take hold of his Covenant and when you are about it beg that he will accept of you graciously for if you be sincere in that work you cannot but Admire and Adore the riches of that love aecepting such worms into so glorious a Bond and Union such a Bond as will keep you when you cannot keep your selves a Bond as oblidgeth us to be the Lords and not our own how strengthning and comfortable is it when a man can say I am thine Lord save me my soul hath said unto the Lord thou art my Lord. when the Author and finisher of Faith hath graciously given you to believe then you may humbly beseech God to give his Seal to so great a Transaction in whom also after that ye believed ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise ye may warrantably beg of God that he would give of his spirit whereby ye may know the things that are freely given to you of God and thereby know ye are of these whom God hath set a part for himself that the Lord himself in what manner he pleaseth would say unto your soul that he is your salvation The Lord having not only in mercy established your judgments but given you good hope through grace then you are to hold fast what ye have received and be as a fountain sealed not losing what ye have wrought or God hath wrought for you but improving it for the glory of the giver and your own stability not hearkning to suggestions and temptations that have a tendency to raze the foundation already well laid as if it were to lay again whereby some are rendered miserable in their religion being as a City without walls and their hearts as the high way that any destroyer hath access to we are to leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ fix'd and unmoveable not to return on them as still disputable by every new temptation but to bolt all such temptations out of doors on the first view as sent to obstruct our progress and going on to perfection as we are commanded 2ly As for practice remember the words of our blessed Redeemer Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon a Rock without a Godly practice our most splendd Buildings are but on the Sand which causeth inevitable ruine at last we are to Glorifie our heavenly Father by bearing much fruit all we have from God must return to the glory of the Giver for all things are for himself You have God to walk before as still under his Eye and willing he see all you do content he search you though you know the Heavens are not clean in his sight and far less polluted clay yet satisfied he know your heart toward him that he hath made you hate what he hateth and love to do these thing that are pleasing in his sight you are Commanded also to walk with him as near unto him yea to walk in him and so to be Supplied for walking before him and with him O the happiness and dignity to be found in this walk if a Prince would permite you to walk with him but half an hour how would you be surprised with Joy what hope would it raise of future Favour how ready would you be to Publish it but this walk wherein I cannot so much as mention a Comparison ye may have for ordinary which cannot but be the Wonder of all who attain it Will God in very deed dwell with men on the Earth But few admire it because few attain it By your Practice and Holy Conversation you must Glorifie him before men let your light shine that others seeing your good works may Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven and yet take care you do not your works to be seen of men for vain glory to your selves Happy is the man who formeth his Conversation for Convincing and Edifying of others and yet willing himself never to be seen or notticed this is the man formed for God to shew forth his Praise yea blessed is the man who doth or ever did any thing inteerly for Gods glory it is worth the labours of our whole lifetime to have the Comfort of it when we must go the way of all the Earth and miserable is the man who breathing out his Soul into another World amongst other Imbodied Souls hath this to go with here is a Soul that never did good but hurt to other Souls helped none to Heaven but many to Hell Let these few things be your care in all commpany to do no hurt to receive no hurt to do good and receive what good ye can learn of others Walk within your House with a Perfect heart give good Example to your Families that neither Child nor Servant may die or remove from you without some help to their Souls that all of them may have it to say your Company was their Blessing Command your Houshold to seek and serve the Lord let them all have the Benefite and Example of Familie-worship shewing forth the Loving kindness of the Lord in the morning and his Faithfulness every night see that Pride hinder none of you to Pray in your Families as thinking ye are not so Gifted as others though your Talents be few yet by improving they grow Let none of your Families be as the Families of Heathens who call not on God be not Instruments of hardning your Children or Servants against Familie-worship when ye are gone be not Snares to their Souls by giving them occasion to say they never saw family Prayer practised nor the word of God read nor his Praises Sung See that secret Prayer be not neglected by any older or younger who are capable in the Family the neglect whereof of it self will prove a person to be ungodly for every Godly one will pray and every Child of God hath an inclination and some measure of help to Pray by the Promised spirit of Grace and Supplications if you have not a Disposition to Pray you have not the Spirit of Adoption Remember the Sabbath be kept Holy in your Families waste not that Holy time in idleness come and bring all you can with you to Worship God in the publick Assemblie Find not your own pleasures nor speak your own words on the Lords day it is a great Discovery of a Conscientious Christian who though tempted by others yet dars not profane the Sabbath by worldly Discourse weary not of Sabbaths but account them a delight and a merciful gift of God for the good of our Souls it hath been the Comfort of growing Christians to think on the Sabbaths drawing near knowing they might then warrnatably lay aside all Earthly cares and thoughts and so inteerly Converse with their God some of you have your daily bread to labour for through the week whereby ye are sometimes scanted for time to your Souls therefore loss none of your Holy time but when you are not at publick
prayer to the Admiration of others and yet all this but natural acquisition and no special gift of the Spirit of Christ 3. Besides these improvements of nature our Saviour Christ having received gifts for men and bestowing them on whom he will for the good of his Church thereby many have been endued with common gifts of the Spirit of Christ whereby others are edified but not themselves they being still destitute of the special Sanctifying Grace of the Spirit and such as Christ will say unto at the last depart I know you not tho' their partaking of these common gifts was the occasion of their concluding themselves in a State of favour with God mistaking those common gifts for such as are special and Sanctifying such persons never being converted to God and truely Sanctified may notwithstanding of all their common gifts be lewd and Scandalous in their practice 5. Whatever judgment we may pass upon our selves yet we are not so much concern'd to judge by what gifts other men do pray or if they have the grace of prayer together with the gift is not our part to search tho' it be certain that where the conversation is ordinarly ungodly and vicious whatever gift a man hath yet he wanteth the Grace of prayer 6 When such immoral persons are endued with a common gift of the Spirit enabling them to speak pertinently in prayer sure it is not that gift which maketh them Immoral and Scandalous nor is the Gift of Christ to be despised on that account for common gifts sanctifie no man tho such as God hath honoured with them are the more guilty for profaning of his mercies and their ingratitude to God 7. Only Believers in Christ Jesus who are sanctified by the Spirit of Grace partake of the grace of Prayer and as the Giver of this Grace pleaseth to imploy any of them in his service for the good of others so he bestoweth the gift also in what measure he pleaseth As for persons who are dejected for want of a Gift of Prayer they have need of sound and skilful advice for the meer want of such Elocution as others have should not discourage them tho all should covet the best Gifts But 2. If persons have no Inclination nor help by the Spirit of God to pray unto him there is just cause for fear but not despair I say just cause for fear and grief of heart because all the Children of God have the Spirit of Prayer in some measure yet no cause for despairing because Christ hath promised the Holy Ghost to them who ask him 3. To direct such persons only to the words of a Form will never prove a cure to their Souls For if any man have not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his therefore such persons should be exhorted to cry unto God for the Spirit of grace and supplications Page 63. The Author once more urgeth the use of forms in Prayer A great part of the world cannot do it without a form Children and ignorant persons are at a loss for words Ans As for young and very ignorant people we allow them the use of forms until God enable them more but withal exhort them to further progress lest if they should still rest upon forms they should be satisfied with a form of Godliness only But Page 64. He saith As for Children and ignorant people of our perswasion he is well assured many of them never bow their knees to God Ans This is not the first of the Author's mistakes that we have seen for we have occasion to know what they do in the service of God better than he and I am well assured of the contrary of that he asserts he affirmeth not knowing what they do and I affirm upon knowledge that commonly our Children so soon as capable are helped with some easie and short forms and that many of them dayly bow their knees to their Maker and are chastised if it be neglected The Author cometh often over this our Teaching the unlawfulness of forms which is imposing upon his Reader for none of us Teach any such Doctrine Page 65. There remains yet the third Opinion of Dissenters which they advance against us in this matter of Prayer to be examined that the Minister is the mouth of the Congregation and that the people have nothing to do but to join with him in their hearts an opinion far from any authority of Scripture which expresly requires us Rom 15. 6. with one mind and one mouth to glorifie God Ans It 's not long since we saw this under the Author's hand Page 36. That generally there is no more necessarie but that the people joyn in their hearts except it be on some occasions and when these occasions appear we will consider his Opinion 2 In all Gospel publick Worship recorded in the New Testament we find no more either required or practised but the peoples joining in their hearts 3 What is said Rom ✚ 15 6 is performed in our way of Worship using one mouth and not many But the Conclusion must stand whether the Premisses will or not that the Authors way of Worship is agreeable to the Commandments of God let the Reader judge by the Answers if every one of his Probations hath not failed him I do ingeniously declare That I have not so much as found difficulty in any of his Arguments wherewith he chargeth us as guilty of the Inventions of men in the Worship of God but I question if ever amongst Protestants a Book was published wherein moe of the inventions of men hath appeared or a wider Door opened for all manner of humane Inventions than by the Discourse now under consideration CHAP. 3. Of Hearing SECT 1. PAge 68. one great design of our Christian Assemblies is hearing and that which is to be heard is the word of God First then God hath positively commanded us to read his word in our publick Assemblies so Deut. 31. 10. In the feast of Tabernacles when all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place where the Lord shall choose thou shalt read this Law before all Israel in their hearing so Josh 8. 35. Neither was this confined to their solemn Assemblies at Jerusalem it was likewise a constant part of their sabbath service in their synagogues as we may learn from Acts 13. 14. Ans 1. That the word of God should be read in our publick Assemblies we are agreed for Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word 2. To read the whole Law of God at once in our Assemblies is not practicable 3. Some conjecture what was read in the synagogues but tho' it were sure can be no rule to us Page 69. This reading of the Law was the great and most effectual means God provided for preserving the knowledge of himself amongst his People and the best reformation began and was carried on by restoring this ordinance thus it 's observed of Josiah 2. Chr. 34. 29. The
meriteth consideration and so much the more because the Paschal Lamb Typified Christ who is called our passover and the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the World and tho' I do not observe this thereby to plead that the celebration of the Lords Supper should be no more frequent than the Passover yet it may be conducive for softning the rigide censures of some against others who cannot celebrat this Sacrament oftner than once a year though they willingly would Page 147. Since our Saviour hath taken off the confinement as to time and place it follows that they who celebrate it seldomer than the Jews did their passover must needs have less regard to the memory of Christs death and the deliverance wrought by it than the Jews had to their deliverance out of Aegypt there being no other imaginable reason that can tempt them to neglect purifying of themselves c. Ans This reflection is more severe than well proved for even those who have some measure of regard to the memory of Christs death may have such impediments invincibly crossing their desires that sometimes they cannot celebrate so often as once a year which may be the affliction of some ministers but not their sinful neglect nor oblivion of Christs death but. 2ly It 's rare to celebrate it more seldom than once a year in any congregation of our Communion where the congregations are brought to any tollerable Settlement I grant the time was that the people of our perswasion both Ministers and others were so pursued by Bishop's Courts because of their meeting together and adhering to their sound principles that some were imprisoned many Excommunicated and their Families broken other hunted as Patridges on the mountains and especially if they were found celebrating the Lords Supper if these be the times that the Author chargeth us with the guilt of seldom celebrating it is not fair for he knoweth as well as I who were to blame and I know where the Righteous God placeth the guilt Page 148. And there can be no better way of determining when we are oblidged to do it than by observing when God in his goodness gives us opportunity for either we are oblidged to do it or else we may choose whether ever we will do it or not Ans I am well satisfied with this proposals of opportunity providing that all consider and a be consider at a that every thing be considered to make it an opportunity indeed and a seasonable occasion for this celebration But First There may be a seasonable opportunity for the Ministers part when it is not an opportunity for the people There may be an opportunity for the Minister and some of the people when it 's not so with others of the people and renting of Societies must be guarded against There may be a fit Season both for Minister and people and yet all of them be obstructed by external lets Yet 2ly The Author 's calling this the opportunity whensoever they meet together as Page 149. I say this cannot generally hold for Christians may have occasion to meet together even for worship when there is no opportunity for celebrating the Lords Supper as when God requireth them to meet together for prayer and fasting and the day spent in such humbling exercises as are then suitable But. Page 149. The very design of our publick meetings on the Lords Day and not on the Jewish Sabbath is to remember and to keep up in our minds a sense of what Christ did and suffered for us till he come again Ans That the Lords day is designed for a memorial of Christs Resurrection all acknowledge but that it 's instituted for a memorial of his Sufferings and Death is new and unwarrantable if this had dropt from a Dissenters pen we had heard it again on both sides of our head Page 150. It seems then probable from the very institution of this Sacrament that our Saviour designed it should be a part of Gods Service in all the solemn Assemblies of Christians as the passover was in the yearly Assemblies of the Jews Ans The paralel made by the Author between the Jewish Assemblies and Christian Assemblies runeth not even and to make it straight it must run thus our Saviour designed our Sacrament should be a part of Gods Service in all the solemn Assemblies of Christians as the passover was in all the Solemn Assemblies of the Jews the paralel holdeth not otherwise and then it followeth that the passover was a part of Gods Service in all the Solemn Assemblies of the Jews which could not be since the passover was but once a year 2ly If then the passover service as to the time when were designed as a pattern for the time when our Sacrament should be celebrated then it will follow that our celebrating should be but once a year so that whatsoever was designed by Christ it 's evident our Author's design is at a great loss by what he now sayeth Page 150. And the same is further manifest in the second place from the examples of the Apostles and of the Churches of God in the New Testament they cannot be supposed but to have understood what Christ meant by these words Do this in remembrance of me and if it appears that they did make this feast a constant part of their ordinary worship we may safely conclude that Christ meant it should be so also and here it is observable that we do not find any Solemn Stated meeting of Christians for worship in the whole New Testament without it At first the disciples had their meetings every day and then they likewise daily received this Sacrament Acts 2 46. and they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and in breaking of bread from House to house Their meeting together was on purpose and with express design to celebrate this Feast 1 Cor. 10. 20. When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper and downward Page 151 Then surely the Apostles saying that when you come together into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper c. Gives us ground to conclude that in his opinion eating the Lords Supper ought to be one constant end of our coming together Page 152. When the meeting of Christians came to be fixed to the first day of the week or the Lords day the breaking of bread was likewise brought to the same day so Acts 20. 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them Ans By all this the Author is labouring to get the time of celebrating the Lords Supper fixt which he hath said Christ did not prefix 2ly He passeth now from his first overtur that opportunity was the time when this celebration should be for a Stated time is now his pursuite 3ly As to this Stated time he hath two of them in hand the one is every day the other is the Lords
Day 4ly His arguments for every dayes celebration are Acts the 11. 46. They continued daily c. And 1 Cor. 10. 20. When ye come together c. 5ly The Apostles understood what Christ meant by these words Do this c. And if they made this Feast a constant part of their ordinary worship we may conclude Christ meant it should be so 6ly No Solemn Stated meetings of Christians without this Sacrament His arguments for the first day of the weeks being the time of celebration are Actâ— 20. 7. From which he saith two things may be observed 1st that the first day of the week was the Disciples time of publick worship 2d That the breaking of bread or Celebrating the Holy Eucharist was a part of that worship the Scripture is as plain for the one as the other 1st Now let the Reader observe that the Author having given up all claime to Scripture precept for the time of celebrating the Lords Supper he searcheth for it in Examples 2ly He bringeth Examples of different times from the Apostles practice 3ly He cometh close up to a Divine Institution for both these differing times because for every days partaking he saith the Apostles knew what Christ meant and if they made it a constant part of their worship Christ saith he meant it so also And for the other viz. The first day of the week he saith the Scripture is as plain for the Sacrament that day as for observing the day it self 4ly There being here two Apostolick practices of equal authority which of them is preceptive or oblidging to us If the Author say the latter of the two then how will he answer himself saying that the Disciples did meet every day 2 that at every meeting they did celebrate 3. And being a constant part of their ordinary worship we may safely conclude that Christ meant it should be so by the Authors arguments Then the daily celebration appeareth to have the greatest authority of the two what then shall be done next for fixing of the time No doubt he had best leave it as Christ himself did not confining us to a prefixed time and it 's evident that we cannot have the times when determined by Apostolick practices because in their own time the times of celebration were not one It will appear also by a more particular consideration of the places quoted Acts 2 46. Is expounded by judicious commentators to be only the Disciples ordinary food expressed by breaking of bread from House to house and as the remainder of that Verse sheweth they did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart The breaking of bread doth not alwayes signifie the Lords Supper Luke 24. 30. is ordinary food But the 42. Verse of the 2d of the Acts is the place where the Sacramental breaking is more clear and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and in Prayer but then it is not daily and 1 Cor. 11. 20. Sayeth no more but that sometimes yea frequently they did meet for the celebration of the Lords Supper but that they did never meet for worship on any other account but to celebrat the Lords Supper is dangerous for the Gospel was to be preached fully Christ commanded to teach all things whatsoever he had commanded them Matth. 28. and Acts 10. 42. He commanded us to preach to the people the Doctrine of Salvation and Christs gracious Transaction with sinners according to the Covenant of Grace was greater work and therefore more insisted upon by the Apostles than only the Sacramental Seal of the Covenant Therefore to say that their ordinary publick Assemblies for worship was on purpose as the Author saith Page 150 And one main design of their coming together Page 151 cannot be allowed for what is the Seal without the Doctrine and Covenant whereunto it is a Seal Observe also that tho' they came together at sometimes purposely for celebration of the Lords Supper as 1 Cor. 11 20. and Acts 20. 7. Yet this will not prove that all their meetings in Assemblies were on this account The Apostle Paul being by Gods merciful providence present with the people it was very expedient then to celebrate that they might be instructed by him in the right manner of celebration now leaving them Let the Reader also remember that by the Author the celebration of the Lords Supper was brought unto and fixed on the first day of the week Acts. 20. 7. And yet still he pursueth their celebrating at every meeting which was oftner than the first day of the week how he will reconcile and cement both I leave to himself for it 's past my reach to reconcil these The Primitive Christians did celebrate at every meeting 2. They did meet every day and 3. nevertheless it was fixed to the Lords day 4. And our Saviour design'd it should be a part of Gods Service in all the Solemn Assemblies of Christians which are on other days than the Lords day Let it be observed also that if they did meet daily for this purpose to celebrate then why is there any such peculiar remark on meeting on the Lords day for that purpose if all their meetings had been to celebrate There is reason from that Scripture Acts 20. 7. To conclude that there were ordinary Christian Assemblies on the first day of the week which were established by Christ himself before Paul was a Preacher for a religious memorial of his Resurrection and deliverance from all his Sufferings and on that day they did celebrate the Lords Supper But I could never see a Cogent argument from that Scripture proving the celebrating every Lords day because on that Lords day they did celebrate for there were most blessed Meetings on the Lords day when Christ himself was with his Disciples after his Resurrection And yet neither mention nor probability of celebrating his Supper as John 20. 19. On the first day of the week Jesus was with his disciples where there was a competent number as at the first Institution yet nothing of this celebration so Verse 26. after eight days again his Disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst yet nothing of this celebration so that we have neither prescription by Christ nor practice to give us example for celebrating every Lords day which is the more to be remarked that some of these times he did meet with them the Disciples were at meat when Christ came in among them as Mark 16. 14. And yet nothing of this Sacramental meat therefore the celebration was not every Lords day If any object that this celebration could not be where Christ was visibly present because he had said he would Drink no more of the fruit of the Vine until c. Ans Yet the Disciples might have celebrated by themselves but no mention of it is made But Page 150. Our Author saith that we do not find any Solemn Stated
brought in Transubstantiation which engageth the Papists to this worship because of Christs supposed bodily presence but this you do not pretend Page 138. Your directory does not require or allow the people so much as to signifie their assent by adding an Amen to Prayer or Thanksgiving but on the contrary you ridicule those that practise it Ans Our people signifie their assent by much more than the word Amen by attentive hearing the Word and being uncovered when the Word of God is read by joyning with the Minister in Prayer and standing up by singing of Psalms joyntly together c. Let the Authors Concession Page 36. be remembred where he saith Generally it is sufficient that the people joyn in their hearts with the words of publick prayer 2ly We commonly use the word Amen in conclusion of our Prayers wherein the people joyn in their hearts with the Minister as well as in the rest of the Prayer Yet 3ly under the New Testament it s to be observed that the prayers of the Apostles recorded are not found to be concluded with Amen But that which should make all men sober in their Censures on this account is that the Lords Prayer according to the Evangelist Luke concludeth not with Amen I am no ways against the use of it and for ridiculing others for using that word I never heard or knew any such thing they cannot be of our communion who will deride a Ministers concluding prayers with Amen for we use it ordinarly both in publick and privat Page 140. The third pretence Some alledge for their omitting this part of Gods Worship that they do not condemn bodily adoration but to stand up and kneel in the Congregation is so troublesom to them c. Ans This also is answered before it s not unwillingness to expend but as I said already all in the Congregation could not conveniently hear the prayer wherewith they are to joyn if conveniency were prepared for every ones kneeling and I have observed some in this congregation who were near kneeling in the time of publick prayer having conveniency for it but there is none with us to ridicule them for that practice tho the Author saith Page 143 That he could never learn that any one kneeled in our Meetings but I have learned it and seen it having better occasion to know it than the Author and he may by this time perceive it had been very advisable that in matters of Fact his assertions had been such as might have faced the Sun As for Paul and his company kneeling on the shore Act 20. Ans The Reader by this time will understand our principle as to kneeling in worship and all who know our way know it to be our dayly practice heartily wishing there were as many knees bowed to God in families of our neighbours as there are bowed in the Church CHAP. 5. Of the Lords Supper SECT 1. WHat the Holy Scriptures prescribe concerning the frequency of celebrating it Page 145. I shall confine my self to one point and that is the frequency of it as a publick act of Worship As to the frequency of Celebrating the Lords Supper I find many people of opinion that the Scriptures have determined nothing in it and that therefore it is left intirely to the discretion of Ministers how often they will Celebrat it Ans The Author writeth Page 147. That himself is of the same mind our Saviour has confined us to no place or prefixt time for the celebration of his Supper The Scriptures constrain the Author to this Concession but being granted it will break all the bones of his Arguments for seing Christ hath not prescribed the frequency Then who may presume to do it Shall not their prescriptions be found the Commandments of men I do not say but the circumstance of time must be appointed when this Ordinance shall be put in practice for it must be done in some time and that time must be determined for the Lords Supper requires preparation before receiving and therefore a competent allowance of time must be granted before the Celebration but seing our Saviour hath not prefixed the times nor told us how often we shall celebrat therefore men cannot make general Rules obliging all Christians to such or such prefixed times whether opportunities offer or not Because Christ hath given his Churchs liberty as to the precise times but particular Churches must consider and consult the publick edification of the people and accordingly such times must be appointed by these whom the Lord hath intrusted with the feeding of his flock and giving them their meat in due season Page 146 On this account every one is left to judge for himself when he will be a partaker of it as he thinks it most fit for his comfort and edification which makes the celebration and receiving it so Arbitrary a thing that many never receive it at all and the Universal neglect of it is become one of the crying sins of these Kingdoms and a great objection against the Reformation Ans A judgment of discretion must be allowed all men whom God hath endued with Reason and must not be driven to Act brutally without discretion but especially Christians are required to Act in receiving of the Lords Supper with the greatest discretion and deliberation being under that severe warning he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself and is guilty of the Body and blood of the Lord. A Christian thus warned must be perswaded in his own mind and dare not trust his preparation to the discretion of others knowing he must give an account to God for himself 2ly That seldom communicating is a crying sin Ans Where contempt of the Sacrament is the cause of not receiving no doubt but the sin is very crying but where there is no contempt or wilful neglect of that Ordinance but longing for some competent measure of preparation or opportunity for re-receiving without a strain to their Conscience which are the reasons why many seldom Communicat In these cases their seldom receiving will not be found so crying a sin as many other sins less noticed profaned Communions wheresoever common and horrid Swearers God dammees Adulterers Drunkards are admitted to be receivers the sin is more crying It is also a more crying sin to thrust from the Lords Table such as God hath prepared by imposing such Terms of Communion as these who would partake know to be sinful these are more crying sins wheresoever they are found besides blasphemies Idolatry contempt of Sabbaths Murders oppression breach of covenants and promises c. These and the like are far more crying sins than seldom receiving at the Lords Table where no contempt can be charged Page 147 The Lords Supper is substituted in the place of the Passover which was commanded by the Law to be celebrated once in the year Ans This occasioneth no dispute for it 's plain truth yet that the passover was but once a year
here offered in defence of the service of our Church and therefore lest you should be in the wrong it will be the safest way to be modest in censuring Ans For disowning your Communion and authority reasons shall appear which would have sleept if you had suffered them As for prejudices from your station tho' we cannot believe all implicitly because of your Character yet reason shall be treated with reason so far as we are Masters of it Your first demand is that we seriously weigh what is offered in defence Ans Defence implyeth some opposition or injury offered but how doth this appear what disturbance were we giving who have been the first aggressors We were silent and would have so continued had you not emitted so virulent a discourse against our manner of worship which men of understanding who know the times judge very unseasonable and however Ministers of the Gospel of peace above all other men should most pursue Peace Your book then not being defensive but offensive arraigning us for a self condemned people you have extorted this vindication Lest by silence the world think as you say that we are self condemned for who can be blamed for condemning the self condemned but that you may know how obsequious I have been to your commands in weighing what is offered I do now return the Result that having brought all your arguments to the ballance they are found light declaring withal if they had prependerat on your side I should soon have been Truth 's captive We are desired to be modest in censuring and to beware of scurrulous Reflections Ans What were our censures give instances of the censures and censurers for it 's not fair to insinuat the guilt of scurrulous reflections never instructed but if we be docile the Art of censuring is now taught us who contented our selves as occasion required to instruct our people and justify by the word of God our manner of worship without reflecting on others I can produce many witnesses who have heard me often publickly declare that I intended no reflection against those of another perswasion tho' I was oblidged to discover Scriptural grounds for our own perswasion and now suffer so much freedom as to understand your own Book hath occasioned more of this Nature in Pulpits than probably would been published in this Age by any of us so that if our people be better confirmed in their own way by more distinct and explicit knowledge of what they profess and practise they are partly indebted to such as have ministred the occasion Page 171. There is another thing that in justice I think I may request of you which is that in your worship and practice you will not make the difference between us seem greater than realy it is to abstain from a thing confessed to be lawful in the Service of God meer ly because observed by us is surely very far from a spirit of meekness and moderation and therefore I may hope that you will not Indulge your people in such affected distances c. Ans The Author 's diputing against reflections and yet with the same breath Reflecteth in alledging we abstain from that which we confess Lawful because observed by theâ— God knoweth we affect not but are grieved for these distances wishing we could with a safe Conscience joyn with our neighbours in the worship of God But that we abstain from that we confess lawful cannot be instructed have any of us said that your ceremonies are either lawful or indifferent When was that confessed and to whom And that we abstain meerly because they are observed by you is still judging of mens hearts and it may still be observed that when men presume on Gods prerogative they run on mistakes calling good evil and evil good for if your observing were our only rule for abstaining then we would not read the Scriptures we would not offer praises to God for you observe these things Who are the censurers now and to prevent this unwarrantable prying into mens thoughts I shall discover some of our real sentiments and then judge as God directeth I do freely acknowledge that this Stated separation especially where the reasons of it are not known is a lamentable scandale to the protestant profession which we should be so far from affecting that all good men are concerned to endeavour making up of the breach by all laudable means because these intestine divisions not only hardneth our common enemy and encourageth them to Act and hope for an intire dissolution of the protestant interest at last but they also discipate our own strength causeth decayes in the power of Godliness and our merciful God provoked to take his Kingdom from among us 2ly When men are duly concerned with the woe of these divisions then they will be sollicitous to discover their fountain culpable cause 3ly The only sure way to find out the culpable cause is diligently and humbly to search the word of God what he requireth of us as to worship and willing to offer the Trial of all our way to that touch-stone tho' it be so that the most erroneous pretend to Scripture and the Devil pretended scripture yet we must not reject them tho' he profaned scriptures yet our Saviour still made use of them and silenced him by them no doubt but Satan and his instruments have it for their grand design to bring the Scriptures into contempt by misapplying and wresting of them but whether shall we go If not to Gods Law and Testimony which he hath appointed a lamp to our feet our Blessed Redeemer being ready to open the Scriptures to such as attend and depend upon him 4ly When either particular persons or Societies have diligently searched the Scriptures abstracting from all former prejudices by education or custom and observe clearly what manner of worship God hath prescribed then these persons or Societies are oblidged to practice and adhere to that manner of worship on peril of their Souls lest if they should offer that which is not commanded of God they be found offering strange fire unto him and so be consumed in their iniquity 5ly No persons or Societies on earth are warranded to devise and impose Acts of worship which God hath not commanded and if they do impose them should not expect complyance since they Act above their Sphere and God must be obeyed rather than men 6ly Every rational creature must be allowed the exercise of that judgment of discretion wherewithal his maker hath endued him and every Christian must be perswaded in his own mind that his manner of worship is conformed to the Laws of his Lord Redeemer If it be objected that this liberty to every Christian introduceth anarchy and utter confusion I answer that to compell men to Act as brutes and prostrate their very Souls and consciences to the lusts of men is no mean of Gods appointment for maintaining of Order God needeth no finful means for governing the World but this is a