any think it more proper to Radicate this Vnion in his Grace of Canterbury as Primate over all England or whether in both the Arch-Bishops who hold Communion in the same Doctrine Worship and Laws and in whom both the Provinces are Vnited or lastly whether we are not rather United in all the Bishops and Pastors of the Church of England as the Pars Regens and our Government in the Church considered purely and abstractly from the Civil Government be not rather an Aristocracy than a Monarchy Whether this or the other be the true to know it is not necessary nor of any use that I can perceive in the present Controversy But it is a certain Vanity to say because I cannot find the Head I will deny the Body though I must withal deny my own Senses Because you cannot know certainly who was your Father will you deny your Mother which is the surer side There is a Church of Englâ—nd and what it is I have endeavoured to shew and by the Nature of it we may more easily conclude what Schism from it is and who are guilty of this whether such as Separate and Gather Churches or not CHAP. VIII What Schism from the Church of England is and whether gathering of Churches aâ— now is practised be not guilty of it 1. WHat is Schism from the Church of England sure it is not a denying its Doctrine or holding any thing contrary thereunto he that holdeth perversum Dogma only is an Ad Tit. cap. 3. Heretick no Schismatick as St. Hierom teacheth Mr. Newcomen a learned Presbyterian as I observed in my last le ts the Separatists know that their agreeing with us and the Reformed Churches in Doctrines that are Fundamental their holding one Head and one Faith doth not excuse them from being guilty of breach of unity so long as they hold not one Body one Baptism For he cites Beza another learned Annotat. in 1 Cor. 1. 10. Presbyterian So that you may be willing to subscribe to the 39. Articles and yet be Schismaticks from the Church of England It remains therefore that such Schism relates to the other Bands of our union and fellowship with this Church to wit her Government and Worship and consequent to the latter her Members and Assemblies Thus you see we must return to our first determination that Schism from the Church of England is a sinful dividing from or a dissolving our union and communion with her in her Governors and Members Worship or Assemblies This is the least that we mean by Schism from the Church of England and is called Separation or Schism negative which is made positive and more formally such when those that have so separated set up their Altar against hers and erect other Congregations in opposition to hers The Schismatick by Dr. Hamond Of Schism Epist 40. out of Ignatius is described to be Filius impius c. An impious Son which having contemned the Bishops and forsaken the Priests of God dares constitute another Altar And again Epist 57. the Schismaticks are they that having left their Bishop set up for themselves abroad another false Bishop and all their adherents are involved in the same guilt who joyn with the Schismaticks against their Bishops Two things here must be supposed 1. That we are the pars subdita and do ow this communion and obedience to these Governors of the Church 2. That they impose no unlawful conditions of this communion upon us though if they should how far we may separate must take its measure from such impositions which is another Question to be discussed anon in another place and at present I shall only add that so far as I understand my Answerer so far as the people are concerned in the conditions of our communion we are not likely to differ much in this point But for the first of these suppositions if there be any force in Scripture precepts requiring obedience to our spiritual Guides or in Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws which are very severe to that purpose nothing can be more evident than that all English Christians do owe communion and obedience to the Governors of the Church of England whose Government stands established by both sorts of Laws and is so acknowledged by the Declaration it self And your Friend Mr. Baxter is Defence of his Cure p. 76. not obscure in this point We must own saith he a National Church as it is improperly so denominated from the King that is the Civil Head and as it is a community of Christians and a part of the Universal Church Vnited by the Concord of Her Pastors who in Synods may represent the whole Ministry and be the means of their Agreement He saith we must own the National Church I say then we must not disown Her And must we not likewise own the King as the Head thereof and all the Bishops and Pastors and Governors under Him And then what liberty is left us to disown deny or renounce their Persons or Authority Let such especially as have taken the Oath of Supremacy and received Ordination from Episcopal hands yet better consider those solemn Obligations upon them added to the Laws and take heed in earnest of Perfidiousness and Perjury Let them consider what is to renounce all foraign Jurisdiction and to their power to assist and defend all Jurisdiction Spiritual as well as Temporal granted or belonging to the Kings Highness and how well a renouncing Obedience to the Government of the Church consists with that which we have sworn therein It is true all are not called actually to take this Oath yet it is as true that the Ministers and Officers of all Sorts generally are and all Graduates in the Vniversity and for others as they are the Kings Subjects they are unquestionably taken to be under the same Obligation as to the matter of it and are born to the Duty as well as the Priviledge of Subjects of this Realm and therefore we find that this Oath is Administred not only to Oblige but rather as a Test to trie and also to secure the fidelity of such as take it as is evident in the Statute Again let all Ministers Ordained by Bishops I hope I have now to do with one in the Name of God seriously consider what they promised to do at their Ordination being most solemnly interogated by the Bishop in the Name of God and of his Church as the words are More particularly the Bishop demands Will you then give your faithful diligence always for to Minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath Commanded and as This Church and Realm hath received the Same according to Commandments of God so that you may teach the People committed to your Cure and Charge with all diligence to keep and observe the Same What Answer did you make hereunto I will do so by the help of the Lord. And thus you at once acknowledge that the Doctrine Sacraments and Discipline
so far forth as they are inhibited Ought not to Preach Neither are particular and private men much less the parties inhibited to Judge of the Cause of the inhibition whether it be just or unjust but as they who are appointed by the present Government to Ordain Ministers are to judg of their fitness thereunto so likewise of their unfitness I have thought hitherto that distinction of the Office and of the exercise of that Office had gone uncontroled among Presbyterians and that though the Ministers of Christ depend not even upon the Christian Magistrate for their Office and he cannot degrade them yet quoad Exercitium as to the Exercise of it within his Dominions they did and that he had power to Silence such as he Judged unmeet to Preach Mr. Baxter doth much encourage me to persist in the same Opinion more than once The Authority of the King and lawful 2d Admon to Bag. 117 Magistrates saith Mr. Baxter is more about the Circumstantials of Worship as whether Abiathar shall be High Priest c. then the False Teachers were about that Doctrine He more than Intimates that the Magistrates Power extends to the Appointing who shall be High Priest and who doubt but that he hath equal power to appoint who shall be Pastor of Covent-Garden Again hear Mr. Baxter what he saith more largly upon the Point Disput 223. Doubtless the Magistrate himself hath so much Authority in Ecclesiastical Affairs that if he Command a qualified person to Preach the Gospel and Command the People to receive him I see not how either of them can be allowed to disobey him though yet the Party ought to have recourse also to Pastors for Ordination and People for Consent where it may be done And Grotius commendeth the saying of Musculus That he would have no Minister question his Call that being quallified hath the Christian Magistrates Commission And though this Assertion need some limitation yet it is apparent that the Magistrates Power is great about the Offices of the Church For Solomon put out Abiathar from the Priest-hood and put Zadock in his place 1 King 2. 27 35. David and the Captains of the Host Seperated to Gods Service those of the Sons of Asaph and of Heman and Jeduther who should Prophesie with Harps c. 1 Chron. 16. 4. And so did Solomon 2 Chron. 8. 14 15. They were for the Service of the House of God according to the Kings Order 1 Chron. 25. 1 6. And methinks those those men should acknowledge this that were wont to stile the King in all Causes and over all Persons the Supream Head and Governor So far He. And indeed I durst almost challenge this Answerer or any man to prove that ever any learned Protestant in this Church whether Episcopal or Presbyterian did make it a question I mean before the Kings happy Return whether Solomon had not sufficient Authority to put out Abiathar from the Priest-hood and put Zadock in his place Or whether any might modestly say such must Preach and that those were Schismaticks and Vsurpers that did exercise their Offices according to Law in the places of such as were removed by the Vertue of an Act of Parliament of unquestionable Authority and we must Preach though the Law forbids us As for Dr. Gunnings Dr. Wilds preaching fourteen or fifteen years ago which you so often hint at it is sufficiently known it was in such a time when the Case was far otherwise both with the Church and State in many Notorious Circumstances both as to Persons Law Government and Worship and they could easily answer their so doing if it be not a matter too much below the Eminency both of their Persons and Places We must proceed CHAP. XI Provision for the proof of the Assumption by four Propositions THat Schism is a Causeless Seperation from a True Church and what Seperation from a True Church is and when it is Causeless hath at large appeared And there seems nothing left to prevent or remove the charge of Schism from the Practices we oppose but to plead either that our Churches are no true Churches or that you are not of them and ow them no Communion or that you do not Seperate from them or if you do you have Cause sufficient and your Seperation is not Rash or Groundless That the Contrary to all these is the very Truth I am now to manifest The Propositions accordingly are these four Pro. 1. That our Parochial Congregations are true Churches 2. That the people of England are or ought to be members of our Parochial Congregations 3. That the present practice of gathering Churches out of them is Seperation 4. That such Seperation is Rash and without just grounds And all these shall be proved not only from the Nature of the things and the judgment or others but from the Publique judgement of the former Non-Conformists and Presbyterians and then I hope my bold undertaking will be found excusable CHAP. XII Parochial Congregations true Churches His Exceptions espâ—cially about parish bounds examined FIrst I affirm that our Parochial Congregations are true Churches They have the matter of true Churches Professed Christians Baptized They have the fâ—rm of true Churches being Societies of such as Ames saith in order to the worship of God and these fix'd and Stated and ordinarily assembling actually together for that end According to our Author they have generally both the Essential and constituent parts of true Churches Pastors to govern and people to be govern'd by them in order to Gods glory and their Salvation And as their end so the means and their work in their publick Assemblies is such as is proper and peculiar unto and true and undoubted indications and notes of true Churches the Ordinances of God and their ordinary attendance thereupon in known publique and fixed places consecrated and set a part for that end Wherein also there is nothing practic'd much less allow'd that is contrary to these means or doth pervert that end or with any pretence or colour of reason can be thought to destroy their being or their truth as Churches of God For this we have abundant Suffrage voluntarily given by Non-Conformity it self from time to time and that not only in the acknowledgement but even in the defence of them against their enemies of the Separation and what need more If Mr. Ball Mr. Hildersham of old and Mr. Bagshaw and his friend the Answerer be heard for the rest Mr. Ball is express for himself and his Brethren The Non-Conformists saith he can not only acknowledg but prove the Religion and worship of the Church of England to be of God not by petty reasons and colourable Ans to Can. part 2. p 3. shews which they leave to them which maintain a bad Cause but by pregnant evidence from the word of Truth even by plain Texts of Scripture and sound reâ—son deduced therefrom against which the Gates of Hell shall never prevail Mr. Hildersham comes not a
the Gospel which Commandement might more hardly be yielded unto than this of our Bishops who are not only content that the Gospel should be preached but are also Preachers of it themselves Lastly the Apostles received not their calling Authority from men nor by the hands of men but immediately from God himself and therefore might not be restrain'd or depos'd by Men whereas we though we exercise a Function whereof God is the Author and are also called of God to it yet are we called and ordained by the hand and Ministry of men and therefore may by men be also deposed and restrained from the exercise of our Ministry These three last objections and answers are taken out of a Book called a grave and modest confutation of the errors of the Sect called Brownists or Seperatists Agreed upon long since by the joint consent of many Ministers then standing out in the cause of Non-Conformity published by Mr. Rathbang 1644. par 2. p. 41 42. 2. They must preach because the people need it the necessities of thousands of Souls require it Yet you ask is the notorious need of many hundred thousand souls no reason is the releiving of many Godly Christians who are cast out of your Communion because they dare not conform no reason But I am still confident you have no reason or no good ones for I believe you have brought out the best you had to make this vapour and for the credit of the Cause for neither these nor their fellows as hath appeared are worth a fig and yea some would tell you they are rotten they have great Worms in them and are only fit to please Children Doe but open these reasons and you will presently find they are deceitful wares and nothing but skin The sense of them is Non-Conformists must preach upon a double reason taken from the people 1. from their numbers 2. From their quality 1. From their numbers Many hundred thousand souls Souls thousand souls hundred thousand souls many hundred thousand souls and all these need notoriously need Non-conformists preaching Here is strength of Argument indeed and is this no reason I am sure his Rhetorick as sweet to some mens palates But I marvail at two things first that this great necessity should be so notorious to none but your selves and that a Christian Government should notoriously be guilty of the blood of so many hundred thousand souls by suffering them to perish for lack of knowledge had another said it I should have answered this is a most notorious slander The second thing I wonder at is how any Conscientious man dare say contrary to plain sence and Fact that this is the Reason necessitating Non-Conformistâ— to preach as they do Seeing in the places worst served we so seldome hear of your new Congregations But as some Mountebanks pretend to cure the head by applications to the feet you have skill to work by a quite contrary method you will cure the feet by tampering with the head In plain English all this is but a blind and a stawking-Horse behind which these fowlers lurck to catch their Game and to draw our best and fattest Partridge into their Net it is Cities Corporations and the Wealthiest parts of the Kingdome where they Tincle their Bells and draw Swarms to their Hives that will yeild most Honey You seem some where p. 74. to tax my Charity or Verity in an intimation tending this way but my particular experience as well as general and not to be controled observation was my Warrant I will trouble you with a pat Instance of two or three Non-Conformists in a place where I am well acquainted and I count them not a whit the lesse honest for their plain dealing in the point One of them that hath a Licence to preach in a Country House near the place where he lives told me himself that unless he should know what they would pay him he would not preach among them and I suppose they differed upon that point for he is gon off and joyned himself with a Brother of another Church Another licenc'd to preach in his own Parish where he rents a Farm told the Minister of that Parish that he would loose 50. pound by his Farm that he might remove and place himself in a Corporation that is indeed very well furnisht with Ministers and better without his Company A third also licenced to preach in his own House yet one Lords day in three as I am informed by a pretty good hand rides twelve miles to exercise his gifts in a great Town not meanly provided with publique preachers And all these three within eight miles one of another and these are plain and honest men and doubtless speak their own and their Brethrens minds for by this foot you may guess at Hercules I cannot forbear hereupon to commend the wit of that excellent man who said smartly ingenuously some years agon I doubt they see their Condition would be woful indeed if they preacht the Gospel there in the Country Cures that are worst served and therefore they should have added two words to the Apostles speech and said Woe be to us if we preach not the Gospel in London or in Bristol or in Exon or in Plymouth Totnes or Dartmouth There is little to be got by preaching it to the poor Country folk Those aâ—â— barren places to sow the seed in and will bring foâ—â—h small profit to themselves and so they would do well to say in plain English and I should think them honester men if they did Necessity is laid upon us to tell you the Truth we must preach to get a living Many such Tricks there are you know to be done by Numbers but when they are one discovered they are as silâ—y as this 2. But their quality may be considerabâ— that 's the other reason of necessity For yâ— Ask is the releiving of many Godly Christians who are cast out of your Communion because they dare not conform no Reason Sr will you say in earnest that the Non-Conformist should countenance such in their Seperation and harden them in their sin and that a necessity lies upon them to do so though you your self believe that these people may not only lawfully but that it is best for them to Communicate with the Parishes if their Scruples and mistakes were removed However the Cheat here will be too manifest if we open this one box who are those that are thus to be releived You canmean no other but such as did not Communicate with us before the Indulgence for such as then did may do so still and not need your Charity Then those that are to be Releived must be either Independents or Anabaptists or Quakers or those that go under the Name oâ— Presbyterians Now I think you your self would not head any of the three Vid. p. 14. former of these Sects or if you or any of your brethren would stoop so low how would they in pride trample upon