for such as Age or Persecution hindered to come to the more solemn Meetings yet Churches then were no bigger in number of Persons than our Parishes now to grant the most And that they were Societies of Christians united for Personal Communion and not only for Communion by Meetings of Officers and Delegates in Synods as many Churches in Association be And I saw if once we go beyond the bounds of Personal Communion as the end of particular Churches in the Definition we may make a Church of a Nation or of ten Nations or what we please which shall have none of the Nature and Ends of the Primitive particular Churches Also I saw a commendable care of serious Holiness and Discipline in most of the Independant Churches And I found that some Episcopal Men as Bishop Usher himself did voluntarily profess his Judgment to me did hold that every Bishop was independant as to Synods and that Synods were not proper Governours of the particular Bishops but only for their Concord § 6. 5. And for the Anabaptists themselves though I have written and said so much against them as I found that most of them were Persons of Zeal in Religion so many of them were sober godly People and differed from others but in the Point of Infant Baptism or at most in the Points of Predestination and Free-will and Perseverance as the Iesuits differ from the Dominicans the Lutherans from the Calvinists and the Arminians from the Contra-Remonstrants And I found in all Antiquity that though Infant Baptism was held lawful by the Churchâ— yet some with Tertullian and Nazienzen thought it most convenient to make no haste and the rest left the time of Baptism to every ones liberty and forced none to be baptized Insomuch as not only Constantint Theudâ—sius and such other as were converted at Years of Discretion but Augustine and many such as were the Children of Christian Parents one or both did defer their Baptism much longer than I think they should have done So that in the Primitive Churchi some were Baptized in Infancy and some at ripe Age and some a little before their Death and none were forced but all left free and the only Penalty among men of their delay was that so long they were without the Priviledges of the Church and were numbred but with the Catechumens or Expectants § 7. 6. As to Doctrinal Differences also between Arminians and Anti-Arminians I soon perceived that it was hard to find a Man that discerned the true State of the several Controversies and that when unrevealed points uncertain to all were laid aside and the Controversies about Words were justly separated from the Controversies about things the Differences about things which remained were fewer and smaller than most of the Contenders perceived or would believe § 8. 7. Yea I found that our Doctrinal Controversies with the Papists themselves were very much darkned and seldom well stated and that in the Points of Merit Justification Assurance of Salvation Perseverance Grace Free-will and such others it was common to misunderstand one another and rare to meet with any that by just Distinction and Explication did well state the Controversies and bring them out of the Dark § 9. What I begin to write about any of these Doctrinal Differences in my Aphorisms Confession Apologie c. I will now pass by and the manifold Censures and Encounters which I had thereupon and the many Manuscripts of worthy Brethren animadverting upon my Aphorisms which I was privately put to answer Because it is not such Differences that now I am to speak of § 10. I perceived then that every Party beforementioned having some Truth or Good in which it was more eminent than the rest it was no impossible thing to separate all that from the Error and the Evil and that among all the Truths which they held either in Common or in Controversy there was no Contradiction And therefore that he that would procure the Welfare of the Church must do his best to promote all the Truth and Good which was held by every part and to leave out all their Errors and their Evil and not take up all that any Party had espoused as their own § 11. The things which I disliked as erroneous or evil in each Party were these 1. In the Erastians I disliked 1. That they made too light of the Power of the Ministry and Church and of Excommunication and did not distinguish sufficiently of a persuasive Power which is but private and is founded only in the Reason of the Speaker and a persuasive Power which is publick in an Officer of Christ which Camero well calleth Doctoral and is founded conjunctly in his Authority by God's Commission and his Arguments 2. That they made the Articles of the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints too insignificant by making Church Communion more common to the impenitent than Christ would have it and so dishonoured Christ by dishonouring his Church and making it too like to the Heathen World and breaking down the Hedge of Spiritual Discipline and laying it almost in common with the Wilderness 3. That they misunderstood and injured their Brethren supposing and affirming them to claim as from God a coercive Power over the Bodies or Purses of Men and so setting up Imperium in Imperio whereas all temperate Christians at least except Papists confess that the Church hath no Power of Force but only to manage God's Word unto Mens Conscienceâ—◠§ 12. In the Diocesane Party I utterly distiked 1. Their Extirpation of the true Discipline of Christ as we conceive by consequence though not intentionally not only as they omitted it and corrupted it but as their Principles and Church State had made it unpracticable and impossible while one Bishop with his Consitory had the sole Government of a thousand or many hundred Churches even over many thousands whose Faces they were never like to see not setting up any Parâ—chia Government under them But just as if the Archbishopsâ— or rather the Patriarchs in Câ—nstantiâ—â—'s days should have deposed all the Bishops in the Empire and have taken all their Charges upon themselves 2. That hereby they altered the Species of Churches and either would deâ— all particular Churches and have none but associated Diocesane Churches who hold the Communion by Delegates and not personally or else they would turn all the particular Parochial Churches into Christian Oratories and Schools while they gave their Pastors but a Teaching and Worshiping Power but not a Governing 3. That hereby they altered the ancient Species of Presbyters to whose Office the Spiritual Government of their proper Folks as truly belonged as the Power of preaching and worshipping God did 4. That they extinguished the ancient Species of Bishops which was in the times of Ignatius when every Church had one Altar and one Bishop and there were none but Itinerants or Archbishops that had many Churches 5. That they set up Courts that were more Secular
condescend to their Weakness and so to give it them So that no one of them shall be ever able to say that I wronged a truly tender Conscience or deprived them of that holy Ordinance My Reasons are because I take not their Errours to be so heinous a thing as to deserve their total Exclusion from the Sacrament Nor do I suppose it a Sin in me so far to yield to them in case of such Weakness Though I know Inconveniencies will follow which they and not I are guilty of And thus much as far as is necessary I should make known 4. But then these Persons must not expect that I should never give them my Judgment and Reasons against their Opinion for that were to cease teaching them the Truth as well as to yield to their Errours 5. And I shall expect that at the first Receiving they will openly profess that they take not the Bread for the Substantial Body of Christ nor Worship the Bread 6. But as for those that are not of my Pastoral Charge I must say more whether they live in this Parish or another Either they are such as are Members of some other particular Church or of none For the former sort 1. Ordinarily it is fit and necessary that they Receive the Sacrament of their own Pastor and in that particular Church of which they are Members or else how are they Members of it 2. And in Extraordinary Cases I shall not deny any of them the Sacrament on these Conditions 1. If they bring Certificates from the Pastor under whose Guidance they are that they are of his Flock and walk as Christians supposing the Pastor faithful that certifieth it 2. Or if they do not this yet if they will come to me and acquaint me who is their Pastor and what Church they are Members of and what Reasons they had to withdraw from this Church I shall not refuse them if their account be such as may justly satisfie But as for those of this Parish that have after this two years Invitation and Expectation refused to profess themselves to be Members of this particular Church and to take me for their Teacher or Pastor and yet are not Members of any other Church nor under any particular Pastor and Discipline I shall desire to speak with them before I give them the Sacrament And if they can give me any tolerable Reason of it I shall willingly receive it and if they prove the blame to be in me I shall endeavour to reform it But if they give me no sufficient reason I cannot admit such to the Lord's Supper specially ordinarily and the multitude of them for these Reasons following 1. Because I take it to be a heinous scandalous sin to live from under Discipline as a Stragler and in Disorder having no Pastor nor being a Member of any particular Church And therefore I dare not admit such till they repent no more than I would do a Drunkard or Adulterer 2. I dare not be an Instrument of hindering Reformation and the Execution of just Discipline by gratifying the Unruly that fly from it and set themselves again it And as for all those that either will not give me an account why they live from under Discipline or can give no just account yea and those that think their own Reasons for it good when I do not or on any ground are from under my Pastoral Charge without my Fault I say for all these I dare not admit them ordinarily to the Sacrament because I dare not spend so much time on them as is necessary for Preparation I may not do it without some previous Instruction and I have so much more work already than I can well do that I have not a minute of time to spare And except in publick or extraordinary Cases I take my self to be more strictly tied to those of my Charge than to any others and having made my self theirs I dare not rob them of my Labours nor neglect them to attend on others that are no part of my Charge nor will be If you say that if they did become Members of my Charge I must then as much neglect others for them I answer but then I could do it innocently when I have the same Relation to them and Obligation to help them as others If I were your Steward and you trust me to distribute Money or Bread to all that are under my Stewardship if there were but few I must give it them all and if many they can have but all If I had ten Children and had but ten Pounds to give them I might justly give them but each one a Pound But if I had but two I should think the whole little enough for them two I am first bound to watch over my Flock and if they be never so many they can have no more of me than I have But if they were fewer each one might have more of my help and might challenge it as their due before another that is not of my Charge The summ of all then in two Words is this 1. I dare condescend to give the Sacrament kneeling and into the hands of those that live orderly under Christian Discipline that is ordinarily to those of my own Charge and occasionally to those of another Mans. 2. But I dare not I profess seriously I dare not ordinarily at least give the Sacrament to those unruly scandalous Persons that will live under no just Discipline and I dare not defraud my Charge of my Labours while I attend ordinarily upon those that are not of my Charge If any should say that their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament is a sufficient Signification that they take us for their Pastors and therefore they will do no more I answer 1. Many Strangers receive the Sacrament that are not of my Charge and many that are Members of another Church or no particular Church do ordinarily come to our Assemblies This therefore is no certain Sign 2. And though it were a probable Sign heretofore yet when we have called our Parishes to a plain discovery of their Minds and they refuse to signify their Consent so much as by a Word of their Mouths in Publick then the former ceaseth to be any probable Sign of Consent We had just Reason to call our People to express their Consent which Reasons we printed in our Agreement to which I refer you and we explained all to them and told them over and over that we must take those only for our special Charge that would express their Consent and we waited now two Years to see whether they would do it And if after all this they forbear or refuse let the World judge whether this be not an open plain disclaiming of our Oversight and their Membership What would you have us do can we know Mens Hearts that will not open them to us Nay shall the same Man so long refuse to tell us his Mind and when he hath done blame
no fixing any more Diocesses in the World than Twelve or Thirteen and whoever since pretended to succeed them in those Twelve or Thirteen Diocesses 3. And if following Bishops or Princes fixt Diocesses that is no divine nor unalterable Law 4. We never read that an Apostle claimed any Diocess as proper to him or forbad any other to officiate in it or blamed them for so doing 5. It is certain that while they went themselves from Country to Country they fixed Bishops to every Church or City Act. 14. 23. Yit 1. 5 6. Ad 9. 1. The Apostles fixed not Bishops of the lowest Rank Vicatim nor Rigionatim but in every Church which was then in every City where were Christians even the same Church that had Deacons and Presbyters fixed 2. Bishops preached to Infidels to whom they were not Bishops but Preachers 3. The Christians of neighbour Villages came to the City-Church and when they had Oratories or Chappels there it made them not another Parish and excluded not such from personal Communion with the Bishops Church nor extended to such as by Distance or Numbers were uncapable of such personal Communion 4. Titus was either an ambulatory Evangelist to go about as the Apostles gathering and Setling Churches as I think or if fixed he was an Archbishop who was to settle Bishops under him in every City as Dr. Hammond judged It followeth not that a meer Bishop may have a Multitude of Churches because an Archbishop may who hath many Bishops under him 5. As the Magnitude of human Body so also of a particular Church hath its Limitation suited to its Ends Communion by Delegates or Officers only is the Case of many Churches associated But Personal Communion in Doctrine Worship Conversation and Discipline is the End of each particular Church and if you extend the Form to more than are capable of that End even to many such Societies by so doing the Species is changed § 38. About this time a reverend learned Brother Mr. Martin Iohnson being of the Judgment of Dr. Hammond and Dr. Gunning and yet a Lover of all honest peaceable Men and constant at our Meetings Lectures and Disputations was pleased to write to me about the Necessity of Episcopal Ordination I maintained that it was not necessary ad esse Ecclesiae and that he might be a true Minister who was ordained by Presbyters and that in Cases of Necessity it was a Duty to take Ordination from them He opposed this with Modesty and Judgment being a very good Logician till at last he yielded to the Truth These Letters with their Answers are added in the Appendix § 39. A little after this an Accident fell out that hindered our Concord with the Episcopal Party and is pretended at this Day by many to justifie the Silencing of all the Ministers that were afterward put out Oliver Cromwell who then usurped the Government being desired by some to forbid all Ministers of all Parties whatsoever to officiate who were notoriously insufficient or scandalous taketh hence Occasion to put in with the rest all those that took part with the King against the Parliament and so by offending them hindred our Agreement with them which provoked me then to protest against it and publish my Judgment against the hindering of any Man to preach the Gospel upon the Ground of such Civil Controversies as those § 40. And about the same time Experience in my Pastoral Charge convinced me that publick Preaching is not all the ordinary Work of a faithful Minister and that personal Conference with every one about the State of their own Souls together with Catechising is a Work of very great Necessity For the Custom in England is only to catechise the younger sort and that but by teaching them the Words of the Catechism in the Liturgy which we thought besides the Doctrine of the Sacrament had little more explicatory than the Words themselves of the Creed Lord's Prayer and Decalogue Therefore I propounded the Business to the Ministers and they all upon Debate consented that I should â—â—rn our brief Confession into a Catechism and draw up a Form of Agreement for the Practising of that Duty I drew up the Catechism in Two leaves in 8 vâ— comprehending 〈◊〉 is necessary to be believed consented to and practised in as narrow â— room and just a Method as I thought agreeable to the Peoples Understandings And I proposed a Form of Agreement for the Practice which might engage the 〈…〉 to go through with the Work And when I brought it in it was conseâ—â—ed to and subscribed and many neighbouring Ministers of other Countries desired to join with us and we printed the Catechism and Agreement together § 41. Of all the Works that ever I 〈◊〉 this yielded me most Comfort in the practice of it All Men thought that the People especially the ancienter sort would never have submitted to this Course and so that it would have come to nothing But God gave me a 〈◊〉 willing People and gave me also interest in them and when I had 〈◊〉 and my People had given a good Example to other Parishes and especially the Ministers so 〈◊〉 concurring that none gainsayed us it prevailed much with the Parishes 〈◊〉 I set two Days Week apart for this Employment 〈◊〉 faithful unwearied Assistant and my self took fourteen Families every Week those in the Town came to us to our Houses those in the Parish my Assistant 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 Houses besides what a Curate did at a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to us a Family only being present as a 〈◊〉 and no Stranger admitted after that I first helpâ— them to understand it and next enquired modestly into the State of their Souls and lastly endeavoured to set all home to the convincing awakening and resolving of their Hearts according to their several Conditions bestowing about an Hour and the Labour of a Sermon with every Family and I found it so effectual through the Blessing of God that few went away without some seeming Humiliation Conviction and Purpose and Promise for a holy Life and except half a dozen or thereabouts of the most ignorant and senseless all the Families in the Town came to me and though the first time they came with Fear and Backwardness after that they longed for their turn to come again So that I hope God did good to many by it And yet this was not all the Comfort I had in it § 42. For my Brethren appointing me to preach to them about it on a Day of Humiliation at Worcester when we set upon it I printed the Sermon prepared for that use with necessary Additions containing Reasons and Directions for this Work in a Book called The Reformed Pastor which excited so many others to take the Course that we had taken that it was a far greater Addition to my Comfort than the profiting of the Parish or County where we lived Yea a Reverend Pastor from Switzerland wrote me word that it excited
his Congregation a Church worshipped many years without singing Psalms and Sacraments forsooth because he took them not then for a Church I must suspend my Answer to them and all such tho' I know the Papists will take it for a Confutation of all my writings against them to say his own brethren Prosestants and Dissenters have proved him a Lyer This I must bear from Separating Non-conformists while the Justices that bind and trouble me openly declare me innocent And I am told that the Papists will not endure me to write against the Separatists no more than against themselves because they need their help to pull down the Godly Parish Ministers § 87. Many French Ministers sentenced to Death and Banishment fly hither for refuge And the Church men relieve them not because they are not for English Diocesans and Conformity And others have many of their own distressed Ministers and acquaintance to relieve that few are able But the Chief that now I can do is to help such and the Silences Ministers here and the poor as the Almoner of a few Liberal friends who trust me with their Charity § 88. As to the present State of England the Plots the Execution of Men High and Low the Publick Counsels and Designs the Quality and Practice of Judges and Bishops the Sessions and Justices the quality of the Clergy and the Universities and Patrons the Church-Government by the Keys by Lay-Civilians the usage of Ministers and private Meetings for Preaching or Prayer the Expectations of what is next to be done c. The Reader must expect none of this sort of History from me No doubt but there will be many Volumes of it by others transmitted to posterity who may do it more fully than I can now do § 89. Ianuary Seventeenth I was forced again to be carried to the Sessions and after divers daies good words which put me in expectation of freedom when I was gone one Justice Sir Decerham said that it 's like that these persons solicited so for my liberty that they might come to hear me in Conventicles and on that they bound me again in Four hundred pound bond for above a Quarter of a year and so it 's like it will be till I die or worse Tho' no one ever accused me for any Conventicle or Preaching since they took all my Books and Goods above two years ago and I for the most part keep my bed § 90. Mr. Ienkins dyed in Newgate this week Ianuary Nineteenth 1684 5. as Mr. Bampfield Mr. Raphson and others died lately before him The Prison where are so many suffocateth the Spirits of aged Ministers But blessed be God that gave them so long time to Preach before at cheaper rates § 61. One Richard Baxter a Sabbatarian Anabaptist was sent to Gaol for refusing the Oath of Allegiance and it went for currant that it was I. § 92. Mr. Rosewell did so fully plead his own Case and prove his innocency and prove the Confederacy incompetency and falshood of the Witnesses that tho' alas the Jury found him guilty of Treason even the Chief Justice and Judges were convinced of his innocency and at last procured his Pardon and deliverance Innocency with humility and great ability were his advantages improved and withall that he had few Enemies APPENDIX A Reply to some Exceptions against our Worcestershire Agreement and my Christian Concord Written by a nameless Author and sent by Dr. Warmstrye Honoured and Worthy Sir Salutem Officia in Christo Iesu Autore Salutis Except Sect. 1. FOR Christian Concord Mr. Baxter cannot write more willingly nor you be more strongly inclined to meet any such motion then you well know the Hearts of very many of your Brethren to be already agreed in that And I believe I have given you evidence in all my former Discourses with you uncontradicted by any action of mine that I the meanest of the servants of your Order do make it the butt and aime of all my weak Studies and Labours in order to the glory and service of God and Christ our Lord who hath so hightly injoyned it 2. But this bars us not but obliges us well to consider whether this Worcester Agreement be a true Union in Ecclesiastical Peace or the carrying on a Schismatical Combination reaching to enclose in the Episcopal Divines also â—3 That they may now at length by this approve of the Presbyters Declaration to the World of the no necessity of continuing their Canonical Obedience to their Bishops in Christ which was the first wheel that set a work this sad Revolution the ejecting out of the Church I mean out of their principal proper place in the Church the Bishops and Pastors the Successors of the Apostles in the Church whether this be so or no I say I must request you to judge by considering Reply to Sect 1. I shall not unwillingly believe and acknowledge that your love to Concord is greater than mine when I see you more zealously seeking it and hear of your Motions and moderate Rational Attempts to that end And I shall begin to hope well of you when you are but willing to accept such motions from any others or at least not to hinder the Concord of your Brethren 2. Schismarical Combinations are against the United Churches or the United Members of one particular Church We unite or combine against no such-Churches or Members nor against any thing but prophaneness and wickedness and against the disunion discord and alienation of Brethren and the utter neglect of the Ordinances of Christ. Our utmost care and endeavour is to heal a Schism and if they that do their best to heal it lamenting it daily as the great sin and calamity of the Churches and making it the chiefest part of their Studies with unsatiable longings to see it accomplished looking for no wordly advantage by the work having no Lordly Honours nor Dignities of their own to engage for which might byass them nay most prodigally casting away their Reputation with all the contenders of every Party accounting nothing in this world dear to them for the healing of our Divisions and waiting on God in earnest Prayer daily for success concerning all which the Righteous God is better acquainted with my heart and ways than this Contender I say if yet we are not only Schismaticks but Schismatical in these very attempts I know not yet how we shall escape that sin I hope God will not impute that to me which this Writer doth and that as he will not impute my Prayers and Endeavours against Drunkenness Covetousness and Contentions of Neighbours to be indeed Drunkenness Covetousness or Contention so neither will be impute my earnest Prayers and endeavours against Schism and Discord to be Schismatical But Schism is not the same thing in one Mans mouth as in anothers It is the unhappiness of each Party or Schismatical Faction to make to themselves a new Center of union which God never made and then all must
and perswading all the Families House by House they saw the Body of Town and Parish in love with serious Religion they told me they had been undone if I had followed their Counsel William Allen who with Mr. Lamb were Pastors of an Anabaptist Arminian Church first separated from the Parish-Churches and next from the Independents was turned from Independency much by seeing being our Kidderminster Factor that Parish-Churches may be made as holy as separated ones and the People not left by lazy Separatists to the Devil So that this Experience made him and his Companion more against Independency than I am 11. They abuse the People in indulging them in works that they were never called to nor are capable of nor can give any comfortable account of to God that is To be the Judges of Persons admitted to Communion and of Mens Repentance and Fitness for the Sacrament c. whenas God hath put this Power called The Church Keys into the Pastors and Rulers hands the not over-forced Men but Voluntiers Baptism is the true Churches Entrance and the Baptizer is the Judge of the Capacity of the Baptized no more but Consent to particular Church Relation and Duty is necessary to Membership of Neighbour Christians in particular Churches And nothing but proved nullifying the Baptismal Covenant by Heresie or Sin impenitently maintained or contained in doth forfeit their visible right to Communion And if the People must judge of all these they must have their Callings to examine every Person and they must grow wiser and abler then many of their Leaders are 12. Their Churches have among them no probable way of Concord but they are as a heap of Sand that upon every Commotion fall in pieces The Experience of it in Holland broke them to nothing And it so affected the Sober in New-England that in 1660. or 1661. Mr. Ash and I were fain to disswade Mr. Norton and Mr. Broadstreet whom they sent hither as Commissioners from inclining to our English Episcopacy foretelling them what was doing and we have seen so deeply were they afraid of being received by that Peoples uncurable Separation from their ablest Pastors whenever any earnest erroneous Teachers would seduce them Their Building wanteth Cement 13. God hath so wonderfully by his Providences disowned the way of Schism and Separation on how good pretences soever that I should be too like Pharaoh in hardness if I should despise his warnings For Instance 1. In the Apostles days all are condemned that separated from the setled Churches even when those Churches had many heinous Scandals and St. Paul saith That all they in Asia were turned from him The Authority and Miracles of the Apostles did not serve to keep Men from Separation and raising Schisms 2. Even when the Church lay under Heathen Persecutors for 294 years yet Swarms of Condemned Sects arose to so great a number as that the naming and confuting them filleth great Volumes to the great Reproach of the Christian Churches and Scandal of the Heathens 3. As soon as Constantine delivered the Churches from the Flames of cruel Persecution and set up Christians in Power and Wealth separating Sects grew greater than before each Party crying up their several Bishops and Teachers and grew worse by Divisions till thereby they tempted the Papal Clergy to unite Men carnally by force 4. At Luther's Reformation Swarms of Separatists arose in Germany Holland Poland c. to the great dishonour of the Protestant Cause 5. Here in England it hath been ill in Queen Elizabeth's time by the Familists and Separatists and far worse since It was such as Quarterman and Lilburn and other Separatists that drew Tumults and Crowds down to Westminster to draw the Parliament to go beyond their own Judgment and thereby divided the Parliament-men and drove away the King which was the beginning of our odious War It was the Separating Party that all over the Land set up Anti-Churches in the Towns that had able godly Ministers when they had nothing imposed on them to excuse it neither Bishops Liturgies nor Ceremonies So that Churches became like Cockpits or Fencing-Schools to draw asunder the Body of Christ. It was the Separating Party that got under Cromwell into the Army and became the common Scorners of a godly able Ministry by the Names of the Priest-byters the Driviners the Westminster-sinners the Dissembly-men as Malignant Drunkards did and worse It was these that thought Success had made them Rulers of the Land that caused the disbanding of all the Soldiers that disliked their Spirit and Way and then pull'd down first eleven and then the major part of the Parliament imprisoning and turning out Men of eminent Piety and Worth and making a Parliament of the minor part and their killing the King and afterward with scorn turning out that minor part that had done their work and to whom they had oft profest themselves Servants It was these Men that set up a Usurper that made a thing called a Parliament all of his and his Armies nomination If this should ever be imitated whom may we thank It was these Men that set up the Military Government of Major-Generals It was they that set up and pull'd down so many feigned Supream Powers in a few years as made themselves the Scorn of the World and by a dreadful warning of Divine Justice all their victorious Army and Power dropt in pieces like Sand as they would have used the Church and was dissolved without one Battle or drop of Blood save the after-Blood of their Leaders that were hang'd drawn and quarter'd by Parliament Sentence It is these Men and these doings that have hardened thousands against Reformation and turned all that was done for it O what did it cost and what raised hopes had many of the Success into Reproach quieted the Consciences of those that have thought they served God by silencing hating and persecuting those that they thought had been of this guilty Sect. In a word the spirit and way of causeless Separation whether by violent Prelatists Pursuits and Excommunications or by self-conceited Sectaries was never owned or blest by God If any say truly or falsly You have had a hand in some such thing your self I answer If I had I will hate it and write against it so much the more To thrust ones self into a way so disowned by God by such a course of fearful warnings is to run with Pharaoh into the Red-Sea especially when Impenitence so fixeth the guilt on them that cannot endure to hear of it as may make us fear that the worst 〈◊〉 behind and Sin and Judgments yet continue The Sum of what is said to you on the other side is that the Church of England and the Parish Churches have no true Ministry and therefore are no true Churches That they confess there is no Church without a Bishop and no Bishop below the Diocesan and so no Church below the Diocesan Church That those are no Scripture Bishops and Churches
in Scripture than that Baptism was appointed for our Entrance upon our State of Disciples in general And Ergo if a Man may be a visible Disciple without it where it seemeth most necessary then much more may he be admitted into a particular Church afterward without it when at least it is no more necessary and indeed much less and not at all save only as universal Church-Member this is pre-requisite to particular The Ministers of Christ Baptized 2000 without asking the Consent of any particular Church 2. They that are under both a Precept making the use of instituted Ordinances their Duty and a Promise of Acceptance in the Performance must perform these Duties with belief of their Acceptance But such are these that you account unbaptized Ergo That they are under a Command is plain All the Precepts for Christian Communion and not forsaking the assembling of our selves and obeying those that rule over us c. are made to the whole visible Church that hath Opportunity for such Communion you will not think that our Sin as you take it can except us from an Obligation to Duty But all the Question is whether such Duty will be accepted if performed by the unbaptized as you now suppose them and this you grant professing your self that you are out of doubt that we are very well accepted of God and you think that it is accounted for Baptism to us And if you yield both that we are bound to the Duty and shall have Acceptance in particular Church Communion what is it then besides the regularity that you deny Do you not grant the Cause in Hand And we have many Promises of Acceptance of Believers in their sincere Endeavours and all things are pure to the Pure And if involuntary unavoidable Mistakes shall hinder our Acceptance when we are sincere then we can never be sure that we are accepted 3. It is but visibility that is requisite in a Church or Member to make them capable of our Communion If it be a Communion of Christians as Christians or Saints as Saints that particular Churches are to hold withal that consent and are Members of their Churches then Christianity or visible Sanctity in such Consenters is all that is of Necessity to such Communion But the Antecedent is plain As it is as Christians that we must inwardly love one another so it is as Christians that we must manifest that Love in holy Communion Communion is the Demonstration of Love and all Men must know us to be Christ's Disciples by our loving one another and therefore if any Man be but a visible Christian it 's plain that he 's capable of your Communion if he cohabits and consent else it were not formalitur a Communion of Saints or Christians but of something else Now you confess that Men are visible Christians that are to you unbaptized 4. There is no such thing as a universal visible Church that is not to use Eucharistical Communion nor any parts of it that have opportunity Your similitude of Corporations in a Republick holds in some things but hath this dissimilitude that all Christ's Republick should consist of such Corporations except a Person that is a Merchant Traveller Embassador or by some extraordinary Necessity is denied Opportunity which Rarities are not here of Consideration And whereas in Republicks it may be as commodious for rural Villages to be not incorporate as for Cities to be incorporate and their Priviledges in their Nation may be as great and they are not obliged to incorporate none of this is so in our Case But every visible Christian not hindered by Necessity is bound to incorporate and charged not to forsake the Assemblies but all to join and speak the same things and Glorify God with one Mouth c. And he that is not a visible Christian hath no visible Right to our Christian Communion And he that is a visible Christian and depriveth himself of this Communion sinneth and wrongeth his own Soul and as it were out-laws himself and is not as you suppose in your Comparison of the not-incorporate But though in some Cases such may be saved as deny instituted Communion and Worship or neglect it yet they do so far put themselves into the State of those without 5. Your Opinion sets up a new kind of Church or Christian Assemblies and Communion of such as may only hear and Pray and not have Eucharistical Communion and be under Church-Guidance Shew us any such in Scripture if you can 6. Heathens or Infidels are called to a natural Worship of God Ergo visible Christians are called to more 7. Faith it self hath its Office formally by Institution though its aptitude thereto be in the Nature of the thing And if the Gospel it self be supernatural and our Christianity and Faith an instituted thing as well as Sacrament and Governors and so the universal visible Church an Institution as well as a particular then certainly want of Baptism will no more keep a visible Christian out of the particular instituted Church than out of the universal because as to the Point of Institution there is no such Reason as can make a Difference 8. The great and excellent part of Church Communion is that which you call natural Worship as performed by Believers in the loving God in Christ and admiring and magnifying his Love in the Riches of the Grace of Redemption and seeking with all Saints to comprehend it hearing his Counsels and Commands praying for his Grace and Glory and praising and magnifying him in Faith and Hope and Love with our Eye upon the second Coming of our Lord. And that which you call Instituted Order and Worship is but the means to this and without this but a Shell It is subservient to it And therefore 1. They that are capable of the greater are capable of the less Heathens are bound to meer natural Worship and their Hearing and Praying is another thing and Obligation and Capacity differ 2. They that must do the work must do it in God's way and by his means The great internal Worship is as the Soul and the external as the Body which are to be distinguished but not separated Must one sort of Christians have the Soul of holy Communion without the Body and carry the Knife naked while you deny them the Sheath 9. If a Member of the Universal visible Church as such is pro tempore to be admitted to Communion in all Ordinances with any particular Church where they come then these that you acknowledge such visible Members must by you be so admitted and so are capable of Communion in instituted Ordinances but the Antecedent is true beyond Dispute None of the Apostles were Members of particular Churches but were as Itinerants to do their work in many Countries so was it with abundance of Itinerant Preachers of those times called their Companions and Fellow Labourers and Helpers as Barnabas Luke Mark Silus Timothy Titus Epaphroditus Apollos c. When Paul came
promoting serious Godliness and the Sword or Force used only by the Magistrate Dissent will turn to Love and Concord But if they may Suspend Silence or Excommunicate Arbitrarily or according to their present Canons which Excommunicate ipso facto all Men Magistrates Ministers and People who do but affirm that the Book of Common Prayer containeth any thing repugnant to the Scriptures or that there is any thing unlawful to be Subscribed in the Thirty nine Articles or Ceremonies or that there is any thing repugnant to the Word of God in the Church Government by Archbishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE IN THE SAME without excepting so much as Lay-Chancellor's use of the Keys And if Men Excommunicate must as continuing such be undone and laid in Prison we must be content with our Peace with God and Conscience and good Men and that we did our best for more and mourn under the calamitous Effects of the Publick Enemies of Peace whom the God of Peace will shortly judge To the Right Worshipful Sir E. H. SIR THE Healing of Christians endangered as we are by our own Diseases is one of the greatest Works in this World and therefore not to be marred by haste or for want of due Consultation and Advice Three ways are now pleaded for among us Of which two are Extreams and much of our Disease I. One is by the forcing Prelates who would have all forced to full Conformity to their Canons and other Impositions and none endured be they never so wise or godly or peaceable who think any thing in them to be sinful This way was long tried heretofore and these last Twenty years it hath shewed us what it will effect The Shepherds have been smitten and the Flocks scattered about Two thousand godly Ministers Silenced adjudged to lye in Jail with Rogues and to utter Ruine by paying Twenty and Forty pound a Sermon c. The People hereby imbittered against the Prelates and alienated from their Party as malignant Persecutors and as Gnelphes and Gibelines all in discontent and dangerous contention and on both sides growing worse and worse And is this the only healing way II. The other Extream is those that are too far alienated into unlawful Separations whose talk is earnest against that which is called a Comprehension that is such a Reformation of the Parish Churches as may there unite the main Body of the faithful Ministers And they had rather the things which we cannot there consent to were continued unreformed that so the best People might be still alinated from them and driven all into their Tolerated Churches Concerning this way I offer to your Consideration 1. Is it the part of good Men thus to be guilty of that which themselves account intolerable Sin and that in many Hundred thousands desiring it might not be reformed and this on pretence of promoting Godliness when once their Leaders drew it up as a Fundamental That he that alloweth others in known sin cannot be saved 2. It is certain that there is no way so orderly and advantageous to the common Interest of Christianity as Reformed Parish Churches 3. The most of the People that most need the Ministry will come to the Parish Churches and will grow worse and worse if they have not faithful Teachers and we shall please a few good People till they are worn out and for want of a serious believing converting Ministry a Generation of ignorant Malignants will succeed them And we shall come short of the main end of the Ministry 4. So many good and scrupulous People will leave the Parish Churches as will set the Nation or rather London in an even balance and increase the envy of the other part and one side will talk more contemptuously of the Parish Churches and the Parish Pulpits will daily ring with Reproach against them so that the Common People who will be in the Parish Churches will increase their hatred against the Tolerated and they will live in a mutual and wordy War 5. The violent Prelatists will by this have their ends and will triumph over them in these Confusions and say Did not we tell you what would be the Effect of Alteration and Toleration 6. When it is intended that this be but the Introduction of a better Settlement the next Attempt will by this be disabled and they will say You see that they are never satisfied but are still changing and know not where to rest 7. The next Parliament having Experience of these Confusions will recall and and abrogate all their Tolerations These things are easily foreseen And you that were One of the Eleven excluded Members know what such Hands have formerly done III. The middle true way therefore is Parochial Reformation This is necessary in it self This is consistent with the Interest of those that justly desire Toleration In a well constituted Christian Nation tolerated Churches should be but as Houses of Charity Zenodochia Hospitals for the Aged Weak Lame Blind and Sick It is consistent with the just Episcopal Interest and indeed is its most necessary support for want of which a Succession of godly Adversaries will be against it to the end Let us have Christ's true Doctrine Worship and Church-Communion and let General Bishops over us keep their Baronies Lordships Wealth and Honour And we will be responsible to them or any Rulers for our Mal-Administration But let them have no Power as Bishops but of the Church-Keys Et valeat quantumvalere perest Let them teach and reprove us and if they do injuriously pronounce us Excommunicate we will bear it But keep the Sword only in the hand of Magistrates and be not the Lictors of Anathematizers and Horners by your Writs de Excommunicato capiendo The Truth is Civil and Church Government will be well done if we knew how to get still good Men to use it And the chief Point of Political Wisdom is to secure a Succession of such Men. Give us but such Diocesans as Grindal Iewel Usher c. and let them be but Pastors and not armed with the Sword and who will expect that they should hurt us If Kings that choose Bishops and Patrons that choose Incumbents should be always certainly wise and holy Men and lovers of all such they would choose us such But if they be not and Christ tells you how hardly the Rich are saved they will mostly choose such as are of their mind or as Favourites obtrude and bad Bishops and Priests are the mortal Disease of the Church And if I tell King and Patrons that the Clergy and Communicants should have a Consenting or Dissenting Vote and so the Door should have three Locks the Consent of the Ordainers Communicants and Magistrates I cannot hope that they should regard me But I will repeat what Mr. Thorndike saith a Man as far as most from the Nonconformists Treatise of Forbearance It is to no purpose to talk of Reformation in the Church unto Regular Government without
with him into Scotland Mr. Baxter's Letter to him upon that occasion p. 75. Another Letter of his to the Earl of Lauderdail p. 77. falsly pag'd 93. a Letter of his to Sir Robert Murrey about a Body of Church Discipline for Scotland which was sent to him for his Iudgment about it p. 78. the Affair of the Marquis of Antrim with reference to his Commission from K. Charles 1. p. 83. of Du Moulin's Jugulum Causae and two Books of Dr. Fowler 's p. 85. of Serjeant Fountain's kindness to him p. 86. of Major Blood and his stealing the Crown p. 88. of the shutting up the Exchequer by which Mr. Baxter lost a thousand pounds which he had devoted to charitable uses p. 89. of Fowlis's History of Romish Treasons p. 90. Characters of many of the silenc'd Ministers of Worcestershire Warwickshire in and about London c. from p. 90 to p. 98. the second Dutch War and the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience thereupon p. 99. the different Sentiments of People about the desirableness either of an establisht Toleration or a Comprehension p. 100. Mr. Baxter gets a License p. 102. the Merchants Lecture set up at Pinners-Hall and Mr. Baxter's Accusations for his Sermons there p. 103. Malitious Writings and Accusations of Parker and others ibid. a private Conference between Mr. Baxter and Bp. Gunning p. 104 the Parliament jealous of the growth of Popery p. 106. a private Conference of Mr. Baxter's with Edward Wray Esq. about the Popish Controversies p. 107. Mr. Falkener writes for Conformity p. 108. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to the Earl of Orery about a general Union of all Protestants against Popery with Proposals for that purpose p. 109 c. the Strictures return'd upon these Proposals with the Answers to them from p. 113. to 140. More bitter and malignant Writings against the Nonconformists p. 141. a Paper of Mr. John Humphreys for Comprehension with Indulgence that was distributed among the Parliament men p. 143 c. a great change of Affairs in Scotland p. 147. a Character of Mr. Thomas Gouge the silenc'd Minister of St. Sepulchres p. 147. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to Dr. Good Master of Baliol Colledge in Oxford about some passages in a Book he had lately publish'd p. 148. fresh Accusations whereby Mr. Baxter was assaulted p. 151. a Deliverance when he was preaching over St. James's Market-house p. 152. his success while he preach't there and his opposition p. 153. a Proclamation publish'd to call in the Licenses and require the Execution of the Laws against the Nonconformists ib. false Reports about his preaching at Pinners-Hall p. 154. Mr. Baxter apprehended as a Conventicler p. 155. a difference at Court on occasion of Mr. Baxter's Sufferings p. 156. a private Treaty between Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Tillotson Dr. Bates Dr. Manton Mr. Baxter and Mr. Pool about an Act for Union and Comprehension p. 157. An Act for the Healing and Concord of his Majesty's Subjects in matters of Religion then agreed upon amongst thâ—m p. 158. Petitions Mr. Baxter was then put upon drawing up which were never presented 160. the Case of the City as to the Prosecution of Dissenters p. 165. falsly pag'd 565. an account of his trouble with Sir Thomas Davis ibid. great Debates about the Test in Parliament p. 167. a Censure of it p. 168. a penitent Confession of one of the Informers who had given Mr. Baxter much trouble p. 171. further troubles that he met with and weakness p. 172. a further Account of Sir Matthew Hale p. 175. of Mr. Read's imprisonment p. 176. Of the Additions of the years 1675 1676 1677 1678 c. OF Monsieur Le Blank 's Theses p. 177. of Dr. Jane's Sermon before my Lord Mayor and his Charge against Mr. Baxter ibid. further troubles he met with p. 178. a passage between the Bp. of Exeter and Mr. Sangar ibid. an horrid Lie reported of Mr. Baxter in a Coffee-house about his killing a Tinker the Reporter whereof was brought openly to confess his fault p. 179. Mr. Hollingworth's Sermon against the Nonconformists p. 180. a further passage of Sir Matth. Hale p. 181. Dr. Manton's death p. 182. about the Controversie of Predetermination started amongst the Nonconformists by a Book of Mr. How 's ib. of the Popish Plot and Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's murder c. p. 183. of several of Mr. Baxter's Writings p. 185. of the Writings of Dr. Stillingfleet Mr. Hinkley Mr. Dodwell and others against the Nonconformists p. 187 188. of the deaths of many of his dear Friends p. 189. some further account of Mr. Thomas Gouge p. 190. of his new apprehension and sickness p. 191. an Account of his Case at that time p. 192. the Iudgment of Saunders and Pollixtin about it p. 195. of some other of his Writings p. 196. of a Legacy of 600 l. left by Mr. Robert Mayot of Oxon to be distributed by Mr. Baxter among Sixty ejected Ministers p. 198. a further Account of his sufferings and weakness ibid. p. 199. The Appendix contains these several Pieces following Numb I. A Reply to some Exceptions against the Worcestershire Agreement a large Account whereof is given at the beginning of the second Part of this Narrative and Mr. Baxter's Christian Concord written by a nameless Author supposed to be Dr. Gunning and sent by Dr. Warmestry p. 1. Numb II. Several Letters that pass'd between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Martin Johnson about the Point of Ordination and particularly the necessity of a constant uninterrupted Succession in order to the validity of Ministerial Functions p. 18. Numb III. Several Letters between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Lamb p. 51. Numb IV. Letters and Papers between Mr. Baxter and Mr. Allen p. 67. Numb V. A Letter of Mr. Baxter's to Mr. Long of Exeter p. 108. Numb VI. A Resolution of this Case What 's to be done when the Law of the Land commands persons to go to their Parish Church and Parents require to go to private Meetings p. III Numb VII A Letter of Mr. Baxter's about the Case of Nevil Symmons Bookseller p. 117. Numb VIII Mr. Baxter's general Defence of his accused Writings call'd Seditious and Schismatical p. 119. Numb IX An Act for Concord by Reforming Parish Churches and Regulating the Toleration of Dissenters p. 127. A Letter to the Right Worshipful Sir E. H. about that matter p. 130. Be pleased Candid Reader to correct these Errours in the beginning thus PAge 1. line 29. for and read one and after rest r. and. p. 2. l. 10. after clock r. in the. and l27 dele and. p. 3. l. 35. for being r. bringing me p. 4. l. 28. dele of and l. 40. after knowledge r. was l. 42. for wonder r. wondred p. 6. l. 17. r. that part of Physick p. 8. l. 29. r. usually p. 199. l. 14. for he r. it l. 46. for rejections r. objections The rest as they occur inter legendum for I could not attend the Press and prevent the Errata THE
for serious Piety would have had me taken in his stead a very grave ancient Doctor of Divinity who had a most promising Presence and tolerable Delivery and reverend Name and withal was my Kinsman But I found at last that he had no relish of serious Godliness nor solid Learning or Knowledge in Divinity but stole Sermons out of printed Books and set them off with a grave Delivery But Mr. Sergeant so increased in Ability that he became a solid Preacher and of so great Prudence in Practical Cases that I know few therein go beyond him but none at all do I know that excelleth him in Meekness Humility Self-denial and Diligence No Child ever seemed more humble No Interest of his own either of Estate or Reputation did ever seem to stop him in his Duty No Labour did he ever refuse which I could put him to When I put him to travel over the Parish which is near 20 miles about from House to House to Catechize and Instruct each Family he never grudged or seemed once unwilling He preached at a Chappel above two miles off one half the day and in the Town the other and never murmured I never heard of the Man or Woman in all that Town and Parish that ever said This Fault he did This Word he spake amiss against me This Wrong he did me nor ever one that once found fault with him save once one man upon a short mistake for being out of the way when he should have baptized a Child This admirable blamelesness of Life much furthered our work And when he was removed two miles from us I got Mr. Humphrey Waldern to succeed him who was very much like him and carried on his work 12. Another Advantage was the Presence and Countenance of honest Justices of Peace Colonel Iohn Bridges a prudent pious Gentleman was Patron of the Church and lived in the Parish and was a Justice of Peace And a Bailiff and Justice were Annually chosen in the Corporation who ordinarily were godly men and always such as would be thought so and were ready to use their Authority to Suppress Sin and promote Goodness And when once a Sabbath-breaker thought to have overthrown the Officers at Law Serjeant Fountain being then Judge of Assize did so repress his Malice as discouraged all others from any more such attempts But now the World is changed 13. Another help to my Success was that small relief which my low Estate enabled me to afford the Poor though the Place was reckoned at near 200 l. per Annum there came but 90 l. and sometimes 80 l. per Annum to me Besides which some years I had 60 l. or 80 l. a year of the Booksellers for my Books which little dispersed among them much reconciled them to the Doctrine which I taught I took the aptest of their Children from the School and set divers of them to the Universities where for 8 l. a year or 10 l. at most by the help of my Friends there I maintained them Mr. Vines and Dr. Hill did help me to Sizers places for them at Cambridge And the Lady Rous allowed me 8 l. a year awhile towards their Maintenance and Mr. Tho. Fowley and Col. Bridges also assisted me Some of them are honest able Ministers now cast out with their Brethren But two or three having no other way to live turned great Conformists and are Preachers now And in giving that little I had I did not enquire whether they were good or bad if they asked Relief For the bad had Souls and Bodies that needed Charity most And I found that Three pence or a Groat to every poor Body that askt me was no great matter in a year but a few pounds in that way of giving would go far And this Truth I will speak to the encouragement of the Charitable that what little Money I have now by me I got it almost all I scarce know how in that time when I gave most And since I have had less opportunity of giving I have had less increase 14. Another furtherance of my work was the Writing's which I wrote and gave among them Some small Books I gave each Family one of which came to about 800 and of the bigger I gave fewer And every Family that was poor and had not a Bible I gave a Bible to And I had found my self the benefit of reading to be so great that I could not but think it would be profitable to others 15. And it was a great Advantage to me that my Neighbours were of such a Trade as allowed them time enough to read or talk of holy Things For the Town liveth upon the Weaving of Kidderminster Stuffs and as they stand in their Loom they can set a Book before them or edifie one another whereas Plowmen and many others are so wearied or continually employed either in the Labours or the Cares of their Callings that it is a great Impediment to their Salvation Freeholders and Trades-men are the Strength of Religion and Civillity in the Land and Gentlemen and Beggers and Servile Tenants are the Strength of Iniquity Though among these sorts there are some also that are good and just as among the other there are many bad And their constant Converse and Traffick with London doth much promote Civility and Piety among Trades-men 16. And I found that my single Life afforded me much advantage For I could the easilier take my People for my Children and think all that I had too little for them in that I had no Children of my own to tempt me to another way of using it And being discharged from the most of Family Cares keeping but one Servant I had the greater vacancy and liberty for the Labours of my Calling 17. And God made use of my Practice of Physick among them as a very great advantage to my Ministry for they that cared not for their Souls did love their Lives and care for their Bodies And by this they were made almost as observant as a Tenant is of his Landlord Sometimes I could see before me in the Church a very considerable part of the Congregation whose Lives God had made me a means to save or to recover their health And doing it for nothing so obliged them that they would readily hear me 18. And it was a great advantage to me that there were at last few that were bad but some of their own Relations were Converted Many Children did God work upon at 14 or 15 or 16 years of Age And this did marvellously reconcile the Minds of the Parents and Elder sort to Godliness They that would not hear me would hear their own Children They that before could have talkt against Godliness would not hear it spoken against when it was their Childrens Case Many that would not be brought to it themselves were proud that they had understanding Religious Children And we had some old Persons of near Eighty years of Age who are I hope in Heaven and the
and that they were allowed to make odious any thing that was amiss and because it was faulty if any Man had rebuked them for belying it and making it far more faulty than it was instead of confessing their Sin they called their Reprover a Pleader for Antichrist or Baal every Error in the Mode of the Common Worship they had no fitter Name for than Idolatry Popery Antichristianism Superstition Will-worship c. when in the mean time many of their own Prayers were full of Carnal Passion Selfishness Faction Disorder vain Repitions unfound and loathsom Expressions and their Doctrine full of Errors and Confussion and these Beams in their own Eyes were matter of no Offence to them They would not communicate with that Church where ignorant Persons or Swearers were tollerated though they themselves never did their Part to have them cast out but look'd the Ministers should do all without them but without any scruple they would communicate with them that had broke their Vow and Covenant with God and Man and rebelled against both King Parliament and all kind of Government that was set up even by themselves and did all the fore-recited Evils I know these same Accusations are laid by some in Ignorance or Malice against many that are guilty of no such things and therefore some will be offended at me and say I imitate such Reproachers But shall none be reproved because some are slandered Shall Rebells be justified because some innocent Men are called Rebels Shall Hypocrites be free from Conviction and Condemnation because wicked Men call the Godly Hypocrites Woe to the Man that hath not a faithful Reprover but a Thousand Woes will be to him that hateth reproof And woe to them that had rather Sin were credited and kept in Honour than their Party dishonoured and Woe to the Land where the Reputation of Men doth keep Sin in Reputation Scripture it self will not spare a Noah a Lot a David a Hezekiab a Iosiah a Peter but will open and shame their Sin to all Generations And yet alas the Hearts of many who I hope are truly Religious in other Points will rise against him that shall yet tell them of the Misdoings of those of their Opinion and call them to Repentance The poor Church of Christ the sober sound religious Part are like Christ that was crucified between two Malefactors the prophane and formal Persecutors on one hand and the Fanatick dividing Sectary on the other hand have in all Ages been grinding the spiritual Seed as the Corn is ground between the Milstones And though their Sins have ruined themselves and us and silenced so many hundred Ministers and scattered the Flocks and made us the Hatred and the Scorn of the ungodly World and a by Word and Desolation in the Earth yet there are few of them that lament their Sin but justify themselves and their Misdoings and the penitent Malefactor is yet unknown to us And seeing Posterity must know what they have done to the Shame of our Land and of our sacred Profession let them know this much more also to their own Shame that all the Calamities which have befallen us by our Divisions were long foreseen by seeing Men and they were told and warned of it year after year They were told that a House divided against it self could not stand and told that it would bring them to the Halter and to Shame and turn a hopeful Reformation into a Scorn and make the Land of their Nativity a Place of Calamity and Woe and all this Warning signified nothing to them but these Ductile Professors bldinly followed a few selfconceited Teachers to this Misery and no warning or means could ever stop them Five dissenting Ministers in the Synod begun all this and carried it far on Mr. Philip Nye Mr. Tho. Goodwin Mr. Sydrach Sympson and Mr. William Bridge to whom that good Man Mr. Ieremiah Burroughs joined himself in Name but as he never practised their Church-gathering way so at last he was contented to have united on the Terms which were offered them and wrote his excellent Book of Heart Divisions After this they encreased and Mr. Burroughs being dead Dr. Iohn Owen arose not of the same Spirit to fill up his place by whom and Mr. Phillip Nye's Policie the Flames were encreased our Wounds kept open and carried on all as if there had been none but they considerable in the World and having an Army and City Agents fit to second them effectually hindred all remedy till they had dash'd all into pieces as a broken Glass O! what may not Pride do and what Miscarriages will not false Principles and Faction hide One would think that if their Opinions had been certainly true and their Church-Orders good yet the Interest of Christ and the Souls of Men and of greater Truths should have been so regarded by the Dividers in England as that the Safety of all these should have been preferred and not all ruined rather than their way should want its carnal Arm and Liberty and that they should not tear the Garment of Christ all to pieces rather than it should want their Lace § 148. And it must be acknowledged also impartially that some of the Presbyterian Ministers frightned the Sectaries into this Fury by the unpeaceableness and impatiency of their Minds They ran from Libertinism into the other Extream and were so little sensible of their own Infirmity that they would not have those tollerated who were not only tollerable but worthy Instruments and Members in the Churches The Reconcilers that were ruled by prudent Charity always called out to both the Parties that the Churches must be united upon the Terms of primitive Simplicity and that we must have Unity in things necessary and Liberty in things unnecessary and Charity in all But they could never be heard but were taken for Adversaries to the Government of the Church as they are by the Prelates at this Day Nay when in Worcestershire we did but agree to practice so much as all Parties were agreed in they said we did but thereby set up another Party We told them of Archbishop Usher's Terms in his Sermon before the King on Eph. 4. 3. but they would not hear The Lord Bacon in his Third Essay and his Considerations Mr. Hales in his Treatise of Schism and all men of sound Experience and Wisdom have long told the World that we must be united in things Necessary which all Christians agree in or which the Primitive Churches did unite in or not at all But nothing shorter than the Assemblies Confession of Faith and Catechisms and and Presbytery would serve turn with some Their Principles were that no others should be tolerated which set the Independants on contriving how to grasp the Sword They were still crying out on the Magistrate that he was irreligious for suffering Sects and because he did not bring Men to Conformity And now they cannot be tollerated themselves to preach nor scarce to dwell in the Land
or to turn to something else which though there be some reason for it I feel cometh from a want of Zeal for the Truth and from an impatient Temper of Mind I am ready to think that People should quickly understand all in a few words and if they cannot lazily to despair of them and leave them to themselves And I the more know that it is sinful in me because it is partly so in other things even about the Faults of my Servants or other Inferiours if three or four times warning do no good on them I am much tempted to despair of them and turn them away and leave them to themselves I mention all these Distempers that my Faults may be a warning to others to take heed as they call on my self for Repentance and Watchfulness O Lord for the Merits and Sacrifice and Intercession of Christ be merciful to me a Sinner and forgive my known and unknown Sins THE LIFE OF THE REVEREND Mr. Richard Baxter LIB I. PART II. § 1. IN the Time of the late unhappy Wars in these Kingdoms the Controversies about Church Government were in most Mens mouths and made the greatest Noise being hotly agitated by States-men and Divines by Words and Writings which made it necessary to me to set my self to the most serious study of those Points The result of which was this confident and setled Judgment that of the four contending Parties the Erastian Episcopal Presbyterian and Independant each one had some Truths in peculiar which the other overlookt or took little notice of and each one had their proper Mistakes which gave advantage to their Adversaries though all of them had so much truth in common among them as would have made these Kingdoms happy if it had been unanimously and soberly reduced to practice by prudent and charitable Men. § 2. 1. The Erastians I thought were thus far in the right in asserting more fully than others the Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion that all Coercive Power by Mulcts or Force is only in their hands which is the full sence of our Oath of Supremacy and that no such Power belongeth to the Pastors or People of the Church and that thus as Dr. Ludov. Molinaeâ—â— pleadeth there should not be any Imperium in Imperio or any Coercive Power challenged by Pope Prelate Presbytery or any but by the Magistrate alone that the Pastoral Power is only Perswasive or exercised on Volunteers yet not private such as belongeth to every Man to perswade that hath a perswading Facultyâ— but Publick and Authoritative by Divine appointment And not only to perswade by Sermons or general Speeches but by particular oversight of their particular Flocks much like the Authority of Plato or Zenâ— in his School or a Master in any Academy of Volunteers or of a Physician in his Hospital supposing these were Officers of God's Institution who could as the ground of their perswasitantâ— produce his Commission or Command for what they said and did But though the Diocesans and the Presbyterians of Scotland who had Laws to enable them opposed this Doctrine or the Party at least yet I perceived that indeed it was but on the ground of their Civil Advantages as the Magistrate had impowered by them by his Laws which the Erastians did not contradict except some few of the higher 〈◊〉 sort who pleaded as the Papists for somewhat more which yet they could not themselves tell what to make of But the generality of each Party indeed owned this Doctrine and I could speak with no sober Judicious Prelatist Presbyterian or Independant but confessed that no Secular or Forcing Power belonged to any Pastors of the Church as such and unless the Magistrates authorized them as his Officers they could not touch mens Bodies or Estates but the Conscience alone which can be of none but of Assenters § 3. 2. The Episcopal Party seemed to have reason on their side in 〈◊〉 that in the Primitive Church there were some Apostles Evangelists and others who were general unfixed Officers of the Church not tyed to any particular Chaâ—ge and had some Superiority some of them â—â—over-fixed Bishops or Pastors And though the extraordinary Parts of the Apostles Office ceased with them I saw no proof of the Cessation of any ordinary part of their Office such as Church Government is confessed to be All the doubt that I saw in this was Whether the Apostles themselves were constituted Governours of other Pastors or only over-ruled them by the Eminency of their Gifts and Priviledge of Infallibility For it seemed to me unmeet to affirm without proof that Christ setled a Form of Government in his Church to endure only for one Age and changed it for a New one when that Age was ended And as to fixed Bishops of particular Churches that were Superiours in degree to Presbyters though I saw nothing at all in Scripture for them which was any whit cogent yet I saw that the Reception of them in all the Churches was so timely even in the days of one of the Apostles in some Churches and so general that I thought it a most improbable thing that if it had been contrary to the Apostles mind we should never read that they themselves or any one of their Disciples that conversed with them no nor any Christian or Heretick in the World should once speak or write a word against it till long after it was generally setled in the Curches This therefore I resolved never to oppose § 4. 3. And as for the Presbyterians I found that the Office of Preaching Presbyters was allowed by all that deserve the Name of Christians and that this Office did participate subserviently to Christ of the Prophetical or Teaching the Priestly or worshipping and the Governing Power and that both Scripture Antiquity and the perswasive Nature of Church Government clearly shew that all Presbyters were Church Governours as well as Church Teachers and that to deny this was to destroy the Office and to endeavour to destroy the Churches And I saw in Scripture Antiquity and Reason that the Association of Pastors and Churches for Agreement and their Synods in Cases of Necessity are a plain duty and that their ordinary stated Synods are usually very convenient And I saw that in England the Persons which were called Presbyterians were emiment for Learning Sobriety and Piety and the Pastors so called were they that went through the Work of the Ministry in diligent serious preaching to the People and edifying Mens Souls and keeping up Religion in the Land § 5. 4. And for the Independants I saw that most of them were Zealous and very many Learned discreet and godly Men and fit to be very serviceable in the Church And I found in the search of Scripture and Antiquity that in the beginning a Governed Church and a stated worshipping Church were all one and not two several things And that though there might be other byâ—Meetings in places like our Chappels or private Houses
from their Churches Answ. No but consent to improve the common Truths and perform our Duties even to such as differ from us in this Object 3. There is not one of an hundred of them that will consent to these Terms Answ. If they will not who can help it when we have tried them we have done our Duty and left them without Excuse Object 4. Shall we confess a Schismatical Church for a true Church Answ. Every Schism nulleth not the Church or Ministry that is guilty of it else most of the Churches in the World were nulled If they reject the Essentials of a Church they are none Object 5. Baptism is Essential to a Church The Apostle Heb. 6. 1. putteth it among the Principles Answ. 1. It is only the thing signified by Baptism that is Essential 2. The Apostle calls it a Principle because it is one of the first things taught but not because it is Essential to a Church 3. The Anabaptists have Baptism in their Churches though not of Infants Object 6. To make a League with Schsmaticks is to be guilty of their Schism Answ. True If by that League you own approve or consent to their Schism But not by agreeing with them to perform Common Duties Object 7. They are undermining the Church and Ministry and shall we seek peace with such Answ. 1. Those that we speak of are not such 2. If they were yet it is our Duty to hinder them by agreeing to moderate Ways and Common Duties Object 8. They are guilty of their Infants Damnation as much as in them lyeth by not believing their part in the Covenant nor dedicating them to God Answ. They virtually consent for their Infants in that they would actually do it if they knew the Promise Object 9. They are under God's visible Displeasure Ergo c. Answ. So far as God disowneth them we must do so but no further Object 10. We shall be reproached as complying with them Answ. Slanderous Tongues cannot excuse us from plain Duties Object 11. Those whom we should Excommunicate we may not have Communion with But the Anabaptists should be Excommunicated Ergo c. Answ. I deny the Minor taken of such Anabaptists as we have now in question Object 12. It is a scandalous Sin unrepented of Answ. 1. So is many a greater Errour which Men must not be Excommunicated for 2. It is virtually repented of seeing if they knew the Evil of it they would repent Object 13. You would have a looser Discipline than the Prelates or Papists for they would not Communicate with Anabaptists Answ. 1. I only avoid dividing rigour and cruelty 2. They have Multitudes in their Communion that know not what Baptism is nor to what use nor who Christ is whether God or Man nor many other Fundamentals Ergo Their Discipline is far looser than I desire but too partial also The Anabaptists object We are bound to propagate the Truth and if you will have Communion with us you must be baptized Answ. 1. You are bound to propagate first the greatest Truths that Salvation lyeth on and to do nothing that may hinder this by promoting your own Opinions 2. If you reject Communion with all but Anabaptists you reject all the Church through most Ages of the World And no Church no Christ and no Christ no Christians nor any Salvation 3. Blame us not if we be not easily brought to your Opinion if we had but these Reasons 1. You confess no thanks to you that Infants were once Church-Members by God's appointment and have never yet proved that he cast them out again And we must have good proof of that before we can be satisfied with your way 2. We cannot be hasty to believe an Evil and we know that it is a sad Penal Evil for Infants to be put out of the Church And Ergo we will have proof of it before we believe it 3. It must be no easie matter with us to believe that the Head and Shepherd of the Church hath de facto had a Church of a false Constitution as to the very Materials and Enterance from the beginning to this day except a few within this twenty years that troubled it in a Corner of the World and that now in the end of the World we must expect a right Constitution as if Christ had slept or regarded not his Church or been the Head of a Body which he disowned We cannot hastily believe such things I say again No Church no Christ for No Body no Head And if no Christ then there is no Christ now Take heed therefore how you unâ—unâ—Church or difown the whole Church of Christ in the very frame for so many Ages An Offer of Christian fraternal Communion to the Brethren that are against or doubtful about Baptizing Infants of Believers IT is our exceeding Joy that we have all one God one Saviour one Spirit one Faith and one Baptismal Covenant one Rule of Faith and Life one End and Hope and are Members of one Catholick Church and agree about God's Worship in the most and greatest parts And it is our Grief and the Matter of our great Humiliation that we can come no nearer and that by the Remnants of our Differences the Wicked are so hardened the Weak offended our Charity hindered our holy Communion and mutual Edification disturbed our Minds discomposed and the Gospel the Catholick Church and our Saviour dishonoured Lamenting this with the rest of our Unhappiness while we are in the Flesh and absent from the Lord the Centre of Perfect Unity and Concord and knowing it to be our Duty to walk by the same Rule and mind the same things so far as we have attained and being taught of God to love one another and observing how frequently and urgently Brotherly Love and Forbearance and the Unity and Concord of Christians is prest in the holy Scriptures and Uncharitableness and Divisions condemned that as far as may be we may promote our Common Ends of Christianity and with one Mind and Mouth may glorifie God We whose Names are under-written do make this following Offer of Communion 1. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of the Christian Faith and have been Baptized since their Infant-Baptism as thinking it unlawful or insufficient we offer free Communion in our particular Churches with leave to Enter your dissent from our Infant-Baptism into the Church-Register or Records so be it you will thence-forth walk in that Love and Holiness and that Obedience to the faithful Overseers of the Flock and that Concord and Brotherly Communion with the Church as is required in the holy Scriptures according to your power and will resist Uncharitableness Discord and Divisions and joyn with us in our Common Work for the Common Ends. 2. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of Faith though they have been baptized since their Infant-Baptism or think that Baptism unlawful and dare not hold Local Communion with us in
our particular Churches we yet offer that we may at that distance that our Infirmities have set us maintain unfeigned Brotherly Love and acknowledge our several Churches for Christian Congregations and hold a Correspondency by Delegates or other convenient Means for the strengthening of each other and observe the Rules exprest in the following Offer 3. To all those that joyn with us in the foregoing Profession of Christianity and yet through their dissent from our Baptizing the Infants of Believers dare not hold Local Communion with us nor yet acknowledge our Churches to be true Instituted Particular Churches we yet offer 1. That we may acknowledge each other for Members of Christ supposing the foresaid Profession of Christianity to be solemnly and credibly made and Members of the Church Universal 2. And that we may converse in the World together in a faithful Observance of these following Rules 1. That we addict our selves heartily to the promoting and exercising of Brotherly Love towards one another and take heed of all things contrary thereto in Word and Deed. 2. That we addict our selves to preserve the Unity of the Church Catholick and Concord of true Christians and the Common Interest of the Godly and to farther the Cause of Christ in the World and take heed of so managing our different Opinions as may be a hinderance to these 3. That we study and addict our selves to promote the Conversion of ignorant ungodly People and the building up of the Weak and that we take great heed lest in the managing of our different Opinions or opposing one another we should hinder these Works hardening the Wicked and offending the Weak 4. That we always in our esteem and industry prefer the greater common Truths that we are all agreed in before the lesser Points that we differ in And that we take heed of so managing our Differences publickly or privately as may tend to hinder the Reception or Success of those greater common Truths in which we are agreed 5. That we publish our Agreements and profess our Christian Love and Resolutions for Peace in our several Congregations and profess there our joynt disowning and detestation of all Errours Heresies and Ungodliness contrary to the Profession wherein we are agreed 6. That we will not preach publickly for our differing Opinions in each others Congregations without the Pastor's consent nor privately to speak for them as is like to tend to the hinderance of God's greater Work in that Place nor hold any private Assemblies in one anothers Parishes which shall be more to the distracting of each others Societies than for common Christian Edification 7. That in our Preaching and Conference we will allow the greater and common Truths such a proportion of our Time and Zeal and Speech as the Nature Necessity and Number doth require and not lay out inordinately such an undue proportion of Zeal and Time and Speech for our different Opinions as shall be injurious to those Truths 8. That we will avoid in Publick and Private all unbrotherly scornful reproachful Speeches of each other especially before ungodly People And that we will not to them dishonour one anothers Ministry so as may hinder their profiting by it but will rebuke all such ungodly Persons that we hear reproaching the Ministers or Brethren of either part 9. That we will not receive into any of our Churches any Scandalous Persons that fly from the Discipline of other Churches and pretend a Change of Opinion to cloak their Scandals but will impartially hear what Accusations shall be sent in against them and proceed accordingly 10. That we will upon any Defamations or Accusations or Rumours of Injury against one another or of violating our Profession by contrary Doctrine or breaking this Agreement be responsible to each other as Brethren and will forbear divulging private or uncertain Faults or censuring or reproaching one another till we have either conferred together to give and receive Satisfaction and duly admonished each other or tendered such Conferences and Admonitions seasonably till we see they are wilfully rejected OFFERERS Richard Baxter Pastor of the Church at Kiderminster c. c. c. WE whose Names are Subscribed dissenting from Infant-Baptism heartily accept this Offered Agreement as followeth In the first Rank In the second Rank In the third Rank Optatus Adv. Parm. l. 3. p. 75. EUM qui ad Deum so conversum esse professus est Paganum vocas Paganum vocas eum qui Deum Patrem per filium ejus ante eram rogaverit 〈◊〉 enim crediderit in nomine Patris Filii Spiritâ—â— Sancti credidit Et tu eum Paganum vocas post confessionem Fidei Siâ—aliquid Christiâ—â—â—â— quod absit unâ—squisque delinquerit peccator dici potest Paganus iterum esse non potest Sed haeâ— omnia vultis nullius esse momenti At si tibi ipsi consenserit quem seducis unus consensus manâ—â— tuae porrectio pauca Verba jam tibi Christianum faciunt de Christiano Et ille vobie videbitur Christianus qui quod vultis fecerit non quem fides adduxerit Lib. 5. p. 86. Denique vos qui baptisma quasi libenter duplicare contenditis si datis alterum baptisma date alteram fidem si datis alteram Fidem alterum Christum Sidatis alternum Christum date alterum Deum Deus Unus est De Uno Deo Unus est Christus Qui rebaptizatur jam Christianus fuerat Quomodo dici potest iterum Christianus Lib. 4. p. 76. Sâ— tu non vis esse Frater ego esse incipio Impius si de nomine isto â—â—cuero Vid. Lib. 1. Fol. 1. § 46. Before this I had occasion to make a more particular tryal for Union with the Independent Brethren I knew Mr. Phil. Nye had very great power with them and he being in the Country I desired him to give me in Writing all those things which of necessity must be granted them by the Presbyterians in order to Concord and Conjunction in the same Associations and Communion He referred me to the Debates in the Assembly at Westminster which are in print I urged him to give them me under his Hand which at that time he did not but the next Year I prevailed with him and he wrote down these two as sufficient Concessions to our desired End The first was that they might have Liberty to take Church-Members out of other Parishes And the second that they might have all Church Power within themselves in their several Congregations I asked him if I accommodated them in both these whether really they would unite with us as aforesaid And he told me that they would Whereupon I drew up this Form of Agreement following which I thought granted them both these But so as that they should be Members of constant Associations and meet with us in our Synods and that they should do this not as subject to the Government of those Synods but as using them for Concord between the Churches and so
Duties will permit I have done my part in urging you and them with my offer till you call me unto more In the mean time Madam may I intreat you to read impartâ—ally and deliberately 1. My little Book called The Trâ—â— Catholick and Catholick Church c. which I shall send or bring you 2. My Preface before the Disputation with Mr. Iohnson and the Letters in the end and the Second Part and then the first 3. My two first Books against Popery The Safe Religion and The Key For your former reading of them before any doubting had made you observe the stress of Arguments is nothing if you will but now read them again impartially after your contrary Conceptions continue a Papist if you can And truly if you will not do thus much for your own Soul because Men engage you to the contrary that dare not appear to make good their own Cause I must be a Witness against you before the Lord that you wilfully resused Instruction and sold your Soul at too cheap a rate I tried when I was last with you to revive your Reason by proposing to you the Infallibility of the Common Senses of all the World and I could not prevail though you had nothing to answer that was not against Common Sense And it is impossible any thing controverted can be brought nearer you or made plainer than to be brought to your Eyes and Taste and Feeling and not yours only but all Mens else Sense goes before Faith Faith is no Faith but upon Supposition of Sense and Understanding if therefore Common Sense be fallible Faith must needs be so But methinks yet I should have hope of reviving your Charity You cannot be a Papist indeed but you must believe that out of their Church that is out of the Pope's Dominions there is no Salvation and consequently no Justification and Charity or saving Grace And is it possible you can so easily believe your religious Father to be in Hell your prudent pious Mother to be void of the Love of God and in a state of Damnation and not only me that am a Stranger to you but all the Millions of better People in the World to be in the same State of Gracelesness and Damnation and all because we believe not that the Pope is Christ's Vicar General or Deputy on Earth and dare not subject our selves to his usurped Dominions When we are ready to protest before the Lord as we shall answer it at his Bar that we would be his Subjects but for Fear of the high Displeasure of the true Head and King of the Church and for fear of sinning and Damning our own Souls And that we are heartily willing to read and study and pray and hear all that can be said for them and some of us read as much of their Writings as of our own and more and would not stick at Cost or Pains or Loss or Shame were it to travail over Land and Sea to find out that they are in the Right if that would do it and they be so indeed But the more we study the more we pray to God for his Assistance the more diligently we search we are the more resolved and convinced that their way as it differeth from ours is false and that they are the most Superstitious Tyrannical Leprous part of the Catholick Church condemning the main Body because they will not be under their abominable Dominion and will not sin as much as they We hold all that was held necessary by the Apostles and the ancient Church and we dare not make a new Faith to our selves as the Papal Sectaries have done Must we renounce both our Sense and Reason and put out the Eye of Natural Understanding and also renounce the Catholick Church and Christian Charity and step into the Throne and pronounce Damnation not only upon all the Saints of God that we have been acquainted with our selves but also on the Body of Christ which he died for even on the far greatest part of the Universal Church and all this because they will not depart from the Word of God to corrupt his Doctrine Discipline and Worship and herein obey an usurping Vice Christ must we do all this or else be judged to Damnation by the Sectaries of Rome For my part I shall be so far from fearing their Sentance that I appeal to Christ whose Body they condemn and I had rather be tortured in their Inquisition and cut as small as Herbs to the Pot and be accounted the odiousest Wretch on Earth than be guilty of being a Papist at all but especially on such hellish Terms as these If the greater part of the Church must be damned as no part of the Church it will be impossible to prove your Sect or Fragment to be the Church any more than any other Christ is the Saviour of his Body Eph. 5. 23 and to him as to its Head it 's subject ver 24. and this Body is that which is sanctified by him ver 26. And by one Spirit all his Members are baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Did you never note where the Unity of the Body is fulliest described that Apostles themselves are made but Members and Christ only the Head 1 Cor. 27 28 29. Eph. 4. 4 5 7 11. There is but one Lord c. but diversity of gifts of whom the Apostles are the chief And when Thousands were added to the Church even such as should be saved Acts 2. 47. what made them Christians but the Baptismal Covenant and what were they Baptized into but into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Peter or Paul baptized none into their own Names nor dare the Pope himself lest his Innovation be too visible Christ hath said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16. 16. Did they ever then subject any Baptism to the Bishop of Rome Was the Eunuch Acts 8. subjected to the Pope that only saith I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God and was Baptized If men could not be saved without believing in the Pope and being subject to the Church of Rome how comes it to pass that none of the Apostles preached this necessary Article of Faith Why did they never say You must believe in or be subject to the Pope of Rome or you cannot be saved Would they be so unfaithful as to hide a necessary Article Why did Peter himself Acts 2. by Baptism take Three thousand into the Church without preaching any of this Doctrine to them The Gospel professeth that he that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5. 11 12. and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And now up steps a Man of Rome and presumeth to Reverse the Gospel and say It 's no such matter for all this they shall not be
whole Christian World 5. That the Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth the Possessors Keepers and Teachers of God's Oracles and that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it is most sure and comfortable Truth But what is this to Rome any more than to Ierusalem or Alexandria The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Body of Christ the Universality of Christians the true Catholick Church But it may prevail against Corinthians Gallateans Romans or any particular part As it prevailed against Pope Iohn XXII alias XXIII to make him deny the Resurrection and against Pope Eugenius to make him a Heretick if General Councils are to be believed 6. As to what you say of Apostles still placed in the Church When any shew us an immediate Mission by their Commission and by Miracles Tongues and a Spirit of Revelation and infallability prove themselves Apostles we shall believe them Till then we remember that Church that was commended for trying them that said they were Apostles and were not and finding them Lyers Rev. 23. Peter and the Twelve Apostles with him we acknowledge and Paul we acknowledge but know none properly called Apostles living now But if it be only the Name and not the Office that you differ about and by Apostles you mean not Men immediately sent by Christ to preach the Gospel with a Spirit of Miracles and Infallability which is our Sense of that Word but some other sort of Men then if they be ordinory Pastors or Bishops it s no matter of Difference if not you must describe them before we can know them They are to blame whoever they be that they call not themselves Apostles and tell us where who and how many they are if they are so indeed 7. They were to be accounted Heathens and Publicans that heard not the Church admonishing them But sure other Pastors besides Apostles must admonish and be heard And other Churches besides the Roman must hold or refuse Communion as is there signified either you will erroneously have that Text understood of the Universal Church or else truly of a Particular Church If the former what 's that to the Roman Church that is but a corrupted Part If the latter it 's no more to the Roman than any other which are particular Churches also surely this is plain Truth if you are willing to see 8. You say The Faith of which Believers were was that of the Romans spread through the World Answ. Yes and it was the Faith of the Ephesians Philippians Colâ—ssians too and all one The Romans had not a Faith of their own specifically different from others Nor did the Holy Ghost by the Apostles ever give one Word of Command to other Churches to conform their Faith to Rome or take that Church for their Mistress or Sovereign These Fancies Pride hath set up against Christ The Faith of Ierusalem was as much known through the World as that of Rome and sure you think not that being known through the World made them the Rule or Rulers of the World 9. Upon Observation you find this Church shining as a Light and set as a City on a Hill And was not Ierusalem Antioch Alexandria Ephesus c. so too Sure they were All faithful Preachers of the Gospel especially the Apostles were observable as such Lights and City to the World that wondred at their Doctrine which is all that Christ there saith and as I said the universal Church is more observable than the Roman Sect And other particular Churches are and were as Light and Conspicuous as it And the most conspicuous Church hath from thence no Pretence to be the rule or Ruler of the rest 10. You say This Church hath been ever triumphant ever Heresies Answ. 1. What! when Honorius was by two or three General Councils condemned for a Heretick Pope Iohn XXII and Eugenius as beforesaid for that and worse with many more 2. Woe to the Churches if others had not conquered Heresy better than the Roman Party hath done 3. And veriâ—y did you think that a particular Church is therefore the Rule or Ruler to the rest because it triumpheth over Heresy 11. You add immoveable in Persecutions Answ. 1. For they have been the great Persecutors as Leeches sucking and swell'd with the Blood of Thousands and Ten Thousands of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus O the Blood that will be found among them when the righteous Judge of all the World shall make Inquisition for Blood among their Massacrees and Inquisitions 2. Was that Church unmoveable in Persecution when the Head of it Pope Marcellinus offered Incense to Idols And Liberius subscribed to the Arrians and against Athenasius What should I tell you of more who I perceive are made believe the Crow is white 3. Again it is a pitiful Proof of their Rule to prove them immutable in Persecution The Church hath many Heads if every Church or Bishop be its Head that hath stood fast in Persecution 12. You add And always watchful in the Succession of Pastors I give you the same Answers 1. watchful indeed when their own Church Histories tell us of such Multitudes that came in by Symony or Poison or other Murder or Violence that have been Hereticks as aforeshewd or Adulterers Murderers and such impious Wretches as the Cannons depose and when Iohn XII or XIII was deposed by a Councell for ravishing Maids and Wives at his Doors and abundance more such Villanies and Iohn XXII for worse and when Eugenius continued the Succession when a general Council bad judged him a Heretick wicked deposed c. and when they have had such abundance of Schisms having two three or four Popes alive at once and one Schism of Forty Years in which no Man knew or knows to this Day which was the true Pope and when meer Possession is it that must prove their Succession For besides these Incapacities Mr. Iohnson you may see confesseth that no one way of Election by Cardinals People Emperors Bishops Councils c. hath been held or is necessary nor any Consecration necessary at all to the being of the Pope And if a Succession of bare Possession serve how many Churches have the like Yea 2. Constantinople Ethiopia Armenia and many other Churches have had a far more regular Succession than Rome of at least as good 3. And it 's a pitiful Argument that because a Church hath had a Succession of Pastors therefore they are the whole Church and others are no part or therefore they are the 〈◊〉 and Rulers to the rest or therefore we must be of that Particular Church only Surâ— none denies the Succession of Pastors in England as to meer possession of the Place if that will serve the turn 13. To what you say of being 〈◊〉 Holy Catholick and Apostolick and cannot deceive you I answer 1. O dreadful Delusion that a Church headed with horrid Monsters and not Men 〈◊〉 their own Histories describe a multitude of their Popes should
in the Administration of the Discipline of Christ. For further Proof whereof we have that known Testimony of Tertullian in his general Apology for Christians In the Church are used Exhortations Chastisements and divine Censures for Judgment is given with great Advice as among those who are certain they are in the sight of God and it is the chiefest foreshewing of the Judgment that is to come if any Man hath so offended that he be banished from the Communion of Prayer and of the Assembly and of all holy Fellowship The Presidents that bear rule therein are certain approved Elders who have obtained this Honour aud not by Reward but by good Report Who were no other as he himself elsewhere intimateth but those from whose hands they used to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist For with the Bishop who was the Chief President and therefore styled by the same Tertullian in another place Summus Sacerdos for distinction sake the rest of the Dispensors of the Word and Sacraments were joined in the common Government of the Church And therefore in matters of Ecclesiastical Judicature Cornelius Bishop of Rome used the received Form of gathering together the Presbytery Of what Persons that did consist Cyprian sufficiently declareth when he wished him to read his Letters to the flourishing Clergy that there did reside or rule with him The presence of the Clergy being thought to be so requisite in matters of Episcopal Audience that in the fourth Council of Carthage it was concluded that the Bishop might hear no Man's Cause without the Presence of the Clergy which we find also to be inserted into the Canons of Egbert who was Archbishop of York in the Saxons Times and afterwards into the Body of the Canon-Law it self True it is that in our Church this kind of Presbyterian Government hath been long disused yet seeing it still professeth that every Pastor hath a right to rule the Church from whence the Name of Rector also was given at first unto him and to administer the Discipline of Christ as well as to dispence the Doctrine and Sacraments And the restraint of the Exercise of that Right proceedeth only from the Custom now received in this Realm No Man can doubt but by another Law of the Land this Hindrance may be well removed And how easily this ancient Form of Government by the united Suffrages of the Clergy might be revived again and with what little shew of Alteration the Synodical Conventions of the Pastors of every Parish might be accorded with the Presidency of the Bishops of each Diocess and Province the indifferent Reader may quickly perceive by the perusal of the ensuing Proposition I. In every Parish the Rector or the incumbent Pastor together with the Church-wardens and Sidemen may every Week take notice of such as live scandalously in that Congregation who are to receive such several Admonitions and Reproofs as the quality of their Offence shall deserve and if by this means they cannot be reclaimed they may be presented unto the next Monthly Synod and in the mean time be debarred by the Pastor from access unto the Lord's Table II. Whereas by a Statute in the Twenty sixth of King Henry VIII revived in the first Year of Queen Elizabeth Suffragans are appointed to be erected in twenty six several Places of this Kingdom the Number of them might very well be conformed unto the Number of the several rural Deaneries into which every Diocess is subdivided which being done the Suffragan supplying the place of those who in the ancient Church were called Chorepiscopi might every Month assemble a Synod of all the Rectors or incumbent Pastors within the Precinct and according to the major part of their Voices conclude all Matters that should be brought into Debate before them To this Synod the Rector and Churchwardens might present such impenitent Persons as by Admonition and Suspension from the Sacrament would not be reformed who if they should still remain contumacious and incorrigible the Sentence of Excommunication might be decreed against them by the Synod and accordingly be executed in the Parish where they lived Hitherto also all things that concerned the Parochial Ministers might be referred whether they did touch their Doctrine or their Conversation As also the censure of all new Opinions Heresies and Schisms which did arise within that Circuit with Liberty of appeal if need so require unto the Diocesane Synod III. The Diocesane Synod might be held once or twice in the Year as it should be thought most convenient therein all the Suffragans and the rest of the Rectors or Incumbent Pastors or a certain select Number out of every Deanery within that Diocess might meet with whose Consent or the major part of them all things might be concluded by the Bishop or Superintendant call him whither you will or in his Absence by one of the Suffragans whom he should depute in his stead to be Moderator of that Assembly Here all matters of greater Moment might be taken into Consideration and the Orders of the Monthly Synods revised and if need be reformed And if here also any matter of Difficulty could not receive a full Determination it might be referred to the next Provincial or National Synod IV. The Provincial Synod might consist of all the Bishops and Suffragans and such of the Clergy as should be elected out of every Diocess within the Province The Primate of either Province might be the Moderator of this Meeting or in his room some one of the Bishops appointed by him and all Matters be ordered therein by common Consent as in the former Assemblies This Synod might be held every third Year and if the Parliament do then sit according to the Act for a Triennial Parliament both the Primates and Provincial Synods of the Land might join together and make up a National Council wherein all Appeals from inferior Synods might be received all their Acts examined and all Ecclesiastical Constitutions which concern the State of the Church of the whole Nation established May it please your Grace I would desire you to consider whether Presentments are fit to be made by the Churchwardens alone and not rather by the Rector and Churchwardens Then whither in the Diocesan Synod the Members of it be not too many being all to judge and in their own cause as it may fall out Therefore after this Clause and the rest of the Rectors or incumbent Pastors whether it be not fit to interline or four or six out of every Deanery Ri. Holdsworth We are of Judgment that the Form of Government here proposed is not in any point repugnant to the Scripture and that the Suffragans mentioned in the second Proposition may lawfully use the Power both of Jurisdiction and Ordination according to the Word of God and the Practice of the ancient Church § 97. When we went with these foresaid Papers to the King and expected
pretend to Divine Authority or true Antiquity It granteth them much more than Reverend Bishop Hall in his Peâ—â—re-maker and many other of that Judgment do require who would have accepted the fixing of the President for Life as sufficient for the Reconciliation of the Churches 2. It being most agreeable to the Scripture and the Primitive Government is likest to be the way of a more Universal Concord if ever the Churches arrive on Earth at such a Blessing However it will be most acceptable to God and to well informed Consciences 3. It will promote the Practice of Discipline and Godliness without Disorder and promote Order without the hindering of Discipline and Godliness 4. And it is not to be silenced though in some respects we are loath to mention it that it will save the Nation from the Violation of the Solemn Vow and Covenant without wronging the Church at all or breaking any other Oath And whether the Covenant were lawfully imposed or not we are assured from the Nature of a Vow to God and from the Cases of Saul Zedekiah and others that it would be a terrible thing to us to violate it on that pretence Though we are far from thinking that it obligeth us to any Evil or to go beyond our Places and Callings to do Good much less to resist Authority yet doth it undoubtedly bind us to forbear our own Consent to those Luxuriances of Church-Government which we there renounced and for which no Divine Institution can be pretended It is not only the Presbyterians but multitudes of the Episcopal Party and the Nobility Gentry and others that adhered to his late Majesty in the late unhappy Wars that at their Composition took this Vow and Covenant And God forbid that ever the Souls of so many thousands should be driven upon the Sin of Perjury and upon the Wrath of God and the Flames of Hell Or that under Pretence of calling them to repent of what is evil they should be urged to commit so great an Evil. If once the Consciences of the Nation should be so debaâ—ched what good can be expected from them or what Evil shall they ever after be thought to make Conscience of or what Bonds can be supposed to oblige them or how can your Majesty place any Conâ—idence in them notwithstanding the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which they take or how can they be taken for competent Witnesses in any Cause or Persons meet for human converse or how should those Preachers be regarded by their Auditors that dare wilfully violate their solemn Vows and it would be no Comfort nor Honour to your Majesty to be the King of a Persideous Nation And whatever Palliation Flattery might at Hand procure undoubtedly at distance of time and place where Flattery cannot silence Truth it would be the Nations perpetual Infamy And what Matter of Reconciliation would it be to the guilty Papists when we blame their impious Doctrines that have such a tendency How loose would it leave your Majesty's Subjects that are once taught to break such sacred Bonds Till the Covenant was decried as an Almanack out of date and its Obligation taken to be null that odious Fact could never have been perpetrated against your Royal Father Nor your Majesty have been so long expulsed from your Dominions And the Obligation of the Covenant upon the Consciences of the Nation was not the weakest Instrument of your Return We therefore humbly beseech your Majesty with greater importunity then we think we should do for our Lives that you will have Mercy on the Souls and Consciences of your People and will not urge or tempt them to this grievous Sin nor drive them on the insupportable Wrath of the Almighty whose Judgment is at hand where Princes and People must give that account on which the irreversible Sentence will depend For the honour of our Religion and of your Majesty's Dominions and Reign we beseech you suffer us not to be tempted to the violating of such Solemn Vows and this for nothing when an Expedient is before you that will avoid it without any detriment to the Church nay to its honour and advantage The Prelacy which we disclaimed is That of Diocesans upon the Claim of a Superiour Order to a Presbyter assuming the sole Power of Publick Admonition of particular Offenders injoyning Penitence Excommunicating and Absolving besides Confirmation over so many Churches as necessitated the Corruption or Extirpation of Discipline and the using of Humane Officers as Chancellors Surrogates Officials Commissaries Arch-Deacons while the undoubted Officers of Christ the Pastors of the particular Churches were hindered from the Exercise of their Office The Restoration of Discipline in the particular Churches and of the Pastors to the Exercise of their Office therein and of Synods for necessary Consultation and Communion of Churches and of the Primitive Presidency or Episcopacy for the avoiding of all shew of Innovation and Disorder is that which we humbly offer as the Remedy beseeching your Maiesty that if any thing asserted seem unproved an Impartial Conference in your Majesty's hearing may be allowed us in order to a just Determination Concerning the Preamble in your Majesty's Declaration we presume only to tender these Requests 1. THAT as we are perswaded it is not in your Majesty's Thoughts to intimate that we are guilty of the Offences which your Majesty here reciteth so we hope it will rather be a motive to the hastening of the Nation 's Cure that our Unity may prevent Mens Temptations of that Nature for the time to come 2. Though we have professed our willingness to submit to the Primitive Episcopacy and a Reformed Liturgy hoping it may prove an Expedient to an happy Union yet have we expressed our dislike of the Prelacy and present Liturgy while unreformed And though Sacriledge and unjust Alienation of Church-Lands is a Sin that we detest yet whether in some Cases of true Superfluities of Revenues or true Necessity of the Church there may not be an Alienation which is no Sacriledge and whether the Kings and Parliaments have been guilty of that Crime that have made some Alienations are Points of high Concernment of which we never had a Call to give our Judgment And therefore humbly beseech your Majesty that concerning these Matters we may not to our Prejudice be otherwise understood than as we have before and here expressed 3. That as your Majesty hath here vouchsafed us your gracious Acknowledgment of our Moderation it might never be said That a Ministry and People of such moderate Principles consenting to Primitive Episcopacy and Liturgy could not yet be received into the Settlement and countenanced Body of your People nor possess their Stations in the Church and Liberty in the Publick Worship of God 4. And whereas it is expressed by your Majesty That the Essence and Foundation of Episcopacy might be preserved though the Extent of the Jurisdiction might be altered this is to us a ground of Hope
that those Men are reproveable who say that nothing but Deceit and Jugling was from the beginning intended For who knoweth other Mens Intents but God Charity requireth us to think that they speak nearer to the Truth who say that while the Diocesan Doctors were at Breda they little dreamt that their way to their highest Grandeur was so fair and therefore that then they would have been glad of the Terms of the Declaration of Breda and that when they came in it was necessary that they should proceed safely and feel whether the Ground were solid under them before they proceeded to their Structure The Land had been but lately engaged against them The Covenant had been taken even by the Lords and Gentlemen of their own Party at their Composition There was the Army that brought them in who were Presbyterians as to the most of the ruling part to be disbanded and how knew they what the Parliament would do Or that there would be none to contest against them in the Convocation How could they know these things beforehand Therefore it was necessary that moderate things should be proposed and promised and no way was so fit as by a Declaration which being no Law is a temporary thing giving place to Laws And it was needful that the Calling of a Synod were delayed till the Presbyterians were partly cast out and a way to keep out the rest secured And if when all these things were done the former Promises were as the Independants called the Covenant like an Almanack out of Date and if Severities were doubled in comparison of what they were before the Wars no Man can wonder that well understood the Persons and the Causes § 144. Presently after this Mr. Crofton writing to prove the Obligation of the solemn National Vow and Covenant not as binding any Man to Rebellion or to any thing unlawful but in his Place and Calling to endeavour Reformation to be against Schism Popery Prelacy and Profaneness and to defend the King he was sent Prisoner to the Tower where when he had laid long at great Charges he sought to get an Habeas Corpus but his Life being threatned he was glad to let that Motion fall and at last to petition for his Liberty which he obtained But going into his own Country of Cheshire he was imprisoned there and when he procured his Liberty he was fain to set up a Grocer's Shop to get a maintenance for his Family While he was in the Tower he went to the Chappel Service and Sermon his Judgment being against separating from the Parish-Churches notwithstanding their Conformity so be it he were not put himself to use the Common-Prayer as a Minister or the Ceremonies And this occasioned some that thought his Course unlawful to write against it to which he somewhat sharply replied and so divers Writings were published on both sides about such Communion § 145. This calleth to my Remembrance how earnest the Brethren of London and the Countries were to have had us draw up among our selves how far we should go when Conformity was imposed that we might not be weakened by differing among our selves which I could never persuade my self to attempt considering as I oft told them 1. That we had no such Design as to unite and strengthen one Party against onother but to keep up the Interest of Religion in the Land 2. That if God permitted some able Men to conform though sinfully he would do good by it to his Church by keeping the Parish-Churches in such a Case that all of us might not be driven to forsake them 3. That the thing desired was utterly impossible 1. Because no Man could tell beforehand what would be imposed on us and therefore none could tell wherein we should be forced to dissent 2. Because the same Act as coming to Common-Prayer or Sacrament in the Churches might become a Duty to some Men and a Sin to others by diversity of their Stations Relations Pastors Churches Occasions Circumstances as I proved How then could all beforehand set a bound how far to go It would be much better to persuade Censorious Brethren to unite in Christian Faith and Love and to keep Charity and Peace with all that agree in the Foundation and not to make a Breach by their Censoriousness and then say others make a Breach by differing from us Nor to be of the same Spirit with Imposers while they are in the Heat of Opposition against them or of sufferings by them The Difference is but in the Expressions of Uncharitableness one Party silenceth imprisoneth and banisheth and the other Party censureth those that differ from them as Temporisers and unfit for their Communion 3. And if any had set down his Terms or Bounds who can dream that all would have agreed to them when Mens Judgments and Interests and Temptations are so various 4. The thing would have seem'd intollerable to our Governors and they would have taken us for Factious that had more desired to strengthen a Party against them than to live in Peace and Concord § 146. About this time there fell out an Accident that gave Occasion to the Malicious to reproach us It was our great Grief that so many faithful Ministers were put out and so many unworthy Persons restored or newly put into the Ministry Every Day almost People talkt to us of one drunk at such a Place and another carried in a Cart or lying in a Ditch at such a place or one taken drunk by the Watch at Night and another abused and made a Scorn in his Drunkenness by the Apprentices in the Streets and of Three that the Day when they had been Ordainedâ— got in their Drink three Wenches to them in the Inn or Tavern which having their married in their manner c. two fled and the third was fain to take his Wench to Wife with abundance such News that fill'd the City We modestly told some of it and they made us odious by it as malicious Slanderers as if a Word had not been true At last the City did ring of one Baker that preached a funeral Sermon drunk at Westminster and fell a railing at the People in the Church in his Sermon with much of the like Because the Rumour was so common we enquired after it till it was attested to us by the Hearers and having such unquestionable Witness some Brethren would by all means tell the King 〈◊〉 it as by the by to move â—im to reform such things When we were next with him Dr. Manton told him of it and there being one Baker elected by the King to an Irish Bishoprick and the common Fame and some of the Hearers saying that it was the same Man I seconded Dr. Manton and told the King That we could not say upon our knowledge that it was true but when the Fame of such things was common as to affect his Subjects be it true or false we thought it better for his Majesty to hear what the People
in the reason of it That the Jews Children are called Innocents that were two years old and that they are said to confess Christ by dying and so must have a Holy-day when they confessed him but objectively as Sacrifices did that hence we take occasion to pray for the killing of Vices in us that our Lives may express our Faith is partly uncertainty at the best and partly incoherence The Collect for the Epiphany hath no Petition but one for the fruition of the glorious Godhead after this Life The Collect for the first Sunday after the Epiphany is no more pertinent to that day than to another and is only for the Generals the hearing of our Prayers the knowing our duty and doing it That for the second Sunday after Epiphany is no more pertinent and is only for audience and peace That on the third Sunday after the Epiphany is no more pertinent and hath nothing but in General that God will look upon our Infirmities and help us in all dangers and necessities The same is to be said of that for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany which is only for health of body and soul to pass and overcome Sufferings The Collect for the keeping of the Church in the true Religion is no more pertinent to the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany that to another day The Collect on Septuagesima Sunday is that we that are justly punished for our offences may be mercifully delivered when perhaps the Church is under no special Punishment nor is there any reason for the order of this Prayer That on the Sunday called Sexagesima hath no reason of its location or order there and hath no Petition but that so oft repeated one to be defended against all adversity The Petition for Charity on Quinquagesima Sunday hath no reason for disorder nor for appropriation to that day but should be part of every days Requests The same is to be said of the Collect on the first day of Lent which also unhandsomly saith that God hateth nothing that he hath made which is true only in a formal sence quâ talis For he hateth all the works of iniquity Psal. 5. 5. The General Petitions on the second Sunday in Lent to keep our bodies from adversity and our souls from evil thoughts have no reason for their order The same is true of that on the third Sunday in Lent which hath no Petition but that God will look upon our desires and stretch forth his right hand to be our defence against Enemies There is no more reason for that order of that on the fourth Sunday in Lent which is only a Petition for relief to us that are worthily punished when perhaps we are under no special Punishment but in Prosperity The same Ataxie is in that on the fifth Sunday in Lent which asketh nothing but to be governed and preserved evermore That on the Sunday before Easter and divers days after giveth no reason of Christ's Incarnation and Death but that all mankind should follow the example of his humility and yet must be used rather then that on the second Sunday after Easter which in fewer words conjoyneth both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Ensample of Godly Life The first Collect on Good-fryday hath no Petition but that God will graciously behold this his Family inconveniently also expressed the Pronoun this seeming plainly to mean that particular Congregation which is not to be called God's Family but part of it The following Collects for the day are good but have no order as to their location Even the Collect on Easter-day is disorderly and dry having no Request annexed to the mention of Christ's Resurrection but that by God's help we may bring the good desires he hath given us to good effect which also is repeated the next day and also on the first Sunday after Easter That on the second Sunday after Easter is fitter for Good-friday but indeed must be a daily Petition That on the third Sunday after Easter hath no reason of its order or placing there The same is true of that for the fourth Sunday after Easter and that on the fifth Sunday which are but Generals to think and do good That on Whitsunday and divers days after useth the words as upon this day of which before and petitioneth for no gift of the Spirit but a right judgment and rejoycing That on Trinity Sunday asketh nothing at all but through the stedfastness of our Faith to be defended evermore from all adversity A Petition so frequently repeated even alone as if we would perswade the Enemies of the Church that we are a worldly carnal People and principally seek the things that perish when indeed it is a sin to pray to be evermore defended from all adversity when God hath told us that through many tribulations we must enter into his kingdom and that he that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution and that God chasteneth every son whom he receiveth and that he that will be Christ's Disciple must deny himself and forsake all and take up his Cross and follow him accounting the afflictions of this present time unworthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed That on the first Sunday after Trinity is as the rest having no special respect to the day or order of Requests and containeth only the General Request so oft repeated of Grace to keep God's Commandments and please him No more reason is there for the order of the Petition for fear and love on the second Sunday after Trinity Nor of that on the third Sunday which only asketh audience and that God by his mighty aid will defend us without any instancing from what No more reason is there for the order of the Requests on the fourth Sunday after Trinity the fifth the sixth the seventh the eighth which only prays God whose Providence is never deceived to put away from 〈◊〉 all hurtful things and give us these things that be profitable all mee Generals in which no particular repentance or desires are expressed So also on the ninth Sunday that hath the like Generals and on the tenth Sunday which asketh nothing but that we may obtain our petitions and ask that which pleaseth God and that on the eleventh Sunday that we running to the Promises may be partakers of the heavenly Treasure and that on the twelfth which asketh for that which we dare not presume to ask and that on the thirteenth that we may so run to the promises as to attain them which is all the Petition and that on the fourteenth and that on the fifteenth keep us ever by thy help and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation and that on the sixteenth the seventeenh the eighteenth where the infections of the Devil is an inconvenient phrase the nineteenth the twentieth the one and twentieth the two and twentieth which again prays that the Church may be free from all adversities the three and twentieth which is nothing
Works are concauses with faith in the act of Iustification Dr. Dove also hath given Scandal in that point 3. Some have preached the Works of Penance are satisfactory before God 4. Some have preached that private Consession by particular Enumeration of Sins is necessary to Salvation necessitate medii both those Errours have been questioned at the Consistory at Cambridge 5. Some have maintained that the Absolution which the Priest pronounceth is more than Declaratory 6. Some have published That there is a proper Sacrifice in the Lord's Supper to exhibit Christ's Death in the Postfact as there was a Sacrifice to prefigure in the Old Law in the Antefact and therefore that we have a true Altar and therefore not only metaphorically so called so Dr. Heylin and others in the last Summers Convocation where also some defended that the Oblation of the Elements might hold the Nature of the true Sacrifice others the Consumption of the Elements 7. Some have introduced Prayer for the Dead as Mr. Brown in his printed Sermon and some have coloured the use of it with Questions in Cambridge and disputed that Precespro Defunct is now supponunt Purgatoriuâ— 8. Divers have oppugned the certitude of Salvation 9. Some have maintained the lawfulness of Monastical Vows 10. Some have maintained that the Lord's Day is kept meerly by Ecclesiastical Constitution and that the Day is changeable 11. Some have taught as new and dangerous Doctrine that the Subjects are to pay any Sums of Money imposed upon them though without Law nay contrary to the Laws of the Realm as Dr. Sybthorp and Dr. Manwaring Bishop of St. Davids in their printed Sermons whom many have followed of late years 12. Some have put Scorns upon the two Books of Homilies calling them either Popular Discourses or a Doctrine useful for those Times wherein they were set forth 13. Some have defended the whole gross Substance of Arminianism that Electio eft ex fide praevisa That the Act of Conversion depends upon the Concurrence of Man's Freewill That the justified Man may fall finally and totally from Grace 14. Some have defended Universal Grace as imparted as much to Reprobates as to the Elect and have proceeded usque ad salutem Ethnicorum which the Church of England hath Anathematized 15. Some have absolutely denied Original Sin and so evacuated the Cross of Christ as in a Disputation at Oxon. 16. Some have given excessive Cause of Scandal to the Church as being suspected of Socinianism 17. Some have defended that Concupiscence is no sin either in the habit or first motion 18. Some have broacht out of Socinus a most uncomfortable and desperate Doctrine That late Repentance that is upon the last Bed of Sickness is unfruitful at least to reconcile the Penitent to God Add unto these some dangerous and most reproveable Books 1. The Reconciliation of Sancta Clara to knit the Romish and Protestant in one Memorand That he be caused to produce Bishop Watson's Book of the like Reconciliation which he speaks of 2. A Book called Brevis Disquisitio printed as it is thought in London and vulgarly to be had which impugneth the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the verity of Christ's Body which he took of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven and the verity of our Resurrection 3. A Book called Timotheus Philalethes de Pace Ecclesiae which holds that every Religion will save a Man if he holds the Covenant Innovations in Discipline 1. The turning of the holy Table Altar-wise and most commonly calling it an Altar 2. Bowing towards it or towards the East many times with three Congees but usually in every motion access or recess in the Church 3. Advancing Candlesticks in many Churches upon the Altar so called 4. In making Canopies over the Altar so called with Traverses and Curtains on each side and before it 5. In compelling all Communicants to come up before the Rails and there to Receive 6. In advancing Crucifixes and Images upon the Parafront or Altar-cloth so called 7. In reading some part of the Morning Prayer at the Holy Table when there is no Communion celebrated 8. By the Minister's turning his back to the West and his face to the East when he pronounceth the Creed or reads Prayers 9. By reading the Litany in the midst of the Body of the Church in many of the Parochial Churches 10. By pretending for their Innovations the Injunctions and Advertisements of Queen Elizabeth which are not in force but by way of Commentary and Imposition and by putting to the Liturgy printed secundo tertio Edwardi sexti which the Parliament hath Reformed and laid aside 11. By offering of Bread and Wine by the hand of the Churchwardens or others before the Consecration of the Elements 12. By having a Credentia or Side-Table besides the Lord's Table for divers uses in the Lord's Supper 13. By introducing an Offertory before the Communion distant from the giving of Alms to the Poor 14. By prohibiting the Ministers to expound the Catechism at large to their Parishioners 15. By suppressing of Lectures partly on Sundays in the Afternoon partly on Week-days performed as well by Combination as some one Man 16. By prohibiting a direct Prayer before Sermon and bidding or Prayer 17. By singing the Te Deum in Prose after a Cathedral Church way in divers Parochial Churches where the People have no skill in such Musick 18. By introducing Latin-Service in the Communion of late in Oxford and into some Colledges in Cambridge at Morning and Evening Prayer so that some young Students and the Servants of the Colledge do not understand their Prayers 19. By standing up at the Hymns in the Church and always at Gloria Patri 20. By carrying Children from the Baptism to the Altar so called there to offer them up to God 21. By taking down Galleries in Churches or restraining the Building of such Galleries where the Parishes are very populous Memorandum 1. That in all the Cathedral and Collegiate Churches two Sermons be preached every Sunday by the Dean and Prebendaries or by their procurement and likewise every Holy-day and one Lecture at the least to be preached on Working-days every Week all the Year long 2. That the Musick used in God's Holy Service in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches be framed with less Curiosity that it may be more edifying and more intelligible and that no Hymns or Anthems be used where Ditties are framed by private Men but such as are contained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures or in our Liturgy of Prayers or have publick allowance 3. That the Reading-Desk be placed in the Church where Divine Service may beâ—t be heard of all the People Considerations upon the Book of Common Prayer 1. Whether the Names of some departed Saints and others should not be quire expunged in the Kalender 2. Whether the reading of Psalms Sentences of Scripture concurring in divers places in the Hymns Epistles and Gospel should not be set out in the New Translation 3. Whether
Servant Io. Earles To my honoured Friend Mr. Richard Baxter These § 271. Before this in November many worthy Ministers and others were imprisoned in many Counties and among others divers of my old Neighbours in Worcestershire And that you may see what Crimes were the occasion I will tell you the story of it One Mr. Ambrose Sparry a sober learned Minister that had never owned the Parliament's Cause or Wars and was in his Judgment for moderate Episcopacy had a wicked Neighbour whom he reproved for Adultery who bearing him a grudge thought now he had found a time to shew it He or his Confederates for him framed a Letter as from I know not whom directed to Mr. Sparry That he and Captain Yarrington should be ready with Money and Arms at the time appointed and that they should acquaint Mr. Oasland and Mr. Baxter with it This Letter he pretended that a Man left behind him under a Hedge who fate down and pull'd out many Letters and put them all up again save this and went his ways he knew not what he was nor whether he went This Letter he bringeth to Sir Iohn P the Man that hotly followed such work who sent Mr. Sparry Mr. Oasland and Captain Yarrington to Prison This Mr. Oasland was Minister in Bewdley a servent laborious Preacher who had done abundance of good in converting ignorant ungodly People And he had offended Sir Ralph Clare in being against his Election as Burgess in Parliament for that Town But who that Mr. Baxter was that the Letter named they could not resolve there being another of the name nearer and I being in London But the Men especially Mr. Sparry lay long in Prison and when the Forgery and Injury was detected he had much ado to get out § 272. Mr. Henry Iackson also our Physician at Kidderminster and many of my Neighbours were imprisoned and were never told for what to this day But Mr. Iackson was so merry a Man and they were all so cheerful there that I think they were released the sooner because it appeared so small a Suffering to them § 273. Though no one accused me of any thing nor spake a word to me of it being they knew I had long been near a Hundred miles off yet did they defame me all over the Land as guilty of a Plot and when Men were taken up and sent to Prison in other Counties it was said to be for Baxter's Plot so easie was it and so necessary a thing it seemed then to cast such filth upon my Name § 274. And though through the great Mercy of God I had long been learning not to overvalue the thoughts of Men no not so much as the Reputation of Honesty or Innocency yet I was somewhat wearied with this kind of Life to be every day calumniated and hear new Slanders raised of me and Court and Country ring of that which no Man ever mentioned to my face and I was oft thinking to go beyond Sea that I might find some place in retired privacy to live and end my days in quietness out of the noise of a Peace-hating Generation But my Acquaintance thought I might be more serviceable here though there I might live more in quietness and having not the Vulgar Language of any Country to enable me to preach to them or converse with them and being so infirm as not to be like to hear the Voyage and change of Air These with other Impediments which God laid in my way hindred me from putting my Thoughts in Execution § 275. About this time also it was famed at the Court that I was married which went as the matter of most heinous Crime which I never heard charged by them on any Man but on me Bishop Morley divulged it with all the Odium he could possibly put upon it telling them that one in Conference with him I said that Ministers marriage is lawful and but lawful as if I were now contradicting my 〈◊〉 And it every where rung about partly as a Wonder and partly as a Crime whilst they cried This is the Man of Charity little knowing what they talkt of 〈◊〉 that at last the Lord Chancellour told me He heard I was married and wondered at it when I told him it was not true For they had affirmed it near a year before it came to pass And I think the King's Marriage was scarce more talked of than mine § 276. All this while Mr. Calamy and some other Ministers had been endeavouring with those that they had Interest in and to try if the Parliament would pass the King's Declaration into a Law and sometimes they had some hope from the Lord Chancellour and others but when it came to the trial their hopes all failed them and the Conformity imposed was made ten times more burdensome than it ever was before For besides that the Convocation had made the Common Prayer Book more grievous than before the Parliament made a new Act of Uniformity with a new Form of Subscription and a new Declaration to be made against the Obligation of the Covenant of which more anon So that the King's Declaration did not only die before it came to Execution and all Hopes and Treaties and Petitions were not only disappointed but a weight more grievous than a Thousand Ceremonies was added to the old Conformity with a grievous Penalty § 277. By this means there was a great Unanimity in the Ministers and the greater Number were cast out And as far as I could perceive it was by some designed that it might be so Many a time did we beseech them that they would have so much regard to the Souls of Men and to the Honour of England and of the Protestant Religion as that without any necessity at all they would not impose feared Perjury upon them nor that which Conscience and Common Esteem and Pâ—pish Adversaries would all call Perjury that Papists might not have this to cast in our Teeth and call the Protestants a Perjured People nor England or Scotland Perjured Lands Oft have we proved to them that their Cause and Interest required no such thing But all was but casting Oyl upon the Flames and forcing us to think of that Monster of Millan that made his Enemy renounce God to save his Life before he stabb'd him that he might murder Soul and Body at a stroke It seemed to be accounted the one thing necessary which no Reason must be heard against that the Presbyterians must be forced to do that which they accounted Publick Perjury or to be cast out of Trust and Office in Church and Common-wealth And by this means a far greater Number were laid by than otherwise would have been and the few that yielded to Conformity they thought would be despicable and contemptible as long as they lived A Noble Revenge and worthy of the Actors § 278. When the Act of Uniformity was passed it gave all the Ministers that could not Conform no longer time than till Bartholomew-day
such things If it be said that the Magistrate may set up Civil Courts who may judge Circa Sacra I answer but 1. These judge de Sacris and Excommunicate and Absolve 2. They do it under the Name of Church-Discipline and the Power of the Keys 3. And instead of Christ's deposed Discipline § 339. 9. The ninth Charge against our Prelacy is consequential That it bringeth on us a multitude of grievous Calamities and ill Consequences by this abolition of true Discipline and the aforesaid Corruptions As for instance 1. That it giveth up our Cause to the Brownists quantum in se who say that our Churches are no true Churches and our Ministry is no true Ministry For if we have true Churches and Ministers it is either the Parochial the Diocesan or the National But 1. for the Parochial they say that they are no true Churches or Ministers for a true Church in sensu politico is constituted of the Governing part and the Governed part But a Parish Church hath no Governing part as such For the Diocesan is not the Head of it as a Parish Church but as a part of his Diocesan Church Otherwise one Man should be a Thousand Heads and Political persons And the Parson or Vicar though perhaps called Rector is only the Teacher and Priest and denied all Government Egro he is no Pastor as wanting an essential part of that Office nor the Church a true Church And for my part I know not how to confute these Men but by telling them that the Pastor of that Parish-Church must be judged of by God's description and not by the Bishop's which I doubt not is a true and satisfactory Answer And for a Diocesan Church the Brownists say that it is not only no Church of Christ's institution but contrary to it and therefore not to be acknowledged And for the National Church unless you speak equivocally they know no such thing for what is it that is the Constitutive Head of it The King is the Civil Head But the Constitutive Head of a Church must be an Ecclesiastical Head or a Clergy-man or Society of Men It cannot be an Archbishop for neither of the Archbishops pretendeth to it having but a priority of place and not any Government over one another Canterbury over York or in each others Provinces And the Convocation it cannot be because the Canon Anathematizeth them that take it not for the Representative Church of England And if it be but the Representative it cannot be the Constitutive Head For either it representeth the Governing part of the Church which is indeed the Head or the Governed part which is the Body If it represent the latter only then as such it can have no Governing power at all For as Representative it can have no more power than those that are represented But the Governed party as such have no Governing power Ergo neither have their Representers as such If they represent any higher power What is it It must be either in a single Person or a Collective Body which is one Political Person But the former is not at all pretended nor can be If it be said that they represent all the Pastors of England I answer no doubt that is the meaning of the Canon and yet no Man affirmeth that the real Body of all those Pastors in conjunction is one Collective Political Head of this Church For Parish-Ministers are only Heads of their several Parishes if so much but not of all the rest of the Parishes in the Nation any otherwise than of those in other Land 's Wherefore it is most evident that there is no such thing as a Church of England in a Political Formal sence as it hath one Constitutive and Ecclesiastical Head but only in an improper larger sence either as the Pastors of many Churches met in a Synod do make binding Agreements by way of voluntary Concord and Consent as many Kings may do in a voluntary Meeting which doth not constitute a Political Society Or else as they have one accidental Civil Head the King who is Head of all Religious Societies in his Dominions Papists Anabaptists c. But these are none of them Denominations à formâ But hence it may be noted 1. That as Bishop Usher said Synods are not properly a Superiour Governing power over the particular Bishops but only for voluntary Concord 2. That the Bishops must against their wills grant that all Parish-Ministers are de jure Church Governours or else how come their Representatives to be part of the Governing-Church even in Canon-making for common Government as they judge As for the Democratical conceit of them that say that the Parliament hath their Governing power as they are the Peoples Representatives and so have the Members of the Convocation though those represented have no Governing power themselves it is so palpably Self-contradicting that I need not confute it § 340. 2. A second evil Consequence is that by neglect of Discipline or excluding it the Vicious want that remedy which God hath provided to bring them to Repentance and Salvation That God hath appointed Discipline is proved from Lev. 19. 17. Matth. 18. 15 16 17 18. 1. Cor. 5. Tit. 1. 13 2. 15. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 5 15. 5. 19 20 21 22 24. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 4. 2. 2. Thess. 3. 6 14. And as neglect of Preaching so neglect of Discipline tendeth to the hardening of Sinners in their sins And when in the Application of Baptism Confirmation the Lord's Supper Absolution and all Church Consolations to them they are all used by the Church as pardoned Sinners and judged to be such how vicious soever they will the easilier believe they are such indeed and reject all passages in Sermons that would convince them and all that would perswade them of the Necessity of a Change So that no doubt but many Thousands are hindered from Conversion and Salvation for want of Discipline § 341. 3. And it tendeth to propagate the Sin as Impunity from Magistrates or Parents would do which made the Apostle say 1. Cor. 5. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump many will be encouraged to do that which undergoeth no more censure § 342. 4. It keepeth up the Credit of Sin it self and gratifieth Satan while the Church is deprived of the Publick Means appointed by God for putting Sin to open shame and bruising the Serpent's Head by a solemn Condemnation of his Works of Darkness § 343. 5. It depriveth Holiness and Obedience of the honour which God hath appointed for it by this publick differencing Judgment of the Church which being as Tertullian calleth it praejudicium futuri judicij doth represent the Justification and Condemnation of that Day and wonderfully tend to the publick honour of Godliness and Honesty and consequently to the Conversion and Establishment of Mens Souls § 344. 6. It greatly tendeth to the dishonour of the Church by its pollution whenas Christian Societies shall be conspurcated with
denied the Means of their Salvation and so perish because a Minister differeth from the State in some lesser things 4. Considering also that there are not competent Men enough to do the Work of the Gospel without them Nay there will be much want when all are employed 5. It is desirable that his Majesty have Power to indulge the Peaceable and abate Penalties as in his Wisdom he shall see most conducible to the Peace of Church and State and not to be too much tied up by an indispensable Establishment These Reasons and many more are considerable for the way of Indulgence 2. The way of Indulgence alone is not sufficient but first the Law should be made more Comprehensive 1. Because indeed the present Impositions and Restrictions of the Law considering also the direful Penalty are such especially the Declaration and Subscription required as the Age that is further from the heels of Truth will so describe and denominate as will make our Posterity wish too late that the good of Souls the welfare of the Church and the Honour of our Nation had been better provided for 2. Because it is exceeding desirable that as much strength and unity as may be may be found in the established Body of the Clergy which will be the glory of the Church the advantage of the Gospel the prevention of many sins of Uncharitablness and the great safety and ease of his Majesty and the Realm When as meer Indulgence if frustrated by Restrictions will be unsatisfactory and not attain its ends but if any thing large and full will drain almost all the established Churches of a more considerable part of the People than I will now mention and will keep much disunion among the Ministers 3. If there be no way but that of Indulgence it will load his Majesty with too much of theâ—â—ffence and murmur of the People If he indulge but few those that expected it 〈◊〉 lay all the blame on him If he indulge all or most that are meet for it he will much offend the Parliament and Prelates who will think the Law is vain But a power of indulging a small Number when the most are embodied by a Comprehension will be serviceable to God and the King and the Common Peace and justly offensive unto none 4. The Indulgence will be hardly attained by so many as need it and are meet for it most being distant many friendless and moneyless and too many misrepresented by their Adversaries as unworthy 5. If the Indulgence be for private Meetings only it will occasion such Jealousies that they preach Sedition c. as will not permit them long to enjoy it in peace These and many more Reasons are against the way of Indulgence alone It is therefore most evident that the way desirable is first a Comprehension of as many fit Persons as may be taken in by Law and then a power in his Majesty to indulge the Remnant so far as conduceth to the Peace and Benefit of Church and State Your second Question is What abatement is desirable for Comprehension I answer Suppose there is no hope of the Terms of Primitive Simplicity and Catholicism but that we speak only of what might now be hoped for 1. It is most needful that the old and new Subscriptions and Professions of Assent and Consent to all things in the Book of Ordination Liturgy and the two Articles concerning them be abated 2. That the Declaration be abated especially as to the disobliging all other Persons in the Three Kingdoms from the endeavouring in their places any lawful Alterations of the Government of the Church And that the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy be the Test of Mens subjection 3. That the Minister be not bound to use the Cross and Surplice and read the Liturgy himself if another by whomsoever be procured to do it So be it he preach not against them 4. That according to Pope Leo III. determination in such a Case the Bishops do by a general Confirmation in which each Man approveable to have his part upon due trial confirm the Ordination formerly made by lawful Pastors without Diocesans without reordaining them 5. That what the Courts will do about Kneeling at the Receiving of the Lord's Supper may be done by others and not the Minister forced to refuse Men meerly on that account 6. It is very desirable that Oaths of Obedience to the Diocesan be forborn as long as Men may be punished for Disobedience 7. It is exceeding desirable that Reformation of Church Government by Suffragans and the Rural Deanries c. be made according to his Majesty's Will expressed in his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs To your third question Of the Extent and Terms of the Indulgence it being to be left to his Majesty's Wisdom I shall not presume to give you my Answer § 428. Instead of Indulgence and Comprehension on the last day of Iune 1663. the Act against Private Meetings for Religious Exercises past the House of Commons and shortly after was made a Law The Sum of it was That every Person above sixteen years old who is present at any Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England where there are five Persons more than that Household shall for the first Offence by a Iustice of Peace be Recorded and sent to Iail three Months till he pay five pound and for the second Offence six Months till he pay ten pound and the third time being convicted by a Iuly shall be banished to same of the American Plantations excepting New-England or Virginia The Calamity of the Act besides the main Matter was 1. That it was made so ambiguous that no man that ever I met with could tell what was a violation of it and what not not knowing what was allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church of England in Families because the Liturgy medleth not with Families and among the diversity of Family Practice no man knoweth what to call the Practice of the Church 2. Because so much Power was given to the Justices of Peace to record a man an Offender without a Jury and if he did it causelesly we are without any remedy seeing he was made a Judge According to the plain words of the Act if a man did but preach and pray or read some licensed Book and sing Psalms he might have more than four present because these are allowed by the practice of the Church in the Church and the Act seemeth to grant an Indulgence for 〈◊〉 and number so be it the quality of the Exercise be allowed by the Church which must be meant publickly because it medleth with no private Exercise But when it cometh to the trial these Pleas with the Justice are vain and life men do but 〈◊〉 it is taken for granted that it is 〈◊〉 Exercise not allowed by the Church of England and to Jail they go §
429. And now came in the Peoples Trial as well as the Ministers While the Danger and Sufferings lay on the Ministers alone the People were very couragious and exhorted them to stand it out and Preach till they went to Prison But when it came to be their own Case they were as venturous till they were once Surprized and Imprisoned but then their Judgments were much altered and they that censured Ministers before as Cowardly because they preached not publickly whatever followed did now think that it was better to preach often in secret to a few than but once or twice in publick to many and that Secrecy was no sin when it tended to the furtherance of the Work of the Gospel and to the Churches Good Especially the Rich were as cautelous as the Ministers But yet their Meetings were so ordinary and so well known that it greatly tended to the Jailor's Commodity § 430. It was a great Strait that People were in especially that dwell near any busie Officer or malicious Enemy as who doth not Many durst not pray in their Families if above four Persons came in to dine with them In a Gentleman's House it is ordinary for more than four of Visitors Neighbours Messengers or one sort or other to be most or many days at Dinner with them and then many durst not go to Prayer and some durst scarce crave a Blessing on their Meat or give God thanks for it Some thought they might venture if they withdrew into another Room and left the Strangers by themselves But others said It is all one if they be but in the same House though out of hearing when it cometh to the Judgment of the Justices In London where the Houses are contiguous some thought if they were in several Houses and heard one another through the Wall or a Window it would avoid the Law But others said It is all in vain whilst the Justice is Judge whether it was a Meeting or no. Great Lawyers said If you come on a visit or business though you be present at Prayer or Sermon it is no breach of the Law because you met not on pretence of a Religious Exercise But those that tried them said Such Words are but Wind when the Justices come to judge you § 431. And here the Fanaticks called Quakers did greatly relieve the sober People for a time for they were so resolute and gloried in their Constancy and Sufferings that they assembled openly at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate and were dragged away daily to the Common Jail and yet desisted not but the rest came the next day nevertheless So that the Jail at Newgate was filled with them Abundance of them died in Prison and yet they continued their Assemblies still And the poor deluded Souls would sometimes meet only to sit still in Silence when as they said the Spirit did not speak And it was a great Question Whether this Silence was a Religious Exercise not allowed by the Liturgy c. And once upon some such Reasons as these when they were tried at the Sessions in order to a Banishment the Jury acquitted them but were grievously threatned for it After that another Jury did acquit them and some of them were fined and imprisoned for it But thus the Quakers so employed Sir R. B. and the other Searchers and Prosecutors that they had the less leisure to look after the Meetings of Soberer men which was much to their present ease § 432. And now the Divisions or rather the Censures of the Non-conforming People against their Ministers and one another began to increase which was long foreseen but could not be avoided and I that had incurred so much the displeasure of the Prelates and all their Party by pleading for the Peace of the Non-conformists did fall under more of their displeasure than any one man besides as far as I could learn And with me they joyned Dr. Bates because we went to the Publick Assemblies and also to the Common Prayer even to the beginning of it Not that they thought worse of us than of others but that they thought that our Example would do more harm For I must bear them witness that in the midst of all their Censures of my Judgment and Actions they never Censured my Affections and Intentions nor abated their Charitable Estimation of me in the main And of the leading Prelates I had so much favour in their hottest Indignation that they thought what I did against their Interest was only in obedience to my Conscience So that I see by experience that he that is impartially and sincerely for Truth and Peace and Piety against all Factions shall have his Honesty acknowledged by the several Factions whilst his Actions as cross to their Interest are detested Whereas he that joyneth with one of the Factions shall have both his Person and Actions condemned by the other though his Party may applaud both § 433. My Judgment was for the holding of Communion with Assemblies of both Parties and ordinarily I went to some Parish Church where I heard a Learned Minister that had not obtruded himself upon the People but was chosen by them and preached well as Dr. Wilkins Dr. Tillotson Mr. Nest c. and I joyned also in the Common Prayers of the Church And as oft else as I had fit opportunity I privately preached and prayed my self either with Independents or Presbyterians that desired me And I professed to all upon all occasions that though I justified not all things which they held or did in any of their Churches yet as long as they made not any Sin of mine a Condition of my Communion with them I would occasionally joyn with any true Church in publick or private so be it they preached not for Heresie nor against a holy and peaceable Life nor turned not their Strein to Sedition or uncharitable Reviling one another Even as I would hold occasional Communion with a Church of Lutherans or Greeks or Abassines if I passed through their Countreys Though caeteris paribus I preferred Publick Assemblies which have the Magistrates Countenance before Private yet I more preferred those that have pure Worship and Discipline and powerful Preaching before the scandalous undisciplined ignorant Churches of ignorant and formal lifeless Ministers And so far as I had my choice my most usual Communion should be with those Assemblies that I thought the best yet would I have occasional Communion with others as Members of the Catholick Church to shew my Catholick Communion with all the Body of Christ. Yea and my ordinary Communion should be with a Church that used the Common Prayer rather than with none or with a worse And the Lord's Day I would spend in Church Communion it being principally appointed to that end and not in any meer Family Worship or Meetings with a few Christians occasionally which met not as a Church This was my Resolution But the confidence of many on the other side was as great as mine
obliged to pay all publick Duties to the Parish where they inhabit under penalty 7. This Indulgence to Continue for three years That the Liturgy may be altered by omitting c. BY using the reading Psalms in the New Translation By appointing some other Lessons out of the Canonical Scripture instead of those taken out of the Apocrypha By not 〈◊〉 God-fathers and God-mothers when either of the parents are ready to answer for the Châ—ld By omitting that clause in the Prayer at Baptism By spiritual Regeneration By changing that Question wilt thou be baptised into Wilt thou haue this Child baptised By omitting those words in the Thanksgiving after publick and private baptism To regenerate this Infant by thy holy Spirit and to receive him for thy Child by adoption And the first Rubrick after baptism It is certain by God's word c. By changing those words in the Exhortation after baptism Regenerate and Graffed into the body into Received into the Church of Christ. By not requiring reiteration of any part of the service about baptism in publick when it is evident that the Child hath been lawfully baptized in private By omitting that Clause in the Collect after Imposition of hands in confirmation After the Example of thy holy Apostles and to certify them by this sign of thy favour and gracious goodness towards them And by changing that other passage in the prayer before Confirmation who hast vouchsafed to regenerate c. into who hast vouchsafed to receive these thy servants into thy Church by baptism By omitting that clause in the Office of Matrimony with my body I thee worship And that in the Collect who hast conseâ—rated c. By allowing Ministers some liberty in the visitation of the â—ick to use such other prayers as they shall judge expedient By changing that clause in the prayer at burial For asmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to take to himself c. into For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this World the Soul c. And that clause In a sure and certain hope c. into in a full assurance of the resurrection by our Lord Iesus Christ who is able to change our vile c. By omitting that Clause We give thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful World And that other As our hopes is that our brother doth By changing that Clause in the Common service our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body c. into our sinful Souls and Bodies may be cleansed by his precious body and blood By not enjoyning the reading of the Commination That the Liturgy may be abbreviated as to the length of it Especially as to morning-service By omitting all the Responsal prayers from O Lord open thou our c. to the Litany and the Litany and all the prayers from Son of God we beseech thee c. to we humbly beseech thee O Father c. By not enjoyning the use of the Lords Prayer above once viz. Immediately after the absolution except after the Minister's Prayer before Sermon By using the Gloria Patri only once viz. after the Reading Psalms By omitting the venite exultemus unless it be thought fit to put any or all of the first seven among the sentences at the beginning By omitting the Communion service such times as are not Communion Days excepting the 10 Commandments which may be read after the Creed And injoyning the prayer Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep these Laws only once at the End By omitting the Collects Epistles and Gospels except only on particular holidays By inserting the prayers for the Parliament into the Litany immediately after the prayer for the Royal Family in this or the like form That it may please thèe to direct and prosper all the Consultations of the High Court of Parliament to the Advantage of thy Glory the good of the Church the safety honour and welfare of our Sovereign and his Kingdoms By omitting the two hymns in the Consecration of Bishops and the Ordinatiâ—n of Priests That after the first Question in the Catechism What is your Name This may follow When was this Name given you And after that What was promised for you in Baptism Answer Three things were promised for me c. In the Question before the Commandments it may be altered You said it was promised for you c. To the 14 Qu. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained The Answer may be Two only Baptism and the Lord's Supper § 67. Upon Consultation we altered their paper in some things and added some more for we were held to those proposals only leaving the point for Toleration to be debated with our Brethren of the Congregational way And I privately acquainted Dr. Owen with the substance of the business and consulted him that they might not say we neglected them And we offered them the following form which was not what we desired but more than Dr. Wilkins after Bp. of Chester would grant us still professing himself willing of more but that more would not pass with the Parliament and so would frustrate all our Attempts § 68. The paper offered by us 1. Those who have been ordained only by meer Presbyters or the Presidents of their Synods shall be instituted and authorized to exercise their Ministry and admitted to Bènefices therein in such manner and by such persons as by his Majesty shall be thereto appointed by this form and words alone Take c. Provided that those who desire it have leave to give in their professions that they renounce not their Ordination nor take it for a nuâ—â—â—ty and that they take this as the Magistrates License and Confirmation and that they be not constrained to use any words themselves which are not consistent with this profession 2. All persons to be admitted by Ordination Institution License or otherwise into any Ecclesiastical function and dignity or to any preferment in either Vnivesity or to the Employment of a Schoolmaster shall first take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and instead of all other Oaths Subscriptions and Declarations except the Ancient Vniversity Oath shall be required only to subscribe to this form of Words J. A. B. Do hereby profess and Declare my unfeigned assent to the truth of all the holy Canonical â—criptures and to the Articles of the Creed and to the Doctrine of the Church of England contained in the 36 Articles or to the Doctrinal part of the 39 Articles of the Church of England or excepting only the 3 Articles of Ceremonies and Prelacy And I do hold that the Doctrine Worship and Government there established doth contain all things absolutely necessary to salvation And I will not knowingly by my self or any other endeavour to bring in any Doctrine contrary to this aforesaid so established And it is my true Resolution to hold Communion with
Sorrow but such as tendeth to raise us to a high Estimation of Christ and to the magnifying of Grace and a sweeter taste of the Love of God and to the firmer Resolution against Sin And that Tears and Grief be not commended inordinately for themselves nor as meer Signs of a Converted Person And that we call Men more to look after Duty than after Signs as such â—â—t Self-love on Work and spare not so you will call them much more to the Love of God and let them know that that Love is their best sign but yet to be exercised on a higher Reason than as a sign of our own Hopes for that Motive alone will not produce true Love to God And as the Antinomians too much exclude Humiliation and signs of Grace so too many of late have made their Religion to consist too much in the seeking of these out of their proper time and place without referring them to that Obedience Love and Joy in which true Religion doth principally consist Reader I do but transcribe these three Counsels for thee from a Multitude of Melancholy Persons sad Experiences § 185. This Year Salisbury-Diocess was more fiercely driven on to Conformity by Dr. Seth Ward their Bishop than any place else or than all the Bishops in England besides did in theirs Many Hundreds were Prosecuted by him with great Industry And among others that learned humble holy Gentleman Mr. Thomas Grove an Ancient Parliament-Man of as great Sincerity and Integrity as almost any Man I ever knew He stood it out a while in a Law-Suit but was overthrown and fain to forsake his Countrey as many Hundreds more are quickly like to do § 186. And his Name remembreth me that Ingenuity obligeth me to Record my Benefactor A Brother's Son of his Mr. Rob. Grove is one of the Bishop of London's Chaplains who is the only Man that Licenseth my Writings for the Press supposing them not to be against Law which else I could not expect And besides him alone I could get no Licenser to do it And because being Silenced Writing is the far greatest part of my remaining Service to God for his Church and without the Press my Writings would be in vain I acknowledge that I owe much to this Man and one Mr. Cook the Arch-bishop's Chaplain heretofore that I live not more in vain § 187. And while I am acknowledging my Benefactors I add that this Year died Serjeant Iohn Fountain the only Person from whom I received an Annual Sum of Money which though through God's Mercy I needed not yet I could not in Civility refuse He gave me 10 l. per Ann. from the time of my Silencing 'till his Death I was a Stranger to him before the King's Return save that when he was Judge before he was one of the Keepers of the Great Seal he did our Countrey great Service against Vice He was a Man of a quick and sound Understanding an upright impartial Mind and Life of too much testiness in his weakness but of a most believing serious Fervency towards God and open zealous owning of true Piety and Holiness without owning the little Partialities of Sects as most Men that ever I came near in Sickness When he lay sick which was almost a Year he sent to the Judges and Lawyers that sent to visit him such Answers as these I thank your Lord or Master for his kindness Present my Service to him and tell him It is a great Work to Die well his time is near all worldly Glory must come down intreat him to keep his Integrity over-come Temptations and please God and prepare to Die He deeply bewailed the great Sins of the Times and the Prognosticks of dreadful things which he thought we were in danger of And though in the Wars he suffered Imprisonment for the King's Cause towards the end he came from them and he greatly feared an inundation of Poverty Enemies Popery and Infidelity § 188. The great Talk this Year was of the King 's Adjourning the Parliament again for about a Year longer and whether we should break the Triple League and desert the Hollanders c. § 189. Before they were Adjourned I secretly directed some Letters to the best of the Conforming Ministers telling them how much it would conduce to their own and the Churches Interest if they that might be heard would become Petitioners for such Abatements in Conformity as might let in the Non-conformists and unite us seeing two things would do it 1. The removal of Oaths and Subscriptions save our Subscription to Christianity the Scriptures and the 39 Articles and the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy 2. To give leave to them that cannot use all the Liturgy and Ceremonies to be but Preachers in those Churches where they are used by others submitting to Penalties if ever they be proved to Preach against the Doctrine Government or Worship of the Church or to do any thing against Peace or the Honour of the King and Governours But I could get none to offer such a Petition And when I did but mention our own petitioning the Parliament those that were among them and familiar with them still laught at me for imagining that they were reasonable Creatures or that Reason signified any thing with them in such Matters And thus we were Silenced every way § 190. During the Mayoralty of Sir Samuel Sterling many Jury's Men in London were Fined and Imprisoned by the Judge for not finding certain Quakers guilty of violating the Act against Conventicles They Appealed and sought remedy The Judges remained about a Year in suspense and then by the Lord Chief Justice Vaughan delivered their Resolution against the Judge for the Subject's Freedom from such force of Fines that when he had in a Speech of two or three Hours long spoke vehemently to that purpose never thing since the King's Return was received with greater Joy and Applause by the People and the Judges still taken for the Pillars of Law and Liberty § 191. The Parliament having made the Laws against Nonconformists Preaching and private Religious Meetings c. so grinding and terrible as aforesaid the King who consented to those Laws became the sole Patron of the Nonconformist's Liberties not by any Abatements by Law but by his own Connivance as to the Execution the Magistrates for the most part doing what they perceived to be his Will So that Sir Rich. Ford all the time of his Mayoralty in London though supposed one of their greatest and most knowing Adversaries never disturbed them The Ministers in several Parties were oft encouraged to make their Addresses to the King only to acknowledge his Clemency by which they held their Liberties and to profess their Loyalty Sir Iohn Babor introduced Dr. Manton and some with him Mr. Ennis a Scotch Non-conformist by Sir Rob. Murray introduced Mr. Whittakers Dr. Annesley Mr. Watson and Mr. Vincent's The King as they say themselves told them That though such Acts were made He was against
consult about such a work and if so that more than I may be consulted and nothing laid on me alone I am confident were but Dr. Stillingfleet Dr. Tillotson or any such moderate Men appointed to consult with two or three of us on the safe and needful terms of Concord we should agree in a Week's time supposing them vacant for the Business I Rest Your humble Servant Richard Baxter Decem. 15. 1673. The means of uniting the Protestant Ministers in England and healing our lamentable Divisions supposing Church-Government may not be altered 1. About Engagements Let no other Covenant Promise Oath Declaration or subscription be necessary to Ministers for Ordination Institution Induction Ministration or Possession of their maintenance nor to Scholars at the Universities except the ancient University Oath or to School-masters besides the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and the subscribing the Doctrine and Sacraments of the Church of England as expressed in the thirty nine Articles accordingly to the 13th of Queen Elizabeth and the common Subscription approving the Doctrine of the Homilies and this following Declaration against Rebellion and Sedition I. A. B. do hold that it is not Lawful for His Majesty's Subjects upon any Pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King his Person or Authority or against any Authorized by his Legal Commission And that there lyeth no Obligation on me or any other of his Subjects from the Oath commonly called the solemn League and Covenant to endeaveavour any Change of the present Government of these his Majesty's Kingdoms nor to endeavour any Reformation of Church or State by Rebellion Sedition or any other unlawful means II. Because the Churches are all supposed to have Incumbents and the present Non-conformists being devoted to the sacred Ministry do holn it high Sacriledge to alienate themselves therefrom to pass by their outward wants till by Presentations to vacant Churches they are better provided let them have liberty to be School-masters or assistants to Incumbents or to Preach Lectures in their Churches so it be by their Consent whether they be Lectures already endowed with some Maintenance or such as the People are willing to maintain And let not the Incumbents be discouraged by the Bishops from receiving them And let such places as being convenient are already possessed by them for God's Publick Worship be continued to that use as Chappels till they can be thus received into Benefices or Lectures III. Because the Piety of Families must keep up very much of the Interest of Religion in the World and Multitudes especially in the Country that cannot read can do little or nothing of it in their own Families and may be greatly helped by joyning with their more understanding pious Neighbours let it not be forbidden to any who attend the publick Assemblies at any other hours to join with their Neighbours being of the same Parish who read the Holy Scriptures and Licensed pious Books and repeat the publick Sermons and Pray and Praise God by singing Psalms and refuse not the Inspection of their lawful Pastors herein Nor let it not be unlawful for any stablished Minister to receive his People in such Work or for the Catechising and personal instructing of such as shall desire it IV. Concerning the Liturgy and publick Communion 1. Let no Man be punished for omitting the use of the Liturgy if in the Congregation where he is incumbent the greatest part of it appointed for that time be sometimes as once a quarter or half a Year as the Canon requireth used by himself and every Lord's Day ordinarily unless when sickness or other Necessity hindreth either by himself or by his Curate or Assistant And let none be forced to read the Apocrypha publickly for Lessons 2. Let no meer Lecturer be forced to read the the Liturgy himself or to procure another to read it seeing it is the Incumbent's Charge and it is supposed it will be done Or if this may not be granted let the Lecturer be only obliged once half a Year which is the time limited in the Canon to read the Greatest part of it appointed for that time 3. Let not Christian Parents be forbidden to dedicate their Children publickly to God by entering them into the Christian Covenant professing and undertaking on their Behalf that which belongeth to Parents in that Case And let not the Parents be forced to get such Godfathers and Godmothers as are Atheists Infidels Hereticks or grosly ignorant what Baptism and Christianity is or as for their wicked Lives are themselves justly kept from the Communion nor such as they know have no intention to do what they are to undertake And if any Christian Parent can get no better to undertake that Office many now scrupling it and none can be forced to it let not his Child be denied Baptism if he be ready to do the Office of a Parent himself 4. Seeing some Ministers think that the use of the transient Image of the Cross as a Sacramental or dedicating Sign In the Baptismal Covenant and a Symbol of the Christian Profession is a breach of the second Commandment â—et not such be forced to use it nor to refuse to baptize the Children of such Persons without it who are of the same Mind 5. Let no Minister be forced against his Judgment to baptize any Child both whose Parents avoid or are justly denied the Communion of the Church unless sâ—me Person who communicateth with the Church do take the Child as his own und undertake to Educate it according to the Christian Covenant 6. Let none be forced to receive the Sacrament who through Infidelity Heresie or Prophaneness is unwilling till the hinderance be removed Nor any who by Consciousness or fear of their unfitness are like to be driven by so receiving it into distraction or desperation 7. Let no Minister be forced to deliver the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood to any who is unbaptized or who being baptized in Infancy did never yet personally to the Church or Minister own his Baptismal Covenant by an understanding Profession of the Christian Faith and promise of Obedience to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost and who also will not yet make such a profession and promise to the Church or Minister or else bring a valid Certificate that he hath formerly done it to the Bishop or some approved Pastor under whom he lived Nor to any who upon accusation fame or just suspicion of Atheism Infidelity Heresie intolerable Ignorance or gross and heinous Sin doth refuse to come speak with the Minister for his satisfaction and his Justification or better Information or who by Proof or Confession is found guilty of any of the aforsaid scandalous Evils until he have professed serious Repentance to the said Minister if the crime be notorious and if he refuse till he have moreover amended his former wicked Life 8. Let no Minister be forced to publish an Excommunication or Absolution of any against his Conscience upon the decree or
Sentence of a Lay-Chancellour or any other But let them that desire it cause such to do it whose Conscience is not against it 9. When there are Presentments or Appeals to the Chancellour's Court or Bishop's let not sickly weak Ministers or those whose Parishes cannot be so long neglected be put to travel long Journeys or neglect their Studies and Ministerial Work by oft or long Attendances in bringing Witnesses against those to whom they only refused on the foresaid Reasons to deliver the Sacrament 10. Seeing Ministers who live among them are supposed to be best acquainted with the Penitence or impenitence of their People let it be left to their Prudence whom they wil absolve in Sickness and privately give the Sacrament to and let the Sick chuse such Confessors as they think best for themselves And let those few words at Burial which import the Justification and Salvation of the Deceased be left to the Minister's Discretion who hath known the Person 's Life and Death 11. Let no Minister be forced to deny Christian Communion to those Persons otherwise found and Godly who think it unlawful to kneel in taking the Sacramental Bread and Wine though it may be upon causeless Scruples 12. Let Ministers have leave to open the meaning of the Catechism and not only to hear the Words themselves And it is much to be wished that the Catechism were amended And let him have leave at Baptism and the Eucharist to interpose some few quickning words of Exhortanion lest form alone do cast them into a customary dullness 13. Let the use of the Surplice be left indifferent in the Parish-Churches or at least if the Curate frequently use it let it suffice 14. If any live under a Minister â—hat is very ignorant or scandalous or very unsuitable to the People or to his Work let them not be punished for going often to hear and Communicate where they can better profit in any Neighbour Church of the same Diocess So be it they pay the Incumbent his Dues V. Let not those who are ordained by Presbyters be put to renounce their Ordination or be re-ordained but only upon proof of their fitness for the Ministry receive by word or a written Instrument a Legal Authority to exercise their Ministry in any Congregation in his Majesty's Dominions where they shall be Lawfully called VI. We desire that no Excommunicate Person as such may be imprisoned and ruined in his Estate but only such whose Crimes in themselves considered deserve it VII As we desire all this Liberty to our selves 〈◊〉 it is our judgment 〈◊〉 Desire that Christian Lenity be used to all truly Conscientious Dissenters and also the Tolerable may be Tolerated under Laws of Peace and Safety But who shall be judged Tolerable and what shall be the Laws or Terms of their Toleration we presume not uncalled to make our selves Counsellours or Judges But for avoiding the inconveniences which the foresaid Concessions to our selves may seem to threaten to the Church we hope it will suffice if there be a Law made for the Regulation of the Bishops the Ministers and the Flocks That People or Ministers uncivilly revile not one another That no Licens'd Ministers shall Preach against any of the Doctrine of the Church nor against Episcopacy Liturgy or the Established Ceremonies That all Magistrates be excepted from all open personal Rebukes or disgraceful Censures or Excommunications because Caeteris Parâ—ous positive Instituted Orders give place to Natural morals such as the Fifth Commandment containeth That all negligent or scandalous Ministers be Punished according to the Measure of their Fault And the omission of Preaching Liturgy or Sacraments shall be Punish'd not presently with forbidding them to do any thing because they do not enough but with the Sequestration of their Church-maintenance viz. That they lose a month's Profit of their Benefice for a month's Omission and so on proportionably And that those whose Insufficiency Heresy or Crimes are such as that their Ministry doth more hurt than good be totally cast out And that the Bishops may not Silence Suspend Deprive or Excommunicate any Minister Arbitrarily but by a known Law and in case of Injustice we may have sufficient remedy by Appeals And that no former Law or Canon which is contrary to any of this be therein in force 1. If Sacraments were but left free to be administred and received by none but Volunteers 2. And Liberty granted the Ministers to Preach in those Churches where the Common-Prayer is read by others I think it would take in all or almost all the Independents also 3. Supposing the Door left open according to the first Article These three would unite us almost all But I have mentioned the rest because the first of these will not be granted The Strictures returned upon these Proposals with the Answers My Lord I Return you this Paper with an Answer to the Strictures not with any hopes of Agreement with the Author For whoever he is I have no hope of Peace or Healing by him or by his consent according to the Principles and Rigour here expressed 1. Prop. Supposing the Church-Government may not be altered Strict a All the particulars following do directly or indirectly either overthrow or undermine the Church Governmene Answ. If by the Church Government be meant as the Propounder did mean the Constitution containing the Diocesan frame with Deans Arch-Deacons Lay-Chancellours as Governing by Excommunication and Absolution there is nothing in these Proposals incompetent with that Frame nor motioning any alteration of it Tho there is that in it which our Judgments take to be very great sin For we can quietly live under a Government sinful while we are not put to sin by our consenting to the sin of others But if by the Government be meant the whole Exercise of their Government according to the Act of Uniformity and the Canons we confess that every abatement desired by us is against it And if we could do all requir'd by the Governours we were full Conformists and needed none of this But this Pâ—efatory Prognostick tells us what to expect For whoever intendeth our Solemnity and suffering will foretel it by his Accusations And if a Cross be our intended Lot no wonder if Overthrowers and Vnderminers of the Government be the Title to be written on it 1. Prop. And the Subscribing the Doctrine and Sacraments c. Strict b So they may not be required to Subscribe either to the Government or Liturgyor Rites and Ceremonies of our Church Answ. 1. If there were nothing at all in the Diocesan frame in England Lay-Chancellours Spiritual Government nor any other part of the Government and Word in the Liturgy or any Ceremony which we do not nor dare not approve and Justify by a Subscription what need we any of this ado any more than any Bishops or Conformists seeing we were Conformable already 2. We are willing to Swear Subscribe and Covenant Allegiance to the King who is a
Worship Ans. 1. And who shall make that Rule The Bishops And who shall be Bishops You And so the Sum is The only certain and safe way of Healing is for no Man to differ from our Judgment or Will in our Agendis or Credendis Circumstance or Substance manner or matter of Worship nor say a Word to God in publick but what we write down for him or allow him What Sectary would not be such a Healer 2. But I am sorry that any Christian much more Pastors can believe that ever all the Church will be such Idolizers of Man as to stretch their Consciences to own all that for matter and manner substance or Circumstance he shall prescribe or else will all be so ripe in Knowledge as all to know which are the right Modes and Circumstances and so come to be of one mind The Church of Rome had not needed Inquisitions Flames and Racks nor lost so many Kingdoms if this could have been done But if ever the Church be heated by Men of your Opinion by this which you account the only way neither God nor Reason have herein spoken by me Wonderful that near one Thousand three Hundred Years Experience of the Churches doth not convince you and teach you better Strict For though an Agreement in the Essentials only be enough to make any Man a Member of the Catholick or universal Church yet is it not enough to make a Man a Member of this or that particular National Church For all the Reformed Churches agree as appears by the Corpus Confessionum in the Essentials of Faith and Worship and therefore in that respect they are all Members of the Church-Catholick but they do not agree either in the same form of Government or in the same outward form of Worship or in the same Ecclesiastical Discipline or in the same Rites and Ceremonies And it is the Agreement in such things as these as well as in Essentials which constitutes and giveth Denomination to the several National Churches which all of them taken together do make up the Church Catholick Thus to make up one Member of the French Dutch or any other Reformed Churches it is not enough to be a Catholick no nor a Protestant-Catholick neither but he must subscribe and conform not only in point of Judgment to their Confession of Faith but in point of Practice also to all their Rules Orders and Usages in Preaching Praying Administration of the Sacraments and all External Rites and Ceremonies prescribed by publick Authority to be used in the publick Worship of God for the more solemn more unanimous more decent and more edifying performance of the same which if any Man upon any pretence whatsoever refuse to do he cannot be of such or such a National Church where a Conformity to all such things is indispensably required of all that will be of or continue in the aforesaid respective Churches And is it not as Lawful and reasonable for our Church to prescribe Conditions of her Communion to those that will be of it and continue in it as it is for any other of the Reformed Churches to prescribe to those that are of theirs Ans. 1. It 's well that Christ is more merciful than Men His easie Yoke and light Burden Mat. 11. 29. and the necessary things Act. 15. is enough to make Men Members of him and his Body the Church Catholick that they may be saved But he that will be of a National Church must bear and do no Man knows what 2. But how will this stand with Christ's Catholick Laws A true Catholick Christian shall be saved But he that is no more with you is guilty of one of the greatest Crimes viz. Contempt of your Authority and can he then be Saved Christ's Catholick Members must love honour and cherish each other But with you he that obeyeth you not in every Word Mode and circumstance or ceremony is to be silenced and persecuted Christ's Laws are that he that is weak even in the Faith be received but not to doubtful disputations and that for smaller difference we neither despise nor judge each other but receive one another as Christ received us and that so far as we have attained we walk by the same Rule and mind the same things and if in any thing we be otherwise minded God will reveal even this unto us And that we must love one another with a pure Heart fervently and by this be known to all Men to be Christ's Disciples But your National Process carrieth it beyond this Line you will first break this Catholick Law as if your National Church were not part of the Universal and make Laws for judging the foresaid Dissenters and then plead yours against Christ's Laws and say he meant not those that are under a Law while he forbad such Laws And so you may Excommunicate reproach avoid imprison undo and silence those that Christ commanded you tenderly to Love and say they are Schismaticks for they obey us not in every Circumstance O! how much easier is Christ's Yoke than yours 3. But what is this National Church which is so contrary to Christ's Catholick Church If it be all the Churches and Christians that are under one Christian Prince we own it as such But this needs no such conditions as you name And it is not true that the Catholick Church consisteth only of such for the Subjects of the Turks and Heathens are part of the Catholick Church If it be all the Churches of a Kingdom as voluntarily associated for Communion or Concord I repeat the same as aforesaid But if you mean all the Churches of a Kingdom as under one Constitutive Ecclesiastical Head and Pastor few Protestants will say that it is of God's Institution Bilson and others usually say Patriarchs Metropolitans c. are humane Creatures And verily I had rather be no Member of a Church of Man's making till I better know the Maker's Authority than renounce all that mutual Love and Brotherly concord and forbearance and kindness and all Christ's Promises of Salvation to such which he hath settled upon his Catholick Members And if what you say be true who would not rather far be a meer Catholck Christian out of all National Churches than be in them But I yet hold that though your particular Canon bind not the Church universal yet Christ's universal Laws bind all particular Churches and Christians 4. And that which maketh me dissent is that I am not able to discern how all Men can obey such Laws as you mention and live in any concord with you without renouncing all Conscience Christianity and Religion Not that I judge all to do so that agree with you For those that agree in Iudgment may agree in Practice But you must make me mad or unacquainted with Mankind before you make me believe that a whole Kingdom will ever be so perfect in Judgment or so much of the same temper Education condition converse c. as to be all of
the Parish Churches through the greatness of some Parishes the lowness of the Minister's voices and the paucity of Churches since the burning of the City And they confess that the knowledge of the Gospel is ordinarily necessary to salvation and teaching and hearing necessary to knowledge and that to leave the people untaught especially where so many are speaking for Atheism Beastiality and Infidelity is to give them up to Damnation But yet they say that to do so is my duty because the Bishop is against my Preaching And I ought to rest satisfied that it is the Bishop and not not I that must answer for their Damnation Alas poor Souls Must they needs be damned by thousands without making any question of it as if all the question were who should answer for it I will not believe such cruel men I undertake to prove to them to them 1. That our English Species of Dioâ—â—san 〈◊〉 and Lay Choncellours power of the Keys is contrary to God's Word and destructive of true Discipline and of the Church form and Offices instituted by Christ. 2. That were the Offices Lawful the men have no true calling to it being not chosen or consented to by the Clergy or the People 3. That if their Calling were good they have no power to forbid the present Silenced Ministers to Preach the Gospel but thereby they serve Satan against Christ and Men's salvation Paul himself had his power to edification and not to destruction And Christ the Saviour of the World giveth his Ministers only a saving power and to none a power to samish and damn the people's Souls 4. That we are Dedicated as Ministers to the Sacred Office and it is Sacriledge in our selves or others to alienate us from it while we are not unfit or unable for it 5. That we are Charged as well as Timothy before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the Dead at his appearing that we Preach the Word and be in season and our ef season reprove rebuke exhort c. 6. That the Ancient Pastors for many Hundred years did Preach the Gospel against the Wills of their Lawful Princes both Heathens and Aâ—â—ians 7 That the Bishop hath no more power to forbid us to Preach than the King hath And these men confess that Ministers unjustly Silenced may Preach against the Will of Kings but not say they of Bishops 8. That were we Lay-men we might teach and exhort as Lay-men as Origen did though we might not do it as Pastors much more being Ordained the Ministers of Christ. And that now to us it is a work which both the Law of Nature and our Office or Vow do bind us to even a Moral Duty And that when Christ judgeth men for not Feeding Clothing Visiting his Members it will not excuse us to say that the Bishop forbad us That if King or Bishop forbid us to feed our Children or to save the lives of drowning or famishing men we must disobey them as being against a great command of God Love and the Works of Love being the great indispensable Duties And Souls being greater Objects of Charity than Bodies 9. That it was in a Case of Pharifaical Church Discipline when Christ avoided not converse with sinners when their good required it that Christ sent the Pharisees to learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice and at two several times repeateth the same words 10. That Order is for the thing Ordered and it's ends and a power of Ordering Preachers is not a power to depose necessary Preaching and famish Souls 11. And I shew them that I my self have the License of the Bishop of this Diocess as well as Episcopal Ordination and that my License is in force and not recalled 12. And that I have the King's License 13. And therefore after all this to obey these Silencers nay no Bishop doth forbid me otherwise than as his Vote is to the Acts of Parliament which is as Magistrates and to fulfill their will that will be content with nothing but our forsaking of poor Souls and ceasing to Preach Christ this were no better than to end my Life of Comfortable Labours in obeying the Devil the Enemy of Christ and Souls which God forbid § 272. Yet will not all this satisfie these men but they cry out as the Papists Schism Schism unless we will cease to Preach the Gospel And have little to say for all but that No society can be governed if the Rulers be not the Iudge Yet dare they not deny but a Iudgment of discerning duty from sin belongeth to all Subjects or else we are Brutes or must be Atheists Idolaters Blasphemers or what ever a Bishop shall command us But under the Censures of these unreasonable Men who take our greatest Duties for our heinous sin must we patiently serve our Lord But his approbation is our full reward § 273 On Iuly 5th 1674. at our Meeting over St. Iamses's Market-house God vouchsafed us a great Deliverance A main Beam before weakened by the weight of the People so cracked that three times they ran in terrour out of the room thinking it was falling But remembring the like at Dunstan's West I reproved their fear as causeless But the next day taking up the boards we found that two rends in the Beam were so great that it was a wonder of providence that the floor had not faln and the roof with it to the destruction of multitudes The Lord make us thankful § 274 A person unknown professing Infidelity but wâ—ether an Infidel or a jagling Papist I know not sent me a Manuscript called Examen 〈◊〉 charging Scripture with Immorality Falshoods and Contradictions from the beginning to the end and with seeming Seriousness and Respectfulness importâ—ned me to Answer him I was in so great pain and weakness and engaged in other work that I sent him word that I had not time or strength for so long a Work He selected about a Dozen Instances and desired my Answer to them I gave him an Answer to them and to some of his General accusations but told him That the rational Order to be followed by a Lover of Truth is first to consider of the proofs brought for Christianity before we come to the Objections aganst it And I proved to him that Christianity was proved true many years before any of the New Testament was Written and that so it may be still proved by one that doubted of some words of the Scripture and therefore the true order is to try the truth of the Christian Religion first and the perfect Verity of all the Scriptures afterwards And therefore Importuned him first to Answer my Book called The Reasons of the Christian Religion and then if I lived I would answer his Accusations But I could not at all prevail with him but he still insisted on my Answering of his Charge And half a year or more after he sent me a Reply to the Answer
Stomach and extream Acrimony of Blood by some Fault of the Liver About the Year 1658. finding the Inflation much in the Membranes of the Reins I suspected the Stone and thought that one of my extream Leanness might possibly feel it I felt both my Kidnies plainly indurate like Stone But never having had a Nephritick Fit nor Stone came from me in my Life and knowing that if that which I felt was Stone the Greatness prohibited all Medicine that tended to a Cure I thought therefore that it was best for me to be ignorant what it was And so far was I from melancholy that I soon forgot that I had felt it even for about Fifteen Years But my Inflations beginning usually in my Reins and all my Back daily torn and greatly pained by it 1673. it turned to terrible Suffocations of my Brain and Lungs So that if I slept I was suddenly and painfully awakened The Abatement of Urine and constant Pain which Nature almost yielded to as Victorious renewed my Suspicion of the Stone And my Old Exploration And feeling my Lean Back both the Kidneys were greatlier indurate than before and the Membrane so sore to touch as if nothing but Stone were within them The Physicians said That the Stone cannot be felt with the Hand I desired Four of the Chief of them to feel them They all concluded that it is the Kidneys which they felt and that they are hard like Stone or Bone but what it is they could not tell but they thought if both the Kidneys had Stones so big as seemed to such feeling it was impossible but I should be much worse by Vomiting and Torment and not able to Preach and go about I told them besides what Skenkius and many Observators say That I could tell them of many of late times whose Reins and Gall were full of Stone great ones in the Reins and many small ones in the Gall who had some of them never suspected the Stone and some but little But while One or Two of the Physicians as they use did say It could not be lest they should as they thought discourage me I became the Common Talk of the City especially the Women as if I had been a melancholy Humourist that conceited my Reins were petrified when it was no such matter but meer Conceit And so while I lay Night and Day in Pain my supposed Melancholy which I thank God all my Life hath been extraordinary free from became for a Year the Pity or Derision of the Town But the Discovery of my Case was a great mercy to my Body and my Soul For 1. Thereupon seeing that all Physicians had been deceived and perceiving that all my Flatulency and Pains came from the Reins by Stagnation Regurgitation and Acrimony I cast off all other Medicine and Diet and Twice a Week kept clean my Intestines by an Electuary of Cassia Terebinth Cypr. and Rhab. c. or Pills of Rhab. and Terebinth Scio. Using also Syrup of Mallows in all my Drink and God hath given me much more Abatements and Intermissions of Pain this Year and half than in my former overwhelming Pains I could expect 2. And whether it be a Schyrrus or Stones which I doubt not of I leave to them to tell others who shall dissect my Corps But sure I am that I have wonderful Cause of Thankfulness to God for the Ease which I have had these Forty Years Being fully satisfied that by ill Diet Old Cheese Raw Drinks and Salt Meats whatever it is I contracted it before Twenty Years of Age and since Twenty One or Twenty Two have had just the same Symptoms as now at Sixty saving the different strength of Nature to resist And that I should in Forty Years have few hours without pain to call me to redeem my Time and yet not one Nephritick Torment nor Acrimony of Urine save One Day of Bloody Urine nor intolerable kind of Pain What greater Bodily Mercy could I have had How merciful how suitable hath this Providence been My Pains now in Reins Bowels and Stomach c. are almost constant but with merciful Alleviations upon the foresaid means § 312. As I have written this to mind Physicians to search deeper when they use to take up with the General Hiding Names of Hypochondriacks and Scorbuticks and to caution Students so I now proceed to that which occasioned it I had tried Cow's Milk Goats Milk Breast Milk and lastly Asses Milk and none of them agreed with me But having Thirty Years ago read in many great Practitioners That for Bloody Vrine and meer Debility of the Reins Sheeps Milk doth Wonders see Gordonius Forestus Schoubo c. I had long a desire to try it and never had Opportunity But as I was saying this to my Friend a Child answered That their next Neighbour a Quaker did still milk their Sheep a Quarter of a Year after the usual time or near Whereupon I procured it for six Weeks to the greatest increase of my Ease Strength and Flesh of any thing that ever I had tried 2. And at the same time being driven from Home and having an Old License of the Bishop's yet in Force by the Countenance of that and the great industry of Mr. Berisford I had Leave and Invitation for Ten Lord's Days to Preach in the Parish-Churches round about The first Parish that I Preach'd in after Thirteen Years Ejection and Prohibition was Rickmersworth and after that at Sarrat at Kings Langley at Chessam at Chalford and at Amersham and that often Twice a Day Those heard that had not come to Church of Seven Years and Two or Three Thousand heard where scarce an Hundred were wont to come and with so much Attention and Willingness as gave me very great Hopes that I never spake to them in vain And thus Soul and Body had these special Mercies § 313. But the Censures of Men pursued me as before The Envious Sort of the Prelatists accused me as if I had intruded into the parish-Parish-Churches too boldly and without Authority The Quarrelsome Sectaries or Separatists did in London speak against me for drawing People to the Parish-Churches and the Liturgy and many gave out That I did Conform And all my Days nothing hath been charged on me so much as my Crimes as my costliest and greatest Duties But the pleasing of God and saving Souls will pay for all § 314. The Countries about Rickmersworth abounding with Quakers because Mr. W. Pen their Captain dwelleth there I was desirous that the Poor People should Once hear what was to be said for their Recovery Which coming to Mr. Pen's Ears he was forward to a Meeting where we continued speaking to Two Rooms full of People Fasting from Ten a Clock till-Five One Lord and Two Knights and Four Conformable Ministers besides others being present some all the Time and some part The Success gave me Cause to believe that it was not labour lost An Account of the Conference may be published ere
Dr. Tillotson to offer him my Chappel in Oxenden-Street for Publick Worship which he accepted to my great Satisfaction and now there is constant Preaching there Be it by Conformists or Nonconformists I rejoice that Christ is Preached to the people in that Parish whom ten or twenty such Chapels cannot hold § 8. About March 1677. fell out a trifling business which I will mention lest the fable pass for truth when I am dead At a Coffee-House in Fuller's Rents where many Papists and Protestants used to meet together one Mr. Dyet Son to old Sir Richard Dyet Chief Justice in the North and Brother to a deceased dear Friend of mine the some-time Wife of my old dear friend Colonel Sylvanus Tailor one that profest himself no Papist but was their Familiar said openly That I had killed a Man with my own hand in cold blood that it was a Tinker at my door that because he beat his Kettle and disturbed me in my Studies I went down and Pistol'd him One Mr. Peters occasioned this wrath by oft challenging in vain the Papists to dispute with me or answer my Books against them Mr. Peters told Mr. Dyet That this was so shameless a slander that he should answer it Mr. Dyet told him That a hundred Witnesses would testifie that it was true and I was tryed for my Life at Worcester for it To be short Mr. Peters ceased not till he brought Mr. Dyet to come to my Chamber and confest his fault and ask me forgiveness and with him came one Mr. Tasbrook an emiment sober prudent Papist I told him that these usages to such as I and far worse were so ordinary and I had long suffered so much more than words that it must be no difficulty to me to forgive them to any man but especially to one whose Relations had been my dearest Friends and he was one of the first Gentlemen that ever shewed so much ingenuity as so to confess and ask forgiveness he told me He would hereafter confess and un-say it and Vindicate me as openly as he had wronged me I told him to excuse him that perhaps he had that Story from his late Pastor at St. Giles's Dr. Boreman who had Printed it that such a thing was Reported but I never heard before the particulars of the Fable Shortly after at the same Coffee-house Mr. Dyet openly confess'd his Fault and an Ancient Lawyer one Mr. Giffard a Papist Son to old Dr. Giffard the Papist Physician as is said and Brother to the Lady Abergaveny was Angry at it and made Mr. Dyet a weak Man that would make such a Confession Mr. Peters answered him Sir Would you have a Gentleman so disingenuous as not to right one that he hath so wronged Mr. Giffard answered That the thing was True and he would prove it by an Hundred Witnesses Mr. Peters offered him a great Wager that he would never prove it by any but urging him hard he refused the Wager He next offered that they would lay down but five Guinea's to be laid on 't on an Entertainment there by him that lost the Wager He refused that also Whereupon Mr. Peters told him He would cause my friends if I would not my self to call him to justifie it in Westminster-Hall referring the Judgment of Equity to the Company The Papist Gentlemen that were present it 's like considering that the Calumny when opened publickly would be a Slur upon their Party Voted That if Mr. Giffard would not confess his Fault they would disown him out of their Company and so he was constrained to yield but would not come to my Chamber to confess it to me Mr. Peters moderated the business and it was agreed that he should do it there He would do it only before his own Party Mr. Peters said Not so for they might hereafter deny it So it was agreed That also before Mr. Peters and Captain Edmund Hambden he should confess his Fault and ask forgiveness which he did § 9. Near this time my Book called A Key for Catholicks was to be Reprinted In the Preface to the first Impression I had mentioned with Praise the Earl of Lauderdale as then Prisoner by Cromwell in Windsor-Castle from whom I had many Pious and Learned Letters and where he had so much Read over all my Books that he remembred them better as I thought than I did my self Had I now left out that mention of him it would have seem'd an Injurious Recantation of my kindness and to mention him now a Duke as then a Prisoner was unmeet The King used him as his special Counsellour and Favourite The Parliament had set themselves against him He still professed great kindness to me and I had reason to believe it was without dissembling 1. Because he was accounted by all to be rather a too rough Adversary than a Flatteter of one so low as I. 2. Because he spake the same for me behind my back that he did to my face And I had then a New Piece against Transubstantiation to add to my Book which being desirous it should be Read I thought best to joyn it with the other and prefix before both an Epistle to the Duke in which I said not a word of him but Truth And I did it the rather that his Name might draw some Great Ones to Read at least that Epistle if not the short Additional Tractate in which I thought I said enough to open the Shame of Popery But the Indignation that Men had against the Duke made some blame me as keeping up the Reputation of one whom Multitudes thought very ill of Whereas â—owned none of his Faults and did nothing that I could well avoid for the aforesaid Reasons Long after this he professed his Kindness to me and told me I should never want while he was able and humbly intreated me to accept Twenty Guinea's from him which I did § 10. After this one Mr. Hutchinson another of the Disputants with Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Wray's Friend one that had revolted to Popery in Cambridge long ago having pious Parents and Relations Wrote two Books for Popery one for Transubstantiation and another in which he made the Church of England Conformists to be Men of no Conscience or Religion but that all Seriousness and Conscience was in the Papist and Puritan and sought to flatter the Puritans as he call'd them into kindness to the Papists as united in Conscience which others had not I Answered these Books and after fell acquainted with Mr. Hutchinson but could never get Reply from him or Dispute § 11. Two old Friends that I had a hand heretofore in turning from Anabaptistry and Separation Mr. Tho. Lamb and William Allen that followed Iohn Goodwin and after became Pastors of an Anabiptist Church though but Tradesmen fell on Writing against Separation more strongly than any of the Conformable Clergy But in Sense of their old Errour run now into the other Extreme especially Mr. Lamb and Wrote against our gathering
no Acts of Government but the Parliament in being should continue or if none then were that which last was should be in power and exercise all the Government in the Name of the King This offer took much with many but most said that it signifyed nothing For Papists have easily Dispensations to take any Tests or Oaths and Queen Mary's case shewed how Parliaments will serve the Prince's will § 39. Divers Papists turned from them to the Protestants upon the Detection of their wickedness and bloody Principles and minds And among others Mr. Hutchinson that called himself Berry against whom I lately wrote He first wrote for the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and after forsook them seemingly for a time § 40. When I had written my Book against Mr. Gale's Treatise for Predetermination and was intending to Print it the good man fell sick of a Consumption and I thought it meet to suspend the publication lest I should grieve him and increase his sickness of which he dyed And that I might not obscure God's Providence about sin I wrote and preached two Sermons to shew what great and excellent things God doth in the World by the occasion of Man's sin And verily it is wonderful to observe that in England all Parties Prelatical first Independents Anabaptists especially Papists have been brought down by themselves and not by the wit and strength of their Enemies and we can hardly discern any footsteps of any of our own Endeavours wit or power in any of our Late Deliverances but our Enemies wickedness and bloody Designs have been the occasion of almost all Yea the Presbyterians themselves have suffered more by the dividing effects of their own Covenant and their unskilfulness in healing the Divisions between them and the Independents and Anabaptists and the Episcopal than by any strength that brought them down tho since men's wrath hath troden them as in the dirt § 41. In April I finished a Treatise of the only way of Union and Concord among all Christian Churches In three parts 1. Of the Nature and Reasons of Union an Concord 2. Of the true and only Terms 3. Of the Nature of Schism and the false Terms on which the Church will never unite § 42. Two years ago by the Consent of many Ministers I Printed one Writing called the Judgment of Nonconformists concerning the Parts or Office of Reason in Religion which having good acceptance by the same Men's consent I yielded to the Printing of three more one of the difference between Grace and Morality Another called the Nonconformists Judgment about things indifferent commanded by Authority And another What Nonconformity is not disclaiming several false Imputations To which I added a 4th of Scandal But when they were Printed some of our Political friends in Parliament and else where were against the publishing of them saying they would increase our sufferings by exasperating or offend some Sectaries that dislike some words And so I was put to pay 23 l. for the printing of them and suppress them § 43. I wrote also Divers Treatises of Nonconformity One opening their case by a multitude of Quere's Another by way of History and Assertion specially vindicating them from the Charge of Schism Another to prove it their duty to continue preaching tho forbidden c. § 44. The Earl of Argyle told me that being in company with some very great men one of them said that he went once to hear Mr. Baxter preach and he said nothing but what might beseem the King's Chappel and concluded that it was his Judgment that I ought to be beaten with many stripes because it could not be through ignorance but meer faction that I conformed not And the Bishops and Clergy to this day make unstudied Noble Men and Gentlemen believe that we confess all to be lawful and meer Inconveniences which we deny Conformity to O inhumane Impudence A Plot of Satan to tempt men never more to believe Clergy men's History Hereupon the said Earl of Argyle after many others desiring me to write down the points that we deny Conformity to I wrote 1. The case of the Nonconformists in a brief History 2. An Index of about 40 or 50 of the points that we cannot conform to but barely naming them without proof to avoid prolixity which may expose them to any Pretender's Confutation And at the importunity of a friend this week May 2. I permitted the shewing them to the Bishop of Lincoln Dr. Barlow who is a Man firmly zealous against Popery of great Reading and Learning long a publick Professor of Divinity in Oxford and esteemed of as equal at least with the best of the Bishops And yet told my friend that got my Papers for him that he could hear of nothing that we judged to be sin but meer inconveniences When as above 17 years ago we publickly endeavoured to prove the sinfulness even of many of the old Impositions and our petition for peace was printed in which we solemnly professed that nothing should hinder us from Conformity did we not believe it to be sin against God and endangering our salvation Yet thus talk the best and Learnedest of them as if they had dwelt a thousand Miles from us and had never heard our Case Some would persuade us that they are all meer hardened impudent Worldlings that know all to be Lies which they thus speak But I am persuaded that this is too hard Censure and that some yea many of the Clergy think as they thus speak because the Schism of the Age doth make them meer strangers to us knowing little more of our minds than what they hear from one another by such Reports And yet we never had leave to speak or write our Case to tell men what it is that we think sin in the New-Conformity much less to give our Reasons § 45. The firing fury going on still God leaving the Papists to self-destroying madness on Friday night May 9. Some Papist prisoners bribing the Porter they set the prison on fire and burnt much of it down the Porter and they escaping together which put the Parliament to appoint the drawing up of a stricter Law to prevent more firing But what can Laws do to it § 46. On the Lord's day May 11th 1679. The Commons sate extraordinarily and agreed in two Votes first that the Duke of York was uncapable of succeeding in the Imperial Crown of England 2. That they would stand by the King and the Protestant Religion with their Lives and Fortunes and if the King came to a violent Death which God forbid would be revenged on the Papists § 47. The Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews in Scotland Iames Sharp was Murdered this Month. The Actors a Servant hardly used by him or a Tenant drew in some Confederates since suffered § 48. The Parliament shortly dissolved while they insisted on the tryal of the Lord Treasurer § 49. The Scots being forbidden to preach and Meet in the open Fields being led by a few rash
years importuned me to let him Print it 1. The sharp execution of the Law had then brought Multitudes into Prison and Poverty 2. Nonconformists both Presbyterians and Independents had taken the Corporation Oath and Declaration and Communicated in the Parish Churches for to make them capable of Trust and Office in the City And because it seâ—m'd to tend to their protection and advantage we heard of no noise made against them by the Independents but they admitted them as their Members to their Communion as before I was against their taking the Declaration but not against their Communicating but I medled not with them At last when the Earl of Shaftsbury was broken and gone and the City Power and Common Council subdued to the will of the King the foresaid Communion in publick was more freely blamed by the Independents and Anabaptists and some few hot Scots Men. And the private Church Meetings were so much supprest and the prisons so full that my Conscience began to tell me that I should be guilty of injuring the truth the Church and the Souls and Bodily welfare of my brethren if I should by silence harden them against publick worship Specially the Case of the Countrey moved me wherein a great part of the Kingdom scarce two hundred men in a whole Country can have the liberty of any true Church Worship besides Parochial I remembred the Case of the Old Nonconformists against the Brownists and the Writings of Mr. I. Ball Paget Hildersham Bradshaw Gifford Brightman Ames c. I could not but remember what work the separating party had made in England and Scotland in my days from 1644. till 1660 against Government Religion and Concord I saw what I long foresaw each extreme party growing more extreme and going further still from one another And so great a Change is grown on London that the Terms which we offered the Bishops for Concord 1660 are now abhorred as Antichristian I saw multitudes like to be Imprisoned and Ruined for refusing their Duty as if it were sin and disgracing Religion by fathering these Errours on it The Conformists seeing the Errour of the Separatists derided them all and were confirmed in the Justification of all their Conformity thinking that it was but a just differing from a crazed Company of Fanaticks Those that imprisoned and ruined both them and the rest of the Nonconformists thought they did God service by it against an unruly sort of Men The Common people were made believe that this was the true Complexion of all the Dissenters from whatever the Law Commanded The distance growing wider and great sufferings increasing hard thoughts of those by whom Men suffered all real Love did seem to be almost utterly destroyed and Neighbours dwelt together like unplacable Enemies And worst of all Men were frightened to think that they must rather give over all Church Worship than they must Communicate with the best Ministry in the Parish Churches and so the main body of the Land would live like Atheists who can have no other Church-Worship but the Parochial For the Nonconformists Churches were in almost all Countries so suppressed that no considerable Numbers could enjoy them And by this means the Papists were like to have their Wills The Protestants must be told that Recusancy is all their Duties And going to the Publick Churches a sin And who can for shame drive Papists to sin And if thus they could draw all Protestants to forsake the said Churches they would like a deserted City and Garrison'd Fort be open and ready for their possession And while the Papists and Malignants are studying how to cast out all the Godly Conforming Ministers that the Ductile remainder might be prepared for Popery the separating part of the Independents and Anabaptists and some few hot Scotch Presbyterians go before them and tell all the People that it is unlawful to hear them and to own them as Ministers or Churches and to have Communion with them in the Liturgy or Sacraments Even when the rigour of Prosecutors hath brought it to that pass that they must have such or none as to Church worship Seeing so many in prison for this Error to the dishonour of God and so many more like to be ruin'd by it and the separating party by the temptation of suffering had so far prevailed with the most strict and zealous Christians that a great Number were of their mind and the Non-conformable Ministers whose Judgment was against this separation durst not publish their dislike of it partly because of sharp and bitter Censures of the Separatists and who took them for Apostates or Carnal Temporizers that communicated in publick and partly for fear of Encouraging Persecution against the Separatists and partly for fear of losing all opportunity of teaching them and some that had no hope of any other friends or maintenance or Auditors thought they might be silent On all these accounts I that had no gathered Church nor lived on the Contribution of any such and was going out of the world in pain and Languor did think that I was fittest to bear men's Censures and to take that reproach on my self which my brethren were less fit to bear who might live for farther Service And at the Importunity of the Bookseller I consented to publish the Reasons of my Communicating in the Parish-Churches and against Separation Which when it was coming out a Manuscript of Dr. Owen's who was lately dead containing Twelve Arguments against such joyning with the Liturgie and publick Churches was sent me as that which had satisfyed Multitude I thought that if this were unanswered my labour would be much lost because that party would still say Dr. Owen's Twelve Arguments confuted all Whereupon I hastily answered them but found after that it had been more prudent to have omitted his Name For on that account a swarm of revilers in the City poured out their keenest Censures and three or four wrote against me whom I answered I will not name the men that are known and two of them are yet unknown But they went on several Prineiples some Charged all Communion with the Liturgie with Idolatry Antichristianity and perjury and backsliding One concealed his Judgment and quarrel'd at by-words And another turned my Treatise of Episcopacy against me and said it fully proved the Duty of Separation I was glad that hereby I was called to explain that Treatise lest it should do hurt to mistakers when I am dead and that as in it I had said much against one extream I might leave my Testimony against the other I called all these writings together a Defence of Catholick Communion And that I might be Impartial I adjoyned two piece against Dr. Sherlock that ran quite into the contrary Extreames unchurching almost all Christians as Schismaticks I confess I wrote so sharply against him as must needs be liable to blame with those that know not the man and his former and latter Virulent and ignorant Writings § 81. About this time
to prevail with them 2. The Protestants whom I spoke to may be prevailed with for ought you know All be not of one Spirit If they be not I have Confort in following Peace as far as I could which they will never find in flying from it While every Man must be a Pope and reduce all the World to his infallible Judgment as the only means to Peace and will agree with none but Men of his own Principles no wonder if Pacificatory Attempts are frustrate Duroeus Acontius Davenant Hall Melancthon c. found that better Labours than mine have been frustrate for Unity I bless God my Success is far more than ever I did expect but it is with the Sons of Peace Excep to Sect. 30. These things shall be defended against him through God's Grace 1. That if there be no Bishop in any Diocess yet in a National Church where many Bishops had united themselves to govern parts of one National Church they ought to have recourse to some neighbour Bishop 2. That if Presbyters in defect of Bishops might Ordain Excommunicate yet not one single Presbyter 3. That such as were never Ordained by Bishops where they might are none of of these Presbyters none at all Reply to Sect. 30. I am of as quarrelsom a Nature as others but yet I will not be provoked to turn a conciliatory Design into a Contention and if I would your Questions are ill fitted to our use 1. The First will necessarily carry us to dispute the Ius Divinum of Bishops which I purposely avoid and it should be after the last 2. The Secoônd if I yield it you is nothing against our Agreement 3. The Third I cannot dispute well till I know what you will yield in the excepted Case I would desire you as a more orderly and effectual way to our Ends to do these three Things 1. Tell me plainly whether you take the Reformed Churches of Holland France Scotland Helvetia Geneva c. for true organized Churches and their Pastors for true Pastors and Presbyters and Ordination by Presbyters to be valid in their Case 2. seeing you plainly seem to take an uninterrupted Succession of authoritative Ordination to be of flat Necessity to the being of the Ministry will you give us a clear Proof of such a Succession de Facto either to your self or any Man now living I earnestly intreat you deny me not this nor say it is needless I have told you the need of it in those Papers Again I pray you put it not off 3. Seeing you prosess to be for Concord and yet reject our Terms as a Schismatical Combination will you propound your own Terms the lowest condescending Terms which you can possibly yield to which may tend to our Closure If you only contend against our Way and will not find a better nor use any Endeavours of your own in its stead what Man of Reason will believe your Profession of the strong Inclination of the Heart to Concord and Peace I again intreat you instead of contending to perform these Three things which will exceedingly further the much desired Work And for my part though you and Millions of Men oppose it I am resolved by the Grace of God to desire pray and labour for Peace and the Unity of the Church upon Honest and Possible not Romish or Sinful Terms while I am Rich. Baxter Dec. 23. 1653. No. II. Mr. Johnson's First Letter to Mr. Baxter about the Point of Ordination SIR BEING very much unsatisfied in the reading of your late Discourse concerning the Interruption of the Succession of the Ministry I thought good to take Advantage from your own Offer friendly and freely to debate the Question with you And I shall lay out my Thoughts to you in this Method 1. I will give you the Reasons which makes me if it be Papistical to abet the Papists in pleading for an uninterrupted Succession 2. I will reply to your Arguments whereby you dispute the Succession of the Ministry of England to be interrupted 3. I will offer you some Reasons why an infallible Proof of the Point is not necessary in the Case 4. I will produce such Arguments as shall put it beyond doubting and so shall leave indubitable though not infallible Proof of the Question in your Hands 1. First I shall give you the Reasons why I plead so seriously for the uninterrupted Succession and I shall do this in the first place because all the rest will be Supervacaneous if it be a Matter of no great Consequence whether there be a Succession or not If therefore you can satisfy my Arguments whereby I plead for the Necessity and give me Reason enough to understand that an Uninterruption of the Succession is not much material I will save my self the Trouble of Confuting what you have said against it and you some Trouble of making a needless Repl. Now the first Reason which induceth me to believe that it is a matter of much more Cosequence than you talk of is the Seriousness of our Divines in their Endeavours to prove that the Bishops in Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth's Days were Ordained by Bishops against the Calumnies of Sanders Kellison Chalmney and other Jesuits who in their Writings would have bore the World in Hand that the Succession of the Ministry of England had been interrupted at the Reformation because there were none but Popish Bishops to Ordain them and they would not and so none did But as you know had devised a Story of the Nag's-Head Ordination Now you also know there hath been much Endeavour made by searching the Archiva at Lambeth to clear up the Ordination of our first Reformers that thereby they might invalidate the Papists Calumny of our Succession◠being interrupted But if Succession in Office for Succession in Doctrine I neither speak of neither did they plead for be a matter of so small a Consequence our learned Country-Men might have saved themselves much Labour and Trouble and in a few Words have told the Jesuits that an Uninterruption of Succession was a thing not worth pleading for But on the other side we see them acknowledge Succession in Office to be necessary and contend that there hath been no such Interruption in our Ministry II. The Second Argument which persuades me to believe that the pleading for a Succession is of great Moment is this viz. That without this I do not understand how we that are now Ministers can be said to have our Authority from Christ For we must have it from him either mediately or immediately But we cannot have it mediately from him if the Succession be interrupted for if we have it mediately from him we must have it by the Mediation of some Person who at length had it immediately from him But if the Succession be interrupted we cannot have it from any Person that had it immediately from him or his Apostles This is a kind of Contradiction in adjecto and therefore we cannot have it
be as dear to us as any other and that if I were a Member of Mr. Tombeis Church if he would permit me I would live obediently under his Ministry allowing me the Liberty of my Conscience I hope God is working for our Unity and Peace I have been long preaching of the Unity of the Catholick Church containing all true Christians as Members and the last Week save one Mr. Tombes came to the Re-baptized Church at Bewdley and preacht on the same Subbject and so excellently well as I hear for Unity among all true Christians to the same purpose with your Husband's Arguments that I much rejoiced to hear of it though I hear some of his People were offended And now that this should be seconded with your Husband 's peaceable Arguments puts me in some Hopes of a little more healing I have strong Hopes that if I were in London I should persuade such as your Husband and Mr. Iohn Goodwin and many an honest Presbyterian Minister as great a distance as seems to be between them all to come yet together and live in Holy Communion But be sure God will drive us together before he hath done with us Living Members will smart by distance and be impatient till the Wound be closed what a Damp is upon the Spirits of those Christians that can separate interpretatively from a thousand parts to one of the Church of Christ. The Papists would desire no better sport nor the Infidels neither than to reduce the Church of Christ to the Antipaede Baptists or the baptized at Age and so to deny him to have had any visible Church in the World that we can prove for so many Years Would they have held Communion with the Catholick Church for a thousand Years together or would they not if they had lived in those times If they would then why not with us also that are of the same Judgment Was it a Duty then and is it unlawful now or are they Respecters of Persons If they would not in all those Ages have held Communion with the visible Church what would they have done but separated from the Body and so from the Head and cast off Christ in all his Members and taken him to be a Head without a Body which is no head and so no Christ what would they have done but denied his Power and Love and Truth and consequently his Redemption and his Office Hath he come at the end of Four Thousand Years since the Creation to redeem the World that lay so long in Darkness and hath he made such wonderful Preparations for his Church by his Life and Miracles and Blood and Spirit c. and promised that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and that his Kingdom shall be an Everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion endureth from Generation to Generation and yet after all this shall he have a Church even as the Seekers say but for an Age or two For doubtless tho' where Heathens were the Neighbours of the Church many were baptised at Age yet no Man can name or prove a Society or I think a Person against infant Baptism for One Thousand Two Hundred Years at least if not One Thousand Four Hundred And for many Ages no other ordinarily baptized but Infants If Christ had no Church then where was his Wisdom his Love and his Power What was become of the Glory of his Redemption and his Catholick Church that was to continue to the End That Man that can believe that Christ had no Church for so long time or any one Age since his Ascension must turn an Infidel and deny him to be Christ if he be a rational Man Did all the Gospel Precepts of Love and Holy Communion cease as soon as Infant Baptism prevailed doubtless though it be be his Ordinance Christ never laid so great a stress on the outward Washing as Dividers do Whenever Baptism is mentioned in Scripture it means The Engagement of the Person to Jesus Christ by solemn Covenant which Washing is appointed to Solemnize and 1 Cor. 12. 13. doth plainly mean That one Holy Spirit which is usually given to the Baptized either in or near their outward Baptism doth inwardly animate all the Body and unite them and assimilate them and prove them Members Constantine the Great was the Glory of the Church in his Generation maintaining Holiness and Peace when the Pastors were some Corrupters and some Dividers and would have broken all in Pieces but for him He ordinarily Preached or made Holy Prayers and Speeches in Meetings and yet was never baptized all this while till near Death and none ever scrupuled his Communion I would know of the Dividers why they should think Baptism more necessary to be believed than the other Sacrament the Supper of the Lord Yet it is certain that all the ancient Church did purposely conceal the Lord's Supper from the Knowledge of the Catechumens by which it appears they judged not the Belief of it essential to a Church Member Yet I know the great thing meant by the Word Baptism in Scripture is essential to the Church-Membership of the Adult that is the giving up our selves to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in Covenant but the Sign is only necessary as a Duty but not as a means without which the thing cannot be had This is voluminously proved against the Papists with whom the contrary minded do comply Circumcision in the Wilderness was separated from Church-Membership and Communion And is the outward part of Baptism more necessary under the Gospel which setteth less by Externals and where God that is a Spirit will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and where neither Circumcision nor Un-Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature and Faith that worketh by Love But our main Argument against them is That no true Definition can be given of Baptism that will not agree with Infant-Baptism if it were granted to be unlawful were it proved an unmeet Age it will never prove the Baptism null But I do but go besides your Expectation I suppose in all this which is occasioned by your Husbands Paper and the main Cause I shall therefore come at last to your Case But will Mr. Lambe regard the Judgment of one that differeth from him as I do You know according to my Judgment what I must advise him to but though still it is my Judgment that Infants of Believers should be solemnly given up to Christ by Baptism yet I shall deal as impartially as I can and put my self in Mr. L's Case and supposing I were of his Opinion against Infant-Baptism I shall answer your particular Questions To the two first I answer 1. We have a sure Word to fly to for Direction and many great and evident Principles as here the Nature of the Catholick Church c. to give us Light in the darker Points that depend upon them and in such a Case it is dangerous gathering our Informations about Truth or Duty or
fittest manner and Season of your coming off Therefore it seems to me your Duty freely lovingly compassionately to communicate your Reasons to your Auditors if they can prove them unsound which I am sure they cannot in the main then yield to them if they cannot then beg their Pardon for misguiding them and beseech them to return not to any Sin against God but to the Love of the Saints and the Unity of the universal Body of Christ and the Communion of Brethren 3. To return to Mr. I. Goodwin's Church again I dare not dissuade you or advise you but I would not do it if I liv'd in another Parish where I could have Lawful Communion yea or if I could live in such a Parish I would not be a Member of a Church gathered out of many Parishes in such a Place as London Co-habitation is in Nature and Scripture Example made the necessary Disposition of the Materials of a Church 4. My Thoughts still are that you should Preach the Gospel in some Congregation most suitable to you But I am very glad that you give me the Reasons of your Trouble for it is a sad kind of Work for you or another to plead against Troubles in the dark which a Man can give no Reason for 1. Your First I need say nothing to If you had ever had a Temptation to thrust in a wrong Motive into a good Cause it neither proves the Cause bad else all our Preaching were too bad or your Heart bad as you see your Sin I hope you see your sufficient Remedy 2. The Second is carnal to resist so great a Truth and Duty lest good People be displeased what are they your God God must be enough for you if ever you will have enough and it must satisfie you that he is pleased if ever you will be satisfied Tell those Christians you will not cease to Love them by Loving more nor cease any due Communion with them by having Communion with more Keep in with them by Love and Correspondency even whether they will or no even when you have left their Separation Do not reproach them when you leave them but enjoy the Good of their Communion still as you have Opportunity God's House hath many Mansions if your Friends think that their Closet is all the House convince them of their Mistake and confine your self to that Closet no longer but yet renounce it not it may be a part though sinfully divided though it be not the whole 3. The way that you are called to is God's High way and though the Churches have many in them that are dead yet have they with them as many living Members as yours and many more if these parts may be Witnesses I would not be a Member of that Church willingly that is composed of none but not able Christians though I most Love the best and delight most in their Fellowship and wish that all were such yet when I see a Church so gathered I easily find it is a wrong Constitution and not according to the Mind of Christ. I will never join with them that will have but one Form in Christ's School I would have the A B C there taught as well as the profoundest Mysteries 'T is no Sign of the Family of God to have no Children what if I said Infants in it but strong Men only Nor of the Hospital of Christ to have none Sick nor of his Net to have no Fish but Good nor of his Field to have no Tares Flesh and Blood hath ticed me oft to Separation for Ease but it s too easy a way to be of God I undergo another kind of Life you are extreamly mistaken if you think that you are put on so much Duty and Self-denial by many Degrees among your Hundred Professors as we must undergo Your Work is Idleness to ours how then is yours the streighter way 4. For Riches and gay Apparel you may help to cure Excess where you find it What! a Physician fly because his Patients are Sick O that we had no sorer Diseases to encounter than fine Cloaths If you were with me I could tell you quickly where to find Forty Families of humble godly Christians that are as bare and Poor as you would Wish and need as much as you can give them or procure them that scarce lose a Day 's Work by Sickness but the Church must maintain them And I could send you to Sixty Families that are as poor and yet so Ignorant as more to need your spiritual Help When they have sat by me to be instructed in my Chamber they sometimes leave the Lice so plentifull that we are stored with them for a competent space of time Never keep in a Separated Church to avoid Riches and fine Cloaths and for fear lest you cannot meet with the Poor I warrant you a Cure of that Melancholy Fear in most places in England 5. The next is the great Block 1. If you gather out the choicest Members that should help the rest and then complain of Parishes when you have marr'd them you do not justly 2. If you will not do your Duty in a Parish because some Ministers do not theirs your excuse is frivolous 3. If I durst have gathered a separated Church here I could have had one large and numerous enough or such as would allow me ease but I think Parish Work the best We here agree on these Four Heads 1. To teach all In which Work in my Parish I could find Work for Ten Ministers if I could maintain them 2. To admit none as adult Members without a personal credible Profession of Faith and Holiness of which I refer you to my Treatise of Confirmation 3. To exercise Discipline with these 4. To hold Communion of Churches by Associations and Assemblies of the Officers And I bless God I find not my Parish such a dead Body as you speak of Among Eight Hundred Families Six Hundred Persons are Church-Members I hope there is not very many of these without such a Profession as giveth us good Hopes of their Sincerity and none whose Profession I am able any way to disprove and this satisfieth me as God's Way and many I hope Scores there be of those that join not with us on divers Accounts that I hope fear God If you have Charity to judge that our Parishes have Christians you may have Charity to judge that they have Life and some fit for Communion How tender is Christ of his weakest Members and shall not I imitate him yea shall I judge them that am so bad my self and pluck them from his Arms that designeth it as his highest Honour to be admired and glorified in the freeness and fulness of his Grace and Love to the Unworthy 6. Your Followers Souls are by you endangered while you leave them in their Sin will it endanger them to tell them of that Danger and help them out What! to lead Men to Holy Love and Unity with the Catholick
Church of Christ such danger will be but by Accident as every necessary Duty hath its Danger A loving melting Lamentation for that Violation of Charity which your own and their Division hath been guilty of is like to profit humble Souls that love the Truth and if they are such as will not indure the Doctrine of Love and Unity what are they better than our Parishes 7. None will be sad for the Return of a Brother to Unity or Love but those that grieve for your Felicity not knowing what they do You would not forbear a Return to God from any gross Sin for fear of grieving Men Is not Schism a gross Sin Are they not great that are directly against Love and Unity the Soul and Life of the Church of Christ and were you no whit partial you would think that Twenty Hearts made glad at your Recovery for one that 's made sad should at least here leave the Ballance even A Publish'd Exhortation from you such as it seems you intended to draw your Party to Unity and Communion with all true Christians and dissuade them hereafter from Censoriousness opposition to the Ministry and Separation upon the Account of so difficult a Point and so far from the Heart of the new Man might do more good than your overseeing that Church an Hundred Years it is not a Trifle to hold an Opinion that would warrant a Man to have denied or separated from the universal visible Church for so many Hundred Years even for almost all the time of its Existence since Christ. I forbear sending you the Form of Concord mentioned till you are readier for it and shall desire it as judging it useful and then God willing I shall send it The Lord I hope will clear up to you his Mind concerning the way in which he would have you walk and in the way of Duty give you the Peace which you desire and expect I rest Your unworthy Brother Rich. Baxter To Mr. Lambe Sept. 29. 1658. London the 15th of Ianuary 1658. Dear Sir THESE are to return you many Thanks for your two Letters which have been a very great Comfort to me in my Affliction and Warfare that I am now ingaged in Sir I thought good to be silent a while and not to trouble you with any more Letters till I had some new thing to say to you Now what I have to say is reducible to Three Heads 1. I would inform you what God hath done for me since my last 2. What I have done I hope in his Strength and that I may not doubt to say 't is for him in the Point of Union And 3. The present Frame of my Spirit and State 1. For God's dealing with me Sir after waiting on the Lord in his way sighing for Light and panting after him for refreshing as the Heart panteth after the Water Brook My Light hath broke forth as the Morning It hath rose in obscurity and my Darkness became as the Noon Day I see by Experience that though I am dark God is Light and though I am poor he is Rich and I believe there is nothing I want but Heaven is full of it The right Notion of God's Universal Church and the Unity he would have amongst the Members and indeed the necessity thereof upon the Penalty of infinite Dammage to the most excellent Body of Christ is that God hath blest me with the Sght of and shewn me as in a Glass the Condition of all our Congregations that refuse Communion with other Churches of Christ standing off from the main body of the Church militant as Christ's Part of that Body as Antichristian and so refusing to give or take Influences for their Comfort and Succour It healeth the whole but dreadfully endangereth those small Parts so divided Just as it would endanger a Troop or Company that should stand off from the main Body of a great Army that hath a potent Enemy engaged in the Field against them By this Light I perceive our Case namely that we are as you say guilty of Schism The Light in this Matter being clear to me I now begin to be satisfied that the Lord hath visited me from an high in Mercy and that all my inward Oppositions and outward too from my Friends are of Satan to stop me in a blessed Work I praise God I am now help'd to bear the Reproaches of my dear Friends that pour Contempt upon me daily as a most dreadful Apostate a Iudas one that it had been good for never to have been born one that though I were as the Signet on God's Right Hand I should be pluck'd from thence others wishing they had followed me to my Grave when they went with me to Baptism But it stirreth me not much for though their Zeal for God and his Truth and their Love to Christ and Holiness and Ability to suffer for Christ be more than mine yet my Conscience telleth me they are in an Error and that I am sincere in all I do not swayed by carnal Considerations in which I am so manifest to their Consciences that they are more troubled with me for that things sake Oh Sir I admire how a Man without the Brest-plate of Righteousness holdeth up his Head in such a Day But withal I experience the Worth and Excellency thereof By the Grace of God my Righteousness I will hold fast and my Heart shall not reprove me all my Days My conscience telleth me which is my great Comfort that I have not wickedly departed from my God that I would not break the least of his Laws willingly to gain a Thousand Worlds That the Love I bear to my Saviour and his most excellent Body the Church is the chief thing that inspireth me in all I do Now 2. Touching what I have done towards Union since I wrote last it is as followeth 1. I have been at Mr. G.'s Congregation from whom I departed to acknowledge my Sin in separating from them upon such silly Grounds and have offered my self to break bread with them if they pleased But withal told the whole Church that for two Reasons I could not come so close to them as heretofore 1. because of my Relation to the poor People I now serve being not yet well lodged in some safe Place And 2. because of some Scruples in my Mind whether Independency did not infer Schism in the Church Universal As that Independency upon the narrow foot I mean that which divideth Communion with Saints as Saints doth so my refusing Communion with them made me guilty of Schism in respest of that particular I do not doubt it and our Anabaptists are their natural Offspring But how to determine my Duty in respect of Mr. Goodwin's Church from whom I separated and with whom I was for many Years joined I know not considering their Principles are larger for Communion than others 2. Amongst our selves I have privately urged to my Friends enlarging considerably 3. I have my self with my Family frequented
the same all are not of the Church that are in the Parish there are three sorts of the Parish 1. Communicants and those are the Church 2. Meer Hearers and Catechical Persons and these are Candidates 3. Aliens Atheists Infidels and Papists Hereticks Men of no Church or other Churches Parish-Churches as combined parts of a Christian Kingdom or National Church thus distinguished from Aliens Auditors and not only tolerated but orderly combined maintained encouraged are the most regular Churches agreeable to Scripture Reason and Antiquity Quest. 3. Suppose the Parish-Churches should be no true Churches is it destructive to particular Churches to join with the Parish-Assemblies Answ. No who can dream that Families and Neighbours and occasional Meetings may not Worship God or that such Worship destroys Churches Did Corâ—lius's Meeting Acts 18. or those Acts 12. 12. or these that Acts 20. prayed at an Oratory nor the Water destroy the Church 2. Occasion Communicants are not bound to try the Call of the Ministers where they come and have no Vote but to take them according to visible Profession and Possession and if the Ministers should prove uncalled the Loss would be to themselves and not to the Faithful that are blameless and have right to the Childrens Bread though a Iudas or a Pharisee distribute it But the Separatists Object that pretended Churches which are not true are worse than occasional Assemblies that pretend it not Answ. 1. whether they are worse or better is nothing to this Question of destroying Churches 2. The liker they are to true Churches the liker they are to be better than those that are unlike them 3. The Officiating of a true Minister may make that a true temporary Church which is not a constant setled Church 4. It is far liker that many separating Congregations will prove no true lawful Churches for want of true Ministers and other Causes and yet it will not follow that all that join with them destroy true Churches for some under Government may do it blamelesly and they that do it sinfully may yet own true Churches every Sin destroys not other Churches 5. It is a Duty for Members of a Church to get what good they can by all Christians whether they be regular Churches or not Quest. 4. Suppose the Parish-Assemblies to be particular Churches are the Corruptions in them so great as that we must separate from them or would it not be Schism so to do Answ. There are many sorts of Separation It is Schism to call them no true Churches of Christ or such as it is not lawful to hold Communion with and to separate on that account and this I have oft proved in Print so fully that I must not now repeat it But there are many Occasions which may warrant and necessitate a meer local Separation as I have fully proved in many Treatises as if any Sin be imposed and Communion denied to those that will not Sin those Men do not separate but are driven out by Separatists or Tyrants and must not give over all Church Worship of God because Tyrants forbid it them Many other Instances of lawful local Separation I have published which I cannot find any have confuted no nor denyed Quest. 5. Whether there are not in congregational Churches such things which are not plainly instituted in Scripture Answ. Congregational is a sorry Word as here used in distinction from Parish-Churches Parish-Churches are Congregational they consist of Pastors and Christian Communicants joined for Personal Communion and Independents and Separatists much differ many Independants are against Separation the old Nonconformists both Presbyterians and Independants were judged the Parish-Churches that had tolerable Ministers to be true Churches and Independents greatly differ among themselves some are sound in the Faith and some are unfound some are for Infant Church-Membership and Covenant Grace and some against it some are for self-made Covenants and Terms of Church-entrance and Communion and for the Peoples Power of the Keys and against Ordination and many other Errors which others do renounce And remember it is one thing to be Independants by Agreement as Neighbour Churches and another thing to be dependant as Subjects on governing Churches And it is one thing to be Independant on equal Neighbour Churches and another thing to be independant on a superior Ministry The Churches of Rome Corinth Galatia Ephesus and the rest were independant on each other as to Government but they were dependant on the Apostles and Evangelists Paul Barnabas Luke Mark Silas Timothy Titus and Apollos c. as to Oversight and dependant on other Churches as Fellow-members of the same Universal Body as the Members of our Bodies are 3. I know no Churches to happy as to have nothing that is not particularly yea or generally instituted in Scripture yea and that obtruded on the People O! when will God make them wiser some Independant Ministers and Churches have Catholick Charitable Uniting Principles But the separating part who are they that have so many and great Defects and Faults as I have in my former Writing enumerated and need not here again recite but advise you impartially to review them Quest. 6. Whether every Person who doth join with such a Church doth not become as guilty of the Sin of such a Church as those do that join with the Church of England Answ. This Question intimateth that you know not what the Church of England is It is nothing but a Christian Kingdom consisting of a Christian supreme Power and combined Christians and Churches governed by that Power it is not Liturgies nor Ceremonies that essentiate the Church of England Orthodox Godly Presbyterians and Independants who deny not a Christian Kingdom of Christian Churches though differing in many thing are all parts of the true Church of England But I suppose you mean the Conformists which are but a part 2. One is guilty of the Faults of the Conformists by their bare Presence and Communion who do not consent to those Faults and if bare Presence signified Consent we must avoid Communion with all Churches on Earth for who are Sinless And all must avoid us and how shall we avoid our selves who sin in all we do 3. But when People causelesly separate and unchurch other Churches far â—ounder than their own and falsely accuse them yea and almost all Christ's Churches these Fifteen Hsndred Years as those now called Separatists usually do I think your ordinary joining with such when you may have sounder Communion is a sinful Encouragement of them in their Schism justly leaveth you under the Imputation of Schism and requireth great Humiliation and Reformation being greater than some great private Sins as publick Cases are more important than private but I am loath to say all that I judge true against the present separating Way lest I be mistaken as if I would render them odious or be against the necessary Toleration of the Week I have truly told the World near Forty Years ago that I am past
Conformists and Nonconformists The Episcopal Conformists are of Two Sorts some lately sprung up that follow Archbishop Laud and Dr. Hammond hold that there are no Political Churches lower than Diocesan because there are no Bishops under them and so that the Parish-Churches are no Churches properly but part of Churches nor the Incumbants true Bishops but Curates under Bishops nor the Foreigners true Ministers or Churches that have no Diocesan Bishops This Party called themselves the Church of England 1658 1659. When we knew but of Four or Five Bishops left alive who Dr. Hammond said with that Party of the Clergy were of his Mind And these seemed uppermost in 1660 and 1661. and were the men whom I disputed with in my Treatise of Episcopacy The other Episcopal Conformists are they that follow the Reformers and hold the Doctrine of the Scripture as only sufficient to Salvation and as explicatory of it the Thirty Nine Articles the Homilies Liturgy Book of Ordination Apology c. These take the Parish-Pastors for true Rectors and the Parish-Churches for true Churches but subordinate to the Diocesans and to be ruled by them But the Laws have imposed on them some Declarations and Subscriptions which they think they may put a good Sense on though by stretching the Words from their usual Signification The Bishops and Deans are chosen by the King indeed and by the Prebends in shew The Incumbant are chosen by Patrons ordained by Diocesans with Presbyters and accepted by Consent of the Communicants of the Parish The Episcopal Government is managed partly by the Bishops and partly by Lay-Civilians and Surrogates The Episcopal Nonconformists are for true Parish-Churches and Ministers reformed without swearing promising declaring or subscribing to any but sure clear necessary things desiring that the Scripture may be their Canons disowning all persecuting Canons taking the capable in each Parish for the Communicant and Church and the rest for Hearers and Catechized Persons desiring that the Magistrate be Judge whom he will maintain approve and tolerate and the Ordainers Judges whom they will ordain and the People be free Consenters to whose Pastoral Care they will trust their Souls desiring that every Presbyter be an Overseer of the Flock and every Church that hath many Elders have one Incumbent President for Unity and Order and that Godly Diocesans may without the Sword or Force have the Oversight of many Ministers and Churches and all these be confederate and under the Government of a Christian King but under no Foreign Jurisdiction though in as much Concord as is possible with all the Christian World And they would have the Keys of Excommunication and Absolution taken out of the Hands of Lay-Men Chancellors or Lay Brethren and the Diocesans to judge in the Synods of the Presbyters in Cases above Parochial Power That this was the Judgment of the Nonconformists that treated for Peace in 1660. and 1661. is to be seen in their printed Proposals in which they desired Archbishop Usher's Model of the Primitive Episcopacy joined with the Synods of Presbyters II. The Presbyterians are for Parish-Churches as aforesaid guided by Elders some teaching and some only ruling and these under Synods of the like Class without Diocesan or Parochial Superiors and all under a National Assembly of the same as the Supreme Church Power III. The Independants are for every Congregation to have all Church Power in it self without any superior Church-Government over them whether Bishops or Synods yet owning Synods for voluntary Concord Of these some are against local Communion with the aforesaid Churches and for avoiding them by Separation some as if they were no Churches and had no true Ministers some for Forms of Prayer some for faulty Communicants some for Episcopal Ordination and some for subscibing and some for all these and many other pretended Reasons But some Independants are for occasional Communion with the other Churches and some also for stated Communion in the Parish-Churches for which you may read Mr. Tomes's the chief of the Anabaptists in a full Treatise and Dr. Thomas Goodwin on the first of the Ephesians earnest against Separation as the old Nonconformists were Now which of all these should you join with I affirm that all these except the Separatists are parts of the Church of England as it is truly essentiated by a Christian Magistracy and confederate Christian particular Churches All are not equally sound and pure but all are parts of the Church of England Liturgies and Ceremonies and Canons and Chancellors are not essential to it as a Church or Christian Kingdom But it is now a Medly less concordant than is desirable but you are not put upon any such Disputes whether you will call the present Church of England Roman as denominated from the King that is the Head or whether you will say that King and Parliament conjunct are that Head and so it is yet Protestant because the Laws are so or whether you will denominate it materially Protestant because the Clergy and Flocks are so your Doubt is only what Congregation to join with I answer That which all your Circumstances set together make it most convenient to the publick good and your own Though I hold not Ministerial Conformity lawful I take Lay-Communion in any of these except the Separatists to be lawful to some Persons whose case maketh it fittest But I judge it unlawful for you to confine your Communion to any one of them so as to refuse occasional Communion with all save them 1. The Parish-Churches have the Advantage of Authority Order and Confederacy and the Protestant Interest is chiefly cast upon them therefore I will not separate from Lay-Communion with them though they need much Reformation 2. You must not go against your Father's Will no nor divide the Family without necessity The same I say of your Husband when you are married 3. The Nonconforming Episcopal and Presbyterians have not such Churches as they desire but only temporarily keep Meetings like to Chappels as Assistants to others till Parishes are reformed 4. I think it a stated sinful Schism to fix as a Member of such a Church and Pastor as is of the Principles of the Writing which you shewed me I. Because they grievously slander the Parish-Churches and Ministers as none and their Worship and Government as far worse than it is II. Because they Renounce local Communion with almost all the Body or Church of Christ on Earth by renouncing it on a Reason common to almost all III. Because they separate from such Churches as Christ and his Apostles joined with and so seem to condemn Christ and his Apostles as Sinners Christ ordinarily joined with the Iews Church in Synagogues and Temple-Offices when the High-Priest bought the Place of Heathens and the Priests Pharisees and Rulers were wicked Persecutors and the Sadduces Hereticks or worse he sent Iudas as an Apostle when he knew him to be a Theif or a Devil The Apostles neither separated nor allowed Separation from
such Churches as Corinth Gallatia Ephesus Smyrna Sardis Laodicea c. defiled with odious Crimes and Errors though God command them to reform IV. Because hereby they tempt Men to infidelity when they hear that Christ hath no greater a Body and Church than they with which Men may lawfully communicate and rob him of almost his Kingdom V. By false accusing the Prayers of almost all Christ's Church and renouncing Communion with them they forfeit their Interest in the Benefit of their Prayers and of the Communion of Saints VI. Who but Satan would have all the People of England and all Nations to live without any publick Church-worship till they can have better than such as is in our Parish-Churches as if none were better VII With whom would these Men have held Communion if they had lived in any Age till two hundred Years ago when as far as ever I could find there was not one Congregation of Christians or Hereticks in all the World that was against Forms of Worship or Bishops or all Ceremonies let them name one if they can what then will they say to the Question Where was your new Church before the two last Ages Had Christ no Church for One Thousand Two Hundred Years in all the World that a Christian ought to join with in local Communion Did Christ disown them all and yet was he their Head and they his Body Or are these Men as much stricter than Christ as the Pharisees were about his Converse and the Sabbath VIII They condemn themselves by their own Practice while some of them cry down Communion with imposed Forms of Liturgy they sing Psalms imposed by the Pastor or Clerk which are the chief part of imposed Liturgies They sing them in new Versions Metre and Tunes different from the Apostles Churches and yet better for us They use imposed Translations of the Scripture The Pastor imposeth his Words of Prayer as a Forme which the People â—â—st all join with This is but a different Mode of Liturgies IX Charity or Christian Love and Unity are the great vital Graces of the Christian Church And oh how wofully do these Men violate and destroy it when as is said they renounce Communion for a Thousand or Twelve Hundred Years at least with all known Churches on Earth as unlawful in point of local Presence 2. They bind all Christians that will hear them to do the like to this Day to almost all the Churches on Earth 3. Their Principles and Reasons make it sinful to have Communicated with the Reformers the Waldenses Wickliffe Luther Melancthon Zwinglius Calvin Bucer and the rest 4. And they condemn Communion with the Martyrs both under Heathens and of later Times who made or valued and used Liturgies 5. They condemn local Communion with all the late and former holy excellent Bishops and Conformists such as Archbishops Parker Grindall Abbot Usher c. Bishops Hall Morton Pilkinton Downame Davenant and many such All that glorious Tribe of Conformists Preston Sibbs Bolton Whately Crook Io. Downame Stoughton c. Oh how great a Number and how excellent almost matchless Men Almost all the late Westminster Assembly 6. And all the excellent old Nonconformists that were against Separation Dearing Greenham Perkins Bayn Reignolds Dod Hieldersham Bradshaw Ball and Multitudes of such of greatest Piety and Parts 7. All or near all the Reformed Churches 8. All the meer Independants that were against their Separation such as Dr. Tho. Goodwin aforesaid and many of his Mind 9. Yea they condemn the Old Brownists who Printed their Profession of Communion with many Parish-Churches and with Liturgies 10. And they utterly condemn all local Communion with the meer Nonconformists of this Age who offered Terms of Concord in Liturgy and Episcopacy 1661. None of all these are good enough for these Men especially their Women and Lads to have any present Communion with Do they know how little radical Difference there is between saying as Persecutors All these are Hereticks and as Separatists All these are unworthy of Christian Communion Yea the Pope rejecteth Communion but with two or three parts of the Christian World and these Men renounce local Communion with almost all Is this the way of Love and Unity in the Body of Christ X. Is Provoking Excommunicating them the way to reconcile the Publick Ministers and Churches Or is this a time to join with the Enemies of the Protestant Religion to draw all the People to forsake them That so the Reformation here may have only private Toleration as we have till some Disorder is said to forfeit it the King promiseth to defend them and shall separating Protestants pull them down XI The Weakness of these Mens Judgments and Dealings bring all the Nonconformists into Contempt and Scorn with Multitudes of undistinguishing Men as if we were all of the same Temper and hardeneth Thousands in hatred to them all and maketh them long to be persecuting us again and keepeth them from repenting of the Evil they have done Offence must come but woe to them by whom it cometh XII God hath most expresly decided this Controversy in Scripture and these Men seeming Adherents to Scripture cannot see it Rom. 14. and 15. and 16. 17. Ioh. 17. 22 24. Phil. 2. Eph. 4. In a Word in all those Texts that plead for Church Unity and Love and all those that speak of the sinfulness of Schism and that a kingdom divided cannot stand and all those that condemn Dividers and all that command mutual forbearance c. Do you think that receive one another as Christ received us even them that are weak in Faith it self doth mean no more than do not silence them or imprison or murder them No doubt but it meaneth receive them to Church-Communion XIII What a great Sin is unjust silencing worthy Preachers And do not these Men endeavour to silence more thousands than the Act of Uniformity or Bishops did when they tell all that it 's a Sin to hear them XIV If it be unlawful to join with others that are no worse than they it must be unlawful to join with them If I be guily of all that is said or done amiss in the Parish-Churches I shall be more guilty if I join with the Separatists I am not desirous to accuse any but to cover their Faults as far as I can But I cannot resolve your Question without telling you that I take their Church-State to be so far different from the Rule and in many Respects worse than the Parish-Churches as that to join with them as fixed covenanted Members will be a state of Sin 1. Scripture-fixed Ministers or Elders were all ordained by superior general Pastors either alone or with Presbyteries So are not theirs if by any at all 2. Scripture-flocks were ruled by their Pastors Heb. 13. 7 17 24. 1 Thes. 5. 13 14. 1 Pet. 5. 1 Tim. 3 c. But many of their Flocks are the Rulers of themselves and Pastors 3. Scripture particular Churches
were all distinguished by the Limits of their Habitation or Proximity so that there was never two Churches in the same City or Bounds save Hereticks and Men of divers Tongues at least where one could hold them all But it 's otherwise with the Separatists 4. No lawful Church in Scripture was gathered out of a true Gospel-Church But theirs are 5. Scripture Churches had fixed known Tests to know qualified Members by which was consent to the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lord's-Prayer and Commandments So that all Churches had the same Test and Terms of Qualification and so had one Profession But these Men leave this Arbitrary to the Pastor or People to try whether Men are converted by uncertain Terms and Words devised by every Minister so that the Terms are unknown and not agreed on among their Churches and may be as various as Ministers 6. Scripture-Churches never divided the Christians of the same Family some to one Church and some to another But these Men do so to great Confusion 7. They are not agreed on any Form of Doctrine to be a Test of their Agreement with other Churches with whom they will have Communion If they say that the Scripture is that Test I answer a General Belief that Scripture is the Word of God is neither sufficient to Salvation nor to Communion Many have this who deny the Essentials of Christianity And an explicite Understanding and Belief of every Text no Man hath Thousands of Texts are not understood by most Christians or Teachers therefore there must be some Collection of the Essentials in a Creed or else there can be no certain Notice whether so much of Scripture Truth be explicitely believed as is necessary to Salvation And if single Pastors require more it must be only in order to Growth and Edification and not as a necessary Qualification for Membership or Communion of Churches I have great Cause to know what I say of them A Parliament once chose Fourteen Ministers to draw up the Fundamentals of Religion as a Test of such as were to be tollerated in Union There were Dr. Owen Mr. Nye Dr. Thomas Goodwin Mr. Sydrak Sympson Dr. Cheynel and others Bishop Usher was chosen and refused and I was chosen in his stead Before I came they had drawn up Fourteen or Fifteen Articles all in new Terms of their own and some neither Essential nor true I told them that we were not to make a new Christianity or Creed but must own that which the Christian Church was known by in all Ages But I could not be heard though Mr. Vines and Mr. Mantâ—n joined with me At last they wrote this for a Fundamental That they that allowed themselves or others in any known Sin cannot be saved I told them that though I could not be heard by them I durst say that I would make them presently blot it out They bid me do it if I could I said The Parliament taketh Independency Separation Anabaptistry and Antinomianism for Sin And they will say These Divines pronounce us all Damned if we allow them They said not a Word but threw away their Fundamental The rest of them they printed But the Parliament were glad with silence to pass by all their Works and take no notice of it lest it should be a publick Reproach that we could not agree on the Fundamentals And I am glad that I hindered such an Agreement as they would have made instead of the old Creeds which they would not rest in And can such Churches be of any known Consistency or Concord If you join with them how know you what Religion they are of Or how know they what other particular Churches are in their Communion for I hope they hold a Communion of Churches Arrians and Socinians say they believe the Scripture No Man understandeth all the Scripture The necessary selected Articles they have no known Agreement in If they say that they own the same Creed that we do why then do they not use it as the Test of Christian Profession but instead of it leave every Pastor to make one in Terms that is only his and no two Churches have the same To agree in Independency or Separation is not to agree in Christianity There are abundance of Books written for very false Doctrines by men called Independents it 's odious to name them Are all the Author of their Communion or not The Assembly could never get them to tell whom they would take to be of their Communion and whom not 8. Therefore their Churches are not compaginate nor confederate so as the Members of our Body should be and as Scripture-Churches were and as Christ would have had the Jewith National Church to be 9. They have no Certainty and Concord in their Church-Worship which they have little more than such Preaching and Praying which cannot be known for true or false sound or unsound till the Words are past And it may justly be expected that Separatists Antinomians Anabaptists Socinians and all erroneous Men should put their Errors into their Sermons and Prayers and sinfully father them all on God And so all God's Worship must be contiually uncertain to the Flocks and of as many different Strains as the Preachers differ in Parts and Wisdom And it must be low and poor and confused wherever the Ministers are young raw erroneous or ignorant They once met at the Savoy and drew up an Agreement of many Pastors But in that they differ from many other Churches called Independants and from the Anabaptists And they expresly contradict the Scripture 1. In saying that we have no Righteousness but Christ's which is imputed to us when as Scripture many Hundred times mentioneth also another personal inherent or acted Righteousness 2. They say that Faith is not imputed for Righteousness I think they mean well But they should rather expound Scripture than flatly deny or contradict what it saith and after defame those falsly that would help them more distinctly to understand it Their People are taught to speak evil of what they understand not and to represent Men as dangerous or odious who think not of many wordy Controversies as confusedly and ignorantly as they Their Churches are too usually constituted of such Novices in Knowledge of both Sexes as are like a School where the Boys call their Teacher a Deceiver for every word by which he would deliver them from their Errours and teach them more than they knew before 10. They lazily gather a few that seem so much better than the rest as will put them to no great labour in Teaching and Discipline But if all the rest of the Parishes lye in Ignorance how little are we beholden to these Separatists for the Cure When I came to Kidderminster some inclined that way importuned to me to take a few Professors of Zeal for my Flock and let the rest follow their ignorant Readers But when I renounced their Counsel and after my own and my Assistants long Catechizing them
sinful Omission of the People that will not first privately and then before witness and then to the Church or Pastor admonish the Offenders this is the Sin of Pastors and People but nullifieth not the Church or Office 12. Through God's great Mercy the Doctrine professed by the Church of England and usually preached in many thousand Parish Churches is sound and as well preached as in any other known Kingdom on Earth though Ministers have had their Sins which we still smart for and by 13. There is nothing in the Liturgy-worship which the Laity in the Congregation are ordinarily to perform or joyn in which they may not lawfully do or joyn in or be present at most that needeth Reformation being in Rubricks and By-Offices Baptizing Confirmation Excommunications Absolutions Burials and in the Ministers part 14. The Ministers have all the three parts that can be accounted by any party necessary to an outward Call 1. They have the Magistrates Consent by his Law who is Judge whom he will maintain and tolerate 2. They have the Ordainers Consent and Mission Bishops and Presbyters who are Judges whom to Ordain 3. They have the Communicants Consent expressed in their constant Attendance and Communicating who are the discerning Judges to whom to commit the Pastoral Care and Conduct of their own Souls And though more be desirable no more is of necessity 15. The Confederate Parish-Churches of England that have able godly Pastors want nothing which CHRIST or his APOSTLES or the UNIVERSAL CHURCH of Christ for Six hundred years yea or to this day did ever make or judge necessary to the being of Ministers or Church Nor have the said Churches any Errour or Sin in Doctrine Worship or Government which either Christ or his Apostles or the Universal Church for Six hundred years after Christ did judge inconsistent with the being of a valid Minister and true visible Churches The large proof of these Fifteen Propositions I offer though too long now to perform which though they will not justifie such Ministerial Conformity as I have been urged to yet you may easily see by them 1. What Church-Frame is most agreeable to Scripture 2. And what to judge of the false Accusers of the Church 3. How far Separation is sinful Division and contrary to Christian Love and Union I know the Dividers say 1. That I am turned Conformist 2. And why do I not Conform if I think so well of the Parish Churches and Liturgy And 3. Why have I lost above Twenty thousand pounds in Five and twenty years by refusing a Bishoprick and other Preferments To whom I answer If our printed Proposals Disputes and Petitions for Peace in 1661. and my first second and third Plea for Peace and many more such Writings and my Cure of Church Divisions and my Book for the true and only way of Church Concord and my Confutation of many that made me a Separatist while I Communicated in my Parish Church and never gathered a Church meerly because I forsook not my Ministry but gratis preached a Lecture and my Book against Sacrilegious Desertion of the Ministry I say if all these Books will not silence these ignorant Objectors nor restrain them from speaking evil of that which they understand not I owe them no more nor can hope to cure their quarrelsome Ignorance should I say or write never so much more They have contemned so many excellent Rulers and Pastors single and Assemblies far wiser than I and so censoriously condemn almost all the Body or Church of Christ on Earth that I am not so vain as to expect to escape their Censure Even in New-England not only Mr. Wilson Mr. Norton and such other single Independent Ministers lived and died in lamented Separation and warning the Land against it as their danger but their Synods have been at much trouble thereby and left their Healing Determinations and Testimony against that Dividing Spirit and Way They that would see more may read a small Book of Mr. Philip Nye for Hearing the Parish Preachers and a bigger Book of Mr. Iohn Tombes the greatest and most learned Writer against Infant-Baptism vindicating the Lawfulness and Duty of joyning in ordinary Communion in Word Prayer and Sacrament with the Parish-Churches Dr. Thomas Goodwin on Ephes. 1. Serm. 36. pag. 488. explaining some Words in the foregoing Sermon IT was understood as if I said That all Parish Churches and Ministers generally were Churches and Ministers of Christ such as with whom Communion might be held I said not so I was wary in my Expressions I will only say this to you about it There is no Man that desireth Reformation in this Kingdom as the generality of all godly People do but will acknowledge and say That multitudes of Parishes where Ignorance and Prophaneness overwhelmeth the Generality Scandalousness and Simony the Ministers themselves that these are not Churches and Ministers fit to be held Communion with Only this The Ordinances that have been administred by them so far we must acknowledge them that they are not to be recalled or repeated again But here lyeth the Question my Brethren and my meaning Whereas now in some Parishes in this Kingdom there are many godly Men that do constantly give themselves up to the Worship of God in publick and meet together in one place to that end in a constant way under a godly Minister whom they themselves have chosen to cleave to though they did not choose him at first These notwithstanding their mixture and want of Discipline I never thought for my part but that they were true Churches of Christ and Sister-Churches and so ought to be acknowledged And the contrary was the Errour that I spake against Secondly For holding Communion with them I say as Sister-Churches occasionally as Strangers Men might hold Communion with them And it is acknowledged by all Divines that there is not that Obligation lying upon a Stranger that is not a Member of a Sister-Church to find fault in that Church or in a Member of it as doth on the Church it self to which one belongeth I will give you my Reasons that moved me to speak so much It was not simply to vent my own Judgment or simply to clear my self from that Errour but the Reasons or rather the Motives and Considerations that stirred me in it were these First If we should not acknowledge these Churches thus stated to be true Churches of Christ and their Ministers true Ministers and their Order such and hold Communion with them too in the Sence spoken of we must acknowledge No Church in all the Reformed Churches None of all the Churches in Scotland nor in Holland nor in Germany for they are All as full of mixture as ours And to deny that to our own Churches which we do not to the Churches abroad nothing can be more absurd And it will be very hard to think that there hath been no Church since the Reformation Secondly I know nothing tendeth more to the
Spirit among others is a great rejoicing to me And I hope I may tell you that it is in vain as I am sure I may tell you it is no small Sin any more to resist and strive against him If the Hand of our dear and tender Lord be setting you in joint again shrink not on account of present pain much less should you fear the Reproach of being in Communion with the Body but impartially hearken unto him and yield but lay by all Tumults of Spirits and Passions and get out of the Noise of vulgar Clamours for the Voice of Peace is a still Voice and in Calmness must be attended unto And when you are restored if you find not the Sweetness and Advantages of Peace if you are indeed restored in Mind as well as Practice the Lord hath not spoken in this by me I can hardly think that he that hath raised these Thoughts within you and begun these Convictions will let them die In order to the Ends desired and hoped for I shall offer you so much of my present Thoughts as your described Case requires And 1. though I desire not to dispute the Case of Infant Baptism with you now yet I may say we believe you live in a constant Sin against the Lord in neglecting denying and opposing it and that if you will by one erroneous Supposition draw on a Chain of hurtful Consequences you are the Cause of your own Disorders At a fitter Season I should desire you but to answer me this one Argument All that should be sacramentally or solemnly inticed into the Holy Covenant with God as his People should be Baptized or at least be taken as true Members of the Church and their Entrance just but the Infants of believing Parents should be sacramentally and solemnly entred into Covenant with God or his People Ergo c. The Minor we give you the abundant Proof of Law and Promise for before Christ. It was Abraham's Duty and Priviledge according to the Tenour of the Promise which was made with him before the Law to enter his Children sacramentally and solemnly into the holy Covenant It was all the Churches Duty after both Jews and Proselytes both the uncircumcised Females and the circumcised Males and all the uncircumcised Church in the Wilderness Deut. 29 c. Tell me now how I should answer it before the Lord if I tell Parents that they are absolved from this Duty of solemn entring their Children into the Covenant and are divested of the blessed Priviledge especially when you here tell me well that you know of none but his Body that Christ is the Saviour of and that the Church is this Body Ergo you know of no Salvation for Infants if they be not of the Church Ergo Exclussion would be a heavy Case shall I say that Christ hath recalled this Law and Grant but how should I prove it I shew you the Law and Grant do you shew me the Repeal and we have done Christ never speaks a word to repeal it nor any of his Apostles Entring our Children into the holy Covenant is not a Ceremony If God say to a Father why didst thou not dedicate this Child to me and solemnly enter him into Covenant with me what can he say The Precept Promise and long Practice were plain was the Repeal also plain Yes if it be a Repeal for Christ to take such Children into his Arms and bless them and tell us of such is his Kingdom and to be offended with those that would have kept them from him and to command that all Disciples be Baptized He knew well enough when he instituted Baptism and exercised it first upon the adult that the Iews did so too with their Proselites And Ergo when he did in that no more than they did that yet admitted the Infants of Church-Members his baptizing the Adult could no more signify his Denial of Infants to be baptized than the Iews baptizing the Adult could signify it who at that time baptized Infants also nor could the Disciples interpret Christ's Doctrine and Will to be contrary to the Iews when his Practice was no more than theirs And when he never uttered a Syllable to intimate a Repeal of that great Mercy and Duty of entring Infants solemnly into the Covenant which by God's Appointment had continued so long And the Covenant was I will be thy God and thou shalt be my People But all this falls in besides my first intent and therefore I rather expect your Pardon than your regard of it at the present though time may shew you Light in that which now seems Darkness 2. But if our Infant Baptism were irregular how will you prove it a Nullity never by any sound Argument every Irregularity is not a Nullity Whether you take the Word as signifying Faedus Sacramentale a Sacramental Covenant as Scripture commonly doth more notably intending the Covenant than the outward Act or Sacramentum Faederale a Federal Sacrament or Action most notably signifying the Sign or Act it 's all one to our purpose for Infants are capable of both the Covenant and the outward Sign and of all that is essential to Baptism That they are capable of being entred into Covenant 1. Nature tells us we commonly enter them under Princes as their Subjects and into private Contracts with Landlords for Possessions 2. The ancient Law Promise and Practice of the Church before Christ tells us for then it was actually done by God's Command And that they are capable of the outward Sign is undeniable Prove it a Nullity if you can though it were a Sin 3. But if both were granted the Sin and Nullity I come now to give you my Reasons why it warrants you not to deny Communion with the Churches that were thus Baptized in Infancy And 1. I beseech you note that Baptism is as necessary if not much more to the Admission of Men into the universal visible Church as such or into a particular Church Ergo If Men may be admitted into the universal visible Church without adult Baptism then he may be admitted into a particular Church without it But yet here grant that he may be a Member of the universal Church without it Ergo Baptism is indeed appointed to be our regular entrance by way of Sacramental Covenant and Investiture into the Church Universal and not into a particular Church necessarily though it may be into both yet it is but indirectly into the particular Church The Eunuch and all that were baptized first in any place by the Apostles were baptized only into the Church universal and afterward setled in Order under Pastors in particular Churches Baptism as such as it was called our Christening doth only list Men under Christ as Christians and if it do any more as to the thing in Question it is accidentally and not always nor necessarily We are not directly sure baptized to our Pastors and so not to that Particular Church nothing then is more plain
see the Examples of Tyranny and rash Excommunication let him read Iohn's Epistle to Diotrephes and the pious Admonitions of Irenaeus to Victor The Examples of Schisms we have in others not a few To which Optatus Melev prudently ascribeth three Causes Wrath Ambition and Covetousness But how many score Canons Interdicts and Bloody Wars do prove all this XXVIII And had not these Vices conquered Common Reason with Christianity in such men it were a Wonder that so unprofitable and causeless a thing as forcing all Christians to Unite on the profest Approbation and Practice of all the needless Things which such impose and denying them Communion and Peace on the Terms that Christ prescribed for all his Servants to own and love each other on should be thought a sufficient Justification of all that Dividing Cruelty of which it hath been guilty And that Church-Grandees should make such Schisms as are yet in East and West and then hate and persecute the Sufferers as Schismaticks Saith Grotius on Luke 6. 22. Scitum est Veterum Iudaeorum cujus Maimonidememinit siquis Innocentem à Communione arcuerit ipsum excidere jure Communionis And Dr. Stillingfleet on Archbishop Laud and before him Chillingworth conclude That if a Church deny Communion to her Members on those Terms that give them Right to Communion with the Church Universal that Church is guilty of the Schism Were it not more Christian-like easie and sweet to joyn all in the practice of the Laws of Christ by which we shall be judged with the needful use of edifying Order and Circumstances that all Sizes and Ages of Christians might live in Unity and Love than to cast out all that cannot Unite on Terms so far beyond meer Christianity as most Churches on Earth require When the Volume of Councils and Canons were unknown and plain Familiar Discipline was used in the open Church-Meetings Christians were less divided saith Grotius in Luc. 6. 22. Apud Christianos Veteres praesidente quidem Episcopo Senioribus sed Conscia Consentiente Fratrum multitudine morum judicia exercebantur If Christians be partial hear an impartial Heathen Ammianus Marcellinus who scandalized with the murder of Men kill'd in the Church for the Election of Pope Damasus concludeth how well it would have gone with Christianity if those great Roman Prelates had lived like the poor humble inferiour Bishops See his words But if Paul's full Decision on Romans 14. will not bring us to necessary forbearance no Plainness not Authority will serve Numb IX An Act for Concord by Reforming Parish Churches and Regulating Toleration of DISSENTERS I. THE Qualification requisite to Baptism in the Adult for themselves and in one Parent at least or Pro-Parents for Infants is Their understanding Consent to the Baptismal Covenant in which they are solemnly devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as their God and Father Saviour and Sanctifier Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil so far as they are adverse And the requisite Qualification of the Adult for proper Church Priviledges and Communion in the Lord's Supper is That they forsake not the said Covenant or Christianity but publickly own it not rendering their Profession invalid by any Doctrine or Practice inconsistent therewith And that they understandingly desire the said Communion II. The Christian Churches have universally taken the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments as delivered by Christ for the Summary of the Christian Belief Desire and Practice expounding the Matter of the Baptismal Covenant Therefore all Pastors shall Exhort all Housholders to learn themselves and teach their Families the words and meaning of the Baptismal Covenant and of the Creed Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments And shall also thus Catechize such themselves as need their help as far as they or their Assisstants can do it III. No Minister shall Baptize any Person Adult or Infant till the Adult for themselves and the Parent or Pro-Parent who undertaketh the Education of the Child as his own have there professed their Belief of the Christian Faith and their fore-described Consent to the Christian Covenant in which they are to be solemnly devoted to God And such they shall not refuse Nor shall the Pastors admit any to the proper Priviledges of Church Communion and partaking of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ but those who have made Profession that they resovedly stand to their Baptismal Covenant in the foresaid Belief of the Christian Faith and Desire and Obedience to Christ. Which Profession shall be made in the Church or to the Pastor before sufficient Witness or to the Diocesan or some other Pastor who shall give Testimonial of it And if any shall go from the Parish-Church Pastor to be Confirmed by the Bishop or received by any other Minister without the Certificate or Consent of his own Parish Pastor the said Pastor shall not be obliged to admit him to Communion till to him also before Witness he have made the said Profession IV. Because in great Parishes and Cities where Persons live unknown and as Lodgers are transient and too great a Number desire not Communion and many Communicate only with other Churches and it is needful for Order that all Pastors know their Communicating Flock from the rest the Pastor may for his memory keep a Register of the stated Communicants of his Parish and put out the Names of those that deny or remove or are lawfully Excommunicate or that wilfully forbear Communion above fix Months not rendering to the Pastor a Satisfactory Excuse But occasionally he ought not to refuse any Stranger who hath Testimony of his Communion with any other approved Christian Church V. If by the Pastor's knowledge or by just accusation or same any Communicant be strongly suspected of Atheism Infidelity or denying any Essential part of Christian Faith Hope or Practice or to live in any heinous Sin the Pastor shall send for him and enquire of the Truth and if he be proved Guilty gently instruct him and admonish him and skilfully labour to bring him to Repentance And if he prevail not shall again send for him and do the same before some Witnesses And if he yet prevail not or if he wilfully refuse to come or to answer him shall open his Case before the Church Vestry or Neighbour Pastors and if he be present there admonish him and pray for his Repentance And if yet he prevail not to bring him to the profession of serious Repentance he shall declare that he judgeth him a Person unmeet for Church Communion till he Repent and shall till then forbear to give him the Sacrament But when he professeth serious Repentance shall receive him But if after such oft Professions he continue in such heinous Sin he shall not again receive him till actual Amendment for a sufficient time to make valid his Profession VI. Ordination to the Priesthood shall be a valid License to Preach And every just Incumbent being the Pastor Overseer or