superfluous thing upon another No set Form can content it no limits or bounds can hold it but it is still inventing something new to please your selves and others and then you fancy God is pleased because you are I know you have a conceit that you keep your selves within the limits of the Word and that you dare not for a world stir beyond the confines which God prescribes But this only makes your Ignorance appear the more gross as I will plainly shew you N. C. I guess by what you said the last time whereabouts you will be but it will turn us too much out of our way to enter into that discourse at this time C. Well then I l'e let it alone till you give another occasion And the rather because I would have you go as soon as may be and ask what Will-worship is That 's another word in these Witnesses mouths of as much efficacy and as little sense as all the rest for when they are angry they charge one another with it as well as us The Independents were wont to say that it was Will-worship to set up the office of Ruling Elders in the Church And I can shew you one that calls the Church-Covenant requiring men to give some signs of grace and all the way of Admission of Members into Independent Congregations by the very same Name And therefore I believe you will soon leave such to wrangle it out and go and ask some others what they mean to bawl so against Forms But I believe there is not one of a thousand can give a reason why he may not as well accuse the whole frame of Nature as our Liturgy upon this account Especially if you tell him that there is nothing in Heaven or Earth but hath a Form That when we understand it is by forming some conceptions in our Mind and that we form our Speech or words to make our conceptions understood by others And therefore even your Prayers must be in a Form or else they are sensless stuff a meer noise and sound that no body can understand N. C. We are only against set Forms C. And so many of your Prayers have none at all but are then thought most heavenly when they are most confused and to have much of God in them when they have nothing of Man For the common word is I like not Forms c. He still sticks in Forms He is a dull formal man Which are Phrases as set and stinted as our Prayers They are never out of use but repeated an hundred times a day No repetitions they think are bad but only of the same Prayers nor any other constant Forms unlawful no not of railing and reviling but only those of Divine Service These they leave to the wicked and take the other to themselves N. C. Pray do not say so C. I must say more than that They hate a Form of Prayer but love to pray in these reviling forms of speech For they tell God how a Superstitious and Antichristian way of worship hath justled out his own Institutions That men worship the Graven Images of their own inventions That Gebal Ammon and Amalek are risen up against them And the people are taught to go and spread their anger and threatnings before the Lord And to tell him that it is an angry time a persecuting time a day of great wrath abundance of anger and wrath Seasonable Truths p. 180 182 184. and hatred and malice in the bearts of men against the people of God at this day Or as Mr. B. * Now his language is in another place Popish men have laid their net privily for us and we may go to Christ and say * Fulness of Christ p. 37. Lord pull us out of the net that they have laid for us for thou art our strength And for any thing I can see much of that they call the Power of Prayer consists in such Forms as these N. C. Alas You know not what that power is C. I know it is just such another word as Form which they use without any certain-sense as they are wont to do the Apostles words concerning a Form of Godliness without the Power of it This Form of Godliness if you will believe some is Praying by a set Form * Answer of the Ministers of New Engl. to the first Position p. 2. and then the Power of Godliness must be praying without one N. C. It cannot be C. It is as I tell you And this is one of the reasons that the world hate the Saints for that the Saints are a praying people You must not mistake Forms of Prayer they can indure Seasona Truths p. 168. but the Power of Prayer they cannot bear They are Mr. B. his words N. C. No indeed not if it consist of such railing language as you speak of But neither you nor I it 's like apprehend his meaning C. Do you know what he means when he gives this for another reason of the hatred of the world to the Saints that they destroy their Gods destroy their Idols Men of all things cannot endure to have their Gods destroyed now the people of God do destroy the Gods of the wicked no wonder therefore that they are so provok't against the Saints and people of God Ib. p. 167. N. C. Not I. C. Then you are very dull He means our Worship which they are wont to rail upon in those terms also calling it Idolatry worshipping the Golden Calves and setting up new Gods which are such rude and beastly Clamours that I am loth to foul my mouth with naming them They are only vile and abominable Phrases which every Ignorant wretch can serve himself of when he lists to reproach his Neighbours At first the Presbyterians called Conformity to the Innovations as they were stiled by them Worshipping the Golden Calves Afterward the Independents called the Directory the Golden Calves of Jeroboam Edw. Gangr 1 part p. 36.52 and affirm'd that this order to help in the way of Worship was a breach of the second Commandment Nay Mr. Burton one of the Witnesses said that to make a Law about Religion was to set up the Golden Calves or Nebuch adnezzar's Image Or if you will have another Phrase for it to chuse new Gods and then was war in the Gates Ib. p. 25. as an Independent Preacher said at Chester when they were about to chuse Lay-Elders But to be even with them the Presbyterians threw those Phrases back again in their faces and askt the five Brethren Is the Golden Calf of Independency and Democracy come out of it self without Aarons making it And in conclusion one Web as the same man tells us called the Scripture it self that Golden Calf and Brazen Antapologia p. 188. Serpent which set at variance King and Parliament and Kingdom against Kingdom and said Things would never do well till the Golden Calf and Brazen Serpènt were beaten in pieces * No wonder therefore
Of their Canting phrases as Generation-work witnessing time from pag. 81. to 91 Dr. Wilkinsons confidence noted pag. 85 86 How they have shifted and changed phrases to serve their turn Ib. Of the power of phrases to hinder men from observing how they have been cheated pag. 88 The power they fancy they have to destroy us pag. 90 Their opinion of their knowledge and worth pag. 93 c. Of their practice and skill in expounding works of providence pag. 94 c. Their people not more knowing than ours pag. 99 Many know not what that is which they cry out against pag. 101 Instances in Popery superstition Will-worship pag. 102 103 c. About forms of prayer pag. 106 Their forms of railing which they use even in prayer c. pag. 107 Their small skill save only in phrases pag. 110 As appears by their easie turning to the wildest Sects pag. 111 A famous instance of this in New England pag. 112 Mistakes about the Spirits teaching and inspirations c. pag. 113 This together with the obscurity of their Doctrine a great cause of peoples doubts and desertions pag. 114 An instance of the intricate way of Mr. Hooker to satisfie a doubting Christian pag. 115 And to bring it to the promise as he speaks pag. 116 Hence the New England whimseyes pag. 117 Mr. J. Durants way of comforting believers and opening Scriptures pag. 118 119 They are no better at resolving doubts about particular actions pag. 120 How Religion hath been spoiled of late and exposed to contempt pag. 123 Non-conformists great want of Modesty pag. 126 c. Concerning eminent men pag. 129 Of judging others in what things we may in what not pag. 130 Charity covers a Multitude but cannot or may not cover all sins pag. 131 By what means prophaness came to abound pag. 133 Publicans and Harlots or Scribes and Pharisees which the worse pag. 135 136 The danger of Schism and separated Congregations pag. 138 139 Mr. Bridge his vain conceit that we are angry because they withdraw from us and slight us pag. 140 c. How 2 Cor. 6.17 is abused by him to countenance the separation pag. 144 By which and such like the old Brownists and more ancient Donatists justified their Schism pag. 145 The wise and charitable courses to which St. Austin directs us when men are generally bad pag. 146 147 Mr. Calvins judgment of a true Church and separation from it pag. 149 And Presbyterian Ministers judgment pag. 151 Act. 19.9 doth not countenance the separation pag. 152 The impertinent allegation of that place Rev. 14.4 by Mr. Bridg pag. 153 How the people have been cheated with the noise of such words as Babylon c. pag. 154 And by other means pag. 155 156 c. Of Idol Ministers pag. 158 c. The folly of those who think our Ministers out of respect to themselves are troubled to see people go to meetings pag. 161 The true reason of their trouble and the great danger of separation pag. 162 Not only to those who are of it but to others pag. 163 The great extremities it hurries men into pag. 165 The Presbyterian excuse that they separate not from us as Antichristian considered pag. 166 c. It makes their cause the worse if it be true pag. 168 Which tender conscienc'd men should consider especially remembring the issue pag. 169 170 The disorders among the Independents when in Holland pag. 171 And more anciently among the old Separatists pag. 172 173 c. No security against the like or worse again pag. 175 In vain to bewail these Divisions unless we take a course to amend them pag. 177 What belongs to private persons to do in order to it pag. 178 c. Not study so much their Governors duty as their own and what that is pag. 180 181 Of yielding on both sides pag. 182 The ancient Non-conformists did not think they still ought to preach when they were deprived but the contrary that they ought not pag. 183 The idle pretence of some from that place Wo be to me if I preach not confuted pag. 185 186 And of not consulting with flesh and blood pag. 187 Non-conformists do it too much Ib. Else why do they not teach as the old Non-conformists did how lawful set forms are c. pag. 188 189 And teach this with great earnestness pag. 190 Especially considering how miserably some are prejudiced against them pag. 191 That exception answered though a form be lawful yet useless pag. 192 Some reflections on a Book called common-Common-prayer Book Dovotions Episcopal Delusions c. pag. 193 The prophaness and chollerick scurrility of it pag. 194 c. The Ignorance and boldness of the Prefacer pag. 197 Mr. Cartwright not against a set form of Prayer c. pag. 199 How vainly he vapours with the name of Mr. Parker Ib. And abuses Mr. Greenham pag. 200 But above all Dr. J. Reynolds who lived and dyed conformable in all things to the orders of the Church of England pag. 201 Some of the little reasonings in the book answered pag. 203 204 The abuse of a place of Scripture noted pag. 205 The Liturgy smels not of the Mass-book pag. 206 Antiquity of Liturgies by their own confession pag. 207 The presumption and uncharitableness of this Writer pag. 208 209 His main Argument answered pag. 210 After all his blustering he allows a prescribed form to be lawful pag. 211 And is fain to wrest some Scriptures in favour of conceived prayers pag. 213 His false arguing from Jer. 7.31 and such like places pag. 214 How that place Deut. 12.32 is wont to be misinterpreted pag. 215 It was the manner of Mr. J. G. to speak confidently be the cause never so bad pag. 217 218 Non-conformists generally guilty of too much confidence pag. 219 A gross corruption of Dr. Sibbs his souls conflict after his death noted Ib. 220 c. Of Forms of Prayer and of imposing them pag. 222 Smectymnuus allowed impositions in some cases pag. 223 The Presbyterians were against a Tolleration of the Independent way pag. 224 The Independents also impose their own devices have forms also c. pag. 226 c. Of Christian Liberty pag. 229 The opinion of Mr. Dury and Mr. Cotton c. about this pag. 230 231 Of Penalties pag. 232 The opinion of Presbyterians and Independents formerly about them pag. 233 How the King himself was abridg'd of his Liberty pag. 234 The Independents for punishments pag. 236 Some good Counsels out of Mr. Bernard pag. 239 How to behave our selves in doubts pag. 241 Some good Rules to guide our selves by pag. 242 What to do if we think that is sinful which Authority commands pag. 243 Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin opened Ib. Of fear to offend others pag. 244 The great want of charity and such like graces pag. 245 How these good Counsels were contemned by the separatists pag. 246 A description of them Ib. The Resolution of the
determine the precise antiquity of stinted Liturgies yet that they have been in use in the Christian Church for the space of 1400. years if not above no man can deny And that they could not be invented for such ends as you imagine because the chief promoters of stinted Liturgies were renowned for their constant and unwearied preaching every day in the week and sometimes twice * Ib. pag. 18. The New England Ministers would have taught you more for all they dare say against the Antiquity of Liturgies is that for about an hundred years there were none a Letter of Reply and Answer about 9. positions pag. 2. Then your Dialogue-maker b Mr. Hughes p. 42. tells you they came in but hath the impudence to add that Ministers then grew idle and weary of taking pains N. C. It is a sad thing there should be such endless disputes Surely if they that composed the Common-Prayer bad dreamt that it would create so many divisions distractions tumults confusions c. they would never have found either heart or hand to lift up toward the promoting of it pag. 8. C. An admirable Argument As if he had said The Pen-men of Holy Scripture would never have writ as they have done if they had but fore-seen what ill use would be made of their words what Wranglings and Disputes they would raise and how they would be wrested and tortured to a sense which they never thought of Must the possibility of an inconvenience that may grow hinder us from doing good things N. C. No. But there is no good comes of this For they who like this kind of Worship are generally Ignorant Prophane Superstiti us Time-Servers Fearful Vnbelievers Haters of those that are good Drunkards Adulterers c C. I know he saith so And repeats it a little after that they are generally if not universally persons much estranged from the life of God affectionate lovers of this present World But we know withal that there is a vast number of Ignorant revilers railers lyars false-accusers covenant Breakers proud censurers of their Brethren uncharitable contentious implacable self-conceited greedy scrapers of wealth c. Who love the other kind of Worship and like no Prayers but those of their own conceiving Doth not this Argument war strongly as his phrase is against such a worship and is it not a great presumption of the carnality of it that it comports with the humours fancies and Consciences of men of such an evil Spirit If you like not such Reasonings against the Prayers of your invention let them alone when you dispute against ours But I must tell you however that this man let him be who he will hath committed a most hainous sin and is presumptuously uncharitable in judging the Generality if not all of us to be ungodly We know the contrary and are assured that there are more than one of a City or two of a Tribe as he loves to speak that are truly conscientious and serve God in this way which he so scorns with much satisfaction and joy of heart And all sober men I think will look upon it as an intollerable piece of Pride in him to say that it is hardly credible any man fearing God if there be any such among us should partake at any time in this worship with any great contentment This is to measure other mens Corn by your own Bushel A piece of the old leven of the Scribes and Pharisees or if you will the Separatists here in England before he was born To whom Mr. Gyfford answered then as we do now * Answer to Mr. Greenwood pag. 72. c. 1590. It cannot be denied but that many pray fervently with sighs and groans and tears who read the Prayer upon the Book or have it as we use to say by heart N. C. But if your prayer Book were as free from blemish as Absolom nay if it had been composed by a General Council of Elect Angels the imposing of it would be imperious Blasphemy and the use of it as imposed base and wretched Idolatry C. Go and find some child to fright with your blustring Language N. C. It is more than noise For he tells you pag. 11. that it is as well or as much the incommunicable priviledge or prerogative of God to prescribe appoint and command his own worship as it is to be worshipped And therefore whosoever shall authoritatively under any penalties command any Form Model Method or Manner of Divine Worship makes himself God and whosoever submits to such Worship is an Idolater because he gives that honour to a creature which is due to God alone What have you to say against this Argument C. I say that as no body doubts but God who is above all hath a right to appoint his own Worship so it is as certain that he hath not appointed any model of Worship or form of words to be used in Prayer and none else Nor hath he told us that he will not be worshipped by a set Form or that we must vary our words and phrases and conceal what we have to say to him till we bring it forth And therefore I say he hath left it to our sober and Religious Reason to determine after what manner that worship which he requires may be best performed And if not to every mans reason which would be absurd then those who govern the rest are to consider how christian Societies when they meet together may most solemnly pray in the name of our Lord Jesus for such things as are according to Gods will and give thanks also to God the Father through him And consequently it is no incommunicable prerogative to appoint a Form or Order of Divine Worship since God hath not appointed one himself and yet must not be worshipped disorderly And if it may be appointed then it may be appointed under penalties to keep men from wanton contempt of the publick Reason Mr. J. G. you remember composed a hymn to be sung on a day of Thanksgiving in his Congregation This was a form and authoritatively imposed else every one there might have brought forth his hymn and put all into confusion which if they had done they might justly have been censured by him if he had had any power Now I would fain know why the Magistrate may not prescribe the Song of St. Ambrose or any other godly Hymn to be sung by all Congregations committed to his charge as well as one Minister prescribe an hymn to his particular Congregation and why the Magistrate may not use all his power and punish as he sees cause as well as such a Minister use all his who could only reprove in case of contempt I would know also how this Author could excuse the whole Christian World from being Idolaters you Presbyterians not excepted if his Doctrine be true For the Parliament prescribed the Directory and that not without penalties as a model or manner of Divine Worship and so they usurped
you know in express words That whosoever shall authoritatively and under a penalty command any model method or manner of Divine worship to be observed by men makes himself God c. you may read it at large p. 11. 12. For it is as clear as the Sun N. C. That such Books ought to be burnt C. I must add that you are all guilty of too much confidence and talk as if you were infallible in your conclusions When you see therefore the folly of it in another mend it in your selves And do not talk here after as if all Godly men had ever been of your mind No man of a tender Conscience but held it unlawful to prescribe any thing in Gods worship Every Body knows Cartwright Reynolds Greenham were of this opinion as the Prefacer boldly told you and it is a wonder he did not add Dr. Sibbs For so some of your party took care the world should believe and chose rather to corrupt his writings then have it thought he was of another Perswasion N. C. I shall never believe it C. You may chuse But I shall prove that this good mans writings were abused presently after his death in this very point For in his Book called the Souls Conflict he gave this direction among others to guide a Soul in doubtful Cases The Laws under which we live are particular determinations of the Law of God and therefore ought to be a rule to us so far as they reach Though it be too narrow a Rule to be good only so far as mans Law guides unto yet Law being the joynt Reason and consent of many men for publick Good hath an use for the guiding of our Actions that are under the same VVhere it dashes not against Gods Law what is agreeable to Law is agreeable to Conscience Thus the Rule stood when the Book first came out * First Edition 1635. pag. 364. But in a very short time after when he was newly laid in his grave the first words were changed into these The Laws under which we live are particular determinations of the Law of God in some duties of the Second Table In which they made two restrictions of that which he had said in General words First they restrain'd the Rule to the Second Table and not to all things neither but only some duties And then they add a whole Sentence by way of Example which was not in the first Edition which I make no doubt was done on purpose lest any man who read the Book should think it was the Doctors opinion that we should conform to the Orders of our Governours about the worship of God where the Law of God hath determined nothing in particular and their Laws do not cross his But what is there done by the Jesuites worse than this what greater injury to the dead than thus to play tricks with their Books and change their words at your pleasure N. C. It is very strange C. I have something more to tell you As they have added here so they have taken away in another place just before it He is Answering I told you this Question what course must we take for guidance of our lives in particular actions wherein Doubts may arise what is most agreeable to Gods will And one Advice is this we must look to our place wherein God hath set us If we be in subjection to others their Authority in doubtful things ought to sway with us A dangerous Rule some men thought and therefore in the next Edition they left out those words in doubtful things And also blotted out this whole sentence which follows It is certain we ought to obey viz. in doubtful things of which he is speaking and if the things wherein we are to obey be certain to us we ought to leave that which is uncertain and stick to that which is certain In this case we must obey those that are under God N. C. Are you sure of this C. As sure as that I see you though I must tell you there was a neat device to hide this fraud for they reprinted the Book speedily with the very same Title page that was before without giving notice that it was a second Edition And by leaving out those lines and adding an example as I told you to illustrate the rule as they had restrain'd it they made the pages exactly even as they were at the first * There are two Editions of 1635. one of his own another of some bodies else but so ordered that they seem the same At least they reprinted that sheet wherein these things are contained with these alterations which I add lest I should not be rightly understood by all Afterward the Book was divided into Chapters and in all Editions since you will find these Rules Chapt. 17. with these alterations N. C. By his own appointment it is like C. Why did they not tell us so N. C. I know not C. I 'le tell you then They were loth to tell a plain lye For the Doctor dyed within three days after he had writ his Preface to the first Impression and therefore it 's most likely made no Alterations That Preface was dated July the first 1635. and he dyed July the fourch So I gather from those who put out his two last Sermons preached June 21. and 28. and he dyed say they the Lords day following Immediately after which came out a new impression of the same year 1635. but not called a second Edition which they would have us believe was not till 1636. A meer cheat as I confidently affirm having seen and compared all N. C. I see now you are of an imposing Spirit and have taken a great deal of pains to shew it C. What Am I for imposing on men those words they never said N. C. Be not so perverse All the Reformed Churches are against imposing of Set Forms as I have been told C. As perverse as I am I 'le follow you for once So you have been told I believe that they are against all Set Forms though not imposed I am sure I have N. C. No I remember in the beginning of the late Wars the Scotish Forms of Prayer were printed C. And so were the French and those of Geneva and Guernsea and the Dutch to name no more all translated into English Therefore pray satisfie some of your Ignorant but yet confident Friend in this matter As for that of Imposing what think you of these words of Mr. Calvin in his letter to the Protector Octob. 22. 1548. As for Forms of prayer and Rites Ecclesiastical I do greatly approve that there be a certain one extant from which it shall not be lawful for the Ministers in their function to depart c. For which he there gives solid Reasons And whatsoever is pretended to the contrary the Reformed Churches do follow this Counsel and tye men to a Form in the publick duties of Gods worship as I can evidently shew But now let me
only observe that heretofore your Ministers thought it no light Argument against the Separatists that all Reformed Churches acknowledged the Church of England as their sister and consequently did not think her wicked for imposing Forms of Prayer So you may read in the Book I told you of before published by Mr. Rathband p. 6. though the truth is those Ministers have taken that Argument out of the Book of Mr. Bernards * Errors of Barrow and Greenwood confuted 1608 pag. 178. who speaks discreetly when he saith That though we do not make this our only or chief defence whereby we seek to approve our selves to God or the consciences of his people yet it is a thing that gives some reputation to us For even Saint Paul who received not his calling either from or by men alledges for the credit of his Ministry that three chief Apostles approved him and gave him the right hand of fellowship And which is more he seeks to win commendation and credit even to those Orders which he by his Apostolical Authority might have established by the example and judgment of other Churches * For which he cites 1 Cor. 7.17.11.15.14.33.16.1 N. C. Then you are for imposing C. I am for that which all men of any discretion think necessary viz. that every body should not be left to do according to their present humour and fancy when they come to worship God in the publick Assemblies Even the famous Smectymnuus allowed impositions in some cases For they propound this as an expedient that if it shall appear any Minister proves insufficient to discharge the duty of prayer in a conceived way it may be imposed on him as a punishment to use a set form and no other †Answer to the Humble Remonstrance p. 14. This was indeed a contrivance to disgrace the Liturgy as if it were fit for no bodies use but the duller and heavier sort of People but yet it shews their judgment above imposing which you now complain of And I would fain know what they would have done with such insufficient persons as had a good opinion of their gifts and thinking themselves wrong'd in being condemned to the forenamed Pennance would not obey them Would they have forced them to obedience or no If not their expedient signified nothing If they would then why should not the Magistrate do it now who knows that most of those who love liberty have a better opinion of their own abilities than they ought N. C. We wish the Common Prayer was left at liberty to be used or not as men found themselves inclined C. Do you so That 's because you despise it and think it good for little or nothing But were there one of your own Inventions to be established you would never leave us at Liberty if you had power to make use of it or let it alone Nothing should stand in competition with it but every thing else as well as Common-Prayer fall before it as Dagon before the Ark. Did not the Independents incur your displeasure for craving an allowance to order a few Churches after their own fashion Mr. Dury himself I remember a man of peace and composer of differences resolved their way was not to be tollerated For it would lay said he †Epistolary Discourse p. 21. Licensed by Mr. Cranford July 27. 1644. the foundation of strife and Division in the Kingdom to have two wayes of Church Government which may agree with some Matchiavilian but no Christian Policy And therefore it will be no wisdom in the State to yield to the Suit of the five Brethren except it be induced thereunto by the Necessity of avoiding some greater inconvenience than is the admitting of a seed of perpetual Division within it self which is in my apprehension the greatest of all other and most opposite to the Kingdom of Christ Now the less the cause of separation is the greater is the fault in those that make it and the less cause the State hath to give way to the making of it You remember therefore what Ordinances were made for the electing of Elders and that all Parishes and places whatsoever as well priviledged and exempt jurisdictions as others should be brought under the Government of Congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies a Ordin of 19. Au. 1645. And this was according to their solemn promise of setling Uniformity which part of the Covenant they said if you will believe them was alwayes before their eyes b Ordin 14 Mar. 1645. In pursuance of which also the City desired c Humble Remonstrance and Petition May 26. 1646. that some strict and speedy course might be taken for the suppressing of all private and separated Congregations And the House of Lords ordered the Printing of their Petition which was grounded upon a Remonstrance †Decemb. 15. 1642. of the House of Commons wherein they declared that it was far from their purpose or desire to let loose the golden rains of Discipline and Government in the Church or to leave private persons or particular Congregations to take up what form of Divine Service they please As for the sacred Covenant that Holy Ordinance as Mr. Case calls it and choice piece of Divine Service you know no man could be a Minister or an Elder no nor practice as an Attorney or Solicitor at the Law unless he took it and the refusal of it was generally made a Mark of ungodliness as I will prove when you please N. C. I know not what reasons they went by then C. The same whereby they would proceed now if they had the same power and the same hopes And so I believe would the Independents too who are for imposing their own things as much as they are able For they have invented you must know a Model and form of their own heads which is not appointed in Holy Scriptures As first that the Members must be examined and give an account of the manner of their conversion which is in a certain Method and Form too in New-England and that before the Church Narration of some Church Courses in N. England by W. R. collected out of their own reports c. chap. 4. pag. 16. Then it is required that they enter into a Church-Covenant which is not the Covenant of grace but distinct from it For they acknowledge a man may be within the Covenant of Grace who is not in this and one may be in this who is not in that And yet it is a Sacred not a Civil thing which must be made publick before all the Church vocal and express so binding that none can be loosed from it without the consent of the Church And then it is held at least by many that the Members must prophesy i. e. exercise their gifts in and before the whole Congregation by preaching expounding applying the Scripture by instruction confutation Reprehension with all Authority †Which they say is an Ordinance
did the Army as I told you and were never the better for that N. C. And they find that they mean uprightly And that it doth not condemn them of consulting with flesh and blood C. I find that they apishly imitate the Apostles without their spirit And run about with their words in their mouths when they leave the sense behind As if when they want the things the Apostles had it were some comfort to them that they can keep their glorious Phrase and Stile Did they never consult think you one with another what to do N. C. Yes without doubt C. And what are they I beseech you Are they turned on a sudden into Spirits Have they left the Body since they left our Churches and become separated Substances since they became Separatists N. C. What do you mean C. Nay what do you mean thus vainly to affect the Apostles phrase Who intended nothing else when he said 1 Gal. 16. that he did not consult with flesh and blood after God was pleased to give him an immediate commission to preach Christ but that he did not conferr and deliberate with any mortal men like himself whether he should go about that work or no. And truly in this sense I doubt your Ministers consulted too much with flesh and blood when they considered whether they should conform to the Orders of the Church or no. They applied themselves to your humour and thought whether you would not be displeased to see them do that which they had rashly condemned or slighted and hear them preach up that which they had destroyed Saint Paul indeed stood not upon this and would not hearken to what men said But they I doubt had more of his words than of his mind and sate listning a great while to the voice of flesh and blood about this matter And I wish they did not consult too much with it about other things And did not baulk displeasing Doctrines Otherwise why do they not teach you in an honest manner as the Old Non-Conformists did That the Ancient Church of God used a Form of Prayer and Praises as every body knows * There being say they confessions prayers psalms reading of the Scriptures exhortations solemn blessing used in their Synagogues And that our Saviour bad his Disciples when they prayed to say Our Father c. which he would never have done if it had not been lawful for us in making our Prayers to God to use the very same Words And that is an absurd and frivolous Exception to say We never read that the Apostles did use a Prescript Form of Words For if this be sufficient to excuse us from doing what Godexpresly commands or manifestly permits that we never read the Apostles or Saints did it then we must not or need not Baptize in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost because we never find they used those words or that they Baptised Infants or that they prayed or rendred acknowledgments to the Holy Ghost And farther why do they not teach you that even upon extraordinary occasions which require great and special fervency of Spirit it is lawful to use a Form of Words as our Blessed Saviour did in his Agony Matth. 26.42.45 * And so the Prophets had appointed as they gather from 14. Hos 1. 2. Joel 17. And again not only those Forms which we frame our selves but which have been composed by others as Solomon they observed Jehosophat Hezekiah all used the very words that David had done before Nay further yet that the people of God have used a set Form of Words in extraordinary occasions which were appointed long before those occasions fell out Daniel for instance used the words that Solomon had commended in case of Captivity a Dan. 9.5 compared with 1 King 8 47. and Ezra uses the Form of Thanksgiving which Jeremiah had appointed say they to be used after their return from Captivity b Vid. Psal 136. comp with 33. Jer. 11. and 3. Ezra 11. And more than this that it is lawful to use not only those forms which are in the Scripture but such as in the compiling and collecting them the Invention and such other Gifts of men are used There being a liberty as the Separatists themselves heretofore confessed left in the Church to do many things that tend only to the setting forth Gods Ordinances As in preaching of the Word and in those Prayers which they call conceived Prayers the Wit Memory judgment and such other human gifts are lawfully and necessarily used Especially considering that the peoples Understanding and Memory may be better helped by that they are well acquainted withal than by the other And then if forms thus devised by men be found to be lawful and profitable what sin can it be for the Governors of the Church to command that such Forms be used or for us to use them being perswaded of their lawfulnese when they are imposed Unless any body will say that therefore it is unlawful for us to hear the Word receive the Sacraments believe the Trinity and all other Articles of the Faith because we are commanded by the Magistrate so to do Whereas indeed we ought the rather to do good things that are agreeable to the Word when we know them to be also commanded by the Christian Magistrate These are the very words of your ancient Writers against the Brownists or Separatists c In the Book published by Mr. W. Rathband part 1. but taken I find out of a more ancient writer Mr. Rich. Bernard's confutation of the errors of Barrow and Greenwood Ann. 1608. pag. 191. 192. c. Let but your Ministers not consulting the People's Fancies and desires faithfully inculcate these Truths and indeavour to ingraft them in their minds it will give a great Testimony of their Sincerity and I am sure it will go a great way to make up our sad Divisions If they will not press these things more than any thing else for the present there being such great necessity of it we can give no other reason of their silence but that they consult their own interest and are loth to leave their Private Meetings And then considering their known declared Principles I shall be forced to used a word of one of their great Enemies though I protest I am sincerely their friend and say they are of the most ancient Sect of the Auto-catacrites * J. Good-wins obstruction of Justice p. 68. the Self-condemn'd the worst of all Sectaries N. C. I have heard our Ministers acknowledg all this and therefore what needs thus many words C. Acknowledg it man I would not only have them say so when they are ask't as it were a sorrowful Confession whispered in the Ear but publish it aloud on all occasions that so they may call back those sheep that are gone astray by their means Let every one of them the next time you meet speak to the people in their own language and
say Come let us go up out of this Babel and confusion Let us return to Sion though it be with weeping and Supplication There the Lord dwelleth and there he is truly worshipped For whatsoever they may acknowledg sometime the poor people whom I pity with all my soul are strangely and passionately possessed with an opinion of the sinfulness of being present at our Divine Service Many of them esteem one of our Ministers how well soever qualified and diligent in his calling however blameless and exemplary in his conversation no better than a Corrupt man a Time-server a Formalist Popishly affected or at least a man blinded and deceived through Ignorance Nay there are those who call them the Sons of Perdition and make them men of no Conscience Some have questioned whether they may marry a Conformist as if they were the people of a strange God To hear such a Minister they look upon as a great crime At least they think if any other be to be found they must go to the Non-Conformist though far the weaker man And as if they thought that to be godliness in themselves which they call tyranny in other men there are some that impose this upon their Children never to hear the Common-Prayer And charge them as I have heard upon their blessing to obey them in this Command And when for very shame they 01 cannot but acknowledg the gifts of some Ministers then they limit the use of them only to the information of mens Minds in the letter of the Scripture and discovering gross sins But that they may convert Souls and work Faith and Repentance in them they very much doubt if not flatly deny Nay so far doth this conceit carry some of them that they will scarce give a friendly countenance or salutation to us And they commonly call any small company of their own party the Church the people of God the Christians of such a town As if we had no portion in Christ but they had got him wholly to themselves These Humours were observed in the old Separatists and since they abound in you also there is great need to warn you to purge out the old leven lest it be transmitted from generation to generation N. C. But though a set Forum be lawful yet it is useless because there is no able Minister that needs one and we ought not to provide Crutches for those that are not able but rather remove them C. You would fain be Governors I see not subjects and we should have fine doings if you were in the Throne Unless you were as wise and honest as some of your Predecessors have been who made this discreet answer to your Exception There may be good Ministers who want the gift of extemporary conceptions of Prayer and by consequence need a Form For St. Paul setting down the requisites to a Bishop saith Mr. Geree * Resolution of 10. Cases Licensed by Mr. Cranford and dedicated to Mr. Rith Capel An. 1644. 1 Tim. 3. 1 Tit. Neither names nor intimates this for one of them And where the Scripture speaks of Ministerial gifts given to the edification of the Church this gift of prayer is never mentioned * 1 Corinth 1. to the 11. Rom. 12.6.7.8 Ephes 4.11.12 Tell me then if a man have all that St. Paul requires in a Bishop and yet wants this gift is he a lawful Minister of the Gospel or not No doubt there are such who cannot express themselves without confusion or to the edification of others without the help of a Form And experience tells us very excellent men have constantly tyed themselves to it As Dr. Taylor a couragious witness to the Truth used the Communion-Book even in private when he was in Prison and bequeath'd it as a Legacy to his Wife He instances also in Dr. Sibs and Mr. Hildersham who used constantly one form of Prayer before their Sermons And I find indeed the two last Sermons of the Doctor sent abroad by two eminent men with that Prayer before them * Upon 14. John 1. published by Mr. Tho. Goodwin and Mr. Philip Nye and dedicated to my Lord of Warwick By which you may see the Assembly were much out of the way when they told you the Lord Jesus furnishes all those whom he calls to the Ministry with this gift of Prayer Or else these men were among the idle and unedifying Ministry who did not put forth themselves to exercise their gift Preface to the Directory N.C. I have many things to say about Forms of Prayer and yours in particular especially about the imposing them if you have the patience to hear me C. With all my heart Only contract what you have to say because I have some business stayes for me N.C. You have seen a Book I perceive which hinders several persons I am told from joyning with you and they think it unanswerable C. What Goliah should that be N. C. It is called Common Prayer-Book-Devotions Episcopal Delusions Or the Second Death of the Service-Book C. A terrible Giant-like Title N.C. The Preface to which seems to call your Ministers the Sons of Perdition as you just now noted C. O I remember now it is said by his Friends to be writ by Mr J. Goodwin and printed in the wonderful year 1666 when they thought to see us tumble down with a powder N.C. It is full of his peculiar phrases and therefore C. I am not concern'd at all who was the Author Let 's consider what he says I took it to be a piece so soul and scurrilous nay so prophane and blasphemous against those Devotions wherein so many thousand Souls offer up themselves to God that I never expected to hear you name it without abhorrence N.C. You pass a very hard sentence on it C. If you had read the two first leaves seriously you would not say so Where as if he imagin'd himself in a Tennis-Court when he chanc't to peep into a Church he rudely calls the Minister's and People's answering one another Bandying and tossing of Devotions to and again a witty expression you think but borrowed alas as the rest of his Book from the Railers that were before him * It is as old as the Admonition in Qu. Elizabeths time Nay his fancy stept immediately from thence into an Ale-house and he tells us that these Devotions much resemble the jolly Scent of a set of Ale-inspired Companions chanting their drunken Catches upon a Bench. Which is such a leud and impious Scoff at the Devotions inspired by the Holy-Ghost which directed the Antient Saints thus to answer one another * 15 Exo. 1.21.15 Rev. 3. that to speak in Mr. J. Goodwins phrase he must be the first-born of prophanness who can deliberately commend such writings N.C. But what do you say to the rest of the Book C. I say he was in such a Cholerick fit and laid so furiously about him when he writ it that neither the admirable Song of St. Ambrose nor
he have any of that vertuous colour left N.C. Was not Cartwright of his mind C. No. For he declared his meaning was not to disallow of a prescript form of Prayer and an Vniform Order in the Church His quarrel was onely with some things in our Service-Book But yet he professed he did not oppose the Ceremonies as simply unlawful but only as inconvenient And therefore perswaded the Pretchers rather to wear the Surpliss than cease their Ministry and the people to receive the Sacrament kneeling if they could not have it otherways because though that gesture was as he conceived incommodious yet not simply unlawful All which and a great deal more I will prove out of his own works and other good Authors if it be contradicted as also that he lost his Professors-place at Cambridge upon other accounts and after all went to Warwick where he was born and dyed in the discharge of his Office as their Minister And Mr. Edwards I remember tells us that he citing a passage out of Mr. Cartwright's Comments on the Proverbs in a Sermon he preached a little before the Wars to perswade the people to take heed of the White Devil viz. the separation upon greater pretence of Purity Mr. John Goodwin came to him when he had done and gave him great thanks for it As for Mr. Parker he indeed went further and said the Ceremonies were unlawful either to be imposed or used But he was far from being so great a Schollar as this man fancies at least his learning was not well digested For taking upon him to maintain that Popish Idolatry is every whit as bad as Pagan he brings a passage out of Saint Augustine to justifie this that a Heretick is worse than a Pagan Which are the Words of another man whom Saint Augustine in that place confutes and asks him by what rule he concluded this seeing our Lord said If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen not worse than an Heathen By which you may see how how forward men of this spirit are to catch at any thing that may seem to favour their Opinions and to make a shew of learning when they think it will serve them though they slight and undervalue it as a carnal weapon when it is in their Adversaries hands And if I thought this man understood him I should imagin he had learnt of Mr. Parker to magnifie those of his own party beyond their deserts For he extolls the refusing of conformity as such a singular piece of service done to God that he compares such persons as were therefore deprived to David Worthies and the three hundred men that followed Gideon Most brave flourishes How can you chuse but yield your felf captive to such Champions believing this Preface upon his word that those he Musters up were in the number of the Worthies But he belies Mr. Greenham too as I am able to prove from good Testimony even from himself But for brevities sake I shall only let you know that Doctor John Burges assures us that on his own knowledge and in his hearing Mr. Greenham denied to perswade any man against the use of the Ceremonies and professed he would be loth to be put to the solution of this Objection as he called it wear the Surpliss or Preach not Which is an argument that though he did not like them yet he did not hold them unlawful much less Idolatrous as this Ignorant Writer would perswade us I can prove also that he abuses Doctor Ames but that I make haste to tell you the most palpable forgery of all is the putting Doctor Reynolds into the Catalogue of his Mighty Men. And since he pretends to understand Latine I will send him for his more full conviction to an Author no less learned than that excellent Doctor and a far better Schollar than any of the rest and that is Doctor Richard Crackanthorp who tells the Arch-bishop of Spalato that the Doctor was no Puritan as he called him but he himself a Calumniator Defens Ecclsiae Anglicanae c. cap 69 pag. 419. An. 1529. For first he professed that he appeared unvillingly in the cause at Hampton Court and meerly in obedience to the Kings command And then he spake against not one word there against the Hierarchy Nay he acknowledged it to be consonant to the word of God in his conference with Hart. And in an Answer to Sanders his Book of the Schism of England which is in the Arch-bishops Library he professes that he approves of the Book of Consecrating and ordering Bishops Priests and Deacons He was a strict observer also of all the Orders of the Church and University both in publick and his own Colledg wearing the Square Cap and Surpliss Kneeling at the Sacrament and he himself commemorating their Benefactors at the times their Statutes appointed and reading that Chapter out of Ecclesiasticus which is on such occasions used In a Letter also of his to Arch-bishop Bancroft then in Doctor Crackanthorps hands he professes himself conformable to the Church of England willingly and from his heart his Conscience admonishing him so to be And thus he remained perswaded to his last breath desiring to receive Absolution according to the manner prescribed in our Liturgy when he lay on his Death-bed Which he did from Doctor Holland the King's Professor in Oxford kissing his hand in token of his Love and Joy and within a few hours after resigned up his Soul to God What think you now was Doctor Reynolds one of those that abominated our Worship suffered extream persecution deprivation and banishment too Or must he that lately stood among the most learned and godly men in the World be now blotted out and put in the black list of Idolaters and touchers with Graven Images What say you Will you never see how these men deceive you Must the most knowing men on our side that report things to us from solid testimony be thought lyars and these impudent sots be believed on their bare word N.C. I am convinced he understood nothing of these matters C. And yet he writes like a Teacher though I believe he never studied their own Writers about these points If he had the silenced Ministers in those dayes would have taught him a great part of what I have said For they have told us in Print * Christian Modest Offer as they call it of the silenced Ministers in which they call for another disputation Anno 1606. that Most of those Ministers appointed to speak for them at Hampton Court were not of their chusing or Nomination or Judgment in the matters then in question but of a clean contrary For being intreated at that time to dispute against those things as simply evil and such as could not be yielded to without sin they professed to them they were not so perswaded and therefore could not do so And being then requested to let his Majesty understand that some of their Brethren were
further perswaded touching the unlawfulness of those things than themselves they refused that also Now I would fain know of this Epistler whether he do not think Doctor Reynolds was one of those Most and whether he do not see that such men as he were ashamed the King should know that any of the Nonconformists to whom they wisht well were so weak as to call the things in difference simply evil N.C. I think you had best dismiss this man What say you to the Arguments in the Book it self C. Where shall we find them There are strains of railing Rhetorick ill applied similitudes which are the common way of deceiving abused Scriptures loose inconsequent-reasonings in a word no arguments that do not prove a great deal too much N.C. Methinks there is something in that p. 4. That it is impossible for a man to keep up his heart so much as in a tollerable posture of Devotion reverence and attention to such Prayers as having been fram'd by men and those no more excellent than their neighbours are grown familiar to us and can be said by roat beforehand we having heard them a thousand times already C. Nothing at all For by whom are their Prayers framed Are they Angels or glorified Saints in the Church Triumphant that must not have the name of Men Or dare they say the Spirit frames them And do they not repeat for ever the same phrases only not put together always in the same Order How many thousand times have you heard them beg that they might prize Christ more and Ordinances more and Sabbaths more and a number of such like things as these And besides all this what say you to the Psalms of David Could no man anciently joyn devoutly in singing them because they were so often repeated and so well known that the Jews had them by heart N.C. I cannot tell But God himself he saith judges it necessary to consult his glory I mean a Religious awe reverence and esteem to his counsels and works from men by concealing the one and the other till the time of their bringing forth that so they may come fresh and new to them VVhat say you to that C. I say he doth not write sense for it is as if he had told us that God doth not reveal his Counsels till he reveal them N.C. But you may guess at his meaning that God keeps secret what he intends to do till he bring it to pass C. That 's false For he foretold many things by the Prophets But were it altogether true it 's nothing to the purpose For though he surprizes us sometimes with events we never thought of and could not foresee and will not always ways let us know what be intends to do yet he doth not judg it necessary to conceal his will concerning that which we are to do No quite contrary He judges it necessary to declare it and hath made no new Declaration since the Apostles times And yet we may have a Religious reverence sure to his Counsels revealed in his Word though they come not fresh and new to us If we cannot all that I have to say is that then the same Exception lyes against them which you bring against the Common-Prayer Nor are your own Prayers so fresh and new as he pretends but we know beforehand the most you have to say only you have some new invented Words and Phrases which sometimes give us just disgust N.C. Doth not our Saviour say Mat. 13.52 that every Scribe every Teacher instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven i.e. meetly qualified for the work of the Ministry of the Gospel is like to a man that brings forth out of his Treasures things new and old C. What of all that N.C. Doubtless our Saviour spoke it upon this Account as he tells you C. Doubtless he was full of fancy as well as the rest of his Brethren which laid hold of every thing without any reason if it would but make a shew and serve to countenance their wild opinions Else he would have easily seen that our Lord speaks of his Apostles and Evangelists who were furnish'd with abilities to propagate the Gospel both by their knowledg in the Old Revelations in the ancient Scriptures and in the new which he made unto them N. C. But the Liturgy smells rank of the Popish Mass-Book which alone is sufficient to make it the abhorring of their souls that understand any thing of the severity of the Divine jealousie c. pag. 5. C. The old N. C. were not affrighted with such terrible Nothings as these But told our English Donatists the Brownists who objected this That it was more proper to say the Mass-Book was added to our Common-Prayer than that our Common-Prayer was taken out of the Mass-Book For most things in our Common-Prayer were to be found in the Liturgies of the Church long before this Mass-Book you talk of was heard of in the world The Mass was patched up by degrees and added to the Liturgies of the Church now one piece then another And if a true man may challenge his goods wheresoever he finds them which the thief hath drawn into his Den then the Church of God may lawfully lay claim to those holy things which the Church of Rome hath usurped and snatch them away from among the trash wherewith they are mingled A great deal more to the same purpose you may find in Mr. John Ball * Answer to two Treatises of Mr. John Can. 1642. part 2. pag. 9. which I cannot now stand to tell you The sum is this That Popery is a Scab or Leprosie that cleaves to the Church It mostly stands in erroneous faulty gross and abominable superstructures upon the true Foundation whereby they poyson or overthrow the foundation it self But take away the superstructures and the foundation remains Remove the Leprosie and the man is sound N. C. You talk of Liturgies in the ancient Church We read of none in the Apostles time C. True But as the same person ingenuously confesses ** Ib. part 2. p. 17. they might be though we read nothing of them For the Apostles have not set down a Catalogue of all and every particular Order that was in the Church However a set form of Prayer to be used in publick meetings is not unlawful because it is of the number of things which God hath not determined in his Word c. And as to call that Holy which God hath not commanded is Superstitious so it is erroneous to condemn that as unholy or prophane which God allows or is consonant to his Word though not precisely commanded N. C. It is a common opinion that the Liturgy is a novel Invention in the dayes of blindness and laziness in favour of Idle and debauched Priests C. You are all as learned as the Prefacer to your Book But you might be more truly learned if you would read the Author now mention'd who tells you that though it 's hard to
the place of God and you who submitted to their orders Worshipped the creature and said constructively and in effect if he reason right to the Parliament Thou art my God or I acknowledge and own thee for my God N. C. I remember the words pag. 12. C. And what would have become of you if after this dreadful sentence he had not in an extraordinary fit of good nature revoked it and allowed the use of a prescribed form For though he say that conceived prayer for the nature and kind of it is that very worship which God Commands Yet as he doth not prove it so he affirms it not confidently without this restriction at least to those that are or by the use of means may be capable of it p. 30. Very kindly said I perceive this gift then of conceiving prayer is but natural and no divine inspiration and where nature is not ready in its conceptions it may be relieved by the help of Art and some may be uncapable of it whatsoever means they use to acquire this gift And consequently conceived prayer is not the Worship which for the nature and kind of it God commands because he doth not command impossible things but another manner of Worship by a constant form may be used nay imposed too when a Magistrate judges it needful and sees that those who are most zealous for conceived Prayers alone have generally least abilities to conceive aright In short he grants p. 55. that stinted forms of Prayer in themselves unto some men and under some circumstances may be lawful He might as well have said needful for I suppose-he thought them lawful in case men could not conceive prayers themselves as they ought And then why may not the circumstances be such that they may be needful to all at least at sometimes when men of the readiest inventions are indisposed And mark I beseech you how timerously he begins to speak after all his vapouring when he tells us We shall hardly find in the Scripture especially in the New Testament the same Prayer used by the same person the second time It seems we may find it if we will but take the pains But to save us a labour he presently remembers that Christ prayed the same words a second and a third time which he excuses thus by the same words we are to understand the same in sense matter and import but not in sound letters or syllables How he came to know this I cannot tell for my part I believe our Saviour was not concern'd about new words when he had the same thing to say again But the like peremptory conclusion he makes concerning all the exhortations to prayer delivered by Christ or his Apostles which he saith were intended only of that kind of prayer which the Saints were to conceive and indite by the help of the Spirit which they who believed did receive To countenance this he cites a great many Scriptures and tells us that those places at least the most of them cannot be understood of the Miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost c. which is so notoriously false that I wonder he had the confidence to affirm it The first is Joh. 7.39 the next Act. 5.32 which no man I think before him ever understood otherwise than of the extraordinary gifts bestow'd on the day of Pentecost And of such gifts the Apostle speaks in the Rom. 5.5 2. Cor. 5.5 Gal. 3.2 Ephes 1.13 In short there is but one place of all that he musters up that can with any colour be drawn to serve his purpose viz. Rom. 8.14 15. And yet to me there is no Sense so plain of those words as this that all the gifts of the Holy Ghost being a great Evidence of the truth of Christianity they that lived accordingly might be assured of the love of God and whether they were Jewes or Gentiles might call God Father though they observed not the Law of Moses But I most marvel that he should alledge that place in 1 Joh. 2.27 which the Brownists I remember were wont to cite and with more shew of reason to prove that every Saint had the Holy Spirit to open to them and lead them into every truth To which if you please you shall hear what the Old Non-conformist replyed N. C. I had rather hear what you can reply to the Scriptures which he brings to prove that therefore God abominates a worship or a form and manner of Worship because he hath not commanded it Though the Worship were in its own nature abominable yet he takes no notice of that but only of its not being commanded which is a sign the provocation lyes there Jer. 7.31 Jer. 19.5 c. pag. 19.20 C. I remember the places very well and remember withal that this is a miserable old argument which hath been answered many a time before he set pen to Paper And it hath been proved with plain Evidence that the meaning of the words which I commanded not is as much as which I forbad as he had expresly their offering their children to Molock of which he speaks in that Jer. 7.31 So when it 's said that they offer'd strange fire which the Lord commanded not Lev. 10.1 all conclude that less is said and more understood viz. that the Lord hath forbidden it Mr. Ainsworth himself cannot deny it who yet makes the same use of this phrase sometimes that this Author doth And indeed a man must flatly contradict all reason that opposes this For when he speaks of those that should worship other Gods Sun and Moon which he had not commanded Deut. 17.3 it is senceless to interpret it otherwise than this which he had forbidden For if this was the reason why a man sinned in worshipping the Moon that he did it without Gods leave or Command it would suppose that God might have commanded them to worship it and serve other Gods which no body imagines All those places therefore which he alledges to prove that Gods not commanding a thing is enough to make it unlawful amount to no more but this that his forbidding a thing makes it unlawful N. C. But we ought to interpret the Scripture according to the very form of the words and so that is unlawful which is not commanded C. Just now you were only for the sense and the matter not the words and syllables But to let that pass I have shown you this is a fashion of Speech in the Old Testament for a thing forbidden And besides the absurdity of your Interpretation is so great that the wiser sort of that party who first used this argument were forced afterward to forsake it as I can clearly demonstrate out of Mr. Cartwright And in deed where hath the Lord commanded a Minister to read a Text and gloss upon it or the Congregation to sing the Psalms of David in Metre Mr. Smith can never be answered by these Disputers who said that the Holy Scriptures were not to be retained as helps
perpetual in the Church as we read in Mr. Cottons Catechism Now having devised these things to name no more I observe that the Covenant in the same Church is in one and the same Form of words as well as matter and therefore put into writing and must be read by the party to be admitted or he must hear it read by some other and give his Assent to it Here is not only a Form of Holy Covenant a principal point of worship as W. R. notes invented by one or more men but imposed upon others even as many as enter into the Church and more than that to be read upon a Book What is this better or how is it more lawful than a set form of prayer especially since this Covenant is imposed as an Ordinance of God and absolutely necessary so as no Book-Prayer I think is I find also that by this Covenant the Members in some places †Church of Salem in New-Engl were restrained and tyed up from shewing their gifts in speaking or scrupling till they were called thereto that is they being allowed to prophesie publickly and so to propound questions and make objections which they call Scrupling they bound them up in this Covenant which had the force of Law from doing it uncall'd I would fain know whether this be not to limit the Spirit as you speak and to stint it to times as you say we do it to words For if a man be never so full he must have no vent without a call from the Church And how I pray you doth this differ from an Ecclesiastical Canon as to it's force and obligation but only that it hath another name and all old Canons must be lay'd aside to make way for this new Covenant They tell us also expresly that the Magistrate may compel men to keep their Covenant though not to enter into it †Ib. Narration of Church Courses cap. 15. And for spreading of infectious Doctrines Mr. Wheelwright a Minister and Mrs. Hutchinson a pretended Prophetess were banished the Countrey Several of their followers also were some imprisoned some fined some disfranchised some banished and all disarmed for petitioning the Court in behalf of Mr. Wheelwright and remonstrating with due submission so their words were that they conceived he deserved no such censure a Proceedings of the General Court holden at New-Town Oct. 2. 1637. and the Apology in defence of the proceedings holden at Boston 1636. And great many more remarkable things there are in that story which I cannot stand to recite But must proceed to tell you that as for others who are not of their way there is just no liberty at all For as they will not grant communion to members of other Churches not constituted as they are so if a company of approved godly people should sit down near them where their power reaches differing from them only in some points of Church Government some of them tell us not only that they shall not be owned as a sister Church but also be in danger of severe punishment by the Civil Magistrate b Narration c. cap. 10. N. C. What is all this to our Independents C. They extol both the Men and the wayes of New-England to the Skyes and therefore approve of them I suppose not only as good but as excelling all other The Men they say have testified their sincerity to all generations future by the greatest undertaking except that of our Father Abraham viz. leaving this Countrey to go thither meerly to worship God more purely c Apologetical Narration 1643. pag. 5. And as for their wayes and practices they are improved to a better Edition and greater refinement than those of other Reformed Churches d Ib. which makes it reasonable to believe that when they Covenanted to reform according to the example of the best Reformed Churches they had New-England in their eyes as their pattern For those General words as Mr. Feak e Beam of Light p. 25. rightly observes left it under suspence and undetermined which of the Reformed Churches had obtained the highest degree of Reformation The Scots and their Friends judged the Kirk of Scotland the best Reformed the Dissenting Brethren approved the Reformation of New-England to be most excellent But be this as it will we have learn't thus much from what hath been related that the Churches of a better Edition and greater refinement do not think it unlawful to use forms in Gods holy Ordinances unto which they bind those who come under their Power restraining them also from opening their mouths when perhaps they think themselves full of the Spirit and denying leave to others to set up a different way from theirs in their Neighbourhood As for our Independents I can shew from their Books that they think it necessary to be as severe in a great many Cases 〈◊〉 and I remember as heavy complaints of them as ever they made of the Presbyterians and have been told that they daily spet their renom privately and publickly against those that separated from them a Vanity of the present Churches p. 3. and 11. c. N. C. It will be too long to relate all those things But I would fain know how this will stand with Christian Liberty C. Do you think that it consists in being tyed to no Law at all N. C. None but Gods C. Take heed what you say N. C. In matters of worship I mean C. That 's absurd as I have shewn you Gods Law hath only given us the general rules whereby things to be ordered in the Church according to which our Governors are to make particular Laws and we are to obey them or else there will be nothing but confusion Yet still our Christian Liberty remains because First we are not tyed to this or that pattern or Model but our Governors have liberty to establish whatsoever being in it self indifferent shall seem to them most expedient for maintaining comliness and Order And secondly when any orders are established this is our Liberty as our Divines teach you that we do not use them as any part of Divine Worship as some of you do nor as meritorious and satisfactory nor as necessary to justification or salvation but only for discipline and good Orders sake And lastly by consequence the same Authority may alter them and hath not so tyed up it self to them but that it is at liberty to abolish those in case of inconvenience arising and establish others in the room But such a Liberty as leaves men loose from all Laws and Orders save those that they shall chuse themselves is a wild fancy which your Ministers condemn as well as ours Mr. Dury for instance a very moderate Presbyterian tells the Independent Brethren We must expect no such Liberty as shall break the Bond of Spiritual Unity which by the allowance of a publick tolleration of a different Church Government may be occasioned To keep therefore Unity intire a few must
therefore I find his Majesty was fain for the satisfaction of the two Houses so his words are to make a further concession and to profess he would not insist upon any provision for continuance of the use of the Book of common-Common-prayer in his Majesties Chappel for himself and his houshold nevertheless he declared he intended to use some other set Form of Divine Service c This was 4. Novemb. 1648. But nothing would satisfie unless he would do according to the Directory they would not allow a Set Form in his own House no though he declared in a further explication of his mind that he could not with a good Conscience communicate in a publick Form of Divine Service and Administration of Sacraments where it is wholly uncertain what the Minister will say to God and told them he hoped they would not think it reasonable to offer any violence to the conscience of their Sovereign For in their answer d Novemb. 20. they tell him twice though they would not force his conscience yet desire it may be informed and rectifyed that so it might agree with theirs who were his great Council that is they would not call it by that name but he must either agree to them or be as he was And so in fine he was content to wave even a Set Form e Reply Nov. 21. Do you not see now how we were deceived by this word Liberty and that the King himself could have no benefit of it Had you not a great care of tender Consciences and were exceeding nice in pressing men to that wherein they were not fully satisfied Certainly his Majesty had reason to say f Declar. of Jan. 18. after votes of no addresses If it be Liberty of conscience they desire he who wants it is most ready to give it And what do you think of his Majesties earnest desire to have some of his Chaplains attend him a Which he made February 17. 1646. Was it not barbarous to deliberate one moment whether it should be allowed or no especially by those who cryed up Liberty so much And yet he was fain to renew his Message to them the next month b March 6. and to represent the necessity of it for the guidance of his Conscience But still they stop their ears to his desires for in his Answers to their Propositions c May 12. 1647. he respites his answer to what concerned the Covenant because he could not give a resolution in a matter of Conscience till he might be assisted with the advice of some of his own Chaplains which had hitherto been denyed him Nay when he was at Carisbrook d Message of Aug. 10. 1648. I find him complaining that he had none about him except a Barbar which came down with the Commissioners that ever he named to wait upon him A piece of rigor and barbarism greater than is ever used by Christians to the meanest prisoners and greatest Malefactors e Icon Basil c. N. C. I know the words But what is this to penalties C. You led me out of the way and yet not altogether for you may see by this that Christian Liberty is but a Phrase and signifies nothing when any but your selve challenges the benefit of it But if you would hear any more of the other I must tell you the Independents were for some punishments though more mild than yours For which I must refer you to Mr. Burroughs f Irenicum pag. 36. 37. and not stay to recite his words at length who tells you men may be restrained by Violence from publishing gross Errors notwitstanding their plea of Conscience and that some trouble may be laid in their way who hold Errors of less moment so far as to take off the wantonness of their spirits and neglect of means Nay where men by their weakness render themselves less serviceable to the Common-wealth or Church he saith they may be denyed some priviledges granted to others of which he gives you instances N. C. What No respect to tender Consciences C. Yes But if a man be proud and turbulent in his carriage and dispise his betters the same Person tells you you may be sure the Devil is in his will rather than in his Conscience For though an erroneous conscience may cause one to hold fast an Error it doth not put him upon proud scornful and turbulent behaviour When a man by reason of his Conscience it may be the weakness of it differs from his Brethren he had need carry himself with all humility and meekness and self-denial in all things ☞ Consider how well you follow this Rule who are so peremptory and proud c. He should be willing to be a servant to every man in what lawfully he may that thereby he may shew to all that it is not from any wilfulness but meerly tenderness of his Conscience that he cannot come off to that which his Brethren can do whom yet he reverences and in his carriage towards them shews that he esteems them his betters But if a man that is weak very much beneath others in Parts and Graces he might have said any one that dissents from the Generality of Christians and his Governours where he lives shall carry himself high imperious contemning and vilifying those who differ from him and be contentious with them there is great reason to think the corruption is in the will rather than any where else And if there should be some conscience yet in those men their heart distempers may justly forfeit their right of pleading their conscience Those who oppose them if they do it in a Christian way nay justifie what they do before God and say to him when he calls them to an account for their dealing so with those that professed Conscience Lord we were willing to have dealt with them in all tenderness if we could have seen conscientiousness in their carriage But we saw nothing but scornfulness pride imperiousness turbulency conceitedness we could see nothing of the Spirit of Jesus Christ acting them in their way * You may read this in Mr. Burroughs Ib. p. 32. c. Thus he also resolves this question How shall we know a man to be obstinate when he opposes the judgment of many more godly and learned than himself 1. If he oppose the common principles of Christianity 2. If in other matters his carriage be turbulent and altogether unbeseeming a Christian differing from his Brethren 3. Where there is neglect of those means of Information which he hath nothing to say against Lastly If he so cross his own principles that he appear to be self-condemned †Ib. pag. 92. Think ☞ I beseech you whether this be not your case N. C. I have a number of things to say but I see you are in hast and therefore will let them alone C. You may propound them some other time if upon consideration of these things you be not satisfied And