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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79832	Seventeen sermons preach'd upon several occasions By William Clagett, D.D. late preacher to the Honourable Society of Grays Inn, and one of His Majesty's chaplains in ordinary. With the summ of a conference, on February 21, 1686. between Dr. Clagett and Father Gooden, about the point of transubstantiation. The third edition. Vol. I.	Clagett, William, 1646-1688.; Gooden, Peter, d. 1695. aut; Sharp, John, 1645-1714.	1699 (1699)	Wing C4398; ESTC R230511	209,157	515

Reformation was however Schismatical To all which I answer in short 1. As to the Universal Supremacy it is a Point to which Antiquity is wholly a Stranger Scripture and the Fathers say nothing of it Ignatius who so often requires that nothing should be done of moment in the Church without the Bishop would have found out some one occasion at least to have said Let nothing be done without the Bishop of Rome if he had known of any such Privilege and Power conferred on him by our Lord. But if Pergamos were justifiable in removing those Corruptions which were crept into that Church without staying for the consent of the Bishop of Rome England in removing more Corruptions and of equal danger was to proceed also without his leave if it could not be had 2. As to his Patriarchal Power over this Nation it did not anciently belong to him he had it not when the Council of Nice confined him to his own Province nor when the Council of Ephesus decreed That no Bishop should presume to invade any other Province which from the beginning had not been under his or his Predecessors Jurisdiction or if any do and make it his own by Force that he should restore it And then the Church of Britain was free acknowledging no Foreign Jurisdiction the Power that the Bishop of Rome gained here in After-Ages was got by Fraud and held by Force and was ever and anon disputed and gainsay'd and over-ruled and surely no Injury was done him when that Authority was resumed which he had usurped 3. As to the Conversion of the Saxons by Austin sent hither by Pope Gregory I say it follows not if long since the Inhabitants of this Island received any Benefit from Rome therefore they should in all Ages be exposed to the Usurpations of that Place afterwards nor that because we once received true Religion from Rome therefore Posterity must receive also false Doctrines from thence when it should please her to send them hither But in truth Christianity had been planted here long before by St. Paul himself in all probability and that in the Reign of Tiberius before Rome her self had received the Christian Faith And the British Bishops whom Austin found here would by no means submit to the Authority of the Roman Legate And so much for the Right that this particular Church had to reform her self I come now Thirdly To consider some of those specious Pretences and Objections by which they go about to weaken the stedfastness of our People in the Communion of our Church and to draw them to theirs 1. They say How was it possible that Errors could creep into the Church of that nature with those which we charge upon them There must have been great Opposition made to any the least design of such an Alteration in the state of Religion and we meet with no such account of things in History Therefore these are not Innovations but the ancient Doctrine and Practice of the Church To omit this That concerning most of their Innovations we can very nearly shew the time when they were brought in but can plainly shew that there was a time when they were not I answer It is much more easy to conceive that in a thousand Years time Error should creep into that Church by degrees and without noise than that in a Church planted by an Apostle as Pergamos was guarded by the Angel or Bishop placed there by an Apostle as Pergamos was should so soon tolerate the Doctrines of the Balaamites and Nicolaitans even while their Apostle was alive and therefore very soon after he departed from them 2. They say That the perpetual Succession of their Bishops from St. Peter is an Argument of the Succession of true Doctrine amongst them in the Purity thereof but behold an Apostolical Church in which a Bishop succeeded an Apostle yet alive corrupted in her Doctrine and Worship Can they have greater can they have as great an assurance of a perpetual uninterrupted Succession after so many Ages as the Church of Pergamos had before one Age was gone Or does their Infallibility grow with their Succession Or the farther they are removed from the beginning of the Church are they the surer still that they teach nothing but what was taught at first 3. They say We are departed from the whole Church of Christ that was visible every where upon the face of the Earth when the Reformation was begun seeing there was then no Communion in the World nor had been long before that professed the same Doctrine in all Points which the Reformation brought in Now in great liberality to admit for once that the whole visible Church had corrupted its way as the Church of Rome has done which yet is not true but I say admitting it what will then come of it That we departed from the whole Church of Christ No But that we departed from the general Errors and Corruptions of it and by that could not be said to depart from the whole Church whereof we our selves were a part unless we departed also from our selves Nay but say they this is to fall into another damnable Error and that is That the whole Church of Christ had failed from the Earth and so that the visible Church had perished for some Ages till the Reformation brought it to Life again Not so neither for we do not say That the Errors of the Church were of that nature as to make it cease to be a Church but that they were in themselves damnable and that they made the Salvation of all that were in it extremely hazardous but yet that we hope well of those who believing the Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity maintained in the Church and wanting means to discover her Corruptions served God according to their knowledge So that we do not say the Church had perished but that her Purity had been lost even as Pergamos was a Church and so acknowledged by our Lord himself because she held fast the Foundation of the Creed while yet she was corrupted with notorious Errors To this according to their usual way of arguing they would reply That the Case is not the same between a particular Church as Pergamos was and the whole Visible Church from which Luther and those that followed him separated themselves But then I would answer That the Case is the same as to the matter we are upon for if a particular Church though under great Errors may yet be a part of the whole Church by like reasons if the whole Church were overspread with foul Errors it would nevertheless still remain the whole Church and there is as great an obligation to depart from those Errors in the latter case as in the former and a particular Church by departing from such Errors does no more depart from the whole Church than she did from her self 4. They pretend Antiquity for their Errors and are often asking that shrewd Question as they deem it Where was your

Religion before Luther I would answer this Question with another That after the Angel of the Church of Pergamos had purged away the Corruptions of that Church Where was the Church of Pergamos before that Reformation Every one of common sense would answer It was where it is now and where it ever was since it was first a Church for the Reformation took away nothing that belonged to the Nature and Essence of a Church but only the Shame and the Corruption of it So I say still admitting what yet can never be proved That there was none for Five hundred Years together that declared against the Abuses and Errors that were crept into the Church admitting this I say that our Church before our Reformation or even before Luther was even amongst our selves where the Roman Corruptions had prevailed only it was then a Corrupted now it is a Reformed Church That which makes Rome a true Church is That she retains the Profession of the Creeds and the Administration of the Sacraments That which makes her a corrupt Church is That she has added as many more Articles of Faith as there were before and brought in Idolatrous Practices into her Worship Such a true Church and such a corrupted Church was this of England before the Reformation but the Truth we have reserved and the Corruption we have cast away and so have added Purity to the Truth of our Christian Communion we have kept that which is ancient thrown aside that which was lately introduced and so are a Church built upon the same Foundation that we were built upon before but have thrown away the Hay and Stubble that was laid upon it But if the Instance of the Church of Pergamos be not sufficient to answer this Question I shall add another to it and that is Hezekiah's Reformation who took away the High-places burnt the Images and cut down the Groves which had stood in all probability four or five hundred years for this was the abatement of the commendation of good Kings before him that nevertheless the high places were not taken away And moreover this Corruption had spread it self from one end of Judah to the other Here was Universality of Places and the Prescription of some Ages to give Authority to it notwithstanding which Hezekiah to his immortal Honour made a Reformation And now the Question Where our Church was before Luther is just such another as this Would have been Where was the Church of Judah before Hezekiah And indeed such a demand was made But by whom do you think Truly by none of God's Church but which is little for the credit of such Questions by Rabshakeh that great Blasphemer of the God of Israel For thus I find him speaking to the Jews But if ye say unto me We trust in the Lord our God Is not that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem 2 Kings 18.22 By which Question it is most apparent that the corruption amongst the People in this matter had been so general and ancient that their Neighbours took this false Worship of theirs for their Religion and therefore reckoned that Hezekiah had introduced a New Religion because he had but reformed the Old I need not make any Application of so plain an Instance 5. They sometimes say That since we confess them to be a true Church and consequently to hold no Fundamental Errors we ought to have tarried in a Church in which we granted a possibility of Salvation and we may now without danger return to their Communion But it is plain that not only those Errors which do unchurch a People but even those that make their Salvation hazardous are to be reformed Pergamos was still a Church notwithstanding her Errors but yet was obliged to reform them 6. And lastly Since we grant them to be a true Church and Christ can have but one Church upon earth and there is but one Church out of which there are no ordinary means of Salvation we must conclude our selves to be no true Church nor part of it because we are separated from them and consequently to be cut off from the hope of Salvation I answer That there is indeed but one Catholick Church as we confess in our Creed whereof the Church of Rome is one part and one of the worst in the world and the Church of England another and perhaps one of the best I do grant also that Salvation is not to be ordinarily had out of the Catholick Church but then I add that in that part of it which is best reformed it is to be obtained with great safety and assurance and in that part of it which is very corrupt and refuses to be reformed not without great difficulty and danger And though these parts of the Church are separated in Communion from one another it does not follow that either of them must be the Catholick Church and the other no part of it at all but that there is but one part which can free her self from the blame of the Separation and that it concerns every man as much as his Soul is worth to chuse that Communion which does not only afford him the Means that are absolutely necessary to Salvation but those also without the mixture of such false Doctrines and unlawful Practices which nothing but invincible Ignorance or Infirmity that is very pardonable can reconcile with the hope of any man's Salvation But if they will not receive this Answer but still contend that because we charge each other with Heresy and Schism 't is impossible both parts can be within the Unity of the Catholick Church and therefore that we granting them to be a true Church must confess our selves to be none I know not what they will get by this but that if this be true we must revoke all that charitable hopes of their Salvation which we would fain nourish If either they or we must needs be quite out of the Church and can have no benefit by the Promises of the Gospel and the Covenant of Grace doth it follow that therefore we must go over to their Communion No But it follows on the other side that we have greater reason than we thought we had to stay where we are because it seems as they say one part must needs be out of the Church and want all means of Salvation For we confess our selves to be much more sure that our Communion is a safe way to Salvation than we are that theirs is a way at all And if they will not let us believe both together instead of giving us a reason why we should be Papists they give us a new one why we should not This I say to shew only what Answer they may get by trying to make an unreasonable Advantage to themselves by our Charity and Moderation Not that I believe their Errors have made them cease from being a part of

promise of Eternal Life and the warning of a day of Judgment to come It is in this that the great power of the Gospel to mend the Tempers of men consists But when all is done in this kind that can be done men may chuse their Portion in this World because they will not hearken and consider And it well became Divine Providence to permit those to resist the Holy Spirit and the means of Salvation who would not be reclaimed by any reasonable means and that for these three Reasons 1. That there might be a clear difference made between the good and honest heart on the one side and the insincere and incorrigible on the other Which had been impossible if God had by his Omnipotence equally overborn all men into the Faith and Obedience of Christ But as the Case stands the Gospel is a Touchstone that distinguisheth between the humble and sincere and the unteachable and dishonest part of mankind And the Offences which are given by those that do not receive the Truth in the love of it are a farther trial of the sincerity and ingenuity of men as St. Paul said of one kind of Offences There must be heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest And therefore notwithstanding Offences that remains true which our Saviour said All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6.37 i. e. All sincere and humble Persons who are committed to the special care of Christ to train them up to eternal Life will be sufficiently armed against Temptations and the Offences that are laid in their way shall but clear their sincerity and wisdom more to the world and turn to the increase of their Reward 2. As the sincerity of the Righteous so neither had the proper advantages and power of Truth been seen had God interposed his irresistible Power to prevent all Offences and Endeavours against the Truth And therefore he was pleased to suffer Error and Folly to appear upon the Stage of the World even after the Heavenly Wisdom of the Gospel was made known to mankind that by its own strength it might struggle with all kind of opposition and prevail and be justified of her Children 3. By this way the Wisdom of Divine Providence and the Truth of God's Word and his Care over the Church is seen more illustriously than if Offences had never been suffered That Promise That the Gates of Hell should never prevail against the Church of Christ nor the Faith lost from the Earth had lain in the Gospel unobserved we should have had no occasion for recourse to it no means of trial whether we put our Trust in it Had the Truth been never opposed never corrupted we had wanted one notable reason to praise God That while the Offences are so rise in this world this Church gives no Offence in matter of Doctrine or in matter of Worship And that God may count us worthy to enjoy so inestimable a Blessing let us pray that we may give no Offence by our Examples let us adorn our Profession by our Conversations and shew the Purity of our Faith by the Purity of our Actions Thus much for the necessity of Offences that thus would arise It must needs be that offences come The Third Sermon MATTH XVIII 7. Wo unto the world because of offences for it must needs be that offences come But wo to that Man by whom the Offence cometh I Come now to the Second Point viz. That Offences would do great mischief in the world Wo unto the world because of offences In speaking to which I shall consider I. What Mischief is done by Offences II. Whence it comes that they are of so pernicious a consequence I. What Mischief is done by them And in this Question I need not be large because the Answer to it has in some part been already given under those several Heads of Scandal which I mentioned before it being impossible to shew where the Scandal of any Practice or Opinion lies without touching upon the Mischief it is apt to do But to what has been said something may be added 1. The general Mischief of Offences or Scandals is this That they are a prevailing Temptation upon many in the world to forsake the way of Truth and Piety For as good Examples and Encouragements good Counsels and Instructions are proper means of making others better so ill Examples and the Arts of seducing must needs have a contrary influence God has put us into a kind of dependance upon one another and has thereby given us opportunities of the greatest Charity and the best kinds of doing good viz. of leading and confirming one another in the way of Truth and Virtue But there is no help for it but the Society we have with one another may be abused into a means of doing one another mischief And therefore as where Truth is sincerely represented where Virtue is encouraged where Authority protects them where Wit and Learning are engaged to recommend them there abundance of good will be done upon those who are framed to learn and not to teach to follow but not to lead the way So on the other hand it is not to be expected but the abuse of all those Advantages will create Prejudices against Truth and Goodness and mislead multitudes And this is too evident from the experience of the world in all Ages No Opinions how foolish and absurd soever how pernicious soever to the common Interest of mankind if they have been set off with plausible Colours or supported by Authority or have been accommodated to the Interests of wicked men but they have had Abettors and Followers and have very often taken such deep Root in the Affections of men that 't is one of the hardest things in the world to convert them into the way of Truth But more particularly in the Second place 2. The scandal of advancing Doctrines that give liberty to the Lusts of men and ease to their Minds without effectual Reformation This Scandal I say has this pernicious effect that for the most part it fears the Consciences of men and hardens their hearts against all Reproof Although it be a terrible aggravation of sin for a man to venture upon the doing of that which his Conscience pulls him back from and for which he knows he must give a sad Account at the Last Day if it be not prevented by Sorrow and Reformation yet such a man is in a better condition than one that is well satisfied with himself and believes his Condition to be good enough while he goes on in his Sins without Reformation because he has another way to escape the Damnation of Hell For so long as a man believes the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel as they are and knows the terms upon which they are made it may be hoped that he will at length lay these things seriously to heart and that

consider the Excellency of the Gospel with the Purpose of God not to overbear the World into the Faith and Obedience of it by forcing the natural Liberty of Men it had rather been much more strange if it had escaped opposition and corruption than to have been both opposed and corrupted as it hath Thus our blessed Saviour himself and his Apostles foretold that it would be Take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many many false Prophets stall arise and deceive many and if any one shall say unto you Lo here is Christ and there is Christ believe it not for there shall arise false Christ's and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect Behold I have told you before Thus he foretold how Christianity should be corrupted by Impostures and Frauds Again says he They shall deliver you up to be afflicted and killed and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake and then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another Thus he foretold the violence that should be used to extinguish the Profession of the Truth Again saith St. Paul 2 Thess 2. There shall be a falling away and the man of sin shall come with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie that they might all be damned who believe not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness The●e he foretels a fearful Apostasie from the Purity and Simplicity of the Christian Profession Again says he 2 Tim. 3.1 2. This know that in the last days perilous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitors heady high-minded lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God There he foretels a terrible corruption of Manners And again 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. The Spirit speaketh expresly says he that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Conscience seared with an hot iron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Now lay all these things together and here is as plain warning as can possibly be given of most corrupt and degenerate Times even after Christ's first coming and so that is expresly foretold which the Text evidently supposes For here would be glorious Pretences to deceive Violence to compel and wicked Examples to offend the Disciples of Christ And what Provision hath our Lord left to secure them from being misled where there is so much danger They are to attend to the Doctrine which he delivered us at first by his Holy Apostles to secure themselves from being deceived they must lay to Heart the Promises of the Gospel to arm themselves against the Temptations of the World and the Power of evil Examples and they are to consider that all these things were foretold by our Lord himself and his Apostles that they might not be scandalized when they should happen nor be tempted to suspect that either Christianity was not of God from the first or at least that our Lord has neglected all care of it since because it doth so little good as yet in the World because it runs out into so many Errors and because the Truth of it is so vehemently opposed for says our Saviour Behold I have told you before But still it is in their power whether they will take warning by such Predictions and whether they will guard themselves against Errors and Evil Examples and therefore a very corrupt state of Things in the Christian World will in all likelihood shake the Faith of many Believers and cause some to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them not regarding the admonitions of Christ and his Apostles before-hand And so when Christ comes he will find but little Faith upon the Earth And this is the Observation which in the first place is unavoidable from the Text That even after Christ there would be degenerate Ages for this is plainly supposed as the cause why there would be but little Faith found when he should come to visit the Earth for the Iniquities and Offences it abounds with The 2. Supposition is That the Providence of our Lord would then appear to set things right when there was the greatest need to interpose in behalf of his Church For whereas it is said When the son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth It is intimated manifestly that his coming is then to be expected when little Faith is to be found amongst Men and consequently when Scandals and Temptations are so strong that it is an hard matter to bear up against them I have said already that the Evidence of Christianity doth not make all Men receive it and that the Power of Christianity doth not make all that receive it wise and good Men and it is not to be denied but that amongst Christians themselves there are as monstrous Errors and leud Examples as ever there were in the World before Christianity or as there are now where Christianity is not at all professed Now at this rate should the Lord of the Church our Lord Jesus Christ let things go as they would it would in time come to pass that nothing of Christianity would remain in the World but the name of it and that for no other purpose but to do more hurt with it than could be done without it But how is it that Divine Providence will interpose or according to the expression of the Text that the Son of man will come and will make good his Promise of being with his Church to the end of the World which is never more remarkably fulfilled than when he interposes in those Circumstances which make Men think that he will not interpose and that he is not at all concerned what becomes of the State of Religion or the Affairs of the Church Because our Lord hath not made the Gospel an irresistable means of convincing Vnbelieuers and reforming wicked Men therefore it would in time be needful that in order to the keeping up of true Religion and making Christians such as they ought to be that he I say should by his Providence correct his own Disciples and reduce wretched Mankind into an unavoidable necessity of consideration that Truth and Righteousness should not utterly fall from among the Children of Men. When there is the greatest danger of losing the true Profession of Christianity our Lord will not be

wanting to maintain it When all Flesh had corrupted their ways God came and swept away Mankind with a Flood and saved Noah to be the Father of a new and better Generation When their Prosperity had corrupted their ways he called Abraham forth to preserve true Religion in him and in his Family and these and the like Providences are Pledges of the same care to interpose in behalf of Truth and Righteousness when the Faithful seem to fail from among the Children of Men. While God seems to let the World alone and to suffer all Men to go on in their own ways as if he took no notice of them nor were at all concerned at what they did he is all the while trying and proving what they are not indeed for his own Information for he knows all things but for the instruction of those that are to come after If he at every turn should interpose when we think it needful we should very seldom know who are sincere and who are Hypocrites it is very fit that it should be sometimes seen whether Men are what they pretend to be whether indeed they are concerned for that Truth for which they have once pretended a mighty Zeal whether they are governed by Conscience as they say or by mere worldly and politick Considerations for such Discoveries as these are very instructing and serve for the bringing about of much good in the World and in the Church which we may reasonably presume to be one cause why when the Son of Man comes he will find but little Faith upon the Earth because while he suffers the World to go on as if he minded it not he is trying those that pretend to Faith and upon the Tryal many are discovered not to have it In short Divine Providence is so far from being regardless of the Affairs of Men that it then most of all shews it self when Men are tempted to think that it regards nothing i. e. when there is but little Faith to be found in the Earth and this will be abundantly demonstrated at the close of all things that is at the Day of Judgment which will be the most convincing Act of Providence that ever was in the World and one Forerunner of it will be that Question Where is the promise of his coming And now the use of all ought to be that which is the declared intention of our Saviour in the beginning of the Parable And he spake a Parable to them to the end that men ought always to pray and not to faint For the true Ground of Prayer is Faith in the Providence and Promises of God and if there be no time when these fail then ought Men always to pray and not to faint i.e. they ought always to depend upon God's Providence they ought always to believe his Promises they ought always to be certain that their Prayers are heard and will turn to good account for them that God is gracious to all and much more to them that love and serve him and if they do all this then they will always pray and not faint i.e. and not be discouraged And if they ought always to pray then also when they are most apt to be discouraged and when there is but little Faith to be found upon the Earth nay then most of all because when Temptations to Unbelief are greatest we should the most of all strengthen our selves by recourse to God and dependance upon him To this Instance in Prayer there are two things must go 1. A stedfast Resolution to walk in all the ways of God and not to be diverted out of them by any worldly Interest whatsoever For he can have no Faith to go to God who thinks of taking care for himself without regard to his Duty to God A Man is not in a condition to seek the Favour of God or to commend his case to him that contrives how to shift for himself without him 2. A perfect resignation of himself to the Will of God for by this also it is that a Man entitles himself to his Favour and Blessing The most effectual way to obtain the particular Blessings we pray for at any time if they are such things as may prove evil as well as good for us is to leave the matter after all to the disposal of Divine Providence for then if we obtain them we get his Blessing with them too if we do not we are sure to get his Blessing without them which is the general thing we pray for always With these Dispositions we are in a fit case to present our Prayers to God for Spiritual Blessings for our selves and for the Church of Christ which will assuredly come accompanied with Temporal ones too if it be best for us and if God sees that it is better for his Church to be prosperous than to be afflicted in this World and then it is better so to be when Men are sufficiently prepared for it by God's Correction and their own Repentance Men ought therefore always to pray and not to faint for their Prayers thus qualified will not fail of obtaining what they ask which our Saviour thought good to illustrate by an Example in the Parable delivered before the Text viz. of an unjust Judge that neither feared God nor regarded man who nevertheless upon the importunity of a Widow did what was right in her case much more shall God hear the Prayers of his faithful Servants For 1. He is the Just God and is of himself ready to right those that do at any time suffer wrong 2. He is also the merciful God that regardeth Men and when we desire things of him that are needful he is of himself ready to grant what we ask or at least that which is more needful than what we ask 3. Whereas the Judge in the Parable seem'd to contemn the Poverty and Meanness of that Person that sued to him for Justice for which reason she is represented here to be a Widow one of a destitute Condition that wanted a Patron to assert her Right God who is Just and Good to all is particularly gracious to his Servants and esteems them highly and no Circumstances of Meanness and Distress which he suffers them to fall into can alter his Favour towards them for all which Reasons if the Judge in the Parable granted the Widow's Suit merely because she lay upon him and was troublesome to him much more will God to whom we are never troublesome when we make our Requests known to him grant what we ask because he is Righteous and Gracious and loveth and pitieth us as a Father doth his Children The Fourteenth Sermon AN ASSIZE-SERMON PREACHED at St. Maries in Bury 1678. Levit. XIX xii Ye shall not swear by my name falsly THE Religious Use of an Oath depends chiefly upon the Matter and the Discharge The Matter must be worthy of that Obligation which an Oath implies in promising it must not be unlawful that we may swear in Righteousness