the progress of the Gospel amongst them in the very infancy of it And wanting Church-Governors with a secular Arm to assist them nothing was able to extinguish their dissentions and bring them to a quiet settlement till the fulness of Apostolical Authority with the power of Miracles should come among them as shall be declared hereafter But our Reconciler tells us 't is the perpetual Duty of the highest Christians to follow after the things which make for Peace and whereby they may edify one another This we can easily grant him but as Theodoret observes the Apostle Ad Rom. 15. 4. does not pray for their peace indefinitely and absolutely but 't is an honest and pious Consent and Concord that he wisheth them according to the example of Jesus Christ Has not God given us Guides and are not we bound to follow peace after their direction and example Have not they a command as well as a power Heb. 13. 7 17. to set things in Order to make Decrees and Ordinances for the establishment of Peace and Unity and are not these the means to promote Edification Did not S. Paul himself carry about such Decrees to be kept of the Churches where he went and were not those Churches established in the Faith thereupon and increased in their numbers as well as in their piety by that means Acts 16. 4 5. These are truths that are evident of themselves and owned by the Learned of all Perswasions the Ordering and Appointment of honest and decent Rites See the Verdict p. according to the word of God makes much for the preservation of Discipline and to strengthen the bond of Peace saith David Rungius and Calvin himself Hereupon we find that the great Apostle made Ordinances of the like nature which are called Traditions and they were about things indifferent of no absolute necessity but only for decency such as the Womans Vail in publick 1 Cor. 11. 2. Assemblies And such as did observe those Ordinances he commends but 2 Thes 3. 6 14. such as did neglect them he does severely censure And tho he was gentle as a Nurse to cherish his children in the Faith yet did he exercise the Authority of a Father too in charging and 1 Thes 2. 7 11. commanding them to observe his Discipline And let this Reconciler or any of the Dissenters whose Cause he Pleads prove that ever the liberty of such Children was allowed either by Christ or his Apostles to overtop or check the Authority of such a Father and I will yield the Cause In the mean while Dr. Womock keeps his Ground viz. That this was only a Temporary provision to keep the Peace among private Christians and hereupon the Reconciler requires him to prove that the things above-mentioned Rom. 14. were only Temporary and that Church-Governors are now at liberty to walk uncharitably towards the weak and to destroy the work of God for meat and drink and we are satisfied Here we are called upon to prove two things and I am afraid the last will prove him to be a Sophister But we shall attempt to prove the first That those things were only Temporary 'T is the express affirmation of Aretius Ad Rom. 15. that these Roman Christians having no Ordinary Governor the Apostle shews private men the way which they should walk in as was observed formerly And Ad Rom. 14. And Beza observes Apostolum non praecipere ut ejusmodl ignorantia foveatur sed duntaxat ut tuleretur tantisper dum isti possint erudiri Ad Rom. 14. 2. When they became stubborn and indocible They were rejected that the provision was but for a time is the express Doctrine of Hemmingius Aliquid ad tempus Fratrum infirmitati largiendum est Something is to be allowed for a time to the infirmity of our Brethren secus de obstinatis pertinacibus judicandum est but we must determine otherwise of the obstinate and stubborn He speaks of weak Christians which he supposes to be in every particular Church in these days but if care were duly taken to Catechise our Youth and to instruct them in the Principles of Acts 13. 46. Christianity touching Authority and Liberty according to the truth of the Gospel as S. Paul calls it this kind of Intellectual Rickets and the weakness that follows it would be perfectly corrected in our Minority and we should never infest the Church with our frowardness upon that account But my task is to prove that the Directions which the Apostle gives to those Christians at Rome had a peculiar reference 1. To that present time 2. To some special things and 3. To that Critical Dispensation 1. To that present time and he that will take the pains to consider the Case can never be perswaded that such cautions and directions as were given to Jews or Gentil-Converts in reference purely to those Federal Rites of the respective Institutions to which they had so lately been accustomed He I say can never be convinced that they do lay any obligation upon such as were bred up in Christianity from their Cradles But that these cautions were calculated for that present time we have reason to believe upon farther evidence 1. The Apostle in his great prudence was wont to make such Temporary 1 Cor. 7. 26. provisions such was his advice about Virgins I suppose saith he this is good for the present distress not that Marriage was a more impure state of Life but to avoid the difficulties and molestations of it Single persons were in a better condition more prompt and easie to grapple with Persecutions which in those days did more frequently afflict the Professors of the Gospel The Apostle has an eye to the like Rom. 12. 11. difficulties among the Romans and therefore he enjoyns them to be fervent in Spirit serving the season For many Copies See Dr. Hammond his note on the place and Dr. Stearne Aphoris de felicitate §. 2. Aphor. 22. read the Text so and therefore Dr. Hammond doth thus Paraphrase the Text Doing those things that in respect of the Circumstances of time and place wherein now you are may most tend to the honour of God and building up of the Church And S. Ambrose descants very well upon the place lest they should unseasonably press matters of Religion in an evil time whereby they might raise up Scandal therefore he subjoyns this caution serving the time The great matters of Faith and Religion Ambros ad Rom. 12. he would have them discoursed of modestly and discreetly in a fit time and in a convenient place and among fit Persons For there are som esaith he even among our selves in times of Peace The Epist for the 2d Sunday after the Epiphany in the old Liturgy read it so who do so abhor the way of Christ that they can no sooner hear but they will Blaspheme it And S. Paul himself made it his practice sometimes to apply himself to the
to thy self before God Rom. 14. 22. From which words the Doctor would infer That there were no Governers then setled over the Christians who were at Rome For had there been a Bishop there it had been the duty of those under his charge in any matter of Hesitation to have consulted him to resolve their Doubts and settle their perswasions To this the Reconciler is pleased to answer by a double quere 1. Why may not he who hath Faith have it to himself that is forbear acting according to his full persuasion of his Liberty or divulging his opinion to his Brothers prejudice as well if he had twenty Bishops over him as if he had none 2. Why might not S. Paul advise without consulting of his Bishop I shall answer to his last quere first to which I say 1. If S. Paul's advice might satisfie when they had it yet it could not satisfie before when they had it not But 2. among Dissenting Persons there will be a thousand emergent Doubts and Scruples which an Apostle can no more prevent or answer than he can foresee them at such a distance which S. Chrysostome 1 Cor. 11. last thinks to be the Reason why the Apostle reserved the correcting of some things among the Corinthians till his coming to them To the second quere the Dr. gave his resolution in the Verdict p. 125. That Christian Liberty is a Spiritual Privilege and seated in the Soul and may be preserved there in silence But what the Reconciler has said to this Argument is nothing to the purpose He is again insnared in the common Fallacy Ignoratio Elenchi but while the Dr. studied brevity he might be obscure 〈…〉 which the resolves to make amends 〈…〉 question is whether there was 〈…〉 or Church-Governor a 〈…〉 Christians Dr. Woâ—◠〈…〉 none and he 〈…〉 proved from that Text for where there is such a Governor in any matter of doubt 'T is the Subjects Duty to apply himself to him for satisfaction and 't is equally the Bishops Duty to give it him * Id not and um adversus eos qui suo torpori hunc Apostoli Locum obtendunt quasi fidei professio non requiratur Beza ad Locum For certainly he is not set over his Flock to keep his finger in his mouth or which is all one to keep his Faith to himself his duty is to teach 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his Houshold to give them their Portion of meat in due season Luke 12. 42. and what is that Portion of Meat but the which is most proper for the present concern and interest of their souls and does not he feed their hunger in a Spiritual sence who resolves their Doubt and who does this so much belong to as to the Bishop No says our Reconciler These cautions or advices are not only for private persons but for Bishops and Governors and much more for them than for Private Persons Hast thou Rom. 14. 22. Faith have it to thy self before God i. e. take heed lest ye instruct the Ignorance of those under your Charge or help their infirmities or make them to understand what they are to do in doubtful cases This is our Reconcilers Doctrine but point blank against the Apostles Doctrine and Practice 1. Against his Doctrine 1 Thes 5. 14. where his charge to the Church-Governors is Warn them that are disorderly comfort the feeble minded support the weak which certainly is no otherwise to be done but by resolving and removing their doubts and scruples And this was the Apostles Practice two if we may take his own Protestation for it Acts 20. 27. For I have not shun'd to declare unto you the whole Counsel of God whereof doubtless the Truth and Priviledge of Christian Liberty was a part And now I hope the Reconciler will be able to understand the Drs. Argument drawn from those words of the Apostle which may be framed after this manner They who have a Divine Authority and command to resolve Doubts and settle Conscience about things indifferent They are not forbidden by the Apostle to resolve and settle them For then he should take them off from their Duty and obstruct Edification But Church-Governors have a Divine Authority to resolve doubts and settle Conscience about things indifferent Therefore Church Governors are not forbidden by the Apostle to resolve and settle them To argue the case a little further let Si Episcopus taceat alii per eos seductores corrumpantur ipse gravem redditurus est Corruptionis rationem si non possi os obturare ne sis Episcopus Theoph apud Joan. Crocium ad Tit. 1. 11. us descant upon the expostulation and advice upon it Hast thou Faith Keep it to thy self If this be a direction to Pastors and Teachers who has any Authority to reduce a Scismatick from the error of his ways or reconcile a Heretick to the Church This his interpretation of that Chap. and Text takes off all obligation from Bishops and Governors to attempt the Recovering of a Roman-Catholick Nay it makes the attempt unlawful For thus in Conscience according to our Reconcilers Principles he must argue with himself ☞ There could have been no conversion of the Jews from the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Christ if it had been the Duty of the Apostles c. to keep their Faith of those matters to themselves This man is under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome and he is perswaded in his mind that the Laws and Customs of that Church are in force against him and that he is under an obligation to observe them For me to go about to teach him otherwise and reprove his practices this would grieve him and I should walk uncharitably towards him in so doing yea verily I should put a stumbling-block in his way and tempt him to forbear that practice against his Conscience and in so doing I should sin against Christ and destroy a Brother for whom Christ died This I ought not to do and tho I be otherwise perswaded in my own Judgment and ordained and put in trust to teach the Gospel yet I must herein follow the advice of the Apostle Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God I will therefore accordingly resolve to keep my Faith and Opinion to my self and not disturb a weak Brother and so the poor man must perish if God be not the more merciful unto him in his Error and Superstition Whereas the good Pastor does otherwise He tells him Sir you live in a dangerous Error and tho the times you observe and the meats you eat be very indifferent in themselves yet your practice in the use of them is very Superstitious contrary to the Laws and Privileges of the Gospel and the practice of Christ
exception And one Mistake tho never so absurd does commonly beget another and so it happens here for Where is the heavy Sentence which the Doctor passeth And What is it Certainly it cannot be less than the Sentence of Damnation which he blames with so much noise in Dr. Womock I find indeed at every turn the Reconciler is sending His Dissenters to Hell for their wretched Schisme not by single Persons only but by Sholes and Myriads and then he rebukes Dr. Pag. 55. Womock for so doing when he does it not Just as he shoots his Censures at his Governours in the very same Breath wherein he inveighs against Judging But the Reconciler is Catcht again in a sorry Fallacy and I am almost perswaded he is not aware of it If his Argument were put into Form it must run thus Whosoever saith That the Dissenters have lost the Title of Weak Brethren and are under the Sentence of Damnation he is rash Presumptuous and Uncharitable But does Dr. Womock make any such Assumption Then let the Reconciler who takes great freedom in that kind tell him of his foolery and that he wants Logick as well as Charity But Dr. Womock knows that here is Sophisma Plurium Interrogationum which perhaps is more then the Reconciler has considered In effect he puts the question thus Have the Dissenters lost the Title of Weak Brethren and fallen under the Sentence of Damnation If the Dr. affirms it then he concludes them under the Sentence of Damnation and is rash and Uncharitable in so doing If he denies it then he grants that they are Weak Brethren and are to have all the Indulgence and tenderness that belongs to Persons under those Circumstances But Dr. Womock is able to distinguish in this Case and to separate such as have lost the title of Weak Brethren from the present sentence of Damnation For the Dr. meddles with no mans Person having so well considered the Advice of Bishop Taylor that learned Prelate whom the Reconciler pretends to admire while he does abuse him in his writings Be not hasty sayes he in pronouncing damnation Adv. 52. against any man or Party in a matter of Disputation It is enough that you reprove an errour but what shall be the sentence against it at the day of Judgment thou knowest not and therefore pray for the erring Person and reprove him but leave the sentence to his Judge But touching those Weak ones among Ad Rom. 14. in Principio the Romans I shall acquaint the Reader with Peter Martyrs Opinion of them The question is Whether the Weakness of their Faith were an impediment to their Justification He thinks not because it is not the strength or Excellency of our Faith by which we are justified but the Merit and Dignity of the Object and although Faith be weak yet 't is Faith still if it be true But it might be said that they did not believe all things which were to be believed For they did not believe the Ceremonial Law of Moses to be abrogated And that Faith which does not believe all the Articles of Faith is no true faith Fateor equidem saith Peter Martyr I do confess it Si id accidat vitio Credentis if the fault be in the Believer if he will not admit of those Truths which he hears out of Holy Writ but contemns them and makes himself the Judge and Arbitrator how much of Scripture he ought to believe and attributes more to himself then he does to the Word of God Non est ista Fides vera that is not true Faith nor is the Holy Spirit wont to inspire any such Sence or Judgment But if there be something which a man does not believe because it has not been clearly propounded to him and he carries a mind sufficiently prepared to receive the Truth when it is made known to him in this case the Truth of his Faith may be a means to justify while the Weakness of it doth excuse him I wish the Dissenters may consider this Judgment of Peter Martyr that they may not make matters of Decency and Order under the Gospel to be Sin as if we were still under that Mosaical yoak of Bondage the Law and not under Grace But to follow the Reconciler who justifies his Denial of the Conclusion by several Arguments 1. He says what Dr. Womock does Pag. 105. alledge is a Plea that will serve all Parties Papists Dissenters Arminians Calvinists and almost all Disputers Now what the true ground of the Dispute is I cannot well imagine I have reason to think he is offended with the Major Proposition which contains the Character of such as ought not to claime the Right or Title of Weak Brethren but that is so expresly the words of Holy Scripture that he cannot in modesty avow his dislike thereof and therefore he makes an Assumption or Minor Proposition in Dr. Womocks name and then blames him for it That Dr. Womock did not assume upon the Dissenters the Reader will be convinced v. Pag. 100. 101 102. if he please to consult the place in the Verdict However let us weigh the strength of his discourse which we have in this Syllogisme All Arguments that may be used by other Parties as Papists c. they are ill Arguments But Dr. Womocks Argument may be used by other Parties Papists c. Therefore 't is an ill Argument Here I deny his Major Proposition All Arguments used by other Parties and particularly by the Papists are not ill Arguments for their Arguments to prove the Divinity of Christ are good Arguments and many of them the very same that are used by Protestants And that of Bellarmine is celebrated for a great Truth among all the Learned even by Amesius himself Propter incertitudinem proprioe justitioe perticulum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordiâ benignitate reponere that is In regard of the Uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the danger of Vain-glory it is the safest way to put our whole Trust and Confidence in the sole Mercy and Favour of God This is a great Gospel-Truth and yet it fell from the Pen of Bellarmine And therefore he is out of the story when he concludes all Arguments to be ill because they are used by Papists or other Parties That his Argument may conclude effectually against Dr. Womock it must be framed thus Those Arguments which will as well and with equal Truth and Light of evidence maintain the Points of Popery c. as they do the Doctrine of the Church of England Those must needs be ill Arguments But such are the Arguments produced by Dr. Womock Here I utterly deny the Minor The Argumens there used by Dr. Womock have not an equal Truth or Light of Evidence to prove the Points of Popery as they have to prove the Doctrine of the Church of England For let me ask the Reconciler these few Questions Have the Popish
usque procedit pervicacia ut quispiam sibi addictus vel discessionem faciat a Corpore vel a grege quosdam subtrahat vel impediat sanae Doctrinae cursum hic strenue obviandum est When the Obstinacy proceeds so far that a man enamour'd of himself departs from the Body of the Church or draws others from it or hinders the Course of sound Doctrine in this case a strenuous Opposition is to be made against him In summa In short sayes Calvin Haeresis vel secta ecclesiae unitas res sunt inter se oppositae Heresie or Schism and the Unity of the Church are things opposite and this Unity being so precious in the sight of God it ought also to be in the highest esteem with us and those Sects and Heresies ought to be no less detested Thus Calvin He that contemns all Admonitions saith Hyperius He that is distempered in his mind incurabili laborat contagio and when he is sick of an incurable Contagion refuses and derides the Remedy that is charitably offer'd to him This is the Party affected And how is he to be treated Must the Bishop flatter him Or is the Bishop alone obliged to avoid him No saith Hyperius the Bishop is to admonish Hyperius others to beware of him as a pernicious Wolf But what is the Civil Magistrate concerned herein Why sayes Aretius the Charge is here given to Titus who wanted a faithful Magistrate to assist Aretius him But doubtless St. Paul would have wrote otherwise to the Magistrate or to Titus if he had had such a faithful Magistrate to take care of Gods Church He speakes here of the Bishops Office how far he may how far in Duty he ought to proceed We now understand saith Mr. Calvin whom the Apostle means by a Heretick but we are not to determine who is such a Heretick or to reject him till we have first indeavoured to reduce him to a sound Judgment He must have a first and second Admonition not from Private Persons but from the Publick Authority and Ministry of the Church for the Words of the Apostle do import thus much Graviter quasi censoria correctione reprimendos esse That such Persons are sharply to be restrained by the Rod of Discipline for he is condemned of himself because being so Hyperius carefully instructed and so frequently admonished He has no body to impute his condemnation to but to himself and his own Malice But may we proceed no further against such Sectaries and Disturbers of the Churches Peace and Settlement They that think so do not argue to the purpose saith Mr. Calvin For the Bishop and the Magistrate have their several parts assigned them in this Work And St. Paul writing to Titus does not discourse of the Magistrates Duty but what is incumbent upon the Bishop What the Judgment of the most Learned and Pious Protestants was a Hundred years agoe I shall give you Ad Titum 3. 10 11. the account from Bullinger to whom Hyperius also refers his Reader That Bullinger was a man of so great Esteem that his Decades were translated into English and thought fit to be read in the Publick Congregations where they wanted able Preachers and this Doctrine of his passed for Currant till the Socinian Heresy which does so much impreach the Satisfaction Merits and Divinity of our Saviour prevail'd so much among us And this has hapned because the Canons of 1640. were not duely enforced to prevent the growth of it But to return to the business in hand I shall give the sence of Bullinger in Hen. Bullinger Commentar in omnes Pauli Epistolas a clear Translation of his own Commentary upon the Text which begins thus Quaerat aliquis quid agam cum eo c. Some perhaps may ask what I would do with Him that obeyes not Tiguri 1582. Hic Ad Titum 3. 10 11. the Truth but continues to be contentious and to stir up Faction The Apostle answers after the first and second Admonition if he will not obey your advice take heed and separate your self from such an hopeless Deplorato But adding the Reason why he commands Us to abbor the Communion and Fellowship of such an Heretick He sayes He that is such a one as will not admit of good Advice is rather exasperated by continual Admonitions and can never be brought to embrace the Truth For a simple Errour is quickly healed but Stubborness is uncurable But such a Man is subverted by Prejudice and therefore swerves from the true Faith and being intangled in Perplexity he remains in invincible Ignorance Hereupon Theophylact explaining these words sayes The Apostle understands by an Heretick an incorrigible Fellow and one that is on every side so entangled with Difficulties that He knows not which way to free himself Therefore such a One will never be perswaded to embrace the Truth but rather attempt to draw his Charitable Adviser into his own Opinion Wherefore here is a great deal of Danger but little Hope For when Hereticks are so wicked and hardned in those Things which are manifestly False there 's none or very small Hopes of their recovering nay on the contrary it oftentimes happens That they impose upon him who advises them if weak though otherwise a good honest Man Therefore He advisedly commands that they should be avoided But some perhaps will Object That it is a sad thing if we should thus neglect the Sheep that is gone astray our Lord did not so it 's to be feared his Destruction will be required at our Hands The Apostle answers If such a Man Perish he perisheth not by your Fault but by his own for Why did he not obey his Teacher Moreover they that gather from hence That it is against the Scriptures for the Civil Magistrate to restrain Hereticks that is to say not only such as are perverted from the Faith but such as Study to pervert others They do not consider That the Apostle here doth not Dispute about the Offices of a Lawful Magistrate but what the Bishop should do For in these and other of the Apostle's Prescriptions the Occasion is to be consider'd But they 'l say The Apostle's Command is Not Compel or Kill but avoid an Heretick It 's very true For no Man is rashly to be Condemned or Rejected but rather to be Endeared and Instructed This is the peculiar Work of Bishops But if after such an amicable and endearing Treatment and Admonition he refuseth to Repent and endeavours still to draw whole Multitudes into the same Sedition and Ruine with himself Here again it is the Bishops concern not only to Oppose that setitious Doctrine and Practice but also to lay down his Life for the Sheep against the assaults and incursions of such Wolves to defend and preserve his Flock with the Sword of Truth and manfully to Repel and Subdue them If the Apostle had written an Epistle to Cornelius or Sergius and had inform'd them of
use of it in hopes to gain this weak Brother Well I obey him and lay it by But then a Conformist comes in and observes me to officiate without it hereat he is offended and tells me it grieves him to see Authority contemned the Laws violated Christian Liberty betrayed by the superstitious forbearance of a thing indifferent to gratifie a Faction set up against the Government This he will say does weaken his faith and makes him question the sincerity of such as profess the Gospel and the Religion established among us By this Instance it is evident I cannot please them both I must unavoidably offend one of them Can I prevent them both from taking offence This affair is attended with such perplexity that the performance is impossible Cas Cons l. 5. c. 11. n. 18. and therefore it cannot be a Christian Duty And for this I have the suffrage of Amesius tho in his time a stiff Dissenter Nulla datur talis perplexitas ut necessarium sit pio homini sive hoc vel illud faciat sive non faciat scandalum alicui dare There can be no such case of perplexity that it should be necessary for a pious man to give any man scandal whether he does this or that or does it not But how to avoid such perplexity we must find out some better Rule among the Casuists than this Reconciler has yet prescribed or found out for us To shew his Ingenuity towards Dr. Womock or his artifice of concealment I shall let the Reader see how this Argument pag. 114. was managed in the Verdict where he takes notice from the Apostle that one man will observe a day another will not one man will eat Swines-flesh another does abhor it I Rom. 14. 5. cannot satisfie them both for both are scrupulous and both respectively offended at one anothers practice To eat and not to eat to esteem a day and not to esteem it these are perfect contradictions and 't is impossible for any Charity to reconcile mans practice to both their scruples S. Paul himself at last found this so perplex'd a case that the difficulty was insuperable This he learnt by experience upon the congress of the Jew and Gentile Converts at Antioch Gal. 2. of which we have given some account already wherefore instead of a prudent and charitable expedient which in this case was impossible to find out He withstood S. Peter to the face and with great Integrity and Stoutness asserted the truth of the Gospel and the extent of Christian Liberty And herein he left us his own practice for an Example to maintain our Privilege and not to govern our selves by the timorous squeamishness or pretended scruples of superstitious men which may be contradictory and endless but by the solid Rules of Truth and the prudent Resolutions of Pious and Careful Governors I shall conclude this with the words of Rollock When we are conscious to our Comment In Joan. 5. 9. selves in our actings that we aim at Gods glory above all things and do not transgress the limits of our Office and Calling we may act confidently tho all the World be offended at us and after we have done what we ought and what we were able to do if the success does not answer our expectation so happily as we could wish yet let us not be dejected at it but enjoy that good Conscience which the Apostle glories in 2 Cor. 1. 12. This will be of great force and efficacy to our comfort and rejoycing in the time of adversity and this we cannot but obtain if we keep within the bounds of our Profession and Calling and set the glory of God before our eyes in all our actions Thus saith R. Rolloc and herein he appears to be a better Casuist than our Reconciler hath expressed himself upon this occasion But let us hear what he hath to say further against Dr. Womock which is as followeth Secondly whereas he adds that the scandal here spoken of is in a matter of our own choice and power Pag. 79. and it is to be understood in a matter wherein Authority hath not interposed her determination This he grants is very true and the natural Inference from it is this c. Here the Reconciler fully acquits Dr. Womocks Doctrine in this point of scandal who pleads only for those things wherein Authority hath interposed her Determination Why then is he so peevish and froward towards the Dr. when he seems to acquit The reason is this he would set up the Liberty of the Subject in matters of Religion against the Authority of the Prince and Bishop which is establish'd in the same Charter of the Gospel by a divine Grant precedent to that Liberty and because Dr. Womock hath endeavoured to vindicate the Authority of our Superiors against his design therefore he is thus offended for he finds he shall never be able to prove what he calls the natural Inference from Dr. Womocks words but let us see what it amounts to Since therefore says this Reconciler no Authority can be supposed to interpose to determine our Superiors to the Imposition of these indifferent things or to hinder their abatement of them by the same power which imposed them in order to prevent the ruine of so many souls as are involved in a wretched Schism by the continuance of that Imposition since they declare 't is in their own choice and power to command or not to command them this case must by his own confession be good against the Imposition of them tho it does not hold good against obedience to them when Imposed In which words of his there are very many things observable 1. 'T is a great truth That the case he puts does not hold good against obedience to the things in difference among us when imposed 2. That 't is good against the Imposion of them is not the Drs. Confession but his own Inference which the Doctor is confident he can never make good being but one of his usual Paralogisms and false Reasonings 3. He confesseth that this wretched Schism of the Dissenters is damnable otherwise how could he object the ruine of so many souls as are involved in it But to save them harmless he lays their fault at the door of their Governors and to Commute for the Disobedience of the Dissenters he would be content to send our Governors to Hell in their stead 4. He can propound no way to prevent the ruine of our Schismaticks but to take down our Governors Authority by the abatement of their Impositions But if a Nation be addicted to Drunkenness is there no way to cure them but to root up their Vines and burn up all their materials that will afford strong Liquors A wise man sure will think it better and more rational to teach them temperance and the moderate use of those wholsom and comfortable Creatures In like manner when there are any Impositions which some men are led by their
Party as good Reason for their Aversion to our Communion as we have for our Aversion to theirs Have they as great Objections against us as we have against them Has the Pope any lawful Jurisdiction over us By what Scripture or Council was it settled Did we break off from their Communion Or rather Did not they leave and interdict Ours Who is now the Friend to Jesuites I would have the Reconciler to consider That although the same Sentence for Words and Syllables may pass against an Innocent as well as against a Malefactor yet I hope he will not say it is done with equal Truth and Justice But he is so ingenuous at last as to confess the truth in these words It will be hard to shew why either Party may not almost with equal plausibility Pr. Recon p. 107. make this pretence Whence we must conclude that this his Argument like the rest of his Book is but almost to the purpose 2. He Answers Secondly but to what Proposition of Dr. Womock's I cannot Divine but thus he saith If any of these things be offer'd as I hope they are onely to prove that there be men of this malicious proud stubborn temper among the body of Dissenters we have cause to fear the thing is too true This Fear of the Reconciler yields the Argument for it runs thus All that are under such and such qualifications have lost the title of Weak Brethren But Some of the Dissenters are under such and such qualifications Therefore Some of the Dissenters have lost the title of Weak Brethren which is all that Dr. Womock is concerned to prove and more than he did positively affirm in his Verdict But then the Reconciler saith That the Arguments will hold good for a Dispensation towards all those of whom we cannot Charitably pronounce this Sentence I say this does not follow according to the Common Rules of Government Tho every Part be not alike Culpable yet every part must follow the common condition of the Whole and if men will follow such Leaders tho they be not led with the same Pride Malice or Design as their Leaders are led by yet making themselves of the Party and acting therein accordingly they are involved in the same guilt and liable to the same Condemnation I know as Bullinger saith There is a great difference betwixt one that errs In Epist ad Tit. 3. 10. not out of malice and one that to his errour joyns malice and a study to do mischief But if he is to be punished as no doubt he deserves it Cum errandi pervicacia ultro in Religionis Legumque eversionem manifeste tendit when the stiff-neckedness and obstinacy of his erring manifestly tends to the Overthrow of Religion and the Laws established How can that man in Reason be dispensed with who joyns and abetts him in * Idem enim omnes credimur operati in quo deprehendimur eadem omnes Censurae Disciplinae consensione Sociati Cler. Roman Cypriano Inter Epistol 31. it 'T is a Rule in Law Ubi Lex non distinguit nec nobis regulariter distinguere Licet Where the Law makes no distinction there we cannot regularly distinguish what ever simplicity they may pretend we cannot in prudence give them a dispensation to contrive our ruine which we have reason to suspect as long as they adhere to the Communion of those who design it Such as set up to make a Party against the Government they have strange Arts of Insinuation to work upon the flexible temper of the People and some follow their pernicious wayes out of simplicity some out of a love of Novelty and others out of an admiration or fondness for their Persons Does God give a Dispensation in this case when he comes to visit for such things The Prophet tells us otherwise For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and Isa 9. 16. Agreeably St. August upon Christs words If the Blind lead the Blind saith thus Vae caecis ducentibus Ve caecis Sequentibus they that are led of them are destroyed 'T is worth our observing That the Original hath it They that call them Blessed which notes the Flattery of such false Teachers They bless them in their Sedition and errours and they that are called Blessed of them are swallowed up tho their simplicity is imposed upon that is no Dispensation no Plea at all to secure them against destruction I cannot perswade my self that Corah and all the Company that adhered to him were equally Proud Stubborn and Malicious yet I find no Dispensation in the Case They were all involved in the same Guilt and fell under the same Condemnation Their Wives and their Numb 16. 27. Sons and their little Children I alledge this the rather because as Bullinger hath observed by this horrible In Ep. Jud. 11. v. example of Corah St. Jude does demonstrate to all the World what they are to expect who being seduced by the Spirit of Pride and Arrogancy are not content with their own Station in the Church but raise up Tumults and Factions against the Ministers of Truth To this Corah he compares the Seducers not of his own time onely but of all ages Qui sibi Functionem docendi vendicant repulsis Doctoribus veritatis who casting out the Ministers of Truth do challenge the Function of Teaching to themselves Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Corah Ep. Jud. v. 11. Dr. Dicson has the like upon the place Calvin wonders that he should inveigh so sharply against these false Teachers when he had told us but a few lines before that the Archangel was so modest he would not reproach the Devil But this shews saith he that their Rage and Fury is intolerable who disturb the Well composed State of the Church To paint such seducing Teachers to the life the Apostle makes use of three notable examples and then he illustrates their Character by several similitudes He begins with Cain who was the first that made a Divorce from the Church of God In him we may observe Envy Malice and Hypocrisy The second is Balaam who turn'd his Prophetical Office into a Trade and made himself a wretched Hireling for his Divination and in him we have Covetousness and the liberty of Prophesying set up for filthy Bullinger Lucre. The third is Corah In whom we have an example of Ambition and Arrogance of Disobedience and Sedition He blasphemed the Magistracy and attempted to Level all degrees among the Ministers of God and he Hemming used a very specious and plausible Argument to this effect All the Congregation are Holy and 't was an unworthy thing that so holy a People should be subject to any Head on Earth But the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them Numb 26. 10. up and they became a sign A dreadful example of
their Duties without doubt He would have injoyn'd them to defend the Congregation of the Faithful and to restrain those incroaching Wolves For we see St. Paul himself smote the false-Prophet Barjesus with Blindness because he endeavour'd obstinately to maintain a Falshood and to reject the Truth And if an Heretick is only to be avoided and not also to be punished Why did the Apostle smite Elymas with Blindness Why did our Lord Command to take the false-Prophet from among the Living But you will say He Commanded these things under the Law True But Magistracy was not Abrogated with the Law for now as well as then 't is the Gift of God Besides the Liberty of the Law belongs Tim. 1. 9 10. only to them that walk after the Law Wherefore seeing we are obliged to receive the Law in all things which are not Repugnant to the Gospel or to sound Doctrine no Man whatsoever under any pretence of the Gospel shall ever obtain of us to suffer false-Doctrine to encrease in the Church of God without restraint These are very true and plausible Sayings to wit That Faith is the Gift of God That Faith is not wrought in any Man by the Power of the Sword but these signify nothing to the present purpose For we do not speak concerning Internal Faith as the Gift of God but concerning the Doctrine of Faith as the Profession of our Religion which we desire to promote not so much by restraining their Incredulity nor their Opinions as false but as they become infectious I confess Faith and Unbelief are of the Heart no Man can judge of them but by Men's Words and overt Actions we may judge of them St. Augustin was sometime of that August advincent Epist Ordine 48. Opinion That Hereticks were to be dealt with only by the Word of God but he afterwards confessed That many Reasons and Examples had prevailed with him to be of another Perswasion But What need so many Words The Church and Christian Truth must necessarily be asserted and defended from Errours Blasphemies are to be punished and we must take care of the Sound Members of the Church that they be not infected by the Rotten But the Manner of performing this Godly Zeal the judgment of Faith and Christian Charity must prescribe that herein we do nothing either too much or too little 'T is the Bishop's Duty to warn to restrain and to use all Opportunity and Importunity to gain him that is out of the Way But if in contempt of the Truth he shall still go on in the Errour of his Wayes and also strive to draw others with him into the same Errour then his Stubbornness and Errour is to be refuted by the Word of Truth in the Face of the Church and care to be taken lest any one should give credit to the Impostor Besides the Magistrate also is to be put in mind if he be remiss and the Wolf proceeds more and more to infest the People of God to have a greater care of God's Flock that the Wolves may not set upon them For such Mischiefs are to be removed from the People of God who as much as is possible are to be Preserved Lastly The Punishment is to be inflicted upon Offenders not for their Ruin but Salvation to wit that they may repent Nor are we presently to proceed to a Capital Punishment against those that are in Errour or infected with Heretical Pravity but when their Blasphemies are so Execrable that they cannot be born with without reproach to God Or when the obstinacy of Erring does manifestly tend to the Subversion of Religion and the Laws Established and they are openly and truly convicted hereof For there is a great Difference between him that doth not Err out of Malice and him who Errs willfully and out of a design to do Mischief Nor are all Offences to be Capitally Punished for sometimes the Punishment is Corporal sometime Pecuniary as the Quality of the Offence and the Equity of the Law shall require This Learned Protestant was of Opinion That in certain Cases the Magistrate should Assist the Bishop to suppress Sectaries And such a one he accounts him that is a Broacher of Execrable Blasphemies to the high Dishonour of Almighty God and whose stubborn and seditious Practices do manifestly tend to the Subversion of Religion and Piety good Order and the Lawes Establish't and yet even in this Case he does not approve of such a Procedure as savours of Wrath and Bitterness Pius enim Magistratus inquit c. A Pious Magistrate sayes he would rather argue thus What can't the Truth prevail with you Can't the the Authority of the Scriptures Can't the undoubted Faith and Religion of all Ages Can't the Care and Diligence of all Pious Men Can't an Holy Oath and taken in a good Matter move you Can't the Fear of God Can't the Charity you owe to your Neighbour Can't the publick Peace and Tranquility perswade you Can't you Perish alone but you must draw others with you into Perdition Morere igitur tuâ culpâ tuoque vitio si salutem quam vivus excludis invenias Moriens You must Dye therefore by your own Willfulness and Stubbornness if you think you can find that Salvation when you are Dead which you now refuse while you are alive And this Learned Protestant tells us He Disputed the more copiously in this Point against such as thought they did the Church great Service if they left it free for every Man to revive the Heresy of the Donatists Arrians Pelagians Novatians and others Disputare libere Factionesque nectere To Dispute freely about these things and to make Factions To Bullinger I shall add the Judgment Ad Tit. 3. 8 9. 10 11. in locis Communib De Processu cum Haeret n. 17. p. m. 571. of a later Protestant Professor Joannes Crocius He moves the Question Whether it be Lawful for the Christian Magistrate to restrain Hereticks and we must remember what Calvin has observed viz. That Schismaticks are comprehended under the same title Faith as a thing that pertains to Conscience is to be perswaded not compel'd As Stephen King of Poland said very fitly God hath reserved three things to himself To make something of nothing To foretell future Contingencies and to rule over Conscience For Compulsion for the most part does not make Believers but Hypocrites But for all this saith he the Magistrate may compel his Subjects both by Laws and Penalties to the Means of Faith that is to hear the Word And being obliged to secure his Subjects in the true Religion He is concerned to keep out such as would Advance and Propagate Sects and Errours to remove them if they be entred in to divest them of their Dignities and if the Peace of the Church cannot be preserved otherwise to proscribe or imprison them according to the Quality of their Offence that by such means they may if possible be brought unto Repentance And thus
of Information If it be so the Question is Whether this be not Voluntary and Culpable For unless it be invincible it cannot excuse them it being a Rule amongst the Best and most Learned Moralists Nullam in Gers De. Vit. Spir. Lect. 4. Coroll 3. his quae Legis Divinae sunt cadere Ignorantiam invincibilem He to whom the Divine Law is promulged is under the Obligation of it and therefore cannot be invincibly and inculpably Ignorant of any Precept thereof By the Evangelical Law God has tyed all Men in the same Community to Concord and Vniformity in his Publick Worship and Men are obliged not only to know that Law but to use all Necessary Means to observe it If we want such Knowledge that Defect is Voluntary to us and proceeds from our own default from a Voluntary and Culpable Impediment of our own making For 1. Either we do not resist our own Passions which are apt to blind us Or 2. We do not use sufficient Diligence to procure that Knowledge which should direct us For either we do not study to find out the Truth by a careful Search or we do not consult such as are more skilful to inform us or we do not pray earnestly to God for his Grace of Illumination or else our Impenitence and Stubbornness hinders Him from opening our Hearts to attend to our right Instructors Now all these Impediments of our Knowledge being Clearly Voluntary the Will by Gods Grace may remove them and is obliged to do it If she does not the Omission and Ignorance of the Duty and the Malicious Act which steps up in the room of it are plainly Vincible Voluntary and Culpable Truth and Knowledge are that Intellectual Light which Corrects the Darkness and Disorders of a Depraved Mind But some Men are Wilfully Ignorant and 2 Pet. 3. 5. keep themselves in Darkness that they may enjoy their Carnal Satisfactions without Check and Riot with the greater Freedom They Love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil and they hate Knowledge because they hate to be reformed John 3. 19. But there are another sort of Men who are more wilfully Active towards their own Seduction They take Pains to be deceived and bred up in errour they Study Seditious Books and Frequent Schismatical Conventicles which they should avoid as Infection Now their Attention to such Discourses being greedy and perfectly Voluntary the Effect that follows it I mean the Errours whether begotten or bred up by that meanes are also Voluntary And therefore unless those Sins and Errours which are so fully Voluntary and in Practice tends so directly to Schism and Disobedience are come to be counted Venial 't is not want of Charity in me but the Light and Force of Truth that makes me call them Damnable Wherefore let not this Reconciler delude his Dissenting Brethren in attempting to excuse them by a Pretence of Weakness and want of Information 7ly Prejudice I know is a great Obstruction to Truth but it should not be pleaded in Barr to a just Sentence upon a froward Schismatick Commonly when men have entertained other Principles and are prepossessed with a wrong Conceit instead of submitting to better Information they add Stubbornness to their Self-conceit and harden themselves in their first Perswasion against all Sence and Reason You may haply convince them but they will hardly be perswaded Those great Disputants which opposed St. Stephen when they were not able to resist the Wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake yet could they Suborn False-Witness to swear down both his Doctrine and Integrity Act. 6. Sometimes the Prejudice lyes against Numb 16. the Persons Ye take too much upon you Ye Sons of Levi was Corah's objection against Moses and against Aaron They have an Unkindness for their Prince and Prelate therefore neither their Discipline nor Discourses will Relish with them This was Ahabs Obstruction There is a Prophet of great Integrity but I hate him The Apostle becomes the Peoples Enemy because he tells them the Truth Gal. 4. 16. The Prejudice sometimes lies against the Article or Institution This was Naamans Obstruction Are not Abanah and Pharphar Rivers of Damascus better than all the Waters of Israel may not I wash in them and be clean Factions Stubbornness and Infidelity in the suggestions of those Unbeleiving Jews made the minds of the Gentiles evil affected toward Barnabas and Paul whose Doctrine otherwise in all Probability they had embraced Act. 14. 2. Sometimes the Prejudice lyes both against the Person and Dispensation too and this was our Saviours own Case He came to bring them Light and to guide their Feet into the way of Peace but his State of Meekness and Humility deceived their Carnal expectations and the Holiness of his Divine Maximes crossed the Grain of their Avarice and Ambition and They were offended at him Many times the Prejudice lyes only in the Pride and Popularity of the Party when Men have made an interest to carry on some Design and got a Name by courting and Seducing the hearts of the Simple and Headed Faction that Flocks after them For such Men to see their own Errours is to them as the shadow of Death therefore if they cannot break the Glass that shows them such an ugly Spectacle they 'l either lay it aside or turn their Backs upon it To retract and Renounce their Beloved Errour is to deny themselves and to lay their Honour in the Dust which is such a severe peice of Mortification as they have not yet Learned and know not how to practice What hinders Reformation in the Church of Rome so much as the Opinion of their Infallibility For such as are Infallible have no need of better Information and such as are so perswaded whatever their Errours be They are not in a present Capacity of being corrected And have we not many among our selves who tho they pretend not to Infallibility are no less stubborn in their own Opinion than they that do and that is as ill Their Self-conceit makes them Inflexible in their Perswasion and as long as this Impression of Pride and Sel-fconceit of Popularity and Vain-glory sticks upon them their minds are not in a Disposition to receive the Truth and this was the case of many an Eminent Person among the Jews John 11. 42 43. When Hatred and Envy appear in the Contest they heighten the Prejudice exceedingly and this was so notorious in the Preists against our Saviour that Pilate took special notice of it He knew that for Envy they had delivered Him Mat. 27. 18. In the Meanness of his Person and Equipage they were disappointed of their Worldly Pomp and Carnal Hopes yet such was the Innocency of his Life the Regularity and Holiness of his Conversation that his Doctrine gained Credit no less from his Example than the Excellency of his Precepts and Discourses His Miracles also were admirable to a great Conviction but yet for all this their
Horse-Raceing meaning at another Time and Place Again if I say the King forbids that men should keep Grey-Hounds to Ride with Swords and Pistols c. meaning Persons of an Inferiour Rank and Quality and another say the King does not sorbid Men to keep Grey-Hounds or to Ride with Swords and Pistols meaning Persons of a Higher Rank and Quality here 's no Contradiction no giving of the Lye to one another And thus it is between St. Paul and Meisner for St. Paul speaks to private Persons whom he forbids to Usurp Power to give Law or to Judge and Censure where they have no Authority But Meisner speaks to Governours who are invested with Authority and Obliged to keep out Schisms and to preserve good Order within their Jurisdiction 2dly St. Paul speaks of a Church which was Inorganical that wanted a due Settlement of Laws and Governours but Meisner speakes of a Church that was Organized in all its Parts and Members having Rules of Decency and Order and a setled Discipline with Governours and Officers to execute the same And this among such as have a little skill to apply it will be sufficient to justify at least Meisners first and second Arguments without giving the Lye to the Apostle In his second Answer Pag. 156. and 157. the Reconciler would oblige our Governours to betray their own Consciences out of Commiseration and to betray the Dissenters too by a pitiful Gratification for he would have our Governours quitt the stedfast Perswasions of their own Minds in Favour to the Dissenters not to Correct the Errour of their Judgments but to Caresse them in their Superstition At Meisners third Objection Pag. 158 the Reconciler grows very Froward and somewhat Ruder again than becomes him towards such an Adversary but as 't was observed of the Cynick that he checkt the Pride of his great Visitant but with another Pride no less Insolent so may we truly say that this Reconciler checks those things which He 's pleased to call Fooleries in Meisner He Loves to Rhetoricate but is not very good at distinguishing which makes him at a Loss and Blunder in his Answers he was told in the Verdict Pag. 125. that a man has a Lock and Key in his own Bosom and there he may keep his Christian-Liberty safe enough from being plundred and there also he may Lock up his Private Opinion when the Broaching of it may Offend but cannot Edify But what 's this to a Publick Constitution When See 2 Mac. 6. 24. c. Multa sunt quae de se seu natura sua sunt Adiaphora licent quidem sed dedecent quia viro probo indigna quia viro sunt incongrua Christiano the Authority of Prudent and Careful Governours has established Rule and Order if it be in my Power I hold it my Duty to defend them In calling the denial of this Gospel Truth a Work of Darkness Meisner saies no more than Calvin doth whose words are these Necessitate servandae Legis obstringi piorum conscientias silentio sepeliri Libertatis Doctrinam haec erat indigna merces Unitatis Ad Galat. 2. 14. He has no Patience at his own Suspicion of Meisners Sawciness for here he charges him with giving the Lye unto the Fathers especially to St. Chrysostom who sayes that St. Pauls advice to the Romans was not Dissimulation but Condescention pag. 159. and Dispensation Her 's Ignoratio Elenchi the Reconciler snar'd in his own Fallacy for we are discoursing what is fit to be done under the State of Christianity where the Church is daily setled by Authority with Convenient Liturgy and Discipline but the Reconciler carries us back to reflect upon what was rather conniv'd at than Establish'd what was tollerated by Condescention and special Dispensation when the Church was in her Non-Age This is just as if upon an Enquiry what Orders were given out to be observed and what the Custom and Practice was when the Temple was Erected and God's Solemn Worship fetled and performed in Jerusalem I should run back and give him the History of what was Permitted in the Wilderness But it may be a Question whether the Rcconciler does perfectly understand what St. Chrysostom means by Condescention Chrysost ad Gal. 2. apud Massut in Vit. St. Paul Lib. â— Cap. 7. and Dispensation for St Peters dissembling at Antioch He calls a Dispensation as Massutius has observed of him Et duo inquit per Dispensationem agebat Petrus Alterum ne offenderet eos qui erant ex Circumcisione Alterum ut Paulo justam proeberet occasionem increpandi Unde et Paulus Objurgat et Petrus sustinet ut Dum Magister objurgatus obticescit facilius Discipuli mutarent Sententiam Two things saith he St. Peter did by Dispensation One that he might not offend those of the Circumcision The other that he might give St. Paul a just occasion to reprove him Hereupon St. Paul rebukes and St. Peter bears it that while the Master takes his chideing with a meek humble Silence the Disciples may the more easily be brought to change their Opinions By the Reconcilers Doctrine St Pauls Rebuke was a rash Affront for St. Peter was not Blame-Worthy the Dissimulation of his Belief was out of Condescention to the Jews Weakness his practice was a Dispensation and fit for his Successors and all worthy Governours to imitate And it would make good Hierom's Argument Cur damnasset in altero Paulus quod sibi laudi ducit nam gloriatur se Judaeis factum esse Judoeum 1 Cor. 9. 20. But Mr. Calvin Answers Longe aliud Petrum fecisse Neque enim aliter se accommodabat Judaeis Paulus quam salva Libertatis Doctrina Calvin ad Galat 2. 11. But whether Commiseration should out-weigh the peace of the Church and of a good Conscience as the Reconciler would have it whether the Bowels of Compassion towards such as call themselves Weak-brethren be sufficient to supersede all the obligations that lye upon Christian Governours to advance God's Glory in the Settlement of his publick Worship I shall leave them to consider who are so highly concern'd in it If we may believe the Assembly of Divines the Civil Magistrate hath Authority Confession of Faith cap. 23. Num. 3. and 't is his Duty to take Order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church that the Truth of God be kept pure and intire that all Blasphemies and Heresies which include Schisms too be suppress'd all Corruption and Abuses in Worship and Discipline prevented or reformed and all the Ordinances of God duly Setled Administred and Observed This is the Magistrates Duty according to the Faith of the Presbyterians who shall acquit them from it It is Mercy sayes Mr. Hales to pardon Serm. on Rom. 14. 1. in Fine wrong done against our selves but to deny the Course of Justice to him that calls for it Peccatum in Deum Vocatur quod imediate in Contumeliam Dei redund at P.
of them of themselves apt enough to be troublesome and a Question put into their Heads and a power of Judging into their hands is a putting it to their choice whether you shall be troubled by them this week or the next for much longer you cannot escape LVI Every Minister ought to be carefull that he never expound Scriptures in Publick contrary to the known sense of the Catholick Church and particularly How far the Reconciler has praevaricated herein let the Reader judge of the Churches of England and Ireland nor introduce any Doctrine against any of the four first General Councils For these as they are measures of Truth so also of Necessity LIV. In your Sermons and Discourses Of whom speaketh the Prophet this Our Reconciler pleads for a change of Gestures Habits and Expressions and these make up the Subject of his Plea of Religion use Primitive known and accustomed words and affect not new Phantastical or Schismatical terms Let the Sunday Festival be called the Lords day and pretend no fears from the Common use of words amongst Christians For they that make a business of the Words of Common use and Reform Religion by introducing a new Word intend to make a Change but no amendment they spend themselves in trifles like the barren Turf that sends forth no Medicinable herbs but store of Mushrooms and they give a demonstration that they are either impertinent people or else of a querulous nature and that they are ready to disturb the Church if they could find Occasion LXI Let every Preacher in his Parish Does our Reconciler doe this take care to explicate to his People the Mysteries of the Great Festivals as of Christmass Easter Ascention-day Whrt-Sunday Trinity-Sunday the Annuntiation of the Blessed Virgin Mary because these Feasts containing in them the great Fundamentals of our Faith will with most advantage convey the Mysteries to the People fix them in their Memories by the solemnity and circumstance of the day And Adv. 25. he tells them Men are to be permitted to their own Liberty to the Measures of the Laws and Conduct Let the Recon note this Dr. Jeremy Taylor Bishop of Down and Connor of their Governours To this let me add the Doctrine and Advice of that Plous and Learned Prelate to the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons of Ireland Assembled in Parliament May the 8th 1661. In his Epistle Dedicatory he tells them thus Men pretend Conscience against They teach for Doctrine the Commands of men Obedience expresly against St. Pauls Doctrine teaching us to obey for Conscience sake but to disobey for Conscience in a thing Indifferent is never to be found in the Books of our Religion But Obedience is strong Meat and Nothing more easy then to obey will not down with weak Stomacks As if in the World any thing were easier than to obey For we see that the food of Children is Milk and Laws The Breast-Milk of their Nurses and the Commands of their Parents is all that Food and Government by which they are kept from Harm and Hunger and conducted to Life and Wisdom And therefore they that are weak Brethren of all things in the World have the least reason to pretend an excuse for Disobedience For nothing can secure them but the Wisdom of the Laws For they are like Children in Minority they cannot be trusted to their own conduct and therefore must live at the publick Charge and the wisdom of their Superiours is their Guide and their Security But saith he there are among us such tender Stomacks that cannot indure They strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Milk but can very well digest Iron Consciences so tender that a Ceremony is greatly offensive but Rebellion is not A Sarplice drives them away as a Bird affrighted with a Man of Clouts But their Consciences can suffer them to despise Government and speak evill of Dignities and curse all that are not of their Opinion and disturb the peace of Kingdoms and commit Sacriledge and account Schism the Tender Conscience the pretence of the vilest men Character of Saints For tender conscience I shall not need to say that every man can easily pretend it for we have seen the Vilest part of mankind men that have done things so Horrid worse than which the Sun never saw yet pretend tender Consciences against Ecclesiastical Laws But I will suppose that they are really such that they in the simplicity of their hearts follow Absolom and in weakness hide If really weak yet not to be dispensed but instructed their heads in little Conventicles and places of separation for a trifle what would they have done for themselves If you make a Law of Order and in the Sanction put a clause of Favour for tender Consciences do not you invite every Subject to disobedience by Impunity and teach him to make his own excuse Is not such a Law a Law without an Obligation May not every man choose whether he will obey or no And if he pretends to disobey out of Conscience is not he that disobeys equally innocent with the Obedient altogether as just as not having done any thing without leave and yet much more Religious and Consciencious Quicunque vult is but an ill Preface to a Law and 't is a strange Obligation that makes no difference between him that obeys and him that refuses to obey But what course must be taken with tender Consciences shall the Execution of the Law be suspended as to all such Persons that will be all one with the Former for if the Execution be commanded to be suspended then the obligation of the Law by Command is taken away and then 't were better there were no Law made And indeed that is the pretention that 's the secret of the business they suppose the best way to prevent Disobedience Where there are no Laws there 's no Government is to take away all Laws It is a short way indeed There shall then be no disobedience but at the same time there shall be no Government But the Remedy is worse than the Disease and to take away all Wine and Strong Drink to prevent Drunkness would not be half so great a folly To think of removing the Disease by feeding the humour I confess it is a strange Cure to our present distempers I desire him who is of No Church breaks her Orders to gratify a Faction that Opinion besides the calling to mind the late sad effects of Schism to remember that no Church in Christendome ever did it It is neither the way of Peace nor of Government nor yet a proper Remedy for the Cure of a weak Conscience For the matter of Giving Offences Governours are not to be offended whoever be and the Disobedient rather than the Dutiful what Scandal is greater than that which Scandalizes the Laws And who is so carefully to be observed least he be offended as
to give evidence against him If this Ignorance did did excuse or extenuate their fault the Apostle would 1 Thes 2. 16. not have told us that the wrath was come upon them to the uttermost for their Continuance in it By the Circumstances of his Life and Miracles their Princes and Rulers might have known him to be the Son of the living God But Malice blinded their Wisd 2. 21. eyes Their Ignorance was not onely gross and supine but also affected procured by their Voluntary frequent acts of envy and hatred There was not so much as the least Congruity towards a Pardon Luc. Brug Estius the Condition they had plunged themselves into was desperate and that was the onely motive for a singular Mercy to step in to Succour them I would fain know what Comfort the Reconciler can extract for his Dissenters out of such an Ignorance But Joannes Malcolme tells us St. Peter Comert in Act. 3. 17. was preparing the Way for their Repentance and that he might not plunge them actually into desperation He gives them hope of Salvation to be obtained by Christ upon their true Conversion When he saies through Ignorance he does not go about to excuse or extenuate their sin by the Fucus or pretence of Ignorance but the Apostle speaks Comparatively Comparing these with those who knowingly and willingly and of set purpose Crucifyed the Lord of life And a little after There is a twofold Ignorance saith he First One has Rebellion joyn'd with it from hence follows Obduration and it is incurable And this is Contracted saith he partly by acting obstinatly and contemptuously against the Will of God and partly by suffering the Threatnings and Judgments of God inflicted on us to pass by without Amendment This was in Pharoah and the People of Israel Jer. 44. and 't is seen in many of our time who do so harden their hearts that they reject the Grace that is offered to them in the Preaching of the Gospel St. Peter speaks not of such an Ignorance But there is Another which pretends to the Glory of God and such is that he speaks of This is Curable and yet 't is a Sin in it self and deserves no Pardon nevertheless by Grace it may find Remission if it will suffer it self to be corrected but if it degenerates into that incurable Ignorance then it lies under the same Condemnation and Punishment S. Pauls Case is much like that of other Jew's Estius saies he could never observe that ever Unbelief was pleaded to extenuate a Guilt He obtained Mercy because his sin was Great and his condition Desperate and so he was fit for a Superabundant Grace to strike in to rescue him and make him a Pattern for time to come But let us take notice 1 Tim. 1. 15 16. that he stood in need of an extraordinary Grace and a Miraculous Conversion and Corporal Affliction with great Severity to compel him to come in But then we must do him right too For having this powerful Call from Heaven He was not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision He did not confer with Flesh and Gal. 1. 16. Act. 9. 3. Blood Nor did he value his Interest in the High-Priest from whom he had received his Commission But upon the first Conviction I am Jesus whom thou persecutest he resign'd himself up to his Command Lord what wilt thou have me to do When the Dissenters do change their Principles and abandon their Carnal and Factious Interests and bring forth Fruit meet for their Repentance let them a Gods Name apply such examples to their Comfort 4thly saith the Reconciler let me intreat him to consider how opposite this judging and Censorious Humour seems to the Christian Rules and Precepts 'T is flatly opposite 1st To that Precept of our Lord Judge not that ye be not Judged Condemn not that you be not Condemned And that of Paul Let not him that Eateth despise him that Eateth not neither let him that Eateth not Judge him that Eateth Let us not therefore Judge one another To that of James There is one Law-giver who is able to destroy and to save who art thou that Judgest thy Brother In all which places the Scripture justly may be supposed to forbid the Judging and Condemning of our Brother without sufficient Cause Now thus we evidently do when we conclude that Action to be done upon corrupt and wicked Principles which happily was well intended and free from any ill design and when we Judge that Person Obstinate and Malicious who perhaps errs through Weakness and Infirmity through want of Information or Prejudice when we do aggravate the Actions of our Brother beyond their just Demerit and pass upon him a more heavy Censure than he hath deserved for so far is our Judgment false and without ground as it exceeds the Nature and the Demerit of the Fact when we judge them whom God receiveth as may be gathered from that passage of St. Paul Let not him that Eateth not judge him that Eateth for God hath received him when we pass such a Judgment upon our Brother as doth dispose us to contemn and vilifie him as may be gathered from that Question of St. Paul Why dost thou judge why dost thou set at nought thy Brother who differs only from thee about Meats or Festivals or Things indifferent in which God's Kingdom by no means doth Consist And Lastly when we so judge as to pronounce without clear Scripture-Warrant of the Damnation or Salvation of our Brother for seeing there is one Law-giver saith St. James who is able to Save and to Destroy who art thou that judgest thy Brother that is dost pass the Deretory Sentence concerning his Damnation or Salvation I pray the Doctor may be unconcern'd in these things that in passing this Censure on his Brethren he be not found usurping of the Office of the Judge of all men or judging another man's Servant who must Stand or Fall to his own Master that he so Judg as that he be not Judged and so Condemn as that he be not Condemned 1st I observe that this Reconciler follows the steps of the fiercest Presbiterians who were ever wont to Libel their Prince in their Prayers For thus he deals with Dr. Womock He insinuates That he usurps the Office of the Supreme Judge that he Judgeth his Brothers Person and passes the Decretory Sentence concerning his Damnation for to say Salvation is impertinence That he doth this without sufficient Evidence or Scripture-Warrant That he Judges to Damnation such as God hath received such as differ from him only about Meats and Festivals or Things indifferent in which God's Kingdom by no means doth consist That he aggravates their Actions beyond their just Demerit and judgeth them so as to contemn and despise them Let the Reconciler consider how ill this Censorious humour appears in him as well as how groundless false and scandalous it is in it self If there be any Truth in it let him
name the Persons that are so censured let him repeat the Words and cite the Page or Pages where this Censure is to be found If he can produce none of these things I have Commission in Dr. Womock's Name to proclaim him a malicious and shameless Libeller But 't is a small matter with him to Judge and Libel Dr. Womock he has the forehead to do as much by his Prince and all that are in Authority in Church and State and is it possible for the Dissenters to escape his Lash Indeed P. 114. he concludes them a Pack of damned Villains who go astray out of Pride Malice Stubbornness and he saith p. 108 We have cause to fear the thing is too true that there be men of this Malicious Proud Stubborn Temper among the Body of Dissenters But alas Good man he would not Censure them for a World And yet at another time he thinks p. 58. 59. fit but it is in the Spirit of Meekness to ask them these few Questions Do they prefer Mercy before Sacrifice who will not submit to Rites or Circumstances or to the Use of things no where forbidden in the Word to prevent Schism and all the dreadful Consequences of it But rather will give cause to their Superiours to Judg them scandalous Resisters of Authority and pertinacious Disturbers of the Churches Peace Are they compassionate towards the Sheep according to our Lord's Example who rather will refuse to become Labourers in his Harvest and Teachers of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God than submit to these little Things in order to their regular Performance of this Blessed Work Do not they scandalize offend and contribute unto the Ruin of Christ's Little Ones who do involve them in a wretched Schism on the account of things which they may Lawfully submit to Do not they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men who forbid them to enter when they may Do not they impose heavy Burthens also who say to their Disciples Hear not the Common-Prayer Receive not the Sacrament kneeling Suffer not your Children to be signed with the Cross Communicate not with that Minister who wears a Surplice or with that Church who imposeth any Ceremonies or any Constitutions But concerning the Time and Place of performing publick Worship If the Good Shepherd should lay down his Life for the Sheep should not they lay down their unnecessary Scruples for their sakes If nothing doth so scandalize Christ's Followers as to find their Teachers at Discord and divided can They act as becometh his Disciples who are not willing to procure Unity and Concord and to avoid this Scandal by their Submission to things indifferent in their own Nature and not forbidden in the Law of God Now whether this be not much more Magisterial and not a whit less Censorious than any thing that fell from the pen of Dr. Womock in his Verdict let the Reader Judge However Dr. Womock is not much concern'd at the Reproaches of his Prayers but thinks fit to return his Charity in the Exprobration and Command of our Common Judge which may concern Luc. Brug Significatur Curiositas intuendi in alienos errores Studio reprelendendi the Reconciler no less then Dr. Womock Mat. 7. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers Eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own Eye ver 5. Thou hypocrite first cast out beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy Brothers Eye And now we may take leave to reflect upon the other Mistakes and false Suggestions in this Paragraph 1. What dormant Warrant he may have to pass the Decretory or Final Sentence of Damnation upon any Person I cannot tell but I am sure there is no such Warrant to be found in Scripture nor any such Sentence to be pronounced by any man without the Spirit of Prophecy 2dly Whereas He saith the Dissenters differ only from us about Meats or Festivals or things Indifferent in which God's Kingdom does by no means consist We say otherwise The Difference is in matters of Obedience under the command of Righteousness and in matter of Uniformity under the command of Peace which with Joy in the Holy Ghost are the very Foundation and Pillars of God's Kingdom For he that in these things Rom. 14. 17. 18. serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. 3dly For our Saviours Prohibition Judge not Mr. Calvin saith His Verbis praecise non prohibuit Christus a Judicando which is flatly opposite to the Reconciler Christ by these Words doth not precisely forbid Judging but would cure a disease which is commonly bred of Curiosity or Malevolence Calvin But to condemn all Sin is not only Lawful but Necessary unless we have a mind to Bark against God to abrogate his Laws to rescind his Judgments and to overthrow his Tribunal For he will have us be the Heraulds of that Sentence which he hath pronounced against the Wickedness of men though withal we are obliged to be so modest as to acknowledg him the only Judge and Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The Publick Judgment of Prince Praelates Senates whose Office it is to condemn the Guilty and absolve the Innocent being no less necessary than beneficial to Civil Societies is by no means forbidden by our Saviour and why should Divines study Cases of Conscience but to Judge and satisfie such as are Scrupulous and Doubtful and a good man that values his Soul his Conscience his Interest in Christ in Grace and Heaven would be glad to receive some Satisfaction therein and if he be wise he will apply himself to some Ghostly Father to that Effect but how can He do him good if he doth not Judge for him The Judgment our Saviour forbids is Private and not all private Judgment neither but only what is Rash and Malicious To condemn Crimes Manifest and Notorious that is not to Judge but to follow God's Judgments who hath expresly condemned Them already in his Word We are forbidden to Judge of Others when their Actions are Doubtful but not when their Works are Manifest and the matter of Fact clear and out of Question as St. Augustine hath resolved it and our Lord before him in that Direction By their Fruits ye shall know them which is to be understood of such manifest Deeds as cannot be done of a Good mind such as Theft Whoredome and all matters of Fraternal Correction which cannot Irenaeus 2. 4. c. 49. be performed without a Proevious Judgment which therefore cannot be here forbidden They therefore abuse this Testimony saies Mr Calvin who under In Mat. 7. 1. pretence of that Moderation which Christ commends would take away all distinction of Good and Evil. 4thly But the Reconciler urgeth That those places of Scripture may Justly be suppos'd to forbid the Judging and Condemning of our Brother without sufficient cause To this I