Because we now obey them not I have answered this already to which I add 1. It s a fine world when men will separate themselves from the Churches of Christ to avoid schism and they that are against separation and offer Communion to the Separatists must be taken to be the Schismaticks themselves It is schism that we detest and would draw you from or else what need we say so much for Concord and Communion 2. I have told you already that it is not one Minister of a Multitude in our Communion that did cast off the Prelates half of them did nothing to it and the other half were Ordained since 3. Nor can you truly say that now they refuse obedience to Bishops where there are none to obey or none that command them 4. Again I tell you it is not Episcopacy but only the sinful species of Prelacy which the Parliament and Assembly and Covenanters did cast off And what if you think this species best must all think so or else be Schismaticks And why not all Schismaticks then that are against the Papacy which is thought by others the best form I have here given you some Arguments to prove your Prelacy which was cast off to be against the will of Christ and the welfare of the Churches And I shall not believe that its schism to be against sin and the Churches ruine And I cannot but admire to read in your writings that Discipline and Piety are pretended by you as the things which you promote and we destroy when I am most certain that the destruction of Piety and Discipline are the very things by which you have so much offended your Brethren and we would heartily come as near you as we can so that Piety and Discipline may not be destroyed Had we not known that the able faithful Preachers whom you called Puritans conformable and not conformable that laboured in the word and doctrine were fitter to promote piety then the ignorant drunken worldly Readers and lazy Preachers that once a day would preach against doing too much to be saved and had we not known that Piety was better promoted by Learning the will of God and praying and meditating on the Lords Day then by dancing and by cherishing men truly fearing God then by scorning imprisoning persecuting and expelling them we would never have been so much against your doings as we have been But mens salvation is not so contemptible a thing as to be given away to humour the proud that cannot live in Communion with any unless they may drive them to destruction We will not sell mens souls to you at such rates nor buy your Communion nor stop the reproachful mouths of any by such horrid cruelties We talk not now to you of matters that are known by hear-say only we see which way promoteth Piety and which destroyeth it we see that most of the ungodly in the land are the forwardest for your wayes You may have almost all the Drunkards Blasphemers and Ignorant haters of godliness in the Country to vote for you and if they durst again to fight for you at any time I cannot be so humble as to say I am blind and see not what indeed I see because another tells me that his eyesight is better then mine and that he seeth things to be other then I see them to be I doubt not but there are some Pious persons among you I censure you no further then experience constraineth me But I know that the common sense of most that are serious in practical Christianity is against your formal wayes of worship and against the course that you have taken in this land and the spirit of prophaneness complyeth with you and doteth on you in all places that ever I was acquainted in Bear with plain truth it is in a cause of everlasting consequence There is somewhat in a gracious soul like health in the body that disposeth it to relish wholesom food and perceive more difference between it and meer air or toyish kickshaws then it can easily express In abundance of your most applauded Preachers the things of God were spoken with so little life and seriousness as if they had not been believed by the speaker or came not from the heart yea Godliness and Diligence for Heaven was the thing that they ordinarily preached against under the name of preciseness and being righteous overmuch And the Puritans were the men that Pulpits rendered most odious to the people and your Preachers exercised their wit and zeal against while almost all their hearers through the Land did take a Puritan to be one that was seriously Religious Many a place have I lived in where there was not a man that ever spoke a word against Bishops or Ceremonies but a few there were alas a few that would sometime read a Chapter in the Bible and pray with their Families and speak of the life to come and the way to it and for this they were commonly called Puritans If a man had but mildly askt a swearer why he swore or a drunkard why he would be drunk or had once named Scripture or the life to come unless prophanely the first word he should hear was O you are one of the holy Brethren you would not drink or swear but you will do worse in secret It was never a good world since there was so much talk of Scripture and Religion but the King and the Bishops will take an order with you and all the Puritans and Precisians in the Land I profess upon my common sad experience that this was the common language of the people that were ignorant and prophane in all parts of England that ever I came in which were not a few and these were the men that they called Puritans and on such accounts And what could the Prelates and Preachers of the Land have done more to mens damnation then to preach them into an hatred of Puritanism when it was known by all that lived among them that Piety was Puritanism in their account and no man was so free from it as he that would scorn at the very name of Holiness and drink and swear as if he had defyed God This is true and England knows it and if you will after this think that you have wiped your mouths clean by saying as M r Pierce that by Puritans he means none but men of blood sedition violence despisers of dominion painted sepulchres Protestants frightened out of their wits c. the righteous God that loveth righteousness and hath said Be ye holy for I am holy will make you know to your penitent or tormenting sorrow that the thing which commonly was reputed Puritanism in England was no such thing as you describe And that it s none of your wisdom to â—ick against the pricks and play with the apple of Gods eye and bring men to hate the members of Christ and then tell them you meant the members of the Devil and to thrust men into Hell in
authority and gifts I think was done in Scripture times and might have been after if it had not then And my judgement is that ordinarily every particular Church such as our Parish Churches are had more Elders then One but not such store of men of eminent gifts as that all these Elders could be such But as if half a dozen of the most judicious persons of this Parish were Ordained to be Elders of the same Office with my self but because they are not equally fit for publick preaching should most imploy themselves in the rest of the Oversight consenting that the publick preaching lie most upon me and that I be the Moderator of them for Order in Circumstantials This I think was the true Episcopacy and Presbytery of the first times From the mistake of which two contrary Errors have arisen The one of those that think this Moderator was of another Office in specie having certain work assigned him by God which is above the reach of the Office of Presbyters to perform and that he had many fixed Churches for his charge The other of them that think these Elders were such as are called now Lay-elders that is Vnordained men authorized to Govern without Authority to Preach Baptize or Administer the Lords Supper And so both the Prelatical on one side and the Presbyterians and Independents on the other side run out and mistake the ancient form and then contend against each other This was the substance of what I wrote to Mr. Vines which his subjoyned Letter refers to where he signifieth that his judgement was the same When Paul and Barnabas were together Paul was the chief speaker and yet Barnabas by the Idolaters called Jupiter Nature teacheth us that men in the same Office should yet have the preheminence that 's due to them by their Age and Parts and Interests c. and that Order should be kept among them as in Colledges and all Societies is usual The most excellent part of our work is publick preaching but the most of it for quantity is the rest of the Oversight of the Church in Instructing personally admonishing reproving enquiring into the truth of accusations comforting visiting the sick stablishing the weak looking to the poor absolving answering doubts excommunicating and much more And therefore as there is a necessity as the experienced know of many Elders in a particular Church of any great number so it is fit that most hands should be most imployed about the said works of Oversight yet so as that they may preach as need and occasion requireth and administer Sacraments and that the eminent Speakers be most employed in publick preaching yet so as to do their part of the rest as occasion requireth And so the former Elders that Rule well shall be worthy of double honour but especially these that labour in the Word and Doctrine by more ordinary publick preaching And such kind of seldom-preaching Ministers as the former were in the first times and should be in most Churches yet that are numerous Sect. 6. When I speak in these Papers therefore of other mens Concessions that there were de facto in Scripture times but One Bishop without any subject Presbyters to a particular Church remember that I speak not my own judgement but urge against them their own Concessions And when I profess my Agreement with them it is not in this much less in all things for then I needed not disspute against them but it is in this much that in Scripture times there was de facto 1. No meer Bishop of many particular Churches or stated worshipping Congregations 2. Nor any distinct Office or Order of Presbyters that radically had no Power to Ordain or Govern or Confirm c. which are the subject Presbyters I mean Sect. 7. Specially remember that by Bishops in that dispute I mean according to the Modern use one that is no Archbishop and yet no meer Presbyter but one supposed to be between both that is a Superior to meer Presbyters in Order or Office and not only in degree or modification of the exercise but below Archbishops whether in Order or Degree These are they that I dispute against excluding Metropolitans or Archbishops from the question and that for many Reasons Sect. 8. If it were proved or granted that there were Archbishops in those times of Divine Institution it would no whit weaken my Arguments For it is only the lowest sort of Bishops that I dispute about yea it confirmeth them For if every combination of many particular Churches had an Archbishop then the Governors of such Combinations were not meer Bishops and then the meer Bishops were Parish Bishops or Bishops of single Churches only and that is it that I plead for against Diocesan Bishops that have many of these Churches perhaps some hundreds under one Bishop of the lowest rank having only Presbyters under him of another Order Sect. 9. If any think that I should have answered all that is written for an Apostolical Institution of Metropolitans or of Archbishops or of the subject sort of Presbyters or other points here toucht I answer them 1. In the former my work was not much concerned nor can any man prove me engaged to do all that he fancieth me concerned to do 2. Few men love to be contradicted and confuted and I have no reason to provoke them further then necessity requireth it 3. I take not all that I read for an argument so considerable as to need Replyes If any value the Arguments that I took not to need an Answer let them make their best of them I have taken none of them out of their hands by robbing them of their Books if they think them valid let them be so to them Every Book that we write must not be in folio and if it were we should leave some body unanswered still I have not been a contemner or neglecter of the writings of the contrary-minded But voluminously to tell the world of that I think they abuse or are abused in is unpleasing and unprofitable Sect. 10. And as to the Jus Divinum of limited Diocesses to the Apostles as Bishops and of Archbishops Metropolitans c. I shall say but this 1. That I take not all for currant in matter of fact that two or three or twice so many say was done when I have either cross testimony or valid Reasons of the improbability I believe such Historians but with a humane faith and allow them such a degree of that as the probability of their report and credibility of the persons doth require 2. I take it for no proof that all that was done in all the Churches that I am told was done in some 3. I take the Law of Nature and Scripture to be the entire Divine Law for the Government of the Church and World 4. And therefore if any Father or Historian tell me that this was delivered by the Apostles as a Law to the Vniversal Church which is not contained in Scriptures
seek to reclaim the wandring strengthen the weak comfort the distressed openly rebuke the open obstinate offendors and if they repent not to require the Church to avoid their Communion and to take cogniscance of their cause before they are cut off as also to Absolve the penitent yea to visit the sick who are to send for the Elders of the Church and to pray with and for them c. yea and to go before them in the worship of God These are the acts of Church Government that Christ hath appointed and which each faithful Shepherd must use and not Excommunication and other Censures and Absolution alone 2. But if they could prove that Church Government containeth only Censures and Absolution yet we shall easily prove it Impossible for the late English Episcopacy to do that For 3. It is known to our sorrow that in most Parishes there are many persons and in some greater Parishes very many that have lived common open swearers or drunkards and some whoremongers common scorners of a godly life and in many more of those offences for which Scripture and the ancient Canons of the Church do excommunicate men and we are commanded with such no not to eat And it s too well known what numbers of Hereticks and Seducers there are that would draw men from the faith whom the Church-Governours must after the first and second admonition reject 4. And then it s known what a deal of work is Necessary with any one of these in hearing accusations examining Witnesses hearing the defendants searching into the whole cause admonishing waiting re-admonishing c. 5. And then it s known of how great Necessity and moment all these are to the honour of the Gospel the souls of the offendors to the Church to the weak to them without c. So that if it be neglected or unfaithfully mannaged much mischief will ensue Thus in part we see what the Government is Next let us see what the English Episcopacy is And 1. For the extent of it a Diocess contained many score or hundred Parishes and so many thousands of such souls to be thus Governed Perhaps some Diocesses may have five hundred thousand souls and it may be London Diocess nearer a million And how many thousand of these may fall under some of the forementioned acts of Government by our sad experience we may conjecture 2. Moreover the Bishop resideth if not at London as many of them did yet in his own dwelling many miles perhaps twenty or thirty from a great part of his Diocess so that most certainly he doth not so much as know by face name or report the hundreth perhaps the thousandth or perhaps the second or third thousandth person in his Diocess Is it Possible then for him to watch over them or to understand the quality of the person and fact In Church Cases the quality of the person is of so much moment that without some knowledge of it the bare knowledge of the fact sometimes will not serve 3. And then it is known that the English Episcopacy denyeth to the Presbyters all power of Excommunication and Absolution uâ—less to pronounce it as from the Bishop when he hath past it And they deny him also all power so much as of calling a sinner to open Repentance which they called Imposing penance and also they denied all power of denying the Lords Supper to any without the Bishops censure except in a sâ—dden case and then they must prosecute it after at the Bishops Court and there render the Reason of that suspension So that the trouble danger labour time would be so great that would be spent in it that scarce one Minister of a hundred did venture on it once in seven and seven years except only to deny the Sacrament to a man that would not kneel and that they might do easily and safely 4. And then Consider further that if the Minister should be one of an hundred and so diligent as to accuse and prosecute all the open scandalous offendors of his Parish before the Bishops Court that so he might procure that act of Government from them which he may not perform himself it would take up all his time and perhaps all would not serve for half the work considering how far he must ride how frequently he must attend c. And then all the rest or most of the Pastoral work must be neglected to the danger of the whole Congregation 5. It is a great penalty to an innocent man to travail so far to the trial of his â—ause But the special thing that I note is this that it is Naturally Impossible for the Bishop to hear try and judge all these causes yea or the fifth or hundredth of them or in some places one of five hundred Can one man hear so many hundred as in a day must be before him if this discipline be faithfully executed By that time that he hath heard two or three Causes and examined Witnesses and fully debated all the rest can have no hearing and thus unavoidably the work must be undone It is as if you set a Schoolmaster to teach ten or twenty thousand Schollars Must they not be needs untaught Or as if you set one Shepherd to look to two or three hundred several flocks of Sheep that are every one of them three or four miles asunder and some of them fourty miles from some of the rest Is it any wonder thâ—n if many of them be lost 6. But what need we further witness then the sad experience of the Church of late Are we not sure that discipline lay unexercised and our Congregations defiled and Gods Laws and the old Canons were dead letters while the Bishops keep up the lame and empty name of Governours How many drunkards swearers whoremongers raylers Extortioners scorners at a godly life did swarm in almost every Town and Parish and they never heard of discipline except it were one Adulterer or fornicator once in seven years within twenty miles compass where I was acquainted that stood in a white sheet in the Church We know that there was no such Matter as Church Government exercised to any purpose but all left undone unless it were to undoe a poor Disciplinarian as they therefore scornfully called them that blamed them for neglect of Discipline For my part the Lord my Judge knows that I desire to make the matter rather better then it was then worse then it was and I solemnly profess that for the Peace of the Church I should submit to almost any body that would but do the work that is to be done Here is striving between the Episcopal Presbyterian and Independent who it is that shall Govern I would make no great stirr against any of them all that would but do it effectually Let it be done and it s not so much matter by whom it is done as it is to have it lie undone But I can never be for that party that neither did the work when
care not so we come near an agreement about the proportion of Members that the definition be not overthrown and the ends of it made impossible by the distance number and unacquaintedness of the members that cannot have any Church communion immediately one with another If there be no communion how is it a Church Nay or if there be no such communion as consists in mutual assistance and conjunction in Worship and holding familiarity also in our conversation which the excommunicated are excluded from And if a communion there be it is either Immediate by the members themselves Assembled or else but Mediately by their Officers or Delegates If it be only by the latter Mediately then it is not the Ecclesia prima but orta It is an association of several Political Churches For that is the difference between the communion of a single particular Church and many combined Churches that as the first is a combination of persons and not of Churches so the communion is held among the Members in common whereas the other being a combination of Churches the communion is maintained orderly by Officers and Delegates joyning in Synods and sent from the Congregations If therefore it be an Immediate ordinary communion of members in Ecclesiastical affairs viz. Worship and Discipline that is the Particular Church that I intend call it what you will else and whether there may be any private meetings in it besides the main body or not as possibly through some accidents there may be and yet at Sacrament and on the most solemne occasions the same persons that were at Chappels or less meetings may be with the chief Assembly But I shall proceed in the proof of this by the next Argument which will serve for this and the main together Argum. 11. THat sort of Church Government may most safely be now practised which was used in the Scripture times and that 's less safe which was not then used But the Government of many Elders and particular Churches by one Bishop fixed and taking that as his proper Diocess such as the English Bishops were was not used in Scripture times Therefore it is not so safe to use it or restore it now The Major is proved hence 1. In that the Primitive Church which was in Scripture times was of unquestionable Divine Institution and so most pure And it is certainly lawful to practice that Church-Government which alone was practised by all the Church in the Scripture times of the New Testament 2. Because we have no certain Law or Direction but Scripture for the frame of Government as jure Divino Scripture is Gods sufficient and perfect Law If therefore there be no mention of the Practice of any such Episcopacy in Scripture no nor any precept for the practice of it afterwards then cannot we receive it as of Divine Institution The Objections shall be answered when we have proved the Minor And for the Minor I shall at this time argue from the Concessions of the most Learned and Reverend man that at this time hath deeply engaged himself in defence of Episcopacy who doth grant us all these things following 1. That in Scripture times they were the same persons and of the same office that were called Bishops and Presbyters 2. That all the Presbyters mentioned in Scripture times or then instituted as far as we can know had a Power of Ordination 3. And also a Power of Ruling the Church Excommunicating and Absolving 4. That there was not then in being any Presbyter such as the Bishops would have in these times who was under the Bishop of a particular Church or Diocess His words are these And although this title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders have been also extended to a second Order in the Church and is now only in use for them under the Name of Presbyters yet in the Scripture times it belonged principally if not alone to Bishops there being no Evidence that any of that second order were then instituted though soon after before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches 5. It is yielded also by him that it is the office of these Presbyters or Bishops to Teach frequently and diligently to reduce Hereticks to reprove rebuke Censure and absolve to visit all the sick and pray with them c. And therefore it must needs follow that their Diocess must be no larger then that they may faithfully perform all this to the Members of it And if there be but one Bishop to do it I am most certain then by experience that his Diocess must be no bigger then this Parish nor perhaps half so big 6. And it must needs follow that in Scripture times a Particular Church consisted not of seveâ—al Churches associated nor of several Congregations ordinarily meeting in several places for Christian communion in the solemn Worship of God but only of the Christians of one such Congregation with a single Pastor though in that we dissent and suppose there weâ—e more Pastors then one usually or often That this must be granted with the rest is apparent 1. The Reverend Author saith as Bishop Downam before cited That when the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few Converted they ordained in every City and region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him there being at the present so smal store out of which to take more and so small need of ordaining more that this Bishop is constituted more for the sake of those which should after believe then of those which did already 2. And it s proved thus If there were in Scripture times any more ordinary Worshiping Assemblies on the Lords dayes then one under one Bishop then either they did Preach Pray Praise God and administer the Lords Supper in those Assemblies or they did not If not then 1. They were no such Worshipping Assemblies as we speak of 2. And they should sin against Christ who required it 3. And differ from his Churches which ordinarily used it But if they did thus then either they had some Pastor Presbyter or Bishop to perform these holy actions between God and the people or not If not then they suppose that Lay-men might do all this Ministerial work in Word Sacraments Prayer and Praise in the name of the Assembly c. And if so what then is proper to the Ministry then farewell Bishops and Presbyters too If not theâ—â—â—her the Bishop must be in two Assemblies at once performing the Holy Worship of God in their communion but that 's impossible or else he must have some assisting Presbyters to do it But that 's denyed Therefore it must needs follow that the Church order constitution and practised Government which was in Scripture times was this that a single Worshipping Congregation was that particular Church which had a Presbyter or Bishop one or more which watched over and ruled that only Congregation as his Diocess or proper charge having no Government
Oratoriâ—s then one though their Altar were but one there namely where the Bishop was Die solis saith Justin Martyr omnium qui vel in oppidis vel ruri degunt in eundem locum conventus fit Namely as he there tells us to celebrate and participate the holy Eucharist Why was this but because they had not many places to celebâ—ate in and unless this were so whence came it else that a Schismatical Bishop was said constituere or collocare aliud Altare and that a Bishop and an Altar are made correlatives See S. Cyprian Epist. 40.72 73. de unit Eccles. And thus perhaps is Ignatius to be understood in that forequoted passage of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unum Altare omni Ecclesiae unus Episcopus cum Presbyterio Diaconis So far Mr. Mead. I hope upon the consent of so admirable a Critick and learned man it will not be so much blame-worthy in me if I speak somewhat the more confidently this way and say that I think that the main confusion and Tyranny that hath overspread the Churches hath been very much from the changing the Apostolical frame of Churches and setting up many Altars and Congregations under one Bishop in one pretended particular Church I had three or four passages ready to cite out of Ignatius but these are so express that I apprehend the rest the less necessary to be mentioned The next therefore that I shall mention shall be the forementioned words of Iustin Martyr Apol. 2 cited by Mr. Mead and by others frequently to this purpose In which I observe all these particulars full to the purpose 1. That they had but one Assembly each Lords day for Church communion for one Church 2. That this was for reading and prayer and the Eucharist 3. That the President who is commonly by those of the Episcopal judgement said to be here meant the Bâ—shop did preach and give thanks and administer the supper so that it was administred but to one Congregation as under that Bishop of that Church for he could not be in two places at once 4. That to the Absent the Deacons carried their portion after the consecration so that they had not another Meeting and Congregation by themselves for that end This is all so plain that I shall think it needeth no Vindication So that were there but these two Testimonies I should not marvail if Bishop Downam had extended his confession a little further when he acknowledgeth Dâ—f li. 2. cap. 6. page 104. that At the first and namely in the time of the Apostle Paul the most of the Churches so soon after their Conversion did not each of them exâ—eed the proportion of a populous Congregation And then we are not out in so interpreting the words of Paul and other writers of the holy Scripture The next that I shall mention whoever was or when ever he lived is Dionys. de Eccles. Hierarch cap. 4. where he tells us that the Praefect who was the Bishop if there were any did Baptize those that were converted and the Presbyters and Deacons did but assist him And abundance of work he mentioneth whâ—ch they had with all that they Baptized and they called all the Congregation together who joyned in Prayers with the Bishop at the Baptism All which shews that he was then the Bishop but of one particular Church which ordinarily Assembled together for publick worship For 1. If he had many such Churches or Congregations under him he could not be thus present to celebrate Baptism in them all Nor would one only be mentioned as his charge 2. Nor is it possible that one Bishop should with so long a way of Baptisme as is there described be able to Baptize all the persons in a Diocess such as ours or the twentieth part of them much less in those times when besides the Infants of Believers the most eminent sort of Baptism and greatest labour was about the multitudes of Adult Converts that by the Gospel were daily added to the Church Gregory Thaumaturgus was as by force made Bishop of Neocesarea and yet his whole Diocess or City had but seventeen â—hristians in it at his entrance though when he died he found upon enquiry but seventeen Pagans so great a change was made by the Gospel and by Miracles But by this Diocess of seventeen souls we may conjecture what the Churches were in those times though we should allow others to be an hundred times as great they would not be so great as the tenth part of many Parishes in England See the truth of this passage in Greg. Nissen Oratio in Greg. Thaumatur twice over he recites it And Basil. Mag. l. de Spir. Sanc. c. 19. And Roman Breviar Die 15. Novemb. And the Menolog Graec. mentioned before Greg. Neocesar works Printed ad Paris 1622. But I shall return to some before Gregory The next that I shall cite is Tertullian that well known place in his Apolog. c. 39. Corpus sumus de conscientia Religionis Discipline unitate spei federe Coimus in coetum Congregationem ut ad Deum quasi manu facta precationibus ambiamus orantes Cogimur ad divâ—narum literarum Commemorationem Certè fidem sanctis vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam figimus disciplinam praceptorum nihilominus inculcationibus densamus ibidem etiam exhortationes Castigationes censura Divina nam judicatur magno cum pondere ut apud certos de Dei conspectu summumque futuri judicii praejudicium est siquis ita deliquerit ut à communicatione Orationis conventus omnis sancti commercii relegetur Praesident probati quiq seniores c. If I be able to understand Tertullian it is here plain that each â—hurch consisted of one Congregation which assembled for Worship and Discipline at once or in one place and this Church was it that had Presidents or Seniors to guide them both in Worship and by Discipline So that if there were any more of these Assemblies in one particular Political Church then there were more Bishops then one or else others besides Bishops exercised this Discipline But indeed it s here plainly intimated that Bishops were then the Guides of Congregations single and not of Diocessâ—s consisting of many such I shall put Tertullians meaning out of doubt by another place and that is de Corona Militis cap. 3. Eucharistiae Sacramemtum in tempore victus omnibus mandatum à Domino etiam antelucanis ritibus nec de aliorum manu â—uam praesidentium sumimus And if they received this Sacrament of none but the Presidents and that every Lords day at least as no doubt they did then they could have no more Congregations in a Church then they had Presidents And though Pamelius say that by Presidents here is meant also Presbyters yet those that we now dispute against understand it of the Prelates And if they will not so do then may we will interpret the foresaid passage Apol. to be
you and perhaps search as diligently and pray as hard as you and yet they think that its you that are in the wrong you see that for many years the Reformed Churches have continued in this mind And it appears that if they will not turn to your opinion you would have them all cast out or forsaken Christ shall have no servants nor the Church any Pastors that will not be in this of your Opinion Sect. 13. 8. Hereby also you would run into the guilt of a more grievous persecution when you have read so much in Scripture against persecutors and when you have heard of and seen the judgements of God let out upon them It is an easie matter for any Persecutor to call him that he would cast out a Schismatick or Heretick but it is not so easie to answer him that hath said He that offendeth one of these little ones it were better for him c. God will not take up with fair pretences or false accusations against his servants to justifie your persecution Sect. 14. 9. Yea you would involve the people of the Land and of other Nations in the guilt of your persecution drawing them to joyn with you in casting out the faithful labourers from the Vineyard of the Lord. This is the good you would do the people to involve their Souls into so deplorable a state of guilt Sect. 15. If you say It is you that are persecuted as I read some of you do I answer 1. If it be so you are the more unexcusable before God and man that even under your persecution will cherish defend and propagate such a doctrine of persecution as strikes at no less then the necks of all the Reformed Ministers and Churches that are not Prelatical at one blow 2. For my part I have oft protested against any that shall hinder an able Godly Minister from the service of Christ and the Church if he be but one that is likely to do more good then harm But I never took it to be persecution to cast out Drunkards scandalous negligent insufficient men where better may be had to supply the place no more then it is persecution to suppress an abusive Alehouse or restrain a thief from making thievery his trade 3. The present Governors do profess their readiness to approve and encourage in the Ministry any Godly able diligent mâ—n that will but live peaceably towards the Commonwealth And I am acquainted with none as far as I remember of this quality that have not liberty to preach and exercise the Ministerial Office 4. But if you think you are persecuted because you may not Rule your Brethren and persecute others and take upon you the sole Government of all the Churches in a County or more we had rather bear your accusations then poor souls should bear the pains of Hell by your neglect and persecution if you are persecuted when your hands are held from striking what are your Brethren that cannot by your good will have leave laboriously to serve God in a low estate as the servants of all and the Lords of none Sect. 16. 10 By this means also you shew your selves impenitent in regard of all the former persecutions that some of you and your predecessors have been guilty of Abundance of most Learned Godly men have been silenced suspended and some of them persecuted to banishment and some to death The world hath had too few such men for exemplary abilities diligence and holiness as Hildersham Bradshaw Bayâ— Nicols Brightman Dod Ball Paget Hering Langley Parker Sandford Cartwright Bates Ames Rogers and abundance more that some suffered unto death and some were silenced some imprisoned c. for not conforming to the Ceremonies besides Eliot Hooker Cotton Norton Cobbet Davenant Parker Noyes and all the rest that were driven to New England and besides Ward and all that were driven into Holland and besides the thousands of private Christians that were driven away with them And besides all the later more extensive persecution of such as were called Conformable Puritans for not reading the Book for dauncing on the Lords day and for not ceasing to preach Lectures or on the Evening of the Lords day and such like All this I call to your mind as the sin that should be lamented and heavily lamented and not be owned and drawn or continued on your own heads by impenitencie and how do you repent that would do the like and take your selves to be persecuted if your hands are tyed that you may not do it For my own part I must profess I had rather be a Gally-slave or Chimney-sweeper yea or the basest vermine than be a Bishop with all this guilt upon my soul to continue how light soever many make of it and how impenitently soever they justifie themselves Sect. 17. 11. Yea more after all the warnings you have had in the waies and ends of your predecessors it seems that you would yet incomparably outstrip the most of them in persecution if you had your way For few of them did attempt or make any motion for degrading or denying most of the Protestant Ministers in Europe or such a number as in England and Scotland are not Ordained by Prelates and to unchurch all their Churches This is far higher then these before you Sect. 18. 12. And take heed lest continuing in such a sin after both prohibitions and judgements you should be found fighters against God If those that despise the Ministers of Christ despise Christ himself what shall we think of them that do it themselves and teach men so to do and have pleasure in them that do it It s fearful to draw near that forlorn Condition of the Jews 1 Thes. 2.15 16. and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sins alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost Sect. 19. 13. It is apparent that your doctrine and practice tendeth to let in the old ejected rabble of drunken ignorant ungodly persons into the Ministrie And what can be more odious to the most Holy God! For if once you cast out all those that have not Prelatical Ordination or all that are against it especially after a former Ordination you must take in such as these and with Ieroboam make Priests of the vilest of the people or else the places must be vacant for we know that there are not able godly men to be had of your mind to supply the vacant places Sect. 20. 14. Your doctrine doth tend to harden malignant wicked men in their enmitie against a faithful Ministrie and we see this unhappy success of it by experience Our doctrine is so much against the inclination and interest of the flesh and men are by corrupted nature at such an enmity to God and all that is truly Spiritual and Holy that we have as many enemies as hearers till Grace do
the point For 1. It seemeth a most improbable thing that all the Churches or so many should so suddenly take up this Presidency Prelacy or Disparity without scruple or resistance if it had been against the Apostles minds For it cannot be imagined that all these Churches that were planted by the Apostles or Apostolical men and had seen them and conversed with them should be either utterly ignorant of their minds in such a matter of publike practice or else should be all so careless of obeying their new received doctrine as presently and unanimously to consent to a change or endure it without resistance Would no Church or no persons in the world contend for the retention of the Apostolical institutions Would no Chuâ—ch hold their own and bear witness against the corruption and innovations of the rest would no persons say you go about to alter the frame of Government newly planted among us by the Holy Ghost It was not thus in the dayes of Peter or Paul or John and therefore we will have no change Thâ—s seeâ—s to me a thing incredible that the whole Church should all at once almost so suddenly and silently yield to such a change of Government And I do not think that any man can bring one testimony from all the volumes of Antiquity to prove that ever Church or person resisted or disclaimed such a change in the times when it must be made if ever it was made that is in the first or second ages § 17. Yea 2. It is plain by the testimony of Hierom before mentioned and other testimonies of antiquity that in Alexandria at least this practice was used in the dayes of the Apostles themselves For they testifie that from the dayes of Mark the Evangelist till the days of Heroclas and Dionysius the Presbyters chose one from among them and called him their Bishop Now it is supposed by the best Chronologers that Mark was slain about the sixty third year of our Lord and the tenth of Nero and that Peter and Paul were put to death about the sixty sixth of our Lord and thirteenth of Nero and that Iohn the Apostle died about the ninety eighth year of our Lord and the first of Trajan which was about thirty five years after the death of Mark. Now I would leave it to any mans impartial consideration whether it be credible that the holy Apostles and all the Evangelists or Assistants of them then alive would have suffered this innovation and corruption in the Church without a plain disowning it and reproving it Would they silently see their newly established Order violated in their own dayes and not so much as tell the Churches of the sin and danger Or if they had indeed done this would none regard it nor remember iâ— so much as to resist the sin These things are incredible § 18. And I am confident if the judicious godly people had their choice from the experience of what is for their good they would commonly choose a fixed President or chief Pastor in every Church Yea I see that they will not ordinarily endure that it should be otherwise For when they find that God doth usually qualifie one above the rest of their Teachers they will hardly consent that the rest have an equal power over them I have seen even a sober unanimous Godly people refuse so much as to give their hands to an assistant Presbyter whom yet they loved honoured and obeyed though they were urged hard by him that they preferred and all from a loathness that there should be a parity I know not one Congregation to my remembrance that hath many Ministers but would have one be chief § 19. Object But the Prelatical men will say our Pariâ—shes are not capable of this because they have commonly but one Pastor nor have maintainance for more Answ. 1. Though the greâ—ter number have but one yet it is an ordinary case to have two or three or more where there are Chappels in the Parish and the Congregations great as in Market Towns And if ever we have Peace and a setled faithfull Magistrate that will do his part for the house of God we shall certainly have many Ministers in great Congregations Or else they are like to be left desolate For Ministers will over-run them for fear of undertaking far more work then with their utmost pains they are able to perform § 20. And 2. There are few Congregations I hope of Godly people but have some private men in them that are fit to be Ordained Assistant Presbyters though not to govern a Church alone without necessity yet to assist a Learned judicious man such as understand the body of Divinity as to the great and necessary points and are able to pray and discourse as well as many or most Ministers and to exhort publickly in a case of need He that would imitate the example of the Primitive Church at least in the second Century should Ordain such as these to be some of them Assistant Elders and some of them Deacons in every Church that hath such and let them not teach publickly when a more learned able Pastor is at hand to do it but let them assist him in what they are fittest to perform Yet let them not be Lay Elders but authorized to all Pastoral administrations and of one and the same office with the Pastor though dividing the exercise and execution according to their abilities and opportunities and not comming in without Ordination nor yet taking up the Office only pro tempore And thus every Parish where are able Godly men may have a Presbyterie and President § 21. Till then 3. It is granted by the Learned Dr. H. H. that it is not necessary to the being of a Bishop that he have fellow Presbyters with him in that Church If he have but Deacons it may suffice And this is easie to be had § 22. And indeed 1. The parts of many very able Christians are too much buried and lost as to the Church for want of being drawn into more publick use 2. And it is it that tempteth them to run of themselves into the Ministry or to preach without Ordination 3. And yet few of these are fit to be trusted with the Preaching of the word or guiding of a Church alone no nor in equality with others for they would either corrupt the doctrine or divide the Church But under the inspection and direction of a more Learned judicious man as his assistants doing nothing against his mind they might be very serviceable to some Churches And such a Bishop with such a Presbyterie and Deacons neither Lay nor usually very Learned were the ancient fixed Governours of the Churches if I can understand antiquity CHAP. V. Objections against the Presidency forementioned answered § 1. BUT it is not likely but all these motions will have Dissenters on both sides It were strange if in a divided age and place and among a people engaged in so many several parties and that
of it already there men are not to meddle as having no authority from God § 7. I shall first give some instances of the former sort the Lawfull Ceremonies and then name the latter that are unlawfull which I shall afterward give my reasons against And 1. It is left to humane determination what place the Publick assemblies shall be held in God having commanded us to frequent such assemblies and not forsake them doth oblige us to some place in general and to a fit place He that bids us preach and hear and pray and assemble to these ends doth plainly bid us do this some where It is impossible to meet and not in a Place And in that he hath not determined of any place himself he hath left it to our reasons to determine of as occasion shall require God hath not commanded to build a Temple in such a place rather then another or to go thither to worship rather then another place but by consequence and generall directions nor hath he determined what place the Minister shall stand to preach in or where all the people shall have their seats All these are but the circumâ—â—â—nces of a holy action which are left to humane prudence § 8. 2. It is left to man to determine of the Time of holy duties except only where God hath determined of it already As that the Lords day shall be the Day for publick holy Assemblies is a thing that God himself hath determined and here we have nothing to do but to discern his determinations and obey them But withall he hath in Generall commanded us to preach in season and out of season and to Assemble frequently on severall great occasions And here he hath not determined of the Time but left it to humane prudence upon emergent occasions and according to their several cases to determine of what hour on the Lords day we shall begin how long the Sermon shall be what hour the Assembly shall be dismist what daies the Lords supper shall be administred and how oft when any shall be Baptized what day the Lecture shall be on or any more private meetings for edification what hour or just how oft men must pray in secret or with their families these with the like are undetermined by God and good reason as I shall shew anon and left to our selves and to our Governors Some Time or other we are commanded by God himself to choose § 9. 3. It is left to the determination of humane Prudence what Vtensils to imploy about the publick worship of God For these in Generall are commanded by God and so made necessary as also in the nature of the thing He that commanded us to do the work that is not to be done without convenient Vtensils doth thereby command us virtually the use of instruments fit for the work What form and proportion the Temple where we meet shall have is left to men whether we shall preach in a Pulpit and what shall be its shape where we shall read whether we shall Baptize in a River or Pond or Spring or Font or Bason and what materials whether stone or Silver or Pewter c. they be made of whether we shall receive the Lords supper at a Table or in our seats and whether the Table shall be of wood or stone whether it shall be round or long or square whether it shall stand in the East or West end of the Temple or the middle whether it shall have rails or no rails whether the Bread be of wheat or other convenient grain what vessel the Bread shall be put in and what grape the wine shall be made of and what vessell it shall stand in and be delivered in whether a cup or other like vessel whether of silver wood or pewter c All these are left to humane prudence In general it is necessary that some such utensils in each case there be but the special sort is left indifferent to our choice So also the Bibles themselves whether they be Printed or Written and in what hand or colour Whether bound or in a Role are things indifferent in themselves and left to humane reason to determine The like may be said of other utensils of worship necessary in genere § 10. 4. God hath not determined in what language the Scripture shall be read or preacht to such or such a congregation though by the generall Rule that all be done to edification and that we speak to the understanding there is sufficient direction for it But he that commandeth us to preach implyeth that we translate the Scripture and preach and read in a language fittest for the peoples edification And if as in many places of Wales there be two languages equally understood we may indifferently choose that which we think most agreeable to the generall rules § 11. 5. The Scripture hath commanded us in generall to sing Psalms but it hath not told us whether they shall be in Râ—thme or Meeter or in what tune we shall sing them These modes are left to humane Prudence to determine of § 12. 6. When there are divers Translations of the Scripture in the same language or divers versions of the Psalms in the same language as in England here are the old version the New-England version Mr. Rous's first and his second or the Scots Mr. White 's Bishop Kings Sands's Mr. Bartons c. God hath not told us which of all these we shall use but given us generall directions according to which our own Reason or our Governors should make choice § 13. 7. God hath commanded us to Read the holy Scriptures and to expound them to the people that they may understand and practise them But he hath not told us what Book of Scripture or what Chapter we shall read at such a day or on such or such occasions nor yet what order we shall observe in Reading whether we shall begin the Scripture and go on to the end or whether we shall read more frequently some subjects of greatest use and which These therefore are left to humane prudence to determine of by generall rules § 14. 8. Though God hath commanded us to Read the Scripture and to sing Psalms c. yet hath he not told us just how much we shall read at a time or sing at a time and therefore this also is a matter left to humane Determination § 15. 9. Though God hath commanded us to Preach the Gospell and told us what to preach and given us generall Rules for our direction yet hath he not told us what text or subject we shall preach on such or such a day nor yet what Method we shall follow there being various methods sutable to severall Texts and people It is left therefore to humane prudence to choose both Subject Text and Method § 16. 10. God that hath commanded us to pray and praise him and preach c. hath not told us just what words we shall use in any of these holy
what hath been said you may see which of the late English Controverted Ceremonies I take to have been Lawful and which unlawfull Too many years did I spend long agoe about these controversies and the judgement that then I arrived at I could never find reason since to change notwithstanding all the changes of the times and the helps I that have since had And it was and is as followeth § 39. 1. About Episcopacy which was the principal point concomitant with the Ceremonial Controversie I have given you my thoughts before 2. The ceremonies controverted among us were especially The surplice the gesture of Kneeling in Receiving the Lords supper the ring in Marriage Laying the hand on the Book in taking aâ— Oath the Organs and Church musick Holy daies Altars Rails and the Cross in Baptism To say nothing of the matter or form of the Prayers § 40. And 1. If the surplice be Imposed by the Magistrate as it was who is a lawfull Governor and that directly but as a Decent Habit for a Minister in Gods service I think he needlesly strained his Power and sinfully made an engine to divide the Church by making such a needless law and laying the Peace of the Church upon it But yet he medled with nothing but was within the reach of his Power in the general Some Decent Habit is Necessary Either the Magistrate or the Minister himself or the Associated Pastors must determine what I think neither Magistrate nor Synod should do any more then hinder undecency But yet if they do more and tye all to one Habit and suppose it were an undecent Habit yet this is but an imprudent use of Power It is a thing within the Magistrates reach He doth not an aliene work but his own work amiss and therefore the thing in it self being lawfull I would obey him and use that garment if I could not be dispensed with Yea though Secondarily the Whiteness be to signifie Purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would I obey For secondarily we may lawfully and piously make Teaching signs of our food and rayment and every thing we see But if the Magistrate had said that the Primary reason or use of the Surplice was to be an instituted sacramental sign to work gâ—ace on my soul and engage me to God then I durst not have used it though secondarily it had been commanded as a decent garment New Sacraments I durst not use though a secondary use were lawfull § 41. 2. And for Kneeling at the Sacrament I doubt not at all but the imposing it and that on such rigorous terms tying all to it and casting all out of the communion of the Church or from the participation of the Sacrament that durst not use it was a very grievous sin and tended to persecution injustice and Church-dividing It is certainly in a doubtful case the safest way to do as Christ and his Apostles and the universal Church did for many hundred years That none should Kneel in publick worship on the Lords day no not in Prayer much less in receiving the Eucharist was a Custome so ancient and Universal in the Church that it was everywhere observed before general Councils were made use of and in the first general Council of Nice it was made the last Canon and other general Councils afterward renewed it so that I know not how any Ceremony can possibly pretend to greater Ecclesiastical Authority then this had And to cast out all from Church Communion in Sacraments that dare not go against the examples of Christ and his Apostles and all the Primitive Church who long received the Eucharist in another gesture and against the Canons of the first and most famous and other succeeding general Councils this is a most inhumane part Either the gesture is indifferent in it self or not If it be how dare they thus divide the Church by it and cast out Christians that scruple it when they have these and many other reasons of their scruples which for brevity I omit If they say that Kneeling is of it self Necessary and not Indifferent because it is Reverent c. then 1. They make Christ an â—mperfect Law-giver 2. They make himself or his Apostles or both to have been sinners 3. They condemn the Catholick Church of sin 4. They condemn the Canons of the Chief general Councils 5. And then if the Bishops themselves in Council should change the gesture it were unlawfull to obey them All which are consequents that I suppose they will disown What a perverse preposterous Reverence is this when they have leave to lie in the dust before and after the very act of receiving through all their confessions and prayers yet they will at other times stand and many of them sit at prayer and sit at singing Psalms of Prayer and Praise to God and yet when Christ doth invite them to a feast they dare not imitate his Apostles and universal Church in their gesture lest they should be sinfully unreverent § 42. But yet as sinfully as this Gesture was imposed for my part I did obey the imposerâ—â—nd would do if it were to do again rather then disturb the Peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion For God having made some Gesture necessary and confined me to none but left it to humane Determination I shall submit to Magistrates in their proper work even when they miss it in the manner I am not sure that Christ intended the example of himself and his Apostles as obligatory to us that shall succeed I am sure it proves sitting lawful but I am not sure that it proves it necessary though very convenient But I am sure he hath commanded me obedience and peace § 43. 3. And for the Ring in Marriage I see no reason to scruple the lawfulness of it For though the Papists make a Sacrament of Marriage yet we have no reason to take it for any ordinance of Divine worship any more then the solemnizing of a contract between a Prince and People All things are sanctified and pure to the Pure but that doth not confound the two Tables nor make all things to be parts of Worship that are sanctified The Coronation of a King is sanctified as well as Marriage and is as much a Sacrament as Marriage and the Ceremonies of it might as well be scrupled especially when God doth seem to go before them by the example of Anointing as if he would confine them to that Ceremonie which yet was none of his intent nor is it much scrupled § 44. 4. And though the taking of an Oath be a sort of worship yet not the natural worship of the first Commandment nor the Instituted of the second but the Reverent use of his name in the third so that it is not primarily an act of worship but Reductively and Consequentially It being the principal use of an Oath to Confirm the Truth and End strife by appealing to God which appellation is indeed an acknowledgment
men to vain endeavours while they use those things as Necessary Duties or Means that indeed are none they lose their labour by the mistake 4. It tendeth to corrupt mens Affections by breeding in them a false kind of zeal for the things that they mistake to be so necessary § 3. Yea worse it tends to engage men in parties and devisions and persecutions against dissenters or at least to destroy their charity and make them have contemptuous thoughts of their brethren and perhaps censorious bitter words when all is false and founded in their mistakes For who will not think hardlier of him that differeth from him or opposeth him in a Necessary point or that he takes for such then in a thing Indifferent the greater the matter the greater will be your distaste § 4. Yea more it will make men Impenitent in such sins For if once they think their ceremonies to be Necessary they will think it no sin but a service of God to vilifie them that are against them as schismaticks and singular and proud and humorous and what not § 5. As therefore it is a haynous sin of the Papists to impose their ceremonies on pain of damnation if they were the judges wo to others so is it no small aggravation of their sin that pretend a Necessity of Duty or Means of any their Ceremonies when there is none such Multitudes take the keeping of Christmas day and such other the Kneeling in receiving the Lords Supper c. to be things of themselves necessary so that a Governour should sin that should alter or dispence with them or the persons sin that do not use them What say they shall we not keep a Day for Christs Nativity shall we be so unreverent as not to kneel when we receive c And thus they alter the things to themselves by feigning them to be in themselves Necessary which are not so § 6. Yet doth not every such mistake of another no not of the imposers make that a sin to me which was indifferent Otherwise all my Liberty were in the power of another mans conceits and he might make all my meat drink cloaths time place gesture c. in specie to be unlawfull by commanding them as necessary or under some unsound notion But this is not so § 7. But in such cases though they cannot so destroy our liberties yet may they make it our duties sometime to forbear that which else we need not to forbear lest our practice make others take it as a Necessary thing and sometime though we must obey or do the action yet may it become our duty to signifie in a convenient way that we disclaim the conceit of a Necessity CHAP. V. Prop. 5. A lawfull and convenient thing is sinfully commanded when it is commanded on a greater penalty then the nature and use of it doth require or then the common good will bear § 1. WHen the penalty exceedeth the crime it is injustice There may be injustice as well in punishing an offender too much as in punishing him that is no offender with a smaller punishment But if the penalty be destructive to the Church or common good it is an aggravated injustice § 2. When Magistrates therefore are disposed to punish men for crossing their wills in the matters of God it neerly concerns them to look about them and take heed first what they punish them for and then with what kind of punishment they do it If it be Good and not Evil that men are punished for it is persecution If it be really evil either its great or small publick or private c. If it be an evil that endangereth the Commonwealth or Church or the souls of men let them punish men in such a way as best tends to the security of the society or souls of men that are endangered But if the person in his calling or station be usefull to the Church or Common-wealth let him not be so punished as to be made unusefull If the Bishops had punished Non-conformists as Recusancy was punished with paying twelve pence a day c. I should comparatively scarce have blamed them For it had been but to make Ministers fare harder or live poorlier or work for their livings or to pay their penalties and the Church might still have had their labours but to silence and suspend them and that when there were no better to supply the room then such as were put in this was to punish the Church of Christ and the souls of men and that with everlasting punishment for the real or supposed faults of the particular ministers which was not just § 3. Object But saith the Preface to the common prayer-book though the keeping or omitting of a Ceremony in it self considered be but a small thing yet the wilfull and contemptuous transgrâ—ssion and breaking of a common order and discipline is no small â—ffence before God § 4. Answ. 1. You should therefore put no such snares on men by your commands as to impose upon them needless thingâ— when you think the penalty of disobeying you will be damnation 2. But how came you to see into the hearts of men that their non-conformity is wilfull and contemptuous when they themselves profess that they would obey you if they durst They think they stand at the brink of Hell and should wilfully sin against God if they did obey you and you come behind them with silencing and imprisonment and drive them on while they cry out to you for compassion and protest that they are ready to obey as far as they can see the lawfulness of the thing and yet you say its wilfulness and contempt 3. And why doth not your Laws except from punishment all those that conformed not that were not wilfull or contemptuous The Act for conformity makes the penalty to be Imprisonment half a year for the first fault a year for the second and during life for the third beside deprivation and Imprisonment during life for the second offence if the person have no Benefice and this is besides the Ecclesiastical censure 4. If the work of Church Governors be to make small matters great and make that damnable that before was lawfull and this without any necessity at all it will tempt the people to think such Governors to be the plagues of the earth § 5. I confess it is lawfull for me to wear a Helmet on my head in preaching but it were not well if you would institute the wearing of a Helmet to signifie our Spiritual militia and then resolve that all shall be silenced and imprisoned during life that will not wear it It is lawfull for me to use spectacles or to go on crutches But will you therefore ordain that all men shall read with spectacles to signifie our want of spiritual sight and that no man shall go to Church but on crutches to signifie our disability to come to God of our selves So in circumstantials it is lawful for me to wear a
himself hath done 2. And I think it is no better then Pride for men so far to exalt themselves above the Church of God as to institute new signs and ordinanceâ— and say I command you all to worship God according to these my institutions and inventions and he that will not thus worship him shall not have liberty to worship him at all nor to live in the Communion of Christians What 's Pride and arrogancy if this be not § 9. Reas. 8. None knoweth the mind of God concerning his worship but by his own Revelation If therefore he have not Revealed it to man that he would be served by such mystical Rites and Ceremonies then no man can know that it will please him And if it Please him not it will be lost labour and worse and we may expect to hear who requireth this at your hands How do you know that it pleaseth him to be served by Images Exorcisms Crossings and many pompous Ceremonies He hath nowhere told you so And your will is no proof of the will of God § 10. Reas. 9. God would not have taken down the Legal Ceremonies and delivered us from them as a burden and commanded us to stand fast in the Liberty with which Christ hath made us free and not again to be entangled with the yoak of bondage Gal. 5.1 if he would have given men leave to have imposed the like burdensome observances at their pleasure If you say that these present Ceremonies are not burdensome I aske why then were those of Gods institution burdensome That yoak was streight and burden heavy and Christ hath called us to take upon us his yoak that is easy and his burden that is light Matth. 11.28 It was not only the threatnings conjunct against the disobedient that made the Jewish Ceremonies to be a burden which they were not able to bear Act. 15. nor yet because they were but Types for to be Types of Christ was their highest honour But also because they were numerous and required labour and time and were unnecessary when Christ was come and so against the liberty of the Church as Col. 2.16 c. And is it a likely thing that God would take down his own institutions when they became unnecessary and at the same time give commission to the Pastors of the Church to set up unnecessary Ceâ—emonies of their own Yea or give them leave to do it without his commission If it be such a mercy to be delivered from Divine Ceremonies when they grew needless and a liberty which we are commanded to stand fast in I know not why men should impose on us unnecessary Ceremonies of their own and rob us of our Mercies § 11. Reas. 10. The imposition of unnecessary Ceremonies is a certain means for the Dâ—vision of Christians and therefore is but an engine of the Devill the great divider As the Papists set up a Vicechrist and false Center of union under pretence of the unity of Christians when nothing is so great a cause of their division so usually the Imposers of Ceremonies pretend the Unity and Peace of Christians to be their end when they are most effectually dividing them They are preserving the house by casting fire into the thatch There is no more effectual means of Division then to set up impossible terms of unity and tell men that they must Agree upon these or none All Christians will unite in Christ and Agree in all the essentials of Christianity and all that is the known word of God But no wise man will expect that all Christians should ever Unite and Agree about the Mystical signs and Ceremonies of mans invention and imposition Come to a Congregation that walke in unity and holy order in the simplicity of faith and Scripture ordinances and make Laws to this Church that no man shall joyne in the worship of God that will not Cross himself and be sprinkled with holy water and bow toward the Altar and wear a sword and helmet to signifie the spiritual warfare and such like and try whether this course will not divide the Congregation Men are likeâ— to agree in few things then in many in Certain truths then in uncertain Controversies in Divine ordinances then in Humane inventions Undoubtedly if you impose such Ceremonies multitudes of honest Christians will dissent And if they dissent what will you do with them If you leave them to their liberty then your Ceremonies are not imposed If you do not you will drive them to a separation and break all in pieces by your violence and exasperation of mens minds § 12. Reas. 11. And by this means you will be led and also lâ—â—d others into the haynous guilt of persecuting the members of Christ. For when you have mâ—de Laws for your Ceremonies you will expect obedience and take all for schismaticks or disobedient that refuse them and it s like your laws will be backt with penalties you will not be content to have the liberty of using these Ceremonies themselves and to leave all other to their liberties We hear and formerly heard it more how impatient almost all of this way are of diversity in Circumstances and Ceremonies They take it to be intolerable confusion to have diversity in these things what say they shall one use one gesture and another use another what confusion will this be or if a few of the wiser sort have more wit yet custome will bring the multitude to this pass We see now they will not endure to joyn with those that sit at the Lords Supper though they may kneel themselves If they see but two or three shops in a Town open on Christmas day they throw stonâ—s at them and break their windows where they dare and are ready to rise up against such as enemies in war Besides you will take it as a contempt of your Laws if men do not conform to them And if you use the Ceremonies and others disuse them you will think they censure your practice by their forbearance And its like they will be forced to give some reasons of their forbearance And those Reasons must needs be against your way and consequently seem to disparage you so that I may take it for granted that those that would have Ceremonies would have them forced on the Church and so would raise a persecution to maintain them § 13. And then this persecution when it s once begun its never like to stay till it reach to the height of Cruelty For 1. When you have begun you will think that you are engaged in honour to carry it on and not to suffer every poor man or woman to disoby you and disparage your wisdom 2. And if you lay but a gentle penalty on dissenters â—t will do no good on them but perhaps excite them to the more opposition When Conscience is engaged against you it is not small mulâ—ts nor imprisonment neither that will alter the judgements or the waies of such And therefore you must either
Thanksgiving Scripture is a Directory and out of it we shall be glad of any direction that you will gather for us Would you have forms of Words for Prayer and Praise Scripture hath given you many the Lords Prayer the Psalms and many more And if you think you can do better you have liberty to do it your selves And is not that enough God hath left it indifferent to us whether we use a stinted form or not If you be not wiser then God do you leave it indifferent also Would you have a stated day for Gospel-worship in Commemoration of the work of our Redemption Christ and his Apostles have taught you to observe one even the Lords day to these Ends. Would you have exciting mystical instituted signs Christ hath appointed you Baptism and the Lords Supper which signifie the very substance of the Gospel Can your signs do more Or is a greater number more desirable Why may not a few of Christs institution full and clear that have a promise of his blessing serve turn without the additions of mens froathy wits Use the Lords Supper ofter and with more preparation and you will need no Sacramental Riâ—es of your own If Christs signs will not do it in vain do you hope for it from the devises of men Gods Ordinances have no blemishes and wants that need your patches Do that which Scripture hath cut out for you and I warrant you you 'l find no want of such additions The making of the Law and Rule of Worship is Gods work the obeying it is yours It s a course most perverse when you fail and deal falsly in your own work to fall upon Gods work and take on you to mend that Do your own well in obeying and judge not the Law and trouble not the Church with your additions § 35. Yet still remember that we allow both Magistrates and Pastors to see to the execution of Gods laws and to determine of Circumstances in order thereto that are necessary in genere But it is only 1. Such Mystical signs as in genere are not commanded us and left to mans determination that I speak of 2. And also the needless determination of circumstances and making Laws for such things as should be left to the prudence of every Pastor to be varyed as occasion requireth CHAP. XV. Reasons for Obedience in Lawfull things § 1. LEST men that are apt to run from one extream into another should make an ill use of that which I have before written I shall here annex some Reasons to perswade men to just obedience and preserve them from any sinfull nonconformity to the commands of their Governours and the evill effects that are like to follow thereupon § 2. But first I will lay together some Propositions for decision of the Controversie How far we are bound to obey mens precepts about Religion Especially in case we doubt of the lawfulness of obeying them and so cannot obey them in faith § 3. Briefly 1. We must obey both Magistrates and Pastors in all things lawfull which belong to their offices to command 2. It belongs not to their office to make God a new worship But to command the Mode and Circumstances of worship belongeth to their office for guiding them wherein God hath given them generall rules 3. We must not take the Lawfull commands of our Governours to be unlawfull 4. If we do through weakness or perversness take Lawfull things to be unlawfull that will not excuse us in our disobedience Our error is our sin and one sin will not excuse another sin Even as on the other side if we judge things unlawfull to be lawfull that will not excuse us for our disobedience to God in obeying men 5. As I have before shewed many things that are miscommanded must be obeyed 6. As an erroneous judgement will not excuse us from Obedience to our Governours so much less will a doubtfulness excuse us 7. As such a doubting erring judgement cannot obey in plenary faith so much less can he disobey in faith For it is a known Command of God that we obey them that have the Rule over us but they have no word of God against the act of obedience now in question It is their own erring judgement that intangleth them in a necessity of sinning till it be changed 7. In doubtfull cases it is our duty to use Gods means for our information and one means is to consult with our Teachers and hear their words with teachableness and meekness 8. If upon advising with them we reâ—ain in doubt about the lawfulness of some Circumstance of order if it be such as may be dispensed with they should dispense with us if it may not be dispensed with without a greater injury to the Church or cause of God then our dispensation will countervail then is it our duty to obey our Teachers notwithstanding such doubts For it being their office to Teach us it must be our duty to believe them with a humane faith in cases where we have no Evidences to the contrary And the Duty of Obeying them being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and unknown and only suspected we must go on the surer side 9. Yet must we in great and doubtfull cases not take up with the suspected judgement of a single Pastor but apply our selves to the unanimous Pastors of other Churches 10. Christians should not be over-busie in prying into the work of their Governours not too forward to suspect their determinations But when they know that it is their Rulers work to guide them by determining of due Circumstances of worship they should without causeless scruples readily obey till they see just reason to stop them in their obedience They must not go out of their own places to search into the Actions of another mans office to trouble themselves without any cause § 4. And now I intreat all humble Christians readâ—â—y to obey both Magistrates and Pastors in all Lawfull things and to consider to that end of these Reasons following Reas. 1. If you will not obey in Lawfull things you deny authority or overthow Government it self which is a great ordinance of God established in the fifth commandment with promise And as that commandment respecting societies and common good is greater then the following commands as they respect the private good of our neighbours or are but particular Means to that Publick good whose foundation is laid in the fifth commandment so accordingly the sin against this fifth commandment must be greater then that against the rest § 5. Reas. 2. In disobeying the lawfull commands of our superiors we disobey Christ who ruleth by them as his officers Even as the disobeying a Justice of Peace or Judge is a disobeying of the soveraign Power yea in some cases when their sentence is unjust Some of the ancient Doctors thought that the fifth commandment was the last of the first Table of the Decalogue and that the Honouring of Governors is
FIVE DISPUTATIONS OF Church-Government AND WORSHIP I. Whether it be Necessary or Profitable to the right Order or Peace of the Churches of England that we Restore the extruded Episcopacy Neg. II. Assert Those who Nullifie our present Ministry and Churches which have not the Prelatical Ordination and teach the People to do the like do incur the guilt of grievous Sin III. An Episcopacy desirable for the Reformation Preservation and Peace of the Churches IV. Whether a stinted Liturgie or Form of Worship be a desireable means for the Peace of these Churches V. Whether Humane Ceremonies be Necessary or Profitable to the Church By Richard Baxter LONDON Printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster and are to be sold by him there and by Thomas Iohnson at the Golden Key in St. Pauls Church-yard 1659. At 4. s. 6. d. bound To his Highness RICHARD Lord Protector OF THE Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland SIR THese Papers are ambitious of accompanying those against Popery into your Highness presence for the tender of their service and that upon the same account The Controversies here decided are those that have had a hand in most of the great transactions that of late years have here past and that still have a hand in the differences that hinder our desired peace I observe that the Nation generally rejoyceth in your peaceable entrance upon the Government And are affected with indignation if they hear but any rumors that troublesom persons would disturb their hopes And many are perswaded that you have been strangely kept from participating in any of our late bloody contentions that God might make you an Healer of our breaches and imploy you in that Templeâ—work which David himself might not be honoured with though it was in his mind because he had shed blood abundantly and made great wars 1 Chron. 22.7 8. I perceive also that some settlement of Church-affairs will be expected from you by the most And therefore it concerneth all our welfare that you be well acquainted with the state of those differences about which all will expect your judgement For my own part I think not that matters are half so far out of order in the Churches as most discontented men imagine But yet I know there is much to be mended wherein both God and most good men expect you should contribute a considerable part Some think there is no settlement in the Church till they are in the saddle and all their Brethren are become their servants and do them obeysance And alas we have those that take it for no settlement till they have the sword in their own hands or have engaged you to use it at their discretion and may again fill the Prisons or other Lands with their Brethren that are far better then themselves Those I mean that in their writings so glory that their predecessors hang'd the Puritans and lament that of late they were but silenced as being a less effectuall means Some would have no other settlement then we have or else would have Licentiousness settled by a Law and have unlimited Liberty in Religion Doubtless these are conscious what it is that they have need of If Heathens Infidels and Papists be but excepted out of the Toleration it displeaseth them And we can easily conjecture why If we grant them all the Liberty of their consciences that is of their mis-belief because alas we cannot cure it it satisfieth them not unless they may have also Liberty of tongue and Practise When I have heard and read the Reasonings of some of them against the Immortality of the soul and the Christian Religion it self I have wondered why they should take it for such a point of Liberty to have leave to draw others to their opinion when they seem to think that mens Happiness or Misery is no more concerned in it These are the men that tell the world that Magistrates have nothing to do with Religion but only with our Peace and Bodily welfare contrary to the fullest Testimony of the Scriptures Which is but to perswade men to esteem you as the dirt of the earth and to value the Ministry above the Magistracy as much as the Soul is better then the Body and as Heaven is better then this dunghill-world And for this odious doctrine they have no stronger reason then because that Heathen Princes are uncapable of deciding matters about Religion As if mens wilfull and wicked indisposition would change the office and disoblige both them and those that are guilty of no such unfitness from the obligations laid upon them by the Lord They may as wisely say that a sober Physitian is obliged to no more then a drunken one can perform or that a seeing man may do no more then the blind can do Or that a Learned Prince may not meddle with Learning because an unlearned Prince is unfit for it But any man that hath read Bellarmine Parsons Gretser or such like Jesuites may know the Fathers of this doctrine Nothing more familiar with them then that Princes have nothing to do but for our Bodies and the Common Peace but forsooth it is the Pope that must Rule all about our Souls The Libertines know whose cause they plead But verily men that regard the Interest of Christ and their salvation would set light by Princes if they believed them to be such terrestriall animals as Papists and Libertines would make them Some also there be that would have a settlement upon too rigorous terms though they would not have it executed with cruelty Most men would fain have their own opinions prevail and too many place too much of their Religion in censuring as Heterodox all that differ from them and think it an evidence of their Godliness that they are Uncharitable and seeing many minds and waies they think that punishment must heal them all Not that they would be driven to their Brethren but all their Brethren must be driven unto them In the midst of all these cross expectations if you will consult with and obey the Lord I dare boldly tell you it is past all doubt that you must avoid extreams and keep as tenderly the golden mean in this point as in any that concerns you If you give Liberty to All that is called Religion you will soon be judged of no Religion and loved accordingly If you so far close with any Party of them that walk in the faith of Christ and the fear of God as to deal rigorously with the rest you will be hated by them as a Persecutor And if men be oppressed in that which they value above their lives it will tempt them to neglect their lives for their relief If you joyn with no Church in the Lords Supper and other holy Communion lest you seem to espouse the party that you joyn with you will by most be judged to be carnally wise self-seeking and irreligious or one that is yet to seek for your Religion If you restrain all that
there was no Presbyter existent but himself as is here confessed So in the following words the same Learned Dr. further proveth from Antiquity that one part of the Bishops office is set down that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that visit all the sick Let us have such Bishops as can and will do this and our Controversie will soon be at an end about Episcopacy Were it not that I have spoken of these things afterwards and fear being tedious I should have shewed that 7. Baptizing 8. Congregating the Assemblies 9. Administring the Lords Supper 10. Guiding the Assembly in the whole publick worship 11. Blessing the people at the dismission and 12. Absolving the penitent and more then all these were the works of the ancient Episcopal function And now I leave it to the Conscience of any man that hath a grain of Conscience left him whether one man be able were he never so willing to do any one of all these duties much less to do all of them for many hundred Parishes Can a Bishop teach them all and Catechise â—nd confer with all and counsail and comfort and admonish all and Govern all and try all cases of every scandalous impenitent person of so many thousand and Censure and Absolve and Confirm and Try them for Confirmation and receive all the Churches stock and be the Overseer of all the poor and take care of all the Orphans and Widdows and visit counsail and pray with all the sick and guide every Congregation in publick worship and give the Sacrament to all and pronounce the Blessing in every Assembly c. and this for a whole County or more O wonderful that ever this should become a Controversie among men that vilifie others as unlearned and unwise in comparison of them I must lay by respect to man so far as plainly to profess that I take these for such errors as must need proceed from want of Piety and Conscience and practice of the duties that are pleaded for If these men did not talk of Governing a Church as those talk of Governing a Navy an Army or a Commonwealth that never set their hand to the work it is not possible sure that they should thus err O how many Bishops never tryed what it is to Govern the Church or faithfully perform any one of all these works I solemnly profess that with the help of three more fellow Presbyters and three or four Deacons besides the greater help of abundance of Godly people here in their places I am not able to do all this as it should be done for this one Parish And yâ—t the greatest part of our trouble is taken off by the refusal of the multitude of the ungodly to come under Discipline or be members of our Pastoral charge Sirs these are not scholastick speculations The everlasting Ioy or Torment of our people lyeth upon the successful performance of these works as we that are Christians verily believe And therefore to Dispute whether One man should do all this for a Diocess is all one as to Dispute whether it shall all be undone or no and that is whether we shall give up our Countries to the Devâ—l or no And shall the Prelatical Controversie come to this You have no way to avoid it but by Delegating your power to others and casting your work upon them But you confess that this was never done in Scripture-times there being then no Subject Pesbyters to whom it might be committed And by what authority then can you do it Can Episcopacy be transferred by Deputation to another This is long ago confuted by many writers Popish and Protestant Do the work by another and you shall have your wages by another And what is your Office but your Authority and Obligation to do your work He therefore that you commit this to is a Bishop So that this is but to make us Deputy Bishops And if so let us call them Bishops I have read many of your writers of late that say we have no Government and saith one of them the Presbyterian Government was never yet set up in any one Parish in England These are strange things to be reported to English men Perswade the world next that no man in England hath a nose on his face Is it not known that the Presbyterian Government hath been exercised in London in Lancashire and in many Counties these many years And what Government is it that you think we want The people are guided in the matters of God by their several Pastors The Pastors live in Concord by Associations in many Countries Both Pastors and People are Governed by the Magistrate And what need we more Look into this County where I live and you shall find a faithful humble laborious Ministry Associated and walking in as great unity as ever I read of since the Apostles daies No difference no quarrels but sweet and amicable Correspondency and Communion that I can hear of Was there such a Ministry or such love and concord or such a godly people under them in the Prelates reign There was not I lived where I do and therefore I am able to say there was not Through the great mercy of God where we had ten drunken Readers then we have not one now and where we had one able godly Preacher then we have many now and in my own charge where there was one that then made any shew of the fear of God I hope there is twenty now And the Families that were wont to scorn at holiness and live in open impiety are now devoted to the worship and obedience of the â—ord This is our loss and misery in these times which you so lament 3. But perhaps you will refuse Communion with us because of our differences from you in doctrine about the Controversies called Arminian But the fierceness of many of you hereabouts doth serve but to discover your ignorance and uncharitableness The Papists that differ among themselves about these points can yet hold Communion in one Church and cannot you with us Will you be fiercer against us then the Iesuites against the Dominicans Nay we go not neer so far as they We cleave to Augustine and the Synod of Dort who own not Physical Predetermination and meddle not with Reprobation antecedent to foresight of sin and who confess a sufficiency in Christs satisfaction for all And yet must we have those impotent clamors with which the writings of Mr. Pierce and other such abound Why then do you pretend to follow the Church of England which Mr. Hickman hath shewed you plainly that you desert Many of the highest meer Arminians are charitable peaceable men that hate separation from their Dissenting Brethren Curcellaus is one of the most eminent men living of that way And how charitable and peaceable an Epistle hath he writ before D. Blondels book de Papissa Joanna And I hear that Mr. Hoard the Author of the Book called Gods Love to mankind lives in peaceable Communion
belong to the Office of a Presbyter when yet he might not exercise it The Bishops in the Ordination of Presbyters enabled them to preach the Gospel And yet they were after that forbidden to preach till they had a License and it was put into the Visitation Articles to present those Ministers that preached without License If they will deny us the exercise of the Power that they first confess belongeth to our Office we are not answerable for their self-contradictions 2. By Discipline I suppose they mean but our Instruction and our publishing their Orders for Penance Excommunication or Absolution 3. They were the Judges of the sense of the Laws as far as the executâ—on required And the Vniversal Practice of England with their writings shewed us to our cost their judgement What good would it do us if the Law had been on our side while the Concurrent Iudgement and Practice of the Governors denyed it and went against it 4. He that had kept a man from the Sacrament according to the plain words of the Rubrick was to have been accountable for it at their Courts and so likely if he had been a man of serious piety and not a persecutor of Puritans to have been undone by it and was like to make so little of it as to the Ends of Discipline all men being compelled by the Presentments to receive the Sacrament that I never knew one to my best remembrance in 25 years time that I lived under the Bishops that was kept from the Sacrament except a Puritan that scrupled to take it kneeling And what was this to true Church-Government Sect. 17. Object But either they did it according to the established Law or not If they did the fault was in the Law and not in them If they did transgress the Law then the fault was in mens abuse and the Law and Order cannot be blamed Answ. A sad case to poor ignorant miserable souls that they must be left in obstinacy and deprived of Gods means of Reformation without Remedy because either the Law or Iudges must be excused The Iudges are the mouth of the Law to us that is Law in the issue to us which they unanimously call Law If the fault were in the Law it was time it should be altered if it was in the Bishops universally it was time they should be altered Let us but have a Remedy and enjoy Gods Ordinances which he that is the Churches Head and King hath appointed for our benefit and we have done Sect. 18. Object But may not Bishops when they Ordain Delegate what measure of Ministerial Power they please and if you never received more why should you use it Answ. A poor relief to the forsaken Church Deprive her of Government and then tell us that we had no power Is the Power desirable to us if the Ordinance were not desirable to the Church 2. What Power have Bishops and whence did they receive it to change the Office of Christs institution or his Apostles If so they may turn the three Orders which the Papists themselves say the Pope cannot alter into as many more Then they may create an Office for Baptizing only and another for the Lords Supper only and another for praying only and so of the rest which is worse then making Lay-elders or then taking away the Cup in the Sacrament Hath Christ by his Spirit instituted Church-offices and are they now at the Bishops power to transform them 3. If they had power to distribute the work in the exercise part to one and part to another yet they have no power to deprive the particular Churches of the whole or any part but one or more must do it and the Office must be the same and the power exercised to the edification and not the confusion and corruption of the Church Sect. 19. Object But the Keys were given only to the Apostles and not to the seventy Disciples nor to Presbyters Answ. 1. If the seventy were only Disciples and not Church-officers the Ancients and the English Bishops have been much mistaken that have so much urged it that Presbyters succeed them as Bishops do the Apostles But if they be Officers then they have the Keys 2. The Episcopal Divines even the Papists commonly confess that part of the Keys are given to the Presbyters and Christ gave them together 3. Were they given only to Apostles for themselves or to convey to others If to themselves only then no one hath them now If to convey to others then either to Apostles only as their Successors but there 's none such or to Patriarchs or Primates or Metropolitans or Archbishops only but none of this will please the Bishops or to Bishops only which I grant taking Bishops in the Scripture sense And I desire to see it proved that it was not a presumptuous Innovation in them whosoever they were that after the days of the Apostles Ordained a new sort of Presbyters in the Church that should have no power of the Keys 4. They that must use the Keys must have Power to use them But Parish Bishops must use them as the nature and necessity of the work doth prove Therefore Parish Bishops must have the Power If only one man in a Diocess of an hundred or two hundred Churches shall have the power of the Keys we may know after all the talk of Discipline what Discipline to expect Sect. 20. Object Why blame you Lay-chancellors Registers Proctors c. when you set up Lay-elders we are as well able to call Chancellors Ecclesiastical as you can call Lay-elders so Answ. I never pleaded for Lay-elders If other men erre will it justifie your error But I must tell you an unordained man in a single Parish having power only to assist the Pastor in Government is far unlike a Lay-Court to Govern all the Churches of a Diocess Sect. 21. Object Do not your Arguments against Bishops for excluding Discipline make as much for the casting out of Ministers of whom you complain in your Reformed Pastor for neglect of Discipline Ans. 1. The Nature of Prelacy as set up in England â—here only one man had the Government of so many Churches unavoidably excludeth it if the best men were Bishops till it be otherwise formed But the nature of a Parochial Episcopacy is fitted to promote it 2. Those Presbyters that I blamed for neglecting the higher acts of Discipline do yet keep away more prophane persons from the Lords Supper in some one Church then ever I knew kept away in all places under the Prelates 3. If Ministers sinfully neglect Discipline yet as Preachers and Guides in publick worship c. they are of unspeakable need and value to the Church But few Bishops of England preached ordinarily And 4. We are desirous that Bishops shall continue as Preachers but not as Diocesan excluders of Parochial Church-Discipline Sect. 22. Object By pretending to agree with them that say there were no Presbyters in Scripture times you would put down
of a Government which is committed to a Lay Chancellor doth willfully draw this fearful Guilt upon himself Argum. 7. THat Episcopacy which is the product of Proud Ambiâ—ion and Arrogancy contrary to the express command of Christ is not to be restored for Order or Peace But such is the late English Prelacy therefore c. The Major is undoubted The Minor is proved thus Were it not for pâ—oud Ambition men would not strive to have the doing of more work then an hundred times as many are able to do and the answering before God for as many souls But the English Prelates did strive to have the work and account of many hundreds therefore c. The Minor is proved and known by experience And the Major is proved thus 1. From the common aversness that all men have to labour excessive oppressing labour and that spiritual too 2. From the self-love that is naturally in all No man can naturally and rationally desire that which would tire him oppress him and finally damn him without great repentance and the speciall mercy of God unless by the power of some lust that draweth him to it 3. And common prudence wiâ—l teach men not to thrust themselves into impossible undertakings If we see a man desirous to have the Rule of a whole County under the Prince and that there should be no Justice of Peace or other Magistrate to Rule there but he though he know that he must answer it upon his life if the County be noâ— well Ruled as to the punishing of all the known drunkards swearâ—rs adulterers c. in the County may not any man see that Ambition makes this man in a manner besides himself oâ— eâ—se he would never set so light by his own life as certainly and willfully to cast it away by undertaking a work which he knoweth many men are unable to perform And Ambition it must needs be because Honour and Preheminency is the bait and thing contended for and there is noâ—hing else to do it And how expresly doâ—â— Christ forbid this to his Apostles telling them With you it shâ—ll not be so but he that will be the greatest shall be the servant of all Luke 22.26 As the old Rimer hath it Christus dixit quodam loâ—o Vos non sic nec dixit jâ—co dixit suiâ— ergo isti Cujus sunt non certè Christi Speaking of the Prelates I own not the Censure but â— own Christs prohibition Certainly the Honour is but the appendix for the work sake and the work is the first thing and the main of the office And I would know whether they would strive thus for the work and the terrible account without the honour and worldly gain Nay do they not destroy the work whâ—le they quarrel for the doing of it for the honor sake If it were the Churches good and the work that they so much minded they would contend that so many should have the doing of it as are necessary thereto and not that none should do it but they He that would turn all the labourers out of the Harvest saving himself in all this County that he may maintain his own priviledge I should think doth not much mind the good of the owner or the well doing of the work or his own safety if he were to answer for all upon his life Argum. 8. THat Episcopacy which so far gratifieth lazy Miâ—isters as to ease them of the most pâ—inful troublesom and hazardous part of their work is not to be restored for order or unity but such was the late English Prelacy therefore c. The Major is undoubted The Minor is before proved as to the work it self And as to the quality and consequents experience putteth it past all doubt that the work of Government and Oversight is incomparably more troublesom then the preaching of a Sermon Baptizing administring the Lords Supper and praying with them When we come to touch men by personal reproof and make that publike and that for disgraceful sins and suspend or excommunicate them if they be obstinate usually we do not only turn their hearts against us but they rage against us and could even be revenged on us with the cruellest revenge We find that all the Preaching in the world doth not so much exasperate and enrage men as this Discipline I can Preach the most cutting and convincing truths in as close a manner as I am able to notorious wicked livers and they will bear it patiently and say it was a good Sermon and some of them say that they care not for hearing a man that will not tell them of their sins And yet call them to an open confession of these sins in the Congregation or proceed to censure them and they will rage against us as if we were their mortal enemies The Bishops let all these men almost alone and therefore never exasperated them and so now they rage the more against us and love the Bishops the better because they were never so troubled by them And here I cannot but note how groundless that accusation is of some Prelatical men against the Conscionable adversaries of their way when they say the Presbyters would fain have the Reins of Government in their own hand which may be true of the unconscionable that know not what it is that they undertake but for others it is all one as to say They would fain have all the trouble hatred and danger to themselves These Objecters shew their own minds and what it is that they look at most themselves and therefore think others do so its dear bought honour that is purchased at such rates of labour and danger I here solemnly profess for my own part that if I know my heart I am so far from thinking it a desirable thing to Rule much less to Rule a Diocess that if I might so far gratifie my carnal desires and were not under the bond of Gods Commands and so were it not for fear of sinning and wronging mens souls that are committed to my charge I would give if I had it many thousand pounds that I might but Preach Pray Read Baptize administer the Lords Supper though I did more then I do in them and be wholly freed from the care and trouble of oversight and government of this one Congregation which is further required O how quiet would my mind be were I but sure that God required none of this at my hands nor would call me to any account for the neglect of it And that this is not my case only but the common case to find Discipline so troublesom is apparent in this that the whole body of the Nation for the generality have contended against it these many years and in almost every Congregation in England the greater part do either separate from the Ministers and forbear the Lords Supper or some way oppose it and withdraw that they may avoid it And most of the Ministers in England even godly men do much if not
the Synagogues prove not this power which is much disputed Mat. 10.17 and 23.34 Luke 6.22 and 12.11 and 21.12 Acts 22.19 and 26 11. Yet at least excluding men their Synagogue Communion may Iohn 9.22 34. and 12.42 and 16.2 But because this argument leads us into many Controversies about the Jewish customes lest it obscure the truth by occasion in quarrels I shall pass it by 2. I find no particular Political Church in the New Testament consisting of several Congregations ordinarily meeting for communion in Gods Worship unless as the forementioned accidents might hinder the meeting of one Congregation in one place nor having half so many members as some of our Parishes When there is mention made of a Country as Iudea Galile Samaria Galatia the word Churches in the plural number is used Gal. 1.2 Acts 15.41 and 9.31 2 Cor. 8.1 But they 'l say These were only in Cities But further considâ—r there is express mention of the Church at Cenchrea which was no City and they that say that this was a Parish subject to Corinth give us but their words for it without any proof that ever I could see and so they may as well determine the whole cause by bare affirmation and prevent disputes The Apostle intimateth no such distinction Rom. 16.1 1 Cor. 11.18 20 22.16 When ye come together in the Church I hear that there be divisions among you When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 16. We have no such Custome nor the Churches of God Here the Church of Corinth is said to come together into one place And for them that say This is per partes and so that one place is many to the whole I answer the Apostle saith not to a part but to the whole Church that they come together in one place and therefore the plain obvious sence must stand till it be disproved And withall he calls the Christian Assemblies in the plural number Churches for its plain that it is of Assembly Customes that he there speaks So 1 Cor. 14. there is plainly expressed that it was a particular Assembly that was called the Church and that this Assembly had it in many Prophets Interpreters others that might speak Verse 4. He that Prophesieth Edifieth the Church that is Only that Congregation that heard And Verse 5. Except he interpret that the Church may receive Edifying And Verse 12. Seek that ye may excell to the Edifying of the Church Verse 19. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding that I may teach others also And Verse 23. If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place and all speak with tongues One would think this is as plain as can be spoken to assure us that the whole Churches then were such as might and usually did come together for holy communion into one place So Verse 28. If there be no Interpreter let him keep silence in the Church And which is more lest you think that this was some one small Church that Paul speaks of he denominateth all other particular Congregations even Ordered Governed Congregations Churches too Verse 33. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints So that all the Congregations for Christian Worship are called All the Churches of the Saints And it seems all as well as this so stored with Prophets and gifted men that they need not take up with one Bishop only for want of matter to have made subject Elders of And Verse 34. Let your women keep silence in the Church for it is a shame for a woman to speak in the Church So that so many Assemblies so many Churches Obj. But it seems there were among the Corinthians more then one Congregation by the plural Churches Answ. 1. Many particular seasons of Assembling may be called many Assemblies or Churches though the peoole be the same 2. The Epistle was a Directory to other Churches though first written to the Corinthians 3. Those that say it was to Corinth and other City-Churches that Paul wrote need no further answer It seems then each City had but a Congregation if that were so 4 Cenchrea was a Church neer to Corinth to whom Paul might well know his Epistle would be communicated and more such there might be as well as that and yet all be entire free Churches So in Col. 4.16 And when this Epistle is read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea This Church was such as an Epistle might be read in which doubtless was an Assembly The whole matter seems plain in the case of the famous Church at Antioch Acts 11.26 A whole year they assembled themselves with the Church and taught much people Here is mention but of One Assembly which is called the Church where the people it seems were taught And its plain that there were many Elders in this one Church for Acts 13.1 it said There were in the Church that was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers And five of them are named who are said to Minister there to the Lord And though I do not conclude that they were all the fixed Elders of that particular Church yet while they were there they had no less power then if they had been such In the third Epistle of Iohn where there is oft mention of that particular Church it appeareth Verse 6. that it was such a Church as before which the â—rethren and strangers could bear witness of Gaius Charity And it s most probable that was one Assembly but utterly improbable that they travailed from Congregation to Congregation to bear this witness And Vers. 9 10. it was such a Church as Iohn wrote an Epistle to and which Diotrephes cast men out of which is most likely to be a Congregation which might at once hear that Epistle and out of which Diotrephes migâ—t â—asilier reject strangers and reject the Apostles letters then out of many such Congregations Gal. 1.22 When Paul saith he was Vnknown by face to the Churches of Iudea it is most likely that they were Churches which were capable of seeing and knowing his face not only by parts but as Churches And its likely those Churches that praised Luke and sent him with Paul as their chosen messenger were such as could meet to choose him and not such as our Diocesses are 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Paul gives order both to the Church of Corinth and the Churches of Galatia that upon the Lords day at the Assembly as it is ordinarily expounded they should give in their part for the relief of the Churches of Iudea So that it seems most likely that he makes Churches and such Assemblies to be all one Acts 14.23 They ordained them Elders Church by Church or in every Church Here it is confessed by those we plead against that Elders signifie not any subject
Elders having no power of Ordination or Government And to say that by Elders in each Church is meant only one Elder in each Church is to forsake the letter of the text without any proved Necessity We suppose it therefore safer to believe according to the first sence of the words that it was Elders in every Church that is more then one in every Church that were ordained And what sort of Churches these were appears in the following verses where even of the famous Church of Antioch its said Verse 27. when they were come and had gathered the Church together they rehearsed all that God had done by them So that its plain that this Church was a Congregation to whom they might make such rehearsal And Chap. 15.3 It s said that they were brought on their way by the Church And if it be not meant of all but a part of the Church yet it intimateth what is aforesaid To conclude though many of these texts may be thought to speak doubtfully yet consider 1. That some do most certainly declare that it was particular stated Assemblies that were then called Churches even Governed Churches having their Officers present 2. That there is no certain proof of any one particular Political Church that consisted of many such stated Assemblies 3. That therefore the Texts that will bear an exposition either way must be expounded by the certain and not by the uncertain texts so that I may argue thus If in all the New Testament the word Church do often signifie stated worshipping single Assemblies and often is used so as may admit that interpretation and is never once used certainly to signifie many particular stated worshipping Assemblies ruled by one fixed Bishop then we have any just cause to suppose that the particular Political Churches in Scripture times consisted but of one such stated Congregation But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent As for the New Episcopal Divines that say There were no subject Presbyâ—ers in Scripture times I suppose according to their principles they wâ—ll grant me all this as is aforesaid And for others the Instances that they bring to the contrary should be briefly considered The great swaying Instance of all which did sometime prevail with me to be my self of another mind is the Numerous Church at Ierusalem Of which its said that three thousand were converted at once and five thousand at another time and the word mightily grew and prevailed and daily such were added to the Church as should be saved to whâ—ch some add the mention of the Miriades of believing Jews yet zealous of the Law which the brethren mentioned to Paul Acts 21.20 And the instance of Ephesus and Rome come next But I remember how largely this business is debated between the late Assembly at Westminster and the Dissenting Brethren that I think it unmeet to interpose in it any further then to annex these few considerations following 1. That all that is said on that side doth not prove certainly that that one Church at Ierusalem was the eighth part so big as Giles Cripple-gate Parish or the fifth part so big as Stepney or Sepulchres nor neer so big as Plimoth or some other Country Parishes 2. That it is past doubt that the magnitude of that Body of Believers then at Ierusalem was partly acccidental and the members cannot at all be proved settled cohabitants nor that Church as in its first unordered Mass be the proved to be the fittest pattern for imitation 3. That Christ hath not punctually determined how many members shall be in a particular Church 4. But the ends being personal holy communion are the Rule by which humane prudence must determine it 5. That its fitter one Church instance give way to many in point of our imitation then of many to that one caeteris paribus 6. That it s known among us that more then are proved to have been members of that Church may hear one man preach at the same time I have none of the loudest voices and yet when I have preached to a Congregation judged by judicious men to be at least ten thousand those farthest off said they could well hear as I was certainly informed 7. That its certain by many passages historicall in â—cripture that men did then speak to greater multitudes and were heard at far greater distance then now they can orderly be which I conjecture was because their voices were louder as in most dryer bodies which dryer Countreys have is commonly seen when moister bodies have ofâ—er hoarser voices and other reasons might concur 8. That it is confessed or yielded that the Church at Ierusalem might all hear at once though not all receive the Lords Supper together And if so then they were no more then might at once have personal communion in some holy Ordinances and that the Teachers might at once make known their minds to 9. And then the reason of receiving the Supper in several places seems to be but because they had not a room so fit to receive all in as to hear in And so we have now in many Parishes Assemblies subordinate to the chief Assembly For divers families at once may meet at one house and divers at another for repetition prayer or other duties and some may be at Chappels of ease that cannot come to the full assembly 10 They that are for Presbyâ—erial Churches of many Congregations do not say that There must be many to make the first political Church but only that There may be many If then there be no Necessitâ— of it 1. Should it not be forborn when it appeareâ—h to prudence most inconvenient as frequently it will no doubt 2. And when it is Necessary for a peaceable Accommodation beâ—ause others think it a sin should not a May be give place to a Must not be in pacificatory consultations caeteris paribus 11. It is granted also by them that the Pastors of one Congregation have not a charge of Governing other neighbour Congregation in Consistory one rather then another which they gâ—vern not though perhaps as neer them but bâ— conâ—ent And therefore as there is but a licet not an oportet of such consent pleaded for so while no such consent is given we have no such châ—â—ge of Governing neighbour Congregations and none may force us to such consent 12. And Lastly that if a siâ—gle Congregation with it own Officer or Officers be not a true particular Political Church then our ordinary Parish assemblies are none and where the Presbyterian Government is not set up which is up but in few places of England it would then follow that we have no true Political Churches left among us perhaps never had which I meet yet with few so uncharitable as to affirm except the Papists and the Separatists and a few of the new sort of Episcopal Divines who think we have no Churches for want of â—ishops except where Bishops yet are retained and acknowleged For my part I
would not lay too great a stress upon any forms or modes which may be altered or diversified Let the Church have but such a Number of souls as may be consistent with the ends and so the essence of a particular Church that they may held personal holy communion and then I will not quarrel about the name of one or two Congregations nor whether they must needs all meet together for all ordinances nor the like Yea I think a full number so they be not so full or distant as to be uncapâ—ble of that communion are desireable for the strength and beauty of the Church and too smal Churches if it may be to be avoided So that all the premises being considered out difference appears to be but small in these matters between the Congregational and Presbyterian way among them that are moderate I shall not presume more particularly to enter into that debate which hath been so far proceeded in already by such Reverend men but shall return to the rest of the task before promised against the Diocesan Churches as the supposed subject of the Bishops Government As for Scripture times and the next succeeding together I shall before I look into other testimonies propound these two Arguments 1. From the Bishops office which was before mentioned If the office of a Bishop in those times was to do so much work as could not be done by him for a Church any greater than our Parishes then were the Churches of those times no greater then our Parishes But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the consequent The works are before mentioned Preaching Praying administring the Lords Supper visiting the sick reducing hereticks reproving censuring absolving to which they quickly added too much more of their own The impossibility of a faithful performance of this to more is so undenyable that I cannot suppose any other answer but this that they might ordain Presbyters to assist them in the work and so do much of it by others But 1. I before desired to see it proved by what authority they might do this 2. Their office and work are so inseparable that they cannot depute others to do their work their proper work without deputing them also to their office For what is an office but the state of one Obliged and Authorized to do such or such a work A Presbyter may not authorize another to preach as the Teacher of a Congregation and to administer the Sacraments without making him a Presbyter also Nor can a Bishop authorize any to do the work of a Bishop in whole or by halves without making him a Presbyter or half a Bishop And he is not authorized either to make new officers in the Church or to do his work by deputies or substitutes 2. I argue also from the Identity of that Church to whâ—ch the Bishops and Deacons were appointed for ministration It was not a Church of many stated Congregations or any larger than our Parishes for number of souls that the Deacons were made Ministers to therefore it was no other or bigger which the Bishops were set oveâ— The consequence is good because where ever Deacons are mentioned in Scripture or any Writer that I remember neer to Scripture times they are still mentioned with the Bishops or Presbyters as Ministers to the same Church with them as is apparent bâ—th in the seven chosen for the Church at Ierusalem and in Phil. 1.1 2. and in the Direction of Paul to Timothy for ordaining them And the Antecedent is proved from the nature of their work For they being to attend on the tables at the Love feasts and the Lords Supper and to look to the poor they could not do this for any greater number of people then we mention Whether they had those feasts in one house or many at once I determine not but for the number of people it was as much as a Deacon could do at the utmost to attend a thousand people I shall proceed a little further towards the times next following and first I shall take in my way the confession of one or two learned men that are for Prelacy Grotius in his Annotat. on 1 Tim. 5.17 saith Sed notandum est in una Vrbe magna sicut plures Synagogas ita plures fuisse Ecclesias id est conventus Christianorum Et cuique Ecclesiae fuisse suum praesidem qui populum alloqueretur Presbyteros ordinaret Alexandriae tantum eum fuisse morem ut unus esset in tota urbe praeses qui ad docendum Presbyteros per urbem distribueret docet nos Sozomenus 1.14 Epiphanius ubi de Ario agit dicitque Alexandriae nunquam duos fuisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voce â—a sumpta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ita ut significat jus illud quod habebat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that Grotius affirmeth that Bishops had not then so much as all the converted persons of a great City under their care but the Churches and Assemblies were the same and each Assembly had a Prelate and in the great Cities there were many of these Churches and Prelates and that only the City of Alexandria had the custom of having but one such Bishop in the whole City 2. Those learned men also must grant this cause who maintain that Peter and Paul were both of them Bishops of Rome at once there being two Churches one of the Circumcision under Peter the other of the uncircumcision under Paul and that one of them had Linus and the other Cletus for his Successor and that this Church was first united under Clemens and the like they say of two Churches also at Antioch and elswhere If this be so then there is no Law of God that Bishops should be numbred by Cities but more Bishops then one may be in one City and were even when Christians comparatively were a small part of them 3. Also Mr. Thorndike and others affirm that it was then the custome for the Bishops and Presbyters to sit in a semicircle and the Bishop highest in a Chair and the Deacons to stand behind them This he gathereth from the Apost Constitut. Ignatius Dionysius Arcop and the Jews Constitutions in his Apost form page 71. and Right of the Church c. p. 93.94 95. And if this were so it seems that Bishops Presbyters and Deacons were all the Officers of one such stated Congregation and had not many such Congregations under them For the Bishop could be but in one place at once and therefore this could be the custome but of one Church in his Diocess if he had many whereas it is made the form of the ordinary Christian Assemblies The same learned man Right of Church p. 65. saith that About Saint Cyprians time and not afâ—re he finds menâ—ion of setled Congregations in the Country By which it may be well conjectured what a small addition the Bishops had out of the Countreys to their City Chuâ—ches and how many Congregations they Governed in the Apostle
dayes and after He affirmeth also that the power of the Keyes belongeth to the Presbyters and that its convertible with the power of celebrating the Eucharist and that 's the Reason Why it belongs to them page 98. ibid. and that the Power of the Keys that is the whole power of the Church whereof that power is the root and sourse is common to Bâ—shops and Presbyters page 128 and that to this all sides agree page 106. and that by their Grant Deacons and others may preach but not Rule or administer the Lords Supper see page 118.123 And he is far from being of their mind that think in Scripture times there was but one single Bishop without other Presbyters in a Diocesan Church For he supposed many in a Congregation Page 126 he saith You see by St. Paul 1 Cor. 14. that one Assembly whereof he speaks there furnished with a great number of Prophets whether Presbyters or over and above them In the Records of the Church we find divers times a whole Bench of Presbyters presiding at one Assembly And before he had shewed how they sate about the Bishop and the congregation stood before them And page 127. he saith that Clemens the Disciple of the Apostles in his Epistle to the Corinthians to compose a difference among the Presbyters of that Church partly about the celebration of the Eucharist adviseth them to agree and take their turns in it I confess I knnw not whence he hath this doubtless not in the true approved Epistle of Clement but it shews in his judgement 1. That there were then many Presbyters in the Church of Corinth 2. And that that Church was but one Congregation or not very many Else what need the Presbyters take their turns when they might have done it at once 3. That the word Presbyter in Clemens signifieth not a Prelate 4. And it seems this intimateth there was then no Bishop in Corinth else no question but Clemens would have charged these disagreeing Presbyters to obey their Bishop and used some of Ignatius language 5. Nay if Bishops had been then known in the world is it not likely that he would have charged them to get a Bishop if they had not to Govern such a disagreeing Presbytery And page 129 130 131. he shews that the condemning of Marcion at Rome and of Noelus at Ephesus are expresty said by Epiphanius Haeres 42. num 1. 2. Haeres 57 num 1. to have been done and passed by the Act of the Presbyters of those Churches And which is of later date the Excommunication of Andronicus in Sâ—nesius 57. Epist. I find reported to have passed in the same sort and all this agreeable to the practice recorded in Scripture alledging 1. Tim. 5.19 Acts 21.18 citing Cyprian Ep. 46. and the Apost Constit. and saith Bloudell in this might have spared his exact diligence it being granted c. Mr. Thorndike also tells us pag. 62. of the words of Ninius that in Ireland alone Saint Patrick at the first plantation of Christianity founded three hundred and threescore and five Bishopricks And can any man believe that all these had Cities or more then one of our Parish Churches when all Ireland to this day hath not seven Cities and when all this was done at the first plantation of the Gospel I think we had this sort of Episcopacy Even since the Reformation there is reckoned in Ireland but four Arch-bishops nineteen Bishops What think you then were 365. Bishops at the first plantation of the Gospel To proceed to some further Evidence 1. It s manifest in Clemens Rom. Epist. to the Corinthians there is mention of no more but two Orders the one called sometime Bishops sometime Presters the other Deacons page 54.55.57 and this he saith the Apoâ—â—les did as knowing that contention would arise about the name of Episcopacy and that they so seâ—led the Ministerial Offices that others should succeed in them when some were deceased For my part I cannot see the least reason to be of their mind that think Clemens here doth speak only of Prelates or supereminent Bishops of which I refer the Reader to Mr. Burtons notes in his English Translatâ—on of Clemenâ— But suppose it were so If at that time the Churches had none but single Bishops it is plain then that they were but single Congregations For no other Congregations having communion in theâ—r-then-ordinary publike worship could be managed without a Bishop or Presbyter to do the work But for them that sleight Mr. Burtons other mens plain Reasons concerning the judgement of Clem. Romanus and force his words to speak what they mean not I desire them to observe the judgement of Grotius whom they profess so much to value who in his Epistol 162 ad Bignon gives this as one Reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens genuine Quod nusquam meminit exsortis illius Episcoporum autoritatis quae Ecclesiae consuetudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae atque eo exemplo alibi introduci cepit sed planè ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum qui iidem omnes Episcopi ipsi Pauloque dicuntur consilio fuisse gubernatas Nam quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominat omnia ista nomina non ad Ecclesiam sed ad Templum Hieros pertinent unde infert omnia recto ordine agenda si Iudaeis tanto magis Christianis You see that Grotius then and Clemens in his judgement were against Prelacy 2. The very same I say of Prelacie Epist. ad Philip. which mentioneth only two sorts Presbyters and Deacons 3. And though Ignatius oft mention three it seems to me that they were all but the Governours or Ministers of one Congregation or of no more people then one of our Parishes In the Epist. ad Smyrâ— he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Vbi Episcopus praesens fuerit illuc plebs Congregetur sicuti ubi Christus est omnis militia coelestis aâ—est as the common interpreter translateth it ut vid. est in Edit Perionii Vsherii c. Vbi comparuerit Episcopus ibi Multitudo sit quemadmodum ubi Christus ibi omnis astat exercitus coelestis as Hier. Vairlenius Videlius translate it Or Vbi utique apparet Episcopus illic multitudo sit quemadmodum utiq ubi est Christus Iesus illic Catholica Ecclesia as Vshers old Tranlation And by the Context it appeareth that this plâ—bs or multitudo is the Church which he ruleth and not only one Congregation among many that are under him For this doth without distinction bind all the people one as well as another to be where the Bishop is or appeareth viz. in the publick Assembly for Communion in Worship It is plain therefore there that were not then many such Assemblies under him otherwise all save one must have necessarily disobeyed this command And in the Epistle to the Philadelphians he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e.
Vna enim est caro Domini nostri Iesu Christi unus illius sanguis qui pro nobis effusus est unus calix qui pro omnâ—bus nobiâ— distributus est unus panis qui omnibus fractus est unum altare omni Ecclesiae unus Episcopus cum presbyterorum Collegio Diaconis conservis meis Here it is manifest that the particular Church which in those dayes was governed by a Bishop Presbytery and Deacons was but one Congregation for every such Church had but one Altar Object But some Greek Copies leave out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ. 1. The corrupt vulgar translation might occasion the change of the text saith Bishop Vsher Annot. in loc page 40. intermedia illa ex interpretatione hâc excidisse videantur 2. The old translation of Bishop Vsher which leaves it out yet hath Vnum Altare unus Episcopus c. and the sence is â—he same if the other words were out 3. Ignatius hath the like in other places as we shall see anon which forbiddeth such quarrels here Object But saith the Learned and Godly Bishop Downame Def. li. 2. cap. 6. page 109. the word Altar being expounded for the Communion table is not likely aâ—d too much savoureth of Popery but by one Altar is meant Christ who sanctifieth all our Sacrifices and Oblations and maketh them acceptable to God as Ignatius expoundeth himself in hâ—s Epistle to the Magnesians All as one run together into the Temple of God unto one Iesus Christ as it were unto one Altar To this I answer that it is some confirmation to me that the words are so express that so learned a man hath no more to say by way of evasion For doubtless this is too gross and palpable to satisfie the judicious impartial reader 1. That the very text which he citeth of the Epistle to the Magnesians doth make fully against him I shall shew anon 2. That it is not Christ that is meant here by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is evident 1. In that Christ his flesh and blood are before distinctly mentioned 2. In that the word is put in order among the external Ordinances 3. In that it is so usual with other ancient writers and Ignatius himself to use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sence as we now take it that it will be plain violence to imagine that it is Christ that was meant by it And for Popery there is no such matter of danger in using a word Metaphorically Otherwise we we must make the Ancients commonly to be friends to Popery for they ordinarily call the Lords Table and the place where it stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I say The Table and the Sacrarium or place of its standing for this seems plainly the meaning of Ignatius so saith Bishop Vsher Annot. in loc ubi sup Altare apud Patres mensam Dominicam passim denotat apud Ignatium Polycarpum Sacrarium quoque So H. Stephens Altarium Sacrarium See what Learned Mr. Thorndike himself in his Right of the Church c. page 116. saith to this purpose more largely where concerning Ignatius his use of the same word to the Ephesians he saith Where it is manifest that the Church is called a Sanctuary or place of sacrificing Mr. Mead in his Discourse of the name Altar page 14. sheweth that Ignatius by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 means the Lords Table and takes Videlius his concession as of a thing that could not be denyed In the Epistle of Ignatius or whoever else to Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna he saith Crebrius celebrantur conventus Synodique Nominatim omnes inquire Servos ancillas ne fastidias as Vairlenius translateth or as Bishop Vshers old Translation Saepe Congregationes fiâ—nt Ex nomine omnes quaere Servos ancillas ne despicias Whether this were Ignatius or not all 's one to me as long as I use it but historically to prove the matter of fact in those times But surely no man should marvail if I hence gather that great Polycarp was Bishop but of one Congregation when he must enquire or take notice of every one of his Congregation by name even as much as servants and maids I would every Parish Minister were so exactly acquainted with his flock Another passage there is in Ignatius to the same purpose Epist. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Omnes adunati ad Templum Dei concurrite sicut ad unum Altare sicut ad unum Iesum Christum as the vulgar translation Or as Vairlâ—nius Omnes velut unus quispiam in templum Dei concurriâ—â— velut ad utum Alnare ad unum Iesum Christum So the old Latine in Vsher to the same purpose And in the words before going he bids them Come all to one place for prayer Here is no room for Bishop Downams conceit that its Christ that 's meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they are plainly put as distinct things as if he should say come all to one Altar as to one Christ. i. e because it is but one Christ that is there to be partaked of All this doth so evidently prove that in those dayes a Bishop with his Presbytery and Deacons had but one Congregation meeting at one Altar for Church Communion in the Eucharist that it caused Mr. Mead in his Discourse of Churches pag. 48 49 50. Cent. 2. to say as followeth having cited these words of Ignatius Loe here a Temple with an Altar in it whether the Magnesians are exhorted to gather themselves together to pray To come together in one place c. For it is to be observed that in these Primitive times they had but one Altar in a Church as a Symbole both that they worshipped but one God through one Mediator Iesus Christ and also of the Vnity the Church ought to have in it self Whence Ignatius not only here but also in his Epistle to the Philadelphians urgeth the unity of the Altar for a motive to the Congregation to agree together in one For unum Altare saiâ—h he omni Ecclesiae unus Episcopus cum Presbyterio Diaconis conservis meis This custome of one Altar is still retained by the Greek Church The contrary use is a transgression of the Latines not only Symbolically implying but really introducing a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nay more then this it should seem that in those first times before Diocesses were divided into those lesser and subâ—rdinate Churches we caâ—l now Parishes and Presbyters assigned to them they had not only one Altar in one Church or Dominicum but one Altar to a Church taking Church for the company or Corporation of the faithfull united under one Bishop or Pastor and that was in the City or place where the Bishop had his See and Residence like as the Iews had but one Altar and Tempâ—e for the whole Nation united under one high Priest And yet as the Iews had their Synagogues so perhaps might they have more
a Power to be a servant to all and to do the work And therefore that the first Question is Whether the great burden and labour of Ministerial service may be laid on any man without Ordination by such as our English Prelates Or whether all men are discharged from this labour and service on whom such Prelates do not Impose it If Magistrates Presbyters and People conspire to call an able man to the work and service of the Lord whether he be justified for refusing it what ever the Church suffer by it meerly because the Prelates called him not Sect. 24. Though the forementioned works do all belong to the Office of the Ministry yet there must be Opportunity and a particular Call to the exercise of them before a man is actually obliged to perform the several acts And therefore it was not without sence and reason that in Ordination the Bishop said to the Ordained Take thou authority to Read or to preach the word of God when thou shalt be threunto lawfully called Not that another call of Authority is necessary to state them in the office or to oblige them to the Duty in General But we must in the invitation of people or their consent to hear us or other such advantagious accidents prudently discern when and where we have a Call to speak and exercise any act of our Ministry Even as a Licensed Physitian must have a particular Call by his Patients before he exercise his skill This call to a particular act is nothing else but an intimation or signification of the will of God that hic nunc we should perform such a work which is done by Providence causing a concurrence of such inviting Circumstances that may perswade a prudent man that it is seasonable Sect. 25. A man that is in general thus obliged by his office to do all the formentioned works of the Ministry that is when he hath a particular call to each may yet in particular never be obliged to some of these works but may be called to spend his life in some other part of the Ministry and yet be a compleat Minister and have the obligation and Power to all upon supposition of a particular Call and not be guilty of negligence in omitting those other parts One man man may live only among Infidels and uncalled ones and so be obliged only to Preach the Gospell to them in order to Conversion and may die before he sees any ready to be baptized Anoâ—her may be taken up in Preaching and Baptizing and Congregating the Converted and never be called to Pastoral Rule of a particular Church Another may live in a Congregated Church where there is no use for the Discipling-Converting-Preaching of the Gospel and so may have nothing to do but to Oversee that particular Church and Guide them in holy Worship And in the same Church if one Ministers parts are more for Publick preaching and anothers more for Private instruction and acts of Guidance and Worship if one be best in expounding and another in lively application tâ—ey may lawfully and â—itly divide the work between them and it shall not be imputed to them for unfaithfulnss and negligence that one forbeareâ—h what the other doth For we have our guifts to the Churches edification Thus Paul saith he was not sent to Baptize but to Preach the Goâ—pel Not that it was not in his Commission and a work of his office but quoad exercitium he had seldome a second particular Call to exercise it being taken up with that Preaching of the Gospel and settling and confirming Churches which to him was a greater work Sect. 26. This Ministry before desâ—râ—bed whether you call it Episcopatum Sacerdotium Presbyteratum or what else is fit is but one and the same Order for Deacons are not the Ministers defined by us It is not distinguished into various Species Even the Patrons of Prelacy yea the Schoolmen and other Papists themselves do ordinarily confess that a Prelate and Presbyter differ not Ordine but only Gradu So that it is not another office that they ascribe to Prelates but only a more eminent Degree in the same Office And therefore they themselves affirm that in Officio the Power of Ordination is in both alike the office being the same But that for the honour of the Degree of Prelacy for the unity of the Church Presbyters are hindered from the Exercise of that Ordination which yet is in their Power and Office Sect. 27. As far as Ordination is a part of the Ministerial Work it is comprised in the forementioned acts of Congregating Teaching Ruling c. and therefore is not left out of the Definition as it is a duty of the office though it be not expâ—essed among the Efficient causes for the reason above mentioned and because I am now more distinctly to treat of it by it self and to give you fuâ—ther reasons hereof in the explication of the Nature and Ends of this Ordination CHAP. II. Of the Nature and Ends of Ordination Sect 1. THat we may know how far the Ordination in question is necessary to the Ministry and whether the want of it prove a Nullity we must first enquire what goes to the laying of the Foundation of this Relation and how many things concur in the efficiency and among the rest what it is that the Ordainers have to do as their proper part and what are the reasons of their Power and Work Sect. 2. As all that deserve the name of men are agreed that there is no Power in the world but from God the Absolute Soveraign and first Cause of Power so all that deserve the name of Christians are agreed that there is no Church Power but what is from Christ the head and Soveraign King of the Church Sect. 3. As the will of God is the Cause of all things And no thing but the Signification of it is necessary to the conveying of meer Rights So in the making a man a Minister of the Gopel there needeth no other principal efficient cause then the Will of Jesus Christ nor any other Instrumental Efficient but what is of use to the signifying of his Will So that it is but in the nature of signs that they are Necessary No more therefore is of Absolute Necessity but what is so necessary to signifie his will If Christs will may be signified without Ordination a man may be a Minister without it Though in other respects he may be culpable in his entrance by crossing the will of Christ concerning his duty in the manner of his proceedings Sect. 4. There is considerable in the Ministry 1. Beneficium 2. Officium 1. The Gospel pardon salvation-Ordinances are those great Benefits to the sons of men which the Ministery is to be a means of conveying to them And is it self a Benefit as it is the means of these Benefits In this respect the Ministry is a Gift of Christ to the Church and his Donation is the necessary act for their
not so much as a ground to conjecture at any probability Sect. 20. But he saith that we may know that some Pastors at least are true or else God had forsaken his Church Aâ—sw But what the better are we for this if we know not which they are that are the true Pastors nor cannot possibly come to know it Sect 21. But he saith that Quod Christi locum tenent quod debemus illiâ— obedientiam may be known and thereupon he saith thaâ— Certe sumus certitudiâ—â— infallibili quod isti quos videmus sine veri Episcopi Pastores nostri Nam ad hoc non râ—quiritur nec fides nec Character Ordinis nec legitima Electio sed solum ut habeantur pro talibus ab Ecclesia From all this you may note 1. That they are veri Episcopi Pastores nostri that were never ordained if they are but reputed such by the Church 2. That we may know this by infallible Certainty 3. And that we owe them obedience as such So that as to the Church they are true Pastors without Ordination and consequenâ—ly to the Church a succession is unnecessary Sect. 22. Yet of such Usurpers he saith Eos quidem non esse in se veros Episcopos tamen donec pro talibus habentur ab Ecclesia deberi illis obedientiam cum conscientia etiam erroâ—â—a obliget So that they are not veri Episcopi in se and yet they are veri Episcopi Pastores nostri if Bellarmine say true And the words have some truth in them understood according to the distinction which I before gave Chap. 1. Sect. 5 6. He hath no such Call as will save himself from the penalty oâ— usurpation if he knowingly be an usurper but he hath such a Call as shall oblige the Church to obey him as their Bishop or Pastor Sect. 23 But his reason Cum conscientia etiam erronea obliget is a deceit and neither the only nor the chieâ— reason noâ— any reason Not the only nor chief reason because the obligation ariseth from God and that is the greatest Not any reason 1. Because indeed it is not an Erroneous Conscience that tells many people that their usurping Bishops or Pastors are to be obeyed as true Ministers For as it is terminated on the Pastors act or state it is no act of Conscience at all and therefore no error of conscience For conscience is the knowledge of our own affairs And as it is terminated on our own Duty of obeying them it is not Erroneous but right For it is the will of God that for order sake we obey both Magistrates and Pastors that are setled in Possâ—ssion if they rule us according to the Laws of Christ at least if we do not know the Nullity oâ— their call 2. And its false that an Erroneous Conscience bindeth that is makes us a Duty For at the same instant it is it self â— sin and we are bound to depose it and change 〈◊〉 and renounce the eâ—ror It doth but intangle a man in a Necessity of sinning till it be laid by But it is God only that can make our duty and cause such an obligation Sect. 24. From the adversaries Concessions then an uninterrupted succession or present true Ordination is not of Necessity to the being of the Ministry Church or Ordinances quoad Ecclesiam for the Church is bound to obey the usurpers and that as long as they are taken for true Pastors Which is as much as most Churches will desire in the case Sect. 25. And the consequence is easily proved For where God obligeth his Churches to the obedience of Pastors though usurpers and to the use of Ordinances and their Ministration there will he bless the Ministry and those Ordinances to the innocents that are not guilty of his usurpation and that obey God herein And consequently the Ordinances shall not be Nullities to them God would never set his servants upon the use of a means which is but a Nullity nor will he command them to a duty which he will blast to them when he hath done without their fault It s none of the Churches fault that the Bishop or Pastor is an usurper whâ—le they cannot know it and that any of his Predecessors were usurpers since the Apostles dayes And therefore where God imposeth duty on the Church and prescribeth means as Baptism Prayer the Lords Supper Church-Government c. it is certain that he will not blast it but bless it to 〈◊〉 obedient nor punish the Church so for the secret sin of I know not who committed I know not where nor when perhaps a thousand years ago Sect. 26. Argument 6. As other actions of usurpers are not Nullities to the innocent Church so neither is their Ordinanation and consequently those that are Ordained by usurpers may be true Ministers If their Baptizing Preaching Praises Consecration and administration of the Eucharist binding and loosing be not Nullities it follows undenyably on the same account that their Ordinations are not Nullities and consequently that they are true Ministers whom they ordain and succession of a more regular Ordination is not of Necessity to the Ministry Church or Ordinances Sect. 27. Argument 7. If such uninterrupted succession be not Necessary to be Known then is it not Necessary to the Being of the Ministry or Validity of Ordinances administred But such a succession is not Necessary to be known therefore The Consequence of the Major is plain because the Being or Nullity of Office and administrations had never been treated off by God to men nor had it been revealed or a thing regardable but that we may know it Nor doth it otherwise attain its ends And that it is not necessary to be known I further prove Sect. 28. If this succession must be known then either to the Pastor or to the Church or both but none of these therefore 1. If it must be known only to the Pastor then it is not Necessary as to the Church And yet it is not Necessary to be known to the Pastor himself neither For as is shewed its impossible for him to know it so much as by a Moral Certainty His Predecessors and their Ordinations were strange to him 2. Not to the Church For it is not possible for them to know it Nor likely that they should know as much as the true Ordination of their present Pastor according to the Prelatical way when it is done so far out of their sight Sect. 29. If the foresaid uninterrupted succession be necessary to the being of our Ministry or Churches or Ordinances then is it incumbent on all that will prove the truth of their Ministery Churches or Ordinances to prove the said succession But that is not true for then none as is aforesaid could prove any of them Either it is meet that we be able to Prove the truth of our Ministry Churches and administrations or not If not then why do the adversaries call us to it If yea then no man
If the Ordination of Papist Bishops be valid much more is the Ordination of English Preâ—byters so but the Antecedent is true in the judgement of those against whom we dispute therefore the Consequent must be granted by them on that supposition Sect. 33. The reason of the Consequence is because the Popish Bishops are more unlike to the Scripture Bishops and more uâ—capable of ordaining then the Presbyters of the Reformed Churches are For 1. The Papist Prelates profess to receive their Power from a Vice-christ at least quoad exercitium media conserendi which Protestant Presbyters do not 2. The Papist Bishops profess themselves Pastors of a new Catholick Church which is headed by the Papacy as an essential part and which Christ will not own as such But so do not the Protestant Presbyters 3. The Papist Prelates Ordain men to the false Office of turning Bread into the Body of Christ by the way of Transubstantiation in their Consecration and offering it as a Sacrifice for the quick and dead and delivering this as the very Body of Christ and not Bread to the Communicants and perswading them that it is such and holding and carrying it to be Worshipped by them with Divine Worship and the like But the Protestant Presbyters are Ordained and do Ordain others to that true Office of a Presbyter or Pastor or Bishop which Christ hath instituted 4. The Papist Prelates have abundance of false doctrines and practices in Worship which the Protestant Presbyters have not 5. And they have no more to shew for a Power of Ordination then our Presbyters have so that these with many the like considerations will prove that if the Papists Ordination be Valid that of the Protestant Churches by Presbyters is so much more And doubtless they that plead for a succession from the Papist Prelates do hold their Ordination Valid Sect. 34. Argument 13. If the Protestant Churches that have no Prelates be true Churches in a Political sense and the Ordinances among them valid and to be owned and received then are the Pastors of those Churches true Pastors though they have no Ordination but by Presbyters But the Antecedent is true therefore so is the Consequent The reason of the Consequence is clear and granted by them that we have now to do with Because the Pastors are essential to the Church as Political and the said Ordinances of Publike worship as the Lords Supper and Government cannot be allowable without them nor such as the people should submit to or receive This therefore we may take as granted Sect. 35. And for the Minor that the Protestant Churches are true Churches that have no Prelates 1. There are so few of them that have Prelates that he that will unchurch all the rest I suppose when he playes his game above board would take it for an injury to be accounted a Protestant himself 2. If the Churches of the West called Papists and the Churches of Africa Asia and America be true Churches of Christ and have true administrations then much more confidently may we affirm that the Protestants are so too But the Antecedent is maintained by those that we now dispute against excepting the Papists who yet maintain it as of their own Church therefore c. Sect. 36. The reason of the Consequence is because the Papists Greeks Armenians Georgians Syrians Aegyptians Abasines c. have much more to be said against them then we have And if the lesser or supposed imperfection of the Protestant Churches do unchurch them for wanting Prelates then the many great and real defects of the other Churches will unchurch them much more Especially this holds as to the Church of Rome which yet is taken by the Dissenters to be a true Church and by some of them at least denyed to be the seat of Antichrist Their Vicechrist and usurping head and all the Ministry that hold by him afford us other kind of Arguments against their Church then want of Prelates can afford them or others against our Churches Sect 37. And if any will deny the Antecedent so far as to unchurch all the Churches in the world that are more defective then the Protestants he will blot out of his Creed the Article of the Catholick Church and being a Seeker or next one to day is like to be an Infidel ere long as I shall further shew when I speak of the sinfulness of such Sect. 38. Argument 14. If the Administrations of a Usurping Presbyter to an innocent people are Valid and not Nullities then the Ordination of an Usurping Ordainer to an Innocent expectant is Valid and consequently the Ordination of Presbyters is Valid if they were Usurpers as they are unjustly said to be But the administrations of usurping Presbyters to an Innocent people are Valid therefore c. Sect. 39. The Antecedent is granted by Bellarmine himself in the place before cited who saith that no more is required to oblige the people to obey him and submit then that he be reputed a Pastor And all must say so 1. That will not rob the Innocent of the Benefit of Gods Ordinances because of an usurpers fault 2. And that will not leave the people almost commonly in an utter uncertainty whom they should take for a Pastor and obey and when the Ordinances are Valid for their good Sect. 40. The Consequence is made good by the Parity of Reason that is in the two cases If usurpation cause not a Nullity invalidity or unprofitableness in one case to the innocent receiver no nor make it his sin to receive no more will it in the other For there is no Reason for any such difference Nay iâ— it be a duty to submit to an unknown usurper in several cases in receiving the Sacraments hearing praying c. so is it a duty in such cases to receive Ordination Sect. 41. Object But the usurping Presbyter doth nothing but what belongeth to the office of a Presbyter but the usurping Ordainer doth that which belongs not to the office of a Presbyter and therefore his action is a Nullity as being extra proprium forum Sect. 42. Answ. 1. It is proved before to belong to the office of a Presbyter to Ordain 2. But suppose it were not yet the objection is vain because it is the office of a Bishop that the Ordaining Presbyter doth pretend to and which you imagine that he doth usurp They say that subject Presbyters quoad ordinem vel Officium are no creatures of Gods appointment and therefore they renounce that Office and claim that office which you call Episcopacy and hath the Power of Ordination The quarrel between us is not about meer Bishops such as Dr. H. H. describeth as aforesaid These are not denyed but the Parish Ministers profess themselves such Bishops But it is about the other sort of Presbyters subject to Bishops that the quarrel is For they say that the Church should have none such and Dr. H. H. saith there is no Evidence that any such
great reluctancy obey my Conscience in the performance of this task but my intent is if it be the will of God to give success so far to these endeavours 1. To humble them for their great and hainous sin and save them from it 2. And to save the Church from the divisions and disturbances that is already caused by them and their opinion 3. However to discharge my Conscience and tell them plainly what frightneth me from their way Sect. 2. And 1. It seems to me upon the grounds before expressed that those men that would Nullifie all the Protestant Ministry Churches and administrations that have not Prelates are guilty of schism and are plain Separatists They depart from truly Catholick principles That man hath not the just Principles and Spirit of a Catholick that can on such a pretence as this degrade or nullifie so many Learned Godly Ministers and unchurch so many excellent Churches of Christ they make a plain Schism and separate from us on as weak grounds as the ancient Separatists did whom yet they account an odious generation And the writings of Paget Ball Bradshaw Hildersham Bernard and the rest that defend our Ministry and Churches against the old Separatists will serve in the main to defend them against these new ones which therefore I refer the Reader to peruse Many of the same Arguments are as forcible against this adversary Sect. 3. 2. And by this means they condemn themselves that have spoken so much against the Separatists calling them Brownists Schismaticks and the like and now take up the cause in the name that in them they so condemned Will they turn Schismaticks that have spoken against Schismaticks so much Sect. 4. 3. By this means also they exceedingly wrong the Lord Jesus Christ by seeking to rob him of his inheritance by telling him that his Churches are none of his Churches and his Ministers are none of his Ministers and his Ordinances are not his Ordinances indeed Let them first prove that Christ hath renounced these Ministers or unchurched or denied these Churches or given them a bill of divorce and then let them speak their pleasure But till then they were best take heed what they do lest they have not the thanks from Christ which they expect Sect. 5. 4. They go against the plain commands of Christ and examples of his servants Christ himself bid concerning such as cast out Devils in his name but followed him not Forbid him not for there is no man that shall do a Miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me for he that is not against us is on our part Mark 9.37 38 39. He liked not their humour that would have the substance of so good a work forbidden for want of a due circumstance mode or accident He commandeth us to Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send Labourers into his Harvest because the Harvest is great and the Labourers are few And these men would have multitudes of Labourers thrust out in the Necessity of the Churches Paul rejoyced that Christ was Preached even by them that did it in strife and envy thinking to add affliction to his bonds But these men would silence them that preach in sincere compassion of mens souls Moses would not forbid Edlad and Medad prophecying but wisht that all the Lords people were Prophets While men do good and not harm or more good then harm in the Church I should see very good grounds yea and Necessity for it before I should silence them or be guilty of silencing them Sect. 6. 5. They manifest a great deal of selfishness and pride that dare thus consent to the injury of Christ and the Church and souls of men because they may not bear that Rule which is according to their principles and spirits Self-denial would do much to cure this Sect. 7. 6. And yet they do as self-seekers commonly do even seek after misery and destruction to themselves While they look its like at the honour and forget the work they plead for such a load and burden as is enough to break the backs of many even for the doing of a work that is so far beyond their strength that its a meer impossiblity How can one man do the works which Scripture layeth on a Bishop for a hundred or two hundred Churches and for thousands that he never sees or hears of Sect. 8. 7. And above all I admire how the heart of a considerate Christian can be guilty of so great cruelty to the souls of men as these men would be if they had their will in the practice of their principles What if all the Churches that have no Prelates were unchurched the Ministers cast out as no true Ministers or the people all prevailed with to forsake them what would be done for the thousands of the poor ignorant careless souls that are among us when all that all of us can do is too little what would be done if so many and such were laid aside How many thousands were like to be damned for want of the means that according to the ordinary way of God might have procured their conversion and Salvation Sect. 9. If they say that others as good as they should possess the places I answer they speak not to men of another world but to their neighbours that well know that there are few to be had of tolerable worth to possess one place of very many if all that they oppose were cast out or forsaken Do we not know who and what men they are that you have to supply the room with Sect. 10. If they say that more obedient men would soon spring up or many of these would change their minds if they were forced to it I answer 1. So many would be unchanged as would be a greater loss to the Church if it were deprived of them then ever Prelacy was like to repair 2. And what should become of poor souls the while your young ones are a training up 3. And in all ages after the Church must lose all those that should dissent from your opinion Sect. 11. If you say that It is not your desire to silence all these Preachers that you disown I answer How can that stand with your doctrine or your practice Your Doctrine is that they are Lay-men and no true Ministers nor to be heard and submitted to as Ministers nor Sacraments to be received from them And would you not have them then cast out 2. Your practice is to disswade the people especially the Gentry that are neer you to separate and disown them accordingly and it is done in many places And would you not cast them out whom you would have forsaken Sect. 12. If you say It is your desire that they should forsake their error and obey you and so be continued and not cast out I answer 1. But that is not in your power to accomplish nor have you reason to expect it They are willing to know the mind of God as well as
so deeply as now men are there should any healing remedy be propounded that should not have abundance of opposers Most men are prejudiced and affected at their Education or opportunities or parties or several interest sway them And therefore I expect that most should reject all that I say and some of them with much reproach and scorn Our disease were not so great and dangerous if it could but endure the remedy But let us consider some of their Objections § 2. Object 1. The unpeaceable men of the Prelatical way will say This is but to turn a Bishop into a Parish-Priest and to make him the Ruler of a Parish and a Curate or two and in many places of no Ministers at all A fair Promotion It seems you would leave them but a name and shadow and make them to be contemptible § 3. Answ. 1. Remember that I grant you also the Presidency of Associations c. which you may call an Archbishoprick if you please 2. Is it honour that you contend for or labour and service to the Church If honour you must get it by being the servants of others and not by being Lords of the Clergy or heritage of God If you are seeking honour of men and founding officeâ— in the Church by such directors as ambition you are not the men that we can hope for Peace or Holiness from and therefore can have little treaty with you but to lay by your wickedness But if it be service that you contend for in order to the Churches good try first whether a Parish will not find you work enough I have tried it and find that if I were ten men I could find as much as I am able to do in this one Parish Though I do as much as I am well able night and day and have so many helpers yet it is so great a trouble to me that my work and charge is quite too great for me that I have been often tempted to desert it and go to a smaller place And nothing stayes me but this consideration that God requireth no more then I can do and that its better do what I can then nothing and that if I leave them the next is like to do no more Could I but speak with each man in my Parish by personal Instruction once a moneth or once a quarter or half year it would put me into high expectations of making a very great change among them by this means But when I am not able to speak to them past once a year or two years I must needs fear lest the force of former words will be lost before I come again And yet must you needs have more work and service and more souls to answer for To deal plainly and faithfully with you Brethren impartial standers by conceive that its time for you rather to be more diligent in a smaller charge and to lament your negligence in your Parishes and publickly to bewail that you have by your idleness betrayed so many souls letting them alone in their ignorance and ungodliness and commonly doing little in your charges but what you do at Church in publick Overseers think that most of you are fitter for smaller charges rather then for greater I doubt this will offend many But you were better use it to your Repentance and Reformation then your offence § 4. And 3. I pray you consider how your Passion and partiality maketh you contradict your selves Do you not use to 〈…〉 the Presbyters that they would all be Bishops and they would have a Bishop in every Parish and so are against Bishops that they may be Bishops themselves And what is a Parish Bishoprick so great a prize for our Ambition and yet is it so contemptible to yours Are we proud for seeking to be Parish Bishops and do you take it as an empty name or shadow At least then confess hereafter that your Pride is so much greater then ours that the Mark of our Ambition is taken by you to be a low dishonourable state § 5. And 4. I would intreat you impartially to try whether the Primitive Apostolick Episcopacy fixed in particular Churches were not a Parochial Episcopacy Try whether I have not proved it before And if it were will you pretend to antiquity and Apostolick institution and yet despise the primitive simplicity and that which you confess was settled by the Apostles Let the Eldest carry it without any more ado § 6. And 5. At least say no more that you are for Episcopacy and we against it when we are for Episcopacy as well as you It is only your transcendent or exorbitant sort of Episcopacy that we are against Say not still that we have no Power of Ordination because we are not Bishops but because we are only Bishops of one Church Put the controversie truly as it is Whether it be lawful for the Bishop of one Church with his Prebytery to Ordain Yea or whether many such Associated may Ordain Or rather whether it be tyed to the Bishop of many Churches as you would have it that is Whether Ordination belong to Archbishops only Is not this the controversie § 7. And then 6. Why do you in your Definitions of Episcopacy which you very seldom and sparingly give us require no more then a Parochial Episcopacy and yet now despise it as if it were no Episcopacy at all Tell us plainly what you mean by a Bishop I thought you meant a Primus Presbyterorum or at least a Ruler of People and Presbyters And is not this to be found in a Parish Bishop as well as in a Bishop of many Parishes or Churches Change your Definition from this day forward if you must have a change of the thing defined as it seems you must § 8. And I wouâ—d know whether you can prove that it is Essential to a Bishop to have more Churches or Parishes then one Prove it if you are able Was not great Gregory of Naocesarea a Bishop with his seventeen souls And was not Alexander the Colliar whom he Ordained at Comana a Bishop though but of a small Assembly Do not some of you confess that Bishops in Scripture-times had no subject Presbyters and consequently had but a single Congregation If then a Parish or Congregational Bishop were a true Bishop why may he not be so still § 9. Object 2. But the Church under Christian Princes should not be conformed to the model of the Church under persecution Shall Bishops have no more power and honour now then they had then We see in Constantines dayes a change was made Must they be tyed to a Parish now because they were Bishops only of a Parish in Scripture-times § 10. Answ. 1. We would not have them persecuted now as they were then nor yet to want any due encouragement or assistance that a Christian Magistrate can afford them But yet we would have Gods Word to be our Rule and Bishops to be the same things now as then and we would
the Pastors prayer which they must pray over with him and not only hear it is a stinted form to them even as much as if he had learnt it out of a Book They are to follow him in his method and words as if it were a Book prayer Argum. 7. It is lawful to use a form in Preaching therefore a stinted Liturgy is lawful 1. Because preaching is a part of that Liturgy 2. Because the reason is the same for prayer as for that in the main Now that studyed formed Sermons are lawful is so commonly granted that it shall save me the labour of proving it which were easie Argum. 8. That which hath been the practice of the Church in Scripture times and down to this day and is yet the practice of almost all the Churches of Christ on earth is not like to be unlawful buâ— such is the use of some stinted forms of publick service therefore c. That it was so in the Jews Church and approved by Christ I have shewed That it hath been of antient use in the Church since Christ and is at this day in use in Africk Asia Europe even among the Reformed Churches in France Holland Geneva c. is so well known that I think I need not stand to prove it yea those few that seem to disuse it do yet use it in Psalms and other parts of worship of which more anon Prop. 2. A Stinted Liturgy in some parts of publick holy service is ordinarily necessary This Proposition is to be proved by instances and the proof of the parts The parts where a set form is usually necessary I shall enumerate desiring you by the way to understand 1. That I speak not of an Absolute Necessity ad finem as if no other could be accepted but a Necessity of Duty it ought to be done as the best way 2. That I say but ordinarily as excepting some unusual cases 1. The Communication or revealation of the will of God to the Church by Reading of the Holy Scriptures is part of the publick service of God As Moses and the Prophets were read every Sabbath day so by parity of reason should the Gospel and Paul required the publick reading of his Epistles Act. 13.27 15.21 2 Cor. 3.15 Luk. 16.29 Col. 4.16 1 Thes. 5.27 Rev. 1.3 But this Reading of the Scriptures is the using of a set form in publike service For they are the same words that we read from day to day and usually Must read 2. The Publick Praysing of God by singing of Palms is a part of publick worship and a most excellent part not usually to be omitted But this part of worship is ordinarily to be used in a stinted form because the gift of composing Psalms ex tempore without a prepared form is not usual in the Church and if it were so to one it is not to the rest that must use this worship Had we not stinted forms of Psalms we should have ill-favoured work in the Church 3. Baptisme is usually to be administred in a form of words for Christ hath prescribed us a form Matth. 28.19 Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost I think few sober men will think it ordinarily meet to disuse this form 4. The use of a form in the Consecration and Administration of the Lords Supper though not through the whole action is ordinarily most fit for Christ hath left us a form of words Take ye Eat ye c. which are most exact and safe and none can mend And Paul reciteth his form 1 Cor. 11. And small alterations in the very words of Baptisme or Delivering the Lords Supper may easily corrupt the Ordinance in time 5. The very Sacramental Elements and Actions are stinted forms of Administration which none may alter As the washing with water the breaking of bread and powring out of wine and giving them and taking them and eating and drinking c. These are real forms not to be changed at least without Necessity if at all 6. The Blessing of the people in the Name of the Lord was done by a prescribed form of old Num. 6.23 and is usually to be done in a form still For in all these forementioned parts of worship should we still use new expressions when so few and pertinent must be used we should be put to disuse the fittest and use such as are less fit 7. In our ordinary Preaching a form not imposed unless in cases of great Necessity and unfitness but of our own premeditating is usually fittest I think few men are so weak as to prefer with most preachers unprepared Sermons before those that have more of their care and study And then at least the Text Method and somewhat of the words must be premeditated if not all 8. Ordinarily there should be somewhat of a form in Publick Confessions of the Churches faith For how else shall all concur And it is a tender point to admit of great or frequent mutations in so that in Baptisme and at other seasons when the Christian faith is to be openly professed by one or more or all a form that is exact is usually meet to be retained though in many personal Cases explicatory enlargements may do well 9. If there be not a frequent use of many of the same words and so somewhat of a form in Marriage Confirmation Absolution Excommunication the danger will be more then the benefit by mutation will be 10. And with some Ministers of whom anon even in Prayer especially about the Sacraments where there must be great exactness and the matter ordinarily if not alwayes the same the ordinary use of a form may be the best and fittest way In the most of these Cases 1. The Nature of the thing sufficiently proves the ordinary fitness of a form 2. The constant Practice of almost all Churches if not all is for it even they that scruple forms of Prayer use constantly forms of Praise of Reading of Sacraments c. 3. The rest are proved fittest as aforesaid by the Apostles generall Rules 1 Cor. 14.26 40. Let all things be done to Edifying and Let all things be done decently and in order Now in the cases before mentioned the Edification of the Church to say nothing of Order requireth the ordinary use of forms Prop. 3. IN those parts of publick worship where a form is not of ordinary necessity but only Lawfull yet may it not only be submitted to but desired when the Peace of the Church doth accidentally require it This Proposition needs no proof but only explication For he is far from the temper of a Christian that sets so light by the Peace of the Church that he would not use a Lawfull means for the procurement of it when Paul would become all things to all men to save some and would eat no flesh while he lived rather then offend his weak brother But here you must take these cautions lest
not indifferent All the words that you can use will not satisfie them that it is indifferent if you use it not Indifferently We see by experience the power of custome with the vulgar But you will say What if they do overvalue it as necessary what danger is in that I answer very much 1. They will offer God a blind kind of service while they place his worship in that which is no part of worship as forms are not as such but an indifferent circumstance 2. They will be hereby induced to uncharitable censures of other Churches or persons that think otherwise or disuse those customs 3. They will be strongly induced to rebell against their Magistrates and Pastors if they shall judge it meet to change those customs 4. They will turn that stream of their zeal for these indifferent things that should be laid out on the matters of Necessity and perhaps in vain will they worship God by an outside hypocriticall worship while they thus take up with mens Traditions 5. They will forsake Gods own Ordinances when they cannot have them cloathed with their desired mode All this we see in our dayes at home The most ignorant and ungodly do by hundreds and thousands reject Church discipline and Sacraments and many of them the Prayers and Assemblies themselves because they have not the Common Prayer or because the Churches kneel not at the Lords Supper in the act of Receiving and such like So that it is a grievous plague to our peoples souls to be led into these mistakes and to think that Circumstances and things indifferent are matters of Necessity And yet on the other side lest the constant disuse of all convenient forms should lead the people into the contrary extream to think them all unlawfull and so to be guilty of the like uncharitable censures and evils as aforesaid I think it safest that the ablest men should sometime use them And this Indifferent use of them will lead the people to indifferent thoughts of them and so they will not provoke God by blind worship nor be so ready to fly in the faces of their Ministers when they cross them herein as now they are For example what a stir have we if men may not kneel at the Sacrament or if the dead in case of Ministers absence or other hinderance have not somewhat said over them at the grave and in some places if Ministers go not in procession in Rogation week and many such like customs If these were sometime used in a good and lawfull way it would keep men from mistaking them to be unlawfull and if they were sometime disused people would not take them as things necessary nor so hate and reproach both Ministers and brethren that neglect them or do not alwayes humour them herein yea or that were against them nor would men separate on these accounts Reas. 2. The constant use of Forms of Prayer depriveth people of their Ministers gifts and potently tendeth to work the people into a dull formality and to a meer outside heartless kâ—nd of service Which is as great an enemy to serious Devotion and consequently to mens salvation as almost any thing that 's to be found among professed Christians in the Church How dangerously and obstinately do such delude themselves and think that they are as uprightly religious as the best and so refuse all the humbling convincing light that should bring them to a change and blindly misapply the promises to themselves and go on in meer presumption to the last and all because they thus draw neer to God with their lips and say over a form of words when their hearts are far from him and they know not or observe not what they say And that constancy in Forms doth potently tend to this dead formality we need no other proof then experience How hard doth the best man find it to keep up life and seriousness in the constant hearing or speaking of the same words If you say that it is our fault I grant it but it is an uncurable fault while we are in the flesh or at least its few that ever are very much cured of it and non wholly There 's much also in nature it self to cause this A man that delighteth in Musick is weary of it if he have constantly the same instrument and tune or at least cannot possibly have that delight that Variety would afford him So is it in recreations and oft in dyet and other things Novelty affecteth Variety pleaseth Commonness dulleth us And though we must not therefore have a New God or a New Christ or a New Gospel the fulness of these affordeth the soul a daily variety and also their perfect goodness is such as leaves no need of a variety in kind yet is it meet that Ministers should have a gratefull variety of Manner to keep up delight and desire in their people A sick stomack cannot take still the same Physick nor the same dish I know that an ancient prudent man especially the Learned Pastor himself that better comprehendeth what a form of words contains can make a much better use of forms then younger Christians can do But I think with all I am sure with the generality to whom we must have respect a constant form is a certain way to bring the Soul to a cold insensible formal worship And on the other side if a form be Constantly disused and people have noâ— sometimes a recitall of the same again and again it may tend to breed a childish levity and giddyness in Religion as if it were not the matter but meer Novelty and variety that did please And so it may also easily make Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with conceits that they delight in God and in his word when it is but in these novelties and varieties of expression that they are tickled and delighted and their itching ears being pleased they think it proves a work of saving grace on the heart And therefore to fix Christians and make them sound that they grow not wanton in Religion and be not as children carryed up and down with variety of doctrineâ— or of modes I think it would be useful to have a moderate seasonable use of some forms as to the manner as well as often to inculcate the same matter Avoiding still that constancy that tends to dull their appetites and make them weary or formal in the work Reas. 3. The constant use of a stinted Liturgy or form of Prayer doth much tend to the remisness and negligence of the Ministry When they know that the duty requireth no exercise of their invention and that before the Church they may as well perform it with an unprepared as with a prepared mind it will strongly tempt them and prevail too commonly to neglect the stirring up of their gifts and the preparing of their minds When they know that before men they may in Reading a Prayer come off as well without any regard to their hearts as with
the greatest seriousness of devotion we must expect that most should do accordingly For we see that Ministers are men and too many are carryed as well as others with the stream of temptation But those Prayers and other duties that depend upon their parts require preparation or at least some present care and diligence for the awakening of their hearts and excitation of their faculties Reas. 4. But the principal danger of a constant use of prescribed forms is lest it should let in an unworthy Ministry into the Church For though I had rather have as weak Ministers as I before described then none yet it will be very dangerous when such are tolerated because of Necessity lest the negligeâ—ce of Ordainers and Approvers will take advantage of this and pretend necessity where there is none or hearken to them that come with such pretences and so undo the Church by an ignorant insufficient Ministry so hard is it for men to avoid one extream without running into another Now the utter prohibition of stinted forms will prevent this but not without an evil on the other side And therefore to avoid the evils on both sides me thinks it would be best to let such forms be used but unconstantly unless by men that will lie under the dishonour of being able to do no better And that dishonor will hinder men from resting in them and the frequent exercise of other mens gifts will awaken them to their duty and the necessity of it will as well keep out insufficient men as if there were no form at all For an insufficient man can no more perform the work once a day without a form then twice a day I shall add no more Reasons because they that write against forms of Prayer though they run too far have said enough of the inconveniences The motion that I make being for a voluntary and an unconstant use of them I must expect to meet with objections on both sides which I shall briefly answer Object 1. Those that are utterly against forms will say that I am opening under pretence of Peace and Liberty a way to let in an unlawfull worship and a lazy insufficient Ministry To which I answ 1. For them that take all forms to be unlawfull I think them fitter for compassion then disputes and judge their reason to be as low as the Quakers that cry down the use of hour-glasses and sermon-notes and preaching on a Text of Scripture 2. And for the rest of the objection it s answered before The use of a Liturgy in the way described will not more Countenance a lazy insufficient ministry nor hurt the Church then if there were none Object 2. But what need is there of it Are we not well without it why would you disturb our peace to please the adversaries Answ. 1. We are not without a Liturgy as shall be further shewed and therefore you cannot say we are well without it 2. Some yong weak Ministers we must speak the truth do wrong both Baptism and the Lords Supper by many miscarriages for want of further helps 3. Wales and many parts of England must be supplyed with Forms or be without whâ—ch is worse 4. The Consciences of many of those that you call adversaries and I call Brethren must be indulged with the liberty of a convenient form or else we shall not walk charitably On the othâ—â—side it will be objected by them that would have all men forced to the constant uâ—e of forms 1. that If we have not forms men may vent what they please in prayer some raile in prayer and some vent error and some rebellion c. Answ. 1. This Argument makes against all Prayer of Ministers but what is prescribed For if you force them to a form and yet give them leave with their Sermons to use also either extemporate or formed Prayers of their own they may as well vent rebellion heresie or malice in them as if they had no Liturgy at all And if you would have Ministers use no prayer but what they read out of the imposed books for fear of these inconveniences you will shew your selves enemies to the Church and cure an inconvenience with a mischief 2. And if men were forbidden all prayer but by the Book yet it is more easie to vent error or malice in a Sermon So that unless you tie them also to forbear preaching save out of an imposed book you are never the better And if you would do so you are sorry helpers of the Church 3. You have a better remedy then these at hand Put no such Insufficient men or Hereticks into the Ministry that will so abuse prayer or if they be crept in put them out again and put better in their places that will not abuse it If some Physitians kill men by ignorance or malice will you tie them all to go by a Book and give but one medicine or will you not rather cast out the unworthy and licence only abler men Object 2. But how can I Ioyn with a Minister in prayer If I know not before hand what he will say when for ought I know he may pray blasphemy or heresie Answ. 1. By this objection you take it to be unlawful to joyn with any prayers at all whether publick or private but what you know before And so it seems you think all prayer but what 's by the book unfit for any but a solitary person And if this be your mind that your Book-Prayers must needs shut out all others blame not men so much to shut out your Book when you so far provoke them 2. According to this Objection you must not send for the Minister to pray with you when you are sick or in trouble unless he tye himself to your Book And why then may not another do it as well as he or at least the sillyest man that can read as well as the most able 3. It is the work of the Minister to be the peoples mouth in prayer to God and therefore if he fail in the manner of his own work it is his sin and not yours and you may no more refuse for that to joyn with him then subjects may refuse to obey the soveraign power because of some miscarriages yea or to fight for them and defend them 4. Your presence signifieth not your consent to all that you hear from a Minister And your Heart is not to follow him in evil but in good and therefore seeing you are at liberty what cause of scruple have you 5. It is supposed that no man is ordinarily admitted or tolerated in the Ministry that will so abuse prayer that men may not lawfully joyn with them If they are such cast them out If you cannot cast them out if they are Hereticks or Blasphemers come not neer them But if â—â—ey are men fit for to be tolerated in the Ministry you have reason to trust them so far in their office as not to expect Heresies or Blasphemies
from them till you hear them And if you hear them guilty of such after a First and Second admonition avoid them But let not wicked uncharitable censures be an argument against the worship of God You know not but a Physitian may poison you and yet you will choose the best you can and then trust your lives with him You may much more do so by a Minister because you proceed not by so implicite a faith in the matters of your Salvation You may refuse any evil that the Minister offereth Object 3. But many of them speak nonsence and unreverent words and abuse Gods worship Answ. Get better in their stead that are able to do Gods work in a more suitable manner But see that your quarrelsome capricious wits do not odiously aggravate imperfections or make faults where there are none And remember that you have not Angels but men to be your Pastors and therefore imperfections must be expected But a blessiâ—g may accompany imperfect administrations But if People Patron and Ordainer will choose weak men when they may have better they may thank themselves A Common Prayer book will make but an imperfect supply instead of an able Minister Though in some cases I am for it as aforesaid Object 4. But prayer is a speaking to God and therefore men should say nothing but what is exactly weighed before hand Answ. 1. We grant all this But men may weigh before hand the matter of their requests without preparing a form of words or a man may fore-consider of his words without a Prayer-book 2. Preaching is a speaking in Gods name as though God speak by us and as Christs embassadors in his stead 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And to speak as in Christs stead and Gods name requireth as great preparation as to speak to God in the peoples name It seems more as it were to represent Christ in speaking then to speak to Christ while we represent but the people And therefore by this argument you should let no man preach neither but by a book prescribed 3. God is not as man that looks most at oratory and fine words It is an humble contrite faithfull honest heart that he looks at And where he sees this with earnest desires and that the matter of Prayer is agreeable to his will he will bear with many a homely word One Cold request or the lest formality and dulness of affection and carelesness and disesteem of the mercy is more odious with God then a thousand Barbarisms and Solaecisms and unhandsome words Yet the tongue also should carefully be lookt to but men should not mistake themselves and think that God judgeth by the outward appearance and as man judgeth 4. Still I say get Ministers that are able to do better if you have insufficient ones A man on a common prayer-book is likelier to provoke God by a careless heartless customary service and meer lip labour let the the words be never so exact then another that fears God is like to provoke him by disorderly or unhandsome words Though both should be avoided Object 5. Our minds are not able to go along with a Minâ—ster on the sudden unless we knew what he will say before hand Answ. A diligent soul that marketh what is said may with holy affections go along with a Minister without knowing what he will say before hand The experience of Christians confuteth this objection 2. And this would not only plead for a form but shut out all other prayer which is sufficient to disgrace it with any understanding man Object 6. The publick Prayers of the Church are they that we must own by our concurrence His own conceived Prayers are but the Private Prayers of the Minister Answ. The Minister is a publick person and his prayers publickly made for and in the Church are as much the Publick prayers of that Church as if they were read out of an imposed Book But indeed when many Churches Agree in a form that form may so far be called the Common Prayers of all those Churches but it s no more the Publick Prayers of any one Church then sudden conceived prayer is And when there is no form yet the matter may be the Common Prayer of all Churches Object 7. But what confusion will it â—ake in the Church if one Congregation shall have a Form and another none and every man shall be left to do what he list in Prayer Answ. This is the voice of that Ignorance Pride and Dividing usurpation that hath caused all the Schisms and troubles of the Church Must the Churches have no Peace but on your imposed terms Must none be endured but all cast out of the Church of God that dare not say your forms of prayer though they are as wise and pious and peaceable as you Nothing but Proud arrogancy and uncharitable cruelty will say so 2. But if we must needs all Agree in the manner of our Prayers we must shut out all forms and agree all to be without them which yet I consent not to For there is no one Form that you can expect that all should agree in that 's of humane invention Not but that we may well do it but it will not be 3. How had the Church Unity before any of your forms were known 4. If it be no blemish for several Nations to have several Forms and manners it is tolerable for several Congregations 5. How did the Ancient Churches maintain thâ—ir Unity when Liturgies were in use and the variety was so great as is commonly known Many Churches had no singing of Psalms Vid. Pamel in Cyprian de Orat. Dom. Not. 6. Others used it by the whole Assemblies see Ball 's Friendly Tryal page 60. citing the Authors that attest it Other Churches did use to sing by course or two at a time See it proved by Ball ibid. out of many witnesses This variety and much more consisted then with Unity and may do now when forced uniformity will not 6. We are all now at Liberty what Gesture we will use in singing Psalms c. and is here any discord hence arising But men were forced to kneeling only in Receiving the Lords Supper and there came in discord Mens fancies makes that seem confusion that is no such thing No more then that all that hear or pray have not the same coloured cloaths complections c. Object 8. But should not men obey Authority in forms and mâ—â—ters of indifferency Answ. They should if they be indeed indifferent But should Authority therefore ensnare the Church with needless Impositions All men will not be satisfied of the Indifferency I have heard many say that they would preach in a fools Cap and Coat if authority command them But is it therefore fit that Authority should command it All men will not judge it lawfull to obey them in such cases and so there will be needless snares laid to intrap and divide men Object 9. But antiquity is for set forms
and therefore Novelty must not be permitted to exclude them Answ. 1. Let Scripture be the Rule for deciding this which is the chief witness of Antiquity and let the oldest way prevail 2. Forms were at first introduced in Variety and not as necessary for the Churches Unity to Agree in one And they were left to the Pastors Liberty and none were forced to any forms of other mens composing When Basil set up his New forms of Psalmodie and other Worship which the Church of Neocaesarea were so offended at he did not for all that impose it on them but was content to use it in his Church at Caesarea Object 10. No man can now say what is the worship of God among us because there is no Liturgy but its mutable as every person pleases Answ. We have a Liturgy and are agreed in all the parts of worship To have forms or no forms is no part of it but a circumstance or mode THE summ is this 1. We have already a stinted Liturgy 1. A form of Doctrine in Scripture 2. Real forms in Sacraments 3. A verbal form in Baptizing 4. A form in delivering the Lords Supper 5. A Creed used at Baptism as a form of confession 6. We Read the Psalms as Liturgical forms of praise and prayer 7. We have forms of singing Psalms 8. We have a form of blessing the people in the End 9. And of Excommunication see the Government of the Church c. 10. And of Absolution 11. And of Marriage 12. And Ministers preparation makes much of their Sermons a form 13. And they are at liberty to pray in a form if they Please 2. No more is necessary of it self unless accidentally Authority or Peace c. require it 3. If Peace c. require a form let it be one by common Agreement as neer as may be taken out of Scripture even in words and as much of the old as is consistent with this Rule retained 4. Let it not contain any doubtfull or unnecessary things but be as much certain and necessary for the matter as may be 5. Let none be forced to use it but such as by Ordainers or Approvers are judged insufficient to worship God without it and yet are allowed or Tolerated in the Ministry 6. Let no Tolerated Ministers be Absolutely forbidden to use it 7. Let none be suffered to lay the Vnity and Peace of the Church on it and suspend excommunicate or reproach all that dissent from them in using or not using it 8. In times of Liberty let none use it constantly but the unable before excepted But let the weaker use it ofâ—â—er and the abler seldomer yet sometimes voluntarily and caeteris paribus still looking to the state of their flocks and fitting all to their Edification 9. When Magistrates command it or the Agreement of Pastors and Peace of the Churches though accidentally by mens infirmity require it let none refuse the frequent use of lawfull forms 10. But let none desire or endeavour the introducing of any such Necessity of this or any indifferent thing that is not first Necessary by some considerable antecedent occasion to the Edification of the Church This much will please the moderate but not the self conceited FINIS The Fifth DISPUTATION Of Humane CEREMONIES Whether they are necessary or profitable to the Church and how far they may be imposed or observed By Richard Baxter LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster Anno Dom. 1658. Qu. Whether Humane Ceremonies be Necessary or Profitable to the Church CHAP. I. Distinctions and Propositions in order to the Decision § 1. THE discussion of the Controversie about the Etymologie of the word Ceremony is unnecessary to our ends and would be more troublesome then usefull Whether it be derived ab oppido Caere or à carendo or à Caritate or à Cerere as several mens conjectures run or rather as Scaliger and Martinius think from Cerus which in veteri lingua erat sanctus it sufficeth us that it signifieth a sacred rite Servius saith that all sacred things among the Greeks were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and among the Latines Ceremoniae But by Ceremonies we mean only external Rites or Orders in or about the worship of God And by Humane we mean such as are devised and appointed to be used by men without any special Revelation from God or any extraordinary inspiration of his Spirit by which the institution might have been justly ascribed to God as the certain principal cause § 2. There is so much ambiguity partly in the terms and partly in the supposed or implyed passages that will rise before us in the dispute that I judge it necessary to make the way to the true decision of the controversie and your right understanding of it by these distinctions following and then to lay down the truth in certain Propositions § 3. Dist. 1. We must distinguish between such Ceremonies as God hath left to humane determination in his worship and such as he hath not so left but hath either 1. Expresly forbidden them in particular 2. Or in a General prohibition forbidden them or 3. Hath given no man authority to institute them So great difference is there between things that commonly go under the name of Ceremonies that they are not in this Controversie to be confounded if we would not lose the truth § 4. Dist. 2. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded by man as in Gods name and by pretence of a Commission from him and such as are only commanded in mens own names or at least on pretence of nothing but a General Power § 5. Dist. 3. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded by men as necessary duties or means of worship and such as are only commanded as indifferent things § 6. Dist. 4. We must distinguish between Ceremonies imposed by a Lawfull Magistrate or Church-Governours and such as are imposed by usurpers or men without authority § 7. Dist. 5. We must distinguish between Ceremonies imposed as Vniversally to be practised by all ages or all people in the Church at least and such as are imposed only on some one Congregation or Nation by their proper Governours and that as things mutable that upon special occasion were taken up and may so be laid aside again § 8. Dist. 6. We must distinguish between Ceremonies commanded as things necessary to the being of the Church or Worship or only necessary to the Order and convenient administration and better being of them in the judgement of the imposers § 9. Dist. 7. We must distinguish between the absolute command of Governors imposing such ceremonies upon grievous penalties or without tolerations and the simple recommending them or requiring them to be used with expressed or implyed exceptions § 10. Dist. 8. We must very much difference the several Countreys where such things are imposed and the several sorts of People on whom and the several seasons in which they are
And 2. because the way of those times did cause men to suspect that somewhat worse was intended to be brought in by such preparatives especially when the Ministers were cast out § 52. 8. But of all our Ceremonies there is none that I have more suspected to be simply unlawfull then the Cross in Baptism The rest as I have said I should have submitted to rather then hinder the Service or Peace of the Church had I been put to it For living in those daies in a Priviledged place I had my liberty in all save Daies and the Gesture But this I durst never meddle with And yet I know that many think it as reasonable and more venerable then any of the rest Yet dare I not peremptorily say that it is unlawfull nor will I condemn either Antients or Moderns that use it nor will I make any disturbance in the Church about it more then my own forbearance will make only my own practice I was forced to suspend and must do if it were again imposed on me till I were better satisfied The Reasons that most move me I shall give you in the end but some of them take at the present § 53. 1. This is not the meer circumstance of a Duty but a substantial humane ordinance of worship nor is it necessary in genere that man ordain any such symbolical Mystical signs for Gods worship And therefore it is a matter totally exempt from humane Power There must be some Time some place some gesture some vesture some utensils c. But you cannot say that There must be some teaching symbols or mystical signs stated by humane institution in Gods worship There is no command to man in Scripture de genere to institute any such thing And therefore in the case of Circumstantials I shall usually of which more anon obey the Magistrate even where he doth mistake because it is his own work though he misdoe it But here his action is like that of a judge in alieno foro in another court where he hath no power and therefore his judgement is null It is not an act of Authority to make and state new mystical signs that are such in their primary use in Gods worship For there is no Power but of God And God hath given no such power They that say he hath let them prove it if they can Natural and Artificial helps we disallow not But Instituted signs that have what they have by Institution and that as a solemn stated ordinance I know not that ever God required or accepted from the invention of man I doubt this will prove a meer usurpation and nullity and worse § 54. 2. Yea I suspect it will prove a humane Sacrament either fully a Sacrament or so neer a kin to Sacraments as that man hath nothing to do to institute it The common prayer saith that a Sacrament is an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual grace given to us ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof in the Catech. Let us try by this definition whether the Cross in Baptism as used in England be a Sacrament § 55. And 1. I may take it for granted that the want of the Name makes it not to be no Sacrament And 2. whereas in the definition it is said that it is ordained by Christ himself that belongs to a Divine Sacrament only and not to a humane Sacrament devised by usurpers Otherwise you must say that there is no such thing possible as a humane Sacrament imposed by usurpers on the Church what if all the essentials of a Sacrament such as are found in Baptism and the Lords supper be invented by man and forced on the Church is it therefore no Sacrament or only no Divine Sacrament However let us not differ about bare names and words It is the same thing that you call a Sacrament when God is the ordainer and sure it will not prove it lawfull because man is the ordainer that 's it that makes it unlawfull because he wants authority and acts as an usurper The Papists affirm that man hath not power to make new Sacraments no not the Pope himself Let not us go further § 56. And 1. the outward visible sign here is the Cross made in the fore-head 2. The inward and Spiritual grace is a holy Resolution to fight manfully under the banner of Christ and to persevere therein The Cross signifieth the Instrument of the sufferings of Christ aad that we do own this Crucified Saviour and are not ashamed of him and will manfully fight under him So that here is 1. a signification of Grace to be wrought on the Soul and given us by God 2. an engagement to perform the duties of the Covenant our selves On Gods part we are to receive by this sign both Qualitative or actual Grace and Relative Grace 1. The Cross is to teach our understandings and help our memories and quicken up our dull affections by minding us of a Crucified Christ and the benefits of his Cross. § 57. That it is ordained for this use appeareth from the words anon to be recited in the use of it and by those words prefixed before the the Common prayer-book of Ceremonies why some are abolished and some retained where they say that they be not darke and dumb Ceremonies but are so set forth that every man may understand what they do mean and to what use they do serve and that they are such as are apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and special signification whereby he might be edified So that this and such other if there be more such are appointed by their signification to teach the Understanding and stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God Which are good works but to be done only by good means § 58. And that this is a way of working Grace in the same kind as Gods word and Sacraments do is undeniable For the word and Sacraments do work Grace but Morally by propounding the object and so objectively Teaching Remembring and Exciting and thus working on the Understanding Memory and Will and Affections However the spirit may work within its certain that the ordinances work no otherwise And not only Protestants are agreed on this but one would think that the Jesuits and all of their mind should be most of all for it For faculties they that will not confess any Physical determination of the but make all operations both of Word Sacraments and Spirit it self to be but suasory or Moral one would think should hold more tenaciously then others that Sacraments work Grace but Morally And if no Sacraments do more then objectively Teach and excite and the Cross is appointed to do as much in this then there is no difference between them to be found § 59. And then for Relative Grace it is plain that by
feather in my hat and a hay-rope for a girdle and a hair cloth for a cloak But if you should ordain that if any man serve God in any other habit he shall be banished or perpetually imprisoned or hanged in my opinion you did not well especially if you add that he that disobeyeth you must also incur everlasting damnation It is in it self lawfull to kneel when we hear the Scriptures read or when we sing Psalms but yet it is not lawfull to drive all from hearing and singing and lay them in prison tâ—at do it not kneeling And why men should have no communion in the Lords Supper that receive it not kneeling or in any one commanded gesture and why men should be forbidden to preach the Gospel that wear not a linnen surplice I cannot imagine any such reason as will hold weight at the bar of God § 6. If you say why should we not be obeyed in indâ—fferent things and why should men trouble the peace of the Church I answer 1. Subjects must obey in all things lawfull 2. But your first question should be why you should command and thus command unprofitable things will you command all men to wear horns on their head in token of pushing away their spirituall enemies and will you resolve that God shall have no service nor men any Sacraments or Church communion no nor the liberty of the common air nor salvation neither unless they will obey you And then will you condemn them and justifie your selves by saying why should not the Church be obeyed 3. You govern not perfect but imperfect men and therefore you must rule them as they are and fit your laws about things indifferent to their state and not expect perfection of understanding and obedience from them when God himself expecteth it not suppose therefore they manifest their imperfection in not discerning the Lawfulness of your commands professing that they are ready to obey them if they durst the question that neerlyer concerneth your own consciences that are the imposers to discuss is what reason you have to drive all men from Gods Church and service that suppose through their imperfection dare not conform themselves in worship to your pleasure Where hath God set you on such a work or given you any such commission 4. And where you say They should not disturb the Church I answer Are you so blind that you see not that it is you that disturb the Church If you will make such laws without necessity which common wit and reason may tell you all men are never like to be satisfied in and obey and then cast out all that will not obey them as the disturbers of the Church this is but an aggravated self-condemning If they be guilty you are so much more If they sin and disturb the Church by disobedience you disturb it much more sinfully by laying such snares as shall unavoidably procure it and then taking occasion by it to make a greater disturbance by your cruel execution If the Fly offend and deserve death by incautelous falling into the Spiders web what doth the Spider deserve that out of her own bowels spred thâ— net in the way and kils the Fly that 's taken in it yet draw no venom from the similitude for it runs not on all four nor is it my meaning to apply the venom to you Your own actions most concern your selves Tâ—y whether you do well in commanding and punishing as well as whether others offend in disobeying I shall provoke all to obedience in things lawful But if they should obey you more perfectly then God you may yet be condemned for your wicked cruel Laws CHAP. VI. Prop. 6. It is not lawfull to make any thing the subjects duty by a command that is meerly indifferent antecedently both in it self and as cloathed with its accidents § 1. THE reason is evident because Nothing but Good can be the just matter or object of the Governours desire and therefore nothing but Good can be the just matter of his Laws By Good I mean Moral or Civil Good or Relative Physical Good the Good of Profit or Honesty And by Indifferent I mean not that which is neither a flat sin nor a flat absolute duty For so an Indifferent thing may be sometime commanded Nor do I mean any Middle thing between Bonum Metaphysicum and non bonum for there is none such But I mean by indifferent that which is not antecedently Appetible a Desirable Good though it be not it self an evill to be avoided or a hurtfull thing Bonum publicum the common good is the End of Government and therefore it must be somewhat conducing to the Common good or at least to the good of some particular person that is the just object of the Governours desire and matter of his law For nothing but Good doth conduce to Good of it self Nay it is therefore Good bonitate medii as a Means because it conduceth to that which is Good bonitate finis as an End or that is Desirable for it self Desire hath no object but quid appetibile a Desirable Good And a Governour should make no Laws but for somewhat that is desirable to himself as Governour § 2. And 2. Nothing should be made the matter of a Law but what is Desirable to the Common-wealth as well as to the Governour For men must be Goverâ—ed as men Punishments indeed are not desirable for themselves but yet by accident they are desirable to the Common good and the matter of Precepts should be much more dâ—sirable then Punishment § 3. And 3. If unprofitable things be made the matter of Laws it will tend to the contempt of Laws and Government and people will think it a burden and not a benefit and will desire to be freed from it and this will tend to the dissolution of Societies § 4. And 4. All Government is from God and for God and should be by him God is the Beginning and End the first efficient and ultimate final cause of all just Government And therefore all the parts of it must favour of the Goodness of the first Efficient and be levelled at God as the ultimate end which nothing but Good is a means to Of him and by him and for him are all things Rom. 11.36 § 5. Moreover 5. If idle words and idle thoughts be sins that must be accounted for then idle Laws much more And idle they must be if they be about unprofitable things And they are not only idle themselves but occasion idle words and actions in others § 6. Moreover 6. It is the judgement of the Imposers that disobedience to their Laws is a sin against God which deserveth condemnation For Protestants know no venial sins and Papists take sins against the Popes and Councils Decrees to be Mortal But it is a cruelty next to Diabolical to lay before men an occasion of their Damnation for Nothing When they first make their Laws they know or else they are unworthy to
the Ruler is the Judge of them therefore the people should ordinarily obey when they see them not themselves § 15. Object But in case the Genus is commanded by God and the Species are equal may not the Governour limit us to one of the two Especially in case the people are dâ—vided about them or else will do nothing because they cannot resolve which way to do it For instance if sitting standing and kneeling be equally convenient at the singing of Gods Praises if the people be in a doubt which to use or at least if they fall into contention about it may not the Governours interpose and limit them to one If you be the conductor of Travailers or Souldiers and they come to a place where the way divideth though both wayes are equally good and neer yet you must command them one way and choose for thâ—m because else they will go no way at all § 16. Answ. 1. In this case you are not to choose one Gesture or one Way rather then another unless they make it necessary by Accident But tell them of the Indifferency and Equality and drive them on to Action And so you only choose and cause them to choose Action before Cessation but not this way before that 2. If this will not serve but they will do nothing unless you determine of their Gesture or Way you must then command one rather then another because they can use but one and some one they must use But in thus doing your comparing taking This rather then the other is not to be done by Election nor be a humane act there being no more Reason that 's supposed for one then for the other But though you name them one Way or Gesture only when they necessitate it you do it but as choosing their Action before their cessation this therefore is all that is Moral in your Act and that you Determine them to Action by Naming This way and not the other is good for the Determination for Duty sake was eligible but that it was rather to This then the other was Indifferent and not Moral For of that you had no Reason and where there is no Reason there is no Morality § 17. All this considered I leave it to the consideration of common Reason and of men that have any pitty for the Church or their own souls whether it be a Prudent or Christian course to make Laws for the Church about things Indifferent that have nothing in the Nature of them to induce them hereunto and then to cast out Ministers and other Christians for not obeying them and deprive men of the greatest blessings on the account of things indifferent § 18. If God have left us at Liberty by not commanding or forbidding then man should not take that Liberty from us without great cause and without some Accidental good that is like to come by depriving us of that liberty and the Good must be greater then the Accidental evill Why should any man on earth deprive the Church of Liberty in that thing where God thought not meet to deprive him of it unless he caâ— prove that time or place or some special accident hath altered the case In any case which standeth with us just as it did in Scripture times we must no more be deprived of our freedom by man then we are by God Had it been best for us God would have done it CHAP. VII Prop. 7. Some things may be lawfully and profitably commanded at one Time and Place and to one sort of people that may not at or to another no nor obeyed if commanded § 1. THE case is so plain in point of Commanding that it is past all doubt Many Accidents may make that destructive at one Time and place that would be profitable at another Pauls precepts and practâ—ce in becoming all things to all men do manifest this § 2. The Papists themselves are convinced of this and therefore sometime granted the Bohemians the use of the cup for the Laity in the Lords Supper and profess that it is in the Power of the Pope and Council to do the same by other places Yea when they burn men for the Protestant Religion in one Countrey they tolerate it in another for fear of a greater evil And when they torment men in one age and place for using a Bible in the vulgar tongue in another place or time they themselves translate it § 3. It is therefore a very great sin in Governours unnecessarily to make such things the matter of a common standing Law which is so variable yea and must be varied according to diversity of times and places These things should be left to the Prudence of the Governours that are on the place No wise General will take a Commission for the Command of an Army if he must be tied up before hand when to march and when to stand still and which way to go and how to â—ight in all the variable Circumstances Shall Governours pretend to be so much wiser then God as to make a standing Law for that which God thought best to leave at liberty to be varied as occasions vary § 4. The English Church Laws do tie the Ministers to a particular habit and to the particular Chapters of Scripture that we must read and if the Law-givers had pleased they might as well have tied us to that particular Text which they will have us preach on and forbid us to choose a Text as a Chapter And they might have as well tyed us to particular Psalms in singing as in Reading But all this is against the nature of our office and the good of the Church And therefore it is not fit matter for a Law If I know my hearers to be most addicted to Drunkenness must I be tyed up from Reading or Preaching against that sin and tyed to Read and Preach only against Covetousness or the like because it seemeth meet to Governours to tye me to a constant course If I have a tractable people it may do them no harm to limit them to this or that gesture vesture c. But what if they be prejudiced against a thing that in it self is lawfull and take it to be a sin and resolve that they will rather forbear Gods Ordinances then use a thing that their Consciences are against must I needs exercise or press a Gesture vesture or such Ceremonie when I see it tendeth to the destruction of my flock Must I needs deny the Lords Supper to all my flock if they dare not receive it in this or that gesture let it be sitting or kneeling and all because I am commanded to do so § 5. Suppose it here granted that the thing being lawfull it is the peoples sinful weakness that causeth them to refuse it and that the power commanding me no otherwise to deliver it is such as in things lawful I am bound to obey yet is it not a thing lawfull to punish the peoples infirmity in a
circumstance so severely as with an excommunication or a denying them the communion of the Church in the Lords supper In such a case my first duty is to tell the Magistrate that such a Law is sinfully cruel and destructive to the Churches peace If that will not prevail with him to repeal or suspend such an unrighteous law my next duty is yet to perswade the people to obey him for we suppose the gesture or ceremony commanded now to be lawfull But if I can neither prevail with the Magistrate to forbear his imposition nor with the people to obey him my next duty is to forbear the execution of his unrighteous penalty I dare not be his executioner in excluding all Christs servants from his house or holy Communion that dare not do every circumstantial action that is imposed on them For the penalty is flat contrary to the Commands of Christ. Yet would I not resist the Magistrate but lay down my office if the Churches necessity did not forbid me to lay it down but if it did I would do my office and suffer what the Magistrate should inflict upon me § 6. And indeed I might else be obliged by a Magistrate to excommunicate or deny Communion to all Christians within my reach For all Christians are imperfect and there is not one but is liable to error in a greater matter then a gesture or circumstance such as we have now before us no nor one but doth actually err in as great a matter and therefore one as well as another on this account may be cast out But Christ would not have this dealing in his Church § 7. How tender are his own expressions his practise and his laws towards those that are infirm He came to preach the Gospel to the poor and heal the broken-hearted and lay upon them an easier yoak and lighter burden He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking flâ—x he carryeth the Lambs in his arms and gently driveth those with young The little ones that believe in him must not be offended It were better for him 〈◊〉 offendeth one of them by injurious persecution that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were cast into the sea Him that is weak even in in the Faith we must receive and therefore must not cast him out that doubteth of a ceremony And they that are strong must bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves but every one to please his neighbour for his good to edification No man should put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brothers way If we grieve our brother by our meats or other indifferent things we walk uncharitably we must not for such things destroy them that are the work of God and for whom Christ died It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine or any thing whereby he stumbleth or is offended or is made weak He that doubteth is condemned if he eat because he eateth not of faith And we must not be too forward in damning men for a morsel of bread or a garment or a gesture § 8. Moreover the Ministry hath a certain end to which all our administrations are Means even the saving of our flock and the Pleasing of God thereby And if Magistrates will commands us to order but a lawful Circumstance so as shall not only cross but destroy these ends we must as soon leave our Mâ—nstry as obey him Our Power is given us to Edification and not to Destruction Not only those things that of themselves destroy but those that are like to be the occasions of such an event through the infirmity of the people must be by us avoided To command us a way of Mâ—nistration that shall though but accidentally damn men and that unnecessarily is to destroy our office by destroying the end which is mens salvation If men will destroy themselves by the only means of salvation Christ and the Gospel this will not excuse us from preaching that Gospel but if men will destroy themselves by a Ceremony or unnecessary circumstance I will take it out of their way if I can It is a Lawfull thing for all sick people in England to eat of one paâ—ticular dish of meat as well as on others But if the Law-givers command that all Physicians shall give no man Physick that will not be tyed only to such or such a dish I would not be a Physician if I must obey that command what if my Patient have a weak stomack and cannot eat of that dish or be peevish and will not must I therefore be guilty of his death by denying him my necessary help because the Magistrate forbiddeth me He may as well forbid us all to visit the sick or relieve the poor or cloath the naked if he can but find the least infirmity that they are guilty of And I think that Christ will not take it for an excuse in judgement if any man say Lord I would have relieved them cloathed them healed them but that the Magistrate forbad me and I thought it the part of a seditious rebell not to obey my governors Yet I should much less desire to be in that Ministers case whose labours are necessary to the Church that had no better an excuse for his denying to preach the Gospel or to admit the servants of Christ to holy Communion then that the Magistrate forbade him Our Ministration is a work of Charity to be exercised upon voluntary receivers And if a Magistrate have power to forbid us to preach or grant the Sacraments and Communion of the Church to any that wear not black or blew or white or red or that kneel not at the Sacrament or such like then may he as well or much better forbid us to give alms to any that wear not a horn on their backs and an iron ring about their arms as Bedlamâ— do No Magistrate can dispence with Charity especially in so great a case as mens salvation no more then the Pope can dispence with Oaths and Covenants § 9. We have therefore the use of our Reason left us to weigh the tendency of a Magistrates commands even where the act commanded is in it self indifferent For the Magistrates Power and the Ministers are from one Fountain and are but Means to one and the same end And neither of them hath any power to destroy that end And therefore if by accident through the weakness of my flock the observation of a trivial circumstance would undo them I would not use it no not in obedience to the Magistrate but would resolve with Paul never to eat flesh while I live rather then to offend or destroy my brother But if I find by the weighing of all accidents that my obedience will do no such hurt to the Church and Souls of men but as much good as my not obeying then in such indifferent cases I would readily obey But otherwise I would appeal to God and bear
but only by such an accident as being over-weighed by another accident shall cease to make them unlawfull For instance If the Pastor appoint a more imperfect version of the Psalms to be sung in the Church as is commonly done in England the obeying of him in the use of this will not bring so much hurt to the Church as the disobeying on that account would do For besides the sin of disobedience it self the Church would be in a confusion if they forsake his conduct that preserves the union and some will be for this and some for that and so the worship it self will be overthrown But if the Pastor would command a version so corrupt as would overthrow the duty it self or be as bad as non-performance the Church is then to seek redress and not obey him So if he command a Time inconvenient but tolerable as to meet at sun rising or sun setting it were better obey then dissolve the Church if we cannot be otherwise relieved But if he appoint a Time that 's intolerably unfit as at midnight I would not obey except in sâ—ch necessity as leaves to that time or none the same I spoke before of other circumstances § 8. On the other side if Magistrates or Pastors shall think their Imposition lawfull because the people may lawfully obey them they are as much mistaken Even many of those Divines that wrote for conformity to the late Ceremonies did take it to be 〈◊〉 sin of those that imposed them as they were imposed and would have written as much against the Imposition if they 〈◊〉 but had liberty I mâ—an such writers as Mr. Sprint Mr. Paybody Dr. Iohn Burgess who told the King of Pollio's glasses that were broken by Caesar that no more anger and danger of mens lives should follow and would have had him so to have used our Ceremonies So Zanchy that judged the Ceremonies such as might lawfully be used did write to the Queen to take them down and not leave them as snares to cast out the Ministers and at the same time he wrote to the Ministers to use them in case the Queen would not be perswaded to forbear the imposing and urging of them § 9. If I be bouâ—d to obey a Governour if he set me to pick straws or to hunt a feather it followeth not that he may lawfully command it I have heard many pleading for Ceremonies say that if the Magistrate commanded them and would not otherwise permit them to preach the Gospel they would preach in a fools Coat and a fools Cap with a feather rather then forbear But I do not think that any of them would justifie that Ruler that would make such a Law that no man should preach or celebrate the Sacraments but in a fools Coat and Cap such might expect to be judged by Christ as the scorners of him and his Ordinances CHAP. XIII Prop. 13. The Constant use of things indifferent should not be ordinarily commanded but they should be sometimes used and sometimes disused § 1. I WILL say but little of this because I have opened it before in the Disputation about Liturgies The Reasons of it are plain 1. Indifferent things should be used as indifferent things and therefore with some indifferency § 2. And 2. The people else will be brought to think them Necessary if they be constantly used and custome will grow to a Law And no contradicting this by doctrine will serve turn to rectifie the mistake For we cannot be alway nor oft preaching on such things And if we were yet practice is much more observed by them then doctrine which commonly they understand not or forget § 3. And 3. Hereupon their minds will receive a false impression about the nature of their Religion and they will be brought to worship they know not how and to set a high value on that which is not to be valued and consequently it will kindle a false zeal in their affections and corrupt all their devotions § 4. And 4. It will make them disobedient against Magistrates or Pastors that would take them off from their false apprehensions and misguided practices and if they live in a place where the Governours are against their customs they will disobey them on pretence of duty to God and think that they do him service in it § 5. Yea 5. They will be uncharitably censorious against their Brethren that are not of their mind and â—ooâ— on them as men that are self-conceited or irreligious as the Papists do by all that do no entertain every opinion which they 〈◊〉 with the Articles of their faith and every practice which they place their Religion in § 6. We see all this by sad experience among our selves The imposers of our Ceremonies and the maintainers of them did still profess that they were no parts â—ut Accidents of worshâ—p and they pleaded for them but as things indifferent And yet now the Magistrate and their lawfull acknowledged Pastors would bring the people in some of these Ceremonies to change their customs they will not do it in many places but make conscience as they profess of Gestures and forms and Dâ—yes and such like as if they had been of Divine Institution If they be things Indifferent why may not they disuse an Holy day one year as they use it another or disuse a form of Prayer one day as they use it another or recieve the Lords Supper one time sitting as they do another time kneeling But this they will not endure to yield to so that you see that constant uninterrupted use hath made custome a Law with them and given the Lie to the Doctrine of the Bishops themselves that called them but indifferent things and caused the people to place Gods worship in them § 7. And on the other side a constant purposed disuse of convenient Modes and Circumstances of worship may draw people to think them things unlawfull and to rise up against them as innovations and strange things when they are imposed § 8. Yet here we must distinguish of indâ—fferent things Some are so convenient that we cannot frequently vary but with great inconveniency and wrong to the Church as a due hour for Assembling and a convenient place and the best Translations and versions of the Psalms the fittest Utensils for worship c. In all these cases it were giddiness to vary frequently and without need and yet worse to tie men up from varying when they find need Other things are of ordinary inconvenience which therefore ordinarily should be disused though in some cases of necessity they must be allowed Other things depend upon the will of men and there is no great difference in point of convenience between the using and disusing them but what the will of man doth cause as in our vestures our gestures in some of the Ordinances as in hearing singing Psalms and in abundance of Ceremonies or Circumstances this is the case These are they that I say should be used but unconstantly §
Christianity and the two Sacraments of Christs institution and some short Catechism that containeth these And when we have done our best in publick and in private we leave many of them ignorant what these two Sacraments are yea or who Christ himself is And must we put them to so much more labour as to learn a Rationale or exposition of all the Ceremonies holy dayes c We shall but overwhelm them or divert them from the Essentials And here you may see the unhappy issue of humane wisdom and false means It is to be teachers of the ignorant that men pretend these Signs Images and Ceremonies to be usefull And yet they are the causes of ignorance and keep men from necessary knowledge If you doubt of this do but open your eyes and make use of experience See whether among the common people the most Ceremonious are not commonly the most ignorant yea and the most ungodly too It is a truth so notorious that it cannot be denyed Who more ignorant of the Sacraments then they that rail at them that fit in the act of receiving Who more ignorant of the doctrine of the Gospel who more obstinate enemies of a holy life more worldly self-conceited licentious prophane despisers of their faithfull Teachers then the most zealous persons for all these Ceremonies § 23. Reas. 21. Moreover these new Laws and services introduce also a new office into the Church There must be some of pretended Power to impose all these Ceremonies and see them executed or else all is vain And no such office hath Christ appointed Because men thought it necessary that all the Christian world should have but one way and Order in the Ceremonious worship which was commonly approved therefore they thought there was a Necessity of one Head to maintain this unity of order and so came up the Pope as to one cause And so in a Nation we must have some one or more Masters of Ceremonies when Ceremonies are kept a foot And so whereas Christ hath placed officers in his Church to teach and guide them and administer his own Ordinances we must have another sort of officers to make Laws for Mystical signs and Ceremonies and see them executed and punish the neglecters and teach the people the meaning and the use of them The Primitive Bishops had other kind of work we find directions to the Pastors of the Church containing the works of their office as to Timothy Titus c. But we no where find that this is made any part of their work to make new Teaching signs and Ceremonies and impose them on the Church nor have they any directions for such a work which surely they much needed if it had been their work indeed § 24. Reas. 22. When we once begin to let in humane Mystical Rites we shall never know where to stop or make an end On the same ground that one Age inventeth three or four the next think they may add as many and so it will grow to be a point of devotion to add a new Ceremony as at Rome it hath done till we have more then we well know what to do with § 25. Reas. 23. And the miserable plight that the Christian world hath lain in many ages by Ceremonies may warn us to be wise Augustine complaineth that in his time the Church was burdened with them and made like the Jewish Synagogue The most of the Churches in Asia and Africa are drowned too deeply in Ceremonious formality turning Religion into ignorant shews The Church of Rome is worse then they having made God a worship of histrionical actions and shews and signs and Ceremonies so that millions of the poor blind people worship they know not whom nor how And if we abate only of the number and keep up some of the same kind even Symbolicall Rites of mans institution to teach us and excite our devotion we shall harden them in their way and be disabled from confuting them For a Papist will challenge you to prove just how many such signs are lawfull And why he may not use threescore as well as you use three when he saith he is edified by his number as you say you are with yours § 26. Reas. 24. It is not inconsiderable that God hath purposely established a spiritual kind of worship in the Gospel telling us that God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth Such worshippers doth God require and accept Bodily exercise profiteth little The kingdom of God is not in meats or in drinks but in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Neither Circumcision availeth any thing in Christ Jesus nor uncircumcision but a new creature and faith that worketh by Love God would never have so much called men off from Ceremoniousness to spirituality if he had delighted in Ceremony § 27. Reas. 25. The Worship of God without his blessing is to little purpose No man can have encouragement to use any thing as a Means to teach him and help his devotion which he hath no ground to believe that God will bless But there is no ground that I know of to believe that God will bless these Instituted Teaching signs of mans inventions to the Edifying of our souls For God hath no where bid us devise or use such signs 2. Nor no where promised us a blessing on them that ever I could find And therefore we have no encouragement to use them If we will make them and impose them our selves we must undertake to bless them our selves § 28. Reas. 26. As vain thoughts and words are forbidden us in Scripture so no doubt but vain actions are forbidden but especially in the worship of God and yet more especially when they are Imposed on the Church by Laws with penalties But these Mystical Rites of humane institution are vain You call them your selves but Things indifferent And they are vain as to the use for which they are pretended that is to Teach and Edifie c. having no promise of a blessing and being needless imitations of the Sacraments of Christ. Vanity therefore is not to be imposed on the Church My last Reason will fullier shew them to be vain § 29. Reas. 27. We are sure the way in which Peter and Paul and the Churches of their times did worship God was allowable and safe and that Princes and Prelates are wise and righteous overmuch if they will not only be more wise and righteous then the Apostles in the matters of Gods worship but also deny their subjects liberty to worship God and go to heaven in the same way as the Apostles did If Peter and Paul went to heaven without the use of Images Surplice the Cross in Baptism kneeling in receiving the Lords Supper and many such Ceremonies why should not we have leave to live in the Communion of the Church without them would you have denyed the Apostles their liberty herein Or will you be partiall Must they have one way and we
part of our Honour to God they being mentioned there as his officers with whom he himself is honoured or dishonoured obeyed or disobeyed For it is Gods Authority that the Magistrate Parent and Pastor is endued with and empowred by to rule those that are put under them § 6. Reas. 3. What confusion will be brought into the Church if Pastors be not obeyed in things lawfull For instance If the Pastors appoint the Congregation to Assemble at one hour and the people will scruple the time and say it is unlawfull and so will choose some of them one time and some another what disorder will here be and worse if the Pastors appoint a Place of worship and any of the people scruple obeying them and will come to another place what confusion will here be People are many and the Pastors are few and therefore there may be some unity if the people be Ruled by the Pastors but there can be none if the Pastors must be ruled by the people for the people will not agree among themselves and therefore if we obey one part of them we must disobey and displease the rest And their ignorance makes them unfit to rule § 7. Reas. 4. Moreover disobedience in matters of Circumstance will exclude and overthrow the substance of the worship it self God commandeth us to pray If one part of the Church will not joyn with a stinted form of Prayer and the other part will not joyn without it both parties cannot be pleased and so one part must cast off Prayer it self or separate from the rest God commandeth the reading and preaching and hearing of the Scripture and the singing of Psalms but he hath left it to man to make or choose the best Translation of Scripture or version of the Psalms Now if the Pastor appoint one version and Translation and the Church joyn in the use of it if any members will scruple joyning in this Translation or version they must needs forbear the whole duty of Hearing the Scripture and singing Psalms in that Congregation If they pretend a scruple against the appointed time or Place of worship they will thereby cast off the worship it self For if they avoid our Time or Place they cannot meet with us nor worship with us § 8. Reas. 5. And when they are thus carryed to separate from the Congregation upon such grounds as these they will be no where fixt but may be still subdividing and separating from one another till they are resolved into individuals and have left no such thing as a Church among them For they can have no assurance or probability that some of themselves will not dissent from the rest in one Circumstance or other as they did from their Pastors and the Church that they were of before § 9. Reas. 6. By this means the wicked that are disobedient to their Teachers and reject the worship of God it self will be hardened in their sin and taught by professors to defend their ungodliness For the very same course that you take will serve their turns They need not deny any Duty in the substance but deny the circumstance and so put off the substance of the Duty If a wicked man will not hear the word preached he may say I am not against preaching but I am unsatisfied of the lawfulness of your Time or Place I am in judgement against coming to your Steeple-house or against the Lords Day And so he shall never hear though he say he is for hearing If a wicked man will not be personally instructed or admonished or be accountable to the Church or Pastors for any scandals of his life nor submit to any discipline he may say I am for discipline I know it is my duty to be instructed but I am not satisfied that I am bound to come to you when you send for me or to appear at such a place as you appoint the word of God nameth no time or place and you shall not deprive me of my liberty If a wicked man would not hear or read the Scripture or sing Psalms he may say that he is for the duty but he is only against this and that Translation and version And so while every version is excepted against the duty is as much evaded as if it were denied it self By this device it is that the Rebellion of unruly people is defended They run to the circumstances of the duty and ask Where are they bound to come to a Minister or to be examined by him in order to a baptism or Lords supper or to speak their consent to be Church members or to subscribe to a Profession or to read an English Bible or to hear in a Steeple-house with many such like Thus also it is that they put off family prayer and ask Where are they bound to pray in their family Morning and Evening and so keep no constancy in family prayer at all under pretence of denying only the circumstances § 10. Reas. 7. By this disobedience in things lawfull the members of the Church will be involved in contentions and so engaged in bitter uncharitableness and censures and persecutions and reproaches of one another which scandalous courses will nourish vice dishonour God rejoyce the enemies grieve the Godly that are peaceable and judicious and wound the consciences of the contenders We see the beginning of such fires are small but whither they tend and what will be the end of them we see not § 11. Reas. 8. By these means also Migistrates will be provoked to take men of tender consciences for factious unruly and unreasonable men and to turn their enemies and use violence against them to the great injury of the Church when they see them so self-conceited and refusing obedience in lawfull circumstances § 12. Reas. 9. By this means also the conversion and establishment of souls will be much hindred and people possessed with prejudice against the Church and ordinances when they take us to be but humerous people and see us in such contentions among our selves To my knowledge our late difference about some such lesser things hath turned off or hindered abundance of people from liking the holy doctrine and life which we profess § 13. Reas. 10. It will seem to the wisest to savour of no small measure of Pride when people on the account of lawfull circumstances dare set themselves against their Govenors and Teachers and quarrel with the ordinances of God and with the Churches Humble men would sooner suspect themselves and quarrel with their own distempers and submit to those that are wiser then themselves and that are set over them for their guidance by the Lord. There may more dangerous Pride be manifested in these matters then in Apparel and such lower trifles § 14. Reas. 11. Consider also what yielding in things lawfull the Scripture recommendeth to us How far yielded Pa. when he circumcised Timothy Act. 16.3 And when he took the men and purified himself with them in the Temple to signifie