which conquers the World and purifies the Heart by no means But 't is to believe that the Church of Rome is the True Church and the Pope Christ's Vicar and the Visible Head of that Church So as that Self denyal which relates to our Wills and Affections in a corrupt State they apply to the Use of our Understanding about Religion as if it were the same thing to deny that which we understand and know to be Evil which is the Christian Self denyal and to deny that very Knowledge and Understanding which is God's Gift and our Honour Whereas Religion and Reason are so Consistent as that Religion can neither be understood nor maintain'd without Reason For if this must be laid aside I am so far from being Infallibly assured of my Salvation that I am not capable of any Measure of Good from Evil Truth from Falshood Why I have no understanding or use of any which is the same All the Disadvantage the Protestant is under in this is that of his greater Modesty and that be submits his Belief to be tryed which the other refuses under the Pretence of unaccountable Infallibility to that Authority Reason decides So that whereas some people excuse their embracing of that Religion by urging the Certainty that is in it I do say 'T is nothing but Presumption For a man can never be Certain of that about which he has not the Liberty of Examining Understanding or Judging Confident I confess he may be but that 's quite another thing than being Certain Yet I must never deny but that every Christian ought to believe as the Church believes provided the Church be true but the Question is Which is that true Church And when that is answered as a Man may Unlawfully Execute a Lawful Sentence so he may falsly believe as the True Church believes for if I believe what she believes only because she believes it and not because I am convinced in my Understanding and Conscience of the Truth of what she believeth my Faith is false though hers be true I say it is not true to me I have no Evidence of it What is this Church or Congregation rather as worthy Tindal every where translates it but a Company of People agreed together in the sincere Profession and Obedience of the Gospel of Christ Now look what Inducement they severally had to believe and embrace the Gospel that we must have to joyn with them for as they made not one another an infallible Authority to one another upon which they first embrac'd the Gospel neither are we to ground our Belief thereof upon their Authority joyntly but as they had a Rule to believe and commune so must we have the same Rule to embrace their Communion So that that Church cannot be the Rule of my Faith that have the same Faith and Object for my Faith that she has I argue thus I must believe as the Church believes that is I must have the same Faith the Church has then I must have the same Rule because the Church can be no more the Rule of that Faith then she can be that Faith of which some would make her the Rule If then the Church has Faith and that Faith a Rule and that she can no more be the Rule of her own Faith then she can be that Faith it self it follows she cannot be the Rule of the Faith of her Members because those Members have the same Faith and that they in Society are this Church For that which is the Rule of the Congregation's Faith in general must reasonably be the Rule of every Member's Faith that makes up that Congregation and consequently of every Member that may hereafter adhere to it So that to talk of believing as the Church believes to flowrish upon that Self-denyal and Humility which takes all upon Trust and revile those with the bitterest Invectives that are modestly scrupulous and act the BEREANS for their Souls who think that Easiness of Nature and Condescention might be better bestowed and in this occasion ill-tim'd and dangerous is to put the Knife to the Throat of Protestancy and what in them lies to socrifice it to implicit Faith and blind Obedience For it cannot be denyed but that the great Foundation of our Protestant Religion is the Divine Authority of the Scriptures from without us and the Testimony and Illumination of the Holy Spirit within us Upon this foot the first Reformers stood and made and maintain'd their Separation from Rome and freely offered up their innocent Lives in Confirmation With good Cause therefore it is the general Consent of all found Protestant Writers That neither Traditions Councils nor Canons of any visible Church much less the Edicts of any Civil Session or Jurisdiction but the Scriptures only interpeted by the Holy Spirit in us give the final Determination in Matters of Religion and that only in the Conscience of every Christian TO HIMSELF Which Protestation made by the first publick Reformers against the Imperial Edicts of Charles the fifth imposing Church Traditions without Scripture Authority gave first beginning to the Name of Protestant and with that Name hath ever been received this Doctrine which prefers the divine Authority of the Scripture and Spirit to that of the Church and her Traditions And if the Church is not sufficient implicitly to be believed as we hold it is not what can there else be named of more force with us but the Divine Illumination in the Conscience or Conscience in the best Sense of the Word then which God only is greater But if any man shall pretend that the Scripture judges according to his Conceptions or Conscience for other men and that they must take their Religious Measures by the Line of his Direction such a person makes himself greater then either Church Scripture or Conscience And pray let us consider if in any thing the Pope is by our Protestant Divinity so justly resembled to Antichrist as in assuming Infallibility over Conscience and Scripture to determine as he thinks fit and so in effect to give God Scripture Magistrates and Conscience the Law To this they have without scruple applyed that to the Thessalonians Sitting in the Temple of God exalting himself above all that is caled God To check this exorbitancy the Apostle Paul demands Who art thou that judgest anothers Servant to his own Lord he stands or falls which sheweth with great Evidence that Christians of all sizes great and small are but Brethren and consequently all superiority Lordship and Imposition are excluded But if there be a Difference 't is in this that as Christ taught He that is greatest is to be Servant to the rest but what is more opposite to a Servant then a Lord and to Service then Injunction and Imposition and that on Penalties too Here it is that Christ is only Lord and Lawgiver who is only King of this inward Kingdom of the Soul And 't is to be noted that the Apostle
did not write this to a private Brother or in some special Case but to the Church as a General and standing Truth and therefore now as Authentick and proper as then And if this be true I cannot see how any or even the most part of the Church that are still but Brethren to the rest of one voluntary Communion and Profession can with any shew of Reason impose upon them and escape the Reproof of this Scripture for all Societies are to govern themselves according to their Institution and first Principles of Union Where there is Violence upon this part Tyranny and not Order is introduced Now since Perswasion and Conviction began all true Christian Society all Christian Societies must uphold themselves upon the same free Bottom or they turn Antichristian I beseech you here let us examine our selves faithfully and I am of belief that something of this will yet appear amongst us that shew great Reverence to that free Name But to make good their unreasonable conceit of Church Authority they object Christ's Words GO TELL THE CHURCH that is say they The Church is the Rule and guide of Faith whatever the Church agrees upon and requires your assent to and Faith in that you must necessarily believe But though as before 't is confest in a sense we must believe as the true Church believes yet not because she so believes but for the same Reasons that she her self does so believe because none can truly believe as she believes but must so do upon the same principles and motives for which they believ'd that first made up that Christian Church To talk of being the Rule and Guide in point of Faith is to contradict Scripture and justle Christ out of the Office which is peculiar to him and his Spirit he is given to his Church an Head that is a Counsellor a Ruler a Judge and is called a Lawgiver and says the Apostle The Children of God are led by the Spirit of God And he was Wisdom and Righteousness to the Church Apostolick and is so to his own Church all the World over Besides 't is absurd that the Church can be the Rule and Guide of Faith for as such she must be her own Rule and Guide the Faith of the Members being that of the Church which cannot be But what then can be the meaning of Christs words Go tell the Church Very well I answer 't is not about Faith but Injury that Christ speaks and the place explains it self which is this Moreover if thy Brother shall TRESPASS against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone here is Wrong not Religion Injustice not Faith or Conscience concerned as some would have it to maintain their Church power if he shall hear thee thou hast gain'd thy Brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them TELL IT UNTO THE CHURCH but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Verily I say unto you whatever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven c. The matter manner of which passaged eliver'd by Christ shews that he intended not to set up Church power about Faith and Worship unto which all must bow even without if not against conviction The word TRESPASS and FAULT prove abundantly that he only means private and personal Injuries and that not only from the undeniable signification and use of the word TRESPASS and FAULT but from the way Christ commands for accommodation viz. that the person wrong'd do speak to him that commits the Injury alone if that will not do that he take one or two with him but no man can think that if it related to Faith Worship I ought to receive the Judgment of one or two or three against mine own This has not been the practice at least not the principle of the most degenerated Church since the Primitive times for most if not all agree that nothing below the Church can detemine about matters of Faith and even many with reason cannot go so far yet Christ seems to fix a blame upon him that complies not with the Person he has offended but more if he refuse to give satisfaction after one or two have also intreated him therefore it cannot relate to matters of Faith and scruples of Conscience but personal and private Injuries Which is yet clearer from this part of Christ's saying viz. That in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established Which Implies a Tryal and Judicial proceeding as is customary in civil cases about personal and private Trespasses for it were not so proper to speak of Witnesses on any other account This is interpreted beyond exception by the Apostle to the Corinthians where he reproves and forbids them to go to Law one with another before Unbelievers arguing thus Do you not know that the Saints shall Judge the World and if the World shall be judged by you are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters This shews the meaning of Church Authority is those dayes and is a natural Exposition upon Christ's words in case of Trespass and Refractoriness Tell the Church And 't is yet the Practice of all sober just and quiet People raher to refer their Controversies to approved men than to tare one another to pieces at Law But it is worth our notice that as any Decision up on an arbitration oblieges only the Parties to sit down content with the awardment of such loss or gain as they the Arbitrators think equal as the next best way to accommodate differences and not that such awardment should alter their first Thoughts and Opinion they had of their right or force them to declare they are of the Arbitrators mind So is it most unreasonable where the Church is only an Arbitrator about Personal trespasses or umpire at most to imagine a Power to determine and impose Faith and that upon severe Penalties as well of this unto which Christ's Church has no relation as of the other World I say this very thing well weigh'd breaks all their Fallacies to pieces and decides the business beyond all contradiction between those that stand upon the Spirit within and the Scripture without on the one hand and such as meerly rest upon the Traditions of Men and Authority of the Church on the other hand For if in an Arbitration I am not bound to be of the Arbitrators mind though for Peace sake I submit to their Award and that the Church Power in this place controverted relates only to external and personal Trespasses Injuries or Injustices as the place it self plainly proves there can be no sense reason or modesty in the Earth on the part of those high Church men who
Deceit is irrepairable Again since Mankind is a reasonable Creature and that the more reasonable he is in his Religion the nearer to his own being he comes and to the Wisdom and Truth of his Creator that did so make him a Religion without Reason Imposed by an unaccountable Authority against Reason Sense and Conviction cannot be the Religion of the God of Truth and Reason for it is not to be thought that he requires any thing that carries any violence upon the Nature of his Creature or that gives the Lye to that Reason or Sence which he first endow'd him with In short Either Convince my understanding by the Light of Truth and Power of Reason or bear down my Infidelity with the force of Miracles for not to give me Understanding or Faith and to press a submission that requires both is most unreasonable But if there were no other Augument then this it goes a great way with me that as to such as have their understanding at liberty if they are mistaken there may be hopes of reclaiming by Informing them but where the Understanding and Conscience are enslav'd to Authority and where Men make it a Principal Doctrine to suspect their own Sense and strive against their own Convictions to move only by other mens Breath and fall down to their Conclusions nothing seems to be left for the soundest Arguments clearest Truths to work upon They had almost need to be re Created in order to be converted for who can reasonably endeavour to make him a Christian that is not a Man which he cannot be truly said to be who has no understanding or resolves not to use it but reject it which is yet worse for he that has no understanding has no prejudice against it but he that purposely denys abuses it is so much worse as that he turns Enemy to him that has and uses his understanding He therefore can never be convinced oâ— his Error who is prejudiced against the necessary means of Conviction which is the use of his Understanding without which 't is impossible he should ever be Convinced To Conclude I have reserved till last one Argument which is ad hominem unanswerable by us Protestants and without yielding to which we cannot be consistent with our selves or be thought to do unto others what we would have others do unto us and that is this The Translation of the Scripture was the painful work of our worthy Ancestors This I call their most solemn Appeal to the People against the Pope and Traditions of Rome in the business of their Separation For when the question rose of the divine Authority of this or the other Practice in the Doctrine or Worship of the Roman Church presently they recur'd to the Scriptures and therefore made them speak English that they might witness for them to the people This appeal to the People in defence of their Separation by making them Judges of their proceeding against the Church according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures puts every man in possession of them Search the Scriptures say the first Protestants Prove all things see if what we say against Pope Church of Rome be not true and in case any difficulty did arise they exhorted all to wait upon God for the divine aid of his Spirit to illuminate their understandings that one should not impose upon the other but commend them to God be Brotherly Patient Long suffering ready to help the Weak inform the Ignorant shew tenderness to the Mistaken and with reason and moderation to gain the Obstinate In short Protestancy is a restoring to every man his just right of Inquiry and Choice and to its honour be it ever spoken there is greater likelihood of finding Truth where all have Liberty to seek after it then where it is denyed to all but a few Grandees and those too as short sighted as their Neighbours But now let us Protestants examine if we have not departed from this Sobriety this Christian Temperance how comes it that we who have been forgiven much have our selves fallen upon our sellow Servants who yet owe us nothing have not we refused them this reasonable choice have we not threatned beaten and imprisoned them Pray Consider have you not made Creeds set Bounds to Faith form'd and regulated a Worship and strictly enjoyn'd all mens obedience by the help of the Civil Power upon pain of great Sufferings which have not been spared to Dissenters though in Common Renouncers and Protestors with you against the Pope Church of Rome for this the Land mourns Heaven is displeas'd and all is out of due course To give us the Scriptures and knock our Fingers for taking them to Translate them that we may read them and punish us for endeavouring to understand and use them as well as we can both with respect to God and our Neighbour 't is very unreasonable upon our Protestant Principles I wish we could see the mischief we draw upon our selves which is worse our cause for the Papist in this case acts according to his Principle but we against our Principle which shews indeed that we have the better Religion but that we also are more condemnable For if we will consider it seriously we shall find it not much more injurious to Scripture Truth and good Conscience that we believe as the Church believes then that we believe as the Church says the Scripture would have us believe For where is the difference since I am not allowed to use my understanding about the Sense of Scripture any more then about the Faith of the Church and if I must not receive any thing for Faith or Worship from Scripture but what is handed to me by the Church or her Clergy I see my self in as ill terms as if I had sat down with the old Doctrine of believing as the Church believes And had the Controversie been only for the Word Scripture without the use and application of it for at this rate that is all that is left us truly the enterprise of our Fathers had been weak and unadvised but because nothing less was intended by them and that the Translation of the Scripture was both the Appeal and Legacy of those Protestant Ancestors for the reasons before mention'd I must conclude we are much degenerated from the simplicity of Primitive Protestancy and need to be admonisht of our Backslidings and I heartily pray to Almighty God that he would quicken us by his present Mercies and Providences to return to our first Love Let the Scripture be free Sober Opinion tolerated Good â—ife cherisht Vice punisht away with Imposition Nick-Names Animosities for the Lord's sake and let Holy Writ be our Common Creed and Pious Living the Test of Christianity that God may please to perfect the good work he has begun and deliver us from all our Enemies I am now come to the last point and that is PROPAGATION of FAITH by FORCE In which I shall with the
Extent in the Punishment of the Offender If the Offender will neither receive private Admonition nor hear the Church then says Christ let him be to thee as an Heathen c. Here 's not one word of Fines Whips Stocks Pillories Goals and the like Instruments of Cruelty to punish the Heretick for the Purport of his Words seem to be no more than this If any Member of the Church refuse thy private Exhortation and the Church's Admonition look upon such a Person to be obstinate perverse no more of you let him take his course thou hast done well and the Church is clear of him Well but say the Church Fighters of our Age Did not St. Paul wish them cut off that troubled the Church in his time Yes But with what Sword think you Such as Christ bid Peter put up or the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Give him leave to explain his own words For though we walk in the Flesh WE DO NOT WAR AFTER THE FLESH for the WEAPONS of our Warfare are NOT CARNAL but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every high Thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing every Thought into Obedience to Christ What think you of this Here are Warfares Weapons Oppositions and Conformity and not only no External Force about Matters of Religion used or countenanced but the most express and pathetical Exclusion and Rejection of any such Thing that could be given It was this great Apostle that askt that Question Who art thou that judgest the Servant of another to his own Lord he standeth or falleth but he shall stand for God is able to make him stand Can we think that Imposition or Persecution is able to Answer him this Question in the Day of Judgment Do we with Reason deny it to the Papacy With what Reason then can we assume it to our selves Let us remember who said Not that we have Dominion over your Faith but are HELPERS of your Joy HELPERS then not IMPOSERS nor PERSECUTORS What Joy can there be in that to the Persecuted but if Paul had no such Commission or Power over Conscience I would fain know by what Authority more inferiour Ministers and Christians do claim and use it The Apostle Peter is of the same mind Feed says he the Flock of God not by Constraint c. neither as being Lords over God's Heritage The Heritage of God is free they have but 〈◊〉 Lord in and of their Religion Christ Jesus and they 〈◊〉 Brethren The Apostle Paul says That where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but where Coertion Fines and Goals are there is no Liberty Is it to be supposed that men in these days are instructed by the Spirit of the Lord to destroy People in this World for their Faith about the other World it can't possibly be such mock at it Again says that Apostle to the Christians of his time You are called to Liberty from what Sin and the Ceremonies of the Law And shall the end of that call be the enthraling Conscience to human Edicts in Religion under the Gospel this would make our Case worse than the Jews for their Worship stood on divine Authority and if to make men free from them Christ came and that those very Ordinances are by the Apostle call'd beggerly Elements is it reasonable that we must be subject to the Injunctions of men in the Worship of God that are not of equal Authority The same Apostle yet informs us For this end says he Christ both dyed and rose again that HE might be Lord both of the Dead and Living But why dost thou judâ—e thy Brother then which nothing can more expresly oppose the Imposition Excommunication and Persecution that are among us 't is as if he had said Christ is Lord of Christians by what Authority dost thou pretend to judge his Servants thou also art but one of them A Brother at most Thou hast no Dominion over his Faith nor hast thou Commission to be Lord over his Conscience 't is Christ's right his purchase he has paid for it For this end he both dyed and rose again that he might be Lord of Dead and Living that he might rescue them from the Jaws of Oppression from those that usurpt their Consciences and made a prey of their Souls But why dost thou judge thy Brother If not Judge then not Persecute Plunder Beat Imprison to Death our Brethren that must needs follow Come let us look at home and view our Actions and see if we are not the Men. In short Let every man be fully Perswaded in his own mind and if any thing be short God will reveal it let us be patient It was not Flesh and Blood that reveal'd Christ to Peter they are Christ's words therefore let us leave off the Consultatiâ—ns and Weapons of Flesh and Blood and trust Christ with his own Kingdom he hath said the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and we cannot think that he would seek to Hell Gates to maintain it and if it is not of this World then not to be maintain'd by that Force and Pollicy which are the Props of the Kingdoms of this World God the Apostle tells us has chosen the weak things of the World to confound the mighty Therefore he has not chosen the Strength and Power of this World to suppress Conscientious People that as to humane force are justly accounted weakest and most destitute in all Ages of defence I will here conclude my Scripture Proofs with this Exhortation or Injunction rather of the Apostle Ye are bought with a Price not to be made the Servants of men The Subject here is not human wherein human Ordinances are to be obeyed that is not the Question but Divine and those that for fear or favour of men desert their Principles and betray their Consciences they renounce their Lord deny him that bought them and tread his Blood the Price under Foot Ye are bought with a Price Christ has purchast you you are not your own but his that bought you therefore be not the Servants of men about God's things or Christ's Kingdom vail to no mans Judgment neither make mans determinations your Rule Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith he has made you free be not entangled again into Bondage for we are not come to that Mountain that we cannot touch to Sinai we are not now to be kept under like School Boys or Minors that Imposition might be useful then which is a bondage now Moses was God's Servant and faithful he saw heard and went upon the Mount for the People but Christians are come to Mount Zion to Jerusalem the Mother of Peace and Freedom Much then depended upon the Integrity of Moses it pleased God then to appear by those ways but now the Law is brought home to every mans Heart and every one shall know
is but FIGMENT they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a Necessity of Entertaining Conclusions of that Nature and to strengthen themselves have broken out into Divisions and Factions opposing Man to Man Synod to Synod till the Peace of the Church vanished without all Possibility of Recall Hence arose those Ancient and many Separations amongst Christians Arianism Eutychianism Nestorianism Photinianism Sabellianism and many more both Antient and in our Time And as he hath told us one great Occasion of the Disease so he offers what follows for the Cure And were Liturgies sayes he and Publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted not of particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms on Opinion were utterly vanished Whereas to load our Publick Forms with the Private Fancies upon which we differ is the most-soveraign Way to perpetuate Schism unto the World's End Remove from them whatsoever is scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree on and the Event shall be that the Publick Service and Honor of God shall no wayes suffer For to charge Churches and Liturgies with Things Unnecessary was the First Beginning of all Superstition If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of Incumbring Churches with Superfluities and not over-rigid either in reviving Obsolete Customs or imposing New there were far less Danger of Schism or Superstition Mean while wheresoever false or suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Church Liturgy he that separates is not a Schismatick for it is alike Unlawful to make Profession of known or suspected Falshoods as to put in Practice Unlawful or Suspect Actions He further tells us in his Sermon of Dealing with Erring Christians That it is the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and not the Identity or Oneness of Conceit which the Holy Ghost requires at the Hands of Christians A better Way my Conceit cannot reach unto then that we should be willing to think that these things which with some Shew of Probability we deduce from Scripture are at the best but Our Opinions For this peremptory Manner of setting down our Conclusions under this High Commanding Form of Necessary Truths is generally one of the greatest Causes which keeps the Churches this Day so fâ—r assunder whenas a Gratious Receiving of each other by Mutual Forbearance in this kind might peradventure in time bring them nearer together Thus much of this Great Man concerning Schism the Cause and Cure of it and for the Notion of Hereticks he will help us altogether as well For though they are generally taken for such as err in Judgment about Doctrines and Articles of Faith yet if this Man may have any Credit and perhaps none of his Profession has deserv'd more he tells us that Heresie is an Act of the Will not of Reason and is ind eeda Lye not a Mistake else sayes he how could that known Speech of Austin go for true Errare possum Haereticus esse nolo I may err but I am unwilling to be an Heretick And indeed this is no other than what Holy Scripture teacheth A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF Which is as much as to say that no body is an Heretick but he that gives the Lye to his own Conscience and is Self-condemned Which is not the Case of Men meerly Mistaken or who only err in Judgment And therefore the Term of Heretick is as Untruly as Uncharitably flung upon those that Conscientiously dissent either in point of Discipline OF Doctrine from any Society of Christians and it is not hard to observe that those who have best merited it have most liberally bestow'd it But to show you that neither true Schismatick who is One that unnecessarily and unwarrantably separates from that part of the Visible Church of which he was once a Member nor true Heretick who is a Wilful Subverter of True or an Introducer of false Doctrines a Self-condemned Person can ever shelter himself under this Common Confession of Christianity sincerely made Let us consider that who-ever so declares Jesus to be the Messiah and Anointed Saviour of God to Men must be supposed to believe all that of him with respect to which he is so called Now that for which he is so denominated is that which God sent him to do the Reason and End of his coming he could best tell who hath told us thus I am come that ye may have Life and that ye may have it more abundantly The World was as dead in Trespasses and Sins the guilt and defilement of Transgression had kill'd the Soul as to Spiritual Life and Motion and from under this powerful Death he came to redeem the Soul unto Life in short to restore Man from this Fearful Degeneracy his Disobedience to God had reduced him to The Way he took to accomplish this Blessed Work was First To preach Repentance and the Approach of the Kingdom of God which is his Rule and his Authority in the Hearts of men which brings us to the Second thing to be believed namely What he Taught 1. First his Doctrine led Men to Repentance Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand No Man could receive the Kingdom of God whilst he lived under the Kingdom and Power of Satan so that to Repent is not only to bring their Deeds to the Light which Christ exhorteth Men to but to forsake that which upon Examination appeared to be Evil. Wherefore I conclude that such as have not been acquainted with this Holy Repentance do not sincerely believe neither can Rightly confess Jesus to be the Christ the Son of God the Saviour of the World Therefore saith the Apostle Let him that nameth the Name of the Lord depart from Iniquity plainly implying that those do rather Prophane than Confess the Name of the Lord who do not Depart from their Iniquities And saith the Apostle in another place No man can call Jesus LORD but by the Holy Ghost Which opens to us the Nature of the True Confession to wit That the True Confession of Jesus to be both Lord and Christ is from such a Belief in the Heart as is the work of the Holy Ghost and those that do not Confess him or call upon him by Virtue of the Overshadowings of this Divine Spirit and Power are not truly Christians true Worshippers Believers and Disciples Furthermore they that receive Christ receive his Kingdom his Power and Authority in their Souls the strong Man that kept the house becomes bounâ— and his Goods spoil'd by this stronger man the LORD 's CHRIST who is come from Heaven to dwell in us and be the Hope of our Glory for so he was preached to the Gentiles This Kingdom the Apostle tells us stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy
hath been even now alleadged we shall in another place make discovery of some other Reasons We shall for the present add only this one That the people themselves are in a perpetual kind of Mutation some daily dying and departing others succeeding and growing up in their stead Whence it comes to pass That since the Change which is made in every Age is small either the people cannot perceive it or if they do observe it yet they esteem it not of such moment as to think fit to move any Difference thereabout This thing also is of very great force to keep the people from taking notice of a Change in Doctrine when men shall perswade themselves that they are not able to judge of matters of Religion as though it is it is not and other words used in Scripture do not signifie the same which they do in common discourse or as if nothing could be understood without some great Knowledge in the Tongues and Arts or Sciences and as if the Power of the Spirit were of no efficacy without these Helps Whereby it cometh to pass that whilst they think they understand not even those things which in some sort they do understand being expressed in most clear and evident words they do at length arrive to that Blockishness that they cannot understand them indeed so that though they have before their Eyes a Sentence of Scripture so clear that nothing can be more evident yet if they to whose Authority they in all things subject themselves shall say any thing point-blank opposite thereunto they will give credit unto them and imagine themselves not to see that which they see as clear as the Light And by these means verily it comes to pass That when the Doctrine of Religion is corrupted the Mutation is not discovered Furthermore when the Doctrine is once begun to be changed it must needs be that out of one Error another should spring and propagate infinitely and God for Just Reasons of his own blinding them men bring upon themselves so great Darkness and slip into such soul Errors That if God out of Mercy open a mans Eyes and let him see those Errors he lives in he can scarcely believe himself or be perswaded that he was ever enveloped with such blind Errors Which thing is as true and as well to be seen in Men of greatest Learning Experience If thou shalt thorowly peruse the writings of some of the School-men as they call them thou shalt in some places meet with so much Accuteness as will make thee admire Thou shalt see them oftentimes cleave a fine Thred into many parts and accurately Anotomise a Flea and a little after fall so foully and avouch such Absurdities That thou caâ—st not sufficiently stand amaz'd wherefore we must obey that Advice of the Poet Principijs obsta sero medicina paratur Cum mala per longas invaluere moras Resist betimes that Med'cine stayes too long Which comes when Age has made the Grief too strong Now there is need of a double Caution viz. That there be no Change made in the Doctrine when it is pure And if any Change be made that there be notice taken of it Now look what Change is made in this kind all the Blame is laid upon those whose Office it is to instruct the People for though themselves are the Authors of the Change yet will the people impute it to the Ministers Sleepiness and want of Care at least It concerns therefore the Pastors and Teachers to be Eagle eyed and to be very well acquainted with those Causes whereby the Change of Doctrine becomes undiscovered and to have them at their Fingers ends and to be wary that on no hand they may miscarry Now it will be an excellent Caution for the keeping of Doctrine pure if they shall avoid all curious and vain Controversies If they shall set before their Eyes the scope and end of all Religious Doctrine and likewise a Series or Catalogue of all such things as make to the attainment of that End of which we formerly spake if they shall affect not only the matter it self but also the words and phrases which the Holy Ghost in Scripture makes use of and exceedingly suspect all different Forms of speaking Not that I would have them speak nothing but Hebraisms for so their Language would not be plain nor intelligible but I wish that they will shun all such Expressions as have been invented by over-nice Disputants beyond what was necessary to express the sence of the Hebrew and Greek and all those Tenets which men by their own Wits do collect and infer from the Scriptures Now of what Concernment this will be we may gather by this Instance The Papists think it one and the same thing to say The Church cannot err and to say in the words of our Lord Wheresoever two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there will I be in the midst of them Yet is the Difference very great which may thus appear forasmuch as in case any one shall conceive the Church to be the Pope Cardinals and Bishops anointed by the Pope he hearing the aforesaid Sentence will judge that whatsoever they shall decree ought to be of Force But if he shall rather mind the words of our Lord and shall consider that those kind of men do regard nothing but their own Commodity Wealth and Dominion he will be so far from so understanding them that peradventure not being able to allow the Deeds and Practices of these Men he will come to hope from those words That if himself with some other good Men loving God with their whole Heart shall come together and unanimously implore the Assistance of God shall be better able to determiâ—… What it is that ought to be believed and practised for the attainment of Salvation then if they should persist to put their Confidence in such Pastors Now this Rule that the words of the Scripture ought to be used rather than any other is then especially to be observed when any thing is delivered as a certain and tryed Truth or as a Rule of Faith or Life or out of which any other thing is to be inferred For in Expositions and Explanations as there is need happily of greater Liberty so is there less Danger if it be taken For whenas the Word of God and the exposition thereof are at one and the same time both together in view as it were there no man can be ignorant that the Exposition is the word of Man so that he may reject it in case it seem impertinent And look by what means a man may hinder the Doctrine of Religion from being changed by the self-same he may find whether it be chang'd or no. Now every man ought to compare the Doctrine of that Age wherein he lives with no other Doctrine then that which was out of question spotless which is the Doctrine of the Apostles Wherefore notwithstanding that in our Age the Gospel is as
it were revived yet ought not any man thus to think That he ought to examin whether the Gospel hath lost any of that Purity whereunto it had at this time arrived he ought rather to look again and again whether some Corruption do not yet remain whether it be not in some part as yet not sufficiently restored to its ancient Purity and Lustre and confidently perswade himself That he cannot be that I may so speak sufficiently superstitious in rejecting every word which is not in the Scriptures Forasmuch as man will ever 〈◊〉 more Wise and Wary than the holy Spirit and can very hardly forbear to mingle somewhat from his own head so that whatever comes from man can never be sufficiently suspected And because a thing will be so much the better preserved by how much the greater is the number of those that keep it the people ought often to be put in mind That both the reading of the Scriptures and the Care of Religion belongs not to the Pastors of the Church only but that every one that would be saved ought to make diligent search whether any Corruption be already or is for the future like to be introduced and this to do no less carefully then if he were perswaded that all beside himself were asleep and whatsoever is wont to take the common people off from such studies Care must be taken that that thing be wholly taken away Concerning which matter we shall more conveniently discourse anon Now forasmuch as the profit will be small if some private man shall observe that an Error is introduced unless he discover the said Error and lay it open there must of necessity be some way how this may conveniently be done Now there cannot be a more fitting way then that which the Apostle propounds to the Corinthians Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by let the former be silent For ye way all prophecy one by one that all may learn and all may be exhorted If some one person shall alwayes speak in the Church and no man at any time may contradict him it will be a very strange thing if that one man be not puffed up if he do not fall into such a Conceit of himself as to think that he is the only man that he only hath understanding he alone is wise that all the rest are a company of brute Animals as it were who ought to depend only upon him and to do nothing but learn of him And if any man shall think that himself likewise hath some ability to teach he will account that man an hainous offender But what says the Apostle to this Did the Word of God come from you or came it unto you only If any seem to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge what I write unto you to be the commands of the Lord. But if any one be ignorant let him be ignorant Wherefore Brethren labour that ye may Prophesie and forbid not to speak with Tongues let all things be done decently and in order It is exceedingly to be lamented That this custom and the practice of this command of the Lord is not again restored into the Churches and brought into use But some men may say Such is the rastness of this Age of ours such the boldness such the impudence That if it were allowed to every one to speak in the Congregation there will be no end of Brawls and Contention Why so Is a man another kind of Creature now then what he was of Old Thou wilt say he is For mankind hath continually degenerated grown worse and worse and seems now to have attained the top of Corruption Is it so indeed But suppose it to be so Thou that art the Teacher of the people art not thou also thy self made of the same Mold Art not thou born in the same Age Inasmuch as this ordinance principally was intended to keep Pastors within the bounds of modesty that they may understand That they are not the authors of the Word of God that they have not alone received the Spirit by how much the more mankind hath degenerated by so much the greater need is there thereof for that there is now more rashness Arrogance Pride then of Old this is true as well of the Pastors and Teachers as of the rest of the people Art thou a Prophet hast thou any portion of the Spirit If thou hast not so unfitting it is that thou alone shouldst speak in the Congregation that there will hardly be found any that desires rather to be silenc't then thy self But if thou art a Prophet if thou hast the Spirit mark what the Apostle sayes Acknowledge quoth he that those things which I write are the Commandments of the Lord. Go to then On the one side we have the judgment of our Lord willing that Prophecy for this is a Word that we are oblieged to use should be common to all and that not for the Destruction but the Salvation of the Church On the other side we have thy Judgment who fearest lest that may breed Contentions and Confusion whose Judgment now ought we rather stand to If thou shalt conceive we must stand to thine consider what thou assumest unto thy self and what will become of thy modesty Our Lord it should seem understood not what a kind of Creature man was he wanted thy wisdom belike to admonish him of the danger or haply he thought not upon that Corruption which should befall mankind whereby such a Liberty might prove unprofitable But Paul answers thee That God is not the author of Contention but of Peace Who well knowing what might move Contentions what beget Peace and not loving nor willing to have Contention but Peace willed that this liberty of Prophecying should be in the Church What canst thou say to the contrary what hast thou to object against God himself wilt thou accuse him of indiscretion No man hath so wicked a Tongue as to dare to do it Yet if thou shalt diligently search thine Heart thou shalt find there a certain disposition ready to contend even with God himself Which motion of thy Heart must by no means be hearkned unto but sharply repressed and wholely subjected to the Spirit of God It may seem peradventure an absurd thing That after some very learned person hath spoken some contemptible person shall be allowed to contradict him Can such a person so do without great rashness and temerity Were I to speak according to the judgment of man verily I could not deny it But if we be really perswaded That the knowledge of matters Divine ought not to be attributed to our Watching Studies Wits but to God and to his Spirit wherewith he can in a moment endue the simplest person in the World and that with no more labour or difficulty then if he were to give him to one that had spent Nestor's Age in study What reason is there
for me to judge that this man does rashly and unadvisedly if he shall arise and contradict Is not the Spirit able to reveal somewhat to him which he hath hidden from thee Now if the Spirit have revealed somewhat to him and to that end revealed it that he might contradict that by his means the thing may be revealed to the Church shall I say that he hath done rashly in obeying the holy Ghost And if thou think otherwise verily thou art not perswaded that the Spirit is the Author and Teacher of this Knowledge but that all the praise thereof is due to Studies Watchings and the Wits of men And if this be thy judgment I tell thee again That thou art not only unworthy to be the sole Speaker but worthy rather to be the only person not permitted to speak in the Congregation And that thou mayst the better understand that the most Unlearned ought to be allowed to speak consider God will have himself to be acknowledged the Author of his own gifts he will not have his praise attributed unto our Studies or Wits but unto himself But if the man that hath spent all his Life in Study speak wisely it is not attributed to God but to study In word perhaps it may be attributed to God yet not without a vehement Reluctancy of our Judgment and this is that which I say God will not abide But if so be thou shalt hear a wise word come out of the Mouth of some unlearned Person thou must needs whether thou wilt or no acknowledge God to be the Author thereof So when God was minded to give unto â—srael a Victory against the Midianites under the Conduct of Gideon and Gideon had gathered together Thirty Thousand Men lest the Israelites should boast that they had gotten the Victory by their own Strength and not by the Assistance of God which might have been conceived if Gidean had fought with so numerous an Army he would not suffer him to have above Three hundred that it might appear that he was the Cause of the Victory and not the Number or Valour of those that fought Now besides the Glory of God hereby great Profit does accrue to the Church For if the People shall see now one man now another endued with the Spirit beyond all Expectation many will thereby be encouraged to hope for the same Gift if they shall ask it many will learn and profit and it will thereby come to pass that when Occasion shall be to choose a Minister the Church shall not need to call strange and unknown Persons to that Office but she may have of her own such as are fit to be chosen Men whose Conversation and Manners are sufficiently known And when the number of such as are able to prophesie shall be great the Church will not be forced to use such Pastors as from their very Childhood have proposed to themselves such Offices as the reward of their Studies and addicted themselves to the study of Scripture and Religion no otherwise then they would have done to some Trade whereby they meant in time to get their Living So that a Man can expect but very few of them to prove other then Mercenary or Hireling Pastors Now that it was the Custom of the Jewish Church that all might thus Prophesie we may hence conjecture in that it is upon Record Luke 4. how our Lord upon the Sabbath day decording to the Custom came into the Synagoguge took a Book and expounded a place of Esay and how being twelve years of Age he sate at Jerusalem in the Temple among the Doctors and did aispute For he could not so do by vertue of any ordinary office forasmuch as his Age was uncapable neither did the Doctors know who he was Yea rather our Lord in so doing must needs make use of the power which was granted to every one to speak It remained in the Christians Congregations until the times of Constantine at the least Forasmuch as we have these words of Eusebius the Writer of Church affairs to that effect If any man inspired by the Grace of God should speak unto the People they all with great silence fixing their Eyes upon him gave such attention as if he had brought them some Errand from Heaven So great was the reverence of the hearers such order was seen among the Ministers One after another another after him Neither was there only two or three that Prophesied according to what the Apostle said but to all was given to speak so that the wish of Moses seems rather to have been fulfilled in them when he said Would God all the People might Prophesie There was no Spleen no Envy the gifts of God were dispensed every one according to his ability contributing his assistance for the confirmation of the Church And all was done with love in such sort That they strove mutually toâ—honour each other and every one to prefer another before himself But to the end this common prophecying may be profitable to the Church we must diligently mark what the Apostle advises For a sure thing it is that the Pride of Man is so great that whatever hath once fallen from him he will by any means have it stand for a Truth neither can he suffer that any man should infringe the same So that if he might be permitted to judge that last spake it will be a Miracle if a man in his Life time should see any one give way to him that contradicts him What is Paul's advice therefore in this case Let two or three Prophets speak and let the rest judge He will not therefore have the same Persons to be Parties and Judges And he adds a little after And the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets for God is not the Author of dissention but of Peace So that as soon as any man hath spoken his own mind he ought to rest himself satisfied with the judgment of the rest and not obstinately to make no End of contending if this be not done a sure thing it is there will be no end of strife But what if any man will not be content to submit to the Judgment of the rest Verily I would avouch that being sharply admonished that he disturb not the Congregation and that he go not against the command of the Apostle or rather of our Lord commanding the Spirits of the Prophets to be subject to the Prophets he ought to be cast out of the Society though he should hold the prime place in the Congregation The people likewise must frequently be admonished that liberty for any one to speak in the Congregation is not therefore granted by the Apostle to the end every one should speak what comes to his Tongues end as if he were in a Market but whereas he gives liberty to him to speak to whom any thing is revealed he would have all Rashness and Impudence to be laid aside He that reverences not the Church of God let
that man know he despiseth the Spirit of God who is President there and shall be sure not to escape unpunished Before a man propounds any thing to the Church he ought to consider again and again how sure a manifestation he hath of that thing and whatever the matter be let him be sure not to forget a sober modest bashful behaviour without which vertues doubtless no good can be effected But here we must attentively consider both how far a man â—ught to submit to the judgment of the Congregation and who may deservedly be accounted a Troubler of the Church Verily I conceive a man ought so far to give way as that after I have alledged what I had to say for my Opinion if yet the rest shall not allow of my Judgment I ought to give over defending of it and cease to be troublesome to the Congregation concerning the same But I ought not to be compelled to confess that I have erred or to deprecate any fault whiles I do not yet understand that I have erred for so I should sin against God He therefore is a Troubler of the Church that will not so far as we have expressed submit to the judgment of the Church but goeth on to be troublesome but especially that man who would exact of another that which he ought not to do viz. to recant being not perswaded that he is in an Error But those men are commonly reputed troublers of the Church who refuse to ratifie whatever shall any ways fall out of the Pastors Mouthes Again in this place it may reasonably be demanded whether when that a matter hath been once or twice debated and some man knowing the judgment of the Congregation would again reduce it into Controversie he ought to be heard or enjoyned silence and take the matter for determined But of this we shall in another place more conveniently dispute That which remains therefore is that we wrestle with God by daily Prayers to grant that we may have the use of this so soveraign and saving liberty so profitable to the Church and that thereby we may reap abundance of Fruit. And that he would to that end tame and break our Spirits with his Spirit and render them milde and gentle and not suffer what he hath ordain'd for the confirmation and establishment of his Church to be by the stubbornness and perversness of our Wits and Minds turned to the mischief and destruction thereof With much more to the same purpose too large to be here inserted What I have cited makes an Apology for doing so needless his whole Book is a most accurate account of Satans Stratagems to cause keep up divisions among Christians deserving a first place with the most Christian Writers since the Apostolical times He was an Italian of excellent Natural and Supernatural endowments Banisht about Luther's times for the Gospel Let us now inform our selves of the Judgment of that great Man J. Hales upon the matter in hand viz To your second Query Whether the Keys were confined to the Apostles only The Answer is in no case hard to give it may perchance in some case be dangerous for there is a Generation of men in the World the CLERGY they call them who impropriate the Keyes unto themselves and would be very angry to understand that others from themselves should claim a right unto them To your Question then no doubt but originally none received the Keyes from the Mouth of our Saviour but the Apostles only none did nor ever could manage them with that Authority and Splendor as the Apostles did who were above all most amply furnished with all things fitting so great a Work For whereas you seem to intimate that the preaching Mission was communicated to others as the seventy two Disciples as well as the Apostles you do but mistake your self if you conceive that the Keyes of the Gospel were any way committed to them for concerning the Mysteries of Jesus Christ and him crucified for the Sins of the World wherein indeed the opening of the Kingdom of Heaven did consist they received it not they knew it not To be the prime Reporters of this was an honour imparted only to the Apostles Yet were they not so imparted as that they should be confin'd to them Every one that heard and received the Light of the saving Doctrine from them so far forth as he had understanding in the wayes of Life had now the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to his Power both for his own and others use Every one of what State or Condition soever that hath any occasion offered him to serve another in the wayes of Life CLERGY or LAY MALE or FEMALE whatever he be hath these Keys not only for himself but for the bâ—nefit of others For if Natural goodness teach every man Lumen de Lumine Erranti comiter monstrare viam c. Then how much more doth Christian Goodness require of every one to his ability to be a Light to those who sit in Darkness and direct their steps who most dangerously mistake their way To save a Soul every man is a Priest To whom I pray you is that said in Leviticus Thou shalt not see thy Brother Sin but thou shalt reprove and save thy Brother And if the Law binds a Man when he saw his Enemies Cattel to stray to put them in their way How much more doth it obliege him to do the like for the Man himself See you not how the whole World conspires with me in the same Opinion Doth not every Father teach his Son every Master his Servant every Man his Friend How many of the Laity in this Age and from time to time in all Ages have by writing for the publick good propagated the Gospel of Christ as if some secret instinct of Nature had put into mens minds thus to do c. To this let me add his Sense of the force of the Fathers Authority in the decision of Controversies and how far the Antients whether Fathers or Councils ought to be interrested in the debates of these times which may not be improper to the present subject because not a few build upon their bottome You shall find says he that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three wayes either upon matter of Fact or matter of Opinion or point of Ambition For the first I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which either we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful so the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact For it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse then Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of our keeping that Feast must be the Rule left by
by the Dead they might be deserted of those that to say we cannot be safe without them If any thing Sober and Judicious be propos'd for allaying Asperities accomodating Differences and securing to Prince and People a just and legal Union of Interest as our Government requires we must presently be told of 41. and 42. as if there were a sort of Necromancy in the numbers or that the naming of those Figures long since made Cyphers by an Act of Oblivion hath power enough to lay the active and generous Spirits of our times but they will find themselves mistaken in their black Art and that things as well as times are chang'd the Mask is off and he that runs may read Men in their Pleas and Endeavours for Truth Justice and Sincere Religion will not be over born or stagger'd by such stale and trifling Reflections rarely used of late but to palliate wretched Designs or dilcredit good ones with men of weak Judgments though perhaps of loyal Principles I beseech you let us not be unskilful in these Tricks that we may not be mistaken or abused by them I cannot tell a â—ime in which the Minds of all sorts of Protestants have been so powerfully and unanimously engag'd to endeavour a good Understanding between the King and People And as I am sure it was never more needed so let me say no Age hath put a richer Price into the Hands of Men or yielded a fairer Occasion to fix an happy and lasting Union upon in order to which let me prevail with you that we may study to improve this great Principle as the necessary means to it viz. That God's Providence and our own Constitution have made the Interest of Prince and People ONE and that their Peace and Greatness lie in a most industrous and impartial Prosecution of it Those that teach other Doctrine as that the Prince hath an Interest apart from the Good and Safety of the People are the sole men that get by it and therefore find themselves oblig'd to study their mis-understanding because they only are disappointed and insecured by their Union Experience truly tells us that such Persons have another Interest than that which leads to a common Good and are often but too artificial in interesting Princes in the success of it but prudent and generous Princes have ever seen that it is neither safe nor just and that no Kingdom can be govern'd with true Glory and Success but there where the Interest of the Governour is one with that of the Governed and where there is the strictest Care to steer all Transactions of State by the Fundamentals or first and great Principles of their own Constitution especially since swerving from them hath alwayes made way for Confusion and Misery in Government Our own Stories are almost every where vext by this Neglect To Conclude and sum up the whole Discourse If you will both cure present and prevent future Grievances it will greatly behove us to take a most deliberate and unbyass'd View of the present state of Things with their proper Causes and Tendencies Let us confront our Ecclesiastical Matters with the plain Text and Letter of Holy Scripture this is PROTESTANT and let us compare our civil Transactions with the antient Laws and Statutes of the Realm this is ENGLISH And I do humbly and heartily beseech Al mighty God that he would so dispose the Hearts of Prince and People as that now Foundations may be laid for a Just and Lasting Tranquility to these Nations AN APPENDIX Of the CAUSES of PERSECUTION I Impute all Persecution for Religion to these Seven insuing Causes though properly speaking there is but one Original Cause of this Evil and that is the Devil as there is but one Original Cause of Good and that is God The first Cause of Persecution is this That the Authors and Users of it have little or no Religion at Heart they art not subject to the ground and first Cause of true Religion in their own Souls For it is the part of true Religion to humble the Mind break the Heart and soften the Affection To him O God! wilt thou have regard said one of Old who is of a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit and that trembles at thy word not one that breaks Pates and plunders Goods for Religion Blessed are they that Mourn said Christ they shall be comforted not those that sell Joseph and make Merry Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God those that are low in their own Eyes not such as devour and damn all but themselves Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth such as are gentile and ready to help and not Tyrannize over Neighbours Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy what then shall become of those that are Cruel under pretence of doing it for Gods sake Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God then Disturbers and Destroyers of their peaceable Neighbours shall not be called so Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled but not those that hunger and thirst after our Corn and Cattel Houses and Land for Conscience sake And Blessed are you says Christ when Men shall Revile and Persecute you c. then not those that Revile and Persecute others and those Sober and Harmless not one Blessing to this Conscience-hunting Doctrine and Practice that devour the Widow and Orphant for Religion Were men inwardly and truly Religious they would have that low Opinion of themselves that tender regard to mankind that awe of Almighty God that none of these froward Passions would have any sway with them But the mischief is unmortified Passions pretend to Religion a Proud Impatient Arrogant mind would promote it then which nothing of Man is more remote from it and mistaking the Nature of Christ's peaceable Religion which if the Apostle James say true is to visit the Fatherless and widow and keep our selves unspotted of the World They turn Widow and Fatherless out of House and Home and spot themselves with the Cruelty and Injustice of usurping their poor patremony the Bread of their Lives and Sustenance of their Natures such men as these are devoid of natural Affection their Religion has no Bowels or they are without Mercy in the Profession of it which is the quite contrary to true Religion that makes us love Enemies do good to them that hate us and kindly entreat those that despightfully use us and so much stronger in Souls truly Religious is the power of Love to Mankind then any Self-revenging Passion that from an humble and serious reflection upon the Mercies and Goodness of God to them they do not only suppress any rising of Heart against their Persecutors much more against peaceable Dissenters but with much softness charity commiserate their Ignorance and Fury offering to inform them and praying that they may be forgiven This is to be Religious and therefore
those that Persecute for Religion are Irreligious 2dly The next Cause of Persecution is the gross but general Mistake which People are under concerning the Nature of the Church Kingdom of Christ for the lamentable Worldliness of mens minds hath put them upon those Carnal Constructions which have made way for all the external Coertion and Violence used by bad and suffer'd by good Men on the score of Religion from the beginning And no wonder if ordinary Persons tumble upon this Construction when the Disciples of Jesus shew'd themselves so ill read in the Mysteries of his Kingdom that after all the Intimacy they had had with him they resrain'd not to ask When shall the Kingdom be restored to Israel They look't abroad had a Worldly Idea in their minds Jew like they waited for external Deliverance from the Power of the Romans rather then an Internal Salvation from the Dominion of Satan and interpreted that to Worldly loss and freedom which did relate to the loss and Redemption of the Soul but Jesus taught them better things yet so as not to deny or flatly discourage and rebuke them that though true might have been more then they could have borâ— therefore he winds off with them upon the Time and the Season of the thing knowing that the Time was at hand that they should be better taught and satisfied of the nature of his Kingdom unto which he referred them When the Spirit of Truth comes it shall lead you into all Truth c. That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World has been before observed and the Reason is so great that all men of common Sense must allow it upon Christ's Principle for says he then would my Servants fight for me truly implying that because the Kingdoms of this World are evidently set up and maintained by Worldly Force and that he will have no Worldly Force used in the Business of his Kingdom therefore it is not of this World Consequently those that attempt to set up his Kingdom by Worldly Force or make that their Pretence to use it are none of his Servants they are truly but Men of this World such as seek an Earthly and not an Heavenly Kingdom themselves and not Christ Jesus Where by the way let me observe That though the Jews to engage Pilate the more easily to their side impeach't Christ of being an Eâ—â—e my to Casar they were Enemies and He a Friend to Caesar for he came to reform the Lives of Men to make them better Subjects to obey Caesar not for Fear but for Conscience sake so would Caesar's Provinec have been easie and safe But the Jews would have had him Caesar's Enemy one that should have forcibly rescued them from Caesar's Power they waited for a Captain General to begin the Revolt and with an high Hand to over bear and captive Caesar as he had done them and 't is more than probable that his Appearance being to another End they therefore rejected him their Heart being set upon this But to return Christ told his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the World how not to converse or live bodily in it no such matter but he had chosen or singled them from the Nature Spirit Glory Policy and Pomp of this World How Persons so qualified can make a Worldly Church or Kingdom unless they desert Christ's Doctrine is past my Skill to tell So that the Capacity that Christians stand in to Christ is Spiritual and not Worldly or Carnal and therefore not Carnal or Worldly but Spiritual Methods and Weapons only are to be used to inform or reclaim such as are Ignorant or DisobediÌ„ent And if we will give Antient Story credit we shall find that Worldly Weapons were never employed by the Christian Church till the became Worldly and so ceast to be truly Christian But why should I say the Church the most abused word in the World her Leaders have taught her to eâ—â— and that of believing as the Church believes is so far from being true in point of Faith as well as Reason that the Church her self his ever believed as the Clergy that is the Priests believed since that sort of Men have practised Distinction from and Superiority upon the Laity He that will peruse the Ecclesiastical Story delivered us by Eusebius Pamphili Secrates Scholasticns Evagrius Ruffinus Sozomen c. will find but too many and sad Instances of the Truth of this In short Peoples apprehending the Church and Kingdom of Christ to be Visible and Worldly like other Societies and Government have thought it not only to be Lawful but Necessary to use the Arts and Force of this World to support that Church and Kingdom especially since this Interest of Religion hath been embodied with that of the Civil Magistrate for from that time he hath been made Custos utriusque tabulae and such as offend though about Church Matters have been reputed Transgressors against the State and consequently the State interested in punishing the Offence Whereas had Christians remain'd in their primitive Simplicity and Purity in the Self-denying Patient and Suffering Doctrine of Christ Christianity had stood in Holy Living not in Worldly Regiment and its Compulsion would have been Love its Arms Reason and Truth and its utmost Rigour even to obstinate Enemies or Apostates but Renouncing of their Communion and that not till much Forbearance had been used to them To sum up all The Kingdoms of this World stand in outward Bodily and Civil Matters and here the Laws and Power of Men reich and are effectual But the Kingdom and Church of Christ that is chosen out of the World stands not in Bodily Exercise which the Apostle says profits little nor in Times nor Places but in Faith and that Worship which Christ tells us is in Spirit and in Truth to this no Worldly Compulsion can bring or force men 't is only the Power of that King of Righteousness whose Kingdom is in the Minds and Souls of the Just and he rules by the Law of his own free Spirit which like the Wind Bloweth where it listeth And as without this Spirit of Regeneration no man can be made a Member of Christs Church or Kingdom so neither is it in the Power of Man to command or give it and consequently all Worldly force employ'd to make men Members of Christs Church and Kingdom is unnatural and ineffectual I could be very large upon this point for 't is very fruitful and so much the cause of Persecution that if there were never another to be assign'd this were enough for upon due consideration it must needs meet with every mans Judgment and Experience I will here add the sense of memorable Hales of Eaton upon this subject When our Saviour in the Acts after his Resurrection was Discoursing to his Disciples concerning the Kingdom of God they presently brake forth into this Question Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom unto Israel Certainly this Question betrays their