the Learning of the Jesuites their strength hath of late been tried to their irreparable shame if they are capable of any and as much to the Honour of the learned Divines of the Church of England Their Converting-books and Pamphlets have been so weak and the Answers to them so strong and so many that they are not like to prevail much that way neither if English Protestants would but bear with one another and not seek Revenge which the juncture of Time doth dissuade from as unseasonable as well as our Common Christianity doth forbid as unlawful which will appear if we consider Seventhly Whether it be not Improbable that the Leading men of the Church of England should hereafter commit the same Error again to molest and Persecute their Brethren for the Differences between us and them All the world now sees at what door a great part of the severity against Protestant Dissenters ought to be laid so far as it was the sin of others I hope God will let them see it and give 'em Repentance And there are very many Parish Ministers in England who are pious and peaceable who preach and live holily and never did consent to the Persecution of their Brethren but endeavor'd to hinder it I only wish they had been more If it be said they are by consequence Partakers of such a guilt it hath been and must again be replied that if God should Charge undiscerned Consequences upon them and us none of us would be meet either for Church Communion now or for Heaven hereafter The past faults and miscarriages of some should not make us injurious to others Far be it from us to imagin that there are no Faithful Ministers of Christ in England but such as are of our principles and particular persuasion Let us not refuse to love those that are Good because many of their Church or Opinion are bad Is there any Kingdom or Country upon Earth where the greatest part are not bad Is there any place where the Religion countenanc't and encouraged by the Government hath not many who comply with it for secular Interest The Author of the late Apology for the Church of England as to the spirit of Persecution hath said many things to this purpose it will be good news to hear that the greatest part of his Brethren are of his mind that all Prot. Dissenters might believe that the wisest and most leading men of that Church do see their Error their sin too might be added if it be an essential Right of Humane nature as Dr. B. saith for every man to Worship God according to his conviction And we have great Reason to hope that they will not again use severity to their Brethren if it should ever be in Their Power but come to a Temper in the matters of Conformity as the seven Bishops have under their hands declared their disposition to do And in the mean time one of the Articles which the A. Bishop of Cantcrbury hath recommended to the Bishops under his Jurisdiction is a Tender Regard to their Brethren the Protestant Dissenters At the same time assuring us and all the World that they are really and sincerely Irreconcileable Enemies to the Errors Superstitions Idolatries and Tyrannies of the Church of Rome and that all the unkind Jealousies to the Countrary have been altogether groundless Let us not therefore be over sensible of past Injuries to the Hindrance of Concord for the common Good lest we wrong the Church of Christ and neglect the security of the Reformed Religion and the wellfare of the Nation and of Posterity because others have wronged us For however the Jesuites may now plead for Liberty of Conscience no Protestant Brittish or Irish especially but must needs know that of all Religions in the World the Romish by their avowed Principles is obliged to be the most Cruel Assoon as our divisions have made us weak enough we have but too much reason to expect it which God Prevent Lastly Consider that we Agree with the Church of England in great and many things and those things wherein we differ are comparatively few and small and therefore mutual forbearance and Concord is possible as well as desireable Yea those things for which they are Hated and struck at by the Church of Rome are not such Doctrines or modes of Worship wherein we differ from them but 't is for the sake of those things wherein we agree with the Church of England and therefore in prudence we are obliged to espouse their cause as our own The Reader may easily perceive that all that I have said relates to the Union of Protestants among themselves who tho of different Persuasions in some External and Circumstantial things do hold the Head 2 Coloss 19. and agree in the main and Essential Doctrines of Faith But as to the Church of Rome which perverts the Christian Faith maintains and practiseth Idolatry and false Worship and the declared Enemy to all Protestants and by her Constitutions doth oblige all her Members under an Anathema to root out and to destroy them as Hereticks how far those of her Communion may be tolerated in a Protestant Country without sin or Danger is a matter too large at present to dilate upon It would seem very strange and Irrational for any Party of Protestants to strengthen the Papists and contribute to their being set up in Power and Authority especially in the Legislative power in opposition to those of the Church of England as fearing that these will not establish and allow them Liberty of Conscience and imagining that the Papists will who depend upon a forreign Power and are not masters of their own Consciences but have subjected them to another whom they suppose Infallible Surely from the Members of the Church of England we ought the rather to believe and hope this because they have of late deserved so very well of all Protestants by a vigorous and learned opposition to Popery in a great number of select Discourses upon all the Considerable points in Controversie between us and the Church of Rome And having done so much to keep out Popery as to the Doctrine let us hope and pray and charitably believe that they will also do their utmost hereafter to prevent Persecution which is one of the worst parts of Popery in Practice I conclude with the pathetical Exhortation of the Devout Bishop Hall O Lord Passion Sermon p. 390 391. how long shall thy poor Church see the dear sons of her womb bleeding about these Apples of Strife The Enemy is at the gates of Syracuse How long shall we suffer our selves to be taken up with Circles and Angles in the dust ye Men Brethren and Fathers Help for God's sake put to your hands for the quenching of this Common flame the one side by Humility the other by Compassion both by Prayers and Tears Let me beg for Peace as for Life by your filial Piety and duty to the Church of God whose Ruins follow upon our Divisions by your love of God's Truth by the Graces of that one Blessed spirit whereby we are all informed and quickn'd by the precious â—lood of the son of God shed for our Redemption be inclined to Peace and Love. Tho our Brains be different yet let our Hearts be one Let us have Peace with our selves and War with none but Hell and Rome Amen THE END
Guildhall of the Mischief of Separation yet in the Defence of it P. 81 82. the Dt. in the Preface propounds this very seasonable Question What then Is there nothing to be done for dissenting Protestants who agree with us in all doctrinal Articles of our Church and only scruple the use of a few Ceremonies and some late Impositions Shall these Differences still be Continued when they may so easity be removed And so many useful men encouraged and taken into the Constitution Do we value a few Indifferent Ceremonies and some late Declarations and doubtful Expressions beyond the Satisfaction of mens Consciences and the Peace and Tranquility of the Church In Answer he saith That tho he thinks there is no ground for scruple as to the use of those things Notwithstanding that because the use of Sacraments in a Christian Church ought to be the most free from all Exceptions and they ought to be so administred as to invite rather than discourage Scrupulous persons from joyning in them I do think it would be a part of Christian Wisdom and Condescention in the Governours of our Church to remove those bars from a freedom in joyning in full Communion with us Thirdly Consider the great Mischief of our past and present Divisions to the Interest of Real Christianity the Reformed Religion and the Peace and Happiness of the Nation The Contentions among Protestants the passionate Heats among Difsenters themselves and the severities used by others to enforce an Vniformity have dishonoured the Profession of the Gospel and cost the Nation very dear on all accounts These things have hindred the usefulness and fruit of many Ministers preaching and depriv'd us of the advantage of the publick labours of many hundred others and lessen'd the Authority and Success of the Ministry in general filling many with such prejudices that they have turned their backs upon all preaching By this means the weak have been scandaliz'd See First Part of the Prot. Recontiler chap. 1. Mr. I. Burroughs Itenicum chap. 27 28 29 3◠the doubtful staggered Infidels hardned Scepticks gratified Popery and Prophaness advanc't thousands of souls endanger'd the Devil pleased and his Kingdom built up to the weakning of the Kingdom of Christ and the Reformed Interest Besides the Good that is lost and the Miseries procured hereby the sinfulness of Heart-Divisions among Good men is greatly aggravated The Provocation to mutual Revenge and the advantage given to Popery is that I wish all Protestants would consider As to Revenge our Experience now tells us that it is an effect of such proceedings tho I wish it could be supprest and cured yet considering the Corruption of Humane nature might well enough be expected This Dr. B. in the Preface above mention'd hath represented with some sharpness How unreasonable is it saith he that they who cannot help thinking as they do should be made a sacrifice to the Rage of others who perhaps have little more to say for themselves than that they are in the Possession of the Law which in the next Revolution of Affairs that may fall out will be an argument so much the stronger for using themselves in the same manner because it is a just Retaliation on them for that which they made others to suffer The Reverend and Worthy Dean of Canterbury in his Preface to Bp. Wilkins's Sermons commending his Moderation saith That Vertue however of late declaim'd against must be the Temper of the Members of the Church of England especially of the Clergy if ever they seriously intend its firm establishment and do not industriously design by cherishing Heats and Divisions among our selves to let in Popery at those Breaches Most of those who renounce our Religion and imbrace Popery profess this to be the first great stumbling block the want of Unity This their Priests of late in several Pamphlets have insisted on Dr Stilling Idolatry of the Rom. Church ch 5. Mr. Baxter safe Religion and other Treatises aggravating our Divisions to prove the Necessity of an Infallible Judge as the Center of Unity How unreasonably this is urged by Papists who differ among themselves about Fundamental Doctrines of Faith many of our Divines have shown However the Church of Rome hath manifestly serv'd its own ends by procuring and animating the rigid Imposition of doubtful disputable terms among Protestants that all those who could not conform to the establisht Rites might be look't upon if not as bad as Papists yet as unpeaceable and Factious and be provok't to do somewhat that might make them as unfit to be tolerated Hereupon the Papists have pleaded for themselves as better subjects or deserving at least an equal Toleration with Protestant Dissenters And what some of the latter have suffer'd on the account of their different sentiments from the Established Church hath tempted them to so much Revenge as that the less considerate and judicious are too ready to joyn with the Papists or any body rather than with those by whom they have been opprest thô this be greatly to be lamented yet it cannot much be wonder'd at for Solomon tels us that Oppression will make even a wise mad Mad And is it strange that some who do not see far before them nor well consider what they do and what forgiveness the Gospel requires should be ready to say we were as good joyn with the Papists who promise us our Liberty than adventure to be Ruin'd by Protestants That there is not now much ground to fear it and therefore that no Protestant ought to act on such a supposition I shall endeavor to show presently Fourthly The Vnity of the Adversaries of the Reformed Religion against us notwithstanding the Differences among themselves deserve to be considered We read of ten or eleven sorts of men of several opinions and ways in the matters of Religion who all with one Consent joyn'd against Sion Psal 83.5 6. Ten Kings of the Earth were of one mind to give up their Power to the Beast and make war with the Lamb 17 Rev. 13. The Popish Clergy that acknowledg the Headship of the Infallible Man at Rome agree in their desires and are bound to unite their endeavors for the Extirpation of the Northern Heresie i. e. the Reformed Religion And shall not we agree and unite for the preservation of that common Interest against which so powerful a Confederacy hath been and still is engaged yea may we not very well do so Notwithstanding our Differences if we can but be wise and honest enough to forbear one another in love Soldiers of different Nations habits and customs may engage in the same cause and notwithstanding their little quarrels with one another in their Respective Garrisons may be unanimous and therby Victorious when they come into the field In a Battel between Hannibal and Scipio Livy when the two Armies joyned we read that the shouts of Scipio's men were far more Terrible than those of Hannibals because being all Romans they had almost
for Nations in the Instances of the old world of Sodom and Gomorrah the People of the Jews and the Romish Babylon whose Plagues shall come suddenly upon her as in one day when she sits as a Queen Rev. 18.7 8. and thinks she shall see no Evil. 3. The night is a Time of Solitariness men don't meet together in such Companies by night as by Day In the Evening every one seeks a Shelter and an Hiding-place for himself to rest in Thus a selfish narrow dividing spirit generally obtaining among any People is an ill sign that a Night of Calamity is at hand When all mind their own things Phil. 2.4.21 and few or none the things of Christ or of their common Peace And here the want of Concord and Vnion among Protestants Divisions and Separations and the sinful causes of 'em ought to be confidered especially when they arise to that degree that tho the Common Interest be at stake men will not so far as in them lies unite together to preserve and defend it I shall speak of this more largely in the conclusion of this Discourse 4. Another sign of an approaching Night is when God calls home his Labourers from their work and his Children to their bed of Rest When his Remembrancers in Sion who should stand in the breach to turn away Wrath they who are the Root and the substance in the midst of a Land Isai 6.13 Mich. 7.1 2. 5 Jer. 1. Ps 112.1 2 Kings 2.13 who are the Stay and the Staff the Chariots and the Horsemen of Israel are called away in great numbers One Elisha by his Interest with God and the prevalency of his Prayers was a better defence to Israel than Chariots and Horses and all their warlike Preparations The loss of such is the weakning of a Country because they can do more for its preservation than the most numerous and disciplin'd Army May we not apprehend the fall of an House when we see the principal Pillars of it removing Prov. 10.25 The Righteous is an everlasting Foundation saith Solomon Fundamentum seculi as some renderit the foundation of his Age and Generation as if the Happiness and Peace of any Age depended on the Righteous who live in it and when they dye the Foundations are removed Isai 65.8 Obad. 21. They are the Repairers of Breaches the Restorers of Paths to dwell in the strength of a People the Saviours of a Nation By their Examples Councels Authority Interest and Prayers they do their utmost to stop that Current of sin which brings Desolation 'T is for their sakes Ezek. 22.30 31. that others are not destroyed that national mercies are given and continued and desolating Judgments kept off A Vineyard is watered and fenc't for the sake of the Vines which bear fruit otherwise it would quickly be laid waste and the wild Boar of the Forest suffer'd to enter How often had God destroyed the Israelites Psalm 106.23 Gen. 19.21 22. had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach A whole City is spared at the Intercession of Lot. Had there been ten Righteous Persons in Sodom it had been spared and when that number was not found yet it could not be destroyed till Lot was gone No wonder therefore when such Intercessors are removed if Judgment follow as when the Wind ceaseth the Rain falls When there are but a few left to stir up themselves to call on God and know how to wrestle with him for National mercies no wonder if God hides himself from a professing People Isai 64.7 Isai 57.1 and consumes them for their Iniquities for such are taken away from the Evil to come While they continue a storm is often delayed and Judgment deferr'd as the Wars in Germany till after the death of Luther who was wont to say that God would be Propitious and spare 'em as long as he liv'd and no longer God will not sweep a Land with the Besome of Destruction till the greatest part of his Jewels are pickt out of the Rubbish and the Residue shall be taken care of For their sakes he will spare a Remnant Obad. 16.17 Math. 24.22 and not make an utter Consumption And when they can't prevail to divert the Calamity yet it shall be lessened and shortned for their sakes Exemplary Christians and Faithful Pastors are the Glory of Christ and stars in his Right Hand and therefore their Removal cannot but presage Judgment to follow Especially when the Ignorance and Corruption of very many of those who succeed them is a new provocation to hasten vengeance When the nurseries of Learning are little better than schools of Vice and the sons of the Prophets strengthen the hands of Evil doers and the offering of the Lord is made to be abhorr'd among the People thro the vileness of the sons of Levi for this saith God I will feed them with Wormwood Ezek 22.26 Jer. 23.14 Jer. 5.30 and make them drink the Water of Gall. Shall I not visit for these things shall I not be avenged on such a Nation as this 5. When the Shadows grow long The higher the sun and the farther from setting after once he is risen the shorter alway the shadow but the shadows lengthen towards sun-set 'T is therefore an ill sign when shadows are greatned and so much more ado is made about Ceremonies and circumstances and Points of Discipline and Church-Government than for the weightier Things of the Law and Gospel When those things which by one party are acknowledged to be Indifferent and but a shadow and others fear to be sinfull are yet imposed and urged as if they were Necessary How desireable soever Vniformity in lesser things among Christians may be imagin'd as it cannot be proved that the H. Scripture doth require it so too dear Experience will assure us that it is not practicable without Persecution And even that likewise hath been too long tried without Success 'T is impossible but that Christians of different degrees of knowledg different tempers educations c. will have various apprehensions about doubtful points It is not to be expected they should ever agree in the lesser disputable Doctrines and modes of Worship nor in any such Terms of Church Communion as Christ and his Apostles have not made necessary But yet they ought and very well may bear with one another in those Differences for the sake of their Common Christianity and so hold the Vnity of the spirit in the Bond of Peace Div. Dialog 5. 6. 30. p. 412. It would confer much to this saith Dr. H. More who liv'd and dyed in the Communion of the Church of England if all Opinions and Practices in Religion that either hinder or do not promote the Life of God in the world were universally undervalued by the Church of God. and by this means all occasions of squabling and Contention about the shadows and Coverings of Opinions and Forms being thus removed and taken out of the way
the preservation of any particular Country or Church after great and general provocations without suitable Repentance and Reformation And thô that of all others be the most neglected and despised method of national safety the most think by Politicks and Numbers Confederates and such imaginary Fences to keep off danger they will yet find that they cannot more despise Repentance and Returning to God than he doth contemn and will defeat and shame all their wise Counsels and Contrivances without it Therefore the next and principal Duty we are called to is Thirdly Humiliation and Repentance among Protestants of all Parties and Denominations for their respective Guilt with serious endeavors to promote practical Holiness and Reformation of Manners All have contributed to provoke the Anger of God and more or less have been faulty in our carriage to one another and therefore it becomes us all to search and try our Ways and turn unto the Lord. God and Men are our Accusers we have opened our own shame and it cannot be hid and the fire is already kindled which reveals our sin in the effects of it 't is no time for any Party or Profession to stand upon their Credit and excuse themselves but rather endeavor to turn away the displeasure of God by falling at his feet in penitent Confessions of sin and sincere Repentance Without this all other methods will be ineffectual and the Anger of God will most easily and certainly bear down before it all the little Banks and Ramparts that humane Policy or strength can oppose It will prove a dangerous and fatal Mistake for us to imagin by any other means if this be neglected to be able to provide for our safety The Folly of the ancient Gaules related by N. Damascen De moribus Gentilium may move our Compassion who when the sea broke into their Country went and stood in the breach with their weapons in their hands and we shall be guilty of the same or worse folly if we think to secure the interest of Religion in England against a threatning Inundation by any Humane Expedients whatsoever without Repentance The use of Wisdom and Prudence is now if ever seasonable but that alone is not to be trusted to for the Highest Wisdom of any People under such a Guilt as ours is to make Peace with God by Humiliation for sin Whilst this Achan remains undiscovered or indulged the Camp of Israel will be troubled and we shall not be able to stand before an Enemy An Heathen Cato as we are inform'd by S. Augustine De Civitate Dei lib. 1. c. 33. who commends the saying could tell the wise and warlike Romans that it was impossible their Commonwealth should flourish stantibus Maenibus ruentibus Moribus thô their Walls were never so firm if their Manners were degenerate Our Lives and Conversations must protest against the Corruptions of Popery if ever we keep it out 'T is a dismal symptom of an approaching Darkness that so few in comparison are awaken'd to a due sense of this obligation God's Calls unto it are more loud than ordinary and we never seem'd to be more deaf to such a voice than now God may justly complain of us as he did of the Israelites of old Jer. 8.6 I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man Repented him of his Wickedness saying What have I done This therefore we must in good earnest set about if ever we are established and saved Every one must reflect and mourn for his own sins in particular and then for the sins of others There is no party or sort of men among us who have reason to think that all the sins whereby God is provoked and which are to be confess'd and reform'd are among those who differ from them I am far from laying the Guilt of National sins to any one party of Protestants because there are no Orders and Degrees of men no Particular Societies or Parties in Cities or Country however some Individuals may have approv'd themselves to God but need a call to Repentance Besides the sins of Professors as such in Formality Barrenness Conformity to the World and decays of Faith Love and Zeal they who have suffer'd for their Non-Conformity have been too Impatient under their sufferings and have set themselves more than they ought against the Authors or Instruments of them and endeavor'd to make them odious Instead of looking up to God and praying for their Repentance and endeavoring their Conviction in the spirit of Meekness by Censures and Slanders Bitterness and the workings of Revenge they have fled from Concord and the way of Peace and made the Breaches wider What might tend to an Accommodation of our Differences hath by neither side been so well entertain'd as it ought Peacemakers and Reconcilers have been ill treated and had little success The want of a Publick spirit hath also been visible among the several parties and is one mischievous Consequence of our Divisions Every one shifting for himself in a time of Common Danger taking care of his own Goods and Cabin with the neglect of what is necessary to preserve the whole Ship from sinking There hath likewise been great partiality in our Esteem and Affection towards those of one party having mens Persons for the sake of their Opinions too much in Admiration whilst others very deserving of our Respect and Love have been despised and undervalued Neither is there any one Party but hath seem'd to suppose that the whole Intrest of Religion was more concerned than it is in the prosperity or sufferings of themselves and those of their Persuasion I speak these things in faithfulness to the souls of my Brethren and include my self as Guilty desiring forgiveness of God and professing Repentance I likewise beg of God that so Considerable and Worthy a Body of Protestants as the Church of England may seriously reflect upon the severities they have used to their Dissenting-Brethren to the silencing of so many Ministers whose preaching might be useful to the Ruin offo many Families and the hindrance of Common Christianity by obstructing the free Progress of the Gospel of Christ the endeavors of all who are qualified to serve that design were the number greater being little enough in so populous a Kingdom Besides the Ignorance Negligence and Scandalous Lives of so many of the Clergy with the Corruption of the Universities Ecclesiastical Courts and Cathedral Worship How hath the Conscientious Diligence of several Ministers been discountenanced and censured by the Inspectors of the Clergy for omitting some part of the Rubrical Conformity when such as were manifestly scandalous have been better treated In how many places have the more serious and Conscientious Christians been reproacht and prosecuted for their Non-Conformity when Drunkenness Swearing whoredom and scandalous Immoralities have been overlookt in others or the guilty persons so they kept to the Rites of the Church been more gently treated than Dissenters thô otherwise sober and
those with whom we cannot in all particulars joyn corresponding with them in what we can praying for and with them Treating them as Brethren and subjects of the Kingdom of Christ pittying them in their Afflictions Sufferings Errors and Temptations relieving their wants as we are able having no aversation to their Persons not seeking their Hurt or rejoycing in it not judging or censuring them any otherwise than natural Reason and the Rule of Scripture will allow much less rejecting them from the Body of Christ by unchurching of ' em They who are thought to go farthest from the Church of England's Discipline while they all acknowledg the Doctrine of the 39 Articles however they may be accused have declared their Moderation as to their Brethren from whom they differ in as full and charitable Expressions as can well be desired * Mr. Phil. Nye hath wrotea book to prove the lawfulness of hearing the Preachers in Parish Churches and before him Ames against Johnson Treatise of Evang. Love and Unity p. 85 86. God forbid saith Dr. Owen that any such thought should enter into our Hearts as tho the Churches constituted in all things according to our light and the rules we apprehend apointed in Scripture for that purpose should be the only true Churches in the World and whilst we judge others to be true Churches we shall not be much moved or provokt by their Judgment who think ours are none because we differ from them and plead for Reformation beyond their measure We have the same thoughts of the Christian Churches in Europe called Reformed the same love towards them the same readiness for Communion with them as we would desire any Disciples of Christ in the World to have bear or exercise towards us We do not think that the things wherein they fail wherein they miss or out-go the rule are in their own nature absolutely destructive of their Church State. Dear Experience one would think should now call us to mutual forbearing one Another in Love. And whatever be the Reward of Reconcilers from men commonly to be ill thought and spoken of by many of the differing parties yet he that calleth to Love and union calls to Holiness All that is against Love is against Holiness against God against Christ against his Spirit his Church and the Interest of Mankind The want of forbearing one another in Love hath brought us more than once very near to Ruin. And how long and how often have we been warned of this Preface to his Interest of England The pious and Judicious Mr. Corbet told our Brethren thirty years ago That they who contemned All Overtures of Peace Union and Accommodation might come to see the need and know the want of it as well as others for who knoweth said he what God is doing or where will be the end of his working whose Judgments are unsearchable and past our finding out And how often hath the Reverend Mr. Baxter told the world to the displeasing some of all Parties that what Party soever it be that endeavors a Union by the Extirpation and Ruin of the other part whether Episcopal Presbyterian Independent or Anabaptist is Schismatrcal and takes the way of Desolation Secondly Consider the impossibility of our agreement in things Dark Doubtful and Numerous and the unreasonableness of endeavoring it by ways of Violence The terms of Christian Vnion laid down by the Apostle 4 Ephes 1 2 3 4 5. are sew and sure plain and possible And after all the methods that have been tried by any to bring us to unite upon other terms than those of the Scripture we see they are as far from effecting it as ever Every one must endeavour to be fully persuaded in his own mind as to what he is to believe and practise in things sacred and Religious nor may he make his own understanding the Rule of Truth and Worship unto others Every Conscientious man ought to be determin'd by his own reason and Judgment regulated by the word of God concerning his duty as to the Edification of his Soul. For men to adhere to any particular Church or to refuse communion with any when opportunity offers on any other account than because they think it their Duty to do so is neither becoming Men or Christians And they wo are Conscious of their own Sincerity herein will be most inclin'd to judge favourably of Others who differ from them and to hope that they also Act sincerely upon the like Principle according to their Light. And will likewise be carefull how they fasten ill and odious Consequences upon those different Opinions which Others hold if they be such as they disown and would detest the Doctrines if they were convinc't that any such Consequences did belong to them After all that can be said or done to justifie the Severities which any have used in such Cases towards their Brethren I exclude none who have at any time been guilty the greatest part of Sober men will still believe that all Power from God to Christian Princes and Pastors is for Edification and not for Destruction that he never gave any against his own Laws and the Interest of the souls of men They will still think that they are most concerned it should be for the wellfare of their own souls and can best tell what they find to be profitable or hurtful to 'em and most for their edification and that if no Humane Authority can tye up a man to eat that which he cannot digest so neither to attend that Ministry only which they do not find so much to the Advantage and Edification of their souls as some other which God affords them The different Relishes of the minds of men may here be considered and the benefit of gratifying them in order to edification For I know of some and hear of many who profess that they are never more Reverent devout and serious and their Hearts more affected than in the use of the Common Prayer others profess with the like seriousness as to themselves that they Experience the Contrary And shall we think it reasonable that they should be obliged to the measures of the former or that either should censure the other as not belonging to Christ on that account Is there any Law of Christ any Rule of the Gospel any duty of Love to the Brethren that can require men to hinder their Edification or to joyn in ordinary local Communion there where they cannot attain the great ends of Church Communion Nevertheless we must be Careful not to have the Faith of our Lord I. James 2.1 Christ with respect of Persons For there is a culpable Partiality with respect to Ministers causing Envyings â— Cor. 3.3.4 Divisions and Strifes which the Apostle condemn'd in the Church of Corinth Were Ministers humble and self-denying and did we more Earnestly desire and seek the Honour of God the Advancement of Holiness and the salvation of souls we should rejoyce if the people
could learn more Mr. Baxter Cure of Ch. â—iv dir 5. 〈◊〉 Min. and edifie better by other mens Ministry than our own tho it may be some error in Judgment that directed their choice A true Mother who knows her Child is like to thrive more by the milk of another woman than her own will be so far from hatred or envy at the Nurse or Child that she will consent and be glad of it Would a faithful Physitian rather let his Patient pine away in a Consumption than be healed by another whom the Patient with or without cause prefers before him I know there needs a great deal of self-denial unto this but I think it ought to be so because the Apostle rejoyced that Christ was preacht Phil. 1.15 16 18. tho by them who did it in Strife and Envy to add affliction to his bonds If any number of Christians judge tho it should be by mistake that the terms of Church Communion required of them are sinful and of doubtful and numerous ones very many are like to think so can they act like Honest men to comply while they thus judge Will any be so unreasonable as to desire me to do that to please him and punish me if I will not when I apprehend I should displease God by doing it Is it at all strange that many serious Christians in a Country Parish cannot content themselves with such Guides of their souls as an Ignorant drunken Patron shall think fit to put over them who it may be are as bad as he What if they think they have a natural Right to choose one themselves As well as to choose their Physitian or Lawyer and rather as the Consequence is more and greater especially since such a Principle is allowed by Leading men in the Church of England For every man to Worship God according to his Conviction Preface concerning Persecution saith Dr. Burnet is an essential Right of Humane nature Antecedent to all humane Government and can never become subject to it What the Rev. Dean of S. Pauls whose singular Learning is so deservedly honoured in all the Reformed Churches hath discourst formerly on this subject cannot be too often transcrib'd viz in the peaceable and Christian Preface to his Irenicum and in the * Part. 1. c. 6 p. 118 123. book it self If he continue not in every thing of the same mind Truth and Reason is still the same And Dr. Sherlock tells the A. B. of Canterbury in the Epistle dedicatory to his Answer to the First part of The Protestant Reconciler That a Recantation of a Book is no Answer And let me add that the Christian Design of that book the First part of the Prot. Reconciler and the Judgment and Moderation of the Worthy Author it is hoped will now be otherwise esteem'd of than three or four years ago when so Great a man as the Master of the Temple treated both with so much sharpness and contempt The Laws of Christ saith Dr. St. were meek and gentle the Duties he required were necessary just and reasonable He that came to take away the insupportable yoke of Jewish Ceremonies certainly did never intend to gall the necks of his Disciples with another instead of it and it would be strange the Church should require more than Christ himself did and make other Conditions of Communion than our Saviour did of Discipleship What possible reason can be given why such things should not be sufficient for Communion with a Church that are sufficient for Eternal salvation and certainly those things are sufficient for that which are laid down as the Necessary duties of Christianity by our Lord and saviour in his word What ground is there why Christians should not stand on the same terms now which they did in the time of Christ and his Apostles was not Religion sufficiently guarded and fenced in them was there ever more true and Cordial Reverence in the Worship of God What Charter hath Christ ever given the Church to bind up men to more than himself hath done and to exclude those from her Society who may be admitted into Heaven The grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with was only to teach what Christ had commanded them not the least intimation of any power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what he himself had spoken to them or they were directed to by the immediate guidance of the spirit of God. We never read the Apostles making Laws but of things supposed necessary When the Council of the Apostles met at Jerusalem for deciding a Case that disturbed the Churches peace we see they would lay no other Burden on the Gentile Christians besides those Necessary things 15. Act. 29. It was not enough with them that the things would be necessary when they had requir'd them but they lookt on an Antecedent Necessity either absolute or for the present State which was the only ground of their imposing those Commands There were after this great Diversities of Practice and varieties of observations among Christians but the H. Ghost never thought those things fit to be made matters of Laws to which all Parties should Conform all that the Apostles required as to these was mutual forbearance and condescention towards each other in them The Apostles valued not Indifferences at all and those things 't is evident they accounted such which whether men did them or not was not of Concernment to Salvation And what Reason is there why men should be so strictly tied up to such things which they may do or let alone and yet be very good Christians still Without all Controversie saith the Doctor and Experience will confirm it the main in-let of all the Distractions Confusions and Divisions of the Christian World hath been by adding other Conditions of Church Communion than Christ hath done Would there ever be less Peace and Vnity in the Church if a Diversity were allowed as to Practices supposed indifferent yea there would be so much more if there were a mutual forbearance and Condescention as to such things The Vnity of the Church is an unity of Love and Affection Chap. 6. and not a bare Vniformity of Practice and Opinion Were we but so Happy as to take off things granted unnecessary by all and suspected by many and judged unlawful by some and to make nothing the bonds of our Communion but what Christ hath done one Faith one Baptism c. allowing a Liberty for matters of Indifferency and bearing with the Weakness of those who cannot bear things which others count lawful we might indeed be restored to a true primitive Lustre far sooner than by surbishing up some antiquated Ceremonies that can derive their pedigree no higher than some Ancient Custom and Tradition God will one day convince men that the Vnion of the Church lyes more in the Vnity of Faith and Affection than in the Vniformity of doubtful Rites and Ceremonies And after that unseasonable Sermon at
all the same tone of voice whereas Hannibals Army being made up of several Nations their shouting was less formidable by reason of the Variety of their voices it will not therefore follow that their success must be the less on that account Our opposition to Popery might appear to them and to the world more formidable if we were altogether of one speech and of one way and our shouts more uniform yet the Success may be as Great and the Victory as sure tho we are not if we are but wise enough to bear with one another in our lesser Differences Fifthly Since none of us do pretend to Infallibility we have all the reason in the world to bear with one another The principles of the Roman Church will better justifie them to demand a blind Submission to all that is required and to treat them severely who refuse it than any of the Protestant Churches with reference to one another We all acknowledg our selves liable to mistake and therfore should use gentleness and Compassion to our Brethren that we think do Err and pity them upon the account of Humane frailty and fallibility which all would be more disposed to do for others had they a deeper sense of their own What two persons in the world are just of the same Sise of understanding have the same apphrehensions of things or hold the same Opinions What man in the world but as he grows elder and without losing time doth also grow wiser but alters his Opinions in many points Do not various Educations callings Studies Company imployments interests conditions in the world make a mighty difference in the apphrehensions of some from others and of all men from themselves at different seasons Besides the various degrees of the grace of God to several Christians c. all which should incline us as fallible mutable Creatures to bear with one another The Papists teach that an implisit faith in the Judgment of the Clergy is sufficient to justifie the belief and practise of the People and so may better exact an Uniformity in Doctrine and Worship than we who deny it and hold that every man must Judge for himself It may farther be considered that men cannot change their Opinions when they please any more than their Stature or their Taste You may as soon fill a mans belly with a Syllogism as alter his Opinion and Belief by Force Till his Reason be convinc't he will believe as he did If any are willing to know the truth and endeavor it and practise according to their light and desire to live peaceably with others of a different persuasion is it just and reasonable much less Christian that they should be persecuted and destroyed because they will not subscribe some doubtful Articles cannot sit within the little Circle of some mens Opinions that are uppermost or consent to worship God just after the same manner they would have them Especially they who stand out to their outward Disadvantage whose temporal Interest pleads strongly for a compliance in such a case there is ground for Charity that they are sincere There is hardly any man but some time or other will allow such Considerations to have some strength The word of God saith Bp. Saunderson Cases of Conscience lect 3. § 29.30 doth Expresly forbid us to subject our Consciences to any other or to usurp Dominion over the Consciences of any And there is no hope that Religion should be restored to her former Original and Purity till the wounds that have been made wider by our quarrels and dissentions being anointed with the oyl of Brotherly love as with a Balsom shall begin to close again and to grow intire into the same unity of faith and Charity Bp. Taylor hath much to the same purpose of moderation Part 3. p. 420 425. not to quote the many places in his Liberty of Prophecy in his Great Exempler or Life of Christ he saith We should ill dye for our Brother who will not lose a meal to prevent his sin or change a dish to save his soul And if the thing scrupled be Indifferent to us yet it ought not to be indifferent whether our Brother live or dye When the Evil occasion'd by the Law is greater than the Good designed or greater than the Good that will come by it in the present Constitution of things and the Evil can by no other Remedy be healed it concerns the Lawgivers Charity to take off such positive Constitutions which in the Authority are meerly humane and in the matter indifferent and Evil in the Event Sixthly Let us consider the Vnseasonableness of our Divisions and backwardness to Union and Forbearance at this Time. Neither the Church of England nor Protestant Dissenters are ever like to have such a time of Tryal again as this when mutual Interest doth so loudly call for an Accommodation of our unhappy Differences For not only doth the Heighth and progress of abounding Wickedness and Impiety require the utmost Union of Hearts and Hands and Tongues to promote Repentance and Reformation but we all do now see the mischief of our past Divisions all Parties in their turns have been sensible of it All have complain'd of a Spirit of Bitterness Persecution and Revenge and therfore none should imitate that which they condemn or be averse to that which sometime or other they have thought desirable 2 Kings 17. See Isai 9.21 The Divisions of Israel made them a prey to their Enemies and those of the Jews exposed them to Destruction by the Romans Which they might have prevented by an carly Submission or by uniting their Strength to defend themselves but by reason of their Divisions could do neither So the contest between the Greek and the Latin Church ended in the Ruin of the Eastern Empire And justly may God leave us to be destroyed of one another or by the Enemies of our Religion if we will not at last learn the way of Peace Who will pity us who can help us if having a prize in our hands we will not know it or improve it Ought we not to consider that next to the Displeasure of God for the sins of English Protestants this is the great strength of the Church of Rome and their most Considerable Advantage against us We need not otherwise fear their other Politicks for which they have been so cried up in the World tho principally because they scrupled nothing that would serve as a means to attain their end were we duly sensible of this one Policy of theirs to divide and exasperate us one against another The Preaching of their Monks and Priests will of it self do little to turn the Nation to Popery if we may Judge by their printed sermons they are not like to get much ground by their Preaching among a People who in most places have been used to so much better And as little need we fear their books of Controversie notwithstanding the noise that hath been made of