farther power to the Church than what the very being of Councils and Synods doth suppose to belong to her For their being doth imply their power of determining in doubtful and controversial matters and therefore of giving rules in such cases which rules and determinations the people consequently stand oblig'd to observe For power of giving Laws in the Superior doth always infer a Duty of receiving 'em in the inferior and you will find that not only ancient Councils but the Synod of Dort about the Doctrins of Arminius and that undue Convocation which the Scotch taught us to call the Assembly of Divines which laid aside the Liturgy and established the Directory did very smartly evidence their belief that they had a power of obliging the people to their own placits For beside the greatness of the undertaking they were as positive in their determinations and as severe in their injunctions as if they knew themselves seated in an infalliable Chair Therefore their allowing such a power when it ministred to their own passions and interest doth evidence that they hold the thing not absolutely unlawful From the faults that Dissenters now find with Ecclesiastical Establishments and that monstrous Bill for uniting the Kings Protestant Subjects prepared by a late House of Commons which designed the turning our Church upside down we must in all reason conclude they would make very great and peremptory Alterations was it in their power Whence we must infer that according to them themselves there is such a power lodg'd in the Church Which if they deny they consequentially deny the lawfulness of the Reformation both in its first settlement before and in its Restauration after Queen Mary they condemn the haughty attempts of their late Assembly and even themselves too who put in their objections against some little passages in our Liturgy to the Convocation called soon after his Majesties return and likewise take from the Church all power of future Reformation from any Errors she may sink into And indeed it is reasonable to suppose the Church knows what is Lawful and Expedient better than some private Heads For the Persons called as Representatives of the whole Church are usually the most Grave Learned and Judicious many see more than one God hath more regards to the whole whom these duely called do represent and in whose determinations the whole are concern'd than of a part viz. a few scattered Individuals who are every one for his own Sense He stands in those relations to the whole which he doth not to particulars in separation from her as of an Head an Husband c. and hath promised to be with them to the end of the World as they are the guides and pastors of his Flock and therefore in a more peculiar manner than with any private Persons who are concerned not for all but every one for his own self Therefore though the Church may err yet it is not by incomparable odds so likely she should as that a few divided particulars may Therefore it is my Prudence as well as Duty in all things doubtful to submit to the Church else I run into an apparent Schism which nothing can justify but some apparent Evil which I cannot hold Communion with the Church but I must be polluted by Therefore because the Schism is apparent but the Error not I run into a certain Sin only for fear of what seems to me a probable Error Now suppose that by this means I chance to err with the Church yet I have used the means and kept to my guide and consequently have done the best I could to secure my self from Error and for that reason my Sin is only from weakness in that I could not see the Error of my guide therefore I shall be excused à tanto and forgiven upon a general repentance But he that errs against the Church hath willfully because without apparent reason left his guide and means appointed or in case the reason of his dissent seem'd to him apparent yet it had not seem'd so had he honestly used the means for his better Information for God is never wanting to such but when Men have itching Ears run after Novelties and have no love to the Truth 2 Thes 2. 10. then v. 11. For this cause God sends 'em strong Delusions that they might believe a Lye Therefore all their subsequent Errors are the issue and Offspring of that causeless and willful separation which kind of Sins are not forgiven but upon a special repentance This is a rule so plain and safe that certainly it had never been oppos'd had not some out of politick ends and others out of a weak and superstitious fear of Popery run into all the extreams from it unless where interest and secular advantages may teach an Union For Knavery in some and weakness in others hath gave being to all the parts of Phanaticism The Romanists shew Reverence in Churches therefore these in opposition will have all places alike For fear of being lavish in their Devotions they become prophane and slovenly and out of a dread of Idols in some real in others pretended run into Sacriledg and in the case before us they are said to believe as the Church believes without requiring any farther grounds and motives of Credibility therefore these will believe her in nothing but contradict and oppose her in all they can and rather than they will be thought to follow the Church in any thing they give up themselves with as real an implicite faith to some Illiterate and Mechanick guide as any are thought to do to the Church of Rome Which necessarily runs 'em into more Errors and greater Confusions than they think by such methods to avoid For from hence have sprung our Quakers Seekers Ranters Adamites Famalists Muggletonians fifth Monarchists withal the heards of Sectaries that have debauched Religion beyond that of Heathen Rome or Turkey Therefore to avoid all damnable Heresies and Schisms and the roveing extravagancies of Enthysiastick heads we have no more certain and ready way than to follow the Church where we have no plain Scripture to the contrary And indeed it is very observable that all pretenders to Christianity do hold the necessity of some guide and rule in matters of Religion whereby they may come to aright understanding of Scripture and thence to a-consent and union in every Truth Those that are for no Government nor any Humane measures but for an absolute Liberty as they are Christians do boast of an extraordinary Light and Conduct of the Spirit which they make to be their guide that leads 'em into all Truth But the monstrous Errors beastly Practices and direct Contradictions these people run into do abundantly convince all observing Men that they have not that Conduct which by pretending to such a guide they own necessary for Christians Then those who are for some Face of a Church and Government do likewise grant the necessity of some helps this way Therefore Calvin will have every
it self A Life which every wise and considerate Man would choose had it no other recompence but the present advantages and satisfactions that arise from it But because many will commend Unity and own it a necessary Duty for all Christians to agree together but plead the fault of Division is not in them but in the Government which requires their Union upon those terms they cannot close with I will therefore inquire 1. What is the sense of their chief Authors and Leaders in this particular and 2. Whether we may in charity judge their Division from us to proceed really from any scruple of Conscience 1. Mr. Vines who was an hot Man in the late Rebellion and at the Treaty at Vxbridge against the King by which you must judge him no Church-man in his Sermons upon the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Printed after his Death undertakes to prove that nothing can justify a Separation from a True Church less than flat Idolatry And gives a challenge to any Man to give an instance in Scripture to the contrary For all Separation is either Local or Moral now a Local Separation is required from Idolatrous Temples and Heathen Mixtures as in 2 Cor. 6. 16. What Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For you Christians are his Temples both by Dedication in Baptism and also by the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit dwelling in you Therefore v. 17. Come out from amongst 'em and be ye separate But we have neither Precept nor example of any allowed separation from a Christian Church unless a Moral only He argues from the Church of Thyatira Revel 2. Which suffered the false Prophets to seduce his People to commit Fornication and to eat things Sacrificed to Idols which were great Corruptions but yet v. 24 25. Vpon you that are pure viz. from these things I put no other burthen but this that which you have already hold fast till I come Here is not a word of separation locally viz. the leaving their Assemblies but morally only viz. from her Sins If you consult Mr. Jenkins on Jude v. 19. separating themselves where he tells you what a Church you may and what an one you may not separate from there is nothing that can justify but rather condemn his present separation Mr. Baxter published a piece An. Dom. 1670. Intituled the Cure of Church-Division or Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being Dividers or Troublers of the Church Dr. Bryan in his Sermons Printed An. Dom. 70. and pag. 328. presses all parties to live free from any appearance of Contention either in Church or State They that do so having the Brand of Graceless Men set upon 'em by the Holy Ghost Jud. 8 11 12. In the next page every Man that dwells in God is of a Peaceable disposition Quiet in the Land Psal 35. 20. The Ancient Puritans were all for a Lay-Communion and smartly opposed the Brownists now Independents for the desperate breaches they made in the Church And even Brightman himself that extravagant Expositor on Revel 3. 20. Behold I stand at the Door and knock saith that those who are asham'd to sit down in that Church where Christ is not asham'd to knock by his Word and Ordinances do make themselves purer than Christ himself We have a Cloud of Witnesses to this point in a late piece for Lay-Communion therefore I shall only give you part of an Epistle to a Book Intituled the Saints Care of Church Communion Printed An. Dom. 1671. By Mr. Crofton a late Nonconformist Nonconformists of old did account it their glory that they did not separate nor any way encourage or countenance but every way disown and oppose the Separatist The Judicious Ball affirms That as Hannibal observed there was not one in the Enemies Camp called Gisco so there was not so much as one of the godly Ministers which suffered in England about the Discipline that might be deservedly called Brownist not a Nonconformist could be found a Separatist I wish we could at this day say the same thing with the same truth and confidence But alas How many whose Preaching and Writings have been strong and servent against Separation do at this day make the Independents insult Your Presbyters leave the publick Assemblies have gathered Churches in which they minister the whole solemn Worship of God and not contented with Domestick Liberty have occasioned the Laws and execution thereof to confound them with the severest Separatists and most vile Sects that ever troubled the Churches Order or the Nations Peace Pudeat haec dici potuisse non potuisse refelli I did in an Epistle published many years since sollicite the serious Nonconformists in this day of temptation to kick off that Bastard-Brood of Separatists which hang on them and are by their Enemies laid at their door as their genuine off-spring But I have not herein prevailed but to the anguish of my Soul seen Schism so acceptable to good men that scarce any called Nonconformist dare once reprove it In sense whereof and in conscience of duty I could not keep silence but by Pulpit and Press stand up to testifie against this common growing evil eating out Love the Heart of Piety the Power of Truth and Vnity of the Church I expect the Committee of Discretion at whose Barr I have on this very cause stood more than twenty years without conviction to revive against Me and this Work their old Charge however the thing is good the Doctrine is truth the discovery thereof be duty yet it is done unseasonably and out of time I have been often arraigned for missing the season yet no man hath set me a Dial by which to determine the time of my Ministerial actings In the year 1655 my Saints Zeal against sinful Altars was out of season In 1661 my Reformation not Separation was out of season It is now 1670 and yet the season of this duty is not seen When will this season be wherein I may appear against Schism When I am in the Grave towards which I hasten where there is no mention of God nor pleading the cause of his Church If I know any thing of the Mind of the God of Time and may compare Watches with the faithful Watch-men of God's House the season of Ministerial reproof is the season of sin's prevalency When the Believers are in danger to be beguiled from the simplicity of the Gospel was Paul's season to cry out Take heed of Angels of light and false Apostles When Schisms in the Church not so dangerous and deadly as Schisms from the Church distracted Corinth was the Apostles time to cry out Ye are carnal ye are not spiritual When Peter turned Separatist and drew Barnabas into the Schism was Paul's season to withstand him to the face because he was to be blamed What shall I say of the Prophets who timed their Prophesies by the prevalency of Israel's defection And our Saviour who chose the season to explain the Law when the
Scribes and Pharisees had made the word of God of none effect by their Traditions Austin's season to preach against Drunkenness was when and as long as the men of Hippo lived Drunkards And to appear against Separation when and as long as the Donatist's Schism prevailed in the Christian World Luther's season to express his zeal against the German Anabaptists and Libertines was when they exposed his Reformation to reproach Ball Hildersham Hind Nicols and other Nonconformist's season to speak and write against Separation was when the Brownist's Non-communion became the reproach of their Non-conformity If these may not guide me lend me your Watches if they go not false I will set mine by them In answer to this charge of missing the season of Truth and Duty I have many years since appealed to Presbyters Whether men wisely serving God's Providence and studious to do God and his Church proper and apt service must not judg the time of witnessing corruptions circa cultum publicum will not warrant Non-communion and Separation from a true Church to be then when that is acted on this ground and reason Till that be argued and over-rul'd I will plead no more to this Inditement and that I expect not to be till Christ do come to Judgment Secondly But you will be ready to complain That I am too rigid too severe and bitter against the Independent Congregationalist's who undoubtedly are very good men To this I say 1. The Goodness of the men be to themselves But remember The Goodness of the men is the common bait which hideth the Hook of Imposture and Seduction by which the simple are beguiled Angels of Light Men like the Apostles of Christ Pious Pelagius Devout and Holy Novatius have been the perverters of Truth and subverters of the Churches Peace and Order And be the men never so good the severe reproof of their vile Opinions and sinful Practices must not be superseded by that Goodness which is in them 2. Be the men as good as they will if by their fruits we may know them we must be free to affirm they have been no good Plants in the Lord's Garden To pass by the Narrative of their Practices beyond the Seas collected by the Anti-apologist and improved by Mr. Robert Baylie beyond the possibility of denial or contradiction Should we but declare their Paganizing all England the Confusions in Church and Commotions in Commonwealth which our Eyes have seen acted by and this present Age must attest to have been the unhappy horrid Generation-work of these good men you must needs say The severest rebuke of them must needs be too gentle But I will forbear to recite the Acts which all of this Age must needs remember Yet when I consider the sinfulness of Schism the speciality of their Schism exceeding that of the rigid Brownists unchurching not only England but all the Reformed Churches at one blow meritoriously by their Apostacy and legally by the Law of their rejection And remember their precipitancy if I must not say perfidy in falling into it when the pretended occasions of stumbling were out of their way and they were solemnly engaged against Schism and this very Schism I cannot but see much reason to maintain a constant and severe zeal against them and the rather for that we have observed it we know the verity of it the sobriety moderation and indulgent silence of their soft and over-mild Brethren hath been the nourishment guard and advantage of their Schism They as their Progenitors the Donatists did at first study nothing more than by the cry of Moderation Moderation towards Brethren and Good men to charm the Zeal and Duty of those who ought to have discovered this Panther's Face before they had broken in and made havock of the Church of God as at this day they do necessitating more loud cryes and severe reproofs against them than ever for that they have prevailed so far as to seduce Multitudes and confound endeavours for Reformation with their groundless Separation and with the Donatists want nothing but opportunity to make their Schism domineer through the World beyond the power of Magistratical cohibition The simple Godly have a long time been deluded with a pretence That there is no great difference between them and their angry Brethren it is but a matter of Discipline there is nothing in their Practice fundamentally erroneous or inconsistent with salvation And scarce any man is found so faithful as to detect the falsehood of this Plea Let me tell you wherein the Controversie only concerneth matters of Discipline I have often said it and now say it aloud Though I know the Discipline they pretend to to be confused disorderly and mischievous to the Church neither found in Scripture nor right Reason or Polity yet let them own the being and truth of the Church the salvability of Ministration in it and in union with the Church in any particular orderly distributed Assembly make their Discipline practicable if they can they shall not be by me disturbed till they have experienced the evill thereof in its Effects But be ye not deceived there is more cause of controversie than matters of Discipline only I have often under my hand asserted what with the leave of my more moderate Brethren I will persist in and undertake to demonstrate to the conviction of them who deny it at least to the undeceiving of the weak who are seduced by them That if 1. Groundless or causeless Separation from true Churches 2. Self-constitution of new Churches 3. Self-consecration of a new Ministry be as none can deny they be fundamental errors and Practices inconsistent with a state of salvation then the Way or Practice of the Independent-Congregationalists among us is fundamentally erroneous and inconsistent with Salvation For that they have groundlesly separated from true Churches constituted new Churches and consecrated a new Ministry insomuch that they who were lawfully ordained have renounced their Ordination and received their Ministry in their new Way let any who have seen their course and considered their Writings deny if they can Although I have charity to believe many a sincere heart towards God may simply communicate with Gods Ordinances among them and not be sensible of their Schism nor design so great an evil no way obvious to the weak yet their Way being in it self so evil requireth all that will be found faithful as Jerome and Austin against the Donatists to animate each other to discover so great an evil and withstand so grievous Schism growing to so great an height as to confound yea nullifie the Church of God among us Bravely offered What to prove that our private Meeters who break off from the Church and set up Conventicles of their own cannot be in a Salvable State That their Leaders for interest sake dare not reprove the Schism That these practices caused the late Rebellion and Murthers and have paganiz'd almost all England And dare none of these Men accept the
challenge 'T is a shrewd sign they suspect the goodness of their cause else we should certainly have had a melius inquirendum We may presume those Men are in crooked paths who will not bring 'em to the rule when required to do so Hence we will inquire Secondly Into their Plea from Conscience whereby they would justify themselves every one in his own way Which Conscience is made the greatest cheat and the veriest fool in the World For Men espouse such and such Opinions and ways of Life Whence they fly our Churches Writings and all other means of better Information till by Custom and the just Judgment of God who gives them up to strong Delusions that love not the Truth they think there can be nothing true and good but what is wrapt up in their own Tenents and Practices And because they have no mind to budg therefore they cry Conscience will not let ' em Which Conscience is mere Opinion Delusion Prejudice and Self-will Just such a Conscience as the greatest Hereticks and their most deluded Followers had to plead for their damnable Opinions And several Nations for their own Heathen Gods and Sacreds Such a Conscience as put the Jews upon Crucifying our Saviour and stoneing the Prophets and spur'd on late Zealots to the worst Rebellion Murther Theft and Sacriledg Such a Conscience as makes the Scotch Sectaries glory in their sufferings for their late Rebellion and Inhumane Butchery of the late Arch-Bishop of S. Andrews And put others amongst our selves upon acting the amazing Tragedy of 48 over again The greatest Villanies have ever been acted under the Pleas of Conscience And never hath the World seen worse times than where such Consciences have been most in fashion Look into the many Sects amongst us and you cannot find any two of 'em but what hold some things contradictory to each other Yet every Man in all parties pleads Conscience for what he doth Now because Conscience cannot make contradictories to be true therefore it is not Conscience that makes all parties differ from the Church and every one from one another or if Conscience must be in the case it is but an Erroneous one and that is to say the Errors and Delusions of Men that make all this bustle It is but the Ass under the Lyons Skin a Spirit of Delusion under the Pretexts of Conscience that hath made so many Opinions falsly called Religion amongst us Conscience can never condemn a Man without some warrant or rule e. g. It can never condemn any Man for Theft had it not this or some such rule viz. Thou shalt not steal whereby to do it Therefore in all the little parts of Religion and Government which are not ordain'd in Scripture and where there is no contradiction to those general rules of doing things decently in order and to edification false Notions and Opinion may disquiet the mind but Conscience cannot oppose because she hath no rule whereby to do it nor any Foundation to ground an Accusation on And consequently it is a Man's Prejudice and Delusion not his Conscience that draws back from Common Prayer the Sign of the Cross c. because these things not being forbid in Scripture Conscience cannot oppose and reject ' em At the rate these Men talk we must allow every Humor Prejudice Opinion Fancy and trick of Knavery to be Conscience the falshood of which sufficiently appears from the contradictions palpable Errors beastly Practices and Confusions of Religion and Government which such Consciences have already brought into the World and do farther expose us to But if it be really Conscience that makes all this stir Pray tell me how comes it to pass that Conscience should scruple some things which are no where forbid in Scripture and yet so readily close with many that are expresly forbid How can it be that Conscience should boggle at a Surplice and kneeling in the Sacrament of the Supper and yet make no Bones of Schisms and Seditions How is it reconcilable to my reason that Conscience should fly mixt Communions of which we have examples in Scripture and which themselves can no way avoid and also set Forms of Prayer for which the Scripture affords both example and Precept too And yet should sport and solace it self in speaking evil of the King resisting the Powers c. Till I am satisfyed in these points I must conclude it is no Conscience But Delusion in some and in others mere tricks and design It is certainly now time for 'em to consider that if the Evils which Divisions naturally produce should come upon us what an heavy aggravation it will be to their sufferings to consider that all this is the fruit of their own doings and the work of their own hands That their own Passions Mistakes and Self-will have pull'd all this upon their own heads What excuse can they make to God and Man what recompence to Posterity for the ruining a Church the whole protestant cause and interest by a Division which their best Writers condemn themselves cannot justify and are forced falsly to plead Conscience for as their last and only refuge If any thing shall ever perswade these Men to look toward Unity they must as a means thereto avoid all the hindrances of it Many are self-conceited and think none understand truth so well as themselves Others self-willed and resolved to yield in nothing And yet for such Men to wish for Unity is really to wish that the very Government would stoop and all Men yield to their own selves Nor is it some few only but the Majority in every party that is of this mind Which renders a satisfaction utterly impossible unless they could make the Government like Manna to suit it self to every pallat Therefore when S. Paul Eph. 4. 3. is pressing to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace he direct 'em to the fittest means to that end v. 2. walk with lowliness and meekness with long suffering and love Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit All endeavours are like to prove unsuccessful without these Methods and Qualifications For it is a censorious hasty proud and ungovernable Spirit that leaves its rule and follows its own giddy motions which makes the greatest breaches both in Church and State Let Men lay aside all those humors which in the Judgment of any indifferent Man are inconsistent with any Government as standing stubbornly irreconcilable to any but their own placits and after all the complaints of Grievances Popery c. they will certainly say of this Church and Nation Happy are the people that are in such a case And indeed I did never yet know but that Men must part with something for the ends of Peace and Unity They must in something deny themselves restrain their passions and yield to a rule else they shall live their own punishments and at last be driven to what they would never go FINIS