that only Priests should baptize none appropriated it to Bishops some thought Lay-men might baptize in case of necessity and some thought that women also might do it And some thought that though women or Lay-men might not do it lawfully yet factum valet being done such should not be re-baptized And some thought that those that were baptized even by Priests that were Schismaticks or as they called them Hereticks when they separated from common Concord and Communion must be rebaptized And they thought that if they were baptized in such a Schismatical or Heretical society by whomsoever it was not into the true Church In this case Cyprian and the African Bishops with Firmilian and his Collegues were in the wrong when the Bishop of Rome was in the right And the Donatists thought they were but of Cyprians mind For it seems they had there the greater number of Bishops And the greater number went for the Church and the less for hereticks and so they called themselves the Church though out of Africa the number against them or that meddled not in the quarrel was far greater And all this arose but by the contests of two men for the Bishoprick of Carthage some following one and some the other § 2. This errour of Cyprian and the Donatists arose 1. from their not sufficiently distinguishing the Church universal from the Associated Churches of their Countrey nor well considering that Baptism as such is but our entrance into the universal Church and not into this or that particular Church 2. By an abusive or equivocal use of the name Heretick their doctrine being true of Hereticks strictly so called who deny in baptizing any essential part of Christianity but false of Hereticks laxly so called that are only Schismaticks or deny only or corrupt some lower doctrines precepts or practices of Religion § 3. Therefore the Council of Nice truly decided the case by distinction decreeing the re-baptizing of some as such as the Paulinists baptized and not of others That is All that had not true Christian baptism consisting of all the true essentials were to be re-baptized and not others whatever particular Church they were of § 4. Hereupon also among the Roman Doctors it hath been a great debate whether the Priests Intention was necessary to the validity of baptism The true answer to which is this It is one question what is necessary to the justifying of the Priest before the Church and another before God and another question what is necessary to the validity of baptism to the receiver before the Church and another before God And so I answer Supposing that no man shall suffer for anothers fault but for his own 1. If the Priest profess and Intention to baptize in general and express it in the true words of baptism his act ex parte sui is valid coram ecclesiâ though he dissemble 2. If the Priest dissemble his act is a crime and shall be punished by God 3. If he profess not to intend to baptize the person or to intend it in general but to corrupt it in the Essentials it is as a Ministration invalid coram Ecclesiâ and should be done again 4. If the adult person baptized profess baptismal Consent dissemblingly it is valid baptism coram ecclesiâ as to what the Church must do upon it but invalid as to what God is to do as the performer of the Covenant 5. If the person baptized do not so much as profess consent or profess not to consent nor to intend to be then baptized it is no baptism before God or the Church 6. If he profess to be baptized in general but deny any Essential in particular it is not the true Christian baptism but must be better done § 5. When any came in so great errour as that the Church scarce knew whether it was an Essential part of faith and baptism that was denyed it made the Controversie hard about their re-baptizing Many thought that the Photinians and Arians denying Christs Godhead as of the same substance with the father denyed an essential article and were to be re-baptized if they so entred at first Our Socinians are much worse that deny Christs Godhead in a fuller sence And how doth he believe in Christ that believeth him not to be God which is most eminently essential to him § 6. They that are over-bold in altering Christs terms of Church Union and Communion making them less or more or other if they knew what they do would find themselves more concerned in these controversies of baptizing and re-baptizing and consequently greater corrupters than they have thought § 7. To think that Church Vnion is impossible is to deny that there is any Church and consequently any Christ To think that necessary Concord in Communion is impossible is so great a disparagement to the Church as tempteth men by vilifying it to doubt of Christianity For if Christians cannot live in Unity of faith and love and converse what is their Christianity And such despair of Concord will make men suspend all endeavours to attain it For Despair useth no means § 8. And to take into the Church of Christ such as want the Essentials and Christ would not have received is to corrupt his Church and bring in Confusion and such as will dishonour him and will be more hurtful in the Church than they would be without like rebels in a Kingdom or mutineers in an Army or enemies in a Family The nearer the worse § 9. It is for this use especially that Christ hath committed the Church Keyes to the Pastors And the Key of entrance is the Chief Therefore he that judgeth who is to be Baptized exerciseth the chief act of the Church Keyes And he that Baptized was held to have the Power of judging whom to baptize which was never denyed to the Presbyters till after for order some restrained them § 10. It is a strange contrariety of some Pastors to themselves who judge that all Infants of Heathens Jews Turks or wicked men are without exception to be taken into the Church if any ignorant Christian will but offer them and say over a few words and the Adult also if they can but say over the Creed by rote and a few words more and thus fill the Church with Enemies of Christ and yet when they are in deny them Communion unless they will strictly come up to many humane unnecessary impositions as if far stricter obedience to men perhaps in usurpations were necessary than to Jesus Christ § 11. How far Infidels Catechumens or Heretical or Schismatical Assemblies may be tolerated in the world about us by Magistrates is not here to be enquired but hereafter But that the Churches themselves should not corrupt their own Communion by taking and keeping in uncapable persons the nature of the Church and discipline and its ends and the reproof of the Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the judgement of the Universal Church do tell us CHAP. XII The sin and danger of
Parish but not out of the Diocese nor separateth from his Diocesan doth not separate from that particular Church as they esteem it Sect. XXV 9. If the Temples and Tythes be given to a Priest or Bishop not lawfully called nor consented to by the Flocks and another be lawfully called whom the Magistrate casteth out of the Temples and Tythes or denyeth them to him it is the Peoples duty to adhere to the Pastor that is justly called And it is not alwayes a duty to adhere to him whom the Magistrate imposeth nor a sin to withdraw from him The Churches met against the Magistrates will above three hundred years Sect. XXVI 10. If a lawfull Bishop or Pastor be set over the Flocks and either Magistrate or Synod unjustly depose him because he refuseth some heresie or sin and set up another in his stead especially one justly suspected of unsoundness the People are not hereby disobliged from their first Pastor nor obliged to the latter But yet if the latter be tolerable the Magistrates Countenance may be so great an advantage to the one and disadvantage to the other especially in case of Persecution as may make it their duty in point of Prudence for the first Pastor and People to consent to the Change And the same is to be said of the abusive deposition by a Synod Sect. XXVII 11. If the Parish Minister be lawfully called and the Pishop not so he that separateth only from the Diocesan and not from that Parish-Church is not guilty of Schism The same I say of separating from an unlawfull Arch-Bishop or Metropolitan Sect. XXVIII 12. If the species of the Office Church-Policie or Form be unlawfull it is a duty to separate from that species On which account we separate from the Papal Church the species of an Universal Church as Headed by one Man without Christs Institution being unlawfull though we separate from no Material part of Christs own universal Church as such and so related And as the Mass Sacrifice seemeth to be of another species than Christs Sacrament so the Mass-Priest seemeth to be a new species of Office and unlawfull The case of Patriarks and other Church-Offices and Forms of mans invention is after to be spoken of Sect. XXIX 8. There is a great deal of difference between the several local separations of men according to their several reasons and mutual separations No meer local separation without the mental is Schism or sin A man can be but in one place at once and is locally separate or absent from all Churches in the World save one Sect. XXX He that separateth from a true Church accusing it to be no true Church caeteris paribus is of the highest degree of Separation except that which is from all or from many And he that separateth as falsly accusing the Doctrine Worship Discipline or Conversation of the Church to be such as that a good Christian may not lawfully hold Communion with them therefore is in the next degree of Schism But he that withdraweth from one Church only for a greater convenience or profit or for purer Doctrine Worship Discipline or Practice in another is guilty either of no Schism if he have just cause or of little if he have not just cause while he no further accuseth the Church Sect. XXXI To separate unwarrantably from a pure and sound Church is a worse Schism caeteris paribus than to separate from an impure unsound maculated and undisciplined Church And to separate from many caeteris paribus is worse than from one Sect. XXXII If the Magistrate cast true Pastors and Churches out of his favour and out of the Temples and Tythes and forbid their Meetings and persecute them unjustly it is schismatical in any to call these men Schismaticks and to deny Communion with them as holding and calling them unlawful Conventicks as long as it is not so To separate from a prohibited Church may be Schism as well as from an allowed one when it is unjust Sect. XXXIII 9. To separate in mind from the Doctrine of Faith or in heart from the Love of Truth Worship or Brethren is dangerous mental Schism in those that ordinarily assemble with them Sect. XXXIV And all dividing Opinions and Doctrines and Practices tending to open Schism are schismatical according to their degree such are false accusing thoughts of the Churches Doctrine the Ministers Preaching the Churches Worship Order or Government or of the persons of the Pastors or the People Sect. XXXV 10. Secret ignorance or unbelief of necessary things is inconsistent with that internal union that maketh the Church Mystical Negatives may be Schism as well as Positives Sect. XXXVI 11. It is also internal Schism when men hate or love not Gods Word and Worship and the Communion of Saints and the Servants of God but love Pleasures Sin Deceivers and Dividers better Sect. XXXVII 12. Censuring reviling slandering defaming Rulers Teachers or People or other Churches of Christ by tongue or writing in Pulpits or in common talk especially by published false Invectives is Schismatical Of which many Controvertists and Disputants are guilty and many that reproach oppressed Churches and Persons are schismatical in calling others Schismaticks and Hereticks Sect. XXXVIII 13. Printing preaching or publishing Heresies or any false dividing doctrines is in its degree schismatical Sect. XXXIX 14. Making ones self uncapable of Communion and doing that which deserveth Excommunication is a rending ones self morally and by merit from the Church Sect. XL. 15. Causeless renouncing Communion with true Churches especially also setting up Anti-churches unwarrantably against them is Schism according to the degrees before described yea to hold Churches in other Countreys uncapable of Communion and unjustly condemn them as Hereticks is Schism Sect. XLI 16. The more men draw with them into Schism the more caeteris paribus it is aggravated And the Leaders and zealous Promoters are most guilty Sect. XLII 17. It is aggravated Schism to oppose Reconcilers or the healing Doctrines and Practices that are the proper means of unity and to reproach vilifie or resist them Sect. XLIII 18. The greatest and commonest Schism is by Dividing Laws and Canons which causelesly silence Ministers scatter Flocks and Decree the unjust Excommunication of Christians and deny Communion to those that yield not to sinfull or unnecessary ill-made terms of Communion And Persecution and Excommunications in the executing of such Laws are Schism in its virulent exercise Sect. XLIV 19. It is therefore schismatical to deny necessary toleration of Dissenters and Liberty for such to worship God in several places who by unavoidable difference of judgement in things tolerable cannot without violence to their Consciences meet in the same place For instance suppose the Parish-Churches have the use of Organs and some cannot be perswaded but it â—s sin As the rest will not be deprived of the Musick â—for their sakes so it is unjust and schismatical that they should be denyed leave to worship God elsewhere without
with the People or that he must worship Bread and Wine as his God or that he may give a half-Sacrament of Bread without Wine contrary to Christs Institution the Apostles Doctrine 1 Cor. 11. and all the Churches constant practice till of late And that instead of a Commemoration he offereth a real present Sacrifice for the quick and dead Will all agree to their Image-worship Why then did so many Councils condemn it Will all agree that the Assemblies pray in an unknown tongue He is mad with errour who believeth that ever the Church Universal will receive all these and the rest which pretended Infallibility maketh to be uncurable Errours in the impenitent Roman Sect. 3. And briefly as to the rest there is no Calvinist believeth that ever all the Churches will receive the Lutherane Consubstantiation or Church-Images Nor any Lutherane that believeth that ever all the Church will be of the way called Calvinism a Name even here in England honoured by many that yet disown it as a note of Schism and reproached with the bitterest scorn and accusations by others Indeed the Behmenists the Quakers and some Anabaptists have said that all the Churches would at last and shortly be of their mind But few others believe them nor have cause Sect. IV. That which hath divided the Churches will never be the cement of their Concord But every one of these parties as Sects by that whence others denominate and oppose them have done something to divide the Churches what the Greeks Armâ—â—ans Nestorians Eutychians or Jacobites have done the Papists and others tell you at large what the Abassines do by their Baptizings and other Fopperies I need not declare What the Papists do above all oâ—â—ers I have opened before What the Anabaptists do by differing from almost all other Christians is known What the Diocesans have done in Councils and by silencing others c. enow have shewed What Independents and their way have done towards Divisions and Separations it is in vain in this Age in England to recite And many wise men think that the Presbyterians over violent rejecting of all Episcopacy setting up unordained Elders and National Churches as headed by National Assemblies c. are divisive and unwarrantable As the same men think their making by the Scots Covenant the renouncing of the Prelacy to be the test of National Concord also was And who can think that Erastianism deposing the true use of Church-Government as it hath begun will not still more divide than heal Sect. V. I deny not but Universal Concord may take in almost all such parties but not as such by receiving any of their Errours but as Christians who agree in the common Essentials of Faith and Piety We can unite with sober Anabaptists but not by becoming Anabaptists Christïanity is our Religion and with all that hold the Essentials of Christianity we can hold essential Unity And with those that hold the Integrals most purely we have more and neerer Concord than with the rest that have more errours And if any of these parties be sounder than the rest we love and honour them above the rest and preferre their Assemblies for our local Communion But though my Parlour or Bed-chamber be a cleaner part of my house than my Kitchin or my Coâ—-house I will not say therefore that the whole house must be a Parlour or Bed-chamber or that the hand and the foot are no parts of the body because they are not the head or heart or that all the body must be an Eye or one of the Noblest parts St. Paul hath taught me better than so 1 Cor. 12 We must expect that each party should labour to propagate that which they take to be the truth But to force all to their sayings or persecute or cast off all Dissenters is schismatical whatever be pretended CHAP. IX The pretended Necessity of an uninterrupted Canonical or Episcopal Ordination will never unite the Church but is Schismatical Mr. Henry Dodwells Sâ—hismatical Treatise against Schism considered and confuted § 1. BEcause the City of Rome hath not been conquered and kept by Infidels nor Christianity thence ejected the Papists think that they excell other Churches in an uninterrupted Succession of ordained Pastors and therefore they bend their wits to prove this necessary to every true Church and then to prove others to be no true Churches or Ministers of Christ that want it And because they think that our Pastors can prove no such continued Succession unless as derived to us from Rome and that to acknowledge such a derivation is to acknowledge them a true Church on which we have and must depend therefore they most earnestly manage this Argument against us as their strength Sect. II. And there is lately a young unordained Student of Trinity-Colledge neer Dublin come out of Ireland to propagate this and such like Doctrines in London to which end he hath lately written a large and wordy Volume as if it were only against the Non-conformists Which being new and the most audacious and confident attempt that ever I knew made against the reformed Churches by one that saith himself he is no Papist and being the moâ—t elaborate enforcement of the Papists grand Argument on which of late they build their cause I think it needful to the Readers satisfaction not to pass it by though it will not stand with the order of this undertaken work nor with my want of leisure to write a particular Answer to all the words of so exceeding prolix and tedious a discourse Sect. III. I have oft handled this case already especially in my Disput of Church-Government Disp of Ordination and in my Ecclesiastical Cases in my Christian Directory and that more largely than I must here doe And the Reader that would see more may read the Protestants Cause fully vindicated against Cornelius Jansenius a stronger adversary by Gisb. Voetius in a full Volume de desperata causa Papatus But I shall here first briefly assert the Truth Sect. IV. 1. Christ and his Spirit in his Apostles have already instituted and described the Office of the sacred Ministry and determined what Power and what Obligations to the work it doth contain and what the work is to which they are designed so that it is not left to any Church now to make or amend or change the Oâ—â—â—ce what it is I have described in the Second â—art Sect. V. 2. Christ also and his Spirit in his Apostles have told us what are the necessary qualifications of such as shall receive this Office and be received into it viz. what is necessary to the Being and what to the Well-being of a Minister of Christ And consequently who are utterly uncapable so that Men may by Canons enforce the Execution of these Canons of Christ and may instruct each other how to understand them but they cannot make a Pastor of an uncapable unqualified person no more than they can make currant Coin of forbidden Mettal or Meat of
the edification of the Church and the glorifying and pleasing of God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier And that the said Maintained Ministers be tyed by the regulating Laws which determine only such circumstances as in genere are necessary to be agreed in for Uniformity and common harmony As of Time Place Parish Bounds what Translation of Scripture to use what Version of Psalms what decent Habit c. not put to profess Approbation of all these but required to use them and censured if they do not 5. That the Tolerated Ministers subscribe all the same things except these last Regulating Laws for Circumstances of Order 6. That either a Catalogue of Errors and Sins be drawn up in the Law which no Minister shall preach or else it be left to the Judges to discern when any is proved to preach against any necessary Article of his subscribed Profession And it is meet that the Catalogue prohibited to the Maintained Ministers be larger than that prohibited to the Tolerated some Errors being tolerable which are not approvable And it is not the first fault that should suspend or silence either of them but obstinacy after a first and second admonition Yea many lesser Errors must be punished only with congruous Mulcts or Rebukes or after that with loss of Maintenance that are not to be punished with Silencing 7. That no other Test Profession Covenant Subscription or Promise be required of any as necessary to Ministery or Communion which may become dividing Snares and Engines But only that where Papal Tyrannies or any other Usurpers claim it dangerous to the Church and Kingdom the Essentials of that Papacy or Usurpation be expresly renounced by all that will have Maintenance or Toleration yet not on this pretence making every claim of Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Councils or Synods of Presbyters which others think to be a Usurpation to be so dangerous as the Papacy and so the renunciation of them as necessary because such existent persons claim not such Power nor make such Laws for deposing Kings and murdering or exterminating Dissenters which if they do they must be expresly renounced else the keeping out usurping practice is enough 8. The Christian Magistrate must keep Peace among all both the Approved and Tolerated and not suffer any unpeaceable Preaching or Disputes which tend to destroy Love and Quietness nor suffer railing Calumnies against each other to be published or printed § III. 1. Particular Churches and their Pastors should be so far Associated as is necessary to their mutual peace concord and strength And therefore should keep frequent Synods for Correspondency to these Ends and by Messengers and Letters also keep up their Brotherly Concord 2. But whether these Associations of single Churches should be headed by Diocesanes Metropolitanes Archbishops Primates Patriarchs most think is a matter of meer humane Prudence 3. But certainly the Magistrate must see that neither the Synods nor their Heads or Presidents tyrannize 〈◊〉 instead of Assemblies for Concord become an Aristocratical or Monarchical Church-Government nor force not any to approve of them or such humane Forms of Churches much less that they infringe not the Rights and Liberties of the Churches formed by the institution of Christ and his Apostles § IV. Yet more briefly 1. Approving the beâ—â— 2. Tolerating the Tolerable 3. Sacraments fre◠〈◊〉 not forced 4. The Intolerable restrained 5. The test of Toleration being this Whether such Tolerated Worship do more good or hurt in true impartial judgment 6. Magistrates keeping all in peace would heal us FINIS Jam. 3. 17. Act. 20. 28 29 30 c. Act. 19. 19. * See Beza's Conjecture of the summe in loc †Rev. 2. 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 4. * In Methodo Theologiâ—e Part. 2. Rom. 14. 17. 15. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Gal. 6. 1 2 3. * Such as now worketh in Mr. Eliats in New England and Mr. Thomas Gouge in England towards the Welsh in many worthy Ministers who suffer the reproach and persecutions of men because they will not consent to be as lights put under a bushel Rom. 13. 12 13. Gal. 6. 6 7 8. Mark 3. 24 25. Luke 11. 17 18. * Sicut noxium est si unitas desit bonis ita perniciosum est si sit in malis Perversos quippe unitas corroborat dum concordant taâ—to magis incorrigibiles quanto unanimes facit Greg. Moral l. 33. * See Whateley's notable Diâ—course of this in his Carecloth Doct. 1. * De consol philos l. 4. * Moral l. 9. Gen. 4. 8 9. 13. 7. c. 19. 4. 26. 20. 27. 41. 31. 36. 34. 25 c. 49. 50. 53. Exod. 2. 13. 16. 2. 17. 3. Numb 21. 4 5 6. Judg. 9. 12. 20. 1 Sam. 18. 2 Sam. 3. 15. 19. 1 King 12. c. 2 Chron. 36. 16. Mat. 2. 3. Luke 22. Act. 15. 1 c. 15. 39 40. 1 Cor. 1. 3. c. Prov. 14. 34. 6. 33. 19. 26. Jer. 23. 40. 29. 18. 42. 18. 44. 8. Ezek. 5. 1â— 15. 22. 4. Of this I have written at large in my last Confutation of Johnson Which is the true Church or for our Churches perpetual Visibility 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. See what I have recited out of Philastrius in my book against Johnson called Which is the true Church in the end * Greg. Nazianzene See Mr. Dâ—dwill This second may be spared if the third be well done And instead of both may well be a Catalogue of doctrines erroneous or doubtful which none shall preach or propagate of which after See more against the Magistrates overdoing in the third Part. A. The form Common to all Christians Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. I. Assent Heb. 11. 6. 1 Cor. 8. 4. Mat. 28. 19. Joh. 4. 24. Psal 90. 2. Gen. 17. 1. Heb. 4. 13. Luk. 18. 19. Psal 117. 2. Deut. 32. 4. Isa 6. 3. Ge. 1. Act. 17. 24. Gen. 1. 27. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Luk. 10. 27. Joh. 17. 3. Mat. 4. 10. 19. 17. Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12. 3. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Eph. 2. 3. I Joh. 4. 14. Joh. 1. 1 14. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Luk. 1. 35. Rom. 9. 5. Joh. 16. 33. Heb. 2. 14. Mat. 3. 15. Heb. 7. 26. 1 Joh. 2. 6. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Act. 3. 9. 3. 21. Eph. 5. 23. Luk. 1. 33. Act. 3. 22. Heb. 7. 25 26. Eph. 1. 23 24. Rom. 14. 9 10. Joh. 5. 22. 17. 1 2 3. Luk. 24. 47. Mat. 28. 19 20 Mark 16. 15 16. Joh. 3. 16. 1 Joh. 5. 11 22. Joh. 1. 10 11 12. Gal. 3. 27 28. 5. 24. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Luk. 14. 33. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Mat. 28. 20. Heb. 5. 9. Luk. 14. 32. Rev. 22. 14. Joh. 16. 13. Eph. 2. 20. 3. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. Joh. 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 6. Tit. 3. 3 5. Heb. 12. 14. Tit. 2. 11 12. Rom. 8. 13. Heb. 5. 9. 1 Cor. 12. Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 1. 11 12. Eph. 4. 1. to 17. Rom. 8. 1. Act. 26. 18. Rom. 14. 15 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Rom. 16. 16 17. Joh. 15. 1. to 10. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Mat. 7. 21 22. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Rom. 11. 17. Gal. 3. 26 27 28. Joh. 12. 26. 2 Cor. 5. 1 7 8. Act. 7. 59. Act. 17. 31. 2 Thes 1. 7 8. Joh. 5. 28 29. Mat. 25. 46. Matth. 13. 1 Thes 1. 6 10 11. Rev. 22. II. Consent and Desire Rom. 12. 1. Joh. 1. 11 12. Deut. 10. 12. Rom. 8. 8. Heb. 11. 12. 28 29. Isa 56. 4 5. 55. 2 3 4 6. Rev. 22. 17. Luk. 14. 26 29. 2 Cor. 5. 7 8 9. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Tit. 1. 3 4. Mat. 7. 7. III. Practice Act. 27. 23. Ps 73. 25 26. Deut. 10. 12. 2 Chron. 20. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Mat. 5. 17 18 19. Jo. 15. 10 12 14. Jo. 16. 7. 1 Jo. 5. 20 21. Mat. 4. 9 10. Psal 1. 1 2 3. 37. 4. 104. 34. 89. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 23 c. Psal 119. 97. Jam. 4. 12. Exod. 20. 7 8. Rev. 1. 10. Rom. 13. Col. 3. 20. Deut. 27. 16. Rom. 12. 19 20. 2 Sam. 23. 3. Rom. 13. 9 10. Luk. 18. 20. Mat. 5. 44 45. 1 Jo. 3. 15 16. Eph. 5. 3 4 5. 1 Thes 4. 6. Lev. 19. 11. Prov. 19. 5. Psal 15. 3. Mat. 19. 19. 7. 12. B. Proper to Ministers of the Gospel Act. 20. 20 c. Jo. 21. 15 16 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. 1 Tim. 4. 16. 3. 2 3 4 5 6. 4. 1 3 15. 1 Tim. 3. 4 5 6 19. 2 Tim. 1. 7 8 9 10 13. 2 Tim. 2. to the end 1 Tim. 6. 16 17 18. Tit. 1. 2. 3. 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Mat. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Mat. 24. 45 46 47 48 49. 1 Cor. 9. 16 to the end 1 Cor. 11. 23. Mat. 5. 16 20. Mat. 15. 8 9. Isa 8. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3 4. C. Special duty to Civil Rulers Rom. 13. 1 c. Mat. 28. 19. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 15 16 17 18. 2 Pet. 2. 10 11. Rom. 13. 7. 5. Col. 3. 12 13 14. Jam. 3. 1 14 15 16 17. Jud. 8 9 10. * See the sâ—â—ond Council◠〈◊〉 â—citing and appâ—â—â—ing thâ— former General Council of 〈◊〉 which in other things they opposed yet both condemned this opinion See all this fally proved in my Books against Jâ—hnson of the Visibility of our Church especially in my last called Wâ—ich is the true Church Of this more before See my Last Book against Johnson of this See Sir Thomas Overbury's late Plea for Toleration in Answer to Ataxiae Obstaculum Renouncing Unlimited Toleration
world falsly that it is but Things Indifferent that we deny obedience to and call on us to tell them what it is that we fear if we conform and when we tell them they make this also our crime because they think themselves accused what remedy have we against such men 2. I love and honour all good and pious men that Conform For I consider how variously the same thing is represented to and apprehended by men of various educations converse and advantages so that the same sin materially heinous may formally be much less in some than in others As was Paul's ignorant unbelief and persecution Or else saith the Papist Answerer of the three books for the Jesuites Loyalty Most Princes must be most heinous sinners that make wars against each other in which multitudes are killed when both sides cannot have a just cause unless the supposition that their cause was good by mistake excuse them THE CONTENTS The First Part. THe Reasons for Christian Vnity and Concord after the nature of it described and how much may be hoped for on earth Chap. 1. The Text opened The Doctrines named The method proposed page 1 Chap. 2. The Nature of Vnity and this Vnity of the Spirit opened p. 10. Chap. 3. The necessity and benefits of this Vnity and Peace to all men p. 30. Chap. 4. The Vnity of the Spirit is the welfare of the Church p. 45. Chap. 5. This Vnity is for the good of the World without the Church p. 67. Chap. 6. It is due to the honour of Christ and amiable to God p. 71. Chap. 7. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord and to promote this unity and peace p. 75. Chap. 8. What sort and measure of Vnion may or may not be hoped for on earth p. 79. Chap. 9. That Christ who commanded our Vnion hath himself prescribed the terms p. 98. Chap. 10. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are necessary to the Being of particular Churches but divers humane Acts are necessary to their existence p. 100. Chap. 11. The danger of the two extremes And first of despairing of Concord and unjust tolerations p. 114. Chap. 12. The sin and danger of making too much necessary to Vnion and Communion p. 119. Chap. 13. To cry out of the mischiefs of Toleration and call for sharper execution while dividing snares are made the terms of Vnion is the work of ignorant proud and malignant Church destroyers p. 125. The Second Part. THe Terms of Concord Chap. 1. In General what are the true and only terms of Church Concord and what not p. 135. Chap. 2. Instances of Gods description of these terms in Scripture p. 143. Chap. 3. The true terms of Catholick Vnion and Concord more particularly described as the chief means of hope for the Churches peace p. 162. Chap. 4. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of this Communion and what are the causes of abscission and excommunication p. 177. Chap. 5. What are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the Sacred Ministry p. 200. Chap. 6. What is necessary to the Constitution administration and Communion of single Churches p. 228. Chap. 7. What are the necessary terms of Concord of those single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers p. 243. Chap. 8. What is necessary to the Civil peace and Concord of Christians and what is the part of the Christian Magistrate about Religion as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein p. 248. Chap. 9. Objections answered about Toleration especially p. 267. Chap. 10. A draught or Specimen of such Forms as are mentioned for Approved and Tolerated Ministers p. 279. The Third Part. Of Schism ESpecially the false dividing Terms of Vnion and other Causes of Schism Chap. 1. What SCHISM is and what are its Causes and effects p. 1. Chap. 2. The true Preventions and Remedies of Schism p. 16. Chap. 3. More of the same Twenty things necessary hereunto p. 26. Chap. 4. The Catholick Church will never unite in the Papacy p. 29. 1. What the Papists opinion is of the Terms of Vnion 2. The fifth Monarchy opinion of Campanella de Regno Dei and some other Papists That it is really an Vniversal Kingdome which is claimed by the Pope 3. The Christian world will never unite in one Pope Chap. 5. The Catholick Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any humane Church officers or forms of Government p. 41. Chap. 6. The Catholick Church will never unite in General Councils as their Head or necessary center or terms of Concord p. 52. Chap. 7. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Multitude of pretended articles of faith not proved certainly to be Divine nor in subscribing to or owning any unnecessary doubtful opinions or practices p. 60. Chap. 8. The Catholick Church will never unite by receiving all that is now owned by the Greek or Latine Church the Abassine Armenian the Lutherans or Calvinists or in a full Conformity to any divided party which addeth to the primitive simplicity in her terms of Concord p. 68. Chap. 9. The pretended necessity of an uninterrupted successive ordination by Diocesan Bishops will never unite the Churches but is Schismatical Mr. Dodwells book hereof confuted p. 73. Chap. 10. None of these terms will unite a National Church associated Churches nor well any single Church Though by other means a competent Vnion may be kept in some Churches notwithstanding some such Schismatical inventions as lesser diseases destroy not nature p. 104. Chap. 11. The severity and force of Magistrates denying necessary Toleration and punishing dissenters from uncertain unnecessary things will never procure Church Vnion and Concord but division p. 107. Chap. 12. Excommunicating and Anathematizing in such cases will not do it p. 112. Chap. 13. Any one unlawful uncertain doctrine oath Covenant profession subscription or practice so imposed will divide p. 116. Chap. 14. Vnlimited Toleration will divide and wrong the Church p. 118. Chap. 15. The Catholick Church will never unite in a reception and subscription to every word verse or book of the holy Scripture as in our Translations or any particular Copy nor otherwise known but some will still doubt of the Divine authority of some parts p. 134. Chap. 16. The Church will never unite in any mens Commentaries on the Bible p. 137. Chap. 17. A summary recital of the true terms of Concord and of the Causes of Schism p. 139. Id quod natura remittit Invida jura negant Ovid. ERRATA In the First and Second Parts Page 17. line 19. for more read as p. 19. for affecteth r. asserteth p. 26. l. 11. dele with p. 45. l. 17. for in r. is p. 58. l. 13. r. above p. 96. l. 7. r. to their p. 130. l. 2. r. Placeus p. 225. l. 2. r. condemn In the Third Part. Page 4. line 25. read sin p. 5. l. 11. r.
and peace will hardly prosper much less if their spiritual Nurses become their chief afflicters Doct. 9. Vnity of the spirit is most necessary to the Church of Christ and to its several members though their measures of Grace be divers Doct. 10. The bond of Peace must preserve this Vnity Doct. 11. This Vnity consisteth in these seven things 1. One body 2. One spirit 3. One Hope 4. One Lord 5. One Faith 6. One Baptism 7. One God Doct. 12. This Vnity must be studied carefully and diligently endeavoured and preserved by all the faithful members of the Church These last Doctrines being the subject which I design to handle I shall speak of them together in the following Order I. I shall tell you What the Vnity of the spirit is which is so necessary II. I shall tell you What necessity there is of this Vnity and what are its happy fruits III. I shall open the seven particulars in which it doth consist and defend the sufficiency of them to the use here intended in the Text. IV. I shall open the nature and terms of counterfeit Unity V. I shall open the Nature and mischiefs of the contrary Division VI. I shall shew you what are the enemies and impediments of this Unity VII I shall shew you What are the study and endeavour and the bond of peace by which this Unity must be kept VIII I shall conclude with some directions for Application or Use of all CHAP. II. The Nature of Vnity and this Vnity of the spirit opened 1. WHat UNITY in General is and what This Vnity of the spirit in special I shall open in these following connexed propositions 1. I must neither here confound the ordinary Reader by the many Metaphysical difficulties about UNITY nor yet wholly pass them by lest I confound him for want of necessary distinction 2. UNITY is sometimes the attribute of an Vniversal which is but Ens rationis or a General Inadequate partial conception of an existent singular being and so All men are ONE as to the species of Humanity And all Living things are One in the Genus of Vitality And so of Bodies Substances Creatures c. It is much more than this that we have before us 2. Some think that the word ONE or UNITY signiâ—ieth only Negatively an Vndividedness in the thing it self But this conception is more than Negative and taketh in first in Compounds that peculiar Connexion of parts by one form and in simple spiritual beings that more excellent indivisible essentiality and existence whence the Being is intelligible as such a subsistence as is not only undivided in it self but divisible or differenceable from all other existent or possible beings so far as it is one 4. Passing by the distinction of Vnum per se per accidens and some such other I shall only further distinguish of Vnity according to the differences of the Entities that are called One Where indeed the difference of Things maketh the word ONE of very different significations 5. GOD is Supereminently and most perfectly ONE as he is ENS BEING No Creature hath Vnity in the same perfect sort and sense as GOD is One He is so ONE as that he is perfectly simple and indivisible and so as that he cannot be properly a Part in any composition 6. Therefore GOD and the World or any Creature are not compounding parts for a part is less than the whole And that which is less is not Infinite 7. Yet God is more Intimate to every creature than any of its own Parts are no form is more intimate to the matter no soul to the body no formal vertue to a spirit than God is to all and every being But his Perfection and the Creatures Imperfection is such as that creatures can be no addition to God nor compounding parts but like to Accidents 8. The same must be said therefore of Christs Divine and humane natures The Schoolmen therefore say that Christs soul and body are Parts of his humane nature but his Godhead and manhood are not to be called Parts of Christ Because the Godhead can be no Part of any thing 9. When Paul saith that God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All in All things he meaneth not that he is formally all things themselves But yet not that he is less or is more distant from them than the form but is eminently so much more as that the title is below him so he is said here Eph. 4. 6. To be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father of all above all and through all and in us all And 1 Cor. 12. 16. it is said that the same God worketh all in all as to the diversity of operations He is the most intimate prime Agent in all that acteth though he hath enabled free Agents to determine their own acts morally to this or that hic nunc c. For in Him we live and move and have our Being for we are his offspring Act. 17. 10. Somewhat like this must be said of the special Union of Christ and all true believers As to his Divine Nature and so the Holy Ghost he is as the Father Intimately in all but more than the form of all or any But he is specially by Relation and Inoperation in his members as he is not in any others So Col. 3. 11. Christ is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All in All that is to the Church And so I conceive that it is in a Passive or Receptive sense that the Church is said to be the fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1. 23. Whether it be spoken of Christs Godhead only or of his humane soul also as being to the Redeemed world what the Sun is to the Natural illuminated world I determine not But which ever it is Christ filling all in all the Church is called his fulness as being eminently â—possessed and filled by him as the Head is by the humane soul more than the hand or other lower parts 11. The Trinity of Persons is such as is no way contrary to the perfect Vnity of the Divine essence As the faculties of Motion Light and Heat in the Sun and of Vital Activity Intellection and Volition in man is not contrary to the Unity of the essence of the soul yet man is not so perfectly One as God is 12. The Vnity of a spirit in it self is a great Image or Likeness of the Divine Vnity As having no separable Parts as passive matter hath but being One without divisibility even one Essential Vertue or Vertuous substance 13. The most large extensive Vnity as far as spirits may be said to have extension or Degrees of Essence is likest to God And the Unity of a material atome is not more excellent than the Vnity of the material part of the world made up of such Atomes Whether there are such Atomes physically indivisible I here meddle not but the shaping of an Atome into cornered hollow and such other shapes is
all mankind and is very apt to enquire and take knowledge how it goeth with all the world and specially with all the Churches For none can much love and desire that which they mind not or take no thought of And this is the chief News which a true Christian enquireth after whether Gods name be hallowed his Kingdom come and his will be done on Earth as it is done in heaven And of this he is sollicitous even on his death-bed 52. The Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to mourn much for the sects Schisms divisions and discords of believers and to smart in the sense of them as the body does by its wounds And they that bewail them not are so far void of the Vnity of the spirit 53. The Vnity of the spirit helpeth a man greatly to distinguish between wounding and healing Doctrines wounding and healing courses of practice and between wounding and healing persons even as Nature teacheth us to discern and abhor that which would dismember or divide the body as painful and destructive 54. Therefore holy experienced Christians who have most of the Vnity of the spirit are most against the dividing impositions of Church Tyrants and also against the quarrelsom humour and causeless separations of self conceited Singularists whether Dogmatical or superstitious who proudly overvalue their own conceptions forms and modes of worship and doctrine and thence aggravate all that they dislike into the shape of Idolatry Antichristianism false worship or some such hainous sin when the beam of self-conceit and pride in their own eye is worse than the moâ—e of a modall imperfection of words method or matter in anothers eye 55. The Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to hope the best of others till we know it to be untrue and to take more notice of mens vertues than of their faults and love covereth such infirmities as may be covered beareth with one anothers burdens while we consider that we also may be tempted 56. The Vnity of the spirit teacheth and inclineth men to yield for peace and concord to such lawful things whose practice doth truly conduce to unity yea and to give up much of our own right for unity and peace 57. This Love and Vnity of the spirit inclineth men to vigorours Endeavours for concord with all others so that such will not slothfully wish it but diligently seek it They will pursue and follow peace with all men Heb. 12. 14. as far as is possible and as in them lieth Rom. 12. 18. They that are true Peace-lovers are diligent Peace-makers if it be in their power and way 58. This Love and Vnity of the spirit will prevail with the sincere to prosecute it through difficulties and oppositions and to conquer all And it teacheth them at the first hearing to abhor back-biters and slanderous censurers who on pretence of a blind zeal for Orthodoxness or Piety or Purity of worship are ready to reproach those that are not of their mind and way in points where difference is tolerable And when children that are tost up and down and carried to and fro Eph. 4. 14. with every wind of doctrine are presently filled with distast and prejudice when they hear other mens tolerable opinions forms and orders aggravated the right Christian is more affected with displeasure against the self-conceited reproacher who is employed by Satan though perhaps he be a child of God against the Love and Vnity of believers 59. The more any man hath of Love and Vnity of the Spirit the greater matter he maketh of Vniversal Vnity and the more Zealous he is for it A small fire or Candle giveth but a faint and little light and heat and that but a little way But the Sun â—light and heat extendeth to all the surface of the earth and much farther and that so vigorously as to be the life of the things that live on earth so strong love is extensive 60. The more any man hath of Love and the Vnity of the spirit the more resolved and patient he is in bearing any thing for the furthering of Vnity If he must be hated for it or undone for it if his friends censure and forsake him for it If Church Tyrants will ruine him he can joyfully be a Martyr for Love and Vnity If Dogmatists condemn him as an Heretick he can joyfully bear the censure and reproach If blind superstitious persons charge him with Luke-warmness or sinful confederacies or compliance or corrupting Godsâ—worship or such like as their errour leadeth them he can bear evil report and to be made of no reputation and to be slandered and vilisyed by the Learned by the Zealous by his ancient friends rather than forsake the principles affections and practice of Universal Charity Vnity and peace 61. Though Perfection must be desired it is but a very imperfect Unity which can be reasonably hoped for on earth 62. There must go very much wisdom goodness and careful diligence to get and keep Vnity and Peace in our own souls it being that healthful equal temperature and harmony of all within us which few obtain And most have a discord and War or disquiet in themselves But to have a family of such is harder and to have a Church of such yet harder and much more to have a Kingdom of such and a conjunction of such Churches and most of all to bring all the world to such a state And they that have a War in themselves are not fit to be the Peace-making healers of the Church in that degree 63. Yet as every Christian hath so much concord and peace at home as is necessary to his salvation so we may well hope that by just endeavours the Churches may have so much as may preserve the essentials of Christianity and Communion and also may fortifie the Integrals and may much encrease the greatness and glory of the Church and much further holiness and righteousness in its members and remove many of the scandals and sinful contentions which are the great hinderers of piety and are Satans advantages against mans recovery and salvation This much we may seek in hope 64. Despair of success is a an enemy to all pacificatory endeavours and low and narrow designs shew a low Spirit and a little degree of holy love and all other uniting grace 65. An earnest desire of the worlds Conversion and of the bringing in the barbarous ignorant infidels and impious to the knowledge of Christ and a holy life doth shew a large degree of charity and of the Vnity of the spirit which would fain bring in all men to the bond of the same Unity and participation of the same spirit 66. The most publick endeavours therefore of the good of many of Churches of Kingdoms of mankind are the most noble and most beseeming Christianity though it 's possible that an hypocrite may attempt the like to get a name or for other carnal ends 67. And it is very savoury and suitable to the Vnity
we are One We dye when we cease to be One and we decay when by separation we hasten towards it and we grow weak when by looseness we grow more separable Therefore all Loosening opinions or principles which tend to abate the Love and Vnity of Christians are weakening principles and tend to death Schisms in the Church and feuds or wars in the Commonwealth and mutinies in Armies are the approaches or threatnings of death Or if such â—evers and bloody fluxes prove not mortal the cure must be by some excellent remedy and Divine clemency and skill Discordia Ordinum est reipublicae venenum saith Livy For as Salust saith War is easily begun as fire in the City easily kindled but to end it requireth more ado And the â—nd is seldom in the power of the same persons that began it much less will it end as easily as it might have been prevented It 's like the eruption of waters that begin at a small breach in the damm or banks but quickly make themselves a wider passage Prov. 26. 17. He that passeth by and medleth with strife which is not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears Prov. 17 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with or exasperated or stirred up to rage As passion inclineth men to strive rail or some way hurt so all discord and division inclineth men to a warring depressing way against others As Gregory saith When perverse minds are once engaged ad studium contrarietatis to a study of contrariety they arm themselves to oppugne all that is said by another be it wrong or right for when the person through contrariety is displeasing to them even that which is right when spoken by him is displeasing And when this is the study of each member to prove all false or bad that another saith or doth and to disgrace and weaken one another what strength what safety what peace what duration can be to that society IV. UNITY is also the BEAUTY and Comeliness of the Church and all societies Perfect UNITY without Diversity is proper to God But ab Vno omnia that all the innumerable parts of his Creation should by Order and VNITY make ONE UNIVERSE or world that all the members of the Church of Christ of how great variety of gifts degrees and place soever should make one Body this is the Divine skill and this Order and Vnity is the Beauty of his works If the Order and Vnity of many Letters made not words and of many words made not sentences and of many sentences made not Books what were their excellency or use If many Notes ordered and united made not Harmony what were the pleasure of musick or melody And how doth this Concord make it differ from a discordant odious noise The Unity of well-ordered Materials is the Beauty of an Edifice And the Unity of well-ordered and proportioned members is the symmetrie and Beauty of the Body It delighteth mans nature more to read the history of Loves and amiable concord which is the charming snare in tempting Lustâ—books than to read of odious and ruinating discords And no doubt but the many histories of sinful discord and their effects are purposely recorded in Scripture to make it the more hateful to all believers This is the use of the recorded malice of Cain to Abel of the effect of the Babel division of tongues of the disagreement of the servants of Abraham and Lot of the envy of Josephs brethren and of Esau's thoughts of revenge against Jacob and of Jacobs fear of him of the discord of Laban and Jacob of the bloody fact of Simeon and Levi and Jacob's dying detestation of it and his curse of the two Hebrews that strove with each other and one of them with Moses of the Israelites murmurings and mutinies against Moses Abimelech's cruelty against his brethren of the tribe of Ephraim's quarrel with Jephta and the Israelites with the Benjamites and their war of the envy of Saul against David and his pursuit of his and Doegs cruelty against the Priests of Absoloms rebellion against David of Joabs murders and his death of Solomons jealousie and execution of Adonijah of Rehoboams foolish difference with his subjects and the loss of the ten tribes and Jeroboam's reign of the continual wars of Juda and Israel of the many malicious actions of Priests and people against Jeremiah Amos and other Prophets and Messengers of God of the persecuting cruelty of Herod against Christ and the Infants in his jealousies about his Crown of the Jews malicious and foolish opposition to Christ of Christs disciples striving which should be the Greatest and the aspiring request of James and John of the short dissention of Paul and Barnabas c. Are not all these unpleasant histories to us and written to make dissentions odious To this end it is that we have the sad history of the early contentions between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians about Circumcision and the Law and the reconciling assembly Act. 15. To this end we have the sad history and sharp reproofs of the factions and sidings among the Corinthians of the false Apostles envy raised against Paul among the Corinthians and Galatians and of those that preached Christ out of envy and in strife to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1. of the many heresies that rose up even in those first Churches to trouble desile them and disgrace them To this end we have the abundance of sharp rebukes of contentious persons and such as strove about words and genealogies and the Law and the reproofs of many of the Asian Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the odious description of the hereticks 2 Pet. 2. Jud. c. not only as corrupters of doctrine but in a special manner as Separatists and dividers of and from the Christian Churches To this end we have the sad predictions that two sorts should arise and tear the Churches Act. 20. Grievous wolves that should not spare the flocks and some of themselves that should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them To this use we have so many vehement obtestations and exhortations against discord and divisions even in those times of vigorous Love and Concord such as 1 Cor. 1. 10 c. 3. c. Phil. 2. 1 2 c. 3. 14 15 16. and abundance such of which hereafter And even those that by their Master are taught not to be too forward in seeing the mote in anothers eye must yet be intreated to Mark them that cause Divisions and offences and avoid them and whereas they that were such pretended to be the most excellent servants of Christ and to speak more sublimely and spiritually for greater edification and advancement of Knowledge than the Apostles did it was no ill censoriousness to judge that being the Causes of Divisions and offences contrary to Christs doctrine of Love Vnity and
peace they did not serve the Lord Jesus whose great and last command was Love which he made the Nature and character and badge of his true disciples but by those good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple and deceivable Here there are four words especially to be noted 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate good words is commonly translated flattery but as Beza well noteth it signifieth a speaking of things that are plausible in themselves for some good that is in them and that are pretended to be all spoken for the hearers good as Satan pretended when he tempted Eve yea perhaps to be necessary to their salvation or to make them the most knowing and excellent sort of Christians 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth both to Bless them as ministers do that desire their happiness and to praise them and speak well or highly of them And so almost all sects and divided bodies are gathered by flattering the hearers into a conceit that thus they shall become the surest and most excellent Christians and all others are far inferiour to them 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the Hearts of such hearers that are deceived and not their heads or reason only or chiefly For the good words first take with them by moving their Passions or affections And then the Praise fair promises and speeches kindle a kind of secret spiritual pride and ambition in the heart as Satans words did in Eve to be as Gods in Knowledge And the Heart thus infected and puft up promoteth the deceit of the understanding 4. And this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hominum minime malorum as Beza translates It is not simple fools but such simple persons as we call harmless or innocents as the Vulgar Latine translates it well meaning men or not ill men People that fear God and have good desires and meanings are for want of Judgement and watchfulness overcome by dividers And on the contrary the amiable examples of Vnity and Concord and their happy effects are recorded in Scripture to make us in Love with them but none so eminent as that of the first Christians It is very remarkable that when Christ would shew the world the work of his Mediation in its notable effects and when he would shew them the excellency of his disciples about the common world and of his Church under the Gospel above that under Moses Law he doth it by shewing them in the power and exercise of Vniting Love Love was it which he came to exercise and demonstrate his Fathers and his own Love was that which he came to kindle in their souls and bring them to possess and practise Perfect Love is the perfect felicity which he hath promised them Love and Unity are the matter of his last and great Command These are the Characters of his genuine disciples and of the renewed Divine Nature in them It was Love and Vnity which must in them be the witness of Christs spirit and power to convince the unbelieving world And therefore it is Love and Vnity which is the matter of his last excellent prayer for them John 17. 22 23 24 25. 15. 12 17. 13. 34. 1 John 3. 14 23. 4. 21. And all these his preparations precepts examples and prayers were accordingly exemplified in the wonderful Love and Concord of his followers When the day of Pentecost was come in which the Holy Ghost must be most eminently communicated to them they were all with One accord in one place Acts 2. 1. The Apostles had an Vnanimity and Concord before proportionable to the measure of their grace which was preparatory to their reception of the eminent gift of the Spirit which increased their unanimity And v. 41 42 43 44 45 46. the three thousand that were suddenly added to the Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers And all that believed were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need And they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God and having favour with all the people What greater demonstration could be given that Christ is the great Reconciler the messenger gift and teacher of Love the Prince of Peace and the great Vniter of the divided world both with his Father and Himself and with one another In this text Acts 2. and marvellous example you see the design and work of the great Reconciler When men fall out with God they fall out with one another when they depart from the only Center of Vnity they can have no true Unity among themselves when they lose the Love of God they lose the Love of Man as for Gods sake and interest And he that cannot see and Love God in man can see nothing in man that is worthy of much love As he that loveth not a man for his soul and its operations more than for his body loveth him not as a man And few have any great Love to a dead Corpse Cicero could say It is your soul that we speak to and converse with were that departed we should speak to you no more God is more to every man than his soul If God were not their life and amiableness all men would be unlovely loathsome carkasses Therefore wicked men that cannot Love God and Goodness can Love none thoroughly but themselves and for themselves or as Bruâ—es by a low or sensitive kind of love For it is self that they are fallen to from God and Man And yet while self is carnally and inordinately loved instead of God and Man it is but destroyed and undone by that inordinate idolatrous love And he that loveth Himself to his own destruction with a Love more pernicious than anothers hatred doth love his friends but with such a kind of killing love as I have seen some Brutes kill their young ones with the violence of their love that would not suffer them to let them alone Thus all love to man saving a pernicious love doth dye where the love of God and goodness dieth And Cain giveth the world the first specimen or instance of depraved nature in envy and wrath and finally in the murder of his Brother and undoing Himself by setting up and adhering inordinately to himself But when Christ reconcileth God and Man he reconcileth Men to one another For he teacheth men to love God in Man and Man for God with a Holy noble reasonable kind of Love And so to love all men as far as God hath an Interest in all And to Love all Christians with an eminent Love as God is eminently interessed in them And this is Christs work on the souls of men and much of his business which he came for into the world And therefore he would have his
first Disciples to give the world such a specimen of Love in this extraordinary way of Community For as extraordinary works of Power that is Miracles must be wrought by the first Preachers of the Gospel to shew Christs power and convince the unbelieving world so it was as needful that then there should be extraordinary works of Love to shew Christs Love and teach them the great work of Love which he came to call and bring men to For the first Book that Christ wrote was on the Hearts of Men which no Philosopher could do In fleshly tables he wrote LOVE TO GOD and MAN by the finger of his Spirit many a year before any Book of the New Testament was written And as his Doctrine was Love one another and Love your enemies forbear and forgive c. so his first Churches must extraordinarily exemplifie and express this doctrine by living in this extraordinary community and selling all and distributing as each had need And afterwards their Love-feasts did long keep up some memorial of it For they were the first sheet as it were of the New Book which Christ was publishing And LOVE was the summ of all that was imprinted on them And their Practice was to be much of the Preaching that must convert the world Christ was not a meer Orator or teacher of Words And non magna loquimur sed vivimus was the profession of his disciples He came not meerly to talk and teach men to talk but to Do and teach men to Do even to do that himself which none else ever did and to teach his followers to do that which no other sort of men did in this world But this leadeth me up to the next Use of Unity V. The SPIRIT of UNITY and LOVE is the Great means of the Churches increase There is a twofold augmentation of the Church 1. Intrinsick and Intensive when it Increaseth in all Goodness and hasteth to perfection And it is this Vital principle of Vniting Love or the Spirit of Vnity which is the immediate cause of this 2. Extensive when the Church is enlarged and more are added to it And it is a Life of Vniting Love among Christians that must do this as much or more than preaching Or at least if that preaching which is but the effect of Knowledge produce Evangelical Knowledge in the hearers yet a Life of Love and Vnity is the adapted means of breeding Love and Vnity the Life of Religion in the world Light may cause Light but Heat must cause Heat and it must be a Living thing that must generate life by ordinary causation That which cometh from the Head may reach the Head and perhaps the Heart but is not so fit to operate on Hearts as that which cometh from the heart Undoubtedly if Christians did commonly live in such Love and Vnity among themselves and shew the fruits of common Love to all about them as their Great master and his Religion teacheth them they would do wonders in converting sinners and enlarging the Church of Jesus Christ Who could stand out against the convincing and Attractive power of Uniting Love Who could much hate and persecute those that Love them and shew that Love This would heap melting coals of fire on their heads Our Saviour knew this when he made this his great Lesson to his disciples and when he prayed Joh. 17. 21 22 23 24. over and over for them which should believe on him through the Apostles word that they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me O when will Christ revive this blessed principle in his followers and set them again on this effectual way of preaching that Love may draw the world into the Churches Vnity Some look for new miracles for the converting of the now-forsaken Nations what God will do of that kind we know not for he hath not told us But Holy Vniting Vniversal Love is a thing which he hath still made our certain duty and therefore we are all bound to seek and do it And therefore we may both pray and labour for it in hope And could we but come up to this known duty we should have a means for the worlds conversion as effectual as miracles and more sweet and pleasant to them and us Obj. But why then is the world still unconverted when all true Christians have this love Ans 1. Alas those true Christians are so few and the hypocrites that are selfish worldlings are so many that the poor people that live among professed Christians do judge of Christianity by those false professours who are indeed no Christians Men see not the hearts of one another Thousands of ungodly persons for interest education and custome take on them the name of Christians who never were such indeed by heart-consent When these counterfeit Christians live like Infidels men think that Christians are no better than Infidels For they think they must judge by the greater number of such as go under the Christian name But if the world could tell who they be that are truly Christians at the heart they would see that they have that spirit of Love which is not in unbelievers 2. And alas the Love and Vnity even of true Christians is yet too imperfect and is darkened and blemished with too much of the contrary vice were Christians perfect Christians they would indeed be the honour of their profession Then Love would be the powerful principle of all their works which would taste of its nature and as it is said of Wine Judg. 9. 13. it cheereth God and man so I may say God and man would be delighted in the sweetness of these fruits For with such Sacrifice God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. But alas what crabbed and contrary fruits how soure how bitter do many distempered Christians bring forth If it will increase the Church and win men to the Love of Christianity to be reviled or persecuted to be contemned and neglected to be separated from as persons unworthy of our-love and kindness then Christianity will not want propagaters The pouring out of the Spirit was the first planting of the Christian Church And where there is most of Love there is most of the spirit As there needeth no forcing penal Laws to compel men to obey God so far as Love prevaileth in them so if Love were more eminent in the Church Pastors and Professors that they preached and ruled and lived towards all men in the power of sincere and fervent Love there would be less pretence for all that violence oppression and cruelty which hath been long
ages of the Christian World hath shewed that they did not well understand it If universal constant undenyable experience be not enough to prove that it is so and hath been so and therefore will be so Let the certain Causes of it be considered 1. Men are born of much different Intellectual complexions and degrees of capacity some are Ideots or natural fools some are half such some are very flegmatick and dull of wit and must have long time and teaching to learn a little and of memories as weak to retain what they learn some have naturally strong wits and as strong memories If these be bred up in the same house will they therefore have the same knowledge and conceptions § 4. 2. And as men naturally differ in quickness and dulness of wit so they do in the temperature of all their humours and bodies which accidentally will cause great difference in their minds A sanguine man hath usually other thoughts and perceptions than a phlegmatick man and a phlegmatick man hath other thoughts and sense of things than the cholerick have And the melancholy man differeth from them all and often from himself As these tempers variously affect the phantasie and the passions so consequently they do usually the Intellect and the Will § 5. 3. The Countreys that men are born in it not by the air and soil at least by the great diversity of Languages Laws Governments and Customs do make much difference in mens conceptions As we see by experience in the difference of many Nations § 6. 4. The very sins or merits of Parents may do much to the hurt or benefit of Children partly by corrupting or bettering their bodily temperature and partly by Gods curse or blessing on their souls As I have fully proved in my Second Disputation of Original Sin § 7. 5. And were there no other cause of different conceptions than the different education of children by their parents it would make a very great difference in the world When one is brought up in Learning and another in barbarism one in reading and hearing Gods Word and another in contemning and deriding it One is taught to reverence Gods name and truth and another to blaspheme them or despise them One is taught one Religion and another another One is taught to lay all his salvation on that which another is taught to abhorr And it is not only in Divers Lands but in the same Cities Towns and Streets yea among men that publickly profess the same Religion in Name and Generals that this difference is found § 8. 6. And if Parents make no difference yet Schoolmasters often will With their Grammar learning one teacheth his Scholars to deride such or such a party of Christians as Hereticks Heteroclites or anomalous and others say the same of others as they themselves do like or dislike And Boyes usually take deeply their Masters dictates especially if they be cunning and malignant and such as the Devil and flesh befriend § 9. 7. And it is no small difference that Company and Converse cause Even among Children and Servants in families and Boys at School from whom they are as apt to receive ill impressions as from evil Teachers And therefore variety of company in Youth is like to breed variety of sentiments § 10. 8. And the different Books which they read will make the like difference while one writeth against that which another proclaimeth to be excellent and necessary and all set off the matter with such plausibility and confidence as young and unexercised persons are unable to see through and perceive the error § 11. 9. And when they go abroad in the world the difference among those that they converse with all their lives may well be expected to cause much difference in their thoughts If they be set Apprentices one falls into a family of one mind and another of another And so if they be servants And their friends and companions will occasion as much And if they marry the different judgements of Husbands and Wives may do the same § 12. 10. And especially when differences in Religion have already got possession of all mankind in some degree and they set themselves to enquire after the nature of these differences and being at first unskilful are unable to try and judge aright they must needs fall into great variety of judgements § 13. 11. And the great difference among Preachers and Pastors of the Church will be as powerful a cause of discord to youth and learners as almost any of the rest while one Preacher condemneth that as a dangerous errour and frighteneth them from it as a heinous sin which another extolleth as necessary truth or duty And yet thus it is in many particulars even where men profess the same Religion witness the many loads of books that are written by the Papists against each other As the Dominicans against the Jesuites and the Jesuites against them The Jansenists against both and their odious charges of highest false doctrines and crimes in their provincial Letters and the Jesuits Morals Gulielmus de sancto Amore and his partners against the Fryars The secular Priests against the regulars such as Watson in his Quodlibets and abundance more such like And in what Countrey almost or City do not preachers in some measure differ and breed diversity of senses in the people Which Paul foretold even in the purest times and Church that of their own selves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Besides the grievous Wolves that should enter and devour the flock Act. 20. 30. It must be that heresies must arise that they that are approved may be made manifest In Corinth some were of Paul and some of Apollo and some of Cephas and they had such divisions as shewed them to be much carnal At Rome they judged and despised one another about meats and drinks and dayes Rom. 14. 15. And some caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which they had learned Rom. 16. 16 17. In Galati◠they had Judaizing teachers that troubled them And at Antioch some taught them that except they were circumcised and kept the Law of Moses they could not be saved Act. 15. 1 c. In Asia some Churches had Nicolaitans and such as taught them to eat things offered to Idols and to commit fornication and the woman Jezabel that seduced them and some had such as Diotrephes that received not the brethren and cast out those that did and prated even against the beloved Apostle with malicious words Divers Churches had perverse disputers about the Law and genealogies and such as strove about words that profited not but to the subverting of the hearers and some whose doctrine fretted like a Cancer who subverted whole houses whose mouths were to be stopped And the Colossians had such as were for humane ordinances touch not taste not handle not and for worshipping Angels and prying into unknown things Col. 2. And Paul telleth the
and to their works § 31. III. And they all believe that the Holy Spirit being God and one in Essence with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and or by the Son is the Great Witness Agent and Advocate of Christ before at and after his coming into the world incarnate by his gifts of Prophecy Miracles and Sanctification convincing sinners and drawing them to Repent and Believe and dwelling in Believers as an operating cause of Divine Life and Light and Love thus Uniting them to God in Christ their Head and to each other in Faith and Love by which they are gathered to him as his Church or body having the forgiveness of their sins and the adoption of Sons and right to the heavenly inheritance And living in holy communion on earth their souls at death are received to happiness with Christ and their Bodies shall be raised and soul and body Glorified at the last with Jesus Christ and all the blessed in the perfect Vision Love and joyful Praise of the most Glorious Jehovah § 32. And as I. All Christians agree in this Belief so also II. They all solemnly in and by the Baptismal Covenant and their holy Eucharistical Communion and other duties Profess the Consent of their wills to these Relations to God their Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to his Church or body and their thankful Acceptance of the foresaid Gifts And they profess and express their seeking-desires hereof according to the Contents of the Lords Prayer § 33. III. And as to Practice they all agree in professing and promising obedience to Christ according to the Law of Nature the Decalogue and all his Written Laws so far as they understand them and their desire to Learn them to that end § 34. All sincere Christians agree in the true and Hearty Consent to all this And these are the true saved Church of Christ called Invisible because their Hearts-consent is Invisible All other Baptized and Professing Christians with them agree in the Profession of all this And are called The Church-visible their Profession being visible And all this being truly included in Baptism which is our entrance into the Catholick or Universal Church in this before described consisteth our Catholick Communion in Christs body as spiritual or invisible and as visible § 35. II. But besides this Universal Church-Union and Communion for ORDER and Advantage to our great end God hath instituted the ORDER of Christian Assemblies or Particular Churches which are to the Vniversal Church as Cities and Corporations to a Kingdom Which are the noblest and most priviledged parts of the Kingdom but yet not essential parts but eminently Integral For it may be a Kingdom without them and would be if they were all disfranchised and laid common And if Apostles and Evangelists as Itinerant Preachers convert and baptize men they are part of the Church Universal before they are gathered into distinct societies under proper Pastors of their own The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no particular Church but into the universal only and so were many others And meer Baptism as such without any additional contract doth no more If thousands were Converted in America or cast there without Pastors they were parts of the Universal Church if baptized Professing Christians And before the Apostles ordained any fixed Bishops or Pastors of particular Churches the Church Universal was in being though small § 36. But these particular Churches being a great part of Christs Institutions and necessary not only by Precept but as a means to the Well-being of the Universal and the Edification of it and the particular members It must be endeavoured and that with good hope of success that there may so much Particular Church-Vnion be obtained and maintained as shall much conduce to its great and excellent ends That is 1. So much as that in them God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may be Publickly solemnly and constantly confessed by sound doctrine holy worship and holy discipline and conversation 2. So much as that hearty Christian Love may be exercised and maintained and Christians edified in Communion of Saints 3. So much as that God shall accept them delight in them and bless them their converting edifying and comforting souls hearing their prayers and praises and owning them by his Ministry Covenants and grace and differencing them from the people that do not thus confess and worship him and promoting hereby their salvation And if this much be attained it is not to be vilified for want of more nor blotted with reproachful names but acknowledged with thankfulness and praise § 37. III. And yet there is a further degree of concord to be hoped for and endeavoured and that is the concord of these particular Churches with one another That they may all Profess 1. The same faith and necessary doctrine 2. and the same Love to God and one another 3. and the same Hope of life eternal 4. and may offer to God the same necessary and acceptable sort of worship viz. by preaching and applying his holy word recorded in the holy Scriptures preserving and reading them calling upon his holy name by Confession prayer thanksgiving and praises and holding respective communion in the use also of the Sacraments of his Covenant and exercising in some measure such holy Government and Discipline by Pastors overseeing their several flocks as he himself by his institution hath made universally necessary And all this though not in perfection nor every where with the same degree of purity and care yet so far 1. as that Gods word and ordinances be kept up in soundness in all parts and respects necessary to salvation 2. and as may tend to the edifying of the Churches by Love and concord in necessary things and their mutual help by counsel and strength by that concord 3. and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and divisions § 38. The means by which this is to be done 1. by communicatory Letters 2. by Synods 3. and by Civil Governours is after in due place to be explained Thus much of Christian Vnity and Concord may be well hoped for upon just endeavours here on earth But neither Perfection in these nor those unnecessary terms of Concord which some have long taken to be necessary § 39. And indeed so much as may be hoped for is so very hardly to be obtained that if we trusted not to Gods extraordinary Grace more than to any natural probability that appeareth to us in man we should be ready to despair that ever Christians should live long in so much peace and concord And though the great difficulty must not kill our hopes it must much quicken us to strenuous endeavours Of which more anon Satan is so great an enemy to it and every sin in man is so much against it as every disease in the body is against its ease and peace and the multitude and malignity of sins and sinners is so great and the very healers so few and faulty and unskilful
as of that ad quem as Mar. 6. 12. Luke 13. 3 5. Acts 2. 38. 3. 19. 8. 22. 17. 30. 26. 20. Matth. 9. 13. Luke 24. 47. Acts 5. 31. 11. 18. 20. 21. 26. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 15. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Luke 10. 13. 15. 7 10. 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. § 5. Christ himself the Law giver and Judge doth oft in his explications lay his acceptance of men on a few great plain sure necessary things He summeth up the whole Law into the two great Commands the first and the second like unto it even the Love of God and Man and when he tells one that had lived soberly and justly that yet he lacked one thing Luke 18. it is but this plain great necessary duty to prefer his heavenly reward and hopes and Christ to bring him to it before his wealth and prosperity on earth This was not a great Volume of hard opinions but one plain and necessary duty not hard to know but hard to an unbelieving worldly heart to be willing to do So in his great Sermon on the Mount Matth. 5. it is not many dark opinions or small ceremonious practices that he pronounceth blessedness on but the pure in heart the poor in spirit the merciful the peace-makers and such as suffer for righteousness sake And in all his most excellent Sermons and Prayers John 5. 6. 10. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. what have you but our common Catechism truths Which of the controversies of contenders or what nice opinions are there decided or propounded Nay he himself oft distinguishing tells men that God will have mercy and not sacrifice and reproveth the Pharisees that were strict in tything mint annise and cummin and neglected the great matters of the Law Mercy truth and justice and that troubled the Church with their ceremonies and worshipped God in vain with their traditions teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Matth. 15. Yea when he describeth the Judgement to come it is not many hard opinions that he layeth life and death on but on loving relieving visiting his members yea the least of his members yea himself in them And he condemneth those that do it not even to the least What then shall they suffer that interdict and anathematize Kings and Kingdoms and hereticate great part of the Church of Christ yea the Pope and his Councils of military Bishops that have risen to their greatness and conquered the Christian Nations by this art of Anathematizing or cursing Kings and Subjects from Christ § 6. We find Christ preaching also to divers single persons as to Nathaneal to the Samaritan woman John 4. to the blind man John 9. to the Canaanitish woman and others and he never went beyond these few plain divine and necessary terms § 7. And he sent out his disciples to preach but the same doctrine that he had done even to Repent and believe the Gospel and Devils were subject to them that preached this short plain truth who I fear are the Masters of many that spin a finer web And John Baptist went but the same way And among the counsels which he gave to the many sorts that flocked to him see whether any of our Engines of heretication and division and silencing are to be found All the four Gospels are strangers to such things § 8. And the very Controversal Epistles of St. Paul that were written to confute Seducers were written by the same spirit and go the same way The summ of all is Repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ The doctrine of faith in Christ and the abrogation of the burdensome Ceremonious Jewish Law and that the Gentiles â—ere not bound to keep it is the summ of his doctrine 〈◊〉 summeth up all the Law in LOVE Rom. 13. â—â—d in living soberly righteously and godly in the â—orld following the spirit and mortifying the lusts of the flesh living a holy and heavenly life in love and unity and peace And whereas pride and ignorance then began the dividing way and condemning Christians for tolerable differences he oft and plainly reproveth and confuteth this But most fully and purposely to the Romans Chap. 14. 15. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye but not to doubtful disputations or not to judge his doubtful thoughts instancing in differences about meats and dayes Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth Yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand Let every man be fully perswaded or assured in his own mind He that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord c. But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set at naught thy brother For we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block in his brothers way If thy brother be grieved with thy meat now walkest thou not charitably Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Let us therefore follow after the things that make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another For meat destroy not the work of God All things indeed are pure but it is evil for that man that eateth with offence I is good neither to eat flesh or drink wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or maâ—â— weak And he that doubteth is damned if he eat beâ—cause he eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not 〈◊〉 faith is sin Ch. 15. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification For even Christ pleased not himself c. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God § 9. I know not what can be spoken more plain and home to the case in hand and the humane unnecessary impositions which have so many ages torn the Churches of Christ And yet all this is nothing to the Imposers The different exposition of this one part of Scripture hath had a great hand in the calamitous distractions silencings imprisonments scatterings that have been exercised in many Nations of the world The controversie lyeth here The One side say that All this was spoken by St. Paul only
Church-tearing Spirit And to shut out false anathematizing he concludeth with pronouncing Grace to all them that Love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity whoever condemn them § 18. The same Apostle leaveth the same Canon to the Philippians c. 1. v. 15 16. Though some preached Christ not sincerely but of contention supposing to add affliction to his bonds so far was he from silencing them or forbidding men to hear them that he rejoyced that Christ was preached though in pretence and contentiously And ch 2. 1 2 3. he most vehemently importuneth them to be like minded of the same Love of one accord and of one mind But how can that be and on what terms Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Not say say as I say or be silent Look not every man on his own things but every man on the things of others And not tread down others that you may be great nor think of your own case and reasons only Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant c. This is the Pastors pattern Let him that is Greater than Christ refuse to stoop so low And his Canon for the Concord is ch 3. 13 14 15 16. To confess our selves imperfect seekers of perfection pressing forward for the prize Let as many as be perfect be thus minded This is your measure here and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing As if he said while you agree in true Christianity take it for granted that you will all have imperfection for I have so my self and therefore there will be different judgements in tolerable cases but let this be your Canon notwithstanding such difference while you press towards perfection walk by the Rule of Christian Love in searching after the will of God and mind with Concord the great things which you are all agreed to pursue And bear lovingly with each other in lesser differences and God in this way will teach you more § 19. The same doctrine he delivereth to the Colossians reprehending those that would lay Christian faith or Concord on their will-worship worldly rudiments and ordinances Touch not taste not handle not after the Commandments and doctrine of men in things which have a shew of wisdom in voluntary humility and neglecting the body in worshipping Angels and intruding into unseen things vainly pufft up by fleshly minds And instead of this he exhorteth them to hold the Head Christ who is the true wisdom and bond of unity and believe that in him they are complete and to take heed lest any spoil them of their faith love and concord by Philosophy pretending greater subtilty and vain deceit after the traditions of men and after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily in whom we are compleat And he instances in some such snares Let no man judge you in meat or drink or in respect of an holy day or new Moon or of the Sabbath which are a shadow of things to come c. that is Let no man bring you under such Laws and lay salvation or unity and Concord on them And ch 3. he largely sheweth that in the New Man there is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision or uncircumcision Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but Christ is all and in all And that the true bond of perfection is charity by which the peace of God must rule in their hearts that are called into One body And the subordinate Canons are bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so do ye § 20. If any say These are not precepts for Church-Governours but for subjects I answer still They are the precepts of the Holy Ghost by an Apostle that had more authority than any of our Church-Governours and that to all the Churches about their common duty unity and interest binding them and binding us even all the Churches § 21. It would seem tedious to recite all other texts to the same purpose His prohibitions of vain disputes and janglings about the Law and genealogies and his confining men to the common doctrine of Christianity and his warning men to preach no new or other doctrine may be seen in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus § 22. And it is much to be observed 1. That all the hereticks of those times pretended to greater wisdom and curiosity than the Christian Churches had and by such pretences brake their Concord as may be seen in all the Epistles especially Col. 2. Jam. 3. 2. And yet that whenever the Apostles or Christ himself Rev. 2. 3. censure any such hereticks to be forsaken and cast out it is never for any little matter but for denying some common article of the faith as Christs Incarnation the Resurrection c. or for some gross wicked doctrine and practice as fornication and eating things offered to idols or rebelling against Rulers c. Which shews what then were the terms of Church unity and by what Canons they were governed by Gods appointment § 23. I will add that one great warning of Paul which summeth up all 2. Cor. 11. 3. a prophesie of the deceit and corruption of the Churches would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly as proud corrupters account it and indeed bear with me For I am jealous over you with godly jealousie For I have espoused you to one husband and not to usurpers that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve though his subtilty flattering her with the hopes of higher knowledge so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Christianity is not a snare for mens wits but a way to their salvation It is a plain and simple thing though most mysterious 1. It consisteth of simplicity of doctrine a few great plain and necessary things and not of philosophical curious subtilties though it forbiddeth not but encourageth the utmost improvement of reason and true learning especially for method elucidation and defence 2. It is a simple and spiritual worship that it commandeth for God is a spirit and will be so worshipped in spirit and in truth The Schismaticks contended whether in this Mountain or at Jerusalem but Christ rebuked that contention 3. And it is a simple sort of Government or Discipline that Christ hath instituted commanding him that will be Greatest to seek his preeminence in being most
useful and humble as a servant unto all and not as the Rulers of the world to be called Benefactors and gracious Lords not as Lording it over Gods heritage but as examples to the flock Not smiting with the sword but leaving force to Civil Magistrates 4. And it is a simple conversation that Christ by his Law and example hath prescribed and his servants used This was Paul's rejoycing the testimony of his Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom he had his conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. Wisdom must go with innocency but it is not worldly carnal wisdom but such as consisteth in knowing God in Christ to be wise to salvation § 24. Now this fourfold Christian-simplicity Paul foresaw the Serpent on pretence of finer wit and subtilty would draw the Church to forsake till as Erasmus saith it became a point of wit to be a Christian and this would be and hath been the corruption of the Churches 1. The simplicity of Doctrine is turned by Councils and by other Dictators into multitudes of unnecessary and uncertain notions to say nothing of the false ones In the clear discovery of the sence and method of the sacred doctrine we must use our greatest skill and accurateness But salvation peace and concord is not to be laid on the fine elucidations and numerous articles of mens wits 2. The simplicity of Christian worship is corrupted and turned into such pageantry of Ceremonies and formalities to pass by much worse that spiritual worshippers find it exceeding unsuitable to them in much of the Christian world 3. And how far and dolefully the simplicity of Church-Government or Discipline is lost in more places than the Papal Kingdom needs not many words to tell him that can compare things old and new 4. And what wonder if the honest simplicity of Conversation perish with the rest and carnal interest and fraud and falshood and oppression reign by carnal wisdom Thus hath the subtile serpent corrupted the Churches by drawing them from the simplicity that is in Christ CHAP. III. III. The true terms of Catholick Vnity and Concord more particularly described as the principal means of hope for the Churches Peace § 1. THe false terms having been the engines of Schism and Church-distractions it is the opening of the true terms that must be the cure with which I shall begin because Rectum est index sui obliqui And here are distinctly to be laid down I. What are the terms of entering into Christian Catholick Church-Vnity and Communion II. What are the necessary terms of continuing it and what are the causes of abscission either by apostasie or excommunication III. What are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the sacred Ministry IV. What are the terms necessary to the constitution administration and Communion in single Churches V. What are the terms necessary to the concord of such single Churches among themselves as associated or corresponding for mutual help VI. And what is necessary to the civil peace and concord of Christians in Kingdoms Cities and Families Of these in order § 2. I. Nothing but Baptism truly received is necessary to entrance into the state of Vnion with the visible Church called Catholick or Vniversal § 3. I before shewed that Christ himself instituted the terms in the institution of Baptism and that herein all Christians are agreed The proof of this is so full that nothing but gross ignorance or wilfulness can make it a matter of doubt 1. In the fore-cited institution 2. In the constant judgement and practice of the Universal Church through all places and ages since the institution of baptism to this day 1. That Baptism hath been still used no one that knoweth Church history can deny 2. That it hath been used to this end to be the entrance into the Church universal and visible Christian state is an undenyable About Infant baptism the Anabaptists doubt But they also deny Infants to be Christians or Church-members and we prove to them both together by Christs command to Disciple Nations baptizing them They confess that Baptism is the Church-entrance as well as we 3. And all that are truly baptized persons are Christians or visible Church-members till they revolt or are cast out all the Christian world from the dayes of the Apostles are agreed 4. And as all visible Covenanters in baptism have been taken for visible Christians so all sincere heart-Covenanters have ever been supposed by the Church to have by Baptism a sealed and delivered pardon of sin and right to adoption and everlasting life All this is so evident that it is labour in vain to prove it that this hath been the constant consent of the Christian world and so continueth to this day And all that are Christians are still in all Countries thus baptized § 4. And if Baptism be the common symbol of Christianity and the common making of a visible Christian then it must needs be the constitutive term or qualification sufficient to mens first Church-Vnion and Communion which is commonly confessed § 5. If there be any place for contention here it must be only about the validity of mens Received baptism 1. As to the Minister and his part 2. As to the mode and Ceremonies 3. As to the qualification of the receiver or baptized § 6. I. As to the first though all be not agreed in point of Duty who should baptize yet so great a number of the Christian world are agreed as to the validity of baptism received de necessitate medii that the dissenters are so few as that we need not fear any great disagreement hereabout The very Romanists maintain the validity not only of the Baptism received by hereticks and wicked Priests and silenced and suspended Priests but also of Lay-men yea of women But de officio all are agreed that where it is possible a lawful Minister of Christ should do it Only a few Anabaptists say that it must be only one that was baptized at age himself And one or two Singularists whether in ignorance or design I know not think it the aptest medium to unchurch the Reformed Churches that they have no true Priests for want of due succession of ordination and consequently no true Sacraments because God owneth no Acts but such as are commissioned or appointed by him and consequently no Covenant and consequently no Covenant promise and benefits of pardon justification and salvation But this is after at large to be detected and confuted § 7. The great difficulty is of the necessary qualification of the baptized And there 1. the Anabaptists keep out Infants But besides Baptism and Church-membership they deny them no offices that their age is capable of And they are ready to receive them all by baptism as soon as they come to the use of due understanding And these delayes are but few in comparison And 1. the ancient Churches compelled none to be baptized but only received them that
to retain in Church-Communion multitudes of Infidels Adulterers Fornicators Perjured persons drunkards railers slanderers oppressours hereticks scorners at piety c. And it 's yet worse to cast out men for not subscribing to some lye false doctrine or wicked thing or for refusing down right heinous sin And yet worse is it to make Discipline an engine to dethrone Kings and embroile confound or subdue Kingdoms and enslave the earth § 50. The lower first degrees of Church-Government which is but doctrinally to teach men and reprove them all Pastors must use or they omit the essential work of their office But the full prosecution of it to excommunication or publick repentance is rather needful to the Well-being than to the Being of the Churches and Ministry especially when the Christian-Magistrate doth his part No doubt but the Magistrate may admonish a sinner and command him to make publick Confession in the Church and may shame the impenitent and forbid familiarity with him yea and Church-Communion when the case is notorious or judged by the Pastor But it is the Pastors office to judge of his crime impenitence and repentance in order to excommunication and absolution and herein the Magistrate is not to take on him the Pastors work but to command the Pastor and people to do their duties § 51. III. So much of the necessaries to the Being and Well being of the Ministry As to the exercise it may be gathered from what is said There is further necessary to it 1. Natural ability possibility liberty and opportunity and the peoples acceptance consent and reception 2. And as to the Well-being and success 1. The great diligence and skill of the Minister 2. The forwardness and teachableness and zeal and concord of the flock 3. The Concord of the Ministers and Neighbour Pastors 4. And the countenance and encouragement of faithful Magistrates will much promote it CHAP. VI. IV. What is necessary to the Constitution Administration and Communion of single Churches § 1. BY single and Particular Churches I still mean those that are compounded of many Christians but not of many Churches And I take not the word Church in any of the laâ—e senses for civil or occasional meetings or societies or for every religious concourse of Christians as a Synod an accidental day of fasting and prayer c. nor for a meer Community or neighbourhood of Christians nor for a Christian Kingdom or City governed by the Magistrates sword But for a proper Church as political consisting of Pastor and flock § 2. When the Apostles ordained them Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. it signifieth that they setled these Elders as the proper fixed Church-guides of those Churches Not that they had no Ministerial power elsewhere but that this was their proper special Charge or Province As a Licensed Physicion that hath a particular Hospital or City is a Physicion every where that he cometh and not breaking order may exercise his Art but he may not invade another mans Hospital or Province nor is bound as the other is to medicate that Hospital c. So a Minister of Christ lawfully invited may Preach and Administer Sacraments yea and Discipline in any other Church pro tempore not as a Lay-man but as a Minister in office But he is not bound to take the Charge of another mans flock nor may intrude disorderly but as a helper or on just call § 3. Titus is appointed to ordain such Elders in every City which is all one as in every Church not that every City then had a Church nor that he was to ordain Elders in the Cities that had no Churches nor that he was forbidden to ordain Elders in Countrey Villages Nor that he was tyed either to ordain many Elders in every Church or City or yet to ordain but One in one City or one Church But because de facto there were few or no Villages then that had Christians enow to make a Church of desirable consistence therefore they were congregate commonly in Cities and great Towns where the Christians of the neighbour Villages joyned with them § 4. Every such single Church then by the Apostles order had their own Pastor one or more and every such fixed Pastor knew his proper Charge and flock And in the time when the Epistles of Ignatius were written every such Church had One Bishop over the other Elders and usually some fellow Elders and Deacons and a single undivided Church was known by these notes of Unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In every Church there is one Altar or Altar place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyters and Deacons Whence Mr. Mede well noteth the certainty that then no Church of one Altar was denyed a Bishop and no Bishop had more Churches with an Altar than one That is no other Assembly for stated Communion § 5. Yet occasional and subordinate Communion parts of a Church may hold Those called Independents deny not but that in persecution or for want of a large room the same Church may meet by parts in several places at once And all confess that a Parish Church may admit of Chapels and Oratories where distant and weak persons may frequently meet that yet sometimes must come to the Parish Church And families that have sick persons may Communicate with neighbours joyning with them But these are not Churches but parts of such § 6. God hath not said just how many persons must make a single Church no more and no less determinately but he hath given us sufficient notice to guide us by the work and end and by his general precepts and examples § 7. A single Church is a society of Christians of Divine institution consisting of one Pastor or more as the Guiding part and a competent number of private Christians as the Guided part associated by Consent for personal presential holy Communion and mutual assistance in holy Doctrine holy worship of God holy order and holy Conversation for the edification preservation and salvation of that Church and the welfare of the Church universal of which it is a part and the Glorifying and Pleasing of God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier § 8. To open the parts of this definition observe 1. That as in defining a Sacrament so in defining a Church we mention the Divine Institution because it is not human Sacraments or humanly-invented Churches that we treat of § 9. 2. Note that only Christians make a Christian Church as is oft said Professed Christians the visible Church and sincere heart consenters the mystical regenerated saved Church § 10. 3. It is not any other company of Christians but a society or Governed association that we speak of as strictly called a Church § 11. 4. The Pastors and flock are the essential constitutive parts It may be a Community without a Pastor but not a Policie or Ecclesiastical Society While the Pastor liveth it is such a Church in esse existente when the
Pastor is dead it is an existent Community and virtually and morally a Political Church because by the Law and the peoples resolution another is to be seasonably chosen As an elective Kingdom in the interregnum is virtually and morally a Kingdom But if the purpose of chosing a Successour be changed the Kingdom and so the Church is dissolved or changed into somewhat else § 12. 5. It is indifferent to the being though not usually to the well-being of a Church whether it have one Pastor or many § 13. 6. The number of the people though not precisely determined must be competent to the Ends of the Society If it be Greater or smaller than is necessary to the Ends it is no Church of this defined species As Logicians say of the subject of other relations If a Boat or Ship be no bigger than a spoon it is not a Boat or Ship but equivocally And it may be so big as to be no Boat or Ship when it is uncapable of the Ends. A Family is too small to be a City And a Kingdom or the world is too big Dispositio materiae est necessaria ad receptionem formae § 14. 7. It is impossible to be a Church without the cement of Consent professed or cordial If many be forced into a Temple not consenting it is a Prison and they are not a Church If they consent only to meet on other occasions or for some occasional act of Religion it is not thereby made a Church If they be commanded to consent and do not and if it only be their duty it maketh them not a Church but only proveth that they ought to be one No Law or command maketh a Church without Consent But this Consent may be divers waies expressed The plainest most obliging way is best but is not absolutely necessary In some times and cases it may be more needful than at others especially at the first gathering and forming of a Church sometime ordinary Communion or attendance specially of persons born in that Church may signifie necessary Consent It 's pity then that men should be so weak as some to make express Covenanting of each member with the Church and Pastor necessary and others to deride it when it is laudable ad bene esse but not necessary ad esse But some signification of Consent is necessary ad esse that is A Consent to be a member of the society and submit to the Pastor and hold Communion with the Church to the Ends in the definition And the plainer this is exprest it is the fitter to satisfie the Church and oblige the person But whether the Consent be signified by words writings or deeds is undetermined No man can have the great priviledges of a member either of the universal or particular Church against or without his will and consent And no Minister not consenting can be a Pastor to any The Relation of a Church member consisteth in a Right to great benefits due to no refuser or unwilling person and in obligation to duty contracted by Consent besides the obligation of Gods Command We can no further prove any Company of Christians to be a Church than we can prove that they Consent to Church relation for Church Ends. § 15. Christianity it self consisteth in a believing Consent to the Covenant of Grace and as no man is a Christian nor hath right to Christ and his saving benefits without Consent so no man can have right to the Sacraments that seal and deliver this Covenant and benefits without consent No Christian in his wits is for the Baptizing of any adult person that consenteth not And the Lords Supper is a seal of the same Covenant and no more due to non-consenters than Baptism And as it is not enough to say I am willing to be Baptized but not by a Minister or not in the order appointed by Christ so it is not enough to say I would have the Sacrament and Communion with the Church but I will not submit to the Ministry Doctrine Worship or Discipline of that Church For this is as great a contradiction as to say I will be a servant to you but I will not work or obey but only have my wages or I will be a Soldier but I will not fight but be paid He that will have Communion with the Church must consent to the Ministry Worship and Discipline of that Church in which Communion consisteth § 16. And if a Minister shall be so imposed on as that any man or woman may come when they please and force him to give them the Sacrament of Communion without consenting to take him for their Pastor or to be taught or guided by him yea or give him satisfactory notice that they know what the Sacrament is or who Christ is he is a slave and not a Pastor Baser than any School-master Philosopher or Physicion that are not forced to take a Scholar Pupil or Patient against their will or that will not take them for their Teacher or Physicion and obey them § 17. Yet if on this pretence any Bishop or Pastor will impose unnecessary Covenants promises or professions on the Church or any Christians and make their wills a Law and oblige men to give them any other Belief or Obedience than truly belongeth to the Pastoral Office and so will set up a tyranny instead of a Christian Ministry they are not herein to be obeyed lest we be guilty of the corruption § 18. Yea if every integral part of the Pastors power and the peoples duty be put into such Promises or Contracts and the people required to profess their Consent as a necessary condition of their Communion it is sinful tyranny contrary to Gods Law and common reason and the constant practice of the Primitive Church Christ himself requireth unto Baptism no other Consent as necessary save to the essentials of Religion A thousand Integrals may be unknown to the Baptized and are so to most Christians It is our duty never to think speak or do amiss But Christ maketh not such duty necessary to our Baptism Christianity or Church Communion It is the duty of every member of a single Church to hear believe and obey the Pastor in many things where the best may fail To excommunicate a man therefore for not subscribing or professing assent to some unnecessary doubtful form for not being convinced by a Lay-Chancellours sayings in a doubted case or for not paying the Court Fees or for not appearing the day that one is summoned to appear at the Chancellours Court and such like are but tyrannical Schismatical acts The King himself is satisfied with the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie and doth not require all the subjects no nor the wisest Lawyers or Judges to swear subscribe or profess that they assent and consent to all the Laws of the land § 19. 8. The great Controversie of the age and many ages is about the true and formal difference between the lowest species of Churches which
is called A particular or single Church and an association of Churches or a compound Church That we may not confound them nor make a meer gradual difference in the same species to pass for a specifick difference And there is more lyeth on this than most observe And therefore I determine it here in the definition 1. It is commonly granted that there must be Christian Assemblies fixed for ordinary Communion in Gods worship 2. And it is agreed that these Assemblies cannot be held without the officiating and conduct of Ministers of Christ authorized to teach and administer the Sacraments Though there be also another sort of assemblies even for some Religious exercises which may be held by Princes Judges and other Lay-men 3. And it is by Grotius and many others manifested that Christ formed his Churches more to the similitude of the Synagogue than the Temple state of order and worship 4. And it is agreed that though Apostles Evangelists and other itinerant Preachers might gather Sacred Assemblies where they came and were as transient temporary Pastors to them yet the Apostles were guided by the Spirit to settle Elders in every Church as is proved before But here men make a great and distracting Controversie 1. Whether this first Church-species may not consist of many Congregations yea many hundreds or thousands 2. And whether every Church of the lowest species must have a Bishop § 20. To decide this Controversie I do in the definition express the specification of this Church relation from the End as all such kind of relations must be It must be a fixed association of Christians for personal presential Communion and assistance in holy doctrine worship c. This definition is necessary and herein sufficient 1. It is necessary that a difference be noted between a single Church and a Composition of Churches Because 1. Several ends shew us that they are not univocaly called Churches but are of several sorts 2. The first is past controversie of Divine institution The other are by some men taken for Divine by some for Lawful humane and by some for sinful inventions and additions to Gods appointed order Things that so much differ must be differenced 2. It is sufficient as 1. Assigning the true specifying end 2. and avoiding all extreams 1. It assigneth the true end For that Churches of such a sort for that end were settled by the Apostles none deny 2. It justly differenceth them from all other societies 1. There may be occasional meetings of Part of a Church for want of room or liberty in private houses Chapels or Oratories Independents Presbyterians and Diocesans grant this But these still acknowledge themselves to be but parts of a larger society consenting to the same specifying ends and assembling sometimes with that larger body and sometimes apart by reason of impediments age weakness distance weather persecution c And though a Parish as many have far more than can meet at once together yet 1. Still the ends of the association is for that sort of Communion 2. Some of a family may meet one day and some another and some a third 3. Every error and corruption altereth not the species of the Church The individuals that fail and absent themselves make not Parochial Communion to be another thing for other ends A Parochial Church then is the lowest and first true species of Churches 2. And this distinguisheth it from all Compound Churches which are not for Present Ordinary Communion in publick worship and Discipline but only for Distant Communion by Officers Delegates or Letters 1. A Synod is for Consultation and not purposely congregated for ordinary Communion in worship and the Churches which send their Bishops or Pastors thither have not personal presential Communion one with another ever the more but only mediate by Delegates or Officers They may dwell a thousand miles or more from one another If all the Schoolmasters in several Kingdoms should hold Provincial National or much larger Synods for agreement in Teaching and Governing their Schools this would not confound such a Synod with a School as if they were of the same Species of society 2. This distinguisheth a single Church from the Papal pretended universal policy And from a Patriarchal Church and from a Provincial and a Diocesan Church in the sense now used For these are compounded of several single Churches and they are not a society at all associated for ordinary personal presential Communion in Gods worship and holy living Only they are all under one General Governour not using to meet themselves nor ever seeing one another Now if to be under one absent General Bishop be that which specifyeth a single or particular Church then All that called the Roman Catholick Church is but one single Church compounded of no Churches Or one Patriarchal or Provincial or National Church were the lowest species and a single Church and so the Diocesans were none But if that which maketh it a single Church of the lowest species were that no Bishop is under them but that they are under one sole Bishop then 1. If all England had but one Bishop as many tell us all Abassia hath but one called the Abunah or if a Patriarch put down all the Bishops under him this Church of his would be but a single Church 2. And then there would be no such thing as a Church associated for personal presential Communion which I have proved that the Apostles by the spirit settled § 21. Those that tell us that a Diocesan Church is the first or lowest species of Divine institution do either mean by a Diocess such a society as we now call a Parish associated for presential Communion or a Church made of many such associated under one Bishop If the first they differ only about the name in which they go against our common use and are not intelligible by the vulgar Though in old Church writers a Diocess is sometimes taken as greater than a Province and sometime as less and a Parish and a Diocess are sometimes used for the same and sometime not yet that diversity of naming hindreth us not from knowing the difference of the things either as defined or as commonly now denominated a Parish Church and a Diocess And if their meaning be to prove that single Churches essentiated by their Association for Present personal Communion are not of Gods institution no intelligent impartial Christians will believe them who understand the Scripture and the state of the primitive Churches and the reason of the thing Did men believe this they would believe that Christ had instituted no Church order or form at all Much less being to be said for the rest than this And even those few that say that no form of Church Government is settled by God do yet grant that setled congregations for ordinary worship and mutual help with their guiding Pastors are of Divine right and so confute themselves unless they mean only that Pastoral Government of compounded Churches
will say You shall not communicate with us unless you will swear or say or do some unnecessary thing it is he then that is the divider and unjustly casteth out a Christian CHAP. VII What are the necessary terms of Concord of these single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers § 1. THat they be under the Government of a Christian Magistrate is necessary to the well-being or great advantage of them though not to the being of which more in due place § 2. That they live as neighbour Churches in Unity of faith and love and avoid all things contrary and to their power help each other according to need and opportunity is their duty § 3. It is necessary that they agree in all things necessary to the communion of men as members of the Church universal mention'd before and in all things essential to particular Churches § 4. If any one excommunicated justly for heresie apostasie or impenitence in any crimes shall offer to defile and endanger any other Church by intrusion or deceit the Church which cast him out is bound by the Laws of Love and Concord to send notice to such endangered neighbour Churches of the person and his case to prevent their hurt And unless the Church that cast him out have criminally forfeited their credit other Churches are bound by the Law of Charity to take their sentence as probably just and not to receive the ejected person till he have either proved his sentence unjust or profess repentance Not that they are bound absolutely to exclude him and deny him audience though yet they claim no superiority over the Church that excommunicated him but as neighbours and parts of the same Church universal they must hear both sides before they deny any Christian communion that claimeth it at least when his allegations have great probability of truth and seem to weigh down all that they have received against him And they may absolve the Criminal upon a just profession of true repentance but such a prosession will not stand with a refusal to confess in the same Church where the man sinned without some special probable reason it being that Church which is most wronged by the scandal and hath heard the causes § 5. If any Church in the same Kingdom or another be accused of violating the Christian faith or of any crime which Christians are bound to disown by avoiding the criminal it is the duty of the accused Church to be ready to satisfie the offended Churches by answering the accusation not as to Rulers by the reasons of obedience but as to Christian neighbours by the rule of common equity and love and for the preservation of unity and peace § 6. If the charge be but general that the Church is guilty of heresie or unsoundness in the faith it is the duty of the accused Church to send to the offended the Profession of their Faith and Religion which need to be no more than this which the offended ought to take as satisfactory We hereby profess that we stand to our Baptismal Covenant fiducially believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and give up our selves to him accordingly in these Relations Believing the articles of all the Creeds in which the universal Church ever agreed and desiring the things contained in the Lords Prayer and consenting to obey the ten Commandements as delivered to us in nature and by Christ and we profess our obligation and Consent to Believe Love and obey all that we do or shall understand to be the revealed word of God even the sacred Canonical books of Scripture and in this common Belief and Love and practice to livein the Communion of the unniversal Church of Christ Renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh as they are enemies to any of this and all doctrines desires and practices contrary hereunto so far as unfeignedly to endeavour to resâ—â—t and overcome them and when we 〈◊〉 and sin to rise by true repentance And all this in Hope of the Love of God the Father the Grace of the Son in our Pardon Justification and Adoption and the Communion of the Holy Ghost and of the Perfection of these and of our selves with the Church in everlasting Glory This may be briefly exprest in Baptism and to present persons that may receive our explications where they doubt of our understanding or sincerity But to distant suspecting persons or Churches such largeness is useful and this is enough § 7. But if any particular heresie or crime be charged on a neighbour Church it is not to be believed without proof nor they to be disclaimed till the charge be sent to them and their defence be heard And herein they ought to offer satisfaction to the offended Church 1. By denying the charge if false 2. By explaining words and actions which are ambiguous and to be suspected 3. In controverted cases by renewing the foresaid profession of all that is necessary explicitely to be held and promising to renounce any opinion or practice as soon as they perceive it contrary thereto 4. And in all cases of words or deeds expressly contrary to Gods doctrine or Law or which they shall be convinced to be sinfull to confess the errour or crime and humbly crave the prayers of the Church for pardon and profess their purpose of future reformation This is the means and this is enough for the offenders satisfaction And if the errour be no real and discerned denyal of any necessary article of faith but an undiscerned remote consequential contrariety with which the professed holding of that particular necessary article which they seem to overthrow may stand that Church or person is not to be rejected from Communion or hereticated For instance If a Church be accused to be Nestorians or Eutychians or Monothelites their answer ought to be Mary is the Mother of Christ who is God and in that sense of God but not of the Deity or as God And Christs Naâ—ures Wills and operations are two as distinct but not two as divided But if they have not so much easie skill to explain themselves but say rudely as Nestorius I will not say that God was two or three months old or as Cyril and Eutychius and Dioscorus Christs natures were two before the Union but since One and not Two if withal they prosess that they believe Christ to be true God and true man in one person and do not destroy deny or confound the Godhead and manhood or any other essential point of faith or religion they ought not to be hereticated or rejected § 8. No Church hath power or duty to deny any other Communion to another Church or person but such as they had power to grant them But to remote persons or Churches never seen by them as in other lands or Countries they can grant them no Presential local Communion but only Mental Therefore they can eject them from none but mental They
such bloody work as hath been made by Bishops Councils and Emperors for the suppressing of dissenters What hath been done at Alexandria Antioch Constantinople Jerusalem Rome I have elsewhere shewed The late publisher of his travels in Egypt Vaneslup a Roman they say a Jesuite tells us that Egypt is deprived of her ancient sort of inhabitants destroyed for following Dioscorus and that Justinian killed no less than two hundred thousand of them I believe not his number But if this be true the tyrannical hereticaters are the Pikes in the pond and a far more bloody and devouring sort of men than most of those that they destroy as intolerable 3. But it is not yet divers Religions that is the subject in dispute every different opinion or practice or diversity in some small point in Religion is not a divers Religion He knoweth not what Religion is that thinketh that there are as many different Religions as there are controversies among religious persons In a word Bear a little or you must bear more § 8. Obj. 8. But the tolerated will seduce the ignorant and poison Souls And therefore are no more to be tolerated than murderers souls being more precious than bodies Answ 1. Who have poisoned the Church and souls with more errors and more palpable than the Papists who are most against Toleration 2. The meerly Tolerated being discountenanced by Authority have less advantage to deceive men than the Approved if as erroneous 3. We plead for restraining men from poisoning souls by dangerous doctrines and not for tolerating that But every dissenter or mistaking person is not such a poisoner of souls 4. The Tolerated speaking in publick are more responsible and more easily convicted of their fault than those that do it secretly where there are no witnesses And this your violence cannot hinder 5. As their errors will be openly known so you have advantage openly to confute them and to keep the people right § 9. Obj. 9. But dissenting teachers will unsay what the Approved Teachers say and hinder their work and steal the hearts of the people from them and make their calling bur densome to them Answ 1. They are to be restrained from preaching against any great sure necessary doctrine or practice 2. Christ never sent out his Ministers with a supposition that none should contradict them but with that light and strength which which was to overcome contradiction Do you so debase and disgrace your selves and your religion as to think or say that it cannot prosper if any be but suffered to speak against you 3. Doth the work of Christ afford you no more comfort than shall leave you thus burdened if any will but gainsay you How unlike Christs Ministers or Christians do you speak 4. Have not you that have sound doctrine Gods promise the Rulers countenance maintenance and honour much more to support you than they that are supposed to have none of these 5. If you tolerate not their open preaching their secret endeavours and your seeming cruelty together will alienate more from you and make you not only neglected but abhorred § 10. Obj. 10. The number of the erroneous will increase by a toleration Answ And the number of the ungodly that will say swear or do any thing for worldly respects will increase by your mistaken way of suppressing them 2. It is better that tolerated honest Christians erring in tolerable cases do increase than that they be banished or destroyed and a worldly Ministry thereby lift up abhorred by the religious and heading the malignant and prophane against all serious piety 3. Violence and Tyranny against good men for tolerable error hath already increased that same error more than wiser means would have done and hath introduced worse 4. We have found where I lived in Worcestershire and the neighbouring Counties Warwickshire Staffordshire and Shropshire in the late times of liberty in Religion that an unanimous humble able diligent Ministry frequently and lovingly consulting and all agreeing did more effectually suppress heresie error and schism than violence ever did or would have done The next Parish to me had a grave learned sober Anabaptist B. of D. that had great advantages and yet almost all our flocks were kept from the infection In my own Charge a great Parish of many thousand souls where I was above 14. years we had no one separate assembly nor one sectary that I remember save two or three apostate Infidels or Socinians and two or three Papists A faithful agreeing Ministry with the advantage of a good cause we found sufficient to shame all the Sectaries and frustrate most of their endeavours and to keep the people unanimous and right § 11. Obj. 11. If every one that will may set up for a preacher and gather a congregation or if the ignorant people shall all choose their own Teachers we shall have ignorance error and confusion Answ 1. I told you that every one that will may not turn preacher The Tolerated are to pass their proper tryal as well as the Approved before they receive their Toleration 2. The Churches commonly chose their own Bishops or Pastors for near a thousand years after Christ or had a Negative consenting voice at least And many Canons did confirm it yea and decrees of the Popes themselves yea when the Popes and Emperours in Germany the Henries c. strove about the investing power it was yet granted that the people should have their electing or free conrsenting power continued And no man can be really their Pastor till they consent And your contrary course will make worse work 3. Our way is of all other the safest Two or three locks keep the Churches treasure safest We say none shall be approved but by three parties consent nor Tolerated but by two or three The Ordainers are to consent to him as a Minister and the people as their Minister and the Magistrate as a Tolerated Minister or if any unordained be tolerated which I determine not at least the People and the Ruler must consent and that upon a just testimonial of his ability Piety and fitness for such toleration 4. And yet we speak this but of Pastors not denying but Teachers and Catechizers may be imposed on children infidels and others that are not in Communion with any particular Church § 12. Obj. 12. You would have the Church Articles at least for the Tolerated in Scripture phrase And what 's the phrase without the right sence How easily may Hereticks creep in under such phrases as several men put several sences on Answ 1. Is there not Truth enough in all the Bible in intelligible words necessary to salvation and Church Communion Is the Scripture as insufficient as the Papists make it without their supplemental Traditions or Decrees And had not the Holy Ghost skill to speak even things necessary in tolerable intelligible phrase who are they that are wiser to reform it 2. Almost all words are ambiguous and may be diversly understood your own
invented expositions will be as liable to be wrested by Hereticks as the Scripture It is ridculous presumption to talk of making any Law profession or Articles that a false Heretick may not subscribe to 3. But there is another remedy against them while they conceal their heresie they are no Hereticks in the judgment of the Church Non apparere here is as non esse when they divulge it the judicatures must correct them It 's vanity to dream that the Law is faulty as long as it is but such as men can break or that any Law can be made which none can break But as they break them they are to be judged 4. And we must not rack and divide the good for fear of such letting in the bad The Churches Concord and peace is of more regard than the keeping out of some secret Heretick yea of old he was not called a Heretick that did not separate from the Church All good men agree to the word of God but all will not agree to every word of yours § 13. I conclude In humane affairs there is nothing without imperfection weakness and incommodity and to pretend the cure of these by impossibilities or mischiefs is the way of such as these Thirteen hundred years have been the true schismaticks and distracters of the Church CHAP. X. A draught or specimen of such Forms as are before mentioned for the Approved and the Tolerated Ministers § 1. TThis Chapter should have gone before the ninth But I thought to pass it by lest it seem presumptuous But the observation how ordinarily men miscarry in this work hath perswaded me to run the hazard of mens censures § 2. 1. The form to be subscribed by the Approved Ministry I A. B. do seriously as in the sight of God profess that as I have been in Baptism devoted by the sacred Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are his enemies so I do unfeignedly Believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and consent still to that Covenant in hope of the grace and Glory promised obliging my self to continue by the help of that grace in Faith Love and sincere obedience to the end More particularly § 3. I. I do unfeignedly Believe 1. That there is one Only God an infinite Spirit of Life understanding and will most perfectly powerful wise and good incomprehensibly Three in One and One essence in Three called persons or subsistences by the Church the Father the Word and the Spirit of whom and through whom to whom are all things he being the Creator preserver Governour and the ultimate End of all Our absolute owner our most just Ruler and our most gracious and amiable Father and benefactor 2. I believe that this God created all the world things invisible and visible And made man in his own Image forming a fit Body and breathing into it a spirit of Life understanding and will fitted and obliged to know love and serve his Creator giving him the inferior Creatures for this use making him their Owner their Governour and their End under God But specially forbidding him to eat of the Tree of knowledge on pain of death 3. The woman being tempted by Satan and the man by the woman both fell by wilful sin from their Holiness Innocency and Happiness into a state of Pravity Guilt and misery under the slavery of the Devil world and flesh under Gods vindictive Justice and the condemnation of his Law Whence sinful corrupted guilty and miserable natures are propagated to all mankind And no meer Creature is able to deliver us § 4. II. I believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son to be their Saviour Who being God and one with the Father took our Nature and became man being conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary named Jesus the Christ who was perfectly holy without sin fulfilling all righteousness and being tempted overcame the Devil and the world and after a life of humiliation gave himself a sacrifice for our sins by suffering a cursed death on the Cross to ransome us and reconcile us unto God and was buryed and descended to Hades and conquering death the third day he rose again And having sealed the New Covenant with his blood he commanded his Apostles to preach the Gospel to all the world and promised the Holy Ghost and after forty daiesascended into heaven where he is God and man the glorified Head over all things to his Church all power being given him in heaven and earth our prevailing Intercessor with God the Father to present us our service acceptable to God and communicate Gods grace and mercies unto us to Teach us Govern protect and judge us and to save and bless and glorifie us § 5. 2. By the new Testament Covenant or Law of grace God through the aforesaid Mediation of Jesus Christ doth freely give to fallen mankind Himself to be their Reconciled God and Father his Son to be their Saviour and his holy Spirit to be their sanctifier and comforter if they will accordingly believe and accept the gift and by faithful covenant give up themselves to him in these Relations Repenting of their sins and consenting to forsake the Devil the world and the flesh so far as they are enemies to God and their salvation and sincerely to obey Christ his Laws and his Spirit to the end bearing the Cross and following him though through sufferings that they may reign with him in Glory All which God will faithfully perform § 6. III. I Believe that God the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and from or by the son was given to the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to be their infallible Guide in preaching and recording the doctrine of salvation and to be the great witness of Christ and his truth by his manifold Divine operations And that he is given to quicken illuminate and sanctifie all true believers and to save them from the Devil the world and the fleshes temptations from sin and from spiritual misery And that the Holy Scriptures indited by this Spirit are to be believed loved and obeyed as the word of God § 7. 2. I believe that all who by true Consent are devoted to God in the foresaid Baptismal Covenant and so continue are one sanctified Church or Body of Christ and have Communion in the same spirit of faith and Love and have forgiveness of their sins and having one God one Christ one spirit one faith one Baptism and one Hope of Heavenly Glory are bound to keep this unity of the spirit in the bond of peace in the Doctrine worship order and conversation and mutual helps which Christ hath by himself or his Apostles commanded avoiding uncharitable contentions divisions injuries and offences And that the Baptized Covenanters and external Professors of the foresaid Covenant consent are the visible
renounced by Ministers but to lie before the Church Rulers to tell them what to forbid Ministers to preach and moderately and wisely to rebuke or restrain the offenders as wisdome shall direct them according to the quality of the persons and the offence and their frequency obstinacy or impenitency in offending Not that every one should be ejected or silenced that holdeth or preacheth any one such errour but only those who consideratis considerandis are found to do more harm than good The Third Part OF SCHISM OR The False Dividing Terms and Means OF UNITY and PEACE CHAP. I. What Schism is and what are its Causes and Effects Sect. I. SCHISM or Divisions among Christians is by the Common Confession of all Christians a sin against God and a dishonour and hurt and danger to the Church but especially to the guilty But what it is and who are the guilty men are not so much agreed on Each Party laying it upon the other and one taking that for Damnable Schism which another taketh for his greatest Duty And while the guilty are no better known the Division is continued and few repent Sect. II. SCHISM or Division or Rents among Christians is considerable I. As to the Agents when it is by 1. Many 2. Few 1. The Pastors or Rulers 2. The People either 1. The Learned 2. The Ignorant II. The Terminus as it is dividing 1. In a Church and not from it 1. From their Government 1. Of one 2. Of More 1. Few 2. Many 1. Sound 2. Unsound 3. From the Universal Church 2. Communion 2. From a Church III. The Act As 1. In kind 2. In degree which both are either 1. Inward 1. Of Mind 1. Dividing Opinions 1. Of Doctrines 1. Of Faith 2. Practice 1. Worship 2. Conversation 2. Of Persons by consent 2. Ignorance of necessary means of Unity 2. Of will and passion 1. Wrath and uncharitableness 1. To things 2. Persons 2. Love to 1. Division 2. Dividers 2. Outward by 1. Words 1. Of Persons 1. Single 1. Rulers 2. People 2. Collective the Church 2. Things of 1. Doctrine 2. Practice 1. Towards God 2. Towards Men 2. Deeds 1. Separating 1. Morally by merit 2. Actually 2. Promoting Schism 1. Drawing Others 2. Resisting 1. Uniting Persons 2. Uniting Means Doctrine Acts IV. The Effects 1. On Christians 1. Single 1. The Dividers 2. Others viz. 1. Pastors 2. People 1. Weak 2. Strong 2. Collective 1. That Church 2. Other Churches 1. Church 2. State 3. Families 2. On those without 1. Unbelievers 2. Enemies All these things should here distinctly be considered A large Scheme of the Causes Nature and Effects of Schism and Contentions with the Remedies c. I have prefixed to my Book called Catholick Theology Sect. III. Of all the sins that men charge on one another there is none used by Accusers more partially and less regardably than the charge of Heresie and Schism the words usually signifying no more but that the accused differ in judgment from the accusers and are not so obedient to them in matters of Religion as they expect Insomuch that whoever can but get uppermost or get the major Vote doth usually make it his advantage to call himself Orthodox and Catholick and all Dissenters Hereticks and Schismaticks By which means Heresie and Schism are greatly promoted while many that else would hate and oppose them are tempted by this usage to take the words to be but proud mens reproach of the innocent Sect. IV. The full opening of all the parts of Schism will be a work so long as may tire the Reader I will therefore first give some notice of them transiently and briefly and then examine some things that are by others supposed to be the Causes and shew how uncapable divers means are of being terms of real Union and Concord which some men venditate as the only or necessary terms Sect. V. 1. A Schism made by Many is in some repects worse than by Few and in some not all so bad The sins of many hath more guilt than of one Their ill success is like to be greater Those will fall in with the multitude who would despise a singular tempter The Donatists prevailed in Africa by their number It seemeth by their Bishops in their Councils that they were the greater part It is not impossible for the far greater number to be the Schismaticks But yet the guilt of singularity is more upon a single Separatist or few that dare separate from the whole or most of the Churches Sect. VI. 2. The Bishops and Pastors are liable to the sin of Schism as well as the ignorant people Yea as Mutinies seldom happen in an Army at least to any great danger unless they be headed by some Commander so seldom hath there been any Heresie or Schism in the Church of which some Bishops have not been the Leaders or Chief Promoters since Bishops were great in the world at least and before they or some Elders were the Chief To instance in Paulus Samosit Apollinarius Novatus and his followers Maximinus and the Donatists Nestorius Dioscorus Severus and the multitudes more which Church-History mentioneth and which made up the Councils at Ephes 2. Arrinene Sinnium Milan divers at Constantinople Alexandria and multitudes more would be but to suppose my Reader a stranger to such History which here I must not do for then I cannot expect that he should take my word Sect. VII It is a far greater sin in Bishops and Pastors to be Schismaticks than in the People because they are supposed to know more the Good of Concord and the Means and the Mischiefs of Schism and the Causes and Remedies And it is their Office to be the Preachers of Unity and Peace and to save the People from the temptations which would draw them into such guilt Sect. VIII Bishops and Pastors have greater temptations to Schism than the People and therefore have been so frequent in the guilt especially Pride and Covetousness in them hath stronger Faith And 1. Striving who shall be Greatest and have Rule 2. Who shall be thought Wisest and most Orthodox have been the cause of most of the Schisms in the world And 3. Sometimes especially with the Presbyters and People it hath been who shall be thought the Best and Holiest persons But the two former have done much more than this Goodness being that which corrupt nature doth not so much contend for or the reputation of Holiness as for Greatness and Wisdom the commoner baits of Pride Therefore Controversies and Power and Riches have been the usual matters of Dissension Sect. IX 3. True Learning tendeth to prevent and end Controversies which Ignorance cherisheth as it did with the Egyptian Monks that turned Anthropomorphites But a smattering in Learning which amounts not to solidity and a settled mind is the common cause of Heresies and Schism while praters must needs be taken for wise and to know more than others while they know nothing as they ought to know
all 21. What if a thousand honest weak Men mistake and think that the things imposed as necessary to their Sacramental Communion are great Sins and it be not so as our Doubts against Conformity are thought to be Mistakes yea the Anabaptists Error Can he prove that all such are damning Errors for want of Sacraments 22. Gods Oath is also to confirm our Faith And if a Man may be saved that beâ—ieveth Gods 〈◊〉 and knoweth not of his Oath why not he that believeth it and knoweth not of the Sacrament 23. Doth not his Doctrine make the Priests the absolute Lords of all Mens Souls that can deny Salvation to any or all Men by denying them the Sacrament Is this the sense of their having the Power of the Keys 24. Is not this abuse of Tibi dabo Claves and the office of Key-bearing the knack by which Popes have subdued Kings and Kingdoms 25. Is not the Argument which this Man manageth against the Reformed Churches to prove them â—o Churches and to have no Ministery and Sacrament the Achilles of the Papists in which is their chief coâ—fidence but often baffled as by Voetius against Jarâ—nius aforesaid 26. Nay the Papists themselves are far more moderate than this Man for they take a Laymans Baptism yea a Womans to be sufficient to salvation when this Man denieth it of all the most learned and holy Pastors that have not uninterrupted Episcopal Ordination 27. Bishops have too oft conspired to corrupt Gods Sacraments witness the Lateran Council sub Innc. 3. and to interdict Kingdoms and oppress Princes and People and may do so again And have the People no remedy against them 28. A Minister justly ordained and unjustly suspended or silenced by a Bishop hath more authority than Laymen and their Sacraments are not Nullities by the Romanists Confession 29. Is not this Mans Doctrine far grosser than Cyprians and the Africans yea the Dâ—natists that denied the validity of Heretick Baptism 30. A Lay-Chancellor in these mens judgments useth the Keys of Excommunication and Absolution validly and yet are not the Sacraments or Ordination of the Reformed Churches aforesaid valid 31. Surrogate Priests by the Bishops consent validly Excommunicate that are no Bishops 32. No People can be sure by this Mans Rule that they have Sacraments or shall be saved except by faâ—lible presumption not knowing that their Priest hath uninterrupted successive Ordination 33. When your presumptuous Ordination is discovered to be Null must all the People be Re-baptized 34. The Church of England giveth none the Lords Supper till 16 years old Doth it become absolutely necessary to Salvation just at that Age and not before 35. The Burial Office pronounceth all saved that never Communicated so they be Baptized and not Excommunicate nor kill themselves 36. What work would this Man make for Rebaptizers if all the Protestanâ—s of all Nations must be Re-baptized that have not the foresaid Ordination 37. Is it suitable to the description of God and his grace in Scripture to believe that he layeth all mens Salvation upon Sacraments performed by men Ordained as he describeth 38. Are not we Reproached Silenced Ministers as like to be good Protestants as such men as this that say that 1. The Reformed Churches that have not Episcopal Ordination from uninterrupted Succession are no true Churches 2. Have no true Ministers 3. Nor true Sacraments 4. Nor part in the Covenant of Grace 5. Nor hope of Salvation by promise from God 6. That their Ministery and Sacraments is the Sin against the Holy Ghost 7. That the Church of Rome hath this uninter rupted Succession as he tells me 8. That as will hence follow the French Protestant were better turn Papists than be as they are Sect. XXXI There are as many and greater Objections that I should lay before him about his Doctrine of an Universal Church-Policy and that sort of Episcopacy which he rather supposeth than proveth necessary and such other Points But I will no more tire the Reader herein Sect. XXXII All the definition of the Protestant Religion that I can extort from him is Communicating with the Church of England and those that it holds communion with 1. And so did the Papists saith Dr. Heylin in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign till the Pope forbad them 2. The Church of England never renounced Communion with the Reformed Churches which he renounceth 3. A particular Church is no Standard of Religion Nor England more than the rest Sect. XXXIII If he renounce Communion with all these Reformed Churches and with the Romans also what a Separatist is this Man and how narrow is his Communion and into how small a number hath he reduced the Universal Church If neither Papists nor any Churches that have not Ordination from uninterrupted Succession be parts of the Catholick Church it is very little if not invisible Sect. XXXIV He thus teacheth almost all the Christian world instead of Love and Concord to Unchurch Unchristen and Condemn each other The Romans on such accounts already Unchurch all the rest The rest will far more easily prove that Simony Heresie uncalled Popes uncapable ones and manifold Schisms have oft interrupted his described Succession at Rome And so Turks and Heathens have matter given them against us all Already by such kind of Schismatical Principles there are few parts of the Church on Earth that are not by others Unchurched and Unchurch not others But yet it is but few of them that have proceeded to that Anabaptistical height as to nullifie all their Sacraments and to expect that almost all the Christian world should be again baptized Yea this is far more Schismatical than common Anabaptism For the Anabaptists with us Re-baptize not them that were baptized at age by such Ministers as this Writer and such others degrade much less do they damn almost all the Christian world or other Reformed Churches and say They have no part in Gods Covenant of Grace and Promise of Salvation and that they sin against the Holy Ghost as this Man doth CHAP. X. None of these terms will unite a National Church or any Associated Churches nor well any single Church Though by other means a competent Vnion may be kept in some Churches notwithstanding such Schismatical Courses § I. THE same Reasons which prove that none of these terms will ever unite the Universal Church but that all are fitted to promote Divisions will prove also that they tend of themselves to the dividing and distracting of all lesser Church Societies and Communions Though yet we do not deny but de facto a particular Church may easilier agree in an Error or be kept in some Concord under the same Pastor where a Sin or Error prevaileth than the Universal Church on Earth can As the Church of Rome may agree in Popery but all the Christian world will not And as a great part hath agreed in Arianism called Christians and a great part in Nestorianism and to this day in Eutychianism
I. THere need not much more be said of this it is already proved That Christ himself hath in his Law made the terms of the Union and Communion of his Members As the same Nature that formeth all our members in the womb is also the placer and uniter of them Therefore that which is contrary to Christs terms yea which is none of them cannot prove the true terms and means of Concord § II. Indeed no man ought to be Excommunicated otherwise than by Ministerial Declaration and Judgment how far he hath first departed from Union and cut off or Excommunicated himself An impenitent Fornicator Drunkard Persecutor doth cut off himself from the favor of God and his part in Christ and the rights of his true Church Therefore the Pastors may declare that he doth so And if it become a Controversie either de facto whether he be such an one or de jure whether this be true the Pastors are the proper Judges so far as to resolve the Consciences of the Flock whether they must avoid that man or communicate with him And this I think the Rational Mr. Hales would not have denied though in his Treatise of the Keyes he asserteth only a Declarative and denieth a Judicial Power For his Reasons shew that he only meant that the Church hath no efficient Judgment to cut off any man from Christ or his Body further than he first cuts off himself And far be it from any Friend of the Church to say That it is the Bishops Office to undo Souls and to separate any from Christ save only by declaring and judging that they wilfully separate themselves and therefore requiring the People to avoid them and binding them over to answer their sin at the Bar of God The rest is the Devils work and the impenitent Sinners and not the Pastors of the Church § III. And what is said against the Magistrates unseasonable force will mostly hold against such undue Excommunication 1. If the person believe that he is cast out for not forsaking his duty to God he will rejoyce that he is counted worthy to suffer for righteousness sake remembring that Christ said They shall cast you out of their Synagogues And this will bring no man to Repentance § IV. And 2. Then the Pastors will fall under the imputation of Tyranny and Persecution and be taken to be Haters and Hinderers of Conscionable men and grievous Wolves that devour the Flock § V. And 3. The Parties Excommunicate will think that this doth not excuse them from the duty of worshipping God and therefore they will assemble by themselves for such worship and there they will think That they are a better Church than those that cast them out and perhaps may Excommunicate their Excommunicaters as the Bishop of Alexandria and Constantinople have done by the Bishop of Rome Or more likely despise their Censure and go on unless the Sword be drawn to suppress them to which only such Excommunicaters use finally to trust And then what will follow I have shewed before § VI. And indeed we need no greater proof of the ineffectualness of Excommunication in such cases than the open confession of the Users of it who if they have not an Act for Horning as they call it in Scotland or to imprison the Excommunicate or punish him by the Sword confess that their Sentence will be contemned which is most true § VII Yet sad Experience further assureth us That Papal Anathematizings yea and those of General Councils have been no small cause of Schism Confusions and Rebellions The History of this would fill a Volume Alas what did the Councils of Ephesus Constantinople Chalcedon and many others by their Anathemas The state of Syria Egypt and Abassia c. of those called Jacobites and Nestorians tells us to this day And these Thunderbolts have been the Popes great Engines to beat down Kings and batter Kingdoms It is the admiration of the world next to the success of ignorant Mahomet That a company of old Usurpers many of them successively being notoriously wicked men and so judged by Councils and their most flattering Historians should conquer Christian Kingdoms and Empires by sitting at home and â—ursing men and telling them St. Peter is angry with them and will keep them out of Heaven if they be not obedient to the Pope But men that will be the Slaves of Sin deserve to have their Reason so forsaken to make themselves the Slaves of Subjects § VIII Yet we are far from thinking That just Excommunication is of no use God would not have the Church of Christ to seem no better than the world it is a Society gathered out of the world by the sanctifying Word and Spirit and as holy devoted to the most holy God And he would have the Church Visible to be visibly the womb of the Triumphant Church or the Sheepfold of Christ containing such as have a seeming or visible right to salvation however Hypocrites do intrude And therefore the Keys of the Church should be much of Kin to the Keys of Heaven so that he that is taken in or shut out may seem to the Christian judgment of probability to be taken into or shut out of a right to salvation And therefore as impenitent wicked men should not be deluded in vain hopes by being received to Church Communion so neither should godly men for pardoned or tolerable infirmities be shut out of the Church while God continueth their visible Title to salvation much less a Lay-Chancellor or a Bishop Excommunicate Christs Members for not paying their Fees or for not kneeling at the Sacraments or for not submitting to unnecessary Impositions or for holding such Things unlawful or such like This way will never heal our breaches or unite the Churches CHAP. XIII Any One Vnlawful Vncertain Doctrine Oath Covenant Profession Subscription or Practice so imposed as necessary to Communion will be a dividing Engine § I. THis is proved in what is said before For a Conscionable Man will not wilfully and deliberately commit One Sin to save his Liberty Estate or Life though many Sins be worse For he that wilfully commits one virtually committeth many And as St. James saith Breaketh the whole Law § II. Yea though the matter of the Sin seem little a Believer will not think it a little Sin to do it deliberately and stand to it by Covenant consent The high places among the Jews seemed no great matter but a good man would not have Covenanted never to endeavor any Reformation of them § III. A peaceable Man will live quietly in a Church that hath many Sins and Errors but he dare not deliberately own or justifie the least I should communicate with no Church on earth if I thought all the Ministers or Peoples Sins yea all the Faults in their Prayers or Doctrine or Discipline were made mine by it I will live peaceably with a Church that hath a faulty Doctrine Liturgy and Discipline in Things Tolerable as
saying That for one infallible old Gentleman at Rome we have Thousands of Hot Spirits in England that pretend to more of the Divine Perfections than ever he did For if the Holy Ghost doth personally indwell in Sectaries then they are personally possessed with all the glorious Attributes of the Godhead pag. 26. And 28. The Idolatry of the Papists will be as excusable at the great day of Accounts as the unreverent Rudeness and superstitious Sowreness of the Sectary And p. 29. The gross Usurpation and Invasion of the Priestly Office by Sectaries to erect Churches c. throws more dirt upon the Christian Religion than the grossest Errors in the Roman Church c. Answ 1. I know none so worthy of the Name of Sectaries as the Papists that damn all Christians save themselves and feign themselves onely to be all the Church 2. It 's like by these Sectaries he meaneth those that are not Re-ordained or have not uninterrupted Episcopal Ordination And if all such Reformed Churches are so much more dirty and injurious to Christianity than the grossest Errors of the Papists it 's better be of the Papal Church than of them 3. Doth pretending to the help of Gods Spirit in Praying and Preaching and Living arrogate more than pretending to Papal Infallibility in the Office of an Universal Monarch and Judge of the sense of all Gods Word The word Personal I have heard used by none but this and such Accusers But what he meaneth by it who can tell First If it refer to the Person of the Receiver how can the Holy Ghost dwell in any man and not dwell in his person Secondly If it refer to the Person of the Holy Ghost what Christian before this man did ever doubt that took the Holy Ghost to be God whether the Person as well as the Essence of the Holy Ghost be every where Doth not the Scripture say That the Holy Spirit dwelleth in Believers Rom. 8. 11. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 14. c. and God dwelleth in us 1 Joh. 4. 12. 15 16. And that we are an habitation of God by the Spirit Ephes 2. 22. Is Gods Word worse than Popery Or is not this to reproach God and his Word and Spirit more than the Reformed Churches do by not having Bishops who are accused by Mr. Dodwell to sin against the Holy Ghost Thirdly But if Personal should mean the mode and title of Union as if by Hypostatical Union like Christs the Holy Ghost and Believers be made one Person who are those Sectaries that hold such a thing who shew the state of the English Religion And this is one of the men that cry out against Toleration and tells us that There can be no stability of Government in England till there be a settlement in Religion No settlement of Religion but by uniting Affections No uniting Affections but by unity of Religion And so on Therefore Rulers must force all to be of one Religion Next to the thought of the Heathen and Apostate Nations case it is one of the saddest to me that Rulers and People that have too little studied such matters should lie under the temptation and horrid abuse of Clergymen that write and talk at such a rate as this man doth 1. Will he maintain That there is no Union of Religion wherever men are not of one opinion form or mode in every Circumstance Rite or Ceremony or every accident or integral of Faith Are any two men in the world then of one Religion any more than of one visage or slature c 2. If this man had Rulers that differed from him as much as he doth from the Nonconformists would he and could he presently change his judgment or would he falsly profess a change lest he should not be of one Religion with his Prince or rather must it not be he or such as he that must be the standard of that one Religion to all 3. Doth he believe That Prisons or Flames will make men of one Affection Would such usage win himself to love the judgment and way of those that he suffered by 4. Or if men of many Opinions and Affections be forced into the same Temple as a Prison doth their corporal presence make them of one Religion and Affection It is a doleful thing to hear Preachers of the Gospel cry out for Blood Flames or Prisons to make whole Kingdoms of one Religion confessing how unfit they are to do it themselves who have undertaken the Office that should do it Woe to the Princes Church and People that have not wit and grace to escape the snares of such ignorant Tyrannical Counsellors Abundance more such Pamphlets have lately endeavoured to destroy Love and Peace and infect the Land with Malice and Cruelty § XII The Roman Doctrine and Laws for exterminating and burning Hereticks is the top and perfection of this hypocritical wickedness which murdereth Gods Servants and depopulateth Countries on pretence of Charity Unity and Government And when so many Princes became guilty of serving this bloody Clergy that never knew what manner of spirit they were of it was Gods wisdom and justice to permit the same Councils of Bishops and the same Popes to decree their Deposition which decreed their Subjects extermination Lateran sub Innoc. 3. what can be more contrary to Nature to Humane Interest or to the Doctrine Example and Spirit of Christ And whose blood is safe while such blood-sucking Leeches are taken for the Rulers of the world and the Physicians of Souls § XIII All this I perceive is on occasion of Objections but superadded to what I fullier said before Part II. Chap. 8. But I still say That Toleration must have its due bounds and not extend to intolerable Doctrines Practices or Persons To proceed then Every one that will must not be Tolerated to be a publick Pastor and Preacher no not of the Truth For some insufficient men may by that manner bring a scandal or scorn on the sacred Doctrine and Worship of God and taking Gods Name profanely and in vain is worse than silence much less should men be suffered to preach or dispute down anys Point of Christian Faith or Duty § XIV In a word The Prince that will escape the dangerous Extreams of Licentiousness and oppressing Persecution must 1. Have an eye to the Holy Scripture and Apostolical Institution and to the Law of Nature together as his Rule 2. He must make the true publick Good which lieth in mens spiritual welfare his end 3. He must make the promoting of Obedience to God and his Laws the chief work of his Office and of his own Laws 4. He must abhor and avoid all carnal Interests contrary to the Interest of Christ and mens Souls 5. He must do all with Caution from a Spirit of Love and a Care to preserve mens fear of God 6. He must take heed of Partiality or hearkning to the counsel either of Atheists prophane men or of an ignorant proud and cruel
Clergy And must hearken to wise pious considerate peaceable and experienced Counsellors and avoid the examples both of Rehoboam and of Jeroboam and be neither an Oppressor nor a Corrupter § XV. And to conclude good and wise men may well know their duty whom to silence and eject and whom to tolerate if they are but true to God by this one Rule They may by hearing all the case and knowledge of the Persons discern whether that mans Preaching consideratis considerandis is clearly like to do more good or harm and do accordingly But then they must not judge of good and harm by carnal sinful lusts and interests and by the counsels of selfish partial men but by wise and just reason guided by the Word of God § XVI And in all doubtful Cases choose the safer side and when the danger of overdoing is the greater as in case of Persecution rather do too little than too much And prefer not Ceremonies before Substance nor tything Mint Annise and Cummin before Love Truth and Judgment and the great things of the Law And be sure that you learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice that you may not condemn or accuse the Guiltless CHAP. XV. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subscription to every Word Verse or Book of the Holy Scripture as it is in any one Translation or any one Copy in the Original now known § I. THis needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing and common experience 1. All Translations are the work of imperfect fallible men we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apostles unless as some think the Greek of St. Matthews Gospel be a Translation The pretences of Inspiration of the Seventy two that are said to be the Authors of that Greek Translation of the Old Testament is not yet agreed on in the Church nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Translated The Authority and Reasons of Hierome still much prevail Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine most valued by the Papists is yet so much matter of Controversie between them that when Sixtus Quintus had stablished a corrected Edition Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after Sect. III. And all Protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Translations English Dutch French c. And in the same Church of England we have the publick prescribed Use of two different Translations of the Psalms one sometime directly contrary to the other as Yea and Nay and one leaving a whole Verse which the other hath Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a Copy All therefore have the marks of humane frailty which cannot be denied Sect. V. And no wise and good man should deliberately deny this and so justifie falsly every humane slip But yet there is no such difference among Copies or Translations as should any way shake our foundations or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon For in all such points they all agree Sect. VI. Object But if Copies and Translations differ and err how can we make them our rule of judgment Answ I say again They agree in as many things as we need them for as a Rule of Judgment And where they differ it being in words of no such use and moment that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use no more than the King himself doth lose his authority if his hair turn white Sect. VIII Object 2. But what then must all subscribe to if not to all the Bible Have you any other measure or test Answ We must subscribe That we believe all Gods Word to be true and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the Canon And we must expresly subscribe to the Essentials of Christianity of which before and after Sect. VIII It was a considerable time before many Churches received the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter that to the Hebrews the Revelation c. And no doubt they were nevertheless true Christians And if now any believe all the Essentials of Religion and should doubt only whether the Canticles or the Epistle to â—iâ—â—mon or the two last of John or that of Jude were Canonical he might for all that be a true Christian and more meet to be a Bishop than Synesius was before he believed the Resurrection or Neclarâ—us before he was baptized c. Sect. IX The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture more than the Papists call some Books Canonical which we call Apocryphal And it is said that the Abassines and Syrians have divers not only as Ecclesiastical but as Canonical which we have not nor know not of Though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number by the proof well produced by Bishop Consins and many others yet have we no cause to unchurch all Churches that differ from us Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to cast out all Ministers that doubt of some words in any Translation or Copy or of some Verse Chapter or Book who hold the main and all the necessary Doctrines No such Test was imposed on the primitive Christians And it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble Churches of Helvetia should lately make it necessary to the Ministery to subscribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points though it may be a true and useful Assertion CHAP. XVI The Catholick Church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible § I. THis is yet more evident than the former 1. They do not at this day nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary They have great respect to the Commentaries of some of the Ancients and others but subscribe them not as infallible Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius swear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing Exposition of the Fathers it is well known 1. That they never told and proved to us who are to be taken for Fathers and who not 2. It 's known that few of them have written large Commentaries and fewer on all the Bible if any 3. That they oft differ among themselves 4. And the best have confessed their own Errors 5. And more have been found erroneous by others and are by us at this day 6. Yea they have cast out and condemned one another as the Case of Nazianzene Epiphanius Chrysostom Theophilus Alexand. Cyril and Theodoret and many
more besides Origen sheweth 6. The Papists ordinarily take liberty to differ from the Commentaries of divers of the most Renowned of the Fathers 7. And the learnedst men of the Papists themselves do differ from one another 8. And no General Council that pretend to be the Judge of thesense of the Scripture durst ever yet venture to write a Commentary on it 9. No nor any Pope nor any by his appointment or a Councils is written by any other and by them approved as infallible By all which and much more it is evident That subscribing wholly to any Commentary will never unite the Churches of Christ Sect. II. And no wonder when that 1. God hath composed the Scripture of such various parts as that all are not of the same neceâ—sity or intelligibility but some are harder than the rest to be understood and many hundred Texts are such that a man that understands them not may be saved 2. And Pastors as well as People are of various degrees of understanding and all imperfect and know but in part Sect. III. Yet are good Commentaries of great use as other teaching is but not to be subscribed as the terms of the Unity or Liberty of the Churches Sect. IV. Nay those particular Expositions which General Councils the Pretenders to deciding judgment have made are not to be subscribed as infallible as I have before proved by the quality of the men and by their many Errors and contradicting and condemning one another CHAP. XVII A Summary Recital of the true Terms of Concord and some of the true Causes of Schism THE Sum of all that is said of Schism and Unity is this § I. Schism is an unlawful separating from one or many Churches or making Parties and Divisions in them and is caused usually either 1. By unskilful proud Church-Tyrants Dogmatists or Superstitious Persons by departing from Christs instituted terms of Concord the Christian Purity and Simplicity and denying Communion to those that unite not on their sinful or unnecessary self-devised terms and obey not their ensnaring Canons or Wills or malignantly forbidding what Christ hath commanded and excommunicating and persecuting men for obeying him 2. Or else by erroneous proud self-conceited persons that will not unite and live in Communion upon Christs instituted terms but feigning some Doctrine or Practice of their devising to be true good and necessary which is not or something to be intolerably sinful that is good or lawful do therefore cast off their Guides and the Communion of the Church as unlawful on pretence of choosing a better necessary way § II. 2. The necessary means of Unity and Church Concord are these 1. That every Catechized understanding person professing Repentance Belief and Consent to the Baptismal Covenant and the Children of such dedicated by them to Christ be Baptized And the Baptized accounted Christians having right to Christian Communion till their Profession be validly disproved by an inconsistent Profession or Conversation that is by some Doctrine against the Essence of Christianity or some scandalous wilful sin with Impenitence after sufficient Admonition And that no man be Excommunicated that is not proved thus far to Excommunicate himself And that the Catechized or Examined person be put upon no other profession of Belief Consent and Practice as interpreting the Sacramental Covenant but of the Articles of the Creed the Lords Prayer and Decalogue understood and the general belief of consent to and practice of all that he discerneth to be the Word of God 2. That in Church Cases and Religion I. The Magistrate have the onely publick judgment whom he shall countenance and maintain or tolerate and whom he shall punish or not tolerate nor maintain and never be the Executioner of the Clergies Sentence without or against his own Conscience and Judgment II. That the Ordainers being the senior Pastors or a Bishop or President with other Pastors which is to be left to the concurrent judgments of themselves and the people be the Judges of the fitness of the Ordained person to be a Minister of Christ and the said Pastors in their respective particular Churches be the Key-bearers or Judges who is to be Baptized and admitted to Communion in the Church and who not and not constrained to Baptize or to give or deny Communion there by the judgment of others against their Consciences though in case of forfeiture or just cause they may be removed from that Church or from the sacred Office III. That the People of that Church be the private discerning Judges who shall be their Pastors to whose conduct they will trust their Souls if not so far as to be the first Electors at least so far as to have a free consenting or dissenting power and they be not forced to trust their Souls with any man as a Pastor against their Consciences And that every man be the private discerning Judge of his own Duty to God and Man and of his sin forbidden and of his own secret Case whether he believe in God and Christ and purpose to obey him or whether he be an Atheist or Infidel or secretly wicked and so fit or unfit for Baptism and Communion so that though he be not to be received without the judgment of the Pastors yet he may exclude himself if conscious of incapacity and therefore that none be forced by corporal Penalties or Mulcts to be Baptized or to Communicate 3. That the Christian Magistrate make three sorts of Laws one for the approved and maintained Churches and Pastors another for the Tolerated and a third sort for the Intolerable I. And that a sufficient number of the ablest soundest and worthiest Ministers be made the publick approved maintained Preachers and Pastors And where Parish Bounds are judged necessary that all persons living in the Parish be constrained to contribute proportionably to maintain the Parish Ministers and Temple and Poor and to hear publick Teaching and to worship God either in that or some other Approved or Tolerated Church within their convenient reach or neighborhood II. And that the Tolerated Ministers tryed and licensed have protection and peace in the publick exercise of their Ministery though not Approbation and Maintenance III. But that the Intolerable be restrained by sutable restraints 4. That the Approved and Maintained Ministers be put to subscribe their Belief of Consent to and resolved practice or obedience of all the Sacred Canonical Scriptures so far as by diligent study they are able to understand them and more particularly of the Christian Religion summarily contained in the Sacramental Covenant and in the ancient Creeds received by the Universal Church the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue as it is the Law of Christ and expounded by him in the Holy Scriptures And that they will be faithful to the King and Kingdom and as Ministers will faithfully guide the Flocks in holy Doctrine Worship Discipline and Example of Life labouring to promote Truth Holiness Love Peace and Justice for the salvation of mens Souls