accept of It must be a Worship not only in Spirit opposite to the way of carnal Sacrifices and the Numerousness of Jewish Ceremonies and external Rites but also in Truth opposite to all false superstitious or otherwise sinful ways which really are not Worship but Prophaneness For in Christianity the true Worshippers as our Lord says are they who worship God in Spirit and in Truth Jo. 4. 23 24. Yea as he adds the Father seeketh such to worship him v. 23. And if he seeketh such Worshippers his devoted Servants who have no other aim but to find him and to be found by him must seek out such Assemblies where such Worship is paid to him And thus also St. Peter says of those Sacrifices the joynt-communion wherein is to bind us together into one spiritual House that they must be such spiritual Sacrifices as are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Pet. 2. 5. So that the Unity in Worship and Prayers which we are bound to keep with other Christians or Assemblies is only whilst they meet to put up Holy Prayers coming in among them as live stories to make part of their spiritual House whilst they offer up such Sacrifices as may be fit to find acceptance as we heard from St. Peter And thus the Peace which St. Paul orders us to pursue is with those who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart not with those who as the Gnosticks were like enough to do prophaned him by a sinful Worship or impure Petitions 2 Tim. 2. 22. And the bond of external Peace is where we may lawfully keep the unity of the spirit which is not to be kept in sinful Offices but only in pure ones Eph. 4. 3. or where in following after the things which make for Peace we may withal follow such things wherewith we may edifie not corrupt and ensnare one another Rom. 14. 19. Particularly as to the Pactors who are the Heads of those Assemblies one chief Character of theirs as they are set over us and chief ground of our Dependance and Obligations to keep under them is as they are Ministers of Prayers And that as they minister such Prayers as are fit to serve the necessary ends and purposes of all Prayer that is to worship and honour God and to benefit us or to bring down Blessings from him And if we who must seek out for Prayers are tyed to them as Ministers of holy and acceptable Prayers that Obligation towards them ceases when instead of administring such they fall to minister profane ones And thus there is a just Ground to break off or a Liberty of seperating from Assemblies even of Rightful Pastors for pure Christian Administrations Not for Purity from mere Defects or for Administrations more edifying which is the Pretence of our Anti-Episcopal Dissenters but for Purity from Sin and wicked Mixtures That is that they may have a Worship and Religious Service without mixture either of Idolatry or of Immorality That they may meet with nothing to reproach or dishonour God therein or to disturb and wound a pious Affection when they should be most helped and encouraged in exercise thereof being come to serve and worship him When they are thus barr'd out by any wicked mixtures unless necessity and want of better drive them to make shift therewith they are no longer tyed to resort to such Offices but are free to seek out for better at the hands of any other Regular and Authorised Pastors and ought to communicate in them if they can have them For sinful Prayers are a sinful Sacrifice as the Oblations of blemished of blind and lame and sick for Sacrifice were among the Jews Mal. 1. 8. Levit. 22. 19 20 22. Deut. 15. 21. And whatever Toleration it might meet with in want of better yet if any man hath in his Flock a Male or one fit to make a legal and perfect Offering cursed be he saith the Prophet that voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1. 13 14. But the Ground of this breaking off is higher still if 2. They do not only put impious and unlawful things into their sacred Offices or Confessions but admit none to communion in any of the good parts unless they particularly concur in these corrupt ones too The former sets men loose that they lawfully may and where they have opportunities of better ought to break off from them But this drives and necessitates them that they must do so and can not for the supply of any Necessities stay to associate and assemble with them And thus it is when any Bishops will admit no Members or when any Churches will admit no other Churches to communicate with them unless they will agree to believe or profess some false Doctrine or partake and go along with them in those particular and unlawful Matters or evil Worship wherewithal they have clogged and corrupted their Communion Now when this is the Case nothing can legitimate Communion with such Bishops or Churches For though it is the duty and ought to be the desire and care of all good Christians to keep up the external Unity of the Church both under their own Bishops and with other Churches Yet must not this ever carry them to unite or to go along with them in ill things To be one with them in these Matters is to partake with them in their Sins which is not the Unity and Communion of Saints or Christians but of the ungodly or of evil-doers In such Points the more united any Society is the worse it is Such is the Union of all Infidel Churches who unite in utterly denying and opposing the Christian Faith And of Hereticks who incorporate under their seducing Heads to undermine or pervert it Yea even the infernal Spirits are united Polities without which Satans Kingdom could not stand as our Saviour says being associated and knit together to despite God and all that bears his Image But all this Union or Agreement of Men in damnable Errors or Wickedness is only combining against God and their own Souls And our Blessed Lord came not to bind up but to break such Combinations which the World then was full of I came not to send Peace but rather Divisiâ—n saith he that is to call People to break off from Error and Wickedness and to divide from the Adherers to ungodly ways Luk. 12. 51. So that the lamentableness of Mens not going all one way is true here where the Generality go the right way But when they are going wrong in ways of Guilt and Destruction to unite in Sin and Misery is a deplorable thing and there 't is best when the most divide and stand off from them Nor may they be wanting to their duty in some Points to keep on united to them in others They must not purchase Unity by sinfull Omissions or buy peace with the loss of innocence And therefore as I observed the watchmen must not be wanting in giving
so not in a state of Persecution when the secular Power sets it self to root out the Church and all Church-Powers and Ministrations Whereas these Powers were given to the Church bearing Christ's Cross and labouring under Persecutions and to continue in it always even to the end of the World under whatever circumstances as well when secularly Oppressed as when Protected Accordingly these spiritual Powers were held on by the Apostles when the secular Rulers declared against their Apostolical Authority and forbid them to Preach any more iâ— the Name of Jesus And by the Bishops and Clergy in all the succeeding Persecutions For all Persecutions of the Church were Persecutions of all Church Administrations and of Bishops and Priests in a more especial manner who were chief Actors and at the Head thereof Yea especiall Edicts and Prosecutions were made against them for being vested with these Authorities as the Title of St. Cyprian 's Proscription was for being Episcopus Christianorum or a Christian Bishop which Authorities therefore would no longer have belonged to them could a Persecuting Power have deprived or bereaved them thereof And this retaining their spiritual Powers will be allowed by their Adversaries who acknowledge that the deprivation of State is no Degradation to divest them of their Character or spiritual Powers conferr'd in Orders but only a debaring them of exercise thereof in their Dominions and in way of an incorporate Church under State Encouragements So that if they do exercise their Ministry there will be no want of Spiritual Powers to render their Acts Nullities or of no effect and validity before Christ. But only want of secular Benefices and enforcements to them and of submission as they alledge to the secular Power or of secular Obedience And having still their Episcopal and Ministerial Powers 't is next to be considered whether they stand bound to exercise and make use thereof 'T is not to be brought into this Question what is to be done herein on Worldly Arguments as they stand deprived of their Livelihoods and way of Maintenance how hard soever this may fall either upon themselves or their Families Which however it may abate or excuse especially to compassionate Natures yet is no justification of things that are otherwise unjustifiable on principles of Religion and Conscience But what is to be done on conscionable Arguments that are to rule their Determinations as Christians especially as Divines or that they may faithfully discharge their duty What is to be done by spiritually minded and mortified Men who are raised above this World and prefer God and Religion before themselves Nor is the Dispute Whether the Ministerial Powers be such a burthen that Men must be always pressing and obtruding the exercise thereof without any regard to the wants of the Place or the needs of the Church Necessity is laid upon me and woe be to me if I preach not the Gospel was spoke in the want of true Preachers when the Harvest was Great but the Labourers were Few It spoke a necessity introduced not merely by the Power of Orders but also by the circumstances of Times and Persons when the exercise thereof was necessary in want of Preachers for the use of the Church But in plenty of true Preachers there would not have been the same necessity nor would they have been bound to this exercise in place where there was no need of their Gifts but the same were exercised by others In this surplusage of Supplies for Church-uses and necessities the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets and their Powers must either be exercised or forborn and suspended as makes most for Order and Edification and the Peace of the Church But this exercise the deprived Bishops and Clergy are bound to in Duty and Conscience at such times If there is a need of their Ministrations then to provide for Religion and the Souls of Men or to prevent Men from being nursed up in destructive Ways as Immoral Practices and Immoral Worship and Devotions must be confessed to be To clear this it may not be amiss to consider First What Immoralities come in by a wrong payment of Allegiance to corrupt Religion and to endanger Souls Secondly What Provision good and faithful Pastors ought to make against such Dangers and Corruptions by the exercise of their Ministry First I shall briefly consider what Immoralities come in by a wrong Payment of Allegiance to corrupt Religion and to endanger Souls Whether this is actually the case of any Kingdom and the Allegiance required of them by their New Governors be directed and paid wrong I do not here discuss That makes another dispute viz. about the Right to the Crown contested betwixt the two Competitors in those Countries and the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of the New Oaths of Allegiance consequent thereupon which is exacted on such changes And this it is no part of the design of these Papers to argue or meddle with But when this really is the case in any Revolution as in this World God knows it is too often or among those Subjects who believe this is their case and that their Allegiance is call'd for to the Wrong against the Right Person Such as these are the Immoralities that will every-where corrupt Religion and endanger Souls whilst such wrong Payment lasts and which should be thought to do so among them viz. Then all that time whilst they are violently transferring their Allegiance from him to whom it still Remains rightfully due would Men in the general Practice of those Nations be wickedly disobeying and forceably resisting Gods Authority or the Father of the Fifth Commandment which extends to civil as well as natural Parents Then would they all that while be most openly and horribly breaking through all former Oaths of Allegiance Then would all who have promised and pay their Allegiance to drive out their ejected Prince out of any part of his Right or to keep him out thereof be actors of bare faced Iniquity and heinously unrighteous coveting and invading their Neighbours Goods And all force used against him or any other Persons for their adhering to his Cause would in Gods Account be oppression and unjust Violence all Spoils and Seisures of their Goods would be Thefts and Robberies and all shedding of their Blood all Cries and Clamours for it or rejoycing in it would be horrible Murders which not only they who acted but they who Wish'd or Prayed for or gave Thanks for when accomplished would be Guilty of All which are most dangerous and destructive ways and amount to a general Breach of Gods Commandments and to an open wast of Moral Honesty and Justice And all these would be the Dangers to Mens Souls in any Kingdom were the Translation of Allegiance such an unrighteous Perversion really and in it self Or they would be met with like Pastoral Provisions as if they were so Dangerous should the deprived Pastors believe and apprehend it to be such
Ministers since they in effect Preach them down and there is no Appearance of their being faithfully administred at all if not by them So that what ministerial Trusts they undertook or Promises they made of being ready with all Faithful Diligence to drive away all such erroneous Doctrine are more pressing upon them since then they rest on their Fidelity alone And this will be to answer the Apostles Rules of taking beed to all their Flocks when the Speakers of Perverse things arise to draw away Disciples after them Act. 20. 28 30. Of standing up against Deceivers that Teach things which they ought not and of Exhorting and Covincing and Stopping the Mouths of Gain-Sayers Tit. 1. 9 10 11. Of making full Proof of their Ministry when People have Teachers after their own Lusts yea will not bear sound Doctrine but heap up such to themselves having Itching Ears 2 Tim. 4. 3 5. Or 3. If they come recommended by Suitableness to Wordly and Carnal Passions and Interests which when once these Salvo's have reconciled them to Mens Consciences will be sure to gain innumerable Followers But especially if the Serupulous and Unwilling are driven into them by a sore and general Persecution This Case of Persecution I grant is an outward Discouragement to the true Pastors from Performing this Ministration because it will be sure to be hottest against them And it will be an Hindrance too from their Discharging it so fully and generally as they might do in a free and quiet Time If Meetings then are Fixt and of free Recourse and open̄ and Numerous they will miss of their End and the Effect will only be to be disturbed and carried before Magistrates not to go on in Prayers and Devotions Assemblies to partake in these Ministrations cannot be so regular and constant to Times and Places so free and full of Communicants and so easie and accessable to all those Members who desire and stand in need thereof when the Church is daily disturbed and persecuted and driven into the Wilderness as they may in Times of Peace and external Allowance And thus in the First Persecutions the Disciples assembled in the Evening and were careful to keep the Doors shut for Fear of the Jews Io. 20. 19 26. And St. Pauls Meeting on the First Day of the Week at Troas was held in an upper Chamber and in the Night-Time his Speech being continued until Mid-Night Act. 20. 7 8 9 11. And Pliny's Account to the Emperor Trajan of the Christians Meetings in that Persecution is that on their set times their manner was to Meet together before Day for their Solemn Worship and Sacraments But so far as they can Minister the Word of moral Truths against them in a persecuted and dispersed State and in such sort as that will admit of they have more Obligation to this Ministration by reason of the Persecution It makes the difficulty of this Ministration to be the more but the Duty of it to be never the less but the straighter likewise For the more others Persecute moral Duties and good Practice the more need there is for the Ministers thereof to stand up for them And the more any Faithful Souls are persecuted for them the more need there is for the Guides of Souls and the more Obligation lies on them by the best Ministrations they can to instruct and strengthen them therein They are then to Minister the Word not only to confirm them in their good Practices but also to support and comfort them under their hard Sufferings and to assist and arm them at all Points against their Persecutors and Spiritual Enemies that by Faith and Fortitude Patience and Charity they may bravely repel all their Assaults and gloriously Triumph over them Thus God blames the Shepheards of Israel because when the Flocks were Scatter'd none did search or seek after them when any were driven away none sought to bring them back again nor to Strengthen what was Diseased nor to bind up what was broken among them Ezek. 34. 4 5 6. And when the Woolf is coming to break in among the Sheep and to rear and scatter them i. e. When some cruel and imminent Persecution is before them If a Pastor doth not stick by them then and Minister and shew his Pastoral Care the best he can but leaves them to themselves and looks only how he may secure his own Person our Blessed Lord tells us he is no true Shepheard as being destitute of the Pastoral Care and Spirit but an Hireling Jo. 10. 12. And St. Paul bids Timothy to stir up the Gift that was in him by the Laying on of his Hands and not to be hindred or discouraged from it by the Persecutions of that Time for that the Holy Ghost conferr'd by God upon his Ministers by such Imposition of Hands is not the Spirit of Fear or Cowardice whose Ministrations are to be stopt by Approach of Dangers but the Spirit of Power or Courage and of Love to Him and his Church when thereby we expose our own Persons 2 Tim. 1. 6 7. Seeing we have or stand charged with this Ministry though Troubled Perplexed and Persecuted on every side in the due Discharge thereof we faint not saith he 2 Cor. 4 1 8 9. But approve our selves the Ministers of God by the Word of Truth and by the Armor of Righteousness on the Right-Hand and on the Left in all Patience and Afflictions and in the midst of Tumults of Stripes and Imprisonments 2 Cor. 6. 4 5 7. CHAP. V Of the Obligations to Actual Ministration which lie upon them in the foresaid Cases HItherto I have insisted on those Cases wherein true and faithful Pastors and Ministers of Jesus Christ are plainly bound as I conceive to stir up those Spiritual Powers which he hath conferred on them and to act Ministerally as Bishops and Pastors for supplying the needs of Religion and of Souls or of the Churches which are intrusted to their Charge And the Sum of what I have said thereupon is this They are bound to supply the Church with the Ministration of Prayers or of pure and unpolluted Offices when the publick Service is corrupted and Prayers are poyson'd not only with Idolatrous but also with Unrighteous and Immoral Mixtures And with the Ministry of the Word when they see Dangerous and Immoral Practices are begun to be set up And more still when they are offer'd to be Justified Being obliged to this when Immoral Practices are justified in some great and particular Cases which are like to involve the generality of Persons And higher obliged yet when for Justification of the same in such particular Cases False Teachers set themselves to vacate all the opposite Moral Duties by Undermining Propositions and Doctrinal Salvo's All which still call louder for this Ministration if the immoral Practices so justified and Doctrinally Salved are in themselves Infamous and a Scandal to Religion or if they have numbers of Seducers and False Guides