that end And this is that one Catholick Church or Body of Christ which Himself and his Apostles would have kept entire without any Schism or Division in it To which end they have left a strict Charge upon all the Members of it to Keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace which can only be by joyning together in one Fellowship and Communion And now what think you Sir are Christ and his Apostles to be reckon'd in the Number of Dissenters and Non-conformists Nay have they not left an Example of strict Conformity to the Jewish Church of which they were Members and shew'd an exact Compliance with all the Rights and Ceremonies not only of Divine but Humane and Ecclesiastical appointment us'd in it And will our Saviour think you approve of Rents and Dâ—ssâ—â—â—ions in the Christian Church which he hath 〈◊〉 his own Body upon the account of these things No certainly the Precepts to Unity and the Prohibition of Divisions are far more urgent under the Gospel than ever they were under the Law And how can you conceive Schism and Separation to be signs of Grace and purer Christianity when they are so directly contrary to the Rules and Precepts of both Thus you see Sir that your additional Stroaks serve but to add to the Resemblance and your compleating the Character of the Pharisees only shews you the more compleatly like them But you have something farther to say of the Pharisees Prayers and ask Whether they were by a Liturgy or not Which must be examin'd and answered in my next I am SIR Yours M. H. LETTER XVIII To J. M. SIR I Shew'd in my last that the additional Stroaks you gave to the Picture of the Pharisees did but encrease the Resemblance and what you added to compleat their Character serv'd only to make it look so much the harder upon you I proceed in this to consider what you have farther to say concerning your Prayers and here when I told That the Pharisees Prayers were remarkable for two Things viz. their length and their loudness you very fairly quarrel with both for your caviling Humour will scarce let any thing pass And therefore something must be added for the Illustration of both As for their length Our Saviour hath recorded it for a piece of their Hypocrisy Matt. 23.14 that they made long Prayers No say you 't was not the length of their Prayers but the making of them for a Pretence that is there blam'd But Sir Did not the making of them for a pretence imply an Opinion of some greater Excellency in them than in shorter Prayers Men are not wont to pretend to but hide Imperfections and if the Pharisees made these Prayers for a Shew or Pretence 't is a sign they took Prolixity for a Perfection and Ornâ—ment of their Devotion and plac'd greater Holiness and Sanctity in them that they had a value for long Prayers and valu'd themselves upon them which was the thing I observed in them As for their Lowdness we read That they pray'd in the Corners of the Street which being done for Ostentation and Vanity and before great Concourses of People Lowdness was necessary to attain their Ends and therefore as they sounded a Trumpet before their Alms that they might be seen of Men so they lifted up their Voices like a Trumpet in their Street-prayers to be heard of them But whatever becomes of the Lowdness you cannot away with blaming the length of Prayers For was not Jacob's say you a long Prayer Yea was not David's Solomon's Nehemiah's and Daniel's so Sir There are far more Examples of short than of long Prayers in Holy Scripture and we read of much greater Successes to have attended the one than the other As for the Prayers you mention the first of them was but like one of our short Collects the other like our longer Forms Compos'd for publick Fasts and Thanksgivings but none of them like the tedious long-winded Harangues of Extempore Prayer besides the former being the inspir'd Prayers of the Prophets and Dedicated by the Spirit of God upon some Solemn Occasions were both for Matter and Words sound pertinent and pithy Whereas yours proceeding from the sudden and hasty Conceptions of your own Brain are far from either being oftentimes full of Impertinences Tautologies and Unsoundness But was not the Lord 's a long Prayer say you when he continued all Night at it And the Primitive Christians spent sometimes many hours together in Prayer and some of their Fasts were Celebrated with Prayers prolong'd from the Morning of one Day to the beginning of another Sir 'T is a great Mistake to think that they spent all this time in Verbal or Vocal Prayer or that they were all this while speaking and uttering Words unto God No a great part of this time was taken up in silent and devout Soliloquies in Pious and Heavenly Meditations and the inward breathings of Mental Prayer which were very frequent and made up a great part of the Devotion of those Times As for our Saviour's continuing all Night in Prayer much of that time was doubtless spent in the secret Elevations of the Heart for we read of no other Words utter'd by him all that time but O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not my Will but thine be done The Disciples were so far from joining with him that they slept away the greatest part of the Night however having utter'd these Words once he awoke them and pray'd again the second time O my Father if this Cup may not pass away from me except I drink it thy Will be done After which he pray'd again the third time without any variation saying the same Words And with these few unvaried Words together with many inward Sighs and Groans that cannot be utter'd he past that Night before his Sufferings with great Devotion and hereunto the Apostle alludes when he tells us of Christ's praying to his Father with strong Cries and Tears Besides Our Saviour having blam'd the Heathens for their much speaking and the Pharisees for their long Prayers he was careful not to leave behind him an Example or Encouragement of either As for what you say of the Primitive Christians spending many Hours and sometime whole Nights in Prayer and Fasting you must not think that this was always done with the Voice or the Use of Words for the ancient Fathers tell us That a great part of their Service was perform'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Silence that is with the inward Motions and Desires of Mental Prayer which are oftimes more acceptable with God than the greatest multitude or variety of Words But you would have me tell you whether the Pharisees long Prayers were by a Liturgy or no And if not where is the Jewish Service that Christ and his Apostles frequented Adding That you believe we should find in those Days no other Common-Prayer-Book but the Bible Sir That the National Church
Degrees of Authority and Jurisdiction For else they were advanced to nothing when they were elected or promoted to it 't is absurd to say they succeeded only to what they had before And what would the Apostolical Office over other Church-Officers signifie if they had no Power to oversee and govern them But that the Apostles both had and exercis'd a Power over them the Holy Scripture and Primitive Antiquity may abundantly satisfie you For we find St. James the Apostle and first Bishop of Jerusalem not only presiding in the great Council held there but likewise by his own Authority deciding the Matters debated in it about the Gentil Converts speaking in that commanding Style It seemeth goood to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon them no greater Burdens than these necessary things c. after which we find Timothy Ordain'd Bishop of Ephesus 1 Tim. 1.3 and exercising Episcopal Jurisdiction over that Church 1 Tim. 3.1 which extended over all the proconsular Asia Ch. 9.11.5.22 in which he commanded that the Laity be diligently instructed the Clergy provided with a competent Maintenance admitting none to be Deacons but upon due Examination and Ordaining none to be Elders or Presbyters till they had well-perform'd the Office of a Deacon receiving Accusations against them and putting guilty Persons to an open Shame all which are Acts of Power and Jurisdiction Again We find Titus left in Crete to set in Order the things that were wanting and to Ordain Elders in every City Tit. 1.5 By which it appears That he had an Episcopal Power confer'd upon him to do that in Crete which the Presbyters that were there before had not and this Power extended not only to the setting in order what was wanting and the ordaining of Elders but likewise to the rebuking of obstinate Offenders with all Authority Tit. 2.15 first admonishing them and if they persisted in their Obstinacy punishing them with the Censures of the Church Chap. 3.10 and rejecting them from the Communion of it which are all Acts of Power and Jurisdiction But this Power say some was only Temporary and to last no longer than the Days of the Apostles who were the first Planters of these Churches Why so Was there not the same Use and Necessity of these things in the following Times as there was in the Days of the Apostles Is there not a constant need of ordaining Elders and exercising Discipline and Censures in the succeeding Ages of the Church as well as the first Again where hath Christ limited this Power and made it Temporary Yea hath he not plainly made it perpetual by promising to be with them to the End of the World Which could not be with them in their own Persons who died in a little Time after but with them in their Successors who follow'd them in their Office to whom the same Promise of Assistance and Encouragement is given to the End of the World Beside Does not Ecclesiastical History give us a particular Account who succeeded them in their several Churches A Catalogue of whom you may find in Eusebius and many other Writers So that nothing in Antiquity is more plain than that the Apostles had a Power over others for the well-ordering and governing the Church and that this Power was deriv'd down to their Successors the Bishops who have exercis'd the same in the several Ages of the Church ever since Which Form of Government being first Instituted by Christ and seconded by the Practice of his Apostles and succeeded to in the primitive Churches by our Saviour's express Approbation is abundantly enough to make it an Order distinct from and superior to Presbyters Jure Divino and consequently there is little Reason why you should think it a Grievance to assent and consent to that which the Christian Church hath in all Ages assented and consented to But here you fly to Scotland and would know what I think of that and other Countries that have cast off the Government of the Church by Bishops Sir Though I have no Inclination to meddle with the Affairs of any other Church yet since the Importunity of your Argument requires an Answer I must tell you That as particular Persons and Bodies of Men may be guilty of Schism by breaking off from the Communion and Discipline of a National Church so a whole Nation or Country may be justly charg'd with it in breaking off from the Communion and Discipline of the Catholick Church of which that is a Member And this is the unhappy Case of your beloved Scotland which by casting off the Ancient Apostolical and Primitive Discipline and Government of the Church by Bishops and likewise by laying aside a Liturgy or Forms of Prayer for publick Worship both which having been received in the Christian Church ever since its first Establishment is thereby become Schismatical For by so doing it hath cut it self off from the One Body of the Catholick Church and is become no longer a sound Part of it but a Sect and Excrescence of it But you will say what then will you condemn all the Inhabitants of that Country as living in the Grievous and Damning Sin of Schism No Sir There were some who voluntarily and violently acted to the laying aside the Liturgy and Episcopacy in that Church and thereby wilfully brake the Communion Worship and Discipline of the Christian Church and these are truly and properly guilty of the hainous Sin of Schism which if not repented of and amended in Time will prove as fatal to them heareafter as 't is to the Church here But beside these There are many Thousands in that distracted Kingdom who abhorr'd and endeavour'd to prevent that wide and miserable Breach in the Catholick Church But being over-power'd were forc'd to see and bewail that miserable Rent made in it and can only wish and pray for the Peace and Repairs of Jerusalem Now these are no ways to be charg'd with the Guilt of this Schism for here the Succession being altogether involuntary 't is to be reckon'd their Unhappiness but not their Fault And the like may be said of the Inhabitants of some other Countries who being by the Misfortune of Times and Place depriv'd of that way of Worship and Discipline that should unite them to the Catholick Church may not be charg'd with that Schism which they could neither foresee nor prevent but being by unavoidable Necessity brought under it God Almighty will have Mercy upon them and make up that in the Ever-blessed Society of Saints hereafter which they want of the Communion of Saints here But do you not see say you in the Letter of June 28th how those whose Turn it is to be the Establish'd Church in that Kingdom may turn their own Artillery upon you and talk to your disaffected Brethren in the same strain as you do to us and tell them That all the Distractions and Divisions of that Church are to be put upon the score of their
Disobedience May'nt they be Characteriz'd for stubborn unquiet Schismaticks as we now are No Sir 't is one thing to stick to the truly Ancient Primitive and Apostolical Discipline and way of Worship and another to set up and promote new upstart Ways and Models in both the one is to endeavour to keep the Unity of the Church and the other to break it Now in the Kingdom of Scotland that prevailing Party that laid aside the ancient Discipline and Worship of the Catholick Church to set up those new-fangl'd Models are truly branded for Schismaticks for breaking into different Factions and Communions whereby they divide the Body of Christ and may be justly said to create Distractions and Divisions in the Church whereas they who adher'd to the ancient Doctrin and Discipline of the Catholick Church and would willingly have preserv'd both these can no ways be charg'd with the Schisms and Divisions of that Church for these differ as much from the other as the Keepers of the Peace do from the Breakers of it And you know 't is unreasonable to charge the same Disorders and Disobedience upon those that endeavour to keep the Peace as upon those who make it their Business to break it so that the Artillery you speak of still points to you and cannot be turn'd upon those against whom you level it But it may be your Case say you in another Century if any thing happen to be requir'd which you think unlawful to fall under the like Difficulties of the Government Sir That there is nothing unlawful requir'd in the present Government I suppose you are pretty well satisfied and therefore your Schism in these Circumstances is both unreasonable and inexcusable And 't is to be hoped That the Members of the Church of England will in no Century either voluntarily and causelesly cut off selves or be violently cut off by any others from the Worship and Discipline of the Catholick Church But if it should so happen which God forbid our Duty will be not to applaud but lament the Schism to enjoy as much as we may of the Communion of the Church and to pray and wait for a better Union and fuller Enjoyment of it But there is one Objection more urg'd by your Party against the Authority of Bishops viz. If the Bishops Power be Jure Divino how come they to execute it by Lay-Chancellors Sir Beside the Spiritual Power committed to Bishops as Successors to the Apostles Church-Censurers Ordination c. which are executed by themselves in Person there are other things Circa Spiritualia which are by Law committed to their Care and Inspection as the Cognizance of Wills and Testaments many Cases about Matrimony Alimony and Divorce about Tithes Dilapidations Defamation c. which Things containing many intricate Cases and requiring more time than the Bishop can well spare from the weightier Duties of his Office he is impower'd to commission one Learned in the Canon and Civil Laws to hear and determine such Matters so that as Moses did appoint inferior Officers and Judges to determine small Matters whilst the weightier things were brought to him So the Bishop by the Allowance of the Church is permitted to have these Officers under him to take off part of his Burden in ordinary Matters and to dispatch some of his Business when he is otherwise employ'd or hinder'd But you publish say you such Excommunications as are decreed by Lay-Chancellors according to the Canon And why not For though the Lay-Chancellors by the Authority of the Bishop may decree the Sentence for not hearkning to the Church yet being an Ecclesiastical Censure 't is never executed by him but either by the Bishop in Person or some other Spiritual Person that hath full Authority to do it and when this Censure is thus regularly decreed and pronounc'd why may we not publish it that others may know and avoid them and according to our Saviour's Order look upon them as a heathen Man and a Publican Thus I have consider'd your main Objections concerning the Order of Bishops What you farther offer concerning Bishop Hall shall be consider'd in my next I am SIR Yours M. H. LETTER XXI To J. M. SIR IN your Letter concerning Bishop Hall after a few flings and reflections upon the Order of Bishops which I endeavour'd to rectifie and remove in my last You tell me That you are far better pleas'd with some Bishops than we think you are and particularly instance in Arch-Bishop Vsher and Bishop Hall wishing there were many Hundreds more of them in England Now these Reverend Persons are much beholding to you that you have not so great an Aversness to them as to some others But what is the Reason of this great Kindness to those Excellent Men Why some By-End to be sure for 't is not out of any Respect to their Order which you will not allow to be distinct from nor Superior to Presbyters No nor yet for their Learning and great Abilities in deciding Controversies in Religion for you are not like you say to refer to their final Decision any Matters in Debate between us in their present Constitution Whence then should this Honourable Esteem of yours for these Great Men proceed Why this you will tell me in the next Words 't was for their Exemplary Piety discover'd by their painfulness in Preaching and likewise for their great Temper and Moderation in Ecclesiastical Matters As for their Exemplary Piety that was chiefly seen in their Pious Lives and Zealous adhereing to the Establish'd Worship of the Church of England and likewise by sticking as close and as long as they could to the Primitive Discipline and Government of that Church But you pass by these Eminent and Exemplary Instances of their Piety because they do not serve your purpose and instead of them take notice of their painfulness in Preaching and their great Moderation Now though painfulness in Preaching be indeed a very good Commendation in all that are call'd to it yet I think a Vigilant care and diligence in ruling well the Church of God and setting in order things that are wanting in it is a more necessary and commendable Qualification of a Bishop and indeed if you will rightly consider the multitude weight and difficulty of the Business that appertains to their Office you will find it enough to employ the Time and Thoughts of the ablest Overseer Besides The Bishops having generally spent their Younger Years in painful Preaching and being seldom advanc'd to that Office till they come to their Elder Years may by reason of the decay of Strength and Voice and other Infirmities that attend that Age be excus'd from that painfulness and may more usefully employ the Time and Experience of those Years in well-governing the Church over which they are appointed Overseers But if any beside their other Work have strength and leisure enough for this Exercise they may and ought to make use of it and you know some Time is by our Reverend
Forms of Prayer For in your Letter of June 28th you acknowledge Forms to be in themselves lawful and to some needful and complain of your being mis-represented by some as Enemies to all Forms Disputation of Liturgy Proposition 10. Your Oracle Mr. Baxter frequently asserts the lawfulness of them and withal declares That the disuse of Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and to make Men Hypocrites who delude themselves with Conceits that they delight in God when it is but in these Novelties and varieties of Expression that they are delighted and therefore adviseth Forms to fix Christians and make them sound Reason Discourse And another Brother of yours acknowledges That their Labours are profitable who have drawn the matter of Prayer into Forms Now these Concessions one would think were a fair step to a Reconciliation and might lay a good Foundation for Peace and Unity For this Principle if well observ'd and follow'd would bring all to the Church and help them to join in the same Forms of Publick Worship from which nothing but their unlawfulness can justifie a Separation St. Paul wills us To do what in us lies to live peaceably with all Men Rom. 12.18 and more especially with the Church whereof we are Members And elsewhere requires us To use our utmost Endeavours To keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Ephes 4.2 Now does it not lie in us to do what we lawfully may Should we not go as far as we can for the sake of Peace and Unity Especially when we are commanded to do so by lawful Authority And what a mighty influence would this Amicable and Christian Temper have to promote Unity and prevent Divisions For if we lawfully may and ought as this Principle teaches to agree in offering up the same Prayer which will have the greater force from the benefit of Concord and Unanimity why should we break into Parties and put up different and contrary Petitions which must lose all their Efficacy from the mischief of Division 'T is evident Sir that you can and do upon occasion join in the Publick Prayers of the Church Which shews you are satisfied both in the lawfulness and use of them Now what should hinder you from doing that always for the sake of Peace which you can do sometimes to serve some other Turn Was ever Peace and Unity valued at so low a rate among Christians as to refuse to do what they lawfully may to preserve it As for what you object of renouncing the Covenant as a hinderance That is long since out of doors and cannot now with any shew or colour of Reason be pretended Only you find it in Mr. Baxter and being something to say you cannot forbear to use it tho' the Author and the Covenant too are both laid asleep in their Graves As for Re-ordination which you mention as another hinderance Neither can that affect you being if I am not mis-inform'd ordain'd by a Bishop And as for Assent and Consent to all that is Established which you talk so often and so much of tho' it be in its self very reasonable and no more than is required in all Established Churches and Societies yet if you cannot presently come to it you are to acquiesce and wait for farther Satisfaction which if you bring but a willing and humble Mind you may soon have In the mean time you are to continue as a private Member of the Church without disturbing the Peace of it either by separating from it your self or drawing the People from it by Objections wherein they are no way concern'd This Sir is unquestionably your Duty if you will keep a good Conscience and shew that Modesty that becomes you without giving Offence to that Church whereof you were Baptiz'd a Member and Ordain'd a Minister But the Misery is tho' you are driven by the evidence of Truth to own the lawfulness of Forms yet there is nothing which you more universally decry and disuse in the Practice even when enjoyn'd by that Power which in all lawful Things you are bound to obey This is a gross inconsistence and plainly shews that you have no mind to do what you safely may to promote Peace Is not this to act quite contrary to the Apostles Advice Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same Things Phil. 3.16 Where he wills us to go hand in hand together as far as we can and not to differ or break off from the use or practice of those Things wherein we are agreed If we have attain'd to the Knowlege and Belief of the lawfulness of Forms we are here required to join together in the use of them when the Peace of the Church and the Authority of Superiours make it necessary Certainly Sir he that will not do what he may to preserve Unity is an Enemy to Peace and hath another Game to play that is better promoted by Divisions And he that will not obey Magistrates in lawful and indifferent Things shakes off the Yoke and will obey only what he pleases But there is not say you a clearer Proof against Impositions than the following Words If any be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you not Man by his Laws enforce it upon you But how is this to be revealed unto you I hope you do not expect an immediate Revelation or voice from Heaven to satisfie you in this Matter or think that you are safe enough in your Error till you have such a Revelation to convince you Is it not sufficient that God hath in his Word revealed this unto you by appointing Forms of Prayer and Praises both in the Old and New Testament And what clearer Revelation will you have of this Divine Truth Yea is not this Ordinance of God Established by the Ordinance of Man too which we are commanded to submit unto for the Lord's sake If you believe not Moses and the Prophets as our Saviour speaks in another Case neither will ye believe tho' One rose from the Dead Luke 16.31 If so plain a Revelation of this Truth will not convince you neither will you be convinc'd tho' it were revealed to you from Heaven But you tell me If all lawful Things may be enjoyn'd by Superiours in the Worship of God then Spittle and Cream in Baptism Crossing at the Eucharist and abundance more of such Popish Trumpery may be enjoined by them which you endeavour to prove lawful Are you sure Sir that 't is lawful to clog the Institutions of Christ with such needless burdensome and insignificant Things Indeed Decency and Order and Edification require a few Ceremonies and such as are expressive of Reverence and help to promote the inward Piety and Devotion of the Mind but does not the same Decency and Edification forbid too many and such as are vain and unserviceable to those Ends 'T is certain that the Worship of God cannot be perform'd without
them do but walk on still in Darkness and sit in the very Regions of the Shadow of Death One would think the bare mentioning of these things should fill you with blushing and make you asham'd of such unparallel'd Pride and Folly But you have a worse Charge than all this against Liturgies and that is That they breed nothing but Loosness and Laziness in those that use them and give your Reasons for it too which must be consider'd in my next I am SIR Yours M. H. Aug. 25th 1697. LETTER XIII To J. M. SIR I Have been endeavouring of late to Compromise Matters in difference between us shewing how we agree in the Main and rectifying some few Mistakes that create and continue the difference Hoping by this means to bring things to some good Issue But I am sorry to find that you are inclin'd to break off the Treaty and whilst we retain our Liturgy will hear nothing of an Accommodation For in your Letter of July the 1st you tell me that Liturgies and Laziness setled together and in the same Letter you have these Words sc That which I have affirm'd and will stand to is this That the establishing Forms for Universal Use particularly our Liturgy or the Imposition of them on all Ministers to be used in publick Prayer and none other does open a Door for a lazy I might venture to say a loose Ministry to enter in and that in the present lapsed State of Discipline many such in the Ministry must be expected yea are Now this is a bold Stroke indeed in which you act the part not of a puny Slanderer to cast a little Dirt here and there but like a Whole-sale Calumniator strike home and fall foul upon the whole Christian Church in all Ages which ever since she hath retain'd Liturgies which is from the beginning hath cherished only a pack of loose and idle Drones This you say you have affirm'd and like an undaunted Champion that scorns to flinch you will stand to it and prove it too And that First From the very Nature of the thing which will make it appear that this Loosness and Laziness are not any accidental Faults occasioned by the Neligence of some Persons but the natural and necessary Effects of Liturgies and whosoever useth them must unavoidably fall into these Enormities Bravely charg'd And if you pursue this well you must necessarily rout all Liturgies out of the World Well but how is this made good Why thus The Mind of Man is naturally sluggish and will take its Ease and remit the Reins if it be not urg'd by some Necessity or attracted by Delight and Complacency and the best of Men had need of all Obligations to keep it to its Duty Very true but is there no way to employ the Mind or to cure this Sluggishness but by making new Prayers Must the Mind necessarily remit the Reins if the Tongue be kept in with Bit and Bridle Does the great Work and Business of the Soul lie in studying new Expressions And must the Prayer be dull and the Effect of Laziness if the Phrases are not varied May not the Mind be well imploy'd in a hearty and devout use of pious and well compos'd Forms No say you a Musician will be weary if he have constantly the same Instrument and Tunes Variety pleases in Diet Novelty affects in Recreations and Commonness dulls c. So that the Mind must be entertain'd as much with Varieties in Religion as the Fancy of a Fidler with new Tunes and we must have as much Change and Novelty in our Prayers as in our Diet and Recreations or else we shall grow weary of them And is not this an admirable way think you to keep Men firm and stable in their Religion to be daily ringing Changes and putting the Matter of their Prayers every Day into new Phrases Hath not this Variety of Prayers already begot a Variety of Opinions Does not Mr. Baxter tell you that this is apt to breed Giddiness and Hypocrisy And have we not found Confusion enough already from this Principle but you must needs cherish it to breed more But must all Men necessarily be lazy that use a Liturgy Then what a parcel of idle lazy Persons have all former Christians been through every Age that have spent their time only in the old Mumpsimus of Forms without taking any Pains to invent or make any new Prayers of their own This Sir is a Calumny sharper than a two-edged Sword that wounds the whole Catholick Church and cuts through all Generations But is there no taking Pains in Prayer without the Invention and study of new Words Does not the principal Work of it lie in taking Pains with the Heart to keep that close and intent upon the Duty which is much better pains-taking than pumping for new Phrases this being for the most part but Labour in vain and such as may very well be let alone For since the whole Matter of publick Prayers may be and is compriz'd in well-digested Forms what need can there be to cloath it in a daily Change and Diversity of Expressions Yea this is not only needless but hurtful Labour for it takes of the Heart from the main Work and hinders it from minding the great Business of Prayer And will you charge them with Laziness who only decline such lost Labour and in the mean time employ themselves to much better purpose Besides Sir There is no such great Labour in this Extempore way of Praying as you would have the World believe 'T is a Knack that is easily learn'd and easily perform'd a Teeming Imagination and a ready Tongue will pour out Words enough without any great pains or difficulty and he that hath gotten any dexterity this way may as easily impose upon the People with this slight of the Tongue as Juglers do with the slight of Hand And I think if all things were well known this will be found a more loose and lazy way of Praying than that which you charge with it But you have Secondly Another way of proving this Charge and that is by appealing to the Experience of Mankind whether such an Imposition does not tend to let in a lazy Ministry And here I think the Experience of the best and wisest part of Mankind will be clearly against you for they see and know that keeping to a Form of sound Words in Prayer will help to keep Men more steady and sound in their Religion more serious and diligent in the sober Exercise and Practice of true Devotion than your changeable Method and Study of Variations But May not a Child of Ten Years Old say you read the Prayers and Homilies as distinctly and laudably as a learned Divine I think very hardly And he must be a very forward Child that can arrive to that at those Years But if this may be done 't is rather a Commendation than Disparagement of our Liturgy and Homilies that all things in them are brought down to
read of any such indissoluble Relation Who hath ty'd this Gordian Knot between Pastor and People so fast that no Power upon Earth is able to unty it Or where has God so firmly join'd them together that no Man may put them asunder The nearest and closest Relation that we know of is that between Husband and Wife and yet that admits of a Divorce and may be dissolved in case of Adultery and is this Covenant and Relation between Minister and People the only sacred and inviolable Bond that cannot be broken Are they so inseparably link'd together that nothing can part them May a Minister Preach Heresie Schism Blasphemy or Sedition and yet must not be Silenc'd or remov'd from his Beloved or rather Seduc'd People Certainly this is a new Covenant of a very late invention and like the Scottish Covenant set up against all Lawful Authority which it manifestly tends to subvert and destroy But 't is time to consider what you have further to say concerning the Pharisees which shall be done in my next I am SIR Yours M. H. Sept. 16th 1697. LETTER XVII To J. M. SIR IN your Reply to my Letter concerning the Pharisees to let pass some trifling Observations about the Order of the Letters about Holy Mr. Baxter and about Pluralins and Non-residents which are nothing to our purpose Your main Objection is that I left the Account of the Pharisees imperfect and therefore you have thought fit to add some further Stroaks to compleat the Character And though you will not you say make any Application yet half an Eye may see against whom they are levelled First Then for the Name you are unwilling to have it deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to Separate lest you should be found too like them for your Separation But you would have it come from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to Expound and Interpret because they were great Expositors of the Law Lightfoot Vol. 2. p. 122. c. but that it comes not thence is evident because as Dr. Lightfoot observes there were Women Pharisees who were no more allow'd to Teach and Expound the Law under the Old Testament than they are to Preach or Expound the Gospel under the New but if you derive it from the former Sense of the Word there are Women Pharisees still who are the chief Instruments and Supports of the Separation and though they are but we ker Vessels in the Church are yet the main Props and Pillars of the Conventicle Secondly You own the Pharisees to be a Sect but withal add That it was the most prevalent one for the Pharisees say you were the Rulers of the Church and the chief Members of the Sanhedrim This is levell'd against the Church as if it were only a prevailing Sect or Faction But Sir Is it not your great Ambition to be uppermost and your great Uneasiness that 't is otherwise May we not see a greedy thirst and affectation of Power in some Men who use all their Arts and spare no Pains to arrive to it And is not what they Malign and Envy in their Betters the Object of their own Hopes and Expectations Thirdly You own it to be not only a Sect but the strict Sect of the Pharisees for they pretended say you to greater strictness than others And is not this the Artifice by which you seduce the unwary Vulgar affecting a grave starch'd Sequestration from the Civil Society of other Men as if they were only Men of the Earth and not fit for the Conversation of such Heavenly Persons Yea though our Saviour shew'd himself marvellously sociable and conversable with all Mankind yet you Quote two places from St. Paul to countenance your morose Distance The one is to Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness Ephes 5.11 which forbids only a Fellowship with the Vices not with the Persons of Men the other is Not to eat with Whoremongers and Adulterers 1 Cor. 5.11 which is only a Caution against a too great and unnecessary Intimacy and Familiarity with such Persons which all wise Men do advise against But you go on 4thly To describe the Pharisees that they endeavour'd to stretch others to their Size That they separated from all others but none must separate from them This is another Arrow shot at the Church not considering how it glances back and wounds your own selves for did not some Men not long since labour hard to stretch others to their new fangled Doctrin and Discipline And though they not only separated from but destroy'd the Establish'd Church yet none were to separate from them as appear'd by their bitter Invectives against Separation of which you shall have a larger Account when you think fit to call it in Question Moreover 5thly The Pharisees say you distinguish'd themselves from others by their Garments and such too as signified a special Purity This is a Fling at the Surplice for its being us'd as a distinguishing Garb But Sir are not Judges and Magistrates in the Execution of their Office distinguish'd from others by their Robes and Habits And are the sacred Offices of Religion the only things that must be stripp'd naked and divested of all decent Solemnity The Pharisees Fault was to place Holiness and Purity in them and yours is to fasten Unholiness and Impurity upon them But you go on 6thly The Pharisees were a proud domineering Generation ever gaping for Preferments and aspiring after the highest Places and Titles to be called Rabbi and Lord it over the Faith and Consciences of their Brethren This is a fling at the Bishops for being call'd Lords you had them before by the Lawn-Sleeves and here you fall foul upon their Titles that with the Pharisees they are not only for enlarging their Philacteries but with them too they must be call'd Rabbi and Lord it over God's Heritage But Sir Is all Superiority in Place or Office to be stil'd domineering Is it impossible for any to be above others without trampling upon all beneath them Does not all Government require a Subordination And what Order can be kept if all Men stand upon the same Level Must Pride think you necessarily lurk under a Distinction of Habits and Titles Nay do not some with Diogenes trample upon the Pride of others with far greater Pride of their own This is too notorious to be deny'd yea does not your judging and censuring your Superiors imply an imaginary Superiority over them and set you in your own vain Conceit above them as if they poor Souls were all out of the way and you want nothing but Place and Power to set them all right What think you is not this insufferable Pride and Insolence And yet you add That you should be sorry if the Non conformists should do so Sir That they have done so and far worse things too many have to their Sorrow found who have groan'd under the Weight of their insulting Power and felt the little