Mercy though we press after all Truth make us large and wise in both and to Practise this which hath been owned by many but observed by few Thirdly Hence it follows that the true Unity of the Church lies not in Uniformity as many through Custom or Interest strongly imagine For the true Unity of Christians lies in their Hearts and Souls the multitude of the Believers were of one Heart and Soul and all that believe and obey the Great things of Christ Acts 4.32 are truly United to him and to each other tho' they differ in useful things taught by Christ and much more if in unnecessary things impos'd only by Men And the Apostles pressed not Uniformity in outward Rites but this inward Unity one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all Eph. 4.4 5 6. John 17.21 and through all and in you all And Christ our Lord whose Prayers were always heard prayed that his Followers might be one which was never granted if their Oneness lie in outward Uniformity 'T were well if only some Fops said there can be no Unity without Uniformity in lesser Things Many Great and Worthy Persons stick too much in that Conceit notwithstanding the Clear Demonstration to the contrary But Unity in them is none of the Fundamentals nor hath Christ laid our Unity on them which are so many that Men would never agree in them Besides many Churches that had true Unity had divers Forms of outward Administrations and so may have yet Socr. l. 5. c. 2â— Soz. l. 7. c. 29. Spond anno 633. n. 10. and Uniformity in Worship was but late brought in In Spain not 'till the year 633 in the Fourth Council of Toledo and in many Kingdoms to this day and among the Romanists themselves there are varieties of Rites and Customs tho' they agree in the main and divers Orders of their Religious to whom People of all sorts resort are exempted from the Bishops Further People may have great Uniformity and no Unity They may sit together in the same Church say the same words and use the same gestures and yet have their hearts full of Malice and Enmity and usually the bitterest Enemies of true Religion and Godliness are most earnest for a Unity in needless Ceremonies and formalities It sticks much with many that there can be no Decency or Order without Uniformity in Ceremonies 1 Cor. 14.33.40 and that those who obey them not are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Churches of God But this cannot prevail against a clear Demonstration It 's certain all things must be done Decently and in Order Nature teaches this tho' St. Paul had not mention'd it But cannot things be so done without a great many needless Commands of Men Cannot Baptism be decently and in order Administred without the sign of the Cross or the Lord's Supper without Kneeling or a Surplice What if some will stand with their faces towards the East some otherwise and most with their Eyes towards the Minister that Officiates Luke 4.20 as Nature seems to teach All sorts are for Order and Decency and Believe God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace But it 's said they that obey not such Orders are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.5.13.16 Not so but they that needlesly impose them are Contentious and go against the Custom of the Apostle and the best Churches that impos'd no such things And the Custom there mention'd for Women to have their Faces not their Heads only covered was a laudable thing in the Judgment of all and the contrary to it seem'd then to be even against Nature as well as against the Mind of the Apostle * Tertul. de veland virginibus c. 17. quae si fuerit in pectore cognoscetur in capite faeminarum And if any of the things pressed now by some were of that Nature they would be very Contentious that would not obey them And therefore all true Protestants at home and abroad for to be sure they hold the Fundamentals are one and have a true Unity tho' otherwise they differ in many things and to their shame quarrel too Which is a wonderous Comfort to all good Men that bewail these Contentions and labour to have them more United Fourthly It follows hence plainly that none may endeavour by Craft or Force to Root out and Destroy those that Build on the large and true Foundation if they err in useful Truths or will not joyn with them in the solemn Worship of God or at least not constantly but only some times And they sin yet more that set themselves chiefly to destroy those that seem most seriously to Build on the true Foundation of Faith and Holiness For if such be true Christians and Members of Christs Universal Church and ought to be Cherished and Received into Particular Churches without having other useful Truths much less unnecessary things imposed on them then for certain they may not be destroyed by Vexations Fines Imprisonments Dragoonings or Death Those that are true Christians by Profession much more if in reality though they Err are to be cherished by Particular Churches and not to be so used Especially when our Holy Religion is not to be Propagated by Force or Violence nor even Hereticks and Schismaticks as many hold are to be proceeded against in that manner but only by Spiritual Censures and Weapons Fifthly It follows hence That this and other Nations cannot be happy unless we Build on larger Foundations than we have done and more than most of the Lutherans or Calvinists and others of the Reformation have hitherto done The Misery of these parts of the World formerly and to this day comes in a great measure by going against this plain Truth All generally run upon this that there can be no Union or Quiet unless we agree almost in all useful Truths taught by Christ nay and in all things too appointed only by Men And the hands of many who have Eminently owned this great Truth have been chief in this Trespass as King James Arch Bishop Laud and others The Romanists have mightily darkned and opposed this great Truth and few of us are yet throughly freed from those Principles wherewith they have long corrupted the World And Dr. Henry Moore spake not much amiss though he was sharply Censured for it by Dr. Beaumont when he said His Apollogy added to his Mystery of Iniquity 1664. our Church is not quite emerged out of the general Apostacy and that the Reformers having separated from the great Babylon have Built less and more tolerable ones but not to be tolerated for ever And it will be the glorious Work of great Princes to cause the Publick Constitutions about Religion in their Dominions to be large and good and such as a great Part of the Holiest and best Christians may not be Excluded and Trampled upon but
LARGE AND SURE FOUNDATIONS Matth. 16.18 Upon this Rock will I Build my Church LONDON Printed in the Year 1693. THE PREFACE THESE Papers were drawn up some time ago and are the result of Setled Thoughts for many years They are made short and plain and cast in amongst others if possibly they may help to unite us in Interest and Affection and to make the Publick Settlement of Religion at any time more Large and Strong to our great Advantage every way Some hopes of this are raised by the Inclinations of many and the several Pieces lately Publissh'd to this end as besides many that I may not have seen or heard of The Heads of Agreement assented to by the Vnited Ministers Free Thoughts occasioned by those Heads Mr. Barker's Sermon on John 21.17 at the Consecration of the Arch-Bishop of Cant. The Grand Question Writ as 't is said by Dr. Woodroff Dr. Sherlock's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Nov. 4. 1688. To which I may add the Spirit of the Church Faction for it is that only and not the Church that violently opposes all Reformation The Design of laying down this great Principle and the Inferences from it is That Persons who have Power may not impose Vnnecessary Things but give all the Liberty that may be this being most pleasing to Jesus Christ and most for strengthning the Publick Settlement That People may joyn with others in the Worship of God as much as may be and not give way to Scruples and Opinions that make them separate needlesly Imposing and Opposing needlesly ruin us much That if People cannot joyn with others constantly yet that they will do it sometimes both those that cannot approve what is publickly injoin'd and they that injoyn those things or in their places practise them That if any cannot do that yet that they will own those they cannot joyn with if they build on the true Foundation for true tho' distemper'd Churches of Christ and unfeignedly seek their good That if they cannot do that through some strict Notions of a Church they are possessed with yet they will own that many amongst them may be sincere Christians and love them as such And that all kindness may be shewed to all Men even to all sorts that Err and are deceived according to the Will and Command of our Lord Jesus Christ whose Kingdom shall stand for evermore But if God for Holy ends shall yet suffer Narrow Foundations and their Wicked Consequences as he doth Plagues and Wars to continue amongst us and in the World why should we complain We are Wanton Humorous Foolish and should be undone without often and sharp Corrections and our God hath used to carry on his Kingdom by the Testimony and Sufferings of his People tho' he sometimes gives them rest that they may multiply Rev. 12.11 Acts 9.31 thereby to set forth his Power and Glory To him we chearfully submit yet endeavouring according to our duty in our places that Princes and People may be found in his ways Isa 61.11 and that Righteousness and Praise may spring up among us and before all Nations Some Passages out of BOOKS that came out since these Papers were drawn up THE Pious and Famous Mr. Robert Boyle who lov'd no Practice that seem'd to lessen the Christian Religion The Bishop of Sarum's Serm. at his Funeral Decem. 1691. p. 25. p. 27. thought pure and disinteressed Christianity a Bright and Glorious thing Hated those Opinions that seem'd to him to destroy Morality and Charity had a most peculiar Zeal against all Severities and Persecutions upon the account of Religion and was observed seldom to speak with more heat and indignation than when That came in his way Union Pursued Printed 1691. in a Letter to Mr. Baxter concerning his late Book about National Churches that Presbyterians and Independants may both be Vnited with the Church of England to which is added a small Tract lately put out called A Draught for Accommodation Dr. Patrick Bishop of Ely Complains Serm. before the Lords Nov. 26. 1691. on Deut. 4.9 p. 12. that many were kinder to the Papists than to the Protestant Dissenters that the Papists their sworn Enemies made them their Tools to destroy each other We to repent truly of this and take heed lest our Affections that seem'd to be disposed to Reconciliation be again alienated one from another We ought to have a greater kindness for Infidels p. 15. than many of us had lately one for another Did we not begin to reflect with grief upon our Zealous folly p. 17. Did we not resolve to be Friends upon some terms or other and to joyn together for our mutual Preservation And do we now break out again into the said Outrages Do our Spirits boil up with anger at the very mention of Reconciliation c. His Prayers for Charity Peace and Vnity The Prayers Appointed for the Publick Fast in the Year 1692. The Church of God is Built on Large and Sure Foundations THE Blessed God whose tender Mercies are over all his Works hath a Company of People in the World call'd his Church which he purchased by the Blood of his only Begotten Son Acts 20.28 and calls by his Word and Spirit to know and serve him so as to set forth his Glory here and obtatin Everlasting Salvation This Church or Congregation of God for so the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies is call'd by several Names as the Kingdom of Christ the Flock of Christ the Body of Christ and is oft call'd a House and said to be built upon a Foundation Isa 28.6 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. And this House of God being very great must needs have a great and large Foundation Solomon said the House he was to build for God was great and the Foundation of it was Great and Costly how much Greater must the Spiritual House of God be which reaches over all the World Not only through Pontus Galatia Asia Cappadocia and Bythinia which sounds great but through all Nations and Ages It s Foundation must by no means be narrow vile or weak Now the Foundation of this House is JESUS CHRIST and the great Truths Concerning him reveal'd to us by God in his Word not Humane Reason 1 Cor. 3.11 Eph. 1.20 21 22. nor the Traditions of any Men whatsoever but the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner-stone in whom it grows up into a Holy Temple for a Habitation of God through the Spirit Yet all things reveal'd in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are not the Foundation upon which Christ's House or Congregation is built for many of those things are for the Superstructure and Perfecting of it but only the Great and Main Things concerning Jesus Christ our Saviour which are necessary to be believed and practised by all and therefore the Churches Foundation is Large and sure This is manifest every way First From the Holy
Scriptures of the Old Testament how few things were necessary to be explicitely believed then Of the New Testament when all things were clearly reveal'd and setled only the Great things were required then St. Peter said Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God and Christ said upon this Rock will I build my Church c. And again thou hast the words of Eternal Life and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ Mat. 16.16.18 Joh. 6.68 69. the Son of the Living God Christ our Lord when risen from the Dead and had opened his Disciples Minds to understand the Scriptures ordered them to Teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 20. and to Baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and then to Teach them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them but not whatsoever they should devise Philip tells the Eunuch if he believed with all his heart he might be Baptized Acts 8.37 and was satisfied with this Confession of his I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God St. Paul many years after writing to the Romans saith if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Ro. 10.9 10. and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart Man believeth c. And tells us what he had Preached to the Corinthians that they might be Saved How that Christ died for our Sins according to the Scriptures and that he was Buried 1 Cor. 15.1.4 and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures c. St. John saith 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment And thus Obedience to the great Commands of Christ whether only revealed by him or also written in our Hearts is a necessary part of our Religion as well as the Belief of his Great Truths To love the Lord our God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our selves For Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to those only that obey him Mat. 22.37.39 Hebr. 5.9 2 Tim. 1.13 and we are to hold fast the form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus And thus we find the Apostles practised They bore with many that held the true Foundation but taught and did amiss they bore with those at Jerusalem that were Zealous of the Law Acts 21. Rom. 14. They reprov'd those at Rome who despised them that durst not eat all things and those who judged them that durst eat all things but bore with both and Exhorted them to do so to one another And so in other places of the Acts and the Epistles they oft reprov'd and taught Believers better but never denied them to be of God's Church and no wonder since it pleases God not presently to Cure all whom he truly Converts of their Errours but usually doth it by degrees See Vossius and Usher de Symbolis Secondly The Ancient Practice and Creeds of the Church teach this for they are generally very short and contain only the main things of our Religion and agree in sense tho' not in the very words We may see this in Justin Martyr's Apollogie in Irenaeus Grotius on Mat. 28.19 l. 1. c. 2. l. 3. c. 4. in Tertullian de velandis Virgin c. 1. de Praescriptionibus c. 13. contra Praxeam c. 2. And so for a great while after tho' by degrees they grew larger yet not much as we see in most of them we now use And the Creed at first was only in those words at Baptism In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Thirdly Reason also speaks this fully that all things which are for the perfection and well-being of a thing are not necessary to the Being of it This holds true in all Persons and Things both Natural and Civil and must do so as to the Church of God All Rooms in the same House are not equally furnished or perfect yet are parts of the House And why not so with God's House Else a great many of his true Churches will be denied to be parts of his Universal Church and several Parties will in their Judgment cut off one another from it which is a heinous Sin how light soever some may make of it Fourthly The Judgment of Great Men tho' differing in many other things fully agrees in this with Scripture Reason and Antiquity I by no means build on this yet mention it to remove the strong prejudices that possess many and shut out the Truth Many Years ago reading Arch-Bishop Laud's Book against Fisher §. 9 I observ'd divers good Passages against narrow Foundations that * De noâ—â—s Eccl. c. 8. Bellarmin makes the Greeks no Church and so denies them Salvation that a chief means whereby Rome grew to her Greatness was to blast every Opposer by the Name of Heretick or Schismatick that in things necessary we have an absolute certainty in the Scriptures Creeds and the Four first General Councils §. 10. and in other things not absolutely necessary if Christians differ it is no more than hath been in all Ages more or less and yet may and do preserve one necessary Faith and Charity entire §. 38. And again that there 's a Latitude in Fundamentals for to whom much is given of him much shall be required as well in Belief as in Obedience the Sum of Obedience being in Mat. 22.37 39. and of Faith in Hebr. 11 6. or Act. 4.12 L. 3. de Trinit ad finem Instit l. 4. c. 1. and Cites Hilary In facili nobis est Aeternitas Jesum suscitatum a mortuis per Deum credere Ipsum esse Dominum confiteri In this he agrees with Calvin Sunt quaedam ita cognitu necessaria ut fixa esse omnibus oporteat §. 12. qualia sunt Unum esse Deum Christum esse Deum Dei Filium in Dei misericordia salutem nobis consistere Alia controversa quae Fidei Unitatem non dirimunt c. Multitudes of Foreign Writers might be alledged but I chuse rather to keep to our own Country Printed before His History of Scotland Arch-Bishop Spotswood in his Will briefly summed up the things in the Apostles Creed That God is one in 3 Persons the Father Creator of all things the Son made man in the fulness of time who by his bitter Death and Passion having redeem'd Mankind from death ascended into Heaven from whence he will come to judge all flesh and the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son the Sanctifier of all that believe That this God hath chosen to himself a Church the Members whereof living in Communion tho' never so dispers'd shall by his infinite mercy receive remission of all their sins and being rais'd in their Bodies at the last day
Christian World for want of this Of old to pass by many others year 192 Victor Bishop of Rome who Excommunicated the Churches of Asia for not keeping Easter on the Lord's Day year 257 Stephen Bishop of Rome who Condemn'd Cyprian and his Followers for re-baptizing those that had been Baptiz'd by Schismaticks year 663 The Saxon Christians in England who so oppos'd the Scotch who kept not Easter after the Roman way that they would not receive Consecration from them nor the Eucharist nor give it to them nay and question'd the Baptism Administred by them year 692 The Latine and Greek Churches separated about Fasting on Saturdays eating Blood Unleaven'd Bread in the Eucharist c. Their Quarrel encreas'd under Photius upon the Nice Dispute of the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son and not only by the Son tho' the Superiority of the Bishop of Rome over the Bishop of C. P. was in the bottom years 1054. 1213. 1274. Leo IX Excommunicated the Greeks and Humbert wrote against them And the Latins when they took CP Imprison'd and cruelly us'd the Greek Priests for not using the Roman Ceremonies and the Greeks abhor'd them scrap'd the Altars where they had said Mass c. An Union was made at the second Council at Lyons but the Greeks so oppos'd it at CP that Michael Palaeologus the Emperor who procured it was so hated that when he died he was not suffered to be publickly Buried year 1439 And Union made again at Florence but Marcus Ephesius and Geo Scholarius oppos'd it and it came to nothing year 1564 The Roman Church is yet grown higher enjoyns the Council of Trent and the Creed of it and Damns all that own it not 'T were well if by these Miscarriages Protestants both here and abroad had â—ntâ—â—â— more Wisdom and had avoided those Contests that have been among them God grant we may be Wiser for the future 10. Tenthly This must needs be most agreeable to Princes and Rulers that unfeignedly endeavour to Promote the Kingdom of God Not to say there 's a Moral impossibility of Peace in a State without a strict Uniformity in the Church Not to force Men to the same Opinion and Practice in all things and to vex and destroy all that differ from them whether upon right or mistaken grounds This Course hath been long taken by most and will not do and no wonder for it 's not of God not according to the clear Truth laid down in Scripture by our Great Teacher sent by God nor according to the Rules of true Wisdom For what Wise and Great Prince would be at the head of a Party only and tempt all others to hate him What great Things can he propose to do in the World or have any hope to effect Whereas the other way is of God speaks Universal Goodness and can be grievous to none but to blind Superstitious People and to such Mean and Wicked Persons whose United Carnal Interests lead them to Sacrifice the welfare of the World to their particular Lusts which at length oft ends in their own ruine But when God shall arise to do good to the World which we hope he will tho' we deserve it not he will raise up Heroick Princes and enable them to break the Yoaks of Superstitious and Designing Men and promote Truth and Love who shall Cherish the Good Protect the Peaceable People of all sorts from their Mistakes by all fair means and tread down none but those that Fight against these things And it 's evident that Statesmen oft-times have Larger and Righter Thoughts than many that pore on Books and refine upon Religion and oft prove like the Princes that delivered good Jeremiah from the hands of those Priests and Prophets that would have destroyed him for speaking the Truth which God sent him to do Jer. 26.10.16 This main Principle and the Plain Consequences from it may be displeasing to divers but it is a Great Truth of God and will prevail in his due time FINIS ERRATA PAge 1. line 28. after Holy Scriptures add a Colon p. 2. l. 14. after Gods Church add a Colon l. 49. for chose read chuse p. 4. l. 8. to such as necessary add a Comma at such p. 5. l. 10. for any useful read many useful l. 39. for Muolin r. Moulin p. 6. l. 6. after themselves add a Comma p. 7. l. 12. for others ore r. others are