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
Councils since Scripture times at least there have beeen no such things nor any thing like them unless the Roman Empire yea a piece of it be the whole world I know therfore no humane Vniversal Laws whether it be for forms of Government Liturgies Holy dayes or any thing else Sect. 14. But the principal matter that tends to end our dâ—fference is the right understanding of the Nature of that Government that is properly Ecclesiastical What is it that we must have Diocesans and Metropolitans to do besides what I have granted to Apostolical Bishops in the third Dispute Is it to Teach or Rule the people of the particular Churches They cannot do it at so great distance not knowing them nor conversing with them at least so well as they that are on the place as the ancient Bishops were Is it to Rule the Presbyters only Why then hath not every Church a Bishop to Rule the flock but a Presbyter that is forbidden to Rule them in all that which they call Iurisdiction themselves And how is it that Presbyters shall be Ruled by Diocesans and the Diocesans by Provincials not by force For the Pastors have no coercive power by violence or touching mens bodies or estates Is it by bare commanding Why what will that do on dissenters that disobey shall they depose the Bishops or Presbyters that disobey them But how Not by any force but command or exhortation or Excommunication They can do no more that I know of And what if they excommunicate a Pastor Let the case be supposed as now it is among us What if a Bishop with the few that adhere to him excommunicated all the Pastors in the County that are not satisfied of the Divine Right of Diocesans or of the lawfulness of all his imposed Ceremonies and Forms The people will take it to be their duty most generally where the Ministry hath been savingly effectual to own their Pastors notwithstanding such an Excommunication and the Pastors will take it to be their duty to go on with their work and the excommunication will do no good unless perhaps to make some Division and make both parties the scorn of the ungodly or procure the rabble to rail more bitterly at their Pastors and hate all their advice be a desireable good And as when the Pope excommunicated them some Bishops again excommunicated the Pope so some of these Pastors its like would excommunicate their Metropolitans And why a Bishop or at least a Synod of Bishops may not cast a wicked Metropolitan out of their communion is past my understanding to conceive Synods are for Communion of Churches and if we had a Monarchical National Church in conformity to the Common-wealth I know not how it would stand with the Law of God for the whole Nation to hold Communion with an Heretical Primate A Roman Synod deposed John the thirteenth and other Popes have been deposed by Councils I conclude therefore that what ever power men claim if the Magistate interpose not which is extrinsick to the Church-Government in question it will work but on mens Judgements call it Deposing Excommunicating or what you please and this power no man can take from you but by hindring you to speak You may now depose thus and excommunicate whom you please and when they have sleighted it or excommunicated you again you will have done Nay I think you do excommunicate us already For you withdraw from our Communion and draw many with you and so you exercise your power I mean it of that party that in the second Disputation I have to do with Sect 15. Much of my Opposition to the English Prelacy dependeth on the supposition that they took all the people and not only the Presbyters for the objects of their Government or for their charge And I find some of the younger sort that are sprung up since their fall do doubt of this But 1. all men in England that knew but twenty year ago what belonged to these matters are past doubt of it And I have no mind to dispute against them that contradict the common knowledge of the Nation as if they should doubt whether we had ever a King in England 2. Read over the Canons and the yearly Visitation Articles which the Church-wardens ordinarily sware to present by before they had ever read the Book or heard what was in it and then judge 3. Their arguing for the sole Iurisdiction of Bishops and that they only were properly Pastors and that Presbyters had not the Key of Discipline but of Doctrine is some evidence 4. It is known to the Nation that the Pastors of the Parish Churches had no power by their Laws or sufferance to cast out any the most enormous sinner or Heretick from the Church nor to bring them to open confession of their sin nor to Absolve the penitent but by Reading of their Sentence and publishing what they sent from their Courts and consequently could do nothing of all the means in order hereto For the means cannot be used where the end is known to be impossible All the obstinate scandalous persons and scorners at a holy life we must take as members of our Churches having no power to cast them out Indeed we had the same power as the Church-wardens to put our names to their presentments But a power of accusing to a Chancellors Court is not a Power of Governing especially when Piety under the name of Preciseness and Puritanism was so hated and persecuted that to have accused a man for meer prophaness would have been so far from obtaining the end as that it was like to have been the undoing of the accuser except he had been out of the suspicion of Preciseness as they called it himself But I need not dispute the with any but those that being bred iâ— better times though far from what we desire are unacquainted with the casâ— of their Predecessor Sect. 16. Object But do you not contradict your self in saying the Pastors were degraded or suspended as to the exercise of so great a part of their work and yet say here Pref. to the Reformed Pastor that the Power of Discipline was given them Answ. 1. In their Ordination the Bishops said to them Receive the Holy Ghost whose sins thou dost remit they are remitted whose sins thou dost retain they are detained And in the Book of Ordination it was asked of them Whether they would give their faithful diligence always to administer the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and as this Realm hath received the same according to the Commandements of God And the Rubrick of the Common Prayer Book enableth the Curate to admonish open and notorious evil livers by whom the Congregation is offended and those that have wronged their neighbors that they come not till they have openly declared that they have repented and amended But 1. This doth but serve to leave them unexcusable that acknowledged Discipline to
out of the fire and to love our neighbours as our selves and therefore to see a man yea a town and Country and many Countries lie in sin and in a state of misery under the Wrath and Curse of God so that they will certainly be damned if they die in that condition and yet to be silent and not Preach the Gospel to them nor call them home to the state of life this is the greatest cruelty in the world except the tempting and driving them to hell To let the precious things of the Gospel lie by unrevealed even Christ and pardon and holiness and eternal life and the communion of Saints and all the Church Ordinances and withal to suffer the Devil to go away with all these souls and Christ to lose the honour that his grace might have by their conversion certainly this in it self considered is incomparably more cruelty to men then to cut their throats or knock them on the head as such and as great an injury to God as by omission can be done I need not plead this argument with a man that hath not much unmand himself much less with a Christian. For the one is taught of God by nature to save men out of a lesser fire then Hell and a lesser pain then everlasting torment to the utmost of his power And the other is taught of God to love his brother and his neighbour as himself If the Love of God dwell not in him that seeth his brother in corporal need and shutteth up the bowels of his compassions from him how then doth the love of God dwell in him that seeth his brother in a state of damnation Cursed by the Law an enemy to God and within a step of everlasting death and desperation and yet refuseth to afford him the help that he hath at hand and all because he is not ordained Sect. 24. Let this be considered of as in any lower case If a man see another fall down in the streets shall he refuse to take him up because he is no Physician If the Country be infected with the Plague and you have a Soveraign medicine that will certainly cure it with all that will be ruled will you let them all perish rather then apply it to them because you are not a Physitian and that when the Physitians are not to be had If you see the poor naked may no one make them cloaths but a Taylor If you see the enemy at the Walls will you not give the City warning because you are not a Watch-man or on the Guard If a Commander die in fight any man that is next may take his place in case of Necessity Will you see the field lost for a point of Order because you will not do the work of a Commander A hundred such cases may be put in which its plain that the substance of the work in which men can do a great and necessary good is of the Law of Nature though the regulating of them in point of order is oft from Positive Laws but the Cessation of the obligation of the Positives about Order doth not disoblige us from the common Law of Nature For then it should allow us to lay by humanity Sect. 25. To this some may say that Its true we may preach in such cases but not as Ministers but as private men and we may baptize as private men in Necessity but we may do nothing that is proper to the Ministry To this I answer God hath not made the Consecration of the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist nor yet the Governing of the Church the only proper acts of the Ministry To preach the word as a constant service to which we are separated or wholly give up our selves and to baptize ordinarily and to congregate the Disciples and to Teach and Lead them in Gods worship are all as proper to the Ministry as the other And these are works that mens eternal happiness lieth on If you would have an able gifted Christian in China Tartary Indostan or such places supposing he have opportunity to speak but occasionally as private men and not to speak to Assemblies and wholly give up himself to the work and gather Churches and set a foot all Church Ordinances among them you would have him unnaturally cruell to mens souls And if you would have him give up himself to these works and yet not be a Minister you speak contradictions For what 's the office of a Minister but a state of Obligation aod power to exercise the Ministeâ—ial acts As it s nothing else to be a Physitian supposing abilites but to be obliged and impowred to do the work of a Physitian The works of the Ministry are of Necessity to the salvation of mens souls Though here and there one may be saved without them by privater means yet that 's nothing to all the rest It is the salvation of Towns and Contreyes that we speak of I count him not a man that had rather they were all damned then saved by an unordained man Sect. 26. The End of Ordination ceaseth not when Ordination faileth the Ministerial works and the benefits to be thereby conveyed are the Ends of Ordination therefore they cease not This is so plain that I perceive not that it needs explication or proof Sect. 27. Nature and Scripture teach us that Ceremonies give place to the substance and matters of meer Order give place to the Duty ordered and that Moral Natural duties cease not when meer Positives cease But such is the case before us Ordination is the ordering of the work If that fail and the work cannot be rightly Ordered it follows not that it must be cast off or forborn On this account Christ justified his Disciples for plucking ears of Corn on the Sabbath day Necessity put an end to the Duty of Sabbath keeping but the duty of preserving their lives continued On this account he justifieth his own healing on the Sabbath day sending them to study the great rule Go learn what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifiâ—e So here he will have Mercy to souls and Countreyes rather then Ordination On this account he saith that The Priests in the Temple break the Sabbath and are blameless and he tells them what David did when he was hungry and they that were with him how he eat the shewbread which out of Necessity was not lawfull for him to eat but only for the Priests and yet he sinned not therein Sect. 28. Moreover the Church it self is not to cease upon the ceasing of Ordination nor to hang upon the will of Prelates Christ hath â—ot put it in the power of Prelates to deny him a Church in any countries of the world For he hath first determined that particular Churches shall be and that determination ceaseth not and but secondly that they shall have Pastors thus ordained He is not to lose his Churches at the pleasures of an envious or negligent man But so it would be
be Governours that some will obey them and some will not If therefore they think that some and many will incur the guilt of sin unto damnation by their disobedience they must have somewhat of greater worth then the souls of those men to encourage them to make those Laws For had there been no such Laws there would have been none of that transgression and consequently no damnation for it § 7. Yea 7. It is sufficient to prove that nothing but some Good may be the Matter of a Law in that they inflict penalties and so great penalties upon the breakers of them There must be a proportion between the Precept and the Sanction The Commination or penal part of the Sanction depriveth men of some Good and therefore it should command as great a good at least as it depriveth men of Especially when the penalty is to be cast out of the Church and service of God this is not to be done for nothing § 8. Quest. But is it not the Law that is the Rule of Moral Good and consequently nothing Good or Evill but as Conform or Disconform to the Law And if so then nothing but things indifferent must be commanded For all things are Morally indifferent till the Law take away the Indifferency by its precepts or prohibitions § 9. Answ. You must distinguish between Divine and Humane Laws and Primary and subservient Laws and between the several sorts of Good before mentioned And so I answer 1. The Law is not the Rule of Natural Good though it be of Moral And therefore that which is commanded is supposed to have some Natural Good or aptitude to be a Means of Good that so it may be the fit matter of a command 2. Gods Laws are the Primary Laws which are the first Rule of Moral Good Mens Laws are but 〈◊〉 to procure the due execution of Gods Laws And 〈◊〉 in the greatest cases the Indifferency is taken off before by the Law of God and mens laws are to second Gods Laws and rather to drive men on to that which already is their duty then to make them new duties Though New duties also they may make in subserviency to and for the performance of the Old But there must be a Physical Goodness which is the Aptitude of the matter to attain the End as a means before that matter can justly receive the impress of a command and be made a Duty Gods own Law of Nature is Antecedent to his Positive Laws and in supernatural Positives there is a supernatural adapting of the Matter before it receive the supernatural stamp of a Duty § 10. Object But if a Magistrate may not make Laws about Indifferent things then may he not make any Laws at all For Evill may not be commanded And that Good which God hath commanded already having a higher stamp then mans authority needs no such Law § 11. Answ. I have heard this Argument insisted on in the reign of the Ceremonies above any other but it deserveth not such high esteem For 1. The work of the Magistrate at least about the worship of God and so of the Pastors is not directly to make new duties but to procure Obedience to the Laws of God And therefore they are to command the same things again that God hath commanded and to forbid the same that he hath forbidden If a Magistrate make a Law and see it disregarded he may make another to quicken men to obedience and execution of the former 2. And this is not vain though it have the stamp of a higher authority before unless you will say that humane Government is vain For Magistrates are seen when God is unseen Corporal penalties are felt when Hell fire is unseen unfelt and too little believed Present things have an advantage for operation 3. And we grant that some things neither commanded nor forbidden before may be commanded or forbidden by a Magistrate so they be not Indifferent as to their Vsefulness and Aptitude to be a means for the obtaining of that which is the end of the command § 12. It is charged on Mr. Iacob by Dr. Iohn Burgess and others as an error that he thought nothing indifferent at all and Dr. Burgess confuteth him by instancing in various gestures in hearing where it is indifferent which we use and if I have two Eggs of a quality and quantity equal before me it is indifferent which I eat therefore c. § 13. To this I say 1. Many things simply considered are Indifferent as to marry or not marry which Paul disputeth of which yet being cloathed with accidents or Circumstances shall ordinarily be a Duty or a sin in the Vse to a particular person 2. Nothing is Indifferent between Lawfull and Vnlawfull but many things are Indifferent between a Duty and a Sin 3. I conceive that where any thing is Indifferent between Duty and sin in the Vse as Circumstantiated it is not actus humanus a proper morall act But as Permission is vainly numbred with proper acts of Law it being but a Non impedire a Negation of an act so Indifferency is as vainly annumerated to the products of a Law For there needs no act of Law to make a thing Indifferent that is Neither commanded nor forbidden For instance it is Indifferent for me to wink with my eyes ordinarily because it is not a Moral act that a man is to use his reason about to bring every twink of the eye to an Election or Refusal but we may leave it to Natural instinct So in Dr. Burgesses instances Whether I sit or stand at Sermon if I be equally disposed caeteris paribus is not a humane Moral act Whether I eat this Egg or that when they are equal is not a Moral act Nor do I properly Choose but take indifferently without choice And where there is no use of choice the act is not Moral except in the Intention of the end or in deliberating accesses Yet I grant that Moral acts may be exercised about these objects A scrupulous mind may be put to consider whether this Gesture or that this Egg or that is to be chosen but it must concâ—ude that neither is to be chosen but either to be taken Indifferently Which is but to say that the Deliberation was a Moral act but the choosing was not for it was but a Taking and not a Choosing And the Deliberation stopt before it came to a choice yea and purposely avoided it concluding that the object was not a Matter of choice and the act was not to be a Moral act Morality hath but two Species Good and Evil and Indifferency is no third Species but a Negation of Morality viz. of Good or Evil. § 14. Yet may one Accident take off the Indifferency and make the action Good or Evil. And though the Governours themselves should well weigh Accidents and prefer the chief and lay no more upon them then they deserve yet because the Accidents are oft distant and unseen and
are none of the prohibited Additions but left to humane determination But such is the form in question God hath bid us Preach but not told us whether we shall study a form of express words alwayes before hand but left that to prudence more instances will be added under the next Argument and therefore I shall now forbear them Argum. 2. The Prudential Determination of such Modes and Circumstances of worship as God hath left to humane Determinanation is Lawfull A stinted form or Liturgy may be such a Determination therefore a stinted form or Liturgy may be or is in it self lawfull The Major is past doubt if the Hypothesis be first proved that some modes and circumstances of worship are left to humane Prudential Determination And that 's easily proved thus Those Modes or Circumstances of worship which are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined of God in specie are left by God to humane Prudential Determination else an Impossibility should be necessary But many such there are that are Necessary in Genere but left undetermined of God in specie therefore many such are left to humane Prudential Determination The Minor is sufficiently proved by instances God hath made it our Duty to Assemble for his Publick Worship But he hath not told us in what place nor in what seats each person shall sit Yet some place is necessary and therefore it is left to mans Determination Nor hath he tied us for weekly Lectures to any one day nor on the Lords day to begin at any one certain hour and yet some day and hour is necessary which therefore man must determine of So God hath commanded us to read the Scriptures But hath not told us whether they shall be printed or written whether we shall read with Spectacles or without what Chapter we shall read on such or such a day nor how much at a time Ministâ—rs must preach in season and out of season But whether they must stand or sit or what text they shall preach on or how long and whether in a prepared form of words or not whether they shall use notes or not or use the Bible or recite texts by memory c. none of these things are determined by God and therefore are left to humane prudential determination Abundance of such undetermined circumstances may be enumerated about Singing Praying Sacraments and all duties Now that the form of Liturgy is of this nature is manifest God hath bid us Pray but whether in fore-conceived words or not or whether in words of other mens first conceiving or our own or whether oft in the same words or various and wheâ—her with a Book or without these are no parts of Prayer at all but only such undetermined Circumstances or Modes as God hath left to our prudential Determination And the forementioned Instances about Reading Preaching Singing c. are as pertinent to our question as this of Prayer they being all parts of the Liturgy or publick service as well as this Argum. 3. There are many express Examples in Scripture for forms of Gods service therefore they are unquestionably lawful The Psalms of David were of common use in the Synagogues and Temple-worship and also in Private and indited to such ends Hezekiah commanded the Levites to sing Praise unto the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer 2 Chron. 29.30 The 92. Psalm is entitled A Psalm or song for the Sabbath day Psal. 102 is entitled A Prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. The rest were of ordinary publike use Psalms are Prayers and Praises to God for the most part and both as Prayers and Praises and as Psalms they are part of the Liturgy 1 Chron. 16.7 On that day David delivered first this Psalm to thank the Lord into the hands of Asaph and his brethren The song of Moses is delivered in form Exod. 15. And the Saints in the Revelations 15.3 are said to sing the song of Moses Numb 10.35 36. there is an oft-repeated form of Moses prayer There is a form for the people Deut. 21.7 8. Iudg. 5. there is Deborahs Song in form There is a form of Prayer Ioel 2.17 Abundance more may be mentioned but for tediousness I shall now only add 1. That the Lords Prayer is a form directed to God as in the third person and not to man only as a Directory for prayer in the second person it is not Pray to God your Father in Heaven that his Name may be hallowed his Kingdom come c. But Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. And it seems by the Disciples words that thus Iohn taught his Disciples to pray Luk. 11.1 So that we have in the Scripture the mention of many set forms of service to God which therefore we may well use Argum. 4. It is lawful to pray to God in the set words that we find in Scripture but so to pray in the set words of Scripture is a form therefore a form is Lawful I do not here plead example as in the last Argument but the Lawfulness of praying in Scripture words They that deny this must be so singular and unreasonable as that there is no need of my confutation for the manifesting of their error And that it is to us a set form if we take it out of Scripture as well as if we compose it or take it out of another Book is past all question A multitude of the prayers of holy men are left on record in the Scripture beside those that were the prescribed forms of those times He that will but turn to his Concordance to the word O Lord and then to all the cited Texts shall find many score if not hundred Texts that recite the prayers of the Saints which when we use we use a form which we there find written Argum. 5. Christ hath left us his Approbation of such forms therefore we may use them His Approbation is proved 1. By his owning and citing Davids Psalms Luk. 20.42 24.44 c. 2. By his using a Hymn with his Disciples at the Passover or Eucharist which we have great reason to think was a form that had been of use among the Jews But however if Christ had newly then composed it yet was it a form to his Disciples 3. By his thrice repeating the same words in his own prayer 4. By his teaching his Disciples a form as Iohn taught his 5. By his never expressing the least dislâ—ke of the old Jewish custom of using forms nor doth Scripture anywhere repeal it or forbid it 6. The Apostles command the use of Psalms and Hymns which cannot be ordinary in the Church without forms All this proveth Christs approbation Argum. 6. If it be lawful for the people to use a stinted form of words in publike prayer then is it in it self lawful for the Pastors but it is lawful for the people for
imposed and thence foresee the effects or consequents that are like to follow § 11. Dist. 9. We must distinguish between the Commanding of such Ceremonies and the Obeying of such Commands It s one thing to ask whether it be necessary profitable or lawfull to Impose them and another whether it be necessary or lawfull to use them when commanded § 12. Dist. 10. We must distinguish between that which is Necessary or Profitable to the order or Peace of one Church or Nation and that which is necessary or profitable to the order peace or unity of many Churches or Nations among themselves or supposed to be so § 13. These Distinctions premised to remove ambiguity I lay down that which I conceive to be the truth in these Propositions following which having mentioned I shall re-assume and confirm such of them as seem of neerest concernment to the Question § 14. Prop. 1. Such Ceremonies as God hath wholly exempted from humane power to determine of or institute or hath given man no power to institute are not necessary or profitable to the Church nor may they lawfully be instituted by man § 15. Prop. 2. In such unlawfull Impositions it is a great aggravation of the sin if men pretend that they are the Institutions of God or that they have a Commission from God to institute or impose them when it is no such matter and so pretend them to be Divine § 16. Prop. 3. If things unlawfull either forbidden or that want authority are commanded as indifferent it is a sinfull command but if commanded as parts of Gods Worship or necessary to the Being or well being of the Church it is an aggravation of the sin § 17. Prop. 4. Things indifferent lawfull and convenient are sinfully Commanded when they are pretended to be more necessary then they are and as such imposed § 18. Prop. 5. A thing convenient and profitable is sinfully commanded when it is commanded on a greater penalty then the nature and use of it doth require and the common good will bear § 19. 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 all accidents § 20. Prop. 7. Some things may be lawfully and profitably commanded at one time and place and to one sort of People that may not be lawfully commanded at another time or to another people no nor obeyed if so commanded § 21. Prop. 8. Those Orders may be Profitable for the Peace of the Churches in one Nation or under the Government of one Prince that are not necessary or profitable in order to the unity or Peace of the Churches under divers Princes § 22. Prop. 9. There is no meer humane Vniversal Soveraign Civil or Ecclesiastical over the Catholick Church and therefore there is no power given to any from God to make Laws that shall universally bind the Catholick Church § 23. Prop. 10. If it be not our own Lawfull Governors Civil or Ecclesiastical but Vsurpers that command us we are not therefore bâ—und to obey them though the things be lawfull § 24. Prop. 11. The Commands of lawfull Governors about lawfull Ceremonies are ordinarily to be understood with exceptions though there be none exprest as that in certain cases it is not their will that such commands should bind us § 25. Prop. 12. It may be very sinful to command some Ceremonies which may lawfully yea must in duty be used by the subject when they are commanded § 26. Prop. 13. Though they are not Commanded nor called Necessary but professed to be indifferent yet constantly to use Indifferent things doth breed that custome which maketh them to be taken as necessary by the people and usually doth very much hurt § 27. Prop. 14. Yet certain things that are commonly called Ceremonies may lawfully be used in the Church upon humane imposition and when it is not against the Law of God no person should disobey the commands of their lawfull Governors in such things § 28. Having laid together these Propositions I shall review them in a very short explication and confirmation and insist more largely on those of chief concernment CHAP. II. Such Ceremonies as God hath forbidden or given man no Power to institute are not to be imposed on the Church as profitable or lawfull § 1. THAT some Ceremonies things commonly so called may Lawfully be commanded and some not me thinks should easily be yielded I meet with none tâ—at are against all indeed though some think the name Ceremony unfitly applyed to those Circumstances which they consent to And that any should think that the wit and will of Ceremonie-makers hath no bounds imposed by God is most unreasonable All the business therefore is to know what God hath authorized Governors to institute and what not § 2. And here they that claim a Power of introducing new Institutions must produce their Commission and Prove their power if they expect obedience For we are not bound to obey every man that will tell us he hath such Power § 3. For the right understanding of this it must be supposed as a Truth that all Protestants are agreed in that the written word of God is his law for the government of the universal Church to the end of the world and consequently that it is sufficient in its kind and to its use and consequently that nothing is to be introduced that shall accuse that law of imperfection or which did belong to God himself to have imposed by his law If we once forsake the Scripture sufficiency what ever the Papists or Infidels vainly say against it we have nothing left in which we may agree § 4. God hath already in his written Laws instituted his publick worship-ordinances and therefore he hath done it perfectly and therefore he hath not left it unto man to come after him and mend his work by making other ordinances of worship as to the substance of them He hath given us one faith and no man may preach another and one Baptism and no man may institute another and so of the like If any one bring another Gospel though an Angel he is to be accursed Gal. 1.7 8. § 5. Yet is it in the Power of man to determine of such Modes and Circumstances as are necessary to the prrformance of that worship which God hath instituted in his word And therefore lawfull Governors may in such cases bind us by their commands § 6. The things that are committed to humane determination are such as are commanded in general by God himself either in Scripture or nature but are left undetermined in specie vel individuo so that it is not a thing indifferent whether a choice or determination be made or not but only whether it be this or the other that is chosen by the determination But where the thing it self in genere is not necessary or no humane election or determination necessary because God himself hath determined
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
exercises He hath indeed given us the Lords Prayer which is our Rule for matter and Method and a lawfull form for words but he hath not tyed us to this only nor told us what words we shall use besides this whether we shall use words long before premeditated call'd a form or only such as are immediately or neer before our speaking premeditated or in speaking adapted to the matter in hand whether our premeditated prayers shall be expressed in our own words or such as are prescribed us by others whether such forms shall be expressed in Scripture words or not whether we shall sing the Psalms of David or compose any Evangelical Hymns our selves whether many Churches shall use one and the same form of words or various whether our Sermons and Catechisms and Confessions of faith shall be a studied or prescribed form of words or the matter and method only studied c These with many other such like are left by God as things undetermined that men may determine of them prudentially as occasions require according to his directions § 17. 11. He that hath commanded us to express our minds in severall cases about his worship as in Confession of our sins in Profession of our faith in choosing of our Pastors in Consenting to the casting out or taking in or restoring of members in renewing promises of obedience and the like hath hereby made a Profession necessary in general and so hath made it our duty to signifie our Consent in all these cases by some convenient sign For mans mind is not known to others but by signs But he hath not tied us absolutely to any particular sign If a Confession of faith be read and we are called to signifie our Consent or if we are called to signifie our Consent to be Church members or to be guided by our Pastors or submit to Discipline God hath not tyed us in such Cases whether we shall signifie this Consent by speaking or by subscribing our names Isa. 44.3 4 5. or by lifting up the hand or by laying it on a Book as in swearing or by standing up or such like A sufficient signification or Profession of our minds is necessary but the special sign is left to our own or our Governors determination Of which I shall speak more anon § 18. To this end and on these terms was the sign of the Cross used heretofore by Christians and to this end they used standing in publick worship every Lords day forbidding kneeling and afterward standing up at the Creed as also adoring with their faces towards the east c. They used these only as significations of their own minds instead of words As the Prophets of old were wont by other signs as well as words to prophesie to the people And as Eusebius tells us how Constantine measured the length and bredth of a man on the earth with his spear to tell the Covetous how little must serve them only a grave place after death And I dare not condemn the Cautelous use of such Professing signs as these Though the tongue be the chief instrument yet not the only instrument to express the mind and though words be the ordinary sign yet not the only sign Dumb men must speak by other signs And usually more silent signs are fitter for Assemblies to avoid disturbance And sometimes more Permanent signs as subscription or a stone or pillar of Remembrance as Iosh. 24 c. are more desirable And this is left to humane prudence § 19. And therefore I durst not have reproved any of the ancient Christians that used the sign of the Cross meerly as a Professing signal action to shew to the Heathen and Jews about them that they believed in a Crucified Christ and were not ashamed of his Cross. The occasionall indifferent use of this when it is meerly to this end I durst not have condemned Nor will I now condemn a man that living among the enemies of a Crucified Christ shall wear a Cross in his hat or on his breast or set it on his doors or other convenient place meerly as a professing sign of his mind to be but instead of so many words q. d. I thus profess my self the servant of a Crucified Christ of whom I am not ashamed Whether these things be fit or unfit the time place occasion and other circumstances must shew but the Lawfulness I dare not deny § 20. 12. He that hath commanded us to celebrate the publick worship and to preach pray praise God c. doth imply in this command that we must do it in some Gesture or other For it is impossible otherwise to do it But he hath not tied us to any one In prayer we may kneel or stand In singing Praises and Petitions to God we may kneel stand or sit At the Lords Table though we have an exmaple of sitting at the celebrating and receiving that Sacrament yet no express command nor a certain obligation It is therefore left to humane prudence to order our gestures by the general Rules of Order Decency Edification c. in Preaching Praying Hearing Singing Receiving c. For God hath not tied us himself to any one particular gesture § 21. 13. God that hath required us to celebrate his worship doth imply that we must do it in a decent Habit Nakedness is a shame Cloathing we must wear but he hath not told us what it must be Whether Linnen or Woollen whether black or white or of what shape and fashion This therefore is left to humane Prudence § 22. 14. God that hath commanded us to celebrate his Praise and other publick worship hath left it to our Liberty and Prudence to make use of such Helps of Nature or of Art as may most conduce to further our obedience and stand in a due subserviency to his institutions As for instance he that hath commanded us to study his word and works hath not prescribed me a certain Method for my studies nor told me what Languages or Sciences I shall learn or first learn nor what Authors I shall read in Logick Physicks Metaphysicks c. It is implyed that in all I use the best helps and in the best order that I can So he that bids me read the Scripture hath not tyed me to read only a Printed or only a Written Bible nor to read with spectacles or without He that hath commanded me to Preach hath not told me whether I must write my Sermon before or not or use Notes for the help of my memory or not but hath left these to be determined as general Rules and emergent accasions and circumstances shall direct us And he that hath commanded us to preach and pray hath not told us whether we shall use the help of a Book or not nor whether we shall use an hour-glass or a clock to measure our time by He that hath commanded us cheerfully and joyfully to sing his Praises hath not told us whether we shall use the meeter or
any melodious tune to help us or whether we shall use or not use a Musical Instrument or the help of more Artificial singers or choristers These are left to our reason to determine of by general rules which nature and Scripture have laid down § 23. 15. In Civil actions that are Religious only finally and by Participation and not any acts of special worship it is lawfull to use Symbolical Rites that are in their kind neer of kin to Sacraments in their kind and may be called Civil Sacraments such 〈◊〉 the sealing and delivery of Indentures or other Covenant writings and the delivery of Possession of a house by a Key and of the Temple by a Book and Bel-rope and of Land by a twig and turf and of Civil Government by a Crown or Scepter or Sword c. And such is the use of a Ring in Marriage § 24. 16. Though God hath commanded that certain persons thus and thus qualified shall be elected and ordained Ministers of Christ and separated to the Gospel of God yet hath â—e not nominated the individual persons but left it to man to choose them according to the directions that he hath given them Prudence therefore is here the judge § 25. In all these cases it is no usurpation nor addition to the word or institution of God for man to determine It is but an obeying of Gods commands All these are Necessary in their Genus and commanded us of God and the Species or individuals in the last case no where by the word of God determined of so that if we must not determine of them our selves the Scripture should contradict it self or oblige us to natural impossibilities Had God said Thou shalt Pray at some Time Place in some Habit Gesture c. but neither I nor thou shall determine what this had been no better § 26. Most of these forementioned particulars are but abusively or improperly called Ceremonies they being only the determination of Circumstances and Modes and subservient common helps which are Religious only Relatively and by Application being in themselves but such common modifications as are necessary in Civil and Common moral actions Yet because the word Ceremonie is an equivocal let them be so called § 27. Though all these things are left to humane Determination and so are Indifferent in themselves before yet may they become Accidentally Necessary or unlawfull And though man must Determine of them yet not as he list without a Rule but by those sufficient General directions which God hath given in Scripture and the End and Nature of the work And to cross these directions is a sin in him that doth determine § 28. Though all these are left to humane Prudence yet not alwaies to the Governors to be passed into Laws and forced on the subjects Most of the points forementioned ought not to be statedly determined by Law but left to him that is upon the place to determine of according to variation of occasions of which anon § 29. Yet if just Authority shall injuriously determine of them it may be the subjects duty to obey except in some cases to be after mentioned Because they are not matters aliene to their Power and without their line but only its an imprudent over-doing in a work that is belonging to them in its manner and season to be done § 30. Having shewed you what man May determine of in worship I shall next shew you what he may not determine of or what is exempted from his power And 1. Some things as to the Substance 2. Other things only as to the Manner are out of mans power § 31. 1. No man may bring a New Revelation which he received not from God whether it be about greater or smaller points and say to another or himself This you or I are bound to believe by a Divine faith For nothing but a Divine Revelation can be the material object of a Divine faith § 32. 2. And as far is it from the power of this man to say I received not this from God but yet you are bound to believe it as from me with a faith as certain and confident as a faith Divine For this were to equall man with God § 33. 3. And far is it from the power of man to obtrude at all upon another any supernatural matters and Command him to believe them though but with a humane faith when he cannot prove that the things are committed to him nor give men an Evidence of their Credibility He may not say Though God revealed not these supernatural matters to me yet hath he given me Authority to command you to believe them or made it your duty to believe them when I speak them though without Evidence of Credibility So that here are three sorts of things about matters of Belief that man may not do The first is that he may not Counterfeit a Divine Revelation and the 2. is he may not command men to believe his lawfull humane testimony with a faith equall to Divine and 3. he may not command so much as a humane faith to supernatural assertions which he had no authority to utter I speak this about mens power in matters of faith as preparatory to that about worship § 34. In like sort 1. Man may not say This God hath commanded you in or about his worship when it is not so For this were to belie God and to add to his Law as if it said that which it doth not say Here none I hope will gainsay me § 35. And 2. No man may of his own head Command any thing in or belonging to the worship of God but he must have either a Special or General warrant and command from God himself to do it Gods Law must either make the thing Necessary in specie and so leave man nothing about it but to second it by his Law and see it executed or else Gods Law must make the thing Necessary in genere and so leave man to determine of the species as is oft said But where neither of these are done by God man hath no Power for the imposing of that thing § 36. More particularly 1. God hath not left it to the Power of man to add to the ten commandments any universal precept for obedience 2. Nor to add to the Lords Prayer and other holy Scripture any general article of request to God 3. Nor to add any officers to his Church that are strictly Divine or for Divine uses 4. Nor to add any substantial ordinance of worship 5. Nor to add any substantial part of holy Discipline 6. Nor to institute any new Sacrament in the Church or any thing that hath the Nature of a Sacrament though it have not the name § 37. It seemeth to me that Mystical signs stated by man in Gods publick worship directly to work grace on his soul from God and that as instituted and also to oblige man to God again are unlawfully brought into the Church § 38. By