of Union as natural and political Every Christian is united to Christ by the Spirit of Christ's working Faith and Faith perceiving or seeing Christ to be what he is and what he is made of God to us doth attract Love to him which is intire sincere fervent By Faith and Love the renewed gracious Soul doth confederate with and consent and submit to Jesus Christ according to the Articles of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace Every Member of Christ is a part of the whole and there is the same Spirit in all they are all Members of Christ and Members one of another and that Spirit Faith and Love which unites to Christ doth unite them one to another This Union is from active operating Principles and Graces which are quickened and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ making use commonly of outward Means and Ordinances to that End And these Graces or the New Man so quickened and assisted exercise that Power towards Christ and one another and this mutual Exercise of Grace is our Communion with Christ and his with us and of one towards another according to our various Conditions in mutual Care Sympathy Compassion and Joy 1 Cor. 12.25 26. This Communion with Christ and one another in this Life is but imperfect we understand but in part and our Faith serves and helps us but in an imperfect State and by Consequence our Love is weak and other Graces are at best but in a growing Condition Our Administrations and Communnion in Ordinances have great Imperfections according to the weakness of our Perceptions Light and Judgment and other Graces And suppose our Love were strong and intire to one another yet in this bad Light we are subject to many great Errors and Mistakes And our Union and Agreement lies 1. In one general End God's Glory 2. In one Common Principle of Operation or Efficient Cause the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. In one way and means of Conveyance and Acceptation Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Advocate 4. In one General Rule the Holy Scriptures and the Institutions of Jesus Christ the Law-giver where there are these Ones there is Catholick Unity There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all which is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.4 5 6 c. The ancient true Bonds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Polity saith the Lord Bacon Vbi supra p. 4. our Disagrement is in the latter we agree in the first and principal From this Union proceeds Communion for the Church the Body of Christ consisting of living Members quickened by the renewing sanctifying Spirit and exercising the Graces received have Communion with God through and by the Spirit and with one another as Children of the same Heavenly Father and Subjects of the same Heavenly King and Members of the same Family And this Communion is held maintained exercised and increased by Laws and Ordinances in the Observation of which there is a conveyance of many and great Priviledges and Benefits This Union and Communion is either inward or outward inward in being joined to the Lord and to one another in being of one Mind and Heart Outward and that 's twofold 1. In spiritual things 2. In outward and carnal things 1. In spiritual things So the first Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayers Acts 2.42 And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of Bread from House to House did eat their Meat with Gladness and Singleness of Heart praising God c. Vers 46 47. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another Heb. 10.24 25. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Col. 3.16 Exhorting one another Heb. 3.13 Comforting one another 1 Thess 4.18 Edifying one another Chap. 5.11 Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 Confessing their Faults one to another and praying one for another c. James 5.16 2. In outward and carnal things Acts 2.44 45. c. 4.32 34 35. c. 5.4 Heb. 13.16 1 Tim. 6.17 18 c. This kind of Communion is beside the Subject now in hand It is said there can be no Union without Communion be it so Is not that Communion both of Churches Pastors and Persons a sufficient Communion to free any Churches or Persons from the Guilt of Schism which is answerable and proportionable to the Union of the Body of Christ and agreeable to the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ His Ordinances are sufficient Means and Instances of Communion without any Additions of Forms and Ceremonies we have his Law and Form of Admission into his Family and Church Baptism And being baptized by one Spirit into one Body we have his Word which is sufficient to make us wise unto Salvation and to make the Man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work we have a Form and Pattern of Prayer and Directions and Matter for all manner of Prayer we have a Sacrament for Communion and Confirmation we have what Christ thought sufficient Means of Communion in all and every Nation that should receive the Gospel and by Consequence for the universal and every particular Church And it is observed what the Spirit of Christ did to preserve Unity and prevent Schism He gave diversities of Gifts for divers Administrations and Operations The Church is compared to a Body consisting of different Members in Subordination for Service and Usefulness some to do the Office of an Eye others of an Ear some of a Hand others of a Foot some honourable and some dishonourable that there should be no Schism in the Body 1 Cor. 12. He inspired holy Men and they spake as inspired by him but not the same form of Words without a great variety not the same Form of Prayer in the same Words and Syllables no not the same Form of Words to a word in the Institution of the Lord's Supper St. Mark leaves out Drink ye all of it Mark 14.23 and for Remission of Sins ver 24. St. Luke adds to This is my Body given for you Do this in Remembrance of me Chap. 22.19 20. to the Cup which is shed for you and not as the other two Evangelists And St. Paul delivers to the Corinthians what he received from the Lord and adds to St. Matth. and Mark and varies from St. Luke This is my Body which is broken for you and keeps the words of St. Luke In Remembrance of me but adding As oft as ye do it in Remembrance of me after the Cup 1 Cor. 11.23 24. If either of these Holy Apostles gave the
substantial Piety by which they hope to be saved themselves Duresce duresce Peace upon Israel The Conformist's fourth Plea for the Non-Conformists containing chiesly Relations of the Sufferings of many Non-Conformists in several Parts of England will be shortly published The Case and Cure of Persons excommunicated according to the present Law of England With some friendly Advice to persons pursued in inferior Ecclesiastical Courts by malicious promoters both in order to their avoiding Excommunication or delivering themselves from prisons if imprisoned because they have stood excommunicated four by Days Mr. Jekyl's Sermon intituled Religion makes the best Loyalty which was prepared for that great Assembly of Protestant Lords Gentlemen and Citizens that was to meet at St. Michael's Corn-hill on 21 April last to give God thanks for the Preservation of his Majestie 's Person the Protestant Religion and Protestant Subjects from the Popish Plot and many Sham-plots c. is now published Sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard THE Conformist's Third Plea FOR THE NON-CONFORMISTS WE may think a Suspension of Severity and a powerful Interposition between the Threatning and the Execution would be proper and seasonable of great Service and Advantage but the infinitely wise God Saviour and King of his Church whose Thoughts are deep and unsearchable may think it sufficient that they that love him have his Promise that all things shall work together for good to them Let them that are instructed to know his Will do it and that know his Promises believe him and that have renounced the World freely part with their small share in it But to me the state of things appears dark confused and disconsolate and being engaged further than I thought at first the same Motives that prevailed with me before prevail'd with me to go on not from a private or factious Discontent but to prevent as much as I can the horrid Sins of some and the greivous Sufferings of others and to discharge mine own Duty which will bring the greatest Peace to my now grieved broken and afflicted Spirit But to come to some special matter give me favour to run over these four things I. To represent the State of our Times II. The Sufferings of the Protestant Dissenters III. For what IV. By whom they suffer I. We are a most sinful and sinfully divided Generation so broken that none but God can keep us from falling to pieces like a Pot-sheard broken like a broken earthen Vessel in which there is no pleasure Our Reason cannot propose nor consult Expedients to make us whole and happy because Interests worldly Policy and a contemptible Art or private Cunning to get or save the things that perish in their use and by their Abuse undo and ruine the Owners doth stir up Sedition in our Passions against our Reasons The Gospel hath been so generally despised that it hath not begotten in us a Faith and Love that unites to Christ and to one another We have not Faith enough to purify our Hearts to overcome the World to act as for a Crown of Glory and a Kingdom that cannot be moved If we believed a World to come how little should we strive for this If we had Love enough to cover a multitude of Sins to forgive one another to love as Brethren and our Neighbour as our selves we should not be so jealous and suspicious nor contentious nor selfish as we are One great thing is wanting which is the Wisdom from above described by St. James Chap. 3.17 Which is first pure then peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality without Hypocrisy There is a great Reproach cast upon the Church and the greatest of all cast upon the Dissenters as Dividers but it is an ignorant or malicious Reproach for there is nothing whole but the Church and Body of Christ They are united to Christ the Prince of Peace by one Spirit Faith and Love and to one another by the same Bonds and Principle Schism and Faction are from the Flesh and Devil No sooner do Joseph and his Brethren know one another to be Brethren but they fall upon one anothers Necks and kiss and weep and repent of all their Unkindnesses and express the dearest Love Paul and Barnabas dissent and part but both agree to promote the Kingdom of Christ They that are not and will not be reconciled to God are the great Dividers and Breakers of the Peace they are made up of Lusts of the Flesh which divide and draw several ways for their Satisfaction Whence come Wars and Fightings come they not hence even of your Lusts which war in your Members There is Dissention in the Mind and in the Passions between the Law in the Mind and Heart and the Lusts of the Mind and Flesh till the Conscience comes to be past feeling and the Sinner falls under a reprobate Mind and then what Confusion follows when they call Good Evil and Evil Good put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness what open Defiance is bid to God and Christ what dissenting from and Nonconformity to the sacred Baptismal Covenant the holy Rules of a Gospel-Conversation There is a Law of Faith of Love of Repentance and the Penalty is heavy upon them that do not obey it there is a Law of Righteousness of following Peace and Holiness without which no Man can see the Lord Who transgress these Laws and multitudes more Yea who is the Man that is guilty of all And what Sin so great now a days and in all times as Nonconformity Who rob by the High-ways who kill and steal who curse and damn who have Wo who have Sorrow who have Contentions who have Bablings who have Wounds without cause Who have Redness of Eyes Nonconformists Who make the greatest Trouble to Justices and Magistrates Nonconformists Who fill Prisons and breake them Who take leave of the World at Tyburn and other Places Nonconformists Who draw Swords send Challenges fight Duels and murder one another first with Wine and Drink and then kill their dear Companions Nonconformists and Dissenters But now there is a Distinction to be made some Dissenters are tolerable and some intolerable the drunken Nonconformist is tolerable he hath not only taken the Oaths but swears the other is a sober Nonconformist and taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy will not acquit him and he is intolerable The Nonconformists that assemble to worship God are intolerable and thousands that worship him not at all are too commonly let alone But are not Malefactors punished yes they are but their Crimes are against Civil Peace or Righteousness and not immediately for Irreligion But the Nonconformist Dissenters from arbitrary and variable Impositions are punished heavily and smartly for religious assembling and no other Cause as is proved in the second Plea and is cleared hereafter And upon this the Kingdom is extreamly divided and troubled There is a mighty Party in the Land that
Ghost who was promised and sent by Jesus Christ 3. Being in some lower measure at first prepared and fitted for their Work the Holy Ghost is the prime and effectual Mover of them to exercise those Gifts which they have received in the Service of their Master in Heaven Jesus Christ And this that great and solemn Interrogatory which requires a sincere sensible solemn and serious Answer our Ordination doth put out of doubt Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost The ordering of Deacons to take upon you this Office c Answ I trust so 4. Being prepared and moved by the Holy Ghost they offer themselves unto and are called by some in a Church where a Church is constituted to exercise those Abilities received from Christ by the Holy Spirit for the Ends of the Gospel the Salvation of immortal Souls 5. All that the Bishops and Pastors of the Church are required to do or can do as Ordainers is to try their Fitness and Disposition and finding them fit to approve and separate them to the Office of the Ministry to declare them to have Authority to exhort them to Diligence and Faithfulness in their Office and to testify this to the Church 6. No Bishop or Pastors can justly refuse and justify the refusal before Jesus Christ to whom they must give an account of any Person duly qualified with necessary Qualifications for the Ministry for it is a Sin to refuse him whom Christ hath by his Spirit fitted for and excited to his Work by his Spirit 7. As long as their Gifts and Abilities are continued and the Holy Ghost doth continue his gracious Motions and Assistances so long these Ministers must continue in the Exercise and discharge of their Office for there is the same Reason to continue them as there was to admit them they continuing the same 8. Their fitness for the Work of the Ministry consisting in soundness of Knowledg and Faith aptness to teach gift of Utterance declared Resolutions and undertaking to teach and do what Christ hath commanded with Perseverance therein as a Guide and Example to the Flock are sufficient Conditions of admittance into the Ministry of the Gospel To do all things decently and in order and to Edification are necessary by the Law of Christ's Kingdom and not indifferent It may well be questioned whether any Man otherwise fitted for the Ministry should be refused because he refuseth to subscribe vow promise declare to any doubtful controverted Conditions of Admission or Continuance which are commonly invented by controversial contentious and imperious Men who do not only propose their Conceptions to others but make them a Standard and Measure to regulate other Mens Minds and Practices and not only so but think it meet that all shall be punished that disagree and dissent from them For the Confirmation of these things with the Authority of the Church of England Let us observe the Form of ordering Priests and Deacons The Preface saith The Bishop knowing either by himself or by sufficient Testimony any Person to be of vertuous Conversation and without Crime and after Examination and Trial finding him learned in the Latine Tongue and sufficiently instructed in Holy Scripture may admit him Deacon The Bishop saith to the Arch-Deacon Take heed that the Persons whom you present unto us be apt and meet for their Learning and Godly Conversation The Bishop examines them in the presence of all the People Do you trust you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think you are truly called according to the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ Do you unfeignedly believe all the Canonical Scripture of the Old and New Testament Then opening his Office he asks him Will you do this gladly and willingly Will you apply your Diligence to frame and fashion your own Lives and of your Families according to the Doctrine of Christ and be Examples of the Flock of Christ The other Question relates to the Government of this Church as Obedience to the Ordinary and his godly Admonitions which is a local Condition in order to their Admission under our Church-form of Government which is disputed by some of the Parties when any is presented to the Priest-hood The Bishop cautions the Arch-Deacon Take heed that the Persons whom you present unto us be apt and meet for their Learning and godly Conversation to exercise their Ministry duly to the honour of God and the edifying his Church I think them so to be Then shall the Bishop say unto the People Good People these are they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the Holy Office of Priest-hood for after due Examination we find not to the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry and that they be Persons meet for the same Note from this that Learning and Godly Conversation are the constituting Qualifications of a Man lawfully called to the Function of the Ministry In the Collect afterwards they pray God to replenish them with the Truth of his Doctrine adorn them with Innocency of Life that both by Word and good Example they may faithfully serve him in this Office c. Then follow the Epistle and Gospel after which the Oath of Supremacy is given and after that an Exhortation to remember their high Dignity and weight of their Charge i.e. to be Messengers Watchmen Stewards of the Lord to teach premonish feed provide for the Lord's Family to seek Christ's Sheep that are dispersed abroad and for his Children who are in the midst of this naughty World that they may be saved through Christ for ever Have always printed in your Memories how great a Treasure is committed to your Charge the Sheep of Christ Covetous Non-Residents and negligent Residents is hereby condemned and a personal Inspection required which some of our Brethren call Gossiping others Conventicling bought with his Death the Congregation which you serve is his Spouse and his Body And if it shall happen any Member of that Church take any hurt by your Negligence ye know the Greatness of the Fault and also the horrible Punishment that will ensue See that you never cease your Labour your Care and Diligence until you have done all that lieth in you to bring all under your Charge to Agreement in Faith and Ripeness of Age in Christ that there be no Error in Religion or Viciousness of Life ye ought to pray earnestly for his holy Spirit consider how studious you ought to be in reading and learning the Scriptures and framing your Manners and of yours according to the Scriptures and for this Cause ye ought to lay aside all worldly Cares and Studies we have good hope that you have clearly determined by God's Grace to give your selves wholly to this Office whereunto it hath pleased God to call you c. This is enough to prove their Fitness and their Call to the Ministry and such as are
Poverty and many Miseries And let it be noted The like is gratefully acknowledged by the Godly and Reverend Bishop if Co k of a Nonconformist p. 73. that I am obliged to acknowledg the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit upon the preaching of several of them towards my Salvation and having known the proof and Power of Christ speaking in them I dare not deny them before Men lest I also deny Christ Jesus my Saviour in them There are several learned holy laborious and successful Ministers that were our Instructors in our younger time who have conformed but not so many as refused to conform within my Knowledg as I could name but for offending them and some other Reasons of my Silence and in those times of Liberty these seemed to be all of one Mind in the Lord. I and many more rejoyced in their Light and some of them were among Preachers as Solomon saith As the Apple-Tree is among the Trees of the Wood we sate under their Shadow with great Delight and their Fruit was pleasant to our Taste I could name the wise Master-builders that laid the Foundation other than which no Man can lay I could name the Paul and the Apollos and the Peters that preached to the Heart the Barnabas and the Boanerges the Friends of the Bridegroom that woed and besought us and would not be denied till our Souls had received Christ Jesus the Lord some of them are at rest in the Lord and let their Names be blessed and others are in the Cloud and Storm and Warfare and to add Bonds to their many Afflictions is no small unkindness to Religion We know of what Spirit they were that digg'd up the Bodies of Wikcliff and other Saints it is not hard to find of what Spirit they are that rake into the Ashes of the Dead and sprinkle them with their profane Wit which is like Salt that has loss its Savour not good for the Dunghil it proceeds not from that Charity which covers a multitude of Sins 5. Whether they who are called of God to the Work of the Ministry should forsake and renounce their Calling and look upon themselves as Lay-men and be but as Lay-men because they are ejected out of their Places and conform not to the Injunctions of the Law Many of the Nonconformists have Episcopal Ordination shall they forbear all Ministerial Acts and do but what any Master of a Family should do instruct their own Family and admit four more to a Participation of the Benefit shall they renounce their Calling who declared their Trust that they were moved by the Holy Ghost to take the Office of Deacon whom the Arch-Deacon declared when presented to the Priesthood he thought them apt and meet for their Learning and godly Conversation and the Bishop declared after due Examination We find not the contary but that they be lawfully called to their Function for whom the Bishop prayed and whom he hoped that they have determined by God's Grace to give them wholly to this Office whereunto God hath called them and also called to declare and profess before God Angels and the Congregation that they were truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ give faithful Diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and this Church received according to the Commandments of God to drive away erroneous Doctrines to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations to sick and whole within your Cures as need shall require c. Can any discharge them from God's Call but God that called them Can they sit still and do no Ministerial Work These other Arguments are urged by heavenly Mr Jos Allen say to Archippus c. that have been devoted to the Ministry that have been prayed for and exhorted to give themselves wholly to it Or do they cease to be Ministers except it be in that Cure to which they were instituted and inducted Then are we made tho not Independent yet Congregational Ministers and are Ministers only in that particular Congregation If they ought not to renounce their Ministry then they may preach and do other Ministerial Offices as they have opportunity Others are not Episcopally ordained but if they are moved by the Holy Ghost are learned exercised in the Scriptures are of Godly Conversation and give themselves to the Work are not they called of God If not what 's the meaning of the fore-cited Word in the ordering of Priests and Deacons Then shall the Bishop say unto the People Good People these are they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the Office of Priesthood For after due Examination we find not the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry and be persons meet for the same Doth not the Bishop look upon them as internally called and that internal Calling declared and signified and therefore receives them And tho they have not Episcopal Imposition of Hands if they have Imposition of Hands of Presbyters and are set apart by Fasting and Prayer are they not more than Lay-men or private Believers They who say they are but Lay-men have no better Reasons than the Romanists had who called our Reformed Bishops no true Bishops nor Priests Anthony Champney dedicated or rather directed his Book of the Vocation of Bishops c. to Arch-Bishop Abbot with no higher Title then To Mr George Abbot called Aroh-bishop of Canterbury And the most eminent Defenders of our Protestant Religion tho they asserted a Power of Ordination to reside in the Bishop as without whom there was no regular Ordination See Mr. Fran Mason §. 7 9. Defence of Ordination yet they justified the calling of Forreign Divines and Churches by Presbyters without Bishops and the Reasons they used to vindicate them will serve to vindicato those among us D. Jo. White 's Works way to the true Church §. 53. p. 211. that have no other And when as he the Jesuit saith They Luther and Calvin succeeded no Apostolick Bishops neither had any Calling to preach that now Faith I answer That for the External Sucecssion where of we have spoken we care nor it is sufficiont that in Doctrine they succeeded the Apostles and Primitive Churches It is the Custom of the Catholick Church See Dr. Field of the Church Book 3 c. 39. Consensus Eccles Cathol centra Trident. pralectionibus c. 11. de Ecclesia R. 289. Bishop Biron of Subjection Par. 3. p. 535. 4o. ut Episcopi legitime ordinent sed siquis a Presbytere ordinats fuerit Ordinatio illa etiam vera est ex ejusdem Ecclesiae Catholicae judicio saith the Reverend Bishop Carlton and Bishop Bilson that learned Defender of Bishops Answers Philander Phil. The Apostles Commission we know but yours we do not know Theop You cannot be ignorant of ours if you know theirs so long as we teach the same Doctrine which they did we have the
renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and
Devil himself or expose our Brethren to Temptations and Sufferings let us all most earnestly pray for Peace and Union and lay aside all Thoughts and Passions which are the beginnings of Schism And so I come to the last Query Query 3. Whether we ought not to unite as abovesaid and so to unite and become one by the removal or abating the things which divide and break us so that we may hold mutual and actual Communion in the same Exercise of Religion without fear of offending our Superiours or any other That we ought to unite is the Cry and Voice of all in whom Christianity doth but faintly breath and the Spirit of God hath any effect or Interest but the Quomodo is most difficult in this as in many other Operations I have betrayed my self and discovered my poor Opinion in the very Question by removing and abating the things which divide and break us But it appears clear to my Apprehension that no other way or means will ever do If the Dissenters should be miraculously convinced or charmed into a Consent then that which was a Cause of dissent is become as no Cause and while their Understandings stand at this distance and they be but sincere and obedient and honest to their own Thoughts and Judgments they can never come over to us and to use force without Reason is the way to drive them from God when we pretend to drive them to Church Would we have them act against the settled Dictates of their Conscience and is Force the way to convince the Conscience And really what hath been offered to inform their Understandings hath been ineffectual to that End Is it likely such Writtings that convey neither Love nor distinctive Reasonings will ever perswade Men better studied in their own Case than they that unite against them Is it likely that a display of Words and sounding the Trumpets not to call the Congregation together to unite in Love and Peace but to alarm People to arm themselves and to watch as against Seditious Persons will ever incourage them to come in and unite with us We must argue from better Topicks than Sarcasms Flouts Mockery Emulation Wrath and Reviling these Deeds of the Flesh will never allure Men to walk with us in one Spirit There are large Encomiums of Unity and Peace and every part of the Encomium or praise of it contains an Argument in perswado us to it And two mighty Arguments should at this time prevail with us * Since this was written I find the Right Reverend Bishop of Cork â—â—se these two Arguments in terminis p. 29. of the first excellent Sermon Necessity and Self-preservation we see our apparent Dangers by being scattered abroad like an Army in a Rout or Disorder or Tumult while our Potent Enemies are united against us We cry out upon Dissenters as factious but were it not for a Factious Spirit among our selves they had never been thus broken and separated from us Our Life our Delights our Happiness doth consist in or spring from Union after this our Desires do run or fly they move at no slower rate Our Death Sorrows Griefs and Unhappiness doth follow our Separation from the things wherein Life Delight and Happiness consist A divided State is an unhappy State Charity is the Bond of Perfectness when Charity dies then the Church is like a Princely Family broke up dispersed and divided They who do not love cannot unite but make a Breach and Separation The uncharitable Man is the factious Man To impute Factiousness to one Party who would unite but cannot and to excuse another who may unite but will not is to judg with too apparent a Partiality for an equal Judg. Had the upper side but the very same Reasons and Arguments which now the oppressed use and urge for themselves they would be of Authority and very considerable if not unanswerable whereas now they are look'd upon as weak and scorned as ridiculous Favour and Authority gives Force and Weight to the Reasons of them that enjoy the benefit of the Favour and when Persons are exposed to Contempt their strongest argnings are despised as weak and their loudest Complaints are not heard but rebuked as causeless and themselves branded as a Faction tho they are Catholick and Loyal in their Faith and Principles And this is plain the Nonconformists have found it so their Arguings Representations Complaints which have been but few Motions Supplications Apologies have been despised because they are despised and low in the World and a worldly Interest keeps them down I have sometimes thought that if Authority had been against the use of the Cross and commanded Mr. Parker to write his Book against it then he had been dignified with the Epithets that Mr. Hooker hath been adorned with of the Judicious Parker and the Profound Parker and the Excellent Parker whereas being on the decried side he hath been often laughed at The greatest number of Men consider more the Condition of the Person than the thing spoken or written by him and give him the greatest Honour by whom they may receive a Favour From this Partiality a Faction grows up and thrives exceedingly when it is fatned by the Richness of the Soil and influenced from some that sit above and hence it comes even from Partiality and Faction that the imputation of Faction is constantly thrown upon Dissenters because they do not what they cannot do with a good Conscience according to their Light But if all of us would set up God's Glory the Edification of his Church Truth Peace and Union in the middle as a Center and all of us that are scattered and divided in the Circumference run up to it by the Lines of Scripture-Rules then God would be more glorified than he is Vid. Cypr. de simplicitate Clericorum Unitas servatur in Origine the Church more edified and we more happy in Peace and Union than we are or if we were all affected to glorisy God to edify the Church and to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Rond of Peace as long as we agreed and met in God as in a Center and the Lines of Holy Scripture tho we did not all run in on Line in one Way but different Ways Our Diversity would be without Schism and all our Divisions would be like the dispersing of a numerous Family without Alienation of Affection like the Distribution of the Patriarchs into their several Tribes inhabiting the Land of Canaan all of the same Blood the same Religion in the same Covenant with God Towards this Union we must confider I. Wherein it consists II. Remove the Causes of Division as much as possibly we can The Causes of Division are 1. Inward 2. Outward and apply our selves to the Means of Union III. Wherein the nature of Schism doth properly consist I. The Persons united are Christ and his Church under the Denomination of his Members his Body and his Spouse compared to several kinds