to take notice of it hath been so oft refuted by Grotius Morton Sanderson and others shewing 1. That even in the Jewish Church from whence they fetch this doctrine in which God did by immediate Revelation prescribe the Rites and Orders of his Worship even in that Church the Magistrate had a power in the Circumstantials of Religion David altered some things and instituted others he appointed Instrumental Musick to be used in the Worship of God without any Commission from God that we read of He distributed the Priests into Orders for the conveniency of their Ministration yet 't was not accounted any innovation in Religion Hezekiah caused the Passover to be kept in all Judah and Israel on the second Moneth on the advice of his Council upon prudential and pious considerations though not according to any Divine Institution He appointed the Levites to kill the Passover which by God's appointment was to be done by the People He preferred the Levites to assist the Priests in killing the other Sacrifices which before they were never admitted to and all this was afterward retained in use without reprehension By all which it appears that the Magistrate had once a power of ordering matters in God's Worship and that even in times when God prescribed the rites and orders of his Worship by immediate revelation And in the New Testament the Apostle's circumcising Timothy after Circumcision had been abolish'd shews that all ceremonial appendages are but subordinate and ought to yield to the designs of Peace Charity and Edification The same Apostle in prescribing Church-Orders leaves out particulars prescribes onely generals viz. Obedience to Rulers doing things decently and in order to edification and the like Now all the question is who shall be Judge of that decency order and edification The Scriptures cannot for they no where determine it The People may not it was denied them in the Directory the Worcester-shire Association c. Therefore Church-Rulers must those higher Powers that are ordained of God and established in authority by the Fundamental Laws of the Land Besides that every Church-National hath authority to appoint and change Church-Ceremonies and Ecclesiastical Rites was a main Argument that the first Reformers Jewel Cox c. used against the Popish Bishops for the changing of Religion from Popish to Protestant But 't is enough to shew the errour and delusion of this pretence That the most learned of the old Non-conformists themselves have believed and taught that a Scripture-Precept or Example is not necessary to the Institution of Church-Discipline or Ceremonies Calvin teaches That Christ would not prescribe singularly and particularly concerning external Discipline and Ceremonies because he foresaw things to depend on the occasions and opportunities of Times nor did he think on Form to accord with all Ages whereupon says he we must have recourse to the general Rules that all things may be tried by them Finally he delivered nothing in these points expresly because they are not of necessity to salvation but ought to be accommodated to the edification of the Church according to the different disposition and custom of Times and Countries Thus Calvin himself and accordingly he practised when without a Scripture-Precept or Example he caused a consult to be held at Geneva in the Year 1543. for changing the Lords Day from Sunday to Thursday Master Baxter himself hath confest that the vesture gesture and other Ceremonies are all at the determination of the lawful Magistrate Now when they suggest thus to People what themselves believe not what can one think of their design in teaching the seduced Ignorants when they have nothing else to say to cry Where doth the Scripture this or that where have you Scripture-Precept or Example for it 3. If their pretending such Veneration for the Scriptures above other men were not delusory their regard to the Sriptures would certainly be more uniform They would not as they do disregard and contemn those Texts though speaking never so plainly which make any thing against them Tell them as the Apostle doth the Corinthians of Whisperings Back-biting Tumults c. and that while they are full of strife envyings and divisions one of Paul another of Apollos one of this mans Congregation another of that they are carnal they will perhaps laugh at you but neither regard you nor the Apostle And here is regardable what the learned Doctor Littleton observes in his Sermon entituled The Churches Peace asserted p. 25. of these Corinthians that the Apostle charges with envyings strife and Schisms which he calls carnality that they kept to their publick Ministers yet are charged with those things meerly because they preferred one before another who were both Paul and Apollos men of eminent abilities and extraordinary graces And if this be envying strife and carnality what would Paul have said of us How carnal are they who desert the publick Ministry and gad after not the Pauls and Apollos's there are not so many among them to gad after but as that Reverend Doctor speaks after every Will-in-the-Wisp men neither Orthodox nor able If you urge it to them that Christ and his Apostles have foretold us of false Prophets that should be amongst us and that the marks they have given us to know them by are such as these viz. They are such as separate themselves Geneva Translation Such as make Sects that they are such as despise dominion i. e. that cannot endure Superiority or Government that they are such as speak evil of dignities Geneva Translation of those that are in Authority that they are such as are murmurers and complainers i. e. never content under any Government Such as shall perish in the gain-saying of Korah which was disobedience to the Magistrate mutinying against Moses and Aaron the Prince and the Priest telling them that all the Lords People are holy that they had as good a right to govern as Moses and Aaron had that they took too much upon them c. Tell them that the Scriptures call Seducers false Accusers as those that accuse our Worship of Superstition and Idolatry Traitors as those who like Absalom draw away the hearts of the Kings Subjects with fine words and fair Speeches Tell them that the Scripture describes Seducers to be of that sort that creep into houses and lead silly women captive they will no more regard you than if you quoted the Alcoran Though these Characters hit them like the left-handed Benjamites to a hairs breadth yet 't is strange to see with what scorn and contempt they will reject that man that shall tell them of these things though with the greatest demission and meekness that may be and with what slight and disregard they will hear and read these plain Scripture-marks of Seducers though as competible to them as Treason to a Traitor Now upon these three considerations judge who will what fit persons these are to pretend to Scripture-rule above other men yet this pretence
REMARKS ON THE GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF Non-Conformity The Fathers seem to call those Hereticks who separated or made divisions in the Church though the Errour they maintained were very small See Mr. Baxter's Infants Church membership his Answer to Mr. Tombs's Valedictory Oration at Bewdly p. 169. LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops-head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1682. THE INTRODUCTION IF Aegles the Champion that was dumb all his life before had the strings of his Tongue loosed that he spake for ever after to see the deceit that was at the sacred Exercises in Samos 't is certainly enough to amaze us to see the greatest disturbers of the Churches Peace yet talk so much of Love and Holiness terms of Union and ways of Concord Pleas for Peace and Cures of Church-divisions as the Provincial of the Protestant Schismaticks doth to see them become as Fire-brands in the Church that were ordained for saving Lights and as Trumpets to sound Martial alarms that were designed for Retreats to popular Furies to see pretended Holiness a Cover to the deformity of Sedition and Innovation and the most barbarous Villanies set on the Score of Religion and Reformation to see those that to remove him from evil Counsellors have murder'd their lawful Sovereign yet to startle at the use of a Ceremony like a Capuchin at the sight of Money to see these still hunting upon the File insinuating the vilest abominations in shew for the publick good abhorring Idols yet committing Sacriledge espying Moths yet winking at Beams crying down the Whore of Babylon when they mean nothing but the overthrow of Episcopacy in a word pretending nothing but Piety and Peace when intending nothing but Schism and Sedition and by the help of these holy Guises as our Royal Martyr called them to come to such a summity of seditious insolence that if one offer a fight with these Beasts of Ephesus in contradiction to their peevish Faction as one merrily observed they presently play the Duke of Anjou's Cow that bedaub'd the fingers of any that offer'd to pull her back by the tail they make him the very Butt of the most infamous defamations that the twisted malice and subtilty of Earth and Hell can devise Now one would think this enough to make a dumb Ass speak in reproving the insolencies and dotages of such Prophets who run thus in the ways of Balaam to curse a Church and People that the Lord hath blessed At least 't is enough to put any serious person on enquiry into the causes of these honest religious Villanies as Seneca calls prospering Wickedness and how such a pernicious Faction could arrive to such a pitch of Reputation and Insolence The Enquirer will find these following means among others regardable REMARKS ON Non-Conformity c 1. Toleration and Indulgence HE is much a Stranger to Non-Conformity that knows not how much Connivance and Indulgence have conduced to its Increase and how necessary are the coërcive means to the safe suppress of that dangerous Faction The first Instance I assign for this is in Queen Elizabeths tolerating the French Church to be setled in London upon Calvin's Principle in 1560. Calvin having solicited Bishop Grindal upon the impetration of the Bishop the Queen assigned to the French Exiles the Church of St. Anthony with liberty to erect the Genevian Discipline and set up a Form of Prayer which had no conformity with the English Liturgy which proved in the event a design'd expedient of Calvin's for the advancing of Presbytery in the room of Episcopacy Upon this Toleration their numbers so increased that in 1568. they broke out into open Schism chusing to meet in Barns and Fields rather than in Churches with their Brethren as formerly teaching that it was impious to hold any correspondence with the conforming Churches Upon this very occasion viz. the Queens toleration and particularly her indulging them the liberty of the Genevian Discipline within eight years time their numbers so increased and their insolence also that the Queen plainly saw as her own words were that such were the restless spirits of that factious People that no quiet was to be expected from them till they were utterly suppressed In order to which she calls a ParlJam nt in 1592. wherein strict Laws were enacted against them and executed accordingly Barrow Penry and Burchet were hanged for such their Non-conformity-principles and practices as were treasonable And by these sharp Laws made against them and some severe executions done on them the Ringleaders of them were humbled the whole body of them brought to a good measure of quietness which these wholsom severities kept them in till the end of the Queens reign and in all probability as a late Writer observes they might have been for ever suppressed and kept quiet had K. James at first held the reins with that strict hand that Queen Elizabeth did before him but for want of that they soon grew bold fell a petitioning for Reformation of sundry Ceremonies and Abuses viz. Cross at Baptism Bowing at the name of Jesus Surplice c. which occasioned the Conference at Hampton-Court where the defence made for their Cause was so mean that the King turning his head to some of the Lords expressed himself thus If this be all they have to say I 'le make them conform or I 'le hurry them out of the Land or somewhat worse This Conference being in February the next Month produced the Kings Proclamation wherein he strictly enjoyns Conformity admonisheth all his Subjects never after to expect alteration in the Form of God's publick Service then established Accordingly the Laws were put in execution without sparing Non-Conformists or Half-Conformists and by this they were reduced to that quiet state again that he found them in when first come to the Crown till the Gunpowder Treason at which time they began to be very bold and busie the King being terrified with the apprehension of so great a danger turn'd all his thoughts upon the Papists and so let the Non-Conformists take breath and regain some strength And as their custom ever was to fish in troubled Waters prodigious Lies and Stories still finding best entertainment in troublesome times quia tutius finguntur facilius creduntur says Livy Therefore upon the occasion of this horrid Plot the Gun-powder Treason their next expedient was upon discovery of this Plot to alarm the Court and Country with the fears of Popery and of new dangers from the Papists to exert the greatest zeal for the Reformed Religion for preserving their Liberties and Priviledges against the incroachments of the Court and by this very means the Reins being loosed to them on the occasion of the Plot they drew much people to them strengthened much their Faction and by degrees made a Party in the House of Commons who at last came to that height that the King could do little in ParlJam nt without applying himself to that popular Faction and by
considering these two things I. That their correspondency of Principles and Practices with the Church of Rome so far as they are erroneous and dangerous is so very apparent to any that understand Popery Ex. gr 1. Both equally deny the King's Supremacy The Papist saith not the King but the Pope is Supream the Presbyter saith not the King but the ParlJam nt Prove saith Mr. Baxter that the King is the higher Power and I 'le offer my head to Justice as a Rebel And Calvin in his Comment upon Amos cap. 7. v. 13. calls them inconsiderate men that had conferred the Supremacy on King Henry VIII 2. The Pope saith an Heretical i. e. a Protestant King is to be deposed The Presbyterian says 't is lawful and commendable to fight against the King for Religion to depose him says Baxter And Martin Mar-Prelate in his second Book advises the ParlJam nt to put down the Bishops whether the Queen would or no. 3. Papists say Heretical i. e. Protestant Kings may be not onely deposed but killed by their Subjects Presbyterians say the same Ministers may excommunicate Princes and after a King is by Excommunication cast into Hell he is unworthy to live upon Earth says Buchanan Guignard the Jesuit hath it France is sick and they must cut the basilick vein to heal her The Presbyter hath the same words concerning King Charles the First Wound that Hazael under the fifth rib you must strike the basilick vein none but it can heal the Plurisie of State And Mr. Love O that our State Physicians would imitate God in cutting off from the Land those that have distempered it meaning the King as his next words shew praestat unus pereat quam unitas And accordingly they have practised as will be shewn in its proper place 4. They both proceed in the same method The Pope first Excommunicates then Deposes then Murders The Presbyter first Deposes the King then Murders Charles Stuart 5. They agree in so much as time The Jesuit i. e. the bloudy Papist and the Presbyter are both of an age the year 1535. is remarkable for the Geneva Discipline and the spawning of the Jesuits Order 6. Papists teach That Truce is not to be kept with Hereticks i. e. Protestants Presbyterians teach That Promise is not to be kept when the preaching of the truth i. e. Presbytery is hindered See their Marg. Not. on Matth. 2. 12. 7. Both will reproach and slander plunder and sequester kill and slay for the Churches good though the Apostle says We must not do evil that good may come thereby 8. Both agree in that Principle that Dominion is founded in Grace 9. 'T is the business of them both in Protestant Kingdoms by ill interpreting their Princes actions by slandering libelling and the like means to draw Subjects from their Allegiance 10. The Jesuits call themselves the Saintly Brotherhood the Church of Rome the onely true Church and all Hereticks beside themselves The Presbyterians call'd themselves formerly the Godly Party and all others Malignants Now the People of God the Zealous Protestants and all others Carnal Superstitious Formalists Popishly affected c. 11. The Papists formerly Plot Rebell and Massacre by entering into a Covenant called the Holy League as in the Massacre at Paris and Rebellion against King Henry the Third The Presbyterian did the same by entering into a Covenant called the Solemn League as in England and Scotland against King Charles the First 12. Papists warring against King Henry the Third of France in performance of their Holy League have frequent Fastings doubled devotions to persuade weak Consciences that they aimed at nothing but the setting up of Christ's Kingdom and to instruct them to cut their Kings throat as for the love of God and the gaining of Paradise Presbyters in warring against King Charles in performance of their Solemn League had frequent days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving for success in fighting against the King The Papists Holy League and the Presbyters Solemn League were both entered upon a groundless jealousie of the King's Religion In both there is a League with Strangers and Armies raised in the Kingdom against their natural Sovereign who gave them no occasion of the War but the too much gentleness and condescensions of them both In both the Fire of Civil War was blown about by seditious Preachers 13. Papists and Presbyterians both in their distinct Parties do still combine against the Government 14. Both for many years have been the great disturbers of the Peace of all Christendom Tell me says a late Gentile Writer of any Massacre or bloudy Wars or Stratagems against the Magistrate of any Treason or Rebellion whatever within the memory of man but what was carried on by one of these two Parties Papists or Presbyterians and I 'le be content to undergo the bloudy Inquisition of the one and the fate of the two Archbishops Canterbury and St. Andrews murdered by the other Now if they will go no further from the Church of Rome than she hath gone from the Truth let them shew if they can half so many parallels between the Church of England and of Rome 'T is true indeed the Churches of England retain some things that are in use in the Church of Rome but must we disbelieve and difuse every thing as Popish that the Papists believe and use then must we not believe that Christ is the Messias then must we renounce the Word Sacraments and Prayer because the Papists believe and use them But if we will depart no further from the Church in Reformation than she departs from the Truth in Corruption let the Non-conformists shew if they can wherein the Church of England agrees with that of Rome in half so many erroneous Principles and dangerous Practices as the Non-conformist doth What reason then have they so to curse a Church which the Lord hath blessed Her Sisters the Reformed Churches all calling her blessed and joying to behold her order and stedfastness in Christ so to stigmatize with the brand of Popish all that are not peevish and turbulent like themselves II. What Reason have they for it considering what great things the Episcopal Divines have done and suffered above them all along from the beginning of the Reformation to this day in detestation of Popery and attestation of the Reformed Religion as now professed in the Church of England some laying down their lives to testifie against Popery as Cranmer Ridley Latimer c. others standing in the Gap upon all occasions to oppose the return of it with most eminent abilities and greatest zeal above what Non-conformists can pretend to In the beginning of the Reformation when Calvin sent to Cranmer and after that to the Protector Seymour to offer his assistance they rejected him utterly so that neither he nor any of the Consistorian Principle had any hand in the first Reformation in England or have any of them ever since done any
is one of their wiles whereby to seduce the People and increase their Party 5. Their pretence to Reformation Purity of Religion Tenderness of Conscience c. Mr. Baxter hath well observed that the appearance of more spirituality and strictness was that which drew Tertullian to the Montanists and which promoted a great part of the Heresies which have torn the Churches of Christ. This kept up the Donatists whom St. Austin calls Impios fastidiosos pertinaces superbos separatores and their Separation he calls Sacrilegious Heretical and Seditious yet these kept up their reputation and separation from the Orthodox Christians Assemblies by this very means the pretence and shew of greater purity and sanctity than others This kept up the cause of the Priscilianists and Manichees this kept up the Novatians long in great reputation this was the strength of the Anabaptists in Germany and the Low-Countries this is the strength of the Quakers and he might have added of the Non-conformists and their Party at this very day And the truth is Piety and Holiness command such an universal love and veneration that the very shew and counterfeit of it hath deluded thousands into erroneous ways and hath ever been accounted the most usefull Tool in the framing of seditious and schismatical Innovations Lycurgus could never have ingratiated his Laws so effectually had he not pretended conference with his goddess Nor could the Factious of our late Times have carried on their designs have gained to themselves such strength of number and height of reputation but by the specious disguise of a pretended Reformation and shew of Sanctity above others Those late Usurpers never wanted a religious pretext for their most hellish undertakings As King James told his Son King Charles that under the pretence of Religion he should find from that sort of People as he soon did the most barbarous and bloudy Villanies in the World And King Charles the First to his Son King Charles the Second I have observed says he that the Devil of Rebellion doth commonly transform himself into an Angel of Reformation and when mens consciences accuse them of Sedition or Faction they stop its mouth with the name and noise of Religion and Zeal And accordingly the Non-conformity-men of his time in their Sermons before the ParlJam nt 1643. taught That 't was commendable to fight against the King for Peace and Reformation that the War was God's Cause and it should at last prevail they called fighting for the ParlJam nt a following the Lamb and a fighting for the Lamb against the Beast c. And at this very day when Uniformity in God's Worship is called Superstition Decency called Idolatry and Loyalty Popery Grindallizing compliances with the Enemies of the Church perjurious omissions in Church-ministration is called Moderation Discretion Prudence c. Sitting at the Sacrament a Custom brought first into England by John Alasco from among the Arrians of Poland who used it in denial of Christ's Divinity This sitting at the Sacrament and many the like peevish contumacies in Non-conformity are all put upon the Score of Tenderness of Conscience Purity of Religion c. and indeed so venerable is right Reformation in Religion so great a blessing and so gracious a fruit of the Spirit of God is tenderness of Conscience that 't is no marvel if the meer pretence and shew thereof so influenceth a Faction and captivates the credulous and unwary populace and therefore for the better discovery of that sort of men consider we distinctly 1. Their pretence to Reformation 2. To tenderness of Conscience and that without making our selves Judges of their Consciences any further than the Law of God allows and the evidence of things compels I. In their pretence to Reformation we consider the Method and Manner of their Reforming and the Object or matter to be reformed 1. The Manner of their Reforming was for the most part by savage and sacrilegious depredations Such savage depredations never were committed by the Goths in the Sack of Rome as were by these Reformation-men in the Cathedral Churches particularly Winchester and Westminster Exeter and Chichester Canterbury and Rochester with many others where their manner of reforming was by breaking down the Organs throwing down the Communion-Table and Rails and in some places burning them in an Ale-house turning the costly Pulpit-cloths Cushions Gowns Surplices and Plate into ready money A golden Chalice belonging to Westminster which is said to be worth three hundred pounds was sold to one Allen a decayed Goldsmith but then a Member of the House of Commons for threescore pounds When the Depredators of Hazlerigs conduct were desired in the Cathedral Church of Chichester to leave but one Chalice for the use of the Sacrament they refused with these profane words A wooden Dish may serve turn They violated the Tombs and Monuments of the Dead finding in Winchester Church two brazen Statues of King James and King Charles the First they broke off the two Swords placed by their sides and with their own mangled the Crown of King Charles swearing in scorn that they would bring him to his ParlJam nt There being in this Church several leaden Chests containing the dust and bones of some Saxon Kings and other Bishops they overthrew the Chests scattered the dust of their Bodies about the Pavement and threw their Bones at that part of the Glass Windows which they could not reach with their Pikes to batter down The like they did in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury by those under the Conduct of Colonel Sandys In this Church as lately upon the Royal Effigies in Guild-hall they strangely exercised their reforming Madness upon the Arras Hangings in the Quire representing the Hist. of our Savior some of them swore that they would stab him others that they would rip up his bowels which accordingly they did so far as those Figures of him in the Arras Hangings were capable of it Finding another Statue of Christ in the Frontispiece of the South-gate they discharged their Muskets at it triumphing greatly when they hit him in the head or Face In the Cathedrals of Exeter and Westminster horresco referens to these horrid outrages they added such prodigious irreverences as have not been heard of turning the Church into a Jakes and leaving their Excrements on and about the Communion Table after they had sate about it with their Ale and Tobacco Thus did they go about to reform the State with ruine and to sweep the Church with desolation taking the same method in Reforming which Pelias's daughters took to make their old Father young again viz. by cutting his throat to let out his old bloud which when they had done knew not where to get new bloud nor how to put it in him Consider who will the hideous spectacle of their ruining Ministers abolishing of Government devastation of Church and desolation of State profanation of God's Worship and depravation of