deny themselves in a greater matter than things strangled and blood rather than give offence to their weak Brethren without troubling the Church to make any Decree about them And when this Canon was in its greatest force and vigor the Gentile Believers might have eaten the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privately yea in company where no offence would be given or taken for what was the Jewish Convert concern'd what another should eat at home either of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fragments of heathenish Sacrifices presented to him by his Relations or of those things killed by suffocation But alas the Case is otherwise with us for such is the necessity of the Cross the white Garment kneeling at the Supper c. That the omission of them shall silence and suspend a learned faithful laborious Minister of Jesus Christ ab officio beneficio from his work and wages 7. The Apostles add no penalty neither pecuniary corporal or spiritual to afright men into compliance with it but contented themselves to have commanded in the Name of Christ and of his true Church they made not those necessary things the conditions of ministerial or lay-communion Significavits Writs de Excommunicato Capiendo were not then invented nor till a long time after that the Lady Churches having lost the true spiritual Sword began to arm themselves with secular power to back and set an edge upon their Dictates 8. This Decree was onely negative not positive a restraint from the use of some but not an imposition of any It was onely This you shall not Do not This you shall Do which kind of Canons are much easier than the other Conscience may better be tyed up from acting in a hundred than forced to act in one particular A negative precept restrains us from acting at any time in any Case an affirmative always obliges but obliges not always to act in every Case But things at home are much otherwise where we are commanded both what to do and what not to do and are still constrain'd to act even in those things we apprehend against the command of God either in general or special 9. Lastly It appears from the Apostle Paul's After-writings that when this Decree had a little gratified the Jewish Converts weaned them a little from their old customs and usages whereof they were so tenacious mollified their morose and rugged tempers sweeten'd and endear'd them towards the Gentiles it expired of course as to what obligation it received from man and lay among those obsolete Canons which were not regarded because antiquated for when the reason of an humane Ecclesiastical Law ceases the Law itself ceases without any formal Repeal which because some expected should have been more solemn they will not be beaten out on 't but it 's still in force Thus have we seen the Vanity of the Doctor 's Supposition which he would persuade us is the Apostles viz. That there was a necessity of one fixed and certain Rule notwithstanding the different attainments among Christians Which I am not afraid to call vain being so dark that we neither know whether the Rule must be of Divine or Humane Institution what the matter of it must be nor is it proved by Reason or any Scripture argument but what is ultimately resolved into that Decree made at Jerusalem which I have now fully shewn will do him nor his Cause any service SECT III. The Dissenters Plea from Rom. 14. and whether the Doctor hath spoken Reason to invalidate their Reasonings from hence THe Reverend Dr. having toiled hard to prove the necessity of a fixed standing Rule notwithstanding the different attainments of Christians about unnecessary matters and caught nothing to reward his pains bethinks himself of an objection that Dissenters might possibly make which he thus words for them Doth not the Apostle in the 14th Chapter of his Epistle to the Rom. lay down quite another Rule viz. only of mutual forbearance in such Cases where men are unsatisfied in Conscience Yes he doth so and the same Rule he lays down in the verse before the Drs. Text That if any were otherwise minded they should wait and not Act the Church should wait and not impose but leave them to the instruction of God To which the Dr. gives an intimation of a general answer That there was a vast difference between the case as it stood then at Rome and the case as it stood at Philippi For sayes he The Church of Rome consisted most of Jews where they did not impose the necessity of keeping the Law on the gentile Christians And therefore in this case he perswades both parties to forbearance and charity But now in those Churches suppose at Philippi for one where the false Apostles made use of the pretence of the Levitical Law being still in force to divide the Churches there the Apostle bids them beware of them and their practices as being of a dangerous and pernicious consequence So that the preserving the peace of the Church and preventing separation was the great measure according to which the Apostle gave his Directions and that makes him insist so much on this advise to the Philippians that whatever their attainments were they should walk by the same Rule and mind the same things I have often observed that when men are pinch't with plain Scripture they use to twist and twine and turn themselves into all shapes to get out of their streights and they have no more ordinary way of evasion than to fancy some imaginary various Cases upon which a various judgment must be made and a various Rule laid down to serve the present turn which is most notorious in this answer The Apostle acted like a prudent governour says he and in such a manner as he thought did tend most to the propagation of the Gospel and good of particular Churches To which some would reply that then there are a great many in the world that have acted like fools But my general answer is that the Apostle acted upon higher Reasons than those dictated to humane prudence even the infallible guidance and immediate direction of the Holy Ghost Divine directions and the supernatural counsels of the H. Spirit are well consistent and had he only gone upon thinking as the Dr. fancies I had rather have built my faith and practice upon one of his thinkings than upon one of the Drs. full perswasions 1 Cor. 7.40 I think also that I have the Spirit of God And he was not deceived in so thinking But for a particular answer § 1. The Doctors Reason why the Jewish professors at Rome did not impose on the gentile Christians the necessity of keeping the Law of Moses is this Because we do not find they did so And is not this an ingenious course for a person of his learning to suppose the main foundation upon which he builds the variety of the case with no other proof but that he does not find it so I do not find a
Council must be the fixers of this Rule 3. That all are bound notwithstanding their various measures of light to conform to this Rule 4. That the Governors of one Church or many Churches may make Rules for other Churches and force them upon their Consciences to be observed by Divine Right instead of which and much more he has to do he has supposed what he can never demonstrate But that we shall soon see for now he draws apace towards Argument 1. He tells us That the phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be a continuation of the former allusion to a Race for the first thing the Greeks were wont to do as to their Exercises was to circumscribe the bounds wherein they were to be performed now that which fixed and determined those limits was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Greeks c. Had it not been for these Olympic and other Games and Exercises I cannot tell what our modern Criticks would have done for work but what does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 allude to is that term also applied to a Race No! it 's borrowed from the grave marching of an Army not the furious running of a Foot-match 'T is verbum militare a term of Art in the Tactics sayes Zanchy But grant that also for I 'll yield as much as reasonably he can desire for peace-sake still the Question will recur what that Rule is by which we must either soberly walk or swiftly run And there are two things that chiefly stand in competition 1. A Rule of Charity and mutual forbearance under different practices suitable to their different judgments 2. A Rule of Severity which determines to one uniform practice notwithstanding the diversity of judgment so that all must be drawn hang'd and quarter'd that come not up to this Rule 'T is the latter the Doctor now so stifly contends for and none can blame him if he be for that Rule because such a Rule would be for him if he could get it which is the best Reason he can produce for this Rule II. He pleads therefore it cannot be the Rule of Charity because the Apostle had spoken to that just before but rather think I it must be that same Rule because the Apostle had spoken of it just before and therefore he calls it the same Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that very Rule he had just before mention'd for they that have attained to the highest measure of knowledge are not exempted from the Rule of Charity towards those that have less knowledge and it 's new Grammar as well as new Divinity that a Relative cannot agree with his Antecedent because the Antecedent went before and will destroy the surest way of interpreting Scripture from the Coherence and Context if we must conceive there can be no reference of what follows after to that which immediately went before III. The Doctor yet argues farther That the Philippians understood already what Rules he had given them when a Church was first formed among them and therefore when he mentions a Rule without declaring what it was we have reason to believe it was such a Rule which they well knew he had given them before Well then 't is confessed that the Rule the Apostle exhorts them to walk by was such a Rule as he had before given them we are assured he had given them a Rule concerning all necessary things we are not assured he had given them any Rules for unnecessary things if the Doctor can let him produce the Rule and we are ready to Conform to it Apocryphal Rules about new Rites new Ceremonies new Churches new Government we find none and therefore must be contented with what he had given them before viz. that Rule by which the New Creature is guided and governed Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them But we have got another Rule and they that walk not according to that Rule though conscientiously and strictly walking by the other no peace shall be on them no peace shall be with them but wrath and vengeance Fire and Fagot but that time is short IV. The Doctor yet further argues from 1 Cor. 11.34 The rest will I set in order when I come And 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and so ordain I in all the Churches Here then we have an Order an Act or an Ordinance of the Apostle a fixt standing Rule to which all are bound to Conform themselves but what now if they who call themselves the Apostles Successors will not suffer us to Conform to the Rule The Apostles Rule is Let every one walk as God has distributed to him The modern Rule is Let every one walk farther and faster than God has distributed to him Well there 's no remedy for sayes the Doctor This shews the Apostles did not leave all persons to act as they judg'd fit No I believe they did not but as God by his Apostles thought fit not by Traditions but Scripture Revelations not by the Flesh but by the Spirit not by their own Wills or the Wills of men but by and after the Will of God But the Apostles made Rules determining their practice No doubt of that but was it about Mint Anise and Cummin or the great and weighty things of the Law V. Still he proceeds That although Men might pretend that the things were not in themselves necessary that they were scrupled by some persons and therefore were not fit to be imposed upon any yet he does not find that the Apostles forbore to give Rules in such cases and to oblige Christians to observe them To which I say 1. That I do not find that the Apostles did attempt to give Rules in such Cases other than the Rule of Charity of kindness of mutual forbearing one another the Doctor does not find they did forbear Must we believe they did every thing we do not find they did forbear Really I do not find they did forbear preaching against Liturgies the Sign of the Cross Archbishops and Bishops Archdeacons and Deans will he allow me to conclude that therefore he did preach against them what wild work would an Argument from Authority negatively in matters of Fact make with our Ceremonies And what a Hubbub had it raised if such Reasonings were to be found in the Sermons of the Dissenters 2. Let him therefore shew plainly That the Apostles interposed their Authority to impose upon the Disciples any one thing which was not antecedently some way or other necessary to that Imposition and never stand casting a mist before our eyes by saying the Apostles gave Rules in such Cases when the Cases are vastly different from those that are in debate amongst us VI. He goes on What the Apostle thus imposed was not on the meer authority of Apostles but as Church-Governors whose business it is to take care of their preservation Not as Apostles
but as Governors Things well joined but ill divided As they were Apostles so were they Governors of Churches to whom the Care of all the Churches was committed 2 Cor. 11.28 There was indeed another matter that should have here been shuffled in and is handsomly insinuated That the Apostles in establishing Rules for Rites and Ceremonies and those other things that are supposed acted not as extraordinary Officers whose power was to expire with their persons but as ordinary Guides who were to have Successors in their whole Ruling work to the end of the World but this is far more easily hinted than proved we deny therefore and wait for evidence 1. That the Apostles ever made Rules for the determining of unnecessary Circumstances and imposed them on the Churches as terms of Communion 2. That Diocesan Bishops or Metropolitans are the Apostles Successors in the governing of Churches 3. That if they did succeed them in any part of their office and worke yet that they have the same fulness of power as wanting their infallible direction wisdom prudence and other qualifications that might either move Christ to entrust them with that power or persuade Christians to submit to their power VII To sweeten and set off the Discourse the Doctor has formed a most ingenious comparison between the power and skill of a General of an Army to command and the Duty which private Soldiers owe to their General on the one part and the Authority Wisdom and Conduct of Church-Governors to order the Ecclesiastical Militia and the Duty that private Christians owe to their Orders on the other hand which would have taken before the Trained Bands or the Artillery Company at present let it pass for as much as 't is worth that is a specimen of wit and a rare piece of ingenuity VIII But his great Refuge his safe Retreat is in and to the Council at Jerusalem concerning which the Reverend Author expresses himself thus Although there were many doubts and scruples in their times about several Rites and Customs yet the Apostles did give Rules in such Cases and bind Christians to observe them as we find in that famous Decree made upon great deliberation in the Council of the Apostles at Jerusalem To which it were enough to say That the Apostles did give Rules but not such as are now given They gave Rules in the Case that lay before them but that Case was nothing akin to those Cases which are now before us That in what Case soever the Apostles did give Rules it 's nothing to them who pretend a power to give Rules to us except they can shew a Commission as fairly drawn and sealed as the Apostles could produce for their Determinations But yet more particularly 1. That Decree of the Apostles was about things necessary antecedent to the Decree not necessary because decreed onely but therefore decreed because necessary Acts 15.28 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessary things How far is the spirit and temper of modern Imposers from that of the Apostles who think good to impose upon us the insupportable burthen of unnecessary things 2. That Council had the infallible guidance and superintendency of the Holy Spirit which is not inconsistent with the most serious deliberation It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us But no National Church ever had any promise and therefore cannot in Faith pray for or expect such immediate assistance such extraordinary direction Let no Church assume equal power to impose without an equal Commission for such power 3. The private Christians might reasonably acquiesce in the Decree because it had their own consent antecedent to its making A wonderful instance and not to be parallel'd in latter Ages There the Holy Spirits authority and the Churches consent go together but here we have neither That burden will sit the easier on our backs which first has the approbation of our hearts and such was that Decree not only sent to the Brethren ver 23. but by and from the Brethren The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles But this is not our Case who have neither head nor heart nor hand nor finger in imposing those burdens which it seems good to my Lords the Archbishops and Bishops to lay upon us nor do we know what load we must bear till we feel it no more than the poor Pack-horse knows before hand what it shall please his good Lord and Master to lay upon him 4. That Decree was not to burden the Churches but to ease them of those burdens which they already groaned under The Case was this and it was sad and partly ours Certain men came down from Judea and taught the Brethren that except they were circumcised after the manner of Moses they could not be saved ver 1. Against this Tyranny Paul and Barnabas the great Assertors of Christian liberty made vigorous opposition ver 2. but the Zealots having reinforced their Faction from some of the Sect of the Pharisees who believed ver 5. the Case comes before the Council who determine against those Bigots that their blind zeal should not be the measure of necessary and unnecessary and yet not to exasperate them too much lest perhaps they should revolt from Christ and apostatize to Moses which they were now in a fair way to do and some of them afterwards did they agree to lay upon the Gentile Converts no greater burthen than those necessary things in opposition to those other unnecessary things which the Judaizing Christians contended for as necessary 5. If we consider the things imposed we shall find them none of those Trifles which the more pragmatical After-Ages divided the Churches with Abstaining from meats offered to Idols from blood from things strangled and from fornication ver 25. Of which Fornication was in its self unlawful meats offered to Idols under that notion were then and are still unlawful to be eaten things strangled had prescription and countenance from most Reverend Antiquity against their use and by Blood some understand Murther in which sense that also was simply unlawful but if by Blood be understood Flesh with the life thereof which is the Blood Gen. 9.4 that is a limb taken from a living creature and so eaten to forbid that was no more than to forbid them to be Canibals and if thereby we will understand Blood in the most general acceptation yet that also was so averse to the Jews that it 's no wonder if the Church agreed to gratifie them in it Nay I have known amongst some others a Reverend Dignitary of our Church who from this Decree and the Precepts given to the sons of Noah Religiously abstained from all things strangled and from blood to his dying day 6. The end of that Decree was to avoid Scandal the morality of which had it been well understood by these raw Gentile Converts had taught them to
Ministers be true Ministers of Christ for if there be no certainty of the Divine Right of particular Congregations there can be as little of certainty That there is any Divine Authority given to the Teachers of them And 5. It will be uncertain whether God will be solemnly and publickly Worshipped for where can he so be but in particular Assemblies And thus to make a National Church certain he has reduced all things to an utter uncertainty § 5. He argues further to this purpose It 's certainly our Duty to preserve Peace and Unity among Christians and it 's impossible so to do if Men break all orders in Pieces for the fancy they have taken up of a Primitive Platform It 's well there is something Certain though it 's hard to conceive how we should preserve Peace if it be uncertain in what we 〈◊〉 to unite and agree It 's the Unity of the Spirit that will be kept in the Bond of Peace Peace is the Bond of the Churches but there must be first conceived a Church which Peace is to bind There must be a Vineyard or to what purpose a Hedge a City or to what purpose a Wall or Bulwark More particularly 1. As it is the Duty of all Men to preserve the Churches Peace so 't is theirs especially who have got the Management of things in their hands not to lay such dubious Terms in the way of Peace which they know many Consciencious persons cannot get over but have ever stumbled at for it may be returned with ease It is impossible to preserve Peace if wen will make such Orders as they know others must break meerly for the fancy they have taken up of a Primitive Platform 2. If Peace be impossible to be had upon this account who are in the fault Dissenters can maintain a fraternal Charity towards them and their Churches who differ from them in Principle and Practice if imposers cannot or will not discharge that Duty reciprocally we are not responsible for their Passions we can love them whether they will or no though we cannot force them against their will to return that Love and Charity 3. But must Peace be extended no farther than local and actual Communion or must the Parishes of St. Andrews Sepulchers and St. Giles go together by the ears because one Church will not hold the hundredth part of them I can hold and maintain Peace with the Greek Church and yet I never intend actual Communion with it unless she were much more Reformed from all her Corruptions than she is like to be in haste There may be such Corruptions in a Church as may defile it and yet not un-Church it I can distinguish between the Christians and their Christianity on one hand and the Pollutions wherewith they have abased their Christianity on the other § 6 But to this the Doctor Answers Men may please themselves in talking of preserving Peace and Love under separate Communions but our own sad experience shews the contrary This is the upshot of his Reasonings There can be no Peace under separate Communions which I shall answer by asking a few sober questions which will lead to their respective Answers 1. Whether by separate Communion he intends only such as is Locally separate if so joyful Experience shews us the contrary we have no Bellum Parochiale nor are like to have could they secure us as well against a Bellum Episcopale 2. Does he by Separated Communion intend such as differ only in some external Modes How then do the Countrey Villages agree so well with the Cathedral Mother-Churches It 's certain that the Cathedral Service and that of the under Parishes differ so much that a poor Countrey-man dropping in by chance into the Worship would be half affrighted out of his Wits such a Ditty such a Din with Organs Choristers Singing-men and Boys that from the uncertain Sound and confused noise the poor Fellow would not know what was Piped or Tooted so a grave Alderman in the days of Yore going out with the Common-hunt and being askt if he did not feel a transport and extasie of soul at the ravishing musick of the hounds protested he could not hear any musick at all for the barking of those yelping Curs but come into the Country we have nothing there but bad Rhimes set to as bad tunes and worse sung In the one you have turning hither faceing thither such ducking dopping bending bowing cringing changing of postures that the poor country man begins to question whether it be the same God that they and he worship and if it be he 's amazed that God should regard their rude homespun devotions when he has such glorious service such splendid pompous worship in other places and yet we do not see that they come to knocking If then these two sorts can live peaceably and lovingly together the one not despising the rusticity of the high-shoe devotions the other not judging of envying at or grudging against their more stately shows and pageants why will they quarrel with the plain dissenters whose only fault is that though their worship is not well trimmed up with ceremonious ribons 't is of as strong stuff will last as long and keep the wearer as warm as the other 3. Whereas the Doctor fancies that this will alienate mens affections The remedy is to preach down passion pride censoriousness and those base lusts which would produce the same effects if all men were of one Communion If one will be angry because another mans Nose is longer than his own he must restrain his anger for the other cannot help the longitude of his Nose nor give it one degree less of elevation Let them punish or otherwise restrain those incendiaries who by their hot and fiery tempers will suffer none to be cool that are in themselves of a more winterly temper Let them curb such preachers as the Author of Curse ye Meroz who did enough to have kindled a greater fire at Guild-Hall than that which begun at Pudding-Lane The disease lies in mens minds and when they would heal the outward Symptom 't is but like him that applied the plaister to the wrong finger and then complained of his plaister Let men be preacht into the spirit of mutual forbearance and there will be peace under various practices These continual beatings of the Doctor and some others upon Peace mind me of what I have somewhere or other seen or read of a great Gentleman who courted a Lady of no less virtue than Beauty and such an Inamorato was he grown that he became exceedingly melancholly his folded armes his hat plukt in 's eyes retiredness from all company witnessed great distress at last he came to a resolution that seeing he could not win her affections he would die a Sacrifice in the flame of his own This noble Lady whose Name I now remember was Madam Peace not willing that any Gentleman should die a Martyr for her sake began to relent only she desired