A SERIOUS EXAMINATION OF THE Independent's Catechism AND THEREIN Of the Chief Principles of Non-conformity to and Separation from The CHURCH of ENGLAND By BENJAMIN CAMFIELD Rector of Whitwell in Derbyshire In two parts The first General the second more Particular Transfigurat se Satanas velut Angelum lucis de Scripturis saepè divinis laqueum fidelibus parat Ergo non te capiat haereticus quia potest de Scripturis aliqua exempla proferre Utitur Diabolus testimoniis Scripturarum non ut doceat sed ut fallat á S. Ambros De secunda tentatione Christi LONDON Printed by J. Redmayne for the Author And are to be sold by Henry Eversden at his Shop under the Crown Tavern in West-Smith-field 1668. IMPRIMATUR Tho. Tomkyrs Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Domino Domino GILBERTO Divina Providentia Archi. Ep. Cant. à Sac. Dom. Ex Aed Lambethanis Junii 12. 1668. TO THE READER Christian Reader THe ensuing Treatise designs not so much the gratifying of the Learned as the satisfaction of the more ignorant and mis-informed and the motive to this publick exposing of it unto view is a necessity rather of the Times than of the Thing it self The very same truths have been frequently suggested by eminent Defenders of the English Church the most Reverend Whitgift Hooker Andrews Morton Hammond Sanderson and others But so long as old mistakes and errors have the confidence to creep abroad into the World daily in some or other new Disguise it is but charity to endeavour the removal of that stumbling-stone and rock of offence which may be otherwise cast in the way of the unskilful The Book examined is the sink indeed of all Non-conforming and Separating Principles from the Protestant Religion established in these Kingdoms under the modest Name of A brief Instruction in the VVorship of God and discipline of the Churches of the New Testament by way of Question and Answer with an Explication and Confirmation of those Answers Printed 1667. †So in the Title page and then contractedly in the head of the following pages A short Catechism with an Explication upon the same The Author I neither know nor list to enquire after but am content to leave his character to thy discretion upon the impartial perusal of that which follows wherein I have demonstrated him First False in his fundamental Principle that runs through all the rest Secondly False unto it and so in the first part undermined his general foundation and in the second cast down the chief of his superstructures If thou art a friend to the Holy Scripture it will offend thee I am confident to see it so much abused under a pretence of cleaving most exactly to it if to the Reformed Interest to find it so disgraced by opening a gap unto all confusions But not to trouble thee with a tedious preface I crave no more belief at thy hands than evidence shall extort from thy Vnderstanding only I beseech thee to read without prejudice and consider what thou readest and That God the Father of Lights would guide us all into and confirm us in the Truth is the hearty Prayer of Thy Well-wishing Friend and Servant B. C. THE Independent's Catechism EXAMINED In two Parts Part I. CHAP. I. Error in first and foundation-Principles most dangerous The Catechist's grand mistake noted The Method of this first part in order to the full conviction thereof The Protestant Doctrine of the perfection of H. Scripture as a rule and guide restrained to matters of Divine belief and practise necessary unto Salvation OF all Errors none so pernicious as those which corrupt the first and foundation-principles of our Discourse for these communicate a leaven of Falshood unto all the consequences from thence inferr'd and such is that which may be observed to run through the Catechism now examined a principle which comprizeth the whole mystery of Non-conformity and Separation in it's bowels viz. That nothing must be done oâ— admitted of by us in or about Religion God's worship and service which himself hath not commanded in the Holy Scriptures That whatsoever is not found instituted and commâ—nded in the â—ord of God cannot be of Faith and therefore the practise or allowance of it is upon that account sinful That the VVord of God condemâ—eth not only what is done against the warrant thereof but that also which is done besides or without it Now to give this matter it 's full consideration I determine by God's hâ—lp to speak distinctly unto these five particulars First The common belief of Protestant Divines in this argument Secondly The corruption and abuse of the Protestant Belief by the Doctrine of the Non-conforming Brethren Thirdly The words wherein our Catechist hath declared his opinion Fourthly The manifest falshood of the Assertion And Lastly The genuine explication of those texts of Scripture which are pretended to countenance it As to the first of these That which is owned among Protestants in common is This That the Holy Scriptures are the onely and sufficient guide and rule in all matters of necessary belief and observance in order unto salvation able to make us wise unto salvation and therefore Whosoever doth either derogate from this their perfection or add any thing unto them as necessary to be believed or done in order unto Salvation are certainly guilty of most presumptuous and unaccountable profaneness and This we justly tax the Church of Rome withall for enjoyning of unwritten traditions and Papal determinations to be received with an equal reverence unto the Holy Scriptures But then it is not their meaning by virtue of this Declaration to condemn all opinions as false and actions as unlawful which the Holy Scripture prescribeth not or to extend the perfection of Holy Scripture so far as the punctual determination of the circumstantials of Divine worship The perfection of God's Word is judged by them with relation unto that special end whereto it is designed viz. the instruction of men in all things necessary unto salvation the knowledge whereof they could not otherwise attain unto than by Divine revelation for it was not aimed to destroy or extinguish the light of nature but to help advance and perfect it It is not therefore any of God's purpose in the Holy Scriptures to comprize all things which men may know believe or practise as if natural reason and discretion were no longer to continue it's guidance or to determine all rituals and circumstances appertaining to the external ordering of Divine worship so as to have nothing for Ecclesiastical laws to be employed about That which they teach of the Scriptures sufficiency is ever restrained to matters of necessary belief and duties of necessary observance in order unto salvation and never enlarged to all things that may be believed or done by us in the general or to particular circumstances which have respect unto the good order decency and external regulation of Divine worship CHAP. II. The Puritan disguises of this
neither will they be perswaded though one arose from the dead 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. That from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise â—â—to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 1 Pet. 1.19 it should be 2 Ep. We have also a more sure word of prophesie whereto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place Psalm 19.7 8.9 The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul making wise the simple Isa 59.21 My spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This last is Gods covenant to continue his Spirit in conjunction with his words throughout all ages in his Church And not to bestow a particular reflection upon the rest the genuine result of these Texts is no more than what all Protestants agree in That we are obliged to attend vvith reverence unto the H. Scripture in whatsoever it speaks That we are diligently to read and peruse it to that purpose and That it is our onely and perfect rule in all the matters of faith and good life necessary to our salvation which is the great end for which the Scripture was given unto us That nothing is to be received as an Article of Divine Faith or Law in it self binding the conscience which is not according to the written Word and from thence to be derived But then it cannot from hence be groundedly inferr'd That we must have express warrant out of the Scripture for every thing which we either believe or do or in those circumstantials which are not any where thereby determined farther than the prescribing of some general rules of piety and prudence whereby our Governours ought to determine them and enjoyning obedience to all that are placed under them to their good orders agreeable thereunto 2. Those Scriptures which use the negative argument of God's not commanding a thing as a reproof and condemnation of it Jerem. 7.27 it should be v. 21 22 and 23. Thus saith the Lord Put your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices and eat flesh i. e. Eat of those offerings which were to be wholly consumed no less than of other sacrifices Levit 1. for I spake not unto your fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices but this commanded I them saying Obey my voice H. Grot. in loc Annot in L. 4. Rel. Christ If that be true which some ground upon this place viz. That God issued forth no command of sacrifices till after their worshipping the Golden Calf they were warranted only by custom arising from a voluntary devotion then we have gained so many fresh instances to be added unto those before alledged against this general principle now examined but I will not lean any thing to that supposition It seems rather that Sacrifices were before that required The Israelites begg'd liberty to go out to sacrifice by Divine directions and Pharaoh gave it them and God commanded the Sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 3.18 and 8.8 and 12 13. The meaning then of God by the Prophet here may be only this That God preferr'd obedience before sacrifice as is elsewhere declared 1 Sam. 15.22 and manifested as much See Deut. 4.22 23 14. when he gave the Law at Mount Sinai requiring moral observances audibly from them without the mention of burnt-sacrifices the prescriptions whereof Moses afterwards himself received and so the negative hath only a comparatiue force in it I spake not nor commanded concerning Burnt-offerings i. e. not so much not in comparison with Obey my voice as it is both said and explained in the Prophet Hosea Hosea 6.6 I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings Thus there are the more weighty St. Matt. 23 23. and considerable things of God's Law and those of a lesser size the one such as ought chiefly and especially to be done and yet the other too not to be left undone Others gloss on the words that God did not command sacrifice from them in such a manner and with such evil dispositions as they brought it And this is certainly the meaning of that expostulation in the first of Isaiah Isa 1.12 Who hath required these things at your hands from whence too some of our Catechist's way have taught That nothing is to be done but what God requireth Whereas it is evidently the design of that place Not to disclaim the Act spoken of but the Actors in their manner of performance and the emphasis lies not upon these things which were plainly matters of Divine appointment but upon your hands Who hath required these things at your hands even your hands that are full of bloud verse 15. The scope of the place is not to disown the things themselves the Worship given but the corruption of the worshippers as it is elsewhere said The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 Let us then see if the other places that belong to this head have more in them for our conviction Jer. 7.31 They have built the high places of Tophet to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire which I commanded them not neither came it into my heart And again Jer. 19.5 They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons with fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal which I commanded not nor spake it neither came it into my mind The meaning of these phrases here used is questionless this which I forbad them for the matter spoken of is an abomination expresly forbidden by God Levit. 18.21 And the same answer belongs to two other Texts Deut. 17.3 Where the Idolater is thus described Who hath gone and served other Gods and worshipped them either the Sun or Moon or any of the host of Heaven which I have not commanded i. e. manifestly which I have forbidden Exod. 20.4 So Levit. 10.1 'T is the accusation of Nadab and Abihu that They offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not i. e. which he had forbidden them having commanded them to use the fire upon the Altar which to that very purpose was to be kept burning and not to be put out Levit. 1.7 8. 6.12 13. 16.12 God therefore having appointed his own fire the using of any other in the room of it could be no other than a violation of his appointment In all these places then there is a figure of speech which the Rhetoricians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Author to the Hebrews without which it is impossible to please God is described by him in the very same verse For he that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Two points undeniably of natural and rational belief had there been no Scripture vvritten And Secondly It is evident by the context that the Apostle to the Romans speaks not of a faith related only to the word of God but he means by faith any good perswasion of the lawfulness of the act whether by reason or Scripture-perswasion opposed to doubting We need look no farther than the same Chapter for a confirmation of this Rom. 14.2 At the 2. verse One believeth that he may eat all things that is he is verily perswaded in his conscience that he may as lawfully eat flesh as herbs any one kind of meat as any other he maketh no doubt of it Again verse 14. ver 14. I know and am perswaded that there is nothing unclean of it self that is I stedfastly believe it is a most certain and undoubted truth Again vers 22. ver 22. Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God that is Art thou in thy conscience perswaded that thou mayest lawfully partake any of the good creatures of God let that perswasion suffice thee for the approving of thine own heart in the sight of God but trouble not the Church nor offend thy weaker brother by a needless and unseasonable ostentation of that thy knowledge And then lastly in this 23. verse ver 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith that is he that is not fully perswaded in his own mind that it is lawful for him to eat some kinds of meats as namely swines-flesh and bloodings and yet is drawn against his own judgment to eat thereof because he seeth others so to do or because he would be loath to undergo the taunts and jeers of scorners or out of any other poor respect such a man is cast and condemned by the judgment of his own heart as a transgressour because he adventureth to do that which he doth not believe to be lawful And then the Apostle proceeding ab hypothesi ad thesin immediately reduceth that particular case into a general rule in these words For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin Quod dubitas ne feceris Cicero by the process of which his discourse it appears that by Faith no other thing is here meant than such a perswasion of the mind and conscience as we have now declared and that the true purport and intent of these words is but thus much in effect Whosoever shall enterprize the doing of any thing See Bp. Sanderson's excellent Sermon on this Text. pag. 82. 83. See also Dâ—â— Iackson l. 2. ch 7. which he verily believeth to be unlawful or at least wise is not reasonably well perswaded of the lawfulness of it let the thing be otherwise and in it self what it can be lawful or unlawful indifferent or necessary convenient or inconvenient it mattereth not to him it is a sin howsoever And yet farther were it granted that the faith required to legitimate our actions must necessarily have some place of Scripture to build it self upon it ought to be remembred That this faith may derive its assurance from general rules there laid down as well as any particular commands and there is hardly a case in reference unto practise which that of St. Paul to the Philippians extends not unto Phil. 4.8 Where yet he leaves the particulars as matters to be approved and judged of by themselves according to that capacity and understanding which as men God had endowed them with and all that exhortation of his is plainly a reference to the chief rules of right reason to guide their choice and actions by CHAP. VIII Other Texts of Scripture examined under seven heads more viz. 6 Which describe Christ's faithfulness compared with Moses and point unto him as the one and only and Lord of his house the Church 7 Which command us to hear and obey Christ under the greatest penalty Wherein also Christ enjoyns his Disciples to teach all his commandments and wherein others are commanded or exhorted to obey them or commended for examples of a diligent and exact obedience 8 which relate to the pattern given in the Mount to Moses and the other in Vision to Ezekiel 9 VVhich point us to the spiritual worship required by God under the Gospel 10 The second commandment said to forbid us the making to our selves any thing in the worship of God to add unto his appointments 11 VVhich are said to speak of the Apostacy of the Church prophetically under the name of fornication and whoredome and of the innocency of those that keep themselves undefiled therewith Lastly VVhich are alledged as instances of severity against persons who by ignorance neglect or regardlesness have miscarried in not observing exactly God's will and appointment in and about his worship Particularly Nadab and Abihu Corah Dathan and Abiram The Sons of Ely Uzzah whom the Catechist saith against the Scripture-Text to have sinn'd in putting the Ark into a Cart when he should have born it on his shoulders Uzziah's offering incense 1 Cor. 11.30 Hebr. 10.25 26 27 28 29. 6. THose Scriptures which describe Christ's faithfulness compared with Moses and point unto him as the one Law-giver and Lord of his house Hebr. 3.5 6. Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken But Christ as a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence c. The usual inference made from hence is that as Moses did appoint the very rituals appertaining unto Uod's worship among the Jews so did Christ in like manner prescribe unto his Church otherwise he is not faithful as Moses But here it is not considered that there were several circumstances not determined by the law of Moses and many particulars under that law of Divine acceptance though of humane institution as hath been declared And then secondly the Apostle's compare between Christ and Moses is wofully mis-shapen See Hoâ—ker Eccles Pol. â— 3. S. 11. He that will see how faithful the one or the other was must compare the things which they both did unto the charge which God gave each of them for fidelity is the righteous execution of a charge received faithful to him that appointed him ver 2. The Apostle in making comparison between our Saviour and Moses attributeth faithfulness unto both and maketh this difference between them Moses in but Christ over the house of God Moses in that house which was his by charge and commission though to govern it yet to govern it as a servant but Christ over his house as being his own entire possession Our Lord and Saviour doth make protestation I have given unto them