workest Wonders in the Earth whose Power cannot be Control'd in whose Hands are the Souls of Men and the Spirits of all Flesh who canst turn them in a Moment Turn thou the Hearts of King and People unto thee and One unto another Do thou proclaim a FAST FROM SIN throughout these Sinful Kingdoms let Wickedness and Oppression find no place among us Turn away thy Fierce Wrath Wipe away our Reproach and Love us Freely O God for thy dear Son ' s sake THE SECOND PART OF THE Address to Protestants UPON THE Present Conjuncture HAving then finisht the First Part of my Address relating to the Immoralities of the Times and left it with the CIVIL MAGISTRATE as in Conscience I found my self Oblig'd to do whose Peculiar Charge it is and I Earnestly and Humbly desire and pray that it may be his Great Care Effectually to Rebuke them I shall betake my self to the Second Part of this Address that more immediately concerns us as Profest Christians and Protestants But before I begin I desire to premise and can with much Sincerity Declare that I intend not the Reproach of any Person or Party I am weary with seeing so much of it in the World for it gains nothing that is worth keeping but hardens to a Desperateness what 't is our Duty to endeavour to soften But if without Offence I may speak the Truth that which to the best of my Understanding tends to the Present Settlement and Future Felicity of my Poor Country I shall by God's Help deliver my self with that Modesty Plainness and Integrity that becomes a Real Christian and a True English-Man Those Capital Sins and Errors that relate to the ECCLESIASTICAL STATE or Church-Capacity of these Kingdoms and which are so Inconsistant with Christian Religion and purest Protestancy and that above all displease Almighty God are First Making Opinions Articles of Faith at least giving them the Reputation of Faith and making them the Bond of Christian Society Secondly Mistaking the Nature of True Faith and taking that for Faith which is not Gospel-Faith Thirdly Debasing the true Value of Morality under pretence of Higher Things mistaking the very End of Christ's Coming Fourthly Preferring Humane Authority above Reason and Truth Fifthly Propagating Faith by Force and Imposing Religion by Worldly Compulsion These I take to be those Church Evils that have too much infected even these Parts of the reputed Reformed World And though the Roman Church for the most part hath transcended all other Societies in these Errors and may in a sense be said to be the Mother of them She from whom they took Birth by whom they were brought forth and propagated in Christendom yet there hath not been that Integrity to the Nature of Christianity and First Reason of Reformation from Papacy in our own Country as had been and is our Duty to conserve First In that Opinions pass for Faith and are made Articles of Faith and enjoyn'd to be embrac'd as the Bond of Communion That this is so let us take the most impartial View we can and we shall find it to be true both of the National and many other Select Societies That I may be understood in the Signification of the word OPINIONS I explain it thus Opinions are all those Propositions or Conclusions made by Men Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion which either are not Expresly laid down in Scripture or not so evidently Deduceable from Scripture as to leave no Reason of Doubt in their Minds of the Truth of them who sincerely and reverently believe the Text or lastly such as have no New or Credible Revelation to avouch them That this is our Case let the several Confessions of Faith published by almost every Party in England be perused and ye will find such Propositions translated into Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion as are First not only not Express'd in Scripture but perhaps not Deduceable from Scripture If one Party may be but believ'd against another this will want no Evidence to prove the Point And in the Next place such as are though not Exprest yet it may be Deduceable as to the Matter of them but either carried so high spun so fine or so disguised by Barbarous School-Terms that they are rather a Bone of Contention than a Bond of Concord to Religious Societies Yet this has been the Unhappiness even of this Kingdom after all the Light of Reformation which God hath graciously sent amongst us Men are to be received or rejected for denying or owning of such Propositions Wilt thou be an Episcopalian then Sign the Thirty-Nine Articles Renounce the Covenant and Conform to the Discipline and Jurisdiction of the Church Wilt thou be a Presbyterian Embrace and Keep the Covenant subscribe the Westminster-Confession and Directory and so on to the End of every Society that grounds Communion upon Conformity to such Propositions and Articles What a Stir have we had in England about the poor word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that says it signifies an Higher Office than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall have no part or fellowship with us On t'other hand they that will debase Episcopos to Presbyteros and turn Levellers of Episcopal Dignity shall be Excommunicated silenc'd punish't Is not this Fact can any deny it that love Truth more then a Party The Fire kindled by this Contention hath warm'd the Hands of Violence It had been well if Men had entertain'd Equal Zeal against Impiety and been but half asmuch Enemies to the Sin as they have been against one another If we look a little back we shall find that the Debate of Free-Will Unconditional Reprobation fill'd this Kingdom with Incharitableness and Division In the Arch-Episcopacy of Abbot reputed in himself a Good Man who ever held that Christ died so for all Men that all men might be saved if they would accept the Means and that none were absolutely decreed to Eternal Reprobation waa near akin to Heresie and Excommunicated as an Enemy to the Free Grace of God which it seems lay in being Narrow In the time of Arch-Bishop Land the Tide turns those that hold an Absolute Election and Reprobation without regard had to the Good or Evil Actions of Men and assert that Christ only died for the Elect and not for all must be discountenanc'd displac'd and pointed at as Men out of Fashion though at the same time Conscientious Sober and at worst Mistaken to be pittied rather than prosecuted and informed rather than confounded This Controversie begot the Synod of Dort he that reads the Epistles of that Judicious man J. Hails of Eaton upon the Matter and Conduct of the Assembly will find cause of being sad at Heart too many of them talked of Religion without the Spirit of it Men perhaps Learned in Books but few of the Sticklers gave any great Testimony of their Proficiency in that Science which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated This Flame kindled
the Hypostatical Union in fine the Athanasian Creed and other Articles of Faith or Rites of your Church not so clearly express'd in Scriptures and not easie to be apprehended or assented to will not this poor Creature be look'd upon either as Infidel or Heretick renounced all share in Christ and Christian Fellowship because his Weakness or Understanding will not allow him to come up to the full Inventory of Articles believed and imposed by you Certainly you must either be partial and give him that Liberty you deny to Persons of equâ—l Tenderness or else you mustafter your present streightness conclude him Infidel or Heretick But I would beseech you that we may consider if this bears any Proportion with the Wisdom and Love of God in sending Christ into the World to save you and me The Apostle became All unto all to win some but this is becoming All unto none to force all he thereby recommends the Utmost Condescention that can be lawful but this use of Humane Authority about Faith seems to make it unlawful to Condescend As if Force were better than Love and Conformity how ever it become at it than Christian Condescention The Blessed Apostle had his Eye to the Good Intention and Sober Life of the Weak and used an holy sort of Guile to catch them he seems as if he â—…ssembled the Knowledge of those Averse Opinions which they held or the necessity of their embracing those Doctrines which as yet they might not believe He fell not to Debate and Canvass Points in Difference between them which instead of Union would have enflam'd the Difference and rais'd Contention No no He became all unto all that is He stoop'd to all Capacities and humbled himself to those Degrees of Knowledge that men had and valued that which was good in all and with this Sweetness he practised upon them to their further proficiency in the School of Christ These Allurements were all his Injunctions nay in this Case he makes it an Injunction to use no other Let us therefore says he as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be OTHERWISE minded God shall reveal even this unto you You shall not be impos'd upon stigmatiz'd or excommunicated for Want of Full Satisfaction or because you do not Consent before Conviction for God shall REVEAL it to you you shall see and know what you do and to God you shall owe your Knowledge and Conformity and not to Humane Authority and Imposition your Faith shall not be implicit nor your Obedience blind the Reason of your Hope shall be in you Pray let us compare this with the Language of our own Times where People cannot come up to the Prescriptions of men but plead the Liberty of Dissent though with never so much Sobriety and true Tenderness of Conscience they are upbraided after this manner Are you Wiser than your Superiours Were our Fore-Fathers out of the Way Did no body know the Truth till you came Are you Wiser than all our Ministers and Bishops and your Mother the Church Can't it content you to believe as she believes Is not this Pride and Presumption in you a Design to make and head Sects and Parties with the like Entertainment Now this is that which you your selves at least in the Persons of your Ancestors have stiled POPERY yea POPERY in the abstract the Sum-Total of that Mystery its great Master piece to wit IMPLICIT FAITH and BLIND OBEDIENCE If so then say I let us also have a care of Popâ—ry in Protestant guise for that Popery is likely to do us most Injury that is least suspected I beg you by the Love of God and Truth and as you would lay a sure Foundation Piece here and eternal Comfort to your own Souls that you would consider the Tendency of upbraiding and violently over ruling the Dissent of Conscientious and Peaceable People For if you will Rob me once of the Liberty of my Choice the Use of my Understanding the Distinction of my Judgment no Religion comes amiss indeâ—d it leads to No Religion 'T was the Saying of the Old King to the then Prince of Wales and our present King Make the Religion of your Education the Religion of your Judgment which to me is of the Nature of an Appeal from his Education to his Judgment about the Truth of his Religion And that Religion which is too tender to be examin'd is unsound Prove all things and hold fast that which is good lies an Impeachment against Imposition deliver'd upon Record by the Apostle Paul in the Name of the Holy Ghâ—st 'T was the same Apostle that commended the Bereans of Old for that they diligently searched the Scriptures whethâ—r those things delivered by the Apostles concerning the Messiah were true Nay Christ himself to whom all power was given in Heaven and in Earth submitted himself to the Test he did not require them to believe him because he would be believed he refers them to the Witness that God bore to him If I bear Witness of my self my Witness is not true He also sends them to the Scriptures pleads the Truth of his Authority from that of his Doctrine and Miracles If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did And finally challenges them to convince him but of one Sin Which of you convinceth me of Sin and if I say the Truth why do ye not believe me He offers to reason the Matter and submit himself to Truth and well he might who was Truth it self But an IMPOSING CHURCH bears Witness of her self and will be both Party and Judge it requires Assent without Evidence and Faith without Proof therefore false Christian Religion ought to be carried on only by that way by which it was introduced which was PERSWASâ—ON If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his Cross and follow me and this is the Glory of it that it does not destroy but fairly conquer the Understanding I am not unacquainted with the Pretences of Romanists to Abâ—egation to a Mortified and Self denying Life and I do freely acknowledge that the Author of the German Theology Taulerus and Thomas a Kempis and others of that sort of Men in their Communion have written Excellent Practical Things but there is scarcely any thing of this Violent Popery in those Tracts On the contrary the very Nature and Tendency of them is Diametrically Opposit to the present Constitution of that Church and all others that practise Imposition in Religion And as it is one great Mark of the False Church to pervert the right End of True Doctrine so hath she excelled in the Abuse of that Excellent Word SELF-DENYAL For she hath translated it from Life to Understanding from Morals to Faith Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to subject the Understanding to the Obedience of Faith is the perpetual Burden of their Song and Conclusion of their Conferences But what is this Faith that
relying upon his Conduct dâ—an Mercies respecting this Life and that to come This is in Scripture called the Gift of God and well it may for it is Supernatural It crosses the Pride Confidence and Lust of man It grows out of the Seed of Love sown by God in the Heart at least it works by Love and this distinguishes it from the Faith of Ill Men and Devils that though they do believe they don't Love God above all but something else instead of God and are full of Pride Anger Cruelty and all manner of Wickedness But this Faith that works by Love that Divine Love which God plants in the Heart it inclines Man and gives him Power to forsake all that displeaseth God and every such Believer becomes an Enoch Translated that is Changed from the Fashion of this World the Earthly Image the Corrupt Nature and is renewed in the Likeness of the Son of God and walks with God The Just shall live by Faith they have in all Ages liv'd by this Faith that is been sustain'd supported preserved the Devil within nor the World without could never conquer them They walked not by Sight but by Faith they had regard to the Eternal Recompense No Visible things prevailed with them to depart from the Invisible God to quench their Love or slacken their Obedience to him the Great Testimony of their Faith in him This Holy Faith excludes no Age of the World the Just Men thâ— Cornelius's in every Generation have had some degree of it 't was more especially the Faith of the Simpler Ages of the World such as those in whom the Patriarchs lived who having not an Outward Law became a Law to themselves and did the things contained in the Law for they believed in God and through Faith obtained a good Report But because that it hath pleased God in Order to Man's Recovery from that grievous Laps Disobedience had cast him into at sundry times and in divers manners to appear to the Sons of men first by his Prophets and last of all by his Son that these several Manifestations have had something peculiar to them very remarkable in them so that they claim a place in our Creed It will not be amiss that we briefly consider them The first was that of the Prophets in which Moses preceded by whom the Law came to the Jews but Grace and Truth to mankind by Jesus Christ The first brought Condemnation the last Salvation the one Judgment the other Mercy which was glad Tidings indeed The one did fore-run the other as in Order of Time so in Nature of Dispensations the Law was the Gospel begun the Gospel the Law fulfilled or finisht They cannot be parted The Decalogue or Ten Commandments were little more than what had been known and practised before for it seem'd but an Epitome and Transcript of the Law writ in Man's heart by the Finger of God This is confest on all hands and in all Ages since This therefore must needs be a Part of our Creed for it relates to that Righteousness which is Indispensible and Immutable The other part of their Constitution that was peculiar to their Politic Typical and Mutable the Gospel is either Unconcerned in it or else ended it by the bringing in of a more Enduring Substance But Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace is opposed to the Condemnation of the Law and Truth to Shadows This is the most-Excellent Dispensation it is ours and it becomes us to weigh well our Interest in it God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son For God so loved the World that after all the World's Provocations by Omissions and Commissions he gave his Only Begotten Son into the World that the World through him might be saved And here Two Things present themselves to our Consideration First the Person who he was what his Authority Secondly his Message his Doctrine what he Taught which though never so Reasonable in it self depended very much in its Entertainment among the People upon the Truth of his Mission and Authority that he was no Impostor but came from God the Promised Messiah This was done Two Ways by Revelation and by Miracles By Revelation to such as were as well prepared and inclined as honest Peter the Woman of Samaria and those that were mov'd to believe him from the Authority in which he spake so Unlike that of the Formal Scribes By Miracles to those that being blinded by Ignorance or Prejudice needed to have their senses struckwith such Supernatural Evidences from many of whom this Witness came that he was the MESSIAH the Christ and SON of GOD. In fine all was done within the Compass of People among whom he daily conversed that was needful to prove he was from God and had God's Message to declare to the World Insomuch that when some of his Disciples were not so firm in their Belief of his Authority as he deserved at their hands he calls his own Works to prove his Commission and convict them of Infidelity If ye will not believe that the Father is in me that he doth these Works by me believe me for the very Works sake Thus he argued with the Jews Say ye of him the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World thou Blasphèmest because I said I am the Son of God if I do not the Works of my Father believe me not this is reasonable he that will Judge the World offers to be Tryed himself he goes on But if I do though ye believe not me believe the Works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me And he laid the Sin of the Jews upon this Foot viz. That they rejected him after he had made proof of his Divine Mission by such Extraordinary Works As no men among them all could do which to give them their Due they do not deny but shamefully pervert and foolishly abuse by attributing them to the Power of the Devil To which Malice and Slander he returned this Inconfutable Answer A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand What! cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils 't is a Contradition very Madness it self I have nothing to do now with Atheists or those that call themselves Theists but such as own themselves Christians and shall therefore keep to my Task namely What of the Christian Dispensation is so Peculiar and Important as to challenge of Right the Name of Articles of Faith I say then That the Belief of Jesus of Nazareth to be the Promis'd Messiah the Son and Christ of God sent to restore and save Mankind is the first and was then the Only requisite Article of Faith without any Large Confessions or an Heap of Principles or Opinions resolv'd upon after Curious and Tedious Debates by Councils or Synods and this may be proved both by Example and Doctrine It
Man the second Adam with his Holy Life and Works so shall the Fruits of his Spirit shine through us which are Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Patience Gentleness Faith Meekness Temperance for they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts They hear his Voice that leads them out of the Concupiscencies of this Vile World and they follow him and he gives unto them Eternal Life and a Stranger they will not follow The World the Flesh and the Devil make up this Stranger and those that are carried away by this Stranger are in an Unreconciled State to God and so dying must inevitably perish VVell then will be true Christians Have we Faith then let us take the Advice of that good man Peter Let us add to our Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly-Kindness and to Brotherly-Kindness Charity For says he if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his Old Sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Fourth Great Ecclesiastical Evil is Preferring HUMANE AUTHORITY above Reason and Truth This the next Evil which is the Last now to be considered to wit Propagation of Faith by Force Religion by Arms are the Two Legs upon which the false Church hath in all Ages under this degeneracy we find the Jewish Church at Christ's coming and he complains of it Ye teach for Doctrines the Traditions of men ye seek to kill me a man that has told you the Truth But I challenge the whole Account of Time and Records of the World which are come to the hands of this Age to tell me When where and by whom these Principles have been receiv'd improv'd and us'd with any sort of Proportion or Comparison with the Practice of that Church which has long prided her self with the Name of Catholick and Christian And yet I could wish nothing of these Two Ill Principles had found any place amongst us that call our selves Protestants for to them are properly owing most of that Ignorance Superstition Idolatry Animosity Persecution and Blood-shed that have been among Christians since the Christian Profession hath grown to any Power in the World I shall consider them severally respecting us and in their due Order with as much Brevity as well I can That Humane Authority hath been preferred above Reason and Truth that is That the Apprehensions Interpretations Conclusions and Injunctions of Men have been reputed the great Necessaries or Essentials to Salvation and Christian Commâ—ion insomuch as a Sober and Reasonable Dissent hath been too often over-rul'd not by VVeight of Argument or Evidence of Truth but by the Power and Numbers of Men in Ecclesiastical Office and Dignity is that I may say Modestly in some Degree true among us The First Church Evil reprehended in this Discourse may begin the Proof and give the first Witness upon this part of the Charge viz. That OPINIONS have been maâ—â— ARTICLES of Faith that is the CONSTRUCTIONS and CONCLUSIONS of MEN from Sacred VVrit and not the TEXT it self have been injoyn'd impos'd as ESSENTIAL to Eternal Salvation and External Christian Communion Insomuch as no Reason Scripture or purest Antiquity have suffer'd to prevail against such Determinations and too often not enough to excuse those that have pleaded for a Conscientious Dissent from them the Authors of them either resting upon the Authority of their own Judgments or conforming themselves to the Example of Ages less pure and clear I Conscientiously refuse to name Parties because I am tender of giving the least Offence but upon a Just Observance of those Revolutions of Protestancy that have been amongst us we may see with what Stiffness not to say Obstinacy several Models of Religion and Draughts of Creeds have been contended for I would beseech every Party in Christ's Name to look into it self for I don 't because such are best able if they will be Impartial and put no Cheat upon themselves to make the Application However I will name those Points about which the Authority of Man as it seems to me has been so Positive of God as to his Prescience and Predetermination Of Christ as to his Natures and Personality and the Extent of his Death and Intercession Of Free Will and Grace Of Faith and Works Of Perseverance and Falling away Of the Nature of the Church And Lastly of the Dignity and Power of the Clergy And if men please but to lay their Hands upon their Hearts and cast their Eyes upon the Scriptures if they will but use the Light that God has afforded them and bring such Debates and Results to the Test of that Light and the Sound Form of Words the Holy Ghost hath preserv'd amongst us I need not take the Employment upon me of pointing to Humane Authority among the several Parties of Protestants as to these points nothing will be clearer For it is about the Meaning of this and the Intention of that place of Scripture the Contest hath been and is and how to maintain and propagate those Conceits So that the falling out is in the Wood of our own Opinions and there the Contention is kindled that consumes all about our Ears O that we would be but impartial and see our over-plus to the Scriptures and retrench that redancy or keep it modestly for 't is an horrid thing that we Protestants should assume a Power of ranging our apprehensions with the Text and injoining our Imaginations for Indispensible Articles of Faith and Christian Communion But the next proof of the prevalency of Humane Authority amongst us Protestants is The great Power and Sway of the Clergy and the Peoples Reliance upon them for the Knowledge of Religion and the Way of Life and Salvation This is such plain Fact that almost every Parish proves it Is not Prophecy once the Church's now engrost by them and wholly in their hands Who dare publickly preach or pray that is not of that Class or Order Have not they only the Keys in keeping May any body else pretend to the Power of Absolution or Excommunication muchless to constitute Ministers Are not all Church Rites and Priviledges in their Custody don 't they make it their proper Inheritance Nay so much larger is their Empire then Caesars that only they begin with Births and end with Burials Men must pay them for Coming in and Going out of the World To pay for dying is hard Thus their Profits run to the Grave and that which is
Ignorance ought to be the Mother of Devotion with none but those that cannot be devout upon better terms it is the glory of a man that he is Religious upon Reason and that his Duty and Sacrifice are not blind or forc'd but free and reasonable Truth upon Knowledge though vext with Schism wise and good men will chuse before Ignorant Religion with Uniformity Enough of this But this Notion of an Infallible Visible Judge is as false in Reason as in Fact For first it takes away the Use of every Man's Reason and it is a Contradiction to have any unless he were such an Interpreter and such a Judge as would conclude us by Conviction and not by Authority that would be the most Wellcome person in the World But to over-rule my own Sight to give the Lye to my own Understanding say Black is White and that Two and Three make Ten thus Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to yield my Understanding to such an In-evident Way of Faith nay which is worse to believe a Lye for so it is to them to whom the thing to be believed appears Untrue is most-Unreasonable If we must be Led it had been easier and better for us to have been born Blind we might have follow'd then the Dog and the Bell for we could not mend our selves but to see and to be Led and that in ways we see to be foul or wrong this is Anxious Here lies the Dispute and truly here the Question might fairly end Either put out our Eyes or let us use them but if we have Eyes for our Minds as well as for our Bodies I see no Reason why we should trust any man or men against the Eyes of our Understanding any more than we ought to confide in them against the Sense and Certainty of the Eyes of our Bodies Where is the poorest Mechanick that would be paid his Labour in Brass half Crowns for Silver by either Pope or Bishop and can we be so bruitish as to think our Nobler part void of Distinction about that Treasure which is of eternal Moment For though Peter was to feed the Sheep yet the Sheep were not to follow Peter but Christ My Sheep hear my Voice and follow me and a Stranger they will not follow Here is no Mediator betwixt Christ and his Sheep nor does any body else hear his Voice for them but they hear his Voice themselves And though the Shepherd may have many Servants yet he only is their Shepherd and they are only the Sheep of his Fold But there are three places of Scripture that come fresh into my Remembrance that are very pertinent to the present Occasion The first is this That which may be known of God is Manifest in Men for God hath shewed it unto them That is The Spirit of man being the Candle of the Lord God hath enlightned it to manifest unto Man what is necessary for him to know both of God and himself Here is no need of Wax-Candles or Tapers or a Visible Guide and Judge for â—e that believes has the Witness in himself Another Passage is this Be ye Followers of me even as I am also of Christ In which the Apostle is so far from setting himself up a Judge over the Church of Corinth that he makes his appeal to them concerning his Doctrine and Conversation bounding both with that of his Lord Jesus Christ and making them Judges of the Truth of his Conformity to that Example Be ye Followers of me How after what manner What! Absolutely without Examination must we believe thee without any Tryal and take what thou sayest for granted without any more to do no such thing Be ye Followers of me even as I also am of CHRIST I submit my self to be judg'd by you according to that Rule and all Men and Churches are to be thus measur'd that lay Claim to the Name of Christian The Third Passage is in his Second Epistle to the same Church of Corinth 't is this Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received Mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftinesses nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God Here is the Utmost Imposition the Apostle makes use of he requires not Men to receive him without Evidence and refers himself to that of their own Consciences in the Sight of God This was the Way of making Christians then and this is the Way of making and keeping Christians now Conscience in the best Sense has ever been allow'd to be a Bond upon Men in all Religions But that Religion which under Pretence of Authority would superceed Conscience and instead of making Men better the End of Religion makes them worse by confounding all Distinction betwixt Good and Evil and resolving all into an Implicite Faith and blind Obedience unto the Commands of a Visible Guide and Judge is false it cannot be otherwise For to admire what Men don't know and to make it a Principle not to inquire is the last mark of Folly in the Believer and of Imposture in the Imposer To be short a Christian implies a Man and a Man implies Conscience and Understanding but he that has no Conscience not Understanding as he has not that has delivered them up to the Will of another Man is no Man and therefore no Christian I do beseech you Protestants of all Sorts to consider of the danger of this Principle with respect to Religion Of old'tw is the Fool that said in his Heart there is no God But now upon this Principle Men must be made Fools in order to believe Shall Folly which is the Shame if not the Curse of a Man be the Perfection of a Christian Christ indeed has advised us to become Little Children but never to become such Fools for as the Proverb is this is to be led by the Nose and not by our Wits You know that God hates the Sacrifice of Fools I will pray with the Spirit and with Understanding also saith the Apostle Let us commend that Testimony which we believe to be true to the Consciences of Men and let them have the Gospel priviledge of Examination Error only looses upon Trial. For if this had been the Way to Christianity with Reverence be it spoken God had not made our Condition better but worse For this translates our Faith and Dependence upon God to Man and the Possibility if not Probability of Man's erring exposes us to greater insecurity than before For where I never trusted I never could be deceived But if I must abandon my own Sense and Judgment and yield my self up to the Faith and Authority of another to say no more of the Blindness and La neness of such Belief and Devotion what Security can I have that the Man or Men whom I trust may not 〈◊〉 and deceive me and that
Deceit is irrepairable Again since Mankind is a reasonable Creature and that the more reasonable he is in his Religion the nearer to his own being he comes and to the Wisdom and Truth of his Creator that did so make him a Religion without Reason Imposed by an unaccountable Authority against Reason Sense and Conviction cannot be the Religion of the God of Truth and Reason for it is not to be thought that he requires any thing that carries any violence upon the Nature of his Creature or that gives the Lye to that Reason or Sence which he first endow'd him with In short Either Convince my understanding by the Light of Truth and Power of Reason or bear down my Infidelity with the force of Miracles for not to give me Understanding or Faith and to press a submission that requires both is most unreasonable But if there were no other Augument then this it goes a great way with me that as to such as have their understanding at liberty if they are mistaken there may be hopes of reclaiming by Informing them but where the Understanding and Conscience are enslav'd to Authority and where Men make it a Principal Doctrine to suspect their own Sense and strive against their own Convictions to move only by other mens Breath and fall down to their Conclusions nothing seems to be left for the soundest Arguments clearest Truths to work upon They had almost need to be re Created in order to be converted for who can reasonably endeavour to make him a Christian that is not a Man which he cannot be truly said to be who has no understanding or resolves not to use it but reject it which is yet worse for he that has no understanding has no prejudice against it but he that purposely denys abuses it is so much worse as that he turns Enemy to him that has and uses his understanding He therefore can never be convinced oâ— his Error who is prejudiced against the necessary means of Conviction which is the use of his Understanding without which 't is impossible he should ever be Convinced To Conclude I have reserved till last one Argument which is ad hominem unanswerable by us Protestants and without yielding to which we cannot be consistent with our selves or be thought to do unto others what we would have others do unto us and that is this The Translation of the Scripture was the painful work of our worthy Ancestors This I call their most solemn Appeal to the People against the Pope and Traditions of Rome in the business of their Separation For when the question rose of the divine Authority of this or the other Practice in the Doctrine or Worship of the Roman Church presently they recur'd to the Scriptures and therefore made them speak English that they might witness for them to the people This appeal to the People in defence of their Separation by making them Judges of their proceeding against the Church according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures puts every man in possession of them Search the Scriptures say the first Protestants Prove all things see if what we say against Pope Church of Rome be not true and in case any difficulty did arise they exhorted all to wait upon God for the divine aid of his Spirit to illuminate their understandings that one should not impose upon the other but commend them to God be Brotherly Patient Long suffering ready to help the Weak inform the Ignorant shew tenderness to the Mistaken and with reason and moderation to gain the Obstinate In short Protestancy is a restoring to every man his just right of Inquiry and Choice and to its honour be it ever spoken there is greater likelihood of finding Truth where all have Liberty to seek after it then where it is denyed to all but a few Grandees and those too as short sighted as their Neighbours But now let us Protestants examine if we have not departed from this Sobriety this Christian Temperance how comes it that we who have been forgiven much have our selves fallen upon our sellow Servants who yet owe us nothing have not we refused them this reasonable choice have we not threatned beaten and imprisoned them Pray Consider have you not made Creeds set Bounds to Faith form'd and regulated a Worship and strictly enjoyn'd all mens obedience by the help of the Civil Power upon pain of great Sufferings which have not been spared to Dissenters though in Common Renouncers and Protestors with you against the Pope Church of Rome for this the Land mourns Heaven is displeas'd and all is out of due course To give us the Scriptures and knock our Fingers for taking them to Translate them that we may read them and punish us for endeavouring to understand and use them as well as we can both with respect to God and our Neighbour 't is very unreasonable upon our Protestant Principles I wish we could see the mischief we draw upon our selves which is worse our cause for the Papist in this case acts according to his Principle but we against our Principle which shews indeed that we have the better Religion but that we also are more condemnable For if we will consider it seriously we shall find it not much more injurious to Scripture Truth and good Conscience that we believe as the Church believes then that we believe as the Church says the Scripture would have us believe For where is the difference since I am not allowed to use my understanding about the Sense of Scripture any more then about the Faith of the Church and if I must not receive any thing for Faith or Worship from Scripture but what is handed to me by the Church or her Clergy I see my self in as ill terms as if I had sat down with the old Doctrine of believing as the Church believes And had the Controversie been only for the Word Scripture without the use and application of it for at this rate that is all that is left us truly the enterprise of our Fathers had been weak and unadvised but because nothing less was intended by them and that the Translation of the Scripture was both the Appeal and Legacy of those Protestant Ancestors for the reasons before mention'd I must conclude we are much degenerated from the simplicity of Primitive Protestancy and need to be admonisht of our Backslidings and I heartily pray to Almighty God that he would quicken us by his present Mercies and Providences to return to our first Love Let the Scripture be free Sober Opinion tolerated Good â—ife cherisht Vice punisht away with Imposition Nick-Names Animosities for the Lord's sake and let Holy Writ be our Common Creed and Pious Living the Test of Christianity that God may please to perfect the good work he has begun and deliver us from all our Enemies I am now come to the last point and that is PROPAGATION of FAITH by FORCE In which I shall with the
God for himself from the least to the greatest My Sheep says Christ hear my Voice And let us remember that there is no possibility of deception here where there is no necessity of trusting In fine Ye are bought with a Price be not made the Servants of men One is your Lord even Christ and ye are Brethren But methinks I hear a stout Objection and 't is this At this rate you will everthrow all Church Discipline all Censure of Errors if no man or men can determin My Answer is ready and short No Scripture Church Discipline is hereby oppugn'd or weakned Let not the Sentence end in Violence upon the Conscience unconvinced Let whoso will expound or determin so it be according to true Church discipline which can be exercised on them only who have willingly joyn'd themselves in that Covenant of Union and which proceeds only to a separation from the rest a disavowing or disowning but never to any Corporal or Pecuniary Punishment the two Arms of Anti christ or rather that great Beast which carries the Whore But let us observe what sort of Church Government the Apostle recommends Avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Striving about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF or Self-condemned It s very remarkable First That this great Apostle instead of exhorting Titus to stand upon Niceties and sacrifice mens Natur I Comforts and Enjoyments for Opinions of Religion injoyns him to shun Disputes about them leaving People to their own Thoughts and Apprehensions in those Matters as reputing the Loss of Peace in striving greater than the Gain that could arise from such an Unity and Conformity wâ—â—ch excellently well coheres with another Passage of his Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall REVEAL even this unto you He did not say You shall be FINED PILLAGED EXCOMMUNICATED FLUNG into Prison if ye be not of our Mind 2dly That in the Apostles Definition an Heretick is a Self confounded Person one conscious to himself of Error and Obstinacy in it but that are not Conscientious Dissenters for many Ten Thousands in this Nation act as they believe and dissent from the National Religion purely upon a Principle of Conscience to Almighty God And with Men of any Tenderness or common Sense their continual great Sufferings in Prison and Estate and their Patience under them are a Demonstration or there can he none in the World Nor can their Persecutors disprove them unless they could search Hearts and that is a little too far for a Fallible Spirit to reach and an Infallible One they deny So that the Apostle makes not the Heretick to lie upon the side of Mis-believing or not coming up to his Degree of Faith and Knowledge but upon the side of Wilfully Turbulently Obstinately and Self condemnedly maintaining inconsisting Things with the Faith Peace and Prosperity of the Church Granting us then not to be Obstinate and Self-condemned Dissenters and you cannot reasonable refuse it us how do you prove us Erroneous in the other Part All Parties plead Scripture and that for the most opposite Principles The Scripture you say cannot determine the Sense of it self it must have an Interpreter he must either be Fallible or Infallible If the first we are worse then before for men are apt to be more confident and yet are still upon as uncertain Grounds If the last this must either be an external or an internal Judge if an external you know where you are without pointing for there stands nothing between you and Popery in that Principle If an internal Judge either it is our selves or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us not our selves for then the Rule is the Thing ruled which cannot be and if it be the Spirit of Christ Jesus and the Apostle tells us That unless we have the Spirit we are none of Christ's then is the Neck of Imposition broken and what hast thou to do to judge me let me stand or fall to my own Master And upon this Foot went Luther Calvin Melanâ—…on Beza abroad and Cranmer Ridlâ—y Hooper Jewel Bradford Philpot c. at home and as good Men and constant Martyrs in Ages before them But suppose Conscientious Dissenters as ill Men as the Apostle describes an Heretick to be what is the Punishment this is close to the Point stand it 3dly A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject that is deny his Communion declare he is none of you condemn his Proceedings by a publick censure among your selves What more can be strain'd by the fiercest Prosecutors of Men for Religion out of these words But will we be govern'd by the Rules of Holy Writ have we any true Veneration for the Exhortations and Injunctions therein then let us soberly consider what the Apostle Paul advises and recommends to his beloved Timothy upon the present Occasion and I dare promise an End to Contest and Persecution for Religion Flee Youthful Lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart but foolish and unlearned Questions avoid knowing that they do gender STRIFES And THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE but BE GENTLE UNTO ALL MEN APT TO TEACH PATIENT IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING THOSE THAT OPPOSE themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth There is such a depth of Wisdom lodged in this one Passage that I find difficulty to express my self upon it and yet I shall with pleasure endeavour it Here is both Faith and Government Religion and Duty all that becomes us towards God our Brethren our Neighbours yea our Opposers and Enemies Flee Youthful Lusts that is avoid Sin turn away from every Appearance of Evil flee the Temptation as soon as thou seest it lest it ensnare thee but follow Righteousness Charity and Peace seek and love Holiness and there will be Charity and Peace to thy self and in thee to all men For the Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost not in Contest about Words nor in maintaining foolish and unlearned Questions such as reach not the Soul nor carry any force upon our Affections that learn not men to be better to have more piety vertue goodness but are meer Notions and Speculations that have no influence upon holy Living or tendency to the Regiment of our Passions Such Questions as the Curiosity or Wantonness of Men's Wit or restless Fancy are apt to start under Pretence of Divine Truth and Sublime Mysteries these Niceties Conceits and Imaginations of Men not bottomed on the Revelation of the eternal Spirit but humane Apprehension and Tradition such Questions avoid meddle not with them but next
those that Persecute for Religion are Irreligious 2dly The next Cause of Persecution is the gross but general Mistake which People are under concerning the Nature of the Church Kingdom of Christ for the lamentable Worldliness of mens minds hath put them upon those Carnal Constructions which have made way for all the external Coertion and Violence used by bad and suffer'd by good Men on the score of Religion from the beginning And no wonder if ordinary Persons tumble upon this Construction when the Disciples of Jesus shew'd themselves so ill read in the Mysteries of his Kingdom that after all the Intimacy they had had with him they resrain'd not to ask When shall the Kingdom be restored to Israel They look't abroad had a Worldly Idea in their minds Jew like they waited for external Deliverance from the Power of the Romans rather then an Internal Salvation from the Dominion of Satan and interpreted that to Worldly loss and freedom which did relate to the loss and Redemption of the Soul but Jesus taught them better things yet so as not to deny or flatly discourage and rebuke them that though true might have been more then they could have borâ— therefore he winds off with them upon the Time and the Season of the thing knowing that the Time was at hand that they should be better taught and satisfied of the nature of his Kingdom unto which he referred them When the Spirit of Truth comes it shall lead you into all Truth c. That the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World has been before observed and the Reason is so great that all men of common Sense must allow it upon Christ's Principle for says he then would my Servants fight for me truly implying that because the Kingdoms of this World are evidently set up and maintained by Worldly Force and that he will have no Worldly Force used in the Business of his Kingdom therefore it is not of this World Consequently those that attempt to set up his Kingdom by Worldly Force or make that their Pretence to use it are none of his Servants they are truly but Men of this World such as seek an Earthly and not an Heavenly Kingdom themselves and not Christ Jesus Where by the way let me observe That though the Jews to engage Pilate the more easily to their side impeach't Christ of being an Eâ—â—e my to Casar they were Enemies and He a Friend to Caesar for he came to reform the Lives of Men to make them better Subjects to obey Caesar not for Fear but for Conscience sake so would Caesar's Provinec have been easie and safe But the Jews would have had him Caesar's Enemy one that should have forcibly rescued them from Caesar's Power they waited for a Captain General to begin the Revolt and with an high Hand to over bear and captive Caesar as he had done them and 't is more than probable that his Appearance being to another End they therefore rejected him their Heart being set upon this But to return Christ told his Disciples that he had chosen them out of the World how not to converse or live bodily in it no such matter but he had chosen or singled them from the Nature Spirit Glory Policy and Pomp of this World How Persons so qualified can make a Worldly Church or Kingdom unless they desert Christ's Doctrine is past my Skill to tell So that the Capacity that Christians stand in to Christ is Spiritual and not Worldly or Carnal and therefore not Carnal or Worldly but Spiritual Methods and Weapons only are to be used to inform or reclaim such as are Ignorant or DisobediÌ„ent And if we will give Antient Story credit we shall find that Worldly Weapons were never employed by the Christian Church till the became Worldly and so ceast to be truly Christian But why should I say the Church the most abused word in the World her Leaders have taught her to eâ—â— and that of believing as the Church believes is so far from being true in point of Faith as well as Reason that the Church her self his ever believed as the Clergy that is the Priests believed since that sort of Men have practised Distinction from and Superiority upon the Laity He that will peruse the Ecclesiastical Story delivered us by Eusebius Pamphili Secrates Scholasticns Evagrius Ruffinus Sozomen c. will find but too many and sad Instances of the Truth of this In short Peoples apprehending the Church and Kingdom of Christ to be Visible and Worldly like other Societies and Government have thought it not only to be Lawful but Necessary to use the Arts and Force of this World to support that Church and Kingdom especially since this Interest of Religion hath been embodied with that of the Civil Magistrate for from that time he hath been made Custos utriusque tabulae and such as offend though about Church Matters have been reputed Transgressors against the State and consequently the State interested in punishing the Offence Whereas had Christians remain'd in their primitive Simplicity and Purity in the Self-denying Patient and Suffering Doctrine of Christ Christianity had stood in Holy Living not in Worldly Regiment and its Compulsion would have been Love its Arms Reason and Truth and its utmost Rigour even to obstinate Enemies or Apostates but Renouncing of their Communion and that not till much Forbearance had been used to them To sum up all The Kingdoms of this World stand in outward Bodily and Civil Matters and here the Laws and Power of Men reich and are effectual But the Kingdom and Church of Christ that is chosen out of the World stands not in Bodily Exercise which the Apostle says profits little nor in Times nor Places but in Faith and that Worship which Christ tells us is in Spirit and in Truth to this no Worldly Compulsion can bring or force men 't is only the Power of that King of Righteousness whose Kingdom is in the Minds and Souls of the Just and he rules by the Law of his own free Spirit which like the Wind Bloweth where it listeth And as without this Spirit of Regeneration no man can be made a Member of Christs Church or Kingdom so neither is it in the Power of Man to command or give it and consequently all Worldly force employ'd to make men Members of Christs Church and Kingdom is unnatural and ineffectual I could be very large upon this point for 't is very fruitful and so much the cause of Persecution that if there were never another to be assign'd this were enough for upon due consideration it must needs meet with every mans Judgment and Experience I will here add the sense of memorable Hales of Eaton upon this subject When our Saviour in the Acts after his Resurrection was Discoursing to his Disciples concerning the Kingdom of God they presently brake forth into this Question Wilt thou now restore the Kingdom unto Israel Certainly this Question betrays their