unskilful this man is in speaking intelligibly and aptly if I did not find that others are seduced by receiving his words in the usual sence of such not knowing that he meaneth not as he speaketh So far as he meaneth well I think I am his Friend in perswading people to be of his mind and to believe what he thinks and not what he saith And if he hold on his way and fall not out with the Truth for my sake I am in hope that the effect also of this Survey will be that in the next he will renounce all his Errors save the terms and will say that he meant as I did And then if he do rail and scorn at me only as misunderstanding him I can bear it § 7. Nor should I think it a Duty in my condition to save Readers from his real errors were it not that they notoriously tend to perswade the Land to think of Thousands of the faithfullest Christians that I know as damnable intollerable Schismaticks guilty of the sin that will damn them as soon as Adultery and Murder and consequently to call Men to hate them as such and to proceed in silencing ruining and imprisoning them which is to tell all them that do so that they do well which if it should prove otherwise who can express the greatness of his sin against the Souls of one party and the Lives Estate and Ministry of the other § 8. His scorn p. 11 12. for my purpose to have medled with such Men in the Cause of Conformity no more seems some invitation to me to prevent the like But the foresaid Motives are far greater P. 35 36. While he over and over repeated the confused words of One Communion which must excuse us from Schism as dangerous as Murder and we that live among Men that use to distinguish Union from Communion and know that Communion yea and Union too hath a Multitude of degrees and our desire was that he would but explain in what he fixt it that we might understand his accusation he tells
certain that I am unable to do this to One of an Hundred who can claim a right to that or more 4. But out of this his Doctrine I gather That if all the Christian World have rigâ—â— to communicate with me upon occasion 1. Sure there is some difference between occasional and fixed Local Communion 2. And surely if I refuse any that would communicate on common necessary terms because they will not break the Custom of their several Countries and communicate with me in doubted unnecessary things I wrong all the Christian World and am to them a Schismatick Much more if I presume to Excommunicate every Stranger that cometh into my Precincts and herein differs from me as you do us and most of all if I impose many sinful terms of Communion on him All Christians are bound to hold Communion in Christianity and in all things necessary to the common Communion of them all and to extend this also to as many Integrals as they can reach But there are Multitudes of things in which they are not bound to have Communion much less as necessary to salvation § 10. p. 36. We have all explained by an odd supposition viz. Suppose the whole World were one Family or one Kingdom in which every man according to his rank and station enjoys equal Priviledges the necessity of Affairs would require that Men should live in distinct Houses and Countries But yet if every Man enjoyed the same Liberty and Priviledges wherever he went as he now does in his own House and Countrey the whole World would be but one great Family or universal Kingdom Ans. 1. The whole World is one great Kingdom of God as verily as the Church is the Church of Christ And yet we Non-Conformists think that every Man in it no nor every Saint hath not right to be King of England nor a Judg in our Courts nor Lord Mayor of London nor so much as a Freeman in any City And we think that the Church hath no more one subordinate universal Soveraign than the World And that therefore the case in point of universal priviledg is not by this similitude well explained 2. Your odd supposition of the World being one Family either supposeth one Husband to all the Wives in the World and one Father to all the Children in the World or else that all distinct Husbands Wives Children and Servants are in this one Family In the first supposition I may suppose that you take him to be more than a Man that can be an Husband to all the Women and a Father to all the Children on Earth And therefore if his Wisdom be equal to such a greatness he must be no Fool. And if so whiâ—e Men are his Family he will order and govern them as Men and then they will be distributed into subordinate Families Cities and Kingdoms as now they are But if you suppose many Husbands and Fathers our Opinion is that Husbands and Wives should not be common nor Parents and Children Nay which way ever you take that Childrens Food Rayment and Portions should not be common Nor could any come from India and claim a Lordship or Lands in England as a Member of the Family Fathers distribute unequally as their Will and Wisdom and their Childrens fitness are diversifying Causes Even in a Colledg one cannot claim anothers Chamber Books Cloaths or Food One would think by your scourge for Non-Conformists that you were no Leveller nor against fatherly justice and inequality of right and distribution Even they that come to your Church cannot so much as claim equal right in Seats And verily if all the World that will come to you may claim equal Pastoral oversight from you or any Bishop your equality must be like his to the Beggars that gave nothing to any that he might serve them all alike § 11. P. 38 39 c. he saith He can hardly be so charitable to me as not to believe that I wilfully mistook him it being impossible for any man of common sense who ever read him to mistake his Catholick Communion for some transient acts Ans. Reader it 's hard terms that these Men hold us to I was loath to judg him so void of common Sense or use of Words as to talk of Catholick Communion which was in no transient acts But for the future rather than forfeit common sense or be wilful I will believe him that by Catholick Communion he meaneth Union and that he meaneth neither Baptism nor profession of Christianity nor owning any Article of Faith nor owning Bishops nor any Church-order or Worship of God But do not unsay all this again and call us all to nought for believing you § 12. But he saith Upon a stricter examination he finds me blundered and confounded about the Notion of Unity This Unity I term Union Ans. The Doctor will grow over-critical if he hold on if he mean this as part of my blundering and confusion But it is but Grammar that I am ignorant of I confess my ignorance I thought that Unio had Two significations one active for that act of uniting which maketh One of Two and that also Twofold 1. To unite efficiently 2. To unite constitutively And the other as signifying the same with Unity caused And I thought that Unitas had ordinarily signified by a more abstract word the same Oneness as Unio in the latter sense and sometimes abusively active Union But I am ready to learn better § 13. But saith he He understands it of our Union to Christ not of the Unity or Oneness of the Christian Church Ans. The best is he saveth me from unmannerly telling you that he speaketh falsly by confessing the falshood in the very terms of accusation For if he dare say that it is no Church-Union to be all United to one Christ in our common Christianity he is a very falâ—e Teacher § 14. P. 39. Repeating my words he tells you I misconstrue both terms But you are best take it on his word And he feigneth that I do or must infer ergo the Unity of the Catholick Church doth nâ—t consist in being one Body and Society and Communion of Christians Whereas I infer the clear contrary That it doth consist in one such body it 's Union with Christ making it such an one Yet here he addeth If this be to write controversies we may as well lay wagers and cast lots for major minor and conclusion Which words truly tell you what the Doctor 's Logical strength is like the Woman that told the Doctor that she could make her hungry Pig cry with better Logick than all the Doctors in the University did dispute And could not a Quaker say as much § 15. P. 41 42. He seemeth serious in asking me How the Catholick Church is united in one Body so as to be one Church And when I tell him how many sorts af Union there are he saith he cares not how many sorts there are so I will tell him what the Unity of
matter 2. God gave Christ to be the Mediator and Head 3. God made by Christ the Covenant of Grace by which as by a Law and Gift he determineth of the Conditions of Church-Relation and Benefits and commandeth Man's belief and consent and professeth his own acceptance of such consenters 4. His Ministers and Word perswade Men to believe and consent 5. His Spirit efficiently causeth Men to believe and consent 6. At that time God's conditional grant becometh actual and giveth them actually a right and relation to Christ and his Benefits 7. Thereupon Christ's Ministers solemnize this Covenant declaring God's acceptance and by Baptism investing the person in the visible possession of his relation to Christ and all his Members the person professing his believing which maketh it a mutual Covenant the Parent doing it for Infants These Seven Acts go to make up the total efficient Cause of the Churches Essence and Unity and each Members Union therein And if you exclude any one of them you will be a false Teacher Is there any room here for a Controversie among Christians The Father the Son the Holy Ghost the Covenant and Law the Consenter the Minister and Baptism all make up the efficient Cause of the Churches Essence And that which maketh it a Church maketh it One Church As that which maketh it an House a Ship a Family a School a Kingdom maketh it thereby One House One Ship One Family c. for eus unun convertuntur § 17. But tho his Question How that ambiguous Syllable enquire not of the Churches Essence and of what who knows yet p. 43. he ventures to enquire of it upon my words it is only essential to the Church that there be an organized Body of Pastors and People united to Christ the Head saith he Here I agree with Mr. B. if he would add One Body for that is the thing in dispute Whether Christ have one or a thousand bodies Ans. I pray you remember this happy agreement that we agree of the Churches Essence But is not A Body the Singular Number If I say that a man is corpus organicum and a rational soul united do I need to put in One Body or One Soul while unum is entis inseparabilis affectio Good Doctor why must not Verum and Bonum be named with every eus in a definition as well as Unum Can it be a Body and not One Body O! what a Jest will School-boys make of us for such disputing 3. But the pretended disagreement is much worse asserted Is that the Controversie Whether Christ have One Body or a Thousand Would you make men believe that we deny the Unity of the Universal Church If you would prove it or blush 2. Do you your self deny the being of Thousands of particular Churches which are parts of the Universal When you have seemed long to do it you come again and confess such Churches and condemn us as separating from them 3. Is the Controversie whether these single Churches de nomine may be called so many Bodies of Christ 1. Name the men that so call them and prove it or confess your self a false Accuser 2. If they did an unfit Name is not an error de re I never heard man so speak We say that the word Church used for the Universal and the Particular is not univocally used but analogically expenuriâ nominum As oft the whole and part have one Name We say that as an hundred Cities and Counties may make one Kingdom and were they all equivocally called Republicks or Kingdoms it would be no change in the Doctrine All the Christian World call the universal and the particulars by the name of Church And yet if to help us out of the Equivocation you will invent a better Name and get men to consent to it not reprehending the Scripture-use we will hearken to you But as One Kingdom is individuate by One King and yet subordinate Societies may have subordinate individuating Heads so is it here And it 's grosly unfit to say Christ hath many Bodies tho he have many Churches in one as the King hath many Cities but one Kingdom here But he adds If but One how do all the Christians in the World make up that one Body How must not be explained If by how he meant by what efficiency I have told you If it mean by what constitutive Causes it is by Form and Matter united If it be any Mode that you mean vouchsafe to tell us what § 18. P. 43. he goes on thus reciting some of my words In this definition Christ only is the supreme constitutive summa potestas or regent part The organized body of Pastors and People is the pars subdita and the Union of Christ and that body maketh it a Church And saith he This is very well But the main doubt still remains untouched What is it that makes all the Christian Pastors and People in the World to be but One Church Ans. Contra negantem principia non est disputandum This intimateth that eus unum non convertuntur And that besides that which maketh it a Church somewhat else must go to make it one Whether your obstinate equivocation in the word make shall be by you expounded of the efficient or constitutive causes in this it 's all one That which maketh it a Church doth thereby without any more causality make it one Church This is as if he said We are agreed what maketh a Man an House a City a Book c. but we agree not what maketh him One Man and so of the rest Nothing but that which maketh him a Man and causeth the existing Essence Matter and Form united constitutively And efficiently all that which causeth Matter and its Disposition which Aristotle calls Privationâ— and Form and their Union But Reader it 's so hard to understand such a Speaker that we must â—ift every doubtful word lest he come again and say we wilfully mistake him Who knows but the Doctor hath a Câ—tâ—urnus in the word but and the question be What maketh this the only Church or that God hath no other but one As if the question were What made Adam at first the only man in the World or the Israelites the only peculiar Nation I answer Nothing in Adam nothing in Israel and so nothing in the Church can be the cause of Nothing No Man no Nation no Church speak Nothing Not to make another is nothing but the words are a meer Negation And Nothing hath no Cause What is the Cause that there is not another Sun Why Nothing hath no Cause But if we must give any other Answer it must be only by calling the Negation of a Cause by the Name of a Cause and saying that the Cause why there is but one Sun that we know of and one Church Universal is because God made no more § 19. The Doctor proceeds Nor does his similitude help him out which is so admirable in its Philosophy and
on this miserable Priest and save him from his heinous Schism that out of his own month he may not be condemned as no Member of Christ. 2. Reader while the Piper Harper or Trumpeter giveth no distinction in the sound 1 Cor. 7.7 8. but thinks that crying Communion Communion should charm men into the same Disease of Confusion and Schism which he is sick of If thou be awake I invite thee still but to use thy Reason in these three distinctions 1. Between Subjection and Communion 2. Between local Separation and mental 3. Between mental Separation in and from meer circumstances accidents or integrals and in and from essentials necessary to Christianity and Christian Communion And then if thou canst not Answer this Doctor and escape Schism which he tempts thee to without any further Confutation I dispair of curing thee 1. None are of Christ's Church that separate from any thing Essential to it 2. All Congregations are locally divided and separated frome one another 3. All Churches and Persons that differ in a Translation a Form a Word a Ceremony in their Communion by opposite Opinions or Practises are so far mentally opposite in their Communion E. g. They that were for observing Meals and Daies Rom. 14. and they that were not Peter and Barnabas that separated from the Gentile Christians while the Jews were there and Paul that reproved them for it Yea those that for small Mental difference separate locally A Prelatist that scruples taking one Parish Priest or Bishop for his Pastor suppossing him insufficient or a false Teacher separateth by removing his dwelling to another Diocess or Parish These Schismaticks have not yet dared to say that this man separateth from Christ. The Convocation caused Godfrey Goodman to be imprisoned 1640 His Diocess and the next were Separate in their Separate Heads Victor Excomunicated the Asian Churches Here were opposite Churches and Communion the Greeks and Romans the Abassine Syrian Assyrian Armenian Georgian c. Churches censure and Separate from others in their Communions to this day so do some Lutherans from other Protestants hold Communions opposite in point of Consubstantiation and Images So do such as Mr. Dodwell condemn all Communion that hath not uninterrupted Episcopal Succession You write against him and Archbishop Bramhall so far are your Communions opposite Doctor Gunning in the time of Usurpation was against the Parish-Communion then practised and separated from it Archbishop Usher Bishop Browning and multitudes of Episcopal men did not Did all these separate from Christ. Was Cyprian and all the African and Numidian Bishops separate from Christ or the Pope in Augustin's daies when there was so long opposition between three Popes and Aurelius Augustine and the rest of the Africans which party was unchristened Was it Miracle-working St. Martin that was unchristened or the Synods of Bishops whose Communion he renounced to the Death Epiphanius giveth so high a character of Audius that wise men think his Separation from the Bishops that abhorred his reproof unchristened him not Socrates and Sâ—zomen tells us of great diversity and opposition in the Communions of many Countries about Easter and other things that yet unchristened them not When the Scots and Britains would not communicate with Gregories Austin nor eat in the same House with the Romans which party was cut off from Christ Was it Chrysostomes Ioannites or the Council that deposed him and the Cyrillians that were cut off from Christ Was it the Party of Meletius Paulinus or Flavian at Antioch that were not united to Christ Not only Socrates and Sozomen but Atticus and Procluus and other men freer from Schism and Ignorance than our Dr. thought the Novatians were united to Christ. Was Lucifer Calaritanus cut off from Christ for gathering a Church separate from the Bishops that he thought too hastily received the returning Arians Was it Zachary and Boniface that were cut off from Christ or the Two Presbyters that they excommunicated for holding Antipodes c Was it the Church of Canstantinople or of Rome that was unchurch't when Vigilius and Menna and other Patriarchs excommunicated one another If David Derodon have proved that Nestorius spake Orthodoxly and Cirilas was an Eutichian or if I have undeniably proved that they meant the same thing or Iob Ludolphus that the Eutychians were sound in the faith which of the parties that these 1300. years have condemned each other are cut off from Christ When the Italians set up a Patriarch at Aquileia an hundred years against Rome which side was unchurched When the Pope Alexander 3. Innocent 4. c. interdicted whole Kingdoms France England c. and part of the Churches obeyed the Pope and part the King and when in the Wars with Frederick Henr. 4 th and 5 th Oâ—hâ— c. part of the Bishops were for the Emperor and condemned the rest and the other part condemned them as Henrician Hereticks which side was unchurched When all the Truths that Philastrius calls Heresies in palpable ignorance had parties condemned for holding them as Hereticks was it the feigned Hereticks or the condemners that were unchurched But if this man's words be true and Priests can so easily damn men it 's time to think what those men do that have made such damning Canons as ours before-mentioned and that damn all that differ and obey them not in every word and ceremony which they will command on those damning terms And were this true whether it were not wisdom for all men to pack up and leave the Land to the Priests themselves and those that are ductile and sequacious enough to follow them to the last For my part I believe not that he that goeth from one Church to another as separating from a pair of Organs or Cathedral singing or Copes or from a sorry Priest for a better or from an undisciplined Church to one that useth true Discipline not judging the Church that he goeth from worse than it is doth any thing inconsistent with his Christianity nor is separated from Christ What the seed of Cain do that hate and persecute their brethren and whether they separate from Christ when they fight against Love I leave to others â— 31. Page 64 65. But the man hard put to it hath a new notable subterfuge He that hath said all this for One Church hath found Two Universal Visible Churches in the World besides the Invisible One câ—nsists of all those Christians and Churches who profess the true Faith of Christ observe his Laws and Institutions and live in Communion and Fellowship with each other This he owns Ans. So do we with these Suppositions 1. That no man observeth all Christ's Laws and Institutions without sin but true Christians profess and practice the observation of them sincerely so far as they know them 2. Those that you damn and persecute profess to do this to the best of their understanding and say it is for doing it that you revile and ruin them 3. We suppose that when Christ's
Reedeeming Restauration and other such in Scripture intimate that Christ did restore Man to the state he fell from adding more mercy to it And therefore that his Soul was immortal and he in via and not in patria And I believe not what he adds of man's being not obliged to deny Sensuality were it not for Heaven 1. He thinks Adam was made but for Earth And yet God bound him Not to eat of that Fruit which his eye appetite and fancy led him to desire Doth he not here directly condemn God's Law and justifie Adam's Sin 2. Were there no Heaven for us man were bound to rule his Appetite and Sense by Reason And the bonum publicum and his own would oblige him by Reason to restrain Sensuality as to Women Wine Meat desire of our Neighbours Estate Anger that would kill others in revenge 3. And I think God doth not bind us now to take the forbearance of such comforts as further us in Holiness Thankfulness and other Duties to be any necessary way to Heaven § 36. Page 122 123. To prove his sort of Catholick Unity he is not content with Episcopatus Unus est but he asserteth That all the Bishops of the Church are but one Bishop invested with the same Power c. Ans. 1. Episcopacy may be said to be One as it is One in specie and for one remote End and Object as Justiceship in England may be called One But that all Bishops should be but one Bishop is strange Tho by impropriety of speech almost any thing may be said No doubt but the Name Bishop signifieth in common speech the Subject related Either he meaneth that the Subjects are one or the Relation While he abhorreth the distinguishing of the equivocal Unity we must take him to speak in sinsu famosiore usitato 1. They that have divers numerical constitutive parts of men matter and form are divers Bishops as Subjects of the Relation But so have e. g. the Bishop of Canterbury and York and London They have divers Souls and Bodies They that may depose and curse each other are not the same Bishop But so did Chrysostome and his Adversaries and hundreds more If they are One subjectively the Virtues and Vices of ones are anothers and the Creditor may take one man to Prison for anothers Debt 2. They cannot be One numerically in the Relation of Bishop For the Relation is Accidens quod sequitur subjectum The same numerical Accident cannot possibly be in two distinct Subjects For it perisheth if it cease to be in its Subject One man's Colour Virtue Learning c. cannot numerically be the Accident of another So that all Bishops being one Bishop is just like the rest of this man's Doctrine I believe one may be good and another bad one saved and another damned What can the man mean by it if he could speak his mind Sure nothing but that their Office is of the same species and they bound to use it in their several places as from one Christ under one Law of his with the greatest Love and Concord they can and for the common good of one Universal Church Can he mean more without gross Error And who denieth any of this as to the Episcopacy of Christ's institution § 37. They are bound to govern where it can be had by mutual advice and consent Ans. So far as the end requireth The common good So say the Independents And is that the Unity so much talkt of § 38. ' No Bishops are absolutely independent but are obliged to preserve the Unity of the Episcopacy Those Churches must be independent which have an independent Power and Government as all must have that have independent Governours or Bishops and independent Churches can never make one Body and one Catholick Communion because they are not Members of each other Ans. 1. No Two Churches on Earth of the same species Diocesan or Parochial c. are members of each other but all of the Universal or National of which they are parts no more than your fingers or eyes are members of each other 2. Reader pardon me that in the beginning I commended him as being for Diocesan Independency in Power These words make me again uncertain what he 's for Plain English would distinguish dependance of Subjects on Rulers in a Polity and dependance of Equals by Concord in a Community These are plain words He after saith that Diocesans have no proper Governors Ecclesiastick over them or to that sence But here he saith they are not independent in Power and Government Yet the man saith so little in any determinate sence that I know not whether by dependance in Government he mean a political dependance on superior Governors or a political Union of many persons to make one superior governing power like a Senate or a meer voluntary concord of many Governors that are Equals like that of many School-Masters or Princes whose Concord maketh them not One Polity but One Community The former sence some words of his do favour but elsewhere he so much denieth them that I hope it is but the last that he meaneth 3. But if this be his sence What independent whom he so much damneth doth not acknowledg a dependance in Community on all true Christians and in Polity on Christ Doth not every Christian confess that all true Churches and Christians depend on the Whole as Parts and on each other as Fellow-Members obliged to live on the same Christ in the same Love and Communion in Essentials and in as many Integrals of Religion as they can reach to I never met with the Christian that denied this Therefore what to make of this man's words I know not § 38. P. 126. he saith He who causelesly breaketh this Unity can be no Catholick Bishop Ans. Is it come to that Alas how few Catholick Bishops then do we hear of in the World Tho no good man breaks it in the Essentials who breaks it not in Degrees or Integrals They were guilty of Schism that said I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas Peter brake it in some degree Gal. 2. And much more those Phil. 1. that preacht Christ in strife to add to Paul's affliction How shall we know then what all his talk for Communion signifieth as to practice With what Bishops in the World must we hold Communion And how shall we know them If any prove that any English Bishop causelesly breaketh this Union in any degree must we separate from him I know no evasion for him here unless he will yet distinguish of Unumâ— Martinius saith Unus is 1. Indivisus 2. Sic indivisus ut etiam indivisibiâ—â—s 3. Sic indivisas ut divisibilis 4. Sic indivisus ut divisus seâ— distinctus ab aliis 5. Unicus solus 6. Unus cum aliquo seu idem aut numero aut genâ—re aut specie aut analogia item Essentia Persona Voluntate aut actu But this is Gibberish I suppose to the Doctor
Pastors have to the Universal Church will enable any of them more or fewer confederate or not ex authoritate Ministri Nuncii to tell any other Bishops or Churches of heinous scandalous sin and admonish them and renounce Communion with the impenitent and exhort people to forsake Heretick Bishops c. But all this as Equals and not as the fixed Overseers of other Churches nor as Rulers of other Pastors And so one Martin may do by a Synod of Bishops IX Kings are as truly and I think as much obliged to do their work in Concord and Communion The contrary dreadful Doctrine of Dr. Parker for setting up an Vniversal Council of Princes to govern all the Kings on earth is to be confuted elsewhere as also his subjecting Christ to Kings which implieth that they may command reward and punish him as Bishops And Kingship is as truly One as Episcopacy That is 1. It is of the same species 2. Under the same Universal King 3. Governed by the same Universal Laws 4. Bound to regard the Good of all the Church and World above that of their own Kingdoms 5. And bound to contribute the utmost of their Wit Interest and Power for the said common good of Church and World And because all the Kings in Europe may do more to this common good of all than Bishops without them can do I may say That they are bound hereto rather more than less than the Bishops As a rich man is bound to liberality more than a poor man and one that hath the Tutorage of Princes and Nobles Sons or a Physician that hath an Hundred such Patients is bound to more care and more bound to care than another And all Kingdoms are as truly parts of God's Kingdom over men as all Churches are parts of the Universal Church If Justices or Mayors will of themselves make a New Body Politick by Confederacy and Association and say We claim no Superiority but an Authority in order to Communion to make Laws of Government for the Kingdom or many Counties and should say It is One Kingdom as Unified by this Communion and these Laws of ours and not by their Relation to one King I should doubt whether to call them Sots or Rebels or Traitors § 5â— P. 206 207. he boldly repeateth How oft have I told him what it is that makes the Catholick Church One Catholick Church which is the constitutive Form he enquires after viz. Not one superior power over the whole Church but one Communion and this Communion is in Humane Forms and Canons Ans. How oft doth he tell us that which if a Dissenter had asserted I should have thought the Name of an Heretick too gentle for him as coming so near the denying both of the Church and Christ. See here the Church is not made One and so not made the Church by its unitive Relation to Christ the Head He is not the constitutive Regent Form but a Voluntary Agreement to make Laws of Government c. is the constitutive Form And yet he saith before It is not made by Man but God § 51. But p. 220. he disgraceth the Dean by these words Mr. B. indeed says That the Universal Church is headed by Christ himself But as the Dean adds this doth not remove the difficulty For the question is about the Visible Church whereof the particular Churches are parts and they being visible parts do require a visible constitutive Regent Head as essential to them Therefore the whole Visible Church must likewise have a visible constitutive Regent Head Ans. Dangerously false and the Fundamental Principle of Popery When they know how frequently the Papists are answered to this by Protestants and I told them how fully I had answered it to Iohnson and oft why have we no Reply but say over and over the same things Viz. 1. No Kingdom nor thing is Visible simpliciter but secundum quid Our King is not visible in Ireland nor but to â—ew in England His soul is visible to none nor his body save the outward Accidents If he were seen by none but Courtiers it were a Visible Kingdom 2. In all these Respects the Church is Visible 1. The Bodies of the Subjests are Visible 2. Their Oath af Allegiance Baptism and Profession are Visible 3. Christ lived Visibly on Earth 4. He is Visible in Heaven to his Courtiers 5. He hath one Visible Law and Covenant to govern all his Church 6. He hath Visible Officers 7. He hath Visible administrations of Mercy and Justice by himself and his Officers 8. And he is coming to Judgment Visibly and all Eyes shall see him Now the Controversie is either de re or de nomine De re none but a false Teacher will deny any one of these that I say not a gross Heretick 2. De nomine either this much may warrant the Name of a Visible Church or not If not we must go the old way of some former Protestants and say That the Chatholick Church is not Visible And for ought I see we must say That the Kingdom of Ireland if not of England is Invisible because few see the King and no man ever saw the Soul of King or Subjects or their Bodies save the skin If all this warrant not the Name of Visible Church the Confederacy of an unknown Company of Bishops will not But remember that the Controversie is but de nomine and we say more by far to prove it Visible than you do while you deny Popery § 52. P. 2â—5 I Argued That if a Regent Supreme be the informing part of a Diocesan Metropolical c. Church so must it he of the Catholick if the word Church be used univocally Hence he inferreth that I thus argue If there be not a Supreme Head over the whole Church there is no such over any part So little doth he understand an Argument When as I argued only from the parity of Reason That if the summa potestas be not the Form of the Catholick Church then it is not of Diocesan Churches But it is of Diocesan Churches as is confest Ergo This supposeth that they confess Christ to be the summa potestas Therefore I say He must be the Constitutive Form The man blusht not here to say That I infer A Bishop cannot govern his own Church unless one Bishop or a Colledge govern the whole How little Belief is due to such a Man § 53. P. 844. He saith I think it as certain That those Churches cannot be Members of the Catholick Church whose Communion is unlawful Answ. Seeing it is plain That he meaneth not only mental Communion in Essentials of which it's true but local Communion in outward Acts I take him to be one of the grossest Schismaticks that ever I had to do with and one of the greatest Enemies to Christian Catholick Love If any could prove it unlawful to have Ministerial Communion in England where he cannot have it without declaring Assent and Consent to all
thingt in their three Books that would not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If a Lay-man could prove it unlawful to trust other men with his Child in Baptismal Covenanting as far as the Church here doth or sinful to joyn in avoiding the Communion of all such gâ—dly men as the Canons or a Lay-Civilian may Excommunicate This will not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If any Church will deny men Communion unless they subscribe to some one small Untruth as the Liturgies false Rule to find out Easter-day or a mis-translation or the denial that Christ died for all c. this doth not unchurch them all But men have made so many snares by their numerous invented sinful forms of Communion that by such schsmatical Censures as this one scarce knows what Church on Earth is â—ot unchurched § 54. He saith Where there is 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ach of Communion no declared 〈…〉 act of communiâ—n between 〈…〉 be in communion with each 〈…〉 You may say of them what you will But all these Negatives speak no positive Act And is Communion nothing but Negations All this I may say of those that never heard of each others being 2. There may be an express disowning of each as the Romans did the Asians about Easter and the Africans about rebaptizing and the Britains disowned Augustine and as some disown a Pair of Organs or neglect of Discipline c. And yet both be parts of the Catholick Church § 55. P. 326. He is so Catholick in Doctrinals as to say that We may safely communicate with any Church how different soever our Opinion in other Matters may be when we agree in all the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Essentials of Worship Answ. What could one wish more Is this the same Man May you not then admit those that so far agree with you Are all your humane Associations and Confedearcies and all the Laws for Church-Discipline and Government made by men that have no Legislative Power Essentials of Worship or Fundamental Doctrines of Faith Are all that your foresaid Canons Excommunicate Men for such Essentials If this much be enough in the Church notwithstanding all other Sins and Errors why not in those that you should receive But it seems by this that Matters of Divine Faith and Worship besides bare Essentials are small things to him in comparison of Bishops Rules and Canons § 56. Pag. 395. He saith To separate causelesly from any true and sound part of the Catholick Church cuts such Separatists off from the Church If they will justifie their Separation they must prove that what is Enjoyned is Sinful Answ. 1. Have you answered what they have said and said again towards a Proof Remember that you call them to it and justifie their Separation if they prove it 2. But your Conclusion is false and odious leaving it doubtful what part of the Christian World you damn not If I could prove that you separate causelesly from the Nonconformists doth that certainly cut you from all the Church I doubt there are too few Christians on earth who do not in some degree separate causelesly from others Grotius joyned with no Church locally in Worship long before he died Most of the Church in East West South and North is damned falsly by this Rule He that doth but causelesly separate pro tempore from a Preacher by Passion or Mistake as Mr. Martin aforesaid from Mr. Lapthâ—rne separate causelesly from a true and sound part of the Christian Church His words make me think so sadly of the Case of the Church that must be tempted and distracted by such men as puts me far from a sporting frame But as Dr. Twisse and some of the Gravest Writers sometime divert their Readers with a sad Story that hath somewhat in it ridiculous why may I not put him another such Case At Bridgenoth before 1639. One Parson Crosse a thorough Conformist Preacht a Sermon In which inveighing against Marriage he said If you marry a Widow She will be like a Banbury Cheese when all the Paring is cut off there 's little left So when all Portions and Legacies are paid â— Whoever Maid or Widow if you will hope for a Wife and virtuâ—us Woman you must be like a Man that will find out one Ele in a Barrel of Snakes It 's a hundred to one you miss her But if you light on her you have but a wet Snig by the Tail a slippery handful Now the Women were angry with the Preacher he was an Orthodox Licens'd Man They separate from him Quere Whether they separated from the Catholick Church Reader I am tired with following this Writer and Mr. Crosse's Sermon makes me think of his Book By that time all the wordy mistakes are pared off the good matter is like his pared Banbury Cheese And if you fish for them at a venture it 's great odds but you meet with some scurvy words or matter instead of them Or if you light of that which is better his Sence is so uncertain in undistinguisht words that you have but Mr. Crosse's wet Snig by the Tail But not to seem more incredulous and indifferent from him than I am I subscribe to his words to Mr. Humphrey pag. 226. Ignorance and Insensibility is as great a security to some Men against Shame as Impudence is to others And to his words to Mr. Lobb pag. 388. What a blessed thing is Ignorance which helps Men to confute Books without Fear or Wit And I do acknowledge That this â—r hath helpt me more sensibly to understand St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.6 Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil FINIS UNNECESSARY SEPARATING disowned in the Reasons of the Authors Censured Practice § 1. WHEN I see 1. How many suffer for refusing Communion with the Parish Churches 2. And how many are offended with Me and such others for Communicating with them censuring Us as mistaking compliers with Sin The Cause and some good Peoples request invite me to answer these following Questions I. Whether Men should be compelled to Communicate with any Church by Corporal Penalties II. Whether they who consent to Communicate with some Church may chuse their own Pastor and Company or may by force be confined to their Parish Priest and Church III. For what Reasons I and such others Hear in and Communicate with the Parish Churches And whether so to do be a Sin or a Duty or a thing Indifferent § 2. I. To the first case I answer 1. It were happy if the Sword could compel Unbelievers to Believe but it cannot nor is a way which Nature or Scripture ever allowed Man to use for such an end 2. To force an Unbeliever to Lie by saying he Believeth is a Sin 3. An Infidel must not be Baptized till he profess with seeming Seriousness and Willingness that he Believeth in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and will Vow
City-Engines need not be fetcht to quench Ignorant Preachers must have some forbearance in their Self-conceitedness and petulent Temerity of what Sect or Faction soever they be Conformists or Nonconformists II. I do it much to go as far in National Concord in Religion as possibly I can and for the avoiding all that makes against it The foresaid Book The whole Duty of Nations will convince any impartial capable Reader of what great Duty and Advantage National Countenance and Concord is to the interest of Religion And though it bring in multitudes of Hypocrites God makes some use for the Church of such I would ask the Dissenters but two Questions 1. Would you not wish the prosperity of the Church your Selves and that all Power and Laws promoted Godliness and true Reformation No doubt you wish it And would not that bring in multitudes of Hypocrites They are like Vermin and Flies who swarm most in the warmest Seasons 2. If all the Hypocrites in the World should renounce Christianity and leave none to profess it but the sincere would not those few be left as a wonder and a prey O what a blow would it be to Religion in the World Will you root out not only the Tares but the Straw and Chaff on pretence to save the Corn III. I do it to keep up Brotherly Love amongst us which certainly censorious accusations of one another doth destroy When you fly from them you seem to accuse them as men uncapable of your Christian Communion and this seemeth hatred or contempt And as sure as Fire causeth Fire and Water quencheth it Love causeth Love and Hatred destroyeth it and causeth hatred And Christian Love is no small Duty IV. I do it very much to avoid the scandal of seeming to judge Parish Communion an unlawful thing and seeming to separate from them on that account That they err who judge it so unlawful I am satisfyed And that scandal is a great Sin the second Commandment and Christ's dreadful threatning of the scandalous and Paul's abhorrence of it satisfies me The second Commandment forbids Corporal Scandalous seeming to be Idolaters what ever the Heart be And I must not seem to unchurch ot sinfully censure what ever be in my Thoughts I know it is no such Scandal that I go not here to the Greek Church to the French Church or the Dutch Church For no man hath any reason to interpret it to signifie that I separate from their Communion as unlawful But there is great reason to interpret my total avoiding the Parish Churches to signifie that I judge it unlawful to Communicate with them as is evident in these Particulars 1. There are divers Nonconforming Separatists who have lately written to prove it unlawful 2. Multitudes suffer much upon the publick accusations because they will not Communicate with them who tell the people that they take it to be Sin 3. I and Others are censured by such as Sinners for doing it 4. Parochial Churches are the settled National order 5. The Laws command our joining with them 6. The Magistrates accuse and prosecute the refusers 7. The Parish Ministers are offended at our refusal and accuse it as sinful separation and so interpret it All this set together maketh it past all denial that after all this to avoid all Parish Communion is by our Actions to say that we judge it unlawful whatever is in our Hearts Had we all these calls to go sometimes to the French and Dutch Church supposing that we understood them and would not go it were a scandalous signification that we judge it sinful And one may Lie by Deeds as well as by Words V. I take it to be a great Sin to bear false Witness against my Neighbour and wrongfully accuse a single person But much greater so to accuse a Church and much more nine thousand Churches But to say by my action that their worship of God is so sinful that it is unlawful to join with them is as I think so to accuse them I dare not say so of an Anabaptists Church VI. I much more dread to separate from almost all Christ's Church on Earth For if Christ have no Church he is no Head King or Saviour of it And to say that he accepteth not of their Worship is to say that he presenteth it not to God as their intercessor The Article of our Believing the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints is a practical Article If there be no such Body I can be no Member of it And this seemeth a renouncing of my part in the Prayers of almost all the Church when I take them to be intollerably sinful and not accepted by God Whereas I take it to be my great Duty to put up no one Prayer to God but in mental Communion with all the Church on Earth that is As a Member of that Society And I would not take all the Riches of the World for my part in the Love Prayers and Communion of the universal Church If I cut off my self from the Body I cut off my self from the Head and am a withered Branch to be united and baptized into Christ and to the Church are two effects of one action and so would it be to separate And I take it for such a Crime against Christ to say that almost all his Church is not His but Satans as it would be against the King to say that almost all his Kingdoms are none of his but his Enemies I may say that the Irish the Highlanders or Orcades are the most ignorant barbarous part of his Dominions but not that they are none And a slander of almost all the Christian World is a very great one But to separate from our Parrish Churches upon a Cause that is Common to almost all the Christian World is Virtually and Interpretatively to separate from almost all And to separate because of the faultiness of the Liturgy the Ministry in many or the people is to separate on a cause common to almost all 1. The recorded Liturgies of the several Sects of Christians in the World in the Biblioth Patrum and elsewhere shew it evidently that they are all far faultier than ours All the Abassines Coptics Iacobites Nestorians Melchites Maronites the Armenians Georgians Circassians Meugrelians the Greeks and Muscovites have Liturgies far worse than ours Let them that doubt of it go to the Greek-Church in Sohoe-Fields The Nestorian Liturgy is one of the soundest and best that I find recorded which intimateth that they are not so bad as some make them The Papists Mass I think we are agreed is far worse And the Lutheran Protestants Images Ceremonies Consubstantiation shew that theirs is no better than ours 2. And that their Ministers and People in all these Sects are worse than our Parishes alas we must confess with grief Qu. But would you Communicate with all these Ans. I separate from none of them further than they separate from Christ. I mentally separate from the Sin that
by mistake XIII I know that the main Cause of Church-Divisions is seeking a Union on false and sinful terms And I know that the opinion That Parish-Communion is unlawful is an Error and therefore unfit to be the Condition of our Union And I see many would make it such a Condition And false terms of Concord are the great and certain means of Discord for the wisest Christians will refuse them And some Impose them by Doctrine and Censures as others do by Laws and Sword And I will not countenance dividing terms Obj. That is the chief fault of your Doctrine and Practice That it will cause Divisions among us when some will do as you do and others cannot and so our Congrâ—gations are divided Ans. 1. Can I cause that which is caused already is not so much Division known still to be among us 2. As I said Do not some write against the Lawfulness of Parish-Communion And some against Infant Baptism and the Lords Day And do not they divide by Writing against them And did Mr. Tombes and Mr. Nye forbear as aforesaid for fear of Division If we are already divided in Judgment and Practice sure giving each other an account of our reasons is rather the way to heal us 3. But I confess this Objection seemeth so sad and ugly to me that it hâ—th no small hand in urging me to what they object against Alas what are such come to They that separate because of the Liturgy Ministry or People do virtually separate as I said from almost all the â—hurch on Earth For it is on a cause common to almost all Yea not only all the Churches in the Eastern Southern and Northern parts and all in the West save themselves have Liturgies or separate not from them But even of the Non-conformists in England those that of old or of late have pleaded their Cause have taken the Liturgy for no sufficient cause of separation Nay even the old Separatists called Brownists denied not the lawfulness of forms of Prayer nor refused to join with the Parish-Churches in our Liturgy sometimes only they thought that when Crossing or such Ceremonies were used they were bound to disown them And shall men that separate from the Communion of almost all the Churches on Earth as unlawful pretend that their way is the way of Unity and that the contrary doth divide Is our shunning Division from the Christian World a dividing Practice In Holland Mr. Smith thought no man capable of Baptizing him and so Baptized himself and some others have done so since thinking none fit for Communion but the few that are their Flocks Yet these that divided from all the World cryed down Dividing from themselves But were all dividers that were against them This is the saddest of all Objections XIV Yea I am loth to do that which condemneth groundlesly the Reformers the Martyrs the Godly Conformists the old Non-Conformists the later and the Brownists themselves as being all for unlawful Communion 1. If it be simply unlawful to have Communion in the Liturgy and Parish-Churches then it was unlawful to have Communicated in their way of Worship with Luther Zuinglius Melanchton Bucer Pet. Martyr and the like Reformers And also with the English Martyrs in Queen Marâ—â—s daies or in King Edward 6. And also with such Holy and Excellent Conformists as Grindall Pilkington Downame Bâ—â—ton Sibbs Preston 〈◊〉 and abundance more such 2. And it 's well known that the old Non-Conformists wrote and practised against the Brownists in this case The Books of Hildersham Brightman Bradshaw Ball Paget Gifford c. are yet visible Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures chides them that will not come to the beginning of the Common-Prayer The old Non-Conformists begin the reasons of their Non-Conformity in refusing Subscription in these Words We protest before Almighty God that we acknowledge the Churches of England as they be established by publick Authority to be 〈◊〉 visible Churches of Christ That we desire the continuance of our Ministry to them above all Earthly things as that without which our Lives will he bitter and wearisome to us That we dislike not a set-form of Prayer to be used in the Churches And finally that whatsoever followeth here is not set down of any evil Mind or of purpose to deprave the Books of Common-Prayer Ordination or â—â—milies but only to shew some reasons why we cannot subscribe to all things in the same contained 3. I before told you Mr. Tombes the Anabaptist hath written at large for the Lawfulness of Parish-Church Communion And Mr. Nye for hearing the Parish-Ministers 4. The late Non-conformists that treated with the Bishops in 1660 and 1667. have left their Judgments fully on Record many of them being yet alive 5. The old Separating Brownists have these Words Confession and Protestation of Faith Touching the true visible Political Churches which we acknowledge are in England we profess and declare that each company of true visible Christians associated together in one place viz. a Parish and Professing to serve God according to his Will in Faith and Order so far as they know such as there are many in England the same is a true visible political Church in some respects And therefore we communicate also with them on occasion while in such communicating we countenance no evil thing in them which in many places and many times we need not do Lastly it being no evil nor any appearance of evil in us to join to the Parish Congregation and Ministry in such respect and so far forth only as aforesaid we ought as we believe sometimes on weighty occasion so to join and we sin if we do not Luke 17.32 Heb. 10.25 1 Cor. 10.32 We believe concerning Prayer That though every form of prayer prescribed by Men be not absolutely and simply a Sin neither as we judge are Idols nor an Invention of Man nor a trangression of the second Commandment yet a prescribed Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer by Commandment forced on a whole Church rightly constituted to be used still in the same Words whenever they assemble in comparison of other praying is not so profitable and we judge that it is best and most agreeable to the last Apostolick practice that even where many Pastors in one Church are yet that One have during Life a precedency and priority in order and place not in power before the rest I will not be more for separation than the Separatists themselves XV. If joining with the Parish Ministry be simply unlawful most or almost all England comparatively must cease all publick Worship of God The Nonconformists were but about two thousand 1662. Most of them I think by this time are Dead and not so many sprung up in their stead Those that are remaining for the most part are either in a few places quieter than the rest or hindered from any numerous Assemblies In 1636. I do not think there were many more than we have Counties and those few in
to sin they will shew so much partiality and self-esteem and so much impatient tenderness of themselves as will too much harden their Accusers Obj. 4. Many Learned good men do differ from you Ans. I think a thousand to one through the World differ from them Obj. 5. It will save none from suffering there being so many other Laws against them Ans. It is my duty to save men from mistakes and sinful censure and suffering for mistakes and so it may save me from the guilt of Omission Obj. 6. It is but Man's Law which you suppose maketh it a duty Ans. 1. I make not light of the Laws of men about lawful things But your supposition is not true Were there no Law for it but God's it is my duty Obj. 7. Some body will answer you and so it will cause strife Ans. Do or must all men forbear giving a Reason of their Judgment and Practice to those that think them sinful yea or to confute the mistakes of others for fear of being censured Will you censure us and must not hear our Reasons Are you so much worse than Lawyers that can plead without breach of Charity May not friendly debates beat out the truth to our mutual edification No truths are so clear to us before they are controverted usually as after Reproach not the Nonconformists as if they could not bear contradiction Obj. 8. Your Cure of Church-Divisions did increase Divisions Ans. The Disease then is very far gone if the Remedy increase it But I have cause to believe that it healed many But I confess as the Books by which I drew off many Anabaptists did increase Division from their Party by ceasing the Divisions from the Church so it may be here Obj. 9. But if men believe it lawful to go to the Parish-Churches they will come to your Assemblies no more Ans. 1. Experience confuteth this I think most who hear me do think it lawful and oft go thither 2. I have oft told them publickly That I desire none of them to hear me who do not need my help If they have room and sufficient helps in the Parish-Churches I had rather they would not take up with us the room which others should have who truly need our help If nothing bring them to me but an Opinion that it's sin to joyn with the Common-Prayer I will do my best to drive them from me But if any cannot have room elsewhere or cannot overcome the foresaid mistake of the sin of hearing the Parish-Miâ—ister I will give them the best help I can And if any live where publick hearing is but lawful and they truly need more suitable help the bare lawfulness of hearing elsewhere will never keep away those persons who feel their need of better and the benefit no more than it will make them forsake better Cloathing good Physick or Estate because a worse is sometime lawful Obj. 10. But why do not you conform if you can communicate with them Ans. 1. Why cannot I be carnal contentious drink too much at the Sacrament if I could have communicated with the Church of Corinth that had such Why did not Christ commit the Synagogue-sins if he could communicate in the Synagogues The persons who put this question disgrace themselves by judging of things which they understand not If they know not what more is in Ministers Conformity than in joyning as private persons in the Parish-Worship let them read my first Plea for Peace and they may know I will joyfully conform I. If they will impose on us no sinful Oaths Covenants Promises Subscriptions Declarations or Practices II. I would rejoice in the Reformation if while some essentiate a Church by a Bishop they would restore the Parishes to be Churches which they make but Parts of the lowest Churches as Chappels are and make the Parish-Ministers Pastors again whom they have degraded to be but Half-Pastors or Curates to the lowest Pastors III. I would hope that we might yet escape back-sliding into Popery if that part of the Clergy never govern the Ship who are not content with a National Government but make it our necessary duty as against Schism that all come under a Forreign Iurisdiction And if the true Protestant Clergy will ioyn in the renunciation of that Jurisdiction but not of Communion with Forreign Churches § 11. IV. Why I publish my Reasons at this time Ans. 1. Because I think I have an urgent cause to endeavour to save some from the guilt of Persecution And if I note the mistakes of One side only I shall be justly charged with partiality 2. Because mens censure of my practice as sinful doth continue And I owe them an account of the Reasons of it 3. Dr. Stillingfleet and such others would make the World believe that we defend that Separation which by word and practice we have long opposed And we owe fuller satisfaction to them and to such as they misinform 4. I am much obliged to rectifie mens mistake of the Reason why many Nonconforming Ministers here come not to the Parish Churches Many were agreed to come when the Oxford Act of Confinement coming out prevented it For to have appeared in the Churches would have exposed them to Six months imprisonment for being in the City And since then the same Reason hindereth many which keepeth Conformists from communicating with each other even their own labours at home But many do go to the Churches in publick and I conjecture others hereafter will get their Places sometime supplied by others that they may go For most of my acquaintance hold it lawful as far as I can judg 5. I would stop them that censure as sinners unjustly the late Parliaments the Common-Council Iurors and all the good Christians thrâ—ugh all the Kingdom who differ from them and that have no Ministers but Conformists 6. I remember why Mr. Io. Ball wrote against Separation just when Reformation was intended Many thought it unseasonable but it proved otherwise by the sad effects which he would have prevented 7. I cannot forget what this mistake hath wrought in England from 1641. to 1660. which I will not further recite but only say That when there was neither Bishops nor their Courts nor Liturgy nor Ceremonies imposed on them separate Assemblies were as numerous and as much and more pleaded for than now and managed with too much strife and reconciling and Unity was much resisted by that side 8. I am bound to have real compassion on the multitudes who suffer as for Recusancy and not by silence wrong their Consciences and their Purses If I shut up the bowels of my compassion where is the love of God 9. I am bound to do my best to keep out Popery which must be by keeping up as much of Religion as is possible in the Parish-Churches that it be not first thrust into corners and then out of the Land and by concord with the Parish-Ministers who are honest And many such through God's mercy there are
tho those that in 1661. brought us into this state do manifest no repentance 10. Lastly I find that our mutual Censures and Separations greatly hinder the success of the whole Ministry against sin while they seek to bring each other into disesteem and teach the people to disesteem them all and some will not hear one sort and some the other The rest of my Reasons you may gather from the fore recited Reasons of my Practice § 12. I confess that ad hominâ—m the Canons Excommunicating us may stop the mouths of the severe Canonists if they accuse us Would they not have us take their Canons to signifie their will concerning the extent of their Church-Communion Or would they have Excommunicate persons come to Church All that do but own Non-conformity by a word are ipso facto Excommunicate till they publickly repent of it as a wicked Error And their Writers Damn those as Schismaticks that obey them not And so consequentially all that they call Indifferent and Impose are made necessary by some men to Salvation I haâ—e this at my heart But yet it is not all the Parish-Ministers that like these Excommunicating Canons And they are not bound to reject me till the Fact be proved and I am not bound to do Execution on my self but I am bound to all Offices for Love and Concord I doubt not but some of the Excommunicating Clergy will set these two Writings against each other and say as their Tutor and Advocate doth that R. is against B. and that I am hardly reconcilable with my self but if goggle Eyes judge each line to be a yard distant from another I cannot cure them but I can bear their Disease and the effects And if any will make use of my detection of the mistakes of conscionable peaceable Christians in some matters of Communion to have a pretence to revile and persecute them I enter my Protestation before God against them and warn them to remember that while they condemn others for Infirmities of so small a degree as few men are free from they raise up matter of terror to their own Consciences when awakened who have so much more heinous Sin to answer for before a holy dreadful God even those little 〈◊〉 of whose scandalizers and neglecters Christ spake so terribly were none of them without some Sin Though Paul and Barnabas differed to a parting neither of them was silenced for it nor called a Schismatick If all shall be ipso facto Excommunicated who have far greater Sin than humbly and peaceably saying There is something sinful in some part of the Liturgy Ceremonies Articles Subscription or in some that bear office in the Church as to Government I am past all doubt that there will no one living either Prelate or Priest Lord or Peasant be left to be a Member of their Church and that by parity of reason they have Excommunicated every person in the land however the predominancy of their Wills and Interests above the Will of Christ and the interest of the Church and Souls may still bewitch them into a confidence that those are the worst Men who most cross their carnal will and interest and that the most ungodly are fitter for their Church Communion than they Psal. 14.4 Have all the workers of Iniquity no Knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord Acts 28.30 31. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house at Rome and received all that came in unto him Preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Iesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him 1 Thes. 2 15 16. Who hoth killed the Lord Iesus Christ their own prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sins alway For the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost James 5.7 Be patient Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. And if both sides call me worse than I am for these displeasing Admonitions I say as St. Paul Gal. 1.10 If I yet pleased men I should not be the Servant of Christ. 1 Cor. 4.3 4. With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment He that judgeth me is the Lord. Senec. Nemo pluris virtutem aestimat quam qui boni viri fâ—mam perdidit ne virtutem perderet Jan. 10. 1680. AN ACCOUNT OF THE REASONS WHY THE TWELVE ARGUMENTS Said to be Dr. IOHN OWEN's Change not my Judgment about Communion with Parish-Churches By RICHARD BAXTER 1 Thes. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Pet. 3.15 Be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a Reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear Gal. 2.11.12 13 14. When Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed For he withdrew and separated himself fearing them which were of the circumcision And the other Iews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulations But when I saw that they walked not uprightly c. Acts 11.2 3. They that were of the circumcision contended with Peter saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them 2 Tim. 2.20 In a great house there are not only Vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honour and some to dishonour LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1684. THE PREFACE REader when the last sheet of the foregoing Paper was Printed I received these Twelve Arguments famed to be Dr. John Owen's Whether Fame truly or falsly father them I know not It is the Cause that I am concerned in After Three and Twenty years practice since the Bishops return I was by Accusations called to give the Reasons of my Practice which yet I had often done in part before They said That my communicating in the parish-Parish-Churches even when my self and others were maliciously persecuted by a sort of proud and worldly Clergy-men did more harm than ever I did good Tho I am bound with meekness to â—ender them a Reason of my practice I have found by experience that neither side can bear the account which they call for Some wise and good men will blame me for making our differences to be so much known especially for remembring old miscarriages I obey my Conscience All these things are commonly known already and we hear sharply of them from God and Man because Men hear not our Repentance but our Iustification Had we confâ—st God is faithful to forgive Impenitence threatens our yet greater suffering When we give glory to God and take shame to our selves our hopes will revive Nothing bringeth so much scandal and armeth Enemies against us as owning sin or hiding it
which they used in Catechising and in Baptism which were a great means to keep out Heresie and Church-Tyranny and Heresie were the Introducers of all their Alterations 10. The Lay-Christians of the first Aages were so full of Zeal that they would have taken it ill to have been forbâ—dden to speak their Answering and Consenting parts in the Church as the Iews before did and as now we would take it ill for the Minister to Sing alone and forbid the People And tho the scantness of History in the first two Ages tell us not what words were then used as a Liturgy and no doubt but praying by Habit was used chiefly yet some few Sentences that are recorded tell us that they used some Forms 11. Constantine himself made Prayers for his Soldiers and every Bishop then used what Prayers he thought best in his own Church and composed himself the Forms which he used constantly till Heresie and weakness of Ministers caused a Council to decree That every one should first shew his Form of Prayer to the Synods to be examined and approved before he used it 12. I do not read or hear of many Churches on earth at this dâ—y that used not a Liturgie except Nâ—w England and some Non confâ—rmists here Nor did I ever read that any one Church 〈…〉 for a 〈◊〉 Years after Christs time did ever scruple it or speak 〈…〉 remembrance so that it was for many Ages the 〈…〉 Church on earth At this day the Greeks Armâ—â—ians 〈…〉 Circassians Mâ—ngreliâ—ns Indian and Persian 〈◊〉 s the 〈…〉 Egyptians all the Countreys that have 〈…〉 Mâ—ronites beside the Papists have a Liturgie very 〈◊〉 more 〈…〉 Even those ascribed to Iames Mark 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 have one or divers in divers Countreys And thâ—se called 〈◊〉 Reâ—â—â—med have one tho a shorter and more simple 〈◊〉 France 〈◊〉 Hâ—lland the Palatinate Helvetia c. 13. The Nonconformists in England were generally for the Lawfulness of a Form or Liturgie and for Communion of the Parish Churches therein in the days of King Edward the Sixth Queen Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles the First And wrote more against Separation by far than the Bishops did as is yet visible in their Books specially Cartwright Hildersham Bradshaw Paget Gifford Brighâ—man Bayne Rathband Iohn Ball c. 14. Those then counted the Fathers of Independency were of the same mind for Parish Communion and against Separation Mr. Iacob Bradshaw Ames see his First and Second Manuduction 15. Yea those call'd Brownists or Separatists were for Communion in the Liturgie in the usual parts and for the truth of those Parish Churches that had good Ministers I have cited their own words before tho all of them were not of the same mind 16. The Martyrs in Queen Marys days had a chief hand in composing our Liturgie and rejoyced in it and worshipped God according to it And none that I read of separated for this from the rest as false Worshippers 17. When before 1639. there were but about one or two Nonconformable Ministers for each County if it had been unlawful to Communicate in the publick Churches with the Liturgy all England must have lived like Atheists without any Church Worship for want of Ministers except about thirty or fourty Yea those few kept up no usual Church Worship except those of them that by connivence had small Chappels or peculiars And of them most used much of the Liturgy 18. All the Congregations of the Nonconformists in England that I have heard save one now broken not counting such as Quakers c. have used and do use stinted imposed forms of Worship to this day and therefore judg it not unlawful meerly as forms or as imposed 1. Parents teach their Children a form of words in Catechisms in Prayers in giving Thanks for their Meat and impose these on them 2 Ministers impose on the Assemblies their own method and words in Prayer which are a form to the people yea and a form which they know not till they hear it and have no time to examine it while it floweth from the Speaker And their Sermons are imposed forms of Doctrine sometimes written also and read 3. Few men that retain any Sobriety in Religion are against the Creed to be used as a form of Confession of Faith 4. The Independents drew up at the Savor about 1658 or 1659. a form of Confession of their Faith and Discipline 5. They attempted Dr. Owen Mr. Nye Dr. Goodwin Mr. Sid. Sampson Dr. Cheynell and others by appontment of a Committee of Parliament to have drawn up a Catalogue of Fundamentals to have been imposed for consent on all that should be tolerated in the Land in Church-Worship they are yet to be seen in Print But Arch-bishop Usher being chosen for one and refusing and I being by his consent substituted in his room broke that attempt finding that their Fundamentals were lamentably composed and that Christianity was not an unknown thing and that Baptism the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue were a far better Catalogue of Fundamentals than theirs 6. We all constantly use an English form of Translation of the Scripture where all the English words the division of Chapters and Verses are mans invention imposed on all 7. We all use constantly forms of Confession Prayer Thanksgiving and Praise in the singing of Psalms where when Davids and the Iews Psalms are used the Translation or rather Paraphrase the rhime or meters and the tune are humane and imposed And the Separatists themselves make no question but other Psalms such as that of Ambrose c. more suted to the State of the Gospel Church may be fitly used as Paul requireth which must be composed by man and imposed on the Churches or never unanimously used Our common use of singing Psalms and Hymns is the use of stinted imposed forms 8. He that doth not celebrate Baptism and the Lords Supper often in words of the same signification shall corrupt those Sacraments by his affectation of variety of words the matter being the same 9. No man knoweth before-hand whether a Minister hath studied and sore compsed his Prayer or Sermon and yet all joyn with him 10. Many affect to compose all their Prayer in Scrpture Sentences which do but make up one form of many 19. When the King came in the Ministers of London were invited to attempt a Concord with the Bishops and they offered to joyn in the use of the Litugy if it were corrected And they offered Additional Forms or a Reformed Liturgy which they would have used I know it will be objected That I plead in this but for my own works But I answer 1. The Exceptions and Emendations of the old Liturgy offered was none of my work 2. And the new one which I drew up by their appoinment had their common review and consent It will be said That these were not all the then Nonconformists I answer It was the main Body of the London Ministers and it was as many as
for reading the Psalms Chapters Creed Lords Prayer Decalogue c. But I have come into so few of their Churches that do any more than the common Pulpit work sing a Psalm Pray and Preach there that I have in that respect preferred the Churches that do all that and add all the Liturgy besides more than you use D. O. Argument 6. That which hath been and is obstructive of the edification of the Church if it be in Religious Worship it is false Worship For the end of all true publick Worship is edification But such hath been and is this Liturgical Worship For § 21. YOur Sixth Argument is but a Former repeated To the Major I grant it All that is bad is so far false To the Minor 1. And such is all your Errors and all the Disorder ill Reflections slovenly Expressions which any weak Minister useth and the faults that all men have in some degree D. O. 1. It puts an utter stop to the progress of Reformation in this Nation fixing bounds unto it that it could never pass 2. It hath kept multitudes in ignorance c. 3. It hath countenanced and encouraged many in reviling and reproaching the holy Spirit and his Work 4. It hath set up and warranted an ungifted Ministry 5. It hath made great desolations in the Church 1. In the silencing of painful Ministers 2. In the ruin of Families innumerable 3. In the destruction of souls It is not lawful to be participant in these things yea the glory of our profession lies in our testimony against them § 22. TO your Reasons 1. It 's not the use of a Liturgy that hinders Reformation but the abuse of it and forbidding other ways of duty 2. The same I say of keeping men in ignorance Use all other means and the Liturgy with it and it will keep none in ignorance Some Helvetia Ministers who endeavoured to have practised my Reformed Pastor in personal conference told me That there the common people go customarily almost every day in the week to a Sermon without Ceremonies or Liturgies usually with a Bible in their hands and continue as ignorant as those here that have no preaching 3. I think it was not the esteem of a Liturgy that made Quakers and Separatists here revile and scorn the best Ministry I think in all the World 4. Nor was it the Liturgy that set up and warranted such ill-gifted Teachers as Mr. Erbury Dell Den Paul Hobson Chillington Lilhurne Prince Wallwin William Sedgwick no nor Mr. Saltmarsh who wrote for comfort That Christ hath repented and believed for us and we should no more question our Faith and Repentance than we would question Christ. I pass by multitudes of Army-Preaching-Soldiers such as those in Major Bethel's Troop in the same Regiment that I was with against whom one day in Amersham-Church I was put to dispute from morning till near night to save multitudes whom they drew every week to hear them from their absurd Errors and at last they turned Levellers and Cromwell was put to hunt them to death The like I was put to with Brown an Army-Chaplain and an Arrian that maintained That Christ was not God in a Church at Worcester And this life I had with them long Was all this caused by a Liturgy 5. The desolations made in the Church malignant men would make with or without a Liturgy What may not be abused The Authors must answer for it Such as aforesaid Iewel Grindal Usher c. Preston Sibs Bolton and a Thousand such made no such havock It is not lawful to partake in persecution but we must partake in much good which bad men will abuse to persecution An excellent forreign Church hath decreed to reject all Ministers that are not 1. For the Antiquity of the Hebrew Points 2. Against Universal Redemption Our Learned Author here was for both these tho men abused them to persecution D. O. Argument 7. That practice whereby we condemn the suffering Saints of the present Age rendering them false Witnesses of God and the only blamable cause of their own sufferings is not to be approved But such is this practice And where this is done on a pretence of liberty without any plea of necessary duty on our part it is utterly unlawful § 23. TO your Seventh Argument The Major meaneth either Saints that suffer for well-doing or for ill-doing If the Anabaptists should be suffering-Saints I would be none of those that they suffer by But yet I would not be for Anabaptistry for fear of condemning them as the cause of their own suffering By that Rule I must own every error or sin that any Saint suffereth for 2. The Truth bids me say more than I am willing to confute this Error I have heard Army-Officers say That they believed abundance of the Ten Thousand Scots killed at Dunbar were godly men And yet you were one that publickly in Pulpit and Print accused them and did not justifie their cause for being Saints Do you think none of the Ministers in England were Saints that refused the Engagement and were sequestred for that and not keeping Fasts and Thanksgivings for Blood Are you sure that Christopher Love beheaded was no Saint Or did you therefore own their Causes To your Minor It is a gross Mistake to say That going to the Liturgy maketh the Refusers the only blamable cause of their own sufferings What! XXXVIII Error are you one that acquit all their Prosecutors if it be but proved that the Refusers are mistaken Who could have suspected this What if Presbyterians Anabaptists and such others err as you believe they do If any would therefore silence imprison banish or hang them dare you justifie it and say That the Dissenters are the only blamable cause of their own sufferings Sure you consider not what you wrote You thought not so 2. But are there no Saints that go to Common-Prayer Why do not you distinguish Saints I hope there are many times more Saints and wiser that separate not than that do And are not you as faulty for saying They sin as they for saying You sin if their cause be true This soundeth as too much of a Sect. 3. The Truth is Repentance is so hard a work that I see both Extreams fly from it on a proud pretence of Constancy and that they may not confess that they have erred It was the grand Argument that bore down me and others when we pleaded with some Bishops to have prevented our Divisions by some alterations Oh then it will be thought that we erred and gave cause for old complaints And now we must none of us hold Communion with the parish-Parish-Churches lest some Saints that separate should be rendered False Witnesses of God and blamable But were not the old Nonconformists and Conformists as real Saints as the old Separatists and a Thousand for One And do not you now make them all as False Witnesses If really you have fathered any Love-killing dividing Error on God
and godly Ministers in the Parish-Churches and some have such as I would never own or encourage in the Ministry by seeming to own them Some can remove their Dwelling and some cannot Some had Liberty the last year that cannot have it this year without more hurt than their benefit will compensate In these Cases where God hath not at all tied us to a Book or no Book to this Church or to that he that can truly tell which way he shall do and get most good or hurt may by that better know his Duty than by these Arguments or Mens Censures But verily my chief Reason for Communion in publick is the very same which you bring against it Even the avoiding of hainous Scandal I have told the World 1. That Scandal is not displeasing men but laying before them a temptation to sin 2. That if the Separatists be the best Christians they are farthest out of the danger of Scandal It is the worst that are easiliest tempted to Sin and so whom we should be most fearful to scandalize 3. And it 's a greater Sin to scandalize many than few 4. And worse by scandal to tempt men to the mortal Sins of persecuting or scorning godly men than merely to tempt them to some small mistakes or to grieve them 5. And to scandalize our Rulers is worse than to scandalize Inferiors Caeteris paribus And now I tell you I the rather joyn in Publick 1. Lest I should harden thousands in the Opinion That we take that to be unlawful which is not and that we are for sinful Separation and that we separate from and unchurch almost all Christs Church and that we are Enemies to Order and Peace and Concord and that we are unruly enemies to Government and giddy ignorant self-conceited people 2. And so lest we breed throughout the Land such a contempt of Conscience in Gods service as they have of Quakers and thousands by this should be alienated from the Reverence of serious Religion and Youth should be educated to the like contempt under these temptations 3. And lest if any in Church-matters be guilty of sinful Extreams on the other side in Oaths Professions Ceremonies or Practices we should harden them therein by tempting them to think that we have no worse against their way than the Use of a Liturgy 4. Lest the Conceit that we are but a company of giddy Fanaticks encourage any contentious Preachers to render us odious and rail at us in the Pulpits to their own shame and the widening of our Breaches 5. And lest the same Error should tempt any Bishops or Magistrates to think they do God and their Church and Countrey service in silencing imprisoning reproaching and ruining Gods faithful Servants without cause and bring the Land under Gods wrath by persecution Are these no Scandals or not greater than offending or displeasing the dissenting Separators to say nothing of ocsioning our Reproach in all the Foreign Churches which have a Liturgy If against all this the displeasing your mistaken Flocks should prevail then their weakness and error would constitute them our chief Governours D. O. Argument 9. That Worship which is unsuited to the spiritual relish of the New Creature which is inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit of God in Prayer is unlawful For the Nature Use and Benefit of Prayer is overthrown hereby in a great measure Now let any one consider what are the Prâ—mises Aids of the Holy Spirit with respect to the Prayers of the Church whether as to the Matter of them or as unto Ability for their performance or as unto the Manner of it and he shall find that they are all rejected and excluded by this Form of Worship as is pretended comprizing the whâ—le Matter limiting the whole Manner and giving all the Abilities of Prayer that are needful or required This hath been proved at large § 25. TO your Ninth Argument I answer 1. O! confine not the New Creature to those of your Opinion Do you think none of the Old Nonconformists or Conformists none of the Reformed Churhes and no Church on Earth for a Thousand years had any of the New Creature When you have affrighted People with telling them it is heinous sin and returning to Babylon and also by long disuse made a Liturgy uncouth to them do not ascribe all their averseness to the New Creature which is from prejudice and disuse For my part when God taught me first to pray I had no averseness to a Form When I heard it charg'd with sin I began to be averse to it When I had studied the case I was cured of that aversness but never reconciled to the forbidding of all other Prayer nor to the faults of any Forms And who knoweth not that Man 's culpable Nature loveth Novelties and are hardly kept in lively Affections under any thing that is very often said A Book or Sermon tho never so good affecteth us not so much after many times reading and hearing as at the first We must not lay this weakness on the New Creature tho it should teach Imposers to suit the Remedy to the Disease and give children such food as is not too displeasing to their Appetites And yet I find not the generality of Appetites even in your Flocks is against the Forms of Psalms being not prejudiced against them It is not true that Liturgies are inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit in Prayer It is a Mistake also XL. Error That this Form of Worship rejecteth and excludeth the matter of Prayer whenas the Visible Book tells all the contrary Do all those words express none of the Matter of Prayer It is untrue That it rejecteth and excludeth the Manner as to the chief part For the Lord's Prayer is a perfect Form for Matter Order and Method And the Psalms read and sung are for Matter and Manner neither evil nor excluded And sure there is much of the rest laudable If all Matter and Manner be rejected and excluded then the Martyrs that used it and all the Churches on Earth almost have no Church-Prayers But again I tell The use of Forms and the forbidding all other Prayers are Two different things which you ill confound D. O. Argument 10. That which overthrows and dissolves our Church-Covenant as unto the principal end of it is as to us unlawful This end is the professed joynt subjection of our souls and consciences unto the Authority of Christ in the observasion of whatever he commands and nothing else in the Worship of God But by this practice this end of the Church-Covenant is destroyed and thereby the Church-Covenant it self broken For we do and observe that which Christ hath not commanded And while some stand unto the Terms of the Covenant which others relinquish it will fill the Church with confusion and disorder § 26. TO your Tenth Argument I answer 1. What your Church-Covenant is I know not But if it profess subjection to nothing in Worship but what
in the Liturgy 30. It greatly moveth me to see That as Church-dividers by Oppression do tear East and West by making false terms of Communion by their Canons so the Passive-dividers take a like way that is make false impossible Terms of Union and Communion censuring all that communicate with other Churches on such Terms as they mistakingly think sinful making men guilty of the faults of Worship by their presence What is their Censure of us and Anger that we write our reasons but as much as to say we must all Unite on their Terms or be judged Dividers and Corrupters So that they are at the old game Rom. 14.1 2. one part despising and the other judging 31. By the reason That we may not write our reasons against them it follows That Magisterially they must not be gainsaid tho they mistake and mislead others remedilesly 32. The History of the Church sheweth that the Separation opposed is a cause that God never blest but ended still in worse 33. If the Principles that caused it be not cured a continual War against Love and Communion will be kept up from Age to Age. 34. Historical Truth is of great use to Posterity And as God needeth not our Lie his Cause feareth not Truth 35. God himself recordeth the faults of his Servants and hath made Repentance necessary to Pardon It 's Impenitence that is impatient of Evidences and Conviction 36. The History of our Faults and Confusions is published over and over by Adversaries and it 's impossible to conceal it The Booksellers Shops and their Talk and Sermons abound with it If a deaf man hear not this must it not therefore be spoken And when the generality of the innocent are falsly accused it is the fittest season to confute the Accusers 37. It cost me dear to attempt the preventing of such Confusions Almost Two years Travel in that Army in heat and cold whither I went for no other end It cost me the ruin of my Health and after the wilful dissolution of all Power and Order cast me into those Groans and Tears which I can never on Earth forget And must I not after all that disown the things which I opposed at so dear a rate 38. If men of Name and Piety write that which tendeth to cast honest Souls not only into scruples but into a way of opposition to Unity Love and Order to their own and the Churches detriment and danger it is Cruelty not to try to help them And what way is there if we must not not give our Reasons against the snare and error 39. To say That it will but enrage them and make them worse is to be uncharitably censorious as if they were so partial passionate and proud as not to endure to be contradicted nor to hear us give a Reason of our Judgment and Practice and defend it against Error I can bear it without alienation from them in Respect and Love if they say That I am erroneous or bad or whatever they will censure me If they cannot bear my true Confutation of Church-dissolving and Love-destroying Principles and Errors that proveth them not better than I in Judgment and Charity If I yet please men I am no longer the Servant of Christ. Carnal Policy in complying with sin never was blest of God tho for some Job it seemed to be needful If a man going out of the World may by silence betray the Truth on pretence of despairing of success even with godly men and let Peter lead Barnabas into dissembling Separation in reverence of Peter's Name then Paul was too blame and who then shall ever own Truth or Duty or try to save the Church from danger if he must not do it till the mistaken do consent Or if a pretence That the Disease is uncurable shall excuse us and godly men must be taken for Dogs and Swine that must not have God's Truth given them lest they tread it under foot or turn again and all to â—end us 40. Either this Doctrine of renouncing Communion with all Churches that use Forms of Liturgy as Idolaters or false Worshippers and Adversaries to the Spirit and the Office of Christ and that Churches must covenant to obey none but Christ in any thing duly belonging to Worship or any manner or accident of it I say Either this must be confuted or not If not Christian Love and Communion are given up as hopeless and Christ deposed by denying his Kingdom or Church And why strive men about Ceremonies when they have renounced the substance and pull'd down the house and threatned all that come not out of it â—ut if it must be confuted 1. When if not now must it first take deeper Root and deceive more Both Extreams already are silencers of all that would undecieve them And those that accuse one sort of silencers are the other sort themselves and cannot bear a Confutation 2. And who shall do it I confess I am liable to do this and all amiss in Manner But if others would do it that wish it done I would have forborn The Truth is Again I say I am willing to save many the cost of it who are not so fit as I to bear it I have cast my Reputation over-board long ago with both Extreams I am not like ever again to be considerably serviceable to the Church I am Independent and neither have preferment to get or lose nor any Church these Three and Twenty years with whom I should be solicitous to keep any Reputation for their good The Dust or the Souls in Heaven feel not the Reproaches of men on Earth How could I lay down my Life for TRUTH LOVE and UNITY if at so cheap a rate I would sell it or desert it and go away sorrowful But many others of my mind I hope may live to serve God longer and their peace with mistaken froward persons may be needful to their desirable success I do therefore voluntarily take the Thorn into my Foot and let God do with my Reputation what he please The Names of the Ministers who as Commissioned did consent to the use of the Liturgy when corrected were Dr. Anth. Tuckney Dr. Conaut Dr. Spurstow Dr. Wallâ—s Dr. Maâ—ton Mr. Calamy Mr. Arthur Iackson Mr. Case Mr. S. Clerke Mr. Maâ—th Newcomen Dr. Horton Dr. Iacombe Dr. Bates Mr. Cooper Mr. Rawlinson Dr Lightfoot Dr. Collins Dr. Drake Mr. Woodbridge and Ri. Baxter named in the King's Commission But Dr. Lightfoot and Dr. Horton came not to us but they conformed after as did also Dr. Edw. Reignolds and Dr. Worthâ— who joyned with us and were made Bishops and one or two more were distant The Names of a greater Number of London-Ministers who gave the King thanks for his â—eclaration may be seen in the Printed Thansgiving Of all that met only Two refused to subscribe Mr. Iackson and Mr. Crofton lest the Subscription should seem an Approbation of so much of Prelacy as the Declaration stablished and so be a