that keepeth you from seeing how strongly you confute your self Is there a word in Acts 15. to forbid all Church communion with those that taught even this subverting false doctrine How many Texts be there that intimate that the Churches long without a prohibition held communion with the erronious judaizing Christians Till they grew obstinate and grew up to a Heresie and were the Separaters themselves and did subvert the Gospel and faith of Christ But yet prove that such doctrine is held by our Parish Churches and I will leave them Do not the Independents offer to subscribe the Doctrine of the Church of England Sure then they think its Doctrinals to be sound Sect. 47. E. B. By two Arguments you labour to defend your irregular way of Communion 1. That in the Primitive Churches there were many corruptions which the Apostle writes against but doth not advise any because of them to separate But I answer It is not corruption or error barely considered as such that we account to be a sufficient ground of separation But the Imposing of that error with on high hand and making a submission to it at least in our practice and outward observance the very condition of Communion This we say is a thing which necessitates us to make a separation R. B. Mark that you distinguish not of Corruption or Error nor except any but what is Imposed And when I had answered all this so fully why will you deign to confute a Book while you disdain to take notice what it saith 1. Who would have thought that you are so much looser in your communion than we are I will separate from that Church which in the essential matter Pastor or all the flock after admonition retaineth such Corruption and Error as is directly contrary to any essential point of Christianity though they impose it not on others But by these words it seems as scrupulous as you are you would not separate from Hereticks or Ungodly ones if they do not Impose their Heresie and Impiety 2. How oft have I urged you to prove that our publick Parish Ministers whom I advise men to hear do Impose any more than you your self do By choosing what Chapter to read you impose on the people to hear that Chapter then or none By choosing what Place Hour Method Words yeâ— Matter and Metre Tune c. you impose upon the people to joyn in all these or not to have communion with you therein And so our Teacher doth by reading Common-Prayer and wearing the Surplice impose on us to hear him so reading or to stay away But he maketh no Laws he commandeth us no Ceremony They are commanded by others and not by him And it is not in your own practice of any thing forbidden of God that I advise men to have communion with such but only in Gods true Worship though in the circumstances or manner the Minister himself say or do something that is forbidden as every Teacher in the world doth though not in the same degree It is one thing to submit to be present at the Worship which the Pastor performeth in some faulty manner And another thing wilfully to do evil your self or to approve of his failings or your own Sect. 48. E. B. To which I add only this that however the presenting our bodies at a Worship which we do not inwardly approve of may render us excusable and justiste us among men yet we are sure it will not in the sight of God who hates hypocrisie R. B. Though you confound I must distinguish the essentials of the Worship from the circumstances and outward imperfections in the manner I do inwardly approve of the matter or substance of the Worship which I joyn in in the main and labour to pray with my heart when I joyn in the Common-prayer though I consent not to the whole Method nor to the defects And when I hear a man in free prayer use confusion disorder unseemly words and when I hear one man drop the error of an Arminian or a Lutheran another of an Antinomian another of an Anabaptist another of a Separatist c. in his prayer I do not inwardly approve of that error or disorder any more than of the defects of forms And yet if it were hypocrisie to be present I would joyn with no man living Can all your hearers inwardly approve of all that you say if you preach and pray but as you write If they can its time to pitty them And are they Hypocrites else for joyning with you Sect. 49 E. B. p. 14. 1. This is clear in Scripture that our Lord Christ who was himself holy and separated from sinners did never call or design his Church to be an impure mixt body of holy and unholy without any distinction blended and hudled up together but to be an holy separate people and to depart from unrighteousness R. B. 1. Remember Reader for he will not remember that but even now he told us that it is not Corruption and Error barely as such that is a sufficient ground of separation without Imposition And now here is nothing but Mixture of Holy and Vnholy Reconcile these if you can 2. Christ that was perfectly separated from sinners had yet ordinary communion with sinners in a sinful or culpable manner of performance unless the Jews were all perfect Therefore our separation must be such as Christs was in our measure 3. Impurity and unholiness and sin is not the Matter of Gods Call or designment either in the Church or out but of his Permission But Communion with those Churches which by permission have sin and impurity in them is a commanded thing And they that must depart from iniquity must not alwayes depart from the worshipping Assembly where some unrighteous persons are Your argument if it be any must run this Christ did never call or design his Church to be an impure mixt body of holy and unholy The Parish Churches which you perswade us to communion with are impure mixt bodies Therefore the Parish Churches are such as Christ never called or designed them to be Suppose we grant you the Conclusion Whoever is a sinner is such as Christ never called or designed him to be But your Question intimateth that you would argue thus Whatever Church is such as Christ did not call it or design it to be is not to be communicated with But all the Parish Churches are such as Christ did not call or design them to be Ergo The Minor you prove Whatever Church is an impure mixt body of holy and unholy c. is such as Christ did not call or design them to be But the Parish Churches are such But I answer you 1. A Church is no Church that wants the Essentials required by Christ But he that will not communicate with Church or person that wants the Perfection which Christ calleth them to shall communicate with no Church or person on Earth 2.
proof of the validity of the Ministers Calling any further than to put the accuser if he can to prove that any essential part is wanting whether in Qualification Ordination or Consent would be vain it being done so largely by the old Non-conformists 2. But is there a Power retained in such Churches to cast out offendors Answ Yes A Power divine or given by Christ Remember that as I have proved Disp of Ordinat men are not the Makers of the Office of the Sacred Ministry nor the Measurers or Givers of the Power but only the Choosers of the person that shall receive what Christ by Institution giveth and the Ministerial Investers of the person in that power Therefore Whoever receiveth the Office of a Pastor receiveth the power of the Keyes to take in and cast out Though not arbitrarily nor ungoverned by himself But the Parish Ministers or very many of them now in question do receive the Office of Pastors Therefore they receive the power of the Keyes to take in and cast out If you say that the Bishops intend it not in ordaining them I answer 1. It sufficeth that Christ intendeth it who is the only maker and giver of the power The Book of Ordination maketh them solemnly Covenant to give faithful diligence alwayes so to Minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath â—â—â—manded c. And to teach nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation but that which they are perswaded may be concluded and proved by the Scripture as containing all such necessary doctrine And to be ready with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to Gods word And to use both publick and private monitions and exhortations as well to the sick as the whole And to be diligent in prayers and reading the holy Scriptures and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same laying aside the study of the world and the flesh And that they will be diligent to frame and fashion themselves and their families according to the doctrine of Christ and to make both themselves and them as much as they can wholesome examples to the flock c. And till lately the said Book recited Acts 20. 28. to the Presbyters at their Ordination And the Canon 26. saith No Minister shall in any wise admit to the receiving of the holy Communion any of his Cure or flock which be openly known to live in sin notorious without repentance Besides what the Rubrick saith to that purpose And now though I think this one of the greatest sores which you have touched yet judge whether even the Laws and Canons concede no Power to the Ministers 3. But if they did not the Power of Office is one thing and the Liberty of exercising it is another We have Power from Christ to preach and if we be silenced and our liberty restrained by men that proveth us not to be no true Ministers If you mean that no Church is to be communicated with where the Pastor is hindered by men from the full discharge of his Office you mistake and can never prove it 4. They that voluntarily neglect their Office without hinderance by the force of men are more to be blamed than those that are so forced But in the Primitive Churches Discipline was lamentably neglected voluntarily as appeareth in the Case of most of the seven Churches Rev. 2. 3. for which they are threatned by Christ and in the Corinthians case yea corrupted by such as Diotrophes And do you think that the Church that hath Power to do well and will not is therefore to be communicated with because it can that is because it sinneth not through disability but negligence or wilfulness 5. But the Core of your erroneous reasoning is behind you say they were without any Vniversal innovation or degenerating in those Essentials of Order as well as doctrine which they fell into in the ages after c. An Vniversal degenerating in the Essentials even of Doctrine and Order too is a big and a sad word And the time pointed at by you being so early if I can understand you you do as the Seekers unchurch the universal Church of Christ For if it Degenerated Vniversally in the Essentials of doctrine it Vniversally apostatized from Christianity For where any Essential part is lost the Essence and just Name is lost And I beseech you let not rashness or passion blind you to over-overlook the dreadfulness of this Doctrine 1. If Christ had then no Church as he had not if the Essential degeneration was Vniversal then he was no King of the Church on Earth no Lord no Teacher no Saviour of the Church no Intercessor for it in the Heavens And do you not then dethrone him and deny him indeed to be the Christ What a Head without a Body A King without a Kingdom 2. So you will make all Gods Promises of his Churches perpetuity as built on the Rock against which Hell Gates should not prevail and of being with them to the end of the world c. to be false and fail And if the whole Church failed and the Promises made to it what particular soul can trust Gods Promises 3. If all the Church apostatized how shall we know that Apostates did not corrupt all the Copies of Scripture that are come down to us 4. And then the Article I believe the holy Catholick Church would have been a falshood or error 5. And then there could be no Baptism no Sacrament of the Lords Supper c. 6. And then there must be New Apostles with Miracles to make a new Church And thus we have Mr. Williams doctrine whose Story I recited in my last Book Sect. 52. E. B. p. 15. This necessity of separation which began then continueth still since our Churches though reformed from Popery that is from Antichristianism in some points yet are not restored to the primitive pattern and purity R. B. 1. Whether by our Churches you mean only the Parish Churches of godly Ministers or also All the Protestant Churches and all other Vniversally through the world I am not sure But as far as I can conjecture by your words you mean All. Because you speak of them as in a Continuance in part in the Vniversal degeneration in Essentials And you speak of them as avoiding Popery but in part and call them our Churches and mention no Church in the world here that you own as a true Church and whether any where in all your writings I remember not I confess I pretend not to know the mind of so careless a Writer by any words but very plain ones But if this be your mind as it seemeth to be you would do well being so bold a man to tell the world your mind more plainly And you that think that no Truth is to be sold as you call it for Peace let Independents Presbyterians Separatists Anabaptists c.
to joyne in Testimony that what was recorded was true And is this Printed Epistle and Testimony no Publication Sect. 84. Mr. Bowne The second untruth is that I am uncontrolledly affirmed so to be when I believe he had never a second in the world that either will or can affirm it R. B. Here are two more falshoods 1. That it is an Vntruth that I said of him 2. That I said it was uncontrolledly affirmed that he was the Author But that he was a Publisher you have now his own Confession of his Epistle which I had read and Mr. Joseph Baker gave me the Book and told me it was published by Mr. Jordain and Mr. Browne and this report I oft after heard and it never was controlled to me which is all that I can reasonably mean my uncontrolled For how is it possible for me to know what is said of him to all others in every distant place and corner Sect. 85. Mr. Browne As for the Book it self and the matter of fact contained in it I never yet met with any judicious sober Christian that had seriously perused it who durst adventure to pronounce either of the whole or any considerable part of it that it was an effect of Melancholy R. B. Who talkt of the whole But what part you will call considerable who knows Is not this a concession that some part is so judged of And must your Ignorance of such matters as Melancholly have so great influence into your Divinity But you may say true For most now adayes converse with few but those of their own mind And the Book is not to be got in any shop that I can hear of Sect. 86. Mr. Browne Whether this decrying of experiences this slighting the work of Gods spirit in the soul the crying out that these things are but the effects of Melancholy be not the ready way to make all supernatural Conversion derided and the whole mysterie of Godliness contemned consider R. B. 1. Here is implyed a fourth Untruth that I decry experiences and the rest here mentioned 2. Alas must the poor Church of Christ have such miserable Guides that build hay and stubble and think if it be burnt the Church must fall I tell you sir such rash and Ignorant Teachers as your Writings shew you to be are the men that do so much towards the very same effects which you seem to fear even to tempt men to deride all supernatural conversion as that I scarce know a more powerful way If you heard one man say Satan as an Angel of Light stirred up the Quakers to pretend Miracles Prophesies and spiritual raptures purposely to tempt the World to Infidelity by perswading them that the Spirit in the Prophets and Apostles was but the like And if you heard James Naylor say Your calling the Spirit in us a vain Imagination or deceit is the way to perswade men that the spirit in the Prophets and Apostles was but imagination and deceit Which of these two sayings would you believe I take the case which I spake of to be the like I tell you still that all the Truth and Goodness that your Book mentioneth truly was wrought by the spirit of God But if men will make the world believe that any false doctrine or any sin or any false exposition of Scripture is of the spirit or that their unproved Impulses which are not agreeable to the word but are against it or besides it must be believed to be of God and will describe these as Experiences and Gods way of Converting souls their Ignorance will as effectually serve the Devil to bring true Conversion and the spirit into scorn as the derisions of a Drunkard will do if not more It is no new thing for Satan to deceive as an Angel of light and his Ministers as Ministers of Righteousness And if you know not his wiles expect not that we should all concur with you in exposing spirituality and holiness to the scorn of such as now abhorr it or as of late have taken such advantages against those that are better than themselves Sect. 87. R. B. Whether you instructed her in those principles you know best If you deny it I retract it That you were very zealous in them is past doubt but just the day when you began whether before that Book was begun or before it was finished or when I leave to your own report Sect. 88. Mr. Browne Indeed it is now my Opinion that there is a glorious state of the Church yet to come before the last end of all things when all Oppression and Oppressours shall cease and every thing of man shall be laid down in subserviency to the Interest of Christ and the Kingdom of the World shall become his R. B. Amen! It is my earnest Desire as well as yours But Desire and Belief are not all one The Prophesies that you suppose foretell all this I thought I almost understood thirty two years agoe but since I perceive I did not But I contradict not that which I do not understand nor never did Who will plead for Oppression And what Christian desireth not the greatest Holiness and Righteousness in the World I freely confess my Ignorance in the point whether on this side the general Resurrection there shall be so perfect and universal Righteousness as you describe as that All Oppression shall cease My greatest Hope is in the three Petitions of the Lords Prayer Thy Name be Hallowed Thy Kingdom Come Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And I am sure this will warrant my desires And I the better like those Opinions of a perfect age because Hope will set men upon praying for it But as I detest all Rebellions against just Authority on pretence that they are not truly Godly and all setting up mens selves on pretence of setting up Christ and using unlawful means on pretence of good ends so I am afraid of being tempted down from the Heavenly Hopes and Comforts by looking for more on earth than is indeed to be expected Sect. 89. Mr. Browne p. 29. He tells us first that she was suddenly moved to come to hear him Preach R. B. A meer untruth as I have before shewed I said not so Sect. 90. Mr. Browne That she had such convictions from his Sermon for so he seems to intimate c. R. B. Untrue again as is before shewed Nor will your seeming salve it Sect. 91. Mr. Browne That she desired to speak with him is another untruth R. B. Of that I shall speak anon Sect. 92. Mr. Browne That she did impose on her self abstinence from meat R. R. Here he contradicts himself as she did and saith she durst not eat and yet falsly chargeth me with untruth for saying the same sence Sect. 93. Mr. Browne Lastly She never fell in so among the Quakers as to be one of them though it is true that through the power of Temptations she was somewhat
Worship of God which he hath not commanded without exception is a sin 2. That being present where they are used involveth us in the guilt Where note 1. That it is not Part of the Worship but things used in the Worship that he speaketh of 2. That I proved the contrary to both these at large and the man saith only that he hath my word for the contrary and giveth not a syllable of answer to my twenty instances and many undenyable reasons to the contrary Doth he not either highly esteem his own reason and authority that thinketh it should be received if he do but say the word without attempting to answer what 's said against him or else doth he not greatly despise his own Readers and followers in taking them for such credulous ductile souls as will take his bare word without expecting any reason from him to confute what is said on the other side Or is all this on presumption that his Reader will not know what I have said Sermon Notes Meeters Tunes printed Bibles as printed and divided into Chapters and Verses the words of a Sermon or Prayer the particular Method Cups Tables c. are used in the Worship of God without any particular command or any command for this rather than that in cases of indifferency And yet all these are not therefore unlawful And I proved that all Ministers and Families sin in Gods Worship and yet that it is not therefore lawful to separate from them all If you your self say that you say nothing in preaching or praying but what is commanded you and that your Worship hath no sin you deceive your self and the truth is not in you But if you think it a sin for any to hear you or have communion with you why do you not plainly tell your hearers so To keep far from a false matter as from writing falshoods by the dozens and not to partake of other mens sins is one thing and for Children to tell their Fathers or People their Pastors we must not worship God with you because in Forms Words Method you do something not commanded yea because through error you do somewhat sinful is another thing Sect. 45. E. B. Lastly Whatever pretences may be used for the keeping of Peace yet to speak strictly so as to satisfie Conscience Peace is but ill bought if we must purchase it at so dear a rate as the loss of truth And this Truth concerning the sole Soveraign Power of our Lord Christ in appointing all matters of his Worship is a point so necessary to be maintained and so utterly inconsistent with the supposing that any thing is to be obtruded which he hath not commanded that we dare not allow our selves in the practice of any thing which may prejudice that fundamental R. B. 1. How oft have I answered that saying about selling Truth for Peace and must hear it again in the old confusion without any notice of what hath been said See my Treatise of Infant Baptism on that point particularly Do I fell thirty three Truths when I read thirty three untruths in your Writings Do I sell Truth if I should hear you preach or pray erroneously and impose your confused prayers on the people or impose this or that Metre or Tune on them in singing of Psalms 2. Here you say Matters of Worship before it was in Worship And even the word Worship is taken so variously as calls for explication before we determine whether man may appoint matters of Worship For if you will call putting off the Hat and reverent gestures in particular and Metres and Tunes and the Method and words of the particular Prayer or Sermon by the name of Worship then man may appoint it 3. It is an untrue supposition and but a begging of the question that our presence with any thing obtruded unlawfully is a prejudice to that fundamental of the Soveraignty of Christ All men that sin do sin against his Soveraignty And all that obtrude any thing unlawfully sin against it by that obtrusion But if you obtrude a rash and passionate prayer on the people or an erroneous or disorderly prayer or an ill-composed Hymn or Psalm their presence is no approbation of your error nor denying of Christs Soveraignty Do you or can you believe and make all your followers believe that the Synagogue-Worship and the Temple-Worship were kept so pure by the Priests Levites and Pharisees in Christs dayes as that there was nothing of humane Tradition obtruded Or nothing but what God commanded Can you believe this Or can you believe that Christ was not usually or often present there See Luke 4. 16. At Nazareth where he had been brought up as his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day And of Paul its said Acts 17. 2. As his manner was he went in to them and three Sabbath dayes reasoned Or do you believe that Christ was a sinner and that he contradicted his own Soveraignty What! and yet be a perfect Saviour Who is it now that prejudiceth fundamentalls Sect. 46. E. B. And we judge we have sufficient warrant from what the Apostles did in a like case Acts 15. 24. For if they reproved such as preached up Circumcision and other Legal Ceremonies at that day when as the Apostles had given them no such Commandment saying of them that they subverted or spoiled the souls of the Disciples then may we affirm the like of those men now who in things equally indispensible do act with every whit as little authority from whom on that very account we think it our duty to separate R. B. 1. The authority of the King and lawful Magistrates is more about the Circumstantials of Worship as whether Abiathar shall be High Priest c. than the false Teachers was about that doctrine 2. The Apostles do indeed declare that they sent them not to preach or not such doctrine But that 's not the thing on which they lay the great accusation but on the false and dividing doctrine which they preached Christ saith of one that cast out Devils in his Name and followed him not Let him alone he that is not against us is for us And Moses wisht all the Lords people were Prophets But these false Teachers would have made the keeping of Moses Law to be necessary to salvation And can you prove that the Minister doth so whom I use to hear Do all the Parish Ministers do so Can you see no difference between one that saith The Law or Cannons command me to use this Surplice or Form as an indifferent thing and one that saith Except you do this or that you break Gods Law and cannot be saved Except you separate from all Parish Churches you sin against God and prejudice a fundamental Sure it is one thing to say God saith this or binds you to this or forbids you this and it s another thing to say The King or the Bishop saith it 3. And what is it