that Christ should have no one Witness that would ever scruple or contradict them either among the Orthodox or the Hereticks as far as any Records of Antiquity do make known § 300. 7. The seventh Controversie is about their own practice in Administrations and Church Discipline And 1. that they must Ministerially deny the Sacrament of Baptism to all Children whose Parents will not have them use the Cross they say that it is the Church that refuseth them by Law and not they who are by the Law disabled from receiving them 2. The same they say of their refusing to give the Lord's Supper to any that will not kneel in the Reception of it They say that it is better to Administer the Sacraments to some than to none at all which they must do if they refuse not them that kneel not 3. And for the giving of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper to the unworthy for all are forced to use them they say that the Infants of all in the Church have right to Baptism at least for their Ancestor's sake and for the Godfathers and Godmothers or the Churches sake And for the Lord's Supper they have power to put away all that are proved impenitent in notorious Scandal § 301. Having told you what the Conformists say for themselves as faithfully as will stand with brevity before I proceed I think it best to set down here the words 1. Of the Covenant 2. Of the Subscription and Declaration 3. Of the Oath of Canonical Obedience before your Eyes that while the Subject of the Controversie is before you the Controversie it self may be the better understood And I suppose the Reader to have all the Books before him to which we are required to Assen◠〈…〉 The Solemn League and Covenant WE Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens â—â—â—gesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commous of all 〈◊〉 in the Kingdoms of Scotland â—England and Ireland by the Pâ—â—vidence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our Eyes the Glory of God and the Advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ the Honour and Happiness of the King's Majesty and his Posterity and the true Publick Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private Condition is included And calling to mind the trâ—atherous and bloody Piots Conspiracies Attempts and Practises of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and Professors thereof in places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their Rage Power and Presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable Estate of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed Estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous Estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publick Cestimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and Destruction according to the Commendable Practice of these kingdoms in former times and the Example of God's People in other Nations after mature Deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a Mutual and Solemn League and Covenant Wherein we all Subscribe and each one of us for himself with our Hands lifted up to the most high God â—o swear 1. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our several Places and Callings the Preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our Common Enemies The Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us 2. That we shall in like manner without respect of Persons endeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-Government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commistaties Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and all other Ecclesiastical Officers depending on that Hierachy Superstition Heresie Schism Prophaneness and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues And that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms 3. We shall with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our several Uocations endeavour with our Estates and Lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the King's Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms That the world may bear witness with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just Power and Greatness 4. We shall also with all faithfulness endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any faction or Parties amongst the People contrary to this League and Covenant That they may be brought to publick Trial and receive Condign Punishment as the degree of their Offences shall require or deserve or the Supream Iudicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power from them for that effect shall â—udge convenient 5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denied in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of God granted unto us and hath been latlely concluded and setled by both Parliaments We shall each one of us according to our place and interest endeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity and that Iustice may be done upon the wilful Opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article 6. We shall also according to our Places and Callings in this common Cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof And shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever Combination Perswasion or Terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this Cause which so much concerneth the Glory of God the Good of the Kingdoms and Honour of the King But shall all the days of our
Sins by the Merits of Christ and vouchsafed by his Spirit to Renew and Seal me as his own and to moderate and bless to me my long Sufferings in the Flesh and at last to sweeten them by his own Interest and comforting Approbation who taketh the Cause of Love and Concord as his own Now let the Reader judge whether any thing in all this can in the least infer his Doubting or Denial of a Future State or any Repentance of the Pains he took to establish others in the Belief and Hopes of what the Gospel tells us of as future It is strange to see how Men can trifle in their Soul-affairs and how easily they can receive whatever may mortifie the Life and Joy of Christian Godliness But we read of some that have been led Captive by the Devil at his will But this we may believe and all shall find that the Hell which they gave no credit to the report of they shall surely feel and that they shall never reach that Heaven which they would never believe Existent and worth their serious looking after Were it but a meer probability or possibility who will have the better of it When we reach Heaven we shall be in a Capacity of Insulting over Inâ—idels But if there be no Future State they can never live to upbraid us And it is but folly madness and a voluntary cheating of themselves for Men to think that Honour Parts or Learning or Interest or Possessions can ever skreen them from the Wrath of a neglected and provoked God And one would think that such a Spirit that can so boldly traduce and asperse Men is much below what has acted a Pagan Roman for even one of them could say Compositum jus fasque animi Sanctosque recessus Mentis incoctum genoroso pectus â—onesto Da cedò Pers. How little of this Spirit was in the Author and Promoter of this Aspersion I leave to his own and others Thoughts to pause on who he is I know not But for the sake of his Honour Soul and Faculty I must and will request of God that he may have those softer Remorses in his own Spirit in due season which may prevent a smarter Censure from the universal awful Judge and that he would soberly pause upon what that great Judge has uttered and left upon record in Matth. 12. 36 37. for it is what that Judge will abide and try us by I can easily foresee that Readers of different sorts are likely to receive this Work with different Sentiments 1. The Interested Reader in things related here will judge of and relish what he reads as he finds himself concerned therein He may possibly look upon himself as either commended or exposed blamed or justified whether justly or unjustly he may best know But I would hope that his Concernedness for the Interest of Equity and Truth and for the Publick Good will rather make him candid than severe 2. The Impartial Reader is for knowing Truth in its due and useful Evidence and for considering himself as liable to Imperfections if engaged in such work as this and thus he will allow for others Weaknesses as he would have his own allowed for 3. Should any Reader be censorious and stretch Expressions and Reports beyond their determin'd Line and Reach sober and clear Conviction in this Case may be their Cure 4. As to the Judicious Reader he loves I know to see things in their Nature Order Evidence and Usefulness and if he find Materials he can dispose them easily and phrase them to his own Satisfaction and at the same time pity the injudiciousness of a Publisher and the imperfections of the Author 5. As to the weak Reader for judiciousness is not every sober Person 's Lot it will be harder to convince him beyond his ability of discerning things in their distinctness truth and strength 6. As to the byassed Reader it is hoped that his second serious Thoughts may cure him of his Partiality 7. As to the selfish Reader it is bold for any Man to think himself Superiour to the rest of Men and that all must be a Sacrifice to his own Concerns and Humour A narrow Soul is a great Inâ—elicity both to its self to others and the Publick Interest 8. The Publick Spirited Reader is more concern'd for Truth than for any Thing that Rivals it his Thoughts and Motto is Magna est veritas praevalebit and he will think himself most gratified when Publick Expectations and Concerns are answered and secured best 9. Those that are perfectly ignorant of what the History is most concerned in will be glad of better Informations and the Things recorded will be as being Novel most grateful to him 10. As to those that were acquainted mostly with the Things here mentioned they will have their Memories refreshed and meet with some Additions to their useful Knowledge 11. And as to my self if there be any thing untrue injurious or unfit as to either Publick or Personal Concerns the Publisher hopes that the Reader will not look upon him as obliged to justifie or espouse whatever the Author may have misrepresented through his own Personal Infirmities or Mistakes for all Men are imperfect and my Work was to publish the Author's Sentiments and Reports rather than my own Nor will I vouch for every Thing in this History nor in any meer Humane Treatise beyond its Evidence or Credibility But let the Reader assure himself that I am his in the best of Bonds and Services whilst I am M. S. London May 13. 1696. A BREVIATE OF THE CONTENTS OF THE Ensuing Narrative Which was written by Parts at different Times PART I. Written for the most part in 1664. AFter a brief Narrative of his Birth and Parentage and large one of his School-masters Mr. Baxter proceeds to an Account of the means of his coming to a serious sense of Religion and of his perplexing Doubts and their Solutions to page 9. of his bodily weakness and indispositions to p. 11. of several remarkable Deliverances â—e met with viz. from the Temptations of a Court Life from being run over by a Waggon in a fall from a Horse and from Gaming p. 11 12. His applying himself to the Ministry Ordination by the Bishop of Worcester and Settlement in Dudley School as Master p. 12 13. His studying the Matter of Conformity and Iudgment about it at that time p. 13 14. His removal from Dudley to Bridgnorth and success there p. 14 15. of the coming out of the Etcaetera Oath and his further studying the point of Episcopacy upon that occasion p. 15 16. Upon occasion of this Etcaetera Oath he passes to the Dissatisfactions in Scotland on the account of the imposition of the English Ceremonies thence to Ship-money in England thence to the Scots first coming â—ither and so to the opening of the Long Parliament p. 16 17. After an Account of their Proceedings till such time as a Committee was chosen to hear Petitions
of his publick Ministry in London p. 301. His going to the Archbishop to beg a License p. 302. His Majesty's Commission for the Savoy Conference p. 303. an Account of what past at the Conference p. 305. Exceptions that Mr. Baxter drew up against the Common Prayer at that time p. 308. the Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer that were deliver'd in to the Commissioners p. 316 c. Of the choice of the Convocation and of Mr. Calamy and Mr. Baxter for London p. 333. a further account of the Conference p. 334 c. a Paper then offer'd by Dr. Cosins about a way to terminate the differences with an Answer to it p. 341 c. An Account of the Dispute manag'd in Writing at that time between Dr. Pierson Dr. Gunning Dr. Sparrow and Dr. Pierce and Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb and Mr. Baxter who were deputed for that purpose p. 346 c. A Reply to the Bishops Disputants which was not answer'd p. 350. a Continuation of the Conference p. 356. a Copy of the Part of the Bishops Divines in the Disputation p. 358. A Censure of this Conference and Account of the Managers of it p. 363. of the Ministers going up to the King after the Conference p. 365. the Petition they presented to his Majesty on that occasion p. 366. to which by reason of their Affinity is annexed a Copy of the Concessions that were made by Bishop Usher Bishop Williams Bishop Moreton Bishop Holdsworth and many others in a Committee at Westminster 1641. p. 369. Books written against Mr. Baxter by Mr. Nanfen Dr. Tompkins and others p. 373. He goes to Kidderminster to try if he might be permitted to preach there p. 374. Bishop Morley and his Dean endeavour to set the people there against him p. 375 376. Bp. Morley and Dr. Boreman write against him p. 377. Mr. Bagthaw writes against the Bishop p. 378. Of the surreptitious publication of the Savoy Conference p. 379. other assaults that Mr. Baxter met with p. 380. a false report rau'd of him by Dr. Earls p. 381. a Letter of Mr. Baxter's to him on that occasion with his answer to it p. 382. Divers Ministers imprison'd particularly in Worcestershire on occasion of a pretended Conspiracy p. 383. Of BLACK BARTHOLOMEW DAY 1662. wherein so many Ministers were silenc'd p. 384. of the sad consequences of that day p. 385. Mr. Calamy's imprisonment for preaching occasionally after the silencing p. 386. the state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at that time p. 336. the sum of their several Causes and the Reasons of their several ways p. 387 c. Of the King's Declaration Dec. 26. 1662. p. 430. Old Mr. Ashes Death and Character ibid Mr. James Nalton's Death and Character p. 431. How Mr. Baxter and Dr. Bates had like to have been apprehended for going to pray with a sick person p. 431. of the imprisonment of divers Ministers about the Country p. 432. Strange Iudgments of God about this time turn'd by the Devil to his own advantage ibid. Much talk about an Indulgence or a Comprehension in 1663. p. 433. An Answer sent in a Letter to an honourable Person at that time to this Question Whether the way of Comprehension or Indulgence be more desirable p. 434. But the Parliament that then sate considerably added to former rigour p. 435. Mr. Baxter and others go to the Assemblies of the Church of England p. 436. His Answer to the Objections against this practice and Reasons for it p. 438. He retires to Acton p. 440. A Letter to Mr. Baxter from Monsieur Amyraut another from Monsieur Sollicoffer a Switzer which by reason of the Iealousies he was under he thought not fit to answer p. 442. He debates with some ejected Ministers the Case about Communicating sometimes with the Parish Churches in the Sacraments p. 444. A Letter from my Lord Ashley with a special Case about the lawfulness of a Protestant Lady's marrying a Papist in hope of his Conversion with Mr. Baxter's reply p. 445. PART III. Written for the most part in the year 1670. OF the Plague in the year 1665 p. 1. during the Sickness some of the ejected Ministers preach in the City Churches p. 2. at the same time the Five-mile Act was fram'd at Oxford ibid a Censure of the Act p. 3. the reasons of mens refusal to take the Oath imposed by that Act p. 5. Queries upon the Oxford Oath p. 7. further Reflections on it p. 10. Twenty Nonconforming Ministers take this Oath p. 13. a Letter from Dr. Baâ—es to Mr. Baxter about that affair p. 14. of the Dutch War p. 16. of the Fire of London ibid. of the Instruments of the Fire p. 18. The Nonconformists set up seperate publick Meetings p. 19. of the burning of our Ships at Chatham by the Dutch p. 20. the disgrace and banishment of my Lord Chancellour Hide ibid. Sir Orlando Bridgman made Lord Keeper p. 22. the Nonconformists conniv'd at in their Meetings ib. Mr. Baxter sent for to the Lord Keeper about a Toleration and Comprehension p. 23. Proposals then offer'd by Mr. Baxter and others p. 24. the Lord Keeper's Proposals p. 25. Alterations made by Mr. Baxter and his Associates in his Proposals p. 27. falsly pag'd 35. Reasons of these Alterations p. 28. falsly pag'd 36. Alterations of the Liturgy c. then offer'd p. 31. falsly pag'd 39. two new Proposals added and accepted with alterations p. 34. an Address of some Presbyterian Ministers to the King with a Letter of Dr. Manton's to Mr. Baxter about it p. 36. great talk of Liberty at this time but none ensued p. 38. Of the Book call'd A Friendly Debate p. 39. of Parker's Ecclesiastical Policy p. 41. of Dr. Owen's Answer and Parker's Reply p. 42. An Apologue or two familiarly representing the Heats and Feuds of those times p. 43 c. Mr. Baxter's further account of himself while he remain'd at Acton p. 46. of his acquaintance with worthy Sir Matth. Hale p. 47. of the disturbance he receiv'd at Acton p. 48. he is sent to New Prison p. 49. a Narrative of his Case at that time p. 51. the Errours of his Mittimus with an Explication of the Oxford Act p. 56. His Reflections during his imprisonment p. 58. His Release and perplexity thereupon p. 60. His Benefactours while in prison ibid. His bodily weakness ibid. An Account of his Writings since 1665. p. 61. on Account of a Treaty between him and Dr. Owen about an Agreement between the Presbyterians and the Independants p. 61. a Letter of Dr. Owen's to Mr. Baxter about that matter p. 63. Mr. Baxter's Reply to it p. 64. how it was dropp'd p. 69. of his Methodus Theologiae ibid. and some other Writings p. 70. the heat of some of his old people at Kidderminster p. 73. the renewal of the Act against Conventicles p. 74. Dr. Manton's imprisonment ibid. Great offers made to Mr. Baxter by the Earl of Lauderdail if he would go
and Formalists were not now broad enough nor of sufficient force The King's Party as their Serious Word called the Parliaments Party Rebels and as their common ludiâ—rous Name The Round-heads the original of which is not certainly known Some say it was because the Puritans then commonly wore short Hair and the King's Party long Hair Some sâ—y it was because the Queen at Strafford's Tryal asked who that Round-headed Man was meaning Mr. Pym because he spake so strongly The Parliaments Party called the other side commonly by the Name of Malignants as supposing that the generality of the Enemies of serious Godliness went that way in a desire to destroy the Religious out of the Land And the Parliament put that Name into their Mouths and the Souldiers they called Cavaliers because they took that Name to themselves and afterwards they called them Damme's because God Damn me was become a common Curse and as a By-word among them The King professed to sight for the Subjects Liberties the Laws of the Land and the Protestant Religion The Parliament profest the same and all their Commissions were granted as for King and Parliament for the Parliament professed that the Separation of the King from the Parliament could not be without a Destruction of the Government and that the Dividers were the Destroyers and Enemies to the State and if the Soldiers askt each other at any Surprize or Meeting who are you for those on the King's side said for the King and the others said for King and Parliament the King disowned their Service as a Scorn that they should say they fought for King and Parliament when their Armies were ready to charge him in the Field They said to this 1. That they fought to redeem him from them that took him a voluntary Captive and would separate him from his Parliament 2. That they fought against his Will only but not against his Person which they desired to rescue and preserve nor against his Authority which was for them 3. That as all the Courts of Justice do execute their Sentences in the King's Name and this by his own Law and therefore by his Authority so much more might his Parliament do § 52. But now we come to the main matter What satisfied so many of the intelligent part of the Countrey to side with the Parliament when the War began What inclined their Affections I have before shewed and it is not to be doubted but their Approbation of the Parliament in the cause of Reformation made them the easilier believe the lawfulness of their War But yet there were some Dissenters which put the matter to debates among themselves In Warwickshire Sir Francis Nethersole a religious Knight was against the Parliaments War and Covenant though not for the Justness of the War against them In Glocestershire Mr. Geree an old eminent Nonconformist and Mr. Copell a learned Minister who put out himself to prevent being put out for the Book of Recreations and some others with them were against the lawfulness of the War so was Mr. Lyford of Sherborn in Dorcetshire and Mr. Francis Bampfield his Successor and some other Godly Ministers in other Countries And many resolved to meddle on no side Those that were against the Parliaments War were of three Minds or Parties One Part thought that no King might be resisted but these I shall not take any more notice of The other thought that our King might not be at all resisted because he is our Sovereign and we have sworn to his Supremacy and if he be Supreme he hath neither Superior nor Equal And Oaths are to be interpreted in the strictest Sense The third sort granted that in some Cases the King might be resisted as Bilson and other Bishops hold but not in this Case 1. Because the Law giveth him the Militia which was contended for and the Law is the measure of Power 2. Because say they the Parliament began the War by permitting Tumults to deprive the Members of their Liberty and affront and dishonour the King 3. Because the Members themselves are Subjects and took the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy and therefore have no Authority to resist 4. It is not lawful for Subjects to defend Reformation or Religion by Force against 〈◊〉 Soveraigns no such good Ends will warrant evil Means 5. It is contrary to the Doctrine of Protestants and the ancient Christians and Scripture it selfe which condemneth all that resist the higher Powers and as for the Primitive Christiansâ— it is well known they were acquainted with no other lawful Weapons against them but Prayers and Tears 6. It importeth a false Accusation of the King as if he were about to destroy Religion Liberties or Parliaments all which he is resolved to defend as in all his Declarations doth appear 7. It justifieth the Papists Doctrine and Practices of Rebellion and taketh the Odium from them unto our selves and layeth a Reproach upon the Protestant Cause 8. It proceedeth from Impatience and Distrust of God which causeth Men to fly to unlawful means Religion may be preserved better by patient Sufferings These were their Reasons who were against the Parliaments War which may be seen more at large in Mr. Dudly Digs his Book and Mr. Welden's and Mr. Michael Hudson's and Sir Francis Nethersole's § 53. As for those on the Parliaments side I will first tell you what they said to these Eight Reasons and next what Reasons moved them to take the other side 1. To the First Reason they said as before that for the Law to give the King the â—â—â—â—itia signifieth no more but that the People in Parliament consented to obey him in Matter of Wars and to fight for him and under his Conduct For the Law is nothing but the Consent of King and Parliament and the Militia is nothing but the Peoples own Swords and Strength And that this Consent of theirs should be supposed to be meant against themselves as if they consented to destroy themselves whenever he commanded it is an Exposition against Nature Sense and Reason and the common Sentiments of Mankind And they said that the same Law required Sheriffs to exercise the Militia in Obedience to the Decrees of his Courts of Justice and this against the King's Personal Commands and in the King's Name Because King and Parliament have by Law setled those Courts and Methods of Execution a Command of the King alone can no more prevail against them than it can abrogate a Law And the Law said they is above the King because King and Parliament are more than the King alone And they pretend also Presidents for their Resistance 2. To the Second they said that when 200000 Protestants were murdered in Ireland and their Friends so bold in England and the Parliaments Destruction so industruously endeavoured it was no time for them to rebuke their Friends upon terms of Civility and good Manners though their Zeal was mixt with Indiscretion and that if the Londoners had not shewed that Zeal
did before possess as far as I can learn from History Sure I am that when it became a matter of Reputation and Honour to be Godly it abundantly furthered the Successes of the Ministry Yea and I shall add this much more for the sake of Posterity that as much as I have said and written against Licentiousness in Religion and for the Magistrates Power in it and though I think that Land most happy whose Rulers use their Authority for Christ as well as for the Civil Peace yet in Comparison of the rest of the World I shall think that Land happy that hath but bare Liberty to be as good as they are willing to be and if Countenance and Maintenance be but added to Liberty and tollerated Errors and Sects be but forced to keep the Peace and not to oppose the Substantials of Christianity I shall not hereafter much fear such Toleration nor despair that Truth will bear down Adversaries 5. Another Advantage which I found was that Acceptation of my Person which Bishop Morley and Dean Warmstry so vehemently dissuaded them from in vain Though to win Estimation and Love to our selves only be an end that none but proud Men and Hypocrites intend yet it is most certain that the Gratefulness of the Person doth ingratiate the Message and greatly prepareth the People to receive the Truth Had they taken me to be Ignorant Erroneous Scandalous Worldly Self-seeking or such like I could have expected small Success among them 6. Another Advantage which I had was by the Zeal and Diligence of the Godly People of the Place who thirsted after the Salvation of their Neighbours and were in private my Assistants and being dispersed through the Town were ready in almost all Companies to repress seducing Words and to justify Godliness and convince reprove exhort Men according to their needs as also to teach them how to pray and to help them to sanctifie the Lord's Day For those People that had none in their Families who could pray or repeat the Sermons went to their next Neighbour's House who could do it and joined with them so that Some House of the ablest Men in each Street were filled with them that could do nothing or little in their own 7. And the holy humble blameless Lives of the Religious sort was a great Advantage to me The malicious People could not say your Professors here are as proud and covetous as any But the blameless Lives of godly People did shame Opposers and put to Silence the Ignorance of foolish Men and many were won by their good Conversation 8. And our Unity and Concord was a great Advantage to us and our freedom from those Sects and Heresies which many other Places were infected with We had no private Church though we had private Meetings we had not Pastor against Pastor nor Church against Church nor Sect against Sect nor Christian against Christian. There was none that had any odd Opinions of his own or censured his Teacher as erronious nor questioned his Call At Bewdley there was a Church of Anabaptists at Worcester the Independents gathered theirs But we were all of one Mind and Mouth and Way Not a Separatist Anabaptist Antinomian c. in the Town One Journeyman Shoemaker turned Anabaptist but he left the Town upon it and went among them When People saw diversity of Sects and Churches in any Place it greatly hindred their Conversion and they were at a loss and knew not what Party to be of or what Way to go and therefore would be of no Religion at all and perhaps derided them all whom they saw thus disagreed But they had no such Offence or Objection there they could not ask which Church or Party shall I be of for we were all but as one Nay so Modest were the ablest of the People that they never were inclined to a preaching way nor to make Ostentation of their Parts but took warning by the Pride of others and thought they had teaching enough by their Pastors and that it was better for them to bestow their Labour in digesting that than in Preaching themselves 9. And our private Meetings were a marvellous help to the propagating of Godliness among them for thereby Truths that slipt away were recalled and the seriousness of the Peoples minds renewed and good desires cherished and hereby their knowledge was much increased and here the younger sort learned to pray by frequent hearing others And here I had opportunity to know their Case for if any were touched and awakened in publick I should presently see him drop in to our private Meetings Hereby also idle meetings and loss of time was prevented And so far were we from being by this in danger of Schism or Divisions that it was the principal means to prevent them For here I was usually present with them answering their Doubts and silencing Objections and moderating them in all And some Private Meeting 's I found they were exceeding much inclined to and if I had not allowed them such as were lawful and profitable they would have been ready to run to such as were unlawful and hurtful And by encouraging them here in the fit exercise of their parts in Repetition Prayer and asking Questions I kept them from inclining to the disorderly exercise of them as the Sectaries do We had no Meetings in opposition to the Publick Meetings but all in subordination to them and under my over-sight and guidance which proved a way profitable to all 10. Another thing which advantaged us was some publick Disputations which we had with Gainsayers which very much confirmed the People The Quakers would fain have got entertainment and set up a Meeting in the Town and frequently railed at me in the Congregation But when I had once given them leave to meet in the Church for a Dispute and before the People had opened their deceits and shame none would entertain them more nor did they get one Proselyte among us Before that Mr. Iohn Tombes being Lecturer of Bewdley two miles off us who was reputed the most Learned and able Anabaptist in England we kept fair Correspondence for a long time and I studiously avoided all Debates with him about Infant Baptism till at last he forced me to it as I shall shew further anon And after one days Dispute with him of Bewdley my Hearers were more setled and the course of his Infection stopt How mean soever my own Abilities were yet I had still the advantage of a good Cause and thereby easily opened the vanity of all Pretenders Deceivers and Dividers that came among us 11. Another advantage was the great honesty and diligence of my Assistants When I came first to Kidderminster after the Wars I found Mr. Richard Sergeant there received as their Preacherâ— whom they took in a Case of Necessity when they could get no other I found him very honest but of no extraordinary Learning and of no taking utterance so that some that were more for Learing than
prosecute them or cast them out as it is against the nature of the body to dismember it self by cutting off any of the parts And it is easie to bring such Persons to Agreement at least to live in Charitable Communion But on the other side the Carnal Selfish and Unsanctified of what Party or Opinion soever have a Nature that is quite against holy Concord and Peace They want that love which is the natural Balsom for the Churches wounds They are every one Selfish and ruled by Self-Interest and have as many Ends and Centres of their Desires and Actions as they are individual Men. They are easily deceived and led into Errour especially in Practicals and against Spiritual Truths for want of Divine Illumination and Experience of the Things of God and a Nature suitable thereto Their Designs are Carnal Ambitious Covetous as Worldly Felicity is their Idol and their End God is not taken for their highest Governour his Laws must give place to the Desires of their Flesh Their very Religion is but Pride and Worldliness or subject to it They have a secret Enmity against a holy spiritual Life and therefore against the People that are holy They love not them that are serious in their own Religion and that go beyond their dead Formality This Enmity provoked by Self-interest or Reproof doth easily make them Persecutors of the Godly if they have but power And their carnal worldly hearts incline them to the carnal worldly side in any Controversies about Religion and to corrupt it and make it a carnal thing These Hypocrites in the Church do betray its Purity and Peace and â—ell Christ's Interest and the Gospel for as small a price as Iudas sold his Lord for And though in a time when God's Providence setteth his own Cause on the higher ground and giveth it the advantage of holy Governours these Men may possibly be serviceable to its welfare as finding it to serve their carnal Ends yet ordinarily they will â—ell the Peace of the Church for Preferment and are either imposing persecuting Dividers or discontented humourous Dividers and hardly brought to the necessary terms of a just and holy and durable Peace of whom I have more largely written in my Book called Catholick Unity These and many more Impediments do rise up against all conciliatory endeavours § 22. But I found not all these alike in all the disagreeing Parties though some of both Sorts in every Party The Erastian Party is most composed of Lawyers and other Secular Persons who better understand the Nature of Civil Covernment than the Nature Form and Ends of the Church and of those Offices appointed by Christ for Men's Spiritual Edification and Salvation The Diocesan Party with us consisted of some grave learned godly Bishops and some sober godly People of their mind and withal of almost all the carnal Politicians Temporizers Prophane and Haters of Godliness in the Land and all the Rabble of the ignorant ungodly Vulgar Whether this came to pafs from any thing in the Nature of their Diocesan Government or from their accommodating the ungodly Sort by the formal way of their Publick Worship or from their heading and pleasing them by running down the stricter sort of People whom they hated or all these together and also because the worst and most do always fall in with the Party that is uppermost I leave to the Judgment of the considerate Reader The Presbyterian Party consisted of grave orthodox godly Ministers together with the hopefullest of the Students and young Ministers and the soberest godly ancient Christians who were equally averse to Persecution and to Schism and of those young ones who were educated and ruled by these As also in those places where they most prevailed of the soberest sort of the well-meaning Vulgar who liked a godly Life though they had no great knowledge of it And this Party was most desirous of Peace The Independant Party had many very godly Ministers and People but with them many young injudicious Persons inclined much to Novelties and Separations and abounding more in Zeal than Knowledge usually doing more for Subdivisions than the few sober Persons among them could do for unity and Peace too much mistaking the Terms of Church Communion and the difference between the Regenerate invisible and the Congregate or visible Church The Anabaptists Party consisted of some but fewer sober peaceable Persons and orthodox in other Points but withal of abundance of young transported Zealots and a medley of Opinionists who all hasted directly to Enthusiasm and Subdivisions and by the Temptation of Prosperity and Success in Arms and the Policy of some Commanders were led into Rebellions and hot Endeavours against the Ministry and other Ioandalous Crimes and brought forth the horrid Sects of Ranters Seekers and Quakers in the Land § 23. But the greatest Advantage which I found for Concord and Pacification was among a great number of Ministers and People who had addicted themselves to no Sect or Party at all though the Vulgar called them by the Name of Presbyterians And the truth is as far as I could discover this was the Case of the greatest number of the godly Ministers and People throughout England For though Presbytery generally took in Scotland yet it was but a stranger here And it found some Ministers that lived in conformity to the Bishops Liturgies and Ceremonies however they wisht for Reformation and the most that quickly after were ordained were but young Students in the Universities at the time of the change of Church Government and had never well studied the Point on either side And though most of the Ministers then in England saw nothing in the Presbyterian way of practice which they could not cheerfully concur in yet it was but few that had resolved on their Principles And when I came to try it I found that most that ever I could meet with were against the Ius Divinum of Lay Elders and for the moderate Primitive Episcopacy and for a narrow Congregational or Parochial Extent of ordinary Churches and for an accommodation of all Parties in order to Concord as well as my self I am sure as soon as I proposed it to them I found most inclined to this way and therefore I suppose it was their Judgment before Yea multitudes whom I had no converse with I understood to be of this mind so that this moderate Number I am loth to call them a Party because they were for Catholicism against Parties being no way pre-engaged made the Work of Concord much more hopeful than else it would have been or than I thought it to be when I first attempted it § 24. Things being in this Case I stood still some years as a looker on and contented my self to wish and pray for Peace and only drop now and then a word for it in my practical Writings which hath since been none of my smallest troubles The Reasons were 1. Because I was taken up in Practicals and in such
them to Thoughts of practising it there though the dulness of some Pastors and the backwardness of the People were their great Discouragements § 43. But all these Beginnings which so comfortably smil'd upon us from all parts of the Land were clowded and obstructed by the proud Commotions and rebellious unquiet Humour of the Fanaticks especially the Military Anabaptists who thinking it lawful because it seem'd to set up their Sect did oppose the Ministry and trouble the Peace of the Nation and raise Stirs against all setled Government even against the Usurper whom they had themselves set up And when Cromwell was dead they set up his Son and pull'd him down again and set up others and pull'd down them and never ceased rebelling and overturning all before them till they had not left themselves a Bow to stand upon And Harrison's Party in the Conventicle called The Little Parliament as they cast out all the Ministers in Wales at once who though very weak and bad enough for the most part were better than none or so few Itinerants which they set up so they attempted and had almost accomplish'd the same in England The Independants thought that the Parishes were no true Churches and the Anabaptists thought that those baptised only in their Infancy were no Christians and so that they might have true Churches and Christians many Independants secretly and the Anabaptists openly promoted the Ejection of all the Parish ministers in England at one Vote that so they might set up the best of them again in an other way to make Men Christians and gather New Churches which they thought was better than to reform the old § 44. These Endeavours having been on foot all the time of Oliver's Usurpation and before promoted the Generation of Seekers Ranters Quakers and such others who sent forth many railing Words and Pamphlets and the Scope of all was against the Ministry which yet got ground even in these licentious times and prevailed against them and carried on their Work This was some Diversion to us while I and others were fain to dispute against Anabaptists and Quakers and Seekers and to answer their railing Invectives and to build with our Weapons in our Hands So that besides my Writings against them I seldom preached a Lecture but going and coming I was railed at by a Quaker in the Market-place in the way and frequently in the Congregation bawled at by the Names of Hireling Deceiver false Prophet Dog and such like Languge But all this in the Issue furthered our Work § 45. Before this there were two very sober Men in London Mr. Lamb and Mr. Allen who were Pastors of an Anabaptist separated Church The Wife of one of them an extraordinary intelligent Woman wrote me a Letter that her Husband was in troubled Thoughts not about Anabaptistry but about Separation upon that account and that if I would write to him now it might do him good which I did and gave him many Arguments to prove that though he should continue in his Opinion against Infant-Baptism yet he ought not to make it a Reason of denying Communion with his Brethren of another Mind These Arguments met with Thoughts of his own that tended the same way and in conclusion he was satisfied Afterwards the same Woman perswaded me to try with Mr. Allen also who in conclusion was satisfied And they dissolved their Church When this was done the Men being of extraordinary Sincerity and Understanding were very zealous for the reduction of their Brethren of the Anabaptists way And to that end they had a Meeting with divers of the most moderate Pastors of the Rebaptized Churches And they desired my Proposals or Terms on which we might hold Peace and Communion with them I sent them these Terms and they entered into Consultation of them and were in a very hopeful way of Agreement I saw no likelyhood of the contrary And suddenly the Broils of the Army pulling down Richard Cromwell and setting up I know not what and keeping all in Confusion broke off all our Consultations till the King came in And since then Men dare not prosecute the Agreement left they be taken as Conspirators that do it in preparation to a Plot so unhappily are the Affairs of the Church oft crossed by Secular Interests and Divisions in the World But these two Brethren at last cast off their Anabaptistry also and are now more zealous than other Men against Independency and Separation by how much the more they smarted by it The Terms of Agreement here ensue with a short Disputation preparatory thereto The Letters that pass't on this Occasion betwixt Mr. Baxter and Mr. Lamb and Mr. Allen are inserted in the Appendix Whether it be our Duty to seek Peace with the Anabaptists Because I conceive it no very difficult matter to resolve this Question I shall the more briefly dispatch it Only two Terms do need some Explication 1. What we mean by Anabaptists We do not here use the word with an intention of Reproach for that doth less besee ◠a Disputation of Peace but we are fain to make use of it as that Name by which that sort of Men are already commonly known and distinguished from all others as not knowing otherwise how to speak intelligibly of them without using Descriptions and Circumlocutions instead of well-known Names or Titles which would be contrary to the Common Rules of Discourse The Persons called by that Name in General are all that are for the Baptizing of those who were baptized in Infancy as supposing it null or unlawful Of these there are more Subdivisions than I will undertake to enumerate As to our present purpose it may suffice us to take distinct notice of these four sorts of them 1. Those that only deny Infant Baptism and are for the Necessity of Re-baptizing 2. Those that upon this account do also gather Separated Churches withdrawing from the Churches whereof they were Members and receiving none into Communion but the Re-baptized 3. Those that with the two former do hold many dangerous Errours either Pelagian or Antinomian or any other which yet do not so overthrow the Foundation but that the Persons holding them may be saved 4. Those that had such Errours as are inconsistent with a true Belief of the Fundamentals and consequently with Salvation And among the three former sorts we must distinguish between those that are peaceable temperate and willing of Communion with us and that endeavour not the ruine of the Church in their practice and those that are unpeaceable and refuse our Communion and set themselves to root out the Ministry or to destroy the Faith or Church of Christ. 2. The word Peace signifieth several things according to the several sorts of Men that we are related to with whom we must seek it 1. There is a Peace of bosom Friendship and this we owe not to many of the Saints themselves For of bosom Friends we must have but few 2. There
Bishop Usher had before occasionally spoken of him in my hearing as a Socinian which caused me to hear him with suspicion but I heard none suspect him of Popery though I found that it was that which was the end of his Design This Jugler hath this Twenty years and more gone up and down thus secretly and also thrust himself into places of Publick Debate as when the Bishops and Divines disputed before the King at the Isle of Wight c. And when we were lately offering our Proposals for Concord to the King he thrust in among us till I was sain plainly to detect him before some of the Lords which enraged him and he denied the words which in secret he had spoken to me And many Men of Parts and Learning are perverted by him § 61. In this time of my abode at the Lord Broghill's fell out all the Acquaintance I had with the most Reverend Learned Humble and Pious Primate of Ireland Archbishop Usher then living at the Earl of Peterborough's House in Martin's-Lane Sometimes he came to me and oft I went to him And Dr. Kendal who had wrote pettishly against me about Universal Redemption and the Specification of Saving Grace desired me when I had answered one of his Invectives and had written part of the Answer to the other to meet him at Bishop Usher's Lodgings and refer the matter to him for our Reconciliation and future Silence which I willingly did and when the Bishop had declared his Judgment for that Doctrine of Universal Redemption which I afferted and gloried that he was the Man that brought Bishop Davenant and Dr. Preston to it he perswaded us who were both willing to Silence for the time to come § 62. In this time I opened to Bishop Usher the motions of Concord which I had made with the Episcopal Divines and desired his Judgment of my Terms which were these 1. That every Pastor be the Governour as well as the Teacher of his Flock 2. In those Parishes that have more Presbyters than one that one be the stated President 3. That in every Market Town or some such meet Divisions there be frequent Assemblies of Parochial Pastors associated for Concord and mutual Assistance in their Work and that in these Meetings one be a stated not a temporary President 4. That in every Country or Diocess there be every year or half year or quarter an Assembly of all the Ministers of the County or Diocess and that they also have their fixed President and that in Ordination nothing be done without the President nor in matters of common or publick concernment 5. That the coercive Power or Sword be medled with by none but Magistrates To this Sense were my Proposals which he told me might suffice for Peace and Unity among moderate Men But when he had offered the like to the King intemperate Men were displeased with him and they were then rejected but afterward would have been accepted And such Success I was like to have I had heard of his Predictions that Popery would be restored again in England for a short time and then fall for ever And asking him of it he pretended to me no prophetical Revelation for it to himself but only his Judgment of the Sense of the Apocalyps § 63. I asked him also his Judgment about the validity of Presbyters Ordination which he asserted and told me that the King asked him at the Isle of Wight whereever he found in Antiquity that Presbyters alone ordained any and that he answered I can shew your Majesty more even where Presbyters alone successively ordained Bishops and instanced in Hierom's Words Epist. ad Evagrium of the Presbyters of Alexandria chusing and making their own Bishops from the Days of Mark till Heraclus and Dionysius I asked him also whether the Paper be his that is called A Reduction of Episcopacy to the Form of Synodical Government which he owned and Dr. Bernard after witnessed to be his § 64. And of his own Accord he told me considently That Synods are not properly for Government but for Agreement among the Pastors and a Synod of Bishops are not the Governors of any one Bishop there present Though no doubt but every Pastor out of the Synod being a Ruler of his Flock a Synod of such Pastors may there exercise Acts of Government over their Flocks though they be but Acts of Agreement or Contract for Concord one towards another Quere If the whole Synod have no governing Power over its Members hath the President of that Synod any qua talis § 65. When Oliver Cromwel was dead and his Son almost as soon pull'd down as set up or upon their Tumults voluntarily resigned their Places the Anabaptists grew insolent in England and Ireland and joining with their Brethren in the Army were every where put in Power and those of them that before lived in some seeming Friendliness near me at Bewdley began now to shew that they remembred all their former Provocations by my publick Disputation with Mr. Tombes and writing against them and hindring their increase in those parts And though they were not much above twenty Men and Women near us they talk'd as it they had been Lords of the World And when Sir Henry Vine was in Power and forming his Draught of a not Free but Fanatick Common-wealth and Sir George Booth's Rising was near and the look't for Opposition they laid wait upon the Road for my Letters and intercepting one written to Major Beake of Coventr◠they sent it up to Sir Henry Vane to London who found it so warily written thought himself was mentioned in it that he could have nothing against it yet sent he for Major Beake to London and put him to answer it at the Committee where by examination they sought to have made something of it but after many Threatnings they dismissed him This was the Anabaptists Fidelity § 66. The People then were so apprehensive of approaching Misery and Consusion while the Fanaticks were Lords and Vane ruled in the State and Lambert in the Army and Fifth Monarchy Men as they called the Millenaries and Seekers and Anabaptists were their chief Strength that the King 's old Party called then the Cavaliers and the Parliaments Party called the Presbyterians did secretly combine in many parts of the Land to rise all at once and suppress these insolent Usurpers and bring in the King Sir Ralph Clare of Kiderminister acquainted me with the intended Rising the Issue of which was that the Cavaliers failing except a few at Salisbury who were suddenly disperst or taken Sir George Booth and Sir Tho. Middleton two old Commanders for the Parliament drew together an Army of about 5000 Men and took Chester and there being no other to divert him Lambert came against them and some Independants and Anabaptists of the Country joining with him his old Souldiers quickly routed them all and Sir George Booth was afterwards taken and imprisoned I told Sir R. Clare that if the
and Government in Ecclesiastical Affairs is evident to the World and this little part of the World our own Dominions hath had so late Experience of it that we may very well acquiesce in the Conclusion without enlarging our self in discourse upon it it being a Subject we have had frequent occasion to contemplate upon and to lament abroad as well as at home In our Letter to the Speaker of the H. of Commons from Breda we declared how much we desired the Advancement and Propagation of the Protestant Religion That neither the Unkindness of those of the same Faith towards us nor the Civilities and Obligations from those of a contrary Profession of both which we have had abundant Evidence could in the least degree startle us or make us swerve from it and that nothing can be proposed to manifest our Zeal and Affection for it to which we will not readily consent And we said then That we did hope in due time our self to propose somewhat for the propagation of it that will satisfie the World that we have always made it both our Care and our Study and have enough observed what is most like to bring disadvantage to it And the truth is we do think our self the more competent to propose and with God's assistance to determine many Things now in difference from the time we have spent and the Experience we have had in most of the Reformed Churches abroad in France in the Low Conntreys and in Germany where we have had frequent Conferences with the most Learned Men who have unanimously lamented the great Reproach the Protestant Religion undergoes from the Distempers and too notorious Schisms in Matters of Religion in England And as the most Learned amongst them have always with great Submission and Reverence acknowledged and magnified the Established Government of the Church of England and the great countenance and shelter the Protestant Religion received from it before these unhappy times so many of them have with great ingenuity and sorrow confessed That they were too easily mislead by misinformation and prejudice into some disesteem of it as if it had too much complyed with the Church of Rome whereas they now acknowledge it to be the best fence God hath yet raised against Popery in the World And we are perswaded they do with great Zeal wish it restored to its old Dignity and Veneration When we were in Holland we were attended by many Grave and Learned Ministers from hence who were looked upon as the most able and principal Assertors of the Presbyterian Opinions with whom we had as much Conference as the multitude of Affairs which were then upon us would permit us to have and to our great Satisfaction and Comfort found them Persons full of Affection to us of Zeal for the Peace of the Church and State and neither Enemies as they have been given out to be of Episcopacy or Liturgy but modestly to desire such Alterations in either as without shaking Foundations might best allay the present Distempers which the Indisposition of the Times and the Tenderness of some Mens Consciences had contracted For the better doing whereof we intended upon our first Arrival in this Kingdom to call a Synod of Divines as the most proper Expedient to provide a proper Remedy for all those Differences and Dissatisfactions which had or should arise in Matters of Religion and in the mean time we published in our Declaration from Breda A Liberty to tender Consciences and that no man should be disquieted or called in question for differences of Opinion in Matters of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom and that we shall be ready to consent to such an Act of Parliament as shall upon mature deliberation be offered to us for the full granting that Indulgence Whilst we continued in this Temper of Mind and Resolution and have so far complyed with the Perswasion of particular Persons and the Distemper of the Time as to be contented with the Exercise of our Religion in our own Chappel according to the constant Practice and Laws established without enjoyning that Practice and the Observation of those Laws in the Churches of the Kingdom in which we have undergone the Censure of many as if we were without that Zeal for the Church which we ought to have and which by God's Grace we shall always retain we have found our self not so candidly dealt with as we have deserved and that there are unquiet and restless Spirits who without abating any of their own Distempers in recompence of the Moderation they find in us continue their bitterness against the Church and endeavour to raise Jealousies of us and to lessen our Reputation by their Reproaches as if we were not true to the Professions we have made And in order thereunto they have very unseasonably caused to be printed published and dispersed throughout the Kingdom a Declaration heretofore printed in our Name during the time of our being in Scotland of which we shall say no more than that the Circumstances by which we were enforced to Sign that Declaration are enough known to the World That we did from the moment it passed our Hand askt God forgiveness for our part in it which we hope he will never lay to our Charge and that the worthiest and greatest part of that Nation did even then detest and abhor the ill usage of us in that particular when the same Tyranny was exercised there by the power of a few ill Men which at that time had spread it self over this Kingdom and therefore we had no reason to expect that we should at this season when we are doing all we can to wipe out the Memory of all that hath been done amiss by other Men and we thank God have wiped it out of our own remembrance have been our self assaulted with those Reproaches which we will likewise forget Since the printing of this Declaration several Seditious Pamphlets and Queries have been published and scattered abroad to infuse Dislike and Jealousies into the Hearts of the People and of the Army and some who ought rather to have repented their former Mischief they have wrought than to have endeavoured to improve it have had the hardiness to publish That the Doctrine of the Church against which no Man with whom we have conferred hath Excepted ought to be reformed as well as the Discipline This over-passionate and turbulent way of Proceeding and the Impatience we find in many for some speedy Determination in these Matters whereby the Minds of Men may be composed and the Peace of the Church established hath prevailed with us to invert the Method we had proposed to our self and even in order to the better Calling and Composing of a Synod which the present Jealousies will hardly agree upon by the assistance of God's blessed Spirit which we daily invoke and supplicate to give some determination our self to the Matters in difference until such a Synod may be called as may without
August 24. 1662. and then they must be all cast out This fatal Day called to remembrance the French Massacre when on the same Day 30000 or 40000 Protestants perished by Religious Roman Zeal and Charity I had no place but only that I preached twice a Week by Request in other Men's Congregations at Milkstreet and Blackfriars and the last Sermon that ever I preached in Publick was on May 25. The Reasons why I gave over sooner than most others was 1. Because Lawyers did interpret a doubtful Clause in the Act as ending the Liberty of Lecturers at that time 2. Because I would let Authority soon know that I intended to obey them in all that was lawful 3. Because I would let all Ministers in England understand in time whether I intended to Conform or not For had I stayed to the last day some would have Conformed the sooner upon a Supposition that I intended it These with other Reasons moved me to cease three Months before Bartholomew-day which many censured me for a while but after better saw the Reasons of it § 279. When Bartholomew-day came about One thousand eight hundred or Two thousand Ministers were Silenced and Cast out And the Affections of most Men thereupon were such as made me fear it was a Prognostick of our further Sufferings For when Pastors and People should have been humbled for their Sins and lamented their former Negligence and Unfruitfulness most of them were filled with Disdain and Indignation against the Prelates and were ready with Confidence to say God will not long suffer so wicked and cruel a Generation of Men It will be but a little while till God will pull them down And thus Men were puft up by other Mens sinfulness and kept from a kindly humbling of themselves § 280. And now came in the great Inundation of Calamities which in many Streams overwhelmed Thousands of godly Christians together with their Pastors As for Example 1. Hundreds of able Ministers with their Wives and Children had neither House nor Bread For their former Maintenance served them but for the time and few of them laid up any thing for the future For many of them had not past 30 or 40 l. per Annum apiece and most but about 60 or 80 l. per Annum and very few above 100 l. and few had any considerable Estates of their own 2. The Peoples Poverty was so great that they were not able much to relieve their Ministers 3. The Jealousie of the State and the Malice of their Enemies were so great that People that were willing durst not be known to give to their ejected Pastors least it should be said that they maintained Schism or were making Collections for some Plot or Insurrection 4. The Hearts of the People were grieved for the loss of their Pastors 5. Many places had such set over them in their steads as they could not with Conscience or Comfort commit the Conduct of their Souls to And they were forced to own all these and all others that were thrust upon them against their Wills and to own also the undisciplined Churches by receiving the Sacrament in their several Parishes whether they would or not 6. Those that did not this were to be Excommunicated and then to have a Writ sued out against them de Excommunicatio capiendo to lay them in the Jail and seize on their Estates 7. The People were hereupon unavoidably divided among themselves For some would have nothing to do with these imposed Pastors but would in private attend their former Pastors only Others would do both and take all that they thought good of both Some would only hear the Publick Sermons Others would also go to Common Prayer where the Minister was tolerable Some would joyn in the Sacrament with them where the Minister was honest and others would not And this Division they long foresaw but could not possibly prevent 8. And the Ministers themselves were thus also divided who before seemed all one for some would go to Church to Common Prayer to Sacraments and others would not Some of them thought that it was their Duty to preach publickly in the Streets or Fields while the People desired it and not to cease their Work through fear of Men till they lay in Jails or were all banished Others thought that a continued Endeavour to benefit their People privately would be more serviceable to the Church than one or two Sermons and a Jail at such a time when the Multitudes of Sufferers and the odious Titles put upon them obscured and clog'd the benefit of Sufferings And some thought that the Covenant bound all to separate from Common Prayer and Prelates and Parish Communion And others thought that it rather bound them to this Communion and Worship in case they could have no better and that to teach from House to House in private and bring the People to attend in publick was the most righteous and edifying way where the imposed Minister was tolerable 9. Hereupon those Ministers that would not cease preaching were thrust into Prisons and Censured some of them the rest that did not do as they 10. The rest that preached only secretly to a few were lookt on as discontented and disaffected to the Government and on every rumour of a new Plot or Conspiracy taken up and many of them laid in Prison 11. The Prelatists and they were hereby set at a further distance and Charity more destroyed and Reconciliation made more hopeless and almost any thing believed that was said against a Nonconformist 12. The Conforming Part of the Old Ministry was also divided from the rest and Censures set them further at a distance But yet where serious Godliness appeared it kept up some Charity and Respect and united them in the main All these Calamities brought another 13. That the People were tempted to murmur at their Superiours and call them cruel Persecutors and secretly rejoyce if any hurt befel them and many forgot that they are to Honour their Governours even when they suffer by them and not only to forbear evil Thoughts and Words against them but to endeavour to keep up their Honour with their Subjects 14. By all these Sins these Murmurings and these Violations of the Interest of the Church and Cause of Christ the Land was prepared for that fâ—rther Inundation of Calamities by War and Plague and Scarcity which hath since brought it near to Desolation § 281. It fell out one day in Mr. Calamy's Church at Aldermanbury that the Preacher failed and the People desired Mr. Calamy to preach Which he did upon confidence that the Act did not extend to such an Occasional Sermon some Lawyers had told him so But for this he was sent to Newgate Jail where he continued in the Keeper's Lodgings many daily flocking to visit him till the Lord Bâ—â—dgman as is said had given it as his Judgment That his Sermon was not within that Penalty of the Act. And O what insulting there was by
that Party in the News-book and in their Discourses That Calamy that would not â—e a Bishop was in Iail And when his Sermon was printed an Invective against him came out in Language like an Inquisitor that shewed a vehement thirst for Blood But precious in the sight of the Lord is the Blood of his holy Ones § 282. Abundance more were laid in Jails in many Counties for preaching and the vexation of the Peoples Souls was increased At St. Albans Mr. Partridge the ejected Minister being desired to preach a Funeral Sermon a Captain or Lieutenant came in with his Pistol charged and shot one of the hearers dead and the Preacher was sent to Prison § 283. There were many Citizens of London who had then a great Compassion on the Ministers whose Families were utterly destitute of Maintenance and fain they would have relieved them and had such a Method that the Citizens of each County should help the Ministers of that County But they durst not do it lest it were judged a Conspiracy Wherefore I went for them to the Lord Chancellour and told him plainly of it that Compassion moved them but the Suspicions of these Distempered Times deterred them and I desired to have his Lordship's Judgment Whether they might venture to be so charitable without misinterpretation or danger And he answered Aye God forbid but Men should give their own according as their Charity leads them And so having his preconsent I gave it them for Encouragement But they would not believe that it was Cordial and would be any Security to them and so they never durst venture upon such a Method which might have made their Charity effectual but a few that were most willing did much more than all the rest and solicited some of their own Acquaintance for their Counties Relief § 284. And here I think it meet before I proceed to open the true state of the Conformists and Nonconformists in England at this time I. The Conformists were of three sorts 1. Some of the old Ministers called Presbyterians formerly that Conformed at Bartholomew Tide or after who had been in possession before the King came in These were also of several sorts some of them were very able worthy Men who Conformed and Subscribed upon this Inducement that the Bishop bid them Do it in their own sence And so they Subscribed to the Parliament's words and put their own sence upon them only by word of mouth or in some by-paper Some of them read Mr. Fullwood's and Stileman's Books and could not answer them and therefore Conformed For no Man ventured to put forth a full and satisfactory Answer to them for fear of ruine Though somewhat was written before by Mr. Crofton and after by Mr. Cawdry and others Some were young raw Men that were never versed in such kind of Controversies Some were perswaded of the sinfulness of the Parliaments War and thence gathered that the Covenant being in order to it was a Rebellioâ—s Covenant and therefore not obligatory And other things they thought were small Some had Wives and Children and Powerty which were great Temptations to them And most that I knew when once they inclined to Conformity did avoid the Company of their Brethren and never askt them what their Reasons were against Conformity 2. A second sort of Conformists were those called Latitudinarians who were mostly Cambridge-men Platonists or Cartesians and many of them Arminians with some Additions having more charitable Thoughts than others of the Salvation of Heathens and Infidels and some of them holding the Opinions of Origen about the Praexistence of Souls c. These were ingenious Men and Scholars and of Universal Principles and free abhorring at first the Imposition of these little things but thinking them not great enough to stick at when Imposed Of these some with Dr. Moore their Leader lived privately in Colledges and sought not any Preferment in the World and others set themselves to rise These two forementioned Parties were laudable Preachers and were the honour of the Conformists though not heartily theirs and their profitable Preaching is used by God's Providence to keep up the Publick Interest of Religion and refresh the discerning sort of Auditors 3. The third sort of Conformists was of those that were heartily such throughout And these were also of three sorts 1. Those that were zealous for the Diocesan Party and the Cause and desirous to extirpate or destroy the Nonconformists And these were supposed to be the high and swaying Party 2. Those that were zealous for the Party and the Cause materially but yet were more moderate in their private wishes to the Nonconformists and did profess themselves that they could not Subscribe and Declare if they did not put a more favourable sence on the words than that which the Nonconformists supposed to be the plain sence 3. Those that were raw or ignorant Readers or unlearned Men or sensual scandalous Ones who would be hot for any thing by which they might rise or be maintained This Composition made up the Body of the Conformists in this Land and all this Difference there was among them II. § 285. The Nonconformists also were of divers sorts 1. There were some few of my Acquaintance who were for the old Conformity for Bishops Common Prayer Book Ceremonies and the old Subscription and against the imposing and taking of the Covenant which they never took and against the Parliaments Wars But they could not Subscribe that they Assent and Consent to all things now imposed nor could they Absolve all others in the three Kingdoms from being obliged by the Vow and Covenant to endeavour Church Reformation though they would not have had them take the Vow 2. A greater Number of the Nonconformists or Reconcilers of no Sect or Party but abhorring the very Name of Parties who like Ignatius's Episcopacy but not the English Diocesan Frame and like what is good in Episcopal Presbyterians or Independents but reject somewhat as evil in them all being of the Judgment which I have described my self to be in the beginning of this Book that can endure a Liturgy and like not the Imposition of the Covenant but cannot Assent and Consent to all things required in the Act nor Absolve three Kingdoms from all Obligation by their Vows to endeavour in their Places the alteration of the English Diocesan Form of Government Though they doubt not but Sedition and Rebellion should be abhorred of all whether for Reformation or any other Pretence 3. A third sort of Nonconformists are the Presbyterians whose Judgment is fore-described and manifested in their Writings to all the World Of these two last sorts if I be not taken for a partial Witness are the soberest and most judicious unanimous peaceable faithful able constant Ministers in this Land or that I have heard or read of in the Christian World Which I am able to say I speak without respect of Persons in Obedience to my Conscience upon my long Experience 4. The
the Lay-Judge And if he have power as a Presbyter why do the Bishop appropriate it to themselves If one that is no Bishop may exercise it when a Bishop bids him then is it not a thing appropriate to the Bishop's Office Besides these there are Arch-Deacons who by themselves or their Officials hold some kind of Inferiour Court which dealeth in lesser Matters Some Diocesses have one Arch-Deacon some two some few three or four The Bishops should go visit once a year and the Arch-Deacon oftner When they visit they go to some chief Town in the County and call all the Ministers to meet them where they hear a Sermon and Dine together usually They yearly compile a Book of Articles which Churchwardens are sworn to enquire after and to present the Names of the Offenders accordingly to the Bishop's Court. In brief this is the Frame of our Diocesan Government To which I only add That Fees and Money for Commutation of Penance are much of their Officers Maintenance and that such as they Excommunicate in most Cases are by a Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo to be laid in the Jail till upon their Repentance they have made their Peace and are absolved § 313. Having told you what our Government is let me tell you what the Execution of it is The Books of Articles are fitted somewhat to the Canon by those Bishops that are most moderate and cauâ—elous and therefore by the English Canons they may be known some of them usually are against Drunkards and Fornicators but the main bent of them is against those that wear not the Surplice that Baptize without the Cross that omit the Common Prayer that refuse to Baptize any Infant or that deliver the Lord's Supper to any that kneel not in receiving it or that so receive it without kneeling that stand noâ— up at the Gospel that bow not at the Name Iesus though they may sit when the same words are read in the Chapter and are not required to how at the Name Christ God c. Also about the Repair of the Church the Surplice the Books that none piss up to the Church-wall c. with many such things It is a rare thing for the Churchwardens to present any except Nonconformists that use not Ceremonies c. Swearers Drunkards and Whoremongers are seldom presented lest Neighbours be displeased but Puritans have some one or other that is more eager in looking after them When any Scandalous Person is presented he hath no other Spiritual Conviction or Exhoration to Repentance tending to Convert his Soul than at any Civil Court But telling them that he is Sorry and paying his Fees or Commutation Money he comes home But when Conscientious Nonconformists are before them whose Consciences will not let them say that they are Sorry vizâ— for praying or exhorting others in their Houses for giving the Sacrament to them that stand or sit c. they are usually Excommunicated I have been in most parts of England and in Fifty years time I never saw one do Penance or confess his Sin in publick for any Scandalous Crime nor ever heard but of two in the Country where I lived that stood in a White sheet for Adultery except in the space when Bishops were down and then I have heard many that have penitently confessed their Sin and begged the Prayers of the Congregation and been prayed for In a word their Courts are meerly as Civil Courts for Terrour but not at all to convince Men of Sin and bring them to Repentance and Salvation further than such Terrour is â—it to do it And note here That the Discipline of the Church is not to be judged of by the King's Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs which was never executed before it was void in these respects Nor yet by some of our Reformers or Chroniclers who tell you how it was exercised quickly after the Reformation in King Edward's or Queen Elizabeth's days As Hollingshead e. g. who telleth you of many Suffragans and of the Piety and Diligence of their Courts and of Exercises called Prophesying held up at the Arch-Deacons Visitations against the Subverters of which he thundereth But as it is in England at this day and hath been this Sixty or Seventy years by-past § 314. Now concerning this Diocesan Frame of Government the Non-Subscribers called Puritans by many do judge that it is sinful and contrary to the Word of God both in the Constitution and in the Administration of it And they lay upon it these heavy Charges the least of which if proved is of intolerable weight § 315. 1. They say That quantum in se it destroyeth the Pastoral Office which is of Divine Institution and was known in the Primitive Church for it doth deprive the Presbyters of the third essential part of their Office for it is clear in Scripture that Christ appointed no Presbyters that were not subservient to him in all the three parts of his Office as Prophet Priest and King to stand between the People and him in Teaching Worshipping and Governing And though the Actual Exercise of any one part may be Suspended without the Destruction of the Office yet to the Office it self which is nothing but Power and Obiligation to exercise one part is as essential as the other so then they say that That which destroyeth an essential part of the Pastors or Presbyters Office destroyeth the Office as instituted by Christ But the Diocesan state of Government destroyeth c. Ergo The Major will not be denied The Minor hath two parts 1. That governing Power and Obligation over the Flock is essential to the Office of a Pastor or Presbyter as instituted by Christ. Which they prove thus 1. The very Name of Presbyter and Pastor denoteth the Governing Power and was then used in that sence as Dr. Hâ—mmond hath well proved 2. There is no such thing found in all the New Testament as a Presbyter that had not the Power of Governing his Flock as well as Teaching it He that can find it let him Dr. Hammond hath gone over all the Texts in proving it 3. The Church long after knew no such Presbyters as had not the Spiritual Government of the Flock 4. The Papists confess that they have the Power of the Keys in foro interiori to this day which is the Spiritual Government 2. The second part of the Minor That the Diocesan Form denieth this Governing Power to the Presbyters appeareth 1. By their own Confessions â— 2. By the Actual Constitution disabling them and placing the Power elsewhere 3. By the instance of the â—orementioned Particulars and many more They have not the power of judging who shall be taken into their Churhes as Members by Baptism or Confirmed or who shall Communicate or who is to be publickly Admonished Censured Excommunicated Absolved buried as a Brother dying in Christ c. no nor what Chapter to read in the Church nor what Garment to wear nor what words of Prayer
to put up to God in all which they are meer Executioners of other Mens Judgments as a Cryer or such other Messenger § 316. 2. The second Charge against this Diocesan Prelacy is That it introduceth a New Humane Species or Presbyters or Spiritual Officers instead of Christ's which it destroyeth that is a sort of meer Subject Presbyters that have no power of Government but meerly to Teach and Worship That this is a distinct Species is proved in that 1. It wanteth an essential part which the other Species hath 2. From the Bishop's own profession who in the beginning of the Book of Ordination Subscribed to do declare it plainly determined in Scripture viz. That Bishops Priests and Deacons are three distinct Orderâ— which word Orders is the common term to signifie a Species of Church Officers distinct from a meer degree in the same Order or Species That this Office is New is proved 1. In that Scripture or Antiquity never knew it 2. Dr. Hammond Annot. in Act. 11. and in his Latin Book against Blondell Dissertat professeth that it cannot be proved that the word Bishop Presbyter or Pastor signifieth in all the Scripture any other than a proper Bishop or that there was any such as we now all Presbyters in Scripture times And in his Answer to the London Ministers he saith That for ought he knoweth all his Brethren of the Church of England are of his mind So that Presbyters that had no Governing Power were not in Scripture times And though he says that the other sort came in before Ignatiu's time yet 1. He saith not that this sort had no Government of the Flock but that they were under the Bishop in Government so that yet they are not the sort that we are speaking of 2. And he doth not prove any more § 317. 3. A third Charge which they bring against our Prelacy is That it destroyeth the Species or Form of particular Churches instituted by Christ The Churches which Christ instituted are Holy Societies associated for Personal holy Communion under their particular Pastors But all such Societies are destroyed by the Diocesan Frame Ergo it is destructive of the Form of particular Churches instituted by Christ. The distinguish between Personal Local Communion of Saints by Pastors and their Flocks and Communion of hearts only and Communion by Delegation or Deputies 1. We have Heart-Communion with all the Catholick Church through the World 2. Particular Churches have Communion for Concord and mutual Strength in Synods by their Pastors or Deputies 3. But a holy Communion of Souls or individual Persons as Members of the same particular Church for publick Worship and a holy Life is specifically distinct from both the former as is apparent 1. By the distinct end 2. The distinct manner of Communion yea and the matter of it And that this Form of Churches or Species is overthrown by this Prelacy they prove The Churches of Christ's institution were constituted of Governing Pastors and a Flock governed by them in Personal holy Communion every Church having its proper Pastor or Pastors But such Churches as are thus constituted are destroyed by our Frame of Prelacy Ergo The Major is confessed de facto by Dr. Hammond ubi supra as to Scripture times and sufficiently cleared in my Treatise of Episcopacy Ignatius his Testimony alone might suffice who saith That to every Church there was one Altar and one Bishop with the Presbyters and Deacons his Fellow Servants A Church of one Altar and of a thousand Altars A Church that is for Personal Communion and a Church that hath no Personal Communion with her Pastor or Bishop or with one of a hundred of her Fellow-Members a Church which is a Church indeed and that which is no Church but only a part of a Church are more than specifically distinct for indeed the Name is but equivoeally applied to them as distinct Natures or Societies Every Church univocally so called in sensu politico as a governed Society hath its pars gubernaâ—s and pars gubernata to constitute it But so have not our Parish Churches as such indeed as Oratories and Schools as instructed and worshipping Societies they have their Parochial Heads but as governed Societies they have no Heads proper to themselves nor any at all as Churches but as parts of a Church For the Diocesan is Head of the Diocesan Church as such and not of a Parochial Church as such but only as a part of the Diocesan Church And as it is no Kingdom which hath no King so it is no Political Church which hath no Governour or Pastor So that Diocesans destroy particular Churches as much as in them lyeth Unless any will say that as one King as he is persona naturalis may be three or twenty Kings as persona civilis as related to several Kingdoms and so one Bishop as persona naturalis may yet be a thousand Ecclesiastical Persons as Pastor of so many Churches But this being ridiculous and yet said by none that I have heard of I shall not stand to confute it But were it so yet a Pastor that never seeth or speaketh to his People nor hath any personal Communion in Worship with them and this according to the Constitution it self is not of the same sort with a Scripture Pastor 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. Hebr. 13. 17 c. which labour among them and preach to them the Word of God and watch for their Souls c. And consequently the Churches constituted by them are not of the same Species It is one Office personally to Teach Oversee Rule and Worship with them and another to do none of these to one of a thousand but to send the Churchwardens a Book of Articles § 318. 4. A fourth Charge is That it setteth up a New Church-Form which is unlawful instead of that of Christ's institution that is a Diocesan Church consisting of many hundred Parishes which none of them are Churches according to the Diocesan Frame but parts of one Church It hath been shewed that this Diocesan Church is of another Species than the Parochial one being for personal Communion which the other is uncapable of the far greatest part of the Members never seeing their Pastor nor knowing one another any more than if they lived in several parts of the World And that this Church Form is new is proved already that is that there was no Diocesan Church having many stated Congregations and Altars much less many hundreds and all under one only Bishop or Governour either in Scripture time or two hundred years after excepting only that in Alexandria and Rome some shew of more Assemblies than one under one Bishop appeared a little sooner Here note That it is not an Archbishop's Church that we are speaking of who is but the General Pastor or Bishop having other Bishops and Churches under him but it is a Church infimae Speciei commonly called a particular Church which hath no other Churches or Bishops under it
denied the Means of their Salvation and so perish because a Minister differeth from the State in some lesser things 4. Considering also that there are not competent Men enough to do the Work of the Gospel without them Nay there will be much want when all are employed 5. It is desirable that his Majesty have Power to indulge the Peaceable and abate Penalties as in his Wisdom he shall see most conducible to the Peace of Church and State and not to be too much tied up by an indispensable Establishment These Reasons and many more are considerable for the way of Indulgence 2. The way of Indulgence alone is not sufficient but first the Law should be made more Comprehensive 1. Because indeed the present Impositions and Restrictions of the Law considering also the direful Penalty are such especially the Declaration and Subscription required as the Age that is further from the heels of Truth will so describe and denominate as will make our Posterity wish too late that the good of Souls the welfare of the Church and the Honour of our Nation had been better provided for 2. Because it is exceeding desirable that as much strength and unity as may be may be found in the established Body of the Clergy which will be the glory of the Church the advantage of the Gospel the prevention of many sins of Uncharitablness and the great safety and ease of his Majesty and the Realm When as meer Indulgence if frustrated by Restrictions will be unsatisfactory and not attain its ends but if any thing large and full will drain almost all the established Churches of a more considerable part of the People than I will now mention and will keep much disunion among the Ministers 3. If there be no way but that of Indulgence it will load his Majesty with too much of theâ—â—ffence and murmur of the People If he indulge but few those that expected it 〈◊〉 lay all the blame on him If he indulge all or most that are meet for it he will much offend the Parliament and Prelates who will think the Law is vain But a power of indulging a small Number when the most are embodied by a Comprehension will be serviceable to God and the King and the Common Peace and justly offensive unto none 4. The Indulgence will be hardly attained by so many as need it and are meet for it most being distant many friendless and moneyless and too many misrepresented by their Adversaries as unworthy 5. If the Indulgence be for private Meetings only it will occasion such Jealousies that they preach Sedition c. as will not permit them long to enjoy it in peace These and many more Reasons are against the way of Indulgence alone It is therefore most evident that the way desirable is first a Comprehension of as many fit Persons as may be taken in by Law and then a power in his Majesty to indulge the Remnant so far as conduceth to the Peace and Benefit of Church and State Your second Question is What abatement is desirable for Comprehension I answer Suppose there is no hope of the Terms of Primitive Simplicity and Catholicism but that we speak only of what might now be hoped for 1. It is most needful that the old and new Subscriptions and Professions of Assent and Consent to all things in the Book of Ordination Liturgy and the two Articles concerning them be abated 2. That the Declaration be abated especially as to the disobliging all other Persons in the Three Kingdoms from the endeavouring in their places any lawful Alterations of the Government of the Church And that the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy be the Test of Mens subjection 3. That the Minister be not bound to use the Cross and Surplice and read the Liturgy himself if another by whomsoever be procured to do it So be it he preach not against them 4. That according to Pope Leo III. determination in such a Case the Bishops do by a general Confirmation in which each Man approveable to have his part upon due trial confirm the Ordination formerly made by lawful Pastors without Diocesans without reordaining them 5. That what the Courts will do about Kneeling at the Receiving of the Lord's Supper may be done by others and not the Minister forced to refuse Men meerly on that account 6. It is very desirable that Oaths of Obedience to the Diocesan be forborn as long as Men may be punished for Disobedience 7. It is exceeding desirable that Reformation of Church Government by Suffragans and the Rural Deanries c. be made according to his Majesty's Will expressed in his Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs To your third question Of the Extent and Terms of the Indulgence it being to be left to his Majesty's Wisdom I shall not presume to give you my Answer § 428. Instead of Indulgence and Comprehension on the last day of Iune 1663. the Act against Private Meetings for Religious Exercises past the House of Commons and shortly after was made a Law The Sum of it was That every Person above sixteen years old who is present at any Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England where there are five Persons more than that Household shall for the first Offence by a Iustice of Peace be Recorded and sent to Iail three Months till he pay five pound and for the second Offence six Months till he pay ten pound and the third time being convicted by a Iuly shall be banished to same of the American Plantations excepting New-England or Virginia The Calamity of the Act besides the main Matter was 1. That it was made so ambiguous that no man that ever I met with could tell what was a violation of it and what not not knowing what was allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church of England in Families because the Liturgy medleth not with Families and among the diversity of Family Practice no man knoweth what to call the Practice of the Church 2. Because so much Power was given to the Justices of Peace to record a man an Offender without a Jury and if he did it causelesly we are without any remedy seeing he was made a Judge According to the plain words of the Act if a man did but preach and pray or read some licensed Book and sing Psalms he might have more than four present because these are allowed by the practice of the Church in the Church and the Act seemeth to grant an Indulgence for 〈◊〉 and number so be it the quality of the Exercise be allowed by the Church which must be meant publickly because it medleth with no private Exercise But when it cometh to the trial these Pleas with the Justice are vain and life men do but 〈◊〉 it is taken for granted that it is 〈◊〉 Exercise not allowed by the Church of England and to Jail they go §
gravissime mihi succenseres meque judicares indignum iis laudibus iisque benevolentiae tuoe significationibus quibus me prosequi ac decorare voluisti Illico igitur calamum arripui nulla interposita mora scripsi ad D. Simonium Gallice quoe velim à te legi atque intelligi posse ut qualis sit animus erga te meus liquido cognosceres Tibi vero Vir Reverende hanc Epistolam destino in qua quantâ possum bonâ fide luculentis verbis testor atque pronuntio falsa illa omnia esse emendacii officina profecta quoe vel audivisti vel legisti quasi dicta de te à me secus quam oportuit Non enim te novi nisi de fama quoe de tua pietate atque eruditione eloquentia egregie loquitur nec aliter erga te sum affectus quam ut decet erga virum multis laudibus ornatum proeterea de me optime meritum cui eo nomine multum debeo Noli ergo quaeso Vir Reverende quidquam istiusmodi credere ubicunque id vel occasio feret vel necessitas postulabit ostende hasce literas me à manu ex Animi mei Sententia conscriptas ut post hocce testimonium quid de te judicem nemo dubitare queat Vale Vir Reverende communis ille noster Doctor atque Dominus qui nos redemit sanguine suo cum Ecclesioe Anglicanoe tum tui perculiarem curam suscipere dignetur Quid de rebus vestris existimem◠scire potes ex Epistola quâ Paraphrasmi meam in Psalmos serenissimo vestro Regi dicavi Itaque nihil hic addam nisi quod qui ad te scribit est tibi Vir Reverende Ad omne obsequium paratissimus AMYRALDVS To the Reverend and most Learned Mr. Richard Baxter a Zealous Minister of the Gospel of Christ his most worthy and most honoured Brother in Christ at Kidderminster Recommended to the care of Mr. Dorvile The Grace of our Lord Iesus and the Peace of God be increased among us Most worthy and most honoured Sir THE Occasion of two Cosins of mine going for London invites me to take the liberty to write this Letter to you most honoured Sir and hope you will excuse my boldness in so doing being unknown to you I should have forborn troubling you in your weighty Affairs which besides the great zeal and care for your Parishioners yea for the whole Church of God are made known But I could not pass by so good an Opportunity to acquaint you how much your Name and your Person although with your Body so far from us is esteemed by me an unworthy Servant of Jesus Christ and by many other faithful Brethren in the Lord in this our Town and also in our Neighbour Protestant Confederate Cities of Zuric and Schaffhousen insomuch that we often remember one another the great cause we have to pray the Lord joyntly and constantly with your beloved Parishioners yea with whole England for your health and long life that you may further continue to us all your edifying Doctrines and Admonitions I dare not write to you most godly Sir in what fame you are among us that you may not suspect me of flattery which doubtless you despise as a great vanity But I pray Sir to believe me confidently that after Providence had led me some years agone into England but time would not permit to stay long there but as speedily as possible to learn the English Tongue and am heartily sorry I did not visit you most worthy Sir at Kidderminster that time for to take upon several Points your godly Advice being in ten Months time as long as I stayed in London Oxford and Cambridge I did learn God be thanked so much English that I could understand reading and preaching And by the Advice of the most zealous and worthy Men Mr. Edmund Calamy Mr. Cranford Mr. Nalton of whom I received great Courtesie and Friendship though a Stranger I bought a good number of English Divinity Books of your most solid and selected Divines and among others your Everlasting Rest Item Gildas Salvianus or Reformed Pastor Item True Christianity Item A Sermon of Iudgment c. being at that time recalled to my own Country I had no time to peruse those heavenly Meditations but since have made it my chief work and cannot express the great Advantage I received by them so that I commended the very same Books to others of our Brethren who have endeavoured without delay to get them by means of some of our Merchants here and also the remainder of your Works that we could bring to our notice viz. The Unreasonableness of Infidelity your Confession of Faith The right Method for a setled Peace of Conscience The safe Religion Key for Catholicks The Crucifying of the World Item of Self-denial Item A Treatise of Conversion Call to the Unconverted your Apology against Mr. Blake c. Item your Holy Commonwealth The Catholick Unity your Treatise of Death For which Works we thank God with one accord for the great and heavenly Gifts he hath so largely bestowed upon you for the common good of his Church and wish that by this occasion we might also be partakers of what we want of your Works that are extant Sermons or other Treatises Particularly I must acquaint you with the high esteem we make of those two Chief Pieces the Everlasting Rest and Reformed Pastor in which latter you strike home to the very heart many Ministers and we must needs confess that living among a rude and unlearned People ignorant and self-conceited that according to your Advice in the Reformed Pastor it is most necessary to take in hand with all speed and care the private Instruction and Catechizing But we can find no way to obtain it And being your Admonitions and Perswasions to the Practice thereof are very home and close upon all Ministers that they must make it their chief Business and neglect nothing until they have perswaded and brought their Flock to it I pray you most worthy Sir to resolve this Enquiry to me and others of my Neighbours and fellow Brethren who in reading your Reformed Pastor made the same Scruple of Conscience viz. Whether a Minister that heartily strives for the honour of God and the Edification of his Church doth not discharge his Duty when according to your wholsome and true Doctrine he hath conferred and made known his mind and willingness to the performance of it to his Fellow-Brethren that joyntly with him are Shepherds of the same Flock yea perswaded them of the necessity and usefulness of it yet can get no Assistance by Ministers nor Magistrates We long also heartily to know being you have perswaded the Ministers of the County of Worcester to that most necessary and useful Catechizing and Private Instruction Whether by the present great Change in England both in Churches and Government and chiefly being that we hear that Episcopacy prevaileth the
as he acquaineth with it it being but the answer of his desire and not an Employment which I sought for so it must be remembred 1. That I have purposely avoided the medling with the particular Errours of the Romanists Religion 2. That I speak not a word against any Christian Love to Papists or amicable Correspondence with them as our Neighbours much less am I passing any Sentence on their Souls or Countenancing those who run from them into any contrary Extreme But a Husband and a bosome Friend are Relations which require such a special suitableness as is not to be found in all whom we must love 3. And what I say of the Papist I say also of any debaucht ungodly Protestant For it is not Names and Parties that make Men good or save their Souls A Papist who is holy heavenly of an upright mortified Life and not of a bloody or uncharitable Mind to those that differ from him is in a far happier state as to himself though I think that the Heart and Life of the one and the Iudgment of the other do make them both unsuitable to such a Lady as the Case describeth And though God may possibly convert and make suitable and do wonders hereafter yet it being things likely and not things only possible which reason must expect I must say that the Consequents of such an unsuitable Match are like to be bitterer to her than one that is indifferent and regardless of the Concernments of a Soul can understand 4. Change but the Tables and put the Case to a judicious Papist and he will resolve it as I have done and tell you that a Dispensation may be given but in such Cases 5. If the Case had been Whether such a Lady might give all her Estate to a Papist without her Person I should not think she had half so much reason to be willing Ri. Baxter Action Iuly 21. 1665. § 445. And now after all the Breaches on the Churches the Ejection of the Ministers and Impenitency under all Wars and Plague and danger of Famine began all at once on us War with the Hollanders which yet continueth And the driest Winter Spring and Summer that ever Man alive knew or our Forefathers mention of late Ages so that the Grounds were burnt like the High-ways where the Cattle should have fed The Meadow Grounds where I lived bare but four Loads of Hay which before bare forty The Plague hath seized on the famousest and most excellent City of Christendom and at this time 8000 and near 300 die of all Diseases in a Week It hath scattered and consumed the Inhabitants Multitudes being dead and fled The Calamities and Cries of the diseased and impoverished are not to be conceived by those that are absent from them Every Man is a terrour to his Neighbour and himself for God for our Sins is a Terrour to us all O how is London the place which God hath honoured with his Gospel above all Places of the Earth laid low in Horrours and wasted almost to Desolation by the Wrath of God whom England hath contemned and a God-hating Generation are consumed in their Sins and the Righteous are also taken away as from greater Evil yet to come Strange Comets which filled the Thoughts and Writings of Astronomers did in the Winter and Spring a long time appear before these Calamities Yet under all these Desolations the Wicked are hardened and cast all on the Fanaticks and the true dividing Fanaticks and Sectaries are not yet humbled for former Miscarriages but cast all on the Prelates and Imposers And the ignorant Vulgar are stupid and know not what use to make of any thing they feel But thousands of the sober prudent faithful Servants of the Lord are mourning in secret and waiting for his Salvation in Humility and Hope they are staying themselves on God and expecting what he will do with them From London it is spread through many Counties especially next London where few places especially Corporations are free which makes me oft groan and wish That LONDON AND ALL THE CORPORATIONS OF ENGLAND WOULD REVIEW THE CORPORATION ACT AND THEIR OWN ACTS AND SPEEDILY REPENT Leaving most of my Family at Action compassed about with the Plague at the writing of this through the mercy of my dear God and Father in Christ I am hitherto in Safety and Comfort in the House of my dearly beloved and honoured Friend Mr. Richard Hampden of Hampden in Bucking hamshire the true heir of his famous Father's Sincerity Piety and Devotedness to God whose Person and Family the Lord preserve and honour them that honour him and be their Everlasting Rest and Portion Hampden Septemb. 28. 1665. THE LIFE Of the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter The Third Part. Novemb. 16. 1670. I began to add the Memorials following § 1. SEing God hath been pleased to add these few Years more to my Pilgrimage I will add some Account of His Providences towards me and his People in this Land in these additional Years When I ended my last Narrative the dreadful Plague was laying waste especially the City of London and thence spread into the neighbouring Parts and into many distant Cities and Corporations of the Land Yet did we hear of no publick Repentance professed by any one City or Corporation for that Profession by which they were all at that time even Constituted whilst that all that had any Office or Trust therein declared That there was no Obligation from the Vow called the Solemn League and Covenant on any Person no not from their Vow against Popery Schism or Prophaneness nor their Vow to Defend the King nor their Promise of Repentance for their Sins And who can but fear that such an universal Sin must be yet more sharply punished when such a Scourge as this had no better effects § 2. The Number that died in London besides all the rest of the Land was about an Hundred Thousand reckoning the Quakers and others that were never put in the Bills of Mortality with those that were in the Bills § 3. The richer sort removing out of the City the greatest â—low fell on the Poor At the first so few of the Religiouser sort were taken away that according to the mode of too many such 〈◊〉 began to be puffed up and boast of the great difference which God did makeâ— But quickly after they all fell alike Yet not many pious Ministers were taken away I remember but Three who were all of my own Acquaintance 1. Mr. Grunman a German a very humble holy able Minister but being a Silenced Non-conformist was so poor that he was not able to remove his Family 2. Mr. Cross a worthy Minister that had long ago lived with the famous Religious Lady Scudamore and being Silenced was entertained by Richard Hambden Esq in his House at London and flying from the Plague into the Country died with his Wife and some Children as soon as he came thither in the House of that
went away to another place And this especially with the great discontents of the people for their manifold payments and of Cities and Corporations for the great decay of Trade and the breaking and impoverishing of many Thousands by the burning of the City together with the lamentable weakness and badness of great Numbers of the Ministers that were put into the Nonconformist's places did turn the hearts of the most of the Common people in all parts against the Bps. and their ways and enclined them to the Nonconformists tho fear restrained men from speaking what they thought especially the richer fort § 59. Here Ralph Wallis a Cobler of Glocester published a book containing the Names and particular histories of a great Number of Conformable Ministers in several Parishes of England that had been notoriously scandalous and named their scandals to the great displeasure of the Clergy And I fear to the great temptation of many of the Nonconformists to be glad of other Mens sin as that which by accident might diminish the interest of the Prelatists § 60. The Lord Mohune a young man gave out some words which caused a Common Scandal in Court and City against the Bp. of Rochester as guilty of most obscure Actions with the said Lord the reproach whereof was long the talk of many sorts of persons who then took liberty to speak freely of the Bishops § 61. About this time Ian. 1668. the news came of the Change in Portugal where by no means of the Queen the King who was a debanched person and Charged by her of insufficiency or frigidity was put out of his Government tho not his Title and his brother by the consent of Nobles was made Regent and marryed the Queen after a Declaration of Nullity or a divorce and the King was sent as a Prisoner into an Island where he yet remaineth Which News had but an ill sound in England as things went at that time § 62. In Ian. 1668. I received a Letter from Dr. Manton that Sir Iohn Barber told him that it was the Lord Keeper's desire to speak with him and me about a Comprehension and Toleration Whereupon coming to London Sir Iohn Barber told me that the Lord keeper spake to him to bring us to him for the aforesaid end and that he had certain proposals to offer us and that many great Courtiers were our friends in the business but that to speak plainly if we would carry it we must make use of such as were for a Toleration of the Papists also And he demanded how we would answer the Common Question What will satisfie you I answered him That other Mens Judgments and Actions about the Toleration of Papists we had nothing to do with at this time though it was no work for us to meddle in But to this question we were not so ignorant whom we had to do with as to expect full satisfaction of our desires as to Church-Affairs But the Answer must be suited to the Sense of his Question And if we knew their Ends what degree of satisfaction they were minded to grant we would tell them what means are necessary to attain them There are degrees of satisfaction as to the Number of Persons to be satisfied and there are divers degrees of satisfying the same Person 1. If they will take in all Orthodox Peaceable Worthy Ministers the Terms must be the larger 2. If they will take in but the greater part somewhat less and harder Terms may do it 3. If but a few yet less may serve for we are not so vain as to pretend that all Nonconformists are in every particular of one mind And as to the Presbyterians now so called whose Case alone we were called to consider 1. If they would satisfie the far greatest part of them in an high degree so as they should think the Churches setled in a good condition the granting of what was desired by them in 1660. would do it which is the setling of Church-Government according to that of A. Bp. Vsher's Model and the granting of the Indulgences mentioned in his Majestie 's Declaration about Eccles. Affairs 2. But if they would not give so high satisfaction the Alterations granted in his Majestie 's Declaration alone would so far satisfie them as to make them very thankful to his Majesty and not only to exercise their Office with Chearfulness but also to rejoice in the Kingdom 's happiness whose Union would by this be much promoted 3. But if this may not be granted at least the taking off all such impositions which make us uncapable of Exercising our Ministry would be a mercy for which we hope we should not be unthankful to God or the King § 63. When we came to the Lord Keeper we resolved to tell him That Sir Iohn Barber told us his Lordship desired to speak with us left it should be after said that we intruded or were the movers of it or left it had been Sir Iohn Barber's Forwardness that had been the Cause He told us why he sent for us to think of a way of our Restoration to which end he had some Proposals to offer to us which were for a Comprehension for the Presbyterians and an Indulgence for the Independents and the rest We askt him Whether it was his Lordship's pleasure that we should offer him our Opinion of the means or only receive what he offered to us He told us That he had somewhat to offer to us but we might also offer our own to him I told him That I did think we could offer such Terms no way injurious to the welfare of any which might take in both Presbyterians and Independents and all found Christians into the Publick Established Ministry He answered That that was a thing that he would not have but only a Toleration for the rest Which being none of our business to debate we desired him to consult such persons about it as were concerned in it And so it was agreed that we should meddle with the Comprehension only And a few Days after he sent us his Proposals § 64. When we saw the Proposals we perceived that the business of the Lord Keeper and his way would make it unfit for us to debate such Cases with himself And therefore we wrote to him requesting that he would nominate Two Learned peaceable Divines to treat with us till we agreed on the fittest Terms and that Dr. Bates might be added to us He nominated Dr. Wilkins who we then found was the Author of the Proposals and of the whole business and his Chaplain Mr. Burton And when we met we tendered them some Proposals of our own and some Alterations which we desired in their Proposals for they presently rejected ours and would hear no more of them so that we were fain to treat upon theirs alone § 65. The Copy of what we offered them is as followeth I. That the Credenda and Agenda in Religion being distinguished no Profession of Assent be required but
read against Atheism Sadduceism and Infidelity to prove first the Deity and then the immortality of Man's Soul and then the truth of Christianity and the holy Scripture answering the Infidels Objections against Scripture It is strong and masculine only too tedious for impatient Readers He saith he wrote it only at vacant hours in his Circuits to regulate his meditations finding that while he wrote down what he thought on his thoughts were the easilyer kept close to work and kept in a method and he could after try his former thoughts and make further use of them if they were good But I could not yet persuade him to hear of publishing it The Conference which I had frequently with him mostly about the immortality of the Soul and other Foundation points and Philosophical was so edifying that his very Questions and Objections did help me to more light than other mens solutions Those that take no Men for Religious who frequent not private Meetings c. took him for an Excellently righteous moral Man But I that have heard and read his serious Expressions of the Concernments of Eternity and seen his Love to all good Men and the blamlessness of his Life c. thought better of his Piety than of mine own When the People crowded in and out of my House to hear he openly shewed me so great respect before them at the Door and never spake a word against it as was no small encouragement to the Common People to go on though the other sort muttered that a Judge should seem so far to countenance that which they took to be against the Law He was a great Lamenter of the Extremities of the Times and the violence and foolishness of the predominant Clergy and a great desirer of such abatements as might restore us all to serviceableness and Unity He had got but a very small Estate though he had long the greatest Practice because he would take but little Money and undertake no more business thâ—n in he could well dispatch He often offered to the Lord Chancellor to resign 〈…〉 when he was blamed for doing that which he supposed was Justice He had been the Learned Selden's intimate friend and one of his Executors And because the Hobbians and other Infidels would have persuaded the World that Selden was of their mind I desired him to tell me truth therein And he assured me that Selden was an earnest Professor of the Christian Faith and so angry an Adversary to Hobbs that he hath rated him out of the Room § 108. This year 1669 the Lord Mayor of London was Sir William Turner a Man Conformable and supposed to be for Prelacy but in his Government he never disturbed the Nonconformable Preachers nor troubled men for their Religion And he so much denyed his own gain and sought the Common good and punished vice and promoted the rebuilding of the City that I never heard nor read of any Lord Mayor who was so much honoured and beloved of the City Insomuch that at the End of his year they chose him again and would have heard of no other but that he absolutely refused it partly as being an usual thing and partly as was said because of a Message from his superiours For the Bishops and Courtiers who took him for their own were most displeased with him § 109. The liberty which was taken by the Nonconformists in London by reason of the plague the fire the connivance of the King and the resolved quietness of the Lord Mayor did set so many Preachers through the Land as is said on the same work that in Likelyhood many thousand Souls are the better for it And the predominant Prelates murmured and feared For they had observed that when serious Godliness goeth up they go down So that they bestirred themselves diligently to save themselves and the Church of England from this dreaded danger § 110. At this time our Parson Dean Rive got this following advantage against me As I had it from his own mouth At Wolverhampton in Staffordshire where he was Dean were abundant of Papists and Violent Formalists Amongst whom was one Brasgirdle an Apthecary who in Conference with Mr. Reignolds an able Preacher there silenced and turned out by his bitter words tempted him into so much indiscretion as to say that the Nonconformists were not so contemptible for Number and Quality as he made them that most of the people were of their mind that Cromwel tho an Usurper had kept up England against the Dutch c. And that he marvelled that he would be so hot against private Meetings when at Acton the Dean suffered them at the next door With this advantage Brasgirdle writeth all this greatly aggravated to the Dean The Dean hastens away with it to the King as if it were the discovery of a Treason Mr. Reignolds is questioned but the Justices of the Country to whom it was referred upon hearing of the business found meer imprudence heightened to a Crime and so released him But before this could be done the King exasperated by the name of Cromwell and other unadvised words as the Dean told me bid him go to the Bishop of London from him and him so to the suppression of my Meeting which was represented to him also as much greater than it was whereupon two Justices were chosen for their turn to do it One Ross of Brainford a Scot before-named and one Phillips a Steward of the A. Bishop of Canterbury § 111 Hereupon Ross and Philips send a Warrant to the Constable to apprehend me and bring me before them to Brainford When I came they shut out all persons from the Room and would not give leave for any one person no not their own Clerk or Servant or the Constable to hear a Word that was said between us Then told me that I was convict of keeping Conventicles contrary to Law and so they would tender me the Oxford Oath I desired my Accusers might come Face to Face and that I might see and speak with the Witnesses that testified that I kept Conventicles contrary to the Law which I denied as far as I understood Law but they would not grant it I pressed that I might speak in the hearing of some Witnesses and not in secret for I supposed that they were my Judges and that their presence and business made the place a place of Judicature where none should be excluded or at least some should be admitted But I could not prevail Had I resolved on silence they were resolved to proceed and I thought a Christian should rather submit to violence and give place to Injuries than stand upon his right when it will give others occasion to account him obstinate I asked them whether I might freely speak for my self and they said yea but when I began to speak still interrupted me and put me by Only they told me that private Meetings had brought us to all our Wars and it tended to raise new Wars and Ross told me
I so far defie any Accuser who will question my Loyalty that as I have taken the Oaths of Supremacy and of Allegiance and a special Oath of Fidelity when I was Sworn I know not why as His Majesty's Servant so I am ready to give a much fulle◠signification of my Loyalty than that Oath if I had taken it would be And to own all that is said for the Power of Kings and of the Subject's Obedience and Non-resistance by any or all the Councils and Confessions of any Christian Churches upon Earth whether Greeks or Romans Reformed Episcopal Presbyterian or any that are fit to be owned as Christians that ever came to my notice besides what is contained in the Laws of our own Land And if this will not serve I shall patiently wait in my Appeal to the Un-erring Universal Judgment § 123. 2. In other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or Practice of the Church of England At which Conventicle Meeting or Assembly there should be Five Persons or more Assembled over and above those of the Houshold Pos. 1. To Preach or Teach in a House not Consecrated for a Temple is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England Arg. 1. That which the Scripture expresly alloweth is not contrary to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England But to Preach and Teach even Multitudes in Houses and other places not so Consecrated the Scripture expresly alloweth Ergo. The Major is proved 1. Because the Book of Ordination requireth that all that are Ordained shall promise to Instruct the People out of the Holy Scripture being persuaded that they contain sufficiently all Doctrine required of Necessity to Salvation and to teach no other And with all Faithful Diligence to banish all Doctrines contrary to God's Word And to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations as well to the Sick as to the whole as need shall require and occasion shall be given 2 The same Sufficiency of the Scripture is asserted in the 6th Article of the Church And Article 20. bindeth us to hold That it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to God's written Word So Art 21. more 3. The said Scriptures are appointed by the Rubrick to be read as the Word of God himself 4. The Law of the Land declareth That nothing shall be taken for Law which is contrary to the Word of God 5. The First and Second Homily shew the sufficiency of it and necessity to all Men. The Minor is proved 1. from Acts 20. 20. 7 8 28. last 8. 4 25 35. 10. 34. 12. 12. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Mat. 5. 1 2. Mark 2. 13. 10. 1. Luke 5. 3. 13. 26. 2. From those Texts which command Christ's Ministers to Preach and not forbear Therefore if they be forbidden to Preach in the Temples they must do it elsewhere Iohn 21. 15 16 17. 1 Cor. 9. 16. Acts 4. 18 19 20. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. Luke 9. 62. 3. From the Expository Practice of the Church in all Ages 4. From the Expository Practice of the Universal Church of England who Preached in Houses in the time of their late Restraint by Cromwel Arg. 2. The Church of England bindeth Ministers to Teach both publickly and privately in their Ordination as afore recited 2. In the Liturgy for the Visitation and Communion of the Sick it alloweth private Exhortation Prayer and Sacraments 3. The 13 Canon requireth that the Lord's Day and other Holy-Days be spent in publick and private Prayers And the very Canon 71. which most restraineth us from Preaching and Administring the Sacrament in private Houses doth expresly except Times of necessity when any is so impotent as he cannot go to Church or dangerously sick c. 4. The instructing of our Families and Praying with them is not disallowed by the Church And I my self have a Family and Persons impotent therein who cannot go to Church to Teach Arg. 3. The 76 Can. condemneth every Minister who voluntarily relinquisheth his Ministry and liveth as a Lay-Man Ergo We must forbear no more of the Ministerial Work than is forbidden us Pos. 2. The number of Persons present above Four cannot be meant by this Act as that which maketh the Religious Exercise to be in other manner than allowed by the Liturgy or Practise of the Church Arg. 1. Because the manner of the Exercise and the number of Persons are most expresly distinguished And the restraint of the number is expresly affixed only to them who shall use such unallowed manner of Religious Exercises not medling at all with others The Words at which Conventicle c. do shew the Meeting to be before described by the manner of Exercise Otherwise the Words would be worse than Non-sense 2. Because if the Words be not so interpreted then they must condemn all our Church Meetings for having above four As if they had said where Five are met it is contrary to the Liturgy of the Church which cannot be If it be said That for above Four to meet in a House is not allowed by the Church I Answer 1. That is a Matter which this Act meddleth not with as is proved by the foresaid distinguishing the manner of Exercise from the number of Persons 2. Nor doth the Act speak of private Houses or put any difference between them and Churches but equally restraineth Meetings in Churches which are for disallowed Exercises of Religion 3. Nor is it true in it self that the Church disalloweth the number of Five in private Houses as is proved before But it contrarily requireth that at private Communions there shall be Neighbours got to Communicate and not fewer than three or two And at private Baptisms and other occasions the number is not limited by the Church at all 3. Because the Act is directed only against seditious Sectaries and their Conventicles 4. Because the Words of the Act shew that the Law-makers concur with the sence of the Church of England which is no where so strict against Nonconformity as in the Canons And in these Canons viz. 73 and 11. A Conventicle is purposely and plainly descibed to be such other Meetings Assemblies or Congregations than are by the Laws held and allowed which challenge to themselves the Name of true and lawful Churches Or else secret Meetings of Priests or Ministers to consult upon any matter or course to be taken by them or upon their motion or direction by any other which may any way tend to the impeachment or depriving of the Doctrine of the Church of England or the book of Common-Prayer or of any part of the Government and Discipline of the Church So that where there is no such Consultation of Ministers nor no Assemblies that challenge to themselves the Name of true and Lawful Churches distinct from the allowed Assemblies there are no Conventicles in the sence of the Canons of the Church of England which this Act professeth to
approved by Him 3. And there set open the Doors to all Comers 4. And Preach not Seditiously 5. Nor against the Discipline or Government of the Church of England saving that the Papists shall have no other publick Places but their Houses any where under their own Government without Limitation or Restriction to any number of Places or Persons or any necessity of getting Approbation so that they are immediately in possession of a securer and fuller Liberty than the Protestant-Nonconformists hope for for how or when they will get Churches built we know not till that be done they are more terribly restrained form Meeting than before And who will build Churches that have no Security to enjoy them one Week time will shew And all this is said to be for avoiding the danger of Conventicles in private c. when yet the Papists are allowed such Conventicles in as many Houses as they please § 213. A Paper sent from one Mr. Edwards a Lawyer of Kingston received from a Papist Mr. Langhorn as a Challenge was sent to me as by him with desires of an Answer which occasioned my Book called The Certainty of the Protestant Religion without Popery § 214. When the King's Declaration for Liberty was out the London Nonconformable Ministers were incited to return His Majesty their Thanks At their Meeting Dr. Seaman and Mr. Ienkins who had been till then most distant from the Court were for a Thanksgiving in such high applauding Terms as Dr. Manton and almost all the rest dissented from and some were for avoiding Terms of Approbation lest the Parliament should fall upon them and some because they had far rather have had any tolerable state of Unity with the publick Ministery than a Toleration supposing 1. That the Toleration was not chiefly for their sakes but for the Papists and that they should hold it no longer than that Interest required it which is inconsistent with the Interest of the Protestant's Religion and the Church of England And that they had no security of it but it might be taken from them at any time in a Day 2. Because they thought that it tended to continue our Divisions and to weaken the Protestant Ministery and Church and that while the Body of the Protestant People were in all places divided one part was still ready to be used against the other and many Sins and Calamities kept up And the present Generation of Nonconformists like to be soon worn out and the Publick Assemblies to be lamentably disadvantaged by young raw unqualified Ministers that were likely to be introduced They concluded therefore on a cautelous and moderate Thanksgiving for the King's Clemency and their own Liberty And when they could not come to Agreement about their Form the Lord Arlington Introduced them to a verbal Extemporate Thanksgiving and so their Difference was ended as to that § 215. This Question Whether Toleration of us in our different Assemblies or such an Abatement of Impositions as would restore some Ministers to the Publick Assemblies by a Law were more desireable was a great Controversie then among the Nonconformists and greater it had been but that the hopes of Abatements called then a Comprehension were so low as made them the less concerned in the Agitation of it But when ever there was a new Session of Parliament which put them in some little hope of Abatements the Controversie began to revive according to the measure of those Hopes The Independents and all the Sectaries and some few Presbyterians especially in London who had large Congregations and Liberty and Encouragement were rather for a Toleration The rest of the Presbyterians and the Episcopal Nonconformists were for Abatement and Comprehension The Reasons of the former were 1. The Parliament will abate so little as will take in but few 2. It will tempt the rest to stretch their Consciences 3. It will divide us 4. It will leave those that Conform not under greater Contempt and Severities 5. We shall have much purer Worship and Discipline as we are 6. What Corruptions are not now removed by this Abatement will be the faster settled and the Reformation left more hopeless The grosser are our Church-Corruptions the more hope of a Reformation Some that were of the other Mind on the contrary thus stated their Desires We would not have Abatements alone but besides that a Toleration of all that are Tolerable And when they ask us What Abatements will satisfie us and procure our Vnion with them We will truly tell them in several Degrees So much will satisfie all and procure a perfect Vnion So much less will take in most or half and so much less will take in a few And we must take that measure which you will grant us in whose power it is And their Reasons were such as aforesaid for this Choice 1. They said that it is the Religion which obtaineth the Publick Churches and Maintenance which will be the Religion of the Land and which the Body of the People will be of 2. If we are shut out wholly thence so bad a sort will come in as will be ready to strike up an Agreement with the Papists and let them in on pretence of Concord or Moderation when worldly Interest shall require it 3. If we are shut out of the Publick Churches we shall still be look'd on as their Enemies with Jealousie and ill will and as Separatists with Reproach 4. Few of the Rich and Rulers will joyn with us and so we shall prepare Parliaments and Justices by Alienation to further Severities against us 5. The work of Conversion will go slowly on for we shall speak to few but those that are already Religious and the Conformists who are very many of them cold and lifeless must be the Preachers to the Ignorant and Vicious and Ungodly And so the Land will grow worse and worse 6. We shall keep open a Door for all Sectts and Schisms and the Reproach of them all will be cast on us 7. We shall be still uncertain of the continuance of our Liberty for one Week It is easie to find Reasons to cast us out of all when-ever Interest or Wrath shall require it 8. We are a hated People to too many of our Superiours and it is not for our Sakes that Liberty is granted us we shall hold it no longer than the Papists will for whose sakes we have it that they also may have theirs And that they will grant it us no longer than the Interest and Increase of their Religion requireth it And that which is for the Interest and Increase of their Religion is contrary to ours 9. There are already about 500 that are dead and have Conformed since our Silencing and the rest will all be quickly dead And then all will fall quietly into the Conformists hands and the Churches be more corrupt than if now we get but a half Reformation 10. And it shall be no Division of us to have half taken into the Publick
received as gifts of Bounty from any whosoever since I was silenced till after An. 1672. amount not in the whole to 20 l. besides ten Pouud per Annum which I received from Serjeant Fountain till he died and when I was in Prison twenty pieces from Sir Iohn Bernard ten from the Countess of Exeter and five from Alderman Bard and no more which just paid the Lawyers and my Prison Charge but the expences of removing my Habitation was greater And had the Bishop's Family no more than this In sum I told the Bishop that he that cried out so vehemently against schism had got the Spirit of a Sectary and as those that by Prisons and other sufferings were too much exasperated against the Bishops could hardly think or speak well of them so his cross Interests had so notoriously spoiled him of his Charity that he had plainly the same temper with the bitterest of the Sectaries whom he so much reviled Our Doctrinal Discourse I overpass § 236. This May a Book was Printed and cried about describing the horrid Murther of one 〈◊〉 Baxter in new-New-England by the Anabaptists and how they tore his Flesh and flead him alive and persons and time and place were named And when Mr. Kiffen sensible of the Injury to the Anabaptists searcht it out it proved all a studied Forgery Printed by a Papist and the Book Licensed by Dr. Sam. Paâ—ker the Arch-bishop's Chaplain there were no such Persons in being as the Book mentioned nor any such thing ever done Mr. â—issen accused Dr. Parker to the Kiug and Council The King made him confess his Fault and so it ended § 237. In Iune was the second great Fight with the Dutch where again many were killed on both sides and to this day it is not known which Paâ—ty had the greater Loss § 238. The Parliament grew into great Jealousies of the prevalency of Popery There was an Army raised which lay upon Black-Heath encamped as for Service against the Dutch They said that so many of the Commanders were Papists as made Men fear the design was worse Men feared not to talk openly that the Papists having no hope of getting the Parliament to set up their Religion by Law did design to take down Parliaments and reduce the Government to the French Model and Religion to their State by a standing Army These Thoughts put Men into dismal Expectations and many wish that the Army at any rate might be disbanded The Duke of York was General The Parliament made an Act that no man should be in any office of Trust who would not take the Oaths of Supremacy aud Allegiance and receive the Sacrament according to Order of the Church of England and renounee Transubstanstiation Many supposed Papists received the Sacrament and renounced Transubstantiation and took the Oaths Some that were known sold or laid down their Places The Duke of York and the new Lord Treasurer Clifford laid down all It was said they did it on supposition that the Act left the King impowered to renew their Commissions when they had laid them down But the Lord Chancellor told the King that it was not so and so they were put out by themselves This settled Men in the full belief that the Duke of York and the Lord Clifford were Papists and the Londoners had before a special hatred against the Duke since the burning of London commonly saying that divers were taken casting Fire-balls and brought to his Guards of Soldiers to be secured and he let them go and both secured and concealed them 239. The great Counsellors that were said to do all with the King in all great matters were the Duke of York the Lord Clifford the Duke of Lauderdaile the Lord Arlington the Duke of Buckingham the Lord Chancellor that is Sr. Anthony Ashley-Cooper Earl of Shaftsbury and after them the Earl of Anglesey lately Mr. Annesley Among all these the Lord Chanchellor declared so much Jealosie of Popery and set himself so openly to secure the Protestant Religion that it was wondered how he kept in as he did but whatever were his Principles or Motives it is certain he did very much plead the Protestant Cause § 240. In Iune Mastricht was taken by the French but with much loss where the Duke of Monmouth with the English had great Honour for their Valour § 241. In August four of the Dutch East-India Ships fell into our Hands and we had the third great Sea-fight with them under the Command of Prince Rupert where we again killed each other with equal Loss But the Dutch said they had the Victory now sand before and kept days of Thanksgiving for it Sir Edward Sprag was killed whose death the Papists much lamented hoping to have got the Sea-power into his Hands But Prince Rupert who declared himself openly against Popery and had got great Interest in the Hearts of the Soldiers complained sharply of the French Admiral as deserting him to say no worse And the success of these Fights was such as hindered the Transportation of the Army against the Dutch and greatly divided the Court-Party and discouraged the Grandees and Commanding Papists c. § 242. In September I being out of Town my House was broken by Thieves who broke open my Study-Doors Closets Locks searcht near 40 Tills and Boxes and found them all full of nothing but Papers and miss'd that little Money I had though very near them They took only three small pieces of Plate and medled not considerably with any of my Papers which I would not have lost for many hundred Pounds Which made me sensible of Divine Protection and what a Convenience it is to have such a kind of Treasure as other men have no mind to rob us of or cannot § 343. The Duke of York was now married to the Duke of Modena's Daughter by Proxy the Earl of Peterborough being sent over to that end § 244. The Lady Clinton having a Kinswoman wife to Edward Wray Esq who was a Protestant aâ—d her Husband a Papist throughly studied in all their Controversies and oft provoking his Wife to bring any one to dispute with him desired me to perform that office of Conference They differed about the Education of their Children he had promised her as she said at Marriage that she should have the Education of them all and now would not let her have the Education of one but would make them Papists I desired that either our Conference might be publick to avoid mis-reports or else utterly secret before no one but his Wife that so we might not seem to strive for the Honour of Victory nor by dishonour be exasperated and made less capable of benefit The latter way was chosen but the Lady Clinton and Mr. Goodwin the Lady Worsep's Chaplain prevailed to be present by his consent He began upon the point of Transubstantion and in Veron's Method would have put me to prove the Words of the Article of the Church of England by express Words of
Prisoners and helpeth them to books and preacheth repentance to them The poor and the ignorant are those that he liveth for doing good to Soul and Body daily save that he Soliciteth the Rich to contribute to such uses The reading of Mr. Ios. Allen's Life hath raised his Resolution and Activity to such a Course of Life which was far higher than other Mens before § 268. Mr. Sherlock's book before mentioned making a great noise and he and the Author of the sober Inquiry and others of them when they reproached other Nonconformists being pleased to put in some Exceptions of me by Name I thought my self the more obliged to disown their Miscarriages And I first in Discourse sought to convince Mr. Sherlock and lest he should not either understand or report me aright Writings being surer Vindications than Memory I sent him some Animadversions which have since been Printed § 269. My old friend Dr. Thomas Good now published a book called Dubitantius and Firâ—ianus against Atheism Infidelity Popery and then Presbytery Independency and Anabaptistry very superficial He was formerly indeed a professed Prelatist but moderate and himself never hindered from his Ministerial work and maintenance and joyned with us in our Disputations at Kederminster and our Concord in Worcestershire among the dissenting parties Yet being Canon of Hereford and Mr. of Baliol Colledge in Oxford tho old waiting for more he asserted in his Book that they were confessed things indifferent that we refused Conformity for and that all the Nonconformists without Exception had a hand in the late King's Death one way or other by Consent c. The Impudency of which assertion moved me to write the Contradiction here adjoined To my Reverend Friend Dr. Good Mr. of Baliol Coledge in Oxford Reverend and Worthy Sir IT is now about a Month since I received a Letter from you for the furthering of a good work which I sent to Mr. Foley by his Son Mr. Paul F. not having opportunity my self to see him I have stayed so long for an Answer not hearing yet from him that I think it not meet any longer to forbear to acquaint you with the Reasons of the delay He liveth quite at the other end of London from me and my weakness and business keep me much within Doors and it 's hard to find him within except at those hours when I am constrained to be in bed But I have reason to Conjecture that his Answer will be 1. That the Rich men whose Judgments are for Conformity are far more Numerous than those of another mind and therefore fitter to promote that work And there are so very few that do any thing for the ejected Ministers that some of them live on brown bread and water which hindereth these Gentlemen from other kind of Charitable works 2. And I must crave your patience being confident by your ancient kindness of your friendly Interpretation while I tell you that this day I heard one say we can expect that Dr. Good do make his Scholars no beter than himself And what reason have we to maintain and breed up Men to use us as he hath done in his late Treatise I got the book and was glad to find much good and several moderate passages in it And I knew you so well that I could not but expect moderation But when I perused the passages referred to I could say no more for them but that I would write to you to hear your Answer about them For I confess they surprized me Tho at the same time I received many new books of a sanguine Complexion from other hands without Admiration I. The first passage referred to was pag. 104. Which are confessedly things indifferent This is spoken indefinitely of the Presbyterians Where have I lived I know not one Presbyterian living that divideth from you for any thing which he confesseth indifferent I crave your Answer containing the proof of this At least to name some one of them that we may reprove him We take conformity to be so far from indifferent that we forbear to tell the World the greatness of the Sin which we think to be in it lest Men cannot bear it and lest it should disaffect the people to the Ministry of the Conformists II. Your pag. 156. I pass by The main matter is pag. 160. 161. that tho All the Nonconformists were not in Actual Arms against the King nor did they all as natural Agents cut off his head but morally that is very sinfully and wickedly they had their hand stained with that Royal blood For whosoever did Abet these Sons of Belial in their Rebellions Treasons Murders of their King and fellow Subjects either by consenting to their Villanies praying for their Prosperity praising God for their Successes c. The Charge is high If it be not true 1. They are almost as deeply wronged as you can wrong them 2. Our Rulers are wronged by being so provoked to abhor them Silence and Destroy them 3. Posterity is wronged by a misinforming History I. You are too old to be ignorant that it was an Episcopal and Erastian Parliament of Conformists that first took up those Arms in England against the King The Members yet living profess that at that time they knew but one Presbyterian in the House of Commons Interest forced or led them to call in the Scots and Presbytery came in with them If you doubt of it see the Propositions to the King at Nottingham where a Limited Episcopacy is one II. The Lord Lieutenants that seized on the Militia were far most Conformists and scarce any Presbyterians at all III. The General Officers and Colonels of the Earl of Essex Army were ten to one Conformists and few if any Presbyterians save after deboist Mercenary Scots if they were such which I know not And the General Episcopal himself IV. The Major Generals of the Militia in the several Countries were mostly Conformists and Scarce any Presbyterians V. The assembly at Westminster when they went thither were all Conformists save about 8 or 9 and the Scots Commissioners VI. One of the two Arch-Bishops was a General in the Parliament's Army VII Many of the present Conformable Ministers were in Arms against the King and some wrote for his Death and many of them took the Covenant and Engagement VIII The most of the conformable Gentry of my acquaintance that were put upon it took the Engagement against the King and House of Lords IX The Non-conformable Ministers of Gloucestershier Mr. Geery Mr. Capell Mr. Marshall c. were against the Parliament's War though the Parliament's Gaâ—â—ison was over them Mr. Bampfield who hath lain 6 or 7 years in the common Jail for Preaching with his Brother sometimes Speaker of the House of Commons were so much against the Parliament's Cause that to this day even while he lay in Jail he most zealously made his followers renounce it Many Non-conformists in many Counties were of the same mind X. Many of the Non-conformists lived in
Generality of Magistrates such as he § 326. Part of a M. S. was put into my hand to pâ—ruse by a Bookseller as Written by one that greatly valued my Judgment and would refer his Writings to my Censure but not consent to have them Printed Whereupon I valuing them did judge them worthy to be published but made some Alterations in some phrases liable to Misinterpretation in the Piece called The Right Knowledge of Christ Crucified I conjectured not who the Author was and not long after the Book was Printed and proved to be the foresaid Lord Chief Justice Hale's called Contemplations Moral and Divine published by a Friend of his by which he will Preach when he is dead the Books presently all bought up for his Name and being useful for their Spiritual Rational Serious and Plain Manner of Writing as well as Acceptable for his sake § 327. When I had been kept a whole Year from Preaching in the Chappel which I Built on the 16th of April 1676. I began in another in a Tempestuous time for the necessity of the Parish of St. Martins where about 60000 Souls have no Church to go to nor any Publick Worship of God! How long Lord § 328. About Feb. and March it pleased the King importunately to Command and Urge the Judges and London-Justices to put the Laws against Nonconformists in Execution But the Nation grew backward to it In London they have been oft and long commanded to it and Sir Ioseph Sheldon the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's near Kinsman being Lord Mayor on April 30th the Execution began They required especially to send all the Ministers to the Common Gaols for Six Months on the Oxford-Act for not taking the Oath and dwelling within Five Miles This day Mr. Ioseph Read was sent to the Gaol taken out of the Pulpit Preaching in a Chapel in Bloomsbury in the Parish of St. Giles where it is thought that 20000 or 30000 Souls at least more than can come within the Church have no Publick Worship of God or Teaching He is a Laborious Man whom I Educated and sent to the University and did so much good to the Poor Ignorant People that had no other Teacher that Satan did owe him a Malicious Disturbance He built the Chappel in his own House with the help of Friends in compassion to those People who as they Crowded to hear him so did they follow him to the Justiâ—es and to the Gaol to shew their Affections It being the place where I had used oft to Preach I suppose was somewhat the more Maliced The very day before I had new secret hints of Men's Desires of Reconciliation and Peace and Motions to offer some Proposals towards it as if the Bishops were at last grown Peaceable To which as ever before I yielded and did my part though long Experience made me suspect that some Mischief was near and some Suffering presently to be expected from them The forwardest of the two Justices that sent him to the Gaol was one Parry a Souldier one of them that was accused for slitting Sir Iohn Coventree's Nose about which there was so great a stir in the House of Commons The other was one Robinson But since then so many have been sent to the Goals for the same cause and so many died there that I must forbear particular Instances and Enumerations § 329. After Northampton Blaudford and many other Towns Southwark was Burned between 600 and 1000 Houses the People suspecting that it was done by Design And one taken for attempting again to Burn the rest of Northampton confest that he was hired and that Southwark was so Burnt whom Sir Iohn Munson sent hereupon to Goal Additions of the Years 1675 1676 1677 1678 c. § 1. AT this time Mr. Le Blank of Sedan sent to me his desire that I would publish here his Scatter'd Theses in one Volume which I purposed and Wrote an Epistle to it But some Conformists hearing of it would not have the Publication to be a Nonconformists work and so my Bookseller took 50 Books for his Title to the Copy which I gave him and quit his Interest in it to a Conformist But Le Blank sent an Epistle of his own to prevent the Conformists and died as soon as it was Printed and Published A Work sufficient to end most of the Doctrinal Controversies of this Age if the Readers were but capable receivers of the evidence which he giveth them § 2. In Iune 1676. Mr. Iane the Bishop of London's Chaplain Preaching to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen turned his Sermon against Calvin and Me And my charge was That I had sent as bad men to Heaven as some that be in Hell because in my Book called The Saints Rest I had said that I thought of Heaven with the more pleasure because I should there meet with Peter Paul Austin Chrysostom Ierom Wickliff Luther Zuinglius Calam Beza Bullinger Zanchy Paraeus Piscator Hooper Bradford Latimer Glover Sanders Philpot Reignolds Whitaker Cartwright Brightman Bayne Bradshaw Bolton Ball Hildershâ—n Pemble Twisse Ames Preston Sibbs Brook Pim Hambden Which of these the Man knew to be in Hell I cannot conjecture It 's like those that differed from him in Judgment But till he prove his Revelation I shall not believe him the need which I preceived of taking away from before such Men any thing which they might stumble at had made me blot out the Names of the Lord Brooke Pim and Hambden in all the Impressions of the Book which were many yet were made ever since 1659 and yet this did not satisfie the Man But I must tell the Reader that I did it not as changing my Judgment of the persons well known to the world Of whom Mr. Iohn Hambden was one that Friends and Enemies acknowledged to be most Eminent for Prudence Piety and Peaceable Counsels having the most universal Praise of any Gentleman that I remember of that Age I remember a moderate prudent aged Gentleman far from him but acquainted with him whom I have heard saying That if he might choose what person he would be then in the world he would be Iohn Hambden Yet these Damning Prelatists are the Men that are for our Silencing Imprisonment and Ruin as if we were unworthy to live on the Earth because we will not assent and consent to the Liturgy by which we are to pronounce all Men in England saved except three sorts viz. the Excommunicate Unbaptized and Self-murderers that is of every one of the rest we must say That God of his great Mercy hath taken to himself the Soul of this our dear Brother out of the Miseries of this Life and that we hope to be with him Were it Hobbs himself or any one of the Crowd of Atheists Infidels Papists Adulterers or any Villains now among us for such are not Excommunicate thus we must falsly contrary to all our Preaching Pronounce them all saved or forbidden ever to Preach God's Word And yet I am condemned publickly for
excepting Lay-Chancellor's use of the Keys ipso facto Excommunicateth all Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons that say That it is repugnant to the Word of God And it 's time to take heed what we Swear when the Act of Uniformity the Oxford-Act the Corporation Act the Vestry Act the Militia Act and the Oath of Supremacy do bind all the Nation by Solemn Oath not to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State And yet most Reverend Fathers who most sharply call us to Conformity do Write for a Foreign Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under the Name of an Universal Colledge of Bishops or Council having such power as other Courts even Commanding Pretorian Legislative and Judicial to all the Church on Earth and that obedience to this Foreign Jurisdiction is the necessary way to escape Schism and Damnation And if it be no alteration of Government to bring King and Kingom to be subject to a Foreign Jurisdiction this Oath and the Oath of Supremacy and the 39 Articles and Canons and several Statutes which renounced it are all unintelligible to us We renounce all subjection to any Foreign Church or Power but not Communion We have Communion with the Church of Rome and all others in Christianity but not in their sin and we are not yet so dull as to know no difference between Foreigners Government of us and their Communion nor to think that Separation from a Usurped Government is Separation from Christian Communion Nor can we possibly believe the Capacity of Pope or Council or Colledge of Bishops as a Monarchy or Aristocracy to Govern all the World in one Soveraignty Ecclesiastical till we see one Civil Monarchy or Aristocracy rule all the Earth And we dread the Doctrine and Example of such Men as would introduce any Foreign Jurisdiction while they are for Swearing all the Land against any alteration of Church-Government And we must deliberate before we thus Conform while so Great Men do render the Oath so doubtful to us I appeal to the fore-cited Profession of my Loyalty published many years ago as being far more full and satisfactory to any that questioneth it than the taking of this doubtful controverted Oath would be A true Copy of the Iudgment of Mr. Saunders now Lord Chief Iustice of the King's-Bench given me March the 22d 1674 5. 1. IF he hath the Bishop's License and be not a Curate Lecturer or other Promoted Ecclesiastical Person mentioned in the Act I conceive he may Preach Occasional Sermons without Conforming and not incure any Penalty within this Act. The due Order of Law requires that the Delinquent if he be forth-coming ought to be summon'd to appear to Answer for himself if he pleases before he be Convicted But in case of his withdrawing himself or not appearing he may be regularly Convicted Convictions may be accumulated before the Appeal be determined but not unduely nor is it to be supposed that any undue Convictions will be made As I Conceive Edm. Saunders M. day 22. 167â— Mr. Polixfen's Iudgment for my Preaching Occasionally A. B. before the Thirteenth of this King being Episcopally Ordained and at the time of the Act of Uniformity made Car. 2. not being Incumbent in any Living or having any Ecclesiastical Preferment before the Act of Uniformity viz. 25 Feb. 13 Car. 2. obtains a License of the then Bishop of London under his Seal to Preach in any part of his Diocess aud at the same time subscribes the 39 Articles of the Church of England Quest. Whether Licenses Preceding the Act be within the meaning of the Act I conceive they are For if Licensed at the time of the Act made what need any new License That were but actum agere and the Clause in the Act unless he be Iacensed c. in the manner of penning shews that Licenses that then were were sufficient and within the Provision And the followiug Clause as to the Lecturers is Express now is or shall be Licensed The former part of the Act as well as that extends to Licenses that then were For the same License that enables a man to Preach a Lecture must enable a man to Preach Q. Whether he be restrained by the Act of Vniformity to Preach a Funeral Sermon or other occasional Sermon I Conceiâ—e that he is not restrained by this Act to Preach any Occasional Sermon so as it be within the Diocess wherein he is Licensed Hen. Pollexfen Decemb. 19. 1682. § 77. While I continue night and day under constant pain and often strong and under the sentence of approaching death by an uncurable disease which age and great debility yields to I found great need of the constant exercise of patience by obedient submission to God and writing a small Tractate of it for my own use I saw reason to yield to them that desired it might be publick there being especially so common need of obedient patience § 78. Having long ago written a Treatise against Coalition with Papists by introducing a Foreign Jurisdiction of Pope or Councils I was urged by the Writings of Mr. Dogwel and Dr. Saywell to publish it but the Printers dare not Print it Entitled England not to be perjured by receiving a Foreign Jurisdiction It is in two Parts The first Historical shewing who have endeavoured to introduce a Foreign Jurisdiction citing Papists Grotius Arch-Bishop Bromball Arch-Bishop Laud Thorndike Dr. Saywell Dodwell four Letters to Bishop Guning and others The 2d part strictly Stating the Controversy and Confuting a Foreign Jurisdiction against which Change of Government all the Land is Sworn I may not Print it § 79. When I saw the storm of Persecution arising by the Agitators Hilton Shad Buck and such other and saw what the Justices were at least in present danger of and especially how Le Strange and other weekly Pamphleteers bent all their wit and power to make others odious and prepared for destruction and to draw as many as possibly they could to hate and ruine faithful men and how Conscience and serious piety grew with many into such hatred and reproach that no men were so much abhorred that many gloried to be called Tories tho they knew it was the name of the Irish common murdering Thieves I wrote a small Book called Cain and Abel in two parts The first against malignant Enmity to serious Godliness with abundant Reasons to convince Malignants The second against Persecution by way of Quaere's I wrote a third part as Impartial to tell Dissenters why while I was able I went oft to the Parish Church and there Communicated and why they should not suffer as Separatists or Recusants lest they suffer as evil doers But wise men would not let me publish it And the two first the Booksellers and Printers durst not print but twice refused them § 80. But the third part the Reasons of my Communion with Parish Churches that have honest able Ministers I sent to one friend who telling others of it a Bookseller after two
Protestant Divines of England are branded as Popish that since the Reformation have defended against the Pope that Bishops are jure Divino for so I say it was direct Popery that first denied Bishops to be jure Divino witness the Pope's and Papelins canvassing in the Council of Trent to oppress by Force and Tyranny the far major and more learned part of the Council that contended for so many Months with Suffrages Arguments and Protestations Protestant like to have it defined that Bishops were jure Divino and only the Pope and his Titulars and Courtiers suffered it not to be propounded least it should be as certainly it would have been defined for then Popes and Presbyterians could not have lorded it so Thus the chiefest and most pious and learned Bishops of our English Church must be branded for Popish Bishop Andrews Mountague White c. Reply to Sect. 15. 1. If you deny the Authors cited by me to be authentick pretend not to adhere to the Episcopal Protestants for sure these are such 2. You do not well to say that all the Protestant Bishops are branded as Popish that since the Reformation have defended against the Pope that Bishops are jure Divino either shew the Words where I so brand them or else do not tell us that your Words are true though in a matter of Fact before your Eyes we may well question your Argument when we find you so untrue in reporting a plain Writing Indeed our late Bishops and those most that were most suspected to be Popish did stand most upon the jus Divinum which many of the first did either disclaim or not maintain But it never came into my Thoughts to brand all for Papists that did own it Do I not cite Downame and others as Protestant Bishops who yet maintain it yea Bishop Andrews whom you name this is not fair 3. As for the Trent Quarrel about Bishops I say but this if the Spanish Bishops and the rest that stood for the jus Divinum of Episcopacy there were no Papists then those that I spoke of in England were none much less And I must cry you mercy for so esteeming them Except to Sect. 16. The 3d Argument is from the uncertainty of Succession which might have done the Hereticks good Service in the old times when St. Irenaeus and Tertullian muster up against them Successions of Catholick Bishops that ever taught as the Church then taught against the Hereticks Reply to Sect. 16. 1. It seems you are confident of an uninterrupted Succession of authoritative Ordination though you seem to think none authoritative but Episcopal But so were not the Protestant Bishops who took the Reformed Churches to have true Ministers and to be true Churches when yet Episcopal Ordination is interrupted with them Such are all those with whose Words you say I fill my Book to whom I may add Men which is strange that were thought nearer your own way As Bishop Bromhall in his late Answer to Militerius who yet would have the Pope to be the Principium Unitatis to the Church and the Answer to Fontanus's Letter said to be Dr. Stewards besides Dr. Fern yea if you were one of those that would yield that Presbyters may ordain yet I am still unpersuaded that you are able to prove an uninterrupted Succession of Authoritative Ordination and if you are able I should heartily thank you if you would perform it and seeing it is so Necessary it is not well that no Episcopal Divine will perform it If you are not able methinks you should not judge it so necessary at least except you know them that are able If you cast it on us to disprove that Succession I refer you to our Answer to Bellarmine and others in those Papers as to that point 2. As for Tertullian and Irenaeus and others of the primitive Ages pleading such Succession I answer 1. It is one thing to maintain an uninterrupted Succession then when and where it was certain and another to maintain it now when it is not 2. It is one thing then to maintain that such a Succession was de facto and another to affirm that it must be or would be to the end of the World which those Fathers did not It was the Scope of Irenaeus and Tertullian not to make an uninterrupted Succession of standing absolute necessity ad esse Officii nor to prophecy that so it should still be and the Church should never want it but from the present certainty of such a Succession de facto to prove that the Orthodox Churches had better Evidence of the Soundness of their Faith than the Hereticks had If this be not their meaning I cannot understand them it was easy then to prove the Succession and therefore it might be made a Medium against Hereticks to prove that the Churches had better Evidence than they But now the Case is altered both through time and Sin It might have been proved by Tradition without Scripture what was sound Doctrine and what not before the Scripture was written An Heretick might have been confuted in the Days of the Apostles without their Writings and perhaps in a great measure some time after but it follows not that they may be so to the End of the World Those that heard it from the Mouth of the Apostles could tell the Church what Doctrine they taught but how uncertain a way Tradition would have been to acquaint the World with God's Mind by that time it had passed through the puddle of depraved Ages even to 1653. God well knew and therefore provided us a more certain way So is it also in this Case of Succession as the Fathers pleaded it against the Hereticks to prove the Soundness of the Tradition of those Churches Except to Sect. 17. Against all which a Quirk it seems lay that if secretly any of them had had but a secret Canonical Irregularity all the following Successions were null But the evident Truth is much otherwise that the Church never anulled the Acts or Ordinations made by Bishops which the Catholick Church then had accepted and reputed Catholick Bishops though afterwards they came to know of any Secret Irregularities or canonical Disablings had they then been urged or prosecuted by any against those Bishops and then they should have been accepted for Bishops by the Church no longer Reply to Sect. 17. 1. I have proved and more can do open and not only secret Irregularities in the Church of Rome's Ordinations known a Priâ—re and not only after the Ordinations The Multitude of Protestant Writers even English Bishops have made that evident enough against the Pope which you call a Querk general Councils have condemned Popes as Hereticks and Infidels and yet they have ordained more 2. If it were otherwise yet all your Answer would only prove that we must sometimes take them for Bishops who were none when the Nullity is secret but not that they are Bishops indeed or have Authority It is one thing to
and perswading all the Families House by House they saw the Body of Town and Parish in love with serious Religion they told me they had been undone if I had followed their Counsel William Allen who with Mr. Lamb were Pastors of an Anabaptist Arminian Church first separated from the Parish-Churches and next from the Independents was turned from Independency much by seeing being our Kidderminster Factor that Parish-Churches may be made as holy as separated ones and the People not left by lazy Separatists to the Devil So that this Experience made him and his Companion more against Independency than I am 11. They abuse the People in indulging them in works that they were never called to nor are capable of nor can give any comfortable account of to God that is To be the Judges of Persons admitted to Communion and of Mens Repentance and Fitness for the Sacrament c. whenas God hath put this Power called The Church Keys into the Pastors and Rulers hands the not over-forced Men but Voluntiers Baptism is the true Churches Entrance and the Baptizer is the Judge of the Capacity of the Baptized no more but Consent to particular Church Relation and Duty is necessary to Membership of Neighbour Christians in particular Churches And nothing but proved nullifying the Baptismal Covenant by Heresie or Sin impenitently maintained or contained in doth forfeit their visible right to Communion And if the People must judge of all these they must have their Callings to examine every Person and they must grow wiser and abler then many of their Leaders are 12. Their Churches have among them no probable way of Concord but they are as a heap of Sand that upon every Commotion fall in pieces The Experience of it in Holland broke them to nothing And it so affected the Sober in New-England that in 1660. or 1661. Mr. Ash and I were fain to disswade Mr. Norton and Mr. Broadstreet whom they sent hither as Commissioners from inclining to our English Episcopacy foretelling them what was doing and we have seen so deeply were they afraid of being received by that Peoples uncurable Separation from their ablest Pastors whenever any earnest erroneous Teachers would seduce them Their Building wanteth Cement 13. God hath so wonderfully by his Providences disowned the way of Schism and Separation on how good pretences soever that I should be too like Pharaoh in hardness if I should despise his warnings For Instance 1. In the Apostles days all are condemned that separated from the setled Churches even when those Churches had many heinous Scandals and St. Paul saith That all they in Asia were turned from him The Authority and Miracles of the Apostles did not serve to keep Men from Separation and raising Schisms 2. Even when the Church lay under Heathen Persecutors for 294 years yet Swarms of Condemned Sects arose to so great a number as that the naming and confuting them filleth great Volumes to the great Reproach of the Christian Churches and Scandal of the Heathens 3. As soon as Constantine delivered the Churches from the Flames of cruel Persecution and set up Christians in Power and Wealth separating Sects grew greater than before each Party crying up their several Bishops and Teachers and grew worse by Divisions till thereby they tempted the Papal Clergy to unite Men carnally by force 4. At Luther's Reformation Swarms of Separatists arose in Germany Holland Poland c. to the great dishonour of the Protestant Cause 5. Here in England it hath been ill in Queen Elizabeth's time by the Familists and Separatists and far worse since It was such as Quarterman and Lilburn and other Separatists that drew Tumults and Crowds down to Westminster to draw the Parliament to go beyond their own Judgment and thereby divided the Parliament-men and drove away the King which was the beginning of our odious War It was the Separating Party that all over the Land set up Anti-Churches in the Towns that had able godly Ministers when they had nothing imposed on them to excuse it neither Bishops Liturgies nor Ceremonies So that Churches became like Cockpits or Fencing-Schools to draw asunder the Body of Christ. It was the Separating Party that got under Cromwell into the Army and became the common Scorners of a godly able Ministry by the Names of the Priest-byters the Driviners the Westminster-sinners the Dissembly-men as Malignant Drunkards did and worse It was these that thought Success had made them Rulers of the Land that caused the disbanding of all the Soldiers that disliked their Spirit and Way and then pull'd down first eleven and then the major part of the Parliament imprisoning and turning out Men of eminent Piety and Worth and making a Parliament of the minor part and their killing the King and afterward with scorn turning out that minor part that had done their work and to whom they had oft profest themselves Servants It was these Men that set up a Usurper that made a thing called a Parliament all of his and his Armies nomination If this should ever be imitated whom may we thank It was these Men that set up the Military Government of Major-Generals It was they that set up and pull'd down so many feigned Supream Powers in a few years as made themselves the Scorn of the World and by a dreadful warning of Divine Justice all their victorious Army and Power dropt in pieces like Sand as they would have used the Church and was dissolved without one Battle or drop of Blood save the after-Blood of their Leaders that were hang'd drawn and quarter'd by Parliament Sentence It is these Men and these doings that have hardened thousands against Reformation and turned all that was done for it O what did it cost and what raised hopes had many of the Success into Reproach quieted the Consciences of those that have thought they served God by silencing hating and persecuting those that they thought had been of this guilty Sect. In a word the spirit and way of causeless Separation whether by violent Prelatists Pursuits and Excommunications or by self-conceited Sectaries was never owned or blest by God If any say truly or falsly You have had a hand in some such thing your self I answer If I had I will hate it and write against it so much the more To thrust ones self into a way so disowned by God by such a course of fearful warnings is to run with Pharaoh into the Red-Sea especially when Impenitence so fixeth the guilt on them that cannot endure to hear of it as may make us fear that the worst 〈◊〉 behind and Sin and Judgments yet continue The Sum of what is said to you on the other side is that the Church of England and the Parish Churches have no true Ministry and therefore are no true Churches That they confess there is no Church without a Bishop and no Bishop below the Diocesan and so no Church below the Diocesan Church That those are no Scripture Bishops and Churches
the King and Land And he told me That Beddingfield could have no right to that which he had sold and that the right was in the King who would readily grant it to the good use intended and that we should have his best assistance to recover it And indeed I found him real to us in this Business from first to last yet did Beddingfield by the friendship of the Attorney General and some others so delay the Business as bringing it to a Suit in Chancery he kept Mr. Ashurst in a Twelve-months trouble before he could recover the Land but when it came to Judgment the Lord Chancellour spake very much against him and granted a Decree for the New Corporation For I had procured of him before the King 's Grant of a New Corporation and Mr. Ashurst and my self had the naming of the Members And we desired Mr. Robert Boyle a worthy Person of Learning and a Publick Spirit and Brother to the Earl of Cork to be President now called Governour and I got Mr. Ashurst to be Treasurer again and some of the old Members and many other godly able Citizens made up the rest Only we left the Nomination of some Lords to his Majesty as not presuming to nominate such And the Lord Chancellour Lord Chamberlain and six or seven more were added But it was Mr. Boyle and Mr. Ashurst with the Citizens that did the Work But especially the care and trouble of all was on Mr. Ashurst And thus that Business was happily restored § 149. And as a fruit of this his Majesty's Favour Mr. Elliot sent the King first the New Testament and then the whole Bible translated and printed in the Indian's Language Such a Work and Fruit of a Plantation as was never before presented to a King And he sent word that next he would print my Call to the Unconveried and then The Practice of Piety But Mr. Boyle sent him word it would be better taken here if the Practic of Piety were printed before any thing of mine At the present the Revenues of the Land goeth most to the maintaining of the Press Upon the occasion of this Work I had these Letters of Thanks from the Court and Governour in New-England and from Mr. Norton and Mr. Elliot Reverend and much honoured Sir THat we who are personally unknown to you do in this manner apply our selves is rendred not only excusable but unless we will be ingrateful necessary by Obligations from your self with whom the interest of poor Strangers in a remote Wilderness hath been so regarded as to shew them kindness and that we believe upon the best account i.e. for the Lord's sake We have understood from those that were employed by us with what loving and cordial readiness you did upon request put forth your self to further our Concernments in our late Applications to his Majesty for which act of favour and love we cannot but return our unfeigned thankful Acknowledgments and the rather because we know no Argument that could move your Thoughts in it but that of the poor Prophets Widow viz. That your Charity did look upon your Servants as Fearers of the Lord Love unto whom we perswade our selves was the Root that bare this Fruit of Love and Kindness to us and that at such a time as this We trust the faithful God will not forget your Work and Labour of Love which you have shewed towards his Name in ministring to the help of some part of his unworthy People who are Exiles in this Wilderness we hope for his Names sake Sir You shall further oblige this poor People and do that will not be unpleasing to him who is our Lord and yours by the continuance of your Love and Improvement of your Interests and Opportunities in our behalf What advantage God hath put into your hands and reserved your weak Body unto by access unto Persons of Honour and Trust or otherways we hope it will be no grief of heart unto you another day if you shall improve part thereof this way â— All that we desire is Liberty to serve God according to the Scriptures Liberty unto Errour and Sin or to set up another Rule besides the Scriptures we neither wish to be allowed to our selves nor would we willingly allow it unto others If in any thing we should mistake the meaning of the Scriptures as we hope it is not in any Fundamental Matter that we do so having therein the Concurrence of all the godly Orthodox of the Reformed Protestant Religion so on the other hand in Matters of an inferiour and more difficult Nature wherein godly Christians may differ and should bear difference without disturbance we are willing and desirous to live and learn by any orderly means that God hath appointed for our Learning and Instruction and glad shall we be of the opportunity to learn in peace The Liberty aforesaid we have by the favour of God now for many years enjoyed and the same advantaged and encouraged by the Constitution of our Civil Government according to Concessions and Priviledges granted and established to us by the gracious Letters Patents of King Charles the First the continuance of which Priviledges concerning which his Majesty's late gracious Letter to us hath given us very great encouragement is our earnest and just desire for nothing that is unjust or not honest both in the sight of the Lord and also of Men do we seek or would allow our selves in We hope we shall continue as faithful Subjects to his Majesty according to our Duty and be every way as beneficial to the Interest of our Nation under an Elective Government as under an Imposed But sundry particular Persons for private respects are as we hear earnestly soliciting to bring Changes upon us and do put in many high Complaints against us in special that the Generation of the Quakers are our bitter and restless Enemies complaining of Persecution but are themselves most troublesome and implacable Per secâ—â—â—â—â— of us who desire but to keep our own Vineyard in peace Our hope is in God who hath hitherto helped us and who is able to keep open for us a great and effectual Door of Liberty to serve him and opportunity to advance his Name in this Wilderness although there be many Adversaries among which he can raise up for us some Friends as he hath done your self And as a Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for Adversity so may you in this time of our threatned Adversity still perform the part of a Friend as opportunity serves we shall be further much ingaged to ThanKfulness unto God and you who are SIR Your Friends and Brethren in the Faith of Christ Jo. Endecott Governour With the Consent and by Order of the General Court Boston in new-New-England this 7th of August 1661. To the Reverend and much Honoured Mr. Richard Baxter one of his Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary Reverend and dear Sir THough you are unknown to me by Face yet not
only your Labours but also your special Assistance in a time of need unto the promoting the welfare of this poor Country certified unto us by Captain Leveret upon which account our General Court thought good to return unto you their Thanks in a Letter which I hope before this is received have made your Name both known and precious to us in these Parts The Occasion of these is in the behalf of one Mr. William Leet Governour of New Heven Jurisdiction whose Case is this He being conscious of indiscretion and some neglect not to say how it came about in relation to the expediting the Execution of the Warrant according to his Duty sent from his Majesty for the apprehending of the two Colonels is not without fear of some displeasure that may follow thereupon and indeed hath almost ever since been a Man depressed in his Spirit for the neglect wherewith he chargeth himself therein His endeavours also since have been accordingly and that in full degree as besides his own Testimony his Neighbours attest they see not what he could have done more Sir If any report prejudicial to this Gentleman in this respect come unto your Ear by your prudent Enquiry upon this Intimation or otherwise so far as the signification of the Premises unto his Majesty or other eminent Person may plead for him or avert trouble towards him I assure my self you may report it as a real Truth and that according to your Wisdom you would be helpful to him so far therein is both his and my desire The Gentleman hath pursued both others and my self with Letters to this effect and yet not satisfied therewith came to Boston to disburden his heart to me formerly unacquainted with him only some few times in Company where he was upon issue of which Conference no better Expedient under God presented it self to us than this So far as you shall see cause as the matter requireth to let the Premises be understood is finally left with your self under God Sir The Author of these Lines it shall be your favour and a pledge of Love undeserved to conceal farther than the necessity of the End desired shall call for And if hereby you shall take occasion being in place of discovery to intelligence the Writer touching your observances with relation to the concernments of this People your Advertisements may not only be of much use unto this whole Country but further your account and minister unto many much cause of Thansgiving on your behalf And I shall be bold upon such encouragement if God permits to give you a more distinct account how it fareth with us I mean of the steps of Divine Providence as to the Publick both in our Civils and Ecclesiasticks which at some spare time may hapâ—y be looked at as a matter of contentful Meditation to your self I crave now pardon for being thus bold with you and will not presume any further to detain you The Lord Jesus be with your Spirit and let him also be remembred by you in your Prayers who is in chief SIR Yours in any Service of the Gospel John Norton Boston Sept. 23. 1661. For the Reverend and his much Honoured Friend Mr. Baxter Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty Reverend and much esteemed in the Lord HOwever black the Cloud is and big the Storm yet by all this the Work and Design of Jesus Christ goeth on and prospereth and in these Clouds Christ is coming to set up his Kingdom Yea is he not come in Power and great Glory When had the Truth a greater or so great and glorious a Cloud of Witnesses Is not this Christ in Power and great Glory and if Christ hath so much Glory in the slaughter of his Witnesses what will his Glory be in their Resurrection Your Constancy who are in the heat of the Storm and Numbers ministers matter of humbling and quickning to us who are at a distance and ready to totter and comply at the noise of a probable approach of our Temptation We are not without our Snares but hitherunto the Lords own Arm hath brought Salvation Our Tents are at Ebenezer However the trials and troubles be we must take care of the present Work and not cease and tarry for a calm time to work in And this Principle doth give me occasion to take the boldness to trouble you with these Lines at present My Work about the Indian Bible being by the good hand of the Lord though not without difficulties finished I am meditating what to do next for these Sons of this our Morning they having no Books for their private use of ministerial composing For their help though the Word of God be the best of Books yet Humane Infirmity is you know not a little helped by reading the holy Labours of the Ministers of Jesus Christ. I have therefore purposed in my heart seeing the Lord is yet pleased to prolong my life to translate for them a little Book of yours intituled A Call to the Unconverted The keenness of the Edge and liveliness of the Spirit of that Book through the blessing of God may be of great use unto them But seeing you are yet in the Land of the Living and the good Lord prolong your days I would not presume to do such a thing without making mention thereof unto your self that so I might have the help and blessing of your Counsel and Prayers I believe it will not be unacceptable to you that the Call of Christ by your holy Labours shall be made to speak in their Ears in their own Language that you may preach unto our poor Indians I have begun the Work already and find a great difference in the Work from my former Translations I am forced sometime to alter the Phrase for the facilitating and fitting it to our Language in which I am not so strict as I was in the Scripture Some things which are fitted for English People are not fit for them and in such cases I make bold to fit it for them But I do little that way knowing how much beneath Wisdom it is to shew a Man's self witty in mending another Man's Work When this Work is done if the Lord shall please to prolong my Life I am meditating of Translating some other Book which may prescribe to them the way and manner of a Christian Life and Conversation in their daily Course and how to worship God on the Sabbath fasting feasting Days and in all Acts of Worship publick private and secret and for this purpose I have Thoughts of translating for them the Practice of Piety or some other such Book In which Case I request your Advice to me for if the Lord give opportunity I may hear from you if you see cause so far to take Notice hereof before I shall be ready to begin a new work especially because the Psalms of David in Metre in their Language are going now to the Press which will be some Diversion of me from a present