Churches doth St. Paul injoyn that they should adorn their Profession that their Conversation should be becoming the Gospel that they should behave themselves orderly as in the House of God And now certainly it may be concluded both from Scripture and Reason from the practice of Saints in the Church Militant or Triumphant That as internal Vnity of spirit is to be indeavoured after to present us blameless to God so should external Vniformity in words and actions be endeavoured to be preserved in all believing Congregations And now I have plainly and perspicuously discoursed of every Section contained in this Chapter and I think convincingly to any sober Reason I may justly complain that there be too few will believe our Report Infaelix infirmitas ad se vocat medicus ut litibus occupatur aegrotus Peace and Vnity is praised of many◠but very few endeavour to preserve it And Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech and have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar My soul hath long dwelt with them that are enemies to Peace And now I speak for peace I look that some are ready to prepare themselves for battle I look that that which is the lot of many good Physicians should be mine at this time that although my design God knows is not to torture my sick Country-men but to heal them that some like frantick Patients should run from me and that others now but touched should cry out of me Many either insensible of their sickness or else in love with their distemper are not only careless but backward to be cured I see and bewail it that many men are miserably wounded with and yet I justly lament it that I find a great unwillingness in most of them to be Healed For Vnity of Faith How many men either out of weakness or partiality or prejudice or interest or acquaintance have espoused rashly a wilful Opinion and set it up and idolize it And this fancy Opinion perhaps Perswasion they shall cry up and publish it abroad for Conscience Judgment Faith For which God knows if examined they have not the least shadow of a Rule or appearance of Reason So I may complain with St. Hilary ad Constant Aug. Facta est fides fides temporum potius quam Evangeliorum periculosum miserabile tot nunc fides existere quot voluntates Excidêrunt ab eâ fide quae sola est dum multae fiunt ad id coeperunt esse ne ulla sit I lament that too apparently to be seen in our daies what the Holy Father complains was to be found in his viz. That the Faith among us is the Faith of the Times rather than the Faith of the Gospel It is very dangerous and miserable that there should be among us as many Faiths as Wills and as many Consciences as obstinate Resolutions They have departed from that Faith which is One and while they pretend to have many Faiths they cease to keep any And if it be rightly considered what Faith or Conscience is there is scarce any true knowledge or practice of either to be found in too great a part of our Generation I hear the words frequently among us but I must publish it that I do not understand them May I not have liberty of Conscience May I not differ in Judgment from other men and yet agree in Affection May we not go several waies and yet meet together at the end of our Journey Were ever any such things reasonably vented in a Constituted Church Have not the men lost both Reason and Religion that dare confidently publish these things Can there be such a thing as Liberty of Conscience Are they not absolutely inconsistent Consider and it must be acknowledged If thou hast Conscience of any thing thou hast no Liberty if thou hast Liberty there can be no Conscience May not men differ in Judgment and yet agree in Affection What ad idem in respect to the same thing certainly No it is impossible If I judge a thing lawful and thou judgest the same thing unlawful our Affections must differ as much as love and hate and certainly these are contrary Affections Can we not go several waies and yet meet at the end of our Journey certainly No. The end of our Journey we both tend to is agreed on to be Heaven Happiness Now if Vertue be the right way to Happiness and that lies in a strait line as Morality teaches us sure there can be no declining this Line but there must be obliquity If the Way to Heaven be narrow and streight on as Divinity teaches us thou canst not go besides this Way but thou wilt at last fall headlong into the Ditch We must both of us keep the same way or else one of us must be in the broad way that leads to destruction And for Vnity of Affection where can we find that in a Family much less in a Parish or Congregation If ever the Complaint was true it is now in our daies that Fratrum concordia rara est We are all pretending to travel with the same design from Egypt to our Father in Canaan and we are Brethren but how few of us look to the Charge given us How few are they that take heed that they do not fall out in the way There be two Graces that Christ commends to us as the way to the kingdom of Heaven Humility and Charity but instead of these we see the contrary Pride and Contention All pretended Members of Christs body yet no sympathy no bearing one anothers burthen We are ready to laugh at each others infirmity and to rejoyce at each others misery Our iniquity aboundeth and love waxeth cold Our distinguishing Garment is rent clean in pieces which should be our Charity and that is the bond of perfectness This mans hope is that mans fear One mans joy is another mans sorrow And as we can hardly find Vnity in Judgment or Affections so rare it is to see Vniformity in Words or Actions For words instead of agreement what difference what opposition And for those that separate from the Communion of the visible Church of England where can we find that Congregation that agrees to speak the same thing We dwell among People of a strange Language The Trumpets have given from most Pulpits an uncertain sound and how can the Souldiers agree to prepare themselves to the Battle We may observe many of our Priests have been lingring to offer strange Fires such wild expressions and inconsiderate excursions as instead of helping have diverted our Devotions and distracted our Affections And for Actions instead of decency and order what distraction yea what confusion in all our separated Congregations By appearance one would judge them of Babel rather than of Jerusalem Such distractions as if every one had a peculiar God by himself or rather such universal profaneness or irreverence as if no God were thought of as present throughout their whole Congregations Our Neighbours
sin and misery wherewith the Earth is overspread as once out of the Ark so now out of the Church there can ordinarily be expected no Salvation The Ark was cemented within and without with Pitch and the Church with Charity Sometimes they have likened her to a Coat to Josephs Coat that was polymita divers coloured to Christs Coat inconsutilis without seam rents or divisions In Holy Scripture in several places the Church of Christ is compared to an House or Temple Many distinct stones and several pieces of wood make up one Building for the protection entertainment and comfort of the Owner so many Believers make up one living Temple one spiritual House for Christ and his Spirit to dwell and delight in As no number of Planks can make up a Ship an Ark without close joynting No multitude of Threds can make a warm Garment without close weaving No Stones can make up an House without close cementing No Members or Parts can make up a Body without close compacting so no number of Men can make up a Church without Conjunction or Vnity And this the Holy Spirit of Christ intimates unto us in that heavenly Song Cant. 6.9 My love my undefiled is but one the only one of her Mother the choice one of her that bare her yea so we believe and so we teach there is but one Catholick Church Let the Sectaries and Separatists that think to drown the cry of their sin with the noise of Conscience Let them boast vainely of their Multitudes that every one of their Congregations though of different Perswasions is the pure Church while they study to be many and make Divisions they are not the true Spouse and Church of our Lord Jesus Christ The Devil may have many Synagagues but Christ hath but one Church one Wife one Spouse one Royal Priesthood one holy People one People of his purchase There is but one Catholick Church One invariable from the beginning of the World as to Substantials and so will continue to the end of the same and rather than there should be an appearance of two Christ our Peace shed his Blood to make those that seemed twain both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us Eph. 2.14 One End to be attained by the same Means One People to be governed by the same Laws One Body to be actuated by the same Spirit Of that one Body one Head one Faith one Baptism One Eve the Mother of all living Men One Church the Mother of all Believers No wonder St. Paul should so pathetically beseech the Ephesians that if they would walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called that they should hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace No wonder our Blessed Saviour in his last Agony in the Garden should pray so earnestly for those especially that had received the Laws which he had given them from the Father that they might be One as they were John 17.23 That all that believe on him through his word might be made perfect in one If we see rightly we may behold Christ's Heavenly Jerusalem that is incompassed with holy Angels as Walls like a City that is compacted with the same Rules as so many ligaments and actuated with the same Spirit accounts it not only good and joyful but necessary for all the Members of the Society to be joyned together in Vnity It not only continues the welfare but upholds the Constitution and being of the Church of Christ to banish Division and hold fast this Vnity SECT II. There must be in the Catholick Church Vnity of Faith THus the Church of Christ began in the last Dispensation and so it is to be continued in Vnity They were all that were believers with one accord in one place The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul As taught of God so of Christ they were taught to love one another and to do unto others as they would be done by like members of the same Body mutually sympathizing weeping with those that wept and rejoycing with those that did rejoyce bearing one anothers burthens and thus fulfilling the mind of Christ Neither had they of the Church of Christ a like respect to each others persons but the same respect to the Objects that were presented before them They did unanimously agree to chuse and refuse to love and hate the same thing They had a like hope a like fear the same joy the same sorrow Like Travellers tending to the same End they agree to walk in the same way and had the same will the same mind the same affections As they of the Church of Christ are to agree in the desires and affections of the appetitive part so ought they to agree in the conclusions and perswasions of the intellective part that nobler part of the Rational Soul of man if they will be knit into that Society that will hold professed subjection to the Rules of the Gospel The Society of Believers are to agree in the same Faith the same Judgment the same Conscience Thus St. Paul desires and expects of the believing Corinthians that they should be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment and of the Ephesians that they should endeavour to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4.3 There being meant by Spirit as elsewhere 1 Thess 5.23 the superiour faculty of the Rational Soul the conclusions of which were to be kept one and the same For but one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called into one hope of your calling One Lord One Faith One Baptism For Christ being ascended and set at the Right hand of God in heavenly places and having all things put under his feet as Head of the Church in it appointed several Orders and to them gave several Gifts for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying his Body till every part might come in the Vnity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man c. Upon this Rock Christ hath promised to build his Church meaning St. Peters Faith not his Person or Office As Christ hath but one Church so that one Church is founded upon one Rock and that unmovable unchangable alwaies the same The Rain may descend the floods may come down and the winds may blow and waves of opposition may split themselves with their own violence but the Faith of Christs Servants stand unmovable rather confirmed than hurt The Church of Christ is but One built upon one Rock But the Synagogues of Satan are built upon heaps of Sand Such is their Faith if I may say they have any as is like heaps of Sand whose forms are changed upon every pressure tossed up and down with every wind ready to receive either augmentation or diminution upon external Contingencies They are alwaies Changable But those that are truly Members of the
direction Timothy was to hold fast the form of sound words at his Church at Ephesus that as there is but one Faith so in Believing Congregations there might be but one Confession And this not only evinced from Scripture and Reason as expedient but from the Apostles practice who having received the promise of the Father and power from on high at Jerusalem they agreed on one summary Rule for their own Teaching and the Peoples believing a compendious sum of Evangelical Doctrines exquisitely composed which is delivered to us by Tradition from Antiquity and generally received under the Name of the Apostles Creed In which Confession the intelligent Believer not only makes an acknowledgment of his assent to Promises of Mercy to be rely'd upon but to the reasonableness of Duties of Obedience that are injoyned by the Gospel to be practiced and makes open profession of Communion of Saints which must be maintained by the practice of Holiness and comprehend all the duties of Christianity that are required And this compendious Confession of Faith by repeating this set Form prescribed by the Apostles hath been used by the People as well as the Minister by which they openly declared their unfeigned Assent to what they did believe and their stedfast Resolution of what they would do in every Congregation that would be reputed of the Church of Christ And if it be lawful and expedient to have set Forms for Confession of Faith it cannot be unlawful and unfitting to have set Forms for the exercise of Devotion It cannot be a reproach but a duty to have our Spirits thus stinted when the Spirit of Grace limits himself in the Rules of Holiness and hath the denomination of Holy from this limitation And if new sorts of Words and variety of Expressions must be used in praying as some wildly fancy I wonder St. Paul in all his Epistles in the beginning should use the same Salutation and in the end should use the same Valediction and that Christ in his Agony who wanted neither expression or fervency should pray thrice together the same words At Antioch that the Christians there in their Congregation had their Liturgy At Corinth that the People were all Prophesying At Jerusalem that in their Religious Assemblies they were to hold fast the profession of their Faith without wavering is so evident as doubtless it can need no further illustration And if set Form of Words were unlawful in Gods service certainly the multitude of Angels would never have been represented unto us as agreeing in one Anthem on Earth nor they above in the same doxology in Heaven And if the Examples of Saints and Angels may lead us rightly if Nature God and Christ and his Apostles may direct us safely we must conclude That Vniformity of Words is not only lawful but expedient in the exercise of Godliness 3. I shall prove Vniformity of Words necessary and expedient by Reason 1. And Reason it self will tell us if we have not abjured it that Vniformity in Words is necessary and conducing to the practice of Godliness for take this away and see what giddiness and distractedness must necessarily ensue in every Assembly Without agreement in these things to terminate and bound both our Thoughts and Words how improbable is it that most men should be secured from inconsiderate wandrings and unwarrantable expressions But being confined to words of Faith and Devotion we call home our Thoughts to consider what these import and signifie that are injoyned and prescribed us and reverently we worship God and pray to him and confess to his Name And our wilful Opposers give Testimony to this Truth by their practice that set Ferms must be prescribed to the People When the best gifted Brother is appointed and agreed on to put up Prayers which are set Forms to the whole Congregation and it is not to be denied but every Member that is truly Religious secretly doth concur with such Prayers and limit their Thoughts to what is signified by such Expressions Weak Creatures never considering that they split upon that Rock which they pretend studiously to avoid while they voluntarily enslave themselves and stint their spirits and thoughts to conform to the sudden wild effusions and oft unwarrantable expressions of their idolized Teacher and dare not spoil their Liberty to submit unto and concur with the deliberate Forms and Prescriptions of their sober Governours and Rulers which will undoubtedly guide and lead them to the right exercise of true Religion that tends to peace Poor inconsiderate People they know not what to do for it is not a set Form they hate which they may see they cannot avoid but a spirit of Contradiction they love while they oppose the warrantable directions of their Religious Leaders and willingly suffer themselves to be captivated by wild ungovern'd Enthusiasts and run headlong into an inexcusable sin of a wilful Disobedience But if any can think set Forms to be unlawful and will be tied to none but avoid them then must every pretended Saint bring a distinct Prayer and Psalm to be poured out by himself in their several Congregations And it must necessarily follow when every one is singing a several Psalm in their Congregation it must happen what St. Paul saith was at Corinth when they all spake with several Tongues a Stranger coming in must in reason conclude that there was madness in the midst of them Thus in Reason we must determine to terminate and bound the Thoughts and Considerations of them that would be truly Religious there ought to be set Forms of Words agreed upon and prescribed in Believing Congregations 2. That is best to be used that will most heighten our Devotion and Intention in our Religious addresses to God for how shall I hope that God should intend me if I do not intend my own Petitions And I am verily perswaded Prayer without Devotion is like a Body without a Soul it is dead and ineffectual Now this I do deliberately affirm and maintain That premeditated and set Forms of Prayer must heighten any mans Devotion and Intention I desire such as obstinately oppose premeditated and composed Forms to consider that in this they contend only for freedom of Words And have Words any power or influence over God Can we imagine that God is taken with variety or shift of Phrases Words or loeutions are for mans necessity not Gods information They are of no necessity to make our hearts known to him who understand what we need before we ask him and our Thoughts afar off And it is the affections of our Hearts not the expression of our Mouths that make us prevail with our God What therefore may best conduce to settle our Consideration to fix our Desires and Intentions on God and good things is most lawful and most expedient to be used And this I dare say upon Reason and from Experience is best done by well-weighed Forms of set Prayers foreknown and assented unto both by Priest and People For
Publick Worship with all the precise method of that Order and Decency that ought to be used in it in which they will pretend to better and transcend the excellency of our Liturgy which is prescribed and used among us Si quid novisti rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum And until they can do this their wisdom is to study to be quiet and conform to this till they can find out and propose a better Method of our publick Worshipping of God beyond all exceptions that they will abide by And now I say what Subject of the Church of England can reasonably desert or reject our Liturgy which is visibly the best that is extant to us upon sober Consideration And how can I but stand amazed that the Common Service as prescribed should by so many of our Neighbours not only be neglected but contemned when it can neither be justly blamed nor amended Certainly I am not uncharitable but should be too conniving if I did forbear to declare a want of Religion and Reason in those men that run away to the flocks of our pretended Companions that hold no Uniform Communion that is Visible When no worship of God is evident no practice of the Peoples Devotion no vocal Confession of the Believers Faith no offering any sacrifice of Praise and yet every Christian is bound to Conform in all those things as well as the Minister in every Believing Congregation Why will ye go away from us O ye of little faith we hold fast the words and practice of eternal life Friendly Perswasives to my Country-men COme then my beloved Countrymen since these things are so that an Vniform profession of Faith must be maintained in Believing Societies and fifth by our Liturgy according to Gospel Rules we are ordered and directed to this reasonable Service Let us lay aside all prejudice and partiality all contentious humors Let there be no longer a Spirit of Opposition or wilful Contradiction be found among us Let us follow after the exercise of those things that make for Peace and wherewithal we may best edifie one another Whatever things are honest whatever things are just whatever things are pure let 's think and conclude of the practice of such things Let us endeavour to bend our selves to the quiet of the Church of God and to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Let 's evidence the God of hope hath filled us as with all joy so with all peace in Believing There is but One Truth but One Faith among us let there be but One Spirit but One Conscience Let us shew the God of Patience and Consolation hath granted us to be like-minded Let 's not forsake the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but let us hold fast the form of sound words and the profession of our Faith without wavering Let there be no divisions but let us speak the same thing to declare we are perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Judgment Let there be no divisions among us about Ministers account of them as Stewards of the Mysteries of God and yet your Faith stands not in the wisdom of Men but in the power of God Have their Persons not so much in admiration as if lords of your Faith by Preaching only esteem them highly for their works sake whereby they lead you to the holding fast the Profession of your Faith and the true exercise of right Godliness which hath the promise c. And as in your speeches you declare your Vnanimity in your holy Assemblies so in your Behaviour let there be Uniformity Let your Conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ and let all things be done decently and in order and reverently as in the House and presence of the living God Worship God in the beauty of Holiness so as if an Vnbeliever come among you he may be convinced and fall down and worship God also because he sees verily of a truth God is in the midst of you It is the fit time for Christ to be born in us when Vnity is among us In a calm night the Dew descends to the Earths refreshment and Grace is like to come down to us when we are in the way of Peace Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace as directed and the God of love and peace shall be with you AMEN Proposition II. The wilful Omission or Recusancy of any Believing Subjects Conformity to those Rules is an heinous Sin and a dangerous Disobedience I Heartily beg of the Candid Reader so much charity to believe it as true what I publickly declare and avow That I am a Reformed Christian of the Church of England and that I shall never attempt to perswade my fellow Subjects to any practice that is ungodly or contrary to the Rules of the Gospel And be assured whoever thou art that I sincerely desire every man may come to the knowledge and practice of Truth and be saved and therefore I dare not by a flattering compliance or connivance sooth any man in the errour of his way which will lead him securely to his destruction And I dare not daub over Recusancy as some desire with a paint and varnish of a trifling weakness or infirmity or palliate it over with a false pretence of tender Conscience when it will prove if considered an heinous sin and a dangerous Disobedience Give me leave therefore without offence if thou beest willing to be Informed to bring to thy Remembrance what I have formerly delivered and am ready to defend concerning our Canons and Rules of Uniformity prescribed about the Publick exercise of Religion 1. Our Governours as subordinate under Christ do not Rule their Believing Subjects arbitrarily but by Laws subordinate to the Rules of the Gospel 2. All that the power of Governours can reach unto in a Visible Church is to order and direct Externals in the publick exercise of Religion 3. That the right exercise of true Religion is the open profession of Faith 4. Of that open Profession there must be Uniformity 5. Every Baptized Subject of England is obliged to conform to such Laws prescribed For to command or prohibit as the Gospel directs is warrantable And all our Laws to the Common sort of Believing Subjects are according to those Rules If Natural or expressly Evangelical there can be no dispute if a Christian thou art bound to obey And if the Laws be Positive or Humane and not against Nature or Injust thy Obligation is divine and thy Submission is natural being thou art to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lorods sake SECT I. Let us determine and agree what we are to understand by those Laws and the Conformity to them that the Believing Subject of England is bound to observe THE Governours aim and care is not only at the keeping and diverting from the People what is grievous
to be his Law when every man from the pride of his heart and ambition of Precedence is inclined pertinaciously to adhere and unyieldingly to maintain his mis-led Perswasion and is prone by all means to bring others to submit unto him If none were appointed whose wisdom were not to be doubted nor goodness nor justice suspected nor Authority to be opposed or gainsayed by whose determination judgment and order the People were to abide by what could follow from Contrariety of Perswasions but divisions what could succeed but a dissolution of that Peace and Unity which is the sure wall of defence to support and maintain the whole superstructure of additional Comforts which are necessary for the welfare of the whole Society what can be expected but rending into several Parties and Factions and there must unluckily succeed a disorderly Chaos and confusion and every evil work Rulers then must of necessity be appointed to prevent Controversie and settle Peace And as Judges and Rulers must be appointed over every Society for Peace sake so must such also be appointed for Righteousness sake Distributive Justice is the glory exaltation the stay the preservation of any Nation Now distributive Justice is to render to every man according to the merit of his Work that he that doth well might have encouragement by due Reward and he that doth ill might be discouraged by proportionable Punishments That there be a right Sentence and care of a due Execution Now if no third Person or Order of men unconcerned were agreed upon and constituted as supream Judges to determine the merit and quality of Private mens Actions and the measure of Rewards and Punishments that did in equity belong to them We see how every man for himself if he hath done well is ready to overvalue his Merit and extend the measure of Reward to himself beyond a due proportion and if he hath done ill to extenuate if not excuse his own Irregularity and to mitigate if not exempt his Punishment And for his Neighbour every man is ready to extenuate his Merit and lessen his Reward to heighten his Crime and aggravate his Punishment So 't is very improbable either for himself or others that according to distributive Justice men should pass a right Sentence or due Execution This being clear to every mans Reason That a parity is not to be allowed but Rulers and Judges must be appointed over every Society as well to preserve Peace as to maintain Righteousness And to the conviction of this Truth by their practice all Nations that have associated have subscribed and have declared their Assent to the conveniency and necessity of it by the management of their Concerns And Generalis consuetudo declarat institutum Naturae For never any City or People associated but constituted their Governours and some as Supream nor sent abroad an Army but appointed their General The thriving Aristocracy of the Romans were never in any notable streight but Trepidi ad Dictatorem confugiunt as their chief Remedy and Security And never was there any tumultuous Rabble of seditious Persons united upon wicked designs that could in reason suppose they could subsist in carrying on their wicked undertakings in acting for a lawless Liberty or Licentiousness but they alway appointed a Captain or Leader to whose Command and Conduct they did alwaies submit when they had made Choice of him to be Supream in any Enterprize that they desired to be successful and owned him to be so To Conclude this point then let it stand as unquestionable That every man that loves his Life desires it may be Comfortable and seeks his preservation and welfare And a Comfortable life to prevent evil and promote good is to be maintained by Society which cannot be compassed by singularity or separation Neither could I ever read or hear that ever any Society did in reason think or conclude to subsist and pass a quiet and comfortable Life without the appointment of Governours among them Thus by light of Reason and her Dictates by Nature and her Laws it is manifest that the appointing of Governours over every Society is both necessary and convenient and this will be more fully cleared and illustrated when we consider it is approved by the Revealed Will of God Moses was a King over Israel and a Judge deputed by God by whom Kings did reign and Princes did decree justice And where no Governours were there the People did fall into confusion as Israel did at that time when they had no King but every man did what was right in his own eyes And in the last dispensation Caesars Authority was owned by Christ and Tribute paid to him And so Pontius Pilate Power was given him from above They might abuse their Power but their Authority was of God And in St. Pauls time Magistracy was Gods Ordinance Powers were appointed of God Rulers were Ministers of God set over the People for good Prayers were to be made unto God for them and account was to be given unto God by them And Humane Ordinances were to be submitted unto for the Lords sake And this yet more evident from the Spirit of Christ which was to be with his Church to the end of the World when it was and is the declared Sentence and Faith of all particular Churches that Governours are appointed by God And now how can we but stand amazed at the impudence of some perverse Spirits ungoverned unnatural Tempers that are to be found in the midst of this crooked generation such as neither will Lead nor Drive neither Command nor Obey but make it their business to despise Dominions and speak evil of Dignity That dare speak and think that Superiority in any man is unnatural hellish Antichristian That Rule and Government is but the unlucky issue of Pride Arrogance and Ambition assumed by Vsurpation When from the premisses it must be concluded as Natural and the Ordinance of God Certainly it is but just and reasonable that such men should suffer the punishments of their own Choice and be taught to see the madness of their own delusions by abjuring the Realm and banished from partaking the Priviledges of a well-governed Society Sure a City is not so fit for such Persons as a Prison or a Wilderness who have espoused such wild unnatural principles that are not owned by the Beasts that perish And it is yet more strange that any such Tempers should be found in our Nation where it is most apparent that our Governours are appointed and approved by God especially SECT IV. Our Governours appointed and allowed by God especially 4. A Midst our Governours we have one Supream Chief and Head over all And this Supremacy and Headship rightly belongs to him by his legitimate Heirship and succession being descended from a long series of Royal Ancestors that had this Power successively committed unto them Minori discrimine Princeps sumitur quam queritur And when we seriously consider the Conspiracies Tumults Factions Divisions experimentally
themselves by their operations Love is practical and works where seated a care of keeping Commandements Hope is purifying He that hath hope of heaven is heavenly and purifieth himself as God is pure And Faith it self works by Love and Love by Obedience This then is that precious Faith we should contend for as becometh Saints In this we should strive to continue in grounded and setled and not be moved away from the Hope of the Gospel All these things are premised that the Reader may easily conclude what we plainly understand by that Faith which the Ruler hath religiously injoyned and the Subject is bound willingly to maintain namely a sincere and a firm purpose of mind of adhering and conforming to the Rules of the Gospel by a total Obedience He that Believes thus shall not be ashamed when Faith makes him have respect to all Evangelical Commandments SECT II. Of this Faith there must be Profession NAturally we are to look of our selves as related to Society so that of our internal Piety there must be an external signification intending not only Gods glory by setling our private Peace but by promoting our Neighbours good and edification So that as care must be had by us of Religion so of its Exercise and as of Faith so of Profession of Faith And this is required by the Gospel evidently when it is injoyn'd That Christ be confessed before men that all that by Baptism are consecrated to the obedience of the Gospel hold fast the Profession of their faith without wavering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes rendered Confession sometimes Profession in that they agree either of them it is frankly and openly to declare what we hold in matters of Religion to justifie and bear witness to any Truth of the Gospel be they either supernatural or natural Priviledges or Mercies promised or Services or Duties injoyn'd yea the offering the sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips is explained by an Holy Author to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.15 a giving thanks or confessing to his Name Profession of Faith we understand to be a voluntary and open declaring amidst the Society in which incorporated of our free and full consent in believing the Gospel not only the Mercies promised but Duties injoyn'd and that we assent to them all not only as true and infallible but also as good and comfortable and a declaring of our desires study and care to observe them accordingly An express signifying of Profession of Faith is a declaring of our resolution of Evangelical Obedience our assenting and adhering to the right Exercise of true Religion as prescribed in the Gospel The work of Faith and Religion is not wholly to be done within but many externals are necessary and essential for constituting a visible Church she is to be a light upon an Hill Every Believer is to shine as lights in the World in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and that can only discern Externals Therefore the Believers outward carriage and deportment and converse must be so ordered like lights to the inlightning and warming the blind and benummed World Outwardly we are to manage our selves as we may direct strengthen and comfort our Neighbour Poverty of spirit hungring and thirsting after Righteousness Purity of heart c. These are Duties of the first rank and primarily to be taken care of to present our selves so as to be approved by our God These ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone For there be many external Duties necessary for Communion amidst the society of the Faithful that must not be omitted and refused as Preaching and hearing the Word Administring and receiving the Sacraments meeting and assembling together in those Assemblies mutual exhortations and provocation to good Works confession of Sins of Thanks declared resolutions as well as desires of Holiness and other Duties all comprehended in profession of Faith These are all External yea are all Gospel Duties and have been and will be used in the Church of Christ Thus the Church of God among the Jews that met at the Ark and Temple in Jerusalem The Tribes went up for the Testimony of Israel to give thanks to the Name of the Lord and these were External Thus the Church of Christ united under the faith of the Gospel had their Praying preaching the new Law singing of Hymns while Christ continued on Earth amongst them And when gone up to Heaven they continued in Assembling and breaking of Bread and Prayers They had their Liturgies and publick Administrations not only in works of Charity but works of Piety They had their sacrifices of Praise the fruit of their lips and giving thanks to the Name of the Lord. They had their prophesying at Church at Corinth and what was to be done by the Church on Earth They had Visions of the Examples to lead them from the Angels both in Earth and Heaven Neither can a visible Church or Society think to be continued without open profession and declaration And in the Gospel They that worshipped God in their spirits were ready to bow their knees to him They that knew God made their acknowledgment They that believed in their heart for their Righteousness made confession with their mouths to help on their own and others salvation Thus by Presidents of Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven the Gospel of Christ doth lead his Church as the Law of Nature directs it not only to Religion but its exercise nor the Gospel only to Faith but the profession of Faith that every Member united to that visible Society of Believers must hold the profession of his Faith without wavering And there 's the next particular The injunction of what both Nature and the Gospel directs us unto is not unlawful but necessary and both require that of our Faith we should make Profession and it is very good that Rulers from their Subjects require the same SECT III. Every particular Believing Subject ought to be injoyn'd to this open profession of Faith PRofession of Faith is an essential of the visible Church and none can be concluded in the Judgment of men of the visible Church that doth not make profession of Faith The visible Church is not a Company but a Society and what makes the Society a Church is profession of Faith Every one is to evidence himself of this Society if he will claim right to the Priviledges of a Society he must perform the offices and duties and be diligent in the Ministration of the Society A Minister may gather a Company but he cannot gather a Church nor make them to be so by his own single confession Every man that will approve himself of the Church must not only give a tacit but an express consent by an open Profession This is necessary for constituting every man in Church-membership and this is rationally required and injoyn'd of Christian Governours to their Believing Subjects for
of Meeting that these be determined by the wisdom of the Governours upon Convenience as best conducing for the publick good of the Society are things so unquestionable as I think will meet with no opposition Now that every Christian is bound to attend these Congregations to advance Religion and propagate the general good he hath lost his Reason as well as Religion that dares deny it For what things we find experimentally either to be believed or done to be good and comfortable to ones self we ought to impart and communicate to the good of others and what St. Paul desired to see his Brethren Rom. 11. so we should put in practice as near as we can to impart some Spiritual gifts that we may be comforted together with them by the mutual faith both of them and our selves For Temporal things such is our unhappy necessity and the baseness of the things as if we would have any good to our selves we must have a particular propriety in them and injoyment of them The more we give others the less we injoy to our selves But for Spiritual things the commoner the better as there ought not so there needs not of them be desired an appropriation our propriety is not lost by Communication These things like seeds they multiply by scattering as fire kindles by blowing so our Faith increases by Confession Draw me and we will run after thee Holy Souls when drawn to good things would have others good with them not so selfish to run alone but call others to bear them company Andrew calls Peter Philip Nathaniel to come to Christ David would have the Tribes go up to the House of the Lord to bear testimony with him and give thanks with him c. And when with him there he would have others sing with him rejoyce with him fall down with him worship with him So the Author to the Hebrews not forsake meeting nor in their meeting mutual Exhortation offering Sacrifice Thanksgiving Profession of Faith none excepted or excluded Every one without injury to himself may help on his Neighbour by exercise of Religion and profession of Faith And certainly the declaring and publishing of our firm assent and soundness of Faith and Devotion must help on the resolution and settle the constancy of others in the same things Thus are we props and staies to our staggering and sinking Brethren and others waxing strong in the Lord and being strengthned and confirmed in their Faith grow confident in their Profession also And when thou art thyself converted thou oughtest also to strengthen thy Brethren Thus we blow up the coals of Devotion and kindle that Piety that breaks out into an heavenly flame to the inlightning and warming both our selves and our Neighbours Thus we shine as lights in the World While all agree and every one is intent in the Congregation on this Confession we stand directly under the influx of Grace It is the probable way when we are all thus imployed to have Christ come and make one of the Company While in Via like the two Disciples going to Emmaus while we are thus communing Jesus may draw near and go with us While we are thus speaking no doubt but Christ is ready to stand in the midst of us and say peace be unto us for so he hath promised and he is faithful That when two or three are gathered together in his Name he will be in the midst of them With this general Preaching and Ministring usually goes along the ministration of the Spirit And whosoever would not quench or stint the Spirit in this operation to Holiness he ought not to neglect or despise this kind of Prophesying It is a probable way in the Apostles Judgment to work upon those that are without the Church and unconverted 1 Cor. 14.24 25. when every one and all in a believing Congregation are thus Prophesying speaking freely and preaching and confessing Gods Excellencies and Perfections and shew our selves reverencing him and believing in him when an Heathen or Infidel come into such a Congregation He will fall down and worship God also being convinced of the reasonableness necessity and benefit of the duty by our respective Harmony and Uniformity he will say of a truth verily God is in the midst of us He is worse than Saul that will not thus prophesie among the Prophets and seeing others unanimously and devoutly worshipping and confessing to God who will not fall down and worship God also And while thus like Elijah we are riding up to Heaven in the Chariots of this holy fire it is not improbable that others like Elisha standing by may have the same Spirit resting upon them Thus every one that aims at the general good of himself and others be they within the Church or be they without the Church is obliged to an open profession of Faith in that respective Congregation to which he is associated that he may be instrumental to draw others to the worship of our glorious God who before perhaps little regarded him And that Governours that are to aim at the general good of the Society should injoyn every believing Subject to a duty so extensively beneficial is so clear that it needs no further demonstration In Fine Our Governours as Christs Deputies who are to Rule by Christs new Law the Gospel have done well to injoyn to their Believing Subjects an open profession of Faith in their respective Congregations And that this Profession ought to be signified by an open Vniformity is our next undertaking CHAP. V. In such Congregations Unity of Faith ought to be signified by an open Uniformity Section I. In a Catholick Church there must be Vnity II. In particular Congregations there ought to be Vnity of Faith III. That Vnity of Faith ought to be signified by an open Vniformity SECT I. In a Catholick Church there must be Vnity THE Nature of the Church of God is best represented and deciphered unto us under the resemblance of a Body As many Members make one Body so many Believers make one Church By several Nerves and Sinews the several Members are compacted into one Body By several Laws of the Gospel as so many Ligaments the several Believers are fitly joyned together into one Church and as many Members compacted by the same Nerves are enlivened and guided by one Soul so many Believers joyned together by the same Laws are quickned and govern'd by one Spirit For the Body is not one member but many For by one Spirit we are all baptized 〈◊〉 one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit Thus we believe one Holy Ghost and one Catholick Church In Scripture and Fathers many other Figures and Representations we meet of the Church of Christ which all speak the necessity of Vnity of several parts for its Constitution Sometimes we find it compared to Noahs Ark as Extra Arcam so Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus In those great inundations of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must have a double look the first look it must cast on the Rule the second it must cast on the Actions be they either necessary or positive or else it cannot be counted Conscience and from thy agreeing or disagreeing with the Rule so thy Conscience accuseth or excuseth accordingly And now I appeal to any sober mans Consideration since there cannot be contrary Rules justifiable whether there can be contrary Consciences Certainly then we may safely conclude in all Constituted Churches since for Belivers actions there is but one Truth but one true Rule there must be for all such Believers but one right Faith there can be but one sound Conscience SECT III. In such Constituted Societies Vnity of Faith must be signified by an open Vniformity GOD who created man for his glory designed him for Society that what comfort he could not get by separation he might compass by Communion And Communion in the state we are in cannot be maintained but by Externals by Bodily offices As the Communion of the Invisible Church must be maintained by Vnity of Faith so the Communion of the Visible Church or any part that is associated or united in obedience to the Faith must be maintained by agreement in the exercise of Religion and Vnity of Profession And this Unity of Profession is properly called Vniformity which is nothing else but a sensible form of an united Society agreeing in one Profession both in words and actions So if any one should ask What is the sign or mark by which we may know a visible Church by or any associated Company to be a part of it I must properly Answer by Vniformity And Vniformity as the word clearly speaks is an Vnity of the outward form of things or an agreement of visible practice and joynt concurrence in the Exercise of Religion both in wards and actions which ought to be in every Congregation of Believers Preaching of the Gospel and receiving the Sacrament of the People as well as of the Minister being indispensable signs of every one that would be accounted of the Church of Christ And first we will undertake to prove that Vnity of Faith must be signified by Vniformity of words and this is not only lawful but necessary and useful 1. Lawful as declared by the practice of all Nations that had a sense of Religion For if Heathen yet reasonably they agreed in the same Festivals and Solemnities in the same Sacrifices and Gestures in the same forms of Thanksgivings and Devotion which because written of by many and confessed by all it will be needless to cite Authors or any further to insist upon the proof of it no question but they Universally agreed in constituting and maintaining Vniformity amidst their Assemblies in all Religious observances If they were a People to whom God had more clearly manifested himself and the true Religion wherewith he would be well pleased these marks they gave of their associating and uniting into a Church by their Vniversal joynt concurrence in Religious Exercises in all Ages in their solemn Congregations And it is facile to prove that among the Jews they judged the fittest Medium to preserve Vnity was Ecclesiastical Vniformity from their coming out of Egypt till their dissolution in Canaan And in some measure the Jews maintain this to this day in their several Congregations They had their set Forms for Aaroniçal Benediction for hymns and praises and prayers of the People who agreed in one express assent to the Covenant and the Law delivered by Moses in the same Sabbaoths and Festivals in the same Sacraments and Ties of Obedience They agreed in the same Prayers composed by Jewish Teachers for their Disciples St. John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray And Christ's Disciples in the last dispensation would be taught of him to pray as John before had taught his Disciples And our blessed Saviour not only taught his Disciples a Form but a Prayer which they were to say When you pray say Luke 11.2 Our Father c. To follow him can be no mistake Certainly deliberate Composures of Set Forms from Christs Example receive not only Toleration but sufficient Approbation And that the Apostles and their Successors in Primitive times used this Prayer in all their holy Administrations especially at the Sacraments we have more than probable Authority And that the Church had set Forms after the first Century is beyond all dispute And that Reformed Churches have their set Forms now generally is openly manifest except some Phanatical Schismaticks that out of a Spirit of Contradiction and precise singularity by the neglect of these things wilfully Unchurch themselves and would blot out all appearance of a Visible Church upon the Earth Mr. Calvin from the conviction of this Truth Epist 87. approves it That set Forms of Ecclesiastical Rights might be determined that it might not be lawful for Ministers in their Administrations or the People in their Attendances to vary from them And this he was forced to acknowledge from Example Practice and Reason God who cannot erre prescribes set Forms to the Jews and Christ to his Disciples And it would be a misapprehension yea a sin to think that They would injoyn or command what might be an hinderance to Godliness or a disadvantage to the Exercise thereof And the concurrent Judgment and practice of all Churches must convince any sober person of the lawfulness and expediency of set Forms both in Prayers and Worship which will be furthered by his own Reason if he please to consider Scripture directions 2. I shall prove set Forms lawful and expedient from Scripture St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.11 pathetically beseecheth the Church at Corinth by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they would all speak the very same thing Verba sunt symbola mentis è consensu verborum colligimus consensum animorum Words are but expressions of our Intentions and from agreement in Words we conclude of agreement of Mind And sure enough it was not required there by the Apostle that the Speeches of the Corinthians in their Religious Assemblies should be of the same sense and meaning only but of the same expression not only contradiction of words is prohibited but diversity if they would grant his suit whle he beseecheth them to speak the same thing And well might this be injoyned in Religious Exercises for Vbi novae phrases ibi nova dogmata A quibus Vna fides ab iis requiritur Vna Confessio Where new phrases are used there will be new opinions And in whom there is expected but One Faith from them there is required but One Confession saith Mr. Calvin And when idolizing of the Gifts and Parts of the Ministers caused Contentions among the Corinthians the Apostle might adjudge it necessary that ostentation of Eloquence and excellency of Speech should be forborn among them even in exercises of Devotion and therefore earnestly beseecheth them to speak the same thing So by St. Pauls
the operation of one Faculty hinders the operation of another the imployment of the Vnderstanding and Invention must hinder the intention of the Will and Devotion Sure we must acknowledge the busying of the Invention in him that speaketh and his Consideration in him that heareth whether things be warrantable or acceptable that is spoken or not must hinder the Intention of either And since Intention is more prayer and more likely to prevail with God than Elocution I may possibly busie my head and strain my Invention when I go about to please men and if possible quicken my Elocution in preaching But I will settle my heart and fix my Intention when I go about to intreat or speak to my God In Reason therefore I must conclude and from Experience avouch it That Devotions united in same Expression like Waters streightned in one Channel run the most irresistably yea undoubtedly premeditated and fore-known Expressions heighten Intention and Devotion and make the Prayers of any Congregation the more acceptable and the more prevalent with God The Objection is frivolous and weak which our dissenting Adversaries make against those Repetitions used in our Common Prayer as if they did remit and bedead our Affections when if rightly considered and applyed they intend inliven and invigorate them Our Saviour at the last Agony in the Garden three times retired himself and prayed thrice the same words Mat. 26.44 Sure none dare say he wanted ability to alter his Expression or that he wanted affection though he did not No sure we may safely conclude to this Point That as Christ so the Christian hath his Devotion helped and not hindered by a set and foreknown expression 3. The weakness of the People is to be considered and I appeal to any sober man to judge It being to be granted that the generality of the People are dull of Apprehension of slow Judgment prone to inconsiderateness and inadvertency whether set Forms seriously fore-weighed and prudently digested and prescribed are not more probable Helps of Devotion and better preparations for the Peoples general Concurrence who have neither quick Apprehensions nor discerning Judgments than extempore indigested and voluntary effusions 4. The manifold necessities we are involved in and wants we are streightned with and the infinite number of Mercies wherewith we are blessed and have received cannot in an instant be called to remembrance and duly be considered So it is not to be supposed that our Petitions or Thanksgivings can be fully or comprehensively expressed upon extempore effusion but only upon serious and deliberate premeditation Lastly It would be good to leave to future times and to other Churches for their Example our setled Agreement and Consent unanimously concurring in the soundness and incorruptness of our Religion which we cannot evidence without we agree in constant Vniformity in Words and set Forms fore-known and agreed unto by Priest and People But I forbear If we will follow the practices of all Nations that pretended to Religion true or false If we will be guided by the Rules and Directions of the Gospel If we will follow the dictates of discursive Reason we must conclude it lawful necessary and expedient and conducing to the practice of true Piety That Vnity of Faith should be signified by Vniformity of Expression in all Believing Congregations And as Vnity of Faith was to be signified by agreement in the same Words so by Vniformity in alike Gestures and Actions in all the Congregations that were parts of the Catholick Church of Christ From those Prophecies that fore-tell what there would be we may conclude what there should and ought to be expected in the Church of the living God Christ fore-told his Spouse in her Militant state Cant. 6.9 10. should be an Army under Banners sub vexillo Crucis whatever distraction of an Army when secure yet when terrible under Banners They all agree in the same posture offensive or defensive In the same guard the same march and motion And no less is intimated Cant. 1.9 when the Church is compared to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots for this resemblance was not only to intimate of believing Parties equally joyned together in the same design that like Pharaohs Horses there was quickness in expedition but also that there was Vniformity in that motion Not that one stood up and another ly'd down not that one drew forward and another backward that one pulled this way another that way But when one stood they all stood when one ran they all ran all went the same way all the same pace all used the same motion And thus the Saints of Believing Congregations might be said to be like a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots And that inlightned Divine that saw a door opened into Heaven and a Throne fixed and one sitting upon the Throne and Elders and Angells ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands worshipping him that sate upon the Throne represents them to us in their glorious state as all unanimously agreeing to fall down and cast their Crowns before him that liveth for ever and ever and all saying Blessing honour glory and power c. All recorded without question to inform us what ought to be our behaviour on Earth if we would be like them in Heaven namely alway to be busied in a joynt concurrence of acknowledging and worshipping God as with the same words so with the same actions And if any would yet further defire to see this Vniformity more expresly urged by the Apostle upon particular Churches in the Primitive times let them observe St. Pauls direction to the Church at Corinth To them he could not write unto as spiritual but as carnal and the reason was because there were strifes and divisions and that when they came together in the Church of God they eat and acted distractedly and shew'd they were bent more to gratifie the humour of a Party rather than to preserve the Vnity of a Society by a well-ordered decency Shall the Apostle praise them in this No such meetings were for the worse and not the better They were to maintain no such custome in the Church of Christ in that there were to be no Divisions but all things were to be done decently and in order So to the Ephesians If they would walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called they were to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace True indeed Vnity of spirit is internal but Peace and its bond their endeavour and walking were all external and it is no more than this That they would endeavour to hold the Spirits Vnity by their obliged Vniformity So Heb. 10. After the Divine Author had set out the glorious Priviledges they might expect from Christ he proceeds to direct them a joynt profession of Faith to a demonstration of love to a provocation to good works to mutual exhortations to Publick meeting And as he to them so to all the rest of the
and Acquaintance stand aloof off from that Vniform worship of God that is prescribed and injoyned and no wonder if Strangers think and report that some dreadful Disease cleaves fast unto us I heartily lament many Crying sins that are generally spreading over the body of this poor Nation and yet upon sober Consideration I cannot judge any sin so manifestly destructive to the health and beauty of the believing Society and Church of England as is this of Schisme and Separation There is no one sin that tyrannizeth more over us but we may say to Schism as the Pirate did once say to Alexander Thou blamest and condemnest me for preying on single Persons and accountest thy self without fault while thou destroyest a whole Nation These things have I written and spoken to my dissenting Country-men not in wrath and bitterness to shame and torment them but with grief and compassion to warn and amend them that we may all agree to banish those Schisms and Divisions in the Service of God which are this day our shame and that we may endeavour to bring back that Vnity in Gods worship which was once the glory and joy of this poor Church and Nation My endeavour as well as my Prayers shall alwaies be that we agree to hold the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of Peace For Zions sake I cannot hold my peace nor for Hierusalems sake be quiet till I have manifested my study and endeavour to bring all the baptized Subjects of this Church and Kingdom to signifie the Vnity of their Faith by an open Vniformity CHAP. VI. The Canons and Forms established and prescribed by our Governours to direct and promote the General Uniformity of English Professours are most agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel and are the best and most convenient that are visibly extant to us in the World Section I. There must be Forms or Canons prescribed by Rulers to carry on Vniformity II. The Canons and Forms already established to this end in England are agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel Section III. These Canons and Forms are visibly the best extant to us upon sober Consideration SECT I. There must be Forms or Canons prescribed by Rules to carry on Vniformity GOD who by his wise Providence governs all the works of his hands rules them all by a Law And Governours subordinate as appointed and sent by him are to govern Rational men joyned in Society under them by a Law also As God in the World so Christ in his Church complying with the Necessities and Infirmities of his Subjects hath given Rules to direct them in Faith Devotion and Conversation by that New Law which is the Gospel by which superintendent Frame of Government his subordinate Governours are to govern his Church to the end of the World And so according to that New Law Christs Deputies are to establish Laws of Piety and Laws of Honesty We are now in this part of our Treatise to speak of those Laws that respect Piety and according to the two parts whereof Man consists some Injunctions of Piety must concern our Souls and some our Bodies The Injunctions of Governours that direct to purity of hearts and spirits may be called Counsels Monitions They cannot properly be called the Laws of Governours but Laws of Christ for they cannot oblige the Souls of the Subjects either by rewards or punishments having no cognizance when they obey or when they rebel when they heartily like or dislike such Injunctions Christ can only reward these according to their hidden works But Rules of sensible things for ordering mens words or actions those are properly called the Laws of Governours for of these they can make discovery The observance or omission of these things are discernable by Rulers and according to the Merits of their Subjects so they can recompence them And let no sober Person think that Laws about external demeanour or decent behaviour of our Bodies in our Religious attendances are such trifles toyes needless Circumstances childish insignificant Ceremonies as many irrationally and inconsiderately defame them when they are natural and necessary for our Communion in our present condition when true Grace operates the light within us directs and the Holy Spirit delights in these things being willing to admit of our Bodies to be his Temple when these Vessels are to be possessed in sanctification and honour And God hath called us not to uncleanness but holiness of these things When Christ by his Gospel hath ordered the hearing and preaching of his Word the administration and receiving the Sacraments the regarding our Conversations and Words by which we are either justified or condemned And these things are sensible and external And certainly an imputation of Rashness and Vncharitableness cannot be deserved by us if from such open and wilful opposition and slighting of Externals as unnecessary and inexpedient we should judge these men as wilfully bent to overthrow Humane Government when they would destroy that in a moment about which alone Government can be busied and employed It must then be granted That the publick exercise of Vniversal Piety ought to be the Governours first care and that their first Laws ought to be about injoyning Vniformity to their Subjects Now by Vniformity as it hath been set forth in the preceding Chapter is meant an Vnity or joynt assent and concurrence of Professors both in Words and Actions Confessions and Gestures fitly expressing and signifying a Religious respect and reverence to that Supream Majesty we meet to adore A service so useful and necessary that all Governours by their Laws have injoyned it and all Nations by their practice have attested it in all Religious Meetings through all Generations 1. Because GOD who is not a God of Confusion but of Order a God not of Division but of Vnity is best pleased and most glorified when no man draws back but when without distraction there is an Universal discovery of every mans evident respect to him When the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. 2. Thus Neighbours are most edified Consent and agreement of others with us give a pleasure and content to us It gives a confirmation to our Judgment and practice when we receive approbation and allowance from the practice of others 3. Thus Infidels are most likely to be wrought upon and converted One mans preaching may make a man consider but certainly it cannot have so great an influence as the Vniformity of a whole believing Congregation We are ready to think those things not hurtful but beneficial which we see universally practised and we are easily drawn to the practice of those things which we see generally allowed and used by others So that if a man be converted or unconverted joynt Concurrence in Common Service and the Vniform Worship of God is more to be valued than any one mans Preaching being of a greater influence and of a stronger operation Since
therefore we speak of a visible Church be it Catholick National or Parochial it is Coetus evocatorum a Company of Men called not invisibly internally but externally sensibly and such as have manifested their complyance with that Call Not a Company but a Society of Believers joyned together by a mutual profession of Faith For as Vnity of a sincere Faith is necessary for the Constitution of the Church invisible so is Vnity of profession of Faith necessary for the Constitution and being of a visible Church And to avoid rash unanswerable expressions and unbecoming behaviour it is both reasonable and necessary that words and actions should be reasonably agreed upon and determined The thoughts of our Souls like the eyes of our Bodies without an Object to terminate them will wander to the ends of the Earth therefore the prime work of Piety and Religion in the Rational Soul is to set God before the eyes of its Understanding That upon serious consideration seeing and concluding him the Best and the Greatest man may rationally both think and speak most honourably of him and behave himself most reverently towards him For Vniformity then in Religious exercises of necessity there must be the same Object GOD who is infinite must be proposed That our considerations and respects may be terminated upon him And of necessity there must be Rules and Forms agreed upon and fixed to direct and limit all associated Professors that their considerations and respects may be united either in knowing God or worshipping him Circumstances cannot be left indefinite and undetermined for mans Thoughts are as diverse naturally as their Faces and Tempers Their Words and Actions usually wild and extravagant and not only different but contrary also unless all these be bounded and terminated what Vnity can there be An arbitrary Will-worship will follow according to every mans fancy and in every meeting instead of a well-ordered Unity there must necessarily happen distraction and confusion And these things are obvious to every man that rationally considers them for never any Nation that had Religion true or false but alwaies agreed on a Common Ministration And in all their Sacrifices either propitiatory or gratulatory they have united together by certain Rules in a common Service and a joynt concurrence in it to that Deity which they adored And certainly all those Reasons formerly alleadged to urge an open profession of Faith return with new vigour strictly to oblige every Visible Church to acknowledge the necessity of fixing and observing Rules of Vniformity in every respective Congregation That the infinite Majesty of GOD may be generally and worthily glorified That our Neighbours and our selves may be most probably edified and comforted That those that are Vnbelievers may have their Conversion best furthered there must be Canons and Forms prescribed by Rulers to carry on a general Uniformity To conclude this Section then Governours must Rule by a Law their Laws can reach only to Externals in the exercise of Godliness In which Exercise of Godliness the first aim of Governours by their Laws is to promote Vniformity in Religious Assemblies To settle and continue an Vniformity there must be Rules to limit and direct SECT II. That the Canons and Forms in our Liturgy prescribed to the ends above-mentioned are most agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel is the next considerable LITURGY in its etymologie if rightly understood gives its full import and signification It is a Form or Rule of Administration in some publick Office Sometimes it is put in Scripture for Ministration in offices of Humanity and Liberality But our discourse and common Acceptation leads us to take it for that kind of Ministration that relates to Holy things about the Service and worship of God So here we understand it to be the Canons and Forms prescribed in a Visible Church of external profession of Faith by an evident demonstration of Obedience For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod fit per populum sit publicum a publick Religious Ministration in a Congregation of Believers So the People must be understood concerned in the Ministration as well as the Priest And those of the People that would be accounted of the Visible Church are to submit and conform to such Canons and Forms as are prescribed in the Ministration And when a Church is not an Assembly only but a Society of the Faithful not internally Faithful only for that is not discernible by us but externally by publick Profession either by words or actions What our Judgments must be of them that in Assemblies neglect and despise Profession according to Rules prescribed is easily to be concluded For whatever good opinion others blindly may have of such or they may have of themselves yet not giving in their Assemblies any evident signs of external Profession they are in reason not to be judged of the Visible Church of Christ And this shews how unjustifiable the Meetings of our Separatists are when there is no publick exercise of Religion no vocal confession of Faith no express desires of Obedience in any of their Congregations To give evidence of any Assembly that it is a part of the Visible Church there must be a sensible Profession an apparent submission to the Canons and Forms of a Liturgy And conformity of the People to those Rules gives satisfaction who are to be reputed but wilful omission and neglect declares who are not to be reputed of the Church of Christ And blessed be God we have as it is necessary and expedient from our wise Governours considering our infirmities and extravagancies Canons and Forms prescribed in our Liturgy for Religious Ministration which are most agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel The Rules of the Gosple given by Christ and his Apostles are of so different natures such different sorts The Canons and Forms ordering our Common-Service in the publick exercise of Religion are so numerous and various as it were the work of an Age to discourse distinctly and pertinently of every particular that may be comprehended in this Section But first let us consider what we understand by the Rules of the Gospel to which our Canons and Prayers are to conform Now our Blessed Saviour at the first planting of the Gospel upon the Apostles and Seventy before his Passion and upon some Chosen Vessels for his Honour after his Ascension having all power given him did in those daies plentifully pour out his Spirit upon them and gifts graces and ability he gave to them in an extraordinary manner and measure for the work of the Ministery and edifying his Body by the prevalence of his Word and Gospel which he sent them abroad to preach confirming the Word by signs following That the whole power of the World was not able to resist the wisdom and Spirit by which they spake divers Gifts he distributed of miraculous operation For different Administrations as Gifts of Healing working of Miracles Prophesying discerning of Spirits diverse kinds of Tongues Interpretation
but with all thy strength this must relate to Man For the strength of a visible Christian is demonstrable to Man by outward actions when strength exerts it self by doing what is Commanded Omission therefore of a visible exercise of Piety must be concluded in reason a sin of the greatest size since it is a transgression of the greatest Commandment Again Transgressions of a general comprehensive Law of Piety are greater than the transgression of a single particular Law that command a single Duty But omission of Vniformity prescribed is a transgression of a general comprehensive Law of Piety Faith comprehends all the duties of Christian Obedience and what doth it profit a man in a Visible Church to say he hath Faith if he hath no Works and do not make his faith appear by Confession If we know we must acknowledge if we believe we must speak He that offends in this one point is guilty of all Jam. 2.14 And if offending against a particular prohibitive Law of Charity renders a man guilty of transgressing every part of that Law how much more if a man offends a comprehensive Law of Piety In the Judgment of Man such a Person must be lookt upon to have denied the Faith c. So if any man would ask what is the Name of this sin it must be answered Legion for they are many When most of the Commandements of the first Table are openly transgrest by this wilful Omission And if deliberately considered it must be acknowledged That these sins of wilful Omission or Recusancy of Obedience to preceptive Laws of Piety are greater sins than sins of Commission against the prohibitive Laws of the second Table that concern Charity in respect of several Circumstances that such Transgressors are involved in which must needs aggravate these sins exceedingly For these sins of Omission are open and manifest but those sins of Commission are many times secret and hid Therefore many times sins of Commission fall under the Judgment of God only but sins of wilful Omission fall certainly under the judgment and condemnation of Men and therefore it is undeniably just and reasonable that Religious Magistrates make severe animadversions upon those sins especially And he that judgeth and condemneth his Neighbour for Hypocrisie though he judgeth truly yet he judgeth rashly and uncharitably because such sins are indiscernible to man but when Profaness and Impiety are manifest by a wilful Recusancy such sins go before men to Judgment and Officers may accuse and condemn such notorious Crimes justly and warrantably And sins that are done impudently and shamelesly are worse sins than those that are done modestly and closely Now beastly sins of Commission are committed secretly 1 Thess 5.7 they seek the night to conceal them and darkness to cover them But if men will be openly guilty of their Abominations and not be at all ashamed if they will declare and publish their sins like Sodom and make their Faces harder than a Rock and refuse to return a Visitation is lawful and justifiable upon such open sin and the Magistrate is not just that will not take vengeance upon such wilful Transgressours A second aggravation of sin may be when a sin is Electively and voluntarily committed For this must be confessed that Vertue or Vice are more or less Meritorious as they are more or less Voluntary A sin must be greater that is upon deliberate Choice committed than that which is done upon surprizal through the prevalence of a Temptation suddenly and inconsiderately Now sins of Commission have many of these Excuses Either men are basely or degenerously indulging the Bestial part and so are transported with the present impression of some sweet delight that pleaseth the sense which admits of no deliberation Or else through Pride Envy Malice or Revenge which would be satisfied men have hurried headlong into irregular Attempts Or else through a fawning flattering Compliance with the prevalent Humors of the Times men have been misled with the Customary practice of a multitude and have prest like Beasts Non quo eundum sed quaitur Following bad Example to do evil and without natural affection not guided by Reason have fallen into the worst of sins of the worst of Times But now what Temptation or excuse can any man alledge or pretend for wilful Omission or Recusancy Other sinners have had either pleasure or profit to quicken the Temptation and make it more active and more prevalent but what fruit what benefit can the Recusant alleadge for not doing what is injoyn'd He absolutely chooseth the evil and refuseth the good voluntarily without Temptation sure this sin is to be accounted without excuse Another aggravation of a Sin is when it is done resolutely and obstinately Now what is done resolutely and constantly if bad is worse than what is done uncertainly and contingently Now sins of Commission many of them have their abatement and weakning by Age and Time but sins of Omission gather strength by continuance and make man more indisposed to forsake them For sins of Commission men are ashamed weary of them and forsake them in time but for sins of Omission we rest securely and delight in them In this case there 's no probability men should take care to be well who never are sensible they are sick They make choice of their Delusion and willingly would be given up to the Continuance of their Abominations We see their obstinacy and resolved impenitency And this must be accounted another aggravation Another aggravation of a Sin may be if it be against a Promise and Covenant solemnly made to the contrary Every man is bound stare pactis promissis so it cannot reasonably be denied but a wilful Omission of duties of Piety in a Baptized Subject who hath declared and signified firmly his profession of holy Obedience to the Faith is far worse than a wilful Omission of a Jew or Infidel that never promised observance to Gospel Rules and never made Profession Heb. 10. The wilful sin was not an invisible but a visible Recidivation For this must in reason be accounted a visible and interpretative Apostacy drawing back and falling off from his Profession declared by his wilful omission which by Promise and Vow he had engaged himself to perform And what sense the Divine Author in his Epistle to the Hebrews had of this sin is easie to be gathered from this tenth Chapter The Holy Author directs his Epistle to a Society of Believers by Baptisme externally united and sanctified to be visible Members of a Christian Society that had not power to discern spirits or intention but judge they might of Externals words or actions He wrote therefore to them v. 23 24 25. to take care of their Carriage and Conversation that was sensibly to be discerned in their Religious Assemblies That they did not decline or forsake Assembling nor in those Assemblies profession of Faith nor mutual Exhortation nor provocation to good Works For the Blood of the Covenant by