Entertain it not in the notion only but let it be so digested that you feel your sin and misery at your heart and dare not to continue a day longer without reconciling and pardoning mercy and renewing and sanctifying grace lest you perish that you despair of any creatures help and feel your selves eternally undone if the God of Heaven help not 3 Concerning Jesus Christ our Redeemer That the Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God coessential and coeternal with his Father upon the appointment and designation of his Father voluntarily undertook the office of a Saviour and Redeemer to Mankinde being made Man took on him our sins and the curse of the Law and giving himself up a Sacrifice and an offering to God for us purchased by his death all things conducing to grace and glory and having by his own power arisen from the dead and ascended into heaven he is become an alsufficient Saviour and will effectually confer pardon grace and Salvation on all those who shal truly believe in him And that there is no other name under Heaven to be saved by but by the name of Jesus Christ This is a great and necessary Doctrine of Salvation so clearly held forth in Scripture that it 's beyond controversie 1 Tim. 3.16 Let this Catholick verity be received not in the Nation only but dwel in your hearts that you may see the infinite worth and excellency of Jesus Christ prize him as the only Savior close with him on all those glorious accounts and end she was sent upon by the Father and yield up your selves to be saved by him in his own way and upon his own Terms 4 Concerning the application of Redemption That our Redeemer the Lord Josus Christ having all power in Heaven Earth given to him hath made a new Law or Covenant of grace caused it to be proclaimed to the world wherein he promises pardon and Salvation to all that shal sincerely accept and own him for their Saviour and Lord Redeemer and tâ—uly repenting of their sins shall rest on his death and merits alone for life love him above all things and sincerely obey his Gospel Laws and Commundments shal persevere in these duties to the end And after he shal have sent his holy Spirit to work Faith and conversion in his Elect He will certainly come again from Heaven in the glory of his Father with his mighty Angels and by his mighty power shal raise the dead and convene all both Quick dead before his Judgment Seat and then such as did truly repent them of their sins and sincerely believed in his Name and obeyed his Gospel he will adjudge to Eternal glory and happinesse with himself and his Father and the holy Angels but unbelievers and impenitent persons to eternal torments in Hell with the Devil and his Angels This is an unquestionable Article of the Christian Faith expresly delivered in the holy Scriptures and imbraced by the Catholick Church Let this truth be received not notionally but heartily Let it influence your hearts and lives so as you sincerely obey the Gospel and live in the dayly expectation of the coming of the Lord and give deligence to be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse I shal add no other Doctrinal verities besides these fundamental Articles They are the very substance of the Christian Creed imbraced by the Church in all ages and places 2. For those Practical Duties in which all true Christians are agreed for as there are in points of Faith fundamental Articles so there are in the point of practice fundamental Duties Now these are either 1 Those Moral duties of the Law or Ten Commandements promulgated on Mount Sinai and written by the finger of God in two Tables of stone which Christians are obliged to observe as well as the Jews though the Ceremonial Law which was altogether typical and shadowed good things to come be abolished Yea wee are bound to keep it in a more strict and spiritual manner then the Jews did interpret it formerly as appears by Christs Sermon Mat 5. This contains all duties of piety toward God immediatly required in the first Table viz. to take and accept the God of Heaven that made us and gave us Life and breath and beeing for our God alone to know and acknowledge him to fear love and trust in him and seek his glory to give him that external worship he requires in his Word publick private and secret as invocation of his Holy Name by prayers and praises hearing and reading meditating and conferring on his Word receiving his Sacraments sanctifying his Sabbaths Doing all this in an Holy reverent manner so as Gods name may be sanctifyed by us in his ordinances as also in our ordinary communications and conversations It likewise contains all Duties of righteousness and charity towards Man required in the second Table viz. The preserving as well as not injuring of the honour and authority of the life and chastity of our neighbour in thought word and deed as also his estate good name c. And loving him even as we love our selves doing good unto all c. These are general Duties all Christians are agreed in Make Conscience to practise these 2 Those Evangelical Duties or Commandements of the Gospel For besides these Moral Duties of the Law which the Gospel doth inforce also by renewed and more indearing arguments there are peculiar duties required by the Gospel as True repentance for every sin and transgression of Gods righteous and holy commands for the Law gives no place to Repentance but threatens death for every offence Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon through his blood and Salvation through his merits Fervent love to God and the Redeemer who loved us and gave himself for us who hath washed us in his blood made us Kings and Priests to God and his Father Sincere indeavours to promote his glory upon the new obligation of Redemption and living to him as his peculiar People being not our own but his bought with a price Love to all the Saints and Members of Christ and communion with them as we have opportunity on account of that near union in Christ which should make us bear with smaller differences that do not violat the bond of union whilst they hold of Christ the head and are of the same body c. These are confessed duties all Christians are agreed in Practise them Conscionably The Apostle gives us the sum of all these together Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world This then is the Counsel I would give to such as are resolved to be Christians but are stumbled at the variety of opinions and perswasions amongst the professors of Christianity that they know not what to believe or what to practis That they would believe
be branched into these two 1. The Way profession which is publickly owned by Authority and hath the Law of the Land for its Sanction 2. Those Perswasions or Wayes that are taken up by private persons conâ—â—ary to the Law of the Nation For these latter beginning there first They are as exceeding many so of a very different nature some retaining the Fundamental Principles and Duties of Christianity necessary unto Salvation and differing only in lesser matters controverted in the Church of Christ others that overthrow the very Foundation it self Those that overthrow the Foundations of Christianity and differ about points necessary unto Salvation are too many In which rank we shall place the Papists first of all because most considerable and above all others most formidable It s true indeed There hath been in the Popish Church all a long to this day continued such a System of saving Truths which God hath of his great mercy preserved in the greatest Anti Christian Apostacy as being truly believed and obeyed other Soul-destroying errours in the mean time either not known or not cordially imbraced might be effectuall to the Salvation of many that lived and dyed within that Church But yet Popery it self understanding thereby that Religion which consists of so many new Articles of Faith utterly unknown to the old Church of Rome in its purity but now ratifyed in the Council of Trent and required to be recieved of all men upoâ— pain of Anathema which plainly overthrow many of the great Articles of the Catholick Faith as also of such grosse Idolatries and Superstitious Fopperies c. This I say is such a Religion that none that love their Salvation should close with This Babylon we shold have no communion with lest we communicate in her Plagues As saith the voice from Heaven Revel 18 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues The grounds of our withdrawing from that Religion are 1. Their many dangerous errors in matters of Faith overthrowing directly the very Foundations of Christiantie To instance in some Their Doctrine of Transubstantiation over-throweth the truth of Christs humane Nature Their proper Sacrifice his only Sacrifice for sin offered once for all Their Doctrine of merits plainly destroyeth the merins of Jesus Christ The multitude of Mediators amongst them deny That only Mediator betwixt God and man the man Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 2.5 Their Sacrificing Priests overthrow Christs Priestly office Their vilifying the Scriptures and setting up their unwritten Traditions to be received with equall reverance with them c. Overthrows Christs Propheticall Offices The Kingly Office of Christ is overthrown by the Popes usurpations dispensing with the Laws of God and setting up other Laws of his own devising and Lording it over the Consciences of Men. The great Article of Remission of sins and free Justification through the grace of God in Jesus Christ is overthrown by their Pardons Indulgences and Doctrine of merit and humane Satisfactions 2. Their abominable Idolatries in point of Worship as Angel-worship Saint-worship Relique-worship Image-worship c. 3. Their prophane Sacriledge robbing the people of the bread of life the holy Scriptures the Cup in the Lords Supper Nay almost of the whole Worship of God causing it to be performed in a Language the Vulgar understand not 4. Their cruelty and blood shed wherein Rome Papal exceeds Rome Ethuicall 5. Their Spiritual Tyranny in exacting blind obedience in matters of Faith as the Philistims pulled out the eyes of Sampson and led him whither they would In burdening Christians with innumerable Ceremonies and Superstitions destroying the substance of Religion 6. Their proud usurpations over Kings and Princes 7. The Notorious Schism they are guilty of worse then that of the Novations and Donatists of old whereby they not only cast off the Reformed Churches but the Muscovites and Grecians in Europe The Aegyptian and Aethiopian Churches in Affrick all these great companies of Christians scatter'd all over Asia even from Constantinople to the East Indies Because they are not the Popes subjects they wil not account them Christs for they declare determine and pronounce it s of absolute necessity unto Salvation for every humane Creature to be subject to the Pope of Rome 8. Add hereunto their unsufferable wickednesse overspreading that Church and their allowance thereof by giving Licences to uncleanness Sodomy prostituting pardons for mony dispensations with Gods Laws c. In all which the Romish Church is incorrigible pretending unerring Infallibilitie and the Pope himself wil be supreme Judge alone in all these Cases For these and the like grounds which cannot all be here enumerated Its necessary for all good Christians to beware of Popery and have no Peace with Rome till she return to her antient Primitive puritie Others there are also that err in Fundamental points and necessary unto salvation as Anti-trinitarians Anti-Scripturists Arians Socinians c. The last of which Sects is esteemed by the learned the very Sink into which all Heresies of former and latter times have emptied themselves and directly leades men to Mahometanism Judaism or Atheism These deny the Doctrine of the Trinity a fundamental Point and necessary to Salvation and the Deity of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost Reject the Satisfaction of Christ and maintain Justification by works Refuse such Articles of the Faith as they cannot comprehend with their Reason c. These Sects as almost all Churches former and latter and Divines in their Syncretisms have banished out of the Lines of Christian Communication so it becomes all persons to avoid them as pests and enemies of Christianity and to have no followship with them I shal instance only in one Sect more of such as err in Fundamental points who in respect of their want of learning and outward accomplishments are contemptible yet in respect of their number and their singular obstinancy in their way whereby they amuse the Vulgar are not to be passed by viz. The Quakers although Quakerism cannot properly be called a Séct of Christians but rather it 's a totall Apostacy from Christianity for excepting it be they have the name of Christ in their Mouths they scarce retain any Article of the Christian Faith The light in all men they extoll as the only sufficient rule to walk by to the apparent slighting of the Scriptures and Preaching so that if the Question be asked what advantage hath the Christian above the naked Indian We cannot answer as the Apostle Rom. 3.2 Much every way chiefly because unto them is committed the Oracles of God The Doctrine of the Trinity they openly deny The Person of Jesus Christ as to his humane Nature with all his Offices assigned to him by his Father they utterly reject though this is an Arcanum that is kept hid from their Novices They call not upon God in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ They trust not in his death
for pardon and Salvation but in a pretended sinless perfection they deny any necessiy of the Special grace of the Spirit to Conversion and Sanctification saying I charge not every particular quaker with all these Errours for many understand not what they hold But mention what I finde asserted in their printed Pamphlets the Light within them is sufficient hereunto and scoff at them that pray for more bidding them heed that only and it will lead them from sin to God Sabbath and Sacraments and all instituted Worship they cast off the great Doctrines of the Resurrection Last Judgement Heaven and Hell they turn into Allegories c. These and other things considered it appears that they plainly overthrow the foundations of Christianity therefore Christians can have no Communion with that way Thus where differences are in Points destructive to the Foundations of Religion and against the Essentials of Faith worship and obedience There can be no closure and agreement but a total withdrawing is necessary so far as civil Relations and Offices will permit We come next to consider these other Perswasions and Parties among us that agreeing in all the necessary points of Salvation yet differ in things that be less necessary though some be of greater and some of less moment then others These differences be either in Points of Doctrine or â—n matters of Worship and Discipline In Poiâ—ts oâ— Doctrine we have Arminians Antinomians c. In matters of Worship and Discipline we have Anabaptists I mean such as be sound in the main Doctrines of faith but err only in the point of Baptism Independents Presbyterians c. Now about these differing wayes Take these brief Directions sutable to those generall Rules before lay'd down 1. Account them all as Christians if they be serious in the matters of Religion and their lives answerable let not any evil representations of their opinions or waves or odious and invidious consequences drawn from their Principles but disowned by them so far alienate your hearts from them as not to account them Christians Brethren seeing they retain the Fundamentals of Christianity and hold the head Christ though they build on the precious Foundation Wood Hay Stubble Who is in all things free from Errour What Church or person upon Earth 2. Have the greatest respect and the most intimate friendship for those in whose Principles is greatest purity that come nighest the rule and who most follow after peace holinesse and lay out themselves more to promote the greatest truths of the Gospel and the power of Godlinesse then their private perswasions But as for them who with the Wilde fire of their Zeal will set the Church on a flame and are more for making Proselytes for their own way then for seeking the welfare of the Church and the edification and Salvation of souls avoid them 3. If God cast your lot into these places or Countreys where those Professions or Wayes are set up you cannot enjoy that way of serving God that you approve as most pure it s an unqueâ—â—inable duty to hold Communion there in France Holland with the Presbyterians in Germany with the Lutherans in other Countreys with those other perswasioÌ„s before named provided the condition of thy communion be not to give thy allowance to any thing that is evil but in that particular thou mayest be forborn Communion with such Churches where many corruptions and abuses are if the foundations of faith and essentials of worship be preserved ought to be maintained with a due care to keep our selves only from the sins of such a Church else the Apostle would have enjoyned separation from the Church of Corinth for the corruptions found there and the Novatians Donatists and others in the antient Church were unjustly taxed for withdrawing from her Communion for laxness of Discipline or other corruptions which they apprehended to be therein This duty our Church of England hath taught by her own practice who hath ever owned the reformed churches beyond Sea for Sister-Churches given them the right hand of Fellowship though differing from her in some matters of an inferiour nature CHAP. VIII Wherein the great controversies of Communion with or Separation from the Church of England is discussed A view of what is therein praise-worthy and what is disallowable in the judgment of those that scruple Communion Directions suted thereunto WE have spoken of those different wayes and perswasions found amongst private persons without and against the owning and approbation of Authority and given advice in reference to them We are next to consider of that proâ—ession publickly set up by Authority and â—hat hath the civil Sanction of the Laws of â—his Land No sober person can gainsay But this deserves a most serious and impartial consideration partly in respect of that Duty we owe to those in Authority to whom God hath committed the care of Religion and the settling of it in their Dominions in such a way as they think most agreeable to the Rule of the Word and hath injoyned us obedience to them in the Lord partly in respect of our own welfare who may else suffer the penalty of the Laws and had need to see to it if we obey that we do it with a good Conscience and if we suffer that we suffer for the Truth and not as evil doers And partly in respect of the peace and welfare of the Church that we do not groundlesly make a Rent therein and thereby as much as in us lyeth to procure the ruine thereof for all Division tends to Destruction It would therefore seriously be inquired Whether it be a duty for Christians to hold Communion with the Church of England according to its present state and administrations or Whether Separation from it is warrantable and necessary and how far For the Resolving of which Question we shal take an Account of those things that are commendable in the said Church in the judgment of those that scruple Communion with her and also of what things they disallow and dislike in her And then cast up Whether it will warrant separation or how far according to the same Rules of Concord we have proceeded upon with those of the other Professions before named And first it will not be denyed by all Dissenters that have understanding and sobriety in them But that here is to be found 1. A clear profession of all those Fundamental points of Faith which are accounted amongst Christians necessary unto Salvation yea such a poor Confession of other points of a Secondary and more inferiour Nature as that there 's scarce any other Church in the World that God hath blessed with a greater purity in point of Doctrine then the Church of England 2. Here also is the Christian Sabbath imbraced with much greater honour then in many other Reformed Churches Homily of time and place of Prayer Part 2. the publick Ordinances of preaching Prayer Sacraments administred and all the Substantials of
where would it be found in the whole World seeing there 's no Church on Earth but hath some corruptions 6. Let it be considered how unchristian it is to depart from the solemn Ordinances of Gods worship in those Churches where the presence of Christ is yet continued in them have you any warrant to leave them before Christ leave them when God was greatly provoked by the Jewish Church so as he was about to remove from his Sanctuary and stood at the Threshold ready to leave them we finde many godly ones mourning for the abominations of the times but none hastening to depart from that Church before the Lord departed Now can you deny the presence of the Lord in the Assemblies of the Church of England wherein as before was shewed the essentials of Faith and Worship be preserved if God should be as unmerciful as man is uncharitable then wo to all the Churches of Christ throgh the World nay wo to your selves But I question not but there are thousands can seaâ— to the presence of Christ in the Congregations of England at this day as well as in former times wherein the same Corruptions at which so much offence is taken now were urged to plead for a separation then Let such as cry out so much of Popery in others beware of that miserable Popish error they restrain the Church and the priviledges thereof the presence of Christ and Salvation c. to their own Sect and Party and in the mean time casting off the far greater part of the Catholick Church that maintain all the Essentials of Faith and Worship 7. I might enumerate the many great mischiefs that follow upon such unwarrantable Separation It plainly tends to the dishonor of Christ and the reproach of the Christian Religion so the hinderance of the success of the Gospel and the Salvation of Souls so overthrow the Worship of God and to open a Gap to Atheism and prophaness to Heresie and Popery c yea to the utter ruine of the Christian Church Mat. 12.25 But it may seem needless to spend more words in so clear a case nor should I have said thus much had not I been compelled thereto by the uncatholick nay I confidently call it unchristian practice of many well meaning people through their too great prejudice in other Temptations who do totally withdraw themselves from the publick Congregations in England and the true Worship of God therein 2. Having given my advice to hold Communion with the Churches of England in the True Worship of God notwithstanding the corruptions supposed to be therein I do next advise on the other hand not to communicate with her nor with any Church in the World in any evil but if any thing professed or practised therein be found really sinfull which may be supposed of any Church upon Earth in that thing to withdraw and have no fellowship in it to keep your selves pure from the same yea I shal add further if there be any thing that shall but appear sinful to thee thy Conscience after humble and diligent searching of the Word telling thee this is sin then to suspend thy consent or practice in that particular till it appear otherwise to thee I would be here so far from urging any to do that act that a truly tender Conscience upon probable grounds may scruple as sinful that I would rather perswade such to suspend their acting therein till they be better convinced of the lawfulnesse of it * Sanders de Juram p. 84. The dictate of Conscience whether right or erroneous ever bindeth not to act against it and supposing it be a thing not in its own nature necessary but among things disputable and tolerable I would rather become an humble Suitor to Authority could my intercession any whit avail herein for Indulgence in such a case then to be a violent inforcer of any by Terrours or Punishments of the Law to go against their Consciences to please men 3. Yet because Conscience may be deluded and my call that sinfull which is lawful and a duty and so induce men to withdraw in such Acts of Communion as neither the Law of God nor men will allow them to withdraw from for possibly the Devil may get into the Consciences of men and delude them And the Conscience may tell one he must separate from Baptism because Infant-Baptism is Anti-Christian Another he must withdraw from the Lords Supper because of mixt Communion therein A third from the hearing of the Word because the call of Ministers is Anti-Christian A fourth he must cast off Sabbaths yea Scriptures and all Gospel Ordinances because abolished All this we have too sad experience of in our times Let therefore every good Câ—â—istian labour for a due information of his Conscience in such points as he Scruples Communion in and not think his bare plea of Conscience wil warrant his total neglect of any duty Though his suspending his own actings till he may satisfie Conscience about them may be granted yet possibly a total neglect in some things will not be granted Impune by the Law of God or man * An erring Conscience cannot discharge any from a duty being not a Law-maker but subject to the Law Parisiens Now here it may be expected I should offer my help toward the satisfying Conscience in such Scruples as commonly do occurr this day to those that withdraw in whole or in part from the Communion of the Church of England in its present State and Administrations But to do this fully would too much disproportion this part of my discourse to the other parts aforegoing I rather chuse to send them to those Treatises of such eminent Non-Conformists as have written fully on this subject-especially to Mr. W Bradshaw's Book of the unreasonableness of separation prefaced to published by Dr. Ames and to Mr. Jo. Ball his tryal of the grounds tending to separation * only recommending a few general Rules which being observed may be useful in order thereunto and so conclude my Discourse * The Reader is Advertised that there is Published in Print an Aswer to that part of Mr. Ball 's Book which is a Discourse of the lawfulness of a stinted Liturgy and set forms of Prayer under the name of Mr. Jo. Cotton The Answer is highly valued by some but by comparing the Discourse and the Answer together it may be seen that great injury is done to Mr. Ball and to Mr. Cotton both and also that the Reader is grosly abused by it for it is not that Discourse Printed at Cambridge 1640. which is therein answered but probably some imperfect Notes before that was published which is evident not only because the number and order of the Arguments answered do differ from those laid down in that Discourse But especially because the principal things given in answer by Mr. Cotton are so fully spoken to by Mr. Ball herein by way of reply to Johnson Greenwood and others that formerly objected the same