20. which implies both the power of the Church to determine and the duty of the People to receive and abide by such determinations Our Saviour promised the Apostles Matth. ult That he would be with them to the end of the World that is with them viz. in their own Persons and Successors because they were no otherwise to continue to the end of the World and because God is not Essentially only but even Graciously present with all good men therefore this promise made to the Apostles at the very time of their receiving their Commission of Baptizing and Discipling all Nations must imply something beyond the common grants made to the World and that is with them in a sufficient way and manner for the Founding Guiding and Governing his Church And when the Canon of Scripture was compleated the many differences from age to age which yet have pleaded Scripture for their warrant do abundantly prove that the Scripture of itself is no more able to hinder and determine differences than the Law to prevent and decide Controversies without a Judge therefore there being a promise of sufficient Aids and the same necessity of Councils and Synods in after ages as there was then the Church hath ever look'd upon herself sufficiently impowered to follow this pattern in the Acts. Sometimes after this when St. Paul 1 Cor. 11. had been pressing matters of Decency in places and times of Divine Worship as for men to be Uncovered c. he adds Ver. 16. If any man seem Contentious i. e. not willing to abide by what hath been said but is disposed to Cavil let him know we have no such Custom neither the Churches of God Whence it was the Apostolical practice and a rule left to all Posterity to correct the Errors and Cavils of particular persons by the custom and practice of the Church Which was so well observ'd of old that as Eusebius relates and Origen somewhat to that purpose it was then pleaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are dissonant from the Church a sufficient reason to reject ' em Nor was there less than an Anathema added to her determinations a Curse upon all them that should refuse ' em We find the Church of Thyatira was commended Revel 2. 19. for her works and charity and service and faith and patience but yet Ver. 20. I have a few things against thee and why because thou sufferest that Woman Jezebel which calls herself a Prophetess to teach and seduce my Servants Whence that Church had a Power and it was her Sin she did not use it of obliging her Members to such a rule that might have been effectual for the excluding these and by parity of reason all like Errors There was then no plea of Liberty of Conscience and judging every one for himself allowed of things that were invented for the promoting Schismatical Parties and the serving every one his own humor and interest And indeed it is so necessary to the ends of Religion and the very being of a Church to have this our rule that it is therefore become the common practice of the World And those who now joyn in their common crys for Liberty when time was would by no means allow it one to another It is true indeed if the Church determine and impose upon men as terms of Communion with her things that are apparently repugnant to any proper and express Text of Scripture then and then only that question comes honestly in Whom shall we obey God or Man Which is the only Argument Protestants have to justifie their departure from the Church of Rome as in those instances of adoring the Creature where the Church commands and the Scripture forbids But if there be no such apparent repugnancy as there cannot be in things of an Indifferent Nature which are the ground of our Controversies because these are no where forbid in Scripture though a man cannot perhaps give a reason of all the Churches determinations or expose every Sophistical plea against them yet there being no such apparent repugnancy I ought to submit and follow her Judgment and Authority in doing which I follow even God himself who hath made her my Rule and my Guide Therefore if a Question be moved about the Doctrine of the Church contained in the 39 Articles or about her Rites and Ceremonies contained in the Canon and Rubrick it is a grand mistake in any to think that if they meet a man who cannot prove and justifie all those things that they may be rejected for the Church may in all reason be suppos'd to see more than Individuals may I receive 'em from her and it is enough to justifie my doing so that I have no plain Scripture against them It lies upon the adversary as a Member of this Church to justifie his dislike or else to receive 'em too For whatever the Church defines and imposes must be either true false or doubtful If true we must obey because the command falls upon a Lawful matter else we make the Command to alter the Nature of the thing and the Sin to lie in Obedience which would quickly disturb all Societies and overthrow every Government in the World If false then prove it Which must be either 1. by some plain demonstration that may even force assent or 2. By some plain and proper Texts of Scripture which either expresly or by undeniable consequence forbids or commands the contrary For even Murther it self had not been unlawful unless forbid by the Divine Law either natural or revealed Ergo if there be no such Law against the Definitions and Impositions of the Church there is nothing that can speak them false and unlawful But if any think there is some such Law let them produce their instances which we are certain none can do because all their attempts that way have been hitherto baffled whence some have denyed reason in matters of Religion because they have none for their own placits And others fled from Scripture as not serving their wild Hypotheses to downright Enthusiasm and a Light within Or 3. By shewing us such a perfect rule as to Government Worship and all particular things requisite for the gathering governing and maintaining a Sacred Society laid down in Scripture that there can be no room left for any Humane Constitutions But because all parties differ so notoriously about these things we presume there is no such perfect rule at all And therefore room left for any such Humane appointments that are not contrary to the reasons of Mankind or to any part of Divine Revelation But 3. If doubtful either in their own natures or circumstances we ought in Prudence as well as Duty to believe the Church rather than our private Sentiments else we make our selves more wise and judicious than the Church it self which is the very height of Pride and likewise a charging infinite wisdom and goodness in appointing us so weak and treacherous a guide Nor do we in this give any
farther power to the Church than what the very being of Councils and Synods doth suppose to belong to her For their being doth imply their power of determining in doubtful and controversial matters and therefore of giving rules in such cases which rules and determinations the people consequently stand oblig'd to observe For power of giving Laws in the Superior doth always infer a Duty of receiving 'em in the inferior and you will find that not only ancient Councils but the Synod of Dort about the Doctrins of Arminius and that undue Convocation which the Scotch taught us to call the Assembly of Divines which laid aside the Liturgy and established the Directory did very smartly evidence their belief that they had a power of obliging the people to their own placits For beside the greatness of the undertaking they were as positive in their determinations and as severe in their injunctions as if they knew themselves seated in an infalliable Chair Therefore their allowing such a power when it ministred to their own passions and interest doth evidence that they hold the thing not absolutely unlawful From the faults that Dissenters now find with Ecclesiastical Establishments and that monstrous Bill for uniting the Kings Protestant Subjects prepared by a late House of Commons which designed the turning our Church upside down we must in all reason conclude they would make very great and peremptory Alterations was it in their power Whence we must infer that according to them themselves there is such a power lodg'd in the Church Which if they deny they consequentially deny the lawfulness of the Reformation both in its first settlement before and in its Restauration after Queen Mary they condemn the haughty attempts of their late Assembly and even themselves too who put in their objections against some little passages in our Liturgy to the Convocation called soon after his Majesties return and likewise take from the Church all power of future Reformation from any Errors she may sink into And indeed it is reasonable to suppose the Church knows what is Lawful and Expedient better than some private Heads For the Persons called as Representatives of the whole Church are usually the most Grave Learned and Judicious many see more than one God hath more regards to the whole whom these duely called do represent and in whose determinations the whole are concern'd than of a part viz. a few scattered Individuals who are every one for his own Sense He stands in those relations to the whole which he doth not to particulars in separation from her as of an Head an Husband c. and hath promised to be with them to the end of the World as they are the guides and pastors of his Flock and therefore in a more peculiar manner than with any private Persons who are concerned not for all but every one for his own self Therefore though the Church may err yet it is not by incomparable odds so likely she should as that a few divided particulars may Therefore it is my Prudence as well as Duty in all things doubtful to submit to the Church else I run into an apparent Schism which nothing can justify but some apparent Evil which I cannot hold Communion with the Church but I must be polluted by Therefore because the Schism is apparent but the Error not I run into a certain Sin only for fear of what seems to me a probable Error Now suppose that by this means I chance to err with the Church yet I have used the means and kept to my guide and consequently have done the best I could to secure my self from Error and for that reason my Sin is only from weakness in that I could not see the Error of my guide therefore I shall be excused à tanto and forgiven upon a general repentance But he that errs against the Church hath willfully because without apparent reason left his guide and means appointed or in case the reason of his dissent seem'd to him apparent yet it had not seem'd so had he honestly used the means for his better Information for God is never wanting to such but when Men have itching Ears run after Novelties and have no love to the Truth 2 Thes 2. 10. then v. 11. For this cause God sends 'em strong Delusions that they might believe a Lye Therefore all their subsequent Errors are the issue and Offspring of that causeless and willful separation which kind of Sins are not forgiven but upon a special repentance This is a rule so plain and safe that certainly it had never been oppos'd had not some out of politick ends and others out of a weak and superstitious fear of Popery run into all the extreams from it unless where interest and secular advantages may teach an Union For Knavery in some and weakness in others hath gave being to all the parts of Phanaticism The Romanists shew Reverence in Churches therefore these in opposition will have all places alike For fear of being lavish in their Devotions they become prophane and slovenly and out of a dread of Idols in some real in others pretended run into Sacriledg and in the case before us they are said to believe as the Church believes without requiring any farther grounds and motives of Credibility therefore these will believe her in nothing but contradict and oppose her in all they can and rather than they will be thought to follow the Church in any thing they give up themselves with as real an implicite faith to some Illiterate and Mechanick guide as any are thought to do to the Church of Rome Which necessarily runs 'em into more Errors and greater Confusions than they think by such methods to avoid For from hence have sprung our Quakers Seekers Ranters Adamites Famalists Muggletonians fifth Monarchists withal the heards of Sectaries that have debauched Religion beyond that of Heathen Rome or Turkey Therefore to avoid all damnable Heresies and Schisms and the roveing extravagancies of Enthysiastick heads we have no more certain and ready way than to follow the Church where we have no plain Scripture to the contrary And indeed it is very observable that all pretenders to Christianity do hold the necessity of some guide and rule in matters of Religion whereby they may come to aright understanding of Scripture and thence to a-consent and union in every Truth Those that are for no Government nor any Humane measures but for an absolute Liberty as they are Christians do boast of an extraordinary Light and Conduct of the Spirit which they make to be their guide that leads 'em into all Truth But the monstrous Errors beastly Practices and direct Contradictions these people run into do abundantly convince all observing Men that they have not that Conduct which by pretending to such a guide they own necessary for Christians Then those who are for some Face of a Church and Government do likewise grant the necessity of some helps this way Therefore Calvin will have every
challenge 'T is a shrewd sign they suspect the goodness of their cause else we should certainly have had a melius inquirendum We may presume those Men are in crooked paths who will not bring 'em to the rule when required to do so Hence we will inquire Secondly Into their Plea from Conscience whereby they would justify themselves every one in his own way Which Conscience is made the greatest cheat and the veriest fool in the World For Men espouse such and such Opinions and ways of Life Whence they fly our Churches Writings and all other means of better Information till by Custom and the just Judgment of God who gives them up to strong Delusions that love not the Truth they think there can be nothing true and good but what is wrapt up in their own Tenents and Practices And because they have no mind to budg therefore they cry Conscience will not let ' em Which Conscience is mere Opinion Delusion Prejudice and Self-will Just such a Conscience as the greatest Hereticks and their most deluded Followers had to plead for their damnable Opinions And several Nations for their own Heathen Gods and Sacreds Such a Conscience as put the Jews upon Crucifying our Saviour and stoneing the Prophets and spur'd on late Zealots to the worst Rebellion Murther Theft and Sacriledg Such a Conscience as makes the Scotch Sectaries glory in their sufferings for their late Rebellion and Inhumane Butchery of the late Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews And put others amongst our selves upon acting the amazing Tragedy of 48 over again The greatest Villanies have ever been acted under the Pleas of Conscience And never hath the World seen worse times than where such Consciences have been most in fashion Look into the many Sects amongst us and you cannot find any two of 'em but what hold some things contradictory to each other Yet every Man in all parties pleads Conscience for what he doth Now because Conscience cannot make contradictories to be true therefore it is not Conscience that makes all parties differ from the Church and every one from one another or if Conscience must be in the case it is but an Erroneous one and that is to say the Errors and Delusions of Men that make all this bustle It is but the Ass under the Lyons Skin a Spirit of Delusion under the Pretexts of Conscience that hath made so many Opinions falsly called Religion amongst us Conscience can never condemn a Man without some warrant or rule e. g. It can never condemn any Man for Theft had it not this or some such rule viz. Thou shalt not steal whereby to do it Therefore in all the little parts of Religion and Government which are not ordain'd in Scripture and where there is no contradiction to those general rules of doing things decently in order and to edification false Notions and Opinion may disquiet the mind but Conscience cannot oppose because she hath no rule whereby to do it nor any Foundation to ground an Accusation on And consequently it is a Man's Prejudice and Delusion not his Conscience that draws back from Common Prayer the Sign of the Cross c. because these things not being forbid in Scripture Conscience cannot oppose and reject ' em At the rate these Men talk we must allow every Humor Prejudice Opinion Fancy and trick of Knavery to be Conscience the falshood of which sufficiently appears from the contradictions palpable Errors beastly Practices and Confusions of Religion and Government which such Consciences have already brought into the World and do farther expose us to But if it be really Conscience that makes all this stir Pray tell me how comes it to pass that Conscience should scruple some things which are no where forbid in Scripture and yet so readily close with many that are expresly forbid How can it be that Conscience should boggle at a Surplice and kneeling in the Sacrament of the Supper and yet make no Bones of Schisms and Seditions How is it reconcilable to my reason that Conscience should fly mixt Communions of which we have examples in Scripture and which themselves can no way avoid and also set Forms of Prayer for which the Scripture affords both example and Precept too And yet should sport and solace it self in speaking evil of the King resisting the Powers c. Till I am satisfyed in these points I must conclude it is no Conscience But Delusion in some and in others mere tricks and design It is certainly now time for 'em to consider that if the Evils which Divisions naturally produce should come upon us what an heavy aggravation it will be to their sufferings to consider that all this is the fruit of their own doings and the work of their own hands That their own Passions Mistakes and Self-will have pull'd all this upon their own heads What excuse can they make to God and Man what recompence to Posterity for the ruining a Church the whole protestant cause and interest by a Division which their best Writers condemn themselves cannot justify and are forced falsly to plead Conscience for as their last and only refuge If any thing shall ever perswade these Men to look toward Unity they must as a means thereto avoid all the hindrances of it Many are self-conceited and think none understand truth so well as themselves Others self-willed and resolved to yield in nothing And yet for such Men to wish for Unity is really to wish that the very Government would stoop and all Men yield to their own selves Nor is it some few only but the Majority in every party that is of this mind Which renders a satisfaction utterly impossible unless they could make the Government like Manna to suit it self to every pallat Therefore when S. Paul Eph. 4. 3. is pressing to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace he direct 'em to the fittest means to that end v. 2. walk with lowliness and meekness with long suffering and love Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit All endeavours are like to prove unsuccessful without these Methods and Qualifications For it is a censorious hasty proud and ungovernable Spirit that leaves its rule and follows its own giddy motions which makes the greatest breaches both in Church and State Let Men lay aside all those humors which in the Judgment of any indifferent Man are inconsistent with any Government as standing stubbornly irreconcilable to any but their own placits and after all the complaints of Grievances Popery c. they will certainly say of this Church and Nation Happy are the people that are in such a case And indeed I did never yet know but that Men must part with something for the ends of Peace and Unity They must in something deny themselves restrain their passions and yield to a rule else they shall live their own punishments and at last be driven to what they would never go FINIS