Testament 1. I find it to be a company of persons whether few or many who are converted to God by the Word and Spirit of God of this we have plentiful proof in the Scriptures those that were converted as being turned from darkness to light from the Power of Satan to God and so of Sinners made Saints by the Ministry of the Gospel were called the Churches of God and of Christ in Jerusalem in Samariah in Antioch in Corinth and many other places Secondly I find the Church of God to be such as were baptized in Water for Water Baptism was always previous to Church communion at the Lords Table thus it was in the primitive Church Act. 2 41.42 After convertion then followed Water Baptism and so Church communion Thirdly I find that besides convertion and Water Baptism there must be a Congregating together by a loving Agreement and free consent of the mind of each party from a Principle of Love to God and love to each other without any force or Compultion for Christ hath not made any penal Laws such as fines or Imprisonment to bring persons to his Church and Ordinances and let this be considered that conformity to Gods own Worship by compultion is not right Christian Religion because the conformity is to man and not to God 4thly When thus congregated together holiness of conversation must be maintained by every particular person or else they will be unfit for Church Communion thus have I humbly offered my Opinion and Apprehension as a description of a true Church God in the World which in the sum and substance of it neither the Dissenters nor the Church of England will disown yet it may be that both the Church of England some congregations of Protestant Dissenters may not give their Ascent and consent to every particular as before expressed concerning the true church of God as a true description of it however this matter considered amongst the Dissenters as differing one from another or considered in the Church of England as differing from the Dissenters it looks to much like the Devil to conclude of or call each other the Synagogue of the Devil for whether one or other or whether any of them at all have all the Essentials of a true church according to the primitive constitution yet so far as any of them in their particular persons and in their publick Assemblies do maintain godliness among themselves and promote it amongst others they ought to conclude and deem each other as christian Assemblies and not Synagogues of the Devil Fourthly the aforesaid author goeth on further and saith in his childish way of arguing he that shall communicate with the good members of the church of England shall certainly communicate with as good men as any is under the copes of Heaven for if we refer to the clergy then for Excellency of Natural parts Profoundness of Learning evenness of temper generosity of Principles most admirable Sermons and Doctrines holiness of life and largness of charity we challenge the whole Earth to over-match them now from the foregoing matter consider these following things First he speaketh of communion with the good Members of the church of England and as good as any under the copes of Heaven which words doth intimate that the rest are bad Members and it may be as bad men as any under the copes of Heaven 2dly Consider who these good Members and sâ—per excellent men of the Church of Eagland are First negatively not the brave Protestant Nobility 2dly Not the Gentry 3dly Not the good Church-men of the City 4thly Not the good Church-men of the Country but he fixeth upon the Clergy 3dly Consider the Author of the aforesaid Pamphlet would fain have all persons to whom his Pamphlet may come believe or suppose that he is well acquainted with all the Clergy in the Church of England and is thereby able to be an Evidence of their excelling goodness which seems to be a cunning introduction to some Ecclesiastical Function 4thly Consider that the aforesaid Author has been a greater Traveller then he mentioneth in page 10. viz. to the utmost Mountains for in this page 7. he speaketh of the Dominions of the whole Earth under the Copes of Heaven and doth challenge the whole Earth to over match the English Clergy what would the man have those that read his Pamphlet believe that he has travelled with him that spake boldly to God in Job 1. verse 7. Going to and fro in the earth and walking up and down in it As if he were Observator of the Universe I will not say to be a guide but to give a trancendent Character of the English Clergy but truly I think it best to appeal to all the Parishes in England to give a character of their particular Clergy-men they being best acquainted with their Natural Parts their Temper Principles Sermons Charity and Conversation and let them judge whether they be so good as none better can be expected till Elias cometh with extraordinary Revelation to restore all things however I do believe in my conscience that some of the Clergy of the Church of England are Holy Humble and charitable men and that take delight in Gods Blessing their Labours in mens Conversion and hate Persecution of any of the Kings Subjects by Penal Prosecution they well knowing that forced Conformity is not like to the Lasting pray consider well the Conformist Plea for the Nonconformist and I do not question but believe that worthy Gentleman hath some brethren like himself Sons of the Church of England 5thly The Author still goeth on and reasoneth page 8. if it be dangerous and unsafe to Communicate with the Church of England it is because she is no Church at all or at best but an Antichristian Church unto which I Reply First There is no necessity to conclude the one or other concerning the Church of England what has the man a mind to wheadle some unwary persons into danger and set the Dissenters and the Church of England at a greater variance than they are by drawing and defending some dangerous conclusion concerning the Church 2dly Surely the man hath forget or hath not well considered the good old Proverb all is not gold that glisters suppose upon sight of a piece of Mettle a man should affirm if it be not pure gold it must at best be brass another man of better understanding in the Mettle may affirm it is neither pure gold nor brass and upon bringing it to the touchstone may find it to be a mixt Mettle 3dly If it should be granted that the Church of England were as true and good a Church as the Church at Corinths yet it may be as unsafe and dangerous to partake of the Communion in the one Church as it was in the other viz. persons may in Communicating Eat and Drink their Damnation 1 Cor. 11.27,28 And now from the whole of what the Pamphleteer hath said in his arguings and conclusions concerning
presses to whatsoever is good if it be spiritual wickedness then it lies either in the matter made use of or in the manner of Administration in the excess and defect of the matter or in the designs of the thing but wickedness lyeth in none of these therefore is not spiritual wickedness 2dly If it be spiritual wickedness then the highest Acts or Instances of the Church of Englands goodness is positive wickedness if so what became of all those that have dyed in this Communion 3dly That part of this Kingdom that bears the denomination of the Church of England is either the Church of God or it is the Synagogue of the Devil if it be the Church of God it cannot be unsafe and hazardous to Communicate with it in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 4thly He that shall Communicate with the good Members of the Church of England shall certainly Communicate with as good men as any under the Copes of Heaven referring to the Clergy for Excellency of natural Parts profoundness of Learning Evenness of Temper Generosity of Principles most admiral Sermons Holiness of life largeness of Charity we challenge the whole Earth to over match them Vnto which particulars I do humbly and modestly Reply as followeth First that the Sacrament considered as Gods Holy Ordinance is a spiritual goodness where ever it is Administred according to Gods Word and yet it may be unsafe and dangerous for many particular persons to partake of it First if they themselves be not fit for it and their own Consciences condemn them as unfit persons then it is unsafe and dangerous and if they come to it they cannot enjoy the comfort of it and the Word of God as also the Law of the Realm will condemn them that come to it unworthily 2dly If others as fellow Communicants are not fit for it being known to be Persons of unholy hearts and profane lives then it is unsafe and dangerous for the Godly to partake with the Ungodly for Gods Church ought to be a pure Lump in point of their Membership 1 Cor. 5.6,7,13 Gods good Ordinances must be attended upon and Performed by a People of good hearts and good lives or else both the Persons and the performances may be Rejected of God O lay it to heart Isaiah 1.11 To what purpose is the Multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord. Vers 12. When you come to appear before me who hath Required this at your hand Vers 13. Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an Abomination unto me Verse 14. Your New Moons and your appointed Feast my Soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them Verse 15. When you make many Prayers I will not hear you Vers 16. Wash you and make you Clean put away the Evil of your doings from before mine Eyes cease to do Evil Vers 17. Learn to do well seek Judgment Releive the Oppressed Judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow and all this was spoken to Israel Considered as Gods National Church Secondly The Author of the said Pamphlet In the next place taketh pains to prove that the Sacrament is not Spiritual Wickedness and therefore it may be submitted to and received by the Dissenters truly this pains may well be called the labour in vain because the Preachers of the Dissenters and the Dissenters in general do acknowledge that the Sacrament as it is administred in the Church of England is right in Respect of those particulars by which he demonstrateth that it is not Spiritual Wickedness First they acknowledge it is Right in the Matter viz. Bread and Wine Secondly in the manner of Administration viz. with solemn Prayers and Thanksgiving 3dly In the design viz. a thankful Remembrance of the blessed Sacrifice of a dear Redeemer and notwithstanding all this it may be unsafe and dangerous for the Dissenters to come to it at such times in such places with such Administrators Communicants as their tender Conscience is not satisfied with let that Word be well considered Romans 14.23 And he that doubteth is damned If he eat because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith Is Sin From whence I thus reason if inferior eating and drinking be so dangerous when persons are not satisfied in their Conscience about it O how much more dangerous is Superiour Eating and drinking viz. such as the Sacrament is when it is done doubting and not in Faith however such of the Church of England as are Conscientiously satisfyed First In the Ordinance it self Secondly In their own selves Thirdly In the fitness of their fellow Communicants after all due Examination I do assure you I will not condemn them in Religious practice now have any uncharitable thoughts of any Godly Persons that have dyed in this Communion and I do believe this is the Sentements of the Dissenters in general Thirdly the Author further saith That part of this Kingdom that beareth the denomination of the Church of England is either the church of God or the Synagogue of the Devil if the Church of God it cannot be hazardous and unsafe to communicate with it in the sacrament of the Lords supper A sew Queries upon this First What hath the man a mind to devide the church of England and reduce it to a small part of the Kingdom and not tell which that is and is it not well known that the whole Kingdom is the church according to Law except such as were never baptized or such as are Excommunicated which are very few compared to this great Kingdom Query 2. What strange Monstrous Fish viz. Aleviathan did swim in the mans brains to conclude that if the Church of England were not the church of God it must needs be the Synagogue of the Devil but I perceive he had the wit or else by excedent he hath forborn to say between these is no medium the 3. Query or did the man think by so expressing himself he should scare all men from answering his Pamphlet for fear of danger Query 4. Or did this man cunningly or basely lay a Trap and a snare thinking to provoke some person to speak unreverentâ—y of the Church and of the Sacrament and as a cunning Watcher who knew where he had laid the Snare steal out and catch the Prey but I would have the Author of that Pamphlet to know that long ago I have read in a good Old Book calld the Holy Bible these following Words Jer. 5,26 For among my People are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth Snares they catch men and so being fore-warn'd I thank God I am fore-arm'd and so will return to answer the Pamphletter in his asserting that the Church of England is either the Church of God or else it is the Synagogue of the Devil which I think to be a very sad desperate and Uncharitable conclution and therefore let it be seriously considered What is the church of God in the sence of the new