same Power and Authority to preach which they had c. If these Answers of the learned Defenders of the Protestant Cause are not true and catholick they are not good nor sufficient if they are good against the Papists they are strong for our Protestant dissenting-Preachers who if they be but Lay-men should be ordained but the very word Re-ordination doth imply an Ordination And Ordination is not to be repeated Praelection de Ecclesiâ c. 11. p. 283. altho it be disorderly and out of Course any more than Baptism in the Catholick Church saith the same Reverend Bishop Carlton I must keep my self to Generals for I do not know the particular Cases Scruples and Reasons of particular Persons Some have taken Episcopal Ordination that cannot conform that were ordained by Presbyters before those that have not scruple Re-ordination lest they should null their former and their Administrations and plead for themselves that they were innocent from the Exclusion of the Bishops And what if some songht Episcopal Ordination and were refused tho sufficiently recommended The most that were ordained were ordained by an Irish Bishop in London which needed not if all our English Bishops had been willing to ordain I could name one Bishop that did refuse to ordain that lived most conveniently for Access and the Ordination of that * An Irish Bishop Agadoensis was not Canonical nor free from just Offence But further even they who have the internal Call consisting of good Learning Knowledg in the Scriptures and are of a good exemplary Conversation and moved by the Spirit are not to be reckoned as Lay-men but next to Presbyters or Ministers according to the declared Judgment of great and eminent Protestants Arch-bishop Abbot added this Observation to the 9th Section of the second Chapter De Circumcisione Baptismo Questiones fox discussae c. perv Gâ—â— Abbatium pag. 109. Martin Bucer saith that some of the Lay men were admitted to read and interpret the Holy Scriptures in the Primitive and purer Church which they sometimes did perform in the presence of the Bishops and nameth Origen and others namely Such in whom the singular Gists of the Holy Spirit did appear that it might be manifest to the Rectors of the Churches that their Labour in instructing the People in the Mysteries of the Faith would not a little profit them And saith he If any Man add what the truly learned Hieron Zanchius speaks indefinitely when from the Practice of the purer Church they who were not in Holy Orders did preach the Gospel We answer There is a difference to be made between the simple Lay-man or the common sort to whom Power is given in the Romish Church to baptize and them who are instar Ministrorum Evangelic who are like the Ministers of the Gospel and who not only excel the common sort of Men for their Learning in holy things but are called by the special publick and common Decree of the Bishop and them that are over the Congregation publickly to interpret Scripture And these and not others the words of Bucor do note or point at c. Istos ego non audeo ad ordinariorum vulgarium Laicorum Conditiones revocare cum ad Presbyteros tam propè accedant I dare not bring down these to the Condition of ordinary and vulgar Lay-men that come so near to Presbyters or Ministers saith the learned Abbot of this sort there are scarce any to be found at this day saith he for the multitude of them that serve in Churches And whether Tertullian and Hierom speak of such as these that were permitted to baptize I leave to the Judgment of the Learned By these Testimonies we see how different the Judgment of too many of this present Age is from the Judgment and Candor of the most venerable Writers of former times Now Schismatick is but a common Name to distinguish the Nonconformists from the Church-men and one as in a fit of Kindness is far from charging them with Schism Defence of Dr. Stillingsleet pag. 69. if they would not leave the Church but conform as Lay-men as the Nonconformists did But did the old Nonconformists conform as Lay-men So I suppose we all conform but as Lay-men when we do not officiat as Ministers we answer as People answer and do no more than People do But I think the old Nonconformists did reckon themselves when they left their Livings as much and as truly Ministers as they did when they had their Livings and did preach publickly by Connivance as Ministers in most Counties Our present Nonconformists would thankfully accept the Favour which most of the old did enjoy till Conformity grew too hot even for many Conformists I need not name the Times nor the Planets that then bore Rule But who can forbear lamenting the Condition of our Brethren and of multitudes of precious Souls Is there any Man qualisied with a Competency of Learning that can say he is moved by the holy Ghost that leads a good Life that promiseth to give himself to the Work of God but shall be acknowledged by the Ordainer to be called of God even before he layeth on his Hands but if this very same Man shall afterwards scruple or refuse to assent to all and every thing c. he shall no longer be accounted by some Men as a Man called of God but must become again as a Lay-man or else he cannot escape being a Schismatick which is enough to tempt a Man to think that these make the Gift of Subscribing and the Faculty of assenting and consenting to other Mens Inventions to be the essentiating and constituting Qualification of a Minister without which tho he be never so well furnished with other Gifts he shall be accounted but a Lay-man and must do no more than a Lay-man or else there 's no avoiding the odious Crime of Schism And hence this Notion may arise like a Meteor in the Firmament of the Church to be gazed upon and afford matter of Observation if not of Prediction That Conformity to an Ordinance of Men doth effectually make a Minister of Jesus Christ in the Church of England and while he continneth in the same Mind he was in at 24. Years of Age all his life-time and be not prepared to submit to all after-Devices that may be added he shall fall from the Grace and Dignity of his Ordination and Ministry and return to his first simple Being of remotely disposed matter of meer Laity If it be said no for he being once ordained he is a Minister of the Universal Church Well that 's true but if he cannot conform to every Point then he cannot exercise his Ministry in this Church and then the Consequence is obvious such are the Conditions of the exercise of the Ministry in the Church of England at this day that a Minister of the Universal Church cannot exercise his Office no not in any Chappel of Easd in this Kingdom except he submit
Poverty and many Miseries And let it be noted The like is gratefully acknowledged by the Godly and Reverend Bishop if Co k of a Nonconformist p. 73. that I am obliged to acknowledg the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit upon the preaching of several of them towards my Salvation and having known the proof and Power of Christ speaking in them I dare not deny them before Men lest I also deny Christ Jesus my Saviour in them There are several learned holy laborious and successful Ministers that were our Instructors in our younger time who have conformed but not so many as refused to conform within my Knowledg as I could name but for offending them and some other Reasons of my Silence and in those times of Liberty these seemed to be all of one Mind in the Lord. I and many more rejoyced in their Light and some of them were among Preachers as Solomon saith As the Apple-Tree is among the Trees of the Wood we sate under their Shadow with great Delight and their Fruit was pleasant to our Taste I could name the wise Master-builders that laid the Foundation other than which no Man can lay I could name the Paul and the Apollos and the Peters that preached to the Heart the Barnabas and the Boanerges the Friends of the Bridegroom that woed and besought us and would not be denied till our Souls had received Christ Jesus the Lord some of them are at rest in the Lord and let their Names be blessed and others are in the Cloud and Storm and Warfare and to add Bonds to their many Afflictions is no small unkindness to Religion We know of what Spirit they were that digg'd up the Bodies of Wikcliff and other Saints it is not hard to find of what Spirit they are that rake into the Ashes of the Dead and sprinkle them with their profane Wit which is like Salt that has loss its Savour not good for the Dunghil it proceeds not from that Charity which covers a multitude of Sins 5. Whether they who are called of God to the Work of the Ministry should forsake and renounce their Calling and look upon themselves as Lay-men and be but as Lay-men because they are ejected out of their Places and conform not to the Injunctions of the Law Many of the Nonconformists have Episcopal Ordination shall they forbear all Ministerial Acts and do but what any Master of a Family should do instruct their own Family and admit four more to a Participation of the Benefit shall they renounce their Calling who declared their Trust that they were moved by the Holy Ghost to take the Office of Deacon whom the Arch-Deacon declared when presented to the Priesthood he thought them apt and meet for their Learning and godly Conversation and the Bishop declared after due Examination We find not the contary but that they be lawfully called to their Function for whom the Bishop prayed and whom he hoped that they have determined by God's Grace to give them wholly to this Office whereunto God hath called them and also called to declare and profess before God Angels and the Congregation that they were truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ give faithful Diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and this Church received according to the Commandments of God to drive away erroneous Doctrines to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations to sick and whole within your Cures as need shall require c. Can any discharge them from God's Call but God that called them Can they sit still and do no Ministerial Work These other Arguments are urged by heavenly Mr Jos Allen say to Archippus c. that have been devoted to the Ministry that have been prayed for and exhorted to give themselves wholly to it Or do they cease to be Ministers except it be in that Cure to which they were instituted and inducted Then are we made tho not Independent yet Congregational Ministers and are Ministers only in that particular Congregation If they ought not to renounce their Ministry then they may preach and do other Ministerial Offices as they have opportunity Others are not Episcopally ordained but if they are moved by the Holy Ghost are learned exercised in the Scriptures are of Godly Conversation and give themselves to the Work are not they called of God If not what 's the meaning of the fore-cited Word in the ordering of Priests and Deacons Then shall the Bishop say unto the People Good People these are they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the Office of Priesthood For after due Examination we find not the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry and be persons meet for the same Doth not the Bishop look upon them as internally called and that internal Calling declared and signified and therefore receives them And tho they have not Episcopal Imposition of Hands if they have Imposition of Hands of Presbyters and are set apart by Fasting and Prayer are they not more than Lay-men or private Believers They who say they are but Lay-men have no better Reasons than the Romanists had who called our Reformed Bishops no true Bishops nor Priests Anthony Champney dedicated or rather directed his Book of the Vocation of Bishops c. to Arch-Bishop Abbot with no higher Title then To Mr George Abbot called Aroh-bishop of Canterbury And the most eminent Defenders of our Protestant Religion tho they asserted a Power of Ordination to reside in the Bishop as without whom there was no regular Ordination See Mr. Fran Mason §. 7 9. Defence of Ordination yet they justified the calling of Forreign Divines and Churches by Presbyters without Bishops and the Reasons they used to vindicate them will serve to vindicato those among us D. Jo. White 's Works way to the true Church §. 53. p. 211. that have no other And when as he the Jesuit saith They Luther and Calvin succeeded no Apostolick Bishops neither had any Calling to preach that now Faith I answer That for the External Sucecssion where of we have spoken we care nor it is sufficiont that in Doctrine they succeeded the Apostles and Primitive Churches It is the Custom of the Catholick Church See Dr. Field of the Church Book 3 c. 39. Consensus Eccles Cathol centra Trident. pralectionibus c. 11. de Ecclesia R. 289. Bishop Biron of Subjection Par. 3. p. 535. 4o. ut Episcopi legitime ordinent sed siquis a Presbytere ordinats fuerit Ordinatio illa etiam vera est ex ejusdem Ecclesiae Catholicae judicio saith the Reverend Bishop Carlton and Bishop Bilson that learned Defender of Bishops Answers Philander Phil. The Apostles Commission we know but yours we do not know Theop You cannot be ignorant of ours if you know theirs so long as we teach the same Doctrine which they did we have the
of Union as natural and political Every Christian is united to Christ by the Spirit of Christ's working Faith and Faith perceiving or seeing Christ to be what he is and what he is made of God to us doth attract Love to him which is intire sincere fervent By Faith and Love the renewed gracious Soul doth confederate with and consent and submit to Jesus Christ according to the Articles of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace Every Member of Christ is a part of the whole and there is the same Spirit in all they are all Members of Christ and Members one of another and that Spirit Faith and Love which unites to Christ doth unite them one to another This Union is from active operating Principles and Graces which are quickened and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ making use commonly of outward Means and Ordinances to that End And these Graces or the New Man so quickened and assisted exercise that Power towards Christ and one another and this mutual Exercise of Grace is our Communion with Christ and his with us and of one towards another according to our various Conditions in mutual Care Sympathy Compassion and Joy 1 Cor. 12.25 26. This Communion with Christ and one another in this Life is but imperfect we understand but in part and our Faith serves and helps us but in an imperfect State and by Consequence our Love is weak and other Graces are at best but in a growing Condition Our Administrations and Communnion in Ordinances have great Imperfections according to the weakness of our Perceptions Light and Judgment and other Graces And suppose our Love were strong and intire to one another yet in this bad Light we are subject to many great Errors and Mistakes And our Union and Agreement lies 1. In one general End God's Glory 2. In one Common Principle of Operation or Efficient Cause the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. In one way and means of Conveyance and Acceptation Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Advocate 4. In one General Rule the Holy Scriptures and the Institutions of Jesus Christ the Law-giver where there are these Ones there is Catholick Unity There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your Calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all which is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.4 5 6 c. The ancient true Bonds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Polity saith the Lord Bacon Vbi supra p. 4. our Disagrement is in the latter we agree in the first and principal From this Union proceeds Communion for the Church the Body of Christ consisting of living Members quickened by the renewing sanctifying Spirit and exercising the Graces received have Communion with God through and by the Spirit and with one another as Children of the same Heavenly Father and Subjects of the same Heavenly King and Members of the same Family And this Communion is held maintained exercised and increased by Laws and Ordinances in the Observation of which there is a conveyance of many and great Priviledges and Benefits This Union and Communion is either inward or outward inward in being joined to the Lord and to one another in being of one Mind and Heart Outward and that 's twofold 1. In spiritual things 2. In outward and carnal things 1. In spiritual things So the first Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayers Acts 2.42 And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of Bread from House to House did eat their Meat with Gladness and Singleness of Heart praising God c. Vers 46 47. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another Heb. 10.24 25. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Col. 3.16 Exhorting one another Heb. 3.13 Comforting one another 1 Thess 4.18 Edifying one another Chap. 5.11 Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 Confessing their Faults one to another and praying one for another c. James 5.16 2. In outward and carnal things Acts 2.44 45. c. 4.32 34 35. c. 5.4 Heb. 13.16 1 Tim. 6.17 18 c. This kind of Communion is beside the Subject now in hand It is said there can be no Union without Communion be it so Is not that Communion both of Churches Pastors and Persons a sufficient Communion to free any Churches or Persons from the Guilt of Schism which is answerable and proportionable to the Union of the Body of Christ and agreeable to the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ His Ordinances are sufficient Means and Instances of Communion without any Additions of Forms and Ceremonies we have his Law and Form of Admission into his Family and Church Baptism And being baptized by one Spirit into one Body we have his Word which is sufficient to make us wise unto Salvation and to make the Man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work we have a Form and Pattern of Prayer and Directions and Matter for all manner of Prayer we have a Sacrament for Communion and Confirmation we have what Christ thought sufficient Means of Communion in all and every Nation that should receive the Gospel and by Consequence for the universal and every particular Church And it is observed what the Spirit of Christ did to preserve Unity and prevent Schism He gave diversities of Gifts for divers Administrations and Operations The Church is compared to a Body consisting of different Members in Subordination for Service and Usefulness some to do the Office of an Eye others of an Ear some of a Hand others of a Foot some honourable and some dishonourable that there should be no Schism in the Body 1 Cor. 12. He inspired holy Men and they spake as inspired by him but not the same form of Words without a great variety not the same Form of Prayer in the same Words and Syllables no not the same Form of Words to a word in the Institution of the Lord's Supper St. Mark leaves out Drink ye all of it Mark 14.23 and for Remission of Sins ver 24. St. Luke adds to This is my Body given for you Do this in Remembrance of me Chap. 22.19 20. to the Cup which is shed for you and not as the other two Evangelists And St. Paul delivers to the Corinthians what he received from the Lord and adds to St. Matth. and Mark and varies from St. Luke This is my Body which is broken for you and keeps the words of St. Luke In Remembrance of me but adding As oft as ye do it in Remembrance of me after the Cup 1 Cor. 11.23 24. If either of these Holy Apostles gave the
Ghost who was promised and sent by Jesus Christ 3. Being in some lower measure at first prepared and fitted for their Work the Holy Ghost is the prime and effectual Mover of them to exercise those Gifts which they have received in the Service of their Master in Heaven Jesus Christ And this that great and solemn Interrogatory which requires a sincere sensible solemn and serious Answer our Ordination doth put out of doubt Do you trust that you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost The ordering of Deacons to take upon you this Office c Answ I trust so 4. Being prepared and moved by the Holy Ghost they offer themselves unto and are called by some in a Church where a Church is constituted to exercise those Abilities received from Christ by the Holy Spirit for the Ends of the Gospel the Salvation of immortal Souls 5. All that the Bishops and Pastors of the Church are required to do or can do as Ordainers is to try their Fitness and Disposition and finding them fit to approve and separate them to the Office of the Ministry to declare them to have Authority to exhort them to Diligence and Faithfulness in their Office and to testify this to the Church 6. No Bishop or Pastors can justly refuse and justify the refusal before Jesus Christ to whom they must give an account of any Person duly qualified with necessary Qualifications for the Ministry for it is a Sin to refuse him whom Christ hath by his Spirit fitted for and excited to his Work by his Spirit 7. As long as their Gifts and Abilities are continued and the Holy Ghost doth continue his gracious Motions and Assistances so long these Ministers must continue in the Exercise and discharge of their Office for there is the same Reason to continue them as there was to admit them they continuing the same 8. Their fitness for the Work of the Ministry consisting in soundness of Knowledg and Faith aptness to teach gift of Utterance declared Resolutions and undertaking to teach and do what Christ hath commanded with Perseverance therein as a Guide and Example to the Flock are sufficient Conditions of admittance into the Ministry of the Gospel To do all things decently and in order and to Edification are necessary by the Law of Christ's Kingdom and not indifferent It may well be questioned whether any Man otherwise fitted for the Ministry should be refused because he refuseth to subscribe vow promise declare to any doubtful controverted Conditions of Admission or Continuance which are commonly invented by controversial contentious and imperious Men who do not only propose their Conceptions to others but make them a Standard and Measure to regulate other Mens Minds and Practices and not only so but think it meet that all shall be punished that disagree and dissent from them For the Confirmation of these things with the Authority of the Church of England Let us observe the Form of ordering Priests and Deacons The Preface saith The Bishop knowing either by himself or by sufficient Testimony any Person to be of vertuous Conversation and without Crime and after Examination and Trial finding him learned in the Latine Tongue and sufficiently instructed in Holy Scripture may admit him Deacon The Bishop saith to the Arch-Deacon Take heed that the Persons whom you present unto us be apt and meet for their Learning and Godly Conversation The Bishop examines them in the presence of all the People Do you trust you are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this Office Do you think you are truly called according to the Will of our Lord Jesus Christ Do you unfeignedly believe all the Canonical Scripture of the Old and New Testament Then opening his Office he asks him Will you do this gladly and willingly Will you apply your Diligence to frame and fashion your own Lives and of your Families according to the Doctrine of Christ and be Examples of the Flock of Christ The other Question relates to the Government of this Church as Obedience to the Ordinary and his godly Admonitions which is a local Condition in order to their Admission under our Church-form of Government which is disputed by some of the Parties when any is presented to the Priest-hood The Bishop cautions the Arch-Deacon Take heed that the Persons whom you present unto us be apt and meet for their Learning and godly Conversation to exercise their Ministry duly to the honour of God and the edifying his Church I think them so to be Then shall the Bishop say unto the People Good People these are they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the Holy Office of Priest-hood for after due Examination we find not to the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry and that they be Persons meet for the same Note from this that Learning and Godly Conversation are the constituting Qualifications of a Man lawfully called to the Function of the Ministry In the Collect afterwards they pray God to replenish them with the Truth of his Doctrine adorn them with Innocency of Life that both by Word and good Example they may faithfully serve him in this Office c. Then follow the Epistle and Gospel after which the Oath of Supremacy is given and after that an Exhortation to remember their high Dignity and weight of their Charge i.e. to be Messengers Watchmen Stewards of the Lord to teach premonish feed provide for the Lord's Family to seek Christ's Sheep that are dispersed abroad and for his Children who are in the midst of this naughty World that they may be saved through Christ for ever Have always printed in your Memories how great a Treasure is committed to your Charge the Sheep of Christ Covetous Non-Residents and negligent Residents is hereby condemned and a personal Inspection required which some of our Brethren call Gossiping others Conventicling bought with his Death the Congregation which you serve is his Spouse and his Body And if it shall happen any Member of that Church take any hurt by your Negligence ye know the Greatness of the Fault and also the horrible Punishment that will ensue See that you never cease your Labour your Care and Diligence until you have done all that lieth in you to bring all under your Charge to Agreement in Faith and Ripeness of Age in Christ that there be no Error in Religion or Viciousness of Life ye ought to pray earnestly for his holy Spirit consider how studious you ought to be in reading and learning the Scriptures and framing your Manners and of yours according to the Scriptures and for this Cause ye ought to lay aside all worldly Cares and Studies we have good hope that you have clearly determined by God's Grace to give your selves wholly to this Office whereunto it hath pleased God to call you c. This is enough to prove their Fitness and their Call to the Ministry and such as are
confirming their Prayers and Thanks with saying Amen and other Divine Service than this they had none Pag. 636. We do not think that Basil or Chrysostom would take upon them to make a new Form of Church-Service if St. James the Apostle had done it before them From this Testimony it is clear that if Uniformity in one Form of Worship or Common-Prayer and Ceremonies be necessary for Church-Union then there was no Church-Union or Catholick-Communion in the Apostolical-Churches because there was no Form or Order of Divine Service set and prescribed But there was the most Christian and Catholick Communion in that Diversity therefore Catholick Union and Communion without one prescribed and set Form And hence the Dissenting Brethren have the Countenance of an ancient venerable Bishop of Winchester for them and to convince their Troublers for using a Worship different from the Liturgy of the Church of England Prophe-ying praying praising God are parts of God's Worship tho in differing Words and Method they are the same Divine Worship And who act nearest the Primitive Pattern of the Apostles and purest times they who worship God in Christ by the Spirit or they who will not suffer them Object But the Apostles and Teachers had the Guidance of the Spirit Answ They had but that Assistance which they had for performing the Worship of God was not extraordinary or peculiar to their Times because Gospel-Worship was to be performed in all After-ages of the Church Qâ—o in loco scil Jo. 20. ostendiâ— eum solum â—osse baptizare temissionem peccatorum dare qui habeat Spiâ—itum Sanctum Cyprian ad magnum and by Consequence the Assistance of the Spirit was to continue to all Ministers in succeeding Ages without whose Assistance we can do nothing And the Holy Spirit doth continue to give Gifts and Graces to his Ministers and People and if one Form were absolutely necessary for all Ages it is a wonder that the Apostles did not leave us one Form is but a mode and to be used or not used as is most for Edisication and they that use it not should not condemn them that use it and they who use it should not as I conceive judg them as Schismaticks that use it not but joyn one with another Object But it is a Disorder in the same Church and Government and not to be born it looks like a different Religion Answ The Romanists have often charged the Church of England with permitting different Religionsin the Nation But let the same learned Bishop answer for me In England the People Pag. 15. both strange and liege worship God the Father in Spirit and Truth according to the Gospel of his Son agreeing together in the Substance of one Faith and the right Order of Christ's Sacraments Only Strangers are suffered in their Churches to use their own Tongue and retain their own Ceremonies as be neither against Faith nor adverse to good Manners and therefore by St. Augustine's Judgment may go for indifferent and may be born in Christian Vnity without Offence or Confusion Oh! if this Doctrine were believed in our days the People of God might be said to rest at Noon And he was not singular In Doctrinâ Fidei Orthodoxae Professione discordia inter nos nulla saith the learned Crakenthorp of the Puritans Hac integrâ in Ritibus Defensione Eccles Angl. contra Spalat c. 43. p. 254. Disciplinsi discrimen ferendum utrique scimus Difference in Ceremonies and Discipline was tolerable in their Opinion but now intolerable The Champions of the Church of England in former days against the Papists were moderate when we know there was a different way of Discipline and Decency secretly practised If Doctrine be the direction of Practice to be moderate in Doctrine but severe in Practice and Execution is to put out the Candle and kindle a Fire to preach Charity but to shew no Mercy To draw towards a Conclusion Let us but truly judg of the elder Nonconformists with righteous Judgment 1. Before his Majestie 's wonderful Restauration in all Countries and Places where they lived and preached who did rebuke reprove exhort and fulfil all parts of Minsters more than they Who maintained Protestant Doctrines preached for Conviction Conversion Holiness and Righteouness more than they Who vindicated all Ordinances from some that pretended to live above them Others that denied the necessity and use of them and from the Profanation of sacred Things And who did more forwardly assist and concur to settle the Government upon ancient Foundations and in the Inheritor of the Royal Throne Who were more hated by impious Sects or that laboured more to convince and reduce them than they 2. At that time and since how highly were they placed in the King 's good Opinion as is fully expressed in his Royal Declaration 3. They did shew a Forwardness and Zeal to settle the Church denying their own private Opinions to lay down solid Foundations for a Comprehensive Church 4. When they quietly submitted to the Law of their Ejectment did they did any of them sow Sedition or ill Principles of Faction was their Exhortation of deceit or guile to incense their loving Auditors or oblige and conjure them to any thing inconsistent with the Gospel or unlike Men as going from the Pulpit to God's Tribunal to give him an Account of their Doctrine Faith manner of Life see any of their broken Notes and Farewell-Sermons printed much to their Disadvantage Testify against them who can 5. Except they had renounced their sacred Calling and silenced themselves who could have imployed their Labours with more inoffensiveness to Authority more Toil to themselves and more Profit to precious Souls and less Opposition to the publick than they did as will appear in Instances An honourable Member Sir H. C. Anno 1670 71 in full Parliament took notice of it that there were no Conventicles yes they took pains to preach when others were at rest in great Privacies and Solitudes And let 's be just who hath made any Observation of People and Assairs that will not say for one Schismatick we had had many had it not been for their great Industry and who for all that are Schismaticks but they See Mr. Allen Say to Archippus p. 23. scil your not p eaching will occasion Separation indeed c. It is not Thanks-worthy to keep poor weak Souls in the Faith and Truth except they turn Lay-men and all come up even to the Rails i. e. to the heighth 6. God and the King made their Assemblies so numerous and publick God by a tremendous course of Judgments yet remembring Mercy The King after 12 Years Experience of fruitless Severity sent out his Declaration of Indulgence Some of themselves have published the Providence of God but it is not worth the noting and they that are resolved on their way will not be hindred by making Observation even of the Works of God When God sent a dreadful Plague
best is they dissented from the Law without Impeachment of their Loyalty to the King for they would gladly have submitted to his Terms and could not obey the Law without any great Dishonour to the Legislative Power for they only dissent from a few Men who then could sway enow to do their Work They must not only do but they must subscribe Is that true of the same wise Lord Bacon Their urging Subscriptions to their own Articles is but lacessere irritare morbos Ecclesiae which otherwise would spend and crush themselves And it is true there are some which as I am perswaded will not easily offend by Inconformity who notwithstanding make some Conscience to subscribe For they know this note of Inconstancy Page 35. and Defection from what they have long held shall disable that Good which otherwise they would do When they have done this they must assent and consent c. Non consensum quaerit sed dissidium auget qui quod factis praestatur verbis exigit He seeketh not Union but Division which exacteth inwardly that which Men are content to yield in outward Action the same great Man still If some of the things themselves be small yet it is not a small thing that is required of us about them namely a Declaration and Subscription our unfeigned Assent c yea our quiet Submission to the use of them as tolerable sufficeth not as we apprehend Principles and Practices of the N.C. p. 13. c. saith the wise and holy Mr. Corbet I know all is sheltred under and fathered upon the Law but who invented who formed these things Had they the Catholick Spirit Wisdom Charity Authority of the whole Church in them to which all must yield Assent and to whom all must consent under peril they could not but know there were and would be Dissents and Disatisfactions they could not but know these Injunctions could not be so pleasing to the generality of the Kingdom and Church who had received the King's Declaration with such Applause and Gratulation And here may the fifteenth Query of the learned and judicious Sir Thomas Overbury come in Men are not Masters of their own Perswasions and can not change their Thoughts as they please He that believes any thing concerning Religion cannot turn as the Prince commands him or accommodate himself to the Law or his present Interests except he turn Atheist c. Reverend Dr. Purnet's Preface before the History of the Rights of Prince pag. 49. Whether to require Conformity in Practice where there is difference in Judgment be not to command a Man to act against Light and Conscience and consequently to sin and Query XXI c. 3. Whether it doth not imply that if a Man assent to all Articles of Faith to the Doctrine of the Apostles concerning the Authority of the Magistrate concerning Decency and Order and things indifferent and be otherwise fitted for preaching the Gospel and Administration of all Ordinances yet except he do assent and consent to all things required by some modern Bishops and Clergy-men it shall avail him nothing he shall be uncapable to officiate and whether these modern Church-men do not set up themselves above and exercise an Authority to dictate most absolute and higher than the Apostles did who were next to Christ himself 4. Suppose a Man be a lawfully ordained Minister i. e. by Bishops as many of the Nonconformists are or able and fit in respect of soundness of Faith Utterance Aptness to teach and be scrupulous of the Truth of some Proposition which is no Article of Faith or of some Ceremony and Modes of Practice is it not hard that for some Weakness of Understanding he cannot assent to what is formed by others not infallible that he should be uncapable of the Exercise of the Ministry and the Church deprived of his other Abilities for that Mistake Weakness or call it Error Our Saviour bore with his Disciples when he reproved them Are ye yet without Vndrstanding and did not turn them out 5. Whether Assent and Consent to some human Laws Rites and Ceremonies upon which neither Faith nor Unity depends be not hereby made more necessary for Exercise and Practice than the assenting to Articles of Faith or than preaching the Gospel or by consequence the Salvation of Immortal Souls It is true there is a vast difference in the nature of the things but as to Capacity and Incapacity to minister in the holy Office it is all one for a Man to refuse Assent and Consent to every thing as it is to an Article of the Creed 6. Or that Conformity to Order and the use of the Liturgy a monthly Sermon or a Homily is more for the Edification of the Church than diligent and constant preaching without a particular Assent to all every thing Which I will freely speak it can be affirmed by none but a Man that sets light by his own Salvation and never personally conversed with his own Flock or knows the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace or Eternal Life or the Practice of the Primitive Church Hitherto I have laboured to open the nature of the Cause of these Proceedings against our Protestant Brethren and it is their Nonconformity passive and active the first of which is a refusal of the modern Terms of Church-Freedom the second is a worshipping of God in Christ according to the Rule of the Holy Scripture as nearly as they can discern it and after the common either allowed or not disallowed manner of the Reformed Protestant Churches and particular this of England And in what they do they follow the same Rule and act from the same Principles which our first Reformers professed and their learned Defenders have maintained And three Questions shall take up the whole of what 's to follow 1. Whether they the Protestant Nonconformists justly deserve to be silenced suppressed and punished as they have been and are 2. Whether they are not at least to be permitted and indulged 3. Whether we ought not to unite and become one by removal or abating the things that divide and break us so that we may hold mutual and actual Communion in the same Exercises of Religion without fear of offending our Superiours thereby or any other So much hath not been spoken of the first Question in the Second Plea but that much more may be produced to encline if not draw the sensible Reader to the right side of the Question 1. It is clear that they are not deposed and prosecuted for such Crimes as were meritorious of Deposition in the Ancient Church by their Canons those Crimes were Fornication Perjury Theft Let a Bishop Presbyter or Deacon convicted of Fornication Perjury or Theft be deposed but with caution that he be not separated Canons called the Apostles Canons i. e. from the Communion of the Faithful as Balsamon expounds non segregetur adding a Reason for this Moderation that no Man be punished twice for the
same Fault as saith the Scripture Nah. 1.9 as the learned Mr. Beveredge in his Notes upon those Canons hath observed Is it likely these should be Canons of the Apostles contrary to 1 Cor. 5.11 Or if they be genuine and ancient how disagreeing is the modern Usage of the Nonconformists who are convicted of no such Crimes according to the ancient Canons but yet who are for their Nonconformity punished in several Courts and several times and ways Deposition is judged Punishment sufficient saith Zonaras so Aristenus for to subject to a double punishment omnino inhumanum est is altogether inhuman Other Canons command a Bishop Presbyter or Deacon to be deposed that beat offending Believers or Infidels that have done wrong Can. 27. If a Bishop Presbyter or Deacon obtain his Dignity with Money let him be deposed and he that ortained him Can. 29. If a Bishop have made use of Secular Princes to obtain a Church let him be deposed and excommunicated If a Presbyter contemning his own Bishop shall separate from him and set up an Altar without Cause or blameless either in respect of Religion or Justice let him be deposed Can. 31. But this is not the Case of our Nonconformists Duarenus reckons the deposing and ejecting Crimes to be 1. Simoniacal Ambition 2. Incontinency 3. Perjury 4. Manslaughter 5. Treason 6. Or besides these Crimes any legal Infamy But Panormitan admonisheth that they were not to observe the Severity of the ancient Canons because the Men of this Age are not like those ancient Men or Men of ancient Times Duaren de sacris Eccles-Ministris c. l. 8. c. 6. There are other Causes which touch not our Brethren but other Men much nearer 2. In what they do they proceed upon Principles common to all Christians and Protestant Churches in taking the Word of God for their Rule as a divine and perfect Rule The Christian Faith as they of the Church of Rome had explained it was a Submission to the Church The Reforming finding that this was the Spring of all their Errors and that which gave them Colour and Authority did on the other hand set up the Strength of their whole Cause on an explicit believing the Truth of Scriptures because of the Authority of God who had revealed them saith the Reverend Dr. Burnet History of the Refor Book 3. p. 286. It were easy to be copious on this Argument They who began the Reformation laboured in translating and publishing the Scriptures and would have all their Doctrines tried by them The Reverend Bilson bids the Papists Prove your Religion and Service which you stoutly and falsely term Catholick to be commanded by Christ or else Women and Children be they never so silly will collect by the manifest Words of our Saviour that their Promise in Baptism doth straitly bind them from believing your Errors and admitting your Masses until you shew good and effectual Warrant out of the Word of God that you do what Christ did and teach what he taught without adding or altering any jot For this is the Duty that Baptism requireth of us to believe no Teacher but one which is Christ to follow no Stranger to regard and obey no Lord or Law-maker in the Church but only the Son whom the Father appointed to be Master and Leader Subject part 1. foreing to Religion p. 18. and Ruler of the Gentiles This being a Principle common to all the Protestant Reformers they who hold it and no other repugnant to it or inconsistent with it Jewel's Apolog. c. 16. Divis 1 2. C. 17. Divis 1 2. every true Protestant must needs hold they ought not to be punished for walking after it And suppose any particular Man or Denomination of Men err in their Superstructures and Consequences yet whether that Error be not a tolerable Error and not a punishable Crime which is consistent with Piety and Charity may be left to the Judgment of every charitable Christian 3. According to this Rule and Principle they frame their Worship and model their Government and Discipline and they that keep to that though by different Schemes having their Flaws and Failings they cannot err a damnable Error and if not damnable it is want of Charity that will judg it intolerable And there are those General Rules and Directions which direct us as by a Patern they direct us to our End God's Glory and mutual Edification the outward manner Decency and Order and altho in particular Decencies and Rules of Order there may be a Diversity yet all agree about Order and the greatest Disagreement is in some Points of Decency which are but Accidents which are no Parts of Divine Worship as the Reverend Bishop Abbot writes The Means by Christ the Spring and Pranciple the holy Spirit the Matter Word and Sacraments Traditions p. 844 in Defence of Mr. Perkins and do properly and immediately respect Men. It is a hard Case to punish all Men that are not of the same Complexion or that cannot see alike clearly tho they walk with us in the same way of Faith and Holiness and Peace The Church of Christ never bred that Notion that Church-Unity and Communion doth consist in Accidents no more than Humane Nature in Complexion Shape Stature or of Children in Cloaths of the same Colour Fashion Length c. 4. And once again they are punished for Nonconformity and besides what hath been said elsewhere in particular besides the Consideration of the wicked Design Sedition Rebellion and Schism and the odious Pretence take the Law in the Strictest Sense of it and any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England seems to be forbidden by it It seems to be unsafe for any to punish upon this Law and it is hard to be punished by it it signifies something but certainly what is very dubious For in the Liturgy i. e. Book of Common-Prayer there are two things only 1. Rules Directions and Orders called Rubricks 2. The Parts of the Worship and Ceremonies ordered prescribed and directed by them It seems the meaning of the Law is That no other Exercise of Religion shall be lawful without the Common-Prayer both Matter and Rites according to the Rubrick but then the Words of the Act agree not because the Practice of the Church in many Places is different from the manner of the Liturgy as others have proved by Instances The Practice of all Cathedrals may not be alike for ought I know The Practice of the Cathedral and Parish-Churches are not the same as all Men know nor of one Parish like another while so many go beyond the Rule the Practice of some Churches and Colledge-Chappels and some Chappels differ from others some reading all Psalms and Canticles and Chapters on Wednesdays and Fridays and others reading only some Prayers and the Litany * And this is according to the manner of the Church of England in Q Eliz. days Vid. Injunct