that Church as no Church yet must we not commit that sin but patiently suffer them to exclude us from their Communion Of the Doctrine of the Church of England As for the Doctrine of the Church of England the Bishops and their Followers from the first Reformation begun by King Edward the Sixth were sound in Doctrine adhering to the Augustane method expressed now in the Articles and Homilies they differed not in any considerable point from those whom they called Puritans but it was in the form of Government Liturgy and Ceremonies that the difference lay The Independents as well as the Presbyterians offer to Subscribe the XXXIX Articles as distinct from Prelacy and Ceremony And when I was in the Country I knew not of one Minister to ten that are now silenced that was not in the main of the same Principles with my self Mr. Baxter's Reasons for Obedience in Lawful things page 483. of his five Disputations § 1. LEST Men that are apt to run from one extream into another should make an ill use of that which I have before written I shall here annex some Reasons to perswade Men to just obedience and preserve them from any sinful nonconformity to the commands of their Governours and the evil effects that are like to follow thereupon § 2. But first I will lay together some Propositions for decision of the Controversie How far we are bound to obey Mens Precepts about Religion Especially in case we doubt of the lawfulness of obeying them and so cannot obey them in faith § 3. Briefly 1. We must obey both Magistrates and Pastors in all things lawful which belong to their offices to command 2. It belongs not to their office to make God a new worship But to command the Mode and Circumstances of worship belongeth to their office for guiding them wherein God hath given them general rules 3. We must not take the Lawful commands of our Governours to be unlawful 4. If we do through weakness or perversness take Lawful things to be unlawful that will not excuse us in our disobedience Our error is our sin and one sin will not excuse another sin Even as on the other side if we judge things unlawful to be lawful that will not excuse us for our disobedience to God in obeying men 5. As I have before shewed many things that are miscommanded must be obeyed 6. As an erroneous judgment will not excuse us from Obedience to our Governours so much less will a doubtfulness excuse us 7. As such a doubting erring judgment cannot obey in plenary faith so much less can he disobey in faith For it is a known Command of God that we obey them that have the Rule over us but they have no word of God against the act of obedience now in question It is their own erring judgment that intangleth them in a necessity of sinning till it be changed 7. In doubtful cases it is our duty to use God's means for our information and one means is to consult with our Teachers and hear their words with teachableness and meekness 8. If upon advising with them we remain in doubt about the lawfulness of some Circumstance of order if it be such as may be dispensed with they should dispense with us if it may not be dispensed with without a greater injury to the Church or cause of God than our dispensation will countervail then is it our duty to obey our Teachers notwithstanding such doubts For it being their office to Teach us it must be our duty to believe them with a humane faith in cases where we have no Evidences to the contrary And the Duty of Obeying them being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain unknown and only suspected we must go on the surer side 9. Yet must we in great and doubtful cases not take up with the suspected judgment of a single Pastor but apply our selves to the unanimous Pastors of other Churches 10. Christians should not be over-busie in prying into the work of their Governours nor too forward to suspect their determinations But when they know that it is their Rulers work to guide them by determining of due Circumstances of worship they should without causless scruples readily obey till they see just reason to stop them in their obedience They must not go out of their own places to search into the Actions of another Man's office to trouble themselves without any cause § 4. And now I intreat all humble Christians readily to obey both Magistrates and Pastors in all lawful things and to consider to that end of these Reasons following Reas 1. If you will not obey in Lawful things you deny authority or overthrow Government it self which is a great ordinance of God established in the fifth Commandment with promise And as that commandment respecting societies and common good is greater than the following commands as they respect the private good of our neighbours or are but particular means to that Publick good whose foundation is laid in the fifth commandment so accordingly the sin against this fifth commandment must be greater than that against the rest § 5. Reas 2. In disobeying the lawful commands of our Superiors we disobey Christ who ruleth by them as his officers Even as the disobeying a Justice of Peace or Judge is a disobeying of the soveraign Power yea in some cases when their sentence is unjust Some of the ancient Doctors thought that the fifth commandment was the last of the first Table of the Decalogue and that the Honouring of Governors is part of our Honour to God they being mentioned there as his officers with whom he himself is honoured or dishonoured obeyed or disobeyed For it is God's Authority that the Magistrate Parent and Pastor is endued with and empowred by to rule those that are put under them § 6. Reas 3. What confusion will be brought into the Church if Pastors be not obeyed in things lawful For instance If the Pastors appoint the Congregation to Assemble at one hour and the People will scruple the time and say it is unlawful and so will choose some of them one time and some another what disorder will here be and worse if the Pastors appoint a Place of worship and any of the People scruple obeying them and will come to another place what confusion will here be People are many and the Pastors are few and therefore there may be some unity if the People be Ruled by the Pastors but there can be none if the Pastors must be ruled by the People for the People will not agree among themselves and therefore if we obey one part of them we must disobey and displease the rest And their ignorance makes them unfit to rule § 7. Reas 4. Moreover disobedience in matters of Circumstance will exclude and overthrow the substance of the worship it self God commandeth us to pray If one part of the Church will not joyn with a stinted form of
most absolute master of polite various and universal learning besides a deep insight into Religion In the search after which he was curious and of the knowledge of it studious as in the practice of it he was sincere And as strictly just in his dealings so he was extraordinarily kind sweet affable communicative humble and meek in converse and inimitably as well as unusually charitable giving away all that he had but his choice books and was forced to sell them at last He was as good a man as he was a great Scholar and as Bishop Pearson said of him It was near as easie a task for any one to become as knowing as so obliging He had so long and with such advantage and impartiality judged of all books things and men that he was the Oracle consulted by all the learned men of the Nation Dr. Hammond Mr. Chillingworth c. in cases that concerned either Whereupon he used to say of learned mens letters That they set up tops and he must whip them for them There are no monuments of his learning save the great Scholars made by his directions and assistance extant but Sir Henry Savil's Chrysostome which he corrected with great paines in his younger dayes and illustrated with admirable notes for which he is often honourably mentioned by Mr. Andrew Downs Greek Professor of Cambridge and a Collection of some choice Sermons and Letters made by Mr. Garthwait He was very tender of judging any but himself and never spake with complacency of any of his own works but his Sermon intitled Dixi Custodiam on Psalm 36. 1. And indeed had he been as good at the Custodiam as he was at the Dixi he had been an incomparable man For Bishop Pearson in his Preface to his Remains saith He was a man of as great sharpness quickness and subtilty of wit as ever this or perhaps any Nation bred His Industry did strive if it were possible to equal the largeness of his capacity Proportionable to his reading was his meditation which furnished him with a judgment beyond the vulgar reach of man So that he really was a most prodigious example of an acute and piercing wit of a vast and illimited knowledge of a severe and profound judgment Although this may seem as in it self it truly is a grand Eulogium yet I cannot esteem him less in any thing which belongs to a good man than in those intellectual perfections And had he never understood a Letter he had other ornaments sufficient to endear him As a Christian none ever more acquainted with the nature of the Gospel because none more studious of the knowledge of it or more curious in the search which being strengthned by those great advantages before mentioned could not prove otherwise than highly effectual He took indeed to himself a liberty of judging not of others but for himself And if ever any man might be allowed in these matters to judge it was he who had so long so much so advantagiously considered and which is more never could be said to have the least worldly design in his determinations He was not only most truly and strictly just in his secular transactions most exemplary meek and humble notwithstanding his perfections but beyond all example charitable giving unto all preserving nothing but his books to continue his learning and himself which when he had before digested he was forced at last to feed upon at the same time the happiest and most unfortunate Helluo of books the grand Exemplar of learning and of the envy and contempt which followeth it None was more solicited to write and thereby to teach the world than he yet none more resolved against it yet did he not hide his Talent being so communicative that his Chamber was a Church and his Chair a Pulpit So far Bishop Pearson who testifieth also that of all the Sermons Miscellanies c. then published for his we may be confident they were his And now you see the reason why Mr. Hales the famed Author of such a work was so highly esteemed by the Brethren of the Factions as that such of either the Presbyterian or Independent faction as defended their divisions and separations made him their Coryphaeus he being for parts and learning head and shoulders above the tallest of them The Treatise was printed as I find in an unhappy time Anno 1642. and although I am of the mind that by the weakness of the Arguments the Author intended rather to betray than defend the Schism yet the Separatists wanting better reasons made a great noise with these as if they were justified in their Schism by this work notwithstanding the demerits of their own The fame of this and some other Opinions of our Author came to the cognizance of that great Lover of learning and learned men Arch-bishop Laud who sent for him on purpose to admonish him of his faults and he being come to the Palace in the morning the Arch-bishop presently gives order to delay Dinner probably that he might have the more time for discourse with Mr. Hales and taking him to his Garden with him they continued their conference for some hours after which they were very good friends the Arch-bishop studying to prefer him and he praying for the Arch-bishop as his Chaplain And whereas he had been heard to say in his former days that he thought he should never dye a Martyr yet he was known to live a Confessor and if we will believe Mr. Marvel he dyed little less than a Martyr for the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England being by the enemies thereof deprived of all his livelihood and reduced to such extremities as did contribute to the shortning of his days Dr. Heylen in the Life of the Arch-Bishop tells us of another Book called Disquisitio brevis ascribed to Mr. Hales in which some of the principal Socinian Tenents were cunningly inserted pretending them for the best expedients to appease some controversies between us and Rome And that the Treatise of Schism not then Printed was transmitted from hand to hand in written Copies intended chiefly for the incouragement of our great Masters of wit and reason to despise the Authority of the Church the dispersing of which gave the Arch-Bishop occasion to send for him to Lambeth And that the Arch-bishop knew his abilities while he lived in Oxon For Dr. Heylen says he was a man of infinite reading and no less ingenuity free of discourse and as communicative of his knowledge as the celestial bodies of their light and influences And that after the discourse above intimated which continued from Nine of the Clock till the usual time of Dining was past and the Lord Conway and other Persons of Honor being there some of the Servants thought it necessary to give him notice how the time had passed away and then coming in high coloured and almost panting for want of breath enough to shew there had been some heats between them Mr. Hales met with Dr.
Heylen with whom he was acquainted told him that he found the Arch-bishop whom he knew before to be a nimble Disputant to be as well versed in Books as business That he had been ferreted by him from one hole to another till there was none left to afford him further shelter That he was now resolved to be Orthodox and to declare himself a true Son of the Church of England both for Doctrine and Discipline p. 361 362. If it be demanded why our Author did not refute this Tract in his life-time I answer 1. he did do it as effectually as the Philosopher confuted him that denied motion when he arose from his seat and walked up and down before him for his long profession and practice contrary to what was there written was Protestatio contraria facto 2. The Tract carried its confutation with it as appears in the examination 3. It 's not impossible that he foresaw how it might be serviceable to the Royal Party whom their adversaries had begun to revile and persecute as Arminians and Papists and in some cases poyson well tempered and rightly applied may become medicinal 4. He might be confident such weak arguments as he made use of though they might please the factious multitude who knew no better yet they could do no great hurt among Judicious men And because we cannot guess at the Author's aim which is secret we ought to judge by his actions which were publick The learned Bishop Taylor made use of a like Stratagem to break the Presbyterian power and to countenance Divisions between the Factions which were too much united against the Loyal Clergy for in his Liberty of Prophesying he insists on the same Topicks of Schism and Heresie of the incompetency of Councils and Fathers to determine our Ecclesiastical controversies and of scrupulous Consciences and urgeth far more cogent arguments than our Author did but still he had prepared his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Antidote to prevent any dangerous effect of his discourse Not unlike to some Mountebanks Pardon the Comparison who to amuse the vulgar and to effect their own ends do administer to their Merry-Andrews a certain Dose of Poison but immediately give them such an Antidote as causeth them to cast it up again and hinders the mischievous operation of it For the Judicious Reader may perceive such a reserve though it lay in Ambuscado and be compacted in a narrow compass as may easily rout those Troops which began too soon to cry Victoria and thought of nothing else but dividing the Spoil And if the learned Bishop did this and was blameless the goodness of the End in such cases denominating the Action I see no cause why our Author whose ends as we ought in charity to believe considering the integrity of the Person were for the restoring of peace seeing he represented the causes of War so frivolous and inconsiderable ought to be represented as a Criminal or adversary And thus I have endeavoured to rescue the Author's Person as well as his Papers from the Enemies tents according to the advice of Tully in the case of Muraena Tolle Catonem de Causâ that by any means he should take off Cato from appearing as an Enemy or an Evidence against him lest the Opinion of Cato's vertues should create him more prejudice than the strength of his Arguments were like to do I have only to acquaint the Reader that the reason why in the following Censure I have sometime named the Author as distinct from Mr. Hales is because I believe it is applied by too many to such intents as the Author never thought of and as the Epigrammatist saith of ill repeating so shall I say of ill applying other mens books Malè dum recitas incipit esse tuus I cannot certainly calculate the time when this Tract of Schism was first penned but I suppose it to be about Forty Years since it being quoted by Mr. Chillingworth in his Answer to Knott which wants but little of that age And unless my conjecture and credible information do both fail me the occasion on which it was written was this Mr. Hales and Mr. Chillingworth were of intimate acquaintance and beside a constant correspondence by Letters they had frequent converse with each other but more especially when Mr. Chillingworth came so far in his Answer as to Vindicate our Church from Schism which was charged on her by Knott He consulted with Mr. Hales concerning the nature of Schism and after discourse he desired Mr. Hales to write his thoughts about it which he did in this Tract out of which Mr. Chillingworth urged some arguments which I think are the worst in all his Book Sure I am that they caused ill reflections not only on the private reputation of Mr. Hales and Mr. Chillingworth but on the Church of England as if that did favour the Socinian Principles The Author of Infidelity Unmasked writing against Mr. Chillingworth tells him that his arguments concerning Schism were conceits borrowed from a Letter of Mr. John Hales of Eaton written to a private Friend of his as I am credibly informed saith that Author by a Person well known to them both at that time and who saw the Letter it self And he farther affirms of his own certain knowledge that Mr. Hales was of a very inconstant judgment One Year for Example says he doubting of or denying the blessed Trinity and the next Year professing and adoring the same And another Person in a Pamphlet called the Total Summ written against Mr. Chillingworth reviles him on the same account in these words In this you shew the Adamantinal hardness of your Socinian forehead and Samosatenian Conscience The truth is that some arguments borrowed from the Socinians and urged first by Mr. Hales and from him by Mr. Chillingworth gave occasion to that imputation But as for Mr. Chillingworth he had sufficiently secured his reputation in the Preface of his Book where he thus professeth I believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Deity of our Saviour and all other Supernatural verities received in the Scripture as truly and as heartily as any man And whereas he dyed in the Faith of the Church of England he hath given assurance that he was then no Socinian As for Mr. Hales whatever he was when he wrote this Tract of Schism and some others yet as his Adversary says he did afterward profess and adore the blessed Trinity And for the Reader 's satisfaction as well as for Mr. Hales his Vindication I shall transcribe that account which he gives of his Faith concerning the Trinity in his Golden Remains Mr. HALES's Confession of the TRINITY The Summ of whatever either the Scriptures teach or the Schools conclude concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity is comprised in these few Lines GOD is One numerically one more one than any single Man is one if Unity could suscipere magis minus yet God is so One that he admits of distinction and so admits of
whose capacity will scarce serve him to utter five words in sensible manner blusheth not in any doubt concerning matter of Scripture to think his own bare Yea as good as the Nay of all the Wise Grave and Learned Judgments that are in the whole World which insolency must be represt or it will be the very bane of Christian Religion And therefore he concludes The certain commands of the Church must be obeyed in all things not certainly unlawful And page 144. That which the Church by her Authority shall probably think and define to be true and good must in congruity of reason over-rule all other inferior judgments whatsoever And as to Orders established by the Church sith equity and season favour that which is in being till orderly judgment of Decision be given against it it is but Justice to Exact of you and perversness in you it would be to deny thereunto your willing obedience Not that I judge it a thing allowable for Men to observe those Laws which in their hearts they are stedfastly perswaded to be against the Laws of God but your perswasion in this case ye are all bound for the time to suspend and in otherwise doing ye offend against GOD by troubling his Church without any just or necessary cause Be it that there are some Reasons inducing you to think hardly of our Laws are those Reasons demonstrative are they necessary or but meer probabilities only An argument necessary and demonstrative is such as being proposed unto any Man and understood the mind cannot choose but inwardly assent But if the skilfullest among you can shew that all the Books ye have hitherto written be able to afford any one Argument of this nature let the instance be given As for probabilities what thing was there ever set down so agreeable with sound reason but some probable shew against it might be made Is it meet that when publickly things are received and have taken place general obedience thereunto shall cease to be exacted in case this or that private person led with some probable conceit should make open protestation Peter or John disallow them and pronounce them naught So that of peace and quietness there is not any way possible unless the probable voice of every intire Society or Body Politick over rule all private of like nature in the same Body Which thing effectually proveth that GOD being Author of Peace and not of confusion in the Church must needs be Author of those Mens peaceable resolutions who concerning these things have determined with themselves to think and do as the Church they are of Decreeth till they see Necessary cause enforcing them to the contrary And p. 144 145. Mr. Hooker saith That which the Church by her Authority shall probably think and define to be true and good must in congruity of reason over-rule all other inferior judgments whatsoever And where our duty is Submission weak oppositions betoken Pride Now as the Name of Mr. Hales prevailed with Mr. Chillingworth to imbrace some unsound Opinions of his so hath it done with others of great note The Author of the Irenicum p. 108. repeats the first and part of the second Page of this Tract with this Commendation It is well observed by a Learned and Judicious Divine That Heresie and Schism c. And p. 120. I shall subjoyn the judgment of as Learned and Judicious a Divine as most our Nation hath bred in his Excellent though little Tract of Schism And then he repeats p. 210. In those Schisms c. to p. 212. And in p. 120 and 121. of the Irenicum he quotes Mr. Hales from p. 215. And were Liturgies c. to p. 218. and adds So far that Excellent Person whose words I have taken the pains to transcribe because of the great wisdome judgment and moderation contained in them and the seasonableness of his Counsel and Advice to the present posture of Affairs among us And p. 394. Thus that incomparable Man Mr. Hales in his often quoted Tract of Schism p. 223. to p. 225. adding Thus that grave and wise Person whose words savour of a more than ordinary tincture of a true spirit of Christianity that scorns to make Religion a footstool to pride and ambition The Author of the Rehearsal Transpros'd speaks marvellously of Him I shall conclude says he with a Villanous Pamphlet of which a great Wit was the Author and whereas Mr. Bayes is alwayes defying the Non-conformists with Mr. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity and the Friendly Debate I am of Opinion though I have a great reverence for Mr. Hooker that this little Book of not full Eight Leaves hath shut that Ecclesiastical Polity and Mr. Beyes too our of Doors It is one Mr. Hales of Eaton a most Learned Divine and one of the Church of England and most remarkable for his sufferings in the late times and for his Christian patience under them And I reckon it not one of the least ignominies of that Age that so eminent a Person should have been by the iniquity of the times reduced to those necessities under which he lived As I account it no small honour to have grown up into some part of his acquaintance and conversed a while with the living Remains of one of the clearest Heads and best prepared Breasts in Christendom I hope it will not be tedious though I write some few and yet whatsoever I omit I shall have left behind more material passages And then he fills up near Eight Pages of his Book out of Mr. Hales his Eight Leaves It was not amiss in the Scribes and Pharisees to build the Tombes of the Prophets and garnish their Sepulchres but to persecute their Successors and Christ himself under pretence of honouring the Ancients was an impiety full fraught with malice and envy And a usual thing it is for such as intend to trample on such Worthies as are present and stand in their way to express great respect to those that are removed out of it Sed nisi quae terris semota suisque Temporibus defuncta videt fastidit odit Yet by that Author's leave I have quoted much less out of the Reverend Mr. Hooker in this Parergon yet enough to confute all that he or Mr. Hales have said in Defence of Schism There is another late Pamphlet called Separation no Schism which in p. 40. telleth us That a meer suspicion of sin is a sufficient ground for withdrawing Communion in the judgment of very learned Men and then quotes Mr. Hales So says that Universally admired Man p. 210. and p. 216 217 218. and infers These Testimonies are so clear and backt with such Unanswerable Reasons that not only where the Commission of Sin but the doing any thing that is suspected to be sinful is required as a condition of Communion there a withdrawing is lawful and not at all Schismatical Now when Men of so much Learning and Judgment as some of those whom I have mentioned have upon the reputation
of the Venerable Mr. Hales improved such Notions and Arguments as are destructive to the Government and Peace of the Church of England it is not strange that Men of little Learning and great Prejudices should assume them whereby as far as they are able to justifie their Schismatical practices nor that the Scepticke of this Age should be fond of such Notions as may tend to the Subversion of what hath been so long and so well established among us We may rather wonder how so Villanous a Pamphlet as the Rehersal calls it yet so obnoxious to just exceptions should have continued so long in Vogue without a Confutation from some more Learned Hand that the Infection of it might proceed no farther but its weakness be made manifest to all Men. As for Doctor Parker he hath no less judiciously and successfully acquitted Himself against any thing objected by Master Hales or Marvel than Master Hooker To instance in that one particular of pretending Scruples of Conscience against the Commands of Publick Authority he faith more in One Page than all the Objectors will be able to Answer Though this pretence saith he might be allowed of in the Dayes of Queen Elizabeth when it was first started yet after so long time and so much enquiry it is intolerable For if after all their search and examination they have not been able to descry the evils they suspected this is a sufficient Principle of Presumption that their Jealousies are ungrounded so that if they are now able to object any certain crime against them then this Plea of a Doubtful Conscience ceaseth and the Certainty is to be pleaded in stead of the Doubt if not an Hundred and Fifty Years is a sufficient time to satisfie or to cancel scruples And a scrupulous Conscience is of a modest yielding and plyable temper as arising from a diffidence and distrust of it self And Doubts and Scruples are rarely imployed but upon trifling and inconsiderable matters the material parts of Duty being too plain and easie to be liable to so much uncertainty And therefore obedience to Authority being one of the greatest and most indispensable Duties of Mankind in that it is so absolutely necessary to their well being and injoyned upon them by the most Positive Precepts and severest Penalties of the Gospel Nor is it fit that in Doubtful cases of a Publick concern Men should talk too peremptorily of their private Perswasions because they are incompetent Judges of the Publick good and therefore are to be determined and over-ruled by the Judgment of those to whose care the management of Publick Affairs is intrusted unless in case of certain and unquestionable Disobedience to the Law of GOD For we are no otherway free from the Supreme Authority on Earth but as we are subject to a Superior in Heaven AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. HALES's TREATISE of SCHISM Q. WHat is the benefit of Communion Answ Communion is the strength and ground of all society Sacred and Civil whoever therefore causeth a breach if in civil occasions is guilty of Sedition or Rebellion if in Ecclesiastical differences is guilty of Schism so that Schism is an Ecclesiastical Sedition as Sedition is a Lay-schisme p. 193. Q. What is the definition of Schism Answ Schisme is an unnecessary separation of Christians from that part of the visible Church of which they were once Members Q. When is Separation necessary Answ Separation is then necessary when nothing will save us from the guilt of Conscience but open separation p. 195. Q. When is Schisme complete Answ These two things make Schism complete First The choice of a Bishop in opposition to the former 2ly The erecting a new Church and Oratory for the dividing Party to meet in publickly As in the late famous controversie in Holland de Praedestinatione as long as the disagreeing Parties went no further than disputes the Schisme was unhatched but as soon as one Party swept an old Cloyster and by a pretty Art suddenly made it a Church by putting a new Pulpit in it for the separating Party to meet in what before was a Controversie became a formal Schisme p. 197. Q. What is the danger of Schism Answ What the Ancients spake by way of censure of Schisme in general is most true and they spake most strange things of it for they saw that unadvisedly and upon fancy to break the knot of union betwixt man and man especially among Christians upon whom the tye of love and communion doth especially rest was a crime hardly pardonable and that nothing absolves a Man from the guilt of it but true and unpretended Conscience And p. 192. Heresie and Schisme are things of great moment the one offending against Truth the other against Charity and both are deadly Q. Was the Schisme of the Donatists any way excusable Answ No they were compleat Schismaticks upon the grounds before mentioned nor was there any necessary cause for their Separation for the occasion of the Schisme was an Opinion that where good and bad were mixed there could be no Church by reason of pollution evaporating as it were from sinners which blasted the righteous and made all unclean whereas in his Congregations he pretended that wicked persons found no shelter p. 206. Q. How was this Schisme of the Donatists refuted Answ By this one maxime of Saint Augustine which was irrefragably asserted Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam That the unity of the Catholick Church is not to be forsaken for the sins of some that are within it p. 206. Q. Though in this Schism the Donatist was the Schismatick yet might not any one communicate with them if occasion so required if so be they did not flatter them in their Schisme for why might it not be lawful to go to Church with the Donatist if occasion so required since neither Nature nor Religion suggest the contrary why may I not be present at such publick Meetings as pretend Holiness so there be nothing done but what true Devotion and Piety brook Yea why may I not go to an Arian Church if occasion require so there be no Arianism expressed in the Liturgy Answ 1. You may not communicate with such because of the danger of Schisme before mentioned 2ly Because it is not lawful no not for prayer hearing conference or any other religious office whatsoever for People to Assemble otherwise than by publick order is allowed for why should Men desire to do that suspiciously in private which may be performed warrantably in publick p. 229 230. Q. But what if they to whose care the execution of the publick service is committed do some things unseemly suspicious or unlawful if their Garments be censured as or indeed be superstitious what if the Gesture of Adoration be used at the Altar what if the Homilist or Preacher deliver any Doctrine of the truth of which we are not well
perswaded Answ Yet for all this we may not separate except we be constrained to bear a part in them our selves The Priests under Eli had so ill demeaned themselves about the daily Sacrifice that they made it to stink yet the People refused not to come to the Tabernacle nor to bring their Sacrifices to the Priests for in Schismes which concern fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only the requiring of the execution of some unlawful or suspected Act. Q. What may we do when some Persons in a Church teach erroneous Doctrines suppose of Arius and Nestorius concerning the Trinity or the Person of our Saviour Answ What to do in this case is not a point of any great depth of understanding to discover so be it distemper and partiality do not intervene I do not see that Opinionum varietas Opinantium unitas are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Men of different Opinions in Christian Religion may not hold communion in Sacris in the publick Worship This Argument holds à fortiori if I may keep communion with such as teach false Doctrines much more with such as practise only suspected Ceremonies p. 226. Q. What is your Opinion of Conventicles Answ It evidently appears that all Meetings upon unnecessary occasions of Separation are to be so stiled so that in this sense a Conventicle is nothing else but a Congregation of Schismaticks Q. Is not this name sometime fixed upon good and honest Meetings p. 227. Answ It is and that perchance not without good reason For first it hath been at all times confessed necessary that God should have not only inward and private devotion when Men either in their Hearts or Closets or within their private Walls pray praise confess and acknowledge but that all these things should be done in publick by troops and shoals of Men from whence proceeded publick Temples Altars Forms of Service appointed Times and the like which are required for open Assemblies Q. What is the reason of the severe Censures and Laws against private Meetings Answ When it was espied that ill affected persons abused private Meetings whether religious or civil to evil ends religiousness to gross impiety and the Meetings of Christians under Pagan Princes when for fear they durst not come together in open view were charged with soul imputations as by the report of Christians themselves it plainly appears as also civil Meetings under pretence of Friendship and neighbourly visits sheltered treasonable attempts against Princes and Common-weals Hence both Church and State joyned and joyntly gave order for forms times places of publick Concourse whether for civil or religious ends and all other Meetings whatsoever besides those of which both time and place were limited they censured for routs and riots and unlawful Assemblies in the State and in the Church for Conventicles Q. Is it not lawful then for Prayer hearing conference and other religious Offices for People to Assemble otherwise than by publick Order is allowed Answ No for why should Men desire to do that suspiciously in private which warrantably may be performed in publick p. 230. Q. I pray you Sir What general Rules are fit to be observed for the discovering and avoiding of Schisme Answ Take heed of entertaining scruples of Conscience about things of little moment for when scruples of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schismes began to break in p. 217. Q. What other Rule is necessary to be observed Answ That you do not endeavour to advance one Bishop against another much more a Presbyter against the Bishop which in St. Cyprian's language is Erigere Altare contra Altare to set up Altar against Altar to which he imputeth the Original of all Church disorders and if you read him you would think he thought no other Church-tumult to be a Schisme but this For the general practice of the Church was never to admit more than one Bishop at once in one See but it fell out among the Ancients sometime by occasion of difference in Opinion sometimes because of difference among those who were interessed in the choice of Bishops that two Bishops and sometime more were set up and all Parties striving to maintain their own Bishop made themselves several Congregations and Churches each refusing to participate with others And seeing it is a thing very convenient for the peace of the Church to have but one Bishop in a See at once Their punishment sleeps not who unnecessarily or wantonly go about to infringe it HAving by a brief Analysis of the Treatise of Schism extracted the genuine sense of the Author who as the Transproser says p. 175. was one of the Church of England and as such I have endeavoured to represent him it is obvious to every one that shall read that Tract that instead of Answering Mr. Hooker's or Mr. Parker's Tracts of Ecclesiastical Polity it hath fully refuted it self and all other cavils of the Schismaticks who by these two assertions of his will for ever lye under a just condemnation The One is p. 209. What if those to whose care the Execution of the publick service is committed do something either unseemly or suspicious or peradventure unlawful what if the Garments they wear be censured as nay indeed be Superstitious what if the gesture of Adoration be used at the Altar what if the Homilist or Preacher deliver any doctrine of the truth of which we be not well perswaded yet for all this we may not separate except we be constrained personally to bear a part in them our selves Then may not any of the Laity who are not required to bear a part in such things separate from our Congregations and by consequence neither may their Leaders draw them into a separation The second Assertion is p. 229. It is not lawful no not for prayer for hearing for conference for any other religious office whatsoever for people to assemble otherwise than by publick order is allowed This conclusion our Author infers from substantial premises I confess I was so tender of the reputation and memory of Mr. Hales who as the Transproser says was not only one of the Church of England but most remarkable for his sufferings in the late times and for his Christian patience under them which befel him as Mr. Parker observes p. 148. when he had declared himself of another Opinion and obtained leave of Arch-bishop Laud who converted him to call himself his Grace's Chaplain that naming him in his publick prayers the greater notice might be taken of the Alteration which doubtless was the cause why so eminent a person was by the iniquity of those times reduced to those necessities under which the Transposer observes he lived p. 176. that I resolved at first not to make any reflection on such passages as discovered the Author to be guilty of so many Passions infirmities and contradictions I shall not deal therefore with Mr.
points of Faith delivered in the Scriptures be better understood and confirmed than by the joynt consent of such Ancient Doctors who conversed with the Apostles or their immediate Successors and are rightly called Apostolici many of which were Persons of great Learning and Eloquence and so could not be charged with ignorance And doubtless they were very industrious in inquiring into the grounds of the Christian Faith for which they forsook all temporal accommodations and most of them their lives and against all opposition have not only handed down to us the Scriptures themselves pure and incorrupt but the proper and genuine sense of them We do not make them Judices but Indices fidei not the Authors but the witnesses to confirm and give evidence in matters of Faith 4. The Papists do calumniate the Reformed Divines as if they rejected the judgment of the Fathers whereas they do with one consent and none more readily than they of the Church of England appeal to their Authority for confirmation of the Faith which they profess I could easily fill a Volume with the testimonies of our Modern Divines concerning the authority of the Ancients how competent Judges they are of the questions now on foot The naming of some few will resolve us whether our Author's Opinion or theirs deserves the imputation of grosness and folly Calvin in his controversie with Pighius de libero Arbitrio says The controversie between me and Pighius would soon be ended if he would declare the tradition of the Church in the certain and perpetual consent of the Holy and Orthodox Bucer says as much on Matth. 1. concerning the consent of the Church about the perpetual Virginity of the Holy Virgin Mary That to doubt of that consent unless some plain Oracle of Scripture doth inforce it is not the part of them that have learned what the Church of Christ is When Zanchy was 70. Years old and had long studied the point He tells us in these words Hoc ego ingenuè profiteor talem esse meam conscientiam ut à veterum Patrum sive dogmatibus sive scripturarum interpretationibus non facilè nisi manifestis scripturarum testimoniis vel necessariis consequentiis apertisque demonstrationibus convictus atque coactus discedere queam Sic enim acquiescat mea conscientia in hac mentis quiete cupio etiam mori Epistola ad Confess fidei p. 47. Gualter in his Preface to Peter Martyr's common places says From hence come all kinds of evils the pest of disputatiousness the violation of all bonds of Charity and shaking the fundamentals of Faith because we do not reverence the Ancients as much as we ought Nor fear I to affirm that the chief cause of the Contentions of our Age is because most Divines insist on the Opinions of their present Masters and read their Books not enquiring what learned Antiquity did think or what errors and heresies were condemned by it As for the Divines of our own Church it may be sufficient to mention Bishop Jewel's Chalengee and how well he discharged it If any learned man of our adversaries said that learned Bishop or all the learned men that be alive be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old General Council or out of the Holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the Primitive Church whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved that there was any private Mass in the world for 600 years after Christ or that c. to the number of 27. Articles now in controversie between us and the Church of Rome I am content to yield and to subscribe And in his Apologie for the Church of England he says We came as nigh as possibly we could to the Apostolical Churches and the Ancient Bishops neither did we direct our Doctrine only but our Sacraments and form of Publick Prayers to their rites and institutions And after him the Church provided by her constitutions Imprimis videant Concionatores ne quid unquam pro concione doceant quod à populo religiosè teneri credi volunt nisi quod consentaneum sit Veteri Novo Testamento quódque ex iis docuerint Antiqui Patres veteres Episcopi collegerint I add only that of the Royal Martyr in his discourse with Henderson 3d. paper When you and I differ about the sense of the Scriptures and I appeal to the unanimous consent of the Fathers and the Primitive Church you ought to find a more competent Judge or to rest in him that is proposed by me And this shall serve to assoil that question which our Author saith carryeth fire in the tail of it and brings with it a piece of Doctrine which is seldom pleasing to Superiors p. 200. But the fire proves an Ignis fatuus and our Author himself brings water enough to extinguish it for in p. 65. he saith If Aristotle and Aphrodiseus and Galen and the rest of those excellent men whom God hath endued with extraordinary portions of natural knowledge have with all thankful and ingenious men throughout all generations retained their credit intire notwithstanding it is acknowledged that they have all of them in many things swerved from the Truth Then why should not Christians express the same ingenuity to those who have laboured before us in the exposition of the Christian Faith and highly esteem them for their works sake their many infirmities notwithstanding From this general contempt of the Fathers our Author proceeds p. 206. to cast a slurr on S. Augustine For having mentioned S. Augustines argument which he maintained against the Donatists which was Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum Orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam i. e. that the Unity of the Church spread over the whole world ought not to be forsaken for the sins of some few that were in its communion he adds that though it were de facto false that Donatus his party shut up in Africa was the only Orthodox party yet it might have been true notwithstanding any thing S. Augustine brings to confute it And contrarily though it were de facto true that the part of Christians dispersed over the face of the Earth were the Orthodox yet it might have been false notwithstanding any thing S. Augustine brings to confirm it As if that learned Father who was as close and exact a disputant as the Church hath enjoyed ever since had wholly mistaken the question or were unable to urge one argument pro or con i.e. either for confutation of that wretched Schism or for defence of the Catholick Church That learned Father wrote a very large Volume against those Schismaticks which contains so much both of wit and Argument that there would not need any thing else to be said for the confutation of Schismaticks to the worlds end if his arguments were well understood and applyed And when our Author proves the Donatists in two
resolved by Tharasius malum perpetuò idem est aequale That evil is alway the same which sounding too Stoical one Epiphanius a Deacon and representative of Thomas Arch-Bishop of Sardinia solves it by saying That it held true especially in causes Ecclesiastical Aquibus decretis cùm parvis tùm magnis errare idem est siquidem in utrisque lex divina violatur for to erre from such decrees whether in small matters or great is a contempt of the Divine law But John a Monk Deputy for the Oriental thrones pronounceth this heresie worse than all other heresies and of all evils the worst as disturbing the whole Oeconomy of Christ However their penitents being but few for we find not above three or four mentioned they restore three of them to their dignities and one other Gregory Bishop of Neocaesareae who was judged to be a chief Leader of the Iconoclastae was admitted only to the Communion of the Church not to his Bishoprick although he declared for Image-worship But the Anathema is denounced against many others who abhorred this Idolatrous practice professing they did reject all images made by the hands of men and worshipped that only Qua filius Dei in Sacramento panis vini ante passionem seipsum expressit as did the whole Council of Frementum Theodosius Bishop of Ephesus Sisinnius of Pastilla Basilius and others And shortly after Charles the Great assembleth a Council of the Bishops of Italy France and Germany at Francfort Anno 792. of the transactions whereof we have four books yet extant in which we have not only the Canons of that Council but many Imperial Edicts for the taking away of Images and forbidding any worship to be given them Sir Henry Spelman p. 305. of his first Volume of Councils acquaints us that Charles the Great sent a book to Offa King of the Mercians wherein Images were decreed to be worshipped by this Synod of Nice of which he tell us from Hoveden That in that book many things disagreeing and contrary to the true faith were found especially that Images ought to be worshipped which the Church of God doth utterly condemn And that Alcuinus Master to Charles the Great but by birth a Britan in an Epistle written in the name of the Bishops and Princes of England and sent back to Charles the Great did wonderfully overthrow that opinion of the Nicene Council by testimonies of Holy Scripture which moved him to call that Synod of Francfort consisting of 300 Fathers who refuted and condemned this decree of worshipping Images which is the cause saith that Author why the Monuments of that Synod are suppressed And I suppose that all the Reformed Churches especially the Church of England cannot but abhor those that established so great an iniquity by a Law I remember the learned Doctor Jackson p. 113. of his Treatise of the Church saith that by the self same stroke by which this Council did de facto thrust all other out of the visible Church that would not worship Images they declared themselves to be excommunicated de Jure from the Holy Catholick Church and by consequence from Salvation When therefore our Author endeavours by his Rhetorical flourishes to make such destructive errors to dwindle into schisms and allows only the names of schism p. 213. to Arrianism Eutychianism c. I thought I had just cause to except against his first Paragraph especially when I found how much it took not only with the Fanaticks and some witty men of our days but with persons of real worth and learning one of which whom I forbear to name repeats the whole clause in a book of good note in these words It is very well observed by a learned and judicious Divine quoting the Tract of Schism which he calls that little but excellent Tract of Schism that heresie and schism as they are commonly used are two Theological Scar crows with which they who use to uphold a party in Religion use to fright away such as making inquiry into it are ready to relinquish and oppose it if it appear either erròneous or suspicious For as Plutarch reports of a Painter who having unskilfully painted a Cock chased away all cocks and hens that so the imperfection of his Art might not appear by comparison with nature so men willing for ends to admit of no fancy but their own endeavour to hinder an enquiry into it by way of comparison of somewhat with it peradventure truer that so the deformity of their own might not appear This story of a Cock I shall Answer with another of a Hen for I have seen a Countrey-man with the picture of a Hen Pheasant artificially drawn on a stained cloth and a little Pipe to call the Cock-pheasants to draw them from place to place until in pursuit of their pleasures they have been taken in a Snare The reputation of the Author is as a Pipe which calls unwary Persons to view the Pictures on that stained cloth whereof they that grow too fond may follow them to their own destruction Our Author page 215. gives his advice for the composing of Liturgies Were Liturgies and publick forms of service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree schisms on opinion were utterly vanished For consider of all Liturgies that are or ever have been and remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the event shall be that the publick service and honour of God shall no way suffer Whereas to load our publick forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most soveraign way to perpetuate Schism to the Worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Exposition of Scripture Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy though nothing either of private opinion or of Church-pomp of Garments of prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Churches under the Name of Order and Decency did interpose it self for to charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all Superstition We have a Devonshire Proverb He that builds his house by every ones chop Shall never see his Ouice drop If every Man's fancy should be complied with in the framing of a Liturgy it is most certain we should never have any seeing as there is scarce any part against which some do not except so others are offended at the very form as being a stinting of the Spirit and the opposing of a Directory to the Ancient Liturgy shews that this was the sense of the Presbyterians themselves which appears also by this that when they had in the Grand Debate given in their Objections to the Liturgy some of the Brotherhood had prepared another form but a great part of their Brethren objected many
the hearts of the People filled with invincible prejudices and scruples to the neglect and contempt of this necessary duty which by Christ's institution and by Primitive practice ought to be frequently performed and by the Constitutions of the Church at least three times every Year but hath been totally omitted by some very adult Christians all their lives contrary to the advice and practice of former Nonconformists as well as to the commands of God and his Church And what can the end of these things be but hardning the People in their disobedience and ignorance in uncharitable prejudices and distances from their more pious and peaceable Brethren and provoking their Superiors to Acts of rigor and severity unless they will permit all things to run to confusion And whereas upon the late Test all Persons that had any publick office or imployment were required to receive this Holy Sacrament according to the Custome of the Church of England or to forfeit that imployment not one of an Hundred of those scrupulous Persons that were concerned continued a Recusant I suppose they have sufficiently convinced the Magistrates that the best way of removing these Scruples is to require the more frequent practice of that duty under the like penalties And now I hope the frivolousness of our Author's position p. 218. That wheresoever false or suspected Opinions and he asserts the same of practising suspected Actions in the same period are made a piece of the Liturgy he that separates is not the Schismatick doth evidently appear And if he that separates be not the Schismatick then they that require the performance of a suspected action are so and by consequence it will be in the power of every scrupulous faction to denominate their Governours to be the Schismaticks As our Author determineth the case a man may as innocently disbelieve any Article of his Christian faith upon this pretence of scruples against them as disobey the command of his Superiors For saith he p. 194. when uncertain conclusions are obtruded for truth or acts ministring just scruples are required to be performed consent were conspiracy and open contestation is not faction or schism c. And p. 218. he gives this Reason for it It is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected falshoods as to put in practice unlawful or suspected Now suppose a subtle Socinian should meet with a scrupulous person and tell him that he doth well indeed to suspend his Communion from that Church which imposeth those things to be practised in the worship of God which have no warrant from thence but are rather condemned as Will-worship and Superstition but yet while he strains at a Gnat he swallows a Camel and suffers his Conscience to be imposed upon in matters of Faith which are of greater concern and then insinuate that there is no express text in Scripture nor any good Argument from Reason for a Trinity of persons in the Unity of the Godhead but both Scripture and Reason affirm there can be but one Supreme eternal God and then by wresting the Scriptures and perswading him that the Doctrine of the Trinity had its rise from Ecclesiastical Tradition not from the Scriptures and they that require the belief of it do teach for Doctrines the Commandments of men suppose I say by this leaven the scrupulous humor is fermented and swells up into a strong suspicion and he begins to grow sowr and discontented with his Teachers and likes the Arrian and Socinian Doctors better Doth not this man proceed upon the Authors grounds and may be as much justified by them if he turn Heretick as if he become a Schismatick And indeed there is not one Article of our Faith but cunning Sophisters may work upon persons disposed to scruples to have strong suspicions of them For Mr. Baxter tells us in his Saints everlasting rest Part 1. ch 7. Sect. 14. That Professors of Religion did oppose almost all the Worship of God out of Conscience which others did out of Prophaneness Upon this very pretense some will not hear of Infant Baptism nor others of the Lord's day but turn Anabaptists and Sabbatarians and for ought I know others may justifie rebellion and not only the Omission of moral duties but the Commission of any vice or impiety Experience hath evidently taught us that those persons who have been prone to entertain scruples in matters of Religion first have fallen next into sedition and rebellion and then to impiety and immoralities to Quakerism Atheism unnatural affection to Parents and acts and practices of as great cruelty and barbarity against themselves as against others But our Author grounds his Objection on Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin and He that doubteth is damned if he eat And this objection seems to be inforced by the Authority of Bishop Sanderson who p. 228. de Obligatione Conscientiae saith thus If any one through some fast rooted error of judgment do think the Law to be unjust which is not so the obligation of the Law doth remain notwithstanding that error of mind so that he is not free from sin if he do not obey yet that he sinneth more grievously if he should obey before that error be laid aside Which ease the Reverend Casuist intended to speak of more at large when he should come to treat of the comparison of both obligations viz. as I suppose the authority of the Magistrate and of Conscience For I perceive the question to which he makes this an Answer was What assurance that any Law is unjust is required to secure a subject in point of Conscience that he is not bound by that Law But the good Bishop never came to that point under which we might have expected his farther judgment in that case and therefore I shall take a little pains in finding out his resolution in some other parts of his writings Answer The Bishop says If a subject because that probable reasons do appear on both sides knoweth not nor can determine whether a Law be just or no so that his judgment hang in aequilibrio not knowing to which to incline in this case the subject is bound actually to obey so that he sinneth if he do not obey and if he do obey he sinneth not Now I observe that when the Bishop comes to give his reasons why a subject should obey against a scrupulous Conscience the same Reasons do require his obedience though his scruples he inveterate and obfirmed yea in things doubtful as by these following Reasons of his may appear His first Reason is because by a Reason of Law In dubiis potior est conditio possidentis therefore where there is a contest concerning a right betwixt the Lawgiver and the subject the right is alway to be presumed to be on the Lawgivers side as being in possession of the right unless some fit reason can be given to the contrary but in this case i. e. in things doubtful no such fit reason can
bondage that they may make merchandise of them which have so perplexed them Can that be Conscience that causeth men to strain at a Gnat and swallow Camels to start at a shadow and throw themselves over Precipices so to abhor a Ceremony as to commit Sacriledge and rob the Church of Christ of his last and best Legacy that of Peace Can Conscience perswade a man who confesseth his own ignorance by his doubting to judge of the things in controversie to conclude that his Superiors are in an error and that they who disobey and oppose them are in the right or can we think that they did cast themselves out of their own Cures on a principle of Conscience who against all good Conscience intruded upon other mens and still invade their rights Is it Conscience that teacheth them to interpret the actions and constitutions of their Superiors in the worse sense and by their corrupt glosses to make faults where they can find none Is it conscience that causeth men who are under Oaths and obligations of obedience and peace to withdraw causelesly into factious and seditious assemblies to the disturbance of the Church and State where they might lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty Is it conscience that teacheth men to scruple at Ceremonies and to omit the weighty matters of the Law Or can we think that they do really believe in their Consciences that to live in Conformity to the Church of England is a sin who do educate their children the care of whose Souls next to that of their own is incumbent on them in such professions as will necessarily engage them to be Conformists The Ancient Nonconformists thought themselves bound in Conscience to use their utmost endeavours to prevent separation from the Church of England and to ingage their people to frequent the publick Worship And can it be a point of Conscience in the present Nonconformists so industriously to promote Separation and as much as in them lyeth to bring the publick Worship into contempt Or can they pretend conscience for despising the prayers of the Church who at the same time reject our Lords prayer also Is it conscience that makes private and illiterate men to think themselves wiser and better than their Rulers and spiritual Guides whom God hath set over them Is it conscience that doth dispense with the same men to conform and communicate with the Church when they are required to do so under some present and severe penalty as on the late Test and to shun it at other times Lastly who can believe that they err through weakness or doubtfulness of Conscience who refuse to make use of those obvious and probable means for their satisfaction which God hath appointed for them That is in such doubtful cases which their own son cannot determine to consult with those to whom God hath committed the conduct of their Souls For what is Conscience but a mans judgment concerning things and actions according to Gods Word and Right Reason inlightned and directed thereby For seeing the Word of God hath not particularly determined of all things and actions we ought by our Reason comparing one place of Scripture with another and drawing conclusions from them to be guided and acted in such things as are not determined in Scripture and if our own Reason be too short-sighted and dull to apprehend the nature of the things doubted of we ought to use such Instruments and helps as God hath provided who hath said by his Prophet that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and the people should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Mal. 2. 7. where the peoples duty is plainly asserted And by his Apostle that we should know them that are over us in the Lord 1 Thess 5. 12. And Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account c. But as Mr. Baxter complains p. 570. of his Saints Rest Few of the Godly themselves do understand the Authority that their Teachers have over them from Christ they know how to value the Ministers Gifts but not how they are bound to learn of him and obey him because of his office People are bound to obey and learn of their Teachers as Scholars of their Masters And if the people were as willing to do their own duties and as apt to learn of their Ministers as they are forward to teach them or blame them for not doing theirs they might soon ease their Consciences of much guilt as well as of many doubts and scruples whereby for want of an humble and teachable spirit they so much trouble themselves and others And it is but reasonable that the established Clergy of the Church of England should expect as great a submission from their people as the Worcester Ministers who required their people to acknowledge in these words I ... do consent to be a Member of the particular Church of Christ at .... whereof .... is Teacher and Overseer and to submit to his teaching and ministerial guidance and oversight according to God's Word Those Men therefore whose Consciences are truly tender ought in doubtful cases to apply themselves to the means which God hath instituted and will therefore most probably bless for their information as first their own Pastor or if he be thought defective some neighbour Minister of whom the doubting Person hath a good opinion for his parts and piety if no such can remove his doubts he seems to me to be a Person capable to read the Works of Learned men that have written of the things in controversie and he may take in the help of Foreign Divines and perhaps inquire into the practice of the Church in the most pure and primitive Ages And if he find that they do all agree as Mr. Hooker and Mr. Baxter say That the certain commands of the Church we live in are to be obeyed in all things not certainly unlawful I cannot think that such as will still pretend doubts and espouse Parties and disobey their Governors and promote Schism and Divisions do erre out of weakness of Conscience but out of pride and stubbornness through great prejudices or for some little interests and concerns of their own which they value more than the Peace of the Church Now that Man doth judge extremely uncharitably of his Rulers whose Consciences are as tender and their Judgments better informed than his own and who being at liberty to choose and propose what may most conduce as well to their own as the Peoples salvation shall upon mature deliberation in solemn Assemblies appoint such a Discipline and Rites as they think most agreeable to the Word of God and the practice of the purest Churches in all Ages that Man I say must judge most uncharitably of them who should think that they impose on him any thing that is unlawful without a very clear
evidence of its unlawfulness seeing that therein they should not only wound their own Consciences and hazard their own Salvation but draw upon themselves the guilt of the Peoples sins by establishing iniquity by a Law and incouraging the People to comply with it by their examples and so like Jeroboam make the Israel of God to Sin But if in a deed done by a doubting Person at the command of one that is indued with lawful authority there be a sin it must go on his score that requireth it wrongfully not on his that doth but his duty in obeying nor is the Salvation of an obedient subject hazarded by a peaceable compliance with his Superiors commands in such doubtful and disputable actions Bishop Sanderson resolves a case that will put this out of doubt Sermon on Rom. 14. 23. p. 92. A Prince commandeth his Subjects to serve in his Wars it may be the quarrel is unjust it may be there may appear to the understanding of the Subject great likelihoods of such injustice yet may the subject for all that fight in the quarrel yea he is bound in Conscience so to do nay he is deep in disloyalty and treason if he refuse the service whatsoever pretensions of Conscience he may make for such refusal Mr. Baxter speaks almost as much p. 461. of his Five Disputations Every War that is unlawfully undertaken by the Prince is not unlawful in all his Souldiers Some of them that have not opportunity to know the evil of his undertaking may be bound to obey the case of others I determine not But a greater than he as I have shewn hath determined it and the practice of the Primitive Christians which stoutly fought the Battels of Heathen Emperors have confirmed that determination Now it is worthy of our consideration to think what manner of Souldiers such scrupulous Persons would make in case of a War begun against a just Prince by some of his Subjects that should pretend a Reformation of the Laws and arm themselves to redress abuses in the administration of Justice can we think that they who are apt to disobey upon I know not what scruples of the lawfulness of innocent Rites and Ceremonies injoyned by his authority will be ready to fight against their Brethren that herein agree with them would they not rather side against him as their Predecessors have done I suppose there are very few that are scrupulously factious in the Church but would in such a case be seditious and rebellious in the State I am sure they would find more plausible pretences as That the Prince commands such things as are to their Consciences unlawful and that they durst not ingage with him lest they draw innocent bloud upon their heads they think they are rather bound to help the Lord's People against the Mighty to rebuke even Kings for their sakes and if they see it meet to bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron and to execute upon them the Judgment written This Honour have all his Saints And yet that learned Casuist says that the fears of such scrupulous Persons need not trouble them no not in this grand case lest they should bring upon themselves the guilt of innocent bloud for the bloud that is unrighteously shed in such a quarrel he must answer for that set them on work not he that spilt it Is damnum dat qui jubet dare ejus verò nulla culpa est cui parére necesse est He doth the wrong that commands it to be done not he whose obedience is a necessary duty And truly says the same Casuist it is a great wonder to me that any Man endued with understanding and that is able in any measure to weigh the force of those precepts and reasons which bind inferiors to yield obedience to their Superiors should be otherwise minded in cases of like nature For whatsoever is commanded us by those whom God hath set over us either in Church Common-wealth or Family quod tamen non sit certum displicere Deo as saith St. Bernard which is not evidently contrary to the Law and Will of God ought of us to be received and obeyed no otherwise than as if God himself had commanded it because God himself hath commanded us to obey the higher Powers and to submit our selves to their Ordinances And if these things should not be so either Government or Christianity would in a short time be rooted out as incompetent one with the other for by such Men Christ is really represented as an enemy to Caesar and the event will be to have him crucified again in his members and put to open shame THE PREFACE TO Mr. BAXTER's ARGUMENTS THe same wise and Gracious Providence of Almighty God which over-ruled the Actions of those Armies that had kept us long in confusion and made them instrumental for the setling of peace in the State hath so directed the consultations and publick transactions of such as intruded on the affairs of the Church that if they would practise according to their own principles and acquiesce in their own arguments we might see peace and unity established also in the Church For besides the Arguments of the Non-conformists before 1642. who both by example and publick writings shewed their abhorrence of open Separation I do confidently affirm that if there were a collection made of those reasons which were urged by the Presbyterians to prevent the other Factions from separating from them as well in their Annotations Assemblies publick debates Sermons books of Schism Separation c. there needed no other security to the people of this Nation that they might with good Conscience conform to the publick Worship of God as it is now established I have formerly published Mr. Calvin's arguments to this purpose and now I present the Reader with Mr. Baxter's not only because I thought them most rational and perswasive but because I believe he was not acted by a studium partium any ambitious or private design but intended them as an Irenicum to perswade peace and reconciliation between all sober dissenters And I hope he will pardon me for prosecuting his own design while I do it in his own words published in several Treatises since he first set forth his Saints everlasting Rest in the Epistle to which he tells us he should fear of being a firebrand in Hell if he should be a firebrand in the Church I was much moved to see what odium he contracted from some of his Brethren of whom he deserved better things for endeavouring to heal our divisions yet was he not ashamed to write himself in the title page of his second admonition to Bagshaw a long-maligned and resisted endeavourer of the Churches unity and peace and in pag. 11. of that book he thus declares his Christian temper and resolution If injuries or interest would excuse any sin I think there are few Ministers in England who have more inducement to the Angry separating way than
certain by Gods word that children being baptized have all things necessary for their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved where it is plain they mean they have all things necessary ex parte Ecclesiae or all Gods applying Ordinances necessary though they should die unconfirmed supposing they have all things necessary to just baptism on their own part which is but what the Ancients were wont to say of the baptized adult but they never meant that the infidel and impenitent were in a state of life because he was baptized but that all that truly consent to the Covenant and signifie this by being baptized are saved So the Church of England saith that they receive no detriment by delaying confirmation but it never said that they received no detriment by their Parents or Responses infidelity or Hypocrisie or by their want of true right coram Deo to be baptized Q. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors or Godfathers and is it lawful to make use of them Answ My Opinion is that they did both witness the probability of the Parents fidelity and also promised that if they should either Apostatize or dye they would see that the children were piously educated If you take them but as the ancient Churches did for such as do attest the Parents fidelity in their perswasion and do promise first to mind you of your duty and next to take care of their pious education if you die I know no reason you have to scruple this much yea more it is in your power to agree with the Godfathers that they shall represent your own persons and speak and promise what they do as your deputies only in your names and what have you against this Object When the Churchmen mean another thing this is but to juggle with the world Answ How can you prove that the authority that made or imposed the Liturgy meant any other thing 2. If the Imposers had meant ill in a thing that may be done well you may discharge your Conscience by doing it well and making a sufficient profession of your better sense Q. 42. How is the Holy Ghost given to Infants in Baptism whether all the children of true Christians have inward sanctifying grace c. Ans My judgment agreeth more in this with Davenant's than any others saving that he doth not appropriate the benefits of Baptism to the children of true Believers so much as I do And though by a Letter impleading Davenant's cause I was the occasion of printing good Mr. Gataker's Answer to him yet I am still most inclined to his judgment Not that all the baptized but that all the baptized seed of true Christians are pardoned justifyed adopted and have a title to the spirit and Salvation And we must choose great inconveniences if this opinion be forsaken viz. that all infants must be taken to be out of Covenant with God and to have no promise of Salvation whereas surely the law of Grace as well as the Covenant of works included all the seed in their capacity Of the Responses Q. 83. May the people bear a vocal part in Worship and do any more than say Amen Answ The people bear an equal part in singing the Psalms which are prayer and praise and instruction if they may do so in the Psalms in metre there can be no reason given but they may lawfully do so in Psalms in Prose for saying them and singing them are but modes of utterance and the Ancient singing was liker our Saying than our tunes The Primitive Christians were so full of zeal and love to Christ that they would have taken it for an injury and a quenching of the Spirit to have been wholly restrained from bearing their part in the praises of the Church The use of the tongue keepeth awake the mind and stirreth up God's graces in his servants It was the decay of zeal in the people that first shut out the Responses while they kept up the ancient zeal they were inclined to take their part vocally in the Worship And this was seconded by the pride and usurpation of the Priests thereupon who thought the people of God too prophane to speak in the Assemblies and meddle so much with holy things Yet the very remembrance of former zeal caused most Churches to retain many of the words of their predecessors even when they lost the life and spirit which should animate them and so the same words came into the Liturgies and were used by too many customarily and in formality which their Ancestors had used in the fervour of their Souls And if it were not that a dead-hearted formal people by speaking the Responses carelesly and hypocritically do bring them into disgrace with many that see the necessity of seriousness I think few good people would be against them now It is here the duty of every Christian to labour to restore the life and spirit to the words that they may again be used in a serious and holy manner as heretofore Exod. 19. 8. In as solemn an Assembly as any of ours when God gave Moses a form of words to preach to the people all the people answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will do So Exod. 24. 3. and Deuter. 5. 27. which God approved of v. 28 29. See Levit. 9. 24. 2 Kings 23. 2 3. 1 Chron. 1. 35 36. It is a command Ps 67. 3 5. Let all the people praise thee O God c. And he that will limit this to single persons or say that it must not be vocally in the Church or it must be in metre only and never in prose must prove it lest he be proved one that addeth to Gods word Q. 84. Is it not a Sin for our Clerks to make themselves the mouth of the people Answ The Clerks are not appointed to be the mouth of the people but each Clerk is one of the people commanded to do that which all should do lest it should be wholly left undone If all the congregation will speak all that the Clerk doth it will answer the primary desire of the Church Governors who bid the people do it Of Bowing at the name Jesus And of Priests Altars c. Q. 86. Is it lawful to bow at the name of Jesus Answ That we may lawfully express our reverence when the names God Jehovah Jesus Christ c. are uttered I have met with few Christians who deny nor know I any reason to deny it If I live and joyn in a Church where it is commanded and peremptorily urged to bow at the name of Jesus and where my not doing it would be divisive scandalous or offensive I will bow at the name of God Jehovah Jesus Christ Lord c. My judgment of standing at the Gospel and kneeling at the Decalogue when it is commanded is the same Q. 122. May the name Priests Sacrifice and Altars be lawfully used Answ The New Testament useth all the Greek names
own work amiss and therefore the thing in it self being lawful I would obey him and use that garment if I could not be dispensed with Yea though secondarily the whiteness be to signifie purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would I obey And I see no reason to scruple the lawfulness of the Ring in marriage for though the Papists make a Sacrament of marriage yet we have no reason to take it for any Ordinance of Divine Worship more than the solemnizing a contract between a Prince and People All things are sanctified and pure to the pure And for Organs or other Instruments of musick in God's worship they being a help partly natural and partly artificial to the exhilarating the Spirits for the praise of God I know no argument to prove them simply unlawful but what would prove a Cup of Wine unlawful or the tune and metre and melody of singing unlawful Of Holy-days Nor do I scruple to keep a day in remembrance of any eminent Servant of Christ or Martyr to praise God for their Doctrine or Example and honor their memorial I am resolved if I live where such Holy-days Christ's Nativity Circumcision Fasting Transfiguration ascension and such like are observed to censure no man for observing them But if I lived under a government that peremptorily commanded it I would observe the outward rest of such a Holy-day and I would preach on it and join with the Assemblies in God's Worship yea I would thus observe the day rather than offend a weak Brother or hinder any man's salvation much more rather than I would make any division in the Church Of the Cross in Baptism I dare not peremptorily say that the Cross in Baptism is unlawful nor will I condemn Ancients or Moderns that use it nor will I make any disturbance in the Church about it more than my own forbearance will make I presume not to censure them that judge it lawful but only give the reasons that make me doubt and rather think it to be unlawful though still with a suspicion of my own understanding Of Ceremonies Certain things commonly called Ceremonies may lawfully be used in the Church upon Humane imposition and when it is not against the Law of God no Person should disobey the commands of their lawful Governors in such things It may be very sinful to command some Ceremonies which may lawfully yea must in duty be used by the Subject when they are commanded Mr. Baxter's judgment concerning Confirmation agreeable to the practice of the Church of England may be seen in a particular Treatise on that Subject Of Conventicles Q. 172. Are all religious and private Meetings forbidden by Rulers unlawful Coventicles Answ 1. It is more to the Honor of the Church and of Religion and of God and more to our safety and edification to have God's worship performed solemnly publickly and in great Assemblies than in a corner secretly and with few 2. It is a great mercy where Rulers allow the Church such publick Worship 3. Caeteris paribus all Christians should prefer such publick Worship before private and no private Meetings should be kept up which are opposite or prejudicial to such publick Meetings And therefore if such Meetings or any that are unnecessary to the ends of the Ministry the service of God and good of Souls be forbidden by lawful Rulers they must be forborn And it must be remembred that Rulers that are Infidels Papists Hereticks or Persecutors that restrain Church meetings to the injury of mens Souls must be distinguished from pious Princes that only restrain Hereticks and real Schismaticks for the Churches good 2. And that times of heresie and schism may make private meetings more dangerous than quiet times And so even the Scottish Church forbad private meetings in the Separatists days of late And when they do more hurt than good and are justly forbidden no doubt in that case it is a duty to obey and to forbear them It is a dangerous thing to be insnared in a Sect it will before you are aware possess you with a seaverish sinful zeal for the Opinions and interest of that Sect it will make you bold in bitter invectives and censures against those that differ from you it will corrupt your Church-communion and fill your very Prayers with partiality and humane passions it will secretly bring malice under the name of Zeal into your minds and words In a word it is a secret but deadly enemy to Christian love and peace Let them that are wiser and more Orthodox and godly than others shew as the Holy Ghost directeth them James 3. 13 14 c. out of a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdom But if ye have bitter envying or zeal and strife in your hearts Glory not and lye not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual Devilish Of Communion in the Lords Supper Qu. 2. May we communicate with unworthy persons Answ It is your duty to communicate with that Church which hath a true Pastor and where the denominating part of the members are capable of Church-communion though there may some Infidels or Heathen or uncapable Persons violently intrude or scandalous Persons are admitted through the neglect of Discipline in case you have not your choice to hold personal communion with a better Church and in case also you be not guilty of the corruption but by seasonable and modest professing your dissent do clear your self of the guilt of such intrusion and corruption Qu. 3. But what if I cannot communicate unless I conform to an imposed gesture as kneeling Answ I never yet heard any thing to prove kneeling unlawful there is no Word of God for or against any gesture Christ's example cannot be proved to oblige us in this and his gesture was not such a sitting as ours The nature of the Ordinance is mixt 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 Knees As for this Ceremony of kneeling at the Sacrament especially since the Rubrick is inserted which disclaimeth both all Bread-worship and the bodily real-presence my judgment was ever for it God having made some gesture necessary and confined us to none but left it to humane determination I shall submit to Magistrates in their proper work I am not sure that Christ intended the example of himself in this as obligatory but I am sure he hath commanded me obedience and peace Mr. Perkins was for kneeling and Mr. Baines in his Letters writes for it and answers objections against it Qu. 4. But what if I cannot communicate but according to the administration of the Common-prayer book Answ 1. That it is not unlawful to receive according to the administration of the Common-prayer book because it is a form
lawful things oft become unlawful when Superiors forbid them yet no reason can be given why a lawful thing should become unlawful because a lawful Superior doth command it else Superiors might take away all our Christian liberty and make all things unlawful to us by commanding them You would take it for a wild conceit in your children or servants if they say when you bid them learn a Catechism or use a form of prayer It was lawful for us to do it till you commanded us but because you bid us do it it is unlawful If it be a duty to obey Governors in all lawful things then it is not a sin to obey them 3. It is not your knowing before hand that makes it unlawful for 1. I know in general before-hand that all imperfect men will do imperfectly and though I know not the particular that maketh it never the lawfuller if foreknowledge it self did make it unlawful 2. If you know that e.g. an Antinomian or some mistaken Preacher would constantly drop some words for his error in praying or preaching that will not make it unlawful in your own judgment for you to joyn if it be not a flat heresie 3. It is another mans error or fault that you foreknow and not your own 4. God himself doth as an universal cause of nature concur with men in those acts which he foreknoweth they will sinfully do yet is not the Author or approver of the sin We the Commissioners 1663. all thought a Liturgy lawful and divers learned and reverend Nonconformists of London met to consider how far it was their duty or lawful to communicate with the Parish Churches where they lived in the Liturgy and Sacrament and I proved four propositions 1. That it is lawful to use a form 2. That it is lawful to joyn with some Parish Churches in the use of the Liturgy 3. That it is lawful to joyn with some Parish Churches in the Lords Supper 4. That it is to some a duty to joyn with some Parish Churches three times a year in the Lords Supper and none of the Brethren seemed to dissent but took the reasons to be valid Were I in Armenia Abassia or among the Greeks I would joyn in a much more defective form than our Liturgy rather than none And this is the judgment of many New-England Ministers conform to the old Non-conformists who did some of them read the Common-Prayer and the most of them judged it lawful to joyn in it or else Mr. Hildersham Mr. Rich. Rogers c. would not write so earnestly for coming to the beginning and preferring it before all private duties And truly I am not able to bear the thoughts of separating from almost all Christs Churches upon earth but he that separates from one or many upon a reason common to almost all doth virtually separate from almost all and he that separates from all among us upon the account of the unlawfulness of our Liturgy and the badness of our Ministry doth separate from them upon a reason common to almost all or the far greatest part as I conceive Those forms of Liturgy which now are most distasted were brought in by the most zealous religious people at the first the many short invocations versicles and responses which the people use were brought in when the Souls of the faithful did abound with zeal and in holy fervors break out in such expressions and could not well endure to be bare Auditors not vocally to bear their part in the praises of God and prayers of the Church I have shewed at large How far God hath given men power to prescribe and impose forms for others and commanded others to obey them when Christ said When ye pray say Our Father c. he bound the Disciples in duty to do as he bid them How forms may be imposed publickly on the congregations of Believers and on the Ministers yea though the forms imposed be worse than the exercise of their own gifts though among us no man be forbidden to use his own gifts in the Pulpit The Pharisees long Liturgy it is like was in many things worse than ours yet Christ and his Apostles often joyned with them and never condemned them I shall now only add that the Lord's prayer is a form directed to God as in the third person and not to man only as a directory for prayer in the Second Person it is not Pray to God your Father in heaven that his name may be Hallowed his Kingdom come c. But Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name c. And it seems by the disciples words that thus John taught his disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. and we have in the Scripture the mention of many Set forms of Service to God which therefore we may well use And I desire the Reader again to Note that though Prayer was corrupted by the Pharisees yet Christ usually joyned in their Synagogues Luke 14. 17. and never medled with our controversie about the lawfulness of Set forms This Mr. Baxter infers from Calvins note on Matth. 6. before the Preface to the Defence Of Obedience to our Pastors We are indangered by divisions principally because the self-conceited part of Religious people will not be ruled by their Pastors but must have their way and will needs be rulers of the Church and them But pleasing the ignorant Professors humors is a sin that shews us to be too humane and carnal and hath always sad effects at last It is a high degree of pride for persons of ordinary understandings to conclude that almost all Christs Chruches in the world for thirteen hundred years at least have offered such worship to God as that you are obliged to avoid it and all their communion in it and that almost all the Catholick Church on earth at this day is below your communion for using forms Mark Is it not more of the women and apprentices that are of this mind than of old experienced Christians I think till we have better taught even our godly people what credit and obedience is due to their teachers and spiritual guides the Church of England shall never have peace or any good or established order We are broken for want of the knowledge of this truth till this be known we shall never be well bound up and healed The people of the new separation so much rule their Ministers that many of them have been forced to forsake their own judgments to comply with the violent Labour to maintain the Ordinances and Ministry in esteem The Church is bound to take many a man as a true Minister to them and receive the Ordinances from him in faith and expectation of blessing upon promise who yet before God is a sinful invader and usurper of the Ministry and shall be condemned for it How much more then to respect their lawful Bishops and Pastors For Lay-Elders As
far as I understand the greatest part if not three for one of the English Ministers are of this mind That unordained Elders wanting power to preach or administer Sacraments are not Officers in the Church of God's appointment of this number I am one and Mr. Vines was another Of Bishops As for Bishops viz. a Diocesan ruling all the Presbyters but leaving the Presbyters to rule the People and consequently taking to himself the sole or chief power of Ordination but leaving censures and absolution to them except in case of Appeal to himself I must needs say that this sort of Episcopacy is very ancient and hath been for many Ages of very common reception through a great part of the Church And if I lived in a place where this government were established and managed for God I would submit thereto and live peaceably under it and do nothing to the disturbance disgrace or discouragement of it You may see how far Mr. Vines and Mr. Baxter did agree in the notion of a Bishop over many Presbyters Of which Grotius in his Commentary on the Acts and particularly chap. 17. saith that as in every particular Synagogue many of which were in some one City in Jerusalem 480. there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such was the Primitive Bishop And doubtless the first Bishops were over the community of Presbyters as Presbyters in joynt relation to one Church or region which region being upon the increase of believers divided into more Churches and in after-times those Churches assigned to particular men yet he the Bishop continued Bishop over them still For that you say he had a negative voice that is more than ever I saw proved or I think ever shall for the first 200. Years and yet I have laboured to enquire into it That makes him Angelus Princeps not Angelus Praeses as Dr. Reinolds saith Calvin denies that and makes him Consul in Senatu or as the Speaker in the House of Parliament which as I have heard that D. B. did say was but to make him foreman of the Jury As touching the introduction of ruling Elders such as are modelled out by Parliament my judgment is sufficiently known I am of your judgment in the point There should be such Elders as have power to preach as well as rule On this Mr. Baxter reflects p. 353. Though Mr. Vines here yield not the negative voice to have been de facto in the first or second age nor to be de Jure yet he without any question yielded to the stating of a President durante vitâ if he prove not unworthy which was one point that I propounded to him and I make no doubt but he would have yielded to a voluntary consent of Presbyters de facto not to ordain without the President And the difficulties that are before us de facto in setting up a Parochial Episcopacy which he mentioneth I have cleared already in these Papers shewing partly that the thing is already existent and partly how more fully to accomplish it The Instances which he gives are in the Episcopacy of the Protestant Churches in Poland from Adrian Regenvolscius Hist Eccles Sclavon l. 3. p. 424. N. B. Whereas from the first reformation of the Churches in the Province of the lesser Polonia it hath been received by use and custome that out of the Elders of all those Districtus Divisions which are 36. in Number one Primate or Chief in Order who is commonly called Superintendent of the Churches of lesser Poland and doth preside over the Provincial Synods be chosen by the Authority consent and suffrage of the Provincial Synod and that he be inaugurated and declared not by imposition of hands to avoid the suspicion of Primacy and the appearance of authority and power over the other Elders only by benediction and fraternal Prayers and by reading over the offices which concern this function and the prayers of the whole Synod for the sake of government and good order in the Church of God c. The other instance is of the Churches of the Bohemian Confession who have among the Pastors of the Churches their Conseniors and Seniors and one President over all related by the same Regenvolscius p. 315. The Elders or the Superintendents of the Bohemian and Moravian Churches c. are for the most part chosen out of their Fellow-Elders and are ordained and consecrated to the office of Seigniory by imposition of hands and publick inauguration c. Those that treated with the Bishops 1660. did yield to such an Episcopacy as the old Non-conformists would scarce generally have consented to i. e. to Bishop Usher's model Episcopacy is not such an upstart thing nor defended by such contemptible reasons as that the controversie is like to dye with this age undoubtedly there will be a godly and learned Party for it while the World endureth And it is a numerous party all the Greek Church the Armenian Syrian Abassine and all others but a few of the Reformed For Denmark Sweden part of Germany and Transylvania have a Superintendency as high as that I plead for p. 11. If you know no godly persons of the Episcopal way I do and as my acquaintance increaseth I know more and more and some 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 humble Ministers as most of the Non-conformists whom I know p. 12. and I believe there are many hundred godly Ministers in the Church of England and that their Churches are true Churches And I am confident most of the Ministers in England would be content to yield to such an Episcopacy as you may find in the published judgments of Bish Hall Usher Dr. Forbes Hodsworth and others Preface to the Five Disputations p. 9. Of Sacriledge Qu. 171. What is Sacriledge Ans It is a robbing God by the unjust alienation of Holy things As deposing Kings silencing true Ministers the unjust alienating of Temples Utensils Lands Days separated by God himself and justly consecrated by Man Mr. Vines his Letter to Mr. Baxter p. 35. of the 5. Disput concerning Sacriledge As for your Question about Sacriledge I am very near you in the present Opinion The point was never stated nor debated in the Isle of Wight I did for my part decline the dispute for I could not maintain the cause as on the Parliament side And because both I and others were unwilling it was never brought to open debate The Commissioners did argue it with the King but they went upon grounds of Law and Polity and it was only about Bishops Lands for they then averred the continuance of Dean and Chapter Lands to the use of the Church Some deny that there is any sin of Sacriledge under the Gospel and if there be any they agree not in the definition Some hold an Alienation of Church-goods in case of Necessity and then make the necessity what and as
extensive as they please The most are of Opinion that while the Church lyes so unprovided for the donations are not alienable sine Sacrilegio If there were a Surplusage above the competent maintenance it were another matter It is clear enough the Donors wills are frustrated and that their general intention and the general use viz. the maintenance of God's Worship and Ministers should stand though the particular use might be superstitious I cited in my last Sermon before the Parliament a place out of Mr. Hildersham on Psal 51. touching Sacriledge It did not please If his description of it be true then you will still be of your own mind I dare encourage no Purchasers c. Mr. Baxter's advice to separating Brethren As to separation Be the backwardest to divide and separate and do it not without a certain warrant and extreme necessity resolve with Augustine I will not be the Chaff and yet I will not go out of the Floor though the Chaff be there Never give over your just desire and endeavour for Reformation and yet as long as you can possibly avoid it Forsake not the Church that you desire to reform as Paul said to them that were to forsake a shipwrackt Vessel If these abide not in the Ship ye cannot be saved Many a one by unlawful flying and shifting for his own greater peace and safety doth much more hazard his own and others Of Raising Churches against Churches The interest of the Christian Protestant Religion in England must be much kept up by keeping up as much of truth piety and reputation as is possible in the Parish-Churches Therefore In Parishes where all may hear the Parish-Minister I would not have you without necessity to preach at the same hour of the day but at some middle time that you may not seem to vie with him for Auditors nor to draw the People from him but let them go with you to hear him and after come and hear you Do not meet together in opposition to the publick meeting nor at the time of publick worship nor yet to make a groundless schism or to separate from the Church whereof you are Members nor to destroy the old that you may gather a new Church out of its ruines as long as it hath the Essentials and there is hope of reforming it nor yet would I have you forward to vent your own supposed gifts and parts in teaching where there is no necessity of it nor as a separated Church but as a part of the Church more diligent than the rest in redeeming time Let all your private meetings be in subordination to the publick and by the approbation and consent of your spiritual guides remembring them which have the rule over you Heb. 13. 7 8 9. And I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them c. Rom. 16. 17 18. I would you would ponder every one of these words for they are the precious advice of the Spirit of God and necessary now as well as then The great advantages that Satan hath got upon the Church through the sin of the Pastors in these later dayes is by division By this he hath promoted all the rest of his designs Our division gratifieth the Papist and greatly hazardeth the Protestant Religion more than most of you seem to believe or regard It advantageth profaneness and greatly hindereth the success of the Ministers it pleaseth Satan and builds up his kingdom The hand of God is apparently gone out against the Separatists you see you do but prepare persons for a further progress Seekers Ranters Quakers and too many professed Infidels do spring up from among you as if this were the journeys end and perfection of your revolt By such fearful desertions did God formerly witness his detestation of those that withdrew from the unity of the Church And separation will ruine the separated Churches themselves it will admit of no consistency Parties will arise in the separated Churches and separate again from them till they are dissolved I beseech my Brethren to open their eyes so far as to regard experience How few separated Churches do now exist that were in being an hundred years ago can you name any and would you have all the Churches of Christ to be dissolved In the year 1634. Roger Williams of new-New-England an Assistant to Mr. Ralph Smith Pastor at Plymouth where having vented divers singular opinions he was dismissed went to Salem which place in a years time he filled with principles of rigid Separation tending to Anabaptistry as That it is not lawful for an unregenerate man to pray or take an Oath in special not the Oath of fidelity to the Magistrate He forbad any of his Church-members to hear the godly Ministers of England when occasionally they went thither He taught that the Magistrate had nothing to do in matters of the first Table that there should be an unlimited toleration of all Religions that to punish any man for his Conscience was Persecution He separated not only from the Churches of Old but of new-New-England also as Antichristian After that he would not pray or give thanks with his own wife or family because they went to the Church-assemblies He kept private meetings by way of separation from and opposition to the Church-assembly and being banished as a disturber of the peace he sate down at a place called Providence and there fell to Anabaptistry renouncing Infant baptism And after a while he told his people that he was out of the way himself and had misled them for he could not find that any on earth had power to administer baptism and therefore their last baptism was a nullity as well as the first and that they must wait for the coming of new Apostles and so they dissolved and turned Seekers The case of the Summer Islands as related by Mr. Vaughan a worthy Minister come from thence upon discouragement would make a Christian heart to bleed To hear how strict and regular and hopeful that Plantation once was and how one godly Minister by Separation selecting a few to be his Church rejecting all the rest from the Sacrament the rejected party were dolefully estranged from Religion and the selected party turned Quakers But our own case is yet a more lamentable proof what Separation hath done against Religion so that it is my wonder that any good man can over-look it Above all things I intreat the dividing Brethren if they can so long lay aside partiality to judge of the reasons of their separation The defects of the Liturgy and the faults of those by whom we suffer are easily heightned even beyond desert But when many of us vent untruths and slanders against our Brethren and multiply publick untruths we never make scruple of communion with such Suppose one should say that a people guilty of such sins as are condemned Exod. 23.
least if we before know of them and therefore that we must joyn with none whose errors or mis-expression we know of before That we are guilty of the sins of all unworthy or scandalous Communicants if we communicate with them though their admission is not by our fault That he whose judgment is against a Diocesan-Church may not lawfully joyn with a Parish-Church if the Minister be but subject to the Diocesan That whatsoever is unlawfully commanded is not lawful to be obeyed That it is unlawful to do any thing in the Worship of God which is imposed by men and is not commanded in the Scripture These and more such as these are Superstitions which some Religious people have brought in And by all such inventions fathered upon God and made a part of Religion the minds of men are corrupted and disquieted and the Churches disturbed and divided Of Censoriousness Is not censoriousness and rash judging a sin Yet one congregation of the division labours to make others odious and contemptible and that is called the preaching of truth and purer worshipping of God I have seen this grow up to the height of Ranters in horrid blasphemies and then of Quakers in disdainful pride and surliness and into Seekers that were to seek for a Ministry a Church a Scripture and consequently a Christ I have lived to see it put to the Question in the little Parliament whether all the Ministers of the Parishes of England should be put down at once I have seen how confidently the killing of the King the rebellious demolishing of the Government of the Land the killing of many thousands of their Brethren the turnings and overturnings of all kind of rule even that which themselves set up have been committed and justified and profanely fathered upon God these with much more such fruits of love-killing principles I have seen If you converse with censorious Separatists you shall hear so many invectives against them that are truly Catholick and sober as will make you think that love and peace and Catholick communion are some sinful and mischievous things The experience of 26. Years in this Kingdom may convince the World what crimes may stand with high professions such as the generation springing up will scarce believe What high Professors were the proudest overturners of all Government and resisters and despisers of Ministry and holy order in the Churches The most railing Quakers and most filthy blaspheming Ranters to warn the World to take heed of being proud of superficial gifts and high profession and that he that stands in his own conceit should take heed lest he fall I have much ado to forbear naming some high Professors known lately at Worcester Exeter and other places who dyed Apostate-Infidels deriding Christianity and the Immortality of the Soul who once were Separatists And I have heard of some Separatists who when others of a contrary judgment were going to the Churches at London looked in at the Doors saying The Devil choak thee art thou not out of thy pottage yet I commend to all that of the Apostle Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory but in bowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Read this Verse over on your Knees and beg of God to write it on your Hearts And I would wish all Assemblies of dividers and unwarrantable Separtists to write it over the Doors of their Meeting-places and join with it Rom. 12. 10. but especially study James 3. In a word if God would cure the Church of religious pride the pride of wisdom and the pride of piety and goodness the Church would have fewer heresies and contentions and much more peace true wisdome and goodness The forwardness of many to keep open divisions and to affect communion with none but such as say as they do is a down-right mark of a Schismatick And I know that dividing principles and dispositions do tend directly to the ruine and damnation of those in whom they do prevail When Men fall into several Parties burning in zeal against each other abating charity censuring and condemning one another backbiting and reviling each other through envy and strife when they look strangely on each other as being of several sides as if they were not children of the same Father nor members of the same Body or as if Christ were divided one being of Paul and another of Apollo c. and every one of a Faction letting out their thoughts in jealousies and evil surmises of each other perverting the words and actions of each to an ugly sense and snatching occasions to present one another as fools or odious to the hearers as if you should plainly say I pray you hate or despise these People whom I hate and despise This is the core of the Plague sore it is schism in the bud S. 16. When People in the same Church do gather into private Meetings not under the guidance of their Pastors to edifie one another in holy exercises in love and peace but in opposition to their lawful Pastors or to one another to propagate their single opinions and increase their Parties and speak against those that are not on their side Schism is then ready to increase and multiply and the Swarm is ready to come forth and be gone S. 17. When these People actually depart and renounce or forsake the communion of the Church and cast off their faithful Pastors and draw into a separated Body by themselves and choose them Pastors and call themselves a Church and all without any just sufficient cause when thus Churches are gathered out of Churches before the old ones are dissolved or they have any warrant to depart when thus Pastor is set up against Pastor Church against Church and Altar against Altar this is Schism ripe and fruitful the Swarm is gone and hived in another place S. 19. If they shall also judge that Church to be no Church from which they separated and so cut off a part of the body of Christ by an unrighteous censure and condemn the innocent and usurp authority over their guides this is disobedience and uncharitableness with schism A true Christian that hateth Fornication Drunkenness Lying Perjury because forbidden in the Word of God will hate Divisions also which are so frequently and vehemently forbidden Jo. 17. 21 22. Ro. 14. throughout Ro. 15. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Eph. 4. 1 2 c. 1 Cor. 12. Phil. 3. 15. Ro. 16. 17 18. 1 Tim. 1. 4. James 3. The mischief of Divisions may be seen at large p. 739. Q. May or must a Minister silenced or forbid to preach the Gospel go on still to preach it against the Law Answ He that is silenced by just power though unjustly in a Country that needeth not his preaching must forbear there and if he can must go into another Country where he may be more serviceable We must do any lawful thing to procure the Magistrates
overweighed by another accident shall cease to make them unlawful For instance p. 461. Sect. 4. If of two Translations of Scripture or two Versions of the Psalms the Pastor use the worser so it be tolerable we must obey And Sect. 7. If the Pastor appoint a more imperfect Version of the Psalms to be sung in the Church as is commonly used in England the obeying of him in the use of this will not bring so much hurt to the Church as the disobeying on that account would do For besides the sin of disobedience it self the Church would be in a confusion if they forsake his conduct that preserves the union and some will be for this and some for that and so the Worship it self will be overthrown And let it still be remembred that we allow both Magistrates and Pastors to see to the execution of God's Laws and to determine of circumstances in order thereto that are necessary in genere p. 482. Sect. 35. but not determined of God in specie p. 422. § 65. It may be very sinful to command some ceremonies which may lawfully yea must in duty be used by the subject when they are commanded p. 398. Certain things commonly called ceremonies may lawfully be used in the Church upon humane imposition and when it is not against the Law of God no person should disobey the Laws of their lawful Governors in such things If there should be any Pastors of the Churches who instead of concurring to heal the flock of these dividing principles shall rather joyn with backbiters and incourage them in their misreports and slanders because it tends to the supposed interest of their party or themselves Let them prepare to Answer such unfaithfulness to their Consciences which will be shortly awakened And to the great Shepherd of the flock who is at the door and who told even the Devils Agents that A house or kingdom divided against it self cannot stand but is brought to nought POSTSCRIPT I Have proposed such Arguments for Conformity as I occasionally met with in such books of Mr. Baxter's as came to my hands If I had consulted others I doubt not but I might have found many more as cogent as these but these being satisfactory and of eternal verity I humbly desire Mr. Baxter and others of his perswasion to consider them nor can I doubt but Mr. Baxter will charitably accept of these my endeavours for peace upon his own weighty arguments and the rather because I believe him by his writings to be a man of a great experience in the temper of the people of a quick and discerning judgment that can look through causes into the consequences and effects that will naturally result from them and moreover a person of so great sincerity that he will by no means stray from but readily defend his own principles which are sound and pacificatory And seeing he hath done as St. Paul did of whom Tertullian notes he did perswade to peace totis spiritûs sancti viribus I believe he is one that longeth to see the healing of our Churches and that tendered his Arguments to all sorts charging them to do so much as appears to be necessary as they are true to Christ to his Church and Gospel to their own and others Souls and to the peace and welfare of the nations And as they will Answer the neglect to Christ at their peril In the Title of a Treatise of Confirmation And in his Answer to Dr. Tully title page A Compassionate Lamenter of the Churches wounds caused by hasty judging and undigested conceptions and by the Theological wars which are hereby raised and managed by perswading the world that meer verbal or notional differences are material and such as our love concord and communion must be measured by for want of an equal discussion of the Ambiguity of words One who in the Epistle to the Reader for Confirmation exhorts to pray for the peace of Jerusalem because they shall prosper that love it and to seek it of God and man which was his own daily though too defective practice as a servant of the King of peace To him and all others as such I propose the following concessions and the conclusions inferred from them In his Christian Directory p. 854. 1. He that is silenced by just power though unjustly in a Country that needeth not his preaching must forbear there And p. 560. of the Saints Rest he tells us as to his particular If God would dispense with me for my ministerial services without any loss to his people I should leap as lightly as Bishop Ridley when he was stript of his Pontificalia and say as Paedaretus the Laconian when he was not chosen into the number of the three hundred men I thank thee O God that thou hast bestowed on this City so many men better than my self 2. That it is lawful to hold communion with our Churches having but tolerable Pastors notwithstanding the Parochial Order and the Ministers conformity and use of the Common-prayer book And that we ought to do so when some special reasons as from Authority scandal c. do require it Second Admonition to Bagshaw p. 78. 3. That when men are carried to separate on such pretended grounds they will be no where fixt but may still be subdividing and separating from one another till they are resolved into Individuals and have left no such thing as a Church among them p. 486. Of the five disputations and p. 487. By disobedience in lawful things the members of the Church will be involved in Contentions and so ingaged in bitter uncharitableness censures persecutions and reproaches of one another 4. Though Ministerial conformity is now much altered as to ingagements many of the Assembly of Divines yet living do conform again nor would I shun communion with the reverend Members of that Assembly Twiss Gataker Whitaker and the rest if again they used the Liturgy among us And if the old Non-Conformists such as Bolton c. were alive and used now the same Liturgy and Ceremonies as they did then which was worse than now I could not think their Communion in prayer and Sacraments unlawful nor censure that man as injurious to the Church who should write to perswade others not to separate from them Defence of principles of Love p. 12 13. And Mr. Baxter's practice in receiving the Sacrament confirmeth the same 5. If any Pastor instead of concurring to heal the flocks of dividing principles shall rather joyn with backbiters and incourage them in their misreports and slanders because it tends to the supposed interest of their party or themselves let them prepare to Answer such unfaithfulness to their Consciences which will be shortly awakened and to the great Shepherd of the flock who is at the door and who told even the Devils Agents that a house or kingdom divided cannot stand c. p. 253. H. C. 6. The Magistrate will quickly find that the distractions of the Church will quickly breed
I have But shall I therefore wrong the truth and Church of God and my own and others Souls God forbid And page 52. he farther tells us I repent that I no more discouraged the spirit of peevish quarrelling with Superiors and Church-orders and though I ever disliked and opposed it yet that I sometimes did too much incourage such as were of their temper by speaking too sharply against those things which I thought to be Church corruptions and was too loth to displease the contentious for fear of being uncapable to do them good knowing the prophane to be much worse than they and meeting with too few religious persons that were not too much pleased with such invectives And as an Argument of his repentance he defends himself against Bagshaw who objected that he chose on Easter day to communicate in a very populous Church purposely that it might be known saying p. 76. If a man by many years forbearing all publick prayers and Sacrament should tempt others to think that he is against them or counts them needless how should he cure that scandal but by doing that openly pleading for it which he is supposed to be against Ministers being bound to teach the people by Example as well as Doctrine p. 78. And what he practised himself he carefully perswaded the people to avoid separation and hold communion in the parochial Churches For the Question which he maintained against Bagshaw was It is lawful to hold communion with such Christian Churches as have worthy or tolerable Pastors notwithstanding the Parochial order of them and the Ministers conformity and use of the Common Prayer-book and with two limitations concludes p. 89. That we ought to do so when some special reasons as from Authority scandal c. do require it And whereas by these actions and writings Mr. Baxter had so provoked the dissenting parties that it was objected as himself intimates in a second objection in the Preface of his Christian Directory That his writings differing from the common judgment had already caused offence to the Godly in the fourth Answer he sayes If God bless me with opportunity and help I will offend such men much more by endeavouring further than ever I have done the quenching of that fire which they are still blowing up and detecting the folly and mischief of those Logomachies by which they militate against Love and Concord and inflame and tear the Church of God and let them know that I am about it These are resolutions becoming a Minister of Christ an Ambassador of the Prince of Peace taken up after long and serious deliberation well rooted and fixed in his judgment and Conscience by reason whereof he was enabled through the Grace of God to withstand manifold temptations and violent oppositions to the contrary Nor can I think that such a man as Mr. Baxter can flee and desert so good a cause and after Vows to make enquiry and render himself guilty of all those calumnies and reproaches which his enemies have endeavoured to fix upon him Nor can I think that having brought our present controversies to so narrow a compass of ground he will contribute to the building of a Babel upon it This were to make good those hard speeches of Mr. Bagshaw against him who tells us p. 152. That one worthy of Credit told him that the Learned and Judicious Mr. Herle having read that cryed up book of his said It had been happy for the Church of God if Mr. Baxter's friends had never sent him to School and that Mr. Cawdry had the same opinion of it And that another person as knowing in the Mystery of Godliness as either of them told a friend of his that notwithstanding the noise about him Mr. Baxter would end in flesh and bloud And in a word this would set home his own fears upon his spirit that he might be a fire brand in hell for being a fire-brand in the Church I shall therefore charitably believe that though he seem to look another way yet he is labouring to bring the people that adhere to him to the harbour of Ecclesiastical peace and unity that he doth still preach up not holiness only but peace too without which he knows no man shall see God nor can I think that he doth now practise in contempt of Authority what himself had condemned in others or that he intends to harden the people in such a Separation as he had so long so passionately so rationally declaimed against I rather hope that he hath some dispensation from his Lawful Superiors and that by a pia fraus having greater advantages of doing good put into his hands he will by degrees improve them to the glory of God and the peace of this distracted Church If he drive any other design I would desire him to consider first how he can Answer his own Arguments unto men and secondly how to give an account to God for his contrary practices But I have a very great confidence that he who hath with great industry and faithfulness provided so many solid materials from the Scriptures and right reason for the supporting and beautifying a Temple of peace having carved and guilded them over with serious Protestations of his own pacifick intentions and variety of Rhetorick to perswade others will not be a Leader of that rabble which shall first break down the carved works with axes and hammers and at last though sore against his will raze the very foundations and cry Down with it down with it even to the ground Of the Church Mr. Baxter in his Reasons for the Christian Religion p. 464. S. 2. THE Church of Christ being his Body is but one and hath many parts but should have no Parties but unity and concord without Division S. 3. Therefore no Christian must be of a Party or Sect as such that is as dividing it self from the rest causing Schism or Contention in the Body or making a rent unnecessarily in any particular Church which is a part S. 8. Nothing will warrant us to separate from a Church as no Church but the want of something essential to a Church S. 11. It is essential to particular Political Churches that they be constituted of true Bishops or Pastors and of Flocks of baptized or professed Christians united for holy Communion in the worshipping of God and the promoting of the Salvation of the several Members S. 12. It is essential to a true Bishop or Pastor of the Church to be in office that is in authority and obligation appointed by Christ in Subordination to him in the three parts of his offices Prophetical Priestly and Kingly That is to teach the People to stand between them and God in Worship and to guide or govern them by the Paternal exercise of the Keys of his Church S. 15. If a Church which in all other respects is purest and best will impose any sin upon all that will have any local Communion with it though we must not separate from