he that separates but he that is the Cause of the separation is the Schismatick 4. That to require the execution of some unlawful or suspected act is a just cause of refusing Communion for not only in Reason but in Religion too that Maxime admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubitas ne feceris 5. That it hath been the common Disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God and Scriptures have expresly afforded but out of a vain desire to know more then is revealed they have attempted to devise things of which we have no Light neither from Reason nor Revelation neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church Authority which is none or Tradition which for the most part is but â—…eigned they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature 6. To lâ—…ad our publick forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Soveraign way to perpetuate Schism unto the worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and the simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgie though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church pomp of Garments or prescribed gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Church under the name of Order and Decency did interpose it self To charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all superstition 7. That no occasion hath produced more frequent more continuous more sanguineous Schisms then Episcopal Ambition hath done 8. That they do but Abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christs institution have any superiority over other men further then that of Reverence or that any Bishop is superiour to another further then positive order agreed â—…pon amongst Christians hath prescribed 9. In times of manifest corruptions and persecutions wherein Religious assembling is dangerous Private Meetings howsoevr besides publick Order are not 〈◊〉 lawful but they are of necessity and duty All pious Assemblies 〈◊〉 times of Persecution and Corruption however practised are indeed 〈◊〉 rather Alone the lawful Congregations And publick Assemblies though according to form of Law are indeed nothing else but Riots and Convemticles if they be stained with Corruption and Superstition There is one person more whom since he has quoted Incognitâ—… for an excellent person I will the rather recommend to his consideration Irenic p. 109. where speaking of the private Christian he says He is bound to adhere to that Church which appears most to retain the Evangelical purity And p. 116. He is bound to break off from that Society which enjoyns a mixture of some Corruptions as to practise One word from Dr. Iackson chap. 14. of the Church where he acquits those of the Schism which withdraw fromâ—…hat Church which imposeth Rites and Customs that cross the Rule of Faith and Charity Bishop Bramhalls Testimony will pass for sterling p. 7 8. of Schism When there is a mutual division of two parts or members of the mystical Body of Christ one from the other yet both retaining Communion with the universal Church quamcunque partem amplexus fueris Schismaticus non Audies quippe quod universa Ecclesia neutram damnavit Which side soever you close with you shall not be reproacht for a Schismatick because the universal Church has condemned neither side And he plainly tells us p. 101. That it was not the erroneous Opinions of the Church of Rome but the obtruding them by Laws upon other Churches that warranted a separation Next we will hear a word from the Learned Lord Verulam 'T is a sign says he of exasperation to condemn the contrary part as a Sect yea and some indiscreet persons have been bold in open preaching to use dishonourable and derogatory speeches and censures of the Churches abroad and that so far as that some of our men as I have heard ordained in forreign parts have been pronounced no lawful Ministers And further let us remember that the ancient and true bounds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Policy and endeavour to comprehend that saying Differentia Rituum commendat unitatem Doctrinae Christs Coat was indeed without Seam yet the Churches Garment was of divers Colours Amongst all these we must not forget that noble and gallant Person the Lord Falkland A little search will find them He speaks of no little ones to have been the destruction of Unity under pretence of Uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandal under Titles of Reverence and Decency to have slacked the strictness of Unity which was between us and those of our own Religion beyond the Seaâ—… Sâ—…rates lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 21. tells us that in his time there could scarceâ—… be found two Churches that used the same forms of prayer In France the Ritual of Paris differ'd from that of Anjou and in England we had our Devotions secundum usum Sarum secundum usum Bangor and yet the one never reproacht the other for Sectaris or Schismaticks I am consident therefore to assert it That neither the Wit nor Malice of man can prove him a Schismatick who maintaining Evangelical Love towards and holding the substantial Doctrines owned by the Church of England shall either out of choice or necessity transplant himself from under the spreading shadow of a Goodly Cathedral to a Parochial Church and yet the one has its Organs Adoration towards the East and Altar Adoration at the Naming of Iesus with multitudes of Rites and Observances unknown to the Villages and far more differing from the Parochial Usages and Customs then the Worship of most Country Towns differ from that of the Non-conformists After all this I shall throw up the Authority of these great names and give him full scope for his Rational Abilities to prove his proposition when I have first noted those few things § 1. He requires an apparent breach of the Divine Law as the only thing that can excuse separation from the guilt of Schism but will not a real breach of the Divine Law serve the turn unless it be so apparent as he can desire I perswade my self God never yet spoke so loud that they who have barracadoed their Ears with prejudice will hear him nor ever yet wrote so plain that they will see his mind whose Eyes interest has sealed up And what if it be an apparent breach of the Divine Law in the sincere judgement of him that separates must he never discharge his Duty till he can perswade all the world to see theirs and pursue it § § Who shall be Iudge whether the Imposed Terms contain an apparent breach of the Divine Law and such as will justifie a separation Mr. Hales indeed tells us It 's a point of no great depth or difficulty but yet the true
were all in their Graves as well as dead and rotten And if those Decent Ceremonies had a Decent Buâ—…ial it were an Honour as great as those of a Nobler Extract 〈◊〉 Divine Ceremonies had bestowed on them I would seriously enquire of our serious Enquirer 1. If some Ceremonies were Abolished because they were superstitious and therefore dangerous why all the rest were not served with the same sawce that were equally or more superstitious and therefore more dangerous I think it 's demonstrable that all the superstition that ever stuck to Holy Water Cream Salt Spittle Oyl was â—…nnocency to that horrid abuse of the Sign of the Cross. But 2. 〈◊〉 the Superstitions of the remaining Ceremonies were capable of separation from them why might not a little Oyl and Elbowgreace have been bestowed on the rest and their Lives saved 〈◊〉 seems most of the Ceremonies were knock'd o th' head because they would not go to the charge of Rearing them 3. If many Ceremonies were a Burden whether were not half of that many half as great a Burden and so pro rato And if so where was the Churches Commission to impose any unnecessary Burden upon the Necks of Disciples 4. If some of the old superstitious Ceremonies when well scraped and wiped were lest for Decency and Comeliness in the Worship why where not the rest scummer'd up that the Worship might be more Decent For iâ—… Two or Three Innocent Ceremonies will add a Decency Two or Three hundred will have burnish'd it to such a Lustre as must have either ravish'd or blinded the Eyes of all Beholders 5. Who shall insallibly assure us just how few will be no Burden and the imposing of them no sin and yâ—…t â—…ne more shall make them all burdensome and so the imposition of them to become sinful Or just how many to an Unite will render the Worship Decent and the adding of one more render all Deformed If the Church then why might not the Church of Rome in her days have Determined the Question Especially seeing that of all pretenders she alone challenges an infallibility which is the most considerable thing in this Case when the Church must carry her hand even and cut by a thred between Decency and Indecency A Burden and no Burden 6. If the Church has a power to impose a load though a lesser load has she a power to communicate strength though it be but little strength to bear that little Especially seeing the Burden here must not lie on the Back but the Heart not on the Shoulders but the Conscience She that pleads an Authority to Institute can she produce a power to Bless what she Institutes to any Spiritual End This encouragement we have from Christ whose perogative it is to impose that he will give Grace to bear what he imposes and thereby make his Yoke casie and his Burden light Qui mihi est Oneris Author idem erit Adâ—…inistrationis Adâ—…tor said Leo And so Austin Da quod jubes jube quod vis If any Church could incline the Heart towards her Testimonies or give a Heart to keep her Statutes Iudgments and Commandments and do them or make her Commandments not grievous Let her multiply Ceremonies till she is weary and spare not Let her use her Discretion and we shall use nothing but Submission But this dead weight sinks our Spirits quite 7. Whether is not such an assuming power exceeding dangerous in its Consequences for upon this Principle the Church may impose a round thousand of Ceremonies if she will say and think them decent and the Crow thinks all her young ones White and all are sond of the Brats of their Brains as well as the Issue of their Bodies yes and Ten Thousand more if she will but decree they are not burdensome which she is the less a Competent Judge of because Superiours who command do not feel that load which Inseriâ—…urs who must obey do groan under So much of the Moderation of the Reformation 3. The English Reformation was the most perfect and compleat in its kind The perfection and compleatness of a Reformation is to be taken from its Agreement with its Rule and Idea which say we is thâ—… Word of God and to this we do unmovably adhere till we have good security that they have found out a better All Perfection with us is but Defection and all compleatness Fancy which is not measured by that Rule It will therefore be the great Glory of the English Reformation to acquit it self well in this point wherein our Enquirer will endeavour our satisfaction 1. For Doctrine This Church retains says he the most Ancient Doctrine and soundest Confession of I aith founded upon the H. Scripture That the 〈◊〉 Scriptures are the foundation of Faith we gladly hear some intimation of and shall lay up the concession against another time whether the Church has attended to this Rule in her Doctrinals belongs to another Discourse 2. For Government He tells us The English Reformation retains the most Primitive Church-Government These things are wisely and warily penn'd thought I A Scripture Creed and a Primitive Church-Government Confession sounded on H. Scriptures and Government founded on a word called Primitive why shhould we not have a Confession sounded on something else than Scripture as well as a Government Or why not a Church-Government founded on the Scripture as well as the Doctrine So that he has provided well for the Doctrine but for the Government it may sinck or swim for any Relief it can expect from our Enquirer except a hard word will do it Primitive Antiquity is one of those Stulta Amuleta quae Controversiâ—… collo appendunturut Armilla Maleficarum Potent Charms and Pompous Enchantments not to Cure but Conjure down a Controversie for since 〈◊〉 may be taken in a Latitude of three 〈◊〉 five or 〈◊〉 time of need six hundred years after Christ it would be very hard if any Crotchet Humour and Fancy had not set up for it self in that time which shall be enough to entitle it to the Warrantie of the Primitive times Let him therefore prove it Scriptural and so jure Divino and he has said more to me than if he had run up its Pedigree through a Dozen or more Centuries But is not this short word The most Primitive Church-Government a foundation too narrow for that High Boast p. 2. That our Church is of a sound and healthful Constitution I think I have sufficiently though briefly manifested in the Introduction Briefly and suffciently The Two most desirable Qualifications in Argument and Evidence that may be And surely it must de brief enough which is comprehended in this one Sentence The English Reformation retains the most Primitive Church-Government but whether it be sufficient or no let the Reader look to that 3. For the Liturgy That is as he thinks the Best accommodate to reconcile and unite Mens Devotions And how well it has answered its end and the
Erasmus to be the true measure of the Preaching of those times And why may we not charitably suppose that the Romanists have furbisht up their rusty Preaching since the days of Erasmus as well as we have scowred up ours since the days of the Homilies 3. Arg. His fourth Argument is none of the strongest and yet worth all the rest put together which were but the vaunt-courriers to usher in this main one with more solemnity Compare says he but the Preachings generally in our Churches with those ordinarily in Conventicles you will find them unequally matcht Though we could be content they were modestly compared yet we can by no means allow this Enquirer to use his own false weights of comparing and generally such comparisons are odious Non-conformists do not affect strong lines nor are ambitious of the Gigantick Vein and Stile they study not measured sentences nor use the Compasses to every deceâ—…t period they had rather with their Austin have A wooden Key that will open the Lock then one of Gold which makes a fidling din in the Wards and yet confounds them None of them but do praise God for the Learning sound Judgement solid Preaching holy Lives which are to be found among the Conformable Clergy but can he rear his Triumphant Arches to their praises upon no other foundations then the ruines of other mens credits For my part I am always apt to suspect that persons credibility who thinks more to confirm it by two or three ratling Oaths And I never received it as an argument of her honesty that carries her tongue so loosely hung that she deals about most liberally Sâ—…rumpet and Whore but I see he is impatient till he compares them On the one side you have sound Theology strength of Argument gravity of Expression distinctness of Method on the other side nothing more frequent then puerile and flat oftentimes rude and sometimes blasphemous expressions similitudes instead of arguments and either Apish gestures or Tragical vâ—…ciferations instead of Eloquence Reader this Language is pure Cicero I assure thee Ex hac enim parte Pudor pugnat illinc petulantia hinc pietas illinc stupram hinc fides illinc frraudatio I am sorry our Enquirer dwells by so very bad Neighbours that his own mouth must be the very Trumpeter of his praises If the common Cryer could have been engaged for love or money to proclaim them no modest man would have done the drudgery But nemo patriam suam amavit quia magna est sed quia sua 'T is propriety that renders all things sweet and beautiful All this had been pardonable but I see some that love to be Ingeniosi in aliená famâ huge facetious upon other mens fames and perhaps never witty in a Twelve-month but when they write Satyr As all impartial Readers know one half of his Oratory to be false so it s to be feared they may suspect the other moyety not to be very true That 's all an honest man shall get by being in a Knaves company Truth has sometimes been set in the Stocks because it has been found under the same Roof with Falshood He that wishes well to his own due praises let him never desire they should be yoaked with anothers unjust reproach least the hearer knowing the one unrighteously slandered conclude that the other is as unjustly flattered For its an unquestionable maxime He that will be a Sycophant against one will be a Parasite to another Let our Enquirer then sweetly enjoy the ravishments of his pleasing Dreams I shall not awaken him with loud recriminations only softly whisper that of the Poet. Bella es novimus Puella verum est Et Dives Quis enim potest negare Sed dum te nimiùm Fabulla laudas Nec Dives nec Bella nec Puella es Mart. Ep. l. 1. 165. Yet there is one Salvo for their credits which all the Fraternity of Gentlemen-Raylers do use to bring themselves off and heal all again when at any time they have most unconscionably over-lasht and that is when they have pour'd out all the contempt and scorn have heap'd up all the slanders and reproaches that they can make or rake together then to make an Honourable Retreat and tell you they do confess there may be one or two that may be innocent God forbid says our Gentleman that I should charge all the Non-conformists with such Indecencies Nay I can tell him more then that God forbids him to charge any one with such Indecencies unless he had better proof of them And had he known any individual guilty of these crimes he should have personally charged that one that he might be brought to Repentance for his prophanation of Gods holy Name and not involve a whole party under the scandalous suspicion All the charity that these words necessarily contain is that they are All such save one Suppose another as charitable as himself should write after his Copy and when he had with much pleasant Scurrility and Drollery made the Devil sport with the Indecencies of Church-men should come off at last with this Epanorthosis God forbid I should charge all the Conformists with these extravagancies what would it argue but a more crafty and safe way of Hypocritical Calumny Thus I remember a Gentleman once in a frolick told his Companions They were all Fools but one and when a young Gallant of the knot more tender of his Reputation then it deserved and willing to venture more for it then 't was worth began to draw The other takes him aside and whispers him in the Ear How do you know but that I intended your self by that single exception And this little dust parted the fray Well I see he is sick till he comes to particulars Asaheâ—… would not take Abners civil warning some men seek mischief to themselves and all the Friends they have cannot stave them off from the Duel the more you hold a Coward the more eager he is to engage let the man alone pray let him alone and in the mean time I will fortifie my self with patience that no provocation of his may tempt me to a back blow under the fifth rib for how then should I lift up my face to my dear Brethren 1. Their Sermons are generally about Predestination About it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what a word was that for a wise man The Church of England in her 17th Article propounds the Doctrine of Predestination to be believed by us according to the Scriptures that which is the matter of Faith ought to be the subject of our Preachings 1 Cor. 4. 13. we believe and therefore we speak And yet I am confident that our Enquirer and his like preach more write more and make more noise about that serious point then the Non-conformists I presume I may have heard my share of their Sermons and yet I can assure the Reader I never heard that Doctrine professedly handled in my life I speak not this in their excuse or
's true Diotrephes his fingâ—…rs it â—…hed to be tampering but the Beloved Disciple that lay in his Masters Bosom who was privy to his meek and gracious Temper and knew how displeasing such imperiousness was to him gave an early and timous rebuke to the Attempts and Essays of Praelatical Arrogancy and indeed he could not but remember and was concern'd in it how smartly Christ had snibb'd Aspiring Church-men That there was so much Tranquility therefore amongst the Primitive Christians was not that they were without differing apprehensions for mens parts were no more alike nor thâ—…ir Educations more equal then now But because there was a Spirit of Condescension to and mutual forbearance one of another The strong either in Knowledge or Authority did not trample upon the weak There was then some diversity of Eupressions in which the Pastors of several Churches delivered themselves for there were neither Homilies nor Liâ—…urgies yet they did not dispute themselves into parties because they made not their own Sentiment the Test of Orthodoxy nor their private Faith the publick standard and measure to which all Christians should be tyed to subscribe They allowed a latitude in things not fundamental nor had learned the modern Artifice of Fettering Consciences in the Chains of Assent and Consent to the Dogmats of a prevailing party In those days meâ—… were sincerely good and devout and set their Hearts upon the Main the huge consequence and concern of which easily prevailed with those Holy men to over-look other mens private Opinions They were intent upon that wherein the power of Godliness consisted and upon which thâ—… Salvation of Souls depended and so all that was secure they were not so superstitiously concerned for Rituals either to practice them much less to impose them They would not stake the Churches Peace against Ceremonies and then play it away rather then not be Gamesters They considered that they had all one God one Faith one Baptism one Lord Iesus Christ and never insisted upon one Posture one Gesture one Garment one Ceremony They Good men found enough to do to mortifie their Passions to bear their Burdens of Afflictions and Persecution to withstand the temptations of the Devil and the contagion of evil Examples And had no strength to spare nor superfluous time to wast to Conn the Theory of Ceremonies and practice new devices But when men grow cold and indifferent about great things then they become â—…ervent about the lesser when they give over to mind a holy life and heavenly Conversation then they grow fierce Disputants for and rigid Exacters of the sulâ—… Tale of Ceremonies Thus when the Scribes and Pharise 〈◊〉 became so violent for the necessity of washing hands they little regarded the cleansing of their Hearts They that will make things indifferent to become necessary the next news you hear of them is that they make things necessary to become indifferent when men cease to study their own hearts they become very studious how to vex and torment other mens for then they have both leisure and confidence enough to trample upon their inferiours Then it shall be a greater sin for a Monk to lay aside his Cowle then his Chastity and to be a scrupulous Non-conformist to the Laws of Men then a scandalous Non-conformist to the Laws of God In short that I may say the same thing over again which I have twenty times already said and that I may convince the Reader that I have read Erasmus de opiâ—… vâ—…orum as well as his famous piece of the Art of Preaching Then and not till then do the little Appendices of Religion grow great and mighty matters in mens esteem when the Essentials the great and weighty matters are become little and inconsiderable which I had had little need to have mentioned but for the sake of those Elegant and Modish words Appendices and Essentials which in an Eloquent Oration ought not to have been forgotten Dixi That there are Distractions in the Nation Divisions amongst Christian Brethren and a separation from the present Church of England in various degrees is evident The Industry of our Enquirer in Tracing out the Causes of them has been very commendable though his success has not been answerable Had he pleased to approve himself a skilful and impartial as well as a serious Enquirer he had certainly directed us to one cause more which for want of Ariadnes Threed in the Anfractuous windings of this Labyrinth he has quite lost himself and his Travels Honest Gerson of old has notified it to the non-observing World and from him I shall recommend it to the Reader There can be saith he no General Reformation without the Abolitions of sundry Canons and Statutes which neither are nor reasonably can be observed in these times which do nothing but ensnare the Consciences of men to their endless Perdition no tongue is able to express what evil what danger and confusion the neglect and contempt of the Holy Scripture which doubtless is sufficient for the Government of the Church else Christ had been an imperfect Law-giver and the following of Humane Inventions hath brought into the Church Serm. in die circ part 1. 'T is that which has ever been lamented and by all moderate persons complained of That unnecessary Impositions have been made the indispensible conditions of Church-Communion without precept or precedent from the Word of God To this cause had he reduced all our Divisions he said more in those few plain words then in all those well coucht periods wherewith he has adorned his Discourse and darkened Counsel As the matter of Law arises out of the matter of Fact so the Justice of the Non-conformists Cause appears from the terms that are put upon them in order to Communion If the Terms be unjust it will justifie their Cause If they have sinfully managed their Cause its goodness will not justifie their Persons what Dissenters usually insist upon for their Justification I shall reduce to these Heads § 1. They plead that some things are imposed upon their Faith tendered to Subscription as Articles of Faith which are either false or at best they have not yet been soo happy as to discover the truth of them In Art 20. They are required to subscribe this Doctrine The Church hath power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies which Clause of the Article as we fear it has been by some indirect means shuffled into the Article it not being found in the Authentick Articles of Edw. 6. so it proves also that the Terms of Communion have been enlarged since the first times of the Reformation They object also against that Doctrine in the Rubrick That it is certain from the Word of God That Children Baptized and dying before the Commission of actual sins are undoubtedly saved The Scripture the Protestant Churches nor any sound Reason have yet given them any tolerable satisfaction of the Truth of the Doctrine about the Opus operatum of Sacraments That Doctrine laid down in the
thousand times what certainty of sin were required to the suspension of my own act I would as often answer no more of necessity then that the thing does not appear to my best and Impartial judgment to be Lawful separation is not necessarily a sin there are as pregnant Commands for it as prohibitions of it It may be a duty and it may be a sin and why need we not as plain argument to prove that separation is not my duty as that it is not my sin seeing it may be one as well as the other why now he arrests us with his Reasons § 1. Forasmuch says he as I cannot be discharged from a plain duty but by an equal plainess of sin This reason looks very prettily at first sight and yet it demonstrates no more then a great good will to the cause And 1. 'T is no more then a plain begging of the Question viz. That Complyance is a plain duty Schism indeed is a plain sin but separation is not plainly Schism It is a plain contradiction to the Assertion but not a plain confutation of it unless the denyal of it in other words be a confutation The business in short is this I suspect such Compliance is not my duty and again I suspect the terms of Communion are sinful and surely we may set suspected sin as a Barr to what is but suspected duty at any time of the day let us a little compare things that which he calls plain duty is complyance with such a Church as imposes things unnecessary burdensom and suspicious that which he calls plain sin is refusing such compliance now this say I is a plain begging of the Question which is all the plainess in his Reason First to enquire whether such a separation or non-Complyance be Lawful and then to suppose such Complyance to be plain duty And then to assign this for the Reason that nothing but equal plainess of sin can discharge me from a plain duty 2. Dissenters do affirm that it is as plain nay more plain and if he will have it so much more plain a sin to practise the Ceremonies then to separate for separation may be a duty in some cases but the practising of such Ceremonies cannot be a duty in any Case on this side divine prescription God has warranted separation in the General but he has not so warranted Ceremonies § 2. His second reason is And for this phrase suspected it is so loose and uncertain that there 's no hold of it men will easily suspect what they have no mind to whether this word suspected be a phrase or no I shall leave to the wrangling Grammarians only I am afraid in a while every small particle will be a phrase where these Gentlemens occasions require it A suspected evil is no such trivial thing in the Apostles divinity as the Enquirer would persuade us to act in any case when we have not clear light into the Lawfulness of the action is sin and such a one as renders the actor obnoxious to eternal damnation He that doubts is dammed if he eat And indeed to act against the restraine of our own judgment though mistaken argues a mind prepared to act against our judgments if they had not been mistaken He that shall attempt to clip the Kings Coyn may meet with a plated piece yet had if been right stander'd he would have served it no better that men will easily suspect what they have no mind to ought not to prejudice those wo have no mind to a thing because they suspect it to be evil T is as easy for another to say that what men have a desperate love to they will never be brought to suspect its sinfulness What wise man would suspect four or five hundred pounds per Annum to be unlawful our Inclinations naturally warp towards ease and rest and they that know no God but their mistaken selves will own no Scripture but what is dictated from the inspiration of fleshly Interest The Byas of nature draws us more to suspect the Lawfulness of that which being unlawful would undo us then to suspect that to be unlawful which being Lawful would advance us And this may justifie all sober Dissenters that they who condemn them are confessed to be too blame in clogging their Communion with unnecessary burdensom and suspected Conditions and they who are condemned for suspecting it to be as sinful in them to obey as it is in others to command and thereupon suspending their Compliance are either violently cast out of or not admitted into Communion And this is your monstrous Schismatick And I am very confident that not only the Scripture but all Antiquity with the unanimous su â—…rage of the Reformed Churches will justifie and acquit that person of the Guilt of Schism who being found in the faith holy in his life earnestly pleading and petitioning for Reformation humbly desiring he may have Christs ordinances upon Christs terms and yet being denyed his Right shall make his applications to some other particular Church of Christ where his admittance may be more easy his continuance more certain and safe his mind not distracted with suspicions about his own actings but his whole strength and spirits expended in the edification of his own soul in truth holiness and peace which before were wasted in doubtful disputations 2 The second thing he will say is if the non-necessity of some of the terms of Communion be a warrant of separation then there can be no such thing as Schism at all I doubt not but he intends that his argument shall proceed a remotione Consequentis ad remotionem Antecedentis But there is such a sin as Schism therefore the non-necessity of some of the terms of Communion is not a warrant of separation there are many things I would answer to this argument 1. That the whole Syllogism is troubled with an old malady called ignoratio Elenchi for 't is not half an hour ago since he undertook to prove that the Churches requiring indifferent unnecessary or at most suspâ—…cted things would not excuse the person that should separate from the Guilt of Schism Afterwards he put in burdensom into the Question And now I perceive he would be glad to take Eggs for his money if he could get them and sit down content with this sorry conclusion that the non-necessity of some of the Terms is no sufficient warrant of separation which fault is an argument some call an Ignorance of the Question but I call it a fighting with his own shadow what if bare non-necessity alone without burdensomness or what if both these without strong suspicion of sin will not warrant it yet if all conjunct will do the feat Dissenters will Escape the Hue and Cry after Schism and Schismaticks 2. I deny his Consequence there might be there would be Schism to much Schism though I confess not half so much as there is though the non-necessity of the Terms were a good warrant of separation If
fit Protestant or Papist and indeed any School-Boy that has a Theme or Declamation to compose That the Causes of separation from the Church of Rome were pregnant every way clear and evident we do therefore agree And that the Reasons of separation from the Church of England are not so great but then neither is the separation so great for as we agree in the fundamental Articles of Religion so we may quickly agree in all the rest when some of a more fiery temper will let their Mother Alone to exercise to all her Children such an Indulgence as is agreeable to their various Measures of light in lesser concerns But says our Author It 's quite otherwise in the Church of England For. 1. No man here parts with his faith upon Conformity But I am afraid they must part with it or they will hardly be accepted Their faith is that the Lord Christ is the only Lawgiver of his Church that the Scriptures are the adequate and Commensurate Rule of all Religious Worship and if they do not part with thus much of their faith they must live in a Contradiction to it but perhaps he may understand their faith better then they themselves 2. No man is bound to give away his Reason for Quietness sake Then I know who was mistaken p. 64. who tells us That since the peace of the Church often depends upon such points as Salvation does not and since in many of those every man is not a Competent judge but must either be in danger of being deceived himself and of troubling others or of necessity must trust some body else wiser then himself she recommends in such a case as the safer way for such private persons to comply with publick determinations And we may assure our selves of our Enquirers good nature in this particular who condemnes Virgilius for asserting the Antipodes though it were demonstrably true and the contrary impossible And then I am afraid we must sacrifice our Reason to Peace and rather subscribe like Brutes then run the risque of being perscuted like Men. 3. A man may be as holy and good as he will The goodness and holiness of a Christian lyes very much in using Holy Means for Holy Ends Gods Holy Ordinances in order to Holiness in the Habit and Complexion of the Soul He that may not use the means of Holiness when he will may not be as Holy as he will but as Holy as he can without them He that will use all the means of God in order to that great end it may possibly cost him more then he would willingly lose for any cause but that of righteousness Methought it was an odd sight t'other day to see a Grave Divine in his Canonical Habit marching With a Brace of Informers piping hot on either Hand the one like the Gizzard the other the Liver stuck under the wings of his Sacerdotal Habiliments from one of his Rectories to the other to give Disturbance to a Company of poor Innocent people that would have been a little more holy if they might when this is reformed I 'le believe that the more of Holiness appears the better Churchmen we are reputed 4. This Church keeps none of her Children in an uncomfortable estate of darkness for we must know that there 's a twofold estate of darkness a comfortable and an uncomfortable estate Now the Comfortable estate of darkness lyes in trusting others submitting our private to the publick wisdom this is that blessed state whereinto he would wish his best friends But the unconfortable state is that Remedy which is Practised in Spain and Italy for the Cure of Church Divisions An excellent Remedy it is but it comes too late to do any good here The difference between them was observed before either to be born blind or made blind to have no Conscience or prohibited to exercise it to have no eyes or not to use them and in my private opinion there 's no great comfort in either of them 5. She debars none of her Members of the comfort and priviledges of Christs Institutions Some that have struggled with a doubting Conscience have attested the contrary but however she may possibly debar some of those priviledges and comforts that would have been her Members because they dare not give the price she rates those priviledges and comforts at 6. She recommends the same Faith the same Siriptures that the Protestants are agreed in Yes but then she recommends those Ceremonies to boot in which Protestants neither are nor ever will be agreed in We do therefore seriously triumph that the Church of England with the Protestants are also fully and perfectly agreed that they have not only the same God and Christ but the same Object of Worship too though I know not wherein God and the object of worship differ the same way of Devotion in a known Tongue the same Sacraments the same Rule of Life which are all the great things wherein the Consciences of men are concerned To which I shall need to say no more but that we in the General profess our owning of all these and yet our differences be very considerable but let our Consciences be concerned about no other no other Sacraments no other Rule of Life no other Devotion and what is necessary to reduce all these into practice and I can assure him Dissenters will flock a pace into the bosome of the Church He promises us now that he will faithfully and briefly recite the matters in difference And I confess for brevity he has performed his promise well enough but for his fidelity the Dissentets sadly complain of him I shall therefore crave the liberty to use a little more prolixity and I shall endeavour to compensate it with much more fidelity to reciting the material points wherein we differ As § 1. Whether a Minister ordained according to the appointment of the Gospel to the exercise of the whole Ministerial work may without sin consent that a main part of his Office be statedly and totally taken out of his hands and his work Cantoned at the will of another § 2. Whether any Church has power from Christ to appoint in and over it self or Members any Officers specially distinct from those Christ hath ordained § 3. Whether any Church hath authority from Christ to institute any other Ordinances of fixed and constant use in the Church then Christ hath instituted § 4. Whether it be an apparent invasion of and open reproach to the Regal Office of Christ for any Society of his to institute either new Officers or new Offices for the Govorning and Administring that Society which the head hath not allowed § 5. Whether it be not the duty of every particular Church to conform all the worship and administration of Religion to the Laws of their Institution and that whatever is not so Conformed be not a Corruption which ought to be Reformed by those Laws § 6. Whether if a Church shall peremtorily refuse to remove such
and the same time Canonize Primitive Superstition for the Christian Religion and then Impose it But our Enquirer has mark'd out some of the peculiar Glories of those Elder Times and perhaps it may not be unpleasant to the Reader to run over with me some of their Excellencies 1 Of old to be a Christian was to be all that 's Holy Iust and Good c. When I read these juvenile Declamations in praise of Vertue I am ready to snatâ—…h the Answer out of his mouth who replyed in a Case not unlike Quis enim unquam vituperavit I wonder who ever spoke one word against it But it 's easy to strain a String till it breaks which being screwed up to its just Height would bear its part in the Harmony To be All that 's Holy All that 's Iust All that 's Good is the Glory of Him whom 't is our Duty to imitate our Folly to strive to equaliâ—…e In a limited sense 't is the Glory of those Blessed Ones who are Comprehensores to be really Holy truly Iust sincerely Good is pretty fair for those that pass under the Notion of Viatores But if this were the Character of Primitive Saintshipâ—… the Apostle Paul must not have worn a Red Letter in our Enquirers Calender who professes Philip 3 12. 13. That he had not already attained neithâ—…r was already perfect â—…or counted himself to have apprehended but yet he râ—…ched forth unto those things which were before he press'd towards the Maâ—… for the Price of the High Calling of God in Christ Iesus 2. Wherever Religion came it was a Principle of Purity in Mens â—…arts Honesty in their 〈◊〉 and Peace 〈◊〉 Kingdoms c. Wherever Religion came Why Religion may come either in the Declaration of it or in the Power and Cordial Acceptation of it And I presume this Enquirer will not assert That whâ—…er Religion came in the former sense it had those Blessed Effects in the Purest Primitive Times and I am confident he caâ—…ot deny that wherever it comes in the latter sense it produces those Happy Fruits even in the worst of Times But so easy it is to render trivial and common matter plausible to the Ear whilst we are cheated with a Charivary of Sounding Brass or the Ditty of a Tinckling Symbal 3. But then the Christian Faith was not a Trick of Wit In it self indeed it was not nor is so now yet Crafty Knaves would venture then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 17. to dilure the Pure Wâ—…e of Gods Word with the Watry Mixtures of their own Inventions and we have those still that will be shewing such tricks of audaeious wit upon it now What therefore he Quotes from Lactantius any Man may venture to say and never hurt himself or spoil his credit Give me a firce and conâ—…entious Man and if he will but apply himself to thâ—… Grace and Institutions of the Gospel he shall become as mâ—…k as a â—…mb Let a covetous Person hearken to the Doctrine of the Gospel and he shall presently dispense his Money Nay for once I will say as bold a word as that comes to Give me the most inhumane and barbarous Persecutor that without scruple of Conscience â—…ats up Gods People like Bread and if he will but conform to the Doctrine of the Gospel he shall be forced to take out a new Lesson and turn over a New Leaf and of a Bloody Saul become a Paul profess or preach the same Jesus whom he has so â—…utragiously persecuted Give me that Church-man that seeks his Peoples Goods more than their Good he that heaps Ossa upon Pelios and Olympus upon both one Steeple upon another and a third upon the former as if he hoped either to Scale or Purchase Heaven to take it by Storm or Surrender and let him but attend and give up himself to those documents which he either Preaches or however Reads and he shall presently refund the Price of Souls and errogate upon the Members of Christ what he had once squeezed out of Spungy Consciences But the Heathens could boast as much as this comes to of their Moral Precepts Invidus Iracâ—…ndus acer vinâ—…sus Amator Nemo adâ—…ferus est ut non mitescere possit Si mode culinrae patientem commodet Aurem Horat. 4. Then the Professors of Christianity were all of one Heart and one Lip there was then but one Division of Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the only Sects the World was divided by All Good Men were of one way and all Evil Men of another I have seriously considered for what juncture of Time this Eloquent Period was calculated and when those happy days did shine that might deserve so fair a Character And I conclude it must he some Pre-Adamitical State commencing with the Iulian Period or at lawest that of Paradise when we may probably conjecture That all Good Men were of one Mind because there was but one Man there But if the Enquirer would acknowledge it as a favour I would shew him how he might reconcile his Rhetorick to Truth which is not often feazible All Good Men were of one Way the Way of Holiness leading to Happiness And all Evil Men were of another Way the Way of Sin and Impenitency which leads to Misery But so it is still and thousands of Ages will never alter the Case But then to be of one Heart and Lip in the minuce Circumstances of Religion that I never heard All Men were nor never expect they will be so on this side absolute persection The Roman Church even in the Apostolical Times was not without its Heats and Animosities Some there were who being weak in the Faith discerned not their Christian Liberty but confined themselves to Salades and judged others that went beyond their Short Tedder as Libertines and Men of a Latitudinarian Conscience others who were strong and understood that Christ had emancipated them from the Yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies used their freedom and these despised the rest as a company of scrupulous Coxcembs What fierce bandyings and jostlings there were in the Church of Corinth whilst one Party hangs out the Eusâ—…gns of Paul another shelters it self under the Headship of Peter and perhaps a third not afraid to entitle the Prince of Peace to their Quarrels and draw in Christ himself to be the Head of a Faction And yet these were all Members of the same Church and whilst agreeing in the Substantials of Religion the Apostle durst not strike in with one Party to crush the other but maintains the Flame of Charity alive amidst the Sparks of their Contentions in things remote from the Foundation That great Promise that God would make his People of one Heart and one Lip is either not understood or not fulfilled or if fulfilled in some measure yet the more Glorious Accomplishment thereof reserved for Times and Persons of a more healing Temper and to be brought about by more proportionable means
out of Heaven and a Key to let them in again 4. They that have been ejected by that 〈◊〉 find no evil consequences in their ejected state In the Primitive times it was therefore terrible because Christ abbetted his own Ordinance administred for his own Spiritual Ends in his own Regular way but now Men dare not trust Christ with his own Work but have supplied his vengeance with a Significavit a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo delivering Men over to the Sheriff whom thereby they call the Devil by craft but otherwise the Excommunicated Person cats his Bread and drinks his Wine with a Chearful Heart because the Lord has accepted him 3. That so few frequent the Church is because they have either been scoffed or railed or beaten out of doors or barred out by Conditions not comporting with Scripture Rule and Warrant Men know that Christ must be their Judge to him they must give an account of their Souls and Worship in the Great Day and therefore they are willing to Worship God according to his Will revealed in his Sacred Word unless any can give them Counter-security to save harmless and indemnifie them before his dreadful Tribunal And if they must suffer for such resolved adherence to a Scriprure Religion they have only this humbly to reply Daveniam Imperator Tu Carcerem Ille Gehennam Christ threatens a Hell the Law only menaces a Goal 4. That the Liturgy was then counted a principal part of Gods Worship we cannot help We judge that none but God can make the least much less a principal part of Gods Worship God only knows which way he will be Worship'd with Acceptation And it is our grear Happiness that he has acquainted us with that Will of his in his Word to which we apply our selves for our Directory and are not sollicitous about Apocryphal Rubrics As to matters concerning Religion Nature Teacheth no further than the Obligation to the Duâ—…y but leaves the particular determination of the manner of Obedience to Divine Positive Laws So we are instructed from the Author of Origin Sacrae p. 171. 5. That it is now become the great point of Sanctity to scruple every thing was not spoken with that regard to Honesty and Truth as might have been expected from a Compassionate Enquirer They scruple being Holier than Christ has commanded them wiser in matters of Religious Worship than the Scriptures are able to make them They scruple giving up their Consciences to those whom they see no great reason to trust till better evidence be given how they regard their own They scruple all Retreats in Reformation and all Retrograde Motions towards Evangelical Perfection and Purity and they with our Enquirer would scruple a little more this overlashing That it 's an Essential part of some Mens Religion to be Censorious And a great point of Sanctity to scruple every thing Let him then continue to Lament the change and we will pray that God will make a more through change reducing Doctrine Worship Discipline to the Word of God the only Rule of Reformation PART I. CHAP. I. A Sober Enquiry into the Apocryphal Causes of Non-conformity pretended by the serious Enquirer St. Augustin and the Synod of Dort Vindicated the Articles of the Church of England Cleared The Learning Preaching and Conversations of the N. C. modestly justified against the scandalous Reflections of the pretended Compassionate Enquirer but without Recrimination AFter a very short Epistle or to speak Canonically that which stands instead of the Epistle to very little and a tedious Introduction to much less purpose the Enquirer falls full drive upon the Causes of the separation from the English Reformed Church In imitation of the French Embassadors Musicians who would needs give the Grand Seignior a fit of Mirth but were so cruelly tedious in tuning their Fiddles that the Sultans Patience was quite worn out and he could not be perswaded to hear the first Lesson Now the Causes are either Apocryphal and pretended or Canonical and Real and it 's a wonder to me when his Invention was once broached that he did not feign this for another Cause of separation that such Heterogeneous Causes should be bound up together in the same Volume and Covers For these Apocriphal Causes let it not beget another scruple in your Captious Heads whether they are pretended by Dissenters or only pretended by this Enquirer to be amongst their pretences for it will come all to one there being some collateral matters which it shall go hard but he will entice or force into the Discourse or else the Reader might have sung whâ—…p Barnaby and Retreated to his Recreations the longest Holy day in the Year 1. The very first of these pretended Causes is some Blame they lay upon the Doctrine of the Church and the main if not the only thing excepted against in this kind is That the Thirty Nine Articles are not so punctual in defining the Five Points debated in the Synod of Dort as they could wish Just as your common Hackney Versifiers or Water Poets make one Verse for the Reason and the other for the Rhime sake so was this Objection mounted against the Doctrine of the Church for the sake of his precious Answers wherein he will find or make as handsom an occasion as impertinency will admit to vilifie St. Austin and the Synod of Dort It will be extreamly difficult to give our Enquirer a satisfactory Answer in this Point Shall we say This is not the main thing in the Articles excepted against by Dissenters He will readily Reply However then you tâ—…itly grant that this is one of your little Cavils Shall we say This is not the Only thing they scruple he will return nimbly Then it seems you consess this to be one though not the only thing you Boggle at Really if I know how to content him I would do it and the best expedient that offers it self at present is this Answer 1. That the Church has other Doctrines not contained in the 39 Articles imposed on the Faith of Subscribers and perhaps the scruple may lie against them 2. That the 39 Articles contain other Doctrines besides those relating to the five Points debated 〈◊〉 the Synod of Dort as that of Art 20. The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies And that of Art 34. Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to Ordain Change and Abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Mans Authority And what now if the quarrel should lie against one of those And I am the rather induced to suspect they may hesitate in these particulars because I have heard some of them privately Speak and seen others publickly Print that though they can practise such things which being in their own Natures indifferent remain under all their concurrent Circumstances lawful yet they cannot find where the Church has any Commission to impose them They can assert and use their Christian Liberty and yet cannot subscribe to
forwards that it was the easiest thing in the world to trip up his heels such a Novice was this Austin all which I could easily believe when it shall be proved that he wrote the first and second Part of the serious Enquiry Really that Man must have amassed a vast stock of confidence that shall hope with one puff of contemptuous Breath to blow away that fair heap of Repute that that Fathers Name has gathered in so many Centuries and he must have an over-weening conceit of his own Rhetorick that can presume to perswade this Learned Age that he was so insignificant a Ceremony so great a Trifler The Papists with incredible zeal have struggled for him the Protestants have tooth and nail wrestled to draw him into their Tents all parties have ambitiously courted his suffrage at last comes one Hugh Grâ—…ot and our Enquirer and they cashier him as an inconsiderable fellow not worth the whistling But Luther had this great Stone thrown at his Head by Bellarmine And the Learned Dr. Field thus puts by the Blow On the Church Book 3. Ch. 42. Luther says he was as worthy a Divine as the World had any in those Times or in many Ages before and that for clearing sundry Points of greatest moment in our Christian Profession much obscured and entangled before with the intricate disputes of the Schoolmen all succeeding Ages shall be bound to Honour his Happy Memory That herein he proceeded by degrees and in his latter Writings disliked that which in his former he did approve is not so strange a thing Did not Austin the greatest of all the Fathers and the worthiest Divine the Church of God ever had since the Apostles time write a whole Book of Retractations Did we not carefully observe what things he wrote whilst a Presbyter and what when made a Bishop What before he enter'd into the Conflict with Pelagius and what afterwards Did he not formerly attribute the Election of those that were chosen to Eternal Life to the fore-sight of Faith which afterwards he disclaimed as a meer Pelagian conceit And would it not vex a Man of our Enquirers Humour that Austin the Presbyter should be more Orthodox than Austin the Bishop The Truth is St. Austin disagrees no more with himself than it became a Wise Man who by long studying the Scriptures and the Primitive Fathers had gained a more concocted and well digested Knowledge of Religion his Retractations were never laid in his Dish but interwoven amongst those Excellencies which Crowned his Learned Head before Now. A piece of such self-denial it was that a proud heart could not bear unless more politick Considerations turned the scale This last Age has few Instances of such an Ingenuity as will confess it self Truths Prisoner though it abounds with too many that surrender themselves Captives to base Lusts and worldly Interest Their own Grotius professes he was progressive and very prone to dislike what a little before he was well pleased with and the Reasons of his Change were evident to all the World § 3. A third Branch of this Charge is That St. Austin disagrees with the Church of England There are indeed a knot of Gentlemen that in spight of Right and Truth are resolved to be the Church of England and with these St. Austin and the Ancient Fathers have no very good correspondence nor are they ambitious of it But that the Ancient Church of England had very high thoughts of Austins Judgment is from hence evident that she quotes his opinion in one at least of the Articles of her Faith and justifies her Authority from his Doctrine Art 29. But yet if the Church should be a weary of him as I am confident she never will and has no further service to command him 't is but transmitting him with Letters of safe Conduct into Holland where the Divines of the Synod of Dort's perswasion will give him better Quarter and a most Cordial welcome and there 's no harm done § 4. Another Branch of this tedious Charge is That he was a Devout Good Man but whose Piety was far more commendable than his Reason Fuit utilis ad monita danda piae vitae ad Scripturas interpretandas satis infoelix That is The Man was a well meaning Zealot One that according to his dim light meant honestly but he never had wit enough to write Obscaene Annotations upon the Canticles he poor Man was little versed in Anacreons Ribaldry nor had much studied Ovid de Arte Amaendi he was a meer stranger to Catullus and Martial and therefore must needs be Satis nay Nimis ad interpretandas Scripturas infâ—…lix The most wretched unhappy Creature that ever bungled at a Text of Scripture It was never my unhappiness but once to hear the learned A. B. Usher reproach'd and it was by a Grave divine of the same Temper and upon the same Account That the Primate was indeed an Honest Man but one of no depth of Iudgment We need not search far for a Reason why these Men cry down Austins Reason In short 't is but to be reveng'd on him for crying down theirs for there 's a certain Maleporrsaway thing as blind as a Beetle and as giddy as a Goose which they have Nick-named Reason and this Austin decries with some severity Thus the Learned Iuell against Harding Art 4. Diris 17. observes That Austin speaking of the Scripture judging Mysteries by Reason faith thus Haec consuetudo periculosa est per Scripturas Divinas enim multo tutius Ambulatur And again Si Ratio contra Divinarum Scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamvis acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine vera enim esse non potest If Reason be brought against the Authority of the Scriptures though it may seem â—…xte and witty yet 't is but fallacious under the shadow of Truth for 't is impossible it should be True And for this he quotes Ad Marcâ—…llinum Ep. 7. And let the Reader have a special care of the Quotation for the Ecclesiastical Politicians sake But that our Austin was no such Shallow-brain'd-fellow no such half-witted-piece as those Divines judge it their Interest to represent him I shall call in the Testimony of Ierome one whose Learning and Judgment may at least counterballance those of the Enquirer I have always says he to Austin Reverenced thy Holiness Increase in Vertue Thou art Famous through the World Catholicks Reverence thee as the Re-builder of the Ancient Faith And I promise you he must be no Blockhead that shall be able to Redintegrate the Ruinous Doctrine of the Christian Church But I shall knock all dead with an infallible and therefore irrefragable Testimony 't is no less I assure you than that of Coelestinus Bishop of Rome We have always accounted Austin a Man of Holy Memory for his Life and Merits of our Communion whom we have long since remembred to have been of so great Knowledge that he was amongst the best Masters It would be impertinent
to tell you how Panlinus Bishop of Nela calls him the great Light set upon the Candlestick of the Church or how Prosper gives him the Character of a very sharp Wit clear in his Disputations Catholick in his Expositions of the Faith But to what purpose should we control him with inferior Evidences after that of a Pope or to what end Subpoena our little Witnesses after these Grandees For surely he that will break Austins Pate will not fear to dash out Prospers Brains § 5. Another Branch of this endless Indictment is That being hard put to it by the Manichees on the one hand and the Pelagians on the other he was not able to extricate himself Se in illas Ambages induxit ut non invenerit qua se extricaret You see I hope that if ever we should want an able Head to translate Grotius into English our Enquirer is the Man Never was poor Man so bewildred so sadly intangled in the Bryers as this Austin between the Manichâ—…an fatal Necessity and the Pelagian Contingency one while he 's just a splitting upon the Seylla of Free-will and whilst he goes a Point or two too near the wind he 's ready to be swallow'd up of the desperate Gulf of Stoical Necessity I shall say no more let the Reader seriously peruse St. Austins Works and when he has done study this Enquirers Volumes and by that time he may be satisfied whether all his Rhetorick and Confidence will make him a competent Judge of St. Austins Learning § 6. His Conclusion of his Charge is That he was rather forced into his Opinions than made choice of them Hâ—… whose Tongue is his own may employ it how he pleases but this slander carries its Consutation as well as its Confidence in its Forehead 'T is as if we should conclude That Men become Enemies because they have shed one anothers Blood whereas most think they wound and shed one anothers Blood because they were first Enemies It was the Zeal of this Learned and Holy Person for the cause of God that put him upon Study that drew him out in the open Field against the open Enemies of the Grace of God who might otherwise have slept secure in a whole skin Dispute cleared up Truths to him but he was not forced from any or into any I shall conclude this Head with that of Bradwardine another famous Champion in the same Cause with Austin Eccè enim quod non nisi tactus dolore Cordis refero sicutâ—…lim contra unum Dei Prophetam octingenti quinquag inta Prophetae Real similâ—…s reperti sunt quibus innumerabilis populus adhaerebat Ita hodiè in hâc causâ Quot O Domine hodiè cum Pelagio pro libero Arbitrio contra gratuitam gratiam tuam pugnant contra Paulum Pugilem gratiae specialem Exurge ergo Domine sustine protege robora consolare seis enim quod nusquam virtute mei sed tuâ consisus tantillus aggredior tantam causam Behold which I cannot mention without griâ—…f of Heart as of old against one Prophet of God eight hundred and fifty of the Prophets of Baal and such like were found to whom a great multitude of People did adhere so in this Cause How many O Lord at this day contend for Freewill with Pelagius against thy free Grace and against St. Paul that Famous Champion of Grace Arise therefore O Lord uphold defend strengthen comfort me for thou knowest that not trusting to my own strength but thine so weak a Combatant has engaged in so great a Cause ¶ 2. His second assault is against the Synod of Dort A Task as needless as the Answer itself and such as will not quit for cost for having already routed Austin this poor Synod must fall in course with him and be buried under his Ruines That it was a Dutch Synod I cannot deny Dort is and always was in the Province of Holland and therefore to pare off as much needless Controversie as may be let him Triumph in our Concession and make his best on 't The Synod of Dort was a Dutch Synod That England was not within the Iurisdiction of Dort I shall easily admit Nay I can be contend that it be exempâ—…ed from the Popes Westâ—…rn Patriarchate if Grotius B. Branâ—…hal and some others would agree to it The Question then is How far the Church of England was or is concerned in at Agreement with or obliged by the Decrees thereof That King Iames sent thither several of his most Learned and Eminent Divines premunited with an Instrument and ther by impowred to sit hear debate conclude upon those Arduous Points that should be brought before them I think is not denied but by those who deny there ever was any such Synod That they did according to their Instructions go thither sit there debate upon and at last subscribe to the determinations of that Convention is also out of dispute If their subscription did not formerly oblige the Nation yet it evidently proves what was the Iudgment of the Nation Nor do I think it had been for the Honour of this Church to have been of that Religion because those Delegates had subscribed but they therefore subscribed because they were in their own Judgments conformable to that of the Church of the Religion and Judgment of the Council There had been formerly one Barâ—… in the University of Cambridge who delivered himself some what broadly in favour of the Arminian Novelties Hereupon the Heads of that University sent up Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Tyndall to A. B. Whitguift that by the interposition of his Authority those errours might be crush'd in the Egge which were but New-laid as yet and not hatch'd in the bosom of this Church The Zealous Prelate presently convenes some of the most Judicious Divines of his Province and Nov. 10. 1595. by their Advice draws up the Lambeth Articles coming up to if not going beyond the Dordrectan Creed Forthwith he transmits these Articles to his Brother of the other Province the A. B. of York who receives and approves them So that now we have the Primate of England and the Primate of All England owning more than virtually the Decrees of that Synod and surely two such persons so learned as having been both of them Professors of Divinity in the University and of so great Power in the Church must be presumed if any to understand the true meaning of the 39 Articles in the Five Controverted Points After all this King Iames allows the inserting them into the Articles of the Church of Ireland and it were some what difficult to believe that a Prince so wise and learned would allow that Doctrine for Orthodox in one of his Kingdoms which was reputed Heretical in the other unless we will say they were erroneous at home but purged themselves like French-Wines at Sea by crossing St. Georges Channel or that the malignity or latent poison of them was suck'd out by the sanative Complexion of
the Irish Air and Soyl If then the substance of the Articles was owned it 's no matter whether the Jurisdiction of the Synod was owneâ—… for I rather think that the Synod of Dort owned the Doctrine of the Church of England than that the Church of England owned that Synods Iurisdiction I must here remember him of his own discourse in the Introduction and desire to know whether he abide by that Doctrine he once Preach'd to us That the Presence of the British Bishops in the Council of Arles was good proof of the Nations Piety Let him show how that Proof proceeds and it s very probable we shall be in a fair way to show him how the Presence of the English Delegates at the Synod of Dort might imply that the Church of England did compromise with it in the Points now in Question I confess I do not well understand the Mystery of one company of Mens making a Faith for another but yet I may plead from an equality of Reason that if the Non-conformists are bound up by the Decrees of a Convocation at London where they have no representatives the Church of England may be as well bound up by the Decrees of Dort where she had her representatives If it be said that this Church had no equal Number at Dort to make a full representation of her Body it may be answer'd that in the Convocation 1571. there was no such equal representation of the Clergy nor any at all of the People who have Souls to save and Consciences to Account for and ought not to be concluded in matters of Faith by what a Couple of Clerks shall agree to who are only chosen by the Parochial Ministers I never saw a good Argument to this day to prove that the people ought to Believe all that their Ministers Believe or that the Ministers are bound to hold all that their Representatives shall subscribe seeing it cannot be supposed that they give them so large a Commission and if they should it were actually void because they give away their Consciences which are none of their own How things are now I know not well but in former times a Convocation had been judged no equal representation either of the inferior Clergy or the Body of the People In the lower house of Convocation there have been in some Diocesses one Dean one Clerk for the Cathedral three or four Archdeacons and for the inferior Clergy of the whole Diocess only Two Clerks to Counterballance all the rest So that all things must of necessity be concluded according to the Temper and Interest of the Cathedrals and that I think was no equal representation but these things are inconsiderable He comes now to draw up a Charge against not the Iurisdiction but the Doctrine of that Synâ—… 1. They were such as knew not how God could be Iust unless he was cruel nor Great unless he Decreed to Damn the far greater part of Mankind A company of silly Souls I perceive they were and their Heads just of the same size with St. Austins But in my poor judgment they took the wrong end of the Staff for it had been much he harder task to make him Iust if he were first supposed Cruel but this is one of those Chymerical Consequences which the persons of this distemper and prejudice use when their Blood is up to fasten upon the Principles of the Calvinists It was an Ingenious Observation of the Author of Orig. Sacr. p. 10. where he assigns this as one cause of errour To question the soundness of Foundations for the Apparent Rottenness of the Superstructures For says he There is nothing more usual than for Men who exceedingly detest some absurd Consequence they see may be drawn from a Principle supposed to reject the Principle it self for the sake of that Consequence which it may be doth not necessarily flow from it but from the shortness of their own Reason doth only appear so to do And if it were possible to perswade these Censurers to so much humility as to suspect they may possibly not be infallible in drawing Conclusions from other Mens Principles all this heat might be over What the Synod of Dort asserts in this matter is thus much Ar. 15. Deus Homines quosdam ex liberrimo justissimo immutabili beneplacito dectevit in Communi Miseriâ in quam se suâ Culpâ praecipitârunt relinquere nec salvificà side conversione donare sed in vijssuis sub justo judicio relictos tandem non tantum propter infidelitatem sed etiam Caetera peccata omnia ad declarationem Justitiae damnare aeternum punire In which as there is nothing but what is Iust so there 's nothing at all that is Cruel 1. That Act of God which our Enquirer for the greater Grace will call a Decree to damn the far greatest part of Mankind the Synod calls a Reliction of some Men or a Decree to pass by some Men. Quosdam Homines decrevit Relinquere 2. They say not that God Decrees to damn Men absolutely but Propter infidelitatem caetera omnia peccata damnare to damn Men for their Infidelity and all their other sins which is neither injustice nor cruelty 3. They say indeed that God Decrees to leave some Men in the common Misery but withal t is such as whereunto they have thrown themselves through their own fault In communi miseriâ in quam se suâ Culpâ praecipitarunt 4. They say this is an Act of Iustice in God to leave them to lie in that common misery into which they had plunged temselves it is Iustissimo Beneplacito So that all the difficulty will be to resolve 1. Whether it be an Act of Cruelty in God to leave Man as he found him in Massá corruptá damnabili And 2. Whether it be an Act of Injustice in God to damn Men for their unbelief and other sins If neither of these it will be no difficult province to make it out How God may be just in damning Men for their sin and yet not cruâ—… leaving them in their sin I am aware that this whole Controversie at last must empty it self into that of Original sin And a difficulty it is that may require strong Heads to prove that will not bring humble Faith to believe how Men have plunged themselves into the common Misery wherein God leaves those some by their own default Culpâ suâ But the Church of England will be responsible for this difficulty who determines in her Ninth Article That in every Person born into the World it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation The pretence for this odious Imputation is nothing but a Fancy which forsooth these great Masters of Wit have agreed to call Reason That that which would be Cruelty and Injustice in Man must presently be so in God As thus Because it would be Cruelty and Inhumanity in me to see my Enemy or if it were but his Oxe or his Asse lie in a
may have something to do to keep Man humble upon this Hypothesis But whether of these Two Principles makes the nearer Approach to the Church of England I mean that Doctrine which is express'd in the thirty nine Articles let the 10. Art judge The Condition of Man is such after the Fall that he cannot turn nor prepare himself by his own Natural Strength to Faith and calling upon God wherefore we have no power to do good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God preventing us that we may have a good will and working with us when we have that good will Our Enquirer will tell us by and by p. 9. That there has been little or no alteration made in the Doctrine of this Church since the beginning of the Reformation And therefore I conclude that there has been no alteration made from an Anti-Arminian to an Arminian sense for that cannot be called little or no alteration Now that this 10 Art in the beginning of the Reformation in Edw. VI. Reign had an Anti-Arminian sense will be out of Question to him that remembers what Addition there was then made to it The Grace of Christ or the H. Ghost by him given doth take away the Stony Heart and giveth an Heart of Flesh and although those that have no will to good things he maketh them to will and those that would evil things he maketh them not to will yet nevertheless he forceth not the will Articles Printed by I. Day Anno 1553. Cum Privilegio If this then be the sense of the Article let him go practise at home and turn his Brains how to keep Man Humble and yet neither make him Stock nor Stone and when he has found out the Mystery send word to the Synod who I am assured never asserted higher than this amounts to But if this be not the sense of the Article at present though it was once so then it must follow that the Church has more than a little alter'd her Doctrine since the Reformation And then a worse thing than all this will follow for p 8. He allows That if this Church did approach too near Popery it would serve to justifie a Secession from it But says another if it approaches too near Arminianism it approaches too near Popery and therefore our Enquirer will warrant any Mans Secession from the Church without the least imputation of Schisme What a close connexion there is between those two errours we shall hear e're long and thither we refer the Reader when we have told him that the Church of England is certainly free from any Tincture of Arminianism and so far free from any spot of Popery only it concern'd the Enquirer to understand the consequences of his own scandalous Reflections I have done with his first Answer 2. I come now to his second The Artiâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Church do with such adâ—… prudence and wariness handle thesâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paerticular respect was had to these Men and care taken that they might Abundare sensu suo I cannot imagine what greater Reproach he could throw upon these famous Articles and their worthy Compilers then to suggest that they were calculated for all Meridians and Latitudes As if the Church did imitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Delphian Apollo whose Oracles wore Two Faces under one Heed and were penn'd like those Amphilogies that cheated Croesus and Pyrrâ—… into their distruction Or as if like Ianus they looked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 backwards and forwards and like the untouch'd Needle stood indifferently to be interpreted through the two and thirty Points of the Compass The Papists do never more maliciously reproach the Scriptures than when they call it a Lesbian Rule a Nose of Wax a Leaden Dagger a Pair of Scamans Trowzes a Movable Dyal you may make it what a Clock you please And yet they never arriv'd at that height of Blasphemy as to say it was Industriously so penn'd by the Amannenses of the Holy Ghost I dare not entertain so little Charity for an Assembly of Holy and Learned Men convened upon so solemn an occasion that they would play Legerde main and contrive us a Systeme of Divinity which should be 〈◊〉 pacis non veritatis The Conventicle of Trent indeed acted like themselves that is a pack of Juglers who when they were gravelled and knew not how to hush the noise and impâ—…rtunate Clamour of the bickering Factions the Craftiâ—…r Lâ—…ng Mâ—…n found out a Temper as they call'd it to skin over that Wouâ—…d which they could not heal and durst not search And what was the success of these Carnal Policies only this Both parties retained their differing opinions believed just as they did befâ—…re and when they fâ—…und how they had been cajouled the Conâ—… versiâ—…s which for a while had been smothered under the Ashes of a Blind Subscription broke out into a more violent flame The craft of this Politick Juncto that impartial Hâ—…storian Pietro Polaâ—… has opened to the World Hist. Conne of Trent p. 216. In the â—…ear 1546. says she In the end of the Session Dominicus a Soto principal of the Dominicans wrote Three Books of Nature and Grace wherein all his old Opinions were found Then comes Andreas Vega a great Man amongst the Franciscans and he â—…ites no less than Fifteen Books upon the 16 Points of the Decree that passed that Session and expounded all according to his own Opinions And yet their opinions were directly contrary to one another though both supposed to agree with the Decree of the Council So Righteous it is with God that they who design not their Confessions for an Instrument of Truth which is Gods End should not find them an Instrement of Peace which is all their End They that will separate Truth from Peace shall certainly miss both of Pâ—…ace and Truth The Title prefix'd to the Book of Articles does abundantly secure us of their Honesty The Catholick Doctrine believed and professed in the Church of England Now how shall we at all believe if we know not what to belâ—…eve And if the Trumpet gives an uncertain Sound 't is all one as if it were not Sounded That which is every thing and every where is nothing and no where That which has no determinate Sense has no Sense and that 's very near akin to Non-sense The Iews indeed have a Tradition that the Manna was what every Mans appetite could relish and such a Religion would these Men invent as should be most flexible where it ought not to bend and where it should yield there to be inâ—…exible Strange it is that Religion of all things in the World should be unfix'd and like Delos or O-Brazile float up and dâ—…n in various and uncertain Conjectures What Aristotle â—…'d to say of oâ—… of his Books That is was Editus non Editus and what was the just reproach of the Rhemists Testament that it câ—…e forth as some reporâ—… of a great Princes Sword with
doubt not both of the purity and peace of their Consciences because 1. He allows no other Election then Gods determining absolutely of temporal Blessings p. 74. But the Church of England Art 17 having described a particular Election to Everlasting Life from Gods Everlasting purpose tells us That the godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to Godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ. He then that disowns this Doctrine must needs want one main ground of a pure and comfortable Conscience 2. They who own Justification by works want another bottom of a comfortable Conscience So the Church of England Art 11. Wherefore that we are Iustified by Faith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and full of comfort All peace then is founded in Grace In Gods Grace as the Fountain whence it springs and in the Operations of Grace upon the Soul as the Evidences of that Grace in God and though men may bless themselves in Evil and flatter themselves when they find prosperous Iniquity yet if any one be a lyar a persecuter a hater of Godliness and Godly Men a slanderer c. God speaks no peace to him and therefore it s more adviseable to boast less of a comfortable Conscience and mind the things that belong to a comfortable Importance 3. The last pretended cause of the Dissenters withdrawing from the Church of England is A Charge against the sufficiency but especially the sanctity of the Clergy The Dissenters do gladly acknowledge that the Learning and Piety of very many of the Ministers of the Church of England is such as deserves an honourable place in their hearts that they have not such a valuation for some of our Enquirers co-partners they beg his excuse till they may see more cogent Reasons to alter their Judgements when they are in the Humour to take a few sorry Sophismes candied over with Rhetorick to be Learning or uncharitable censoriousness crusted over with smooth Hypocrisie to be Piety they see nothing to the contrary but they may enlarge their Charities That there are many of the present Establishment eminent for sound Learning and exemplary Holiness who exercise Christian tenderness towards those who dissenting in Conscience do suffer for Conscience is the rejoycing of their Souls under their great pressures And they know that the more Learned and Godly any person is the more humble he must needs be A little knowledge ferments aâ—… impotent heart and makes it intolerably arrogâ—…nt but he that knows much amongst other things must needs know that he that stands in need of mercy from God and therefore will more readily shew pitty to Man He that knows what a tender Conscience is at home will pitty and indulge it wherever he meets with it abroad He that knows much cannot presume all the world enjoys his measures of Light The Enquirer might therefore well have spared this odious and invidious discourse had he not found it necessary first to make a Man of Clouts and then execute it And yet his Victory cannot be great in trampling on those that lye on the ground and can be laid no lower but in their Graves for to Hell he cannot send them Two needless things he will say to this Objection for he is full Et si non aliqua noâ—…uisset 〈◊〉 esset 1. Supposing this Objection had been true yet it could not be made by any Protestant without contradicting his principles No why not Oh for the Papists are taught that the efficacy of all Divine offices depends upon the intention and condition of him that administers but Protestants are taught it seems otherwise that the efficacy of all Divine Ordinances dependâ—… upon the Divine Institution and the concurrence of Gods Grace wiâ—…h my use of them The Reader must give me leave to repeat my former caution which is always understood though not exprest that I deny not the sanctity of the English Clergy my only task is to examine the strength of his Arguments which are sometimes so weak as would tempt the less considerate to conclude that cannot be true which so bold 〈◊〉 undertaker cannot make out His answer to the Objection is â—…nly more weak then the Objection it self For. § 1 When he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of Rome sure the Protestant Dissenters must expect no Quarter The Papists do indeed hold That the efficacy of Sacraments depends upon the Intention of the Priest but that it depends on the Condition of the Priest as to Holiness they assert not I shall produce one evidence of many Tolet de instructione sacerdotis lib. 1. cap. 92. propounds this Question Quando licet à ministris malis accipere Sacramenta When or in what case is it lawful to receive the Sacraments from wicked Ministers And the very moving of the Question implies that at least at sometimes and in some cases its lawful but this will more fully appear from his Answers which he gives 1. Negatively A non-toleratis ab EcclesiaÌ„ non licet ullum Sacramentum accipere etiam necessitatis tempore It s not lawful to receive any Sacrament from those who are not tolerated by the Church no not in case of necessity Here is Doctrine to his own hearts content and wherein the Jesuite may assure himself of our Enquirers suffrage A Non-conformist amongst them may not Baptize or Administer the Supper though the Salvation or Damnation of never so many depended on it And yet when the Casuist thinks better on 't he will except Baptism and perhaps the other Sacraments in the Article and point of deathâ—… A ffirmatively A mâ—…lis ministris dum non sequatur aliquod grave scandatum possumus sacra recipere Nam Ecclesia ipsos tolerat ipsi taâ—…a administrâ—…ntes sibi solis nocent We may receive Sacraments from wicked Ministers such as he there describes provided no grievous scandal follow upon it for the Church tolerates such as these and when they administer the Ordinances they hurt none but themselves Nay he quotes Pope Nick. to back him Isti sunt sicut fax aâ—…censa quae alios illuminat se consumiâ—… unde aliis commodum exhibent sibi dispendium praebent mortis These evil Ministers are like a burning Torch which enlightens others though it wast it self and destroy themselves by that very means whereby they advantage others but at last he comes to this Ab his quibus ex officio incumbit sive sint parati sive non licet petere accipere Sacramenta five ex necessitate five non quia ille ex officio tenetur quandocunque petiero ministrare nec ego jus meum à mitto ex illius malitiâ We may demand and receive Sacraments from those whose duty it is to Administer whether they be prepared or not whether it be in a case of necessity or not Because suâ—…h a one is bound by virtue of his Office to minister when I demand
That whatever success this Church has had in its Ministry upon the Souls of Men is due to those fundamental Truths and Doctrines of the Christian Faith which she obtains in Common with the Reformed Churches On the other side The Roman Faction persecutes and undermines this Church upon grounds equal to all the Reformed Churches and this Church is angry at least with Dissenters for those matters wherein she seems to approach too near Roman corruption 2. We come now to the Atheists A Generation so abominable of whom we may yet say as was said of the Astrologers in old Rome Hec genus hominum semper vetabatur semper in urbe nostrâ retinebitur A people always banished yet never departed from the City such a Tribe are these Atheists Every one has a hard word for them yet many entertain them you shall not meet with a Man in a Thousand but will liberally tail atâ—… damned Machiavellian policy which yet according to the proportion of their little wit they strive to imitaâ—…e which tempt me to think thâ—… they hate not so much his Knavery as they â—…epine at their ownfâ—…lly and judge not his politicks so evil as they are vext thaâ—… they cannot equallize him That they Nibble at his principles because they cannot reach his Wit It is but a slender evidence that another is in the right because Atheists are so grosly wrong And yet to declaim against Atheism has these considerable Advantages First some think they may be securely Atheistical themselves if they can but flourish with a few ingenious Sentences against them and a witty Libel against such is a sufficient Purgation for him that has a Talent to expose the rest of Religion Secondly it 's a plausible Argument that that Religion must needs 〈◊〉 excellent that has the worst of Men for its Enemies and they must certainly be adjudged worthy persons who are so Zealous against such Impiety what Man of Charity would suspect Irreligion to wear the Cloak of fâ—…rvency against Atheism And yet it 's common to hear it hotly prosecuted in the Pulpit by some who come warm from that Sâ—…rvice to the practise of it I dare 〈◊〉 it to the judgement of the impartial world whether he be not a â—…in to a practical one who disputes for a God and then tears Men in pâ—…eces for worshippinâ—… â—…im according to the best Light they can get from Scripture anâ—…â—…ature And in 〈◊〉 a manner as wherâ—… 〈◊〉 they caâ—… find no 〈◊〉 but that 't is not their â—…on and pâ—…ly was their own toâ—… not many years since and prâ—…ly had â—…een so still had they not been purchased into a better There are Three Questions here to be resâ—…ved What Atheism is Whence it comes And wherein does it oppose the Church and contribute to a separation from it 1. What Atheism is and who is the Aâ—…st And this is as needfuâ—… an Enquiry aâ—… any of those 〈◊〉 wherewith hâ—… tormenced us in the â—…ast Chapter I assure the Reâ—…der It is a word of a Volatile Nature and Versatile Signification as any that gives us trouble with its double meaning In Germany an Atheist once signiâ—…ed a Person that medled with the Popâ—…s Mitâ—…r 〈◊〉 the Monks fat Bellies Epicâ—…s of old some think was 〈◊〉 with Atheism because he could not swallow Polyâ—…heisme â—…t home some conclude he must be an Atheist that sâ—…ruples the Ius Divinum of Tyâ—…hes And if he shall detein a Tyâ—… Pig he is a Sacrilegious Atheist to boot Formerly it border'd upon Atheiâ—…m to have denied the Divine Right of Episcopacy but I see one may question that now and yet be a Christian What then an Atheist is I shall leave to the Industry of this Enquirer 2. But from whence this Atheism should proceed is a Question that has been so fully Answered by a Learned and Honourable Pen of latâ—… I shall not need to repeat any thing Yet this is obvious That when Preachers Preach against Preaching their Auditors may easily stumble into a belief that what they Preach is not much material to be believ'd when they had rather it should not be Preach'd at all than not under their Formalities If ever I should hear a Tradesman bitterly inveigh against Trading that it never was a good World since there was so much Trading that we never had peace since we had Markets twice a week that there can be no peace or settlement expected so long as Men may lay out their Money and buy their Goods where they pleased let such a one be dealt with as severely as the Enemies of Trade can wish I shall not plead his Cause To this if we shall adde that when the World takes notice that they who are called the Men of God and are therefore supposed to know most of him to be most like him and to represent him 〈◊〉 their lives as a Holy Merciful Tender and Gracious God aâ—… they present him in their Doctrine shall yet with unwearied fury prosecute Men to Poverty Pâ—…ison and Grave meerly for noncomâ—…lyance in those things which themselves have invented they give great occasion to Atheistical inclinations to say in their Hearts As good believe no God as one so cruel and unmerciful as his own 〈◊〉 reprâ—…sent him to us 3. But the last is the most important Question How or wherein does Atheism under 〈◊〉 the Church or contribute to separation from it That Atheism does oppose all Religion as such was never doubted in that it takes away the great Principle pre-suppâ—…sed to all Religion That there is a God but how it does particularly oppose the Church of England so far as she differs from others is I conceive the present Question It is somewhat difficulâ—… to imagine that they who have put off Humanity should scruple to put on anâ—… gatâ—… of obtaining Conformity They who have renounced onâ—… God will easily own a Thousand Ceremonies what were it to them iâ—… all the Numerous Rites of Rome were introduced could they but get the sense of a Deity obliteraâ—…ed out of their Consciences that they might sin without the stings and twinges of an approaching Judgment which is the prefection they aim aâ—… Their Heaven has no God in it their Hell no Devil in it It must be a strange Imposition which an Atheistical Throat cannot swallow he that is of no Religion as I said can subscribe to any Religion to which those Principles are very cognate which are contrived to avoid persecution under all Forms and Constitutions How therefore they should be such grand Enemies to Conformity I wait to be resolved 1. The Atheists says he will not set thâ—…ir 〈◊〉 against a Fanatick they must have higher Game By this Argument our Enquirer has demonstrated himself to be no Atheist yet I would not have him trust much to it I suppose too they have found higher Game than Ceremonies when they open their black mouths against God himself 2. They inflame the Causes of Divisions provoke Mens Passions
the Next such a one as whether or no it provided a Heaven in the other world would make a Purgatory of this Calvin was taught when to be Zealous and when Remiss to be Zealous in Gods cause and Remiss in his own which seems somewhat a better frame then theirs who are â—…re and â—…ow for their own inventions but as Cool as Patience it self in the concerning Truths of the Gospel To prove the moderation of our Church and that she cuts by a Thred or by Threds between both these extreams he produces an Argument both from Papists and Protestants Those of the Church of Rome cannot but confess all is good in our Liturgy Protestants on the other hand generally acknowledge the main to be good And so between them both give a glorious testimony to this Church as guilty of neither extreaâ—… There is nothing more Childish then to use an Argument which with the same ease may be retorted as used for those of the Roman Church condemn the Liturgy as defective in necessaries and fundamentals and Protestants complain of many Redundancies and Superfluities and so between them both they charge her as guilty of both the Extreams But I am afraid he has promised himself more respect from Rome then they will allow her If they will confess that all is good in the Liturgy now I am sure they would not have confest so much when it pray'd to be delivered from the Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome and all his detestable Enormities But if it hath been so well amended to gratifie the Papists give it one amendment more to gratifie the Protestants that they also may say There 's nothing but what is good in the Liturgy I have read that when the Embassadour of the Duke of Brandenburgh presented his Mandate in the Council of Trent he shewed his Masters good Affection to and Reverence of the Fathers of that Synod They answered very discreetly That the Council had heard his discourse with great content especially that part of it wherein the Elector doth submit himself to the Council and promiseth to observe the Decrees of it hoping that â—…is deeds will be answerable to his word But here as the Historian observes the Council pretended a promise of Ten Thousand when the bargain was but for Ten. The Embassador proffer'd Reâ—…erence and they accept of Obedience And thus the Fathers of the Council of Carthage giving an account to Innocent I. that they had condemned Câ—…lestius and Pelagius desired him to conform himself to their Declaration He commends them in his Answer that remembring the old Tradition and Ecclesiastical Discipline they had referred all to his Iudgement whence All ought to learn whom to Absolve and whom to Condemn An usual and pious allurement of the Church of Rome which yielding to the Infirmity of her Children maketh shew to believe that they have performed their Duty By the same Artifice would our Enquirer wheadle the Non-conformists into a good mood to acknowledge the Liturgie to be good in the main and that there are only some redundancies which they would have taken away 3. And now at last he will come home and close to the purpose That which I chiefly intend says he is that a great part of men have not their minds Elevated above the Horizon of their Bodies nor take an estimate of any thing but by its Impression upon their senses from whence say I it must needs follow That most men Judge of the Excellency of a Religion as it approves it self to their Carnal Interests and Ambitious Expectancies and if that will make to the purpose to prove that popular injudiciousness is a Cause of sâ—…paration from the Church let him make his best of it some think it proves the contrary Two things he will spend his Rhetorick upon as he goes along The Excellency of the Liturgy and the Excellency of his own Preaching which last we have had enough of to saâ—…iety if not to nauseousness very lately The Excellency of the Liturgy lies in being composed plainly gravely and modestly no Turgid or swelling words no novelty of Phrase or Method no Luxurianâ—…y of Wit or Fancy And might not this have passed for proof of the Excellency of the Homilies If the plain Composition the Gravity the Modesty of the Homilies innocent of all turgid or swelling expressions free from novelty of phrase or curiosity of mâ—…thod could not procure a reprieve but they are condemned to silence and instead of them we are all for Artificial Composures suggar'd phrase that will melt in the mouth And methâ—… such as brings Forreigners to England to be instructed in it Quaintness of Expression and Luxurianey of Wit and Fancy why then was not the Liturgy a little lickt over and trimm'd up more sprucely But if those Characters of Plainness Gravity Modesty humble Expressions Ordinary Language be the Glory of the Prayers why not of the Preaching also the old Homilies were too course Spun for modern Ears to hear the phrase too heavy and common the method cryptic and obscure but Preaching is now more finical and accommodated to the Itching Ears of well-bred Christians we are got into the mode of Lovedays Letters and Cassandra and Cleopatra as if God did not understand strong lines as well as the Ladies and as if we were not as much obliged to tell the People their duty as God our wants in small English Popular Rashness and Injudiciousness are great evils as it appeats but how to apply a proper and suitable Remedy to the evil is all the skill And first the Church of Rome says he have a Cure for this they appropriate all Iudgement to the Clergie and deal with the rest of Mankind as Sots and Idiots But the Church of England makâ—…s not her self the Mistress of Mens Faith or imposes upon their understandings she â—…eaches that our Saviour hath delivered the Mind of God touching the points of Necessary Belief plainly and in other lesser matters she allows a Iudgement of Discretion And will not this Iudgment of Discretion or Indiscretion become a cause of all those Divisions Separations and Schismes of which so loud a peal has been rung in our Ears And is not this a New Name for Popular Rashness and Injudiciousness Oh says he since the peace of the Church often depends upon such Points as Salvation does not and â—…nce in mâ—…ny of these every Man is not a Competent Iudge but must either be â—…n danger of being deceived himself or deceiving others or of necessiâ—…y 〈◊〉 trust some body wiser than himself she recommends as the safer way for such private persons to complâ—… wâ—… publick determinations and in so advising she jointly consults the Peace of the Chuâ—…ch and the Quiet of Mens Consciences These maâ—…ters seem very Artificially put togâ—…ther and the taking them asunder will discover their weakness 1. Let me have a solid Reason given why the Peace of the Church should be laid upon those things which Salvation depends not
upon Is the Peace of the Church â—…rown so cheap and vile that it should be sold for things unnecessary One while he cries up Peace so high p. 108. That he protests if a Man must suffer Martyrdome he thinks it equally acceptable to God to lay down a Mans life for preservation of the Peace and Unity of the Church as in Testimony against flat Idolatry Are they not to be admired that value Peace more than their Lives and yet will venture it upon indifferent things Are they not more to be admired that extol Peace so highly and yet sacrifice it to their own meer wills and pleasures But is not this yet the greatest wonder that Peace should depend oâ—… that which Salvation does not and yet he will sacrifice his Life for it as soon as against that upon which his Eternal Damnation depends 2. If Men be not Competent Iudges of their own Actions what is become of that Iudgement of Discretion wherewith we were even now gratified Is this the Iudgement of Discretion to surrender our Consciences upon Discretion The Romanists who appropriate all Iudgement to the Clergie and deal with the rest of Mankind as Idiots and Sots could have said no more then that Men are not Competent Iudgâ—… of their own good And if we may not be allowed a liberty to judge for our selves in those lesser matters debatable amongst Christians much less in those greater matters which they say admit of no debate And how much our Authors Cure is better than that of the Romanists I know not I think they are both worse then the Disease 3. Why is not the danger of trusting others as great as trusting to the Word of God Mine Eyes may be presumed to see for my conduct as faithfully as another Mans and my own Conscience will probably be as faithful to my Eternal concerns as any ones I could find And I have tried it that it 's much easier to obtain a moral certainty that I have the Mind and Will of God then that I have grasped the Mind of any Church from their most Authentick Articles or Confessions of Faith 4. Why should others be troubled that I am not so wise as they It 's none of my trouble that they use their liberty without dispising whilst I exercise that which God has given me without judging If we must trust others in composing Worship and Divine Service for us Terms of Communion of Christians where is then the difference between That and the Popish Implicit Faith This will make the People Sheep indeed but silly ones I am sure such is my weakness I can see no difference between Blind Obedience and trusting others with the determination of it or between Implicit Faith and trusting others as the Reason of my Belief either then here 's no Remedy or one worse then the Disease The Disease at worst is but to enjoy a liberty in those things Christ left free nor is there any necessity that freedom should be 〈◊〉 and the Remedy to trust others blindfold with our Consciences whom we have no assurance will be over tender of them and if we had have no Commission from Christ to intrust them any where but in his own hands But what now if the people be foolish proud and contentious what remedy has the Church 〈◊〉 Why she only declares them guilty of sin and contâ—…macy and casts them out of Communion But â—…hat if they be humble and meek and peaceabâ—…e only cannot by searching studying praying discoursing see the lawfulness of the imposed Terms of Communion Must the Church declare them contumacious and cast them out of Communion It may tempt us to think that is no Remedy of Gods prescribing that deals alike with humble and pround the peaceable and contentious But for all this demureness I doubt there are other Remedies besides a Declaration other Weapons besides Paper Pellets There is a Significavit a Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo de Harâ—…tico Comburendo An Oath of Abjuration a Warrant of Distress if they submit not to those Impositions upon which Salvation depends not and in their judgements such as are sinful and then damnation is hazarded by them I have often admired the modesty of the Church of Rome She never put any Man to death She never burnt any at a Stake It 's not for Holy Men Men of Peace to shed Blood to be Instruments of Cruelty No the Church only delivers them over to the Secular Power and what he does with them how he treats them she knows nothing Thus having drawn in the Magistrate to do her Drudgery she wipes her Mouth washes her Hands and protests she is Innocent of the Blood of these Men. An Objection was timely foreseen that might be made against his Discourse and like a person that knew how to be friendly to himself he has put it in favourable and gentle Terms This will equally extend to all other Reformed Churches as well as our own and might have brought forth all the evil we complain of and impute to it in former Ages as well as now for the generality of the People were not much wiser then now That is the Protestant Churches have their Members as lyable to mistake beyond Sea as ours on this side they have Private Reason as well as we and a Iudgement of Discretion too and so had the Primitive Times too Christians then were equally in danger of being seduced by their own injudiciousness and yet the one continued in much peace and the other still continues so without the Remedy of Imposing Mystical Ceremonies Nay to speak properly without the Disease of Impositions The not imposing doubtful things as the Terms of Communion were with them the Prophylacticks of Schisms and Divisions and the imposing of them which is strange is the Therapeutick of Schisms and Divisions to which he answers two things § 1. That other Churches found the effects of Ignorance and Arrogance more or less as well as we To which might be returned That they found it not in those things which they left free but if at any time they laid the weight of the Churches peace upon unnecessaries they found in proportion the same effects of the same Cause which we have found But says he that was to be ascribed not to the happiness of their Constitutions but to the unhappiness of their Conditions I confess I am not altogether of his mind it was mainly due to the happiness of their Constitution there were fewer Contentions because fewer Bones of Contention and less of Divisions because they united upon a Scrâ—… ptural and therefore secure bottom That the Church of Corinth needed a check for her Divisions is very true and a smart one she deserved And 't is as true too That the Apostle had not Recourse to our Modern Remedies to exert his Apostolical power to silence the Clamour by darting the Thunderbolt of Excommunication against the weaker Party and yet he had a far more specious pretence
Glory and to confirm them in thâ—…r blind Idolatries when the God that made Heaven and Earth gave the fullest discoveries that it was fit for Mankind to expect Upon the Account of this the Jews rejected that Messias they had so long expected and gloried in before he came though he exactly answered all the Characters of Time Place Lineage Doctrine and Miracles that their own Writings had described him by No wonder then if the Non-consormists suffer under Prejudice amongst those that have not only seen their Doctrine stigmatized with the odious Marks of Judaism their Churches with the Brand of Schism their Persons with Treason and Rebellion but also had been formed into a Combination against them and so had both their Consciences and worldly Interest engaged against them and it For few have the generosity and strength of mind to bear up against the Torrent of Times or confidence enough to oppose the Impetuousness of common Vogue or prevailing Opinion There are not many that have the sagacity to discern the true Images of things through those thick Mists that cunning Politicians cast about them It 's very ordinary to take the Condemnation of any Person or Party for a sufficient Proof of the Accusation and to think the Indictment Proved It was enough both with the Jews and Gentiles against our Saviour that he was condemned as a Malefactor The Ignominy of his Cross was a greater Argument against him with the Generality then the excellency of his Doctrine or Evidence of his Miracles was for him The Arguments against Non-conformity were not weighed but numbred An Impeachment of Accumulative Disorder Schism Faction Judaism Popular Rashness and Disobedience to Magistrates was formed against them and still there was more in the Conclusion then â—…uld be made â—…ut by the Premises and in the Sum Total then in the Particulars of which it consisted for though no Point of all these could be proved against their Doctrine Worship or Discipline yet they must be so upon the whole This being Agreed the Cry is then Crucifige Destroy it Root and Branch To all which add that it was the corrupt interest of some to deceive others into an ill Opinion of the Reformation partly as being enraged that any sparks of Primitive Purity should be left unquenched which might burn up their vast hopes they had conceived of dividing the spoil amongst themselves Partly being conscious to themselves that by Reason of their no more then Declamatory Vulgar and Puerile Abilities improved from Apothegms and Proverbial Sentences they could not be fit to fill any considerable place in a Church Reformed according to the Scriptures nor yet to content themselves with a private station in a persecuted Society they therefore chose to fall in where they might be entertained as useful Tools and rewarded for their singular Talents of Reviling And when once it is come to that pass That by this Craft we get our Livings one two or three like the Silver-smiths of Ephesus no wonder if the Apostolical Doctrine and Government be cried down and the Great Diana of Pauls-conformity cried â—…p sooner then built The sum is this some men are blindly led by their Education and care taken that they never come to a view of the Dissenters principles others by Interest forced to espouse that Religion that has the fairest Dowry A third sort by their Reputation that they may not seem to have been in an Errour And when all these Causes shall as they too frequently do happily concur such an associated and complicated Temptation will form a prejudice strong enough to oppose the clearest Demonstrations and to stir up so much rancour and malignity as shall incessantly persecute mis-represented Truth I will add one word from the Learned Author of Orig. Sacr. and conclude It cannot be conceived That many out of Affectation of Novelty should declare themselves Christians in the Primitive times when so great hazards were run upon in the professing ofit Few soft spirited men and lovers of their own â—…ase but would have found out some fine distinctions and nice evasions to have reconciled themselves to the publick Laws and such things which the Primitive Christians so unanimously refused when tending to Idolatry and Prophaneness An ordinary Judgement will soon determine whether party may more plausibly complain of being pressed down with unreasonable prejudices They that will appear in the Quality of Dissenters must stem the violent Current of prevailing Example inveterate Custom whilst others have nothing to do but skull away with the Tide when it comes in with the Celeusma of Queenhithe westward hoe Lambeth hoe Dissenters must storm the Turn-pâ—…kes of Reproach Poverty and those more formidable ones of the displeasure of Friends and wrath of Superiours smoaking out in Imprisonment or other penalties besides the Ecclesiastical Charitiâ—…s of Excommunication The rest have nothing more to do but patiently and meekly submit to Preferments and Dignities And if they can but compass such a measure of self-denial as to renounce ruine and misery and rise to such a height of contentment as to be willing to enter upon Ease and Aâ—…luence the worst is over and their greatest prejudices conquered 4. The last cause of the Distractions and ill Estate of this Church is the want of true Christian Zeal and of a deep and serious sense of Piety And the Enquirer wishes that it be not the greatest as well as the last And so do I too for the want of Zeal for Gods Commands makes us so scalding hot for Humane Constitutions The want of such a Zeal for the Authority of Christ as a King makes us so bold to Invade his Office The want of Zeal for the Perfection of Scriptures makes us so Zealous for unscriptural Traditions The want of Zeal for the substance makes us so Zealous for Ceremonial shadows When all those Spirits that Holy ardour of Soul that flame of Affection which ought to be expended in the love of God and his Law is evaporated in Airy speculations contentions for and impositions of new Inventions This Cause is plainly in the number of those which like the Weathercock conform to every gust of Wind It is Communis juris and therefore the first occupancy creates a Title What was it made the Primitive Church so unanimâ—…s that it was not crumbled into parties nor mouldred away in Divisions nor quarrelled about Opinions nor separated one part from another upon occasion of little scruples but because the turbulent â—…pirit of Imposition was not yet raised nor ambitious domineering over the Faith and Consciences of the Brethren had not yet got any considerable Head It 's true there was a spice of this encroaching Humour found amongst the Iudaizing Christians who would needs obtrude their Ceremonies upon the Gentile Converts as necessary to Communion with the Church but the divinely inspired Apostles were ready at hand to check the growing Evil and vindicate the Churches from the serviâ—…ude â—…f beggarly Rudiments It
which the present necessity did restrain 4. Churches are not to feighn necessities and Imaginary Exigencies as an Engine of ambitious spirits to try conclusions upon mens Consciences or practise upon their â—…ameness and therefore the necessity ought to be such as carries its own evidence along with it There are many things which the Divine Authority had determined as to its â—…id and sort which yet are not so determined in the Inâ—…viduals now when a Church meets with any of these she must come to a determination for otherwise the Divine Commands cannot possibly be reduced into act nor our duty Exercised Thus he has commanded his Churches to assemble themselves together for publick worship he has appointed them Ordinances wherein to receive mercy and grace from him and Officers to administer the Ordinances in the Church the Church therefore is obliged to do whatsoever is necessary to the doing of her duty Thus Goâ—… having obliged them to worship they must come to an agreement about the place meerly because 't is impossible to meet no where But if the divine will hath not determined in specie man cannot under the most specious pretence of decency or adorning the worship institute any thing because it wants some head of a Divine Command to which to reduce it Thus God having given no Command to any Church to worship him under sensible formes and signes of Invisible Grace no Church has power to Institute any such and worship God by them For in this case Divine wisdome Love and Authority have demonstrated themselves and setled Enow to answer Gods Ends and ours If he had said as often as you baptize besides the washing with water which I have commanded you see that you make some figure over the face of the person to be baptized and not determined the figure whether Hexagonal pentagonal or the like the Church must come to a conclusion about some figure or the duty must for ever lye fallow But a General Command that all things be done decently and in â—…der will never introduce these Symbolical Ceremonies because the Command may be satisfied without them or any of them they are â—…ot necessary so much as by disjunction whatsoever is comprehended under a Divine precept is a necessary duty at least by disjunction Antecedent to any Command of any Church but these Ceremonies are not necessary in any sense antecedently to the Command of a Church and therefore are not comprehended under that General precept Let all things be done decently and in order And indeed if they were the sign of the Cross would be a necessary duty not only in oâ—… at Baptisme but in the Lords Supper in every prayer in alâ—… preaching in singing of Psalms and in every Religious Exercise seeing that precept enjoyns all things to be done decently and in order And we may presume that our Saviour with his Disciples and Apostles performed All divine service in the most decent congruous and edifying modes and yet they never practised that or any other Ceremony of that sort and therefore they are not comprehended under the Rule Nevertheless our Enquirer is resolved he will give us two Instances of this Truth that some things are necessary to the Constitution and administration of a particular Church that are not in themselves necessary absolutely considered And if he thinks it worth the while he may give us two hundred for we are perfectly unconcerned in them all 1 The first instance is in the Apostles times the abstaining from things strangled and blood was by the Council of Ierusalem adjudged and declared necessary to be observed by the Gentiles in order to an accommodation between them and the Iews and yet I suppose scarce any body thinks the observation of that Abstinence so Enjoyned necessary in it self Let us apply it either then the abstaining from Ceremonies must be adjudged necessary in order to an Accommodation between our Church and other Protestants or the obsâ—…rving of them be adjudged necessary in order to an accommodation between us and the Romanists which he would chuse I am not informed But let us Examine a little his great Instance § 1. It was adjudged and declared necessary to be observed saâ—… he Therefore say I it was enjoyned because first necessary and not made necessary by the Injunction The thing was not unnecessary before the Synâ—…dal Letters nor the Council at liberty to have determined the contrary unless an accommodation between Jew and Gentile was a thing unnecessary 15. Acts 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon yoâ—… no greater burden then those necessary things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now let him try his skill to conclude a power to impose things unnecessary from this fact of theirs who only imposed things necessary § 2. That a Council had the Immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost and might more safely adventure upon such an Imposition then any particular or National Church who as they have no promise cannot in faith expect any such extraordinary direction and we hope that no Church will assume equal power to impose unless they could produce equal authority for their power in which the Consciences of Christians might securely acquiesce It would be strange language from a Synod It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no other burdens then these necessary things that yet observe all Ceremonies of our appointment § 3. The people might reasonably conform to that decree which had their own Antecedent consent and the more patiently bear the burden which was not imposed upon them without themselves for this Canon was not only sent to the Churches by the order of the Apostles and Elders and the whole Church v. 22. but what ever obligatory power there was in it from man It ran in the name of the Apostles Elders and Brethren But alas the Case is otherwise with the poor Churches in reference to impositions of late Ages who know no more what Impositions shall be laid upon their Consciences then the poor horse is acquainted whither his Master intends to ride him § 4. This was a Decree not to burden them but to case and relieve them not to pinch the Gentiles but to discharge them of those servile loads which some Judaizing Converts would have imposed on them we read v. 1. That certain came down from Iudea which taught the brethren and said Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved And when Paul and Barnabas opposed this Tyranny yet such was their Zeal for their old Ceremonies that they reinforced their scatter'd squadrons from certain of the Sect of the Pharisees who believed v. 5. saying That it was necessary to Circumcise them and Command them to keep the Law of Moses At last the Case comes before the Council and they determine against these Judaizing Bigots That their blind Zeal should not be the measure of what was necessary or unnecessary and yet not to
it was Winter and Iesus walked in Solomons porch How shall we draw in Christs conformity from these words It was Winter Ergo Jesus approved the Feast He walked in Solomons poreh Ergo he condescended to that usage The business was no more then this Christ went up and down doing good and seeking all occasions for that great end of his coming into the World Where most Fishes were there he threw his Net where the greatest Confluence of People were gathered there he preached He took them where he could find them they would not come to him he would go to them whatever was the Lawfulness of that Feast or the occasion of their assembly Christ could make a Holy advantage of it to preach the Gospel for their Salvation 5 He made his own Institutions of Baptism and the Lords Supper as Consonant to their Customs as 't was possible A notable instance it was of his Condescension if it was but true but I am afraid we shall not be so happy as to see clear evidence of it which is therefore to be lamented because our Enquirer will miss an Advantage of charging Dissenters with Iudaizing in the Sacraments But I will promise him thus mucâ—… when Non-conformists have a Commission from Heaven to Institute Sacraments they shall if I can prevail make them as Consonant to all honest Customs as 't is possible but till then I hope he will not be displeased that we regulate all our Customs by Christs Commands and not warp his Commands to our Customs 6. He would not disturbe them with Novelty but ingratiateâ—… himself and his Doctrine by these complyances I have but one answer to these Objections Let him be imitated Let all that profess the name of Christ so far evidence the sincerity of their profession as not to torment mens Consciences with New fangles nor vex an Age wearied with contending and willing to be quiet with Novel inventions Let all Junior â—…ervances be reduced to the sacred Rule and Rubrick and then we shall all conform and joyn cheerfully in the Antiphonie As it was in the Beginning so it is now and ever shall be World without end 7. When a certain Tribute was demanded of him he first proves he was not oblidged to pay it yet least he should offend them determines to pay it and works a Miracle to enable Peter to pay it An unanswerable Argument that Non-conformists are not exempted from Taâ—…es and Subsidies But what 's their Coine to their Conscience It may seem a piece of unpardonable boldness to say that Dissenters go beyond this pattern And yet 1. they plead no Immunity from Assessments Nor 2. pay their Levies meerly to â—…id offence but out of sence of their duty Nor 3 can they raise Money so easie as by Miracle they are glad to work hard for it and yet they endeavour to get their Silver ready against it be called for and if their Persens or Purses may serve their Prince they know nothing too precious for his service that under the Auspices of his Gracious Government they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty And now let the Enquirer cast up his Accounts and see what he has gained Declaro by all these great examples The Apostle who was strong in the Faith parted with something of his Liberty to please and gain the weak therefore the weak must part with their Consciences wherein they have no liberty to gratifie the strong Jesus Christ who was the Lord of Worship accommodated his Ordinances to the Jewish Customs therefore the Non-conformists who have no power over worship may accommodate their practices in Worship to the present Customs St. Basil concealed his judgment in a great Truth Therefore Non-conformists may subscribe what they judge a falsehood From the publick instances our Enquirer at last Appeals to our Consciences Let me Appeal says he to the Consciences of men is it â—…t plain from hence that although I be perswaded that such a certain Rite is less commendable in it self yet if it appear to be an Instrument of Accommodation that it is therefore in that Case best on that Account These Retrogade Appeals from the publick Iudgment to the private Conscience are wholy irregular yet since he has appealed to Conscience to Conscience he shall go whose determination in the case if it may be heard speak is this That it is plain from those Instances that if any rite in it self indifferent shall prove an Instrument of Distraction and Division it 's just upon that account to abolish it but his Appeal was not drawn Clerk-like for the competition and contest is not amongst us between â—…ne Mysâ—…ical Ceremonie and another but between Ceremonies and no Ceremonies If the Controversie were about a meer circumstance of time or place or the Natural cloathing of a Religious Action As whether the publick worship shall Commence at Nine or ten a clock or whether it shall be celebrated in a house of Timber or stone in which Determination the Worsâ—…ippers may perhaps suffer some 〈◊〉 â—…ut the worship it self no prejudice seeing we must worship our God at some time and some place we can have no concern for stiffness or abstinacy but when the Controversy shall be about such Rites which being neither in general commanded nor in their individuals expressed do enter into the worship it self as an Integral part of that Devotion which we present to the divine Majesty we say such Rites are sinful on this side the Command of a Church and can be no fit Instruments of Accommodation After many an Impertinent paragraph The Enquirer starts a New Question which though I never once dream't of it shall have that attendance it deserves If I am perswaded that such an opinion is more true then that which is publickly owned so long 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 doctrine of Christianity is not in dispute may I 〈◊〉 rather conceal if then disâ—…urb the Church The case is I confess before mean 〈◊〉 and the best assistance I can contribute to it's Resolution is to recommend him to the Apostle 14. Ro. 22. Hast thâ—… Faith have it to thy self before God! upon which Text our Enquirer descants notably 1. By faith in the Text says he the Apostle means not the Doctrine of Christianity For then the Meaning should be That he that understands the great Doctrine of Christianity should conceal it well but what hurt in a concealement St. Basil was just now applauded for dissembling the Coessentiality of the H. Spirit which if the Athanaâ—… Creed say true is one of the great Doctrines of Christianity necessary to be believed for salvation 2. By Faith says he is not meant the Habit of saving Faith we Agree to it And are glad he can find such a thing as a Habit of saving Faith 3. By Faith is meant only a perswasion of the â—…awfulness of such a thing in it self indifferent I shall not contradict yet let me say 1. That though it be a
did attend Can. 8. We recommending not commanding to the serious consideration of all good people The doing reverence and obeissance at their coming in and going out of the Churches Chancels and Chappels in the practise or omission of which Rite they desire that the Rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be observed That they which use this Rite despise not them which use is not and that they who use is not condemn not those that use it Which Rule was it applied to all other matters of the like nature would undoubtedly preserve what of Love is left and recover that measure of Christian amity which is lost Peace may be had under differing notions about indifferent things and peace must be had under differing practises suitable to those differing notions not by screwing up the weak to the Latitude which the strong allows himself nor by pulling down the strong to the narrow practises wherein the weak are confined but by the strong Christians not despising the weak and the weak Christians not judging his more grown and stronger Brother v. 4. The Apostle gives a Reason against this uncharitable judgment who art thou that judgest another mans servant every Christian as to his Conscience is Alieni fâ—…ri the Servant of God And if he be summon'd before a forreign Tribunal may plead It is Coram non Iudice To his own Master be standeth or falleth v. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind The things before us may perhaps be indifferent in themselves but yet if we have not a full assurance that they are so we are bound to suspend our act For as our rejoycing must be in our selves and not in another so must our satisfaction 'T is not the clearness of a practise in anothers mind that will warrant my acting I must be fully satisfied in my own mind v. 13. The Apostle lays down an excellent Rule for the prudent restraint of our Christian Liberty Let us not therefore judge one another but let every man judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way If my Christian Liberty will warrant me to act yet Christian Charity will teach me to moderate my self in the use of that liberty when such acting would occasion the sin of him that is not so perswaded of the Lawfulness of my fact which is to be limited to things of this nature whereof he treats namely things indifferent for if my Brother will be offended at what God has made my duty there 's no remedy but that he lay aside his unjust offence and not that I lay aside my necessary duty v. 15. The Apostle gives a Reason of his former Rule If thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat then walkest thou not charitably And much more if he be scandalized and drawn into sin Is it not a most unchristian humour to insist so peremptorily upon doing because in it self Lawful when Charity countermands that doing and therefore 't is unlawful in the use Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed surely thou hast little value for a soul redeemed by the blood of Christ if thou wilt for a sorry indifferent thing hazard its eternal damnation our liberty to act must stand out of the way when a Brothers soul comes in place v. 19. Let us follow the things that make for peace and the things that may edify one another Here we have another Rule for the restraint of our liberty in things indifferent When the using my liberty would disturb the peace of the Church I must cease to act for the strong may forbear what he judges Lawful and yet the weak cannot do what he judges sinful And therefore to the strong he speaks thus v. 22. Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God Art thou perswaded such a thing is Lawful notwithstanding the many violent presumptions of others of it's sinfulness keep thy judgment to thy self trouble not the Church with thy Orations let thy disputing talent yeeld to the weak judgment of others But to the weak he speaks thus v. 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin All this while here 's not one syllable of restraining Christian Liberty by the Authority of another by outward force and violence all must be determined by a Christians own Prudence as moved by the edification of anothers Charity to his soul and the peace of the community not a word to consult my own secular advantage and emolument Not a letter that Conscience Christian Liberty private wisdom my own Reason must be impressed to militate under the command and conduct of the publick wisdom the publick Reason or the publick Conscience That is therefore the thing which he must bring about by sorrâ—…e lincks of consequences some trains of deductions And he advances towards his conclusion by winding staires that we may be lead seniâ—… sine sensu to the top of his matter to the height of his design without taking notice of our ascent and the whole contrivance of this Chapter lyes in the Dexterous management of this one Engine 1 His first Postulatum is this That Christian Liberty doth consist in a freedom in utramque pray do not mistake him that is that antecedently to the Considerations of prudence peace and charity it 's equally in the power of a Christian to do or not to do any or all those things that are not expresly forbidden by the H. Scriptures Very good Then I will assume But to love God with all my heart and soul and strength is one of those things which God hath not expresly forbidden in the H. Scripture Therefore antecedently to the Considerations of prudence peace and charity It 's in the power of a Christian to love or not to love God with all his heart and that Christian Liberty consists in this freedom in utramque I am not so uncharitable as to think that the Enquirer owns this conclusion or that any principle he holds will inferr it All I note it for is to evince to him that he has worded his matters besides his onw intention and that he intended really to have said That Antecedently to the Considerations of prudence charity it 's equally in the power of a Christian to do or not to do any or all those things that are not expresly forbidden by nor contradict the express Laws of the Scriptures And taking the words according to the presumption of his meaning and not the Letter I say 1. Here 's something more then Truth That Christian Liberty gives us a power to do what is not expresly forbidden many things are forbidden by consequence which are not expresly forbidden I pray shew me an express prohibition to recognize the Popes Supremacy To subscribe the Tridentine Decrees And if this be part of the Enquirers Christian Liberty to do what is not expresly forbidden I hope he
Catechism That Children do perform Faith and Repentance by their sureties is also as great a stumbling to our Faith and we cannot get over it How the Adult should believe and repent for Minors or Infants Believe and Repent by Proxie I omit many others § 2. They plead that they are not satisfied in the use of any Mystical Ceremonies in Gods Worship and particularly they judge the use of the Cross in Baptism to be sinful A Sacrament of Divine Institution according to the definition of the Church in her Catechism is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible Grace given unto us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof where we have 1. The matter of a Sacrament An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual Grace 2. The Author of a Divine Sacrament Christ himself 3. The End of it to be a means to convey the thing signified and a pledge to assure us of it Hence it 's evident that it 's simply impossible that any Church should institute a Divine Sacrament because they cannot give it a Causality to those Graces it is instituted to signifie Nevertheless it 's possible for Men to institute Humane Sacraments which shall have the Matter of a Sacrament That is an outward Visible Sign of an inward Spiritual Grace and they may pretend to ascribe an effect to it also to stir up to excite or encrease Grace and Devotion And yet because it wants the right efficient Cause it 's no lawful Sacrament though it be an Humane Sacrament Such an institution say they is the Sign of the Cross. An outward Visible Sign of an inward Spiritual Grace Ordained by Men as a means to effect whatever Man can work by his Ordinance Here is the matter without Divine Signature which is the thing they condemn it for 3. They plead that since Communion with the Church is suspended and denyed but upon such Terms as take away Christian Liberty in part and by consequence leave all the rest at Mercy they dare not accept of Communion upon those Terms There are some things which God has in the general left free and indifferent to do or not do yet at some times and in some Cases it may be my great sin if I should do some of them as when it would wound the Conscience and destroy the Soul of a weak Christian If now I shall engage my self to the Church that I will never omit such an indifferent thing and the Soul of that weak Christian should call to me to omit it I have tyed my Hands by engagement I cannot help him though it would save his or a thousand Souls out of Hell because I have given away my freedom to the Church 4. They plead that they ought not to hazard their Souls in one Congregation if they may more hopefully secure them in another for that their Souls are their greatest concernment in this World and the next Now say they there 's no Question but Men Preach such as they Print with pubiick allowance and therefore they ought to provide better for their Souls elsewhere Especially they say That the Doctrine of Justification is Articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae an Article with which the Church falls or stands This Article say they in the Parish where we live is quite demolish'd by the Doctrine of Iustification by Works we are bound therefore to provide for our safety and depart and when we are once out we will advise upon another Church not which is tolerable but which is most eligible and in all things nearest the Word 5. They plead that there 's no obligation upon them to own the Churches Power to impose new Terms of Communion unless the Church can prove her Power from Christ it 's not for them to disprove it it lies upon her to prove it and to prove it substantially too or else it will be hard to prove it their duty to own it 6. They say the World is pestered with Disputes about Worship about Religion and therefore since all cannot be in the right they are willing to go the safest way and Worship God according to his Word If the things disputed be lawful to be done let 'em be so they are sure its lawful to let 'em alone and they think there 's no great hazard in keeping to Scripture Rule nor can believe that Christ will send any to Hell because they did not Worship God in an External Mode more neat and spruce then God commanded 7. They pretend that the things imposed are parts of Worship which none can Create but God nor will God accept of any but such as are of his own Creating and whether they be Integral or Essential Parts they do not know but in the Worship of God they find them standing upon even ground with those that are certainly Divine or at least as high as Man can list them 8. They do not find that God ever commanded the things imposed either in general in special or their singulars If God has commanded a Duty to be done the Church must find a place to do it in but though the Church must find a place for the Duty a time for the Duty she may not find new Duty for the time and place 9. They are the more cautious of all Ceremonies because the old Church of England in her Homilies Serm. 3. Of Good Works tell us That such hath been the corrupt inclination of Man superstitiously given to make New Honcuring of God of his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that then to search out Gods Holy Commandments and do them 10. They say they have read over all the Books that have been written in justification of those things and they find their Arguments so weak their Reasons so futilous that setting aside Rhetotick and Railing there 's nothing in them but what had been either answered by others or is contradicted by themselves which hardnes them in their Errour who are gone astray into the right way 11. They say it 's their duty to endeavour a Reformation according to the Word which if others will not they cannot help it and hope they will not be angry with the willing PART II. CHAP. I. The several ways for prevention of Church-Divisions mentioned by the Enquirer considered The Papal Methods 1. Keeping the People in Ignorance 2. An infallible Iudge 3. Accommodating Religion to the Lusts of Men. Three other ways mentioned by the Enquirer 1. Teleration 2. Comprehension 3. Instruction AS that Person will highly merit of this present Age whose discerning eye shall discover and his charity propound to the world such rational expedients as may amicably compose our present differences upon terms comporting with the Consciencious principles of the contending parties so our fears of the success are justly greatned by the frequent disappointment of our hopes Confident Pretenders posting up their Bills in