he treats more mildly and gently in His Epistle to the Romans but more severely and sharply a great deal in his Epistles to the Galatians and Colossians Was it out of Condescention to their weakness at his first Writing which was not to be continued when success of time might have afforded them sufficient means of better Information So the Author of the Synopsis thinks but then the Epistle to the Romans should be more early written then the Learned do allow it was Soto is of Opinion That the Mystery of St. Peter's Vision which directed him to converse with Cornelius and other Gentiles Act. 10. 10 c. was not yet published to the Romans or at least that they did not understand the meaning of it and thence he Collects also that the Council mentioned Act. 15. was not then assembled In the Epistle to the Romans the Controversie chiefly lay between Grace and Nature but in that to the Galatians it was betwixt the Law and Faith saith Ambianus The Apostle was angry with the Galatians because tho' they were very well instructed yet they were easily seduced But he ought not to be angry with the Romans but to commend their Faith quia nulla virtutum videntes insignia susciperunt fidem Christi saith the Comment of St. Ambrose because they had embraced the Faith tho' they had seen no Miracles and tho' they mistook the sense it was because they had not yet been sufficiently instructed in the Mystery of Christ's Cross. The Epistle to the Galatians was written only to Gentiles that to the Romans was written both to Jews and Gentiles as S. Hierom has observed The Jewish Converts tho' they embraced the Faith yet they thought themselves still obliged to Moses Law to abstain from certain Meats and to observe certain days according to the Jewish Customs On the other side the Gentiles and such as were better instructed in the Truth of the Gospel they embraced the faith of Christ but would not be concern'd in those Mosaical Observances to which they had never been addicted Hereupon heats and animosities did arise which kindled into a despising and condemning of one another Now in this Epistle to the Romans it was the great Temper and Prudence of the Apostle to carry an even hand betwixt the two contending Parties and amicably to compromise the difference between them We must remember St. Paul had not yet been at Rome And altho' upon Information and Complaint from some other Churches He gave Orders at a distance for the redress of some particular Miscarriages yet some other things he thought fit to reserve till his own personal presence should give him an opportunity to inspect the Temper and Conditions of the People that he might be the better able to settle such Rules and Orders as should appear to be most convenient Thus he did in the Church of Corinth Many undecent Carriages he corrected by his Epistle Coetera autem quae ad aedificationem Ecclesiae pertinent praesentiâ suâ Ordinare se promisit saith St. Ambros. ad 1 Cor. 11. ult Other things which concern'd the Edification of the Church He promised to set in order by his presence And thus de did touching the Church of Rome Some Points of Doctrine he carefully stated as Justification by Grace through the Faith which is in Christ Jesus c. He Taught the Jew and Gentile-Converts likewise how they should carry themselves respectively to one another That the strong should not despise the weak nor the weak judge and condemn the strong But these were Directions for Common use among private Christians but for Decrees and Orders of publick use and practice he gave out none to this Church because as yet here was no Jurisdiction settled no Laws made no Governours appointed to put them in Execution This Grotius Collects from Rom. 16. 4 5 17. This makes me believe that there were then no Common Assemblies of Christians saith he or no Presbyterie at Rome Otherwise in stead of commanding to mark such as caused those Scandals or Schisms He would have had them Excommunicated For when the Church is without such Government single Persons can do no more than avoid familiar Conversation with such as live not according to the Rule of Christ. Thus Grotius Catharinus seems to Collect no less from the Apostles expostulation Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest another man's Servant Cùm non sis Pastor aut Dominus ejus seeing thou art neither his Pastour nor his Lord and therefore thou hast no right to pass Sentence on him And as much is to be concluded from the 22 Verse Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God Had there been a Bishop settled there it had been their Duty in any Matter of Hesitation to consult him to resolve their Doubts and settle their Persuasions But as yet there was no such Establishment hereupon he does advise them to be sincere in their Profession and to carry themselves uprightly between God and their own Conscience Catharinus to this purpose saith thus Thou hast Faith that is thou hast a clear knowledge of thy Liberty in matters indifferent But have this Faith to thy self before God that thou mayest not hurt thy weak Brother And this is always to be the Practice in such things as the Church does tolerate They are to be dissembled or concealed and we must yield to Infirmity for a time till the matter comes to be made more clear But then we ought to dissemble or conceal our persuasion no longer but freely to declare and boldly to follow what the Church hath established Thus Catharinus for then Obedientia praecepti est our Obedience is under Precept as Tolet hath observed The Apostle doth Predict and Promise them a happy Conquest over all adversary Power whether exercised by subtlety and imposture or otherwise Rom. 16. 20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly He means the false Apostles Deceivers and Disturbers of the Churches Peace the signal Instruments of Satan and their overthrow should be by his speedy comming to them to ordain what was wanting to their settlement The design of this Digression is to shew that the Apostle did never give colour to set up Christian Liberty against the Laws and Authority of the Church And 't is further evident that the Church did from time to time prescribe and limit the use of things indifferent as they judged it most expedient to avoid Scandal and promote Edification And to this purpose they did observe times and determine things and distinguish persons 1. They did observe times For the People of the Jews had been so long Wedded unto Moses had so great a veneration for all his Laws Rites and Ceremonies and these were so constantly inculcated into them every Sabbath Day as St. James observes Act. 15 21. That they could not suddenly be weaned from the Practice of them And they were a People so perverse
respondeant Paulo qui nobis hodie imaginariam quandam fidem fastuosè jactant quae secreto cordis Contenta Confessione or is veluti re supervacaneâ inani supersedeat Nimis enim Nugatorium est asserere ignem esse ubi Nihil sit Flammae neque Caloris Let them consider what they can Answer to St. Paul who at this time do proudly boast of a certain imaginary Faith which being conteined secretly in the heart Supersedes Confession and all good works as vain and needless things For it is too grosly Nugatory and trifling to affirm there is a fire there where there is neither heat nor flame In the Doctrine of Justification let these Dissenters take Faith in the general Gospel-sense or in the sense now mentioned from Dr. Owen and there will be no Dispute much less Offence about this Article But there are very Learned men who return this Objection upon at least some of these Dissenters who overthrowing the remission of sins do utterly demolish as our Author words it the Article of Justification as well by Faith as by Works and the necessity of New obedience For if the satisfaction and death of Christ were suffered and made in our stead and formally made ours they do certainly expiate all our sins and free us from all guilt as well of Omission as of Commission And upon this account being made not only innocent as free from all Commissions but also actually just as omitting no part of our bounden duty we have no need of Pardon or Remission because here remains no sin to be remitted And then we have Christ's Obedience and Merits for a surplusage and consequently have no need of Repentance or New obedience but a fair title to eternal life upon Christ's account without them So that this Authors Argument turns clearly upon themselves For they who take away the necessity of remission of sins do demolish the Article of Justification But these Dissenters or a Sect of them do take away the necessity of remission therefore they do demolish the Article of Justification which consists in remission Rom. 3. 7 8. Eph. 4 ult Colos. 1. 14. We appeal therefore to all Protestant Churches to judge how well they provide for their safety by departing from our Communion Yet depart they will and as this their Advocate saith when they are once out they will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most elegible and in all things nearest the word But suppose you mistake the word 'T is possible men may think themselves nearest when indeed they are furthest off from it for you dare not pretend to be infallible 'T is Calvin 's Observation Tanta est ferè in omnibus Morositas There is among men such Morosity Envy contempt of others and such an immoderate esteem of themselves that were it lawful every man would erect a Church to himself because he finds in his own disposition some difficulty to accommodate himself to the Manners of others Some thought themselves as near the Mark certainly as these Dissenters so near that they took upon them to controul the Orders about matters of Indifferency and Decorum of the great Apostle and t is worth our Observation to take notice how severely he checks them for it 1 Cor. 14. 36. What Came the word of God out from you Or came it unto you only Objurgatio asperior Calvin calls it a sharp objurgation or chiding but no more than what was needfull to abate and blunt the pride of those Corinthians who studying nothing but themselves would defer or allow nothing to the primary Churches from whom they had received the Gospel But carried themselves saith D. Dicson as if they had been the only Christians in the World to whom the Apostles had been sent and to whom alone it did belong to judge of matters of Order and Decency in the Church The Apostle therefore does justly expostulate with them Are you the prime and only Christians No you are not there are other Churches besides yours and of more Antiquity It is not meet therefore that you should despise them their Customs and practice to do all things according to your own Way Mode and Arbitrement Thus the Learnud Calixtus To separate from any Church of an Apostolical Constitution which cannot be justly charged with Heresy Idolatry or the practice of any deadly sin with allowance or without controul as from a body full of Wens and Vlcers to the great scandal of many of that Communion is undoubtedly Schism For the Church and such a Church is undoubtedly the Spouse of Christ Who gave himself for it that he might sanctify and clense it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blemish This is the end of Christ's dispensation tho not accomplisht to perfection till she comes to Heaven The mean while if she be chaste and loyal he does embrace and cherish her not give her a bill of divorce for little faults and curable infirmities no more must we Mr. Baxter himself could once tell the World I confess I have no great zeal to confine the Church to the party that I best like nor to shut Christ out of all other Societies and coop him up to the Congregations of those few that say to all the rest of the Church Stand by we are more holy than you He therefore that separates from such an Orthodox Church out of a real intent to be take himself to another which he thinks more pure he ought to be very sure that it is so and not to stand in need to advise about it whether it be or no and he ought also to observe these two rules 1. That he do not profess a total separation from it much less to do it with reproach as if it were not a Member of Christ's Body for that will defame the Spouse of Christ of whose honour and safety Christ is very tender and jealous 2. That he does it so as may give no scandal to those truly pious tho but weak ones of that Communion which he deserts Solius enim puritatis Majoris amor tanti fieri non debet quanti unius fratris infirmi Scandalum atque Offensio For the love only of greater Purity ought not to be so much regarded as the scandal and offence of one such weak Brother when by such a breach of concord he gives scandal also to his Superiors and by that means may hinder that Reformation which in due time if need were his sober carriage and example might promote in that Communion Hereupon the Apostle exhorts Heb. 10. 24 25. Let us consider one another to whet and provoke unto love and to good works Not forsaking the assembling our selves together but exhorting one another He that forsakes the Church whether it be out of
Men preach such as they print with Publick Allowance and therefore they ought to provide better for their Souls elsewhere Especially they say That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands This Article say they in the Parish where we live is quite demolish'd by the Doctrine of Justification by Works We are bound therefore to provide for our safety and depart and when We are once out We will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most eligible and in all things nearest the Word p. 161 Sect. 5. They plead That there 's no Obligation upon them to own the Churches Power to impose new Terms of Communion unless the Church can prove her Power from Christ. It 's not for them to disprove it it lies upon her to prove it and to prove it substantially too or else it will be hard to prove it their duty to own it p. 181 Sect. 6. They say The World is pestered with Disputes about Worship about Religion and therefore since All cannot be in the right they are willing to go the safest Way and worship God according to his Word If the things disputed be lawful to be done let them be so they are sure it is lawful to let them alone And they think there 's no great hazard in keeping to Scripture Rule nor can believe that Christ will send any to Hell because they did not worship God in an external Mode more neat and spruce them God commanded p. 190 Sect. 7. They pretend That the things impos'd are parts of Worship which none can create but God nor will God accept of any but such as are of his own creating and whether they be Integral or Essential parts They do not know but in the Worship of God they find them standing upon even ground with those that are certainly Divine or at least as high as Man can lift them p. 196 Sect. 8. They do not find that God ever commanded the things imposed either in General in Special or their Singulars If God has commanded a duty to be done the Church must find a place to do it in But though the Church must find a place for the Duty a time for the Duty she may not find new Duty for the Time and Place p. 216 Sect. 9. They are the more cautious of all Ceremonies because the Old Church of England in her Homilies Serm. 3. of Good Works tells us That such hath been the corrupt Inclination of Man superstitiously given to make new Honouring of God of his own head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's holy Commandments and do them p. 247 Sect. 10. They say They have read over all the Books that have been written in Justification of those things and they find their Arguments so weak their Reasons so frivolous that setting aside Rhetorick and Railing there 's nothing in them but what had been either Answered by others or is contradicted by themselves which hardens them in their Errour who are gone astray into the right Way p. 254 Sect. 11. They say It 's their Duty to endeavour a Reformation according to the Word which if others will not they cannot help it and hope they will not be angry with the Willing p. 262 A Fresh Inquiry Into the PLEA of the NON-CONFORMISTS c. SECT I. THey plead that some things are imposed upon their Faith tendred to subscription as Articles of Faith which are either false or at least they have not yet been so happy as to discover the truth of them In Article 20. they are required to subscribe this Doctrine The Church hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies Which Clause of the Article as we fear it hath been by some indirect means shuffled into the Article it not being found in the Authentick Articles of Edw. 6. so it proves also that the Terms of Communion have been enlarged since the first Times of the Reformation The Answer The Articles of the Church of England are not imposed under Oath nor required to be received with a like affection and piety as the holy Scriptures are nor to be believed as Articles of Faith further then they can approve themselves to be contained in the Holy Scriptures For the Sixth of those Articles declares thus Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite and necessary to salvation The moderation of the Church of England herein is evinced in another Treatise viz. The Proselyte of Rome called back c. p. 7. to the 10. There is no Protestant Church of any creditable denomination more moderate and ingenious in this point then ours is To keep them from Sects and Corruptions and tie them up close to the Doctrine of the Augustan Confession we find it decreed among the Lutherans Nemo quicunque sit That no man whatsoever shall be admitted to any Office or Ministry in their Churches Schools or otherwise nor shall any such be tolerated therein unless they shall approve and receive such a body of Doctrine as there mentioned and shall persevere therein and neither by word nor deed oppose the same And it is further decreed and established That if any shall be but suspected as contradicting those Doctrines and the unanimous consent therein if they refuse to be better instructed and give no place to the Fatherly admonitions of others their Superiours they shall be removed from their Offices or Employments or else their names shall be signified that due execution of punishment may proceed against them as persons refractory and contumacious And 't is their practice too upon occasion to make their Ministers and Professors to renounce such opinions as are declared to be erroneous sub jurisjurandi sacramento even under the Sacrament of a solemn Oath And the Calvinists are no less strict in this point The Proxies or Deputies to be sent from the Provinces to the National Synod as is expressed in the Form of the Letters written à Synodo Victoriacensi in Brittain are tied to this Solemn Engagement Promittimus coram Deo c. that is We do promise before God that we will submit our selves to all things which shall be agreed and decreed by your holy Assembly and will execute the same with all our power because we are persuaded that God presides over it and that he will direct you by his Holy Spirit according to the rule of his Word into all truth and equity Here we have a promise of submission made before God by a kind of implicit Faith and blind Obedience to the Decrees of a Synod of Calvinists before the Convention of it And this is grounded upon a Divine persuasion else with what confidence can they
sinning whether I do my duty or do it not which is absur'd 3. Spiritual things which are necessary to Salvation are not to be omitted to avoid Scandal for then I should be bound to go to Hell to avoid Scandal But Obedience to my Superiours is a thing Spiritual and 't is necessary to Salvation Rom. 13. 5. Hebr. 13. 7. 17. I give no Offence in doing my bounden duty But He that takes offence at it He does it at his own Peril If my Dissenting Brother doubts of the Authority that Commands the duty yet if I be well persuaded of it I must govern my self not by His but by the persuasion of my own Conscience Rom. 14. 5. 4. It may be objected further That the Apostle would have us do as he says he did himself Please all men But we should remember there is a restraint put upon the duty we must only please them for their good that is their Spiritual profit that they may be saved Rom. 15. 2. with 1 Cor. 10. 33. Quod ergo Saluti eorum Contrarium est illis concedere non oportet says Mr. Calvin I must not grant them that which is contrary or prejudicial to their Salvation I must therefore do nothing That may 1. Encourage them to oppose Authority because this very Apostle tells me that such as resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13. 2. Therefore if I act Conform to the Rule of Charity Rom. 14. 15. I must take care as the Apostle saith to please my Neighbour to his Good not to feed his humour and make him the more obstinate as Vorstius hath well observed for that were to lay a new Scandal in his way contrary to this very Apostle Rom. 14. 13. 1 Cor. 8. 9. 3. It must be for his edification Rom. 15. 2. Non tam ut grati simus assentando palpando quam ipsorum utilitati ac saluti inserviendo saith Matthisius Not so much to make our selves acceptable by soothing and flattering them as by making our selves serviceable to their Salvation This applying our selves to his edification supposes him indeed to be weak but it supposes him also to be tractable but if he be proud an admirer of his own abilities one that leans to his own understanding and will not indure sound Doctrine He has no title to my tenderness or forbearance His Conversation is rather to be rejected by the Rule of this Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 3. 4. I am so far to please him as is consistent with the Truth and Priviledges of the Gospel Where these were wittingly infringed the Apostle had not the least Patience to dissemble the resentment of it no not for an hour Gal. 2. 4 5. with 14. And the Truth and Priviledges of the Gospel are no less infringed by the Interdict and Superstitious forlearance of a thing indifferent than by the Injunction and Superstitious usage of it Colos. 2. 21. 5. To this I may add another Allegation The Apostle requires Christians to follow after the things which make for Peace Rom. 14. 19. But 1. 'T is some comfort that in this case he ties us not to impossibilities And to humour some men in their Superstitious scrupulosities is little less 't is a task too great for any ordinary virtue a burden more intolerable than the Jewish yoak of bondage such a Circumcision of all our freedom as would never suffer us to be at ease in any of our enjoyments The worst of Tyranny is more eligible than such Anarchy and confusion wherein every false Apostle or factious Teacher sets up a Tribunal and Supremacy for himself and such Disciples as he can draw after him Paramount to the Judgment and Authority of his Superiours But 2. St. Paul is in that place prescribing an expedient for the Peace of Private Christians to which nothing can conduce more than a mutual tenderness and forbearance when the strong and more-knowing do not despise the weak for their ignorance and folly nor the weak and ignorant judge and condemn the more knowing for their freedom in the use of things indifferent Nor ought one man to condemn or despise another dum coelesti praecepto non obviet saith a Moderate and Learned Romanist while he walks not contrary to any Divine Precept But persons in Authority are to take care of the Publick Peace whereof there can be no better Preservation than Order and Vniformity in Submission to the Decrees of Governours This made the Apostle so careful to deliver the Decrees to be kept which were ordained by the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem Act. 16. 4. Optimum tunc fovendae inter Ecclesias Concordiae vinculum erat servare quod per Apostolos fuerat transactum In eo cùm diligens est Paulus bonâ fide Cavet ne quid oriatur turbae suâ culpâ saith Calvin The best tie of Concord among the Churches in those days was to observe and keep what had been transacted and determined by the Apostles and Governours In which St. Paul being very diligent did faithfully provide that no disorder should arise through any fault in him That Synod gave an Example to after Ages and taught them by Experience what course is best to follow and 't is that which all Protestant Churches do observe to this day This is evident among the Calvinists for in the Fifth Chapter of their Discipline under the Title De Consistoriis Art 31. Where they prescribe a way for the ending of Controversies which may arise concerning any head whether of Doctrine or of Discipline when the matter is brought to a National Synod They resolve thus Hîc integra fiet ultima per verbum Dei totius quoestionis decisio cui si renuant omninò acquiescere erroresque disertè abjicere ab Ecclesiâ abscindentur Here shall be made the intire and ultimate Decision of the whole matter in Controversie by the Word of God and such as refuse to acquiesce in it and to forsake their Errours let them be cut off from the Communion of the Church The Apostle therefore does not enjoyn the Prince to lay aside his Sword to make Peace nor will he lay by his own Rod when occasion serves to use it 1 Cor. 4. last for that is design'd for Edification as well as the spirit of meekness 2 Cor. 13. 10. And they that were of a factious and untractable disposition He did not advise the Christians at Rome to flatter or humour them for their Edification but to mark and avoid them to shame them into Conformity Rom. 16. 17. For in truth when a Law is made and Orders given and all care taken to give satisfaction touching the Equity of them then to walk disorderly is the part of absur'd and unreasonable Men such as will keep no place no rank no Decorum and such are to be look'd upon as proud stubborn and of ill humour and St. Paul will have them treated accordingly 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5.
of the Church and he says He tells those Hebrews that their ingratitude would bring those Governours grief and trouble ut significet to signifie that we cannot be troublesom or disobedient to our Pastours Sine propriae salutis jacturâ without the loss of our own Salvation And Gerhard is very full to the like purpose The word signifies to submit themselves by a most exact and obsequious Subjection And he adds for all the Protestants of their Party That there is none of them denys but Bishops are to be obeyed in their Office and not only when they Preach the Divine Law but when they press such Ecclesiastical Constitutions as are introduced for order and decency And altho' these do not immediately and of themselves bind the Conscience yet in the general they do bind by reason of that general Precept to obey such as have Rule over us And that this is not a whit against the Liberty of Conscience we have Mr. Calvin's Suffrage who thus sums up our Christian Liberty In summa est libera servitus serva libertas Our Christianity is a free service and a servile freedom Nam sicuti servos Dei esse nos Oportet ut hoc bono fruamur for as we ought to be God's Servants that we may enjoy this benefit so Moderation is required in the use of it After this manner saith he liberae quidem sunt conscientiae our Consciences indeed are free sed hoc non obstat quin Deo serviamus qui etiam nos hominibus subjicit but notwithstanding this we must serve God who hath also made us subject unto Men Thus Calvin Thus much of Christ's yoak which is not our bondage but our privilege and ought to be our choice as it is our duty The yoak of Bondage is two-fold 1. That of Moses's Law 2. That of Satan's Tyranny 1. Satan's yoak is a yoak of Tyranny for He is the Prince of the Power of the air the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. This yoak is made up of the Pomps and Vanities of the wicked world the Superstition and Idolatry with all the unclean and filthy practices which did attend them wherewith the Devil had inthrall'd the Heathen world These Galathians for a long time had had their Necks under this yoak but were now set at liberty by the light of the Gospel yet were there a sort of false Apostles who for their own ease advantage made it their business to entangle them in another yoak which they had not been accustom'd to the yoak of Circumcision and the Law of Moses and therefore he saith be not entangled again in a yoak of bondage quia si vos fideles jam circumcidimini idem est quod ad Idola Converti quibus antea serviebatis saith Bruno for if you who are Believers should now be circumcised 't is the same thing as if you should be turned unto the Idols you served before To iterum non eandem servitutis speciem sed simpliciter generalitèr iteratam servitutem significat quasi dicat Nolite iterum servire ut pridem Idolis ita nunc umbris merosis Ceremoniis saith G. Calixtus This word Again does not signifie the same kind of bondage but simply and generally an iterated or repeated bondage as if he had said be not now again in bondage to shadows and burdensome Ceremonies as you had been formerly to dumb Idols You are actually freed from one heavy yoak be not intangled in another be not insnared and inthrall'd so as to seek your ease your pardon your salvation in another which is of no more validity to that effect than the former which Christ hath therefore equally freed you from But what is all this to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England He that will undertake from the Doctrine of St. Paul to impeach the Practice of the Church of England in commanding the observance of Rites and Ceremonies and thereby restraining the use of our Christian Liberty in things indifferent must make good these two Propositions 1. That St. Paul has set up Christian Liberty above the Authority of the Church For in all things wherein the Church hath not interposed her Authority to determine our Practice we have the use of our Christian Liberty as much and as fully as we can desire But that St. Paul hath set up Christian Liberty above the Authority of the Church can never be made good as long as the Epistles to the Corinthians to Timothy Titus are extant held Canonical 2. He must prove That in the use of those Rites and Ceremonies which the Dissenters impugn we do renounce our Christianity are faln from Grace That therein wé have fellowship with Devils and that Christ shall profit us nothing but we must eternally perish in our practice For those things which the Apostle inveighs against He forbids upon this account as is most evident from all those Texts of Scripture wherein he does professedly and peremptorily handle this Matter But I do challenge the Prudence and Justice as well as the Charity of him who dares say if you wear a Surplice if you sign with the Cross if ye kneel at the Sacrament ye renounce your Christianity and are faln from Grace ye have fellowship with Devils and Christ shall profit you nothing but ye must eternally perish in that Practice To conclude this Section I must put the Dissenting Brethren in mind That the charge or injunction they insist upon Gal. 5. 1. was not written against the Church but against a Superstitious Faction which opposed Apostolical Authority And if they look upon the Superstition and Tyranny of the Church of Rome as a yoak of bondage then by a Parity of Reason They are highly concern'd in the charge upon that account For they do oppose that very Authority by which Christ hath once made them free from that yoak Which Authority doth still with the like Zeal and Courage call upon them also to stand fast in that Liberty But if they will continue to give the Emissaries of that Church advantage by their unreasonable Separations to creep into their Conventicles and make Proselytes with them which I can see no way to be avoided but by their Cordial return to the Communion of the Church of England the Scandal and burden must lye at their doors if we be again entangled The Dissenters Fourth Section They plead that they ought not to hazard their Souls in one Congregation if they may more hopefully secure them in another for that their Souls are their greatest concernment in this World and the next Now say they there 's no question but men preach such as they print with publick allowance and therefore they ought to provide better for their Souls elsewhere Especially they say That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands This Article say they in
the Parish where we live is quite demolisht by the Doctrine of Justification by Works we are bound therefore to provide for our safety and depart and when we are once out we will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most eligible and in all things neerest the word The Answer That the Soul is a very pretious thing whether we look into its Creation and Original or into the Purchase and Redemption of it we do readily acknowledge We should not hazard it for 't was God's great care and should be ours But we must take heed and we have a Proverb to admonish us that we do not leap out of the Frying-pan into the Fire For in this Case of Seperation we may fitly ask the Question What Authority have you for it and and who gave you that Authority Whatever your Corner-stone be we question whether your new erected Church will be built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Yet upon second thoughts we find you have something to say out of Scripture for your practice For we find you 1 John 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us We find you again Acts 20. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them And we find Predecessors of yours 2 Cor. 11 13. and part of your Character at least is to be seen in St Jude's Epistle Psal. 19. These be they who seperate themselves and whether Diotrephes was not the President of the New Colledge you should do well to consider for he had an aspiring spirit and was imperious and as our Author observes of him his fingers itch't to be tampering for he loved to have the preeminence and set himself to oppose Order and Apostolical Authority But there 's little satisfaction in following such examples That Schism is a work of the Flesh and excludes such as are guilty of it from the Kingdom of Heaven is the express Doctrine of the Apostle Gal. 5. 20. 'T is one of his Rules 2 Cor. 7. 24. Wherein a Man is called to the profession of Christianity whether in a state of Servitude or freedom therein to abide so as he may abide the Servant of God If my Christian Liberty dos not warrant or allow me to desert the service of Man to whom I am antecedently ingaged much less the service of the Church into whose Communion I was baptized and under whose Jurisdiction I was bred and born Quo pax concordia Vndique Constat inter Christianos homines quaedam dissimulanda sunt quaedam ferenda quaedà m benigniüs interpretanda Saith the Learned De la Cerda That Peace and Concord may be kept on every side among Christians some things are to be dissembled some things to be tollerated and some things to be favourably interpreted Where there is nothing injoyn'd to the peril of our Souls or the impeachment of our Salvation we are oblig'd to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace not to break the Communion of the Church but to observe the Orders and Decorum practised in it 'T is the Faith which the Learned Zanchy profess'd and published when he was 70 years of Age in the name of himself and Family Tho Defects and Errors are never to be dissembled yet Peace and Communion is to be held with all Societies as the true Churches of Christ in which the Foundation and Sum of Apostolical Doctrine is reteined and no manifest Idolatry admitted Episcopius who was no great admirer of Rites and Ceremonies says there can be no just cause of seperation from the Church but what seperates from Christ from God's Paternal favour and the Kingdom of Heaven And seeing there can no such thing be charged upon this Church 't is undoubtedly Schism to seperate from her Communion Hence the very worthy Dr. Falkner makes this solemn asseveration I account my self to have as plain evidence from the Laws of God and the constitution of the Christian Church that Schism and unnecessary seperation is a sin in the breach of Christian unity as that Adultery is a sin in breaking the bond of Wedlock And I account my self to be as certain that if ever there was any unwarrantable separation from any known Church since the Apostles time the separation from the Church of England is really such Since our Church is truly as free from any just exception◠in its Constitution Doctrine and Worship as any other since that time either was or is Thus that worthy Author But these Dissenters do alledge That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus Stantis vel Cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands And that in the Parish where they or some of them live this Article is quite demolisht by the Doctrine of Justification by Works But I must tell them that one Error broacht in one Parish ought not to make them desert the whole Establisht Church That Error tho grievous cannot be deadly to them that have all necessary truth laid before them if they do cordially embrace and profess the same The Error is only his who through the weakness of his Judgment cannot discern that the necessary truth is not overthrown by it But because they alledge a Print and publick allowance this reflects upon Authority and our Governors and therefore the Charge requires a more strict and punctual examination And here we must premise That Justification without Christ's Merits and Mediation or without Faith in his Blood dissolves the Church of Christ because there is salvation in no other Act. 4. 12. The Christian Church is built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone Eph. 2. 20. and other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3. 11. Fides est Caput initium Christianismi saith St. Austin Into this Olive-tree we are ingrafted and stand by Faith The Jews were broken off through unbelief But in Justification we find several persons concerned There is something attributed to God Something to Christ and something to Man himself 1. God is lookt upon as the Author and Efficient for who can forgive sins but God only I have blotted out as a thick Cloud thy transgressions Isai. 44. 22. and Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that jnstifieth 2. There is something attributed to Christ. We are to look upon him as the Meritorious Cause and Procurer of it He is said therefore to have loved us to have washed us from our sins in his own Blood Apoc. 1. 5. for by him we have received the Atonement Rom. 5. 11. and for his sake God hath forgiven us Ephesians