walk and behave themselves in this state and condition And unto those who have attained that measure whence in comparison of others they may be styled perfect that they press on unanimously towards the end proposed And as for those who in any things differed from others he encourageth them to wait on the teachings of God in that use of the means of Instruction which they enjoyed And having prescribed to each supposed Party their especial Duties as such he lays down the Duty of them both in common which is that in and with respect unto what they had attained they should walk by the same Rule namely which he had now laid down and mind the same things as he had before enjoyned them Wherefore these words of the Apostle are so far from being a foundation to charge them with Schisme who agreeing in the substance of the Doctrine of the Gospel do yet dissent from others probably the greater part of the Church are intended in some things that it enjoyns a mutual forbearance among those who are so differently minded 4. But our Author affirms that it cannot be a Rule of Charity and mutual forbearance that is intended because the Apostle had spoken of that just before But it is apparent that he speaks these words with reference unto what he had said just before and if this be that which those who are otherwise minded are not obliged unto then are they not obliged at all to walk by the Rule intended which is not the mind of the Apostle so himself declares out of Cajetan that the Apostle subjoins the last words to the former least the Persons he there speaks unto should think themselves excused from going as far as they can in the same Rule Pag. 37. But a Rule he says it is limiting and determining the Practice requiring Uniformity in observing the same standing Rule The Nonconformists hereon do say that if the Apostles or any one Apostle did appoint such a Rule as this intended let it be produced with any probability of proof to be theirs and they are all ready to subscribe and conform unto it On supposition that any Rule of this nature was appointed by the Apostles and declared unto the Churhes as the Reverend Author I suppose doth intimate that it was though I dare not affix a determinate sense unto his words in this place all that can be required of us is that we do conform and walk according unto that Rule so appointed and declared by them This we are alwayes ready to doe Sundry general Rules we find in the Scripture given unto us relating unto the constitution and Edification of Churces to their Order and Worship and Government sundry particular Rules for Ministers and others how they should behave themselves in Church Societies and Assemblies are also laid down therein all which we embrace and submit unto the Authority of Christ in them And if any other Government or particular Rule can be produced given by them which is not recorded in the Scripture so it can be proved to be theirs we will engage to conform unto it 5. If the Rule pretended to be given by the Apostle be of any use in this case or can give any force unto the Argument in hand it must be such an one as appointed and required things to be observed in the Worship of God that were never divinely appointed imposing the observation of them on the Consciences and practices of all members of the Church under Penalties spiritual and temporal a Rule constituting National Churches with a Government and Discipline suited unto that constitution with Modes and Ceremonies of Worship no where intimated in the Scripture nor any way necessary in the Light of Reason Such a Rule I say it must be since although I should grant which yet I do not that the consequent is good that because the Apostles made Rules for the practice of the Church that Believers were bound in conscience to submit unto therefore other ordinary Governours of the Church may do so also yet it will by no means follow that because the Apostles appointed a Rule of one sort present Church Governours may appoint those of another We know full well and it is on all hands agreed what is the Rule that our conformity is required unto If this be done from any Rule given by the Apostles it must be a Rule of the same nature or to the same purpose otherwise by a pretence of their pattern or example Rules may be made directly contrary unto and destructive of all the Rules they ever really gave as it is actually fallen out in the Church of Rome But 6. We deny that the Apostles made or gave any such Rules to the Churches present in their days or for the use of the Churches in future Ages as should appoint and determine outward modes of Worship with Ceremonies in their Observation stated Feasts and Fasts beyond what is of Divine Institution Liturgies or forms of Prayer or Discipline to be exercised in Law Courts subservient unto a National Ecclesiastical Government What use then they are or may be of what benefit or advantage may come to the Church by them what is the Authority of the Superior Magistrate about them we do not now enquire or determine Only we say that no Rule unto these ends was ever prescibed by the Apostles For 1. There is not the least intimation of any such Rule to be given by them in the Scripture There are in it as was before observed many express Rules both general and particular about Churches their Faith Worship and mens walking in them thoroughly sufficient to direct the Duty and Practice of all Believers in all cases and occurences relating to them But of any such Rule as that here pretended there is no mention which certainly if it had been given and of the importance which now it is pleaded to be of such as that without it neither Peace nor Unity nor Order can be preserved in Churches some intimation at least would have been made of it therein Especially we may judge it would have been so seeing sundry things every thing so far as we can understand wherein the Edification of the Church is any way concerned are recorded in it though of little or no use in comparison of what so great and general a Rule would be of Besides there is that Doctrine delivered and those Directions given by them in the Scripture concerning the Liberty of Believers and forbearance of Diffenters as is inconsistent with such a Rule and the Imposition of it 2. The first Churches after their times knew nothing of any such Rule given by them and therefore after they began to depart from the simplicity of the Gospel in any things as unto Worship Order and Rule or Discipline they fell into a great variety of outward Observances Orders and Ceremonies every Church almost differing in some thing or other from others in some such observations yet all keeping the Unity of
as much as ever was in the godly Kings of Judah of old or was at first claimed by the first Christian Emperors Yet are there some who although they are fed and warmed promoted and dignified by the effects of the Magistrates power in and about Religion who will not allow that any thing is ascribed unto him unless we grant that it is in his rightful Power and his Duty to coerce and punish with all sorts of Mulcts spoiling of Goods Imprisonments Banishments and in some cases Death itself such Persons as hold the Head and all the fundamental Principles of Christian Religion entire whose Worship is free from Idolatry whose Conversations are peaceable and useful unless in all things they comply with themselves when possibly some of them may be as useful in and unto the Church of God as those that would have them so dealt withal And it may be common prudence would advise a forbearance of too much severity in Charges on others for changing their Opinions lest a provocation unto a Recrimination on them that make them should arise of changing their Opinions also not without an appearing aspect to their own interests But we have some among the Nonconformists who are so accustomed not only unto such undue Charges as that here insisted on but unto such unjust Accusations false Reports malicious Untruths concerning Them their Words Doctrine and Practises which being invented by a few ill men are trumpeted abroad with triumph by many as that they are come to a resolution never to concern themselves in them any more 2. As unto the state of the Question we are told That he speaks not of the Separation or distinct Communion of whole Churches from each other which according to the Scripture Antiquity and Reason have a just Right and Power to Govern and Reform themselves By whole Churches I mean the Churches of such Nations which upon the decay of the Roman Empire resumed their just Right of Government to themselves and upon their owning Christianity incorporated into one Christian Society under the same common Tyes and Rules of Order and Government Pag. 16. I do suppose that particular Churches or Congregations are hereby exempted from all guilt of Schism in not complying with Rules of Communion imposed on them by other Churches I am sure according unto the Principles of Nonconformists they are so For they judge that particular or Congregational Churches stated with their Officers according to the Order of the Gospel are entire Churches that have a just Right and Power to Govern and Reform themselves Until this be disproved until it be proved either that they are not Churches because they are Congregational or that although they are Churches yet they have no Power to Govern and Reform themselves they are free from the guilt of Schism in their so doing But the Reverend Author seems in the ensuing Discourse to appropriate this Right and Power unto National Churches whose Rise he assigns unto the Dissolution of the Roman Empire and the Alteration of the Church Government into that of distinct Kingdoms and Provinces But this is a thing that fell out so long after the Institution of Churches and Propagation of Christian Religion that we are not at all concerned in it especially considering that the occasion and means of the Constitution of such Churches was wholly Foreign unto Religion and the Concerns of it The Right and Power of Governing and Reforming themselves here spoken of is that which is given by Christ himself unto his Churches nor do I know else where they should have it Wherefore those National Provincial Churches which arose upon the Dissolution of the Roman Empire must first be proved to be of his Institution before they can be allowed to have their Power given them by Jesus Christ. In what Kings Potentates and other Supream Magistrates might doe to accommodate the outward Profession of Religion unto their Rule and the Interest thereof we are not at all concerned nor will give interruption unto any of them whilest they impose not the Religious observation of their Constitutions unto that end upon our Consciences and Practice Our sole enquiry is what our Lord Jesus Christ hath ordained which if we are compliant withall we shall fear neither this nor any other Charge of the like nature But to give strength hereunto it is added Just as several Famâ—â—â—â—â— united make one Kingdom which at first had a distinct and independent Power but it would make strange confusion in the World to reduce Kingdoms back again to Families because at first they were made up of them pag. 17. Which is again insisted on pag. 31. But the case is not the same For if indeed God had appointed no other Civil Government in the World but that of Families I should not much oppose them who would endeavour peaceably to reduce all Government thereunto But whereas we are certain that God by the Light of the Law of Nature by the Ends and Use of the Creation of Man and by express Revelation in his Word hath by his own Authority appointed and approved other sorts of Civil Government in Kingdoms and Common-weals we esteem it not only a madness to endeavour a Reduction of all Government into Families as unto the possibility of the thing but a direct opposition unto the Authority Command and Institution of God So if these National Churches were of the immediate Institution of Christ himself we should no more plead the exemption of particular Churches from any Power given them by Christ as such than we do to exempt private Families from the lawful Government of publick Magistrates And we must also adde that whatever be their Original and Constitution if all their Governours were as the Apostles yet have they no power but what is for Edification and not for Destruction If they do or shall appoint and impose on men what tends unto the Destruction of their Souls and not unto their Edification as it is fallen out in the Church of Rome not only particular Churches but every individual Believer is warranted to withdraw from their Communion and hereon we ground the Lawfulness of our Separation from the Church of Rome without any need of a retreat unto the late Device of the Power of Provincial Churches to reform themselves Let none mistake themselves herein Believers are not made for Churches but Churches are appointed for Believers Their Edification their Guidance and Direction in the Profession of the Faith and Performance of Divine Worship in Assemblies according to the Mind of God is their use and end without which they are of no signification The end of Christ in the constitution of his Churches was not the moulding of his Disciples into such Ecclesiastical shapes as might be subservient unto the Power Interest Advantages and Dignity of them that may in any season come to be over them but to constitute a way and Order of giving such Officers unto them as might be in all things usefull
and subservient unto their Edification as is expresly affirmed Ephes. 4. 11 12 13 14. As it should seem an Opinion opposite unto this Notion of National Churches is examined and confuted Pag. 17. ibid it is a great Mistake to make the Notion of a Church barely to relate to Acts of Worship and consequently that the adequate Notion of a Church is an Assembly for Divine Worship by which means they appropriate the Name of Churches to particular Congregations Whereas if this hold true the Church must be dissolved as soon as the Congregation is broken up but if they retain the nature of a Church when they do not meet together for Worship then there is some other bond that unites them and whatever that is it constitutes the Church I am far from pretending to have read the Writings of all men upon this Subject nay I can say I have read very few of them though I never avoided the reading of any thing written against the way and order which I approve of Wherefore there may be some as far as I know who have maintained this Notion of a Church or that it is only an Assembly for Divine Worship but for my part I never read nor heard of any who was of this Judgment Assemblyes for Divine Worship we account indispensably necessary for the Edification of the Churches but that this is that which gives them their Constitution and formeth that which is the bond of their Union none of the Nonconformists as I know of do Judge For it will not only hence follow as the Reverend Author observes that the Church is dissolved when the Congregation is broken up on which account Churches at this time would be dissolved almost every Week whether they would or no but that any sort of Persons who have no Church-Relation unto one another meeting occasionally for Divine Worship do constitute a Church which it may be within an hour they cease to be It is not therefore on this account that we appropriate the Name of Churches unto particular Congregations There is quite another way and means another Bond of Union whereby particular Churches are constituted which hath been sufficiently declared But if the meaning of the appropriating the Name of Churches unto particular Congregations be that those Societies which have not or which cannot have Assemblies for divine Worship are not Churches properly so called it is a thing of another consideration that need not here be insisted on But when such Societies as whose bounds and limits are not of Divine Institution as were those of the National Church of the Jews no nor yet of the Prudence and wisdom of men as were the distribution of the ancient Church into Patriarchates and Diocesses but a meer natural and necessary consequent of that prevailing Sword which on the Dissolution of the Roman Empire erected distinct Kingdoms and Dominions as men were able such Societies as are not capable of any Religious Assemblies for Divine Worship and the ministration of Christian Discipline in them such as are forced to invent and maintaine an Union by ways and means and Officers and orders which the Scripture knows nothing of are proved to be Churches of Christs Institution I shall embrace them as such In the mean time let them pass at their own proper rate and value which the Stamp of Civil Authority hath put upon them What is further discoursed by the Author on this Subject proceeding no further but why may it not be so and so we are not concerned in 3. Pag. 23 24. There is a Distribution of all Dissenters into two Parties 1. Such as say That although they are in a state of Separation from our Church yet this separation is no sin 2. Such as say That a state of Separation would be sin but notwithstanding their meeting in different places yet they are not in a state of Separation The Difference of these two Parties seems to me to be only in the different ways of expressing themselves the one granting the use of the word Separation in this case which others will not admit For their Practice so far as I can observe is one and the same and therefore their Principles must be so also though they choose several ways of expressing them Both sorts intended do plead that in sundry things they have communion with the Church of England and in some things they have not nor can have it so Some knowing the word Separation to be of an indifferent signification and to be determined as unto its sence by what it is applyed unto do not contend but that if any will have it so the state wherein they are should be denominated from their dissent unto those things wherein they cannot hold communion with the Church of England and so are not offended if you call it a state of Separation how best this hinders not but that they continue their Communion with the Church of England as was before mentioned Others seem to take Separation in the same sence with Schisme which is alwayes evil Or at least they pretend it is their Right to have the Denomination of their state taken from what they agree in with the Church of England and not from their dissent in other things from it And therefore they continue in a Practice suitable unto that dissent Wherefore I judge that there is no need of this Distinction but both parties intended are equally concerned in the Charge that is laid against them for their dissent in some things from the Church These things being premised that we may not be diverted from the substance of the cause in hand as they would otherwise occurre unto us in our progress I shall proceed unto the consideration of the Charge it self laid against the Nonconformists and the arguings whereby it is endeavoured to be confirmed The Charge is That all the Nonconformists of one sort or another that is Presbyterians and Independents are guilty of sin of a sinful Separation from the Church of England and therefore as they live in a known sin so they are the Cause thereby of great evils confusions disturbances among our selves and of danger unto the whole Protestant Religion whence it is meet that they should c. The matter of Fact being thus far mutually acknowledged that there is such a stated Difference between the Church of England and the Nonconformists the next Enquiry naturally should be on these two Heads 1. Who or what is the cause of this Difference or Distance without which we cannot judge aright on whom the blame of it is to be charged For that all men are not presently to be condemned for the withdrawing from the Communion of any Church because they do so without a due Examination of the causes for which they do it will be acknowledged by all Protestants In plain terms our Enquiry is whether the cause hereof be on the one hand the Imposition of terms of Communion without any Obligation in Conscience to make that
was in the House of Priscilla and Aquila at Rome of the Church that was of the House of Nymphas at Colosse and in the House of Philemon at Laodicea Why then should not Churches be reduced to particular Families when by that meanes they may fully enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences and avoid the Scandal of breaking the Laws But if notwithstanding such plain Examples Men will extend Churches to Congregations of many Families why may not others extend Churches to those Societies which consist of many Congregations I Answer 1 Possibly a Church may be in a Family or consist only of the Persons that belong to a Family But a Family as a Family neither is nor can be a Church For as such it is constituted by Natural and Civil Relations But a Church hath its Form and Being from the Voluntary Spiritual consent of those whereof it consists unto Church Order They gave saith the Apostle their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the Will of God 2 Cor. 8. 5. Neither is there any mention at all in the Scripture of the constitution of Churches in private Families so as that they should be limited thereunto 2 What is spoken of the Church in the House of Aquila Nymphas and Philemon doth not at all prove that there was a particular Church in each of their houses consisting only of their own Families as such but only that there was a Church which usually assembled in their respective houses Wherefore 3 Here is no such Example given of Churches in private Families in the whole Scripture as should restrain the extent of Churches from Congregations of many Families And the enquiry hereon that if men will extend Churches to Congregations of many Families why may not others extend Churches unto those Societies which consist of many Congregations hath not any force in it For they who extended Churches unto Congregations of many Families were the Apostles themselves acting in the Name and Authority of Jesus Christ. It cannot be proved that ever they Stated Erected or Planted any one Church but it was composed of Persons out of many Families nor that ever they confined a Church unto a Family or taught that Families though all of them Believers and baptized were Churches on the account of their being Families So others may extend Churches unto those Societies which consist of many congregations yet not so as that those who cannot comply or joyn with them should thereon be esteemed Schismaticks seeing such Societies were not appointed by Christ and his Apostles If such Societies be so constituted as that there is but a probable Plea that they are ordained by Christ there may be danger in a dissent from them meerly on this account that they consist of many congregations but this is not our case as hath been before declared The Remainder of this Section consists in an account of the Practice of the Churches in some things in following Ages This though of Importance in itself and deserving a full enquiry into yet belongeth not unto our present case and will it may be in due time be more fully spoken unto Those supposed of the first way and judgment who grant a separation from the established form of the Church of England are dismissed with one charge more on and Plea against their Practice not without a mixture of some severity in expression pag. 30. But suppose the first Churches were barely congregational by reason of the small number of Believers at that time yet what Obligation lies upon us to disturb the Peace of the Church we live in to reduce Churches to their Infant Stateâ— Which is pressed with sundry considerations in the two following Pages But we say 1 That the first Churches were not congregational by reason of the small number of Believers but because the Lord Christ had limited and determined that such a state of his Churches should be under the New Testament as best suited unto all the ends of their Institution 2 That which is called the infant state of Churches was in truth their sole perfect estate what they grew up unto afterwards most of them we know well enough For leaving as it is called their infant state by degrees they brought forth at last the Man of Sin 3 No Obligation lies upon us from hence to disturb the Peace of any Church nor do we do so let what will be pretended to the contrary If any such Disturbance do ensue upon the Differences that are between them and us as far as I know the blame will be found lying upon them who not being satisfied that they may leave the first state of the Churches under a Pretence of its Infancy and bring them into a greater Perfection then was given them by Christ and his Disciples but compel others also to foregoe their Primitive Constitution and comply with them in their Alteration thereof The Remainder of the Discourse of this Section so farre as I can understand proceeds on this Principle that the sole Reason and cause of our Non-conformity is this Perswasion of the Divine Institution of particular Churches But all men know that this is otherwise This of all things is least pleaded and commonly in the last place and but by some among the causes and Reasons of our withholding Communion so farre as we do so from the Church of England as unto the way and manner wherein it is required of us Those Reasons have been pleaded already and may yet be so farther in due time For the Rest of the Discourse we do not we cannot believe that the due and peaceable Observation of the Institutions of Christ doth of it self give any Disturbance unto any Churches or Persons whatever Nor that a peaceable endeavour to practise our selves according unto those Institutions without imposing that Practice on them can be justly blameable We do not we cannot believe that our Refusal of a total Compliance with a Rule for Order Discipline Worship and Ceremonies in the Church not given by Christ and his Apostles but requiring of us sundry things either in themselves or as required of us directly contrary unto or inconsistent with the Rules and Directions given us by them unto those ends as in our Judgment and Light of our Consciences is done in and by this Rule is either Schism or blameable Separation We do judge our selves obliged to preserve Peace and Unity among Christians by all the means that Christ hath appointed for that End by the exercise of all Grace the performance of all Duties the observation of all Rules and Directions given us for that end but we do not we cannot believe that to neglect the means of our own Edisication appointed unto us by Christ himself to cast away the Liberty wherewith he hath made us free and to destroy our own Souls for ever by acting against his Authority in his Word and our own Consciences guided thereby in a total complying with the Rule proposed unto us is a way or