THE CASE OF lay-Lay-Communion WITH THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONSIDERED And the Lawfulness of it shew'd from the Testimony of above an hundred eminent Non-Conformists of several Perswasions Published for the satisfaction of the scrupulous and to prevent the sufferings which such needlesly expose themselves to LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultry 1683. TO THE DISSENTERS FROM THE Church of England Dear Brethren YOU being at this time called upon by Authority to joyn in Communion with the Church and the Laws ordered to be put in Execution against such as refuse it it s both your Duty and Interest to enquire into the grounds upon which you deny Obedience to the Laws Communion with a Church of God and thereby expose our Religion to danger and your selves to suffering In which unless the cause be good the call clear and the end right it cannot bring Peace to your selves or be acceptable to God Not bring Peace to your selves For we cannot suffer joyfully the spoiling of our Goods the confinement of our Persons the ruine of our Families unless Conscience be able truly to say I would have done any thing but sin against God that I might have avoided these sufferings from men Not be acceptable to God to whom all are accountable for what portion he hath instrusted them with of the things of this life and are not to throw away without sufficient reason and who has made it our duty to do what we can without Sin in Obedience to that Authority which he hath set over us as you are told by some in the same condition with your selves To assist persons in this enquiry I have observed that of late several of the Church of England have undertaken the most material points that you do question and have handled them with that Candor and Calmness which becomes their profession and the gravity of the Arguments and which may the better invite those that are willing to be satisfied to peruse and consider them But because Truth and Reason do too often suffer by the prejudices we have against particular persons to remove as much as may be that obstruction I have in this Treatise shewed that these Authors are not alone but have the concurrent Testimony of the most eminent Non-Conformists for them who do generally grant that there is nothing required in the Parochial Communion of the Church of England that can be a sufficient reason for Separation from it The sence of many of these I have here collected and for one hundred I could easily have produced two if the Cause were to go by the Pole so that if Reason or Authority will prevail I hope that yet your satisfaction and recovery to the Communion of the Church is not to be despaired of Which God of his infinite mercy grant for your own and the Churches sake Amen THE CONTENTS THE difference betwixt Ministerial and lay-Lay-Communion pag. 1 The Dissenters grant the Church of England to be a true Church p. 4 That they are not totally to separate from it p. 12 That they are to comply with it as far as lawfully they can p. 16 That defects in Worship if not essential are no just reason for Separation p. 23 That the expectation of better edification is no sufficient reason to with-hold Communion p. 39 The badness of Ministers will not justifie Separation p. 48 The neglect or want of Discipline no sufficient reason to separate p. 59 The opinion which the Nonconformists have of the several practices of those of the Church of England which its Lay-Members are concerned in p. 64 That Forms of Prayer are lawful and do not stint the Spirit ibid. That publick prescribed Forms may lawfully be joyned with p. 66 That the Liturgy or Common-Prayer is for its matter sound and good and for its Form tolerable if not useful p. 69 That kneeling at the Sacrament is not idolatrous nor unlawful and no sufficient reason to separate from that Ordinance p. 71 72 That standing up at the Creed and Gospel is lawful p. 73 The Conclusion ibid. THE NON-CONFORMISTS PLEA FOR lay-Lay-Communion With the CHURCH of ENGLAND THE Christian World is divided into two Ranks Ecclesiastical and Civil usually known by the names of Clergy and Laity Ministers and People The Clergy besides the things essentially belonging to their Office are by the Laws of all well-ordered Churches in the World strictly obliged by Declarations or Subscriptions or both to owne and maintain the Doctrine Discipline and Constitution of the Church into which they are admitted Thus in the Church of England They do subscribe to the truth of the Doctrine more especially contained in the Thirty Nine Articles and declare that they will use the Forms and Rites contained in the Liturgy and promise to submit to the Government in its Orders The design of all which is to preserve the Peace of the Church and the Unity of Christians which doth much depend upon that of its Officers and Teachers But the Laity are under no such Obligations there being no Declarations or Subscriptions required of them nor any thing more than to attend upon and joyn with the Worship practised and allowed in the Church Thus it is in the Church of England as it is acknowledged by a worthy Person to whom when it was objected that many Errours in Doctrine and Life were imposed as Conditions of Communion he replies What is imposed on you as a Condition to your Communion in the Doctrine and Prayers of the Parish-Churches but your actual Communion it self In discoursing therefore about the lawfulness of Communion with a Church the difference betwixt these two must be carefully observed lest the things required only of one Order of Men should be thought to belong to all It 's observed by one That the original of all our mischiefs sprung from mens confounding the terms of Ministerial Conformity with those of Lay-Communion with the Parochial Assemblies there being much more required of Ministers than of the People private persons having much less to say for themselves in absenting from the Publick Worship of God though performed by the Liturgy than the Pastor hath for not taking Oaths c. Certainly if this difference was but observed and the Case of Lay-Communion truly stated and understood the people would not be far more averse to Communion with the Parish-Churches than the Non-Conforming Ministers are as one complains and whatsoever they might think of the Conformity of Ministers because of the previous terms required of them they would judge what is required of the people to be lawful as some of them do And as the Ministers by bringing their Case to the Peoples may see Communion then to be lawful and find themselves obliged to maintain it in a private capacity so the People by perceiving their Case not to be that of the Ministers but widely different from it would be induced to hold Communion with the Church
and to joyn with those of their Ministers that think it their Duty so to do and are therein of the opinion of the old Non-Conformists that did not act as if there was no middle between separation from the Church and true Worship thereof and subscription unto or practice or approbation of all the corruptions of the same For though they would not subscribe to the Ceremonies yet they were against separation from Gods Publick Worship as one of them in the name of the rest doth declare So that as great a difference as there is betwixt presence and Consent betwixt bare Communion and approbation betwixt the Office of the Minister and the attendance of a private person so much is there betwixt the Case of Ministerial and Lay-Communion And therefore when we consider the Case of Lay-Communion we are only to respect what is required of the people what part they are to have and exercise in Communion with the Church Now what they are concerned in are either The Forms that are imposed the Gestures they are to use and the Times they are to observe for the Celebration of Divine Worship or The Ministration which they may be remotely suppos'd also to be concerned in The lawfulness of all which and of all things required in lay-Lay-Communion amongst us I shall not undertake to prove and maintain by Arguments taken from those that already are in full Communion with the Church of England and so are obliged to justifie it but from those that in some things do dissent from it who may therefore be supposed to be impartial and whose Reasons may be the more heeded as coming from themselves and from such that are as forward in other respects to owne the miscarriages of the Church as those that wholly separate from it For the better understanding of the Case and of their Judgment in it I shall consider 1. What opinion the most eminent and sober Non-Conformists have had of the Church of England 2. What opinion they have had of Communion with that Church 3. What opinion they he had of such practices and usages in that Church as Lay-men are concerned in 1. What opinion the most eminent and sober Non-Conformists have had of the Church of England And that will appear in these two things First That they owne her to be a true Church Secondly To be a Church in the main very valuable First They owne her to be a true Church Thus an Eminent Person saith of the old Non-Conformists They did always plead against the Corruptions of the Church of England but never against the truth of her Being or the comfort of her Communion And as much is affirmed of the present by a grave and sober Person amongst them The Presbyterians generally hold the Church of England to be a true Church though defective in its Order and Discipline And thus it 's acknowledged in the name of the rest by one that undertakes their Defence and would defend them in their Separation We acknowledge the Church of England to be a true Church and that we are Members of the same visible Church with them And this they do not only barely assert but do undertake to prove This is done by the old Non-Conformists in their Confutation of the Brownists who thus begin That the Church of England is a true Church of Christ and such an one as from which whosoever wittingly and willingly separateth himself cutteth himself off from Christ we doubt not but the indifferent Reader may be perswaded by these Reasons following 1. We enjoy and joyn together in the use of those outward means which God hath ordained in his Word for the gathering of a visible Church and have been effectual to the unfeigned conversion of many as may appear both by the other fruits of Faith and by the Martyrdom which sundry have endured that were Members of our Church c. 2. Our whole Church maketh profession of the true Faith The Confession of our Church together with the Apology thereof and those Articles of Religion which were agreed upon in the Convocation-House An. 1562. whereunto every Minister of the Land is bound to subscribe so far forth as they contain the Confession of Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments do prove this evidently c. So Mr. Ball Wheresoever we see the Word of God truly taught and professed in Points fundamental and the Sacraments for substance rightly administred there is the true Church of Christ though the health and soundness of it may be crazed by many errours in Doctrine corruptions in the Worship of God and evils in the life and manners of men As much as this is also affirmed in the Letters passed betwixt the Ministers of Old England and New England It is simply necessary to the being of a Church that it be laid upon Christ the foundation which being done the remaining of what is forbidden or the want of what is commanded cannot put the Society from the Title or Right of a true Church And if we enquire into the judgment of the present Non-Conformists we shall find them likewise arguing for it Thus the Author of Jerubbaal The Essentials constitutive of a true Church a re 1. The Head 2. The Body 3. The Union that is between them Which three concurring in the Church of England Christ being the professed Head She being Christ's professed Body and the Catholick Faith being the Union-band whereby they are coupled together She cannot in justice be denied a true though God knows far from a pure Church If we should proceed in this Argument and consider the Particulars I might fill a Volume with Testimonies of this kind The Doctrine of the Church is universally held to be true and sound even the Brownists own'd it of old in their calm mood who declare We testifie to all men by these Presents That we have not forsaken any one Point of the true ancient Apostolick Faith professed in our Land but hold the same grounds of Christian Religion with them See more in Bayly's Disswasive c. 2. p. 20.33 and Dr. Stillingfleet's Unreasonableness of Separation part 1. § 9. p. 31. The Presbyterians if I may so call them for distinction sake do owne it So M r Corbet The Doctrin of Faith and Sacraments by Law established is heartily received by the Non-Conformists So M r Baxter As for the Doctrin of the Church of England the Bishops and their Followers from the first Reformation begun by Edward the VI were found in Doctrine adhering to the Augustan method express'd now in the Articles and Homilies they differed not in any considerable Point from those whom they called Puritans The like is affirmed by the Independents The Confession of the Church of England declared in the Articles of Religion and herein what is purely Doctrinal we fully embrace As to the Worship they owne it for the matter and substance to be good and for Edification So
As for those of New-England Mr. Baxter doth say that their own expressions signify that they take the English Parishes that have godly Ministers for true Churches though faulty Mr. Cotton professeth that Robinson's denial of the Parishional Churches to be true Churches was never received into any heart amongst them and otherwhere saith we dare not deny to bless the womb that bare us and the paps that gave us suck The five Dissenting Brethren do declare We have this sincere profession to make before God and the World that all the conscience of the defilements in the Church of England c. did never work in us any other thought much less opinion but that multitudes of the Assemblies and Parochial Congregation thereof were the true Churches and Body of Christ. To come nearer Dr. T. Goodwin doth condemn it as an error in those who hold particular Churches those you call Parish-Churches to be no true Churches of Christ and their Ministers to be no true Ministers and upon that ground forbear all church-Church-Communion with them in hearing or in any other Ordinance c. and saith I acquitted myself before from this and my Brethren in the Ministry But the Church of England is not only thus acknowledged a true Church but hath been also looked upon as the most valuable in the World whether we consider the Church it self or those that minister in it The Church it self of which the Authors of the grave and modest confutation thus write All the known Churches in the world acknowledge our Church for their sister and give unto us the right hand of fellowship c Dr. Goodwin saith If we should not acknowledge these Churches so stated i. e. Parish-Churches to be the true Churches of Christ and their Ministers true Ministers and their order such and bold Communion with them too in the sence spoken of we must acknowledge no Church in all the Reformed Churches c for they are all as full of mixture as ours And Mr. J. Goodwin saith that there was more of the truth and power of Religion in England under the late Prelatical Government than in all the Reformed Churches in the World besides If we would have a Character of the Ministry of the Church of England as it was then Mr. Bradshaw gives it Our Churches are not inferiour for number of able men yea and painful Ministers to any of the reformed Churches of Christ in foreign parts c. And certainly the number of such is much advanced since his time But I cannot say more of this subject than I find in a page or two of an Author I must frequently use to which I refer the Reader Before I proceed I shall only make this inference from what hath been said that if the Church of England be a true Church the Churches true Churches the Ministry a true Ministry the Doctrine found and Orthodox the worship in the main good and allowable and the defects such as render not the Ordinances unacceptable to God and ineffectual to us I think there is much said toward the proving Communion with that Church lawful and to justifie those that do join in it which brings to the second general which is to consider 2. What opinion the sober and eminent Non-Conformists have of Communion with the Church of England And they generally hold 1. That they are not totally to separate from it this follows from the former and must be own'd by all them that hold she is a true Church for to own it to be such and yet to separate totally from it would be to own and disown it at the same time So say the members of the Assembly of Divines Thus to depart from true Churches is not to hold Communion with them as such but rather by departing to declare them not to be such And saith Mr. Baxter nothing will warrant us to separate from a Church as no Church which yet is the case in total separation but the want of something essential to a Church But if the Church have all things essential to it it is a true Church and not to be separated from When the Church of Rome is called a true Church it s understood in a metaphysical or natural sence as a thief is a true man and the Devil himself though the Father of lies is a true spirit But withal she is a false Church as M r Brinsly saith from Bishop Hall an Heretical Apostatical Antichristian Synagogue And so to separate from her is a duty But when the Church of England is said to be a true Church or the Parochial Churches true Churches it s in a moral sense as they are found Churches which may safely be communicated with Thus doth D r Bryan make the opposition The Church of Rome is a part of the universal visible Church of Christians so far as they profess Christianity and acknowledge Christ their head but it is the visible society of Traiterous Usurpers so far as they profess the Pope to be their Head c. From this Church therefore which is Spiritual Babylon God's people are bound to separate c. but not from Churches which have made separation from Rome as the reformed Protestant Churches in France and these of Great Britain have done in whose Congregations is found truth of Doctrine a lawfull Ministry and a people professing the true Religion submitting to and joyning together in the true Worship of God Such a separation would as has been said unchurch it This would be deny Christ holds Communion with it or to deny Communion with a Church with which Christ holds Communion contrary to a principle that is I think universally maintained The errour of these men saith Mr. Brightman is full of evil who do in such a manner make a departure from this Church by total separation as if Christ were quite banished from hence and that there could be no hope of salvation to those that abide there Let these men consider that Christ is here feasting with his members will they be ashamed to sit at meat there where Christ is not ashamed to sit Further this would be a notorious Schism so the old Non-Conformists Conformists conclude because we have a true Church consisting of a lawful Ministry and a faithful people therefore they cannot separate themselves from us but they must needs incur the most shameful and odious reproach of manifest Schism for what is that saith another but a total separation from a true Church This lastly would not diminish but much increase the fault of the separation as another saith For it is a greater sin to depart from a Church which I profess to be true and whose ministry I acknowledge to be saving than from a Church which I conceive to be false and whose ministers I take to have no calling from God nor any blessing from his hand This therefore is their avow'd principle that
total separation from the Church is unlawful And this the old Non-Conformists did generally hold and maintain against the Brownists and the Dissenting Brethren did declare on their part We have always professed and that in those times when the Churches of England were the most either actually overspread with defilements or in the greatest danger thereof c. that we both did and would hold Communion with them as the Church of Christ. And among the present Non-Conformists several have writ for Communion with the Church against those that separate from it and have in Print declared it to be their duty and their practice So M r Baxter I constantly joyn in my Parish-Church in Liturgy and Sacraments It s said of M r Joseph Allen That he as frequently attended on the publick worship as his opportunities and strength permitted Of Mr. Brinsley that he ordinarily attended on the Publick Worship Dr. Collins saith as much of himself Mr. Lye in his Farewell Sermon doth advise his People to attend the Publick Worship of God to hear the best they could and not to separate but to do as the old Puritans did thirty years before Mr. Cradacot in his farewel Sermon professeth That if that Pulpit was his dying Bed he would earnestly perswade them to have a care of total separation from the Publick Worship of God Mr. Hickman freely declares I profess where-ever I come I make it my business to reconcile people to the publick Assemblies my conscience would fly in my face if I should do otherwise And Mr. Corbet as he did hold Communion with the Church of England so saith That the Presbyterians generally frequent the Worship of God in the Publick Assemblies It s evident then that it is their principle and we may charitably believe it is their practice in Conformity to it Thus Mr. Corbet declares for himself I own Parish-Churches having a competent Minister and a number of credible Professors of Christianity for true Churches and the Worship therein performed as well in Common-Prayer as in the Preaching of the Word to be in the main sound and good for the substance or matter thereof And I may not disown the same in my practice by a total neglect thereof for my judgment and practice ought to be concordant And if these two judgment and practice be not concordant it would be impossible to convince men that they are in earnest or that they do believe themselves while they declare against separation and yet do keep it up Those good men therefore were aware of this who met a little after the Plague and Fire to consider saith Mr. Baxter whether our actual forbearance to joyn with the Parish-Churches in the Sacrament and much more if it was total might not tend to deceive men and make them believe that we were for separation from them and took their Communion to be unlawful And upon the reasons given in they agreed such Communion to be lawful and meet when it would not do more harm than good that is they agreed that it was lawful in it self 2. They hold that they are not to separate further from such a true Church than the things that they separate for are unlawful or are conceived so to be that is that they ought to go as far as they can and do what lawfully they may toward Communion with it For they declare That to joyn in nothing because they cannot joyn in all things is a dividing practice and not to do what they can do in that case is Schism for then the separation is rash and unjust If therefore the Ministerial Communion be thought unlawful and the Lay-Communion lawful the unlawfulness of the former doth not bar a person from joyning in the latter The denying of assent and consent to all and every thing contained in the Book of Common-Prayer doth not gainsay the lawfulness of partaking in that Worship it being found for the substance in the main c. as a judicious person hath observed This was the case generally of the old Non-Conformists who notwithstanding their exclusion from their Publick Ministry held full Communion with the Church of England We are told by a good hand That as heretofore M r Parker M r Knewstubs M r Vdal c. and the many Scores suspended in Queen Elizabeth and King James's Reign so also of later times M r Dod M r Cleaver c. were utterly against even Semi-Separation i. e. against absenting themselves from the Prayers and the Lord's Supper So it s affirmed of them by M r Ball They have evermore condemned voluntary Separation from the Congregations and Assemblies or negligent frequenting of those Publick Prayers And some of them earnestly press the People to prefer the publick service before the private and to come to the beginning of the Prayers as an help to stir up Gods Graces c. And others did both receive the Sacrament and exhort others so to do as I shall afterward shew Again if in Lay-Communion any thing is thought to be unlawful that is no reason against the things that are lawful This was the case of many of the godly and learned Non-Conformists in the last age as we are told That were perswaded in their Consciences that they could not hold Communion with the Church of England in receiving the Sacrament kneeling without Sin yet did they not separate from her Indeed in that particular act they withdrew but yet so as they held Communion with her in the rest And thus much is owned by those of the present age as one declares The Church of England being a true Church so that a total separation from her is unwarrantable therefore Communion with her in all parts of real solemn Worship wherein I may joyn with her without either let or sin is a duty So another saith of them They are ready and desirous to return to a full union with the Parishes when ever the obstacles shall be removed And again They hold Communion with the Parishes not only in Faith and Doctrine but also in acts of worship where they think they can lawfully do it This those of the Congregational way do also accord to that they ought in all lawful things to communicate with the Churches of England not only in obedience to the Magistrate in which case they also acknowledge it to be their duty as well as others but also as they are true Churches and therefore plead for the lawfulness of hearing the established Ministry and undertake to answer the objections brought against it whether taken from the Ministers ordination or lives or the Church in which they are Ministers c. as you may find them in Mr. Robinson's Plea for it of old and Mr. Nye's of late as they are Printed together Upon the consideration of which the latter of these thus concludes In most of the misperswasions of these latter times by
marg l. 3. continuat p. 7. marg l. 1. Lecture p. 13. l. 2. Schism p. 49. l. 32. p. 57. l. 28. because l 32 â—â—â—h are without p. 61. l. 8. that as there l. 11. so that have l. 33. peâ—veâ—se p. 67. marg l. 28. dele Tryal p. 121. p. 70. marg l. 3 dele Plea p. 1. Mr. Mede's Farewel Serm. on 1 Cor. 1.3 Mr. Read 's Case p. 4. Continuat of Morn Exer. Ser. 4. p. 92. Read Ibid. Mr. Baxter's Defence of the Cure part 2. p. 29. A Book licensed by M r Cranfoâ—d Baxter's Cure p. 311. Continuat Morning Exercise Serm 4. p. 89. a Rathband's Epistle to the Reader prefixed to the grave and modest Confutation c. b Nichol's Plea for the Puritans Bayly's Disswasive c. 2. p. 21. Corbet's Discourse of the Religion of England p. 33. Non-Conformists no Schismaticks p. 13. A grave and sober Confut. p. 1. c. p. 57. Friendly Tryal of the grounds of Separat c. 13. p. 306. A Letter of many ministers in Old England to others in New England p. 24. Jerubbaal Or the Pleader Impleaded p. 18. 27. Brownists Apol p 7. An. 1604. Discourse §. 21. p. 43. Preface to 5. Disp. p. 6. Peace-Offering p. 12. See Mr. Baxter's Defence of his Cure part 1. p. 64. part 2. p. 3. Wadsworth in his Separation yet no Schism p. 60 62. Mr. Troughton's Apology for the Non-Conformists c. 3. p. 106. Letter 26. on John p. 121. Morning-Exercise Serm 4. p. 91. Tâ—â—â—ghton's Apol p. 104. Peace-Offering p. 17. Unreasonableness of the Separation p. 16. Grave and modest Confutat p. 28. Unreasonableness of Separation p. 27.37 Apologet. Narration p. 6. Cotton's Infant Baptism p. 181. * Jus Divinam Minist Evang. p. 12. c. Brinsly's Church remedy p. 41 42. Cawdry Independ a great Schism p. 60 89 172 ‖ Theoduâ—ia or just defence §. 15 16. Preface c. 9. §. 3. a Croston's reformation not separation p. 10. and Bethshemesh clouded p. 101. c. Cawdrey's Independ a great Schism p. 132. c. Church-Reformation p. 42. b Mr. Baxter's Plea for Peace Epist. Serm. on Gal. 6.10 p. 24. Defence p. 21. part 1. p. 36. c Mr. Corbit's account of the Principles c. of several Non-conformists p. 25. Troughton's Apol p. 103. Defence of his Cure part 2. p. 178. V. Letter of Ministers of Old England to New p. 49. Apol. c. 4. p. 117. Defence of his Cure part 2. p. 177. Wav cleared p. 8. His Letter p. 3. printed 1641. V. Hooker's Survey Preface part 1. p. 47. On the Ephes. p. 487 488 489. Pag. 6. Ibid. Sion College visited Unreasonableness of the Separation p. 97. Mr. Baxter's Cure of Church Divisions Dir. 56. p. 263. Papers for accomodation p. 47. Reasons for the Christian Religion p. 464. V. Annotations on the Apologet Narrat p. 17. Arraignment of Schim p. 26. Dwelling with God Serm. 6. p. 289 291. * On Rev. c. 2. V. Jenkin on Jude v. 19. Allen Vindiciae Pietatis second part p. 123. Vindication of Presbyterian Government p. 130. Cotton on John p. 156. a Grave confut p. 57. Cawdrey's Independency further proved p. 136. b Brinsly's Arraignment p. 15 24 44. c Baily's disswasive c. 6. p. 104. d Ames's Puritanismus Angl. V. Parker on the Cross part 2. c. 91. §. 21. Bax. Def. p. 55. e Apologet Nar. p. 6. f Sac. il desert p. 76. g The Life of Mr. J. Allen p. 111. h The Doctrine of Schism p. 64. i Reasonable account c. Bonasus vapulans p. 113. k Account of the Principles of the Non-Conformists p. 26. l Discourse of the Religion c. p. 33. V. Mr. Read's Case p. 15. Non-conformists Plea for Lay-Communion p. 1. Non-Conformists Plea for Peace §. 17. p. 240. m Bâ—rroughs Irenicum p. 182. n Vindication of Presbyt Govern Brinsly Arraignment p. 16.32 Corbet's Plea for Lay-Communion c. p. 2. Irenicum by Discipulus de tempore Junior alià s M. Newcomen Epist. to Reader Friendly Tryal c. 7. p. 121. Hildersham Lect. on John R. Rogers's 7. Treatises Tr. 7. c. 4. p. 224. Vindicat. of the Presbyt Gov. p. 135. Jerubbaal p. 28.30 Troughton's Apol p. 107. Mr. Nye's Case of great and present use p. 4. and 5. Mr. Read's Case p. 14. * Burrough's Irenicum p. 183. Lawfulness Hearing the Publick Ministers of the Church of England Nye's Case p. 24 25. Theodulia Or A just Defence of Hearing c. c. 10. §. 15. p. 369. c. 9. §. 8. p. 319. Treatise of the lawfulness of Hearing c. p. ult Theodulia Answer to Preface §. 23. p. 47 48. Vid. Blake's Vindiciae Foed c. 31. p. 229 c. Arraignment of Schism p. 50. Temple measured p. 78. Evangelical Love p. 76. Expos. on 1 Epist. John p. 156. Cure of Church-Divisions Dir. 5. p. 40. c. On the Sacrament p. 239. Account of the Principles of N. C. p. 8. and Discourse of Religion §. 16. p 33. Irenicum c. 23. p. 162 163. The Unreasonableness of the Separation p. 107. Jâ—â—â—â—baal p. 12. Apo p. 7. Expos. on 1 Epiâ—t Joh. p. 157. England's Remembrancer Serm. 2. p. 38. Arg. 1. Confession of Faith Art 36. Comment on Jâ—â—â— ver 19. His Life p. 111. Sacrileg Desert p. 96. Arg. 2. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 4. p. 94 95. a Ball 's Tryal p. 132. b The platform of Discipline in New England c. 14. §. 8. c Lect. 35. on John p. 165 166. d Dwelling with God p. 294. Ibid. The Unreasonableness of Sâ—paration p. 104. Non-Conformists no Schismaticks p. 15. Independ a great Schism p. 195. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 4. p. 111. Arg. 3. Dr. Owen's discourse of Evangel Love c. 3. p. 81. Troughton's Apol p. 110. Lect. 35. on John p. 165 166. and Lect. 82. p. 384. V. Dr. Bryan's dwelling with God p. 293. e on the Sacrament p. 242. Croston's hard way to Heaven p. 36. Noye's Temple measured p. 79. Jenkin on Jude v. 19. Davenport's Apol reply p. 281. Ball 's Tryal p. 159 c. f Com. on 1 Epist John p. 156. Godly Mans Ark Epist. Ded. Godly Mans portion p. 122. V. Bains on the Ephes. c. 2.15 p. 297. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 16. p. 455. Continuat of Morn Exer. Serm. 16. p. 459. Arg. 4. Unreas of the Separat p. 103. Tryal of the grounds of Separat c. 137 13â— Sacrileg desert p. 95. Defence of his Cure part 1. p. 47. Iren. c 23. p. 163. Godly Mans portion p. 124. Com. on Ephes. c. 2.15 p. 297. Morton's Memorial p. 78. c. Mr. Baxter's Def. of Cure part 2. p. 171. Englands Remembrancer Ser. 14. p. 371. Arg. 5. Independ a Schism p. 192. Vindiciae soed c. 31. p. 228. Platform of Discipline in New England c. 14. §. 8. Temple measured p. 78. Theodulia Ans. to Pres. §. 25. p. 48. Arg. 6. Confer Savoy p. 12 13. Mr. Baxters's Defence of the Cure p. 34 35. Tryal of the grounds c. p. 308. Door of Truth opened
the old Non-Conformists as M r Hildersham There is nothing in our Assemblies but we may receive profit by it c. And again There is nothing done in God's Publick Worship among us but what is done by the Institution Ordinance and Commandment of the Lord. So among the present it is own'd by both Presbyterians and Independents by the former in the Morning-Exercise Why may it not be supposeable that Christians may be moved by reasonable considerations to attend the Publick Forms the substantial parts of them being thought agreeable to a Divine Institution though in some Circumstantials too disagreeable So it 's acknowledged That in private Meetings the same Doctrine and Worship is used as in the Parish Churches only some Circumstances and Ceremonies omitted By the latter We know full well that we differ in nothing from the whole form of Religion established in England but only in some few things in outward Worship But I shall have further occasion to treat of this under the third General As for the Ministry of the Church 1. It is acknowledged to be true and for substance the same which Christ hath established So M r Bradshaw I affirm That the Ministry of our Church-Assemblies howsoever it may in some particular parts of the execution happily be defective in some places is for the substance thereof that very same Ministry which Christ hath set in his Church This he speaks as he saith of those that do subscribe and conform according to the Laws of the State 2. That they have all things necessarily belonging to their Office so the grave and modest Confutation maintains The preaching of the whole truth of God's Word and nothing but it the administration of the Sacraments and of publick Prayer as they are all parts of the Ministers Office prescribed in the Word so they are all appointed to our Ministers by the Law 3. They owne That all the defects in it whether in their Call or Administration do not nullifie the Office Thus much M r Bradshaw doth contend for So many of our Ministers who in the Book of Ordination are called Priests and Deacons as in all Points concerning the substance of their Ministry are qualified according to the intent of the Laws have their Offices Callings Administration and maintenance for the substance thereof ordained by Christ. And yet I deny not but there may be some accidental defects or superfluities in or about them all yet such as do not or cannot be proved to destroy the nature and substance of any of them This is maintained at large in the Letter of the Ministers in Old England c. p. 86 87. And the like is also affirmed even by those of the Congregational way so the Brethren in their Apology The unwarrantable power in Church-Governours did never work in any of us any other thought much less opinion but that the Ministry thereof of the English Churches was a true Ministry So M r Cotton The power whereby the Ministers in England do administer the Word and Sacraments is either spiritual and proper essential to their Calling or adventitious and accidental The former they have received from Christ c. The latter from the Patron who presents or the Bishop who ordains c. Whoever has a mind to see their Ordination defended may consult Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici part 2. p. 12 16 17 25 c. Jus Divinum Râ—gim Eccles. p. 264 c. Cawdry's Independency a great Schism p. 116. and his Defence of it p. 35 37. Thus far therefore we see how far it is agreed that the Church of England is a true Church in its Doctrine Worship and Ministry But when we come to consider what the Church is they own thus to be true there we shall find that they do differ The Presbyterians generally own a National Church and have writ much in the behalf of it as may be seen in the Books quoted in the Margin others look upon it as a prudential thing and what may lawfully be complyed with So Mr. Tombs It is no more against the Gospel to term the believers of England the Church of England than it is to term believers throughout the World the Cahtholick Church nor is it more unfit for us to term our selves Members of the Catholick Church nor is there need to shew any institution of our Lord more for the one than the other But those that will not own it to be a true Church in respect of such a constitution or that speak doubtfully of it do yet assert as much of the Parish Churches It s acknowledged by all that the distribution into Parishes is not of divine but humane institution but withal its thought by some agreeable to the reason of the thing and somewhat favoured by Scripture and by experience has been found to be of such convenience advantage and security to Religion that a person of great eminence hath more than once said I doubt not but he that will preserve Religion here in its due advantages must endeavour to preserve the soundness concord and honour of the Parish Churches And another very worthy person saith that the nullifying and treading down the Parish Churches is a Popish Design But whatever opinion others may have of that Form yet all of one sort and another agree that the Churches so called are or may be true Churches This was the general opinion of the old Non-Conformists Thus saith a late Writer who though he is unwilling to grant that they did own the National Church to be a true Church yet doth admit as he needs must at least that they did own the several Parishes or Congregations in England to be true Churches both in respect of their constitution and also in respect of their doctrine and worship and that there were in them no such intollerable corruptions as that all Christians should fly from them And even those that were in other respects opposite enough to the Church did so declare It was saith Mr. Baxter the Parish Churches that had the Liturgy which Mr. H. Jacob the Father of the Congregational party wrote for communion with against Fr. Johnson and in respect to which be called them Separatists against whom he wrote The same I may say of Mr. Bradshaw Dr. Ames and other Non-Conformists whom the Congregational Brethren think were favourable to their way And if we will hearken to the abovesaid Author he saith again and again that the general sence of the present Non-Conformists both Ministers and People is that the Parishes of England generally are true Churches both as to the matter of them the people being Christians and as to the form their Ministers being true Ministers such as for their doctrine and manners deserve not to be degraded But left he should be thought to incline to one side I shall produce the testimony of such as are of the Congregational way
which men's minds have been corrupted I find in whatsoever they differ one from another yet in this they agree That it 's unlawful to hear in publick which I am perswaded is one constant design of Satan in the variety of ways of Religion he hath set on foot by Jesuits amongst us Let us therefore be the more aware of whatsoever tends that way Of this Opinion also is M r Tombs though he continued an Anabaptist who has writ a whole Book to defend the Hearing of the present Ministers of England and toward the Close of the Work hath given forty additional Reasons for it and in opposition to those he writes against doth affirm Sure if the Church be called Mount Sion from the preaching of the Gospel the Assemblies of England may be called Sion Christ's Candlesticks and Garden as well as any Christians in the World I shall conclude this with what M r Robinson saith in this Case viz. For my self thus I believe with my heart before God and profess with my tongue and have before the World that I have one and the same Faith Spirit Baptism and Lord which I had in the Church of England and none other that I esteem so many in that Church of what state or Order soever as are truly Partakers of that Faith as I account thousands to be for my Christian Brethren and my self a Fellow-member with them of that one Mystical Body of Christ scattered far and wide throughout the World that I have always in spirit and affection all Christian Fellowship and Communion with them and am most ready in all outward Actions and Exercises of Religion lawful and lawfully done to express the same And withal that I am perswaded the hearing of the Word of God there preached in the manner and upon the grounds formerly mentioned both lawful and upon occasion necessary for me and all true Christians withdrawing from that Hierarchical Order of Church-Government and Ministry and the uniting in the Order and Ordinances instituted by Christ. Thus far He. From what hath been said upon this Head we may observe that though these Reverend Persons do go upon different Reasons according to the Principles they espouse though they agree not in the Constitution of Churches c. yet they all agree that the Parochial Churches are or may be as I have observed before true Churches of Christ that Communion with such Churches is lawful and that we are to go as far as we can toward Communion with them Though they differ about the Notion of Hearing as whether it be an Act of Communion and about the Call of those they hear yet they all agree in the lawfulness of it And therefore to separate wholly in this Ordinance and from the Parochial Churches as no Churches are equally condemned by all 3. They hold that they are not to separate from a Church for unlawful things if the things accounted unlawful are not of so heinous a nature as to unchurch a Church and affect the Vitals of Religion or are not imposed as necessary terms of Communion 1. If the Corruptions are such as do not unchurch a Church or affect the vital parts of Religion So saith M r Tombs Not every not many Corruptions of some kind do un-church there being many in Faith Worship and Conversation in the Churches of Corinth and some of the Seven Churches of Asia who yet were Golden Candlesticks amidst whom Christ did walk But such general avowed unrepented of errours in Faith as overthrow the foundation of Christian Faith to wit Christ the only Mediator betwixt God and man and salvation by him Corruptions of Worship by Idolatry in Life by evil manners as are utterly inconsistent with Christianity till which in whole or in part they are not unchurched For till then the Corruptions are tolerable and so afford no just reason to dissolve the Church or to depart from it So M r Brinsley Suppose some just grievances may be found among us yet are they tolerable If so then is Separation on this ground intolerable unwarrantable in as much as it ought not to be but upon a very great and weighty cause and that when there is no remedy So M r Noyes Private Brethren may not separate from Churches or Church-Ordinances which are not fundamentally defective neither in Doctrine or Manners Heresy or Prophaness To all which add the Testimony of D r Owen and M r Cotton The former asserts That many errours in Doctrine disorders in sacred Administrations irregular walking in Conversation with neglect and abuse of Discipline in Rulers may fall out in some Churches and yet not evacuate their Church-state or give sufficient warrant to leave their Communion and separate from them The latter saith Vnless you find in the Church Blasphemy or Idolatry or Persecution that is such as is intolerable there is no just ground of separation This is universally own'd But if any one should yet continue unconvinced let him but peruse the Catalogue of the faults of nine Churches in Scripture collected by M r Baxter and I perswade my self he will think the Conclusion inferr'd from it to be just and reasonable Observe saith he that no one member is in all these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any of all these Churches as if their Communion in Worship were unlawful And therefore before you separate from any as judging Communion with them unlawful be sure that you bring greater reasons for it than any of these recited were 2. They are not to separate if the Corruptions are not so made the Conditions of Communion that they must necessarily and unavoidably communicate in them M r Vines speaks plainly to both of these The Church may be corrupted many ways in Doctrine Ordinances Worship c. And there are degrees of this Corruption the Doctrine in some remote Points the Worship in some Rituals of mans invention or custom How many Churches do we find thus corrupted and yet no Separation of Christ from the Jewish Church nor any Commandment to the Godly of Corinth c. to separate I must in such a Case avoid the Corruption hold the Communion But if Corruptions invade the Fundamentals the foundation of Doctrine is destroyed the Worship is become idolatrous and what is above all if the Church impose such Laws of her Communion as there is a necessity of doing or approving things unlawful in that Case Come out of Babylon The Churches of Protestants so separated from Rome But if the things be not of so heinous a nature nor thus strictly required then Communion with a Church under defects is lawful and may be a Duty So saith M r Corbet in the name of the present Non-Conformists We hold not our selves obliged to forsake a true Church as no Church for the corruptions and disorders found therein or to separate from its Worship for the tolerable faults thereof while our personal profession
one without being active in or approving the other there God is yet present there he may be spiritually worshipped served acceptably and really enjoyed 3. They grant that the being present at Divine Worship is no consent to the corruptions in it Thus M r Robinson He that partakes with the Church in the upholding any evil hath his part in the evil also But I deny as a most vain imagination that every one that partakes with a Church in things lawful joyns with it in upholding the things unlawful to be found in it Christ our Lord joyned with the Jewish Church in things lawful and yet upheld nothing unlawful in it So M r Nye Approbation is an act of the mind it is not shewed until it be expressed outwardly by my words and gestures This M r Baxter undertakes to prove by several Arguments as that no man can in reason and justice take that for my profession which I never made by word or deed That the profession made by Church-Communion is totally distinct from this That this opinion would make it unlawful to joyn with any Pastor or Church on Earth since every one mixeth Sin with their Prayers 4. They say that corruptions though foreknown do not yet make those that are present guilty of them Thus the old Non-Conformists declare It is all one to the People whether the fault be personal as some distinguish or otherwise known before-hand or not known For if simple presence defile whether it was known before-hand or not all presence is faulty And if simple presence defile not our presence is not condemned by reason of the corruptions known whereof we stand not guilty If the error be such as may be tolerated and I am called to be present by such fault I am not defiled though known before M r Baxter replys to those of a contrary opinion after this manner Take heed that thus by affirming that foreknowing faults in Worship makes them ours you make not God the greatest sinner and the worst Being in all the World For God foreknoweth all mens sins and is present when they commit them and he hath Communion with all the Prayers of the faithful in the World what faults soever be in the words or forms he doth not reject them for any such failings Will you say therefore that God approveth or consenteth to all these sins I know before-hand that every man will sin that prayeth by defect of desire c. But how doth all this make it mine c. And he otherwhere adds It is another mans fault or errour that you foreknow and not your own 5. It s granted that the fault of another in the ministration of Divine Worship is none of ours nor a sufficient reason to absent from it or to deprive our selves of it Thus M r Baxter The wording of the publick Prayers is the Pastors work and none of mine c. And why should any hold me guilty of another mans fault which I neither can help nor belongeth to any office of mine to help any farther than to admonish him And that the faults of him that Ministers are no sufficient reason to debar our selves of Communion in the worship Mr. Nye affirms and proves by this Argument If I may not omit a duty in respect to the evil mixed with it which is my own much less may I thus leave an ordinance for the evil that is another mans no way mine or to be charged upon me This were to make another mans sins or infirmities more mine than my own Thus is the case resolved with respect to the Cross in Baptism I may not only saith one do that which I judge to be inconvenient but suffer another to do that which I judge to be unlawful rather than be deprived of a necessary ordinance e. g. If either I must have my Child baptized with the sign of the Cross or not baptized at all I may suffer it to be done in that way though I judge it an unlawful addition because the manner concerns him that doth it not me at least not so much so long as there is all the essence He must be responsible for every irregularity not I. Thus Jacob took Laban's Oath though by his Idols c. After the same manner doth Mr. Baxter resolve the case in his Christian Directory p. 49. Seventhly They grant that it is a duty to joyn with a defective and faulty Worship where we can have no better Thus the Presbyterian Brethren at the Savoy An inconvenient mode of Worship is a sin in the Imposer and in the chuser and voluntary user that may offer God better and will not And yet it may not be only lawful but a duty to him that by violence is necessitated to offer up that or none This is acknowledged by an Author that is far from being favourable to Communion with the Church If the word of God could be no where heard or Communion in Sacraments no where enjoyed but only in such Churches that were so corrupt as yours is conceived to be it might be lawful yea and a duty to joyn with you so far as possibly Christians could without sin Accordingly Mr. Baxter declares that it is a duty to hold Communion constantly with any of the Parish Churches amongst us that have honest competent Pastors when we can have no better and professeth for his own part Were I saith he in Armenia Abassia or among the Greeks I would joyn in a much more defective Form than our Liturgy rather than none And he adds That this is the judgment of many New England Ministers to joyn with the English Liturgy rather than have no Church Worship I have reason to conjecture from the defence of the Synod c. Now in what cases this is to be presumed that we can have no better he shews 1. When it is so by a necessity arising from Divine Providence 2. A necessity proceeding from humane Laws which forbid it 3. A necessity from the injury done to the publick And 4. When it is to our own greater hinderance than help as when we must use none or do worse In these and the like cases it becomes a duty and what is otherwise lawful is thereby made necessary And he that cannot joyn with a purer Worship than what is publickly established without the breach of humane Laws or the disturbance of the publick Peace or dividing the Church of God or the bringing danger upon himself is as much where any of these or the like reasons are restrained from so doing as if it did proceed from a natural or providential necessity that is the one he cannot do Physically and naturally the other he cannot do morally honestly and prudently Having thus far stated the case and shew'd that its universally owned by those that dissent from the Church of England that Communion in a Worship not essentially defective and corrupted is lawful
means which are most edifying It s answered by a Reverend Person They may say at all times when they have nothing to outweigh their own edification So that edification may be outweighed and then it can be no standing and sufficient reason So M r Burroughs declares in this case Men must consider not only what the thing is in its own nature but what it is to them how it stands in reference to their relations It is not enough to say the thing is in it self better but is it better in all the references I have and it hath Is it better in regard of others in regard of the publick for the helping me in all my relations may it not help one way and hinder many ways Of the same opinion is M r Baxter Many things saith he must concur and especially a respect to the publick good to know which is the best So that edification is not to be judged of alone our own improvement is not to determine us in our actions and especially not with respect to Church-Communion for then other reasons do give Law to it and over-rule it This we see those that dissent from the Church in other things agree with her in And they give several reasons and arguments for it First If we were sure we could not profit yet we must come to do homage to God and shew reverence to his Ordinance This is M r Hildersham's opinion Secondly The leaving a Church for better edification is built upon a false and dangerous principle which is that we must always chuse the best So M r Burroughs To hold what in its self best must be chosen and done not weighing circumstances or references is a dividing principle And afterward he saith a Christian without comparing one thing with another will hack and hew and disturb himself and others in the ways of Religion I believe some of you have known those who whatsoever they have conceived to be better than other they have presently followed with all eagerness never considering circumstances references or consequences but the thing is good it must be done yet being wearied with this they have after grown loose in as great an excess the other way Thirdly This principle of better edification if followed would bring in confusion So M r Hildersham This factious disposition of the hearers of Gods Word hath in all ages been the cause of much confusion in the Church of God and greatly hindred the fruit of the Gospel of Christ. This saith M r Brinsley the moderate Author of the late Irenicum M r Burroughs will by no means allow but condemns as the direct way to bring in all kind of disorder and confusion into the Church and I think none who are judicious but will therein subscribe to him It will not be amiss to transcribe his own words It is in it self a better thing to enjoy a Ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces than one of lower but if this should be made a rule that a man who is under a Pastor who is faithful and in some good measure gifted upon another mans coming into the Country that is more eminent he should forsake his Pastor and join to the other and if after this still a more eminent man comes he should leave the former and join to him and by the same Law a Pastor who hath a good People yet if others be more likely to receive more good he may leave his own People and go to them what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the Church This is condemned also by the New England Ministers This M r Cawdrey doth expose If a man may lawfully separate from a true Church c. only with a good mind to serve God in Church-institutions true or conceited by his own light all the Secretaries and Separists Donatists Brownists in the World may be justified This saith another speaking of hearing for this reason is a Church-destroying Principle sure if one member be not fixed then not another nor another c. and then not the Pastor nor Teacher and so farewel Churches Fourthly This will be endless So M r Burroughs Men must not separate from a Church though there be corruptions in it to gather into a new Church which may be more pure and in some respects more comfortable First Because we never find the Saints in Scripture separating or raising Churches in such a case And Secondly There would be no continuance in Church-fellowship if this were admitted for what Church is so pure and hath all things so comfortable but within a while another Church will be more pure and some things will be more comfortable there And he concludes with this prudent maxim The general peace of the Church should be more regarded than some comfortable accommodations to our selves So M r Baxter What if twenty Ministers be one abler than another in their several degrees doth it follow that only the ablest of all these may be joyned with because that all the rest do worse And yet this must be if edification be always to be consulted and is to determine us in our choice of Ministers Churches and Ordinances Fifthly They say edification doth not depend so much upon the external administration of Worship as Gods Blessing and that we are not to break the Order Peace and Union of the Church for the sake of it The former is asserted by M r Hildersham It s our sin and shame and is just cause of humbling to us if we cannot profit by the meanest Minister God hath sent The power of the Ministry dependeth not on the excellency of the Teachers gift but Gods blessing The latter is maintained by M r Vines It s said order in an Army kills no Body yet without it the Army is but a rout neither able to offend or defend So haply order in the Church converts no body yet without it I see not how the Church can attain her end or preserve themselves in begetting or breeding up Souls to God Therefore is the advice of Mr. Baxter Do not think to prosper by breaking over the hedge under pretence of any right of Holiness so of edification whatsoever following any party that would draw you to Separation The mischief of which is represented by Dr. Tuckney Experience saith he hath taught us that the Church of God hath been poorly edifyed by those who have daubed up their Babel with untempered mortar c. when the Church is rent by Schisms and Factions and one Congregation is turned into many Conventicles falsely now called Churches this doth diminish weaken and ruine Lastly When they do grant that edification may serve to guide us and that we may hear where we can most profit it s with such limitations and cautions as these it must be seldom in a great case without offence and contempt Thus Mr. Hildersham I dare
not condemn such Christians as having Pastors in the places where they live of meaner gifts do desire so they do it without open breach or contempt of the Churches order to enjoy the Ministry of such as have better gifts c. so they do it without contempt of their own Pastors and without scandal and offence to them and their People So again You ought not to leave your own Pastor at anytime with contempt of his Ministry as when you say or think alas he is no body a good honest man but he hath no gifts I cannot profit by him And as if he could not be too cautious in the case he lays down this as the Character of one that doth this innocently He only makes right use of the benefit of hearing such as have more excellent gifts than his own Pastors and learns thereby to like his own Pastor the better and to profit more by him That this is to be but seldom we have the concurrent testimony of the Provincial Assembly of London who upon this Question Would you have a man keep constantly to the Minister under whom he lives do answer We are not so rigid as to tye up People from hearing other Ministers occasionally even upon the Lords Day But yet we believe 't is most agreable to Gospel order upon the grounds forementioned Thus it is resolved also by one of a more rigid way who puts this Question Whether members of particular Churches may hear indifferently elsewhere and returns this answer God will have mercy and not sacrifice as distance of habitation handling such a point But most certainly members of Churches ought mostly to be with their own Churches The imagined content in hearing others is rather a temptation than motion of the Spirit From all which we may conclude that the pretence of better edification is no sufficient reason for Separation from a Church Worship or Ministry without there be other reasons that do accompany it and then it is not for this reason so much as those it is in conjunction with But admitting this yet it will hardly be granted to be a reason for Separation from the Church of England if the testimony of many worthy persons be of any consideration Thus Mr Hildersham declares when he is reproving such as make no conscience to come to the beginning of Gods publick Worship and to stay to the end of it he thus proceeds Because I see many of them that have most knowledge and are forwardest professors offend in this way I will manifest the sin of these men 1. They sin against themselves in the profit they might receive by the Worship of God There is no part of Gods service not the Confession not the Prayers not the Psalm not the Blessing but it concerns every one and every one may receive edification by it This he otherwhere repeats and saith By the Confession and all other Prayers used in the Congregation a man may receive more profit than by many other Of this opinion as to the most of the Prayers in our Liturgy were the old Non-Conformists We are perswaded that not only some few select Prayers but many Prayers and other exhortations may lawfully be used with fruit and edification to Gods People As for the word preach'd amongst us Mr Nye saith that there is a summ of doctrinal truths which in the enlargement and application are sufficient both for conversion and edification to which the Preachers are to assent And that the word of God interpreted and applyed by preaching in this way is a choice mercy and gift wherewith God hath blessed this Nation for many Years to the conversion and edification of many thousands And he afterwards ascribes the want of edification to the prejudices of People Such reasonings saith he against hearing though they convince not the unlawfulness of it yet they leave such prejudices in the minds of them which are tender as perplex and render hearing less profitable and edifying even to those that are perswaed of its lawfulness This M r Tombs declares himself freely in If we look to experience of former times there is now ground to expect a blessing from conforming Preachers as well or rather more than from Preachers of the separated Churches Sure the conversion consolation strengthening establishing of Souls in the truth has been more in England from Preachers who were Enemies to Separation whether Non-Conformist to Ceremonies or Conformists Presbyterial or Episcopal even from Bishops themselves than from the best of the Separatists I think all that are acquainted with the History of things in the last age will acknowledge that more good hath been to the Souls of men by the Preaching of Vsher Potter Abbot Jewel and some other Bishops by Preston Sibbs Taylor Whately Hildersham Ball Perkins Dod Stock and many thousands Adversaries to the separated Churches than ever was done by Ainsworth Johnson Robinson rigid Separatists or Cotton Tho. Hooker and others though men of precious memory promoters of the way of the Churches Congregational And therefore if the Bishops and conforming Preachers now apply themselves as we hope when the heat of contention is more allayed they will to the profitable way of preaching against Popery and Prophaneness exciting Auditors to the life of faith in Christ c. there may be as good ground if not better considering how much the Spirits of Separatists are for their party and the speaking of the truth in love and edifying in love is necessary to the growth of the Body Eph. 4.15 to expect by them a blessing in promoting the power of Godliness than from the Separatists So that whether we consider the Worship or Doctrine or the preaching of it the Church of England in their apprehension doth not want a sufficiency of means for the conversion and edification of Souls And consequently the argument taken from edification in justification of forsaking the Communion of it is inconclusive and of no force But this branch of it will be further confirm'd under the third general But however this will not be so easily quitted for supposing the Doctrine good and those that teach it capable as far as learning and parts are requisite to improve it to the conversion and edification of others yet if they themselves are loose and scandalous it may give just offence and be thought a sufficient cause to separate from the Worship in which such do officiate 3. Therefore I shall shew that the badness of the Ministers is of it self no sufficient reason to forsake the Communion of a Church or to separate from the Worship administred in it What holy M r Rogers saith is a great truth It is not to be denied but that the example of ignorant and unreformed especially notorious Persons in the Ministry hath done and doth much harm and if either they cannot be convicted or if their crimes be such as cannot remove them out of their places there is just
cause of grief that such should have any thing to do in Gods matters which are so weighty and to be dealt withal in high reverence But yet before the objection is admitted it is to be premised 1. That if there be such in the Church it doth not proceed from their Conformity to it For good and pious men of this sort always were and still are in the Church What there were formerly may be read in Mr Baxter who thus delivers himself When I think what learned holy incomparable men abundance of the old Conformists were my heart riseth against the thoughts of separating from them such as M r Bolton M r Whately M r Fenner c. and abundance other such yea such as Bishop Jewel Bishop Grindal Bishop Hall c. yea and the Martyrs too as Cranmer Ridley Hooper himself c. What there are now in the Church he also tells us I believe there are many hundred Godly Ministers in the parish-Parish-Churches of England And of his own knowledge saith I profess to know those of them whom I take to be much better than my self I will say a greater word that I know those of them whom I think as Godly and humble Ministers as most of the Non-Conformists whom I know So saith D r Bryan In some Countries I am sure there are many Sober Godly Orthodox able Preachers yet in possession of the publick places 2. It is to be premised that this argument if of any yet is of no farther force than against the Congregations where such are and so is of none against the Church it self where are good as well as bad nor against Parochial Communion where such are not So M r Baxter argues I doubt not but there are many hundred Parish Ministers who preach holily and live holily though I could wish that they were more And what reason have you to charge any other mens sins on them c. or to think it unlawful to joyn with the good for the sake of the bad this is to condemn the sound for the sake of the infected Having premised this we shall re-assume the case and consider how it is stated and resolved by them 1. It s granted that it is not unlawful to joyn with bad Ministers in some cases where they may have better So M r Rogers As it is far from me to be a Patron of such or to justifie them so yet while we may enjoy the Ministry of better I would not refuse to be partaker of the Prayers which are offered by them 2. It s granted that its lawful and a duty to hear and joyn with such where a better cannot be had that it is lawful so M r Rogers Who can blame him who desireth to pray with better than they be And yet better to joyn with them sometime than to leave the publick Assemblies altogether So M r Baxter No People should chuse and prefer an ungodly Minister before a better but they should rather submit to such than have none when a better by them cannot be had That its a duty so the old Non-Conformists The Scripture teacheth evidently that the People must and ought to joyn with them unworthy Ministers in the Worship of God and in separating from the Ordinance they shall sin against God For the Worship is of God and the Ministry is of God the Person unworthily executing his place is neither set up by some few private Christians nor can by them be removed And warrant to withdraw themselves from the Worship of God because such as ought not are suffered to intermeddle with holy things they have none from God So M r Ball To communicate with Ministers no better than Pharisees in the true Worship of God is to worship God aright to reverence his Ordinances to relye upon his Grace to hearken unto his voice and submit unto his good pleasure This they maintain by several arguments As First Such were always in the Church and Communion must never have been held with the Church if no Communion was to be where such were So the old Non-Conformists argue If the Minister make it unlawful then all Communion in any part of Gods Worship with such Ministers is unlawful and so the Church in all ages of the World the Prophets our Saviour Christ the Apostles and the faithful in the Primitive Churches sinned in holding Communion with such when the Priests were dumb Dogs that could not bark and greedy Dogs that could never have enough when the Prophets prophesied lyes when the Priests bought and sold Doves in the Temple c. when they were such and did such things they were ungodly Ministers but we never find that the Prophets our Saviour and the Apostles did either forbear themselves or warn the faithful not to communicate with such in the Ordinance of Worship So much M r Nye doth grant More cannot be objected against our Ministers that Conform than might against the Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time either in respect of their Doctrine which was loaden with Traditions their standing which was not according to Law their lives which were vicious yet Christ not only permits but requires us to attend the truths they deliver Secondly They plead that our Saviour himself did Communicate where such did Officiate So D r Bryan In some Countries I am sure there are many Sober Godly Orthodox able Preachers c. And if you know any Country where it is worse consider if Christ himself did not joyn with worse This is attested by another Reverend Person Our Saviour Christ used to attend on the publick Worship in his time notwithstanding such formalists and superstitious ones as the Scribes and Pharisees did officiate in it Thirdly They say that the sin of the Minister is not theirs nor doth bring any detriment to them though they Communicate with him So M r Baxter A Ministers personal faults may damn himself and must be matter of lamentation to the Church who ought to do their best to reform them or get better by any lawful means but in case they cannot his sin is none of theirs nor doth it make his administration null or ineffectual nor will it allow you to separate from the Worship which he administreth So the Ministers sent to Oxford do assert Some evil men may and always have de facto been Officers and Ministers in the Church c. and the wickedness of such men did not null or evacuate their Ministerial Acts for our Saviour would have the Scribes and Pharisees heard while they sate in Moses Chair c. And that the Ministrations in such a case are not invalid and that the People suffer not by it they further prove 1. Because they officiate not in their own name So the Old Non-Conformists It hath evermore been held for a truth in the Church of God that although sometimes the evil hath chief authority in the
Ministration of the Word and Sacraments yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name but in Christs and minister by his commission and authority we may use their Ministry both in hearing the Word and receiving the Sacraments neither is the effect of Christs Ordinance taken away by their wickedness 2. The vertue of the Ordinance doth not depend upon their goodness but Gods promise So M r Rogers saith of Prayer If this burden of bad Ministers must be born I ask if among many sweet liberties we enjoy we may not joyn in Prayer with them if we can pray in faith seeing their unworthiness cannot withhold the fruit of Gods promise from us which is to one kind of Prayer as well as another So saith M r Cradacot of the Word Take heed saith he of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the Word because of the misdemeanors or miscarriage of the Minister It is the word of the Lord which converts not the Person of the dispenser or speaker Hence it was that the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees was not to be rejected but to be esteemed so long as they failed not in the substance thereof c. I conceive its a rare thing for unconverted Ministers to convert and yet we must remember not to tye the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments to the goodness or badness of a Ministers Person So when it s objected How can we expect a blessing upon the labours of such though they preach truth Mr. Nye replys Answ. 1. The mixtures in Sermons are nearest the irregularities of their calling next the sins of their conversations furthest from their Doctrine and therefore have less efficacy at such a distance to prejudice it Answ. 2. It s Gods word and not their own they preach c. 3. That if Persons themselves do believe and are sincere they are notwithstanding such a Ministry accepted The sacrifice of a faithful Elkanah saith one was pleasing to God even when Hophni and Phineas were Priests From all which we find some declaring that notwithstanding this they would Communicate So a Reverend Person The Peoples prejudices against the Liturgy are grounded for the most part upon the wicked lives of those that are the most constant readers and frequenters of it doubtless the Author if he had considered this would rather have said that they are grounded upon the wicked lives of some of those that read and frequent it I shall never upon that account cease to joyn in Prayers and to hear Sermons Others we find exhorting their Auditors to attend even upon such So Mr R. Fairclough in his Farewel Sermons Get all good from shew all duty to him that follows If he should be weak or evil yet while he preacheth truths while he sits in Moses Chair hear him seriously and carry your selves towards him as becomes a People to their Minister I have thus far considered the case of scandalous Ministers because many make it an objection as well those that are not concerned as those that are Otherwise it must be acknowledged that England was never better provided with a learned and pious Ministry than at present who have as good understanding preach as good Doctrine do as much good by their Preaching as any others as a late writer doth confess But though many Congregations are well supplied with a Pious Able and Industrious Ministry yet there are few or none but what have some more or less amongst the Laity that are as it may be supposed not fit to be received into Communion with a Church or to be communicated with This brings me to the next thing in Worship which is 4. The case of mixed Communion This is a plea saith Mr. Vines that is plausible to easie capacities because it pretends to set up holiness of Ordinances and People but what the eminent Dissenters do utterly disclaim Mr. Vines saith it is Donatistical and others as Mr. Brinsley and Mr. Jenkin that its the common plea or pretence which for the moct part hath been taken up by all Schismaticks in defence of their separation from the Church and therefore that it is necessary the People should be untaught it as Mr. Baxter doth advise And as they do disclaim it so they declare that those that separate upon this account do it very unjustly that the scandals of professors are ground of mourning but not of separation that there may be a sufficient cause to cast out obstinate sinners and yet not sufficient cause for one to leave the Church though such be not cast â—ut That the suffering of prophane and scandalous livers to continue in the Church and partake in the Sacrament is doubtless a great sin yet the godly are not presently to separate from it There is saith M r Burroughs an error on both sides either those that think it concerns them not at all with whom they come to the Sacrament or those that if they do what they can to keep the scandalous away and yet they should be suffered to come that they themselves may not come to partake of it This both the Presbyterians and Independents so far agree in and for this their opinion they urge several Arguments First It s no where commanded but is a vain pretending to holiness above rule and example saith M r Vines It s no duty as he elsewhere saith because there is no command it s no duty and therefore we read not this word come forth in any of the Epistles written to the seven Churches against which Christ saith he hath such and such things They that lived in the impurer are not called forth into the purer but there are promises made to them that keep themselves pure and duties injoyned them toward the impurer part For we may not make every Disease the Plague Shall the Sons of God the Angels forsake the Lords presence because Satan came also amongst them c. The Provincial Assembly of London doth affirm In the Church of Corinth was such a profane mixture at the Sacrament as we believe few if any of our Congregations can be charged withal And yet the Apostle doth not perswade the godly party to separate much less to gather a Church out of a Church From which consideration Mr. Tombs concludes Sure it can be no sin in any Person to joyn in the true Worship and service of God with any if he have no command to withdraw himself from that service because of their presence nor power to exclude them and yet is bound to the duties there performed Nay they do not only plead that it s not commanded but that its forbidden and unlawful So M r Hooker To separate from a Church because of the sin of some Worshippers is unlawful So the New England Ministers do declare As separation from a Church wherein prophane and scandalous livers
are tolerated is not presently necessary So for the Members thereof otherwise worthy hereupon to abstain from Communion with such a Church in the participation of the Sacraments is unlawful Secondly They plead that the communicating in Gods service with open sinners whom the Godly in some of our Assemblies are enforced to communicate with is not sufficient to make such prophane or to pollute to them the holy things of God So the old Non-Conformists So M r Vines The presence of wicked men at Gods Ordinances pollutes not them that are neither accessary to their sin nor yet to their presence there This M r Burroughs disclaims You are not defiled by the meer presence of wicked men in the Sacrament for that is a meer deceit and gull that some would put upon men that differ from them but thus are you defiled if you do not your duty and the uttermost you are able to purge them out But if this be done according to the power and capacity Persons are in it s universally granted that the Innocent shall not suffer for the Nocent So Mr. Ball The precept of debarring scandalous offenders bindeth them to whom God hath given this power and them only so far as God hath put it in their power But God regularly doth not leave that power in the hand of one single Steward or some few private Christians And if the Steward or one or few private Christians cannot debar the unworthy from the Lords Table it is manifest the Ordinance of God is not defiled to them by the presence of the wicked whom they desire to reform or expel but cannot because power is not in their hand to do it lawfully This they confirm 1. From the examples of the Prophets and good men who of old joyned with many that were notoriously stained with gross sins from the practice of our Saviour that communicated with such in the publick service of God from the practice of Christians in Apostolical times all which the old Non-Conformists do insist upon This is also pleaded by those of New-England and others This would make all the sins of the Congregation to be ours So M r Baxter If you be wanting in your duty to reform it it is your sin but if bare presence made their sin to be ours it would also make all the sins of the Assembly ours From all which it appears that their sence is that scandalous Members are no sufficient reason for Separation for that must be either be cause it s commanded in Scripture or that those that do communicate with such are in so doing corrupted also but if neither of these be then we may safely Communicate with such or in a Church where such are without sin Thirdly To separate upon this ground is to maintain a Principle destructive to the Communion of the Church visible which consists of good and bad This M r Cotton is peremptory in It is utterly untrue to say that Christ admits not of any dead Plants to be set in his Vineyard or that he takes not to himself a compounded body of living and dead Members or that the Church of God is not a mixed Company c. From the ill effects of which M r Cartwright used to call this Separation upon pretence of greater purity the white Devil And because there are some Scriptures that seem to look this way and are made use of by those that make mixed Communion an argument for Separation therefore they have taken off the force of them If a Brother be a Fornicator c. the Apostle exhorteth not to eat with him To this they answer That if it be meant of excluding such an one from Church-Communion it must be done by the Church and not a private person But you are not commanded to separate from the Church if they exclude him not So M r Baxter c. That it concerns not religious but civil Communion and that not all civil society or commerce but familiar only For which they produce several reasons 1. They argue from the notion of eating bread which is a token of love and friendship in phrase of Scripture not to partake of or to be shut from the Table is a sign of familiarity broken off So Mr. Ball c. 2. The eating which is here forbidden is allowed to be with an Heathen but it s the civil eating which is only allowed to be with an Heathen therefore it s the civil eating which is forbidden to be with a Brother So Mr Jenkin c. 3. The eating here forbidden is for the punishment of the nocent not of the innocent To these there are added others by the old Non-Conformists As for other objections they are also undertaken by the same hands and to which M r Baxter's answer is sufficient If you mâ—â—k all the Texts in the Gospel you shall find that all the separation which is commanded in such cases besides our separation from the Infidels and Idolatrous World or Antichristian and Heretical Confederacies and No-Churches is but one of these two sorts 1. Either that the Church cast out the impenitent by the power of the Keys Or 2. That private men avoid all private familiarity with them but that the private Members should separate from the Church because such persons are not cast out of it shew me one Text to prove it if you can This saith M r Vines hath not a syllable of Scripture to allow or countenance it But supposing it be allowed that we ought not to separate from a Church where corrupt Members are tolerated or connived at under some present circumstances as for want of due proof or through particular favour yet it seems to be allowable where there is no Discipline exercised or taken care of For then we are without an Ordinance To avoid this objection I shall consider 2. The case with respect to Discipline and shall § 2 shew from them 1. That the want of that or defects in it are no sufficient reason for Separation 2. What Discipline is exercised or taken care of in the Church of England The former of these they do own and prove First As Discipline is not necessary to the being of a Church This was of old maintained by M r Cartwright who thus argues That Church Assemblies are builded by Faith only on Christ the Foundation the which Faith so being whatsoever is wanting of that which is commanded or remaining of that which is forbidden is not able to put that Assembly from the right and title of so being the Church of Christ For though there be many things necessary for every Assembly yet they be necessary to the comely and stable being and not simply to the being of the Church And afterward he gives an instance in the Dutch Assemblies or Lutheran Churches which he saith are
maimed in Discipline So D r T. Goodwin Whereas now in some of the Parishes of this Kingdom there are many Godly Men that do constantly give themselves up to the Worship of God in publick c. These notwithstanding their mixture and want of Discipline I never thought for my part but that they were true Churches of Christ and Sister Churches and so ought to be acknowledged So that if Discipline be not essential to a true Church and a true Church is not to be separated from as has been proved above then the want of Discipline is no sufficient reason for Separation Secondly This they further prove by an induction of particulars This way Mr. Blake proceeds in Discipline was neglected in the Church of Israel yet none of the Prophets or men of God ever made attempt of getting up purer select Churches or made separation from that which was in this sort faulty All was not right in the exercise of Discipline in the Churches planted by the Apostles some are censured as foully faulty c. yet nothing heard by way of advice for any to make Separation nor any one instance of a Separatist given To come lower we are told by a learned person that the Helvetian or Switzerland Churches claim to be Churches and have the Notes Word and Sacraments though the order of Discipline be not settled among them and I am not he that shall blot out their name To come nearer home it was so in the late times when this was wanting as was acknowledged and of which Mr. Vines saith we know rather the name than the thing And if we shall look into the several Church-Assemblies amongst the Dissenters we shall find that there are many Preachers without full pastoral charge as it is acknowleded and that have little authority over their flocks in this kind that have not so much as the name of Discipline amongst them And so they have little reason to justifie themselves in a Separation by such an argument that will as well wound themselves as those they bend it against and they that do so are guilty of Sin So Mr. Baxter Many that observe the pollution of the Church by the great neglect of holy Discipline avoid this error by turning to a sinful Separation I shall conclude this with that grave advice of Dr. Owen When any Church whereof a man is by his own consent antecedently a Member doth fall in part or in whole from any of those Truths which it hath professed or when it is overtaken with a neglect of Discipline or Irregularities in its Administration such a one is to consider that he is placed in his present state by Divine Providence that he may orderly therein endeavour to put a stop unto such defections and to exercise his Charity Love and Forbearance towards the persons of them whose miscarriages at present he cannot remedy In such cases there is a large and spatious Field for Wisdom Patience Love and prudent Zeal to exercise themselves And it is a most erverse imagination that Separation is the only cure for Church disorders If this advice be good in one case it is so in another and if it were well understood and faithfully followed this argument would be of little or no force 2. I shall shew how little this plea of the Defective Discipline reaches the case It s granted that there is such a Power and Authority of Ecclesiastical Discipline resident in the Church of England that if open and scandalous persons are not cast out the fault is in the Governours for the Law takes order they shall be as D r Bryan saith And the power of suspension put thereby into the Ministers hands is so evident that after D r Collins had proved it from the Rubricks Canons c. he concludes its plain that the judgment and practice of the Church of England in all times ever since it was a Church hath been to suspend some from the Table of the Lord. So that if there be defects through some past and present obstructions in the exercise of Discipline yet cannot the Church properly stand charged with them as is acknowledged or whatever may be charged upon the Church there can be no sufficient cause from a defect remisness or corruption therein for a Separation from it This was the constant judgment of the old Non-Conformists which I shall transcribe from a grave Author Those saith he that for many Years together during the Reign of the three last Princes denied to come up to a full Conformity to this Church had a low opinion of the Discipline then exercised of which they have left behind them large evidences yet how tender were they of the Churches honour to keep Christians in Communion how zealous were they against Separation as may appear in the labours of M r Parker M r Paget M r Ball. M r Brightman laid us low enough when he did not only parallel us with luke-warm Laodicea but made that Church the Type and we the Antitype by reason of our Discipline yet how zealous is he against Separation from these Assemblers and breaks out in these words Therefore their error is wicked and blasphemous who so forsake the Church as if Christ were altogether banished thence Having thus far considered what opinion the graver sort of the Non-Conformists have of Communion with a Church and what rules they do lay down about it and shew'd that according to those rules Separation from the Church is unlawful I shall close all with the last advice given by a Reverend Person to his Parishioners in a Farewel Sermon in these words Take heed of extreams It is the ordinary Temptation in a time of differences to think we cannot run too far from them we differ from and so whilst we decline one Rock we split upon another Remember the old Non-Conformists were equal Enemies to Superstition and Separation Maintain I beseech you sober Principles such as these are that every defective Ministry is not a false Ministry that sinful super-additions do not nullifie Divine institutions that sinful defects in Ordinances do not hinder the saving effects of them That there is a difference betwixt directing a Worship prescribing things simply evil and manifestly idolatrous and directing about Worship things doubtfully good being injoyned but the unquestionable substance of Worship being maintained This latter doth not justifie Separation And that the supposed corruptions in the Church of England are of that nature as do not affect the substance of it nor are such but what may be safely communicated in I shall now proceed to shew from them 3. I shall consider what opinion the eminent Non-Conformists have had of the several practices in the Church of England that are injoyned upon those that hold Lay-Communion with it which respect Forms Gestures Time c. In general they acknowledge that they are things
tolerable and what no Church is without more or less d. 2. That they are not sufficient to hinder Communion 3. That they are but few First Forms and so it s required of the Members of the Church that they joyn in the use of Liturgy or Common-Prayer For the better understanding their judgment in this matter I shall shew what their opinion is of Forms of Prayer of publick Forms of Forms prescribed and of that particular Form of Divine Service used in this Church 1. The use of Forms is declared by them to be a thing lawful in it self and what God hath left us at liberty to use or not to use as we see occasion So Mr. Ball The word of God doth not prescribe any particular Form stinted or not stinted as necessary but doth warrant both as allowable for where nothing is in particular commanded touching the external Form of Words and Order in which our Petitions should be presented to the Lord there we are left at liberty And to put Religion in reading or uttering Words in a stinted or conceived Form what is it less than Superstition Of the same mind is Mr. Baxter and others And even Dr. Owen though he doth disallow the composing Forms of Prayer for our own private use yet at the same time declares that he doth not argue against Forms of Prayer as unlawful to be used And he adds a little after If they appear not contrary unto or inconsistent with or are not used in a way exclusive of that work of the Holy Spirit in prayer which we have described from Scripture c. I shall not contend with any about them But they do not only assert but they also undertake to prove the lawfulness of Forms from the nature use and ends of prayer and charge the contrary opinion with Enthusiasm and Novelty Secondly As to Forms in publick they declare 1. That it is lawful to use them and that this was the Tenent of all our best and most judicious Divines This Dr. Owen is cautious of denying who saith Supposing that those who make use of and plead for Forms of prayer especially in publick do in a due manner prepare themselves for it by holy meditation c. I do not judge that there is any such evil in them as that God will not communicate his spirit to any in the use of them 2 They do not only grant it lawful to use them but that it 's expedient So Mr. Egerton declares As for the publick Congregation special care must be had that nothing be done in Praying Preaching or Administring the Sacraments but what is decent and orderly because there many Eyes do see us and many Ears hear us and upon this account it is expedient for the most part to keep a constant Form both of matter and words Mr. Bradshaw pleads for it as Mr. Gataker informs us in his life for the avoiding hesitation which in Prayer is more offensive than in other discourse And when in a late collection of Sermons we find it complained of that in our days some have such Schismatical Phrases Notions and Doctrines in Preaching Praying and Praising that a sober Christian cannot say Amen it renders a Form so much the more considerable 3. They declare that publick Forms were universally used So Mr. Clark saith That set Forms of Prayer are according to the practice of all Churches even the best Reformed yea and Mr. Smith himself saith upon the Lords Prayer though as then he was warping and afterwards wandred far in the ways of Separation that it was the practice of the ancient Church and of all the Reformed Churches in Christendom of the Churches immediately after the Apostles nay saith he of the Church in the time of the Apostles as may be probably gathered out of 1 Cor. 14.26 This hath also been the practice of the best Lights that ever were set up in the Churches of Christ. 4. Accordingly this was the practice of the old Non-Conformists So Mr. Clark It is very well known that the flower of our own Divines went on in this way when they might have done otherwise if they had pleased in their Prayers before Sermons This we are told of Mr. Bradshaw and Mr. Cartwright And we find Mr. Hildersham's Prayer before Sermon Printed and others This was so universally and constantly practised that Mr. Clark tells us that the first man who brought conceived Prayer into use in those parts where he lived was Mr. Sam. Crook who dyed but in the Year 1649. Thirdly As to prescribed Forms and Liturgies of this Mr. Ball saith I have shewed the use of a stinted Liturgy lawful and allowable by the Word of God of ancient use in the Churches of Christ approved by all Reformed Churches which is a very convenient method for the consideration of their judgment in the case 1. They grant that they are lawful its contrary to no precept or commandment directly or by lawful consequence saith Mr. Ball. So Mr. Norton of new-New-England doth determine Such things being observ'd as are to be observed it may be lawful to use Forms of Prayers c. prescribed in the Church neither are the Churches which use them guilty of Superstition Will-worship and violating the second Commandment And Dr. Owen himself complys with it who yields That Men or Churches may agree upon a prescribed Form by common consent as judging and avowing it best for their own edification and only argues against prescribing such Forms of Prayer universally in opposition and unto the exclusion of free Prayer 2. They grant that they are not only lawful but that there are footsteps of this way of Worship both in the Old and New Testament as Mr. Tombs and others have shewed and Mr. Ainsworth himself that did otherwise argue against them doth confess 3. They grant that they are very ancient in the Christian Church The Christian Churches of ancient times for the space of this 1400 Years at least if not from the Apostles time have had their stinted Liturgies saith Mr Ball And they answer Objections to the contrary 4 They grant that in the best Reformed nay in all Reformed Churches they are not only used and tolerated but also useful and expedient 5 That those amongst us to whom the use of the Common-Prayer hath been thought most burdensome have from time to time professed their liking and approbation of a stinted Liturgy as Mr. Ball assures us 6. That they thought it altogether unlawful to separate from a Church for the sake of stinted Forms and Liturgies This is not only frequently affirmed by Mr. Ball but little less even by Mr. Norton who saith It is lawful to embrace Communion with Churches where such Forms in publick Worship are in use neither doth it lye as
not oblige This M r Tombs hath undertaken to shew 1. Because this gesture seems not to have been of choice used by Christ. 2. Because S t Paul omits the gesture which he would not have done if it had been binding 3. He mentions the night and calls it the Lords Supper and if the time be not necessary much less the gesture 4. If the gesture doth oblige then Christians must use the self same that Christ used 3. It is granted that the nature of the ordinance doth not forbid kneeling So M r Bains kneeling is not unbeseeming a Feaster when our joy must be mingled with reverent trembling So M r Baxter The nature of the ordinance is mixed And if it be lawful to take a pardon from the King upon our knees I know not what can make it unlawful to take a sealed pardon from Christ by his Ambassador upon our Knee Hence M r Bayley reckons it as an error of some Independents that they accounted sitting necessary as a rite significant of fellowship with Christ and a part of our imitation of him and for both these reasons declared it necessary to keep on their hats at the time of participation 4. It is granted not to be idolatrous So M r Bains Kneeling is neither an occasion nor by participation Idolatry kneeling never bred Bread-worship And our doctrine of the Sacrament known to all the world doth free us from suspicion of adoration in it To these M r Tombs adds 1. that the Papists adore not the bread at putting into their mouths but at the elevation It being inconsistent with their principles to worship that which is not above them 2. That the worship of God not directed to a creature but before it as an occasional object of adoration to God is not Idolatry 3. That yet in the Church of England the Elements are not occasionally so but the benefits of Christ in the Lords Supper and 4. Kneeling is not to the Bread but as the signification of an humble and grateful mind as he shews from the Rubrick 5 thly Those that do account it inconvenient yet account it not to be unlawful Thus M r Cartwright Kneeling in receiving the Sacrament being incommodious in its own nature and made far more incommodious by Popish superstition is not therefore so to be rejected that we should abstain from the Sacrament if we cannot otherwise be partakers of it because the thing is not in its own nature unlawful So it s said of the old Nonconformists Kneeling at the Sacrament was disliked by all but yet thought tolerable and that it might be submitted to by some of the most learned From all which we may conclude with Mr. Vines that the posture being a circumstance of action as well as the time and place is not of the Free-hold of the ordinance and with Mr. Baxter that those that think they must not receive kneeling think erroneously As for standing up at the Creed c. Mr. Baxter saith his judgement is for it where it is required and where not doing it would be divisive and scandalous Nay elsewhere he saith that t is a convenient praising gesture c. Thus I have considered the most material points in which the Lay-members of the Church of England are concern'd and shew'd that the lawfulness of the things injoyned upon such is declared and justified by the suffrage and judgement of as eminent Nonconformists as have lived in the several ages since that unhappy controversie was first set on foot amongst us And now what remains but that every one concerned set himself seriously and impartially to consider it and it becomes such so to do when they go against the stream of the most experienced writers of their own party who might pretend to understand the case as well if not better than any that were conversant in it It becomes such when they bury that under the condemnation of false worship which the Lord the author of all truth doth allow in his service When they forsake the prayers of the Congregation and depart from the Table of the Lord and break off society and communion with the Churches of Christ c. when they expose Religion to contempt and the truth of God to reproach by the rents and divisions in the Church as M r Ball doth represent it It becomes them when our division gratifieth the Papists and greatly hazardeth the Protestant Religion and by it we may lose all which the several parties contend about as Mr. Baxter hath proved It becomes them when the Church of England is the bulwark of the Protestant Religion amongst us at home and that according to the noted saying of Mr. Egerton The withdrawing totally from it would more effectually introduce Popery than all the works of Bellarmine It becomes them when this is the Bulwark of it abroad and all the reformed Churches in the world have a venture in this Bottom which if compar'd to a Fleet the Church of England must be acknowledged to be the Admiral And if it go ill with this Church so as that miscarry there is none of the Churches of Christ this day under Heaven but are like to feel it as M r Brinsley discourses Lastly It becomes them when divisions and separations draw down the displeasure of God and lay us open to his Judgements Therefore Dr. Bryan after he hath largely insisted upon the Argument and the present case amongst us doth thus apply himself O that I could prevail with you to lay sadly to heart the greatness of the sin of divisions and the grievousness of the punishment threatned against it and hath been executed for it and that the Leaders and encouragers of private Christians to make this sinful separation would read oft and me ditate upon S t Jude's Epistle to v. 20. and that the multitudes that are willing to be led by them would follow the prescription of the means here to preserve or recover themselves from this seduction v. 20 21. And that both would leave off their reviling the Government Ecclesiastical and the Ministers that conform and submissively behave themselves by the example of Michael c. I shall conclude the whole with the peaceable and pious advice of Mr. Bains Let every man walk within the compass of his Calling Whatsoever lyeth not in us to reform it shall be our zeal and piety to tolerate and with patience to forbear especially in things of this nature which concern not so much the outward Communion with God or man essentially required in a visible state as the due ordering of business in the said Communion wherein there be many superfluities and defects silvâ tamen Ecclesiâ yea and such a Church notwithstanding as wherein the best and truest Members circumstances considered may have more cause to rejoyce than to grieve ERRATA PAG. 5. l. 25. r. soundness p. 7.
p. 7. Non-Conformists Plea c. p. 6. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 4. p. 94 Lawfulness of hearing c. p. 19 23. Case of great and present use p. 16. 18. Cure dir 35. p. 196 c. Defence p. 96. Letter of Ministers in Old England to the Brethren in New England p. 12 13 16. Cure p. 200. Christian Direct p. 748. Cure p. 197. V. Jerubbaal justified p. 16 c. 22 34. Case of great and present use p. 10. Of Scandal a discourse p. 65. V. Croston's reformat no separat p. 24. Arg. 7. Confer at Savoy p. 3 12 13. Separat yet no Schism p. 64. Def. of Cure part 1. p. 78. part 2. p. 176. and Cure p. 265. q. 6. Defence of Synod Pref. p. 4 5. Def. of Cure part 1. p. 78. n. 6. p. 96. n. 5. Letter of the Minist in Old Engl. to those in New Engl. p. 14. Ball 's Tryal of the grounds p. 74. Tryal of the grounds c. c. 4. p. 78. Def. of Cure p. 85. V. Burrough's Iren. c. 12. p. 86. Platform of Discipline c. 13. §. 5. Methermeneut p. 71. On John 4. Lect. 58. Cure of Divis. p. 359. Continuat of Morn Exer. Serm. 4. p. 95. Lect. 28. p. 129. and Lect. 58. Com. on Jude v. 19. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 16. p. 456. Iren. c. 12. p. 85. Platform c. 13. §. 5. Continuat of Morn Exer. Serm. 4. p. 91. Iren. c. 12. p. 85 86. Defence part 1. p. 85. Arg. 1. Lect. 28. p. 129 309. Arg. 2. Iren. c. 12. p. 84 87. Of this V. Ball 's Tryal c. 4. p. 75 76 78. Arg. 3. Lect. 66. Arraignment of Schism p. 48. Iren. c. 12. p. 85. Platform Pref. p. 7. and c. 13. §. 1. Independ a Schism p. 50. Methermeneut p. 72 74. Arg. 4. Iren. c. 23. p. 163. Defence part 1. p. 85. Arg. 5. Lect. 54. p. 254 Lect. 58. On the Sacrament p. 246. In his Farewel Sermon Serm. at Pauls on Acts 9.31 Lect. 54. p. 2â—3 Lect. 58. Jus Diviâ—â—m Minist Evangil p. 11 12. Methermeneut p. 72. Lect. 29. p. 131. Lect. 28. p. 129. Letter of the Minist in Old England to the Brethren in New England p. 13. Case of great â—e p. 3. Pag. 25 Theodulia c. 9. §. 8. p. 317. Seven Treatises Tract 3. c. 4. p. 223. Defence part 1. p. 57. Ibid. p. 12. Ibid. p. 11. Dwelling with God Serm. 6. p. 313. Defence part 1. p. 11. Tract 3. p. 223. Cure Dir. 17. p. 114. Letter of the Minist in Old England to the Brethren in New England p. 11. Tryal of the grounds c. 13 p. 311. V. Toâ—â—◠〈◊〉 p. 17. Arg. 1. Letter of the Minist in Old Engl. c. p 10. V. Ball 's Tryal p. 310. Case of great use p. 14. Arg. 2. Dwelling with God p. 313. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 4. p. 94. Arg. 3. Christian Directory p. 747. Cure p. 113 114. Account given to the Parliment p. 27. Letter of the Ministers p. 11. Tract 3. p. 223. Farewel Sermons Vol. 3. p. 22 23. Case of great use p. 14. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 4. p. 94. Bonasus Vapâ—lans p. 133. 〈◊〉 Legacy p. 125. Non-Conformists Plea for Conformists p. 12. 23. On the Sacrament p. 235. Brinsley's Arraignment p. 37 38. Jenk on Jude v. 19. Baily's disswasive p. 22. Sacril desert p. 97. a Cawdrey's Reformation promoted p. 131. b Manton on Jude p. 496. c Vines on Sacrament p. 242. Platform c. 14. §. 8. V. Cotton's Holiness of Church-members p. 2. Gospel Worship Serm. 11. p. 242. Arg. 1. On Sacrament p. 246. p. 31. Vindicat. of Presbyt Govern p. 134. Brinslâ—y's Arraign p. 47. Firmin's Separation examined p. 40. Cawdrey's Church Reformat p. 71. Theodulia p. 74. Survey of Discipline Pref. A. 3. Platform c. 14. §. 9. Arg. 2. Grave confut part 3. p. 53. On the Sacrament p. 242. p. 31 32. Gospel Worship Serm. 11. p. 236 237. Tryal c. 10. p. 191 205. V. Jeans discourse on the Lords Supper Rutherford right of Presbyt Grave confut part 3. p. 53. 55. Ball 's Tryal p. 211. Platform c. 14. §. 8. Blake Vindic. p. 235. Christian Directory p. 747. V. Non-Conformists no Schismaticks p. 16. Arg. 3. Vines on the Sacrament p. 244. Infant-Baptism p. 102. V. Bains on the 〈◊〉 c. 1. v. 1. p 5. In Proverb Edwards Apol. Object 1. 1 Cor. 5.11 Ans. 1. Defence part 2. p. 27. Cawdrey's Church Reformat p. 126. Ans. 2. Ball 's Tryal p. 200. Brinsley's Arraignment p. 45. Jenk on Jude v. 19. Tombs's Theodulia p. 210. Grave Confut. part 4. p. 57. Tomb's Theodulia p. 167. Cawdrey's Reformat p. 75. Cure Dir. 9. P. 81. On the Sacrament p. 246. Tomb's Theod. p. 128. Arg 1. T. C's Letter to Harrison against Separation in the Defence of the Admonit p. 98 99. P. 106. Com. on the Ephes. p. 487 488. Arg. 2. Vindiciae c. 31. p. 236 238. V. Grave Confut part 1. p. 18. Vines on Sacrament c. 19. p. 226. V. Gillespie's Ni â—il râ—spondes p. 33. a Knutton's seven Queries Brinsley's Arraign p. 48. b On Sacram. p. 219. Troughton's Apol p. 65. Cure Dir. 47. p. 231. Evangel Love c. 3. p. 77. V. Grave Confut part 1. p. 17. a Dwelling with God Serm. 6. p. 301. Firmin Separation examined p. 28. b Provocator provocatus p. 151. 154. V. Vines on Sacrament c. 19. p. 233. Brinsley's Arraign p. 40. c Brinsley's Arraign p. 48. Cawdrey's Church Reformat p. 122. Jenk on Jude v. 19. Blake's Vindiciae c. 31. p. 236. Englands Remembrancer Serm. 16. p. 454. 3. Genera l. Letter of the Minist of Old Engl. p 12 13. Bryan's Dwelling with God p 311. Tâ—â—â—'s Theod. p. 230. Trâ—â—ghton's Apol c. â— p. 68. e Owen's Peace-Offer p. 17. Mischief of Impositions Epist Dedic Tryal c. 2. p. 36. c. 8. p. 131. Cure of Church Divis. p. 175. Tomb's Theod. p. 137. g Sacril deserâ— p. 98 99. V. Dissenting Brethren in 32 Quests p. 55. h Discourse of the Work of the Spirit in Prayer p. 220 235. i Ball 's Tryal c. 2. Râ—gers Tr. 223. Bryan's Dwelling with God p 307. k Grave confut Ep. to Reader Continuat of Morn Exer. p. 1006. l Freion Serm. on Jo. 1.16 m Clark's Lives of 10 Divines p. 255. Ball 's Tryal p. 11. Owen's Disc. of Prayer p. 231. Pract. of Christianity c. 11. p 691. Edit 5. Life of Mr. W. Bradâ—haw in Mr Clark's Collection in Fol. p. 6â— Continuat of Morn Exer. Serm. 31. p. 1006. Collection of the Lives of 10 Divines p. 255. Life of M. Capâ—l Ibid. a Bradshaw's Life publish'd by Mr. Clark in Fol. p. 67. b His Doctrine of Fasting and Prayer An. 1633. c Collection of 10 Lives 4 o. p. 38. Tryal Epist. to Reader Tryal c. 1. p. 5. c. 3. p. 23. Answ. to Apollonius c. 13. Discourse of Prayer p. 222. 235. Baâ— Cure p. 176. Ball 's Tryal p. 1â—8 129. d Tombs's Tâ—eodâ—â—ia p. 221. Grave Confut. p. 12 13. Ainsworth's Annot. on Ex. 12.8 e Tryal p. 96 106 11â— 138. p 8â— f Tomb's Theodulia p. 222. Ball 's Tryal p. 108 c. Rogers's Treatises p. 224. Tomb's Theod. p. 224. Ball 's Tryal p. 96 106 120. Tryal p. 121. g Tryal p. 121 129 140 156. h Resp. ad Apoll c. 13. Sacril desert p. 102. Defence part 2. p. 65. Ball 's Tryal p. 138. Rogers's 7 Tr. p. 224. Rogers's 7 Tr. Tr. 3. c. 4. p. 223. Ball 's Tryal c. 5. p. 83. Ibid. p. 91. Rogers Ibid. Disc. of Prayer p. 222 231 232. Theodulia p. 164 238. Bryan's Dwelling with God Serm. 6. p 312. Baxt. Def. part 1. p. 29 59. Croston's Refor no Separ p. 25. T.D. Jeruâ—baal p. 35. Letter of the Minist in Old Engl. p. 12. Second Plea for Peace p. 101. Plea for Lay-Communion p. 2. V. Ball 's Tryal c. 9. p. 158. Letter of Ministers in Old Engl. p. 13. Treat 3. c. 4. p. 224. Plea p. 1. Sacril desert p. 105. i Corbet's Plea p. 3. k Gifford's plain Declaration Ball 's Tryal c. 7. p. 121. l Mr. Baxter's Def. of Cure p. 68. Mr. Hamphry's Healing Paper p. 5. Mr. Baxter's Disp. 4. of Church Gover. p 364. m Ball 's Tryal p. 121. c. 8. p. 155. n Letter of Ministers of Old Engl. p. 14. Mr. S. Fairclâ—ugh's Life p. 157. o Mr. Read's Case p. 7. Tryal c. 8. p. 152. Object Answ. P. 155. V. Letter of the Minist in Old Engl. p. 14. Dr. Bryan's Dwelling with God p. 309 310. Mr. Baxter's Cure p. 281. Theodulia p. 102. Christ. Direct p. 616. V. Faldo's Dialogue 'twixt a Minister and a Quaker Noye's Temple measured p. 81. Theod. p. 168. Christian Letters Let. 24. p. 201. Direct p. 616. Disswasive c. 2 p. 30 c. 6 p. 121 122. V. Johnson's Christian Plea Treat 3. c 10. p. 285. Lettters Ibid. V Baxt. Christ. Direct p. 616. Theodulia p. 256 c. V. T. D. Jerubbaal p. 41. Mr. Croston's Answ. p. 28. V. Ames's Fresh Sult c. 4. § 4. p. 382. Perkins's cases Evangel Harm on Luke 22. v. 14 c. Second reply p. 262. Troughton's Apol p. 90. On the Sacrament p. 102. Sacril desert p. 19. Christ. Direct p. 858. Sacril desert p. 96. Ball 's Tryal Epist. to Reader Defence p. 17 52. Brinsley's Healing of Israels Breaches p. 62. Dwelling with God Serm. 6. p. 313 314. On the Ephes. c. 2. p. 297 298.