the Apostles themselves would in all likelihood throw the Power of Ordination out of the Church of God at this day especially if we stand upon the due Election and Qualification of Persons so claiming Succession from the Apostles themselves And because due Qualifications and Election is as necessary to a true Minister of Christ as Ordination seeing it 's most certain that unless God do first make Men Ministers it 's impossible for the Church rightly to make them Ministers We shall here add That besides his moral Vertues and Spiritual Gifts he that is regularly called to the Ministry must first be a true Member of the Church and chosen by a true Church to that sacred Employment And then we may boldly yet modestly suppose that true Ordination at least in some part of it is only found in the Congregations of Baptized Believers at this day For where true Baptism is not Ordination cannot be regular Again due Election is found amongst them whilst neglected both by Papists and Prelatists And further the true Form and Order of Ordination is found in our Churches The first is evident of it self No Baptism no due Ordination is a Truth without exception among all that own Ordination And for the second 't is certain none are ordained to any Office in the Baptized Churches till elected by the consent of the Church or the Major part to whom they are to minister And herein they follow the Footsteps of the Apostles Acts 1. when one must be chosen in the room of Judas the 120 which was the whole Assembly allowed the choice of two and good reason there is that where all are equally concerned they should all be satisfied in the choice of such as to whom they commit the care and feeding of their Souls When the seven Deacons were to be ordained the whole Church is consulted Acts 6. and the Election made by them who knew the qualification of the Persons And as holy Scripture so Antiquity stands with us in this case The Nicene Council writing their minds to the Church at Alexandria concerning some that were to succeed other Bishops gives these Directions If so be they shall seem to be worthy and the People shall chuse them What Rules were to be observed in respect of their worthiness for Ministerial Employment may be gathered from Clement Epist ad Corinth Having saith he made trial of them by the Spirit to be Bishops and Deacons And again Others well approved of should succeed into the Office and Ministry who therefore have been constituted by famous and discreet Men with the good liking and consent of all the Church and who withal have of a long time had a good Testimony from all Men. Leo gives the same direction Epist 84. c. 5. charging That none be ordained against the Wills and Petitions of the People And again Epist 49. The Custom was that he should be chosen of all that was to be over all and wills that the liking of the People and their Testimony be sought That in Ordinations the Rules of the Apostles and Fathers ought to be observed that he that is to be over the Church should not only have the Allowance of the Faithful but the Testimony also of them that are without Cyprian is as clear for us Ep. l. 1. The People who full well and perfectly know the Life of him that is to be ordained Bishop are to be present and to be chosen with their allowance who know the Conversation of every one And he brings Salinius his Colleague for Instance who was chosen by the Voice of the whole Brotherhood and the Judgment of the Bishops which came together Each Church stands free saith Dr. Bilson Perpet Govern by God's Law to admit maintain and obey no Man as their Pastor without their liking and that the Peoples Election dependeth on humane Fellowship and first Principles of humane Society and Assemblies Dr. Field informs us That this Right of the People hath been invaded many ways 1. By great Personages and Magistrates 2. When the Bishops grew to great Pomp and the Clergy began to be enriched by Benefices Elections were and to this day are made according to the Interests of the Rich and Strong whilst the People are not only deprived of but become ignorant that any Right remains in them to chuse their own Ministers or Pastors Now this Privilege tho lost in most National Churches is restored and maintained in the Baptized Churches where none are elected Messengers Bishops or Deacons without the free Choice of the Brotherhood where such Elections are made And after such Election of Persons of known Integrity and competent Ability we proceed to Ordination with Fasting and Prayer and the laying on of Hands according to the Scripture Acts 13. 3. When they had fasted and prayed they laid their Hands on them and sent them away Thus for the Ordination of Messengers which after the manner of some are called Bishops Acts 14. 23. And when they had ordained them Elders in every Church and prayed with Fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed Acts 6. 5 6. And they chose Stephen a Man full of Faith and of the Holy-Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas whom they set before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their Hands on them Thus for the Ordination of Deacons All which Apostolical Practices are religiously restored and observed in the Churches of the Baptized Believers without any devised Adjuncts of our own or others By all which it may appear they have a lawful Call to the Work of the Ministry Here I meet with an Objection 'T is doubted by some whether a Man having received Ordination as a Presbyter may afterward have Ordination as a Messenger of the Churches of Christ the Objector supposing that the first Ordination is sufficient only the Church must give him another Commission This Objection I answer three ways 1. By Antiquity 2. By Reason 3. By Scripture 1. Antiquity is directly against this Objection being rather for a threefold Ordination than only one as I shall shew by and by But first I marvel how the Objector would give a Man a Ministerial Commission without Ordination the Church having no other way at all to give Commissions but by Ordination nor can any Man tell us how she can give her Commissions Ministerial but by the very Act of her Ordination and according to the Nature of her Ordination such and no other is her Commission Now our Ancients understood this and therefore did usually bring Men gradually to the degree of a Bishop i. e. a Messenger according to the Scripture Bishop or Overseer being a Name common to Elders in the Primitive Times Thus Chrysostom was first ordained a Deacon then a Presbyter after that he was ordained Bishop of Constantinople by Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria And saith the learned Bilson In the Primitive Church they were first Deacons and upon Trial when they had ministred well and were found blameless they were admitted to be Elders and after that if their Gifts and Pains so deserved they were called to an higher degree so that every one by the ancient Discipline of Christ's Church before he could come from ministring to governing in the Church of God received thrice or at least twice Imposition of Hands 2. Reason tells us that every Man that is called to the Work of the Ministry ought to have a Commission that is an Ordination commensurable to his Ministry It is Christ's peculiar to give Commission by the Word of his Mouth only the Church cannot do so she must confer Ministerial Authority in some solemn Rite or Ceremony This is plain in the case of Deacons it was not sufficient for the Apostles to say of Persons eminently qualified we order or appoint them to serve Tables or look ye to the Poor But besides their great Qualifications and Election they must receive their Commission or Authority by Prayer with the laying on of hands else they have no Commission In like 〈…〉 be solemnly ordained before the Holy-Ghost hath made him an Overseer of the particular Flock committed to his Charge And then in reason if he have a far greater Charge afterward committed to him he has need of a Commission that is an Ordination for other Commission there is none to enable him to take care of many Churches and to plant new Churches in the World We read not of any Messengers that acted as such in that great Trust without an Ordination agreeable to their Work and it is ill venturing to send Men out with a Commission too short for their Employment it being irrational so to do and without any good Example Let us see then what the Scripture will say in favour of our Answers 3. The Apostles had a twofold Apostleship the one limited to the Jewish Nation Mat. 10. the other of extent to all Nations Mat. 28. If they were ordained to either then they were ordained to both and the latter seems to be the more solemn and formal Ordination not only for that when Christ had given them Order what to do he lift up his Hands and blessed them Luk. 24. 50. but also gave them Order to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endowed with Power from on high When their Work was particular or limited they had a limited Commission when their Work was universal they had an universal Commission Sure the Church who hath no way to give Commissions but by Ordination shall do well and wisely to follow Christ the Author of all her Power when she delegates or gives it forth to any of her Ministers This Answer may suffice yet we add Barnabas is confessed to have been one of the Seventy Disciples and had a divine Authority from Christ to preach the Gospel to the Jews but when he is sent to preach to the Gentiles he hath a new Commission even an Ordination as appears Acts 13. FINIS Psal 90. 2. Rev. 4. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 17. Psal 147. 5. Prov. 15. 3. i See the 35th of Elizabeth Luk. 2. 22 23 24. Exod. 13. 2. Lev. c. 12. Socrat. l 6 c. 12 13.
teach Thus these two Pillars of the Protestant Reformation are so far from deriving their Call to the Ministry through the Papacy as some late Protestants pretend to do that they do utterly reject any Ordination which comes from them Nor was Luther and Beza ordained after they came from the Papists Mr. Stub's Occas Quaer But Beza is said to defend his Call to the Ministry by Instances of those that were called extraordinarily as Isaiah Daniel Amos Zecharias c. These things premised we may assume that either of these ways as approved by our Reformers respectively could we go to defend our Call to the Ministry as well as they Being first many of us ordained by those who received Ordination from you and some may run with you to Bishop Cranmer who was ordained by the Papacy and then proceed till we come up to Clemens or Lucius and so to St. Peter And as for the pretence of Beza or Luther about their extraordinary Call it 's not impossible for us to give as fair a Demonstration of it as either of them specially if we take the Rules given by Mr. Beza to judg of such a Call by to be cogent viz. good Life sound Doctrine and the Election of the People But to be plain we do not very well like either of these ways Not the first it is so sordid as that the Papists themselves in deriving their Call through the Papacy are forced to take it from so many false pretended Popes or Diabolical Popes even Witches and Devils incarnate by their own confession that they make but a lamentable Succession of it in the end And especially if Stapleton may be regarded tho a Papist who tells us That it is not a bare and personal Succession but lawful Succession which is a note of a true Church and defineth that to be lawful Succession when not only the latter succeeds into the void rooms of those that went before them being lawfully called thereunto but also hold the Faith which their Predecessors did Now let this Rule be honestly stood by and we are sure the Papists shall never be able to prove a Succession of many points of their Faith and Doctrines from the Apostles whilst the World stands and consequently neither can the Protestants derive a lawful Succession from them We like not the second way for we will not compare with Isaiah Daniel Amos nor Zechariah in respect of their immediate Mission But this we say That our Call to the Ministry is no otherwise extraordinary than our Call to believe the Gospel is so or as it stands clear from all the idle Ceremonies used by Papists or others in their Ordinations or as it is ordered as near as we can according to the Word of God And is the sacred Word of Power to beget us to God and by the assistance of his Spirit to make us his Children or Christians and is it not of Power or Authority sufficient to enable us to worship God in his own Ordinances which were made for Christians and not Christians for them This seems justly ridiculous We make no doubt but that it 's easy with God and no extraordinary thing to raise a People to himself in a Nation where all have corrupted the way of Christianity or lost the State and Praise of a true Church meerly through his Blessing upon the reading and diligent searching of the Scriptures I speak of a Nation where the Scriptures are received as that is our case The Truth is all the ways of God's Worship are in the Word made ready for us and laid at our Doors and we do but take up gladly what others let lie as useless things that they may hug their own Devices But now to silence a Papist for ever which some will think to be a difficult undertaking do they not allow even by the Pen of the Learned Bellarmine chap. 7. that even an Heathen that is not baptized may administer Baptism in case of Necessity And this they esteem a valid Baptism And why then may not we when God hath opened our Eyes to see any other Truth as well as that enter upon the dutiful observance of it in the best way we can our Circumstances especially the case of Necessity being considered For is not Necessity as good a Warrant to take up the practice of or to restore one Truth as well as another Certainly one Ordinance is as sacred as another and where Churches are setled ought to be dispensed in the most honourable way and by the most fit Instruments even Christ's Ministers Wherefore till the Papists shall recal their opinion about Baptism and prove a Succession as necessary to Baptism as Ordination they can with no shew of reason insist upon the necessity of Ordination to be founded upon Succession But further It 's evident from the Scriptures Acts 13. that a Succession is not necessary to true Ordination for tho the Apostles were yet living it was not thought necessary that they should impose Hands upon Barnabas and Paul but this is done by gifted Men or the Prophets that were in the Church at Antioch The only question here to be resolved is Whether this laying on of Hands was for Ordination The Papists do hold it was some Protestants deny it but some Protestants do affirm it Mr. Churchman in his History of Episcopacy tells out of Chrysostom That tho Paul was an Apostle neither of Men nor by Men yet as for the Work to which he was separated ask the said Father saith he and he will tell you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it was the Office of an Apostle and that he was ordained an Apostle here that he might preach the Gospel with greater Pewer And certainly that he had not the Apostleship before may be made manifest by that which followed after But tho some Protestants doubt whether this were Paul's Ordination tho the matter is clear of it self yet here is the Ordination of Barnabas without all question and then it is evident that there was an Interruption of Succession in the case of Ordination even in the Apostles Days and therefore by no means to be held to be necessary in our Days who are so far removed from the times of the Holy Apostles that in vain do Men think to find a clear and undoubted Succession of any one Ordinance from them Wherefore we may safely conclude that where the Truth of the Gospel is received with the Gifts of God's Spirit as that was the case at Antioch there is a sufficiency of Power on the Persons so gifted with the advice of the Church to send forth or appoint Men to the work of the Ministry altho 't is true this course is most warrantable in the case of necessity and in no wise to be done in contempt or wilful neglect of that way which is more ordinary and regular Howbeit to tye all Power of Ordination so strictly to the Persons of Men ordained by such as were ordained by
The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS CONTAINING I. His humble Resolution to be a constant Conformist to the Scriptures and especially in these four great Duties viz. 1. To Honour all Men. 2. To Love the Brotherhood 3. To Fear God 4. To Honour the King According to 1 Peter 2. 17. II. His unfeigned endeavour for Unity in the Truth with the Church of England wherein is shewed what 〈◊〉 a distinction in Communion between the Parochial 〈…〉 those of the Baptized Believers Wherein fourteen 〈◊〉 lately published by Mr. N. T. M. A. in defence of Infant-Baptism are considered and answered III. His Plea for Church-Assemblies to be permitted to the Baptized Believers To which purpose is declared IV. The Nature of his Call to Christianity and to the work of the Ministry OCCASIONED By the great and long continued Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation BY THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ Job 21. 4. As for me is my complaint to 〈◊〉 And if it were so why should not my Spirit be troubled Causabon's Birth of Heresy c. 3. p. 11. In all Ages Men have never been contented with the true Adoration instituted by God But instead of external Signs instituted by God they have forged and brought in their own Inventions London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1684. The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them and all Christians to study to be Quiet and do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in two Sermons upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. By THOMAS GRANTHAM a Servant of Christ My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Prov. 24. 21. But whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye Acts 4. 19. London Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Tho. Fabian at the Bible in St. Paul's Church-yard 1674. To all the Baptized Believers in England c. Grace and Peace through Christ our Lord be multiplied THE great Apostle St. Paul having taught the Christian Churches in Creet their Duties towards God and towards Caesar and leaving Titus a Messenger of the Churches behind him there very strictly warns him to put them in mind of their Subjection to Principalities and Powers and to obey Magistrates Knowing how impossible it would be to propagate the Profession of Christianity if Christians did not adorn their Profession with a meek and harmless Conversation towards all Men and especially by their Obedience to those in Authority And considering the manifold Temptations that attend Christians in these days upon that account I thought it my Duty as one that has obtained Mercy to be faithful to do my best in giving warning to my Brethren lest any of them should be ensnared with ill Principles or specious Pretences to speak or do any thing that may be inconsistent with Gospel-Rules either in things relating more immediately to Almighty God or to the King's Majesty and those that are in Authority under him Such heady Persons there were in the Apostle's Days and therefore the less strange if now some such be found in the best of Churches as are not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities All Ages and sorts of Christians have been troubled with such Evil-Workers And as it hath been the care of faithful Men all along to protest against them that the Truth which such Wretches only prophane by their Profession of it might not be worse thought of because of them So let it be our care to bear a faithful Testimony against all such in these Days And I beseech you Brethren whom God hath made as Guides to the rest that you give all diligence to teach and instruct those under your Charge in the Duties which pertain to every state of Life as well as in things which pertain to the Worship of our Gracious God For these are the things which become sound Doctrine and of these our Obedience to Magistrates is not the least I commit the ensuing Discourses to the Consideration of all Christians and to the Blessing of God and remain Your Brother and Servant in the Gospel THO. GRANTHAM The Loyal Baptist OR AN APOLOGY FOR THE BAPTIZED BELIEVERS BEING ALSO An Earnest Persuasive to them all to study to be Quiet and to do their own Business in these important Particulars VIZ. I. To Honour all Men. II. To Love the Brotherhood III. To Fear God IV. To Honour the King Delivered in several Discourses upon 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood Fear God Honour the King THis great Apostle St. Peter having preached Christ in many Countries thought it meet to leave some Monuments of his holy Doctrine with all the Churches And having in two sacred Epistles assured them of the certainty of the Doctrine which he had preached and that it was no Fable or new Device but the very Truth which from the Beginning God made known to his Prophets He then exhorts them to Stedfastness and to hope to the end for the grace or fulness of Glory which shall be brought to all true Christians at the revelation or second coming of Christ He warns them to beware of Sin chiefly that root of Malice Envy and Hypocrisy for these are usually complicated in one for as it gave being to all our Misery and has been all along the ruine of Nations Churches and Communities so we are advertised that it will abound towards the end of the World To avoid this damning Iniquity we are willed to consider our new Birth and as new-born Babes to evidence our delight to be in the sincere Milk of the Word of God not in the Vanities of this World where we are but Pilgrims and Strangers assuring us that as Christ is the sure Foundation to support his Church So however some Builders do set him at naught he is the Head of the Corner and will certainly in time confound the Disobedient 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Howbeit lest Christians should be too impatient of the seeming delay of Christ's Exaltation and of the manifold Tribulations which in the mean time they must suffer he further warns them to be of an obedient and submissive Spirit to such as are in Authority and to adorn their Profession by an honest Conversation as the best way to silence their Opposers For so is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2. 15. For tho it be very true that all Christians are the Lord's Freemen 1 Cor. 7. 22. yet they may not maliciously despise any Man nor dishonour any Man much less any that are in Authority Christianity being indeed the greatest Obligation that any Man can be
under to preserve and chearfully to give to all their Dues in respect of Love Honour Fear Tribute Custom c. God is to have the things which are God's Princes the things which are theirs and all Men as well those that are not Christians as those that are must have that Love and Honour which is their Due even from the Servants of Christ Thus then we approach the Text which calls upon us to Honour all Men Love the Brotherhood to Fear God and to Honour the King In which Directions is briefly contained the whole duty of a Christian Man As 1. His Duty in general to Mankind Honour all Men. 2. His particular Duty to the Church of God Love the Brotherhood 3. His special Duty to Almighty God Fear God 4. His Obedience to the Higher Powers Honour the King In opening these Words we shall consider the genuine import of them 1. Honour all Men. 1. The Word Honour here according to the Greek may be understood thus Esteem all Men highly value all Men at an high Price or count them precious And hence Tremelius reads the place Omnem Hominem in Honore habite have all Men in high Esteem or Honour And in this Direction is implied that lowly and gracious Spirit that friendly and amicable Temper which all Christians should have and evidence towards Mankind for he that is not of a lowly Spirit cannot Honour all Men. 2. By All Men we must not here admit of the exception of any Man as such but forasmuch as they are all the Off-spring of God it is the Will of God that a due esteem be given to them all as the most noble part of his Creation under the Sun And but a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. 2. Love the Brotherhood By Love here we may safely understand a more special kind of Love than that which we owe to all Men which is well expressed in the 2 Epist of John Whom I love in the Truth for the Truths sake which dwelleth in us Hence some of our Translators render the Words thus Love Brotherly Fellowship And the Rhemists tells us that This Speech often commendeth the Vnity of all Christians among themselves 3. Fear God The Original imports an awful dread or such a Fear as causeth Trembling and 't is the same Word used Mat. 10. 28. where it is evident such a Fear is intended But rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell By the Fear of God therefore in this place we must understand the dutiful Observance of his revealed Will for so the Fear of God is sometimes taken as ever we expect to see his Face with Comfort and here the Fear of Man is excluded because it brings a Snare Prov. 29. 25. and is a fatal prevention to the Service of God 4. Honour the King 1. The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not barely signify Honour or Esteem in this place but a magnificent or splendid kind of Honour for so hath the Lord ordained for his Vicegerents giving them the Title of Gods in Psal 82. 6. 2. It is carefully to be considered what King is immediately meant in our Text he could be no King of Israel for the Kings of Israel had failed long before this Epistle was written and tho Christ was born King of the Jews yet he did not enter upon his Regality with respect to the Government of that nor any other Nation but plainly tells us His Kingdom is not of this World Nor did the Apostle speak of any Christian King for as yet None of the Princes of this World knew Christ 1 Cor. 2. 8. The King therefore here immediately intended was an Heathen King the King of the Romans who at that time as Historians relate was both of very wicked Life and Idolatrous in his Religion calling himself Pontifex Maximus as being chief about the Worship of Jupiter And yet S. Peter will have him honoured even by those who had put themselves under the Yoak of Christ their Heavenly King And St. Paul expresly requires the same Rom. 13. 1. Wherefore from the Text thus explained we should learn these four things I. That Christians must by no means be of an haughty scornful nor wrathful Spirit towards any Man but of an humble and gentle Behaviour to pay the Debt of Honour to all and to esteem them precious II. Brotherly Fellowship Love and Concord are to be sought for and maintained by all Christians one with another as such III. Christians must have an awful Fear of God before their Eyes that in Matters of Religion they may serve him only and not provoke him by sinful Courses nor by the Fear of Man IV. Christians are bound by Gospel-Rules to be good Subjects to Princes to honour their Persons and conscienciously to obey their Authority These Propositions do harmonize with the Doctrine which is according to Godliness For the First That Christians must by no means as they tender their claim to the venerable Title of Christian and to any part in the Kingdom of Christ be of an haughty scornful or wrathful Spirit against any Man is a Doctrine needful to be proclaimed by an heavenly Herald by the Voice of an Archangel even to that part of the World called Christendom For who can sufficiently bewail the almost utter Absence of this gracious Spirit which abounded in the Author and first Professors of Christianity and the undeniable Appearance of a Spirit of a quite contrary nature at this day in all parts of the World where Christ is named From whence come Wars and Fightings Come they not hence even from Pride as it is written Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention What greater Injuries Indignities and Dishonours can be offered by Mortals one towards another than are amongst the several Orders professing Christianity yea very often by Men of the same Order one towards another So very far are the generality of Christians from obeying the Voice of our Text. And look how far they are gone from the Spirit of Humility and Tenderness which leads all that have it to esteem Mankind very precious so far they have lost the Christian Religion as will appear in proving the first Proposition To which purpose 1. We shall give precendency to our Lord Christ who perceiving an haughty Spirit peeping forth in his chosen Disciples even then whilst the very Mirror of Meekness and Humility was before their Eyes does solemnly denounce unto them and in them to all Christians that except they were converted and became as little Children they should by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Luke 18. 15. And therewithal gives notice of a Wo impending or coming upon the World from that Spirit of Pride and Ambition in this so early an appearance of it which yet notwithstanding seems to have over-run the Church in all Ages to the Scandal of Religion But would so small a Fault in the chosen Disciples as it may seem in
given to Swearing Lying Drunkenness and lascivious Talking as God knows a great Number of the Members of the Church of England are known to be such your Discipline seems to have no power in such Cases for thus saith one of your own Ministers Who minds Canon 109 that prohibits common Swearers common Drunkards notorious Whoremasters and Whores c. from the blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Do not even Bishops hear Men swear a thousand Oaths and either do not or dare not use any Discipline against them But now if a good Man do not stand up and bow to the Altar at the Name of Jesus when the Creed is read because he dares not pay greater Reverence in a religious way to any Writing than he pays to the holy Scriptures If he dares not use the Sign of the Cross in Baptism nor sprinkle his Child c. then shall he be prosecuted as a great Sinner cast to the Devil and laid in Prison yea he is sentenced already For in Canon 6. thus we read Whosoever shall affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England are superstitious or such as Men who are zealously and godlily affected may not with any good Conscience approve them use them or as Occasion requireth subscribe unto them let him be excommunicated ipso facto and not restored until he repent and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors 4. Thus as we conceive the Discipline of Righteousness Mercy and Charity established by Christ is laid aside and a Mercenary Court set up holding the Traditions of Men instead of Christ's Institutions in Ecclesiastical Government who also live voluptuously upon the Sins of the People But as for the Reformation of evil Manners or the making Peace and Concord alas it is not sought for nor indeed expected from these Courts And as the Reverend Grosthead said at Rome when he saw all things ruled by Money so may I say of the Courts under consideration O Money Money what wilt thou not do there As for the opprobrious Language prohibited by the Canon we think it uncomely for any to use it tho we dissent from the Ceremonies themselves SECT IV. Concerning Imposing of Ceremonies 1. ALL Divine Ceremonies ordained by Christ or his Apostles we reverence and religiously observe and keep as they were delivered 2. That any Church since their days hath just power to make and ordain Divine Ceremonies to be any necessary parts of the Worship of God we see no ground to believe much less that such Ceremonies may lawfully be imposed under pain of Excommunication Banishment Imprisonment Loss of Estate and Life For tho it is certain God has given power to the Rulers of the World to make change or disannual Laws in point of Civil Government yet we believe all the Power on Earth cannot make one Institute or Divine Ceremony in Religion And therefore we cannot but think the Church of England erred from the Rule of Righteousness in decreeing Rites and Ceremonies which God has not commanded 3. For when we see how sharply fome were reprehended by St. Paul for bringing the Christian Churches in Galatia under some Legal Ceremonies which once had a divine Original and Use in the Church of God as Invaders of the Liberty wherewith Christ had made them free averring also That if they were subject to them Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5. 1 2. We can see no ground to free the Protestants from Sin who either take up Scriptureless Ceremonies from the Papists or invent Ceremonies themselves but least of all when they force Men will they nill they to conform to such Ceremonies or else to be ejected and delivered up to Satan And surely it was very unreasonable for her Bishops to consent to a Law that pious Men only dissenting in these things from the Church of England should be banished or else hanged as Felons without Benefit of the Clergy And we humbly desire that the Severity of that Law may be considered and mitigated 4. But if it shall be said That the Ceremonies of the Church of England as the Sprinkling of Infants the Sign of the Cross in Baptism bowing to the Altar to name no more at present are not sinful then how shall we be ever able to reprove a Papist for using holy Water bowing to the Image of Christ c. Certainly if we must submit to the Ceremonies of the Church of England in her present Constitution we must submit to theirs too where they have power on their side to enforce them But he that shall impartially consider what a learned Protestant hath said of the Sinfulness of that one Ceremony of the Sign of the Cross in Baptism in his Book entituled Against Symbolizing with Antichrist in Ceremonies will see great cause to avoid touching with any such Inventions however they may be supposed to have had an harmless Use among Christians at the first But who sees not that when such Ceremonies have got the Reputation of Religion upon them and are forced on by humane Laws what incredible Miseries they have brought upon the Christian World How have they lorded it over Kings and Kingdoms over the Estates Liberties and Lives of Christians Who sees not that being thus set up they are sometimes more set by than sincere Faith and an holy Life as if all true Religion and Loyalty too were only to be judged of according to Mens Submission to those Humane Innovations For it is notorious even in this our Land that let a Man but conform to all the Ceremonies he shall live honourably let his Life be never so debauched almost But let a Man refuse these Ceremonies out of conscience to God because they are not from Heaven then he is Envy's Mark let his Life be never so just and harmless Such Effects should lead us to consider what the Causes are And because we are speaking of Ceremonies we crave leave to enquire What means the Ceremony of the Ring in Marriage Why are we forced not only to use it but to use it in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost The Church of England blames the Papists for saying Marriage is a Sacrament but shall we then make a Sacrament of a Ring Sure you make the Ring as sacred in Marriage as you make the Water in Baptism Such Usages as these we fear give the Papists too much cause to use this Speech A Protestant is but a Papist scar'd out of his Wits It is not then any thing of Prejudice or Obstinacy which makes us to stand off from the Communion of the Church of England but an unfeigned Desire to serve God aright and a godly Fear lest by touching with these unwritten Traditions we should bring our Souls under Guilt in the sight of God Howbeit if any can convince us that the Church of England is justifiable in these things here objected we shall suspect our selves to be mistaken in other things which we here
Cause why we think your pretended Baptism a Nullity for your Error about the Subject is more than the other 3. What you say further is to make us believe that Christ did not go into the Water that the Eunuch went to the Water only because the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ad to But your Conscience will tell you it signifies into as well as to and indeed you grant it and then to what putpose do you quarrel our Translation However we have proved that Christ was baptized in the River and 't is expresly said of the many Thousands which came to Jordan that they were all baptized in the River confessing their Sins Now Sir here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be rendred to the River nor with the River without egregious Folly and then 't is very plain that they were all dipped in the River for it had been absolute Folly to go into the River to sprinkle the Face Hand or any other part of the Body Seeing then they went into the River to baptize it shews it cannot rightly be done without going into the Water and therefore of necessity we must understand Dipping is the only true Mode of Baptizing 4. I marvel how any wise Man can look upon that Text John 3. 23. John baptized in Enon because there was much Water there and so much as think Sprinkling to be a lawful way of baptizing If he will use any of his Wit he cannot but infer Baptism could not be rightly done with a few drops of Water seein John chose Enon because there was much Water there And what tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signify many Waters yet it does not signify many Rivers but by the Noise of many Waters is often meant the Noise of much Water in one Source or Channel However you say the Greek signifies the Confluence of these two Springs Jordan and Jaboc but yet you are unwilling that they should yield so much Water as might suffice to dip in And yet the Scripture tells you elsewhere that Jordan overflows all her Banks at certain times and Lithgow that was at it will give you an account that it is a River sufficient to dip a bigger Man than your self in But here you say is no mention of dipping Yes Sir but there is for when you hear that John was baptizing in Enon he was either dipping or sprinkling The latter would make the Speech absurd and nonsensical the former therefore was his Business for he was dipping in Enon near Salem because there was much Water there Your Church therefore is very much to blame in leaving the Way of Truth and following her own Tradition and is therefore the cause of our present disunion and will be till she turn to the Truth both in the Subject and Manner of Baptism or at least forbear to impose upon us without Authority from Heaven What you add by way of answer to some of our Objections against Infant Baptism is answered in my Reply to Dr. Stillingfleet and Mr. J. Barret which is bound up with my Book of Primitive Christianity and to that I will refer you What you add about Sureties or God-Fathers c. I shall not take notice of at this time and indeed the usage is so odd that Dr. Jer. Taylor well said if it had been God's will to have had them It is to be supposed he would have given them Commission to have transacted the Solemnity with better Circumstances and given Answers with more Truth for if the God Fathers answer in the Name of the Child I do believe it is notorious they speak false and ridiculously And this is even enough to say to such an Innovation But what absurdity is it which being once made a Cannon by learned Men will not find some to daub it up with untempered Mortar Could Men but remember Nadab and Abihu Lev. 10. they would fear to add to or take from the Ordinances of Christ under what pretence of Piety or Prudence soever Thus Sir I have briefly answered your Arguments and hope I have not mistaken your Sence in any Passage I except against And for a Conclusion I crave leave to say That the way to obtain that Unity which is so desirable between the Baptized Believers and the Church of England is not to fall to it by Disputation but by proposing what Abatements may be made about such things as are not mentioned in the Scripture as this of Poedo-Baptism is not or at least what mitigation may be hoped for as to the imposition of such things And on the other side I trust in the Lord that you shall call for nothing from us wherein we may submit without sinning against God but we shall gladly hearken to you In the mean time constant Prayer to God for the Blessing of Truth and Peace and friendly conference between the leading Men on both parts may do much to further so good a Work specially if his Majesty would be graciously pleased to permit such friendly Treaties But of writing many Books there is no end SECT IV. A Plea for the Church-Assemblies of the Baptized Believers MAny and very great has been the Sufferings of the Baptized Believers in this Nation since the publication of the Act entitled an Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles And if the meaning of the said Act be to restrict all Christian Assemblies except the Parochial to the number of four Persons besides the Families where they do assemble We see not how we can with safety to our Souls conform to the Limits thereby prescribed But forasmuch as the said Act pretends only the prevention and suppression of Seditious Conventicles We humbly conceive that those who are free from Seditious Designs in their meeting together to worship God are rationally acquitted from the Imputation of Sedition and consequently no Man can conscienciously prosecute any of us upon that Statute being utterly unable to prove any such Crime against us nor could any ever yet convict us of such an Evil nor by the Grace of God shall they I hope ever be able to do it Upon a due Enquiry it will evidently appear that it is the Lord himself that hath ordered his People to convene or congregate for the better discharge of the great Duties of Prayer Preaching and the Celebration of other his holy Ordinances to which holy Ends he has allowed not four Persons only but the whole Church in any Town or City to come together into one Place among whom also such as do not believe the Gospel are allowed to appear in order to their Illumination and this without any limitation in respect of Number So that it seems to exceed the due Bounds of humane Power to use Restraint where God hath given such gracious Liberty 1 Cor. 14. 23 24 25. Jam. 2. 2 3. Heb. 10. 24. Forasmuch then as God has not given any Power upon Earth to forbid any Christian or such as desire to know Christ to hear his
Word at any time or in any place but on the contrary commands every Man that hath an Ear to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 2. 7. saying To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal 95. 7. Proclaiming to every one that thirsteth to come and take of the Waters of Life freely Isa 55. 1. To whose gracious Invitation the Spirit and the Bride the Church agreeth saying Come Rev. 22. 17. It must needs be very dangerous for any Man to say Do not come when they desire to drink of these living Waters which flow in the lively Preaching of the Gospel of Christ And how can we think that our gracious God who in Things pertaining to this Life will not allow us to say to our Neighbour Go away and come again to morrow and I will give when we have it by us Prov. 3. 27 28. will ever accept us with a Well-done good and faithful Servant if in the more weighty Matters of his Law we put Men off with delatory Answers Behold now is the accepted Time behold now is the Day of Salvation It must be granted that the Church is the Light of the World a City set upon a Hill that cannot be hid whilst therefore we are conscionably and we trust groundedly persuaded that we are a part of this Church a necessity lieth upon us to make manifest the Savour of the Knowledg of Christ in every Place For as it was truly said to Christ That no Man doth any thing in secret and himself desires to be known openly So neither must the Church of Christ obscure her Light by a secret Profession of Christianity lest she contradict her own Prayer and the Practice of the Primitive Churches held forth in these Words God be merciful to us and bless us and cause his Face to shine upon us that his Way may be known upon the Earth and his Saving-Health among all Nations And now Lord behold their Threatnings and grant unto thy Servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word And they spake the Word with boldness And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death And became Followers of the Churches of God having received the Word in much Affliction with Joy of the Holy-Ghost And if for the like faithful Testimony we must still suffer as we have done we shall rejoyce as Christ hath exhorted us The Church is taught of God to hold fast not her Faith only but also the Profession of her Faith and this not by Starts and Girds as Men give them License or Toleration but with all constancy and without wavering And surely our Lord foreseeing and by his Apostles foreshewing what would come to pass required that this Profession be held without wavering in the Business of Church-Assembling Heb. 10. 25. because without such Assemblies the whole Service of God in a Church-way is like to fall to the ground This Duty as it is of greatest importance so it is founded upon Heavens Authority Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together And it is granted by the learned Protestants That against the Law of God or Nature no contrary Custom doth ever prevail Dr. Field of the Church lib. 4. He that doth any thing by Command from the King contrary to the Command of God does not fear God saith Dr. Savage Chaplain to K. Charles II in his Dew of Hermon p. 36 to 39. And speaking of the first Preachers of the Gospel he saith Their Rulers enjoined them not to preach Christ and therein they did well to disobey for otherwise they had not feared God inasmuch as tho their Rulers were above them yet God was above them both For in commanding any thing contrary to the Word and Will of God they abuse their Power either through their Ignorance or Wilfulness and in that case meerly Passive Obedience is to be yielded These latter Sentences are the more remarkable being written by one of his Majesties Chaplains in Answer to a Book written by the Baptized Believers in this Age entitled Sion's Groans for her Distressed which Book whilst he pretends to confute he has confirmed it in the main scope and Intent of it As it is impossible by Mulcts and Penalties to overcome the faithful Professors of the Truth for that which is of God Men cannot overthrow Acts 5. 39. so neither will those that are zealous for Error be vanquished by that way And the mischief is their Errors are by their Sufferings made the more taking with those of weak Judgments What then is the result of Persecution for Religion Is it not commonly this That the Hypocrites or Time-servers do fill that Church which has the Power of the Magistrate on her side And suppose she have the Truth on her side yet those Temporizers come not to her Communion for the Truths sake and therefore cannot be a Blessing to her nor she to them nay these shall the soonest of all others betray her when ever Time shall minister occasion for those who are not true to God and their own Conscience will never be faithful to Men. They worship not the King of Heaven but the Earthly Crown and Scepter much like Euripus carried headlong sometimes this way sometimes that way Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 21. But shortly to sum up what is or might be further said in this Case 1. To restrict our Assemblies to the Limits of the said Act is to obey Man rather than God who gives liberty without limiting the Numbers of those that meet to worship him in a Church-way And whilst we believe our Assemblies are true Churches we must endeavour to meet in God's way whoever countermands it 2. For thus to limit our Assemblies to the Number of Four will certainly destroy all our Church-Assemblies For suppose some Congregation or Church consist but of an hundred Persons these being divided into Fours have no Church-Assembly unless every of these four be a Church And if the Magistrate have just power to divide us into Fours or Fives he has power to subdivide us into Two's and by consequence to dissolve all our Assemblies I confess a small Number may constitute a true Church Gregory Thaumaturgus tho a Bishop had a Church consisting but of seventeen Persons Basil de Spirit Sanct. cap. 29. Our Saviour has promised his presence where two or three are met together in his Name But then in his Name signifieth in his Authority and according to his Appointment Now Christ has no where appointed that four and no more should come together into one House or Place no tho an hundred Persons be come together if more do come they cannot be prohibited by all that Power which God has given to Man as we have shewed 3. Our zealous Country-Men of the Parochial Way would think it very unlawful to be limited in their Meetings to fours or fives and yet they ought to