Prince and Saviour Men would have of themselvs concluded Faith in him their duty when they were convinced of that truth though there had been no precept to make it so Which is so plain that I shall disparage your intellectuals in using more words to clear it to you Philal. It is indeed so plain that I am ashamed I ask'd the Question Theoph. But if you please Philalethes I will more particularly and distinctly though very briefly demonstrate that the duties of the Gospel are such as Reason would we consult it would prompt to us Philal. You cannot shew the strength of your own Reason upon a nobler Subject Theoph. A very small pittance of it that is so little as I am master of is sufficient to enable any one with ease to perform this successfully Now then as our Saviour referreth our whole duty to two Heads viz. the love of God and our Neighbour so doth the Apostle to three Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness Now for Godliness which contains all our duty immediately relating to God all the instances thereof which the Gospel enjoyns may be learnt by improving but that one natural Principle of Gods existence and that thus There being a God he must necessarily be absolutely perfect He being absolutely perfect is to be acknowledged the Creator Preserver Benefactor and Governour of the whole world for it is unreasonable to attribute our Creation preservation c. to any besides such a Being And then God having all perfections in himself and being so related to us this will necessarily follow that we ought to make him the object of our highest Admiration our greatest love we ought to offer up Sacrifices of Prayer and Praises to him to trust in him and depend upon him in all our ways to acknowledge him chearfully to do what he commands patiently to submit to his dispose c. And there is no duty immediately relating to God but is in those included setting aside that of doing what he commands for that alone takes in our whole duty in reference not onely to God but also to our Neighbour and our Selvs God being such a one in himself and to the world as you heard this must be eternally true that it is the duty of all Reasonable creatures to carry themselvs towards him as was shewn There is so close a connexion between those Premises and these Conclusions that a man cannot believe the one and except he were stark mad doubt the other We cannot more easily apprehend this Argument to be necessarily true viz. This Figure is a Circle therefore all its parts are equally distant from the Center than this God is our Creator Preserver c. therefore we ought so as was now said to behave our selves towards him Nay we can hardly think of that premiss but this conclusion will come into our mindes whether we will or no. And then for Righteousness which implieth our duty to our Neighbour that Rule of our Saviour What ye would that men should do to you that do ye to them which Severus expresseth in Negative terms Quod tibi fieri non vis altâ—â—â— ne feceris it is as self-evident 〈◊〉 Principle as any is to be found in Morals And this will teach us to be just most severely just to every body and to be kinde and merciful to those that are in need Now these two include all that the Gospel requires in reference to one another And then for Sobriety that comprehendeth our whole duty to our selvs The meer principle of Self-love will teach a man that he may not be intemperate in any kinde he by this means abusing himself And the very knowledge of our selvs and what excellent creatures we are will convince us that we ought not to set our heart upon or place our happiness in any earthly thing Therefore this was one Rule among the several excellent ones in the Pythagoraean Golden Verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things Revere thy self There is no man but does or may know that his soul is too Noble a creature to glut it self with base Corporeal Pleasures and that his understanding is too sublime a faculty to subject it self to his brutish appetite And that God as the Philosopher speaks indued him with that to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Prince and Ruler within him and with this to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Subject and Ruled to be the Servant not Master of his Minde There is no man but feels his soul too big for these terrestrial things and that they are never able to fill its vast capacities Now what are we enjoyned in the Christian Religion as relating to our selvs but is to be reduced to one of these nay to this one head of inordinate affection And in short for I am sensible that we have protracted our discourse upon this Subject to too great a length I know no duties enjoyned in the Gospel besides that of Faith in Christ and the two Sacraments but may be found as to the substance of them at least commended as noble perfections in some one or other of the Heathenish writings as may be particularly shewn but that it will take up too much time Philal. What say you to meek bearing and putting up affronts but especially to loving malicious enemies and rendering good for evil Theoph. Both these may be found in them if not under the notion of indispensable duties yet as greatly becoming us most highly commendable and significations of a bravely generous and virtuous Minde The instances of the former are so many that you cannot be a stranger to them nor any that have read but that little Book that is worn out in School-boys hands Tully's Offices Nay Plato brings in Socrates speaking of it as that to which all men are absolutely obliged Injury saith he is to be done by no means vely by no means nor may it be repayed to him that doth an injury as the vulgar think for that it is to be committed upon no pretence And what think you of that speech of Cato If an Ass kicks me shall I again kick him He thereby intimated that it was unworthy of him to be revengeful at least towards some sort of people And as to the later I remember that Origen in his eighth Book against Celsus gives two notable instances of it the one of Lycurgus and the other of Zeno. One being delivered into the hands of Lycurgus that had put out one of his eyes he was so far from revenging the injury as very great as it was that he never left giving him wholsome Counsel till he had made him in love with Philosophy And he brings in Zeno making this Reply to his enemy that said Let me perish if I do thee not a mischief viz. And let me perish if I do not reconcile thee to me Both these shew sufficiently what those Heathens thought of returning good for evil Philal. But have you observed that the
Churches under him may be provided of good and able Pastors and that both of Pastors and People conformity to Laws and performance of their duties may be required under Penalties not left to discretion but by Law appointed Philal. By the account you have given me of those Divines I am confident they do not unchurch those Churches that will not admit of this Government as highly as they themselves approve of it Theoph. If they should they would be very inconsistent with their own Principles But let me tell you they cannot but look upon it as very desirable that those few Churches that refuse it would receive it upon more accounts than that of its great Antiquity I need not tell you that they moreover believe the Civil Magistrate to have a Power both Legislative and Judiciary as well in Sacred as in Civil Affairs Philal. But this will not be admitted by many Protestants any more than by the Papists themselves Theoph. I know it will not and that some very fiercely talk against it where they think they may do it safely but they bewray too much ignorance in so doing For as the Learned Author of the Ancient Liberty of the Britannick Church hath shewn as Fathers of Families were at first both Princes and Priests and as by the encrease of Families and their enlargement into Cities and Communities the Oeconomick Authority at length became Politick So it is apparant that in the first Institution of Priesthood Moses took away no part of the Supream Jurisdiction from the Politick Authority for he as King of Iesurun was constituted by God himself the Keeper as well of both Trumpets as Tables And as Moses not Aaron delivered the Ceremonial Law so long after Moses King David instituted the Courses of Priests and Solomon thrust out Abiathar the High Priest And when Christ inaugurated his Apostles he furnisht them with great powers of his own such as the Administration of Sacraments and the power of the Keys but all that he bestowed on them he did it Cumulatively and nought at all Privitively for he detracted nothing from the Authority of the Civil Power nor gave any Commandment that Kings because Christians should have their Jurisdiction abated But you may find this Subject excellently and more fully handled in the former part of the Discourse of Ecclesiastical Polity lately publisht Philal. Seeing Theophilus those Divines are of those good Subjects that heartily acknowledge the Kings Majesty to be Supream Governour in these his Dominions in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil they must needs likewise believe that the Church Government He hath Constituted may not without the guilt of Rebellion be violently opposed or of Sedition be in any kind affronted by any of his Subjects Theoph. You may be assured of it Philalethes of any as well as them that are not next door to Mad-men And these our Friends acknowledge also that it is in the power of the Governours of the Church to Compose Forms of Prayer to be used in Publick and such Rites as they in their Wisdom shall conceive most proper for the decent orderly and Reverend Solemnizing of Divine Worship And that it is the duty of all under their Authority to Submit to the use of such Forms supposing the matter of them be agreeable to the Holy Scriptures and that they are directed onely and immediately to God in the Name of Christ and that they ought to conform to those Rites so long as they are of an indifferent nature and not imposed as necessary in themselves or essential parts of Worship or to recommend the Worshippers to God and make their Service accepted or to convey Grace or as laying an Antecedent Bond upon the Judgment as well as on the Practice but only as things alterable and in their own nature indifferent And such they conceive the Forms of Prayer now enjoyned to be and the other Rites of our Church and to be no otherwise than as such imposed Philal. But do they not likewise hold that Governors are obliged not only to make choice of such Rites as are in their own nature indifferent and to impose them as such but also to beware how they enjoyn any that they are not on good grounds assured are for Edification Theoph. This is out of doubt And I presume they also believe that no Rites may be enjoyned that are known to be but by accident and the infirmity of the people generally inconvenient But yet though Governors should miscarry in the discharge of their duty they question not but that the people are bound to obey them while they command nothing but what is lawful though it should be inconvenient Philal. That Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you in the Lord hath no such limitation as this annexed When they command things convenient We are also required to submit to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake Whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governors as those that are sent by him Theoph. Nor ought that limitation to be implyed in these or the like Precepts For that though those that are under Authority ought to judge for themselves what is lawful yet it is most unreasonable that the judgment of what is convenient should not be left to their Governors Philal. Nothing is more apparent than that if the people should have this liberty it would tend to the invalidating of all Laws and utter subversion of Government Theoph. That 's certain Therefore these Divines though they could heartily wish that nothing may be injoyned in the Worship of God among us but what considering the very outward Circumstances we are in may be as expedient as lawful yet they esteem it as unquestionably true that the people ought to obey even in those things that the Magistrate should not command And that a certain duty and such is Obedience to Authority may not be forborn upon uncertain Conjectures or any miscarriage in those to whom they owe it The mischiefs of contending with Governors about supposed inconvenient things being incomparably greater than any that can follow upon obedience in such things Philal. By what you have said I easily guess what Opinion they have of that conceit that hath of late years been broached and practised upon viz. That when the Supream Magistrate refuseth to reform what is amiss in Church or State the Subjects ought to take that work into their own hands Theoph. Do you only guess at it You may be most certain that they judge no Fancy more wild and mad nor of more pernicious Consequence And know also that they profess unfeignedly to believe as well as subscribe to it that it is unlawful for the people to take up Arms against their Prince or those commissionated by Him upon any pretence whatsoever I need not now inform you Philalethes whom by their forementioned Moderation they greatly offend You know that also upon that account
the Latin Tongue I think it great pitty that it should be kept lockt up in our own Language But to proceed as that Gentleman was not so these also we are speaking of are not at all forward to give a Catalogue of Fundamentals but instead thereof content themselves to tell their Hearers that it is sufficient for any mans Salvation that he assent to the truth of the Holy Scriptures that he carefully endeavour to understand their true meaning so far as concerns his own duty and to order his life accordingly And that he whose Conscience tells him upon an impartial inquiry into himself that he doth thus need not fear that he erreth damnably But into the number of the Doctrines they account Fundamentals they will by no means admit any that are not plainly revealed as hath been already intimated with the reason why And for the same reason they doubt not but that according to mens various Capacities means of knowledge and such like the same points of Faith may be to some fundamental and to others not I mean may be necessary to be known and explicitely believed by some but not so by others which was likewise before in effect said Philal. Well Theophilus you have imparted to me I thank you very excellent Principles Without doubt they would be greatly effectual to the cementing of our present differences and healing our lamentable wide Breaches if they were generally entertained by Christians and improved What a brave World should we have would we but all practise upon such Principles This would be the way to unite those in Affection that differ in Opinion Theoph. And this would be the way too to make far fewer differences in Opinion For then would not men be superstitiously fearful of impartially examining those Doctrines the truth of which they now think it a sin so much as to call in question And by this means taking all those they have been instructed in for granted there is little hope of ever undeceiving them These Principles being well digested will likewise mightily quiet mens minds and cure them of all tormenting fears of their being out of the true way to Blessedness while they are not conscious to themselves of living in the allowance of any known sin or neglect of any such duty that they seek Truth impartially and adopt not any Opinion in order to the gratifying of any corrupt affection Philal. They will certainly unshakle and disintangle mens minds and give them their due liberty they will enlarge and widen their Souls and make them in an excellent and most commendable sence men of Latitude Theoph. You make me smile at that conceit But yet Philalethes as excellent and very useful as they are and must needs appear to be to any one that will give himself leave to consider them those Friends of ours by their endeavours to propagate them have procured to themselves enemies of divers sorts Their thus doing vexeth to the heart all peremptory and magisterial Dictators of whatsoever Party they be This whets the Tongues of those against them whose great ambition it is to lead of those no less that take as great pleasure in being led and in following blind-fold either some particular men or certain Church Philal. Concerning these latter it may be said as Tacitus doth of some that they are Natiad Servitutem Born to be Slaves and think bondage a great blessing For otherwise how could they be so highly displeased with the charity of those that would set them free I presume Theophilus that it might be upon this account that so much Choler discovered it self in a Reverend Doctor whose years alone it might be thought should have taught him much more discretion and provoked the angry man not very long since to shoot from the Pulpit most dreadful Thunderbolts against these Divines in a Learned Auditory Theoph. There are those that suspect that 't was envy chiefly that put him upon taking so much vain pains to render them odious to Gentlemen too wise to do other than pity him for his labour he finding himself as great as he thinks his own deserts less regarded than some of those vile persons Moreover Philalethes thence it is that some who have more Zeal than Discretion and I wish I had not cause to say more Passion and Pride than either do inveigh against them as those that are so far from true Sons of the Church that they are her Enemies and undermine her and more dangerous people than the worst of Sects And thence it is that others too who are of the same temper though of a contrary Faction joyn with these in accusing them as men luke-warm in the Cause of God and unconcerned for the Orthodox Religion nay such as are so far from contending earnestly for the Faith once given to the Saints that they expose it and endanger the loss of it Philal. I think in my Conscience they take the only course to preserve it But it seems those men take it for granted in the mean time that those Opinions they are pleased to call theirs must needs be of no less account with God than with themselves and that those they think good to brand with the black mark of Fundamental Heresies cannot be otherwise and that there can be no effectual confuting of them but when the Persons that hold them are cursed with Bell Book and Candle and have the severest and most dismal of Sentences past upon them Part III Theoph. You may be sure of it But is it not time think you Philalethes to acquaint you with those Divines Judgment in Matters of Discipline Philal. Yes if you think so Theoph. Come on then This following be you assured is a true account thereof Namely That to all Forms of Ecclesiastical Government they greatly prefer that of Episcopacy because it is apparent that so much as is essential to that Government did universally take place in the Church presently after the Apostles times and therefore it is very probable that it was also in their dayes It being hardly conceivable that so great an alteration as that of Presbyterian or Congregational to Episcopal Government could in a little time have prevailed over all the World and have continued for so many Ages together if it had been otherwise Philal. How much do they or you conceive to be Essential to Episcopacy and therefore agreeable to the Primitive Pattern Theoph. Mr. Chillingworth shall answer you that Question If we abstract saith he from Episcopal Government all Accidentals and consider onely what is essential and necessary to it We shall find in it no more than this An appointment of one man of eminent Sanctity and Sufficiency to have the care of all the Churches within a certain Precinct or Diocess and furnishing him with Authority not Absolute or Arbitrary but regulated and bounded by Laws and moderated by joyning to him a convenient number of Assistants to the intent that all the