the Ordainers investing action This is it which we mean in the Controversie which may not be done twice 2. Or it may signifie the meer words of the Ordainers and Ordained which make up the said Moral action We deny not but the same words repeated may make up one Moral Ordination If the Bishop by tautology repeat them twice or thrice Or if they should to satisfie men of divers Languages that are present be first spoken in English and after in French or when some that doubted require it should go over them again all this is but one Ordination L. How prove you that our Bishops intend any more when they say it is only to satisfie the Law that you may be capable in England M. 1. That it is not a meer relation to some particular cure that they mean is undenyable 1. Because they call that by the name of Institution and Induction and not of Ordination 2. Because they never ordain any over and over upon removals 3. Because the words of Ordination in the Book tell it us 2. That they do it not as a Repetition of the same valid Ordination is past doubt 1. Because the same repeated by the same men will not serve 2. It is to be done again ten or twenty years after the first 3. He is to be fined in an hundred pound that administreth the Sacrament without it 4. He is taken for no true Minister without it which cannot be true of a bare repetition of words No reasonable men would lay so much on that 3. It is undeniable that they take men for unordained and no Ministers till they ordain them 1. Because they all disown reordaining they know that the Canons called the Apostles and the whole antient and later Church condemn it as like Anabaptistry and no one Bishop in England will not renounce it Therefore its certain that they take the first Ordination for null 2. And they have so declared their judgment in many words and writings and in the Act of Uniformity it is plainly intimated in the penalty L. And what harm is there in being twice Ordained M. 1. Ad hominem I need not dispute it All the Bishops disclaim it as unlawfull so that we have their confession 2. It is the same fault as Anabaptistry If they be blameless why make you such a noise against the Anabaptists To be twice made a Christian and twice made a Minister is of the like kind 3. It is something causelesly to cast our selves under the Censure of all the Church that hath been against it and to be condemned by them 4. It is a plain prophanation of God's holy name and of a great and holy Ordinance by Lying and taking Godâ—s name in vain For they are said to be now admitted to the Office and this day to receive it and God is told that they are now called to it And all their Examinations and Answers imply that they were no Ministers before and the Bishop saith Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and work of a Priest now committed to thee by the Imposition of our hands which all imply it not done before And in so sacred a contract with God to lie to him and prophanely abuse his name and the holy Ghosts and the Duty of Prayer and Praise is tremendous Be not deceived God is not mocked 5. It is a confederacy with Corrupters and Usurpers that arrogate and appropriate valid Ordination to themselves and a confirming all their injury to posterity that all that shall hereafter imitate them may be encouraged by alledging our Re ordination 6. It is a hainous injury to all the other Reformed Churches as if we degraded their Ministers and separated from them all as no Churches For one part of them have no Diocesans and the rest have Bishops that at the Reformation were Ordained by Presbyters 7. It is contrary to one of the Articles of our Religion 23. These we ought to judge them lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this work by men who have publick authority given to them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers c. But in other Countries Presbyters have publick authority given them And Art. 36. The book of Consecration doth contain all things necessary to such consecration and Ordaining But it hath nothing for Re-ordaining those before Ordained 8. It is a plain condemnation of the Church of England which hath professed Communion with the Reformed abroad as with true Ministers and Churches of Christ. And we are now told that to communicate with Schismaticks induceth the guilt of Schism 9. It introduceth Anabaptistry or utter confusion into the Nation leaving men in doubt whether for fourteen years the people had any true Baptism while it's a controversie whether Lay-mens Baptizing be valid and Mr. Dodwell maketh all men to be out of any Covenant-title to Salvation that have not the Sacraments from a Minister that hath successive Episcopal Ordination And all Christians must question whether they have not so long here lived out of the Church of Christ without Ministery and Communion Do you think that none of these nine Reasons prove Re-ordination sinful L. But because the Bishops deny it let me hear your proof that the former Ordination here by Presbyters is not a nullity M. I. Ad hominem the Church of England hath as I said judged the like valid in the Reformed Churches by holding Communion with them I cited a great number of Bishops and Doctors in my Christian Concord L. But they say that necessity differeth their case from ours here And even Doctour Sherlock tells you that if God make necessity necessity will make Ministers But ours Schismatically pull'd down the Bishops and now disown the very Order M. There is a satisfactory concession in these words but the accusations are made up of falsehood and deceit 1. Archbishop Vsher and others that thought the Ejectors of Episcopacy were guilty of Schism yet maintained that their Ordination was valid He told me how he pleaded it to the King. 2. Do they think that Salmasius Blundel and all others that have written more against our Prelacy than the English were deprived of it against their wills by necessity 3. What necessity can they pretend to the Hollanders Helvetians Geneva Embden Bremen the Palatinate and Scotland heretofore might they not have had Prelates when they would 4. Was not the necessity far more notorious to those that I now plead for They lived in a Land where Episcopacy was cast out and kept out by a potent Army I think there were but four or five Bishops alive when it was restored 5. It is false that they cast out the Bishops Those Ministers that joyned with the Parliament to cast them out were Ordained by Bishops and therefore are none of the men that we are speaking of These that were Ordained by Presbyters were then young men at School or in the Universities And what are other mens actions to them L. But
for Church Communion and may be forced to it No nor any that do not desire Christ Grace and Glory before all the Baits of sin 2. Did you think I had pleaded that Men may without punishment do what they list and live in wickedness It 's one thing to restrain them from sin and another to constrain them to sin under the name of Religion 3. Nor did I speak against constraining Atheists and Infidels and Malignant Enemies to hear the Gospel 4. But your force cannot constrain them to believe And 5. You ought not constrain them to Lie and say they believe 6. And you ought not prophanely to Lie in Christ's Name by telling an unwilling Communicant that all his sins are pardoned and that you Seal it to him Do as much good by force as you can but do no mischief L. But hath not the King more power over your Family than you have Sure the highest power is the greatest and containeth all the lower in it The last words are a great mistake Political Power doth not contain Natural Personal and Oeconomical and Ecclesiastical in it but supposeth them all unalterable and pre-existent and only useth them to Political ends that is the safety and good of the Common-wealth And as far as this end requireth the King hath more power of my Wife Children Estate Life than I have That is He may see that I use my Personal and Family Government so as may not hurt the Commonâ—wealth and do more harm than good But that Politick Power doth neither contain nor abrogate the other is evident 1. The King doth not eat and drink for me nor digest my Meat nor rejoice or grieve for me 2. The King doth not sin by my sinning nor shall be judged saved or damned for me 3. The King may not chuse my Wife Diet c. As aforesaid Nor hath he right to lye with your Wife as you have nor to dispose of your Children or Propriety 4. The King that ruleth Priests may not do what the Priest doth administer Sacraments use the Church Keys c. So that all that he can do is to over-rule Personal Family and Church Governors to the common good without destroying them L. It is for the Common good that all be forced to Communion M. Yes if you can first force them to Faith and Holiness else it is for the common Church-confusion Corruption and Mens deceit and damnation and not the common good Chap. XLVI Point III. Of forcing Men to Schism by renouncing Communion with true Churches and Members of Christ. M. III. THe Third unlawful part of Lay-Conformity is that they must be forced from Local Communion with all the Nonconformists that Assemble any where save in the Parish-Churches or Chappels and so under pretence of driving them from Schism they are driven into notorious Schism L. How prove you that it 's their Duty to have any such Communion with Nonconformists Conventicles If you are Scismaticks it 's a Sin to Communicate with you M. 1. I prove Communion with us a Duty Tho' it be not every Man's Duty to be Locally present with us it is every Man's Duty not to avoid it as an unlawful thing but to be willing of it as he hath occasion 2. It is a Duty for all Christians to own Communion with all true Members of the Body of Christ. But Nonconformists and their Assemblies for Worship are true Members of the Body of Christ. Ergo The major is most fully proved by Christ Ioh. 17. 24. and Paul 1 Cor. 12. throughout and Eph. 4. 1 2 3 to the 17. and Rom. 14. and 15. and many other Scriptures The minor I prove All those are true Members of the Body of Christ who have all the Essentials necessary to the Constitution of such Members But so have the Nonconformists and their Church Assemblies as afore described Ergo. The major none but the ignorant of Logick will deny As to the minor They that have true Christian Faith Hope and Love have all that is Essential to personal Members And the Churches that have Pastors and People communicating in that Faith Hope and Love in Doctrine Worship Sacraments and tolerable Discipline are true Churches parts of the Universal Church But such are many Persons and Churches of Nonconformists Ergo. The major all sound and knowing Christians grant For the minor no proof is necessary but our Profession till it be disproved And let the Accusers of the Brethren as they love themselves take this warning before they undertake to disprove it Do it by no Argument that will ten times more condemn your selves and your Church than such Nonconformists 2. The second Argument is this It is a Sin of Schism to refuse Communion with those that Christ receiveth so we own not any of their sin Rom. 15. 6. c. But Christ receiveth into his Communion the foresaid Nonconformists and their Worshipping Assemblies Proved as before 3. It is a Sin to deny the lawfulness of Communion with Christians and their Assemblies for lesser faults than those Persons and Assemblies had whose Communion Christ and his Apostles were for But so must they that will deny the lawfulness of Communion with the said Nonconformists and their Assemblies The major none will deny that take Christ and his Apostles for their Teachers The minor is easily proved The Church of the Jews had Priests unlawfully introduced and corrupt Teachers and Worship and yet Christ disowned not Communion with them in Synagogues and Temple and Houses save only that he Conformed not to their sinful Traditions and Corruptions The Church of the Corinthians had men guilty of Schism and Faction and quarrelling with the Apostle wronging each other sinful Law Suits Scandalous Persons denying the Resurrection grosly abusing the Sacrament and Communion c. The Churches of Galatia Ephesus Smyrna Thyatira Sardis c. had such faults as I need not tell you of Yet no Man is bid or allowed to disown Communion with them You can truly prove no such by those in question Arg. 3. Ad hominem It is lawful to communicate with the Churches of England that have more Faults than the Nonconformists Ergo it is lawful to communicate with them that have fewer We challenge any to prove so many and such Faults by us as I have here before proved by your Church And if for ours Separation from us be a Duty from yours it proves a Duty much more Arg. 4. It is a Schismatical Doctrine which would teach Men by parity of Reason to renounce communion with all Churches and Christians on Earth or near all But such is that which would teach Men to renounce communion with all the Nonconformists and their Worshipping Assemblies The major is unquestionable The minor is proved In that all or near all the Christians on Earth have as great Faults as the Nonconformists and their Assemblieâ— O that God would so bless the World as to make all the Churches of the Armenians Abassians Syrians
man should not play with Matters of this moment nor take God's dreadful Name in vain nor sport with the Consuming Fire And I hope you grant that Words in Caths and Impositions are to be taken in the properest usual sence unless the Authors otherwise expound them And you know that they have been so far from expounding them otherwise as that these twenty years they have refused it and in Scotland sentenc'd the Earl of Argyle to die for expounding them as some would have us do And what do Oaths or Covenants signify if the Takers may put what sence they will on them and if the most express Universals yea the express Exclusions of all Exceptions may be taken in a particular sence with Exceptions such Swearers and Subscribers give their Rules no security Is it not enough to tell you we will willingly stand to Bishop Sanderson's own Rules in his Excellent Prelections de Iuramento for expounding Oaths and Promises Such as these Expositions of stretchers make Oaths to be none viz. It 's unlawful that is against the King's Law but not against God's to take Arms against the King viz. As King but say the Papists when the Pope excommunicates and deposeth him he is no King on any pretence whatsoever that is any unjust pretence by his Authority against his Person viz. It is to be done by Gods Authority and not by his or against any Commissioned by him viz. Lawfully Commissioned of which we are discerning Iudges The same I may say of all the rest As Assenting and Consenting to all things except many things Swearing Canonical Obedience in Licitis Honestis when we judge ten or twenty Canons if not the very frame to be Illicita Inhonesta c. L. But as you have said that those Great Men Grotius and Bishop Jeremy Taylor were for profitable Lying so you know that Worthy Latitudinarian Dr. who was wont to say That if false Knaves would turn him out of his Ministry and Living by ensnaring Impositions he would take the Words in the best sence he could subdue them to whatever the Authors meant and it was as Lawful for him to defend himself against Knaves with his Tongue as with his Hands and Sword. M. He is newly gone to his Judge Nobis non licet I told you that in my Catechism on the Ninth Commandment I have given unanswerable Reasons against Lying for any Benefit whatever Some say that all our Articles of Religion are but Articles of Peace and we subscribe not to believe them true but not to preach against them At this rate men need not stick at any Oath and may shake off the Oath of Allegiance or any other when they have taken it And if we are thought worthy to be hated and ruined as Rogues for refusing self-saving prudential deliberate Lying and Perjury when Oaths and Veracity are so much of the security of the Estates Names and Lives of Kings and Subjects and so necessary to all humane Converse we patiently commit our Cause to Him that shortly and righteously will determine all CHAP. LVIII Whether Communion with so Faulty a Church be Lawful L. I Shewed what you said against Conformity to a Friend and when he had read it he said What a Self-contradictor is this Man to lay all this Charge on the Church of England and yet himself to hold Communion with it and perswade others so to do Can we touch Pitch and not be defiled And indeed if all this be as bad as you fear I cannot see how any Separatists are to be blamed or how any may Communicate with so bad a Church M. Sic stulti vitia vitant drunken men reel from side to side to keep one right tract or to cut by a thred seemeth impossible to them I. You must distinguish between the Diocesan Churchs as constituted by their Courts of Government and Canons and the Parish Churches II. Between those Parish-Churches which have godly or tolerable Pastors and those that have not III. Between Ministry and Lay-Communion IV. Between stated and occasional Communion V. Between preferring their Churches before better and not avoiding them as null or as unlawful to be Communicated with Understand these five distinctions well and I shall satisfy you L. Apply them and let us hear your judgment M. I. The Diocesan Churches as they depose all inferiour Bishops and Churches and Rule by their Lay-Civilians Church-Censures I disown and hold no Communion with in those errours but only in their Christianity But I peaceably submit to them and would live quietly under them if I might II. Those Parishes that have notoriously uncapable Priests either through utter insufficiency heresy or hurtfulness doing more harm than good I own not to be Organized Churches nor have Commmunion with their Ministers as Ministers not owning them for such III. I hold it utterly unlawful to be Ministers with them on the terms now required of us and therefore I have no such Ministerial Communion with them IV. I preferr them not before better V. I hold not fixed Communion as a fixed Member of their Churches with all that I hold occasional Communion with L. What Communion is it then that you hold with them M. I. With the Diocesans and their Officers I hold mental Communion as a Christian and a Protestant in all the essentials of Christianity and that Reformation which they own II. With the Parish-Churches that have true Ministers I hold mental Communion as true particular Churches of Christ tho' faulty and local Communion on just occasions III. With the Parish-Assemblies that have intolerable Ministers I hold mental Communion with the People as Christians and will not refuse on just occasion to join with them in any good exercise as Lay-men IV. With those Churches that have Ministers and Liturgy as ours that need reformation I profess to join with them as Christians and Protestants that own all the Scriptures and that promise to preach nothing as necessary to Salvation but what is contained in it or may be proved by it And when I Communicate with that Church it is as a Society so professing But if their Sermons Liturgy or Lives have any faults being not Idolatry Heresy Blasphemy or such as rendreth their whole Worship and assembling unacceptable to God I disown Communion in any of those faults tho' I be present V. When I can have better caeteris paribus without greater hurt than good I preferr it and only use occasional local Communion with the Liturgy-Churches as I would do with strangers were I in foreign lands VI. Where I can have no better without more hurt than good I Communicate constantly and only with the Parish-Church where I live as to Local-Communion L. But how can you do either of these without guilt when they are as bad as you have described M. 1. I have not charged the Parish-Churches with that which I have charged the Diocesans their Courts with many honest Ministers never troubled nor excommunicated a
Georgians Circassians Greeks Moscovites Papists Lutherans and all other Protestants c. but as knowing sincere faithful obedient c. as those in England that you revile cast out and prosecute L. But Communion in Schism is unlawful But you are accused of Schism and so are your Assemblies M. And the Church of England is as loudly accused of Schism and Heresie by the Papists and too much by the Greeks if the Patriarch Ieremy spake their Sence Art they therefore Schismaticks indeed None forwarder to accuse than the Ignorant or Guilty Judge by what I have said of our Judgment in my Search for the Schismatick We abhor Schism and have laboured to have healed the Wounds of the Church with all our power these 22 years and more And who be they that have resisted it and hate the only healing Balsam 2. It is not true that we must have Communion with no Church that is guilty of Schism tho' we must not be guilty of Schism it self If the Schism be Apostasy that cuts them off from Christ and the Church universal we must not have Christian communion with such that are no Christians But if they are only guilty of Schism from some particular Church and of Schism in the Universal Church and not from it wounding and not dismembring we must not renounce communion with such save only as with any other scandalous Sins so far as impenitence proveth ungodliness The Church of Corinth was much guilty of Schism and so was that of Galatia and yet none were therefore to renounce their Communion Was not Peter guilty of some Schism Gal. 2. I doubt there are few Churches on Earth that are not herein guilty either in East South West or North. And must we renounce communion with them all That is to commit tenfold greater Schism for fear of Schism 3. Read impartially my Search for the Schismatick and if the Prelates thus mentioned be not far more guilty of Schism than we are I despair of ever understanding what Schism is This would be the strongest Argument for separation from them and is so used by many Separatists Chap. XLVII Point IV. Of obliging the Laity to live without any more benefit of Disciplinâ— than is in the Publick Churches M. IV. THe next part of Lay-Conformity is this Christ who instituted Ministry Word and Sacraments hath also instituted a certain determinate Discipline in his Church of great use to the Church and to particular Souls And this is considerable 1. As a Duty 2. As a Benefit And no Man hath authority 1. To disoblige us from a Duty of Christ's imposing 2. Or to deprive us of a Benefit of Christ's giving But Conformity doth both these to the Laity in a great degree L. What mean you by that Discipline I thought our Church had rather too sharp Discipline I hope you mean not the Geneva Discipline or the Scots Presbyteries and Stool of Repentance M. I mean nothing but what as to the Matter the Episcopal Party write for as the Ordinance of Christ The true exercise of the Keys and the previous Acts. That is That God hath made the Church to be as it were the Porch of Heaven a Society gathered out of the Infidel World sanctified to God and prepared for Glory and therefore he would have none in his Church but such as profess Faith Love and Holiness and renounce a fleshly sensual worldly and profane Life And the Pastors bear the Keys of Trust and Government to judge of such that is who are to be taken in and who to be cast out and who to be admonished and cured of scandalous Sins And all the Members are bound to preserve the Purity of themselves and the Society in their places And therefore if a Brother live scandalously contrary to his Profession his Neighbour that hath notice of it is to tell him of his fault and if he hear not and repent not to warn and admonish him before witnesses and if yet he repent not to tell the Church and if yet he repent not and hear not the Church he is to be avoided as one that is none of their Communion But if warning perswasion Prayers and Patience bring him to Repentance the Church is gladly to pronounce his forgiveness by God and to receive him This is the Discipline which Christ hath instituted and the Christian Churches have Professed L. This calling Men to Repentance personally will but disturb and distract the Parishes Men will never endure it And that 's no Duty that will do harm M. They are not fit to be Communicants or Members of a Christian Church that will not endure it It is the Crime of the Church-Governours that they receive yea drive such into the Church as will not endure the Laws of Christ and Church-Duties and then cast by such Duties because Men will not endure them As if you took Scholars into a School that will not endure Government and Correction or Soldiers into an Army that will not endure Command and Discipline and then omit it and leave them to their wills because they will not endure it Or as if you would take Servants that will not be commanded nor endure Labour and then let them be masterless and idle because they will not endure service Who allow'd you to take and keep such in Christ's Church that will not endure either to live obediently or be called to Repentance I confess that to let all Men alone in their sin is the way to some kind of Peace in the Parish But it is not Christ's Peace but the Devils by which he keeps possession of Souls and Countries till Christ break his peace and cast him out such peace will end in endless sorrow L. What Reasons can you give for the necessity of such a sort of Discipline and why it may not be fâ—rborn M. 1. It is Christ's Law and Institution and that is the same reason that we give for our Christianity it self L. But I have read in Erastus Selden Ludov. Moulin and Prin that Christ did but tell his Disciples how they should carry themselves under the Jewish Government and use their Sanedrims or Iudicatures and did not institute any new sort of Church-Discipline M. Christ's taking occasion from the Iewish Judicatures to institute his Discipline doth no more prove that he did not obligatorily institute it than his calling twelve Apostles according to the number of the Tribes and his taking occasion from former practice for Baptism Ministry Elders c. doth prove that he ordained no such things 2. What need Christ command his Disciples to use that Iewish Government which was in use before and they could not avoid 3. Christ knew that the Iewish Government was presently going down and tells his Disciples that they should be judged and scourged as Malefactors in those Synagogues And is it like then that he is calling them to exercise their discipline in those Synagogues 4. If it were so it will hold à fortiore that if Christ
many worthy men such as Mr. Gurnal and others known to us were drawn in by having leave to declare that they took the impositions in such a sence as they thought Lawful as the Arians at the Council of Seleuciâ— and the Acacians drew many in to them by giving them all leave to subscribe in their own sence And though I can justifie none of this yet what ever their words were and though they were not faultless their hearts abhorred Perjury But I pray you ask your friend these Questions 1. Did none that are for separation from the Church of England take the Corporation-Oath and Declaration You know that many of them did 2. Do they ever since avoid Communion with all those men You know they do not And yet none of the Ministers Subscriptions to me seem half so frightful as the Corporation Declaration Do they not then here shew Partiality and themselves justify our Communion with the Conformists Yea when Mr. Eaton and some other Independants wrote against the obligation of the Covenant and of the Oath of Allegiance and many called the Covenant an Almanack out of date did the rest avoid communion with these L. But briefly tell me why you Communicate in the Parish Churches M. Briefly 1. Because Christ hath Commanded us to live in the utmost Love Union and Concord with all his Church on Earth that we possibly can 2. Because they hold all the essentials of Christianity which constituteth them Members of Christ's Church and no errour that nullifieth their Christianity or maketh their Communion unlawful to me 3. Because my own edification hath required it I have long lived where I could have no better Communion and after I found Communion with both sorts most profitable to me I found the Liturgy in the main fit for my serious desires and praises to God and the Preachers that I heard were profitable Preachers and if some words were amiss I past them by and the very Concord and Presence of Christians though faulty is pleasant to me 4. I lived where and when these Parish Churches were slandered by mistakes to be such whose Communion was unlawful and my constant avoiding them would have made me seem a consenter to the slanders and so to be guilty of scandal 5. I lived in a time and place where the Rulers and Laws Commanded Parish Communion and to forbear it against such commands and penalties seemeth plainly to tell the world that I hold it unlawful which is an untruth 6. I had seen whither this extream of separation had brought this Nation formerly and of late and what a hopeful Reformation it shamed and destroyed and that by such Rebellious and mad actions as made them and accidentally others the scorn and hatred of the World and have occasioned all our sufferings 7. I lived where men that I thought guilty of our sinful persecution and the danger of the land did discern the mistake of them that overcharged the Liturgy and Parish Communion and thereupon took them for a proud Fanatick sort of People worthy of all that doth befal them and think they do God service in ruining us all as if we were such And I durst not thus scandalize and harden men in grievous persecutions 8. I was loth to misguide others by my example and I doubted not but when necessity drove them to it many would see cause to Communicate with the Parish Churches And I was willing that they should sooner see these Reasons and not seem to do it only to save themselves 9. I had read the writings of those excellent men of God against Brownists or Separation heretofore who then were the Non-Conformists that did suffer so much for Reformation He that will read what is written by Mr. Iohn Paget Mr. William Bradshaw Mr. Gifford Mr. Hildersham Mr. Brightman Mr. Iohn Ball Mr. Rathband Dr. Ames First and Second Manuduction c. and lately Mr. Iohn Tombes the Pillar of the Anabaptists and for hearing by Mr. Philip Nye may see enough for just satisfaction especially in Mr. Ball 's Trial of Separation And though the case of Conformity be since made much harder to the Ministers to the Laity the change is not so great as herein alters the case of Lawfulness or Duty 10. I found that St. Paul charged the Church of Corinth as having among them men Carnal guilty of Schism slandering the Apostles guilty of sinful Law-Suits and defrauding each other bearing with incest disordered profane and drunk at Sacramental Communions some decryed the Resurrection c. The Galatians seem more to be accused than they as depraving the Christian Doctrine The Colossians faulty almost all the Seven Churches of Asia charged with grievous corruption And yet in all these no man is commanded to separate from any one of these Churches nor blamed for not doing it 11. And which is most of all I find that Christ himself who was certainly sinless held open Communion with the Iewish Church in Synagogues and Temples and Commanded the people their duty even to the falsly obtruded Priests and to hear the Pharisees while they delivered Moses's Law though he condemned and separated from their false Doctrine and superstitious traditions and corruptions These are my Reasons for Lay-Parish-Communion L. But you did not answer from such turn away and with such not to Eat c. M. The answer is obvious 1. It is the duty of the Church to cast out wicked impenitent men and this Christ commandeth them but he never bids particular Christians to separate from the Church where some such are because the Church omits its duty For then you should separate from duty from Gods Worship and holy Communion on pretence of separating from sinners 2. But for Family and Private Converse every Christian is judge himself and must refuse all familiarity with scandalous Christians which encourageth them in sin or seemeth to own it God Commandeth no man to do that which is not in his power to put a scandalous impenitent man from the Church is in the Churches power and so that command belongs to them it is not in your power and therefore belongs not to you save to admonish men and tell the Church but to put men from your table and familiarity is in your power and belongs to you Suppose the King write to the City of London to put all Rebels out of their Company and Converse its easie to understand that every one must do it only in his own place Every single man cannot turn such out of the Common-Council The City Rulers must do that and till it be done single men may not deny obedience to the Governours But all may turn them out of their houses shops and familiarity L. But they say it is a receding from our former Reformation and pulling down what we built M. The Separators pull'd it down with a witness but it is no such thing Did the Covenant or our Profession ever bind us to take the Liturgy to be worse than
it is or the Parish Churches to be no Churches or their Communion utterly unlawful Or did it bind us to preferr a desertion of all publick Communion before it No it did not but if it had it had been sinful and to be repented of But 1. We were bound by God's word and no Covenant or Practices bind us to any more than Scripture binds us to to avoid all that is sin 2. And when we have our choice to preferr the best he that doth either turn to Sin or preferr a less good when it is so before a greater goeth back but he that preferreth no Publick Worship before the Parish Worship goeth back indeed and breaketh the Covenant by profaneness and Schism God's word is a clearer and surer Test of our Duty and Controversies than any humane Covenants When Ministers were changed 1647. many places got out some tolerable weak Ministers to get in abler men in great Towns. When the Bishops returned their abler Ministers being dead or ejected they took the old ones again Did these go back from Covenant Reformation or Duty when they could have no better Had not those been the revolters that would rather have had none L. But why go you to the Parish-Churches when you might have better M. 1. All Non-Conformists Preach not better than many of them yea the Liturgy is better words of Prayer than some weak or faulty Non-Conformists oft use 2. A brown loaf and a white one both may be better than a white one alone I found both best and I knew it sin to renounce Communion with any Church for weakness because they are not as good as others 3. That is best at one time and place that is not so at another Praying in it self is better than working and eating sleeping And yet in their proper time your servants working and your eating and sleeping is better than praying at that time One that is a Son a Servant a Wife who is commanded by ahe Master of the Family to hear a tolerable Parish-Minister may then find it better than disorderly and disobediently to hear an abler Man that may by variety of conditions be one mans Duty which is anothers sin But alas I fear that Communion with a non-conformist-Non-Conformist-Church will quickly in England be so rare as will end the controversy which you should preferr and you must have Parish-Church Communion or none As it was before 1638 when there was scarce more than one Non-Conformist that held any Church-Communion but Parochial in each County I think God's Judgments will soon silence this dispute with all that will not renounce all Local-Church Communion I will conclude with another reason of my practice Almost every Church on Earth hath a worse Liturgy as I said and People than ours But I dare not separate from almost every Church on Earth And therefore not from one for a reason that is common to almost all CHAP. LIX A Draught of ten Articles containing that which the Non-Conforming Reconcilers desire to unite us and heal the Church when GOD seeth this Land meet for so great a Mercy L. I Have one thing more to desire of you That you will so far answer the common question What would you have As to tell it us punctually as to those things which you take to be necessary to our agreement It may be hereafter they may be regarded and used tho' not in our days M. Do you mean as to the ends and things desired of us or a form of Words to be the containing means As to the former 1. We desire nothing but the promoting God's Glory Kingdom and Will according to the three first Petitions in the Lord's Prayer for the Information Sanctification and Salvation of the People by the Pure Plentiful and Powerful preâ—ching of the Gospel the True and Spiritual Worshipping of GOD and the due Exercise of Church-Discipline according to Christ's Laws And that herein all Christians may live in Love and Peace and as much Concord as they can And to that end that they may take God's Word which they are all agreed in as the Test of their Concord and as sufficient for all things necessary to Salvation and the only universal Law And that the Churches may not be torn by the imposition of Mens Canonical Engines as necessary to Liberty or Communion in which all never did nor can unite And that such course may be taken for the Choice of Church-Pastors that the Flocks may be guided and fed by Truth and Love and not famished nor opprest by Malignants that hate the serious practice of what they Preach It is not Wealth nor Honour nor any thing but this that we desire but see small hopes of attaining by Men. L. The desires are honest but you all profess just desires in general and de fine But I desire you to leave to the World in writing the ipsissima Verba which you would wish in a healing Law with as little change as may be M. I shall do it premising 1. That such a yielding form must contain but what 's of necessity to our Concord and not all that our well-being requireth 2. That the words must not be too many lest they seem too tedious nor too few lest they be not intelligible 3. That they that will defeat them will pretend but to change the words and thereby cross our sence and necessities but take them tho' men give us no present hopes A Breviate of the Ten Articles desired by such Non-Conformists as treated for Concord 1660. and 1661. for such a Reformation of the Parish-Churches as is needful to our Union I. THat the Profession of the Christian Faith and consent to the Baptismal Covenant by Parents or Pro-parents or Adopters for Infants and by the Adult for themselves be the Terms of Church-Entrace by Baptism II. That the Terms of the Communion and Privileges of the Adult be That they have personally owned and renewed solemnly the said Christian Covenant and are not proved to have nulled that Profession by Apostasie Heresie or an inconsistent wicked Life And that they understandingly desire the said Communion III. For the necessary notification of such understanding consent and desire the Pastors that know them after due Catechizing shall try them and upon Approbation admit them to the Communion of the Adult or upon a just Certificate that they have been so approved and received by any other Orthodox Pastor IV. Such as are proved to violate the Baptismal Covenant by Apostasie Heresie or a wicked Life the Pastor must wisely and compassionately admonish to repent and amend And if after private and open Admonition such remain obstinately impenitent the Pastor shall publickly declare them Persons unfit for Communion with the Church or where so much is not permitted shall at least forbear to give them the Sacrament but shall receive them when they credibly profess Repentance V. No unnecessary Oath Covenant Subscription Profession or Promise shall be made necessary to Communion or Ministry
it unlawful to reproach all Churches that we see to be faulty but it is our duty to keep peace with all XXVIII VVe hold mental distant Communion in Faith and Love with many Churches that by imposing sin do deny us local Communion XXIX Though I here tell you once for all that I justifie not all that I can thus bear with yet we can submit by peaceable silence to many abuses in a Church which we dare not subscribe to and approve and use also passive Obedience where active is unlawful XXX VVe are not against God-Fathers and God-Mothers as used of old that is when the Parents are the Covenanters for their Child and their Death or Apostasie is feared for others to promise if they dye or apostatize to take care of the Child or for any Adopters or Owners to do it that take the Child as theirs XXXI VVe are so far from being against true confirmation as it is the taking persons that own their Baptismal Covenant solemnly into the number of adult Members and Communicants that we desire it and have written for it as a chief means of the true Reformation of all our Churches in the Land. XXXII VVe differ not in Faith or meer Doctrine from the Church of England as it 's in the Thirty Nine Articles but only in One new Article put into the new Liturgy of the Salvation of Baptized Infants as undoubtedly certain by the Word of God without any exception if they then dye XXXIII VVe are not against reading the profitable part of the Apocrypha as other Humane VVritings may be read sufficiently distinguished from the word of God. XXXIV VVe are for Corporal VVorship as a due expression of Spiritual And we are against all undecent expressions in Praying or Preaching and all undecent Habits Gestures or Actions XXXV VVe blame not the Liturgy for extending the words of Charity and Hope as far as there is any reasonable ground in Sacraments Absolution and Buryal XXXVI VVe are not for mens invading the Ministry unordained but believe that Senior Pastors or Bishops are ordinarily the regular Judges of the fitness of Candidates for the Ministry XXXVII VVe are not for unlimited Toleration But that the Rulers justly distinguish in Law and License 1. The approved whom they must own and maintain 2. The tolerable whom they must tolerate 3. The intollerable whom they must restrain from doing hurt XXXVIII VVe are for making true Religion as National and extensive as may be and for a National Church 1. As the associated Community of Churches in a Nation is so called 2. And as they are all accidentally united under one Christian Soveraign Though we abhor the casting out all that be not of our opinion and measure and that cannot submit to all that I here enumerate which I and others of my mind can submit to XXXIX VVe are so far from desiring to draw people from the Parish Churches into Conventicles that we would keep up the honour of them to the utmost of our power as knowing how greatly the countenance and maintenance of Rulers conduceth to the furtherance of Religion and that the publick Religion will be the common and National Religion and most will be there And if the Protestant Religion were reduced to Tolerated Conventicles Popery would possess its place and become National and soon withdraw even private Toleration as we see in France XL. VVe are not for Preaching when we are forbidden where there is not a real and evident need of our Labours XLI VVe believe not that the Scots Covenant or any other doth oblige us to Sedition Rebellion Schism or any sin nor doth disoblige us from any Obedience due to any Superior XLII VVe refuse not the Oxford Oath or any such because it is an obligation to obey our Rulers in Lawful things nor because it restraineth us from resisting Authority for we give as much to Humane Soveraignty and confess as much obedience due to them from Subjects 1. As any Text of Scripture speakes 2. Or any General Council save what they give to the Pope and his Vassals 3. Or as any Confessions that we know of of any Christian Churches agree in 4. Or which Lawyers Politicians and Historians Protestants Papists or Heathens agree in as far as we are acquainted XLIII VVe are not against the use of Synods or Councils nor against Princes using their advice for such Laws circa sacra as belong to them to make VVe believe Councils should be used as far as the common good and Communion of the Catholick Church requireth it though no Foreigners have Jurisdiction over us And we hold that if they agree of any thing conducible to the common good though their agreement be not a Law but a Contract yet the general command of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace obligeth all to hold such concord for the ends sake that have no special reason against it In these Forty three things we oppose not conformity L. And if yet after all this Agreement we must be destroyed by divisions the heavy Curse of God is on us and will surely fall on them that are the causes of it who ever they be CHAP. IV. A brief enumeration of the things imposed on us which is the matter of our Nonconformity M. DO you know what it is that we are required to conform to L. I know it is to use the Liturgies Ceremonies and submit to the Bishops as your Governours I know no more M. And yet dare you become our Judge If you are no more exact and just in matters of Law your Clients must pay for it Before I come to handle the particulars I will set together here the things required of us and how much of them we refuse I will tell you when I try them and give you our Reasons against them I. Whereas few of the Nonconforming Ministers were at Age and Ordained till Diocesans were put down in England and were Ordained by an Assembly of Senior Pastors which were then in possession of the Power and had many years the Approbation of the whole National Assembly of Divines at Westminster before they were admitted to any Incumbency none of these may now exercise their Ministry unless they be Re-ordained by Diocesans II. No man can be Ordained by them and admitted to any Cure that will not take the Oath of Canonical Obedience as they call it and in his Ordination Covenant to obey his Ordinary III. No man must Preach the Gospel by the authority of his Ordination and Office till moreover he have got a Licence from the Bishop to Preach and till he have got that Licence to Preach he may not take upon him to Expound in his own Cure OR ELSEWHERE ANY SCRIPTURE OR MATTER OR DOCTRINE but shall only study to read plainly and aptly without glossing or adding the Homilies already set forth or hereafter to be published by lawful Authority Can. 49. IV. No man may be Ordained or be a Licenced
Preacher or Catechize who doth not subscribe these words Ex animo That the Book of Common-Prayer and of Ordaining of Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth in it nothing contrary to the Word of God and that it may lawfully be used and that he himself will use the Form in the said Books prescribed in publick Prayer and administration of the Sacraments and no other V. No man is to be Ordained a Minister nor have any place or Benefice or Cure that doth not openly and publickly before the Congregation declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A. B. Do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and Ordaining And every Lecturer also the first Lecture and every Month must publickly and openly declare his Assent to and Approbation of the said Book and to the use of all the Prayers Rites and Ceremonies Forms and Orders therein contained and prescribed VI. By this all must Assent and Consent to this Article of Faith or Doctrine It is certain by the Word of God that Children which are Baptized dying before they commit actual Sin are undoubtedly saved Not excepting any though the Children of Atheists Infidels or Sadducees VII We must Assent and Consent that at publick Baptism persons called Godfathers and Godmothers who take not the Child for their own do in the name of the Child Covenant with God without the Parents who are forbidden to be Godfathers or Godmothers or to speak one word nor must be urged to be present nor may the Godfathers c. speak one word but what is written in the book And they are there not only to promise for the future but to profess in the Name of the Child at present I renounce them all the Devil World and Flesh and All this I stedfastly believe and to be baptized This is my desire and for obedience I will. And these Godfathers also engage as their parts and Duty to see that this Infant be taught so soon as he shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession he there made by them And that they call on him to hear Sermons and chiefly that they provide that he may learn the Crede the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar Tongue and all other things that a Christian ought to know and believe to his Soul's health and that the Child may be vertuously brought up to lead a godly and Christian life All this these three persons must promise as before God and the Church but the Parent is not only excused from any such promise but forbid it by the Canon VIII We must Assent and Consent to refuse to baptize the Child of any godly Christian who bringeth not his Child to be baptized with such undertaking Godfathers either because he can get none that will seriously promise him to do what they must Vow to do and so dare not draw them into sacrilegious perfidiousness or because he thinks it his own part to enter his Child into God's Covenant and thus to promise for its Education IX We must Assent and Consent to sign the Infant with the transient Image of the Cross In token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sin the World the Devil and to continue Christs faithful Souldier and Servant to his lives end Which the Canon farther expounds thus To dedicate them by that Badge to his Service whose benefits bestowed on them in Baptism the name of the Cross doth represent an honourable Badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the Service of him who died on the Cross. X. VVe must Assent and Consent to Baptize none publickly without this Sign but to deny Christendom to all that dare not receive it and their Children XI VVe must Assent and Consent to reject all that dare not receive it Kneeling from the Sacramental Communion of the Church XII VVe must Assent and Consent to a false Rule to find out Easter-day for ever in these words Easter-day on which the rest depends is always the first Sunday after the first full Moon which happens next after the one and twentieth day of March. The common Almanacks tell you it is often false XIII VVe must Assent and Consent to use words at the Burial of all except the Vnbaptized Excommunicate and self-murtherers which plainly pronounce them saved viz. For asmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God to take to himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed And we give thee thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful world and that we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth XIV VVe must Assent and Consent to read publick Lessons out of Iudith Bell and the Dragon Tobit and other Apocryphal books from Sept. 28. till Nov. 24. every day except some proper Lessons interposed XV. VVe must Assent and Consent to all the mistranslations of the Psalms c. and not only use them which we refuse not but subscribe that none of them are contrary to the word of God. XVI We must Assent and Consent to admit none to the holy Communion till such time as he be Confirmed or be ready and desirous to be Confirmed that is by Bishops in the English method XVII We must Assent and Consent that such ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof at all times of their ministration shall be retained in use as were in this Church of England by that authority of Parliament in the Second year of Edward VI. XVIII We must Assent and Consent to give an account within fourteen days of every one that we keep from the Sacrament to the Ordinary And that the Ordinary proceed against the offending person according to the Canons XIX We must publish all such Excommunications and Absolutions as are according to the Canons decreed by Lay Chancellors XX. This binds us to consent and publish the Excommunication of all that affirm that the Liturgy containeth any thing in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures And the Oath of canonical Obedience binds us to such publication if it be commanded us XXI And we are both these ways bound to publish all Excommunicate ipso facto if commanded who affirm any of the Rites and Ceremonies such as may not be approved and used lawfully XXII And all that say any of the Thirty Nine Articles in any part may not be subscribed though it be but about Traditions or Ceremonies XXIII And we must if required publish all ipso facto Excommunicate who say the Church Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the rest that bear Office is against God's word XXIV We must if commanded publish all Excommunicate who affirm
that the Form and Manner of Making and Consecrating Bishops Priests or Deacons containeth any thing in it that is repugnant to the word of God. Though it assert that the Bishops and Priests are distinct Orders which even in K. Aelfrick's days the Church of England denyed XXV We must publish them Excommunicate who affirm that the Nonconformists may truly take the name of another Church c. and that any assemblies of Subjects not allowed by Law are true and Lawful Churches XXVI No Minister must wittingly administer the Sacrament to any but such as Kneel nor to any of the foresaid depravers of the Liturgy Ceremonies Orders of the Church c. Can. 27. XXVII None of other Parishes are often to be admitted to Communion XXVIII All Ministers that repent of Conforming must be suspended excommunicate and deposed at last Can. 38. XXIX We must give the Sacrament to none that go for it from unpreaching Ministers but must send them home Can. 57. Nor must Baptize their Children XXX Ministers must not be suffered that wear not the Surplice Can. 58. XXXI No Minister must refuse or delay to Christen any Child that 's brought to the Church to him on Sundays or Holydays to be Christened without exception of Atheists or Infidels Children Can. 68. XXXII No Minister may keep any Fast in publick or at private Houses or be present at any on what necessity soever without the Bishops License for it under Hand and Seal or the Laws appointment XXXIII We must if commanded publish all Excommunicate that affirm that the Sacred Synod is not the true Church of England by representation or that deprave it as a faction c. XXXIV No man was to be ordained or suffered in the Ministry for twenty years that did not subscribe thus I do declare that I do hold that there lies no obligation on me or on any other person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government in Church or State. XXXV All Nonconformists must swear that they will never endeavour any alteration of the Church Government or else be banished five miles from Corporations and all places where ever they preached since the Act of Oblivion XXXVI All Ministers must subscribe and Nonconformists swear that they abhor the Trayterous position of taking Arms by the Kings Authority against those that are Commissioned by him XXXVII We must assent and consent to the damnatory sentence in the Creed called Athanasius's XXXVIII Every Minister consenteth to say the Morning and Evening Service every day in the year not being lett by sickness or other urgent cause XXXIX Ministers must concur to force the unwilling Parishioners to the Sacrament or else to Excommunicate and ruine them XL. If we dare not Conform for fear of sin we must forsake our Ministry to which we are Ordained and Vowed and give over Preaching the Gospel what ever need there be and must also remove our dwelling from all places aforesaid These are the parts of Ministers Conformity Lay Mens Conformity is as followeth I. They must trust their Souls with the Pastoral oversight of those and only those as their fixed Pastors whom Patrons will choose for them and Bishops institute Though the Conformists accuse many Patrons of such hainous sins as speaketh them unfit for so strange a trust besides those that are Papists and Bishops say they have not power to keep out the unfit II. They are not only hereby deprived of the exercise of Self-Government for the saving of their own Souls but of due Family Government for the safety of Wife and Children and Servants and must not bid them choose better Pastors III. They are forced to forbear Communion with all Nonconformists and to separate from all others besides Conformists though they account this Schismatical separation IV. When God commandeth them If thy Brother trespass against thee tell him his fault between thee and him if he hear not tell the Church c. And with Drunkards Railers Fornicators c. not to eat They are forced to have Communion with Parishes where no such Discipline is exercised nor can they perform any such duty and to lose all the benefit of this Christian Order and Discipline none being so much cast out as Conscionable Dissenters V. Conscionable care to obey Gods Law is greatly discouraged and made a dangerous thing while it must be mens utter ruine to deny Conformity even in a Ceremony to men when it 's done for fear of sinning against God. VI. They are to be deprived of Baptism and Christendom for their Children if they dare not use the foresaid way of God-Fathers as described VII They are also to be unchristened if thinking our Crossing is used as an unlawful Humane Sacrament they dare not receive it as a dedicating Badge of Christianity VIII If they think Kneeling at receiving the Sacrament an unlawful hardening the Papists they are denyed Communion IX If any dissent but from Confirmation Organs Kneeling at the Rails taking a Reader or unfit man for their Pastor they must not be received to Communion by a Conformist in another Parish X. All the Land is engaged Ministers Vestries Corporations and Militia by Oaths or Covenant never to endeavour any alteration of Government in the Church XI They are all engaged to abhor the position as trayterous of taking Armes by the Kings Authority against any Commissioned by him in pursuit of such Commission XII All Corporation Government and Trust is confined to them that declare that there is no obligation on them or any other from the solemn Covenant or Vow not excepting so much as to oppose Schism Popery or Prophaneness to defend the King or repent of sin though these be Vowed I have now told you what Conformity is in Ministers and People CHAP. V. I. Of Re-Ordination L. YOV have named a great number But I doubt whether all these are imposed and in many of them I see no harm M. I told you that if any one of them imposed be sinful Nonconformity is a duty which all the Ministers in England were bound to L. What sin can you find in Re-Ordination M. I must first state the Controversie before I argue it 1. The word Ordination may signifie either the first Dedication and Ordination to the Ministerial Office as such by which a man is separated from the Laity to Gods Ministry Or else a Mission on some particular Ministerial work as Paul and Barnabas were sent abroad Acts 11. Or a Minister may be sent to America c. Or else a fixed appointment to some one particular Church or Flock which is done here by Presentation Institution and Induction It is neither of the two last that we speak against They may be often done But it s only the first 2. The word Ordination may signifie 1. That Moral action by which a man is made a Minister of Christ which is his solemn Contract with Christ exprest by his Consent and by
they are of the same mind and party M. Are you a Lawyer and do you accuse men in the Temple without naming them and bringing proof of their guilt Noxa caput sequitur should all the Clergy be called guilty if Sibthorp or Manwaring or Heylin were proved so what error you accuse them of prove and punish them for no other 6. But I prove that the Bishops themselves made other Ordination necessary Because they would Ordain none without sinful subscriptions and conditions which must not be yielded to If you can prove the terms lawful on which they Ordain I shall trie your skil anon II. I farther prove the Ordination in question valid thus Where there is a true notification of God's will that this person shall be a Minister of the Gospel there is no want of validity in his Ordination But those here ordained by Presbyters might have such a true notification of God's will Ergo The major is plain Because God's will and Man's consent are the fundamentum of the Relation therefore nothing can be wanting to it 's being and validity The Minor is proved Those men that have laudable ability and willingness and the consent of a people in true necessity and the approbation of a National Assembly of Learned Divines of which many Bishops were called to be members and the investing Ordination of the gravest Senior Pastors that were then to be had had a true notification of God's will that they should be his Ministers But such were these in question Ergo. III. The way of ordination which was valid in the Primitive Church is now valid But such is that in question Ergo. As to the Minor The Ordination of such Pastors as were but the Rectors of single Congregations was it that was valid in the Primitive Church But such is that in question Doctor Hammond labours to prove that in Scripture time there were no other Bishops or Presbyters but the single Pastors of single Assemblies Mr. Clerkson hath fully proved and I more fully in my Treatise of Episcopacy that for a hundred and fifty years if not much more there were no particular Churches bigger than our Parishes A Bishop then was but the chief Parish or Congregational Pastor who guided it with his Assistance And such are all our Incumbents especially in great Towns who have Chapels and Curates and Lecturers to assist them And Grotius de Imper. sum Pot. sheweth that really the chief Pastor of a Church is a Bishop whatever they call him But I have so largely proved in my Treatise of Episcopacy pag. 231 232 c. that our questioned Ordainers were scripture Bishops and that those now called Presbyters Ordained long after that I must not repeat the same things here again IV. Those that are in Orders may confer Orders Ordinis est Ordinare as Vsher was wont to say As Physicians make Physicians and Philosophers make Philosophers and Geneâ—ation propagateth the Species And our Church consenteth to this 1. In that Presbyters must concur in Ordination by Imposition of hands which is an act of authority and collation 2. In that the Convocation hath a greater power even Canon making and that Convocation consisteth half and more of Presbyters and the Canons Excommunicateth all that deny it to be the represensative Church of England But Presbyters have the power of Order as Bishop Carlton de Iurisdict proveth it commonly acknowledged equal with Bishops pag. 7. And the Church of England in King Aelfrik's time ad Wolf. in Spelman pag. 576. l. 17. Affirm that Bishops and Presbyters are but one Order V. Those may ordain validly whose Ordination is more warrantable than that of Roman Bishops for our Bishops own theirs as valid and ordain them not again when they turn Protestants But the Presbyters that Ordained here fourteen years did it more warrantably than the Roman Bishops Ergo 1. The Papists Ordain men to a false Office to be Mass-Priests But the said Pastors ordained none but to the same office that Christ instituted 2. The Papists have their power of Ordination from the Pope whose own power and office in Specie is a false Usurpation But it is not so here where the ordaining Pastors were lawfully called 3. Papists Ordination enters them into a false Church in Specie a pretended catholick Church headed by the Pope but our Pastors entered them into no Church but Christs 4. Papists make them take sinful Oaths and Conditions before they Ordain them But these Pastors at least that imposed not the Covenant did not If yet any will nullifie the Reformed Churches and Ministry and their Ordination and not the Papists we may understand what their Mind and Communion is VI. That Ordination is valid which is less culpable than many Diocesans But such is that in question Ergo To the proof of the Minor which only needs proof here 1. Some Diocesans here have been Papists as Godfrey Goodman of Gloucester and divers have pleaded for and owned a Forreign Iurisdiction which the Oath of Supremacy abjureth 2. I have fully proved in the said Treatise of Episcopacy that the Office of Pastors of single Churches is more warrantable than our Diocesans who are the sole Bishops of many score or hundred Churches 3. The said Presbyters at least who medled not with the Covenant imposed no unlawful condition on the Ordained as too many Bishops have done 4. Many Bishops plead the derivation of their power from Rome And what theirs is I shewed before But because I must not write a Treatise on this one question you may read it done copiously and unanswerably by Voetius against Comel Iansenius de desperata Causa Papatus Yet I add one difference more The Ordainers and Ordained in question had the consent of the Flocks and neighbour Ministers but the said Bishops come in by the Magistrate without the consent or knowledge of the Flocks and so do the Ministers usually whom they Ordain And what the ancient Church thought of this abundance of Canons shew I 'le now cite but one Concil Nic. 2. Can. 3. Omnem Electionem quae fit a Magistratibus Episcopi Presbyteri vel Diaconi irritam manere ex canone dicente siquis Episcopus secularibus Magistratibus usus per eos Ecclesiam obtinuerit deponatur segregetur omnes qui cum eo Communicant Oportet enim eum qui est promovendus ad Episcopatum ab Episcopis eligi quemadmodum a sanctis patribus Nicaenis decretum est in Can. qui dicit Episcopum oportet maxime quidem ab omnibus qui sunt in provincia constitui And many Councils nullifie their Episcopacy that come not in by the election or consent of Clergy and People which ad hominem is somewhat to them that urge such Councils against us L. I confess your reasons seem unanswerable at least as to the case of necessity which I am convinced was the case of those that were ordained when there were no Bishops to whom they could have access or no
any School-master but an Usher or Monitor or any Physitian or any Mayor or Justice under him 6. That they have set up a false humane Discipline before described instead of Christ's which they have taken down And all this we dare not justifie by a confederacy by Oath IV. And we think that the fourth thing which we stick at needs no other reason suppose the species of Diocesans were of God's appointment and only the numerical Bishops usurpers we can submit and live peaceably but we cannot swear obedience to them They plead more than we for the power of ancient Councils and Canons I have elsewhere fully proved as Paul of Venice hath done and Mr. Clarkson and Dr. Burnet and many others that many great Councils nullified the Episcopacy of all that came in without the election or consent of the Clergy and Flocks And we our selves cannot conceive how any man can be the Pastor of those that consent not though we can easily conceive that Dissenters may oft be obliged to consent when they do not so may a Son or Daughter be obliged to obey their Parents in consenting to Marry such as Parents choose for them when yet it is no marriage till that consent How few in a Diocese ever know of the Bishops Election till it's past and how few consent I need not tell We can submit to these but not swear Allegiance to them V. And in all the foresaid cases we have another disswasive 1. It is so much of the King's Prerogative that all Subjects must swear Allegiance and Fidelity to him that in almost all Nations it hath been thought dangerous to make the Subjects also swear obedience to every Justice or inferior Officer lest it should make them too like Kings 2. Lest the Subjects should be entangled between their Oath to the King and their Oaths to all these Officers in case of the Officers contradiction to the King 's 3. Lest so many Oaths should make that Government a snare to the conscientious which should be for their ease and safety 4. Lest so much swearing make Oaths contemptible and bring in perjury and endanger the King who should by our Oaths be secured 2. And I have elsewhere named many Councils and Canons which prohibit Bishops this practice of making the Clergy swear fidelity to them and have condemned it as of dangerous consequence And they that are for Councils should not engage us causelesly against them 3. The present Impositions greatly stop us till we better know what it is that we must do We have cause to make a stand when we are all sworn never to endeavour any alteration of the Government of the State which we readily obey and yet seem to be called to do that which we are told by some is an alteration of it That is the making of our present species of Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons yea Chancellors Officials Commissaries c. as unchangeable a part of the Government as Monarchy it self is and so disabling the King to make any alteration in them For set all this together and consider 1. All the Clergy is bound or sworn to obey both Bishops and every Ordinary 2. The Canon ipso facto Excommunicates every man that affirmeth that the Church Government under his Majesty by Archbishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE in the same is repugnant to the word of God so that all the Lords and Gentlemen in England that have affirmed that the Government by the Keys as used by Diocesans over hundreds of Churches or by Archdeacons Lay Chancellors c. is repugnant to God's word being already ipso facto Excommunicate how far they are capable of being Parliament-men I know not but I suppose if in Parliament they shall affirm any such repugnancy they are Excommunicate and without the Act of King and Parliament no alteration can be made 3. And now to fix them all the Kingdom is sworn never to endeavour any alteration in the Church Government viz. In the Corporation Act the Militia Act the Vestry Act the Oxford swearing Act after the Act of Vniformity And is not every Chancellor or Archdeacon or Bishop now made as immutable necessary a part of the Kingdom as the King L. You speak ignorantly for want of acquaintance with the Law Do you think King and Parliament oblige themselves It is only particular subjects out of Parliament that they oblige M. I. But when the Parliament is dissolved are they not all particular subjects save the King. And are they not all then hereby bound And do you think that it was the meaning of the Act that they who swear never to endeavour alteration may yet endeavour it if they be chosen Parliament men I will manifestly disprove it All these Oaths do joyn the Government of Church and State together Yea and put the Church-Government first as if it had the preeminence But it was never the meaning of the Oath that the Parliament may endeavour to alter Monarchy which is the State-Government Ergo it meant not that they may endeavour to alter Prelacy or Church-Government II. But suppose it be as you say They that know the present thing called the Church of England know that their Writers openly maintain that the Obligation of the Canons depends not on the Parliament save only as to the forceable execution of them but on the authority of the Church as a Society empowred by Christ And therefore that King or Parliaments at least may be Excommunicated by them as well as others All are Excommunicate men that do but call their Government sinful CHAP. VII II. Of the restraint of Ordained Ministers from Preaching and expounding any Scripture or Matter or Doctrine Can. 49. L. WHat is it that you have against Conformity in this M. I. That men are at once made Christ's Ministers and forbid to exercise that which they are Ordained to II. That we are laid under the hainous guilt of breaking our Vow when they have engaged us to make it and of betraying mens Souls by omitting a vowed duty 3. That we are forbidden that which is the duty of every Lay Christian that is able as if they would suppress Religion and Charity it self L. But you do not swear or subscribe to this Canon M. 1. But we are bound by them to obey this Canon for it is the Law of the whole Church of England 2. I have shewed you that swearing obedience to them must mean obeying their Laws which are far more of weight than particular mandates L. But as long as you may have Licenses how doth this put you on any sin of omission or commission M. Both their words and their deeds tell us that they Ordain more than they Licence to Preach or Expound any Doctrine And is it no sinful omission think you for all the rest to forbear all this 2. And many were Ordained heretofore who by the new Act of Uniformity are denyed Licenses without new Professions and Covenants
and terms which they undertake to prove sinful 3. And our Ministry is by this made arbitrary to the Bishops will. He may bind us to the Office and when he hath done keep us from it L. If they deny you Licenses they bind you not to preach M. Ordination is a Vow and Dedication to the sacred Office Mark the Covenant which they impose on us Are you determined out of the Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your Charge c. Answ. I have so determined by God's Grace Q. Will you give your faithful diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded c. that you may teach the people committed to your Care and Charge with all diligence to keep and observe the same Answ. I will so do by the help of the Lord. Q. Will you be ready with all faithful diligence to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrines contrary to God's word and to use both publick and private monitions and exhortations as well to the sick as to the whole within your Cure as need shall require and occasion shall be given Answ. I will the Lord being my helper Is it not treachery to draw men into all these Vows and then to command them never to Preach nor Expound any Doctrine or matter any where Doth it not come near to an Atheistical prohibition of Religion may they not tell their people the meaning of Baptism or the Creed or Lord's-Prayer or Commandments May they not teach their own Children and Servants these If a Priest may not do it much lesse the Laity and Vulgar L. The meaning is not against expounding to their children or wives at home but in the Church M. Can the Church of England tell such a meaning no plainer than by saying either in his own Cure or elsewhere Is not his House or his Neighbour's House elsewhere If they can speak no plainer I would they would make us no Laws till God Licence them 2. But suppose that elsewhere speak only of Churches you know that other Canons forbid them Preaching in private houses 3. And what a Priest is that who must be forbidden to teach the people in the Church or there to tell Children the meaning of the Catechism How like is this to the Moscovy State L. You know that many men are unable to Preach Expound or speak sense about Divinity if they should attempt it M. And are such fit to be made the Teachers and Guides of the Flock shall the same men make a man Physician to an Hospital and when they have done forbid him to do any more than read to them a Physick Book of their making Is it not an ability to teach men at least the Essentials of Christianity Essential to a Minister Do they not then make No-ministers and call them Priests if they ordain men that cannot Teach the essentials L. Reading the Scripture and Homilies is Teaching M. It is so but if that only will qualifie one for the Priesthood one may be a Priest that knows no more than an Infidel or Atheist and if Reading will qualifie men for a Benefice many will study for no more and the people will value them accordingly L. But you know that when the Land came out of Popery we must have meer Readers in most places or worse M. And you know that these Canons were made in K. Iames's days long after that and that they are now continued as the Church Laws Did our last Convocation alter them It is such excellent men as the world is not worthy of Ames Bayn Parker Hildersham Dod c. that have been forbidden to Preach whilest these that could not preach were Ordained and inducted It is only the present things that I am speaking of 2. And though men of mean abilities if tolerable may be tolerated yet men that want essential qualifications should not be made Ministers but if bare Reading be necessary they may Read as Lay-men I conclude therefore that as making such Priests and Canons is a sin in them so to obey them by omission of Ministerial teaching for want of a Licence from the Bishops would be sinful Conformity in any true Minister of Christ if he live where his Ministerial work is necessary And to forbear all Expounding any matter or doctrine save by Reading our Homilies is sacriledge and perfidiousness and uncharitable inhumanity CHAP. VIII IV and V. Of subscribing and declaring Assent and Consent L. WHat is your next exception to Conformity M. Subscribing according to the Canon that there is nothing in the book of Common-Prayer contrary to the word of God. and that we will use no other form 2. And publickly declaring our Assent and Consent to all things contained and prescribed in and by it and our Approbation of all the Forms Orders c as aforesaid L. What have you against this Approbation of the Liturgy M. Negatively 1. We blame nothing in it that is good And I take it for a good Book in the main but not faultless As you said of the Canon of allowing Readers so say I of the Liturgy it was better immediately after Popery than it is now that is it was more congruous and was a great Reformation and we honour the Book and their Memory that made it 2. We do not think that there is any such faultiness in it as maketh it unlawful to joyn in the publick Worship and ordinary Communion with the Church where it is used We honour them as true Churches of Christ. 3. I do not think it unlawful to read the ordinary Lords day Service when the publick good requireth it and we can have no better without greater hurt than benefit Our objections being most against the by-offices especially of Baptizing and Burial Bâ—â— 1. We think it unlawful to Covenant to use no other Forms in publick Prayer II. And unlawful to subscribe and declare that it is faultless I. For the first we have these Reasons 1. The Bishops themselves by the King's order do upon special occasions of Fasts and Thanksgivings prescribe impose and use other Forms and we must not covenant to disobey them 2. The publick Ministers have and do in the Pulpits before Sermon use other Forms And so break this Covenant themselves 3. It belongs to the office of a Pastor as well to word his own Prayers as his own Sermons And it is sinful to renounce so much of the work of the Office which we are vowed and ordained to L. These instances are a clear exposition of the Canon and shew that by no other Form they intended not to exclude other Pulpit-prayers or other Forms prescribed by the Bishops M. 1. If the whole Church of England here also can speak no more intelligibly than by no other Forms to mean only till the Bishop prescribe it and except your own daily Form in the Pulpit I would they would leave us to God's own Laws and not
take on them to be necessary interpreters of its great difficulties If such men forbear that expounding which they forbid others till they will do it better the loss will be the less Scripture speaketh plainlier than this 2. But who giveth this exposition To expound the Law by a common obligatory Exposition is proper to the Law-makers He that maketh the words maketh not a Law if he make not the sense Judges make not the sense but decide particular Cases by it as they understand it The Canons are made by the Convocation which he that denyeth to be the Representative Church of England is Excommunicate The Pulpit Preachers nor the particular Bishops are not the Convocation and therefore have not power to expound their Canons by any Common obligatory exposition much less contrary to the express words Which way most of the Clergy went under Bishop Parker Grindal and Abbot is well known And yet now they are so far from being taken for the Expositors of the Churches sense that they are openly scorned as popular fautorer of Puritans and those of their mind called Grindalizers II. But it is the second that is the Trojan horse whose name is Legion I mean that hath many more evils in the belly of it viz. that we must profess that the three Books Articles Liturgy and Ordination are so utterly faultless that there is nothing in them Contrary to the word of God and that we Assent and Consent to all contained and prescribed in and by them L. What have you against this what is there in it that is contrary to God's word M. God's word is perfect and forbids the least faulty errour or defect If we had never seen the Book we know that men made it and that every one that made it had ignorance error and sin and can a perfect faultless volumn be made by such faulty men Operari sequitur esse They renounce all pretensions to Infallibility in the Articles of Religion L. You interpret the words rigorously By nothing contrary they meâ—n nothing so contrary as that one may not use the Books M. If by nothing they mean not nothing and if by contrary they mean not contrary we will better know what they mean before we subscribe else you may make it lawful to subscribe to any thing in the world and say that the Imposers mean better than they speak L. And Assent and Consent is expresly confined to the use M. 1. I shall prove that that is not true 2. That if it were true it no whit amends the matter nor maketh it lawful to us I. It is not true For. 1. The words of the declaration are as expresly universal as man can speak And the foregoing words to the use do speak but deâ—fine and the words of the Declaration de mediis And all Lawyers agree that when the title of a Law expresseth the End that limiteth not the sense of the words of the Law because the Means may be larger than the End. As the Oxford Act of Confinement is in the title to keep Nonconformists from Corporations And yet Lawyers resolve that it extendeth also to Conformists if one of them should but once preach in a Conventicle The Parliament and Prelates thought that the way to secure the Vse was to oblige them to Assent and Consent to all in the Book contained and prescribed 1. Therefore they ty all to declare in that same form of words and to add no other least they should make any exposition that limits them 2. And the word Assent signifieth an Act of the understanding which must have Truth for its object 3. And it is after exprest by the word Approbation whereas a man may use that which he doth not approve of 2. Oaths Covenants and Professions must be taken in the most usual proper sense unless another be exprest to be the Imposers meaning which is not here done and the words are most universal and without exception 3. And to put all out of doubt the Parliament expounded themselves 1. At the making of the Act this was debated and reasons given against the limited expressions which prevailed 2. Since then a new Act against Conventicles being made it was moved in the Lords House that seeing Non-conformists were thus far forbidden private worship they should be so far invited to Conformity as that a Proviso might be added to this Act that the Declaration in the Act of Uniformity should be understood to oblige men but to the Vse of the things required and the Commons rejecting that Proviso it came to a debate or conference between the two Houses where the Commons gave their reasons against that sense and proviso In which the Lords acquiesc't Though I was not present the Parliament-men that were reported this and I never met with man that contradicted it or questioned the truth of it II. But if it were otherwise it were to us never the better For 1. It were an ignorant reproach of the Church of England to say that they have put any thing in their Liturgy which is of no use This will Include every syllable They themselves tell you in their Prefaces what use the very Calender and every other part are of The use of the Articles of Faith and Doctrines is our understanding assent and belief of them in order to Love and Practice The use of the orders in the Rubrick is to oblige us to obedient practice and so of all the rest And to Assent approve and Consent to every thing contained and prescribed practically even to the use of them is more than a bare speculative assent L. Wherein lyeth the sin of such a Declaration M. 1. In general it is incredible as I said before in consideration of the matter and the Authors together The Book of Articles Liturgie and Ordination are a big Volumn and contain great variety of matter and that high and mysterious The Authors were every one of them men of imperfection that had ignorance error and sin And operation exceedeth not power Who dare say that any Sermon or Prayer that ever he maketh hath nothing in it but what he may assent and consent to Much less so great a Book 2. The Articles which must be subscribed as faultless say Art. 15. Christ alone is without sin But all we the rest though baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And Art. 21. General Councils For as much they be an Assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may err and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining to God And are our Convocation more infallible than General Councils The Church must be exemplary in humility and is it humility to say we Bishops and Priests having written three Books he shall not preach Christ's Gospel that will not declare that there is not a word in them that is
faulty or repugnant to God's word and will not assent and consent to all therein 3. The Papists hereby scandalized do scorn us and say The question is not now of an Infallibility or a Judge that all must assent to It is but who this Infaliible Iudge is whether it be the Pope and a General Council or the English Convocation which is liker to be of greater authority and infallibility we require no greater assent and consent of you to the Canons of the Universal Church than the State and Church of England require to their Books 4. This seemeth to us to let the Articles Liturgie and Ordination Book above the Bible 1. God himself hath not made the assent and consent to every thing contained and prescribed in the Bible necessary to Salvation or to the Ministry 1. There are divers Books in our Bibles whose Divine authority many have questioned who yet were not for that degraded The Apochryphal books are yet controverted by men tolerated on both sides There are hundreds of various Readings where no one is necessitated to determine for this or that Translations are all faulty being the work of faulty men And no wise men will declare that this or that or any Translation hath nothing in it contrary to the Original Word of God. And are our Bishops Books more faultless 5. It is a sin to Confederate with and Encourage such audacious Lording it over the Faith and Souls of men and such ill Examples L. Your instances shew that you expound them too strictly Can you imagine them so insolent and impious as to impose their own Books more strictly than the Bible and require more Assent and Consent M. Call it what you will I must suppose that matter of Fact which is undeniably evident to our senses It 's an ill argument This is unreasonable and ungodly or inhumane Ergo It was not done What is so false absurd or impious that man may not do L. Some say They are Articles of Peace only and not of Faith. M. Some Brains will be cheated with a meer noise of words as Birds with a whistle We deny not but Peace is one of the ends of the Impositions but the question is what are the Means Or whether they will take it for Conformity to promise I will live peaceably or I Assent that I should live in Peace Are you not bound in order to peace to Assent and Consent to all things in the Books Say I Assent that some things are true and good and some things false and bad which yet for Peace I will use and try how it will be taken L. Well What is there in these Books contrary to Gods Word or which you may not Assent and Consent to M. The number is greater than we would have them I will come to the chief of them which I before named to you L. I forgat to tell you that it is not all contained that is Assented to but all that is both contained and prescribed M. 1. A meer quibble to cheat Conscience Ask the Bishop Morley and Bishop Gunning yet living whether this was the sence and I will take their answer 2. Then Assent and Contained had been put in in vain and to deceive if Consent and Prescribed signifie as much without them 3. The word approbation in this Act and nothing contrary to Gods Word in the Canon confute this quibble 4. I told you were it so it 's never the better All in the Book is prescribed to some use They are outside men that think Vse reacheth but the Body Are Articles of Faith Assertions of no use CHAP. IX Point VI. Of the Article of Baptized Infants Salvation M. THE sixth Point of our Non-conformity is a new Article of Faith in these words in a Rubrick which we must Profess Assent and Consent to It is certain by the Word of God that Children which are baptized and dying before they commit actual sin are undoubtedly saved L. And what have you against Assenting to this M. 1. That it is a New Article of Faith. 2. That it is arrogant and divisive making a grand Controversie one Article of Faith. 3. It is certainly false in most if not every one that declareth such assent 4. It is a dangerous adding to the Word of God. L. Why call you a Rubrick an Article of Faith M. It is most expresly made such What is an Article of Faith but that which must be Assented to as certain by the Word of God Will you deny the Name where there is this Definition L. But how do you prove it to be new M. Because it was never made for us before you have the affirmative If you say it was ever before prove it It 's not in the Bible it 's not in our 39 Articles nor Creed L. Are not the old words of the former Book to the same sense M. Not at all If they were why did the New Convocation alter them The old words plainly signifie no more than this that Infants baptized have all ex parte ministri and may be saved without Confirmation Exorcism Chrysme Spittle Salt Milk and Honey and such other additions supposing him ex parte sui under the promise of Salvation that is to be the seed of the Faithful Though I verily believe that after the making of the Common-prayer Book our Canon-Makers in Bancrofts dayes began to warp towards a worser sence But our Defenders of the Liturgy expound it as I say and the tenor of the words may tell the Reader that they meant no more L. Tell me first where it is that your Controversie lyeth M. I. Negatively 1. It is not whether the Infant Seed of one believing Parent should be Baptized This is agreed on 2. It is not whether those may be dedicated to God as our Children and baptized who are Adopted or any way made our own Children as Abrahams bought and born to him in his house as his propriety were Though we cannot say we are certain of this yet we will not contradict them that say they are 3. It is not whether Hypocrites Children have not so far a right to Baptisme Coram Ecclesia as that the Minister ought to baptize them if it be justly demanded 4. It is not whether there be a certainty of the Salvation of all the baptized Infants of true faithful Christians that die before actual sin Though all good Christians are not certain of this yet with the Synod of Dort we hold that Christians have no just cause to doubt of it 5. It is not whether they may not be good men that think all baptized ones absolutely in a state of Salvation None of these are the Controversie II. But it is 1. Whether all Infants without exception that be baptized are saved if they then die 2. Whether this be certain by the Word of God. 3. Whether all that be not undoubtedly certain of it should be no Ministers L. But it is not said All Infants but Infants indefinitely
M. 1. There is no place of doubting of their universal sence For an Indefinite term in re necessaria is equal to an Vniversal And they except the unbaptized from Christian Burial 2. It is Baptized Infants as such that they speak of and that under no other Character nor with the least exception And a quatenus ad omnes valet argumentum 3. The Canon commandeth Ministers to baptize all Infants without exception that are brought to them on any Sundays or Holy-days to be baptized after the Manner of the Church of England 4. I have spoken with the Bishops that brought in and promoted this Article and they own the universal sence supposing the true form of Baptisme and say that as any man hath right to take up an exposed Infant in the streets and take it in so hath any one to bring the Child of a Heathen Infidel Atheist or Sadducee to baptisme 5. If they had meant it only of some baptized Infants and not all they knew the Non-conformists were of the same mind and then they would have told us what sort they mean. L. I. And why may not an Article of Faith be newly declared we have not read the Fathers It may not be unknown to them And I have heard that they are for it M. The most ancient Churches were so much employed in baptizing the adult Converted from Infidelity that we read little or nothing expresly and particularly what they did about Infants in Baptisme They baptized none at age without a serious Profession of true Faith and Repentance and holy Dedication to Christ They used to keep these as Learning Catechumens long before they baptized them save in case of necessity near death Therefore they had their set-times of the year for baptizing two or three times as our Bishops have now for ordaining And after all this strict preparation they pronounced the baptized in a state of Salvation but it was only on supposition that he was a sincere penitent covenanting Believer Even Hildebrand Pope Greg. 7. in his time concludeth that baptisme saveth none that dissemble or have not the Faith and Repentance which they profess which the Papists do ordinarily confess and Protestants much more And as for Infants the Ancients compelled not Christians themselves to baptize them but left them to their own choice Tertullian is for long delay till-they understand saying Cur festinat innocens at as Greg Nazianzene would have them stay at least three years In danger of Death they alway hastened Augustine and many others that had Christian Parents were not baptized till at Age. And they took Christians Infants as Paul did to be not unclean but holy and would receive others brought by such as adopted or owned them as Pro-parents But it was never the judgment of the ancient Churches that all Heathens or Infidels Children have right to Baptisme and Salvation if any will but offer them to Baptism Much less that it is certain by Gods Word that all such are saved 2. Articles of Faith are all contained in the Scripture and that is not new therefore nothing that is new can be an Article of Faith nor can it be said to be newly declared which was there from its beginning L. II. And why call you it arrogant and dividing M. Because it presumptuously condemneth the Reformed Churches and the Christian World determining that to be so certain by Gods Word that none should doubt of it that will be a Minister when the Christian World is of many several opinions about it L. What be those Opinions about it M 1. Some hold that the Covenant being the same pardoning saving Covenant that is made to the faithful and their Seed and their Children expresly called Holy they are all in a state of pardon and salvation before baptisme and baptisme doth but celebrate and invest them in it before the Church and solemnly seal their Covenant right And that this saving right is given only to the seed of the sincerely faithful or at most to those that have such Pro-parents though the Seed of Hypocrites must be received by the Church that know not mens hearts And this I take to be the Truth 2. Some others hold that this right to Salvation belongeth to them that have Grand-fathers and Grand-mothers or remote Ancestors that were truly Godly Christians 3. Some hold that it belongeth to all the Seed of professed Christians how bad soever the Parents be 4. Some hold that it belongeth only to the Children of true Believers that are baptized but not to the unbaptized 5. Some hold that it belongeth to Hypocrites Children that are baptized but not to the unbaptized 6. Some hold that it belongeth to all baptized ones if they have God-fathers that profess Christianity 7. Some hold that it belongeth to all baptized by a true believing Minister for the Faith of the Church 8. Some hold that it belongeth to none that by Baptism are taken into any Congregation guilty of Heresie or Schism 9. Some hold that it belongeth to all that are baptized by a Minister who is ordained by Bishops that have uninterrupted Canonical Succession and not to others 10. Some hold that the Baptisme of a Lay-man or a Woman may be effectual to the Salvation of such 11. Some Conformists hold that all Infants in the World are saved baptized and unbaptized 12. The most of the Papists hold that the baptized are saved both from the pain of Sense and of Loss but the unbaptized are saved from the pain of sense only but not of loss and so have neither Joy nor Sorrow 13. Many wise Men hold that Salvation is certain according to the first Opinion to the Seed of Sincere Believers but that we have no certain notice at all what God will do with all the rest baptized or unbaptized 14. Many think that God hath a certain number of Infants Elect whom he will save and will cast away the rest but that no man can know who they be though the Faithful may have some uncertain hopes for their Children more than others but no Promise 15. Some think that the Common state of Infants in the Life to come is utterly unrevealed and unknown to us I do not say that none of these opinions should be disclaimed But among all which Learned godly men of all Countries hold to say he that is not certain of some one of them as God's word is unmeet to be a Minister is dividing arrogance of men that overvalue themselves L. III. How then can you make good your charge of falsehood May it not be true among many false ones M. I make it good two ways men must say they are certain that are not certain 1. No man can be certain that God's word saith that which it doth not say But God's word doth not say directly or by consequence that all baptized dying Infants are undoubtedly saved He that saith there is such a word let him produce it It is suspicious that these same men
nor to refuse or delay to baptize in private in case of danger who ever desireth him to do it 2. The Twenty nine Canon saith No Parent shall be urged to be present nor be admitted to answer as Godfather for his own Child Nor any Godfather or Godmother shall be suffered to make any other answer or speech than by the Book of Common-Prayer is prescribed in that behalf The Parent may say what he will to God in secret But at the Christening of his Child if he should but say I believe God's promise to the faithful and their seed I do devote my Child to Christ and engage him in his Covenant or I promise to educate him to Christianity he breaketh the Canon and goeth against the Churches Law. I did before the Bishops at the Savoy 1661. put the case to them thus without fiction An Infidel of my Parish that useth openly to talk against the Scripture and Life to come to avoid inconveniencies resolveth to send his Child to be baptized and I must not refuse it by the Law Hath the Child right to Baptism and is it undoubtedly saved Dr. Sanderson in the Chair answered nemime contradicente that if he brought him with Godfathers according to the Church of England I need not doubt it But there were but two in the Parish that openly declared themselves to be of his opinion and those two being his familliers are likest to be the Godfathers If the Child have not Right for Infidel Parents sake how can Infidel neighbours called Godfathers give him right L. But the Canon saith that the Godfathers shall be only such as have received the Sacrament M. Alas none are forwarder than these to receive the Sacrament and laugh at it and say they will obey the Church Yet I doubt not but a faithful Parent may be present if he will and may tell the Godfathers in private that his presence shall signifie his devoting act and when the Priest speaketh to the Godfathers he may bow his head whether the Priest will or not to signifie that act of his But this is nothing to the sense of the Church nor to our Assent and Consent to their exclusion of the Parent L. I confess it sounds to me as unnatural But what is your other reason against our sort of Godfathers M. Iâ— My second Reason is that it is a prophanation of this great and sacred Ordinance to invest those in the visible state Christianity and Salvation pretendedly that have no right to such investiture so they have but Godfathers they are to baptize the children of any Jews or Heathens or open enemies to Christ as well as of Christians which is a manifest prophanation L. What is the fault of it M. 1. It supposeth a false Doctrine that Infidel Children are within the Covenant and may be baptized as well as Christians which in the Books aforecited I have fully disproved 2. It is a dangerous adding to God's word and worship 3. It is a deceiving of mens Souls as to childrens state to make them believe that their children dying when baptized are all saved how bad soever the Parents be 4. It is a dreadful belying of God and prophanation of his name if men shall in the name of God pronounce pardon and salvation to those whom he never gave them to L. But God will not punish the Children for their Parents sin M. Not those that see their fathers sins and forsake them and live not as their Parents did and that 's all that the Scripture saith for such But if you will read my two foresaid Disputations for Original sin you will see it fully proved that God punisheth Infants because they are the guilty and corrupt seed of guilty and corrupt Parents Do you believe our Church Articles and yet deny original sin If Infants have no guilt and sin what need have they of Baptism or of a Saviour If they have need of both sure it is for no actual sin done by them was not the World lost for Adam's sin Was not Cain's posterity cursed for his sake Were not all the Infants of the old World and all the Infants of the Sodamites burnt with fire from Heaven and the Infants of the Canaanites and Amalakites c. killed for their Parents sin Did not Christ tell the Jews Mat. 23. that all their Forefathers persecutions should be punished on that Generation The Jews knew this that said His blood be on us and on our Children Our Liturgy saith Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Forefathers c. 2. And yet I tell you that it is for their own sin that the seed of the wicked perish sin is made their own when soul and body were for guilty corrupt Parents made such by themselves I do not say that God imputeth their Parents infidelity to them But this infidelity is the reason of their not being delivered from their own original guilt If Rebels forfeit Life and Estate and so their Children live in beggery and the King offer to restore Father and Children if the Father will thankfully accept his grace If the Parent refuse this his Children will be beggars Not because the King punisheth them for their Fathers fault but because he first deprived himself of the Estate which he should have left them and next because he refused to deliver them If a Father will set the Pox on his children and after refuse a Physician that would cure him and them the Physician doth not punish the children All Scripture and Nature tell the world that it is so deep an interest that Parents have in children as being causes of their very essence by Communication from their own essence and it is so natural a power that Parents have over their children that it should seem no strange thing to Christians or Infidels that God maketh a very great difference between the seed of the faithful and of the Infidels and wicked And its strange that any men should rather lay their title to pardon and salvation upon a meer neighbour or stranger that perhaps is a wicked wretch himself than on the Parents of the child L. But will God save children for their Parents Faith M. If he destroy Infants for Adam's sin do you think that Justice is so much more extensive then Mercy that he will shew no mercy for Parents sake But the case is this Christ the Second Adam hath merited pardon and salvation to be given conditionally to all Not absolutely for then all would be saved What the condition is to the adult we are agreed viz. Faith and Repentance and Dedication to Christ by covenant consent And do you think that Infants pardon and salvation hath no condition If none than all Infants are saved if any condition what is it 1. Is it barely that they be baptized without any right but what all have This is an injurious fiction God never said it And it s an unreasonable imputation on God as if he would
Nor did I ever to this day know one man or woman that performed this which all three undertake A very few I have known that will ask How doth my Godson and say you must be a good Boy and learn your Book and perhaps give him a piece of Silver But usually they never look after them I confess with shame that I have been Godfather to four to one when I was a Child and knew not what I did but thought it was only to be a Witness of Baptism And to three more when I was twenty three years of age of all which I agreed beforehand with the Parents to be but a Witness and that they should stand there themselves as the undertakers and signifie it Two of these I never saw since a third now dead I never saw since his Infancy till a little before he dyed and the fourth never since till that lately he came a begging to me I confess one Bishop told me once that he knew one or more that had performed this Vow so did never I who have lived in many parts of the Land. Those that perform it not sure are guilty of heinous perfidiousness as breaking so solemn a Vow to God. And if this be so common in England that to this Age I could never know of one performer is not the case doleful and dreadful that the Nation should by such perfidiousness be made Christians L. But this is the Parents or Godfathers fault what 's this to the Minister or to your Assent and Consent M. If it be not nothing to the Canons and to the Liturgy it is not nothing to him that must Assent and Consent to all things in that Liturgy and must swear Canonial obedience And 1. Do you think that the Nation can so commonly live in this sin and the Church Governours and Orders be innocent in it Can those Canons and Orders be blameless that without any more opposition let such perfidiousness go to our Christening Can the medicine be laudable that so many miscarry in the use of it 2. By the Canon all men are constrained to get some Godfathers and they can force none that is unwilling 3. No Conscionable persons will Promise and undertake that which they never purpose to perform I never in all my life met with one godly man that if you opened all the undertaking plainly to him would say seriously I am resolved to do all this but would refuse the office when he knows it is expected 3. If there be hundreds or thousands in a Parish that are grosly ignorant of the nature of Baptism and what they do or that ere Atheists Infidels wicked men not Excommunicate the Minister can not deny to take them for Godfathers if they did but ever once receive the Sacrament And to this 68th year of my age I never knew one Godfather or Godmother questioned or refused by any Minister 4. If the Parent can get no man to stand he shall be ruined for it as not bringing his Child to be Baptized according to the order of the Church 5. Rich men will not give up their Children to the God-father's propriety or education Poor mens Children none will take And is it lawful to Assent and Consent to such orders of Baptism as cherish this If Parents were the undertakers we might urge them to performance But from such others who can expect it CHAP. XI Point VIII Of refusing to Baptize without such Godfathers L. YOV have been long on this Point I pray you be shorter on the next M. It needs not many words it is so gross We dare not Assent and Consent to deny Baptism to all Children of godly Parents that have not such Godfathers and Godmothers while the Parent offereth to do his own part professing his faith and dedicating his Child to God and promising a faithful education L. How prove you that you must put away all such M. 1. Did you ever know any baptized otherwise in the Church 2. The words of the Rubrick are There shall be for every Male Child to be baptized two Godfathers and one Godmother and for every Female one Godfather and two Godmothers 3. The Godfathers and Godmothers only are to speak and covenant without which it is no Baptism Meer washing without Covenanting is no Christian Baptism so that the Church of England doth make Godfathers essential to it And what it is to add to the Essentials of so great an Ordinance of God as was instituted by Christ's own mouth for so high an use as our Espousal to himself judge you 4. The Canon to which all must subscribe saith that he himself will use the form in the said Book prescribed in publick prayer and administration of the Sacrament and no other 5. The Act of Conventicles maketh it 20 l. the first time and 40 l. every time after for above four to meet to worship God otherwise than according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England And to baptize without Godfathers is otherwise 6. And then the Oxford Act banisheth them five miles from Corporations Is not here sufficient proof L. And why should any scruple so small a matter M. 1. Did I not before tell you why 2. Suppose they scrupled it through mistake shall every mistake or errour of Parents deprive the child of Baptism I 'll tell you why I dare no more Assent and Consent to this than I dare consent to cut off a hand or foot of every such child 1. Baptising is Christening and dare I causelessly deprive a Soul of visible Christianity 2. They themselves make it an Ascertaining means of Salvation as the forementioned Rubrick sheweth And would they have us shut Infants from Salvation for nothing yea they seem to confine Salvation only to the baptized while they conclude that they are saved as baptized ones and except the unbaptized from Christian Burial The best can be but to leave them as without any promise of life from Christ And how can we believe that God will give them that which he never promised them And shall I damn souls for want of a humane unnecessary if not corrupt invention 3. It is against the interest of Christ and the Church shall I make a Covenant to rob Christ and the Church of visible Members for nothing Murthering Infants is death by God's Laws and mans And Innocents day is one of the Christmas Holy days And is it a thing indifferent for me and all the Ministers of the National Church to make a solemn bargain that we Assent and Consent to keep out all from the Church and from the Covenant and in their sense the hope of Salvation on such an account as this L. The thing were dismal and unexcusable if it were as you make it But how can you say that they shut them out when they force all Parents to bring them in and to submit to their way when did you ever know any child refused on this account M. Many a hundred in my
time The Law refuseth them and it is in vain for the Parents to send them to a Minister who they know hath solemnly covenanted to reject them Hundreds have been baptized by Nonconformists because the Church refuseth them 2. And as to their compelling men to get Godfathers I answer 1. Those that think it a sin will not obey that compulsion but rather suffer 2. If any yield against conscience to escape suffering such compulsion doth but drive them towards damnation 3. But those that yield to it by compulsion do but seem to do it and do it not For they agree before hand with the Godfathers to represent them and speak in their names and to be themselves no undertakers Though all this is very hard shifting L. I confess this is a case so distant from things indifferent that were there but this one reason I will no more persuade any to Assent and Consent to all things contained and prescribed even to the use M. And what think you if the same men that made these Canons and subscribe to all this are the sharp condemners of Schism and Anabaptistry 1. What is Schism if this be not causelessly to keep out so many from the Church And have not the Anabaptists a far more excusable pretence to deny the baptizing of Infants than this in question is The case is of great difficulty to them and it is Christ's will that they doubt of But here is no difficulty And these men set the will and devise of man against Christ who said Forbid them not and was Angry with those that forbad them to come to him CHAP. XII Point IX Of the Cross in Baptism L. I Have oft wondred what any man can say against the use of the Cross in Baptism which signifieth our resolution to be true to a crucified Christ. M. I have oft thought many things absurd in you Lawyers to which I have been reconciled when I was well informed of the reason of them I ask you 1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the King and only universal Lawgiver to his Church L. Yes but men under him may make local Laws M. 2. Do you believe that he is the Author of the Christian Baptism L. Yes no doubt I find it Mat. 20. 19. M. 3. Do you believe that he did it so defectively that men may amend it L. No doubt but he did his own work perfectly M. 4. Do you not believe that it is his Prerogative to institute Sacraments of the covenant of Grace L. Yes no doubt for our Church holdeth that there are but two and disowneth the five Roman Sacraments And yet I think most of them may be called Sacraments especially Ordination and Matrimony and so may the Kings Coronation but not Sacraments of the Covenant of Grace M. Let us now enquire 1. What a Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace is 2. Whether our crossing be not such I. The Romans used the word Sacraments for an external obliging covenanting ceremony especially for the Act of soldiers ceremony by binding themselves to military relation and fidelity to their captains A Sacrament of the covenant of grace is an outward visible Act or ceremony by which we oblige our selves in covenant to Christ as our Saviour promising fidelity and by which we are told by Christs ministers that his Grace is signified which is given by his Covenant The Catechism indeed saith It is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof But it 's obvious to any man of reason that the words Ordained by Christ himself signifie not a Sacrament as such but as Divine distinct from humane Else it were impossible for man to be guilty of making false humane Sacraments If they should make more just such as Baptism and the Lords Supper they would be no sinful Sacraments if none be Sacraments but Christs If there be all these things there is a Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace falsely instituted by man. 1. If there be an outward visible sign 2. If both the purchased and conveyed Grace of the Covenant of Christ be signified by it 3. And so signified as to be an instituted means of conveying it 4. If it be a sign obliging the covenanting person to his Covenant duty 5. And if thus it be a symbol or badge of the Order professed I. The outward visible sign is crossing or the transient Image of a Cross made by one that acteth as a Minister of Christ by his pretended Commission and received in his forehead by the baptized II. The thing signified is both the work of Redemption purchasing grace and grace given by that purchase Both these are fully expressed Can. 30. The holy Ghost by the mouthes of the Apostle did honour the name of the Cross so far that under it he comprehended not only Christ crucified but the force effect and merits of his death and passion with all the comforts fruits and promises which we receive or expect thereby The Church of England hath retained still the sign of it in baptism following therein the Primitive and Apostolical Churches and accounting it a lawful outward ceremony and honourable badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the Service of him that dyed on the Cross as by the words of the Common-Prayer book may appear which words are we receive this Child into the Congregation of Christ's Flock and do sign him with the Sign of the Cross in token that he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the devil and to continue Christ's faithful Souldier and Servant to his lifes end Amen And in the Preface of Ceremonies They serve to a decent order and godly discipline and such as be apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and spiritual signification whereby he may be edified So that the thing signified is Christ crucified with the benefits of his Cross and the Grace of edification by stirring up our dull minds by the moral causality of the cause and binding us to constancy to Christ. L. But moral causing by objects works not on Infants M. True no more doth washing in water and yet this is used for the benefit of the Parents at present and of Infants when they are at the use of reason Indeed Christ by his own Sacrament giveth Right and Relative grace which he will not do by mens inventions III. But man plainly appointeth the Cross to work this grace by way of exciting signification IV. And it is expresly made man's covenanting sign by which he bindeth himself to covenant fidelity that he will not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight c. The whole duty of the covenant on man's part is promised hereby V. And the
one and twentith day of March. L. It is true for the most part though not always M And we will Assent that it is true for the most part but not always L. This is but a mere mistake and can you scruple Conformity for such a trifle M. Is it lawful deliberately to lie in a trifle In them it was but an untruth for they wrote what they thought had been true But it would be a wilful lying in me who know it to be false L. But you may in your Subscribing or Declaring except that which you know the Authors would have excepted had they known them to be false M. Say you so Then I may except all the rest which I here except against For Truth is so naturally the object of the Intellect that I may suppose that the Convocation would have put none of them on us had they known them to be false Do you mean that I may except them in words or writing or only mentally If the first I have offered them to declare my Assent and Consent to all things in the Book in which the Authors were not mistaken But that is refused with derision and is contrary to the Act of Uniformity which saith They shall declare in these words and no other If you mean mentally then a man may Covenant or swear any falsehood with a mental exception and so any 〈◊〉 may subscribe or covenant what you will. L. But you know those two most knowing men Grotius de Iure Beili and Bishop Jer. Taylor Duct Dubit maintain that useful Lying which hurts no one is no sin A man's Life may be saved by a lie M. And in my Housholders Catechism on the ninth Commandment I have fully confuted it to which I refer youâ— No man's private commodity or life must be preferred before the common welfare of mankind Why do Souldiers hazard their lives and Malefactors lose them but for the common good and safety But if men had leave to lie when it is for their safety or commodity it would utterly overthrow all humane converse and Societies by over-throwing all Trust and Justice Rulers and Subjects Preachers and Hearers Judges Jurors Witnesses Traders Contractors would all find some reason from their commodity to Lie. Laws are made chiefly for the common safety and profit and must not allow a single persons to the common hurt L. I confess the reason is weighty But most men will but laugh at you to suffer ruine rather then to Assent to so harmless a Lie as that is M. It is to God's judgment that we stand or fall who hath decreed to cast out of his Kingdom all Lyars Rev. 21 and 22. L. It 's a wonder to me that all the Bishops Doctors and Church of England should publish and impose such a mistake and never a man of them examine it and detect it And yet a greater wonder that the Lords and Bishops and Commons in Parliament should pass and impose it without examination M. Neither of them is any wonder to me considering who the men were and in what circumstances and what moved them No more than that they would rather England were in the case it is in than to have forborn any of their impositions called Things indifferent or than the King's Declaration of Ecclesiastical Affairs should have healed us But do you think that such mens Volumns are like to be so infallible in matters of Faith Doctrine and Right who no more examine plain Matters of fact as that all the Clergy may boldly declare Assent and Consent to all contained in and â—â—escribed by their book And that before they ever see it And did not Convocation Parliament and the whole Declaring Clergy go one way and notably Trust some body And are we not excusable for trying further Doth this common belief deserve honour and preferment and our unbelief of such things deserve silencing and ruine L. I marvail what they say to this who expound their Assent and Consent as to the Use If they Use this Rule we must keep two Easters oft one at a right time and another at a wrong M. It 's enough to justifie themselves to call Refusers Schismaticks Rogues and disobedient to Government as the poor Protestants are called in France CHAP. XVI Point XIII Of Pronouncing all saved that are Buried except the Vnbaptized Excommunicate and Self-murtherers L. WHat are the words hear that you dislike M. I told you before For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God to take to himself the Soul of our dear Brother here deceased and We give thee thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful world and That we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth L. What harm is in these words must not charity be used in our judging of all mens final state M. We like all the Office and these words very well if used over the Corpse of capable persons and if true Discipline in the Church did make a just Separation of the capable and uncapable L. Then the fault is not in the Liturgy but the Government M. It only follows that the fault is Primarily in the Governours corruption and neglect of Discipline but it 's next also in the Liturgy For the matter of fact and right is presupposed to the Declaration of it And it followeth not that because I may speak well of good men I may do so of bad Christ will condemn those that feed not visit not harbour not his Servants Mat. 25. All men ought to be his Servants and deserve this Yet multitudes in Scotland suffer now for feeding and harbouring rebellious subjects Suppose they say now that the fault was not in us that fed them but in them that were Rebells we were bound to feed honest men and they were bound to be honest and charity judgeth the best I think this will not save some from the gallows I think if the Bishops were but to bury Souldiers killed in fighting against the King and at the Grave should pronounce them all good Subjects it would be ill taken much more is it to pronounce them saved Charity is no excuse for dangerous errour and falshood It must not follow a blind understanding I am sure that the Clergy in their Sermons and Writings condemn abundance whom at the Grave they pronounce saved L. But what danger is it to judge too charitably M. It hath all these dangers 1. The guilt of speaking falsely to God. 2. The contradicting of God's Word which saith that no Whoremonger Drunkard Railer Murtherer shall enter into the Kingdom of God and that the impenitent shall perish 3. The hardening of ungodly men against all fear of God when they hear that the same men that in the Pulpit threaten damnation to them recant it all in their Application at the Grave and pronounce them saved How could they more dangerously deceive men who take that in deeper usually that is
said at the Grave than in the Pulpit L. But some say none of those words signifie the persons Salvation but his removal hence M. Read them If those do not none do L. But some say that by Excommunicate is meant Excommunicable or such as ought to be Excommunicate and then what more can you desire M. Their saying is a presumptuous contradiction to that which they consent to what reason have they for it Is Excommunicate and Excommunicable all one Or may they put what sense they list on Laws If they do but tell the Bishops this much they will make them know that they are not made Judges of who is Excommunicable When I have craved but the alteration of that word they answered me with contempt that so every Priest or Curate should have the power of damning whom he please But sure Siâ—encing our judgment of a man is not damning him But what place is there for any doubt when the Book nameth the three sorts excepted exceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis Yea the express exposition in the Canon â—8 is If he shall refuse to Christen the one or bury the other that is Any brought except the party deceased were Denounced Excommunicate Majori Excommunicatione for some grievous and notorious Crime and no man able to testifie of his repentance he shall be Suspended by the Bishop of the Diocese from his ministry by the space of three months And alas how many thousand Infidels Hobbists Sadducees Hereticks Adulterers Thieves Perjured Scorners at godliness c. are among us unexcommunicated If all in England be saved except the Unbaptized Excommunicate and Self-murtherers which de singulis one by one must be said of all the rest either Scripture and Pulpits are much mistaken or else we that live among men are in a dream and our senses are all deceived CHAP. XVII Point XIV Of Consenting to Read the Apocrypha L. WHat harm is there in reading the Apocrypha M. I told you that we scruple not reading most of it in the place of Homilies or other Books especially the books called Wisedom and Ecclesiasticus But 1. Many Bishops and Doctours of the Church of England have accused the books of Tobit of down right lies and the books of Iudith Bell and Dragon c. as being meer fictions 2. And when we read these it is to be done in the same order as we read the Scripture by the name of Lessons which is the Title given to the Chapters read out of the Old and New Testament 3. And if we could yet read all these that will not serve unless we declare our Assent Consent and Approbation of the Appointment of them in the book which we cannot do L. But they are for the most part to be read but on week days or holy days M. The Conforming Clergy Consent and Covenant to the Imposition that requireth them to read the Common-Prayer every day in the week unless they be hindred by sickness or some urgent cause And so it is still the publick Service God's Service is all to be done with holy Reverence and if the Book of Tobit and some others be guilty of so many gross falsehoods as Protestants have and do still accuse them of I fear both to use them as Lessons in the place of God's Word lest it be prophanation and also to subscribe or declare my Approbation of the Calender and that use lest I be guilty of the sin of all the Ministers in England that so use it And it 's dangerous to seem to tell the people that so many books are God's Word that are not such For they understand not the Greek word Apocrypha and every Reader at least that is not Licensed to Preach is forbidden by the Canon to expound even that one word to them CHAP. XVIII Point XV. Of Assenting to Mistranslations and Subscribing that they are not contrary to the Word of God. L. ARE not the Epistles and Gospels used according to the last Translation M. Yes in the new Books they are but the Psalms are not L. What great mistranslations are there M. Sometimes a whole Verse or more is left out and sometimes the Translation is quite contrary to the Text. As Psal. 105. 28. They rebelled against his word instead of They rebelled not against his word And in the Book which this justifieth are many in the Epistles and Gospels I have cited them at large elsewhere L. How cometh there to be so many faults in the old Translation M. The work was an excellent good work But the Authors it seems for want of skill in the Hebrew followed the Septuagint Greek translation which hath these and many such defects L. Sure it is lawful to use and follow the Septuagint for the Apostles did so in the New Testament M. 1. The Apostles some times use it and sometimes follow the Hebrew against it and sometimes neither 2. But to Use it is one thing and to Justifie it is another thing It was in common use in the time of Christ and his Apostles and they used that in speaking to the people which use made intelligible and acceptable And we scruple not using it But all the works of Man are imperfect as Man is And why must we subscribe that there is nothing in it contrary to the word of God When as every mistake in it is contrary to it L. It seems then you would not subscribe to the Bible that there is nothing in it contrary to the Word of God M. I will subscribe to the truth of all that is in the true Copies of the Original if there by any such And I will subscribe that the various Lections in those Copies that we have are not the failing of the Holy Ghost or Apostles nor are such as leave us in just doubt of any necessary Truth And I will subscribe to the Translation so far as it agreeth with the Original But I will not subscribe that any Translation is perfect or faultless or to this or that Hebrew or Greek Copie as if in every word or Lection it certainly agreed with the Autographs And why should men make snares for the Church by imposing Professions that any mere man's works are perfect when all mortal men are confessedly imperfect Is it not enough peaceable to use them and to profess that all the word of God is infallible Truth L. But I cannot think that an Approbation of all the Translations is intended in your Assent and Consent M. Are they no part of that which is contained in the Book and prescribed by it Or could not the Parliament speak sense Chap. XIX Point XVI Of Consenting to reject all from Communion who desire not our Episcopal Confirmation L. ME thinks you that have written a Book for Confirmation should not scruple consenting to this M. I told you that I am so far from scrupling the true use of Confirmation that I think it is the want of it that is the greatest corruption of
the Church of any outward thing that I remember But you must note 1. That it is the English way of Confirmation that we speak of 2. And that it is not the thing it self but the denying men Church-Communion that neither have it nor desire it which we here dissent from L. What mislike you in the English way of Confirmation M. I must first tell you how the case stands in matter of fact 1. When Christ sent forth Preachers he endued them not all with equal Gifts and Power Tho' most had some extraordinary Gifts and Inspiration it was made tho' not proper to the Apostles yet for the most part their priviledged above all others that the Holy Ghost was given to those on whom they laid hands for miraculous acts especially sudden speaking of Tongues not learnt and Prophesying tho' the gift of Sanctification necessary to Salvation was given to all true Believers by whomsoever converted 2. When the Apostles were dead and these miraculous Insprirations grew rare first and then ceased unless in some very rare instance yet the ordinary Pastors continued the Custom after Baptism to lay on their hands as for the giving of the Holy Ghost As they did also the Ceremony of Anointing the Sick which had been used for miraculous Cures 3. The dead Ceremonies of laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost and of Anointing being used without the Power and former Effects somewhat else must be though on to keep up their reputation And as to that now in question first they added more to the Ceremony of it and Anointed the Person with Oyl and made the sign of the Cross on him thereby to signifie his being Anointed with the Holy Ghost and fortified thereby to follow a Crucified Christ thro' Sufferings And when it was seen that the Holy Ghost was not thereby given for Miracles they thought that he was given in a double degree for Corroboration And some thought that he was not given at all in Baptism that did but wash away guilt but by Confirmation after 4. Hereby Confirmation got the name of a Sacrament as Anointing the Sick also did and was used presently after Baptism for the most part and the Ceremonies of it were made more pompous and it was appropriated to the Bishop for the most part or if Presbyters did it they must use no Ointment to Anoint and Cross them with but what the Bishop made by mixture and blest to make it holy And because he could not go himself to the Sick the Presbyters must fetch all their Ointment for this also ready made and hallowed from the Bishop 5. When Infants were Baptized they thus presently Anointed them also and called it their Chrysm and Confirmation till then he was taken but for a half or imperfect Christian that was only Baptized and not Confirmed 6. Popery having turned most of Christ Ordinances into a dead Image used these called Sacraments to keep up a Ceremonious shew of Religion and to keep up the power of Bishops in that formal way 7. When Reformation prevailed the Papists seven Sacraments were examined and only Baptism and the Lords Supper found to be Christs Sacraments of the Covenant of Grace Ordination to be the Ministerial Sacrament of Orders or Consecration to that Office. Matrimony to be a common Domestick Sacrament of Marriage Confirmation and Extream Vnction to be abusive imitations of Antient Miraculous Acts And Pennance to be some expressions of Repentance made more necessary than indeed they were and Arbitrarily imposed by mans invention to keep up the Dominion of Ambitious Priests over the Souls of deluded men Tho' at first only introduced by meer Direction of Ministers to men of troubled Conscience shewing what restitution and reparations of the hurt they had done by sin were necessary and what expression of their Repentance was most fit 8. Hereupon the Reformers cast away the Sacraments of Pennance and Extream Vnction and reduced the four first to their Primitive State and Use and the abused way of Confirmation they cast off but some desired to make an advantage of the name for another end and duty of great moment which had been neglected to the great corruption of the Church And the Church of England attempted to do this reserving as much of the Antient Form as possibly they could The Adult were of old Baptized before Infants and never without a most solemn personal Profession of Faith and Repentance and absolute dedication to Christ. And that this might be done with the greatest weight and resolution they were usually taught as Catechumens till they came to understanding and resolution before they were admitted to Baptism Their Infants some brought to Baptism and some delayed till they came to Age all being left at liberty and neither Adult nor Infant driven to Baptism nor accepted till it was desired But as Prelacy grew up to Dominion all were forced to be Baptized in Infancy and at last such growing up in ignorance were all taken for Christians while few knew what Christianity was or what it was to be Baptized or what was there promised on their part or on Christs And when these came to have Children they were Baptized and bred up as their Parents were and Christianty for the most part turned into meer Name and Ceremony the Persons being mostly ignorant of its Essentials This corruption of the Church seemed to many to come only from Infant Baptism whereupon they turned Anabaptists and taught that men should not be Baptized till they seriously and solemnly professed their own Faith and Repentance But wiser men saw that we must not deny Infants their Church state and right because of mens abuse and their neglect of other Duties Baptism is one thing and Personal Confession and Covenanting is another It is the Omission of these at Age that hath corrupted the Church and not Infant Baptism which entreth them but into a Church state suitable to their infancy They need not repeat Baptism which they had but to manifest actual Faith and Repentance which in Infancy they had not That which should be done is to make their Transition into the Communion of Adult Christians to be a serious solemn work and not a delusory Ceremony That those Baptized in Infancy may learn what they did and what Christianity is as to our Faith Duty Hopes And when they come to true resolution to own the Baptismal Vow and as solemnly renew it themselves as others made it for them The English Reformers therefore did retain the Ceremony of Imposition of Hands and the appropriation of it to the Bishop and the name of Confirmation and stretcht the use of the Sign Imposition of Hands to the utmost that they durst but instead of applying it to Infants they made it the owning of the Baptismal Covenant and appointed Catechizing to go before it and call for a solemn performance of it And were it used as a rational sober owning of the Baptismal Covenant indeed in an understanding
serious manner for transition into the State of Adult Communicants it would be the greatest means of a true Reformation and of Union with the parties that now differ about Church order that can be used Divers of the highest Episcopal Divines write as earnestly for this as any of us Especially Mr. Elderfield and Dr. Hammond and yet were it to prevent our continued division and our ruin there is no hope of obtaining it L. Why what hinders if all sides desire it M. It is desired as Holiness is desired seriously by the serious reservedly and by halves by the half Christian and only the Name Image and Ceremony by the gross Hypocrite who hateth it at the Heart because it is above him and against his carnal mind and interest And indeed it is here made impossible to be done any otherwise ordinarily than as a Ceremony For 1. The Diocesses are so vast that the Bishop cannot do this and other his Offices for the hundredth part of his undertaken Flock Suppose this Diocess have but five or six hundred thousand Souls for when an hundred thousand died the last Plague I hope it was not above the â—ixth part Do you think that the Bishop is able did he work as hard as any Nonconformist to confirm six hundred thousand Persons or the twentieth part of them or the hundredth in that serious manner as belongs to the binding of a Soul to Christ in so solemn a Covenant It becometh me not to inquire whether Bishops be men that are for so much seriousness in Christianity themselves and so much labour to attain it Some are far better than others You know them as well as I. But I must say 1. That as far as I can learn there is not one of an hundred confirmed at all 2. All the thousands that are unconfirmed live in the Parishes as reputed Christians and may come to the Sacrament when they will. 3. I never knew one Minister of all that Covenanted it to keep one man from the Sacrament for not being Confirmed or not being desirous of it nor one Neighbour that ever was examined on this Point whether he were Confirmed or were ready and desired it 4. Some few elder Votaries to the Bishops perhaps may be serious in it but what a mere running Ceremony it is usually made I need not tell you I have formerly said that I was at 15 years of Age Confirmed my self by Bishop Morton one of the Learned'st and best Bishops that ever I knew and we ran thither from School without the Minister's knowledge or one word from our Master to tell us what Confirmation is and in a Church yard in the Path-Way as the Bishop past by we kneeled down and laying his Hands on every Boys Head he said a few words I knew not what nor did any one of my School-fellows as far as I could perceive know what he said nor know what Confirmation is any more than to have the Bishop's Blessing nor were we ask'd by him or any whether we stood to our Baptismal Covenant save only by saying by rote the Catechism to our Master nor did I see any one make any more than a Ceremony of it When the Bishops were down I saw it made a serious Work by divers Ministers who instructed Young Men till they found them seriously resolved for Christ and then taking the best of Confirmation and Penitence caused them publickly before the Congregation to profess their Faith and Repentance and to renew the Covenant they made in Baptism to Christ. And were it made the work of Godly Ministers to do it or to prepare Men personally for it and not make it a Game for Boys much good might be done by it L. Well What have you against it besides Abuse which no body desireth you to subscribe to M. Were I a publick Minister I should be glad of that Rubrick to enable me to keep away the grosly Ignorant which I know no other Clause that enableth me to do But I durst not use it to turn from Communion all Godly Persons whom it excludeth nor can I consent so to do L. What can make Godly Persons scruple it as sinful M. Many things 1. The words make it seem to some to be yet made a Sacrament which are Vpon whom after the example of thy holy Apostles we have now laid our hands to certifie them by this sign of thy favour and gracious goodness toward them Here is an outward visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace given to them said to be done in imitation of Christ's Apostles as a means whereby they receive the same and a â— ledge to assure them thereof as the Collects with it shew which is the Catechisms Definition of a Sacrament 2. They that are against our Diocesan sort of Prelacy dare not seem to own it by coming to them for Confirmation appropriated to them 3. Those that think that a great and holy Duty is made a mere Mockery to delude Souls and corrupt the Church while every one in England that will but take this Ceremony is pronounced to God in Prayer to be Regenerate by the Holy Ghost and all their Sins forgiven them these dare not joyn themselves with the Prophaners in their delusory way Be these Scruples just or unjust while the same Persons are willing to own their own Baptismal Covenant understandingly and seriously before the Church and their own Pastors and to know those that labour among them and are over them in the Lord and esteem them in Love for their Works sake and to be at Peace among themselves I dare not for scrupling this Diocesan Ceremony cast them from the Communion of the Church of Christ. And therefore I dare not Approve of the Order that requireth it nor Assent and Consent to it nor Subscribe that it is not contrary to the Word of God. Chap. XX. Point XVII Of Consenting to all the Ornaments of Church and Ministers that were in use in the Second year of King Edw. 6. L. VVHat have you against this M. The words are That such Ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof at all times of their Ministration shall be retained in use as were in this Church of England by the Authority of Parliament in the Second year of King Edw. 6. Against this we have these Exceptions 1. We know not what was then in use and therefore cannot consent to we know not what 2. We are told that the Albe and many other Ornaments were then in use that are since put down and we must not consent to restore them without more reason than we hear And the Canon enumerating the Ornaments now we suppose the addition of all those will Contradict it 3. We meet with few Conformists that know what was then in use And we see that all those that Subscribe or Consent to this yet use them not And we will not run for Company into a solemn Covenant-Consent to the use of those things that we see
no body use The second year of King Edw. 6. was the minority of the Reformation and before we consent to make it our pattern we must know what it was and whether no Act of Parliament have since reversed that which then was used Chap. XXI Point XVIII Of giving an Account to the Ordinary of all that we keep from the Sacrament that he may Proceed against them according to the Canons L. VVHy cannot you Approve of and Consent to this M. For many and great Reasons 1. From the Ordinary 2. From our Selves and our Ministry 3. From the People 4. From the Church 5. From the Nature of the Matter L. I. What have you against it from the Ordinary M. I told you before that 1. Some of the Ordinaries are Lay-Men sitting in Corners to Decree Excommunications and Absolutions proper to the Clergy And we ought not to consent to the guilt of this 2. Other Ordinaries are single Presbyters that have no Power of the Keys from Christ over their Brethren and over a multitude of Churches 3. Other of the Ordinaries are Diocesans over Hundreds of Churches that have no Bishops of their own under these And we ought not to own any of all these L. II. What Reasons have you from your selves M. If we should accuse to the Ordinaries all that we ought to keep away it will utterly destroy our Ministry 1. We are bound to keep away all that desire not Episcopal Confirmation 2. All Ignorant Persons that are unready to be Confirmed 3. All Atheists Infidels Hereticks scandalous Sinners and that live in malice to others much more to the generality of Godly Men. 4. All the Nonconformists whom they call Schismaticks that Kneel not c. And in a Parish of 30000 or 40000 in London it 's well if of all these sorts there be not many Thousands And 2. The Ordinaries Courts are full of other Work And in the Countrey they are oft far from most Ministers 3. Ministers have usually much more Work than they can do at home and less Money than they need And the Prosecution of all these and bringing up Witnesses will take up all their time and leave them none for their Studies or many other Offices at home And it will undo them in their Estates 4. It will make the People so much to hate them that their Preaching will do little good 5. And when they know all this none of the Ministers will practice it as Experience tells us and so they will all live in the breach of the Covenant which they made and when to get a living they have falsly professed Consent to all this Accusation and Prosecution Self-love will not suffer them to do what they consented to L. III. What are your Reasons against it from the People M. 1. The Multitude that makes it unpracticable 2. The greatness of some of them that will ruine the Ministers 3. But especially because it will cross the just end of our Ministry and make them uncapable of receiving any Profit by us And our Power is given us for their Edification and not for their Destruction This will but harden them against our Doctrine L. Do not you by this Condemn your selves that desire a stricter Discipline which would offend them more M. No for 1. We would not turn our Churches into Prisons nor bring in any under our Discipline but consenting Volunteers 2. We would have no Lay-men or forced Ordinaries to do this but Pastors of their own choice whom they well know 3. We would have nothing done against any sinner Magisterially and forcibly by the abuse of the Keys but only humble Ministerial convincing them by Gods word of sin and of Gods wrath and praying for their repentance and meek and patient warning them and waiting till they prove obstinately impenitent And then only an Exclusion of them declaratively from that Communion from which they exclude themselves without any force on their Goods or Persons L. IV. What are your reasons from the Church M. 1. We ought not to consent to so great a corruption of its Discipline 2. Nor to a course that will render it odious to men 3. And deprive it so much of the true work of a faithful Ministry L. 5. What mean you by your reasons from the matter M. The ordinary proceeding according to the Canons must cast out a multitude of truly godly Christians and then they must be further prosecuted and ruined as we shall see anon under the particulars And we cannot Covenant and Consent to be prosecutors of such men before such Judges for such an end and to such direful Effects Chap. XXII Point XIX Of Publishing the Lay-Chancellors Excommunications and Absolutions according to the Canons L. HOw are you bound to publish their Excommunications M. 1. By our Ordination-Covenant to obey the Ordinary 2. By the Oath of Canonical Obedience 3. By this assent and consent to the words last mentioned to accuse them that the Ordinary may proceed against them according to the Canon 4. By constant custom If we do it not we shall be suspended or cast our L. But the Oath of Canonical Obedience is but in licitis honestis M. I told you before it implyeth that all that is Canonical is licitum honestum And they will not allow us to be Judges but will suspend us if we refuse their commands as unlawful and dishonest And the Canon it self ipso facto Excommunicateth all that say any of their Governing Offices are contrary to the Word of God or that the Canons bind not Dissenters And so far is the Church from taking this for unlawful or dishonest as that it expresly commandeth it in these words Can. 65. All Ordinaries shall in their several Jurisdictions carefully see and give order that as well those who for obstinate refusing to frequent Divine Service Established by publick Authority within this Realm of England as those also ESPECIALLY OF THE BETTER SORT and Condition who for notorious contumacy or other notable crimes stand lawfully Excommunicated be every six Months ensuing as well in the Parish Church as in the Cathedral by the Minister openly in time of Divine Service upon some Sunday denounced and declared Excommunicate that others may thereby be admonished to refrain their Company and excited the rather to procure out a Writ de Excommunicato capiendo so that no man can be a Minister that will not practise it L. And what have you against the practice of it M. 1. To be the Agent of Lay-mens Excommunicating 2. And the Instruments of godly mens Excommunications and Ruins You may as well ask us why we dare not oppress and destroy men without cause the Publishers cannot be Innocent Chap. XXIII Point XX. Of Publishing Excommunications according to the 4th Canon M. THE Fourth Canon saith Whosoever shall hereafter affirm that the Form of Gods Worship in the Church of England Established by Law and contained in the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of Sacraments
containeth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures let him be Excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but by the Bishop of the place or Arch-bishop after his Repentance and publick Revocation of such his wicked Error And when this Excommunication is sent from the Ordinary to the Minister you heard he must publish it twice a year L. And what have you against this M. Do I need to tell you 1. Judge by this with what Face the Prelates call us Puritanes or Catharists as if we pretended to perfection and to be without sin And whether it be not they that are far liker to the Catharists We confess that the best of our Prayers Preaching or Works hath somewhat in them repugnant to the Word of God For Gods Law is perfect and every sin in matter or manner or end or degree is repugnant to it Far be it from us Pharisaically to justifie any Book that ever we write as if we had no sin in it But these men that call themselves the Church of England do not only justify a large Volume of Forms Orders Rubricks and Kalenders c. but also force all other men to justifie it all as sinless and he shall be no Minister that will not do it nor a Christian Member of the Church that denieth it As if the perfection of their works were an Article of the Creed and necessary to Salvation to be believed Is not this Puritanism Pharisaical and Justification of Works 2. Judge by all that I have in this Book cited whether there be nothing at all in their Books that is repugnant to the Word of God. If I have made it past all modest denial then what a dreadful thing is this Renunciation of Repentance when Repentance is the condition of the pardon of all our sin even that which cleaveth to our Worship of God. But they that tell the World that their Works have no sin yea and force all the Kingdom to stand to that justification do in a very high degree renounce Repentance Yea they not only forbid all men to call them to repent or to amend any sin that is in their Book but Excommunicate them as wicked that do it 3. I told you before that this Excommunicating ipso facto is in it self a prophane subversion of the very nature of true Excommunication which supposeth due means to convince the Person that his words or deeds are sin and that of an intollerable degree and that he be heard speak for himself and be admonished and earnestly perswaded to repent and not Excommunicated till after all this he continue impenitent But here men are Excommunicated for saying that there is somewhat faulty in mens works and that before ever they are heard speak for themselves or ever told of their sin or called to repent I before referr'd you to what Spalatensis de Rep. Eccles. hath written to prove the great sinfulness of such Excommunicating Bishop Ier. Taylor writing against it yet feigneth this excuse that it must be understood but of the Minor Excommunication But Excommunication it is and I do not think that they can make any good sense of their distinction of Major Minor Excommunication unless it be that the Major declareth men to be no Christians and the Minor only to be scandalous Christians not cut off from the Catholick Church but only for the present suspended from being owned while they are under patient tryal whether they will prove impenitent or not that shame may drive them to Repentance But this Suspension is properly called Excommunication But both of them require a just tryal 4. It is a heinous injury and injustice to Excommunicate and Ruin men for Truth and Duty He that robbeth them by the High-way doth but take their Money and doth not also accuse them falsly and make their duty to be their sin Doubtless he that will take all that I have because I do my duty to God in Praying or Preaching doth me more wrong than he that will take all without accusing me 5. It is a publick turning Christs Ordinance against himself and serving Satan by it to make faithful Christians odious in the World as unworthy to live in humane Society out of Jayls if they do but exhort others to repent If a man but know and detect the least sin in their Books of Service he must be condemned of wicked Error and Drunkards and Whore-mongers and Perjured Rogues do seem to be no worse than he 6. If it were an Error to say that their Book is not faultless yet it can never be proved an Error of that magnitude and wickedness as to deserve Excommunication ipso facto For all men on Earth have Errors worse than that and so by proportion they virutally or consequentially Excommunicate all men L. But all this is their fault and not yours M. It 's mine if I publish their Excommunication L. If an Innocent Man be hang'd the Hang-man is Innocent He doth but his Office. M. Whatever he may be in Cases unknown to him and which he was not bound to know I will not believe you in a known or knowable Case If I had been commanded to Crucifie Christ to Stone Stephen to burn the Martyrs I do not believe that I could have done it without the guilt of Murder Else you may make a Man's command to Justifie the Execution of any Murder or Injustice in the World. L. But you may shift off such wicked Excommunications and leave the Publishing them to your Curate M. 1. I may not draw another into such heinous Guilt nor connive at his doing it in my Charge 2. There are but few Country Ministers that have Curates 3. If I do it not I am guilty of it if I declare my Consent to Accuse all such within fourteen days that the Ordinary may do it and to Covenant and Swear Canonical Obedience to him 4. What can be more pernicious to the Church of God than to cast good Men out of it and dismember Christ's Body and lay those in Jayls as unsufferable wicked Men whom Christ takes for his Members whom he will save and all this for telling Prelates that their Book is faulty and desiring any amendment of their work while Swarms of flagitious Men are endured and by this encouraged to scorn at Conscience and fear of Sinning and to take their wicked lives to be better than the Godly Conversation of those that are used far worse than they Thus Christ foretold his Apostles that they should be cast out of the Synagogues But as he found and saved the healed Man Ioh. 9. whom the Pharisees had cast out so he will own and gather his Flock and take their wrong as done to him Chap. XXIV Point XXI Of Publishing Excommunications according to the Fifth Canon about the Articles L. WHat is the Fifth Canon and its Excommunication M. Whosoever shall affirm that Any of the 39 Articles agreed on 1562. are in any part Superstitious or Erroneous or
such as he may not with a good Conscience subscribe unto let him be Excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but only by the Arch-Bishop after his Repentance and publick Revocation of such his wicked Errors L. I hope you that agree with the Church in Doctrine have nothing against Publishing such an Excommunication M. I Subscribe to the Doctrinal Articles as true because I judge of them by what I take to be the Author's meaning But 1. The words in the obvious sence are divers of them liable to Exceptions 2. And some of them about Traditions Ceremonies c. are of small moment and dubious 3. And every word that is true is not an Article of the Creed nor necessary to Church Communion so that all Men must be cast out of the Church that dissent from it And this Excommunication extends to Lay-Men who are not bound to know as much as Ministers L. What is therein the Articles that any good Man can scruple M. Article 3. Learned Men doubt of Christ's going down into Hell. Art. 4. That Christ's Body in Heaven hath Flesh and Bones is contrary to two General Councils that of Nice and that before it at Const. which it confuteth And in this they agree Art. 8. That Athanasius's Creed ought to be omnino recipiendum credendum wholly received and believed when the Damning part is scrupled by many Conformists Art. 9. Bishop Ieremy Taylor was against that of Original Sin. Art. 10 Many called Arminians are against that No Power to do good Works Art. 11. Many Conformists are against the word We are accounted Righteous before God only for the merit of Christ because a subordinate Righteousness is mentioned many Score or Hundred times in Scripture Art. 12. Many think that good Works spring not necessarily from Faith but freely Art. 13. Many think that merit of Congruity may be held and that Men by natural or antecedent Works may be made meet to receive Grace which Dr. Hammond in his Annotations seemeth much to insist on under the Name of Probity Art. 14. The said Dr. Hammond and many other write for good Works over and above God's Commandments as only counselled by God and voluntarily done which this Article calleth Arrogancy and Impiety And many follow Dr. Hammond and yet subscribe this Art. 15. Is denied by them that think Infants sinless when Baptized Art. 16. Many deny falling from Grace given Art. 17. Dr. Hammond and his Followers seem to deny the absolute Election here described Art. 18. Many good Men think some are saved that live up to the Light of Nature and yet this Article curseth them that say so Art. 19. The Description of the Visible Church greatly disagreeth from that now given by many great Church-men not at all mentioning the Bishops or their Government in it And some deny that the Church of Rome hath Erred De Fide. Art. 20. The Churches Power to decree Ceremonies as not limited here is doubted of by good Christians And they see not how that is not made necessary to Salvation contrary to this Article which is made necessary to avoid Excommunication as for wicked Errour Art. 21. Too many deny what is said here against gathering Councils witout the Will of Princes and that Councils may 〈◊〉 in things pertaining to God c. Art. 23. Seems defective about calling Ministers to them that are for uninterrupted Canonical Succession c. Art. 25. Contrary to this Article some great Church-men think that Confirmation at least is a Gospel Sacrament and that it hath a visible sign ordained by God. I will proceed no further herein By this it is evident that many Subscribers are great Nonconformists and if they speak their Minds are Excommunicated ipso facto L. You make our Articles of Religion a doubtful thing what certainty then is there of the Protestant Religion M. The Protestant Religion is the Holy Scriptures older than our Form called the 39 Articles which are a laudable sound account how we understand the Scriptures but not of such perfection that all Men must be Excommunicate that say any word in them is faulty Chap. XXV Point XXII Of Publishing the Sixth Canons Excommunications L. WHat is the Sixth Canons Excommuication M. Whosoever shall affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England by Law Established are wicked Antichristian or Superstitious or such as being commanded by lawful Authority Men who are Zealously and Godly affected may not with any good Conscience approve them use them or as occasion requireth subscribe unto them Let him be Excommunicate ipso facto and not restored till he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors L. I confess it sounds harshly to lay so great stress on every Ceremony of the Church as to Excommunicate every one that Calleth any one of them unlawful What could be said more of the Ten Commandements or the Creed If it be a wicked Errour to mistake about a Ceremony or to account a Cope or a Pair of Organs unlawful the Lord have Mercy on us what a Case are we all in by wicked Errours What shall my poor Country Neighbours and Tenants do that few of them understand one half the Creed M. Yet 1. The Articles and our Ordination-Vow oblige us to believe and teach that nothing is necessary to Salvation but what is contained in the Scripture or certainly proved by it And that General Councils and all Men are fallible And sure they are very near to Infallibility who are so Infallible about every Rite and Ceremony that they dare bind all the Land to justifie or notblame them on pain of ipso facto Excommunication 2. Yet Grotius and Bishop Taylor that justifie some Lying are Men that deserve Praise with them and in truth And Oh! how many Thousands live quietly in their Communion who err in greater Matters than a Ceremony 3. And judge by what I have said of the Symbolical Crossing in Baptism Godfathers c. whether it be a wicked Errour deserving Excommunication and Ruine to charge any one of their Rites with Sin. 4. Was it not enough to cast us out of Ministry and Maintenance for blaming a Ceremony but they must cast us out of the Church what is Pharisaical if this be not Chap. XXV Point XXIII Of Publishing the Seventh Canons Excommunications M. THe Seventh Canon is Whosoever shall hereafter affirm that the Government of the Church of England under His Majesty by Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Arch-deacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE in the same is Antichristian or repugnant to the Word of God Let him be Excommunicate ipso facto and so continue till he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors L. Mark here that And connexeth all these Offices it is not OR disjunctively So that you fall not under this Canon if you condemn every Church Office save one if you condemn not all M. That 's a meer violent unjust exposition The Government is the thing named as consisting of many
Offices as a Body of many Members or a Chain of many Links as we say Bonum est ex Causis integris And he that wounds any one Member wounds the Man and he that breaketh one Link breaketh the Chain And he that accuseth any one part of the Government accuseth the Government thereby And there is no doubt in the World but they so intended that made this Canon L. And what have you against your Obedience to this M. You may easily know what by what is already said 1. I have fully proved as aforesaid in my Treatise of Episcopacy that if Episcopacy were never so certainly of Divine Institution this Form of Diocesan Prelacy deposeth quantum in se the old Church Form the old Episcopacy the old Presbytery and almost all true Discipline and in stead of each sets up that which is repugnant to the Word of God. And must we all confederate to maintain this Church Corruption and all agree to renounce Reformation or any Conviction tending to Repentance 2. I have told you what it is for Lay-men and Courts to arrogate the Decretive Power of the Church Keys and for single Priests and Officials to rule all the Clergy and People as under them And for our Prelate to undertake to be the sole Bishop over many Hundred Clergy And then to Govern per alios in a secular manner even by Lay-men that do that in his Name which he knows not of and this in order to Gaols and Ruine If all this be agreeable to God's Word what is contrary to it 3. I have told you what it is to make every Church Officer so necessary as that it should be Excommunication to say Any one of them is sinful when as Learned good Men as most the World hath have written to prove almost all of them sinful corrupt Inventions of Arrogance and that it 's far worse for Men to presume to make new Forms and Offices of Church Government than new Ceremonies 4. The Parliament of England condemned the Oath called the caetera Oath in the Canon of 1640. And the late long Parliament of 1662. never restored it nor any since And was it not formed according to this Canon What 's c. but And the rest that bear Office therein reliquos ad ejusdem gubernaculum constitutos For my part tho' I have oft read over Cousins Tables and the Canons I do not yet know and remember all the Church Governing Courts and Offices How many there be besides the Bishop the Chancellors Court the Arches the Prerogative Court the Arch-deacons Commissaries Officials Surrogates I know not And are every one of these become as necessary to be taken for lawful as the twelve Apostles or the Articles of our Creed For my part I am far from thinking that those Bishops and Doctors should be Excommunicated or Damned who by Faction are drawn to deny the Ministry and Churches that have not Prelatical Ordination and Government and shall all be condemned that think as ill of Civilians Excommunicatings 5. I have told you what it is for every Lord Knight and Gentleman that doth but say that any of these Church Governing Offices are against the Word of God to be ipso facto an Excommunicate man. And for the people to be put to question whether they may chuse them for Parliament men and whether they may sit in Parliament while Excommunicate L. This Canon with the three or four adjoining make me begin to think hardlier of the Canoneers than I thought I should ever have done as to their honesty M. I would not have you think too hardly of them but only to think truly of Nonconformity Chap. XXVII Point XXIV Of Publishing the 8th Canons Excommunications L. VVHat is the Eighth Canon and its Excommunication M. Whoever shall hereafter affirm or teach that the Form and Manner of Making and Consecrating Bishops Priests or Deacons containeth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Word of God Let them be Excommunicated ipso facto and not to be restored until he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors L. What have you against the Execution of this M. A great deal In sum it is unrighteous oppressing and dividing to cast out all Persons from the Church of Christ who think that nothing is faulty in the Book of Ordination or in their Principles or Practice there expressed And we dare not curse those that Christ doth bless should we do this for a Benefice in what should we differ from the sin of Balaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness whose iniquity and madness his Ass rebuked saith St. Peter 2 Pet. 2. 15. Yea shall we not be far worse than he that for an House full of Silver and Gold could not go beyond the Word of the Lord and did not curse but bless Gods people And it is not proud malignant Tongues reviling Gods Servants and calling their Opinions wicked Errors that will make Christ disown his Members or will warrant Balaam or us to curse them O how unlike is this to the Spirit and Ministry of Christ for Prelates and Priests to curse and cast out the Children of God for saying that they go against his Law. L. But what is amiss in the Book of Ordination M. I am anon to tell you that But if there were nothing amiss in it yet the belief of its innocency is not necessary to Salvation L. But if every man have leave to accuse the Orders of the Church what Order can be maintained M. 1. Leave modestly to express dissent in a doubtful case may stand with Order 2. If men do it disorderly there be other Penalties besides ipso facto Excommunication Every breach of the peace is not Rebellion nor punisht with Death But I 'll tell you briefly what may occasion good men to say that their Ordinations are sinful 1. In that they thereby obtrude Pastors on the Churches upon the bare choice of a Patron without or against the peoples wills 2. In that they professedly ordain such as their Canon forbids to Preach or Expound any Doctrine 3. In that they determine that Bishops Priests and Deacons are three distinct Orders which yet is an undetermined Controversie among even the Learnedst Papists And must we damn and cut off men for that which the very Papists leave at liberty 4. In that they ordain men to an Office which Scripture maketh no mention of Dr. Hammond saith that it cannot be proved that there were any Presbyters subject to Bishops in Scripture times nor any but Bishops None that had not power of Ordination and the Keys nor any Bishops of a multitude of Churches and Presbyters both which are here ordained 5. In that they Swear Obedience to Arch-bishops and their Sees and make Priests Covenant Obedience to their Ordinaries as aforesaid If a godly man do as Bucer did to King Edward the Sixth as you may see in his Scripta Anglic. and desire some of these faults to be amended doth he deserve
Licensed as is aforesaid presume to appoint or hold any Meetings for Sermons c. nor attempt by Fasting and Prayer to cast out any Devil c. L. All this was done to prevent Abuses M. It fell out well that they did not forbid Christianity or reading Scripture in a known Tongue to prevent abusing it And next that they forbad not Law and the use of Reason which is most of all abused But do not you thâ—â—k that they make very unworthy Men Ministers or that they change or maim the Pastoral Office when no Minister no not the wisest may be trusted to fast and pray with his Neighbours Should a Master of a Family be forbidden this in his House the Iews forbad it not to Cornelius What jealousies have such a Clergy of one another And of Preaching Fasting and Praying What if some Neighbours have some great Temptations some great Guilt some great Danger by a Plague or the like or some great Affliction some Friends near Deathâ— or some important Business of great moment as Marriage Travel Navigation c. Must the Bishop know all their secrets that their Pastor at home must know Or is he a capable Judge for many Hundred Parishes when they must Fast or Pray Or did you ever know any go to him for such a License Are not those unworthy Ministers that be not fit to be trusted to Fast and Pray with their People while the Law is open to punish all abuses of it And are not those over-subject to Prelacy that will Swear Obedience in this any more than against Preaching the Gospel Dan. 6. 5. We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it concerning the Law of his God. Chap. XXXVI Point XXXIII Of the Excommunication of the three last Canons M. THe quality of the rest of the Canons resolve me that it is unlawful for me if commanded to publish an Excommunication against any upon the three last L. What â—e the three last M. The 139th is Whosoever shall hereafter affirm that the Sacred Synod of this Nation in the Name of Christ and by the King's Authority assembled is not the true Church of England by Representation let him be Excommunicate and not restored till he repent and publickly revoke this his wicked Error L. What fault can you find with this M. 1. No Man can tell what is the Church representative till they know which is the Church real And this they tell us not either as to Matter or Form. 1. Whether the Church real be only the Clergy or also the Laity Whether the King and Parliament Nobles Gentry and Commons be all Represented in the Convocation If yea by what Law or Power And may we say that King and Parliament do what these do What need they then after to confirm their Canons And they that hold the Church Laws bind in Conscience as such before King and Parliament confirm them will bring King and Parliament under their Obedience if not Excommunication But if they pretend not to represent the King and Laity they falsly exclude them from being part of the Church 2. They are utterly disagreed de Forma what the Church of England is either it hath an Ecclesiastical constitutive Soveraign Power or not If not it is not an Ecclesiastick Body Politick And of late their disputing Doctors plainly confess that it hath no such specifying Summa Potestas and so is formally no Political governed Church The King's Government of it by the Sword which none deny they say is but an Accident of it and not Essential to the Church And so in sum it is but a meer Community or a voluntary Confederacy of many Churches that make no unifying Politie And that is to be a Church only in a loose and not proper sence as the Assembly at Nimegen was a Kingdom 3. I doubt not but Thousands of Lâ—y-Men and many Dissenting Ministers are true Parts of the Church of England And therefore that the Convocation represented our part only of that Church 4. If they be but a Community they can make no Laws but only Contracts Laws are only the Acts and Instruments of Rulers Therefore we owe no Obedience to them as being no Commands of Rulers till the Civil Power make them Laws save as particular Pastors may make them Laws to their several Flocks 5. If they make them obligatory Church-Laws as the Acts of the Convocation then it seems the Representative Church governeth the Real and the Presbyters in Convocation exercise a Legislative Power which is the highest that Bishops can pretend to 6. These being left thus in uncertainty in the dark how comes that Man to deserve Excommunication or be wickedly erroneous that herein declareth his dissent I dare not publish such an Excommunication if commanded L. What is the 140th Canon M. Whosoever shall affirm that no manner of Person either of the Clergy or Laity not being then particularly assembled in the said sacred Synod are to be subject to tâ—e Decrees thereof in Causes Ecclesiastical made and ratifyed by the King's Majesty's Supream Authority as not having given their Voice to them Let him be Excommunicated and not restored c. Here craftily in a Parenthesis they put in the King's Authority and if they mean only his Obligation on us no one of us denieth it But because their disputing Doctors take that but as an Accident we may say that the Papists themselves are oft put to say that General Councils bind not the absent till they receive them And the French long received not the Council of Trent nor many Churches other Councils L. What is the last Canon M. The 141st for so many Church-Commandments we have God's Ten being but a little part of our Religion is Whoever shall affirm that the Sacred Synod assembled as aforesaid was a Company of such Persons as did conspire together against Godly and Religious Professors of the Gospel and that therefore both they and their Proceedings in making Canons and Constitutions in Causes Ecclesiastical by the King's Authority Let them be Excommunicated and not restored c. Here again we doubt not of the King 's obligatory Power But what the Persons and their Works were I think a Point that Christians may differ about and not deserve Excommunication It seems they could foresee what Men would judge of them and no wonder tho' they had not the Gift of Prophecy I am none of their Judge but leave God's Work to himself But I must say that this Book of Canons doth no whit increase my esteem of Council of Prelacy of Humane Canons or Clergies Laws nor of the particular Bishops and Clergy that made them And that I will neither publish such Excommunications nor promise or swear to do it Tho' I know that stretching pretences satisfie some Men like theirs that own the name of Sacred to that Synod because Sacrum quod sanctum simul execrabile signat A professed and relative Sanctity may be granted them Chap.
a case that he understandeth not himself L How doth this make you a Voucher for their Souls M. 1. The case is of exceeding weight If I should publickly declare that no man is thus bound by a Vow and I should prove mistaken 1. Then I become guilty of all these mens sin by justifying it as no sin 2. And I am guilty of cruelty to their Souls in open telling them that they need not perform their Vows nor repent of non-performance 3. And Perjury is one of the heinousest sins on Earth 4. And the Perjury of Millions or Nations is yet one of the grievousest degrees of guilt 5. And I do my worst to make God destroy or forsake such a Land. And what yet can I do worse I say if in justifying them I should be mistaken what a guilt should I incur And doth Nature or Scripture bind me to run so great a hazard for so many thousand others Besides he that will be a Casuist must know all the case there are hundreds and thousands put upon these decisions that being then Children knew not who made the Covenant nor how it was imposed or taken and many that know not what it is and never saw it And there are thousands if not millions that took it whose Faces I never saw and know not what moved them nor in what sence they took it and Casuists say that if a man mistake the Imposers sence he is bound to keep it in the sence that he understood it when he took it if a lawful one especially if the Imposers had no Authority or their sence was doubtful And it is not uncharitable for me to think â—hat none of the Kings Compounding Lords or Clergy that after took it did take it in a sence which they thought found And must I tell them all that none of them is bound to keep it in that sound sence I will not run the danger of having thousands in judgment to suffer for Perjury and saying This man declared that it was no sin If they are all Innocent what need they my justification when they stand or fall by the judgment of God. If they prove guilty my declaring it no sin will not acquit them but condemn my own Soul by tempting them to impenitence I do not say that they are obliged by this Vow herein nor I will not say they are not There are many matters first to be known if we agree in point of Doctrine and I know that it 's an easie thing for confident men to multiply words to prove all lawful in this Oath and to Swear that it is rebellious Hearts that cause our doubtings and so say the Papists of the Protestants But whatever they say or threat I will not by their confidence and talk be drawn to cast my Soul into so great a hazard All men are not so bold in such things as some Chap. XXXVIII Point XXXV Of the Oxford Oath that we will never endeavour any alteration of Church Government M. THE Oxford Act is not content that we say that we are not bound by the Covenant to endeavour any alteration of Church Government but we must say and Swear that we never will endeavour it as any other way obliged to it L. The meaning is that you will never endeavour it by Rebellion Sedition or unlawful means M. The Parliament knew how to speak their minds By such Expositions you may Swear almost any thing in the World and no Government shall have any security by your Oaths The words are contrivedly as universal against all endeavour as can be spoken 2. But I 'll presently confute you undeniably You know Church and State Government are conjoined in the Oath and the Church put first Will you say as to State Government that the meaning only is That I will not endeavour to depose the King or alter Monarchy by Rebellion or any unlawful means but only by lawful means if you do you 'l soon be told home that the Oath doth mean That no means is lawful to such an end but the work it self as well as the means is forsnorn L. But the meaning is only that you will not endeavour to alter Episcopacy and not all other Offices and Courts M. This is as palpable a falsification as the former For 1. The words are a most express abjuration of endeavouring any alteration of Government at all And if you take the word Alteration strictly it more commonly signifieth a change of Quality or Manner 〈◊〉 of Essence But if you take it largely it comprehendeth both 2. And I appeal to any mans Conscience whether that was or is the Bishops sence Go ask them My Lords If I endeavour but to reduce Diocesans to every Corporation to take down your Lordships and great Revenues and your Chancellors Courts and all the rest of your Humane Officers will you take it for no breach of my Oath and I warrant you they will soon resolve you 3. Yet I shall fullier convince you The Bishops and Parliament are of the mind of the Church of England And the Canons do most fully speak the Churches mind And the Seventh Canon before cited when it makes it ipso facto Excommunication to call the Church Government sinful tells you that they extend this to Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Arch-deacons and the rest that bear Office therein 4. And I believe if you should say that I take my Oath to bind me from endeavouring no change of the Government of the State but only of the Essence of Monarchy you would quickly feel the Error of your Exposition L. But I can assure you that many able Conforming Ministers take the Declaration in the Act of Vniformity in such sences as aforesaid M. Our King is King of Scotland as well as of England and he hath thus declared his sence in the case of the Earl of Argyle and the Reasons of it are considerable And do you think that it can be the true sence in England and deserve preferment as to Loyal and Obedient Ministers which deserveth Death it self in Scotland can you wish for a clearer Exposition L. And why will you not Swear never to endeavour any alteration if you be required so to do M. I have read Dr. Stillingfleet's Irenicon and many such Books in which I see how great a number of our greatest Divines as well Arch-bishop Cranmer took the Form of Church Government to be alterable and not fixed by Christ And if the Doctor have changed his judgment that changeth not the Authority of those that he citeth 2. I have in my full Treatise of Episcopacy told you why I cannot but wish more than one thing in our Ecclesiastical Courts and Government changed 3. I take it for a matter that deserveth consideration whether it be no change of the State Government to make all the Church Government unchangeable and so to disable the King to change it And how to reconcile the two parts of the Oath And whether if the whole
Church Government as fixed must thus be Sworn to as Monarchy is it alter not our Constitution Or at least be not a perillous Innovation 4. If the King and Parliament should command Men to endeavour an Alteration e. g. of Lay-Mens Power of the Keys or the greatness of Dioceses I am afraid of being sworn beforehand to disobey them L. But the Parliament meant not to bind themselves herein M. I grant it Tho' being Church of England men the 7th Canon aforesaid maketh it doubtful But when they have bound all the Subjects in the Land and themselves among others when out of Parliament and when it 's Excommunication to charge any of the Church-Offices with Sin I think the Church-Government is fixed as unalterable I ask you Did the Parliament bind themselves against altering Monarchy or the Succession If they did then it seems they did so by Church-Government when they put it in many Oaths before that of the State. If they did not then they have fixed Monarchy no more than Church-Government by this Oath Therefore when they bind all in the same Oath from endeavouring any Alteration of Church-Government they shew that they intend the fixing of it And tho' some think it leaveth room for Petitioning I do not believe that the Law or Oath leave any Men at Liberty to Petition against Monarchy which is here conjoyned But my great reason of Non-Conformity herein yet remaineth If the faults of Church-Government should prove but the tenth part as great as is feared by many and said by those that write about it what a tremendous thing is it to make a deliberate Solemn Covenant and Oath never to endeavour any amendment of it nor to perswade any man to repent or amend If the Germans who are reported to be addicted to Drunkenness or other Nations to Whoredom or Thievery should take an Oath that they will never repent or amend nor perswade any other to it what a case were this L. I confess if the Corruptions of Church-Government should prove as great Evils as some conceive it would be a heinous Sin indeed to Swear never to repent or to endeavour to amend it The old Nonconformists thought that the frame of English Prelatical Government was far worse than all their Ceremonies and other Corruptions set together They thought it a Platform fitted to exalt Pride and Covetousness and to propagate all ungodliness and to drive serious Piety and Conscience out of the Land upon the accounts before mentioned 1. By the largeness of Dioceses making Discipline impossible and so keeping almost all the wicked in the bosom of the Church secure from the Power of the Keys 2. By putting down all Bishops that should be in all the large Dioceses save that one and restraining all the Parish-Ministers from true use of the Keys unless they will be ruin'd by it 3. By setting up Secular Courts under the name of Ecclesiastick and making it their Employment by 141 Canons which are their self-made Contrivances to hinder and ruine laborious Preachers and Men of tender Consciences and to cherish the contrary sort 4. By putting the decretive Power of the Keys into the Power of these Lay-Men 5. By setting up Pastors over all the Land without the consent of the Flock by the meer Will and Election of Great Men and Patrons 6. By driving unfit and unwilling persons to eat and drink Damnation in the Sacrament 7. By driving multitudes of good People from the needful means of their Salvation 8. By bringing good Men that grieve for all this into Odium for being against it And if this prove the case I had rather lie in Gaol till Death than Swear or Promise never to endeavour that I or any should repent and amend it Do you think it not contrary to our Baptismal Vow in which we promise Obedience to Christ to our lives end I read that the Israelites were greatly reproved for Worship in the High Places and that they seldom repented But I read not that ever they took an Oath or Covenant never to endeavour to amend I find that when Israel was made to Sin by the Calves of Dan and Bethel that they went on and amended not But I read not that they Covenanted or Sware never to amend I find that the Pharisees were heinous Sinners that by their Traditions made void the Law of God But many of them came to Iohn's Baptism and professed some Repentance and tho' obstinacy cut off the Nation of the Iews I read not that they drew the Nation into an Oath or Covenant never to amend When Christ came to save the World it was by a Covenant of Faith and Repentance And if I should see the World once confederate in a Covenant never to believe repent and amend I should call it the Kingdom of Satan and thence date our Accounts Chronological with a Regnante Diabolo as in France they did a while with a Regnante Christo. of which Vide Blondellum I do not say that these old Nonconformists were in the right nor that Bucer did no whit over-value the Discipline which he proposed to King Edward the Sixth nor that this Oath containeth all the foresaid guilt But I say If I should prove so and venture on it in uncertainty when the Judgment of so many Parliaments Lawyers Divines abroad and at home are against such kind of Swearing what a case should I bring my Soul into National Oaths especially such as seem to me to fix every Church-Office from the Arch-Bishop to the Official if not the Apparitor as unalterable in the very Constitution of the Kingdom even putting them before the State are Matters of greater Consequence than to be rashly ventured on by me Even the Long Parliament that made the silencing Acts restored not the Canon and Et caetera Oath of 1640. which bound Men never to consent to such Alteration of Church-Government by Arch-bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons c. Chap. XXXIX Point XXXVI Of Subscribing and Swearing against the Position as Traiterous of taking Arms ly the King's Authority against those that are Commissioned by him in Pursuance of such Commission L. I Am sure you can have nothing against this unless by forced Exposition of the words M. I am sure that I abhor all forced Expositions and all Treason Rebellion and Sedition But here because you are a Lawyer I will come to you only as a Client or Learner intreating you to resolve all the common Objections that I may do what I do in Truth Judgment and Righteousness L. I doubt not but I shall easily resolve them all M. 1. Do you not believe that the first Clause that it is unlawful to take Arms against the King upon any pretence whatsoever doth extend also to this taking Arms against any Commission'd by him on any pretence whatsoever L. No doubt of it For this of not taking Arms against those Commission'd by him is but Expository of the former not taking Arms against
if they come not to their Parish-Churches They must be driven home from all Neighbour-Churches if it be one that never Preacheth that they go from and must be Excommunicate at last the Minister must be suspended that admits them L. But Bishop Gunning's Chaplain saith well that you may yet privately advise with other Ministers M. I take that from them for a great favour that they drive us not from all Christian converse But give us leave to speak privately with more than the Parish-Priest But even privately it must be no Nonconformist for they cannot be heard at five Miles distance But will you seriously tell me 1. Whether most Parish-Ministers have not so much Work at home that they have little time to spare for Strangers 2. Whether as Men provide first for their own Families before they relieve Neighbours and the Poor so Ministers will not think themselves bound to do by their own Parishes and scarce afford the scraps to others 3. Do you think in Conscience that all Souls and specially the most Ignorant have not need of a constant Pastor and the help of his Office as well as of an occasional Discourse with a Stranger If not what have we Parish-Priests for and why pay we Tythes to them L. But all Places cannòt have profound Casuists and extraordinary Learned holy Men Few Churches had an Augustine a Chrysostome a Basil or Nazianzen M. All Men cannot have excellent Physicians nor rich Trades nor pleasant Dwellings nor excellent Wives or Servants c. But I think it 's lawful to have the best they can get Or at least to refuse the intolerable I had rather trust Nature for my Physician than an ignorant Quack or a Knave L. But we have many sound and worthy Ministers M. And I perswade none to go from such if their faithful diligence shew their worth It is not these that we are speaking of Are there no other L. The meanest of them speak sound Doctrine Even those that the Canon forbids to Preach or Expound do read the Scriptures and sound Homilies M. So can a good Woman or a Child And an ignorant Man or Woman can read a good Physick or Law-Book Will you therefore take them for your Physicians or Lawyers Do you know the case of our Parishes or not Tell me what you would do your self in this case Suppose a poor Sinner is convinced of his great ignorance and dulness and sinful inclinations and strong temptations and finds great difference between a clear Judicious skilful serious Minister and others and yet that the best doth prove too little for his help This Man dwells in a Parish where in the Pulpit he heareth a young Fellow sometime read a Cento of impertinent shreds as School-boys make an ignorant Declamation And sometimes he heareth him tell them what damnable Hypocrites they are and Schismaticks that scruple any thing commanded by the Church and then make long Prayers and talk religiously to hide it And in Company he hath not a serious word for a Holy Life and to prepare Men for another World but sometimes reviles Puritans and at best talks of worldly things or Opinions or Factions in Religion and perhaps will be Drunk and Rant it with the most Prophane His Parishioner in Doubts and Trouble of Conscience comes to him for Satisfaction And the best Answer he can get is What Puritan put these Fears or Scruples in your head If you trouble your mind about such matters you will shortly turn Schismatick or go mad Trust God and follow your Business and be merry The Scripture is for Divines and not for such as you It is above your Capacity The Parishioner having no better Answer goeth no more And perhaps an hundred or a thousand in the Parish have more need of Pastoral help than this Man And in the Pulpit he Preacheth them asleep or into Laughter or into hatred of Puritans and out of the Pulpit doth drink and talk and live as they 2. Suppose these Men hear the Clergy tell why they Silence and Banish and render odious such Men as we are And they think with themselves we perceive by this that it is not indifferent what pastors we have And if these reviled Men be so bad is our Priest any better or wise or honester or more to be trusted 3. Suppose these poor people had a Teacher 20 or 10 years that is now cast out whose preaching they found to be clear and edifying and quickening that preacht all for Faith and Hope and Love and Holiness and Peace and Heaven and lived in exemplary Charity Piety and Righteously and Soberly and unweariedly taught them with tenderness publickly and from House to House And the sense and experience of their Souls tells them how great the change of their condition is 4. Suppose these Men hear the Teacher called Arminian deriding Infusions of the Spirit and Grace and proving that God worketh on Souls morally by the aptitude of means and teacheth and changeth Men as rational Creatures Can you blame this Man if he conclude My Soul is more to me than my Life my Necessity is unquestionable my Experience what edifieth me is not to be born down by the scorn of a derider I am dark and dull and too bad under the best helps but alas profit little by an insipid sleepy or deriding Speech As no man hath power to tie me to marry an ugly-Scold or to trust a Fool or Knave or Enemy for my Physician so no man hath power to deprive me of the needful helps to my Salvation when I can have them L. But they all Preach the same Word of God. M. Do you think the mysterious Invisible things of Faith and the multitude of hard Cases in Obedience and the many dangerous Distempers of a carnal worldly dead Heart have not need of as skilful a Helper as the Profession of Law and Physick hath How vast a difference is there between an ignorant Prater and a skilful Lawyer or Physician And as I have more care of my Soul than of my Body so mens Laws have less power over it L. I do not think the World hath a better Clergy than the Church of England M. I do challenge oft any to name that Nation under Heaven out of the Kings Dominions that hath two thousand worthier Ministers than those that were here silenced and reviled and hunted like Rogues But I pray you tell me 1. Do you know how many and what sort of men the Patrons in England are that chuse them The Conformists oft say that many of them are Simonists It 's well known that many of them are taken for the famousest Papists in the Countrey Tho' they have the wit and faculty to keep off Legal Conviction or else to manage their Advowsons by Trustees And O how well were it with England if none or few of them were Worldlings Gluttons Drunkards Whoremongers or Haters or Prosecutors of serious godly men Is there any Body doubts whether there
just occasion to seek it 3. They say that there is no Church without a Bishop and that the Diocesan-Church is the least true political Church And if so he separateth not from any Church that separateth not from the Diocesan 4. These foresaid persons do nothing to forfeit the Communion of neighbour Churches therefore it is a sin and wrong to deny it them If it were proved an errour to avoid that as a sin which they avoid all mankind hath errours and to be over-fearful of Fire or Water or Plague or Poyson is a tolerable safe weakness and not like the sins that swarm in multitudes of tolerated Parishioners L. That which is not so immoral as Fornication Drunkenness Cursing and Swearing may be more hurtful to the Church and so deserve greater severity from Governours M. The Church-Keys are to be used with due relation to Heaven and those are to be taken in or cast out that Christ will take in or cast out from Heaven And if you think he will damn an obedient godly Christian for fearing to partake of the sin of wicked Priests or for fearing to be poysoned with love-killing Doctrine or for fearing the vain Worship of mens traditions rather than a prophane derider of Conscience and a filthy Fornicator Drunkard or Blasphemer I shall not think it worth my labour to dispute with you But men that take the Churches welfare to lie in the wealth and domination of such as they more than in the Holy Obedience Conscience and Piety of the People will object the same that you now do CHAP. LIII POINT X. Of Swearing never to endeavour any alteration of Government in the Church M. HOW far this extendeth objectively I before proved X. by 1. The words of the Oaths 2. The consent of the Bishops 3. And the words of the seven Canons and the Et Caetera Canon in 1640. so that there is no doubt of it 2. How far it extendeth as to the persons obliged I before told you and you may read 1. In the Corporation Act which imposeth it on all Corporations 2. In the Vestry Act which imposeth it on all Church-Vestries 3. In the Act of Vniformity which imposeth the subscription on all the Clergy 4. In the Oxford Act of Banishment which imposeth the Oath on Non-conformists and more 5. In the Militia Act which imposeth it on all the Military Commanders and Souldiers in the Land so that you may well say that is a National Covenant or Oath 3. What is amiss in the Church-Government that needeth an amending alteration I have so often told you that I will not repeat it Judge then what this Oath importeth L. It could never be the meaning of the Parliament that no man shall endeavour to amend the faults of any Officers Courts or Actions for they often amend their own Acts of Parliament and they reserve a Power in King and Parliament to make alterations even in Church Governments But that belongs not to the People nor should they endeavour it M. 1. I hope you will not confound Stated Offices and Mens Exercise of them in Practice I grant that they do not bind us by Oath never to endeavour that Bishops and all the Officers of their Courts may be honest men and slander and injure no man against Law c. But it is the Offices as here stated that are made thus far unalterable named in the Canon Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons and the rest that bear Office therein 2. I grant that the Law is made to bind none but Subjects and that an altering power is reserved to King and Parliament But it doth not follow that all the Subjects be not bound by it Though They may change Laws yet We may not And as you say They suppose that it belongeth not to the People to endeavour it Which We grant as to any Rebellious Seditious or otherwise unlawful Endeavour But whether God bind not all men in their own Place and Calling by Prayer Conference Elections of Officers Petition c. to endeavour to amend all Crying Dangerous Common Sins is a farther Question L. They cannot mean to exclude Petitioning for that is the Subjects Right and is by them allowed with Restraints M. 1. It is meant in opposition to the Scots Covenant which tyed men to oppose Popery Prelacy and Schisme only in their several Places and Callings 2. It is expres'd in the most universal terms without the least Exception by men that knew how to speak 3. Reasons were given in Parliament against any Limitation and those Reasons carryed it 4. They were Men that were wholly for the Church of England whose Canon had before Excommunicated themselves and all men that accused any Office in the Church Government as sinful And they knew that should any of them when the Parliament is risen yea or there so say he is an Excommunicate Man. 5. It is most certain that they intended to bind all Subjects on whom these Oaths are imposed even from petitioning or any other Endeavour of Alteration though they allow petitioning in other Cases for they intended to fix and secure the Church-Government against all Alterations 6. Therefore as I said before they joined it with yea and set it before State-Government in all their Oaths and Covenants And do you think in Conscience they left men at liberty to petition against Monarchy or against the Life or Power or Honour of the King Far be it from us to think so ill of them I must profess to you that I do not think half so ill of well-order'd Monasteries of Men or Women as I do of our large Diocesses or our Lay-Excommunicators according to the Canons And yet even in the Times of Popery the Nation was not Sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Monasteries If you would have all Corporations Soldiers Vestries Ministers sworn never to endeavour to cure the Sick to relieve the Poor to seek more Wealth to reform all Play-houses Ale-houses and Taverns to Catechize their Families c. I would not join with you National Oaths and Covenants are Matters of great moment We have deeply suffered by rashness in such already And should any of them prove false and wicked and the Nation be stigmatized with Perjury you might more sadly write Lord have Mercy on us on the Land than on the Doors where the most dreadful Plague prevaileth CHAP. LIV. POINT XI Of Swearing an Abhorrence of taking Arms against any Commissionated by the KING M. THis also I have said enough of in the Case of the XI Ministers and told you that we are far from scrupling it in Disloyalty but in Loyalty only 1. Lest the Keepers of the Seals may by Commissions depose the King or deliver up the Kingdom to whom they please 2. Because the Authority of a Commission as above and against the King 's own Law is not a matter that Lawyers and Judges themselves are agreed of and therefore unfit for the unskilful Vulgar to determine by their
also many general and collateral and circumstantial considerations that make men fear the guilt of Conformity the more L. What are those I believe you will find as many of that sort of reasons on the other side to move you to Conform if you consider them M. I will tell you what I mean and then I will hear all that you have to say for it I. We are all agreed that no sin must be done for any commodity or on any pretence of good II. We are agreed that to pretend Gods Service or Name for our sin is a heinous aggravation To say I must do evil to please God to Preach and to win souls is Prophaneness and Hypocrisy III. We are agreed that it is worse in a Minister of Christ than in others because he is bound to be an example to the flock who are apt to imitate him IV. It is granted that God is jealous about his worship and that the profaning of Holy things and sinning openly in the Sacred Assemblies is caecris paribus worse than meer miscarriages in our Conversation V. Lying is by most acknowledged a great sin as overthrowing humane credit and converse But especially in a Preacher because it will tempt men never to believe him And to say that we assent and consent and that ex animo when we do not is heinous lying VI. It is granted that man hath not a despotical power of his own understanding to believe what he will And that if any of his errours be vicious vice and errour must have better cure than meer commands And if men could know and believe what they will they should will to believe nothing but what hath credible evidence without a carnal biass VII It is agreed that all men have errour and therefore that erring men or no men must be tolerated in our Communion and he that thinks otherwise condemneth himself and teacheth all men to condemn him VIII It is granted that it is a very low degree of knowledge that the universality of vulgar Christians do attain who hardly learn the common Catechism much less can it be expected that they should all be able to understand all indifferent things to be indifferent and to be judges of the minutissima IX If any errours be tolerable it 's like to be the errours about things indifferent and small X. St. Paul hath expresly determined the Controversy about loving and receiving such Rom. 14. 15. XI To encourage by compliance a generation and design of men that overthrow Christ's and his Apostles rule of Communion and by invented impositions of their own would make Church-Concord impossible and would propagate this way of certain Schism and stablish it in the World is to confederate for tearing the Church of Christ and making Schism common and uncureable XII It is granted that he that after his greatest study is perswaded that unnecessary Oaths Subscriptions Covenants Ceremonies are sinful is condemned if he go against his Conscience tho' he should mistake XIII Those therefore that make such snares for Souls and then tell us If you go against your Consciences you are damned for that and if you do not you are damned as Schismaticks for disobeying us are far unlike the Ministers of Christ or Men that help to save our Souls XIV We Non-Conformists offer cur solemn Oaths that we have by Prayer and earnest search and study laboured to know the truth herein And as our worldly interest would perswade us to conform so we would readily do it did we not believe that it is sin against God Yea we take it as to us to be no small but heinous sin by the aggravations which I am mentioning XV. Seeing then the way of our Condemners is either to cast all Christians out of the Church that have not a greater degree of Knowledge herein than I have and all men of my Rank or else to bring all men implicitly to believe all to be lawful that is commanded them we cannot consent to either of these two Measures for the Church XVI It is agreed that Perjury is so heinous a Sin as that few are greater It so taketh God's Name in vain as to engage his Justice in a special Revenge It depriveth Kings of due Security for their Lives and Crowns by the Oath of Fidelity It destroyeth all Trust and consequently all Commerce among Men as well as all Hope of publick Justice It exposeth the Estates and Lives of all men to the will of Perjur'd men so that he that dare be perjur'd may be supposed liable to any other Wickedness how great soever Therefore if we Ministers should be perjured we should make our selves utterly unmeet for our Office. XVII It is agreed that to sin deliberately by a Covenant under our Hands is one of the most heinous sorts of sinning and if it be done knowingly sheweth the person to be a wilful Servant of sin To sin by the sudden surprize of a Passion is too bad but to study it resolve it and covenant it is most dangerous To engage a Mans self by Covenant to be once a Month drunk or steal or commit Fornication is far worse than the bare Act. XVIII It is granted that Repentance is the condition of Forgiveness and for a man to swear or covenant that he will never repent or endeavour to amend or alter any thing that is amiss is to renounce Forgiveness XIX It is granted that publick common national Sins are far worse than private and personal in few and if heinous they are Prognosticks of the sorest Judgments and to promote them is to be the Enemy of the Land. XX. It is granted that if that prove Perjury which some Dissenters fear is such and the Kingdom should be stigmatized by it there could scarce be any greater Shame and Danger befall the Land to make it odious to GOD and Men and Recorded as such to all Generations As I said The Oaths and Covenants to endeavour no Alteration in Church Government is imposed on all Corporations all Souldiers in the Militia all Vesteries all Non-conformist Ministers that will take it and all Ministers as to covenant in the Act of Uniformity And he that without accusing others only studieth to be innocent of so mortal a feared Guilt sure is therein excusable if the fear of God and the love of our Souls and of the Church and State be not an unexcusable Crime Apply this no farther than I apply it XXI There is so much written for a foreign Iurisdiction over England in Church Affairs by Arch-Bishop Laud Arch-Bishop Bromhall Dr. Heylin Mr. Thorndike Dr. Saywell Bishop Gunning 's Chaplain and many others whose Words I am ready to produce as may assure us that it is in the same Mens thoughts to introduce it as the only way to Concord and that they therefore desire the Ejection and Ruine of such as we because we are against it And how far and how soon God will let these men prevail we know not But we
the young Clergy that can talk thus shew us by any good evidence that in other things they are so much Wiser Learneder than the Dissenters Are they all of greater Learning than Iohn Reignolds or better Hebricians than Hugh Broughton or better Logicians than Sadeel or Ramus or Sohnius or of greater Reading than Blondel c. 3. Do they know us better than we our selves We offer our Oaths that we hold what we do by the Cogency of appearing Evidence and are willing to know the truth 4. Have I here and elsewhere given no Reasons for our Dissent Have they answered my Treatise of Episcopacy my First and Second Plea for Peace my Apology my Treatise of the Terms of Church-Concord or any one thing that I have written for our Cause save two or three by disputes which when I have vindicated they have let fall the Disceptation What front have these men then that say we Dissent without giving Reason for it But you know how long the Press was shut against our Writings and yet then they that would not endure us to Speak accused us for being Silent L. Obj. IV. They say you are Non-Conformists meerly to make good your former Errours because you will not confess that you did amiss but will make the People justify you M. 1. What are those Errours If it be our dislike of any of the things before described I confess it is because we will not renounce them If it be an errour to be against their Church-corruptions and cruel Excommunications and denying Christendom to the Seed of the Faithful and Communion to faithful Christians I confess we will not recant these errours till they have better proved them such The Papists that swarm with Errours as a Beggar doth with Lice yet burn the Protestants as for Errour 2. I pray you wish those infallible men that in the ditch of dirt are delivered from all the uncleanness of errour to send only those those that are without errour to cast the first stone at us or those that have no worse errour than ours to silence excommunicate and destroy us 3. Have we given them no reasons of our dissent 4. Do they not know that the argument that hath brought us all into the case that we are in was thus given us 1664. and oft since in Print If we abate them any thing they will say that our Church was faulty and needed that Reformation who then is it that hath divided us to avoid confession of any former faultiness Tho' good Bishop Hall pronounceth a heavy Sentence on them that will justify the miscarriages of the Prelates L. Obj. V. They say that you took part with the Parliament against the King and involved the Land in Blood and have still the same rebellious principles M. 1. I confess there were some among us that were of the mind of Hooker Bilson Grotius Barclay and the common sort of Casuists Politicks c. and that thought that as in a doubt about Physick the College of Physicians were most to be trusted so in a doubt about Law the Parliament had been most credible And when the Irish had murdered two hundred thousand Protestants falsly pretending that they had the Kings Commission and threatning to finish their works in England there were many formerly tempted to fly in fear to the Parliament for safety being ignorant that the Kings bare word notwithstanding the Papists strength and interest was more to be trusted with our Laws Lives and Religion than all the Lawyers Courts and Pariament and that if all the Protestants in England had been used as those in Ireland they ought to have died patiently unless the killers would have given them time to send to the King to know whether he would have them live or die They were ignorant that a Lord Proprietor may do with his own as he list Who accuseth the owner for killing his own Sheep But the times of this ignorance are past The Long Parliament that made the Act of Vniformity cured it And shall not the Act of Oblivion be permitted to reconcile us and continue our peace 2. But Sir Who be they that were thus deceived I told you 1. That of near ten thousand that had Churches under the Parliament and Cromwel there was but two thousand that refused to Conform And is not seven thousand Conformists more than two thousand Dissenters 2. Many that were in the Parliament's Army Conformed and some that were for the Kings Death when the generality of those called Presbyterians abhorred it and the Engagement and brought in the King on reasons of meer Conscience 3. I have told you that we will take it thankfully if only those were silenced that had any hand in that War believing that it will not now be twenty Ministers in England And why are the rest that were Boys at School accused for other Mens opinions or actions For the time to come you need not fear them I heard some tell the Members of the Long Parliament that called them Rebels for saying that a Parliament may use defensive Arms against the Kings Commissioned Souldiers that if that would serve they would promise that if the King would but send a dozen Irish-men to kill them all in the house they would never be guilty of taking Arms to defend them nor perswading any else to do it L. Obj. VI. But they say that these Non-Conformists tho' they had no hand in the late War yet have the same Principles that caused it and that is Non-Conformity M. This is an argument a baculo ad angulum A man is against the Cross in Baptism or a Lay-Chancellor's excommunicating Men for a Ceremony c. ergo he is against the King and for Rebellion The other side say that the Irish Principles and the Popish were the cause and must we therefore conclude all Irish or Papists to be against the King They were Papists that raised the Wars on both sides in the aforesaid days of King William K. Stephen H. 1. and H. 3. and Ed. 2. and Rich. 2. and H. 6. and Rich. 3. and Ed. 4. c. Doth it follow that all rapists are rebels 2. But I have elsewhere fully proved that the Parliament when that War began were of the Church of England and Conformists and it 's strange that any should have the face to deny it while so many are yet living that know them Whitlocke tells us in his Memorials that they voted that every County should have a Bishop and his Presbytery And were those then against Episcopacy One would think that a County should be big enough to keep Episcopacy from dwindling to nothing every Bishop of old had but one City Many Counties have ten or near twenty Towns that were then called Cities But when Papists dare say that all are against Kings that are against the Pope who is the ruler and deposer of Kings it 's no wonder if every Bishop or Chancellor or Official c. will say If
practise Physick in London The Posts Walls and Gates are stickt with Physicians offers to cure the Lecherous pox To day I read Kirleu's Bill that saith he hath cured eight hundred of that disease I dare bet with you all the Money I have that if you enquire not eight or perhaps two of that eight hundred were Puritans or such as you now cast out for Non-Conformists unless you call Papists or such other Non-Conformists except any of them were Wives that catcht it of Husbands that are of your Church or Parishes and not of us or Husbands that catcht it of such conformable or Papist Wives But of these things we need no defence 3. But if our hearers be bad they have the more need of teaching and whether more are converted from ignorance sensuality worldliness and prophaneness by their teaching or ours ask others and not us L. Obj. XIV But they say that it 's by you that we are in danger of Popery because you keep up their hopes of a toleration by your divisions weakning us M. They may of the two say more probably it is we that bring in Prelacy Lay Excommunicators Ceremonies Liturgies For of the two we have done less against these than against Popery and stand not at so great a distance from them The impudency of some men is the shame of depraved humane nature They know that it is for being more against Popery than they are that our ruine is so implacably endeavoured They know that the Papists are our chiefest prosecutors thinking that if they could destroy us as their greatest adversaries they should bring the Church of England to their will and that it is but appropriating the name of Popery to the Italian Faction that set the Pope above Councils and calling the rest by a better Name and cutting off a few shreds named by Heylin in the Life of Arch-bishop Laud and it 's done They know that it is for drawing so near to Popery that the Non-Conformists Dissent from them and take it for granted that those men that are labouring to bring in Popery are the forwardest to make this putid accusation of us and that it hath been their labour these two and twenty years to have forc'd us to yield to an universal toleration and to petition for it that they might bring in Popery and then say it is we that did it and that for denying this and being unreconcileable to Popery the Papists are so unreconcileable to us as that nothing will satisfy them but our utter extirpation of which they would make blind sensual debauched malignant men that call themselves Protestants the instruments And how many of their pillars have written for a foreign Jurisdiction and defend Grotius I have told you before And to this day that Priest that is nearest to Popery is the bitterest enemy to the Non-Conformists and most preacheth for their destruction And these brazen-faced men cannot endure an honest Conformist that doth but preferr Protestants that dissent from their fetters before the Papists And those Bishops and Arch-bishops and the very Church of England in their times that were most against Popery are their scorn and hatred as you may see in Heylin's reproach of Arch-Bishop Abbot and the Bishops and Convocation except six Bishops in his days And by the base scorns that they now pour out against good Arch-Bishop Grindal calling such men as would strengthen us against Popery by reconciliation by the names of Grindalizers and Trimmers and such as would betray the Church And how they reproach and use Dr. Whitby for his Protestant Reconciler and Mr. Bold for his Sermon and the Author of the four Pleas of the Conformists for the Non-Conformists and such others you know The Author of the Reflections and the Samaritan they have not yet found out Mr. Tho. Beverley feareth them not The Bishop of Hereford Dr. Crofts the first man that ever I saw go forth with a Troop raised by his Brother for the King and his Sermon in my Pulpit the first that ever I heard against the Parliament when the King was in Yorkshire and he himself had been a Papist and is still zealous for their Church cause because he wrote the Book called Naked Truth to heal us and strengthen us against Popery they gnash the Teeth at him and so they do at Dr. Barlow Bishop of Lincoln that wrote of the treasonable principles of Papists tho' these Bishops are too big for them yet to vilify and openly oppose L. You may be more against Popery than they and yet bring it in imprudently by dividing us M. Who do you think in your Conscience is liker to bring it in we or they Who hath done and suffer'd more to keep it out We lay down all that we have to that end They will not part with a Ceremony or one Oath or a Re-ordination or an Excommunication of Christs Members to keep it out but plainly tell us that they had rather Popery came in than abate a jott of their Self-made Religion or Impositions or than such as I should Preach the Gospel But I confess I am not able to deny it that the Non-Conformists may be the occasion of bringing in Popery by way of Antiperistasis some men hate us and all serious Godliness so much that they are like enough to be for Popery because godly men are against it And I fear lest they that see the Non-Conformists would reform their Prelacy and Church-Courts and reduce them to the Primitive Episcopacy described by Bishop Vsher will be so much afraid lest they lose some of their Wealth and Domination by it that some of them will hearken to the Papists that will promise them an Encrease of that which they so esteem And indeed it is already no strange thing to hear them say They had rather the Papists came in with Popery than the Dissenters with their Reformation I think ere long you are like to be convinced more effectually than by Writing which Party is liker to bring in Popery and to turn Papists In the mean time I begin to praise Stephen Gardiner and such others for their Modesty that when they burnt Cranmer Ridley Hooper Philpot Rogers and the rest that they did not charge them with bringing in Popery and say we burn you for that L. XV. They say that you stretch the Words of the Oaths Declarations Subscriptions Liturgy and Canons to an ill sence by a rigorous Interpretation which was never the Meaning of the Authors and on that you ground your Dissent M. 1. I hope you will grant that when the things that men fear whether justly or mistakingly no less than deliberate Lying Perjury and Contracting by Justification the Guilt of many hundred thousand Perjuries and Swearing or Covenanting never to repent or endeavour that the Nation should repent of heinous Church-Corruptions or amend them and the nullifying of the Ordination and Ministry of thousands and Unchurching almost all the Protestant Churches and more such like a
such being Engines of Division and Persecution what promises are necessary is further to be opened nor is Re-ordination or Re-baptizing to be forced on the truly Ordained and Baptized VI. The just Ordainers must needs be the discerning Iudges whom they shall Ordain to the Ministry as such And the Magistrate is Iudge whom he shall approve and maintain as publick Teachers and whom to tolerate as tolerable And every man is a discerning Iudge to whom he shall trust the Pastoral care of his own-Soul as he doth what Physician he shall use for his Life to which Self-love and Self-government do Authorize and Oblige him and no erring judgment of Superiors can disoblige him much less every Patrons Choice VII Truly Ordained and Called Ministers must Preach to their Flocks though they have no other Licence and are by Office Authorized to choose their Subject due Method and Word And if a Form of Liturgy in Prayers Praise Psalms be imposed by Agreement or Authority that all the Church be not left at utter uncertainty what worship they meet to offer to God till it be pass'd out of the Minister's mouth let it be agreeable to Scripture-direction in Matter Method and Words blameless orderly and without just cause of suspicion or offence and let it not be made a snare for Contention and Division by the rigorous urging of needless things nor worthy men be silenced and cast out that cannot Declare Assent and Consent to all things contained in it and prescribed by it by fallible men nor for every omission or abbreviation through scruple or necessitated hast or for not officiating in a Surplice And let the Canons 6. 7. 8. 9. and others that unjustly fetter the Ministers and Flock be Altered or Repealed VIII Let no Minister be Silenced Suspended or Ejected for not publishing Excommunications pass'd by Bishops or Lay-Men against any of his Flock best known to the present Pastor whom be judgeth not guilty or for scrupleing a Ceremony especially upon such Canons as the 6. 7. 8. c. that Excommunicate ipso facto every man not excepting Parliament-ment Lords Iudges or Iustices Parents or Wives or Children that do but affirm That any thing is unlawful or repugnant to the word of God in the Liturgy or Ceremonies or Ordination or in the Government of the Church by Arch-Bishops Bishops Arch-Deacons and the Rest that bear Office therein seeing Wise and Godly Ministers judge such things too light to deserve an Excommunication and dare not so dishonour those Superiors whom God hath commanded us to honour yea and think all Excommunicating ipso facto sine sententia Judicis to be sinful and contrary to the use of Excommunication which supposeth Impenitence And let no Minister or People be forced to publish or execute any Excommunication Arbitrarily Decreed or against their Consciences And let none be forbidden to Preach the Gospel who do not more hurt than good while Iustice may be done by other Penalties IX As Christianity Baptism and Sacramental Communion are gifts from God of unspeabahle value so none at age but willing Consenters to the Covenant of God can have any right to them Therefore no unwilling person should be forced to Baptism or the Lord's Supper and so to profane Gods holy Ordinance and corrupt the Church But in each Parish the meer Auditors or Catechized must be distinguished from the Communicants as meer Catechising and Teaching is from Pastoral Oversight and Church-Conduct X. The Kingdom consisteth of Ministers and People Approvable Tolerable and Intolerable though the publick Temples and Maintenance be at the Dispose of the Sovereign Power and Magistrates yet are not all Laymen that can but Buy or Inherit a Patronage Advowson or Presentation either Authorized by God or Qualifyed with sufficient Wisdom and Piety to choose such as Pastors to whom though Ordained by a Bishop all men are bound to commit the Pastoral care and conduct of their Souls as is aforesaid Therefore to this Relation the Peoples Choice or Consent is necessary And because Parish Churches are by fixed Neighbourhood the most convenient Order the Rulers should either make those the Publick Teachers whom the People can take for their Pastors or the People after take those for their Pastors who are truly Capable whom the Rulers first choose for the Publick Teachers But in case they cannot so agree each man must be Tolerated to choose and join with some other Parochial or more private Minister for his Pastor so be it 1. They fess the essentials of Christianity and Church Communion 2. And live peaceably and loyally in their Preaching and Practice 3. And pay the publick Teachers and Magistrates their dues renouncing Heresie and Popery and all Foreign Iurisdiction and Treason The TEST or Profession of the Maintain'd Ministers supposing the amendments of Discipline I Do sincerly as before God Profess that I believe the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the True word of God and supposing the Light and Law of Nature the Divine sufficient Rule of Faith and Holy Living according to which we shall be Iudged which no humane Laws or Power can Abrogate or Suspend being all but subordinate thereto And I will Preach nothing as necessary to Salvation which cannot be proved or warranted thereby And more particularly I believe all the Articles of the Creed called the Apostles as a summary of our Faith and Consent to the Lord's Prayer as the summary of our Desires and to the Decalogue as expounded by Christ as the summary of our obedient practice and I resolvedly Consent to the Gospel-Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost which these summaries explain and which is celebrated in Baptism and the Lord's Supper And I do own and honour the Church of England that is This Christian Reformed Kingdom containing the Approved Pastors and their Flocks both the Publickly Maintained and the Duly Licensed and United under one Christian Reformed Sovereign and Renouncing all Foreign Jurisdiction And I do honour with thankfulness to God the Reformation and Concord of this Church in Doctrine Worship and Discipline and will labour to preserve its Unity and Peace renouncing all Treasons Seditions Popery Foreign Iurisdiction Heresy Schism and Profaneness And I do promise to Exercise my Ministry with diligence for the edification of the Church and the saving of mens Souls The Ministers being of three sorts 1. The Maintained or Promoted 2. The Licensed to Preach as Candidates or Lecturers without the publick maintenance or Helpers to Incumbents who desire them or occasionally such as sound Protestants continuing Non-conformists should be 3. The Tolerated that have only a Grant of Protection and Peace without either Mainterance or Approving Licence I leave it to Superiours how much of the aforesaid Profession shall be required of the two latter This would much reduce the Kingdom to a Holy and Happy Unity and Peace which yet containeth nothing that Protestants have any just cause to reject And we are not
forward to meddle with more publick Church matters without our Superiors invitation or consent but we may say that it is our judgment that these additions following would greatly strengthen the Interest of Religion Church and Concord I. That the Parish Churches be acknowledged True Churches and their Ministers such Overseers as are necessary to Essentiate True Churches that is That all Presbyters be Episcopi Gregis Overseers of the Flock and the Incumbent the President among his Curate Presbyters where there be such And that the Diocesan is not the sole Essentiating Church Pastors and the Diocesan Church the lowest particular Church and the Parish Assemblies but his Chapels or Parts of the lowest Church and the Parish Ministers his Curates and no true Pastors II. That no Lay-Elder Chancellour or Civilian have or use the Decretive Power of Excommunication or Absolution called the Keys III. That New and more Peaceable Canons be made instead of that Book which now obtaineth according to the Scripture Canons Or that there be no Canons but Scripture besides Statute Laws IV. That Bishops have no Forcing Power nor the Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo or any Force by the Sword be Annexed to Excommunication as such but that the Magistrates hear and judge before they punish and Obedience to Bishops be unconstrained and voluntary V. That Bishops judge Church-Causes in Session with their Presbyters and not alone nor with some few of their own Choice or with Lay-men but in regular Synods and Ordain there by their consent and after sufficient trial of them that seek Ordination And so of Institution VI. That Diocesses be not greater than the Diocesan is able to Oversee and that he forbid not the Parish Pastors their particular works but only use his general overcight and power on Appeals VII That Bishops oft visit the inferior Pastors and Churches and instruct the Juniors by direction and Example how to Preach and guide the Flock and rebuke the Erroneous Scandalous Unpeaceable and Negligent VIII That the Bishops be Chosen by the Diocesan Synod and Consented to freely without force by their City flocks where they reside and Invested by the King who hath the power of Temporal Privileges IX That the City and neighbour Pastors be the Cathedral Dean and Prebends at least where City Churches want maintenance or that they ambulatorily Preach abroad where there is most need X. If Arch-Bishop Usher's Form or Reduction of Government to the Primitive state or else King Charles the Second his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs be but setled by Law it will be a Healing and Great Reformation inferior Synods not hurtfully fettered being allowed under the Diocesan Synods And whether the Diocesans be Called Bishops or Arch-Bishops as Successors to the Apostles and Evangelists in the ordinary parts of their Office a general care of many Churches the name is to be left to each mans free judgment As to the ignorant clamors for a real or seeming Re-ordination 1. I have said so much against it in my Treatise of Episcopacy and my Disputation of Ordination in my Dispute of Church-Government and my Christian Concord that while the objectors by contempt refuse to read and answer them it will be no cure of their pride and partiality to repeat the same again But I say that I have fully proved unanswered that they that were Ordained by Synods of Incumbent Pastors and specially those also then approved by the Westminster Assembly had a better Ordination and that by true Bishops than either Papists or meer English Diocesans that are not Arch-bishops can give And yet they Re-ordain not Papists 1. Either they take the Parish-Churches that is the Pastor and Communicants distinct from the meer Auditors and Catechumens and from the Aliens to be true proper Churches in political Sense or not If yea Then those Churches have Bishops For Ecclesia est plebs Episcopo adunata ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia Their own Principle is That it is no proper political Church without a Bishop There are three degrees of Bishops 1. All Presbyters are Episcopi Gregis by the consent of Papists and Protestants 2. The chief Incumbents that have Curates or may have are Episcopi Praesides The Ordination without Diocesans was by these two sorts of Bishops 3. True Diocesans are Arch-bishops Episcopi generales plurium Ecclesiarum We refuse not their Ordination but Men have true Episcopal Ordination without it But if they say that the Diocesan is the lowest Bishop of a particular Church and that the Parish-Incumbent Rectors are no true Bishops and their Assemblies no true political Churches formed of Bishops but only parts of one Diocesan Church infimi Ordinis we abhor such Tyrannical Schismatical Diocesans and their pretence of proper power to Ordain and the Primitive Church had never any such Ordaniers or Bishops And I advise all Ministers neither to be Re-ordained by such nor to yield to the appearance of such an evil by coming under their equivocating imposition of hands lest they take God's Name in vain and harden Papists and Church-Tyrants in their false condemnation of the Reformed Churches If it be want of a legal right in England that they pretend let the Magistrate give you a Licence or Legal right I write not this for my own interest for I was Ordained by a Diocesan and am past all hopes or fears of Man. CHAP. LX. The Reasons of these ten Articles L. YOV must give me leave to tell you what objections are like to be raised against your proposed Articles of Reconciliation And first your own party will be unsatisfied in them and so they will do no good because here is not a word against Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Arch-deacons and the rest that bear office in their Courts which yet is the thing that you your self seem most to dissent from and which the Covenant did renounce M. 1. We have so much swearing and unswearing and forswearing that I will meddle as little as I can in things that look like Perjury You know that as the last Generation was sworn against Prelacy this new Generation is sworn to it Yea in a manner the whole Land is sworn or covenanted never to endeavour any alteration of it And how much soever I am against that Oath yet I will meddle as little as I can in urging men to that which they take for Perjury And I have elsewhere told you that the Covenant renounced not all Episcopacy many of the Assembly of Divines declared their dissent from any such renunciation and had entred their protestation against it as Dr. Cornel. Burges told me had not the Explication been added which confineth the Renunciation to the English frame And that the present Non-Conformists would have thankfully received the Primitive Episcopacy they shewed by their motion 1660. 2. We offer this form on supposition that we may not have what we think best but what we can joyfully submit to for our Concord and the Churches safety 3. I have
A thousand will be unnamed when you have done your best at it But the Rule must not name every Errour against it The contrariety will be discernable It is enough that men profess a perfect Rule and renounce all contrary and be responsible to the Church and their Rulers when they corrupt Religion contrary to the Rule and their own Profession An Errour not manifested hurts not others and none is punishable till proved If Heresy be kept secret the Church must not make new Laws and Tests to make men confess it but punish it when it is vented L. But shall Ministers make no profession but what a Papist or a Heretick will make M. No if a Papist or Heretick will profess all that is necessary else we must make more Must we make new Creeds or new Scriptures as oft as dissemblers will falsely profess that already made This was the temptation to those multitudes of Creeds by which Councils distracted the Churches which Hilary decryeth L. But the Bishops will never take down the Oath of Canonical Obedience and all the other Oaths and Subscriptions that are formed to their Interest M. I cannot help that Over-doing is un-doing If ever Episcopacy be cast out it will be by such over-doing which will not let men live in Peace that would not molest them L. 6. Why do you seem to grant the Bishops and Patrons votes in the choice of Pastors when before you seem to have much against them M. I have nothing against the Ordainers judging of the fitness of the Ordained nor of Magistrate or Patrons disposal of Temples and Tithes And because nothing but necessity will weigh down the great inconvenience of maintaining distinct Pastors while â— setled Lecturer hath the Temple and Tithes therefore I suppose that the Bishop and Patron will have their Votes And I suppose you know that it is vain to motion to Patrons to resign this power were it worse than it is else Advowsons would not be sold at such rates as they are by many Patrons And my silence where speaking will do no good is no sign of my approbation L. But do you think that the Communicants shall have a negative Vote in choosing Pastors M. I think they will not till God raise up better men than many Patrons are But I am past doubt that God's Law of Nature and Scripture and the whole consent of ancient Churches Fathers and Councils are for it And methinks were not carnal Interest stronger with them than Religion men that are professedly for God's Law and Church-Canons and Customs should not obstinately oppose them all Yea the highest Episcopal Men are in this against them Mr. Thorndike saith that till the Clergy and People again choose their own Bishops there needs no other reason be given of the contempt of Episcopacy Yea I have proved past denial oft that no Non-consenter can be a member of any Pastoral Church nor any man be a mans Pastor that doth not consent It 's reason then to speak for the Flocks Consenting Vote L. But they may be forced to consent M. I shall give you a reason against that anon L. Do you think the ignorant vulgar are fit to choose themselves a Pastor The most are usually the worst M. If the Church-men will make the uncapable rabble Communicants and then deny them Church-privileges because they are uncapable they condemn themselves for taking yea forcing in such uncapable men Even as the Bishops that Ordain Ministers that cannot Preach and then by their Canon forbid them to Preach 2. And yet I will say That never knew any places in City or Country that have oft had better Pastors for Learning and all Worth than where the Communicants were the choosers Yea even the ignorant usually have a gust that discerneth and valueth good and able men 3. And yet I speak not so high as for their Power of first Choice but only of Consent nor yet to choose who shall be a Minister but who shall be their Pastor The Bishop asketh not their consent at Ordination L. But you know that if there must three Consents go to it The Ordainers the Patrons and the Communicants they may never agree and frustrate all M. Humane faultiness puts inconveniences into all actions But we must not cure it with a worse If you would take no Physick till three Physicians agree it 's a less mischief than to give any man that can buy that Power a right to impose what ignorant fellow or enemy he will to be your sole Physician Three Locks and Keys in three hands to so great a Trust may be better than one in an untrusty hand Shall every Papist or Atheist choose me a Physician as fitter than I 2. But if they should never agree it is but every one stopping at his own part The Ordainers have done their part and the Patron hath chosen a Teacher for Auditors and a Pastor for such as will accept him and the People that trust him not may go to one that they can trust and this is better than worse L. But the Patron will prevail against them as long as he must nominate though the Bishop and People had a Negative Vote for if they refuse one he will still name another of his own complexion M. Uncurable evils I cannot help I can but wish that no Patron had ever built Churches or given Glebes at so dear a rate as thereby to buy from the Church its Privileges L. But can you think that the Bishops will ever abate Re-ordination of thsoe ordained by Presbyters M. I think not and therefore I have no hope of concord by their Concession But I know that former Bishops would have done it and the Church of England still owned such since the Reformation and God may send England such again and for such an age I write and not for this with any great hope And if you would not have the Land confounded with doubts whether they be Baptized or whether they had any valid Sacraments and whether the Papists or Protestants be the true Church c. it concerns you all to regard the decision of this Case L. But you speak only against Re-Ordaining those that are already Ordained and nothing for the time to come M. 1. You know it is hopeless to move for that 2. And it 's meet that Ordination should be well regulated 3. And when all the unjust impositions are removed as is here desired few moderate men will scruple Ordination L. VII Your 7th hath so much reason that I can say nothing against it but that I doubt the Bishops will never abateâ— their Ceremonies or any part of their Liturgy so far to endure any to disuse it though they meddle not against it M. I know what 's necessary and just but I know not what men will grant I am of your mind of those in possession except some few But if any man will make and keep up any instruments of division and hurt on
they ought to be restrained and there are lower punishments than depriving them of their Toleration which are for lower faults 2. But if Rulers will oppress we cannot help that and must not therefore be ungoverned CHAP. LXI Whether the Extirpation of the Non-Conformists be not rather to be attempted than an Vnion with them by these means L. IT 's long since our former Conference and now there is discovered a Treasonable Plot against the King and his Brother and a multitude of Addresses tell us that it was the Plot of the Dissenters and the Product of Conventicles and therefore â—â—ave the extripation of them all and that they may no more be trusted as having Principles were concileable to Monarchy and Subjection and the loudest cry now runs that way M. What is the Treasonable Plot L. To Kill the King and Duke and raise an Army and to Change the Government or Governours at least M. Who do they mean by Dissenters or Conventiclers L. All that Conform not to the Church of England as it is now setled by the Law. M. The Law setleth the Essentials Integrals and Accidents of the Church Do you mean every one that disliketh any one Office as Lay-Chancellors use of the Keys or any Ceremony or Form If so I do doubt most that come to Church and Communicate with it dissent from some such Circumstances L. Well suppose it be those that separate from it M. There are now these following sorts of known Dissenters called by many Conventiclers I. Those that like the way of Episcopacy and Liturgy best as here setled but yet will also occasionally join with other Churches as the French Dutch Lutheran or some Non-Conformists II. The Pacifick Non-conformists who at the King's Return Petitioned for Arch-Bishop Vsher's Model of the Primitive Episcopal Government and thankfully accepted the King's Declaration III. The Presbyterians who are for Government only by Synods of equal Presbyters Teaching joined with meer Ruling ones IV. The Independants and Separatists V. The Anabaptists who are half Arminians and half not VI. The Fifth-Monarchy Party most of which are Anabaptists also VII The Quakers VIII The Papists IX The Infidels Iews Hobbists and Atheists Is the meaning that all these are the guilty Rebels to be destroyed or which of them is it L. If all I doubt the King would lose no small part of his Subjects But you know the Papists are not numbred with the Dissenters or Conventiclers M. Say you so Do those that differ but about a Ceremony or Lay-mans use of the Keys or the largeness and paucity of Bishops Churches dissent more from you than the Papists that would bring King and Kingdom under a foreign Jurisdiction and introduce all the Mass and doctrinal corruptions of their Church Read Bishop Downham's Catalogue of Popish Errours de Anti-Christo or Dr. Willet's Chamier's Iewell 's or any such and judge And do you think that the Mass is no Conventicle or more lawful than the forbidden assemblies of Protestants L. Well But it 's Protestant-Dissenters that I mean. M. So then You would have Protestant-Dissenters rooted out and not Papists or Infidels L. We would have those rooted out that were in the Plot which the Papists were not M. No doubt but such a Plot as you describe deserveth the extirpation of those that were guilty of it But I pray you compare not the innocency of Papists in their Principles with the Protestants Or read Bishop Barlow's and Hen. Fowlis's Books and Prin's History of Bishops Treasons and judge as you see cause But it 's none of my business now to accuse the Papists Do but grant that the innocent should not suffer for the crimes of the guilty and we are agreed L. But is it not justly supposed that the whole Party is guilty of those Principles which have caused particular mens rebellions and that it is their Preachers and Conventiclers that have caused all M. You that are a Lawyer should know somewhat of the Rules of Iustice or Humanity at least Come on and let you and I consider soberly of the case And first to your face I challenge you to name and prove any the least difference between the Non-conformists who sought for Concord at the King's Restoration or the party of meer Non-Conformists and the Protestants of the Church of England in their Principles about the Power of Princes and the Subjection and Patience of the People Name any difference if you can L. You would make one believe that great Numbers are inhumanely impudent that charge them with such heinous difference if there be none M. Why do you not name the difference if there be any Contrarily 1. We all take the same Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy 2. We Subscribe all the same Articles of Religion about the Power of Magistrates 3. We have often professed our consent to all that is written for Magistracy and Subjection in all the Scripture in any General Council save what is for the Papal Tyranny over Princes and People or in any Confession of any Christian Church Greek Papist or Protestant that ever we saw and for all that for the Power of Kings but not all against it which the generality of Fathers Historians Philosophers Politick-writers Lawyers Canonists or Divines are for And is not all this yet enough 4. I have oft told you where e.g. Bishop Andrews in Tortura Torti Sir Fran. Bacon Lord St. Albans and many others have vindicated the principles of the English Non-conformists as the same with the Church's in point of Loyalty against the Papists accusations L. But do not you know who wrote the Political Aphorisms or Holy Common-wealth condemned lately by the Oxford Convocation M. And do not you know 1. That the Author had never leave to confute his accusers about it 2. Do you not know that he hath divers years ago written a large Book called his Second Plea for Peace fully opening the Principles which he and his Consenters hold and no man hath writteâ— one word against any of them that I hear of to this day Is this fair dealing then to silence what at large he owneth and name only a writing 29 years ago which he never was heard about 3. Do you not know that the Famously Learned Tho. White a Papist wrote at the same time the like Doctrine and will you charge that on the Party of Papistâ— 4. The Historians Rule is Distingue de temporibus Do you know in what times that was written And know you not that few men then living wrote and spake more plainly against the Usurpation than he did 5. And you see that the Oxford Convocation condemn the writings and principles of the Doctors of the Church of England as well as others And as for Knox and Buchanan we are no more guilty of their words than of Iewell 's Bilson's Hooker's Laud's or any such L. But if you differ not from the Church of England in Principles of Loyalty why do you not take the
Oxford-Oath in the Act of Confinement and the Subscription in the Act of Vniformity M. I have told you fully before Not because we differ in Doctrine but in expounding the words of that Oath and Subscription 2. Were neither Arch-bishop Abbot nor his Clergy nor the Parliaments of those times of the Church of England as well as Sâ—bthorp and Mainwaring Were not the Laws made by those Parliaments made by the Members if not Representatives of the Church of England You know that our late great Defenders of the Church describe the Church of England to be those that Worship God according to the Law And were the Parliaments that made those Laws none of the Church themselves Chillingworth would not Subscribe without a limitting Profession Was he therefore none of the Church Was Bishop Bilson none of the Church Was R. Hooker none of the Church The first dedicated his Book to Queen Elizabeth and the latter is Dedicated to our King Charles the second and Praised by his Father And yet the Author of the Holy Common-wealth hath larglier than any man confuted Hooker's Popular Principles When William Barclay a Lawyer defended the King of France his Temporal Power against the Popes Usurpation of a Power to depose and restrain him he is fain to profess that the contrary opinion was so common that he was taken to speak some strange and singular thing And yet none doubts but he was of the same Church of Rome I again challenge you to name that point in which we differ in this Doctrine from the true Church of England L. You hold that Kings may be resisted by Arms. M. Not so much as the aforesaid Bishop and Doctors of the Church of England did or the Parliaments that made Church-Laws Again See our second Plea for Peace how far we disclaim it I profess that I am acquainted with no meer Non-Conformist Ministers that hold it at all lawful for Subjects to resist the King or any Supream Power by a War except in case that he notoriously declareth that he will if he can destroy the Common-wealth or deliver it up to a foreigner or destroyer that hath no right L. Sure the cry would never be for Extirpating the Dissenters for this Plot and their disloyalty if they were not guilty M. Nay if that be your argument Strangers to them say they are disloyal and guilty ergo they are so I leave you to God's answer for I will not undertake to answer you But will you use Sobriety a little further 1. It is now twenty seven years since they were ejected and cast out of maintenance and countenance and left to beg or crave their bread Long have they been laid in Gaols and fined deeply the Law laying on them twenty and forty pound a Sermon Their Goods Beds Books taken from them and they left destitute How many in all these years have ever been accused and proved guilty of one disloyal or seditious Sermon or Word I know of none Certainly it was not for want of will in the Accusers Those that by Oaths have brought them under Convictions and Warrants for distress of five ten and much more forfeitures even divers hundred pounds at once before they were ever summoned to speak for themselves would sure have sworn some disloyal Words against them had they been able And can many hundred Ministers have a fuller proof of their innocency than that they had no such prosecution twenty seven years from such a sort of Adversaries in so great Sufferings 2. And now this Plot is detected It is divers Months since and many Countries and Corporations have accused the Dissenters of it and cry them down to Extirpation And to this day I cannot hear of any one English Minister or at most not of two that is either an Episcopal or Presbyterian Non-Conformist so much as accused or named as guilty The French and Dutch Churches in London are Dissenting Presbyterians Yet no man accuseth any of them for being in Plots and yet must they also be destroyed But Sir if any one or more of the Episcopal or Presbyterian Non-Conformists Ministers or People had been found guilty would you condemn thousands or any of the guiltless for their sakes On what account Is it for their Relation to them They are mostly strangers to one another Come and let us try your rule of Justice I. Is there any Relation nearer than that of Father and Son And can any Minister be supposed to have more interest in or influence on his Hearers than a Father hath on his Son And you know that the chief man accused is the Kings eldest Son I hope you will not for this charge the King as if he principled him for Treason against himself Nor as if he were to suffer for his Sons faults II. The Judges have oft declared that many Iesuits and Papists were Plotters and Traitors and they died for it I hope you will not make all Papists guilty of their crime nor extirpate them for it And yet the Papists are Conventicling Dissenters too III. The Lords and great Men accused of this Plot and Treason how justly God knoweth were of the Church of England and shall all the Church of England be destroyed for their sakes Dr. Whitby and others now blamed by the Oxford-Convocation and Bishop Bilson Mr. Hocker c. were of the Church of England and shall all the English Clergy be accused of their words IV. Many of the accused were Hobbists and Infidels and some common ill-living Protestants Shall all the Hobbists and Infidels and ill-living Protestants be extirpated for their faults V. Many Gentlemen of some late Parliaments are accused not yet tried and proved guilty Shall all the Parliament-men therefore be extirpated as guilty VI. Some Lawyers and Students at Law are accused Shall all Lawyers and Students therefore be extirpated VII Divers of the Nobility are accused Must all Noble-men be therefore reproached VIII Some that have been of the Kings Privy Council were accused Is his Council therefore to be disgraced or destroyed IX Formerly many Judges have been guilty Are Judges therefore to be dishonoured X. By this justice you may next conclude They were Englishmen that were accused therefore let all English-men be rooted out Or they were Protestants and Christians therefore away with all Protestants and Christians Whereas I think it an unjust conclusion that because they were Irish-men and Papists that murdered two hundred thousand in Ireland therefore root out all Irish-men and Papists unless you will inferr They are men that commit all sin therefore root out mankind If it had been men that hate serious Godliness and are the seed of the Serpent and of Cain that are at deadly enmity to the true fear of God and thirst for the blood of the innocent that are accused of this Plot and if People had petitioned to have all this sort of men rooted out for it it would have fallen on more than you and I are willing to name or
wickedness that wicked men destroy the just and as for sinning that they persecute them that will not sin It is for Religion that Religion is impugned and for the Church that the true Children of the Church are Persecuted And is it for the Gospel that the Preachers of it are silenced and destroyed Without the Church a false Religion is set up against Christianity But within it an Image of Christ and of the Church and of Concord and Religion is set up against Christ Church Concord and Religion and men in the Garb of Magistrates and Pastors do prosecute the War as by Christ's Commission and in his Name And sin is defended and propagated by false pretended opposition If the Iews had known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory Heathens would not for Idols fight against God nor Mahometans for a Deceiver against Christ if they knew what it is that they are doing Christ who was Crucified as a Blasphemer and Rebel foretold his Disciples that they should be kill'd as an act of service to God. Where the Gospel is believed it is a crime so horrid to silence and destroy Christ's faithful Ministers and forbid his publick Worship and render his most conscionable Servants odious and plot their extirpation and ruine that none dare do it but those that know not what they do When Christians as a Sect were every where spoken against Paul was exceeding mad against them and persecuted them to strange Cities and verily thought that he ought to do many things against the Name of Jesus Act. 26. But when he heard from Heaven Why persecutest thou me it stopt his rage and changed his judgment But alas How slender a means will serve to deceive the wicked A meer nick-name or malicious slander yea the avoiding of a sin which they think to be no sin is enough with them to make the best men seem the worst while Perjuries Adulteries Blasphemies Prophaneness Cruelty and Persecution are tolerable motes in the eyes of their Companions All the Holiness Wisdom and Miracles of Christ and his Apostles would not serve to make them pass for good yea or tolerable men while Sadducees who denied Spirits the Resurrection Ceremonious hypocritical blood-thirty Pharisees went for meet Rulers of the Flock And how can it be expected that he who thinks not Holiness desireable to himself should think it any excellency in others Or that he that thinks his own sin but a tolerable frailty should much abhor it in the World Satan then hath his Army not only among Infidels but nominal Christians And it is commanded by Honourable and Venerable Names and he pretends a good and righteous Cause whereever he fighteth against Christ and Holiness But by the fruits he may be known in the greatest pretenders whatever names he call them by It is the most profitable Preaching which he laboureth to suppress and the most faithful Pastors that he would silence the most conscionable Christians whom he striveth to make hateful and the more Spiritual Worship of God which he would hinders And therefore even among Christians we have great cause to warn men to fear least they be enticed into Satan's service against Christ and their own Profession and Salvation And especially in an age 1. Where worldly and cross Interests are set up against the Interest of Christ and Conscience 2. Where these worldly and cross Interests have already wasted Christian Love and Contentions have begun a Mental War. 3. When these have prevailed by scorns and slanders to make Conscionable Christians pass for some contemptible criminal or erroneous Sect and this Reproach is fortified by Honourable and Reverend Names Lest therefore such Causes too visible in the World should draw the ignorant and rash into the dreadful Sin of fighting against the Interest of Christ and Souls by hindering Christ's Ministers from their necessary Work and faithful Christians from worshipping God I will humbly beseech all that are in danger of such Temptations but seriously to exercise their own Reasons in the present Consideration of these following Questions and to take up with no other Answer to them which will not bear weight at Death and Judgment when worldly Pomp and Pleasures leave them and not worldly Interest Wit or Grandeur but the Righteous Lord the Lover of Holiness and Holy Souls will be the dreadful and final Judge The Questions to be well Considered Quest. 1. ARe we not on all sides agreed that we are Mortals posting to the Grave Doth any Man think he shall not die And is striving or mutual Love and Quietness a fitter Passage to the dust Do not all Men constrained by natural Conscience at a dying Hour repent of hurting others and ask Forgiveness of all the World Yea if you are not worse than most Heathens Are we not agreed That Man's Soul is immortal and that we shall all be shortly in another World and that it shall be with us there as we live on Earth If any doubt of this should not the least probability of such an everlasting Life of Joy or Misery prevail against the certain Vanity of such a shadow as this World Or if yet they believe not another Life Why should they not let those live in quietness that do believe it and dare not hazard their everlasting Hopes for nothing as long as they do no hurt to others Q. 2. Do not all Christians believe That the Knowledge of God our Creator and Redeemer and a holy Heart and Life are of necessity to our Salvation Do we not see That Children are not born with Knowledge nor free from fleshly and worldly Inclinations Doth not the World's Experience tell us how hard and how long a Work it is to make the Ignorant understand the very Articles of Faith and necessary Duty to God and man and as hard to perswade their Carnal Minds to the hearty Love and Practice of them and to save them from the damning Love of sinful Lust and worldly Vanities and how wofully the best Teaching is frustrate with the most Q. 3. Are we not all Vowed to God in our Baptism renouncing the Seduction of the World the Flesh and the Devil And do all understand and keep this Vow And is not the perfidious Violation of it a most damning Sin And when Thousands of full Age are yet to learn what Baptism is and what they Vowed Have they not great need to be plainly taught it Q. 4. Is a Baptized Infidel or ungodly Person any better or safer than the Turks or the Salvages in America Will the Name of Christians save perfidious Hypocrites Or Will it not be easier for Sodom than for such Q. 5. If Christian Knowledge and Practice be not necessary Why pray we for Conversion of Heathens and Infidels And Why doth the Article of the Church of England condemn those that hold That all may be saved in their several Religions And what are we better than Turks and Heathens Q. 6. Are not all Men
theirs Will you therefore silence all your Teachers and shut up all your Church-doors and give over worshipping God Do you think that your Priests and your Worship are without Fault yea or the Constitution of your Churches We are not able well to know what a Parish-Church is by its Materials that is who are of the Churches and who not 1. If it be all the Baptized Parishioners the Papists and Separatists are your Members If it be all such as are of no other Church then the Atheists Infidels Seducers and others that are of no Church indeed are of it 3. If it be only those that dwell and communicate there how small a part of your great Parishes are of the Church Yet are not these many Thousands declared to be out but are permitted without Censure and may come if they will Not only the Members but the Minister himself knoweth not who are of his Church for the far greater part till he see them come to the Altar and then most if they come must be utter strangers to him whom he never saw before How great a Number of Hobbists Infidels Papists and wicked Livers are amongst us your own Pens proclaim And may not these come to the Altar when they please This is spoken only to convince you that if all this may be born the supposed sin of fearing sin in a thing call'd indifferent deserveth not Excommunication or Destruction Q. 17. Is not the Fear of God the beginning of Wisdom And doth not this contain a Fear of sinning And is not this commendable and to be cherished Is not God above man and first to be obeyed and most feared Hath man any Power but what God hath given him and hath God given any against himself or his own Laws or for destruction of his Fear If Conscience towards God be once driven away is any man to be trusted Will not the unconscionable do any thing for worldly Interest Q 18. Is it not an unmanly sort of impudence in them that many years perswade the world that those same men make Schisms by forbearing only such things as they confess to be no sin who have twenty years ago Protested that nothing but sinning is refused by them and did then give in a Catalogue of several sins which they undertook to prove such And should those same men that have read or may do The King 's Gracious Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs 1660. and the London Ministers printed Thanks-giving for it and the many late Books in which we have told men what it is which we dare not conform to I say should these still take on them that they cannot know it and call out still What is it that you stick at And what is it that would satisfy you Yea those that cannot bear that we should tell them Q. 19. Do you think that the King who then past that Declaration in which the Non-Conformists who sought it with thankfulness acquiesc't as in terms of happy Concord and the House of Commons who gave him thanks or the Bishops and Clergy who after rejected it and procured the new Act of Uniformity and such other did take the way to have United Protestants and to have prevented our present sad divisions Q. 20. Hath not Dr. Burnet in his History of the Regale fully proved that the choice of Bishops and Pastors for many hundred years was in the People and the Clergy And do you think in your Consciences that if a good Gentleman build and endow a Church all men must ever after trust the Pastoral conduct of their Souls with such Priests only as his Posterity or any man that will buy the Advowson shall present Will not Drunkards Fornicators malignant haters of Holy Life choose men as fit for their turn as will be admitted And do you think in your Consciences that all the Patrons now in England are either fit or by Christ allowed to be choosers of all those Pastors that all men in England must take up with Do you not know that Preaching converteth not like a Charm nor is the Devil cast out of Souls as by the words of an Exorcist It requireth great skill and care to convince sinners and instruct resolve confirm and comfort Souls There is as great difference of Teachers as of Physicians And Souls are unspeakably more precious than Bodies And it 's said of too many rash and unskillful Physicians that the difference between them and Souldiers is that they kill their Friends who pay them for it when Souldiers kill but their enemies What Power Princes and Patrons have of things Dedicated to God as Temples and Tithes Lands we presume not to dispute But these are not to inseparable from the Pastoral-office that the People must trust their Souls only on their Pastoral care to whom the Patron will give the Tithes and Temples Had men so setled maintenance on Physicians for every Parish we would not therefore trust our lives on the unskillful or negligent because either Prince or Patron choose him And if you would not say to such You shall have the Physician which the Patron chooseth or none Why should you say so of the Pastor Q. 21. Are we not of the same Religion with the Magistrates and Bishops In what one Article of Faith do we differ except the new one of the undoubted Salvation of all dying Baptized Infants not excepting those of Atheists or Infidels and this as certain by God's Word almost all parts of the Christian World Greeks Papists Protestants Nestorians Iacobites Arminians c. do charge one another with Heresy or false Doctrine while Conformists charge no such thing on the Non-conformists but only dissenting from the modes of worship and discipline which they impose And would you have all the Christian World forbid one another to Worship God till they all agree If not where yet their differences are so great why must they be forbidden it who differ not in points of Faith from the Churches Articles at all Q. 22. It is forbidden that more than four meet to VVorship God in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England If by other manner be meant with any other positive manner of Worship I see none that do it otherwise For Reading of Scripture Praying Preaching Singing Psalms are all done in the Parish-Churches But if oâ—her manner extend to every omission of any appointed part of the Liturgy all Parish-Churches where I come do it in other manner And shall all the Lords Gentlemen and People be therefore punished as Conventiclers The Non-conformists where I come use most of the Liturgy that is The Psalms two Chapters the Lords Prayer the Creed the Commandments the Singing Psalms some of them more Must all go out of the Church if the Curate omit part If by otherwise be meant with any other accidents or circumstances the Church of England agreeth not in all such and can be no rule therein to the Non-conformists Cathedral
make us wish all the Sermons unpreach'd which we have preach'd and all the Books unwritten which we have written and all the Souls unconverted who have repented Q. 42. VVhen Ionas over-ran an unpleasing Ministery did not God overtake him with his Judgment And if we prove Ionasses may we not expect to meet with Storms more terrible than Jails Q. 43. Can all this said and done against such in the world ever make the sober that knew them believe that such a man as Anthony Burges Mr. Porter Mr. Hildersham the Son Mr. Hughes Mr. Richard Allen and hundreds much like them were worthy Silencing Imprisonment and Shame while such as fill some thousand Churches are worthy of maintenance and honour Or will sober Posterity who read the Lives and VVritings of such men as Iohn Corbet Ioseph Allen Iames and Iohn Ianeway and abundance such others believe that they were as bad as their accusers make them There is but one way to bring them under the Infamy and Odium of Posterity and that is the Papists way to kill all that are of another mind and to drive Truth and Conscience out of the world and then who would stay behind Q. 44. VVho did Christ mean by the Hypocrite that seeth a mote in his brothers eye and could not see the beam in his own VVas it not the Pharisee that blamed Christ's Disciples for crossing their Ceremonies and Traditions and saw not all the crimes in themselves recited Mat. 23. And is not the scrupling of a thing called by others Indifferent a mote in the eye of many truly godly persons I will not offend you by describing the beams Q. 45. Have we not often offered that as soon as any true reason can tell us that our Labours are here needless by the sufficient number and quality and labours of others we will joy fully be silent and seek for work where there is need Till then to starve souls is to be guilty of their damnation And if Meeting-Chapels be wanting why do not the great and rich Conformists build them Q. 46. Is it not a pleasing advantage to Papists if they can see two thousand of those Minister who are most against them silenced and driven from Cities and Corporations and made a hunting game and scorn and the Kingdom crackt by general divisions as turned into Guelphs and Gibelines weekly reviling and deriding each other as Whiggs and Tories Is it not their design to banish Conscience and absolute Obedience to God And you know who ruleth where God and Conscience doth not rule And what is it that the unconscionable will not do for worldly interest And did not the Papists always know that our Love and Concord would be our strength and their terrour Q. 47. Who is it that was or is able to cure all these our divisions It never was in our power nor yet is unless damning our souls by willful sin must be the cure For we have oft offered our Oaths that nothing but fear of sin shall hinder us from conforming If our fear come from ignorance do the Churches suffer none more ignorant than we But how easy were it with others without sin or cost to cure all Q. 48. Is it not God's great Mercy to our Land that we have had twenty years peace while other Lands have been miserable by Wars And if it be the Preachers of the Gospel that yet will give the Land no peace but cry out execute prosecute suffer not strike home and their judgment be the executioners encouragment who say The Clergy tells us it is our duty I had rather answer them with tears than words Q. 49. Should not the long and universal experience of the Christian VVorld be some warning to us which these thousand years hath been broken into shreds by the contentions of the Clergy and their Magisterial needless impositions and by forsaking the Primitive purity and simplicity Q. 50. Are not these words in the Liturgy before the Sacrament very terrible If any of you be a hinderer or slanderer of God's Word or be in malice or envy Repent of your sin and come not to this Holy Table lest after the taking of the Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he did into Iudas and fill you full of iniquities and bring you to destruction of Body and Soul And are not the Words of our Judge more terrible Mat. 25. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was hungry thirsty a stranger naked in prison c. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life eternal O let me never be one of those who for nothing shall run on such a doom Q. 50. If yet objections or the mis-understanding of our cause do frustrate all these reasons I have answered so many objections and so far opened the cause already as here is not to be repeated viz. In the First and Second Pleas for Peace In the Apology for our Preaching and in the Treatise of Episcopacy And against the judgment of those Reverend Fathers who still cry Abate nothing and suffer them not do Execution I set the judgment I. Of the King 1. In his Declaration from Breda 2. His healing Gracious Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs 1660. 3. And that of 1662. II. The Judgment of the late House of Commons Ian. 10. 1680. Resolved that it is the Opinion of this House that the prosecution of protâ—stant Dissenters upon the Penal-Laws is at this time grievous to the Subjects a weakning the Protestant Interest and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom III. Christ's Canon-Law 1 Iohn 4. 8 16. He that Loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love God is love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another Rom. 14. 17 18. The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. vers 1. Him that is weak in the Faith Receive we but not to doubtful disputations c. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which LABOVR AMONG you and are over you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in Love for their WORK sake and be at Peace among your selves 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise-me shall be lightly esteemed ENGLANDS SLAVERY Q. 1. IS not Silencing taking all we have and lying in Jaile among Rogues from six Months to six Months till we die greater Slavery than the Turks inflict on Christians Q. 2. What is this for And on what sort of Men Q. 3. Who be they that have caused and continued it after 27 Years Experience of the effects Q. 4. What is Diabolism if this be not Q. 5. Why is not publick Repentance of it proclaimed * And Bucer thought so too when â—e so earnestly wrote for another sort of Disciplâ—ne to King Edw. 6. The Story of the King of Cappadocia and his Brotâ—â— that conspired with some Nobles to depose him and take his Kingdom and how the Senate of Rome detected the Plot and defeated it by the help of Cicero then Proconsul there is worth the reading in Cicero's Epistles Read the Lord St. Alban's Considerations of Reconciling and Edification of the Church of England and his Advertisement on the present Church-Controversies and see whether he thought there was no need of Reformation And Judge Hales Papers of Religion See the Lord Bacon about Subscription in his foresaid Considerations Dedicated to King Iames. This was written 1683. This was â—ritten when â—he Duke of Monmouth's Treason was most noised and the Dissenters cryed down