mechanick Priest-Missionaries that came into England would prove the truth of that Letter better which will be suspected till then by all that consider how hard it would be to perswade lazy Priests to undergo the long fatigue of learning Handycrafts which would do them little service without the language of the Land And they who know the strict scrutiny made by Presbyterians and Independants e're they admit any as members of their Congregations or Ministers will be more affraid that such should thrust themselves in the Establish'd Churches than ours His 3d. Argument to prove that Toleration to Dissenting Protestants will increase Popery is because 't is the cause of our Divisions whereof the Papists take great advantage For proof whereof he cites Mr. Baxter A. That Papists and all other Adversaries make their advantage by our Divisions is seen and bewailed by all good men with Mr. Baxter but that our mutual forbearance of one another in matters not necessary to Salvation was ever the cause of divisions Mr. Baxter hath nor taught but the contrary Yet if he desire an account of the true causes of our divisions he may learn them from one of the Ornaments of the Church of England the memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton in his Tract of Schism page 201. Who teacheth us that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three ways 1st Upon matter of Fact 2d Upon matter of Opinion 3d. On point of Episcopal Ambition I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact for it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forc'd upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of keeping that Feast must be the Rule left by Moses unto the Jews There arose a stout Question whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the 14th of the Moon or on the Sunday following This matter tho most unnecessary most vain yet caus'd as great a combustion as ever was in the Church the first separating and refusing Communion with the last for many years together In this phantastical hurry I cannot see but that all the world were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that Imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did a thing which befell them through the Ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their Malice and that through the just judgment of God because through Sloath and blind Obedience men examin'd not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of burthen patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiors laid upon them Further page 210. For in these Schisms which concern Fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only to require the execution of some unlawful and suspected Act for not only in Reason but Religion too that Maxim admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubtias ne feceris And speaking of the second Councel of Nice where Image-worship was established where was the first remarkable Schism upon just occasion of Fact he tells us The schismatical Party was the Synod it self and such as conspir'd with it for concerning the use of Images in Sacris 1. It is acknowledgby all that it is not a thing necessary 2. It is by most suspected 3. It is by many held utterly unlawful Can then the injoyning the practice of such a thing be ought else but abuse or can the refusal of Communion here be thought any other thing than duty here or upon the like occasion to separate may peradventure bring personal trouble and danger against which it concerns every honest man to have pectus bene preparatum so that in these cases you cannot be to seek what you think or what you have to do His 2d sort of Schism arising upon occasion of variety of Opinion is thus It hath been saith he the common disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God in Scripture hath expresly afforded us but out of a vain desire to know more than is revealed they have attempted to discuss things of which they can 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 is for the most part but figment they have peremptorily concluded and confidently impos'd on others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature c. After he tells were Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted of no particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms in opinions were utterly Vanished for consider all the Liturgies that are or have been and remove from them whatsoever is Scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree in and the event shall be that the publick Service and Honour of God shall no ways suffer whereas to load our Publick Forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Sovereign way to perpetuate Schism unto the Worlds End Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scripture Exposition of Scripture Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matters enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy tho' nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp of Garments of prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Churches under the Dream of Order and Decency did interpose it self For to charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all Superstition and when scruple of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schism begun to break in If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbring the Churches with superfluities and not over-rigid either in receiving absolute Customs or imposing New there were far less danger of Schism or Superstition and the inconveniency were likely to issue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecillities of Inferiors a thing which St. Paul could never have refused to do in the mean while where ever false and suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Churches Liturgy he that separates is not Scismatick for it 's alike unlawful to make profession of known and suspected falsehoods as to put in practice unlawful and suspected Actions The third Cause of Schism is Episcopal Ambition p. 218 saith he Aristotle tells us that necessity causeth but small Faults but Avarice and Ambition are Mothers of great Crimes Episcopal Ambition
Animadversions ON The Defence of the Answer To a PAPER INTITULED The CASE of the Dissenting Protestants of Ireland In Reference to a BILL of Indulgence from the Exceptions made against it TOGETHER With An ANSWER to A Peaceable Friendly Address TO THE Non-Conformists Written upon their desiring an Act of Toleration without the SACRAMENTAL TEST Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand Printed in the the Year 1697. To the Protestant Reader THe Publication of these Animadversions tho design'd some time ago had ceas'd if a late Pamphlet called A Peaceable and Friendly Address c. had not importun'd it For seeing some men judge it their Interest to mis-represent to the world them they 'r pleas'd to call N. Conforming Brethren as a factious and schismatical people whereby we are mis-apprehended and pre-condemn'd We cannot in justice to Truth and Innocence suffer such so to prey upon the Credulity of some and our Reputation as thereby to hazard their Souls and our Safety Yea compassion to our Adversaries in endeavouring the prevention of their being wise in their own conceit a case more despcrate than that of Fools obligeth us to vindicate our selves and inform mis-guided people with words of Truth and Soberness The people we plead for are not the Idle and Consuming Caterpillars of the Nation but Industrious Labourers Ingenious Artists and Honest Traders whose religious Principles will abide in their strength while one jâ—t or tittle of the Law of God indures becase they adore the fulness of the H. Scriptures as the perfect and only rule of Faith and Manners They believe the necessity of a standing Gospel-Ministry in the Church to whose directive Authority they submit themselves not by an implicit Faith but by a judgment of Discretion All God's holy Ordinances and instituted Worship they embrace but their Fear towards God is not taught by the Commandments of men Their doctrine bears conformity with that of the Reformed Churches abroad and harmoniously agrees with that of Ireland declar'd in her Convocation An. 1615 excepting in what relates to Prelacy and Ceremonies They are willing to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's They profess their Credenda Petenda and Agenda ought all to be regulated by the word of God These Principles we believe are able to abide a Fiery Tryal And as their Principles are true so their Petitions are modest Episcopal Grandeur Jurisdiction or Revenues is not demanded for their Ministers or by them A liberty to serve God according to these foresaid Principles with a relief from some Penal Laws formerly fram'd against them and that no new ones be forg'd to their preiudice is all they require And if such modest Requests may be with Christian Conscience deny'd a people of such Principles we leave to the determination of our Judge that standeth at the Door if Men should give sentence against us Animadversions On the Defence of the Answer to a Paper ENTITULED The Case of the Dissenting Protestants in Ireland c. WHen Diogenes trampled upon Aristippus's Cushion and insulted over himself in these words See how I trample on Aristippus's Pride he had this return thou dost it but with no less Pride So when the Defendant of the Answer c. salutes the Vindicator of the Dissenters Case with a charge of sourness and vanity of temper In the very entrance of his diseourse he discovers so much of the distemper in himself that if Civility coult not yet Conscience of the same evil in himself should have oblig'd him to treat his Adversary more decently But whether the sourness of his temper or his vanity to comprize an Iliad of Railing Accusations in a Nut-shell hath induc'd him with one breath to upbraid the Vindicator with sourness and vanity of temper dexterity in perverting little sincerity dising enuity injustice c. I determine not but if his Reasoning taâ—ent be equivalent to his Railing no Dissenter will be able to stand before him Lest he shou'd be suspected of transgressing the 9th Commandment he attempts to make good this charge by as he calls it A remarkable Instance of the Dissenters injustice to him viz. The phrase general Indulgence us'd by him which as he saith doth plainly signify no more than a legal toleration of Dissenting Protestants the Vindicator wrests to import a comprehension of all sorts of Religion Answ If this be Injustice he hath cause to fear that all who have sense to discern words will be injurious to him seeing General Indulgence natively signifies Indulgence to all sorts of Persons and Opinions And 't is improper to say that General Indulgence imports only toleration of Protestant Dissenters which is but Special unless Protestant Dissentors should comprehend all sorts which himself doth not assert As the Vindicator hath not wrested his Expressions so neither hath he misrepresented his Sense seeing all the arguments he useth against the Indulgence pleaded for militat only against an unlimited and general Indulgence of all sorts The next thing disgusts the Defendant is a rule laid down by the Vindicator that these are of the same Religion with the Establish't Church who subscribe her Doctriual Articles this rule he 'll not allow to be true and that because there being three general parts of Religion viz. Doctrin Worship and Government unless we agree in all these we are not of the same Religion A. If the Rule be not good why do the Books of Articles in England an 1552 and 1562 and those in Ireland in 1616 unanimously declare that they were agreed upon in Convocation for avoiding of diversities of Opinions and for Establishing Consent touching true Religion Do not the Subscribers to the 6th Article concerning the sufficiency of holy Scripture for Salvation subscribe to the Worship and Government of the Church as well as to its Doctrin if they do not as the D. insinuates it must be because that Worship and Doctrin is not read in the holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby which is no honor to the Liturgy Ceremonies or Prelacy Dr. Stillinfleet in his Irenicum hath endeavoured to prove that Men may be of the same Religion and yet not under the same particular form of Church Government And I am persuaded 't will be hard for the D. to produce any Church that is or hath been in the world with which the Establisht Church of England doth exactly agree in Form of Worship and Government And thus by his Rule excluding us from the same Religion with the Establisht Church he doth also cut her off from Communion in the same Religion with any Church in the World The Anabaptists against whom the D. excepts as unfit to be comprehended in the Indulgence are of age let them speak for themselves we are none of their Advocates Yet the V's reason for including them and his Charity also was their being included in the Act of Indulgence for England An. 1689. And in a Bill
prepared by the Council of Ireland in my Lord Sydneys Government and approved by the K. Q. and council of England and Re-transmitted to be Enacted by the Parliament here in 1692. But if the Reason of his dissatisfaction with them be only their denying one of the Doctrinal Articles durst he be so Impartial he hath no less cause to look upon many of his Brethren Fathers and Sons of the Church as intolerable as the Anabaptists for they are too truly suspected to have no sincere veneration for several of the Articles And Bishop Bramhall hath taught us concerning the 39 Articles that the Church doth not define any of these Questions as necessary to be believed either necessitate praecepti or medii nor doth look upon them as Essentials of Saving Faith or Legacies of Christ or his Apostles but as pious Opinions fitted for the preservation of Vnity Stillingst Ratif p. 54 55. neither doth she oblige any man to believe them but not to contradict them Whence we may see what great esteem the great Prelates of the Church have for the 39 Articles Seeing then by such the Incarnation Death and Resurrection of Christ be not Essentials of Saving Faith but only pious Opinions why should Anabaptists be look'd on as intolerable for denying Infant Baptism when the Doctrin of Biptism is only a pious Opinion We notice this not in defence of Anabaptists but to lay open the D's gross partiality who knowing how little regard many Sons of the Church have for these Articles yet tacitly justifies them when he condemns others for the same or less faults But for this let him read Bishop Taylor 's Liberty of Prophecying p. m. 227. The V. asserted that the Bill pleaded for by the Dissenters would multiply no other Sects than those mention'd in it and tolerated by it which the D. tells hath little shew of Reason to recommend it and that because such a Toleration may occasion the Rise and Increase of many others not pleaded for To confirm which he instanceth Holland where in few years the Anabaptists spawned 50 Sects all under the same name A. The Reason giv'n to disprove the V's Assertion hath as little substance of Reason to recommend it as the V. had shew for what if Toleration to some Protestant Dissenters shou'd occasion the Rise of other Sects must it be therefore unreasonable to tolerate them By this way of arguing we might prove the Reformation from Popery yea Christianity it self Intolerable because they occasion'd the Rise of many Sects and most bloody Persecutions tho they were not the proper causes of these Evils even so the tolerating two or three can never be the cause of multiplying more if no other be tolerated save those two or three Further the Instance of Holland is disingenuously offered for he knows the Toleration there granted is nothing like what 's here desired seeing there are comprehended all sorts Jews Papists c. And therefore all multiply where they are equally tolerated but here only three are pretended But again his Inference with its Reason are neither fairly not prudently produced his Inference is That persons in Authority should deny an unlimited and irrestricted Indulgence to Presbyterians and Independents his Reason is lest the general and legal Allowance granted should be productive of many Sects which tho different from each other should disire to be called by their names to take away their reproach and that they might enjoy the benefit of the publick Toleration A. This Inference unjustly insinuate that on unlimited Toleration is desired when as in matters of Religion we are satisfy'd to be limited by the Law of God In matters Civil by the Law of the Land The imprudence of his Reason is that it militats as much against a legal Establishment as a legal Toleration and more for Experience reacheth us that many desire the Ruler's favour and to be called by the name of the Established Church and shrowd themselves under her cover both to take away their reproach and also to share of the Honour Rise and plentiful provision allow'd the Sons of the Church The D. being dissatisfy'd with the V's weakness or unwillingness to apprehend the mischievous consequences of this legal Toleration notwithstanding all he had said complains of him that he had propounded several Questions to little purpose among which he instanceth one viz. Whether the Popish Interest will be ever the stronger because there are more Protestants to oppose it and because their mutual forbearance will more unite their endeavors against the common Enemy so this the D. answereth 1st That tho the Popish interest will be sensibly weak and by the increase of Proteâ—ants of the same Communion yet it will be considerably strengthned by the multiplicity of Sects which Legal Indulgence generally promotes 2d That Dissenters on the grant of Legal indulgence will grow far more insolent and tumultucus than they were before as hath been observed in a Neighbour Kingdom A. To his first 't is plain that the increase of Protestants tho' not of the same Communion doth not considerably strengthen but weaken the Popish Interest for hath not the Increase of Protestants in Germany France Britain and Ireland since 1691 particularly in the North tho' of different Communion considerably weaked the Popish Interest Much more would the greater increase of the number of Protestants here in Ireland weaken them in their Civil and consequently in the defence and maintenance of their Religious Interests were they encouraged by a legal Indulgence And 't is too well known to be with modesty denied that the Popish Interest here hath been and yet is weakened by other hands than those of the Established Church only for he and all may know how formidable Vlster appeared to Tyrconnel and his Party in Winter 1688 and how undauntedly it resisted and foiled King James's Army and Reinforced Duke Sconberg's And he and every Man of sence knows the far greater Number there are Dissenters for the truth whereof we vouch Bp. King for 30000 in his Diocess and leaves him in his next to publish their Numbers in his own and Neighbouring Diocesses But bless't be God we are not divided in defending the British and Protestant Interest against a Popish Irish Interrest And I hope as the many Parties of different Religions and Interest now confederate against France do considerably weaken that King while they unite all in one to make him just and peaceable so will we the Protestants of Ireland against our common Enemy for the Union of many Parties Syncretizing against a common Foe is not that which strengthens the Adversary but when these several Parties divide in heart and hand by mutual conflict that impedes their joining for the common good which is the native Fruit of one prevailing Party's persecuting the rest And this the Papists labour to effectuat whose drudgery he and his Brethren do with all their might while they daily labour to keep us off and at under with
Uniting Protestants by Act of Parliament And many Episcopal Divines and some Bishops were for it a clear discovery that the mischiefs of our Divisions are of that sort that it were better that an abatement were made of some things made necessary to Uniformity without which the Dissenters will not unite than suffer them to hang over our heads and come upon us we plainly see that many of these reasons of the Commons were of no force we will observe what is of present use to our times which is the first and for the other it became their Wisdom and Religion to Pass a Bill taking from the Act of Uniformity his Majesty hath not been molested by the Importunities of the Dissenters who have not so much as opened their Grievances or Petitioned the King and Parliament these many years There is no new Sect appearing or increase of any by the Non-conformists to weaken the Protestant Religion who have us'd endeavours to Increase and Maintain it it is is in no danger from them they are not troublesome to the Government are not for a Toleration of intolerable Sects and Sectaries contend not for an Establishment which they would rejoyce in but as it become learned men and rational with as great a temper at least as theirs that writ against them the Peace of the Nation is not disturb'd by them and if Popery come in it is against their wills Pains and Prayers to expose and baffle it It is their trouble that they are thought troublesome to the Government which may by no extraordinary exercise of Patience and Love overcome the trouble in their own Breast which is the seat of trouble and for the only remaining which is the evil of Schism it 's clear that Connivance gives no Establishment to it c. But seeing the D. is so confident of the Authority of the Commons in that Parliament and lays so much stress upon it we hope he will not decline the Authority of the whole when the Experience of Ten Years had made them wiser for p. 22. our Author tells what England knows That that very Parliament which was observed for a great part of it to be young Gentlemen growing Elder became more cool and moderate toward Dissenting Protestants more suspicious of Popery and the more Resolute they grew in Maintaining Property and the Protestant Religion and break the leggs and arms of growing Popery the more temperate they grew toward Nonconformists c. And therefore at that meeting of the Parliament in Feb. 24. 1672. An Act passed against Papists and a Bill was presented by the same House of Commons to the Lords in favour of the Dissenting and for Uniting Protestants which as some who have as much reason to know as any that write say would have passed if they had got time to sit and from that time that Long Parliament who had made the Act against Conventicles A. 1670. how Resolute soever they were against Indulgence Feb. 15. 1662. they saw the incompatibility of the Execution of their own Law and the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and have ever since taken other Measures Now whether or not the same Parliament after ten years Experience of the weakness and some worse evils of their own Prophetical Arguments upon which they retract their former Sentence is to be more regarded than when they gave their first unexperienced thoughts we shall leave all thinking Men to judge and of the D's Candour in concealing this part of the History And if we were to manage this Argument by Authority we have an Act of Parliament consisting of as good Protestants A. 1689. to ballance the Addrese of the Commons in 1662. with the concurring Authority of all our Kings who have been experienced in these our differences asserting the conveniency of Indulging tender Consciences as we could give him undeniable Instances But one for all is the Vote of the House of Commons passed Jan. 10th 168 where they say It is the Opinion of this House that the Persecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws is at this time Grievous to the Subject and weakening to the Protestant Interest an Encouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom His 7th and last Argument which he calls the most forcible of all is the judgment of the Ministers of London with those of Lancaster against Toleration Printed Anno 1648. A. Tho' we allow the Truth of all those Ministers say yet they never intended that for that end which he perverts their words to For it will be hard to persuade the world that these men judged the Toleration of Presbyterians unlawful seeing themselves were such and because his whole Argument runs upon a false supposition that we desired an universal Toleration of all Sects he may receive our judgment in this from our confession Cap. 20. Sect. 3. They who upon pretence of Christian Liberty do practice any Sin or cherish any Lust do thereby destroy the end of Christian Liberty c. And because the Power which God hath ordained and Liberty which Christ hath purchased are not intended by God to destroy but mutually to uphold one another they who upon pretence of Christian Liberty shall oppose any lawful Power whether Civil or Ecclesiastical resist the Ordinance of God and for their publishing such Opinions and maintaining such Practices as are contrary to the Light of Nature or the known Principles of Christianity whether concerning Faith Worship Conversation or the Power of Godliness Or such Erronious Opinions or Practices as either in their own nature or in the manner of publishing and maintaining them are destructive to the external Order which Christ has Established in the Church they may be lawfully call'd to account and proceeded against by the Censures of the Church and by the Power of the Civil Magistrate Thus far our Confession of Faith By this 't is apparent that we justify no unlimited Toleration and when he hath made it appear that we maintain Opinions and Practices inconsistent with the light of Nature and known Principles of Christianity either in Faith Worship or Conversation or destructive of the external Order by Christ Established in his Church then let us be look't upon as deserving no Toleration and till then we judge our title to it as good as theirs who enjoy their legal Establishment and tho we are not for encouraging any Evils yet we believe if no Sinner were tolerable the D. himself would be intolerable for the Apostle teacheth G. 6. 1. that even Brethren may be overtaken in faults but then they are to be restored with the spirit of meekness not rigor Every Sin is not the object of Church Censure or the Magistrate's Wrath but they may and ought to bear one anothers burthens and not to bind more heavy burthens on the backs of our Brethren and then lash them for their inability to bear them For his Remark about that which he calls the fortune of Toleration which is as
Dissenters in Ireland tho' it prov'd fatal to its Contrivers was by God's Providence a means of preserving the Dissenters who forsaking the Nation on that account were preserved from the Massacre 1641 and these same persons returning were the first relief that Ireland got which can be made evident by many yet alive and may be instructive to pasterity The V. having to prove the equity of giving free-born Subjects the same legal Indulgence in their Dissenting as is given to Foreigners asserted that the French Protestants if left to their liberty would chuse a Discipline and Worship more conformable to their own than that of the Establish't Church Hath this Answer We are not to pass judgment on a particular Church from the inconsiderate words and actions of some of the meaner sort of the Laity but by the solemn Declarations and constant Practices of the Learned Clergy of that Communion And to shew the Sentiments of the French Church produceth a triple testimony of three French Divines in favor of the Establish't Church and censuring the Dissenters separation from it from three Letters written fifteen years ago on this Subject by Monsieur Lamoyne M. D. Langle and M. Cloud which we shall not transcribe But 1. We think it strange that the Bishops of the Church of England shou'd own the French Protestants to be a Churh and to have a learned Clergy when in the mean time they deny them to have a Lawful Ordained Ministry and force them to be Re-ordained who come for Refuge into England and are willing to conform So that this seems to be but a complement given for these 3 Letters and no sincere acknowledgment of their being a Church A Reverend French Minister informs us that flying from Persecution into England he with some others were permitted to Preach in London but upon his refusal to be Re-ordained he was not only hindred to Preach by the Bishop of London but deny'd any part of the publick Charity collected for the French Protestants and so was necessitated to leave England The same entertainment others of them met with here in Ireland about Anno 1680 or 1682 who flying to Dublin and setting up the beginnings of several useful Manufactures but being averse to joyn in the Church-Service a certain charitable Peer lent them his House to Worship in where they served God according to the manner of the French Churches whereupon their Minister was seized imprison'd c. until for obtaining his liberty he consented to quit or abjure the Kingdom And yet Liberty was publickly allow'd the Papists And we are well informed how the Papists now insult over them as having by their disowning the validity of their own former Ordination and being Re-ordain'd by Bishops in England thereby declared that they have hitherto been no Church have had no Sacraments lawfully Administred among them which is a great addition to their former miseries so that whether it be worse to destroy the being of that Church in all time past or persecute some of its Members in time present be the greater severity and so whether the Popish or English Clergy have been more merciful to the Protestant Church of France we leave to be consider'd 2. The Testimony of these 3 Men are not the solemn Declaration and constant practice of that Church as he vainly says but the opinion of three private Doctors to whom he might oppose the Judgment of 3000 and the constant known practice of that Church solemnly declared in its publick Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions disowning the Form of Worship and Disciplin of the Church of England And it seems as unequal to judge of a Church by the Sentiments of several of her learn'd Clergy as by the Laity What a Monster would the Church of England be if we were left to judge of her by the several opinions of her Learned Clergy whereof some approve others condemn Arminiasm some are passive obedient Doctors others not some for Episcopacy jure Divino others think it only jure Humano some have been for others are now against Liberty of Prophesying c. The justest way then of judging what are the sentiments of a Church is neither by the private practices or opinions of Clergy or Lay-men but by their Unanimous deliberate and publickly declared Judgment in their Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions which had he produc'd against us had been some service to his cause And we have just cause to except against the Evidence Some of whom have conformed and have disgrac'd their Church by renouncing its Ordination so that these who have dishonor'd their Parents will little regard their Brethren 3. We know that indirect means have been used to obtain such Testimonies against us and can tell of one who had 4 good fat Benefices in England with a Faculty of Non-residence to Enable him to Traffick in France introducing Dissenters and Exalting and vindicating the Prelacy and Ceremonies of England 4. The Testimonies are not fairly produc'd but a part conceal'd of the Letters which had he repeated would have condemn'd himself And therefore M. Cloud in his Letter as Published by Dr. Stillingfleet p. 448. hath this I hope my Lord you will not be wanting in the Duties of Charity and Spirit of Peace and that when the dispute shall be only of some Ceremonies which are stumbling blocks and which in themselves are nothing in comparison of an intire re-union of your Church under your holy Ministry you will make it seen that you love the Spouse of your Master more than your selves And that it is not so much from your greatness and Ecclesiastical Dignity that you desire to receive your joy and glory as from your Pastoral Vertues and the ardent care you take of your Flocks M. De Langle tells you that even amongst these separating Brethren there is a very great Number of good Men whose Faith is pure Piety sincere And it seems to me that the good and charitable Bishops ought to say of them as Optatus Melivitatus said of the Donatists in something a different sense Si Collegium Episcopate notunt habere nobiscum tamen fratres sunt And I 'me sure saith he that if there were nothing wanting to cure your Divisions but tho abstaining from some Expressions the quitting some Ceremonies the changing the colour of some Habits you would resolve to do that and something more difficult But this the D. disingenuously conceals because of his Moderation which is contrary to his Nature or Design The V. having asserted also that a further security ought to be granted to Protestant Dissenters than to Papists for this reason that some difference should be made between them who deserve well and them who deserve ill of the Govarnment The D. allowing the reasoning to be unque6ionably true yet will have it understood with this supposition that if the Civil Parent be forced by the pressure of some unfortunate occurrences to a concession of such favorable and advantagious
those who were under Sentence of Deposition or Deprivation A. Doth not the Law of England also deprive men of the Benefice who are degraded from the Office seeing Beneficium datur propter Officium for none were deposed by Presbyteries but such whose Crimes upon full and fair Tryal deserved such Treatment Is that severe in a Parliament to deny those men wages who have cut themselves off from service in the Church Further to evince the more than ordinary severity in Scotland against the Episcopal Clergy since the Revolution the D. alledgeth an Act of Parliament June 12. 1693. whereby is is Enacted That no Person be admitted or continued to be a Minister or Preacher within the Church of Scotland unless he own the Presbyterian Government to be the only Church Government of that Church that he will submit thereunto and and concur therewith and never endeavour directly or indirectly to do any thing to the prejudice or subversion thereof A. The disingenuity so oft complained of in the V. seems not to be so much a dislike of the evil as that this D. would make a monopoly of it for himself for in this report we have a considerable deal of it for he waves the consideration of what it was brought to prove that a great many Episcopal Ministers enjoyed the Protection of the Government in the free Exercise of their Ministry and legally establish't maintainance 2. That the places of greatest trust are in the hands of those who are Episcopal in Judgment several of whom were instanced so that no severity is exercised meerly for mens judgments in that matter all which by his silence he seems to confess and yet insisteth in his ordinary rote of of exclaiming against the Government But we say 2. The Act cited doth not inflict any penalty on any for being Episcopal in Judgment 3. There is nothing in this Act but what upon the matter was agreeed to by the Episcopal Clergy in their Address presented to the General Assembly of that Church held Jan. 15. 1691 2. with the following Formula they promised to Subscribe The Address of the Episcopal Clergy to the General Assembly held at Edinburgh VVE under-subscribers for our selves and our constituent Ministers of the Gospel humbly shew that since the Episcopacy is abolished and Presbyterian Government is established as it was 1592. we being desirous to exercise the holy Function wherewith we are invested in our several Stations for the Glory of God Advancement of Religion their Majesties Service and the Peace of the Nation do therefore humbly desire that stops and impediments may be taken off so that we may be admitted as Presbyters to sit in Presbyteries Synods and General Assemblies in concurrence with the Presbyterian Ministers in the Government of the Church as now established by Law in this Kingdom The Formula Proposed is I A. B. do sincerely Promise and Declare that I will submit to the Presbyterian Government of this Church as now by Law established in this Kingdom under K. William and Q. Mary by Presbyteries Provincial Synods and General Assemblies and that I will as it becomes a Minister of the Gospel heartily concur with the said Government for the suppressing of Sin and Wickedness the promoting Peace and purging the Church of all Erroneous and Seandalous Ministers and do further Promise that I will Subscribe the confession of Faith the Larger and Shorter Catechisms now Confirmed by Act of Parliament as containing the Doctrine of the Protestant Religion Professed in this Kingdom By all this it appears that the Act obliges to nothing but what these Addresses offered except a promise not to subvert the Government which they indeed refused as a severity but we leave the world to judge of the sincerity of such Ministers of the Gospel who will promise to submit to a Government and concur with it but will not promise not to subvert it but if needful we could fully detect to the world the juggle of that whole design But 4. Knows he not that the Act of Uniformity requires the same from all Conformists which he exclaims against in the Church of Scotland is not then the height of partiality to condemn that as rigid severity in others which we applaud in ourselves as Justice and Prudence But his second Exception against this Act is it 's ordering that uniformity of Worship and Administration of all publick Ordinances in the Church of Scotland be observed by all Ministers and Preachers as it is at present performed or shall be hereafter declar'd by the Authority of the same which he looks on as equally unreasonable as the Papists requiring Implicit Faith or subscription to the Oath c. A. It is very unjust in him to instance that as a piece of severity against the Episcopal Clergy which by the Act all Presbyterian Ministers as well as they are obliged to But if uniformity of Worship and Administration of all publick Ordinances be so Popish and unreasonable why so much noise about it in his Church to deprive men of a birth-right priviledge if they comply not But 't is Scotish Conformity only disgusts him for what concerns the English and Irish he can say ego mihimet ignosco But saith he They are to subscribe to what shall be Ordered by the Church as well as to what is at present Ordered A. We ask him seriously whether he that swears Canonical Obedience to his Ordinary doth not oblige himself to be ruled according to such Canons as shall be made by the Church as well as by these which are already made or when a Judge sweareth to administer Justice according to Law whether he obligeth not himself to Judge by Acts of Parliament that shall be made as well as by those that already are And if so he dare not say whatever he may think that they are guided by an implicit Faith or takes an Oath c. Even so when the Ministers of the Church of Scotland promise to govern their flocks and be governed themselves by such constitutions as are already made or hereafter shall by the common consent of the Church established what man compos mentis can condemn them doth not natures light reach us that all who join themselves to a Society ruled by Laws are obliged to be governed by these Laws already made or to be made especially when they are made by themselves if this be Popery he must be such or resist the Government in the execution of Laws made since his creation but men of inconsiderate slippery judgment must be dilemma'd His last instance of Scotish severity is from an Act made July 5. 1695. against Intruders by whom are understood all who have not an orderly call from the Heritors Elders and People with a legal Admission by the Presbytery now such by that Law are to be removed from these Churches into which they have intruded and rendred incapable of any Church or Stipend within the Kingdom for seven years c. but he tells
and there may be Schisms where there is no separation of Churches 1 Cor. 3. 1. 2d Before ye had as with confidence ye do asserted a Schism betwixt you and us it had been requisite that ye had proved that there was once an union in these things in which we divide seeing all division presupposeth a prior union if then we were never joyned in one how can there be a division now I apprehend it will puzzle you to prove that the Presbyterians in the North ever joyned with the Establish't Church in these things in which we now differ to wit Church-Government Liturgy and Ceremonies therefore if you would succesfully attack Dissenters you must not use the same Topicks for all some you must prove Schismaticks tho they never joyned others you must convince that there is a National Church before you will be able to perswade them that they have divided it To your first Question Is there any of these things which are necessary to the salvation of a Christian wanting in the Communion of our Church Do we not profess and teach the true Christian Faith in all its Fundamental Articles Answer 1st Tho you may be so inured to officiate by Delegates as to think we should serve the Cure for you we do not find our selves obliged to prove what you affirm seeing the rule hath hitherto universally obtained affirmanti incumbit probatio It lies upon you to shew that your Church teacheth all the Fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith and not on us who are not bound to give the reason of the Faith that is in you Christ and his Apostles proved their Doctrines and left them not to be disproved by Jews and Pagans until they had first proved them 2. But in reverence to the antiquity of the question which is old Roman Catholick I shall give it a Protestant's answer which cannot be excepted against for Non-conformity being the learned Chillingsworth's in his Book The Religion of a Protestant the safe way to Salvation in answer to a Papist who maintained the contrary The Papist had put this Question Page 4. Parag. 14 15. If the Roman Church did not fall into any Error that was damnable how can it be damnable to live in her Communion and if her Errors were not damnable nor did exclude Salvation how can they be excused from Schism who forsake her Communion c. To this Chillingworth answers Page 16. All that we forsake in you is the belief profession and practice of your Errors Hereupon you cast us out of your Communion and with a strange contradictious and ridiculous confidence complain that we forsake it as if a man should thrust his friend out of doors and then be offended at his departure but for us not to forsake the belief of your Errors having discovered them to be Errors was impossible and therefore to do so could not be damnable believing them to be Errors not to forsake the profession and practice of them had been damnable hypocrisie so that either you must free your Church from requiring the belief of any Error whatsoever or whether you will or not you must free us from Schism for Schism there cannot be unless we were obliged to continue in it Man cannot be obliged by man but to what he was formerly or virtually obliged by God God the eternal Truth neither can nor will oblige us to believe any the most innocent falshood to be a divine truth that is to err nor to prosess a known Error which is to lye so that if ye require the belief of any Error among the conditions of your Communion our obligation to Communicate with you ceaseth and so the imputation of Schism to us vanisheth to nothing but lies heavy on you for making our separation necessary by requiring unnecessary and unlawful conditions of your Communion Hereafter I therefore intreat you demand not how came we to forsake your Communion without Schism seeing ye err'd not damnably but how could we so do seeing ye err'd not at all Which if either ye do prove or we cannot disprove we will turn to your Communion or subscribe our selves Schismaticks In the mean time let us continue as we are Yet notwithstanding of all your Errors we do not renounce your Communion totally and absolutely but only leave Communicating with you in the practice and profession of your Errors the trial whereof will be to propose some form of worshipping God taken wholly out of the Scriptures and herein if we refuse to joyn with you then and not till then let us be condemned as Schismaticks so he whom the late Arch-Bishop Tillotson thought it an honour to be his Scholar To the next Question Is there any thing required by us from them that Communicate with us that is a Sin We answer affirmatively there be things required which to us are so To the third Question Are there any of our Constitutions contrary to God's Law We answer to us it appears there be To the 4th Hath God any where forbid us to use the sign of the Cross after Baptism a Ring in the Celebration of Marriage a Surplice in divine Service the posture of kneeling at the Reception of the Lord's Supper or any of those Rites and Ceremonies which are appointed to be used among us Answer Things are either forbidden expresly or by just and necessary consequence though then they be not expresly by name forbidden they be by good consequence for whatever is not commanded by GOD and is required by men as a part or means of the worship of God is forbidden by God 1st Then whatever part or means of divine worship is not commanded is forbidden is evident from that reason given Lev. 10. 1. Why God destroyed Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire which is this for I commanded them not The reason of God's rejecting what was offered Isa 1. 12. is given Who hath required these things at your hands the cause of God's Judgments on false Prophets Jer. 14. 14 15. is I sent them not neither have I commanded them Fear or Worship of God taught by the commandments of men is not only vain Matth. 15. 9. but brings plagues on them who abuse their wisdom that way Isa 29. 14. And we are lately taught this to be the doctrine of the Establish't Church by the Bishop of Derry in his Vanity of Humane Inventions page 3. 1st saith he It belongs to God only to give rules how he will be worshipped which is a truth naturally implanted in the minds of men and universally acknowledged at all times 2. The holy Scriptures contain the revelation of God's will concerning his own Worship 3. It concerns us to keep as close as we can to the directions which God hath been pleased to afford us without adding to omitting or altering any thing that he hath therein laid down for since God hath vouchsafed us a certain and perfect direction for his Worship in the holy Scripture it is to be supposed