things lawful If it is superstition when men not contented with the prescribed manner of worship gather together an heap needlesly then when men beyond Gods restraint increase restraints upon themselves or others to please God they are thereby superstitious in the Negative Col. 2. 21. forbids will-worship in Negative observances Touch not taste not handle not They therefore who add restraints where God hath not in so doing may be negatively superstitious as the Pharisees in not doing some things on the Sabbath day and the Philistines not treading upon the threshold of Dagon In abstaining therefore from things lawful as unlawful there may be a negative superstition There is then a superstition positive and negative the one when men count that holy which God never made holy the other when men condemn that which God never condemned both faulty It is not for us to make sins or duties To make more sins than God made is a condemning of the rule as imperfect as if the Law was not full and exact enough but needed to be pieced up by mens fancies yet so do some who upon their own will and sense without any warrant from the Word condemn men for using things indifferent Rom. 14. no where forbidden and by authority commanded Take heed take heed that our hatred of superstition make us not mad-headed like some modern Antitrinitarians who reject the doctrine of the Trinity because the Pope holds it or such who will meddle with nothing which in Popery was polluted If things enjoyned be not sinful like theirs Mat. 15. 9. if they are of things necessary or useful for the time Act. 15. 28. such do bind the conscience and are no violation of it Christian liberty a freedom from the tyranny of sin the curse of the Law the yoak of Moses and the like as before is a great liberty which may content and a precious thing to stand fast in but we must not turn it to license Gal. 5. 13. Although we are free yet we must not use our liberty Gal. 5. 1. as a cloak of maliciousness but know we are still the servants of God and owe him obedience and to every one of 1 Pet. 2. 16 his commandments whereof this is one submit to every 1 Pet. 2. 13. humane Ordinance for the Lords sake and by love bound to serve one another Gal. 5. 13. 1. Consider the frequent and peremptory charge of submission of obedience Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 2. Consider that to despise dominion is very dangerous 1 Pet. 2. 10. Jude 8. 3. That vain janglings about indifferents have much scandalized the Gospel of Christ 4. And hazarded the loss of God's Ordinances and made many deprive themselves wofully of them 3. Thirdly Must all things be done decently and in order 1. Then you must have a Teacher else where is order In an house no Steward or Governour in a War no Director sure no order 2. This Teacher must not be any one not every one that was Jeroboam's sin and of later times a cause of much of many and sad disorders 3. This Teacher must have maintenance fitting to his function so that feeding the Flock he may eat of the milk of the flock for when such are contemned in regard of poverty when in regard of it they are scorned when there is a ragged Minister and a rich people what decency what order 4. This Preacher and people must consider they are members of a Church and subject to its government and therefore in all things they are to submit and obey its lawful Ordinances and injunctions For instance 1. Our Church enjoyns us to come at the beginning and stay until the end of the publick Worship of God and this is agreeable to Scripture Ezek. 46. 10. Luk. 1. 21. 2. The Church enjoyns us to pray kneeling which is agreeable to Scripture precept and the practise of the best men as David Solomon Paul and our Saviour Christ yet we have some who at the publick prayers of the Church will not Psal 95. 6. stand with the Pharisee nor kneel with the Apostle neither stand as servants to a Master nor kneel as subjects before a Prince but sit as if they were to bless God not he them much less imitate those who with wives and children and as is most probable being they passed through the City in their better apparel and yet in prayer would kneel although in a most incommodious place to wit the Sea-shore Act. 21. 5. Sure it argues ignorance or arrogance to refuse to kneel in prayer to God in which duty no gesture so fitting as kneeling if possible if not injurious if not hindering edification 3. The Church enjoynes men to be uncovered in the service of God and there is no doubt but that we may testifie our reverence to God as we do to men nor do I know of any Church where the Minister is uncovered and the people covered too much in use with us he being there as God's Embassador the people as they to whom he is sent he as a Teacher they to learn Give me leave to tell you what an eminent Divine saith He who thinks saith he he may not be uncovered out of fear to offend God may be superstitious Dr. Nicolson's answer to Mr. Mathews pag. 187. yea whilst he speaks against all ceremonies is ceremonious and he that thinks upon no occasion he may cover his head is ceremonious also and yet for his superstition he hath a fairer excuse than the other for the one doth it for the most part out of contempt and perverseness and in a disobedience to some higher power the other â—ut of a kind of necessity which his present condition may put him upon and 't is a certain rule charity dispenceth with all ceremonies The one by it may give â—ccasion to suspect his irreverence the worst that can be made of the other is that he desires to serve his God with fear and reverence as judging himself in his presence before whom he cannot be tâ—o vile The one hath no countenance nâ—r colour of any Scripture for what he dâ—es the other looks upon these plain words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 4. and thinks he is obliged to it as indeed he is till the meaning of the Text â—e otherwise cleered to him The one is disobedient to higher powers the other obedient to the same as he ought better grounds by far than the other who will do or not do because he will or he will beâ—â—use such and such do so 4. The Church enjoyns all Communicants to receive the Communion three times in the year of which Easter to be one A duty of order yea more for if not comers to the Passeover were to be cut off surely God who was so severe Num. 6. 9 13. for the neglect of that Sacrament inferior to the Communion how severe will he be think we to the contemners of this so sacred an Ordinance Since
Exod. 22. 28. Gal. 10 20 Rom. 13. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13. which teach me that we must hold our tongues much more our hands yea and that we must take heed to our thoughts and that they are not to be resisted because they are God's Ordinance and so a resisting of them is a resisting of God I know they are called the Ordinance of man and so they are subjectively the power being executed by man objectively being about the society of man finally because for the singular good of man and instrumentally they may be of man in places where they are elective yet is the power Gods originally they are of God who appoints that some should govern some obey and it is the Lord who maintains and upholds this Order I know that some cavilling are ready to say As some such are good so some are bad and are bad ones of God or how can bad ones be of God not considering that God gives the Kingdom of heaven only to the good but the Kingdoms of the earth to good and bad and that the power of the bad is of God and to be obeyed although the abuse of the power where it is abused is of themselves Their power therefore causally is from God his Ordinance they are Gods Ministers and resisters resist Oâ—dinances so him Also because such who resist are to receive greater loss than of goods than of life it self even damnation I have seen some answers to Dr. Fearn The reasons of some to justifie their taking up of arms I have them by me and the Anticaveliarism to that purpose being willing to see what could be said and their Arguments to justifie their doings that I might joyn if the course was warrantable But alas I found much said little proved from Scripture The peoples rescuing Jonathan is pleaded whereas it is cleer that the 1 Sam. 14. 44 45. people drew not into arms of themselves but at Sauls command and by a loving importunity they did hinder the execution of a passionate unlawful command Here nothing is to be found but loyalty Davids being against Saul is to as little purpose David never resisted he alwayes fled 1 Sam. 24. 1 Sam. 26. from place to place he was never found fighting resisting nor hurting no not when Saul was in his hands Nor doth the Prophets wishing those with him to hold the messenger prove that Kings Officers therefore themselves may be resisted 2 King 6. 32. for it is one thing to hold a messenger fast another to strike to slay The holding is a delaying of the execution the other shews contempt of the power But Elisha who knew of the messengers coming knew also that the King was sorry for that command and was coming to withstand it as the Text expresly hath it He in so doing did the Kings will as if he had said Hold him but a while until the King come who will have no such thing done Besides it might be said that all the Kings of Israel the ten Tribes were themselves but rebels against the hause of David We never read in Scripture that good people did take up arms 2 Chron. 33. 5 c. against their Kings when bad as Saul Manasses nor that the Prophets ever perswaded them against such and it shews heavy judgments against those who have rebelled against even bad Kings as Amnon and others 2. My second ground is this Resisting of Kings is against the doctrine and practise of the primitive times of the ancient Fathers Martyrs and other holy men until of late the Jesuits began to flourish who turned Religion into policy and some disorderly reformers as also certain eminent of the Presbyterians as Grotius who wrote a Book de jure belli pacis which did much hurt in these late times but it is well answered in a Treatise called Observations concerning the Original of Government so few misled have defended and weakly resistance that Dr. Owen in his Herod and Pilate could find but two English Divines leaning that way when he wrote his Book which is not long And all along the primitive times they were for obedience and against resistance even of persecutors as Justin Martyr See for the Judgment of Antiquity in this point that excellent Book of the Lord Primate of Ireland Dr. Usher entituled The power of the Prince and obedience of Subjects published with a learned Preface by Dr. Sanderson late Bishop of Lincoln to Antonius the Emperor Theophilus Bishop of Antioch Athenagoras in his Apology to Aurelius do shew Tertullian in his Apology writes to this purpose In one night with a few fire-brands we could be revenged we want not number of men nor arms your houses your Countreys are full of us and we who take Martyrdom so gladly were we fewer what were we not able to do if it was more lawful by our Religâ—on to slay than be slain yea we could leave you and so your places desolate and subject to enemies To this purpose he To this I will add There was a Legion called the Theban Legion consisting of 6666 valiant Christian Soldiers for refusing to commit idolatry every tenth man was executed One Mauritius taking the rest aside encouraged them from Scripture to suffer not to resist they were decimated and executed the second time Then Exuperius taking into his hands the Ensigns of the Legion said to these arms I provoke you not but to suffer And to the Emperor We are thy Soldiers but Gods servants we owe thee our imployment to him our innocency we have our weapons yet resist not being willing to die innocent rather than to live Traitors our weapons we cast away so they were all slain not one resisting And all our strict Divines until our sad resistance Dr. Owens two excepted as Mr. Dod on Com. 5. Dr. Tayler on Titus Mr. Byfield on Peter Mr. Parre on Romans and others were against resistance 3. My third ground I found resistance to be against the Judge Jenkins Laws of our Nation which tell us That to seize the Kings Forâ—s and Magazines is high Treason so to remove his Councellors by arms likewise to levy War to alter Religion to levy War to alter the Law to counterfeit the great Seal to adhere to any State in the Kingdom but the Kings Majesty so to imprison the King until he agree to demands to imprison the King to destroy him and to depose the King by the Law are high Treasons 4. A fourth thing which confirmed me were the Writings of some men as Dr. Fearn and Mr. Symons who suffered loss of what was dear to him rather than take up arms against the King shewing twelve reasons why he durst not joyn in that way The sum in brief take thus 1. Then he should assist in many evils 2. The way was not of God 3. It destroys the whole Law of God breaking all the ten Commandements shewing how every one particularly 4. It is inconsistent with
also not to come is a disobedience to Christ's command Do this which is divine And 1 Cor. 11. 23. St. Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And v. 26. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup Which as often implies often as the Apostles and primitive Christians understood it yea and the not comers neglect the memory of Christs death by which we are redeemed in his way They neglect also the communication of Christ's body and blood and shew themselves none of Christ's Disciples not obeying him his Sheep hearing his voice in this nor imitating him whom we are to follow who did eat the Passeover a type of his Passion as to put an end to it so to honour his Ordinance and to shew us our duty what we are to do to shew his subjection to the Law as our pattern and example But alas what are we come unto whither shall we go If in some places where are hundreds of families and not one hundred to communicate if some who are married if some of thirty if not forty years of age were never at the Communion if in populous places and Congregations the most turn their backs upon this Ordinance Is this for edification is this order Obj. 1 I dare not come saith one lest I come unworthily Answ 1. And why will you come unworthily why will you prefer your sinful lusts before Christ and salvation Repent amend 2. To come unworthily is sinful not to come may be as great if not a greater sin He who comes doth what he is enjoyned although he fail in the manner and so may shew a neglect the other who comes not shews contempt of Christ's command Do this so contempt of the memory of Christ's death by which we are redeemed and shews himself none of Christ's Disciple and surely contemners sin fearfully To neglect to come therefore is a gross sin where a man in coming as well prepared as he can he doth his duty and humbly commits himself unto God's mercy Obj. 2 I cannot come saith another because of the company many being admitted to come who are bad and with such St. Paul saith I must not eat and if I may not eat with them then not come to the 1 Cor. 5. 9 10 11 12. Lords Table with them Answ 1. I may not be his familiar his companion therefore I may not communicate with him not go to the Church with him is weak and frivolous for to eat at home is an indifferent action left to my choice and I may not chuse evil To eat at the Sacrament is part of Gods service not to be omitted without sin it being his and my duty Although I must separate from him in civil familiarity which is common and unnecessary where I have liberty not else 1 Cor. 7. 13 14. yet I may not in sacred society and the service of God which is his duty and mine if he be not cast out of the Church by excommunication As I am to avoid the least partaking of other mens sins so am I bound to the greatest partaking with them in duty and yet I may eat with him if occasionally I be cast upon the same Inn Ordinary and Table c. 2. Scriptures enjoyning separation from wicked men command to depart or separate from their ill courses their sins not from being with them in Gods Ordinances Should a sick man say I will not accompany such who are sick to a Physician and be healed is he not guilty of his own death for so doing 3. Sure it is an error to imagine that communicating with wicked men is a sin in the worthy Communicant or a being polluted by their company since the keeping company with them in such sacred meetings is only an acknowledgement that they are in the number of them whom Christ came to redeem and so saith St. Peter It is only a joyning with 2 Pet. 2. 1. them in Christian profession and a confederating with them to lead Christian lives all which are Christian acts and tokens of humility unlike the Pharisee who condemned and triumphed over the Publican whereas it would be better to look more at home to our own wayes and works and leave judging of others than to deprive our selves of so sacred an Ordinance for other mens coming since St. Paul reproves not the giver nor the worthy receiver at Corinth only the unworthy comer since upon such grounds of separation there will be no resting and since to forbear because of other mens unworthiness is a new-found groundless fancy not in our Saviours time when Judas came nor in St. Pauls time when many came unworthy 1 Cor. 11. Obj. 3 We cannot touch pitch and not be defiled we encourage them in their sins by our presence whom we must reprove Answ It hath already been shewed that it defileth not to do a good duty with a sinful man as the Pharisee did not scruple to go to the Temple with the Publican Luk. 18. Obj. 4 But we cannot communicate with that Church which hath no discipline Answ Discipline there is although perhaps not of that kind which some desire yet such as the Church hath stood and flourished under since the Apostles time until the last Century And such as hath made as good Christians in this Nation and as zealous Martyrs as any in the world And if this discipline be not executed it is the sin of those unto whom Augustin cont parmâ—n l. 3. c. 2. it is committed unless as it often happens the multitude of offendors or the difficulty of the times impede the same Obj. 5 We would come might we receive it as we would Answ You would obey might you disobey and your disobedience doing as you list go for obedience Obj. 6 Oh no We desire to receive in a Gospel way in which we may imitate Christ which we do not if we kneel Answ Very good you desire to imitate Christ then kneel for we who do kneel desire to and do imitate Christ for our Saviour at the Passeover did conform to the Passeover gesture enjoyned by and practised in the Church wherein he lived we therefore kneeling according to the practise of the Church wherein we live do imitate Christ Obj. 7 What Christ did we must do Answ Prove that Christ did not kneel and that he forbad us to kneel That Christ did sit and commanded us to sit and we He did sit what Christ did not do we must not do He did not kneel what Christ did we must do Whoso reads seriously the Evangelists will not take Christs example as a rule to guide the Church in all circumstances in administring and delivering the Eucharist for must we deliver it upon Maunday Thursday in a chamber not in a Church only to twelve at once those only men and Clergy men Must we deliver it to them lying or leaning upon one anothers bosom not in the morning but at night