account neither to God nor man but they are the Presbyterians which may be said both properly and actually to strive and that with carnall civill weapons whilest by their doctrine instigation or approbation their poor brethren which cannot with a good conscience comply with them are persecuted by discountenancing turning out of their Ministery and livelihoods imprisoning and banishing through grief and manifold inconveniences even unto death Pag. 24. You say if spirituall relation cannot be setled by the wisdome and loving affections of spirituall office-bearers within the Church amongst themselves then it is just that they should forfeit their spirituall right and liberty c. If this be so I would gladly see it proved from evidence of Scripture or good reason for I conccive that as Christ did only purchase for us our Christian rights and liberties so no State or Government no body but himself may take upon him to abridge us of them Secondly that no civill misdemeanors can be just cause to abridge us of our Christian liberty Thirdly that divisions in opinions about a Church-way do not necessarily conclude divisions in a State And lastly such as do actually disturb the civill State the publike peace both ought and may be punished even unto death without abridging such offenders much lesse the civilly innocent in their spirituall rights and liberties The utmost extent and height of Christians differing in opinion which I ever heard of was this First that they might have leave to search the Scriptures Secondly to try the spirits examine the doctrines which were taught them and so rejecting error hold fast the truth worshpping God in such a manner as he requires with confirming and edifying one another in all piety and godlinesse for discharging of a good conscience both towards God and man If it be objected that men may not worship God after a false manner under pretence of a true one nor publish errors in stead of truth I answer that nothing can be saving truth nor any kind of worshipping God prove acceptable from any man which is not held to be such in his own conscience and understanding I submit my self to heare reade or be informed in whatsoever shall be required of me and it may on strong presumptions be conceived that the sundry disadvantages I lie under in dissenting with the many benefits I might receive by conforming do make me no little willing and desirous that my very judgement and conscience could be brought about to approve and agree in what the State establisheth so it might be with a good conscience towards God and man but if after all this I shall professe in presence of the Lord that I do not finde evidence by all that was alledged for convincing of my conscience I desire to see cleer grounds from Scripture on which any politick ends of State may any wayes proceed to offer violence or any degree of compulsive means to work upon my conscience and understanding on which such spirituall as have hitherto been used were not able to prevail since such only we finde warrantable and sanctified in Scripture to this effect Pag. 25. They should be so tolerated as may be no prejudice to that Church whereof the State it self is professedly a nursing mother I cannot apprehend how the similitude can hold between a private Christian and a publike State in many respects I will urge only in one viz. a publike State may at sometime both have and suffer thwarting crosse or contrary opinions to be believed and yet subsist though if it were granted not so peacebly not so secutely as is objected But a private Christian cannot possibly at one and the same time believe two diametrically opposite opinions to be true in the self same respect I wish you would be pleased to state the course and orderly conference you speak of p. 26. which doubtlesse all Independents will with you approve of I do not find it expressed in Scripture that Christian Magistrates have any thing to do in setting up an outward visible worship under the Gospell or that they can any wayes be furthering of it except by giving good example unto others as being members of the Church or in protecting the Saints whilest they apply themselves to worship God according to the integrity of their own consciences in spirit and in truth for since the Magistrates weapons are coercive teriall camall if they take upon them the vindication of spirituall neglect or defect each State setting up its own a different worship men must from time to time take that to be the truest and subject their consciences to that which hath the sharpest sword to fight for it still changing Religion according to the event of warre with the sundry alterations of States and Kingdomes And though I am not well satisfied with the expression you use concerning the conscience of a State I suppose you will sufficiently apprehend me if I querie whether the conscience of every State can be accountable and at the day of judgement excuse all such as have been cast away through false worships which they set up in relation to their own consciences respectively compelling the people to submit thereto If not I querie again if it be not are argument of greatest indiscretion for reasonable men and women to resigne up their own understandings unto such as cannot bear them harmlesse for so doing and of greatest presumption and tyrannie in those who assume unto themselves a spirituall dominion over others whom they can neither give a spirituall assurance to at present nor provide for them if need be a spirituall deliverance hereafter Pag. 28. You say the Civill Magistrate may not meddle with what is spirituall nor the Spirituall office bearer with what is Civill which I grant and yet p. 29. you say the Civill Magistrate must have the cognizance of the just and orderly behaviour of those which doe administer Spirituall ordinances wherein I beseech you consider whether this be not a direct way of setting the Civill and Spirituall office bearers at odds amongst themselves as put the case the Civill Magistrate tells the Spirituall that he hath not well orderly administred the Ordinances admonishes him to reforme and upon resusall proceeds to punish him on the contrary the Spirituall Magistrate justifies himselfe flyes to his Spirituall weapons in his owne defence and if they prevail not in likelihood endeavours to stir up the people against the Civill Magistrate and how you can avoid this great disturbance upon these grounds I cannot possibly imagine but much desire to be informed thereof if your leasure may permit and that upon further thoughts you continue of the same opinion You make it likewise within the sphere of the Civill Magistrate to keep people from choosing Teachers according to their owne humours their owne understandings and Teachers from drawing people after them how is this I beseech you consistent with the liberty nay the charge which is imposed upon Christians for trying of
SOME FEW CONSIDERATIONS PROPOVNDED As so many Scruples by Mr. Henry Robinson in a Letter to Mr. Iohn Dury upon his Epistolary Discourse With Mr. Duryes Answer thereunto VVherein is observable with what overtures of spirit they endeavour to edifie each other notwithstanding their differing Judgements and Opinions about the Independent and Presbyterian way Published by a Well-willer to Peace and Truth in expectation that it may no little conduce either to the reconciling of such Controversies or to the debating them with lesse noise and bitternesse Whereunto is annexed another Epistolary Discourse written by Mr. John Dury to a worthy Knight concerning the Principles of Meditation From which Rules may be gathered to direct men to order their thoughts so as to finde a resolution of all their doubts 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. A servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing even those that oppose themselves Gal. 6. 1 2. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of weeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Psal 50. v. 23. Who so offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God LONDON Printed for Charles Green and are to be sold at his Shop in Ivie Lane at the signe of the Gun 1646. To the Reverend and much honoured Mr. IOHN DURY Reverend Sir ACcording to that small talent of understanding which it pleased the eternall Dispencer from whom all good gifts proceed to bestow upon me I may safely say and that with great joy of heart how amongst so many as doe argue and debate the present differences of the Churches particularly about the Independent and Presbyteriall Government I have not met with any who ever yet expressed so sweet so brotherly so Christian and even so Apostolicall a spirit as without any other prospective I clearly see inhabiting in you breast by some letters which came forth about two months agoe entituled An Epistolary Discourse c. with others which it pleased my worthy friend Mr. Hartlib to favour me withall your proceeding with the Apologists therein I cannot better expresse then as if it were between your own right hand and your left towards which any other then an equall proportion of liberty and affection would bee both unnaturall and unjust It is now eight monthes since I was bold to enquire after you in hope you had been in England with an intention of importuning you which since I perceived to be needlesse through your own forwardnesse to engage your selfe towards the reconciling of this Clergie War but understanding you were so farre off and withall scarce setled or well at leasure I forbore purposely to give you farther trouble However because in the beginning of your Letter to Mr. Hartlib as also in the other to Mr. Good win and Mr. Nye you seemed desirous of a further correspondency with the Apologists or some others in their way whereby you might have knowne the state of their case in England and as I conceive would gladly for the common Cause sake that some punctuall answer were made unto the Epistolary Discourse which I am fearfull will not succeed as yet in that I apprehend that most men of their way are rather totally possessed and taken up with an imminent danger and daily expecting some sudden sentence of absolute silence or certaine banishment for what is said already through a most fierce persecution of certaine unquiet Presbyterian Spirits the consideration whereof as also the great desire I have of being farther knowne unto you in the high esteem of those admirble gifts which God hath given you prevaile with mee to trouble you with these few generall considerations upon the reading of your Epistolary Discourse whereby you will perceive I take not upon me neither to state the controversie so much above my slender abilities and yet not as one altogether without hopes through Gods mercy which is still most eminent when most rely'd upon and the love you beare to truth a greater then which I know not where to find to make an ensample unto my selfe but that they may in some small manner and by degrees bee conducing unto the publique good Pag. 20. Briesly then about the middle of your book you please to say the Apologists are not to be tolerated unlesse they can shew their way of Non-communion to be the only way of God and the Presbyteriall contrary c. But I should suppose it sufficient if they can prove their way to be one of the wayes of God if but a possibility of salvation in their way since they professe before God and man and must be beleeved in charity that they cannot comply with a good conscience in any other way our Saviours Proclamation of He that was not against him was on his part Mark 9. 40. seems to make not a little to this purpose and so much the rather they may be tolerated whilst they insist not so much that the Presbyteriall government should be rejected by the State as that their own way be barely suffered among themselves but whilst the Presbyterian party or such as will not permit a Civil abode but banish or expâ—ll all such as differing in opinon doe separate themselves from Church society they are Authors of a more desperate separation far worse then non-communion or the separatists themselves in whatsoever sense because they take away all possibility of regaining them if they were in an error by their conversation Pag. 21. The lesse the cause of separation is the greater the fault is in those that make it The cause of separation is great in apprehension of the Apologists but lesse in judgement of the Presbyterians proceeding only as these usually alledge about things indifferent and therefore they ought the rather to give way unto them since they may contrive it with a quiet conscience all the reason they give unto the contrary is the goodlinesse of uniformity in the outward comlinesse which cannot be stood upon as necessary much lesse to be pressed so far as not to suffer such to live amongst them who cannot comply through tendernesse of conscience godly reasonable and understanding men as they are thought to be should not by charitable men be deemed to separate to their so great inconveniences if their conscience could otherwise dispence with them whereas the Presbyterians here which stand upon their pantofles enjoying all accoÌ„modations may easier be supposed to keep their dispised brethren of the Independent way to such hard taske and measure to gratifie their private interests Pag. 23. Let us remember that the servants of God must not strive but be gentle to all men chiefly unto our neerest brethren If the Apologists can be thought to strive 't is only in a defensive way to keep their consciences from being ravished into a uniformity whereof they finde themselves not able to give an
the spirits and holding fast that which is good if they may not heare such as they apprehend to be sent from Christ and imbrace such doctrines as they take to be saving truths and necessary to their salvation according to that light of reason and understanding in the Scriptures which God hath given them for this very purpose Pag. 36. If those you call common principles whilst you say the Apologists insisting on generalities cannot be brought to triall were demonstrative as you alleadge the Scriptures may bee demonstratively analized P. 4. I should thinke it the worke of some Angell to have it once effected and as well the Apologists as all others who now differ in opinion would quickly grow together into an unity of faith But till then I shall expect that according to the Scriptures there will be heresies and in the mean time conceive that nothing except this demonstrative analizing sacred truth will sooner vanquish them then the suffering them to bee with all possible freedome examined and debated which must necessarily infer the most acknowledged truths themselves to be subject to the same proceeding in that what one man Church or Nation takes to be truth another perhaps accounts no lesse then heresie And if Paul told the Galathians that if a good Angell an Angell from heaven should preach any other Gospell to them then what the Apostles had done before he should be accursed I conceive we may much more try the spirits of mortall men of like passions and infirmities with our selves consequently holding fast what wee finde sound and rejecting what appeares to bee erronious by the touchstone of holy Writ according to our owne reason understanding and faith since we neither may or can judge truly of them no more then see with the eyes of other men by the reason understanding and faith of others neither can I apprehend a third or any meane betwixt these two conditions To Pag. 30. I consesse a dissolved government may often times prove dangerous and fatail to any State both Civill and Ecclesiasticall and yet not so dangerous not fatall as a dominiering over rigid tyrannicall government especially in the spirituall state and both of them are therefore to be regulated according to their bounds and rules If Church discipline and censures will not prevaile on Church members I finde no warrant to flye to Civill but conceive it highly condemned even by that place of Paul where he blames the Corinthians for going to law with one another and that before unbeleevers besides all Civill states account themselves in a manner perfect for their civill condition and constitution As first they are compleat in Lawes they have as many as they will themselves they pretend to understand them fully even to the least jot and every man is bound to know them exactly and keep them in the letter But for spirituall matters we know but in part and therefore ought to reach forth to what is wanting not refusing to lend an eare unto it though tendered by a stammering illiterate tongue of some otherwise despised soule As all truth for the most part even from the beginning hath been discountenanced and rejected upon the first discovery and so much the rather in that the Primitive Christians however weak and ignorant in faith and knowledge the Apostles found them yet had they such amongst them in both respects as far exceeded all others ever since neither have we such infallible teachers like theirs to confirm unto us what we have for truth or adde unto us what is wanting To pag. 31. I must needs confesse the opinion of a greater light is no little deceitfull but doth not God require that we should walk according to such appearing light whether true or false I must be guided by it as it appears unto my selfe and how can God be angry with me for serving him to my power or how can man condemne me for differing from him when I have used all such rationall common principles which he could prescribe to bring me to be of this opinion without prevailing upon my conscience You say well with the Apostle that if any man thinketh he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. and yet a man must be ruled by that which he thus but thinks to know so much lesse ground hath any man to impose what he knowes not for even his knowledge neither is no better upon another who knowing nothing yet knowes as much as himself Nay a Synod Councel or State have so little preemimence in this respect as that we must not look upon them with respect of persons unlesse we will justifie the Church of Rome in their implicit faith Pag. 32. You approve the casting off subjection and absolute obedience unto Episcopacy but would not have dissolved the brotherly corresponcie in a Presbyterie and certainly it should not be but it must then continue brotherly we must run hand in hand like brothers so long as we can keep a good conscience both towards God and man and if afterwards upon just grounds in our opinions for some respects we are forced to separate from them we shall be yet desirous to rest among them that if possibly they may be won by a godly conversation but if like a curst father or imperious Master they endeavour with rods and staves to drive us from our Father and Master which is in heaven or from our native countrey friends and livelihoods they do not only cease to be brotherly but cast away all hopes or possibility of reclaiming us if we were in an error Pap. 34. You make duties of practice no lesse fundamentall in the profession of Christianity then the knowledge of necessary truths according unto which principle I suppose the Apologists ought to be permitted both to practise such duties as they apprehend requisite and not to joyn with such as they esteem superfluous erroneous since both may be no lesse of faith then for one that eateth and another that eateth not whilest both give thanks to God as Paul sayes of them Rom. 14. 6. To pag. 37. As they will not refuse subjection to their own Pastor that hath the charge of their souls so much lesse when what he requires of them be confirmed by the approbation of a Presbyterie other Churches or Brethren but this must be in such things as they may yeeld unto with a good conscience and in case they finde reason for dissenting they are liable only to be censured by their own Church which hath power over them not by any others who have no jurisdiction much lesse authoritative oâ— compulsative Synods and Assemblies may well be convocated and take counsel debate and seek to vanquish such difficulties as arise without a Majesteriall jurisdiction which neither our Saviour or his Apostles did ever make use of or give command to others to practise it in after ages Christs kingdome was not of this world his body is mysticall and such
deceive seeing hee hath shewed them that they ought all to be setled together in one body under their only head and bee fitly joyned together and compacted in one society that by the spirituall joynts and ligatures which his Spirit through love in the mutuall care of each other doth frame amongst them they may make the increase of the body in the measure of every part by that which every joynt supplyeth unto the edifying of themselves in their duties of love seeing I say againe all this is thus by God declared therefore it followeth that not only the whole body of Beleevers in a Nation may by a right from God compact themselves together by their joynts and ligatures for their mutuall strengthning in spirituall duties to doe all things as one man in Christ but they ought to depend in this relation only from Christ as their head and act towards each other only by the ability which he giveth And Christs Vicegerent on earth appointed for the inspection of Civill and outward matters must not presume either to hinder them in the use of these meanes of their spirituall growth unto the stature of a perfect man within themselves or injoyne them to act only as from and under his Authority that which is to be done in this kinde For this cause we say that the Magistrates sanction in spirituall matters of edification for the execution of duties and compacting of the Body is but de bene esse cumulativè requisite for outward protection and not at all necessary for to give a being unto the worke it selfe nor is it from his Civill sanction that the whole Body of Beleevers in a Nation is made one but they are bound for their owne growth and preservation to make themselves one unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ nor may the Vicegerent of Christ on earth if he will not incurre the high displeasure of his sovereign abstruct this growth of Christs spirituall Body but is bound to further it by all the assistance that he can contribute thereunto and ought to take away the lets which may hinder it wherof this would be a maine one to authorise severall wayes and allow them as waies of God to constitute the Body of Christ and manifest the truth of his worship when hee cannot be ignorant that there is but one way agreeable to the will of God in doing this As touching the place Mark 9. 20. which you alleadge He that is not against us is on our part doth inferre to me thus much only that private men̄ ought not to be prohibited to make use of the name of Christ or to walke in a way not opposite to Christ although they joyne not themselves to follow Christ with his true Disciples For the question is there of hindring some who followed not Christ as the Apostles did to make use of his name to doe miracles Christ forbids his Disciples to hinder such from doing what they did by a rule of Prudencie that such could not lightly speake evill of him This case doth hold well amongst private Christians in the way of mutuall edification but it doth not reach the point which I insist upon in respect of the duty of a state For there is a vast distance between the duty of a Disciple of Christ in not hindring particular mens practises which hurt not their wayes in Christianity and the granting of a Toleration by a Magistrate to an Assembly or many Assemblies of men to practice publickly in the state that which hee doth not finde to be the true way of God This difference is great many wayes but particularly in this that such a granting of a Toleration is an act of publicke Approbation which to declare is not alwayes wisdome in a private Christian far lesse in a state Therefore not to hinder in that case is one thing and to give a Toleration in this is quite another matter As for the charge laid upon the Presbyteriall Brethren in the end of this Paragraphe that they will not suffer any Civill abode to any that differ in opinion separate from Church society from them I know not how you can make it good nor will I beleeve it without sufficient proof nor ought you to alleadge it without a sure and undoubted warrant therefore as a thing spoken in haste and out of too much jealousie I will leave it till God let you see the contrary in their unblameable wayes of conversation to gaine all men by loving forbearance with all long suffering and doctrine 2. Pag. 21. Upon the words The lesse the cause of separation is the greater the fault is in those that make it you make no exception but you apply the Assertion against the Presbyterian Brethren for the advantage of the Apologists contrary to the application that I made thereof The ground that I had to apply the assertion to the Apologists is taken from their owne words in the close of their Apologie where to my best understanding they say plainly of their owne way that is differs but a little from their Presbyterian Brethren which seemes to contradict the speech of your observation when you say that in the apprehension of the Apologists the cause of separation is great and little in the judgement of the Presbyterians But if you marke the argument which they use to the Parliament it will be found this That which differs but a little from the way which you allow you may safely tolerate But the way which we desire to follow differs but a little from that which you allow Therefore you may safely tolerate it and grant our suit But if you make the argument thus Because the way which we desire to follow is greatly different from that which you allow therefore you should grant us a Toleration I suppose this would bee no strong perswasion and no part of the Apologists meaning But to speake of the thing in it selfe as you apprehend and deliver it I confesse that nothing which doth relate conscience as to conscience can justly be counted small yet the difference of things in respect of each other may be small when you compare them together but if a mans conscience be troubled at that small difference it is to him no small matter to digest it if he makes truly conscience of his wayes but if his owne conscience be not sound nothing will be of great moment to it or else every thing of too great for it will alwayes be in the one or other extream Now a good and sound conscience is that which is enlightned by a rule to determine all that it doth For in matters of Religion if I leave my conscience at large without a rule I make mine own will and reason a rule and serve God not as he requireth but as I think good then which nothing is more destructive to the glory of Gods name whereby he is acknowledged the Father of Spirits Therefore I must tell you that I
know no Presbyterian understanding himselfe who will alleadge that which you say as you alleadge it namely thus that the things wherein the difference is betweene them and their dissenting Brethren are matters of indifferency in respect of Church-constitution and government nay I know that many make the difference wholly fundamentall and utterly destructive to the constitution of Churches in the communion of Saints I wish they would explain themselves so as to take off the jealousies and constructions which are made of their Way to their prejudice The plea of conscience which is pretended must not be slighted or unconscionably entertained but examined and weighed and I hope that if the cases which trouble their consciences were distinctly stated and cleerly shewed what the point of trouble is that rules might be found in the Word and by the tenor of the new Covenant might be so applied unto the tender conscience that it should find ease but whiles matters are caried in a cloud and a generall plea for liberty of conscience is stood upon without respect to such duties as cannot stand with a good conscience to be neglected amongst brethren there is great cause to fear that there may be much deceit in such a plea For where the liberty which with a pretence to conscience is pleaded for is abused unconscionably and is without respect to the end wherfore it is obtained made an occasion to the flesh there may be a strong presumption of deceit in such a pretence Therefore the prudencie of the righteous will in due time make discoveries of that which is unsound For we know by experience that the conscience may be deceived many wayes for want of knowledge to discern the rules by which it should walk and of watchfulnesse to apply known rules unto the wayes wherein a man doth walk All the deceits which proceed from these two causes are in defectu but many of these that plead for a liberty of conscience erre in excessu either by mistaking the rule and misapplying of it consequently or by a misapprehension of the matter of which the difficulty is made which is the case of many that make every thing most odious which differs from their Way or by a kinde of habituall scrupulositie which makes them fearfull of every thing so that they can rest no where at first and then being wearyed out of that frame of spirit they take sometimes up such large principles that they cast off all fear and doubting of nothing do whatsoever they please at last There be some that pretend conscience unconscionably that is unadvisedly without judgement and consideration of the reason why they make a scruple these mens will rules their conscience and the liberty which they affect only to please themselves is pleaded for under the name of conscience and I am much afraid that since the raising of these controversies about matters of conscience amongst brethren which have been agitated with some heat and with respect to some outward priviledges in the state that the plea of conscience may be corpupted with humane passions and worldly ends in many For when mens affections are raised with zeale for a particular cause relating to conscience if then they do not in humility reflect upon themselves to look to the rule of charity that they may consider other therein to interpret their actions in the best sense to behave themselves unblameably in affections in word and deed towards them if I say they do not this on the one side but on the other side looking upon these that are of a different Way with an eye of jealousie to compare themselves with others and their own freedome with the freedome of other if then their zeal for their own interest heat their passions it is no wonder and where humane passions are once set awork there the conscience will be passive and led into error and the plea thereof will arise more from the will then from the judgement Now in all these and many more respects the plea of conscience should be examined in respect of all the causes and circumstances thereof that it may be rightly stated not that any may take upon him to be a Judge over another mans conscience but that by an unpartiall disquirie of matters belonging to the mystery of goldlinesse of iniquity in the consciences of men rules may be proposed according to the Word and by the indictment of the Spirit which will discover to the heart of man within himself and to others also that judiciously weigh matters what truth or falshood is in the plea and pretence of conscience and the conscience of every one within it self being helped by the Word which is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart Heb. 4. 12. will be laid open to it self and made a judge of its one pretences from what grounds they arise whether sound or unsound And to help you in this disquirie of your self let me offer you a Principle or two of truth which I suppose are appliable to all mens cases and consciences which are these 1. That nothing may or ought to trouble the conscience which doth not tend to a breach of the new Covenant by which it stands in the favour of God 2. That nothing can tend to a breach of the new Covenant between God and us which is a means to increase his love in our hearts towards others and may engage us to do service unto others as Christ did to us 3. That if any have a scruple of conscience concerning any matter of duty or behaviour towards God or man that by a right disquirie of the nature of it compared with the tenor of the new Covenant and the purpose of Gods love towards us therein he shall be able to finde a resolution of his scruple 4. That in case any upon pretence of conscience doth refuse that which another upon the like pretence doth challenge as a duty of love from him and doth offer reciprocally to perform towards him then he that is the refuser is bound to shew from the tenor of the covenant the cause of his scruple how in his judgement that which is required of him cannot stand with the purpose of Gods love to mankinde in Christ Jesus and ought by all means to satisfie the other in what he shall require of him to that effect Consider these rules and if you have any doubt concerning them I shall be willing as God shall inable me with grace to cleere them to you Sir in the close of this your second Observation you have some unsavory and uncharitable expressions which if you will take into your second consideration and reslect upon them to see from what Principle they proceeded in you when you wrote them I make no doubt but that you will discover somewhat of passion of humane jealousie and want of Christian charity in them and so I leave them to be rectified in you by the Apostles rule Gal. Chap. 6. 1. till vers 4. 3.
the Ministers thereof to use meanes towards them that the duties which Christ requires may be performed and in case of neglect to presse them by authority to the performance thereof 3. I give them no such inspection over the Churches which is Ecclesiasticall to vindicate and punish faults in fore interiori but only to hinder misdemeanours which are publikely observable 4. The Ministers are bound if it be required of them to give them an account of all their proceedings with all due respect that they may know the order of their wayes in all things because nothing ought to bee done in the darke or concealed from his cognizance As for that which I say of a States conscience that it ought to be like unto the conscience of a good Christian my meaning is that as a Christian in his private sphere must rule himselfe and those that are under him conscionably to Gods glory so the Councell of State is bound in its sphere to doe the like and though this ought to be so yet your inference is not good that therefore any man must resigne his understanding to anothers mans will and conceptions for all this is objected upon a mistake In a word I allow of no dominion over any mans faith or conscience but only as a Ministeriall service according to the Word wherein both the Magistrate and the Church-officer is to learn his duty and thereby Christ is to rule over the State and Church visibly and invisibly in the outward and inward bodily and spirituall relations 6. The sixth observation upon pag. 28 29. is answered already if the case be rightly understood and you will finde your mistake to lie in the civill and spirituall spheres in which the Magistracy and Ministery ought to walk For if they keep each within their own spheres there will never be cause of contest for the spirituall hath no power over the civill government nor the civill over the spirituall as such but only in cases of misdemeanor And in this case only I say that the Magistrate hath power to hinder a people in the choosing of a Teacher when they do it not orderly but tumultuously or when a Minister in a factious and violent manner or otherwise disorderly thrusts himself upon a people he may and ought to take cognizance of the matter and see good order peace kept according to the rules of Ecclesiasticall government Therefore let every Christian in Gods name have his full liberty to try the spirits and to hear all and hold fast that which is good but let him use his liberty orderly and give no just cause of complaint or grievance unto others 7. In your seventh observation upon p. 36. you plead again for the freedome of disputes and to follow that which is best which I never intended to restrain only let it be regular and for the end of edification without vain jangling and confusednesse of strife and passion 8. The eight observation upon p. 30. concerning the power of the Magistrate in Church-matters I will admit if taken in the sense which I have formerly delivered 9. To the ninth observation upon pag. 31. I say that God doth not require that we should walk after any light but that which is the true light which enlightneth every man that cometh into this world therefore all are bound to seek that light and never rest till they finde it It is true that no man can follow any other light but that which seemeth to him to be true according to his measure but thence it doth not follow that wee may strive and contest without end for every thing that to us appeares to be truth the weight of matters is to be considered with discretion and because no man will presume to be infallible the way of proposing our sense of truths ought to be such as may declare that we can bear diffenters and are not unwilling to admit of further light if offered unto us from the Word And although a Synod or Generall Councell hath no infallibility annexed to the Decrees thereof yet there is some difference to be made between the private opinion of one and the consent of many whose praises are in the Churches This consent of many attesting the same matter as a truth doth oblige men that are of an humble Spirit and love not to be wise in themselves to consider things more exactly wherein their judgement differs then otherwise they would do And if they cannot finde light enough to assent unto them yet discretion will require a moderation in dissenting excepting some invincible and demonstratively convincing reasons can be alledged why it is necessary both to dissent and to professe a disagreement and yet in this case the professed disagreement of judgement should be without breach of brotherly love and with the preservation of the unity of the Spirit in matters of undoubted practice for mutuall edification at least so far as in us lieth For the Apostolicall rule Phil. 3. 16. So far a◠we are come let us walk by one rule and let us mind the same thing is never to be refused on our part if offered by others nor neglected if it may be obtained how far soever we differ in judgement from others in matters extrafundamentall 10. To the tenth observation upon pag. 32. concerning a brotherly correspondency in a Presbyterie which you allow of so long as it doth continue brotherly I have this to say that I am confident your feares of being driven by rods and staves from your father in heaven will be needlesse For the Presbyterian way doth cease to be Presbyterian if it be not sociall as between confederates who in all things are equall one to another so that all alike judge and all are alike judged and every thing is done by common consent and counsel nor are any rights taken from private Churches but rather confirmed and strengthered to them As for the separation which you call in your opinion just to which for some respects you think your selves forced unto I know not what else to say but that I cannot see how it may be just or lawfull for any to separate from a true Church for causes not laid open to them and for matters extrafundamentall For although I finde things in my Brethren 〈◊〉 which are very offensive to me and might perhaps amount in my opinion to a just cause of separating from them yet before it is lawfull for me actually to separate I am bound in all meeknesse first to beare witnesse of those things unto them and seek redresse thereof letting them see the grievance which they bring unto my conscience and then if they will neither redresse the causes of my grievance nor satisfie my judgement in an orderly way but cast me out from them not at all taking notice of my complaints if I say in dealing thus I be thus dealt withall then I may and not till then be separate So that I am so farre from thinking it lawfull
for some respects grounded upon mine owne opinion to intend a separation from Brethren in the faith that except they cast me out and will not suffer me to be of their society any longer I may not breake off from them 11. Your eleventh Observation upon pag. 34. concerning Fundamentalls in practise and knowledge tends to justifie the desire of the Apologists to be permitted to doe or not to doe what they thinke requisite but you mention nothing in particular which may be counted Fundamentall in their profession for which only a separation is justifiable when duly attested and not only not received but rejected together with the witnesse bearers Now the case between them and their Brethren is quite contrary at this present for they have been and are desired to hold forth the Truth of their way but they doe decline it and yet will be separate although they acknowledge the Churches to be true Churches from which they depart and although those Brethren from whom they depart intend to offer them all equitable forbearance and redresse of their grievances so farre as can stand with the Fundamentall constitution of their owne Churches and the peace of their consciences 12. Your twelfth and last Observation upon pag. 37. wherein you speake of the subjection which members owe to their Pastor and consequently to the Presbytery of Pastors joyned with him is somewhat dark to me For first you seem to yeeld the Point namely that such a subjection is due and then you make a restriction thereof in respect of certaine things and in respect of the manner of censuring them in case of not submitting You say then if I take you right that they are bound to submit to a Presbytery in things only unto which they may yeeld with a good conscience This cannot be denyed but is needlesse to be alleadged because it is to be supposed that a Pastor joyned with a Presbytery will require no subjection but in things which may be yeelded unto with a good conscience For their proper worke is to deale with the consciences of those that are under their charge to informe them of Gods will that they may understandingly submit unto it That which is offered by them to others is not offered Authoritatively as a thing which they will have done because they so have determined it this is the language of worldly States unto their subjects but they offer it as servants of God to declare as his messengers by the word his will for they watch in all cases of common concernment over the soules of men and in this respect obedience and submission is commanded by the Apostle to be yeelded unto them Heb. 13. 17. But you will put the case that he who is directed in matters of conscience by a Presbytery findeth reason to dissent because he is not convicted in conscience that the direction is according to the word of God in this Case you say that the Presbytery hath no power to deale with him but that he is lyable to be censured only by his own Church under whose jurisdiction he standeth Here I suppose you speake of the point of jurisdiction in a humane sense and suppose in all this Discourse that which is destructive to the true communion of Saints and to the relation which Christ hath setled in the parts of his Church fitly compacted together and baptized into one body by his Spirit For you suppose your Pastor and his Congregation under whose censure alone you would stand to be alone a Body by it selfe and separate from the other Pastors and Congregations I will confesse it to be a Body by it selfe but if you suppose a Presbytery rightly constituted with it then it is not to be considered as separate but as compacted and a part of the rest of that which is the whole and as you stand in relation to that Congregation whereof you are an immediate member so it doth stand proportionally in relation to that Body to which it is combined as a part As then you are under the jurisdiction of your owne Pastor and Congregation by your own confession immediately so you must be mediatly by their means under the jurisdiction of that Body whereof they are a part and whereunto they are associated But if you will not grant any such associating compacting of Churches together into one Body for their mutuall edification which is certainly Christs clear intention from Eph. 4. 1. till 17. but will suppose that all Churches and their Pastors must stand single and separate by themselves then it is to be granted that you are under the jurisdiction of none but your owne Pastor and Eldership But supposing that which cannot bee denyed if you grant it lawfull to combine Pastors and Elderships into a Presbytery which I suppose I have fully proved that your Pastor and his Eldership is accountable in his proceedings to his confederate Brethren as they are accountable unto him for mutuall edification and that he finding you a refractory and unruly member of his flocke disturbing the peace thereof and having dealt with you as much as he could and yet hath not been able to bring you to the obedience and submission which you owe to the will of God supposing this to be so if then he to strengthen himselfe and his Eldership by counsell first doth bring the matter to the Presbytery and having received counsell and put it in execution doth finde it without effect you remaining still disobedient and disturbing the quiet of his owne and perhaps of some neighbour Churches may not he then in the second place desire the assistance of his confederates in the judgement of the matter and may not he call you before them to be censured by himselfe and them joyntly and his and their jurisdiction being in this case but one in Christ and the authority of the same Presbyteriall office being put forth by all at once through the same spirit in the name of Christ doe not you thinke that the sentence of judgement against you will bee ratified in heaven if it be rightly pronounced or doe you thinke that Christ will allow of this plea that you are exempted from their jurisdiction because they are not your immediate Pastors hath not Christ given to the combined society of Church officers a power to judge of matters according to the word when they are in an orderly way brought unto their arbitration and where there is a power to judge by vertue of an office there also a power to pronounce a sentence cannot be denyed and if the sentence be a censure the same Authority which doth pronounce it hath power to see it executed Suppose againe on the other side that a Pastor doth some injury to his flocke or to some one of them and that they or he cannot finde redresse at the hands of the Eldership if there be no Association of Elderships they or he have no remedy but to make a trouble and perhaps a rent in the
how they are distinguished namely into the Acts of the spirit dwelling in the conscience and into the acts of the rationall soule dwelling in the memorative understanding and willing faculties to which the whole sensuall life and all the acts of the inward and outward senses are subordinate The relation wherein these acts stand one to another in respect of the properties of these faculties whence they proceed is this that the faculty of the spirit in the acts and enditements of the conscience is supreme and predominant above all the rest to which the rationall faculty of the soule in the acts of memory understanding and willing is immediately subordinate and to these the acts of the imaginations and sensuall passions are subservient and submitted And if this relation and subordination be altered so that the sensuall should be predominant above the rationall or the rationall above the spirituall acts then all is out of order and a mans life is either beastly or divellish The â—nd wherefore this relation and subordination of the faculties of man was thus appointed and ordered by God is that in the right use of these faculties he should expresse the Image and life of God wherein he should be able to rule over the rest of the creatures to bring them to the state of happinesse that Gods glory might appear as in himself so also in every one of them according to the degree of their perfection So that to gain this end for which God hath thus framed the minde of man the rule is none other but to observe the true relation wherein God hath set us which is that our spirits should be in our conscience wholly subjected unto his Spirit and dependant from him who is the Father of spirits in all things So that without his leave and the knowledge of his will by reflecting upon his Word ingrafted in our hearts we should not presume to think say or do any thing Secondly that our reason should in all things be a servant unto the â—ndictment of the spirituall Word made manifest unto our conscience to obey it and to make the truth and goodnesse thereof plain and evident to our selves and others Thirdly that our sensuall motion should bee servant unto the prescripts of reason to help our rationall faculties to expresse the will of God and apply it unto those with whom we have to deal outwardly From all which you may gather for these are the principles which I did intend to speak of much more then I am able at this time to utter For here you have a fountain of rules fâ—â—m whence many directions may be taken how to order the acts of the minde in respect of their mutuall relation one to another For consider that in all things whereof we do think except they be mearly spirituall and divine so that they are no wayes subject unto sense there ought to concur the act of conscience of reason and of the imaginative faculty which is the inward sense and the head of all the other sensuall faculties and seeing these acts should continually concurre in all the minding of outward matters the rule is that they must not be confounded nor preposterously brought forth but that we should first order the acts of our minde within it self before we proceed to meditate upon any particular object For except the conscience be cleer and at rest in respect of God the understanding will not perform the duty aright and if the understanding faculty be out of order the senses will not be well imployed administer and seek out evidences or to represent them orderly unto 〈◊〉 rationall abilities So that to lay the first ground work of meditation and consultation aright a man of judgement should look to himself that these three great wheels of the mind be well composed and ser in order one towards another the conscience the 〈◊〉 ability and the sensitive faculty lest the conscience being under guilt and desilements be separate from God who is the author of all good gifts and from whose mouth alone wisdome doth proceed â—am 1. 17. Prov. 2. 6. for God doth not give true wisdome and understanding but unto such as come to him to seek it Now to come to him or to seek wisdome from him without faith it is neither possible nor 〈◊〉 any thing be received at his hand for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And he that is of a doubting and wavering mind must not think that he can receive any thing of the Lord Jam. 1. 6 7. But when the conscience is not cleansed 〈◊〉 from dead works there must needs be a doubting and wavering in it when it cometh before God and so it will be found unfit to receive wisdome or direction from him For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdome and knowledge and joy but to the sinner he giveth travell Eccles 2. 26. nor can wisdome enter or find place into an unclean soul because it is prepossessed with sin which maketh a separation betwixt God Isai 59. 8. and it Besides all which it is to be considered that as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome so the spirit that hath not a dependency upon the Word of the Lord can have no wisdome because Jeremiah saith That seeing they have rejected the Word of â—erem 8. 9. the Lord what wisdome is in them There can be no wisdome where the Word of the Lord is not regarded and this Word cannot be regarded except the heart he possessed with his fear and this cannot be except the conscience be sanctified and cleansed from dead works So that we see the first principlâ—… and preparative unto meditation must be the composing of the heart towards God to set our selves to think of that which is to be thought God to set our selves to think of that which is to be thought upon as in his presence through his fear depending upon his Word and deâ—â—â—ing his direction that not only with his leave and â—â—â—â—â—â— ion but by his order and according to his will we may do all things and think all our thoughts This predisposing of the mind towards God to reflect first upon him in all our meditations is like unto the tuning of an Instrument before a man doth begin to play a piece of good Musick so by drawing neer to God with a good conscience in cleansing it from all superfluity of naughtinsse and calling upon him by faith for grace and direction the strings of the soul are tuned and set in a good harmony that the Spirit of wisdome which proceedeth from him may play some harmonious melodicall piece upon the same which without this tuning of the soul cannot be done And this tuning cannot be performed except the conscience be brought neer unto God and be able to look upon him that it may be enlightned For by looking to him and comparing it self to his will and living Word it
receiveth light First to see and judge it self in what estate it is and then to judge other things also for then it reflecteth upon all things and chiefly upon the inferiour faculties which are subordinate unto the motions of the Spirit with a commanding power so that they all stoop and yeeld to it to become answerable unto the intentions of the Spirit which are conceived by a good conscience to be aimed at in the work of meditation and consultation And let every man who desireth to go safe in any businesse of consequence be sure that he never fall to work without this preparative for without it he may run himself into errors and those very dangerous and he cannot possibly walk by true light and rules as long as the great Master rule and principle of light is not made use of which is the subordination of the intents and purposes of the heart unto God to set it in frame which may be answerable unto his will This then is the first main Principle of true order to be settled in the thoughts to bring the conscience to reflect upon God and settle it self towards him in the businesse which is to be minded The second main principle is to have a care to cleer the naturall understanding from prejudices and forestalled opinions which are like filmes over the eyes of the minde through which it cannot look so as to discern the right shape of things otherwise in themselves sufficiently apparent These prejudices arise from a narrownesse and stinting of the thoughts unto things too particular therefore before we begin to meditate or consult we should abstract from particulars and state the question whereof we are to think in generall termes which should comprehend the true nature of particulars which being done the terms of the question are to be considered and examined that the properties thereof may be discovered To which effect the acts of ratiocination should be observed and rightly ordered which are 1. To discern distinctly the differences of matters belonging to the terms of the question 2. To compare those distinct matters together with the thing inquired after that from their agreement or disagreement the judgement may gather the resolution of the question 3. To apply the question generally resolved unto the Particular matter in hand where the circumstances of the particular are to be lookt into to sinde how far they answer or answer not unto the generall determination of the question Thus then the acts of Ratiocination should proceed by degrees For the main Principle whereby they are to be regulated is this that the understanding must proceed always from things foreknown to that which is unknown by single notions to proceed unto componuds which may be done either from generalls foreknowne to determine particulars unknown or from particulars foreknown to gather the generall notion wherein they all agree for both wayes the reasoning faculty should proceed First to state the question which is to be made the subject of Meditation by summing up the particulars foreknown into one generall head and property of their agreement Secondly to resolve that question into its distinct matters to discern the properties thereof Thirdly to compare those properties with the thing sought after to see what they will discover of it in generall And Lastly to apply that which shall be discovered in generall to the particular as it standeth under its circumstances And to this last act of reasoning which concerneth the circunstances of particular matters the use of sense doth concurre to enquire observe discern and help to compare things together by their out wardly perceptible qualities which lead the understanding to the apprehension of more inward properties Now the Principle by which the acts of sense are to be regulated is this that they should be kept from confused wanderings and be made to reslect upon the observation of circumstances according to the suggestion of reason in the order by which matters are to be compared one with another for except circumstances be taken in their right places the application will not be cleer nor rightly made The imagination then and the memory which have received the Ideas of circumstances observed by outward sense must be commanded to make report of the same in that order and for such intents which reason subordinate unto conscience shall require to bee done for the decision of that which is enquired after by way of Meditation and Consultation And if these principles of order in the acts of the minde within it selfe be carefully observed I suppose no man can doubt but that the progresse will be effectuall towards the discovery of Truth in the objects of Meditation and of goodnesse in the objects of Consultation For all the worke the minde of man is set upon is nothing else but Truth and Goodnesse to finde the same in Matters and Actions And because Truth and Goodnesse are complicated together so that the one is never without the other therefore they are sought joyntly and never found but together But the instinct of nature leadeth men more to desire goodnesse then truth is sought because it is knowne to be good but the notion of goodnesse is different in the capacities of men and therefore is sought differently according to the apprehensions which men have of it For some apprehend nothing to be good but what is answerable unto the delight which they take in sensuall objects others apprehend the goodnesse of rationall objects and some are exalted unto spirituall objects Whence we finde three sorts of men in the world some but few are such seek before all things and in all things the goodnesse which proceedeth immediatly from God in the life of the Spirit Others who live in a rationall and morall way content themselves with the fruits of naturall knowledge in the workes of their understanding And lastly some live in their sensuall appetites as beasts doe The first sort of men are Citizens of heaven The second are Rulers of this world the third are slaves of the world These different properties of men are to be found more or lesse in all the Meditations and Consultations of men about particular objects For when the minds of men runne chiefly upon temporall matters to seek bodily case and contentment unto themselves in all things whereof they meditate and consult they debase the use of their reason and pervert it to become a slave unto lust And if they rest in a temporall content of things not meerly bodily but somewhat also rationall To have power and honour and preheminence to rule over others by their understanding they are in some degree better then others but yet not truly set upon that which is good And therefore none but such as in the Acts of Meditation and Consultation raise their thoughts first to spirituall good which is permanent unto life eternall And then comprehend under it as subordinate matters there unto the objects of reason and sense Now Isay but such order their