many superstitious Ceremonies the observation whereof were more strictly urged than the Commandments and Ordinances of God the Temple made a Den of Thieves the Discipline and censures shamefully abused the Doctrine was corrupt in many points yet the word tells you Christ whose example it binds you to follow and you profess your selves followers of him in all imitable things made no separation from this Church professed himself a Member of it was by Circumcision incorporated a Member received Baptism in a Congregation of that People was a hearer of their common Service and their Teachers allowing and commanding his Disciples to hear them communicated in the Passover with the People and the Priest no more did his Apostles make separation from this Church after his Ascension till their day had its Period c. By their example it appears that till God hath forsaken a Church no man may forsake it c. So that we may conclude from hence with M r Hildersham Those Assemblies that enjoy the Word and Doctrine of Salvation though they have many corruptions remaining in them are to be acknowledged as true Churches of God and such as none of the faithful may make Separation from We shall need no further proof of this Doctrine than the example of our Saviour himself c. For why should our Saviour use it if it was unlawful or why should it be a Sin in us who have not such Eyes to pierce into the impiety of mans Traditions as he had as M r Bradshaw argues The same measures were observed also by the Apostles after the establishment of the Christian Church This is not to be gainsaid and is therefore granted by one in other things rigid more than enough I do not say that every corruption in a true Church is sufficient ground of Separation from it The unsoundness of many in the Church of Corinth touching the Doctrine of the Resurrection and in Galatia touching the Doctrine of Circumcision and the necessity of keeping the Ceremonial Law were not sufficient ground of Separation from them for the Apostles held Communion with them notwithstanding these corruptions Now by parity of reason it will follow that if Separation was not to be allowed from those corrupted Churches then surely not from such as are not so corrupted as they So M r Cawdrey pleads Corinth had we suppose greater disorders in it than are to be found blessed be God in many of our Congregations why then do they fly and separate from us And if our Saviour and his Apostles did not separate from such Churches much less should we who may without doubt safely follow the advice given by an Author above-quoted When you are at a stand think how Christ would have carried what he would have done in the like case with yours and we may thereby be concluded Thirdly They further argue that Christ doth still hold Communion with defective Churches and not reject the Worship for tolerable corruptions in it and so neither ought we It is supposed by a worthy person that there is no such society of Christians in the World whose Assemblies as to instituted Worship are so rejected by Christ as to have a Bill of Divorce given unto them until they are utterly as it were extirpate by the Providence of God c. For we do judge that where-ever the Name of Jesus Christ is called upon there is Salvation to be obtained however the ways of it may be obstructed unto the most by their own sins and errors And if this may be said of Churches though fundamentally erroneous in Worship then who shall dare as another saith to judge when Christ hath forsaken a People who still profess his Name and keep up his Worship for substance according to his word though they do or are supposed to fail in circumstances or lesser parts of duty Now this granted the other will follow that then we are not to separate from such Churches Thus M r Hildersham concluded of old from the practice of Christ and observes 1. So long as God continueth his word and the Doctrine of Salvation to a People so long it is evident that God dwells among them and hath not forsaken them c. And till God hath forsaken a Church no man may forsake it 2. No Separation may be made from those Assemblies where men may be assured to find and attain Salvation but men may be sure to find and attain Salvation in such Assemblies where the Ministry of his word and the Doctrine of Salvation is contained So M r Vines The Argument saith he of M r Brightman is considerable if God afford his Communion with a Church by his own Ordinances Grace and Spirit it would be unnatural and peevish in a Child to forsake his Mother while his Father owns her for his Wife I might heap up Authorities of this kind but shall content my self with a considerable one from M r Cotton who reasons after this manner The practice of the Brownists is blame-worthy because they separate where Christ keeps fellowship Rev. 1.18 And that he walks with us we argue because he is still pleased to dispense to us the word of life and edifies many Souls thereby and therefore surely Christ hath fellowship with us and shall man be more pure than his Maker where Christ vouchsafes fellowship shall man renounce it Upon this are grounded the wholesome exhortations of many eminent Non-Conformists as that of M r Calamy You must hold Communion with all those Churches with which Christ holds Communion you must separate from the sins of Christians but not from the Ordinances of Christ. Of M r R. Allein Excommunicate not them from you excommunicate not your selves from them with whom Christ holds Communion Judge not that Christ withdraws from all those who are not in every thing of your mind and way Methinks saith a Reverend Person in his Farewel Sermon where a Church as to the main keeps the form of sound words and the substantials of that Worship which is Christs some adjudged defects in order cannot justifie separation I dare not dismember my self from that Church that holds the head I think whilst Doctrine is for the main sound Christ stays with a Church and it is good staying where he stays I would follow him and not lead him or go before the Lamb. To such we find a severe rebuke given very lately by a Reverend Person Proud conceited Christians are not contented to come out and separate from the unbelieving idolatrous World but they will separate also from the true Church of Christ and cast off all Communion with them who hold Communion with him Fourthly They argue that to separate for such defects and corruptions would destroy all Communion If this should be saith M r Bradshaw then no man can present himself with a good Conscience at any publick Worship of God wheresoever because except it should
one without being active in or approving the other there God is yet present there he may be spiritually worshipped served acceptably and really enjoyed 3. They grant that the being present at Divine Worship is no consent to the corruptions in it Thus M r Robinson He that partakes with the Church in the upholding any evil hath his part in the evil also But I deny as a most vain imagination that every one that partakes with a Church in things lawful joyns with it in upholding the things unlawful to be found in it Christ our Lord joyned with the Jewish Church in things lawful and yet upheld nothing unlawful in it So M r Nye Approbation is an act of the mind it is not shewed until it be expressed outwardly by my words and gestures This M r Baxter undertakes to prove by several Arguments as that no man can in reason and justice take that for my profession which I never made by word or deed That the profession made by Church-Communion is totally distinct from this That this opinion would make it unlawful to joyn with any Pastor or Church on Earth since every one mixeth Sin with their Prayers 4. They say that corruptions though foreknown do not yet make those that are present guilty of them Thus the old Non-Conformists declare It is all one to the People whether the fault be personal as some distinguish or otherwise known before-hand or not known For if simple presence defile whether it was known before-hand or not all presence is faulty And if simple presence defile not our presence is not condemned by reason of the corruptions known whereof we stand not guilty If the error be such as may be tolerated and I am called to be present by such fault I am not defiled though known before M r Baxter replys to those of a contrary opinion after this manner Take heed that thus by affirming that foreknowing faults in Worship makes them ours you make not God the greatest sinner and the worst Being in all the World For God foreknoweth all mens sins and is present when they commit them and he hath Communion with all the Prayers of the faithful in the World what faults soever be in the words or forms he doth not reject them for any such failings Will you say therefore that God approveth or consenteth to all these sins I know before-hand that every man will sin that prayeth by defect of desire c. But how doth all this make it mine c. And he otherwhere adds It is another mans fault or errour that you foreknow and not your own 5. It s granted that the fault of another in the ministration of Divine Worship is none of ours nor a sufficient reason to absent from it or to deprive our selves of it Thus M r Baxter The wording of the publick Prayers is the Pastors work and none of mine c. And why should any hold me guilty of another mans fault which I neither can help nor belongeth to any office of mine to help any farther than to admonish him And that the faults of him that Ministers are no sufficient reason to debar our selves of Communion in the worship Mr. Nye affirms and proves by this Argument If I may not omit a duty in respect to the evil mixed with it which is my own much less may I thus leave an ordinance for the evil that is another mans no way mine or to be charged upon me This were to make another mans sins or infirmities more mine than my own Thus is the case resolved with respect to the Cross in Baptism I may not only saith one do that which I judge to be inconvenient but suffer another to do that which I judge to be unlawful rather than be deprived of a necessary ordinance e. g. If either I must have my Child baptized with the sign of the Cross or not baptized at all I may suffer it to be done in that way though I judge it an unlawful addition because the manner concerns him that doth it not me at least not so much so long as there is all the essence He must be responsible for every irregularity not I. Thus Jacob took Laban's Oath though by his Idols c. After the same manner doth Mr. Baxter resolve the case in his Christian Directory p. 49. Seventhly They grant that it is a duty to joyn with a defective and faulty Worship where we can have no better Thus the Presbyterian Brethren at the Savoy An inconvenient mode of Worship is a sin in the Imposer and in the chuser and voluntary user that may offer God better and will not And yet it may not be only lawful but a duty to him that by violence is necessitated to offer up that or none This is acknowledged by an Author that is far from being favourable to Communion with the Church If the word of God could be no where heard or Communion in Sacraments no where enjoyed but only in such Churches that were so corrupt as yours is conceived to be it might be lawful yea and a duty to joyn with you so far as possibly Christians could without sin Accordingly Mr. Baxter declares that it is a duty to hold Communion constantly with any of the Parish Churches amongst us that have honest competent Pastors when we can have no better and professeth for his own part Were I saith he in Armenia Abassia or among the Greeks I would joyn in a much more defective Form than our Liturgy rather than none And he adds That this is the judgment of many New England Ministers to joyn with the English Liturgy rather than have no Church Worship I have reason to conjecture from the defence of the Synod c. Now in what cases this is to be presumed that we can have no better he shews 1. When it is so by a necessity arising from Divine Providence 2. A necessity proceeding from humane Laws which forbid it 3. A necessity from the injury done to the publick And 4. When it is to our own greater hinderance than help as when we must use none or do worse In these and the like cases it becomes a duty and what is otherwise lawful is thereby made necessary And he that cannot joyn with a purer Worship than what is publickly established without the breach of humane Laws or the disturbance of the publick Peace or dividing the Church of God or the bringing danger upon himself is as much where any of these or the like reasons are restrained from so doing as if it did proceed from a natural or providential necessity that is the one he cannot do Physically and naturally the other he cannot do morally honestly and prudently Having thus far stated the case and shew'd that its universally owned by those that dissent from the Church of England that Communion in a Worship not essentially defective and corrupted is lawful
Ministration of the Word and Sacraments yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name but in Christs and minister by his commission and authority we may use their Ministry both in hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments neither is the effect of Christs Ordinance taken away by their wickedness 2. The vertue of the Ordinance doth not depend upon their goodness but Gods promise So M r Rogers saith of Prayer If this burden of bad Ministers must be born I ask if among many sweet liberties we enjoy we may not joyn in Prayer with them if we can pray in faith seeing their unworthiness cannot withhold the fruit of Gods promise from us which is to one kind of Prayer as well as another So saith M r Cradacot of the Word Take heed saith he of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the Word because of the misdemeanors or miscarriage of the Minister It is the word of the Lord which converts not the Person of the dispenser or speaker Hence it was that the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees was not to be rejected but to be esteemed so long as they failed not in the substance thereof c. I conceive its a rare thing for unconverted Ministers to convert and yet we must remember not to tye the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments to the goodness or badness of a Ministers Person So when it s objected How can we expect a blessing upon the labours of such though they preach truth Mr. Nye replys Answ. 1. The mixtures in Sermons are nearest the irregularities of their calling next the sins of their conversations furthest from their Doctrine and therefore have less efficacy at such a distance to prejudice it Answ. 2. It s Gods word and not their own they preach c. 3. That if Persons themselves do believe and are sincere they are notwithstanding such a Ministry accepted The sacrifice of a faithful Elkanah saith one was pleasing to God even when Hophni and Phineas were Priests From all which we find some declaring that notwithstanding this they would Communicate So a Reverend Person The Peoples prejudices against the Liturgy are grounded for the most part upon the wicked lives of those that are the most constant readers and frequenters of it doubtless the Author if he had considered this would rather have said that they are grounded upon the wicked lives of some of those that read and frequent it I shall never upon that account cease to joyn in Prayers and to hear Sermons Others we find exhorting their Auditors to attend even upon such So Mr R. Fairclough in his Farewel Sermons Get all good from shew all duty to him that follows If he should be weak or evil yet while he preacheth truths while he sits in Moses Chair hear him seriously and carry your selves towards him as becomes a People to their Minister I have thus far considered the case of scandalous Ministers because many make it an objection as well those that are not concerned as those that are Otherwise it must be acknowledged that England was never better provided with a learned and pious Ministry than at present who have as good understanding preach as good Doctrine do as much good by their Preaching as any others as a late writer doth confess But though many Congregations are well supplied with a Pious Able and Industrious Ministry yet there are few or none but what have some more or less amongst the Laity that are as it may be supposed not fit to be received into Communion with a Church or to be communicated with This brings me to the next thing in Worship which is 4. The case of mixed Communion This is a plea saith Mr. Vines that is plausible to easie capacities because it pretends to set up holiness of Ordinances and People but what the eminent Dissenters do utterly disclaim Mr. Vines saith it is Donatistical and others as Mr. Brinsley and Mr. Jenkin that its the common plea or pretence which for the moct part hath been taken up by all Schismaticks in defence of their separation from the Church and therefore that it is necessary the People should be untaught it as Mr. Baxter doth advise And as they do disclaim it so they declare that those that separate upon this account do it very unjustly that the scandals of professors are ground of mourning but not of separation that there may be a sufficient cause to cast out obstinate sinners and yet not sufficient cause for one to leave the Church though such be not cast â—ut That the suffering of prophane and scandalous livers to continue in the Church and partake in the Sacrament is doubtless a great sin yet the godly are not presently to separate from it There is saith M r Burroughs an error on both sides either those that think it concerns them not at all with whom they come to the Sacrament or those that if they do what they can to keep the scandalous away and yet they should be suffered to come that they themselves may not come to partake of it This both the Presbyterians and Independents so far agree in and for this their opinion they urge several Arguments First It s no where commanded but is a vain pretending to holiness above rule and example saith M r Vines It s no duty as he elsewhere saith because there is no command it s no duty and therefore we read not this word come forth in any of the Epistles written to the seven Churches against which Christ saith he hath such and such things They that lived in the impurer are not called forth into the purer but there are promises made to them that keep themselves pure and duties injoyned them toward the impurer part For we may not make every Disease the Plague Shall the Sons of God the Angels forsake the Lords presence because Satan came also amongst them c. The Provincial Assembly of London doth affirm In the Church of Corinth was such a profane mixture at the Sacrament as we believe few if any of our Congregations can be charged withal And yet the Apostle doth not perswade the godly party to separate much less to gather a Church out of a Church From which consideration Mr. Tombs concludes Sure it can be no sin in any Person to joyn in the true Worship and service of God with any if he have no command to withdraw himself from that service because of their presence nor power to exclude them and yet is bound to the duties there performed Nay they do not only plead that it s not commanded but that its forbidden and unlawful So M r Hooker To separate from a Church because of the sin of some Worshippers is unlawful So the New England Ministers do declare As separation from a Church wherein prophane and scandalous livers