lâ—wful modes things lawfully used are to be indifferently used in the Worship of God what he thinks is necessary to be made a binding Law he hath made so or else he is deficient in his house R. B. Your Conclusion is a Mistake Error 33. J. O. That it must needs be if the premises were so full of Errors but we have vindicated them so the Conclusion is true Manuscript Argument 4. That which gives Testimony against the Faithfulness of Christ in his house as a Son and Lord of it above that of a Servant is not to be complyed withal let all the Disciples judge Vnto the Faithfulness of Christ doth belong to appoint and command all things whatsoever in the Church that belongs to the Worship of God as is Evident from the Comparison with Moses herein and his Preference above him Heb. 3.3 4 5 6. But that Institution and Prescription of all things in Religious Worship of things never Instituted nor prescribed by Christ in form and modes of them ariseth from a Supposition of a defect in the Wisdom Care and Faithfulness of Christ Whence alone a Necessity can arise of Prescribing that in Divine Worship that he hath not Prescribed R. B. 1st To your Major I answer 1. To give Testimony Signifyeth either by remote unseen Consequence to cross Christs Faithfulness and so do many of your Mistakes 2. Or it signifieth a plain Denyal of Christs Faithfulness no Christian complyeth with this J. O. By a remote unseen Consequence you have answered the Major for no man can see any Answer in it worth a Button To give Testimony against the Faithfulness of Christ is by making or Complying with Laws necessary for the Churches Esse or bene esse which he hath not made and it charges him for not doing what he ought to do as the Lord of his house and that which a man bears Testimony to by open Profession in Words or Practice is not to cross Christs Faithfulness by a remote unseen Consequence men do not use to bear Testimonies in the dark Our meanig is mens plain Denyal in Practice and it may be an open mouth Vindication of themselves and Condemnation of others added as you do This we roundly affirm to be a Testimony born against the Faithfulness of Christ and in this meaning you grant our Major R B. To your Minor I answer In your Supposition it is not true That it belongeth to Christs Faithfulness to appoint and command all things whatever in the Church which belongs to the Worship of God Else he were unfaithful in bidding them appoint many things belonging to his Worship Error 34. J. O. Here is another bold Attempt against Christ if it were not contradicted in the same breath for if he hath bid them appoint and make Laws then he did it in faithfulness and it belongs still to his faithfulness to give them a faithful Commission so as might not turn to the certain manifest wrong and injury of his Church as the exerting such a power hath done but tell us the Vbi of those Laws and biddings to men in the present sence and the Controversy is at an end R. B. It is another Error That the prescription of forms and modes of things in Worship not commanded by Christ can arise from nothing but a Supposition of a defect in the Wisdom Care and Faithfulness of Christ J. O. I prove it either it 's so or all that is done in that kind is superfluous For if there were Laws enough ad esse bene esse Ecclesiae it 's folly and madness to make more that which you instance in forms of Catechising Confessions or Forms of Prayer for Children c. they are nothing to the purpose they may be of use in their place for some means of instruction to the Ignorant as persons and cases require But we speak of forms and Systems of Worship imposed and bound on upon our shoulders at mans pleasure this we assert must be upon a Supposal of the defect of Christs Law or be done in manifest opposition to it to thrust it out or be a professed folly to make Laws were we declare there is no need of them Your Refutation in the three particulars are idle or false not worth our pains to take notice of Manuscript Argument 5. That which is a means humanely Invented for the attaining of an End in Divine Worship which Christ hath Ordained a means for unto the Exclusion of the means so appointed by Christ is false Worship and not to be complyed withal The end intended is the Edification of the Church in the Administration of all its holy Ordinances This the Service Book is Ordained and appointed by men for or it hath no end or use at all But the Lord Christ hath appointed other means for the attaining this End as is Expresly declared He hath given gifts unto men for the work of the Min stry for the edifying of the Body Ephes 4.7 8 11 12. that is in all Gospel Administrations but this means Ordained by Christ namely the Exercise of Spiritual Gifts in Gospel Administrations unto the Edification of the Church is Excluded yea expresly prohibited in the prescription of this Liturgical Worship R. B. To the major of your fifth Argument I answer as to the former no man is to comply by approbation with any thing that excludeth any of Gods means E. gr not with you that exclude the great duty of Catholick Communion J. O. Then you grant the maior but insinuate a distinction or keep a hole rather to creep out at There is say you compliance by Approbation and compliance without and that is by Compulsion When men comply with a Worship they submit to the Rule as the mind and will of God not as to a faulty and Erroneous Rule You are still upon your old shift a short turn â—nd a leap putting the Errors of Performances instâ—ad of the Errors of the Rule It 's a false accusation to say that I did ever exclude Catholick Communion But if I should please men I should not be the Servant of Jesus Christ but it is a very small thing with me that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment 1 Cor. 4.3 He that judgeth me is the Lord verse 4. Only this I shall say I will not go to the Church of Rome for Catholick Communion nor betray the Lord of the Vineyard that I may eat of the fruit thereof R. B. It is another mistake that the exercise of Spiritual Gifts is expresly forbidden except you meant just at the use of the Liturgy extemporate utterance is forbidden but it is not so in the Pulpit Error 36 J. O. We mean that there is an actual Exclusion of the Exercise of Spiritual Gifts in the whole Lyturgical Worship both in praying or any thing else it 's all prescribed Manuscript The pretence of mens liberty to use their Gifts in Prayer before Sermon and in Preaching is ridiculous they are excluded
my Answer These XII Arguments I understand they are likeliest to prevail most by the honour of Dr. Owen's Name more then by any strength that is in them J was willing as long as I could to believe they were not his they being as fallacious and frivolous as the rest i. e. Mr. Ralphson's and Mr. Warner's and one Error managed with above forty mistakes Besides after being assured they were his I was the more encouraged by the Example of Paul Gal. 2. J. O. As frivolous as they are or as little strength as they have you have not so much as shaken one of them or any Scripture duely managed by the Suffering Gentlemen you trampled upon one dead and the other alive dead or alive it 's all one to you but go on A Ream of Paper fill'd with such a Noise as this was will not carry the cause you have undertaken unless you can find better Arguments and Reasons both Logical and Theological to manage it with Put on the Spirit of Meekness Gravity Tenderness Humility Self-denyal Do not think to raise your Honour upon the Ruines of Christs Truth and the Reproaches of his Followers this was not Pauls Spirit neither have you his cause for the business that he withstood Peter in was compliance with the Jews abolished worship in opposition to the present Gospel-Worship as it was owned and professed by the Gentiles Besides there was his Cowardliness and fear of man that brought him to it with a great deal of dissimulation whereby Barnabas and others were drawn away Gal. 2.12 13. Sir you write much and Err much and yet justifie your self as the most infallible Person in the World when you come to particulars Sir I tell you I shall appeal to any Christian Spirit that reads your Refutation oâ— these Arguments as you call it whether you give any Testimony of the Spirit of Christ accompanying you in it I say no more but recommend to your serious consideration 1st The third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians especially vers 11 12.13 14 15. 18 19. 2dly The loud Paâ—fietick Call of Mr. Vincent in the end of his Book of Love O Tongues of Professors Catholick Communicants as well as others how long will it be ere you be quiet How long shall your breath bâ— as the Eâ—sâ—-wind blasting all about you When shall your words be agreeable to the Word of God When shall your Lips feed many and hurt none Your reproachful back-biting railing Language your Lies and Falsehoods have seen your sin and shame and the shame of Religion Repentance and Amendment is absolutely necessary else Salvation will still stand at a distance Isa 63.8 This he said suspecting men spoke of his Conformity R. B. Well Doctor I would not have you offended at what I have said and done I doubt not but whatever I wrote was faulty But I write as a Defendant of Love Unity and the Catholick Church and for the sake of such as being justly afraid of Sin and Idolatry and Damnation are affrighted from Love Unity c. and fall into a wilderness of sinful Divisions and confusions by these frightful names And tho' in the Trials and late Distractions of the Land I mention some of your confessions it is to tell you That I had reason to hope that you repented for doing no more in your publick Opportunities against the Spirit of Division that dissolved us J. O. True had it not been for that Spirit of Division there might not have been cccasion of your Repentance for writing the Holy Commonwealth The World is hardly peâ—swaded yet that it was hearty but only to qualify your Self for State-Charity as many Catholick Communicants go to Church and receive the Sacraments R. B. I will do much for that reason that the World may know my Charity with you and have Charity for me for all any thing said of you in this Pamphlet I will tell the Bishops that they should not be angry with you That I know not three men alive whom they are more beholden to for their Restitution by opening the door and sweeping the way and melting down and pulverizing all that was like to have resisted them J. O. Now to return this great favour we will take care if they understand it not already to acquaint them that no ten men in England now alive have done more for their Establishment by dirtying the Dissenters and melting and crumbling the Cause of Nonconformity to attoms that upon the Principles and Reasons that you would have the World beleive it stands it seems justly to them and all other duly considering men the most idle weak and ridiculous thing in the world So that I hope now they will be well pleas'd with us both R. B. Dr. let us shake hands then and be friends and walk like Bâ—e hren in Catholick Communion I tell thee one thing but it 's not fit to be spoken of yeâ— but among Friends I am going to discourse Dr. Sieâ—â—ck upon this great point of Câ—tholick Communâ—on to beat it into his thick Skull how the Catholick Church is united into one bâ—dy so as to be one Church I cann't make him understand what 's meant by the word Union nor how many sorts of Union â—e will receive nothing de nomine nor de re but I am not out of hopes of effecting something at last If I cann't do it I am sure no man can It shall escape me hard if I do not â—â—râ— those worldly Pr. I G. and the unruly Pr. Ig's by Persecution and by causless Separation and Alienation to Catholick Communion J. O. Good night Sâ—r. R. B. Good morrow Sâ—â— J. O. We cann't agâ—â—e on the time of day yet it seems FINIS
the preceptive or penal part though it justifies me before the Law R. B. What if the Creed or Lords Prayer were too rigorously imposed J. O. If the thing be my duty in obedience to a just and Supream Law I am not to neglect it because an Inferiour Governour too rigorously imposeth it 1. Such a rigorous imposition hurts me not in that which I take to be duty to do whether that Imposition be or no. 2. Christ never annexeth too severe Penalties to any of his Laws 3. If man undertake to annex too rigorous Punishments or unsuitable ones it hinders not me in my Duty to Christ As if a Magistrate make Whipping or Hanging the Penalty of not receiving the Sacrament in such a time If I upon Examination of my self and the Rule apprehend it my duty in Obedience to Christ I will do it but not in respect to Mans Laws But if the Subordinate Law-maker alter the Nature and Circumstances of the Supream the Law is another thing and my Obedience justifies the power of the Law-maker and the goodness of the Law in the Mandatory part Again good things by a lawful Authority may be too rigorously imposed and the Law may be unjust in the Penalty though the Mandatory part be good which injustice is the sin of the Law-givers loss and wrong of the Transgressor because he suffers beyond the Merit of his Transgression but this hinders not me from my Duty neither doth this rigorous Imposition hurt me so long as I stand in obligation and practice of my duty by another Righteous Law which requires the same thing If Christ commands me to say the Lords Prayer and annexeth no corporal punishment I will do it If Mans Law saith I shall be hang'd if I do not do it I do the Action by vertue of Christ's Law But let such Law makers look to it that annex Corporal Penalties to Laws of his Institution the Cries of them upon which they are Executed will be loud in Christs Ear. Manuscript This Corjunction by C mmunion by the Worship of the Liturgy is a Symbol Pledge and Token of â—n Ecclesâ—astical Incorporation with the Church of England in its present Constitution it is so in the Law of the Land it is so in the Canons of the Church it is so in the common understanding of all men and by these Rules must our Vnderstanding and Practice be judged and not be any Reserves of our own which neither God nor good men will allow of Wherefâ—re R. B. To the third Premise I answer The Church of England is an Ambiguous word 1. As it signifies a part of the Universal Church agreeing in Faith one God and all Essentials J. O. So any Church may be as well as it any particular Congregation this is no distinguishing Character but is ambiguous too R. B. 2. As it is a Christian Kingdom under one King J. O. A Church in a sence is a Christian Kingdom i. e. a Royal Nation under Christ their King But there 's no such Gospel Church in your sence for there was neither Christian Kingdom nor King in the Apostles days R. B. As it is a Confedracy of many Churches to keep concord in lawful Circumstantials as well as Integrals J. O. This will not tell us yet what the Church of England is 1. A confederacy of Churches is by No-body call'd a Church in your sence of a Church the Scripture no where calls a confedracy of Churches a Church nor doth any that call the Church of England â— Church owning it so to be in its professed Constitution mean thereby a confederation of Churches 2. National Churches may be a confederation of Churches and such confederation in lawful circumstantials as well as integrals will make a Church I know not why we may not have a Catholick Visible Church Organized if this be a due acceptation of a Church R. B. If any Church go beyond these bounds and upon good pretences shall agree upon any Error or Evil it is a mistake to hold that all that incorporate with them in the three aforesaid lawful respects do therefore confederate with them in their Error This is your Fourth Error J. O. That 's â—our Error 1. In Arithmetick it s but the third by your own mark 2. In Logick for what â—ounds have you set These three things are but general Descriptions of a Church at most Here 's no definition in any or all of them of any particular Church and that is setting of â—ounds when I difference and describe a Species or Individual under its next Genus by its particular form or proper adjunct we spâ—ak of a particular Church so bounded The Church of England is so according to its present constitution by Establishing Laws in its actual form of Officers Members particular Worship and power as an Organized individual Church National Church is not the next Genus of the Church of England but remote National Church is the next Genus Now I say upon whatever pretences a particular Church calls and professeth it self a Church as the conditions of their Communion if you joyn with them upon those conditions pretended and professed that is a Token of your Ecclesiastical Incorporation in the said Church in its present constitution the Church and all others looks upon you as an Actual Member let the conditions be Error or no Error The Question is not so much now whether the terms be Error or not but whether your joyning upon the terms required is not your Ecclesiastical Incorporation with them And then if the terms be erroneous and sinful whether you do not joyn in the Error and professedly allow it by your practice R. B. I will give you a general instance and a particular one 1. You cann't name me one combined company of Churches from the Apostles dayes till now that had no Error J. O. You might as well have said any one Church for we speak of a particular Church not of combined Churches but suppose as you say If that Combination be an Error or an Error be the condition of the Combination then my coming upon that condition is an Error and an Incorporation into that combination so as to make me Confederate in that Error R. B. The Independents gathered a Synâ—d at the Savoy and there among their Doctrinals or Articles of Faith laid down two points Expresly contrary to Scripture 1. That it is not Faith but Christs Righteousness that we are justified by whereas it is both and the Scripture often saith the contrary J. O. It is a strange thing that any man should take upon him such Magisterial Dictatorship in matters of Religion to insinuate Error into Mens Minds and unjust accusations of others For 1. When the Scripture speaks of Justification by Faith doth any sound Divines or Christians understand it of the Act of believing but that the object of Faith that Justifies is the Righteousness of Faith our own Righteousness or Christs Righteousness but this dispute is not
Worship rejecteth and excludeth the matter of Prayer J. O. That which prescribes the matter of Prayer excludes all other matter besides what is prescribed and therefore is inconsistent with the conduct of the Spirit in taking the work of the Spirit out of its hands It rejecteth and excludeth our dependance on the promises of the aid and assistance of the Spirit in Prayer because it prescribes and limits the matter manner and gives all the abilities preâ—ended to there is nothing for the Spirit to do therefore here 's nothing untrue Where there is nothing left for the Spirit to do the work of the Spirit as to Gifts is excluded Manuscript Arg. 10. That which overthrows and dissolves our Church-Covenant as unto the principal end of it is to us unlawful this end is the professed joynt subjection of our Souls and Consciences unto the Authority of Christ in the observation of whatever he commands and nothing else in the Worship of God But by this practice this end of the Church Covenant is destroyed and thereby the Church-Covenant it self is broken for we do observe that which Christ hath not commanded And while some stand unto the terms of the Covenant which others relinquish it will fill the Church with Confusions and Disorders R. B. To the 10th I answer What your Church-Covenant is I know not but if it profess Subjection to nothing in Worship but what Christ commandeth it is your Church-Error and Error 41. J.O. I may spare the pains to vindicate our selves from this charge of Error every Christian can do it But Sir are you serious here and speak as you mean Or are you Ludicrous only and would shew a feat of Sophistry If it be the former we must profess our Resolution to maintain that for Truth and Religion which you call Error and that we profess subjection only to the Commands of Christ in matters of Religion and if you know any Religion or part of it to be exercised in Obedience to those Commands that are not Christs keep that to your own practice if you like it we need it not What you say as to Psalms Translations Time Place Utensils we say we do nothing in them but in Obedience to the Commands of Christ so far as they have place in Worship neither shall you nor any man prescribe to us If your meaning be to be taken in the latter sence I say 't is Ludere cum sacris as hath been too often in this Undertaking of yours Heathens had a serious Reverence to their supposed Sacred Things as appears by the Poet Procul O Procul este profani Manuscript Arg. 11. That which contains a vertual renunciation of our Church-State and of the lawfulness of our Ministry and Ordinances therein is not to be admitted or allowed But this also is done in the practices enquired into For it is a professed Conjunction with them in Church-Communion and Worship by whom our Church-State and Ordinances are condemned as null and this judgment they make of what we do affirming that we are gross dissemblers if after such a conjunction with them we return any more unto our own Assemblies in this condemnation we do outwardly and visibly joyn R. B. It 's an Error to hold That if any unjustly condemn other Churches it is a Renunciation of that condemned Church-State to have Communion with them that condemn Error 42. J. O. You cann't be ignorant but know that you speak now fallaciously again To have communion with another man in other things that he condemns me not for is no Renunciation of that for which he doth condemn me E. gr A false Worshipper condenms me for worshipping the true God or the true God in a right manner I may maintain a Society withâ—h this man as to buying and selling and not condemn my Religion but if I enter into a Religious Society with him in false Worship I then renounce what he unjustly condemns me for So your charge is fallacious and false Manuscript Arg. 12. That which deprives us of the Principal Plea for the justification of our Separation from the Church of England in its present State ought not justly to be received or admitted But this is certainly done by a Supposition of the lawfulness of this Worship and a practice suitable thereto as is known to all who are exercised in this cause Many other heads of Argument might be added to the same purpose if there were cccasion J. O. Is there any Error here R. B. I mark none but I answer your Argument thus That which discovers the unâ—ouâ—dâ—eâ—s of any ones Plea for Separâ—tion is to be received J.O. That is not true universally for the Commission of many Acts of Sin is a discovery to a man himself and good men of the unsoundness of any Plea that hath been made for 〈◊〉 R. B There are several cases in which separation from the Church of England is sinful 1. If any separate as Papists do and because they are against sound Doctrine or any good that is in the Church J. O This you charge them with Papists will say your Doctrine is sound and that which you have justified more then any profest Protestant Divine since the Reformation as that of Justification by Works Merits Images a power in man to invent to impose Subordinate Worship They say they separate because of the Errors of your Church-Constitution R. B. If any renounce Communion with Parish-Churches under the name of the Church of England J. O. Communion with the Church of England and Parish-Churches is the same thing as communion with Homo is communion wiâ—h Animal But we know where you would be R.B. If any renounce communion with the Church of England as it's a Christian Kingdom J. O. See now the quatenus still you will not have communion with the Church but with a Kingdom R. B. If any renounce communion with the Church of England as it s called one from an Association of concord of its Pastors or Church Governours J. O. i. e. Quatenus a Presbyterian Church R. B. If any renounce communion with faulty Bishops or worship simpliciter and not secundum quid J. O. Now here is a Communicant secundum quid I would appeal to the Church of England whether Mr. Baxter be an acceptable Communicant 1. He communicates with a Parish-Church but renounceth the organized Church of England 2. He hath communion in the Liturgy but renounceth the Authority of Diocesan Bishops and their Office as established by the same 3. He hath communion with the Church of England but not as such but quatenus a Christian Kingdom 4. He hath communion with Parishes but not as part of Diocesan Churches but quatenus Presbyterian Associations 5. He hath no simple absolute communion at all out is a meer secundum quid Communicant Are not these now pretty clear and plain things to resolve a doubting Conscience in the great point of Gospel-Communion R. B. Now I 'll tell you the Reason of