I am loth to cite them § 32. X. The next lamentable Schism and Cursing arose from the Decree of the Constantinopolitan Council de tribus capitulis The Cursing one another for owning or not owning the Council of Chalcedon still continuing and Learned Theodoret with Theodore of Mopsuest and Ibas having been formerly by Dioscorus Ephesine Council condemned and deposed as Nestorian hereticks and the Council of Chalcedon having restored them upon their just subscriptions a crafty Eutychian perswaded the Emperour that he might reconcile all the Eutychians to the Council of Chalcedon if he would but condemn some ill words in the writings of these three Bishops which the Emperour called a General Council together presently to do The one half the Bishops absent thought this was a condemning in part of the Chalcedon Council And Vigilius Bishop of Rome being then at Constantinople refused to subscribe and after excommunicated Menna the Patriarch The Emperour caused him to be dragg'd through the streets by a rope to reconcile him The flames of the Church were by this Council much increased and by condemning three dead mens writings the living were more engaged in a doleful war At last Pope Vigilius consented to the Council whereupon a great part even of the Western Churches and Italy separated from and renounced the Pope and chose them another Patriarch at Aquileia to be their chief Church-Ruler in his stead And this continued about an hundred years till Sergius reconciled them so far was the universal Church even then from taking the Pope or Church of Rome for the Head or any essential part of the Church-Universal And all this was about the Exposition of some doubtful words in three mens writings And can any sober man now think that the right or wrong Exposition of every mans or those three mens writings was a thing that salvation lyeth on or that these are the terms of Christianity and Church-membership § 33. It would be but matter of shame and sorrow to go on and add the later and more shameful instances of Anathematizing especially about Images several Emperours and Councils hereticating each other What an Engine the Pope and Prelates made Cursing men from Christ to get dominion over Emperours and Kings to subdue Kingdoms and to turn Love and peace into wrath and wars and bloodshed and pernicious divisions To recite their damning of Loyalty under the name of the Henrician heresie their damning all that about Transubstantiation renounced not the belief of all their senses and rational perception of sensate things and that renounced not also the belief of all the sound mens senses in the world and consequently the belief of God as he is the God of Nature making his revelation to our understandings by our senses making it necessary to salvation to take God for the deceiver of the senses or apprehensions by sensation of all the world How they have decreed the burning or exterminating of all others that do not thus believe Transubstantiation and deposing temporal Lords that will not exterminate them and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths and Allegiance and giving their dominions to others Did I but recite to you how ridiculously they hereticated Gilbert Porretane and some other learned men and how such exposed the Councils of Bishops to scorn by detecting their ignorance by some questions which they could not answer should I tell you what work their long and numerous Schisms and two or three Popes at once made for the great Councils of Constance and Basil and also what work those Councils made themselves it might melt the heart of a lover of Christianity into grief and tears § 34. I conclude this that the hereticating and Cursing men for doubtful words or want of skill in aptness of expressions yea or for errours which consist with saving faith in Christ is so far from being a means of the Churches good that it hath been the grand engine of Satan to exercise Tyranny excite hatred and Schism and Rebellions and do most lamentable mischiefs in the world and therefore carefully to be avoided § 35. II. And what I have said of words I may partly say of actions Anathematizing men for doubtful actions or for such faults as consist with true Christianity and continued subjection to Jesus Christ is a sinful Church-dividing means § 36. More particularly I shall shew after in the third part of this book that it is not all the same things that make a man uncapable of present Communion in this or that single or particular Church or in a compound Church Diocesane Metropolitane Provincial or National or Imperial which make him uncapable of continuing in the Universal Church Much less doth every continued disobedience to a Bishops or Councils Canons or Commands make him Excommunicable from the Church Universal § 37. But most abominable was it in the Roman Popes and Prelates to shut up all Churches interdict whole Kingdoms and excommunicate the innocent people because a King displeased them or denyed them subjection or obedience And as old Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln in his Epistle to Pope Innocent IV. recorded by Matth. Paris truly tells them It is the work of Satan and next Antichristianity one of the greatest sins in all the world thus to silence Christs Ministers and hinder the preaching of the Word of God and the exercise of his publick Worship Which it concerneth all unjust Silencers to consider § 38. But yet somewhat more tyrannical and abominable is it for one man the Bishop of Rome to damn all the Church of Christ on earth that will not be his Subjects as the Vicar-General of Christ and own his Usurpation and so to cut off and damn the far greatest part of the Christian world But the best is procul à Jove procul à fulmine the remote Churches feel it not and do but deride it and to the nearer parts his thunderbolt doth not kill all so many nor kindle so many fagots as once it did nor is any one ever the more condemned by God for such Papal condemnations § 39. But when I speak of particular Church-Communion I shall shew that there is some lawful suspension called by some the Minor excommunication which cuts not a man off from Communion with any Church much less from the universal or from Christ § 40. Not approving of or practising a doubtful or indifferent humane form of Liturgy or ceremony or circumstance or mode is no just cause of cutting off a man from the Universal Church Because notwithstanding that he may be a true Christian and a member of Christ and his Church and therefore must not falsly be declared to be none § 41. Not taking this or that man to be ones Bishop or Pastor who is obtruded yea or justly set over that Church nor yet particular acts of disobedience to him meerly as such are no good proofs that a man is no true Christian or member of Christ and his Church and therefore are no just cause
us the Britains rejected them and the Scots would not eat or converse with them The Abassine Empire was never under them nor those of India and Persia And the Councils in which they had the first seat were but of one Empire as is after proved And as for the first three hundred years under Pagan Emperours their own Writers confess the Church of Rome was little set by that is it had no governing power over the rest nor is there any pretence to think they had The first that talk'd very high was Leo the first who called himself the Head of the Catholick Church But by Catholick was then meant usually the Churches in the Empire only and by Head he meant the prime Bishop in order but not the Governour of all Nor was his claim if he meant any more approved by the Churches in that Age. Though the Council of Chalcedon highly applauded him and his Epistle as an advantage to carry their Cause against Dioscorus who had excommunicated the Pope and took him for the prime member of their Council yet they thought meet in their Canons to declare that it was but by humane mutable right in the Roman Empire Let them shew us if they can when and where the universal Church on Earth ever subjected themselves at all to the Pope Much less can they bring any pretense of it for the first three hundred yeas Had they any Meeting in which they agreed for it Did they all receive Laws Ordination or Officers from Rome or from its Emissaries If we were so foolish as to believe that his precedence in General Councils was a proof of the Popes Monarchy yet it 's easie to prove 1. That for 300 years there was no General Council 2. And that it was not the Pope that presided at Nice 3. And that those Councils were but Imperial and not truly Universal But if all the Church ever had been subject to the Pope as being at first except Abassia almost confined to the Roman Empire it doth not follow that it will ever be so again when it is dispersed into so many Kingdoms of the World The Jesuites at first were all under the King of Spain and the Mahometans at first all under one Prince but they are not so now Is it likely that ever all Christian Mahometan and Heathen Kings will suffer all their Christian Subjects to be under the Government of a Foreign Priest But their own Writers agree that the Apostles at first were dispersed into many Countreys besides the Roman Empire and that Ethiopia was converted by the Eunuch mentioned Acts 8. initially its like before Rome and fullyer by St. Matthew And you may see in Godignus Alvarez Damianus a Goez and others full evidence that they were never Subjects to the Pope of Rome I conclude then 1. That Rome is not owned this day as the head of Unity by all Christians 2. That it never was so taken for the Governing and Uniting Head 3. And that the reason of the thing fully proveth that it never will be so I may adde that indeed it is not known among themselves who are the consenting Subjects of the Pope or Members of their Church It is indeed Invisible or a Church not knowable For 1. They are not agreed nor ever like to be what is the essential qualification of a Member of the Church Or what that Faith is that must make a Member Some say it must be the Belief of all the Creed explicitely others of some few Articles others that no more is necessary ad esse than to believe explicitly that God is and that he is a Rewarder of good works and to believe that the Church is to be believed Of which see Fr. a Sanct. Clara in his Deus Natura Gratia 2. And their forcing men into their Church with Tortures Fire and Sword leaveth it utterly uncertain who are Consenters and who are in the Church as Prisoners to save Limbs and Life And if they ever recover England Scotland Ireland Germany and the other Reformed Churches it must be by the Sword and Warrs and Violence and never by force of Argument And if they should conquer us all which is their hope and trust it will not follow that men are of their minds because they cannot or dare not contradict them no more than because they are dead Experience Reason and Scripture then do fully prove to men that are willing to know the truth that the Universality of Christians will never be united to the Roman Papacy Yea that this Papacy is the greatest of all Schisms 1. By setting up a false Head of Union and 2. By cutting off or renouncing three parts of the Christian World even all Christians except the Subjects of the Pope CHAP. V. The Vniversal Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any other humane Form of Church-Government Sect. I. WHether or how far such Forms may consist with Union is a Question that I am not now debating any further than shall be anon intimated by the way But that they will never become the Bond of Union or be received by all and that to make any such thought Necessary to universal Unity is Schism I am easily able to prove Sect. II. And this needeth no other proofs than what are given against uniting in the Papacy in the former Chapter As 1. Patriarchs and other humane Institutions being not of God but Man the whole Church can never unite in them 1. Because they will never all agree that any men have true Authority given them by God to make new Church-Officers and Forms that shall be necessary to the Unity or Concord of the Church Universal 2. They will never agree who those men are that God hath given such power to if they did suspect that such there are A Prince hath no Power out of his Dominions 3. They will never agree that if man made such Forms or Offices they may not unmake them again if they see cause or that their Acts bind all their Posterity never to rescind or change them 4. They will never find that all the Christian World ever agreed herein and so in all Posterity is obliged by their Ancestors 5. Much less will any ever prove that the Institution was Divine Sect. III. If any say that the Apostles settled this Form by the Spirit the Universal Church will never believe it For 1. No Scripture saith so 2. No true credible History saith so 3. If the Apostles settled Patriarchs it was either as their own Successors or as a new Office And it was either by joynt consent or man by man each one apart But 1. Had they settled them as their Successours they would have settled twelve or thirteen But there were but five settled at all besides some new petty Patriarchs as at Aquileia when they cast off Rome 2. No Writer tells us of any meeting of the Apostles to agree of such a Form 3. No nor that ever they settled them 4. History assureth
the Church Keys of Excommunication and Absolution only themselves Otheâ—â— delegate them to Presbyters and thereby tell the People that Presbyters are capable of them Others which is the Case with us in England do commit them to Lay-Chancellors who Excommunicate and Absolve by Sentence commanding a Priest to publish it 3. Some Diocesans may if they please allow the Parish-Priest to be Episcopus Gregis and to exercise so much of his true office in his Parish as shall keep up some tolerable Purity Order and Discipline themselves receiving Appeals and being Episcopi Pastorum 〈◊〉 this is rare I know none such But they leave the Parish-Priest no power so much as to suspend his own Act in administring Baptism or the Eucharist or pronouncing decreed Excommunications or Absolutionâ— when it is against his Knowledge and Conscience no though the People profess that they take him not for their Pastor or Guide at all or refuse to speak with him in case of Ignorance suspected Heresie or Scandal 4. Some Diocesans are learned good and holy Men and set themselves to promote Godliness and encourage the best Ministers such we have had in England as Grindall Jewel Usher and many more excellent Men. But others in jealousie of their places power and interest suspect and set themselves against painful Preachers and strict Men especially if they dissent from them and take them for dangerous Enemies and persecute them and countenance the ignorant Rabble to strengthen themselves against them So that particular Concord will be promoted by some Diocesans but Universal Concord will never be so attained by them Sect. XX. There are many Learned Divines who think that Forms of Church-Government are mutable and not necessary to all times and places and that as Prudence may change other Rites Circumstances and Orders so it may do this And some Papists are of this mind Read Card. Cusanus de Concordia and Gorson de Auferibilitate Papae And the Italian Bishops at Trent were for the dependance of Bishops on the Pope as the Maker of their Order or Giver of their Power And if so it is not capable of being necessary to Catholick Unity which may it self be changed And most Protestants and Papists hold that Men may turn Diocesan Bishops again into Parochial if they saw cause And all confess that Man may set up Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every City which in the old sense was in every great Town like our Corporations or Market-Towns which is greatly different from the Roman or the English or the French or the Italian Diocesses Sect. XXI Yea there are very Learned Divines that think no Form of Church-Government is Jure Divino or of Divine determinate Institution so though Doctor Edward Reynolds late Bishop of Nâ—rwich and Doctor Stillingfleet doth not only think so himself but hath cited great and many Patrons of that opinion and brought a great many of Arguments for it in his Irenicon Be these in the right or wrong no Man of this opinion can believe any one Form of Government necessary to the Unity of the Church or fit to be the terms of Universal Concord And it is certain that some will still be of their opinion besides those that account Diocesans unlawful CHAP. VI. The Vniversal Church will never unite in General Councils as their Head or as necessary to Vnion Sect. I. THose that are not for the Absolute Sovereignty of the Bishop of Rome over all the World do yet many of them think that they are very moderate Men if they hold but the Superiority of Councils above the Pope or limit the Popes power to the advice and consent of Councils taking them to be necessary to Unity But the contrary is very easily proved much more their insufficiency Sect. II. 1. It is certain that the Church had Union before there was any General Council The first at Nice was 310 years at least if not more after the Birth of Christ There is none pretended to be before that by any judicious men They that instance in the Consultation of the Apostles Elders and Brethren at Jerusalem Acts 2. may easily see reason to convince them that those were but the Apostles Elders and Brethren that were ordinarily then resident at one City and Church And such as pretended not to be Governours of all the Apostles Elders and Brethren who then were absent about the world The Popes and his Cardinals may say they are a General Council but who will believe them These at Jerusalem were not sent from all the Churches but one of the Churches sent to them as fittest to advise them and as being men most certainly and eminently inspired by the Holy Ghost It 's true that Christ and his Apostles had a Governing power over all the Church And if they will impose on us no other sort of General Councils as so necessary but such as have such office power and infallibility and dwell together in one house or place and are not sent from other Churches as their Representatives and can prove such a Power we shall submit to such a Council Pighius hath said enough of that Novelty and against the Governing power of General Councils That which was not essential to the Church 310 years is not so now Sect. III. 2. If General Councils be the necessary means of Union it is either for their Laws or their Judgment and it is either past Councils or present ones or both 1. If it be the Laws of past Councils then one Council that can make Laws enough at first may serve without any After-Councils And if it be enough that there have been General Councils why is not the Church united by them Then it is no matter if there never be any more And why may not Christs own Laws serve for Church Union 2. But if it be present Councils that are necessary for Laws or Judgment then the Church is now no Church without them Sect. IV. 3. There is now no General Council in the world and yet the Church hath essential Union Nay as it is long since there was one in their own account so we know not whether ever there will be more the Interest of the Pope being against it Sect. V. 4. The great disagreement that is about Councils in the Christian World proveth that they can never be the terms of Universal Agreement 1. It is not agreed who must call them 2. Nor out of what Christian Countries they must come whether all or but some and which the Papists saying that three parts of Christians may be absent or have no right to send being Hereticks or Schismaticks and others think Papists to be Hereticks Schismaticks and Antichristian 3. Nor what Number are necessary to make a Council 4. Nor in what Countrey they must meet 5. Nor what their work is 6. Nor what Power they have 7. Nor how far they are to be believed 8. Nor which are to be taken for approved Councils and which not 9. Nor
what to do if they contradict each other or the Pope or the Scriptures 10. Nor whether any more Councils be necessary than what are past already But the Papists themselves hold That they are not the stated Head or Governing Power of the Church else there were now no Church because there is no General Council but as a Consultation of Physicians in extraordinary 〈◊〉 of the Churches maladies Sect. VI. 5. It is certain That the Univerâ—â—â— Church was never united in their subjection to Councils yea that even at the greatest Councils called General at Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon and the rest there were not Delegates from all the Churches without the Empire nor did they all subject themselves unto them yea it is certain That there never was an Universal Council of the Church throughout the World but that they were onely called General as to one Empire and so were but as National Councils This I have elsewhere proved at large in my Answer and Reply to Johnson for the Churches Visibility 1. By the names that did subscribe the Councils One Johan Presidis at Nice is an Exception there easily answered 2. Because the Roman Emperor called them whatever Papists say against it to the Ignorant who had no power but of the Empire 3. Because no Summons was sent to any much less to all out of the Empire as History acquainteth us 4. They were all under the five Patriarchs and the Metropolitanes of the Empire The Abassines subjection to Alexandria was since the revolt of Dioscorus 5. We read of no Execution of their Canons out of the Empire by either casting out Bishops or putting them in 6. Theodoret giveth it as the reason why James Bishop of Nisibis was at the Council of Nice because Nisibis then obeyed the Roman Emperor and not the Persian Hist. Sanct. Pat. cap. 1. 7. The Emperors oft decided their differences and set Civil Judges among them to keep order and determine and corrected them and received Appeals and cognisance of their proceedings All which and more prove evidently that they were but Universal as to that one Empire â—ay rarely or never so much and not as to the world Sect. VII It is probable if not certain that there never will be an Universal Council unless which God forbid the Christian Society should be reduced to a small and narrow compass when we are hoping its increase For 1. The differences who shall call them and the rest before named are never like to be agreed 2. Turks Heathen and Nations in War against other or hating Christians will never all consent and suffer it 3. The jealousie that Christian Princes have of Papal Tyranny will never let them agree to send their Subjects to it The Case of the Abassines Greeks Armenians Moscovites Protestants c. proveth this 4. The distance is so vast that the East and West Indians and Ethiopians cannot come so far to answer the Ends of a General Council 5. Should they attempt it their Number must be so unproportionable to the nearer parts that it would be no true General Council to signifie by Votes the Churches sense 6. They could not all meet and consult in one room if they were truly Universal 7. They could not all understand each other through diversity of Language 8. Their present difference and old experience assureth us that they would fall altogether by the ears and increase the Schism 9. They would not live to get home again so far to bring and prosecute the Concord 10. The People and Priests at home would not agree to receive them Sect. VIII Yea it is certain that it would be a most heinous sin to call a true Universal Council worse than an hundred Murders For 1. If young Men came in no just proportion it would but mock the world and prepare for Heresie or Tyranny If experienced aged Men came from America Ethiopia Armenia c. and the Antipodes the Voyage and Labour would murder them 2. Their Losses would be unspeakable to their Churches 3. Yea their absence so many years would be to their Churches an unsufferable loss 4. The benefits were not like to countervail the loss if they did not hurt by differences or error or tyranny it will be a wonder Sect. IX The sad History of Councils too fully proveth that they have been so far from being the causes of Concord and Preventers or Healers of Schisms that they have been one of the most notorious causes of division and distraction Having proved this in a peculiar Treatise A Breviate of the History of Bishops and Councils I must not here repeat it The Council of Nice did best But as Constantine was fain to keep Peace among the Bishops in person and burnt their numerous Libels against each other so wise men think he might another way have better suppressed Arianism and prevented the many contrary and divided Councils which this one did by one word occasion and have prevented the Persecutions which Valens and Constantius exercised And had the time of Easter been left at liberty perhaps it had as much made for Peace What the first Council at Constantinople did the sad Case and sadder description of Gregory Nazianzene tell us whose character of the Bishops not Arians as some talk should not be read without tears by any whence he learned the danger of Councils and resolved never to come to more What all the Bastard Councils did at Ariminum Sirinium Alexandria Milan c. I need not tell And what Schism and Bloodshed was occasioned by the first and second Council at Ephesus yea what streams of Blood Desolation Schism and many Ages deplorable enmity and confusion were caused by the Council of Calcedon I need tell no one that hath read Church History It is true indeed that the Nestorians and Eutychians were condemned in these and the Mâ—nothelites in many following But whether mutual understanding might not have made a better end I appeal to a Thousand years experience and to the nature of the Heresies there condemned which seem to be much formed in and by ambiguous words which a good Explication might have better healed than Anathema's and Bloodshed Of this I spake before and often The Nestorians said that Mary was not to be called the Mother of God but of Christ The Orthodox said the contrary when the Orthodox never meant that she begat the Godhead and the Nestorians never denied that she begate him that is God Where then is the difference but in words one speaking of the Abstract Deity which the other never meant The Nestorians were charged with holding two Persons in Christ instead of two Natures which yet Nestorius plainly denieth but Cyril charged it on him by consequence because he refused the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the foresaid account thinking that denomination a ratione formali is most apt And it seems one took Nature in the same sense as others took Person meaning the same thing The Eutychians asserted
one Nature only but they meant that Christ had but one Nature as undivided which the Orthodox granted but denied not that the Godhead and Manhood were distinct And what was the difference then but whether the undivided Godhead and Manhood should be called one Nature or two which truly in one sense was two and in another one The like was the Monothelites Heresie for and against which were many Councils about one or two Wills and Operations no more disagreeing than as aforesaid about the sense of One and Two And had not a wise Explication and patient Reconciliation done better service than Cursing did whose doleful effects Hatred Hereticating and Schism continue to this day Should I come to the Councils about Images and that at Constantine that decreed the Tribus Capitulis and the multitudes since that have deposed Emperors and Kings raised Wars set up Popes and Anti-Popes c. Alas how sad a History would it be to convince us that Councils of Bishops have caused most of the Schisms Church-Tyranny Rebellions and Confusions in the Christian world And if the Popes have been restrained or deposed or Schisms at Rome partly stopt by any the flame hath quickly more broke out and condemned Popes have oft got the better of them And if one Council hath said That the Pope is responsible another hath determined the contrary If Basil and Constance decreed That a Council be called every ten years it was not done but was a mockery in the event In a word Councils of Bishops have been but Church-Armies of which at first the Patriarchs were Generals and afterwards Popes and Emperors and came to fight it out for Victory the sequel being usually Schism and Calamity And must this be the only way of Universal Peace CHAP. VII The Vniversal Church will never unite in many pretended Articles of Faith not proved to be Divine nor in owning unnecessary doubtful Opinions or Practices as Religious or Worship of God notwithstanding the pretense of Tradition Sect. I. I Need say no more for proof of this than is said in the first Part. If Preachers say that this or that is an Article of Faith If Popes say it If Councils say it this saying will never unite all Christians in the belief of it It is no belief of God whose object is not revealed by God and perceived so to be and received as such That the sacred Scriptures are written by Divine Inspiration Christians are commonly agreed But that Popes Prelates or Councils speak by Divine Inspiration even when they expound the Scriptures all Christians neither are agreed nor ever will be And till a man perceiveth that it is God that speaketh or that the word spoken is Gods Word he cannot believe it with a Divine Faith which is nothing but believing it to be Gods Word and trusting it accordingly God is true but men are Lyers Rom. 3. Sect. II. Before we can receive any thing as Truth from Man we must have evidence that it is true indeed And that must be 1. Either from the nature of the thing and its causes 2. Or from some testimony of God either concomitant as Miracles were or subsequent in the Effects 3. Or from our knowledge of the Veracity Authority Inspiration and Infallibility of the Instrument or Speaker If therefore any Church or company of men shall tell us that this is a Divine Truth or Article of Faith no more of the World can be expected to believe them than are convinced of it by one of these three proofs The first is the case of natural Revelation and not now questioned The Second none but the Church of Rome do plead for their own belief viz. that they work Miracles and therefore are to be believed in whatever they affirm to be the Word of God Knot against Chillingworth and others of them do ultimately resolve their Faith or their proof of the truth of their Religion into the Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome by which God testifieth his approbation of their Assertions Other Christians that may have more miracles than Papists yet resolve not their proof of Christianity into them but lay more stress on other Evidence and particularly on Christs and his Ministers miracles attesting the holy Scriptures and Gospel to be of God And when we can find just proof of the Papists Miracles we shall be willing to study the meaning of them But hitherto we have not found such proof If any Council in Rome France Germany or England shall say These are Divine revealed Truths and as such you must believe subscribe or swear to them the world will never agree in believing them when no sober man is bound to believe them but as humane uncertain and fallible witnesses according to the measure of their Credibility Sect. III. Long experience fully proveth this No Age of the Church did ever agree in Articles of meer humane Assertion for that had been but a humane Faith That which the Council of Nice said was denyed by the Councils at Sirmium Ariminum c. That which the Council at Ephesus the first and at Chalcedon affirmed they at the Council of Ephesus the second denyed That which the Monotholites under Philippicus innumerable Bishops saith Binius affirmed many other Councils condemned That which the Council at Nice the second decreed for Images was condemned by many other Councils That which the Councils at â—isa Constance and Basil decreed to be Articles of Faith the Council at Florence and others abhorre Much less will a Provincial Synod or a Convocation or a Parliament be taken by all the Christian world to be infallible Sect. IV. And indeed the obtruding of â—alshoods or Uncertainties on the Churches is a notorious cause of Schism For what can you expect that men of Sobriety and Conscience should do in such a case Discern the certainty of the thing they cannot nor can they believe that all must needs be true that is said by a Synod a Convocation or a Parliament And they dare not lie in saying they believe that which they do not And to take all for Schismaticks that dare not deliberately lie or that set not up 〈◊〉 men as Lords of their Conscience instead of God is Schismatical unchristian and inhumane And as mens mere wills ought not to rule their understandings nor the will of Synods of Bishops or others to be the rule and measure of our wills so though we were never so willing to believe all to be true that Councils of Bishops or Princes say 〈◊〉 are not our understandings in the power of our 〈◊〉 We cannot believe what we list To know or believe without evidence of truth is to see without light False Hypocrites may force their tongues to say that they believe this or that at the Command of man but they cannot force themselves indeed to believe 〈◊〉 How then can a book of Articles or the Decrees of a Council or the Laws of a Prince bring the World to any unity
Church-tearing Spirit And to shut out false anathematizing he concludeth with pronouncing Grace to all them that Love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity whoever condemn them § 18. The same Apostle leaveth the same Canon to the Philippians c. 1. v. 15 16. Though some preached Christ not sincerely but of contention supposing to add affliction to his bonds so far was he from silencing them or forbidding men to hear them that he rejoyced that Christ was preached though in pretence and contentiously And ch 2. 1 2 3. he most vehemently importuneth them to be like minded of the same Love of one accord and of one mind But how can that be and on what terms Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Not say say as I say or be silent Look not every man on his own things but every man on the things of others And not tread down others that you may be great nor think of your own case and reasons only Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant c. This is the Pastors pattern Let him that is Greater than Christ refuse to stoop so low And his Canon for the Concord is ch 3. 13 14 15 16. To confess our selves imperfect seekers of perfection pressing forward for the prize Let as many as be perfect be thus minded This is your measure here and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing As if he said while you agree in true Christianity take it for granted that you will all have imperfection for I have so my self and therefore there will be different judgements in tolerable cases but let this be your Canon notwithstanding such difference while you press towards perfection walk by the Rule of Christian Love in searching after the will of God and mind with Concord the great things which you are all agreed to pursue And bear lovingly with each other in lesser differences and God in this way will teach you more § 19. The same doctrine he delivereth to the Colossians reprehending those that would lay Christian faith or Concord on their will-worship worldly rudiments and ordinances Touch not taste not handle not after the Commandments and doctrine of men in things which have a shew of wisdom in voluntary humility and neglecting the body in worshipping Angels and intruding into unseen things vainly pufft up by fleshly minds And instead of this he exhorteth them to hold the Head Christ who is the true wisdom and bond of unity and believe that in him they are complete and to take heed lest any spoil them of their faith love and concord by Philosophy pretending greater subtilty and vain deceit after the traditions of men and after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily in whom we are compleat And he instances in some such snares Let no man judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or new Moon or of the Sabbath which are a shadow of things to come c. that is Let no man bring you under such Laws and lay salvation or unity and Concord on them And ch 3. he largely sheweth that in the New Man there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision or uncircumcision Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but Christ is all and in all And that the true bond of perfection is charity by which the peace of God must rule in their hearts that are called into One body And the subordinate Canons are bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so do ye § 20. If any say These are not precepts for Church-Governours but for subjects I answer still They are the precepts of the Holy Ghost by an Apostle that had more authority than any of our Church-Governours and that to all the Churches about their common duty unity and interest binding them and binding us even all the Churches § 21. It would seem tedious to recite all other texts to the same purpose His prohibitions of vain disputes and janglings about the Law and genealogies and his confining men to the common doctrine of Christianity and his warning men to preach no new or other doctrine may be seen in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus § 22. And it is much to be observed 1. That all the hereticks of those times pretended to greater wisdom and curiosity than the Christian Churches had and by such pretences brake their Concord as may be seen in all the Epistles especially Col. 2. Jam. 3. 2. And yet that whenever the Apostles or Christ himself Rev. 2. 3. censure any such hereticks to be forsaken and cast out it is never for any little matter but for denying some common article of the faith as Christs Incarnation the Resurrection c. or for some gross wicked doctrine and practice as fornication and eating things offered to idols or rebelling against Rulers c. Which shews what then were the terms of Church unity and by what Canons they were governed by Gods appointment § 23. I will add that one great warning of Paul which summeth up all 2. Cor. 11. 3. a prophesie of the deceit and corruption of the Churches would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly as proud corrupters account it and indeed bear with me For I am jealous over you with godly jealousie For I have espoused you to one husband and not to usurpers that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve though his subtilty flattering her with the hopes of higher knowledge so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Christianity is not a snare for mens wits but a way to their salvation It is a plain and simple thing though most mysterious 1. It consisteth of simplicity of doctrine a few great plain and necessary things and not of philosophical curious subtilties though it forbiddeth not but encourageth the utmost improvement of reason and true learning especially for method elucidation and defence 2. It is a simple and spiritual worship that it commandeth for God is a spirit and will be so worshipped in spirit and in truth The Schismaticks contended whether in this Mountain or at Jerusalem but Christ rebuked that contention 3. And it is a simple sort of Government or Discipline that Christ hath instituted commanding him that will be Greatest to seek his preeminence in being most
and English Kings will see what ado Kings had to keep the Bishops and Priests from filthy fornication and utter corruption of their function § 4. 4. Obj. But if Princes meddle with Pastors Preachers and Religion when far more of them are bad than good and erroneous than in the right it must follow that more good will be hindered by them than evil and in most places the best will be persecuted by them and the worst approved and preferred Answ 1. And was it not so and worse under the Popes and their Prelates Let their own historians judge 2. Nay it hath been ill Clergy men that have instigated Princes to do most of the chief to the Church that they have done 3. This tells us the calamitous case of mankind but not at all how to help it 4. This argument should urge Princes to amend but not to neglect their duty for fear of doing it amiss By the like argument in Moscovy they have put down preaching saying Most will preach amiss And others put down all praying save the reading of imposed words saying that most else will pray amiss And so these would restrain Princes from Governing Bishops and Preachers and matters Ecclesiastical saying Else they will do most amiss 5. But it is supposed that Princes have their Councils And as they consult with Lawyers in matters of Law and with Souldiers in matters of War and with Physicions in matters of that profession so they will consult with Divines as they are called in matters of Divinity and Religion § 5. Obj. 5. But Religion is to be perswaded and not forced which will but make hypocrites Ans We cannot force men to know or believe and we ought not to force them to lie But they may be restrained from doing notorious mischief and constrained to hear that they may learn § 6. Obj. 6. But that which you think wrong seemeth right to them and every mans Conscience is his Law and he must obey it and whatsoever is not of faith is sin Ans 1. None but the Atheist or irreligious take all Religion to be uncertain Man is naturally Animal religiosum made to serve God in order to future happiness And Religion were no Religion if a man could have no satisfactory notice of its truth 2. No mans Conscience is his Law no more than it is the Law of the land It is but as his eye in reading it a discerner of the Law And mistake is not discerning 3. No man ought to take evil for good nor to do evil because he thinketh it good but first to use means for information and then to judge better and then to do better 4. Though whatever is not of saith is sin yet whatever is of errour is of sin too and not of faith And we are not for forcing men against their conscience to any thing unnecessary or any thing which they are uncapable of but for restraining them from that mischief which an erring judgement leaveth them to and putting them on necessary duty which they can do should they not be forced to feed their children if their Consciences be against it Or to pay their debts or their taxes tythes and other dues § 7. Obj. 7. On the other side some and more will say that any toleration of diversity in Religion especially of Assemblies is contrary to the unity and harmony which should be among Christians and will cherish heart-burnings and cause differences in the State and foment seditions and rebellious no discord having worse effects than those about religion Answ 1. To tell us that men are dark and selfish and proud and passionate and therefore contentious and that this is the calamity that sin hath brought on all the world is but to tell us what we all must know But what 's that to the Cure All sin and all discord is contrary to our desired concord and is our reproach But shall no sinners therefore be endured Ye suffer fools gladly saith St. Paul seeing you yourselves are wise 2. Will your way of violence make this better or far worse Will men that really have any religion forsake it for fear of any thing that you can do against them It is not Religion if it set not God above man When they suffer by you will they like you or your opinions the better for hurting them or the worse If ever you let them out of prison will they not come out more alienated by exasperation If you force the timerous or hypocrites to dissemble to save the flesh will they not hate you and your doctrine the more as that which soul and body are both oppressed by And will not their sufferings move compassion in the people and your cruelty alienate those that else would never have forsaken you what a shameful thing is it to hear and read mens tragical outcries against necessary toleration which Christianity and humanity plead for while they are the causes of that which they exclaim against and are furiously making it tenfold worse If diversity in Religion be such an evil cause it not by your unnecessary Laws and Canons and making engines to tear the Church in pieces which by the ancient simplicity and commanded mutual forbearance would live in such a measure of Love and Peace as may be here expected Are men liker to hate you or to plot rebellions for being gently used as men or cruelly like slaves or dogs Nay slaves are freemen in comparison of those that are dissenters from the Pope if he get them in his power Though it be but for refusing to deny belief to all mens senses and consequently to Gods natural revelation If you can cure all mens errours do it but begin at home But killing is not curing in the sense of wise Physicions or Patients Your way cureth errour as the man that was angry with the Looking-glass for shewing him his ugly face did cure it by breaking it into twenty pieces and then it shewed him twenty ugly faces for one There are no tolerated sorts among us here that are more accused by all for seditiousness and rebellion when they once got some seeming strength than the Anabaptists and the people called the fifth Monarchy men But have they ever even at Munster made any such horrid slaughters in the world as the great enemies of Toleration have done Did they ever murder 200000 people that lived peaceably at once as the Frish Papists did Or forty thousand if not as some say twice as many as they did at the French Massacre Or so many thousands if not millions say some as were kill'd of the Albigenses and Waldenses in France Piedmont Italy Germany c. Or did they ever use Christians as the Inquisition hath done Or did they ever use Emperors as Henry the fourth and fifth and Frederick were used Or kill two Kings successively as Henry the third and Henry the fourth of France were killed Nay did ever the Novatians yea or the furious Prelatical Donatists make
down Sect. XI 3. They turn all the Parish-Churches into Chappels or meer parts of one Church and Unchurch them all in the judgment of those that take a Bishop to be essential to a Church And all will not agree to Unchurch all such Parishes Sect. XII 4. It maketh true Discipline as impossible as is the Government of so many score oâ— hundred Schools by one Schoolmaster or Hospitals by one Physician without any other Schoolmaster or Physician under him but Ushers and Apothecaries which all Christians will not agree to Sect. XIII 5. It is contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Churches and casteth out their sort oâ— Parochial Bishops as I have elsewhere fully proved 1. From the Testimonies of many such as that oâ— Ignatius before cited 2. From the custom of choosing Bishops by all the People 3. And of managing Discipline before all the Church 4. By the custom mentioned by Tertulliâ—â— and Justin Martyr of receiving the Sacrament onely from the hand of the Bishop or when he Consecrated it 5. By the custom of the Bishops onely Preaching except in case of his special appointment 6. In every Church the Bishop sate on a high Seat with the Presbyters about him 7. The Bishop onely pronounced the Blessing 8. Many Canons after when the Churches grew greater command all the People to be present and communicate with the Bishop on the great Festivals These and many more Evidences prove That in the Primitive Times the Bishops had but single Churches and every Altar and Church had a Bishop Sect. XIV 6. The very Species of the old Churches is thus overthrown and the old office of Presbyters therewith which was to be assistant Governors with the Bishop and not meer Preachers or Readers And all these Changes all Christians will not agree to Sect. XV. 7. Especially the sad History of Councils and Prelacy will deter them from such Concord when they find that their Aspiring Ambition and Contention hath been the grand Cause of Schisms and Rebellions and kept the Church in confusion and brought it to the lamentable state in East and West that it is in Sect. XVI 8. And constant Experience will be the greatest hinderance As in our own Age many good Men that had favourable thoughts of Diocesans are quite turned from them since they saw Two thousand faithful Ministers silenced by them and that it is the work of too many of them to cast out such and set up such as I am not willing to describe And such Experience After-Ages are like to have which will produce the same effects When Experience persuadeth Men That under the name of Bishops they are Troublers Persecutors and Destroyers they will account them Wolves and not agree to take them for their Shepherds It will be said That Good Bishops are not such It 's true and that there are Good Ones no sober Man doubteth But when 1300 years Experience hath told Men That the Good Ones are few in comparison of the Bad Ones ever since they had large Dominions and Jurisdictions And when Reason tells Men That the worst and most worldly Men will be the most diligent seekers of such Power and Wealth and that he that seeketh them is liker to find them than he that doth not and so that Bad men are still likest to be Diâ—cesans And when the divided scattered persecuted Flocks find that the work of such Men is to silence the most conscionable Ministers and to be Thorns and Thistâ—es to the People though they wear Sheeps cloathing Men will judge of theâ— by their fruits and the Churches will never be united in them Sect. XVII 9. The greatest Defenders of Episcopacy say so much to make Men against them as will hinder this from being an uniting course I wiâ—l instance now but in Petavius and Doctor Hamâ—â—d who followeth him and Scolus who saith 〈…〉 Clara led them the way These hold That the Apâ—stâ—â—s setled a Bishop without any subject sort of Presbyters in every City and single Congregational Church And Doctor Hammond Annot. in Act. 11. Dissertat adversus Blondel saith That it cannot be proved that there were any subject Presbyters in Scripture-times but that the word Presbyter every where in Scripture signifieth a Bishop And if so 1. Men will know that the Apostolical Form was for every Congregational Church to have a Bishop of its own 2. That no Bishop had more setled Congregations than one For no such Congregation could worship God and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion as then they constantly did without a Minister And one Bishop could be but in one place at once and so without Curates could have but one Assembly 3. And Men will be inquisitive By what Authority Subject Presbyters and Diocesan Bishops and Churches were introduced after Scripture-times in which they will never receive universal satisfaction If it be said that the Apostles gave Bishops Power to make a subject order of Presbyters and to turn Parish or Congregational Churches into Diocesan and so to alter the first Forms of Government when they were dead this will not be received without proofs which never will be given to satisfie all Nay it will seem utterly improbable and Men will ask 1. Why did not the Apostles do it themselves if they would have it done Was not their Authority more unquestionable than theirs that should come after If it be said that there were not qualified Men enow it will 2. Be asked Were there not like to be then greatest Choice upon the extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit 3. Do we not find in Corinth so many inspired gifted persons in one Assembly that Paul was put to limit them in their Prophecying yet allowing many to do it one by one And Acts 13. there were many Prophets and Teachers in Antioch And at Jerusalem more and at Ephesus Acts 20. and at Philippi Phil. 1. 1 2. there were many Bishops or Elders And such Deacons as Stephen and Philip c. would have served for Elders rather than to have none 4. Doth not this imply that after-times that might make so great a change may also do the like in other things 5. And that Diocesans and subject Presbyters be but humane Institutions and therefore Men may again change them 6. Doth it not dishonour the Apostles to say that they setled one Form of Government for their own Age which should so quickly be changed by their Followers into another species All these things and much more will hinder Universal Concord in Diocesans Sect. XIX Yet I must add that there is great difference between Diocesans both as to their Government and their Persons whence some Churches may comfortably live in Concord under them though 〈◊〉 be divided and afflicted under them 1. Some Diocesans have Diocesses so small that Discipline is there a possible thing Others as ours in England have some above a thousand some many hundred or score Parishes which maketh true Discipâ—â—â— impossible 2. Some Diocesans exercise
Gates And it is a greater wonder that Parents and Children should through so many Generations and Countries have so unerring surâ— a memory And it is strange how their own Commentators come to differ about the sense of Thousands of Texts of Scripture if the Churches Tradition have publickly and notoriously delivered down the meaning of them If not how Councils come to be the infallible Commentators and Declarers of the Sense of Scriptures But if really such men believe themselves it will be long before either by fraud or force they can make all others believe such things Sect. IX Gods wisdom appointed a few great and necessary things to be the terms of the Churches Unity and Love but Ignorance and Pride by pretences of Enmity to Error and Heresie have plagued and torn the Churches by Decrees and Canons and led us into a Labyrinth so that men know not where they are nor what to hold nor what the Christian Religion is nor who are Orthodox and who are not so great a work it is to understand such Voluminous Councils and then to be sure that they are all right even when they condemn and damn each other That which hath been the chief Cause and Engine of Division will never become the means or terms of the Unity or Concord of all the Churches But such are the multitude of unnecessary uncertain humane Decrees Laws and Canons of Faith and Religion whatever the proud and ignorant say to the contrary CHAP. VIII The Vniversal Church will never Vnite by receiving all that is now received by Greeks Latines Armenians Abassines Lutherans Calvinists Diocesane Presbyterians Independants Erastians Anabaptists or in full Conformity to any of the present Parties which addeth to the Primitive Simplicity in her terms of Communion or Concord Sect. I. I Must expect that the Evil Spirit which hath long torn the Church and made multitudes tear themselves and foam out Reproach yea and Blood against each other will presently meet the very Title of this Chapter with a charge of Pride against the Writer and say What are you that you should know more than all the Churches in the World And preâ—ume to charge them all with so great Error as not to know the terms of Christian Concord nor the way of Universal Peace But I answer 1. Is the Church now United in any of these terms or ways Are they all Papists Are they all of the Greek Church or Armenian Abassine c Are they all Lutherans or Calvinists c If not why should you conclude that ever they will be Or that any of these are congruous terms of Concord and that the same that doth not heal will heal them Will not Christians be the same as now Sect. II. They never were United on any of these terms I have proved that they were never all Papists And it will be easily granted of the rest that they were never all Greeks Lutherans c. And that which never did unite the Church never will do Sect. III. If you think all must be united in any of these wayes which of them is it And why that rather than any of the rest 1. Must they all be of the Greek opinions You see that the Papists condemn them for Schismaticks And other Churches lament their manifold Corruptions And the Eastern Countries long since divided from them We have here in London a Greek Church new built and Tolerated and their work is done so ignorantly and unreverently that they have usually not twice the number of the officiating or present Priests who join with them 2. Must they all be Papists Never was more Policy and Cruelty used to propagate and prop up any Church under Heaven and yet they cannot prevail for Universal Subjection Nay many Kingdoms and Countries are fallen from them while they used such means to keep them insomuch that by many of the soundest Churches they are taken for no better than Antichristian Hereticks And even the Greek Church separateth from them and pronounceth them Schijmaticks and Excommunicates them every year And they can never obliterate the History of their horrid Schisms and Usurpations and inhumane Butcheries which will alienate many from them Will all the world ever agree to the Dominion of one Usurper Will they all believe the Monster of Transubstantiation Will they all agree That all the Senses of all men are deceived who think that they see and taste Bread and Wine and there is none And that it is necessary to Salvation to renounce all our Senses and the Scripture that oft calls it Bread after the Consecration 1 Cor. 11. Will all agree That God who cannot lie by Supernatural Revelation is the Father of all the lies to Sense that perceive real Bread and Wine and deceiveth them all by his Natural Revelation Will all men believe That every lying fornicating proud and covetous Priest even many Thousands of them can work Miracles at their pleasures every day in the week by making Bread no Bread and turning it into Flesh and 〈◊〉 And that there are visible Accidents without a Subject even a round nothing a white nothing a sweet nothing c. And that there are no substantial sâ—â—ns in that Sacrament of the thing signified And that Christs true Flesh was broken and his Blood shed by himself in the Sacrament before it was broken and shed on the Cross And that two General Councils who decree as de Fide that Christ hath not now Flesh in Heaven hath yet heavenly Flesh in the Sacrament I know that Augustine retracted somewhat as an oversight that looked that way But two General Councils that at Constantinople called the 7th General by some and that at Nice 2d which damned one another about Images yet agreed in this That Christ hath not Flesh in Heaven The words are Bin. p. 378. defin 7. Siauis non confessus fuerit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum post Assumptionem animatae rationalis intelleâ—â—â—â— carnis simul sedere cum Deo â—atre atque ita quique rursus venturum cum Paternâ Majestate judicaturum vâ—vos mortuos non amplius quidem Carnem neque incorporeum tamen ut videatur ab iâ—s a quibus conpunctus est maneat Deus extra crassitudinem Carnis Anathema And in this they say that the Constantin Council which they are condemning was in the right so that they anathematize the Church of Rome which think that Christ hath Flesh in Heaven and in the Eucharist which they deny yet saying that he hath a Body And let those that would pervert the word Crassitudinem note that he doth not distinguish of Christs flesh and ours as two sorts and say extra carnem Crassam but deny him to have flesh and say extra crassitudinem carnis as an essential property of flesh And one of these Councils the Papists own Will all Christians agree that every Priest must first make his God and then eat him or that he must communicate alone without communion
and Congregations of true Christians that have true Pastors to be true Churches of Christ And they take such Ministers as Conform to be notwithstanding that true Ministers though culpable and therefore they separate not from any such Churches as no Churches or from such Ministers as none 2. They take particular Churches associated under Diocesanes Archbishops and Nationally under one King and represented in one Convocation or Synod to be still true Churches and such as may be lawfully communicated with and these Diocesane Provincial and National Associations to be laudable as they are meer Associations for Concord and though culpable in some other respects yet such as good Christians may lawfully live under submissively and in peace 3. They think it lawful to preach and administer the Sacraments in the Parish Churches and have these 17 years been cast out and kept out much against their wills and laboured and hoped though in vain for Restoration 4. It is not Communion with any Christian Church in Faith Love or Holy Worship or any thing of Gods Institution no nor any thing of Mans commanding but what they believe God hath forbidden them which they deny To deny to take many Covenants Oaths Professions or to do some Practices which upon their best enquiry they verily believe to be great Sins this is not separating from any thing of God 5. They do not depart from the Churches but are cast out The Ministers are Silenced and â—â—â—cted as they verily believe for not sinning and hazarding their Souls Ministers and People are expresly by the Canon of the Church Excommunicated ipso facto which is sine sententia judicis if they but say that there is any thing in the Conformity which a good Christian may not with a good Conscience do The Canon is visible and plain so that they cannot possibly avoid being cast out and think that the Ejecters are the Schismaticks 6. When they are thus cast out or driven away they yet hold distant Christian Communion with all Christians in one universal Church one Spirit one Lord one God one Faith one Baptismal Covenant and one Hope Ephes 4. But local Communion they can have but in one place at once and none are said to separate from all the Churches where they are not present 7. The King by his Licence allowed them for a time to hold their own Assemblies and the Conformists themselves swear the Oath of Supremacy and take the King to be Supreme Governor in all Causes and over all Persons Ecclesiastical and Civil And yet then accused the Licensed of Schism 8. Though there be some things in the Liturgy which the Nonconformists dare not Declare Assent and Consent to and therefore suffer yet they hold it lawful both to join in Hearing Prayer and Sacraments with the Parish Churches and Conformists in the Lords days Worship and use of that Liturgy and many of them do so ordinarily And others do not hold it unlawful but are hindered by Preaching themselves where they can which they dare not forbear And the People that hold it lawful yet hold that better is to be preferred when they can have it And he that preferreth a Minister which he findeth most Edification by doth not therefore separate from all others because he is absent from them 9. The Nonconformists have in their appointed Treaties for Concord offered to use the Liturgy with some Emendations and to submit even to the present Archbishops Bishops and other parts of the Church-Government as is expressed in the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs By which visible in Print it may be seen how far they were from separating inclinations but it could not by the Bishops be accepted 10. But it is true withall that many of the Common People having constantly preferred that which they thought they were bound to prefer and seeing their former Pastors cast out and silenced thought they ought notwithstanding to adhere to them and grew into so hard thoughts of the Bishops that silenced them about 2000 at once that they are more alienated than before from them and their Assemblies as Chrysostoms Joannites were at Constantinople till the kindness of Atticus and Prâ—â—lus brought them back to the old publick Church Sect. XVII It is commonly confessed by their sharpest Accusers that the Nonconformists do well to forbear all that can be proved to be sinful And if they prove not Conformity sinful they are content to suffer as real Schismaticks Sect. XVIII We all agree of the necessity of a continued Succession in the Universal Church of the same Faith Religion and Ministerial Office which we profess and possess We have no one new Article of Faith or Religion nor any that have not continued in the Church we have no new Office But that the Office and Administrations cannot pass as valid unless the particular Minister can prove that he had Canonical Ordination from one that had the like and he from one that had the like and he from another that had the like and so up to the Apostles this we suppose irrational schismatical false and of malignant tendency against the Church and Interest of Christ Sect. XIX Mr. Henry Dodwell is the Man that hath newly and copiously promoted this Schismatical Error in a Book pretended to be against the Nonconformists Schism but disowned by the Conformable Doctors themselves many of them And indeed notwithstanding the tedious wordiness of it it hath little in it in comparison of Jansenius long ago fully answered by Voetius And though I told him over and over first that if he did not answer Voetius and my dispute of Ordination we should take him but to labor in vain as to our use yet hath he taken no notice of either of them at all If he intend it in any following Book it is but fraudulent to send out this great Volume first to do his work before he gave any notice of what is already said against him Must we write the same things as oft as Men arise that will repeat the Arguments so oft confuted Sect. XX His Design and Schismatical Doctrine is thus laid 1. That the ordinary means of Salvation are in respect of every particular person confined to the Episcopal Communion to the place he lives in as long as he lives in it 2. That we cannot be assured that God will do for us what is necessary for Salvation on his part otherwise than by his express promises that he will do it 3. Therefore we must have interest in his Covenant 4. Therefore we must have the Sacrament by which the Covenant is transacted 5. These as Legally valid are to be had only in the external Communion of the Visible Church 6. This is only the Episcopal Communion of the place we live in 7. The Validity of the Sacraments depends on the Authority of the persons by whom they are administred 8. No Ministers have Authority of administring Sacraments but only they that have their Orders in the Episcopal
and in the Mâ—nâ—thelites Error and a great part for Image-worship and as now many Churches of the Protestants agree in Consubstantiation and Church-Images and many in rejecting Prelacy and many in asserting it but all agree not in any of these though the eldest sort of Episcopacy for ought appeareth almost all in many ages did acknowledge and agree in But yet that which never united the Universal Church but tended to discord will have everywhere usually no better a tendency § II. Yet I have before enumerated divers Particulars which are needful and useful to the Concord of a particular Church which are not so to the Universal As that all the Members have the same Numerical Pastors the same Translation of the Scriptures read to them the same Versions and Tunes of Psalms when they meet together the same place and day and hour of meeting Because these in the nature of the thing are necessary to Concord and avoid Discord and Confusion And if divers Churches associated or all in a Kingdom or divers Kingdoms can agree in the same convenient modes and circumstances as the same Translation of the Bible so far as they have one language the same day of Easter Anniversarily to Commemorate Christs Resurrection as they do weekly on the same first day and some such like it will be laudable so it be done by voluntary consent as a thing of convenience and not of necessity and without tyrannizing over one another or persecuting or despising those that differ or turn it into an Engine of Rents and Schism by making it necessary to their communion which is the unhappy end of most humane impositions of indifferent unnecessary things He that thinketh he hath hit on the fittest Ceremonies â—ites or Modes is seldom ever content with liberty to use them but he must force all others if he can to his way and take away the liberty of all that differ from him We see it by sad experience that men think their Forms and Ceremonies cast out if all may not be compelled to use them though many think them sinful and they had rather have none of them than have them upon terms of meer liberty lest they be disgraced by the disuse or contradiction of those that do forbear theâ— And such men are never content with Union and Concord in Gods own Institutions and in circumstances that are in genere necessary § III. But some men are stiff in the Schismatical Opinion that though Churches of many Kingdoms may charitably differ in Ceremonies and indifferent things yet none in the same Kingdoms should be suffered so to differ of which I spake before But 1. Christ hath given us no such different measures of our Charity Forbearance or Communion 2. The old Churches were quite of another mind as Socrates and Sozomen shew in several instances And it is known that in the same Empire every Bishop had power to use his own Liturgy and other Modes as I instanced in the Canon that requireth every man to bring his Form first to the Synod to be tryed and in the contention between Basil and the Church of Neocesarea and the strife about Gregories and Ambrose's Liturgy and such like 3. It was the Pastors and People of the same Church of Rome that St. Paul giveth the Precepts of Forbearing and Receiving Dissenters in things indifferent to And still mark that he wrote not only to the Laity but to the Rulers as is evident and therefore forbiddeth them such narrowing impositions being himself also a chief Pastor an Apostle and so declareth his own judgment as one that would himself make no such uncharitable impositions § IV. We deny not but some Churches have a while continued in laudable Concord notwithstanding such ensnaring Impositions But 1. It hath been but for a time and this Worm hath fretted them and it hath ended in their great detriment at least 2. And it was not by these means but by better causes notwithstanding these diseases so that as we answer the Question Whether a Papist may be saved so do we answer the Question Whether such Churches may have prosperous Concord viz. 1. If the Essentials of Christianity in Papists and of Communion in such Churches be practically held so as to be more powerful than their Contraries 2. But not by their Contraries but by overcoming them one may be saved and the other have peace even as we answer the Question Whether a Man may live that taketh Poyson or hath the Leprosie 1. Not if it be prevalent according to its malignant nature 2. But yea if it be overcome by natural strength or medicine § V. Chillingworth our powerfullest Disputant against the Papists hath fully laid down the true Principles of Christian Concord and the Causes of Schism even the making more necessary to Salvation or Communion than is necessary indeed And the famous Hales though too bold and sometime going a step too far hath said more against these true Causes of Schism with great Truth and Reason than the Authors of it can well bear But wisdom is justified of all her children CHAP. XI The Severity and Force of Magistrates denying necessary Toleration and punishing the Refusers of unnecessary uncertain suspected things will never procure Church Vnity and Concord but in time increase Divisions § I. HAles of Schism speaking of having two Bishops in a Diocess saith pag. 223. Neither doth it any way savor of Vice or Misdemeanor instancing in Austin's doing it ignorantly their punishment sleeps not who unnecessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it The most pious and wise Church Historians extoll the two peaceable Bishops of Constantinople that quietly bore the Novatian Bishops by them and geâ—tâ—y reduced Chrysostom's Followers the Joannites and dâ—spraise Nestorius and such other turbulent Prelates that persecuted them on pretence of zeal against Error and some of them proved more erroneous themselves § II. This crying out for the drawing of the Sword against those that differ in unnecessary things 〈◊〉 a great dishonour to the persons that tell men how conscious they are of their own insufficiency for their proper work and a reproach to the power of the Keys as if it signified nothing without the Sword And in all Ages Men of Ambition and Insufficienâ—â—y and Uncharitableness have been thus calling to the Magistrate to do all when yet in general claim they have set themselves far above him as being for the Soul when he is but for the Body § III. But Experience hath still confuted them and that which one Age or year thus built the next hath ordinarily pull'd down Not but that orthodox pious Princes are an unspeakable blessing to the Church and the want of such are ordinary causes of sin distraction and misery But such must know and do their proper work and not serve the pride and humor of ambitious ignorant Clergymen nor be their Lictors or Executioners nor lend them the Sword to execute their wills § IV. Constantine defended the
Sins are not within his Cognizance 3. To do the work of Parents Pastors Tutors or Physicians is no part of the Office to which he is appointed and authorized 4. But he may drive on all these to do their duties by due means 5. It is unlawful to seek to cure a lesser Evil with a greater That is to be numbred with the things which the Prince cannot do which he cannot do by lawful means or such as do more hurt than good 6. The Mischiefs before enumerated against the Princes Safety and Honour and against Love and Justice and Conscience and Religion are so great as that no Severity must be used which procureth them and doth not a greater good 7. The punishing of small Faults by great Punishments is Injustice and Unlawful 8. Abundance of Infirmities and humane Frailties and Errors are such as must be endured so they be but by Doctrine Love and gentle Reproofs rebuked and disowned without Punishments Ecclesiastical or Corporal else there will be no Love or Peace 9. Preachers must not be suffered to persuade Men from the Faith Love or Obedience of God in Christ against any Article of the Creed or Petition of the Lords Prayer or Precept of the Decalogue or any essential part of the Christian Religion 10. If such speak a damnable Error or Heresie by Ignorance or Heedlesness they must have a first and second Admonition and they 〈◊〉 repent But if they forbear not upon Admonition they do it studiously and wilfully and such are to be Silenced till they Reform because the Preaching of one that opposeth an essential Point of Religion will do more harm than good except among Heathens or where no better Preachers can be had 11. It will not be unmeet for the Rulers to draw up either a Catalogue of integral Points of Religion of great moment which all shall be forbidden to Preach or Dispute against or else a Catalogue of Errors contrary to such which none shall have leave to propagate But it is not every one that violateth the Law that is to be forbidden to preach Christs Gospel but lesser pecuniary Mulcts may be sufficient punishment to many and the bare denying them preferment or maintenance and casting them among the disowned that are but tolerated may be better punishment and more effectual in case of tolerable Faults than the more severe 12. Rulers should do much more to restrain from Evils than to constrain to Religious Duties And those Evils are of these sorts First Such as blaspheme God Secondly Such as draw the Hearers Souls into damnable Error or Sin Thirdly Such as tend to overthrow the Honour and Safety of the Governors Fourthly Such as tend directly to breed Hatred in men against each other and kindle the fire of Contention and Enmity Fifthly Such as draw men from the common duties of Justice towards Neighbors or Relations into Fraud and Injury 13. It is the greatest part of the Magistrates duty about Religion First To see Gods own Laws kept in Honour Secondly And to keep Peace by Church Justices among Clergymen and People that are apt to take occasion from Religion to abuse and calumniate one another 14. Yet Rulers may and must compel Persons that are grosly ignorant or erroneous to hear what can be said against their Error and for their Instruction As Parents so Magistrates may compel Children and Subjects to be Catechized and to hear Gods Word and may compel them to hear such Teachers as have the Rulers Licence either as Approved or Tolerated to Teach 15. Men ought not to be compelled to receive the Sacraments of Baptism or the Lords Supper by the Sword or Force because it is to receive a sealed Pardon of Sin and Donation of Christ and Life which no unwilling person hath right to or doth receive For to say I am unwilling is to say I receive not and so the reception of the outward sign is Hypocrisie Prophanation and taking the Name of God in vain 16. Yet those that being Baptized and at Age avoid Communion are after Admonition to be taken for Revolters so far and to be declared such as so far cast themselves from the Communion of the Church And the Christian Magistrate may well deny them many Priviledges in the Commonwealth which he should appropriate to sound persevering Christians 17. Places in Government Trust Burgess-ship and Votes in Elections of Governors and such like are best appropriated to the Approved part of Christians and some the Tolerated but never granted to Apostates proper Hereticks or any that are intolerable 18. Pastors of the Churches should not be constrained to give the Sacrament of Baptism or the Lords Supper to any one against their Consciences because First It is their Office to be Judges who is to be Baptized and to Communicate This is the power of the Keys Secondly If they may not judge of the very Act which they are to perform they have not so much as that judicium discretionis which belongeth to every man as a man and so must act brutishly Thirdly If they may administer against Conscience when they think it Sin the same reason would hold for all men to sin whenever a Ruler commandeth them that judgeth it no Sin what Bounds shall be set against absolute blind Obedience Fourthly Whereas the Objection is from Inconveniences As Then every Pastor may deny Men Sacraments I answer 1. So every Tutor Physician c. may abuse his Trust 2. Therefore men must have care whom they choose and trust 3. There are better Remedies than sinful slavery in the Minister even consulting with Synods of Ministers or where Bishops rule appealing to them 4. The persons that expect the Sacrament may have it from some other Pastor that is willing It is a less inconvenience that a single person remove or else communicate in another Assembly than that the Pastor whose Office is to use the Church Keys be enslaved to sin against his Conscience 5. We suppose that of ancient right the Church is not to have a Pastor over them whom they consent not to Therefore if the Church find themselves wronged by the Pastors Fact they have their Remedy They may admonish the Pastor and if he hear not tell the Bishop Synod or Magistrate for I am not now determining the case of superior Bishops but tell what is the actual Remedy where such bear Rule And if he hear not the Church Synod Bishop or Magistrate they may desert him and choose a fitter Pastor and yet neither Excommunicate nor Silence him but the same man may be more sutable to another Flock which will desire him They that object Inconveniences in this motion should consider First That a Mischief and Sin is worse than an Inconvenience Secondly That there is nothing desirable here without Inconveniences which may furnish an unwise Contender with Objections Thirdly That they that cry up the Canons and Traditions Custom or judgment of Antiquity Bishops Councils Fathers and the Catholick
Church should not hastily set their own Wit or Authority against them all who for 600 if not nearer 1000 years after Christ did not only judge that Bishops must come in by the Peoples Election and Consent but that he was to be accounted an Usurper and no Bishop of theirs that had it not Fourthly And we have reason to think St. Cyprian and the Carthage Council of Bishops as wise as the Objectors who in the Case of Martial and Basilides before described judged that the People ought to forsake an uncapable scandalous Pastor though other Bishops even he of Rome absolved him And that the chief power of choosing or forsaking was in them and if they did otherwise it was not the contrary Sentence of Bishops that would excuse them before God It is easie to say St. Cyprian erred and we are in the right and this would overthrow all Government But neither the persons that object nor their Reasons have ever yet seemed to me sufficient to make me prefer their judgment even in this before Cyprian and the African Fathers XI In all probability FREE SACRAMENTS administred by such Ministers of Christ as by the Christian Magistrates Licence are either Approved or Tolerated would heal most of all the Discords about Religion in England I mean Sacraments not constrainedly but freely given and received I shall tell you why I think so by instances 1. The Thing call'd Strict Presbytery with a power of Classes and National Assemblies composed of Ordained and Unordained Elders as a Judicature whose Excommunication is to be enforced by the Magistrates Sword is approved by few of my acquaintance in England But those that Prelatists calâ— Presbyterians here commonly are Ministers that desire but the exercise of so much of their proper Office and the freedom of a Christian and a Man as not to be forced to administer Sacraments against their knowledge and conscience to the uncapable because a Lay-Chancelor or a Diocesane that knoweth not his Neighbours and Flocks so well as he shall say that they are worthy and command him to renounce his knowledge in obeying them And if God had made all such Ministers to be only the Lay-Chancellors or the Diocesanes Agents or Servants to Baptize and give the Lords Supper only in the Chancellors or Bishops name as a Messenger and if it be done amiss that not we but the Chancellor or Bishop should answer it to God then we could joyfully thus obey them But while we believe That we must answer our selves for our own actions and that we must Baptize and give the Lords Body and Blood in Christs Name and not the Bishops we dare not obey Men before God nor renounce our own judgment in the matters of our own Office and Trust Therefore it would satisfie us had we but freedom in our Ministerial action not to go against our Conscience however blind malice would make the world believe that it is some Papal Empire even over Princes that we desire Nay we desire That if the Magistrate will allow us Parish-Churches and Maintenance and Countenance in our work that any person that cannot remove his dwelling without great detriment and cannot be satisfied in our Order of Worship and Communion but can receive more Edification from another Minister may have leave to join in Communion with any other Approved or Tolerated Church keeping the Laws of Loyalty and Peace Why should I envy anothers desires or benefits Or think it hard that any can profit more by another than by me Or why should I be against it And we desire not that the People may be Ordainers or Church-Governors or have the power of the Keys but that if any Flock cannot be satisfied after full hearing to rest under the conduct of our Ministery they may freely chooâ—e another and remove us And for my own part as I never did so I wonder how any ingenious Minister can obtrude himself on any People and pretend to be their Pastor against their wills As my Conscience condemneth it as against God and them so I confess my Prudence is against it for my self and I am not so base as to endure such a life 2. And as for the Party called Independant I have reason to think that it is the main of that Toleration which they desire For Mr. Philip Nye who led them more than any one man known to me did purposely write to prove That the Christian Magistrate may set up Teachers all over his Dominions whom the People upon his Command are bound to hear But that to take any for their Pastors he thought they might not be compelled 3. And even the Anabaptists would be contented with the same liberty if they be but near as peaceable as Mr. Tombes was who wrote for even Parâ—chial Communion and persuaded the Anabaptists to it Though few so far followed him most I think would be contented with Free Sacraments in which I include the Eucharistical Lords-day worship § X. And what harm will this do where Love prevaileth and where Pride and Envy make not 〈◊〉 Priests to think all wrong them that do not Adore or Idolize them or give them more than is their due What harm will it do me if an hundred of my Parish hear and prefer another man by whom they can profit more than by me What if they worship God in other sound words or in Cloaths of another make or colour as long as they are restrained from reviling and the breach of Peace Are they any better in my Auditory with censuring or dissenting â—â—dgments hearing me against their wills than where they can freely join in Love and Peace If a bad or weak Minister grudge at all that go to an able Conformist in the next Parish few wise men will think that he doth it more for God or for his Brothers Soul than for himself and yet that person breaketh the Canon that goeth to the next Parish as well as he that goeth to a Nonconformist And why should we be more impatient with this man than with that § XXI The Pamphlets that are spread abroad for Rigor and Severity of late under the pretence of Conformity do many of them savor so rankly of Church-Tyranny and a bloody Mind and Principles and are made up of such Reasons as give us just cause to suspect that more of them are written by Papists than some think I instance in one called A Representation of the State of Christianity in England and of its decay and danger from Sectaries as well as Papists Printed 1674 for Benjamin Tooke in which the Staâ—e of Religion here is unworthily slandered and the Follies of some few such as the Quakers pretended to be the State of our Religion and words beseeming Mad-men which we never hear fathered on those that he pleaseâ— to call Sectaries and they are represented as 〈◊〉 of the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandments and what not that is reverend good and holy and the Papists much preferred before them
Clergy And must hearken to wise pious considerate peaceable and experienced Counsellors and avoid the examples both of Rehoboam and of Jeroboam and be neither an Oppressor nor a Corrupter § XV. And to conclude good and wise men may well know their duty whom to silence and eject and whom to tolerate if they are but true to God by this one Rule They may by hearing all the case and knowledge of the Persons discern whether that mans Preaching consideratis considerandis is clearly like to do more good or harm and do accordingly But then they must not judge of good and harm by carnal sinful lusts and interests and by the counsels of selfish partial men but by wise and just reason guided by the Word of God § XVI And in all doubtful Cases choose the safer side and when the danger of overdoing is the greater as in case of Persecution rather do too little than too much And prefer not Ceremonies before Substance nor tything Mint Annise and Cummin before Love Truth and Judgment and the great things of the Law And be sure that you learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice that you may not condemn or accuse the Guiltless CHAP. XV. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subscription to every Word Verse or Book of the Holy Scripture as it is in any one Translation or any one Copy in the Original now known § I. THis needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing and common experience 1. All Translations are the work of imperfect fallible men we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apostles unless as some think the Greek of St. Matthews Gospel be a Translation The pretences of Inspiration of the Seventy two that are said to be the Authors of that Greek Translation of the Old Testament is not yet agreed on in the Church nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Translated The Authority and Reasons of Hierome still much prevail Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine most valued by the Papists is yet so much matter of Controversie between them that when Sixtus Quintus had stablished a corrected Edition Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after Sect. III. And all Protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Translations English Dutch French c. And in the same Church of England we have the publick prescribed Use of two different Translations of the Psalms one sometime directly contrary to the other as Yea and Nay and one leaving a whole Verse which the other hath Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a Copy All therefore have the marks of humane frailty which cannot be denied Sect. V. And no wise and good man should deliberately deny this and so justifie falsly every humane slip But yet there is no such difference among Copies or Translations as should any way shake our foundations or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon For in all such points they all agree Sect. VI. Object But if Copies and Translations differ and err how can we make them our rule of judgment Answ I say again They agree in as many things as we need them for as a Rule of Judgment And where they differ it being in words of no such use and moment that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use no more than the King himself doth lose his authority if his hair turn white Sect. VIII Object 2. But what then must all subscribe to if not to all the Bible Have you any other measure or test Answ We must subscribe That we believe all Gods Word to be true and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the Canon And we must expresly subscribe to the Essentials of Christianity of which before and after Sect. VIII It was a considerable time before many Churches received the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter that to the Hebrews the Revelation c. And no doubt they were nevertheless true Christians And if now any believe all the Essentials of Religion and should doubt only whether the Canticles or the Epistle to â—iâ—â—mon or the two last of John or that of Jude were Canonical he might for all that be a true Christian and more meet to be a Bishop than Synesius was before he believed the Resurrection or Neclarâ—us before he was baptized c. Sect. IX The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture more than the Papists call some Books Canonical which we call Apocryphal And it is said that the Abassines and Syrians have divers not only as Ecclesiastical but as Canonical which we have not nor know not of Though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number by the proof well produced by Bishop Consins and many others yet have we no cause to unchurch all Churches that differ from us Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to cast out all Ministers that doubt of some words in any Translation or Copy or of some Verse Chapter or Book who hold the main and all the necessary Doctrines No such Test was imposed on the primitive Christians And it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble Churches of Helvetia should lately make it necessary to the Ministery to subscribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points though it may be a true and useful Assertion CHAP. XVI The Catholick Church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible § I. THis is yet more evident than the former 1. They do not at this day nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary They have great respect to the Commentaries of some of the Ancients and others but subscribe them not as infallible Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius swear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing Exposition of the Fathers it is well known 1. That they never told and proved to us who are to be taken for Fathers and who not 2. It 's known that few of them have written large Commentaries and fewer on all the Bible if any 3. That they oft differ among themselves 4. And the best have confessed their own Errors 5. And more have been found erroneous by others and are by us at this day 6. Yea they have cast out and condemned one another as the Case of Nazianzene Epiphanius Chrysostom Theophilus Alexand. Cyril and Theodoret and many