the Reformation put our Churches under that of the Presbytery has put yours under that of the Episcopacy and as we are assured that you do not despise our simplicity so neither ought we to oppose our selves against your Preheminence See both these Letters and a third from Monsieur L'Angle to the same purpose at large in the latter end of Dr. Stillingfleet's Misch of Separ Thus much for the foreign Divines Now we will come nearer home and see what our Dissenters themselves have thought of the Church of England from which they separate First then Several of the Dissenters to avoid the imputation of Brownism do sincerely profess before God and all the World That they hold the Church of England to be a true Church of Christ with which they did and would hold Communion notwithstanding any defilement or unwarranted Power of Church Government exercised therein See the Apologetical Narrative p. 5 6. Again They own that our Parochial Churches are true Churches and that they can find no fault with the Doctrine of our Church and that 't is lawful and * If occasional Communion be lawful constant is a Duty See Papers for Accomm p. 47 51 56. sometimes a Duty to communicate with us Baxter's Defence of his Cure p. 38. and 64. Corbet of Schism p. 41. Peace-offering in the name of the Congreg party Anno Dom. 1667. p. 10. True way of Conc. part 3. c. 1. sect 40. and Mr. Baxter in his last Answer to Bagshaw p. 30 31. has these words You little know what pernicious design the Devil has upon you in perswading you to desire and indeavour to pull down the interest of Christ and Religion which is upheld in the Parish Churches of this Land and to think that 't is best to bring them as low in reality and reputation as you can and contract the Religious Interest all into private Meetings And see also Mr. Baxter's Plea for Peace p. 240. to the same purpose And lastly Dr. Owen in his Book of Evangelical Love p. 54. acknowledges That they look upon the Church of England measuring it by the Doctrine received since the Reformation to be as sound and healthful a part of the Catholick Church as any in the World I have now prov'd that Separation from a true Church is sinful and schismatical I have proved the Church of England to be a true Church and all this I have proved from their own Writings How will they now justify their Separation or clear themselves from the imputation of Schism What will they say to this Is Schism not a sin Or is their Separation from us not Schism If they say it is not Schism Why then our Non-conformist Ministers know better what is Schism than all the Learned Divines of the Church of England and the most Eminent Men of all the Reformed Churches beyond Seas do For I have shewed from their own words That they do acknowledge the Church of England to be as true and sound a part of the Reform'd Church as any in the whole World and condemn all those that separate from her as guilty of Schism Doubtless these Men are as competent judges of Matters of Religion as any of our Dissenting Ministers And I am sure we have not the least reason to believe they would flatter us for they are strangers who have no dependance upon us and Men of more Piety and Honesty than to indulge us in any thing that is sinful But it may be they will say that all these Learned Divines beyond Seas who have acknowledged the Church of England to be a true Church are ignorant of the Errors and Corruptions in her But let me tell them They might have a little more civility than to suppose that so many godly upright Men would rashly give their judgment of Matters of so great moment as those are which relate to Religion before they were truly acquainted with the nature and circumstances of the thing And besides They ought not to judge of other Men by themselves Because the most of their own Divines are utter stangers to the practice and Constitution of other Churches as appears sufficiently by their Principles of Separation must they believe others to be so too No throughly accomplish'd Divine can be supposed to be ignorant of the true state and condition of any Reformed National Church much less of so great and considerable an one as the Church of England But to put this out of dispute it appears before that several of the most Eminent Men before-mentioned were in England for some years and frequented both the Churches and Meetings on purpose to acquaint themselves with both in order to giving their judgment of them Since therefore the Doctrine of the Church of England is sound and the Worship true and Government and Constitution of it as agreeable to that of the best and purest Ages of the Church as any now in the World let us in the name of God lay aside all those fears and jealousies that have possess'd the minds of too many of us concerning it and let us remember that not only the Peace and Prosperity of this Church and Nation and of every particular Member of it depends upon our Union but of the Protestant Religion all over the World Tho' there may be some things amiss in the Church of England it is not the business of private Men to Reform the Church or dispute the fitness or unfitness of every little imposition Their Duty is to Conform at least in the outward action and submit the fitness of such things to the Wisdom of those to whom God Almighty has intrusted the Government of the Church and Nation they may reasonably be thought more competent judges of what is convenient and fit to be done or not to be done than private Men can be And if any thing be amiss in the Government of the Church or the manner of God's Worship they are to answer for it not the People God will call them to an account for imposing upon his People things not agreeable to his Will But will never condemn us for doing our Duty in submitting to such Governors as he has placed over us 'T is true there are some things in Religion which are essential to it without which Men cannot be saved Now in case our Governours command us to act contrary to these we ought not to obey for we must obey God rather than Men But 't is agreed on all sides That the Church of England enjoins no such things and that they who live godly sober lives according to the Doctrine of this Church are in a safe and ready way to Heaven But 't is a difficult Matter for Men to forsake what they have been all their lives accustomed to they cannot believe that Separation is so great a sin as we seem to make it And that so many honest good People and godly Ministers did live and die in sin If they are resolv'd they will not believe
call'd to the Office of the Ministry by God Almighty and have received our Commission to Preach the Gospel from him and therefore must not neglect to discharge our Duty in Obedience to any Power upon Earth for we must obey God rather than man But first I hope they will grant that when God Almighty gave them this Commission he did not limit it to any certain place but 't was general to Preach the Word to all Nations so that in obedience to God's Command doubtless they ought to go and Preach in those Countries where their Preaching is most wanted and will do God most service There are many Countries in the World that know nothing of Christianity and many that do have not able Ministers enough to serve their turn sure these Men that think themselves bound in Conscience to Preach wou'd much better discharge their Consciences by going into those Countries and Preaching to those poor People that are in so great want of it Christ sent his Disciples to Preach to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel The Apostles who doubtless had as universal a Commission to Preach they never went to abide in those Cities or Places where sound Teachers were settled before but they chose to go into those parts where Christianity was least known and their Preaching would do most good Why will not our Non-conformist Ministers follow their example Several of our foreign Plantations want able Ministers among them they want Universities and famous Schools to breed them in and therefore must needs be but poorly supplied If they would leave this Nation and go and Preach there 't would convince the World that they design'd nothing but God's Glory and the discharge of their own Consciences in desiring to Preach but since they do not 't is evident whatever their pretences may be that 't is self-interest and their own conveniency that makes them desire the liberty of Preaching in these Nations What have they to say to this Indeed the best of them give but a very unsatisfactory Answer hereto Mr. Baxter in his Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet says The Reason why they do not go to Preach among the Indians is because they cannot speak their Language and because many of them have Wives and Families which they cannot leave But for his own part he says if he were but young enough he would not trouble this censorious persecuting part of the World any longer Mr. Baxter has not been always old he was young enough when first he began to write against the Church of England Why did he not go when first he was prohibited to Preach here if he had perhaps our Divisions about Matters of Religion had been much narrower than now they are and a reconciliation much more easy between us As for their not speaking the Language there are many of the New Plantations in America c. that understand English and Latin and want able diligent Pastors among them And as to all their other Reasons for not going the leaving their Families c. they may carry them with them but surely no Reasons of this kind can come in competition with the great Advantage of propagating the Gospel of Christ and the Peace and Quiet of three Kingdoms But again They say God has commanded them to preach the Gospel and they must obey God rather than Man So God has also commanded them to obey their Governours and Magistrates and to preserve the Peace and Unity of the Church and Nation in which they live Now since they must of necessity break one of these Commands by staying at home and preaching in separate Meetings and may perform both by going to preach beyond Seas certainly the best and safest way must be to doe the latter And if God Almighty has given them commission to preach as they say I am sure he has given them commission no where to disturb the Peace and Settlement of a Christian Church and State especially a true Church He bid them go and preach the Word and teach all Nations but we all know that the greatest Part of the World was then unconverted and had no Christian Teachers and Ministers orderly settled among them so that those whom Christ then sent could have come no where amiss every one of them was to make as many Converts as he could there being no limits put how far their particular Charge should extend and no farther but soon after even in the Apostles days when particular distinct Churches were gather'd and committed to the Care of particular Persons I suppose none of our Dissenters will say That any Ministers by virtue of their general Commission to teach all Nations might have come into another Pastor's Congregation or Parish and preach in a separate Meeting without Licence and draw as many People from their lawful Pastour to whose Care they were particularly committed as they could No they who did so were often condemn'd by St. Paul as appears in many of his Epistles And this is the very Case of the Church of England with relation to our present Dissenters Allowing their Commission to preach be as full as they pretend to yet it gives them no Authority to invade other mens Rights or to draw away the People from their lawful Ministers And especially since if they please they may exercise their Office in other places and do no Man wrong The Apostles had as full a Commission to preach as any of our Dissenters can pretend to and something more extraordinary and yet we don't find that they thought themselves oblig'd to preach directly in opposition to the civil Magistrate though a Heathen 'T is true for the first 300 years Christianity had not generally the Laws to countenance and defend it as now it has So that the Apostles and Fathers of the Church could not have the Command or Authority of the civil Magistrate for what they did yet they had his connivance and never preached directly in opposition to his positive command St. Paul says Acts 14. 12. They neither found me in the Temple disputing with any man neither raising up the people neither in the Synagogues nor in the City And again Acts 15. 8. Neither against the Law of the Jews neither against the Temple nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all So it seems the practice of the Apostles was to preach the Gospel where they came so long as they were tolerated or conniv'd at by the Government But as soon as they were prohibited by the Magistrate they left that City or Place and went to the next but thought it no ways their Duty to oppose the Will of their lawful Prince though a Heathen And will not our Dissenters shew the same respect to a Christian Prince that the Apostles did to Heathen Magistrates But whether Christian Magistrates have power to silence some Ministers such as they think fit or not it is a thing questionless that has been practis'd by 'em in all Ages ever since the
as usually attend their extempore Prayers Doubtless he cannot for where he has given Judgment and Wit and Eloquence he expects it should be us'd in his Service as well as in our worldly business Our Saviour bids us When we pray not to use vain repetitions nor think to be heard for our much speaking Matth. 6. 7. And Solomon Eccles 5. 1 2. says Keep thy feet when thou goest to the house of the Lord and be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou on Earth therefore let thy words be few How agreeable now this Doctrine is to the practice of the Dissenters in their rash approaching to God with a long inconsiderate Prayer let any Man judge When they made their Addresses to the late King James they drew it up with all the caution and premeditation imaginable and every Sentence was carefully considered on by several of the best Heads among them but they address the great King of Heaven with the rash and inconsiderate expressions of one Person and he perhaps a weak onetoo But some of them say Why should not Ministers be tied to a Form of Preaching as well as of Praying Why sure there is a great deal of difference between Preaching and Praying Preaching is directed to a Congregation which is made up of several People who have different Capacities and Apprehensions and therefore require different Phrases and Arguments to move them Some are drawn with one Argument some with another some apprehend a Man's meaning by one Expression some by another according as they are suited to their several Capacities so that 't is impossible to frame a Form in Preaching to answer all these ends But Prayers are directed to one God who is always the same and not to be pleased with variety of Phrases I shall conclude this Point with this observation That those who are most inveterate against Praying by Forms do daily use the same individual Form themselves word for word throughout the whole year as any one that frequent their publick or private Meetings may observe The Third sort of Pleas which the Dissenters use for Separation are such as relate to their Consciences For say they What tho' the Terms of Communion with the Church of England be lawful since we cannot satisfy our Consciences that they are so We must not act against our Consciences for that were sin in us For St. Paul says Let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. But I answer first this Scripture is meant of indifferent things and no other as appears by the coherence of the words with the whole Chapter For the Apostle is there speaking of Meats Times Days c. and blames the Romans for condemning and quarrelling with one another about them But Secondly 'T is plain that * Note when we refuse any thing injoin'd by Authority we must be certain that the thing injoin'd is unlawful for a doubting Conscience will not excuse our disobedience A doubting Conscience is when the Conscience is in such a perfect aequilibrium or suspence as that there appears no more reason on the one side of the question than on the other in such case the command of Authority turns the Scales and makes it necessary for us to obey since for ought we know the thing may be as well lawful as not Scruples of Conscience will not excuse from sin in some Cases For 't is agreed by all that Conscience will not excuse from sin unless all proper helps and means are us'd to inform our Judgments and to come to the right knowledge of the thing scrupled This Mr. Baxter owns in his Dispute of Church Government p. 483. where he says That if a Man through ignorance or prejudice takes unlawful things to be lawful or lawful things to be unlawful this will not excuse him in his disobedience Suppose then for Instance that the Magistrate imposes a thing which he lawfully may impose as that all Men should begin the publick Worship at an hour and end at an hour The Quakers they say This is stinting of the Spirit and therefore sinful and that they cannot in Conscience Communicate with us till it be remov'd I will ask a Presbyterian or Independent whether this be a sinful Separation or not they will own it is notwithstanding their pretended Scruple of Conscience For the sin must needs lie some where either on those who impose the thing or on those who separate not on those who impos'd it because they allow the thing injoyn'd to be lawful therefore it must be on those who separate because they do not inform themselves truly of the lawfulness of the thing scrupled And indeed if a bare Scruple of Conscience will justify Separation the Anabaptists and all other Sects may as well justify their Separation from the Presbyterians and Independents as they can do theirs from the Church of England And by the same Rule we may subdivide till there be as many Religions as Men. I grant that the Obligations of Conscience are the greatest that can be and to act against the clear Dictates of a Man's Conscience is a very great sin but this must be meant of a Conscience when all due care and diligence has been us'd to rectify and inform it And then what is this to the case of our Dissenters Do they separate from the Church out of pure Conscience yes say they doubtless we do But have they us'd all proper means to inform their judgments and come to the knowledge of the truth Surely they will not say they have Are not the greatest part of the Dissenters a poor illiterate sort of People who know nothing of the Controversie between us nor ever trouble their heads about it but will go to the Meetings because their Fathers and Mothers did so before them and will rail at the Church tho' ask them what is amiss in it seriously and they cannot tell you And as for those few of the better sort among them who perhaps have had greater advantages of Education is it not remarkable that they Read and Converse altogether on one side and associate themselves into Clubs and Cabals of such who are of the same Opinion with themselves but avoid all occasions of creating the least intimacy with any who differ from them in Opinion And if any shall but offer to inform them tho' in never so peaceable and friendly a manner does it not prove the occasion of an eternal Quarrel or at least put a stop to any farther intimacy between them Is not this truly the case among them I appeal to their own Consciences whether this be truth which I say How can these Men pretend then that they have us'd all proper means to satisfie their Consciences They who really scruple things out of tenderness of Conscience would be sincerely willing to be better inform'd and would look upon them as their best Friends
Church of Rome were introduced as Dr. Comber observes in his Advice to the Roman Catholicks of England Under this Cloud of Ignorance and Darkness did the Church lie hid for many Hundreds of Years till about the Year 1510. when it pleased God to open the Eyes of some of his People and to let them see those great Abuses with which the World had been so long abus'd and under the Burden of which the Church had groan'd for so many Hundred Years And though here in England there has been for many Years before the Reformation a strong Disposition that way as may appear by the several Acts of Parliament made since the Conquest to lessen and take away the Pope's Power and Authority as well in Ecclesiastical as Civil Matters within these Kingdoms See Coke's 5th Rep. De jure Regis Ecclesiastico Yet the Pope had always so great an Interest at Court and the Clergy in the Nation having got most of the Lands into their own Hands that this glorious Design cou'd never be accomplish'd till it pleased God to make an open breach between King H. 8. and the Pope upon which he totally rejected the Pope's Supremacy and assum'd to himself the stile of Supream Head of the Church in these Nations and Defender of the Faith And thus the Pope being quite forsaken 't was likely Popery wou'd not live long having lost its Infallible Head And so indeed it prov'd For in King Edw. 6. days Popery was quite turn'd out of Doors by the general consent of the whole Nation whose Example many of the Churches beyond Seas follow'd And thus the general Reformation was happily begun and the Christian Church being stript of all its antick Disguises began to appear again and shine forth in its natural Form and Brightness But because 't was impossible to bring the People clearly off from what they and their Ancestors had been bred up in and accustom'd to for so many Ages or to make them capable of distinguishing on a sudden between things hurtful in Religion and things Indifferent therefore 't was thought convenient that no Alterations shou'd be made in things Indifferent nor any Scruples rais'd about them which wou'd at that time have hinder'd much the Reformation since many were with difficulty enough brought to things necessary So that for this Reason as also to let our Enemies see that we did not break Communion with them for Indifferent things many things were retain'd at the beginning of the Reformation that were afterwards Reform'd In the days of Edw. VI. the Liturgy and Publick Service of the Church was Corrected and Amended And this was done with all the Care and Deliberation imaginable and the King and Parliament took the best Advice in the doing of it that cou'd be had either at home or abroad Which makes me indeed admire to hear every illiterate Dissenter find so many Faults in the Liturgies and Worship of the Church of England that was so well approv'd of then by all those Holy Bishops and Martyrs that were our first Reformers and by Calvin Bucer and all the Eminent Divines beyond Seas 'T is very strange to think that such Excellent Men and Men of such indefatigable Pains and great Integrity as Cranmer Ridly Latimer and Bradford c. were after all their diligent Enquiry and fervent Prayers to God that he would direct them in the Performance and Management of so great a Work cou'd not after all spy so much as a mote of Unlawfulness in those things that now every Dissenting Preacher though never so raw or illiterate yea and the very meanest of the People can see such Beams in 'T is certain that our terms of Communion are the same or rather easier now than they were then as most of the Dissenters will allow and as Dr. Stillingfleet has prov'd at large in his Mischiefs of Separation During all the Reign of King Edward VI. there were no Divisions in this Church about these Matters There might have been some in those Days that might have wish'd for a farther Reformation as no Church ever yet wanted such But there was no such thing as Separation from the Church and going to separate Meetings upon that account No 't was so far from that that when actual Separation was first begun in Queen Elizabeth's Days those who practis'd it were severely Condemned by most of those who were very desirous of a farther Reformation The time when Separation first began in the Church of England was about the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign For after Queen Mary's Death the Ministers and others who were Banished and Fled in her time began to flock back again into England but the Impressions which were made on some of our Divines during their Banishment especially those who continued at Geneva a place always inveterate against Ceremonies did not wear off at their return home but after a little while they began to insinuate into the People who are ever fond of Novelties a hatred to the Livery of Antichrist as they call'd the Vestments and Ceremonies upon which some of the People began to Separate and this was the first occasion of pressing Uniformity with Laws and Penalties The Queen and Parliament now began to see it Necessary for the Quiet of the Church and Nation and for the avoiding farther Divisions upon this account that all the Clergy shou'd give some assurance of their Conformity and Obedience to the Laws of this Land and the Religion Establish'd by Law and to the Orders and Discipline of the Church agreeable to Law And accordingly certain Articles and Subscriptions were agreed on and such of the Clergy as would not Subscribe thereto were Suspended They who were Suspended writ to their Oracle at Geneva Beza who was a Man of greatest Authority with them to know what they shou'd do Beza advises them That if they cannot otherwise be continued in their Offices but by wronging their Consciences that they should submit and live quietly but by no means to exercise their Function against the Will of their Queen and Bishops for says he We tremble at the thoughts of that * See Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of Separation Pag. 20 21 c. But he tells them farther That though he does not approve of the Ceremonies yet being not Evil in themselves he does not think them of that moment as that the Ministers shou'd leave their Functions for them or the People forsake the Ordinances rather than hear those who did Conform And it seems indeed that the more Serious and Learned of those Divines who in their Banishment had suck'd in a Dislike to the Church of England way of Worship did not think fit to Separate from it upon that account or to endeavour too hastily the Reforming of it for Dr. Burnet in his Book of Travels tells us That in Switzerland he met with several Letters from some of our English Clergy to Bullinger who had procur'd a kind Reception to be given to several of them in
Supra and Monsieur Durell his View of the Government and publick Worship of God in the Reformed Churches beyond Seas Printed London 1662. Now for the Churches Reform'd by Calvin and others as Geneva France Helvetia Holland c. Calvin compos'd a Form of Divine Service which is us'd in the Church of Geneva and those of France at this day and their Ministers are bound to use them And see Calvin's Letter to the Protector of England during the Minority of King Ed. 6. the Protector at that time when the Common-Prayer Book was to be settled by Act of Parliament thought fit first to Advice with so Eminent a Man as Calvin was about it He writes to Calvin to know his Opinion therein Calvin returns him this answer For so much as concerns the Prayers and Ecclesiastical Rites I much approve that they be determined so that it may not be lawful for the Ministers to very from it that it may be a help to the weakness of some That it may be a Testimony of the Churches consent And that it may put a stop to the levity of such as are for new things See Calv. Ep. p. 165. Ep. 87. to the Protector And see his Letter to Cox a Church of England Divine upon his Arrival at Franckford among his Epistles 164 165. See Beza his Approbation of Forms of Prayer Tom. 2. p. 229. In the French Church Mornay Lord Du-Plessis in his Book of the Mass allows of the Use and Antiquity of prescribed Forms See at large Dr. Comber of Liturgies 2d Part p. 313. And see there the famous Monsieur Daille agreeing herewith In the Church of Helvetia Bullinger tells us they used prescribed Forms keep Fasts and Holy-Days c. Bulling Decod 2. Serm. 1. p. 38. The Churches of Holland use Forms of Prayer for Baptism the Lord's Supper and all occasional Offices and also Liturgies c. which are all put into a Book of Common-Prayer And even in Scotland they have had a Common-Prayer Book for there are some of them now extant which were Printed Ann. 1594. supposed to be writ by Mr. Knox for the use of the Kirk of Scotland See the latter end of Dr. Comber his Defence of Liturgies 2d Part. And the Leyden Professors say That Forms of Prayer are not only lawful but very advantageous because every Christian cannot fitly conceive new Prayers and the attention of Auditors are not a little help'd in great assemblies by usual Forms See Dr. Falkner his Libertas Ecclesiastica p. 121. Thus much for Forms of Prayer in general But some perhaps may object against our Common-Prayer in particular To clear that I think 't were sufficient to tell them that it has been approv'd of by all the learned and godly Divines of the Church of England ever since the Reformation and confirm'd by several Parliaments And it cannot reasonably be suppos'd that God Almighty shou'd conceal his will from the greatest number of the most learned pious and judicious People of a Nation notwithstanding their frequent Prayers to God that he would direct them and their great Care and Study which they take to come to the knowledge of the truth and reveal it only to a few and those of the rawer injudicious sort who have had least time and study and means to come to greater Knowledge such as our Dissenters generally are This alone were sufficient to recommend our particular Common-Prayer But since our Dissenters will not allow so many several Parliaments and so many Successions of Learned Divines to be competent judges in this matter we are willing to stand to the judgment of our Neighbour Churches of the Reformed Religion concerning our Common-Prayer and the other Matters in controversy between us In King Edward 6th his days Archbishop Cranmer did request the famous Bucer to peruse the whole Book of Common-Prayer in order to his censuring what he thought was to be amended Bucer accordingly did so and declares his judgment of it thus In the prescript Form for the Communion and the daily Prayers I see nothing written in this Book which is not taken out of the Word of God if not in express words as the Psalms and Lessons yet in sence as the Collects And also the order of these Lessons and Prayers and the time when they are to be used are very agreeable to the Word of God and the Practice of the ancient Church See Bucer's Censure upon the Book of Common-Prayer c. 1. p. 457. And note this was before the Common-Prayer was amended as now it is Some things 't is true Bucer did wish to be amended which has been since done and most of them according to his Advice there Next the Archbishop of Spalato in his Book against Suarez p. 340. says That the English Liturgy contains nothing in it which is not Holy which is not Pious and truly Christian as well as Catholick Causabon in his Epistle to King James the first affirms the same And says farther That none at this day comes nearer the Form of the Ancient Church following a middle way between those who have offended both in excess and defect The next Authority for us is the learned Grotius who 't is certain had no Obligation to the Church of England but rather the contrary He says I am sure the English Liturgy the Rite of laying on of Hands on Children in memory of Baptism the Authority of Bishops of Synods consiting of none but the Clergy c. do sufficiently agree to the Orders of the Ancient Church from which we cannot deny but we have departed both in France and Holland See Grotius ad Boatslaer Ep. 62. p. 21. The next is the famous Lud. Capellus who was a famous French Divine of the Reformed Church and Divinity Professor in a famous Protestant University This Man lived to hear of our Independent Sect in England and writ most Learnedly against ' em Says he When miraculous Gifts ceased there was a necessity for Liturgies which were used in the First IV. Ages uncorrupted but afterwards Corruptions were introduced by the following Popes But upon the Reformation the Liturgy was purged from all its Corruptions and has been happily used in the several Reform'd Churches and with good success until very lately says he there arose a sort of morose scrupulous not to say downright superstitious Men who for many trifling Reasons of no moment not only dislike the Liturgy hitherto used in that Church but would have both it and the whole Order of Bishops to be utterly abolished in place whereof they would substitute that which they call their Directory c. and so goes on And then he proves at large That Forms of Prayer are not only necessary for the unlearned but the learned also and shews the insufficiency of their Directory And how ridiculous it is to suppose That we have that extraordinary Gift of Prayer that they had in the Apostles days and some little time after 'T were too long to put it all down here
Churches by the Example of the Apostolical Churches And ibid. Sect. 10. he says That the Lord esteem'd him a runnagade and forsaker of Religion whosoever he be that separated frowardly from any Christian Society which imbraceth but the true Ministry of the Word and Sacraments And ibid. Sect. 12. he says That though something that is faulty may creep in either in the Administration of the Word or of the Sacraments yet we ought not to separate us from the Communion of that Church For says he there are principles of Religion without which we cannot be saved and there are other points in which Men may differ and yet the Vnity of the Faith be kept And ibid. Sect. 13. he says It is not for every private Man to separate from the Communion of a Church tho' faulty in some things c. Beza in his Epist 24. p. 148. agrees herein so does Monsieur Daille and several other of the Foreign Divines See Dr. Still Misch of Separ 23. and 97. so does the Assembly of Divines as I have just now shewn and Papers for Accommodation p. 52. they declare farther That they look upon Separation from a true Church tho' somethings may be amiss in it not as a sin of mere humane Infirmity but as a wilful and dangerous sin And Mr. Baxter in his Poor Man's Family Book p. 347. tells us Many Churches were blam'd in Scripture but none are requir'd to Separate from them See the Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Sermon by several Non-conformists where they all acknowledge our Worship in the nature of it to be intrinsecally good and a total Separation from it sinful ibid. p. 31. So then it seems so long as a Church retains the Marks and Signs of a true Church tho' there be many things amiss in such a Church Separation from it is sinful But what if open sinners be admitted to the Communion before they have made publick Confession of their Faults as is too frequent in the Church of England must I be obliged to communicate with such May I not Separate in such case The Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 11 12 13. bids us If any that is call'd a brother be a Fornicator an Idolater or Covetous c. with such see that ye eat not I answer That this very reason did the Donatists in St. Augustine's days give among others for their Separation and quoted the same Texts of Scripture but they were condemn'd for Schismaticks as I shewed before And St. Augustine and all the Catholick Bishops did then agree that these Texts were meant only of Separation in heart not in body And therefore they say When such a multitude offends as that the casting of them out would be in danger to cause a Schism there they ought to be tolerated least while ye go about to pull up the tares ye pull up the wheat also therefore let them both grow together say they till the harvest But when only a few are guilty of scandalous sins there they say Let not the severity of Discipline cease but it must not be so severe as to root up but to amend See Aug. lib. 3. against Permenian a Donatist Bishop ch 3. lib. 2. c. 18. And herewith agrees Calv. lib. 4. Instit c. 1. sect 13. where he says That tho' sinners be admitted to Communion we ought to keep our selves from their followship but not to Separate from the Church Mr. Baxter says the same in his Poor Man's Family Book p. 347. and Vines on the Sacrament p. 39. But suppose the Parson of the Parish be weak or a Man of a loose Conversation and I can hear a better Preacher elsewhere and a Man of a more exemplary Holy Life and Conversation May not I go to that Church or Meeting where I find most Edification No For this still makes way for Schisms and Divisions in the Church and therefore was never allow'd in any regular Church provided the Parson of the Parish be tolerable The Followers of Estathius-Sebastenus who separated upon this account in Paphlagonia were condemned of Schism by the Council at Gangrae and see Calvin's Instit lib. 4. c. 1. sect 13. to the same purpose And indeed it is not reasonable that so ignorant and proud unpeaceable sort of People as Mr. Baxter himself in his Sacraleg Disert p. 102. c. confesses the ordinary sort of zealous Professors of Religion to be shou'd be at liberty to rend and tear a Church to pieces out of a conceit of a puere way of Worship as if they knew what was better for their Edification than the Wisdom of the whole Nation in Parliament and the Governors of the Church do The pretence of greater Edification was never allow'd by the Dissenters themselves heretofore as a sufficient cause for Separation as appears by the Papers for Accommodation and the Grand Debate both Printed when the Assembly of Divines sat at Westminster Nor did Mr. Baxter ever allow of this to be a sufficient cause for Separation as appears by his Cure of Divisions p. 393. where he sets forth the pernicious Consequences of complying with the ungovernable and factious Humours of the ordinary sort of People who are ever apt to revile the best and gravest Ministers and follow the more conceited and such as are of most fierce and bitter Spirits And in his Poor Man's Family Book p. 280. he says For want of understanding the right Terms of Church Communion how woful are our Divisions you must have Vnion and Communion in Faith and Love with all Christians Let your usual Meeting be with the purest Churches if you lawfully may and still respect the publick good But sometimes occasionally Communicate with defective faulty Churches so be it they are true Churches and put you not upon sin Think not that your presence makes all the faults of Ministry Worship or People to be yours for then I would join with no Church in the World Division is wounding and tends to Death abhor it as you love the Churches welfare or your own c. And again ib. p. 330. If your Minister says he be intolerable through Ignorance Heresy or Malignity forsake him utterly but if he be tolerable though weak and cold and if you cannot remove your dwelling then publick Order and your Soul's Edification must be joined as well as you can In London or other Cities you may go ordinarily to another Parish Church but in the Country and where 't would be a great offence you may one part of the day hear in one Parish and another in the next if there be a Man much fitter but notwithstanding you must communicate with the Church you dwell in And a little after he says I advise you if there be Parish Churches orderly settled under the Magistrates Countenance whose teachers are sound tho' an abler Minister should gather a separate Congregation in the same place out of that and other neighbouring Parishes and should have stricter Communicants and Discipline be not too forward to
Separation from a true Church to be sinful who can help that The great number that have liv'd and dy'd in that Opinion does not make the thing less sinful The Donatists in the African Church were more numerous that our English Dissenters are and had 't is likely as many sober and learned Divines among ' em For at the Conference at Carthage they had 400 Bishops yet these were condemn'd for Schismaticks by St. Austin and all the Catholick Bishops And the things that these Donatists separated from the Church for were for the most part the very same that our present Dissenters make the cause of their separation from the Church of England They thought the Bishopricks too large and the Power of the Bishops too great They refus'd to join in Communion with the Catholicks because sinners were admitted there They forsook the Ministers because they were not so agreeable to their humour as they would have them * Optatus Malevianus lib. 2. p. 47. They would not suffer any to speak in the Churches but the Ministers and stopt the mouths of all the People They held that the Civil Magistrate had no Power to Reform the Church They made a shew of greater Zeal for the Purity of Religion than other People and by their stiff rigorous severity which they shew'd and the vehement out-crys which they made that Discipline was not duly executed Many of the People not well grounded in the truth were terrified and turned unto them believing them to be the most zealous holy Men and the only true Church in the World Finally they condemn'd all other Churches as not true Churches See all this in Gifford a Non-conformist Minister his Book against the Brownists 2. part These are the very pretences that our present Dissenters make for their separating from this Church Our Bishopricks are too large our Churches not according to Christ's Institution our Ministers unable and ungodly our way of Worship false our Magistrates assume an unwarranted Power in Church Matters Yea and in their over pretending to Purity and Godliness they are exact Donatists and by that very means do draw the more ignorant and zealous sort of People to them as the Brownists did No People pretend so much to Purity and Religion as they do In all places where they have their publick Meetings they are sure to begin before the Parish Churches and end after be they as long as they will But yet go in to one of their Meetings and you shall see as little signs of Devotion and as many of the People asleep as in any Parish Church in the Kingdom for the number So in their common Discourse many of them will scarce allow themselves so much liberty as to make them good company for fear they should happen to tell a lye but yet in their Dealings they will over-reach a Customer in a Bargain and use as many equivocations to deceive him as any other People shall But least you think I do them wrong let us hear what the learned Mr. Baxter says of them you won't believe that he would wrong them In his Poor Man's Family Book p. 221. speaking of such who run into Parties by Divisions says he Those injudicious sort of Christians having an over high esteem of their own Vnderstandings and Godliness and desiring to be made conspicuous for their Godliness in the World separate from ordinary Christians as below them and unworthy of their Communion these Sects have ever been the Nests of Errors And again ib. p. 331. he bids us beware of joining our selves to Separate Meetings who pretend to stricter Discipline and greater Purity who set themselves up Factiously and Contentiously against the Concordant Churches on pretence of greater Purity whose Meetings are imployed in Reviling others and Condemning other Churches and puffing themselves up with Pride as if they were the only Churches of Christ But our Dissenters will say This is a scandalous abuse to say that they condemn all other Reformed Churches in the World But I doubt they agree with the Donatists even in this For I suppose they will condemn all those that account them Schismaticks And this do all the Reformed Churches for they all hold that Separation from a true Church is Schism and own the Church of England for a true Church and consequently make them Schismaticks and so have expresly declared them as appears before Again I suppose they will condemn all Churches that communicate with an Idolatrous Anti-Christian Church knowing her faults some of them declare the Church of England to be such a Church and then they must condemn all the Reformed Churches which communicate with her Well say the Dissenters You of the Church of England have a great deal to say for your selves and if all be true that you have told us our Separation from you is sinful and unreasonable But what reason have we to believe you we have a great many able and godly Ministers of our own who tell us the quite contrary 't is certain they can't both be in the right why may we not then believe your Ministers may be deceived as well as ours I answer 'T is not so likely that all the Divines of the Church of England that have been since the Reformation should be deceived in a thing of this nature as that those of the Non-conformists should First Because they are much more numerous and 't is not so likely that a great many good Men should be deceived as a few 'T is a Rule in Logick Quod plures sapentiores testantur credibile est esse verum And Secondly Because they have much better means to come to the knowledge of the Truth than those of the Non-conformists can pretend to as will plainly appear by considering the Method taken on both sides for the breeding up of Divines Those who are design'd for the Study of Divinity in the Church of England are kept at the best Schools that can conveniently be had till they understand Latin and Greek very well then they are admitted into one of the Universities where they are put under the Care of a particular Tutor who is always one of the Fellows of the College and consequently a Man well approved of by the whole College for his Learning and Sobriety for by the Statutes of every College none but such are qualified for Fellowships This Tutor has seldom above 20. Students under his Care at a time and many of them not half that number every Student comes twice a day to his Tutor's Chamber to be instructed by him And besides this the College appoints other Tutors or publick Lecturers who are to teach and instruct them in the publick Halls some for Philosophy some for Disputations and other Exercises These publick Tutors are changed every year which is a great Advantage to the Students by acquainting them with the several Methods and Opinions of such variety of Learned Men. Thus they spend the first four Years and then after very strict