grown so numerous that if they should by a Common consent have deserted the Empire they would have left Desolation behind them THIS being therefore granted That our Obedience to the Laws of the Polity or Nation wherein we live so long as they command nothing contrary to the Divine Law is a part of our Christian Religion as may be easily made appear from Reason Scripture and the Practice of the best and purest Ages of Primitive Christianity even in such Constitutions as concern the Government of the Church as well as the Temporal Affairs of State which was done with great happiness to both in the Reigns of Constantine the Great and many other Christian Emperors I will therefore proceed upon this Position to shew that in Order to the happy Condition both of Civil and Religious Affairs there is an absolute Necessity of Vnity and Vniformity of Government Ecclesiastical in a National Church THIS Necessity is grounded both in the Prudence of the Lawful Policy and Religious Wisdom I will begin with the Religious Necessity WE must therefore consider the Essence the Nature the Design and the Intention of the Gospel in that part of it which differences it from all other Religions both Pagan Jewish and Mahumetan for the Intention of that must be our Great Design if we will be true Followers of Christ and not in Words profess we own him but in Actions deny him and his Royal Priesthood over us NOW the very Essence of Christian Religion consists in Love or Charity this is the New Commandment and the fulfilling of the Old and herein it is that Christianity differs from and Excells all other Religions The Heathens knew no more of this than their Interest obliged them to and therefore all those of Different Nations Manners or Religions were esteemed Barbarians and Enemies and accordingly treated and had not God Almighty permitted the Regiment of the World to be Absolute and Tyrannical this want of Charity one to another would certainly have thrown them into perpetual Civil Wars and Confusion amongst themselves there being then no Rein upon Ambitious Spirits but Fear of the Arbitrary Power and Will of their Princes which was the Supreme Law by which they Rul'd their Subjects And even the Law of Moses according to the corrupt gloss of the Scribes and Pharisees said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy Matt. 5.43 and according to the letter of it Exacted Life for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth But when the Eternal Son of the Blessed came into the World both to Redeem it and Renew it to Exalt men who were sunk into a Degeneracy below the Beasts that Perish and to make them partakers of the Divine Nature he teaches another Doctrine very harsh to Flesh and Blood but such as would in reality make them resemble God their Heavenly Father He teaches them to Love their Enemies to Bless them that Curse us to do good to them that hate us to Pray for them that despightfully Vse us and Persecute us by which Methods we shall come to be the true Children of the true God whose Glorious Sun riseth upon the Evil and the Good Matt. 5.44 45. and whose fruitful Showers fall upon the Just and the Vnjust This Love he makes the Foundation of Religion which he was to introduce into the World proceeding from the infinite Love of God to Mankind from the God of Love and therefore he tells us that the whole Law is comprised in these two Commandments Matt. 22.37 38 39 40. to Love God and our Neighbour And therefore he does so often repeat that which he calls the New Commandment Joh. 13.34 35. A new Commandment I give unto you That ye Love one another as I have Loved you that ye also Love one another by this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye have Love one for another And what he taught he also confirmed by his Example In that he died for us when we were Enemies NOW the Command being Vniversal to all those who are the Disciples of Christ they who hate another because they differ or dissent from them in some things which Christ having left indifferent has therefore left to the Wisdom of those with whom he intrusted the Government of the Church to determine as they shall Judge most conducive to this great Design of Charity cannot be the true Disciples of Christ 1 Joh. 4.40 for If any man say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. And therefore the holy Apostles and particularly the beloved Disciple St. John lays such weight upon this Duty and so frequently commands it that his three Epistles are scarce any thing else but a repetition of that Command and the reasons for it which brings into mind what I have somewhere read of that Apostle that in his extreme old age residing at Ephesus and governing the Churches of the lesser Asia when he was not able to perform the Offices of the Church yet he would be carried in his chair to the Assembly of Christians where he would several times repeat this Sentence My little Children love one another and being demanded the reason of this short but Excellent Sermon he made answer to this Effect because It did comprise the sum of all Religion and that Charity would cover a multitude of other faults And therefore St. Paul doubts not to give it the preheminence above the two other principal Graces 1 Cor. 13.13 Now says he abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity For when Hope shall be compleated by possession and Faith changed into Fruition then shall Charity be most triumphant as being the Life of Heaven and the pleasing imployment of a glorious Eternity And certainly it is this love unseigned both towards God and towards our Brethren that is so of the Essence of Religion that without both these it is but a meer Impostor for no person can truely fear God who does not smcerely love him and no man loves God sincerely who does not love his Brother also 1 Tim. 5.1 For the End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and Faith Vnfeined NOW taking this for a Foundation which no good Christian can deny I proceed to shew that it is absolutely impossible to maintain this Charity without Vnity both of Faith and Government in a National Church and to make it evident I should need no stronger Argument than what the holy Apostle St. Paul subjoyns in the words following those of his last repeated From which says he some having swerved have turned aside to vain Jangling Here is the source of all the Churches Miseries this vain jangling has ever been the occasion of all those Dissentions and Divisions those mischievous Quarrels which have not confined themselves to Words but have proceeded to the Outrages of Blows and Blood it is want of Charity and that
pure heart and good Conscience which commands Peace and forbids all Disorder and Disobedience which are destructive of it in the Church of God BUT to make this apparent so as that no Evasion may be found let us consider that Vnity of Faith is not sufficient to maintain Charity in a National Church unless there be also Vnity in point of Government for where men Live together imbodied in one political Society and are therefore daily conversant together it is impossible but they will discourse about the Modes as well as the Essence of Religion and supposing that all People had free Liberty to chuse after what manner they would serve and Worship God no doubt is to be made but every man would prefer his own choice both of Opinion and Practice before that of others and Esteem it most agreable to the Will of God and most conducive to the great Design of all Religion the Eternal Salvation of Mens Souls This undue preference of their own Way as it would naturally incline them to make as many Proselytes as possibly they could a Duty they would judge themselves necessarily and indispensably obliged to perform so would it necessarily put them not only upon defending and maintaining their own Way but of lessening and it may be debasing and vilifying all others in comparison of it Nor would others be less eager in searching out and Exposing their Errors and Defects thereby to Establish themselves and their Way of Worship in the good Opinion of their Followers to which Revenge for affront and indignity offer'd to what they Esteem most Sacred would contribute not a little so that all Religion would come to consist in frivolous and endless Disputes and Differences what kind of Breath what Tones Words Habits Gestures or Postures God Almighty is best pleased with and instead of that Charity which covers a multiude of Faults that would be the best which had the least and was best able to discover the Infirmities of all others and would seem to consist not so much in its own Excellencies or Perfections as by discovering the defects of those who did oppose it Nor would these foolish differences terminate in meer Words and Wrangles but proceed by degrees to the highest Animosities and Extremities of Hatred and such a hatred as inspires Men with the devilish Principles of indeavouring to Extirpate Root and Branch with Fire and Sword all those who differ from them it may be but in the Punctillo's of outward Ceremonies and they who shall appear most Zealous in Executing this blind and furious Rage shall be accounted most godly and Religious Murder shall be called Justice Wrong Violence and Oppression Punishments justly inflicted upon the Wicked Sacriledge shall pass for Piety and the most horrid and slagitious Enormities shall be dedicated to the Glory of God and be reputed acceptable service to him being done or however pretended with the design of propagating the Gospel rooting out Superstition False Doctrine and Heresie O meek and blessed Jesus thou innocent Lamb of God who takest away the Sins of the World is this the Religion which with thy precious blood was planted in the World and watred with the blood of so many of thy holy Saints and Martyrs Assuredly God is not in such terrible Hurricanes Whirlwinds and Earthquakes Tempests or Fires as rend the Mountains 1 Kings 19.11 12. and break the Rocks in pieces as shake and put all the Foundations of the World out of Course and consume all before them No no it is in the small still voice the calm and soft voice of Peace and Meekness that God and true Religion are to be found Alas it is not in this mans pompous breath nor that mans Eloquent Harangue that God is delighted it is not the rude and undecent Religion of him who despises all Ceremonies in the Worship of God who will not bend his knee or uncover his head for fear of he knows not what Idolatry Nor is it the over superstitious and courtly service of him who makes all his Religion groan under the Load of splendid Ceremonies that God is pleased with he has no more satisfaction in these Exterior demeanors than as the Psalmist says Psal 147.10 11. in the strength of an horse or in the legs of a man but the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy And all these outward Demonstrations of our Worship are only valuable according to their inward intention of promoting the main Design for which he intended them which is Peace Unity and Concord among the Sons of Men. NOW this blessed Peace this happy Vnity and this Christian Concord are not to be hoped for in any National Church but by submitting to such common Expedients in the Celebration of the Publique Worship of Almighty God as by putting an End to these Differences may lay asleep all these occasions of Divisions Disputes and vain janglings and may therefore cut off the root and occasion of Quarrels about the How God shall be served And this Power must either be granted to be in the Governors of the Church and Nation or otherways all falls to Confusion For if it be not in the Church then have not any Dissenters that Power over their Churches and therefore they go about an unlawful Action and are bold Usurpers over the Christian Liberty of their Brethren whilest they go about to Establish any Government in their Congregations if it be in the Church then either that Authority is in the Church of England or She is not a true Church Let them prove that and we will fairly and quietly yield them the Cause But if the Church of England be a true Church and a true Church have such a Power then ought all who are in that Community and Nation to be obedient to her Determinations because they are within the Verge of her Jurisdiction and they who are disobedient are guilty of the breach of Vnity and Charity and Enemies to Peace and if the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews be of any Credit they who do not follow Peace with all Men as well as Holyness and much more then with that Church which brought them forth and has nurst them in her tender Arms shall never see God And into what a desperate condition then have they reduced themselves who for want of this Charity Peace and Unity run themselves and their Disciples into the danger of being Excluded notwithstanding all their Holyness from the Glorious presence of God which in plain English is Eternal Damnation AH poor Church of England how justly mayest thou take up the Mournful complaint of God Almighty by his Prophet Isaiah Hear ô Heavens Esay 1.2 and give ear ô Earth I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me O miserable and deceived People How vainly do you Establish your hopes of Eternal Happiness upon principles of Dissention Who are made believe no way so secure to
obedience to a private doubt to break a known Command of God who commands Obedience to my Superiors in all things which are not contrary to his commands and whether we should obey God or Man our selves or the Magistrates and Rulers of of the Church is no such hard Question as some people have made it BESIDES Though wilful Errors in Faith are Damnable yet Errors in Circumstances neither are nor can be so unless we make them so our selves by Disobedience to God in refusing for Peace and Vnity to submit to our Superiors which is Damnable Nor indeed can any of the several Rites and Ceremonies of Religion be properly called Errors though they be different nay contrary one to another For where there is no positive Command of God to Determine us either part is lawful or unlawful only according as it is commanded or forbidden by those who are in Authority and if it be not determined by them then as we in our own Judgment shall be perswaded that is conducive to Gods Glory and the Happiness of Mankind For whether I should pray in a Surplice or in a Cloak is not a point of Salvation for I may do it with either or neither and yet go to Heaven but Disobedience to my Lawful Superiors should they command me to pray to God in Publique in either of them is an Error in Faith for who ever is guilty of that Disobedience must either believe that God is not the Author of that Command or that it is not true which is Infidelity and Error Now let any person of Sobriety Judg whether such a Conscience is a good Conscience and void of offence to God and Men which will strain at the Gnat of an indifferent Ceremony and swallow the Camel of Disobedience And whether all good Christians ought not to joyn with the National Church in such Ceremonies and manners of Worship as admitting them to be as bad as any Ceremonies can be which are not Damnable rather than by endeavouring to avoid them and refusing to use them to run the certain Hazzard of ruining the Peace of the Church and Nation and certain Damnation by their Disobedience to the Command of God I desire to make this as clear as I can and therefore we will Instance in the sign of the Cross after Baptism This Ceremony is by many so much abhorred that they will rather not have their Children received into the Covenant of Grace by Baptism or which is the same thing have the Sacrament from those who having no lawful Ordination have therefore no Commission to go and Baptize all Nations Now supposing the sign of the Cross after Baptism a superfluous or superstitious Ceremony which yet will never be proved as by the Church explained in the Office of Baptism and the 30 Canon yet still the Use of it could not be injurious to Salvation or Damnable because it is no where in Scripture forbidden nor ever asserted to be Essential to the Sacrament Nor condemned by either Councels or the Practice of the Church in any Age but frequently used by the Primitive Christians both upon that and many other Occasions what a man may do without fear of Damnation he may do safely nor is he to be judge of the Expedience or edifyingness of the Ceremony for who made any private man a Judge over others that very capacity Excludes him from that Power But for any person to refuse to have his Child Baptized because of this Ceremony or to refuse to obey his Superiors is to make himself a Judge over them and a damnable Sin Washing with Water in the Name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost is the Essence of the Sacrament but there are some Prayers to be made 1 Tim. 〈◊〉 For every Creature of God is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer some Gestures some Postures to be used in such a weighty Solemnity some Praises due for so great a Benefit and these being no where directed what they shall be are left to the Care and Wisdom of the Governors of the Church who to avoid Confusion and to Establish Vnity by Vniformity to preserve the Decency of so Sacred a Duty prescribe this Form of words these Gestures and Rites and this sign as of great signification that as St. Paul says We should Glory in the Cross of Christ and receive that as a Badge or Cognizance of our Christian Profession THE same Answer will serve for all the Ceremonies which are made use of or commanded by the Church of England Nor shall we need to fear lest by this Power of the Church the Ceremonies should swell to such a bulk as to be burthensom by being too numerous since the Governors themselves are not without a Rule in this particular which is the Determination of the first General Councel at Jerusalem Acts 15.28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things one of those necessary things was before indifferent viz. to abstain from things strangled and St. Paul seems to make even the other about the things offer'd to Idols the same which now were made by the Councel necessary BUT supposing that there were a real Clog of Ceremonies which none can justly complain of amongst us yet would any man loose the substance for fear of the shadow refuse to Eat good and wholsome Diet because the Dish was Silver and too much Garnished and by Schism and Disobedience run the hazard of his own Soul and all those seduced by him meerly to avoid the doing of those things which if he does them cannot in the least prejudice his Salvation for these are only the Conditions of our maintaining Peace Vnity and Charity but not the Conditions upon which our Salvation depends because God has no where said he that does these things shall be damned and he that abstains from them shall be saved but he has said we must hear the Church and if she Commands this for Peace sake we must Obey lest we be justly esteemed as Publicans and Heathens BESIDES they who Command must answer to God for themselves and they who are to Obey shall not answer for the Errors of their Superiors but no man can answer to God for his disobedience against them in these Commands not only because they are not Judges whether they ought to do or not to do what they are Commanded but because there can then be no such thing as Obedience if every man may be his own Judge for what one man may do out of pure doubt or scruple of Mind thousands will pretend to do and it being impossible to discover the Tender Conscience from the Obstinate and Designing all Duty to our Superiors in the Church will be Evaded with pretence of Doubting or else consist in obeying only so far as we like the Commands which is for fear of Popery to make every Man his own Pope to dispense with the
place but they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his Words and misused his Prophets until the Wrath of God arose against them and there was no remedy Then did the overflowing scourges come rolling upon them Fire and Sword and Captivity Desolation and utter Subversion God of his infinite Mercy have compassion upon his People and his dwelling Place and turn the hearts of the Despisers and disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just that we may not despise our selves and Nation into such a Dismal and inevitable Ruin CHAP. IX THUS have I shewn the Necessity that there is in every National Church of Unity in point of Government as well as Faith upon a Religious account Let us now come to Examine what Necessity there is upon a Politique account as we are united together into one Community of Men as well as a Society of Christians WE must consider therefore that Religion was designed to improve even our Interest in this World to the best advantage of Living and that to put on Christianity we are not to put off Humanity or by learning Obedience to God to forget what we owe to our Neighbour or our King The Eternal Prince of Peace as well as Truth came to Preach Peace unto All not to Embroyl the World or unsettle the Thrones of Princes but to Establish them for the Throne is Established by Righteousness Pro. 16.12 That glorious Heir of all things rejected the offer of all the Kingdoms of the Earth and positively affirms That his Kingdom is not of this World and therefore when he took upon him Humane Nature he own'd himself a Subject of the Roman Empire and not only paid the Tribute for himself and Saint Peter but Commands all men to do the same and the great Design of the Gospel which he came to Preach was to make all men better in their feveral Estates and Capacities of Life better men and therefore better Subjects to Princes This was the particular Care of the Church to inspire the Converts to Christianity with these Principles of Duty and Obedience so necessary to the Peace and Happiness of the World So St. Paul commands Ro. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Thus St. Peter Teaches and Commands 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of Evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for this is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men This being then one main Design of Christian Religion let us see of what Necessity Vnity in point of Government in the Church is in order to it and what influence it has upon the Political Government of a Christian State THE Root of all our Miseries Divisions and Disorders is That men take this for a Principle That they may be Disobedient to Lawful Authority without danger of Damnation and so far has the mischief of this fretting Gangrene spread it self that many People esteem it a part of their Religion to disobey the Civil Power and think it is impossible for them to be saved should they be obedient to its Commands which they think are inconsistent with the Commands of God This Error must proceed either from Malice or Mistake I will be so charitable as to suppose not from the first and therefore looking upon it as the Child of Ignorance I will endeavour to state the Case truly that so the Understanding of Men being informed by Truth they may either be reformed or left without Excuse THE great Design of the infinitely glorious good and Wise Creator being the Happiness of Mankind he therefore proportioned a Method for the obtaining of it and Man being Created with a double Capacity of Injoying Happiness both here and hereafter therefore did that Excellent Wisdom appoint Religion as the Way and Means for attaining both and for the accomplishment of those Noble and Excellent Ends it is furnished with Rules and Precepts which bear a double Respect to this double Capacity one part Conducts us to God and future Happiness in the External fruition of his grorious Presence in Heaven and the other Leads us to the Happiness of this Mortal State by the Politicl Rules of Living Well with a mutual respect not only to our own but the happiness of one another by the lawful and moderate Use and Enjoyment of the inferior Creation which God therefore made that he might shew his Glory his Wisdom his Power and his Goodness to the Sons of Men. So that the sum of all Religion in order to obtain this Happiness both here and hereafter is to believe aright and to Live Well and both these are so Essentially necessary to Salvation that the one will not obtain it without the other for the Devils believe Jam. 2.19 though it makes them tremble To believe aright we must refer our selves to those Divine Truths which God has from Heaven revealed to us concerning himself and our Duty the short sums of which Faith the Church has collected out of the Sacred Writings in the three Famous Creeds of the Apostles St. Athanasius and the Councel of Nice To Live well it is required that a man submits to all those practical Precepts and Rules of Life which God has commanded in his Will revealed in his holy Word by Justice Temperance Prudence Chastity Obedience c. and for the attainment of Happiness by these Rules in this present Life God has not left Men in a wild parity like Brutes but has by the Wisdom of his Providence divided the World into superior and inferior Degrees of Men Subjects and Soveraigns intrusting one to Rule and Govern and commanding the other to Obey and for this he has left many Positive Commands too well known and too numerous to be here repeated THESE Powers thus Ordained of God and armed with his Sword to execute Vengeance on them that do evil are vested with Authority to make such Decrees Laws and Sanctions as in their Wisdom they shall Judg conducive to the Happiness of the People committed to their Charge that so they may be a Terror to evil Works and encouragers of them that are Good And to them prosecuting this great and good Design and to those Laws which do promote it all men are bound to submit not only for wrath Rom. 13.5 but for Conscience sake And it is impossible any man should be saved who lives in a wilful Disobedience and that Power and those Commands and the Reason is because all such Disobedience is a sin against God himself against his Positive Will and Command and I think there is no person who will be so hardy as to maintain in Words however they may do it in Actions that Salvation is to be had or hoped for by such as live in manifest
inexcusable by their own Judgment And if we do not prove the present Government Lawful and of Gods appintment both the Civil and Ecclesiastical Phillida solus habeto And till they have proved themselves Lawful Powers and the present Government Unlawful let them be obedient to its Decrees and Determinations as those Laws respect the good of the Civil Society if they will not as they respect the Religious CHAP. X. HAVING proceeded thus far in shewing the Design of the Outward Government of the Church to have a Political Respect as well as Temporal Laws to the happiness and well-being of Humane Society as well as a Religious Respect to future Felicity and that therefore upon this double account our Obedience is due to the Ecclesiastîcal Laws as well as the Temporal to which yet no Dissenters will own Disobedience to be Lawful because without Laws no Living and for the same reason therefore Obedience to both is a necessary part of Religion in the next place let us see how necessary therefore this Vnity in point of Government in the Church is upon this Political account in order to the happiness of the Society which is the End of all Laws and all Religion in this present state of Life AND this I conceive cannot better be done than by shewing the dangerous influence which Disunion in point of Government in the Church has upon the Civil Affairs of any Nation As true Religion makes men the best Subjects steddy in their Loyalty and Allegiance Faithful in their Trusts and Services industrious to promote the Common Good obedient to their Superiors kind to their Equals and humble to their Inferiors and always Religious observers of the Laws of God and Man So False Opinions when entertain'd for true Religion ever render Men the Worst And if there were nothing more in it yet would it be the great Interest of Princes to endeavour to propagate Christian Religion in its greatest Purity and to discountenance Errors Heresies Sects and Schisms as the best Expedient to secure themselves and Establish their Thrones upon the immoveable Basis and sure Foundation of the good Conscience of their Subjects For this surpasses all the Obligations of Laws all the Powers of Arms and all the Arts of Policy Laws without Conscience are like Sampsons green Wit hs which armed Interest and successful Ambition attended on with Fiery Zeal Jud. 16.9 will break to pieces as a thred of Tow when it touches the Flame The most Powerful Arms have no intail of Victory and though the Sword be a very good Guard for the Sceptre yet if the Sceptre turns into a Sword a thousand Instances will shew that it lays a slippery Foundation for a Crown which always stands most firm when set upon the Head of Princes by Love and Affection and not by the trembling hand of Fear The deepest Politicians are sometimes Men shallow and fordable subject to be deceived and their Counsels like Achitophels may be defeated and turned into Folly But Religion were it Universally practised Princes might disband those Auxiliary Succours of the Crown together with their Fears that raise them and might send their Jealousies those Envious Tormentors both of Crowns and Cottagers into perpetual Banishment For that teaches to smother Treason in the thought Eccles 10.20 and prevents the Necessity of Axes and Scaffolds Curse not the King not in thy thought is God's Command which they will not Transgress to gain the Empire of the World and lose their Souls Innocence is their Profession Peace their Study Integrity the joy of their Lives the delight of their Minds and the pleasure of their Deaths Not all the storms of Afflictions not all the shining Glories of the Vniverse can tempt them to throw off the White Mantle of unstained Innocence that Ermine of Religion Not all the tempting withcrafts of Dominion Riches Honour or Advantage can prevail with them to do the least Injury wilfully to their poorest Neighbour much less then to those Sacred Persons who are Gods on Earth and the true Christian if it were put to his choice had rather sit with Job cloathed with Ashes Miseries and Integrity upon the Dunghil of Poverty than be lifted from thence by the hand of Injustice or Violence to sit among Princes and wear the Dreaded Imperial Purple THIS is the happy Temper of Religion which teaches the Prince that Excellent Moderation to be so far from treading upon the Necks of his Subjects that he will not tread upon the Heels of their Properties or their Priviledges and in all his Laws to study their Interest as his own This teaches Subjects to study to be Quiet 1 Thess 4.11 and in stead of making Seditions Mutinies or Rebellions to make Devout and continual Supplications Prayers Intercessions 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. and giving of Thanks for Kings and all that are in Authority that so they may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty For this they are taught is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour Nor will they venture to cut off the least Skirt of Prerogative the lawful Inheritance of their Prince to inlarge their own or take one Jewel out of his Crown to Adorn or Inrich themselves withall They will not Deplume the Royal Eagle of his to Feather their own Nests The thirst of Ambition which cannot be quenched with any thing but the Illustrious Blood of Soveraigns is an absolute Stranger to their very thoughts and they will rather sacrifice their own Lives and Fortunes than see his in Danger All their Desires are confined to a little here and their Ambition aspires lawfully after no other Crown but that of a Glorious Immortality Now to the obtaining of any tollerable Degrees of this Happy State as there is one God one Faith one Baptism so it is absolutely Necessary that in one Nation there be one Form of Government in the Church as well as State And that if it be not possible that all People should be of one Mind as to matters of Opinion yet that they should be of one Mind as to Obedience to Government in Church and State which is matter of Faith And it is but highly Reasonable that private Opinion should confine it self to private Breasts its proper Sphere and not be permitted to walk abroad to affront Authority and the publique Peace Interest and Happiness of a whole Nation no more than particular Gain is suffered to undo the Publick Stock DIFFERENCE in Opinion may well be Tollerated and indeed cannot be avoided but yet were men managed by Modesty though not Religion there need be no Mischief from it But to publish Private Opinion for Publique and necessary Truth and to endeavour to impose it upon others and upon Authority it self is a practice of the most pernicious Usurpation and Consequence in any Government For this Opposition of Opinions naturally produces a Disunion of Mind absolutely Destructive of Government which is to Unite all the Members
did not believe the Theological Point of Transubstantiation and when nothing else would do then the killing Question What say you to the Sacrament of the Altar was sure to turn them over to the Secular Power for Hereticks and it was not long before the Writ de Hereticis Comburendis brought them to their Funeral Pile But if any thing which men pretend to be matter of Faith be found by Experience dangerous to Society destructive of the Fundamentals of our Government may not we Lawfully indeavour to oblige those who own that Faith to give security that they do not believe it so as to be prejudicial to the Government such are the Doctrines of the Popes Supremacy and Power not only to Excommunicate but to Depose Princes and dispose of their Crowns that Equivocation even upon a solemn Oath is lawful a Position that Ruines all Religion and Fidelity and the very Reputation of Humane Nature And yet a Treatise I have seen written to this Purpose in the latter end of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and approved by Blackwell the Archpriest in these words Tractatus iste valdé doctus veré pius Catkolicus est c. Certissimé SS Scripturarum Patrum Doctorum Scholasticorum Canonistarum optimarum Rationum presidijs plenissimé firmat aequitatem aequivocationis Ideoque dignissimus est qui Typis propagatur ad consolationem afflictorum Catholicorum omnium piorum Instructionem This Treatise saith he is very Learned and truly Pious and Catholique Certainly therein the Equity of Equivocation is fully proved by the strongest Reasons out of Scriptures Fathers Doctors Schoolmen and Canonists and therefore is most Worthy to be Printed for the Comfort of afflicted Catholiques and the Instruction of all good People Must now the indeavouring to suppress the Authors of such Doctrine be Persecution for Conscience sake have these Opinions no Influence upon Humane Society As to the Second Note a Liberty of believing or disbelieving this or that Doctrine only in order to a private way of Worship c. Who ever denyed this Liberty Is there any Judg of thoughts of the heart besides God Is any man denyed to enjoy his private Opinion or can he be so long as it continues so But if People will Transgress these Limits and impose matters of private Opinion as matters of Faith in order to practice and such Opinions as ruine Charity disturb Peace unsettle Government must these too be Tollerated And such are the Opinions of Rome and Geneva And it is not a private but a publique Liberty which is denyed them a Liberty to Poyson Mens Loyalty and first Murder their Allegiance that they may with more ease Murder the Government A Liberty to banish Charity Peace and Vnity out of the Church to Establish true Religion without them So that if he would stick to his Demands he could no sooner ask than have such a Tolleration as is not in the Power of any Mortal Authority to abridge any man of and it is impossible for any person to suffer Persecution for his private Opinion for no man can be punished but for what is known to be his Opinion by his own Confession and when it comes to be so either by his words or Actions it ceases to be Private For suppose a man were a Mahometan but no person knew it besides himself who could tax him with it or punish him for it but if he will make his house a Mosque and endeavour to Convert others to the Alchoran to make a Party and to Erect the Crescents to pull down the Cross and the Crown would that be private or deserve Tolleration BUT to trace him he tells us p. 1. That no man has power over Conscience therefor Imposition and Violence are unlawful A very Logical Consequence No Prince has power to Punish therefore not to Tollerate neither God hath Exempted the Soul out of his Commission but not the Body Why does he then demand that which is not in their Power to Grant As for his Examples which he gives for Tolleration from Turks and Pagans they are but ill Presidents for Christians And for the Instance of Theodosius and Gratian if Socrates be to be credited it is a great Slander upon those two good Emperors Gratian indeed Secr. Ecc. Hist li. 5. c. 2. 10. at his first coming to the Crown gave Liberty that every Sect and Opinion should freely without Molestation frequent their wonted Assemblies except the Eunomians Photinians and Manichees But no sooner was he setled in the Empire God 1. Tit. 5. lege Omnes and had joyned Theodosius to him but they command that all Heresies should for ever keep Silence The same Prohibition Arcadus and Honorius continue and Augment Ibid. lege Cuncti Let all Hereticks say they understand that all places must be taken from them as well Churches as other places of Meeting as private Houses in which let them be debar'd from Service both by Night and by Day Ibid. leg Ariani and the Lord Deputy of the Province was to look to the Execution of this Law and if he permitted their Meetings either openly or secretly he was to fine for it 100 l. Theodosius the Younger whom Socrates compares to Moses for his Meekness and Excellent Nature yet with Valentinian his Cousin summing up in a Catalogue the Hereticks of that Time Commands that no where within the Roman Empire their Assemblies or Prayers should be permitted but that all Laws made to Prohibit their Meetings should be revived and made perpetual And this they did because they thought the Civil Power was obliged to Protect the Ecclesiastical and to maintain Peace in the Church of God and as our Advocate quotes the Wise Sir Francis Bacon for another purpose pag. 7. Because the Sword of Dissention ought not be put into the Peoples hands to nourish Seditions Treasons Conspiracies c. which were to dash the first Table against the second and to consider Men as Christians so as to forget they are Men which with the Gentlemans favour is not much to his advantage since these are all the Effects and necessary Consequences of Tolleration IT was the great Misfortune of the Poet Claudian that his Excellent Wit fell upon dry and barren Subjects the same ill Luck has this Writer in falling upon this Subject of Liberty of Conscience so contrary to his own and the Judgment of his Church that I shall use no other Arguments than his own Words and by turning his own Cannon upon his Castle in the Air I do not Question but to make him quit his Fortifications The Truth is I like his Title of Advocate for he proves himself one and acts the Advocate exactly making the best he can of a bad Cause but so great is Truth that it needs no other Advocate nor any better Arguments than even in speaking against her he is compelled to use for her Pag. 41. The ancient Original Fundamental Laws says he by which other Laws
have instructed his Scholar to put down and not Exalt this Antichrist in the Church of God 1 Jo. 2.18 This Ignatius who was afterwards in the Eleventh year of Trajan Crowned with Martyrdom at Rome being torn in pieces by Wild Beasts as Eusebius gives us an account Euseb Eccl. His l. 3. c. 19. 35. he speaks as plain of the Difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter as Pen can write or Heart can wish In his Epistle to the Magnesians Ig. Ep. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop saith he is seated in the first place as in the place of God and the Presbyters as the Senate of the Apostles And in another place of the same Epistle They says he who Act without a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such Christ will say Why do ye call me Lord Lord and do not the works which I Command you Such Persons seem to me not to be of a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to be Hypocrites and Dissemblers And in his Epistle to the Trallians he Commands them in the Language of the Author to the Hebrews Ignat. Epist ad Trall To be subject unto this Bishop as unto the Lord for he Watches for your souls And in another place he tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is absolutely necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That you should do nothing without the Bishop Thus we see the Sons of the Church in the first Century of the Apostles of Christ being yet living thought of Bishops as we do And therefore it is both Undeniable and Undubitable that Episcopal Government was of Divine Institution and that a Bishop and a Presbyter are two different things in the Primitive Church both as to Power and as to Name I might bring a whole Cloud of Witnesses of less Antiquity but if these will not convince if the Testimony of Scripture and so Primitive a man and a Bishop as Ignatius be of no value I can have little hopes of convincing Gainsayers by multitude who have abandoned Reason THUS stood the Affairs of the Church for above 300 Years no man making the least Question or Dispute but that the Government by Episcopacy was of Gods appointment one Bishop still succeeding another as in the Ecclesiastical Historians my be seen in most of the Principal Cities of the World Epiphan l. 3. Tom. 1. Haeres 25. till Aerius being Educated with Eustathius and being his equal in Learning and Age took it as a great disparagement that Eustathius was preferred before him to a Bishoprick for which they were Competitors upon this discontent he not only fell foul upon Eustathius objecting as our Aerians do against him Pride and Covetousness but his Resentments for the Mortal displeasure broak out against the whole Function contemning the prescribed Fasts of the Church and teaching by the same Arguments with ours that a Bishop and a Priest were all one by the Scriptures of equal Power Authority and Jurisdiction which saith Epiphanius is an Assertion stultitiae plena full of Folly But this being but one discontented Priests Opinion was neither much regarded nor long lived the current belief of the Scripture and the constant Usage of the Church which knew no other Government run so strong that he was drowned in it nor did the Heresie ever float again till this last Age of which St. Clement who was contemporary to St. Paul and his fellow Labourer Phil. 4.3 as he calls him seems to prophecy in that Epistle of his to the Corinthians which I think was never suspected to be spurious where he tells us there would come a time when there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Ep. ad Cor. a contention about the very name of a Bishop BY virtue of this Power it was that the Rulers of the Church ordered and appointed all things which were done which were of an indifferent Nature in Government as about the Observation of Holy Fasts and Festivals the manner of Celebrating the Service and Worship of God the Prayers and Alms of the Church the Postures Gestures and Habits which were to be made use of and all other Rites and Ceremonies following herein the Scripture as the Rule of Faith and Manners and the General Precepts therein contained as Rules of Government which were principally these FIRST That nothing imposed should be repugnant or contrary to any Article or Branch of Faith or a Holy Life or to any Customs of the Church recorded in Holy Writ SECONDLY That all their Commands might have a respect to Decency Order Reverence and Edification THIRDLY That All might have a tendency to Vnity Peace and Concord and that diversity of Customs and Opinions might not breed Schisms and Contentions and I shewed before how when in some of these things there was a difference in several Churches yet still they held Communion one with another maintaining inviolably the same Faith and Government in all THIS was the Condition of the Church both as to Faith and Polity till such time as the great Powers of the Earth the Roman Emperours and other Kings became Christians and took up the Cross of Christ as the Glory of their Crowns The first of which was Constantine the Great These Temporal Powers then took the Church into their Protection made Temporal Laws for the better Management of it and to preserve it from the Injuries of Heathen Idolaters without and Hereticks within and having the Sword in their hand undertook as it was their Duty to punish Evil doers who darst transgress the Laws of the Church with Temporal Punishments as well as those who broak the Laws of the Civil Magistrate and to incourage the Peaceable and Religious From the Bounty of these Princes and that of others of plentiful Fortunes and and by their Example the Church came to be Endowed with Temporalties and an Honourable Constant and Encouraging Maintainance was provided and settled upon those who were to serve at the Altar that so they might be inabled and furnished with all sorts of Learning well knowing that proportionate Rewards are the spurs to Learning and Virtue as the Wisdom of God for our Encouragement to Pursue and Obtain her tells us Prov. 8.18.3.4 Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness and that length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour And that according to the Apostolical Command 1 Cor 9.11 14. They which sow Spiritual things should also reap Carnal for so hath the Lord commanded that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel BY this it appears That now there was a double Obligation laid upon all Christians to be Obedient to the Commands of the Church both because they derive their Power from God and because the Temporal Power did now concur to strengthen the Duty by the Obligations of Humane Laws nor can any thing or any pretence of Conscience authorize