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state_n	christian_a	church_n	communion_n	1,593	5	9.3126	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63266	An apology for the non-conformists shewing their reasons, both for their not conforming, and for their preaching publickly, though forbidden by law : with an answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's sermon, and his defence of it, so much as concerneth the non-conformists preaching / by John Troughton ...	Troughton, John, 1637?-1681.	1681 (1681)	Wing T2312; ESTC R1706	102,506	125

the world to come leaving the management of worldly things to other societies or combinations of men under other Governours and other Laws The Kingdom of Christ is not of this World i. e. as Mediatour and Head of the Church this Kingdom cometh not with observation but is within us Luke 17.20 21. Hence it follows that Christ doth not cannot delegate this Power to any other neither in whole nor in part and who shall presume without his appointment to usurp h●s dominion he call's the Church to himself immediately and not to men and they give themselves immiedately to him and not to deputies they first gave themselves to the hLord and unto us by the will of God 2 Cor. 8. ver 5. And as Christ is the only Head of the Church so he only gives Laws to it whereby it shall be governed and by his Spirit procureth and maintaineth love and obedience to himself and to his Laws It followeth also that all other Governments and their Laws with the designs and ends of them are extrinsecal to the Church as such and must not intermeddle in the spiritual peculiar ends and government thereof they may joyn their persons to the Church by giving up themselves to Christ the King thereof for the Spiritual ends of his Kingdom but they may not mix or interweave the interest and ends of their Kingdoms or governments with those of Christs in his Church for so it would become a Kingdom of this world and the concerns of this world would greatly hinder if not swallow up those of the World to come which the Church is designed for Moreover the Church consists of Members called indifferently out of all Nations Kindreds Sexes Ages diversities of worldly interests through the succession of all Generations from the beginning to the end of the World whereof one part is in Heaven already the Church of the first born which are written in Heaven Heb. 12.23 for they yet wait for the coming up of their Brethren till when they do not receive the compleat benefit of their association and union to Christ and each other the other part is yet on Earth pursuing the same general design of their Common-Wealth the Glory of their King and their own Happiness yea among these some are yet Infaunts and Children capable only of the immediate influence government and protection of their Heavenly King without being able to do any thing for themselves and others there are yet unborn who though they are not actuall Members of this society yet are known to the King of it and their names contained in his Role and he will not reckon his Kingdom compleat or the ends of it accomplished till these also are brought into it even to the last man John 10.16 what then are the Intrests and designs of this world or the Princes of this world or the Laws Methods and Instruments by which they pursue those designs to this Kingdom of Christ they are diverse in every age this is one throughout all ages they are contrary to and do subvert each other and one succeeds another this is one uniform most consistant government they are temporary but for the present for the short lives of Governours or for the uncertain continuance of their Families and then they pass to others perhaps their enemies but the dominion of Christ is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom an overlasting Kingdome Dan. 2.24 Thus we have the true definition of the Church of Christ which is but one in Heaven and Earth dispersed throughout all Countreys and Ages from the beginning to the end of the world Ruled by his Laws contained in the Scripture influenced by his Spirit according to those Laws and protected by his power against all their enemies to this we must reduce all Discourses and Notions of a Church and examine them by it as by the first truth in that kind the Rule and standard of the rest Wee are next to consider the distributions or several sorts of Churches And First the Church is distinguished into Triumphant and Militant as a whole into integral parts the Church Triumphant is that part of the Church of Christ which is already in Heaven having got the victory over sin and Satan yet not fully Triumphant because it waits for deliverance from Death or the Redemption of the Body the Church Militant is that other part which is yet on Earth contesting with all her Spiritual Enemies both these make up the Catholick Church which we profess in the Creed and is immediately subject to Christ and immediately govern'd by his Word and Spirit and all the Members of it as Members of this Church are equal none having authority over others being all equally and immediately united to Christ and guided by him to the proper ends of this Society Secondly The Church Militant is Vniversal or Catholick on earth sc all the Christian Members of the Catholick Church that live on Earth dispersed through all Countreys mixed with all societies of Civil Government with whom also are mixed many persons who profess Christ but are not really united to him by consent and real subjection of the heart and therefore are not living Members of the Church but accidental accessions to it as Forreigners that live in any state or Common-Wealth in some general things conformable to their Laws seem to be Members of that Society but indeed have their Relation and Union to another Or else this Church is particular as 't is distributed into several lesser societies for their convenience and edification now these are not distinct Churches but distinct Considerations of the Church on Earth either as collectively considered as one Company united by the same Bond to Christ the Governour of all though divided and dispersed in place or distributively in respect of place only being divided into several lesser Companies these also thus considered have all an equall Relation to Christ as their Governour to his Law as their Rule to his Spirit as there Internal Living Guide and to each other as Brethren without any authority over each other Thirdly These particular Churches if they be considered only in respect of place and vicinity may be and are by some distinguished into National viz all the Christians that live in one Nation or under one constitution or form of civil government or provincial viz the Christians that live in one Province or County or City Churches those that live in one City or Parish Churches viz the Christians that live in a lesser Neighbourhood yea thus Churches may be distinguished or divided into as many sorts as there be societies of men any way divided or distinguished from each other but all these divisions are but accidentall and extrinsecall differences of the several parts of the same Church thus divided into diverse lesser parts which are all equally Churches and that upon no other account then their Relation to Christ and to the universal Common-Wealth to which he is Head From hence we infer 3

of peace which the Dr. now magnifies after their Death but was in their life time as little accounted of as ours at this day they being alwaies charged with breaking the peace of the Church I say all their desire of peace did not oblige them to comply with those things which they thought unlawful either in themselves or at least in their time and Circumstances 3. I infer That when they were rejected for Non-Conformity they still reckoned themselves the rightful Pastors of their Congregations and that their Right or Relation was not taken away only that they were forcibly kept from the enjoyment of their right and the discharge of the Duties of their Relation And thus much appears from Mr. Bradshaw's Letter cited by the Dr. giving the Reason why they must leave their People and not Preach to them when deprived because this were to run upon the Sword of the Civil Magistrate who would not suffer himself to be so despised as that they whom he commanded to be silent should yet publickly preach in contradiction to his Command there is nothing of fear of Schism in the case but a prudent yielding to the times and of two evils chosing the less i. e. to do what good they could privately to their People and Neighbours as their own words cited do shew rather then by Preaching publickly to hazzard the bringing an open Persecution upon themselves and their people p. 1. Sec. Sect. 16 17. All that the Dr. hath quoted let it be considered it proves no more then this that they did not think it prudence in their Time and Circumstances to Preach publickly when silenced for fear of provoking the Magistrate against them and giving occasion to those that used to slander them especially to King James as Enemies to the Kings Supremacy They also modestly added that the word might be Preached as well yea perhaps better by others then by them though their Parishes seldom found it so All this was but a prudential Reason proves no difference betwixt their Principles and Ours Let us next consider their practice The Dr. tells us Ibid. That the Old Non-Conformists thought it unlawful for private Persons to endeavour Reformation of the Church contrary to the will of the civil Magistrate this he thinks condemns the practice of the present Non-Conformists But Bishop Bancroft giveth another account of this matter viz. That it was resolved amongst the Non-Conformists after many years waiting Dang posit book 3. chap. 3. and chap. 8. and when they saw their admonitions to the Parliament 1570 had no effect that then they should endeavour to reform each one in their own places yet so as by all means to preserve the peace of the Kingdom which accordingly they did pursue in their several Synods Classical Provincial and National from the year 1572 and forward having at length composed a Book of Discipline Ann. 1583 which was revised by several Synods and at length perfected and according to it they did order themselves and frame their Congregations till all was discovered and stopt by Arch Bishop Whitgift let us hear their own words Protest pos 30. We hold it utterly unlawful for any Christian Churches whatsoever by any armed force or power against the will of the civil Magistracy and State under which they live to erect and set up in publick the true Worship and Service of God or to beat down or suppress any Superstition or Idolatry that shall be countenanced or maintained by the same only every man is to look to himself that he communicate not with the evils of the times enduring what it shall please the State to inflict and seeking by all honest and peaceable means all Reformation of publick abuses only at the hands of civil publick persons Vid. 3B ch 1. chap. 10. and all practises contrary to these we condemn as Seditious and sinful Bishop Bancroft makes it the design of his whole 3d. Book to shew that the English Non-conformist did after the example of the Scots endeavour Reformation contrary to or without the will of the civil Magistrate By this it is manifest that the attempts for Reformation which they condemned were 1. Such as were by force and Armes Do we defend any such The Gospel was planted and must be propagated by Preaching the VVord and bearing the Cross 2. Attempts for publick reformation either throughout the Nation or in other Churches besides their own or to bring their practise and way of worship into the publick view contrary to the will of the Magistrate especially if he were a Christian And this is all that the example of the Primitive Churches under Heathen Emperours doth prove for they did keep their Assemblies and Worships in private and maintain them to the death against the Laws and will of those Princes but they did not ordinarily bring them into publick to affront the Magistrates to their faces yet when they lived under mild Princes and had a kind of tacite connivance they met publickly as appears by the question brought to Alexander Severus by the Cooks in Rome who laid claim to a publick Hall which the Christians used for their Worship and the Mild Emperour assigned it to the Christians saying it was better that any God should be worshipped there then that it should be a place devoted to Excess and Riot Euseb eccl hist Lib. 1. Cap. 1.2 and by degrees the Christians had many Beautifull Churches which Dioclesian caused to be demolished and the Christians much bewailed it yea Mr. Mead contends that even from Nero's time the Christians had Churches or publick places appointed for their Worship And Mr. Nich. Fuller maintains the same opinion in his Miscellanies grounding it on the fore-quoted place of Eusebius Tract an 1 Cor. Ch. 11. ver 22. They who maintained every Congregation to be a distinct Church having full power within themselves and their Ministers to be compleat Pastours must needs allow that every Congregation must have an intrinsick power of reforming and regulating themselves though it should be managed with all reverence and respect to the Magistrate and publick order But the Non-Conformists judgment in this will better appear by their practise under the restraints that were laid upon them by Laws and Canons in the beginning of Q. Eliz. about 5 years Conformity was not pressed the Liturgy seemed to be put as a bound to extravagant humors as many Civil Laws be but not as a Snare to the Conscientious But when it was perceived that the Non-Conformists encreased in number and power with the people subscription to the 39 Artic. without any limitation was urged 1562 and many who had been Sufferers and Exiles in Q. Maries Days refused to subscribe amongst whom was the pious Mr. Fox as saith Dr. Fuller and from this time Mr. Ball dates the Miseries of our Church Ball agst Can. saying whilst they walked in peace God blessed them with peace there was no division Papists came to our

becomes unfit to live among them the two great parts of the Catholick Church that in Heaven and this on Earth have a Communion in that they are both United to Christ both worship and serve him in those particular ways that are proper for the state they are in and both wait for that compleat Salvation which they shall have at their general meeting besides this we know of no Communion betwixt them viz that either part can be serviceable to each other at present only we that live on earth enjoy the benefit of the Prayers and Examples which they left us who are now in Heaven and of their endeavours to continue the Gospel to us and so we succeed them in the same offices and endeavour to transmit the Knowledge of Christ his Gospel and Ordinances to those that shall succeed us nor can here be any Separation of one of these parts from another without breaking of Christian Religion which is impossible to them that are in Heaven and if any on earth thus separate it is to their own damnation The Catholick Militant Church on Earth hath a Communion in some more particulars for besides their common acknowledgement of Christ and his Gospel and the common love they are to bear to all Christians on earth as their Brethren they are to perform all offices of love which in this their imperfect militant state they are able and may need from one another such as to pray for all to rejoyce in each others welfare to sympathize in each others afflictions to assist by councell charitable relief hospitallity c. and when ever there is occasion to receive each other to their worship as brethren leaving to every one the liberty of their particular rites or opinions and this is so indispensable a duty that no Separation can be lawfull or tolerable in those who separate from the Catholick Church who relinquish the profession of Christ or cast of all love to their Brethren or that will not joyn with them in the worship of God or concern themselves in their common concerns Now for Organized Churches that are associated for the exercise of their Religion and their edification under Government o Pastours and Guides their Communion must be that the Members of every such Church joyn with each other ordinarily and peaceably in the same Acts of Worship and perform all offices of love to each other in some tolerable measure that they be subject to their Governours and that their Governours do conscionably endeavour the edification of the people committed to their charge according to the Laws of Christ which are the general rules of these societies and according to any other particular rules which they shall agree on amongst themselves for their own edification as Circumstances may require and so that both parts Governours and Governed do joyntly promote the edification of the whole Body in Holiness and Peace Separation therefore from these Organized Churches is a Breach of this Political Communion and Order among themselves which is done either by breaking off from the Body to which they belonged as Members which is Separation properly so called or by disturbing the Communion of it or withdrawing from some parts or acts of that Communion though they do not wholly break off from the body such Seperation is in many cases Lawfull in some necessary and a duty and therefore must not be Universally Condemned but the causes of it be inquired into For though all Christians must be Members of Christ and of the Catholick Church under him for the general ends of their Salvation it doth not appear yet that they must be Members of the same Organized Society or that they may not upon just occasions leave those societies they were joyned with and go to others already in being or constitute new ones for their own edification even as in civil government men may not only compose divers Polities or Common-Wealths but may also make new confederacies or divide their Polities into lesser and particular persons may depart from them to others or constitute new ones yea may deny their concurrence with many things done in the society they joyn with and all this without the Crime of Sedition or defection till the causes and ends of such practise prove it so Now to descend to the particular forms of Organized Churches by what hath been said we may easily judge of their Communion and Separation from them And First For the Oecumenicall Church the Political Communion thereof must be that all Christians in the World be subject to the same Governours under Christ and live as Members of the same individual society either as a single Congregation or as of many united into one Separation from this Communion must therefore be either to interrupt the peace and order of this Communion or wholly to forbear joyning with them but such a Catholick unity of the Church under one Government being impracticable and inconsistent with the edification of the Church since it is inlarged and dispersed throughout the world it is needless to dispute about Communion with it or Separation from it All other Churches that exceed the bounds of a single Congregation and must be constituted of many are of the same nature with the Oecumenicall Church though not of the same latitude as to the matter of Communion which must therefore consist in the performance of all offices mutually betwixt Governours and Governed as Members of the same society whether it consists of several Nations as Patriarchial Churches or of the people of one Nation as National Churches or of the people of one Province one Diocess or Classis as Provincial Diocesan or Classical Churches Separation here must be either a disturbing of the peace and order of these Churches or a withdrawing from them as to the political duties due to them such Separation must often be lawfull and warrantable seeing no command of Christs binds men to particular Provinces or Diocesses nor always to continue in the same Finally The Communion of a Parish or Congregation consists in this that Pastours and People mutually perform their respective duties to each other and amongst themselves for their dayly edification Separation from such Congregations is either to interrupt their Government or Concord or to withdraw from them now seeing no man is immutably bound to one Congregation nor any Congregation to one Diocess or any larger combination and all these Churches are subject to corruptions which the Members must oppose and contend against separation from them must not be censured till it be known whether the cause be just or unjust And thus we are come at the last to enquire What are just causes of Separation whereby we may judge also what are not And that we may not speak too generally and confusedly we distinguish betwixt Separation of one Church from another and of particular Members from that Church whereto they did belong As all Churches are bound to Communion among themselves being all Members of the