or at the least we understand not how they can be said with any certainty of truth And Q 1 What say they is the meaning of that Metaphor in the Confession There is no health in us Answer The meaning is That we have no power to help or save our selves out of the misery which by our sins we have deserved that there is nothing in our selves which can preserve us from perishing under the guilt of our iniquities this is the frequent import of the word health in Scripture So Psal 42.11.43.1 God is the health of my countenance i. e. the help of my countenance Psal 42.5 Salvation is far from the wicked Psal 119.155 N. Transl Health is far from them saith the Old And again Trust not in Princes or in any sons of men for there is no help in them Psal 146.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no health or no Salvation in them say the Seventy Q 2 What is the meaning or at least the appositeness of that Respons Give Peace in our time O Lord. Resp Because there is none other that fighteth for us but only thou O God Answer To lay the foundation of a perspicuous Answer to this Question consider 1. Vide Comber part 1. p. 363 364. 1 Chron. 22.9 Isai 39.8 That it was one of Gods gracious Promises to his pious Servants of old that he would give peace in their days and so this is fit matter of our Prayer 2. Consider That God is in the Scripture stiled the God of Peace that it is He who makes peace in our borders and by his providence preserveth peace among Nations Psal 46.9 breaking the Bow and knapping the Spear asunder Consider 3. That this God is our only sure defence against our Enemies and that our Armies and Navies will be unsuccessful to defend us without his good providence or to procure peace for us And therefore it behoves us to apply our selves unto him for these mercies Conlider 4. That the end of all just War is Peace men therefore sighting in their own defence that they may oblige their neighbours to live peaceably by them This being so what is more proper than this Prayer Give peace in our time O Lord thou God of Peace either by keeping us from War or rendring our Arms so happy and successful that they may procure us a lasting peace This do we beg of thee because there is none other who can keep us from War or save us in it or make our fighting tend unto our lasting future peace but only thou O Lord. Q 3 What is the meaning of that Metaphor Lighten our darkness O Lord Answ I Answer It is a Scripture phrase used Psal 18.28 Job 29.3 importing our desire that by the goodness of our God we may be kept in a joyful comfortable prosperous state which state in Scripture is usually signified by the word light being preserved still from all calamities and miseries if we at present are free from them or else delivered from them by his power and mercy if we labour under any kinds or degrees of them and the ensuing clause is but an explication and application of it to the then present night Q. 4 What mean you by your Prayer for deliverance from Fornication and all other deadly sins Do you not by it seem to approve that Popish Doctrine which holds that some sins in their nature are venial that is do not deserve Eternal Death Answer This cannot rationally be suspected of that Church whose Doctrine it is That all sin is in its own nature deadly though all in the event do not and according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace will not prove deadly to the Christian. For that New Covenant declares God will accept of our sincere obedience that is of such obedience as is consistent with sins of ignorance and weakness and that such sins will not exclude us from Gods favour but will be pardoned upon our general Repentance and our desire to be cleansed from our secret sins The import therefore of this phrase is this That God would graciously deliver us from-all those sins which are therefore deadly 1. Because they do declare him who commits them to be unregenerate or dead in trespasses and sins And thus it is declared concerning Fornicators Eph. 5.5 For no Fornicator hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ but is a son of disobedience vers 6. He is yoked with the prophane Heb. 12.16 and doth commit that sin which is contrary to his cleaving to Christ and which permiteth not his body to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost And 2. 1 Cor. 6.16 19. Because they leave us under the sentence of death so that whosoever dies without particular Repentance for and reformation of them will be obnoxious to Eternal Death they being sins for which the wrath of God comes upon the Children of disobedience So is it said of Fornication Coloss 3.6 and to all Fornicators it is threatned That they shall have their portion in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21.8 and St Paul plainly saith Fornicators and Adulterers God will damn Heb. 13.4 And 3. Because they usually end in death few ever escaping from them or being renewed to Repentance such is too frequently the fate of him who goeth to the Harlots House For none that goeth to her house saith Solomon Prov. 2.19 returns again or takes hold of the paths of life The mouth of a strange Woman being a deep pit Prov. 22.14 into which he that is abhorred of the Lord doth fall Now these sins being too many to be named particularly and being difficult to be exactly stated and enumerated are comprehended under this general appellation To humble the bold committers of them by minding them that if they be not speedily repented of which is but rarely done they will end in their Damnation or Eternal Death Q. 5 Why pray you for deliverance from sudden death which if it happen to the prepared Christian seems to be no evil Answer Though some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euchol p. 776. who it seems think that they are always sit to dye do inconsiderately blame this petition of our Liturgy as unbecoming Christians and thereby blame the Church of God which for a long time hath made use of this petition yet I suppose that none of them would wish or if they well considered be as much contented to dye by the immediate suddain hand of God as to have time to recollect themselves before death to dye as did Jobs children or they on whom the Tower of Siloam fell but rather would conceive it were a mercy worthy of their thanks to be delivered from such a death And that 1. Comber part 2. p. 61 62. Because this suddain death affords no time to settle our Estates but leaves our temporal concerns entangled and involves our Relations in Law-suits and contests 2.
Gibbet set up to mind us of the Punishment of evil doers and every person executed on them must be Sacraments they being objects proper to Minister occasion to our minds to reflect upon the shame and punishment of such offences as bring Men to the Gibbet then all Gods judgments upon wicked Persons and all the mercies he vouchsafes unto his Servants as Testimonies of his kindness to them and the examples of all Pious Men must be accounted Sacraments they being all designed to teach our understanding or excite devotion in us and it will be as much unlawful when I wash my hands to reflect upon my obligation to purity of heart and life or when I tast the sweetness of my food or think upon my care and labour to procure it to reflect upon the sweetness of the bread of life and how much more I am concern'd to labour after it as to use the imposed Ceremonies as the occasions of devout conceptions And lastly then to smite upon my Breast to excite Godly sorrow to Pray prostrate to encrease or to express my humility or perform any other actions of like Nature must be to add unto the Sacraments of Christs appointment And whereas the objection adds that no reason can be given why the representation of some Spiritual Duty by a Mystical Rite should not as properly pertain to the Nature of a Sacrament as the shadowing or sealing some Spiritual promise I Answer the disparity is very plain for these Rites falsly stiled Mystical may of themselves be apt to express or put me in mind of my Duty but cannot of themselves be apt without Gods pleasure signified to seal his promise or to assure me of his grace I can by meditation or by reflection upon the meanest object move my self to the performance of my Duty but cannot by the like reflections move the Author of every good and perfect gift to give me what he never promised or seal unto me any Spiritual blessing § 9 Lastly If we may take an estimate of Sacraments from those recorded in the Old or the New Testament we shall find many things required to Sacraments which are all wanting in our Ceremonies supposing that they were injoyned to these very ends For 1. A Sacramental sign of Duty obliges us to the performance of the Duty signified the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to thankfulness for the blessings represented by the Elements and to walk as becomes the Members of Christ's Body whereas a Ceremony tho apt to signifie doth not oblige us to the performance of the Duty signified nor do I sin against God provided I live holily and purely tho the consideration of a Surplice do never move me so to do or be by me improved to that end 2ly All Sacraments import a Covenant established betwixt God and Man a Stipulation on each part and by partaking of them we either enter into or else renew our Covenant with God and make profession that we are in Covenant with him And by just consequence a Sacrament is Sacrae rei signum in quantum est significans a sacred sign which sanctifies and separates the receiver from others who do not receive or own such Rites thus by the Sacraments of Circumcision and the Passover the Jews were made a separate People from all other Nations and the neglect of either of these ordinances was Cutting off from Gods People because this was a breaking of Gods Covenant Numb 9.13 Gen. 17.14 likewise we Christians are by Baptism received into Covenant with God by eating at Gods Table we make profession of our adherence to that Covenant and also by participating in the Blood of the New Covenant and to exclude a Person from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to exclude him from the Communion of the Body of Christ 3ly All Sacraments contain a promise on the part of God and Stipulation on the part of Man and upon this account they do not only mind us of our Duty but also lay upon us fresh obligations to perform it and also they oblige our God to give us grace sufficient to perform that Duty to which he doth oblige us by these Sacraments Now there is nothing of all this in our three Ceremonies we do not by them enter into Covenant with God nor are we by them Sanctified or Separated from other Christians who use them not nor doth God by them promise any Blessings to us nor do we oblige our Souls to any Duties towards him nor do we enter into any Stipulations with him or he with us they who do most do only take occasion from them to reflect upon their Duty as Men of Phancy and Devout affections may do from any other thing which doth occasionally present it self unto their minds And whereas it is more particularly excepted against the sign of the Cross that as it is imposed it hath the Nature of a Sacrament from this discourse we may return an easie Answer to the objections made against it as v. g. § 10 Here is saith Mr. Baxter the outward visible sign the Cross Diâ—p 5. of Cer. chap. 2. §. 56. Answ Just such another as is made in the Air by Preaching we may see the Minister making a Cross but who ever saw an Aerial Cross after it was made 2ly The inward and Spiritual Grace saith he is a Holy resolution to fight Manfully under the banner of Christ and to persevere therein Answ An Holy resolution in an Infant is a Spiritual grace indeed Here is saith he 1st A signification of grace to be wrought on the Soul and given us by God 2ly An engagement to perform the Duties of the Covenant our selves on Gods part we are to receive by this sign both qualitative and actual grace and relative grace Answ All this is said without all ground from any thing delivered by the Church of England it is no sign assuring us of Gods grace as all true Sacraments are 't is no engaging sign either on Gods part or on ours but only an Indicatory sign to the Congregation that the Baptized Person is listed among those who are to fight under Christ's Banner The Cross saith he is to Teach our Understandings and help our Memories and quickâ—n our dull Affections by minding us of a Crucified Christ and the benefits of his Cross so that this § 57 and such other Ceremonies are appointed to Teach the understanding by their Signification Answ The Book of Common Prayer saith not they are appointed to teach but only that the things appointed are apt to stir up the dull mind the difference of which two Phrases I have shew'd already And that this saith he § 58 is the way of working grace as Gods word and Sacraments do is undeniable Answ We are discoursing here not of Gods Word but of his Sacraments and that they only work grace Morally and as things apt to stir up the dull mind of Man and by objective Teaching is a false assertion which renders the
conform with doubting Consciences Or 3ly By grieving them Or 4ly By causing them to separate from our Communion 6ly We are not to abstain from that indifferent action which may Scandalize our Brother when by forbearance of that action as great if not a greater Scandal is Administred to others this proved to be the case in our refusal to comply with the Commands of our Superiors in Lawful matters 7ly The Scandal caused by the Dissenter refusing to do what Lawfully he may is Scandal given the scandal Ministred by the Conformist can be only Scandal received § 1.9 Objections of Amesius and Mr. Jeans Answered § 2. Some unsatisfactory Answers to the Objection from Scandal noted as v. g. 1. That the Scandal which the weak conceive at our Conformity is passive whereas 't is only active Scandal which we are concerned to avoid 2ly That Scandal is an action done with intent to ensnare Men in sin since therefore none can judge that by imposing or submitting to our Ceremonies this is intended they cannot truly be Scandalized 3ly That we can give no sinful Scandal by using of our Ceremonies because we give a reason of our action 4ly That they are to be deemed obstinate who after a reason given are still Scandalized and so their Scandal is Pharisaical and not to be regarded § 3. CHAP. VII Obj. 4 THAT which doth Minister Scandal to weak Brethren must not be done § 1 saith the Dissenter no not at the Command of our Superiors but by submitting to and using the imposed Ceremonies we minister Scandal to weak Brethren And therefore we must not submit unto them To lay foundations of a full and satisfactory Answer unto this Objection I lay down these ensuing Propositions 1. That Scandal is an action whereby occasion is ministred to the sin fall or ruine of our weak Brother it is any thing saith St. Paul by which our Brother stumbleth or is offended Rom. 14.21 it is a stumbling block or an occasion to fall put in our Brothers way v. 13. Where note 1. That under the Word action is comprehended 1. words tending to the same effect And 2ly omissions of actionswhich have the same consequence 2ly This Scandal may be Ministred as well by doing of our Duty as by doing Evil. So the Preaching of the Cross was to the Jews a stumbling block 1 Cor. 1.23 2 Cor. 2.16 the Gospel Preached is to many a savour of death and Christ himself is said to be to many a Stone of stumbling 1 Pet. 2.8 and a Rock of offence and the occasion of their fedling It therefore is erroneously said that our action Coroll tho it may displease yet cannot minister occasion of Scandal to both parties for tho 't is true I cannot give a just occasion of offence by doing or omitting the same action for then I must lie under a necessity of sinning it being necessary for me either to do or to omit the doing of it It is as true that some weak Persons may take offence at my performing and others be as much offended at my omitting the same action Prop. 2 That Scandal sin or fall of others which is occasioned by doing of my Duty cannot be my sin and so I cannot be obliged to avoid it the reason is because I cannot sin in doing of my Duty and because I must not do Evil Rom. 3.8 as the neglect of Duty is that good may come Hence it doth clearly follow Coroll that by obedience to the lawful commands of my Superiors I cannot be guilty of sinful Scandalizing of my Brother because obedience in such cases is my Duty Obj. No human ordinance can take away the condition of Scandal from that action which would otherwise be Scandal that is which being not commanded would be Scandal Answ It is sufficient if it can take away the sin of Scandal and that it doth by making that become my Duty which Scandalizeth my weak Brother We do not say the sin of Scandal is avoided simply by the Lawfulness of the action which we do for tho all meats were lawful in the Apostles time yet this would not excuse the Gentile Christian from sin in eating of those meats which gave offence to his weak Brother but then say we the sin of Scandal is avoided when the action being lawful in it self is necessary in obedience to Superiors and for the exercise of our Ministry and for the peace of the Church and the prevention of Schisms and separations in and from it with all their fatal consequences it being all Mens Duty by all lawful means to prosecute these good ends Prop. 3 They who Object the case of Scandal as the ground of their refusal to submit unto these Constitutions must confess or dispute against them from this Topick upon this supposition that they are in themselves indifferent and that 't is only the mistake of our weak Brother which can lay this restraint upon our practice in such matters because from matters in themselves evil or forbidden we are obliged to abstain tho no such Scandal should ensue upon the practice of them Prop. 4 As far as I am able to discern we cannot Minister occasion of Scandal to our weak Brother by submitting to these commands of our Superiors but either 1st By Ministring occasion to his rash judgment and censure of our action as an Evil deed Or 2ly By moving him by our example to conform even while he doubts the lawfulness thereof and so to do it with a doubting Conscience and therefore to his own damnation Rom. 14.23 which seems to be the Scandal mentioned 1 Cor. 8.10 11. Or 3ly By grieving him to see those things are practised by us which he condemneth in his Conscience which seems to be the Scandal spoken of Rom. 14.15 Or 4ly By causing him to separate from our Communion upon these accounts and by so doing to incur the guilt of Schism Prop. 5 We are not saith Mr. Jeans obliged to abstain from that indifferent action which may Scandalize our Brother when by forbearance of that action as great Scholast dispute p. 102. if not a greater Scandal is Administred to others for as St. Bernard truly saith Prudenter anim advertendum est Scandalum Scandalo non emendari qualis emendatio erit si ut aliis Scandalum tollas alios Scandalizas We are prudently to mark that one Scandal is not mended by another which kind of emendation we should practise if to take off offence from one party we give offence unto another for in this case we must have as much reason on the account of Scandal to do as to forbear the action Now it is certain that our refusal to comply with our Superiors Command in lawful matters doth Minister occasion of like Scandal in all particulars forementioned For 1. The Magistrate and they who think themselves obliged to submit to his injunctions are as much grieved to see Men stifly to persist in disobedience to
Church on them who are notoriously otherwise they are Commanded to purge out the Old Leaven that they may be a new Lump and to look diligently that no root of bitterness spring up among them Heb. 12.15 whereby others may be in danger of defilement And as to them who sin'd with an High hand was threatned destruction by the hand of God so the Apostle saith that him who defileth the Temple of the Lord will God destroy 1 Cor 3.17 And as God declared that he would not be with the Church of Israel when it was defiled except they did destroy the accursed thing from among them that is the person who Transgressed his Covenant Josh 7.11 12. So we may also fear that he will not vouchsafe his presence with us unless we also do remove those from among us who defile his Temple and openly transgress their Christian Covenant As then Jehojada set Porters at the Gates of the House of the Lord that none who was unclean in any thing should enter 2 Chron. 23.19 So also should the Rulers of Christs Church Act. 20.28 Jer. 15.19 who are Commanded to take heed unto the Flock and whose concern it is to separate the precious from the vile That the neglect of this great Duty tends very much unto the detriment of the Church Prop. 5. not only as it indangers the infection of her Members and brings a Scandal on her but also as it doth expose her to Gods judgments for the neglect of this his Ordinance this may be gathered 1. from the close of the 5th Chapter of the first Epistle to the Church of Corinth where the discourse of the Apostle on this subject concludeth with these words do not ye judg them that are within that is saith Dr. Hammond you know it is the practice among you to inflict censures on Church Members and ye shall put away the evil from among you That is by doing this you shall free your selves from those punishments which the neglect of your Duty in permitting such offendors to go unpunished and unreformed may bring upon you 2ly From Christs reproof unto the Church of Thyatira because her Rulers suffered the Woman ealled Jezabel to teach Rev. 2.14 15. and to seduce his Servants to commit Fornication and to eat things Offered to Idols Rev. 2.20 and from his threatnings against the Church of Pergamos that he would come against her quickly and fight against her with the Sword of his Mouth for suffering those among her who taught the Doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans if she did not repent that is saith Dr. Hammond There is gotten among you and permitted and not punish'd by your Bishops N. B. that unclean Doctrine and Practice of the Nicolaitans which being odious to me ought most strictly to have been punished by you and if this lenity be not speedily mended I will visit and destroy you suddenly by judgments parallel to the Sword that fell on the Israelites that were corrupted by Balaams Counsel Numb 25.5 And as when Magistrates neglect their Duty in punishing Offenders and bear the Sword in vain God is provoked to take it into his own hand and punish such Offenders by his immediate power so when Church Discipline is neglected it may be rationally expected God should immediately punish that neglect Now on these propositions depends the great Objection of Dissenters against Communion with and for their Separation from our Church For say they seeing it is certain that a Church in which this Duty is performed is better than a Church which doth neglect it fince we have cause to hope Gods presence will be more vouchsafed to such a Church and his good Spirit will more powerfully assist them seeing in such a Church the danger from Gods judgments and the pollution of her Members will be certainly the less we think it reasonable to prefer a Church in which this Discipline obtains in some good measure as it doth in our Communions before Communion with that Church in which it is apparently if not confessedly neglected and therefore till the Church of England will restore this Discipline 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall continue as we are § 5 In Answer to this considerable Objection I add these following Propositions That in case Church Officers do not perform their Duty with reference to this great Ordinance of Chris Prop. 6. yet is it not the * Praecidendae unitatis nulla est justa necessitas cum sibi nequaquam nocituros malos ideo tolerent boni ne spiritualiter sejungantur à bonis cum Disciplinae severitatem consideratio cusiodiendae pacis refrenat aut differt August contr Epist Parm. l. 2. c. 11. p. 39. Peoples Duty to Separate from their Communion except in the ensuing Cases 1. That they require those who Communicate with them to own or to approve of this defect in which Case it is evident that our Communion with them must be unlawful because it cannot be obtained without sin Or 2ly When we without dividing of the Church or disturbing of her Peace or disobedience to or Separation from her Governours or any other greater evil to our selves or to the Church of God can Communicate with other Church Officers legally called who conscientiously endeavor to perform that Duty which others do neglect for from the Reasons offer'd in the foregoing Propositions and the confession of our own Church that this is a Godly Disciplne and that the Restoration of it is much to be desired it rationally seems to follow that if this can be done without a greater evil to our selves or to the Church of God we should prefer a Church Caeteris paribus in which this Discipline of Christ obtains in some good measure before Communion with the Church in which it is confessedly neglected For proof of the proposition thus laid down let us consider 1. That the Scribes and Pharisees rejected Christs Doctrine Luk. 7.30 and the Baptism of John which was an Ordinance of God and yet our Saviour bids both the People and his own Disciples Mat. 23.1 hear them sitting in the Chair of Moses which doth imply Communion with those Scribes and Pharisees And tho both Priest and People were exceedingly corrupted tho he declares the Scribes and Pharisees to be a Generation of Vipers v. 33. and the Generality of the People to be of their Father the Devil Joh. 8.44 and the Sadduces who joyn'd in Publick Worship with the rest Mark 12.27 to be greatly erroneous yet neither did he Separate himself nor command others to Separate from the Communion of the Jewish Church or Synagogues on those accounts 2ly St. Paul declareth of the Church of Corinth that it was their fault that the incestuous Person was not separated from their Communion 1 Cor. 5.1 and commands them to separate him v. 13. But he chides none for Communicating with them whilst he was not Separated which sure he would have done had that Communion
by executing of them only should rebuke the Scorner which the Wiseman forbids Prov. 9.8 Here then our Saviors Rule seems to take place Give not that which is Holy unto Dogs Matt. 7.6 lest they turn again and rent you Such persons ought therefore only to be excluded from the Sacrament according to the Counsel and Direction of the Church of England but not entirely and without exception excommunicated from the Church Prim. Christian Part 3. p. 377. To this effect it is observed by Dr. Cave that the Primitive Church Relaxed the severity of their Discipline when great multitudes were concerned or such persons as were like to draw great numbers after them in this case saith He they thought it prudent and reasonable to deal with persons by somewhat milder and gentler methods lest by holding them to terms of Rigor and Austerity they should provoke them to fly off either to Heathenism or to Heresy This Course St. Cyprian and his Brethren took for as the concord of his Collegues and the benefit of uniting the Fraternity and healing the wound in the Church required they 1 Necessitati temporum succubuisse p. 52. §. 3. yeelded to the necessity of the times and admitted the lapsed to Communion upon tolerable hopes of their true repentance 2 Ad gentiles se vias saecularia opera convertat vel ad Hereticos Schismaticos rejectus ab Eccle. transeat ibid. §. 10. v §. 3 9. lest being excluded from the Church they out of desperation should fly back to the Worldy or joyn with Hereticks or Schismaticks And in like manner saith he did our Brother 3 Cornelius yield to the necessity of the times Cornelius necessitati succubuit ibid. §. 6. Admitting to Communion plebis maximam partem maximum Fratrûm numerum a great part of the common people or the Brethren which separated with him upon the satisfaction and repentance of Trophimus alone with whom as they first separated they returned Moreover to this accords the judgment of St. Austin who declareth that 4 Neque enim potest esse Salutaris à multis correptio nisi cum ille corripitur qui non habet sociam multitudinem cum autem idem morbus plurimos occupaverit nihil aliud bonis restat quà m dolor gemitus Contr. Epist Parmen l. 3. p. 61. B. Correption cannot be salutary when the offendor hath many partners and that when the same disease hath seiz'd on many there remains no other Remedy for Good men to use but Prayers and Sighs and Sorrow And again that when 5 Et revera si contagio peccandi multitudinem invaserit Divinae Disciplinae severa misericordia necessaria est nam Consilia separationis inania sunt perniciosa atque Sacrilega quia impia superba fiunt plus perturbant infirmos bonos quam corrigunt animosos malos ibid. lit D. the Contagion of sin hath ceased the whole multitude the severe mercy of Divine Discipline is necessary for then all Councils of separation are vain pernicious wicked and Sacrilegious because they will more disturb the pious that are weak then correct the wicked that are sturdy And to confirm the judgment of St Austin the 6 Synop Pur. Theol. disp 48 §. 30. Authors of the Dutch Synopsis have observed that the Prophets and pious Priests among the Jews did never in a general declension of the people recur to these severer Methods And * Neque enim duris remediis locus est ubi tota Ecclesia in morbo cubat Grot. 2 Cor. 12.6 Grotius and Estius observe from these words of St Paul to the Corinthians that he was in a Readiness to revenge all disobedience when their obedience was fulfilled that there was no place for severe Remedies when the disease had infected the whole Church And that the Apostle was forced to yield to this necessity Esth in locum because the Offendors in the Church of Corinth being many Compan to the Temple part 4. p. 548.549 they could not easily be excommunicated I conclude therefore with the judicious Dr. Cumber that till men be so humble as to be willing to suffer shame and undergo severities in this world that their Souls may be saved in the next we may advise them to private and particular acts of mortification and repentance but it will be in vain to impose them on this untractable generation since by imposing them in these circumstances the Church would make this holy means of Reformation rather despised then obeyed Prop. 8 Altho it is the Christians duty to withdraw from and to avoid the scandalous Professor and the disorderly Walker yet is this only then a duty when we can serve no Higher ends of piety or mercy in holding correspondence with them For he that doth command us to withdraw from him that walks disorderly doth leave it still our duty to admonish him as ae Brother and therefore still to maintain that correspondence with him which is necessary to that admonition 2 Thess 3.14 15. and to all other good endeavors to reclaim and gain our Brother And therefore tho our Lord knew well the obligation of this duty and the great scandal which the Scribes and Pharisees would take at his free converse with Publicans and Sinners he doth not only justify the fact as being done in order to their reformation and conversion but also represents it as an higher duty and more incumbent on him then the avoiding the familiarity of wicked men and bids those Pharisees who reckoned it their duty to renounce all familiarity with such men learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not Sacrifice And tho St. Paul permits not his Corinthians to have any fellowship with Unbelievers Matt. 9.13 or go unto their Idol Temples or their feasts yet he allows the coming of the unbeliever into their Assemblies 1 Cor. 14.23 as being that which might be instrumental to his conviction and conversion And v. 24 25. which is more observable St. Jude speaking of those impure Dreamers who defiled the Flesh c. saith thus v. 8. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you they therefore did intrude into these feasts and consequently joyned with them at the Table of the Lord of which these feasts were an Appendix and yet St. Jude prescribes no separation of the Saints from these Assemblies on that account Lastly tho Eli's Sons were Sons of Belial Sam. 1.2 12. and knew not the Lord Altho they caused the People to abhor the offering of the Lord v. 17. and therefore to neglect to come to Shilo with them v. 24. yet are they also said to make the Lords People to transgress viz. By this neglect it therefore was the Peoples duty still to attend upon these Ordinances of the Lord tho this could not be done under these circumstances without Communion with these Sons of Belial and Ministring
Christian sort and by a disuse of any other to incapacitate our own and our admirers devotions for the other and make both our selves and them uncharitably censorious of all Forms of Prayer and those who use them that is of the whole Catholick Church except a new and inconsiderable party CHAP. XI The Contents The Proposition That there is nothing in the Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience The general Objections against it Answered are 1. That the phrase throughout the several Offices is such as presumes all persons in the Communion of the Church to be regenerate and in an actual state of Grace § 1. The falseness of which suggestion is shewed in ten instances and the phrase of the Liturgy is justified from like expressions of the Holy Scripture ibid. 2. Obj. That the people do not only say Amen but bear a part in the Prayers Answ This is justified from the practice of the Jews and Primitive Christians and the benefit of so doing § 2. 3. That the same Prayers are oft repeated which seems to be the vain Repetition forbidden by Christ Matth. 6.7 8. Answ These Repetitions are justified from Scripture-Examples and the practice of Christ § 3. Objections against several parts or expressions of the Liturgy Answered As 1. That in several parts of the Liturgy all profess to put their trust in God whereas it is to be feared that many in our Congregations do not so § 4. 2. That we all profess to Repent and be heartily sorry for our sins We all say on Sexagesima Sunday that God seeth that we put no trust in any thing that we do after the Communion we all give thanks to God that he hath assured us of his favour and goodness to us And in the Third Collect after Trinity we all profess that God hath given us an hearty desire to pray which professions cannot be thus generally made in truth § 5.3 That we pray that God would give to all Nations Unity Peace and Concord that he would save among the remnant of true Israelites all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks that he would have mercy upon all men which petitions cannot be put up in Faith there being no promise of so large extent in Scripture § 6.4 That we pray to God to succour help and comfort all that are in danger necessity and tribulation to preserve all that travail by land or by water all Women labouring of child all Prisoners and Captives and so we pray for Robbers Pyrats Whores c. § 7. Some passages in the Liturgy which seem obscure or Metaphorical explained As 1. There is no health in us 2. Give peace in our time O Lord Because there is no other that fighteth for us but only thou O God 3. Lighten our darkness 4. From Fornication and all other deadly sins 5. From sudden Death Good Lord deliver us 6. By the Mystery of thy Holy Incarnation by thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision and by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us 7. That our bodies may be made clean by his Body and our souls washed by his most precious blood 8. That God by the Baptism of his Well-beloved Son did sanctifie water to the mystical washing away of Sin 9. The Prayer after the Fourth Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 10. With this Ring I the Wed with my body I thee worship and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow § 8. The Conclusion THAT there is nothing in the stinted Liturgy prescribed by the Church of England to which her Lay Communicants may not yield obedience or which can render their Communion with her sinful or unlawful to them As will be evident by answering the scruples Dissenters do suggest against the whole or any portion of that Service in which they are obliged to join with us And to begin with the Objections which respect the whole body of the Liturgy § 1 1. It is Objected That in the whole Common Prayer there is not any Petition or Confession which imports any doubt Dr. Chambers paper of unaffected scruples or fear that any of those who join in that Service are in a state of unregeneration or enmity to God whereas there are many in our Congregations of whom the Lord hath cause to complain as of the Jews that they hold fast deceit and refuse to return Jer. 3.5.11.15 To this effect runs the Objection of the Commissioners at the Savoy viz. P. 7. That throughout the several Offices the phrase is such as presumes all persons within the Communion of the Church to be regenerated converted and in an actual state of Grace which had Ecclesiastical discipline been truly and vigorously executed in the exclusion of scandalous and obstinate sinners might be better supposed but there having been and still being a confessed want of that as in the Liturgy is acknowledged it cannot rationally be admitted in the outmost latitude of Charity Answer This plainly seems to be a great mistake or false suggestion against the frame and constitution of our Liturgy For 1. The Sentences of Scripture appointed to be read at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer are fitted to the state of unregenerate and wicked persons and call upon them to turn from their wickedness that they have committed Ezek. 18.27 and do that which is lawful and right that they may save their souls alive To rent their hearts Joel 2.13 Dan. 9.9 10. and turn unto the Lord their God To acknowledge that they have rebelled against the Lord their God And have not obeyed the voice of the Lord to walk in his ways which he set before them Luke 15 18 19. And that they have sinned against their heavenly Father so as to be no more worthy to be called his servants 2. The Exhortation calls upon them to confess their manifold sins and wickednesses and not to dissemble or cloak them but confess them with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart to the end that they may obtain forgiveness of the same through Gods infinite goodness and mercy and so it manifestly doth suppose that many of them who are thus exhorted have not yet obtained forgiveness of their sins 3. The General Confession doth acknowledge that we are miserable offenders and that there is no health in us and prays that God would restore them that are penitent according to his promises declared to mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord and so suggests that they have need of Repentance to interest them in those promises 4. The Absolution begins with a declaration that God desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live adding that God will pardon and absolve all those that truly repent and therefore calls upon us to beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit and doth suppose that many present want