preaching against the true Christ preaching against the Scribes and Pharisees and they affirming him to be a deceiver And I dare maintain that what they preach contrary to what we preach in publick if they do to be contrary to sound doctrine Object You say you do nothing but what is good you set open the great doors and little doors not caring who sees who heareth you Answ 1. Admit that what is preached is good yet it is not well done good things should be well done according to rule and order 2. The Tree is known by the fruits and by your such Meetings we see the publick Ordinances slighted neglected contemned 3. I cannot accuse what is delivered in your Meetings but if it is contrary to what we preach in publick it is not good doctrine And let me tell you that John of Leyden infused his dangerous opinions in private Meetings and how our Mr. Thrask in publick preached sound truths but in his private Meetings he did indoctrinate his followers with his pernicious principles Object They who preach to us in private Meetings are pious men the other are profane vicious scandalous Answ 1. If this be true that some of us are such we are sorry for it yea such we will not justifie and when was it otherwise nor is all done by the other justifiable 2. There are more sins than swearing and drunkenness who can forget the swarms of sins in our late Tragedies and who were actors of many of them in it 3. For the present Are not despising of Authority disobedience Cobler of Gloc. to wholsom Laws sins from which are these men free 4. Blessed be God although we all are proclaimed to be profane and naught yet there are very many as free from idleness drunkenness swearing and such like vices and as painful pious charitable and inoffensive as the strictest in your commanded company 5. But to be plain with you All professions whilst kept under it is their interest to be orderly but when these men of late had their liberty we are able to prove the profane excesses of some of them even to publick scandal by Epicurism intemperance and uncleanness to say no more For my part I cannot think but that the respect such who are in Authority bear to themselves their care to have their Laws and Religion upholden their obedient Clergy not vilified and people kept from Atheism and rebellion will awaken them in time strictly and by severity to do that which their clemency will not do You cry out much against Popery yet your doings endeavour to bring it in and set it up it is a Jesuitical plot to sow division amongst us to make our Religion odious and that they may fish in troubled waters From a good Author I will tell you a story which is this Before our troubles one Meridith an ancient Dr. Nicols and learned Jesuit told one reconciled to the Church of Rome that in England they had been long and industrious about the work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would do until they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their business to a full effect they must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose rooms they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common-prayer-Book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list And we cannot but remember how far they effected this in our sad troubles Besides if you expect such priviledge why may not they expect the same They being Christians they being subjects they and some of you being Recusants why not they their Mass as well as you your Meetings Object Why Those you hear in your Meetings have rare gifts they are pious and precious men Answ I envy no mans gifts but bless God for other mens parts and piety 2. Comparisons are odious otherwise we could say as St. Paul of the false Apostles in his time Are they thus and so so are we 3. The forbidden fruit without doubt was excellent yet it had been good for our first Parents to have contented themselves with their allowed Trees and fruits Many mens Wives and Diet come short of other mens yet it is fit their own should content them 4. Blessed be God your allowance is large you may hear every week three Sermons in an approved way and none of them to be contemned And as for Popish Priests do you not think theâ— will say for their Priests and Jesuits the same that you do for your Preachers you say yours are rarely gifted men great Scholars pious painful and what you will more They will not conform to the Book of Common-prayer nor observe the Orders appointed by the Church of England they will not assent and consent They can and will say the same of theirs If you say yours will take no Livings they can say the same and add not Wives neither If you say that yours live by providence going about to do good they can say theirs have no setled abiding but are sometimes here and there to promote and spread the Catholick cause and are maintained by the peoples bounty We acknowledge that we and Papists are Christians agreeing in many things for we and they acknowledge unity in Trinity but we with them acknowledge no Queen of heaven to pray unto We and they acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Word of God but we with them make not the Apocrypha Canonical We with them make the Word of God the ground of faith but we with them make not unwritten traditions of equal authority We and they agree in admitting doctrinal traditions agreeing with Scripture or thence deduced yea ritual for order and decency left to the disposition of the Church although but of positive and humane right they not being childish nor accounted parts of God's Worship nor with opinion of merit nor burdensom for multitude But we with them believe not traditions obtruded as Articles of Religion grounds of faith and parts of God's Worship they not being deduced from Scripture by inference nor expresly commanded such we reject We and they receive and believe the three Creeds but we with them receive not the Creed of Trent We and they believe the true God is to be worshipped in Spirit and truth we with them believe not that he is to be worshipped by Images We and they believe that we are to pray with fervency and sincerity but we with them pray not in an unknown tongue We and they pray to God but we with them do not pray to Saints and Angels We and they acknowledge Christ to be our Mediator of redemption and intercession but we with them do not at all rely upon the intercession and merits of Saints and Angels We and they do honour Saints departed but we with them do not worship them We and they do urge to good works we as necessary
worth or respect we have to any man but to search and see that they have a sound bottoming from the Word So we are not to wonder why the best of God's messengers cannot take men off from their unwarranted opinions The Jews retain their opinion that neither Elijah nor Christ are come The Papists retain their opinions and will die in their errors rather than embrace the truth It will be no strange thing then if I endeavouring to I neither do nor can remove you from your erroneous practises 1. In vilifying not coming to but absenting your selves from the publick prayers of the Church no not by Scriptures the testimony of holy Martyrs the hatred Papists bear to it the strictness of the Law under which we live the excellency and usefulness of it nor by the approbation the Reformed Churches give of it of all which I have made use but in vain 2. In not baptizing your children or baptizing them in an illegal and irregular way although I think I have shewed sufficient grounds and authorities and Mr. Baxters opinion which is That they who deny baptism to their children play the devils part yea do herein heinously exceed the Devil Some who admire the man will be his Interpreter saying his meaning is If they may have them baptized in his way and then will not but refuse Read his Book of Infant Church-membership through and through and you shall find no such limitting to this way or that he acknowledgeth ours to be true baptism valid and not to be reiterated And whereas some who think they know more than they do say It is the duty of parents to have their children baptized although it doth children no good such sensless silly speeches shew that some folks bolts are soon shot It is a duty and yet doth it no good Do Scriptures so highly Act. 23. 8. Rom. 6. 4. Tit. 3. 4. commend Baptism as we read and doth it no good Is it no good to be a member of Christ's Church but to be in the same condition with Turks and Pagans 3. In not coming to the Communion of which I have spoken often and at large but I see you are resolved notwithstanding I will intreat you to take notice that if your practises are erroneous as they are 1. That to be obstinate in an error is dangerous for mans salvation The ugliness of obstinacy in error doth appear from the Author of it who Mat. 5. 19. Mat. 13. 25. is not God but the Devil so obstinate errors diabolical and naturally it produceth Heresie or Schism and is such that St. Paul wished to be cut of A mutinous Soldier is Gal 5. 12. hanged when an open enemy hath fair quarter Consider also that errors in the end bring terrors such making men like children hulk on the Sea without rudder for in such a condition are such who flote on groundless errors yea errors Eph. 4. 14. make men as bones out of joint which cost groans to bring them in place again Alas what is a traveller in the night out of the way how is he troubled A Rebel out of the Kings favour how is he perplexed erroneous persons are Travellers out of the way and as Rebels out of favour Object You are deceived Papists Anabaptists Quakers we and other more you think do err are not troubled we fear not we suffer for our consciences Answ Admit some live and die confident in gross errors never fearing harms to follow So some run into the fire fearlesly and rush upon dangers desperately but they are frantick or foolish not wise and well-guided persons And that we may not err take heed of pride which provokes men to errors and factions Take heed of prejudice against any thing causelesly Take heed of covetousness Act. 8. 9. Act. 19. 32 Tit. 1. 11. truths adversary for some subvert houses for lucre sake gain perswades many to maintain errors that errors may maintain them And be we careful to this end constantly to believe what is taught you by the Scripture and conscionably to obey what is commanded you by the Church provâ—ded it be not contrary to Scripture Be careful to fasten our faith upon Scripture If Scripture saith it I will believe Gal. 1. 8. it To fasten our charity upon our Mother the Church and her directions and see that we our selves be humble for whereas many object all alledge Scripture we confess it to Mat. 4. be so The Devil himself did so yet it is certain if we will read the Scriptures carefully and faithfully hear the Church charitably and esteem of our selves modestly we shall understand Scriptures sufficiently to keep us from error Once again let me intreat you brethren not to err with any Master Some think they may safely do this or that because of such whom they follow To them I say as St. Aâ—gustine of Cyprian Although there are many things that Cyprian did excellently teach yet there are some things wherein Cyprian might have learned more than he knew So say I of some men such shall be my friends I love them well for the good service they may do but I must and do love the truth better since a wise man will not alter an ancient truth for the love he bears to the Author of any novelty Gal. 1. 8. and a good man dare not For although men are wonderfully pleased with their own conceits and their opinions must be the great Monarch to rule even the Monarchs of the world although they suppress truth to advance falshoods yet they are but like a cumbersom heap of sands a congested heap of groundless opinions good for nothing not worth any thing only fit to deceive here and to destroy hereafter a fruitlesâ— heap bearing no other fruit than to abuse our neighbour dishonour God and betray mens souls to Satan a disagreeing heap not fast joyned together Errors and falshoods may for a time be patch'd together like a beggars cloak but they continue not long united and an inconsistent heap for they who embrace errors are not long constant but run from one absurdity to another Let me therefore acquaint you how some have drawn and do draw well-meaning people into error being stirred thereunto 1. Sometimes by covetousness Paulus Samosetanus expecting preferment from the Queen of Arabia fell into such Schisms which in the end wrought his own overthrow Some men finding it an easie thing to live at another mans Table although so doing is base to a generous mind speak often things to maintain and please a faction Tit. 1. 11. Sometimes by ambition which hath often caused contention and separation because Arrius could not get the Bishopwrick of Alexandâ—ia Donatus of Carthage Aerius of Ponts they became enemies to the Church 3. Sometimes by intollerable pride working contempt of Authority the contempt of which causeth separation and mens self-love is the cause of this contempt Self-love as Lib. 14. cap. 18. decivitat Dei
the Gospel 5. It contradicts the practise of Christianity 6. It is opposite to the calling of Ministers 7. It is contrary to common prudence to go in suspected ways 8. It dissents from the Rules of Humanity to fight against him who so long preserved us 9. It is against nature it self to consent to our own destruction 10. It is against reason to go in a way in which all who are gone before us have perished 11. It is against our Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy 12. And it brings in and sets up Popery and Popish doctrine For example 1. The doctrine of resisting Kings is Popery 2. To place infallibility of judgment in man as the Papists in the Pope These in the Parliament 3. Papists believe in the creature the Church These in the Parliament 4. Papists say faith is not to be kept with Hereticks These with Malignants 5. Papists believe it to be meritorious to die in their holy War as they call it These believe the same of those who die for the cause 6. Both consent in the doctrines of pious frauds 7. Papists press the precepts of men These the Ordinances of Parliament 8. Papists would have all to submit to the Pope These to the Parliament 9. Both agree in violence and cruelty in his hearing he saith he heard one say It was good to assist the Parliament way for if the King prevailed we should find favour if they prevail we shall have cruelty 10. Both have the spirit of Antichrist causing men to deny the truth they had learned and professed 11. And in the point of defamation they are as dexterous as Papists for upon a sudden they can do that against a godly Minister which the Devil in many years was not able to do making him seem scandalous so odious Thus he I know what is pleaded for resistance and taking up of arms namely Obj. 1 If subjects may not resist then they must obey unlawful commands contrary to Act. 5. 29. Answ Active obedience is to be given to their lawful commands Passive when they command things unlawful So we are Dan. 3. 17. 6. 7. alwayes to obey by executing their will actively or by submitting to the punishment passively If an Emperor be a Nero or Caligula what warrant then to take up arms against such a King against whom envy it self could not fasten any aspersions Obj. 2 They said they took not up arms against the King but against his evil Councellors Answ This is a new coyn'd distinction to cover the ugly face of rebellion And it is a vain distinction for to oppose his Councellors is to oppose him And it is certain Governours are not to be resisted But why then were not these 1 P â— 1. 2. 3 evil men named why not demanded that they might be legally punished Why The sequel shew'd it was against the King himself Mr. John Blackleach in his endeavours Printed 1650. justifieth John Goodwin for justifying the murder of the King Pag. 53. and pag. 54. he affirms that they did not take away the life of the King but of one that had been King and hoped so to have been again And G. W. in his Resp Anglic. pag. 32. saith That the Parliament finding him the King the evil Councellor a settled and obstinate Tyrant And pag. 41. for a Parliament and State to call a Tyrant to an account is not unlawful Obj. 3 That they did was in obedience to publick command Answ Obedience is due and to be yielded to authority but then the Authority must be lawful not like Sheba's And 2 Sam. 20. 12. the thing commanded lawful They had neither who resisted the King Obj. 4 If subjects may not resist then it seems Kings may do what they will Answ Shall we reject the Word of God for seeming inconveniences God commands us to obey and shall we pretend inconveniences Besides Kings are not at such liberty but accountable to God And subjects have many remedies exhortations disswasives and reproofs by their Nathans to their Davids prayer flight Obj. 5 But if Kings command to worship Devils should we not resist should we obey Answ Devil-worship was commanded by Emperors yet Christians took up no arms for the matter they betook themselves 1 Cor. 10. 20. 1 Pet. 4. 12 13. to prayers and patient suffering according to Scripture Obj. 6 But what if the Government is in danger by evil managing Answ We are enjoyned obedience upon a great penalty let us in obedience perform our part and leave the ordering of all to God there coming many and greater inconveniences by Rom. 13. 5 taking liberty to resist making inferiors to over-rule their superiors the subjects their Prince Nor can there be greater inconveniences in a family or a Kingdom than when there is no obedience but to what seems good in mens own eyes Our Saviour shews what follows the dividing of a Kingdom against it self The self of a Common-wealth is the Maâ—k 3. 21 Law thereof the common surety between Governour and governed The self of a Kingdom is the Religion of a Kingdom The self of a Church is doctrine and discipline the one as the Corn the other as the Hedge which like body and soul must not be divided Resisting lawful Authority in lawful things makes such divisions brings strange inconveniences I will conclude this propounding five things to your considerations 1. That the same God who commands children and servants to obey in all things which are lawful their Parents and Masters commands subjects in all lawful things to obey Kings if not more since such may command both us and ours both Parents and Children An houshold is a little Common-wealth and a Common-wealth is a great houshold Governours of houses may and do expect obedience from their inferiors so Magistrates from them We are to do as we would be done by 2. That Christian obedience doth greatly adorn the Gospel Tit. 2 5 â—0 1 Pet. 2. 15 16. of Christ and by it we do profess an acknowledgment of Gods Ordinance 3. That we have a great advantage by Government by Rom. 13 4 Governours they are for our good whereas Anarchy opens a window to confusion Government is for our good natural that our life and safety may be preserved for our Mr. Parre good moral that we may be brought from vice to vertue for our good civil that we may enjoy possessions and that publick honesty may be defended and for our spiritual good having God's worship established Some perhaps say good men are molested But let such know that good Magistrates are good mens nourishers bad are their tryers so for their good And if any good men are punished for good it comes from the abuse of the power However it is certain Obedience Rom. 13. 3 brings praise is a doing of good and is a good work in an high degree Tit. 3. 1 2. As if the Apostle should say no good work can be expected from him
unjustly hurt and vex the godly without cause and good men through love by discipline do justly correct others for their miscarriages The discipline of the Church being as Cyprian saith the preserver of hope the guide to salvation the retainer of faith and cherisher of godliness The correcting voice of discipline oft doth and may do good to such who will not be moved with the sweet voice of intreating St. Augustine saith He who binds a frantick man and awakes him who is in a Lethargy is troublesom to both yet he loveth and helpeth both So to bind men with the cords of justice that they may not wrong themselves and others is a great good it being also far better to weaken some by justice than suffer them to go on to weaken others by faction Object But if I will complain for neglecting Communions and Chatechising why not of swearers and drunkards Answ 1. I hear no oaths I see no drunkards I see absenters from God's Ordinances and I preach against the one and the other 2. Most speak against swearing and drunkenness as gross sins the other go under the notion of goodness 3. Swearers and drunkards deny not our Church to be a true Church they deny not the Ordinances and they might be better wrought upon and reformed was it not for our divisions The other do little less than seek the overthrow of the Church 4. I hope I am a friend to no vice and such an enemy to all that if any will bring me as good evidence and will stand to it that such and such are incorrigible swearers and drunkards as I have that such and such come not to Communions if I then endeavour not their amendment by Church-censures if I cannot by perswasions let me be blamed I intend not to create any just offence or real hurt to any mans person for truly I know not the man living or creature breathing to whom I do not heartily wish grace mercy and peace My desire is to endeavour in this place to stop the current of opinionists blown by the spirit of error over many parts of this Land to the dishonour of God and endangering of many a mans salvation and staggering well-meaning people and drawing them to disobedience Schism and Faction And whilst I am so doing when I have done I hope to make it appear that as I never yet did shew the least malice nor discontent to them who formerly sought to ruine me and mine so that now I bear not any ill will either to the party or any other but that I do what I do in love and that if they make tryal they may truly say of me as it became a Proverb concerning Arch-bishop Cranmer Do my Lord of Canterbury a shrewd turn and then you may be sure to have him your friend for your labour whilst you live Thus you and I being men are subject to err and it being dangerous to live in error according to my Office and duty I have declared wherein you err that I may not be guilty of the same by my silence If you can bring me convincing grounds that I thus differing from you in judgment and in thus discharging my duty do err you shall soon perceive and see that I will not be obstinate in error And if what I have said contain convincing arguments to make it clear that you do err then I desire the same of you that you may not obstinately persist in error that so both I and you may follow this blessed counsel of the holy Ghost by the Apostle Saint James speaking to you and me in these words Do not err my beloved brethren Preached October 6 13 20. Certain sayings of Mr. Baxter in his Infant-Church-membership THe main scope of their endeavours in publick and private is to propagate their opinions and if they preach any wholsom doctrine it is usually subservient to their great design that the truth may be as suger to sweeten their errors Pag. 144. that they may be easier swallowed They perswade the people that Ministers are seducers lyars c. judge therefore 16. what good may people expect from Ministers How hath it grieved my spirit to see and hear men professing to be more godly than others to make it the business of their lives to disgrace the Ministers of the Gospel When poor people hear those despise the Ministry that 16. once were constant hearers Sure these men having tryed see some evil in that way c. O how it stumbleth and drives off the poor ignorant people 145. from Religion when they see those that have seemed Religious prove such And when they see us at such difference one with another and when they see so many Sects and Parties that they know not which to turn to They think that all strictness doth tend to this and so that the godly are but a company of giddy proud unsettled singular persons that know not where to step till they are besides themselves O! how are the Papists hardened by this I have spoken with some of them that once began to be moderate who now upon the observation of these Sects are generally confirmed in their way and say Now you may see what it is to depart from the bosom of the Church to make the Scriptures common c. The Episcopal Party are more confirmed in their way by it and say You have mended the matter well c. yea those who were offended at the Prelates cruelty do now think they did well and that which was needful for the quenching of this fire whilst it When to whom was a spark And many who began to stagger at the Kings late Wars are now many thousands of them perswaded of the lawfulness of it from the miscarriages of these men And if report too probable do not lye thousands and And other grounds millions of Papists in all Countreys of Europe where they dwell are confirmed and hardened in their Religion by the odious reports that go of the miscarriages of these men in England These say they are your Reformers And this is your Reformation How many thousand Professors of Religion are quite ruined in their souls and turned into Monsters rather than Saints How many sad distracted divided Congregations What dividing and subdividing and subdividing 149. again and running from Church to Church and from opinion to opinion till some are at such a loss that they affirm Christ hath no Church c. How many distracted Families in England that were wont to worship God in unity and joyfulness One will pray and the other will not pray with him because he is unbaptized 16. and a third saith Family-duties are not commanded in Scripture One will sing praise to God another scorneth it as if it were singing of a Jig and a third will sing Psalms from the dictate of the Spirit only One will be of one Church and another of another Envying and strife hath taken place while
commended by Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience and they were constantly in the primitive times Tertullian mentions them as agreeable to the custom of the Church in which custom there is nothing evil or dishonest it proceeds from charity it makes for the edification of the Church and it tends to the profit of the child Junius and Tremelius derive it from Isa 8. 2. But what need we seek the beginning of an Ordinance so good tending to so much piety Infants are baptized into the faith and bosom of the Church which therefore requires certain persons honest and pious to undertake to see what is promised to be performed and to take care for the religious education of children which were it rightly observed how flourishing a Church should we have Obj. 1 That belongs to Parents it is their duty Answ It doth Suppose a man oweth an hundred pounds the debt is his yet the Creditor for more assurance will have other able men bound the obligation lyeth on them although the debt is his So likewise it is the Parents debt and duty to see that the child be religiously educated yet the charity of the Church is such as to require greater security Parents being too often defective The debt remains the Parents and there is a tye upon the Sureties Obj. 2 This is used but as a form or custom Answ The more is the pity if so and so is Religion with many 2 Tim. 3. 5. yet is not true Religion at all the worse Obj. 3 Tâ—ey who are God-fathers and God-mothers do no such duty Answ The charity of the Church is not to be faulted for mens failings Their negligence is to be lamented the use not to be condemned Obj. 4 They who understood themselves and are conscious will undertake no such charge impâ—ssible to be kept Answ This is a rash censure and an ignorant slander of the Church whose intention is to have none but knowing and conscientious persons who may and will perform what is promised The charge also given to them is of things necessary pious good and possible neither God nor man requiring impossibilities but pious endeavours The institution is therefore good although by some peoples carelessness it degenerates into formality the common bane of sacred things Some love to quarrel with that which others do and like nothing but their own fancies 1. I beseech you all to take heed you stand not against order Applicat and so sin in disobeying lawful authority reproaching Peter de Moulin Epist 36. quotes Beza saying many things may yea and must be born with which are not rightly enjoyned for spiritual liberty lyeth not in the outward act but in the intention and belief If a thing in it self be enjoyned to us it must neither be obeyed in the act nor assented to in the understanding and the will But if the thing be indifferent in it self and yet seem in the jâ—dgment inconvenient we may and must do it and neither wrong our liberty nor our conscience for in such cases our actions are limitted although our consciences be free and the superior power may bind us in soro exteriori and leave us free in soro interiori wherein Christian liberty lyeth and cites a place in Calvins Instit lib. 4. cap 20. Artic. 1. spiritual liberty and political bondage will stand well together And let not the consequence trouble you as long as the thing commanded is lawful in it self we are not answerable of the consequence that may follow but they who command it And we who move in the orbe of obedience must quietly follow the motions of the highâ—r sphear of authority To push against it inconsiderately under pretence of God's service is dashing the second Table against the first and breaking both and cites Beza Epist 24. saying That man abuseth Christian liberty or rather is sold under sin who will not with a free will obey in the Lord his Magistrates or Superiors and seeketh not to edifie the consciences of his Brethren the Church as if it imposed things unlawful disturbing the peace of the Church advantaging Papists our discords being their musick scandalizing the Gospel and hindring the edification of our brethren as they do who think it Religion enough to speak against lawful established order 2. My Brethren of the Clergy we preach for edification for order See we that our selves be not disorderly in our lives It was said of Origen and may of many more that his teaching and living were alike Sure it is a blessed thing when Ministers lives put not their words to the blush as when much heavenly doctrine sounds from them in peoples ears and there is little in the preachers heart when there is holiness in the Preachers Books but none in their bosoms Preachers should shew themselves patterns of the rules they prescribe it being an excellent commendation when Preachers lives are Commentaries of their doctrine when their exemplary Sermons consist of living words or words translated into works For as Jovinian the Emperor said to the Orthodox and Arrian Bishops I cannot judge of your doctrine but I can judge of your lives I can see who is most peaceable and innocent So we cannot but know that people can better judge of our doings than of our doctrine and are sooner led to evil by the one than to good by the other You know who saith What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth and hatest to be reformed Thou who teachest another teachest thou not thy self And you know who pronounceth such to be inexcusable Psa 50. 16 Rom. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 1. Sure it will be an heavy sentence to hear Out of thine own mouth I will condemn thee we therefore who preach against sin see we draw not men to sin by our bad examples be not we negligent in reading preaching catechising administring the Sacraments c. Be not we vain and vitious in our lives but careful to walk decently and in order 3. Church-Wardens you are chosen to reform disorders to see all things to be done decently and in order and to bind you hereunto you have an oath a strong and sacred tye yea such that God will be a swift witness against will Mal. 3. 3. Zech. 5. 4. send a curse to consume the house of the false swearer Take heed what you do If you know in your Parishes such who will not come to Communions to the Prayers of the Church to nothing done there at all who will not have their children baptized nor their children and servants catechised c. and you regard not such things surely you are regardless of your oaths and of order 4. And I humbly pray you by whose authority we are here assembled to make it appear that you come hither to have all things done decently and in order Some I hope slanderously say you come hither for money but I presume and perswade my self you come seriously to reform mens
St. Augustine saith Is the master builder which buildeth the City of the Devil for when men are so besotted with opinion of themselves that they think their own writings to be Gospel and Pigmaleon-like fall in love with images of their own making they will sooner hazard their lives than by revoking their errors impair their reputation Tell them of general Councels of many learned men they think they all might err sooner than themselves If you alledge to them the judgment of the ancient Fathers they are ready to say with Abailardus Although all the Fathers thought so yet I do not think so Fathers are but children Schoolmen Dr. Bois as one saith are but Foolmen in respect of themselves who can sooner espy moats in the Fathers eyes than beams of folly and ignorance in their own eyes Tell them of Mr. Dâ—d Mr. Bolton Dr. Tayler and such other who liv'd not long since in our own times what they taught how they liv'd they can presently say such were good men in their times but now we have new lights and are better gifted Let me also intreat you to consider what hurt you do what sad inconveniences your separations and divisions do bring how they distract people so that they know not what to do Bartholomew Casanus a Sapâ—nish Bishop tells us a story of a Spanish Priest desirous to baptize an Indian Noble man the Indian asked the Priest whither the Spaniards dying went The Priest said to heaven The Indian replyed he would not go whither such cruel people went There is also a story of Bernardine Ochin a man of great learning who disliking the Church of Rome fled to Geneva first from thence to England where seeing so many Sects all challenging themselves to be true and each condemning the other he turned back to Rome saying It was impossible that they who were so simple so way-ward so obstinate so full of Sects and dissentions could be of the true faith of Christ Suppose a Pagan should come and say I would willingly be a Christian and seeing such strife and dissentions amongst us one man saying he holds the truth Another saith no but he is in the right what shall this poor Pagan do And let me desire to know what will please and content you you extol Mr. Bolton he deserved the same but take heed it be not like the Pharisees commending the old Prophets Mat. 23. 29. your doings being contrary to his preaching and practise do you follow his doctrine and example then we are all agreed we shall have no such dividings you gathered hands against me to cast me out and to bring in Mr. Basely you had your desire for then you might do what you list you thought your selves happy in your change How long did he please you were you not then gadders this way and that way to this man and that man especially to one whom after you abhorr'd for doing but his duty were you not then condemned for your giddy waywardness For my carriage amongst you I shame not to own it and I challenge envy it self to say the worst it can when and where I may answer for my life and doctrine I am not like to be a burden to you long as a man muchless as a Preacher being so far stricken in age I having therefore often used arguments and reasons to dissâ—vade you from divers erroneous practises and thus far now discharged my duty in shewing the danger of error and wherein you grosly err if I err not as I am perswaded I do not and since all such perswasions are in vain and prevail not it being no little grief to me to see as some other so your neglect to say no worse of Catechising and Communions for the remedying of which I did formerly complain of one without any ill will to the party hoping that it might do good to him and others but only complaining and no more and keeping off the sentence intended no good was thereby done Now again out of the love I bear to you not bearing malice to the party or any mans person nor by respect to my self since the smaller the Communions are and no Catechising I have the more ease and less labour And out of the regard I bear to mine own soul in omitting no lawful means unattempted to do you good I am considering whether it will not be my duty out of the many refusers of Communions and Catechising to single out one who may be supposed in every respect best able to manage and defend such unwonted irregularities that so it may appear whether you have any grounds for such unwarranted courses and whether those in authority have power to keep us in order and to such necessary duties since by Sects and Schisms Sectaries and Separatists their ignorance and simplicity their divisions and obstinacy many in our unhappy England are cast down who were desirous to stand in the truth of God many are hindred from being Protestants and more turned Recusants many their hearts so shaken that Camelion-like they are capable of any save the right faith It being the property of Hereticks as Tertullian saith to weary the strong to catch the weak in a snare and to leave the middle sort scrupulous I therefore now resolve no longer by silence and fitting still to be accessary to so much hurt and for this end to make trial so far forth as I have said what good I can that way do some men being forced with rigour who will not be refelled with reasons from their erroneous wayes As in the Ark there was bread Manna for refection also a rod for correction So in the Church of England the Church of Christ there is a voice of consolation to defend the good as with a shield and a voice of correction to order the stubborn and disobedient The Church of Christ therefore according to St. Augustine is called the handmaid of the Lord so the Mistris of her people to guide and rule her folk yea and to correct Agust epist 50. ad Bonif. de corig heret epist 48. them to when they offend as Sarah did Hagar when she contemned her Mistris I believe Hagar thought Sarah dealt hardly with her whereas she did more persecute Sarah by her contempt and wicked pride than Sarah did her by sending her out of doors There being also little hopes of being heard or regarded amongst deaf and self-conceited men who regard the censures of the Church no more than a bullet of cork it is good to try and see whether they have a rod power and can use it for every one is not a friend who spareth nor every one a foe who smiteth yea it is a mercy sometimes to punish and oftentimes it is cruelty to spare Such a Father who spareth his servant killing his son will be thought unjust not merciful and what can we think of them who spare those who rend and tear the Church our Mother Bad men through malice do