Worship of a true Church and if the National Church of England be proved a true Church as most grant it is then Dr. Owen cannot be excused from Schisme P. 60. John Goodwin being yet a Presbyterian in a Letter to Tho. Goodman says that to forsake the true Church of Christ and the Ministry thereof wherein they have converted and built up so many setting up new Churches without the consent of those from which they departed and to the scandal and grief of so many godly Ministers and Christians and the scandal of all the reformed Churches and this under a pretence of spiritual Power and Liberty purchased by Christ had need of a clear and full proof and not to be built on slight and weak grounds flattering similitudes witty allusions remote consequences strained and forced interpretations from hard and much controverted Scriptures and in his Sion Colledge visited he acknowledgeth that strangers of all parts did confirm that there was more of the truth and power of Religion in England under the late Prelatical Government than in all the reformed Churches besides This is the Presbyterian confession Heart Divisions p. 163. Mr. Burroughs shall speak first for the Independent Thus Though there be corruption in a Church yet to gather into a new Church which may be more pure and in some respects more comfortable is a Schisme For First We never find the Saints of God in Scripture to have done so 2ly There would be no continuance in Church fellowship if this be admitted for what Church is so pure and hath all things so comfortable but within a while another Church will be more pure and other things more comfortable there and the general peace of the Church should be more regarded by us than some comfortable accommodations to our selves 3ly Supposing you cannot communicate with a Church without sin or bondage yet you are not presently to withdraw to gather into another or joyn to another you are bound to give so much respect to the Church as to continue with much long-suffering to seek the good of that Church to remove the sin that is upon it you must bear much with a Brother much more with a Church 4ly Whatever things Christians that live in the same place do differ in if they may stand with grace they can have no incouragement from Scripture to divide themselves into little pieces reddit rationem c. Christ stands much upon the Union of his Saints in one in all ways by all means that may be Opinionum varietas opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So far Mr. Burroughs And the Brethren of New England in their Answer to the 32d Question say That where People do with common and mutual consent gather into setled Congregations ordinarily every Lord's Day to hear and teach the Word of God and profess their subjection thereunto and bind themselves and Children as in Baptisme they do to continue therein such Congregations are true Churches notwithstanding sundry defects and dangerous corruptions found in them wherein we follow the judgment of Calvin l. 4. c. 1. § 9 10. and of Whitaker De notis Ecclesiae c. 17. By this it appears that the Church and Congregations of England being a true Church and Congregations to separate from them and gather new Churches on pretence of purer Ordinances is Schisme or such Separation as it is reported T. C. called the white Devil of Separation But it may be these Men wrote thus when their interest led them to it and if they did believe it to be true they would not now practise to the contrary I shall therefore for farther confirmation give you the judgment of two Persons uninteressed and beyond exception The first is Mr. Perkins in his Comment on the Text he proposeth this question What if there be errors in the Church or things amiss may we not separate our selves Answ Things that may be amiss in the Church must be distinguished some faults concern the matter some the manner of Religion the former respect Doctrine the later the manners of Men. First for things amiss in the manners of Men we may not separate but with Lot have our righteous hearts vexed and grieved with the wicked conversation of those among whom we live The Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses Chair teaching Moses Doctrine must be heard however their manners may not be imitated Matth. 23.1 2ly If the Church erre in matter of Religion we must consider whether the error be in a more weighty and substantial point or in matter of less importance for the foundation being kept we may not separate our selves 1 Cor. 3.15 If the error be about the foundation we must consider whether the Church erre through humane frailty or obstinacy if of frailty we may not separate the Church of Galatia through frailty was quickly turned to another Gospel and erred in the foundation holding justification by works yet St. Paul writeth to it as to a Church of God So the Church of Corinth overthrew the Article of the Resurrection yet Paul behaved himself accordingly to it But if the Church erre obstinately in the foundation of Religion then with good conscience separation may be made 1 Tim. 4.5 Of this we have an Example Act. 19.9 1 Chron. 11.14 16. Whence we see that no Man may with good conscience separate himself from the Church of England seeing it teacheth believeth and obeyeth the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles So far Mr. Perkins The next is Cameron Schisme saith he is either a rash or an unjust separation p. 322. upon the account of Religion It is with Schisme as with Error a light Error continued in with obstinacy becomes Heresie So there is a Schisme which may not be called unjust but only rash being grounded on a light cause but if pertinacy be added when the levity of the cause doth appear it becomes truly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an eminent Schisme This rash Schisme may be known either à priori from its previous cause for no Man being compelled to it if we will speak the truth it proceeds from self-love therefore also hatred follows upon it Schismatici pastores sunt qui fratribus suis odium invidiam conciliare student Cameron Nor would any rash Schism be made if we had Charity which is the most perfect bond and is not easily provoked and thinketh no evil It is therefore a manifest note of hatred which hatred may arise either from an offence really given or only taken as when a Man is grieved that another is preferred before him Again a Schisme is made rashly either by the chief Authors upon a light occasion as if when an Ulcer doth appear upon any Member the Chirurgion should presently think of cutting off that Member without applying other means or expecting what Nature may do But we may suppose that the Schisme be made upon the occasion of Heresie and then the separation may
Loyalty which is one of the chiefest ingredients and ornaments of true Religion for next to Fear God is Honour the King and yet no Artillery Yard did ever discipline more Men for War nor any Magazine furnish them with keener Weapons than the Tongues and Pens of some Disciplinarians have done Thirdly I would willingly be informed what company of persons in any Age did openly separate from an Established Church wherein they might serve God without sinning by communicating with it and did not also trouble and disturb the State The multitude cannot look through the Vizor and see how they are acted by the ambition and covetousness of a few male-contents who under a seeming Zeal for the Truth have real designs against peace and do expose the Temporal and Eternal welfare of their followers for the accomplishing of their own ungodly Lusts not unlike the Ape that burnt the Cats foot in the fire to pluck out her beloved Nuts Fourthly Nor can it be otherwise thought but that Schismatical persons among us do drive Seditious designs if it be considered that there is no pious duty or laudable exercise of piety and devotion but it may be done more solemnly in the publick Assemblies than in any private Conventicles whatsoever * Non licet â—â—de sepaâ—are ubi â—â—iect in belius â—mmutaâ—â—g Aug. â—â—ontra â—â—resc l. 2. â— 28 〈◊〉 230. of â—chism And what Reason can there be as Mr. Hales says why they should do that secretly and suspiciously which they may do warrantably in the publick Congregations except they are afraid their Devotions will be less acceptable when they serve God with Reverence as well as with godly Fear It is beyond question that there may be such corruptions in Doctrine and such Idolatrous practices required in Worship as may justifie a Separation but neither of these can be pretended against our Church The Covenanters indeed did pretend a necessity of reforming our Doctrine but to this day have not mentioned any one Article that needed it but while the Covenant was warm upon their Spirits they required that all persons admitted into any Benefice should subscribe our Articles having first read them publickly and professed their consent to them as long as the House of Lords had the Power of admission committed to them and even now in cool bloud all parties that have any thing of Sobriety do make the Doctrine of the Church of England the Standard by which they authorize their own And if the present Dissenters were Christians indeed the great and uncontroverted Fundamentals of Religion wherein they agree with us in judgment might reconcile their affections in those lesser things wherein they differ Opinionum diversitas Opinantium unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hales of Schism p. 215. How unreasonable and irreligious a thing it is to contend for Ceremonies to the neglect of the weightier matters of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith is I hope satisfactorily evinced in another discourse hereunto annexed Fifthly I shall therefore propose another Argument to prove that Schism as it is now practised among us is inseparable from Sedition because if men did dissent purely upon the account of Judgment and Conscience they would dissent soberly and peaceably and as the Nonconformists in Mr. Balls days joyn with us in somethings which they cannot but allow though they refused to communicate in other things which they suspected and concerning those things also they would in all humility and meekness seek satisfaction and distrust their own Opinions which they find to be contrary to the judgment of their Superiours whom they cannot but acknowledge to be very learned and good men For as Erasmus on Romans 14. Dignitatis ratio poscit ut imperitior peritiori obtemperet We owe so much to the Authority and wisdom of our Superiours that in things doubtful and suspected and he instanceth in things far more obnoxious than our Ceremonies they who have less knowledge ought to obey him that hath more and he gives this reason because if it be a crime of Arrogance to despise the Superstition of the weak and of him that erreth in Simplicity of how much more intolerable Arrogance is it if he that is more weak in Faith and Knowledge do judge and condemn them that are better than himself according to the vulgar rule of unlearned persons who judge all unjust which themselves do not practise and the Apostle tells such that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink i. e. the spirit and temper of the Gospel consists not in being solicitous about such things which are left to our Christian liberty but about the promoting of righteousness and peace Ro. 14.17 and joy in the Holy Ghost which are indispensably injoyned so that sober and conscientious Dissenters would rather according to the Will of God suffer patiently for well-doing than studiously promote discord and division and all those evils which the Apostle says do accompany it I cannot forbear to commend that excellent advice of S. Augustine to such persons Epistle 56. If thou art questioned saith he concerning points of subtilty and controversies tell them thou knowest not what to Answers because thy Learning lyeth not that way if thou art urged to declare what thou knowest and wherein thy learning lyeth Responde to nosse quomodo sine istis homo possit esse beatus Answer thou I have learned how a man may be happy without the understanding of such points And Mr. Hales observed that when scruples of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schisms began to break in Treatise of Schism p. 217. And now let any indifferent man judge concerning such as instead of dissenting peaceably and seeking satisfaction meekly in such punctilio's of the nature of which they may be safely ignorant and as the Jews say of some of their questions refer the resolution of them until Elias come do not only renounce all Communion in the established Worship but contrary to the known Laws of God and the King disturb the publick peace rail at their Brethren defame and resist their Superiors are deaf to all arguments and will not be perswaded when they are over-convinced but instead of patiently enduring what is not in their power to amend as S. Augustine adviseth do with equal pride and impatience attempt the casting off of all Government whether such are men of tender Consciences or of carnal and by consequence of Seditious principles Sixthly Which will yet more evidently appear if it be considered that Schisms are ordinarily contrived and abetted by discontented and ambitious persons whose seditious and Traiterous designs against the State do want the Midwifry of Schism to give them Birth and Maturity The Vow at Hebron was a means to form an Army against David 2 Sam. 15.7 and Come see my zeal the Motto of Jehu's standard 2 Kings 10.16 which drew many after them who went in the simplicity of their hearts to their own destruction
strife and division do abound Yet these were not full grown Separatists they had only laid the foundation of a Faction in their partiality for some and prejudice against other Ministers the worst of which was too good for such an unthankful People St. Paul tells us Gal. 5.11 that the works of the flesh are manifest that is it is evident and undeniable that these are the works of the flesh as adultery fornication lasciviousness so are Idolatry witchcraft hatred variance emulation wrath strife seditions herefies envyings the certain issues of a carnal mind The Apostle also acquaints Timothy upon what Principles such Men act and what arts they use they suppose that gain is godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 and to compass this they begin to teach otherwise than the Apostles did they would not conform to the wholesome words of Christ or the Doctrine preached by the Apostles which was according to godliness but in their pride and ignorance would dote about questions and strife of words to the stirring up of envy strife railing and evil surmising And he acquaints Timothy that the same thing should come to pass in the later days 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 c. when Men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith should under a form of godliness See Titus 1.10 practise all manner of iniquities and yet draw Parties after them resist the truth and them that defend it and lead captive silly Women c. and that these were lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God St. James goes a degree beyond all this that if there be but envy James 3.14 15. and strife in our hearts though it do not break forth into open separation all our pretences to true wisdom and piety are but lies for this wisdome is earthly sensual and devilish St. Peter gives us the like description 2 Pet. 2.10 as St. Jude doth and it seems to be the joynt design of all the Apostles to continue in all Churches the Picture of a Separatist to forewarn the People of the deceitfulness and danger Phil. 3.18 Col. 2.18 that such Persons and practices might involve them in And now to come nearer home I doubt not but many will be of the same judgment with me in this That the defection which some learned Men and others have made from our Church to the Church of Rome while the late Persecution did indure could not be for greater purity but in hopes of better preferment and the reputation of being accounted Men of Learning and tender consciences whereas if the Church could have satisfied their expectation of Dignities and preferment they would never have courted another Mistriss whose Wealth and gaudy Dresses did not so much exceed as her Vertues and comeliness were inferior to the Church of England And as for the ordinary sort of Romish Proselytes they were doubtless possest with an opinion of an easier Religion that would indulge them in more licentiousness and at easie rates grant them pardon for sins to come as well as what were past Most Men would choose a Religion which they may injoy with their Lusts and wherein they may hope to go to Heaven without that strictness of life and sincere and universal obedience which is required in the Protestant Churches And it is altogether as evident that many who divide themselves into lesser Factions among us though purity and conscience and Christian liberty be pretended do please themselves with some other apprehensions than what are really consistent with the graces of the Holy Spirit of which I shall instance in these particulars First They are Animalia Gloriae so they were described by Tertullian Qui gloriae principatus gratia Contr. Per. c. 3. novas falsas opiniones sequuntur Pride and too high an opinion of their own parts and piety hath diverted many from the unity of the Church for this Pharisaical leven doth not only swell them but renders them sowre and bitter to contemn their Brethren and scorn their Governors Regis quisque in se animum habot as Galvin observes of such Men they have ambition to be uppermost and to that end will rather make themselves head of a small Faction than continue Members of the most honourable Society 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is their design and to that end is it that with Core c. they are so troublesome to their Rulers Spotswood's History and as it is observed of the Scottish Clergy although none pleaded more for purity than they while they were under Episcopal Jurisdiction yet none acted more against it when they had shaken off that Discipline griping not only the Crosier but the Scepter too with both their hands 'T is not the Superiority that they dislike but that it is in other Mens hands for it is true of such what Zanchy observed of some Lutheran Churches they only changed the good Greek work of Bishop into a bad Latine one of Superintendent and in some places where they neither retained the good Greek nor the bad Latine word yet they kept the power of Bishops still Now what greater symptomes of pride are there than the despising of our Superiors and contempt of our equals the vaunting of what we have not and a vain glorying of what we have That description which I have formerly given out of Calvin Instit l. 4. c. 1. S. 16. shews that it is not piety but pride that is predominant in such to which I shall add Vt omnium contemptu oftentent se esse aliis moliores that in his Book de Scandalis St. Augustine saith he doth truly name pride the Mother of all Heresies for never was there any Master of error Vt sibi placeant praepositos superbo tumore contemnant St. Cyprian l. 3. Ep. 19. whom a wicked ambition did not raise up to his own ruine We know that God is a faithful teacher of such as are humble they therefore that swell with arrogance it is no wonder that they are driven up and down with wild speculations being banished from this School As many as in our Age have fallen from the pure Doctrine of the Gospel and made themselves Authors of false Opinions we find them all infected with the disease of pride and from thence to have created witty torments as well to themselves as others And again Cal. contra Labertinos They are victorious by nothing but their impudence for there is not one of them but desireth to be uppermost The temper of a holy Man is known by this saith Cameron He indures injuries Cameron de Schismate to the loss of his Name and Reputation that the Church may not be divided whereas wicked and mercenary Men if any touch them but with his little finger or in any respect diminisheth their fame presently either under pretence of severity in the Ecclesiastical Discipline or of preserving the purity of Doctrine whereas in truth they study only their own interest
were as expresly set down in the Gospel to be used or for born in the publick worship of God as the rites and circumstances concerning Sacrifices were in the ceremonial law yet as the Sacrifices themselves much more the modes of preparing and offering them might be used or omitted for the performance of moral duties so doubtless if things of an external ceremonial nature had been commanded or forbidden in express terms they might yet be observed or omitted as the substantial service of God and obedience to his greater commands for charity and peace might be best performed But these things being not determined particularly by the Gospel but left under general rules for decency and order may doubtless be determined by a lawful authority such as that of our Church under our Gracious Soveraign is and being so determined and imposed there is an advantage on the side of Authority against a scrupulous conscience which ought to over-rule the practice of such who are members of that Church It remains only that I endeavour to remove an objection or two against what is here said Object 1. If the ceremonies be things of such indifferency Why do not they who are in authority dispense with the use of them or totally lay them aside for the sake of peace and unity Answ 1. The Magistrate doth but his duty in providing for the solemnity of Divine worship according to those general rules for decency and order prescribed by the Apostles 2ly What the Magistrate doth is not only agreeable to his private discretion and conscience for he practiseth the same things that he prescribes but according to the deliberate determinations of the most wise and pious persons of the Nation in their solemn Assemblies and doubtless as St. Ambrose wrote to St. Augustine if they had known any thing better they would have practised that 3ly It will very much impair the authority and reputation of Magistrates so to comply with the importune clamours of scrupulous persons as to alter or abrogate their laws and constitutions as oft as discontented or seduced persons shall demand it And though it be very uncertain that the craving party will be satisfied when they are indulged in all that they desire yet it is certain that others will be incouraged to make new supplications and so create perpetual disturbances And the gratifying of a few weaklings or male-contents may give just cause of offence to a greater and better party who are desirous to worship God in the beauty of holiness and are really grieved at the irreverence and disorders which are and have been too observable in the Meetings of dissenting parties 4ly Hereby the Magistrate should tacitly confess himself guilty of all those accusations that have been charged upon him and his predecessors of imposing unlawful superstitious and Popish ceremonies and persecuting the godly and conscientious people that could not conform to them And 5ly It would greatly defame those worthy Martyrs who not only thought fit to retain them and gave cogent arguments for the lawful use of them but sealed the established worship and discipline with their bloud not only in the Marian days but under the late Usurpation also 6ly It is an unreasonable thing to demand that which they themselves would deny if they were in the Magistrates place for let me ask them whether they being well perswaded of their discipline and order viz. that it is agreeable to the Word of God to antiquity and reason would comply with the desires of dissenting parties to make such alterations as should from time to time be required by others contrary to their own judgments and consciences and to this we need no other answer than the practice of the Objectors when they were in Authority And who can doubt but that they who being subjects do assume to themselves a power of directing and prescribing to the Magistrate if they were in the Magistrates place would take it very ill to be directed by their Subjects 7ly If the established ceremonies were removed others of a like nature would succeed as unscriptural and symbolical as they such as sitting at the Sacrament and lifting up the hands to Heaven it being impossible almost to perform divine service with any decency without such and seeing that for many centuries of the Primitive Church wherein other ceremonies have been complained of by Saint Augustine and others no man ever objected against the ceremonies which are used in our Church and which were by those famous Reformers and Martyrs retained in our Liturgy it is no argument of a meek or quiet spirit to make objections and cause divisions upon pretence of Superstition in the Liturgy and ceremonies and to expect that the Church to salve their reputation should betray her own and by abrogating her sanctions give the world more reason than yet hath been given to believe that the Church of England even from the first Reformation hath been in a dangerous error and the Factions that opposed her have had truth and justice on their side In the second Objection Papists and Sectaries joyntly say That other dissenters may as well justifie their separation from us on pretence of the Ceremonies retained by our Church as we can justifie our separation from the Church of Rome by reason of the Ceremonies injoyned by her To which I shall not need to make any other answer than a short appeal to the Consciences of all unprejudiced persons Whether the Church of England requiring the use of three Ceremonies declared by her self to be indifferent and acknowledged by her enemies not to be unlawful can be thought by any sober person to give as great and just a cause of Separation from her as all that load of Superstition in the Church of Rome of which St. Augustine complained in his days that the Jewish yoke was less heavy To require Prayers in an unknown Tongue and to Saints and Angels is doubtless more offensive than to use a solemn plain form of words taken either from the Scripture or the ancient Liturgies of the Church What is the Surplice Cross in Baptism and kneeling at the Sacrament for devotion if compared to their Adoration of the transubstantiated Host worshipping of Images invocation of Saints their doctrines of the Popes Supremacy and Infallibility of Purgatory and Indulgences besides the innumerable ceremonies daily practised by them And as the Sectaries will not condemn the Church of England for receding from these extreams so neither can the Romanists blame her for want of moderation in retaining both purity of Doctrine and decency of Worship and abhorring those other extreams of Sacriledge and profanation of holy things of Rebellion and Bloud shed though under pretence of Religion wherewith with both they and the Sectaries have defiled themselves It was the pious care of the Pilots of our Church to conduct their Successors between the two rocks of Superstition and Idolatry on one hand and irreverence and irreligion on the other in the same course
THE CHARACTER OF A SEPARATIST OR Sensuality the Ground OF SEPARATION To which is Added THE PHARISEES LESSON On Matth. IX xiii AND AN EXAMINATION OF Mr. HALES TREATISE of SCHISME By THOMAS LONG B. D. and Prebendary of St. PETER'S EXON I differ from my Brethren in many things of considerable moment yet if I should zealously press my judgment on others so as to disturb the Peace of the Church and separate from my Brethren I should fear I should prove a Fire-brand in Hell for being a Fire brand in the Church I charge you if God should give me up to any factious Church-rending course that you forsake me and follow me not a step Mr. Baxter's Epistle Dedicatory to the Saints Rest LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishops Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1677. To the Worshipful Sir THOMAS CARY Kt. RECORDER of the CITY OF EXETER AND JUDGE of the SESSIONS FOR THE COVNTY of DEVON THE Design of this Treatise being to prove that Schisme is a work of the flesh it cannot be improper to submit it to the cognizance of a Magistrate the Peace of the State being equally violated thereby as the unity of the Church and when the Veil of the Temple is rent there usually followeth an Earth-quake through the whole Land Turn tua res agitur the same persons that despise Aaron do affront Moses And indeed in a Church and Kingdom so knit and consolidated as ours are Where the King is through God's good providence a Nursing-father to the Church and not only professeth himself to be of its communion but hath graciously obliged himself by Oath to defend the rights and priviledges thereof and to that end hath established many good Laws not only by Statute but by Canons Ecclesiastical which are also the King's Laws and where the Church on her part as to external peace and order intirely acknowledgeth her dependance on the King as Defender of the faith which she professeth and in all causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil supreme Moderator and Governor and by the indispensable Laws of God is so obliged to the duty of Allegiance that neither she nor any of her children ever did nor can deny that without denying their own Doctrine and Profession and long and certain experience hath taught us that whoever retained themselves in the communion of the Church did yield due obedience to the King and contrariwise as many as withdrew from the communion of the Church were professed enemies to the King It is impossible I say to conceive how a Schisme should be maintained in such a Church without actual Sedition in the State In this Tertullus the Orator was right when he called the Authors of a new Sect Ring-leaders of Sedition and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very pest for Schisme like the Plague of Leprosie eats into the Walls and Timber of the House and as Optatus observes of the Schisme of the Donatists what Family is there where either the Wife is not withdrawn from her Husband or Children from their Parents or Servants from their Masters And the Divisions of private Families produce publick mischiefs for as a Family which consists of divers persons being divided cannot stand so a Kingdom which consists of divers Families being divided will come to ruine as when the several twists of a Cable which holds the Ship at Anchor is by little Vermin eaten through the ship is exposed to the violence of every wind and storm When the Church loseth a Member the King doth not only lose a subject but gaineth an enemy when either Lay-men make use of schismatical Meetings or Religious men of seditiòus tumults the peace of the Church and State are equally indangered Secondly It cannot be denied that the very act of separation is a bidding * Pertinaciae Schismatis non est alia ratio quam odium fraternum S. August contr Parm. l. 1. c. 4. farewell to all charitable Opinions and amicable conversation towards those from whom the separation is made And when they who first separated from the Church of England did on the very same grounds dissent from the brethren of that separation and withdrew into new Sects they were professed enemies unto all but that Faction to which they adhered For no separation is held justifiable but from such in whose communion the dissenters do apprehend at least that they cannot serve God as they ought but that they should sin in doing as the rules of that communion do require And if so how should they scruple to disobey the King's Laws when they think them contrary to God's Laws or how should they care to be at peace with them who are in their apprehensions enemies to truth Their hatred will rather increase and become implacable and they will call it Zeal how bitter and fierce soever it be For when Men think their opinions and passions warranted by Religion they also think themselves bound by their greatest hopes and fears to prosecute them to the utmost of their power and as the mistaken Disciples did to call for fire from Heaven on all those that dissent from them and that they should do God good service in slaying of them The differences that have been raised among us about things indifferent have caused the loss of more of the bloud and spirits of this Nation as well as of true piety than the persecution of all its professed enemies Long have we languished under that issue of bloud which was opened by punctilio's of Religion for our controversies did not concern the fundamentals of Religion but only the dress and garments of external worship and yet how great a matter did a little fire kindle when it was blown from a coal taken from the Altar for they who as the Priests of God should weep between the Porch and the Altar Joel 2.17 and not only by their tears but by their bloud too endeavour to extinguish the flame did as the Priests of Mars scatter fire in every corner of the Temple and warmed themselves at the flames which they had kindled What if the matters contended for were vile and inconsiderable they had the Art to set them off by glorious Names The Cause and Covenant of God the Kingdome and Scepter of Christ and in such a cause they are bound as they think not only to leave but in a literal sense to hate Father and Mother All moderation is lukewarmness and they will be cruel that they may not be accounted cold as the Royal Martyr foretold p. 69. of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many persons do at this day look upon The Covenant as a holy and harmless Instrument for Reformation but who among all the Covenanters was there that did not think himself bound to oppose the King in reforming the Church But I am sure says that Royal Person The right method of reforming the Church cannot consist with that of disturbing the State nor can Religion be justly advanced by depressing
The Ceremonies were as St. Augustine complained as burdensome as those of the Jewish Church But then they imposed such new Articles of Faith to be believed as necessary to Salvation such as the Infallibility and Supremacy of the Pope the Worshipping of Images and Saints the Doctrine of Merit and Supererogation Transubstantiation and half Communion Pardons and Purgatory c. that it grew morally impossible for us to retain any longer Communion with them as Brethren unless we would renounce our fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ We do still hold and teach that the condition of our Communion was made sinful viz by professing false Doctrines believing lies and joyning in Idolatrous Worship and so it was unlawful and intolerable and they who practise such things themselves and would impose them on others are actually in Separation from the true Church to which they still adhere who continue constantly in the Apostles Doctrine Acts 1.42 and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayer Besides we do still profess that if the Church of Rome will not constrain us Calvin Melancthon Dr. Jackson to profess such Points of Doctrine or to adventure on such practices as are contrary to the faith and love of God we are still ready to give them the right hand of fellowship Hitherto then we are Recti in Curiâ the Church of England is not guilty of Separation But we have certain Friends in a Corner that will prove us to be altogether as guilty as we say the Church of Rome is And the Charge is as high That we have Antichristian Bishops and they do impose Popish and Superstitious Ceremonies which have no warrant from the Word of God and such as tender Consciences cannot comply with and therefore though we abhor Idols yet we commit Sacrilege in forcing Thousands of the People from our Communion This is a strong accusation indeed and prosecuted with great heat And like the Vipor that came out of the Fire on St. Paul's hand if it should stick nemo nobis molestias exhibeat Sic enim sentit Ecclesia Dei ab origine Epiphan in Anachor it would argue extraordinary guilt But you shall see it fall off of its own accord For First the Office both name and thing is agreeable to the Scripture and truly Apostolical practised in the Universal Church and justified even by those who only want power and opportunity to erect the same 2ly As to the impositions those must be either of false Doctrines or sinful practices but if our Doctrine comprehend all fundamental truths necessary to Salvation if we disclaim all errors destructive to faith or good manners it is the duty of our Governors to see that we profess and own such Doctrines against all opposition The malice of our most inveterate Enemies hath not hitherto proved any error in our Doctrine some of them have derided the Sons of the Church by the name of Orthodox but this is one mark of Separatists they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 18. Now if our fame be unspotted as to the main part of our constitution we may be presumed not so guilty in those dark and frivolous circumstances that are urged against us as that our Liturgy is taken out of the Mass whereas we agree not in any material part with that but wherein that doth agree with the Scripture and the Primitive Church and we should renounce almost all our Religion if we should disclaim all that that containeth But in a word if in the Church of England we do profess a sound faith and an holy life if the. Word be purely preached and the Sacraments rightly administred Vbi mihi licet in melius commutari non licet inde separare St. Aug. contra Cresc l. 3. c. 36. there is no just cause of making Separation for the pretence of imposing Ceremonies where the Doctrinals are sound is too weak a Plea to justifie Separation And therefore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that forsake our Communion are Separatists The word signifies a throwing down of Bounds and Inclosures like Ecclesiastical Levellers that would lay all in common Fideles à fidelibus separare as Clemens Alexandrinus forcing open the Church Doors and destroying her Pale not only to let out the Flock but to let in Wolves and Foxes Calvin gives the Reason of it Extra terminos Ecclesiae alios educere Quia Disciplinae jugum ferre nequeant they are such Sons of Belial that though with the Pharisees they endeavour to lay the heaviest Yokes on other Men's Necks they can indure none themselves The like term is given to the disterminating Angels the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi solùm in universim vastatores that having got the power of the Air throw down Churches and Kingdomes and whatsoever is sacred But this devastation is not presently made by a few Malecontents they must first gather a Party that if nothing else make them considerable their Numbers may Our Apostle therefore notes divers previous actions in order to their Separation As first that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Murmurers v. 16. When a few pragmatical persons are either chastised according to their demerits or not preferred above their deserts they secretly whisper their own discontents and cherish the prejudices of others as Absalom did in Israel 2 Sam. 15.3 See thy matter is good but there is none deputed of the King to hear thee and presently it follows O that I were King in Israel The Prophet David observed this snarling humor in others Psal 59. and so did St. James c. 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grudge not one against another Brethren they could not forbear their vindictive groans even in their Assemblies as if they were displeased with God as well as their Brethren that they could not be avenged on them 2ly They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complainers unsatisfied with the condition which God in his providence thought most fit for them seeking to raise themselves upon the ruine of others hence it is that their discourse is for the most part of the preferment of unworthy and wicked Men when Men of merit and prety are neglected and where God's eye is good theirs is evil Thus Core and his Complices complained of Moses and Aaron as if every one in their Faction was as holy as they but because God had raised them to that dignity the Scripture notes that their murmuring was not against them only but against the Lord Exod. 16.8 From complaining they go on 3ly to utter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great swelling words either first in publick remonstrances and authoritative admonitions such as were frequent in the Raign of Queen Elizabeth a first second and third Admonition to the Council and the Parliament and then they boast of their Numbers viz. a Thousand Ministers and an Hundred Thousand People the greater part whereof never heard of their design nor could the chief Agents agree what
then that there were just and necessary causes of making severe Laws against such practices and by an Act of Parliament for restraining the Queen's Majesties Subjects in obedience it was forbidden under the Penalty of Banishment that any Person should be present at or perswade others to those unlawful Meetings or Conventicles The Primitive Church did the like as in the Canons of the Apostles it was ordained Can. 30. That if any Presbyter contemning his own Bishop shall make a separate Congregation and erect another Altar his own Bishop not being condemned of any irreligion or injustice let him be deposed as one that is an ambitious and a tyrannical Person and in like manner all that adhere to him and let the lay People be excommunicated after the Bishop's third Admonition When Eusebius Bishop of Sebastia cast off the Discipline of the Church and contemned the Presbyters because they were married and under pretence of greater strictness of life fasted on the Lord days and kept private Meetings drawing away Women from their Husbands and both Men and Women to greater impurities the Bishops met in the Council of Gangra Anno 325. and there agreed That if any one should teach that the House of God is to be despised and the Assemblies that are held in it Let him be accursed If any shall take upon him to teach privately at home and making light of the Church shall do those things which belong only to the Church without the presence of the Priest and approbation of the Bishop let him be accursed And as all good Men cannot but bewail those great mischiefs and desolations which by the practices of such outragious and disorderly Persons have in all Ages invaded the Church of God so they ought highly to commend and submit unto such wholesome Laws as have been made by their pious and prudent Governors to stop the beginnings of such evils seeing as the Scripture and experience do teach us Wicked Men and Seducers do wax worse and worse And thus I have in some measure proved my Position That Sensuality is the Ground of Separation And now that you know the Men and their communication I shall apply all in the words of St. Peter Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before 1 Pet. 3.17 beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In which words you have first a Caution then a Direction The Caution to beware of being seduced by the Errors of wicked Men. And your knowledge of the sin and danger of such Errors will certainly be a preservative against them for as Solomon says in vain is a snare laid in the sight of any Bird and you will easily baffle all the arguments and expectations of such Sophisters if you consider what conclusions must necessarily follow upon their premises They tempt you to Division and Separation that is without any just or warrantable cause to leave a Church of Christ rightly established in all Points of Faith and a Holy Life wherein you have all and only that allowed for Doctrine which the Scripture approveth and for Government and Worship nothing but what in the judgment and by the practice of the Church of God in all Ages hath been determined to be agreeable to the Scripture I demand therefore First What real evil shall you avoid by leaving the Church and adhering to Conventicles Is there less pride and contention less hypocrisie and dissimulation less censuring and slandering less lying and defrauding amongst them than amongst us Or Secondly What real grace or vertue is practised by them more than by the Conformists if at least they conform in heart and life as well as in profession to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church under which we may be as piously devout towards God as just and righteous to Men as sober and temperate in respect of our selves as liberal in works of Charity as our Humane infirmities will permit and in a word Whatsoever things are true honest just pure lovely and of good report Phil. 4.8 whatever is vertuous and praise worthy these things you may both learn and receive and hear and see in all the Doctrines Constitutions and Offices of the Church If you respect the means of saving knowledge where are the Scriptures more frequently read more plainly and solidly expounded more rationally and affectionately applyed than by the Ministers of the Church whose works praise them in all the Churches of God Now as there is no real good to be obtained or evil to be avoided by deserting the Church So in the next place consider the many real evils that will necessarily follow upon Separation First The great scandal we bring upon our Religion 2ly The great advantages we give to the enemes of it 3ly The hard censures and evil thoughts of the whole Church which we desert 4ly Our own great sin for in the words of Irenaeus l. 4. c. 62. It is to rent and wound the Great and Glorious Body of Christ and as much as in us lyeth to destroy it and while we pretend Peace to maintain War to strain at a Gnat and swallow Camels Nor can any Reformation that may be hoped for expiate the sin Mr. Edwards reckoneth 180. Errors or out-weigh the mischief of Schism The experience which the Assembly noted on Philippians 1.1 in the Preface to their Annotations 1645. should perswade us And Mr. Case tells the Parliament That the Errors in the Bishops Days were but trifles but now the Nation is filled with the Doctrine of Devils for when Religion is by choice or force propagated in corners then say they Many Heretical Doctrines are hatched and preached and printed too which had not been conceived or published if the Authors had continued in the Publick Assemblies And every one knows it to be a truth which Master Cawdrey observes Cawdrey contra Owen p. 14. that Toleration had done more hurt in Seven Years than was done under Conformity in Seventy Years before The Rule which the Spirit of God gives us for finding out a false Prophet will be of very good use to discover a Separatist If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a sign Deutr. 13. 1 2 3. or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet or that Dreamer of Dreams for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul If the end be Idolatry or any certain impiety to which false Prophets do intice you although they appear as Angels of Light Men of wonderful knowledge and holiness yet are they but
differences is guilty of Schism so that Schism is an Ecclesiastical Sedition as Sedition is a Lay-schisme p. 193. Q. What is the definition of Schisme Answ Schisme is an unnecessary separation of Christians p. 195. from that part of the visible Church of which they were once Members Q. When is Separation necessary Answ Separation is then necessary when nothing will save us from the guilt of Conscience but open separation p. 195. Q. When is Schisme complete Answ These two things make Schism complete First The choice of a Bishop in opposition to the former 2ly The erecting a new Church and Oratory p. 196. for the dividing Party to meet in publickly As in the late famous controversie in Holland de Praedestinatione as long as the disagreeing Parties went no further than disputes the Schisme was unhatched but as soon as one Party swept an old Cloyster and by a pretty Art suddenly made it a Church by putting a new Pulpit in it for the separating Party to meet in what before was a Controversie became a formal Schisme p. 197. Q. What is the danger of Schisme Answ What the Ancients spake by way of censure of Schisme in general is most true and they spake most strange things of it for they saw p. 198. that unadvisedly and upon fancy to break the knot of union betwixt man and man especially among Christians upon whom the tye of love and communion doth especially rest was a crime hardly pardonable and that nothing absolves a Man from the guilt of it but true and unpretended Conscience And p. 192. Heresie and Schisme are things of great moment the one offending against Truth the other against Charity and both are deadly Q. Was the Schisme of the Donatists any way excusable Answ No they were compleat Schismaticks upon the grounds before mentioned p. 196. nor was there any necessary cause for their Separation for the occasion of the Schisme was an Opinion that where good and bad were mixed there could be no Church p. 205. by reason of pollution evaporating as it were from sinners which blasted the righteous and made all unciean whereas in his Congregations he pretended that wicked persons found no shelter p. 206. Q. How was this Schisme of the Donatists refuted Answ By this one maxime of St. Augustine which was irrefragably asserted Vnitatem Ecclesiae per totum orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam That the unity of the Catholick Church is not to be forsaken for the sins of some that are within it p. 206. Q. Though in this Schisme the Donatist was the Schismatick p. 208. yet might not any one communicate with them if occasion so required if so be they did not flatter them in their Schisme for why might it not be lawful to go to Church with th◠Donatist if occasion so required since neither Nature nor Religion suggest the contrary why may I not be present at such publick Meetings as pretend Holiness p. 209. so there be nothing done but what true Devotion and Piety brook Yea why may I not go to an Arian Church if occasion require p. 215. so there be no Arianism expressed in the Liturgy Answ 1. You may not communicate with such because of the danger of Schisme before mentioned 2ly Because it is not lawful no not for prayer hearing conference or any other religious office whatsoever for People to Assemble otherwise than by publick order is allowed for why should Men desire to do that suspiciously in private which may be performed warrantably in publick p. 229 230. Q. But what if they to whose care the execution of the publick service is committed do some things unseemly suspicious or unlawful p. 209. if their Garments be censured as or indeed be superstitious what if the Gesture of Adoration be used at the Altar what if the Homilist or Preacher deliver any Doctrine of the truth of which we are not well perswaded Answ Yet for all this we may not separate except we be constrained to bear a part in them our selves p. 210. The Priests under Eli had so ill demeaned themselves about the daily Sacrifice that they made it to stink yet the People refused not to come to the Tabernacle nor to bring their Sacrifices to the Priests for in Schismes which concern fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only the requiring of the execution of some unlawful or suspected Act. Q. What may we do when some Persons in a Church teach erroneous Doctrines p. 214. suppose of Arius and Nestorius concerning the Trinity or the Person of our Saviour Answ What to do in this case is not a point of any great depth of understanding to discover p. 215. so be it distemper and partiality do not intervene I do not see that Opinionum varietas Opinantium unitas are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Men of different Opinions in Christian Religion may not hold communion in Sacris in the publick Worship This Argument holds à fortiori if I may keep communion with such as teach false Doctrines much more with such as practise only suspected Ceremonies p. 226. Q. What is your Opinion of Conventicles Answ It evidently appears that all Meetings upon unnecessary occasions of Separation are to be so stiled p. 227. so that in this sense a Conventicle is nothing else but a Congregation of Schismaticks Q. Is not this name sometime fixed upon good and honest Meetings p. 227. Answ It is and that perchance not without good reason For first it hath been at all times confessed necessary that God should have p. 227. not only inward and private devotion when Men either in their Hearts or Closets or within their private Walls pray praise confess and acknowledge but that all these things should be done in publick by troops and shoals of Men from whence proceeded publick Temples Altars forms of Service appointed Times and the like which are required for open Assemblies Q. What is the reason of the severe censures and Laws against private Meetings Answ When it was espied that ill affected persons abused private Meetings whether religious p. 228. or civil to evil ends religiousness to gross impiety and the Meetings of Christians under Pagan Princes when for fear they durst not come together in open view were charged with foul imputations as by the report of Christians themselves it plainly appears as also civil Meetings under pretence of Friendship and neighbourly visits sheltered treasonable attempts against Princes and Common-weals Hence both Church and State joyned p. 229. and joyntly gave order for forms times places of publick Concourse whether for civil or religious ends and all other Meetings whatsoever besides those of which both time and place were limited they censured for routs and riots and unlawful Assemblies in the State and in the Church for Conventicles Q. Is it not lawful then for
Raynolds Dr. Chaderton Dr. Spark and others were appointed to discourse the matters in controversie with some Episcopal Divines They were so far from affirming the ceremonies to be unlawful that they would not have it known that any of that party were so weak as to affirm it and Dr. Raynolds was so far satisfied that before his death he solemnly declared himself to be of the communion of the Church of England and desired absolution according to the form appointed in the Liturgy About this time Bishop Morton Doctor Burges Mr. Sprint and others did most rationally and irrefragably assert the innocency of the Ceremonies and the necessity of the Ministers conforming rather than to suffer deprivation and of the peoples rather than to be deprived of the Ordinances of Christ I intend not a History of the transactions in this business and therefore shall only give you a brief account of it from the beginning of our unhappy troubles The Long Parliament in their Petition and Remonstrance joyned with it December 15. 1642. inform us of some Malignant parties whose proceedings evidently appeared to be mainly for the advantage and increase of Popery and were composed set up and acted by the subtle practice of the Jesuits and other Engineers and Factors for Rome who had so far prevailed as to corrupt divers of the Bishops and others in prime places of the Church and p. 20. they intimate that Idolatry Exact Collect. and Popish Ceremonies were introduced to the Church by command of the Bishops and the people were not only debarred the Church but expelled the Kingdom And that those were counted fittest for Ecclesiastical preferment and soonest attained it who were most officious in promoting Superstition most virulent in railing against Godliness and honesty We desire say they to unburthen the Consciences of men of needless and Superstitious Ceremonies suppress Innovations and take away the monuments of Idolatry To this His Majesty of Blessed Memory answered thus The fears for Religion may haply be not only as it may be innovated by the Romish party but as it is accompanied with some Ceremonies at which some tender Consciences really are or pretend to be scandalized Concerning Religion as there may be any suspicion of favour or inclination to the Papists we are willing to declare to all the World that as we have been from our childhood brought up in and practised the Religion now established so it is well known we have not contented simply with the principles of our Education given a good proportion of our time and pains to the examination of the grounds of this Religion as it is different from that of Rome and are from our Soul so fully satisfied and assured that it is the most pure and agreeable to the Sacred Word of God of any Religion now practised in the Christian world that as we believe we can maintain the same by unanswerable Reasons so we hope we should readily seal to it by the effusion of our Bloud if it pleased God to call us to that Sacrifice And therefore nothing can be so acceptable to us as any proposition which may contribute to the advancement of it here or the propagation of it abroad being the only means of drawing down the Blessings of God upon our selves and this Nation And we have been extreamly unfortunate if this Profession of ours be wanting to our people For differences among our selves for matters indifferent in their own nature we shall in tenderness to any number of our loving Subjects very willingly comply with the advice of our Parliament that some Law may be made for the exemption of tender Consciences from punishment or persecution for such Ceremonies and in such cases which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent and of some to be absolutely unlawful Provided c. as before mentioned under the three cautions To that clause which concerns corruptions as you stile them in Religion in Church Government and in Discipline and the removing such unnecessary Ceremonies as weak Consciences might check at That for any illegal Innovations which may have crept in we shall willingly concur in the removal of them but we are very sorry to hear in such general terms corruption in Religion objected since we are perswaded in Conscience that no Church on Earth can be found that professeth the true Religion with more purity of Doctrine than the Church of England doth nor where the Government and Discipline are joyntly more beautified and free from Superstition than as they are here established by Law which by the Grace of God we will with constancy maintain while we live in their purity and glory not only against all invasions of Popery but also from the irreverence of those Schismaticks and Separatists wherewith of late this Kingdom and City abound to the great dishonour and hazard of Church and State Doubtless they had very much of the nature of the Adder in them who instead of being charmed into a quiet and meek submission by these most pious gracious sincere Reasons and condescensions did precipitate themselves and the three Nations to those horrible confusions which that Prophetick as well as Royal Spirit foretold for immediately after the people of the Land being frighted by frequent remonstrances of fears and jealousies of Popery and Superstition run themselves into certain snares as to their Estates by the insatiable oppression of their new Masters and their Lives by their want of Loyalty and as to their Consciences by illegal Oaths and Covenants till the beauty of Religion was destroyed for want of Order and Reverence and the substance of it devoured by Sects and Heresies of all kinds And this mostly for Reformation of Ceremonies for the Doctrine needed it not I do even tremble to relate in a corner what a Preacher who was then of great repute spake in the most eminent meeting of the Nation the present Parliament Anno 1656. in these words Worthy Patriots you that are Rulers in this present Parliament Praised be God who hath delivered us from Prelatical innovations Altargenu-flexions and cringings with crossings and all that Popish trash and trumpery and truly I speak no more than what I have often thought and said The removal of these insupportable burdens countervails for the Bloud and Treasure shed and spent in these late distractions nor did I as yet ever hear of any godly men that desired were it possible to purchase their friends or mony again at so dear a rate as the return of these to have those Soul-burthening Antichristian yokes imposed upon us if any such here be I am sure that desire is no part of their godliness and I profess my self in that to be none of the number Can any that bears the name of a Christian hear such things without horror especially when he shall seriously consider what a deluge of bloud had overflown the land The King being Murthered about Eight years before and the Sword and the Axe having
their Consciences than to go against the judgment and offend the Consciences of a few weak Brethren who neither have the advantages to inform themselves of the nature of things nor that authority or concern to provide for the publick peace as their Superiours have but may be easily imposed on by crafty men that lay in wait to deceive Judge in your selves Brethren how intolerable would that Servant be in your Family that should be always quarrelling at his Masters habit or the directions given him for his work and though he have good and wholsom food in plenty yet dislikes the Cookery and being reproved for his pride and curiosity is obstinate and instigates his fellow-servants to desert the Family But herein the Apostles example may direct us better how far we may or may not do things indifferent and such as have some appearance of evil in them to others rather than to give offence to a Brother as in the case of meats which had been declared unclean by the Law but that difference was by the Gospel abrogated and were much more accounted polluted by having been offered unto Idols yet the Apostle says 1 Cor. 8.8 meat commendeth us not to God for neither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse it is grace and not meat by which the heart is established our Christian liberty is an Amulet against any corruption in such things for though the practice be determined the judgment is free there is libertas ad oppositum So in the case of Circumcision before mentioned which was so abrogated that S. Paul says if ye be circumcised i. e. with an opinion says if ye be circumcised i. e. with an opinion of the legal necessity of it Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 5.2 Yet to the Jews that he might win them he became as a Jew and then used Circumcision Acts 16.3 and to them that were without the Law as without Law that he might win the Gentiles and then he would not Circumcise and in all this he was Christs Freeman though he made himself a servant to all The Apostle knew that his Christian liberty was founded in freedom of Judgment and not of practice and that neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision were any thing 1 Cor. 7.19 but the keeping of the Commandments Now no actions of ours that are required in obedience to our Superiours about the Publick Worship are so obnoxious to censure and scandal as these were but are under our Christian liberty And as we ought to serve one another in love in obedience to Gods commands so ought we in obedience of the same to submit our selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and not use our liberty as a Cloke of Maliciousness or an occasion to the flesh to cast off either our Love to our Brethren or Obedience to Magistrates For to what end hath God according to his promise raised up Kings to be Nursing Fathers to his Church or what possibility is there that they should provide for its peace if they have not power in these External things If therefore the things commanded be indifferent it is certain that obedience to the Magistrate is no indifferent thing but as necessary as peace and unity which cannot otherwise be preserved Seventhly The means are alway as subservient so inferior to the end Now the end of the Commandment is Charity as the Apostle saith Col. 3.14 and therefore both he and St. Peter require charity above all things 1 Pet. 4.8 When therefore these externals of religion become apples of contention they are forbidden fruit which cannot be injoyed without the breach of the great Commandment and if they had each of them a particular precept yet when lesser duties come in competition with greater they cease to oblige Private Laws yield to publick humane Laws to the Laws of God and among God's Laws Positive Precepts yield to those that are moral and natural A Vow or an Oath concerning a thing lawful if it hinder Majus bonum Naturale ceaseth to oblige The Corban might not be pleaded in Bar to the relieving of Parents much less may any Covenant oblige against the Peace of the Church and the Publick Parent as some still plead for that which they call the National Covenant Those things therefore which are matters of Discipline and external order how precisely soever injoyned ought to give place to those that are the more substantial parts of Religion such as mercy and obedience to Magistrates charity peace and unity among Christians and as we may disuse some things which have been generally received in the Church of God as were the kiss of charity the love-feasts and anointing of the Sick so certainly we may use some other things which are injoyned by our Superiors for the sake of Order and Unity When St. Paul had established the Doctrine of Faith in the Church of Corinth he tells them 1 Cor. 11.16 that if about rites and ceremonies Any man seem to be contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God that is the custom of the Church is a sufficient Plea against such contentious persons Thus when the Council of Nice had composed the Articles of Faith in that Creed they all with one consent approved of the Ancient rites and customes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Sozomen says it was ever esteemed an unreasonable thing for those that agreed in the Substantials of Religion L. 7. c. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to separate from each other for customes and matters of doubtful disputation And it is generally agreed that the Churches which are sui Juris agreeing in the same Faith may differ in Rites and Ceremonies which they have power to alter or abrogate and therefore Calvin says they are Mali filii wicked Sons that will disturb the Peace of the Church their Mother for such external rites and as the Pharisees in the Text seek to withdraw the Disciples by such objections against their Master Why eateth your Master with Publicans and Sinners And yet certain it is that the Authors of Sects and Divisions among us have no better grounds for all the disorders and confusion the proud contempt and unchristian censures the slander and vexation that have been as so many evil spirits raised among us and I desire that such as are yet in the fault would not only consider the insufficiency of the grounds but also the mischievous consequences of our divisions how directly opposite to our Saviour's rule in the Text I will have mercy c. Now that there are Divisions among us may be proved by the same arguments that the Apostle useth to prove that there were Divisions in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 3.4 viz. when one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos c. which Divisions as they cannot be warranted but on a supposition of some great corruption in our Doctrine or
of the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and labour and study not how to widen and gall and rankle but how to salve and heal these unhappy sores of the Church and State And as Mr. Calvin saith Epist ad Catech. Genev. When we shall come to that great Tribunal where we are to render an account of our Ministery There shall be no question concerning Ceremonies neither shall this conformity in outward things be brought to examination but the lawful use of our liberty and that shall be adjudged lawful that conduceth most to edification Let therefore all our care circumspection and diligence tend to this which we may know so far to succeed as we become Proficients in the serious fear of God in sincere piety and unfeigned Sanctity of manners I know you will all joyn with me to condemn those pitiful pretences which are still to be heard from the mouths of some profane persons to excuse their not frequenting of the Lords Supper a Sacrament which may assure them of infinite comfort and blessings if they did not obicem ponere make themselves uncapable They pretend a grudge against a neighbour on a punctilio of profit or reputation or perhaps a pet against their Minister for demanding his Dues or reproving their Vices and therefore they cannot come It is the very same that is pleaded against the Communion of the Church in whose Peace and Communion they might have Peace and Salvation they have some perverse Opinions of their Brethren or Minister some point of Reputation profit or trade lies in the way or some strange reports have been whispered in their ears by Schismatical persons the truth whereof they had never time to examine nor discretion to judge of and yet there are such invincible prejudices created within them that they cannot be reconciled Non amo te nec possum dicere quare that is they must keep at a distance and live in hatred and malice though they have no reason for it But when God shall call us to an account for our ignorance and uncharitableness and make inquisition for the Authors and grounds of all those divisions that obstinacy and cruelty that hath been practised among us what shall we answer him can we say as Saul did except it be falsly I have kept the Commandments of the Lord it will be replyed then what meaneth the lowing of the Oxen and the bleating of the Sheep that are gone astray if it be pretended that they are set a-part for a more solemn Sacrifice the Prophet demands hath the Lord as great delight in Sacrifice and burnt-offerings as in obeying the Voice of the Lord Behold to obey the Commands of God for Peace and Charity is better than Sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams Shall we say all our divisions were occasioned by misinformation that the Cause of God and the Kingdom of Christ were concerned or that it was done in opposition to a Ceremony because we would not receive the Sacrament on our Knees or see our Minister wear a Surplice or because we would not submit to the injunctions of our Rulers in matters of Decency Vbi ad summum illud Tribunal ventum fuerit ubi reddenda erit olim functionis nostrae ratio minima erit de Ceremoniis quaestio Cal. Epist in Catech. Genev. or which is as much as any of the rest because we would not eat with Publicans and sinners Consider if this be not contrary to our Saviours rule of preferring Mercy above Sacrifice when we sacrifice Mercy and Peace and Charity which are so strictly commanded to our own ignorance or interest or to the discontent and maliciousness of wicked men which are so peremptorily forbidden Remernber the Blessing pronounced to the Peace-makers by our Saviour and the Curse against them that are Contentious and obey not the Gospel and then think whether true Comfort and Piety do lye most in being instruments of Peace of Mercy and good Works Deterior est qui recedit ab Ecclesiae concordiâ in baeresin aut Schisma demigrat quam qui impurè vivit salvis dogmatibus Eras de Eccl. concordiâ p. 113. or in being Fire-brands in the Church of God instruments of Satan accusers of the Brethren enemies of Peace and authors of Confusion And think often that God hath made our following of Peace a condition of Salvation as well as of Holiness Follow peace with all men with all our Christian Brethren more especially without which no man shall see the Lord. The Plea of Templum Domini will but aggravate the guilt of such as do steal Jer. 7.4 and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly Is this House which is called by my Name become a den of Robbers What greater dishonour can we do the Church of God than under pretence of Zeal for Reformation of things inconsiderable and doubtful to open a gap for the greatest impiety such as Rebellion and Schism a contempt of things Sacred and Civil which have been after mature deliberation and Primitive custom legally established in the Church of God If men do indeed desire the honour and safety of Religion and the whole Nation there is no better method of effecting it than by a hearty endeavour that we may all speak and mind the same things and keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace by this the power of godlinefs will appear as well as the form of it when that Dove-like spirit shall possess our Souls and banish all those proud and wrathful dispositions that do as much hinder the righteousness of God James 1.20 as love and charity to our Brethren What an honour is it to be a Repairer of the breaches of Sion to settle the Ark of God that hath been so long in a wandring condition to convert Thousands of Souls from the error of their ways and as the good Samaritan pour in Wine and Oyl to their wounds that have fallen among Thieves in their journeying from Jerusalem to Jericho If Christ will so graciously reward at the last day all those temporal and bodily supplies that we bestow on his distressed Members as himself hath expressed Matth. 25.34 much more bountifully will he recompense all that labour of love which we manifest for the preservation of those Souls which he redeemed with his precious bloud to reduce a sinner from the error of his ways by a mild reproof a seasonable instruction a peaceable and pious example This is to be as Moses was to Aaron Exod. 4.16 instead of a God and a Saviour unto them Great is the advantage and opportunity that those Men have who by their parts and reputation have an influence upon the spirits and consciences of their misguided Brethren if they would instruct them in this plain lesson of preferring works of mercy and charity above all external services whatsoever if they would convince them how hateful to God a Pharisaical temper is that disposeth Men